Making An Enemy

"Huh? What's this?", Liu Qing asked himself.

[You have received the rewards from the Daily Quest: One Who Will Shake The World]

[Reward #1-Status Recovery]

[Reward #2-Ability Points(+5)]

[Reward #3-Mana(One-Time Unlockable)]

[You may choose one of the rewards above]

Looking at the reward options, he felt confused.

Status Recovery?

'Does that mean I'll stop feeling exhaustion?'

'F*ck! Isn't this just a scam?! To work so much just to recover some energy?!'

This System was just too shameless in trying to trick him.

At least that's what Liu Qing thought. For now, he saw no use in that reward and just skipped it.

The next reward was what caught his eye.

Ability Points! And a plus 5 at that!

This was exactly what he needed right now. He could raise his intelligence back to normal and possibly add some points to physique and strength as well.

He reached out to choose the second reward but stopped just inches away from the screen.

There was a gut feeling. A feeling that was almost like a sixth sense which he always trusted that told him to reconsider his options properly.

If he didn't think about this properly, he would most likely be sent back.

He couldn't rush it. So, calming down his mind, he looked at the rewards again.

The third reward…Mana.

Although it didn't look like anything special, there was one sentence attached that made it worth looking over.

One-time Unlockable!

This meant that it was just a one-time thing. After this, it would most likely not show up in the rewards selection again.

He remembered seeing his mana stats from before which was reduced to 1400 and if he was not mistaken, it also stated that it was locked.

So, this meant that he could unlock his mana.

But what was the use of mana?

John didn't mention anything about that!

However, he did remember reading about mana from somewhere before.

Thinking back to some of the novels that he had read, he recalled that mana was basically the fuel used to cast magic spells!

It was like powering up a car with fuel but instead of using fuel, he would be using mana instead to cast magic.

Recalling this, Liu Qing deeply contemplated this.

Should he pick the third option? If he did, his stats would remain the same.

Although he would unlock his mana, there was no telling if the instructors would pay any attention to that.

What should he do?

Seconds ticked by as he felt his head slowly aching.

'Ahh….This entire thing is giving me a headache!'

It was basically a gamble. It was like the System knew what was happening and put this reward intentionally.

Not only was this System shameless, it was also cunning.

John didn't tell him anything about mana so he didn't know if it was counted as a bonus to have it now.

"Fine, then! My senses have never failed me before and it won't start now", Liu Qing built up his courage and made his decision.

He had chosen to go all in on this gamble!

With that, he selected the 3rd reward.

[You have chosen Reward #3-Mana(One-Time Unlockable)]

[Your Mana has been unlocked]

As soon as the notifications popped up, Liu Qing suddenly felt a cool current circulating through his body.

Bit by bit, he slowly felt it get rid of his fatigue even if it wasn't by much. He also felt his senses heightened immeasurably to be able to detect even the smallest of sounds and the slightest of movements.

This sensation lasted for about 10 seconds before the spike went down and his senses returned to normal.

'So this is mana?'

He didn't know any other use for mana other than casting magic spells but judging from the feeling from before, it could be used for so much more.

He then tried to recall the same sensation from before but he was barely able to feel anything even after a number of attempts.

'Looks like I need to find a way to control it'

This was the deduction that he came up with.

If he could learn to control his mana, he would be able to see and feel everything from a brand new perspective.

Then, as he was contemplating this, he heard his door unlock with a click.

The door was pushed open and standing right there was John and Dan.

John walked into the room with relaxed smile that tried to cover his anxiousness.

He was truly worried for Liu Qing but after some time of self-reassurance, he was able to calm down for most of the part.

However, when he saw Liu Qing lying down in a pool of sweat breathing heavily, that calmness was immediately thrown out the window.

"My God! Liu Qing, what happened?!",John rushed towards Liu Qing in a panic.

How could he not panic? His hopes were basically falling into a bottomless pit.

It was only after examining Liu Qing carefully did John find out that there was nothing remotely wrong with him. He was just a little fatigued from overworking himself.

With that thought in mind, John immediately reached into his pocket. After some rummaging, he took out a blue pill and held it in front of Liu Qing.

"Swallow it. It will help you feel better", John instructed Liu Qing.

Liu Qing complied to John's instructions and swallowed the pill. It was only after about 10 seconds, did he feel the effects of the pill taking place.

His fatigue basically evaporated into thin air and he immediately felt rejuvenated. The effects of that pill was just mind-blowing.

It was like the Godly Pills that he had read about in the Wuxia novels from before.

