Chapter 05 - No Place For Garbage

Night had already fallen when I finally logged in again. Yet, since it was so close to the summer solstice, it wasn't actually that dark. The distant horizon shimmered with beautiful orange hue.

For a moment, I just marvelled at how the air felt somewhat colder, crispier, and easier to breathe.

Unlike in the real world, these lungs hadn't been wrecked by years of smoking.

Understandably, most shops had closed for the night, and the streets were significantly quieter than before. Still, though, I spotted the occasional player wandering about—either alone or in smaller groups. Naturally, a few patrolling guards remained on night duty as well.

By now, I reckoned the starting cities were positively brimming with new players as more and more people entered the game that was already being dubbed “the game of the century” by media.

After strolling through town aimlessly for a bit, I found myself returning to the raised platform where the recruitment would take place the coming morning. Above the platform, a small cloud of fireflies played in the moonlight.

“I guess this is as good a spot as any…” I thought to myself. Since the inns were all full, I hadn’t been able to procure lodging for the night.

“Not that I would’ve afforded it even if I found an inn with any vacancies…” Which begged the question—how on earth did other players manage to accumulate money at this point in the game?

“Do they pool up their money? Or maybe they're doing odd jobs…?” I remembered the notice board I had seen in Easton, and the numerous requests it had contained. “Or maybe they steal it..."

If there was a swordsmanship proficiency, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a thieving profiency as well.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if some players had started looting already.

“Honestly, this game might be a bit too realistic.” I mused.

Throwing new players into a strange world with nothing but ten copper coins to their name? It was no wonder I'd found so much criticism on forums last night.

Squatting down, I folded my legs and sat down in a lotus position. In the real world, a position like this would be beyond uncomfortable—a killer on the knees. Yet, for some reason, my in-game avatar found it surprisingly comfortable.

Taking a deep breath, I let the cold, slightly damp, night air fill my lungs.

“Okay, empty your mind.” I followed the instructions I had read online. “Focus on your extremities and visualise your blood coursing through your veins…”

Needless to say, it was easier said than done, but I had plenty of time for trial and error.

Occasionally, as I focused entirely on my breathing, a random player would show up and ask me some inane question. At first, I hadn't minded it, but after the seventh player asked me what I knew about tomorrow’s recruitment, I finally gave up and moved to the opposite side of the platform.

There, hidden from plain view, I resumed my efforts.

An hour quickly turned into two, and when I finally felt like I had accomplished something, the sound of rambunctious laughter jolted me out of my daze.

Just as I was about to release a frustrated yell of exasperation, a gratifying prompt appeared, compensating me for my efforts.

[Through trial, error, substantial luck, and a smidgeon of talent, you were successful in harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit—if only briefly. In doing so, you have unlocked the proficiency 'Meditation'. You can check the progress of your proficiencies under the proficiency tab.]

Immediately, I checked my updated proficiencies.

[Proficiencies]

['Swordsmanship' - Beginner Lv.4]

['Meditation' - Beginner Lv.1]

To call myself pleased would be an understatement. According to the posts I'd read last night, only a tiny fraction of the playerbase had reported unlocking this particular proficiency thus far.

Naturally, the moment I read about it, I knew I had to have it. Meditation was the bread and butter of any cultivator worth their salt.

“Well, unless you're a demonic cultivator, I guess."

Although, knowing how this game works, I was willing to bet even they benefited from unlocking the Meditation proficiency.

There was no downside, after all.

So far, I hadn’t found a single post online confirming whether it was even possible to join the demonic side—or if such a path existed at all.

Still, since I had no intention of relying on despicable means, the lack of answers didn't bother me much.

Sure, I could see how some might relish in roleplaying as a demonic cultivator, but with how realistic the NPCs in this game...

Well, let's just say the demonic path didn't suit me.

Too excited to go to sleep—or worse, logout—I stretched my neck to see what all the fuss was about.

Across the platform, right where the sign was, a cheerful group of players had gathered. At its center stood the handsome player from earlier, flanked, unsurprisingly, by two familiar-looking girls.

A part of me considered walking over, maybe even striking up a conversation. But a larger, more disciplined part reminded me why I was here in the first place—to hone my proficiencies.

So, I stayed put, feigning disinterest while catching fragments of their conversation.

