"Ah, so you're finally awake." a rough voice entered William's ears from across the room.
William's body ached, but he managed to raise his head and see he was laying on a slightly more comfortable bed than his own in Thin Creek Village. He found the scene somewhat similar to when he had first arrived in this world...well except for his caring mother and the cute nurse.
Instead, there was an unfamiliar man in a simple rocking chair staring at him silently from across the room. His face was taut, with little emotion outside those eyes that seemed to peer into William's soul.
"Who are you?" William asked. Did this person save me from the Rhio Family? Why?
The man looked at William with a hint of disappointment. "I thought you would recognize me, being a member of my Guild after all."
William instantly understood his mistake. "So, you're the leader of the entire Guild?"
The man shook his head. "I'm only one of them. Forget about this, I want to know your secret."
"My secret? What do you mean?"
The man sighed. "Do you not realize how much attention you've drawn to yourself? Even a young person like you should know when to hold back his strength."
The man's fingers began moving at a speed William never thought possible. A powerful surge of Mana escaped his fingertips, creating a blank mirror image that William could see clearly.
-Discovered Time Magic: +3 Potential Points
-Discovered Magic Fusion: +5 Potential Points
"Magic Fusion..." William mumbled.
The Guild Master's highly trained senses were able to clearly hear William's comment. He raised an eyebrow, "So you've even heard of Magic Fusion...I'm even more confident that you have secrets now. Take a look at this first."
The Guild Master spun the blank mirror image like a child would spin a quarter, then abruptly stopped it in place. The blank mirror turned into a scene from outside the Guild Hall, around the same time William was fighting the Rhio Family.
He could hear the words of many Cultivators, who seemed to be gossiping about William's latest achievement.
"Did you hear about that Commoner from the Array Hall? Turns out he's a Perfect Array Master at the age of twenty!"
"Did you know he's also a Quintuple Manamatus and can fight with Golden Core Cultivators head on? He's practically better than Supreme Left, who has S Rank Magic Talents!" a Cultivator spoke with excitement.
"I wouldn't go that far, but maybe in the future..."
The Guild Master continued to show scenes across the nearby cities where information about William was quickly becoming widespread. Some critics thought it was another fake rumor designed to draw people into Blue Moon City, while other more serious families and Sects ordered their subordinates to investigate.
Even other Guild Masters and the Royal Family received some form of notice, although most treated it as a minor incident.
"You're in a very difficult situation young man. If I didn't owe a favor to the Guild Master of Blue Moon City, I might have already taken you apart and investigated your secrets."
William finally understood that this was what Fowley had warned him about. With the help of the System, William was gaining power quickly. Too quickly. And now his high-profile actions had drawn the attention of the world's leaders. Who wouldn't be terrified when they thought of this?
System, how can I survive against these experts? Orıginal content can be found at novel✶fire.net
-Request requires 1 million Potential Points. Yes/No?
'One Million!?! System, can you give a response that's a bit cheaper?'
-Request requires 10 Potential Points. Yes/No?
William sighed in relief and confirmed the transaction.
What the fuck!?! Hide?? William was losing his mind.
The Guild Master misunderstood William's expression. "So I see you finally understand your situation. You have two choices, and this is why I've protected you up until now.
Your first choice is to share the secrets of your growth with me. You will be given the highest privilege in my Sect and treated with utmost respect. Cultivation materials and treasures would be provided to you at a moment's notice, granted they aren't too expensive. You will also be free to come and go as you please, as long as I am informed."
The man gave William time to think before continuing. "Or you join my Sect as an Outer Core Disciple and remain a member of the Sect for the next five years. If you cannot become an Inner Core Disciple after a year has passed, you will be killed, and your secrets extracted from your body."
William could tell from the Guild Master's tone that there was no room for negotiation. "You have a Sect as well? What kind of Sect would I join?"
The Guild Master's eyes gleamed, "I have lived a long time. Many Guild Masters form their own Sects or factions in their lifetime. Mine in particular is a bit special. You might know it as the Five Elements Sect. While you currently possess no Cultivation, your talent for multiple Elements proves that you might be a perfect fit for our Sect."
William didn't know what to say. This was exactly what he wanted, but the Guild Master might think something is off if he readily accepts. He adopted a humble tone to increase his odds of success. "Sir, I'm not confident in passing your entrance test, can't I just join later?"
"There is no need for you to take a test. I am the Sect Leader, and have final say on every decision made. Instead of worrying about that, I would be more concerned about living to the next day while being hunted by half of the Continent."
William knew the Guild Master's response would be this way. He spent a few minutes considering the pros and cons of each offer. William was tempted to accept the deal for high status and Cultivation resources, but he couldn't afford to reveal the System so easily, especially to someone as powerful as the Guild Leader. "I'll take the second offer, Sir.
I really don't have any great secrets that could benefit you."
"I can sense there is mostly truth to what you said boy, but you're still hiding something. No matter...if you don't succeed in my Sect, you will be killed, remember that." the man snorted. Very few individuals would lie straight to his face. If he wasn't so interested in the boy, the Guild Master would have killed him already.
William remained silent. Surprisingly, a battle with the Rhio Family led him to joining the Five Elements Sect much sooner than anticipated. He even gained some potential points from killing the bodyguards at no cost to his humanity.
"Come with me, boy. I'll take you to the Sect." he waved his hand and used the Space Element to create a small portal to what appeared to be an open field. William was once again drawn to marvel at the amount of fantastical things one could do with the help of magic.
The Guild Master had seen this look many times from other disciples and even Elders when he opened a portal. The man shook his head, then used his Mana to pull William into the swirling vortex.