Chapter 16

"If you keep being like this, Nate, I'm heading back," Zeryn said wearily.

Nathan had been circling around the Sect's transportation system for a while now, his eyes still wide with fascination.

"Let's go. When you come back, you can ride as much as you want," Zeryn refused to indulge him further, directing their transport booth toward the outer court.

"Alright, alright," Nathan finally remembered what they were supposed to do.

He was still overwhelmed by the vastness of the inner court. He had thought the outer court occupied the most space, but it turned out to be the opposite. Many things in the inner court seemed to take up significant space. According to Zeryn's description, the monster breeding grounds for the elders and disciples alone were as large as the outer court disciples' residences. Nathan was fortunate to be in the southern region; disciples from the north had to use transportation to reach the main hall or palace as walking was impossible.

Returning to the southern area, he felt a strange sensation in his heart. Just yesterday, he was an outer court disciple, and today he stood at a higher position he had only dared to dream of.

The disciples in the training yard looked up at him and Zeryn with admiration. They all bowed their heads according to Sect protocol for greeting superiors. Elen was there too, trying to avoid his gaze. Nathan had neither the heart to care nor the pettiness to hold it against him. His time as an outer court disciple had been harsh, but he had learned enough cunning to navigate it, relying on the instructors and Elder Orin.

Orin greeted them both in the small yard. His aged face and nearly bald head with just wisps of hair bobbed as he let out a hearty laugh.

"Congratulations, Nate. No more cleaning toilets for you."

"Couldn't you say something more pleasant?" Nathan pouted.

"What? I lost my drinking buddy, and I still have to be happy about it?"

"I'll come back here with Zeryn to drink with you!" Nathan promised.

"Deal, deal!" Orin's laughter grew louder.

After promising to return, both of them left to make their appointment.

Though reluctant, Nathan finally had to accept Zeryn's offer to transport him by sword like last time. Zeryn assured him that his flying skills had improved significantly over the past month. Nathan knew his friend just wanted to show off when landing in town; taking the high-speed train would have been much faster.

Despite his previous experience, Nathan still felt nervous. He climbed onto the sheathed sword, with Zeryn standing in front like he was stepping on a gas pedal. The sword tilted upward, launching them into the air. This time, Zeryn's control had truly improved. In an instant, the sword was hovering above, moving forward.

Though not fast, the journey's greatest merit lay in the breathtaking scenery along the way. The Verdant Spire Sect behind them rose like something from another world. From this height, all one could see of a power held by a Tier 5 was an ancient, peculiar spire. Dense forest surrounded the Sect like a natural maze, with mist shrouding it like wilderness. Further out, the space gradually revealed flat stretches, as if all mountains had been pushed toward the Verdant Spire Sect. Fields extended as far as the eye could see. Vast ranches and lush orchards belonged to ordinary people who didn't follow the cultivation path. Low hills were verdant with houses built into them. The sky stretched wide with gusting winds. Nathan raised his arms, savoring the freedom the open space provided.

"Sit still, my friend," Zeryn said. "If you fall, I'm not sure I can catch you."

Nathan complied, enjoying everything in silence.

As predicted, they arrived in Crystalton after two hours of travel instead of the half-hour it would have taken by train.

"We're taking the train back," Nathan reminded him.

But Zeryn wasn't listening anymore. His mind was preoccupied with how to make his landing as magnificent and dashing as possible.

The sword's speed decreased as the town came into clearer view. Crystalton lay west of Verdant Spire Sect, established to capitalize on the Tier 5 power's reputation and facilitate trade. The current mayor, Bernard, a Tier 3 cultivator with exceptional strategic vision, conceived this idea. He had transformed a sparsely populated village into a town of over three hundred thousand people, intending to serve as an intermediary between Verdant Spire Sect and surrounding cities and powers. The plan succeeded as weaker factions increasingly chose Crystalton for investment, sending disciples to establish outposts, companies, or simply provide personnel.

With its circular architectural layout, Crystalton was dense and modern at its center, gradually thinning out to villas at its periphery. The central square was most striking, featuring a rotating white crystal above a small lake. It absorbed moonlight essence, later providing power for the street lights at night. The town was dotted with towers of varying heights, representing prestigious families or organizations.

As they approached the protective walls, guards on the battlements signaled for them to stop. But the captain nearby intervened after observing them through binoculars.

"Verdant disciples," the captain said curtly.

Afterward, no one signaled or flashed lights for them to stop.