My unwillingness to join them had nothing to do with being socially awkward. None at all.

“So his name is Percival.” I mused, shaking my head mirthlessly.

A suitable name, I guess, considering his chivalrous actions.

In the end, their chatter didn't hold my attention. Most of it revolved around fantasies of flight and grandeur.

Thus, I shut them out and meditated.

...

Without a timepiece, it was nearly impossible to tell how much time had elapsed when I emerged from my meditation. During the session, I'd refrained from attempting to devise my own cultivation method and focused on staying in the meditative trance.

There were several reasons behind my choice to do so, each grounded in what I considered reasonable caution. Primarily, I lacked the faintest idea of what made a cultivation method viable or safe.

Even if I managed to haphazardly stumble onto something usable, there was no telling if it would lead to progress—or permanent damage.

For now, it made more sense to study and observe before attempting anything on my own.

Needless to say, I wondered more than once what kind of cultivation method Fishbones had created.

Stretching my legs, I checked the status of my proficiencies.

“No level yet…” I muttered. It wasn’t strange since I still struggled to find that elusive sense of detachment. Even so, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd made progress. The numbers might not reflect it yet, but something inside me had shifted.

Though admittedly, it might just be wishful thinking.

Lifting my right arm, I smiled excitedly.

“About god damn time.” The arm I had used to defend myself with in the spar against Hou Wen had stopped hurting.

While meditation intrigued me, it lacked the grounding satisfaction I found in swordplay.

Thus, after throwing a glance at the jovial group of players—which had not-unexpectedly grown since I last concentrated on them—I left to practice my Old Man's Muscle Memory.

I couldn’t help but to smile at the name.

It took some effort, but I eventually found an open, secluded space where I reckoned I could exercise in peace. Despite the fact that it was still nighttime, the sun was already rising in the horizon, providing me with some much needed lighting.

And so, with a heavy sword in my hands, I relaxed my shoulder.

“Let’s do this.”

…

['Old Man's Muscle Memory' executed. Performance rating 36%.]

[Results: +1 Swordsmanship Level (Beginner 4 → 5); marginal improvements to upper body strength, breathing, and endurance.]

Naturally, I smiled a pleased smile as I read the results of my practice session. If the drills weren’t so staggeringly exhausting, I’d do nothing but grind the drills repeatedly all day.

“Not bad, kid.” A voice startled me from my rumination. Turning around, I spotted a pair of town guards watching me attentively. “Though I don’t recognize the style, I can at least tell you’re improving.”

The other guard nodded in agreement.

“Uhm, thanks?” I said in-between breaths, still covered in perspiration from the exercise.

“Don’t worry.” One of the guards smiled as he noticed my consternation. “We don’t mind you using the training grounds during nighttime, since you’re not exactly bothering anyone. But I suggest you don’t let the captain catch you. She's a stickler for protocol and, without being at least a trainee, you’re not actually permitted to be here.”

My eyebrows rose in response. Looking around the area, I couldn’t comprehend how I hadn’t noticed the fact that this was the guard’s training grounds before. In hindsight, it seemed obvious.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I apologized. “And don’t worry, I was just leaving anyway.”

“Oh, and get some sleep!” The other guard yelled at my retreating back. I turned around with a confused look on my face. “Believe me, you will want to be well rested for the sect recruitment later.”

Nodding slowly, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to take his word for it.

“I will, and thank you.”

The guard dismissed me with a wave

After a short stroll, I was back at the platform, my sweaty clothes drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention from the expanding crowd.

Staring at the morning sun that was just beginning to peek over the town walls, I reckoned it was safe to presume I still had a couple of hours left until noon. Thus, before anyone could vie for my attention, I logged out to get some well-deserved sleep.

…

I was still feeling a bit dopey when the alarm on my phone began blaring, awaking me from my dreamless slumber. Nevertheless, realising what was at stake, I forcefully pushed myself out of the tantalising comfort of my bed.

A quick visit to the bathroom helped, and though I still felt a bit queasy, I managed to force down some breakfat. Once my usual morning routine was done, I started to feel more like myself again.

As such, I sent a quick text message to one of my old gaming buddies—asking them whether they'd bought Cultivation Online—before logging in again.

