Description Reaper of the Martial World

      "You're too arrogant."

     To Dyon, it seemed as though these words were heard all the time.

     However, how could these people possibly know of all his hard work? Of the fact that sleep was but a distant relative of his. How could they know that he never had a single moment to rest.

     And yet, despite their ignorance, they still said, "you're too arrogant..."

     But where were those people when a...

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     -1 Focus World Ranking and Cultivation Systems

      **I wrote the original document in word, and tried to copy and paste it here, but, the format ended up getting ruined. So, I pasted it into a google doc instead. The format is still a bit off, but it's miles better than it was before. Sorry about that guys/gals!

     .

     **** if you're on your phone, you can join our discord! I have the file uploaded as a word document there :) (link in synopsis. I think phones have access to that? Let me know if they don't). (Also let me know if those links don't work for phones).

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     1 The Naked Boy

      The sun shone high in the sky, illuminating the clear blue waters that yielded to a massive silver yacht. Noble families exchanged pleasantries as they approached an unimaginably large crescent shaped island.

     The captain stood stoically at the helm of the ship. Clothed in formal navy attire, his uniform was a crisp scene of whites, blacks, and golds. His right-hand man and friend of many years stood respectfully by his side, looking out at the opening gates that connected the ends of the island.

     "Looks like another successful trip to Focus Academy, captain".

     The captain, being a man of few words, simply grunted.

     Back within the levels of the yacht, the façade of politeness was slowly fading as the heavy atmosphere of competition solidified in the air.

     "I have the utmost confidence in my Hauk," spoke a towering man who easily stood past 2 meters tall.

     A short Asian man stood with hands clasped behind his back chuckling, "your Storm family sure seems to have a lot of backbone when you aren't hiding with your tail between your legs".

     A beautiful dark-skinned lady with sharp silver eyes slowly tilted a glass of sparkling wine to her full lips before saying, "that reminds me, how is the Ragnor family doing?"

     "You!", the towering man seemed to almost lose his temper before slowly reigning himself in. To the surprise of those around him, he instead smiled and stroked his well-kept beard.

     "I guess all these years of teasing has finally made you grow numb to it. Eh, Storm?". A handsome man strolled into the group of Nobles, wearing a bewitching smile and hiding shining golden eyes behind crystal framed glasses.

     "Ah, Sapientia. Not at all. It's just that this year's round of opening ceremony performances will end with my Storm family receiving the highest glory".

     "This should be disputed among the younger generation. After all, it won't be us going up there".

     "You may be right, but I'll smile from the side nonetheless. We'll soon see who among the new batch is most talented".

     The tall man turned back to the elegant lady and short Asian man before smiling once again.

     "From what I hear, our children might not even stand a chance. Delia of the Patia-Neva family and Mayumi of the Kami family are said to be well past their years," spoke the lady after another sip of wine.

     The Asian man shot a glance over, "I didn't know that the Duco family was so fond of giving up before putting up a fight".

     A light laughter filled the floor, "don't mistake my intentions Bai. I've simply been suppressing information on my little fire spark."

     "You should all warn your children to not be arrogant. Usually, it's only the founding families of the school who participate in this event. However, remember that a commoner actually passed the test this year..." the handsome man spoke before allowing his voice to trail off.

     The silence of palpable. Their apprehension was understandable. As an appeasement to the common governments, the martial arts world issues a sort of bridge to allow students of common birth into their ranks. Over the centuries, this test has become more of a formality. Since no one has ever passed, it was, instead, a sign of good faith that the two worlds could continue to coexist.

     "Do you think... their bloodlines could be awakening?" Spoke Storm in a hushed voice.

     "Don't be ridiculous. We already checked his background. With the suppres –", Duco cut herself off, instead deciding to take another sip of wine.

     Sighing, the Asian man turned to leave before saying, "This is the first time we've allowed a commoner to participate in the opening ceremonies. He's just the son of some bastard child who chose the mortal realm over ours. It may be surprising that he passed such a difficult test, but it's not exactly impossible given he as a little bit of intelligence. His future will be decided by his own merits."

     The nobles didn't have much to worry about. With no family backing, it would be impossible for this commoner to do much of anything. However, these nobles had lived for many years and had come to learn that variables could destroy even the most carefully laid out plans. If this child truly was a genius – one worthy of joining a side or even main branch of a noted family, he could tip the delicate balance of the martial world.

     Usually they would simply use their overwhelming power to stop this boy from joining, or even falsify the test results. But, the testing process wasn't only overseen by them. Families from schools around the universe had access to the results. If they tampered, it would only raise the interest of those families to recruit the commoner behind their backs. Even just killing him wasn't an option because a war with the human world wasn't something they could divert their attention to.

     In the end they decided to admit him to the school. After all, even if he was a genius now, without proper resources he could be easily stifled.

     The nobles dispersed, each unconsciously erasing the child from their minds. His 15 minutes of fame were up to them. Dark horse or not, a commoner could never compare to geniuses raised by their families.

     Oblivious to his impact, a lean light-skinned boy rocked in a small wooden boat attached by a line to the back of the massive silver yacht. He slowly awoke from his nap to find that he had glided through the gates along with the ship.

     He jumped up, almost forgetting where he was. Steadying himself, he looked around. His eyes were large, sparkling a light hazel before tapering into a light green to grey color. Given his age, his muscles weren't well developed, but they rippled with a youthful vigor that could only be gained through intensive training. He was tall for his age, being about 1.8 meters in height already despite being only 13 years old.

     His features had a certain immature and budding handsomeness to them. Considering his partial African origin, his hair curled on his head, only shifting slightly in the wind and shining in hints of brown, red and gold. But what threw the guards on the walls of the gate off the most, was the fact that, other than his twin wrist bands, he wore nothing else to cover himself.

     "Who the hell is that kid!" The guards were about to jump into action when they were stopped by their acting commander.

     "Leave him be, the captain of that ship already informed us about him. He couldn't pay to be on the ship, so he followed behind".

     "Is he from a branch family that lost the backing of their main branch?" The guard who cried out asked.

     "No. From what I hear, he's the first commoner they've allowed into Focus Academy."

     The surrounding guards were stunned. Being from branch families themselves, they were all too aware of how difficult it was to survive in that school without proper backing. But, even they had some, regardless of how small it might be. To join the school with no family in the martial world... That was something they couldn't imagine doing.

     The boy continued to scan his surroundings before smiling a wide smile. He waved to the guards on the wall before jumping into the crescent island's inner lake.

     "He jumped?!" Even the commander was stunned this time. This kid was just too much. It may seem like he had made it into the academy, but the area within the crescent moon island still spanned hundreds of kilometers. If he left the lead of the silver yacht now, he wouldn't make it to the opening ceremony being held in a few days without help. The commander assumed that because the boy was attached to the back of the ship, he couldn't see the far distance that still needed to be traveled to reach the academy.

     The commander shook his head, "it's better if he learns early of the large world he just stepped into. Don't help him. There are no life ending dangers in the lake anyway," with that, he walked away.

     The boy had not a care in the world. It had been a long trip, so he decided to clean himself up a bit and get in some exercise. In his mind, the distance to the center of the lake wasn't that far anyway.

     "hm, it should be about 300km from here to the center from the information I gathered. Should take about 4 days," the boy smiled a bright smile while reclining in the lake. He spun around and kicked himself into a freestyle swim, "let's see if I can do it in 3".

     What the commander didn't know is that the boy knew the distance, and was quite confident in his ability to make it. However, what the boy hadn't counted on was the density of the water.

     When he began his swim, the boy frowned. This wasn't the first time he had swam a long distance, yet, this time felt completely different.

     "This water...".

     His confusion was warranted. For water to be as clear as this, it should mean that most of the life within it was gone. He could see hundreds of meters below the surface, and yet, instead of the lack of additional substances making it easier to swim, he found it exceedingly difficult.

     He dipped his tongue in the water.

     "It's not salty?"

     Although this body of water was usually called Crescent Lake, it wasn't cut off from the ocean outside. If the gates didn't have passage ways for the water, they would be too difficult to open and cause a massive wave each time they were used. So, for this water to be so weighty, and yet not salty and still be devoid of life, left the boy confused.

     By the boy's calculations he had 5 days to make it to the opening ceremony.

     The boy smiled, "if it wasn't at least this difficult, your so-called Focus Academy wouldn't be worthy of Dyon Saccharo."

     ---------------------------------------------

     This has been my brain child for the better part of 3 years now. In fact, Dyon might as well be my own child as ridiculous as it sounds for a 21yo to have a 13yo for a son.

     If you ever want to interact with me, ask questions about the book, etc etc you can follow me @Awespec on twitter. You never know, maybe one of your suggestions would fuel the best chapter I've ever written. I'm not very active right now, but that's because I've really just started on the journey. I can already tell that the first time I receive a notification I'll faint from excitement.

     Anyway! I've rambled on for long enough. Enjoy raising this child with me! :D

     Also, this is about as short as a chapter will get. Later on, chapters will be more than double this size.

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     2 Delia

      At dawn on the fifth day of his swim, Dyon was greeted with a scene that made him forget the pain in his tired limbs. From about 10 kilometers away, he saw three risings of about 20 meters each, implanted directly into the water. They were covered in tiles of hexagonal stainless-steel that reflected the orange hues of the early morning sun and topped with a combination of small villages and endless lush greenery. But what caught Dyon's attention the most was the Skyscraper that was even further ahead.

     It reached a height of at least 2000 meters. Covered by endless glass, it had a dominatingly beautiful sheen to it. But what shocked Dyon was the fact that each of the 3 risings were connected to each other by underwater passageways.

     Dyon was stunned, 'why are there passages underwater?'

     He dived down and nearly took a breath. The 3 risings were actually 6. Further beyond the area where Dyon had seen the skyscraper, were 3 more identical risings. The 6 formed a perfect hexagonal pattern around the base of the skyscraper. The reason why they were connected by underwater tunnels was because the risings weren't the end of them. While the tops of the risings had fields, forest, and small villages, they merely topped off impressive underwater structures. The 6 risings were actually just a portion of underwater skyscrapers akin to miniature versions of the massive 2000-meter skyscraper Dyon had seen in the middle of all of this.

     They stretched at least 1000 meters below the surface and were made up entirely of glass with stainless-steel ascents.

     'Seems that these 6 sub-skyscrapers are not only connected to each other, but also the skyscraper in the middle of them by these underwater passageways. The ceremony is probably held in the middle.'

     Dyon mused about whether you could really call an underwater building a skyscraper as he pushed himself forward.

     Knowing he had a few hours left, Dyon decided to swim as fast as he could towards one of the risings that was mostly forest. He shook his head, chuckling to himself; after all, he couldn't very well step into a village with no clothes on, he would have to change first.

     'I'll have to scale the 20-meter rising. Considering I could make out the shape of the tiles that made up the rising from this far away, it's safe to say that they're massive. That'll make climbing more difficult.'

     Around noon, Dyon sighed. Sometimes, he hated being right. He was just a half meter from the top of the rising he had chosen. Because of the size of the tiles, he had to alternate between a weird spider crawl between the tiles and climbing up the incline of its sides.

     Dyon reached up, flexed his back with all his remaining strength, and hoisted himself up. He jumped over the barrier and fell about 3 meters. Luckily, he was prepared for this and ducked off into a roll to ease the impact.

     "Finally!" Dyon roared at the top of his burning lungs before dropping his hands to his knees and taking deep breaths. He was about to raise his head when he felt cold metal rest on his shoulder.

     "For fuck's sake," Dyon muttered to himself before even looking up.

     "Explain or your head flies," the voice sounded so melodic that Dyon almost couldn't take it seriously.

     However, Dyon had more thoughts than that running through his head. He had already understood his situation. This girl sounded like she was about his age, yet she had a weapon capable of killing him from the looks of it. That probably means she goes to this school.

     Dyon smiled, this would make finding his way much simpler. So, instead of answering he flicked his wrist calling upon a control panel and selected a sleek black bag.

     "Well, I could explain, or I could put my clothes on. Which do you prefer?" Dyon said while looking up.

     Without hesitation the girl responded, expertly hiding the surprise she held at the device Dyon just used, "I prefer both".

     Dyon was a bit surprised. It didn't usually take much to fluster teenage girls. He thought it would only be easier if he was naked, but this girl seemed different.

     "It's not within my personality to disappoint such a pretty lady," Dyon said while unzipping the bag. He slipped on his boxers and a crisp white shirt. He pulled up light blue jeans and rolled up the hems before slipping on a sky-blue dress shirt that he kept unbuttoned.

     While rolling up his sleeves, Dyon finally got a good look at the girl holding a sword to his throat. He slipped on some black flipflops while doing nothing to hide the glint of attraction in his eye. Before, he had called her a pretty lady just to try and fluster her, but now, if he said it again, he'd mean it.

     Her skin had a tanned sheen to it that had to be of Hispanic origin. Dyon couldn't figure out if her eyes were a pale green or a dim hazel and that only served to transfix him even more. Her hair flowed in the wind well past her shoulders with ascents of a golden blond permeating its light brown. Her lips were as full as her facial features. Everything about her was warm and inviting.

     "My guards will be here soon considering how loudly you screamed. So, you have about 10 more seconds to convince me not to kill you," she spoke in a steady tone as if unbothered by the scene she had just witnessed.

     Dyon was about to speak when the wind carried her scent to him, "kiwi and strawberries. Excellent choice".

     The girl raised her eyebrows, before realizing what he meant. She pressed the side of the sword more firmly into Dyon's shoulder.

     Dyon didn't seem to notice as he continued, "I doubt you have guards coming honestly. If you do, you should consider firing them."

     The girl sighed, "maybe so, but that's not going to stop me from killing you."

     Dyon smiled. This girl really was quite intelligent. Instead of denying it, she played an even stronger card. She already understood that anyone of minimal intelligence would be able to tell that any type of guard should have long been present.

     "Since you've piqued my interest, I'll tell you. I'm a student here. In fact, the entrance ceremony should be soon, could I bother you to take me there?"

     "What kind of joke is that? Piqued your interest? You're clearly just trying to use me to get where you need to go. Now answer my questions. Where did you come from? And why did you enter through the fence instead of the normal passageways?"

     "I actually arrived by the silver yacht, but I left them by the gates and decided to swim here instead."

     "Ridiculous, there's a 300km distance from here to the gates. And these waters aren't something just anyone can swim through. Especially for a first-year student like you. Now I'll ask again, and for the last time, where did you come from? And how did you get in through the fence?"

     Dyon, having finally caught his breath, took another deep one before standing to his full height. Ignoring the sword pressed to his shoulder and up against his throat he spoke, "I'm actually quite interested in that, why was the water so heavy? It took me a full 5 days to get here. I'm exhausted".

     "You must be tired of living," the girl said with her eyes narrowing.

     "Listen. I know it isn't exactly a great vote of confidence for our first meeting to start with you seeing me in all my glory, but tell me the truth," Dyon said leaning in ever so slightly, "am I adequate?"

     The girl rolled her eyes. How shameless was this guy? She had already decided he wasn't a threat despite being a full head shorter, so she retracted her sword and put it into its sheath. She swept her hands over her white training uniform and removed a hairband from her wrist to tie up her hair.

     Seeing her actions, Dyon took a bit of time to take in his surroundings. They stood in a rare clearing of land at the edge of a dense forest. The grass seemed to be pressed down and broken, with even some portions being ripped up entirely.

     'She must use this area to train. Considering the marks, it's best not to provoke this beauty,' Dyon said while smiling to himself.

     "I'm Dyon, it's nice to meet you".

     "What family do you come from? I assume you're a member of one of the smaller branches since I've never seen you," She decided to ignore his entrance and the fact he said he swam here. If it was true, she thought it probably had something to do with that weird device on his wrist. In the martial arts world, they had interspatial products in a myriad of forms, however, they all relied on energy and senses. But when Dyon used his, she felt no fluctuations. In fact, it was just like any other piece of technology.

     "Saccharo".

     "Saccharo... I've never heard of it," but then she gasped and looked at Dyon more deeply than she had before.

     "Is something wrong?" Dyon said with his usual casual smile.

     "So, you're the commoner they allowed in. My father told me about you," she said absentmindedly.

     Dyon laughed, "commoner? How harsh."

     The girl said nothing as she continued to look at Dyon.

     "May I ask for your name milady? It would be a high honor for a commoner such as myself".

     "Delia. Delia Patia-Neva."

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Delia seems like an interesting character, don't you think? A 13yo girl who doesn't scream and panic when she sees a naked boy invade her private space? She's one of my favorites honestly.

     Follow me on twitter @Awespec if you want to ask questions, or talk about the Focus :)

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     3 Fooled?

      Delia led Dyon through the forest, walking a step behind him just in case her assessment was wrong. Dyon didn't find this to be too vexing. It would be more suspicious if she wasn't cautious of him.

     "So, are you going to tell me what's so special about the lake?" Dyon looked back down toward Delia who had her eyes focus on the trail in front of them.

     "Considering you couldn't immediately tell, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

     "Try me," Dyon smirked. It had been a long time since he hadn't understood something. On the off chance that he really didn't, it would only fuel his curiosity.

     Delia looked up at Dyon and shook her head. In her eyes, he was a cocky boy who was a little too flirtatious. If he knew who her father was, or how easily she could kill him, he wouldn't be so casual.

     "Simply put, everything in the universe has a will. The will of a lake is to be calm and serene. If you're swimming through it, you're obviously going against its will, so it will just as obviously fight back."

     Dyon gave her a blank look before closing his eyes. To Delia, this was an obvious sign she was correct: he didn't understand.

     Just as she was about to tell him to forget it, Dyon opened his eyes, "interesting". He looked away.

     Delia shook her head, 'who is he trying to fool?'

     "I came to this school on the request of my mother. All she told me was that it was a completely different world with a new branch of science to explore. This 'will' you mentioned must have something to do with what my mother spoke about," Dyon's eyes seemed to glaze over as he continued down the path.

     Delia found this to be a bit mysterious. If he was from a commoner's family, there's no way his mother could know anything about the martial world. However, calling what they practiced a new form of science would be exactly how any commoner would describe it. Although, in Delia's opinion, it would be more accurate to call it the oldest form of science.

     As if hearing Delia's thoughts Dyon spoke again, "you probably think of it as the oldest form of science, right? Judging by how you described the lake, everything must have a will. Assuming this to be true, that would go right up to the expanse of the universe. Which probably means that if the will of the lake is so tangible, it can be said the most tangible will is the universe itself."

     Delia's eyes widened before she settled into a smile, 'maybe he's smarter than I gave him credit for. He's still a little incorrect though, maybe I'll help him out this time.'

     Before she could speak, Dyon continued, "But, I've been to and swam in many lakes and I've never felt like that before. Which means it has something to do with your world specifically," Dyon paused, "... which means one of two things. Either this is some sort of supreme lake that all other lakes bow to. Or, the true supreme power is found in the practitioners in your martial world, where you exert your will to manipulate other wills found in the world."

     'To deduce that from a couple sentences. It seems like he doesn't need my help after all.'

     "You seem quite capable. So, you should now understand why I don't believe you crossed the lake yourself. Not to even mention that you supposedly did it in 5 days."

     Dyon gave her a mysterious smile, "maybe my will is more supreme than the lake's".

     "Or that technology on your wrist is," Delia said defiantly.

     To cross the lake in such a short time without the help of a device like the silver yacht, for example, is impossible. It would take a ridiculously high level of innate talent. In fact, considering he just gained the most basic of understanding of the martial world, his innate talent would have to be even higher to compensate for his lack of understanding of how to counter the lake.

     Dyon looked down at his wrists and smiled, "have you never seen these before? Interesting".

     Delia understood immediately what his words implied. She didn't understand their function, so therefore her guess had been incorrect.

     'He must be bluffing'.

     Dyon flicked his wrist and pulled out a steaming brown bag of burritos before looking at Delia, "want one?"

     "No thank you. That isn't what an athlete should be eating," she shook her head firmly.

     "Suite yourself," Dyon began eating.

     Delia's eyes widened again, 'how can he eat so much and still be so fit'.

     Dyon must have finished 5 foot-long burritos in their half an hour walk to the center of the forest. This wouldn't have been so surprising if they hadn't also been the width of his arms.

     Dyon flicked his wrists again and selected a white pearl before popping it into his mouth. He held it there as they approached a large tree before swallowing it.

     Delia looked at him confused, "you swallowed a pearl? I can see you're a glutton, but for inanimate objects too?"

     Dyon chuckled, "I love a beautiful lady with a sense of humor. That was a cleaning pearl. I can't very well go to such an important event with bad breath."

     Delia looked away to a hidden control panel on the large tree, ignoring his comment.

     Dyon looked amused at her reaction before his eyes focused, 'they have the technology to build such a high-tech elevator within a tree, to sustain underwater architecture, and to overcome the will of a lake with a yacht, yet they don't know anything about storage bands and cleaning pearls. How odd.'

     "Do you know how much time we have until the ceremony? In fact, are you attending?" Dyon asked as they stepped into the tree.

     The tube fit the mood of the skyscrapers and risings. The ceiling and floor were fitted with miniature hexagonal tiling. Fitted in between them was a glass cylinder with yet another control panel built into it.

     "The ceremony won't begin until tonight. I am also about to attend my first year here, so I will also be participating. I'm not sure if you're aware, so I'll let you know that this opening ceremony is taken quite seriously by the 6 pillar families of this school. Usually, only chosen among those 6 families can participate, not even sub families can have their children perform. The fact that you've been allowed is a gesture of good faith to the human world, I hope you don't embarrass yourself with your antics."

     Dyon looked at her calmly before replying, "perform? What are you talking about?"

     Delia looked stunned, "you don't even know that you're meant to display your talents at the opening ceremony? This is supposed to be an opportunity to entice mentors and by extension resources from the school," Delia shook her head in pity, 'he's already behind in resources because his family isn't of the martial world. If he doesn't perform well, hasn't he already lost?'

     "Interesting. So, this is how your martial world works? I guess it's not too far off from the real world. The elite display their talents while the poor never get the chance," Dyon sighed.

     Delia looked at him, 'that's his first thought?'

     "Don't worry about me, I'll think of something."

     Delia refrained from speaking. There was no point. Even if he had come prepared with something, it would have been meaningless. If he hadn't met Delia, he wouldn't even have the most basic of understanding of the martial world. To now be expected to wow experts was too much. That's probably why the families agreed to allow him to perform in the first place, 'he's going to embarrass himself... maybe it's good that he's so shameless'.

     Dyon was deep in thought before he looked up with wide eyes. The elevator had come out of the metallic tunnel it was following to reveal the expanse of the underwater skyscraper. The building was filled with students ranging from his age to about 20. The blue lake layered the building with a constant light blue hue that gave the building a calm feeling. But what really caught his eye was the massive wall of books; even as the elevator continued down, a continuous wall of books was seen off to Dyon's right.

     'that must be a library that spans through multiple floors,' Dyon guessed.

     "We have a few hours, right? I'd like to visit that library. Is it possible?"

     "You haven't received your identification materials yet, but I can lend you one of mine. You'll have to return it to me at the ceremony."

     Delia wouldn't usually do this, but she felt bad about what was about to happen to Dyon. She understood the people who seemed the strongest on the outside, were often the weakest in the face of true trials.

     'I hope this helps,' she thought, hiding the emotion in her eyes.

     "You're quite nice for a noble woman," Dyon said smiling down at her, "I'll return the favor when I can."

     The sadness in her eyes hadn't escaped Dyon's gaze. Regardless of his intelligence, it was impossible to tell what the root of the problem was. But he was keenly aware that he was being pitied.

     'Considering her response when I asked about the lake, this will she spoke of is not something that's easy to understand. The fact this opening ceremony is meant to judge the chosen of this generation means this understanding of will is without a doubt of utmost importance. I have about 8 hours until the ceremony begins. I've already thought of many applications for this will she spoke about. If I'm right, I just might be able to cruise through this ceremony. Interesting, you wanted to make a fool of me, hm. Well let's see how that works out for you.'

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Seems like the pillar families aren't too fond of Dyon's appearance. I wonder what that means about the relationship between the human world and the academy? Does that extend to the rest of the martial world too? What has Dyon figured out about 'wills'? Is Delia Dyon's love interest :o maybe, maybe not. *shrug*

     Follow me @Awespec on twitter if you wanna chat about Focus, its characters, or theorize about the future!

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     Reaper of the Martial World

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     4 The Library

      Delia and Dyon stepped out and into the lowest level of the underwater skyscraper.

     'This library is massive. It spans the entire right side of this structure. 1000 meters worth of books? That's wild,' Dyon looked up in awe.

     "This library is actually just one of 6. Each of the 6 pillars has an entire half dedicated to one. That's in addition to the main library in the center pillar. Although, that one is much smaller," Delia spoke as if understanding Dyon's intrigue.

     Having used a special entrance within the elevator, they stood in front of a desk much too grand to just be a reception desk.

     A light and airy voice range out, "Delia! It's nice to see you. And who's this friend of yours? Walking around with boys already, hm? I'm not sure what the head would think about that."

     Dyon looked away from the massive desk and endless books to see a computer screen looking back at him. Within it was a well dressed scrawny man with crystal framed glasses. His golden eyes shone with an unconcealed humor in light of his teasing.

     "She's actually already seen me naked. She's quite the wild one," Dyon beamed at the monitor.

     "Oh my. You're quite fearless. I like you. My name is Libro, it's rare to find someone willing to tease Delia," Libro chuckled.

     Delia brought her sword hilt to Dyon's side causing him to almost keel over.

     'This is the strength of a 13 year old girl?' Dyon looked over at her but she was already pretending like nothing had happened.

     Dyon involuntarily coughed before introducing himself, "I'm Dyon, it's nice to meet you."

     Before they could continue their bromance, Delia cut them off, "I'm here as a favor to this one. I'm letting him use my identification card for a few hours," she handed the card to Dyon.

     With that, she turned to leave.

     "I'm looking forward to seeing you again," Dyon said while watching her receding figure. Delia continued on, pretending like she hadn't heard him speak.

     As the elevator doors were closing Delia spoke again, "The ceremony is being held in the center pillar. Ask Libro how to get there."

     'What an interesting beauty. I wonder if there are any more like her here,' Dyon smiled.

     "So, Libro, I have a few questions for you," Dyon said while turning back to the monitor, "in fact, could I bother you to give me a quick summary of what this library provides?"

     Libro smiled, "You must be the commoner I've heard so much about. They said you ran away, but it looks like that was wrong. You can't have been hanging out with the young mistress this whole time, right?"

     Dyon grinned, "a man can't kiss and tell, now can he".

     Libro's airy laughter seemed to fill the library causing the students that had been drifting around to look over before shaking their heads and going back to what they were doing. It seems they were used to Libro's personality.

     'Seems like that beauty has quite the high position here. Interesting'

     "This library, as you probably saw, is split into 100 levels for a total of 600 among the outer pillars. I'm responsible for all levels, which is why I sit behind this computer screen."

     Dyon's eyes widened, 'in charge of 600 levels by yourself? Even with monitors that would be impossible… this martial arts world sure is interesting'.

     Libro continued, "The levels you're able to access depend on your identification card. Since the young master gave you hers, you have access to all 600 outer levels. But, even she doesn't have access to the inner levels yet."

     'A first-year student with almost unlimited access. If I'm right, her father must be head of one of the pillar families. Patia-Neva… interesting'.

     "Though you have Delia's access for now, you most likely won't in the future. Usual first year students have access to the first 10 levels at the most, but even that's in rare cases. Most are usually stuck at the minimum 1 level."

     "How do you increase the levels you have access to?"

     "You can do it by performing well at the opening ceremony. Although that's usually reserved for pillar family chosen, I hear they've made an exception for you. In addition, you can be promoted through grades by passing your end of year exams, you can participate in challenges and tournaments throughout the year, there's also the possibility of ranking well in the numerous leader boards, and doing well in a faction you create or join."

     'Factions?' Dyon couldn't hold back his smile. These next few years were going to be fun.

     "Although it's the goal of most branch family students to gain access to higher levels in the outer pillars, the true treasure is within the inner pillar. There are no rules for how to gain access to it, just be outstanding".

     'just be outstanding. You don't have to tell me twice'.

     "Now, what were your questions?"

     "I have a theory about this will your martial world harps on," Dyon spoke thoughtfully, allowing his eyes to lose their focus.

     'will? Ah, I understand. Delia must have dumbed it down for him'.

     "If your world is proficient at manipulating these wills, then it stands to reason that your creations would hold them too, correct?"

     Libro let a small smile creep onto his lips, "That would indeed be an accurate deduction".

     "So, your books would hold them. So, if I say… decided to understand the will of the book instead of reading it, my understanding would probably be far deeper and I might even save some time."

     Libro was shocked, "I'm not sure a beginner like you would be able to do something like that. That's a speed reading technique that does indeed exist, but it requires at least a basic understanding of martial theory and a powerful soul. Considering your explanation, you may have accurately stepped through into an initial understanding, but that's all it is. You'll need a much deeper understanding to even attempt to understand the technique."

     Dyon only smiled, "I'd like a book on this speed reading technique, the most basic books you have on martial world theory, as well as a rule and culture book for this school and society. Also, if you have a book of the current factions in this school, I'd appreciate that as well."

     Libro curtly nodded. His job was to help students find the books they needed and guide them through when they were lost. It seemed that Dyon was set on this path and the choices of books he made were quite impressive.

     As Libro fiddled with something on his side of the screen to track down the books Dyon asked for, Dyon continued to look around. This truly was the first time he'd seen such a grand library.

     'It wouldn't even be fair to compare this to that library,' Dyon thought taking in a deep breath.

     On either side of the elevator door was an expanse of glass going from one side of the building to the next. Dyon noticed small cuts which he recognized as other doorways once he watched a student step through one. He nodded to himself, it made sense for there to be more entrances than just the 1 elevator.

     The desk in front of him seemed more like a display of wealth than anything else. It was made in ancient wood that breathed an air of nature into the already book-like smell of the library. The carvings on it swirled and dipped into a fantastic pattern. Dyon almost couldn't resist touching it.

     'I wonder what the other side of the building holds'.

     Libro looked up and in a display of what Dyon assumed was his view of grandeur, slammed a final button that opened up a chasm in the large desk. 14 books flew up and out at Dyon as he scrambled to catch them.

     "You're pretty sinister," Dyon said while laughing and catching the last book.

     "How else would I have fun all day. This control room isn't exactly comfy," Libro said with a mysterious smile.

     Dyon was once again given another shock while looking down at the books, "they were all written by the same person?"

     "Ah, the Sapientia family," Libro said in reminiscence, "I still remember the day I earned my crystal glasses".

     'So, it's a family. They own the monopoly on information? If only the books on martial theory were written by them, it'd be one thing. But the rule book, the culture book, the speed reading technique and the book of factions too? They must be powerful.'

     "The Sapientia family is actually one of the few families with multiple main branches. We're basically responsible for all research and development in the Martial world for this universe. If you want to become a researcher, you join the family. If you're good enough, you become part of a main branch. Not many other families even think about giving that chance," Libro sighed in pride.

     "It can't possibly be that no one who's ever made a discovery has chosen not to join the family, right?" Dyon was confused. This one family can't have written every book for the martial world. That would be ridiculous.

     "Well, the Sapientia Family is the leading expert. Meaning, any new book that will be published must pass through a subsidiary branch at a minimum. The higher the ranking of the Sapientia branch that approves it, the more reliable, rare and sought after the book is. Every book will say Sapientia on the cover, but you can find the true writer on the inside. The only exception would be techniques. But obviously, speed reading is a technique that would be highly beneficial to a researching family, so it's not a surprise that it was created by us as well."

     Dyon nodded. He found this world fascinating. To have a single family monopolize information would cause an outcry in his world, but it was perfectly normal here.

     "Thank you for your help Libro," Dyon said sincerely as he walked to the end of the desk and past it to look for a place to read.

     Libro shut off the monitor and switched his view to the cameras of the base floor library. He was interested in seeing how Dyon would approach this and if he could really understand in the short time he had left.

     'if he reads the speed reading book first in over eagerness, he'll end up wasting all 8 hours he has left trying to understand. Let's see if he makes the right choice'.

     Dyon walked through one of the main isles of books and ladders to find a small pond with meditating platforms stationed all around it. Ignoring the glances of curiosity from the surrounding students, he picked one.

     'the speed reading book requires a basic understanding of martial theory. So, it's clear that I'll have to read the basic books first. Even if it takes most of the time I have left, I'll have to finish at least 2 before reading the speed-reading book and trying to finish the last ones.'

     Libro smiled as he watched Dyon pick up the basics of martial theory book, 'Delia sure knows how to pick 'em'.

     Delia would probably hit him in the side with her sword if she had heard that thought. Libro chuckled to himself and watched the future bloom right in front of him.

     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     When I was writing this, I was trying to decide how the martial world would differ from the human world, and how those differences might make this story more interesting. Eventually, I came up with the concept for the Sapientia family. Trust me, the arcs I have in line for them and the hold they have on this world get pretty wild. Stay tuned :)

     Follow me on twitter @Awespec if you wanna chat about the book or have questions!

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      ebook which is a free download at

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     5 The Opening Ceremony

      In the lowest level of the center pillar laid a massive room of ceremony. Carpets of lavender and crimson bathed the floor, fighting against the blue hues that washed in from the surrounding lake. The grand room was the only level of the center pillar that was submerged underwater and had a ceiling of at least 30 meters in height.

     Strong and sturdy silver pillars carved with intricate patterns followed the rooms circular shape. Pillar after pillar gave the room a dominating feel that was only interrupted by the gaps allowed for the 6 entrances that connected the outer pillars.

     The designs of the silver pillars seemed to hold up the ceiling my merging with it, continuing the captivating carvings to lead to a massive chandelier.

     Many circular tables filled the grand room, bathed in cloths that matched the carpet's blood red design. Elaborate floral decorations and candles graced the centers of these tables, displaying never-ending wealth.

     At the end of this room laid a wide set of stairs that led to 6 thrones. Familiar faces that had graced the silver yacht sat there, once again feigning politeness.

     The beautiful dark-skinned Duco spoke, "Patia, your daughter has grown to be quite beautiful".

     A strong and stoic man sat on one of the two center thrones. His skin had a deep olive color that seemed to complement Delia's. His eyes glowed a murky brown that was worn with age. His beard was marvelous, flowing a deep brown that was accented with whites. His hair was of medium length – combed over and well kept.

     His wardrobe matched the other 5 family heads. A flowing red robe with a chain of gold that held the symbol of focus (F) at its middle.

     He smiled, "indeed she has. I hear Fero has grown to be quite dependable. The Duco family will have good times ahead."

     Duco smiled, appreciating the compliment but being inwardly surprised. She had gone through quite a few measures to keep Fero's potential hidden, but it seemed that the head of the Patia-Neva family had seen through her.

     A tall and sharp Asian man, whose face still contained his youthful vigor, walked up to the nobles before placing himself on the last throne beside Patia-Neva. He nodded in greeting before closing his eyes and preparing for the ceremony to begin.

     The shorter Asian man glanced at him before turning away, "it seems the Kami family head has come. Now that we're all here, we can begin. Correct head master?"

     Delia's father nodded in agreement. His eyes scanned the room as if looking for something before landing on his daughter who sat at a table with the other chosen of the pillar families. Delia gave him a pointed look that conveyed her message.

     Delia's father understood, "I guess he's not coming," he said in a soft voice, "no matter".

     He stood and the pressure in the room seemed to increase immensely.

     Everyone stopped what they were doing and silence reigned. The soft swaying of the ceiling's chandelier made the rooms only sound, filling the room with a faint twinkling sound.

     "Today, we've gathered in honor of the opening of a new year at our Focus Academy. As is customary, the chosen of our families will display their talents for us today to showcase their level of understanding of martial theory."

     He turned to look at the table of youths, sparing a quick glance at the empty seat.

     "I'm sure you all understand the importance of this event. You only get 1 chance, and in many ways, it will decide your path for at least the next 10 years. Stay resolute. Be confident. Display your focus. We will all bear witness to the level of will you can display."

     A towering teen who was almost an exact replica of the towering man from the yacht stood, "It would be an honor if you would allow me to go first, head master," The teen clasped his hands and bowed.

     The head master nodded before returning to his throne. The tables, chairs and people were picked up by some unknown force and guided to the edges of the room. You would be hard-pressed to tell what was happening if you had your eyes closed.

     A platform raised itself about 3 feet in the center of the now opened space. The tall boy strode forward with confidence, hopping up and onto the platform.

     "SPEAR!" he shouted in a voice much deeper than what it should have been for his age.

     A black carbon spear materialized. Its tip shone with a silver sharpness as lightning crackled along its handle.

     The nobles nodded in appreciation. He's able to call upon the elements. Although faint, this is proof of at least a basic understanding of the will of lightning. Something that was commendable for such a youth.

     This would have been impressive enough to gain quite a few sponsors, but Storm's smile only grew larger.

     Clouds began to materialize as the youth spun his spear. He moved swiftly, with an agility that shouldn't be possible with his size. The crackles of lightning within the dark clouds grew more and more pronounced until the youth reached the apex of his movements.

     BOOM!

     He roared. A thick bolt of lightning descended onto the platform falling directly onto the tip of the sword as the youth swept his spear for the final time.

     The headmaster waved his hand, forming a barrier around the platform. The barrier rippled and distorted as the youth stabbed forward.

     Sweat rolled down the youth's brow, "I am Hauk Storm. Remember my name."

     The barrier dematerialized as Hauk stepped off the platform.

     A booming laughter filled the room, "Haha, well done son".

     The nobles were stunned. That technique was at least at the greater success level of a common level technique. Hauk was at the second or even third year level, a genius indeed.

     "A 13-year-old at such an advanced level. You've raised quite the successor Storm," spoke Bai, the small Asian man.

     Storm beamed, looking off at his son proudly.

     A fair skinned Asian girl stood after Hauk took his seat. She strode forward with elegant steps, her features beautiful and her demeanor domineering.

     The room seemed to be washed with a white light that flowed from the young lady's flowing sundress. She stood even shorter than Delia, and her eyes shone a violet that was only more pronounced because of her swaying jet-black hair.

     A translucent compass lit her feet as she used it to float onto the stage.

     The nobles received their second shock of the night and it was Bai's turn to smile this time.

     "The Feng Shui Compass, Bai?! Where have you been hiding this gem?" Duco spoke out, her silver eyes shining to disbelief.

     The compass beneath the beautiful girl's feet grew in size to perfectly fit the elevated platform before she bowed.

     "My name is Bai Meiying, I look forward to the coming years," she said in a sweet voice. Her compass shrunk and guided her back to her seat where she sat still smiling.

     Although an understanding of the elements is considered top tier within the martial world, an understanding of something more abstract like the compass Meiying used supersedes its difficulty by several folds. This is because, although will is abundant, it is also limited. Elements are easier to understand because their existence is infinite and supported by the will of everything. However, a Feng Shui compass has limited will supporting it because it is a practice only seen in a small portion of the world. For a child as young as Meiying to carve out a place for herself in the will of the Feng Shui compass was unheard off.

     "To be competing for the will of the compass against experts well beyond her years… And to be able to expand it as far as she did… She is without a doubt a future pillar of our alliance," Storm spoke in disbelief. He had been confident that his son would be most impressive, but it seemed that he had counted on too much.

     The youths came up one after another, displaying talents far beyond their years.

     Fero Duco displayed his shapeshifting ability. His will of the eagle, wolf and bear shook all in attendance. To understand not one, but three wills at such a young age was simply outrageous.

     Kami Mayumi was equally as impressive. His unceasingly calm demeanor as he pulled on his bow and arrow was unmatched through at least 4 grades. A chill filled the room as he pierced target after target. His father opened his eyes and gave him a curt nod before Mayumi returned to seat.

     Afterwards, a small boy with black framed glasses walked to the stage. He was meek and frail, but his golden eyes shone with a keen intelligence.

     "Caligraphy!" he called out in a soft shout.

     A kneeling table materialized along with a rolled piece of thick paper and a glass container of ink with an elegant brush leaning within it.

     The boy kneeled and set himself. His meekness instantly disappeared. His eyes grew sharp as he opened the paper and lifted the brush in one swift motion.

     The nobles held their breath, all think the same thing, 'the will of words'.

     The boy began writing with strokes as sharp as his eyes. His brow furrowed as he leaned in with the utmost concentration. A soft wind seemed to sweep the room as he finished his final swipe of the brush.

     "My name is Pertinacis Sapientia. Today I give you this word: Genius".

     "How bold," someone in the crowd spoke as they waited to see the word.

     The ceremonial hall washed over in a radiant light as Pertinacis turned over his work for show. In that instant, everyone felt the will of his word. The overbearing pursuit of knowledge and the perseverance to achieve the ultimate goal.

     "Truly genius. To convey emotion and by extension change the will of those around you is something even 5th and 6th grade students of Focus academy can't do. Mayumi reached this realm partially by washing us over with his cold intent. But, Pertinacis has his feet firmly planted in this realm. Truly astounding," the headmaster spoke his words of appreciation.

     The handsome man who wore the crystal framed glasses smiled at his son as Pertinacis walked off the stage.

