chapter 17 a new group

Two days later Initel finally came over. She and i were sat down while my other selfs served us tea and snacks.

Initel[ your other selfs really come in handy huh? Now then about you leaving the clan for the body enhancing gu. I can not allow you to go, you'll be gone too long and the competition takes priority.]

Shu[ but without upgrading my body i won't be able to gain the other variant human strength.]

Initel[ i know that's why I'm going to give you a mission, because as much as I'd rather just give you the gu i can't. The clan has rules that even i must fallow, but i can give you a mission and reward you for completing the mission.

Obviously the rewards would be the gu you need to enhance your self. However the mission will be dangerous to an extent, but don't worry this mission won't be a solo mission.]

Shu[ I'll be with others?]

Initel[ That's right and don't worry about who they are they've been picked specifically for this mission. You'll meet up with them at the south exit of the clan look for Xal she'll be the leader of the mission. So take today off to prepare yourself.]

Shu[ theirs actually something else i need your help with lady Initel. I've been thinking long and hard about this but i know now that i need to change my vital gu]

Initel[ your vital gu?... if im not wrong your current vital gu is drop of strength.]

Shu[ thats right and i stil plan on using this gu and its higher ranks, but right now its not as useful as another gu. I want to switch my vital gu with self-reliance.]

Initel[ alright that makes sense i can do that. Take out both gu and don't resist]

I did as she said took out both gu and soon both myself and my gu were covered in a pink light. My deep sense of connection with drop of strength gu was weakening, at the same time i was growing a deeper sense of connection with self-reliance gu. After a couple minutes the light faded and now the connection i once had with drop of strength was swapped with self-reliance gu.

Initel[ their now self-reliance gu is your vital gu, now go do what you must before you leave.]

Not long later she left, which was fine with me but i didn't get to tell her the things i discovered about my variant selfs. I looked over to where her will was still watching me, maybe i don't have to tell her. She probably already knows everything I've discovered.

I made my way to the gu shop and sold flower boar gu, sharp shark gu, and healing membrane gu. I was tempted to sell vice grip crab gu but its a rank 2 gu thats too hard to find. As for killer whale strength gu i would never sell that, those two gu are still useable to me. Whenever I give my variant selfs form i lose their strength from my body. So I'll still have use for them, even if i gain the complete strength of all variant humans I'll probably still need them, because once i do gain their strength i can have a whole group of my self help me in anything i want.

As for drop of strength gu of course I'd keep using it. The best way to understand the great dao is to use gu and understand it. The strength gu i understand most are the ones i created, but i created those from my understanding of the great dao. So theirs not much i can learn from them at least not now.

While drop of strength gu is the next gu i understand most. So I'm hoping to learn more from using it, and unlike other gu this one already has higher rank recipes that are only known to our clan.

Shortly after that i went to visit my aunt and informed her of my departure. I also had to tell her not to look for any more strength enhancing gu, but i did tell her to keep an eye out for any interesting/odd strength path gu.

As for after that i had to do maintenance on my weapons and enhance some of them. Once i was done it was already late into the night so i went to sleep.

The next day i made my way to the south exit of the clan. Where their was already a person waiting, she was a merman hybrid with dark green hair and eyes to match. She was also very tall standing at about 5'11, with a slim build to match the height. She watched me approach her and once i was 10 feet away she finally spoke.

???[ Shuidi right?]

I nodded my head at her

???[ I'm Xal, rank 3 upper stage gu master I'll be leading you and the others. I hope you listen well to orders.]

I once again nodded my head at her

Xal[ besides you and i their will be three others in this mission. All the others have been informed of the mission only you haven't. I'll be honest i didn't want you in my team. All the positions are already filled, your just an extra body. Who'll I'll have to be in charge of and share credit with. I don't know who you got to convince my boss but it must be someone high.]

Shu[ i didn't ask to join your mission, I'm only doing it because of the rewards my master will give me. So may i know whats the mission.]

I had to cut her off as i didn't want to just hear her say her whole rant about me not deserving to be part of her team.

Xal[ well be killing a demonic gu master.]

Now that caught me by surprise, hunting a demonic gu master is one of the most dangerous things to do.

Shu[ what rank?]

Xal[ she's a rank 3 middle stage fire path gu master. We've been hired specifically because we specialize in water path gu. She's been stealing primeval essence stones and materials from anyone she crosses with to the point that the clans around her have has enough.

She's been trying to refine one of her gu into rank 3. That's why shes been stealing from others, our job is to take her out before she succeeds. All i want you to do is guard our tracker and healer once we engage with her.]

Shu[ i can do that.]

After a couple minutes the next person finally showed up. He seemed to be a normal human with short dark green hair and eyes. He had an average looking face and the only thing that stood out about him was that he seemed to be incredibly skinny. To the point he looked like he'd fall over and kick the bucket any minute.

Xal[ Shuidi this is our tracker Max, Max this is Shuidi he'll be in charge of guarding you and Ryan.]

So Ryan must be the healing gu master, and just as i was thinking that a merman hybrid with long blue hair appeared. He looked a bit handsome and wore a cream colored outfit.

Xal[ a speak if the devil, this here is Ryan, Ryan this is Shuidi he'll be in charge of taking care of you and Max]

Unlike Max who didn't say much, Ryan shook my hand and pulled me into a sideways hug.

Ryan[ i look forward to working with you, besides what healer wouldn't want an extra person guarding them.]

Well at least i know they won't give me trouble, Ryan likes the idea of another guard while max seems indifferent to me. Xal may not like that I'm here but shes now in charge of me and knows i have a strong connection. So she wouldn't mess with me on purpose.

Maybe this mission wouldn't be that bad with a team like this. Is what i thought until i realized i just jinxed myself. If thinking that was bad luck in my world then what about a world where luck actually exists. As i was thinking that a person came over and put both Max and Ryan into each arm.

??? [ I'm here! Its good to see you two did you miss your big sister? Oh and by.... wait who are you?]

She finally realized an extra person was here. All while Ryan slipped out of her grasp and stood closer to Xal. While poor Max looked like he was unconscious.

Xal[ it was in the mission brief that Shuidi would be joining us. He'll be guarding Ryan and Max while we deal with the demonic gu master, and let go of Max.]

She let go of Max who fell to the ground and made her way to me with one arm ready to wrap around my own neck.

???[ well why didn't anyone say so sooner. Nice to meet you little shu, you can call this big sister Dali.]

Before she could wrap her arm around me i grabbed her by the wrist. Holding it in its place

Shu[ call me Shuidi, I'll be working with you all so lets try to get along, and don't touch me out of nowhere. I'm a strength path cultivator i could easily break something out of reflex.]

I then let go of her arm but my words didn't seem to bother her in the least as her smile stayed in place. As she raised her hands up in a surrendering pose and closed her eyes.

Dali[ my bad, my bad, i always forget that pretty pearls don't like to be touched.]

Xal[ alright enough, i want to get this over with as soon as possible. Lets go to the clan stable our ride is waiting for us.]

We made our way to an incredibly large building, out front was a man on top of a floating stingray the size of a school bus.

Xal spoke with the man and then we were allowed to get on the gaint stingray. We took off into the air and flew away from the clan quickly. As we were flying a gaint buble surrounded the stingray letting us be in peace as if we weren't soaring quickly in the sky.

Dali[ WAIT SHUIDI!!! Your the honest savage? To think i was speaking to one of our clans young dragons.]

Max[ he literally has truth shines gu on his forehead. How stupid can you be?]

This is gonna be a long annoying ride isn't it.