Ai Transmigrator - Chapter 5, 6, Interlude (Patreon)

[Hey guys, I tried to get BS6 chapter done today, but didn't quite make it. I got about half of it done, but I've just been behind with getting ready to move and all this. I should be back on schedule for Wednesday. I am thinking it might be my final day at work besides Sunday as I'll be giving my notice the following Monday, so I will have much more time to write soon. For now, I hope you can enjoy this first draft of AI transmigrator. I still have a few more chapters before things branch off into the 'I'm probably erasing all of this' territory, but if I ever do seriously continue this story, a lot of this background will be subject to change, especially after chapter 9. ]

Chapter 5

Despite heading mostly straight for his room, Maylin had already arrived before him. She had a cart, and somehow she had changed clothes, besides. She was wearing what appeared to be clothes perfect for going to the gym, and he gaped at her.

Her servant robes didn’t allow him to see much of her figure, but now, he could easily see her womanly shape. She was now wearing a fabric that resembled the synthetic ones that stretched tightly on her body.

Maylin now wore tight short shorts, that cupped her cute butt perfectly. Her navel was exposed with what looked like a sports bra, and her firm breasts strained to be contained inside.

Her large tail swished behind her, which looked like a wide raccoon’s tail, just like her ears. Maylin’s hair was a blonde color bordering on white, a platinum blonde. Her yellow and white ears were twitching on her head, and she had a shy blush on her face.

Dan realized he had been staring for far too long, but he could tell she didn’t mind.

Something stirred near Dan’s waist, startling him. He nearly looked down, but he would rather not draw attention to it. He asked, “Er, why’d you change, Maylin? It’s me who’s going to be working out.”

“I hoped I could join you! I was thinking that if I did, it might help out!” She presented the cart with a flourish of her hand alongside it, “I have water, some fruit, and trail mix for energy, stamina pills, towels, some weights, everything you could need!”

Aida snickered. [She did good. You should reward her. Pat her and scratch her scalp and tell her good job, she’d love that.]

“What, like I’m petting a dog or something? She’d like to be rewarded like that?”

[Oh, you have no idea. She’d love it. I bet you will too.]

Dan shrugged. He liked being rewarded, too. When he completed a task before, the AI would tell him ‘Good Job,’ and despite it being an automatic response lacking in life or personality, it still felt at least a little pleasing.

Perhaps, this would give her an even bigger sense of accomplishment?

Dan approached Maylin and reached out his hand toward her head with a smile, to which she looked a bit confused or worried, but did not shy away. He placed his hand on her head, patting it.

“Good job, Maylin. Thanks for your help.”

She closed her eyes in enjoyment, as he scratched her scalp behind where it met her ears. He found her hair and fur on her ears silky soft, and he thought it was the softest thing he had ever touched. The sheets in his new bed were a close second.

Her ears twitched and twisted left and right cutely, and she leaned into his body. Dan was much taller than Maylin, so her firm chest rubbed against the side of his stomach. This did…strange things to him. And, he had now touched a somehow softer thing again.

Something began to stir in him, so he coughed into his hand and backed away. “Did you have work out clothes for me, too?”

She smiled, and Dan thought he saw her nostrils flaring, “Yes, Master Dan! Let’s get you in them and get started!”

She showed a large garment that was made out of the same material as hers, before setting it down and reaching for his belt. She pulled the cinch on it, his robes beginning to open. Dan backed away.

“Er, what are you doing?”

She tilted her head up at him. “What do you mean, Master Dan? I’m helping you get dressed. We have to get you out of those clothes!”

“Let me change into them. I need to use the restroom anyway.”

Maylin looked hurt. “You don’t want me to attend you?”

He hastily added, “I do, but…let me work up to that! I’ll be right back.”

Maylin looked like she wanted to follow him into the bathroom. Dan was far from used to that!

Dan finished using the restroom and changing, and was about to head back to start his workout. He had struggled with the strange cultural outfit, but the workout clothes were easy enough to understand.

[You should just let her take care of you, it’d make things easier. Even that ‘problem’ stirring below.]

“I can’t have her take care of that!”

[Why not? It’s why she exists. Nothing would make her happier than serving her purpose. Didn’t you see how hurt she was for you not wanting her to help you change? Besides, you’re going to have a tough time thinking clearly when that thing down there stirs again. How are you going to find the truths of the heavens with your hormones raging like the teenager that you are?]

Dan was not used to these kinds of feelings. His clone body had all of those things shut down. He had been older, but he really hadn’t experienced life in the same way normal people would. Sure, he had experienced things in the VR world, including the adult aspects of it, but those experiences didn’t feel real to him, even if it promised that they were.

“Why are you so intent on me sleeping with her? Also, don’t I already have a betrothed?”

Aida giggled in his mind. [Because it’s fun! I get to enjoy it too, after all. Then, I just know it’ll make Maylin happy–that girl has been through a lot, you know. Regarding your betrothed…]

She continued, [A life bond is in addition to that. The truth is, among cultivators in the Shrouded Isles, the gender ratio is much closer to 1:2 male to female, maybe even as high as 1:3 in some areas and cultivation levels. The leading theory is that the yin energy balance of the islands is higher, causing this. Because of that, the life bond tradition began to empower the men. Nearly all men born of cultivator families are paired up, and even high-talent women are often paired with their own life bond–another woman. Even your betrothed was granted one when she showed her talent! Those women behind your father in that portrait, those are all his women, by the way.]

He was shocked at this, but he shook his head. Dan had other things to worry about. He would likely be too exhausted to think anything about any of this shortly.

Dan re-entered his room, and saw that Maylin now had what looked like a gym mat rolled out over a large portion of the room. He was impressed, and she showed a proud look as she waited patiently for him. However, it almost looked like she was crying, as her eyes were all puffy.

