《Rivers of the Night》


 Chapter 1: Rules of an Assassin

    Rain was an interesting thing.


    When couched by the warmth of a home, it was pleasant, a gentle and soothing rhythm for the soul.


    When unfettered, pelting from above and soaking its victims through, it was uncomfortable, bone-chilling, and relentless in its patient torture.


    Walking through the rain on this day, Theron felt the same about it as he always did.


    It helped him feel.


    Every flash of lightning and clap of thunder was another song in his mind, his steps moving to their cadence and his heart beating to their rhythm.


    It was the perfect night, honestly.


    The perfect night to kill.


    Tonight he would complete a mission that had haunted the Bronze Assassins for many years.


    Theron''s black robes were already soaked through, his hood forming a wet layer over his dark hair, and yet his icy blue eyes stared forward, unwavering.


    A change to the cadence of the rain caught his attention. He was too used to its delicate pitter-patter. The slightest shifts resonated in him like a stone dropping onto the surface of a calm lake.


    Water Mancers like himself weren''t known for their great combat strength, and most certainly couldn''t pick out changes in the rain like Theron, but control was their specialty.


    It was why he was so confident.


    ''Another assassin.''


    Theron''s steps paused. With a light touch that didn''t even disturb the puddle beneath his feet, he slipped into an alley.


    The target was a tycoon of a small city with a population of less than 20,000. Their estate was located at the core of the town and took precedent even over the mayor''s mansion. Security was tight, but it could be said that the tycoon''s greed was also his downfall. With how large the compound was, sneaking in hadn''t been a problem for Theron, and it clearly hadn''t been a problem for this assassin as well.


    In the rain, it could be said that Theron''s concealment was unmatched. He slipped through buildings and slid through the shadows of trees and shrubbery, rounding the compound until he had sights on the back of his new target.


    As expected, it was another Bronze Assassin. Theron didn''t have eyes on his face, but he was highly adept at reading the posture and gait of people.


    Bronze Assassin Lyn.


    Theron''s interactions with other assassins were few and far between. That said, he had a deep rolodex of knowledge regarding them nonetheless. At the very least, at the Bronze Assassin level, there was no one he didn''t have information on.


    The second rule of the association.


    An assassin''s greatest weapon was not their blade, but their mind.


    Lyn slid through the shadows, moving with a sharpness that belied his stupidity.


    ''Fool.''


    Though impressive in movement, Lyn''s approach was too naive. He was approaching the estate from the west wing as it had the most lax security. But he couldn''t see the obvious trap right before him.


    Theron had analyzed every mission report, he had even been staying in this small town for the past month, listening to the stories of passersby, tales of the assassins who didn''t get the chance to return to report anything.


    If it was so easy to approach from the wing with the most lax security, everyone would have done it.


    A sudden spark caught Theron off guard. Lyn''s robes fluttered, an arc of yellow lightning spreading out from him in a subtle sphere. The lightning dispersed quickly, and by the time it was a foot from his body, it was almost indiscernible beneath the heavy rain.


    ''I''m too close.''


    Theron moved, his cloak fluttering up to reveal a short sword and a dagger by his waist. He used the momentum of the wind to reveal their hilts, unsheathing them in a fluent motion.


    The spark of lightning was no doubt a detection skill. Lyn hadn''t noticed his presence, but he must have realized the surroundings were too quiet. Feeling that something was wrong, he chose the path of added caution; he wasn''t as foolish as he seemed.


    Lightning Mancers were known for their reaction speed and attack power, there should be very few reconnaissance and auxiliary abilities like this one.


    The third rule of the association.


    Adaptability was more important than strength.


    Theron''s speed wasn''t as fast as Lyn''s, but he acted first.


    As the ripple of lightning passed over him and Lyn realized there was someone to his back, Theron''s short sword had already thrust forward.


    He could feel the blade gliding through the droplets of rain. Each trickle was like an extension of his senses, rebounding against and resonating with his blade.


    Lyn turned toward him in a hurry, unsheathing a blade to counter.


    A flicker of shock rippled through Lyn''s brown eyes when he met Theron''s cold gaze.


    "Don''t you¡ª!" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their blades clashed.


    The strength of Theron''s initiative forced Lyn a step back. The latter''s dagger almost slipped out of his grasp, but Theron''s own had surged forward.


    "Dammit!" Lyn thrust out with his free hand, an arc of lightning pulsing toward Theron.


    The flash of gold reflected in Theron''s cool blue eyes. They were so clear that Lyn could see his own reflection within them, and the calm indifference in the face of his attack.


    The droplets of water around Theron pooled together, forming a guard that wrapped around his thrusting dagger, down his wrist and up his arm.


    The lightning collided with the surface and followed the path of least resistance, rounding Theron''s back and sparking out in a puddle behind him.


    Without the time to cast a skill with more focus, Lyn''s lightning was useless against Theron.


    Especially in this rain.


    The dagger pierced into Lyn''s chest. Droplets of rain that had coated it suddenly exploded out like the pieces of a grenade beneath Theron''s control, rupturing the Lightning Mancer''s inner organs.


    "You..."


    Lyn''s gaze flickered with unwillingness, rage, and helplessness.


    Rule number one of the association.


    Never kill your fellow assassin.


    It was a nice rule. It was just unfortunate that Theron didn''t care.

 Chapter 2: Forward

    The torrential downpour showed no signs of stopping. What blood there would have been was washed away, and to all but Theron, so too were the sounds.


    Theron scanned the region and then crouched down. He pulled at Lyn''s robes to reveal what was underneath.


    It was impossible for him to take most of this. Even if it wasn''t for rule one of the association, his information file on Lyn was enough. He hadn''t confirmed it previously, but after their battle, he was certain.


    Mancer abilities were hereditary and family members shared affinities. After seeing Lyn''s Lightning Mancy in person, he could confirm that he was Silver Assassin Raiden''s younger brother.


    It was hard to confirm family relationships in the association because there were not only strict rules against killing, but there were also such rules against nepotism and things of the like. It could be said that Lyn was more likely to be harmed by his elder brother than helped.


    The confirmation was still important to Theron, so he understood how he should maneuver himself and prepare for the future.


    ''The cloak, the dagger, about 800 or so bronzes... Both treasures are high quality, but I can''t sell them, that''ll leave a trace. The bronzes should be fine.''


    Bronzes were the default currency of all Bronze Mancers, though often used by Silver Mancers as well. It was quite a pretty sum, and under normal circumstances Theron would be happy to accept it.


    The trouble was that the reward for this mission was more than ten times that, so it didn''t taste as sweet.


    ''The dagger will still be useful for this mission, then I''ll find a place to toss it.''


    Theron stood to his feet and returned to the eastern wing of the estate.


    His own dagger was a common item, forged by normal iron. His short sword was a Bronze Soul item, a carry over from a life before this, one that was much warmer.


    A wall of green blocked Theron''s path forward. Rather than steel, concrete, or bricks, the final defensive line of choice for the target was a well-trimmed line of bushes.


    Hidden behind a tree, Theron stared at this line of defense for a long while. Until now, every step was practiced and perfect, following a plan he had outlined time and time again.


    This part was also well-outlined, but it had unavoidable hiccups, ones that couldn''t be erased without personal experience of what was inside.


    He didn''t kill Lyn because he was worried about the latter stealing his kill. As far as Theron was concerned, there was no chance of that.


    He killed Lyn for this step. Only without interference would this work.


    A heavy raindrop landed on Theron''s head. As though a gong in his mind, he rushed forward. His steps seemed to glide over the stretch of grass, not bending even a single blade.


    The rain became his domain, the reflection of several figures echoing in his mind. Every slight change to the rhythmic pitter-patter was as grating as a fork across metal in his ears.


    Akin to a soaring eagle, he launched himself over the well-trimmed bushes in a single bound.


    He appeared behind one of the figures, masking himself beneath the heavy downpour and drawing a blade across his neck.


    Before his first target even fell to the ground, he had vanished once again, appearing behind another.


    One slash, one kill.


    Most weren''t even Bronze Mancers. Such experts were not cheap.


    This target might be a legend to the Bronze Assassins, but everything was relative. If he was so strong in both power and resources, this would be a mission for Silver Assassins.


    Smooth in his malice, Theron might be described by most as moving like the wind. But in his mind, he was as fluid as water, as sharp as a droplet rebounding against the ground, as relentless as an endless stream.


    But the hiccup he knew was bound to come did exactly that.


    He had been thorough in his preparation, but it was impossible to consider every detail. So when he sensed two figures moving together, he was faced with two options.


    The first was to ignore them and go the other way, hoping they wouldn''t run into the string of corpses he had left behind and alert the target.


    The second was to attack and hope that he could kill them before the commotion attracted others.


    Theron took the second option.


    Pressing his back against a wall, Theron waited as they approached. The echoes of the rain made their forms clearer and clearer in his mind, and just as they were barely three meters from him, a coil of water formed behind them, wrapping around one''s ankle and pulling at just the right right.


    The guard tripped and fell forward.


    Theron burst into action. Just as the second guard reached down to help him, Theron''s dagger had appeared.


    The second guard was shocked, but his first reaction was to defend himself. Why should he care about the estate if he was dead?


    It was too late to draw a weapon so he raised a hand, a sheen of earth appearing on his forearm.


    PCHU.


    Theron''s short sword ripped through his heart. The second guard was so distracted by the threat of the dagger that he didn''t notice Theron had a second weapon.


    A familiar scene replayed itself as droplets of rain exploded in the second guard''s chest.


    By this point, the first guard was already getting up to his feet.


    Theron''s wrist flexed and the second guard fell toward the first.


    The sudden weight caught the man off guard and he fell to his face once more, only for Theron''s blade to drive through the both of their bodies at once. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''There are more Bronze Mancers than I anticipated. I''m using up too much Mana.''


    Theron looked up. If he didn''t succeed today, it was hard to say when he''d get another chance. It wasn''t often that it rained this hard for so long. After putting more than a month into this mission, backtracking now wasn''t an option.


    ''Forward.''

 Chapter 3: Merchant Greycoat

    Theron took deep breaths. Checking his Mana reserves, he realized he had no more than 10% left.


    "It''s enough."


    The core of the compound lay below him, and a string of corpses lay behind him. Ahead should be the location of the target.


    With light steps, Theron slipped ahead. Without the rain, he had to be more cautious with his movements. Any unnecessary sound could alert the enemy.


    So, using his Water Mancy, he expelled all the rain from his cloak and clothing, carrying it all in a small orb that floated behind him¡ªsilent but deadly.


    What Theron didn''t expect was for the target to be sitting on a plush reclining chair, looking right at him with an amused smile on his face.


    The target was known as Merchant Greycoat. He was a heavyset man, much like many others of his profession, but he lacked the bejeweled, blinged-out appearance to match. There wasn''t a single speck of wealth on him that wasn''t inlaid right into his green and gold robes.


    "You assassins are all so amusing, coming here to die on your own. Don''t you know how foolish you are?"


    Merchant Greycoat slowly stood to his feet. There was a rush of wind, and green mist whirled around his body. The man was so relaxed that he was using his Wind Mancy to stand.


    "There is no one on this compound capable of sneaking up on me. You know why I built such a large, hollow hall outside. There''s a clear rush of wind that runs across it. With my abilities, could you sneak up on me even if you wanted to?"


    Merchant Greycoat smiled¡ªa sick, self-satisfied smile. Was it giggling his neck, or was it his chin? It was hard to tell.


    "You can die now."


    The merchant raised a hand, and a rune flashed on his finger. A ring hidden in plain sight manifested and glowed with a green light. The wind around it swirled, and a rotating arrow of wind took shape, exuding a jade color.


    The skill finished forming instantly, rushing toward Theron in a whirlwind.


    Theron''s expression changed, and he turned to run, the ball of water behind him becoming a shield.


    A hint of surprise formed on the merchant''s face, but not enough to change anything. There was a huge gap between formless Mana and one focused with a skill.


    As expected, the swirling arrow blew the shield of water apart. It lost some of its glow, but it still collided with Theron''s back, sending him sprawling out of the window he had come from.


    A mouthful of blood came from Theron''s mouth as he rolled. He rushed to his feet and bolted down the open-air hallway, moving with the greatest speed he could muster.


    Laughter came from behind him as more rings began to manifest from thin air on Merchant Greycoat''s thick fingers. He glided on a current of wind, closing the distance on Theron so fast it seemed he might swallow him whole.


    Theron twisted back and threw his dagger, startling the merchant. They had been in no-man''s land during the chase. The merchant wasn''t yet close enough for Theron to do something so drastic, but he wasn''t far away enough for the fact that the dagger wasn''t a flying dagger to matter.


    A sheen of blue coated the common treasure, and it appeared before the merchant with great speed, taking advantage of the latter''s forward momentum.


    Another ring lit up on the merchant''s finger, and a whirlwind of jade wind appeared around him, shattering the dagger.


    Merchant Greycoat was stunned before he let out a hearty laugh.


    "You came to assassinate me with mere common weapons? You just might laugh me to my death."


    Theron didn''t respond, using the short lull of time he bought himself to reach the end of the hallway and burst out into the rain.


    The smell had hit him long ago, but the fresh coat of moisture was like a tonic to his veins.


    He spun around, letting his momentum glide him backward across the soft, wet grass. Locking onto the merchant, he began to gather up the last of his Mana, an icy glow pulsing in his irises.


    Merchant Greycoat suddenly came to a stop at the end of the hall. He looked down at the sputtering line of moist concrete and shook his head with a chuckle.


    "Do you know why you''re especially foolish? I chased after you just for a bit of fun, but if you''re asking me to get wet, you''re asking for too much. I do not need to kill you personally."


    The merchant pulled at his sleeve and revealed a bracelet hidden underneath. With a swipe, a signal was launched into the air, ignoring the ceiling entirely.


    Then, he stood there and waited in the warmth with a smile on his face.


    Time ticked by, and yet, even after several seconds, nothing came.


    "Do you know why you''re especially foolish?" Theron spoke for the first time.


    His voice was gentle. It was the kind one would expect from a scholar or professor, not from an assassin. Although it had the deep cadence of a man, it lacked any sort of forcefulness.


    "You can''t even realize you''re being led by the nose. Your guards? They''re all dead."


    Theron''s short sword slipped into his palm as he accelerated forward. A lance of Water Mana formed around it, and it seemed to contain everything Theron had left.


    The merchant was shocked and moved to block, but he remembered too late that he had already used the shield cast on his right hand, and it was already too late to use the one on his left.


    Theron''s short sword drove into his chest, only to be met with substantial resistance. The blade bent into a crescent and could have snapped if it hadn''t been a Bronze Soul treasure.


    BANG!


    The merchant''s robes exploded, revealing a now-damaged inner armor. Its runes flickered, some blinking out entirely. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ha... haha..." Merchant Greycoat chuckled in his shock. He had forgotten that he wore inner armor.


    He looked up, ready to bask in Theron''s despair, only to find a flash of gold instead.


    Theron drove Lyn''s Bronze Soul dagger right through the blinking runes of the inner armor.


    An explosion of lightning cut away the last of Merchant Greycoat''s life.

 Chapter 4: Not So Easy

    The Association.


    It was the name the assassins who joined it knew it by, but to the outside world, they were known as the Daggers of the Night.


    They were far from the only assassin guild on the continent, but they did have a firm hold on the province. If one were to name the main centers of power in the Night Province, there was the Night Empire, ruled by the Nightingale family, the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, and finally, the Daggers of the Night.


    Most would not dare to say this aloud. An assassin guild could never be acknowledged as a legitimate power.


    These undercurrents ruled the province, and it was to this power in the shadows that Theron returned.


    ...


    The Daggers of the Night didn''t have just one location. As a power hidden in the shadows, it was scattered across the province, hidden in the crevices of the Empire.


    Before one became a Gold Assassin, they couldn''t truly be considered a member of the organization.


    This was an odd thing to say, considering Gold Mancers were the strongest of the Night Province, but in practice, it was functionally true. This was because, before reaching that step, rather than being an assassin of the Daggers of the Night, you were instead beholden to a single branch alone, without a chance to interact with the others.


    Every branch was headed by a Gold Assassin and had leagues of Bronzes and Silvers beneath them. Theron''s particular branch was located in Thistle Brook City, one of the ten largest outside the core of the Empire.


    Theron walked into a mercenary guild and paid a fee for a room. After a bite to eat, he made his way up the rickety stairs and into his accommodations. But instead of laying to rest, he walked toward a cracked and greying mirror.


    Placing his hands on its surface, Theron chanted unintelligible words in a slow, rhythmic cadence.


    Hidden runes on the back of his hand came to life, and his palm slipped through the mirror''s surface. Soon, his body disappeared into the mirror.


    Theron''s vision cleared, and he found himself standing in the same position in a more familiar room. He had always found the methods of the Daggers of the Night fascinating. An organization on this level shouldn''t have such methods¡ªit made one wonder.


    The room was quaint and dark, the walls carved out of grey stone not much unlike the bed. Other than a pillow and a blanket, there was nothing else of note, and Theron preferred it that way.


    He left the room and walked down the sparsely lit corridors. These headquarters were almost certainly carved out of a mountain somewhere, but just wondering about this was dangerous business.


    The hallway ended, giving way to a simple round room. There were some tables where a few assassins gathered, but the main attraction was a counter located in a far corner. An old man sat behind it, part dozing off. But it was his existence that kept everyone else in line.


    Theron''s appearance didn''t garner much attention. He rarely spent much time in the Association, and it had been a month since he took the mission. So many had taken and failed it by now that it no longer held the same weight.


    A sack was placed down on the counter, and the old man slowly opened his eyes. Others wouldn''t remember, but he would.


    Rather than checking the sack, he gazed into Theron''s eyes. An unwavering pair of icy blue gems looked back at him.


    The old man moved, and the head in the sack was revealed. Rotund rolls of fat spilled over, the dried blood unable to mask it.


    "The Greycoat mission has been completed."


    The old man rolled a thumb over one of his fingers, and a rune manifested, revealing a silver ring. With a light glow, a card and three pristine bottles appeared.


    No matter how uncaring the surrounding assassins had been prior to this, they all heard these words clearly. Even if the old man hadn''t spoken, for a Bronze Assassin to receive such substantial rewards, it could only be thanks to one mission.


    Many rose from their seats to get a better look.


    "Huh?" A young man looked up.


    His nose was large, and his eyes were narrow. Somehow, his face still felt a bit flat.


    "What happened?" he asked. He hadn''t been paying enough attention earlier and hadn''t even noticed Theron walk in.


    "The Greycoat mission¡ªit''s completed."


    "Oh? Lyn did it?" The young man''s eyes lit up.


    "Lyn? No, I don''t recognize this guy."


    The young man was taken aback. He stood to his feet and looked over, and when he saw who it was, he, too, was shocked. Unlike the others, though, it was because he recognized Theron.


    The commotion in the room wasn''t enough to faze Theron. He expected this to happen. He was only interested in returning to his room and having a night''s rest.


    After so long on the road, he hadn''t had a good night''s rest in weeks. Though he had some thoughts about how he would digest his gains, now wasn''t the time to consider such things.


    Unfortunately, his path was blocked before he could do so.


    "It''s you?" The flat-faced young man stood in Theron''s way.


    Most called this young man Big Nose, though Theron knew his name to be Manson. The two weren''t acquainted with one another, so Theron had no idea why his path was being blocked. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How did you do it? Didn''t Lyn take this mission? You completed it before him?"


    The more questions Manson asked, the deeper Theron''s frown became.


    "Get out of my way. I''m not familiar with you."


    Theron spoke coldly, a dangerous light flickering in his eyes.


    Manson couldn''t react as Theron brushed by him, moving down the dimly lit halls. When he recovered, he was livid.


    "If you think that mission is so easy to complete, you''ve got another thing coming, arrogant bastard."


    Theron''s steps paused for a moment before he continued walking. For some reason, he didn''t believe Manson was lying.

 Chapter 5: Strength

    Manson''s satisfaction only lasted for a moment. His heart skipped a beat the next moment, realizing he had said something he shouldn''t have. The satisfaction was short-lived, but the price he might pay for it was steep.


    He gave a quick glance around and rushed away, hoping that no one would mind what he had said too much.


    What he didn''t expect was to be called for a meeting just a few hours later¡ªand by an even more unexpected person at that.


    Silver Assassin Raiden sat in a simple wooden chair, his clothing prim and formal, as though preparing to attend a ball. He crossed one leg over the other as Manson walked in, looking up with a calm gaze.


    The accommodations for Silver Assassins were beyond that of Bronze ones by a good measure, but Manson didn''t dare to look around and confirm. The Bronze Assassin stared right at Raiden''s feet, not looking up even once.


    "I''ve heard that the Greycoat mission has been completed?"


    "Uh¡ªyes, yes."


    Manson hurried to nod, almost feeling that he was answering too slowly.


    "And it''s not by Bronze Assassin Lyn?"


    "N-no. It was another Bronze Assassin, a newbie. I''m not even sure what his name is."


    "A new recruit?"


    Raiden raised an eyebrow. Even while sharing the same title of Bronze Mancer, not all such assassins were created equal. There were strong divisions and large gaps between them all.


    The Association would only bring those who had yet to cultivate into the fold; it was the only way to weaken the possibility of spies. The largest demographic of new blood came from orphans.


    The last batch of new recruits was from four months ago or so. Assuming even his own speed of progression, this new recruit couldn''t possibly have surpassed more than the Third Resonance.


    "Y-yes, Silver Lord."


    Raiden chuckled at the ridiculous title but didn''t pursue it.


    "How do you know this... ''new recruit''?"


    "I-I don''t know him well. I came across him as a new recruit and stole his welcome gift."


    Manson grit his teeth after explaining this. What he had done was against the rules, and there were punishments for it, but he also didn''t dare to lie to a Silver Assassin.


    Plus, although he used the word "stole," there wasn''t much resistance at all. Theron hadn''t fought back like the others and had simply handed the quota of bronzes and pills over without a word. It was such a short interaction that Manson wouldn''t have remembered it if not for how odd it was.


    Most would feel dissatisfaction, unwillingness, at least a hint of anger... but Theron was like an icy well. He had fathomless depths and a frigid core.


    Even today, he made no attempt at revenge, as though he had truly not cared back then.


    "I see," Raiden nodded. "I also heard that you mentioned something you shouldn''t have today."


    Manson froze, his shoulders trembling. He wanted to grip his fists, but fearing that it would be seen as a sign of aggression, his fingers splayed outward instead. It would have been a comical sight if not for already being drenched in sweat.


    "I wonder... who would you have heard such a thing from?"


    Raiden uncrossed his legs, recrossing them with the other on top. He leaned onto the wooden chair''s armrest, staring at Manson like he was looking at a plaything. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The answer was clear to them both. That day Lyn took the mission, Raiden and Manson had been there. What others didn''t know was that Raiden was the one who pushed his younger brother to take the mission.


    Back when Raiden was a Bronze Assassin, he had wanted to take this mission as well, but his master refused. When he asked why, he hadn''t received an answer.


    Since then, Raiden had been somewhat obsessed with finding out more about this, so he sent his younger brother, hoping to gain an inkling.


    He knew how dangerous it would be, especially if Lyn somehow succeeded. It was just that he didn''t care. Brotherly affection was nowhere near the top of his list of priorities.


    That glory should have been his, but much like Manson didn''t dare to slight him, he didn''t dare to ignore his master''s words.


    Now it seemed he might find out what was so special about that mission. It had just happened in unexpected fashion.


    "Where is Lyn?" Raiden asked.


    "I-I-I..." Manson was so shaken by the earlier threat that he couldn''t formulate his words. What made it worse was the fact Raiden didn''t even try to hurry him, sitting there and staring with a smiling expression. "... He-he... he still hasn''t come back."


    "Hm... you may go."


    Manson scrambled away, feeling like he had just been pardoned.


    Neither knew just yet that Lyn would never return, but Raiden had a suspicion. He was already wondering just who had killed his younger brother.


    Could he have failed the mission and left an easy path for Theron?


    Or...


    Raiden chuckled. "If a new recruit was so bold, things might get interesting..."


    **


    Theron had long fallen into the embrace of sleep. The lines of his face looked much gentler now, painting the image of a time long past. The cold sternness was washed away, replaced by the image of a fourteen-year-old boy with delicate, yet-to-mature features and a natural state that was both gentle and playful.


    Unfortunately, even Theron himself didn''t know if that version of himself would ever return. His mind was haunted by images of that day¡ªthe flashes of lightning and the last moments of his family.


    He had read many books about the selfishness of humans, but it wasn''t until that day that he truly understood the extent of it.


    To wipe out a family, a clan, a lineage, for no other reason than to further your strength...


    The most sickening part was that he should have died with them. If he hadn''t been so hung up on his stupid books, he would have been there.


    Then he wouldn''t have to suffer this pain alone.

 Chapter 6: NO!

    Six months ago.


    ~


    "Theeerrrroooooooon, come with us!"


    A little girl pulled on Theron''s arm. She was barely a day over ten years old, but her little hands had surprising strength. A pair of large blue eyes adorned her face along with a button nose and vibrant pink lips that looked like they belonged on a doll.


    Quite used to his little sister''s antics, Theron continued to rock in his chair comfortably. The calming pitter-patter of rain rebounded against the window.


    This was his favorite spot in the whole house, and it was only made better when it was raining. Though he was a Water Mancer, he preferred to be on the inside. He felt that rainfall should be observed, not experienced. There was nothing fun about getting his neat robes ruined.


    Little Bobo was the opposite. Rain scared her, especially when it was storming. But she''d also be the first to stomp her way into the nearest puddle.


    "Alright, don''t disturb your brother anymore, Little Bobo. You know the Imperial Exams are coming up soon."


    A woman who didn''t look a day over twenty stepped into the room. Her hair was done up in delicate braids, and if it wasn''t for fear of blasphemy, most might call her Empress on instinct when they first saw her.


    Theron''s mother was the only member of their small family without blue eyes, but she carried the same iciness as the rest of them. Well, the rest of them if Theron was excluded.


    The affinities of Mancers were hereditary, but nothing was perfect. While his family had been born as Ice Mancers, Theron had been born a Water Mancer.


    This wasn''t a big deal to a layman, but the gap between the two was exceptional. Ice Mancers were existences feared no less than Lightning Mancers or the rare Light and Dark Mancers. Water Mancers, however, were lacking in combat power and were mostly auxiliary supports in battle.


    Theron had never really minded any of this. He didn''t like to fight. He much preferred to stay home and read. Becoming a scholar was his dream. He thought it was much easier to change the world with words and reason as opposed to a large fist.


    Soon, he would become an Imperial Scholar¡ªthe first step toward entering the Emperor''s Imperial Court and rising to the status of Prime Minister. When he wielded that power, he would be able to change the world for the better.


    Little Bobo pouted, stubbornly climbing into her brother''s lap and lying down. A triumphant smile spread across her little face. How would he read now?


    A deep laugh came from the side. A solid man who had been stoking the flames of their fireplace stood to his feet. He walked over and picked his daughter up, saving his son from the little demon.


    Their father was no less handsome than their mother was beautiful. His only flaw was the scruffy, slightly greying mustache he sported over his top lip¡ªa feature that garnered no shortage of ridicule from his little girl.


    "Bleh! Bleh! Bleh! Too itchy!" Little Bobo dodged a kiss, scrambling across her father''s body like a spry monkey and claiming a new spot on his back.


    Theron looked up with a smile. Watching his family''s antics and listening to the dance of the rain across the window, he felt true peace.


    The thoughts that consumed him were far too mature for his age. What thirteen-year-old would be so clear-headed to enjoy such a moment? Maybe if he were sixty years older it would have made more sense.


    ~


    That was when the image warped. Time lost its meaning, and Theron found himself rushing through the fields. He had already fallen once, his pristine robes covered in blotches of mud.


    How had this happened? Why had this happened?


    The festival had taken place on a rainy day, but to a town filled with Water Mancers, this might as well have been a plus.


    Everything was perfect, so why was this happening?


    Peals of lightning stretched across the skies like a net, particularly large bolts weaving in and out almost like dragons bobbing through the heavens.


    The pang in his heart grew worse and worse. He couldn''t hear the screams over the raging thunder, but he could feel their deaths.


    His senses had always been amplified in the rain. Maybe of everyone present, he was the first to realize that something was wrong. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But there was still nothing he could do to change it.


    Haggard breaths came from his lips, his lungs threatening to tear themselves apart. His throat felt as though a flaming devil was clawing its way up from the pit of his stomach, and his heart hurt so much he almost lost sensation.


    Finally, he made it over the hill, and what he saw was a scene he would never forget.


    A man wearing fluttering golden robes stood high in the skies. Bolts of lightning fell one after another, most aimed toward him, but a few stray sparks made their way through.


    The citizens of their town couldn''t withstand even these small wisps. Just being in proximity to them claimed their lives.


    Theron could see his family below. His father shielded Little Bobo and his mother behind him. His little sister had her eyes closed tight, her small arms wrapped around his neck.


    "NO!"


    He felt the bolt before it even descended, and the man in the sky''s reaction was even clearer.


    Standing in those fluttering golden robes, the man casually waved a palm and blocked only a portion of it. He could have blocked it all¡ªTheron was certain. He could feel it.


    Theron''s family was burnt to ash in a single strike. He felt his father''s final struggle, but it was all for naught.


    Who could stand against Heaven''s fury?


    His gaze went white with grief and rage.


    Why his family? Why this town? Why here? Who would do this?


    The words he heard next were forever etched into his soul.

 Chapter 7: Fourth Resonance

    Theron lay in bed shirtless. A necklace hung from his neck, taking the shape of an inconspicuous sword. Every time he took a breath, a frosty energy would be sucked into it.


    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, a cold sweat forming a thin layer over him.


    I will let you live. Stoke that hatred. Become the fuel for my Karma.


    Theron sat up on his elbows, his core muscles softening and solidifying beneath his heavy breathing. His delicate skin reddened considerably, a spike of rage twisting his immature features.


    Every night, the same dream, again and again.


    It was certainly not natural. It acted as a reminder¡ªa brand on his soul to stoke his hatred. There wouldn''t be a moment of peace until one of them died.


    Mancers were separated into four categories: Spirit Mancers, Soul Mancers, Flux Mancers, and Elemental Mancers. Most were born with a strong affinity for one, though depending on your starting Mancy, it was possible to transition to one of the others with time and effort.


    The man whose tribulation killed his family and most of his town was a Spirit Mancer. This path of Mancy was most simply defined as the ability to use Mana as a proxy to absorb the resultant Mana of others. This was the textbook definition¡ªvague and hard to understand for most. Only an Imperial Scholar like Theron would know it as such. Most others would know it in vague terms.


    If a layman were asked, they might say it was the rarest Mancy, that it allowed one to read minds and control the soul, or complete acts of divination. Or, in Theron''s experience...


    It allowed one to absorb Bad Karma to strengthen themselves.


    The Spirit Mancer who killed his family had done so for no other reason than to use their resentment to pass his tribulation smoothly. He let Theron live for no other reason than he believed it might help him with a breakthrough in the future.


    Theron did not know his name, he didn''t know who this person was, if he was close by or far away. He didn''t even know what level of strength this person wielded.


    All he knew was that to enter the Gold Mancy level, there was no such tribulation.


    Either this man was far above Gold Mancers, or he practiced a technique that brought down Heavenly Judgment.


    Theron hadn''t even been a Bronze Mancer back then. He had no way of deciphering that man''s strength... but his face was burned into his memory, as were the events of that day.


    Even if he wanted to forget, he couldn''t.


    Theron pulled himself out of bed. He hadn''t slept in the hideout but had instead chosen to stay in the inn. It was safer here.


    After washing up, he gathered his things and placed a palm on the mirror. Soon, he was in his Association accommodations.


    The stone bed was cold and hard, but Theron didn''t mind. The coolness helped him calm from this morning''s events, and after a while of sitting on it in silence, he had adjusted himself enough to pull out his gains.


    He left the coins to the side and took out the three pills. They were the most common pills of improvement¡ªBronze Resonance Pills.


    To become a Mancer, one needed to form a Bronze Core. This Core would take shape in one''s dantian and act as the center of one''s accumulation.


    Resonance Pills helped to refine and rid one''s Core of impurities. These, in particular, were of mid-tier quality, making them perfect for Theron''s requirements.


    Raiden wasn''t wrong. Theron was indeed at the Third Resonance. One needed to complete nine Resonances to attempt a breakthrough to Silver Mancy. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lyn had been at the Seventh Resonance, and Merchant Greycoat had been at the Ninth. It was just that Theron''s strength in the rain was probably a match for anyone beneath Silver Mancy.


    Well, if Merchant Greycoat had some actual combat skill to match his obscene wealth, he could have very well killed Theron. But the man was ultimately a paper tiger who only had his cultivation thanks to said wealth.


    As one might expect, Theron would use these mid-tier Bronze Resonance Pills to enter the Fourth Resonance.


    After a final breath, he swallowed the first pill.


    His skin began to heat up, reddening beneath the strain. Deep within his body, the medicinal strength of the first pill rushed through his meridians. It split along the winding paths and suddenly converged on his Bronze Core all at once.


    Theron clenched his teeth beneath the strain, a whirlwind of Mana forming in his dantian. The force compressed his Bronze Core again, and then again.


    It took three hours before the effects died down. By then, Theron was drenched. It felt like he had just run a long distance at his fastest pace, his heart taking a long while to settle down.


    Almost there.


    He swallowed the second pill.


    The process repeated itself, but this time Theron withstood it with far greater ease for two reasons. First, because this was his second time eating a mid-tier pill, and second, because his meridians had already sufficiently widened.


    In practice, one wasn''t supposed to take a mid-tier Resonance Pill until the Fourth Resonance, but Theron was using it to break through instead.


    Theron should have been using a breakthrough-type pill, but those were far too expensive.


    A single mid-tier Bronze Resonance Pill easily cost 10,000 bronzes. That was the market price, but it wasn''t a surprise to see them go for double. A breakthrough pill of the same caliber would cost five times that at worst.


    In the end, it was all worth it.


    There was a crack in Theron''s Bronze Core, and its outer layer peeled away like the shell of a boiled egg. Beneath, a brighter bronze was revealed¡ªmore resplendent and shimmering than the last.


    Theron released a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes.


    He had succeeded, and in the process, he had even saved a pill.

 Chapter 8: Wealth

    Theron stretched, his bones popping and cracking. There was a new sheen of sweat coating his body¡ªa mixture of dead skin and the impurities from his previous Bronze Core.


    The first thing he did was return to his inn room and scrub himself clean. As he did so, he planned out his next steps.


    He needed a new dagger, but he also needed more Mancy methods.


    If Spirit Mancers dealt in matters of divination and Karma, Soul Mancers were the beast tamers, alchemists, and blacksmiths of the world.


    The two were opposite sides of the same coin. Spirit Mancers absorbed the Mana of others to strengthen themselves, while Soul Mancers granted their Mana to others to strengthen them.


    Much the same way, Flux and Elemental Mancers were likewise opposites¡ªthe latter controlling the external elements to cast techniques, and the former using Mana to instead strengthen their bodies directly.


    Bronze Soul items, crafted by Soul Mancer blacksmiths, were no less expensive than pills. In most cases, they were even more costly.


    The more Theron thought about it, the more he felt that the rewards for this supposedly "impossible" mission were far too low. He had thought this before, but it didn''t truly make sense to him until he heard Manson''s slip of the tongue.


    If this was truly a mission none were meant to complete, the coins might have been kept artificially low just to ensure no one was tempted to take drastic measures and upset the status quo. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But in that case, two questions remained:


    Why put the mission up at all, then?


    And who had a vested interest in ensuring it never succeeded, even after almost half a decade?


    On the other hand, did any of that matter when he now had the sum of the merchant''s wealth in his hands?


    **


    Thistle Brook City was one of the ten largest cities outside the core of the Empire. Six months ago, Theron had come here to complete the Imperial Scholar Exams, an event that took place once every three years.


    Every young scholar-hopeful was allowed two chances to pass, and the test could be taken anytime before one''s seventeenth birthday.


    Having succeeded, Theron''s standing in the city was quite high.


    Peeling off the skin-mask, Theron revealed his true face for the first time in over a month. The face staring back at him was youthful, but it already carried a budding handsomeness. His brows sloped gently, and his jaw was slowly sharpening over time.


