Two weeks quickly passed since Alrin returned from the mission and currently he was sitting in his cave cultivating. In that time he began preparing for the inner disciple competition that was now only a month away. His goal for the competition was for an overwhelming victory to spread his name throughout the sect. As it stood even with all the resources Alara had given him he still had a distance until he reached his fifth core.
This was possibly the greatest downside of his cultivation since he had to absorb exponentially more energy than another cultivator of the same level to get to the next core. While he was still human in a way he had also become a different being when he began this path. Since his body was also his core and soul the energy he would get from regular cultivating was like trying to fill an ocean using only a bottle cap.
Due to this while others may be able sit their lives away in a cave cultivating to reach the next level after level for Alrin that was impossible. Even a thousand lifetimes would not be enough for to reach immortality at his speed.
Luckily he had gotten what he wanted from the mission sh he was able to focus on his cultivation and becoming an inner disciple since he did not need to go on another mission. The only problem with that is that while he had learned to use The Radiance it was unstable and he could not maintain it for long. He had asked Alara for advice but it was simply something she could not help with because his cultivation was too different from the norm to give any practical advice.
His current speculation was that the most likely issues was the fusion of his soul to his body. The problem was that his understanding of all the elements was weak due to his lack of affinity and because of that for a brief moment he wished he could form a Union of Paths with Alara.
Realizing what he just thought Alrin decided to take a break from cultivating and he would go train his body to clear his mind but it was at this moment that Kor finally woke up.
"I make my great return! Now lead the way my servant!" Kor shouted from atop Alrin.
Since it had been some time since he last saw Kor, Alrin let him do as he please for once and took him to eat. Before he did that Alrin sent Vera, Alara, Edward, and Rex a group message telling them that Kor was awake. They all naturally wanted to thank him since he had been helpful on their mission and their cultivation.
"Where are you now?" Vera was the first currently she's a complete mess after blowing of a pill furnace.
"Going to eat he demanded food as soon as he woke up." Alrin sent in response.
"Go to the restaurant we first met it will be my treat." She sent another message after his response.
"I'm on the way!" Alara also sent a message. She was supposed to enter closed door cultivation but was delaying it until after Alrin became an inner disciple.
"I'll get Edward and Rex if you don't show up I will go find you." Vera sent.
"Hahaha." Alara sent in response because she knew why he would not want to.
"..." He had been in a bad mood since a few days ago. "Fine."
Half an hour later the five not counting Kor had met up for the first time since they returned for the mission.
"Now that Kor is awake we can have our victory feast." Vera liked Kor and thought he played an important role in the mission so she had waited for him to wake up despite him being a talking bird.
Hearing that Kor felt touched and flew over to her head, "Finally someone who acknowledges my superiority once I transcend I will allow you to accompany me as my second servant." In his mind that was the greatest of honors.
"Ha! A servant what an honor." Rex started dying of laughter even the others on the side had trouble holding in their laughter.
"Kor, come back or you won't get your meal." Alrin said.
"It's fine Alrin. Kor I thank you for thinking so highly of me." She went along with him treating him as if he was a child.
"Good! No great! Would anyone else like the honor?" Kor said getting more excited.
Hearing that Alara perked up since Kor still did not like her, "I'll be your third servant."
Seeing that it was Alara who responded and feeling Alrin's gaze on him Kor meekly said, "Then let us eat.' He flew off of Vera's head to an empty spot for him having pretended Alara had said nothing.
"Alrin how are you preparations for the inner sect competition?" Alara asked changing the subject after such a blatant rejection. She was also letting the others know he was participating.
"Damn, you are only an outer disciple I forgot." Rex said upon realizing that fact.
"If I can master my new art The Radiance before then, then I will have complete confidence but if I don't if I get a bad match-up their won't be much I can do." He gave an honest assessment of his chances.
"It can't be that hard?" Rex asked.
"My cultivation is special and I was born with 0 affinity towards all the elements."
"Dual cultivating can fix the second pretty easily." Rex said looking towards Alara.
"Speaking of that I heard your date went well maybe your next." Alara countered.
Hearing that the smile on his face vanished, "How did you know?"
"How wouldn't I know or more like who doesn't know?" She said but she was sitting right next to somebody who didn't Alrin.
"Fuuuuck…" He said placing his hands on his face in shame."
"I suggest you avoid drinking from now on Mr Bird Lover. Vera said.
Meanwhile Kor who had been happily eating the food he just got felt a shiver run down his spine as he turned to look at Rex. After a moment of staring be took a few steps back pulling his plate closer to Alrin.
Seeing this everyone could not help but break out in laughter naturally excluding Rex.
"Somebody had to have been missing with me I swear it was a woman when I started kiss—" He stopped talking out of shame.
"Don't worry Ava still had a good time." Vera said.
"Really?" He said excitedly getting his hopes up.
"Yeah but not 2nd date good." Vera crushed those hopes.
"Ugh how strong do I have to be to time travel?" He said hanging his head in shame.
"People outside the sect won't know what happened." Edward said after patting his shoulder trying to comfort him. It didn't help it just made him feel worse.
The conversation continued merrily for quite a while until somebody showed up to ruin it.
"Alara I've returned have you thought about my offer." Spoke a man with curly brown hair gray eyes and dark brown robes wearing the yellow star of a core disciple.
"Zeke I won't tell you again I'd rather give up my cultivation the spend a second with you." Alara calmly told him.
"She taken now you stop wasting our time." Rex said since he also didn't like him.
"What who?" He questioned looking at Rex
Rex only turned to look at Alrin who had just been listening not having planned on intervening.
"A mere outer disciple? Rex even for you this is a bad joke."
"Then why did she not deny it?" He asked him.
"Alara you can't be serious can you?" He asked but she neither confirmed nor denied it but that was enough for him considering how he was always instantly rejected.
"You this is an order follow me out." Zeke said to Alrin trying to make use of his higher rank.
Alrin was going to follow him he actually thought this was a good chance to see how he would fair against a core disciple that was not Alara.
"Alrin you don't have to follow him." Alara said.
"Its fine I want to see how strong core disciples are since I will be one soon." Alrin said to her.
"You are far too arrogant for somebody of no status." Zeke said looking down on some nobody.
"Would my status not rise if I defeat a core disciple?" Alrin replied.
Hearing that Zeke was about to immediately attack him but Alara and Vera quickly stopped him.
"Resorting to a sneak attack? Do you have no shame?" Alara asked as her petals surrounded him.
"Sneak attack? I was simply about to discipline an unruly outer disciple." He said as if that was completely okay.
"Zeke you can either have a sanctioned spar since that is what he wants or you can leave." Vera said.
"Fine I'll humor him but don't blame me if he unable to move for months." He said walking out first.
Upon hearing that the others wanted to laugh but held it again. His ability heal was a great trump card for against those unable to expect it.
"Alrin are you confident he may be the weakest but he is still a core disciple." Alara asked.
"Its rare to have such a good chance to go all out without any worries." Alrin said.
"Very good no servant of mine should be afraid of a fight." Kor said.
"Make sure you win you can't embarrass our master." Vera lightly joked.