OP— 11 (Patreon)

Title: Conditions

Beside the canteen of the sect is a large ground. Adjacent to the ground is a paved area marking the open basketball court alongside a few bars for any idle somersaulting activities. Precisely in this area, a small group of disciples had gathered around two particular students.

One of them was larger and slightly more muscular as his bearded chin is only marred with a single scar.

Opposite to him stood a slightly fairer youth. A little shorter in comparison but what he lacked in physical stature was covered by keen observation capabilities.

'There… are eight hidden presence. They are not particularly hidden and are allowing me to sense them. It would have been hard a few hours before but now…'

Closing his eyes, Mana felt qualitative qi flowing within his body through his origin.

'Turning naked actually worked. A newborn origin is without any qi and needs to be collected over the passing few hours and then converted to match my personal requirements. All of this takes time. But… actually using granny's method worked.

Two conditions were needed to be fulfilled for the ritual. Since origin cultivation is less conceptual than orthodox, it doesn't allow many rituals. But this one worked. I was naked, completely exposing myself despite knowing that I'm being monitored. It is an act of sincerity.

Later, I slept. Even though I did not start my process of awakening, I was already considered to be in one. This was an act of showing vulnerability.

If fate can hate the betrayal of its loved one, cursing and infecting it, then, fate can also take pity on a being it never cared for.

And the benefit of this pittance is extremely clear.

If Rogue truly goes all out due to anger, I can surprise him and one shot him using my own skill.

I do not lack the qi, or the experience of fighting to make level-headed decisions.'

All these thoughts floated within Mana's mind.

*Step*

*Step*

"Rogue is moving!" One of the disciples stated while the senior disciples observed from farther distance.

"Lilia, is Rodger really going to bully a newbie?"

Standing near an upset Lilia was an extremely thin youth with a paper white face and ghastly yellow pupils. His greyish hair reached past his shoulder and exhausted sighs continued to leak from his dried lips.

"Why are you here?"

"Master asked me to witness the battle. He said that Professor White Heart has made a bet with Grandmaster and they'll be watching from their own location. Didn't Professor Green explain this before bringing you here?"

"He didn't bring me here… I followed him," Lilia scoffed.

"So? What's happening here? You should already know it by now, right, Chrome?"

"Yes, I know… this is Rodger's sad attempt at changing the inevitable…"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, extravagant charges were noted from Professor Red and Black Heart's disciple credit cards. A little over 3000 petis. A simple investigation revealed that Rodger and the newbie Dharma had paid this amount to Mana for allowing them to stay in his apartment.

Duration of stay is yet to be found but considering the general pricing around the Sect, they must have taken a yearly deal."

"Yeah, I remember Rodger constantly moaning to get out of P.G."

Lilia chuckled while Chrome nodded.

"So, Black Heart must be pissed at Rodger for using the card for unnecessary reasons and would have planned something for Rodger… again…"

"But all of the hardships can be avoided if Rodger pleases Professor Black Heart by bullying the newbie," Chrome concluded.

"That being said, where is Vedra? She enjoys poking fun at Rodger."

"I haven't been able to keep track of her nowadays. I don't know where she is at the moment," Chrome replied casually, his gaze focused towards the two combatants.

As Rogue moved forward, he didn't attack. Instead, he stopped in front of Mana and whispered a few things softly.

"... so, I basically had to use your homosexual taunts and challenge you… Dharma still isn't aware how seriously the seven hearts consider the extravagant expenses troublesome. But I do. Anyway, I figured that we'd be sparring along the line sometime so why not today."

Mana nodded with a confused expression.

"Then, I don't really need to fight since you're acting angry, right? We'll all be chill back at my place so that just removes all the incentive," Mana shrugged.

"Sorry, but I think, you have to face whatever you're fearing."

Rogue furrowed and looked towards the first floor of the canteen. He could easily sense multiple presence observing the situation and gritted his teeth when he felt him.

"No can do… I really don't want to get brutalized by my master. We will fight."

Saying so, Rogue stepped back and entered a battle stance.

Still unwilling to fight for nothing, Mana's gaze fell towards Lilia and the grey-haired disciple looking towards his direction.

'Ah, I really can get something after all.'

"Then, let's do it this way. I already know you will only make moves extremely close to fatal that would hurt extremely. However, my life wouldn't be in danger. Still, it is also exactly like you said. We would end up sparring one of these days. Better now than never.

So, we appoint a reward to the winner of this battle and a restriction to the spar. What do you think?" Mana inquired, his words loud enough to quieten the surrounding disciples.

"Understood. I can agree to this kind of sparring. Let's set the restriction first.

No use of qi skills."

Rogue stated with a smile.

Narrowing his gaze, Mana felt a little hesitant.

'This isn't a true restriction. Rogue has been in contact with qi for over a year. Unlike orthodox cultivation, the origin will continuously temper our physique with qi regardless of our state of mind. This is one of the greater advantages of this path. So, if I accept this term, I'm losing out my trump card that can act as a useful surprise and handing victory to Rogue.'

