Now that I was officially part of Novak's pool of disciples, I no longer needed an escort. The system itself unlocked every door for me, from the station all the way up to the master's apartments.

The moment I stepped through the door, I sniffed the air. A nose test at the entrance could already give me a 90% idea of how serious the upcoming conversation would be.

Caramel, chocolate, and charred wood — Novak was drinking bourbon again. And for me…

Linden? That was definitely linden!

Looked like I'd landed in that mysterious 10% zone of uncertainty today.

There was another unfamiliar element waiting in the parlour, someone was sitting in my chair by the tea table. But Kate's chair was still free.

The interface informed me that the stranger was, in fact, my senior colleague, Bat-Erdene.

A round, Mongoloid face, black hair slicked back, narrow tired eyes, cheeks a little plump, but his skin was smooth, teenager-smooth. And I had a feeling this time the face was real. Wearing a mask here would be a sign of disrespect to the master, unless it was yet another one of the Great One's schemes involving deceiving poor little me.

"Jake," Bat nodded, while Novak raised his bourbon glass in a welcoming salute.

"Good evening, gentlemen," I replied and glanced out the window…

To be honest, I'd grown used to the view by now, it no longer impressed me. Feeling extra cocky today, I took the seat with its back to the window, directly opposite Novak. Other disciples rarely sat there, so I figured I could claim it for myself, unless I had to deal with Artem or Bulsara. For those two, I'd have to make room.

I wonder… do all Novak's disciples have a seat at this table they consider their own?

Bat raised an eyebrow ever so slightly at my cheeky move and smiled.

He's not reading my thoughts, is he? There shouldn't be such a feature in this world.

As the host, Novak poured me a cup of linden tea.

Judging by the single teapot on the table, Bat and I were drinking the same brew. I took a sip right away, swirled the liquid in my mouth, and found nothing extraordinary.

"I heard you've finally started thinking about your own development?" the master asked.

"I have," I confirmed, then added, "Bat recommended fire."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't want to rush. I've got time to make a well-considered decision. I'd rather not waste energy later fixing a mistake that could've been avoided."

Novak took a sip of his bourbon and nodded.

"Logical," he said. "Then perhaps it's time you got more closely acquainted with how it really works. Not through descriptions or videos, and not through hearsay."

I tensed.

"Something like the orientation we had in first year, when I tried to taste each kind of qi? I've done that. I can tell them apart."

He paused, one of his trademark, theatrical silences.

"I think you need a deeper introduction."

"Fights?" I ventured.

"That as well," he nodded. "You were right to note that correcting a mistake is harder than avoiding one, if you're willing to put in the effort. That's true. No need to hurry. But I do have a suggestion. If you truly want to understand the other qi more deeply, you should spend some time where they're actively used."

Oh, hell!

Maybe my back stayed straight and my face neutral, but something clicked inside me.

Alarm bells.

All of those qi are present in the Yellow Pine School. Which hasn't yet been cleared of demons.

I do not want this!

This time, I openly frowned.

"Is that necessary?"

"No," Novak replied calmly. "Why such a strong reaction?"

"You know why!" I snapped.

Novak laughed.

"I do love it when you cut straight to the heart of the problem."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"So I'm going to be demon bait again?"

"Not quite," Novak replied, still smiling. "You'll be my consultant. My colleague from the Yellow Pine School's Hall of Diplomacy asked for someone knowledgeable."

"And that's me? I bet Bat knows way more than I do!"

"Perhaps. But Bat has his own plans, and a pile of work to deal with before he even gets to them. Besides, he'll be covering for me when I fly to Mendoza. I'll be staying there a few days. If you agree, I'll be able to give you a proper introduction."

"As if I have a choice," I muttered.

"Oh, stop it! You know you do. You know you can say no, and at the same time, you feel 'new adventure' and 'good reward' and your ears perk up. You're not a green rookie anymore. You've got poison resistance, bracelets, and armour in your spatial pocket."

"Your resistance is impressive!" Bat chimed in. "If I'd known, I'd have picked the The Pill of Seven Poisons and Nine Plagues back in first year."

"What's stopping you from picking it now?"

"A lot," Bat replied. "First off, its effects scale with each breakthrough. You've still got three or four ahead of you. Me? Maybe one more, if I'm lucky. I'm already at Golden Core."

He glanced at Novak.

Bat was at Stage Four, and for most, that was the ceiling. But a rare few did manage to break through to our master's level, Origin Spirit, and every cultivator on Earth lived in hope of that possibility.

"I'll need something much stronger," Bat finished.

Novak let me enjoy the tea in silence. He said nothing, just smiled and slowly sipped his bourbon.

At first, I decided to stay silent too. And I might've lasted longer, if not for Bat.

"Bloody hell, mate, just make the damn decision already!" he snapped, as if he had far more important things to do than sit here sipping tea with the master. "Do you want Yellow Pine experience or not?"

"Let's discuss the details first," I said.