    He wasn''t particularly tall, standing at just 5''6", but he still had time to grow. Regardless, whether it was his temperament or his posture, both were beyond his years.


    Theron slipped out of the crowded tavern with no one being any wiser. The flow of traffic was so great that none noticed a young man who had never entered had just exited.


    Robes of white and violet fluttered around him, the insignia of an Imperial Scholar hanging from his waist. The emblem appeared to be carved from white stone. At its center, a black bird outlined in gold soared within a wreath of black roses.


    His long black hair was tied with a ribbon of violet silk that matched his robes in shade and tone. Everywhere he went, he received looks of awe and adulation.


    To the people of Thistle Brook, seeing an Imperial Scholar was no different from seeing a celebrity.


    To the Night Empire, Theron was treated quite well, too. He had received an honorary noble title, not to mention discounts across any Imperial Clan-owned establishments. Though this privilege would only last for the duration of his studies, it was a great advantage nonetheless.


    With his identity, Theron walked into the tallest building in the city. The pagoda seemed to soar into the clouds, though this was mostly an illusion of grandeur.


    The establishment was known as the Nightingale Pagoda¡ªor rather, it was a branch of it. There were many merchants, merchant guilds, and merchant families in the Empire, but there was only one main exchange and trading hub.


    It was the Imperial family''s not-so-subtle method of keeping everything in check, but no one minded. It kept all the prices regulated, and the competition was good for consumers.


    The downside was that breaking into the market as a new merchant was almost impossible. And on Theron''s side of things, there was no black market for him to take advantage of.


    "Hello, young scholar. How might I help you today?"


    An attractive, middle-aged woman greeted Theron with a bow. Although he had walked in with a sea of people, she easily picked him out of the crowd, giving him the treatment due to an Imperial Scholar.


    Theron smiled politely. "I would like to buy a weapon. A dagger, preferably. Low-tier Bronze Soul. I would also like to take a look at some of your techniques. Low-tier as well. I am a Water Mancer."


    The woman''s eyes lit up. "Yes, of course. Please follow me, young master..." her voice trailed off.


    "Theron."


    "Theron," she continued quickly. "You can call me Starra. I''ll prepare a catalog for you immediately. Please follow me."


    Theron was escorted away beneath the envious gazes of many and led to a private room. Soon, a personally curated catalog was placed right before him.


    As expected of the Nightingale Pagoda, their selection was not small. Considering his requirements were only for the low-tier, it wasn''t surprising that the choices were so deep.


    There were more than 300 Water Mancy daggers to choose from. Techniques were rarer, but even then, there were almost a hundred.


    Most are redundant.


    Of the selection of daggers, the majority were mass-produced goods with only small variations between them. As for the techniques, they were similar in that they mostly performed the same actions.


    The price of the daggers ranged from around 3,000 to 7,000 bronzes. As for the techniques, they were more expensive, going up to about double the upper end.


    Theron quickly made his choices.

 Chapter 9: Good Blade

    Starra rushed in as though gliding on a cloud, handing Theron a sleek white box. Inside, there was a dagger with a seven-inch, curved blade. The cool edge radiated a touch of blue light, and the handle was a dense black that contrasted well.


    Theron picked up the dagger and balanced it in his palm. He resisted the urge to use any knife skills, cognizant of the fact that he was an Imperial Scholar right now, not an assassin.


    "Good blade," he commented perfunctorily.


    In reality, it was a bit worse than his short sword. But he had yet to see a low-tier Bronze Soul weapon that matched up to his short sword.


    For the cost of 6,300 bronzes, it was good enough.


    Starra beamed, seeing that Theron was happy. She brought in the three techniques he had exchanged for soon after.


    There was a clear vision in Theron''s mind. He had only just started on the path of cultivation, but his mind had been filled with books on military strategy.


    The path of the Imperial Scholar was actually twofold. There was the military intelligence path and the Imperial Court path.


    Theron had reluctantly studied the military path in the past only because the exams covered both aspects, not expecting it to come in handy.


    Compared to most, he was much sharper in the art of combat and how to secure victory. As such, his techniques of choice fell into three categories.


    First, defense. Second, ranged assault. And third, movement.


    The defensive technique he chose was the most powerful of the three. Water Mancy wasn''t good at attack or speed and agility, but it was excellent in defense.


    [Bursting Water Shield].


    This method was an oddly technical one. It had four Stages of Mastery like all techniques did, each one allowing for an elevated level of control.


    At the Entry Boundary, blocking was the greatest result one could expect. It functioned exactly like other shield skills, though the potential was far more limited than those formed by Earth Mancers, for example.


    Upon transcending to the Proficient Boundary, it was possible to trap and contain attacks, redirecting them under the right circumstances, or slowing down attacks too powerful for the technique to stop outright to allow the opportunity to dodge.


    Beyond was the Adept Boundary. This was the stage where one gained access to the moniker of the technique: burst. Burst was an added layer of complexity, allowing the user of the water shield to deconstruct and self-destruct the technique in a controlled fashion.


    Used at the right time, it could dispel an attack of great strength, redirecting it into several smaller portions.


    A step beyond this was the Consummate Boundary, but it represented something deeper than just an added ability or usage type.


    [Water Bullet].


    This was the ranged spell Theron chose. They were slower than wind bullets and less penetrating, but they couldn''t be ignored either. With each added Stage of Mastery, one could control more bullets with greater dexterity.


    Finally, there was [Touch of Mirage].


    Once again, Water Mancers were not well known for their speed, but their auxiliary abilities were still quite good. [Touch of Mirage] allowed Theron to convert his Water Mana into mist to disrupt his enemy''s senses and add mystery to his movements.


    At the Entry Boundary, this wasn''t too obvious, but at the Adept Boundary, he could even create semi-realistic clones of himself from the mist.


    The sum total was over 45,000 bronzes. Theron paid this price without a hint of a frown before bidding Starra farewell.


    This money had, of course, come from Merchant Greycoat. In truth, between all the bank cards and promissory notes, let alone bronzes, the fat merchant had a wealth nearing 100,000 silvers. For context, a single silver was worth a hundred bronzes.


    Even further, all of this wealth was just what Theron could scrounge up from physical cash alone. If he were to sell the merchant''s treasures and other assets, this wealth would easily triple.


    But he couldn''t. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spending this much was already pushing it. No one would blink because he was an Imperial Scholar, but it was already odd that a 14-year-old with access to this much wealth would need to buy techniques through such a channel. Shouldn''t they be provided by his family?


    This didn''t mention the fact he had yet to look into the mystery of what was so special about the merchant. He didn''t have time to go through all of Greycoat''s belongings because it was only a matter of time before the signal flare he had sparked attracted others to the estate.


    Theron walked out of the private room, the embroidered box that carried his dagger resting under an arm. The memory jades that held the techniques were already slotted away into a pouch on his waist. He had long since memorized them but kept them safe nonetheless.


    "Theron?"


    A sweet voice drifted to Theron''s ears. Looking up, he found a group of five ¡ª three women and two men ¡ª walking toward the private rooms together.


    Theron always did his homework, so he knew who these people were. Two of them wore Imperial Scholar uniforms, including the young girl who had just spoken. The other three, however, wore uniforms that were quite eye-catching.


    The uniforms of the young Imperial Scholars were white and violet, while the true nobles, those who graduated and went on to take up official positions in the army or government, wore black and violet.


    These three youths, though, wore black and gold. They were facing Theron, so he couldn''t see their backs, but he was sure that if they turned around, he would see a golden moon on their backs as well.


    The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was the most powerful in the Empire, but that didn''t mean it was the only one. These youths were from the Luminescent Moon Sect, a powerhouse in the region. In fact, they held more influence than the Marquess Mansion.


    The young girl''s eyes lit up when she confirmed that it was Theron, running up with a happy smile.

 Chapter 10: Teacher Fern

    The young girl was maybe 12 or 13 years old. Her cheeks puffed out in an adorable sort of way, and her red hair was done up in a pair of pigtails. Freckles dotted her cheeks and little nose, a pair of bright green eyes standing out in contrast.


    Theron couldn''t help but smile when he saw this little girl. She probably wasn''t a breath above five feet, but she seemed larger. It was impossible to believe that she knew any bad or evil existed in the world at all.


    "Theron, where''d you go? You just up and disappeared. Teacher Fern is very unhappy."


    "Just handling something," Theron replied, his voice soft and gentle.


    Classes were not mandatory. The structure of the Imperial Scholar''s path was quite lax. Exams were taken when the student was ready, not at a set time, and so long as you were completing a certain number of credits within an allotted time, you wouldn''t be bothered.


    There were some geniuses, groomed by powerful families, that only entered the academy for a few months, clearing the credit threshold quickly before graduating to jobs long prepared for them.


    Theron was already on schedule, so it wasn''t a problem even if he disappeared for another half year.


    "That''s what you always say. What could you possibly have to do? Teacher Fern is worried about you¡ª!"


    The little girl seemed to realize that there were others around and blushed. Her gaze darted about, her instinct being to hide behind Theron, but that would only make it worse.


    Among the girls that had followed her, one who looked to be 16 or 17 years old smiled at Theron. She wore the robes of a Luminescent Moon Sect disciple.


    "Little Sadie, who''s this?"


    "This is Theron. He is in my class," Sadie recovered and explained. "Theron, this is Thessa. She''s from the Luminescent Moon Sect. She''s my brother''s¡ª"


    "Just Thessa is fine," she said with a chuckle.


    Sadie blinked and then turned to everyone else.


    "This is Soren and Teagan. Then there''s Flora, who you already know."


    Soren and Teagan were the two boys of the group. They were both around Thessa''s age and from the Sect. Flora was a girl from another class under a Teacher Bloom, if Theron recalled correctly.


    He greeted them all with grace. All of his mannerisms seemed to come from an etiquette teacher''s dream. There was nothing to pick at.


    "Then I''ll have to bid you all farewell," Theron said after some small talk. He had training to do and couldn''t waste time here. "If you''re all around in the future, I''m sure we''ll have more time to get better acquainted." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soren smiled, giving Theron a jovial pat on the shoulder. He was a bit handsy, but that also seemed to be his personality, so Theron didn''t mind it too much.


    "Of course, we''ll be around for a mission the next couple of weeks. Since Little Sadie likes you so much, have dinner with us sometime."


    A not-so-subtle stomp to the foot made Soren wince, and the others laughed at his expense.


    Theron bowed once more and slipped away.


    A gaze watched his back vanish into the crowd, a curious light in its depths.


    "Nice kid," Soren chuckled, earning himself another stomp.


    ...


    Theron frowned long after he left the pagoda. He walked with a brisk pace, heading toward the academy, but his thoughts were on the group he had just met. Namely, the three from the Luminescent Moon Sect.


    Disciples taking missions wasn''t out of the norm, but what mission allowed them to come into the city?


    Most Sect missions would be related to training ¡ª killing beasts, finding herbs in dangerous locales, etc.


    But Soren said they would be in the city for two weeks? Why did it sound like they had come more for leisure than anything else?


    The Sect was a place to grow warriors. Most weren''t even allowed to leave without special cause. Why would they allow a group of three to meander about in the city for several weeks? What mission could be so lax?


    The Imperial Scholar academy wasn''t as grand as the pagoda. The gates were simple and unadorned, a rolling pair of large wooden doors that emitted a delicate floral scent.


    Inside, the rest of the academy was much the same. The principles of a scholar, whether on the path of Imperial politics or military, were rife with reminders of humility and modesty.


    I will have to take them up on their offer of dinner and monitor this situation.


    This was the conclusion Theron came to before he suddenly smiled bitterly. A familiar and sharp fragrance filled his nose, and he saw the person before he laid eyes on them.


    A heavyset woman thundered forward. Though a bit chubby, her appearance was pleasing to the eyes, looking like a kind middle-aged housewife. Trouble was, this housewife seemed to have a bone to pick.


    "Teacher Fern," Theron greeted with a bow.


    "Oh, so you still know to call me teacher? You haven''t forgotten in the last MONTH you''ve been gone?"


    Theron lowered his head and didn''t reply. His answers were effective against Sadie, but not so much against this valiant woman.


    "Don''t think that just because you''re ahead on credits that you can just up and leave whenever you feel like it. You have a good chance to become one of the few Perfect Credit students. Do you know how valuable that title is in the Empire? Don''t waste your potential!"


    "Yes, Teacher."


    Teacher Fern laid into Theron for several more minutes. She had gotten used to punching at this air bag. The softer and less resistant Theron went, the harder she had to go.


    The first time she lambasted this young man, it had fallen flat because he just accepted without a word. Now she knew not to fall for his tricks so easily.


    After a while, she was finally out of breath.


    "Tomorrow, there''ll be an exchange between our class and Teacher Bloom''s. You will be there, or by the Gods, I will rip you out of your bed by the ears. Are we clear?"


    "Yes, Teacher."


    Theron smiled bitterly. So that''s what this was all about.

 Chapter 11: Too Far

    On his way back to his dorm, Theron passed by the only flashy ornament in the whole academy. It was a stele adorned with gold.


    This stele was the Perfect Credit Stele. It listed the number of Perfect Credit students to pass from this branch of the Imperial Academy.


    In its many generations of existence, Thistle Brook''s Imperial Academy had just four names of their own. Three from the military stream and just one from the political stream.


    A so-called Perfect Credit graduate was a student that managed to pass all available classes in a stream with top marks. This top mark didn''t refer to a perfect score but rather the S-grade.


    There were a total of 99 available credits and a total of 33 classes. One could receive a PASS, an A, or an S when receiving a credit, and of course, a FAIL was also possible.


    A PASS netted one a single credit, an A received two, while an S received a full three credits.


    One could spend a maximum of five years in the academy regardless of what age below 17 they entered. Graduating required one to accumulate 33 credits total, regardless of classes completed. You could graduate with honors if you managed to accumulate 66.


    Just the title of Honored Imperial Scholar was enough to net a student a great deal of opportunities after graduation. It was just that a Perfect Credit graduate was on another level.


    There were also benchmarks a student had to meet during their time here, or else one could be expelled early. Theron had joined the academy almost six months ago now and accumulated four S grades and 12 credits in that time.


    The benchmark for the first year was only five credits total, while every subsequent year was seven. So Theron certainly had quite some breathing room, but Teacher Fern had her eyes on a much bigger prize.


    Three layers were working in conjunction here.


    First, there was Teacher Fern''s enthusiasm. The second was the coming exchange with Teacher Bloom''s class. But deeper than all of that was the stele of the glowing gold.


    Three Perfect Credit graduates from the military stream and just one from the political stream.


    Theron always did his homework, so he knew the competition between the two streams was stiff. The academy had two deans, and they were evaluated not much unlike the students. The teachers were likewise in the same boat.


    It couldn''t be said that the Perfect Credit graduate was the end-all, be-all. They were too rare, after all.


    But it certainly helped.


    Theron entered his room, or more accurately, his courtyard. He was treated much better as an Imperial Scholar than a bottom-feeding assassin. There was even a basement perfect for his training and resistant to his attacks.


    Without delay, Theron descended to his training room and began a night of long practice, drilling and familiarizing himself with the three techniques he had just exchanged for.


    **


    Early the next morning, Theron walked into Teacher Fern''s class, his white and violet robes as primly kept as always.


    With the number of points he had accumulated on his last mission, he wouldn''t need to complete another for the next three months. That was the benefit of clearing a three-star difficulty-rated mission.


    As for what would happen if he didn''t? Well, the mark left on the back of his hand would certainly have something to say about that.


    The association was a place where kind-hearted souls gathered. There was no shortage of untalented assassins who lost their lives not due to lack of trying, but lack of success.


    It was said the death the Soul Mark gave you was as excruciating as it was cruel, and Theron had no intention of becoming a living example.


    "Theron! Over here!" Sadie waved from the front row.


    Theron took a seat by her side with a smile.


    "You left in such a hurry yesterday. I was worried that you''d disappear again. Teacher Fern would have your¡ª"


    Sadie hurriedly covered her mouth with both of her little hands as a familiar figure walked into the class.


    Teacher Fern gave her a pointed look, and the little girl could only sink into her chair, trying to hide her expression.


    "Today will be the exchange. I''ll need someone to pair up with Theron, so we''ll hold a small competition." She held up a stack of papers. "There are two questions on here. I will mark based on a combination of speed and accuracy."


    A greenish color exuded from Teacher Fern''s eyes, and the papers fluttered on the wind to everyone but Theron.


    "Teacher, this isn''t fair. Why does Theron automatically get a spot?"


    One of the older students stood up from the back, their face red from suppressing their displeasure. He wasn''t the only one who felt this way; he was just the only one who dared to speak.


    The most powerful family in Thistle Brook was the family of the Marquise. This young man wasn''t a member of their main branch, but he shared their last name: Thistle. He was probably one of the few who dared to directly refute a teacher of the Imperial Academy.


    The young man wasn''t targeting Theron without cause. There were only two exchanges a year and one yearly competition. Just participating granted one a single credit, and this was already enough for students to go wild. However, if you participated and performed well, you could earn as much as three whole credits. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was absolutely huge. Who would want to miss out on this?


    Theron sighed inwardly. This should be yet another punishment. It seemed the valiant housewife hadn''t had enough of scolding him. Now she wanted to turn the whole class against him.


    Things would have been fine if he just took the test as well, but with the order of operations flipped, there was no escaping some sort of fallout whether he won or lost.


    Yesterday, he didn''t really mind the scolding. But this time, he felt Teacher Fern had gone too far.

 Chapter 12: Tabulation

    Teacher Fern looked toward the Thistle descendant calmly. He was 18 years old this year and had been in the academy for three years. Among the students present, there were quite a number like him¡ªstudents who no longer attended class as they focused on passing higher difficulty courses.


    To these students, the right to participate was huge. They were no longer as bright and doughy-eyed as the first years. Once you had cleared all of the basic courses, gathering more credits after 20 or so was a monumental task.


    These sorts of opportunities for extra credit had value that couldn''t be understated.


    "I chose Theron because he is the best option," she replied.


    "Under what metric? I have more experience than him and double his credits. There are any number of seniors here that can say the same!"


    The more he thought about it, the more enraged the Thistle became. This was ridiculous. Many of them had never even seen this Theron before, and they didn''t know what he looked like. It wasn''t until the Thistle mentioned these facts that the majority grew more incensed.


    "What do you think, Theron?" Teacher Fern asked.


    There was no immediate response.


    Theron looked down toward the long desk before him, an almost rhythmic set of thoughts going through his mind. It was the same cycle he went through every time he wanted to refocus himself, to remind himself of why he did the things he did¡ªwhy he acted the way he should rather than the way he wanted to.


    "I believe that the seniors have earned the right to compete for both spots. I am far too young and inexperienced to take on this burden."


    His voice was gentle, not in a timid sort of way, but a soothing one. It was the kind of voice that made it difficult to gather any ire for. Even those who had not personally met Theron before couldn''t help but soften their stance.


    Teacher Fern frowned, not liking the answer. But there wasn''t much she could do. Listening to the wishes of her students, she passed an exam paper to Theron as well.


    "Please begin. The exam will end either after the first half of the class has finished or within the next hour."


    Silence fell, and the students began to work on the two questions. From start to finish, Teacher Fern''s gaze rested on Theron.


    Theron pretended not to sense Teacher Fern''s gaze. He wrote the entire time, and of the class of 50 or so, he was the twentieth to hand his paper in.


    When Teacher Fern read his paper, her heart sank to rock bottom. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing wrong with the response. It wasn''t purposely incorrect, but it was dully average. Both answers were exactly what you''d expect an above-average first year to write. It was so stereotypical that it was almost an eyesore.


    And it was somehow a slap in the face in both directions.


    On the one hand, there was no fault that she could pick at. If Theron had written poor answers, it would be obvious he was deliberately failing. But he hadn''t.


    On the other hand, the answers were so perfectly chosen that they looked like they came out of a grading book on what one should expect from a first year. It was so precise that it couldn''t have come from anyone other than a genius.


    She suddenly wasn''t sure what to do.


    By Theron''s side, little Sadie was biting at her pencil, wondering if she had missed anything. The moment she heard there was going to be an exam, she became so nervous she even forgot Theron was sitting beside her.


    When the 24th person got up, she panicked, realizing there was only one spot left. So she hurriedly scrambled to her feet.


    Theron chuckled and slid out to let her pass.


    "That concludes the exam. I will tabulate the results now."


    Teacher Fern tossed the papers into the air, and Theron frowned. It seemed that Teacher Fern didn''t know how to take a hint.


    A green-tinted energy rushed out again, and the papers were all shredded to pieces¡ªor at least, that''s what Theron saw.


    In the eyes of the students, it looked like a nice trick of the light, as though Teacher Fern was extracting the merit of their answers from the papers.


    It was nothing but a trashy magic trick, but it was also one best at fooling children like them. Sadie''s large green eyes lit up as she watched in awe, feeling as though she was witnessing something magical for the first time.


    Elemental Mancers like Teacher Fern and Theron were the closest to Soul Mancers, while Flux Mancers were closer to Spirit Mancers. Though one would usually be born with a single strong affinity, they typically had an adjacent Mancer path they could casually dabble in.


    Something like extracting the merit of answers from a test paper sounded exactly like what a Soul Mancer would be capable of. Teachers were also authority figures most would trust implicitly, so how could they know that Teacher Fern was lying to their faces?


    Theron closed his eyes, running through his checklist again. His breathing was slow, taking as much as five counts to inhale and exhale.


    "That decides it," Teacher Fern said with a stern nod. "The participants for this exchange will be Malaya and Theron."


    There wasn''t much shock to the first name. Malaya was a senior who had already accumulated 52 credits. She was also 18 years old this year, and though she wasn''t a Thistle, she had been sent here from the Vermouth Earldom.


    This was also her third year, so she was on pace to graduate with honors. There were two others in the class around her level, but neither found it unacceptable that she was named ahead of them.


    What wasn''t expected was that Theron would still be named. Thinking about the dubiousness of the previous results "tabulation," the unfriendly gazes were abound.

 Chapter 13: Blank

    The voices were forced to die down. There were no students of the Imperial Academy that weren''t intelligent. The exams were strict, and fools could neither slip through the cracks nor cheat.


    If Teacher Fern was going so far as to push Theron to the forefront, then she already had blinders on. There was no amount of dust they could kick up that would change things. Much the same way there were no useless students in the academy, there were likewise no useless teachers.


    In the case that Theron truly was worthy of this placement, there was even less reason for them to complain.


    None of this changed the fact that many were unhappy with how Teacher Fern had gone about doing things, and that unhappiness was naturally transferred to the youth many of them didn''t know rather than the powerful Gold Mancer none of them could offend.


    Throughout the process, Theron remained silent. Teacher Fern had expected to see some sort of reaction, but he sat there just the same.


    **


    The class was brought to the exchange room. This place was little more than a theatrical court of sorts, designed with the Imperial Capital in mind. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was designed not much unlike a theater, if said theater''s stage was surrounded by seating in all directions. The stage itself was a circular platform that followed the layout of the room, and the spectator''s area was divided into four, opening up four paths for entry.


    By the time many of the seats were filled, Theron stood behind a wide podium with Malaya, waiting for their opponents to arrive.


    Malaya was a frail girl. Her build was slender, and her face was lovable. Hints of her baby fat were fading away to reveal the visage of a woman, and she was most definitely a favorite of the students.


    Although she wasn''t a femme fatale, she had a gentle air to her. One would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn''t have a fond expression of her.


    She fidgeted on the podium, arranging the blank pieces of paper and lining up her pens and pencils. Nothing could seem to soothe her OCD, so she shifted them again and again.


    After a polite greeting, the two partners hadn''t spoken again. The exchange was meant to simulate a high-pressure situation where you might have to work with someone you weren''t familiar with. Plus, the added variability of unknown questions raised the stakes.


    There was a slight commotion at the doors, and a new wave of students entered, led by a short old lady. She moved with vigor, although she leaned on a cane that looked carved from an ancient tree. Behind her, there were two prominent youths.


    Syriah Thistle, another 18-year-old third-year. She had accumulated 49 credits and was well on her way to becoming an honors graduate.


    Benedik Grey, an Earldom descendant. He had accumulated 57 credits and was in his third year.


    The closer one got to the top, the larger the gap that even a single credit represented. That was also why Theron''s 12 credits stood out so fiercely.


    Teacher Bloom surprisingly didn''t react with much surprise to seeing Theron on the stage. She sent her students up and took a seat, readying herself for the coming event.


    Murmurs and whispers soon consumed the exchange court. There were three 18-year-olds on the stage, and one 14-year-old that stood out like a sore thumb.


    Theron stood with his eyes closed.


    If I perform poorly, it will justify their reactions and potentially increase the ire they feel for me. If I perform well, they''ll understand Teacher Fern''s intentions, but the resentment will still remain. It''s a dead end no matter what...


    He had lived a quiet life in the academy thus far. If not for wanting to leave for an extended period of time, he wouldn''t have completed his credits so quickly, nor caught Teacher Fern''s attention.


    Though the valiant housewife thought she was guiding him, in reality, she was making his life worse. It wasn''t just about the inconvenience of living in the limelight. Orphans like him didn''t have the luxury of offending nobles, and that was exactly the fire Teacher Fern had just pushed him into.


    Her "kindness" was a detriment, and her na?vet¨¦, her unconscious trust that the system would allow Theron to shine, would bring him no shortage of trouble.


    Despite the calm look on his face right now, Theron was more than a little displeased, but what could he do?


    Theron''s eyes opened as a silhouette appeared at the center of the debate platform. The figure appeared in a wisp and, without a word, a gentle smile on his face.


    The man would be a breath of light, if such a thing made sense. His hair and beard were far too bright a shade of white to feel natural, and his skin was bronzed in vibrancy.


    This was the dean of the political stream, Dean Grey.


    "Welcome, everyone. I won''t waste your time with a long, drawn-out speech. Just remember to use this exchange to build your knowledge and your camaraderie."


    Dean Grey raised a hand, and a fluttering ball of light appeared in his palm. It rose to the ceiling and exploded in a firework, forming a line of words in what could only be described as an impeccable display of Mana control.


    Mana is life. Mana is power.


    These two philosophies have ruled the discourse for generations. Team Bloom will take the former, and Team Fern the latter. You have 10 minutes to prepare before the opening round begins.


    Malaya had already begun to write furiously, dashing through ideas. She planned to give herself five minutes, then spend the next five minutes organizing their argument with Theron.


    Theron gazed at the question for a moment before he looked to where Dean Grey had vanished. Then his gaze swept over the crowd.


    Five minutes passed quickly, and Malaya looked down at Theron''s papers with a frown. Why were they blank? Was he not preparing?

 Chapter 14: Shell-shocked

    Teacher Fern was quite nervous when she saw Theron''s nonchalance. Her original assumption was that even if he threw a tantrum the first time around, he wouldn''t continue to do so in the face of real credits, not to mention the dean.


    But this performance left her shell-shocked.


    Thinking back, did she truly know this student that well? He had been under her care for half a year and had spent at least two of those months away. He was quiet and never responded much to anything, always taking the path of least resistance.


    Rebelliousness wasn''t the word she would use to describe Theron, but now she wasn''t so sure.


    The Thistle Clan young man of Teacher Fern''s class had been observing Theron from the start. The bad taste in Sawyer''s mouth only grew.


    He was the only Thistle of Teacher Fern''s class who would still participate in this, but he was nowhere near being picked. At his pace, reaching 33 credits was his limit, and it would take all two years he had left to accomplish it.


    Seeing Theron down there only stoked his inferiority complex, and he couldn''t help but grip his fists.


    ...


    "Theron!" Malaya whispered to him in a hiss.


    "Yes?"


    Theron replied in a gentle cadence.


    "We don''t have much time left. Do you have anything to add? Look at my notes."


    Theron sent a glance over. "It''s fine."


    Malaya was taken aback, not sure how to react. What did he mean by that?


    "Time is up. Team Bloom, you will begin." Dean Grey''s voice echoed.


    Syriah cleared her throat and began.


    "I thought that I should first begin with a definition. Mana is life is a popular phrase amongst Mancers, but life encompasses far too many things, whereas power can only be defined in a fixed lane. I believe this alone is clear enough to make the correct choice obvious, but I will continue nonetheless.


    "Life can refer to raw biology, the configuration of elements that allow a plant to grow and a human to breathe. It can be founded on a more philosophical basis, referring to morality, the meaning of life itself, the standards one sets for themselves. It can refer even to something far more abstract, hinting at the impetus of creation itself.


    "We would argue today that only one word could possibly encompass the true meaning of Mana."


    She gave the crowd a smile as she finished.


    Malaya was in a state of panic. She had spent too much time trying to catch Theron''s attention and not enough consolidating her ideas.


    What she didn''t expect was that Theron would speak without her input.


    "A definition is a good place to start," he began in a gentle voice, "but what we define is more important. The definitions of life and power are less important than the definition of Mana."


    Many frowned when they heard these words. Wasn''t the point of life and power to act as definitions? Wasn''t this circular logic? What was the point in trying to define Mana if they were precisely trying to define that in the first place? Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Malaya almost fainted. It was inappropriate to interrupt or inject her opinion here. Refuting her partner would only make the situation worse, but that didn''t stop her from feeling like an ant in a frying pan.


    "Mana exists in two states. There is Mana all around us, and there is Mana in ourselves. The reason no one has decided on which definition is true¡ªlife or power¡ªis because no one has agreed on what question is being asked in the first place.


    "We would argue that the question has no meaning if it does not refer to the Mana in ourselves. Mana, otherwise, is an energy of the Heavens, a force of nature beyond us. What is the point of deliberating on Mana in this form?


    "The question then obviously refers to Mana in relation to ourselves... humans. And in this case, it can only refer to a single thing.


    "Power."


    Silence fell.


    It was a well-thought-out answer, short and succinct, and seemed to leave no room for rebuttal. It cut to the core of the question and made many second-guess themselves.


    The answer Syriah gave was excellent, but why did Theron''s feel like it was on another level?


    It was like Theron had taken a highly complex issue and distilled it down to its barest parts, and his opening statement became something that couldn''t be ignored.


    Somehow, the battle felt over from the moment it began. Theron was right. What was the point in arguing about such an abstract concept of Mana when they were just students? Even if they had dreams of grandeur, shouldn''t they start by understanding Mana in its simpler form?


    That was how their academy''s curriculum was built. Often, teachers would tell "lies" to dumb subjects down, only to reveal the truths later on.


    What was even more potent was Theron''s closing statement. He spent the entire time arguing that the definition of power was the simpler one and the only one they should acknowledge... until he flipped it on its head, forcing Syriah and Benedik to scrap their original closing statement.


    "We have spoken a lot today about the importance of power as a defining characteristic of Mana, but our position shouldn''t be mistaken as power being the inferior definition, only useful to us all.


    "Ultimately, power is more profound than it is given credit for. It''s the most basic law of survival, the foundation of evolution and life itself. The reason it is so profound is because it is so simple.


    "An ant does not need to understand life or even power, but it does know that it must survive, it must gather food, it must have the strength to protect itself and pass on its lineage so that its children may thrive in the coming generations.


    "Power is the simplest and most profound truth of the world. It doesn''t need to be debated upon¡ªit just is. From the most insignificant creature to the mightiest warrior, it rules their life.


    "If you want to one day philosophize over the meaning of life and its relation to Mana, wait until you can look down on the Heavens themselves...


    "And even then, you''ll only be able to because you had the power to do so."

 Chapter 15: Replaced

    "Theron, you were amazing!" Sadie''s little head bobbed up and down. Her eyes lit up like lanterns as she grabbed onto Theron''s sleeve, waving it about.


    The reply was the same gentle smile.


    Sadie reminded Theron a lot of his little sister, so lively and full of joy. The little girl didn''t realize how much trouble Theron had gotten himself into today, and it was probably for the best that she didn''t know.


    "That''s right, I almost forgot." Sadie pressed a palm against her forehead. "Big Sis Thessa wanted me to invite you to have food with us because we let out early today. Yes, yes, Flora is coming too."


    Flora and Sadie were usually attached at the hip, though Flora was the much quieter of the two. It was almost comical how opposing the two were.


    Sadie had red hair, Flora had black. Sadie was lively, and Flora was practically a mute. Sadie had a twin pair of pigtails, and Flora had just one ponytail.


    Theron made it his business to learn as much about the people around him as he could, but he didn''t know much about Sadie. What was interesting was what she had said about her relation to Thessa, though. Maybe he would learn more about that today.


    "Okay, I''ll go with you."


    "Really?!" Sadie''s eyes went wide. Theron almost always said no, save for a few times. This was unexpected.


    Theron smiled. "Let''s go."


    The trio headed toward the exit, Theron seemingly oblivious to the number of eyes on him.


    "Theron, a¡ª" Teacher Fern''s voice called out, but Theron had already turned to her and gave her a polite bow.


    "Apologies, Teacher Fern. I have an engagement with Sadie and Flora that''s a bit time-sensitive. Maybe another day."


    Teacher Fern was a bit stunned, but she didn''t get the chance to say anything else. Between the sea of students trying to exit and Theron''s swift departure, there wasn''t another chance at all.


    ...


    "Where is he?"


    Dean Grey looked up from his desk to find Teacher Fern standing without the student he had asked to see.


    Exhaling, Teacher Fern shook her head. "I will take full responsibility for this, Dean. I''ll have him come by and see you tomorrow."


    "Hm?"


    Dean Grey wasn''t sure what to think at first, but seeing the conflicting emotions on this usually valiant housewife, he made some guesses.


    Teacher Fern''s personality was well known. It wasn''t the first time she had bumped heads with a student, and it certainly wouldn''t be the last.


    "What happened this time?"


    "Nothing happened!" Teacher Fern said defensively.


    The dean didn''t reply, sitting back in his chair and waiting. Teacher Fern had no choice but to give him the cliff notes.


    Though prepared, the truth still surprised him. It felt mostly benign. Was Teacher Fern thinking too much? Or did this child really have somewhere he urgently needed to be?


    Instead of concluding, he reached for a file drawer in his desk and quickly found Theron''s. There weren''t many students enrolled at the Imperial Academy at any given time; having a file on them all wasn''t an issue.


    "Theron Galethunder... peculiar last name... only 14 years old, just recently turned.... He passed the exam at 13... his family..."


    The dean frowned, and his expression became more solemn. After a while, he tossed the file onto his desk, allowing it to slide toward Teacher Fern.


    "Read it."


    She did as she was told. Soon, her face was flickering with shock and horror as well.


    "An entire city? Who would do such a thing?!"


    "Calm down and think about the meaning. You took a boy that doesn''t want to be in the spotlight and thrust him into it. He had a perfect score in his Imperial Exam. Do you know what that means?"


    How could she not? The Imperial Exam didn''t separate the streams. Getting just 20% right was already considered very good.


    Getting a perfect score meant that you could already finish the first five basic classes of both the military and political streams with an S grade. That put you just three credits from graduating, three credits that Theron had just earned.


    If his goal was to be in the spotlight, he would have long since been.


    "This is a silly complaint. How is he going to succeed in the future if he can''t handle the spotlight? It''s best we get him used to it now."


    The dean gave Teacher Fern a level glance, and she seemed to only now realize that she was talking to an expert far beyond her.


    "Can you not see something a child can?"


    "The academy is perfectly safe!" she defended.


    "Is it?"


    "Yes!" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dean shook his head. This woman was too stubborn.


    "Not every child needs to have their hand held, Teacher Fern. Micromanaging their every step will only stifle them, and in this case, it will lose you the right to mold them at all.


    "This child lost his family and friends in a single tragic accident. Do you think that lightning can strike that many times in one location? Can it even do so twice, let alone thousands of times?


    "You''ve seen how smart this child is. Do you think that he cannot see this? All he knows is that someone powerful is the reason he is now an orphan, and the empire and its nobles have done nothing about it.


    "And this is the child you want to trust the system?"


    This was the first time that the dean had heard of this incident, and that was a problem that weighed heavily on his chest as well. With his standing in the empire, how could he be out of the loop? Even the details in the report were so vague he could only draw loose, overarching conclusions.


    But unlike them, Theron had been there. No obfuscation was going to make him forget.


    And from what the dean had heard in today''s exchange, he was smart enough to draw even sharper conclusions.


    Teacher Fern was at a loss for words as Dean Grey stood to his feet.


