Desper didn't realize it, but seven days had already slipped away. The sect had given him that brief time to recover after the incident.
In the first three days, Desper stayed in his apartment and never went out. During that time, Eland brought food, but Desper never touched it. He just stayed in a small room, staring at the walls and ceiling. In his eyes, everything had lost its color.
Only after those three days did Desper begin to go outside and eat again, although the food had no taste. He usually spent his time in a park inside the sect that had been built for the disciples' families; it was the only place where he felt a bit of peace in his mind.
Every night, the memories of that bloody night replayed in his dreams. Every morning, he woke up expecting someone to be sleeping beside him, holding his hand, but she was never there.
…
On the eighth day, Desper woke up to a strange beeping sound coming from his token.
"This is…" When he held it in his hand, the sound suddenly stopped.
"Seven days have already passed?" he sighed, a hint of sadness on his face.
That sound signaled the end of his rest period. Today, Desper had to begin his life as a new disciple of the Angry Tiger Sect.
He looked at the token and examined it carefully for the first time.
It was bronze in color and about half the size of his palm. On the front, the words "Angry Tiger Sect" were engraved. Under them were his name and the number 1855, which was his disciple number. At the bottom, the words "No Cultivation" were glowing; they would change once he began cultivating.
On the back of the token, only "7:00" glowed with a faint light, indicating the current time.
After taking a deep breath, he put it down and went to the bathroom to empty his stomach.
Knock… Knock… Knock…
The knocking on the door confused him a little.
'Isn't it a bit early for Eland to come?'
However, he was surprised when he opened the door. It wasn't Eland. Instead, it was another man with curly yellow hair and sea-blue eyes. His posture and gentle smile created a calm aura around him. He was dressed in the sect uniform of orange clothes with black lines.
"How can I help you?" Desper asked.
"Can we talk inside?" the man replied, still smiling.
Desper raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
His voice sounded a little familiar for Desper.
"My name is Varik," the man introduced himself. "I'm the one who hid that huge rat corpse seven days ago."
Desper's eyes widened. During the first few days, he hadn't cared about what had happened or how the corpse had disappeared. However, the more he recalled it, the more confused and curious he became.
He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you the clan guy?"
He also remembered hearing someone mention a clan before he had lost consciousness.
The man called Varik stiffened. "Hey! Lower your voice. We don't need anyone to hear that. Please, let's talk inside."
Desper frowned slightly. He had many suspicions, but he still let him in.
As if he already knew the place, Varik walked straight to the living room and sat on the couch. Desper guessed that every apartment in the sect had the same design. He didn't care and sat across from him.
"What is your name?" Varik asked.
"Desper," he answered.
Then he crossed his arms and said, "So?"
Varik responded, "First, can I ask why you entered your Berserk state?"
"Berserk state? What is that?" Desper repeated in confusion.
"You don't know the Berserk state?" Varik suddenly grimaced. "What do you know about the Svikari Clan?"
Desper simply replied, "Nothing."
"Are you kidding me?" Varik covered his face with his palms. "This is going to be really annoying."
Desper waited silently.
Varik stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, then said, "Knowing nothing about our clan means that either your parents wanted you to live a normal life, or… you lost your memories in an incident."
Varik looked carefully at the burn on Desper's face and added, "And I think the latter is the correct guess."
Desper was surprised that Varik could guess that so easily. A year ago, when Desper woke up in the village, he had wanted to learn about his past and his family. But the longer he stayed there, the more he slowly forgot about it. Deep down, he felt a bit excited to learn about his past, but at the same time, he was also a little afraid.
"You're right. I lost all of my memories a year ago," Desper confirmed.
"Okay, listen carefully," Varik rubbed his forehead and said. "The clan we are from is called the Svikari Clan. It is—"
"Wait." Before he could continue, Desper interrupted him. "How do you know that I'm from that clan?"
"Just wait, I'm getting to that," Varik said, a little annoyed. "Every member of the clan is born with a special power we can use. It has many names: Svikari Bloodline, Svikari Power, or Svikari Ability. Each person's ability is different. For example, I can use fire even though I'm still at the Channel Forming level."
While explaining, strange orange veins appeared in the whites of Varik's eyes, creeping toward their centers. In the same time, a beautiful orange flame appeared in his hand. Just looking at it made Desper feel as if his soul was being drawn into the flames.
Varik then deactivated his power and continued, "From what I saw in the village, I can guess that your ability enhances your physical strength. That is what allowed you to kill that evolved monster."
