Connections

"I heard you wanted to speak with me?"I turned around and saw the guy I was looking for.[Oh, hey! Chity! You are still alive I see?] I greeted him cheerfully."Alive and well! And looks like you grew again?" He smiled in return.[Did I? Eh, maybe… A small growth spurt. Ah, but there is something different about you too! Did you…?]"Yup!" He proudly proclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. "I just recently broke through! You are looking at a fresh Spirit Accumulation Realm Cultivator!"[Damn! Congratulations!]Seriously, I was happy for him. He might not be as fast as me, but let's be honest, even I was not completely sure why I could do what I do. I guessed that it had something to do with the way I came into contact with magic for the first time, but I couldn't be sure.The crystal growing on my chest, which was getting bigger by the day, was probably largely responsible for these anomalies. I just wish I knew what it was…"Thank you, thank you, haha!" Chity rubbed his head and smiled.We spoke a bit about what was going on.He still trained daily to be a warrior of the Sect, but other than that, he took upon a job at one of the processing facilities where they butchered the beasts that were constantly pouring in. The pay was very good, easily ten times higher than what the other jobs used to pay, and he could get quality food for cheap.He clearly ate and trained well as the muscles on his frame started to visibly expand since the last time I saw him. And so did the rest of the people in the village.The Beast Tide, despite bringing much pain and death, served as a potent accelerator to all Cultivators' growth.[Say, where's the rest of the guys? They didn't perish in the attack, I hope?]"No, no… They must be around here somewhere. Actually, I'm pretty sure Alyx is still cooped in his home, trying to brew elixirs and pills. He's been doing a lot of that lately, with little success, I'm afraid."[Ah, let's go check it out then!]The house wasn't far and soon I was knocking on the shabby wooden door. It seemed like it had sustained some damage since the last time.A tired voice came from inside. "Yes? Who is it?"[It's me, open up!]We heard some noise of stuff being moved and soon the door opened, revealing Alyx in all his messy glory, squinting at the light of day."Gerald? Oh, you are back…" The man appeared tired, and though he tried to smile, his expression gave off a feeling of melancholy.[Yes, and oh, man! You look like shit.]"Thanks, feel like it too." He gestured for us to enter his humble abode and not stand out in the cold. "Been trying to teach myself alchemy. It's not going well, as you can see."I looked at the scattered trash across the single room, with the bed on one side, and an alchemy table on the other side with all kinds of glass vials, alcohol burners, stills, and other trinkets I didn't care to identify.Looking at the mess of wasted plants on the floor I wasn't sure how to address the situation. [You lacking information or ingredients?]"Both, actually. Since the Beast Tide began, the price of reagents went way up, and with the winter at hand, many of the cheaper plants don't grow. Nobody is going to waste a Formation to cultivate the cheaper herbs."[And what about those?] I pointed at the pile of wasted plants on the ground."Useless… I tried to find substitutes for some ingredients, but extracting the compounds is difficult. And I can't find a mentor to teach me. Every one of them is busy at the moment, making medicine and stimulants for the war. They don't have time to teach, unfortunately."He sighed loudly. "I really wish these beasts came a year or two later. Could have made a lot of profit that way… Now I'm just wasting my sanity trying to learn years worth of stuff in a few months. All on my own too. It's probably wasted effort…"He sighed again and sat on the bed, tired. Must have been a while since he took a shower too, but I understood his trouble. He was dealt a difficult hand of cards by life, and despite clearly giving it his all, it just wasn't enough.But I couldn't just leave my friend to rot in the filth if I could help it. Not to mention, I had an idea.[How about I help you find a job first? I'm sure we could come up with something...]"Don't bother…" Alyx shook his head. "I already tried working on beast processing. Let's just say I'm not cut out for it. The smell alone is making me dizzy, and the sight of blood makes my head spin. I'm not cut out for that."Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's good he tried something else already. At least he wasn't completely helpless."It's either success in alchemy or nothing. The path of medicine is the one for me."[I see… How about working for a small pill shop? A friend of mine is in search of workers, maybe I could introduce you to him.]"You would do that?! Really?" Alyx nearly flew up and all depression was immediately gone from his body.[I'm not going to promise anything, only an introduction.] I quickly tried to temper his expectations. [But you should maybe change your clothes first.]"Ah! Of course! I'll be right back!" Alyx grabbed a fresh change of clothes he somehow still had at hand and ran outside."Well…" Chity said and rubbed his head. "I guess I'll be going then… It was nice seeing you."[Likewise! Keep up the good work, I'll see you around.]"You bet!"We left the house and Shao Lin and I waited for Alyx to come back. It was a cold winter day, yet the icy wind felt nice on my skin. Very refreshing."Really? Helping these weaklings?" Shao Lin looked at me with a sideways grin.