Chapter 49: Conflict

  In the center of an empty training ground, a man stood alone, gazing up at the sky. He was clad in black robes with verdant lining, gold embroidery running along his collar and sleeves. It was Damon, taking a break during his training. His long black hair swayed in the morning breeze, loosened by the strenuous practice he had been doing.

  The scattered clouds above drifted past slowly, casting a large shadow over the training ground. After the cloud passed and the sun beat down on him once more, Damon exhaled a long breath and then extended his left arm straight in front of him, his palm facing forward. On each finger of his left hand, a brass ring sparkled under the sunlight. While chanting, he drew patterns in the air underneath his outstretched arm using his right hand.

  Water coalesced before his left palm, swirling into a dense sphere. The clear, flowing liquid separated into numerous globules the size of walnuts before reshaping into runes. The moment he finished his chant, he yelled out using the force of his lower abdomen, emitting a sonorous sound. The small runes formed from the balls of water shot forward, traveling a fair distance away.

  Damon’s outstretched left hand shook violently, as his right hand was held directly in front of his chest in a hand seal formed by raising his index and middle fingers toward the sky and clenching the rest in a closed grip. With gritted teeth and furrowed brows, he stared at the flying runes he had created. As a few beads of sweat trickled down his face, he finally clenched his left hand into a tight fist.

  The runes that had flown to one end of the training ground radiated red light at this instant, the fluid they were formed from heating up rapidly. After just a second of delay, the runes all exploded into balls of flame around the size of a carriage wheel. Though individually they only packed the power of a regular fireball, there were dozens of runes exploding all at once.

  The explosion caused a large cloud of dust and steam to erupt upwards, looking similar to a mushroom. Afterward, a ring of shockwaves was expelled, blowing a fierce gale in every direction. This wind crashed into Damon before he could react, pushing him backward by a few feet, leaving two long tracks in the dirt. His hair lashed around due to the barrage, his robes also whistling as they whipped from the blast.

  Once his backwards momentum died out, he fell forward onto one knee while breathing heavily. Holding himself up with his own knee, he squinted at the distance where the explosion had occurred. A shallow crater had formed in the ground, and the fencing at the edge of the training area was glowing in multicolored lights as hexagonal barriers formed a wall to contain the force within.

  His lips stretched into a wide grin, his eyes gleaming even as he heaved for air. After catching his breath, he stood up and roared at the blue sky. His voice cracked as his yell transformed into triumphant laughter.

  “Finally! It finally succeeded! My own unique spell. It still needs some fine-tuning, but I should be able to use this as a trump card in the Convergence. This is all thanks to Senior Brother James.”

  Damon’s white teeth sparkled under the sunlight as he continued grinning in satisfaction. He thought back to his discovery two months ago.

  A pulse of arcane power erupted from within an elegant building located on the outskirts of the Academy. This was the guest villa Damon currently resided in. Though the fluctuation of energy had been conspicuous, nobody came forth to investigate. There were no cultivators nearby.

  Within the building, Damon was seated cross-legged atop his bed, his loose hair fluttering in the air. At each of the four corners around the bed, an incense stick burned, infusing the room with the fragrance of sandalwood. As the vibrant light of the setting sun caressed his cheek with the final warmth of the day, he opened his eyes. They glowed with an azure radiance, much brighter than his normal dark blue pupils.

  “I’ve advanced to the mid stage of the Node Awakening realm much earlier than I expected. I also only used around a dozen Arcane Development Potions. I definitely didn’t need all 20… Did that Senior Gale scam me as well?”

  Damon furrowed his brows as he rubbed his chin for a while. Shaking his head, he purged his thoughts of unnecessary distractions.

  “Anyway. Since I’ve already reached the mid stage, I can slowly consolidate the new power while I prepare for the tournament. Seeing as I have to rely on my arcane cultivation rather than using my mind powers… I have a lot of strategizing to do.”

  His thoughts drifted off for a while before returning once more. He closed his eyes and began concentrating on stabilizing his new cultivation base.

  The next morning, Damon awoke from his brief slumber, filled with powerful energy. His fingers and toes tingled, and he felt restless. He wanted to test out his new strength on the training grounds.

  He leapt out of bed, preparing to expend some of the accumulated energy in his body. Searching through his storage pouches for his Academy robes, he remembered he had not been issued new ones after his battle with James had damaged his old ones. Shaking his head, he dressed in his spare casual robes before hiding his storage pouches within the folds one by one.

  Tilting his head, he picked up the last pouch sitting atop the table. It was slightly unfamiliar, but he had numerous storage pouches now and could not keep track of every one. Especially as they changed regularly due to his scroll crafting business. Running his fingers over the smooth black fabric, he placed it into his chest pocket. As he walked to the exit, he suddenly paused in his steps.

  That last pouch… Wasn’t that Senior James’s?

