Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 160!
Do check Episode 14 of my simplified A Knight Journey's YouTube Series(Audiobook/Visual novel) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YCwrXgKQQg
(Visual Storytelling)(AKJ)Episode 14 Suspicious people and danger growing
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
Interestingly, as soon as they crossed the doorway, the Mikhailovs felt the massive stone corridor in front of their eyes blur for a brief instant before a gigantic room replaced it, along with endless wooden shelves filled with what seemed to be Information jade, Jade scrolls, leather scrolls, etc.
Aside from the shelves themselves, tables, sofas, and many other exquisite pieces of furniture were scattered here and there, with warm lights shining from all over the place, from the chandelier hung on the ceiling to those iron-wrought lamps placed on the tables themselves.
However, instead of candles or lightbulbs as one would expect, Light Pearls of different sizes and shapes were used, from one the size of a small marble, to another as big as a basketball, each with its own carved shape, from those looking like actual candles to others resembling mythical beasts.
The whole thing screamed of refined taste and extreme wealth.
Of course, none of the Mikhailovs knew how much the furniture was worth, but sensing the energy fluctuations coming from the furniture, along with noting the exquisiteness of the craftsmanship used to make them, was enough to understand that even Sergei and Ling, with their King-Grade professions, would be unable to afford them.
Was this room accessible to every Enforcer?
The four lovers' doubts were quickly answered as Wang Ling gestured toward one of the sofas close by while he himself sat on a leather armchair in front and declared.
"Welcome to the Elite Enforcer's Library. As the name implies, it's a room normally only accessible by those at the Elite level and above."
Seeing the confused look on their faces, Wang Ling chuckled and continued.
"Right! Before going further, I guess I need to explain a bit about the Hall itself."
Gesturing toward Mikhail while keeping his eyes on the four Mikhailovs, he said.
"Every Hall has its own hierarchy. Take the Protector Hall from whom the General is from. I won't go into too much detail, but just know that aside from the ungraded Militia Rank, there are seven Main Ranks in total, each divided into Junior and Senior sub-Ranks. General Mikhail, here, is a Sixth Rank official position, a Senior Protector General. The Military Hall's ranking hierarchy is relatively similar, with the main difference being in the fact that they use the word Martial in each Rank."
Shaking his head slightly, he then added exasperatedly.
"As for the Government Hall, it's too complex to go over it today, so instead of telling you about it myself, I'll give you a copy of the Federation's structure to study later. Once your training is done, you'll need it, or you might end up being taken advantage of by those old foxes."
Hearing those words, Mikhail interjected disdainfully.
"Well, seeing a few newbie Enforcers, those Government Hall people will definitely try to swindle them. Leopards can't change their spots, can they?"
As a Protector General, Mikhail had to deal with the Government Hall on numerous occasions throughout his thousands-of-years-long career.
While some were genuinely in it for the good of the people, others were clearly greedy opportunists who stopped at almost nothing to gain even the slightest shred of power or resources for themselves.
Fortunately, with the Extinguishing Hall monitoring the Main Island and the Eight Inner Islands closely, corruption there was kept at a minimum, and a certain level of competency was also mandatory to stay in post.
Still, even without blatant corruption, Mikhail had met many of that Hall's members whose personalities were so awful that just speaking to them made him feel dirty.
Shaking his head, Wang Ling replied calmly, a hint of exasperation on his face.
"It's not just those from the Government Hall, General. Even among the Protector Hall and the Military Hall, black sheep do exist. Don't be too biased, or you might end up misleading the Young Immortal and the young ladies."
Hearing the reproach in the other man's tone, Mikhail realized Wang might be right.
After all, he had spent most of his life in the Protector Hall and was now a Senior General there, which definitely created some biases in his mind, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.
Seeing the expression on the other man's face, Wang Ling did not insist and instead turned back toward the four young ones and explained.
"As for our Hall, the hierarchy is much simpler, with three Main ranks: Novice, Elite, and Great, each corresponding to Tier 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Each of them is further divided into Junior and Senior sub-ranks, with the former corresponding to the Low and Mid-Stage of each rank and the latter to the Late-stage. Aside from that, every Enfrocer's official position is considered half-a-position higher than the rest of the Halls. In other words, a Senior Novice Enforcer, which should be a Second-Grade Official Position, is actually considered as Half-Step Third-Grade. It doesn't seem much, but you'll understand the advantages in the future."
