Chapter 196: The Exploding Sun’s Offer
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Chapter 196: The Exploding Sun’s Offer
Garden Ring was the smallest ring of Trial Planet, but it remained hundreds of square miles in size. As a result, the Trial Garden was some ways off the entrance.
The three Lords, their followers, Jack, and the most ambitious of other cultivators broke into a jog. Of course, at their speed, a jog was about as fast as a pre-System humans sprint. Everyone else remained behind to look for their fortune in other gardens. Brock gave his big bro a thumbs-up from afar, which Jack returned. Salin waved. So did Nauja.
Jack didnt let himself get swallowed by sentimentality. There was plenty of time before they reached Trial Garden, so he adjusted his jogging to arrive beside Lady Priya and her team.
Hey, he said.
Hello, brother! Chotuthe jovial fat man who could turn into a golden giantsmiled widely. Kareena, the silver-haired healer, nodded in his direction.
Hello, brother Jack, Priya said. Enjoying the jog?
Jack laughed. At this point, Ive had enough working out for my entire life. Thank the System this is easy.
True. I guess running without being hunted is a rare thing nowadays.
They shared a smile. I wanted to talk to you about my master, Jack cut to the chase.
Brother Shol.
Right. Is he okay? Last time I saw him, his spiritual projection was torn apart by the Dao of a C-Grade. I hope that didnt hurt him.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Oh, of course not. Dont worry. That kind of spiritual projection is minimally tied to its creator. At most, it gave him a light headache.
I see. Thats a relief.
He did speak a lot about you, she added, narrowing her eyes. Said you were a prodigy. A talented man put through the right circumstances. A future prospect of our faction.
Master Shol said that?
As far as Jack could remember, Master Shol had been very light on compliments. He just kept pushing Jack as far as possible.
He did. Im guessing he wasnt as expressive around you, but thats just because he takes being a master very seriously. Hes usually a pretty easygoing man.
Are you sure were talking about the same person?
She laughed. People change depending on the one across from them, Jack. Dont be surprised.
Ill try.
A minute of silence followed. Finally, Priya said, Have you considered his offer? About joining our faction.
Jack almost broke his stride. Youre direct, arent you?
Of course! Thats the way of the Exploding Sun.
Mine, too, Jack agreed, saving time to think about it. Had he considered Master Shols offer?
Actually, did he even have an offer?
Back in the Integration Tournament, Master Shol had talked with his own master, an Elder of the Exploding Sun. Shehis masterhad promised to take in Jack and help protect Earth from the Animal Kingdom, but only if he won the Tournament.
Which he didbut then, the Hand of God pressured the Exploding Sun to back off. Shol defied his masters orders to protect Jack, which ultimately ended with his spiritual projection getting destroyed by the Planetary Overseer.
I didnt think I had an offer, actually, Jack finally replied. Last I heard, it was canceled.
Really? I dont know the details, but Shol was pretty adamant about it when he spoke to me, and his spiritual projection was already destroyed by then. In fact, he insisted that I should try to recruit you at any cost if we met in Trial Planet.
He said that!?
Sure did.
Still Sorry to insist, but I have to ask. It was my understanding that your faction had received pressure fromhe lowered his voice to a whisperthe Hand of God to let me go.
You dont have to be a clown to make friends
Priya and Chuto must have been good friends, because they embarked into a small argument that lasted for a while. Jack, however, wasnt paying attention. His face was calm, but his mind was racing.
Deep-scanning equipment They search anyone who exits Trial Planet His heart was beating fast. Can they find the Life Drop?
The voice had mentioned that nobody could sense the Life Drop without special equipment. Well, someone had special equipment. That sucked. Unless the Hand of God decided they had found everything there was to find, or unless they abandoned the search, Jack was a sitting duck.
When exiting Trial Planet, everyone teleported to one of many set points in the surface, where Hand of God starships were usually waiting to transfer them to the teleporters leading farther inside the galaxy. In other words, there was no way for Jack to escape unseen.
Can I walk all the way to the surface? he wondered. He had entered from a massive staircase in the surface, and there wasnt anyone waiting there. Not all entrances were exits. What other choice do I have?
If this deep-scanning could find his Life Drop, teleporting out would be a problem. If it couldnt, and he was caught sneaking through Trial Planet, they would suspect him, which would also be a problem.