     Pertinacis walked to the steps at the end of the hall before respectfully bowing and continuing. He handed the paper to his father before heading back to his seat.

     "well done," Sapientia spoke softly.

     Delia broke out of her concentration to stand once Pertinacis sat. Brown-gold hair flowing, her eyes sharpened.

     She wore a beautiful black skirt that had layered folds. Her black stockings were stretched by her toned legs and ended in black flats. The neck of her pale pink blouse wrapped around her shoulders lower than usual, revealing the silver necklace that graced her collarbone.

     A sword materialized in her hand as ice petals blossomed from her feet. Her pale green eyes iced over into a cold blue.

     The only nobles that remained seated were Kami and Patia-Neva, but even Kami's usual calm demeanor was blown over as his eyes snapped open.

     Duco sucked in a breath, "the will of ice manifested changes within her".

     The nobles were stunned. Although Fero had called upon the will of the eagle, bear and wolf, the changes were only illusory. The eagle for example, partially increased his eyesight and agility, the bear his strength, and the wolf his instincts and speed. But Delia was becoming a whole new person.

     Her hair instantly turned into a bright white. Her skin paled, becoming even fairer than Meiying's. Her body shone a bright light before bursting out within her. A layer of frost covered the whole of the ceremony hall. A barrier appeared as she swung her sword.

     A wall of ice emanated out, causing fierce ripples within the barrier.

     Delia finally closed her eyes, lowering herself to the ground. The cold winds subsided, reducing the chill of the guests in the hall. Her hair returned to its usual golden brown and her eyes warmed to its usual pale green and hazel color.

     Her sword disappeared as she returned to her seat.

     Hauk was the first to compliment her, "you're amazing Delia. And here I thought I was going to be the best," admiration, jealousy and attraction colored his blue eyes.

     Meiying grabbed Delia's arm and pulled her closer, "stay away Hauk, I can smell your breath from over here".

     Delia smiled warmly and looked up at her father who gave her a nod of approval.

     "I'm confused though, why are there 7 seats here," Meiying whispered into Delia's ear.

     A complicated expression flashed on Delia's full features before they were interrupted by the whooshing of one 6 doors opening.

     Clapping resounded from the door. Dyon stood with his hands clasped together, clearly dressed much too informally. His dress shirt flowed behind him and his crisp white shirt clung to his lean torso as he strolled into the room towards Delia's table without a care in the world.

     His voice sounded through the quiet hall, "I didn't open the door earlier because I didn't want to interrupt such a spectacular performance. Why didn't you tell me you could get even more beautiful?"

     Dyon stopped in front of Delia and Meiying before he grabbed Delia's hand and placed her identity card within it.

     Dyon let go as his eyes flashed with interest when he looked over at the beautiful Asian girl holding onto Delia.

     "Wow, you have beautiful friends too," Dyon's laughter filled the hall as if oblivious to the pressure that was building on the stage behind him.

     Back in the control room Libro shook his head, "A monster… simply a monster."

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Oh my. Seems like Dyon wants to cause some trouble :)

     Follow me @Awespec on twitter if you'd like to talk about the book or ask me any questions

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      ebook which is a free download at

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     6 Domineering

      Dyon pulled the empty chair between his legs and leaned his chest on the back rest, sitting behind the 2 girls.

     "What's your name?" Dyon asked with a smile.

     Meiying shot a glance at her fuming father before smiling mischievously, "Bai Meiying", she said in her sweet voice.

     "Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I believe that means beautiful flower, correct? How fitting".

     Meiying seemed to be surprised that Dyon knew the meaning of her name, but instead of saying anything she raised an eyebrow towards Delia who was pretending to not notice what he was doing.

     "You know, you might die," Delia said.

     "Worried? About me? I'm touched," Dyon said, shifting his attention away from Meiying.

     "Who do you think you are?!" Hauk bellowed.

     Dyon didn't even spare Hauk a glance. Hauk's rage echoed through the quiet hall.

     "Your card was very useful. Thank you. I gained quite a bit of knowledge".

     Delia nodded in acknowledgement, then chose to close her eyes. 'This guy really is shameless. He's going to get himself killed'.

     Hauk was about to stand in rage when Mayumi gripped his shoulder, "What's the use of getting riled up Hauk. This guy is just some no name," he looked towards Dyon before continuing, "our pillar families, by the goodness of our hearts, have decided to grace you with a seat amongst us chosen. Understand that this is out of pity and not respect. So, if you could not disrupt the proceedings, or better yet, go up and embarrass yourself so we can put an end to this farce, that would be great".

     "Couldn't have said it better myself," Hauk said sitting down and crossing his arms like a petulant child.

     "So Meiying, how long have you and Delia been friends? She's a bit cold and I could use some help," Dyon said while turning his attention back to the beautiful Meiying.

     Meiying brought her free hand to her lips and giggled, 'this guy sure is interesting. I wonder how long it'll be before my dad kills him'.

     "It's been so long, yet even I don't know whether she's interested in boys," Meiying said teasingly.

     "No wonder," Dyon said while comically bringing his fist to his palm, "I knew there was no way a girl could see me naked and not react".

     The pressure in the room was palpable. Meiying released Delia, hunching over in a laughter. Delia was still pretending to not hear anything, but her face was at least half a shade redder.

     'He really said that, and in front of my father too,' Delia thought in a rage. She took a slow breath trying to calm herself and kept her eyes sealed.

     Mayumi and Hauk were fuming at having been ignored, Fero had a smile on his face, and Pertinacis was reading words that flew by on the lenses of his glasses.

     Dyon finally looked up to the 6 thrones. His eyes glittered when he saw the beautiful dark-skinned family head, which Fero found much less amusing.

     Duco chuckled, "This boy seems to have his eyes set quite high".

     Kami had long since reopened his eyes, a sinister aura swirling around him. Sapientia, much like his son, had stopped paying attention. However, the same could not be said of the Patia-Neva, Storm and Bai family heads. The room's guests had begun to struggle to breathe.

     Everyone was wondering the same thing, 'who is this boy, and how has he not long since burst from the pressure.'

     Dyon finally spoke, "I dunno what you 4 old heads are trying to do, but pressuring me isn't going to work. You'll have to get up and kill me with your own hands, I'm sure the members of your school would love that. What a scandal: 6 elders kill child! How domineering".

     Sapientia finally looked up in shock. The eyes of the rest of the family heads widened.

     "Who do you –", Bai tried to speak before being cut off.

     "Let me stop you right there. That muscle head over there tried to ask the same thing," Dyon said nudging his head towards Hawk, "and clearly I ignored him, so why would you try to ask again?"

     The room was astonished. These were grandmasters of the highest level. They hadn't been disrespected in years, and yet this unknown kid had said words they couldn't even imagine thinking.

     Meiying finally stopped laughing. Her usual carefree yet domineering demeanor had been blown over into full on shock. But then she started laughing inwardly, 'teach that old man a lesson before you die then'.

     Dyon stood and began walking towards the steps. Unlike Pertinacis he didn't bow, he instead continued straight up until he was about 5 meters from the thrones.

     He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Dyon Saccharo at your service," he looked over at Duco before smiling, "Saccharo is actually Latin for sugar," he said with a wink.

     The family heads almost flew out of their thrones. Only Duco and Sapientia looked on in curiosity.

     Mayumi had had enough. He stood from his chair and touched his earring. A bow and arrow materialized before he took aim for Dyon.

     Just as he was about to loose his shot, Dyon looked back at him, "SIT!". A wild pressure filled the room, suffocating Mayumi and forcing him to cough up blood.

     Kami gripped the rest of his chair in uncontrolled anger. The throne disintegrated, leaving him standing. He was about to make strides towards Dyon, when he was stopped by Patia-Neva. He gritted his teeth and a throne rematerialized for him to sit on.

     "Wow, this martial world sure is interesting. I can't believe that worked. I only read about it just a few hours ago. A supposed chosen with a weaker soul than a bumpkin with no backing. Fascinating".

     Delia had opened her eyes to see Mayumi keeling over. The bow and arrow had dropped from his hands and he was taking ragged breaths.

     "Now, honestly speaking, I'm quite unrefined. That was simply a parlor trick. Any of the 6 of you could kill me," Dyon said looking back at the family heads, "in fact, if that idiot with the bow gets up, he could probably kill me too. But I doubt that'll happen. For the same reason I got a spot to perform today," Dyon said with a smile.

     Dyon turned and walked off to the center stage, "Since none of you truly know me, I'll tell you a little about myself. My name is Dyon, like I said. I happen to be 13 and I guess you could say I possess a little intelligence. I love long walks, but not on beaches because sand can get quite annoying. I'm what you all would probably call a commoner. Maybe a couple centuries ago I'd be more reserved, but fortunately, from what I understand, this small school doesn't have the ability to fight against us commoners at the moment."

     Small school? Rage was filled the room.

     "What are you all getting mad about? If that's all it took for you to get mad, you should have probably fought back against this set up already. I wonder what the point of funding a school made for elites by elites. They may as well have just used their resources to home school their kids."

     Dyon had reached the center of the stage. He stood, looking off into the crowd. The rage was almost immediately calmed.

     "But, unfortunately, I'm not in the habit of helping people who can't help themselves. So instead of wasting my time, I'll just show you what happens when a non-chosen gets to perform. Those guys sucked anyway. Except for you two of course," he said smiling at Delia and Meiying who still hadn't recovered from what was transpiring.

     "let's see, from what I read, anything I'd like to display my talents with should manifest itself, correct? Then let's go with this… piano!" Dyon spoke softly.

     A pearly white grand piano began to manifest in front of him. Dyon walked towards its bench.

     "Today, I do this because a few people tried to disrespect me," as he sat a wave of light surged through the room, sending a light breeze through the air, "remember my name and who I am. Do not provoke me, and you will not be provoked."

     'This pressure… he hasn't even started playing yet. He shouldn't have any knowledge of how to call upon wills, how is he doing this,' Delia was more surprised than anyone. Only she knew the extent his knowledge had reached just a few hours ago. To already have the ability to injure Mayumi and emit the will of music without even playing… it was unprecedented.

     Dyon's eyes sharpened as he raised his hands to the marble keys. The pressure in the room multiplied several folds. The light that had been emitted rushed back towards Dyon and merged with him just as he pressed down on the first note.

     Dyon's fingers raced across the keys as a sweet melody rang out. He unleashed his frustration, his pain and his sadness.

     He closed his eyes. Sensing the smell his mother's cooking, feeling her arms around him… hearing her voice ringing out.

     The pressure increased as Dyon's fingers forcefully slammed the keys, almost as if to beat the piano into submission. His heart beat faster and faster as he tightened the lids of his eyes to escape from the tears.

     He heard his father's robust laugh, felt his sturdy shoulders carry him, saw the purity in his brown eyes.

     Dyon thought of the anger he felt.

     'How dare they? This was my mother's last request and you want to run me out of here?'

     The tune immediately changed, multiplying in ferocity. The floors began to rumble and the silver pillars began to shake.

     Dyon slammed his foot down on the right most pedal of the piano, layering note after note, chord after chord.

     'Feel this. Feel this fear.'

     The glass windows of the ceremony hall cracked, but Dyon didn't stop. No one could move, the captivation of the melody was too much.

     Patia-Neva waved his hand, trying to use the same barrier he had before to contain Dyon. But, it immediately shattered.

     'You want to contain me?'

     The music amplified. People in the hall began to forget if they'd ever heard music before. They tried as hard as they could but the only melody that filled their minds took the shape of Dyon's rage.

     The glass windows cracked again.

     'he… he's gaining a monopoly on the will of music. This is ridiculous,' Kami thought.

     "Patia, we have to stop him," Bai spoke in anger.

     "No, let him have his temper tantrum. We were in the wrong. We'll stop it if it goes too far".

     Although the family heads mostly held faces of anger, all of them were truly astonished. They had never felt this type of pressure before from a mere child.

     Delia stood, walking towards Dyon. The pressure not affecting her. She was a bit annoyed to see the same was the case for every other female in the room, but she chalked it up to Dyon's shameless attitude.

     But, she couldn't hide were the tears on her face. She didn't know what made Dyon so sad and so angry, but she knew that someone should stop him. So, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.

     Dyon stopped playing and opened his reddened eyes. He looked up at Delia who had tears streaking down her face.

     He stood immediately and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. My mom would kill me if she knew about this."

     Delia didn't say anything, so Dyon let her walk back to her seat.

     Dyon looked around the room. It seemed most of the people in the hall had streaks of tears on their face or were fighting to hold them back.

     Dyon's ferocity and sadness disappeared in an instant, replaced by his usual carefree and flirtatious attitude. Then he turned and left, leaving only one thought in everyone's mind: 'how domineering'.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collection and power stone helps!

     I wonder how the pillar families will react to this blatant disrespect? Dyon's not very good at playing it lowkey, as you could probably tell. We'll see how long he can get away with it...

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     7 Splash

      Dyon walked along a moving floor, heading back to the same pillar he had met Libro in – Patia-Neva Pillar. Looking down at the white card in his hand, he sighed.

     'After all that, it seems like I'll be stuck with books on just the first level,' he smirked, 'Delia's never going to fall for me if I have to ask her for help at every turn'.

     Thinking back to Meiying, Dyon chuckled, 'she's definitely not simple either. I felt like I was almost being used, but what complaints would I ever have about such a pretty little lady needing my services?'

     Dyon's eyes flashed with seriousness. He knew he needed an action plan.

     For one, the currency system in this martial world was entirely different. Dyon was so poor here that he couldn't even afford a ride on the silver yacht. Secondly, there's the matter of access. Being restricted to just the first level wasn't a big deal for now, but considering Dyon's speed reading ability, he knew he'd finish the entire first level in about 2 months at the most, and that was if he read things useless to him. And that wasn't accounting for the increase his speed would undergo as he further familiarized himself with the technique.

     Dyon shook his head, 'these people are so petty. By my performance, I definitely deserve higher floor access. But considering their anger, being frozen out might be the best possible outcome. I'll have to publicize my future accomplishments so that they have no choice but to follow the rules in the future.'

     Dyon's eyes glazed over in thought. In truth he had many ideas, but they needed time to be implemented. With just 1 week before classes started, Dyon didn't have much time before his freedom was cut down by almost half.

     'This money thing is going to be an issue…'

     Although Dyon had his wrist bands to preserve the food he brought from home, considering how much he ate, that would last another 2 weeks at the most. After that, he'd need money to eat. And that's not even speaking on how he would protect himself.

     Currently, the school had hundreds of factions. But there were about 5 main ones. Dyon had no doubt in his mind that those chosen would create their own factions or join already prestigious ones. This meant that soon, Dyon wouldn't have just them to worry about, he'd have however many hundreds decided to throw their pride away to kowtow to those annoying family names to worry about as well.

     'I'll need to make a name for myself before even considering forming a faction, but there are other things I can do.'

     Dyon had been pleasantly surprised to find out that, in addition to student lead factions, there were also pillar factions that kept the school running. These acted almost as a profession for students. The library was considered one. But, Dyon immediately crossed it off his list. Unfortunately, he didn't do this willingly. According the faction rules, only those of the Sapientia family could become members. Also, it required having knowledge of the first 600 levels to be admitted. Unlike the student formed factions, that were more free-form, pillar factions had strict rules and guidelines to be met, as well as their own internal ranking systems that provided higher tier members with extra benefits. Of course, that isn't to say that student run factions don't have their own admittance tests. But that was mostly held to just the 5 or so main factions.

     Dyon had been especially interested because of the increased possibility of accessing the inner library, but he was also realistic. It just wasn't possible for him right now.

     There were also sports factions. But, as you might imagine, Dyon had never heard of these sports before. If it was a simple matter of reading the rules, he would have considered it. However, Dyon knew that these sports factions required understanding of the martial world he simply didn't have right now.

     Despite his lack of true understanding of the martial world, Dyon knew that the key to being great in anything was great fundamentals. But, the issue was that he had no access to the best fundamental techniques. In fact, he wasn't sure if anyone in Focus Academy had access to such a thing.

     'The problem of money and cultivation techniques both require the same action plan. I just need to make significant enough contributions. But, the latter will take significantly more time to deal with. So, aside from cultivating, I need another way to increase my strength while I take my time to research the best methods of cultivation for myself'.

     This was, of course, easier said than done. Dyon had narrowed down the possibilities of pillar factions down, but it was still difficult to choose with his lack of knowledge.

     'There's the Array Alchemy faction, the forging faction, the creature breeding faction, and the philosophy debate faction. Of those 4 that I've narrowed down, it's probably best to go with Alchemy.'

     Although the idea of what creatures the martial world might raise piqued Dyon's interest, he had no way of knowing how long it would take to make significant contributions to a faction that required raising animals. For all he knew, it could take decades to raise a decent creature. And even then, he would have to give it away for him to garner any of the basic benefits he was looking for. At first, he had thought of the possibility of using beasts as a proxy for his strength, but the time needed was again a barrier.

     As for the philosophy debate faction, Dyon once again had to push the idea away because he simply didn't know enough. It was clear that a faction of philosophy was important to a world based in understanding the wills of things, but without a clear understanding himself, even marginally contributing would be difficult. And the crux of the matter was that if he wanted to profit from joining, it would again take time to build up a reputation, so others would be willing to pay to listen to his lectures.

     The forging faction was quite a good choice, but it required high cultivation levels to improve at a steady pace. Without appropriate strength, it would be impossible to forge the materials of the martial world, or even handle the environment needed to mold said materials.

     That left the Array Alchemy faction. According to the book Libro had given him, Dyon understood that this faction might be his only real chance at improving his prestige and pockets.

     Having made his choice, Dyon spun on his heels. He could look for his room later, but now, it was more important to do more research. So, he headed back towards the library.

     When Dyon had initially seen the name of the faction, he had been intrigued. Had the faction represented just one or the other, either Arrays or Alchemy, Dyon might have understood. But, to be both, really gave Dyon a rare moment of confusion.

     Dyon walked into the library to find it to be in the same state he left it in. It must have been almost midnight by now, but it seemed like the students hadn't noticed.

     'Maybe there's some technique that also reduces the amount of sleep you need?'

     Dyon had previously thought that this might be a possibility, but since he was on a time crunch, he hadn't asked Libro.

     Standing in front of the grandiose desk, Dyon waved at the monitor.

     It flickered to life to reveal Libro shaking his head, "you're really reckless you know. Had you misread the situation even a bit, you would be dead."

     Dyon smiled a devious smile, "so you have cameras in more areas than just the libraries? Interesting."

     A wry smile spread across Libro's lips, "don't get any funny ideas now. I am completely neutral."

     "For now," Dyon said tilting his head in a knowing smile before continuing, "I'm thinking of joining the Array Alchemy faction, so I need whatever books this first level card you gave me can get on them and their area of expertise."

     Libro's eyes flashed with something that looked like disappointment, "you know, I could put in a good word for you and help you join the Library and Research faction."

     "Thank you Libro," Dyon said sincerely, "But I don't think I'd like to join the Sapientia family."

     Libro sighed, "I understand. If you ever change your mind in the future, we're always looking for intelligent lads like you."

     Libro really was disappointed. He had just watched Dyon learn a speed reading technique that only the top percentage of the Sapientia family knew. He had only given it to Dyon to help Delia fulfill her favor and because he never thought he'd be able to learn it. Now an elite technique of the Sapientia family was out in the world and the person who had it wasn't willing to join them.

     "But Dyon, there are other factions you could join. The Array Alchemy faction is dead in the water. Not to even mention the fact that since you only have access to the first floor, any of their advanced techniques aren't available to you. Even if you had Delia's card you would be at a loss. In fact, I don't believe Focus Academy has a single advanced technique with connection to the Array Alchemy faction regardless of floor."

     Dyon, of course, knew all of this. But he had no choice. Only a faction like this would, for one, accept him, and also have a low requirement for cultivation.

     "I know Libro, I know," Dyon said softly, "Although the fact the entire academy doesn't have any advanced techniques is surprising, I'll have to continue forward with them. From the faction description, not only does this faction have the most potential, it is by far the easiest for me to advance in."

     The Array Alchemy faction had 2 members, none of which had reached past the 2nd common grade level of understanding. Considering professionals had to be of the 5th common grade to be recognized across the universe, this was a poor showing for Focus Academy.

     But, with this came an amazing opportunity for Dyon. To become a main member of this faction and possibly become a 5th common grade Array Alchemist would mean his value would be indispensable to the academy. He'd essentially become untouchable. The reason was simple. Whereas the array alchemy factions was dead here, its importance was still unprecedented. The only reason they were looked down on at Focus Academy was because the efficacy of their products was so low that anything of value had to be mostly imported. This meant that Focus Academy lacked a self-sustained array alchemy expert. This was perfect for Dyon.

     "I won't deny that Array Alchemy has supreme value. But, to become a great Array Alchemist means being nothing short of a monster," Libro shook his head, 'what am I saying, this kid IS a monster."

     Dyon smiled, seeming to have read Libro's thought.

     "I can't begin my road in the martial world yet because I don't want to begin without the proper cultivation technique, this means I'll be quite weak for the time being. But, Array Alchemy from the 1st to 9th common grade doesn't require my power being high. I only need an understanding of plants, array theory, a refined spirit and plenty of practice drawing arrays and grafting plants together. I can do this," he looked at Libro, eyes burning with determination.

     Dyon was right. In the basic first 9 grades of Array Alchemy, the range of will manipulation necessary was within a range that, even though it might be taxing, it was still possible with still in the most basic level of martial world cultivation. What Libro didn't know is that Dyon had another wild idea prepared for once he started down this path.

     Libro's eyes softened, "I'll make an exception. Since even the so-called array alchemists of our school don't check out these books, I'll give you a copy of every array alchemy related book we have at Focus Academy."

     Dyon smiled a wide smile, "I'm about to make a splash."

     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collections and power stone helps!

     Haha, seems Dyon thinks he has everything figured out...

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     8 Heads Mee

      Sitting by the pond at the center of the library, Dyon immediately began pouring through the books Libro helped him get. Although Dyon's memory was never photographic, he was still proud of it. If he, at any point, understood a topic, it would be unlikely that he would forget it. But, this was taken to an all new level with the speed reading technique.

     By using the Sapientia family's technique, Dyon was able to understand the will of the books he wanted to read without even opening the cover. This essentially led to an even deeper understanding than he could have gained by normal methods. As such, the things he learned were engraved into his brain. As long as he put them to practice, he would never lose this knowledge.

     If he could gain a cultivation method, his capacity to use the technique would increase. He may even be able to speed read multiple high-level books at a time.

     Dyon was in awe of the knowledge he was gaining. Array Alchemy allowed a myriad of things, from setting up protection and slaughter arrays to grafting together simple plants to form more complex ones. Even just one aspect led to infinite possibilities. For example, scientifically speaking, grafting meant using special means to splice the DNA of various plants together to form a new plant sharing the properties of the grafted DNA, or even creating all new properties not shared by any of the plants used to create it. By using the martial world's methods, the new plant would even be available immediately without the growth wait time.

     'No wonder why no one wants to join this faction. The complexity is without bounds. Theoretically, there's an infinite amount of knowledge to gain, which means any regular student would never feel like they made any real progress.'

     But this only made Dyon smile. Dyon estimated that in just 2 days, he'd have the common plant knowledge equivalent to that of the top array alchemy expert of Focus Academy.

     There was something that made Dyon even more excited, though. He technically might not need to read the books on the highest levels of the library. If he used his knowledge of plant biology in combination with his knowledge of the function of the common plants, he may be able to guess the results of grafting certain plants in certain ratios with high accuracy.

     'This must be hard to do for other Array Alchemists because they don't have the human world knowledge that I have.'

     This thought gave Dyon a new level of understanding.

     'Delia didn't not recognize the storage bands I have on because her world doesn't have the means to make them. She didn't recognize them because her world has other means to create the same effects, so they don't need commoner storage bands.'

     One of the basic books of the martial world that Dyon read about gave an overview of the storage devices in the martial world. While human devices utilized preservation and miniaturization technology, the martial world used special gems that consolidated infinitesimally small amounts of dimension and time will to recreate the same effects. Dyon accessed the objects he stored through a screen, while Mayumi could pull out his bow and arrow just by touching the gem and using his will.

     This was an important epiphany for Dyon for many reasons. For one, this steeled his resolve to not underestimate those of the martial world. They weren't technologically inferior, they just had no need to advance in fields that they could use their own theories to replace. Secondly, this meant Dyon might be able to gain an advantage if he combined his commoner education with their knowledge. Him not necessarily needing to read higher level theory books on plants might just be the first instance of this.

     Before Dyon even noticed, 2 days had passed by before he finished speed reading the hundreds of books on common plants. This was when Dyon noticed a problem with his speed reading method.

     'I have all of this knowledge, but it isn't organized. It's almost like if I want to recall something, I have to close my eyes and "re-read" the hundreds of volumes I just went through to find the answer. This isn't good. The knowledge I've gained is useless like this.'

     Frustrated, Dyon carried the books back to the wooden desk in sets of ten.

     'What a waste of 2 days. I'm tired as all hell and I smell horrible.'

     Dyon had long since taken off his previously unbuttoned dress shirt and switched his rolled-up jeans for a pair of grey sweats, but he still felt uncomfortable.

     Dyon looked up as the monitor flickered, "you seem tired," Libro pinched his nose, "I can almost smell you from here. Go rest. I'll let you take the books on array theory with you."

     Dyon flicked his wrist, too tired to answer. He created a new folder called 'array theory', and slotted the other set of hundreds of books into his storage bands.

     "What an interesting device. Doesn't seem very efficient though," Libro snickered.

     "Yea, yea, yea. I'm sure you know what problems I'm having; do you have a solution?"

     "In terms of your need for rest and showers, those won't be resolved until you reach a higher cultivation level. Your brain's capacity is still too weak to go without rest. In terms of the speed reading technique, I'm sure a genius like you will figure it out," Libro smiled deviously.

     'I can't just give him all the answers, this is my family's secret technique after all. If I wasn't crystal glasses level, I'd be afraid of being killed for even thinking of giving him this technique. My only saving grace is that I didn't give him the full technique.'

     Dyon sighed, "fine, I guess. Thank for your help, this would probably have been a lot harder without you".

     Libro was a bit surprised by Dyon's sincere thanks, but he took it in stride as he watched Dyon sluggishly head towards his dorm room.

     **

     On the top floor of the center pillar, the family heads met in a spacious office.

     Reminiscent of the ceremony hall, the room was filled with somber light. A fire place raged off to the right, flickering soft embers that lit the dark room. Drapes of maroon covered the large windows, resonating with the dark wood floor. A large desk partially hid Patia-Neva's figure as he faced away from the other family heads and towards the covered windows.

     The other family heads sat on black couches surrounding the fire place, letting silence reign the room.

     Kami was the first to speak, fury coating his words, "I won't let this stand. My boy still hasn't recovered. Disregarding the pain he's been in, the expense of the medicine needed to ensure these wounds would have no impact on his future is astronomical."

     "Don't act rashly Kami. If your boy hadn't tried to kill the commoner, he would have never suffered," Patia-Neva's voice was understanding but firm. He couldn't allow Kami's hate to fester.

     "I don't care. Since when has the Kami family ever needed permission to kill? He'll pay for this humiliation".

     Duco spoke, "don't forget why he gained the quota to perform in the first place Kami. The boy may be mediocre here, but he is of great value to the commoners. If they learn of him being killed, and especially so soon after coming to us, it will start a war."

     "Duco is right, we have other issues to deal with. Warring with the commoners is not something we can afford, and it seems like the boy knows this. Plus, considering the dangerous missions Focus Academy's students undergo from the 4th grade onwards, he might just die naturally," Bai spoke out in agreement.

     Sapientia's light laughter filled the room in hopes of cutting through the tension, "from what I can garner, this boy might not continue to be mediocre for long," he said in reply to Duco's comment, "I see that our resident Librarian has already taken a liking to him."

     "What?!"

     Kami's anger spiked. The importance of the library to this school couldn't be understated. If Dyon somehow managed to get Libro to his side as a mentor or friend, his progress would be much faster.

     "Not to worry Kami, Libro wouldn't break the rules of the academy… Although, it seems that Patia-Neva's daughter gave the boy access to the first 600 levels for a few hours," Delia's father stiffened at these words.

     Kami sighed in relief. No one could do anything with just a few hours, even with access to 600 levels.

     "Eh, I wouldn't be too relieved if I were you. It seems like one of the techniques he learned was my clan's speed reading technique."

     "Learned? Don't play with us Sapientia. You just said he only had a few hours, what do you mean learned. And such a high level technique at that?" Storm said, breaking his silence.

     Sapientia sighed, "It seems he has quite some affinity for my clan's techniques."

     Kami's fists tightened.

     In reality, it seemed odd for experts of their stature to be so concerned with a boy. Their surprise had been minimized when they remembered their background check on Dyon. When it came to how powerful his music will was, it was explained away by considering how long he had played the piano for; so, his feats were less impressive than they seemed to be. But, they felt he might become a threat in the future. The worst part was that they didn't have the time or means to deal with him now. And plus, aside from the looming threat of war with the commoners, it was taboo for the older generation to mingle in the affairs of the younger.

     Patia-Neva's voice rang out, "the larger school alliances are putting too much pressure on us. We may have many promising geniuses in this generation, but past years have only had maybe two or three. If we want this school to survive, and thereby secure the future of our families, we shouldn't be ostracizing geniuses. The boy is intelligent. It wouldn't be difficult for him to find out that there would be other schools willing to recruit him. We are lucky that he fell within our Focus district. I suggest we move away from a plan to stifle him ourselves. The students of this school will be more than enough to do that. That way, if he succeeds despite that, we have a genius. If he fails, then we'd have gotten rid of a problem. We have other matters to attend to, such as preparing our families' geniuses for the Alliance Ranking Tournament and..."

     Although Patia-Neva didn't speak the last parts of his thoughts, the other family heads knew fully well what he was referring to.

     Aside from this, the truth was that the family heads only directly acted against Dyon because it was the easiest and most direct way. If he was embarrassed into leaving without them having to lift a finger, it would have been their best-case scenario. They had no way of guessing he'd have met Delia to give him access to the library, or even that he'd be able to learn what he learned in such a short time.

     Kami swallowed his anger, choosing to believe his son would get his own revenge.

     As the pressure in the room subsided, the family heads nodded in resolve. It wasn't worth it to act themselves. They knew that Dyon would be slowed by his own lack of resources. In fact, he might not even be able to afford a decent cultivation technique since the one demonstrated in the coming classes would be the most basic and crude version possible.

     And even in the case that he did persevere through all of this and become a great expert, if he joined one of their families, it could just be used to bolster their power.

     In addition, they had already had Sapientia perform a mind wiping. Only the chosen, Libro and the family heads knew of what took place in the ceremony hall. This way, no teachers would bend over backwards to raise Dyon as their disciple, the family heads could avoid embarrassment, and the chosen would have the motivation to remain far ahead of him.

     Even the family heads didn't know what calamities lay ahead of them. All they knew was that power trumps everything. And right now, they didn't have enough of it.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collections and power stone helps!

     The heads agree to leave Dyon to the younger generation... is that a good, or a bad thing?

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     9 FUCK

      Dyon's feet dragged across the floor as he weaved through the bustling pillar.

     As far as he knew, there were six sub pillars and a center one. Each of the six sub pillars were named after the pillar families and Dyon was just lucky enough to be assigned a dorm in the Patia-Neva Pillar.

     'Hopefully this means I can avoid too much trouble for the time being.'

     Aside from this moment of temporary relief, something else confused Dyon. There were just too many students, 'are their families really this large? If they're all really part of the pillar families, this is going to be harder than I thought'

     Dyon finally made it to the other half of the pillar after descending to the bottom floor. The large space narrowed into a hallway that led into a lounging area. A pond identical to the one in the library graced the center, allowing a few students to meditate around it on the available platforms.

     Looking at the water, it didn't seem to be water at all. Dyon hadn't paid much attention to it before, but the pond gave off an ethereal feel. The substance inside it ebbed and flowed, but seemed to have no real mass. It was almost like a gas sometimes, and other times like a liquid. But, its most defining characteristic was its golden color.

     'What an interesting pond. It would have to be artificial for it to be here, but it seems so real,' Dyon thought in a trance.

     He walked slowly to the edge and stretched out his hand to dip it in –

     "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?"

     Dyon snapped out of his trance to see a tall red-headed girl with her hands on her curved hips. The influx of tight leather cleared up his cloudy vision instantly.

     "Are you trying to get yourself killed? You clearly have no cultivation and you clearly see no one else around you touching the energy currents, but you think a first year like you can? You must be trying really hard to implode from the inside out. You should already know about the dangers of the ponds, it's the first thing they teach you at orientation and it should be something you would have learned even before coming here. In fact, why aren't you wearing your student issued robes? What about your emblem? Faction affiliation? Do you even go here?"

     Dyon didn't seem to be listening, his eyes kept scanning over the voluptuous woman in front of him. Dyon had never been one with any real tact, coupled with his immaturity he stood no chance against the girl in front of him. That wasn't even considering that fact she was wearing tight leather short shorts and a crop top.

     "I sure am glad I came to this academy," Dyon said while finally looking up from his daze, ignoring the fact this girl was nagging him despite clearly not wearing a uniform herself.

     "Pft, you're so weak yet you have time to think of frivolous things. Remove me from your thoughts, you think I'd want a man who I could beat without lifting a single finger?"

     Snickers filled the lounge as a group of 3 male students wearing yellow robes reminiscent of traditional Chinese chang pao.

     "Do you need us to handle this weakling, Ava?

     Ava looked over in disgust, "clearly not".

     Dyon seemed unbothered by what was going on as he continued to smile, "beat me without lifting a finger? Maybe so. But, what if I beat you? Would that be enough for you to take me as your man?"

     Ava turned to Dyon and raised an eyebrow.

     Dyon continued as if not sensing the 3 boys staring daggers at the side of his face, "probably not right? Although I know nothing much about this school, I'm fairly certain that you aren't the strongest. If being stronger than you was all it took, wouldn't you already have a man? So why not overlook my weakness and have a chat with me?"

     Even the hostility of the 3 boys was stifled as silence reigned the lounge.

     Whispers came soon after, "first he tried to kill himself with the pond and now he's messing with Ava. Does this kid have a death wish?"

     "He's new, he clearly doesn't know what's going on"

     "What an idiot, I hope you enjoyed your barely over a decade old life"

     "Not the strongest? Maybe. But that's only because of her age. Who does he think he is?"

     Finally, the leader of the 3 boys couldn't hold back anymore and charged forward, "HOW DARE YOU?! This is Ava Sicarius, she ranks amongst the top 3 of last year's juniors, and you dare flirt with her? Who are you? What is your family name? Who gave you such courage?"

     Dyon flicked his wrists. A metal skateboard without wheels appeared, allowing him to hop onto it. He shot into the air, just out of reach.

     Ava's eyes glowed with curiosity, 'although he's weak, he sure has some interesting things on him. He may be quite smart too, Darius wouldn't dare jump at him while he's hovering over the pond. If he missed, that would mean his death.'

     "Come down here and fight like a man," Darius boomed in anger.

     The truth was that he was a little flustered. He had never seen the device Dyon had pulled out, and aside from those who've reached high tiers of cultivation and flying beast tamers, flying was not possible except for a few unique cases.

     "No thank you, you seem a bit angry and I'm weak, remember? But if miss Ava wanted to come up with me, I wouldn't mind" Dyon said with a smile.

     A devilish smile appeared on Ava's face as a wrapped whip appeared in her hand, "I would love to come up with you, why don't you come down a bit?"

     'She doesn't look too happy,' Dyon thought with a shudder.

     "I don't usually make it a point to disappoint beauties, but I'll have to make an exception today. I'll see you around little Ava."

     A look of disdain appeared on Ava's face, "who're you calling little Ava."

     Unfurling her whip she shot a beam of energy directly at Dyon's receding back, but, before it could reach him, it sent ripples across a translucent energy shield.

     'that whip… something seems off…' thought Dyon.

     "no need to be so feisty, I'll play with you another day. Considering your chest, you're right in being agitated when I call you little Ava, I'll come up with a new nickname for you later," Dyon shouted as he entered another hallway, riding quickly towards his room.

     Torrents of red flooded Ava's chest, as she heaved breaths in anger, "I'll teach him a lesson soon enough."

     A cold wind made Dyon shiver as he flew away, 'that was too close, luckily the protection I built into this board is able to stop the energy they use, or else I'd be screwed. That aside, it seems like there are other families in this school. But, most importantly, it seems like I missed orientation, so I have no clue what's going on. Dammit Libro, you should have said something.'

     After weaving around aimlessly for a while and ensuring that no one followed him to his room, Dyon finally came to a stop along a row of metal doors. After finding the one appropriately labeled for himself, he flashed his card along a panel before entering.

     A sea of blue assaulted his senses as he once again found himself looking at large panels of glass facing the Focus Lake. The room was decently sized at about 20 square meters. There was a bed, a meditation platform, a closet built into a side while, as well as an empty book case.

     Dyon was happy to find white robes lying on his bed. They looked exactly like the robes those 3 boys from earlier had on. Maybe he had cursed Libro a little too soon.

     Dyon pulled out a small metal disk and threw it at his door, 'that should protect me for the time being. Even if they find my room they shouldn't be able to get in. This'll allow me to practice and sleep in peace.'

     Dyon threw his robes into the closet while walking towards the one door he had yet to explore. Inside, he found a bathroom which he was quite content with. After a shower, he sat down to think about the past events. What intrigued him the most was the pond.

     'It's odd, even in all of the basic books I've read, there was nothing about an energy filled pond. And even if there was, why would it be dangerous to touch? I assume it might be because of an influx of energy my body wouldn't be able to handle…'

     The truth of the matter wasn't far from what Dyon thought. You could consider the energy in the pond as electricity, except in this case, the best conductor was the human body and not metal. If Dyon had touched the pond without sufficient cultivation to handle the influx of energy, he would have imploded.

     Dyon shivered when he thought of this, 'seems like I came quite close to dying today. I need to be more careful in the future. I'll also need to thank her properly.'

     Setting aside his curiosity towards the pond and its origins, Dyon slipped on some comfortable grey sweat pants and a new white shirt. Just as he was about to hop into bed for some sleep, he heard a scream come from the hallway. Although his device blocked noise going out, noise coming in was another matter.

     Dyon jumped up, sprinting to the door.

     "I've had a bad day today Eli, I hope you won't be making it worse. Hand over the common stones you have."

     A skinny boy trembled with his back facing the wall, "I- I don't have any left Darius, I swear."

     "That's the wrong answer," Darius motioned with his hands towards one of his followers, "let him know how I feel about that answer, Red."

     A boy looking to be around 15 years old walked toward Eli, cracking his knuckles. An ugly scar ran from the right of his forehead through to his left cheek, giving him a sinister appearance beyond his years.

     A disgusting grin appeared on Red's face, "hold him down for me, Blue".

     The other one of Darius' followers seemed to be Red's twin. His scar ran from left to right and his sinister grin was in no way inferior to his brother, "you can't handle this weakling by yourself, Red? That's a little sad."

     Before he moved to help his brother, a sigh of disappointment permeated the air, "can't you 3 find anything better to do? How would Ava feel knowing her suitors were such dicks?"

     The pleased expression on Darius' face froze as he spun back towards, "dicks you say? Oh, what a coincidence, it's you," Darius' eyes narrowed.

     "Ah, yes, it's me"

     Although Dyon looked calm on the outside, his brain was running on full alert. He had no idea how powerful these idiots were as he had no hands-on experience with cultivation. He had to gamble. As long as their cultivation was within the first realm of the foundation stage, their strengths were still comparable to regular humans, albeit marginally super-human, he'd be able to use the self-defence training he already had. But, if they had attained higher achievements, not only would their strength be many multiples of that, their bodies would be as tough as steel.

     However, as soon as he thought this, his hopes were dashed, "I'd really like to see how a first year with no cultivation plans on dealing with someone at the 3rd layer of the foundation stage," Darius said waving at Blue to go out.

     'FUCK'

     -------------------------------------------------------------------

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     10 What an Idio

      A cold sweat streaked down Dyon's back as he narrowed his eyes.

     'I can't just run away, I came here to save that guy. Goddammit, you were real cool a few nights ago, huh? What happened to I don't help people who don't help themselves? Now we're both in for it.'

     Dyon flicked his wrists and quickly selected black gloves and guards that extending to his elbows, 'I don't have time to put the rest of it on, this will have to do.'

     "you've got a lot of nerve," Blue said with a smirk.

     "I hope you're not trying to get into a war of words with me, you can't possibly expect to win with that ugly face of yours," Dyon sneered.

     Blue's face distorted and his eyes reddened in anger. Veins pulsed on his forehead as he lunged towards Dyon.

     'Shit, too fast," Dyon only had time to cross his arms before he was blasted into a wall.

     BOOM!

     "argh," Dyon slumped to the floor coughing up blood.

     'Dammit, the bones in my back and arm are fractured. Even through the guard? What kind of power is this?!'

     Before he could get up, he sensed a looming shadow over him, "you wanted to make fun of my scar? Let's see how you'll survive this."

