I was crouched among the shards of broken tiles, brushing off dust from scattered jade fragments, when the first ripple hit the courtyard.
[ System Notice ]
Pioneer Players Approaching Sect Master.
I straightened. Already?
One by one, figures started appearing from the edges of the ruined courtyard. Some stumbled, some carefully stepped, and a few just froze in awe.
Great. My first disciples had arrived—and they were about to drive me insane.
The first to speak was a boy with messy robes, practically bouncing in place. "Uh… Sect Master? We were told… quests? Instructions? Or… chores?"
Chores? I blinked. "Chores? You mean… cleaning my ruined courtyard?"
The boy's eyes sparkled. "Yes! That's fine! I can do that!"
From behind him, a girl with careful movements tilted her head. "We'll help. It'll be… fun, I think."
I rubbed my temples. "Fun… right. You're cleaning rubble, not hosting a tea party."
More figures appeared. Soon, six in total—eager, awkward, and excited, all looking like they'd just been dropped into a new world.
[ System Notice ]
All Phase One Pioneer Players Logged In: 50 participants total. Quest: Courtyard Cleaning — Phase One.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Fifty. Fifty bright, enthusiastic, and utterly clueless people, all looking to be guided.
"Fine," I muttered. "Cleaning it is. Everyone grab a broom, a dustpan… or just start picking up rocks. And yes, I will be inspecting your work."
The first boy immediately grabbed a broken tile and waved it like a sword. "Sect Master! I shall sweep this ruin clean in record time!"
The girl beside him rolled her eyes, carefully lifting debris into a neat pile. "Precision, not speed," she muttered.
A kid in the corner tripped over a toppled pillar and ended up face-first in the dirt. "Oops… uh… I'm okay!"
I groaned audibly. "I see my patience is going to be tested. All of it."
[ Void Nexus Note — Pioneer Player Interaction Active. Collaboration Bonus Available.]
Perfect. Collaboration bonus. They would all argue over who cleaned what while I watched, slightly annoyed, slightly entertained.
I leaned back against a broken pillar, arms crossed. "Remember. Cleanliness counts. Spilled dirt, broken shards, or misplaced jade fragments… I will notice. Outer Disciple ranks may be affected by performance."
One by one, they began arguing.
"I found a jade shard first!" shouted a boy near the crumbled pavilions.
"No, I saw it first!" another girl insisted, crouching to inspect it.
I pinched my nose. "Really? All of this for jade shards? You're cleaning, not competing in some treasure hunt."
A lanky kid waved his broom around like a flag. "Sect Master, may I sweep this section?"
[ System Tip — Pioneer players may collaborate to complete tasks efficiently.]
I gestured vaguely. "Yes, yes, just… work together. Or pretend to. Just make the courtyard less… ruined when I check back."
Hours passed—or maybe only minutes; time felt strange here. Everywhere I looked, someone was tripping, arguing, or meticulously brushing debris into neat piles.
I groaned repeatedly. "I should have installed a 'Do Not Disturb Sect Master' button…"
One girl carefully stacked the jade shards into a pile. "Sect Master, is this proper?"
I squinted. "Fine. It will do. For now. Outer Disciple ranking… maybe. Keep it neat, keep it working, and you might get more."
The boy next to her waved a broken broom like a flag. "We're all working hard! Can I get points too?"
I muttered, "I hope you enjoy manual labor, because that's mostly what you're doing."
[ System Comment — Pioneer players completing Phase One Cleaning Quest. Outer Disciple assignment potential unlocked.]
I rubbed my temples again. Fifty people, all clamoring, all excited, all completely oblivious to the quiet I had once cherished in my ruined courtyard.
And yet… I couldn't deny it. Watching them scramble, arguing, fumbling, and occasionally succeeding… it was strangely satisfying.
I sighed, smiling faintly. "Alright. Let's see how messy—or efficient—you all really are."