Every new passenger that walked onto the

  train car made Sebastian flinch. His eyes darted between the door, the

  people, and the window. Everything seemed

  fine, but the thought that guards, police officers, or even Lyra

  herself was about to step on board and arrest or kill him plagued his

  mind.

  Even when the train pulled out of the station and

  Blackoak disappeared in the distance, Sebastian struggled to calm down.

  He took a deep breath and pushed his hand onto his knee to stop it from

  bouncing up and down.

  Everything is fine, he thought, continuing to breathe. There

  won’t be a warrant out for me for another two days, and there was no

  inspection or identification needed to board the train. No one knows I’m

  here.

  He looked out of the window at Blackoak, his first real

  connection with civilization in this world, which had become just a dot

  on the horizon behind them.

  In truth, he felt rather bittersweet about it, but his nerves took priority over any such feelings.

  If they were watching the train, they would already have arrested me.

  Yes, there could still be someone

  waiting at the next stop, but that’s days away. I need to focus on

  something else. Training and cultivation, that’ll keep my mind off

  things.

  He currently had a pretty solid grip on his cultivation,

  but he had wanted to dive deeper into the other aspects of the manual.

  He had read through it several times but the further his cultivation

  reached, the greater his understanding of the manual and the various

  other topics it discussed.

  One of those topics was Techniques.

  The cultivation manual was just that, a manual for the

  [Earthen Cultivation Art], but even so it did also include a few

  Techniques related to the cultivation method.

  Now that he was in the [Essence Consolidation] stage, and

  had a meridian system through which he could circulate liquid

  essence—however little that might be at the moment, he was finally at a

  point were he could begin learning Techniques.

  Clearing his mind as best he could, Sebastian picked up

  the manual and refreshed his memory. In total, the manual had five Basic

  Techniques which he could use at his current level:

  [Fleeting Cloud Step]—A Movement Technique which supposedly made the user move as though they were a fleeting cloud.

  This would be interesting, and is

  certainly high up on the list, but there isn’t exactly much space to use

  for training in a Movement Technique here. Pass.

  [Shattering Strike]—A Fist Technique where the user would inject essence into the target and destroy it from the inside.

  Also pass. Hard to practice a Technique which blows stuff up when you’re stuck on a train.

  [Spirit Union]—A Technique to draw upon your connection to the Spirit Realm while you are fully awake.

  Now this feels interesting. Not only is it something I can learn while sitting still, it’s also something I’m currently lacking.

  [Cloud Shadow Slash]—A Weapon Technique which uses essence to create a copy—or a shadow—of your slash, which basically duplicates your attack.

  Another pass, for obvious reasons.

  [Stone Skin]—A

  Technique which harnessed essence to harden the skin of the user, beyond

  the already tough physical resistance provided by the cultivation

  method.

  Another maybe. This can be trained while sitting still, but there’s no way to really test it out though.

  No, there’s a clear choice here.

  [Spirit Union], that’s what I’ll learn first.

  Having made a decision, Sebastian was flush with

  excitement. The thought of gaining an entirely new sense to experience

  the world around him was magical enough to let him forget his troubles,

  for the moment.

  Cultivators would naturally unlock their true spiritual

  sense as their cultivation improved, which Sebastian had already briefly

  experienced as he ascended to his current stage back in the gorge. This

  Technique would allow him to unlock it early.

  It was a strange concept, Techniques. By circulating

  essence through different paths of your meridian system, certain effects

  could be achieved. The manual didn’t explain how that worked, as if it

  was something so obvious that it wasn’t worthy of mention.

  It spoke of patterns, though, and Sebastian’s mind went

  back to the magic circle on the floor when they were summoned. Patterns

  apparently held power, or perhaps created power.

  Regardless, all he had to do was follow the path of the

  [Spirit Union] Technique, and he would be on his way to learning it.

  Although, as with all things here, intent mattered.

  The whole thing brought System Skills to mind for him. He

  didn’t know much about Skills, or the [System] in general, but from

  what he had gleaned during his short time at the castle, Skills were

  granted and operated through the [System].

  Techniques, according to the book in his hands, were a

  completely manual process. Essence had to be circulated along specific

  paths, an intent had to be formed and maintained, and the end result had

  to be carefully controlled.

  Skills, by the look of things, merely had to be activated, and the [System] did the rest.

  During his initial steps on his journey of cultivation,

  Sebastian had entertained the idea that levels were connected to

  cultivation, a pale imitation of the [Essence Gathering] stage. Diving

  into the concept of Techniques made him wonder if perhaps Techniques

  were a precursor to Skills, perhaps the entire [System] as it stands was

  based on the process of cultivation in the first place.

  That was a matter for the future, however.

  For now, he leaned back in his seat and continued reading

  through the manual. Before he made his first attempt, he wanted to be

  fully prepared.

  Reading the words was easy, understanding them and then turning theory into practice was trickier.

  While he tried to approach everything with a clear and

  open mind, Sebastian naturally drew connections with not only his own

  experiences and concepts from games and fiction but the descriptions he

  was given when he first arrived here.

