It was a clear and warm night as Ariana walked through the garden, gently watering the sprouts and blooming flowers. As the sun went down, the pnts that enjoyed the moonlight more slowly woke up, glowing in purple, blue, and turquoise, painting an otherworldly picture. When her watering can was empty, she set out to refill it, nearing the deep well at the edge of the garden, when she came across a small silhouette. She was crouching between two rows of seeds that Rem had freshly pnted a few hours earlier. She immediately recognized the infamous figure of Kyu, who was pouting, poking the ground with her finger.

  "No munchies… uuuu… Rem, you traitor!" She grumbled, drawing circles.

  "Um…" Ariana walked closer with cautious steps as she rarely interacted with demons, except Rem. "It wasn't her fault…" She spoke up, defending the little fairy. As her voice traveled to Kyu, she just looked back over her shoulder with an upset expression.

  "She said Kyu can have munchies, but there are no munchies!" she protested with pursed lips.

  "Yes, because Elder Dermitos asked for every avaible pnt to be harvested. Elder Rem already pnted the new ones and even made an extra row to regrow yours." Ariana expined patiently, but her free hand was already inside her pocket, grabbing onto the jade coin, ready to crush it at any time.

  "Hmf! Kyu is still hungry!" She stood up, patting her butt, turning towards Ariana, looking up at her as Kyu, in her human form, barely reached Ariana's chest.

  "Um… I don't have anything that I could give you, but… if you eat the growing pnts, there won't be any food ter on either..." Ariana gulped, but she was determined to save the pnts from their impending doom.

  "Ugh… that is… bad!" She nodded, clearly thinking about it, seeing the logic behind it.

  "And… Junior Sect Head would also punish you!" Ariana continued in a hurry.

  "Who is that?" Kyu tilted her head, blinking her eyes confusedly.

  "I mean, Elder Ren."

  "Ah, Master? Ugh… you are right…!" She moaned as a bulb lit up above her little head, grimacing like a child caught stealing something. "Uuuuu… but Kyu is hungry!" She stomped her small feet, leaving deep imprints on the ground.

  "You always go for materials, brimming with energy…" Ariana murmured, thinking for herself, "And I heard you can eat… spells, too?"

  "Mmm?" She walked around her, looking up and down, inspecting Ariana before sniffing a little and continuing, "Uhum! Kyu can, but yours are weak... No strong, no yummy…" She sighed, shaking her pigtails.

  "Yes, but… stronger disciples have already developed techniques, especially the ones who rose to Inner Disciple status." Ariana continued, and for a moment there, she thought Kyu was about to eat her up.

  "Kyu doesn't understand…" She answered honestly and waited patiently for her to expin more.

  "I mean, you eat because you need energy to cultivate, no? Then… why not set it up like this..." She put down her watering can and took out her other hand, leaving the jade coin in her pocket as she crouched down, expining everything to Kyu. "You post an… application in the Mission Hall. You are willing to train with disciples in exchange for contribution points! They can test and practice their spells on you. Meanwhile, you get to eat different kinds every day."

  "Oh!" Her eyes lit up, starting to nod quickly at the idea.

  "They may not be big or strong spells, but you can eat a lot of them, no? Also, you earn contribution points. Get enough, and you can exchange them for more food."

  "Whoa! You are smart! Kyu likes you! Kyu never thought of that!" She cpped happily, hugging her. "You are Kyu's new friend! What is your name?"

  "A-Ariana!" She answered quickly, surprised by the strong hug that almost cracked her waist, making her moan painfully.

  "Wahaha, Ariana, if someone bullies you, Kyu defends you! Nyahaha, Kyu is going to ask for a… a… 1000 points! Yes!"

  "Ugh… that… that is too much..." She wailed as she tried to fight herself out of Kyu's literal bear hug.

  "Really?" Kyu blinked, a bit uncertain, letting her finally go, looking up at Ariana with somewhat pleading eyes. "How much should Kyu ask for?"

  "Give me… a moment!" She gasped, panting for air, rubbing her sides. "Maybe… start… cheap? Like… like one point for an hour?"

  "How many points is this?" She asked back, holding the root Ariana got from Rem, clearly stealing it from her pocket while she hugged her.