    "Dean Vermouth has been replaced by a Thistle."


    The words seemed to have nothing to do with his first tirade, but they were still enough to make Teacher Fern react as though she had been struck by lightning.


    "That''s impossible. The Imperial Court would never allow a marquisate to have such power in government and in the academy!"


    Thistle Brook was the marquisate of the Thistle Clan. For them to control both the city and the academy was too much. The Nightingale Imperial Family had never allowed such a thing before.


    The dean gave her a look that said it had already happened.


    "You look at the world from a privileged lens and you''ve gotten used to it. Not every student here is of great and noble birth. The more you act like they are, the less equal they become.


    "You''ve brought a lot of trouble to the doorstep of this child. I would suggest you keep that in mind and proceed as such."


    Teacher Fern fell into silence.

 Chapter 16: Purple Scale Teahouse

    The Purple Scale Teahouse was often frequented by the young nobles of Thistle Brook. It could be said that it was popular even across the empire.


    The waitresses were beautiful, the food was of the highest quality, and the tea, especially, was well known for its positive effects on cultivation.


    Theron had never been before. If not for his curiosity about the mission Thessa, Soren, and Teagan were on, he would have never come. It was impossible to enter this establishment and not spend several thousand bronzes, and that was if you were being frugal. The top floors certainly had customers spending exorbitant amounts of silver.


    Luckily, the group gathered together on the first floor. Soren was already waving around a leg of meat and telling a tale about how he valiantly defeated a Fiend Beast.


    "... and then I slid under its enormous body and ran my blade down its gut. You should have seen it, blood and intestines were flying everywhere. I thought I was going to drown down there!"


    Thessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah? You cut the belly of a grey rhino that easily?"


    Soren flexed his free arm. "Haven''t you seen these muscles? Are you doubting my prowess?"


    Theron smiled, sipping at his tea. A warmth spread through him that made the obscene price tag worthwhile. His cultivation had stabilized at the Fourth Resonance, but it was showing signs of increasing already.


    The process was also gentle and soothing, nothing like the pain he had endured consuming those mid-tier pills.


    Thessa waved a hand, having had enough of Soren''s antics.


    "We have a real hero here, but you''re taking up the air space with your nonsense. Sadie told me that you won three credits in an exchange today, Theron. How''d you manage it?"


    Teagan looked over with a hint of surprise in his eyes as well, though Soren looked lost.


    "They just happened to bring up a topic I was familiar with. I don''t think I did anything special."


    "Don''t listen to him!" Sadie chimed in. "You should have seen the teachers'' faces. They were practically latching onto his every word, just like the students! Teacher Fern was so confident in Theron that she chose him over all the seniors."


    Theron gave everyone a bitter smile, handing Sadie a handkerchief to wipe her mouth with.


    Before the little girl could be embarrassed, a snort came.


    The group was in a booth, not a private room. Anyone could overhear their conversation. It was just that Sadie wasn''t expecting one of them to be Sawyer Thistle.


    Sawyer was still brooding over the missed opportunity and had come here to relax. He didn''t expect that he would run into the very thing he had been trying to avoid all the while.


    If Sadie had just been praising Theron, that was fine. But what were the odds of him walking by just as she mentioned the seniors?


    Sawyer was followed by two others, and to Theron''s surprise, they too wore Sect garbs.


    Since when did so many Sect members frequent the city...


    "Watch your mouth, brat," Sawyer snarled.


    The happy atmosphere deflated like a balloon.


    "Hey¡ª!"


    Teagan pulled Soren back before his mouth got him into trouble. Soren wasn''t one to pay attention to details, but Teagan and Thessa both had already noticed that while the academy''s insignia was on Sawyer''s right hip, on his left there was the emblem of the Thistle marquisate.


    It was a hint of green and brown that stood in stark contrast to the white and violet. The image of a vine of thorns restraining a heart was as clear as day.


    Branch bloodline or not, the influence the Thistle Clan had in their marquisate was too high.


    Sadie shrank back, hiding behind Thessa''s shoulder.


    Sawyer snorted again, about to walk away when he caught a glimpse of Theron. There was something about the young boy''s calmness that truly pissed him off.


    He flicked a finger, and a brownish energy cracked against Theron''s cup, sending the expensive tea flying everywhere.


    The green-tinted liquid dripped down onto Theron''s lap, soaking his robes through. He looked down at himself, his expression unreadable.


    Slowly, he closed his eyes. A familiar cycle of remembrance ran through his mind. He focused his intention and will, soothing himself.


    Seeing that he wasn''t going to get another reaction, Sawyer finally swaggered off. Most wouldn''t dare to attack at all in the teahouse, but most weren''t Thistles.


    "Are you alright, Theron?" Thessa asked with concern. "I''m sorry that happened."


    Theron opened his eyes and smiled. "No, it''s fine. Not a big deal."


    His Mana circulated, and the tea that soaked his lap was pulled up, streaming into his mouth. It was a nice party trick that lightened the mood, but Thessa''s eyes couldn''t help but light up. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your cultivation is low, but your Mana control is so impressive!"


    "It''s the best path for me," Theron explained. "Water Mancers aren''t very powerful in combat, so I''ve always focused on other things."


    Thessa nodded. "I try to tell this one all the time," she pinched at Sadie''s cheeks, "power isn''t everything. Maybe she''ll take it better hearing it from you."


    "Bleh!" Soren scoffed. "If it''s not related to power, it''s boring. I can''t believe this ¡ª days and no action at all. I''d rather return to the Sect. I''m sorry, Theron, but I think I''d rather die than be a Water Mancer. How would I have defeated the grey rhino otherwise?!"


    "Days and no action?" Theron probed instead of refuting.


    "Yeah, we told you we were on this super annoying mission, right? But it doesn''t feel like that at all. We''re just lounging around all day."


    "I did think that was a bit weird." Theron nodded. "I thought that Sect disciples couldn''t leave."


    This was common knowledge, so Theron wasn''t afraid to mention it. In fact, doing so would help him steer the conversation a bit better.


    "Normally that''s true," Soren confirmed, "but this time there were a bunch of weird missions the Sect handed out. We''re not even the only ones."


    "Weird missions?" Theron smiled. "Like saving cats from trees?"


    Thessa laughed. "The mighty rhino slayer reduced to catching house pets. Now that would be a grand tale."


    Soren seemed to realize that Theron was making fun of him, and he looked at the young boy in shock.


    "No way. You''re not allowed to make fun of me too, Theron. I thought we were on the same side! Am I safe from no one?!"


    "You''re an easy target," Sadie chimed in, finally recovering from the earlier conflict.


    "Oh Gods, even the little girl is getting involved. Save me some face, will you? We aren''t saving cats from trees, dammit. This is real, official business."


    The conversation continued, and Theron didn''t manage to steer it back toward the topic of missions. That said, he still had come up with a faint inkling now.


    If he was correct, the mission itself wasn''t important at all. Rather, for some reason, the Sect wanted a large number of its disciples stationed in the city for the time being.


    The real question was: why?

 Chapter 17: Storm

    Theron pressed his hand against a familiar dirty mirror. With a flash, he appeared within a room of stone. It looked no different from the way he had left it. However, he hadn''t come here for this.


    He left his room, walking down the long corridors to the common area.


    "I would like to take a look at any newly available missions, please," Theron spoke in his gentle voice to the man behind the counter.


    The old man gave Theron an additional look, surprised to see him back so soon. Now that he thought about it, Theron wasn''t particularly injured after returning, which didn''t make much sense.


    Of course, he didn''t know that Theron spent much of his newly acquired funds on healing himself. If he came back with the wound Merchant Greycoat had left on his back, he would never hear the end of it from Teacher Fern, not to mention potentially exposing himself.


    The old man nodded and pulled out a jade, sliding it forward.


    He had seen youths like Theron before¡ªworkaholics that insisted on grinding themselves to an early grave. It wasn''t his place to say much.


    This time, though, he had misunderstood Theron. Originally, the young Water Mancer hadn''t had any intention of returning for at least two months, but the oddities surrounding the Sect had caught his attention.


    If he was correct, there might already be new missions related to this matter.


    The last time Theron had checked the missions was before he left Thistle Brook to kill Merchant Greycoat. As expected, he found something that caught his eye quickly.


    [3 Star Bronze Mission - Kill Yonowai Thistle]


    [Reward]


    [> 22,000 Bronzes]


    With the title, there was a flash of an image and a brief description of the target''s cultivation. This Yonowai was in the Eighth Resonance.


    His cultivation might as well have been the last thing Theron cared about. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first thing that jumped out was his last name. It wasn''t that the Daggers of the Night never targeted nobles, but it was very rare.


    The second was the reward. It was surprisingly low considering the risk. The only explanation was that there was a good opportunity in the near future that lowered the difficulty.


    The reward was set based on a coordination between the client and the association. If the client was doing some of the legwork as well, then the price could be negotiated down.


    Well, this was just speculation on Theron''s part from observing the descriptions of thousands of missions in his short tenure.


    The third was probably the most shocking even still, and that was the fact he recognized this person.


    Theron''s memory was excellent, and he forced himself to have an attention to detail most wouldn''t. He knew that he was walking a fine line of life and death just by being associated with this assassin''s guild, so he had no other choice.


    For exactly that reason, he was certain that this Yonowai was one of the two who entered the teahouse with Sawyer earlier today.


    Theron forced himself to look around for longer, checking through the other missions one by one.


    "I will take this mission," Theron spoke as he pulled back his perception. The Yonowai mission had been toggled to the top of the memory jade, so the old man knew exactly which one he was referring to.


    Not saying much, the old man pulled the memory jade back and slid Theron a new one.


    "Your badge."


    Theron complied and handed his identification over.


    Missions couldn''t be accepted casually. There were penalties for failing, and in the most egregious cases, there was a death penalty. This latter case would only happen if you failed three missions in a row, though.


    [3 Star Bronze Mission - Kill Yonowai Thistle]


    [Reward]


    [> 22,000 Bronzes]


    [Details]


    [> The target is in the Eighth Resonance, specializing in Wood Mancy. His strongest abilities are his restraint skill, [Thorny Fields], and his defensive skill, [Thistled Bark]. The weakness of the latter is that it restricts movement speed a great deal, which is why it is such a good pairing with [Thorny Fields]. If you can find a way to limit or eliminate [Thorny Fields] entirely, using a speed advantage to win should not be a problem. Fire Mancers are the best option.]


    [> The intricacies of [Thistled Bark] allow it to...]


    [> [Thorny Fields] is...]


    [> The target will be inebriated every Friday evening at the Purple Scale Teahouse of Thistle Brook City for the next month. These nights will be the best times to act.]


    The wave of information came in torrents, but once again, it wasn''t the information itself that shocked Theron so much.


    This detailed breakdown of [Thorny Fields] and [Thistled Bark]... was there anyone but another Thistle who could give such detailed information?


    This is why I joined this association...


    In the empire, the best information network on the surface was Nightingale Pavilion. Not only did they sell treasures and techniques, but they were a strong information center as well.


    But how could the Nightingale Pavilion ever provide any information that would be detrimental to the nobles and the Imperial Clan?


    Daggers in the Night was different.


    Over the years, how many tidbits of information exactly like this had the association accumulated?


    If on the surface Nightingale Pavilion was the best information network, then in the dark it was this very assassin''s guild.


    Even with all this information, it''s still ranked as a three-star.


    Three-star missions were the highest rank per given level. The Merchant Greycoat mission was a four-star difficulty, but this was because of the number of times it had failed. This fourth star was reserved for missions that had been taken up and failed at least ten times.


    For a new mission, three-star was the absolute highest.


    Now that Theron had the information he wanted, though, he had no intention of completing the mission. The risk was too high.


    What he had really wanted was the chance to see the information on the other side...


    That and now he had an extra piece to the puzzle.


    The Sect had suddenly sent so many disciples here, and now one of them was a target for assassination?


    There was definitely a storm brewing.

 Chapter 18: No Longer

    Theron walked back to the academy with large strides the following morning, his thoughts churning.


    After killing Merchant Greycoat, he had left in a hurry. Had he known that there was such a conspiracy behind the consecutive failures that preceded him, he would have definitely been more thorough.


    Now, before he had even dealt with this problem, Teacher Fern had thrust another into his lap with her impulsiveness, and beneath all of that, there seemed to be yet another storm brewing related to the Sect.


    Yonowai''s mission was the only one he had gotten the full details of, but there were several other eyebrow-raising missions in the recent selections.


    The real question was: how could he best take advantage of this?


    There was always opportunity in chaos, and Theron''s top priority was raising his cultivation realm as quickly as possible. But there seemed to be enough danger to put him in the eye of a storm he might want to get out of.


    The fact the association was so quiet about Merchant Greycoat''s death, even though this would supposedly bring trouble to him, was the more concerning.


    Theron''s steps came to a sudden stop. He looked up to find Sawyer blocking his path, and he couldn''t help but frown inwardly.


    Was this Thistle really so insistent on continuing to bother him? Was this "bullying"?


    These sorts of childish games were the kind Theron had no time for. In fact, he was beginning to resent Sawyer for being so carefree.


    He took a breath, tuning out what Sawyer was likely saying and recalling the same reminders again and again.


    "... Look at me when I''m speaking to you!"


    Sawyer''s voice cut through with a wave of Mana that forced Theron out of his trance. The young man was already close to Silver Mancy. Comparatively speaking, Theron was far too weak before him.


    A hand reached out and grabbed Theron''s collar. The forcefulness made Theron''s inner organs quake, the air being sapped from his lungs as he was almost lifted from his feet.


    Sawyer was much older, and thus much taller than Theron. However, they looked eye to eye right this moment, Theron''s toes barely grazing the ground.


    It was rare for such a confrontation to happen in the Imperial Academy. The fact it was happening right at the gates only made it all the more eye-catching.


    "You think you can just walk by without greeting your seniors? Who do you think you are?"


    Theron''s icy blue eyes met Sawyer''s. At the moment, they were as tranquil as the calm surface of a lake. Despite the pain wracking his body, what fury there might have been had long been buried.


    He could still remember the last look in each one of their eyes, imprinting themselves like droplets of rain soaking his soul.


    He was not living for himself, for his vanity, for his pride. He was living for a purpose much higher than that.


    When his goals were achieved, he could return and raze the Thistle Clan to the ground if that was what he so desired.


    But right now...


    He had no desires.


    "How dare you?!"


    A furious voice echoed like thunder. It rang like a bell, and one could almost see the phantom image of a rolling pin waving in the air.


    Teacher Fern stormed over, and the ground rumbled.


    "Unhand him. Now!" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blood began to leak from Sawyer''s ears. It was clear that as loud as her voice was, it was targeted and focused nonetheless.


    Sawyer released on instinct. As close as he was to Silver Mancy, he was no match for a true Gold Mancy cultivator.


    Theron landed steadily and took a step back.


    "Do you know how hallowed this ground is? Do you have no respect for your own face as a senior, bullying your own junior? Do you have no thought for the rules of this academy?!"


    Sawyer shook, feeling one part disarmed, another fearful, and yet another humiliated.


    "Teacher, this¡ª"


    "You dare to speak back to me?! I''m stripping you of three credits¡ª"


    "WHAT?!" Sawyer''s eyes practically bulged out of his sockets.


    "SILENCE!"


    The suppressive aura of a Gold Mancer pressed down on Sawyer so fiercely he almost kneeled. If not for her last bit of rationality, Teacher Fern truly would have gone so far.


    "Three credits and your rights to become an Honors graduate have been stricken. You''ll be under house arrest for the next week. Go!"


    Sawyer''s body trembled, and he clenched his fists. But unable to do anything, he could only walk away.


    He had never been close to graduating with honors to begin with. He was in his third year, but he only had 25 credits... that had just become 22.


    This was the largest blow by far.


    For one''s first year, you had to accumulate five credits to stay on track. But for the subsequent years, the bare minimum was seven. Three credits was almost half of what most would be able to accumulate in a year.


    The worst part was that even though Sawyer was well ahead of this pace, the speed of accumulating credits plummeted the more you gathered. The classes became harder, and the grading became stricter.


    Losing three credits suddenly only put his three credits ahead of the minimum 19 he would need to pass the third year. And half the year was already finished!


    The loss of these three credits might not harm him for the third year, but it might be the reason he failed the fourth year or maybe his fifth year.


    "This is the Imperial Academy," Teacher Fern growled, scanning the students. "This isn''t your personal backyard, and it''s a place where your own merits weigh the most heavily.


    "You are the future of the Empire''s government and military. If you act like this now, how will the people trust you with their lives in the future?"


    Teacher Fern swept a glance over Theron that made his own flicker.


    He sensed several things in that gaze.


    Guilt was the main one, but there was a surprising hint of helplessness and resignation.


    The next day, Theron found out why.


    Teacher Fern was no longer teaching his class.

 Chapter 19: Creed

    Theron sat in class. He was silent, but then again, so was everyone else. In this place, no matter how unruly you were as a student, there was only one person allowed to speak.


    Which of these youths would willingly get on the bad side of a Gold Mancer? Much less a Thistle?


    The old man at the helm of the classroom looked as though he had a foot in the grave. His manner of speaking was mind-numbingly slow and labored, and unlike the vigorous Teacher Fern, he didn''t use the board much at all, seemingly too weak to walk around as often as he would need to.


    Teacher Burne Thistle, he had introduced himself as. But ever since he had spoken those words, Theron had heard nothing else but blaring warning signs.


    He was in danger.


    While he hadn''t been an assassin for long, Theron had always had a rigorous attention to detail.


    Teacher Fern was gone, only to be suddenly replaced by a Thistle. He had already noticed that there were large movements within the Imperial Academy. Before, he wasn''t sure why. But now...


    Someone big has been replaced. For Teacher Fern to lose her job when she had long secured tenure requires someone with heavy influence. In all likelihood, one of the Deans has been replaced. More accurately: one of the Deans has been replaced with a Thistle.


    The Sects were moving, and now there was such a large change in the Imperial Academy of all places. On top of that, a bounty had been placed on the head of a Thistle.


    Even the Imperial Clan wouldn''t lightly target a marquisate.


    And now, thanks to Teacher Fern, Theron had likely been thrust right into the middle of this spotlight.


    The Sects sent their disciples, and now the Thistles are in the Imperial Academy. Both are related to a high concentration of young talent. This matter must be related to something that only the youth can accomplish. A Secret Realm is the most likely scenario, but that answer feels too cheap. Something is off about it.


    Theron continued to stare at Teacher Burne Thistle. He looked no different from a studious student.


    If it really was a Secret Realm, why would the Thistles feel the need to take control of the Imperial Academy? Why not just keep the information close to their vests and act accordingly?


    This has to be something happening on a larger scale. A Secret Realm is too acute. Likely something occurring over a long period as well. And also something so important that the Thistles are willing to directly offend the Imperial Clan in order to carve out a chance for themselves.


    The moment he began his deductions, Theron knew that he wouldn''t be able to reach a conclusive ending. He was too small a character, and while he had joined Daggers of the Night for the information network, he had yet to properly work his way up to make use of it.


    So he had no choice but to take a chance.


    -


    [3-Star Bronze Mission - Kill Yonowai Thistle]


    -


    [Reward]


    [>22,000 Bronzes]


    -


    Originally, he hadn''t wanted to take this mission. The risk was too high. But now, there was no other choice.


    If he didn''t take the initiative himself, he would be one of the first targeted in this new world order.


    "Student Theron."


    "Yes, Teacher Thistle?" Theron replied without missing a single beat, his tone laced with the utmost respect.


    "I am new, but I have heard of your great feats already. I believe the class would love to hear your perspective on this topic. What do you think?" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I believe that one''s weapon of choice should be secondary to their Mancer Path. Whether Elemental, Flux, Spirit, or Soul, only by first grasping your strengths in each field can you make an appropriate assessment for yourself."


    "Oh?" Burne continued to speak in his slow cadence. "But of these four paths, only Flux Mancy seems to have any direct correlation with weapons. Are you saying that only Flux Mancers, masters of the body, should use weapons?"


    "No." Theron shook his head. "I do not know much about Spirit and Soul Mancy, but what I can say as a Water Mancer myself is that a great sword would not suit me very much. That being said, it might be an excellent weapon for an Earth Mancer who tends to stay more stationary in combat and would better take advantage of a bulkier weapon."


    "A fascinating perspective, indeed. Taking into account the kind of battle style most suited to your Mancy Path and choosing your weapon. Would anyone else like to contribute their thoughts?"


    A coincidence? Theron thought to himself. No. This man is a Spirit Mancer. He read the intentions of my mind and felt that I wasn''t giving the lesson my full and undivided attention.


    There was a rage that threatened to build in Theron''s chest. This was the first time since that day that he was running into a Spirit Mancer. His emotions, ones he usually controlled so well, showed signs of slipping from his grasp.


    But just like always, he slowly closed his eyes. The same thoughts and memories he always ran through came in one after another.


    I''m not living for myself.


    Those simple five words were his creed, and he would live by them.


    Theron opened his eyes to find a smiling pair looking right at him. He could practically see Teacher Burne Thistle''s amusement dancing in his green irises, his old features twisted by age and wrinkles.


    There was only a calm tranquility in Theron''s own as the rest of the class seemed like a blur to him.


    When he stepped out, his strides long, his every step carried a rhythmic cadence that aligned his movements with his heart. It was a state he felt he could only enter when there was heavy rain, but today... he felt filled with purpose.


    He was going to kill a Thistle.

 Chapter 20: Malaya Vermouth

    Malaya stood on the corner of a cobblestoned path, fidgeting with her dress. She wrung her small hands again and again, her anxiety practically spilling out of her like water from a spout.


    Her hand reached into her purse, pulling out a small handkerchief and dabbing at her nose and forehead. She never wore makeup, but today she had foolishly gone and tried it. Now she was worried about it smearing down her face.


    The weather wasn''t particularly hot, and the sun was about to set, but it might as well have been a sauna around her.


    She had never been asked out on a date before, much less by a young man three years younger than she was. She had said yes before she even understood what was happening, and now it was too late to escape.


    The thought of disappointing Theron filled her with even more anxiety than she was already drowning in.


    Did she like him? Was this love?


    Steam came out of her ears, the ridiculous spiral of thoughts almost making her pass out. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A hand caught her as she stumbled back.


    "Are you alright?"


    Theron had appeared at some unknown time, a light smile on his face.


    Malaya opened her mouth to respond, but nothing but an odd squeak came out. All of a sudden, she wanted to find a place to bury her head, only barely managing to keep her wits about her for long enough to realize Theron''s chest was not the place for that.


    With a push, Theron helped Malaya stabilize herself. He glossed over the odd sound she made as though he hadn''t heard anything.


    "I''m happy you came to accompany me tonight. Shall we go?" he asked politely.


    "Ah, yes. Right." Malaya looked toward the ground and nodded, tightly holding onto her purse with both hands.


    On the way to their destination, maybe because Theron was good enough at making idle chatter to distract her, Malaya managed to forget about her embarrassing display for a moment.


    It wasn''t until they had entered the Purple Scale Teahouse and were arranged a place to sit that the gravity began to settle in once again.


    Theron asked for a menu as though it was only natural.


    "Would you like me to order for you?"


    "I..." Malaya didn''t know what to say.


    Yes? But that seemed like a very... Wait, weren''t they on a date? Was it natural then? No, but...


    Steam came from her ears.


    She was doing so well, but then this guy came and asked her such a loaded question.


    What was she even doing here? Her marriage wouldn''t be up to her to decide anyway. Her father would probably kill her and Theron just for being here.


    And wasn''t it a bit late for a date? The sun was already setting¡ªno, it was set now. Was this what teenagers got up to? It couldn''t be that Theron was expecting something else for tonight, right?


    What should she say if he invited her somewhere else?


    "My apologies, it seems I overstepped. Here." Theron waved to a waitress after handing his menu over to Malaya. "Can I have another menu, please?"


    Malaya found her breathing returning to normal.


    The two of them ordered their food and tea, and soon Malaya found herself forgetting again.


    "... I have heard a lot about the Vermouth Earldom. One of our Deans is a Vermouth, if I recall correctly, so I''ve always had quite some respect for them," Theron said with a smile.


    "Ah," Malaya sighed, "that''s unfortunately not the case. My uncle had his position relieved by the Crown."


    "Oh?" Theron''s brows raised with surprise. "Do you¡ªI probably shouldn''t ask that question, forgive me."


    "It''s not a big deal. My uncle was quite old, and it was about time a new face was given a chance to lead. Former Dean Vermouth was the head of the Military Department, but it''s been a very long time since we''ve had any true elites of the military stream.


    "There''s been some unrest recently, and now isn''t the time for a lull like this. There should probably be some pretty big changes in the coming days, mostly to the military stream."


    "I see..." Theron nodded slowly.


    "Do you have any thoughts of doing both, Theron?" Malaya took the initiative to ask a question.


    Theron was startled. "Both?"


    "You already have twelve credits¡ªwell, no, you actually have fifteen now, right? As a first year! That''s amazing! I''ve heard of geniuses like you before. There''s one in Main Academy who had thirty-two credits as a first year! Sixteen from the academic stream and sixteen from the military stream!


    "I actually think you can do it!"


    It took a while for Theron to regain his calm. He didn''t expect Malaya to have such a fiery side to her.


    Theron chuckled. "I''m just a Water Mancer. The military stream probably isn''t for me."


    "Ah..." Malaya seemed to realize she had gotten a bit excited. Indeed, it would be tough for a Water Mancer to make a name for themselves in the military stream.


    "Is that a dream of yours?" Theron asked.


    "This... Well, I''ve thought about it... but I don''t think I''m cut out for fighting either," Malaya said sheepishly.


    "Haha, you must have a lot of faith in me. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement."


    Malaya blushed. "I... about this, Theron... Um... my marriage, you see... I''m not at liberty to... um..."


    She had begun to speak before she could think, and now she found herself halfway through without a destination. She knew she had to say the words, but now the embarrassment was overwhelming her again.


    As she was stumbling over herself, there was a rustling at the door, a bell at the top of the frame releasing a delicate chime as a group walked in.


    Usually, such a thing would be left to a shoddy establishment, but in the Purple Scale Teahouse, it felt like their souls were being tickled.


    Sawyer and Yonowai Thistle had appeared.

 Chapter 21: Dean

    Malaya looked over subconsciously and then lowered her head, the food on her plate suddenly becoming quite interesting. She hadn''t eaten very much before, and yet now she was enamored enough to take two bites back to back.


    The change didn''t escape Theron''s notice, but he also didn''t look over for more than a glance. One would have never thought he had spotted his target.


    Given where they were tucked into the restaurant, Sawyer and Yonowai didn''t notice them either, nor did the third individual with them.


    This was the same trio that had been together in the Teahouse before.


    "I''m going to go to the bathroom, Malaya. I''ll be right back."


    Malaya blinked. "Right, right. Take your time."


    She cleared her throat, her ears turning red again, wondering why she had told him to take his time. It wasn''t as though he was a lady. Had she made it weird again?


    ...


    Theron slipped into the bathroom, his kind, amiable smile giving way to an indifferent placidity.


    The plumbing situation in high-ranking cities like this one was excellent, as was the ventilation. Private rooms upstairs all had their own bathrooms, while on the bottom floor here, everyone shared a communal bathroom. Or, rather, two of them.


    One male, the other female.


    All of them had the same flaw to exploit: they shared a ventilation channel. Going from one bathroom to the next through the ducts was actually quite easy.


    Theron went to the private stall and opened the door. His foot tapped at the toilet, and a glob of water shot out from the bowl.


    With a point of his fingers, he sent it into the vents.


    It was a common misconception that sound didn''t travel well in water. In fact, it traveled far better through water, especially warm water, than it did in air.


    Theron snapped his fingers, and the ball of water vanished completely.


    ...


    "Where the hell are the women?"


    Yonowai collapsed on a couch, kicking his feet up.


    "Aren''t you the one who said all the girls in town were boring?"


    "Well, aren''t they?! Have you seen the senior sisters at the Sect? There''s something about cultivation that just makes a woman¡ª"


    Yonowai wiped his lips before he started drooling.


    "Why don''t you make it to Silver Mancy first? Then you can start dreaming about those senior sisters. Right now, they''d cut it off before you even knew what happened."


    "F*** you, Kai. Sawyer!"


    "Yes, big bro!" Sawyer stood to his feet.


    "Drinks! Women! Chop-chop!"


    Sawyer rolled his eyes but obliged anyway.


    The standing between the two wasn''t large enough for one of them to be ordered around like the other''s lapdog. But for certain reasons, Sawyer chose to oblige.


    "Why''s he like that?" Kai asked after Sawyer vanished. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The little rat needs help making up for his lost credits. Who asked him to be a fool? The Thistle name is only as good as the one holding it. If he couldn''t hack it, he shouldn''t have pissed off the wrong person."


    "Didn''t that teacher get canned?"


    "She''s canned, sure. But she''s already a Gold Mancer, and what is he? He wasn''t good enough to make it into the Sects, and he''s doing the academic stream because he''s not good enough for the military stream. If he can''t even pass the academic stream, he''s going to spend the rest of his life under everyone''s boot."


    "And what are we supposed to do about that?"


    "Someone may or may not have let it slip that it was possible to get extra credit by helping a Sect out."


    "Someone?"


    "Okay, maybe it was me."


    Kai burst out into laughter.


    Was it possible to get credit through the Sects? Yes.


    But if you could do that, you could definitely get a passing score all on your own. In fact, you''d probably be well on your way to Perfect Credits.


    It was like banking on getting three extra credits like Theron had. If you were that excellent a student, barely graduating wouldn''t even be in your cards to begin with.


    "Speaking of which, we still have no information?" Kai asked.


    "Nope. They just told us to wait around here."


    "Don''t bulls*** me, Thistle. You definitely know something."


    Yonowai chuckled. "Maybe."


    "Spill."


    "All I can say is that it''s related to the new Dean."


    "You mean your father?"


    "I will have to pretend I didn''t hear that." Yonowai closed his eyes with a smile.


    "You''ve got to give me more than that."


    "I really don''t know much!"


    "Just tell me what you can before the idiot comes back."


    "If you can''t figure it out with what I''ve already told you, maybe you and the idiot are already in cahoots."


    Kai threw a pillow across the room, and Yonowai laughed.


    ...


    Theron listened to the conversation for as long as he could.


    After a long while, he stood to his feet, his thoughts swirling.


    He was never going to try and execute a mission this important on the first night he got a chance. That was the mark of either a foolish assassin or an all-powerful one, and he was neither.


    After flushing the toilet, he left the stall and walked to the mirror to wash his hands. He stared at the young boy looking into his soul as he slowly pieced something together.


    Today, he had confirmed that Dean Vermouth had been replaced with Dean Thistle, but this Dean Thistle happened to be the father of a target of assassination.


    Why?


    And how much influence did the Thistles also have on the Sect that a change to the Imperial Scholar Academy would be tied to their movements like this?


    ''Malaya implied that there would be changes soon... the military stream... could it be related...?''


    But there was an elephant in the room. How could the Crown allow the Thistles to move so much of their weight around like this?


    ...


    The next day, Theron learned that change was indeed coming.


    "From today on, graduating Imperial Scholars will be required to complete at least eleven credits of the opposite stream."

 Chapter 22: Fantastic

    Theron sat in the midst of the class along with everyone else. Though he didn''t show it, he was quite surprised by this change as well.


    Eleven credits weren''t a lot, but it depended on how you looked at it. If one considered those who were already close to graduating and suddenly had this requirement thrust on their laps, it was devastating. It was also particularly bad for those without any talent for the military stream.


    The military stream wasn''t entirely combat; it also included commanding and military tactics. However, the academic stream covered the bulk of those classes, while the ones unique to the military stream were upper-year classes that had a laundry list of prerequisites to clear first.


    Teacher Burne Thistle tapped his cane on the ground twice, and the hushed murmurs came to a lulling stop.


    "I will be taking you all to get a taste of the military stream today. Call it a field trip. Come on, up and at ''em." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "Theron, I''m nervous."


    A small voice came from Theron''s side, her little hands tugging on his sleeve.


    Little Sadie didn''t know what to do with herself. She had joined the academic stream to avoid combat, but now she was being forced into it.


    "It''ll be okay," Theron said with a smile, rubbing her head. "Not every class available to you right now requires combat. There are weapon cleaning and assembly classes, movement technique classes, formation deciphering classes... It''s possible to get the credits you need without fighting anyone."


    Sadie''s eyes lit up, her pigtails bouncing. "Really?"


    "Really."


    Theron looked up, sensing a gaze on him. Teacher Burne Thistle had sent a toothy grin his way.


    With a nod, Theron returned the greeting calmly.


    It wasn''t long before the class was taken to a dusty training field. Grunts and the sound of sharpening blades swirled through the air.


    Compared to the prim and proper academic stream students, those in the military stream seemed much more rambunctious. Most didn''t even follow proper school dress code.


    "What kicked up these preppy boys to this neck of the woods?"


    A young man with a belly as round and hard as a wok and a chest that looked carved from twisting steel wires set down a heavy stone with a BANG!


    Theron recognized him at a glance. He was Wasian, a second-year Flux Mancer who had accumulated 19 credits.


    All things considered, he was ahead of schedule and well on his way to graduating. But he was also a bit of a meathead. His credits were only so low because he had barely passed his auxiliary classes.


    By Theron''s calculations, he would have at least 24 credits if he put in a little more effort on that front.


    "Line up!"


    A roar came before Wasian could get his answer.


    In a rare showing, the military stream Imperial Scholars displayed actual discipline, rushing to their places and dropping whatever they were doing. Soon, they had lined up just like the academic stream students had.


    A bald man who stood seven feet tall strolled into the dusty arena. He had a smoldering heat to him, almost as though his bronzed skin had just come fresh out of the forge.


    His gaze was no less intense, and Theron was fairly certain he saw some of the military stream students trembling in terror. In one moment, they were carefree and full of life, and in the next, they didn''t dare to breathe too loudly.


    Sergeant Dulcow.


    It was said that he didn''t like being called "Teacher" at all. When you were under his tutelage, you were already in the military. You either fell in line, or you''d be wrapped up in so many military law punishments that you''d forget which way was up and which was down.


    Teacher Burne Thistle walked over to the man as only an old man could¡ªslow and laboring. After whispering something to him, Sergeant Dulcow couldn''t help but frown.


    "This was not the plan."


    Burne didn''t reply, only giving a light smile in return.


    Theron couldn''t hear exactly what was happening, but he read the body language quite well. He looked away, and though his expression didn''t change, whatever respect he had for Sergeant Dulcow was flushed away in the same toilet he used last night.


    The Sergeant cleared his throat.


    "What you all might not know is that the eleven credits you must accumulate this time will be different from the norm. The point of this exchange is to ensure that both streams gain experience from the other, and as such, you cannot expect to complete the same sort of classes you would in your normal stream and make it past.


    "Today, we will give you a taste of the military stream¡ªa small bit of what we do every day.


    "Sparring."


    Sergeant Dulcow waved a hand. "Wasian!"


    "Yessir!"


    The wok-bellied teen stumbled up. He couldn''t have been a day over 15 years old, yet he looked like he was another year or two from 40. Maybe Sergeant Dulcow had influenced him, but his clean-shaven head certainly didn''t help.


    "You''ll be our guinea pig for the day. Show the academic stream the strength of the military stream, but remember that these are your fellow classmates."


    "Yessir!"


    Wasian greedily rubbed his thick fingers together, scanning through the class of academics with a wide grin.


    "Haha, Theron," Teacher Burne called out. "These brutes seem to think that size is all that matters. Why don''t you go and spar a round or two with him?"


    "Okay," Theron said calmly. He felt a strong tug at his arm¡ªthe last thing Little Sadie wanted to do was let go of his hand. But Theron just reassured her with a smile and stepped out onto the field.


    Theron wasn''t granted a weapon, and he knew it would be a waste of time to ask for one. Now he, a Water Mancer stuck in the middle of a dusty field, was somehow supposed to spar with a Flux Mancer with an iron body.


    A fantastic "exchange," indeed.

 Chapter 23: Teacher Dulcow

    Theron stood in silence, winds blowing across the field and kicking up dust.


    It was hard to tell what he was thinking as he stood there, a full head shorter than the young man across from him and three times narrower. At least in terms of size, it was a complete mismatch.