Desper tightened his fists when he remembered that huge rat that had taken everything from him. However, he calmed himself and asked,
"How can I use that power? And where is our clan right now?"
He was so confused and had many questions in his mind.
Varik responded with a question. "Today is your first day as a new disciple, isn't it?"
Desper nodded.
"Today is an important day for you, since you will learn many things about the sect, monsters, and cultivation." Varik stood up as he spoke. "Tomorrow, I will come and tell you more about the clan, and I will teach you how to use your ability. However…"
He paused before continuing. "There will be a price for that."
Desper frowned. "A price?"
Varik raised a finger. "In the future, I might need your help with something."
"And what if I refuse?" Desper asked calmly.
Varik glanced at the burn on Desper's left cheek and smiled. "I'm sure you will help me."
Desper narrowed his eyes, but he didn't ask about the source of his confidence. Instead, he asked, "How can I know that everything you said about the clan and the ability is true?"
He was still skeptical. He couldn't simply believe someone he had just met.
Varik didn't seem bothered by the question. He suddenly moved next to Desper and placed his hand on the latter's shoulder.
Desper was astonished and tried to move away, but Varik was too fast.
In the next moment, Desper was startled as he sensed something stirring in his stomach, followed by a strange stream spreading through his body. He felt as if his body was filled with more power than ever before. Somehow, he knew that at that moment his body was much stronger and his senses were much sharper.
Varik took out a dagger and held the blade in front of Desper. In its reflection, Desper saw strange green veins creeping through his eyes, similar to Varik's but different in color
"Is that enough?" Varik asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"I think… for now," Desper replied, though he still didn't completely believe him.
After that, Varik was about to leave, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Oh. I almost forgot." He turned to face Desper. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation or anything about the clan, or you might die."
Desper was astonished. "Die? Why is that?"
"Our clan caused many disasters in the past and is still doing so even now. If the Sect Leader finds out that we are from the Svikari Clan, he will execute us."
Desper frowned deeply. "Disasters? Like what?"
Varik shook his head. "I'll tell you tomorrow. Just don't tell anyone and wait."
After that, Varik left the apartment. Desper remained there, staring at the ceiling.
"My life looks like it's going to be really hard. And I still don't know anything about my past or my family," he murmured.
…
Knock… knock… knock…
Three hours later, another person came to visit him.
Desper opened the door and saw a man with long red hair and red eyes.
"Hello, Desper," Eland greeted him. "Are you ready?"
"We can go," Desper nodded and left the place with him.
Right now, Desper was dressed in the sect uniform he had found in a closet in his apartment.
"How do you feel now?" Eland asked.
Desper looked down and said, "Very confused."
"Don't worry. You have the next three months to get used to everything," Eland tried to reassure him.
Desper didn't react. Eland didn't know that Desper was more confused about Varik's visit than about his situation in the sect. He did as Varik had told him and didn't tell Eland anything.
For the next two hours, Eland took him on a tour and introduced him to the important places of the sect: the Order Hall, the Training Yard, the Medical Hall, the Trading Pavilion, and others.
They didn't enter every building, but Eland gave him a quick explanation about each one.
The Order Hall was still busy with the disciples who came to take missions and do many other things. The Training Yard echoed with the sounds of weapons clashing and cultivators shouting. The Medical Hall emitted the aroma of herbs and strange medicines.
By the end of their tour, they were standing before a small white building that had no name on it.
"I'll see you later," Eland said as he was about to leave. "I'm free this week. If you need anything, you can come to me."
Desper looked at him. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Hm? Sure."
"Why are you doing all this for me?"
Eland raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Refusing to leave me in the village, visiting me every day, taking me on a tour, explaining everything to me. I don't think you have to do all of that. So why?"
Eland sighed, and a wave of sadness appeared on his face. "I told you: five years ago, I lost my entire family in a similar monster attack. When I saw you in the village, it felt like looking at myself five years ago."
He added, "You could say I'm not only helping you, but also helping myself."
Desper was a bit surprised, but grateful. "Thank you."
Eland shook his head. "There's no need for that."
After that, they separated, and Desper entered the small building.
From the inside, it looked like a classroom with a few benches. The room had no distinct decorations. Desper saw an old man sitting on a chair at the front. Other than him, there were also four men sitting on the benches.
Desper showed his token to the old man, then sat away from the others, as he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.
"Since the last one has arrived, let's start," the old man stood and said. "All of you are new disciples, and I'm here to teach you everything you need to know about your new life."
Desper exhaled deeply and focused all his attention on the lecture.