     Darius chuckled, "seems like you've angered Blue. And considering how you insulted him, Red won't let you go either".

     Dyon felt a hand wrap around his throat and lift him up, "I apologize," Dyon said with a bloody smile, "I'm sure your mother would love your fa –"

     BOOM!

     Blue didn't even let Dyon finish his sentence before slamming him back into the wall.

     "Wait! Please stop, I swear I have no common stones left, I gave everything I had to you yesterday"

     "Oh, so you want to join in on the fun too, Eli?" Red said with a toothy grin.

     "N-no, I wouldn't dare. I-I j-just don't want someone to get i-injured because of me."

     'Well, at least he has some balls. Maybe he was worth helping then.'

     Dyon was barely holding it together. The noise was starting to draw in a crowd, and none of them seemed intent on helping.

     "Seems like the twins are at it again, first years should learn to bow their heads."

     "True, if they did they probably wouldn't have ended up in such a pathetic state."

     Laughter filled the air.

     "Ugh, how depressing," Dyon said between coughs, "so many pretty ladies are seeing me in such a pathetic light right now. Such a shame"

     'What the hell is this guy thinking,' thought Ava from a distance, 'he's getting pummeled and he's still thinking about girls?'

     "Let him go Blue," Dyon was dropped and nearly collapsed, "I could kill you, but that would be too easy," said Darius with a snicker.

     "So how about this. Strip naked and kowtow to me 10 times. Then I'll let you and dear Eli here go. Originally, this was just for business, you're the one who made this personal."

     Dyon put his hands on his knees, taking shallow breaths.

     A quiet laughter filled the hallway, "ow, oo, that hurts. Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh."

     Dyon glanced over at Eli who had tears and snot streaking down his face. He kept muttering 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry', under his breath while looking at Dyon. But all he saw was a big smile on Dyon's face. Almost as if it said: 'I don't regret it at all'.

     "It seems like he didn't hear me Blue, cleanly break his left arm. That might help."

     SNAP!

     An ugly sound filled the hallway. Dyon grunted and his breathing became even shallower. He almost had to wheeze to get any air.

     "I'll give you 3 more seconds, or we'll snap another limb."

     "Haha, kiss my ass."

     SNAP!

     "Sorry ma – boss, 3 seconds weren't up yet."

     "Don't worry, it was well warranted," Darius walked up to the disheveled Dyon. At this point, Dyon couldn't use his arms to support himself anymore. He was leaning his back against the wall, trying to catch his breath. His hair was a bloody mess, his pants and shirt were torn, and his arms hung limply to his side.

     "Truly a sad sight," Dyon said with a chuckle, "And here I was just about to take a nice long sle –"

     Before he could finish, Darius sent a kick at his chest, snapping his ribs. Dyon fell to his knees, unconscious.

     The crowd gasped.

     "That's at least the peak of the 3rd layer of the foundation stage."

     "As expected from a top ranked 3rd year."

     "No no no, we can't end this like this. I can't let you die so easily, wake up," Darius picked up Dyon by his hair and slapped him awake.

     "5 more minutes, beautiful. Can't you see I was finally getting some rest."

     Blood spilled out of Dyon's mouth and arms, pooling on the ground.

     "Hm, seems like you're a bit delirious," Darius said tilting up Dyon's head, "What should I do with you?"

     "Nah, I just thought you looked particularly womanly. So, I accidentally let it –"

     SLAP!

     "Let's try this again. Strip naked, and kowtow 10 times."

     "Listen man, I was joking when I said you looked womanly, I don't swing that wa –"

     SLAP!

     "Alright," Darius said in a calm voice, "you have one more chance, or I kill you."

     "Didn't you hear me before? You're just the slightly prettier monkey of the 3 of you. Kiss my ass."

     Darius' face darkened.

     "He's crazy…"

     "What a dumbass"

     "All he had to do was kneel and it would be over"

     Eli couldn't stand it anymore and rushed over, kneeling at Darius' feet.

     "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll get you as many common stones as I can for tomorrow. I really don't have any left"

     Darius ignored Eli, staring daggers at Dyon. But all he found were eyes as calm as Focus Lake.

     "You'd better kill me right here and right now," Dyon's voice held an indominatable will. His eyes darkened and an almost demonic voice continued, "Because if you don't, soon I'll crush you beneath my feet. I'll tear your limbs from your body. I'll torture you until you have no tears left to cry. Then I'll feed your corpse to pigs."

     Darius had no idea why, but a cold sweat filled his back and his usually calm face furrowed into a frown.

     "I'd love to see your heroic rise, truly. But, unfortunately, you die today. And you won't have a grave for anyone to visit either"

     A strange energy filled Darius' right hand as the air around it seemed to be sliced as it passed through it.

     "That's a sword type energy!"

     "No, that's definitely spear type energy. A sword is more elegant, this is more domineering"

     "Darius truly is a genius. To reach the peak of the 3rd level at the start of his 3rd year and control spear qi? Wow."

     "Whoever this kid is deserves this for offending such a genius"

     "Truly disgusting, who does he think he is?"

     "You can know that you're truly blessed to have died by my hands. Consider this as payment for offending me"

     Darius looked into Dyon's eyes as his spear qi pierced into Dyon's chest, but all he saw was the same unbreakable will. It shook his concentration and the qi dispersed, leaving Darius feeling the flowing blood from Dyon's wound.

     Before he could pierce forward further, a whip wrapped around his wrist, "I think that's enough Darius. You may be able to get away with killing him but think of all the meetings that'll be necessary. Do you really want to waste hours of time on an ant you killed just to explain yourself?"

     Darius looked over to find Ava controlling his arm, "unfortunately, he hasn't kowtowed to me or even faked a true apology. His fate is sealed," Darius went to move forward but found that he couldn't outdo Ava's strength.

     'What is this, she may be ranked at the top of second year, but I'm ranked near the top of the third. Why can she hold me in check?'

     "Fine, since you need a woman to protect you, I think that's insulting enough. Blue, Red, Let's go," Darius let go of Dyon after wiping his bloodied hand on his shirt.

     "Sure, hold on a sec boss," Red kicked Dyon in the face before spitting on him, "learn your place next time. Because if I hear you insult any one of us again, death is all that awaits you."

     Blue sent a wad of spit at Dyon as well before snickering and catching up to Darius.

     "You fucking idiot, if you wanted to act cool, you should have found another place to do it," Ava said, not even attempting to go and help Dyon up.

     Dyon didn't respond to her. He looked up to Eli before struggling to sit up, "oof, this is hard with 2 broken arms."

     He looked down at his chest, watching the blood flow.

     "Are you okay?" He asked Eli with a smile.

     "Y-yes. I'm so sorry," Eli said with tears streaming down his face.

     "That's good," Dyon looked down as his wrist, "Band storage take out: protection  shield  disk."

     Dyon activated his wrist band with his voice, before kicking over a metal disk identical to the one he used to protect his door.

     "Press the button at the center to activate the shield, it should protect you next time those hooligans come around."

     "Protect him? Is this guy an idiot? If he had something like that, why didn't he use it before?"

     "He's probably trying to look cool again. He's just a dumbass"

     "Clearly, he doesn't understand how the martial world works, people aren't going to be there to help you. Instead of relying on cheap tricks, you should find your own strength."

     "Protect me?" Eli looked confused.

     "Go ahead, try it," Dyon smiled.

     "Okay!" Eli pressed the button and a translucent and blue energy shield popped up.

     "How is this going to protect him," Ava said in disdain.

     Dyon sat up, leaning against the wall and catching his breath before pushing through his heels and sliding up the wall.

     "Don't believe me? Attack it with everything you have then little Ava."

     "Don't call me little Ava," despite saying that, she brandished her whip and swung at a cowering Eli.

     'This seems to be the same shield he used to stop me before.'

     CRACK!

     Ripples waved through the shield, but in the end it calmed down, leaving Eli perfectly safe.

     'That whip really does have something odd about it…' thought Dyon as he slowly walked away.

     By the time Ava looked up from her shock, Dyon was already slowly walking towards his room.

     "Wait! What's your name master?"

     "Master?" Dyon looked at Eli feeling a little confused.

     "Of course, you saved me, and have given me something to protect myself. I wouldn't try to call you anything else."

     "Haha, how about you call me brother. My name is Dyon. Dyon Saccharo."

     "I'll remember it, I live just down the hall in 111. I already know where you live, so if you ever need me, that's the second-best place to find me. The best would be at the Array Alchemy faction. OH! And I'm Eli Viridi."

     "Nice to meet you Eli," Dyon's smile never faded as he walked with Eli towards his door.

     "Saccharo? Have you ever heard of that family?" Asked someone in the crowd

     "Never"

     "Me neither"

     "So, he's a nobody who challenged Darius Storm? What an idiot."

     "Only an idiot would challenge a pillar family member while having no backing."

     "But, you all saw it. If he had the means to protect himself, why didn't he?"

     As the crowd was talking, Ava was thinking the same think as he watched Dyon pitifully try to open his door with 2 broken arms.

     "I'm sorry big brother Dyon, they stole all my common stones, so I can't buy you medicine for your wounds, but I'll try to make some money, so I can," Eli said while taking Dyon's card and opening the door for him.

     "It's no problem, I can heal myself, I'll just have to sleep for a while. I'm not sure how long. Should only be a couple days. When I'm awake, I'll come see you at the Array Alchemy faction, I'm interested in joining, too."

     "Really?! That's great! No one ever tries to join us. I come from a family of gardeners, so I thought Array Alchemy was perfect for me. I'm the first 1st year recruit they've had in a while. Wait, big brother Dyon, why weren't you at orientation and the pillar faction choice meeting?"

     "haha," Dyon looked at Eli a bit awkwardly, "I didn't know about it, to be honest"

     Eli gave Dyon a weird look before nodding, "I'll let you heal up, I'll see you soon!"

     As soon as the door closed, Dyon used his forehead to activate the shield, canceling all noise in or out.

     "AARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!" Dyon roared at the top of his lungs. The room vibrated and he felt something pop in his mind. His last thought before he collapsed in his tub, a bloodied mess, was: 'I'll make you all pay.'

     **

     Outside the door, Ava was still thinking about why Dyon hadn't protected himself when Eli walked out of Dyon's room. The crowd was still around speculating about why Dyon hadn't acted.

     "Maybe he was just an idiot and forgot about his life saving measures"

     "Maybe the device would have worked on Ava but not Darius, so he didn't bother. Think about it, Ava is only a 2nd year. But, Red, Blue and Darius are all in 3rd.

     "SHUT UP! You're all idiots!" Eli said almost hyperventilating.

     "who are you calling an idiot kid?"

     "Isn't this the guy who was pissing his pants while this supposed 'Dyon Saccharo' was getting beaten half to death"

     "I'M CALLING YOU ALL IDIOTS," surprisingly, Eli didn't back down. Tears started streaming down his face as he croaked out his words, "If he had protected himself, they would have taken out their frustrations on me. You all saw it. He has no cultivation. How would he have gotten around Blue to give me the device. And even if he had been lucky, how would he have gotten around Darius and Red? Throwing it? How could he throw something fast enough for a martial warrior at the 3rd layer to not be able to catch it? And even if he could, how would I catch it with my low cultivation. SO YES, YOU'RE ALL IDIOTS"

     The crowd was stunned as Eli stormed away, tears streaking down his face, "I'll never forget this big brother. From today onwards, my life is yours."

     Ava stood there as Eli flashed by her, biting her lips, "that's really the reason? What an idiot."

     Despite what she said, her eyes glowed, "maybe you are a real man then."

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     oh my... seems Dyon is more soft-hearted than he pretend to be....

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     11 Ava

      Libro looked away from the computer monitor and sighed, "it's going to be a really long road for him if he insists on continuing."

     "Uncle, why are you so invested? You saw it yourself, he's clearly weak. And if he keeps it up with that compassion nonsense, he won't last very long in our world."

     If Dyon was there, he would have noted that the one who spoke was Pertinacis. He was currently giving his uncle an odd look. He didn't understand what was going on.

     "Pertinacis, how long did it take you to master the speed reading technique?"

     "Um, I haven't. Why would you ask me that uncle? You know only crystal level family members have mastered the first level of the technique. Clearly, I haven't even reached that level, let alone mastered it. You should tease someone else if you're bored," Pertinacis said with a harrumph.

     "Obviously I know this. But, it took Dyon less than an hour to reach a rudimentary understand of the first level, and that was only because that was the only part of the technique I gave him. If he was in our family, he'd already be crystal level."

     "What?!" Pertinacis looked to his uncle in shock.

     An unassuming girl at the corner of the monitoring room looked up from her book. She had her brunette hair was up in a bun, and her brown eyes were sparkling through her carbon framed glasses. Her cheongsam was a beautiful purple with white lilies reaching to her thighs. Her lips were full, painted with a bright red that complemented her fair skin. Her beauty was beyond words, as if her mere presence placed untold pressure on the world around her to worship in praise, but it seemed to be dulled due to her slightly pale appearance.

     Her gentle voice filled the now quiet room, "you gave the technique to him Uncle?"

     "I did. I'm embarrassed to say that the only reason was because he asked for it. I found it quite impressive that someone who had never had contact with the martial world before would be able to assume such a technique existed, so I gave him a chance. Never did I think he'd actually be able to master it so such a short time. His talent is astounding."

     "Father might not be too pleased about that," said the girl in purple.

     "Haha, I've never seen you so worried about a boy, Madeleine"

     Madeleine didn't seem too embarrassed by what her uncle was saying. A light and soft laughter filled the room, "you're always so intent on playing match maker, uncle."

     "But, of course, there's nothing I want to see more than my beautiful nieces with a worthy man."

     "Nieces? Did you have another one," Madeleine said, raising her eyebrow.

     Libro looked over mysteriously, "our little princess Delia, and the little fox Meiying, seem to be interested in him as well."

     Delia, sitting across from Madeleine and next to Meiying looked over, "don't joke around like that uncle Libro."

     Meiying giggled as she continued fiddling with a strange compass she had in front of her.

     Madeleine looked over at them questioningly.

     "Don't look at me like that big sister, how could I be with a man weaker than me? We should stand as equals. Plus, I've never seen a real man get crushed and smile like that. It's pathetic. And even if he was that strong, I have no interest in that sort of thing," Delia said, rolling her eyes.

     Libro's laugh filled the room, "I don't know if you're right about that Delia. What I've never seen is a man with 2 broken arms still clench his fists. Have you?

     Delia froze, the whetstone she was using to sharpen her sword radiated a crisp metallic sound.

     Libro smiled knowingly, "if he doesn't die first, you may not be stronger than him for too long. You all heard it, he could have ended all of it by bowing his head and kneeling. Determination is exactly what you need to be strong."

     Meiying's eyes sparkled with interest. She knew her friend better than anyone else and was well aware of the anger she felt watching Dyon get beat, 'you're going to need to be honest with yourself, you know you're a softy. You've been trying to be someone you aren't since your mom went missing… it hurts me that all I can do is watch from the side. Maybe running away from new relationships is exactly what you don't need.'

     Libro turned to a monitor with an pensive look on his face. All he saw was static. The interference wasn't allowing him to see into the room.

     'It seems like his technology is quite interesting. Let's hope he's okay.'

     **

     In Dyon's bathroom, the guards on his arms were glowing. Slowly, the last of his wounds closed and the blood dried. His breathing steadied, and blood rushed to his face, giving him a livelier appearance. But, he remained in a coma. Just like he had predicted, his wounds were healed in just 2 days, but his consciousness refused to reawaken. Unbeknownst to Dyon, he was undergoing an evolution. Whether he'd use it properly in the future, was something only time could tell.

     **

     "Ava? Hello?" A small hand waved in front of Ava's blue eyes.

     "Huh, oh, hey. What were you saying?"

     The girl gave Ava a weird look, "you've been out of it for a while. I was trying to tell you about my cultivation manual. I suggest you switch. The foundation stage is all about preparing your body to sustain the influx of energy that comes with the meridian formation stage, but how could you expect my dainty body to accept so much extra muscle. Can't I be a martial artist and stay elegant at the same time? It's like the martial gods have no remorse for the feelings of women. Anyway, elder Lena suggested a new cultivation method for me. The muscle you gain is much less obvious, but the trade off is that surpassing the 3rd and 4th layer is much harder. You know the first layer is building strength and the 2nd is about building flesh, so this cultivation method spends less on those, and the trade off is more time spent building your bones and marrow. I could use some extra umph in my hip bones, I'm trying to be as curvy as you. Hey! Are you listening?"

     "Huh, oh, yea I was listening. What if you become big boned though?"

     "Don't be ridiculous, the technique is about increasing bone density and durability. It's just changing the matter that makes up bones, size won't change noticeably, I was joking about my hips," the girl sighed, "something big must have happened for you to be so out of it. Tell your bestie, who do I have to beat up?"

     "Stop it Tammy, it's nothing like that. I was just thinking about this kid that got beat up by Darius."

     "Darius Storm? Someone was ballsy enough to provoke him? Must have been a first year who didn't know how high the heavens were."

     Ava sighed, "he's from a family I've never heard of honestly. Dyon Sacharro. Have you heard of him?"

     "Sacharro? None of the martial families that go to this school share that family name I don't think," Tammy's eyes glazed over in thought, "Oh! But I did hear a rumor the other day."

     "A rumor? What about?"

     "I hear the academy accepted a student from the human world," Tammy said in a hushed voice.

     "The human world? That would explain a lot…"

     "So, the rumor is true?"

     "Well, I think so. He had all of this weird technology I've never seen before. Even a weird disk that even stopped my power at 50% without a scratch."

     "50%?!" Tammy said in shock.

     "That's not even the end of it. The reason I think you're right is because he had no cultivation whatsoever. Even those from the weakest of families have at least stepped into the lower tier of the 1st layer, but he showed no signs of ever having practiced a cultivation method. He's completely green. To come to an academy like this with no cultivation, no backing, and no idea what's going on? He has a death wish. The idiot almost dipped his hand into one of the energy ponds, if it wasn't for me, he'd be dead, twice over."

     "twice over? You must have saved him from Darius too," Tammy giggled, "you're soft. I didn't know you had a thing for commoners"

     Ava glared at her friend, "stop it. He's handsome, sure. But there are plenty of handsome guys here. Looking good isn't going to help you when you're lying in the ground, dead."

     Tammy giggled, "there's the cold-hearted Ava I know and love."

     'It's already been two weeks and I haven't seen him since. I saw Eli headed towards the array alchemy faction, but he hadn't seen him either. Maybe he's already dead, his injuries were severe, and he clearly had no means to heal himself. *sigh* whatever, he brought it on himself"

     A serious look flashed across Tammy's face, "The tournament is coming up in a few months you know Ava, are you going this time? I know you're strong enough to make it into those bigger sects, you need to stop holding yourself back because of him."

     A sad look appeared on Ava's face, "he's my brother… I can't just forget about him. 4th years don't just die like that Tammy… You know my brother was strong enough to make it into the big sects too, in fact, he already had multiple offers. But, he chose to stay here to perfect his wills to a new level because of that place in the center pillar… I know I'm not strong enough to go there yet, but… I-I have to find out what happened," tears glistened in Ava's eyes, threatening to fall, but she fought them off, "I will find out."

     Tammy looked at the determination in her friend's eyes, "I just don't want you to lose so many years of your life. Promise me that you won't spend a 3rd year here. Promise me that you'll participate in the tournament and let those big sects see that you AND your big brother are special."

     A troubled look flashed across Ava's face, she knew her friend was right. People die in the martial world all the time, not everyone could have a proper burial. She just never thought her brother would be one too. He used to be a shining light in their family, but now everything was rested on her shoulders. She had to be strong.

     "Alright. I promise. This is the last year I'll spend looking."

     A smile appeared on Tammy's small face. Her blue eyes and blond hair bobbed together in excitement, "alright, now let's get to the fun stuff. The pillar family seniors are hosting a party for their juniors and of course you and I are invited. You because you're a top ranked and I because I'm obviously ridiculously beautiful. How could you have a party without me? It's in a week and I forbid you to wear leather. Let's go to Bai peak and look at some dresses. Maybe we can find a cheongsam to match those outrageous curves of yours," Tammy said pulling her friend along.

     Ava shook her head in exasperation, but in the end, she just giggled and allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     12 What it Means to be a Genius

      *drip…

     "mmm"

     *drip

     Dyon opened his eyes and wiped the dripping water from his face. He stared blankly at the ceiling, remembering the events that put him in such a sorry state. Without getting up, he turned the cold water on, blasting it onto his forehead as he took deep breaths.

     After half an hour, he finally stood and threw his clothes away from him. Turning the shower head on, he placed his forearm on the bathroom wall, letting the once dried blood pool at his feet. He stared at the drain, watching as the water became clearer. After another hour, the goosebumps from the freezing water no longer seemed to matter, his breathing had steadied under the torrent of cold.

     Dyon closed his eyes once more before finally unclenching his fists.

     Jumping out of the shower, the coldness in Dyon's eyes seemed to vanish as he clapped his hands together, "I AM SO HUNGRY!"

     After tossing his bloodied clothes and drying himself off, Dyon threw on some black sweats and a new white T. He rolled up his sweats to about mid-calf then hopped onto his bed. Flicking his wrists, he, as fast as his hands would allow, pulled out a week's worth of food and started eating.

     Soon afterwards, Dyon patted his stomach and let out a satisfied burp. He fell backwards onto his bed, feeling refreshed.

     'Alright, first things first, I'll have to figure out how to fix this speed reading technique problem before reading the books on arrays. I suspect Libro didn't give me the full technique, if the Sapientia family was so generous, they wouldn't force all research to be under their name. Not to mention, I wouldn't have seen so many students reading books the normal way in the library.'

     Dyon pushed himself up and crossed his legs, meditating on the matter.

     "Hmm? That's odd… The books I read seem to be organized just like regular memories would be. Don't tell me that sleep was the answer, that makes no sense…"

     Dyon thought of many possibilities. Trauma? Did he have a break through in cultivation? Did the technique just take time to take proper affect, maybe is was sleep? But he didn't find any of the answers to be suitable. Trauma might make a lot more sense for a break through in a physique type cultivation method, but the speed reading technique, from Dyon's understanding, was a low-level soul technique. That being said, low level soul techniques were exceedingly more complex than regular energy or body cultivation methods because the soul was an enigma for many in the martial arts world. That thought immediately removed the possibility of a break through in cultivation resulting in his now more organized memory of the plants. All signs pointed toward the technique just needing time, but something was telling Dyon that it wasn't that simple. An incomplete technique wouldn't find itself whole that easily.

     Thinking to this point, Dyon decided not to waste unnecessary thoughts on something he didn't have enough information on. So, he decided to begin speed reading the books on arrays to test the technique some more.

     Hundreds of books appeared in Dyon's room. After reaching for the first, his body trembled with another astonishing discovery, 'This… it's much faster than before… And… it's already part of my memories.'

     Dyon was astounded and he had every right to be. The reason he started with the plant books was because they were much simpler, and much less about theories and abstract concepts. A book on plants simply pointed out the unique characteristics of the plants, what it could be used for, and what properties you would want or avoid when mixing it with other plants. The more complex books simply detailed the plant's information to the cellular level to give an array alchemist the most in-depth overview possible. This was in fact the most important aspect of grasping plant grafting. But, array theory was many times more complex. It was often the reason why there were no real array alchemists in Focus Academy, not only were the concepts beyond the scope of what most could understand, Dyon had just found out that it had insane requirements for the soul and even required a trait most martial artists didn't have: the mind's eye or aurora. Since array theory books were much more complex, it should have taken him more longer to get through a single book. But, it took him less than a minute.

     'Dammit, if I had known array theory had such strict requirements, I would have chosen another faction. Awakening this mind's eye nonsense requires so many resources. If I had this much money, I wouldn't be joining such a run-down faction. I'd be traveling the martial world looking for the best cultivation methods.'

     *sigh*

     "This mind's eye would be so useful… increased insight to wills… access to a 6th sense… upgraded intelligence… not to mention, it would make soul cultivation so much easier. Maybe I could one day triple cultivate soul, body and energy…"

     Dyon froze.

     SLAP!

     Dyon's hand slapped his forehead, "I am such an idiot. Mind's eye, soul cultivation, my unexplained increased efficiency in speed reading, the technique suddenly becoming whole? Let's test this theory out…"

     Dyon dove into the piles of books, seemingly looking for one in particular.

     "Ah, here it is," Dyon held a book up called 'Awakening Your Aurora for Dumbies'.

     Dyon shook his head, "seems like the martial world steals things from the human world too."

     Dyon was a bit confused at first by the title, but he then found out after speed reading the book that mind's eye was a colloquial term for Aurora, they were interchangeable.

     The book was broken up into 2 sections. An awakening section, and a sensing section.

     'I see. So, innate auroras are possible as well. Those with innate auroras experience a smoother path and greater talent in soul cultivation. But, according to the book 'the heavens are fair. If you think you've been snubbed, awaken your own aurora and challenge the skies'. So… the question is, was my mind's eye innate, or did something else awaken it.'

     "One way to find out," Dyon placed the book down and kept his eyes closed, focusing on an abstract inner world. A golden flame flooded his senses, he seemed to sense everything in the room without his eyes. It was almost as if this sense was a superior one, making all others obsolete.

     'Gold!' Dyon thought in excitement, 'and from the intensity, it seems as though I've already reached the second stage'.

     Dyon had come to a realization. A golden hue in one's aurora denoted an innate one, whereas a white light denoted a forcibly awakened one. The fact that Dyon's aurora had already awoken to the second stage meant that he had had his aurora before even coming to the academy.

     "This must be why Mayumi was so hurt. I didn't attack his energy, I must have attacked his soul… That's going to be hard to fix… Pillar head Kami must be angry"

     Since soul cultivation was so rare, it was even rarer for fighters at the foundation stage to have techniques to guard against soul experts. It was probably even rarer to have a 13-year-old specialize in souls like Dyon. Not to even mention the fact it had already reached the second stage.

     Essentially, soul cultivation and aurora stages improve together and by stages. Each cultivation realm is broken into 2 stages. Meaning, by Dyon have reaching the lower level of the second stage, he had a soul comparable to a 5th or 6th layer foundation stage expert.

     But, as soon as he thought this, Dyon became even more depressed than he was before.

     'If it was hard to find energy cultivation methods, it's going to be even harder to find soul cultivation ones. I can't keep allowing myself to get beat up just to re-affirm my will and increase my soul strength. There's only so much a man could take,' Dyon wanted to cry tears but he had none. All he could do was sigh in exasperation.

     'Wait a minute, maybe array theory can tide me over for the time being. An aurora at stage 2 is powerful enough to sustain arrays up until the 9th common array alchemy level. Only a step away from the practitioner array alchemist ranks. That's more than enough to deal with foundation stage experts. If I practice diligently, I should be able to walk with my head held high. In fact, people might underestimate me because I have no cultivation, so fights might even be easier than usual'.

     As soon as he read his first book on the martial world, Dyon had already decided to become the ever-elusive perfect expert who practiced all 3 martial doctrines: body, soul and energy. Originally, his plan was to begin with the conventional energy method, because body and soul cultivators were in the heavy minority, so he had conceded that it would only be realistic if he were to start with energy. But now, everything was different. He could start on the crazy plan he had pushed to the back of his mind.

     To be the perfect martial artist, you had to start with the perfect base. But, unfortunately, no one could because of eroding talent. Basically, the foundation building stage was about preparing your body to accept greater forms of energy from the higher stages of cultivation, but, because martial talent eroded as people aged, most were forced to begin cultivating before their bodies fully matured. This meant that their foundations weren't as solid as they could be, but this was a trade off for having higher martial talent during cultivation.

     Those from really large sects and academies could partially fix these faulty foundations with exotic fruits and pills, but they'd never be the perfect selves they could have been. However, true geniuses believed in themselves. They tempered their wills, deepened their understandings of secondary occupations and cultivation, delved into their auras, and sharpened their understanding of battle without cultivating. These geniuses didn't begin cultivating until they were 13 or older, some not even until they reached their peak levels of physical maturity at 18.

     While the strength between a mortal 5-year-old and a mortal 18-year-old might seem negligible to martial artists, only the ignorant would think this. Cultivation is about exponential increases based on your foundation, even a marginally better foundation would lead to massively large strength differences among martial artists. If you couple this with the special physiques these geniuses were born with and tempering that push the mortal body to the limit, the peak of these patient geniuses is unassailable to the normal.

     Dyon had unknowingly stepped into a realm only the peak level geniuses of the martial world would even think of attempting to join. But the problem was, those geniuses had unshakeable sects and clans backing them, Dyon would have to protect himself while he tempered his body. And that's where array alchemy came in. Not only would it allow him to better temper his wills because of his aurora, it would also earn him the money he'd need to temper his body to peak form.

     'how fascinating… to reach the best foundation in energy cultivation, patience is needed… but, it doesn't seem like the same is true of soul and body cultivation?'

     A gleam could be seen in Dyon's eyes as he greedily sped through all of the books Libro had lent him. By the time he was finished, the once bright blue in his room had become dark and he could no longer see up to the surface of the lake. But, despite being the most informed on array alchemy in the school, he had a frown on his face.

     'dammit, how am I supposed to protect myself with arrays if the normal time to set one up exceeds multiple hours for most. This is ridiculous. Every time I think I have a solution, a new problem appears. Who's going to wait for me to set up an array during battle. I could technically pre-emptively set them up, but that leads to too many variables. Plus, they dissipate over time. Mine might last longer than the usual due to my innate aurora, but it still won't last forever, if I run out in battle, it'll be the death of me.

     This 'split minds' technique might help… but it doesn't cut the time down by enough.'

     But, this time, Dyon didn't allow himself to get frustrated. He had created many things in the human world, this was why the pillar family leaders knew they couldn't kill him openly without starting a war. The hovering board, the protective disk, the cleansing pill? Were all creations from his own school of thought. So, now, he just had to do it again.

     "Really Dyon? You're about to try to create a new branch in a school of thought that has existed for millions of years? You're quite bold," Dyon said to himself while a bright smile appeared on his face.

     'Arrays might be complex and abstract, but no more so than a computer program would be. It's just a complex series of commands written via a different medium than I'm used to. Just like some code is more efficient than others, I can re-work arrays that have been written in overly complex language and simplify it. Like writing an essay with just the thesis, or writing a sentence, with just a word.'

     Dyon closed his eyes in contemplation. He knew this would be difficult, and he obviously couldn't do this with every array formation. As his aurora increased in strength along with his soul, he'd be able to draw more complex ones faster. But, for now, he had to focus on the simpler arrays so that speed could be ensured.

     'To be viable in battle up until the peak of the foundation layer, I need to be able to draw the array in my mind's eye and cast in fractions of a second. Surprisingly, there are quite a few I might be able to pull this off with, but let's begin with 3: a defensive array, an amplification array and a hardening array. I'll focus on their 1st common array versions for now, then work my way up. I can make up for their lack of power by stacking them if need be. With the defensive array I'll be able to have some extra defense and I'll be able to step into the air to escape if necessary if I use them like stairs. With the amplification array I can up my speed and power, but since that would be limited by the durability of my body, I'll have to use the hardening array to reduce the stress on my body.'

     The first thing Dyon did, before even attempting to simplify the arrays, was to take out large sheets of paper and draw them out. He tried multiple times before he perfected the changes in intensity and intent through each stroke. The sun was already high in the sky by the time he had finished, and he surprisingly wasn't tired, 'seems like my increased soul strength had some extra benefits too,' Dyon thought with a smile.

     3 large sheets of paper hung from his walls as Dyon looked them over. A smirk emerged on his face as his eyes flashed with enlightenment.

     Before he worked on his simplified arrays, a cold light flashed through Dyon's eyes as he thought of something else, 'I know for a fact that within the school's rule book killing isn't allowed. But, this Darius character was going to do it with no hesitation, and Ava said nothing about punishment. She only said that he'd have to explain himself, and that was all. So, clearly the only rule that matters in this academy is the first.'

     There was only one rule in the martial world. Just one that dictated every and anything: 'Everything by absolute power or absolute sympathy.' The funny part was that there was clearly no sympathy.

     'Since rules don't matter, nothing is off limits. Don't mind if I do,' Dyon said with a mysterious glint in his eyes. He looked through his dark window towards the center pillar.

     'First, I'll take all your money. Then, I'll sneak into your "off limits" library since there's no rules, right? Then, I'll kill your so-called geniuses. I'll turn your school upside down and crush anyone who gets in my way," The windows groaned as a cold killing intent filled the room. The look in his eyes was demonic. The air was heavy and the atmosphere: dark. Then, it all disappeared. A smile once again appeared on Dyon's face as he focused himself back towards his arrays.

     "I think I'll call this new form of array alchemy: Speed Arraying," Dyon said with a light chuckle.

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collections and power stone helps!

     our boy's comin in hot!

     as you guys can see, the chapters are getting longer. So, I'll be switching over to 1 chapter a day (but really, it's still lowkey 2). I dunno why, but for some reason my chapters went from like 1600 words, to 2000, to now 2700. Later chapters I've already written reach 4500. But don't worry, I won't be cutting them up, I'll just post them one at a time and upload once. Hope you enjoy!

     follow me @Awespec on twitter if you'd like to talk about the book or ask questions

     You are reading

     Reaper of the Martial World

      ebook which is a free download at

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     .

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     13 Heaven“s Chimes

      Dyon stared up at the ceiling, sweating profusely. His ragged breaths filled the room.

     Lifting his hand up, golden lights flickered in his eyes. 3 small formation appeared in an instant, revolving around his hand. They expanded and contracted to his will, shining white gold. Dyon flipped himself up, stabilizing himself in a horse stance. His arm retracted to his side as he formed a fist, causing two of the formations to fuse with his arm. The third hovered in front of him, expanding rapidly. Dyon's eyes flashed as the golden patterns of the defensive array appeared larger and larger.

     BOOM!

     Dyon's fist collided with the formation, causing ripples to run through it. Amplification arrays appeared at his feet as he jumped backwards, stretching out his arm, 10s of mini formations spun around his arm. Dyon leaped forward.

     CRACK!

     The defensive formation burst apart, sparling lights of white and gold rained down in the room.

     Dyon held his aching arm, 'oof, I didn't get the balance of hardening arrays and amplification arrays right that time. Too much amplification and not enough reinforcement. But, I'll get it right soon enough. Right now, the only amplification I can speed array is at about 1.5x, if I refine the simplified array some more, it should hit 2x. The problem is that the hardening array doesn't affect my body to nearly the extent the amplification arrays do. So, I need to balance out the hardening to amplification ratio to almost 2 to even 3.'

     Dyon shook his head. He knew he needed to spend some time on higher level arrays soon. He noticed that his soul became stronger the more he practiced array alchemy. So, he'd get stronger with diligent practice, even without a cultivation method. Dyon was quite surprised about this, but when he thought about it, it made sense. From his understanding, while energy and the body can have better methods of improvements than others, the soul was odd. No matter the method of improvement, the foundations only depend on one's innate soul strength. Aside from better soul cultivation methods being more efficient, soul cultivation solely relied on talent. So, Dyon didn't need to worry about diverging to wrong paths. Since his aurora had reached its second stage, that implied that Dyon's soul strength was already at the peak of the foundation stage. The reason he couldn't make real use of this was because he had no technique mediums to implement his soul, so he could only use it to apply pressure and it could defend itself, but he couldn't attack.

     'Doesn't matter, considering the 6th sense my aurora gives me and the versatility of the arrays I know I doubt this shitty academy has any students I can't escape from unscathed. As long as I'm willing to break a few bones, I can reach ridiculous speeds and power. After I master 4th common level speed arraying, I'll be unstoppable among students, even if they're at the peak of the foundation stage. Although… I shouldn't look down on this world. There may be some geniuses who have just as much flexibility and versatility as I do. In order to really be safe, I might need to study a weapon to mastery and see if I can begin understanding wills. If I can incorporate wills to my arrays, they'll reach a next level of perfection.'

     Dyon knew that formations had different levels of perfection. Because he used speed arraying, he was well aware that the quality of his arrays was severely degraded from their perfect form. For example, the original first common level amplification array had 2x amplification, but it was only 1.5x at the moment for Dyon. What Dyon didn't know is that reaching perfection for most array alchemists was impossible. In fact, 1.5x is something they'd strive for after spending hours drawing the original array. Yet, Dyon reached this level with a simplified version and still thought it wasn't good enough. Array Alchemist Grandmasters must be rolling in their graves. Maybe only celestial level array alchemists could guarantee Dyon's speed and an amplification of 2x.

     Dyon looked towards his window to see bright blue once again, 'it's been 3 days. If I count the time I was out cold, maybe about 5 days to a week has passed. I think it's about time I go to the array alchemy faction. I have a few ideas about what I could do for them, but first I have to see the state they're in.'

     Dyon was about to walk out the door when he heard his stomach grumble and caught a whiff of himself, 'okay maybe some food and a shower first…'

     **

     Dyon walked out of his room with his classic sweats and T. The clicking of his flip flops followed him as he walked through the hallway, ignoring the weird looks he got. Think backing to the map of the school he had memorized, he knew that the array alchemy faction should be in a small corner on the library side of the Patia-Neva pillar.

     "Ridiculous. Usual pillar factions have an entire floor to themselves, maybe even multiple floors, but they get a small corner."

     Dyon walked to the library to find the usual large desk and massive black monitor. As he was about to walk past it, a flash caught his eye as the monitor flicked on.

     "I was wondering if you were dead you know," said Libro with a massive smile on his face.

     "Me? Dead? Never," Dyon grinned, "plus it's only been a few days, did you miss me so much?"

     "A few days? It's been almost 3 weeks. You must have really been out of it."

     Dyon started, "3 weeks?"

     'Must have taken time for my soul to power up and my aurora to reach the next level. Otherwise, it wouldn't possibly take that long.'

     Dyon recovered quickly though, "Maybe I was busy figuring out how to complete the incomplete technique you gave me," a mysterious smile creeped across his face.

     "You?... Interesting, it seems I've underestimated you yet again," Libro shook his head. He should stop giving such a monster any boundaries at all. Of course he would have realized the technique was incomplete.

     "You'd be surprised how proficient I am now, I can even speed read multiple books at a time if I spread my consciousness"

     "Spread your consciousness…" Libro looked at Dyon in confusion before a sudden realization hit him, 'innate aurora… the sixth sense…. Monster.'

     Before Libro could even speak again, Dyon had already waved goodbye and leaped over the desk, too lazy to walk around it.

     Walking to the further corner of the library, Dyon found a door with a shabby sign above it reading: Array Alchemy Faction. He lightly knocked and waited patiently.

     A while went by, so Dyon decided to knock again, but before he could, the door swung open. A disheveled man appeared wearing a worn out red elder's robe. His hair was erratic and charred black in some places, but you could barely tell that burnt portions from the normal brunette color. His beard was massive, but somehow not long. Coupled with his hair, it was almost like his face was encased in a sphere of burnt hair.

     If you really focused, you could tell he was a lot younger than he seemed to be. But, his disposition was that of an old eccentric.

     "Eli? You've grown taller. I thought you were already here."

     "Uh…" Dyon had a weird look on his face as he looked at the man he assumed headed the array alchemy faction, "No, senior I'm Dyon. I came to join. I'm a friend of Eli's"

     "Join?" An incredulous look passed through the elder's face. Almost as if he had never heard something so ridiculous. But, he quickly recovered, "Two first years want to join? This must be a blessing from the heavens. Come, come. I've been in need of help for so long."

     Dyon awkwardly scratched the back of his head before following the elder in, 'seems like the array alchemist faction needs even more help than I thought'.

     The inside of faction was a mess of paper, inks and torn up plants. The room was about double the size of Dyon's, but for an entire faction, it seemed lack luster. In the corner, Dyon found a familiar skinny boy picking seeds off of withered plants and dropping them into a crafted basket.

     Eli wiped sweat off of his brow before looking up. A look of surprise flashed across his face, "DYON!".

     He rushed up in excitement, "I thought the worst had happened. I haven't heard from you in so long. I'm happy you're here."

     Dyon smiled, 'what a weird faction. The student is here, but the elder got the door? I might like it here.'

     "I'm here to help in whatever way I can. Elder… er, sorry senior, I'm not sure of your name."

     The elder waved his hands while looking down at his notes, "don't call me elder. You can just call me Uncle Ail, that's what Eli calls me."

     Dyon clasped his hands respectfully, "it's nice to meet you uncle Ail."

     Uncle Ail nodded his head without looking up, "we haven't had many members at all, and we don't have much to offer. But, we'll be a family here. I won't tolerate any nonsense. It takes years of study to succeed here. It'll be slow. But, if you work hard, you'll see that there's no other secondary occupation that can compare. We're defenders, healers, and fighters. We're romantics, demons, and gods. There is no comparison. A blacksmith can only forge. An herb expert's best quality is their tea. A beast tamer spends their time in shit filled stalls. There is no occupation as noble or as omnipresent as ours," Uncle Ail looked up with a serious expression, almost as if to tell Dyon he meant every word he said. He was pleasantly surprised to not find any disbelief in Dyon's eyes, all he found was determination.

