When I looked at the obviously frightened young man, I realized it was the same guy who had tried to talk to me many times in the Meditation Chamber before of the Senior Disciples had stopped him from doing so.

  His face was still bruised, though I could tell he had new marks that I hadn’t seen before. This made me feel a little guilty — Elder Molric had certainly used enough force to leave an impression.

  I’d assumed when Elder Molric talked about “combat training” that we would either be using dummy targets or fighting against some type of automated training system. However, I had not imagined that we would be using an actual fellow student as a “target.”

  In retrospect, however, that had been rather na?ve of me.

  After all, this was the Order of the Last Light — an institution that had a display of crystallized remains from students who had failed in order to serve as an example for other students. So, it was not surprising that they would not want to waste time and money practicing on dummies when they had perfectly good students to use instead. In fact, it was probably considered inefficient to practice on anything that couldn’t scream.

  "Master," Azure said, "at least it isn’t Elder Molric himself who is offering to spar. If he was, it would likely end with your remains decorating the walls.”

  Yeah, given the elder’s...unique method of instruction, sparring with him would most likely cause me to become a permanent feature on the architecture of the Academy.

  Seeing the still-nervously trembling initiate, I decided to try to save the situation. I wasn't interested in making enemies because of Elder Molric's... unique teaching methods.

  "I am Tomas," I said, keeping my voice friendly. "Sorry about..." I indicated vaguely at the space where Elder Molric's technique had activated.

  "K-Kiran," he stuttered, his voice still shaky. "Kiran T-Tovel."

  "Enough small talk!" Elder Molric barked in before I could reply. He was already striding away down the hall, apparently anticipating that we would follow. "We don't have time to waste, and we have lots to do!"

  I gave Kiran an apologetic glance as we followed the elder. "Sorry about my master, he is a little..."

  "Intense?" Kiran said with a faint smile. "Don't worry, everyone has heard stories about Elder Molric." He glanced forward to ensure that the elder was out of earshot before continuing, "However, I'm starting to think the stories might have understated things."

  "The old man certainly heard that," Azure chimed in.

  "Of course he did," I thought back. "He is an elder after all."

  However, I decided not to tell Kiran this. The poor boy was already nervous enough without me reminding him that the Skybound had supernatural hearing.

  Kiran seemed to have recovered. "Listen, there is something you should know," he leaned in to whisper. "Zoren is looking for you."

  That must be the young master that Elder Molric had mentioned.

  "Zoren?"

  "Fifth son of House Zoren," Kiran explained quietly. "He's... well, he is not pleased about all the attention you have received. Particularly since you are..." he paused awkwardly.

  "A commoner?" I completed the sentence for him.

  "Yes," he nodded. "He is at the peak of Rank 1 and there have been whispers circulating around the school that you are afraid of him which is why you have been hiding in your quarters." Kiran wrinkled his face. "Likely created by Zoren's friends, however still... "

  I frowned at the mention of Zoren's ranking.

  With the capabilities that I currently possess, I was not confident that I could take on someone at that level, there is a considerable difference in skill and ability between the initial and peak levels of any cultivation system.

  The three basic runes give me decent combat potential, but fighting someone who has spent months or years practicing and mastering their techniques?

  "Master," Azure suggested, "perhaps we should treat this as a strategic withdrawal until we are ready.”

  He was right. Even though I hadn’t intentionally been hiding, being unconscious tends to limit one’s social calendar, now knowing that an arrogant young master was coming after me, the smart thing to do would be to avoid him.

  After all, there was no reason to rush into a fight that I wasn’t even prepared for.

  And if he truly believed that spreading rumors about me hiding would draw me out due to pride or face, then he did not understand me at all. I had died enough times to know that pride was nothing compared to surviving.

  If I needed to hide, then that is exactly what I would do.

  Whether they wanted to call me a coward or not, I would prefer to be a living coward than a dead hero. After all, being a hero did not seem to fit the image of Skybound. In fact, it appeared to me that they prided themselves on how efficiently they could kill their opponents and not on some noble ideals about fair fights or honor.

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  "Master," Azure said, "all you have to do is stay away from Zoren until you learn a couple of elemental runes. Once you have done that, regardless of how "peaked" they claim to be, defeating a Rank 1 practitioner will be child’s play."

  "We’re here," Elder Molric called out before I could answer.

  Before us lay a massive crystalline structure that seemed to grow directly from the mountain. Many of the spires that reached up towards the red sun released waves of energy and created complex patterns along their surfaces.

  "The Crucible," Kiran explained, noting my fascination with the patterns that adorned the entire surface of the structure. "Each room in the Crucible is designed for combat training purposes. The walls are reinforced with defensive formations, and there are healing runes embedded within the floor in the event of... accidents."

  "Is it free to use?" I asked, studying the patterns that adorned every surface of the structure.

  "Oh yeah, you don’t know about credits yet," Kiran brightened, seeming to relax as he began to explain something. "The academy uses a merit system. Merits are awarded for things such as training, completing assigned tasks, improving your skills, etc. They can be traded in for items, such as better accommodations, blank canvas lilies that are required for rune practice, restricted texts, weapons, and even private sessions with senior disciples. Some initiates from lower-income households spend nearly all of their time in the Academy attempting to earn enough merits to be able to survive."