What to do
It was a worrying dilemma. Thankfully, it was also a future dilemma. For now, Jacks goal was simple: enter Trial Garden with the Lords and secure as many advantages as possible for himself.
Jack, Priya spoke again. He turned his head, pretending he was focused all along. Factions aside, every Lord has a quota of two followers, and I have fulfilled it already. If you want to join Trial Garden, you will still have to do it as a treasure hunter.
Right. Of course, I understand. And what exactly does that entail?
Following us around. You help where you can, and you also take some risks that we and our followers want to avoid. Basically, if something is dangerous, you do it.
Jack raised a brow. Like a meat shield?
Exactly.
That doesnt sound like treasure hunting.
You get great treasures in return. Wethe Lordsare only interested in the Top Treasure, and our followers will be rewarded by our factions. Treasure hunters get every other treasure found insideand there are a lot of them.
So, we risk ourselves for treasure.
Sounds more like treasure hunting now, doesnt it?
Jack fought to keep the smile from rising on his lips. Got it. So, our relationship does not extend inside Trial Garden.
Sadly, yes. If everyone played favorites amongst the treasure hunters, it would be chaos
Fine by me. I dont plan to die.
It wasnt just fine. It was perfect. Jack had long set his sights at that Top Treasure. If Priya wasnt going to be his ally, he didnt need to feel bad about taking it from under her noseif he managed.
Jack grimaced. The truth was, he remained underleveled. He lacked the strength to battle the Lords, and it was highly unlikely that he would level up twenty-fives times inside Trial Garden.
Given those, emerging victorious and getting the Top Treasure was a tall task Maybe even an impossible one. He also had to survive after taking the Top Treasure, because the Lords wouldnt be happy. Still, he could a take a look at things. If his chances looked too dim, he wouldnt just throw his life away. Suicide by Lord was how he wanted to go.
However, who knew how things worked in Trial Garden? Maybe the Top Treasure could be claimed through more than battle strength. Maybe there would be a sort of contest between them all. That made sense, because Jack could hardly see the factions sending out their top disciples to duke it out until only one remained alive.
That all goes to say, Jack would be ready. If an opportunity presented itself, he would make sure to be in the perfect situation to utilize it. If there was a chance, he would seize it.
Moreover, this wouldnt be a simple battle of strength, because he couldnt stand against the Lords yet. He would have to use his brainand all the research hed poured into his almost-PhD might finally come in handy!
He couldnt be half-hearted about this. While they journeyed in Trial Garden, he would try to identify everyones strengths and weaknesses, their patterns, along with anything they could exploit.
One might say that this approach didnt fit the Dao of the Fist. But they would be mistaken. The Dao of the Fist had nothing against trying ones best to prevail in a tough situation. Besides, going into battle unprepared was hardly commendable.
No; Jack couldnt just punch his way out of this one. For the first time since the Integration happened He would need an actual plan.
The prospect made him giddy.
Look, brother! Chuto called out, pointing in the distance. We have arrived. Thats it: Trial Garden.
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Chapter 196: The Exploding Sun’s Offer
Garden Ring was the smallest ring of Trial Planet, but it remained hundreds of square miles in size. As a result, the Trial Garden was some ways off the entrance.
The three Lords, their followers, Jack, and the most ambitious of other cultivators broke into a jog. Of course, at their speed, a jog was about as fast as a pre-System humans sprint. Everyone else remained behind to look for their fortune in other gardens. Brock gave his big bro a thumbs-up from afar, which Jack returned. Salin waved. So did Nauja.
Jack didnt let himself get swallowed by sentimentality. There was plenty of time before they reached Trial Garden, so he adjusted his jogging to arrive beside Lady Priya and her team.
Hey, he said.
Hello, brother! Chotuthe jovial fat man who could turn into a golden giantsmiled widely. Kareena, the silver-haired healer, nodded in his direction.
Hello, brother Jack, Priya said. Enjoying the jog?
Jack laughed. At this point, Ive had enough working out for my entire life. Thank the System this is easy.
True. I guess running without being hunted is a rare thing nowadays.
They shared a smile. I wanted to talk to you about my master, Jack cut to the chase.
Brother Shol.
Right. Is he okay? Last time I saw him, his spiritual projection was torn apart by the Dao of a C-Grade. I hope that didnt hurt him.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Oh, of course not. Dont worry. That kind of spiritual projection is minimally tied to its creator. At most, it gave him a light headache.
