Chapter 23. Plans Remain Unchanged.

Realizing that he had narrowly escaped death, Rand's body was instantly covered in cold sweat, and his mind was flooded with thoughts moving at the speed of light.

"What was that? I felt like I was a hair's breadth away from death, as if trying to kill Weed would instantly lead to my own demise. It seems my intuitive awareness warned me against this reckless action. I've always had strong intuition; my teachers constantly praised it, and even my father once said it would help me greatly in battle. I have often correctly predicted whether I could win a fight before it even started, but to feel such helplessness and the inevitability of death just by attempting to… I have only experienced this once before in my life.

When I looked at Weed with murderous intent, for a moment, it seemed like I was facing some invincible monster on a completely different level of existence. If I tried to kill him, it would crush me like a bug, and no one would protect me: not the deacon, not the elders, not the mighty imperial treasure. Even my uncle, who defeated my father and is possibly the strongest cultivator in our lands, didn't make me feel such insurmountable fear.

But that's impossible. What would a being of such caliber be doing here? And why did I feel this terror just now? Why didn't my intuition scream about this danger all this time? Perhaps he can hide so well that my intuition, which largely relies on my perception of the surrounding space, couldn't detect him. Then what made him reveal himself slightly, so I could feel this horror? My thoughts of killing him? No, I had thought about it before when Weed asked my name, and nothing happened. So it's not the thoughts but my actual murderous intent, the concentrated desire to kill that he saw in my eyes? And he, slightly revealing himself, warned me against reckless actions? But do I even have a chance to scratch such a monster, and why would he warn an insect? There shouldn't be any reason for that. But if he expressed his displeasure, which I felt, does that mean I have a chance to harm him? Or is he afraid that my murder would reveal his identity to the sect? Does this mean he is currently weak enough for the sect to pose a threat to him? Or am I thinking in the wrong direction altogether, and feeling this now is just a coincidence?

If I look from another angle, this feeling of incredible power seemed to come not from Weed himself but from somewhere behind or around him, as if he wasn't the direct source of it. And his face, the face of a boy, didn't change expression at all, as if he had nothing to do with what was happening. Is it that the ancient monster doesn't want to show emotions on his face, or is this boy and what I felt not quite the same thing? Maybe it's just residing in him, or perhaps it's not a being at all, but Weed has some incredible artifact which has a powerful soul? Endless questions, none of which have answers. But I need to gather myself and focus on what to do right now. Acting aggressively is definitely not the way to go. Should I try to surrender? Maybe it's the safest choice, but no, I don't think that's necessary at the moment. I should just stand and watch what he does first and then act accordingly, but I need to be ready for…" Rand's intense but brief brain storm was abruptly interrupted by the voice of his opponent standing opposite him.

"Did you just say something? Sorry, I didn't hear you," Weed asked in an entirely innocent voice.

"Nothing important," Rand replied quickly, trying to find a double meaning in each of his words, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any.

"Alright, then."

At that moment, the voice of the deacon resounded over the arena.

"Begin!"

Before Rand could decide on any course of action, he heard Weed's boyish voice again.

"I give up. I was joking about my strength earlier; I don't stand a chance against you with my noob — uh, I mean, cultivation level. But next time, I won't give up so easily."

Immediately, the deacon, wasting no time, announced the end of the match.

"Winner, Oberin. Next up, Quint and Achil."

"A joke... What does that even mean? Was he trying to make me surrender, or is he blatantly lying to me now? Or is he talking about something else entirely? Boy or monster, I don't know what to believe anymore," Rand's head was spinning with thoughts, but he couldn't come to any definite conclusion. After a moment, he noticed the strange word in Weed's speech.

Descending from the arena, Rand mulled over it: "I've never heard the word 'noob' before. Where did that even come from? Is it some sort of plebeian synonym for cultivation? Though it's unlikely I'd be unfamiliar with such a term, and there's nothing like it in Oberin's memory either. Maybe it's a local slang from Fire City? Such local expressions exist, but why would he try to hide it then? Something doesn't add up, and I feel like there's something more behind this slip of the tongue. I need to ask around about this word; it might give me a clue."

Leaving the arena and rejoining the other novices, Rand continued watching the fights of his peers, though his eyes followed every movement of the combatants, his thoughts were far from these battles, constantly returning to the incident: "Let's summarize some conclusions from today's endless reflections. Let's start with what or who Weed is. There are a few probable theories.