However, he didn't have any time to be amazed by the pill.

After seeing Liu Qing get better, John sighed in relief before scolding him with words he had never even heard before.

"What the hell are you doing?! Your selection is today and here you are doing nonsense! Baka! Tulala! Dumheter! Asinus!",John cursed at Liu Qing in several different tongues at once. [1]

Liu Qing was a bit taken back. He didn't realize that John knew so many languages and even more so, he didn't know why but it seemed like John had suddenly cared so much about him.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Liu Qing tried to explain.

"Well…you see. Since you told me to do the best I could, I was spending all my time working out and tried to improve myself as well as I could"

John just looked at Liu Qing like he was a fool.

"So you're telling me that you stayed up the entire night just to exercise?"

Even Dan couldn't believe it and shook his head at Liu Qing.

You couldn't improve yourself in just one day. Even a donkey would know that.

Feeling that more words would just get him into more trouble, Liu Qing just meekly nodded his head.

John just gave Liu Qing a hard look before sighing.

"Well…at least the equipment that I bought for you played it's part", John tried to sound positive.

Dan then stepped forward.

"Yes, I'm sure it did it did. I'm also sure that it was very expensive and all but so was the pill John gave you. Remember that it will be marked down in your tab", Dan said in a casual tone.

Liu Qing felt the colour drain from his face.

'Devil! This man is simply the devil!'

John also revealed a thoughtful look.

"You know, you might have a point…..All these equipment were also quite expensive"

Liu Qing felt like he was going to faint.

'No, not you too John! Don't get tempted by this devil!'

"Y-You know….If we keep wasting time here then we will be late for the selection", Liu Qing tried to divert the topic elsewhere.

John immediately got angry after hearing that.

"Who's fault do you think that is?! We would have been there by now if you hadn't been awake the whole night doing nonsense!"

Liu Qing just ignored John. He already had this notion in his head that John cared about him but just had unique ways of expressing it. Thus, he knew that John was just looking out for him.

"We've got no time for you to take a shower. Just put on a new shirt and spray some deodorant. There are a few brands in the wardrobe", John instructed and walked towards the door with Dan.

Liu Qing didn't waste much time as he quickly put on a plain white tee and sprayed on some deodorant from a brand named 'AXE'.

Walking out of the room, Liu Qing came face to face with Dan and John. However, there was an unexpected third party there as well.

A boy who looked to be in his early 20s years was standing behind John. John was a tall person with a 7 foot stature and this boy was about the same with only being a couple of centimeters shorter.

He was buff with a build of a professional wrestler and a sported a crew cut. Looking at him straight up, he was someone no one wanted to mess with.

The only thing that ruined his tough look was the pair of round rimmed glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose.

Looking at him, Liu Qing felt confused.

'Is that glasses supposed to be a disguise or something?'

John saw Liu Qing looking at the boy and said, "Liu Qing, this is my son, Maxwell. He will be taking the enrolment with you this year".

Liu Qing just nodded his head but he was thinking a totally different thing.

'This is his son?! Why do they look so different then?!'

It was true. While John had more of a lean build and a somewhat impulsive attitude, his son was more buff and looked really timid with those glasses on.

"Hi, I'm Maxwell. Nice to meet you", Maxwell shyly reached out to shake Liu Qing's hand.

Liu Qing didn't reject it and shook his hand as well.

"Hi, I'm Liu Qing"

He was surprised that a buff guy like Maxwell could be so shy. Was that huge body just for show then?

"Alright! We don't have any more time to waste otherwise we will be late", Dan said, cutting off the introductions.

Soon after, they were led to the same white room with the teleportation circle which John referred to as the 'Transmission Chamber'.

After a round of verification, they were soon teleported to the 5th floor.

Upon exiting the Transmission Chamber, they came upon a huge open area.

A simulation of an entire forest was cast upon their vision and as far as the eye could see, it easily took up the entire floor space.

Among the trees, there were a couple of buildings littered around them. A couple of large buildings were placed at random positions but most of them seemed to be placed at the side of the forest.

Walking towards the forest, Liu Qing saw a group of people standing at the entrance of the forest.

Liu Qing then noticed that all these people has one thing in common and that was they were all elderly people.

Old, middle-aged and even some that looked in their late thirties.

They didn't exactly look like a bunch of new recruits. This made Liu Qing confused.

"These are the family members of the new recruits. This enrolment is conducted once every 2 years for the Asia Continent and it's a very big deal for everyone as it will determine what you will do for the rest of your life", Dan explained.