I see. Thats a relief.
He did speak a lot about you, she added, narrowing her eyes. Said you were a prodigy. A talented man put through the right circumstances. A future prospect of our faction.
Master Shol said that?
As far as Jack could remember, Master Shol had been very light on compliments. He just kept pushing Jack as far as possible.
He did. Im guessing he wasnt as expressive around you, but thats just because he takes being a master very seriously. Hes usually a pretty easygoing man.
Are you sure were talking about the same person?
She laughed. People change depending on the one across from them, Jack. Dont be surprised.
Ill try.
A minute of silence followed. Finally, Priya said, Have you considered his offer? About joining our faction.
Jack almost broke his stride. Youre direct, arent you?
Of course! Thats the way of the Exploding Sun.
Mine, too, Jack agreed, saving time to think about it. Had he considered Master Shols offer?
Actually, did he even have an offer?
Back in the Integration Tournament, Master Shol had talked with his own master, an Elder of the Exploding Sun. Shehis masterhad promised to take in Jack and help protect Earth from the Animal Kingdom, but only if he won the Tournament.
Which he didbut then, the Hand of God pressured the Exploding Sun to back off. Shol defied his masters orders to protect Jack, which ultimately ended with his spiritual projection getting destroyed by the Planetary Overseer.
I didnt think I had an offer, actually, Jack finally replied. Last I heard, it was canceled.
Really? I dont know the details, but Shol was pretty adamant about it when he spoke to me, and his spiritual projection was already destroyed by then. In fact, he insisted that I should try to recruit you at any cost if we met in Trial Planet.
He said that!?
Sure did.
Still Sorry to insist, but I have to ask. It was my understanding that your faction had received pressure fromhe lowered his voice to a whisperthe Hand of God to let me go.
You dont have to be a clown to make friends
Priya and Chuto must have been good friends, because they embarked into a small argument that lasted for a while. Jack, however, wasnt paying attention. His face was calm, but his mind was racing.
Deep-scanning equipment They search anyone who exits Trial Planet His heart was beating fast. Can they find the Life Drop?
The voice had mentioned that nobody could sense the Life Drop without special equipment. Well, someone had special equipment. That sucked. Unless the Hand of God decided they had found everything there was to find, or unless they abandoned the search, Jack was a sitting duck.
When exiting Trial Planet, everyone teleported to one of many set points in the surface, where Hand of God starships were usually waiting to transfer them to the teleporters leading farther inside the galaxy. In other words, there was no way for Jack to escape unseen.
Can I walk all the way to the surface? he wondered. He had entered from a massive staircase in the surface, and there wasnt anyone waiting there. Not all entrances were exits. What other choice do I have?
If this deep-scanning could find his Life Drop, teleporting out would be a problem. If it couldnt, and he was caught sneaking through Trial Planet, they would suspect him, which would also be a problem.
What to do
It was a worrying dilemma. Thankfully, it was also a future dilemma. For now, Jacks goal was simple: enter Trial Garden with the Lords and secure as many advantages as possible for himself.
Jack, Priya spoke again. He turned his head, pretending he was focused all along. Factions aside, every Lord has a quota of two followers, and I have fulfilled it already. If you want to join Trial Garden, you will still have to do it as a treasure hunter.
Right. Of course, I understand. And what exactly does that entail?
Following us around. You help where you can, and you also take some risks that we and our followers want to avoid. Basically, if something is dangerous, you do it.
Jack raised a brow. Like a meat shield?
Exactly.
That doesnt sound like treasure hunting.
You get great treasures in return. Wethe Lordsare only interested in the Top Treasure, and our followers will be rewarded by our factions. Treasure hunters get every other treasure found insideand there are a lot of them.
So, we risk ourselves for treasure.
Sounds more like treasure hunting now, doesnt it?
Jack fought to keep the smile from rising on his lips. Got it. So, our relationship does not extend inside Trial Garden.
Sadly, yes. If everyone played favorites amongst the treasure hunters, it would be chaos
Fine by me. I dont plan to die.
It wasnt just fine. It was perfect. Jack had long set his sights at that Top Treasure. If Priya wasnt going to be his ally, he didnt need to feel bad about taking it from under her noseif he managed.
