Chapter 6 Alex [6]

Back on Earth, Alex had been nothing.

Just another face in the crowd. A man buried beneath deadlines, expectations, and soul-crushing exhaustion.

He had no rich parents, no powerful connections—just bills, an aching back, and a cold apartment he never really lived in.

Death hadn't come dramatically. No car crash. No betrayal.

Just the flicker of fluorescent lights above his office desk…

And his heart, finally deciding enough was enough.

A quiet, pitiful death from overwork. Forgotten even before the weekend came.

But now—this world?

Cruel, brutal, blood-soaked as it was…

It offered something Earth never did.

Power.

And more than that—hope.

Because unlike most who started from nothing in this world, he hadn't been dropped in empty-handed.

He had two things that mattered.

Strength from the start…

And a system.

Perhaps...in this world...he could achieve much more.

Alex turned his gaze away from the horizon and looked at Evelyn.

He knew that if he wanted to achieve anything in this world—perhaps even true immortality—he couldn't do it alone. He had to rely on this girl… and the others who would come in the future.

"Speaking of which, I should try to understand this system of mine."

His mind drifted back to the notifications that had appeared when the system acknowledged his disciple.

It seemed returning a hundredfold of what he gave wasn't the only thing it was capable of.

"Are you angry that Master didn't demand an explanation for you?" Alex asked calmly.

Evelyn was startled. She quickly shook her head and bowed deeply.

"I wouldn't dare, Master!"

And she truly wouldn't.

Though she only recognized the Sect Master by face, she now understood the identities of the others were no less terrifying than her Master's.

Asking for justice for a slave?

Ah…

She really didn't dare.

Alex watched her quietly and said nothing.

Even if he didn't move to avenge his disciple right away, for the sake of his former self, he had already set his sights on the upper echelons of the sect.

One had to understand—Alex was only fifty-eight years old.

It had been eight years since he entered the Nascent Stage, but before that, he had been a disciple.

Only those who lived in a demonic sect understood what it meant to be a disciple in one.

Though he now stood as an elder, Alex held no love for the sect.

Yet even so, he wasn't planning to leave anytime soon.

Because despite being a demonic sect, it was still a force. And belonging to a force—any force—was better than being a wandering cultivator.

Of course, at a certain level, one's cultivation could make them a force unto themselves. When that time came, belonging would no longer be necessary.

But this was the cultivation world.

For every powerful person, there were ten others just as strong.

Sometimes, being part of a force was the best way to survive.

Naturally, there were other reasons Alex still intended to remain within the sect...

Alex reached into his sleeve and pulled out a jade token. Smooth and dark, it bore the seal of the Demonic Dragon Sect and his personal mark engraved with precision—Sixth Elder.

He turned to Evelyn and extended it.

She hesitated for a breath before taking it with both hands, bowing as though receiving a heavenly treasure.

"Head to the Sect Management Hall," Alex instructed. His tone was calm, but it left no room for question. "Present that token. From now on, your status is no longer that of a slave disciple. You're to be registered as a core disciple under my direct tutelage."

Evelyn's breath hitched. Her grip tightened on the token, knuckles whitening.

"Yes, Master!"

"Have them design a robe befitting your status," he continued. "Not the traditional core disciple robes. I want it tailored—distinct. One look, and they should know you're mine."

Her eyes widened, but she nodded quickly, her heart racing.

"You're to receive the monthly benefits as a core disciple. If anyone dares question it…" Alex paused, a faint smirk playing on his lips, "…remind them whose token you hold."

"I will!" Evelyn said, almost too fast. "I'll remember!"

But Alex wasn't finished.

"Also," he said, glancing down the mountain slope toward the empty land near the base, "tell them to dispatch a group of slave disciples. I want a residence constructed for you there. Under my peak. You'll be living close from now on."

Evelyn blinked in shock. Her thoughts scattered.

A personal residence? At the base of his mountain?

"Master…" she whispered, overwhelmed.

"You're not a slave anymore," Alex said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Act like it. Speak like it. Think like it."

She bowed low, the token clutched to her chest.

"I understand."

Alex turned back toward his cave without another word.

The jade token shimmered faintly in Evelyn's hand, radiating spiritual pressure that made even the passing birds avoid the air around her.

She looked at her master's back—so calm, so absolute—and swallowed hard.

He had given her more than just a new identity.

He'd given her protection. Status. A future.

And most terrifying of all… responsibility.

She turned quickly, robes fluttering behind her as she ran down the mountain.

Alex watched her go for a moment before exhaling.

He stepped back toward the shadows of his peak.

Just as Alex was about to step into his cave and properly examine his system, he suddenly halted.

His expression twitched slightly.

"…Seems I never even asked for my disciple's name, huh?"