The Nightmare Of Cultivation

"What?! You're kidding, right?!" Desper was shocked when he heard that he had killed the Great Elder's youngest son.

"Unfortunately, that's the truth," Eland replied with a dejected face.

"Why would I kill him?!" Desper shouted.

He was still shocked and terrified. Darek had given him a brief explanation about the sect. The Great Elder was the strongest person in the sect after the Sect Leader. And now he was being told that the Great Elder was holding a deep grudge against him?! How was he still alive until now?

"Because he tried to—"

But before Eland could finish his sentence, Darek cut him off.

"I think it's better to let him remember slowly, or to wait until his mental state is strong enough," Darek stated. "Trying to remember one thing was enough to put his head in severe pain. This memory might cause more than just pain." 

Eland went silent.

"Hmm, maybe you're right," Eland replied, convinced.

Desper, on the other hand, wasn't convinced at all.

"Hey, you can't say something horrible like that and then tell me it's better I don't know the whole story!" he yelled at them.

"Sorry, Desper. But this is for your own good," Darek told him with a firm face.

"Tshhhhh…"

Desper was utterly distressed.

Now he understood why Darek had warned him not to mention that he came from Happy Village: It was to protect him from the Great Elder's wrath.

"Wait a minute," Desper narrowed his eyes. "How did I kill him? He was a cultivator, and I wasn't… right?"

Darek's grin returned, and deeply. "You're right. That's why I told you I was impressed with you back then."

"Tshhhh… that weird grin again," Eland scoffed. Apparently, he had seen it many times before.

Darek didn't respond to him and continued talking to Desper.

"Once someone awakens their Origin, they wield strength twice that of a normal person. Nyle, the one you killed, was a mid-muscle cultivator, someone a normal person can't even touch."

Darek's shoulders trembled, the smile on his face growing wider and wider.

"But you, Desper, even without awakening your Origin, were able to kill him!" he added, his handsome face completely red with excitement.

"But how?!" Desper yelled.

In the Grafa Level, one must dig Energy Channels through their body: first through the bones, then the muscles, and finally the organs.

Someone digging Channels into their bones is called a bone cultivator. The same goes for muscles and organs.

Digging your bones gives you more defense. Digging your muscles grants much more strength and speed.

A mid-muscle cultivator is someone who has dug Channels into all their bones and about half their muscles. His defense and strength were on a completely different level from that of a normal person.

The Great Elder's son was much stronger than Desper at the time. Desper couldn't understand how he had killed him.

"That's the question everyone was asking," Eland answered this time.

His face showed seriousness, not excitement like Darek's.

"Darek, the Sect Leader, and I were astonished. Even the Sect Leader examined your body himself, but he found nothing. No cultivation. No Origin. Nothing could explain how you did it."

Desper didn't know what to say.

"That doesn't make sense. Why am I still alive until now? Why didn't the Sect Leader or the Great Elder kill me?" he asked in disbelief.

"The Sect Leader is a righteous person. He saw what you did as self-defense, so he didn't accuse you," Eland explained.

"He also told the Great Elder that we had encountered a strong monster who killed his son because he was the weakest among us."

"Of course, the Great Elder didn't believe, but he couldn't do anything about it," he added.

Desper remained silent for a while.

"Can you tell me more details about that incident?" Desper asked, trying to get more information.

It was something that might cost him his life in the sect.

"No," Darek answered firmly.

"Tshhhhh…" Desper wasn't happy with that.

"Now our tour has reached its end. Let me take you to your dwelling," Darek said.

Desper couldn't do anything but follow him dejectedly.

He felt death surrounding him.

When he learned that he had become a cultivator, despite losing his memories, he had felt fear rise inside him.

But he didn't remember how terrifying things truly were, so he wasn't too scared.

Now, after learning about his situation in the sect, he felt death was closer than ever.

When he woke up from his dream, he had an unreasonable thought that he had to become stronger.

But now he had a deep urge rising inside him, to grow stronger, so he could escape this looming death.

…

While Desper was lost in thought, they reached a five-story building.

The whole building was blue in color.

Desper noticed that all the buildings around them were the same: five stories, blue in color.

Each building had a number on its gate.

"Your dwelling is on the third floor of this building," Desper heard Darek say.

"Third floor?" Desper was amazed.

Each floor of the building was big enough to accommodate three families.

"Each disciple has one, so they can bring their family to live with them," Darek said, as if he could read Desper's mind.

"You can use your badge to open the door to your dwelling, then…"

Darek explained a few things about the dwelling.

"Now you know almost everything you need to know about the sect. My job is done for now. See you later, Desper," Darek said, bidding farewell.

"Wait," Desper called, surprised by the sudden departure.

"What?" Darek turned.

"What should I do for now?"

"You should focus on your cultivation," Darek answered.

"For the next three months, you'll be considered a new disciple. You don't have to do any missions for the sect. Just cultivate and increase your strength for the competition next month."

Before he left, he added with a smile, "I'm sure you won't be able to win the competition, but I hope you'll surprise me."

Desper watched him leave.

He was about to enter the building.

"Wait," a voice called from behind.

"Eland?" Desper turned and saw Eland.

He had left earlier to take the thief to the Punishment Hall.

"How can I help you?" Desper asked.

"Do you know how to use the watch?" Eland asked.

"Yes, Darek taught me how to use it."

"Good. I'll visit you at 9 in the evening. I want to talk to you about something."

"We can talk now if you want," Desper offered.

"I'd prefer not to. You should familiarize yourself with the dwelling. And you should start cultivating and planning for the future," Eland refused.

"Okay," Desper nodded.

He had so many things on his mind and needed some time to think.

After that, Desper entered the building, climbed the stairs, and reached the third floor.

There, he found three doors: two white doors and a black one.

The white doors were for the disciple's family, while the black one was for the disciple, his wife, and his children.

Desper didn't have a use for the white doors. He stood in front of the black door and placed his badge on it.

The door glowed slightly, then opened.

Desper stepped into his dwelling.

What welcomed him was the living room.

He quickly checked the rest of the dwelling: the living room, kids' room, bedroom, and bathroom.

And finally, the private room.

It was a special room for the disciple only. Unlike the other doors that the disciple's family could open with their special keys, this room could only be opened with the disciple's badge.

It was used for cultivation.

 No one could disturb the disciple inside it. Even sound couldn't penetrate it.

Desper didn't enter the room directly. He first went to the bathroom to take a bath. Then to the bedroom, inside the wardrobe, he found multiple sets of different clothes and about ten sets of the sect's uniform.

He wore normal clothes.

When he looked at the black robe he had been wearing, a strong emotion surged inside him. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

"What's happening…?"

 Desper was confused and sad at the same time.

In the end, he decided to keep the torn robe.

Then he went to the private room, placing his badge on the door.

He was holding the pouch of low-grade red stones.

After the door opened, Desper stepped inside. The door closed behind him automatically.

Desper guessed that if he wanted to leave, he'd have to use the badge again.

Once inside, the ceiling glowed with a faint light, just enough for him to see.

It was a completely black, empty room. Perfect for focusing on nothing, but cultivation.

Desper sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and did nothing but think.

He thought about everything that had happened since waking up in the medical facility:

Losing his home.

Losing his memories.

Becoming a cultivator.

The lecture.

And finally the Great Elder.

"There's nothing I can do but grow stronger to face either the Great Elder or the monsters I'll have to fight," Desper sighed.

Then, he focused on his body, specifically his two Origins, and closed his eyes again.

After an hour, he opened them. There was a relieved expression on his face.

"With this strange black Origin, maybe I have a bigger chance to survive,"