Jack grimaced. The truth was, he remained underleveled. He lacked the strength to battle the Lords, and it was highly unlikely that he would level up twenty-fives times inside Trial Garden.
Given those, emerging victorious and getting the Top Treasure was a tall task Maybe even an impossible one. He also had to survive after taking the Top Treasure, because the Lords wouldnt be happy. Still, he could a take a look at things. If his chances looked too dim, he wouldnt just throw his life away. Suicide by Lord was how he wanted to go.
However, who knew how things worked in Trial Garden? Maybe the Top Treasure could be claimed through more than battle strength. Maybe there would be a sort of contest between them all. That made sense, because Jack could hardly see the factions sending out their top disciples to duke it out until only one remained alive.
That all goes to say, Jack would be ready. If an opportunity presented itself, he would make sure to be in the perfect situation to utilize it. If there was a chance, he would seize it.
Moreover, this wouldnt be a simple battle of strength, because he couldnt stand against the Lords yet. He would have to use his brainand all the research hed poured into his almost-PhD might finally come in handy!
He couldnt be half-hearted about this. While they journeyed in Trial Garden, he would try to identify everyones strengths and weaknesses, their patterns, along with anything they could exploit.
One might say that this approach didnt fit the Dao of the Fist. But they would be mistaken. The Dao of the Fist had nothing against trying ones best to prevail in a tough situation. Besides, going into battle unprepared was hardly commendable.
No; Jack couldnt just punch his way out of this one. For the first time since the Integration happened He would need an actual plan.
The prospect made him giddy.
Look, brother! Chuto called out, pointing in the distance. We have arrived. Thats it: Trial Garden.
Chapter 196: The Exploding Sun's OfferGarden Ring was the smallest ring of Trial Planet, but it remained hundreds of square miles in size. As a result, the Trial Garden was some ways off the entrance.The three Lords, their followers, Jack, and the most ambitious of other cultivators broke into a jog. Of course, at their speed, a jog was about as fast as a pre-System humans sprint. Everyone else remained behind to look for their fortune in other gardens. Brock gave his big bro a thumbs-up from afar, which Jack returned. Salin waved. So did Nauja.Jack didnt let himself get swallowed by sentimentality. There was plenty of time before they reached Trial Garden, so he adjusted his jogging to arrive beside Lady Priya and her team.Hey, he said.Hello, brother! Chotuthe jovial fat man who could turn into a golden giantsmiled widely. Kareena, the silver-haired healer, nodded in his direction.Hello, brother Jack, Priya said. Enjoying the jog?Jack laughed. At this point, Ive had enough working out for my entire life. Thank the System this is easy.True. I guess running without being hunted is a rare thing nowadays.They shared a smile. I wanted to talk to you about my master, Jack cut to the chase.Brother Shol.Right. Is he okay? Last time I saw him, his spiritual projection was torn apart by the Dao of a C-Grade. I hope that didnt hurt him.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.Oh, of course not. Dont worry. That kind of spiritual projection is minimally tied to its creator. At most, it gave him a light headache.I see. Thats a relief.He did speak a lot about you, she added, narrowing her eyes. Said you were a prodigy. A talented man put through the right circumstances. A future prospect of our faction.Master Shol said that?As far as Jack could remember, Master Shol had been very light on compliments. He just kept pushing Jack as far as possible.He did. Im guessing he wasnt as expressive around you, but thats just because he takes being a master very seriously. Hes usually a pretty easygoing man.Are you sure were talking about the same person?She laughed. People change depending on the one across from them, Jack. Dont be surprised.Ill try.A minute of silence followed. Finally, Priya said, Have you considered his offer? About joining our faction.Jack almost broke his stride. Youre direct, arent you?Of course! Thats the way of the Exploding Sun.Mine, too, Jack agreed, saving time to think about it. Had he considered Master Shols offer?Actually, did he even have an offer?Back in the Integration Tournament, Master Shol had talked with his own master, an Elder of the Exploding Sun. Shehis masterhad promised to take in Jack and help protect Earth from the Animal Kingdom, but only if he won the Tournament.Which he didbut then, the Hand of God pressured the Exploding Sun to back off. Shol defied his masters orders to protect Jack, which ultimately ended with his spiritual projection getting destroyed by the Planetary Overseer.I didnt think I had an offer, actually, Jack finally replied. Last I heard, it was canceled.Really? I dont know the details, but Shol was pretty adamant about it when he spoke to me, and