Sparks Of conflict form

I'm getting tired of having to stop and ask for directions every five minutes. I have a system, don't I? Let's see if I can just use a system map.

"Map!" I say the words, and after a moment of anticipation, nothing happens. "Status?" Again, nothing happens. "Options?" I am met with silence in response.

"Perks." A small black screen displaying information appears. It's sort of not there, as it doesn't block my vision at all. It's more like something you have to focus on to actually see, but otherwise it's just there, kind of similar to how you can see your nose but your brain ignores it.

On the tab displays the perks I have, and any additional traits. I give the perks a quick read-over to see if anything has changed.

[Perk: Cursed Energy]

[User's negative emotions are passively turned into cursed energy, which can be used to reinforce and with mastery, heal the body. Gives the user the ability to exorcize spirits, and allows the user to see spiritual beings clearly.]

[Cursed Energy Trait: Sheer Cold]

[User's Cursed Energy emits a freezing effect on targets struck or objects that draw close while Cursed Energy reinforcement is active. Temperature of the Cursed Energy is based on how much Cursed Energy is being used to reinforce the body.]

Looks the same from what I can remember. So besides giving perks and items like memories after either avoiding combat or fighting, it pretty much does nothing? Well, it's a hundred times better than nothing.

After deciding to just buy a map, costing me another 2 strales, I manage to make it to cloud knight headquarters after a while.

A large red gate, almost as grand as the entrance to the seat of divine foresight blocks off my view from the rest of the headquarters, with two cloudknights standing at the bottom. They hold their weapons firm, as they stand as still as statues.

One of them notices me, and after a brief conversation with the other cloud knight that I can't hear, comes over and speaks to me in a authoritative manner.

"What brings you to the headquarters? Are you looking to enlist? We could always use more cloud knights." Hold on, was he trying to draft me? Wow, I knew the Xianzhou Luofu was a military centric culture, but this is kind of crazy.

"I'm not here to enlist, I was sent here to deliver this letter to someone named Baizhu." I take the letter out of my pocket and show it to the cloudknight.

He takes the letter from my hands, gives it a quick lookover, and nods. He then hands it back to me.

"You're free to enter and deliver it to him. He should be on the training grounds, so just keep going straight after passing through the gate."

He walks back to his post, and opens the gate with relative ease. Was the gate not heavy or are people here freakishly strong? Most likely the latter.

I enter the gate, and see an area so large that it makes me wonder how big the Luofu is to be able to have such a large headquarters for the cloudknights.

Barracks colored black with green roofs are hundreds in number, and in the distance I see a few cloud knights that are so far away that they look like ants. I take a step forward, and almost fall off the massive flight of stairs infront of me.

I try to count the amount, but after reaching 50 I can't see the rest due to the elevation. I'm really working for this meal, huh?

I make my way down the stairs carefully. There's no railing for me to hold onto, so if I stumble, I'll fall down what's essentially a mountain of stairs. I'm not the only one on the stairs, though.

I pass by various different cloud knights on my way down. Some ascending, some descending. I even saw one shirtless carrying a pail of water in each hand up and down the stairs, managing to not spill a single drop.

I continue my descent, increasing my pace slightly as I gain a rythym of decending the stairs. I tried keeping count, but lost trust at around 400. Whats the purpose of having so many stairs, anyways?

As I reach the bottom, I am met with a place that looks similar to the plaza, but instead of it being filled with civilians and street vendors, it's filled with cloudknights and stores that showcase weapons and armour on display.

I received various looks due to what I was wearing, but I ignored them and moved to the center of the plaza, and kept going west until hearing a familiar voice.

"Jean? Never expected to see you here in headquarters." I turn around and find behind me is the same archer that saved me while I was on Cosgolonia. What was her name again?

"Oh, it's been a while since I've seen you too. The reason I'm here is to deliver a letter to someone named Baizhu." After a moment, she puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, after you deliver that letter, you wouldn't mind treating your hero to a meal, right?" A wry smile forms on my face.

I'm already almost broke! But I can always earn more money later, and this could be an opportunity to ask some questions about the Luofu.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind. Mind if I ask a few questions about the Xianzhou, though?" She takes her hand off my shoulder and beckons for me to continue. "So I know that the Xianzhou Luofu is militaristic, but how is the position of cloud knight viewed?"

"Wow, you started off with a pretty big topic, but I can answer that pretty easily. The cloudknights are known for keeping order in the luofu, and striking at the abundance outside of it, so naturally many people look up to them, and becoming a cloud knight is seen as a honor. That's the main reason why this command center is so large, we have almost a quarter of the population of the luofu housed here, as cloud knights."

A shocked expression forms on my face. 'A quarter?! Thats an insane millitary to civilian ratio!' I school my expression and ask another question.

"Thanks for the info, it gave me some insight into the culture of the Luofu. Also, do you know where I could earn some money that pays immediately? I'm sort of running low on funds."

A grin forms on her face. "Well, you could always enlist in the cloudknights! They have a sign up bonus and I'd get a bonus too for referring you! We could always use more cloudknights, and you've seen firsthand how the abundance is a scourge to the universe, so that already puts you above most other new recruits."

This is the second time that I've been referred to join the cloudknights, their recruiting process really is aggressive!

"I'll consider it, anything else?" She puts a finger to her chin in contemplation before speaking.

"I mean, I could hire you, and you could do things like cook for me, notch my arrows, sharpen my glaive and clean my Barracks!" She looks to see my reaction before laughing after seeing my sour expression. "Nah, I'm just playing. Although the offer still stands if you're interested."

"No thank you." Was I going to have to go back to the general and ask for more money because I got scammed? I'd rather sleep on the streets before doing that, my pride couldn't take it!

"Well, good luck on the job search! Remember to treat me, here, I'll give you the address to my dorm." She takes a business card from her pocket with her name on it and address

Xuiyan

Professional Arrow Fletcher and Plate Cleaner.

To contact, report to barrack #532

"You... carry business cards?" A deadpan covers my face. "Are you serious?"

She looks at me with a solemn expression, as if her next words weren't the most nonsensical thing I had heard since I was taken into a mobile game. "I'm dead serious."

"Why ate you listed as a-" I'm cut off by what seems to be the sound of a horn resonating through headquarters. A serious expression forms on Xuiyan's face, before she grabs my wrist and begins to run.

"What's going on?!" I ask in a panic, confused by the sudden turn of events

All the cloudknights around us reacted similarly to Xuiyan, moving with an unknown determination, and donning their weapons and armour.

"Let me tell you what's happening. The Luofu is Under attack."