    In the crowd of academics, Sawyer sneered. It wasn''t hard, even for an idiot like him, to tell why Theron was out there. What he didn''t like was that the young boy had the same annoyingly calm expression.


    Sawyer really wanted to know just how long he could keep that up for.


    Wasian wasn''t just a second-year Flux Mancer; he was also a Sixth Resonance Bronze Mancer. That was already well ahead of schedule for his age, even in a Sect, let alone here.


    By comparison, Theron was only in the Fourth Resonance, and he was a Water Mancer to boot.


    "If you''re¡ª"


    "A moment, please, Teacher Dulcow," Theron interrupted.


    The Sergeant froze, and the military stream students straightened up just a little bit more. The last person to call Dulcow "Teacher" had been made to run a hundred laps around the field.


    That sounded like an arbitrarily high number, and that was because it was. They only made it to 27 before they passed out from heat exhaustion and were taken to the infirmary.


    Theron didn''t seem to realize the change in the environment, though.


    "Since this is a spar, shouldn''t we have a goal? It hardly seems appropriate to continue until one of us is incapacitated, but there are no arena boundaries here, and Teacher Dulcow hasn''t set a goal or achievement to reach either. For the sake of safety, I think we should do this first."


    Silence fell.


    There was nothing wrong with Theron''s words. They were only natural, in fact. But they all couldn''t help but look toward the Sergeant nonetheless.


    After a moment, Dulcow raised a foot and stomped down. There was a rush of Mana, and a perfect square appeared around the two, dug right into the ground.


    "A step out is considered a loss. If that''s¡ª"


    "Sorry, Teacher Dulcow. Just one more matter. According to the student handbook, demonstrations such as this one, especially in the case of a teacher requiring a student to risk life and harm, should come with adequate compensation as well.


    "In this case, it''s a first-year being made to battle against a second, and it should be qualified for the maximal benefits." Theron raised his fingers. "Three military stream credits."


    Sergeant Dulcow''s eyes bulged, smoke billowing from his head.


    Once again, there was nothing that Theron had said that was wrong. It was inappropriate for a first-year to be asked to spar with a second, let alone one from a completely different stream.


    Dulcow had sent out a second-year because it didn''t make sense to send out a first-year for a demonstration to begin with. He never thought that Burne would send out a first-year.


    After a long while, the Sergeant nodded.


    "No credit for a loss. One credit for lasting three minutes. Two credits for landing a significant blow. Three credits for a victory."


    "Hey, hey! I don''t get any credits?" Wasian asked. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sergeant Dulcow looked over with a gaze that could kill, and Wasian immediately shut up, not daring to say another word.


    "Is that satisfactory?" the Sergeant asked.


    "Yes," Theron nodded.


    "Good. On my signal, you will begin."


    Dulcow raised a hand, and everyone seemed to hold their breath.


    With a flap of his robes, it descended.


    Wasian opened his arms wide, charging at Theron as though to hug him to death.


    Theron looked back to the line behind him and then ahead again. In just the brief instant, Wasian had already crossed over half the distance, his arms bulging as he began to bring them together.


    The thunderous flood of blood filled the stage, Wasian''s vigorous Flux Mana rushing through his veins.


    Little Sadie covered her eyes, unable to look. It felt like they were watching a bull rush a toddler, and somehow it was all sanctioned.


    Theron, though, seemed the calmest of them all. Even now, he was trying to decide whether he should lose or not.


    Wasian was suddenly no more than three meters away, and Theron''s eyes did one final sweep, landing on Burne.


    The old man''s yellow grin was still plastered onto his face. From a third party''s perspective, he looked like he was cheering his students on. But Theron could practically feel the oozing sliminess.


    It seemed that without Teacher Fern here... this was his life now.


    DOODOOM.


    Wasian''s speed hit its peak just as he reached Theron, his arms smashing together into a strong current.


    Shrieks came from the academic stream as Theron was swallowed whole. From the vantage point of the majority, all they could see was Wasian''s back, while Theron''s small frame was enveloped by the enormous second-year.


    However, Wasian felt like he had just hit nothing but air. No, he had hit an odd mist.


    He hopped on one foot, confusion coloring his features as he ground to a stop. The look would have been quite comedic if he wasn''t looking around so seriously.


    Then a strong kick came from his back.


    He hardly stumbled forward, his body only taking another two steps, and only because he was off balance to begin with.


    With a quick spin, he turned to meet his enemy, but Theron was already pointing down at the ground in front of him.


    "As if I would fall for that," Wasian growled, gearing up to attack again.


    "You''re out of bounds. I would advise you not to attack; otherwise, you could earn yourself a credit demerit."


    Wasian froze.


    After saying his piece, Theron calmly walked to the side, the last bits of mist in the air being sucked into his water bottle as he took a refreshing sip.


    Of course, he had no need for this water bottle to cast [Touch of Mirage]. His Water Mancy might be weak in Resonance, but his control was at a level these people couldn''t fathom.


    Still...


    They didn''t need to know that.

 Chapter 24: Finally

    Theron walked back to the group of academics and took his spot. Little Sadie looked like she was about to jump out of her shoes, her pigtails bouncing. Luckily, she was aware enough of the situation they were in to not make much of a sound.


    No one but the Gold Mancers and upper years seemed to quite understand what happened. Theron''s usage of [Touch of Mirage] had clearly touched the Adept Boundary already.


    To cast a Water Mancy movement technique in such a heated atmosphere, without much room or time to work with... well, it spoke for itself.


    Was it just a trick? You could argue that. In fact, it would be hard to refute.


    But when it came to battles, there was no such thing as fairness.


    Wasian stood in embarrassment, still not quite believing that he had lost just like that. He didn''t even get the chance to display his abilities.


    The sound of a slow clapping echoed. Everyone looked over to find Teacher Burne Thistle happily bringing his hands together, balancing his cane against his body.


    "A wonderful display¡ªtruly. You''ve done us proud, Theron. Three credits well earned. I think this might be some sort of record. A First Year, not even halfway through the year, with 18 credits already."


    Several eyes landed on Theron.


    "Thank you for your praise, Teacher Thistle." Theron lowered his head in acknowledgment. "It is not as impressive as it sounds. My teachers have given me great opportunities."


    "A humble child, indeed. Many can learn from you. As you''ve seen, everyone. Brute strength isn''t everything in combat. As much as our academic stream will learn from the military stream, so too will the military stream learn from us.


    "A sculptor cannot do their work without both a hammer and chisel. The finer points, the greater details, they cannot be carved out without a hand both sturdy and strong, and delicate and gentle. The two work together in tandem, and what we want you all to understand as the future backbone of the Empire is that you need both."


    Teacher Burne looked around with a smile.


    "That said, the point of our exchange is to learn from the other side. As such, doing things our way would defeat the purpose. As clever as little Theron is, and as impressive as his win was, it is not in the spirit of our trip today.


    "Of the eleven credits you all must earn, they must come from classes that match this spirit. As such, for students of the academic stream, your eleven credits must come through combat," Teacher Burne swept a gaze over Theron, "and you will be assessed with a special grading system.


    "Theron has rightfully earned three credits this time, but should he attempt to pass another class in this way, he will receive a failing mark."


    The nervousness of the class began to steadily increase. It seemed that their dreams of taking non-combative classes to meet the new requirements were being dashed before their eyes.


    "There''s no need to feel so down. This is an Imperial Academy, after all. You all are here to learn, so learn you will. Your weaknesses¡ªit is the job of us teachers to help you to fill them.


    "Today will be just the first day. Twice a week, we will join the military stream, and twice a week they will join us. The remaining day, of course not including the weekend, will be spent individually."


    Teacher Burne clapped his hands together once more.


    "Now, I leave it up to you, Sergeant Dulcow. Whip these academics into shape for me. I only have one request. Every session should end in a spar. What is the military stream if not a place to learn combat?"


    The old man''s laughter made it hard to hate him, and there was little to pick out of his words, if anything at all.


    Theron watched these proceedings in silence, trying to gain an inkling about what was really going on here. But no matter how he turned it over in his mind, something wasn''t adding up.


    The only thing that made sense for now was that someone was playing a very, very long con. But could they get away with keeping the disciples of the Sects away from their headquarters for so long?


    The movements pointed to this matter being acute. But there were many actions that directly contradicted that at the same time.


    "Ah, right. I''m so old and muddle-headed that I almost forgot. In a month from now, the Luminescent Moon Sect will arrive for an exchange as well. If some of you show talent substantial enough, maybe you can leave the world of military and politics to enter the World of Cultivation."


    Warning signs blared in Theron''s mind.


    A dog whistle.


    Until now, the words that Teacher Burne had spoken were nothing short of perfect; there was nothing to pick at. However, if a member of the Imperial Clan was here right now, those words alone were enough to have him beheaded on the spot. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To speak of the Sects as though they were somehow superior to the Crown and the path the latter could provide was worse than a taboo. It was punishable by death if the right person heard you.


    Theron''s senses subtly spread out, and as expected, they were too young.


    No one seemed to pick up on the blasphemy in Teacher Burne''s words. They had sounded innocent enough, and most of the academics who would have been more prone to picking up on it were so nervous about the idea of real combat that it had gone in through one ear and out through the other.


    Finally, Theron understood what was going on here.


    Maybe there was some secret realm waiting to be entered, but even if there was, it wasn''t what was most important here.


    This was a rebellion, and he was caught right in the middle of a struggle against the Crown.


    Theron felt that very same crooked, toothy grin baring to the depths of his soul.

 Chapter 25: The Moon at Dusk

    Theron returned to his abode.


    The fatigue that had been on his brows moments before vanished, leaving him breathing evenly as though he hadn''t just gone through a rigorous workout.


    They had really put them through the paces. But compared to his training as an assassin, it was little more than a joke.


    Right now, he had more pressing matters to deal with.


    How should he handle the next few years? Should he transfer Imperial Academies? But how would he handle the Assassin''s Guild situation if he did so?


    Should he even bother still killing Yonowai considering the danger? He had originally only wanted to use this as a method to relieve himself of some pressure and gather more information.


    What he didn''t expect was for Teacher Burne to have such a mask-off moment today.


    Of course, it was incredibly subtle, and most didn''t even understand what they had heard. But the fact Theron understood was enough.


    Spirit Mancers were incredibly sensitive to the changes in others'' emotions. Theron might be good at hiding his intentions, but there was a reason Burne kept looking at him. His control wasn''t to the point where he could hide from a Gold Mancer.


    Burne could all but read his mind like an open book.


    It wasn''t that exaggerated, but there was no doubt that Burne would keep an eye on him whenever he could manage it.


    ''Is it my fault?''


    The thought came out of nowhere, but Theron was finding it hard to believe that it was a coincidence.


    The death of Merchant Greycoat obviously had many implications and strings attached to it that he wasn''t aware of before. And now, all of these dominoes were falling one after another.


    This time, it was little more than intuition, but he was being tugged in that direction nonetheless.


    There was also a reason the mission to kill Yonowai had been at the Guild. The same reason Merchant Greycoat''s mission kept popping up despite the fact there was a tacit agreement to not complete it.


    He had been caught in the middle of the storm before he even understood that he was in danger to begin with.


    ''If that''s the case, then there''s only one course of action to take.''


    Theron looked to the blank grey walls around him. With a smooth motion, he picked up the short sword and dagger sheathed to the wall.


    It was time for his training. Tonight, he would kill.


    He had taken Malaya out on a Friday. Since then, a weekend had passed.


    Today was a Monday. According to the mission requirements, the best time to kill Yonowai was a Friday while he was inebriated at the Purple Scale Teahouse. So, of course...


    He would kill him on a Tuesday.


    **


    That night, Theron left the academy with slow strides. By the gates, a fidgeting Malaya was waiting for him. Somehow this time, she was even more nervous than before.


    Theron hadn''t even called out to her before sunset this time. She could practically already see the sliver of the moon above them.


    Was it really alright for them to be going out so late? Especially in the middle of the week like this?


    But she just couldn''t say no.


    Last time, after Theron spent so long in the bathroom, he admitted that he had gotten very nervous and had some... trouble. After he was so open with her, Malaya¡ªforever the people pleaser¡ªdidn''t want to be the reason his day was ruined.


    Now, she stupidly found herself agreeing to yet another date when she knew that she should have said no.


    They had wasted an entire day in the training field, so there hadn''t been any chance to study like she usually would. She should definitely be in the library right now, but here she was.


    "I''m happy you came," Theron said with a smile.


    The words Malaya wanted to say were caught in her throat. For some reason, Theron seemed larger tonight.


    He was still wearing his Imperial Scholar garb, a beautiful sweeping combination of white, violet, and gold. But it had none of the signs of wear and tear from the earlier hardship.


    None of them had gotten a chance to change on the field today. She had no idea when Theron had the time to clean his uniform.


    The thought of him having more than one crossed her mind, but even the academy only ever issued one for the purpose of discipline.


    Before she could gather her thoughts, her head went blank.


    Theron took her hand and led her away.


    Malaya felt as though her head might implode. Steam practically rose out of her hair and ears, her collarbone going so red it looked purple beneath the dark hues of dusk.


    Her tongue was entirely tied, and she barely registered when Theron spoke again.


    "Two tickets to the show, please."


    "Yes, of course, young noble."


    Theron led Malaya into a theater, and they took their seats as the lights dimmed.


    The stage ahead shuddered as the curtains shifted. Soon, the night''s host had appeared.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! We have a great show prepared for you all tonight!"


    Theron had long let go of Malaya''s hand, but all she could seem to focus on was the warmth that had just been there. Half the show had gone by before she finally snapped away, and that was only because Theron whispered into her ear.


    The warmth of his breath sent a jolt of electricity down her spine, and she almost fainted again.


    "I''ll be back. I''ll try to get us some snacks on the way back."


    Malaya nodded absentmindedly, gripping onto her dress tightly as Theron shifted past her.


    How the hell had this ended up happening to her again?


    What she didn''t know was that the boy who left her flustered had completely changed the moment he left the theater. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Slinking off into the night, the cold blue of Theron''s eyes left streaks in the darkness.


    Today, there was no rain. That was unfortunate.


    He''d just have to make his own.

 Chapter 26: Grey Rhino

    "Fuck me. I should be in bed right now," Soren grumbled.


    "Shut up," Teagan and Thessa replied at the same time in a hushed hiss, and Soren slapped a palm over his mouth.


    The three Sect members stalked through the woods. They probably thought they were doing quite well moving in stealth, but a pair of blue eyes in the distance told a completely different story.


    Theron stood high in the trees, unmoving.


    This location was near the outskirts of the city. Though "near" was subjective. At an all-out sprint, it took Theron 15 minutes to get here. Yet, he somehow landed on the exact group he was looking for.


    It was hard to tell what he was thinking, following after Sadie''s friends like this. But he did so without complaint, even as the first half-hour passed by ever so slowly.


    "Here..." Thessa said softly.


    The group stopped by a stream hidden behind some shrubbery. One after another, they unsheathed their weapons.


    There was a rumble, and the ground seemed to sway. A shadow flickered beneath the crescent moonlight, a towering mass of a beast slowly inching forward.


    A grey rhino.


    Even in the night, Theron picked it out before they did. It was a hulking mass of a creature that had no business walking on such soft soil. Every step it took depressed the ground what felt like half a foot, and in the depths of the night, half asleep, it swayed back and forth as it made its way to take a sip of water.


    Nothing about any of this made sense.


    A trio of Sect members coming here as though they knew the grey rhino would be awake. A beast stumbling for water as though a human feeling their way back to bed from the bathroom in the middle of the night. And then there was the oddest part of it all...


    Theron himself.


    The youth had a calmness to him even in this odd situation. Somehow, it felt like everything was according to his plan.


    The trio burst forward, even Soren showing rare hints of seriousness.


    Their swords flashed into existence, and it was surprisingly Thessa that took the vanguard among them. Her robes wrapped around her under the moon, glimpses of her silhouette playing to the sparkling tale of her blade crossing the cool night air.


    She clashed with the grey rhino''s horn and grasped its attention, her footsteps light as she pierced at its eyes again and again.


    The grey rhino was quickly irritated and charged after her, its fatigue vanishing as it realized it was being targeted by puny humans.


    Its Mancy level wasn''t very high, maybe just at the Sixth Resonance or so. But its defenses alone were comparable to that of a Ninth Resonance Flux Mancer.


    Thessa clearly knew this, as she didn''t even really make an attempt to stab through the grey rhino''s eyes, simply feinting at it again and again.


    In just a few exchanges, Thessa successfully lured the grey rhino into the shallow depths of the stream, and its already clunky movement became even more so.


    By comparison, Thessa''s feet tapped at the water, leaving ripples as her Mana glided her across the surface with ease.


    Teagan and Soren rounded the creature''s back, pouncing on it the instant it took another lunge at Thessa.


    The back hide of the grey rhino was especially tough, and the two clearly knew this. Watching from above, Theron felt like he understood their plan and couldn''t help but shake his head.


    Teagan and Soren both pierced their swords at the grey rhino''s legs, aiming for the back of its knees simultaneously.


    A howl came from the creature as its skin was just barely torn through. It had been so focused on Thessa that it didn''t expect such a sudden change.


    There was a flash in Thessa''s gaze, and she knew this was her chance. Her retreat stopped, and she pressed her whole foot onto the surface of the water.


    TA.


    She shot forward, a silvery glow coating her blade.


    ''She''s close to Silver Mancy...'' Theron thought to himself. ''...Very close. Just not close enough.''


    PUCHI.


    Thessa''s blade tore through the grey rhino''s eye, half a foot of its edge sinking into its socket.


    Blood dyed the air for a brief moment as the grey rhino screamed out in pain.


    Thessa''s eyes opened wide as she realized something was wrong. Her blade didn''t go in nearly deep enough, and now it was stuck.


    She made a quick decision, hurriedly retreating and abandoning her blade.


    ''Wrong decision,'' Theron calmly analyzed.


    The grey rhino bucked.


    By now, Teagan and Soren had both retreated away from the range of its fury, slipping out and extending the distance. They thought Thessa would end it, but when their vision was obscured by the sudden rise of the water, they knew that something had gone wrong.


    The grey rhino howled and charged after Thessa.


    Thessa found herself flustered, and her Mana control faltered. Her foot slipped into the water for a moment, and though she managed to restabilize herself quickly enough, the grey rhino was upon her, its horn lowered to skewer her right through the abdomen.


    Without a choice, Thessa could only send out a palm strike, her Mana churning into a flaming palm.


    ''If she had such a strong offensive Mana affinity, why didn''t she use it before?'' Theron questioned. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thessa had been insistent on using the Luminescent Moon Sect''s martial arts for some reason, ignoring her Fire Mancy. Theron didn''t have an answer, so he simply calmly slotted it away.


    Thessa''s flaming palm obscured the vision of the grey rhino''s one good eye, and she rounded to its side, grabbing the hilt of the sword she left in its other.


    Her Mana erupted, and the blade became a searing hot iron.


    Before the grey rhino could react, the sword was buried another half foot into its skull.


    This time, it froze.


    The forward momentum of the beast sent Thessa flailing, the horn ripping a deep gash along her side before sending her sprawling into the waters.


    The currents of the stream swallowed her up.


    ''They''re coming...'' Theron thought to himself.


    Rather than tensing, his body became frighteningly relaxed. If one analyzed him now, he would look no different from a young man in a deep slumber...


    Except for the sharpness of his eyes.

 Chapter 27: Thorny Fields

    "Thessa! Are you okay? Thessa!"


    Teagan and Soren both rushed Thessa out of the water, their panic evident as their palms quickly became coated in blood.


    Pushing down the anxiousness in their hearts, they hurried to bring her to the shore, almost forgetting about their mission.


    Even now, none of the three understood why they were given a sudden mission in the dead of night like this. But they were told before they left the Sect that this was a training exercise for the real world. They had no right to refuse. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In times of war, missions came at all hours of the day, and they had to be ready for them no matter what.


    "Thessa? Wake up!"


    "The first aid kit, you idiot!" Teagan rarely lost his cool, but watching Soren yell at Thessa as though that was going to fix something was really starting to vex him.


    Soren had a million quippy replies to that, but he eventually decided that Teagan was actually in the right.


    "Dammit, what do we do? We can''t take off her clothes, right? She''ll kill us!"


    "Who said anything about taking off her clothes?! Just give me the first aid kit."


    Teagan pushed the idiot out of the way.


    "Hold her up, the wound is on her side. We just need to clean it up and stitch it together. That should keep her upright for long enough to get back to the city."


    "Alright." Soren rushed out a bottle of water and poured it across Thessa''s gaping wound.


    They cleaned up the wound as best they could, but the blood made it a continuous struggle.


    Luckily, the Sect had their own classes, and first aid like this was among the first. They might have been flustered, but they half knew what they were doing. Soon, they were patching her up with the on-the-go stitches they had. They were basically glorified bandages that squeezed folds of skin together.


    However, they didn''t expect that the moment they stood up, they would hear clapping.


    "Not bad, not bad. I mean, it is kind of pathetic to almost die to a feral beast, but I guess you can''t expect much from Outer Sect Disciples anyway."


    The voice was muffled and hard to make out. But the insults in it were clear.


    The expressions of Teagan and Soren changed. They hurried to stand, pulling out their swords once again and focusing on the direction of the sound, only to realize they weren''t sure exactly where it came from.


    Feral beasts were unranked creatures. They weren''t considered true Mancy Beasts, and by extension, they often had simple colloquial names. All things considered, grey rhinos were among the toughest of them to deal with, but they were still nothing special.


    Teagan and Soren were already feeling quite horrible that they didn''t do enough to distract the grey rhino, and this person''s words were just like salt in their open wounds.


    "No need to look. With your skill, you''ll never find me. I can give you a choice, though. Obediently put down the girl and scurry off. If you''re fast enough, you just might be able to live. Or, I guess you can fight and die here along with her. That works too."


    The two tensed.


    Just what was going on here?


    They both looked at each other, and then at Thessa. There was a storminess in their eyes as though they grasped an inkling.


    It seemed that they had truly gotten themselves caught in a mess this time.


    "No? Well, I''m not a patient person. I''ll give you three seconds. Two..."


    The timer started, and the two reacted at the same time.


    Soren took Thessa and dashed to the right. Teagan released her and dashed to the left.


    They had hardly made it very far when both of them tripped.


    No matter how clumsy they were, with their cultivation, it was impossible for the two of them to make such a mistake at the same time.


    They both looked down at their ankles, and their eyes filled with despair.


    "Ah, it seems you''ve figured it out. This is a little bit of a shame. I don''t know what I should do about that... except to kill all three of you. What can I say? It''s out of my hands."


    CRACK.


    The wooden branches wrapped around the legs of the duo squeezed down, shattering their ankles.


    They yelped in pain, trying to hold back their cries but failing to do so in the end. The feeling of having your bones give way beneath pressure was worse than words could describe, and it was only made worse by the shards of your own skeleton digging into the soft bits of your body.


    Deep in the forest, Yonowai stood with a sinister glint in his eye, so focused he almost didn''t notice a streak of blue appear at his back.


    Almost.


    Theron''s short sword and dagger glinted in the night, slashing out at the back of Yonowai''s neck. He had no intention of acting for the sake of saving those three. But for the next steps of his plan to work... he needed them to live.


    He didn''t expect to get caught in a political game so quickly, but since this was the dance they were going to have, he was going to have to show the world who Theron Galethunder was far earlier than he wanted.


    Yonowai''s reaction, though, was even faster than Theron expected. A shield of wood appeared at his back, and before Theron''s blades could take his head, they ran into a solid wall of wiggling vines first.


    The defenses felt both solid and flexible at the same time, half like he had just sunk his blade into a net of roots, and half like he had just smashed against a wooden board.


    Theron''s reactions were quick as well as he slipped away, dodging the shifting roots in the ground.


    ... "If you can find a way to limit or eliminate [Thorny Fields] entirely, using a speed advantage to win should not be a problem."....


    Those were the recommendations of the mission. But Theron had stepped directly into an arena Yonowai had long prepared.


    This entire bank was his domain. This entire bank was [Thorny Fields].


    Roots shot up from the ground, assaulting Theron from all sides.


    And yet, those steely blue eyes glittered in the dark with the calmness of a killer.

 Chapter 28: Water

    Theron''s blades glided through the night air. He sidestepped and parried, his head shifting as sharp roots passed over his shoulder.


    Every time he tapped a foot, he seemed to land in an unmoved location, his calculations precise and sharp. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was clear that he was moving much slower than the roots were, but somehow he reacted first.


    The moisture content in this region by the stream was high. He could feel the changes to the ground hardly a moment after Yonowai had the intention to launch a sneak attack.


    There was also a very clear weakness to this form of combat. If Yonowai was too eager...


    Theron ducked beneath a net of roots, and the series of vines suddenly tugged against one another, caught in a knot of their own making.


    With another tap of his foot, Theron actually expanded the distance between himself and Yonowai.


    He wasn''t a fool. He was only in the Fourth Resonance, while Yonowai wasn''t just in the Ninth, but he was also exceptionally powerful within his Resonance. If not, he wouldn''t have been able to take out a pair of Eighth Resonances like Soren and Teagan with such ease¡ªpreparation or not.


    Yonowai was also a bit taken aback. He had never seen anyone deal with his [Thorny Fields] skill so easily. The fact that he didn''t know who Theron was only made him more apprehensive. This caused him to hesitate a beat, allowing Theron to expand the distance even further and slip closer to the shore.


    Maybe it was the sway of water or the way the silvery line beamed through the foliage, but Yonowai finally snapped awake.


    No matter what, he had to kill this man quickly.


    Soren and Teagan had already noticed that there was a change to the situation and had slipped out of the vines that entrapped them. Although they were heavily injured, they were still cultivators, and Yonowai wasn''t exactly a tracking expert. He had found them so easily this time because he knew where they would be.


    If he allowed them to slip too far away, it might ruin everything, and then he wouldn''t have another chance come so easily.


    The fact that Theron was here in the first place already made him very apprehensive. It felt like someone had seen through their plans, and if that was the case, it was even more important that he tighten up.


    A flare of Mana came from Yonowai''s dantian. The ground flexed beneath his feet, and he was launched forward by a whipping line of vines.


    His legs extended from the ground, roots wrapping around his calves and making him look far taller and more imposing.


    [Thistled Bark] activated on his lower extremities, and he kicked out toward Theron.


    The range must have increased by at least an extra two meters, and there was nowhere for Theron to go but the water to his back.


    When had he ever feared water, though?


    Theron took that light step, his blades crossing in front of him as he arched his back. A reverberating impact shook his arms, and he clenched his jaw to not make a sound.


    Telling the cultivation of someone wasn''t an exact science, especially when that person had as much Mana control as Theron did. Right now, it was supremely important to him that Yonowai didn''t know his exact cultivation level.


    So he suffered in silence, feeling the power nearly render his arms useless as he glided backward.


    His back hit the waters, and Yonowai pressed his advantage. Ten out of ten times, this would mean that the battle was over.


    It was possible to fight on the water, but it required deft control, and a single slip-up could mean the end.


    Walking on water was easy enough, but coating one''s back in a controlled enough stream of Mana to not fall into the water and lose all semblance of control was something even most Silver Mancers couldn''t do.


    Theron didn''t even try.


    The splash of water echoed, and he was quickly submerged.


    Yonowai took a heavy step toward the waters, vines wrapping around his arms as he cocked them back. Quickly, he became a meter taller than usual, his legs and arms wrapped in thick vines.


    [Thistled Bark] was supposed to be a defensive technique, but who said that it could only be used in that way? When you were a genius like Yonowai, the methods of use for a technique were kind suggestions.


    This was what it meant to be at the Adept Boundary.


    Yonowai roared, launching his arms forward in a cascade of twisting vines that pierced out at the water. He covered a large area, and with how shallow the stream was, especially so near the shore, there was nowhere for Theron to escape to.


    That said, Yonowai was also a veteran of battle. It wasn''t lost on him that he had yet to understand what Mancy Path his opponent followed. Though Theron felt a lot like a Flux Mancer with his agility, it was difficult to tell until he sensed his Mana.


    So, Yonowai''s backup plan was also in full effect. The roots dug into the soft soil of the moistened shore.


    A water bullet suddenly flew at the Thistle''s head.


    Fast. Sharp. Curving through the lines of vines with such expert precision, Yonowai almost missed it.


    Danger warning signs flared in his head.


    BANG!


    Yonowai''s head snapped to the side, the muscles in his neck straining on impact.


    ''Water.''


    Yonowai was processing things as fast as he could, but he didn''t have the time to register why it was a point-blank hit like that only stung instead of taking his head off his shoulders.


    But it was hard to think straight when your vision was suddenly swimming. What Yonowai didn''t realize until it was too late was that this wasn''t because he had a concussion. It was because a large wall of mist had appeared around him the moment he slammed into the water with the full force of his wooden vines.


    SHIIING!


    The sharp echo of a blade was the last thing Yonowai heard before his head flew into the air.

 Chapter 29: It’s Okay

    Theron landed on the ground lightly, his blue eyes frighteningly cold in the depths of the night.


    He looked down at his hand, a searing pain creeping up his spine. The sword he was holding now wasn''t his at all. It was Thessa''s.


    The strength he would need to employ to cut off the head of a Ninth Resonance Bronze Mancer would definitely expose the fact it was a Water Mancer that acted here, and he couldn''t afford that.


    Luckily for him, Thessa had poured a large amount of Fire Mana into her blade to deal with the grey rhino.


    Unluckily for him, he was suffering severe burns to his hand now. Hiding this until it healed would be a problem.


    Theron quickly moved to the stream and began to use Water Mancy to pull the heat out of his hand. Dealing with Ninth Resonance Fire Mana, even with a type advantage, was extraordinarily difficult. But he had also come prepared for this.


    Once he was finished, he began to clean up the battlefield. It was only after he was satisfied that he turned to leave.


    Tonight seemed simple, but it was all a matter of preparation. As for where it stemmed from, it was a result of a simple slip-up on Little Sadie''s part.


    When Theron first met Thessa and the others, Sadie had tried to introduce Thessa, only to be cut off by the young woman. But Theron had heard more than enough.


    Back then, Little Sadie had tried to introduce Thessa as her brother''s... something. Theron never learned exactly what that was, but it wasn''t hard to guess.


    What was more interesting was why Thessa wouldn''t want others to know. Obviously, her relationship with the family wasn''t bad; otherwise, she wouldn''t be hanging out with her little sister-in-law-to-be in her free time. She had no obligation to do so, and if she wasn''t a fan of the coming marriage, spending time with her family-to-be would be at the bottom of her priority list.


    Then there was the next oddity.


    Thessa was a half-step into Silver Mancy already. Theron had already sensed this before tonight, and her actions tonight only further proved that.


    So, why was she in a team with two weaklings like Soren and Teagan?


    Theron prided himself on knowing information about practically everyone he interacted with. But he knew absolutely nothing about Sadie''s family.


    If he could figure out so much about so many people, and yet be stonewalled by this quite frankly naive little girl with loose lips, it only meant one of two things.


    Either her family was supremely powerful or supremely secretive. Such a family had to be at the Marquisette level at the worst, or involved in an organization like Daggers of the Night.


    Though Theron didn''t outright dismiss the latter, often the simplest answer was the correct one.


    In which case, if there was a power struggle ongoing, and suddenly a high-priority target hiding their identity and true abilities appeared, what would the result be?


    Theron made a guess, and he was correct. Taking out Thessa was indeed one of the goals of the Thistles, and today they had failed.


    Of course, there was a lot of reconnaissance involved in this. These last few days, Theron had done what he did best and gathered a lot of information on his own. Though, he had to admit that with an ally like Little Sadie, it was all too easy.


    This was more than just a blessing in disguise for Theron. In fact, he had no plans on handing in this mission to Daggers of the Night.


    The looming danger that was the secrets intertwining Merchant Greycoat were still hanging over his head. How could he so easily get himself involved again? sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The good news was that since Yonowai died, he shouldn''t suffer a penalty from the organization for failure. Now, he could sit back and watch what sort of clashes happened between two powerhouse Clans.


    ''The Dean is Yonowai''s father... let''s see how he reacts.''


    ...


    Theron slipped back into the theater as though nothing at all had happened. The gloves he was wearing earlier had slipped back onto his hands seamlessly, covering his burns.


    He came back to find that Malaya was half asleep. He had purposely chosen a long-running play. Usually, it was a two-day one, but it was cheaper on the weekdays and crammed into a single sitting as a result.


    In Theron''s opinion, it should probably be more expensive because of that and the pressure it put on the performers. But fairness wasn''t something the world was known for.


    In the end, he had to shake Malaya awake when the play ended.


    The poor girl was a bit embarrassed as she wiped her drool away, blushing profusely and apologizing even more so for wasting Theron''s money.


    Theron only smiled lightly and said that it was fine. It was his fault for picking such a late show anyway.


    "Theron, I..."


    Malaya fidgeted, not knowing what to do with herself. She had resolved herself to say the words this time, but after falling asleep, she felt bad doing so.


    "It''s okay." Theron said with a smile. "I know you don''t like me very much. I''m just happy you gave me these two dates. I''ll remember them. I hope you can find your happiness elsewhere."


    Malaya froze.


    "Ah, we''re here." Theron said softly. "You have a nice night, Malaya. I won''t bother you anymore."


    With that, Theron walked off, vanishing around the corner in a few steps after leaving Malaya to the girls'' dorms.


    Malaya didn''t know why, but she felt herself trembling as Theron disappeared. She wanted to say a million times that that wasn''t what she meant, but it was already much too late now.


    Tears fell from her eyes, gliding down her cheeks.


    ...


    Theron rounded the corner, the calmness in his eyes belying the letdown he had just experienced.


    ''I need to break into the Fifth Resonance as quickly as possible. My cultivation... is too slow.''


    As he vanished into the night, a storm was brewing.


    Soon, news that the son of the newly appointed Dean was dead would spread far and wide.

 Chapter 30: Odd Jade

    Theron returned to his home, pulling out a pouch.


    Unlike with Merchant Greycoat, Theron had no choice but to take the risk and snatch everything of value from Yonowai''s body. While it was a risk, it was more worthwhile.


    First, he had someone to blame it on. Second, the items were much lesser, so he could actually store them all.


    Of course, it also helped that Yonowai had had a spatial pouch on him.


    Theron wasn''t in a hurry to unseal the pouch. He was well-read enough to know that anyone wealthy enough to have such a pouch would also protect it well. It was also possible that it had several tracking methods on it, set to trigger when the wrong person tried to open it.


    If Yonowai was a Soul Mancer, Theron wouldn''t even try this. But since he was a Wood Mancer, Theron was quite confident.


    Wood Mancers were rare variants, falling outside the usual common Elemental Mancies of Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. They fell between Water and Earth, and because of that, Wood Mana could be partially controlled by Theron.


    He wasn''t very good at it, but he didn''t need to be. He needed just enough to nudge the pouch in the right direction.


    There was no way he would use this pouch after today, so all he needed to do was open it.


    After analyzing the pouch for a while, Theron confirmed his speculations and closed his eyes. Taking a seat in meditation, he exhaled a slow breath and began to pull on the strands of Mana protecting the pouch.


    For as long as Theron could remember, he had a fascination with increasing his Mana control. He had never been enamored with combat, but doing menial tasks with his Water Mancy had been his childhood guilty pleasure.


    At some unknown point, he had become so good at it that even without being at the First Resonance, his control was better than even most Silver Mancers that had already awakened their Third Eye.


    Being able to control a branching Mana like this was a telltale sign of excellent control.


    Lightning, for example, was known to be close to Fire and Wind. Though, more so to Fire. It was rare, but possible, for Fire Mancers to gain secondary Lightning Mancy abilities as they grew into Gold Mancy and beyond.


    However, doing something like this in Bronze Mancy, especially at the mere Fourth Resonance, was unheard of.


    Granted, Theron was only controlling already existing Wood Mana and not manifesting it. But it would be enough to draw countless breaths of shock nonetheless. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a shift in the pouch and Theron''s eyes snapped open. He flipped the pouch over and poured out its contents quickly before allowing it to naturally snap shut as though a rubber band.


    He knew that he didn''t have much time, and he didn''t want to force the pouch to stay open. So the best he could hope for was that there wasn''t anything too fragile inside.


    Out tumbled three pill bottles, a booklet, and what looked like a wooden tablet.