his spiritual projection was already destroyed by then. In fact, he insisted that I should try to recruit you at any cost if we met in Trial Planet.He said that!?Sure did.Still Sorry to insist, but I have to ask. It was my understanding that your faction had received pressure fromhe lowered his voice to a whisperthe Hand of God to let me go.You dont have to be a clown to make friendsPriya and Chuto must have been good friends, because they embarked into a small argument that lasted for a while. Jack, however, wasnt paying attention. His face was calm, but his mind was racing.Deep-scanning equipment They search anyone who exits Trial Planet His heart was beating fast. Can they find the Life Drop?The voice had mentioned that nobody could sense the Life Drop without special equipment. Well, someone had special equipment. That sucked. Unless the Hand of God decided they had found everything there was to find, or unless they abandoned the search, Jack was a sitting duck.When exiting Trial Planet, everyone teleported to one of many set points in the surface, where Hand of God starships were usually waiting to transfer them to the teleporters leading farther inside the galaxy. In other words, there was no way for Jack to escape unseen.Can I walk all the way to the surface? he wondered. He had entered from a massive staircase in the surface, and there wasnt anyone waiting there. Not all entrances were exits. What other choice do I have?If this deep-scanning could find his Life Drop, teleporting out would be a problem. If it couldnt, and he was caught sneaking through Trial Planet, they would suspect him, which would also be a problem.What to doIt was a worrying dilemma. Thankfully, it was also a future dilemma. For now, Jacks goal was simple: enter Trial Garden with the Lords and secure as many advantages as possible for himself.Jack, Priya spoke again. He turned his head, pretending he was focused all along. Factions aside, every Lord has a quota of two followers, and I have fulfilled it already. If you want to join Trial Garden, you will still have to do it as a treasure hunter.Right. Of course, I understand. And what exactly does that entail?Following us around. You help where you can, and you also take some risks that we and our followers want to avoid. Basically, if something is dangerous, you do it.Jack raised a brow. Like a meat shield?Exactly.That doesnt sound like treasure hunting.You get great treasures in return. Wethe Lordsare only interested in the Top Treasure, and our followers will be rewarded by our factions. Treasure hunters get every other treasure found insideand there are a lot of them.So, we risk ourselves for treasure.Sounds more like treasure hunting now, doesnt it?Jack fought to keep the smile from rising on his lips. Got it. So, our relationship does not extend inside Trial Garden.Sadly, yes. If everyone played favorites amongst the treasure hunters, it would be chaosFine by me. I dont plan to die.It wasnt just fine. It was perfect. Jack had long set his sights at that Top Treasure. If Priya wasnt going to be his ally, he didnt need to feel bad about taking it from under her noseif he managed.Jack grimaced. The truth was, he remained underleveled. He lacked the strength to battle the Lords, and it was highly unlikely that he would level up twenty-fives times inside Trial Garden. Given those, emerging victorious and getting the Top Treasure was a tall task Maybe even an impossible one. He also had to survive after taking the Top Treasure, because the Lords wouldnt be happy. Still, he could a take a look at things. If his chances looked too dim, he wouldnt just throw his life away. Suicide by Lord was how he wanted to go.However, who knew how things worked in Trial Garden? Maybe the Top Treasure could be claimed through more than battle strength. Maybe there would be a sort of contest between them all. That made sense, because Jack could hardly see the factions sending out their top disciples to duke it out until only one remained alive.That all goes to say, Jack would be ready. If an opportunity presented itself, he would make sure to be in the perfect situation to utilize it. If there was a chance, he would seize it.Moreover, this wouldnt be a simple battle of strength, because he couldnt stand against the Lords yet. He would have to use his brainand all the research hed poured into his almost-PhD might finally come in handy!He couldnt be half-hearted about this. While they journeyed in Trial Garden, he would try to identify everyones strengths and weaknesses, their patterns, along with anything they could exploit.One might say that this approach didnt fit the Dao of the Fist. But they would be mistaken. The Dao of the Fist had nothing against trying ones best to prevail in a tough situation. Besides, going into battle unprepared was hardly commendable.No; Jack couldnt just punch his way out of this one. For the first time since the Integration happened He would need an actual plan.The prospect made him giddy.Look, brother! Chuto called out, pointing in the distance. We have arrived. Thats it: Trial Garden.