     "Tell me about your experience so I can see where I should start you off at. Eli has quite a bit of understand about plants because of his family, so he can already be consider half a first common level array alchemist. That meaning that he has all the necessary knowledge for the alchemy portion, but not the array portion. Although his plant knowledge surpasses the first common level, he hasn't met the other requirements."

     Dyon pondered for a bit, "I have read and memorized every book on plants and arrays in this school. So, my knowledge should cover up to the 5th common level of array alchemy. I've awakened my aurora to the second stage and can therefore form a second stage level alchemy fire. Oh, and I'm proficient with 3 1st common level arrays."

     Dyon looked up from his thoughts to find Uncle Ail and Eli looking at him like he was some sort of zoo animal.

     "Which family do you come from, don't you know how expensive it is to awaken your aurora? Let alone to the second level?"

     Dyon smiled and said nothing. Instead, he flicked his wrists, letting 3 complex array spin across the top of his hands.

     "What kind of nonsense is this? Are you trying to play tricks with my eyes? I'm not as old as I look you know."

     Eli tugged on Dyon's shirt and whispered, "you shouldn't use array plates to try and fool Uncle Ail, Dyon. His eyes are sharp."

     "Array plates?"

     "Of course, you're using array plates," Uncle Ail said in disgust, "how else could you form arrays so quickly? If you want to flaunt your riches, do so somewhere else. I only accept those who are serious about learning."

     Dyon came to a sudden realization, "Oh, I understand."

     Instead of speaking further, Dyon placed his hands in front of him and his eyes flashed with a golden light.

     "WHAT?!"

     "Innate aurora…" Eli whispered in agitation.

     A complex array began forming in front of Dyon. Lights swirled as the gentle hum of soul energy filled the air. The lines thickened and thinned. They crossed and diverged. The starting point of the drawing seemed to come from 8 separate origins. Almost as if 8 minds were working on finishing the array together.

     "This… the split minds drawing technique… He's barely past 13, how is he doing this."

     'With this technique, at least I won't need to stand for hours doing one formation. I can only split my mind 8 ways for now, but hopefully I'll be able to do more in the future.'

     Half an hour later, the hums ceased and a deathly quiet filled the room. But, before anyone could comment, chimes that seemed to come from the heavens resonated with the array. The array seemed to shake with happiness, bowing to thank its maker.

     "This… It's the perfection realm."

     Uncle Ail didn't know if his eyes and ears were deceiving him, but he seemed to get younger by 10 years. His eyes shone with a bright light he hadn't had in decades.

     When an array perfectly resonated with heaven's intent, the bells of the realm of perfection rang. This wasn't held to just array alchemy, this occurred for every secondary occupation when a task was complete to such an extent. Although Dyon only received one chime, the fact he used the split mind technique and just his age was enough to shock anyone.

     Outside the room, the whole school vibrated in resonance with the chime. Everyone looked up, having no idea where this was coming from.

     Patia-Neva looked up from his desk, a look of disbelief coming across his face.

     Delia wiped sweat off her brow while holding her sword steady, trying to feel the vibrations of the chime, 'who was it?...'

     Madaleine looked past her uncle and to the monitor, watching Dyon's golden hued eyes with curiosity. A smile crossed her fairy-like features as no one could tell what she was thinking.

     Libro closed his eyes and shook his head, "monster…"

     Back in the room, Uncle Ail and Eli looked happy beyond words.

     "This is the resurrection of our faction!" Uncle Ail stood in agitation.

     "Although you haven't been officially recognized by an Array Alchemy Guild, your level of expertise is at the very least at the peak of the 1st common level. And that's probably an underestimate," Eli said with a massive smile on his face.

     "Wait, if you could do that, why would you use array plates," questioned Uncle Ail, "it's not good to rely on them you know."

     Dyon scratched his head awkwardly, "the truth is, I didn't use an array plate. I just simplified the array so I could draw it in the least amount of time. I can't afford a good cultivation technique right now, so I wanted to learn array alchemy to protect myself."

     The look on Uncle Ail's face was priceless. He shook his head as his lips trembled into a bitter smile, "I guess it's really true. Not everyone is born equal. You geniuses will be the end of me."

     Dyon raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling uncle Ail wasn't talking about him anymore.

     Uncle Ail shook his head, "It's such a shame to waste such a well-made formation, regardless of the fact it only took you a half hour to make. Here," Uncle Ail handed Dyon a formation plate.

     Dyon looked up in surprise. Then a grin spread across his face, "this should sell for quite a lot, right uncle? Let's turn the school upside down."

     Uncle Ail looked at Dyon like he was looking at a monster. But then he smiled too, "it seems like the heavens haven't forgotten about our little faction."

     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     14 Savior

      "Alright, how much would we need to pay for the blank array plate? We should buy them in bulk as a start," Dyon asked.

     "Well, array plates come in different levels of durability. The durability of the one here is enough for a first common level array. So, you can buy about 10 for a single common stone. Depending on the effectiveness of your array, which should be fairly high, you can sell them from any from 50 common stones to 100 or a single profound stone."

     Eli stumbled, "that expensive?"

     Uncle Ail sighed, "our profession is really lucrative. The problem is that we've never had anyone skilled enough to make such a business plan feasible. Since I had to forcibly awaken my aurora, mine is only partially awakened, like most. So, not only would it take more than a day for me to inscribe the same array Dyon did, my amplification for an array like that would only be 1.2 at the most, if I did my best. In actuality, it'd probably be 1.1x. At that rate, I could only sell it for a common stone at the most. My salary as an elder already pays out much more than I'd get back. So, it really isn't worth it."

     Eli came to a sudden realization, then shook his head. Dyon really was amazing.

     "So Dyon, what's your amplification at?"

     "Um, if I take my time with it like I did here, it should be at 2x. Adding the 5% boost from a single heaven's chime, and it would be at 2.1x."

     "That… Forget what I said, at 2.1x, that's an elite enough to be used by blacksmiths, even 5 profound stones might not buy your array plate at an auction…"

     A look of excitement came across Dyon's face before he tempered it, "Supply and demand is always an important concept in business. Although I can make 10 of these before my stamina runs out for the day, it'll just cause the price to drop. But, I could make hundreds if not thousands at the 1.5x level in a day and still be perfectly fine using my speed arraying technique. Even if we sell them for 50 common stones each, we'd probably end up making much more in a day than if I only made 10 peak level ones. It'd also minimize the curiosity for the heaven's chime. After everyone in the school has these tablets, we can have an auction for the 2.1x amplification ones. This way, we might get even more than 5 profound stones per. If everyone has 1.5x amplification plates to use in battle, the elite will want an edge and end up spending extra."

     Uncle Ail and Eli looked at Dyon, shaking their heads as if he was speaking the law of the world.

     "Aside from this amplification array, I can also make a hardening and defensive array as well. If we market the hardening and defensive arrays well, everyone will know that each can block an attack from a peak 1st layer of the foundation stage fighter. And they'll know that stacking them is possible to achieve better results. Soon, we'll have a monopoly on the market," Dyon's smile was getting brighter and brighter.

     "Uncle Ail, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm really broke right now. I'll need your help," Dyon said while slowly shrinking his 2.1x amplification array to place it onto the plate, "for every common stone you spend in buying the plates, I can give you 3 back. Eli, I can try and teach you what I know about speed arraying. If you understand, it'll help you once you awaken your own aurora."

     Eli smiled in gratitude but still said, "thank you Dyon, but the theories behind your speed arraying are much too abstract for me. Before I could even get there, I'd need to understand the original array to the point where I could do the same as you and draw a 2x amplification. I don't think you know how hard it is for us regular people to do that. But, I'll work hard. I want to contribute too."

     Dyon smiled. He had a lot of respect for Eli's mentality, "I understand. I'll never underestimate your expertise. The complexities of a plant pale in comparison to the complexity in raising them. Especially when you have to raise plants of vastly different characteristics together. You're a genius in your own right."

     Eli started, 'Dyon is really observant. He's been here for less than an hour and already understands my responsibilities.'

     "Don't worry little Dyon, I may not be much of an array specialist, but the reason they keep me around this academy is because of my alchemy. Although the purity of my pills can't be said to be top notch because of the barriers sets by a forcibly awakened aurora, I can still forge 4th common level pills with 50% effectiveness. So, my funds aren't too bad. I'll buy you 10,000 plates for free, you don't have to pay me back. I'm your senior, how ridiculous would it be if I couldn't help you with such a small task."

     The gratitude Dyon felt was clear. Although he didn't say anything, the kindness that was shown to him today was etched in his heart.

     Dyon smiled, "for now I can help you de-seed those plants, Eli."

     Eli clapped, "finally some help. There's so many."

     "By the way, where's your garden?"

     "Oh, it's actually at Patia-Neva peak. Later, we can go. If we're lucky, we might see the princess," Eli's face flushed red as he said those last words.

     "The princess?"

     "Oh, you may not know since you're new. But, School head Patia-Neva has one daughter. She lives on Patia-Neva peak. Usually, direct descendants of the pillar families live at their own peaks too. But, obviously, she can't occupy an entire peak alone. So, she was nice enough to allow us to use a portion of her territory to garden some common plants. Actually, she gave us quite a large clearance in her forest. She's much nicer than the other pillar family descendants."

     Dyon chuckled, "nice huh? I guess she is pretty nice"

     Dyon didn't remember seeing a clearance large enough for a garden in the forest. But, then again, he was only there for a small time and followed a straight path to the elevator.

     Eli sighed, "yea… she's very good with a sword. I often hear her practicing when I go to tend the garden. It seems like the first years for this pillar family class are all ridiculous geniuses. They've far surpassed their older brothers and sisters in terms of talent. I heard rumors that the pillar families have been grooming them specifically for this coming big sect tournament. Some of them have even reached the 5th layer of the foundation stage!"

     "Sect tournament?" Dyon continued picking seeds while listening to Eli intently.

     "sometimes I think you live under a rock, Dyon. The sect tournament is a tournament amongst us lower level academies. A few big sects above our jurisdiction come to watch, and if they like our talents, those chosen get to study with them. It's a huge matter of prestige for us and also decides how much resources we get for the next few years. The tournament happens half a year after the start of every school year."

     "So why would they groom geniuses for this one in particular?"

     "Well, this is apparently a hundred-year mark. And every hundred years, a special treasure that the large sects share amongst each other has been adequately recharged to open a small dimensional world left by a long dead expert called a Legacy World. Think about that! To open a dimensional world as a burial place, that expert must have, at the very least, transcended to the saint level and their understand of spatial will might have even evolved to the level of an intent. That's a level of expert I can't even fathom."

     Dyon widened his eyes in shock, 'you can open dimensions just to bury yourself if you get powerful enough? That's ridiculous.'

     "But, why would they need kids like us to enter realms like that? Wouldn't it still be beneficial for elders and school heads to take a part in world's like that?"

     "Well, these worlds tend to have restrictions on cultivation or age. And those powerful enough to break those restrictions, would obviously have no interest in those treasures. Think about it, if you were dying and wanted someone worthy to continue on your legacy, would you want someone who was old and had already tapped out their potential to get it? Or would you want someone who had the chance of surpassing you to get it?"

     "I see. So, these experts are looking for people to continue their legacy even after their deaths. I understand."

     "I hear the world they've found to open this time is particularly special. Actually, they had found this world many centuries ago, but it wasn't until after hundreds of years they pinpointed the exact location. But, even then, the last 4 times they've tried to open it, the power in the treasure wasn't enough. This year, they hope that 500 years worth of built up energy will be enough to finally break into the world."

     Dyon raised his eyebrows, "wow. Seems like we might get lucky this time around"

     "Don't joke around Dyon, we're first years without pillar family backing. How could we get strong enough to compete with those monsters? Maybe you have a chance if you cultivate and combine your array formation understanding. 6 months might be enough for a genius like you."

     Dyon smiled, "I see the determination in your eyes Eli. You don't like what happened a few weeks ago just as much as I don't. We'll do this together."

     Eli froze, but then nodded firmly. What Eli didn't know is that Dyon had no intentions of cultivating at all for the foreseeable future.

     "Wait, Dyon. You're a first year like me, but you haven't been to class at all. In fact, every time the teacher calls for you at the beginning of class, everyone laughs. They think you're a coward," Eli balled his fists, "I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to fight for you."

     "Don't worry about that, Eli. We'll be at the top soon," Dyon smiled as if he wasn't bothered, but there was a cold glint in his eyes that made Eli shiver.

     "I say this because a class evaluation is coming up. Everyone from first year has to have the power of a mid tier 1st layer of the foundation stage fighter after a month, or else their place here will be revoked. 2nd years have to be at the peak of the first, 3rd years at the lower tier of the second, 4th years have to be at the peak of the second, 5th years at the bottom of the 3rd and so on. To graduate you just need to break through to the 4th layer before 18. I'm worried Dyon, you have no cultivation and the evaluation is at the end of this week, just 3 more days. I don't want you to get kicked out."

     Dyon chuckled, "you worry too much Eli, how could I not pass if I use array alchemy. I'm sure they test you by your strength. A normal peak 1st layer foundation stage expert would have punching power comparable to the strongest mortal human, right? About 1000 pounds of force. My regular punching power is at about 300-400 if I put my full weight behind it. To hit the punching power of a mid level 1st layer fighter, I'd only need to bother with 1 amplification array."

     Eli sighed in relief, before looking at Dyon like he was a monster, "300-400 lbs of force as a mortal 13-year-old with no cultivation? I didn't even hit that level until I cultivated to the lower tier of the foundation first level. What a monster," Eli said under his breath.

     "Okay, done! Let's go see the prin – I mean let's go tend the garden."

     Dyon laughed at how flustered the first friend he had made here was getting, "sure, let's go see the princess."

     Eli's face burned red as he picked up the basket and turned away, not wanting to face Dyon.

     "I'll be back tomorrow Uncle Ail, see you!" Dyon said, waving to the young-old man.

     Once the door to the faction closed, Uncle Ail's eyes could be seen glistening with tears, "seems like a savior's been sent to me and little Eli. It's good he's made a friend."

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     15 Madeleine

      Eli and Dyon walked through the library, past the pond and bookshelves and through the glass doors. Stopping in front of the main elevator, Eli swiped his card.

     "This is the only elevator that goes to Patia-Neva Peak. The princess gave me a card to be able to head up there, I could ask her to get you one. I don't know if she'll accept though, it's almost like giving up the keys to her house," Eli said with a blush.

     Dyon was a bit confused, "When I was headed to the academy, I saw a lot of villages and stores on the other peaks. They were bustling with people too, I'm sure. Why is Patia-Neva Peak so restricted?"

     "The reason isn't one I'm sure about. All I know is that Patia-Neva Peak is the only one that is basically exclusively for Delia."

     'hmm, no wonder she had no guards. Why would she need them in a place like that? Seems like she let me off easy.'

     "There's actually another thing we're responsible for aside from tending to the plants and planting new ones. Because of that, we'll probably have to meet with the princess today," Eli said trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

     "Oh? And what's that?"

     "I'm not actually sure of the details of that either," Eli said as they stepped into the elevator, "but from what it seems like, someone that goes here is pretty sick. And considering they have the help of the princess, they probably have pretty high standing. Whoever it is needs a constant supply of plants we grow. I'm not entirely sure what the illness is, but some of the plants they need have suppression characteristics, and the other portion have heavy fire characteristics."

     "Interesting… so maybe a yin-based sickness, or even more specifically, a yin-based poison."

     Eli looked over at Dyon after he pressed the peak button on the flipped control panel, "you're probably right. But, considering it's someone of high social standing, that still can't seem to find a cure, it may not be as simple as that."

     Dyon nodded his head in agreement, secretly impressed with Eli's analysis. As he was about to continue on, something within the wall of the elevator caught his attention. He had been in this very same elevator before with Delia, but with his now heightened senses, he noticed faint traces of gold on the glass surrounding them reminiscent of the ponds around the school.

     "Eli, I actually had a question about the school ponds. What are they exactly?"

     "Actually, I was pretty interested in this too. When I asked Uncle Ail about it, he said that they're actually made up of donated cultivations. Some alumni, for the benefit of the school, donate their cultivation after their deaths to benefit the future generation. Actually, they become an energy source and the life blood of the whole school. In fact, all of the ponds are connected by complex tunnels so the power supply can run through everything. I'm sure even this elevator runs on it."

     Dyon nodded his head, 'willingly donated after their deaths, huh?'

     Before Dyon could think about it further, the doors to elevator opened and they stepped into a familiar forest. Stepping out of the tree, Eli and Dyon walked side by side along the path.

     "The princess didn't want to disturb the forest too much, so this is actually the only path. To get to the field, we'll actually have to weather through the tall grass and branches," Eli said, suddenly diverging from the path and jumping over a bush.

     Dyon nodded, following closely behind, 'seems like I was right. Coming up here, you wouldn't even know the first place to look, let alone finding Delia among all these trees. Eli's probably one of the only ones who knows his way around here. Guards really wouldn't be necessary.'

     After 20 minutes of walking, a soft melody and crisp cutting sounds invaded the ears of Dyon and Eli. The rhythm of a blade cutting through air matched perfectly with the plucking sounds of the lyre, creating an odd mix of ice cold killing intent, and soft fall's breeze.

     Dyon and Eli stood at the edge of a clearance, entranced by what they saw. Fields of medicinal plants divided into neat rows allowed gentle streams of water to flow in cleverly planned routes. A massive lake was off to its right side, filled with white lilies, slowly bobbing in the wind. A girl in a purple cheongsam that clung tightly to her body, sat with her knees pressed together facing away from them, playing the lyre that rested on her lap. In front of her, a girl Dyon knew all too well, danced with a blade in her hand. Faint traces of crystal like ice rained around her as she slashed through the air with practiced movements.

     Beads of sweats delicately fell from her beautiful tanned skin. Spinning, a cold blast of air sliced through before stopping just before a tree, leaving it unmarked. The music slowly came to a stop, seemingly causing the lilies to tremble for more. Cherry blossom leaves slowly fell from the surrounding trees, gracing the ground.

     'cherry blossoms?... in fall?'

     Delia's delicate hand wiped the sweat from her brow. Taking a deep breath, she looked towards the girl in purple, "thank you big sister," she said with a bright smile. Just as she was about to continue, something caught her eye and she looked up to find Eli and Dyon.

     She was a bit surprised, "What're you doing here? You're alive?"

     As Eli was about to respond, thinking that she was talking to him, Dyon slowly walked forward.

     Eli panicked a bit, he hadn't had time to inform Dyon about Delia's status and how he shouldn't be rude, but he was already too late.

     "Long time no see, Delia. Are you praying on my death? That wouldn't be very fitting for a lady such as yourself," Dyon's smile almost outshone the beauty in the field they were standing in, leaving Delia breathless for a second.

     Eli choked on his spit, having no words to speak and no tears to cry. But then he recovered, 'they know each other? How? And he called her directly by her first name?'

     The girl in purple turned, and realizing who it was, she also smiled.

     Suddenly, everything stopped. Even Dyon had no words, his smile froze and his eyes widened, "wow…".

     Delia rolled her eyes, 'if I knew he'd be here too, I would have never asked big sister Madeleine to help me train. Such a pervert.'

     Madeleine giggled, not seeming to mind. Her hair bobbed in its bun along with her gentle laughter and her bright brown eyes sparkled beneath her glasses.

     Dyon shook his head, recovering from his blank out, "I'm Dyon, it's nice to meet you," he stretched out his hand to greet Madeleine.

     Madeleine's gentle voice greeted Dyon back, "I'm Madeleine. I've heard of you Dyon, my uncle thinks highly of you," Madeleines small soft hands entered Dyon's and he felt like he was in a trance once again. His heart beat sped up and his chest slightly reddened, but he managed to keep his composed smile on his face.

     But before he could release Madeleine's hand, he frowned, 'her hand is colder than it should be.'

     Without being able to control himself Dyon blurted out, "are you okay?"

     Madeleine started for a second, slowly retracting her hand once Dyon let go. Delia gave Dyon a surprised look.

     Dyon scratched his head awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

     Madeleine bitterly smiled. She lowered her head and spoke so softly that the gentle swaying of the water almost completely drowned her out, "I've been sick since I was young," but almost as if she had never been sad, she looked up and smiled, "since even my Sapientia family can't find a solution, it seems as though I'm a bit doomed," she said with a chuckle, "But, with all of this beauty around me, how could I be sad all of the time."

     Dyon's heart ached. He had never met this girl before, but her gentle soul touched him. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Dyon sat down on a rock beside Madeleine and flicked his wrists. After fiddling around he pulled out a guitar. Waving at Eli to come over, as he placed it in his lap. He gave Delia a gentle look, and she seemed to understand, silently sitting in the grass with Eli.

     A small smile appeared on Madeleines face as she watched Dyon intently, 'usually people extend apologies, not even understanding that that makes me break apart inside. It seems like he wants to communicate with me through music,' Madeleine covered her red lips with her delicate hands as an enchanting laugh, 'I wonder where his understanding of the will of music has reached. Can he rival me?'

     Dyon looked up at Madeleine, entranced by her sparling eyes, 'I can't let that smile fade, now can I?'

     Madeleine's eyes somehow became even gentler as he saw the look Dyon was giving her, 'he isn't trying to impress me, and his eyes aren't clouded by lust. I've never seen such a pure look before.' Madeleine's heart warmed.

     Dyon waved his hands and a golden fire appeared in his hands, it blazed, larger and larger, wafting a gentle warmth onto the faces of the 3 who watched him.

     'That's…'

     'Second stage golden alchemy fire. He has an innate aurora… and it's so powerful?' thought Madeleine. Although she had seen Dyon's display through a monitor, she hadn't been able to feel its pressure and couldn't make an accurate judgement. Suddenly she looked down at herself, 'why do I feel so much better… he isn't curing me, but this feels better than any of the medicine and elixirs I've taken… Did he know this would happen?'

     The flame in Dyon's hand slowly morphed into a golden lily as he slowly brought it to the opening of his guitar.

     'What control…' the 3 of them thought simultaneously.

     The fire lily passed through the string of the guitar, leaving the wood and string magically untouched. The strings vibrated, radiating out a gentle song, that resonated with Madeleine, bringing more and more color to her face. Her beauty seemed to multiply, almost as if the golden fire was intent on bringing her to the peak of perfection.

     Delia looked over and noticed the changes in the girl she had called big sister for as long as she could remember. Tears started streaming down her face.

     "You've been suffering for a long time… How could I, Dyon Sacharro, allow such beauty in this world to wither even in the slightest," he said softly, as beads of sweat ran down his face. His hands slid across the strings, playing a melody that radiated with heat and passion, warming up Madeleine the more he played.

     'first level… second…. Fourth…'

     Dyon's tune became better and better and more and more blood flowed to Madeleine's previously pale face.

     'sixth… eight… just how fierce is his understanding of the will of music? Ninth?! He's already at the peak of what a martial artist below the essence gathering stage can understand? I've spent my whole life immersed in music, and am only at the seventh level… wow,' Madeleine closed her eyes and smiled. Her body that had always been imperceptibly trembling for as long as she could remember, finally stopped. She took the first deep breath she had in years. The pain she felt slowly subsided as tears streamed down her face.

     Dyon was playing a happy tune, the birds were chirping and the lilies were vibrating in appreciation. The heat emitting from Dyon's guitar became gentler and more refined. It filled Madeleine's body, fighting fiercely against the ailments that plagued her.

     'he's getting better as he plays… this must be the affect of an innate aurora… He's already reached the peak of the 9th level of the will of music. The only thing stopping him from evolving it into an intent is his cultivation… wait a minute,' Madeleine looked over at Dyon and her heart trembled. Her heart ached as she saw Dyon, pale faced. His lips were cracked and his fingers were bleeding from the strain. But his smile had never faded as he watched her. The tears in her eyes spilled over faster as she threw her lyre to the side and rushed to him, pulling his hand off of the strings, "you idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself? You have no cultivation, but you were tapping into wills for so long. Do you know what kind of strain that puts on the body?!"

     "Big sister…" Delia looked at her big sister, her eyes widened in shock. She had never once seen Madeleine lose her gentle smile, let alone berate someone else. Delia smiled and looked at Dyon, a look of gratitude evident on her face.

     Dyon smiled, popping a medicinal pill into his mouth and letting the blood and injuries disappear. He looked into Madeleine's eyes as she was surprisingly close. He stood lifted up her glasses, not letting her react, before wiping away her tears. Dyon hovered over her, about half a head taller. Madeleine blushed, looking down shyly, "if I couldn't suffer through just a few hours of pain to help a beauty that's been suffering for years, how could I be much of a man?"

     Madeleine trembled, 'it's been hours?...'

     Not able to look Dyon in the eyes, she whispered, "thank you."

     "Don't be ridiculous, this is nothing. You can thank me with a date once I find a cure for you," Dyon said with a grin.

     Surprisingly, Madeleine whispered, "okay…" without even realizing she had said so. Her blush reached down to her neck as she awakened to what she had said, 'why do I believe he'll find a cure… more importantly, why did I agree to a date!! I can't let uncle find out, he'll tease me to no end.'

     "pervert," Delia muttered under her breath. But, it seemed decidedly less fierce this time.

     "You look beautiful even without your glasses," Dyon said, realizing her eyes were more golden-brown than he had given her credit for before while placing her glasses back on her face.

     Eli sat nearby in a daze as to what was going on. That was a girl even the princess called big sister! What was Dyon doing? Flirting? Successfully? 'That's my big brother,' Eli thought with a smile.

     Suddenly a gust of wind sweeped through the field, causing the waves of the lake to become more fierce. The shining sun was blocked out by something as a fierce voice rung down, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! STEP AWAY FROM HER!"

     SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

     Without even waiting for a reply, a whistling sound could be heard through the air. Dyon, who was standing in front of Madeleine had gold flashing through his eyes as his senses heightened.

     He threw his hand up in the direction of the sound, allowing 10s of defensive arrays to appear, each one larger than the previous.

     BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

     The arrow pierced through barrier after barrier, slicing through Dyon's defenses but slowing down all the while.

     Finally, it reached the last barrier. Dyon's hands flashed with more arrays as his hand speed was amplified. He caught the arrow by its body, stopping it from piercing his head.

     Snapping the arrow in half, he looked up to find a massive raven in the sky. It had a wing span of at least 5 meters and two young men stood on its back.

     Madeleine looked at Dyon worriedly, "are you okay?"

     Delia snapped her head up, "who?!"

     Dyon smiled and nodded, a cold light appearing in his eyes once he looked up.

     A sneer appeared on his face, 'I haven't even truly been with her yet, and I'm already in trouble for it. But, since you want to kill me, let's see who gets played to death first.'

     Stairs of golden defensive formations appeared, rising into the skies.

     'How can he form arrays so far from himself. He's a monster…' thought Eli.

     Dyon's feet lit up with 10s of amplification and hardening arrays as he gently pushed Madeleine away from him and stomped the ground rising quickly to the peak stair.

     Staring at the young men who had looks of surprise on their faces, Dyon smiled a cold smile, "you know, I've been here for less than a month, and this is already the 4th time someone's tried to kill me. I gotta say, my patience is running thin."

     The stairs of gold disappeared, leaving just the one Dyon stood on as he looked on. They soared at least 20 meters in the air, staring off at each other.

     The young men shivered at Dyon's next words, "Sorry. I misspoke. I have no patience left. I think it's time the both of you died."

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     16 Goddess“ Disposition

      Dyon's eye were sharp. A baleful aura flooded from him. The air seemed to thicken around him, as if the world was resonating with his killing intent.

     The young men did know what to think. A boy that was probably 5 years younger than them, wearing a white T shirt and rolled up black sweats was threatening them? When had the young masters of esteemed families ever had to suffer through such disrespect? But, they couldn't find the words to respond, they felt an odd pressure coming from him, despite the youth on his face.

     Delia was the first to snap out of her surprise, "Draco! Akihiko! Chenglei! The Duco, Kami and Daiyu family better give me a good explanation for why you're on my peak without an invitation."

     'she called out 3 names?' Thought Dyon.

     Suddenly the massive raven became illusory. A third young man appeared with dark skin and silver hair and eyes, standing on the illusion along with the ones Delia called Akihiko and Chenglei.

     Dyon's eyes flashed in surprise before they returned to calm lakes, 'this must be a more advanced form of the technique that Fero kid from the opening ceremony used. Considering that Akihiko character shot an arrow at me, he might be related to Mayumi. Which means this Chenglei is from the Daiyu family… I've never heard of them.'

     Daiyu Chenglei was the first to speak, "don't be angry sister Patia-Neva. I just came from visiting my fiancée, when Akihiko heard Miss Sapientia's beautiful music. You know Draco isn't one to follow proper procedure, so after Akihiko mentioned visiting her on a whim, we swooped down. As for attacking this kid," Chenglei continued, throwing a glance at Dyon, "wouldn't you be angry if you saw your future wife being so intimate with another man? As long as he gives a proper explanation for this, we can resolve this peacefully."

     Akihiko was staring daggers at Dyon, slightly perturbed that his threatening aura wasn't working despite this kid clearly having no cultivation, 'what's going on here.'

     Madeleine frowned, "whose future wife?!"

     Dyon's face remained placid. Although he had to admit that he was surprised to find his heart so moved by the thought Madeleine was promised to someone else, her response was all he needed for the feeling to disappear.

     Dyon chuckled, "it seems you'll be cuckolded before your imaginary wedding."

     "YOU!" Akihiko was about to load another arrow when his sharp features paused. His bow disappeared and his black eyes narrowed in a smirk. He was what Dyon would imagine Mayumi to be in a few years. Tall, dark, and sharp.

     "Madeleine, you're well aware that I've already been accepted into the Infinite Arts Sect along with Chenglei and Draco. Our futures are set, and with my family's power combined with your family's, how could we not find a cure for you? My father and yours have come to an agreement. As long as you agree, we can be married by the end of the year. We all know that you used to be an unprecedented genius, how could you be at this small school if not for the gods being blind? When we cure you, we can rise together through the martial world and rule as husband and wife."

     "Since you've already said that this only happens if I agree, then I don't agree," Madeleine said firmly.

     Akihiko didn't seem too surprised by this answer, in fact, his smirk became even larger, "I know I spoke in maybes and ifs, but the truth is that my family has already understood what your affliction is. As you know, the Kami family actually rules as gods over the Japanese factions of martial arts, the Kami family you know here is only a small branch of the true main family, and we only specialize in archery. It's almost laughable that they're called a pillar family here. It's actually much like your Sapientia family. Considering what your talent used to be, I'm sure you've been to the true main branch of the Sapientia family. How could they compare to this small Focus Academy? Because of my talent, I've been recognized by a higher branch of the Kami family affiliated with the Infinite Arms Sect. As long as I continue to prove myself, I can one day make it to the main branch, much like you once did, my future wife. As you might imagine, this higher-level branch has access to much more resources. After realizing this, because of my love for you, I spent endless hours combing through records until I finally found something I believe matches your afflictions perfectly. This, of course, came along with the cure. If you don't believe me, let me explain clearly.

     Your sickness is not really a sickness. It's a sick joke played on us by the rulers of this world. It's called Goddess' Disposition. Everything about you is the epitome of what a female should be. Graceful, intelligent, beautiful. However, with that, comes an unyielding level of yin that results in excessive cold and shivers. Days when the moon is full result in you being in a coma. And the time spent in those comas is getting longer and longer. Excuse my frankness, but your menstrual cycle occurs more and more frequently, especially compared to the norm, and on the shortest day of every year, the winter solstice, you crave for a man almost as though you had been given a potent aphrodisiac."

     Madeleine's fists clenched, but her expression remained cold. Considering her silence, Dyon didn't need to look to understand that everything Akihiko had said was correct.

     "The quote unquote sickness is actually the manifestation of a god level body type, which is why you were a genius many years ago. But, without the proper cure, it becomes a curse instead. However, I have the cure. In fact, I don't mind telling you what it is. After all, we'll be husband and wife fairly soon."

     Dyon was very clear on what was going on. Akihiko didn't mind telling Madeleine because he was certain that he was either the only one, or one of very few, that could help Madeleine. However, something was off. Akihiko had just said that Madeleine had once been a part of the main Sapientia branch and that he would one day make it to the main Kami branch… but if that was true, why would a branch of the Kami family have something the main branch of the Sapientia family didn't have?

     "Since the heavens are fair, you won't need to consummate a marriage with another with a god level body type. You only need to consummate with someone with a respectable amount of god level blood. I'm sure you see where this is going. Although my talent is quite high, the main reason I was accepted into a higher branch is because, even within the Kami family, my god blood density is quite high," Akihiko smiled, "I'm your cure Madeleine."

     Before Akihiko could even enjoy the moment, his heart stopped with Madeleine's voice, "no thank you. I'd want to save my life, so I could live it. How could I live my life the way I want if I'm tied to you? What's the difference between that and being dead?"

     Akihiko's fists clenched. But, he managed to restrain himself, "You'll come around soon. In the mean time, I'd better not see you anywhere near Madeleine. If I do, I'll slaughter your whole family," Akihiko said menacingly looking towards Dyon.

     Dyon looked unperturbed, before he said with an erring calm, "didn't you hear me earlier? You're a dead man. How could a dead man do anything?"

     Akihiko had no time to react. All he saw was a shattered formation and a disappearing boy.

     BOOM!

     Akihiko felt a fist collide with his face and he was sent flying off the illusory raven.

     Dyon looked to his left and right at the bewildered Chenglei and Draco, "I could attack the two of you too. Or, you could stay out of it and not get embarrassed by a 13-year-old kid," without even waiting for their reply, another set of defensive footholds appeared before Dyon as he accelerated towards the falling Akihiko.

     Delia and Madeleine flashed out of their surprise, "DYON WAIT!"

     Dyon didn't seem to be listening, he was currently sitting on Akihiko's chest on an array suspended in the air, letting fist after fist fly at his face. Despite his actions, his eyes were calm.

     "Is this all a supposed genius has to offer? You're 18, at the 6th layer of the foundation stage, and can do not a damn thing against me. How does it feel? About as weak as you thought I was when you fired that arrow, right? About as easy to kill as you thought I was, right?."

     Dyon stood above the barely recognizable Akihiko. His fists were bleeding, and his bones were cracked in at least 10s of locations, 'This direct amplification really takes a toll on me. It took everything I had to properly damage him.'

     But, Dyon didn't seem to care. His right arm cocked back as 10s of mini arrays became 100s, circling around his arm, 'I don't care if I have to give up this arm for an entire month. I will never let anyone trample on me again.'

     Just as Dyon was about to throw his last punch, the array below him shattered. Not able to grab Akihiko, Dyon dissipated the formation around his arm and formed a new foothold instead.

     Draco and Chenglei appeared, holding Akihiko, "I don't think you're fully aware of what you just did," said Chenglei, narrowing his eyes.

     "Just let me know clearly if you want to end up in his state or not. Killing 1 or 3 dogs makes no difference to me," Dyon said coldly.

     'He has no cultivation… But somehow beat Akihiko half to death… Granted, Akihiko lost the initiative, but, it speaks to this kid's talent. Considering Akihiko's personality, when he wakes up, he'll go to whatever lengths possible. Whether he succeeds or fails, I don't care. As long as I don't directly offend either, I'll have no problems.'

     "Let's go Draco. I'm sorry Dyon, I believe that's what the young misses called you, but I'm sure you know I can't let this friend of mine die. I'll let the two of you settle your grudge another time."

     Dyon stared on coldly.

     "There's actually another reason we came Miss Sapientia and Patia-Neva, the central pillar world is opening up soon. Because Meiying will soon marry into the Daiyu family, I was given the opportunity to join. As you know, other pillar family members of the older generation who still haven't stepped into the meridian formation realm find the world very beneficial, and since they're a part of the academy's pillar families, they forego the rule of having to be a part of the academy to join in, that's why we're here. So, we'll be going to the banquet in a few days as well. Originally, Akihiko was hoping to ask lady Sapientia to be his date, but it seems this won't be possible anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience, we'll be going now."

     Draco fully merged with the illusion once again and gusts of wind took the trio away. Dyon slowly walked to the ground using his golden stairs.

     Beads of sweat ran down Dyon's face as he caught his breath. He knew fully well if those 3 hadn't been fooled by his act and decided to attack together, he would have been left in a sorry state. He had used too many formations in too short a time, his soul was drained and his arms and legs had numerous fractures. He sat down on a stone stiffly before popping in another medicinal pill, 'it seems like these pills aren't as affective on martial world related injuries. I might need to invest some time in alchemy.'

     After a few minutes, Dyon looked up to find 3 pairs of eyes staring at him, "What is it, do I have something on my face," Dyon said, touching his nose.

     Madeleine giggled lightly while Delia rolled her eyes, "you know you just beat one of the best geniuses this academy has ever had within an inch of his life in the matter of less than a minute," Delia said.

     "Best geniuses? You all use that word too lightly. Madeleine's been sick all this time, she's four years younger than him, and she's already at the peak of the formation stage. When you have an example like her, how could he be a genius," Dyon said laughing.

     "You can see my cultivation?" Madeleine said in surprise.

     "Big sister, you're that powerful?" Delia looked over in surprise.

     "wow," Eli looked shell shocked.

     "Oh, my aurora is pretty good at deciphering cultivation. That's why I attacked him, I was pretty confident in beating him if I took him by surprise."

     "You were reckless. You have no battle techniques, no movement techniques, no cultivation, and your attack methods are as good as you being a masochist. Why do you love self-harm so much?" Madeleine berated.

     Dyon rubbed his nose embarrassedly, "you could tell I was hurting myself? You're so attentive and caring, how could I let a scumbag like that have you for a wife? After I find you a proper cure, I'll make you mine," Dyon said with no room for argument.

     Madeleine smiled but still said, "maybe, but if you can't beat me, how could you find something I couldn't?" Madeleine said teasingly.

     Dyon chuckled, not bothered at all by Madeleine's words. He was actually happy she was so strong, that way, when he cured her, he could take her around the world to dominate it together.

     Dyon shook his head, 'I just met this girl. I need to calm down.'

     Although Dyon thought those words, he knew that he was already captivated by her gentle nature. For a girl to have been suffering in silence all this time to still have a smile on her face, if she wasn't worth him doing his very best, there was probably no one else that was.

     "I hear you're quite a playboy though. Martial artists live for so long that it's impossible to have just one partner, so if you're too weak, I'll just go find myself another man. There are plenty of Sapientia women with male harems," Madeleine said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

     Dyon held his stomach, laughing hard, "it may not be now, but I'll soon be strong enough to walk with you side by side. Besides, finding a woman as beautiful and heartfelt as you would be near impossible. How could I take a second woman that pales in comparison to the first? Wouldn't I be wasting my time?"

     Eli and Delia were watching awkwardly to the side while Dyon and Madeleine were flirting with each other. Delia shook her head, "they've known each other for maybe 5 hours, how did it get to this point?"

     Madeleine and Dyon didn't seem to hear her, "that's a good answer. You'll have to work hard then. Because although I want nothing to do with Akihiko's offer, my father loves me very much and would be tempted to no end by it. Because of you, I can live in moderate comfort again, and he'll be very grateful for that, but it still stands that I haven't been cured."

     Dyon nodded his head in seriousness, "I hear I'm a genius of array alchemy. If they don't have a solution for you, what else can? I'm very suspicious about Akihiko's claims. If you had the favor of the main branch of the Sapientia family, the literal information hub of the universe, how could a mere high tier branch of the Kami family have information they didn't. It doesn't make sense. If I can figure this out, I'm sure you dad can too."

     Madeleine nodded, this was one of the reasons she had refused so adamantly. She had fallen out of favor of the main clan because of her sickness. Considering her previous talent, why would they give up on her so easily? If it was only a matter of marrying someone with a high concentration of god blood, how could the main branch of the Sapientia family be lacking in connection to such allies. And which allies wouldn't be willing to marry a girl as talented as her into their family even if it meant giving up a talent of their own? On top of considering the fact more than one wife was a normal occurrence in the martial world, there was no reasonable answer for them to give up on her.

     But, even saying this, Dyon was a bit worried. Even if he knew he was of amazing value to the main branch of array alchemy, why wouldn't an information-based clan like the Sapientia family have access to allies there? If the array alchemists had a cure, surely the Sapientia family would have been willing to pay the price for it.

     Dyon had a bad feeling, but he supressed it and showed Madeleine a confident smile, "so, for the weak men in your harem, what are we allowed to do?" Dyon said jokingly.

     "Well," Madeleine pondered for a moment with a smile, "How about you take me to this banquet?"

     "Don't think I don't know the winter solstice is coming up, don't tell me you're planning on stealing my innocence," Dyon covered his crotch with both hands, a scared look popping up on his face.

     Madeleine sent a punch flying at Dyon.

     CRACK!

     "oo, oo, ouch. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

     "hmph, maybe I'll ask Eli to take me instead. By the way Eli, I've never thanked you properly for taking care of this garden and my medicinal plants before. Thank you so much, you've helped me get through tough times."

     Eli looked down shyly, "I-it's no big deal lady Madeleine, I'm just doing my best for the array alchemist faction."

     Madeleine smiled, "you can just call me Madeleine."

     Dyon chuckled, "looks like you're better with girls than I am, eh, Eli?"

     Eli blushed.

