Three days of travel. Three nights of sleeping with his back to a tree, blade in hand, and eyes half-open.
By the time Kai crested the final ridge, his cloak was tattered and his boots caked in dried mud and blood. But before him, stretching across the valley like a living colossus, stood Verdane.
The martial capital.
The City of Ten Thousand Styles.
Verdane wasn't built to be beautiful. It was built to endure—walls of stone and blacksteel, reinforced towers crackling faintly with defensive arrays, and watchposts manned by cultivators with eyes sharp as blades.
From here, Kai could already feel the pressure. Not the weather—but Ki.
It rolled off the city like heat from a forge.
[Zone Entered: Verdane Outer Ring – Civilian Access Area]Combat Restrictions: No open fighting. Duel Grounds Only.Danger Level: Controlled (Varies by district)]
He stepped into the queue at the front gate, behind merchants, pilgrims, and would-be martial artists like himself. Some wore ornate robes, others ragged traveler's garb. Many had weapons. All had intent.
Kai reached the inspection post.
A young guard, barely older than him but already wearing the bronze badge of a First Ring Initiate, narrowed his eyes at the Embersteel blade at Kai's waist.
"Name?"
"Kai."
"Affiliation?"
"None."
The guard frowned. "Purpose?"
Kai didn't flinch. "To become the strongest."
There was a moment of silence—then the guard smirked. "Right. You and everyone else."
He scanned the travel permit, nodded once, and handed him a bronze token.
[Item Acquired: Verdane Entry Token – Outer Ring Access]
"Try not to die your first week."
Verdane's Outer Ring was chaos.
Vendors hawked spirit herbs and enchanted talismans. Martial schools lined the streets—each boasting signs like "Sword Heaven Style – Accepting Disciples!" or "Raging Fist Sect – No Weaklings Allowed." Loud arguments erupted in alleyways, often ending in duels. And everywhere, there were fighters—some masked, some scarred, some glowing faintly with unnatural Ki.
Kai kept walking, absorbing it all.
Then he noticed something.
Above each person's head, for a brief moment when he focused—
[Scan Successful][Name: Jara Lin | Rank: Iron Fist Novice | Level: 8]
[Name: Dran Ko | Level: 12 | Style: Raging Claw Form (Unstable)]
The higher his Perception, the more he saw.
He grinned slightly.
He was no longer just guessing. He had data. He had leverage.
[Quest Triggered: "Find a Dojo"]Objective: Join a martial school or survive as an independent cultivator.]Time Limit: 7 daysRewards: Skill Unlock + Access to Training GroundsFailure: Reduced system support in hostile zones
Kai looked up at the banners fluttering above the rooftops.
Ten Thousand Styles.But he only needed one.
The right one.