Immortal Freeloader 19 (Patreon)

It didn’t take long for me to realize I managed to jinx myself, because when I arrived back at my inn, I only came across the small luggage I had purchased, and Pearyin waiting for me with a sad expression on her face.  

“What’s going on?” I said with a frown. 

“We have been kicked off,” she said. “I don’t know why, but the head waitress said something about offending the wrong people.” But, as she raised her arm, she flinched badly. 

“Did someone beat you?” I asked, unable to keep my anger down. 

“No, no!” she gasped, then blushed. “I have been practicing…” 

Which was good, because I already had an idea about who was responsible for my kicking out. The last thing I needed was a reason to escalate. I could … but I didn’t want to unless I had no choice. To escalate, I had to break through, which would cost me my precious multiplier. 

“You need to be more careful,” I said as touched her shoulder, and felt the strain of her body. My knowledge of medicine was limited, but I could feel that she had overdrawn the energy of her body. 

She just needed rest. 

“Follow me,” I said as I gestured to her and grabbed the luggage. 

“Y-young master, you can’t carry it—” she started. 

“Nonsense, just follow me,” I said. 

I thought about going back to the inn and trying to get the advance I had paid, but decided against it. A refund wouldn’t trigger the system. Also, they didn’t force Pearyin into the servant contract again, which was more or less a sign that they didn’t want to offend me too much either. 

I decided that it didn’t matter. A few gold coins were nothing after Lannayin’s not-so-subtle gift — though I wondered what she had been thinking by putting the money directly into my pouch? Maybe she thought I would just assume I had counted wrong. 

However, I soon encountered two troubling situations, forcing me to care about more important things. One, there were two people following us, trying — and failing — to stay hidden. Two, several inns had already refused to admit us, even after I promised to offer double. 

I realized that I might have miscalculated. It didn’t feel like something a mere disciple should be able to do. Either the disciple in question had another identity with more pull than I realized, or I had actually angered Elsana with my little trick. 

Either way, it was troubling. If it wasn’t for Lannayin, I would have considered leaving the city. Instead, I waited until we were near an alley that I could use to disappear, lifted Pearyin into a bridal hold, and disappeared into the alley. 

As for the luggage, I left it behind. It only had a few books and clothes, both completely useless. 

“What’s going on?” she gasped. 

“We’re just avoiding our pursuers,” I said. 

“We are being followed?” she gasped. 

“It looks like it,” I said. “Haven’t you heard anything about something about me,” I said. She blushed, and I realized she had heard the same gossip about my cowardly nature. “Anything specific about Snow Blossom disciples, and me rejecting their challenge,” I said. 

“Nothing about that.” 

“Interesting,” I said. I would have expected that to turn into a bigger gossip, but I decided not to pay attention to that. After a few more turns, we stopped in an alley. “I will stay around, but it’ll get too complicated. Do you want me to help you get out of the city first? Or, do you have somewhere you can hide?” 

She looked at me resolutely. “I want to stay with you and learn martial arts,” she said. 

“Really?” I asked, surprised. “I don’t even know who I offended. It can be dangerous, and I might not be able to protect you.” 

She looked at me with a surprising determination. “I’m willing to take the risk. This is the only opportunity for me to learn martial arts,” she said. 

“If you say so,” I said. Then, I paused for a moment, and finally used the opportunity to trigger the forging lessons I had earlier, starting with the Ordinary Forging.   

The flood of information was … shocking. I already expected to learn quite a bit considering it covered quite a bit of information, but the amount still shocked me. In a second, I turned into an expert that I could forge anything I wanted as long as it didn’t include any essence. 

I could easily forge something with Mortal Medium-Quality from ordinary steel as long as I worked hard … which meant I could earn tens of gold every day. Minor Accomplishment was truly fascinating, even when building ordinary equipment. 

Then, I triggered the other class, and even more information flooded into my brain, mixing with the ones I had already received. Yet, despite receiving several times more information, I felt like I barely scratched the surface of Volcano Forging … which not only included far greater details in terms of materials, but required the ability to manipulate essence. 

Meaning, it couldn’t be performed below the Muscle Reinforcement stage. 

No wonder Lannayin was so proud of feeling like she could break into Minor Accomplishment. 

