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Street Cultivation 3: Epilogue
🕑 Added 2020-10-24 20:48:11 +0000 UTCBrief epilogue, so let's get straight into it.
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Epilogue: Street Cultivation
Luke walked down the street, but he wasn't going anywhere. As he reached one pothole, he turned around and went back the other way, doing his best not to look to the side of the street. The Advanced Lucrim station glimmered there, promising easy wealth in moments.
It would work, he knew that, but he'd seen what it did to others. His parents, first of all. Every bit of money they earned went directly to paying off their past debts, which had spawned from even older debts. Once people started rolling down that hill, as far as he could tell, there was no way to get back up.
At 15 years old, what was he supposed to do? He was winning some money in school competitions, but his parents usually took all of it. And since they put food on the table for his younger brothers, could he really complain? But he knew that his carefully constructed offensive Lucore wouldn't be enough as he got older. He'd just fall further and further behind, in both school and the tournaments, and then he'd end up just like his parents.
Taking a deep breath, Luke turned and stared directly at the Advanced Lucrim station. The large poster advertised that payments were no longer limited to people who were 18 or older. In fact, as he was still developing, his future lucrim would be even more valuable. Left unsaid was the fact that it would most likely stunt his growth permanently.
But what other choice did he have? The school counselors tried to talk to him, but they couldn't understand his life. What use was financial planning when you had nothing to plan with? Everything was a little tighter every month and he knew that it would reach a breaking point soon.
His parents tried to hide the fact, but he'd heard them arguing, and they were likely to get evicted from their apartment. All the work he'd put into earning his way into a great school would mean nothing if they had to move, and his parents couldn't afford to send him anywhere without a scholarship. These days he was paying for school lunches out of his own pocket, and even if he skipped some days, they just kept getting more expensive...
His stomach rumbled and Luke realized that he had to look at the math and make a final decision. He pulled out his phone and saw the familiar numbers:
[Name: Luke Larkin
Ether Tier: 19th
Ether Score: 143 (preliminary score)
Lucrim Generation: 11,250
Current Lucrim: 117]
[Luke Larkin's Lucrima Portfolio
Foundation: 5000 (Lv I)
Offensive Lucore: 4750 (Lv III)
Speed Lucore: 1500 (Lv II)
Total Lucrim: 11,250]
Only 117 lucrim? He'd thought that he had more, and for a moment desperately scrabbled in his pockets for something he'd forgotten. All he found were a few crumpled dollar bills, which he was saving for a vending machine when he got truly hungry.
There really wasn't a choice. Without the Advanced Lucrim loan, his family would be evicted and he'd lose his place in a good school. He knew that his chances of repaying the loan promptly weren't great, but without that money, he had no chance at all. It certainly wasn't like anyone was going to help him.
"Hey, it's Luke!" A sneering voice broke into his thoughts and stole away the last of his hope. Luke flinched as he turned to see Duncan Randolf and three of his cronies approaching him.
Duncan and all his friends were Birthrighters, the Lucores their parents gave them worth ten times as much as Luke's net worth. Almost everyone at school had one, aside from a few students who got in on merit. Unfortunately, Duncan and many others didn't seem to think that Luke belonged there.
"What are you doing around here, Luke?" Duncan swaggered closer, swinging a lead pipe with each step. The group must be slumming, looking for trouble with people the government didn't care about. "Going to sell your body for a bit of cash? That's not something an academy student should be doing."
"Just leave me alone." Luke wanted to shout back, but he knew that any one of the group could injure him effortlessly, and he couldn't afford an injury.
"What are you going to use the money for, booze? Drinking is what your family is known for, isn't it? Well, we can't have you becoming a public nuisance." The others chuckled at the contorted logic. "I guess you need some preemptive punishment."
Luke tried to run, but Duncan appeared in front of him without warning, just the wind from the technique knocking Luke to the street. The Birthrighter sneered and lifted his pipe. All Luke could do was try to shield his face.
