Gleam [Karma Cultivator Isekai]
Interlude 1

Gibson strode down an empty street toward Terrence’s office, his brow furrowed. A new arrival had appeared in the wrong location. That had never happened before. And, worse, the boy was from Earth. Earthlings could not be trusted.

If it were up to him, he’d have the boy dealt with before whatever he was somehow wrapped up in spilled out into the rest of Gleam. Unfortunately, that wasn’t up to him. And, thus, he sought Terrence.

Any possible threat to Gleam had to be dealt with as soon as possible. Gibson was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the long, spindly hand that emerged from an alley as he passed it.

It grabbed the Head Trainer by the shoulder and yanked him into the darkness before he could even utter a word.

Gibson acquitted himself well, a blade flying from its sheath at his side with a clean ring as soon as he stumbled into the alley. His eyes fell on the man floating upside-down across from him and he froze.

The aura pouring off the man was incredible. He’d stood in the presence of some of the strongest cultivators in all of Gleam, and this man eclipsed all of them combined. Gibson did what any wise man would have done in the presence of something greater than them by such a degree.

He fell to his knees.

“Who are you?” Gibson asked, staring at the ground. He and the floating man both knew that a single thought would be all that was needed to wipe his existence from the city, and there was nothing that anyone else could have done about it.

“A passing thought,” the floating man replied. “And you are about to inconvenience me.”

“I’m sorry,” Gibson stammered. “I don’t understand.”

“The boy. You are about to inconvenience him. I cannot have that.”

Gibson swallowed. He’d known that Chance was trouble. A tiny part of him wished he’d just offed the kid as soon as he found out he was a new arrival that hadn’t shown up in the right spot, but that might have meant he would have been lying dead in the alley instead of having this conversation.

“I was just going to report his arrival,” Gibson stammered. “Gleam welcomes all–”

“I care not for your excuses for training fodder,” the floating man said, cutting him off. “The boy will be forgotten. He is nothing to you. You will give him a capable team – there should be good capable applicants looking for a team. Choose one immediately. Then ensure you do not inconvenience him further. He is mine.”

Gibson swallowed. Before he could nod his understanding, the man extended a spindly hand. Within it, golden mist gathered, forming into an image of a woman. Gibson’s eyes widened.

“What do you want with my wife?”

“Karma connects us all. You may grow tempted by others with what you perceive to be great power in the future, if the boy survives his growth. Remember this moment, Shikari. The worst they can do is kill you.” Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

The man’s hand clenched over the golden mist, dismissing it. Then he was gone. Gibson sat there for several minutes. He slowly rose to his feet and staggered out of the alley.

Gibson stared up at the sky for a few moments, then turned on his heel and set off in the way he had come. What was the worst that one Earthling could do? Gleam could stuff itself. His job wasn’t more important than his family.

Sᴇarch the ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.