Kaida reached the front of the Sect and saw a board for a mission. It could be Solo, but it could also use help. She didn't truly mind help, but getting connections was clearly needed.
{"…I Forgot I had to infiltrate this Sect, not live in it. Just shows how bad the Underworld was."}
Kaida looked at one of the papers discussing investigating activities related to the Underworld. It was something for a Foundation Establishment level like her—obviously mid-level, but she'd have to be strong enough. The Mission would take days, maybe even months. She'd probably take it later.
{"...I'd rather not spend a few months for a mission... Wasting my first few months like that."}
Kaida put it back and looked at another similar one, which had more information about the Underworld and the suspicious activity of people being planted inside the Sect. She noticed someone in oversized and dark-colored baggy clothing from the corner of her eye, but she paid no mind. They looked feminine, though still noticeably a man.
"Hmmm... Ah." Kaida grabbed the final one: to find, capture, and save any surviving members of the people kidnapped. She needed someone else since it was dangerous alone. She sighed, holding the paper softly.
{"Could ask Akari... No, she's not at my level. Wenxu could work, but so could Fyodor if he's willing, but I doubt it; I just met him. And he will probably be annoyed about me asking for help."}
A few walked nearby, looking at her. She's 5'7 "now but hadn't shown herself much, mostly quiet and reserved. To others, this was weird since people were either enthusiastic or skeptical. She could see the side eyes but didn't care for them much unless someone bothered her.
She noticed the baggy clothing guy get close as he looked at it and then at her.
"You want to work together? I got nothing better to do."
She nodded, but she didn't react, acting detached and uncaring. The boy could see she was clearly on the Void-Born path. He disliked the detachment but could tell she didn't speak unless needed, which he still somewhat respected. "It would be better if you simply spoke."
"I only speak if I need to. Otherwise, I'll nod or point."
["Ma'am, you should be a little nicer, I feel like it'll help with the connection stuff."]
{"Sure..."}
Kaida sighed, blinking, and turned to the boy next to her. "Your name?"
"Isaac."
"...I'm Kaida. It's a Pleasure to meet you." She handed him the paper, having already read everything. "I'm new here, so I don't know how these 'missions' work."
He held the paper and crumpled it, putting it in his pocket. "You don't need to tell anyone. As long as you take the paper with you, that means it's taken. And you need to return the Mission's paper to have it submitted."
She gave a soft grin before nodding to him.
He turned towards her face and tried hard not to tell her anything. He knew she did this on purpose. He found it annoying, but it was also easy to tell. He didn't like her detachment, but for her, it mattered, not though she saw him as a counterbalance. And it was good for her, especially since she'd be too anxious about the investigation and saving.
"So it's in the City?" Kaida asked softly.
"Yeah, it's in the city's slums, though they're only there from Duke Iskandar." He sighed before speaking once more. "Shall we get going more quickly?"
"...Sure." Both of them began moving at their top speed, and though a short burst of Qi was used, they moved at insane speeds. She moved a little slower to follow him and not get lost; if she saw him move in a specific direction, she followed.
"I have a question, " Isaac said. Why do you act like someone's always after you?"
"Because someone was and still is, though they aren't here right now." She looked directly at him before continuing to follow, looking ahead.
"Dang, You got a bounty or something? How much?" He chuckled, hearing her.
"Can't count it anymore." She spoke cautiously so as not to reveal more about her.
As they approached, they had to pass mountains, which Kaida found Familiar and looked to the side. "Huh, that's the Temple I found last time."
He looked at it and then back at her while looking ahead. "Yeah, the City hasn't gotten a go-ahead to investigate it, but it's releasing a blackened Qi, which causes our Qi to go haywire and completely destroy itself."
{"So like Anti-matter..."}
She blinked, and then both stopped as they reached the mountain. They'd been running at their top speed, though it felt minimal: about a minute and a half. The Sect was about 31 Kilometers away.
"Should we rest or continue?" He spoke, looking tired.
Kaida took a second and released the Qi from her mind down to her body, as a feeling of calm washed over her, significantly lowering her Paranoia and Anxiety. "So, did you know you shouldn't always keep Qi in your head?"
"Yeah, what? That's common knowledge. It could fry your brain... Why are you." He froze before sighing and looking at her and flicking her forehead.
"Look, I don't speak emotionally like this, but that's going to fry your brain. Don't continue doing that."
Kaida stared at his words, blinking somewhat, registering the flick quickly. "I... See." She nodded and looked ahead. Waiting for him to get ready, both jumped, releasing another burst of Qi, which accelerated their height even higher than before as they changed their trajectory to land. Once they did, she looked at him as they noticed the people staring at them and saw the familiar Priest. Though she wanted to attack, she held back and whispered to Isaac. "Don't trust the priest; almost got tricked by him."
He looked at her and scoffed. "What? Do you believe in some God or something? Don't give me that garbage."
