Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

Outmatched and unable to resist, Sorin and Lorimer complied with the cloaked cultivator's request and followed them into a dark alley. Sorin half-expected that to be the end of them, but to his pleasant surprise, the alley quickly opened into a quiet street filled with down-to-earth establishments like pawn shops, loan offices, cheap restaurants, and even cheaper bars.

The street clearly didn't belong in this part of the city, and to Sorin's knowledge, it didn't exist. Moreover, it was clear that this was the kind of place you where could buy virtually everything, regardless of legality and regulations.

They soon reached a run-down restaurant that served out-of-province foods, including wheat noodles of all shapes and sizes. The restaurant was only a quarter full, and most of its clientele was concentrated near the doors and windows.

There was one odd person out in the entire establishment—Elder Samson, the Presiding Elder of the Lucian Branch. He smiled amicably as the cloaked cultivator shoved Sorin into the elder's small booth. A waitress arrived shortly after and served them each a place of something called 'spaghetti,' along with a reddish drink Sorin immediately identified as alcoholic.

Elder Samson took a bite out of his food and a sip from his cup. "Eat," he instructed. "None of this is poisonous. Not that you'd necessarily mind that, according to the information I've gathered." When Sorin didn't make a move on his food, the man sighed. "I know you've been in the library all day and haven't had time for a proper meal. Eat. Then we can have a more relaxed conversation."

Sorin eyed his food, then Lorimer. He continued to stare down the Elder, but when the waitress arrived with another plate of food for Lorimer, he caved. If the Elder really wanted to kill him, he had countless ways to do so.

"You're either cautious or are overly concerned about your familiar's welfare," Elder Samson noted as Sorin started eating. "Either trait can be used against you in the right situations."

The elder took a few more bites before sliding his plate to the side, interlocking his fingers. Now, then, why don't we get down to business? I noticed you haven't asked why I brought you here."

"Why ask when you'll tell me?" answered Sorin as he continued eating. "I imagine it has to do with that invitation I accepted but that you never followed up on.

"Given your preference for secrecy and information control, I'm guessing you wanted to meet me without others knowing. I'd even go so far as to guess that everyone in the restaurant is an employee of yours—actors to make me feel more comfortable."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" asked Elder Samson.

"Poison," Sorin replied without any hesitation. He looked over his shoulder to a group of people not far away, half of whom were 'drunk.' "The ones who seem inebriated are not inebriated."

"That's hardly enough information to go on," the elder pointed out.

"When combined with the fact that every person here has a poison tooth that can easily be broken and consumed if one is caught, I can only conclude that they're either all your people or they're spies from multiple organizations casually interacting in this restaurant. I find the former explanation more likely."

Elder Samson's eyes narrowed upon hearing Sorin's conclusion. "Bravo. This is an excellent deduction. Though if I were you, I wouldn't have said anything."

"I'm sure this information is very lacking compared to the detailed portfolio you likely keep on me," said Sorin. "Moreover, I believe honesty might be the best policy with someone like you."

Elder Samson frowned as he looked over Sorin once again. "That necklace of yours is extremely effective. Did you know that even Demigods would have trouble piercing it? Its value high enough to tempt even Flesh-Sanctification cultivators."

"Then why not kill me and steal it?" asked Sorin.

"I considered it briefly," Elder Samson confessed. "But then I saw Hope's emblem and decided that I didn't want to provoke the Temple by killing someone they considered worthy of such an investment.

"But that just begs the question. What makes you worthy of such an investment? What secrets do you keep? Will they be a threat to my branch? To the clan? To the city? To humanity?"

"Hope is an ally of humanity," said Sorin.

"For now, at least," agreed Elder Samson. "But Hope is a powerful Evil. Kindness is not in its nature. Right now, it's on our side because we're losing the war. But what if we start winning it? Can we start winning it with such a deity on our side? They say the Evils act within their nature, just as the gods of old once did. Every Evil has a role they play, an ideal they strive to uphold."

Sorin eyed Elder Samson. "That's precious information you just divulged."

"You'll naturally make such deductions in time, assuming you haven't already," said Elder Samson. "Moreover, I know you won't take anything I say for granted. Accepting information without doubting it is dangerous for commoners, let alone people like you and I."