With a knowing smile, the Branch Hall Master continued.
"About our duties, it's actually simple. We, Enforcers, must monitor those working for the Federation in every other Hall. Putting it nicely, we're the Federation's secret police. Putting it more harshly, we're the Federation's guard dogs. What it means is that, while others will respect your status and strength, they will also fear and despise you. After all, most cultivators don't feel comfortable having someone with so much power over them, especially when that same someone has a similar cultivation level as them."
Nodding his head, Demian replied.
"It's not exactly new. Even Mortals are the same. But in their case, it's because those who monitor them work for corrupted governments, so the concern is pretty legitimate, in my opinion."
After a few chuckles left his lips, Wang Ling replied.
"In our Hall, there's an unofficial saying: 'Without shadow, there would be no light'. In other words, some small transgressions are fine as long as it stays below a certain threshold and the Federation citizens still benefit. Otherwise, we'd have to replace every staff member of every Hall, and that's clearly not feasible."
Tapping on his chair's arm, he specified.
"Still, where to put the limit is subject to interpretation, so remember to keep that limit very low, or many will abuse your leniency."
Seeing them nod, he then continued.
"Anyway, I'm just mentioning it to help you prepare mentally for your future missions. In the Nine Large Islands, it's a bit different, but you'll mostly be sent to the Outer Islands, where each Governor has more autonomy. More autonomy can breed more ambition and less respect for the Federation's Laws. That's why it's best for you not to expect to be welcomed warmly by any of them. Actually, if they did welcome you warmly, you should be even more wary, as they probably have something to hide from you."
Seeing the older man's solemn expression, the four Mikhailovs knew they had to keep his warning in mind.
After all, the man was most likely a few thousand years old with a wealth of experience and unfathomable strength, so listening to him could only be beneficial, especially when their own lives were on the line.
In a World where people could use Spells as destructive as hydrogen bombs, or even stronger, being cautious was not an option but a true necessity.
Thus, the four assured him that they would be careful before Adeliya asked.
"Mr. Wang, can you explain a bit more about the training you mentioned earlier?"
With a light nod and a warm smile, the Enforcer responded.
"Of course. It's actually not that complicated. For any new recruit, a period of training is mandatory covering cultivation, fighting, professional skills, and some other miscellaneous topics."
Pausing for a second, he then added with a wry smile.
"Well, for the four of you, most of the subjects may be a bit redundant, except maybe the professional ones. Speaking of which, have the four of you ever trained in a professional skill? If you have, it might be easier for you, because the requirement for any new recruit is to reach the same Rank Level as their own cultivation level in any professional skill if they want to be deployed in the field. You'll also need to have a certain understanding of the main Professions, such as Talisman, Formation, and Pills, but that's much easier than the former criterion."
Gesturing toward the four, he explained.
"In your case, as Foundation Building Cultivators, you will need to train a Skill to reach Tier 2, even if only at the beginning of the Tier. You'll also have to recognize most of the different Pills, items, etc., up to Tier 2. There are other requirements, but they won't be a problem for you four."
Titling her head, Adeliya asked.
"So, which profession should we choose?"
Shaking his head, Wang Ling replied.
"That's up to your preference. Of course, my advice is to choose one that you enjoy practicing and have talent for. Otherwise, you'll just waste time trying to improve and might quickly end up stuck without being able to progress."
Seeing the four's thoughtful looks, Wang Ling moved a thought toward his own ID Token before saying.
"I've just sent you some information about the different professional knowledge we possess at the Hall. Right, you'll also be allocated a certain number of resources every month, enough for your cultivation and professional practice. In any case, check the information I sent you and once you've decided which path you want to pursue, tell me so I can register you."
Following the older man's instructions, the four Mikhailovs scanned their ID token, noting the new bundle of information they received from Wang Ling.
Before the other three had much time to sift through the list, they heard Bryn declare.
"I'll study Weaponsmithing and Armorsmithing."
With a curious tone, Wang Ling asked.