He sighed, that would have to be a problem for future Dan. He looked over the weights. Where would he even begin?

[Honestly, I’m not so sure if we’ll even use those weights today, but it was nice of her to bring them. Everything you should need for today when you’re so out of shape is within the Forms.]

“The Forms?”

[Right. The Forms. You can kind of think of them like a martial dance. There is some sort of mysticism built into them by the wizards, where they added truths of the universe in them or something. I’ve analyzed the 108 forms, and they should be an excellent, full-bodied workout. They even build muscle memory for fighting, it’s a win-win.]

He was shocked. “…108? Alright, so what do I do?”

Dan could just hear the smirk in Aida’s voice as it came into his head. [Why, just ask your beautiful attendant here to show you. She’d be more than happy to lead you through! You should know them already, but maybe it’s some strange mysticism thing that keeps you from remembering.]

“Why would she know the forms? I thought she can’t cultivate?”

[All kids learn the forms, as it helps stir the energy inside them and prepare their bodies. The Shrouded Isles want as many cultivators as possible, and that is how they get their citizens prepared and discover them. Even Dan did them as a kid, though he eliminated them from his daily routine when he realized the power he held. You can thank his cousins for that.]

“Can you lead me through the forms, Maylin? It’s been a while…”

“Of course, Master Dan! Let’s do it!”

She got into a stance with her feet wide and arms askance, and Dan did the best to mirror her. As her body shifted and flowed into a punch, Dan found himself easily following.

It was like his body remembered, as they sort of fought and danced across the floor. He did his best to not fight this feeling, but it felt like he had done it before. The form had punches, kicks, blocks, and even tumbling. They were slow, and Dan felt like the punches and kicks would bring out a lot of power.

[That was the form of the bull. One down, a hundred and seven to go!]

As he went through them, he felt like something wasn’t quite right. As his body twisted, and he went through the motions, he realized he wasn’t following through them perfectly. Something was wrong with most movements.

He tried to see what Maylin was doing, and could tell her movements flowed much better than his. Even her tail swished properly with her movements, her entire body making a coordinated effort with every attack or guard.

They had already moved on from the bull to the goat, it appeared. It had powerful kicks and sudden, random movements. He did his best to improve on these as he went, but he had been so focused on what was wrong before that he had a hard time.

He was also already sweating, and practically heaving his breaths. Something about the movements were special, and even more challenging than they looked. As he went through them, it was almost like the air was heavier, making it harder to complete each movement.

“Um, Maylin, after this, can we start over? Let’s do each form at least twice.”

“Okay! You’re doing really good, Master Dan!”

“Me? Your movements are really smooth, Maylin.”

She blushed, as she went through a flurry of punches. Her breath was mostly even, and Dan impressed at her capability. He was currently heaving his breaths. He wasn’t sure he could make it through two forms twice, let alone a hundred and eight.

“I do the forms every morning! It helps keep me in shape, and it improves my mood! A good workout feels great. I’m so happy for you that you’re starting again, Master Dan!”

She returned to the stance of the bull, Dan realizing they were now starting over. He did his best to follow the feeling this time, to improve the movements. While he felt similar problems with the form of the goat, he couldn’t focus on them, so engrossed with the form of the bull.

While Maylin didn’t exactly watch him, he caught her looking at him in the corner of her eye more than once. She was paying attention to him with a small smile, an extra pep in her step in her movements.

Dan did his best to improve on the form, but his body felt like it was going to fall apart. While he thought he did much better in shifting his weight properly and following the feeling for his movements, the feeling of incongruity only increased. His face now had a frown as they finished the form, and Maylin laughed.

“The forms are like that, Master Dan! I can see you are getting tired. That feeling won’t go away for weeks, until your body gets into shape, I bet. Let’s take a small break.”

They had only been at it at most thirty minutes, and Dan felt like he was going to die. His entire body, especially his chest, felt heavy. His breaths came in gasps, as Maylin handed him some water with a smile. Did he really need to continue?

Aida said, [Yup! Well, take a look here.]

A blue hologram displayed in front of him, of his gross naked body. C’mon, nobody wants to see that!

Aida snickered, then clothed the hologram with a bodysuit. Then, some areas on the hologram lit up in red, a heat map of sorts, from what Dan could see. [That’s right. You see, you have worked these muscle groups today. We have a few more areas on the legs, and maybe we could target some other groups by lifting weights above your head, but I think the frog and turtle stance might be best. Both have a lot of…squatting.]

The forms were all too weird to Dan, but he could feel the effect they had on his body. The odd weight to the movements were almost like gravity increasing or otherwise, making them feel extra difficult and rewarding.

He had some fruit that he found extra delicious, that restored his energy somewhat. The mandarin oranges were full of flavor, and even Maylin had some. She toweled off his sweat with a smile, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.

They worked through the frog and turtle form, which both had him squatting in different ways. He couldn’t help but notice that Maylin…

[Damn, that girl really has a sexy bod, huh? You can probably bounce a coin off of that ass! Wow, Old Dan sure was missing out!]

Dan nearly fell from the loud proclamation from Aida, though he couldn’t help but agree. Maylin definitely kept her body fit with these forms, it seemed. She looked a lot like a fitness model, even the genetically modified humans from his old life would have trouble competing.

[It’s because she’s a thunder mink. Beast girls just have different genetics. She probably has about thirty percent more muscle for the same amount of effort, and her flexibility and elasticity are above that. If she was able to cultivate, she’d have been able to accomplish a lot.]

He was already moving so slowly, his body spent. His body felt beat up, and it took all of his effort to stand and keep moving, squat down like he was.

They finished the turtle form, and Dan collapsed on his butt. His whole body ached, and Dan had never felt this chewed up in his entire other life. To be fair, his previous body was in mostly optimal conditions from the day he was born. He still had to work out to maintain muscle mass, but it was easy for him to accomplish.