Zeryn guided the sword over the wall, remembering to bow his head in thanks to the guards.

The captain acknowledged this gesture with a dignified and proud stance.

Nathan observed everything with an indescribable feeling. Status truly brought intoxicating sensations.

People bustling below looked up at them with admiration and respect. Nathan's face burned red as strangers pointed at him. Zeryn, however, grinned from ear to ear. He tried speaking against the wind.

"You'll have to get used to it; this is the treatment reserved for us. In Crystalton, our words are worth more than mana stones."

Nathan heard but wouldn't really follow that advice. There would be times when he needed to act that way, but not now. He might be stronger than ordinary people, but many in this town could still defeat him in a single breath. Being less brash would be better. As for Zeryn, he knew his friend wouldn't go too far. Despite appearing casual, Zeryn wasn't someone who acted without thinking. Otherwise, his reputation in the inner court wouldn't have lasted.

Zeryn lazily flew down to the main street, flanked by high-rise buildings, then aimed the sword at a spot beside the central lake.

Before completely landing, Zeryn spun around, causing wind to rise and scatter white petals from the lakeside flowers. The action created an image of grace and gallantry for the young man spreading his arms as he lowered the sword.

People who had followed since seeing the sword fly gathered at the square, applauding Zeryn's performance. Girls in the crowd called out his name. Clearly, this wasn't Zeryn's first such display.

Nathan quietly stepped down, clapping while trying to blend into the crowd. But his intention never materialized. His red uniform stood out no less than Zeryn's, attracting children present at the scene.

Helpless, he retreated behind Zeryn.

A while later, Zeryn asked something of a well-dressed and elegant man in the crowd. Nathan saw him give the man a large amount of mana stones before leaving.

The man stepped forward to disperse the crowd, saying something Nathan couldn't hear clearly, something about a small gift from Young Master Zeryn.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked when the surroundings became quieter.

"Investing," Zeryn replied.

"Like this?" Nathan was confused.

"Nate, you have much to learn. I still have missions to complete, remember? This is how I establish relationships with locals here. For me, mana stones or sect points are easily earned back, but for them, it's a fortune. I help them afford an extra meal, and in return, if they have any information, they'll tell Ben, that pompous guy trying to show off his wealth earlier. Then Ben reports back to me. That's basically it."

Nathan felt truly ashamed for thinking Zeryn was just showing off.

"Sect missions can be simple or complex. So you have to be proactive in many things."

"You're making me feel quite inadequate!"

Zeryn chuckled.

"Let outsiders say what they want, Nate. But you must know that you've done pretty well yourself."

Nathan scratched his head, feeling more confident.

"Don't worry, my network is yours too. If Ben has any sense, he'll know how to treat you when you come here."

"He's not skimming your money, is he?"

"Definitely," Zeryn shrugged. "But as long as he's useful, I'll consider it his service fee. If he wasn't taking a cut from me, he couldn't even afford the clothes he's wearing."

Nathan couldn't help but marvel at Zeryn's worldliness. He had already thought highly of this sword art prodigy, but apparently not highly enough.

"Come on," Zeryn gestured for Nathan to follow, "let's find Jessica's workplace."

They headed toward the eastern part of town. Being work hours, fewer people paid attention to them now unless they did something attention-grabbing like sword-riding. Walking through the business district again reminded Nathan of his past life, moving between streets full of businesses, briefcase in hand. Here things were similar, but more advanced. The sidewalks had flying platforms; one only needed to stand on them and select a destination for automatic transport. The town's network would self-regulate to avoid collisions with others. Platforms flying back and forth at different heights automatically dodged them as they walked.

The eastern district, not being a guild hub, was less crowded, mainly providing essential equipment for citizens and cultivators. People could find necessary gear for monster hunting and mission completion here. During beast tides or spatial rifts, the eastern roads would become completely gridlocked.

One of life's most crucial aspects was healthcare. Hospitals were evenly distributed throughout Crystalton, but medicine sellers concentrated here. Medicine in this world wasn't entirely uniform, hence the emergence of many brands. Different ingredients and intensities for the same effect were enough to open a store. Competition had many variables like pricing, materials, and social conditions. Since medicine was a commodity with endless demand, anything effective with minimal side effects got approved for market release.

