4 Gift

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Sieg finished off cleaning himself and changed into a new set of clothes, he wore a simple set of brown robes which is again, he stuffed with a lot of cotton inside to promote comfort over anything else. He was also shocked to see that his skin complexion lighten up a notch and his hair grew a bit longer. His 5 senses were also promoted along with his thoughts working much faster, even though the changes weren't that huge, it still a progress which made him extremely happy.

Right now he can officially say that his minimal steps into being a martial artist already started. He officially stepped unto the *1st step*.

1st step of Awakening Realm, a realm which a novice would start to metamorphose into a real deal cultivator. People would experience different changes throughout thier bodies during this stage and at the 1st step of Awakening Realm the skin would be activated.

Martial artists at this stage would have an overall increase in thier strength and thier skin would be much resillient and tougher. The skin covers the entire body and narutally serves as one of the defenses so having this activated would be a great boost to a martial artists. For those who are at the *2nd step* the activation of thier muscles would occur and which will boost their agility, strength, and toughness. Then it would be the organs, blood, bones, marrows, meridians, dantian and spritual sea, during the 3rd step all the way to the 9th step.

After completing this steps then the next realm would be the *Foundation Establishment Realm*, a realm which Sieg has still have no idea what it is.

After making his way back home, he cooked something for himself and desided to sleep a bit since there's nothing to do anyways. Normally martial artist would be so eager to test out their new found strength after a breakthrough but Sieg has no desire to ruin a good day like just to wrestle with some boars inside the forest. Some people would also like to consolidate their strength before doing anything else but the concept of consolidation is non-existent on Sieg's head so why not sleep right?.

When he got to the room, he once again noticed the black lump of something that he put into a corner of the room. The apperance of the thing did not change in anyway but for some reason it looked different for him. The black rock is emitting some sort of distortions around it, Sieg also noticed that the insignia that's etched in the middle of the rock is more highlighted than before since it's very obvious now compared before,

With his curiosity going through the roof, he approached the black rock and something else happened.

Bright. So bright, that he cannot even open his eyes. He didn't knew what had happened, he just approached the black rock and then suddenly it emitted a blinding light that filled his whole vision. After who knows how long he opened his eyes and saw that his surroundings are completely different now.

He was no longer inside the hut but standing in wide barren lands, the sky is filled with dark clouds and the soil is very close to being sand because of dryness, even the air is a bit suffocating to breathe in and the scenario is the same everywhere Sieg's vision land to. The place seemed to have no end to them and Sieg can only stand in there dumbfounded since he doesn't know what to do, he didn't even know how did he got here or how to get out. He can only smile bitterly and survey the land aimlessly.

"How exactly did this happened? All i can remember is going near the black rock and this happened, is the black rock behind all of this or somebody's just making fun of me?" He smiled bitterly, he walked for couple of hours now and yet he can only see barren lands still. Not even a patch of grass can be seen or even a drop of water, the sunlight is nowhere to be seen only dark clouds that doesn't even show the slightest sign of raining at all. All he can to so far is to just walk aimlessly trying to find his way out of here.

Hours and hours passed and soon a day passed already, Sieg's clothes are in tatters because of the dry furious winds that are slamming to his body, he's very hungry and his throat is dry due to lack of hydration. Sieg started losing hope but he gritted his teeth and pressed on forward. But his journey can only last of a couple of minutes at best since his energies are completely driep up now.

He felt like crying, why did it have to be like this? Why did he have to experience this type of torture? Was his luck really that bad and the heavens wanted to eradicate him so bad?

He don't even have the energy to stand up anymore and can just sit down and laugh bitterly thinking that this is the place where he's going to die. But before his very last moments, a smile crept up in his face and sat crossed legged. Fey once told him that people doesn't need to be so scared of dying, in fact dying is some sort of a release, specially for Sieg. He experienced a lot of unpleasant memories and he already knew that sooner or later he will die. Thinking that he can finally escape this nightmare of a life, he felt serene inside. Now he only wish that, if he would ever be reincarnated, the gods not curse him anymore and let him be with Fey , even if he live as a mortal that would totally be fine for him. Just thinking of this made him shake with anticipation already…

And then he close his eyes and drew his last breath…

*Woosh*

"Owww…" he inhaled sharply after some time, he screeched very loud as he felt that something was being branded in his forhead. It was very painful that Sieg didn't even have the time to wonder if the whole barren lands situation is just a dream or not, it felt real though but now he's back in his hut and experiencing deep pain that he absolutely don't have any clue how it happened.