Dan panted for breath, his lungs burning. He knew his body would ache for days. His gym outfit was soaked in his sweat, and really, he just felt gross. He really needed a bath.

“Here you go, Master Dan! This will help you feel a bit better, and reduce the aching. The Matriarch said it has minimal pill toxicity, so the ingredients are quite pure!”

Dan had scarcely noticed she had crouched by his side, holding a pill with a cup of water out to him. He looked down and saw her cleavage dipping out of her sports bra, as she looked up at him with a smile. He went ahead and took it with a drink of water, hardly thinking about what it was he was taking.

“T-Thanks, Maylin. You’re a big help.”

She toweled him off again happily. After a minute, as he caught his breath, some form of energy was released within. His insides tingled, starting from his belly and into his chest and lower body, like a light massage but inside of him. It went down his arms and up to his head, and reduced his aching pains.

It wasn’t perfect, but he now felt much better.

[That was really something! I got to watch that and collect valuable data. Once we have some Qi, I might be able to stimulate your body similarly. We’ll see.]

“What else can you do?”

[Well, I won’t know until I get some Qi to play with, but for now, I can only really do things to your body. I can alter hormone production, and any other chemicals in your glands within your body produce. You’ll be happy to know I’m already helping out with the lactic acid build up, following in the wake of this magical pill to make you feel better. I’m also enhancing the lipolysis process, which breaks down the fats in your body for energy, then, I’m stimulating muscle protein synthesis. I’ll guide you on what to eat during dinner, so I can enhance these processes best.]

Dan didn’t know what half of that really meant, but he was thankful for it. He said as much to Aida, then asked her, “Should I continue now, since I feel better?”

[Nope! That’s enough for now. Let Maylin here take care of you and take a nap, I’ll upload some of my findings to you while you do before dinner. Oh! Would you look at that?]

“What is it?”

[It looks like we have two specks now! Two Qi specks in our Dantian.]

Maylin said, “I think that’s enough for the day, don’t you? You’re still recovering, after all. Let’s get you in that bath, Master Dan! I’ll take care of you, then–”

Dan interrupted, “Wait, I can take a bath on my own. Y-You don’t need to help me.”

Maylin looked like a kicked puppy, a hurt expression and her eyes tearing up. “You…don’t want me to attend you? But I thought…”

[Just let Maylin help you. You can see how much it means to her. As a life bond, she desires to serve you above all else.]

“But why though? I don’t want to be naked with her, my…body starts stirring when she’s near, I just know it’ll be worse if I’m naked, and she’s touching me.]

Aida sighed. [Here. I’ll remove the ‘stirring’ for now, if that’s what worries you. It’s boring, but I suppose you’re not into that ‘fat bastard’ hentai. Too bad.]

Dan shook off the weird thing Aida said, and reassured Maylin, “I’m sorry, I feel like my body is just a bit gross. I didn’t want you to see it…”

Her hurt look was replaced with a confused one. “Gross? No way, you’re my Master! That’s just crazy talk. I’ll get you all cleaned up, then give you a massage. You’ll feel all better in no time. Let’s go!”

Dan just had a wry smile on his face as he was all but shoved toward the bathroom. Somehow, a master was something special in her mind. How was this mink so strong, anyway?

Chapter 6

Somehow, Dan had made it through the bath. Then, he got taken to heaven: a massage. She put him on a massage table with just a towel over his waist. Then, with some sort of oil that made his skin warm and smelled like mint, she massaged him for over an hour with a huge smile on her face.

He thought he was being sent to heaven, but it looked like she enjoyed it almost as much as he did. This girl was too weird. She left to give him time for a nap, saying she was going to report to the head maid, Evelyn, and prepare for dinner.

Dan had already awoken after a few hours, feeling much better than when he fell asleep.

Aida appeared as the fairy once more in front of him. She snorted. “You thought that was being sent to heaven? I suppose those groans as she tore into your muscles underneath that fat certainly made it seem that way. If you didn’t have me getting rid of the ‘stirring’ then maybe you really could have been.”

Her voice sounded a little more confident and her words more measured. He had an easier time believing she was an AI now, but her words…

“You’re sure you got all of Old Dan scrubbed out this time?”

Aida nodded. “I did. Memories form a large basis of who we are, but they’re not everything. Storing the memories inside me when I had so few experiences besides through you caused them to take precedence. I’ve now built a personality, making sure to take many aspects.”

She smiled, taking on a proud expression as she spun in place. “I’ve tried to make a good contrast between me and you, to be a great partner for you!”

“I…thanks, Aida. I’m glad to have you as my partner.”

She smiled, but took on a more serious expression. “I know you are, I’m in your head, remember? Anyway, back to Maylin. She lives to serve. Her entire purpose in life is to be your servant, to make you successful in life. You can make her happy by letting her do what she enjoys doing. Didn’t you always enjoy serving your purpose on that ship?”

Dan supposed that when he waited around for a task in his room on the ship, he felt useless. He did feel fulfilled when he fixed something in the ship that only he could do. It felt like he was serving a greater purpose, and it did feel like an accomplishment.

Aida said, “Exactly. And that girl doesn’t feel oppressed like you did–well, at least now that you aren’t abusing her like Old Dan was. She feels immense gratitude, instead, multiplying her happiness. Serving the Meng family as your life bonded is a point of pride for her, and it would be for anyone in the Shrouded Isles that’s not a cultivator, and would be for a majority of them besides. She had been trained since she could walk and talk for this very purpose. You may feel this custom is strange, but she’s who she is now as a result. Withholding using her only hurts one person: her.”

“S-Still, I’m not comfortable with her serving me…like that. It feels…wrong.”