    Without a Third Eye, Theron couldn''t confirm if there was anything else in the pouch. But even if he had had Third Eye, he wouldn''t dare take the risk.


    He had made use of residual Wood Mana Yonowai had left behind, but it had been mostly used up now. Trying again would be playing with fire.


    ''High-tier Bronze Resonance Pills, a Silver Resonance Breakthrough Pill, and...''


    Theron paused on the third bottle, not recognizing it immediately. The first two were about what he would expect. Despite the sheer value of the pills, he was quite calm when coming across them.


    But this last one...


    ''I see... this should be an Echo Pill, though I''m not sure of the quality. It shouldn''t be too bad considering Yonowai''s standing.''


    An Echo. It was the dream of many, and yet Theron''s reaction was still quite muted.


    Upon reaching Silver Mancy, one''s Core would not only become more refined, but it would likewise gain new abilities. At this point, some geniuses would be able to gain an Echo.


    Echoes came from beasts above the feral stage, true Mancer Beasts. Of course, there were many stages of Mancy Beasts as well, and depending on the grade of the creature, the Echo Pill necessary to integrate it would likewise be more substantial.


    Theron had once read an ancient script that told of cultivators of an ancient past that were capable of integrating Echoes through special techniques or their sheer talent. But these days, scholars believed that these methods were primitive and came with too high a risk.


    Unfortunately, Theron didn''t have the experience to guess at what level of integration Yonowai was aiming for. And unlike the other pills here, the fact there was an Echo Pill was more odd than not.


    This was because more would only dare to attempt to integrate an Echo when their foundation was stable. The most common choice was the Third Silver Resonance.


    It was either Yonowai was overconfident, his family had too much money to waste, or he was more of a genius than Theron had given him credit for.


    ''There is a fourth possibility...''


    Theron looked at the pill bottle. It was a lot different from the others, it definitely came from a different source.


    ''The material... this jade pattern hasn''t been common in several hundred years.''


    There was a flicker in Theron''s eyes as he grabbed at the wooden tablet that had clanked to the ground.


    The back was smooth and unblemished, but on the other side, there were engravings he could feel with his fingers but not see with his eyes.


    Theron raised the piece of wood up to his nose and sniffed. Then, he turned to the jade bottle and sniffed once more.


    ''Indeed, they come from the same source. Yonowai likely picked this Echo Pill up from an unexpected source.''


    Theron spun the tablet on his finger. While it looked very much like wood, there was a reason he said it came from the same source.


    Suddenly, he flicked out his finger and the tablet shattered to pieces. Shards flew in all directions, but Theron hardly spared them a glance as he snatched out at the carnage.


    Slowly, he opened his palm, a familiar looking piece of jade reflecting back up at him.

 Chapter 31: Verdant Bloomstone

    ''As expected...''


    The jade used to house the Echo Pill had a very particular fragrance to it. This sort of jade was known as Verdant Bloomstone, and it had a unique floral scent.


    This scent was actually a product of its ability to suppress and restrict the aura of what was on the inside. It was used to preserve pills for this very reason, as it was very good at stopping medicinal effects from leaking out.


    However, this jade fell out of favor for two main reasons. First, it took time for this floral scent to build up and for the Verdant Bloomstone to thus gain its suppressive effects. And secondly, it was found that over a sufficiently long period of time, the floral scent that built up over time would actually begin to influence and change what was stored on the inside.


    As such, in modern times, more neutral jades were chosen as the superior storing items.


    This ability of Verdant Bloomstone was important for another reason, though. There were special coding methods that could be hidden within the jade. By layering various pills, herbs, or plants of the like, it could store unique patterns in a very distinctive smell that could be deciphered by those skilled enough to do so.


    This was all to say that if Theron''s nose was sharp enough to decipher the pattern used to layer the particular unique scent of this Verdant Bloomstone, then he had a feeling that there was an interesting secret waiting for him here. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''It''s hard to tell how long this Echo Pill has been suppressed within this bottle. It''s possible that it''s already lost much of its effectiveness. But this...''


    The wooden tablet was clearly something that Yonowai didn''t understand, otherwise he would have exposed its secrets long ago.


    The reason one side was smooth and the other was rough was a telltale sign that this jade had been inscribed with a secret coded scent.


    The wood was like a control method. Using it as a filter, it was possible to layer the scents very precisely, allowing greater precision and more detailed information to be noted down.


    Ultimately, the main question that remained was... what was the secret?


    Unfortunately, Theron didn''t have that answer. He had all the background knowledge necessary to unearth this, but what he didn''t have was the hands-on experience.


    He could probably name tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of herbs, pills, and the like. But just like how he didn''t recognize the Echo Pill immediately because he had never seen it personally, there was no way for him to easily decipher the scents used here.


    ''I''ve remembered it. I will just have to find an opportunity to make use of it. I also don''t believe that it is a coincidence the jade bottle shares the same scent. This Verdant Bloomstone must have been cut out of the same piece, and the secrets are definitely linked with one another.''


    After coming to this conclusion, Theron made a series of plans for the future before carefully hiding both the jade piece and jade bottle in a hidden compartment of his living abode. In the same space, he hid away the Silver Resonance Breakthrough Pill and the booklet.


    The booklet housed a Wood Mancy technique and it wasn''t of any use to Theron. Even if it was, he likely wouldn''t use it in public due to the risk regardless.


    That said, he still studied it. That was because this technique was neither of the two denoted in the Guild''s information. It was likely that this was a more powerful technique of the Thistles. It definitely wouldn''t hurt him to prepare for it in advance in case he came across an opponent that could use it in the future.


    Theron was under no illusions that he was capable of battling a Ninth Resonance genius. He had defeated Yonowai because he knew his techniques like the back of his hand and had prepared the region ahead of time.


    If he wanted to continue protecting his life, he would need to stay on top of things.


    And that meant entering the Fifth Resonance.


    Theron sat in silent meditation. He had allowed his Meridians enough time to acclimate to the Fourth Resonance, it was about time he make another push.


    After adjusting himself, he took out the one remaining mid-tier Bronze Resonance Pill he had left over from his Merchant Greycoat mission reward and swallowed it.


    The process was smooth. He felt the natural expansion of his Meridians, and the polishing of his Core.


    Absorbing a Resonance Pill was actually quite involved. This was because Attributed Resonance Pills were shockingly expensive, so most, like Theron, and even Yonowai, used neutral Resonance Pills which had a mix of Mana within it.


    Everyone could control neutral Mana, but it obviously wasn''t as comfortable as one''s Attributed Mana. So the focus needed was quite exceptional.


    However, absorbing a mid-tier Bronze Resonance was far from the only thing Theron wanted to do tonight.


    He had absorbed a mid-tier Bronze Resonance Pill at the Third Resonance. Tonight, he would absorb a high-tier Bronze Resonance Pill despite being leagues away from the Seventh Resonance.


    There was no doubt that he was an absolute madman. But the determination between his brows was steely.


    He needed to improve faster.


    **


    An extinguished soul lamp sat on the table, an eerie silence hanging around it like the wisps of smoke that wafted from its open gate.


    There were three men present in the room, only one of whom Theron would recognize... he was none other than a certain yellow, crooked-toothed Teacher Burne.


    The other two were unknown, but each had imposing auras, and one of them wore an insignia only worn by two men in the entire academy.


    Dean Thistle.


    "Again." Dean Thistle said coldly.


    Teacher Burne shuddered, but he did as he was told. His Mana churned and seeped into the soul lamp, but once again, an image flickered to life before dying, unable to fully form.


    Silence fell once again. Teacher Burne didn''t dare even to breathe too loudly.


    "What can you tell?"


    "... A Fire Mancer, that is all I know."


    There was silence again before Dean Thistle chuckled darkly, the room quaking in his presence.


    "Call Sigil. He will finish his mission here."


    "But Pa¡ªDean, the young master, he..."


    Dean Thistle only gave Teacher Burne a look and the latter felt his entire body collapse into a frigid hell.


    "The situation has changed. Clearly, trying to hide all of our cards and claiming victory at the same time won''t be possible. It''s time the world knows what sort of talents the Thistles have. The debt of all those years ago will be repaid."

 Chapter 32: The Fourth Rule

    Theron walked through the Imperial Academy, practically feeling the palpable heaviness in the air. It was subtle, but the teachers were just a little bit more on edge, and whether the students picked up on it consciously or not, they reacted in kind.


    Stepping into class was more of the same. What Theron noticed immediately, though, was that Sawyer wasn''t here.


    He didn''t really spare this overgrown bully much thought, but he was almost ruthlessly detail-oriented. When he noticed a Thistle missing, it was hard for alarm bells to not ring in his ears.


    When he noticed that Sadie also wasn''t present, that settled things.


    They knew.


    This wasn''t too much of a surprise. Theron had already accounted for a soul lamp. What was more intriguing was Little Sadie''s absence.


    This meant that things were much more serious. Even extended parties were getting involved.


    ''Good.''


    Theron took his seat as though he didn''t feel like anything was wrong.


    Soon, Teacher Burne Thistle stepped into the classroom. His murky, old eyes scanned over the room and landed on Theron. He didn''t say anything, but Theron could feel his eyes narrow just the slightest bit.


    All the while, Theron''s expression never changed.


    Class went on much the same; however, midway through, Theron felt his heart skip a beat.


    A burning sensation came from his chest, and he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes.


    Why was Daggers of the Night summoning him now?


    Unceremoniously, and without so much as a word, Theron stood to his feet and directly left the class. The students and Burne were so stunned that no one quite knew how to react. By the time anyone thought to say anything, Theron had already vanished.


    A flare of rage sparked in Burne''s eyes, but even he couldn''t have expected that Theron would do something like this.


    ...


    Theron had truly vanished.


    He accounted for every variable when he did things, and though the possibility of Daggers of the Night calling him when he was in the middle of class like that was low, he was ready for it. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed unplanned to walk out so abruptly, but he was leaning on his poor relationship with Burne to execute it.


    Even with how oblivious the students seemed half the time, even a fool could tell that Burne had targeted him time and time again. For Theron to suddenly have enough of it wasn''t too much of a surprise, no matter how abrupt.


    Of course, that was just one part of his plan. The rest required a large amount of Water Mana.


    Theron returned to his dorm, but no one saw him leave it. Soon, he had already entered a familiar hotel room, his face having completely changed.


    He slipped inside of the mirror and awoke in a stone room.


    Theron moved quickly, the burning at his chest only increasing. Soon, he had made it to a gathering room, the very same location he usually handed in his missions.


    A cloak adorned his body as he moved, taking his place amongst the sea of cloaks that looked just like his own.


    Murmurs were already spreading through the group of Bronze Assassins. As far as Theron could tell, only they had been summoned, and their discipline was clearly lacking.


    An oppressive pressure fell, encompassing the entire room. At some unknown time, a cloaked figure had appeared before them all, nothing more than a pair of burning red eyes visible within the darkness.


    The murmurs came to an abrupt stop.


    "The first rule."


    The voice echoed akin to a frigid wind, their spines forcefully straightening as goosebumps crawled along their skin.


    "Never kill your fellow assassin!" They roared in unison as though puppet strings had been tugged through the depths of their very hearts.


    "The second rule."


    "An assassin''s greatest weapon is their mind!"


    "The third rule."


    "Adaptability is more important than strength!"


    "The fourth rule."


    "By the Guild! For the Guild!"


    Every time they spoke out these words, the searing pain in their chests grew more feverish. It felt like a spear was thrusting through them, pumping them full of Fire Mana and burning their blood to ash.


    Theron spoke along with the others, his voice projecting and melding into the crowd seamlessly.


    "Today, many of you will be facing your first crisis. The branch has called upon you to complete your duty. Protect the Guild with your lives."


    The words had hardly echoed when the ground rumbled.


    Theron''s pupils constricted. He knew that whatever was happening had to be big, but he didn''t expect it to be this big. He had severely underestimated the situation.


    But there was also nothing that he could do. In his current position, he had no choice but to listen to the orders of the Guild. He needed them because they would give him access to information he would only otherwise have as a noble.


    Without status, there would be too much out of his control. It was only because he was part of the Guild that he was in the thick of an event revolving around Marquisettes. Without them, he would be another leaf blowing in the wind.


    But with that benefit came its risks. And they had come to collect.


    ''Why did they only call Bronze Assassins for something like this?'' Theron''s heart skipped a beat as the answer came to him in a flash. ''A culling!''


    When an organization like Daggers of the Night faced a crisis, the biggest issue they might face would be internal struggles. Bronze Assassins had yet to prove themselves as trustworthy and were the greatest liability.


    ''But just how bad is the situation that a hideout of the Guild has been exposed?''


    There were too many questions in Theron''s mind, but he could only bury them deep. He hadn''t even figured out how he would hide the burn to his hand, but he could very well come out of today with injuries even more difficult to hide...


    If he survived at all.

 Chapter 33: Calm

    Theron became calm. Eerily so.


    His ears twitched and his breathing slowed. He could feel the shift and changes in all those around him¡ªthe fidgeting hands, the agitated hearts, the slight trickle of cold sweat that increased the humidity of the room by just the slightest hint.


    He felt it all. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a hollowness in his ears as the ground trembled again, and his breathing, as slow and controlled as it was, felt almost too loud to him.


    He needed to be calmer, more controlled. Unless he was, there would be no chance.


    Then he heard it, the circulation of his own blood.


    When he joined Daggers of the Night, they spoke of this state. A state where you were so focused, so driven, so silent that only the rhythm of your heart and the lifeblood pumping through your veins could be heard by you.


    They called it Veinsong.


    Theron''s fists unclenched and relaxed, his short sword and dagger slipping into his palms with a soft pat.


    He was the first to move.


    There was a flicker in the hovering red eyes, but nothing at all was said. Theron was already down a hallway before the other Bronze Assassins reacted.


    His Fifth Resonance cultivation thrummed like a calm building of steam in his body, his steps moving in a flash as every muscle worked in perfect unison.


    Theron knew portions of the layout of the hideout like the back of his hand. It was nothing but a series of winding tunnels and arched ways of stone. The vast majority was made up of living quarters, while only about 20% was forged for training purposes.


    The unfortunate part was that the portions he was so familiar with were only the Bronze Assassin living quarters. He had no way of knowing where the higher realm assassins resided or how deep things really went. And the only way he knew in and out was through his own room.


    For obvious reasons, that route couldn''t be used. In fact, if he was correct, the teleportation options had almost certainly been cut out.


    The only way out of here was the old-fashioned way.


    Realizing this, Theron knew that there were probably three potential ways out, and all three had to be in regions he had never been.


    The fourth option was that the exit was in a place hidden in plain sight, and that was the worst of the options.


    However, there was a better choice than hoping he chose the correct path.


    Go right toward the danger.


    Wherever the rumbling was, there was highly likely to be an exit. It was just a matter of making it through.


    Was it smart to be the first to go? Under normal circumstances, no. However, because he went first...


    The sound of rapid footsteps following him echoed in Theron''s ears as he moved.


    ''Good.''


    He had already expected this. Assassins or not, humans were pattern-following creatures. When they saw one person confidently step out and move, the likelihood they would follow was exceptionally high.


    Theron rounded a corner, stepping on a wall to avoid slowing down and bursting forth.


    Speed wasn''t his strong suit; he knew that well. But with his Mana control, around these sharp bends and corners, his agility was on full display. His skill in starting, stopping, and changing direction was as good as it could be without relying on a dexterity-specific movement method.


    Because of that, he was able to stay ahead with great ease. There were most definitely Eighth- and even Ninth-Resonance experts amongst the Bronze Assassins, but if these people had chosen to follow him, they wouldn''t overtake him even if they could.


    And therein lied the risk.


    Theron felt the shift in the wind before he saw it. A thin veil of mist was stretched out before him, every little twitch and noise reverberating back to his ears.


    Finding the location of the rumbling in these tunnels was far easier than it sounded. You might think you were running in the right direction, only to slam right into a dead end.


    Somehow, Theron had avoided all of that. And just as inexplicably, his back arched, his knees sliding across the ground with a rough tearing sound as a blade passed over his nose.


    The blade turned out to be a boomerang, rounding a corner and beheading a Bronze Assassin before they could even react.


    ''Metal Mancer.''


    Theron felt the string of Mana control the rotating boomerang, and because of that he also knew exactly where the Metal Mancer was.


    He dismissed his sphere of thin mist. He had already used up half his Mana just maintaining it. Now that he had found the opponents, it was no longer necessary.


    With a flex of his calves and a double fist to the ground, Theron launched himself back up from the ground mid-slide.


    There was only one direction to go ahead, a sharp turn to the right.


    He kicked at the wall, his short sword flashing through the air.


    There was a streak of blue and a head flew into the sky.


    ''Not the Metal Mancer.''


    Theron could feel the danger coming from his back. The boomerang was returning, and the Metal Mancer was hidden in the back of this group.


    He had taken the head of one, but there were at least half a dozen others, not including the Metal Mancer, and the weakest of them was at the Sixth Resonance.


    ''The Metal Mancer is at the Ninth Resonance. I can''t face that sort of attack head on, but now he''s entirely focused on me.''


    He had dodged the first attack and drawn second blood. It was impossible for him not to be the prime target.


    The wind practically let out a sharp inhale behind Theron. He could feel the sharpness slicing through the air, the boomerang baring down on the back of his head still dripping with the blood of the fallen assassin.


    As danger bore down from the back, the warriors in front of Theron finally reacted to his presence.


    Pincered from both sides, it didn''t feel like there was anywhere to go.


    Nothing but the steely blue eyes beneath the hood of Theron''s cloak reflected any sort of calmness.

 Chapter 34: What Happened?

    SHUUU!


    The harsh whistling of the boomerang hit a peak, passing through the wind like arrows slicing through the air. The wind kicked up, a rotating cyclone of it, making it look more like a flying silver disk than a boomerang.


    It passed right through Theron''s head.


    The expression of the Metal Mancer changed, confusion coloring his eyes for a brief instant before another head flew through the air.


    ''40%.'' Theron thought to himself. He was running out of Mana too quickly. Fooling the eyes of a Ninth Resonance Mancer wasn''t easy even with an Adept Boundary [Touch of Mirage].


    He landed on the ground nimbly and then took an explosive step backward.


    His timing was perfect. The other Bronze Assassins were still rushing ahead, many of whom hadn''t quite reacted to the changes just yet. In one moment, Theron was ahead of everyone, and in the next instant, he had slipped into the group.


    Theron''s mode changed and his focus shifted from attack to conserving and recovering energy.


    Without a choice, the Bronze Assassins were forced into an all-out battle, and the Metal Mancer realized quickly that they were outnumbered by far.


    Theron''s gaze flickered when he saw the Metal Mancer look over his shoulder.


    ''More are coming.''


    Theron took in the battlefield with a quick shift of his eyes. There wasn''t much space at all. The walls were barely three or so meters apart. There was only one way in, though there were branching paths behind the Metal Mancer. And right now, they held the advantage of numbers, but considering the fact the Metal Mancer hadn''t run yet, the odds that this would remain the case for long were slim.


    A frown wrinkled Theron''s eyebrows as he felt an attack coming from his back. No, it wasn''t an attack. Instead, it was a push.


    "Hey, rookie! What do you think you''re doing? Go fight!"


    A gruff voice practically hissed in Theron''s ears as a hand slammed at his shoulder.


    Theron shifted to the side, slipping through the sea of people and out of the way of the hand. He was already ready for others to try and take advantage of the situation¡ªno one here was a fool. But he was hoping he would at least get a little more time.


    The Bronze Assassin didn''t expect Theron to be so alert. Though there was a flash of anger in his eyes, the situation didn''t allow them to be so willful.


    Calculations danced through Theron''s mind. He knew this would cause problems, and the odds that these would be the last of them was unlikely.


    Theron suddenly raised his short sword, a glint of blue coming from it as a boomerang slammed into it, sending him flying backward.


    This time, he made no attempt to dodge it, his wrist trembling beneath the strain.


    Even so, he landed softly behind the group. Looking back, he saw that more Bronze Assassins were running in this direction.


    ''We''re still a distance away from wherever the exit is, and I''m no longer leading the group. This can be troublesome.''


    Theron''s eyes narrowed when he recognized someone in the second oncoming group of assassins. But he looked away so as not to draw attention.


    Everyone was cloaked, their faces well covered. But if one was observant enough, it was possible to recognize someone by their gait and their weapons of choice.


    Theron marked this person and chose to be careful in the future. There was something else that he was worried about, but he could only hope that the worst-case scenario didn''t come to fruition.


    ''Be ready for anything.''


    Theron sank back into his focused state. The ground rumbled again and he knew it was coming.


    Shouts echoed and when Theron looked ahead, he saw another group of enemies pouring in from one of the tunnels ahead.


    ''That direction...''


    Theron''s Mana recovery pace was quick. A bottle rattled about in his cloak, and in just these few minutes, he had ticked back up to 50%.


    Then, from lingering in the back, he shot forward once again.


    The Metal Mancer was stuck in a battle with the very same Bronze Assassin that tried to force him to fight. Because of Theron slipping away, he had had no choice but to engage.


    Oddly enough, the Metal Mancer seemed to be a close combat expert. The Bronze Assassin had engaged in hopes of gaining an advantage, only to find himself on his back foot.


    A fragrance passed by Theron''s nose as he weaved through the battle, accelerating forward. By his side, he found yet another Bronze Assassin following him closely. It wasn''t the person he had picked out before, but yet another Ninth Resonance master.


    A woman.


    ''Something is off. Why is her...''


    Then it clicked.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed. There was no way any assassin worth their salt would have such an obvious fragrance to them. This person was like him, being forced to come here before she could properly get rid of such an obvious liability.


    She was smart enough to follow him, but all Theron saw was a pawn to use.


    He didn''t make a move to stop her at all. In fact, he pretended he didn''t notice her. In the chaos of the battlefield, with the two of them of relatively small stature weaving through, it would have been easy to miss her entirely.


    Theron could still feel the senses of the Metal Mancer on him. His gaze shifted to the female assassin for just the briefest moment.


    Their gazes met and Theron stomped a foot into the ground, rushing toward her.


    They were close. With how narrow the tunnel was, it was impossible for them to have been very far apart to begin with.


    Theron''s shoulder crashed into hers and her expression couldn''t help but change. She didn''t really understand why this boy was doing this.


    Taken off guard, she stumbled, but regained her footing quickly. With nimble and agile steps, she slipped between a round of attacks, twisting in the air, rebounding off the wall, and landing elegantly in a location without the slightest hint of danger.


    Her eyes flickered toward where Theron should have been, and she spotted him oddly easily. But he had already slipped by the Metal Mancer without another word. It was as though he had only been there to greet her.


    However, at that moment her expression changed as a boomerang suddenly came right for her.


    Just what happened? S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 35: Forward

    Theron didn''t look back.


    Those beneath Silver Mancy didn''t have Third Eye. The only way for a Mancer of the Bronze Resonance level to pay such close attention to him while stuck in another battle was through means other than a spiritual sixth sense.


    That meant only one of three ways. Either physically keeping an eye on him by gazing from time to time, a sensory technique similar to the domain of mist Theron had used before, or some sort of odd Bloodline method.


    Theron was able to quickly deduce that it was the second. But Bronze Sensory techniques all had flaws, especially ones designed for Flux and Elemental Mancers.


    It was either the Metal Mancer tethered him with a line of Mana or he was relying on another sense. In Theron''s estimation, the odds that that other sense was scent were especially high.


    When he reached that conclusion and smelled the fragrance of the female assassin, the plan formed in his head in an instant.


    He dashed right by the Metal Mancer without a word, and the latter didn''t even glance at him as though he wasn''t recognized.


    Enhancing senses like smell was definitely a Flux Mancy technique. An Elemental Mancer couldn''t possibly have progressed it to a high enough barrier to see through Theron''s little trick. The end result bore that out.


    Waves of enemies were still ahead of Theron, but there were none like the Metal Mancer. A casual casting of [Touch of Mirage] pulled the wool over their eyes. In the chaos, most didn''t even detect the fluctuations in the air.


    Theron''s Mana was quickly draining again, but his nose twitched in that moment.


    ''I''m close.''


    He could smell fresh air that was separate from the mustiness of the damp underground tunnels.


    He shot around a corner and saw a sea of enemies rushing through a hole blasted through the ceiling. Even now, they were still making more holes to rush in.


    The light of day burst through, the high midday sun sparkling with gold through the shadows.


    They unfortunately represented another dilemma for Theron. The ceiling in this place was over 10 meters above his head. It was easy for the enemies to pour in, not so easy for him to leap up and make it through, especially not with so many coming.


    It had only been a brief instant, but Theron felt overwhelmed by the number. There were at least 50 already on the ground, and there were still more coming in.


    In a narrow tunnel, there were only so many lines of sight, so [Touch of Mirage] worked well. But here, in a much vaster, open space, he couldn''t trick the eyes of so many people. He didn''t even bother, dismissing it after hitting a 30% threshold to his Mana.


    "Kill!" A thunderous voice echoed as Theron was revealed.


    The sound of his heartbeat thrummed in Theron''s ears like thunder. His grip on his short sword and dagger tightened.


    In this group, the weakest had fallen in quality, and he could sense several Third and Fourth Resonance Bronze Mancers amongst them. It made sense; the vanguard would obviously be of a little higher quality if they dared to go so deep into the hideout without immediate support.


    But even with the lower quality enemies, there were still three Ninth Resonance Bronze Mancers amongst them. And then there was a fourth that Theron could sense, a woman who wore shining armor that reflected silvery light beneath such harsh rays.


    She was a Half-Step Silver Mancer without a doubt. Theron could even sense an immature sensory tug landing on his body and reading him like an open book.


    ''Soul Mancer.''


    Only Soul Mancers could possibly form a quasi Third Eye before reaching Silver Mancy in earnest. There wasn''t going to be any tricking this woman so easily, cloaked or not.


    Theron quickly analyzed the situation and knew immediately that he couldn''t rush forward like he had before. There were too many.


    ''There has to be something here.''


    He had been forced to act quickly and couldn''t plan out every detail like he normally liked to do, but he realized several things immediately.


    First, for there to be a hole right to the surface like this, he had likely been running uphill for much longer than he expected.


    Second, from what he could see from the outside, they were in the wilderness somewhere. But the trees were of the same species as what was around Thistle Brook City, meaning they were still very much in said region.


    This explained the mustiness of the underground space. There was a high water content in this region, and groundwater was likely very common here. Thanks to this, the Water Mana content in the air was quite high, allowing him to replenish faster than he otherwise would.


    Third, this space was open, too open. The only choke points were behind him down the tunnel he had just come from, and other tunnels that came in from different regions he wasn''t familiar with. Taking them wasn''t an option due to the variables, and going back the way he came made no sense¡ªnot with enemies waiting for him there.


    Everything pointed to a single option. The one option he felt wasn''t possible.


    Forward. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was impossible to make it out of here without taking risks.


    Theron took a deep breath and the sound of his heart became so loud in his ears that he almost tuned it out entirely. Like a whining, continuous white noise, it became part of him, a rhythmic cadence that was to be accepted, not pointed out.


    All of these thoughts swirled in his mind in the briefest of instances before he cast [Water Bullet], not once, but thrice.


    They curled through the air, piercing through the eyes of three Fourth Resonance cultivators.


    Not a single sound was made as they collapsed and Theron rushed by them.


    [Touch of Mirage] was worthless against the Quasi Silver Soul Mancer. But Soul Mancers also weren''t known for their direct combat skills either.


    So... Theron charged right toward her, his blades flashing.

 Chapter 36: Wipeout

    The rush of blood in Theron''s ears fell to a droning lull, blending into the sheer chaos around him. Every step he took on the ground seemed to take his whole body, propelling him forward in such a controlled fashion that not even a layer of dust was disturbed.


    His eyes darted around, his blade leaving streaks in the air every time he passed by an enemy. Somehow, he picked his path perfectly, passing through the easiest opponents he could find and taking advantage of the one thing he could: he was alone.


    It didn''t matter if there were 50 or more enemies. At most, three or so could attack him at the same time.


    They were unorganized, and more were falling down from the ceiling, adding to the chaos. And the one directing them all in an attempt to form some sort of cohesion was none other than Theron''s target.


    The gaze of the Soul Mancer sharpened. She had been paying attention to Theron all the while and hadn''t considered for a moment that he might actually be able to close the distance.


    But she also couldn''t understand his audacity.


    It was much harder to hide cultivation in the face of someone with Third Eye. She didn''t know Theron''s exact cultivation, but she knew for a fact that he wasn''t in the Higher Bronze Resonance Tiers. Meaning, at best, he was three tiers of cultivation beneath her.


    And she had guards. How could she possibly be alone?


    Her lips parted and a resonant hum came from her. The armor she wore lit up, and an echo of Mana spread through the region. As though receiving their orders, several figures that had once had their attention elsewhere turned to Theron.


    Theron was still faster.


    In a flash, he closed the distance on the Soul Mancer. A mutter came from his lips, a certain focused light sparking in his eyes as he quickly finished casting a technique.


    [Bursting Water Shield].


    There was no immediate attack coming for Theron. The fact that he would cast this now didn''t feel like it made any sense.


    However, in that briefest instance of time, the expression of the Soul Mancer changed.


    The instant the water shield manifested around Theron, she lost contact with him. It was as though he had vanished right before her eyes.


    She reached out with her senses, but they fell into the shield as though it were an endless abyss.


    ''Impossible!''


    Her quasi Third Eye almost felt like she was trying to catch a fish in the water, but the light refracted and danced around far more wildly. By the time she realized Theron had done it on purpose, the [Bursting Water Shield] did what it did best and burst apart.


    A rain of water fell in all directions, and everyone hurriedly retreated. They had no idea what the technique was. Only a fool would casually allow themselves to be touched by a Water Mancer''s water.


    Unfortunately, they miscalculated. It was nothing more than a facade.


    [Touch of Mirage] activated one final time as Theron''s Mana fell beneath 10%.


    The Soul Mancer jumped, dodging out of the way of a [Water Bullet] she sensed at the final instant. But she had no idea that that would be her final action in this life.


    A short sword flashed, a surge of pressure slicing against her neck. Her armor couldn''t even react in time, not without a command from her voice.


    Her head flew into the skies.


    BANG! BANG!


    Theron''s foot stepped on the shoulder of the Soul Mancer''s headless corpse before her head even fell to the ground, his quads flexing as he leapt into the air.


    He soared through the rays of the sun, landing outside with a deft agility.


    ''Water. I need water.''


    This thought consumed every fiber of Theron''s being. His Mana was running dangerously low. That last maneuver took everything he had. His body was already starting to show signs of Mana Deprivation.


    And yet there was still danger all around.


    The good news was that in the chaos, the oddity of Theron didn''t stand out that greatly.


    From the start, Theron hadn''t been able to pinpoint exactly who their enemies were because they wore no identifying markings. If not for this, he would have already realized just what they were up against.


    Theron had already gotten rid of his black cloak on the leap upward, but he also knew that running in the opposite direction of everyone else was bound to make him stick out like a sore thumb.


    He took deep breaths, his chest heaving.


    There was no other choice. He just had to go for it.


    Theron bolted, running with whatever speed he could muster with his Mana at an all-time low. He didn''t know exactly where he was, but he just ran in the direction of Water Mana as fast as his legs could carry him.


    He was hoping for a stream, a river, a lake¡ªanything.


    The sun was too bright and the skies were too clear to hope for rain. This was his best chance.


    A determination remained in his steely blue eyes. As pale as his face was, and as much as his sweat was making his simple linen clothing stick to his body, his blood continued to pump.


    Ever since the start, Veinsong hadn''t faded away. In fact, he only fell deeper into the state.


    It was said that Veinsong could only last in short bursts, small measures of enlightenment like rays of the sun at dawn.


    But it had already been over a quarter hour, and Theron was only falling deeper.


    "HEY!"


    A roar came from the side. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "DESERTER!"


    Another roar came.


    Theron''s mind trembled.


    Silver Mancer.


    The projection of the voice, the feeling of oppression that landed on his shoulders. It wasn''t just a First Resonance Silver Mancer, either. This was a true powerhouse.


    As loud as the roar was, Theron could hardly hear it over the sound of his heartbeat. The heat of his body practically caused steam to rise out of his head, the drying of his lips causing an even more pronounced crackling echo to flood through him.


    He had to believe. He had to believe that there was no way the Guild would give them such an impossible challenge.


    Did they want them all to die? Was this not a culling, but a complete wipeout?

 Chapter 37

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 Chapter 38: Funny

    Theron didn''t look back a single time. He couldn''t afford to. His focus was on putting everything he had into a forward motion.


    The confusion of those around him played to his favor, but the focused breath of the Silver Mancer drilling into his ears nearly disoriented him.


    His feet stumbled over themselves and he tumbled forward. The ground accelerated into his vision, every moment feeling like it took an eternity as Veinsong played in his mind.


    ''Focus!''


    Maybe the most agitated thought he had had since this culling began rang through his skull. He pulled on the fluid in his ears, shaking his inner ear and dispelling the odd effects. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He rolled forward, not quite understanding what he had just done, but not having the time to consider it.


    His shoulder dug into the dirt before him, his feet flipping over his head and landing on the ground with a hard thump. His quads flexed once more and he popped up to his feet, shifting hard and to the right out of the way of a soldier who tried to grab him and rushing out and ahead.


    With the density of the forest, there was no real organization out here either, and Theron quickly realized that the trees would be his best chance.


    He slammed a palm into a trunk, dodging out the way of another grab, his body practically moving on its own.


    In what felt like an eternity to his mind, his foot finally landed on an opposing tree. His toes flexed through his shoes and he gripped at whatever he could, shooting himself upward.


    He landed on a branch with deft dexterity, leaping to the next tree.


    His blades flashed, slashing at the branches he used. Not enough to cut them clean, but enough that anyone who came after him wouldn''t be able to trust their footing.


    Every motion he made seemed to be three steps ahead, rumbling thoughts pooling through his mind faster and faster. It almost felt as though the more tired he became, the sharper his brain was.


    However, that looming aura was still there. Every hair on his body stood at attention, goosebumps erupting across his skin.


    The adrenaline rushed through him; the dance of life and death had never felt clearer to him than in this moment right here.


    ...


    "This is not part of the plan."


    On a distant mountain, a pair watched Theron''s struggle. Their auras were entirely undetectable, but the cloaks they wore seemed to reveal their identities.


    "You want to save him?"


    "You want a talent like that to die?"


    "There is no such thing as a talent beneath Gold Mancy in my eyes."


    "With that mindset, the entire branch will be wiped out under your control."


    "So be it."


    Silence fell between the two men.


    "What''s the real reason you''re not acting?" the first voice finally broke the silence.


    "... Merchant Greycoat."


    "Oh? He was the one."


    "Yes."


    "Mm... I see. And if he survives?"


    "He won''t."


    "I said if he does."


    "Raiden will most certainly take this opportunity. The death of his younger brother was odd, and you know he has always been interested in the Merchant Greycoat mission. He is dissatisfied that someone''s been allowed to pretend as though he accomplished something no other Bronze Assassin could."


    "For someone who says there are no talents beneath Gold Mancy, you sure have a lot of words to say for a Silver Assassin."


    The second voice didn''t reply as though accepting that he had been caught. However, the same way he didn''t say much about Raiden''s brother''s death... there were exceptions to all rules.


    The Guild had their laws, but they could all be bent and twisted. Just the same way they wouldn''t see a thing if Raiden really did choose to act this time.


    "You didn''t answer my question. And if he survives?"


    "He won''t."


    "I said if he does."


    "... Then maybe we would have a second Raiden."


    The first voice burst into laughter. For an assassin, he truly had no qualms about revealing his position.


    "What is so funny?"


    The first voice made no attempt to reply, his laughter growing only more boisterous.


    ...


    Huffing and puffing, Theron leapt from tree to tree. The sound of his heartbeat in his ears was no longer nearly as calm. It was erratic, fleeting almost, sometimes firing out rapidly, and then falling into a lull as though it had grown tired.


    He knew he had pushed himself too hard. Without Mana to actively circulate and replenish his bodily state, he had stamina not much different from a mortal.


    In that state, a short burst of fighting of barely half a minute would be enough to take everything out of him, let alone now that he had been going for over a third of an hour.


    The senses of the Silver Mancer were still firmly locked onto him, but for whatever reason, whoever they were hadn''t closed in the distance. In Theron''s estimation, this was because they were a commanding officer and had no choice but to hold down the fort.