     "Oh, and you're not allowed to wear sweat pants Dyon. Or else I won't acknowledge you. I'll meet with you at your dorm room with your clothes an hour before the banquet."

     Dyon smiled widely, "yes, ma'am!"

     Delia was smiling too, 'maybe this is my real big sister. She's been supressing herself for so long thanks to that damn sickness. Thank you Dyon, thank you so much.'

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     17 Be

      Eli and Dyon worked in the field, leaping around the small streams of water, planting new seeds, and picking ripe plants.

     Eli was passively muttering to himself the whole time, "Fawning Grass has a gentle nature, and its need for water is significantly less than other plants. I should move it further from the stream and away from the more dominant Devil's Willow, if not, it'll end up being used as fertilizer… This'll work, Devil's Willow actually needs a high supply of water so that it doesn't dry the soil out with its fire nature."

     Soft music played as they worked. Dyon was actually listening to what Eli was saying. Although he could guess how to raise plants based on the characteristics he had memorized, he hadn't actually read any gardening technique books. So, Eli was much more of an expert in this area than he was.

     Soon they were finished up and went to the lake to wash their feet. Eli had insisted that they be bare foot in the field so they could make sure not to accidentally harm any plants.

     After Delia and Madeleine waved them good, the sun was already setting in the sky.

     After some quiet, Delia finally built up the courage to ask, "Big sister… do you love him?"

     Madeleine gave a surprised look to Delia, before letting her light laughter fill the field, "I wouldn't call it that. Even I don't know what that word means. But, I feel like I know him. I watched along with uncle at Sapientia peak when he came to the library with you for the first time. I watched his fearlessness in front of Uncle Patia-Neva and the other family leaders. I watched him protect his friend and pride even with his life on the line. I watched his proud back as he fought against the best alumni focus academy has to offer. I watched as he was accepted by the heavens," Madeleine looked on towards Dyon's receding back.

     "That was him?!"

     Madeleine smiled, "I may not love him yet… but I think it's very worth seeing what life would be like with him in it."

     **

     A few days later, it was time for the first year examinations. Dyon was in his room, double checking the array plates had been his life recently.

     'I haven't slept in 5 days… It's seems like this is about the limit of what my soul strength can provide. I can't go to sleep yet though, today is the best time to start marketing the array plates…'

     After washing his face with some cold water, Dyon walked out of his room in his normal sweats and T to find Ava just about to walk by his door.

     Ava turned towards him with a surprised look, "oh! You are alive," before she muttered, "I didn't really expect that."

     Dyon chuckled, "you're the second lady to assume my death. If I didn't know better, I'd say Focus Academy has no room for sympathy"

     "I guess you don't know better then…" Ava said. But then a thought flashed in her mind, "aren't you a first year? The examinations are about to start soon, why haven't you headed there?"

     "Oh? You know about those too? I prefer to be fashionably late," although Dyon said this jokingly, he was actually being strategically late this time. That way he'd have the most eyes on him as possible. Why else would someone pay attention to a first year from a no name family?

     "fashionably late? Just to get expelled? What's wrong with you! I'm headed there now, it's my duty to monitor the proceedings as a second year. Maybe if you're lucky, the teachers will make an exception and allow you to take the test at a later date. If you can't produce 500lbs of force, you'll be kicked out of the academy, Dyon. Take this seriously."

     Now that Ava had spoken, Dyon realized that she wasn't wearing her usual leather and was actually wearing green elite student robes reserved for the top 3 students in each year.

     "and you haven't even bothered to put on your student's uniform, do you have any respect for the academy at all? Why are you even here," Ava was getting angry now. Her impression of Dyon was getting worse and worse the more often he met him.

     Dyon waved his hands, ignoring Ava's words, "since you're going to the same place I am, you might as well take me. Let's get going."

     "Ugh! I'm not taking you anywhere, you'll simply be following me. I don't want to be associated with you," Ava spun around, headed down the hallway.

     "damn… even those loose robes can't hide her curves," Dyon whispered before following.

     "Another word and I'll kill you! Hurry up," Ava said stomping angrily on the floor.

     "And here I thought you didn't want to be associated with me," Dyon said with a grin.

     **

     Ava and Dyon walked into a broad room with a simple stage ahead. The stage had 2 elders on it, standing beside stone contraptions that Dyon assumed tested strength.

     "Who's the kid walking with senior sister Sicarius?"

     "I don't know, but do they seem close to you?"

     "He isn't even wearing the school uniform, I thought only the school's geniuses could get away with that? But, I've never seen him before."

     "Wait, isn't that the guy who senior brother Storm almost killed 3 weeks ago?"

     "Darius Storm? Why is he still alive?"

     "I hear he begged for his life, so senior brother storm decided to let him go after teaching him a lesson."

     'Begged for my life? Hm… interesting.'

     Ava looked over at Dyon, about to comfort him. But, when she saw that he had no reaction, a surprised look covered her face.

     "How pathetic. Senior sister Sicarius probably feels bad for him."

     "Maybe he just didn't know how to get here. I hear there's a kid who hasn't shown up to any lessons, The General rages about it at the beginning of every class, swearing he'll teach him a lesson."

     "SILENCE!"

     A booming voice filled the auditorium.

     Just as Dyon was about to slip into the crowd, the sea of students parted as one of the elders leaped from the stage, landing directly in front of him.

     "I've never seen you before. You dare to be late. You dare to not wear your school uniform. Let me ask you, do you take me for a joke?"

     A sinister glare was in the elder's eyes. The white of his hair emphasized his green eyes. A long beard swung back and forth with his every word. His wrinkles seemed to focus on his forehead, "must be from decades of frowning," muttered Dyon.

     "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

     Ava, who was standing by Dyon had no words, 'this kid has a death with. To tease The General? After everything he's done? He has no shot at staying in the academy, even with my pleading…'

     Dyon looked into The General's eyes calmly, "sorry teach, I've actually been bedridden for quite a while. The supposed seniors of this school have tempers worse than you," Dyon said chuckling.

     Ava felt like she was aging rapidly, 'This guy…'

     The room fell silent.

     The General was shaking. His face was turning red and his breathing was becoming hurried. When had a student ever dared to say such things in front of him?

     "Wait, General, please," Ava's voice rung through the room, "There is a precedent for missing class due to injury. I witnessed him being severely injured to the point of death myself. I can corroborate his story."

     "I DON'T CARE! For the simple fact he disrespected me, that's already grounds for expulsion! LEAVE!"

     Dyon raised an eyebrow, but didn't really feel too much. He had had enough of the clowns at this school, "you come here and jump like a monkey before me without even finding out why I'm late. In fact, if it wasn't for Libro, because of my injury, I wouldn't even have a school uniform. Clearly, you either know nothing about this, or you don't care. Since you, as a teacher don't care much for your role and speak without checking the facts first, why should I care? Do I really want teachers like you teaching me anything?"

     Dyon's voice rung through the room. The elder that remained on the stage raised an eyebrow, looking towards Dyon in interest, 'he has a relationship with Libro? Enough to call him by his first name? He's implying Libro did him a favor? Interesting'

     The General was about to burst when the voice of the elder rung out, "Don't listen to the drivel of kids, General. It wouldn't be a good look for people to find out you killed a student because of a few words. There is indeed a precedent for missing time due to severe injury. Since such a golden student of our school has spoken out for him, it can't be a lie, right?"

     The General slowed his breathing and nodded. But then, a thought came to his head and he smiled sinisterly, "There still must be a punishment for disrespecting me. Since you said you don't need a teacher like me, you must be fairly powerful right?"

     The whispers filled the room, "what is the general talking about, that kid clearly has no cultivation. He can't possibly be strong."

     "Your punishment is quite simple. If you can't produce 700lbs of force on the detection stones, don't think of escaping punishment."

     The General smirked, 'let's see how you get out of this one. I noticed you have no cultivation. But there must be a reason you made it into this school, so since you might have innate physical strength, I bumped it up to 700lbs. There's no way an innate physical strength can give that much of a boost. Take this as punishment for disrespecting me.'

     Dyon looked over to the General, seemingly understanding what he was thinking. With a light smile he said, "Oh? That's it? Sure, why not. But, why not make it more interesting? Why not have a bet?"

     "A bet? What could a kid like you have that I could possibly want?"

     "I'm sure you'll see soon enough. But, let's just do it with money, how about it? I bet you ten thousand profound stones that I can reach the mark you set. How about it?"

     "Ten thousand!"

     "That's not a small number, even for an elder…"

     The room rang out with hushed whispers.

     Ava felt like fainting, 'this kid is so troublesome. Does he think he can embarrass the General into saying no to the bet as a moral victory before getting kicked out? He clearly doesn't know about the General's gambling addiction…'

     The General started, a bit surprised. But, he then smirked, 'you think you can play with me? You're a century too young for that.'

     "Sure, ten thousand profound stones. And, since I'm sure you don't have that amount, I'm sure that amount is enough to buy your life. If you lose, you'll be my servant for the rest of your days," The General said with a smirk, but soon, his smile froze.

     Dyon began slowly walking towards the stage. Without looking back, his voice faintly rung through the room, "Sure, why not."

     For the first time, The General felt a bit nervous, 'maybe he just knows being an elder's servant is a better life than what he was leading before,' The General thought, trying to comfort himself.

     Dyon reached the stage and clasped his hands towards the other elder, "Thank you for your help senior. How many attempts do I get?"

     The elder smiled, "you have 3 attempts to reach the mark."

     'Let's see why Libro is so interested in you…'

     The General looked on with a surprisingly serious look on his face. He had a bad feeling about this.

     Dyon stood in front of a detection stone and took a deep breath. He pivoted his foot and tightened his core.

     "His form is pretty good," muttered The General.

     Ava nodded her head in appreciation.

     PENG!

     Number flew up, hovering above the stone…

     "400… 500… 550… 600"

     'He can produce 600lbs of force?... I thought he had no cultivation…'

     '600?' Even Dyon was surprised, 'maybe it has something to do with my soul?'

     Dyon was right, partially. A soul needs a proper container. Part of the reason Dyon spent sleeping so long was because his body was evolving to be able to contain his stronger soul. However, this wasn't a perfect process. What Dyon didn't know just yet was that the soul couldn't keep this up forever. Not only would his sleeps last longer and longer as his soul struggled to jog the body up to speed, it would impact his future soul cultivation because a portion of his power was always deviating to nourish his body.

     Dyon faintly understood this from the books on the soul he had read, but he hadn't put it together until just now, 'it seems I'll have to find means to nourish my body sooner…'

     The General smiled, 'as I thought, he did have innate physical strength. But too bad. It might be enough to pass the regular test, but I asked you to hit 700 lbs, not 600.'

     "It's a shame, you have quite a unique body. You'll be a good servant," The General's laugh filled the room.

     Ava smiled bitterly, 'he's too reckless. He was too confident.'

     Dyon chuckled, "don't be ridiculous, I have 2 more tries. The much more amiable senior here told me so."

     The General chuckled, "I'm a teacher. I'm clearly aware that you put your everything into that strike. Unless you magically have a jump in cultivation, you'll have failed in our little bet. But, if you want to keep playing, I'll play with you. Go ahead."

     Dyon smiled faintly, "There's a reason I have no cultivation actually. I've spent my time at the academy with the array alchemy faction. When I wasn't comatose that is…"

     Dyon's eyes shone a gold light as a magnificent array began to form before him, 'I'll slow it down so they can see it. But, I'll only make it a 1.5x array, no need to go too hard. I just want to display it a bit. This way, they can't say I cheated like Uncle Ail.'

     A minute later, an array was formed.

     The amiable elder was trembling, 'innate aurora… and he formed an array so quickly. He only need 1.2x effectiveness to pass this test, can he do it?'

     Although the amiable elder had some knowledge of arrays, he had no way of telling the array's effectiveness by simply looking at it. He could only wait for Dyon to test it out.

     The General was sweating profusely, 'please don't be enough, please don't be enough… I'm already in debt, I can't handle losing that many profound stones… The only reason I have that much on me now is because I'm working as a book keep for the secret gambling association at the school, how would I explain losing all that money!'

     The General was about to tear his beard off his chin.

     Dyon smiled. The amplification array hovered closely to the front of his fist as he prepared to throw a punch.

     PENG!

     The numbers flew up.

     The General almost fainted.

     "1.5x EFFECTIVENESS!!"

     900 hovered over the detection stones.

     Dyon turned to the crown, "as you all can see, this is the power of arrays. It can change the fate of a kid with no cultivation like me, to one that has the power of a high tier 1st level foundation stage fighter. Almost a peak level one."

     "yea, but you took a minute to draw it, no one will wait for you that long in battle," someone pointed out.

     The mummering in the crowd was that of overall agreement. Dyon smiled and nodded, expecting this.

     "The truth is, I can draw that array in less than half a second," Dyon actually downplayed his abilities. This true was he could draw 10s at a time in less than half a second, but it wasn't necessary to let them know that just yet. It might negatively impact his sales.

     "Half a second?!" The amiable elder nearly fainted, 'as expected of someone Senior Sapientia is interested in'.

     The crowd sighed in admiration, but then someone said, "What does that have to do with us? Go somewhere else if you want to brag," they said angrily.

     "Well, what if I told you, you could do the same?"

     Silence reigned over the room.

     "Don't be ridiculous! We may not know much about array alchemy, but if it was that easy, everyone would do it. Look at you, you're already in first year, but have no cultivation. How could you have no cultivation if you didn't spend years on array alchemy instead of martial arts? You probably don't know any martial techniques either…"

     The crowd nodded in agreement. Dyon chuckled, 'if only they knew how long I really spent to gain this level of mastery.'

     "There actually a way for you to become an array alchemist master instantly," Dyon flicked his wrists and ten thousand amplification array plates appeared, "You could even stack them."

     Dyon's eyes flashed and two massive amplification arrays appeared.

     'He really can do it in less than half a second…'

     PENG!

     "1200!!"

     "You can become more powerful than a peak first level foundation stage fighter!?"

     "How much!"

     "No, sell them to me!"

     "No! Me!"

     "Breathe, Breathe, there's plenty to go around. Just 2 profound stones per plate. Although it's expensive, it's a very important life saving measure. Remember, I couldn't even come to class for weeks because seniors thought I was easy to bully. But, now I have these to protect me," Dyon said with a beaming smile.

     "He really using this exam as a market," Ava shook her head, laughing.

     Eli was in the corner of the room wearing a beaming smile on his face, "looks like your plan worked big brother. First years was definitely the best place to start."

     Dyon was about to explain some more when the crowd surged, "Looks like I underestimated the demand…"

     Before even half an hour was through, all of the plates were gone. Some left disappointed as multiple students bought more than one. Since there were thousands of first years, it was inevitable they would run out.

     Realizing this, Dyon smiled, "I'll make more soon! The price will always be 2 profound stones for us first years. We have to stick together. I'll hike up the price for the older students so seniors having these plates will be very rare."

     The crowd cheered.

     Just as the General was about to sneak away, he felt a tap on his shoulder and he bitterly smiled, "Hello General, I believe we had a bet."

     A dark look appeared on the General's face, but in light of his reputation, he said nothing, shoving a green ring towards Dyon, "here's your money."

     Before Dyon could even look up, he was gone. Looking back down, Dyon stretched out his senses and a space of about 27 cubed meters appeared in his mind. Stones were piled up neatly, totaling ten thousand.

     "ah, 30,000 profound stones feels good."

     "you really like to make people worry," a melodic voice came from behind Dyon. Turning, he saw Ava.

     "eh, all in a day's work."

     "Don't be ridiculous, you have more wealth than all the elders in this academy combined. And you clearly plan on doing this again. Be careful, you just gave the seniors more reasons to come after you."

     Dyon smiled, "aww, you're worried about me. Does that mean you'll give me my date?"

     "Don't be ridiculous, you're too weak to be with me," Ava said, rolling her eyes.

     Dyon said nothing but he secretly nodded, '5th layer of the foundation stage and only 14 years old. She's not as talented as Madeleine considering Madeleine's cultivation had been stuck for a long time due to her sickness. But, she's definitely a genius. Much better than the scrubs here.'

     A short blond girl walked up behind Ava, grabbing and groping her chest, "did they get bigger again? This is ridiculous, how will you fit in your qipao tonight? And after all that effort"

     The boy watching this scene felt a fire burning in their guts before Ava slapped Tammy's hands away, "Stop it Tammy, we still have to mediate the rest of the exam."

     This Tammy was actually wearing a green elite student's robe as well. But, it seemed like she was in 3rd year.

     "Hello, you must be Dyon, I'm Tammy Storm. My little Ava's been talking about you a lot."

     Tammy watched Dyon's reaction, to see if he would react to hearing her last name, but she was surprised to see that he didn't.

     "Nice to meet you Tammy. I think you're right, little Ava's getting bigger right before our eyes. You guys are going to the banquet tonight?"

     "Ah, yes. News must have spread among the school. I would invite you, but you haven't earned a place among us just yet. Train hard!" Tammy said while dragging Ava away and waving to Dyon.

     Dyon didn't even get a chance to respond before they were too far away for him to bother explaining. Ava gave him an apologetic smile while waving as well.

     Dyon yawned and started to walk away, "I think I'll take a nap. I'll leave the shield off so Madeleine can come in later today. Or, at the very least I'll actually hear the knocks."

     As Dyon was walking away, Tammy was speaking with Ava.

     "He's quite interesting you know," said Tammy.

     "What do you mean?"

     "Well, I let him know what my last name was, and he had no hate in his eyes. He's a really pure person, able to separate the deeds of my cousin and me so clearly. He's a good person," Tammy said with a smile.

     "Hmm, I guess you're right. But why did you make it a point to see tell him he wasn't invited to the banquet?"

     "Well, how would you react if you heard two beautiful girls say you're weak while having a pure personality like his? Wouldn't that motivate you? I was just helping him out a bit," Tammy said with a smile.

     Ava gave an odd look to her friend, before shaking her head, 'I never really understand you. You're a lot deeper than people give you credit for, a lot smarter too…. And definitely a lot stronger.'

     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     18 The Banque

      Dyon woke to a soft melody. He almost jolted up in surprise as he noticed a delicate figure sitting beside his bed.

     Dyon groaned a bit, "Madeleine?" Dyon jerked awake, "oh no, the banquet. I'm so sorry."

     Madeleine didn't seem too worried about it as she smiled. She was the picture of perfection. Her smooth fair skin shone through a slit in her qipao, letting her leg grace Dyon's eyes. Her hair was up as usual, but it was adorned with a beautiful hair piece comb, shining silver and gold with hints of purple. Her dress was her usual purple, but it was decidedly more elegant and refined. It clung tightly to curves, making Dyon stunned for a while.

     "If I show up with you, they'll really kill me for good," Dyon said with a bright smile.

     Madeleine's gentle laughter filled the room, "go on. I left your outfit in the bathroom. It's only been half an hour since the banquet started, so I thought I'd let you sleep. Since you're awake, we might as well go."

     Dyon jumped up and headed to the bathroom, leaving Madeleine staring at the walls of drawn arrays, "he really works hard… no wonder he's so tired. Let me play him a revitalizing tune…"

     **

     Dyon walked out feeling fresh. He wore formal attire that more heavily matched the human world. Black dress pants and a tight purple dress shirt clung to him. He had on a watch he almost never wore and had rolled up his sleeves.

     Madeleine walked to him and buttoned something he had missed, "seems like you really can be quite handsome sometimes," Madeleine said with a gentle laugh.

     Dyon smiled, "how could I ever be handsome enough for you? I'll have to make up for it by being stronger," Dyon tilted up her chin, snapping her away from her focus on fixing him up properly.

     Madeleine was frozen, looking into his eyes for some time, but then she said, "alright, let's go, we're already late."

     "no, no, no. How could I let you walk there? I might be struck down by the heavens for something like that."

     Madeleine turned back to Dyon, a bit puzzled, "How do you want to get there then?"

     Dyon smiled mysteriously. He walked towards the window and placed his hand on it. A flood of golden light started to push the water away from the glass, a perfect semi-sphere appeared. Complex symbols and rotations reflected into the room.

     Dyon turned back to Madeleine, extending his hand. A delicate hand slipped into his as a look of curiosity appeared on her face.

     "This is something I've been working on for the past few days. Pushing the water away is just a sphere form version of the defensive array I mastered, but, this is the really cool part."

     Dyon tapped the window, and an array began to form from 8 different points. 10 minutes later, Dyon stretched out his hand and to Madeleine's surprise, it passed right through the window.

     "This is a small-scale space type array. I can't speed array it yet, but it's really useful for passing through things," Dyon turned and smiled at Madeleine, "let's go."

     A small stair case into the window formed, and Dyon guided Madeleine through the window and into the dark water slowly.

     Madeleine looked around and touched the edge of the defensive formation, "wow," but when she looked back at Dyon, all she saw was his gaze intent on her, causing her to blush.

     The sphere started slowly ascending through the water. The moon light sparkled through the lake and the stars shone in the sky. Breaking through, the sphere disappeared, and Madeleine stood clinging to Dyon's arm as they looked into the sky.

     "I've got one more surprise," Dyon lifted his free hand and formations of small birds, butterflies and lilies started revolving around them. The defensive formation below them started to change. It grew wings and lit on fire as though it was a phoenix. A sharp call rang through the skies as Madeleine's eyes glistened.

     Dyon was about to start moving when he scratched his head awkwardly, "where exactly is this banquet being held at?"

     Madeleine giggled and pointed. The phoenix soared through the skies accompanied by small beautiful formations, brightening the night as they flew towards the 2000-meter peak of the center pillar.

     **

     Meiying clung to Delia's arm, "ugh, Delia I can't stand him. I can't believe my dad agreed to this marriage, and now I can't get rid of him. You know the Bai and Daiyu family have never been on good terms. My father is such a coward, jumping on the first chance to court peace by selling off his daughter."

     Delia smiled bitterly. They had had this conversation a million times before, "sometimes you just have to do things you don't want to do for the greater good, Meiying. Chenglei isn't so bad. He's well mannered and a great talent. He's handsome and, at the very least, he's not Akihiko."

     Meiying pouted, "well, why don't you marry him then. He may not be Akihiko, but he might be even worse. Chenglei always holds his emotions in check, you can never tell what he's thinking. What if he's even more of psychopath than Akihiko? You'll never see your best friend alive again."

     "You're being overly dramatic."

     The friends were walking through a garden path. A massive arch appeared every few meters, lighting up the path with the shining lights that wrapped around them. Flowers littered the surroundings and the beauty under the moonlight was unspeakable.

     Meiying smiled bitterly, '*sigh*, you're so naïve Delia. I envy your straight forward duty bound attitude. But I don't know if I can do it.'

     "hmph, I'm hungry, why hasn't the banquet started yet?"

     "Come on now Meiying, you know our senior brothers wouldn't be able to rest until Madeleine got here. They've been itching to start competing with each other this whole time. But how could they when the girl they've been pining for isn't here yet?"

     "That's true, big sister isn't here yet… could her illness be acting up again?"

     "eh, you'll see…"

     "hmm?" Meiying looked at Delia, confused.

     Before Meiying could ask what Delia meant, they had reached the end of the path and had entered the banquet area. Under the night sky, the long table adorned with white table wears and patterns was striking. Candle lights flickered and young men and women walked into and out of groups, socializing merrily in the large open space.

     "Meiying, Miss Patia-Neva, have you heard anything from Miss Sapientia? Her elder brother and Akihiko are getting a bit restless. They're talking about going to find her. They're a bit worried that something might be wrong."

     "Sorry, Chenglei, we haven't. But, how about you spend some time with Meiying, I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

     Meiying pinched her friend's arm, but Delia pretended like she didn't notice.

     A small smile appeared on Chenglei's face, "it would be an honor," Chenglei said, extending his hand.

     Before Meiying could respond, a group of young men walked over causing Chenglei subtly lowered his hand. Many would be easily recognisable by Dyon. Even Darius was among the group, although his demeanor was much more reserved and respectful, as though he was scared to offend anyone with his breathing.

     A young man having golden eyes shining through crystal framed glasses walked up and stood beside Chenglei before Akihiko made his way to the girls as well, "we're thinking of going to find my little sister," spoke that young man, "it wouldn't be alright if we entered a lady's room, so we were hoping you'd come with us."

     "Um.. Big brother Oliver, about tha –," before Delia could finish speak, a sharp bird cry sounded through the sky.

     The sky seemed to be on fire and a young man and woman swarmed by golden light and flames stood majestically in the sky.

     Ava looked up from her chat with Tammy, "who?..."

     Tammy was stunned before chuckling lightly, "it seems he's more skilled than you gave him credit for, Ava"

     The young men looked up and into the sky.

     Darius was the most surprised, "why is he here… and with her? They know each other? They're together? What's going on here."

     A taller and older version of Hauk from the opening ceremony looked over to Darius, "you know him Darius?" The anger in his voice was clear.

     Akihiko's face was burning with anger, 'that's my wife!'

     Madeleine didn't seem to hear the commotion below. She was clinging to Dyon, looking up at him with her eyes sparkling, "you really know how to give a girl exactly what she wants."

     Dyon looked down at her with a massive grin on his face, "if they're all going to want to kill me anyway, I might as well make an event out of it."

     Madeleine giggled and leaned her head into Dyon, oblivious to the fumes of anger and jealousy she was setting off in the crowd below.

     "How the hell did he win her heart… And why they hell is he flirting with me if he has … That!" Ava didn't know what to think anymore. She had just been telling Dyon earlier today how he wasn't strong or good enough for her, then he shows up with the most beautiful woman in the history of Focus Academy. Not to mention the fact there was no way she was weak!

     "I guess my words fell on deaf ears," Tammy said chuckling.

     A robust laughter filled the roof top, "it seems like my little sister has found someone she likes. He must be a great man."

     Meiying was looking on in disbelief, "is that really big sister?... she looks so… healthy."

     'Maybe I should give this Chenglei character a try if boys can really have that affect on you,' Meiying thought to herself.

     Delia was looking up at the sky and smiling, watching them slowly descend. She had never seen her big sister so happy in a long time.

     Snapping out of his stupor, Darius finally realized he had been asked a question, "Elder Cousin Caddell, this is the boy I nearly killed the other day. I was telling you about his idiocy earlier."

     "Him!? What gives him the right to be with Lady Sapientia and be so weak?!"

     The young men around Darius and Caddell seemed to hear their conversation, soon the entire banquet knew and Dyon hadn't even stepped off the formation yet. He was happily chatting with Madeleine, they seemed lost in another world.

     Oliver frowned when he heard the talks, but quickly got over it. He knew his sister better than any of them. Even if the man she chose was that weak, he made her happy, and that was all he cared about. Pertinacis wasn't of the same opinion as his elder brother, but he decided to wait on the results instead of jumping to conclusions. He wouldn't allow his elder sister to be with a weakling, but he was also intelligent. He knew that the phoenix they rode here on wasn't within his sister's abilities, which means this Dyon had more secrets than they knew. Also, he had personally witnessed his talent at the opening ceremony, so he was well aware of the potential. Since his sister was sick anyway, the family wouldn't have too many objections even if she were to marry someone from the human world.

     Thinking to this point, he let it go and smiled, "Elder brother, this is actually the student from the human world I was telling you about earlier. He caused quite a stir at the opening ceremony. He's actually quite talented."

     "Oh?" Oliver looked on thoughtfully. It seemed like his sister appreciated that potential as well.

     By now, Dyon and Madeleine had already stepped onto the ground, the phoenix dissipating. But, instead of allowed the floating flower and birds go as well, Dyon grasped the air, pulling them into his fist. He lightly squeezed, and a beautiful flower flickering with aurora flames appeared.

     "This is actually something I've been studying the most for the past few days. I can't be with you all the time, so I thought I'd make something that could alleviate your illness all the time. It partially incorporates an array and also has part of my aurora flame. It should leave you in comfort for as long as I live."

     Madeleine smiled, tears glistening in her eyes as she placed the flower onto her hair bun. It perfectly complemented her hair pin, magnifying her beauty even more.

     Although they weren't paying attention to everyone, it didn't mean that they weren't paying attention to them.

     Akihiko has blood dripping down the corner of his lips as he bit the inside of his mouth. It was one thing for him to get beat up. But it was an entirely different matter to find out it was the same person who had, just a few days prior, almost lost their life to someone who could barely be considered a member of the pillar families. And to then show up with the girl he had loved for most of his life? Akihiko was as close to blowing up as a human could possibly be.

     Oliver was the first to go greet them. A wide smile was on his face, "when were you going to tell me you found a husband little sister? And to make us wait so long for you to come here? You worried us to death. Why don't you introduce me?"

     Madeleine blushed, not able to look her brother in the eye. Dyon had a smile on his face as he looked at the tall young man, 'he's strong, thought Dyon.'

     Just as Dyon was about to extend his hand to greet Madeleine's elder brother, a booming voice radiated through the roof.

     "I've seen a lot of things in my day, but to see such shit stuck to a pure flower is a first for me."

     It was Darius. He was sneering in Dyon's direction. He was brimming with confidence. He could do a favor for his seniors by get rid of this eyesore, and it would be easy. Although many of the seniors here were a bit apprehensive about his story because they thought there was no way their goddess could be with such a weakling, he was the most certain about this truth behind it.

     Oliver faintly smiled. It would be easy for him to protect Dyon as a favor to his little sister, but even if Dyon was weak, he had to have the disposition of a man. If Dyon was a coward, even he wouldn't allow his little sister to be with him.

     He had heard the stories from his Uncle Libro and his little brother Pertinacis, but seeing was believing, and this was the perfect opportunity.

     Dyon understood Oliver's intentions and nodded, "I'll be right back," he smiled faintly at Madeleine.

     Madeleine, understanding Dyon's personality, nodded and let go of his arm.

     Dyon slowly walked past Oliver. His every step seemed to dictate the beating hearts of those around his. A dense killing intent permeated the air as he found Akihiko blocking his way.

     His voice was faint but it carried throughout the whole banquet, "are you going to move aside yourself, or should I help you?"

     Oliver was a bit stunned by what Dyon said. He was at most a first year, and from what he could see, he had no cultivation. Was he ignorant to Akihiko's strength? But before he could step forward to mediate the situation, his eyes widened as he saw Akihiko tremble. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.

     'Akihiko's… afraid?'

     "why isn't Akihiko saying anything… with his temper, he would have flown into a rage already," said Meiying faintly.

     Akihiko steadied himself with great struggles, "don't joke around brother Dyon, I just happened to be here when you came, I don't mind moving. This is a friendly event after all."

     The banquet went silent with shock.

     Ava's mouth was hanging open and even the playful Tammy didn't know what to think.

     Was this really the Akihiko they knew?

     'I can't risk getting beat again, I have to find out the limit of his strength first.'

     Akihiko shifted to the side and Dyon continued to walk, their shoulders barely touching. Dyon didn't spare Akihiko another glance, causing Akihiko to go red with a next level of vigor.

     Dyon walked up to Darius whose sneer was frozen, "cousin…" he said weakly.

     He was sure he had beaten Dyon to an inch of death before, but something was different today.

     "don't worry, with me here, what could he do," Caddell said with a sneer.

     This seemed to give Darius renewed confidence. Although Akihiko was talented, Caddell was much older and therefore much stronger. Even if Akihiko was afraid, it didn't mean Caddell was too.

     Dyon ignored Caddell and stood half a meter in front of Darius, "it seems we meet again. I'm sure you remember what I said last time," Dyon said faintly.

     "I've actually been working on this new array. I used it earlier today to glide through water, but I think it might have another purpose too," waving his hand, a sphere of golden light with complex symbols appeared around Darius.

     "W-what is this," Darius trembled, "cousin! Save me!"

     Caddell smirked and sent a punch at the sphere packing the full might of a practitioner at the 7th layer of the foundation stage.

     BANG!

     Small rippled filled the sphere, but other than that, there was nothing.

     "haha, this is a 4th common level array, how could it be so easy to disperse. Especially since I layered it by at least 10. Good luck with that."

     Caddell was fuming in anger and embarrassment. How could he not destroy something made on a whim by a 13-year-old?!

     Darius was inside the sphere as it slowly shrank. He was crying out and slamming against the walls. But if a 7th layer could do nothing, how could he at the 3rd?

     Darius was already on his knees by the time people started to understand what was going on.

     "hmm, I think if you want to survive, you'll have to strip naked and kowtow to me 10 times. I think that's about the going rate on your life."

     Darius trembled as he remembered those were words he had once spoken to Dyon.

     "okay, okay. I'll do it, I'll do it!" Darius started ripping his clothes off.

     "you coward! You disgrace the Storm family! And you! I'll kill you!"

     As Caddell was charging at Dyon, Darius was already kowtowing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

     But, before Caddell could reach Dyon and Dyon could retaliate, a graceful figure appeared before him, blasting him away.

     "Madeleine?" Dyon shook his head chuckling, "I could handle him you know," Dyon said with a smile.

     "Madeleine is so powerful?"

     "I've never seen her fight"

     "Neither have I"

     "She's definitely way stronger than me," muttered Ava who was in a constant state of surprise since the Dyon had arrived.

     "He was annoying me. What right does he have to comment on a man I chose, hmph."

     Dyon turned a gaze of humor towards Madeleine, 'she says she wants me to be stronger, but she isn't willing to let me get bullied. What a woman.'

     Dyon waved his hand and released the now naked Darius who refused to raise his head due to embarrassment.

     "The next time you cross my path, I'll kill you. In light of today's festivities, I'll let you live for now. But, you'd better understand that I don't speak my words lightly. Watch your mouth, or I'll watch it for you."

     After he was finished, Dyon took Madeleine's delicate hand and walked back towards the shocked Oliver. On his way, he smiled towards Meiying and Delia.

     "Do you want to stay here?" Dyon whispered to Madeleine.

     "Not really, I just wanted to see my big brother. I haven't seen him in a long time. Let's go," Madeleine said with a gentle smile, leaning into Dyon.

     Dyon walked to Oliver before putting his hand out, "I'm Dyon Sacharro, nice to meet you."

     Oliver's hearty laugh filled the roof top again, "good man," he said grasping Dyon's hand, "you two can go, I'm sure you don't want to be here anyway. I'll see you when the world of the central tower opens, I'm sure you'll make good gains there. Uncle Libro was adamant on getting you a spot, and considering your talent, there should be no problems."

     Dyon smiled and nodded, waving his hands, the crowd looked on in awe as another phoenix appeared. Dyon and Madeleine faded into the distance, the cries of the Phoenix filling the skies.

     Back on the ground, Akihiko had a sinister look on his face, 'you can enjoy this victory for now. But, I'm coming for you. The central pillar open world isn't a joke. Once news spreads of you and Madeleine, it won't be hard to get hundreds of people attacking you together. I wonder what you'd do then? Madeleine will be mine. Her potential will be mine. I'll rise up the ranks of the martial world and conquer everything.'

     Tammy was scanning the people remaining in the banquet with intelligent eyes, 'the central pillar open world, huh? That brings back memories…'

     The rest of the guests were still in a daze when Oliver's claps filled the silence again, "Alright! Sorry for the liveliness. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's work hard and motivate each other! If something isn't the way you want it to be, fight for it! You just may win," Oliver smiled a bright smile, his handsome face making it impossible for the crowd to stop nodding at his words.

     "Everything by absolute power or absolute sympathy!" Oliver roared.

     "Everything by absolute power or absolute sympathy!"

     "Everything by absolute power or absolute sympathy!"

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     19 Femme Fatale

      Madeleine laid on Dyon's chest as they hovered in the air, reclined to enjoy the night sky.

     "You're quite bold for a girl who's almost been recluse for her whole life you know," Dyon said chuckling.

     "Little sister Delia and Meiying probably think so too, but you've been in my heart since the opening ceremony. Maybe not exactly in this way… But sometimes a foot in the door for a long time leads to a fully open one, no?"

     Dyon smiled, 'it seems like she's been watching from afar for a long time… it must be lonely being in that room with Libro all the time.'

     Dyon felt a delicate hand playing with his collar, "the truth is that I'm always playing the gentle big sister role, mostly because I have no idea how much longer I'll have the chance too…"

     The vulnerability in her voice made Dyon tremble. Madeleine was so strong, yet it seemed even martial artists have their weaknesses too.

     "Forget about me, tell me about your life Dyon," Madeleine said gently.

     Dyon smiled, steadying his heart as Madeleine rested her hands on his neck, 'don't get a boner, don't get a boner. She's laying her heart bare and you're thinking about sex. Stop it.'

     Madeleine chuckled, almost as though she could hear Dyon's thoughts.

     Dyon took a deep breath, "in the human world, I guess you could say I have high standing, not that that means anything at all here. My dad was a law enforcement officer, but he died when I was 10. My mom was a gentle woman, and she's actually the one who wanted me to join this academy. Although she died when I was 8, I found some letters from her that my dad left in his will to be given to me when I turned 13."

     Dyon felt Madeleine trembling by his side, but he simply wrapped the arm that was pinned under her around her waist and pulled her closer, causing her to blush, "there's no need to feel sad. They're the reason I must stay strong and live a good life. I invented so many things and succeeded in the human world so I could have them look down on me with smiles on their faces. Now, I'll do the same with the martial world."

     Madeleine stayed silent for a moment, before removing the pin for her hair and letting her beautiful brunette hair fall. She held the fiery golden lily that Dyon had gave her in her hand as she lay on Dyon's chest, trying to hide her tears.

     Dyon gently moved the hair from her eyes and wiped the tears, "now you've given me another reason to be strong, right?" Dyon smiled brightly as Madeleine looked up at him.

     "mm," Madeleine nodded while smiling through her tears.

     "Forget all that stuff, let's talk about something else. You're much stronger than me, what do you think I should choose as a weapon?"

     "Well, my big brother always said that swords are the king of all weapons. But, I think he's a bit biased," Madeleine said with a chuckle.

     "Your will of music is so strong, but finding music techniques, especially ones that resonate with a man's more innate yang characteristics, is beyond difficult. With your talent, I don't doubt that any weapon would be mastered if put into your hands. But, since the sword is so popular, it's the easiest to find techniques in and probably the cheapest to start off with," Madeleine giggled, "I saw you con The General out of 10,000 profound stones, you're probably richer than even my father right now."

     "Whooaaa, I only took advantage of a situation shown to me. Anyway, he deserved it," Dyon said with a smile.

     "There's a bit of a warning though. Since sword techniques are so easy to find, there's a lot of fluff to it too. Be careful in choosing so you don't start with a shaky base."

     Dyon nodded in agreement. What Madeleine said made perfect sense.

     Hours went by and soon the gentle sound of Madeleine's breathing let Dyon know it was probably time to bring her back. Just as he was about to retract the thick blanket he had brought out hours earlier, his keen senses noticed that Madeleine was back to imperceptibly trembling. The movements were so minute he hadn't even felt when she was right up against him. But, what really made Dyon's heart ache was the smile on her face hadn't faded.

     Tears glistened in his eyes. At the beginning he was captivated by Madeleine's beauty. He had never in his life seen a girl so beautiful. But, what won his heart was her strength, charisma, the hardships she had gone through. Dyon's flirting was simply a part of his personality, his mother always taught him to say what he meant and mean what he said… to say whatever you thought because you may never get a chance later… to treat a woman's confidence like what held you up in the world… to understand that when you found something good, it just fit – there was no change needed.

     Madeleine was willing to live a short life the way she wanted rather than a long one she had no control over. She even despised the days she was lauded as a genius, and preferred her more quiet days. Her beauty was only secondary to her strength. She was a right fit that required no change.

     Dyon picked Madeleine up gently. She felt like a feather in his arms as he kept the blanket tightly wrapped around her. Madeleine shifted adorably in her sleep, falling perfectly into Dyon's chest.

     Dyon looked down, not letting his tears fall. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I won't let you suffer for long. I promise."

     They soared through the sky towards Patia-Neva Peak. Dyon had never been to Madeleine's home, so all he could do was bring her to Delia. He was sure she'd have a place to rest there.

     After scanning the forest through the air, Dyon finally spotted a small but elegant home. Swooping down, he used his foot to knock lightly.

     A few minutes later, Meiying and Delia came to door, surprised to find Dyon.

     "You two were still together this late at night? How scandalous," Meiying said while giggling.

     Dyon let off a beaming smile, not the least bit embarrassed, "I wasn't sure where her house was, so I thought I'd bring her here."

     Delia wiped the sleep from her eyes and nodded, "you can bring her in," she said with a light smile.

     After settling Madeleine down, Meiying and Delia walked Dyon to the door. Before they could bid him good bye, Dyon spoke, "you've all been following me for a while, since Madeleine is gone now, you might as well come out."

     Delia and Meiying looked confused. But then, 10s of shadows started popping out of the forest.

     "you don't deserve her," Akihiko said sinisterly.

     "To think a worm like you would think you'd have the right to be with such a goddess. I wonder what you'll do now that she isn't here to protect you," Caddell walked out.

     Dyon ignored them, "I can't be bothered with clowns like you, why don't you come out too… Oliver."

     "Oliver?..." said Delia softly.

     Before she could explain to Dyon that he must be mistaken, Oliver liked him, did he not? A figure they all knew walked out, golden eyes shining behind his crystal framed glasses.