  At the time, they had talked about Skills, some of his

  fellow earthlings even had Inherent Skills given by the [System]. The

  kobolds must have had some Inherent Skill to double-jump, as well. The

  range of what kind of Skills existed seemed endless.

  That was certainly true for Techniques, according to the

  manual. By wielding your internal essence—shaped and manipulated through

  your intent—you could do literally anything. There were no limits, at

  least theoretically speaking.

  In reality, what you could do with Techniques was limited

  by the sheer quantity of your essence, the quality of that essence, and

  of course how well you could manipulate that essence. Not to mention

  that as with everything to do with cultivation, it is driven by your

  intent—your willpower, your imagination, and your ambition.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Furthermore, if his interpretation was accurate, this

  limitless potential was a large part of the foundation of the Earthen

  Cultivation Art.

  While it didn’t go into detail, the manual did mention in

  passing that other cultivation methods were typically centered around

  an affinity, such as water or fire.

  As Sebastian already knew, essence retained traces of its

  origin. Other cultivation methods made use of those affinities. A water

  based cultivation method absorbed natural essence containing the water

  affinity by cultivating by the ocean or any large body of water. That

  affinity then aided in their cultivation and strengthened all Techniques

  which used that water affinity.

  Because of this they could cultivate faster and produce

  stronger Techniques, but of course that came at a cost. By limiting

  themselves to a primary affinity they also limited their options and

  made their cultivation dependent on having an appropriate environment.

  It seemed that the creators of the [Earthen Cultivation Art] intended to create a method that was truly limitless.

  While the name might suggest that it belonged to the

  earth affinity, it didn’t. They were simply inspired by the process of

  crafting earthenware, and if they could fool their enemies in the

  process then they welcomed the advantage.

  In truth, the [Earthen Cultivation Art] could absorb

  natural essence regardless of affinity, at the same rates. The downside,

  however, was that those traces of the natural affinity were expelled

  once the essence had been made pure. That meant that for every bit of

  essence a cultivator absorbed, only so much of it was actually retained

  during the cultivation. This would normally mean that cultivating the

  [Earthen Cultivation Art] was slower than other methods.

  That wasn’t the case for Sebastian, his knowledge and

  understanding of the natural world allowed him to shape his intent into a

  black hole and absorb far more than any other cultivator could have

  done. And as a Blessed One, and with his Title of [Sole Cultivator], he

  could cultivate at rates far surpassing anything the typical cultivator

  could ever hope to achieve.

  In exchange for a—typically—slower rate of cultivation,

  cultivators of the [Earthen Cultivation Art] wielded pure essence which

  could be used to perform truly any Technique. It wouldn’t get the same

  boost as with a natural affinity, but that difference could be made up

  for with both versatility and skill.

  Because of all this, the manual encouraged the reader to

  be creative and create their own Techniques which fit their own fighting

  styles.

  ***

  Sebastian shook his head and closed the book, returning it to his bag.

  These ideas are too big, and there’s

  nothing I can do to create my own Techniques yet. Answers for all these

  other questions will come in time, so let’s focus on what I can do

  right now.

  Ridding himself of distractions and wandering thoughts, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

  His consciousness sunk into the spirit realm, same as during any ordinary cultivation, but he actively held back.

  A key part of the [Spirit Union] Technique was to open

  the door to the spirit realm without actually crossing the threshold.

  Then, by circulating his essence according to the specific path of the

  Technique, he would spread his spiritual sense out into the physical

  world.

  Taking control of the circulation of his essence was

  easier said than done. What few drops of liquid essence had condensed

  thus far naturally flowed along the major vessels of his meridian

  system. Directing them to flow through a less direct route, through

  minor pathways in a specific pattern, was a challenge unlike any before

  it.

  Sebastian commanded his internal essence to move

  according to his will. The drops of liquid essence answered, but his

  control wasn’t perfect. Some followed the correct path, others strayed.

  The inconsistency interfered with the natural flow. Drops of essence

  moved through pathways smaller than intended, pushing his meridians to

  their limits.

  It burned, not like true fire but rather a severe heartburn.

  His insides contracted with pain and he was forcefully brought out of his trance, for the first time in months.

  Whew, this is harder than I thought. Nothing to do but try again, though.

  Sebastian took a breath, and he went right back to it.

  His attempts continued through the night, even as he had to block out

  snores from other passengers.

  ***

  The sun rose on the horizon, spreading the light of a new

  day onto the lands and sending streaks of lights throughout the train

  car through the gaps in the curtains. Sebastian sat on his bed, legs

  crossed, cultivating to recover from having stayed up training his

  Technique.

  Fortunately, sleep was no longer quite as necessary as it

  used to be for him. He would probably have to sleep a few nights during

  the month-long journey, but just as cultivation nourished him in place

  of food and water, it also rejuvenated his mind in place of sleep. Not

  to mention that at his current level, he simply didn’t need as much of

  either as before.

  Sensing the heat of the morning sun, Sebastian stopped

  his cultivation and went right back to training. He couldn’t afford to

  be idle.