"No," Mana smirked.

"You will come at me with everything. The actual restriction will be moves that are fatal to a male body. I am appointing qi skills and fatal physical moves against neck, crotch, and eyes illegal. Once one of us makes attacks in such a manner, that person loses."

"If you want it this way, sure," Rogue nodded.

"If I win, I get a month on PX 8 exclusively," Rogue opened with his demand, "Meanwhile, Dharma and you will share the other controller as you like and I get a choice to play single player whenever I want."

"As long as it doesn't disrupt our sleeps, sure," Mana nodded.

"Hey! Don't just accept that!" Dharma instantly panicked, shouting with a pale expression.

"Just let him buy a PX-8 of his own!"

Rogue sneered.

Like hell I will buy that… It costs more than my yearly rent now!

"If I win—" Interjecting Dharma's outburst, Mana smiled, "I get to share the title of Rogue."

"No," Rogue refused instantly.

"Now, hear me out. What I want is the title. The recognition. In our group, we will always refer to you as Rogue only. Beside… you did say that you met the real Rogue, remember? I met him, too. Only once."

Mana smiled as Rogue's pupils contracted.

"He must have said that same thing to you that he told me, too. And there are already 10 Rogues in the Sect. Why can't there be 11?"

"Hah? Who the fuck said that?!" Rogue growled, shouting with a mocking smile as his gaze swept past the surrounding disciples.

"... Lilia…" Mana smiled and seeing Rogue deflating, he approached an understanding expression.

"That bitch is crazy…" Rogue mumbled, only a few disciples able to hear him as Mana nodded at Rogue's words.

"I guess… sure…," pouting, Rogue's shoulders slumped.

"Then, is anyone interested in being the referee of the spar?" Mana inquired and looked around. Most of the disciples shook their heads. Had this been a normal spar without the involvement of qi but with Mana's strange conditions, most of the freshmen no longer held their initial confidence.

"Then, I will be honoured to take the charge~!"

A curvaceous redhead stepped out wearing a tight top with curving edges and skinny jeans. Her seductive brown eyes observed Mana as the youth in particular gulped softly.

Big.

Mana noted the woman's big personality but the moment Rogue saw her, his expression turned terrible.

"You filthy, whorish skank! What did I say when I fucked Vedra up. Do not show me your face again!" He shouted. His yell spread far as Lilia instantly snickered at his words.

"Senior… are you really a whore? I have a PX 8… can we make a few arrangements?" Mana inquired softly.

While Rogue's insults were taken with a smug expression, it was Mana's words that peeved the woman and seeing the surrounding freshman truly considering Mana's words, she blushed in anger and shame.

"Ah, don't get involved with this mattress, Mana. She lets anybody floor her. Last I heard… ah, correction, last I destroyed this group of sorry asses, I hospitalized her boyfriend. Do you know what happened the next day?" Rogue inquired with a grin.

"If his boyfriend is hospitalized, she must have met his doctor the next day to check on his condition?" Mana inquired.

"Close. She met his doctor to get her condition checked!" Rogue cackled.

"Senior… teach me. I want to get my condition checked by a female doctor," Mana smiled at the woman, his expression so sincere that she questioned if she really was whorish as the newbie considered her to be.

"Enough! You won't dare touch me in front of all these—"

Instantly, all the surrounding disciples gasped. Even Mana and Dharma weren't an exception as an exceptionally strong pressure leaked from Rogue's body. Even the woman paled in fright.

"Touch? You?" Rogue inquired before all of it disappeared.

The pressure, the anger, the edginess.

Everything.

"No, no, no! My skin crawls whenever I'm near you. It won't do. You cannot be our referee, skank. Go find quick earnings in some other nook of the sect." Rogue gestured with his palms for the woman to get lost.

'My earlier estimation failed. After Rogue almost killed Vedra, he was severely punished and sent into the dungeon for a month. I had thought that he won't show his fangs any longer but I clearly misunderstood.

Anyway, he stayed in the first year out of his own volition while I'm in the second year. I will accumulate the benefits of greater semesters and crush him some another day…'

Thinking till here, the woman silently retreated.

"That's right! Crawl back into the hold you came out from, hateful shrew!" Rogue hollered while the woman's shoulder trembled. While the freshmen still didn't move, already hoping for more drama, many second year students averted their gazes from the woman and slowly left, fearing that they would be next to receive a verbal lashing from Rogue.

"Now what?" Mana inquired.

"Allow me to be the referee," A round figure pushed through the crowd. Still wearing an extremely expensive outfit, and a bright grin on his face, Big Mac came to the rescue.

"Yo, freshmen… and Growsky. Warm me up with the conditions once again and I'll be the referee."

"Don't call me Growsky, dammit. If anything, call me Chad!" Rogue retorted.

"You wish," Big Mac scoffed, "There's no way the Sect President would call someone else a chad. If anything, I'm the only chad in the vicinity!"

Both of them glared towards each other.