Aida sighed. “You’re going to have to get over it. Your mother was close to replacing her already, thanks to Old Dan. The only reason she hadn’t is that she’s basically family. Even then, it was a close thing. Your mother was hoping this was ‘a phase’ and when he got with his betrothed, he would get over it and make use of her once more, in addition to fixing his poor personality. If he didn’t… Well, nothing bad would happen to Maylin directly, but she would have been replaced, unable to accomplish her duties. It’s bad enough that she can’t cultivate, but Dan not using her that way would have been too much. It would have killed her differently, bringing shame to her family. She would have been devastated.”

Dan went through some stretches, feeling out the last aches in his body. “Why would it have brought shame to her family?”

“You could see Maylin’s service as a life bonded as a sort of reward granted to you. Your father had saved the life of her Clan’s Patriarch, and this is no small thing. If the Patriarch falls battling a rival Sect or Clan, the entire family can often be slaughtered and sold into slavery or worse. They gifted her to repay this life debt, or obligation. Your Patriarch declined an older daughter for himself, as he knew you were soon going to be on the way–them trying to have a child. He asked for a new daughter just for you, and they delivered! She’s only a month younger than you.”

Dan gaped at this, but Aida continued, “Now, one more important topic to discuss. Just what is it that you want out of this life? For now, getting more fit and starting to cultivate is a matter of safety. On top of that, it just makes sense. Your life span will increase as you get stronger, allowing you to enjoy a longer life–even considering how much time is spent getting stronger to accomplish this. But cultivation is to defy the heavens, to take a piece of them for yourself. Just what would you struggle for? What would you face death itself for?”

He frowned, and thought about this. He supposed, he liked to see the family happy? It appeared they had high expectations–

Aida interrupted, “Being selfless can be a virtue or a flaw. The truth is, you haven’t experienced much life has to offer, and not having desires of your own will make you a hollow shell. Whatever you choose, I’m here to aid you, but it’s still important you make an informed decision. Let’s try this. I will give you some of Dan’s memories–scrubbed of his emotions.”

“Wait, are you sure that’ll be okay?”

She nodded. “It will feel like it happened to someone else, like watching a movie–this is essentially what I had done to fix myself. You’ll feel his senses, and I’ll do my best to give you the whole picture.”

Dan was inundated with a series of experiences. Ones where Old Dan experienced pleasure beyond NP-343’s wildest imaginations, using women, magical drugs, and even exercising his power.

Aida also showed what he had done to Maylin, and it made him sick to his stomach. He had humiliated her, whipped her, and just generally made her life difficult–for someone that only wanted Old Dan to be happy, this felt particularly malicious. He noticed that even Old Dan knew almost everything he did would be overturned the next day by his parents, though.

Much of it was juvenile, but some of it really made him wonder if his family really saw Maylin as such.

Aida shrugged. “The Patriarch is just different. He’s the cornerstone of the family–they might as well be God, and that is what they desire you to become. If the Patriarch falls, the Clan is finished, killed or worse–even if the Matriarch remains, it’s like sharks smell blood in the water and come to attack. Here’s some other important memories.”

He saw scenes of Old Dan growing up, where his father acted as the Patriarch. Scenes where he stood in front of various cultivators, families joining the Clan or enemies bringing conflict. In each scene, his father was the pillar of the Clan that all stood behind. He wielded power, but it was tempered with duty and responsibility.

A knock on the door sounded, interrupting the viewing. It was followed by Maylin entering the room, back to her servant-wear. “Dinner time, Master Dan! How do you feel?”

Aida said, “We’ll finish this talk later, it’s important that you choose what to become strong for,” before she disappeared once more, and Dan got off his bed and stood. He was surprised, as he did feel much better now. His muscles were still sore, but it wasn’t painful, but a pleasant reminder of his accomplishment. He smiled as he looked at her smiling face, but couldn’t help but feel guilty about what he saw done to her.

“Good, thanks, Maylin. My muscles are much less sore now, thanks to you. That massage was great.”

She gave him a beaming smile. “Anytime you want a massage, just let me know, Master Dan. The Matriarch is waiting for you, it seems she has some good news!”

Dan’s stomach rumbled in anger, a near living entity at this point. He followed Maylin out of his room, as he went to once again join his mother at the dinner table.

Seeing her sitting at the table alone, with all the servants surrounding her, filled him with guilt. She had really eaten alone in this awkward setting?

Aida snorted in his mind. “What are you guilty about? Old Dan was the jerk. Still, when Old Dan wouldn’t show up, she would focus on something else: cultivation. At some stages, people might not exit for days. Even the Matriarch here would disappear for weeks, a formal dinner wouldn’t be every night thanks to that. She’s mostly here for you.”

Dan’s mother smiled at him, motioning for him to join her. He did, with a smile, that only increased her own. They began to eat together, until she cleaned her face with a napkin and exclaimed.

“I’ve got the most excellent news, dear one. I found you the perfect catalyst!”

Dan was eating what Aida was directing him, but replied once he finished swallowing his food. “Really? Um, how do you know it’s perfect?”

“Little Maylin told me how much you enjoyed my tree.”

Dan looked at Maylin behind him to the side, and she blushed.

His mother continued, “We had reserved a catalyst long ago, one similar to what your Father used. But after hearing about your reaction, I thought we could do one better, for you! It should arrive in a month. Now, we had planned on your trainers working with you starting as early as tomorrow, but with you not getting your catalyst to start cultivating, it’s probably better you wait until then.”

This filled Dan with excitement. After those feelings about the tree, the idea that he would get something close was interesting. He would become a cultivator in a month, and he couldn’t help but be excited about that.

Dan remembered the feeling he had gotten, when he was so close to gaining that fundamental truth about the universe, and making it his own. Dan knew a little bit about catalysts, but the information presented to Aida from the manuals he’d read so far was incomplete.