  The pounding heart in his chest skipped a beat. He ran back to his bed, sitting atop a cushion and pulling out the storage pouch from his chest pocket. He clenched the pouch tight in his grasp as a small smile played at his lips. Remembering a forgotten treasure was the same as discovering a new one.

  Surging arcane power coursed through his body, beginning from the Arcane Node in his chest, travelling through his shoulder and up to his fingers. He channeled the power into the pouch, a visualization of everything contained within presenting itself before his eyes. His smile froze, the hand gripping the pouch beginning to shake uncontrollably.

  Whack.

  The black storage pouch slowly slid down the wall of the lavish villa before sagging onto the floor. Standing on the bed, Damon’s chest heaved with heavy breaths as he glowered at the pouch lying on the floor.

  “What is this bullshit! Did I grab the wrong pouch? He was a Disciple for heaven’s sake! How can he have nothing but books?” Loud howls echoed in the villa for a long while.

  Some time later, Damon was once more seated atop his bed, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the same storage pouch in his hand. Scraps of parchment, notebooks filled with scribbles, and leather-bound tomes flashed past his eyes as he briefly inspected the contents. He finished his perusal, and three thick tomes and two thin notebooks appeared in his hands. On top of these five books was a crumpled piece of parchment. Setting down the books, he picked up the crumpled parchment and spread it out for a better look.

  Why? Why do I feel this way? I know I am prone to jealousy… But it never used to be this bad. Why? Why do I feel this way? Why are my thoughts filled with anger? Why do I envision my targets dead before my feet? Why? Why do I feel this way? Will I achieve anything even if I kill Damon? I must kill him. I MUST HAVE HIS SECRETS. HIS SECRET TO SUCCESS IS MINE!

  Damon read through the text once before a small flame emerged from his fingertips, incinerating the piece of parchment into ash instantly.

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  “This blood jewel is scarier than I thought. It is likely the source of this irrational eruption of emotions. If it had succeeded in piercing into my Mind Node…”

  Damon shuddered at the thought. Circulating his mental power to calm his slightly agitated mind, he looked down at the stack of books in front of him. After laying them side by side, he read through the titles written on the covers.

  Intricacies of Runic Fusion

  Compendium of Runeology Materials

  Introduction to Runes in Combat

  Runic Fusion Notes

  Blood Essence Runecraft Notes

  With one arm across his chest and his other arm resting against it, Damon propped his chin up with a hand and ruminated about the spellcasting James had shown during their battle. The formation of runes using blood essence had been displayed overtly. The effects of their usage were a prominent aspect behind James’s strength.

  “I’ll study these books first. Especially the use of runes in combat. If I can figure out a way to incorporate that into my spellcraft as well…”

  Damon picked up the ‘Introduction to Runes in Combat’ book and opened it to the first page.

  One month after that, Damon stood on the training ground, leaning forward over his knees as he gasped for breath. With his entire body drenched in sweat, he scowled and kicked at a rock on the ground. His foot crashed into the rock, yet it did not fly away as expected. It was a deceivingly small rock on the surface, but embedded deep under the ground. Having kicked a hard, immovable object, his foot flared up in a sharp pain, a tremor traveling up his leg and into his spine.

  Holding back his tears, he fell to the dirt silently. Hugging his knees to his chest, he curled up into a ball on the ground while holding onto his foot with both hands. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he bit down on his bottom lip.

  After a while, the pain subsided enough for him to finally stand back up, though with a limp. Grimacing, he hobbled toward the infirmary.

  “What darned luck. First, the new spell failed, and now I probably broke my foot. Is the spell unfeasible? No… I definitely felt the first rune form. I should try testing with a larger singular rune before attempting it again, just to be sure. I still have a month left. I need to figure this out before then.”

  Back in the present, Damon grimaced as his foot throbbed in remembrance of the pain. His memories were interrupted as a sharp voice cut through the air and entered his ears.

  “Older Brother Damon! Older Brother Damon! Were you practicing here this entire time? You missed both the arrival of the three Towers yesterday and the welcoming ceremony today!”

  The one yelling from so far away that his figure was just a small black blob in the distance was Dylan. For such a little boy, his voice was incredibly mighty. Soon, the blob drew closer and began resembling a human, before it finally arrived just outside the fenced training ground.

  Damon walked over slowly, his back straight and his hands held behind his back.

  “Of course, I was practicing. I have to participate in the Convergence in two weeks. I’m already lower than all the other participants in cultivation realm. If I don’t want to embarrass myself, I need to strengthen my spellcraft!” As a smirk formed on his lips, he continued, “I just created a unique spell that only I can use. I won’t spoil the details, but let’s just say… With this, your Older Brother Damon is assured to come out as the final victor.”

  Dylan’s eyes widened, and he responded with a grin. “Wow, Older Brother Damon! Are you THAT confident? I can’t wait to watch you stomp all the Initiates from the Towers!”