    It wasn''t as though the Guild didn''t have Silver Assassins; they were certainly somewhere.


    From what Theron could tell, the Guild was far more prepared for this operation than these attackers were. It was odd to think this when it was their secret base being raided, but Theron trusted his intuition and his deductive reasoning skills.


    If they were more prepared, it likely meant that the attackers had no idea that the Silver and above Assassins had most likely already vanished.


    In which case...


    ''This is indeed a culling, but it''s also a trap. They''re using us as nothing more than a distraction to deal a blow to their enemies at the opportune time.''


    Theron''s ears twitched.


    ''Water!''


    He knew it was close, but there was something about finally hearing it that filled his body with spirit.


    He could make it.


    He could definitely make it.


    A screeching wind whistled through the sound of Theron''s heartbeat.


    Theron''s heart hit rock bottom.


    Metal Mancer.


    How had he gotten here?


    Theron looked beneath his feet and the answer came to him.


    He had just picked the direction he sensed the most Water Mana in, but he didn''t consider how the land above ground mapped to the tunnels beneath it.


    Now he knew why the Metal Mancer was sent forward as part of the vanguard. Using an Earth Variant Mancer to open up more passageways into the core of the Guild''s hideout only made sense.

 Chapter 39: Confident

    Theron''s body had slowed considerably, but his thoughts were still churning.


    There was something to take advantage of here, he knew it.


    Then it clicked.


    Theron''s foot slipped, his body falling from the tree as the metal boomerang flew overhead. The ground felt unstable beneath his feet, but he used it to his advantage.


    He didn''t have the Mana to cushion the fall, so the instability in the earth was what he relied on the most.


    Rolling forward, he stumbled to his feet. He could feel his vision blurring, but he bit his tongue hard.


    When Mana fell beneath 10%, it was already at a point of Deprivation. Even those without cultivation needed to rely on Mana in some shape or form. Although Theron had disagreed, those that argued that Mana was Life weren''t entirely wrong either.


    It was exceptionally dangerous to be at this level, no different from suffering severe blood loss. Using Mana in this state was like trying to sip up the last droplets of juice through a straw. The circulation would be filled with pockets of air, and any potential interruption could lead to a skill failing and severe backlash.


    If one wanted to use Mana in this state, it required not only exceptional control, but a willingness to lose everything.


    And at this point, Theron had nothing to lose.


    His mind flashed with thoughts of his family. This life of his wasn''t his own to live.


    ''Today won''t be the day I die.''


    BANG!


    Theron suddenly accelerated, a smokey breath coming from his lips as his body began to overheat. He had kept this sliver of Mana just for this moment right here.


    The Metal Mancer launched himself out of the ground. He didn''t recognize Theron immediately, but after seeing his weapons and sensing the shift of Water Mana in the air, he put two and two together.


    He had no idea how Theron had made it so far, but after suffering at the hands of the female assassin and realizing she wasn''t Theron, he was truly pissed off.


    PENG!


    The metal boomerang slammed into a tree, shaking violently on impact.


    The Metal Mancer reached out with his Mana, yanking it out of the tree. The boomerang flew back toward him and then wrapped around his body like some sort of slingshot, jetting out even faster than it came.


    Theron timed his steps perfectly. The moment the boomerang got close, he sidestepped behind another tree, continuing to run forward.


    The boomerang wrapped around, trying to curve toward his head, but the angle was too tight.


    PENG!


    It ended up stuck in yet another tree.


    Frustration boiled over for the Metal Mancer and he stomped his foot, the earth beneath him shaking as he rocketed forward. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Metal Mancers weren''t known for their speed, but neither were Water Mancers. With a gap of four tiers between their cultivation, it wasn''t a surprise that the Metal Mancer was quickly gaining on Theron.


    The Metal Mancer ripped the boomerang out of the tree as he passed by. His arm rocketed back, his body arching in an odd pose. He reached so far back it almost looked like he was trying to touch the boomerang to the ground behind him.


    And then he suddenly shot up.


    His torso flexed, Mana pouring into the boomerang as he threw it with all his might right at Theron.


    This time, it wouldn''t matter even if Theron hid behind a tree. With the amount of Mana he had poured into the boomerang, even these thick, ancient trees would find themselves severed in two.


    "DIE!"


    A throbbing pain on the Metal Mancer''s neck fueled him with rage. If not for his Metal Mancer defensive skill, he would have lost his head to that woman, all because of this little bastard.


    He would have his head!


    Theron felt the sharpness before it even approached him. There might have been 15 to 20 meters at most separating him and the Metal Mancer; thrown at that speed, there was hardly a second to react.


    Beaten and broken, his body on the verge of failing him, there was a sharp determination in Theron''s eyes.


    There was no dodging this. He knew it the moment it was thrown.


    It was too strong, the distance was too close, and he didn''t have the Mana to spare to do anything about it.


    Not completely.


    He dug deep, casting [Bursting Water Shield]. The skill barely took shape, sputtering into existence like an impotent amoeba waving about in the air.


    The boomerang passed right through it as it burst apart.


    The slowing effect could barely be registered, but that was never Theron''s target to begin with.


    He faintly touched the Consummate Boundary, but the feeling of euphoria was short-lived when a spike of pain followed right after it.


    Theron pivoted in the air, spinning back and leaping upward. He crossed his short sword and dagger together.


    BANG!


    The boomerang collided with them, sending him flying into the distance. But it was relentless, remaining connected to his blades in a winding, grinding motion.


    Theron''s arms finally gave way, sending the boomerang flying over his shoulder.


    It ripped up the side of his collarbone, nearly tearing his left arm from his body as it soared past.


    Blood flew and Theron collapsed with a splash in a pulsing river of water.


    When he sensed that there was no Metal Mana rampaging through his body, he knew he had succeeded in cutting off the Metal Mancer''s connection to the boomerang¡ªhis true intent with [Bursting Water Shield].


    The Metal Mancer had never stopped running, dashing up to the side of the river, ready to recall his boomerang to take Theron''s head, but after reaching out with a large wave of Mana, he was shocked to find that he had lost connection to it.


    In that brief instant, three [Water Bullet] charges rushed him from three separate directions, coming out from the river.


    He snorted, finally feeling Theron''s cultivation in earnest.


    "A pathetic Fifth Resonance¡ª."


    A blood red [Water Bullet] tore right through his throat, the last of his words cut off.


    Lying in the streaming tide of water, Theron gasped for breath.


    ''You don''t have the Mana left... to be so confident in your defenses...''

 Chapter 40: Changes

    Theron''s body soaked in the water. As though he were a dry patch of land, he greedily sapped up any Water Mana he could get his hands on. Though, there was a strong bottleneck, decided by his cultivation and the quality of his Core.


    Water Mancy might not be known for its power, but other than Wind Mancy, it was among the easiest to pull from the environment. Even then, with Wind Mancy, it depended on the conditions. With Water Mancy, so long as there was water, there was hope.


    This was something the Metal Mancer had experienced intimately. Despite having earth all around him, Earth Mana didn''t have the fluidity of Water and Wind Mana and thus couldn''t be drawn from so easily, not without exceptional skill, a powerful cultivation method, or, once again, a bloodline ability.


    The moment Theron deduced that the Metal Mancer had been responsible for drawing open the tunnels and forging new paths of entry into the Guild, he knew that he had to be running low on Mana.


    [Water Bullet] didn''t have much offensive power to begin with. If he was trying to take down a Variant Earth Mancer with it, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock.


    So he baited the Metal Mancer, not only forcing him to use more of his Mana, but also doing something completely unexpected in the end.


    When the Silver Mancer had been targeting him earlier, in the Veinsong focused state, Theron had felt that he had an opportunity to regain his equilibrium by shifting the fluid in his inner ear. He acted on instinct and used his Water Mancy to control water within his body, something he had never done before.


    Theron''s knowledge of human anatomy was actually quite extensive, though he naturally knew about a great many things. The entirety of his youth had been spent reading about things that fascinated him.


    Pulling on that knowledge, he had been able to do something unprecedented. But... Theron knew that there was nothing natural about this.


    The idea of using water in your body as a Water Mancer couldn''t be such a novel thought. It was so simple that Theron was certain that many people had had it before.


    The reason it wasn''t done was because it was too dangerous, and also because the human body was a lot like the earth beneath their feet. The Mana there was inaccessible, sturdy, and rooted in the body. It was there for no other reason to sustain your life.


    If running low on Mana led to Deprivation. Trying to extricate Mana from your body itself was like pulling on your thread of Fate.


    It was more than dangerous. It was suicidal. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But more importantly, it should be impossible.


    And yet, somehow, in Veinsong, Theron had done it without thinking.


    Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to consider this matter further, and investigate it with all his being, he knew that he wasn''t yet out of danger.


    He had been lucky to use his blood to catch the Metal Mancer off guard and take his life, but there were unlikely to be more Mana-depleted, foolish enemies waiting for him to take advantage of.


    And as fast as he was recovering his Mana now... the looming presence of the Silver Mancer was still in his mind. It reminded him that even if he managed to recover, it might not mean a single thing if he ran into an enemy that he couldn''t deal with.


    Then there was the problem of his shoulder¡ª.


    ''Hm?''


    Theron''s pupils trembled. It could be said that all this while, dancing through life and death, he had hardly ever reacted so fiercely. But right this moment, feeling his collarbone practically weaving itself back together, he was in complete and utter shock.


    ''What''s going on?''


    Water Mana was known for its healing properties, but not only was it inferior to Light Mana in this respect, and even worse in comparison to special Soul Mancer Paths, it definitely shouldn''t trigger without a technique backing it.


    Theron knew Water Mancer healing methods; they were some of the first techniques he had learned. But they were practically insignificant party tricks, like how he had brought the heat away from his palm the other night in order to stop the burn wounds from growing worse.


    They definitely shouldn''t be able to heal injuries of this level.


    ''Something odd is happening to my body...''


    He had felt something off the moment he stayed in Veinsong for so long, but he hadn''t been able to think about it. It wasn''t the first time he had been in Veinsong, but it was the first time he had felt the need to stay in it for so long.


    Now that he thought about it, he never truly felt much pressure when using Veinsong. Not only did it come to him easily, but he never felt that it was rushing him to finish.


    Theron took a breath, and he realized that as he did so, he had already sunk deeply into the river. How was he breathing?


    He hadn''t even thought about it. He still had half a foot into Veinsong and his body was practically acting on its own right now.


    His hand moved, touching the necklace that always hung around his neck. Right then, he could feel an odd resonance with it as well, as though it was trying to whisper something to him that he couldn''t quite hear.


    Theron allowed himself to be carried by the waves of the river, so distracted he didn''t notice that the senses of the Silver Mancer had completely lost him.


    Right that moment, he had become perfect and whole with the water. As it passed over him, their Mana exchanged seamlessly. The flow became so natural that the difference between Theron and the stream couldn''t be felt at all.


    As Theron sank to the bottom, he didn''t notice as his mind drifted away.


    He had pushed himself much too far, and in this moment of peace...


    He drifted to sleep.

 Chapter 41: Sixth Resonance [Castle Bonus]

    [Big Thanks to RolaySaltT20]


    Theron''s eyes snapped open.


    His heart jolted and he hacked, water spluttering from his lips.


    Quickly, he closed his mouth and stopped breathing. He forced himself to press down the panic, still not quite understanding what was happening.


    There was nothing but darkness all around him, but he could feel that he was submerged in water. Well, if almost choking to death didn''t make that obvious enough.


    He had thoughts of how he had managed to survive down here for so long, but that wasn''t his top priority, not when he had water in his lungs.


    Water Mana spun around him and he was quickly propelled to the surface.


    ''Sixth Resonance?''


    The moment he began to use his Mana, Theron sensed the difference. He had inexplicably jumped up another tier in cultivation.


    Theron''s cultivation had always been fast, ever since he started to take it seriously, that is. Not even half a year ago, he wasn''t even at the First Resonance, but in that span he had reached the Fifth.


    That was a rate of almost one cultivation realm per month.


    Of course, that was also because he took great risks, putting his Meridians through a great deal of hell and heavily relying on his exceptional Mana Control to avoid lasting critical damage.


    But even for him, this was quite shocking.


    He looked down at the necklace around his neck again. He could remember the odd feeling he had gotten from it before, but he had never felt something like that from it in the past.


    It was a keepsake his parents had given him. He had always had it on his person, but even more so after he lost his family. It was maybe the only piece of them he had left, having been forced to leave everything else behind.


    Never did he expect that it had a secret in it as well. But no matter how he probed it, nothing came to him.


    ''Third Eye...'' Theron thought to himself silently.


    He clenched his necklace in his palm. That must be the threshold he needed to reach.


    If Theron had already been adamant about improving his cultivation as quickly as possible, it was even more so now.


    Theron''s head peeked above the surface of the water. He had no idea where he was right now, but he hadn''t lost his head enough to forget that he just might still be in danger.


    Questions about how he managed to survive still swirled in his mind, but he had a feeling that he would have to wait until he reached Silver Mancy to figure out all of those answers.


    After checking around to make sure that there was no one, he controlled his Mana to expel the water from his lungs and finally gasped for breath.


    There was a harsh burning at the back of his throat, a product of water going down the wrong pipe. But he suppressed his urge to cough, his eyes still scanning.


    He was still not confident that he was out of the woods.


    High above, the moon hung in the skies. He had been out for so long that midday had been left far behind.


    Taking deep, steady breaths, he continued to move to the tides of the river. His gaze shifted, looking at the stars above.


    ''I see... it really is near the city.''


    Judging by the stars in the sky, he should be in the same general region of the world. The city shouldn''t be more than a hundred or so kilometers from here. Now it was just a matter of making it back.


    Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.


    This deep in the forest, there were beasts to worry about, and there was no guarantee that the members of the Guild or the attackers had cleared.


    Depending on how deep he was, he wouldn''t just be dealing with feral beasts. He might be dealing with true ranked beasts.


    The smartest thing to do seemed to be to stay in the water. But...


    Theron hadn''t even finished the thought when he felt the shift in the waters beneath him.


    With a quick thought, he propelled himself out of the water, leaping up just as a large maw bit at him.


    He barely registered that it was some sort of crocodile creature before he cast [Water Bullet] directly into its mouth.


    A snap of pain shocked the creature awake, a splash of blood coming from the sudden attack.


    It closed its mouth on instinct just as Theron fell from the skies above, unsheathing his weapons in a fluid motion.


    He flipped in the air, spiking down both of his blades through the creature''s eyes.


    With a wrench of his wrists, he twisted and yanked.


    The water churned as the two were buried beneath its surface.


    A moment later, Theron was spit out, landing on the surface so lightly it hardly rippled.


    This was exactly what he was worried about. The waters weren''t free of beasts either, and because of the unique mobility of water-based creatures, it was truly like playing a game of life roulette betting on it.


    Once more, he could only question how he had managed to survive and reach this point.


    Still, there was no doubt that Theron was far stronger on water than he was on land. Regardless, he would follow this river for as long as he could.


    ''The city... should be in that direction.''


    Taking a breath, Theron set out.


    Despite having just been submerged in deep waters, he was dry as the whistling wind around him. Gripping his blades, his icy blue eyes flashed.


    ...


    In an unknown location of the forest, a blond young man stood high in the trees, lightning sparking in his eyes as he scanned the river before him.


    "I don''t believe that you''ve managed such a perfect escape..." he whispered softly.


    With his little brother dead, Raiden''s last chance to learn the secret of the Merchant Greycoat mission had slipped through his fingers. But he was unable to let the matter rest.


    "... You wouldn''t die so easily, right?"


    S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 42: Frozen

    Theron dashed along the river, his steps light. With a water source beneath him, the odds that a beast would come running out of the forest were low. And with his Water Mana control, the odds that a beast would be able to sneak up on him from below were even lower.


    As confident as he was, he remained on high alert, constantly replenishing the energy he used with the dense Water Mana around him.


    He thought about sinking into Veinsong, if for no other reason than to see if he could enter that mysterious state once more. But he decided against it.


    While his leash with Veinsong was particularly long, it wasn''t infinite. He had passed out for a reason. It was best to save it for a moment he really needed it.


    Hopefully, when that moment came the river would be the difference in the battle.


    Theron preferred the rain much more than a stream or body of water like this one. The Water Mana was far more accessible in that state. But this was still a decent second option.


    ...


    Theron was attacked several times as he moved forward. The good news was that they were all just feral beasts.


    Most of Theron''s combat strength came from his intelligence. It was rare that he simply overpowered enemies. For example, when he killed the Soul Mancer, he relied on [Bursting Water Shield]''s dispersing ability to disrupt her Quasi Third Eye.


    That sort of thinking on the fly was what he did best. But against opponents like these, especially after reaching Sixth Resonance, it was hardly necessary.


    He found that his body was even more under his control than usual, and his short sword and dagger became true extensions of himself.


    At the same time, his three main techniques, [Touch of Mirage], [Water Bullet], and [Bursting Water Shield], had all reached the Consummate Boundary unexpectedly.


    Once at the Adept Boundary, one could already begin manipulating the technique beyond its normal bounds. Casting multiple [Water Bullets], for example, was a characteristic of Adept Mastery.


    At the Consummate Boundary, though, Theron certainly wouldn''t have to chant to focus himself like he had against the Soul Mancer. The technique was akin to a breath.


    Not only did the Mana cost fall drastically, but the speed of casting was also exceptional now.


    Before, it took at least 7% or so of his Mana to cast [Bursting Water Shield]. He had barely been able to cast it in an impotent form when his Mana fell below 10%. Now it would take half that.


    The elephant in the room, though... was that it had been at most two weeks since he picked the Bronze Resonance techniques up but he was already at this level.


    ...


    Theron suddenly came to a stop.


    ''There''s someone.''


    Not once had he stopped paying attention to his surroundings. Even as the journey seemed to become easier, it only made him more alert.


    Thistle Brook was one of the ten largest cities in the Empire. It was impossible for it to not have large roads leading to it. As he got closer, the odds that he would run into others would also increase.


    His gaze flashed.


    Whoever it was didn''t realize he had noticed them until it was too late to run. A [Water Bullet] curled out of the river. There was no need for him to waste his own Mana with this much water around him.


    In a wide area, the concentrated bullet of water curled right around a tree.


    Theron heard the shift of the grass, a slight gasp, and the unsheathing of a blade as his [Water Bullet] was cut in two.


    The person rapidly retreated, leaping back with light steps. Or rather, what would have been light steps had there not been a slight imbalance to them.


    ''They''re injured.''


    Theron moved first and thought to ask questions later.


    A sphere of water followed behind him as he dashed toward the shore. He hadn''t been very far to begin with. Nearer the shallows, it was less likely a large and truly powerful creature would be able to sneak up on him.


    Because of that, he covered the distance in a flash, his blades already poised for attack. He didn''t have his cloak anymore, so his simple linen clothing stuck to him as the wind flew by.


    His short sword hung low, his dagger crossing his body in a reverse grip. In the night, his icy blue eyes tracked the movement of the figure like a hawk.


    Was there a chance this person was innocent?


    Sure.


    But he wasn''t taking chances on someone lurking in the dark, watching him from the shadows.


    His dagger flew forward, his arm jetting out in a slashing motion.


    The figure reacted with deft skill, their singular blade parrying the short blade and gliding up its side. With a twist of their wrist, their sword was already shooting for Theron''s throat.


    But Theron had two weapons.


    He hardly reacted to the coming blade, his short sword stabbing at the figure''s injured leg.


    The instant he did, he caught a whiff of something in the air and his eyes narrowed. Rather than slowing down when he recognized the person, he accelerated.


    This was the woman he had pushed to fight the Metal Mancer. He had ignored the rules before, and he would ignore them again.


    There was no doubt this woman would have a grudge against him. It wouldn''t be surprising if the reason she was injured at all was because of his actions.


    She needed to die.


    Caught off guard by Theron''s aggressiveness, and the sudden attack to the leg she thought she had hidden the injury of quite well, the assassin stumbled.


    A whirlwind of wind surged around her body and she tried to curl out of the way.


    ''Wind Mancer... Not enough.''


    There was no way she could gather enough wind in such a short time, not as a Bronze Mancer.


    She managed to dodge Theron''s slash at her injured leg, but he had already flowed into his next attack. Recovering his parried dagger and adjusting his grip, he sliced down right toward where she would land.


    Her death was sealed.


    She crashed into the ground, her eyes opening wide in shock.


    "THERON!"


    Theron froze, his dagger grinding to a halt in the night.


    How did this woman know his name?


    His real name.


    S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 43: Flora

    Hesitating during a kill was an enormous taboo, and it was something that Theron would never do normally.


    But then he recognized the voice.


    Flora.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed.


    Most assassins, probably all truthfully, would change the tone of their voice. The reason Flora''s voice was recognized by Theron was most definitely because she did it either on purpose or in a panic.


    It was hard to maintain your calm when truly facing death.


    Flora, as far as Theron knew, was Sadie''s best friend. The implications of her being here were quite shocking, but worse than that... as far as Theron knew, Flora was only 12 or 13 years old, just like Sadie, which was part of why they were so close.


    Such a young girl already being at the Ninth Resonance? Just what was going on here?


    For context, Thessa was about 17 years old and was a step from Silver Mancy. She was known as a great genius by her Sect.


    Compared to that, Flora was leagues beyond. And Theron had never sensed it.


    This fact only made Theron more cautious.


    He was certain that if Flora could hide it from him in the academy, she should be able to hide it from him now as well. Why was she so open with her cultivation when she didn''t have to be?


    ''Something is off.''


    Theron might have paused his dagger, but he didn''t let up. The sphere of water was still hidden behind him as he rested his short sword on Flora''s shoulder.


    "Take off your hood. Slowly."


    Flora trembled, sensing the cold in Theron''s voice. There was no doubt in her mind that he would kill her should she not be able to reach his standards, standards she had no way of knowing.


    For all she knew, he had already decided to kill her no matter what, and she was only alive now because he wanted information about how she knew it was him.


    "Now your face mask," Theron pressed.


    Flora trembled, and Theron could sense clear hesitation.


    ''There is definitely something wrong.''


    It didn''t make sense. Why would she hesitate now when she should know that he had already recognized her voice? What was the difference between that and taking off her face mask?


    "You won''t... you won''t recognize me..." she said with a trembling voice.


    Theron paused, understanding. If Flora''s identity in the academy was a facade, then it would make sense if he didn''t know her real face.


    But something still felt off to him.


    "Take it off."


    Flora took a breath and calmed herself. In the end, she was an assassin herself. Facing off against death the first time, she had completely lost her cool. But after the immediacy of it faded, her heart rate began to slow once more.


    Listening to Theron, she once again moved slowly, peeling the skin mask off of her face.


    ''I indeed don''t recognize her... even the eyes are different. This skin mask is far more advanced than my own; even the facial muscles themselves are changed.''


    There was a delicate face in front of him, almost too perfectly round. It was like a little doll leaning against the trunk of a tree.


    Theron''s heart skipped a beat.


    ''No... a coincidence?''


    His pupils constricted the more he looked.


    "You... who are you?"


    The more Theron looked, the more the connections were made. His heart was leaping into his throat under the implications, but he couldn''t bring himself to form them completely.


    He continued to stare at the unfamiliar woman in front of him, and Flora herself was stunned by his response.


    "You... you can feel it?" she asked. "No, you can see it?"


    When she said these words, Theron felt as though his mind imploded. The synapses fired all on their own like crackling fireworks dancing within his skull.


    This delicate-looking little girl in front of him, he was sure of it. Her face was 50% that of Flora''s... and 50% that of Sadie''s.


    It was so surreal that he didn''t believe it at first. Setting aside their age, just the biology of it was impossible, not unless maybe Flora and Sadie were actually sisters and this was a third sibling of theirs.


    But the odds of that were impossibly low, so much so that the ridiculous answer made more sense.


    This assassin was a fusion of the two.


    "You''re not a Wind Mancer," Theron said as more of a statement than a question.


    His dagger flashed and he cut open Flora¡ªor Sadie''s cloak, he truly wasn''t sure anymore. There, against her chest, a necklace lay.


    As expected, there was a strong pulse of Wind Mana coming from it. Not only that, but it radiated the core of the Ninth Resonance energy that he was feeling from Flora.


    He was astonished once again, not just by the grade of the treasure, but the implications as well.


    Flora¡ªor Sadie¡ªwasn''t a Wind Mancer. And yet, she was using an external item to display the skill of a Ninth Resonance Wind Mancer without the slightest hint of awkwardness.


    And if Theron was correct, Flora had no affinity with Wind Mana at all. Maybe the necklace could bridge that gap a bit, but it certainly shouldn''t be able to do it to this extent, no matter how high-ranking the treasure was.


    That all led to one conclusion, or maybe a question, rather...


    Just how skilled was Flora with her true affinity if she could display this level of skill with an opposing Mana?


    And... what the hell was her real cultivation if even he couldn''t sense it?


    "... You''re not a Bronze Mancer, either."


    Theron gripped his blades tightly. If Flora showed any signs of revealing her true strength, he would act without mercy. The problem with hiding your real power so thoroughly was that you would also be vulnerable. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did he have any confidence in cutting through the body of a Silver Mancer? Not in the slightest. But that didn''t mean he would keel over and die.


    And by the same token, he was also sure of why he had been exposed.


    It seemed that in all likelihood... Little Sadie wasn''t as naive as she had seemed. All of his "subtle" questioning in order to prepare for the Yonowai assassination must not have been very subtle to her at all.

 Chapter 44: Who Are You? [Castle Bonus]

    [Big Thanks to RolaySaltT20]


    "I... didn''t expect you to be able to tell..." Flora said softly.


    Theron frowned. He could tell that the little girl in front of him was a bit shaken as well, but when he thought about it, maybe she was right to be.


    Very few people saw the world like he did, and the odds of her being exposed were low. Maybe when she used Flora''s voice, even that was still her trying to set him up.


    He thought that in her panic, she had accidentally used her real voice. But maybe she had purposely chosen it.


    Theron wasn''t someone who was fooled easily, but this little girl... at this point, she had practically had him wrapped around her finger. He had exposed everything about himself without even knowing.


    "Who are you?" Theron asked for the second time.


    Flora took a breath and exhaled. "I''m Sadie... and I''m Flora."


    "That doesn''t answer my question."


    "I..." Sadie fidgeted.


    Honestly speaking, Theron didn''t know much about Flora. He hardly interacted with her. Though she was likely missing that day in class as well, he hadn''t even bothered to note it.


    But that also went to show just how perfect Sadie''s disguise was, and it was also the reason why right now, as she admitted his deductions were correct, he could only really see her as Little Sadie.


    As much as Sadie was fidgeting, Theron was trying to adjust his state of mind.


    Ultimately, this was happening because he had made a mistake. At the end of the day, as intelligent as he was, his worldly experience was lacking. He had made such a big mistake without realizing it. If Sadie was a threat to him, and wanted to deal with him, he was all but finished.


    Realizing that he was likely even closer to death now than Sadie had been moments ago, he was having a hard time calming down.


    This wasn''t the usual for him. He might be just 14 years old, but he had always been calm beyond his years. This was entirely uncommon for him.


    But then Sadie began to speak.


    Something in her voice changed again, and this time, Theron was certain that it was her real voice. It sounded so... sweet.


    He shook his head, snapping out of it as he forced himself to focus and look at her.


    "I am a Nightingale. My affinity is Dark Mana, and my unique bloodline ability allows me to split my shadows into different people."


    Theron''s pupils trembled.


    Nightingale.


    The most powerful family of the Province.


    The ruling Clan and the Imperial Family.


    The helm of everything that was Thistle Brook City. No describing them like that was a disservice.


    Thistle Brook City was just one of the mere ten largest cities in the Province, still far inferior to the Imperial Capital.


    Theron took a breath. Indeed, this time... he had really stepped in it.


    He had thought long and hard about who might have been the one to destroy his small little town and kill his family, and he had no leads at all. His main goal in joining the assassin''s guild was to gather information, but there was a reason he became an Imperial Scholar too.


    Part of that reason was in order to have an extra identity that could hide his actions in the dark. But there was another...


    To eventually get close to the Nightingale Clan.


    He had thought about what it might mean for a person to get away with such a thing. As small as their town was, it was still in the territory of the Nightingale Clan. They couldn''t possibly get away with such a thing if it wasn''t for the implicit acceptance or the willful ignorance of the Imperial Clan.


    One way or another, the odds that the Nightingale Clan knew who erased his family from the world were high, so high that Theron was willing to do anything to worm his way to the Imperial Capital.


    However, he also knew that if there was willful ignorance or implicit acceptance, then there were good odds that someone in the Nightingale Clan was keeping an eye on him. It was why he wanted to perform well in the Imperial Academy, but not well enough that he would truly raise alarm bells.


    At his current pace, he was well on his way to accomplishing this.


    Until now.


    A single mistake, one careless misstep, and plans he had set out for decades ahead had all gone up in smoke.


    Theron''s hands trembled, and the side of his blade cut into the fabric on Sadie''s cloak.


    He didn''t seem to notice.


    Did they know already? Had she told them everything about him? Would it even make a difference for him to kill her right now, or would that just ensure that the Nightingale Clan would send out some Gold Mancer to wipe him out like his family had been?


    Did they even care about him so much, or was he just an ant in their eyes?


    A suffocating, choking feeling was rushing up Theron''s throat.


    And then it was gone.


    His eyes became so steely cold that the temperature in the air seemed to drop. He didn''t notice, but a frosty breath came from his lips, only to be sucked right into the necklace now hovering around his neck.


    He attacked without hesitation.


    His blades crossed, slashing across Sadie''s neck.


    They passed right through, the strength of Theron''s attack coming so forcefully and powerfully that even the tree she leaned against was half severed.


    But Theron felt it immediately. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was too light.


    Sadie dispersed into a fluttering fog of darkness, vanishing and appearing again in two forms that slammed into one a distance away. She seemed a bit disoriented.


    Theron, if he was surprised, didn''t show it in the slightest. The water sphere to his back had already split into three, one remaining behind him and the others having long gone to the left and right.


    Sadie had only just appeared and reformed into a single little girl when a rain of [Water Bullets] pierced through her from all sides.

 Chapter 45: Theron... Why... [Powerstone Bonus]

    Sadie shuddered, her body snapping out of its odd, foggy state. The bullets of water slapped against her, shredding through clothing and skin alike.


    Theron was already upon her.


    He had a very good guess that Sadie was above the Bronze Core level. If that was the case, the quality of her body¡ªeven if she wasn''t a defensive specialist¡ªwasn''t something that the likes of [Water Bullet] could damage to the point of death.


    "Theron!" Sadie tried to speak again, but Theron''s blade was faster, his eyes only growing colder.


    She hurried to block, but Theron''s short sword followed up, slashing at her side.


    A cry of pain came from Sadie, Theron''s relentless barrage hitting paydirt.


    She seemed to realize at that moment that Theron wasn''t going to let her go easily. But for whatever reason, her Dark Mana also wasn''t coming forth in the way Theron thought it would. Instead, the necklace on her neck pulsed, a light of wind wrapping around her.


    The moment she made this decision, Sadie''s expression changed completely. There was a sharpness to her that completely suppressed the innocent little girl. It didn''t feel like Theron was standing before a peer a year or two younger than himself. Instead, it felt like he was standing against an equal who could take his life at any time.


    She held a single blade across her body, her figure becoming skinny as she held it out with one hand. The slim, needle-like blade danced, countering Theron''s third strike despite coming later.


    A strong, reverberating impact crept up Theron''s arms. She might be relying on a treasure, but the Ninth Resonance strength was very real.


    Seeing that Sadie had recovered so quickly, Theron didn''t allow her to extend the distance. A [Bursting Water Shield] appeared at her back, fusing together from what remained of the two spheres of water he had sent forward.


    As she tried to agilely increase the distance, it burst against her, the Wind Mana she was controlling so deftly going out of control as the Water Mana suffocated it.


    Usually, this wouldn''t be possible. But Theron had already seen through the fact that the activation of the necklace was a lot like a technique.


    It could be interrupted.


    PUCHI!


    Theron''s blade tore through the quad of Sadie''s injured leg. Her eyes flashed with pain and another emotion. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shock.


    Maybe she hadn''t expected to be outmaneuvered when she chose to go all out.


    The pain made her legs buckle. As strong and sudden as Theron''s attack was, it wasn''t able to cut all the way through her muscle¡ªher body was far too sturdy. But it was enough to make her limp even more pronounced.


    She had done well in hiding her injury before, but this time she couldn''t, even if she wanted to.


    Her lead leg became a liability, and her one-handed sword style suffered because of it as Theron only grew more fluid, more vicious.


    With a thought, his Mana reached out toward the water bursting in the surroundings. Every action led to another, so swift and seamless that Sadie was completely unable to react.


    One wrong step led to another, and then another.


    [Touch of Mirage].


    Sadie''s eyes blurred, with Theron becoming several figures before her eyes. She couldn''t see through which was which.


    In that moment, she dug deep, touching something inside of her to activate Third Eye.


    But how could Theron not be ready for this? He had been aware from the start that she wasn''t at Bronze Core. If she was at Silver Core, then it was only natural that she had already formed Third Eye.


    He was ready for it.


    He wouldn''t be so foolish as to use a technique that was worthless against Silver Mancers without reason.


    It was nothing more than a distraction.


    There was no way that [Bursting Water Shield] could disrupt a real Third Eye. He didn''t even try. Instead, the last sphere of water behind him warped and changed, becoming a concentrated bullet of Water Mana.


    A violent, whirlpool-like circulation churned through Theron''s body as he pushed [Water Bullet] to the limit.


    The technique was simple, as simple as it got. Its purpose was singular: increasing the density and piercing power of water.


    And at that moment, when Theron raised his short sword high into the air, masking himself in a heavy mist that Sadie was quickly seeing through, he coated his blade with it.


    All of his intent was focused on a single word.


    Sharpness.


    More.


    More.


    More.


    He pushed his Mana to the absolute limit, sinking into Veinsong. His body hummed and thrummed. At that moment, the water seemed to obey, with whatever resistance it had against him vanishing in a wisp of smoke.


    He unleashed a roar, his focused intention swinging down the instant Sadie managed to pick him out of the crowd of illusions.


    She was powerful, but her mistake was obvious. Continuing to suppress herself after the battle began was a mistake.


    For the second time that day, Sadie felt her life flash before her eyes. This time, Theron had the time to coat his blade in Mana, using a technique she had simply never seen or heard of before. She had never even heard whispers of Water Mana carrying such momentum before.


    But more importantly than that, it was impossible for her to use the same trick to escape again... not when his Mana would disrupt any attempt.


    Her eyes flashed with a heavy sadness.


    ''Theron... why...''


    She didn''t even have time to voice the words before the blade descended.


    BOOM!


    Theron didn''t see what happened, but he felt it. The blow to his chest overturned his entire world. He was completely turned inside out, his ribs shattering, his inner organs ignited with a spark that nearly torched them all black.


    He landed heavily on the ground meters away, his body twitching as sparks of lightning arced across his blackening skin.


    A young man landed in front of Sadie with a flash of dancing gold.


    "Are you alright, princess?" he asked lightly.


    "Raiden..." Sadie spoke, a hint of shock in her voice.

 Chapter 46: Clever

    Sadie was just as shocked as Theron had been. She didn''t expect this.


    Logically, Raiden shouldn''t be here. And more importantly than that, he shouldn''t know who she was.


    As shocked as she was by his appearance, this fact shook her even more. For a moment, she was a lot like Theron had been moments ago, thinking back on the months prior to figuring out what mistakes she had made... only to realize that the main core of the mistake was actually right here.


    She had revealed herself to Theron just now. With Raiden''s senses, even if he had been hundreds of meters away, he would have heard her with ease. In fact, that was probably an underestimation of his ability.


    When she understood this, everything else fell into place. Raiden was a genius. Cultivation talent almost always translated to intellect with few exceptions. The study of Mana itself was more rigorous and difficult than any academic field.


    The moment Raiden heard her, he had likely deduced many things. Given how long he had been in the Guild, he had almost certainly picked up on a few oddities. Plus, with his talent, he received preferential treatment a lot.


    He certainly didn''t know the ins and outs of what was going on. But he knew how to take advantage of a situation.