"That's not really a fair fight."
The clear voice immediately drew everyone's attention. Luke looked up to see an older man walking along the street. The guy had to be 30 or more, but he was surprisingly muscular. His clothes were cheap, more like Luke's than the Birthrighters, yet there was something about him... where his eyes should have had pupils, there were only depthless wells of darkness. It was impossible to estimate his lucrim generation rate, it was just raw power.
"This has nothing to do with you," Duncan said angrily, not really looking. He waved to one of his flunkies. "Show the old man on his way, will you?"
The other Birthrighter leapt forward and gave the stranger a kick to the chest to knock him away. Yet the stranger simply walked forward, ignoring the blow as it bounced off him. Enraged, the Birthrighter struck out with his full power, a Birthright Core of over 100,000 lucrim... and it had just as little effect.
"You're right about keeping the streets free of public nuisances," the stranger said as he walked forward. "Why don't you all move along?"
Of course the Birthrighters didn't retreat, and as they shifted into position, Luke feared that the stranger would suffer for trying to help him. Massive bursts of aura and brilliant flames raged toward him... until they simply disappeared, vanishing into the darkness of those eyes. All of Duncan's flunkies attacked the stranger, but when he showed no sign of even noticing their blows, they began to retreat, looking to their leader.
Duncan himself had taken a step back, alarmed. The stranger ignored him and instead bent down on one knee, looking at Luke. His gaze was nearly suffocating, but his voice was gentle. "Sorry about the trouble. What's your name?"
"Luke," he managed to choke out. Just what did this lucrim master want with him? He'd have thought it was some cruel trick, except for the fact that the Birthrighters all looked alarmed. Did the man plan to exploit him in some other way?
"Well, Luke, I'm-" His sentence was interrupted as Duncan let out a cry of rage and swung the lead pipe at the man's head.
Yet the man simply turned to look at it, pointedly watching the weapon and letting it strike him right between the eyes. Once again, he didn't flinch, but this time, he reached up and grasped the pipe. Duncan panicked and tried to pull it away, but stranger's arm might as well have been made of iron too.
"Careful, son. You might hurt yourself."
The stranger's voice was no louder than before, but the Birthrighters finally broke. They desperately tumbled over one another as they tried to escape. Luke felt a moment of glee to see them humbled, but then he realized that he was alone on the street with the terrifying stranger. He still didn't have the strength to get up, especially now that those dark eyes were turning back to him.
"Anyway, my name's Rick. Would you like some help?"
"Help?" Luke spat out the word more angrily than he intended. "What can you do to help me? You're... some sort of lucrim monster, and I have nothing. My school... my parents... you don't know a thing about what help I even need!"
"You might be surprised." Rick lowered a hand to help him up. "Let's talk."
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This marks the end of the Street Cultivation trilogy, which I've been writing for approaching two years. I'm grateful to everyone who has read with me this far, and I hope that you'll support the final book with reviews when the time comes. Thank you for reading my work. ^-^
That said, I'm rethinking how I want to spend my creative time. I'm considering disabling payments on Patreon at least temporarily, which would mean that you'll continue to be able to access all rewards, but you would no longer be charged every month. Please note, this would not mean any delay in posting TWC chapters: they'll continue appearing until the end of the first book, even if no more money is going through Patreon.
During this time, there would continue to be occasional other posts, as I have three book releases scheduled for the end of this year. At some point, I will need to take some time away. Rest assured that all rewards will remain up and charging wouldn't be resumed without warning.
I may pause donations before the end of the month, but also possibly in November instead, since there are still many TWC chapters to post. Speak up if you have strong opinions on that.
Comments
Joel Butler
Really enjoyed the series! Hope springs eternal 4 another book.