"Pretty standard, I'd say. Are you sure?"
Nodding firmly, the golden-skinned woman explained.
"I'm sure. My bloodline has both high Smithing affinity and related bloodline memories, so it makes more sense to choose those two Skills."
Hearing her explanation, the Enforcer replied admiringly.
"Then it's truly the best for you. Not using your own talent would indeed be a waste. Although it doesn't stop you from practicing other professional skills on the side if you feel like it, focusing on one thing is the most optimal path. Since Weapon-smithing and Armor-smithing are two branches of the same tree, and with your bloodline talent, I'm sure you'll progress very quickly."
Turning toward the other three, Wang Ling mentioned.
"Actually, I forgot to tell you earlier, but if you have one or several bloodline talents, it's best to choose a profession that can leverage them if possible. Speaking of which, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll do my best to help you choose something that fits both your talent and your preference."
Hearing the man's words, Adeliya hesitated briefly before saying.
"Actually, my Carmine Bloodline has both healing and poison affinity, and specializes in blood manipulation. Do you have any suggestions as to which Skill I should choose?"
Letting out a thoughtful hum, he questioned.
"What about your preference? Are you more inclined toward healing or killing? You'll still need to learn about both, no matter the skill, but the 'proportion' would change."
For the oldest redhead, it was an easy question to answer.
"Healing, of course. I've worked as a Mortal surgeon for almost two decades before I started cultivating, so I'm more used to saving people than killing them."
As if she feared it would pose a problem, she added.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not ready to do so. It's just a preference."
Seeing the hint of panic on the young woman's face, Wang Ling let out a light chuckle and retorted.
"I understand what's in your mind, but you're actually mistaken. Enforcers are ready to fight and kill anytime it's needed, but that doesn't mean we're going around slaying everything that moves. To be honest, most of the beings we kill are Demon Beasts and Evil cultivators, and even that won't be very often. Most of the time, the missions you'll undertake will be uneventful monitoring ones, nothing really dangerous."
Shaking his head while wearing a reassuring smile, he added.
"In any case, you, Lady Adeliya, can rest your mind easy, as most of the time you'll simply need to focus on healing. When killing is needed, I'm sure Young Immortal Demian and both Lady Brynhild and Seraphine would gladly take care of that part for you."
After having both lived and worked as an Enforcer for so long, it was easy to discern the type of people these four were.
Although not mentally weak, the oldest redhead was clearly more on the softer side when it came to taking a life, unlike the other three.
Interestingly, his intuition told him that the most indifferent among them was neither the Young Immortal with his heaven-defying cultivation talent nor Lady Brynhild with her variant Giant Bloodline and innate fighting intent.
No, the one with the coldest personality seemed to be the purple-haired Dark Elf sitting beside Demian, an ever-present mysterious grin gracing her lips.
His extremely sensitive senses, honed from having gone through an uncountable number of life and death situations, screamed at him that the woman was a wolf wearing sheep's clothing, the coldness inside her barely detectable, thanks to his much higher cultivation.
He was certain that the beautiful woman wearing a sweet smile on her face was equally able to tear you limb from limb with the same expression.
It was actually not much of a guess, as he had met a few members of the dark Elf race throughout his long life, and each of them possessed that same innate indifference to the point that, for the other races, dark Elves were considered extremely cruel.
Venomous, uncaring, selfish...
Many adjectives were used for Dark Elves, but paradoxically, if one succeeded in wooing one of them, the Dark Elf would quickly become their lover's staunchest partner, never betraying even through the worst torture.
As for trying to enslave their Soul?
Having such extreme tendencies, enslaving them was almost impossible, with Dark Elves preferring to have their Soul destroyed rather than becoming slaves.
However, being a selfish bunch, wooing them was extremely difficult, but the difficulty was nothing compared to having them share the same man or woman with others, as in the Young Immortal's case.
The only explanation Wang Ling could find was the fact that her Bloodline should be heavily attracted by Demian's Immortal talent, and with the other two being her mother and sister, it should have been barely enough to overpower her instinct to take him exclusively for herself.
As for the fact that her bloodline had just awakened a few months prior and she had been an Elementary Human, that had no impact on her current actions.
