Hope Resides In The Heart

Whatever Lo Jik expected from an Academy, Gu Yue Academy for 'Promising Gu Masters' wasn't it—no need for textbooks in this one. Classes exchange information verbally through the Academy Elder to the packed class of 57 students. Indeed, more than 100 eager youths only produced 57 Gu Masters. However, Jik's issue with the lessons is how padded they are. The verbal lectures often deviate from their intended course about Qing Mao Mountain and its nearby flora and fauna species, including the Gu Worms, and instead derail into moderate and often heavy-handed propaganda.

Why does the topic of Flower Wine Monk's attack on the 4th Ancestor Patriarch of the Clan need to erupt in a lecture about Gu Masters' ranking system and their hierarchical structure? Lo Jik wants to understand the power dynamics before he decides how to best use his trait for benefit. Who knows what he can earn in this world.

A culture of individual strength is greatly instilled in this world, so doesn't that mean he can abuse his trait as much as he likes once he gets stronger? No other collection of angry husbands will ever get to him!

'However, I DO understand the broad strokes. Gu worms are like traits of this world. These creatures come in many shapes or forms, following a specific function after consuming the Primeval essence. Gu Masters are merely professionals who can utilize Gu Worms. Their hierarchy is structured into 9 significant ranks from Rank 1-9.'

"If I was born a few hundred years ago, I would tear Flower Wine—"

"Sir!" Lo Jik raises his hand, interrupting a rather passionate speech of murder. The otherworldy's thoughts are more about doing things than talking about them since he isn't a newbie when it comes to extinguishing lives—and he would instead grant new lives. "You said something about Gu Master using, refining, and feeding Gu worms. What does that mean?"

"Ehm," the Elder clears his throat. The Academy Elder is responsible for guiding the youth into the righteous path by setting peculiar examples in their minds about the evil ways of the Gu World. However, he cannot ignore sincere questions since they always take priority.

"Gu worms have their needs and demands. Ehm," their tutor clears his throat. "Think of a Gu Worm as a hired help. A hired helper needs food to continue working, instructions to perform his duties, and often different equipment to perform diverse functions. Similarly, Gu worms need to feed to survive, and they need the Gu Master to use them and reveal their full potential. As for refinement, it's when you refine a Gu worm with your essence, making it your own. However, there is another aspect of refining which you will encounter once you graduate."

Lo Jik nods while the Elder continues, "Hmm. It's been seven days since you awakened your apertures. You will earn your first Gu Worms from the Academy. I advise you to focus on refining your chosen Gu worms and return to the academy for further lectures. The classes will resume in a week. As I informed you at the beginning of our session, the first to refine their Gu Worms in the coming week will be rewarded 20 primeval stones!"

The Academy Elder promptly ends the class as his words elicit excited whispers from others.

A Gu Worm!

They learned about various Gu Worms and how to cultivate their aperture for the past week, and now they can step on the path of Gu Masters by choosing their Gu Worms! Their excitement is understandable as the Elder made the group form a line based on their Aptitudes.

Heading the group is a familiar face with flowing black hair and simple facial features, possessing determined pools of black orbs for his eyes. It's Fang Zheng!

Lo Jik glances at the youth proudly standing ahead of the class before mingling with other C-grade students behind the only two B-grade students, Gu Yue Mo Bei and Chi Cheng. His glance inadvertently falls upon Fang Zheng's older twin, the childhood prodigy who was expected to be an A-grade talent—Fang Yuan.

It's intriguing.

Fang Yuan used to be THAT neighbor's kid your parents would compare you to. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng usually followed his Elder Twin's shadow. However, the awakening ceremony revealed that Fang Yuan had a C-grade aptitude. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng turned out to be the prodigious son of a bitch with an A-grade talent.

Unlike others cawing and fawning over the young twin, Lo Jik didn't have a great impression of the boy. He's no saint, given his past indecencies. However, Lo Jik knows if he had a brother who fell from grace and now wastes time by drinking and squandering the classroom lessons by sleeping through them—he would tightly slap his brother's face to wake him up from his self-destructive stupor. It might ruin his relationship with his brother, but Lo Jik would sacrifice that happiness and comfort for his brother.

