Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

From what he understood, the Arcane Crystals he and Mary had got were items collected by the sect members who went on this kind of mission every month.

He would have to hunt creatures, collect crystals, and give them to the sect, which should distribute them among its members.

For now, he had the 10-hour weekly mission in mind.

'Beasts Hall and Battle Hall... What am I supposed to do in those places? It seems that I will only know when I start the mission.'

He closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh before retrieving his badge and turning his gaze towards Mary.

"I will have to serve the Beasts Hall and the Battle Hall. What about you?"

With an uncertain expression, she replied to him, "I will also serve both halls, but also the Essences Hall."

"Essences Hall?"

The Essences Hall was supposed to be the group responsible for the non-wild resources used by the sect's alchemists. From what little Liam had heard or read about Demon Gate's internal power structure, it had to be one of the most prestigious halls in the place.

Pills and potions were important, but their ingredients came from the soil or the elemental manipulation of botanists, not from the powers of alchemists.

Good businesses on Earth were not those that sold directly to the end user!

'During the machine revolution, it wasn't the companies that created artificial intelligence that made a profit; it was the companies that sold electronic components like chips. I imagine it is the same in this world.'

Liam smiled at Mary, envisioning this as a wonderful opportunity for her.

"This is good," he advised her. "No matter what role you'll have in the hall, try to seize the opportunity. Perhaps it will open some doors for you."

"Hmm, I'll do my best."

"You said you have to serve the Illusions Hall as well, right?" He asked her.

She gave a bitter smile. "Oh, and offer my services in the Disciples' Kitchen. As if I don't have enough on my plate, haha."

"The Illusions Hall is a group that focuses on mental powers. First Officer Merlin said they would assign us roles compatible with us. I think you could grow as a Spirit Master illusionist in the hall. This job serving in the kitchen should be temporary. When you're promoted, you probably won't have to do it anymore."

With a positive nod, she imagined that this was indeed the situation.

"Do you know where the Illusions Hall is? I want to go to the Runes Hall now. It's on Street Twelve."

"Street Twelve?" Her eyebrows arched. "I feel sorry for you. Having to climb those steps every day will be a nuisance."

He laughed, trying to look on the bright side. "It will exercise my body, at least..."

"So, it seems we have different routes. The Illusions Hall is on Street Twenty-Two. However, are you planning to go there right away? Perhaps we should make a quick stop at the Library and see what valuable information we can gather.

I've heard that all the worthwhile resources are in the pay section of the Library," she suggested, as they walked alongside each other, leaving the Missions Hall building.

Liam looked across the street and saw the Library.

In Twin Land, Spirit Masters possessed the ability to use techniques and various tricks in both their magical performances and combat. While their effectiveness relied on the attributes of their Spirits, there were methods to enhance the utilization of Spirits and the abilities that empowered the Spirit Master following the Spirit Pact and magical development.

These weren't techniques that would allow the Spirit Master to launch powerful attacks. It was more like combat tactics, the right way to fight certain types of opponents, the different ways to command certain types of Spirits, and so on.

Spirit Masters were the commanders of their battalions. It was up to them to know the strategy needed to defeat opponents of lesser, equal, or greater power.

In the Library, there were such techniques that talked about strategy, but also about the unique characteristics of Spirits.

'There are over a thousand different types of Spirits across the continent. The journey to learn them all won't be short or easy, but the sooner I start, the better.'

Liam thought to himself, seeing the passage through the Library as helpful, even though starting an hour earlier or later wouldn't make much difference to them.

"All right. Let's see what's good and at least get a better understanding of the paid part of the Library. We'll split up and go to our respective halls in two hours. Is that good enough for you?"

"Hmm, perfect." She replied with a smile and crossed the street until they reached the interior of the building they had visited the day before.

There they headed for one of the three entrances to the book section, one of the two entrances that required merit points to enter.

In addition to the resources from the boxes they had received earlier, they had both earned merit points for entering the sect. Mary received 20 merit points, while Liam received 50.

With their points to spend, the two went to entrance number '2'.

"To enter level two of the Library, each person must pay 10 merit points. Once inside, you can take one copy of a book or more if you pay the extra fee," said the masked Officer in front of the entrance.

'10 merit points... It's not cheap.' Liam looked at Mary, aware she wasn't in the same situation as him.

She had the same thought, except she was quite sure that she would have to utilize this location.

As she stepped forward to pay, however, Liam grabbed one of her wrists and asked the officer standing guard. "What's the difference between this level and that?" Liam pointed toward the entrance with the number '3'.

"The entry fee for level three is 100 merit points. Nevertheless, it offers a settlement that is 100 times more valuable. Inside, you'll find an assortment of books that delve into the techniques and unique attributes of rare Spirits. Notably, there is even a book dedicated to the fascinating dragons."

"Dragons?"

Their eyes locked, widening in surprise as they exchanged a silent understanding.

Dragons were the most fantastic magical beasts in Twin Land, the dream of every Spirit Master on the continent to have as their main Spirit, the terror of every being who didn't have at least fifth realm cultivation.

Dragons were terrifying. With their immense bodies, ability to live for thousands of years, and intimidating magical powers, they were almost divine beings living among the mundane.

There were even legends that said the birth of a dragon was a sign of omen, catastrophe, and doom.

To Liam, however, dragons were mythical creatures, distant legends. When he heard about these creatures he had considered fictional in his previous life, he breathed in the air with his mouth open and felt a chill run down his spine.

Faced with such a terrifying existence, his heart raced with a mixture of fear and fascination. But the rational part of him longed to witness the epic battles between extraordinary creatures.

"I see, a magnificent place indeed," he muttered as he looked at entrance number '3', marking the place to visit in the future.

He entered level two with Mary and soon had access to over a thousand volumes in that wing of the Library.

He and Mary would split up to search for content that would interest them both and make a difference in combat. Protecting their lives at the beginning of their journey through Demon Gate was the most important thing, so they focused on that in their search.

There were many questions that perhaps the books could answer for Liam. For example, the 'star' that entered his soul space, details of dual cultivation, how to best develop his Spirits, how to create a good 'battalion' of Spirits, etc.

He didn't expect to find all his answers there. In fact, he wouldn't try to look for all the answers, even if they were there. Certain things could only be sought if one had the possibility to keep one's tracks secret.

Glancing around, Liam had a sense that he was under observation, yet he couldn't comprehend the precise method or the identity of the observer.

He pretended not to notice it and continued his search for common themes for someone in his position.

After two hours at Mary's side, he would find books of interest for both of them.

Passing through the copy section, they would remove identical versions of the original books they had come in contact with, leaving several volumes of interest to them, to which they would surely return in the future.

For now, they wouldn't overdo it and would focus on learning the copies they had already acquired today.

As they left the Library, they split up, with her heading towards the Illusions Hall and him making his way to the Runes Hall.