Chapter 3: Small Hunting Village

Amuche gazed at the four men approaching her. Three middle-aged men and a young boy, around eighteen or twenty, wore local clothing, suggesting they were hunters. Each held a spear, except for the young boy, who had saved her life with his precise throw. His eyes met Amuche's, and he smiled shyly, his cheeks flushing with pride.

The older men flanked him, their weathered faces a testament to their years of exposure to the elements. They regarded Amuche with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, their eyes lingering on her strange clothing. Nedu stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.

"What's a young woman like you doing here in this thick forest alone?" one of the men asked, his divine sense probing Amuche. He was astonished to find her cultivation base blank, except for a strong flame of life. When he tried to probe further, a sense of danger assaulted him, and he felt chills upon seeing the amulet on her shoulder.

Amuche introduced herself and told a story, transmitted to her by Nedu through divine sense, about her journey from a faraway place, her flying ship, and the fierce beasts that separated her from her teacher. The men believed her, recognizing the tale as a common one among young maidens from large clans who ventured out to train. However, Amuche's lack of cultivation base surprised them, as such individuals were usually strong. The imposing dragon on her shoulder, though, hinted at her connection to a powerful clan, making the men cautious.

They invited her to follow them back to their village, where it was safer, while she waited for her teacher to find her. Amuche gladly accepted and followed the men to their village.

As they walked, the villagers' curious glances followed them. Amuche sensed a mix of friendliness and wariness, likely due to her unusual presence. The young boy, whose name was Kael, walked beside her, his eyes fixed on the dragon on her shoulder. "What's his name?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder. Amuche smiled, "His name is Nedu, and he's been with me since I was a child."

The villagers were mostly friendly, and Amuche was given a place to rest in a small hut belonging to one of the men who saved her. She was to share the place with two of the man's daughters, who were 14 and 10 years old. They asked Amuche lots of questions about where she was from, her dragon, and other things. Amuche gladly cooked up one story after another to tell them, and they were soon mesmerized by her tales. Nedu was transmitting those tales, and he could confuse even adults, let alone these small girls.

Amuche also asked the girls questions about their village and found out she was in the Eastern region of this world. Soon, the girls left Amuche alone, and Nedu began to introduce the spirit world to her.

"First, this world is known as Eridoria, and it's different from the normal world you know. Here, human beings and beasts can communicate with the elements and use them in different ways to make themselves strong, tougher, and exploit different goals in life." Each person here is born with an innate ability to bend spiritual energy, but this type of talent differs. Some people are born with strong innate talents and can communicate with different elements, harnessing them to bring out endless possibilities. Others are barely able to accommodate only the basic elements.

Innate talents are divided into different types based on the type of innate pearl one can awaken when they start to cultivate. A yellow innate pearl is the weakest, and those who possess it are only able to command the basic four elements: water, earth, air, and fire. Those who possess such innate pearls are considered average people, and their potential is low. They are only able to develop higher if they encounter treasure that can boost their innate pearl and change their fate.

The next is blue pearls, which are seen as genius cultivators. They have more talents in harnessing the elements and can control more elements based on how hardworking they are. Then there are purple pearls, which are known as rare genius. They come with a special core talent towards a specific profession, like the dibia's (alchemist masters) who can produce pills and different potions, remedies, and solutions to problems people face in their cultivation. There are different professions in this world, like the dintas, who are masters in equipment building, and so on.

Finally, those born with a crimson-colored pearl are one in a million geniuses. They are able to surpass their peers and create different legends. Prince Jidenna possesses a crimson-colored innate pearl.

Next are the different cultivation stages. For now, I will tell you about the different cultivation stages of this first realm. Nobody knows how many realms there are in this world, but people believe that there's one realm that's everlasting, but that's another story for now. All you need to know is that you need to cultivate to the strongest cultivation level here in order to tear space and move to a higher realm."

The cultivation stages in this realm are:

- The first stage: mmuo (spirit building stage)

- Then the mmuo Ndu (element gathering stage)

- The onochie and Nmadu (the finale stage in this realm)

Each level has four stages:

- Early stage

- Middle stage

- Late stage

- Peak stage

Nedu explained patiently, while Amuche listened with rapt attention.

The different realms have different regions:

- Northern region

- Eastern region

- Southern region

- Western region

Each region engages in quarrels and competition over land and resources, but the most fierce wars are between dark and light spirits. Dark spirits are those cultivators who pursue the spiritual energy of darkness and are extremely bloody thirsty and powerful. Light spirits cultivate the spiritual energy of light and are much less bloodthirsty. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses, as dark spirits are more powerful in the night and dark areas, while light spirits are the opposite. So, the two can't coexist and always engage in wars and bloodshed as both sides try to suppress each other and become the ultimate rulers of the realm.

"This is all you need to know for now," Nedu concluded. "Next is learning how to cultivate spiritual energy and awakening your innate pearl. Most cultivators are able to awaken their pearls at the age of 12 years, while others take longer, 15 years being the worst. You are now sixteen, but it's okay since you're not formally from this world. I have a cultivation manual from my past life, which Jidenna found from an ancient ruin. Free your mind, and I will transmit it to your soul so you can start cultivating."

"Okay, but first, wait," Amuche asked, "What cultivation level was that wolf, and these villagers?"

"That wolf was a late-stage mmuo, and that boy who saved you is a peak-stage mmuo. The strongest person here is only an early-stage mmuo Ndu," Nedu explained further.

Amuche's eyes brightened, and then she asked again, "What cultivation stage were you before, and what color of pearl did you possess?"

"Hmm, my cultivation level before is too powerful for you to know now," Nedu replied. "And yes, divine beasts don't possess pearls but instead inherit the parents' natural talent and are able to reach their ancestors' level or even surpass them if they are lucky enough to find supreme treasure and plants. Right now, I have recovered some of my power and can be considered an early-stage mmuo Ndu, so you don't have to fear anyone from this village. Now, free your mind, and let's start the your cultivation journey. It's long, but with determination, we will surely succeed."

"Yes," Amuche said, strengthening her resolve. She sat cross-legged and emptied her mind and emotions.