First things first, clothes. Don't want no one touching my no-no square.
Fashioning basic coverings with leaves nearby, I set foot towards that walled city in the distance, surrounded by towers and towers of basalt made from the upwarping of colossal veins of rock.
My future smelled like hyacinth, however poetic that is.
On the way there, I felt as though my blood vessels were being reformed.
When you sit down after a lot of standing or when your hand stiffens up after too much of something, don't you feel the blood pooling there?
As if you've felt your veins and arteries for the first time in a lot of time.
That kind of thing was happening to my being. Like a higher form of me was feeling it, then transferring that feeling in flickers of neurons and wisps of consciousness.
It was somehow pooling in the glabella, the abdomen and the midsection. I was on fire, and then I wasn't.
I was in a trance of physical reformation. Nearing the city gates, I could observe it wholly for the first time.
It was magnificent. Dawn had come by now, and the saffron greatcoat the sun put on its earth child bathed me in morning rays of light.
The pagodas and pavilions that surrounded the square wings of the city shone with glowing red light, rising in intensity. It then dissipated, as if drinking the sunbeams that hit its roof tiles.
In cases of first contact with other civilizations, you had to go diplomatically, whilst showing military might.
Individual or not, approaching with peace in mind whilst still presenting a threat gave an incentive to cooperate and a deterrent if the foreigners had any thoughts of escalating the situation.
I had none of those means. My best bet was integrating myself with the local settlements, and learning their culture.
I had no way to make sure I looked like the people inside. I don't even know what I look like. Moreover, I'm only dressed in pale winter green leaves, covering the bare parts.
I considered all the elements around me. I could camp out a merchant that could go into the city? Sneak in? They don't look like they have tech that could detect that. They look real medieval too.
It's decided.
I survived off wildlife for a while. Hunted for rabbits with the sword. Wrapped the blade in leaf and used the hilt and pommel as a hammer. It was very primitive yet effective. After every kill, I would walk a certain amount of time, leaving varying traces.
In the event that people should come after me, they'll either think I'm already dead, just an animal, or multiple people at once.
After having circled the walls 3 times over, on a full moon, there was a caravan. Merchants or messengers from another city. They looked like pig farmers from another city, complete with hats of thatch and bronze skin.
They led thousands of obedient pigs behind them, maybe a reserve food source for the city or a show of economic might for the pig farmers?
I incapacitate a herder in the back trying to herd some unruly hogs back into place. Adorning the whole getup, I thought this might be my ticket to the city. It was.
The moment I entered the city, I blended in with the others and spilled into the entrance gate's retinue.
It was awesome. I saw beasts of unknown make and models, releasing colored breaths, being used as oxen and farm animals.
I saw pilgrims in different outfits, wearing weapons of an antediluvian time, reciting poetry or sutras.
I saw warriors in color-coded clothes, swords and spears and sabres in hand.
I saw vendors, selling trinkets, boons and little rocks to gamble with.
I saw buildings reminiscent of old China, inactive pleasure houses, sect grounds, embassies and taverns. Having the pleasure houses be so close to the entrance was a risky move.
And in the center of it all was a giant skyscraper, complete with grand horns and impossible branch buildings growing in its side.
The people looked east asian.
The next task was to integrate myself into their society. I was lucky with this new body. The moment I saw these people, my facial structure was changed into someone of Korean descent.
Throughout the day, I lived off of pickpocketing and stealing a few skewers here and there, making my way to the tower in the middle. I understood the language and I could speak it at will, but I never learned it.
There was a statue of the Bodhidharma there, a fat man with a grizzly beard, his skin wrought with carvings of a writing system harking back to Han script.
To gain information safely, I need to stay under the radar.
I wandered for a while.
I waded through taverns and pleasure houses. I asked and answered as a wanderer from other cities.
"How much is that cake again?" I would ask a harmless question then see how the conversation would go.
"Seven liangong," He responds.
"It's quite sour for my taste."
"It's quite too expensive for mine."
"Get a smaller portion then?"
The conversation will end with the night coming and dusk arriving and a friend being made.
I made friends with pilgrims, priests, and pilfering children.
I would lay with courtesans, venture into different sections of the all-too-large city, and learn more about the ways of these people.
I would comfort the grieving in their place of the dead.
I stole whole outfits and lived on begging and thievery for a while.
I mapped out the whole city in my head.
To summarize, this place is called K'unlun. It's one of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven.
Their staples of food are mostly pork, crops similar to wheat, sugary sweets, bread, and fish.
A luxury for them, only eaten in celebrations is wine. Apparently, grapes and other fruits were once in great prohibition, nearly being eradicated. Now, their sources of wine are left too scarce for there to be any alcoholics.
The commoner's house is thatched bungalow that can extend into different layouts as time goes on.
The rich man's house is a pagoda or a similar bungalow, only elevated and gated.
K'unlun is very much a martial society. Their martial arts are founded on brutality composed with honor, cruelty for good. Their icon is the Iron Fist, their strongest martial artist, their champion.
It's ruled by the Yu-Ti, their king, and the current Yu-Ti succeeded the previous Yu-Ti as his son. The society divides into two: The sects and clans and the government.
