As Gravis approached the entrance of the Freya Clan, two guards slowly walked over to him with smiles. They were both at the initial Stage of Spirit Forming. "Welcome, friend from the Lightning Sect!" They shouted with friendliness.
Gravis was still wearing the clothing and emblem of the Lightning Sect, which allowed them to identify him as one of its disciples. "Hello, and thank you," said Gravis back. "But today, I didn't come as someone from the Lightning Sect, but just as myself."
The guards looked at each other with uncertainty. Visitors only said something like this if they didn't want to implicate the powers behind them, which would only happen if the visitor planned something nefarious. Yet, luckily, they didn't jump to conclusions.
"Then, what brings you here?" one of the guards asked with caution, stealthily readying a Jade Token. If this Jade Token were destroyed, it would probably activate a Formation Array. Of course, Gravis noticed the guard's actions.
Gravis smiled uncomfortably. "Don't worry," he said, lifting both of his arms to show that he didn't want to attack them. "You might have misunderstood. A girl named Joyce and someone she called teacher helped me around three years ago in the Outer-Continent, and I'm here to repay that favor."
When the guards heard that, they released a big sigh of relief. Seeing that Gravis was from the Lightning Sect, they knew that he wouldn't lie about something like this. The guards bowed politely. "We're sorry for the disrespect."
Gravis waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "Don't worry. I get how my words could be misinterpreted. Misunderstandings happen, and there's no reason to dwell on them. Anyway, can I meet Joyce?"
The guards smiled again. "Sure! Please enter," one of them said. After saying that, the gate opened, allowing Gravis to enter. "Someone will come soon to welcome you," one of them said. They had already informed their superiors about a powerful visitor. After all, they only had around ten people at the Seed Stage in their entire Clan. A visitor with such power would only be weaker than the Patriarch and Grand Elder, who were both at the Sapling Stage.
Gravis slowly walked through the gates. He didn't look around since he had already inspected the whole Clan with his Spirit. The guards didn't follow. A lot of people were walking around. They were trading, talking, some kids were playing, and the whole Freya Clan radiated a sense of harmony.
After some seconds passed, one of the guards transmitted something to the other one. "Huh, another one of Miss Joyce's investments. Though, this one is quite powerful. Who would have expected that one of her investments would manage to reach the Seed Stage."
The other guard nodded but then furrowed his brows. "Wait. Didn't he say that Miss Joyce had helped him three years ago in the Outer-Continent?"
The first guard shrugged. "Yeah, what about it?"
"The Outer-Continent has no one in the Spirit Forming Realm and only very few people in the Magic Gathering Realm. This means that he had to have been in the Body Tempering Realm when they met. Doesn't that mean that the visitor reached the Seed Stage from the Body Tempering Realm in only three years?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
The eyes of the other guard widened in realization and caution. "That is literally impossible! After all, it's impossible to speed up the accumulation of the Spirit in the Spirit Forming Realm." Then, the guard narrowed his eyes. "This can only mean that he's lying!"
"But he is from the Lightning Sect. People from the Lightning Sect wouldn't lie about something like this!" said the second guard unsurely.
The narrowed eyes of the first guard showed some killing intent. "What if he stole the uniform and badge from a Lightning Sect disciple that he killed?"
When the second guard heard that, he took a deep and nervous breath through his teeth. "I'll inform the elders!"
"Do that!" said the other guard.
Meanwhile, Gravis started walking to the castle, not knowing that he had been branded as a threat and a liar. Several seconds passed, but no one came to welcome him. On top of that, the busy street started becoming less busy by the second. That was because the upper echelon of the Clan informed their family to retreat stealthily into their houses.
As Gravis looked around, his eyes narrowed. 'Very suspicious. Everyone was having a great day, but suddenly, all the people started walking to their houses in unison. The only thing that had changed in that timeframe to warrant such a response was that I entered the Clan. Don't tell me that this is another misunderstanding. Fuck, I hate those!' Gravis thought.
