Dragon Monarch System

”What are you girls doing here?” Aditya did not hide his surprise.

”What are we doing here? We came here looking for you.” Rin rushed to check on Aditya’s injuries.

”Stupid man, you should be lying in bed and recovering.” To not cause a scene, Aditya gently stopped Rin. But Rin just pouted and tried to break free to check on his wounds without using too much of her strength, as she was afraid of hurting him.

”I am alright. My hands are working perfectly fine.” He was lying.

Even now, his body was far from fully healed. Whenever he tried to channel Mana through his arms and direct it toward his palms, he could still feel a noticeable sense of discomfort. The injuries had healed enough for him to move normally and avoid attracting attention, but using his arms at their full capacity was still impossible.

Any action that placed significant strain on the bones or muscles caused sharp pain to shoot through the injured areas. It felt as if the bones had only recently been pieced back together and were protesting every movement. Although the healers had done an incredible job, some wounds simply required time before they could fully recover.

The severed sections of his arms still bore visible stitches. The wounds were raw, and in some places, newly regenerated flesh could still be seen beneath the healing skin. It was not a pleasant sight. To prevent others from noticing his condition, Aditya wrapped the injured areas with a thin layer of bandages before covering them with long-sleeved clothing. From the outside, he appeared mostly normal, but only he knew how fragile his arms still were.

If a serious battle broke out right now, he would be forced to fight while enduring constant pain. Fortunately, compared to losing his life, a few weeks of discomfort was a small price to pay.

But Aditya did not want to worry the girls. He also had the feeling that if he was honest now, then he would be taken back for more rest.

”Rin, calm down.”

”He needs to blend with the crowd. What you are doing is attracting attention.” Hearing this, Rin stopped trying to check his wounds.

Aditya nodded his head to show that he agreed with Athena. ”And Aditya lying to your close ones is not good. You are obviously in pain. Stop trying to act tough. At this point, we won’t stop you. Instead, we are here to support you.”

”I am not lying.” The words left his mouth almost instantly, but even he knew how weak they sounded. He could not bring himself to look her in the eyes. For some reason, he always felt as though she could see right through him. No matter how calm he acted or how convincing his excuses were, she always seemed capable of telling what he was truly thinking and feeling.

Hearing his response, she simply smirked. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed his wrist. At first, her grip was gentle. Then she applied just a little pressure.

”Hisss...”

Aditya immediately sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. A flash of pain shot through his arm, causing the muscles in his face to twitch. Although the wound had healed considerably, the bones and flesh were still far from fully recovered.

The smirk on her face widened. ”Not lying, huh?”

Aditya immediately looked away. Being caught so easily was embarrassing. Unfortunately, the pain had betrayed him before he could come up with another excuse.

”How did you girls find me?” He quickly changed the topic. Aditya honestly did not expect them to find him in such a short time.

”We have the Goddess of Wisdom.” Freya replied with a small grin.

Looking at Athena, Aditya somewhat understood. He had underestimated Athena.

She had figured out far more than he expected. No matter how carefully he tried to hide his intentions or downplay his condition, Athena always seemed capable of seeing through him. It was almost as if nothing escaped her notice.

Sigh.....!!!!

Aditya let out a long sigh.

Originally, he had planned to complete this entire mission on his own before returning. He did not want anyone else getting involved, especially not the people closest to him. However, now that the cat was out of the bag, there was little point in continuing to hide things from them.

With another helpless sigh, Aditya gave up on the idea of keeping them in the dark.

”What are you planning to do?” Freya asked.

”Well, I will tell you girls, later. For now, just come with me. I need to buy some materials to create a special type of rune talisman.”

The three girls looked at each other before silently following behind Aditya. Although they were curious about what he was planning, they knew that once Aditya made up his mind, he would reveal things only when he felt the time was right.

The rest of the journey passed rather peacefully. Since Athena, Freya, and Rin had spent a long time living on the Main Continent, they naturally knew far more about this place than Aditya did. As a result, their conversation gradually shifted away from the Night Rider Sect and toward more casual topics.

They spoke about famous vacation destinations scattered across the Main Continent. They discussed beautiful cities that attracted millions of visitors every year, regions known for their unique cultures and traditions, and towns famous for having some of the best street food on the continent. Occasionally, Freya would mention a place she had visited before, while Rin would immediately argue that another location was much better.

Meanwhile, Aditya mostly listened while occasionally asking questions. Although he was focused on his mission, hearing their stories allowed him to learn more about the Main Continent. It also helped take his mind off recent events, even if only for a short while.

Their conversation continued until they eventually arrived in front of a massive store. The building stood several stories tall and occupied a large section of the street. Through the glass windows, countless materials, tools, and cultivation-related items could be seen on display.

Aditya stopped walking and looked up at the building.

Based on its size and reputation, he was confident that this place would have everything he needed for the special rune talisman he intended to create.

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Scene Change____

Aditya led the girls to the inn where he was staying. As they passed through the reception area, he stopped briefly and rented another room. He had not yet decided whether Athena and Rin would stay in his room or spend the night with Freya. Either way, having an extra room was necessary.

After collecting the key, the group headed upstairs.

Click!

As soon as the door opened, the girls understood why Aditya had rented another room.

The room was tiny.

