Wind howled across the ruins of the Ashlock Clan. The old banners—once proud, now faded to gray—flapped against shattered beams. Dust and blood mingled in the air. Charred bone fragments crunched under the boots of looters who'd long since come and gone.
And beneath a fractured training platform, buried under the debris of a fallen shrine, Roth opened his eyes.
Every breath was a struggle. Pain bloomed in his side like wildfire. His thoughts swam in darkness, half-formed and spinning—then a sharp voice echoed through his skull.
Codex Booting... Host body recognized... Synchronization rate: 97.4%... Soul binding complete.
The world came into focus.
A pale sky stretched above the broken tiles. Moondust drifted down, catching on iron-red blood trails smeared across the courtyard. Roth tried to sit up, only to groan and fall back against scorched earth. His body wasn't his own—not completely.
Flashes of memory flooded him. The last moments of his past life: betrayal, fire, a cold dagger in his back. Then... darkness. A second chance?
His fingers twitched. Something shimmered faintly above his palm—transparent glyphs pulsing in pale blue.
A soft chime rang in his mind.
+---------------- Codex Interface ----------------+
| Soul Grade Gauge
| [ Qi Initiate ▓░░░░░░░░░░ 4% ]
| ↳ Synchronization: Stable
| Sect Favor
| [ ░░░░░░░░░░ 0% ]
| ↳ No active disciples
| Spirit Points
| [ ██████████ 100/100 ]
| ↳ Fully Recovered
| Affinity Wheel
| - Fire *
| - Water *
| - Earth *
| - Spirit *
| Talent Slots
| 1. [Empty]
| 2. [Empty]
| Active Alerts
| - Initialization Protocol Running
| [Scan] [Copy] [Fuse] [Evolve] [Archive] [⚙️Settings]
+---------------------------------------------------+
Roth's heart pounded. The Codex… it was real. He had heard rumors—ancient fragments of scripture passed in whispers across the Immortal Realm. A living system, bound to souls destined to shape fate itself. Now it was his.
Just as he was lost in thought something shuffled nearby. Roth turned his head.
A wiry youth in tattered robes crouched beneath a collapsed pavilion beam, watching him with wide, wary eyes. Dirt streaked his cheeks, and a crude dagger trembled in his grip.
"You're awake," the boy said. "You... you were twitching in your sleep. I thought you were gonna die again."
Roth coughed and winced. "Name?"
"Hai'er," the boy said, voice small. "Apprentice medic. Or... was. The Ashlock are gone."
Roth looked around. Ashlock. Yes. That was the name tied to this body. A laughingstock of a branch clan, mocked for their decline and their name alike. Ash from fire long since extinguished.
Hai'er edged closer. "I dragged you out after the looters left. You stopped breathing for a bit."
"I came back," Roth said, more to himself than to Hai'er.
Another chime sounded in his mind. The Codex responded to his awareness:
Host vitals stabilized. Primary scan unlocked.
Roth raised a hand and whispered, "Codex, scan vicinity."
The interface pulsed:
+---------------- Codex Interface ----------------+
| Soul Grade Gauge
| [ Qi Initiate ▓░░░░░░░░░░ 4% ]
| Spirit Points
| [ ██████████ 100/100 ]
| Active Alerts
| - Hostile signature: 72 meters west
| - Environmental hazard: unstable spirit ore detected
| [Scan] Cooldown: 24h
+---------------------------------------------------+
Footsteps crunched on loose gravel.
Roth turned his head.
Six men stepped into the shattered courtyard, each bearing mismatched armor, jagged spirit-blades, and sneers like wolves tasting blood.
Bandits.
The leader—a thick-jawed man with a scar running from brow to chin—spat into the dirt.
"Well, well," he drawled. "Roaches still crawling out of the Ashlock rubble, huh?"
He fixed his gaze on Roth.
"Didn't think any of your sorry clan were left standing. Guess I missed a spot."
Roth didn't move.
