Chapter 10. Being the center of attraction.

Just as Alex's body gave way, collapsing onto the rugged ground in exhaustion, an irksome voice pierced the air in almost perfect timing, "Hello trash master" The voice belonged to the diminutive and irritating spirit, Longwei, who manifested himself floating right before Alex's eyes.

"Silence!" Alex retorted with a growl, his form sprawled on the dust-laden earth, his body striving to reinvigorate itself.

Longwei paid no heed to Alex's disgruntled plea, his tone laced with mockery as he commented, "Such a pitiful sight you are, a true embodiment of weakness."

Alex chose to disregard Longwei's jibe, his eyes shuttering closed as he began the process of recuperation.

Simultaneously, his mind embarked on a journey of its own, parsing through recent events.

Four days had passed since he was tasked with the mission of slaying a high-ranked Lesser Qi Beast, a mission imposed upon him by the system, or more accurately, by Longwei.

Six more days remained before the deadline, and as it stood, Alex was far from ready to take on a creature of such formidable power.

He could potentially wound a mid-ranked Qi Beast given the right weapon, or perhaps even slay it with meticulous planning, but a high-ranked one was currently beyond his reach.

Over the past few days, he had hunted a fair number of low-ranked Qi Beasts, subsequently amassing a substantial amount of Qi cores.

"The Qi cores can be exchanged for contribution points within the sect—I could use them to acquire a superior weapon. That could potentially bring me closer to accomplishing the mission," Alex resolved in his mind.

"Ah, it appears you've begun to strategize," Longwei's grating voice intruded on Alex's thoughts. "You're starting to grow on me," the spirit added, much to Alex's displeasure.

Alex retorted, his eyes remaining closed, "Perhaps if you'd chosen a more suitable body for my transmigration, I would have already completed the mission." His voice took on a mocking tone as he added, "You failed in your task of selecting a capable body—perhaps the real trash here is you." With that, he settled his body to rest.

Longwei's indignant retort reached his ears, but Alex chose to ignore it, taking a small victory in having ruffled the spirit's feathers.

***

Having rested sufficiently, Alex felt a modicum of his energy returning.

Beside him lay the lifeless form of the fearsome shadowclaw, which he had valiantly vanquished prior.

Having regained a substantial portion of his expended energy from his fierce battle against the formidable shadowclaw, Alex steadied himself on his feet and proceeded toward the shadow beast's earthly remains.

Drawing near, he stooped low, gazing intently upon the creature's lifeless body.

Retrieving the cracked dagger, he delicately began to incise the majestic beast's corporeal vessel, meticulously extracting the vital essence within, essential to him.

After some time, Alex completed the process, his task was accomplished.

Standing upright once more, he embarked on his onward journey toward the Cloud Moon Sect.

His arrival at the grand entrance of the Cloud Moon Sect was swift.

The imposing gate was a testament to the sect's status as one of the three major sects of Azurewind City.

Entering the compound, Alex found himself in the residential district of the outer sect disciples.

Small buildings, the quarters for the disciples, peppered the area. From the memories he'd inherited from Li Wei, Alex knew he would spend a significant amount of time in this region of the Cloud Moon Sect.

However, he didn't immediately retreat to his quarters. Instead, he charted a course for the 'Mission Pavilion'.

Situated at the heart of the outer sect disciples' area, the Mission Pavilion was a central edifice within the sect, acting as the main hub for disciples to receive their assignments.

Each disciple was obliged to complete a minimum of three missions per month, failure to do so resulted in punishment from Elder Zhen, the mission elder overseeing the pavilion.

With a purposeful stride, Alex strode into the grand edifice of the Mission Pavilion. Before him lay a vast hall, alive with the hustle of sect disciples, a sea of about fifty sect disciples.

Some were here to undertake new quests, their eyes burning with anticipation, whilst others, their tasks completed, had come to claim their due reward in contribution points.

As Alex crossed the threshold into the grand hall, a palpable shift in atmosphere swept across the room.

All eyes swiveled to rest on him, curious whispers springing forth like a gust of wind through a bamboo forest.

Some of the disciples pointed, their discussion growing more fervent, their sidelong glances towards him becoming increasingly frequent.

"Why am I suddenly the center of attention? It's not like Li Wei was ever this popular," Alex mused, furrowing his brow at the inexplicable murmurings.

He cast a quick, instinctive glance down at his body, wondering if his transmigration into Li Wei's body had somehow triggered an unexpected transformation.

It was then he realized his disheveled appearance - his attire, torn and stained with patches of dried blood, bore the marks of battle.

His body, a canvas of cuts and bruises, told tales of his recent encounters with the Qi beasts over the past four days.

He sighed, realizing he had neglected to change his battle-worn clothes upon returning to the Cloud Moon Sect, so eager was he to reach the Mission Pavilion.

Shaking his head at his oversight, Alex steeled himself and continued his march through the hall, making his way to a particular counter.

Behind it sat an elderly man, his deep green eyes brimming with wisdom and the vibrant energy of life.

His lips were turned upwards in a warm, welcoming smile.

This was Elder Zhen, the Pavilion's mission elder and a respected figure within the Cloud Moon Sect.

The memories Alex had inherited from Li Wei painted a picture of Elder Zhen as a friendly, kind-hearted man.

He was the sole figure in the Cloud Moon Sect who did not scorn Li Wei for his low cultivation level.

While Li Wei held him in high regard for this, Alex knew that Elder Zhen's affable nature was not exclusive to him.

The elder was simply a congenial man to all. But to the isolated and pitiful Li Wei, such kindness had been a balm.

Alex met Elder Zhen's smile with a small one of his own and offered a slight nod of his head. "Greetings Elder Zhen," he intoned, paying the respect required of all disciples towards the sect elders.

Elder Zhen's smile brightened further at this display of courtesy. "Such a respectful lad," he commented, his voice filled with approval.

With a gentle smile, Alex loosened the small pouch tied at his waist, revealing the Qi beast cores within.

He poured them out onto the counter, a clear indication of his recently completed mission.