Sorin sighed and finally took the bait. "Why am I here, Elder Samson?"

The Elder grinned. "I thought you'd never ask. Would you believe me if it's for very unselfish reasons? That I've invited you simply to inform you of certain facts to better arm you for what is to come?"

"I wouldn't believe that in a million years," answered Sorin.

"Then I am relieved," said Elder Samson. "Regardless, these are my stated intentions. My true motives remain hidden. I will now relay some very important information to you. Act on it as you see fit." He then proceeded to recite what sounded like condensed information documents from memory.

"Sorin Abberjay Kepler. Former heir of the Kepler Clan. Potential runner-up? Contingency?

"Bone-Forging cultivator, first stage. Bronze bones. Nineteen open meridians prior to breakthrough. Cultivator of the Ten Thousand Poison Canon. Potential: Demi-god class.

"Sorin Kepler is currently in possession of a demigod-tier cloaking artifact from Hope's Temple. He has had complex interactions with Governor Marsh from the Bloodwood Outpost, the guild leaders of said outpost, a bishop of the Temple of Hope, and Elder Ignis, who recently made a trip to the outpost and returned with a promising young woman named Gabriella Michka. Said woman currently has violet-gold security clearance, which matches that of Young Master Fineas.

"Sorin has a tense relationship with the Alchemists Guild. More importantly, he has a tense and unfavorable relationship with the Medical Association. The association is currently investigating him, though no one is aware of the specifics of the investigation."

"Under investigation?" Sorin frowned. "That's the first I've heard of it."

Elder Samson tossed a letter onto the table. "This arrived just this morning. The letter is sealed, but I already opened it and went through its contents. But go on, read it."

Curious, Sorin did as he was told. His eyes narrowed when he spotted certain key sentences in the document: "I've been summoned for an inquiry. It's very ominous. What's worse, they don't state the reasons for the inquiry."

"Elder Nolan was equally confused," said Elder Samson. "In fact, so were all the presiding Elders. We had to convene an emergency meeting on the topic."

Sorin was now starting to understand Elder Samson's visit. "You're here because of the inquiry. You were instructed to provide me with guidance on the topic."

Elder Samson shook his head. "Not guidance. Information. You see, the Medical Association is unlikely to have more detailed information about you than we do. If you know what I know, then you'll be able to prepare for any eventualities."

"Moving on, you became a one-star adventurer in the Bloodwood Outpost. There was friction between you and two-star Physician Marcus Kepler. At the instructions of the Kepler Clan, he made things difficult for you. As a defensive measure, you joined Stephan York's adventuring party, obtaining some degree of protection from the York Clan. An informal alliance can't be discounted.

"Sorin Kepler once killed five men in cold blood. Though the source of conflict was an assassination attempt instigated by the Lucian Branch, their blood remains on his hands.

"So you did send them," said Sorin.

"Who cares?" said Elder Samson. "Oh wait, I do recall the Medical Association caring about their members taking human lives."

"I'm not one of their members," said Sorin.

"You were, and it can be argued that you sometimes comport yourself as a physician, which makes you subject to the regulatory body, at least in theory.

"Sorin possesses a bound rat familiar. The rat is a rare variant. Rats are reviled creatures and potential carriers of disease. Is this a security risk for Delphi? Does he have strange and unbecoming interests that might tarnish the image of physicians as a whole?"

"That's hardly fair," Sorin cut in. "Lorimer is quite sanitary and well-groomed."

"Is he now?" asked Elder Samson. "Wouldn't the safer option be to never adopt a rat familiar?"

"Now you're just trying to upset me," said Sorin.

"How perceptive of you," said Elder Samson. "Due to a lack of documentation, we'll skip a bunch of boring stuff related to the exploration of an ancient tomb. During the defense of the Bloodwood Outpost, Sorin Kepler used high-tier poison arts to cleanse the outpost aqueduct of contamination. Is this a heroic ability? How did he handle the corruption? Was he perhaps corrupted?" Elder Samson seemed to be reaching these last points, as accurate as they were.

