The two sect members at the reception stopped him and asked for his ID, since they couldn't see his name in the system.
He hadn't registered yet, which would automatically happen once he stepped onto the path of cultivation.
The system offered countless functions, and one of them was the [Faction Function].
This function worked much like computers did for a company.
It kept track of everything and automatically handled tasks like data management about sect members, contribution points earned, trading sales, and even payments made between members, all while maintaining complete privacy.
Of course, it didn't handle everything by itself, which was why each department had sect members managing what got recorded and what didn't.
The entire territory of the sect, including its different regions, buildings, departments, and structures, was constantly managed and monitored by the system.
It tracked everyone who came and went, how each resource was used, exchanged, or traded, and every transaction made between sect members or with outsiders.
If anything went wrong, the system would immediately alert the officials.
Since the system was a separate universal-level entity, there was no chance of scams unless someone used brute force, like threatening a seller to lower their prices, or simply killing them and taking their goods.
Because Ethan hadn't registered with the system yet, it automatically marked him as an intruder and alerted the sect members at the reception of the [Alchemy and Research Department].
"Show us your ID," one of them said in a rough, no-nonsense tone.
Ethan showed them a thin, stone shard shaped like a small android phone. It had his name engraved on one side and strange markings on the other.
The system scanned it through their perception, and once it confirmed he had clearance, they returned the shard to him.
"You're a new member. You only have clearance for the ground floor. If you're here to join the department, go into that room and find yourself a task to complete," one sect member instructed.
"Friendly advice, if you're looking to earn immediate system gold, this is not the place for you," the second sect member added.
"Why do you say that?" Ethan asked.
"Well, most of the tasks are search and gather type. If you don't have the knowledge about what you're looking for, it could take you days to complete them," he explained.
"I still want to check it out," Ethan said, waving his hand. "Thanks for the advice, though."
Ethan went straight down the large hallway and entered the room.
The room was huge, more like a hall, with dozens of shelves filled with various items.
Bottles, jars of specimens, animal remains, colorful gooey substances, books, scrolls, strange objects, and different kinds of handy equipment and tools lined the shelves.
In front of each shelf were neatly arranged wooden tables with chairs.
"What's your business here?" one of the people sitting at a shelf asked.
"I'm looking to join the [Alchemy and Research Department]," Ethan replied.
"…You're a new sect member?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You have to be registered with the system to officially join any department. But you can still take up basic-level tasks if you're up for it," she said with a slight smile.
"I'll take it," Ethan nodded.
"Okay." The woman grabbed three long sheets of paper, stamped together and placed between two books, and handed them to Ethan.
"The task is simple. Collect these three herbs in whatever amount you can. The more you collect, the more system gold you'll receive."
"How will you pay me since I haven't registered with the system?" Ethan asked.
Only those registered could use the system's gold transaction functions.
"You'll be paid in copper coins until your system registration is complete. The sect will consider them as system gold, and after registration, the system will automatically convert your copper coins into system gold," she explained.
"I understand. Thanks." Ethan nodded and turned toward the exit with the three papers in hand.
The woman watched him leave with a small smile.
"You're drooling," a man sitting nearby remarked.
"Oh, shut up," the woman rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous that he's better looking than you."
"Why would I be jealous of that idiot? He's just gone out to look for herbs that are both hard to find and even harder to differentiate from other plants," the man replied, shrugging his shoulders as if he truly wasn't jealous of Ethan.
"Hmph. You're so bitter," the woman said, rolling her eyes again before going back to her work.
...
Ethan read through the papers.
He wasn't an idiot.
He had lived as an elf in one of his past lives, and elves were known for their herbal medicine.
He had also lived as a human mage, a very powerful mage, talented in both magic and potion-making.
He had created hundreds of potion recipes and cured thousands of people using just herbs, healing all kinds of diseases, wounds, and sicknesses.
For him, locating herbal plants wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, each world possessed different kinds of herbs with different effects, but it wasn't impossible to deduce their properties by appearance, taste, smell, and the environment they grew in.
"Savia romarius, Cenila sastica, and Agasthma betulla? Their names are unfamiliar," Ethan muttered as he looked at the pictures of the plants printed on the papers and the effects listed below.
"I guess their names don't matter, as long as I get the same results."
"Now, to look for them… right, that place." Ethan smiled as he headed toward a very specific forest, the same forest where he had woken up that morning.
Within a few minutes, he stood before the giant gate leading into the forest.
When he brought out his ID, the gate seemed to recognize his clearance and opened on its own.
Walking through the forest, he came across some sect members wandering around, most of them seemingly couples.
