"You are Ginro Musashi?" The elder was a bald old man with two white mustache that touched the ground when he sat.

"I am." Carter sat down and bowed gently. Traditional formality.

"Well behaved. You must come from a noble family."

"Not anymore." Carter shook his head.

The elder chuckled. "That happens a lot lately. Leave us alone, Tanabe."

"Yes, elder! I’ll be outside." The villager bowed and leave.

The elder took out a long wooden pipe and took a puff. "Smoke?"

Carter shook his head.

"Not a lot of men that doesn’t smoke these days. My name is Uroku Bunzo. I’ve been the elder of this village for 28 years. And an Awaken for 50 years."

Bunzo waited for Carter’s reaction. But he sat still.

"I guess you are an Awaken as well. What’s your Star Level?"

"I’m not an Awaken."

Bunzo’s small eyes widened a little bit then went back down. He laughed some more.

"Elite, huh? What a guy like you doing in this place?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"I’m just passing by."

"You don’t need to tell me. As long as you don’t cause trouble, Sabaku Village will always welcome you."

"I don’t intend to cause trouble."

"I’m glad to hear that."

Bunzo placed his pipe down and bowed at Carter.

"What are you..."

"The strong must have their respect. No matter the age."

Then he returned to his previous lazy posture. "I want you to know that I respect you as an Elite. And I will cooperate. But I hope you won’t tell anything to the people outside. They live a peaceful life here. I like to keep it that way."

"You have my word." Carter nodded.

"The bandits are in the Northwest of this village, up on the rocky mountain. If you want to get rid of them, I will forever be grateful to you. If you don’t, I will still provide housing and food for you."

"Please. You don’t need to act this way. I am a man of principle. Everything has a price. And I will earn my place here. I won’t stay long, of course."

Bunzo sighed, "I haven’t seen honor like this since I left the capital. You can stay at my place, Musashi. I have plenty of empty rooms."

"Much appreciated. I will handle the bandits now."

Bunzo looked out to the window, "The sun is already falling. Maybe you should wait for tomorrow?"

Musashi smiled for the first time, "This won’t take long."

Thick red aura appeared around him. Carter disappeared from his location. He was just using Adrenaline but the power made him so quick in Bunzo’s eyes that it appeared as if he teleported.

"I didn’t even tell you that there are a few Awakens in those bandits... But I don’t think you need to hear it anyway."

An Elite can only be killed by an Elite. Even the people of this world knew that.

Carter ran on the empty trail. Dust blew up behind him. Soon he was at the foot of the rocky mountain.

’This must be the place... But before that, let me see what the new skin is about.’

[SHRINE MAIDEN]

[Rank]: Elite

[Star Level]: 1

[Ability]:

- Shrine Construction: You may choose a building and turn it into a Shrine. In this Shrine, you may construct a maximum of three Divine Statues. These statues must be of real supernatural beings. People that worshiped these statues may ask for their aid and received a portion of their power. The beings in question must agree to lend their power for this effect to activate.

- Guardians of the Maiden: You may establish a link with non-humanoid supernatural beings and ask it to be your Guardian. If it agrees, you can summon it to your side at any time. Your power and its power are shared. You can have a maximum of your Guardians equal to twice your Rank (current: 4).

[Skill]:

- Elite Level 1: Otherworldly Intervention.

- Awaken Level 10: Abstraction, Volition, Belief, Prophecy Foresight, Magical Knowledge, Spiritual Knowledge, Divine Knowledge.

- Awaken Level 9: Holy Study, Demonology.

[Item]:

- Maiden Hakama: This Hakama places good-luck to the wearer.

- Destiny Deck: Reveals the complicated structures of Fate and Prophecy.

’Huh? A mix of seer, beast master, and a few other things.’

Carter wasn’t entire ignorant in pop culture back on Earth. He liked to and had to research many fictions for his work. Shrine maiden, prophecy, and Eastern culture contributed a rarer part of that.

He researched it just in case he got in any project that might have those characteristics. He never thought that he would be playing that particular part. He was a man after all.

Carter smiled, "More fun. After all, where is the challenge if you keep doing the same thing?"

"No romance though! I am still straight."

Carter had set up in his mind on what he should do with the Shrine Maiden. But now, he got more important things to do.

Carter continued on the path toward the mountain. He had turned off Adrenaline and walked up slowly.

His Sonar Echolocation and Living Sense already picked up a few bandits hiding.

"Come out. I can see you." Carter said calmly.

No one moved.

"As you wish."

Carter punched forward, this time he used air. A cyclone shot out of his fist and exploded at the position of the bandits. Those brown clothes criminals were blown away and exposed their position.

"Awaken!"

"Shit! Someone calls Big Boss."

A bandit turned his back around and ran to the camp.

Carter moved gracefully in place. He looked like he was performing a martial art demonstration.

When he raised his hand up, roots shot up from the ground and wrapped around that running bandit.

"No one is going anywhere." Carter clenched his hand.

The plant crushed the legs of the bandit. He fell down and screamed in pain.

"There is more." Carter continued to move.

When he performed a high kick to the air, a block of dirt shot up and flew over to another bandit, crushing him into pieces.

Silver Invoker had his mind and body connected. So when Carter moved his body, his manifestation became more detailed and precise.

The Mortal Bandits couldn’t do anything but wailed in their death.