Liu Qing remembered what John told him if he failed and it seemed like the descendants weren't having it easy either.

Everyone had to take the enrolment after they turned 20 and before they reached 25 even if the results are bad. Those that didn't pass the enrollment become merchants and chefs but the main thing is that you contribute back to the sanctuaries.

If you plan to act like some Young Master with just your family's power, you will immediately lose everything and be tossed onto the streets. Just like for mortals, the rules for descendants were pretty tough as well although they were given an extra chance.

"Ah, isn't that John? How surprising is this? I thought you would not dare to show your face here", a voice then sounded from the crowd.

John frowned as soon as he heard the voice. Even Dan didn't look too pleased.

A middle-aged man came walking out of the crowd with an old hunchbacked man by his side.

"Zhong Wu, fancy seeing you here. Come to gloat again?", John sneered back.

"I think I am rather qualified to gloat, no? After all, me and sons are both better than you'll", Zhong Wu said in a dignified manner.

'Who is this crappy old man?', Liu Qing thought as he looked at the man coming to cause trouble.

Maxwell then leaned over and whispered into Liu Qing's ear, "That's Zhong Wu, the head of the Zhong Family and the man beside him is Ming Zu, their Great Elder".

"Zhong Family? Are they famous down here?", Liu Qing asked.

"They are one of the three major families in the China Sanctuary but they mostly dabble in weapon and armor creation so they won't really concern you"

'Weapon and armor creation? Their family must be made up of armorists then', Liu Qing thought.

John looked pissed and was about to give a knock on Zhong Wu's head but Dan held him back.

"Are you bragging again, Zhong Wu? We are both Sacred Venators here so why try to sell yourself higher?", Dan rebuked Zhong WU.

"So? My track records are way higher than yours and so is my reputation. Don't tell me that you have forgotten that, Dan", Zhong Wu said is a proper manner but it was clear that he was making fun of Dan.

"Not quite. If I remember correctly, you once retreated from a mission back in Malibu after a Demon Commander set your ass on fire"

"I'm pretty sure that you remember wrongly. I only retreated after that demon set the entire block on fire", Zhong Wu countered politely but by the veins bulging on the side of his forehead, you could tell that he was not pleased.

Maxwell and Ming Zu just watched this scene play out with exasperated faces. It seemed that they were quite used to this scene already.

Meanwhile, Liu Qing watched these two men warily.

John was impulsive and straightforward so you didn't have to worry about schemes of any sort since he would just knock you down right there.

However, compared to John, both Dan and Zhong Wu were much more scarier.

"Maxwell, why don't you take Liu Qing to the selection room. We can't afford others to delay you any longer", Dan smiled at Maxwell and pointed to one of the dome-shaped buildings in the corner.

John apparently agreed with Dan and nodded to Maxwell.

"Good luck, son"

With that, Liu Qing lightly scuffled away with Maxwell. He didn't want to get caught up in this predicament any longer.

"Let's go", Maxwell led Liu Qing in the direction that Dan pointed to.

However, just before Liu Qing went in, he heard Zhong Wu say something.

"You actually recommended a mortal? Hah! I didn't know that we were actually a charity case. Seems like you have degenerated after spending all your time up in the surface"

Liu Qing felt the veins on his neck bulge. He normally remained passive but now when there was something he really didn't like, he would immediately take action.

Kong Wu was such an example.

'This bastard, just you wait. After I become strong enough, I'll beat you up first', Liu Qing cursed at Zhong Wu inside his heart.

"Does that old man have something against mortals?", Liu Qing asked Maxwell.

"Hmm? Right, you don't actually know this yet"

"While mortals are allowed to become Slayers, they do face some discrimination from the descendants. The descendants have this mindset that since they were direct descendants of the First Slayers, they are more superior to the mortals in terms of bloodline and power"

"However, descendants usually can't take it when mortals turn out to be superior to them especially as a Slayer. They feel that it undermines their authority and purity or at least some nonsense like that", Maxwell said in a serious manner.

This sounded like quite a problem. It was like how the nobles would treat peasants and commoners.

However, this all sounded like rubbish to Liu Qing.

They were here to fight the demons and yet they were fighting about superiority and purity? Only idiots would do so.

"Then what about you?", Liu Qing questioned Maxwell.

"Me? I think it's a waste of time dealing with things like this. There are so many other problems that we face and yet we are wasting time with internal disputes"

"Also, you don't have to worry much about it. Not all descendants are like Zhong Wu although you might want to watch out for his sons"

"His sons?", Liu Qing was surprised.

