Chapter 146: Queries & Quality Time

The words hit Lee like lightning. He had totally forgotten about the apparition. Before any further probing, D gave another instruction.

=====

Visit the Cultivator's Guild and find about the mission request. Then visit Drake Godson from Alaqvier Academy. You might find some useful information in the process.

=====

'Ah, yes.'

Lee decided to proceed as D instructed, but sat there, for now. He had half an hour before the next hourly notification pops up.

"I am thinking of paying a visit to the Cultivator's Guild. Would you five like to tag along?"

The blissful tummies turned their heads to Lee. A faint smile of fullness emitted from them. An was about to say something, when Gauthama suggested an alternative.

"I assume that it would be better to take us five into the space you have mentioned before."

An was about to suggest going to the Guild complex without Lee, so that those who issued the mission might expose themselves. But Gauthama's mentioning of the unique space that can suspend living beings in a stasis, gave them a new perspective of equal benefit on both sides.

Lee had not mentioned the name 'EsGen' to them. He instead introduced it as a unique space that can even hold the living beings in it, without any sort of harm. This information had made them churn their minds on it, in vain. None couldn't identify the origin of the EsGen.

"I agree. Lee can release us from the space if he deems necessary."

Ruella gave her opinion, and the trio glanced at her and nodded in agreement. Lee intentionally did not mention the EsGen function, as he thought that it would create a negative image on its existence. Thus he was excited as Gauthama suggested EsGen into action. With nods and smiles of agreement, Lee stood up and pushed the chair backwards, in the process.

"Then if you all could attain a stance."

Hearing this, all five of them stood up from their seats and readied themselves. An and Mia placed their palm on the pommels of the swords, and Tera took out and held the twin hatchets in her hands. Ruella was nervous about the stance, but Gauthama, who was relaxed and serene, suggested her to ease her mind and take a deep breath. After promptly doing so, she felt relieved and her heart came back from the increased pace.

With her gesture, Lee absorbed them into the EsGen. D, who was having an intelligent conversation with the apparition, picked up the overflowing tranquility from the Tubian. He decided to use this as a catalyst, and channeled the law of Serenity from Buddha, to the chamber.

And it affected favourably. The apparition which was reluctant to exchange even the faintest clue of information, felt an optimistic and trustful sensation enveloping it. D acted appropriately, and slowly established a bond of loyalty between them. Slowly and steadily, the process proceeded.

The law of Serenity filled the chamber and it also affected Lee. Waves of equanimity rippled across his being, and his senses sharpened to an extent. Lee himself felt the change to a noticeable level, and deduced that it was D's doing. He conveyed his thanks to D, and walked out of the inn through the backdoor.

'Activate Metal affinity.'

Manipulation of metal was unlocked when the metal affinity reached Greater grade. Mana imbued with Metal affinity will acquire a metallic luster of desirable colour, while costing required Mana for forming the desired metal. The strength, durability and other properties will decide the cost of the metal. Regardless of being alloy or not, the Mana requirement was just, and dependent on the construction of Lee.

Mana began to materialise and the shape began to change in a complex mechanism. Cold Steel began to form thin, but strong strands, and they covered the door like an external chassis. Within a minute, the network grew to full extent, and the door was no longer visibly wooden.

After shaping a new handle and lock, Lee sighed at his 4356 Mana expense. He flew up to the roof, but the presence of a sweeping aura was detected by him, and paused him from climbing onto the roof. Peeking at the Map, he realised that the previous group he encountered, was not the only team to accept the mission.

13 Long Sect members were eagerly waiting for him in front of the inn, in disguise. Three were placed in the darkness of each of the alleyways. Another three were stationed above the building across the street. The four left were on the streets under the disguise of locals.

The six in the alleyways were ready with unsheathed swords. The three on the rooftop were two ranged cultivators and a relatively higher realm cultivator. Those in disguise barely moved from their spot and were constantly searching for Lee.

"This group seems to be more organised and strategic. They will be a good addition to my EsGen!"

He excitedly muttered and Light element Mana covered his body. Air attributed Mana spheres lifted him up, stacked with Flight skill. The figure of Lee silently flew upward into the sky, and went beyond their range of inspection.

'Lets experiment with my bow.'

Lee took out his bow and anyone to look upward would have freaked out in sight of a bow suspended in mid-air. He immediately covered the Light element onto the bow and it disappeared too. After a fraction of second, the leader of the team, who is a 5th stage Immortal Master realm, glanced upward. He might have felt a faint sense of his presence.

The keen eyesight locked onto the three on the rooftop, and the bowstring was released. Lightning affinity rum amok over the arrows and then hit them three, two rangers and the leader, with fatal numbness. They couldn't produce any sound, even if they tried to cry out loud. With a muffled thud, they embraced the roof!

Lee was about to descend, when those in the alleyways climbed up swiftly. They have somehow known about the incident, and reacted instantly. After keen inspection, Lee found similar shaped jade talismans with each of them. As the six cultivators dispersed in six pirections to find the culprit, their leader was trying to convey that the arrow came from the above. But the numbness messed up his dialogue and made him look like a person spasming from the shock!

'Six more in the bag.'

As the spasming leader beheld, six arrows originated from thin air and flew at the dispersed six cultivators. Each of them gave off a faint flickering of lightning which produced an immense sense of fear in him. For both cultivators and adventurers, someone silently suspended in air within a camouflage and using lightning arrows were the worst nightmares!

Lee flew down and absorbed the six cultivators who got struck by lightning, before they hit the ground. Some were standing on the buildings and some were mid-air, when the arrows hit him. The Agility value of 600 showed it's unspeakable might in silence. Within a fraction of seconds, sonic booms were produced, and the streets were rampaged by momentary tornado blasts!

The four on the streets did not see, but sensed something zooming above them. It was then they realised that the jade talismans were showing signs of distress. Hurriedly stepping into the dark alleyways, those four climbed to the roof and saw none there. Their leader and the rangers were gone!

"Retreat!"

One of them almost shouted and they took a step backward and turned around to run away in different directions. But a powerful force snatched away their consciousness, as a quick and gentle pat came on their torsos.

=====

2 P.M.

116387 Essence harvested.

=====

'Pretty good yield!'

Lee appreciated D's sacrifice to become a sentient system. Though it was to show the gratitude of rescuing him from the Origin dimension, he was able to pull off more than what he only needed to do. Lee also felt blissful for giving Dnekewy one more chance to live, as a virtual sentience.

Peeking at the Map instinctively, he saw nine cultivators flying towards the inn. With the camouflage turned off, Lee got down to an alleyway nearby, and walked away. His shaggy and torn clothes made him one among the beggar. After covering a distance from the inn, he slipped into a nearby alleyway and used Spotless on him.

He sat in the shadows of a broken down fence construct, which concealed his figure from anyone walking on the streets. Now clean, odourless and hiding, Lee opened up the Outfit section of the Shop.

---

===

4970 Essence used.

===

Lee bought a pant made of thickened dark leather. Though thick, it gave good mobility and gave comfort when moving. The pair of footwear and an excellent quality trunk was accompanied with the pants. The deep grey sleeveless cotton tee shirt which stayed close to his skin gave an assurance of warmth. A long pale brown leather jacket that reached down to his knees gave off an air of a veteran hunter.

When he stepped out of the alleyway, none could recognise him. Even those who came towards the inn couldn't find a hint of him. Lee began to step towards the Cultivator's Guild, where his queries might be answered!