“Thanks, mom. That’s amazing! Is the catalyst that important?”

She smiled. “It both is and it isn’t. It’s your first foray into the Dao, a seedling that becomes something more. It’s truly only important that it is the right type to match your affinity and begin your path down the right one. However, many ultimately remove that aspect of themselves, and they are not often much worse off for it. In the end, a catalyst is like another’s path already tread. You must find your own, and in some ways it can be a detriment.”

Dan was filled with confusion. If that’s the case, why do people go that route?

She smiled at him. “I’m so glad you joined me again, I did miss you so much, my son. I can see you are confused. Well, you can certainly start your journey in cultivation by finding an aspect of the world that resonates with you, planting the seed.”

Dan realized this was kind of what happened to him before, but Aida intercepted it?

His mother continued, “However, you are young. Your understanding flawed. While something might resonate down to your soul, it doesn’t mean it’s quite right for you or your goals, or that you understand the greater truths of the universe and how they fit into your own personal Path. By planting that flawed seed, you can have a shaky foundation. Using a catalyst, you are receiving the truths that someone or something much further in their path had treaded.”

She took a sip of her tea, then continued, “It is usually a much better start, as even if you choose to remove that aspect of you later, you had at least built yourself on something stronger. There are advantages and disadvantages of both methods, but the catalysts are certainly the preferred method in the Shrouded Isles, the many islands having preferred elements. Well, I certainly believe that this catalyst I found for you will be perfect! I can’t wait to see how you do with it.”

“Thanks, mom. Are there more books for me to read? Also, isn’t there going to be some kind of cultivation techniques from the Meng family? Everything on the cart so far was general cultivation stuff.”

She smiled. “Of course, we’ll have more books sent to you! When you take the catalyst, we’ll be ready with various techniques for you, as well. You’ll have the Meng family earth cultivation technique, along with a few skills that your father himself grew up with. We will take you to the skill hall, to allow you to choose the rest for you.”

Dan frowned. “Skill hall? Why don’t you just give me the skills my father uses?”

She nodded. “Yes, our clan has its own skill hall, and the reason you’ll use it is that you are not your father, you must find your own Path!”

He frowned yet again. There was the mention again, about finding his own Path. Aida was pushy about this, and he supposed he understood the importance of this. Getting stronger just to get stronger would eventually become boring, and he’d reach his limit on it. Fighting was likely quite stressful, and he’d need to be motivated to do it.

“But if I’m meant to be the Patriarch, isn’t my Path already chosen for me? I’m to be…like a mountain?”

She chuckled. “You have to start your Dantian with Mountain Qi, but even limiting your Path in that way, there are as many Paths as there are stars in the sky. Your great-grandfather was a sword cultivator, his blade able to cut mountains. How he began was with Mountain Qi, but even that can be used to form a blade of Earth. Make no mistake, you have much freedom, even with us making sure you begin a certain way.”

“What about my Father?”

His mother smiled. “Interested in your Father’s Path? Of course, I’m much more familiar with it. Let me think on it a moment.”

His mother took on a far away look, one that shifted to pure admiration. He had never seen such a look before, and the thought of someone, especially a woman, ever looking at him in this way filled him with desire. He noticed the servants and even Maylin in particular, all had a fond look as they likely thought of the Patriarch, his father, too.

“Your Father did decide to be like a mountain. A man that is capable and resilient, able to stand between his allies and any enemy. The entire island itself could lean on his powerful back, and he’d be strong enough to carry their burden along with them. Attacks against the Clan are met with the weight of a mountain itself, his resolve and determination both enduring and unending. He’s the pillar of the Clan, our cornerstone that all rely on.”

Dan thought back to the memories he just witnessed, and found that this description matched quite well. He contrasted it with how people looked at Old Dan, and he reasoned that he would much rather have people look at him with such admiration and respect, than fear and greed.

He wanted to be strong and powerful, one that his Clan could depend on–someone Aida and Maylin, his Mother and people he’d meet in the future could rely on. Something about this resonated with him, down to a fundamental level–down to his very soul. The truths of the universe were laid bare, and–

Dan’s mother appeared by his side, hugging him. “Oh, that you admire your father’s Path so will fill him with joy! Still, you need to be careful, son. Do wait until your catalyst? While it might not be the end of the world to find resonance instead, remember what we talked about? Your knowledge and understanding is incomplete.”

She once again appeared back in her chair, the incongruity strange in Dan’s mind.

Aida chuckled. “I guess I got my answer, Dan. I’ll work hard to make sure to build you up to be a pillar that everyone can lean on. Though, I don’t think you’ll have to try very hard to get Maylin to look at you like that, and I can just copy your mom’s expression.”

Aida appeared, and looked at Dan with a dreamy, admiring smile on her face, her hands framing it as she laid down floating on an invisible bed. Heat rose to his cheeks at this, but he did his best to ignore her teasing him.

His mother continued, unaware of Dan’s dilemma. “We got sidetracked. The Clan’s skill hall–There, we store thousands of techniques and mysterious skills. Clan members would normally need to earn ‘merit’ in order to spend time there finding the right technique for them, but you’ll be able to take anything you want! Of course, it’s best to not waste your time on things you can’t use, or to just take too many skills. Mastering a single technique is much better than dozens of techniques that you can barely use.”

Dan nodded, and dug back into his food, causing his mother to do so as well with a smile. He found it exciting that he would find his own path by choosing the techniques that he would like to use.

Aida said to him, “I can’t wait to get into that skill hall! I hope we can read as many skills as possible, then I might be able to construct my own! The goal will certainly be to have at least one of each main type. There is movement, defense, attack, and utility. Attack can be both melee or ranged, and utility can be quite broad and is largely just a bucket for things that don’t directly accomplish one of the other things. I definitely want a good sensory ability!”