I didn’t have a hammer, but I shook my hand while it was empty, trying to replicate the first four hammering moves, the practice techniques that corresponded to the Initiate stage … which was another reason for Lannayin’s lack of apprentices. 

The hammer swings were weird. They couldn’t be used in combat, and the knowledge I received made it clear that they couldn’t be used for forging either. Meaning, that during the Initiate State, Volcano Hammer was useless.

Worse, as I practiced them, I felt my body get dangerously warm. Nothing I couldn’t handle now, but if someone tried to train themselves without sufficient talent, there was a high likelihood of injury.  

Maybe Lannayin’s lack of apprentice was not just about her poor teaching ability. 

“I want you to practice the first stance again,” I said, and as she shifted to it, I caressed her back, using my limited massage abilities to assess her essence flow. My smile widened as I found what I had been looking for. 

Volcano Hammer gave me a different perspective on how essence worked, allowing me to check her situation even better. 

Cheating was the best. 

I didn’t dare to manipulate her essence directly, but I could already feel some tricks to hasten her cultivation … and just like that, an interesting prospect appeared in my mind. 

What would happen if I could help others breakthrough. Using System resources was problematic … but doing it directly would be different. But, first, a little test. 

“Wait for me here, and continue practicing,” I said as reversed my shirt and messed my hair a bit. Enough that no one would link my looks to the arrogant young master. I could have put on a better disguise, but that was unnecessary. 

I left Pearyin alone. Soon, I was at a street stall. “Hey, friend. I want eight skewers of savage beast meat,” I said. 

“Twelve gold,” he said, which I paid promptly, though still shocked by the difference in prices. In a town, it was merely twenty-five silver, and here, one and a half gold for one. 

He pulled eight skewers, but I pointed to two with lower quality, mixed with ordinary meat. “Not those two,” I said. 

He said nothing, but realizing his little trick was caught, he changed it silently. Though, once he replaced that, I had to admit, the quality was decent. Almost Mortal Middle-Grade. 

When I returned, I found Pearyin panting from exhaustion while she practiced. “Eat one,” I said, but she stopped halfway, already hitting her limit. 

It was hard for an ordinary person to digest savage beast meat unless its quality was higher. “Now,” I said as I suddenly hugged her from behind, and put my hands on her stomach, massaging gently using the ordinary technique, but letting just a touch of warm essence slip through. 

I was trying to see if I could use Volcano Hammer Technique to break the food in her stomach, something that I only dared because I knew it was safe. 

Manipulating the food was much safer than manipulating the passive essence in her acupuncture. 

“Now, it’s your turn to teach me, Master,” I whispered as I used the massage technique trying to help her digest the food, my essence, changed by the Volcano Technique, helping her to break down and absorb the essence locked in the savage beast meat and help her absorb it quickly. 

Something that was supposed to be impossible without cooking the food of far higher quality. There was a reason they said Martial Arts were for the rich. 

“Is it appropriate, young master—” she said as she looked around. 

“No, call me student,” I said, preventing her potential tirade before she could start. 

I had little hope to trigger a System return … but there was no harm in trying. 

“Perfect your stance, Master,” I said even as I caressed her belly while I used the warm essence I had deciphered thanks to the brief lesson I had received from Lannayin. “Tell me if I’m doing anything wrong during the massage.” 

She followed that suggestion,, her beautiful body trembling as my fingers infused her body. She looked spectacular enough that I regretted our current location. It could have been far more entertaining if we were in our room. 

But, I still needed to go to the Arena thanks to Lannayin’s invitation, and see how people actually fought. I couldn’t afford to see the martial artists in action the first time when we fought. 

Helping her digest and divert the energy through the modified technique turned out to be easier than I had expected … and even channeled the essence across her body, which increased her chances of making a breakthrough greatly, which, under more ordinary circumstances, required weeks even for the geniuses based on the information I collected. 

Then, I realized the problem. The essence I had gathered in my chest had dwindled significantly. I had spent over ten times the energy that had been contained in her body. 

Unfortunately, this time, I failed to trigger the System. 

Luckily, at this point, I could easily afford the payment. I helped her digest all the food I had purchased, leading her body to brim with excess energy. 

“Now, let’s find a place to live,” I said.