[What? Can't a man help his friends? It's not like it costs me anything.]"I guess…" Shao Lin shrugged. "I just didn't take you for someone doing good deeds."[Oh, please! I'm not such a cold-blooded person. In fact, you could say I'm a really warm-hearted man.]I kicked a small stone on the ground and it flew in an arc, piercing a Giant Rat that somehow found its way into the village and tried to steal some drying meat.[See? I'm helping.]"By killing?"[Hey, helping is helping. The intent is what matters.]He didn't reply and we sat on a cold wooden bench in silence. I wondered where Alyx ran in this cold weather. Did they have outside showers? If they did, that sucked. For them. It didn't really bother me."So, why did we come here, really?" Shao Lin eventually asked.I considered twisting the truth, but in the end, what would be the point?[You know how I quickly grew in strength in the beginning?]"Yes?"[Well, it's already been more than a month since I felt like I stagnated.]"You are kidding."[No, I'm serious. Although I've become physically stronger during this time, my Soul barely grew.]"You do realize that's normal, right? I've had to push myself to the limit and beyond just to keep up with your growth. If you consider that stagnation, then what the hell are the rest of us doing?"I internally sighed. He was right, of course. I knew Cultivation took years, even decades, but…I just couldn't take it anymore! Fighting every day was nice and all, but it wasn't the real thing. I wanted to fight for real and go all out, with the intent to kill! To do a real battle with my life on the line! And absorb a few dozen Souls in the process. That was important too."Okay? So let's say I understand how you feel. What are you going to do about it?"[I'd like to leave the Sect for a few days. I've been itching to fight all these amazing creatures I keep hearing about.] I said.Shao Lin shook his head and turned around to look at the village. "Apart from our fight, what do you even do? Read all day?"[Pretty much… There aren't many things to do underground.]"I guess… Ah, your friend is coming back."Focusing my gaze on where he was looking, I saw Alyx. He wore the clean set of clothes he took with him, and his face was clear and refreshed. He still looked a bit tired, but it wasn't as extreme as before. His long hair was still slightly wet from having just washed, and he wore a bright smile on his face."I'm ready!" He cheerfully announced."I'll leave you two to it." Shao Lin said as he patted me on the shoulder and gave us some space, walking a few steps behind.We soon came back to Snow Lilly's Heavenly Pills and I requested a meeting with Ren Kong."Yes? What is it?" The man asked as he poked his head through the door. "Ah, Gerald, it's you again. Sorry, I'm kind of in the middle of something."[Understandable, I'll be quick. I just wanted to introduce someone to you.] I gestured to my young friend. [This is Alyx Bell, my friend. When you said you are in need of help, I thought of him. He's been studying alchemy-]"I'm just a beginner. I'm nothing special." Alyx quickly said, acting shy.[Anyway, he's very dedicated to the craft and looking for opportunities to learn. Since you need a helper, I thought he would be perfect for the job.]"Ah, a Junior trying to learn alchemy?" Ren asked."Yes, Senior! This Alyx Bell has been looking for a teacher, but it is difficult to find one at the moment." Alyx cupped his fist and bowed."Well, I do need a helper, if nothing else just to prepare the herbs. That alone takes… a lot of time." Ren Kong said while stroking his chin, thinking. "Alright, Junior, if you are serious about wanting to work here, come back tomorrow at dawn. I don't have any time left to explain everything today. We'll have a week-long trial, and then I'll decide if you are suitable to take in as a long-term apprentice."Alyx's face turned red with excitement and he could barely keep himself from smiling. "Thank you, Senior! I will not let you down!"[Alright! That's great. I wish you both luck and success in your work.]"Thank you, Gerald." Ren Kong patted me on the shoulder. "I promise I won't overwork your friend too much, haha! Now, forgive me, but I really must return to my work."[Of course! Take care!]The giant returned to his potions and pills, and the rest of us left the pill shop."That… That was so easy!?" Alyx exclaimed all of a sudden. "We barely even said anything!"[To be fair, I was a bit surprised too. I expected at least some questions...]"That's how stuff works here. A lot of things work on trust." Shao Lin said casually as if it was considered common knowledge. "Just make sure not to break it, because once you do, rebuilding it will be really difficult, if not impossible."He then turned to Alyx. "I suggest you do your best, or your mistakes will reflect badly on Gerald."Alyx quietly gasped. "I'll do my best!""You better. And I suggest you take a good, long sleep today, you look terrible. Alchemy is hard and difficult work. You can't take breaks in the middle of a brewing process, so you need to be in top shape!""Yes, Senior!" Alyx cupped his hands and bowed. "Then I'll go back and prepare. Goodbye."I just waved and Shao Lin nodded as Alyx left.[Now what?] I turned to the guy. [Do we need to announce we are leaving the Sect even as Core Disciples?]"Obviously. But first, we need to ask Elder Li for permission. But don't worry, I'm sure he will let us. It wouldn't be the first time I left to go explore the wild."[Excellent! Then let's go!]