[External Task Accepted: Collect Five White Fragrant Fruits. Reward: 15 Contribution Points.]
Later that day, Torvin calmly produced five milky-white fruits from his robe pocket – more pilfered goods from Bai Ji's 'private patch' – and placed them on the counter. "Task completed."
The female disciple behind the counter, now thoroughly flustered by the Consort-to-be casually producing required mission items from his pockets, quickly verified and processed the completion. Fifteen more points flowed into Torvin's Contribution Token.
'Nice.' Torvin nodded internally. 'Resource acquisition through prior reconnaissance yielded significant time saved.' He mentally reviewed the contents of his pockets and the spatial ring Bai Ji had provided. He possessed samples of nearly half the low-level 'gathering' tasks currently listed on the Mission Wall. This was an opportunity.
What followed was a spectacle that left the disciples gathered in the Mission Hall utterly bewildered. Torvin moved from counter to counter, systematically accepting low-level gathering tasks – Green Shadow Grass, White Fragrant Fruit, Sunpetal Dew Leaves, Crimson Rock Fungus – and immediately submitting the required items, drawn seemingly from nowhere (his spatial ring).
[External Task Accepted: Gather Sunpetal Dew Leaves...]
[External Task: Completed. Reward Integrated: 8 Contribution Points...]
[External Task Accepted: Collect Crimson Rock Fungus...]
[External Task: Completed. Reward Integrated: 12 Contribution Points...]
The notifications from his Bio-Interface were purely informational logs of the external sect system, but the rapid accumulation of Contribution Points in his token was tangible. A small smirk touched Torvin's lips. Exploiting readily available resources. Maximum efficiency. He wasn't "farming" Contribution Points for their own sake; he was establishing a baseline understanding of the sect's economic system and simultaneously offloading the... 'borrowed' ingredients before Bai Ji discovered their loss.
The surrounding disciples watched with a mixture of awe and confusion.
"How... how does he have all those items already?"
"Did he raid the Spirit Herb Peak stores?"
"Is this some kind of Consort privilege?"
"Look how fast the points are accumulating!"
Their worldview, centered around arduous task completion for meager rewards, was being thoroughly shaken.
Adding to the strange scene was Torvin's physical state. While not activating the full Overdrive Protocol, the constant low-level strain of maintaining Viltrumite functions, combined with the lingering backlash from the fight, left him perpetually operating near his physical limits. Each time he stepped up to a counter, he was breathing slightly heavily, a fine sheen of sweat on his brow, giving the bizarre impression that merely submitting completed tasks was physically exhausting him.
'Wealthy beyond measure (in low-tier items), yet physically weak?' The disciples mentally tagged him with conflicting labels.
Torvin ignored them, focusing on the process. He continued until he had submitted all the matching items from his inventory. His Contribution Token now held several hundred points – a respectable sum for an Outer Disciple, achieved in minutes. 'Resource conversion complete. Next phase: Identify tasks offering strategic value – information, access, unique resources.'
His gaze scanned the Mission Wall again, lingering on a particular entry near the bottom of the Qi Refining section, distinct from the simple gathering quests.
'Exploration: Spirit Medicine Secret Realm. Objective: Retrieve one strand of Starlight Mycelium. Prerequisite: Qi Refining Stage minimum recommended. Secondary Benefit: All other resources gathered within remain property of the disciple. Restrictions: Realm opens in ten days, access window fifteen minutes, duration within one month (no exit/entry during).' Note: Realm known for potent environmental hazards and aggressive mutated flora/fauna.
[Data Point Analyzed: Spirit Medicine Secret Realm Mission. Risk Assessment: Medium-High (Environmental Hazards, Unknown Variables). Potential Reward Assessment: High (Unique Resources, Environmental Data Acquisition). Prerequisite Mismatch: Host lacks required Qi Refining cultivation.]
'Secret Realm.' Torvin's interest piqued. Contained environments often held unique resources or phenomena. The Starlight Mycelium objective was secondary; the potential for gathering other valuable spirit herbs (perhaps less bland than Bai Ji's) and assessing environmental threats was the primary draw. Replenishing his 'inventory' was necessary, especially since revisiting Bai Ji's private patch seemed... inadvisable. The cultivation prerequisite was a potential obstacle, but perhaps negotiable given his status, or irrelevant if entry wasn't strictly Qi-gatekeeped. The risks were noted, but calculated risk was necessary for advancement.
He hesitated. Accepting required commitment. 'Were there better options? Other tasks offering access to different areas?'
[Bio-Interface Suggestion: Delay decision. Gather further intelligence on Secret Realm hazards and potential rewards before accepting mission with prerequisite mismatch. Recommend consultation with knowledgeable entity (e.g., Bai Ji, Wu Qingcheng).]
'Logical.' The System, in its limited capacity, offered sound advice. He needed more data.
Just as he was about to step away from the wall, a furious roar echoed from the entrance of the Mission Hall.
"LI QIYE! I FORBID IT!"
Bai Ji stormed into the hall, his face thunderous, aura practically vibrating with rage. The disciples hastily scrambled out of his path, bowing fearfully. Peak Lord Bai? So furious?
'He knows.' Torvin deduced instantly. The herb depletion has been discovered.
Bai Ji marched directly towards Torvin, ignoring the surrounding chaos. "You! That Secret Realm mission! You cannot accept it! Absolutely not!"
Torvin raised an eyebrow, maintaining a calm exterior despite Bai Ji's palpable fury. "Why, Elder Bai? What is your basis for objection?"
"Basis?!" Bai Ji sputtered, momentarily lost for words in his rage. "That realm is dangerous even for seasoned Qi Refining disciples! You have no cultivation! Entering would be suicide! And... and besides!" He gestured wildly, clearly still incensed about his herbs but unable to voice that particular grievance publicly. "It is... inappropriate for the Palace Master's Consort to undertake such low-level, dangerous tasks!"
'Appealing to status and safety concerns.' Torvin analyzed. However, his assessment of the danger aligns with the mission notes.
The surrounding disciples watched the confrontation with wide eyes, whispering amongst themselves. The Consort-to-be, who had just battered the Grand Elder, was now being furiously opposed by Peak Lord Bai over accepting a simple Qi Refining level mission? What was truly going on? The intrigue deepened.