However, Fang Zheng…

Lo Jik sighs mutedly. 'Maybe these two never had a good relationship. Whatever. Not like they're my brothers.'

The classroom follows the Elder through the open Academy field towards the small, well-guarded building. The structure is as large as a freighter's container back from his old world, about 55-60 cubic meters if Lo Jik has to guess. Two Gu masters stand guard over the entrance as the Academy Elder clears his throat, guiding, "Choose your first Gu Worms within the four walls of the Academy Gu Storage. Remember what I taught you all about these Gu Worms and choose carefully. A Gu Master's first Gu Worm is a special one."

Fang Zheng enters the storage and walks out shortly after with a confident smile. He bows to the Academy Elder before glancing in Fang Yuan's direction and leaving.

Mo Bei and Chi Cheng don't take too long either, prompting Lo Jik's turn after the trio.

The entrance leads to a small and dim interior, with the most prominent feature being several holes and squares cut out of the wall to accommodate various leaves, discs, boxes, and more. These items further house different creatures. There are some unmistakable insects in a few bamboo cages.

Gu Worms!

They come in different shapes and sizes, but most of them mimic actual insects, earning them the name—worms. A few insects chirp loudly, while a minority stays silent. Lo Jik stares at ladybugs, bed bugs, crickets, a rare spider or two, beetles, and even earthworms.

However, as the Elder stated, their first week of introductory classes earned the class enough knowledge about these Gu Worms and what the classroom can expect from them.

Lo Jik locates a silver dish in the nearby square cut-out within the wall, noticing a neat array of crescent-shaped blue quartz-like creatures placed neatly in rows and columns. The creature's opaque surface grants it a delicate appearance as a soft glow around it makes Lo Jik wonder if they ARE shards of a moon.

He smiles.

Moonlight Gu.

If this was a game, then Moonlight Gu would be the most recommended piece of equipment in the said location of the game.

'It's a standard offensive Gu, allowing the students to 'taste' a Gu Master's path firsthand. It's also easy to feed since Gu Yue village is ground-zero for this Gu Worm's creation and food.

Indeed, this Gu worm is artificial.

A Gu worm exists naturally in the surroundings, possessing different features. However, Gu Masters can create, nay, 'refine' a Gu worm through diverse materials.

Lo Jik quietly pockets the Gu Worm, noticing how three other Moonlight Gu are absent from the structure of rows and columns, allowing him to understand that the three students before him selected the same Gu worm.

Exiting the room, Lo Jik makes way for Fang Yuan to enter as he further bows to the Academy Elder before taking his leave—not before accepting his rations on the way out.

Why would Lo Jik, a struggling orphan, not accept the rations even if they are bland. Fuck taste! He can eat whatever he wants once he makes something of himself. It also wouldn't be the first time Lo Jik compromised with his situation.

<<<>>>

Lo Jik's bamboo cabin is the pinnacle of safety as he calmly enters the short trail between the small bamboo grove. He watches other cabins and cottages beside the track. It's obvious how the society, divided into Gu Masters and the rest, may also possess different locations for their stay. His humble origins find Lo Jik staying in his bamboo cabin within this small grove alongside a few other quiet and peaceful hunters.

It's still the Gu Yue Village, but not the dazzling portion of it since many mortals from the clan settled around the perimeter.

Unshackling the chains around his door, which others can simply break into—since it's made of bamboo—Lo Jik enters his humble abode. An unfortunate guest would notice a tarp covering the ceiling, preventing rainfall from seeping through, as the slanted roof allows all the water caught between the tarp and top to flow past the doors and drizzle outside.

Aside from a small bamboo shelf for his worn clothes, there's only a rolled mattress, a longbow, and a quiver of arrows. Lo Jik sighs.

He unbelts the dagger under his clothes.

As one can assume—cold steel is allowed in the Academy of Magical Insects.

On the same belt is a small pouch. Lo Jik unrolls the mattress before undoing the ration's package and feasting on the biscuits. Licking his lips and gulping the water from the sac, Lo Jik retrieves the cloth pouch on his belt, undoing its mouth to reveal a collection of small, milky-white oval stones.