     "your senses are keen," Oliver said faintly.

     'there are about 20 of them… the weakest are at the 3rd layer… Oliver is the strongest at the 9th … How do I get out of this?'

     Despite the raging storm of plans forming and deforming in Dyon's mind, his face was calm and placid.

     Turning back to Delia and Meiying who looked worried for him, he said, "no matter what happens tonight, never tell Madeleine her brother was involved."

     "But –" Delia and Meiying tried to protest.

     "No." Dyon said firmly, 'she's suffered through enough pain… how could I make her choose between a brother she loves so dearly and me?'

     Oliver trembled when he heard what Dyon said. He was already prepared to be hated by his little sister for life. But, after Dyon and Madeleine left, his father and Pillar Elder Kami, as well as Akihiko had explained the possibility of a cure to him. How could he not give his sister this chance?

     'am I doing the right thing?...' Oliver shook his head and regained his resolve.

     Dyon leaped onto a defensive formation and slowly flew into the air, "well? Let's go. If you fought here you'd only wake Madeleine. And wouldn't that ruin all of your waiting?"

     "Dyon, I let you and my sister have a night of peace together. But, I needed to make sure her virginity stayed intact. That's the only reason we did this tonight."

     "I don't particularly care about your reasons. Save the talk and let's go."

     "Oliver! Don't do this!" cried Delia.

     "I'll go and get Madeleine right now!" Meiying harrumphed.

     Dyon's voice rang out, "I've put a silencing and defensive array around her room… it won't disperse until she wakes up on her own. Let her sleep, she's been through enough."

     Delia had tears streaming down her face, 'why can't I protect anyone? My big sister finally found happiness, and it's going to end before the week is even through?'

     Delia was about to charge when 2 6th layer foundation stage boys appeared before her, sneering, "Sorry Princess, but you know your big sister better than anyone. How could a nobody like him be worthy?"

     Draco turned into a raven, swooping up Chenglei, Akihiko, Oliver and Caddell.

     Delia and Meiying shuddered in despair. From Akihiko's boiling aura, they could tell he had broken into the 7th layer. 5 peak level foundation stage experts against a 13-year-old boy with no cultivation? Dyon was dead. Even if they could break through the formation that Dyon had set, even if Madeleine wasn't sick, she wouldn't be able to deal with them all even with Dyon's help.

     Delia and Meiying watched a proud, unyielding back get further and further away. Once they were out of sight, the figures that were in front of them bowed in apology before disappearing.

     **

     In the sky above the dark lake, 5 figures and a bird stood in the air.

     'At least by fighting in the air, I've reduced the number of enemies.'

     "I wish it didn't have to be this way, Dyon. But, if you love my sister, you have 2 choices. You either leave and never come back, or, I kill you here."

     "Brother in law, that wasn't the plan. We must kill him," Akihiko said in agitation.

     "SILENCE! The only reason I'm allowing my sister to marry you is because I am sure that your talent is wholly inferior to hers. Once she's cured, you'll never be able to bully her. You'll be husband and wife, but you will never hold a dominant role. Do you understand me? Your goal has already been fulfilled, now stand there quietly," Oliver's voice boomed through the night sky.

     Akihiko gripped his fists in silence, smiling coldly on the inside.

     Dyon snickered, "are you saying that for my sake? Or are you saying that to make yourself feel better because you're weak and pathetic?"

     Oliver turned a cold gaze towards Dyon, "I'll give you one more chance. Because of my sister, I am willing to allow you to –"

     "Let's get one thing straight, no one "allows" me to do anything. What I do, is what I want to do. And what I want to do is be with Madeleine. If you want to kill me for that, go ahead and try."

     Oliver's face steeled.

     "You see, brother in law? He has no idea what's good for himself. How could he know what's good for my fiancée??

     "I find this a bit funny honestly. There's a misguided brother. A wishful thinker. Two bitches who wanted nothing to do with me while I was kicking the shit out of their wishful thinker of a friend. And then there's the guy who got one shot by a girl. Is this an attempted murder? Or a comedy sketch?"

     Their faces turned red with fury. The crow's call rang out through the night.

     "You've lost all your chances Dyon. It seems like you don't want my kindness."

     "How about you kiss my ass, you weak bitch."

     Before Dyon could react, Oliver was already in the air. He pushed off with such force that Draco fell almost 50 meters before regaining his balance.

     'Too fast... You know a girl for less than a week and she's already getting you killed. Is this what they call femme fatale?'

     Before Dyon could even finish his thought, he felt a cold blade pierce through his heart, causing him to cough up blood.

     "You could have lived, but you were foolish. I'll make sure that Madeleine lives a good life."

     Dyon chuckled, looking down at the blade, "oh? *cough cough*" Dyon wheezed in a breath, "you mean like how you've been protecting her from suffering until now?"

     Oliver shuddered. Two men stood looking at each other with unyielding eyes. Slowly, Dyon's began to dim. The array beneath started to slowly fade. As they dropped through the sky, Draco circled around and caught Oliver.

     Akihiko watched as Dyon fell into the lake with a sinister glow in his eyes, 'even if the sword through the heart hadn't killed him already, a fall from that high, even into water, with no cultivation? Would be enough to kill anyone.'

     Chenglei looked on at the scene, 'I guess I was a bit too paranoid before.'

     Oliver calmly wiped the blood from his blade, after one last look at Dyon's sinking figure, he spoke, "let's go. By the morning he would have sunk down far enough the you wouldn't be able to see him through the windows of the academy. Plus, we're far enough away that it wouldn't matter anyway."

     Back on Patia-Neva peak, Madeleine shuddered in her sleep. Looking out the window, she saw the night sky and realized Dyon had brought her to Delia, 'hmph, a man should take some initiative you know? I was there all vulnerable and you didn't even give me a proper kiss?'

     Although Madeleine thought this, she felt an dull pain in her heart. But, not knowing what it was, she went back to sleep, thinking of Dyon.

     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     20 ...

      Madeleine woke up in the morning in high spirits, looking down at the flower Dyon had given her, a bright smile bloomed on her face.

     Getting up, she went to the bathroom and fixed herself up, changing into something more casual. She put her hair up and slipped her glasses back on before almost bouncing into the living room to find Meiying, Delia and Oliver.

     The three of them looked up, and although they had a bit of an unnatural look on their faces, Madeleine didn't pay much attention to it.

     "Oh? What're you doing here Oliver? You know it's not polite to come to a lady's home like this," Madeleine said teasing her elder brother.

     Oliver sighed, "little sister, I came to tell you that father has decided on a wedding date. 2 months from now you'll marry Akihiko."

     Madeleine's smile froze, her bubbly personality turning stone cold, "no. I absolutely will not."

     Oliver shook his head, "you don't have much of a choice. Considering the date father's chosen, you won't be in full control of yourself."

     Madeleine paled, coming to a sudden realization… 'two months from now? The winter solstice…'.

     Usually during that time of year. In fact, even during the entire month. Madeleine closed herself off from the world, unwilling to lose her most precious thing or to disgrace herself while not being in control. But, now, her supposed father was using that against her to consummate a marriage she wanted no part of.

     'Dyon can't fight against 2 pillar families like this… And I wouldn't even be able to help him. That month is not only the one I'm in the most pain for, I'll have the least amount of control. I'll have no cultivation and even if I did, how could I fight against the Kami and Sapientia family elders?'

     Madeleine buried the pain in her heart. It seemed like her family was giving her no choice. Ignoring her brother, she looked over to Meiying and Delia, "where's Dyon, I need to talk to him."

     "This…" Delia stuttered, not knowing what to say.

     Madeleine looked intently at Delia's face, but all she saw was endless hesitation.

     "Tell me," Madeleine said with a shaking voice. Her heart was trembling as she looked down at the flower in her hands, 'it's too… it's too dim…' Tears began spilling over.

     Oliver got up, walking over to comfort his sister.

     "He's dead." Oliver said softly.

     "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

     Oliver paled, before his face steeled.

     Madeleine fell to the ground, unable to stop her shivering. Clutching the flower in her hands, she couldn't stop shaking. A layer of frost started to cover the ground, coating Madeleine's body.

     "Big sister!" Delia ran to Madeleine, ignoring the cold and holding her tightly, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

     Meiying's cold voice called out, "leave. And tell that Chenglei he'd better never come see me again."

     Oliver looked over at Meiying's cold eyes before nodding and leaving the house.

     The sound of a lonely door closing resonated with Madeleine's endless sobbing.

     "Meiying, her illness has never acted up like this before. Dyon's flame isn't working," Delia was delirious, she had no idea what to do. The pillar she had always held onto was breaking apart and she couldn't help.

     Meiying rubbed Delia's back while holding onto Madeleine with her, "how could it work?" she said softly, "it's tied to his life… you heard what he said at the banquet… he said it would leave her in comfort for as long as he –" Meiying choked on her last words, unable to finish.

     Madeleine's shivering got worse after she heard what Meiying said.

     The 3 girls sat on the floor of the living room, holding each other in helplessness.

     **

     Many hours before, Dyon was slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake, 'well… this sucks, now doesn't it.'

     After ten minutes of holding his breath, Dyon had sunk far enough down that he believed the lights from his array formation wouldn't be seen from the surface. Unwilling to see if the same trick would work on Oliver twice, he chose to be cautious.

     Dyon smirked to himself as he thought of the events. Although Oliver's sword had in fact pierced his chest, Dyon had distracted him long enough to draw the spatial array he had used to pass through the window with Madeleine earlier that night on his heart. He would have done so with his entire chest, but that would mean that Oliver would have a) noticed the lack of resistance b) would have noticed the lack of blood and c) probably most obviously, would have seen the array since it would have to be directly on his chest to work that way.

     Pushing out a spherical defensive array from him, Dyon formed an air bubble, finally allowing himself to take a deep breath.

     "He still cracked my ribs though… fuck that hurt. I'm real tired of all these people trying to kill me."

     'I should head back to my room, that way Libro will see me on the monitor as long as I take down the metal plate. At least that way I can disappear for a while without Madeleine thinking I'm dead. That girl's suffered enough.'

     'I need to be back within 2 months no matter what. I know they'll try and use the fact Madeleine loses control on the winter solstice to force her to do something she doesn't want to. But, how do I get strong enough in 2 months to say no to 2 powerful families, I can't even beat Oliver…'

     Dyon sat in meditation, allowing himself to slowly sink and his wounds to heal.

     Suddenly, Dyon felt a sinister aura. Startling himself awake, he looked down, but he saw nothing but pitch black.

     'that's weird… is there something at the bottom of the lake? I didn't see anything even when I was swimming out here… so, it must be really far down…'

     Dyon shook his head. Although he was curious, he knew that his best bet at getting stronger was probably the center pillar library. Over the past weeks, Dyon had taken out all book relevant to him on all 6 of the 600 level libraries in the outer pillar, Libro had never tried to restrict him. Everything from cultivation techniques to battle techniques and array alchemy. But, he had practiced none of them. He hadn't done it to find techniques, he just wanted to get an understanding of what was good and what was bad. But, despite this, even Libro didn't give him access to the central pillar library. So, he knew that was where the good stuff was.

     But, there was the problem of getting there. However, Dyon had an idea for that too. He wanted to use the ponds. They were connected to each other and supplied energy to the whole school, so, wouldn't that mean that the central pillar library had a pond too?

     'It's the dead of night, and from what I understand, people rarely go to the central pillar library. Also, considering how everyone's scared of the pond energy, they'll never think I'd be crazy enough to enter it.'

     Earlier, Dyon had done a test and found that his arrays could block out the pond's energy. Which made sense, if it couldn't block energy from cultivation, how would it work as a proper defensive array?

     Speeding forward, Dyon headed for the central pillar.

     'Although now that I have the rudimentary spatial array, I could probably just fly up and directly enter the library through the walls… but, I'd have no way of know if anyone saw me… too many damned windows.'

     Soon, Dyon reached the very bottom of the center pillar and was looking into the now empty room that he had once been to for the opening ceremony. Slowly, Dyon passed through the window and touched down on the red carpets.

     Dyon wasn't here to reminisce though. He looked up and saw the creation array they had used to call upon things for their performances.

     'Such a large and complex array must need plenty of power, right?' Although Dyon wondered how a school without any real array alchemists could have such an array, he had no choice but to push it to the back of his mind.

     Dyon lifted himself up and touched the ceiling above the center stage. His 6th sense reached out.

     'As I thought, there's a massive power supply up here. It runs up and should be connected to ponds they have upstairs. If I check them diligently, I should eventually find the library.'

     Dyon coated himself in layer after layer of defensive formations, ensuring that they wouldn't allow the energy through.

     'hm, since this array is able to covert this energy into a usable form… maybe I can make an array like that too in the future…' Dyon mused.

     He passed through the ceiling and found himself in a sea of energy. Just as Dyon was about to randomly choose a direction to move in, he was suddenly washed with auras of hate, animosity and death.

     'What is going on here… why do I sense such hatred? SHIT!' Dyon felt a flicker in his aurora as it dimmed under the oppressive energy.

     'I can't allow this to continue. It's already cut off the connection I have with Madeleine's flower. If this continues, the next thing that will be cut off is me. Why is there aura like this here? I thought this sea of energy was done voluntarily, what is going on?'

     Dyon didn't have too much time to think about it, he was already speeding through the sea of energy, checking pond after pond and room after room. Although it would have been smarter to get out, he knew he couldn't give up. If he did, there would be very few other avenues for him to save Madeleine.

     'I'm so sorry Madeleine, it looks like you'll have to spend the next two months in pain,' A palpable fury rose up in Dyon's heart. He was disgusted with himself and disgusted with this world. How easy would it be for him to just turn around and go home? Pretend like he never read his mother's letter?

     The death qi was starting to whither away at Dyon, when finally, Dyon saw a library through one of the ponds he was swimming towards, but, before he could leap out, he heard voices speaking in hushed tones.

     "This is the best place to speak, no one comes here. Only the pillar family heads have access and they spend most of their time away from the academy. I need to leave soon as well, so we need to hurry this up."

     'That's elder Kami…' thought Dyon, 'I wonder what's going on.'

     "First, I'd like to say congratulations Pillar Family Leader Kami, I hear your son has found a suitable wife."

     Dyon clenched his fists.

     "It's all thanks to your Daiyu family, how else would we have found the cure."

     The elder from the Daiyu family chuckled, "you're quite sinister to call such a thing a cure."

     Dyon's nails dug into his palms as his irises greyed, affected by the death qi that was slowly seeping through his arrays.

     "It's a form of a cure, is it not?" Kami chuckled.

     "…I guess it is a matter of perspective. But, about the matter of payment. Not only has my Daiyu family mended your younger son's soul, we've also helped your elder son get something he's always wanted and massively improved his future prospects…"

     "Of course, Elder Daiyu, I always repay my debts. Although Meiying hasn't been receptive to Chenglei, I'll ensure he retains his spot to enter the center pillar world. We've also been ensuring that the power supply is enough by fueling the school's energy system for the past two years."

     "fueling, huh? You seem to have an uncanny ability to make such evil things seem so normal," elder Daiyu chuckled.

     "Sometimes some sacrifices are necessary. This is the martial world. If they expected an easy road here, they were mistaken."

     "Hoho, how cold hearted. They came here to learn, not die. I suspect this also has to do with that boy's disappearance, no?"

     Elder Kami froze, "don't speak of this. Not even here," he said quickly.

     "And to think, his poor little sister has been stifling her talent in the godforsaken place to look for a dead man… you'd best not let her find out the truth, or else there'll be endless trouble."

     Dyon froze, 'who's he talking about?'

     "Elder, please," Kami said feeling slightly uncomfortable, "how else could we pay our debt? If we didn't sacrifice a few of the elder students, we'd never power the formation properly. If we could have used nothing by 1st layer students, we would have. But, their cultivation is so shallow, it wouldn't be possible to take enough without raising suspicion. We would have liked to save his talent and have him be one of our alumni, but who knew he couldn't see the bigger picture. He even threatened to get his family involved. Even if the Sicarius family is small and weak… they're connected to a much, much bigger problem."

     'Sicarius?' Dyon shivered, 'Ava…'

     Elder Daiyu chuckled, "The connection might be a lot stronger than you think… But, you don't have to explain it to me. You know what our family deals in. I've seen plenty of bad. This can be considered child's play. All I know is that for even members of the Sicarius family to come here for your central pillar world, it must be quite a place. Quite impressive for such a small school. So, I thought I'd get a place for Chenglei. What I'm more interested in though is the technology you use to harvest the energy. The amount of death qi contained in the pond should be an astronomical amount. How do you stop it from corroding the things that use it as a power source?"

     "Actually, only the Storm and Kami family know about this. If the other families knew, they would directly oppose us."

     'Storm?... what do they have to do with this?...' Dyon suddenly had a thought, but he didn't dare complete it.

     "The Storm family actually stole this technique from the Ragnor family after they had stolen it from the Pakal family during their famous war. It's why the Storm family ran all the way to the edge of the continent instead of staying a branch family of theirs. Storm used this as payment to join the Pillar Families, then we built this school."

     "One technique was worth losing the protection of such a strong family?"

     "We haven't perfected the technique yet because we're missing some items, which is actually why we want to open up the central pillar world. That world was actually left behind by the previous sect housed in this area. I haven't looked too deeply into that sect, but from my understanding, the crescent shaped island used to be whole. After a major war, they were wiped off the face of the planet, leaving a huge hole. We built the academy on this lake because although the old sect is gone, it still has a pretty dense center of energy which is good for cultivating."

     "I see, so the books in this library must be ones you found from that sect, right?"

     "right. Since I can't afford to repay your kindness in helping my younger son, what we can do, is once Meiying has been married into the Daiyu family, you can stop being a secluded family. Now that the wars between you and the Bai family will cease, you can join our academy and enjoy the spoils of the Storm family with us. Which is the only reason I've told you all of this…"

     Elder Daiyu shivered in anticipation, "so, what is the true secret of what the Storm family stole?"

     "Well, you've probably figured out that their true family name isn't Storm, it's Ragnor. Only the pillar family heads know this. They changed their name to better hide. So, just like the Ragnor family, they undergo much more intense lightning tribulations as their cultivation increases because of their inherent affinity for lightning due to their special bodies. As such, only the very top talents of the Ragnor family can reach high levels of cultivation without dying. To circumvent their decline, the Ragnor family warred with the Pakal family for centuries to steal their blood sacrifice technique. Essentially, with enough preparation, you can steal the cultivation of others. Once we find the items we need, we can soar greatly as an academy."

     Dyon's face contorted in disgust, shivering in the pond as his skin greyed.

     "The true patriarch of the Storm family and their true geniuses don't show up at the academy because they are so far and away from the so-called geniuses we have here that it would cause an uproar. Aside from Tammy who I have suspicions is a true genius of the Storm family, maybe only Madeleine can compete with them… if she wasn't so sick. We have to keep control on this information as much as we can so that the Ragnor family doesn't track us down. We'll only truly reveal ourselves once we've used the technique adequately to be able to compete for a place at the center of the continent."

     A smile appeared on Daiyu's face. He had thought of stealing the technique for himself, but Kami very cleverly mentioned the power the Storm family had.

     "So, what's stopping them from getting rid of you after they've become strong enough?"

     Kami smiled, "because many of us are connected to larger families who understand the importance of such a technique too. To be able to circumvent lightning tribulations and directly enter the next level of cultivation? Which one of our higher branches wouldn't want that? If the Kami God clan knew about this, they'd war too. Same with the Sapientia God Clan. If suddenly one of your branches was wiped out, wouldn't you investigate regardless of how little you cared for them?"

     Elder Daiyu nodded his head in agreement, "very true. This payment is more than enough for what the Daiyu family has done for your sons."

     "Welcome to the pillar families."

     The two men shook hands.

     Dyon was nearly entirely grey at this point. But, his anger was keeping him together. These so-called people really treated lives like weeds. They killed Ava's brother for speaking out. They sacrificed so many students, all for the benefit of their families. They claim the other family leaders don't know, but how couldn't they know? They must be turning a blind eye. What kind of idiot wouldn't understand what kind of sacrifice was needed for such a powerful technique? The storm family must be keeping the side effects of this technique under wraps. If the Pakal family truly had access to such a technique, how could any family rival them if there were no draw backs? Dyon didn't know if he was angrier with their immorality or their stupidity.

     The door to the library finally sealed. Numerous locks sounded as the meter-thick doors locked everything off.

     Dyon jumped out of the pond, immediately circulating his aurora flames to get rid of the death qi around him.

     Once he finally opened his eyes, a beeping sound rang from his wrists, 'they're in my room? DAMMIT. If my connection has been cut off from Madeleine's flower and I can't go to my room, she's really going to think I'm dead.'

     Dyon clutched his fists in agitation.

     'Two more months.'

     …

     'Wait for me.'

     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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     Goddammit Oliver *sigh*

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     21 The Celestial Woman

      Madeleine sat on her bed staring out of the window into a massive backyard, gently holding a dull flower in her hands. She was dressed in a black night gown. Her eyes were red as she pulled up her covers, shivering.

     Sapientia Peak was unlike Patia-Neva peak. Students often visited for the Sapientia family businesses and book stores, so a specific residence was cornered off from the lively atmosphere. Madeleine's room happened to face the back, if she looked far enough, she could see over the roof top barrier and into the endless blue. The crescent shaped island was so far away from here that it was impossible to see even with peak foundation stage cultivation. However, Madeleine's cultivation was slowly declining again. Her world was darkening with every passing day. Dyon had helped her feel power she hadn't felt in a long time, but now her illness was angry at having been suppressed and was raging even more. Now, her family was even more adamant about marrying her off.

     A creaking noise sounded through the silent room as the door opened. But, Madeleine didn't even bother looking. Her eyes remained dull as she continued looking towards the lake, 'you had reasons to remain strong… but where are mine?'

     "Little Maddy, you must eat," a handsome man walked in with a beautiful woman. They were clearly Madeleine's parents. But, they got no response. They could only look at each other helplessly. Although elder Sapientia had met Dyon before, he had no way of knowing he'd have such an impact on his daughter.

     The beautiful woman stomped her feet in anger, "this is what happens when you men think you know the best way to deal with a situation. How could you allow Oliver to kill him? Did you think this family would be the same after that? Do you think I like seeing my daughter like this any more than I would like seeing her dead?!"

     The woman walked to Madeleine and say beside her. But, Madeleine didn't seem to notice as her mother gently stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry my little Maddy. Mom's not strong enough to deal with this for you. I wouldn't have wanted him dead. But, now that he is, you must still marry Akihiko… Maybe over time, the pain will dull."

     Madeleine's mother understood her daughter's heart the most. She had been restricting herself for so long, and finally a hero came to lighten her load, and her family responded by killing him. She felt alone, heart broken… like she had the power to do nothing.

     Elder Sapientia stood stiffly by the door, having no idea what to do with himself. Every time Madeleine saw Oliver, she would scream in anger, doing everything in her power to vent her feelings. But, that only made her illness worse and worse. He had no choice but to send Oliver away to live on another peak until the wedding. He had no idea that killing a boy his daughter had only known for a week would result in such a big reaction. Maybe he didn't understand her as much as he should.

     A gentle knock came from the door, "Master, young master Kami is here to see the young mistress again."

     "TELL HIM TO GO AWAY!" Elder Sapientia could only smile bitterly as his wife responded for him.

     "You heard her. Tell him I don't want him here again until the day of the wedding. If not, he'll have to marry a corpse."

     The servant scurried away

     Elder Sapientia looked towards his wife and daughter, sighing. He hadn't told his son to kill Dyon, in fact, even his younger brother, Libro, was livid with him. But, that hardly mattered now.

     Madeleine knew before that Oliver was involved, and that was enough for her to hate him, but on Akihiko's last visit, he blurted out how Oliver had done it personally. This sent Madeleine into a whole new spiral of emotions. He couldn't risk bringing that boy here again.

     2 weeks had passed since that night, and Madeleine wasn't getting any better. It seemed like they had no choice.

     'Don't blame me too much little Maddy… What father wants to watch their kids die before they do…'

     **

     Dyon breathed out a shaky breath. He had just finished going through all of the books in the central library and his eyes were red with fatigue.

     'it only took me a few days to read so many books in the outer pillars, but it took me such a long time to read less than 1000 books? I guess the more complex the will of a book and the more profound the teachings, the longer the speed reading technique takes.'

     Dyon smiled, he had gotten a lot of gains. But, his main surprise were the practitioner level array alchemy books. The outer pillars only had books to the 5th common level, but the books here had up to the peak of practitioner. Although Dyon's soul strength couldn't form arrays past the 9th common level, what he had learned here was good for future reference and deepened his foundational understanding. And, if he could upgrade his aurora to just the 3rd level and access the 1st practitioner level, he'd have access to a weapons' array that would have his battle power soar.

     But, Dyon was well aware of his problems. He had seen a myriad of movement techniques in the library, but all of them had ridiculous cultivation requirements. However, he wanted to wait until he could temper his physical body to maturity before beginning. The problem was that without movement techniques, the situation that happened last night would occur again and again. His senses were more than powerful enough to see Oliver's movements, in fact, Oliver was slow to him, the problem was having fast enough speed to dodge. If he had used enough amplification arrays to do that, he would have turned his leg into paste. Which brought him back to the idea of tempering his body.

     Dyon was about to stand to see if he could sneak out of the academy and head to the outside world, when an idea suddenly came to mind.

     'last night, they were talking about how a sect used to be here. A massive hole ended up in the place they used to be? I felt something when I was near the bottom of the lake a few weeks ago… maybe the ruins of that ancient sect are still there…'

     Dyon jumped up, heading towards books classified as geography. He had ignored them before, but now he was very interested. He imprinted a map of the ancient sect in his mind, 'The Celestial Deer Sect'?

     'Interesting, it seems like they specialize in array alchemy, yet their books are so profound. It's either this sect was ridiculously powerful, or Focus Academy is just that weak.'

     What Dyon didn't know was that he was very naïve in his statement. The truth was, the celestial deer sect was probably the most advanced sect in terms of array alchemy due to their Totem Protector: the celestial deer. Because of Dyon's innate aurora, he never needed a medium to imprint arrays. However, those who forcibly awakened their auroras had no choice but to use these mediums. Of which, the crystals created by the celestial deer was the best. Grandmaster level array alchemists and beyond relied on these crystals to power their most powerful arrays and forge their most potent pills. These crystals also had an amplification effect even for those whose had innate auroras. But, the techniques had long been lost along with the destruction of the sect. So, Dyon continued on in ignorance.

     'Aside from my boost in Array Alchemy, I scanned through all of the sword cultivation techniques I could in addition to books about sensing wills and intents. It looks like my path to increasing my power will be through understanding wills. But, I'll have to increase the power of my body first so I can use my more powerful soul as a medium. Using my level 9 music will for just 5 hours almost put me on the brink of death. If I want to use multiple wills at a time or am in battle, the stress will be even worse. All in all, strengthening my body is my top priority. Then, I'll focus on movement techniques. After that, I'll master arrays up to the 9th common level. If I'm talented enough and still have time, I'll start my path on the way of the sword.'

     Dyon smiled as he thought of a wild idea, 'it seems it's time to visit the bottom of this lake…'

     **

     In the dead of night, Dyon peaked his head down through the ceiling of the bottom level of the central pillar to ensure no one was there. After confirming, he made his way through the window, slipping through and slowly making his way down.

     Although they called this body of water focus lake, Dyon was well aware that its depths were at the very least comparable to the ocean. He wasn't sure if his usual defensive array could withstand the pressure, so he spent an extra 2 days learning a peak common level defensive array. It took him hours to finish, and he ensured there was a slight imperfection, so the heaven's chimes wouldn't ring. Although this might have let Madeleine know he was alive, if he was caught in the central tower because of something like this, it wouldn't be good.

     After a few hours, the sinister aura Dyon had felt before was becoming more and more prevalent. But, Dyon steeled his resolve. If an ancient clan really had ruins that lay here, it would be too beneficial for him to pass up. There could never be benefits without risk, so he was willing to take the risks in order to save Madeleine. Every time he thought about the helplessness she must be feeling right now, his eyes became colder.

     Soon, an astonishing sight appeared in front of Dyon's eyes. A massive domed formation appeared, covering hundreds of miles in every direction.

     Dyon choked, 'what level of array alchemy must you reach to make something like this? Can I even pass through this? My spatial array is a joke in front a defensive array like this… My only chance is if I use a spatial array blessed by heaven's chimes. Hopefully, after so many years, the formation has weakened enough for it to work.'

     Just as Dyon was about to try his 5th common level spatial array, he touched the massive defensive array and seemed to slip right through. He was free falling without the water's buoyancy and was almost too surprised to break his fall with a few weak defensive arrays.

     'it must be an array that blocks threats… I guess I'm not powerful enough to be a threat,' Dyon chuckled bitterly landing on the ground with a thud.

     Just then, a flash of black light zipped by Dyon, surprising him.

     'what was that?' Dyon got up cautiously.

     BOOM!

     Something knocked into Dyon's chest making him fall on the ground, but, it didn't seem to hurt him too much.

     'what the hell is going on?'

     Just as Dyon was getting up again, another black light his him on his back, causing him to fall face first.

     'what the hell…'

     Dyon's eyes flashed with golden lights as he prepared to instantly cast a defensive-spatial array combination to trap the black light in with him.

     The black light came again, but this time Dyon was ready, a sphere appeared around him as the black light rammed into him, knocking him to the other side of the array. But, as the black light tried to escape, what sounded like a whimper sounded off as it realized it was trapped. Not willing to give up, it bounced around the array, causing cracks to form.

     "Oh no you don't!" Dyon grasped towards the black light, but to no avail.

     'I'll have to shrink the array.' This was a manipulation technique he had learned before even the banquet, it was what allowed Dyon to change the shape of his arrays into a more convenient form. It had also allowed him to form the phoenix to fly Madeleine to the banquet. But, the flames themselves were from his aurora.

     Soon, Dyon was crouching down looking at an adorably pouting puppy like creature. It looked like a deer, but it had paws instead of hooves. Its black fur actually had patches of jet black scales on it. Its tiny head had what looked like tiny bumps where horns would eventually grow in. However, this was heavily contrasted by majestic swirls of white fur and a single pearl like scale on its forehead.

     "you're adorable," Dyon said with a chuckle, "did you want to play?" Dyon reached out to pat on the little guy's head. It didn't seem to protest as it looked on in interest.

     He picked him up and held him in his arms, dispersing the array, "what are you doing here alone, little guy?"

     Dyon continued to look around, content with the fact his new little friend didn't seem to want to leave his arms.

     Although Dyon seemed nonchalant about this encounter, his mind was actually racing. All he saw around him were ruined and aged buildings and the area seemed desolate. Yet, there was clearly a living creature in his arms. Were there others? Has someone been raising him this whole time?

     Dyon decided to walk to the absolute center where he saw a massive building. Although it wasn't as tall as the center pillar, it looked about as wide as the pillar was tall, so there might be clues there.

     After a few hours, the building was finally right in front of Dyon, but the sinister aura was the thickest he'd felt yet.

     As he was about to go in, the little guy in his arms started to squirm.

     "you have a lot of nerve, treating my child like a pet," A voice boomed, but it seemed to be transmitted directly into Dyon's head.

     Dyon looked around, shivering as he saw the massive silhouette of a pure white majestic dear with swirls of gold on its fur appear in the skies. Its eyes were pitch black and its aura was suffocating.

     Dyon looked down to see innocent black eyes looking back up at him, "you really got me into some trouble, huh?" Dyon said chuckling bitterly.

     "hmm?" The illusory deer seemed surprised by Dyon's calmness. Her cultivation far surpassed this boy, but he seemed at peace. It seemed to smile.

     "I'm sorry, senior. I was only playing around with Little Black, I'd never disrespect the deity-like celestial deers," Dyon said politely.

     The illusion remained silent for a while before nodding. It shrunk into a woman so beautiful, even Madeleine couldn't compare. Dyon had never seen women so beautiful, and yet he had been here for less than 2 months and had already seen 2 earth shaking beauties, 'it seems like the martial world really does increase beauty. But, it's best I don't offend such a powerhouse.'

     But, that didn't stop Dyon from being mesmerized. She illusory lady in front of him had white flowing hair, and her qipao matched her previous fur, white with swirls of gold. She walked slowly to Dyon, seemingly sizing him up.

     "even within the celestial deer sects prime those with innate auroras were rare… rare to the point that we only had 2 ever in our long history," she muttered.

     Her eyes weren't actually black, they were the palest shade of silver, matching her pale skin.

     'she doesn't seem to be in peak condition,' thought Dyon.

     Finally, she looked up from her analysis, "don't move," Dyon saw an delicate illusory hand touch his forehead, him being powerless to stop it.

     He felt as though his whole life was being laid bare. His memories flashed through his eyes and after but a moment, it seemed like this woman knew everything about him.

     "it seems like your sect is dealing in quite some darkness… But, to be able to form 9th common level arrays with such little practice, you would be a peak genius even lined up against our whole lineage…"

     The lady nodded in satisfaction, "it seems like my wait wasn't for naught. I know what you need, just come with me. I'm willing to bestow what you need to save your woman as long as you promise to take care of my child like your own little brother after I fade. I'll be leaving an imprint on your heart, if you ever dare treat him like a tool, the sliver of my soul will kill you in an instant."

     A cold sweat appeared on Dyon's back, but he was relaxed. He had no intentions of abusing Little Black, so he was content with the arrangement.

     "Wait, senior, you know about Goddess' Disposition," Dyon asked with heavy anticipation.

     "Ai, it's among the top 3 innate God level body constitutions a female can have," The Celestial lady began to walk into the building, "but, it's also among the most troublesome. Although the way this Akihiko noted is indeed a way to cure it, it also means draining your woman of all her potential. Her life span would be that of a normal human, and all of her talent would then belong to him. It's a method only dark clan members would use. I suspect this Daiyu clan has affiliations with them… I believe I heard about a Daiyu clan many millennia ago, but, they were wiped out during the war my Celestial Deer clan had with their allies against our enemies. I'm not sure if they're related or not, but it's important for you to not underestimate them in the future."

     Dyon nodded, "so, is there a way to cure her without draining her potential?"

     "There are a few ways. The crudest way is to drain all of her blood and replace it with blood from another god level constitution. Another way is for her to unite with someone who has the Gods' disposition body type, the symptoms of which are much the same, but within a male. But, I don't think either of these are routes you can or want to take. Another option is a grandmaster level pill called the constitution awakening pill. It seems counter-intuitive to awaken a constitution that's plaguing her, but, the constitution is actually only acting up like this because it needs a catalyst to be fully awakened."

     "Does the celestial deer clan have those pills on hand?"

     "of course we do, such a monstrous clan would have 100s of disciples with constitutions that needed to be awakened. However, these pills have lost their potency over the thousands of years it has been since the sect was destroyed…" The Celestial lady sighed as she can to massive black doors. It almost looked like a tomb.

     Dyon's determination steeled, "what level of array alchemist must I be to forge the pill?"

     The celestial lady turned and smiled in satisfaction, "determination is exactly what you need on the path to cultivation. That girl is lucky to have you, and my son will learn well under you. Normally, you'd need to be a peak level grandmaster array alchemist to form the pill, so your aurora would have to be at the peak 8th stage, almost 9th. But, there's another way. If your aurora reaches the 3rd level and you have a secret pill condensation technique of the celestial deer clan, then you can combine the pills that have lost their potency together to form a super pill of sorts. In fact, considering your talent, you might be able to awaken 100% of her constitution if you combine enough pills. Usually, the pills only awaken about 60-70%."

     Dyon's hands clenched, 'I can do this.'

     "The only reason I even bring this up as an option is because I trust in your comprehension abilities… This technique may not have high requirements for cultivation because you're using already made pills, but it requires a comprehension level even higher than the understanding of the person who made the pill…

     I'll transfer the technique to you soon… as for your soul strength, I think I have a solution. The path of cultivation you want to take is in fact something many geniuses have done before you. To wait until your body matures is a path only those of absolute confidence take. In fact, if your woman hadn't been born into such a low level of the Sapientia clan, she probably would have taken this path as well. It's unfortunate that they wasted her potential like that. But, if you take a cultivation cleaning pill with you as well, you can give it to her before you awaken her constitution completely. Then she can start cultivating immediately. This is the benefit of having a god level innate constitution. Her body matures much sooner, so, since she's already 14, it shouldn't be a problem."

     BOOM!

     The doors slowly opened, and the sight before Dyon had him nearly drop Little Black.

     Sad whimpers started coming from his arms. Dyon looked down to see Little Black hiding in his chest, trying to turn away from the scene.

     Dyon saw two massive creatures hundreds of meters long and wide. One was exactly like the illusory deer he had seen in the sky. A picture of perfection, it rested quietly as its head rested ahead the forehead of another massive creature.

     It was covered in black scales. Its horns were massive, at least a third of the length of it body, they branched in elaborate and elegant patterns having jet black ancient marks etched directly onto them.

     'That's… a Qilin…'

     The Celestial woman sighed, "this is my husband and I. We died in the war and he gave up his soul to nourish mine so I could stay alive long enough to birth Little Black… I had been suppressing my pregnancy with the strength my husband left me, but when I sensed you a few weeks ago, I had already assumed that you'd come eventually, so I was finally able to rest.

     Little Black… I hadn't had the heart to name him until now, but since you seem to like that name, my child, I'll allow you to have it."

     Dyon couldn't imagine how powerful this celestial deer and qilin had to be to become so big, but what was clear was that Little Black's blood line was extraordinary.

     "Qilin's are actually prideful and solitary creatures. If it wasn't for me, he would have never died like he did. To protect a sect of humans of all things, he became the laughing stock of his clan and Little Black was disowned."

     Dyon clenched his fists, 'the martial world truly is cruel.'

     The Celestial woman sighed, "come with me."

     They stepped into the tomb, letting a heavenly fragrance waft past them.

     The Celestial woman walked to her husband's forehead and placed her hand on the center scale after raising up into the air. A light flashed, causing a shudder in the body of the massive dark QIlin as a massive pitch-black drop of blood was pulled out by the woman.

     She silently moved on her forehead before pausing, "after I pull out my essence blood, I won't be able to stay much longer. I'll properly fade away. So, first, I'll pass to you the legacy of the celestial deer clan. I don't ask you to get revenge for us. Nor do I ask you to put your life on the line. Enough blood has been shed. I won't even tell you the story behind our war. I only ask that you take care of our child and once you're powerful enough, pass on the legacy of the celestial deer clan. Once Little Black is able to make his own decisions, allow him to decide whether to return to his father's clan or not. I owe my husband to not let our child die for the same reasons we did," she said faintly.

     Dyon could feel the sadness in her voice as a stream of memories invaded Dyon's consciousness. Not able to withstand it, he fell softly to the ground as a gentle wind carried him there.

     As he was losing consciousness, a gentle voice rang in his mind, "the essence blood of a demon qilin and a celestial deer will give you a body strength few can match. It will take a few years to absorb all of it fully, but, it will be just in time for your body to start cultivating. Then you can choose from the celestial deer sect's whole collection. Since you don't have time right now, I'll help you forcefully ingratiate 5% of each with the last of my power. In the future, you'll need high level body tempering fruits and medicines to continue.

     The demon qilin will help you have a high affinity for fire, wind, darkness, and demonic wills. However, my blood will allow you to better understand celestial, light, and crystal wills. This is my thank you to you. I've seen your life and I understand what kind of person you are, I don't believe it's wrong to entrust you with this much."

     The last thing Dyon saw before passing out were two massive drops of blood, one black and one silver, shrinking and condensing before flying into his chest.

     He blacked out with a shudder.

     A last voice rang out, "thank you…"

     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collections and power stone helps!

     so many sad back stories I might as well be doing my best Oda impression... *tears*

     lowkey tho... the demon qilin arc I have planned in the future is 'bout to be lit!

     Follow me @Awespec on twitter if you wanna interact (lowkey, I haven't posted anything on twitter yet. I'm just waiting on getting like... 50 followers first. That's probably not the smart way to do it, but I need that kinda motivation to spend time thinking of what to post :D)

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     22 Rallying

      Delia practiced her sword skills under the high sun with the Madeleine's melody as her back drop. It had been a month since Dyon's death and though Madeleine still hurt everyday, she had insisted on helping Delia train so she could find a purpose again. Although she felt running away would be easy, she also knew that Dyon must have died fighting for her right to live a life she wanted to live. Even if this was something she didn't want to do, she would marry Akihiko so she could live on for Dyon, 'you're my reason to stay strong.'

     While Madeleine's smile was decidedly sadder, it had once again begun to appear on her face, "you're improving little sister."

     "It's all thanks to you. Your will of music makes it much easier to focus. I can feel the intent of my ice sword technique much easier with you around," Delia said smiling.

     Delia walked to Madeleine and took a seat on the stone beside her.

     "you know, ever since my mom disappeared, I've wanted to keep Patia-Neva Peak the exact same. She loved nature and hated disturbing it, so I followed her path as best I could," Delia said softly.

     The blossoms from the trees fell around them, lightly gracing the wind.

     Madeleine listen silently, it wasn't often Delia opened up, let alone talked about her mom.