"As a newly-minted hero, Sorin and his group greatly contributed to the defense in the outpost. At some point, he took part in events at the Governor's Manor that prompted an investigation, the results of which were redacted. What happened in that manor? Is it related to the disappearance and death of Marcus Kepler? Is Sorin Kepler a cold-blooded individual with a secret that kills anyone who might discover his secrets?"

"Are you done?" asked Sorin, crossing his arms.

"Not yet," said Elder Samson. "Just consider any inflammatory remarks I make as practice for the actual inquiry.

"Sorin often practices as a physician despite the Medical Association's clear instructions against it. This is supported by his description on the Hero Stele, which classifies him as such. Of note, many of his accomplishments are mysteriously redacted.

"Potential infringements of the Physician Safety Act:

Performing meridian-opening procedures on his adventuring companions.

Performing emergency surgery on Haley York despite the presence of two competent physicians.

Purifying the villagers of Chelsea despite the presence of a competent physician.

"Given that Sorin has consistently presented himself as a physician, several matters beyond his practicing without a license could prove problematic to the reputation of the entire medical community."

Sorin interrupted Elder Samson once again. "Weren't you just saying they might sanction me for performing illegal medical procedures? And then you're saying they'll consider me a physician and hold me to a physician's standards?" Inwardly, he was relieved that Elder Samson's information was lacking in certain respects. His report didn't mention his treatment of Governor Marsh's children. The governor, it seemed, had remained true to his word.

"Finally, there's an official complaint submitted by the Mercer family in Chelsea," the Elder finished. "Sorin Kepler showed disregard for basic human rights and forced treatment of unwilling individuals using intimidation and coercion." He then handed over a small information jade, "For your perusal." It is tied to your bloodline and mana signature and will crumble after being read over once.

Sorin sighed. "How much of this information do you think the Medical Association is aware of?"

"I honestly have no idea," said Elder Samson. "It could be thirty percent. It shouldn't exceed fifty. But that won't stop them from making things up or speculating. The association's information control department is very skilled at tilting public opinion. Their actions will depend on the association's goals and their true target.

"The truth is, we know nothing about what they want. All we know is that they requested your presence and the presence of a Presiding Elder. They're making it look like they want to punish you severely, but that just makes me think they're after something else."

"And what do you think?" asked Sorin.

"I hope they're just picking on you and trying to take you out of the picture," confessed Elder Samson. "From a political perspective, that would get much easier for the clan. We'd lose the Ten Thousand Poison Canon once again, but our clan would adapt and change and possibly adopt another branch to cope. Nothing new and exciting.

"What I'm worried about is that you're just a tool they're using to smear our clan like they always have. I don't think they have sufficient evidence for anything other than spreading disinformation, but honestly, anything is possible if they decide to just make things up.

Sorin eyed the elder. "And what are the clan's instructions regarding the inquiry?"

"The clan instructs you to collaborate with Elder Nolan and to be cautious," said Elder Samson. "Think twice before you speak or act. Consider the bigger picture.

"As far as the clan is concerned, it is acceptable if you, as an individual, are punished. It's unacceptable if the clan loses out. I doubt you care one whit about the clan at this point, but you should know that the clan would be very displeased if your actions proved disadvantageous to it. You would lose whatever protection you currently enjoy.

"Natasha." Less than a second after the elder spoke, the cloaked cultivator who'd brought Sorin to the restaurant appeared.

"Your instructions?" said the cultivator.

"Escort the man and his gluttonous rat back to where you picked them up," said Elder Samson. "They've been informed as per the Presiding Council's wishes. There is no need to interact further."

"I think I'll finish my food," said Sorin, picking up his fork and stabbing into a ball of meat. "Surely you wouldn't let a perfectly good dish go to waste."

Elder looked at him blankly. "The dish has served its purpose in lowering your guard. It is no longer needed. Natasha?"

Sorin didn't even have a chance to blink before a powerful hand gripped his collar and yanked him out of his seat. It similarly caught Lorimer by the scruff of the neck, then dragged the two of them out of the restaurant. As a Flesh-Sanctification cultivator, Natasha was able to cover the short distance between the restaurant and the alley in no time at all.

Less than ten seconds after their abduction, Sorin picked himself off the ground. He and Lorimer were back where they started, where a concerned archer, confused and worried at their sudden disappearance and reappearance, continued his monitoring activities.