Primeval Stones.

These are a Gu Master's most prominent resources after their Gu worms. Or, in Lo Jik's terminology, these are the premium currency in a video game IF his second life was one.

There are eight of these stones in the pouch—his life savings. A stone lasts a month for a mortal family, and these eight stones are what Lo Jik's host accrued over time by hunting, selling materials, and saving miserly. Lo Jik respects his host for such hardships, which is HIM.

He has been saving on their use until now. Eventually, the Academy will hand out stipends for the students, and things won't be so lean. However, Lo Jik is unwilling to wait any longer to spend them.

Lo Jik understood that he should focus on the main stuff before spending things on his cultivation. Wealth exists to be consumed—it's a simple logic. However, how and when he uses it depends on his needs.

Closing his eyes, Lo Jik feels the aperture in his body—like how he's taught in the academy.

It was hard to do so on the first day, but Lo Jik got around it by the third day.

His vision shifts and Lo Jik finds his world surrounded by a flowing white light in the shape of a sphere. He isn't present in this world physically because this aperture is inside his body. It's a curious thing.

When a Gu Master visualizes the aperture, they find themselves in an impossibly large world filled with their essence. However, externally, the Aperture may not even be more significant than a pencil's dot present a few inches under the Gu Master's navel.

Just that 'dot' defines who becomes a Gu Master and who doesn't.

He looks around and observes the spherical wall. According to the Academy Elder, this light is the work of the Hope Gu that entered his body.

Lo Jik glances down, viewing a jade-green ocean!

This is his essence!

Primeval Essence.

Lo Jik instinctively knows the ocean fills 48% of the space—his C-grade Aptitude.

One may wonder how a Gu Master cultivates. Well.

Lo Jik glances at the flowing light wall again.

The answer is the perimeter of his Aperture.

A Gu Master's cultivation is divided into nine major and four minor ranks. Of course, one cultivates not out of the goodness of heart but because it benefits oneself. By reaching higher realms, a Gu Master can utilize more powerful Gu worms.

The process of a Gu Master's cultivation involves nurturing this flowing wall using the essence stored in the aperture.

Lo Jik smiles.

He didn't start cultivating even after three days since he could visualize his aperture because he was interested in something more.

Jade-green tentacles slowly float from the ocean. There are only three of them.

'It's so cool,' Lo Jik snickers. He couldn't even move a drop of his essence, and now he can control three tentacles of flowing water. Of course, this doesn't do him any good right away. However, he could understand that nurturing the aperture's light wall needs the Gu Master to extensively control their essence.

That's what he's been focusing on the entire afternoons and post-dinner meditation sessions.

Besides, what sane individual wouldn't want to play around with magic essence?

He shakes his head, focusing harder.

The tendrils of essence drop into the ocean as a wave slowly rises, tumbling into the sea before emerging again.

Lo Jik frowns.

He cannot effortlessly move the entire ocean yet, even if he knows he can eventually do so with practice—the classic case of git-gud.

However, Lo Jik finds some joy in using the natural laws as he breaks the ocean's peace by constantly crashing waves into the sea itself! The waves he manages to pull through 'spiritual momentum' turns grander.

It takes quite a while and mental exhaustion for Lo Jik to overturn the entirety of his essence and slam it against the light wall.

What does he get for his hard work?

He feels a sliver of Primeval Essence, no more than 2%, entering and merging with the light wall. There isn't any change, but Lo Jik knows that accumulating enough essence into the flowing wall will trigger a transformation—an advancement!

'Let's try absorbing the essence from the Primeval stone.'

Like a Gu Master's aperture, Primeval essence exists in nature in different forms. The most prominent collection of such an essence is the Primeval Stones!

A Gu Master's essence regenerates in time. Lo Jik has yet to note the specifics of how much his aperture restores his essence in a minute. However, a Gu Master can effortlessly recover their essence by siphoning it from the stones!