When the darkness retreated, I opened my eyes only to discover I had spawned in the smack middle of a huddled crowd of players. The area, which had only held a group of players before, was now filled to the brim, with people stacked like sardines as far as the eye could see.

Nevertheless, despite the crowdedness, my surroundings were suspiciously quiet, with only the occasional whisper reaching my ears. And after taking a brief look around, it wasn’t difficult to ascertain why.

Two cultivators were talking privately on the middle of the raised platform, which otherwise remained completely empty. Like the cultivator I had seen yesterday, the two cultivators wore white, daoist robes with intricate black patterns embellished on them. Their robes were obviously a homage to the white tiger, but still managed to look refined and elegant.

Although I had missed what had happened, based on the heavy atmosphere bearing down on the crowd, I reckoned the two cultivators were responsible for the peacefulness.

After nearly fifteen minutes of just standing still—waiting impatiently—one of the cultivators nodded to the other.

With a loud, harsh clap, he promptly seized the crowd’s scattered attention. Yet, before the cultivator could start, he was rudely interrupted.

“Fucking finally!” A random player shouted in indignation. Moreover, his exclamation aroused more than one murmur of “yeah” from the more disgruntled players in the crowd.

I opted to stay quiet, like the majority of the crowd did.

Although I couldn't find the person who was responsible for the interruption, the brief expression of irritation flashing on the cultivator’s face promised revenge.

“Since there are more aspirants than usual today," the cultivator spoke slowly but confidently. “We’ve decided to hold the recruitment twice: one will start now and the second one will take place an hour after noon.”

When none protested, the cultivator continued.

“The White Tiger Sect is one out of five great sects overseeing the western continent.” The cultivator announced proudly. “If your talent proves insufficient for our path, perhaps a lesser sect within our domain will see fit to guide you."

I doubted anyone missed the hint of ridicule in the cultivator’s voice as he talked about the subsidiary sects. He didn’t exactly make an effort to hide his contempt.

“Of course, there’s a hierarchy.” I sighed, anticipating the amount of controversy this would produce on the internet.

“I’ll repeat that again," the cultivator's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, his eyes seemingly stopping a little whenever they landed on one of the disgruntled players from earlier. “The White Tiger Sect is no place for garbage.”

Some people muttered quietly in response, but no one spoke up.

“Fortunately, Inner Disciple Xiang and I have brought two aptitude crystals with us today." The cultivator announced. "Touch the crystal, and we’ll determine whether you have the aptitude to join the White Tiger Sect as an outer disciple.” He sighed loudly, as though this entire affair were a tedious obligation he couldn't help but be done with.

“If you’re accepted, wait over there.” The cultivator gestured carelessly at a section of the raised platform with his sleeve. “If you aren’t accepted…” The cultivator’s eyes hardened. “You are to remove yourself from the recruitment platform promptly. Any retardation will be dealt with swiftly and efficiently."

For a second, a deafening silence blanketed the area. Based on the cultivator NPCs tone, I was pretty certain we had different interpretations of what efficiently meant.

“Now, form a line of two, starting at the bottom of the stairs.”

My eyes widened. But as luck would have it—I was already standing in the general vicinity of the platform’s stairs; after a quick squeeze, I had guaranteed myself a place in line.

Next to me stood a young boy with an excited grin on his face. The shorter boy reminded me of Atom, although his hair was closer to Dark’s.

Glancing backwards at the chaotic line behind me, I saw neither a hint of Atom nor his older brother.

“They are both online, so if they made it, they should be around here somewhere…” Thankfully, since the recruitment was about to begin, all I had to do was wait for them to appear.

...

After nearly five minutes of shouting, cussing, and scrambling, a semblance of a line was formed starting at the platform ahead of me before slithering all the way to the crab cake shop where a curious-looking grandma leaned over a counter, observing the proceedings.

Although she didn’t seem to notice me, she did wave in the direction of a few teenagers standing in line behind me.

Two pairs waited in front of me, surprisingly including Lilac, the other woman from earlier, Percival, and a stranger who looked somewhat familiar.

“Probably another member of their group.”

Then, with another grating clap that defied expectations, the white-robed cultivator, whose name I had yet to learn, spoke loudly.

“Let’s start.”

…