"You got guts, I'll give you that," the man said, drawing a curved saber wreathed in faint green flame. "Now hand over whatever artifact that is glowing by your hand, and maybe we let you limp away with a few fingers."
Hai'er froze, eyes darting between Roth and the approaching gang. "We should run—"
"No," Roth muttered.
The Codex pulsed again. Roth focused on the leader's blade. Its aura shimmered—basic fire-element infusion, low stability. The Codex recognized it.
Analyzing... Talent Signature: Emberlash (Common).
Roth whispered: "Copy Emberlash."
SP drained. The interface shifted.
+---------------------------------------------------+
| Talent Slots
| 1. [Core] Emberlash (Common)
| 2. [Empty]
| Affinity Wheel
| - Fire ** ↳ Copied Shard Amplified
+---------------------------------------------------+
Flames licked up Roth's right arm, swirling into a blade-shaped arc of raw force.
The bandit leader blinked. "What the—?"
Roth moved.
He surged forward—not fast by cultivator standards, but fast enough for a half-dead man. His fist ignited mid-swing. Flame shaped itself into a curved arc, tracing the same path he'd just scanned. He slammed it straight into the lead bandit's saber hand.
Bone cracked. Fire exploded across the man's sleeve.
He screamed.
"Get him!" another shouted.
The group rushed him, but Roth was already moving sideways. He swept his arm in a wide arc—Emberlash extending in a whiplike trail. It caught the second bandit in the thigh, searing through cloth and skin. The man collapsed with a howl.
Hai'er shouted, "Behind you!"
Roth ducked. A dagger whistled past his shoulder. He twisted, catching the would-be attacker with a fist to the gut. Emberlash flared on impact, launching the man into a pile of rubble with a burst of cinders.
Codex updated:
+---------------------------------------------------+
| Spirit Points
| [ ████████░ 85/100 ]
| Talent Shard: Emberlash (Uses: 3/10)
| Active Alerts
| - Minor Wound Detected (Rib Bruise)
+---------------------------------------------------+
The fourth bandit hesitated, watching two of his comrades writhe on the ground.
Roth straightened, eyes burning.
"Want to say something clever?" he asked.
The man stammered, then turned to flee.
"You're not worth a copy," Roth said coldly.
He turned his gaze to the leader, who was clutching his burned arm, trying to smother the lingering flames.
"Y-You're a monster," the man choked.
"I'm a librarian," Roth replied. "But I'm learning to be more than that."
With one final flick, Emberlash coiled around his fingers and hissed out. Roth lowered his hand.
The leader bolted. The last two followed.
Hai'er stared, stunned.
"Y-You didn't even kill them?"
"I didn't have to," Roth said. "Fear spreads faster than fire. The Ashlock don't need to die quietly in a ditch."
He turned to face the broken inner courtyard.
"They're going to rise."
Hai'er's lip trembled. "I… I thought it was all over."
"It was," Roth said, accessing the Codex again. "But now, we begin something new."
+---------------- Codex Interface ----------------+
| Sect Favor
| [ ▓░░░░░░░░░░ 6% ] ↳ New recruit detected: Hai'er (Apprentice Tier)
| Spirit Points
| [ ████████░ 85/100 ]
| Talent Slots
| 1. [Core] Emberlash (Common)
| Active Alerts
| - Cooldown: Copy 59m
| - Emberlash Stability: 93%
| - Potential fusion match: "Steel Bloom" (locked)
+---------------------------------------------------+
Hai'er blinked as his name appeared faintly inside the floating interface.
"I'm in the Codex?" he asked.
"You are now part of something that's going to change everything," Roth said.
He looked up toward the ridge where the sun was rising. The Ashlock were ashes no longer. Not under his watch.
"I'm going to build a sect," he said.
Hai'er gawked. "A sect?"
"Yes. Not just one. A new kind of sect. One that remembers every battle, every talent, every betrayal." Roth's voice sharpened. "One that adapts. Learns. Copies."
He flexed his fingers. Sparks danced between them.
"The Thousand Codex Pavilion."