Lo Jik concentrates on the stone in his hand, noticing the warm currents of essence deep within it. His practice allows Lo Jik to divert the free-flowing currents of energy within the Primeval Stone into his aperture.

It's a strange feeling.

It's as if something eerie is crawling into his veins before depositing into his aperture. A thin stream of mist-like essence enters Lo Jik's aperture and promptly turns into jade-green droplets.

Only—

It's not just pale-milky mist.

Under Lo Jik's shocked gaze, dark, stormy mists separate from the pale-white one, hovering in the empty space.

'What's that?' Lo Jik frowns. Before he can consider what to do, an internal jolt snaps and seizes his spine. His body turns numb and immovable as a familiar pressure overcomes him.

Thoughts fail him as his body tries to curl to mitigate the pain and pressure. However, he cannot move. His heart beats madly, drumming into his ears and almost pounding out from his chest as a thundering clap resounds in his body—known only to him.

His vision shifts instinctively.

He's in an aperture.

However, this can't be HIS!

After all, a brightly glowing 'sun' hovers in the empty 52% space. Lo Jik feels a wave of comfort and indescribable sensation fill his senses as the thin black mist slowly slips into THIS aperture instead, promptly sucked into the white-gold sun.

Lo Jik isn't near his navel.

This isn't Lo Jik's aperture.

After all, how can an aperture be present in one's heart?

Why? How?

His tense body relaxes as he senses a Rank 1 Gu aura from the sun.

It's a Gu Worm he's seen before. Of course, it wasn't shining as brightly earlier or possessed such a wave of comfort. It didn't look 'strong.'

Now?

Lo Jik forces himself to wrap his head around reality. His senses shift, and he's back in his hut. His worn tunic sticks to his drenched, sweaty body while Lo Jik quickly tosses the stone into his pouch.

He has two apertures, totaling 96% Primeval Essence, and he has a vital gu in one of these Apertures.

If Lo Jik hadn't said it after his reincarnation, accurately hunting a rabbit with a bow, enduring the awakening ceremony, and watching the Academy Elder slice apart a poor bamboo with a flying crescent blade—then allow him to say it now—

'What the fuck?!'

<<<>>>

'A vital Gu, huh?' Fang Yuan stares at the pale blue, crescent-shaped quartz in his hand. He quietly smiles.

'I'm a drunk and useless nobody in this life, not much different from the last one either.' Unlike others' expectations of a youth falling from grace, Fang Yuan's eyes reveal no signs of pain or hurt. His pitch-black irides seem to melt with the dim evening shadow, seemingly forming depthless pools of abyss that only display a sense of ethereal peace masking the stuff of nightmares.

'I need to focus on searching that Gu worm. 500 hundred years of future experience may sound fantastic. However, I can't claim to know every single thing. Among the significant news, the Liquor Worm's discovery near the village's bamboo forest led to lots of talk. The original Gu Master will find it in a month or two. I need to be quicker.'

Fang Yuan chose to act drunk and loiter in the nearby forest to attract the Gu Worm. He gazes at the cloudy sky, sighing. 'Unfortunately, it seems it will rain soon. It will suppress the wine's smell, so I can't look for Liquor Worm.'

There's also another thought in his mind.

'Should I change the history—I wonder how the ripples will affect my 'new' Present.'

His smile widens.

'The thought still wouldn't stop me. Once a demon…'

***

Alternate Title: Lo Jik in Whitebeard's Voice: The Propaganda is Real!; Realms of Cultivation; To Feed, Refine, and Use; A Gu Worm; Choice; Fang Zheng Raring For a Beating; Lo Jik When He Looks at The Twin: I Wonder Why I Only Want to Beat One Of Them; The Devil Behind; Top Three Talents of the Batch; Practice; Lo Jik's Abode; Using Science!; Git-Gud, Scrub!; Cultivation; Sudden Changes; The Black Smoke; Hope Gu Is Racially Inclined?; The Stuff of Legends; The Stuff of Nightmares; The Second Aperture; Lo Jik Realizes—This Ain't a Game!; What the Fuck?; The Demon; The Drunk Twin; A Strained Brotherly Bond; Back To The Past (Fang Yuan's edition)