The bed alone occupied more than sixty per cent of the available space. There was barely enough room for several people to stand comfortably without bumping into one another. The walls were old and showed signs of wear, while the wooden floor creaked whenever someone stepped on it.

There was no private washroom attached to the room. Instead, the inn provided a large communal washroom that was shared by all guests and divided into separate sections for men and women.

Apart from the bed, the room contained only a small wooden table and a chair that looked as though it had survived several decades of abuse. One of its legs had been repaired multiple times, and parts of the wood were chipped and worn. Overall, the room was far from luxurious, but it was clean enough and served its purpose as a temporary place to stay.

”You should have gone to a better inn than this.” Freya has never stepped into such places, much less staying into one.

”Well, it helps with staying low and avoiding attention.” Nodding, she removed her shoes and lay down on the bed.

Rin started checking on his wounds. She was worried that his wounds had suddenly started bleeding again.

Laura - ’Hey, let me out. I want to see Aditya.’

After separating from Aditya earlier, Laura had also taken the opportunity to examine his injuries, just as Rin had done. Now, the two girls worked together to inspect his condition more thoroughly. While Rin focused on the wounds on the right side of his body, Laura carefully checked the injuries on the left. Meanwhile, Athena sat quietly on the edge of the bed, observing the entire process without interrupting.

Rin and Laura remained completely focused on Aditya’s condition. Neither of them paid much attention to the presence of the others as they carefully removed the outer layers of his clothing to gain a better look at the injuries hidden beneath. They wanted to see how well the wounds were healing and whether there were any signs of complications.

As for Freya, she simply watched. Unlike most people, she did not appear embarrassed or uncomfortable by the situation. In her eyes, there was nothing unusual about it. Aditya was the man to whom she was engaged, and the girls were merely checking his injuries to ensure that he was recovering properly. Because of that, she calmly observed the scene without showing even the slightest hint of awkwardness or shame.

”What is the plan?” Athena asked Aditya after Rin and Laura were done.

”I have a rough idea of what I want to do. But I won’t finalise anything until my subordinates return with more information. Once I know more about the Night Rider Sect and the cities under its control, I will decide on the details.” Fraya moved so that he could lie down. He had no intention of lying down, but Rin kept insisting.

”How much do you know about the Night Rider Sect or cultivation sects in general?”

”In what context are you asking?” Aditya asked while looking at her.

Athena folded her arms. ”Tell me the first few things that come to your mind.”

Aditya thought for a moment before answering. ”Cultivation sects are different from kingdoms and empires. Their structure is usually centred around strength. The stronger someone is, the more authority they have. Most sects have disciples, inner disciples, core disciples, elders, and a sect leader. Resources are distributed according to talent and contribution.”

The purpose of the Cultivation Sects is to teach cultivation and give resources to talented people across the land. But this is just the children’s version of the narrative.

”A cultivation sect functions more or less the same way an Empire or a Kingdom does. The only major difference is that the foundation of a sect is built around cultivation rather than bloodlines or noble titles.”

”Every year, hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of talented children and young cultivators are recruited into the sect. Once they join, the sect provides them with cultivation techniques, cultivation resources, teachers, combat training, and almost everything else required to turn them into powerful cultivators.”

”Of course, not everyone receives the same treatment. The more talented a disciple is, the more resources the sect invests in them. Outer disciples receive basic resources. Inner disciples receive better resources. Core disciples receive the best treatment. And if an Elder takes a disciple personally, that disciple’s status rises even further.”

”That is the surface-level explanation.” Athena’s words made him nod.

”Exactly.” He wasn’t done yet.

”The reality is that cultivation sects are also political powers.”

”Just like an Empire controls territory, a cultivation sect also controls vast amounts of land. The Night Rider Sect alone controls nearly one-fifth of the Celestial Dragon Empire’s territory. Within that territory are cities, towns, villages, mines, trade routes, farms, and countless other resources.”

”Unlike an Empire, however, a cultivation sect rarely governs every city directly. Instead, they delegate authority. Many cities are governed by powerful core disciples, influential families, or local lords who have pledged their loyalty to the sect. In some cases, a family may govern the same city for multiple generations as long as they remain loyal and continue fulfilling the sect’s demands.”

”Every city under a cultivation sect’s control pays taxes and tributes. These can be in the form of spirit stones, cultivation resources, rare herbs, monster materials, weapons, or even talented children.”

”If a valuable mana stone mine or spirit stone mine is discovered, the sect usually claims ownership. In return, they may reward the local ruler, reduce their taxes, or provide additional protection and resources.”

”The difference between a Cultivation Sect and an Empire is that their strongest military force is concentrated at the sect itself.”

”The true power of a cultivation sect does not lie in its cities. It lies within the mountain headquarters where the Elders, Core Disciples, and Sect Leader reside.” Athena nodded in agreement.

”Every year, the sect also conducts large-scale recruitment throughout its territory. Talented children are identified and brought into the sect. This ensures a constant flow of new talent and allows the sect to maintain its strength across generations.”

”Meanwhile, the cities are allowed to maintain their own military forces to handle daily security, bandits, monster attacks, and local disputes. Some outer disciples eventually leave the sect and join these city armies after completing their cultivation education.”

”That is why destroying a cultivation sect is much harder than simply attacking its headquarters. It is an entire system. It has cities generating wealth, recruitment systems creating new talent, military forces protecting its territory, and powerful cultivators overseeing everything from above.”

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