Sarah Lin
It's not a problem, I appreciate that I have fans who want to support me as a creator beyond a transactional deal. ^-^ Though I'm not free to do anything I want, at this stage in my career I can afford to focus some on creative fulfillment. The emotional return I get from projects is a bit harder to calculate than a budget, of course. Right now, the kindest support you could offer would be to leave good reviews for the TBS audiobook, then the SC3 and TWC1 releases over the next month. After I get through all those release periods, I'll see how everything feels to me and make some longer term decisions.
ExtraKeys202
^ Completely understandable about Patreon being an emotional/ mental drain. May I respectfully ask, then, what alternative you suggest for fans of your work that want to financially support you? If your Patreon did close, would purchasing the ebooks when they're published be enough? Is there another avenue that you would prefer that isn't draining? I apologize if asking this implies that you 'need' financial support- I'm in no way suggesting you, or other indie authors, can't support your works without fan assistance!
Alexander Dupree
Just having a moment of realization that the head cannon theory crafting I do for this book is finished :(
Sarah Lin
I need some time to consider priorities. See some of the other comment replies, or I'll post more about it in a week or two.
Froyo Baggins
What's the rethink?
Peter Fisher
I really enjoy that you answer questions, thank you! That said, if in the future responding to comments is rare, and that makes the difference between keeping the patreon up or not, you have my vote for keeping it. (And my axe! ....ok it's just a garden hoe)
Sarah Lin
I had in mind pupils and irises, but Luke isn't able to tell because he's overwhelmed by Rick's presence. The main thing I wanted to convey is that Rick is having the same effect that Teragen did back in the first book, coming off more like a force of nature than a person.
Peter Fisher
Quick q regarding the depthless wells of darkness. Is it just his pupils? Not anything else in his eyes like some sclera or iris? It would be pretty difficult to tell this although you did mention the foundation would make only slight changes to him physically over time.
Justin
Rick seemed to absorb at least one of those attacks but there was no mention of the spheres, only his eyes. Last chapter mentioned he was going to look for replacements so I just assumed. I agree that there should be another book clearing up this particular point.
Jonathan Timm
I think we need another book explaing it please
Pete
Ah, my guesses were either absorption sphere or void flame stuff. DBK is still pretty mysterious.
Sarah Lin
Ah, that's not what I meant to imply there. His eyes in the epilogue are the result of the Dark Blood Kettle.
Sarah Lin
I'm fairly self-motivated and will likely continue meeting deadlines regardless. It's the work that goes into maintaining the Patreon account that I'm reconsidering. It's more of a drain on my creative energy than I expected and I'm not sure if it's worth it to me.
Compendium
Damn it. I have more questions than answers, but that's a bloody great ending.
Michael son of Jacob
What are some of the things you want to reflect on? There are some Patreon accounts that have no deadlines on deliverables, and are just there for author support, if that's one factor you're considering. Or are you thinking of focusing more on taking some time to shelter from mountain winds?
Justin
Just so I’m clear, Rick used his eyes to replace the perception and absorption spheres? If so, that’s a dope concept and I wish it was introduced earlier in the book.
Sarah Lin
Just to be clear, all rewards will remain up, and I'll finish everything I've started posting here. Next month I'm going to pause Patreon charges, then take some time to reflect on things. One possible outcome is that I return after a break, but an alternative is that I step away from Patreon for good. The account would remain open and I might post some announcements, but no one would ever be charged.
Runcible Technician
Thank you for the story, it's been a fantastic experience to see it unfold week to week. Take a break, be a person. You don't have to turn off patreon payments altogether if you are still posting anything, but I understand the sentiment and appreciate the decency.
CommodoreCaptain
Your chapter releases on Saturday and Tuesday are honestly important parts of my schedule and something I always look forward too. I think you’ve told an amazing story with you Street Cultivation series evidenced by that fact that everyone (myself included) wants more of it. No matter what you decide to do in the future I would love to continue supporting you, through Patreon, or through purchasing your books. Thank you again for the wonderful stories.