Jessica's pharmaceutical company was thriving, located right on the main street with over twenty meters of frontage and three floors for research and development. The Serenity Pharmaceutical sign with its stylized S sat atop the building alongside holographic advertisements. The ground floor was a self-service pharmacy with pharmacist consultation available. Medicine wasn't just for cultivators but ordinary people too. With developments in friendly material applications, even common folk could absorb mana and some essence to extend lifespan. Disease could be avoided through medicine but not completely resisted as Nathan had once mistakenly thought. Different environments and ecosystems would have pathogens capable of penetrating resistance barriers. Only cultivation could permanently avoid diseases that constantly emerged from evolution.

Nathan spotted Jessica through the ground floor window. She wore a neat, professional uniform with long black pants. Her brown hair was tied back neatly. Though she smiled constantly at customers, dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion. The artificial radiance couldn't hide her worn-out appearance.

He couldn't help but feel heartache, remembering the Jessica of years past. As an intern then, her energy and creativity had shone like a brilliant light, making others simultaneously jealous and admiring. The future had been paving her way to an official position, a salary that anyone her age would have coveted. And now, here she was. Just because she was kind-hearted, trying to save someone in trouble.

Nathan stopped Zeryn, saying, "Let's wait until she's done working. Going in now would be awkward."

"Really? Using our reputation to help her seems good, doesn't it?"

Nathan shook his head, understanding how toxic work environments could become. Once they left, colleagues might fear her for a day or two. But in the long run, Jessica would only become a thorn in their eyes and a target for behind-the-scenes undermining. That's not counting the unfortunate possibility of other employees also having relationships with inner court disciples, leading to faction formation and infighting. That way, things would become even more serious.

"Up to you," Zeryn said. "There's a bakery across the street that looks good. Find a place to wait; I'll be back shortly."

Nathan nodded, thinking greeting Jessica with pastries wasn't a bad idea.

While crossing the street alone, about to enter the attractively decorated shop, he overheard two people smoking nearby.

"That Jessica's putting on airs," one said.

"Yeah, trying so hard she's making the manager raise our quotas," the other replied. "Really annoying."

"Why bother caring about commoners?"

"Right," accompanied by a dismissive laugh. "Even though we're just Tier 1, we could still crush them to pulp. Yet she acts all servile. It's insufferable."

Watching them lounging and exhaling smoke, Nathan's blood boiled. He stepped forward.

"Hey," his voice, though trying to sound natural, carried an underlying gravity.

The two jumped, one dropping the pastry bag in his hand.

"What the hell?" he cursed while bending down.

Nathan grew angrier at their ingrained arrogance.

His companion elbowed the one picking up his food, whispering.

"Shut up, man!"

"What's there to fear? We're right outside the company..."

Only then, upon seeing Nathan, did he fall silent. The young man's gaze in his red uniform made both involuntarily step back, trembling as they dropped their cigarettes.

Seeing them like this, Nathan felt even more disgust, stepping closer.

"You know Jessica?"

They looked at each other, unsure how to answer.

"Don't make me ask again!" Nathan snapped.

"Yes, yes! We're colleagues."

"And that's how you talk about your colleague."

The two silently cursed their bad luck in running into Nathan. Who doesn't talk about colleagues like that?

Nathan understood the hypocrisy in his words. The issue was they said it where he could hear. So he would use it.

"Sorry, sorry," they stammered in unison, like every time they were reprimanded by superiors.

Nathan narrowed his eyes, creating a pause to increase pressure.

"You know who I am?" he finally spoke, his heart disbelieving he would ever ask such a question. But his face maintained its irritation.

Both took a few seconds to scan Nathan on PsiLink. When they learned he wasn't just an inner court disciple but also a direct disciple, they trembled, despite their Phases being higher than Nathan's.

"Yes, we know," the one who dropped his pastry answered.

"Good, then this is simple," Nathan pointed toward Serenity Pharmaceutical's store. "The girl Jessica you mentioned is," he paused, "my sister. So you know what to do, right?"

Both heads nodded. Nathan gave a crooked smile, lowering his voice.

"I have many eyes here. Don't do anything I might discover. Help my sister, and you'll have a way to live. If not, well, I'm sure you understand?"

"Yes, yes, noble disciple sir."

Nathan pulled out ten mana stones and threw them to the ground.

"My sister doesn't want people knowing about my existence, so choose your path carefully and do everything quietly. Consider this payment. But I warn you. Payment is easy to take, but merit is hard to establish. I can come collecting anytime, remember?"