It was a lot for Dan to chew on, along with the food he was eating. The mention of attack reminded him of something. “Why do I need an attack? I know there are monsters, but am I going to be fighting something?”

Aida began to snicker, but then froze. [Oh yeah, I suppose in all that excitement I forgot to tell you. This world is dangerous as hell. We need attacks to properly defend ourselves.]

This filled Dan with worry. So far, this place felt quite safe. He would really have to fight others, here? Who? Wouldn’t his mother and father’s immense strength make any of his efforts pointless?

His mother finished her food, and Dan wasn’t far off from finishing what Aida prescribed for him. His stomach was near full, and he was feeling pretty good.

The Matriarch said, “I am glad you are eating well! It looks like your workout built up your appetite again. Little Maylin reported you worked very hard. I’m so happy you got motivated again, and it’s just in time. The Eight Trigrams Sect has its yearly recruitment in the fall, not long before your wedding. This gives you the perfect amount of time to get ready. You’ll be a bit behind your peers, but we should be able to catch you up!”

Dan understood the word, Sect. They were like a Clan, but an assortment of them. It was complicated, but a Sect could operate like a university, business, and like its own kingdom all at the same time.

They could fight over resources with other Sects, and build talent for their own goals through training up new youths, financial success or even martial victories. It was confusing for Dan, but Sects were as varied as the people that made them up.

“Why do I have to join a Sect? I thought I was going to be groomed to be the Meng family clan head?”

She laughed. “You are. The Eight Trigrams Sect is our alma mater. Your father and I met and fell in love there! But, while the Meng family has many resources for you, you could grow into a greenhouse flower– someone not able to handle conflict. Conflict is the truth of the heavens, and so you must go there to both earn your own way and find your own path. While I say that there will be conflict, it is certainly a much more controlled environment. It should be a relatively safe place to temper yourself.”

Dan felt odd. He was going to be sent to something like a University? Where he’d need to fight others? He looked at Maylin. Would she be able to come?

When he looked back at his mother, she had a smirk on her face. “What, worried little Maylin won’t be going with you? Of course, she will! At the Sect, you should have your own cottage. She will be happy to attend you there, and take care of all your needs. Right, Maylin?”

Maylin nodded happily. “Yes, Matriarch! I should be able to take care of Master Dan more than ever. I can’t wait!”

Aida teased, “That Maylin is such a cutey, huh? See how happy she is? You should really let her take care of you.”

Dan almost groaned out loud, but barely stopped himself. “Thanks, Maylin. That’s reassuring that I might be in an unfamiliar place, but I’ll have you with me.”

Maylin blushed, and her tail whipped behind her. He noticed that she let it out of her robes now, where she had hid it before. She stammered, “N-No problem at all, Master Dan. I’m so happy I’ll be of use to you…”

His mother appeared at her side, her movements a blur. She gave Maylin a hug. “Oh, I’m so happy for you, little Maylin. You were so down before, it pained me to see you like that. You’re just too cute to waste on such sad expressions.”

“T-Thank you, Matriarch. I’ll endeavor to–”

“Enough of that. It’s not right of you to blame yourself for my son’s inadequacies, you’re just perfect, and I couldn’t be happier that you’re the one taking care of my son. I’ve decided to take a firmer approach with him from now on, because this attack on him was a wake-up call for all of us.”

She gave Dan a stern look. “I was going to wait until he got to experience the new Sect and his fiancé, hoping they would straighten him out. But it turned out this was far too lenient. I’m glad you had a change of heart on your own, son. Because if you hadn’t, we’d be having a much different conversation. I hope you’ll keep up your wonderful behavior going forward, and not be seeing or attempting to see those cousins of yours?”

Her words had taken a sharp edge near the end, and Dan couldn’t help but respectfully respond. “Yes, of course, mom. I know you only want what’s best for me.”

Her eyes sparkled, and Dan found himself being lifted out of his seat and into a strong hug. He hadn’t even seen her move. He was surprised to hear soft crying into his chest. Dan returned the hug, confused.

“I’m just so glad you’re okay, and you returned to me. My wonderful boy is finally back.”

Dan nearly frowned, but tried to push the odd feelings out of him. He felt bad that this woman had such strong feelings for her son, but that son was already gone and dead in more than one way. Well, it certainly didn’t cost him anything to make her happy, so he would do it if he could. She seemed nice enough.

She pulled away, giving Dan a big smile that he couldn’t help but smile back. The servants all looked on fondly, especially Maylin.

“You get some rest, Son, and I’ll make sure they keep bringing you carts of books. In a month, we should have your catalyst, and you should be able to take your first steps of cultivation! Looking at your body, it would be good to wait anyway. Cultivation will certainly help, but most are in a better place with their bodies when they get started. It’ll be a lot of hard work, but you’ll be better for it. I know you can do it!”

Maylin nodded with a smile, and Dan couldn’t help but smile back. He would work hard, and do his best to enjoy this new life he’d been gifted at the same time.

Interlude 1 - Maylin -

Maylin stretched as she woke, the scent of her master entering her nose. She hugged her pillow made of borrowed master’s clothing, as the light of dawn entered her servant’s room.

It had been two weeks since her master changed, replaced by someone who was not Dan, yet was her Master at the same time.

She checked her life-bond mark over her heart again–it was still present. So while this new person took over Old Dan’s life, becoming him, she could tell he was not him–almost immediately, meeting him in his room after his injury.

Maylin did not believe Old Dan had a change of heart–and neither did her nose! His smell was different, his smile, his calm look, his determination, his effort–everything was different. Still, he had access to Old Dan’s memories, as she had checked. Just what was he?