Pete
About the patreon thing, are you thinking of not using patreon to remove the extra obligation (and thus limitation on time planning) or what are you thinking about?
BigBuckler
As sad as I am to see this story come to an end, I understand that it must, as all good things do. I have truly enjoyed reading this trilogy. Maybe someday down the line we could get some short stories about how Rick is living in the future, or something along those lines. Either way, thanks for writing such an awesome story
Sarah Lin
I'm glad you've been enjoying the story all this time!
Desertopa
I'm definitely going to miss Street Cultivation. I'm sure I'll continue to enjoy whatever you move on to next, but Street Cultivation has always been a really uncommonly excellent fit for my own tastes and interests. If you ever do decide to revisit the setting, you'll have an enthusiastic audience waiting for you. I'm definitely curious about a lot of the immediately-after details of the last chapter (including what Rick's portfolio actually looked like a day after his fight with Horatio,) but if you're ever likely to come to those in the course of another book, I'll be happy to wait on them.
Lotfi Adam
Ahhh, that's satisfying, but I can't help but feel like there's a lot missing. I was really hoping to see how his Angelic Bond business was going and what everyone is doing with their lives. I'm seriously proud of you, though, for maintaining such amazing quality for two straight years. It literally felt like yesterday when I was a high school senior picking up this story and reading it in my free blocks and now I'm a doddering old man in his twilight years (second-year in Uni). Ugh, I'm even getting teary-eyed lmao. Thank you for the story, Sarah Lin, from the bottom of my heart. You did awesomely.
Sarah Lin
Fixed, thanks!
BookDragonling
oh definitely. The setup is there. Got the potential demon contract business, his sister's advancement, as well as MC just continuing to get stronger. Author can definitely go back and continue on with the world after writing some other books if she wants. I'm enjoying the other stories too so I am happy either way
Lamsey
Typo: "but stranger's arm might as well have been made of iron too" but -> but the I appreciate the openness about a possible change of plans, but I'd be happy to continue with payments on here while you're still posting chapters from Soulhome.
Sarah Lin
Lots of books will be coming out over the next month that you can support if you want! There will be more The Brightest Shadow and The Weirkey Chronicles, definitely. I just don't know if it will continue via Patreon.
Bio5631
I like the ending, but its leaving more questions than answers. I think there is a lot of potential for a sequel series.
William Fullerton
Will you be doing other projects we can support?
Daniel Smith
I would definitely like to see Rick story continue. While I'm kind of enjoying the other one, I definitely prefer Rick more.
Daniel Smith
I like the story behind that. I was always hoping that the story would end up going somewhere in that direction.
LordMarksman
Honestly, I'd like to see Rick's story continue at some point. I have enjoyed Street Cultivation immensely as a series :)
Glaurung
I do have one last question, Has Rick become an immortal and found a niche as someone who helps out the little guys in the world?
Kyle J Smith
I’m totally cool with continuing because I always felt the principle of this is to support authors I appreciate and the chapters and things are just bonuses.
Alexander Dupree
Hah that was great. Glad to see he's helping people
JAofO
Don't pause payments!
Glaurung
That was a satisfying conclusion to the series thank you for writing this great series.
Brendan Gaughan
Im happy to keep paying! $1 a month is nothing for good content and i would prefer to support you! I enjoyes the epilogue, it's just a shame that there won't be more stories
Eric Trombly
I have no problem continuing to pay for twc, it's really good.
Asaadullah Lassiter
I sad to see it go I really like this series and hope u come back to it one day
GuyWhoReadsALot
I'm gonna miss Rick, I hope you decide to return to his story some day.
Timothy Alexander
Seconded.
Guilty343
Yeah $1 a month for early access seems reasonable especially if TWC book one is already written. We do appreciate the time and effort you out into your stories and communicating with us!
Zoe Weinstein
I would still pay for twc! Your tiers are really inexpensive so it's still worth it to me