That bastard actually had children? Which woman would actually marry that wanker?

'Fine, I'll beat them instead of their dad for now', Liu Qing made his resolution.

If Maxwell knew that Liu Qing was sporting such dangerous thoughts, he would have fainted in fear.

People were warning him not to provoke someone yet he wanted to give them a beating instead? What difference was this from courting death?

"Yeah. They're not only arrogant but extremely talented, especially the eldest one. I heard that both of them are in the enrollment this year so you better be careful. They hate mortals with a passion and trust me, if he ever finds a mortal that is better than he is, that person would most likely suffer"

The more Liu Qing heard about Zhong Wu's sons, the more he wanted to beat them up to vent his anger on Zhong Wu. However, he knew better than to get into any petty fights at the moment. His main concern was to get accepted as a Slayer and to fulfill his need for vengeance.

After some time chatting with Maxwell, Liu Qing felt that he actually enjoyed talking to someone outside his family for the first time. Maxwell was a bit shy and timid but he still had good intentions to warn Liu Qing to be careful.

This warmed Liu Qing up a bit and felt more at ease talking to Maxwell.

Soon, they arrived in front of a giant dome-shaped building which was a couple of times bigger than the Sydney Opera House.

Outside, the space was packed with at least 10,000 people. While the people there certainly looked lively, there was a incomparably thick tension lingering in the air.

Everyone was nervous even if they didn't show it.

The atmosphere was exactly that of a school exam about to take place.

"Well, well, well…Isn't that Maxwell?", a voice came from within the crowd.

From the crowd, a buff looking young man came walking towards them.

When Liu Qing first saw him, he instantly disliked him.

Walking towards them, he carried an air of arrogance around him and by the look on his face, he didn't come with any good intentions.

Also, for some damn reason…his face resembled that of Zhong Wu a lot

"That's Zhong Man, Zhong Wu's son", Maxwell informed him.

Ah….That figures. This bastard both looked and behaved exactly like Zhong Wu.

It's no wonder that he's that bastard's son.

Standing inches away from them, Zhong Man sneered at them.

"It's really quite a surprise to see you here, Maxwell. I thought you would be buried in your books for another 20 years"

Before a proper conversation could even start, Liu Qing already felt like beating him up.

"Why would I still be studying? This is the last enrollment before I turn 25", Maxwell asked Zhong Wu in a confused voice.

Liu Qing just shook his head. This boy was really too innocent.

"Of course, it's because you are so useless that you didn't even try for the previous 2 enrollments. Am I wrong?", Zhong Man laughed at Maxwell's incompetence.

Maxwell seemed to realize that he was being made fun of and blushed in embarrassment.

He was a mellow and shy person so insulting and making fun of people was something he didn't indulge in and didn't quite understand as well.

Then, just before Maxwell could respond, a voice interrupted.

"Oi, Gorilla. Don't you even know how to talk like a normal person?"

Everyone around them was stunned, especially Zhong Man.

He didn't expect someone to curse at him, much less call him a gorilla. As such, he immediately turned to that person in rage.

Of course, that person was none other than Liu Qing.

Liu Qing was pissed as well. He had made his first friend after a long time and he wasn't going to just sit here and watch him made fun at.

"Y-you, what did you call me?", Zhong Man pointed a trembling finger at Liu Qing.

"Gorilla. Is it so hard to understand? Maybe I should give you a banana to teach you how to do some tricks instead", Liu Qing cursed again at Zhong Man.

Zhong Man was now trembling in rage. No one had dared to curse at him before especially a mortal.

By now, a crowd had gathered around them. All this shouting had piqued their interest.

"Y-You. How dare a mere mortal curse at me. I'll cripple you and feed you to the dogs!", Zhong Man stomped forward in rage. He was prepared to teach Liu Qing a lesson.

Liu Qing could care less about being taught a lesson from Zhong Man.

He had already lost everything while remaining passive in the past. Now, he was going to speak his thoughts and act on them as much as he wanted to.

To become the strongest, he would not hold anything back. Even with his words.

Liu Qing then opened his mouth again and was about to curse at Zhong Man straight to Australia before a loud announcement interrupted him.

"Everyone, gather around! The selection will officially begin now!"

[1] Baka is Japanese for stupid. Tulala is Filipino for idiot. Dumheter is Swedish for nonsense. Asinus is Latin for fool.

So,the sentence is...."Stupid! Idiot! Nonsense! Fool!".