If someone would see Sieg right now, they will be bewildered by what they see. Sieg's overall physique is slightly changing, his hair is turning white, his face it becoming more and more refined, even his height is increasing, his skin is getting fairer and fairer that some maidens would turn green from envy. And on his forhead, a strange insignia appears, this insignia is the one that is on the black rock before, it mysteriously embedded itself to Sieg without his consent at all but the latter has no idea on what have happened yet.

After the longest half hour of torturous pain Sieg valiantly endured and managed to not faint during the process, well it's not like he have any choice about that since everytime he was on the verge of losing conciousness the pain would intesify even more and bring him back to reality, the cycle didn't end up until this moment.

Ironically, Sieg didn't felt exhausted with all of that, in fact he was brimming with energy just like he does everytime he wakes up. This was also the time when he smelled the same stink from earlier this day, but much stronger smelling compared before. He found out that he's literally covered in black goo that he would be mistaken as a slime monster now.

Sieg can't endure it anymore and went straight back to the lake to clean himself for the 2nd time this day. On the way Sieg heard the wind screeching on his ears, his vision was a blur because of how fast he was running but he's managing to evade everything that might hurt him just by relying on his instincts. Sieg was overjoyed but kept on moving forward until he reached the lake.

He jumped out from the tree and plunged deep into the water, after a while he re-surfaced with a beaming smile on his face.

"I don't have any idea on what happened but i think i breakthrough for the second time this day. Just what was that black rock anyway?"

Sieg frowned as he clicked his tounge knowing that he won't find any answers for his question for a while. He was about to get out of the lake when he suddenly looked at his reflection on the water.

"What the hell!!!?" Sieg panicked, he pinched his skin, twirled his hair, flexed for a bit while looking at his reflection on the lake. That confirmed his doubts since whatever he did, his reflection was following him. "This is really me! What in the world happened? Is this also the black rock's doing?"

"Hey kid!!"

"-Waa!!" Sieg was startled, he was on the middle of comtempelating when he heard a voice from his back. He turned around so fast like it was a matter of life and death, his heart was pounding because of the nervousness he felt. His insticts were screaming that the man infront of him was very dangerous. So dangerous that his life depended on the man's mood. "W-what is it s-senio-eh? It's you!"

Sieg was very scared but when he looked carefully at the man he realized that this was the same man he saved yesterday.

"Senior are you completely healed yet? If not let's go to my hut so that i can treat you again!" Sieg offered him his service again. He not acting at all, he was genuinely worried about the man's safety.

The man's gaze softened and said "I'm okay now, but i need the ointments that you made for me yesterday…" Wilson was of course lying, he was throughly and completely healed. The reason as to why he asked him to make one of those ointments is to of course learn it himself as well.

"Sure! Wait for me at the hut." With that said, Sieg once again ran through the corners of the forest to get the herbal medicines that he needed.

Unknown to him, Wilson was secretely tailing him, because of the disparity of thier cultivation realms, Sieg of course had no way of sensing him. Even if he did he wouldn't really mind, afterall he was doing this for Wilson anyway.

Wilson saw Sieg crouch from time to time and pick up the herbal medicines for the medicine, sometimes he would smell it, and some time he would even pinch it to see if it's capable of releasing some essences.

After the he hurried to the hut where he saw Wilson sitting cross legged, he went for his mortar and carefully ground the herbal medicines he collected. After that he headed over to Wilson, as for the latter he opened his eyes and there one can faintly discern a gillter of surprise.

"Interesting…" he said, Sieg was of course puzzled by this, he was about to apply the ointment when Wilson continued. "No need, I lied to you earlier, i'm completely healed already, i'm just curious on how you did the ointment for me. Can you give this to me?" Wilson asked as he eyes over Sieg.

Without any suspense he answered him, "Sure! I'm just going to put it inside this bottle. Oh right! Unless that your going to use this, please refrain from opening it, the effects of the medicine disperse if it had contact with air for more than 3 minutes, if your going to apply it in a wound please make sure to cover it with these kind of leaf and a cloth bandage so that it will have it's best effects." After saying this lengthy speech, he placed it inside a bottle and handed it over to Wilson.

"Thank you, i'm not taking this for free however. I saw that you just breakthrough the 2nd step right?"

"Yes sir! It's very strange however since it changed my apperance suddenly, i don't know what's up with that."

"Are you willing to be under my tutelage?"