  Clapping, Dylan gazed up at Damon with sparkly eyes. Damon raised his nose into the air with a self-satisfied smile. Though inwardly, he had a different thought. He had already decided to go for the third place prize, not first. He opened his mouth to continue the conversation, when a hubbub of activity nearby drew his attention. There were a few groups of cultivators running past the fields, yelling as they all headed in one direction.

  “Quick! Quick! We need to get there before they start!”

  “What’s happening? Why are we rushing?”

  “I heard some of the apprentices from the Towers are at the arena challenging everyone from the Academy!”

  “What? We definitely can’t miss out on that!”

  Leaving behind a cloud of dust, the groups disappeared into the distance.

  “Older Brother Damon, you heard that right? We should go and have a look as well! Maybe some of them are participating in the Convergence. It would be a good opportunity to scope them out!”

  I’ve finished up my training for the day. Dylan’s right, I should go and see what the cultivators from the Towers are like. Also, perhaps I’ll see Jon and Raina…

  Damon nodded before exiting the training grounds. Alongside Dylan, they walked briskly toward the arena.

  A huge crowd had formed near the arena, the stands packed full of cheering students. Damon and Dylan managed to squeeze their way through the throng of people before finally approaching close to the central arena. There, they met an unexpected person.

  There was a circular space devoid of anyone else within this sea of bodies. In the middle, Claire stood on her tiptoes as she peeked over the heads of the people in front of her.

  “Claire?”

  “Damon!”

  Claire turned around in a rush before sprinting toward Damon. This time, however, she succeeded in stopping herself from tackling him.

  “You’re here!” Claire turned to look at the short boy next to him. “Oh, and you too! Dylan, was it?”

  Looking down at his feet, Dylan responded in a small voice. “Yes, Miss Claire, I am Dylan. It’s good to see you again.”

  Smiling, Damon ruffled the tops of both of their heads. “Why can’t you two stop being so distant with each other? Let’s all get along! So what’s happening over in the arena?”

  Claire smiled back at Damon, disregarding the tousling of her hair. “I only arrived a moment ago. Thankfully, the crowd parted for me as I walked through them, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get this far! Let’s go right up to the arena for a better view. Follow me!”

  Leading the charge, Claire walked forward while continuously yelling ‘Excuse me!’. Just as she had said, the crowd split in half directly in front of her as she made her way through them. Trailing close behind, Damon and Dylan were able to take advantage of their proximity to her and arrived at the arena’s edge swiftly.

  On the pristine white arena stage, a young man wearing robes that were half black and half white stood on one end. He had long black hair flowing down his back, tied together with a simple black ribbon. Behind him, a few men and women wearing similar attire stood in a line. With a smirk on his face, he scanned the crowd gathered around the arena.

  “Does nobody from this Academy have the guts to accept my challenge? If a match of equal strength scares you off, I’ll take on Disciples as well. Do I have any takers now?”

  The young man spoke in a smooth and steady tone, brimming with confidence. The crowd erupted into an uproar after hearing his words. Claire was one of them. She had grasped onto the ledge up to the arena, attempting to climb up immediately, but had been pulled back by Damon and Dylan.

  At this moment, a loud voice rumbled from the crowd.

  “I accept your challenge.”

  A muscular man leapt onto the stage from the sea of cultivators. He wore a single layer of loose black clothing consisting of pants and a tunic. The sinewy muscles covering his body, in addition to the attire, caused Damon to immediately deduce his affiliation. He was an Auron from the Military Academy.

  “Are you ready?” The young man asked, his expression still as relaxed as ever.

  “I’m ready when you are.” The muscular man replied, assuming a fighting stance.

  “Then let’s start immediately.”

  The moment the young man finished speaking, he raised his right hand into the air. Before the muscular man could act, a blinding light flared from the young man’s fingertip. Every single person watching the fight could only block their burning eyes with their hands or arms. When the light died down, they glanced back at the arena cautiously, only to discover a frightening scene.

  On the stage, the two combatants remained in their respective spots. The young man looked on with the same relaxed smirk on his face, yet the muscular man was struggling with all his might. He had his limbs and torso pierced by numerous black spears, all emerging out of his own shadow. Blood poured down his body, staining the porcelain tiles with large splashes of crimson.

  Silence blanketed the arena as everyone watched in horror. It had happened too fast. The fight had just started, yet the muscular man was already riddled with wounds and immobilized, screaming out with a hoarse voice filled with pain and rage.

  Damon observed the ongoings with wide, gleaming eyes, his face lighting up with both surprise and excitement. He turned around to Claire, expecting to see a mirrored expression. Instead, he came across a look he had never seen before on her face. It was distorted by a grimace, her nose scrunched up, and her eyes furrowed. Even her eyes were completely bloodshot.

  “Claire?”