Chapter 47. Joining the Secret Squad

- Useful stuff. - Yee Rhys tucked the pass into the sack. His body cultivation has always been more just a secondary. But over time the gap between auto increase and the actual level will widen and then you'll either have to train for real or leave it as it is. In addition, now is the best time to lay the foundation for future body cultivation.

The first sphere of body cultivation, "Body Strengthening," involved cleansing and strengthening the body. Through fusion, the cleansing could be considered complete, which actually meant almost eighty percent effort and time. All that remained was to strengthen the body with exercises to an appropriate level. And it is better to do this as quickly as possible, before the body becomes clogged again.

There were two reasons why Yee Rhys had not yet done so. The first was a banal lack of time. Even so, though, he had almost reached the first stage. The fact that his body was showing strength equivalent to stage three said nothing. Auto increase was no substitute for full cultivation; it only gave him a general level of strength, and level abilities remained inaccessible. If he had wanted to do body cultivation later, he would have had to start with the first stage of the first sphere anyway.

The second reason was the shortage, or rather lack of resources. Cultivating the body required a lot of energy, which could not be compensated by the level of Qi. With his current diet and regimen, the young man could afford no more than an hour of body cultivation a day. The Qi encapsulation gave him another hour, but that was already the limit for his body.

Now, after getting prizes for the tournament, it was possible to acquire at least some resources. However, there was still the main problem of all body cultivators: cultivation gobbled up resources like a starving bear over the winter. And the further you go, the more resources you need.

- I also want to congratulate you on successfully passing the test and officially joining the Secret Squad. - A faint smile flashed on Lady's face for the first time during the entire conversation. A nameplate of dark gold appeared in her hands, and she handed it to her ward. - Here, this is your second personality now. Use it strictly with the mask.

Yee Rhys took the nameplate in his hands. An unpleasant chill crept up inside, but his face remained impassive. The patriarch approached the question of binding thoroughly.

Secret disciples are those whom the sect hides from the public. Those who are cultivated especially diligently. Those to whom the best techniques are available. And those for whom a step aside is considered an escape.

Releasing the wisp of Qi, the young man checked the information inside the slip.

Name: Yee Kar.

Access: Level 1.

Specialization: Bellman.

Level in Specialization: 1-1.

Mentor: Chris Tal.

Resources: Eyes (1st level)

Balance: 0 points.

- Who is Chris Tal? - Raised his head to Yee Rhys.

- The code name of the master of Raz Beg. - Explained the Lady. - Master is too high to be the mentor of an ordinary disciple, even if it's a secret one. I don't know much about the mental stuff, and I'm not part of the Secret Squad. But to you, it's as mere formality as the identity of an ordinary disciple. By the way, here are the rights and duties of the secret disciples. You can ask your mentor for details later.

Another slip fell into the boy's hands.

- Uh-huh. - Yee Rhys placed the gifts on the table and took a scroll out of the sack. - That Seven Gems technique you gave me. Now that I've got the official version, I don't need this one anymore.

- Good of you to remind me. - Belle took the scroll and returned to the subject. - As a reward, you were given access to mental resources.

- О? - The boy was astonished.

- The lowest level. - The Lady put down his ardor at once. - Mental resources are scarce and their allocation is very specific. The Patriarch and the Guardians have the highest priority. Then come the Grand Elders who specialize in the mental. Then the simple Grand Elders. And then all others who have access to the distribution, according to level and merit. If there are any resources left after that, they are distributed to the core disciples and Elders of the Inner Sect. Those resources simply do not reach the Outer Sect.

Yee Rhys nodded silently. These things are very difficult to get without a patron.

- You can see a list of available resources through the secrete disciple slip. - The beauty continued. - You can also use it to place an order. All the details are in the information slip. Well, that's about it.

- Can I ask you a question?

- Yes.

- The Discipline Department checks all the disciples. May I ask what my history says?

- One word. - The Lady smiled slyly. - "Classified."

- Who can know that? - The young man inquired.

- Any member of the Discipline Department at the level of an Inner Sect Elder or higher. - The Grand Elder shrugged.

- So the big factions can find that out? - Yee Rhys clarified.

- Without a problem. - Nodded the beauty.

- Then I have a request. Can you make me a fake biography?

- What for? - The Lady was surprised.

- Maybe it's not relevant now, - Yee Rhys grimaced, - but without information, the larger factions might start looking. If they don't find any, they'll widen the search. And me... the story was a big one back then. And I don't think anyone bothered to cover it up. So, I'd feel safer if they got misinformation about some descendant of a destroyed family than if they were looking for the real family.

- That makes sense. - The beauty admitted. - But then you might be hunted down by the enemies of the destroyed family.

- I think you could pick up enemies no stronger than a third-level family. And if they start chasing me, then everyone will believe in the legend, and no one will dig further.

- I'll see what I can do. - The Lady nodded.

And left the room.

***

After his guest left, Yee Rhys lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. After lying there for a while, his hand reached for the table and fumbled for two slips. Barely touching them, the young man jerked his fingers away sharply.

The benefit.

Shackles.

Taking the new nameplate in his hands for the first time, Yee Rhys physically felt another invisible chain click into place, joining the ones that were already shackling the young man.

Are the mentalists really that valuable? Or is the Patriarch overreacting? But how much further he can get? To marry me, perhaps. But from the Patriarch's recent actions, he wants to make the attachment to himself, not to some maiden. However, judging by the trends, marriage is only a matter of time. And it is better to prepare in advance.

After lying there for a while longer, Yee Rhys exhaled. A chain more, a chain less. It doesn't matter. It's just unpleasant when that goodness rings out, reminding you of yourself.

Betrayal? What kind of betrayal when you are regularly called on the carpet Patriarch-mentalist? He is not allowed to lie.

He swallowed the bitterness in his mouth and took the slips firmly from the table. He could not change the past, but he needed to know how to reap the rewards. Yes, in his case, the new status is one big benefit. Plus a few minor responsibilities to make life a little more difficult.

He took an information slip and began to study its contents. So far, he had only glimpsed the secret disciples slip, and did not know the details. Well, now let's find out how it works. From the inside, so to speak.

The secret squad turned out not to be so scary. In fact it was a group of disciples who, for one reason or another, were in a special position. They could be geniuses whose talent attracted unnecessary attention, or they could be suicide bombers officially dead to the world, or they could be disciples obtained by the sect in a not entirely honest way.