Gravis stopped walking and put his hands behind his back. Then, he looked at the central castle. "I'm only guessing here," Gravis said, "but the fact that everyone is returning to their houses just when I entered the Clan means that you think that I want to attack you or something, right? Can we get this whole misunderstanding behind us?"
CRRRK!
Suddenly, a huge wall of thorny bush came out of the ground around him. The bush didn't touch him but enclosed him in a big cage. "Really?" Gravis commented drily, bereft of any amusement. "Are we actually doing this?"
"Why have you invaded our Freya Clan!?" came a shout from a person that just exited the central castle, who was accompanied by four others. All of them were at the Seed Stage.
Gravis looked with boredom at them. "I slowly walked through the open front door. How can that be considered invading?" he asked evenly.
One of the people stepped forward. "You have lied to gain entry. This is no different from an invasion!"
Gravis blinked a couple of times in confusion. "But I didn't lie," he said.
"Nonsense!" another one shouted as he also stepped forward. "You have said that it was only three years ago that the young miss had helped you in the Outer-Continent. This means that you have reached the Seed Stage from the Body Tempering Realm in just three years, which is literally impossible!"
"But that's exactly what happened," Gravis said with more annoyance in his voice, accompanied by an annoyed groan. "Just go ask Joyce or the person she calls teacher. They can confirm that."
One of the people harrumphed. "We already asked the Grand Elder for confirmation, and he said that he doesn't recognize you."
Gravis blinked a couple of times in confusion.
Pat!
Then facepalmed. 'I forgot that my looks changed quite a bit. Fuck, this is so annoying!'
BZZZ!
Gravis opened his hand and summoned some lightning. "See? I am from the Lightning Sect! Why would I lie about any of this? Do you believe me now?" Gravis asked, even more annoyed than before.
For a short time, the elders were taken aback. Gravis had proven that he was from the Lightning Sect, and lying didn't conform to their temperament. This made the whole thing more complicated.
They now knew that Gravis was from the Lightning Sect, which made it very unlikely for him to lie, but on the other hand, such an insane growth in power was literally impossible. Now, they didn't know what to believe anymore.
"This does make you less suspicious," one person said, "but there is still another possibility!" Then, he pointed at Gravis. "You're a Warped One!"
Gravis blinked in confusion again. "A what?"
Gravis hadn't been there when the elders in the Lightning Sect talked about these people. Old Man Lightning also never informed him. After all, they were so few and weak that the Warped Ones' existence had no relevance to Gravis.
The eyes of the other people opened widely in realization, and their eyes narrowed as their hostility towards Gravis returned. "A Warped One! A disciple or former disciple of the Lightning Sect that believes power is absolute justice and fairness. You wouldn't care about lying to us because you would think of us as weaker! Let me tell you, just because we are very welcoming to everyone doesn't mean that we will let you trample all over us!"
"Huh," Gravis said. "Never heard that one before." Then, Gravis scratched his chin in thought. "Though, that makes sense in some way." Gravis then looked at the five people again. "And you think I am such a, what did you call it, Warped One?"
The person standing at the front harrumphed again. "Stop lying! You are surrounded, and your plan has failed! The only reason why you are still alive is that you haven't attacked yet! Come quietly with us! The Patriarch will decide what to do with you!"
Gravis sighed in exasperation. "So, basically, it's impossible to talk my way out of this, right?" he asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"No! Surrender and await judgment!" another person shouted.
'Well, I could come quietly and tell the Patriarch to just ask the Lightning Sect, but I really don't want to. I really, really, really, don't like being suppressed by others. Well, then I just have to show them that there is no reason for me to lie. After all, if I wanted to, I could flatten this whole place without much issue. I refuse to believe that the Freya Clan is more powerful than the Darkness Sect. Also, I might as well have some fun while doing so.'
"Hey," Gravis said and waited for a couple of seconds. "Hey," he said again and waited. "Hey… hey… hey."
"What?" One of the elders said in annoyance.
"What did the unconscious person say to the visitor?" Gravis asked.