    Honestly speaking, it didn''t take a genius to realize that if the princess of the Empire was here, then Daggers of the Night might not be so separate from the Imperial Clan as it seemed.


    In that case, Raiden would realize that he wasn''t serving the mysterious head of the Guild, but rather the bloodline of the little girl right in front of him.


    More importantly than that, by showing up like this, and doing so with such good reason, he was essentially forcing the hand of the Imperial Clan.


    They would have to either decide to integrate him into their plans, or kill him.


    And would they choose to do the latter if he had just saved their little princess?


    While it was still a risk, Raiden had supreme confidence in his talent and his deductive reasoning ability. This little girl might have been sent here, but for a Clan that prided itself on its combat prowess, this wasn''t likely to mean that she was an unimportant pawn.


    If anything, the fact that Sadie was here meant that she was more important to the Nightingale Clan than anyone could fathom.


    To get the bonus of being able to deal with Theron at the same time... well, that was just the cherry on top.


    Raiden might be a genius, but it wasn''t lost on him that he was just the head of a snake right now. If he wanted to be the head of a dragon, he couldn''t just wallow in a branch of Daggers of the Night.


    Often, the difference between the ceilings one could reach was the resources they could receive.


    He knew he was good enough to stand with the best. But this branch couldn''t give him that.


    Even the Nightingale Clan likely couldn''t.


    But they were certainly a step forward.


    How could he miss such a chance?


    As for how he knew Sadie was a princess without her explicitly saying so, it was because he had seen her before on a trip to the Imperial Capital. By now, that had been years ago, and Sadie wasn''t even 10 years old back then.


    But it was enough to see her for who she was and force her hand by mentioning it outright. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Raiden thought himself to be quite clever, and that he was. But much like Theron before him, he didn''t realize that Sadie had already deduced all of this the moment he appeared.


    It was easy to come off naive and innocent when you had a face like hers. It was even easier when everyone treated you like a child. Even Theron, who she respected very much, was susceptible.


    Seeing that Sadie knew his name, Raiden smiled. In his opinion, this was quite the good thing.


    "I hope that I haven''t imposed. I didn''t plan on stepping forward, but I thought it best to save the princess first, and consider other things later."


    Sadie hesitated. In the end, it was indeed Raiden who had saved her life.


    Was she likely to have a protective item on her? Probably. But she actually wasn''t sure. At the very least, she didn''t know where that item was or if it even existed.


    Her Clan was very hardcore. While she felt it was logical that she would have some protection, it wasn''t guaranteed either.


    "Th... thank you," she eventually said, a bit awkwardly.


    Unbeknownst to even her, she slipped back into the fake voice she used as an assassin.


    Raiden nodded, not minding Sadie''s reaction. As far as he was concerned, she was just a little girl in the middle of training. His main goal was to claim a place amongst the elites of the province.


    "Hm?"


    Raiden turned toward what he thought was Theron''s corpse with a frown.


    He was alive?


    That didn''t quite compute to Raiden. While he hadn''t used all his strength, killing Sixth Resonance ants was a matter of thought for him. The fact he used his Mana at all was already giving Theron too much credit.


    He no longer cared about what information Theron might have about Merchant Greycoat because with access to the princess and the Nightingale Clan, that would likely all be revealed to him quite soon. So he might as well just kill him and remove this stain from his record.


    "A moment, princess. It seems that your attacker is still alive. I will finish him off."


    Raiden had only taken a step when Sadie''s expression changed.


    "STOP."


    Raiden was a bit stunned. First, no one had ever ordered him so rudely in his life, so he felt a bit of discontent and a flicker of arrogance almost formed a sneer on his face.


    But then he calmed. Fixing his expression, he looked back toward Sadie.


    "Is there an order you have for me?" he asked quite neutrally.


    "You can''t kill him," Sadie said.


    Raiden was taken aback.

 Chapter 47: Shift in Dynamic

    "... What do you mean by this, princess?" Raiden asked, his tone surprisingly becoming calmer.


    There was a hint of a dangerous air to Raiden right this moment.


    He had been raised as an assassin since he was young. The idea of leaving a threat¡ªthough likely crippled¡ªwas against every fiber of his being.


    That wasn''t to say he feared what Theron might grow into, but that it felt like he was going against his very nature. When he attacked today, he had no intention of letting Theron see the light of tomorrow.


    Whether others thought that was cowardly or not, he didn''t care. He wasn''t a warrior; he didn''t even see himself as a cultivator first. The reason his master put so much emphasis and belief in him was that he had always been an assassin first and foremost.


    He embodied every inch the character of one.


    "I mean what I said." Sadie reiterated. "You cannot kill him. He is useful to the organization."


    Raiden looked at Sadie deeply. He had wondered why this girl had revealed herself to Theron so easily.


    At first he thought that it was because she was just afraid of death. He was a bit disdainful of that, but it was still acceptable for someone so young.


    However, it seemed that there was another reason entirely.


    Given the conversation between Theron and Sadie earlier, they knew one another through some other means. He wasn''t sure exactly what that other means was right now, but what was more important was how Sadie felt about that relationship.


    "He just tried to kill you after learning your identity," Raiden continued just as calmly.


    "He did not know my identity." Sadie refuted.


    "I heard you introduce yourself."


    "No. You heard me say I was part of the Nightingale Clan. While you may have recognized me, he clearly did not. He had no way of knowing if I was lying or not. And even if he thought I was telling the truth, he doesn''t know as much as you do. He only just recently joined the organization. From his perspective, the Nightingale Clan is the enemy of Daggers of the Night."


    Raiden paused.


    He hadn''t expected such a good argument from what he thought was an emotional little girl.


    In that moment, he completely re-evaluated Sadie much like Theron had. He realized then that tricking this little girl, or trying to use the fact he saved her as the end-all, be-all, wouldn''t be possible.


    Seeing the situation for what it was, Raiden changed his approach.


    "So you mean to say that you want him to live no matter what?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes." Sadie replied with a sharpness. She was starting to get annoyed. Raiden should clearly understand her intent already.


    "Even after he tried to kill you?"


    "Yes."


    "And if your Clan were to know of this?"


    Sadie froze.


    "Mm." Raiden hummed out an acknowledgement as though Sadie had already given him the answer he wanted.


    Since Raiden realized he couldn''t easily control this little girl, then he would shift the sort of relationship they had. He wasn''t used to being under someone else''s thumb anyway.


    If he was going to have to take the uncomfortable risk of allowing Theron to live, then Sadie was going to have to squirm for it.


    Here, he knew he was taking yet another risk.


    If this was just a childhood crush, in a couple of years, Sadie was sure to get over it. Maybe even in as short a time as a few months.


    By then, all that would be left was resentment toward him. So even if he wanted to take advantage of this, he would have to toe the line properly¡ªnot pushing things too far, but taking what he could get at the same time.


    He turned back to Theron. Knowing that Sadie was sharp enough to understand his meaning, he didn''t bother to elaborate as he walked over.


    "I get it." Sadie spoke out.


    Raiden''s eyes narrowed. Sadie''s voice wasn''t nearly as agitated as he expected. In fact, it was quite cold.


    However, he only nodded, still walking forward.


    "What are you doing?" Sadie asked.


    Raiden reached Theron''s body as he felt Sadie''s Mana spiking, but he didn''t even react to it, bending down and reaching for something in the grasp of Theron''s hand.


    His short sword.


    Raiden grasped at part of the hilt and pulled.


    A frown curled his lips when he didn''t casually tug it out. He pulled a little harder and finally wrenched it out of Theron''s grasp.


    There was a flicker in Raiden''s eyes at that moment as he began to hesitate. Should he really let this boy live? How did he have such a strong grip on his weapon in this situation?


    Theron was practically unrecognizable, his breath so shallow it would be unlikely to even fog glass. Charred from head to toe, there wasn''t a single part of him, including his face, that hadn''t been burnt.


    Even now, there were sparks of lightning dancing across his body.


    Raiden''s pupils constricted when he noticed this. That was because the lightning almost seemed to be flowing out from Theron''s body and across into the damp soil around him as though being pulled out by osmosis.


    Water Mancers were supposed to be more susceptible to Lightning Mancers, not less. What was going on?


    He had come here because he noticed something special about Theron''s short sword. Well, not really... it was just a bit of intuition.


    On the outside, there was nothing special about the sword at all; it looked like an inferior Bronze Resonance weapon.


    But back when it passed through Sadie''s neck, something had hitched in her Dark Mana. The real reason Sadie was disoriented after escaping Theron''s blow should be this short sword, because as far as Raiden saw, Theron didn''t have time to use Mana.


    If he wasn''t going to get to kill Theron, maybe he could at least get something out of it.


    But watching his Lightning Mana¡ªhis Silver Resonance Lightning Mana, at that¡ªbe shuttled out of Theron''s body... he began to wonder if he really should let him live.


    A glint of sharpness danced in his eyes as he leaned crouched on the ground. With his back to Sadie, there was a strong desire for murder in his eyes.

 Chapter 48: This Time [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron sputtered awake, coughing out scorching, painful breaths.


    The rays of the sun felt like the devil''s saber to his eyes, and yet the first thing he noticed was that his right hand was empty.


    Even when he lost consciousness in the river, Theron never lost track of his weapons a single time. The first lesson he had taught himself was that his blades were his lifeblood. Even if he died, he would continue to hold onto them.


    Then the memories flooded into his mind.


    Blurry exchanges, faint words, crackling, and pain. They wove together to paint the story of what had happened the night before, the faint medicinal power rotating through his body, confirming everything that he recalled.


    After he had been struck by Raiden, he hadn''t completely lost consciousness. Instead, he sank further into Veinsong, his body churning with life and diverting the deathly Lightning Mana within him away. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''... He took father''s sword...''


    Theron stared at the skies, ignoring the pain in his eyes as though he deserved to feel every bit of it.


    It was hard to tell how long he lay there for. But eventually, he began to crawl.


    He rolled, still holding onto his dagger as firmly as he could. He pierced it into the ground and pulled himself forward.


    His skin peeled off him, and soon, he was leaving trails of blood in the grass. Every slide chipped another piece off him, but the pain was like a tonic, a douse of water pouring over his fury.


    Every time he thought of standing, of rushing toward wherever Raiden might be, of taking his head off for daring to touch one of the few things his parents had left for him, another spike of pain came.


    It centered him, reminding him of the state he was in, reminding him of just how casually Raiden had landed him in such a position.


    One hand after another, one tearing rip of charred skin after one gushing stream of blood.


    His hand trembled as he raised it up, pulling the dagger out of the soft soil and piercing it forward again. The earth threatened to peel back, so he could only grasp it with his free hand.


    As though a reminder of his missing sword, he gripped it hard, what remained of his nails digging through the stone and dirt, clawing at it and clenching it as firmly as his body would allow.


    The sound of water finally reached him. It should have long ago, but even his ears were compromised. It felt like there wasn''t a single inch of his body that wasn''t injured in some way.


    But it wasn''t compromised enough that he didn''t hear the shift in the grass and the deep growl that followed it.


    Theron ignored it, not even wasting the energy to look over. It didn''t matter what beast it was, or how strong it was. It could have been the weakest of feral beasts, and it would have still been able to shred him to pieces.


    All that mattered was making it to shore, to the water. He had to make it to the water.


    The growl got closer. Theron was sure he would have felt the heated breath if his sensory perception wasn''t completely thrown off now.


    But what he did feel was the graze against the bottom of his foot.


    It sniffed at him, tasting his blood, chewing at the pieces of flesh that fell from him.


    The scent of blood seemed to overwhelm the creature, its growls growing deeper and deeper.


    But the Mana coming off of Theron was making it hesitate. Even now, the Lightning Mana hadn''t completely vanished, still sparking across his skin from time to time.


    The beast flinched as a spark hit it. It twitched in place, its body furiously quaking. Blood leaked from its snout and eyes.


    It was just a faint wisp, and the damage lasted for only the briefest instant, but the fear was very real.


    While it didn''t have such complex thoughts, if it were to eat Theron, how much worse would it be?


    The beast turned and ran.


    Not once did Theron look back; he didn''t even notice that the beast had left or that the growling had vanished.


    All he knew was that he didn''t stand a chance against any creature right now, so there was no point. He cruelly and frostily made the only decision he could.


    If he died, then that was just his Fate. But he knew that this was the smartest decision for him.


    And then...


    His hand finally touched water.


    The soothing cold licked against his charred skin, and for a moment he felt relief.


    Just the slightest moment before he was quickly overwhelmed again.


    He pulled, the gravel of the shore sticking into his tender, torn flesh. He could feel every sharp edge, every rolling stone.


    But nothing burned worse than his rage.


    The water enveloped him and he sank in deep. Veinsong played in his head, the thumping of his heart raging in his ears.


    Then he gasped for breath.


    This time, he did it on purpose.


    Once again, he made the cold, calculated choice. If he drowned, then he drowned. But he knew that he was mere moments from death. If Raiden''s initial attack hadn''t torn him to shreds, then crawling here and tearing a layer of tender flesh off his body certainly did.


    Severe burns were enough to kill a person. Peeling a layer of skin off yourself and exposing the most fragile parts of your body to the elements was even worse than that. He could already feel himself going into shock.


    The medicine that Sadie had injected him with was strong¡ªstronger than he had ever experienced¡ªbut it was only enough to help him survive through the night.


    If he wanted to live...


    This was his only chance.


    He gasped for breath and water flooded his body.


    But this time, he didn''t choke.


    This time, a cooling sensation filled him all the way through.

 Chapter 49: A Plan [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Water sloshed around, a figure slowly standing from its depths. Then, it went oddly still. But deep within, the figure was still approaching the surface.


    When the figure fully appeared, it looked as though they stepped out of a mirror rather than a stream of liquid. The sight was almost surreal, like the water didn''t dare to be loud in its presence.


    Theron''s head emerged, his hair sparse compared to its previous length. However, his skin, while a bit pink and tender, was no longer the charred mess it was before.


    ''How long has it been... a month...''


    He looked up to the skies, the moon beaming down at him once again. Judging by the phase change, it had actually been so long.


    The aura of the Seventh Resonance pooled out of him in a slight shift as he pulled at the water around him, rising to the surface.


    His clothing was completely gone, and there was nothing on his person but the dagger in his hand and the necklace that hung from his neck.


    Then there was his skin itself that almost seemed like an accessory to his body, hanging loosely and limply to his bone. He looked exactly like someone who hadn''t eaten for a month.


    There was a weak languidness to him that belied the sharpness in his eyes.


    The water rippled, a large fish with scales of silver leaping out at Theron.


    A scythe of water seemed to manifest from nothing, slicing its head clean off.


    The creature didn''t even manage to fall back to the waters below, its body caught by a sphere of water and carried slowly to the shore.


    ...


    Theron sat by a fire. Maybe in the depths of the night it wasn''t smart to light a fire, especially not to cook such a large feral beast. But as the red and orange hues danced across his irises, he didn''t seem to notice at all.


    He should have had a month to think about his next step, but he had spent the entire time in a complete meditative state. This was the first opportunity he had had to truly think.


    It only took him a moment to realize that there was no leaving. His father''s sword... he had to get it back.


    Was it foolish? He knew it was.


    But every time he thought about leaving it behind for who knew how long, a rage he thought he had suppressed erupted again.


    Despite this, there was a deathly stillness in his eyes.


    He cut another piece of savory flesh off of the feral fish beast, swallowing it after a few bites.


    Even if he was going to do something foolish, it couldn''t be without thought. If he was going to return, he needed a plan of action.


    Looking down at his chest, he saw the markings left behind by the Daggers of the Night.


    He was certain of it... it had faded considerably.


    He ran a hand over it.


    ''Just what is happening to my body...''


    Theron already had a plan to get rid of this cursed mark from the moment it was etched onto him. It was as simple as could be.


    Reach Gold Mancer.


    But now, it had faded considerably, and he could already feel that the hold it had on him wasn''t even half as effective as before.


    This wasn''t necessarily a good thing. If the Guild noticed, it would cause him only more trouble. But the main point was that this only gave him more questions about his body.


    Just how was it that he was able to heal just by lying at the bottom of a lake for a month? Why did his cultivation keep going up because of it? Why did he have to be in Veinsong for it to work?


    During this month, he had been forced to surface several times because the length of Veinsong ran out. It could be said the first few times had really put him on the edge of death.


    His palm shifted from the markings to the necklace around his neck.


    ''If you want a genius, I''ll give you a genius.''


    **


    Theron walked into the Imperial Academy in the dead of night. The guards didn''t seem to notice him as he walked by.


    The very next morning, he walked out from his dorm in his Imperial Scholar garb as though nothing at all had happened.


    Every single change at the academy was caught by a sweep of his gaze. He took it all in, not missing a single detail.


    Last night, he hadn''t slept, doing as much reconnaissance as he could. In fact, he had already been back in Thistle Brook City for an entire week before he chose to come back.


    And he knew exactly what he would do.


    After every completed year, there was a chance to transfer to the Main Imperial Academy. It was just that the bar was quite high.


    A successful transfer required 33 completed credits by a first year, and 66 by a second year. There was no option for those beyond to transfer.


    As one might imagine, this was already ridiculous. 33 credits were enough to graduate from the Imperial Academy, but now it was just the threshold of a first year to reach the truly big leagues.


    The truth was that the classes of the Main Imperial Academy were the exact same, as were the courses. The level of resources, the quality of teachers, and the sort of prospects and connections you could make, however...


    Those were very different.


    Normally, only nobles and those with parents or ancestors that had complete meritorious feats could enter the Main Imperial Academy. This method here was for those who didn''t have such backers.


    Theron originally had no intention of taking this route, but now he had decided to take it.


    The irrational fury in his gut was still churning. He knew he shouldn''t, but he simply couldn''t help himself.


    For maybe the first time in his life, he made the decision a 14-year-old boy would make.


    He reached the central square of the Imperial Academy and waited patiently until it was his turn.


    "Hello, I would like to challenge these courses, please."


    Theron slid his student badge over.


    "Of course, one moment."


    The middle-aged woman at the desk was used to this routine, so she didn''t think much of it...


    Until she slipped the badge into a formation disk hidden on her desk. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her pupils trembled.


    Theron didn''t say a word. This wouldn''t give him the 33 credits he needed just yet, but, if he was correct, it would trigger the exact sort of changes he wanted to see.

 Chapter 50: Class One Movement Exam

    Whipping winds howled around Theron. Each gust felt like a lash against his skin, a streaking blade just barely grazing him.


    This might have been a sanctuary for Wind Mancers, but to him, and probably most others, it was a hell house.


    Standing tall on a pillar, looking ahead to the others littered around, and down toward the endless abyss below, Theron was quite calm.


    The so-called abyss was nothing but a trick of the mind. In reality, the drop was maybe ten meters at most. At their cultivation level, it was nothing. With the harsh winds, a few broken bones were possible.


    Death was a remote possibility if you hit your head on the way down in the right way, but it was so unlikely that it wasn''t worth considering.


    The reason it looked as though an abyss swallowed the bottom of the thin, swaying pillars was a formation designed to trick the eyes.


    Theron didn''t have Third Eye, so he couldn''t sense it clearly. But he knew it was there for only one reason...


    He was always prepared.


    It was why he had never failed a Class Exam, and why he would never.


    However, this wasn''t a Class of the academic stream. This was the Class One Movement Exam of the military stream.


    Theron took a step.


    For a moment, it looked as though he was about to fall into the abyss below. There was no momentum to his movement at all, as if he were here to commit suicide rather than clear a credit requirement.


    But then his pillar violently swayed.


    A particularly strong gust of wind caught it. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron was taking a step forward, and yet it had bent back so far that the foot that looked as though it were about to fall into endless darkness fell onto the body of the thin pillar instead.


    With a flex of his calf, Theron balanced himself.


    And then the pillar sprang back up.


    BANG!


    Theron shot forward under a power that wasn''t his own.


    The timer for the Exam began the moment you moved. In order to get an S-grade, you had to cross the obstacle course within three minutes. For an A-grade, you needed to do it within ten minutes. As for just a PASS, so long as you made it without falling, it was enough.


    Theron didn''t have the speed to make it in ten minutes, let alone a fraction of that. In fact, of those that passed with an S, over 90% were Wind Mancers and Flux Mancers that specialized in speed rather than brute strength. Another 7% were probably Lightning Mancers and unique Variant Mancers and the like.


    Of the remaining 3%, there was a sliver of absolute geniuses who specialized in all regions, having Mancy Paths that clashed with the obstacle course, and yet overwhelmed it with their own methods, techniques, and bloodlines regardless.


    Theron planned to be in this 3%.


    Using the pillar as a spring, he launched himself like a rocket.


    ...


    Observing outside, a certain Sergeant Dulcow stood with his arms crossed. To his side, there was a female teacher with whom Theron hardly interacted¡ªa Ninth Resonance Silver Wind Mancer, Teacher Jadebri.


    Sergeant Dulcow rushed over the moment he heard of the change. Something like what Theron was attempting now had never happened before in the history of the Imperial Academy...


    At least not until three weeks ago.


    And now there was suddenly someone else doing the same thing? Was it a coincidence?


    Plus, Sergeant Dulcow was unofficially one of the second in command of the military stream. Beneath Dean Thistle, his word carried a great amount of power. He didn''t have to oversee an Exam of a First Year, since Teacher Jadebri was already here, her green eyes sharply watching every action ahead.


    But his last interaction with Theron had left a bad taste in his mouth. He could almost feel that the child had been looking down on him, and the fact he had cause and reason to do so left him feeling even more uncomfortable.


    It could be said, then, that both were watching Theron intently, and when they saw his actions, they both shook their heads.


    Overestimating himself.


    If he were a Wind Mancer, this strategy might work. He could catch a current in the air and ride it, shooting over a great distance.


    But even for Wind Mancers, this was a great risk. If you caught the wrong current, you could be blown off course. In addition, controlling extremely fast streams of wind was difficult.


    Theron was an anomaly. Among Water Mancers, maybe he was the only one in the world who would prefer rain to a solid source of water like a lake or a stream.


    This was the case for most Mancers.


    In this case, though, as someone who wasn''t even a Wind Mancer, he was going to get himself hurt.


    And because this was the first of the Exams he challenged, getting injured here meant a FAIL on all the others.


    This was the most foolish decision he could have made.


    Until, that is, the pupils of both Teachers constricted.


    ...


    Theron was blown right out of the air the moment he was launched forward, a current nearly slapping him off the course.


    Slapping was right. It felt like a wall had suddenly and violently pressed into his body, sending him soaring.


    And yet, though his cheeks wavered and collapsed against his bones, the look in his eyes was just the same.


    His leg suddenly kicked out.


    A whipping pillar met the strength of his toes, sending him flying to the side once more.


    Theron bounced from pillar to pillar, somehow timing their spring action with his every step.


    He soared across dozens of meters at a time, getting beaten and battered by the chaos of wind like an unrelenting leaf fluttering down from the skies.


    And then his feet stuck the landing.


    His body swayed with the final pillar, his cheeks flushed with sweat, and his skin pale of all color.


    ¡ª


    [Class One Movement Exam]


    [Test Taker: Theron Galethunder]


    [Result: 00:00:01:23]


    [Grade: S]

 Chapter 51: So Quickly?

    "He..." Teacher Jadebri felt her heart trembling.


    After the second spring, they all felt what happened. Theron was keeping a constant mist of Water Mana around him, using it to sense and move through the obstacle course.


    He had drained himself of all his Mana before he even took his first step. Then, he relied on nothing but the flexibility and durability of his body to make it to the end while the pillar pinged him around.


    The strength and courage... the confidence it took to do such a thing were unfathomable. If he fell in a state of Mana Deprivation, he would certainly die. There was no doubt.


    Such a thing would hardly be different from a mortal falling 10 meters without control of his body¡ªexcept far worse with the harsh winds flying around.


    Both Teachers didn''t know what to say, watching Theron teeter on the final pillar.


    "Turn it off!" Teacher Jadebri finally reacted. "OFF! NOW!"


    The formation activators scrambled, not wanting to get in the way of a Ninth Silver Resonance master''s rage.


    ...


    Theron felt the pillar finally sway to a stop beneath him, the harsh winds calming.


    He felt his legs trembling beneath him, but he stood tall.


    Exhaling a breath, he slid down the pillar and walked away. It didn''t seem like he had accomplished much at all.


    **


    "Hm?"


    Teacher Burne Thistle looked up from teaching his class. An echo rang in his ears and a message was delivered right to him. He listened carefully for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed.


    He paused for a moment.


    This was unexpected to be sure. The message was from Sergeant Dulcow, but Burne wasn''t sure what to do with this information.


    Tell the Dean? Wasn''t that a bit too ridiculous for something so minor?


    But considering their intentions, someone like Theron... could be interesting.


    The issue was that this child had already shown the propensity to buck against authority. Using him in this war would pose problems to be sure.


    Then again, what genius wasn''t arrogant?


    ''According to our information, he has been relatively lowkey, all things considered. He was even unwilling to take the chance that Teacher Fern presented to him. So why the change? Something is fishy...''


    There was also the elephant in the room.


    This child had disappeared off the face of the earth for five weeks, then suddenly appeared again here and did this.


    Also... didn''t Theron''s disappearance line up quite well with that operation?


    Burne''s eyes narrowed, thoughts flying through his mind.


    A coincidence?


    A timely disappearance, to heal from wounds he couldn''t otherwise hide, maybe?


    The silence in the classroom made the students begin to look at one another. They were confused by Burne''s lack of a response as well.


    In the crowd, Sadie sat beside Flora, the two of them looking ahead with just as much confusion as everyone else. But deep within their eyes, there was something peculiar as they seemed to realize that Burne wouldn''t blank out like this without reason.


    All of a sudden, Burne grinned his yellow grin.


    "It seems that today we won''t be able to stay in class. There''s a chance to witness something historical for the second time in just a month. How could we miss it?"


    Sadie frowned. What was going on?


    **


    Theron walked out of the Class One Mana Control Class, his second S grade being imprinted into his badge.


    He had hardly recovered from the Class One Movement Class before coming here. He had known that he didn''t need much Mana to succeed, only enough to remain on his feet.


    Control had always been his strong suit. It wasn''t even a Class that he considered a challenge. As such, unlike his thoughts for the others, he didn''t come up with a robust plan, he simply went, saw and conquered.


    There was nothing else to it.


    His steps paused.


    Outside the Exam room, there was a long hallway. Usually, it was quite silent. This was expected of a rigorous academic setting.


    But right now he heard some shifts, whispers, and bustle that he shouldn''t have. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''It seems they''re here.''


    "Student Theron."


    Theron looked up to see a Teacher he knew as Moore looking at him from afar, standing in front of the door of his next Exam.


    He didn''t get to choose the order he took these in. Usually, it was dictated by the Teacher and their availability. It seemed that his next challenge would be Class One Ranged Assault.


    ...


    Teacher Moore stood a half step behind Sergeant Dulcow and Teacher Burne Thistle, his head respectfully lowered. It was only after he entered this place that he realized there was actually a full Class waiting along with two Gold Mancers.


    "How did the first two Exams go?" Burne asked Dulcow with a smile.


    "S-grade. Both of them," Dulcow replied.


    "So quickly?" Burne asked.


    "Yes."


    "Mm..."


    His gaze turned to the mirror before them all. As though his words had jinxed things, Theron actually took a seat on the ground, his eyes closing in meditation.


    Burne''s lip twitched.


    There was something about Theron that always made him want to wring his little neck. Honestly speaking, Theron had never done anything to warrant the targeting. Sawyer''s bullying was on him, and he wasn''t even important enough to the family for Burne to care.


    The main issue was the stain on the Thistle name. They were just beginning their plan, and yet this fool ended up getting reprimanded in front of the entire school on top of losing a substantial number of credits.


    Teacher Fern, the true culprit, was already heavily punished and dealt with. But there was no denying that Theron also held some culpability.


    Now that he just might be affiliated with Daggers of the Night, though... Burne felt that he just might gain a real reason to target Theron very soon.


    He licked his lips.


    ''Go ahead and waste time. I''ll see how far you can go...''


    ...


    Theron sat in silent meditation, his dry Meridians and dull Bronze Core slowly gaining life.


    He didn''t care about the audience in the slightest. His Mana had been depleted since the first Exam, so he would be taking his time.

 Chapter 52: Class One Ranged Assault Exam

    Theron had used this week to get used to his new cultivation. He had leapt up two tiers, including crossing a major divide, in quick succession. Compared to others, he was still well in control of his Mana. But it wasn''t to the point that he was satisfied with it.


    Until now.


    His eyes opened, a sharpness radiating from them that quickly dulled away.


    "I''m ready," he said lightly.


    The formation activators were already ready, getting quite impatient. There was nothing wrong with what Theron had done, and it was to be expected given he was challenging several Exams on the same day.


    But Theron was a nobody in most of their eyes. If his last name was Thistle or Vermouth, maybe they wouldn''t second guess any one of his actions.


    But it wasn''t.


    That much was fine to Theron. He had no aspirations to make his name known. The only reason he had ever wanted to become an Imperial Scholar was because he loved to read and learn. It was the cruelty of the cultivation world that thrust him into this situation.


    In that case... they would have to learn his name, whether they wanted to or not.


    The air trembled, and a bullet of Mana shot out. It was the most neutral Mana possible, a mixture of them all, and a sort of Mana that all Mancers could control.


    Unfortunately, in this situation, it was quite deadly.


    Or it should have been.


    The goal of the Exam was simple. Neutral Mana Bullets would form in the distance from formation rings. While limited to a small sphere of movement, the task was to take them down from a distance while avoiding injury.


    S-grade for this Class was time and performance based. Not only did you need to clear all 99 formations within 10 minutes, you also had to not get hit a single time by the incoming Mana Bullets.


    A-grade required the same, but getting hit was fine.


    A PASS just meant clearing all 99 formations.


    The real trouble with this Exam was how the difficulty scaled.


    The formations wouldn''t appear one at a time. If you took too long to clear one, a second would appear. Not only would this next formation be further away, it would also move a tick faster.


    By the time you got to the last of the formations, they would be moving in fast blurs, and yet the Neutral Mana Bullets they produced would be no less accurate. Not only more accurate, but also more lethal.


    Much like the other Exams, death was a remote possibility, but it was surely a possibility.


    Balancing moving, controlling your Mana, and targeting things from a distance. That was the crux of this Exam.


    That was why it was so odd when Theron didn''t move. In an instant, the Neutral Mana Bullet was upon him.


    The smile on Teacher Burne''s face froze. He sensed it before anyone else.


    While Sadie and the other students had their eyes widening in shock, wondering what the hell Theron was doing, the Neutral Mana Bullet curled out of its direct path to him, as though it had missed.


    BANG!


    It shot out from behind Theron''s head, slamming into the formation it came from at breakneck speeds.


    Theron stood there, not having taken a step.


    An odd occurrence was taking place as a silence fell. Was there... ever an instant of someone standing around for so long, waiting for the next formation to appear?


    Yes... yes there had been... just weeks ago now, right?


    Were they truly going to witness something like this again?


    The seconds seemed to tick by so slowly, an agonizing wait taking place as though they were all sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next formation to appear so they could make sure they hadn''t just made up what they saw.


    And then it did.


    A Neutral Mana Bullet whistled through the air, and once again, Theron didn''t move.


    It curled away from him, zipping back as fast as it came, crashing into the formation that formed it.


    The third formation.


    The fourth.


    The fifth.


    The same play repeated itself with sharp efficiency.


    Theron never moved an inch, never side-stepped, never flinched. Even as the bullets became so fast that they began to rotate to slice through the air with more speed, he never even reacted.


    It was a complete and utter domination. If one didn''t know Theron''s Mancy Path before, they wouldn''t know it after watching this Exam at all.


    Never did they think that this Exam had such an exploitable fault. No, worse than that... even if this fault was exposed, was there anyone else, even amongst the Fourth and Fifth Years, that could take the First Year version of this Exam and succeed in this way?


    The contents of all Exams were the same regardless of year, but the difficulty was increased depending on what year you were taking it in.


    But right now, they were doubting if any child could do what Theron was doing.


    Taking control of such fast Mana, even if you had a strong affinity for it, was nigh impossible. Taking control of such fast moving Mana when it was a Mana you didn''t have much affinity with at all...


    That was a different sort of monster entirely.


    The distance, the speed, the erratic movement, none of it fazed Theron at all.


    This fault of the Exam... even though they were thinking of it as one, was it really?


    BANG!


    The 99th formation shattered to pieces in a rain of Mana. In the end, the Neutral Mana Bullet curled so far that it looked like Theron would finally miss, only for the formation to zip right into its path. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they didn''t know better, they would have thought that the formations had been tweaked to allow Theron to win.


    And "win" he had. There was no doubting it.


    His performance was even better than the last time they had seen such a thing.


    ¡ª


    [Class One Ranged Assault Exam]


    [Test Taker: Theron Galethunder]


    [Result: 00:00:05:23]


    [Grade: S]

 Chapter 53: Single Combat

    Theron walked through the Exams one after another.


    Sometimes he would stop to restock his Mana, but often he would continue through as though he had done nothing at all.


    His clever methods seemed endless, and he was never unprepared. Smoothly transitioning from one Exam to the next, using unique methods that most never even considered.


    With the Class One Ranged Assault, the fault had been obvious to Theron from the start. The formations weren''t like Mancers; the Mana they sent was consistent and didn''t have a Mancer''s intention or unique quirks attached to it.


    Because of that, by studying the formations ahead of time, Theron could get the hang of the Mana he would be dealing with and even practice its manipulation before the Exam.


    On top of that, Mana Bullet might not be the [Water Bullet] that he was familiar with, but its properties were nearly identical. Having reached the Consummate Boundary with the latter, he couldn''t have been more familiar with how to manipulate it.


    Similar scenes played out in his next Exams, each one having a fault for him to take advantage of.


    By the sixth Exam he passed with flying colors some began to wonder if he was planning on hitting 33 Credits today alone.


    No... hadn''t he already?


    The realization hit them like a ton of bricks¡ªuntil they realized it didn''t count. Theron was of the academic stream, but these Classes, weren''t they all of the military stream?


    They had been so shocked by the Class One Ranged Assault Exam that they hadn''t even realized this.


    For some reason, Theron was taking one military stream class after another. Despite having already crossed the 11 Credit minimum requirement set by the new Academy rules, he was still going. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    ''This will be the last.'' Theron thought calmly as he opened his eyes from his final meditation.


    He stood.


    This time, he was in a simple room. There were no fancy formations, no elaborate obstacle course, just him, four white walls, and the puppet across from him.


    It stood in plain robes, waiting for the random parameters that it would be given.


    This puppet would either turn into an Elemental or a Flux Mancer, but its specialty would be unknown. It could just as easily become a Fire Mancer or a speed-based Flux Mancer.


    This was the one Exam that Theron couldn''t prepare for in advance. Well, he could... but that preparation would mean being ready for every possible combination of Mancer within the two large groups.


    ''Not every...''


    When some thought they couldn''t prepare, Theron still found some ways.


    For example, he knew that this puppet could only properly simulate the four main Elemental Mancer Paths: Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. He also knew that there were only four Flux Mancy Paths it could replicate: Strength, Speed, Defense, and Flexibility.


    Of them all, Flexibility was the one Theron knew that he would have the greatest trouble with.


    Flexible Flux Mancers sounded odd, but they were adept at manipulating their muscles and tendons. They were decent at absorbing and dispersing blows through themselves, making them half Defensive Flux Mancers, but they were also more unpredictable than Defensive Flux Mancers.


    They often dual wielded weapons, could contort themselves in odd ways, and had erratic attack patterns.


    For someone like Theron who liked to calculate his every step, and outwit his opponents to victory, taking advantage of their quirks to pin them into a corner, a puppet was almost too easy to defeat...


    Unless it had such a unique quirk to it.


    Walking over to the side, Theron picked out a short sword to use. His expression didn''t change in the slightest, but feeling the weight of the sword was almost like touching on the same weight in his chest.


    He had been quite calm since the start of this excursion despite the risk he was well aware he was taking. If he was correct, the suspicions of those in the know about the undercurrents rushing through Thistle Brook City were already on high alert.


    But being forced to use this unfamiliar short sword¡ªfeeling that it did not balance as nicely in his palm, missing the familiar warmth his own once gave him¡ªby the time he stood in front of the puppet again, there was a deathly frostiness in his eyes.