"My colleague, Sabina Mendoza, heads the Yellow Pine Hall of Diplomacy. She's been in seclusion for the past six months, but a week ago she reached Stage Five. This hasn't been officially announced, and it won't be. They'll keep it secret for as long as possible."

"I didn't need to know that," I retorted.

I didn't ask for that show of trust.

"You did, if you want to make a truly informed decision," Novak disagreed, then continued. "Here's the important part: when Sabina came out of seclusion, her deputy reported on our progress. Not the official version, the real story. She knows about the demons. And she wants to pull off something similar at Yellow Pine."

"We agreed I would send her a consultant. A consultant, mind you!" Novak stressed. "And she won't be putting him in any obvious danger. She's got plenty of her own operatives."

"You do realise that whole 'no danger' line is complete rubbish, right?" I said to Novak. "I'll end up neck-deep in crap. Guaranteed."

"I'm sure of that, but not because Mendoza will betray you. She'll keep her word."

Novak paused for dramatic effect, completely ruined by the grin on his face. The old schemer was clearly enjoying himself.

"It's you!"

"Me?"

"You," he repeated, then explained. "That's just who you are — a magnet for trouble. Like one of those web novel characters from a parallel world who attracts every disaster imaginable just to earn another cookie afterwards."

Bat gave our teacher a surprised look. For a second, he probably thought the old man had finally gone mad, but quickly pushed the thought aside and tried to put on a neutral expression.

Novak noticed.

"Yes, I do read web novels sometimes," he admitted. "After the demon clean-up, I finally had some free time, so I decided to catch up. If you haven't forgotten, I do have a degree in sociology. I need to keep track of what's stirring in people's minds these days."

Lies!

There was way more behind those words than just a fondness for light fiction and a desire to stay current.

That was a direct nod to my origins.

Damn it, why did I ever tell him about xianxia? Dear god, if he actually starts believing I'm some chosen protagonist sent here to save the world from a demon invasion, I'm screwed! I'll end up plugged into every hole like a magic cork! They'll be tossing me at tanks with nothing but my bare arse for armour…

Although, to be fair... at this point, I probably could hold my own in a fight like that. Maybe not win, but force a draw. If I activate Monkey, there's no way they'll hit me, assuming we're talking about an old Earth tank, anyway.

Focus!

The real issue here is that Novak's plan, and his attitude, are hazardous to my health.

"I refuse," I said firmly.

"Seriously?" Bat asked. "It's not even hard work. The locals will handle most of it, you didn't even ask what the reward was."

"That's because he knows I'm right!" Novak declared.

The man's almost five centuries old and still acts like a child!

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, sir. I'm not the main character."

"No one said you were the main character!" Novak burst out laughing. "More like a comedic side character. Not the one who fights the main villain, but still very useful in the conflict. Most of the heavy lifting is done by others."

I raised an eyebrow at that.

Somehow, it was both a relief and an insult. A comedic side character? That stung a bit.

"If I had to bet on which of my students is the protagonist," Novak went on, clearly still amused, "it would be Adam!"

Now it was Bat's turn to take offence.

"What?" Novak threw up his hands. "His story's just more interesting than yours. He clawed his way into second year. The two of you just strolled in. And he's got a girlfriend. A main character has to have a girlfriend. Or a harem."

Maybe there's something in that bourbon, something strong enough to mess with even a Stage Five brain?

"You don't have anyone either, sir," Bat shot back.

"I've got a tragic backstory and I'm the wise master of the protagonist! Where have you ever seen a master with a girlfriend? Genre rules, lad."

Bat and I exchanged a suspicious look.

"Oh, come off it! Lina mocks everyone constantly, and you don't give her that look."

Lina's twenty-something and a total bitch.

Didn't dare say that out loud.

"In any case," Novak said, "I'm leaving in three days. Which means you've got two days to decide. And to make your decision a little easier," he flashed an even broader grin, "I'm offering you the Second Rhino's Horn for six months at Yellow Pine."

"The Third Horn," I reminded him, "you used to lure me into the tournaments… and then that option just vanished."

"I had to make a quick transaction. You benefited from it, didn't you?"

"I did, but…" I tried to catch him out.

A cold, sharp aura of displeasure spread through the room, sending shivers down my spine. Novak wasn't pushing, just letting me feel he was not pleased.

He didn't need to apply pressure. The atmosphere did it for him.

"This time, I'll hand it over the moment you make your decision," he said with a cold smile.

"Didn't Kate use the Second Horn during her breakthrough?" I recalled.

"There's more than one Rhino in the world," Novak shrugged. "You can thank Adam, he's the one who got this one."

I didn't dig into the protagonist's latest adventure. Instead, I remembered what Kate had said about the horn:

Boosts shield durability and duration.

"How strong is the boost?" I asked.

"Strong enough that a standard Point won't pierce it on the first strike. And considering you've already got segmentation from the Crystallised Black Lotus…" Novak smiled again, this time genuinely.

That old bastard!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.