The two scrambled to pick up the stones. Ten Lesser Mana Stones converted to credits was already 10,000, enough for a year's salary. Nothing to Nathan, but certainly weighty to them.

"Yes, yes. We'll follow your orders."

"Now get out!"

Watching them scurry away, he shook his head wearily. Corporate culture wasn't any different from Earth. More accurately, human nature was the same everywhere. This was the best he could do for Jessica right now. Invisible help would attract less unnecessary animosity than grand gestures.

He flicked two cigarette butts into the trash with his toe. They used harmless herbs and mana to enhance fragrance. But the addictive components remained, ensuring manufacturers' cash flow. So Nathan always stayed away to avoid waste. He was poor enough already. Now having money to buy them had become a habit of abstinence.

An awkward situation arose when he entered the bakery without money to pay. Lesser Mana Stones were too large a denomination. One thousand credits was a week's revenue for the shop. Finally, the store had to print hundreds of coupons as change for Nathan to put in a small bag. He left the bakery sheepishly under the staff's unfriendly gaze.

Nathan stood waiting at a distance from the drugstore, hands full of paper bags of pastries. When Jessica finished work at dusk and saw a young man in red clothing looking helpless with his load, she was about to offer help. But upon seeing his face, she startled.

"Nathan?"

He smiled, turning awkwardly.

"I was going to hug you, but well, you see."

She hugged him anyway. The bags hooked on his shoulders and wrists all crinkled, making soft sounds. He felt her diminished body, like a deflated balloon, soft and fragile.

Seeing this, he set down his load, returning her embrace with his own arm, no longer mindful of whether others saw. Jessica needed this right now. And he should give it to her.

Laughing lightly, she finally pushed him away.

"Sorry, I haven't washed my hair," she said shyly.

"I can't smell anything though."

"And that's exactly the point."

"Well, want some pastries? I have quite a lot."

Looking around at Nathan's crumpled paper bags, she reached for a small one. Inside were egg and milk pastries half a finger long. She ate one and fed Nathan another.

"Why did you take so long to come?" her voice carried a hint of hurt.

Turning his head to avoid guilt, he stammered.

"Been busy, you know."

He spread his arms for Jessica to see.

"Notice anything different about me?"

"Hmm..." she put her hand on her chin in thought, "you're a bit taller, I think. And not as skinny as when you first arrived. Anything else?"

He hadn't known about those changes. But they must be true. He had improved.

"Anything else?" he teased.

"Ah, your clothes. Blindingly bright. Why dress like Zeryn? Wait a minute! Like Zeryn. Red robes. You... you... you!"

Nathan answered her stammering with a nod.

"WOW!"

Jessica shouted excitedly, throwing the pastry she was holding.

"WOW!"

She added another exclamation. She paced back and forth on the street, unable to contain herself.

"Wow?" The third time expressed pure disbelief.

"It's true! I'm an inner court disciple of Verdant Spire Sect now. Want to know something even more surprising?"

"What? What?" she opened her eyes wide in anticipation.

"I'm a direct disciple," he winked.

"WOW!" she whooped again, making some passersby uncomfortable. Her hands waved the pastry bag, spilling them all over the ground.

"Throwing food away isn't good, you know," Zeryn's teasing voice came from behind her.

Jessica jumped, quickly smoothing her clothes. Nathan could only shake his head helplessly.

"Zeryn! You're here too?"

"Without me, how would that direction-blind fellow manage?"

"Hey, I could've taken the train myself," Nathan protested.

But everyone ignored him.

"My lady," Zeryn gracefully took Jessica's hand, kissing her delicate fingertips.

Jessica's face turned red to her ears, her smile turning awkward with shyness. Today, she had received too much good news.

"Neither of you has had dinner, right? Let's go, the three of us."

No one objected and followed her lead.

The Hot Hotpot restaurant near Jessica's apartment had been quite famous when this business model first entered Crystalton. Now, it was just another establishment trying to survive in increasingly fierce competition. The space was quite spacious when the three entered, but barely half the tables had customers.

The receptionist welcomed Jessica very warmly, seemingly one of the few friends she had made.

Zeryn went ahead.

"The best and most premium portions, beautiful!"

The receptionist, contrary to expectations, maintained her professional attitude, gesturing to direct the three to their table. Undaunted as he had to play his part to the end, Zeryn walked beside her as if unbothered that his charm hadn't worked as imagined.

Jessica giggled behind them until they sat down.