First: He is an incredibly powerful monster, hiding under the guise of a mortal for some unknown reason. At any moment, he could cast off this guise and eliminate anyone who stands in his way. Fortunately, this is the least likely scenario. Such a being would have no reason to be here and even less reason to hide from bugs. He could simply say a word, and his will would be carried out. Furthermore, if this were true, there would have been no reason for him to react to my murderous intent. If I'm not missing anything, the likelihood of this scenario is extremely low, but I won't dismiss it yet.

Second: He's just an ordinary boy from the slums who, by some twist of fate, has become connected with this monster. Perhaps that's where Weed got his power of persuasion. The nature and depth of this connection remain in question. But what benefit could such a connection provide to an incredibly powerful monster? In my understanding, none, but this theory has one indirect piece of evidence: I felt that terrifying power not directly from him. In that case, Weed is merely a conduit for an alien will and power.

And the third scenario, very similar to the second, is that instead of a monster, Weed possesses an artifact of incredible power, endowed with a soul, which has chosen him as its master and now protects him from dangers. I believe that one of these three theories is true to some extent, with the probability of the second or third being significantly higher than the first. But for now, these are just theories, based on my sensations and assumptions, so they need further scrutiny and analysis.

What can I deduce from this, assuming each theory holds some truth? Is there a common thread that allows me to navigate the situation and develop a strategy beneficial to me?

It seems there is. At the very least, in the short term, he, whatever or whoever he is, doesn't pose a direct threat to my existence as long as he's not provoked. His plans in the sect don't directly involve me.

It's also highly unlikely that he can read minds, as he didn't react to my initial thoughts of killing him, but he is more than capable of sensing even hidden murderous intent.

There's also a high chance that Weed's persuasion isn't his last ability to be revealed. The question is the strength of these new abilities and their frequency of manifestation.

Knowing all this, the question arises: what should I do? Should I give up trying to eliminate him and keep my distance, hoping our paths never cross? No, no, relying on fate is not the way of the strong, and certainly not the way of a future immortal. I don't believe this monster is invincible; otherwise, it wouldn't have reacted to my intent. This means it is vulnerable, at least partially. So the plan remains the same: Weed, whoever or whatever he is, needs to be eliminated. The sooner, the better. But I must not attempt this head-on; I fear I wouldn't survive a counterattack from the entity behind Weed. Ideally, this should be done through another's hands, and if it fails, I must understand why and adjust my strategy accordingly. I need to find a suitable pawn for this task. If Weed is eliminated on the first attempt and only the pawn is lost, that would be the perfect outcome."

Having chosen his course of action and drafted a rough plan, Rand was able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was only then that he realized how tense he had been all this time and, he admitted to himself, even a bit scared. Everything that had happened was far beyond his initial expectations and schemes. This new variable in his plans threatened to destroy them like a gust of wind toppling a house of cards. But by accepting these changes and understanding what to do next and how to behave, Rand managed to restore calm and confidence to his heart.

"Whatever happens, no matter how hard my path may be, no matter who stands in my way, I will not stop or yield. Any obstacle will be crushed, and its remnants will become yet another step on my path to immortality."

"And to walk this path, I first and foremost need strength, and for strength, I need resources. The first step in this plan remains winning this competition, securing the best rewards and the attention of the sect's high-ranking members. Right now, I need to discard any extraneous thoughts that could distract me from this goal."

Having concluded his reflections, Rand returned to attentively watching the battles of the other novices.

Various scenes of combat unfolded before his eyes: Fara trying to dodge Lin's fire, keeping her distance, but just when it seemed she was succeeding, Lin launched an aggressive attack, chasing her down. When she failed to evade in time, the flames touched her, and within moments filled with gut-wrenching screams, it was all over.

Lucius, with the might of his second level Qi Condensation, was utterly dominating his opponent in every aspect. His adversary lacked the speed, strength, and technical skill to put up any resistance. The elder's son didn't even need to use his gift to claim an easy victory.

Eyron, after a brief chase, reached his opponent and sent him flying to the edge of the arena with a single blow. Balron tricked his enemy and gained an advantage that he didn't waste, turning it into a victory. And there were many more like these...

As Rand became deeply immersed in observing and analyzing these fights, he once again heard the deacon's ever-present voice calling him to the arena.

"Oberin, Melisa, you're next."

Hearing these words, an unexpectedly broad yet slightly sad smile appeared on Rand's face. As he stepped onto the arena, he mentally laughed, as if he had forgotten the recent incident with Weed.

"I've fought with sister Melisa my whole life, and even after everything that's happened, when I thought I'd never have the chance again, I meet another Melisa, whom I must also defeat. Ha." — But in his laughter, along with the amusement, there was a sense of melancholy.

As Rand battled Melisa, a boy standing among the other novices, watching their fight, thought:

"Why did his name turn red back then?"