After all, if bloodlines were just talent enhancers, people would not use the word 'races', as 'variant' would be more appropriate.
No, bloodlines had a profound impact on one's behavior, instincts, preferences, etc., and were extremely domineering, quickly overpowering and eliminating any trace of other weaker bloodlines, even the very accommodating Elementary Human bloodline, once the concentration reached a certain threshold.
That was why most people had extreme behavioral changes once awakening a certain bloodlines, with previous milder behavior often turning much more severe.
In other words, they were still the same person at their core, but the external side of them was completely different.
Of course, each person is different, so it was merely a generalization.
In the Dark Elf race's case, it was not that they were inherently evil, but simply that they were less socially oriented than the Light Elves, for example.
However, Light Elves were also not exactly saints either, being known for their stubbornness and arrogance, making them a race much less glamorous than depicted in stories.
'Well, each race has its own cons, and with each individual being so different, it's dangerous to generalize too much.'
Although it seemed to take a long time, only a fraction of a second passed by as everything went through Wang Ling's mind.
Pondering on Adeliya's request for a second, an idea then came to his mind, prompting him to suggest.
"In my opinion, you could follow the Blood Healer path. It's a bit specialized, with less emphasis on medicine, and the requirement is extremely strict, but I think it'd suit your circumstances perfectly."
Hearing his words, the oldest redhead quickly checked the profession's description in the list he gave them.
A second later, her eyes lit up, prompting her to exclaim.
"That's perfect! I'll take that one!"
Seeing the young woman's enthusiasm, an amused smile appeared on Wang Ling's face, who stated.
"The requirement for Energy reserve and blood energy affinity is extremely high, but in your case, it's clearly a non-problem. As for the rest, with your comprehension, it shouldn't pose much of a problem."
Indeed, whether it was her Energy reserve or her Energy regeneration rate, with her Peak Heaven-Grade talent(potentially Immortal-Grade in his view), if she was deemed insufficient, then no one would be eligible to follow that path.
As for Blood affinity, the Carmine Bloodline was clearly part of the blood race, which could be considered the top in terms of blood affinity among the Mortal Races.
In other words, she was truly a perfect fit for the job to the point that if she were to choose something else, even the old Enforcer would object.
However, there was no need as the young woman was obviously enthusiastic about it, making it two out of four having found their Path.
Turning toward the other two, he saw the slight frown on Demian's face, prompting Wang Ling to ask rhetorically.
"Having difficulty choosing?"
Hearing the question, Demian let out a sigh before turning his gaze toward the older man and answering with a wry smile on his face.
"Yes. To be honest, I don't really have any preference. At most a few interests, but none of them are optimal for my current situation."
Pondering for a second, the young man shook his head slightly and added.
"Forget it! I'll just go the general route."
With the previous frown vanishing, leaving only unshakable calm, Demian declared.
"I'll follow my teacher's path and study Formation. It may not be something I'm passionate about, but it will be a huge help for the four of us' future missions. It's enough for me."
Nodding his head, the old Enforcer replied in a serious tone.
"Actually, the Formations path is extremely broad, and by studying it, you'll likely find one, or even several, specializations that will pique your interest. At worst, you'll have expanded your knowledge, which is always a good thing in the Cultivation World."
Indeed, knowledge was a form of power, something Demian was plainly aware of, prompting him to make that choice.
In any case, if he found himself lacking both talent and interest in that field, he would just switch to another skill, at most wasting some time.
After all, what mattered the most was not his professional skills but his cultivation realm and combat prowess, something he was supremely confident of, not only at the moment, but also in the future.
As for the rest?
It was good if he could have it, but if he could not, then it did not matter to him.
Having made his choice, only Seraphine was left, prompting the rest of the group to look in her direction.
Seeing the other's gaze turning their focus toward her, the purple-haired woman's lips twitched slightly before she remarked jokingly.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'll end up blushing."
Hearing her words, the other three Mikhailovs had the same thought: 'As if I'd believe you!'
Still, before any of them could say anything out loud, Sera declared calmly.
"I've made my choice. I'll go with the Gunsmith path."
Cocking his brow, Wang Ling thought.
