Chapter 8:
Pain. That was the first thing Jayden registered. A deep, throbbing ache pulsed through his skull.
Am I dead?
His eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sight of the same burly monster who had knocked him out cold.
Oh, crap.
Before he could process the situation, a pleasant chuckle rang out. Turning his head, he spotted the black-haired beauty seated comfortably beside a familiar young girl—Lolly.
"You're finally awake," she said, her voice lighthearted. "Don't worry, you're safe."
Jayden stared blankly at her, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"...Thanks," he said, tone completely flat, his face betraying no emotion.
Mephina smirked, amused by his deadpan response.
"Why did you help me?" Jayden asked. He felt slightly rude questioning her kindness, but curiosity won out.
Mephina tilted her head. "Because you're brave. Fearless, even."
Jayden's eye twitched. Brave? He nearly pissed himself during that chase!
"I'm Mephina, by the way. And that guy over there"—she gestured toward the hulking warrior—"is Toph, my bodyguard."
Jayden involuntarily flinched, still feeling the phantom pain of the punch that knocked him out. He decided to avoid eye contact with Toph entirely.
Mephina leaned forward slightly. "You had no fear even when those men surrounded you. Most would have panicked, but you?" She chuckled. "Not a single flinch."
Jayden blinked.
...It was my deadpan face, wasn't it? He thought internally.
It might be a blessing this Time around.
Lolly, the little girl stepped forward, clutching the green pill tightly. "Please, I need to get this to my mother before it's too late!"
Jayden sighed, already regretting his life choices. "Fine. I'll help."
Mephina stretched lazily. "Sounds fun. I'll come too."
And, naturally, where Mephina went, Toph followed.
Just as they stepped outside—
A group of black-armored men stood waiting, the same leader from before grinning like an idiot.
"There they are!" He pointed at them triumphantly.
A middle-aged man with long black hair stepped forward, walking with the arrogance of someone who thought he was important.
"You dare def—"
His words froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened, his face paled, and sweat began dripping down his forehead.
The massive blade-wielding man, oblivious to his leader's reaction, stepped up with a smirk. "You dare defy the faction leader's orders and steal the Lord's treasure?! You deserve to die "
He turn around hoping to receive praise from his lord then –
SLAP!
Blood splattered as the leader's palm crashed across his subordinate's face.
The man stumbled, dazed. "Wha—why?"
Instead of an answer—
SLAP!
The second hit nearly knocked him unconscious. His face swelled instantly, barely recognizable.
The black-haired leader took a deep breath—then fell to his knees, bowing his head so hard it thudded against the ground.
"Forgive me, Lord Crusher… and Lady Tempest."
Jayden blinked. Wait… Lord what?
The other black-armored men, seeing their leader groveling, immediately dropped to their knees, trembling in fear.
Jayden stared blankly at the two people beside him.
...Who the hell are these two?! He asked which make people look at him weirdly
He turned to Mephina, who smiled sweetly. "You aren't from around here, are you?"
Jayden slowly shook his head.
Toph scoffed. "A weak D-rank faction like yours, thinking you're important. Pathetic."
The kneeling men shivered violently.
"You can stand," Mephina said lazily. "The girl needed medicine, and now she has it. I trust there won't be an issue?"
The leader frantically nodded. "N-No, of course not!"
Mephina smile widened. "Good. Because if you ever harm a child over something as trivial as a restoration pill again, I will personally visit your faction's base."
The leader gulped audibly.
Jayden was still in shock.
These two weren't just strong. They were big shots.
He thought back to that insane maniac from before. Are all the people in this world this terrifying?
As they traveled toward the next city, Jayden learned that the faction from earlier—the Morpheon Faction—was nothing more than a lowly D-rank faction. They acted high and mighty in this region, but if they ever stepped foot into the middle or upper regions where true powerhouses resided, they'd be wiped out instantly.
Jayden sighed. This world is just one giant power ladder.
Arriving at a small wooden house, they found an old man tending to a frail woman lying on a straw bed. Her sunken eyes remained shut, her breathing weak.
"Lolly!" The old man scolded. "Where have you been?! Your mother—!"
His words halted as he noticed the green pill in her hands. His eyes widened in shock as he learned of her reckless journey.
With gratitude, he quickly took the restoration pill, crushed it, and infused it with spiritual energy, guiding it through the woman's body.
A long silence followed.
Then—he sighed. "It helped… but it's not enough. This was only a low-grade pill."
Lolly's face fell, her eyes welling up with tears.
Jayden frowned.
Something was wrong with him.
He shouldn't care. He shouldn't feel anything.
But watching Lolly cry…
It bothered him.
What the hell is happening to me?
Mephina suddenly stepped forward. "Let me see."
She placed a hand over the woman's chest. A soft, green light pulsed from her palm, growing brighter and brighter.
Jayden's jaw nearly dropped.
A few minutes later, the woman's skin regained color. Her sunken cheeks filled out, and her breathing evened.
Then, she stirred.
The old man gasped. "A miracle!"
He has seen some doctors who has healing abilities but not one this powerful. He look at Mephina in awe.
Jayden was once again shock by mephina abilities.
The night breeze carried a cool chill as Mephina reached into her pouch and casually tossed two small, white pills toward Jayden.
"Here. Spirit Gathering Pills," she said with smile. "They'll help you cultivate faster."
Jayden caught them with ease, his fingers brushing over their smooth surface. Immediately, his system buzzed to life.
[Spirit Gathering Pills detected. Conversion to System Points possible.]
His eyes flickered with interest. So, I can turn them into SP… that's actually useful.
But Jayden wasn't someone who believed in free gifts—especially not ones that could accelerate strength. He had seen enough of this world's cruelty to understand one thing: Nothing comes without a price.
Expression deadpan, he looked up at Mephina.
"...What do you want in return?"
Mephina smirk deepened, as if she had expected this question.
"Smart," she said, crossing her arms. "I want you to join my faction when the time is right."
Jayden exhaled internally. Here we go again…
At this point, it was almost funny. First the Scarlet Faction psycho from before, now her. Why was everyone trying to recruit him? Was there some kind of cosmic joke at play?
But for Jayden, this wasn't just a matter of preference—it was a problem.
Unlike every other warrior in this world, he couldn't cultivate using spiritual energy. His body didn't absorb essence like theirs.
He had the Anime System.
His power didn't come from cultivating spiritual energy—it came from unlocking anime-based abilities through system points. If he wanted to grow stronger, he needed SP, and while resources like these pills could be converted, he couldn't use them in the way others did.
If anyone found out, they'd see him as an anomaly—or worse, a threat.
So, with his usual unreadable face, he responded in the most neutral way possible.
"...I'll think about it."
Mephina smiled, satisfied with that answer. "That's all I needed to hear for now."
Jayden, however, was already thinking of ways to dodge this conversation in the future. No way in hell I'm tying myself to a faction.
But then—
Mephina casually added, "Oh, and by the way, my faction? It's the best in the empire."
Jayden barely reacted, simply waiting for the name.
Then—
"The Scarlet Faction."
Jayden's heart stopped.
His entire body tensed as his mind went blank.
No. No. No. NO.
In that instant, a certain maniac's face flashed in his head—those crazed, battle-hungry eyes, that unhinged grin.
His pulse quickened.
His survival instincts screamed.
Out of all the factions in the world… WHY THE HELL DOES IT HAVE TO BE HIS?!
Still, he forced his face to remain as blank as ever, though Mephina sharp eyes lingered on him, sensing something was off.
"Something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.
Jayden slowly shook his head. "…No. Just thinking."
Thinking about running as fast as possible.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.