She sighs, "No, I don't mean that. If you do, make sure not to get kidnapped while interrogating him."
He looked realizing and nodded, looking away as his eyes covered in Qi, now searching the premises. Kaida, on the other hand, jumped up without a Physical boost on her legs to get to the top of a 4 story building, though it looked run down. With that, she moved quickly but also concealed her Qi from spilling out and even sent traces of Qi where it looked suspicious, and she'd be notified by the fact that Qi left a trail when coming back to her.
She began searching and looking through the slums quickly, jumping from building to building. She filled her ears with Qi to enhance her sense of hearing, and now she could hear footsteps everywhere across the entire city block. She could hear people talking about their daily lives, some about politics and others about each other, and suddenly. It was not above ground but more like someone was going downstairs; for one reason or another, she could differentiate it.
[Geological Detection Activated]
{"Cind... That's actually good. Never mind, thanks."}
Kaida sighed, noticing the movements from which direction and letting the Qi she connected to Isaac flow directly towards her as if alerting him she was there and found something. She jumped down to the side of the building, tapping her foot and waiting for a few seconds; after the fifth tap, she stopped, and suddenly, the ground beneath her opened; just as Isaac reached and saw it, he jumped down and barely got in before the ground closed up, since no one was really here due to the abandoned buildings and how dirty it was no one really lived here.
{"Figures, they're stupid enough to hide it in barren places."}
Kaida used Qi as a sticky substance, getting the idea from certain frogs. She connected herself to the wall and grabbed Isaac before he fell any further. She slid down slowly while moving him up to sit on her shoulders.
"This feels unnecessary," Isaac whispered.
"Too bad, it is. We don't want to get caught instantly. We're told to retrieve people, not fight people."
As they reached the bottom, Kaida looked down, coating the external area of her head and other body to match like a Cameleon.
{"...Credit where it's due the Qi is extremely Versatile. No wonder people here use it."}
Her eyes darted around the area, and she noticed two guards standing there. Their strength was only Qi Condensation, but they thought it'd be enough for infiltrators. She moved her hand, forming the Qi string through her fingers as it burned her skin softly. She flinched before jumping down and pushing her hand as her Strings wrapped around their neck, and she tightened it just enough that it didn't kill. After eight seconds, they passed out, and Kaida looked up as Isaac jumped down and looked at them. They're Qi Condensation, and she could tell her blood flow moved more quickly back when she was, so they'd probably wake up.
"I choked them enough for at least a minute so we can get them out by the time they wake up."
Isaac nodded and followed her; time was crucial, with Kaida coating the ground with Qi, making it harder for noise to be heard. Reaching the bottom, she noticed skeletons, which well obvious there was also ripped skin on the ground with old blood painting the floor in areas; there were other devices used to torture, and she could see there was an entrance to a prison-like area, she also looked back just in case and saw Isaac standing horrified, but looking up she saw there wasn't anyone up there.
{"Someone should've anticipated us. There's been insiders in the Sect that should've seen us."}
Kaida was still paranoid, and she grabbed Isaac's arm and dragged him to the corridor, seeing the 'cells' or what it could be called; it was worse of a prison compared to where she was from. She sprinted, looking at each side, noticing no one in each, but stopped right as she saw two people, a boy and a girl, both locked together. They were probably siblings since they were hugging, but they looked about her age. She broke through the bars, taking them out while Isaac regained composure and jumped to the second floor, grabbing the bar with the five disciples.
After taking the two of them out, Kaida got back on her feet and watched Isaac unchain or break the disciples' cuffs. She held the siblings in one hand while leaving the other open in case they needed to fight.
"How much time has passed, Isaac?"
Isaac looked at her. "About eight minutes have passed. So you probably need to knock them out again."
["Exactly 7 Minutes and- Okay, Eight Minutes is fine. Never mind" Cinder is clearly annoyed.]
{"Cinder... Thanks, but wait for a second to see if someone answers, and even then, I wasn't asking you."}
She gave a thumbs up and put the kids down, moving them to Isaac and the other disciples so they could take care of them. A sudden explosion occurred as the building they were under broke apart, and the sound of people running inside also made her see someone in light blue clothing like a robe, yet it looked professional. Something of high class as he looked at them with a smirk. "Two Foundation Level... I can take you both easily." He smiled a shit-eating grin, and his voice sounded older, like he was a father, which Kaida chuckled at softly. Almost instinctively.
"What are you laughing at?" He looked at her calmly and clearly amused as well. "You going insane or something?"
"Nah... I'm amused you think they're weaker just because someone's cultivation is lower." Kaida stood straight, her Qi flooding her brain and body as she was enhanced and ready to fight. Her body moved as she tried to scan his level, but it was hidden.
["He's at the Peak of Core Formation and clearly Void-Born, so the Core isn't visible."]