Present Day
[Killian, Mortez.
You are the chosen one.
You will now enter the Zeroth Level of XianXia Realm.
You must defeat the Demigod Harnar, and restore justice to all nine levels of XianXia realm to retrieve the First Shard of the Chronomancer's orb.]
It was the voice from before. The one that had made him feel dizzy, and then taken him to the Pantheon of Gods. Killian gulped the lump in his throat. His palms began to sweat, and he tried to wipe them against the fabric of his pants.
To his amazement, he was still caught in something of an immaterialised form.
'Impossible. What sort of magic is this?' He wondered. But there was no one around him to explain the ins and outs of Goddess Lamia's powers. He knew that he had a body, but all of this seemed so different. As if, he was shedding his skin and growing a new one. A faint humming sound in his ear kept him in a state of perpetual calm.
"Don't disappoint me, Killian," he recognised the Goddess' voice almost immediately. And then, it was the Guardian of Goddess Lamia who had taken over. Again. The humming turned to a silence, before it spoke again.
[When you retrieve the first part of the Chronomancer's Orb, you will awaken back into your World.
Until the Goddess calls for you, I won't interrupt you.
If you die in there, well, it's not surprise that you would never return to your world.
And if you make it out, well that's another story, entirely.]
'The fuck! Was this someone's sick idea of a joke?' Killian thought.
"Please, I am not even equipped for this thing," he seemingly argued. But the voice didn't respond. It dismissed him once and for all. Killian felt the pain resurface. His body jolted awake.
'I don't want to end up a scapegoat to serve the Gods', Killian argued with himself. Not that he had much of a choice. He kept thinking about what would become if he didn't follow along. The Goddess had told him that he was the chosen one. And indeed, a thing like that could inflate a common man's ego.
Especially, for someone who came from a background, as poor as Killian's, to be risen to the levels of a Saviour would not only rid him of his humble truth but also make him as powerful as the Blue Bloods. But none of this was done with love. And certainly, none of it was for Killian.
The service to the Gods only provided him with a momentary relief. If what he thought was the truth, he knew that the Goddess was only threatening him into doing this. When he hands in the Orb, there was no telling what they could do to her. It would only mean that he would have a few riches to hand out, and perish. Worse, what if he dies in a battle?
[If you give up now, you'll be turned to the Blue Bloods, needless to say your death awaits you.]
The Guardian whispered in his ear, as if it could know all his thoughts. Killian felt a little tug in what could be his chest. He was afraid.
'What if I die? What if I cannot hold up to my promise?' Killian saw the brightness dull down. His normal vision was being restored. A wave of sensations washed over him as he saw his body materialize.
He was still wearing those clothes that he had worn to the Dumping Grounds. However, except for the blue jewel, that he now knew was called 'Gem of Destiny', Killian didn't have much. His trash bag was gone. His dagger was missing. And his hands were clean. Killian felt the freshness course through him. It was as if he was being bathed under invisible fountains.
[You were purified by the Goddess Lamia's magic. Your soul is cleansed of malice and cowardice.
But the Goddess cannot provide you with skills and morals. You must earn those along your journey to increase your mana.
The mana is a rare attribute that will allow you to survive in the XianXia Realm by using specific spells to perform magic.
Your use of magic should only be to protect yourself. You won't be able to use magic unless when the Goddess decides for the right time to do so.]
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" And, how'd the Goddess know?" Killian asked, not realising that his connection to the Guardian was only spiritual in nature.
Spiritual Connections were connections between two souls that allowed them to communicate their thoughts without a physical medium to do so. It could be initiated by one of the two souls, or both. It could easily be weaned off from, though the power to form one rested only with sentient beings.
[They Goddess watches everything.]
[Heed my words, Filth Scrounger, the Universe that we know of is vast. It's divided into three Grand Realms, and several hundred Sub Realms. The Three Grand Realms are the Ethereal Realms, the Mortal Realms, and the Forbidden Realms.
The Chronomancer's Orb is carefully hidden in Ten different realms spanning across the Three Grand Realms. There are twelve shards. One of these realms have more than one. The Demigods are the ones who guard them, and it's because of their powers that we can easily trace the source to these Ten Realms and their locations.]
"If these shards are so important, why cannot the Gods retrieve the shards by themselves?"
[The Gods and Goddesses are governed by the Supreme Creator of Our Universe. They too, cannot alter the fate. Being involved in affairs of the mortal world is prohibited to the immortals.]
[From this moment onwards, the Goddess will give you one act of free will. You can choose the end of your life in a few moments.]
[Killian Mortez, do you wish to proceed further on your journey to XianXia realm?]
'It's not like I really have much of a choice.'
Killian grunted before straightening his shoulders. He had only his life. He knew he could afford to lose that much, and there was no telling if he might really fail. With the goddess on her side, was failure even an option?