Hai'er gave a breathless laugh. "That's insane."
"No," Roth said. "That's history—rewritten."
Hai'er helped Roth limp back into what remained of the Ashlock's inner sanctum—little more than broken walls and collapsed halls. The once-proud Spirit Grove was a graveyard of withered trees, their roots choked by blood and ash.
Still, the well remained intact.
And beneath the shrine, the Codex pulsed.
As Hai'er cleared debris from a crumbled stairway, Roth sat cross-legged beside the old cultivation altar, letting the Codex hum through his thoughts.
He whispered: "Archive mode."
The air shimmered. A spectral interface hovered before him.
+---------------- Codex Archive: Entry 0001 ----------------+
| Title: Ashlock Reclamation
| Host: Roth | Realm: Qi Initiate | Spirit Points: 85/100
| Allies: 1 (Hai'er – Apprentice Tier)
| Talent Slots: 1/20
| Current Goal: Establish Sect Base
| Long-Term Directive: Rebuild Pavilion | Codex Expansion Tier: 0
+----------------------------------------------------------+
It remembers everything, Roth thought. Every fight. Every talent. Every name I take into the fold.
He opened the newly unlocked menu: Sect Builder.
+---------------- Codex Subsystem: Sect Builder ----------------+
| Available Structure Blueprints:
| - Codex Shrine (Tier 0) – Requires: Spirit Core, 1 Disciple
| - Library Node (Locked)
| - Training Hall (Locked)
| - Talent Crucible (Locked)
| Active Members:
| - Roth (Archivist) – Qi Initiate
| - Hai'er (Recruit) – No Talent Assigned
| Sect Favor: 6%
| Spirit Core Detected Nearby [Source: Broken Altar]
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
"Hai'er," Roth called.
The youth stumbled in, dragging a cracked stone disc lined with sigils. "This what you wanted?"
Roth smiled. "Exactly."
With effort, he lifted the cracked altar core and set it in place atop the shrine's old pedestal. A pulse ran through the air—like a heartbeat. Blue light surged through the cracks, spreading into the ground.
The Codex interface flashed.
> Spirit Core Linked.
> Codex Shrine Activated.
> Thousand Codex Pavilion Established (Tier 0)
> Unlock: Talent Sharing Function (Locked until 3 disciples)
Hai'er stumbled back as a ring of glyphs spun around him, mapping his spirit vein structure. Roth watched as the system evaluated him.
> Potential Detected:
> - Talent Seed: Keen Hands (Uncommon)
> - Spirit Root Alignment: Water (Weak)
> Recommend: Passive Talent Slot Assignment
> Assign [Keen Hands] to Hai'er? (Cost: 5 SP)
"Yes," Roth said.
Hai'er gasped as a warmth spread through his fingertips. The trembling in his fingers stilled. His eyes widened as he flexed his hands. "I… I can feel the threads of energy… like I'm holding a scalpel again."
"Better than before," Roth said. "Your hands won't shake again."
Hai'er dropped to his knees. "Master Roth, I…"
"I'm no master. I'm just the first librarian of the Codex. The Pavilion is what we'll build together."
Another notification flashed:
> Sect Favor: [ ▓▓░░░░░░░░░ 12% ]
> New Role Assigned: Roth (Acting Pillar Master – Scan)
But Roth's gaze drifted to the western horizon.
"What's out there?" he asked.
Hai'er looked up. "Past the Ember Hills? A reclusive cultivator named Yao lives in the cliffs. People say he's a hermit who once trained in the Vermillion Forge Sect. A fire cultivator."
Roth stood slowly, the Codex interface shifting with his intent.
Codex Objective: Recruit First Pillar Cultivator
His affinity wheel flickered.
| Affinity Wheel
| - Fire ** ↳ Stable
| - Water *
| - Earth *
| - Spirit *
| Talent Slots
| 1. Emberlash (Common) ↳ Uses: 3/10
| 2. [Empty]
"Then we'll go to him," Roth said.