The government is the legal authority and the sects and clans are the martial authorities. Their union as the prominent figures of strength is the Sky Martial Alliance. Through the alliance, candidates for the position of the Iron Fist are chosen and taught by Lei Kung.
Whilst Yu-Ti is the highest position of government, the highest position of martial authority is the Thunderer. There has only been one Thunderer over the possible millenia this realm has lived on, Lei Kung.
The Thunderer is the eldest monk, and the only person other than the Yu-Ti that has eaten from the Peaches of Immortality, which, self-explanatorily, provides immortality.
There are ten sects and three clans. The clans are families that teach and house warriors, primarily related to the main line of succession, but sometimes they do take warriors and mercs under them.
The Huang Clan – Known for their mastery of rituals and political maneuvering; they claim legitimacy as advisors and kingmakers. They're the family from which had the most Yu-Tis, but also usurped the most Yu-Tis, which is pretty funny.
The Zhao Clan – Warriors and mercenaries who wander outside K'un-Lun; they often sell their martial skills but retain royal pride. They've recently undergone a makeover, so they function less like a clan and more like a guild now, employing people from all over the seven cities.
The Shen Clan – Keepers of secret archives and forbidden techniques once reserved for Yu-Ti; they operate from exile in hidden libraries.
The ten sects are different though. There are two factions, the Nine Sects of the Sky, and the Ruined Heaven Sect. The Nine Sects of the Sky are sects constructed by disciples of Lei Kung that did not choose to become the Iron Fist, rather choosing to cement themselves as warriors of K'unlun.
The Ruined Heaven Sect is a sect that isn't headed by disciples of Lei Kung, but rather disciples of the Yu-Tis. The organization is directly funded by the government, which makes them the richest sect.
They're also the representation of the republic in the Sky Martial Alliance, which also acts as the Senate of K'unlun.
The Nine Sects are as following:
Thunderclap Hall – Masters of shockwave strikes and resonance-based martial techniques; led by Disciple Bao Tianlei.
Storm Fist Pavilion – Specialists in channeling electrical chi through weapons; led by Han Shuren.
Dragon's Roar Sect – Emphasizes sonic power in battle cries and chi projection; led by Liang Zhen.
Heavenly Current Sect – Focuses on internal cultivation and endurance through chi "circuits"; led by Mei Huifang.
Iron Gale Sect – Uses swift mobility and aerial maneuvers; led by Zhou Renkai.
Cloudveil Sect – Masters of concealment and misdirection, using mist and vapor techniques; led by Chen Lanying.
Lightning Fang Sect – Animal-style martial artists blending feral combat with chi strikes; led by Wu Jian.
Tempest Coil Sect – A hybrid school of chain weapons and grappling arts; led by Qin Weiguo.
Silent Storm Sect – Practices meditative assassination arts, striking without sound; led by Yin Suyin.
They all center around the interpretation of the martial path of the Thunderer.
It was disbelieving enough to learn that superhumans existed in this world. With everything I've seen, I still don't know my purpose. Am I meant to serve as the envoy of that god or to escape its grasp? The chance to gain power means little to me; I never asked to become a superhuman.
All I wanted was a second chance, not another world. I only wished to enjoy a quiet retirement on my own.
But I can't afford to dwell too much on what I want. If the god truly sees into my thoughts, then every hesitation is a weakness. I must let it believe I am resigned to its will, even as I quietly measure the weight of its chains. Perhaps strength isn't for serving or for my survival and future, but for finding the moment when those chains can break. It's decided. Let's grind.
"Link Start."
My face shone blue in the presence of the floating teal tablet in front of me.
—-
Name: Undecided
Fate: True Sword Saint
Background: Spy
Martial Rank: Third-rate "Water doesn't even bother to ripple when you step in it."
Skills:
Stealth & Infiltration – Moving undetected, blending with crowds, shadow tactics.
Lvl. MAX
Observation & Reconnaissance – Reading environments, noting patterns, gathering intelligence.
Lvl. MAX
Disguise & Mimicry – Impersonation, cultural adaptation, assuming false identities.
Lvl. MAX
Combat Awareness – Quick reflexes, defensive strikes, improvised weapons.
Lvl. MAX
Espionage Tactics – Manipulation, deception, securing information without detection.
Lvl. MAX
Skill Tree:
BODY:
Conditioning – Building stamina, resilience, and control over physical limits.
Basic Swordsmanship – Foundational cuts, thrusts, and forms for survival and duel.
MIND
Consciousness – Awareness of self and surroundings; extends into clarity, focus, and eventually world-understanding.
Processing – Information intake, pattern recognition, mental resilience under stress.
SOUL
Will – Inner determination, ability to resist mental domination and outside influence (including gods).
Resonance – Sense of attunement to the world, possibility of harmonizing with martial paths or weapons.
—-
All of the skills in the skill tree that I can see, I have. With the full mastery of the skill, or LVL. MAX, I can unlock more skills.
I found a spot in the outskirts of the Zhao Clan to practice. If I'm going to get into a sect and display "martial prowess" then I'm going to have to be able to swing a sword at least.