'Unexpected choice, though being a Dark Elf with high affinity with the Dark Element, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.'
Out loud, he commented.
"Taking into account your Dark Element Affinity, it's definitely one of the best choices. Still, do prepare yourself mentally as Gunsmithing is extremely complex, even at the start."
Nodding her head, Seraphine mentioned.
"Well, I did awaken some bloodline memories related to Gunsmithing, so I should manage well enough. If not, I'll just switch to something else."
Indeed, being rich and talented allows for much more leeway in experimenting than for others less fortunate.
Was it fair?
Who could truly say what was fair or not?
In any case, with the four having made their decision, Wang Ling turned toward Mikhail and suggested.
"Very well, then. General, I will take care of the rest, so you may leave as you wish."
Nodding his head, Mikhail replied.
"Thank you for your help, Enforcer Wang. I'll leave the young ones in your care."
After bidding farewell to the four Mikhailovs, the General disappeared from his armchair, prompting the Senior Great Enforcer to click his tongue in amazement.
"Third Layer, indeed."
Even with his own strength reaching the Peak of the Second Void Layer, Wang Ling could not even catch a trace of the other man's movement.
'One Layer, one Heaven. The saying is truly accurate. Now that Anrepov broke through, it won't be long before he goes through his own tribulation and reaches the Void Sapling Rank... How enviable...'
As for the odds of falling during his Tribulation?
Although not low, Wang Ling instead hoped that the other man succeeded.
After all, despite being envious, the Senior Great Enforcer was extremely loyal to the Federation, and the addition of another Core Elder would mean an increase in the Federation's higher-level combat power, something that anyone with a modicum of gratefulness and respect for others and oneself would wish for.
Wishing for others to fail because of jealousy was something that only those white-eyed wolves would do, and he was anything but an ingrate.
Still, he did envy the other man's luck.
Shaking his head inwardly, he chose to shove that thought to the side and turned his gaze back toward the group of four young cultivators and instructed, while wearing a warm smile on his face.
"Let's go, then. The sooner you start your training, the sooner you'll be able to start your field missions."
Well, the field missions themselves aside, it meant that the group of four would be able to start travelling through the Federation, which did pique their interests.
After all, the four left what they felt was an enormous 'World', but turned out to be merely the equivalent of a small Outer Island in a World whose size was so enormous that even Peak Transcending Tribulation would find it difficult, if not impossible, to cover entirely.
With such ridiculous size, how many wonders existed under the heavens, especially with the addition of magic?
The thought brought a surge of excitement to Demian's heart, who exclaimed, the only trace of his inner thoughts being the brightness filling his gaze.
"We're right behind you, Mr. Wang."
Standing up, Wang Ling then brought the group to the Logistic Counter where they picked up the four's uniforms, along with all the Pills, Talismans, and other items granted as a standard package for new Enforcers.
Of course, because of the four's special identities, whether it was their exalted status or overwhelming combat strength, the package they received may have been standard, but the standard was for Junior Elite Enforcer, and not their current Novice Enforcer position.
Exceptional circumstances demanded exceptional methods.
Speaking of which, Wang Ling explained to the four when they received their 'bundle'.
"The higher-ups and I are aware of your combat prowess, but we still decided for the four of you to start as Junior Novice Enforcers instead of jumping directly to the Senior Novice Enforcer, as your current cultivation realm would require. You'll also be assigned a Junior Elite Enforcer as a leader for your first mission. They will be in charge of teaching you the ropes, helping you grow quickly so you can undertake future missions without needing supervision. After all, theory is one thing, but it may not always apply in the real world."
Shaking his head slightly, Demian responded with an amused smile on his face.
"We're still new to this, so it's actually better this way."
Nodding his head, Wang Ling replied seriously.
"That's correct. If you had gone to the Military Hall or Protector Hall, you might have skipped this step due to your strength. But in our Extinguishing Hall, strength is just one factor, and relying solely on it may lead to dying without knowing how. Of course, if your strength surpasses everyone in this World, then the situation would be different."
The group of four chuckled at his joke before Adeliya remarked.
"We're not arrogant enough to think ourselves invincible, Mr. Wang, don't worry. If we did, we wouldn't be here talking to you."
