Jackpot!

{No! Cultivating yourself!} Bestie cried out in exasperation, {Do you really not know anything about cultivation techniques?}

"Never heard of 'em," Ryker replied, still slowly charging the compad as he lay sideways on the room's bed.

{Hmm...}

Bestie rubbed her chin in thought, seemingly at a loss about how best to explain.

{Well, cultivation is all about taking in spiritual energy and transforming it in a way that lets you use it for yourself,} she started.

{You usually start by opening your meridians, then forming your golden core, awakening your nascent soul, and so on...}

She brought up different diagrams on the compad screen as Ryker watched with interest, all of them detailing the effects different stages in the path of cultivation have on the body.

{There are a lot of different cultivation paths and techniques, but they all mostly follow the same principles.}

{You'll always need more spiritual energy to break through realms and achieve more power. Here's an outline of the most common cultivation path of the world we're in, right now.}

This time a list of realms popped up, starting with Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core, all the way up to the realm of Ascension.

{Walking the path of cultivation will bring you closer to the Heavenly Dao, and help you achieve immortality! ...But I don't have much data on that.}

"Immortality, huh?" Ryker asked thoughtfully. He wondered what it might be like to live forever.

[Sounds like a scam,] Mini C chimed in. He seemed to be distracted with something else, a small circle spinning above his head with the word 'analyzing...' overlayed on it.

{It's not a scam!} Bestie quickly responded, {You really do get stronger if you cultivate!}

She paused for a moment, closing the diagrams onscreen as she thought.

{...Though in terms of strength, you'd already be very close to a Golden Core realm expert. Are you sure you've never cultivated before?} She asked sullenly, pouting with her arms crossed.

{Why are you so strong, then?}

"Well, you know, I work out," Ryker boasted, flexing his arms a bit.

"Uh, I guess I took a self defense class once, too."

{You can't get as strong as a Golden Core expert just by 'working out'!} Bestie shouted, cutely stomping her feet.

{It takes normal people decades of cultivation to reach that kind of strength! There's gotta be something else going on!}

[We can discuss more on that, later. Why don't you start by explaining what these books are for?]

{Huh? Oh, right!}

Mini C materialized the 'Cosmic Unity Scripture' and 'Fierce Yaksha Cudgel Technique' onto Ryker's bed, as well as another book titled 'Yujian Sword Art'.

[You also received this sword art, I suppose,] he said, [Check your notifications for more info.]

Ryker did just that, saying 'left holoscreen' to bring up the holo display in front of his face and checking the message logs

| Relationship with Long Meiling became: Acquaintance |

| Received: Yujian Sword Art x 1 |

| Relationship with Xue Chonglin became: Friendly |

| Received: Blue Flame Grass x 1 |

| Relationship with Gong Fei became: Friendly |

| Received: Body Tempering Pill x 1 |

...

| Relationship with Zhong Lei became: Acquaintance |

| Received: Low-grade Spirit Stone x 10 |

"That's a lot of stuff," Ryker thought out loud. The logs seemed to detail all the young masters he had met, as well as Long Meiling.

He had received some items for each person, things like pills and cultivation materials for people he had become 'Friendly' with, while those that were listed at 'Acquaintance' only gave him spirit stones.

The exception to this was Long Meiling, who was also listed at 'Acquaintance' but had given him a weapon technique.

{Yes, you'll get bonus items for deepening your relationship with others!} Bestie began to explain.

{What you get depends on who it is and how good of a friend you are with them. You won't always get something every time, though.}

{And since Long Meiling is related to your first system task, the rewards for increasing your relationship rank with her are much higher than others! And on the topic of her reward...}

She grunted in exertion as a faint, pink glow surrounded the booklets on the bed, slowly raising them into the air.

{Yes! I did it!} she cheered, with Mini C looking on in annoyance as she hijacked his telekinesis function.

{These books will teach you the techniques described inside of them. As a function of the system, you won't even need to read them; all of their contents will be transferred directly into your mind, and the system will help you instantly comprehend it!}

Ryker reached out to grab one of the books floating in front of him, pausing the charging of the compad, for the moment.

"Sounds pretty cool. So, what, do I just say I wanna learn it, or something?"

[I'll handle that,] Mini C answered, as a blue light overtook the pink glow of the 'Cosmic Unity Script'.

The book disappeared in a bright flash, and soon Ryker felt a rush of energy circulating throughout his body, quickly pooling into his previously unused dantian.

Like a breaking dam, power surged into his limbs, seemingly filling out his muscles and infusing them with strength, and he felt like he could now easily crush a rock with his bare hands.

Not that he couldn't do that before; it just felt like it would be easier, now.

"Wow... This feels awesome!" he exclaimed, flexing his muscles a bit more to feel out his new power.

{Hehe, so what do you think?} Bestie asked smugly, hands on her hips, {Ah, and for comprehension, you'll automatically learn the next level of the technique as you go.}

[...Well, no adverse effect on any of his biometrics, as predicted from the analysis,] Mini C said, the 'analyzing...' circle above his head disappearing.

