Chapter 44: It Doesn’t Feel Good To Be Analyzed!

Chapter 44: It Doesn’t Feel Good To Be Analyzed! [Oh my, you seem to have become a streamer!] [Achievement Unlocked: 100 Viewers! Yeah no, but some elders and big-shot disciples are here for you.] Looking at the hints that showed up for him, Ken’s expression changed. He knew that these guys had seen his trial and were interested in him a lot, but he really didn’t like to be analyzed. Well, not like he had or was planning to show his full power. His efficiency records were only displayed to an appropriate level—slightly genius, but not enough to seem monstrous. With it becoming an art, it wasn’t hard for him to trick the eyes of anyone who hadn’t reached the same level. His physical strength had already reached the peak of the apprentice stage, but he was barely showing around 50% of his true strength. Which reminded him, he had no way of reaching the next stage. And the same applied for everything else. It wasn’t being watched or for his true capability to be seen that really irked him; he already had all of this in his plans. The fact that the elders even knew of his existence would have never happened had he not wanted it. He just hated being observed. It doesn’t feel good for him; he wanted to always feel as the one seeing things from above, something that came with the pride of knowing everything that transpired around you. He couldn’t help it; it was natural. But without showing anything, he composed himself and continued doing what he was doing even with what was going on. Having two warriors attack him from two sides at once, he would evade their every attack with minimal movement, point out their flaws in hope that they advance fast enough to actually pose a threat for him, and from time to time mess with them like the first time. The 2nd floor also had a time limit, but of 10 minutes, instead of 5, both because the enemies doubled and because their power was higher than on the first floor. And once again, when 15 seconds were left on the counter and the two warriors were on two sides of Ken, very close to him, something shiny appeared in their vision. And only those who were watching from above understood what happened as the spirits were cut into a dozen pieces before the floor was cleared. "Congratulations on clearing the 2nd floor, Challenger Ken. You’ll be allowed 5 minutes of rest if you’d like." The tower spirit, resisting the urge to shower Ken with praise and ask all kinds of questions, spoke the words in the same autonomous way she did with other challengers. "Go on, tower spirit, I’ve had enough rest." Ken just smiled, knowing what the tower spirit was feeling from their interactions, and looked forward. Will there be 3 warriors now? And will the two who he had just defeated be considered strong enough to fight him once again? As Ken thought of this, each and every elder who was watching him was making a thorough analysis of his moves. On the same floating island of the disciples, the two, as if they had not moved from their place, were watching a scroll display Ken’s fight with golden eyes. "Senior brother, I have to say, this individual named Ken... is very intriguing." The junior disciple spoke. "Sakamoto..." The senior disciple called the junior’s name. "Yes, Brother Alex." The junior disciple, knowing that his brother only called him by his name when he was excited or serious, replied. "Change of plans; we shall inform the master." The senior brother said, but he had yet to rise, his shining eyes intently watching Ken toy with 3 warrior knights. If he was previously planning on taking Ken as his lackey, or possibly a friend, now, he couldn’t imagine himself not having Ken as a junior disciple. "Are you sure about this, Brother Alex?" The junior, knowing that even if they wanted, the master could refuse the idea, asked. "You don’t know, junior brother, but if we were his age and up against him, we wouldn’t even amount to a quarter of his worth." The senior with an intense gaze spoke. "The journey of a cultivator is not one of strength, because when we take a single step in strength, it comes as a result of ten in our spirit, our vision." There was a saying in the world of cultivators: To possess strength enough to flatten a mountain, a spirit path cultivator would possess such a vision that they’d be able to conquer the entire world without making a move. "Our way is not that of barbarians, junior brother; our way is that of strategizing. By the time we make a move, our enemy is already defeated." "But a cultivator only starts to understand such truths after countless trials and hardships, after their mind and spirit have fused with the world and their intent resonates with nature." "It’s a level that we as a foundation establishment long for more than anything, but most cannot yet grasp." He stopped. The junior could only reminisce; he could feel emotions raging uncontrollably in his chest more than that of his brother’s; he could feel his vision expanding and his hand controlling everything from the sky. This was their goal; this was their way. The way of the world. "Brother, are you saying..." "No, he has not reached it. It was never easy, nor will it ever be." The senior smiled faintly as he calmed down. "Even he should take considerable time. It’s not about reaching; it never was." If Ken had truly achieved such a level... they wouldn’t be sitting here talking, nor would they even consider taking him as a sibling disciple. The duo stood silent for a while before the senior spoke. "A monster is a monster not because he overwhelms others, but because when others intend to take on a path, they find him walking it." The senior spoke ever so slowly, making sure his junior could understand where he was going. He was talking about the unfair advantage between people. He was talking about the fact that while other new disciples were just getting used to the world of cultivators, Ken had made years of progress in a few months and was already walking alongside the seniors who had dozens of years of experience. "This young man has yet to take on that path; his mind and spirit have not yet grown to expand outwards like ours, and his eyes have not yet perceived more of what this world offers." "That is something that doesn’t just happen; it’s forged, slowly approached, and rightfully achieved." "But he had already started to walk the path of a cultivator, the long arduous path with an end so far away most never achieve it." "Yet, his mind and intent are ever present; when he wills to do something, it’s not his subconscious that is taking over, but his entire will." "He is not distracted; he knows what he is doing, and he is enjoying every bit of it." The senior then stopped speaking, his gaze not focused on Ken, who had cleared his 3rd floor already, but on his junior. Many words were spoken, but he was sure his junior understood what he intended to say. "You’re saying that you see endless promises in this young man." The junior nodded. He had spent enough time with his senior to understand him without him speaking, let alone when he speaks so much. "Indeed. He seems to know what he’s doing and where he’s going. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had even calculated what he had to do to get our and others’ attention. And I’m not sure how much of his prowess he’s showing." "But he’s a talent through and through, and our sect’s job is to allow talents to unleash their talent and reach their highest potential in the shortest, most efficient way." Once again a moment of silence happened, and the two watched Ken take on 4 warriors with the same amount of leisure. The senior then added one last thing. "As he is now, whether elders take him as a disciple or not is secondary to all; what is true is that he will be nurtured by the entire sect... like all of us." -----End-----