Indeed, the four Mikhailovs could have clearly stayed in their Mansion and only leave after reaching the Void Seed Rank, or even the Void Sapling Rank, instead of coming to the Extinguishing Hall to learn a skill and temper their Will by working as Enforcers for the Federation.
For others, it may have resulted in slower cultivation, even encountering a greater number of bottlenecks, but having access to Demian's Perks, no bottleneck could stop the four for long.
The second reason, aside from tempering their Will and broadening their minds, was to speed up their cultivation.
After all, they may have heaven-defying potential, but their current strength would not even stir a ripple in the Cultivation World.
Foundation Building Rank? Core Formation Rank strength?
Whether it was Tier 2 or Tier 3 beings, they were as numerous as the grains of sand, making them inconsequential.
Only after reaching the Void Seed Rank could one acquire a certain status, though only locally.
Void Sapling? Regional hegemon, but not much on the World scale.
However, once one reached the Transcending Tribulation Rank, that was when they could be considered as the World's true Upper echelon.
Still, even among those behemoths, there were insurmountable differences, but for the Mikhailovs, it was the same as if there were none at all.
Having only reached Mid Tier 2 in cultivation, in front of those old Tier 6 monsters, what were they really worth?
Talented juniors if in a good mood, worthless insects if in a bad mood.
Thus, though the chance was low, strength still needed to be increased as quickly as possible to avoid being crushed helplessly by some random high-level cultivators, and working as an Enforcer was bound to have great effects on their cultivation, with every benefit being multiplied by Demian's Perks.
Aside from the obvious cultivation benefits, they would also be able to travel together, visiting those strange lands and witnessing mysterious vistas.
Mixing business with pleasure, how could the four Mikhailovs not be enthusiastic at the idea of working as Enforcers?
Arrogance?
With many brushes with death, any semblance of arrogance in their hearts had been thoroughly destroyed, leaving only an open mind and cautious pride.
Nodding his head, Wang Ling said appreciatively.
"If you keep this mindset, you're bound to reach great heights."
Talent was important for cultivation, but without the right mindset, one was bound to stumble at some point, with most wasting their respective innate potential.
Seeing the calm expression on their faces, he added.
"Also, depending on your first mission result, your Junior Novice Rank could be increased to a Senior Novice Rank. After all, your strength is more than up to par, with only your field experience lacking. It's all up to you, really."
For some strange reason, the word 'Novice' felt slightly grating to Demian's ear, especially with the Junior before it, so hearing dropping the word for the 'Senior' qualifier removed some of his irritation.
Call him petty, but although he was ready to slog for a while as the 'newbie', the young man's mood still improved slightly when he heard the other man's 'promise'.
'Alright, I might be a bit childish.'
Demian thought, amused as he followed behind the Senior Great Enforcer, who was leading them around the Branch Hall.
It took around half an hour, going through the administrative counter, the training ground, the Novice Library, and a few other interesting places, with the Branch Hall Master introducing the four new recruits to those Elite Enforcers and a few Novice Enforcers with high potential, aiming to help them integrate smoothly into the Enforcer's circle.
As for Great Enforcers?
None were present, being on sensitive missions themselves.
After all, having Void Seed strength and with small numbers, their workload was considerable, on the same level as Commanders and Generals from other Halls, though with completely different areas of expertise.
It was even more the case nowadays with the Frost Beast Palace waiting avidly for any mistake on the Federation's part to unleash a massacre, forcing every Hall to constantly stay vigilant, looking out for both external and internal threats.
The former was easier to guard against, but the latter was another matter entirely and something that the Extinguishing Hall had to deal with almost entirely on their own, despite their dire lack of personnel.
Below the Void Seed Rank, it was still manageable, as out of trillions of cultivators, even with the Hall's stringent requirement, it was still possible to amass enough people to staff the Hall.
However, above that was when problems arose, and thus each Great Enforcer had to be deployed strategically, creating gaps in the Federation's internal surveillance.
Of course, despite being somewhat overworked, no Great Enforcer would complain, as with increased responsibility came matching benefits, especially with the Federation's generous policies in place.
Working for both the common good and their own interests, how can they be against it?