Gonna Call You "KIDDO"

Javial found himself in the void once more.

No light. No warmth. No cold. Nothing.

Just the heavy, suffocating scent of blood.

It clung to him like a second skin, thick and metallic. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It was simply there.

And then—the voice returned.

"Alright. You passed my test."

Javial exhaled, his chest rising and falling steadily. So that's all it took?

"From now on, you will be my disciple. You will call me... Sensei."

Javial frowned. Sensei? After everything, this mysterious, terrifying presence was asking him to call it that?

A smirk slowly spread across his face.

"Sensei, huh? Nah… doesn't suit you."

Silence.

"What?"

Javial stretched his arms lazily, cracking his neck. "Sensei sounds too serious. Too formal. Doesn't fit."

"You dare mock me?"

Javial shrugged. "Not mocking. Just stating facts. You need a better name…" He paused, thinking for a moment. Then his smirk widened.

"Kido. Yeah, I'll call you Kido from now on."

The air in the void shifted.

"Kido?!" The voice sounded genuinely offended. "I am an ancient being beyond mortal comprehension! I have existed for eons! You will call me Sensei—"

"Yeah, yeah. Kido it is."

"I SWEAR IF YOU CALL ME THAT AGAIN—!"

Javial chuckled, folding his arms behind his head.

The void, once silent and eerie, now echoed with amusement.

This was going to be interesting.

Javial stretched lazily, still smirking from his little argument with Kido.

Then—his eyes widened.

"Ah… SHIT."

Kido sighed. "What now?"

"I totally forgot!" Javial groaned, rubbing his temples. "Today's my first day as a sect servant. And I'm late. I think I'm gonna die."

"Pfft. No, you won't."

Javial frowned. "Huh?"

"Time in the void runs ten times slower than the real world," Kido explained in an annoyingly smug tone. "Ten hours here is just one hour outside."

Javial blinked. "Oh. So… wait, that means…" He quickly did the mental math.

"Yep. You're still late."

"...Damn it."

Shaking his head, he waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. It's not like I can change it now. But at least I can leave, right?"

"Of course."

Javial waited. "…Well? How do I get out?"

"Just imagine it," Kido replied. "Picture yourself leaving, and you will find yourself outside."

Javial raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Javial shrugged. "Alright, then…"

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined himself anywhere but here.

Javial opened his eyes.

He was in his bed.

"Ah… this feeling is so annoying…" He groaned, rubbing his temples. His head was pounding like it was about to explode. "Damn it…"

As he struggled to sit up, he noticed something strange—Kang Shuan was blocking his door.

Not just that. Kang Shuan was stopping a group of boys—all outer gate members of the sect.

Javial narrowed his eyes. What the hell is going on?

The group looked shocked.

"Wait… he's alive?!"

"I thought he was dead!"

"Damn it! We lost a cultivation resource…"

Javial's expression darkened. Oh… so that's why they're here. They thought I was dead and wanted to use my body for cultivation.

Kang Shuan, however, wasn't letting them. In the outer gate, very few dared to offend Kang Shuan.

Javial's voice broke the tense atmosphere. "Hey… what the hell is going on in front of my hut?"

Everyone froze.

The outer sect disciples took a step back, their faces pale.

Javial was supposed to be dead—yet here he was, standing in front of them.

Kang Shuan, however, looked relieved. His serious face relaxed, and he walked straight toward Javial. "Phew… glad to know you're okay."

Javial looked at him and blinked.

He's… genuinely happy? He actually cares about me?

Feeling a little awkward, Javial spoke humbly, "Uh… sorry."

Kang Shuan raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For… my behavior during the awakening ceremony."

Kang Shuan scoffed. "Hah. I forgot about that long ago."

Then, his face turned serious. "You were unconscious for half an hour. What happened?"

Javial paused. His memories of the void, of Kido, of the endless slaughter—they all flashed in his mind.

Javial paused for a moment before shaking his head. "…I don't know."

Of course, that was a lie.

He knew exactly what had happened to him. He had stepped into the void, faced his past, drowned in his desires, and ultimately… embraced them.

He had passed the test.

And now, he had a new master.

But that wasn't something he could just tell Kang Shuan or anyone else.

Kang Shuan studied his face for a moment, then sighed. "You should rest today. I'll talk to the seniors of the outer gate."

Javial nodded, keeping his expression neutral.

Inside, though, a smirk formed in his mind.

This is my secret. Mine alone.

Javial let out a sigh. "Thanks for your concern, but I just want to rest now."

Kang Shuan nodded. "Alright, I'll leave you be. Rest well."

As soon as he left, Javial sat on his bed, shifting uncomfortably. "Ugh… still as hard as always."

Then, he muttered, "Hey, Kido."

A childish but irritated voice echoed in his mind. "Oi, brat! I told you not to call me that!"

Javial smirked. "Whatever. So, what are you going to teach me?"

Kido huffed. "Hmph. I suppose we should start with the basics—cultivation."

Javial raised a brow. "Oh? Alright, let's get started."

Sitting cross-legged, he followed Kido's instructions.

"Feel the particles in the air. They are like oxygen, unseen but present. Breathe in slowly… then release… again… slowly…"

Javial concentrated. As he exhaled, he could faintly sense the floating particles around him.

"Now, try to absorb them."

Javial inhaled deeply. Nothing happened.

He tried again. Still nothing.

On his third attempt, he felt a slight pull—but suddenly, a sharp pain struck his chest. He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as he collapsed onto the ground.

"What… the hell just happened?" He wiped the blood from his lips, his head spinning.

Kido groaned. "Ahhh, what a pain in the ass! Listen up, idiot."

His voice turned serious, though it still had that amusing childish tone.

"Cultivation relies on two things—your soul and your celestial vein. The soul plays a crucial role in absorbing mana into the celestial vein. It's the foundation of all cultivation. To reach the pinnacle, you don't just need a high-ranking celestial vein but also an exceptionally strong soul."

Javial furrowed his brows. "But my soul is too weak?"

"Exactly. You're from a mortal world—Earth. Your body is strong, but your soul is feeble. That's why you can't cultivate."

Javial clenched his fists. "Damn it… but I already know my celestial vein is trash-tier. So even if I had a strong soul, wouldn't I still be stuck?"

Kido let out a small chuckle, but this time, it was almost… menacing.

"You fool. The stone that measured your vein? It wasn't advanced enough to gauge its true potential. Your celestial vein is beyond human comprehension."

Javial's eyes widened. "Wait… what?"

"But…" Kido continued, his tone turning somber. "For some reason, it's completely sealed. You can't rely on it for now."

Javial felt his excitement shatter in an instant. Just when he thought he might have some incredible power, reality slapped him back down.

"So… that's why you came to me?" Javial asked, trying to make sense of it all.

Kido snorted. "Hah! You're not worthy of that answer yet. When you grow stronger, you'll understand."

Javial gritted his teeth. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that? Right now, I'm nothing more than trash!"

A mischievous chuckle echoed in his mind.

"Tch. Then it's a good thing I'm here, isn't it?"

"Listen Carefully"...