"Yes! Throw me to whatever hell hole you have planned for me," He had decided. At least whatever death befalls me then would be better than dying in the clutches of poverty.
[Very well, then! Goddess Lamia has granted you her blessings.
You shall now procure the Time Keeper that will latch onto your wrist.
Make good use of it. Time is all you have]
'Time is all you have? Wait, what do you mean by that?'
Meanwhile, a blue seal appeared over Kiliian's wrist. It looked like the Dial from the Great Tower near the Dumping Grounds. Only that, its borders were inscribed by ancient numbers and letters. Two small, thimble like needles were placed, meeting in the middle.
When Killian looked closely, he could see them move in the most discreet manner. Unaware, Killian touched it.
Blue light tore from the seal, projecting ten circular slots in the air. They kept growing. Each had a peculiar shape, in the form of a cavity.
'What was this about?'
Before he could figure out more, the Blue projections squeezed back into the seal, causing his wrist to have an itchy sensation.
Killian snuck back his hand, rubbing it impatiently.
[Prepare...
Transitioning...
In One..]
'Wait. No! What do you mean?'
[Two...]
Killian looked around himself. All form of matters, including his own body had evaporated into visible fumes, yet again. An engulfing darkness etched its way to a never-ending abyss. He felt himself getting sucked in.
[One]
[Reconstructing...]
A blinding light engulfed him. Killian found his feet stranded. He struggled to feel his hands.
[Welcome, Killian! A new journey awaits you. The Goddess wishes you the best]
{You have now arrived at XianXia.
Killian, Mortez.
Current Location: Warship Dungeons, Black Blood Sea, Zeroth Level
Status: Warslave
Powers: None
Mana: Not Displayed
Agility: None
Weapons: None
Lesser known facts: Has a Time Keeper}
'This is... Unfair. I remember I had some agility and strength before. I don't even have a weapon!'
Before he could fester long on what had happened, Killian regained his vision. His body was getting used to it. The ground seemed shaky. His feet. They were tied?
He looked around and watched thatch and wood nailed together on the flashboard. A ceiling made up of wood laid above. Barrels were stacked on top of each other.
A few men, whose faces he could barely make out were chained to the wall on the other side. They were underfed, and their eyes has grown alarmingly red.
One of them was nearly naked. His back presses to the mossy wood, as he tried to breathe. His ribs carved onto his chest. The one next to him was a burly man. He was naked from waist up, and had a thick layer of chest hair. His beard had overgrown itself.
Right next to them was a woman, in sheer tattered rags. Her face had sunken. Unlike the previous two, she didn't wear signs of dejection or remorse. Her brilliant green eyes shone at him, as Killian took in the sight of her.
"What are you looking at? Never had a good look at a woman before?" She barked.
It took him a moment to realise she was talking to him. The rest of the people had barely moved. There might be twenty of them here. Most had their faces turned to the darkness.
"Could it be that this one is dead?" She asked the burly man next to her.
'Perhaps, it's best if I don't converse with her. There's no telling if this place is any good. Or she is,'
Killian thought. But this woman here had plans of her own. She pulled onto the chain, and walked to the maximum extent of it. Her hair was lanky but she didn't fall. She didn't even get weary off the numerous limbs of tired prisoners around her.
"Tell me, why have they brought you here," she brought her cuffed hands together, and traced a lock out of his face.
"Don't touch me," Killian seethed, and she chuckled.
"Turns out you do have a tongue, afterall!" She sounded amused.
"That's none of your business," He groaned in protest.
'If natural aversion could be a place, this was it. I have picked garbage his whole life and done things with the trash. But this was truly mortifying.'
Only a solitary lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating the dark, damp and mossy planes. Then, there was a vigour on the board. The whole frame tilted.
It took the lady by the surprise. She banged her back against the wall, her chain barely holding her up, before the burly man pulls her in. She finds her ground, as the floor underneath their feet tilts.
"Easy there, Hian Xu," the burly man says. His voice was exceptionally soft, as he sat down and let the lady to sit on his lap. He holds onto her, as she caresses his hair.
Killian looked around to make sense of it. One solitary window rested to his right. Outside, thick black waters jostled and threatened to pour in any minute.
Luckily, or rather, unfortunately Killian was fastened to a thick pole with his hands on the back. It didn't allow him to slide down as the ship rocked about the waters. But neither did it allow any free movement.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," It was the burly man who spoke now.
"Of course."
[Killian, you have twenty lunar days to retrieve the First Shard.
Your time starts now.
20:00:00:00
The Time Keeper would indicate the time you have.
The moment the Time Keeper stops, you will die by an unformidable curse.]
Killian watched the Blue Seal of the Time Keeper on his wrist, hearing the Guardian's voice. The numbers appeared on the dial. The two thimble like needles kept moving, and Killian could see the numbers changing.
[19:23:59:01]
'What have I gotten myself into?'