  "Ah, that's! That's mine!" Ariana shouted suddenly. "Give it back!"

  "Um? How much?" Kyu asked again, bringing it closer to her mouth.

  "That's at least 20 points; it was harvested at the right time by Elder Rem herself! A normal one goes around 10! Give it back!" She cried out, trying to reach for it, but afraid Kyu was going to chomp down on it if she got her hand too close.

  "It smells nice…" Kyu murmured, licking her lips, then looked at Ariana, thinking really hard, before sighing loudly and throwing it back to her.

  "T-thanks…" Ariana snatched it quickly from the air, put it away, and looked at her with worried eyes.

  "Haaah, Kyu would be hungrier if she ate only one little root..." She turned her head, wiping off her saliva. "But 1 is too little! 3 is more! Yes! Um, um! And more people can come at once... Yes! Everyone must pay 3! Ahaha~" She grinned happily once again. "Help Kyu write it!"

  "You mean… the notice?"

  "Uhum!" She nodded once again with a wide grin. "Hurry, Hurry! Kyu is going to put it up before the sun comes up!"

  "S-sure… um, but I still need to work the garden. Why don't you bring me paper and a pen? I'll make it for you, but you need to post it yourself in the Mission Hall."

  "Oookay! Wait here!" Kyu moaned a little before suddenly transforming into her giant bear form and rushing away.

  After she was gone, Ariana took a deep breath as it was one of the most frightening experiences of her life, not to mention her waist was still hurting and bruised from Kyu's simple hug.

  "Nicely done," resonated a chuckle next to her ear, and when she turned, Ren was hovering in the air, slowly descending downwards.

  "Junior Sect Head!" She cupped her hands as she regained composure, bowing to her deeply.

  "Rex, I'm not really hung up on formalities. You did great; I only saw Rem handling that buffoon so well!" She ughed happily, "Your name is Ariana?" She asked, while scanning her from top to bottom, "Why are you still lingering at the 2nd stage?"

  "That's… I am thinking of advancing, but not sure if I am 100% ready." Ariana answered honestly.

  "You are."

  "..." She gulped as Ren's voice was almost commanding.

  "You are already overflowing." Ren continued, "Keep building up more and more, and you are just wasting precious energy. You are the most robust in terms of energy out of the many Body Refinement cultivators I have seen so far in the Sect." Ren expined, tilting her head, "Not even Zern was like this, yet I thought he was taking it slowly…" She chuckled with a bit of nostalgia in her voice. "Your channels and energy points, not to mention your flesh and bones, are reinforced to a level comparable to someone in the 4th stage!" Ren smiled approvingly as she examined her from afar. "If you would pick up a little speed, you would be quickly promoted into the Inner Disciples' ranks."

  "T-thank you for your praise, Elder Ren!" Ariana cupped her hands once again with an excited, red face.

  "It's just the truth. Anyway, keep the coin. Take it as a reward for handling her! If you go outside of the Sect and find yourself in trouble, just crush it; I'll feel it and come help you out once." She patted her shoulder before disappearing into violet electricity.

  "So cool…" She murmured under her breath, watching the fshing bolts reflecting brightly in her eyes.

  …….…..

  A few days ter, Ariana was walking out of the Mission Hall, exchanging her completed tasks and the root given to her by Rem for contribution points. She was walking towards the Sect's main library next, housing not just techniques and spells but also the Elders' lessons. They were recorded onto jade slips that could be borrowed and listened to. Of course, the tter was not cheap; borrowing one as an outer disciple for one day costs just as much as living comfortably in the Sect for a month. It could even leave spare points for trading between others.

  Yet Ariana always saved it up, leaving only the bare minimum for her daily needs, spending the rest on lessons. They were not receiving instructions directly from an Elder, as Inner Disciples could. Yet just listening to them was much more beneficial than trying to read the sometimes way-too-convoluted, dry texts. Just as she was about to arrive, a figure fshed before her, and she almost tripped over Kyu's little, chubby body.

  "Hey!" The small demon grinned. "Kyu was searching for you! Here!" She presented her with a purple card that was used to track contribution points distributed by the Sect.