Nathan ordered rare meats and wine fermented from medicinal herbs typically reserved for Tier 2 potions. Everything on the menu was within his reach.

As soon as they ordered, Jessica bubbled with excitement.

"So? So? Tell me how you became an inner court disciple? And how did you become a direct disciple? Which elder accepted you?"

"One at a time," Nathan raised his hands. "I'll tell you everything."

"Tell me! Tell me!"

"Well, I was about to get expelled from the outer court..."

With Zeryn's help, Nathan recounted his journey over the past month. Of course, neither mentioned Nathan's earlier struggles when people nicknamed him 'Scrub,' the mockery or bullying. They focused on portraying a Nathan who never hesitated, never stepped back. This way, Jessica wouldn't worry anymore. More importantly, she would have hope, even a small belief that returning to Earth was still possible.

The three paused when the hotpot arrived, with sliced meat raised on essence and mana carrying strangely delicious flavors. The texture of each meat fiber made their mouths water just looking at it. Not too lean, not too tender. Everything was simply balanced.

Afterward, Nathan asked about Jessica's life recently. When asked, her mood dropped, but she still spoke. She understood she needed to vent, needed someone to listen. And both young men before her listened very attentively. But seeing Nathan's discontent, she wasn't sure if what she said was right. Though not her strength, her sensitivity was enough, combined with analytical ability, to know they were still hiding something from her. Nevertheless, she respected their decision. Everyone had things hard to say; best to let them open up at another time.

Wine arrived and all three emptied their glasses. The conversation drifted beyond the past. Jessica began talking about future possibilities, about wanting her own small pharmacy, or returning to knitting and selling her work. The women and elderly around her apartment really liked what she made. But not having a PsiLink and only an old phone for communication was truly an obstacle.

Nathan listened and offered full support. But Jessica refused help, only hoping he would focus on developing at Verdant Spire Sect. She repeatedly reminded him to be careful, to be cautious, and not let opportunities slip from his grasp.

Zeryn beside them seized the chance to act like a big brother and boss, guaranteeing he would protect Nathan. That earned a reassured nod from Jessica.

The three continued eating and drinking. Jessica had poor alcohol tolerance, so after a few glasses she began talking nonsense, singing pop songs and dancing wildly. Finally, she collapsed on the restaurant's long cushioned seat.

Seeing this, Nathan smiled sadly. She must have been holding back for a very long time.

"Would you like me to take her to the rest room?" the waitress who had led them to their table asked kindly.

"Sorry for the trouble!"

After the girl completed her task and returned, Nathan said, "Could I ask you for one more favor?"

After settling the bill, Nathan and Zeryn left. He didn't want to be late on his first day presenting himself to Darkan.

The next morning, Jessica startled awake in a small room. Looking around, she guessed it was the restaurant staff's break room. While hurriedly putting on her shoes, the waitress from before entered.

"Alex," Jessica said accusingly. "Why didn't you wake me up yesterday? You know where my apartment is."

"Girl," Alex said irritably. "You wouldn't dare walk home with all that stuff anyway."

Only then did Jessica look around and see the pile of snacks Nathan had left, along with a bag full of coupons.

"Oh, Nathan," she sighed.

"That Nathan seems like a good young man," Alex commented.

"I know. I know."

Shaking her head with a laugh, Alex held out a small bag.

"He left this for you before leaving."

Taking it suspiciously, Jessica opened it to look and nearly dropped everything.

"Careful, silly girl!" Alex had to reach out to help steady her.

"I'm not seeing things, am I, Alex?" Jessica's eyes blinked rapidly.

"It's real! I couldn't believe it either."

Looking again, she counted fifty Lesser Mana Stones. Setting the small bag down, she pulled out the flat square box. A PsiLink gleamed in the sunlight through the window.

"I... I..." she didn't know what to say.

"Looks like a wedding gift, doesn't it?" Alex joked.

Jessica smiled weakly, knowing it wasn't like that. Between Nathan and her, they could at best be considered friends now. Nathan's guilt was too great to consider this relationship as anything else.

It wasn't a wedding gift. These fifty Mana Stones equaled ten years of income, enough for her to make savings, protect herself, and venture into what she wished for. But what was Nathan thinking, giving her such a large sum?

It wasn't a wedding gift, but a farewell gift. She couldn't help feeling lonely. She felt that perhaps it wouldn't be just ten years but much longer before she saw Nathan again.

The small bag grew increasingly heavy, just like her heart right now.