  Council chamber, Lumiere Castle. Two days after Sebastian received his summons to Blackoak Outpost.

  In a gaudy room with marble pillars along the sides sat 7 men and women, all dressed in ceremonial robes, behind a long curved

  table facing the center of the room. The table itself was staggered like

  an award podium. At the center, on the highest spot sat a woman wearing

  a large, white, red, and gold head-dress that resembled a peacock’s

  display. The six men and women sitting to her left and right each wore

  similar outfits, although not quite as eye-catching as their leader’s.

  Standing in front of them was a man in a military uniform.

  The officer was reporting various events that had

  transpired both within the capital and its surrounding satellite towns

  but also important news from the other major cities.

  These briefings happened weekly and took most of the day,

  which was why one of the council members had trouble keeping his eyes

  open.

  “…which is why the Royal Freightliner departed ahead of

  schedule,” said the officer giving the briefing. He closed the folder he

  was holding and handed it to the attendant who ran up to respectfully

  receive it. He handed the officer another folder in its place before

  returning to the edge of the room, hidden from sight. The officer opened

  the new folder and continued his briefing with the next point on the

  agenda.

  “An expedition has set out to determine the cause of the

  disturbance west of the Silvervale Woodlands. Early reports suggest a

  possible Overlord migration might be the cause, although we are still

  awaiting confirmation as of yet. Information is kept close at hand so as

  to not cause unnecessary panic among the citizens, or to provide our

  enemies anything they might choose to make use of. The hunter

  association has been informed, actions are being taken to avoid any

  accidental incidents.”

  He held out the folder and the attendant shuffled back out to collect it and hand him another folder.

  “Next. A rank 2 monster has been encountered at a farm

  outside Blackoak, a gnoll leading a pack of kobolds. The owners of the

  farm hired a traveler, a freelance hunter by the name of

  Sebastian—supposedly at level 20, to protect the farm. He singlehandedly

  fought and killed not only the kobolds but the gnoll as well.

  “Investigators concluded that he is draft dodger who fled

  his home upon surpassing level 30. He has been ordered to report to the

  outpost commander by week’s end. The gnoll has been determined to be a

  survivor of a recent expedition by our Candidates and as such, a

  singular event. The matter is closed.”

  He received yet another folder.

  “Next. An altercation occurred in Stony Brook…”

  The council member who had almost fallen asleep earlier was all of a sudden wide awake.

  Rather than struggling to stay awake, his current

  struggle was not to rush out of the meeting immediately to report what

  he had just heard. Wilford had been a council member for decades and a

  subordinate of the Arcane Auditor for even longer.

  He desperately maintained his composure as he waited for the officer to finish his briefing.

  About 45 minutes later the officer finally left, and Wilford ran out as soon as the chairwoman adjourned the meeting.

  He ran through the castle corridors, almost knocking over

  a few servants as he went. He found the officer and had him go over

  every detail of the draft dodger case. After a few minutes, he left in

  an even greater hurry.

  Once again he rushed through the winding turns of the

  castle, the corridors and stairs, and he finally reached a large wooden

  door decorated with engravings of the tales of heroes and magic.

  Wilford took a moment to catch his breath, clear his throat, and to straighten out his robe before he knocked on the door.

  “Enter,” a voice sounded from within.

  Wilford carefully opened the door and walked in.

  “Councilman Wilford, what brings you here so late?” asked

  Lyra, Arcane Auditor of Lumeria, from behind her desk. She placed down

  her pen and rested her elbows on the desk.

  Wilford bowed. “I rushed over as soon as the council’s weekly briefing was over, my lady. There is news from Blackoak.”

  Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Oh, what kind of news would warrant such a visit?”

  “The lost Blessed One, he lives!”

  The mood shifted in the blink of an eye, and the air in

  the room trembled. The councilman squeezed his hands together in front

  of him in a respectful, yet pleading gesture, terrified of the

  archmage’s fury and desperate not to provoke it further. Shooting the

  messenger was frowned upon in Lumeria, but Wilford took no chances.

  Lyra closed her eyes and when she opened them again a breath later, the trembling in the air vanished.

  “How?”

  He shook his head, almost in shame. “I don’t know, my

  lady. The report was brief, and I would have missed it if I wasn’t

  paying very close attention. It was about the appearance of a rank 2

  monster in Blackoak, a gnoll led a den of kobolds to raid some farm.

  Likely as a result of the recent hunting expedition. That wasn’t what

  caught my attention, however. The farmers hired a traveler to protect

  the farm. He was supposedly only level 20 so the investigators concluded

  that he was a draft dodger.”

  “A level 20, dealing with a den of kobolds and a gnoll,

  alone? Unlikely, I can see why they determined him to a draft dodger.

  What makes you think that it’s our dead Blessed One?”

  “Two things, my lady. First, his name was Sebastian.

  Secondly, the investigators recorded an image.” Wilford held out a small

  blue crystal. It lit up and a floating image of Sebastian’s face

  appeared above it.