  "Huh? What is this?" She asked.

  "You are Kyu's friend! Master always teaches us to take care of friends. Kyu may be a bad girl, but you are Kyu's friend!" She winked at her, and when Ariana took the card, she almost had a heart attack.

  "Wha… how? This.. this much?!" She blinked her eyes, trying to hold them in their sockets. Checking the numbers on it, the card showed exactly 100 points. Over the years here, she never owned more than 40, ever, and even Inner Disciples would need to work hard for a month to accumute that many.

  "Is it… few?" Kyu tilted her head with a guilty expression, seemingly wondering if she should have given more.

  "No, no! This is much more than I ever had! But… why?" Ariana tried to rein in her emotions that suddenly overflowed. She could exchange this for multiple lessons. Hearing her words, Kyu immediately rexed, and the wide grin came back onto her face.

  "You gave Kyu the idea. A lot came! Fufufu, and even more, want to come to Kyu! So many yummy things are there to eat... You are very clever. You will be Kyu's best friend from now on!"

  "Oh… I see! It must be because they want to prepare for the competition. I am gd it is working out for you." Ariana said to her as she smiled sincerely at Kyu.

  "Um! Kyu needs to go and eat; others are already waiting! Kyu will bring you more next time!" She ughed as she gave her a hug, easily picking up Ariana from the ground and spinning her before putting her back down. Then she just fshed away, leaving the dizzy Ariana behind.

  "What should I borrow with this much…?" Ariana murmured after finding her footing, looking at the purple card and putting it away excitedly.

  It was a dilemma she had all day, only resolving it by the time the sun went down, leaving with only one recording, one that was of Ren's lesson. It was a two-hour-long expnation of how one guides the energy from the world around them into their own body. Letting it flow through the energy channels and points, and how to release it to create simple spells that can ter grow with the user's proficiency.

  It was an advanced lecture for outer disciples but a basic one for those who rose to the next rank in the Sect. With the remaining points of hers, she paid for a cultivation room to listen to it without interruption. For the night, her only pn was to listen to it again and again, trying to memorize it before she needed to return it tomorrow. While she shut herself in the Artifact Hall, Ren stretched, yawning behind her father's desk, just finishing with the daily reports of incoming and outgoing tasks, requests, and materials.

  "Thanks…" She moaned, taking the cup of tea Leinor had walked in with, pcing it on the desk, then stepping behind her and massaging her shoulders. "Damn… you know what I want the most!" She purred like a little kitten. "Dad should've hired more disciples for helping out with keeping inventory… Honestly, it is tiring as hell to do this much paperwork. I am not a clerk under Feynor!"

  "Yet you were humming all day long. Did something happen?" Leinor ughed while hearing his wife grumble.

  "Did I? Well, there was something... I found an interesting girl."

  "Oh? Why is she interesting?" He asked, curious.

  "She managed to reason with Kyu."

  "Huh, that's a start. And?" Leinor whistled as Kyu barely listened to anyone besides them and Ren's disciples.

  "That's it! For now. I'm keeping an eye on her; if she shows more traits that catch my attention, I am going to take her in as a disciple."

  "Just like that? Huh!" He ughed a little. "Then I am also curious what kind of girl she is."

  "Oh? You want a harem?" Ren tilted her backward, looking up at his face with a smile.

  "Nah, I am more like my eldest brother in this." Leinor smiled, leaning forward and kissing her.

  "Fufufu, good; I'm not someone who likes to share..."

  "I am gd to hear that!" He whispered, continuing to massage her.

  "So? What about your soon-to-be disciple we spoke about before? You are the only Elder without one!" Ren asked, excited.

  "Let's see how he performs in the competition."

  "Geez… you are stricter than me!" She giggled pyfully, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Maybe… but there is one I am keeping an eye on, but he… huuhhh… he just got himself into detention by the Disciplinary Department..." Leinor sighed, shaking his head.

  "Really? What happened?" Ren asked with curious lights twinkling in her eyes, ready to jump on a juicy story.

  "Well…" He picked her out of the chair, sat down, and pced Ren in his p, gently caressing her tummy as he told her what had happened two days ago.