"You want to fight him?" Hai'er asked.
"No," Roth said, grinning. "I want to impress him."
They left at dawn.
The path to the Ember Hills wound through a canyon of red stone and brittle quartz. Along the way, Roth used the Codex to scan low-spirit life—desert lizards, glimmer wasps, a dead ash serpent. Most were too weak to be worth copying. But he noted one commonality: every creature had some trait the Codex could index.
By late afternoon, the trail steepened. Carved steps—weathered by time—led to a monastery embedded in the cliffside. Sculptures of burning monks lined the trail, their eyes blindfolded with braided ashcloth.
A voice called from the heights above.
"Turn back. This is sacred ground."
Roth stepped forward. "I seek the one called Yao."
Silence.
Then: "State your intent."
"I'm building a sect. Not for glory. For legacy. I have the Codex."
Silence again. Then the statues began to glow. Runes burned in their chests.
Hai'er backed away. "Is this a test?!"
Roth didn't flinch.
"Challenge accepted," the voice said. "Survive the Flame Path. Then we speak."
The nearest statue burst to life, eyes burning red. It lunged forward, flame-tipped staff whirling.
Roth activated Emberlash.
> Spirit Points: [ ███████░░ 72/100 ]
> Active Talent: Emberlash (Common) ↳ Uses: 4/10
The burning monk struck. Roth deflected with a burst of flame, spinning past its attack and slamming his fist into its core. Stone cracked—but didn't break.
Three more statues lit up.
"Four at once?!" Hai'er shouted.
"Stay back!" Roth barked.
One statue struck high, another low. Roth ducked, rolled, and countered with a sweeping arc of fire. The third statue ignited, exploding into shards—but not before the fourth struck him in the shoulder.
> Alert: Minor Burn
> Spirit Points: [ ██████░░░ 60/100 ]
Roth gritted his teeth, grabbed the shattered remains of the first statue's staff, and hurled it like a javelin at the final monk. It pierced its head. The statue stilled—then collapsed.
The path lit up. Glyphs shimmered beneath Roth's feet.
From above, the monk stepped out.
Old. Stooped. Hair like burnt threads.
He studied Roth silently. "You learned Emberlash by watching?"
"I copied it," Roth said. "Then adapted it."
"Impossible," Master Yao muttered.
"Not with the Codex."
Roth activated the interface.
+---------------- Codex Interface ----------------+
| Scan Ready
| Scanning: Master Yao
| Results:
| - Core Talent: Volcano Body (Rare)
| - Passive Talent: Heat Conversion (Rare)
| - Affinity: Fire (High), Earth (Moderate)
| Recommendation: Copy Locked (Pavilion Tier too low)
| Suggestion: Recruit to unlock Rare-tier Fuse tree
+---------------------------------------------------+
"So? You've read me like an old scroll. What now?"
"I offer a seat at the foundation," Roth replied. "Not as a servant. As a Pillar."
Yao stared into the distance. "My disciples all died in wars over empty titles."
"I'm not offering a title," Roth said. "I'm offering permanence."
Yao exhaled slowly. "Very well. I will join. If only to see what rises from this ash."
The Codex pulsed.
> Pillar Master Recruited: Yao (Fire / Earth Affinity)
> Pavilion Tier Increased: 1
> Copy Function (Rare-tier): Unlocked
> Fuse Tree: Ember Core [Flame Branch Level 1] Active
> Talent Slot Unlocked (2/20)
Roth bowed.
The Thousand Codex Pavilion had taken its first true breath.
That night, beneath crimson stars, Roth sat atop the cliff with Hai'er, watching their flame flicker inside the old monastery.
Hai'er whispered, "We actually did it. We have a Pillar Master. A real one."
"We have the Codex," Roth said. "That means the world changes on our terms now."
A wind stirred the valley below. Somewhere out there, other factions were stirring. Rivals. Cults. Empires.
Roth's fingers closed around the Codex's pulse in his palm.
Let them come.
He would copy what they knew.
And build something none of them could ever destroy.