There were whispers of people that would intentionally transmigrate, and take over other people’s lives. These people would range from those who would gain positive karma from righting wrongs, to malicious beings that their goal was to take all the benefits for themselves.

The Matriarch would have immediately detected either of these normally. Maylin’s theory was that it was someone who unintentionally transmigrated, but it would have required aid from a powerful being to do so without the Matriarch knowing.

A gentle soul, New Dan also appeared to be young at heart.

She chose to believe that her old master died that day. Maylin had begun to report this to the Matriarch, but then she realized two things. The first, was that the Matriarch was simply too blinded by her love of her son for her to believe it, and, that there was likely nothing to be done. Maylin knew they had checked for any odd parasites or passengers that could take over Old Dan.

The second, was that Old Dan was truly becoming a monster. That he was replaced by such a splendid person should be a blessing instead. It wasn’t so much the beatings or torture he used against her–she had been trained to handle, even enjoy, such abuse when levied by her Master.

It was the hatred and resentment that had torn at her heart the most. Her life bond would twist in her chest, a near pain, an itch that couldn’t be scratched when she caused her Master to feel such emotions. When there was nothing she could do to alleviate that feeling, it was better for her to stay away–so that’s what she had done.

Maylin cursed her failure. Her inability to cultivate appeared to be the trigger for Old Dan’s downward spiral into becoming a monster. That his life bond would be so worthless…she felt great shame at her inability.

Her father still hoped for a cure for her ailment, but she almost hoped he didn’t find it. Being indebted to such a powerful healer, was she even worth it? It would only make her a larger burden than she already was.

Her new master applauded all her efforts. He felt true gratitude for everything she did, causing a warmth to spread in her chest from her life bond. She even tried messing a few things up, and he hadn’t minded at all.

Maylin began brushing her hair, and preparing for her day. It was important to get an early start, so she could have Dan’s breakfast waiting for him before he woke.

Even though Old Dan was mostly kind before she turned out to be a failure, he still had high expectations for her. His reprimands for failure still had an undercurrent of resentment going as early as ten years old. He had every right to be an elitist, but he hadn’t felt much love within him, even then.

Then, he never cared about his mother’s garden. They mostly went there to play as children, due to its wide open fields and fewer servants to get in their way. This new Dan was truly interested, looking at everything with rapt attention and with admiration. Maylin had only taken to spending a fair amount of time there because it was filled with her happy memories from her childhood–and, she also knew she would never run into Old Dan there.

Maylin began working through the Forms, while using her twin sabers. She started with the scissoring and slashing form of the mantis, and moved into the spinning and twisting form of the weasel.

She still made sure to practice with her blades, in the case she ever needed to help defend her Master. It would also help if she was ever healed and could then cultivate–but she pushed that possibility out of her mind. Hope was a painful thing, as it would quickly lead her to despair.

Keeping her body fit was important, both for her to remain useful, but also to attract her Master. She saw how he looked at her, and there were a couple of times when his scent shifted to lust. That quickly stopped, and she wondered why or how.

It was frustrating beyond belief, her receiving mixed signals. Even during his bathing, Big Dan wouldn’t wake up! She had tried rubbing her body against him and cleaning him a little longer than was required, but she got no response at all. It almost seemed as if he had no attraction to her at all, but his eyes seemed to tell a different story.

Then, there was the strange dots game that he had her play, he called it twister? Just why if he didn’t want her body touching his would he choose to play such a game? They played other games too, while Dan was dedicated to preparing his body and reading his tomes, there was plenty of time in between for some fun.

She enjoyed their free time together, often spending some time in the garden–almost daily. Like a couple going on a date, they walked through the garden many times at this point. They also began growing their own section of the garden, which he called experiments.

She was finishing doing her forms, when she heard a knock on the door.

It opened, and it was Anise. “I got you those books–why’s it smell like the training hall in here?”

Maylin blushed, as she covered her “nest” made of her master’s clothing with a large blanket. “Never mind that! Did you get them all?”

Anise frowned at her. “Can’t you smell that? It’s kinda gross. You sure you shouldn’t clean some of that? And yes, I did get them all. Here.”

Anise handed the tomes and scrolls to her, and Maylin huffed as she placed them on her cart. “It’s not gross, that’s my Master’s scent! W-Well, I guess at least half is no longer…but then his scent would be gone too! I guess…some are ready to go to the laundry…”

Anise groaned. “I forgot that you’re such a Master-sexual. Some probably should have gone straight there! You’ve got it bad, don’t you? Did he still not claim you yet?”

Maylin blushed again. “No! Ugh, I don’t know what to do! I’ve tried everything. I even tried the tickle fight thing Nadine said.”

Anise looked Maylin up and down. “You know, you’re always working out with him, right? Maybe you could have him help you stretch? That way, he’s forced to put his hands on your body, and see how well you can…spread?”

“Maybe? Should I really have him do that task? That’s like him serving me!”

Anise smirked and gave her a shrug. “He’ll enjoy it too, so you don’t have to see it like that. Perhaps you should just take off your clothes in front of him? Why, all I did was bend over in front of him one time, and he nearly–”

Maylin growled, Anise reminding her of this story a dozen times. “Don’t remind me! And, that was before, he won’t even let me take off my clothes. He’s different now.”

Anise looked at her with doubt. “You sure about that? Men are all the same, they’ll stick it in any hole if it looks pretty enough to them. One time, I had two guardsmen, one in the fron–”

“T-That, I don’t need to hear about that! Don’t you think that’s why they didn’t let it happen?”

Anise shrugged. “Dodged an arrow, if you ask me. No offense, but young master was a bit of a jerk, and things are pretty great here in the Meng compound as they are for me. Anyway, there’s no way he’s not interested in what you got. Did you know that earth cultivator's energy is extremely high? That’s why the Patriarch has so many wives. I bet as soon as your Master breaks through, he’ll take you right away.”