     "Even while she's not here, I want to do my best to do right by her. She may be somewhere far off, or she may be dead. But, what I know is what's in front of me. My will to get stronger so I don't lose anyone else that important to me," Delia took a deep breath before continuing.

     "I admire your strength big sister. What you've gone through since your youth. Being treated like a valuable chess piece instead of a human being. Then being tossed aside the moment you were no longer useful. Finding peace after years of struggle, then finally settling into a little bit of happiness, just to have the people you trusted the most take it away from you… And yet you sit here, smiling. Yes, it's a smile from pain, but it's a smile nonetheless. You do this, while I can't even get over a woman that probably left on her own."

     Madeleine looked over to Delia, shocked.

     Delia smiled bitterly, "I know you all tried to hide it from me. But, if you think about it, the answer is obvious. She isn't dead. She was taken and forced to marry into the Clyte God Clan. Father wasn't strong enough to protect her after his power was sealed…" Delia's voice was faint. But, then, she continued firmly, "But, I will be. No matter how hard I have to work. I'll build up my power, find allies, and bring my family back together."

     Madeleine watched Delia mature before her eyes with a smile on her face, "it seems we doted you a bit too much," Madeleine nodded firmly, "after I'm cured, I'll grow stronger with you little sister. I'll stand against a God Clan with you, even if we have to fight them alone."

     The two girls hugged each other, finding comfort in each other's weakness and strength.

     **

     After the two girls collected their emotions, Delia stood ready to begin practicing again. Madeleine grabbed her lyre, prepared to support her little sister.

     Delia sword swung in an arc, "You know, the central pillar world is opening tomorrow. The quota is actually much larger this year. There seem to be a lot of new Storm family members."

     "Storm family?"

     "Well, I'm not entirely sure if they're from the Storm family. But, they're all blond and blue eyed, so I kind of just made the assumption."

     "really? That's odd. Although, I did hear once from my father that the Storm family is actually a large clan branch that decided to break from the main branch for some reason or another."

     "I heard my father say much the same thing after I was wondering why we allowed them to join the pillar family alliance. He made it seem like he didn't really have much of a choice but to accept…"

     "hmm…"

     "Also, while you were dealing with your illness flaring up," Delia said tactfully, "They moved up the date of the big sect tournament. It seems they found a way to power up the dimension opening treasure much faster. They're planning on using your wedding as an opening ceremony for the tournament."

     "Oh? You'd think the bride would get to choose things like this," Madeleine said bitterly.

     Delia giggled, "since Akihiko is so much weaker than you, you could have that harem you always wanted. Then you can have as many more weddings as you want, to get it right."

     Madeleine laughed genuinely for the first time in what seemed like forever, "don't joke around so much. Why would I waste a wedding on a concubine," Madeleine said mischievously.

     "hahaha, Akihiko should feel honored, being the first husband. But, those seniors from the big sects are going to be very angry when they get here. I'll be surprised if he isn't beaten half to death during the tournament."

     "Isn't Akihiko already part of the big sects? I believe it was one under the jurisdiction of a higher tier Kami branch family, why would he be in the tournament?"

     "Yea, but the world opening is quite different this year. Because the world they're opening is so much more powerful than the others, the treasure can only support a limited amount of people entering at one time even with the new power supply they've found. So, instead of all the big sect disciples entering, they have to actually limit it this time."

     "Oh? Seems like none of our students will get a chance to go this time…"

     "Yea… to think they groomed us first year pillar family members for this, just to be disappointed in the end."

     "Don't look down on yourself so much. Your will of the sword has already reached the 3rd level. Don't think I forgot that you only picked up the sword at the beginning of the school year. Just 2 months and you're already this great."

     "How could I compare to Dyon? He reached the 9th level of the will of music, and we're the same age."

     Madeleine sighed, "Dyon has been playing music for more than a decade, it was easy for him to transition his understanding into a will. If he picked up the sword, he might be even slower than you in comprehending it."

     "Oh? So, it's like this," Delia said as she continued to swing her sword. She was secretly relieved. Dyon's speed of progress could really hurt someone's pride.

     "So, little sister Delia, you and Meiying will be my maids of honor, right?"

     Delia smiled, "of course. Whatever I can do to make this easier for you."

     Madeleine smiled as she continued to play a sweet tone. The sound of the melody and a sharp sword filled the afternoon sky.

     **

     On Kami peak a dark mansion stood stoically. It was eerily reminiscent of a gothic church, with large and narrow windows. However, the atmosphere was ruined by the booming voice of an expert.

     "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST THE PROFOUND STONES IN A BET!" Elder Kami was enraged.

     The General was shaking under the voice of the pillar family leader, "I-I… I have no excuse. I lost it to the commoner kid. But, from what I hear he's dead. I tried to find his body, but it must have sunk to the bottom of the lake already. There's no way for us to retrieve the money. I broke into his room about a month ago, but, I couldn't find the money there. It must have been on him."

     Kami felt like pulling his hair out. Those were the stones he had set aside to sustain the betting pool for the tournament and possibly bribe the big sects if his younger son Mayumi wasn't good enough. Especially since he had been bedridden for so long due to the injury to his soul. But now it was all gone because of a kid he had stomped on like an ant.

     "The school is going to be a laughing stock because you can't control your fucking gambling addiction!"

     "I really didn't think I'd lose Grand Elder Kami… How could I know a kid with no cultivation could punch with 900lbs of force?"

     "I don't want to hear your sorry excuses. I want you to find a way to give me back 20,000 profound stones. How can we host a tournament and not have a betting ring? What the fuck is wrong with you!"

     "I actually have an idea about that sir Grand Elder. That day, the kid sold array plates for 2 profound stones each. He was even planning on selling them to senior students for more. What we could do is confiscate those plates under the guise of it not being conducive to proper training. Then, sell them in a market. That way, we can make back even more than 20,000 profound stones. Even if some of the students have used their plates, as long as we sell them for 5 profound stones a piece, we'll more than make up for the missing for hidden ones."

     "what are you still standing here for?! Get it done! The tournament starts in a month and a half, I expect it to be done well before then!"

     Kami watched The General run away, 'what a pathetic excuse for a teacher. Although, a kid with no cultivation being able to punch with 900lbs of force is fairly surprising. We could probably sell these plates as an aid to the big sect disciples during the big sect tournament. I'll also save a few for little Mayumi for when he's recovered. It'll make up for his not cultivating for 2 months.

     Thinking up to this point, Kami walked away from the scene.

     **

     "UUUUGGGHHHHH!"

     "Senior brother Lehabim, please. You've been roaring in rage for the whole ride. We can't represent the Flame Sword Sect like this. The Focus Academy students look up to us."

     "HOW COULD I CALM DOWN?! THEY THINK THEY CAN APPEASE ME WITH SOME GARBAGE CENTRAL PILLAR WORLD QUOTA?! MY GODDESS IS GETTING MARRIED! AND IT'S NOT TO ME!"

     "Senior brother, please. I hear that if she doesn't do this, she'll die. Would you rather your goddess die than be with someone other than you?"

     Hearing this, the one they called senior brother Lehabim finally calmed himself a bit, "you're right. But I swear to do whatever I can to join her harem! How could this weak Akihiko character be strong enough to make her stay committed to him! I'll crush him in the trial world! Then I'll crush him in the tournament! How dare he! UGGGGGHHHHHHH"

     Lehabim's junior brothers and sisters shook their heads helplessly as they continued riding a bright right bird in the direction of Focus Academy.

     Somehow unsurprisingly, similar scenes were happening every as more and more people found out about Madeleine's wedding. Secluded geniuses who had their spots reserved already awoke in agitation, getting ready to make their way to the tournament just to show that they were the only ones worthy of Madeleine. There was even a senior sister mixed in.

     "How could a man be worthy of my Madeleine? She needs a woman who understands her," A girl with jet black hair and blue eyes stood on the head of an odd bird. It seemed to be illusory, but if you looked closely, it was more accurate to say that it was made of wind.

     "Yes! Senior sister Knoton, the wind blade sect will support you all the way!"

     **

     A bald dark-skinned boy opened his eyes.

     "Is what you said true?"

     "Yes, senior brother Hashim. Lady Sapientia is getting married as the opening act of the tournament. I know your spot was guaranteed, but, I think you might want to go this time."

     "Good, good. You want to take my woman? We'll see how that works for you. Tell the Destruction Sect Elders that I'll be going"

     **

     "Senior Brother Orbis!"

     "hmm? What is it?"

     "Lady Sapientia is getting married as the opening act of the big sect tournament!"

     A fat round boy chuckled, "those guys must be up in arms. But, I've already found the love of my life. Lady Knoton is the only one for me. If I can't marry her, the path of cultivation is the only wife for me"

     "Senior Brother! We've heard reports that all the seeded geniuses are headed towards Focus Academy! Including Lady Knoton. Not only will you get to see her, you'll get to fight against all the strongest they have to offer in the big sect!"

     "well why the hell didn't you start with that! I'm coming my love!"

     Orbis' junior brothers and sisters laughed bitterly, 'and here we thought he was in it for the competition. Our Earth-Bound Sect really is lucky to have him as our top disciple,' they thought bitterly.

     **

     "hmm? The seeded geniuses are headed to the big sect tournament? Oh? And the center pillar world too? I hear that's a teleportation array to the Elvin realm… I'm surprised the big sects let them have a monopoly over it. But, I guess if a big sect controlled it, a war would break out… I guess I might as well go visit my little brother"

     "Also, senior sister Viridi, senior sister Sapientia is getting married."

     "Oh? She used to be my highest goal… it's unfortunate that she's sick. Why is she getting married? And to who?"

     "I hear it's Akihiko from the Kami clan. He was found to have a decent percentage of god level blood from the main Kami clan, so he was accepted into the Kami sect of the big sects. I hear god level blood is the cure for senior sister Sapientia, so her family decided to marry her off."

     "So that's how it is... *sigh* Madeleine is really pitiable, I'm sure she doesn't want to do this. The Elvin world should be really good for our plant cultivation, so we should go. It would be good to support senior sister Madeleine too, it seems she'll soon be cured and able to rise again," the girl dark blonde hair and brown eyes spoke faintly, getting up from her cultivation to prepare for the long journey.

     'It's been a long time since you left little brother… I know you wanted to support Uncle Ail, but you should know that array alchemy isn't for everyone. The clan couldn't support aurora awakening and my status in the Green Blade Sect wasn't this high at the time… I hope you'll come home now…'

     **

     Dyon was oblivious to all that was happening in the outside world. If he had known, he probably would have coughed up blood in anger. How could a single girl mobilize the geniuses of so many big sects, wasn't this too exaggerated?

     That aside, Dyon's mind was slowly acclimating to the new energy. The strain on his soul because of it was causing it to grow stronger. Dyon's aurora, as a result, was slowly encroaching on the 3rd stage.

     At the same time, Dyon's body was getting stronger as well, but not due to his soul. The demon qilin blood and celestial deer blood were really working wonders. Little Black watched, lying on Dyon's chest, as black scales covered in crystals flashed into and out of existence on Dyon's chest and arms. His aura was sometimes light and pure, and other times dark and heavy, creating a domineering dichotomy.

     Dyon's body bulged, growing taller and more muscular. Without him knowing, his 14th birthday had passed, and he had grown to 1.9 meters tall due to the essence blood. His lean body was slightly more defined and bulky, but he still retained his lean appearance. His features increased in devilish handsomeness. His skin became fairer as his body became stronger and stronger, acclimating to the 5% of both blood drops that had fused with it.

     ROAR!

     The roar of a dragon emitted from Dyon's mouth as the last of the blood and memories fused with him.

     His eyes slowly opened as the scales and crystals faded and checked to find that 2 weeks had passed.

     'One month and a half left. One month and a half of struggle left. Then, I'll never let you struggle again.'

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     If you enjoy Focus, be sure to add it to your library. If you like a chapter and want to support, make sure to vote us up 😊. Each additional collections and power stone helps!

     smh, seems like Madeleine really is worth a lot of trouble...

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     23 Central Pillar Opening

      "Eli?... Eli!"

     "Oh, huh? Sorry Uncle Ail, I wasn't paying attention"

     Uncle Ail sighed, "I know you're thinking about Dyon… But, the martial world is cruel. Without backing, or without willingness to bow your head, it's almost impossible to survive. It's just a shame that such a genius died… But, we have to move on. I've decided that you'll return the clan. You've allowed yourself to be bullied here for too long for the sake of this old man."

     Eli was listening to Uncle Ail solemnly, but he couldn't help but laugh at the last line, "old man? You're not even 30 Uncle. If the elders here knew they were treating such a genius so disrespectfully, they'd cough up blood with regret."

     Uncle Ail laughed lightly, "that Dyon boy had sharp eyes, it seemed he could tell I was younger than I looked… But, don't try to change the subject. The uproar from Lady Madeleine's wedding has caused all the seeded geniuses out of their preparation for the legacy world. In addition, the Elvin World will be opening up soon. How could your elder sister miss any of those 2 things? You'll go back with her once everything is finished. Your cultivation is being stifled in this small place, your talent in alchemy and herbology is much more than mine. Don't drag yourself down because I have useless dreams."

     "Uncle Ail, I'll go back, but you're coming with me. How could you expect to become an array alchemist here of all places? They may have needed a top notch alchemist like you, but so do many other places. Also, I think the Viridi clan is short sighted. They choose to focus on only half of the mysteries of array alchemy because they're cowards. I respect you more than any of them, Uncle."

     Uncle Ail sighed, "it's not that they're cowards, it's that the alchemy divisions are starting to suppress the array alchemists, no one thinks there's a future in it anymore. Ever since the Celestial deer clan was annihilated, the world began to lose more and more methods of producing top expert array alchemists. So, they tore apart the one occupation into 2, completely destroying the deeper meaning behind the ancient profession. The meaning behind array alchemy is elusive, but from my studies, I've come to understand that understanding of life and plants, and the understanding of arrays and formations, are inextricably connected. How can one build a proper array without being in line with the environment around them? The goal of an array is to literally create a new law and order in a limited space. How could you do that without understanding the laws to begin with?

     And what about alchemy? Your goal is to balance life to create new life in the form of grafting plants or god-like pills. How can you do that without understanding the way of manipulating the laws of the world?"

     Eli had heard this speech a million times, but he was captivated by it just the same.

     "And yet these so-called novel experts seem to think that separation is the way to go about it. In my opinion, even the rotting main array alchemy branch stands head and shoulders above any formation or alchemy branch."

     Eli smiled, "it's a shame the clan didn't agree with you Uncle. We're stuck in the ways of alchemy, but it bottle necks our future. Without understanding of arrays and the manipulation of laws, transcending to a grandmaster alchemist is impossible…

     It's okay though Uncle. Before Dyon…," Eli took a deep breath, "he left us something. He didn't forget our little faction. With these array plates he left, we can not only try and comprehend the other half of array alchemy, we can sell them to fund awakening your aurora to 20%! That way, you can truly become an array alchemist."

     "Don't be silly little Eli, opening it to 10% will be enough for me. We'll open yours up to 15%, your potential is much higher than mine is."

     Eli was about to protest when he saw the resoluteness in his Uncle's eyes. He could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

     "That aside Eli, you should also focus on your cultivation. The Elvin world opens tomorrow, and your sister should be here by then. Go in with her. For some reason, they've removed the usual quota system this year. It seems they want to find some items and want the most people looking."

     "Really?! I haven't seen big sister in forever, I miss her. Okay! I'll go."

     **

     "Oliver! You weak fuck! Hahahaha," The robust laughter of a fiery red head filled the center pillar roof.

     Oliver sighed, "Junior Lehabim, it's nice to see you."

     "tsk tsk tsk, already 18 and still in the foundation stage. Isn't it embarrassing to be of equal strength with your little sister? I would thank you for killing the guy she was in love with, but you're letting her marry another loser?! I need an explanation! Why is my woman not marrying me!?"

     Oliver's expression darkened, but before he could respond, a deep and resounding voice interrupted him, "you have a lot of nerve Sparky, to claim my goddess as your woman."

     "You want to fight you bald fuck? This Oliver pussy wouldn't even if I challenged him, but I'm sure you've at least opened 9 meridians, right? If not this wouldn't be any fun," Lehabim cracked his knuckles.

     A vein began to pop on the dark-skinned teen's shining head, "say that one more time you half cocked fire imp!"

     Lehabim's Fiery red hair seemed to get brighter as he stormed up to Hashim. He had a smile that wasn't a smile on his face, "it seems that balding at such an early age made you senile. You think you can speak that way to just anyone?"

     Oliver smiled bitterly, "guys, please. You're valued guests of our Focus Academy, you can't fight here."

     They both turned to Oliver, eyes burning with fury.

     "Shut the hell up Oliver, the only reason I haven't beaten you to a pulp is because of your sister. But, considering you killed that impotent fuck, I guess she might not protect you so fervently anymore right?" boomed Hashim.

     Oliver's fists clenched. His relationship with his little sister had been his sore spot for the last month. But, he was still a genius in his own right. So, what if they'd already broken into the meridian formation stage? He was tempering his wills first to stabilize his foundation.

     "We'll see who tramples on who during the big sect tournament," said Oliver through gritted teeth, "I'm not like you weak so-called geniuses, I want to temper my meridians with 3 wills, not just 2. After I find a wind intent fruit in the Elvin world, I'll properly step into the meridian formation stage."

     Lehabim and Hashim looked at Oliver with a slight surprise, 'it seems he's already understood 2 wills? And wants to understand a third?'

     The truth was, the meridian formation stage was a course of opening 108 meridians. To do so, you had to temper the closed opening with your understanding of wills. This increased your affinity with your chosen wills and increased your chances of understanding those respective intents later on in cultivation and made your meridians more durable for higher levels of cultivation. Usually, regular cultivators only understand a single will before using it to temper their meridian openings. A genius would use 2. It seemed like Oliver wanted to use 3 to do so, but his cultivation had slowed down because of it.

     "With my current level of understanding of wills, don't believe that I can't slice you two in half where you stand," Oliver's eyes sharpened as swirls of sword qi flew around him.

     'that's… 5th level sword will…'

     A feminine giggle sounded off in the distance, "don't be so dramatic brother in law, you know those two can't control themselves. If you were as beautiful as you were handsome, maybe I'd take a chance with you instead of my goddess Madeleine," a bird made of wind swooped down, dispersing to reveal a tall girl with jet black hair and blue eyes.

     "I see the two of you are still fond of not wearing shirts," Knoton shook her beautiful head, "barbarians."

     Oliver's lip twitched, 'brother in law? Who's your brother in law…'

     "So, it's lady Jessica Knoton. It's a pleasure," Oliver said politely.

     Jessica nodded towards Oliver, before turning a look of disdain towards Hashim and Lehabim, "did you think my Madeleine would be impressed by your testosterone filled heads? You two disgust me. There are a million trillion men in this world more muscular than the two of you, so how about you go take a shower and put on a shirt, you're stinking up the night air."

     Oliver smiled bitterly, 'weren't you just trying to get them to stop fighting? Now you're adding fuel to the flames.'

     Lehabim and Hashim turned their heated gazes towards Jessica, their eyes roaming over her tight black training suit, "it's a shame her temperament isn't as elegant or graceful as Madeleine's."

     Hashim nodded in agreement, "not as beautiful either."

     Lehabim and Hashim nodded together like they were the best of friends.

     "who said my love isn't as beautiful!" a round boy bounded over to the group just as sparks were about to ignite.

     Jessica's lip twitched, "who's your love! I don't need you to protect me Orbis. You can either be silent, or you can taste my wind blades like these two."

     Oliver, seeing a fight was about to break out, jumped out again to try and mediate, "brothers, sister, please. The central pillar world opens up tomorrow morning. I know you all don't want to risk injury before that. Let's just talk about martial arts like the old days."

     A girl with dirty blond hair and brown eyes walked slowly to the group, "Brother Sapientia is right. How about you bring out the other Focus Academy geniuses, Oliver? It might help water down the situation."

     Oliver sighed in relief, seeing Viridi. His heart pounded slightly faster, but he did his best to maintain a calm smile, "since sister Venus wants to see the Focus Academy alumni, I'll call them over. Chenglei and Akihiko are currently trying their best to win over their fiancées, but there's still Draco and the top 3 from the 6th year. I can call over a few other promising geniuses as well. Remember Avios? Although he most likely passed away, his little sister is quite a genius too. Just recently turned 15 during the spring, yet she recently broke into the 6th foundation layer. Also, there's Tammy from the Storm family. It seems like she's their top genius. She's about to turn 16 yet is already at the 8th layer! I'll bring them over."

     Lehabim looked excited, "Ava? She's a red head too right?"

     "hmph, can't even focus on one girl yet you think you have the right to seek out my goddess?" Spoke Hashim in disdain.

     "You're one to talk. You can't even speak cordially with the Duco family senior sisters without stuttering a blushing. I swear the shine on your head amplifies 10xs when they're around."

     "You! It's called a healthy respect. A. Healthy. Respect." Hashim said defiantly.

     "disgusting." Jessica said in disdain.

     "would you like some water my love," Orbis didn't wait for an answer as he brought over a pitcher of water and poured a cup for Jessica.

     Jessica took the cup with a harrumph, "if only I knew where my Madeleine was staying, then I wouldn't have to be here," she muttered.

     "Come, come. Sit at the banquet table. The geniuses of Focus Academy will be here shortly. In the mean time, we can just talk. I actually had questions I wanted to ask you about the will of wind, Jessica," Oliver said with a smile.

     **

     The next morning, hundreds of young men and women stood on the top floor below the roof of the Central Pillar.

     The pillar family heads stood in front of the crowd before Patia-Neva took a step forward to speak.

     "As you all know, our Focus Academy is built in the wreckage of what used to be the Celestial Deer Sect. Although what we found was minimal and could only be stored in the small library in our center pillar, there was one thing that was left in the best of conditions: the center pillar world.

     This is actually a teleportation array to what we believe is an Elvin Forest. We aren't even certain of the grade of array it is, so we can't be certain of how far it teleports you and can definitely not protect you. We've found over the years that while the Elvin Government may allow younger cultivators in, they kill cultivators above 25 with no hesitation. We believe this might have to do with a pact the Elvin Kingdoms had with the Celestial Deer Sect. Although we cannot be certain, the information we have cost the lives of many elders. Take this very seriously. Although there is no cap on the amount of times we can use this array, it still takes tens of thousands of profound stones to activate. So, this is a heavy investment for our school. Make sure to grasp this opportunity. The array will automatically teleport you back in one month. Good luck! And be careful! You must stay within the designated areas!"

     Once Patia-Neva's voice finished calling out, the sound of excited chatter filled the floor.

     "do you know anything about the Elvin World big sister?"

     Venus ruffled her little brother's dirty blonde hair with a gentle expression in her eyes, "Not much, but I do know that there are what they call intent fruits there in addition to cultivation fruits. The intent fruits make it easier to understand wills and, if they're of good enough quality, intents. The cultivation fruits make body tempering and meridian formation more gentle a smooth. In addition, with the atmosphere of nature in their kingdom, it's very good for us of the Viridi clan."

     Eli nodded obediently, "Uncle Ail agreed to come back big sister, that's good right?"

     Venus smiled, "of course, father misses him very much. He misses you more though, you were so stubborn to come all the way here."

     Eli smiled like a child proud of his deeds. Venus could only giggle and turn towards the flashing array.

     **

     A tall and delicate faced blonde hair and blue eyed young man walked towards the back of two girls before catching them by surprise and putting his arms around both.

     "AH!" Ava jumped forward, trying to dodge the arm, but it seemed to be an immovable mountain.

     "Tammy!" A domineering voice rang through Ava's ear, "How about you introduce me to your friend?"

     Tammy froze, looking back and up at the young man who was holding them in place, "this is my friend Ava, elder cousin. We'll be traveling together in the Elvin world."

     "Well, you must have space for one more, right?" Although it was phrased like a question, it didn't seem to be.

     Tammy smiled bitterly, looking over at Ava's questioning gaze. She feigned ignorance and shrugged her shoulders. But, on the inside, she felt like she was falling apart.

     'So not only did you make me kill the man I love… You plan on making my best friend hate me for life too?... Well done "Storm" family… Well done indeed…'

     A cold light flashed in Tammy's eyes as she pretended to be her normal bubbly self, "well, let's go then elder cousin. The sooner we get there, the more resources will be available to us!"

     "Oh, so you're Tammy's cousin? It's nice to meet you," Ava said with a smile. She was a bit confused as to why she had never seen him before. All members of the Storm family attended the academy, right? But, she didn't bother asking, it didn't seem too important to her.

     "I'm Baal, it's nice to meet such a beautiful girl too. I'm looking forward to the next month," he said with a smile.

     Although there seemed nothing wrong with the smile on the surface, and he was actually quite handsome, Ava felt like something was off. But, she trusted her best friend wouldn't get her into any irredeemable situations. So, she pushed the feeling aside, smiling back.

     In the back, a group of 4 blond hair and blue-eyed Storm family members looked on at Baal.

     "Poor girl, looks like Baal has set his sights on another one. Does he really have to pick on Tammy so much?" said a girl with a bow strapped across her ample chest.

     "You don't even mean that, so I don't know why you try and sound sympathetic, Autumn," said another girl with a connectable spear broken in two along her back.

     "Maybe if she was strong enough, she wouldn't have to deal with all of this. Since she's the weakest, of course she'll be bullied and be sent to this trash can of a school to control the situation," Autumn retorted.

     "You're well aware that she may be the weakest, but she's also the most talented and the smartest. If you keep bullying her, the future might now be so bright for you," Said a particularly bulky and stoic man. If you knew his age was only 17, you wouldn't believe it. He stood at 2.5 meters tall. In fact, many of the crowd couldn't stop looking at him.

     A massive arm thick 4-meter-long spear graced his back. His aura was domineering despite the lazy look in his eyes.

     "Don't be such a spoiler Dagon. I've never directly bullied her. But, I'm also not strong enough to stop Baal from bullying her, only you are. So, why haven't you done anything?"

     Dagon looked over at his cousin, "you know me Callidora… how can I improve if I never have any pressure? The thought of her catching up one day and trampling on my pride really gets my blood boiling," Dagon's lazy look transformed as his blue eyes darkened. Electricity started bouncing around his bulky muscles as arcs of gold, red and blue emanated from him.

     "*sigh*, you all need to calm down. You can do whatever you want in the Elvin World, but we still need to keep a low profile here. Even Tammy keeps her cultivation secret. Don't fuck it up," a faint voice stifled Dagon's aura.

     Dagon chuckled, "it seems I'll have to keep an eye on you too Blade…"

     "Do whatever you want. And remember not to touch the big sect geniuses… that's part of the deal" Faint light of spear qi circled around Blade as he walked towards the array, "let's go."

     'didn't this guy just say to keep a low profile?'

     'they'll drive us to an early death'

     The two girls looked at each other helplessly, before following their respective elder brothers.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     smh... poor Ava *facepalm*

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     24 A Brewing Storm

      (I wanted to put a disclaimer before this chapter began... there's sexual violence to follow. So, if you're uncomfortable with it, once you come to the first **, skip ahead. It's important to the story that this happens. I hope this doesn't hurt anyone too much. A lot of things like this will happen in the story, so be sure to pay attention to the age restriction I set on the story)

     Dyon sat up, shivering as he watched death qi escape in a wisp from his body, 'it seems like I underestimated this death qi… thank you…'

     Dyon held Little Black in his arms as he licked his face. Looking into his adorable big black eyes, he patted his head.

     "From today on, you are my little brother. Your mother is now my one and only master in this life. A master for one day, a mother for life. Once we get strong enough, we'll raise hell at your old man's clan. Then, we'll revive the Celestial Deer Clan," Dyon said gently.

     Little Black snuggled into Dyon's dress shirt.

     Dyon felt all of the memories swimming in his mind. Some had array locks on them, while some weren't paths in cultivation he wanted to take, but, a lot of it was useful. He felt that his aurora had entered the peak of the third stage, only one more push and he'd enter the fourth stage. He was happy to find quite a bit of soul cultivation methods, which was of course important for a clan that specialized in array alchemy.

     Coming past a memory, Dyon smiled bitterly, "it seems like the massive array I passed through was actually a concealment array. I wouldn't have even seen it had master not wanted me to."

     'You're the only master I'll bow to in this life,' Dyon bowed deeply, clasping his hands in respect towards the dead body of the Celestial Deer, 'The 25th White Mother of the Celestial Deer Clan… I will always remember you. Your disciple won't fail you.'

     It seemed like the 25th White Mother was the last of her clan… the war of the Celestial Deer Clan ended in mass genocide. Dyon had a feeling that a part of the sealed memories in his mind were actually the details of what happened all those years ago.

     After bowing towards his martial father, Dyon walked out of the tomb, closing the heavy doors to let them rest in peace.

     'alright, according to these memories, much of the good things of the sect were looted in the war. However, the things a sect powerful enough to destroy the Celestial Deer Clan would find useless enough to leave behind, or maybe less important to pick up during a raging war, would be incomprehensible to the lower realms of the martial world. So, I think I'll check out the vaults too. There are a few arrays that the invaders couldn't break through too… maybe there's a method in master's memory.'

     After walking for about an hour and stroking Little Black's fur, Dyon finally came to the weapons vault. As he expected, much of the higher floors were looted. But, the lower levels were filled with weapons.

     "my wrist bands aren't enough to take all of it, there isn't enough space. I guess I'll only take a few then. Maybe a lyre as a gift to Madeleine? I'm not sure about Eli's martial cultivation, but I'm sure if I take a few, he'll find one he likes. I should thank Delia with a sword too… I owe Ava as well…"

     Dyon walked along the shelves looking through the weapons, 'these are all master level weapons… These are what they left behind? How powerful were the weapons they actually took?'

     The blacksmithing, and by proxy the weapons ranking system, worked much the same way the array alchemy system worked. Although auroras were split into stages, those stages corresponded to the level of pill and arrays you could form. The beginning was the common level, then the practitioner level, then the master level followed by the grandmaster level. So, a master level weapon was most useful to someone who had crossed over the Meridian Formation Stage and entered the Essence Gathering stage. That wasn't to say those of lower cultivations couldn't use them, but, just that the power wouldn't be maximized unless you reached that level.

     Dyon found a sparkling lyre for Madeleine as well as a defensive protection hair pin. He found a short sword that had a white handle with lilies chained to the end for Delia. Since Dyon wasn't sure what Eli would want, he filled his wrist bands with anything he found interesting.

     As Dyon was about to leave, a side room caught his eye, 'oh? What's in there?'

     Dyon walked up to what looked like a door, but there was no handle. When he focused his gaze, he realized that it wasn't possible to see this door without his aurora. From his master's memories, he realized that this door was sealed by a special array and could only be opened by filtering in innate aurora flames.

     Dyon's hands gently pressed against the door. It heated under his touch, before the door pushed in and disappeared upwards.

     "This…"

     If the invaders knew they had left this behind, they'd cough up blood with regret. This was a room the Celestial Deer Clan created specifically looking for proper successors once they knew their end was inevitable. There was one weapon of the transcendent grade for each specialty.

     'and here I was about to give my Madeleine a subpar lyre when there's this here.'

     There were 10s of pedestals, filled with short swords, long swords, flexible and rigid spears, musical instruments for those who cultivated the will of music, whips, clubs, hammers. The sect really covered all their bases. Although Dyon wasn't familiar enough with weapons to make an accurate ranking of them within the transcendent grade, he concluded that they were at least high level ranging from the 7th to 9th transcendent level.

     At the end of room, Dyon caught sight of a ring. It swirled with vivid colors like it was the night sky and northern lights shrunk to the size of a finger band. Dyon picked it up and threw his senses into it and almost staggered from shock.

     Inside, there was an incomparably vast world, 'since when could storage rings store life…'

     The space inside the ring was at least 100s of kilometers. It was filled with fields of high level plants. Off to the side, Dyon noticed a pile of millions of stones. They were so high grade he had no idea what level of stone it was. He was only familiar with profound stones, but these were clearly more potent.

     He was aware that common stones, profound stones and so on were actually used to help cultivation. As such, they were the perfect currency for the cultivation world. But, he was absolutely sure that if he tried to absorb the energy within the stones he was looking at, he'd implode.

     'According to master's memories, these are Doa stones… I won't have a strong enough body to use these until I reach the peak of the Celestial realm… a step away from Doa formation huh… That's 5 full realms away from me. I can't even use these as currency, even if I disregard the danger, who would be able to give me proper change?'

     Dyon shook his head bitterly, "if you were going to leave me wealth, you could have left something I could use you know…"

     'I can still use them though… if I ever need to power a formation in the future, I could just use one. In fact, I could probably use 1 to power multiple strong formations. Also, these plants might be useful in my creating cultivation pills for myself in the future.'

     Dyon slipped the ring onto his finger. His eyes flashed with gold as he diligently worked on a concealment array his master had left him. After failing a few times, and after hours of painstaking work, he finally succeeded in creating a 5th practitioner level concealment array. As long as it wasn't someone with an innate aurora, or as long as they weren't at the Saint stage which proceeded the Essence Gathering stage who had the intent to see through him, they wouldn't be able to see the rarity of his ring. In every way, it would look like a low-level storage ring.

     Dyon was actually planning on doing this with the weapons as well. If he lowered them to peak practitioner level weapons, then, although they'd be coveted, it wouldn't be to the point of causing large scale wars. As his cultivation increased, he'd slowly reduce the concealment.

     Dyon turned and was about to continue to place all the weapons in his new ring when he suddenly had a wild thought, 'Why don't I place the whole building into the ring? There's more than enough space… Actually, I should be able to fit the whole of the Celestial Deer Sect in it… Maybe that was the other purpose of the array master set up. It made the whole sect one entity. It should be recognizable by the ring.

     Alright! That's what I'll do after I'm finished training. According to master's memories, there are a whole bunch of training arrays I can use the Doa Stones to power. It would be inconvenient if I had to come back here just to train. It's much better if I take it with me.'

     "But first, I want to master the pill condensation technique so I can cure Madeleine."

     Dyon was about to walk out of the room when his eyes fell on a long pitch-black sword. He hadn't really taken any weapons he saw before to heart… But this seemed to resonate with him.

     The sword much have been pushing 7 feet long. It had a slight curve to it, and its guard was continuous with the blade, its only distinguishing feature being the blazing black suns rotating around it. Everything about the sword was domineering. It seemed that just by looking at it, Dyon would be sliced in half.

     Dyon walked up with steady steps, a sharp light in his eyes, "You'll be my weapon."

     ROAR!

     The sword vibrated in protest, almost as if to say "a mere boy like you wants to control me? You haven't even understood sword will let alone sword intent. What about sword domain? Sword king's aura? How dare you!?"

     Dyon looked on unperturbed, "I've said it, so I mean it. You either submit now, or you can rot here until I decide I'm strong enough to come back and force you. At that time, you won't be my partner. You'll be my slave. I'll snap you in half. I'll use you to plunge toilets. If you're lucky, I might even use you to scratch my back. Make your choice now and hurry. I'll give you 5 seconds," Dyon's voice was domineering. His eyes had turned jet black and black scales covered in shining crystals started to appear on him. His shirt burst open causing Little Black to scurry to his head as he looked on in excitement.

     The sword was having none of it.

     ROAR!

     The sword charged, trying to pierce Dyon's forehead. An incomparably strong wind blasted Dyon, but he remained expressionless as the sword charged towards in head.

     BOOM!

     A trickle of blood fell from Dyon's forehead as he looked on at the sword. His eyes were cold as he felt the sword slice through his head. But, his eyes remained unmoved.

     "you think your illusion will fool me?" he said faintly, "NOW COME!"

     The sword fell into Dyon's hands, vibrating with happiness. A fearless and domineering owner is exactly what it wanted.

     After spending time concealing its transcendent aura to that of a 1st master level weapon, Dyon finally headed to the pill room after changing into black sweats and a white T. It wasn't that he didn't want to conceal the aura anymore, it was just that his sword couldn't stand to be seen as so weak. So, Dyon could only shake his head bitterly after strapping the sword using a black master level weapons belt he found in the other room.

     **

     A wave of medicinal fragrance as Dyon walked into a pill room that was at least ten thousand square meters large.

     'They really left all these high-level pills? Such a waste.'

     Scanning the room, Dyon finally found the area where the constitution awakening pills were, smiling bitterly.

     'no wonder they left them. These pills can only awaken 20% of a constitution at most. And that was at their peak. After so many years, they might be able to reach 5%. How would that be useful to a god level clan?'

     But Dyon found the silver lining. There were thousands here, maybe hundreds of thousands. That was more than enough for him to practice his technique. He knew that a single 100% pill would require the combination of hundreds if not thousands of pills. But, luckily, he had a lot of chances. He'd start with 2 and increase one by one. Then he'd do the same with the cleansing pill, so Madeleine could cultivate like the genius she was.

     Dyon sat down cross legged and began to meditate on the pill condensation technique. It seemed simple enough, but, doing it with just a 3rd stage aurora was near impossible. Although his master had said it was possible, the truth was that that was only true if it was a pill within the range of a 3rd stage aurora. If he wanted to do it for such a high level pill, he'd need a clear understanding of the pill and the technique. The only reason the 25th White Mother had even suggested this to be possible was because of Dyon's talent and his innate aurora, which made him capable of things a regular array alchemist wasn't.

     Dyon took a deep breath, focusing his determination, "it'll be easy," he said sarcastically.

     **

     "Um, Baal, I know you're Tammy's cousin and everything, but haven't you heard of personal space?" Ava said quite annoyed.

     They had been in the Elvin forest for quite a while, but with each passing day Baal got more and more handsy, and his eyes had a sinister light that was making Ava more and more uncomfortable.

     "hmm," Baal looked over to Tammy, "there's less than a day left, right? Don't you think the others would have found the 'items' by now?"

     'What is he talking about?' Thought Ava.

     Tammy remained silent, trembling as she couldn't look her friend in the eye.

     Her voice shook, but through gritted teeth, "I'll kill you with my own hands for this. Just you wait."

     Tammy erupted with her cultivation and vanished before their eyes.

     Baal's light laugh filled the dark forest.

     Ava trembled… 'what's going on… Tammy's in the meridian formation realm? I thought she was in the 8th formation stage layer…'

     "AH!"

     Ava screamed out in pain as Baal grabbed her chest from behind, slowly stroking her leg, "I've been waiting to savor you for a long time."

     She thrashed and fought, but the difference in their cultivation was too much.

     BOOM!

     Ava felt the air get knocked out of her as Baal slammed her against a tree, ripping apart her leather top and leering disgustingly. Ava wanted to cover her chest, but she felt sparks of electricity running through her, paralyzing her.

     She wanted to scream, but the lightning coursing through her veins wasn't allowing her to.

     Baal leaned into Ava's ear as she shivered, stroking her breasts with his hands, "how does it feel? Getting abandoned by your friend I mean? I wonder how you'd react if you knew she left your brother like this too? She's quite a cold bitch, don't you think?"

     Ava trembled, she had promised herself that no matter what this sick bastard did, she wouldn't cry. But, what he had said had impacted her too much.

     Baal gripped her breast tightly. Ava bit her lip till they bled as pain coursed through her body.

     RIP!

     Ava felt a cold breeze as her shorts were pulled away, but her eyes were dull, spilling out tears endlessly.

     BOOM!

     Ava's face slammed into the bark.

     "How about we start with a little backdoor action? Hmm? Some physical pain? Then make it more emotional. How about it? I don't like the look on your face, not enough emotion."

     A shiver passed through her as she felt something penetrate.

     Ava made not a single sound. The dark forest emanated with sounds of cricket and leaves swaying in the wind.

     SLAP!

     Tammy watched on from high in the trees, tears streaming down her face.

     SLAP!

     SLAP!

     'I couldn't save Arios, and I couldn't save you…'

     SLAP!

     SLAP!

     SLAP!

     Tammy turned around, unable to watch anymore, 'once I complete my mission, I promise I'll avenge you.'

     SLAP!

     THUD!

     Baal stared at the dull eyed Ava in satisfaction, "aww, did you kill yourself part of the way through? That's no fun… I've never taken a dead girl's virginity though," Baal leered disgustingly.

     A rustling sound came from a distance away, "oh? Looks like there are people who want to add to the fun… hmm, Ava?"

     Baal's body flashed and appeared in front the new comers.

     "who?!" Venus' voice boomed through the forest as she immediately jumped back with Eli's arm in her hand.

     Baal licked his lips, "another beauty? Two in a day? Lucky me…"

     A look of disgust appeared on Venus' face as she noticed something crude and unsightly hanging out of Baal's pants.

     Eli shivered, but held onto his sister tightly. He refused to run away and leave his sister to defend him alone. Eli frantically scanned the area to find a way they might escape, but what he saw shook him to the core.

     "Ava!" Eli trembled as he noticed Ava's naked and lifeless body lying limply against a tree.

     Venus' face steeled as she noticed what Eli noticed, "Eli… He's too strong for me. I need you to run when I make an opening… We'll be automatically teleported out soon," Venus whispered in a hurry.

     Baal slowly walked towards the siblings, "you're quite cute too little boy, I haven't had boy meat in a long time. How about I taste you too?"

