From zero to... well, slightly more than zero.
---
Morning dew coated the grass, birds chirped, and our noble sect master—barefoot, half-starved, and still muddy—was screaming joyfully.
"HAHAHAHA! You dare mock me, frogs?! I AM A GOD WITHIN MY SECT!"
He had just blown up another frog demon with a stick. Only within the 0.5-meter radius around his tiny mud hut, of course. Outside that radius, the frogs stared blankly.
He stepped out.
Croak.
Croak.
Slap.
"GAH! MY FACE!"
Back inside the boundary.
He rubbed his cheek, which now had a froggy footprint.
---
> System [Objective: Recruit 1st disciple]
System [Reward: Expand sect domain to 5 meters]
System [Warning: You currently look like a swamp zombie. Consider grooming.]
"I'll recruit a disciple," he muttered, "even if it's a chicken wearing a fake beard."
He looked around.
There was a chicken nearby.
It was wearing a napkin.
He shook his head. "No. Not yet."
---
The Road to Recruitment (and Dumplings)--
He put on his finest robe—aka, the least torn one with only two holes in the back—and made his way to the market.
As he arrived in Mudbelly Village Square, the villagers paused.
"…Is that the scarecrow?"
"No pants again?"
"Actually, I think that is a robe…"
"Pretty sure that's a curtain."
He ignored the whispers. He had a goal. And he had a plan.
---
He stood on a barrel and shouted:
"Gather 'round, future legends! Your path to cultivation GLORY starts here! Join my sect and become IMMORTAL!"
No one reacted.
He raised a finger dramatically. "Our sect has mystical power! Supernatural food! A talking chicken—"
"Still just you, isn't it?"
"…Okay, yes, but! Power beyond your wildest dreams—within a small radius."
"Sounds fake."
A child threw a turnip at him.
---
He slumped down and sighed. "Maybe I should accept the chicken…"
Then he saw her.
---
Mysterious Girl with a Bag of Problems--
She looked about 15, wore patched clothes, and carried a giant sack full of something that kept clinking ominously. Her eyes were sharp, her step quick, and her expression said, 'I will bite if necessary.'
She approached the dumpling stall.
"One bun," she said.
The vendor scoffed. "Got money?"
She hesitated. "Can I pay with this golden tooth?"
"…Where'd you get that?"
She looked away. "I found it."
"In a mouth?"
"Possibly."
---
As the vendor hesitated, our protagonist leapt into action.
"This noble maiden shall not be denied dumplings!" he declared.
He slapped a single copper coin on the counter. The last coin he had. His survival fund.
The girl blinked.
"…Do I know you?"
"You do now! I am the Sect Master of the mighty—ahem—Scarecrow Sect! Join me, and you shall have food, glory, power, and a moderately stable roof!"
She stared.
"You're standing in a crate."
"Vision, not present!"
---
She took the dumpling and bit it.
"…This tastes like sadness."
"Correct. That's the flavor of potential."
She looked at him again. "You're weird. But I like weird."
He coughed. "So… does that mean you're joining?"
She nodded.
"Why not? I've got nowhere else to go. And you paid for food. That makes you better than 98% of people I've met."
> System [Ding! First disciple recruited!]
System [Sect Territory expanded: 0.5m → 5m]
System [Title Unlocked: 'Slightly Credible Leader']
He almost cried.
---
Return to the Sect (Now With People!)--
They walked back toward the mud hut. She raised an eyebrow as it came into view.
"This is your sect headquarters?"
"Soon to be headquarters. Right now, it's more of a head-corner."
"And you're the master?"
"Yes."
"…You sure you're not just a delusional hobo?"
"High possibility, but system says otherwise."
"System?"
He pulled her into the 5-meter radius.
Instantly, her body glowed faintly.
"Wha—what is this feeling?" she asked. "I suddenly feel… stronger?"
He smirked. "Welcome to the domain of a god."
---
> System [First Disciple Stats Detected]
Name: Li Yao
Age: 15
Background: Orphan / Possible Grave Robber
Spiritual Root: Average
Temperament: Sharp-Tongued, Loyal (Eventually)
Combat Potential: Mid-tier with proper training
Hunger Level: Critical
> System [Disciples now receive buff based on Sect Master's cultivation (inside domain only).]
System [You may now open your first Peak.]
"Wait… Peak?"
---
Peak System Unlocked!--
> System [Explanation: As your disciples grow, you may create "Peaks" — specialized training areas to develop different skills or types of cultivators.]
System [You currently have one eligible Peak: "Broomstick Peak."]
System [Would you like to create this Peak now?]
"…Broomstick Peak?" he muttered.
Li Yao looked curious. "Did you say broomstick?"
"Don't question greatness."
He mentally confirmed.
---
The mud shook. A glowing sign appeared on a nearby rock:
[BROOMSTICK PEAK – Home of Swift Cleaning and Even Swifter Combat]
A broom materialized out of thin air and stuck itself upright in the ground.
"…Is this a joke?"
The broom sparkled with faint lightning.
> System [Artifact: Thunder Cleaning Broom (Rank: Mortal High)]
"…Nope. Not a joke."
---
Training Begins--
"Alright, Li Yao. Time for your first lesson."
He handed her the broom.
She stared at it.
"…You want me to clean?"
"No. I want you to master the art of agile sweeping combat."
She looked skeptical.
Ten minutes later, a frog tried to sneak into the sect border.
She whipped the broom and—
BOOM!
The frog went flying.
She blinked.
"Okay. That was kinda cool."
---
> System [Disciples who use unique training methods within peaks improve faster.]
System [Your disciple's broom proficiency has risen to 12%.]
"Next lesson," he said. "You must sweep the world clean of injustice."
She snorted. "You're lucky I'm poor and desperate."
He grinned. "You're lucky I'm insane and overpowered."
---
Meanwhile, Outside the Domain…--
A group of rogue cultivators stood near the edge of the forest, watching from afar.
"Hey, isn't that the idiot from Mudbelly?"
"Looks like he built a hut. With a disciple?"
"Haha! He thinks he's a sect master!"
They approached, weapons out.
---
"Oi, scarecrow," the leader sneered. "You're trespassing on bandit territory. Time to pay your tax."
The protagonist stepped out of his 5-meter domain.
He immediately lost his glow.
"Wait—"
BONK!
He got punched in the nose.
---
He scrambled back inside.
> System [Domain Buff Activated]
He picked up the Thunder Cleaning Broom.
Stepped just enough outside the hut to wave it once.
CRASH!
BOOM!
ZAP!
The bandits flew like fireworks.
"DON'T COME BACK UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SWEPT!"
---
Li Yao whispered, "Okay, you're insane… but this is kinda fun."
He dusted off his robe.
"Yes. This… is only the beginning."
---
> System [Next Objective: Reach 10 Disciples.]
System [Reward: Sect Territory expands to 25 meters. Second Peak unlocked.]
System [Bonus Title Pending: 'Slightly Feared Leader.']
---
End of Chapter 2
--to be continued