"I wonder if these people are doing nasty stuff in the forest… I sure hope I don't come across any," Ethan muttered, shaking his head.
After a few more minutes of walking, he arrived at the same pond he had been near when he first woke up in this world.
Ethan looked around.
Seeing the area empty, he undressed and stepped into the pond.
The pond was about twelve feet deep and very cold.
Holding his breath, Ethan began searching for two of the three herbal plants.
Since the water was crystal clear, it was easy for him to spot them.
These two plants grew underwater, thriving in naturally concentrated energy.
It was because of their properties that the water was so clear.
But that alone wasn't enough to identify them easily, as there were many plants that grew underwater that looked nearly identical.
After about an hour of searching, with a few short intervals to catch his breath, he finally gathered a handful of the two herbs.
"So cold… damn this weak body," Ethan muttered as he sat under a nearby tree, warming himself in the afternoon sunlight.
After a few more minutes, he dressed and checked the papers he had collected: Savia romarius and Cenila sastica.
"Agasthma betulla… it has extremely strong healing properties. It has dark purple leaves with zig-zag lightning-like patterns and smells like ashes…" Ethan read from the paper, shaking his head slightly.
"Now this will be a pain to find…" He clicked his tongue.
"This usually grows in nooks and crannies…"
Ethan began searching for the plant.
After two hours, he found some, but it wasn't enough to earn a large amount of system gold.
So, he returned to the pond and collected another round of Savia romarius and Cenila sastica.
After that, he headed back to the central palace and went straight to the [Alchemy and Research Department].
Before he left the place, he filled up two bottles with pond water because he was planning to use it for himself.
He also wasn't planning on giving away everything he had collected, he intended to keep about 30% of the herbs for his own use.
There was still about an hour before sunset by the time he reached the [Alchemy and Research Department] building.
"Look, he's back, probably empty-handed too," a man sitting in the common room said.
"Shut up," the woman replied and stood up to speak to Ethan.
"I've gathered the herbs," Ethan said as he laid out the bundles, neatly tied with thread and keeping the roots intact.
"You did?" The woman sounded surprised as she checked the herbs, inspecting each leaf carefully.
"These seem about right… do you already have knowledge about alchemy?" the woman asked curiously.
"Some… I mostly used the information on the paper you gave me to find them," Ethan replied with a nod.
"How much will I get for them?" Ethan asked.
"Um… one second." The woman replied as a system prompt appeared in front of her eyes, something only those registered with the system could see.
[Estimating the value of the herbs…]
[Estimated value: 155 Gold]
"155 gold," the woman said, then handed him a pouch containing 155 copper coins.
"Thanks… and one more thing. Is there any way I can borrow alchemy equipment from the department?" Ethan asked, hiding the pouch inside his robe.
"Well, department members can borrow equipment for free, but you haven't joined the department yet, so…" The woman shook her head before continuing.
"Is there any other way?" Ethan asked with a sigh.
The system registration would happen automatically once Ethan took his first step on the path of cultivation, in this case beginning Qi cultivation.
It would still take a few more days, during which the sect would teach the basics of cultivation, theories, and physical training.
Ethan was planning to use that free time to strengthen his body faster by brewing special potions.
But for that, he needed equipment, which he could only get from this department.
Buying equipment wasn't an option since he didn't have enough gold, leaving borrowing as his only choice.
"Well, I could let you rent mine if you're willing to pay, since I'm not using it for the time being," the woman suggested.
"How much?" Ethan asked.
"10 gold per day, and I'm not negotiating," the woman said with a smile.
Ethan didn't reply immediately, he still didn't know the basic costs of living here, like how much meals or rooms would cost.
"Tell me, how much does a meal cost here?" Ethan asked.
"1 gold equals 1 meal," the woman replied.
"Fine…" Ethan said.
"The system will oversee the transaction and report to the Security Department if either of us tries to scam the other, so you don't need to worry about that," the woman explained as another system prompt appeared.
[Contract created]
[The contractor, Shuri, will receive 10 gold from the contractee for every day the contractee (Unregistered Awakener) borrows her alchemy equipment.]
With that, Ethan handed her 10 copper coins.
As soon as she received them, another prompt appeared.
[System Gold Increased: +10]
"Wait here, I'll bring my equipment," the woman said.
After a few minutes, she returned with a backpack containing all her tools: a cauldron, mortar and pestle, alembic, a couple of jars, a funnel, a spoon, and a strainer.
"By the way, my name is Shuri," she introduced herself.
"Ethan," he replied, taking the equipment before leaving without another word.
...
[A/N: If you liked this chapter, don't forget to donate some POWER STONES and add it to your library. No pressure! Thank you for checking out the novel.]