New Quest

"So you're suggesting we join a sect?" Eddie asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Kyle turned, grinned briefly, then said flatly as the grin faded, "You've got the point. But we've just arrived—do you really think any major sect would accept us right now? Hmm?"

Eddie looked down at the floor and sighed. With some reluctance, he muttered, "I really can't do that... I mean, think about it. We don't know anything about those sects. What if they've got some dark side? Why don't we—"

Kyle cut him off immediately, glancing over his shoulder with an empty, emotionless gaze. "Don't be stupid. It won't work—I repeat. But since you say you can't join because you lack information, that's exactly why I suggested we investigate first.

"Instead of aiming for a powerful sect that might reject us due to our current rank, we could join a weak one, build ourselves up, and eventually form our own. Something even better."

Eddie went silent for a few moments while Kyle kept staring out the window, waiting for a reply.

'He won't agree,' Kyle thought. 'So I'll just plant the idea like a seed. Let it sit in his mind. He'll come back to it after some time. I've realised I can't do this alone, annoying as that may be... it's the only option I have.'

Eventually, Eddie replied in a low, audible tone, "I'd have to refuse, Kyle. It's not a good idea. It's dangerous."

'Just as I thought,' Kyle mused.

'Dangerous? How foolish. For a second, I thought he was smarter than Jake... but he's just emotionally immature, too. So be it.'

Kyle stepped forward and placed a hand on Eddie's shoulder. His voice was flat, almost devoid of emotion.

"As a friend, I'll just tell you this—take some time and think things through instead of acting on emotion. You can either burn out chasing shadows and get hurt… or you can learn to master the dark."

Eddie looked into Kyle's eyes and saw something strange—conflicting emotions, perhaps—but the most visible was a deep seriousness, maybe even honesty.

'Done here, then.'

"Well, let's drop that for now. How's Jake doing? Let's go back and check on him..."

---

The Next Morning

Kyle woke up feeling unusually light and energised. His body no longer carried the stiffness it once did, and for the first time in days, he felt properly nourished. He sat up halfway on the bed, blinking slowly at the stillness of the room.

Eddie's bed was empty.

Jake, on the other hand, had returned sometime during the previous night and was still fast asleep.

I wonder where he went so early...

He vaguely recalled hearing the door open and close while he was still asleep. There had been no voices or signs of commotion, so he hadn't bothered opening his eyes at the time.

Suddenly, the system screen appeared in front of him:

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[New Quest Available: Initiation of the Weak]

Condition: Join a Sect.

Optional: Create One.

Reward: (Hidden)

---

"Wow... perfect timing," Kyle muttered, eyes narrowing at the details. "A new quest—with a hidden reward. Oddly enough, there's no failure penalty, and no option to accept or reject. It's compulsory."

What caught his attention most, however, was the optional condition.

"Create a sect?"

He sat up fully, back straightening as his mind shifted into full analytical mode.

Initially, his strategy had been clear: join a sect—preferably a weak one—gain experience, grow in strength, and gradually rise through the ranks. That plan had made perfect sense. It was efficient, low-risk, and aligned with his current limitations.

But now, with the sudden suggestion of creating a sect, the idea of laying a foundation and growing something from the ground up sparked his ambition. There were benefits to building a guild of his own—full control over its structure, ideology, membership, and decision-making. He could shape it to his advantage, avoid internal politics, and develop it into a dominant force without relying on others' mercy.

Yet logic pulled him back.

Creating a sect would require more than just a title. He would need influence, resources, protection, and most importantly—strength. None of which he had. Not yet. From a leadership perspective, a founder had to be able to defend the sect, attract others, and offer security. At his current state, he couldn't do any of those things.

Kyle tapped his fingers against the bedsheet thoughtfully.

But what if... the hidden reward was related to the sect creation path? Would it be more substantial?

He shook his head.

'Too many unknowns. And going in blind on such a long-term commitment is foolish. I need leverage first.'

Just then, the system screen flickered, and a new line appeared below the optional quest condition:

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[Error: You do not meet the requirement to create a sect. Required Level: 10]

---

"Tch... I figured as much," Kyle muttered, brushing his hand through his hair.

So that path was currently blocked.

Still, the information gave him something valuable—it meant the system had already laid the foundation for sect creation to become available in the future. That was more than enough to keep the thought alive.

For now, the only realistic course of action was to proceed with his original plan: join an existing weak sect, climb through its structure, grow stronger, and when the time came—form his own.

But he wouldn't go in blind.

"First, research," he said aloud. "I need to find the sects that exist within this Academy—specifically the weakest ones. The obscure, the overlooked, the laughed-at. The ones everyone thinks are irrelevant... those are the ones with potential."

He stood up and walked over to his wardrobe, eyes glinting with a new sense of purpose.

"Let's see which forgotten group is about to rise to the top..."