  I nodded, not surprised by the credit system, the Azure Peak Sect employed a similar merit system. However, I had never had the opportunity to train in a private training facility; they charged outrageous amounts of money for a student from the Outer Disciple ranks to train there.

  The contrast was striking.

  Here was an Academy renowned for producing unstable killers, yet they provided financial incentives to their students to train properly. It was almost funny how a school dedicated to channeling the madness of the red sun seemed to care more about providing their students with proper education than a righteous Sect that lectured their disciples about achieving harmony with the Dao.

  Elder Molric walked over to one of the doors and triggered a series of defensive formations. A brilliant light burst forth from the geometric patterns surrounding the door and created a barrier but the elder merely waved his hand, causing his wood-aspect runes to flare and neutralize the defensive formations.

  Once inside, I got my first look at a Rank 1 practitioner fighting in this world.

  Two Initiates were engaged in a battle that looked more like a fight to the death rather than a spar.

  "You’re getting slower, Vale," taunted the Initiate with Beast-Runes, his elongated claws flashing in the light as he attacked through the air. His face had taken on a wild quality, with sharp teeth visible when he grinned. "Still relying on those basic enhancement runes? How... common."

  "At least I didn’t have to mutate myself to achieve power, Kai," Vale retorted, his body moving at incredible speeds as he fired off a rapid succession of punches. "Although, I suppose looking like a hybrid beast does suit someone of your... stature."

  The collision in the center of the room sent shockwaves through the fortified floor. Kai’s claws carved large gashes into the stone as Vale barely avoided the attack, with Kai’s aggression increasing with each passing moment.

  "Stand still and let me disembowel you!" Kai snarled, his eyes glowing an unnatural yellow color. "I’ll hang your entrails from the ceiling of the practice room!"

  Vale’s enhancement runes glowed with a deep crimson light as he fired off a crushing combination that would have shattered ordinary rock. "Your father must be so proud — his only son, reduced to acting like a rabid dog!"

  However, Kai had already activated a movement technique, disappearing from the point of contact only to reappear behind Vale, his claws poised to strike Vale’s spine. "When I’m done with you, they won’t even recognize your corpse!"

  "Is this a spar or a deathmatch?" I asked Kiran quietly, shocked by the level of brutality and the blatant death threats. The manner in which they fought and spoke, it seemed to me that they were seriously attempting to kill each other rather than merely practicing.

  Even Zhou, who was notorious for crippling junior disciples during "spars", maintained at least a facade of civility.

  These Initiates were not even attempting to feign innocence; they were openly proclaiming their intent to kill each other.

  Kiran shrugged uncomfortably. "Technically, you sign a waiver before sparring, in the event of... accidents."

  "I take it ‘accidents’ happen a lot?"

  "Yes, mostly to commoners," Kiran admitted. "Or to anyone lacking powerful sponsorship. Nobody really cares if they die."

  The two combatants finally became aware of our presence and stopped fighting to stare at the sudden interruption. Their expressions changed from confusion and annoyance to wariness as soon as they recognized Elder Molric.

  "Ah, transformation runes," Elder Molric sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Always so crude, turning people into beasts. Now plants, that would be far more elegant! Can you envision — the regenerative properties of certain species, the defensive qualities of ironwood...?"

  Elder Molric began to ramble about the possibilities of plant-based transformations, clearly excited about the subject.

  I had to stifle a grin. "I’m sure he’d enjoy the World Tree Sutra," I thought to Azure while the elder continued to list the advantages of plant-based transformations.

  "Indeed," Azure replied with amusement. "Perhaps we should refrain from mentioning it. He may attempt to dissect you just so he can examine the effects."

  "My disciple requires this room," Elder Molric declared with enthusiasm, bringing an end to his impromptu lesson about the virtues of plant-based transformations. "Please clear the area."

  “Of course, Elder,” they bowed quickly and exited the room, casting each of us suspicious glances. I could almost picture them mentally recording every detail of my physical appearance.

  "The one with the beast runes is Kai Sen," Kiran whispered. "Only son of a small noble family. The other is Ren Hale, from a merchant family that supplies the Academy. Both are advanced practitioners at the later stage of Rank 1."

  I inwardly groaned. Did the elder deliberately intend to create enemies for me? The politics in this environment were complicated enough without antagonizing every person we encountered.

  Elder Molric must have noticed my expression, because he smiled broadly. "You should be thankful your master is finding you future training dummies!" Elder Molric clapped his hands together. "Now then, let’s begin!"

  He turned to Kiran and smiled maniacally once again. "Don’t hold back, boy." Then he turned to me and added almost as an afterthought, "Just try not to kill him; his grandfather is a close friend of mine."

  "Master," Azure noted dryly, "I notice that he appears to be more concerned with protecting Kiran than with protecting you."

  "Let’s hope it’s because he’s confident in my ability to defend myself," I thought back, although I was not entirely sure.

  We moved to our respective places on opposite sides of the room. Kiran looked like he was waiting for me to suddenly transform into a berserker at any moment, his eyes rapidly shifting between me and the elder as though he wondered whether there was some way for him to escape from this.

  The defensive formations activated around us and created a containment field that would keep any stray energy from escaping...or in this case, keep us from escaping.

  Elder Molric lifted his hand, a maniacal enthusiastic smile appeared on his face as he prepared to watch two disciples try to kill each other.

  "Begin!"

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