     Venus and Eli were going to react, but it was already too late…

     BOOM!

     Venus was sent flying, her clothes charred by an arc of lightning, blowing away in ashes under the night sky.

     "SISTER!" Tears streamed down Eli's face as he looked at Baal in hatred.

     "THERE'S THE EMOTION I WAS LOOKING FOR! YOU'VE WOKEN ME UP!" Baal's member stood disgustingly at full mast as he licked his lips.

     "AARRGHHH"

     Baal grabbed a fist full of Eli's hair, licking the tears off of his face, "how thoughtful of you, salting yourself up for me"

     Eli sent a kick flying at Baal's knee, but could only despair as he noticed Baal's lack of a reaction.

     "kicking me? That's not so nice you know… Maybe as punishment I should make you watch me take your sister first? Hmm?"

     Baal dragged Eli over to where his sister was lying unconscious, pressing Eli's face firmly against her exposed chest. Eli's tears wouldn't stop. He couldn't understand how sick and demented a person had to be to do this.

     "your sister has quite an ample bosom, don't you think?" Baal grabbed a fist full, making Eli watch as he grinded into it.

     Baal's horrid laughter boomed as he slapped Eli across the face with his dick.

     BOOM!

     Eli landed limply on the ground. He could only watch as Baal rolled his sister over.

     Baal slowly licked his finger, playfully sticking it up in the air to check the wind before sliding it into Venus.

     "a virgin, hmm?" Baal slapped Venus awake, "hey you, no sleeping."

     Venus groaned, jumping back in horror as she noticed where Baal's hands were.

     "YOU!" Venus had not a care for her exposed body as she immediately sent vines towards Baal.

     "ELI! CRUSH FIRE EMBLEM, ICE CORE, AND FERTILIZING STEED TOGETHER NOW!"

     Eli could barely move, he wanted to do exactly what his sister asked, but his tears could only grace the soil as he struggled.

     Venus looked over in despair as she realized the problem. She could only slowly back away as Baal approached her.

     "you know you shouldn't hide such wonderful breasts from the world… after you die, maybe I'll mount them for everyone to see," a sinister glare flashed in Baal's eye.

     Just as Baal was about to reach Venus, flickering lights started to surround them, "FUCK!"

     Baal looked on in disgust as he disappeared.

     Venus sighed in relief, but then looked on his panic as she realized that the formation wasn't taking Ava's body since she was dead.

     Venus quickly pulled Ava into her ring before rushing to her brother and covering them in a blanket. Tears rushed down her face as she thought about what transpired.

     "I'm sorry Eli… sister's too weak to protect you," Eli could only watch his big sister cry as they disappeared.

     What they didn't know was that they weren't part of the only tragedy in the Elvin forest… Everywhere, hundreds of students died as sacrifices. Their pride was trampled, their wills ignored… their dignity taken away…

     However, what the Pillar families and big sect leaders didn't know was that as soon as they decided to harm Dyon's friends… their fates were sealed.

     **

     Thousands of miles away, in the hall of a dark palace, a crack resounded through the hall.

     "huh? Ava?"

     An elder ran up to a line of soul crystals. He knew they connected to the lives of the clan members. If one cracked, it could only mean that one was either severely injured, or dead.

     "She shattered part of her soul?... She's pretending to be dead, she must be in real danger to use such a forbidden danger."

     It was as the elder thought, Ava had suspended herself in a death-like state to escape the situation and hopefully protect her virginity. But, she had underestimated how disgusting Baal was. He was planning on continuing even with her dead body. If it wasn't for Venus and Eli, who know when it would have ended.

     To Ava, her virginity was secondary. The anger she felt in her heart was something that would never subside. Now she finally had a target: The Storm family.

     The elder rushed to the throne room.

     "Leader, the young mistress is in trouble. We can't afford to lose her and the young master. It's clear something is going on at Focus Academy. For two peak geniuses to be killed like this? It isn't a coincidence."

     "Killed?!" A booming voice radiated from the thrown. A man with fiery red hair raged as the floor cracked under his pressure.

     "She isn't dead yet, Sect leader. But, she's shattered her soul. If we don't hurry, it'll become exponentially more difficult to repair. And, if the one who wants to kill her finds out she's alive, her life could be in danger. She's counting on us."

     "Mobilise the assassin guilds. It seems this Focus Academy thinks I'm magnanimous because I let the death of my son go. No, I only think that a man should live under his own power. But, my daughter is different. I WILL NOT LOSE ALL OF MY CHILDREN. IF I HAVE TO DESTROY EVERYONE IN THAT ACADEMY, I WILL!"

     "Yes, sect leader," the elder bowed respectfully.

     The Sicarius clan was bustling. As an assassin clan, they normally worked in the shadows. In fact, no one knew that the Sicarius clan were the leaders of the assassin guilds. To most of the world, The Sicarius clan was a backwater clan near the edge of the continent. To the center of the continent, the Sicarius clan was the protector of the Royal God Clan. To the Royal God Clan, the Sicarius Clan was the underground network of the continent.

     The might of the Sicarius clan wasn't something Focus Academy could face, unless the true Storm family revealed themselves… something they didn't want to do.

     But, it was looking like the Storm clan would have no choice but to fight. With all of their geniuses, their future, being concentrated at Focus Academy, and the fact Ava was actually alive and not dead and would be able to tell her truths after she awakened, how could the Storm clan stand by and watch their juniors be killed?

     It was looking more and more like the perfect storm. The ambitions of the Kami God clan, the sinister Daiyu clan, the oblivious pillar families, the helpless Sapientia family and Madeleine, the big sects, the angered Sicarius clan, the evil Storm clan… little did they know, in this clash of clans, a young 14-year-old boy sitting quietly in a pill room would have the biggest impact.

     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     alright. Coming war? lit. Dyon's anger? lit. Baal's perverse piece of shit nature? not so lit.

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     25 Rage

      RING! RING!

     Heaven's chimes rung out as Dyon looked on in satisfaction at 2 sets of 3 pills. It had taken him much longer than he wanted, 2 weeks, but he finally combined 3 100% effective constitution awakening pills and 3 cultivation cleansing pills. He didn't need 3 of each, but he thought that he might in the future. In fact, the cleansing pills might be an effective weapon if used properly. After combining them, they should be potent enough to clear the cultivation of peak Celestial stage expert. Thinking of that, Dyon shivered.

     But, when he thought about it, he sobered up. It would be impossible to force something into the mouth of such an expert. Especially since whatever expert it was would be powerful enough to force him to use something he only had 3 of. Therefore, to use against an expert like that, he'd have to ground it into powder and toss it into the air. But, if used like that, it would probably only be effective against a peak essence gathering expert.

     "well… that'll have to be good enough for now."

     'I only have a month left and all I've done is make 6 pills and learn the weapon's hell array: speed arraying form. But, even with my increased body strength, I still have no movement techniques. Plus, I'd look like a clown if I try and use a sword now... I could use the spirit fruits in the world ring to fuse with the blood some more and increase my speed and strength, but, I feel like techniques would be more effective now. I'll focus on sword, celestial, wind and space wills for now…

     With a small understanding of the celestial, wind and space, I'll have the bare minimum needed to use the Celestial movement technique. Sword will is a necessity,' Dyon thought with a grin, 'Swinging a 7-foot-long sword while saving a beautiful girl would be fucking awesome.'

     Aside from this, Dyon wanted to see if he could gain a better understanding of soul techniques and cultivation. But, he was very disappointed to find out that casting soul techniques took time and often had to be at long range with the support of a team. So, he decided to instead focus on defense. By learning a defensive soul technique known as Soul's End: Devour, should anyone attack him with their soul, he would not only be able to defend, but he'd also strengthen his soul quicker by absorbing their attack.

     Dyon was happy to find out if he reached the second stage of this defensive skill, it could become an attack skill wherein which he could use contact to forcibly absorb memories, erase the will of people, and take their soul power as his own. Although Dyon had learned the method of reading memories from people, those people had to either be unconscious, or allow it willingly. He wasn't as strong as his Master, as such he could only settle for this.

     Over the course of his training, Dyon learned much about soul cultivation etiquette as well. He learned about how it was smart to conceal one's soul strength so attackers would underestimate you and hurt themselves. He learned about how it was rude to use your soul to investigate others and how that could often lead to conflict. He also learned about innate souls and the fact that his soul only reached the peak of the 3rd stage so quickly because he was born with that strength – it was just that he couldn't manifest it because his body was too weak.

     So, just like that Dyon focused on those techniques. His blood and sweat coated the training rooms. His muscles ached, and his mind learned the pain of training one's soul. He fought puppets and destroyed formations, running through tens of doa stones a day to keep up with his training.

     He bathed in recovery pools, and sometimes stayed awake for chunks of 5 to 6 days without rest. He had one goal in mind, and one purpose. Focus Academy would soon feel his wrath.

     **

     One month later, on the eve of the winter solstice, Dyon walked out of the sword cultivation room. His eyes were sharp, his aura had changed. His looks had a combined devilishness and otherworldly aura to it and his each step seemed to slice apart the wind.

     Looking back at the cultivation room, a cold sweat drenched Dyon's back, 'that sword intent room is ridiculous. Especially when I accidentally started up the max level. If it wasn't for the safety functions, I'd be dead.'

     However, there was a pride in Dyon's heart. Although he hadn't learned any sword techniques yet, he was confident in his skills. In fact, with enough practice, he might soon break into a realm that made sword techniques obsolete.

     'I won't let them hurt you any more…'

     Dyon was a bit disappointed that he couldn't use time manipulation cultivation rooms to learn wills because that would lead to their distortion. But, he believed that he had become strong enough to do what needed to be done. Dyon had a great understanding of the fact most elders were only at the peak of the foundation stage. In addition, family heads would only be at the lowest tiers of the meridian formation stage. What Dyon didn't know was that the big sect tournament was taking place on the same day…

     Dyon's body flashed, disappearing from where he stood. Moments later he appeared above the massive array hiding the Celestial Deer Sect. He had put Little Black in the ring while he was in the cultivation rooms so that the little guy could eat spirit fruits and sleep to his hearts content.

     With a wave of his hand, the massive sect lands disappeared. The water rushed to fill the empty space as Dyon flashed again, traveling tens of meters in split seconds.

     His eyes were sharp, and his goal was singular: Focus Academy.

     **

     Using a concealment array, Dyon walked through the school. Anger he had buried for months was bubbling up in his heart but he was taking deep breaths to try and calm down.

     He had no idea where Madeleine was, and although fighting through the entirety of Sapientia peak would vent his anger, it would also give the Kami family time to make counter measures. His best option was to lay low and wait until he had his eyes on her before venting his frustration. So, he decided to go to Eli's room, 111, to see how his friend was doing.

     As Dyon walked through the school, he was listening to the murmurs of the students. Since they couldn't see him, they spoke with no reservations.

     "Did you hear about all the students who died in the Elvin World?"

     "Yea, it seems like it was all fun going in there. There's a reason there used to be a quota and only the best of us could go, but for some reason they allowed any and everyone to enter this year."

     Dyon's eyes narrowed.

     "That may not be the case. I heard rumors that all these new students from Focus Academy showed up. And a lot of students who went to the Elvin World are talking about how brutal they were."

     "Really? Who were they?"

     "Everyone thinks they're from the Storm family. They had the patented blonde hair and blue eyes. But, they were freakishly strong. We all thought the best geniuses they had were Tammy and Hauk, but they've hidden themselves so deeply. It doesn't seem to make much sense why though."

     "Maybe they're planning on taking the sect head position away from Headmaster Patia-Neva. I've heard a lot of elders are displeased with him. He shows up even less frequently that the other pillar family leaders although everyone knows it most likely has something to do with his missing wife, sympathy isn't something you'll find often…"

     "shhh, don't speak too loudly. Come closer, there's another big piece of information I heard, but it's been being kept hush hush," after pausing to look around, the student continued, "I hear that Senior Sister Ava was one of the casualties in the Elv-"

     BOOM!

     A dense killing intent shook Dyon's concealment array. In a flash he disappeared, speeding towards Eli's room as fast as he could.

     'I owe her. Although I wouldn't have actually died that day due to a life saving measure I had in place, it still stands that she stood up for me. Then she tried to help when she thought I'd be expelled. If I found out that even one hair on her head was hurt by this so-called Ragnor branch family, I'll destroy you all.'

     *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

     Venus opened the door with a confused look, but seeing that there was no one, she closed the door and looked back to her brother. Eli was lying on the bed pale and unmoving. The ragged breaths he took every so often was the only thing that let you believe he was alive.

     Venus' eyes were red with tears and she stood next to Uncle Ail.

     "Don't worry little Venus, your master will be here soon, I'm sure she has a way of helping. However, this little Ava girl is an odd case," he said looking back at Ava who laid on a table not too far away, "she should be dead… but my aurora is picking up faint signs of life."

     THUD!

     Dyon's concealment array shattered as he fell on his knees by Eli's bed. Picking up his pale delicate hand.

     Venus jumped, startled. Leaping backwards with well trained movement, thorned vines immediately wrapped around Dyon, but he didn't seem to feel any pain.

     Venus was shaken, 'why is his body so strong….'

     "Venus, wait!" Uncle Ail went up and touched Dyon's shoulder, then pinched himself, "D-Dyon… is that really you?"

     Dyon smiled bitterly at Uncle Ail, "hey Uncle Ail, long time no see…"

     Venus sighed in relief, but she was still apprehensive, 'he's strong.'

     After Venus removed her vines, Uncle Ail clasped Dyon's shoulder hard, "good, good," he said partially choked up, "you of all people don't deserve to die so young."

     Dyon patted his back, "come on now Uncle Ail, men shouldn't cry so much. I'm here now. So, let's save them."

     "Save them? Is that possible?"

     Uncle Ail could only shake his head looking at Dyon, 'this boy really tries too hard. He's clearly confident he can save them, but his eyes are still red with unshed tears… yet he says men shouldn't cry.'

     Dyon looked back at the pale faced girl, gently pushing her red hair away from her face. She was currently covered in a blanket with her arms hanging out, but Dyon could tell she was naked. And he had a pretty good idea of why she would be, so although he looked incomparably calm, the boiling rage within him had lit to a new level.

     "Her soul is damaged," accessing his master's memories, Dyon began to piece it together after using his aurora to check her body, "she used a technique to fake her death, but it clearly comes at a large price. She just needs a soul mending type pill."

     Venus and Uncle Ail staggered. Being from a family that specialized in alchemy, they knew the value of such a pill. Even Kami had to pay the price of involving another family in their plans for glory to pay for a pill like that. And that was not to mention the fact that Mayumi's soul damage was significantly less than Ava's, so the pill would have been of a much more common value. Yet, it was still worth that much.

     Venus smiled bitterly, "even our Viridi family can't afford to make a pill powerful enough to help mend that damage… I'm afraid we'll have to wait for another opportunity."

     "You must be Eli's elder sister? He's mentioned you before. I'm glad I'm friends with a guy who has such a beautiful sister," Dyon said with a smile on his face.

     Venus blushed. It wasn't as though she had never heard those words before, but, the purity in Dyon's eyes in combination with his earnestness gave him a charisma she couldn't ignore.

     Uncle Ail noticed her reaction and chuckled, "you know little Venus, Dyon's the one Madeleine loves. You'll have quite a lot of competition."

     "That's you?! We all thought you were dead!" Venus said with a gasp.

     Dyon chuckled bitterly, "I kinda had no choice but to fake it. That aside, I should have a way to help them both. But, before I do that, I want to find out what happened to them," Dyon's face steeled

     Since Dyon didn't have the skill of his master, it was hard for him to use the memory search technique. Any slight bit of resistance, even if it was unconscious, would cause damage to his soul. So, it was best if he did it was Ava was incapacitated.

     Dyon trembled as he looked through Ava's memories. Tears fell from his eyes as he felt her pain at her best friend's betrayal, and anger rose in his heart as he watched the scene that occurred right afterwards.

     Then he nearly lost it when he went through Eli's memories. His teeth crushed against each other as his jaw creaked under the strain. His muscles tensed and a dense killing intent filled the room, "Storm Family!"

     Even Uncle Ail could barely breathe under the aura Dyon was releasing. It felt as though if they took a single step, their bodies would be slashed into nothingness.

     'Is this really a guy that Oliver killed?... They're not even on the same level…' thought Venus, shivering.

     After Dyon went through Ava's memories, he closed his eyes, trying to settle himself, "Baal. Tammy. The Storm family. Akihiko. Oliver. The Kami family. The Sapientia family. The Daiyu family. I'll crush you all!"

     With a flash, ten medicinal pills appeared.

     'these are… they're soul mending pills, but the potency.. it's not enough.' Thought Uncle Ail.

     Dyon's eyes flashed with gold, tens of tiny arrays appeared around each pill. They floated into the air, being slowly broken apart into their original ingredients.

     'this is… innate aurora... wait will of time? No, using arrays to perform alchemy? Wait, is it both?' Venus was shocked.

     Uncle Ail trembled barely containing his excitement, 'this is what I meant! You can't reach higher levels of alchemy unless you understand arrays, and vice versa. Dyon is literally defying the heavens by combining weaker pills to form a stronger one. This… it's ridiculous.'

     'what level is his will of time at? This will is so rare, I have no way to judge.'

     This was why it took Dyon an entire half month to understand the pill condensation technique. Not only did it require his aurora flames to characterize a healing property, he needed to understand the will of time which was an incomparably abstract will, then he needed a thorough understand of the pills, so he spent days at a time meditating on pill theory and alchemy. In the end, it took more time than even gaining decent understanding of space, celestial, wind and sword wills.

     Beads of sweat fell down Dyon's forehead as the pills finally fully separated.

     Then, the massive array covered everything. The pills parts began to condense into a single form, a holy light shining down on it. Dyon didn't want heaven's chime to ring, but, he had no choice. If he didn't go all out, Ava might not wake up.

     CHIME!

     CHIME!

     'heaven's chimes… he did it,' Venus was shocked.

     Uncle Ail stood by Dyon, smiling brightly.

     **

     Delia looked up at the moon, hearing the chimes sound off, 'could it be him?' then she shook her head bitterly, 'with how many geniuses there are here for the big sect tournament, it could be any one of them. You'd think I would have stopped hoping by now. I should head to Sapientia peak so I can be ready to help Madeleine early tomorrow.'

     **

     Back in Eli's room, Dyon was slowly circulating the pill within Ava's body using his aurora flame.

     An hour later, Ava slowly opened her eyes.

     "Ava!"

     "Hmm, Dyon, what are you doing here," she said groggily, "Wait, what! Dyon?!"

     Ava's eyes flashed in disbelief. Unable to control herself she flew up and hugged Dyon tightly.

     As Dyon was enjoying the soft sensation, Uncle Ail had turned away blushing.

     Venus coughed in teasing disdain, "you sure have a lot of women."

     Ava, finally realizing she was naked screamed, "AH! You pervert!" She hid her body under the blanket and cuddled in the corner, her scarlet red face matching her hair.

     Dyon grinned, "you left too soon, I was enjoying that."

     "hmph, wait until I tell Madeleine. She'll set you right... Wait, you know she's getting married soon right? What day is it!"

     Dyon's face distorted, "married?"

     Uncle Ail smiled bitterly, "I didn't get a chance to tell you because of the situation, but, Madeleine is getting married tomorrow as the opening ceremony for the big sect tournament."

     "Big sect tournament? Seems like I'll be able to do two things I want in a day. Save Madeleine and gain access to the world they'll be opening soon."

     "It'll be hard this time brother Dyon, the seeded geniuses like my sister are participating, and the Storm family has a whole bunch of new members all of a sudden."

     Hearing the Storm family be brought up, Ava shivered. Her eyes brimmed with tears she refused to let fall.

     Dyon, noticing this gently touched her knee, "you don't need to say anything Ava, I know what happened. I'll make sure that you can kill him with your own hands. I promise," although he said nothing to Venus, she could see his meaning in his eyes. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked towards Eli's shivering body.

     Ava looked up in surprise, but seeing the resolute look on Dyon's face, she finally couldn't stop the tears anymore, "mm" she nodded firmly.

     "Alright, your situation was the most dire, but I need to save Eli now…"

     Dyon walked to the bed, lightly touching Eli's chest and allowing his aurora flames to circulate

     'his spine is broken…' Dyon trembled in anger but fought to maintain his focus.

     His flames focused on their healing character, slowly and delicately mending his severed nerves and sheered bones. Although he could use a medicinal pill to do this much quicker, Dyon had learned that medicinal pills were akin to a common cold medicine. A one fix for all. Although it would work, lower level pills would be too general to really help much of anything, which is why higher level pills were usually much more specific. However, higher level pills would most likely still be too general. Often, medicine alchemy specialists create new pill formulae on a case by case basis. At least, that's what the top tier professionals would do.

     This was not to say that medicinal pills were moot, as they were very useful as a quick fix in battle, for example, but, Dyon preferred to be diligent with a friend he cared for as much as Eli. Although they had only know each other for a few months, Eli's awkward nature and kind soul had touched Dyon. When he had first saved Eli, it was due to the fact that he noticed that although Eli was scared, he hadn't knelt to Darius. Then, even while having that will, he knelt without reservation when he thought it could help Dyon. This was a friend one wouldn't meet often. As much as Eli idolized Dyon for willingly hurting himself for him, Dyon placed Eli on the same pedestal.

     Ava, Venus and Uncle Ail watched anxiously off to the side. Holding their breaths in delight when they noticed the color returning to Eli's face.

     Eli's eyes slowly opened as he groaned, "Dyon?..." Eli sighed, "I guess I did die then… I hope big sister Venus doesn't blame herself… what kind of brother can't protect his own sister…"

     "AH!"

     Venus flew into Eli's arms, sobbing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

     Eli's eyes were still out of focus, but when he heard Venus' voice, he trembled, "Venus?... Did you die too?..." Eli's fists clenched in anger, his eyes tearing up, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

     Eli held onto his sister tightly while Dyon smiled off to the side, "you idiot, how could you be dead with me here," Dyon's grin got wider as Uncle Ail's eyes reddened.

     Ava smiled a sad smile off to the side, thinking about her brother and her supposed best friend. She had known for a long time that Tammy had loved her elder brother… but, she now knew that clearly relationships like that didn't run too deeply for Tammy. She might delude herself into thinking she had no other choice… but when you truly love and care for someone, would something as ridiculous as what you can and can't do even matter?

     Ava was disgusted with the martial world, its principles and its doctrines. She wanted nothing more than to love with all her heart and protect those she wanted to protect. But, it seemed like no one else cared for things like that.

     However, when she saw Venus and Eli crying in each other's arm, each having been hurt in their own way trying to protect the other, Ava smiled, 'maybe there's hope after all…'

     With everyone healthy, Dyon took a deep breath and steadied his mind… 'tomorrow, I'll start with the Sapientia and Kami family… when the time is right, I'll make the Storm family witness something worse than death!'

     **

     Early the next morning, the center pillar roof was bustling with people. Focus Lake was filled with silver boats and the tunnels were flooded with people making there way to the grand event, unbothered by the dense cold and falling snow.

     Pillar family leader Kami walked respectfully behind a middle-aged man. Even the crowds of hundreds of thousands seemed to know to part ways for him.

     "Right this way big sect elder Kami, the rest of the big sect representatives are in the VIP area. It's quite funny really, usually only 1 was enough to represent all of the sects, but today they've all come because the seeded geniuses have decided to participate."

     "Ai, it seems as though your son's soon to be wife has quite a number of suitors. He's brought pride to the Kami God clan. Although we are mere branches, if he continues to work hard and improve we believe he can one day reach that peak. I hope he doesn't let down the intentions of our branch."

     Kami nodded obediently, "of course, of course. He's prepared to work very hard, in fact, he's broken through to the 9th layer of the foundation stage now that his god level blood is slowly awakening more and more."

     "Not bad, not bad. A 16-year-old peak foundation stage expert. He can lift his head high in many places."

     The two Kami family members reached a box lookout. It was the highest point in Focus Academy and it looked down on a massive stadium. Today, the clouds were so thick that the bottom of the center pillar was cut off from the view of the top. A sea of fluffy white made it seem like the roof was floating on clouds which was emphasized by the slowly falling snow.

     "Ah, big sect elder Kami, you're quite fashionably late. If you were part of the main Kami branch, I'd understand, but don't you think it's a bit disrespectful in this context?" A fat robust man spoke as soon as he noticed elder Kami enter the box lookout.

     Knowing he had no place there, Kami bowed and immediately left.

     "Nice to see you too Orbis. Is your seeded disciple still as lazy as always?" elder Kami asked with a faint smile.

     Orbis was about to respond when a feminine voice cut it, "No use in arguing. Although we're not sure why you're so cocky these days, it remains that we're the representatives of the big sects, squabbling amongst ourselves doesn't set a good example for the young. My wind blade sect won't stand for it."

     The three other elders could only shake their heads witnessing a scene that had seen all too often.

     Saying nothing else, the six elders took their seats. Earth-Bound, Wind Blade, Destruction, Green Blade, Fire Sword, and Infinite Arts sects were all there. It was about time for the wedding ceremony to begin. To Kami, this was of course the most important. However, the other sect leaders were eager to watch whose geniuses bested whose. It was the reason they came in the first place. The idea of recruiting disciples, what should have been the true purpose on their minds, was actually the furthest thing from their thoughts.

     Slowly, the crowd began to settle into their seats. No one noticed a young man sitting amongst the clouds, even higher than the box lookout, staring at the scene with an incomparably calm gaze while he stoked his burning fury.

     **

     In a dressing room, a girl dressed in all black was being groomed by an olive-skinned girl and a fair skinned girl.

     A knock came at the door, startling them all from their daze.

     Akihiko walked in with a smile, but it immediately turned ugly as he noticed the color of Madeleine's dress.

     "Meiying, Delia, leave us for a moment," said Akihiko is a stern voice.

     They looked towards Madeleine, but they only saw a gentle smile, "you guys can go, I'm ready anyway. I'll have to deal with him eventually."

     Madeleine's voice was shaky. It was clear that her trembling was much worse today. She was trying very hard to control what she was feeling, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

     The two girls walked out and Akihiko slowly walked to the door and locked it.

     "Are you wearing black for him?" Akihiko said faintly.

     "You already know the answer, so why do you bother asking?"

     SLAP!

     Madeleine tumbled across the room, her face stinging. But, she made no sounds as she slowly got up and wiped the blood from her lips. There was no point in resisting, she had no access to her cultivation at the moment. All she felt was incomparable lust, but she focused her mind by directing it towards Dyon, not wanting Akihiko to have the satisfaction. She didn't know how long she could control herself, but she knew that she would hold on for as long as she could.

     "To attend my wedding with a cut lip and a bruised face, how scandalous. You think I'll bother to properly cover this us? We'll let people see you for who you truly are."

     Akihiko shook in anger, before grabbing Madeleine's chin and thrusting her against a wall. He forced open her mouth and shoved a medicinal pill into it. Not allowing her to breathe until she swallowed it.

     After Akihiko felt that the pill had worked well enough, his gaze of anger turned to lust. He groped Madeleine's chest and legs, caressing her lips with his thumb.

     Madeleine clenched her jaw, but, her vision was going red.

     Akihiko chuckled, "I don't know why you bother to fight it. Tonight, I'll take your everything. Your first kiss. Your virginity. Your will. In fact, considering the beast you'll be tonight, you might want to try things I've never even thought of before.

     You can have your little rebellion for now, it'll be over soon anyway."

     Madeleine slumped to the floor, refusing to cry as Akihiko walked away.

     After the door opened, Meiying and Delia stared coldly as Akihiko before rushing inside.

     "Big sister!" they cried together

     Madeleine smiled, "I'm okay, I just got flushed thinking about the harem I'll have in a few years," she said jokingly.

     Delia and Meiying smiled bitterly, but they were helpless to do anything.

     **

     Akihiko walked towards the ceremonial set up to prepare.

     'you must be thinking that after you're cured you'll be able to beat me down? Maybe even kill me and marry another man later? I'm sorry to disappoint you. But, tonight, you really will lose everything. Including all of your cultivation and potential. Then, I'll use that to rule the second day of the tournament and make sure the big sects know that it wasn't just my talent that earned me a seeded spot, it's my strength too.'

     A cold smile appeared on Akihiko's face, oblivious to the disaster he had brought upon himself.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I hate when authors spend forever on training arcs. We get it, he swung his sword a million times and got better. So, I preferred a condensed version. You can let me know if you all prefer a longer training arc for the future, I don't mind too much... it would make it easier to explain the nuances of cultivation in this world - but I have a feeling a lot of you might prefer it this way. Before this, some set up was necessary to make sure the mystery and build up was set in place, but if it takes too long, sometimes people forget why they should hate Baal or Akihiko, for example, haha

     Anyhoo! Lemme know what you think. I got some good constructive criticism yesterday, and it let me know that maybe some of the things I'm trying to theme out, per se, may not be as obvious to you guys as it is to me. I don't mind reading comments that criticise my work since I'm well aware that this is the first novel I've ever worked on, so feel free!

     Follow me on twitter @Awespec if you want to interact, or you can just comment!

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     26 The Wedding

      Music began to play. Elegant strings inlayed will of at least the 3rd level through the crowd, making them feel at peace.

     Akihiko walked to a podium facing the crowd. He wore a chang poa laced with gold and whites, standing proudly. The crowd's gaze was one-part reverence and another part deep seeded hatred and jealousy. They wished with their everything that they could be Akihiko in that moment.

     The wedding was actually held in a coliseum; however, the ground floor was filled with pillar family members as the competition stages had been swapped for exorbitant decorations, place tables, and what seemed like endless food and baked goods.

     The geniuses of the big sects sat on the floor of the coliseum as well, gazing at Akihiko with disgust and jealousy.

     "He may be talented, but he's still too weak and young to be a seeded genius. We'll beat him to a pulp during the tournament proceedings."

     The other seeded geniuses nodded in heavy agreement with Lehabim. They had all had great fortuitous encounters in the Elvin Forest making their power soar. Their consolation prize would be showing off and fighting to see who was the best among them.

     In the crowd, Ava, Eli and Venus looked nervous. They were the only ones who knew that Dyon was alive and they were absolutely certain that he wouldn't allow this to continue. But, no matter what they thought of, none of their ideas translated to his victory. If he saved Madeleine, how long would it last before he was killed again. Even if he could now beat Oliver, what about Oliver's father? What about Akihiko's father? What if the other pillar families join in? And isn't Akihiko part of a big sect now? How could they allow him to be cuckolded in front of hundreds of thousands of people, they would rather die than be shamed like that.

     The lines of worry increased minute by minute as Chenglei walked up behind Akihiko and discreetly handed him a ring. It seemed as though this would be a very streamlined wedding, most likely to keep Madeleine in line.

     Delicate snow continued to fall from the sky, but, by some odd magic, the ground maintained the absolute purity of the snow, without dirtying. The tables of food maintained their heat as though the snowflakes couldn't enter a meter radius of them.

     It was like a paradise of snow as the music picked up.

     The crowd stood in respect as Madeleine walked into sight. However, the gasps that were heard were followed by endless whispers.

     "she's wearing black?"

     "Her father isn't escorting her? Only two little girls?"

     "It seems the rumors are true, this must be the poor girl's last rebellion"

     Despite what was said, Madeleine was like the purest lily. She was untouched, untainted. Her beauty couldn't be described with words. Even her slightly pale appearance couldn't manage to dull her to the point of flaws. Even in sickness, she was a celestial goddess.

     Her gaze was expressionless, and her steps were firm. Although her body imperceptibly trembled as she began to lose more and more control of herself, she knew she had to keep it together. At the very least, she refused to disgrace Dyon.

     The Sapientia family gazed at her with bright smiles on their faces, but she didn't spare them a glance as she continued walking along her solemn path.

     "our goddess is truly strong," praised Jessica

     "she doesn't deserve this, she deserves me. I can make her happy," muttered Hashim.

     "I've changed my mind, even if it means war, I'll directly kill Akihiko," spoke Lehabim, gripping his fists tightly.

     "yea right, your master would stop you before you could even do that. Do you think the essence gathering realm is a joke?" Spoke Orbis sarcastically, "you all should find a single lady like I have with my love."

     "who's your love!"

     As the geniuses were warring in hushed tones, Madeleine had made it to wide stairs. The coliseum was silent as her delicate and lonely footsteps made it to the top. Delia and Meiying were like ghosts following her, they stood silently to the side as the Sapientia family head could only smile bitterly as he saw his daughter's attitude. He thought that when she had agreed to stop fighting this that she was feel good about being cured, but, it seemed he was too naïve. She had never done this for herself or him, she did this so she could live and repay a debt to that dead boy.

     Pillar Family Head Kami stood at the podium as a witness. Once he saw that Madeleine had made it and hadn't caused too much of a scene, he breathed a sigh of relief.

     His voice boomed, entering the ears of everyone there, "Today we've come together to collect the Sapientia family and Kami family as one. In consideration for the big sect tournaments, the new soon to be husband and wife pair have decided on a shorter, but elegant, ceremony. Although this is usually done in private, we want you all to be witness to their holy union. As such, the marriage licence will be signed here and now," Kami waved his hand.

     A group of servants came out of the back room with a podium that had a thick piece of parchment on it in addition to a feathered pen.

     "Little Madeleine, soon we'll be as father and daughter. As a woman marrying into the Kami family, you should follow our traditions as well. The Kami God Clan places the utmost importance on blood lines, particularly the god level blood. As you all know, my son has awakened his god blood to 20%! Which is even comparable to geniuses in the main branch!"

     The crowd filled with murmurs.

     "he's so powerful?

     "Maybe he does deserve to marry lady Sapientia."

     The geniuses of the big sects grit their teeth and endured.

     "As such, it is customary for Kami God clan marriages to seek acceptance of the ancestors by signing the marriage contract in blood. Only a finger prick will be necessary. After the couple has finished, we can begin the festivities. After a proper feast, the tournament will begin!"

     The crowd watched on as Akihiko picked up the feathered pen and pricked his finger, signing his name in blood. The parchment began to resonate with the heavens, as though Akihiko's blood was bestowed by the heavens themselves.

     "Haha, as expected of the Kami Sect's seeded genius. The contract isn't even complete, yet he's already gained the acceptance of the ancestors," big sect elder Kami boomed from the box lookout.

     Akihiko passed the pen to Madeleine with a gentle look in his eyes, but Madeleine's face couldn't help but flash with disdain as she noticed the hints of lust in his eyes.

     Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her trembling body. Although her face was incomparably calm, her heart was a raging storm of emotions. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she couldn't seem to steady her hand to draw blood.

     Many of those who sympathized with Madeleine couldn't help but sigh.

     Just as Madeleine was about to give up and use a bigger target, a light voice rang out that made the tears she was holding back spill over as wave after wave of emotion hit her.

     "wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Can we talk about this for a second? I know you want this whole streamlined wedding thing, but what kind of marriage doesn't ask what the crowd thinks first? You know, I dunno about the Martial World, but in the human world we have a place called Las Vegas, you can think of them as the king of streamlined marriages. And even they ask if someone wants to speak or forever hold their peace. And here I was counting on the Kami family to follow proper protocol. I had so much faith in you fucks that I almost let my woman be married to some loser. Imagine the laughing stock I'd be if that happened?"

     'NO! What is he doing!' Ava, Eli and Venus couldn't help but almost faint. They had been thinking of all the ways Dyon could deal with this. Maybe burn the marriage contract and kidnap her later when less people were around. Or, maybe use the big sect tournament to kill Akihiko before he could do anything to Ava. But never did they think he'd do it like this.

     "who is this guy?"

     "Dyon? That's Dyon!"

     "Huh? Wasn't he dead?"

     Oliver looked at the boy who had seemed to mature by leaps in bounds with nothing but shock, 'B-but, I ran you through the heart…'

     Pillar Family Leader Sapientia was trembling as he held onto his wife's hand, he didn't know if he'd have the strength to kill his daughter's love again. Especially in front of her? He was conflicted, he had no idea what to do.

     The geniuses of the big sects looked over all at once.

     "This is the guy she fell for? He's nothing but a pretty boy," said Lehabim with a look of disdain.

     "I thought he was dead, wasn't he," said Orbis, "but, isn't it more interesting this way? This wedding was getting boring."

     "He is quite handsome," said Jessica licking her lips, "if only he was as beautiful as he was handsome."

     "Don't be like that my love. What can looks do for you in the cultivation world? Isn't that why he quote unquote died in the first place? He won't even get out of here alive."

     Although Jessica didn't like being called Orbis' love, she had to admit that he was right. Even though the pillar family leader of the Kami clan was weaker than the seeded geniuses, the same could not be said of the big sect elder. So even they as incomparable geniuses didn't dare to make a fuss here no matter how much they loved Madeleine. Yet, this 14-year-old boy seemed to want to do exactly that.

     Madeleine slowly turned. She couldn't hide her trembling anymore and her voice couldn't leave her throat. But, she started running. She started running as fast as her locked cultivation could take her.

     Akihiko finally snapped out of his sheer surprised, "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!" He was about to reach out a flash of sword qi nearly severed his arm.

     He fell backwards and landed on his ass pathetically as he tried to dodge.

     A faint voice filled with killing intent rang out, "if you dare try to touch her again, you won't even know how you died."

     The crowd shuddered as Dyon lifted his foot slowly.

     "are you sure he's weak?" whispered Jessica.

     "I…" Orbis didn't know what to say. It was clear none of them had seen how he attacked, yet, domineering sword scar on the stairs wasn't lying to their eyes.

     Madeleine was stumbling down the stairs, still unable to speak.

     "Big Sister!" Delia called out as she noticed Madeleine falling down.

     But, in a flash, Dyon's foot fell and he was already before Madeleine, embracing her tightly.

     Madeleine gripped Dyon's chest with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably for what seemed like an eternity.

     "It seems like she really loves him… we can't pull them apart again dear. I can't take that kind of pain," whispered lady Sapientia to her husband.

     Pillar family head Sapientia shivered as he heard his wife's voice.

     "He's so fast, wasn't he just in the aisle, how did he get to the stairs"

     "He's so handsome, yet so strong as well? No wonder Madeleine loves him."

     "But, he's going to die soon, does it matter?"

     In the stands of the coliseum, the Storm family members looked on in interest.

     Baal licked his lips, "that girl is the best I've seen. I'll have to savor her soon."

     Autumn snorted, "you'll have to be strong enough to beat him first."

     "He's just a small fry. Can't you tell he has no cultivation. How could I lose to such a weakling?"

     "you're ignorant. Don't you know that first brother Storm didn't start cultivating until he was 18? He's a true genius. He was the reason why our branch was willing to take such a chance and break off from the Ragnor clan," Dagon said faintly.

     "Are you really trying to compare this nobody to first brother?" Said Baal in disdain.

     Dagon didn't feel like arguing, "if you really want to try him out, you'll get a chance later. But, I've warned you that your disgusting habits are going to get you killed one day."

     Baal didn't seem to be listening as he continued to lick his lips.

     Tammy remained silent, not knowing what to think. The boy she had once told should work hard to reach their level had in the blink of an eye reached such a high level of attainment, 'let's see how you'll survive this.'

     **

     Madeleine continued to sob, unwilling to let go of Dyon's shirt. It seemed like she was trying to say something, but Dyon couldn't understand.

     "Y-y…"

     Finally, Madeleine took a deep breath, although it was broken into a million parts, she finally got air into her lungs.

     "Y-you r-really – W-ore sw-eat p-pants to my w-wed-d-ding?"

     Dyon was stunned for a bit, before his booming laughter could be heard throughout the arena.

     Delia and Meiying finally had relaxed smiles on their faces, almost as though they had forgotten the danger Dyon was in.

     On the stage, while Akihiko was still sitting on the ground in a daze, Pillar family elder Kami and big sect elder Kami were fuming.

     "You've got a lot of nerve! Good, good, good. Well done. You'll die here today!" Boomed big sect leader Kami.

     However, Dyon didn't seem to hear him, but he set aside a thought in his mind, 'essence gathering 3rd stage? No big deal.'

     "Well, I wasn't properly dressed, BUT! I brought you presents," Dyon said with a beaming smile.

     He swung Madeleine into his arms and an array formation appeared below him. I rose them up 20 meters in the air, and whether it was on purpose or not, positioned them directly in the center of the coliseum.

     Everyone watched with a mixture of loathing, jealousy or adoration as Dyon gently placed the still shivering Madeleine in his lap, letting her head rest on his chest.

     "this is the first present. From today onwards, you'll be the center of the world. No one will bully you. No one will hurt you. No one will dare do anything you don't like while I'm here."

     The crowd sucked in a breath.

     "I'll kill him!" said Hashim and Lehabim fumed. Before, they had no choice but to not take action for fear of big sect elder Kami, but this was a completely new situation. How could they sit back as a boy with no backing took the woman they wanted?

     Jessica, though, looked on with sparkling eyes, before turning to Orbis, "if you could ever be half that romantic, I'd love you."

     Orbis' eyes shined with passion as though accepting a challenge.

     Madeleine shivered as she heard Dyon's words, the tears she had willed to stop started flowing again.

     Dyon smiled, "the second present is actually a little guy we'll raise together."

     The crowd was in an uproar.