Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

'My mana has increased significantly during this cultivation session... Could it be because of our enhanced strength, or perhaps because my Spirit prowess has developed?'

As he looked up at the plain white ceiling of his room, several questions popped into his curious mind.

'In the past, I didn't really perceive significant changes in my growth after making breakthroughs. However, this time around, I have managed to progress by two levels, and they are notably more substantial levels, especially considering my standing in the second realm. Perhaps I failed to notice this previously because I engage in cultivation more frequently and thus experience slower growth.'

He couldn't determine which explanation was correct. However, he held onto his doubt. 'I'll investigate later,' he thought. With his merit points, he could now explore various sections of the library.

If he could figure out the reason behind his rapid progress during this cultivation session, he could discover a more effective approach to dual cultivation, allowing him to grow at an accelerated pace.

Upon contemplation, he rose from his bed and leisurely made his way to the bathroom, pausing before the diminutive mirror adorning the sink.

Gazing upon his glistening physique, now adorned with more prominent and distinctly bulkier, curvier muscles, he stopped to revel in his own reflection.

'My muscles appear more toned, and even my skin feels smoother. Could this be the reason female cultivators often look much younger than their actual age? Interesting.'

With a smile on his face, he shifted his focus back to his desired task—washing up and changing into his worn-out clothes.

'I need to buy something for Mary and myself. I've noticed the other disciples looked at us negatively. We'd better change our appearance soon to avoid further problems.'

Putting the contents of his gift box into his spatial ring, he left Mary peacefully asleep and made his way towards one bustling shopping streets nearby.

...

Just as Liam was coming down the front steps of the building Mary was in, a young man with a beret on his head, sitting on the roof of a building not far away, narrowed his eyes as he abruptly stood up.

"5-Star? No, half the level of a 5-Star Spirit Lord!" Unable to contain his astonishment, this man with a beret, brown eyes, and an X-shaped scar on his right cheek almost couldn't believe his senses.

Clenching his fists, he took a step back, still monitoring Liam as the black-haired boy walked down the side street, probably in search of a nearby business—an expected activity for a newcomer.

'What happened? How did he become so strong? Has he already reaped the rewards of joining the sect and becoming an Initiate? But that would be strange. Someone with his talent shouldn't level up so easily. Could it be that Silas lied to me?'

The corners of his lips dropped as he saw that something was wrong, or at least missing in the information that had reached him.

'I need to take a step back. It won't be easy to deal with this brat now.'

He left the top of the building while Liam began his journey to Street Thirty-Six.

Just as he was aware, the even streets of City Thirteen housed the trade and infrastructure that kept the city running smoothly. Here, one could find the internal guard, the halls dedicated to educating and guiding the disciples, managing everyday tasks like sewage and water, and more.

Even though this was a city in a powerful sect, there were things that could be found in ordinary cities—grocery stores, clothing, shoes, and many other services.

On Street Thirty-Six, there was just one clothing store. Liam would enter it, swiftly select two outfits for himself, and additionally pick out two sets of clothes for Mary.

In this world, there were special clothes. When Liam entered a store, he saw one of those remarkable pieces. These clothes were made of special fabrics, adorned with runes. They possessed incredible properties, such as being stain-resistant, waterproof, and 100% efficient at maintaining body heat.

Right now, he didn't have enough to splurge on such clothing. A single pair of magic trousers cost 5 gold coins!

He didn't know the cost of resources that could save his life or help him become stronger faster, so even though he had the coins, he wasn't fooled by his poor situation.

After buying some ordinary clothes, he went back to his room, where he found Mary waking up from her sleep.

"Did you go out?" she asked, her beautiful face adorned with a smile as she gently massaged her temples.

"Yes, I've purchased clothes for both of us. Please put them on before you leave. It's not a big deal, they're just regular clothes. Don't worry about the cost," he said, already wearing his new outfit.

He wore black trousers, boots of the same color, a shirt and a cloak, also black, which covered most of his body.

It didn't look like the uniform of Demon Gate Officers or First Officers.

But now Liam could see the differences in these clothes, items that certainly had magical properties, as well as the symbols of the sect and the identification of its members.

Nevertheless, Liam liked his normal, comfortable and flexible clothes. They weren't like Earth clothes. Surely he could fight very well, even dressed like that.

Mary saw the two sets he had bought for her as she got out of bed, grateful for the gesture.

She washed and then tried on the clothes Liam had bought for her, which fortunately had some kind of strange technology that adjusted to any body size.

Liam was glad he didn't have to know Mary's sizes, even more so when he saw the two garments fit his companion's slender body perfectly.

"Thank you for the gift," she said, planting a gentle kiss on one of his cheeks while he subtly nodded in acknowledgment.

"Don't worry, ordinary clothes are quite cheap. I only spent 5 silver coins for the four sets I bought... Anyway, I'm going to the Missions Hall to check on my duties. Would you like to accompany me?"

She agreed and followed him to Street Twenty-Six, where not only the Missions Hall was located but also the Library.

"Speaking of our cultivation." She walked alongside him and delicately covering her lips to prevent her words from escaping. "I have improved much more than last time. Did you feel the same?"

"Hmm, we'll look into that soon. For now, we should focus on figuring out our responsibilities to the sect. Tomorrow, our protection period will end, so we'll have to deal with problems.

Let's finish learning about this place and spend some more time in the Library. I doubt you'll have time for that after tomorrow." He looked at her meaningfully when he saw her expression become rigid.

"You were right. Merlin has tricked us."

"It wasn't like we could do anything about it anyway. At least now you know that growing up in this place will be quite difficult. Fortunately, we can cultivate together," he said.

"Yes, we must work together. Otherwise, we'll just be outside disciples serving to produce merit points for Amos." She sighed.

She had gotten her hopes up with Merlin's introduction to the sect during their trip here. Add to that her power and the good feeling she got from manipulating mana, and she had naively thought that she could grow into something more than a servant.

Now that she discovered she would have responsibilities that would keep her busy for most of her time in the sect, she no longer saw things so simply.

But regrets wouldn't change anything. Following Liam's side, she saw the majestic Missions Hall, a four-story spherical building close to the Library.

The place was even busier than the Records Hall, with students coming and going, some alone, others in groups, with many conversations in between, creating a buzz that was hard to ignore.

This time, however, none of them experienced strange looks, disgust, anger, that they had felt earlier, before changing their outfits.

As they entered the building, they were greeted by a multitude of vibrant neon signs proudly displaying various missions and their corresponding rewards. Eventually, they arrived at a section adorned with a captivating mural, which provided detailed instructions tailored for newcomers like themselves.

According to it, they could find out their mandatory journeys within the sect by using their identification badges at the automatic counters in the corner opposite the entrance, in the building's heart.

Spotting the 20 automatic counters, they made their way to two of the artifacts available and placed their badges on devices similar to those they had seen earlier in the Records Hall.

In this way, Liam saw what his 10-hour work week for City Thirteen would be like.

[Initiate-level Activity]

[5 hours of work per week in the Beasts Hall—function depends on the appointment of the Beasts Hall Lord.]

[5 hours of work per week in the Battle Hall—function depends on the appointment of the Battle Hall Lord.]

[30 King-grade Arcane Crystals per month, of the Middle-level or equivalent in higher quality crystals.]