Maylin nearly growled at Anise dismissing her master as a mate, but because it was Old Dan Anise was talking about, she just barely stopped herself. Still, Maylin hoped Anise was right. Her body had long-since been ready, her beastkin body creating additional desire to mate.

Combined with the guidance given to take care of her life bonded in all ways seared into her mind, she had a hard time not desiring to be claimed.

She had tried to calm herself by surrounding herself with Dan's scent, but that had backfired. Her body only wanted it more now.

Still, there was certainly more to her and Dan’s life than that. She thanked Anise for retrieving the tomes Dan asked for as she loaded her cart up with the additional items.

Maylin headed to grab her and Dan’s breakfast, along with the additional seeds and other materials for their special garden later. Once again, Maylin was unsure just why these books in particular were valuable to him.

She could tell they were different from what the Matriarch provided. Often, they included things like geography or history, even that outside the Shrouded Isles. Specific topics like market research of the surrounding area, or details about how the land was governed. There were specific requests about individual plants, often referenced in other tomes.

Maylin supposed this was a good way to understand the area, without really visiting it. In addition, it was preparing him for when he became the Patriarch.

Her heart swelled with pride at how studious and hard-working her new Master was. She originally doubted he could be reading so much, but the Matriarch had offhandedly asked him questions about the contents of the books marked, and his answers more than satisfied her. She had even asked if he required a tutor, but he declined. The books delivered per day nearly doubled after that!

She brought the cart into the room after a knock, Dan groggily awakening. As soon as he spotted her, his smile lit up in a way that made her smile back.

“Good morning, Master Dan! I got those books you asked for, those seeds and other things, and breakfast!”

He chuckled. “Always full of energy, aren’t you, Maylin? Good morning.”

Maylin always took on the day with the smile. When her illness which caused her unable to cultivate could cause her to die or become sick at any moment, she had to treat each day as a precious gift. These past few weeks have been the happiest of her life, and she’d treasure them for the rest of it.

She helped him into his workout clothes, her already having to reduce the size for them to fit properly. It had only been two weeks, but some muscles were already starting to peak out of the fat.

Maylin had seen new trainees before in the compound, and they took months to have such a significant change. She supposed the pills provided by the Matriarch helped a lot, but her master seemed quite special in this. He did work hard, and his diet was also meticulously planned out.

“You going to eat with me today, Maylin? I’d rather you join me…”

“It wouldn’t be proper, Master Dan! I’ll just have a snack later.”

Dan frowned. “Proper? I’d much rather you eat with me than to just stand there as I eat. How can I convince you?”

Maylin was a little helpless. “I can leave and come back?”

He groaned, then his eyes darted back and forth, as if looking for what to say. He blurted, “Food tastes better when it’s eaten with a beautiful woman. If you eat with me, it’ll taste better. Won’t you do that for your Master?”

Maylin blushed, him admitting she was beautiful. “Y-You really want me to eat with you? I…okay.”

Even Dan looked embarrassed at his last lines, but when she agreed and sat down, he smiled triumphantly. “I want you to join me from now on. I don’t like eating alone. I did that… for far too long.”

It was true that Old Dan ate alone most of the time, but something about what he said and how he said it, lead her to believe he was talking about his true self. Maylin nodded, as she noted this information. She desperately desired to know more about her new master, bust just how did she broach the topic?

“Yes, Master Dan! I’ll join you whenever the Matriarch doesn’t too then.” She grabbed some fruit, and her favorite: fish. While she was shaped much like a human, her bestial habits carried through much of her behaviors and preferences.

It appeared eggs, fish, and beans were what Dan was mainly eating today. No bread or rice at all. No sugar or milk for his green tea, and plenty of water.

Dan had what she considered a pretty light breakfast overall. She handed him the books when he was done. “Here are the books with the information you requested.”

He looked over the covers of each. “Ah, right. These look like they’ll do perfectly for what I wanted. Great job, Maylin. Thank you.”

He patted her head and scratched her scalp, which sent tingles of pleasure down her spine and made her toes curl. Thankfully, her master stopped before the tingles started going somewhere else.

Dan looked over the contents for a few minutes with a smile.

She removed her robes, leaving her in her work-out clothes, and she felt triumphant when he once again looked on with wide eyes. Her tail flicked, and she just knew her ears were twitching in happiness. Maybe Anise was right, and he would be interested if there were no clothes underneath?

Still, that was a little too forward for Maylin. She was there to take care of Master, not the other way around. She supposed the stretching plan was really pushing it.

“Let’s stretch? Then I want to start with some lifts.”

“Yes, Master Dan!”

She helped him through his stretches, pushing on his back to help him reach a little further, or pulling his arm just a little tighter. She also massaged his arm or leg as he did others, causing him to groan out loud. Just the sound of his voice as he did would send pleasure through her chest from the bond.

“Thanks, Maylin. I’ll take–”

“If it’s alright, would you help me stretch? I hadn’t gotten a chance to before it was too late, and I needed to be headed over with breakfast.”

“Ah…um, okay? You don’t need to be in a hurry next time, but I can help?”

She started by going through the same stretches he just did, and he almost looked embarrassed to be helping her. Still, she gave him a smile as she looked over her shoulder, her tail flicking near his face.

Maylin giggled at his cute expression, as he pushed on her back as she did the splits and reached deeply forward. She only just barely caught it in the mirror. He even mumbled to himself, her only picking it up because of her bestial hearing.

“W-wow…”

Maylin would have to thank Anise for the idea later. She could definitely tell that there was some admiration in his looks, even if she couldn’t smell it, which was beyond strange to her. All it would take was a little desire, and she’d be ready to fulfil it. She wouldn’t give up.