[Did you want to learn the other two techniques, as well, then?]

Ryker just grinned, rubbing his hands together with an excited look in his eyes.

"You know it!"

--

In a richly furnished room, Long Family estate...

"Has everything been arranged?"

Long Meiling sat in a luxuriously cushioned wooden chair in her room as the captain of her guard knelt in front of her.

"Yes, we've situated Sir Ryker in one of the Long family's inns. There were no issues with getting him there and he is reported to be resting, at the moment."

She nodded at the guard captain's report before dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

Her mind wandered as she fiddled with a simple but elegantly carved jade hairpin, turning it over in her fingers as she thought about her next course of action.

The plan to uncover the mysteries around Ryker was simple; just keep him under surveillance at one of the inns her family owned, and perhaps have him help her out with some miscellaneous tasks.

If things go well, she may be able to have some of her subordinates strike up a friendship with him, where they would then be able to make him open up about some of his techniques.

As long as she kept in contact with him, with what she'd seen from his personality, he would easily divulge useful information about himself.

Of course, she would have to adjust based on what his future plans were, but he seemed to be content with staying put, for now.

Now, normally, she wouldn't dare to covet the secrets of an expert as strong as Ryker, but the man seemed to be a bit...

Well, 'naive' might not be the right word. She would think him an idiot if he weren't so capable.

Perhaps 'unreasonably carefree' would be a nicer way to put it?

From what she observed, he did not intend to be transported here, going by how confused he was when he appeared before them.

And yet he had no trouble laughing and goofing around after their close call with the Red Vipers, and with the very men he had been exchanging insults with not ten minutes earlier, no less.

Either he had no sense of urgency, or he was confident enough in his own abilities to not care about his current situation.

But whatever the case may be, it worked to her advantage.

"I will become stronger. And I *will* decide my own fate."

Her grip on the jade hairpin tightened.

--

Elsewhere, in a dark smoke den...

"Young master!"

A shifty looking man burst into an enclosed booth, getting down to one knee in front of the young man that was inside enjoying a pipe.

Several loosely robed women surrounded the young man, and he had one wrapped under each of his arms as they all giggled and fawned over him.

"You have news of Long Meiling?" The young man casually asked, not even bothering to look at the person who had just arrived. His name was Li Daoming, son of Duke Li of the Five Grand Dukes.

"Yes, she has just returned from her hunting trip with a mysterious young man that she seemed to be paying close attention to," his subordinate reported.

"Mysterious young man? And you're sure it wasn't one of those ants that usually latch on to her?"

"Quite sure, young master. I have never seen this man before, and he is definitely not from any of the noble families."

"Hm."

Li Daoming frowned as he took another drag from his pipe, his eyes showing just the slightest hint of displeasure.

"He was also led to one of the Long family's inns, so I am certain she is keeping tabs on him," the subordinate continued, head still bowed low.

There was an awkward stretch of silence while Li Daoming continued to smoke in contemplation, neither his subordinate nor the girls surrounding him daring to make a sound.

Finally, after a particularly long drag of smoke, he spoke.

"Gather as much information about this man as you can. Report back to me once you can figure out his identity," Li Daoming said.

"Yes, young master! Shall I inquire into the nobles who accompanied her today, as well?"

"Hmph, why would I care about some ants she'll never even spare a glance at?" he sneered, waving for his subordinate to go, "Just find out who exactly it is that would make her act so attentively."

"Yes!"

Li Daoming watched his lackey scramble out of the booth, bringing pipe to mouth in thought.

After all this time of refusing any man who made a move on her, she suddenly brought one back from her trip to the mountains, even showing an uncharacteristic amount of care?

"Hmph, probably just some idle curiosity on her part," he said to himself, "But I'd best crush this pest, in any case."

The girls in his arms flinched as he tightened his hold on them, their expressions getting slightly nervous as they saw his eyes grow cold.

"The only man worthy to have her is me!"

--

Finally, at a noodle stall just outside Ryker's inn...

"Hm, I wonder why we look so much alike..."

A young man was gracefully eating noodles, exuding a refined aura even as he simply sat there. He was watching the entrance of the inn Ryker had entered thoughtfully, looking as if he was deliberating over something.

This young man was, of course, Luo Shuchang, and he had just returned to the city, himself.

The place he was returning from was naturally the Red Viper Mountains, although he had gone for a different reason than Long Meiling.

His objective had been to retrieve something from the lair of the Crimson Viper King, the giant snake which had attacked her and her entourage.

After easily obtaining the object he desired due to the serpent conveniently being away, he went to go check up on Long Meiling out of curiosity, and perhaps to help if there were any unexpected occurrences.

Of course, the most unexpected occurrence of all unfolded, and he had tailed Ryker back to the city, unbeknownst to any of them.

"There was definitely no event like this in the previous timeline..."

He continued to chew his noodles thoughtfully.