[ - Guardian Team -
Wise Turtle
Power = (Classified information)
Age = (Classified information)
Accepted
====================
White Tiger
Power = 91.9
Age = 6540
Accepted
====================
Mediator (Old Seven)
Power = 91.4
Age = 3250
Accepted
====================
Charm Goddess (Sixth Sister)
Power = 91.2
Age = (Classified information)
Accepted (if she is done with her homework)
====================
Fire Goddess (Fifth Sister)
Power = 91.7
Age = (Classified information)
Accepted
====================
Sword God (Fourth Brother)
Power = 91.9
Age = 2000
Accepted
====================
Grandma(?)(Third Sister) (Illegal Immigrant)
Power and Age = (Classified information)
Suspended (Temporarily)
====================
Infamous Blacksmith (Second Brother)
Power = 91.9
Age = 3480
Accepted
====================
Scholar (Big Brother)
Power = 92
Age = 4001
Accepted ]
Everyone's eyes were on the paper.
They still didn't know what kind of job they had been accepted for.
And two other members joined this kid before them?
Wise Turtle and that bloodthirsty tiger were their teammates?
How could those two team up with humans?
Then they heard the little boy talking to them.
"Everyone, please look at the crystal on the tripod... Good, now smile... Ready, 3, 2, 1!"
Then there was a flash.
"Okay, I have your pictures too now. Let's add them to your information profile... And done."
Going back to his seat, Little Mortal looked at his special team members with a smile.
"Okay, we can start our Q&A session. I should tell you about the part I'm sure of, and you can ask any questions you have after that. Is that good?"
Everyone nodded at their little boss in front of them blankly.
They were still clueless about what they had signed up for.
But before he could start, Sixth Sister (Charm Goddess) raised her hand.
"I have a question!"
Little Mortal looked at her and snorted.
"Hmph, did you finish your homework?"
Seeing his serious face, Sixth Sister brought out her homework for him to see. After taking a look and nodding, the little boy said,
"Ask away."
Sixth Sister said,
"Why are the tiger and turtle in the team?"
BAM!
Little Mortal suddenly slammed the table with his tiny palm and said in an angry tone,
"Have some manners, young lady! That is Mr. Tiger and Madame Turtle for you!"
Some birds, startled, flapped their wings and flew away!
The crowd's hearts skipped a beat.
Sixth Sister shrank her neck and said,
"Okay, okay! Mr. Tiger and Madame Turtle... W-why are they on the list?"
Now she regretted asking what everyone wanted to ask.
Little Mortal shook his head in disappointment and said,
"What kind of question is that? Let me ask you: Do you know what a fline is?"
Sixth Sister answered,
"Y-yes, I know—street cats, tigers, lions, etc."
"Then do you know what cats are scared of?"
Sixth Sister was going to say dogs, but he answered before her,
"Nothing! They're scared of nothing! Do you hear me? You might think they're scared of dogs, but you're wrong."
At this point, Little Mortal stood up and explained while seeming a little excited about this topic.
"Let me tell you, Little Charm, one time I saw with my own eyes a dog messing with a street cat, but the street cat acted like it wasn't even seeing the silly dog.
But the silly dog didn't stop, and finally, the cat suddenly lost its temper! It grabbed the dog's neck and BAM!—knocked him to the ground! Can you believe it? That dog was seven times bigger than it!"
Now the suited-up little boy was on the table, telling them the story of the street cat with excitement while imitating the cat's moves.
"Another time, I saw a record of a cat who was chilling on his territory, but suddenly a dog showed up! That dog was passing by, but the cat was dissatisfied with it coming to his territory. Do you know what the cat did?"
Everyone shook their heads, and Little Mortal became even more excited.
"You won't believe it—that cat jumped in the air and hit that poor dog with a flying kick to the face! Do you believe it? A flying kick! The dog was like, 'Awoo! Awooo!'—begging for forgiveness in his wolf ancestor's language!"
Everyone was shocked while thinking,
'How crazy are the cats in this kid's hometown? They know martial arts, too?'
Little Mortal pointed at Sixth Sister.
"What I said was just about street cats. And now, you, little girl, are asking me why Mr. Tiger—who is the biggest cat of all flines and can send you to oblivion with one paw strike—is in the team?"
At this point, the boy's excitement transformed into anger again!
Sixth Sister was already hiding behind Scholar, shaking!
After telling them a couple more cat stories, he jumped down from the table and started straightening his suit.
After a deep breath, he calmed down again and sat back in his chair, looking at the now-hiding Sixth Sister while pointing toward the Forbidden Jungle.
"I could understand if you knew nothing about cats, but you're asking why Madame Turtle is in the team? Do you need a reason bigger than that?"
Everyone—except Grandma, who smiled knowingly—looked at the jungle but didn't understand what he meant by that.
Seeing how scared Sixth Sister was, Scholar asked in her place,
"Fellow Daoist Mortal, we've never had the honor of meeting Madame Turtle. Please forgive our ignorance."
The little boy was dumbfounded.
"I just showed her to you!"
Sixth Sister, from her hiding place, said,
"Showed what? There are only trees and a big mountain."
The little boy was speechless.
