A hundred kids sat in front of him, all sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed.
Mana swirled around then, caressing their bodies and fondly dancing around them. Their breathings were in sync as if rehearsed, an expression of relaxation and deep immersion was obvious on their faces.
This batch of results just received their first lecture from Ashton.
He discussed nothing but the basics of cultivation with them, breaking the false stigmas they developed due to misinformation and the bad habits they unwillingly adapted.
To Ashton, this might not mean much since he had given this kind of lecture a couple of times already, but for the kids, it's a whole different story.
It is a fact by now that the Mystic Guild is the most popular organization that cultivators can join. Other organizations tried copying their style to attract people for profit but none of them could ever hold a candle to the Mystic Guild.
The difference was akin to a grain of sand being compared to the sun itself. There's just no competition at all.
Admittedly, even with the rising prosperity of Fantasia, the quality of knowledge in cultivation was still relatively low. And that's even with the Filtering Law for cultivation being lifted.
Ashton was already rectifying this of course, but it is going to take some time before he could see any results. After all, the road to cultivation is extremely long.
That being said, since cultivation is now a public thing, many people had taken some selfish ideas. Sadly, spreading false information about cultivation became a glaring problem. And even with the established laws punishing the perpetrators of these activities, the human heart will remain a fickle thing.
It is for that reason that a lot of young cultivators took the winding path or the completely wrong path at the very start of their journey.
With Ashton clarifying things for them and providing them with ways to rectify these mistakes, it was obvious that they will experience what it is truly like to cultivate in earnest.
Sure, all they learned so far is how to fix their foundations, but whoever said that it stops there?
This was Ashton's first lecture for them. Meaning there would be more later down the line. The Guild Master's guidance will always be available to them.
Time passed and one by one, the kids started waking up. Those who did stand up as silently as they could so as to not disturb the rest, they bowed to him before making their way out.
Ashton had already opened up their mind and provided them with options, the rest is up to them. His guidance only stretches this far.
As the number of people dwindled down over time, the Lecture Hall became quieter and quieter. Eventually, only a few kids left.
Some asked for his opinion and he didn't hesitate to give them more advice to help them out. Their inquiries differ from each other but it all comes into play for the betterment of themselves so Ashton didn't mind.
More time passed and before he knew it, only two people were left at the Lecture Hall, and these two were Dylan and Fred, the ones that he has his eye on.
He watched as they woke up from their introspection around the same time. He saw how they reorganized their thoughts and saw how their expressions turned particularly troubled.
Eventually, they both looked at him and Ashton didn't hesitate to invite them closer. The boys walked towards him with confused expressions.
"You both seem particularly troubled. Care to tell me why that is?"
Truth to be told, Ashton didn't need to ask, he knows precisely why they were making these faces, but he wanted to hear it from them.
"...I guess both of us have the same problem, Master." Dylan sighed as he said this, "We've started cultivating on the wrong foot. Based on your lecture, our options aren't much. The best method for us to rectify our problems is to void our current progress and start all over again but..."
"...but starting all over again would set us far behind our peers." Fred continued. "Besides, we haven't earned sufficient Merit Points to exchange for the resources we will need for the switch. What should we do?"
Ashton smiled. Their concerns lined up with his estimations. And while he did feel bad about what's he going to do next (since it could be morally questionable), he knew that these two will be key figures in the future, so he just have to suck it up.
"There is an option for the both of you, but I'm afraid that it would require you to...well, practically sell your freedom to the Guild."
The boys looked at him in surprise. They probably weren't expecting him to be blunt with his choice of words.
Ashton then took out a set of contracts, one that would officially make them his direct subordinates, Beneficiaries if you will...
"This is a contract that will bind you to the Guild. Signing this means that your loyalty would remain with the Guild. Violating a clause included in this contract will hurt you a ton, do that three times and it will literally kill you."
He could tell that the two were reeling with the words he was saying, sadly he wasn't done yet.
"But of course, there's a benefit to signing this. For one, signing this allows you to take a Merit Points loan, which you can then use according to how you see fit. Of course, there are plenty more benefits included here. Take your time and read it. Once you made your decision, come to me."
Dylan and Fred looked unsatisfied with how he answered their inquiry, nevertheless, they took the contract and started reading it. As for Ashton himself, he left the Lecture Hall.
He would give them time to ponder about it. Of course, he's not forcing them to be his Beneficiaries, it'd be cool if they could but he's not gonna throw a tantrum if they chose otherwise.
With them settled, he had already handed out contracts to the kids he has his eyes on. He's just waiting for their decisions and he can then proceed accordingly.
The day passed just like this, and on the next morning, Ashton was once again back at the Lecture Hall, this time, he was faced with the five kids who apparently made their decisions already.
"I offered the same contracts to all of you here, you told me that you've made your decision. Well, who amongst you decided to sign the contract?"
And without any hesitation, he saw five hands raised, meaning that all of them decided to sign the contract to become his direct subordinate.
Dylan read the contract very closely, and to be completely honest, it was too good to be true.
All the contract needed from them was their loyalty and a promise to aid the Guild's cause, that's about it. Should they agree to that, they will quite literally be showered with benefits, directly from the Guild Master himself.
He had tried to see if there were any loopholes in the contract but he found none. The contract was clear and concise about what it wanted, and it had given him a vivid idea of what to expect.
All that being said, he and Fred decided to go along with it. They didn't see any harm in doing so, they were even excited about it.
"Since all of you have made your decision, go ahead with them. Smear a drop of your blood in the contract and you shall receive a sigil."
They didn't need to the told twice. One by one, they pricked their finger and smeared their blood on the contract.
It then turned into tiny specks of light which coagulated into a sigil.
The sigil then fused with their bodies and from that point onwards, they are bound to the guild.
But of course, that's not all...
With a wave of Ashton's hand, all five of them got transported somewhere else. The kids didn't know what was happening, all they know is that the moment they appeared in...wherever this place was, they could feel a strong attraction towards a certain direction.
It's as if something or someone out there was calling for them...
The urge was so strong that none of them were able to resist the call. And so, they started going towards it in hopes of receiving an answer.
None of them noticed that Ashton was right there, watching over them and prepared to take them back once their communion with the Dragon Vein was over.
While he did say that the kids here have their fair share of troubles, so long as they became his beneficiaries, all of those will be rectified so he didn't hesitate to have them commune with the Dragon Vein already.
They're already bound by the System's Contract. He didn't have to worry about their betrayal after that.
[Congratulations! You have accepted five Heaven's Chosen as your Beneficiaries. ×1380 Benefactor's Return Triggered! You have received...]
[Conditions to evolve the Dragon Vein has been met. Proceed with the Evolution? Y/N?]