"There are only trees and no mountain... Do you... understand?"
Everyone turned to look again. This time, you could hear them gasp in shock!
The little boy said,
"And you dare to ask why she's in the team?"
Sixth Sister was already in tears.
"I was wrong..."
While everyone thought,
'What in the world?! That big mountain is a turtle?! So when White Tiger said If we mess with this kid, 'Wise Turtle will leave the Forbidden Jungle and take a stroll outside," it means a disaster as big as this mountain is going to walk around?!'
Little Mortal didn't mind her anymore. He brought out his notebook and found a specific page.
Cough, cough. After clearing his throat, he started.
"Okay, to keep the order of the meeting, I ask Mr. Scholar to be your representative in this Q&A session. Please, a round of applause for Mr. Scholar!"
He stood up first and started clapping, so everyone else was forced to stand up and clap while Scholar awkwardly came to the seat in front to be the representative.
"Okay, let's start. This is the information I know about your place after my research.
We are in one of the solar systems of Galaxy 'ETC2361.' Your solar system was previously located in the outer part of the galaxy, but now it has been separated due to the fight between that 'Thug' and the 'Sneaky Guy,' and is now outside the detection of those 'parasites.'
Your solar system consists of one sun and five other planets. Two more planets were in this solar system, but they were thrown out of it on the way here to this random place in infinite space."
He then looked at Scholar.
"This is what I'm sure about, and I don't have any questions about it. How about you guys?"
Everyone just looked at him with blank expressions.
They didn't understand most of the "I am sure about" things he had just said...
Even Third Sister, the illegal immigrant, looked confused.
'Scholar' couldn't pretend to be competent and knowledgeable at this moment.
"Fellow Daoist Mortal, to be honest, we don't know about many of the words you just used. Galaxy? Solar system? Planet? And who are 'Thug' and 'Sneaky Guy'? We know about normal parasites, but I'm sure you aren't talking about those."
Little Mortal sighed at how ignorant they were.
"Alright, let me explain. A 'planet' is a celestial body that is in orbit around the Sun. This world you live in is a planet. Simple as that."
The crowd nodded.
That was easy to understand.
"And a solar system consists of the sun and everything that orbits or travels around it.
A 'galaxy' is a vast collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.
Do you... understand?"
After some thinking, they nodded in shock and astonishment!
Scholar sighed and said,
"How big is the world? From your explanation, it's like we live on a rock... Unfortunately, because of the force field around our world, we can't even fly too high... let alone go out to explore the outside world. The only thing we can do is watch the empty space outside."
Little Mortal looked at their disappointed faces and continued,
"Basically, yes, you are living on a big rock. And about who 'Thug' and 'Sneaky Guy' are, I can't tell you now, so let's continue..."
He flipped to another page of his notebook.
"Your planet is called the 'Cultivation World.'
The humans in the 'Cultivation World' planet are divided into two groups.
The first group is those with 'sport shoes,' who can cultivate, and the second group is those without it, who can't cultivate.
The first group calls the second group 'mortals' and themselves 'immortals.' Pfft—"
Reaching this point, Little Mortal tried his best to stop laughing at the 'immortal' part, then looked at Scholar for confirmation while covering his mouth.
Scholar was about to say he was wrong about 'sport shoes,' but he heard Old Seven making noises, turned around, and saw him shaking his head. After a brief moment of thought, he understood.
"It's all correct, Fellow Daoist Mortal. If we don't have a 'spirit root,' then we can't cultivate."
Little Mortal suddenly gasped, then looked at the rest of them. When he saw they were acting normal, he sighed in relief.
He walked to Scholar with his notebook and pen in hand and said,
"Here, write 'spirit root' here.
I want to test your knowledge."
Scholar who already knew what this test of knowledge is about, did as he was told.
After that, Little Mortal sat in a corner and practiced the new word.
Everyone already knew about this part, so they just waited.
Ten minutes later, he opened another page of his notebook and continued,
"The mortal group lives under the influence of cultivators. They might be sacrificed, get eaten, be taken away as slaves, or suffer all kinds of other horrible things at any time under the iron rule of these so-called 'immortals.' That's why they're always struggling just to survive and hardly have time for inventions or research about the world around them."
When he finished reading this part, he gulped and looked at them nervously, as if now on guard.
Seeing him scared like this, Scholar hurriedly said,
"Fellow Daoist Mortal, it's not that bad! Only demonic sect members or evil cultivators might do that, and righteous sects are always there to stop them."
While looking at him suspiciously, the little boy took out his notebook, flipped to Necessary Information's page, then started writing:
[Don't go looking for followers in demonic sects—all the crazy people gather there.]
The seven people in the scene made a mental note: This little boy should be directed to righteous sects. If he goes to some random demonic sect and someone triggers him, it might end in disaster—and worse, Wise Turtle might take a stroll outside.
Little Mortal continued,
"The second group of humans—cultivators—are the crazy bunch. The moment they start their journey to this so-called 'immortality,' they think they'll never die, and everyone else is just a passerby in their lives.
They even abandon their parents to die in some corner with the excuse of 'cutting ties with the mortal world.' After that, they do everything to get stronger—plundering resources, consuming natural treasures, pretending to be weak to provoke fights, killing others, and doing the most satisfying thing in the Cultivation World: stealing storage rings.
When they fight, all that's left is destruction—collapsed mountains, ruined jungles, and dried-up rivers! The number of creatures that die at their hands is unbelievable.
And worse than that, they gather in mountains to form bands of thieves, calling these groups 'sects'! Now imagine what happens when two bandit groups fight!
To put it simply, cultivators are a group of thieves, murderers, and walking disasters that can be described in two words: savage and uncultured."
At this point, the little boy was out of breath and looked at the bandit bosses in front of him with disgust...
All of them were on the verge of exploding—except Third Sister, who watched them with amusement, chuckling as if she wasn't a cultivator!
It was the first time these people had heard someone speak about them like this to their faces... and they didn't dare argue.
First, because there was some truth in it.
Second... because of the Wise Turtle threat.
So no matter how long the little boy stared at them, the only response he got was silence.
Then the little boy sighed and shook his head, as if confirming the truth of his words. He wrote in his notebook:
[Never be influenced by these uncultured savages. Stay true to yourself.]
Everyone was speechless, thinking:
'This kid's opinion of us is terrible. We need to send him away as soon as possible—without triggering him.'
The little boy found another section in his notebook and began reading:
"Planet Manager..."
Hearing this name, everyone's attention sharpened.
"Planet Manager—each planet with spiritual energy has one. Their job is to manage the planet, sending away powerful lifeforms that become harmful due to their strength, relocating them to the neighboring planet.
But because of those 'parasites' interference, they don't fully understand the role of the 'Planet Manager' or its true purpose."
Grandma was the most surprised by his words, but hid it well.
The others felt enlightened. Scholar, responsible for confirming information, asked:
"Fellow Daoist, by 'Planet Manager,' do you mean 'Heaven's Will'?"
The little boy scoffed.
"That's all fabricated. 'Heaven's Will'? That old guy just wants to act cool and mysterious. But guess what? He only learned about the 'Planet Guardian' position from me yesterday when I arrived and saved his old bones! He's as clueless as you guys."
The crowd was speechless.
'You saved Heaven's Will's old bones?!'
They all looked up, half-expecting the kid to be struck by lightning and go poof—but nothing happened.
Scholar, dumbfounded, asked:
"Fellow Daoist, can we meet him too?"
The little boy looked at him like he was an idiot.
"The old guy has one foot in the grave. You think he can meet anyone?"
Scholar's eyes widened.
"What?! He's dying?!"
The little boy scratched his head.
"Hmm, it's complicated. Let me explain it in a way you'll understand...
There's a power source in each galaxy. Any planet with spiritual energy needs this source to remain spiritual. That means this planet, after being kicked out of its galaxy, is...?"
He looked at Scholar, waiting for him to finish the thought.
Scholar thought for a moment.
"Disconnected from its source?"
The little boy nodded.
"And the Planet Manager is a spiritual being. So if the spiritual energy inside the planet runs out...?"
Scholar gasped.
"He'll die—like a mortal without food or air! But wait... what about us cultivators?"
The little boy said flatly:
"Same."
Scholar paled.
"Doesn't that mean we'll become mortals again?"
The little boy added:
"And guess what happens after that? Here's a hint: your age compared to normal people..."
Scholar understood immediately.
"It's like time fast-forwards for us. We'll wither—even our strengthened bodies will revert to normal, but we'll be too old for mortal forms. We'll probably turn to dust..."
He looked at the others and said grimly:
"I think now we know why we're here."
After a moment of contemplation, they all seemed to grasp the meaning behind the bizarre events of the past 300–400 years.
Scholar continued:
"So that's why we were lured here—given just enough spiritual energy to survive. And why was there a life-or-death war between the demonic and righteous paths... while most sect masters 'ascended' suddenly. It was all the Heaven will's doing to conserve energy. But—"
He was about to continue when he noticed the little boy staring at him with wide eyes.
BAM!
He slammed the table and yelled:
"Who in the world is this 'Heaven's Will'?! Was I talking to this table the whole time?!"
Scholar trembled. Sixth Sister hid behind the sofa. The others edged closer to Third Sister—the only one who seemed safe.
Scholar stammered:
"Fellow Daoist, calm down! I meant the Planet Manager—that old dying guy! Please, ease your anger!"
The little boy took a deep breath and finally relaxed.
Scholar, relieved, asked carefully:
"But Fellow Daoist... why didn't the Planet Manager just get rid of us? Why trap us here? I remember my master and other sect masters 'ascending' suddenly, but I was lured here. Even the war between righteous and demonic factions was something I only heard about later from others who 'joined' me..."
The little boy snorted.
"It's because anything below your current power belongs here, and The Manager can only remove you directly if you have bad karma.
That war was probably to eliminate those with bad karma, saving energy for the planet and himself.
But in your realm, you don't belong here anymore. He can send you to the next planet—or erase you with heavenly tribulation on the way if your karma is bad."
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly perked up and asked excitedly:
"Wait—who did you say the Planet Manager sends to the next planet? That place you call the 'Immortal World'?"