    "I''m ready," Theron said lightly, his voice just as gentle as always.


    The puppet, which had had its head lowered, suddenly raised it. It opened its palms, a pair of daggers manifesting in them as they were teleported over.


    This wasn''t an ability of the puppet, but rather a unique mechanism designed to prevent the Exam taker from preparing more than they already had.


    The mechanism didn''t decide that it was definitely a Flux Mancer, but Theron already knew that it was only one of two things.


    Speed or Flexibility.


    The moment it attacked, its arm jetted out in a wide arc as though using it like a whip, and Theron knew that he had gotten the one type he would fare the worst against.


    The dagger slashed down, fast and quick, carrying an almost savage barbarianism to it.


    It took all his attention, so much so that most wouldn''t notice the puppet drop its second dagger to its feet, catching it with its toes and readying a kick at the same time.


    But Theron certainly did.


    He had said a Flexible Flux Mancer would be the worst opponent for him.


    He had never said anything about that making much of a difference to whether he would get the S-grade or not.


    Theron lunged forward, sending his head under the whipping arm.


    As though he hadn''t seen the first attack at all, his sword slashed toward the puppet''s leg.


    The first attack was odd, hard to track, and it carried the motion of a flinging whip, applying a great amount of power at the very tip of the blade.


    That was nice and all, but to Theron it was a movement that took too long to complete and left the puppet wide open.


    It was a whip, so it got much faster during the end of the motion. But what difference did that make when Theron had seen it, deduced it, and made a decision before it could hit its top speed?


    His blade slashed right at the puppet''s leg just as it was catching the dagger with its toes. Because of the motion, it was stuck in place, not having a chance to dodge.


    Theron''s blade cut it in two at the knees.


    The puppet tipped over, the momentum of its first attack sending it tumbling.


    When it crashed to the ground, Theron was already standing over it, his foot on its head.


    He looked down with an indifferent coldness, driving his heel into its temple.


    The formation cracked, a pale layer of Mana over the puppet shattering.


    Its head was just fine, the material it was made of far too strong for Theron to destroy in such a way. But the shattering of the Mana signified its death.


    It snaked up, its severed leg reattaching until it was standing upright again. Its head fell forward and it stopped moving.


    Theron had already returned the short sword, slowly opening and closing his now empty hand.


    ¡ª


    [Class One Single Combat Exam]


    [Test Taker: Theron Galethunder]


    [Result: 00:00:00:03]


    [Grade: S]

 Chapter 54: Clasp

    Theron walked out of the Exam room, his Junior Imperial Scholar robes just as unbothered, uncreased and unblemished as they had been when he took the FIrst Class Movement Exam.


    He was greeted by a sea of people. It wasn''t just Teacher Fern''s original class here any longer, there were more people, more eyes.


    His reaction was much the same.


    When he took his first few Exams, he spaced them out. They had all been about a week apart, and they had been very specifically timed with lessons that Teacher Fern had given.


    From an outsider''s perspective, it looked like he had directly taken Teacher Fern''s advice and applied it, allowing him to gather 12 Credits quickly.


    Now, however... this was anything but the calm and collected approach.


    His gaze swept through the people, landing on Sadie and Flora briefly. He gave them both a smile as though he couldn''t recall anything.


    Ignoring everyone else, he walked over.


    "How''ve you been?" he asked.


    Sadie blinked and felt a hint of a cold chill.


    There wasn''t the slightest thing off about Theron''s expression. He reacted to seeing her much the same way he always did.


    On the one hand, she should be grateful. This helped to hide her own identity far more than it helped Theron hide his.


    But she couldn''t help the helplessness that came with it.


    "Theron!" she hopped over, not missing a beat. "Where''ve you been? You''ve been gone for so long!"


    She grabbed his arm, swinging it like a disobedient little girl.


    Theron laughed, rubbing her head.


    "I''ve been training. I got an opportunity and reached the Seventh Resonance."


    Sadie''s eyes opened wide. This time, she didn''t really need to act at all, it was natural.


    "That''s crazy, Theron! Weren''t you just in the Third Resonance two months ago?!"


    Theron smiled. He had never told Sadie this, or anyone else for that matter. But that didn''t matter.


    Hiding his cultivation from Gold Mancers was impossible, though he might be able to pull it off against Silver Mancers. It didn''t matter to him if this was exposed because it would be the moment he stepped in front of one of those masters.


    "I guess I got lucky."


    "Flora!"


    Sadie pulled her other half over. Flora was the much more reserved, quiet side of them. This was one of the main reasons Theron hadn''t interacted with her much, there simply wasn''t much of a chance to in the first place.


    "Can you believe it!?"


    "Sadie, you shouldn''t talk about other''s cultivation so openly..." Flora said softly.


    "OH!"


    Sadie covered her little mouth with two hands, letting go of Theron''s arm. Her pigtails bobbed, her adorable antics causing a wave of laughs.


    From shock, the atmosphere became quite light and airy.


    Until it suddenly wasn''t anymore.


    Silver fell in waves as though some sort of oppression was passing from the back of the crowd to the front.


    When silence fell completely, the crowd still slowly parting, the sound of clapping echoed.


    A young man with shimmering emerald eyes and hair an odd shade of bright brown appeared. Somehow, his hair almost seemed like brass when the light hit it just right, but not quite.


    Still, Theron knew a unique bloodline when he saw it. There were almost always some sort of physical changes that took place in a person when a unique bloodline was present.


    Those green eyes, that bronze-brass hair¡ªthose were the signs of a Thistle of the Main Bloodline.


    Sigil Thistle. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man stopped before Theron, Sadie, and Flora, towering over all three of them. He was tall and willowy, lanky to the point it looked like a wind might blow him over, and yet as sturdy as an ancient tree.


    His steps carried a strong firmness and confidence to them, the smile of a prince hanging from his lips.


    He wasn''t the most handsome of young men, but he had his own unique charms. Budding into adulthood, he must have been at least 16 or 17 years old. Clearly, despite being what must have been six and half feet tall at least, he had more room to grow still.


    "I really didn''t think that my Thistle Brook City would have another genius of this caliber. I must say I''m truly surprised. I thought I had done well enough, but to think you would gather 21 Credits in a single sitting¡ªall combat on top of that."


    Theron looked up to meet the young man''s gaze, his disposition calm.


    "And which esteemed young master of the Thistles am I speaking to?" Theron asked.


    Sigil blinked for a moment and then laughed.


    "I see your eyes are sharp. You may call me Sigil! In fact, since I''m a little older than you, you may even call me elder brother if you so choose. Though, considering your talent, I won''t begrudge you if you are unwilling. I am here to spar and prove myself to you any time!"


    There was an airiness to Sigil''s demeanor.


    He might have been a genius, and a noble at that¡ªhe certainly didn''t hide his arrogance and pride¡ªbut it still made others feel refreshed.


    He wasn''t overbearing, but he also wasn''t showing off a fake modesty. He was confident and people could feel it.


    "In that case I''ll encroach, elder brother. I am Theron Galethunder."


    "Galethunder?" Sigil blinked. Honestly speaking, he was expecting to hear the name of some noble household.


    Still, he was too seasoned in politics and speaking to make such a mistake. He wouldn''t show Theron such an expression just because he wasn''t a noble.


    It was instead that the last name Galethunder was too peculiar.


    "Fascinating, I''ve never heard such a last name before. Does it mean something specific?"


    "I am not sure." Theron shook his head. "It is just the name my parents gave to me."


    Sigil laughed. "In that case, younger brother, maybe you have a lineage you''ve yet to find. Regardless, with your talent, if you do not, you will forge it with your own hands."


    Sigil held out his hand.


    Theron clasped it.

 Chapter 55: Doubts

    Sigil laughed heartily. "It''s rare to find such a straightforward man. I think we can be good friends."


    Theron smiled a gentle smile. It was refreshing in a way that was hard to describe, almost like one was taking a sip of the morning dew.


    Looking at this side profile, Sadie found herself lost for a bit, a dull sort of pain flickering in her eyes for a moment. She was smart enough to tell that... whatever happened next would surely strain her and Theron''s relationship beyond repair.


    Worse than that, she wasn''t sure if there was even anything that she could do to change that.


    "This weekend I planned on having a welcome banquet. I think you should come. The young nobles of Thistle Brook and a few that have joined nearby Sects will be there. I think that you have more of a right to attend than any one of them. You will be my special guest."


    "In that case I will be there."


    "Good, good." Sigil laughed again. "Alright, I may have overstayed my welcome. This is your moment, I''ve long had my own."


    With that, Sigil waved a hand and then left, his steps light and airy. Despite the fact they were very much inside and there was hardly a place to disappear to, he still seemed to.


    In a few steps, he wove through the crowd and vanished.


    Theron could tell just from the clasp of their hands. Sigil might only be 16 or 17 years old, but he was already at the Second Silver Resonance. In all likelihood, he wasn''t very far from the Third.


    Theron also felt that there was a small possibility... that his senses had been fooled.


    Sigil''s Mana control was the best that he had seen in the younger generation outside of his own.


    Another echo of claps came, interrupting Theron''s thoughts.


    This time, it was someone that had already been near the front of the group¡ªsomeone that Theron had actually walked by to get to Sadie in the first place.


    Teacher Burne Thistle.


    "Indeed, a great talent. You''ve surpassed all of my expectations, Theron. You are also the first First Year to pass the new requirements, I''m sure that congratulations are in order."


    "Thank you for your praise, Teacher. Like I said before, I was only lucky to have some improvements and enlightenments recently, likely thanks to Teacher''s teachings."


    "I also want to formally apologize for so abruptly leaving your class when we last met. I had a sudden bout of inspiration and there was nothing I could do. I did not want to miss the opportunity." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, so that was what happened," Teacher Burne nodded with what seemed like sincere understanding. "That is odd. Usually, if such a thing happened, you should go to the closest safe location. From my understanding, your dorm room has been completely unoccupied this last month."


    There was a look of puzzlement on Burne''s face that didn''t make it seem like he was interrogating a student at all. But with his intelligence, how was it possible that Theron couldn''t feel it?


    Of course, Theron''s smile didn''t waver.


    "Originally, I wanted to go to my dorm room as well, but I chose to ultimately leave the city. I needed a substantial water source, and I wanted it to be as in tune with nature as possible. As you can see, I''ve improved greatly."


    There was a flash in Burne''s eyes after Theron said this, and he felt a heart-fluttering pressure land on him. It was so controlled and perfect that he was certain that no one but himself could feel it, but it was a striking reminder...


    A striking reminder of the difference between a Bronze Resonance Mancer and a Gold Mancer.


    Theron''s body was completely frozen solid and he felt an oppression he couldn''t shake off. Even moving was entirely impossible for him.


    He frowned, the slightest crease appearing on his brows.


    He could have controlled it. In fact, he could have shown no expression at all.


    This time, however, he chose to express himself quite thoroughly. It was still in line with his personality, subtle and hardly detectable. But he knew how to toe the line between genius and monster.


    It was the same reason he had pretended to use his water bottle against Wasian.


    No one truly needed to know what level he had reached.


    After he was finished, it was Burne''s turn to frown. He didn''t even care for Theron''s reaction, what was a Bronze Resonance ant to him? If he told Theron to strip down in front of all of these people, what choice did he have but to obey?


    But the main issue was that there was a huge hole in his theory now.


    If Theron had left for so long to recover from injuries, was it really possible for him to improve by not just one cultivation level, but three?


    Unfortunately for Burne, the last time he had bothered to check Theron''s cultivation, he had been at the Fourth Resonance. He hadn''t caught it when Theron improved to Fifth Resonance. Why would he care enough about a child to check up on their cultivation every day?


    Because of that, Theron''s improvement was even more difficult for him to explain.


    There was simply no way a Fourth Resonance child could come out of that sort of death knell with such improvements.


    He had already studied the best of geniuses. This was something even Sigil wasn''t capable of. He didn''t believe that Theron could.


    The only explanation was that he truly had had some sort of random enlightenment, maybe even a minor bloodline awakening.


    What Sigil said about the oddity of Theron''s last name stuck with him as well.


    Was he wrong?


    He was suspicious and couldn''t help but look up from his thoughts to analyze Theron again. What was he missing here?


    After a long while, he opened his mouth to speak again.


    "The Dean has said that he would like to meet talents of your caliber. You will come with me."


    "I understand, Teacher Thistle."


    "Mm." Burne nodded indifferently. Clasping his hands behind his back, he walked away, expecting Theron to follow on his own.

 Chapter 56: Relation

    Theron found that he could hardly breathe.


    It wasn''t a matter of will. In front of absolute power, he had long learned that this was worthless. He had had all the will in the world to save his family that day, but it hadn''t meant anything at all.


    In the end, he had had no choice but to rely on the mercy of a man he hated with every fiber of his being just to survive to this day.


    Today, it was the second time he had had this feeling. He couldn''t even begin to sense a cultivation; he just felt an endless well, unfathomable and deep. The difference was back then he hardly had any cultivation at all. Maybe this... was more impressive than even that had been.


    The man sat behind a large desk, the lights of the room were deep. Despite his seated posture being a bit lazy, Theron could feel the same sort of willowy sturdiness he had felt from Sigil.


    His hair was a deeper shade of brass, his amber eyes practically burning, akin to torch lights. In the somber lighting, it almost felt like two lighthouses were blaring right into his psyche.


    Dean Thistle.


    No... maybe it would be more accurate to call him Patriarch Thistle. Theron knew that there could be no other man of the Thistles with this combination of youth and exuberant aura.


    This wasn''t to say that the Dean was young; he was far from it. He was definitely middle-aged, and had the faint crow''s feet and slight greying to prove it.


    Of course, this greying was only in his well-trimmed beard; his hair itself was unblemished.


    This man was among the Thistles that wielded the most power. And, at least on the surface, his word carried the most weight.


    He was most definitely the genius of a generation. But the difference was that he wasn''t a weed in the grass that could be snuffed out any longer.


    He had grown, and now he was a towering mass in the skies.


    Unapproachable. Untouchable.


    A man who, according to Theron''s estimation, had the gall to go against the Imperial Clan themselves.


    "Theron Galethunder, is it?" The Dean tossed Theron''s file onto the desk. "Your file is quite interesting. I wasn''t aware that the Imperial Clan was so irresponsible with their best talents. A shame, don''t you think?"


    "Quite." Theron replied.


    Dean Thistle raised an eyebrow, and then a grin spread across his face.


    "It seems that not many words are needed when speaking to smart people. You''ve done this on purpose, is it?"


    "Your movements are too large." Theron replied.


    "They are quite large. When you are strong, there''s no need to hide anything. That''s just not a level you''ve reached."


    "Yet."


    Dean Thistle paused and then began to tap a finger on his desk.


    "Mm. On the one hand, you are a great talent. On the other hand, I''m not a fan of arrogant nobodies that don''t know how to control their mouths. What do you think I should do?"


    "I think it would be quite the waste of time to come to the Imperial Academy to search for talents, to find such a perfect candidate who wants exactly what you do, and then turn them away because you believe you don''t have the ability to control them."


    A low rumbling chuckle came from Dean Thistle. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can''t remember the last time I''ve been goaded."


    In the corner, Burne''s eyes burned with rage. He knew there was a reason he didn''t like Theron. Seeing his real personality only further deepened his dislike.


    Patriarch Thistle was the man he respected more than life itself. Seeing a mere child of the Bronze Resonance speak to him in this way took everything within him to refrain from tearing him to pieces.


    But Theron stood there beneath the Patriarch''s pressure as though Burne himself didn''t even exist.


    "Mm." Dean Thistle hummed again, tapping at his desk. "If you want to speak like this, you''ll have to prove yourself. I do not care much for these little Classes. They can be manipulated. From what I''ve seen of your results, you''re very adept at that."


    "I would argue it''s even easier to manipulate things in real life." Theron replied calmly.


    "Ha, we will see." Dean Thistle tapped his finger on the table again and then suddenly looked up. His entire demeanor changed and from a constant, pressuring wave, Theron almost felt like he was about to face plant to the ground.


    He stumbled forward, falling to a knee so fast that his bone bruised. A rippling pain shot up his hip.


    A palm slammed to the ground before him, barely stopping him from tipping over entirely. But the pain that rippled through his wrist made him feel that he had, at best, sprained it, and at worst, he had fractured it.


    "What is your relation to Daggers of the Night?"


    Theron''s jaw set. He tried to hold it in, but he had no ability to do so.


    A mouthful of blood came from him, his inner organs rattling and his body feeling as though it was about to completely collapse.


    His head lowered, a deathly cold flash coming from him. There was an unsettling rattling in his teeth as though he was pressing down so hard that he just might shatter them any moment now.


    "I have... no idea... what you are... talking... about..."


    Theron finally managed to squeeze out. The Dean showed no signs of relenting his pressure for the sake of allowing him to speak. In fact, the pressure only seemed to increase to the point that the floorboards began to creak as though they might give way long before Theron''s body would.


    "Is that so? I''ve never heard of someone who didn''t know of Daggers of the Night. There should be a limit to ignorance, no?"


    "... I... didn''t say... that I didn''t know... who they... were..."


    "Mm..." the Dean hummed again, his calmness belying the strength he was outputting. "... Is that so?"


    BANG!


    Theron was sent flying, his robes shattering into pieces.


    There was no doubt about what Dean Thistle wanted to do. There was nothing at all Theron would be able to do to hide the brand on his chest.

 Chapter 57: Good For Something

    Theron''s body was practically imprinted into the wall, but what Dean Thistle saw made him frown.


    There was an enormous burn mark across Theron''s chest, forming a veiny pattern that looked quite grotesque. The skin was almost transparent and pulsing, but it was clear that it had also healed long ago.


    Then Dean Thistle sneered. "Is this your method of trying to hide it? Pathetic."


    Dean Thistle stood for the first time.


    "Burne. Deal with it."


    "With pleasure."


    Teacher Burne almost eagerly hopped from the corner. He had been waiting to deal with Theron all along.


    "Do not kill him. Even if he is from Daggers of the Night, he can be useful."


    Burne froze, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes. But he also didn''t dare to disobey.


    "Yes, of course."


    Soon, he was in front of Theron, the latter still imprinted into the wall.


    With a sneer, Burne raised a bony finger.


    "How naive of you. This mark of Daggers of the Night is a Soul Imprint. Even if you burn away its outward facing appearance, the connection is still there. I just have to..."


    Puchi.


    Burne''s finger punched a hole through Theron''s collarbone.


    A cry came from Theron''s lips, the roar of pain coming from the depths of his soul.


    Burne almost didn''t want to admit just how much he enjoyed it. He had been tired of this child for a long time already. The Thistle name wasn''t something that could be besmirched by just anyone. Even the Imperial Clan would face their wrath for their mistakes.


    But even worse than that minor slight, Theron dared to speak to his patriarch with such arrogance. This filled Burne with far more rage than anything else.


    He had watched Patriarch Thistle grow every step of the way. The respect he had for him was deeply ingrained long ago, not just for his strength, but even more so for what he had done for a Thistle like him, born without their bloodline.


    Who did this child think he was?


    Theron''s cries became hoarse, a dark blood pooling down his chest as though it came from the depths of his heart.


    The sneer on Burne''s lips started strong, but it soon froze, and then it became a frown.


    "I''ve said not to kill him."


    The chilliness in the Patriarch''s voice made Burne shiver. He hurriedly pulled back his finger and Theron collapsed to the ground in a blood and sweat soaked heap.


    "What is the problem?"


    "Pa¡ªDean, he... he... I didn''t find anything."


    Dean Thistle''s eyes narrowed.


    "He isn''t of Daggers of the Night?"


    "... No..." Burne sounded unsure, but then he firmly shook his head. "No, there are no such soul ties on his body."


    "Is that so..." Dean Thistle looked toward Theron, seemingly not caring about his injured state. Instead, he seemed a bit... pleasantly surprised. Then he chuckled. "... It seems that I have wronged you a bit."


    Theron didn''t reply, but Dean Thistle didn''t seem to care either. His apology wasn''t very sincere in the first place.


    If Burne felt so nonchalant about dealing with Theron, then how much more arrogant must the Patriarch of a Marquisette Clan be?


    That was right... the real reason Burne kept having to correct himself wasn''t because he couldn''t expose the fact that Dean Thistle was the Patriarch of the Thistles. Everyone would already know that. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The real reason was that the Patriarch''s formal title was Marquis Rouge Thistle.


    To choose to call him Patriarch over such a lofty title... what else was that if not disrespect directed toward the crown?


    "Brand him." Rouge commanded.


    "Right away!"


    Burne seemed to be excited again. Rolling Theron over, he slammed a palm onto his chest, seemingly not caring about the pools of blood.


    Theron convulsed. But this time, he couldn''t scream even if he wanted to. His body was entirely locked out of his control.


    This wasn''t the first time he experienced such a thing.


    The last time was none other than during his initiation to Daggers of the Night.


    Once again, he was being branded.


    Theron collapsed to the floor, his body quivering.


    "Feed him this, give him new robes, and give him his mission."


    Dean Thistle strolled out of his office, opening the door as though he didn''t care if anyone peeked inside.


    What difference would it make when he could just kill them with a wave of his hand?


    In an instant, he vanished.


    ...


    Theron coughed. Lying in a pool of his own blood, he barely managed to sit up, strong medicinal effects raging through his body, and his injuries were quickly healing, but the humiliation likely never would.


    His clothes had been stripped from his body, his soul had been poked and prodded at, his chest torn into... and in return he was given a perfunctory apology and a new soul brand.


    "Clean yourself up. I do not have all day. The Dean''s office should also be spotless before you leave. You can''t expect to leave behind such a mess, right?"


    Theron didn''t say a word, his jaw clenched and a coldness radiating from his eyes.


    Half an hour later, everything but the hole in the wall was fixed.


    "Huh, it seems that Water Mancers are good for something. Maybe I should have you clean my abode as well."


    Once more, Theron didn''t reply. His face was pale, but his new robes hung from his body just as pristinely as before.


    "Ah, right. Your mission. As the Dean said, your performance with the Classes is worthless to him. This is not where real geniuses are made. It''s not too long until you''ll be at Silver Mancy''s door. You want the resources of the Thistles? Go catch three Mancy Beasts."


    "... A person can only fuse with one Echo at Silver Mancy." Theron said.


    "Who said they were for you?" Burne cackled.


    ...


    Theron left with his jaw clenched and his eyes cold. But when he returned to his dorm room, what rage he seemed to have carried vanished into thin air.


    He sat down in a calm meditation, his soul as unbothered as spring''s breeze.


    It seemed that he would be going with Plan A. That was good. The risk of Plan B was too high even for his liking.

 Chapter 58: Of Course

    Theron continued to meditate in complete silence, his thoughts arranging themselves.


    He had experimented quite a lot in this last month before coming up with this method. He knew well that there was an enormous hole in his story, so how could he casually allow it to be exploited?


    What he wasn¡¯t sure of was whether Burne would be able to sense his curse mark in its diluted state or not, but he had made a bet that the Thistles didn¡¯t have a complete understanding of the methods of Daggers of the Night.


    After Rouge shattered his robes, he already knew that he had won.


    If they had the methods of Daggers of the Night, Rouge would be able to sense the curse mark without having to use such a crude method.


    As for Burne¡¯s Soul Imprint, he already knew how to dull it after observing the changes to the Daggers Curse Mark for so long. In fact, because Burne had imprinted it without being aware that there was already another Soul Imprint in Theron¡¯s soul, it already wouldn¡¯t work as he expected it to.


    Of course, Theron would dull it nonetheless. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.


    This was all to say that he hadn¡¯t gotten rid of the Soul Imprints at all. All he had done was burn away the marks on his chest so that Rouge and Burne wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize what had still been there.


    They had already read his file. They knew the sort of traumatic experience he had been through already. They wouldn¡¯t even second-guess him carrying around such a ghastly scar.


    Now, this Dean Thistle, who thought he had everything in the palm of his hands, had no idea that his son¡¯s killer was already by his side.


    ¡­


    As dusk settled in, Theron opened his eyes. He moved to the side of his room, finding the hidden compartment, and unearthing the items he had hidden.


    He double-checked the smell to ensure he recalled everything perfectly. He was confident in his memory already, but there was no need to fail to be thorough.


    He put it away once again and made sure everything was securely hidden once again.


    For this, he really had to thank Daggers of the Night. Without their methods, how could he so easily slip in and out of the Imperial Academy, hide such important items, or dodge the senses of Gold Mancers?


    ¡¯Let¡¯s perform well on this little mission of theirs. I bet very soon they¡¯ll be giving me the information on herbs that I need to decipher the jade.¡¯


    Taking up a normal short sword to replace his father¡¯s, Theron left the academy as the dead of night fell, his Mana brimming with life in his body. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    "Dean¡­ should we do things like this?" Burne asked softly.


    It was very rare that he questioned Rouge. It wasn¡¯t in his psyche to do so¡­ but while he didn¡¯t find what they were looking for in Theron¡¯s soul, he had found many oddities that left him feeling very uncomfortable¡­ things he couldn¡¯t even begin to explain. ???¨¯???


    They weren¡¯t tangible, so he didn¡¯t want to voice them. But at the end of the day, it boiled down to one fact.


    Theron recovered too fast.


    He rebounded and bounced back up from the probe of a Gold Mancer with too much speed.


    "What did you see?"


    Dean Thistle sat with a glass of wine in his hand. They had long left his office and were now in the living room of his living quarters.


    Lavish red velvet and embroidered gold adorned the surroundings. But most beautiful of all, there were intricate patterns of wood that wove through the tables, wall fixtures, and even ceilings that reduced the gaudiness and gave the entire place an earthy, comforting feel.


    "I cannot explain it, Dean. I just don¡¯t have a good feeling about this child. I haven¡¯t liked him since the moment I saw him."


    "I see. Your intuition is strong as a Spirit Mancer. There is no need to worry. We will kill him long before he reaches Gold Mancy, then."


    Burne blinked in surprise. If they killed Theron before Gold Mancy, then he wouldn¡¯t be of much use to their plans at all.


    The fact that the Dean said long before Gold Mancy likely meant he wouldn¡¯t even allow him to close in on the target at all.


    There was a brimming up of pride and overwhelming joy in Burne¡¯s heart. It had nothing to do with Theron. Instead, it was because he knew that his Patriarch had made this choice because he trusted him.


    Spirit Mancers were the most mysterious of the four Paths, but because of this, the techniques, lineages, and methods they could follow were just as rare.


    Those of this affinity that ended up like Burne were common.


    At the start of his life, Burne was ignored by the Thistle family and he grew to his late twenties before Rouge took him in and chose to invest in him.


    The growth of a Spirit Mancer was expensive¡ªespecially when there was no cultivation method to follow. Raw resources had to be pooled into mountains before any progress could be made.


    Rouge hadn¡¯t invested so much to ignore the words of his most trusted aid.


    If Burne said Theron was a danger, even if he couldn¡¯t explain why, Rouge would listen.


    "Then how should we best utilize him before then, Dean?"


    "Let¡¯s see how he performs on the mission first. I would also like to see what happens at the banquet. Sigil has already invited him, if I understand correctly. He won¡¯t necessarily be useless as a battering ram at Silver Mancy for a while. After all¡­ what better to deal with children than children?


    "We wouldn¡¯t want rumors of our Thistle Clan being bullies spreading, now would we? It wouldn¡¯t bode well for the ambiance of our crowning."


    Burne smiled, a fierce light in his eyes. "Of course, Dean."

 Chapter 59: Imbued Beast

    The lowest class beasts were feral beasts. They usually had more strength than domesticated animals, but not by much. They didn¡¯t have special bloodlines and didn¡¯t have very great Mana control.


    That said, their bodies tended to be especially powerful.


    The majority of them could be classified as Flux Feral Beasts, with beasts of other categories tending to be of higher order classes.


    Above feral beasts were Mancy Beasts. This was actually a large umbrella term, a huge pool of beasts that had reached a certain threshold of Mana control and bloodline density.


    Beasts were far more reliant on their bloodlines than humans were. Of course, bloodlines made humans much stronger, but they were also not necessary for a genius to be born.


    For beasts, it was the exact opposite. Their bloodline dictated everything.


    Theron had read about this sort of thing before, though there were a rare few things that he hadn¡¯t read about at least to a small extent.


    The first class of Mancy Beasts were known simply as Imbued Beasts. They might have been the lowest tier, but their strength was easily ten times that of a feral beast of the same level.


    For context, a Sixth Resonance feral beast required two Eighth Resonance geniuses and one Ninth Resonance genius to take it down. Of course, this referred to Thessa¡¯s mission.


    Even feral beasts were considered to be stronger than most average human Mancers. For the Thistles to ask him to take down three Mancer Beasts, they didn¡¯t truly care for his life and death.


    If he killed them, then good. He had proven himself.


    If he died, then also good. They wouldn¡¯t waste their resources on a worthless genius.


    ¡­


    Theron dashed through the forest, rushing deeper and deeper into the wilderness.


    He had a pretty easy method of clearing this mission. Just kill three aquatic Imbued Beasts.


    However, while this would be satisfying, it wouldn¡¯t get him what he wanted. As such, his target was something very different.


    Wood Mancy Imbued Beasts.


    Wood Mancy was quite a rare path. As far as he knew, the Thistles were the only noble family that specialized in it.


    Because it was a Variant, finding Mancy Beasts of this path was also quite difficult.


    However, the Thistles had chosen Thistle Brook as their main base for a reason. There were large concentrations of Wood Mana in this region, and that bred Mancy Beasts that were quite special so long as you knew where to look.


    Theron had no intention of looking for the strongest of them, that being a special branch of creatures known as Thistle Treants. It was rumored that they were tied to the Thistle Bloodline in some way, but there was nothing confirmed. What was sure was that they were too difficult to kill and far too dangerous.


    Instead, he would target a very special Imbued Beast.


    The Thornhulks.


    They were a race of Wood Mancy Imbued Beasts that evolved from large horned beetle feral beasts. They had strong wooden exoskeletons, and though they couldn¡¯t fly for long due to their heft, they could do so in short spurts without much agility. ?????£Î??¨§S


    In Thistle Brook Forest, other than the Thistle Treants, they were probably the last creatures one wanted to run into, and they were likewise a favorite of the Thistles for forming Echoes.


    The reason Theron chose them was quite simple. They were fiercely territorial and two male Thornhulks would never be in close proximity. In addition, while the women moved in hoards, they wouldn¡¯t surround males unless it was mating season.


    And that season had already passed.


    This meant something simple. So long as Theron targeted the male Thornhulks, he could guarantee one-on-one battles.


    ¡¯There.¡¯


    Theron spotted his first target.


    The Thornhulk hung in a tree, its six large insectoid limbs wrapping around the thickness of its trunk. It had two horns, one curving from its face like a rhino, and the other curving in the opposite direction from the top of its head.


    If it wasn¡¯t so ugly, the creature would have been quite beautiful due to the deep brown and mahogany patterns of its thick, wooden exoskeleton. Staring at it while it was unmoving, it almost felt like one was looking at the most gorgeous of wooden sculptures¡­


    Until it breathed.


    The tree swayed, winds rushing toward it. A large amount of Wood Mana was sucked in from the surroundings, making the one-and-a-half-meter-long beetle glow green for just the briefest instant before it settled back down.


    ¡¯Sixth Bronze Resonance.¡¯


    It was the perfect warm up.


    Only an unconfident genius would use a Bronze Resonance Echo at Silver Mancy¡­ but what did that have to do with Theron? He wasn¡¯t told what cultivation levels he should target, so he would go at his own pace.


    Theron tossed a rock from his hand into the air, snatching it out of the wind. His cloak fluttered around him as he threw it out. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    PENG!


    The stone rebounded off the top of the Thornhulk¡¯s head, making its exoskeleton tremble. Theron had thrown it with quite some force, and the rock was about a quarter the size of his palm.


    That would certainly wake it up.


    Could he kill it in its sleep?


    Yes.


    But as he had said¡­ he needed to improve, and he needed to improve fast.


    If the Thistles thought that they were punishing him, they were sorely mistaken.


    Theron fell from the trees, his blades unsheathing in one fluid motion.


    The Thornhulk¡¯s exoskeleton split, its wings opened up and its amber eyes opening like shimmering torches in the night. It flapped hard, a surge of wind spreading out.


    A screech filled the skies as it found Theron, its fury at being awoken from its slumber being aimed all toward the little human before him.


    It pounced, its body, weighing thousands of pounds, falling right toward Theron¡¯s scrawny form.


    BANG!


    Soil and dust flew, the six legs of the Thornhulk sinking just the slightest bit.


    A shadow dashed out from underneath it, Theron¡¯s blade flashing for one of its limbs.

 Chapter 60: Thornhulk

    CHI.


    Theron¡¯s blade rebounded off of the Thornhulk¡¯s leg. Its exoskeleton flashed, morphing into the path of his weapon and protecting its joint.


    With a step into the soft soil, Theron explosively retreated, his head tilting back and out of the way of a swipe of another limb.


    Sharp horns lined its legs like blades. One misstep and he would either be skewered through or severed at the waist.


    ¡¯Okay.¡¯


    It was just a single exchange, but Theron understood many things. Reading about a creature was one thing, facing it was an entirely different matter. All of his reading fused into his world experience in what felt like a breath of time.


    Despite its heft, the Thornhulk had hardly sunk into the ground at all when it landed, ignoring the softness of the earth. Its Mana control was immediate, and the casual movement of Wood Mana carried the strength of techniques to it.


    It had sensed the roots of the trees in the surroundings, carefully choosing its landing position to stabilize on the sturdiest positions on the ground.


    In addition, despite the speed and suddenness of Theron¡¯s attack, it was able to move such thick pieces of wood over itself in protection.


    This confirmed many things for Theron, and as he dodged the swinging leg, his chilling blue eyes streaking in the night, he knew his plan of action.


    The sharp wind soared past his nose and his back arched. With a push of his legs, he somersaulted backward after dodging the swinging scythe-like limb.


    His feet landed on the trunk of a tree, his body nearly parallel to the ground as he shot forward.


    There was a strong fluttering of his robes as he closed the distance again.


    The wooden armor retreated from the Thornhulk¡¯s leg and it moved, its wings flapping heavily as it soared up to the skies again, then allowed itself to drop from above toward Theron.


    Theron had no way to dodge, and he certainly couldn¡¯t take on such a weight. After their first exchange, the Thornhulk had also adjusted much the same way.


    The only reason Theron had been able to dodge the first time was because of [Touch of Mirage]. The Thornhulk had misjudged his position.


    But after just that one interaction, the talent of a Mancy Beast shone through. Elemental Mancers could be countered by various elements they didn¡¯t pair well against, and it could be said that Wood Mana most definitely suppressed Water Mana.


    Using its exoskeleton as a medium, the Thornhulk began to greedily swallow up any Water Mana it sensed hanging in the air, making it especially difficult for Theron to control any Atmospheric Mana.


    Using [Touch of Mirage] was suddenly not an option, and this time, the beetle was certain that it was going to land in the right direction.


    Theron sensed the change immediately and his eyes narrowed, but his reaction was fast. It had no choice but to be; he had already burst forward, and it was too late to change direction.


    [Bursting Water Shield].


    He pulled on the Mana in his body, a large defensive shield appearing between himself and the Thornhulk.


    The casting speed was so fast that even the Imbued Beast seemed to feel a hint of surprise.


    BANG!


    The shield burst.


    The vision of the beetle was obscured. If Theron couldn¡¯t trick its sight, then he would just have to leave it for a moment.


    The Thornhulk had only just collided with the shield, pausing for a fraction of a moment in the air before it broke through. While the defensive properties of [Bursting Water Shield] were decent, it was far better designed for control and misdirection. ????????§§?


    Theron knew this.


    So he didn¡¯t try to make it do something it was incapable of.


    He appeared to the side of the beetle.


    It had three main weaknesses as he had gathered.


    The first.


    ¡¯Its agility is terrible.¡¯


    Theron appeared to the beetle¡¯s side just as it landed. It didn¡¯t even get a chance to sense him before he slashed out.


    A leg of the Thornhulk flew into the skies, the fragile flesh of its joint being entirely unable to withstand Theron¡¯s blow.


    It shrieked and it sensed Theron¡¯s location in that instant. Its senses reached out to the roots in the ground, feeling out the little human¡¯s position and reacting accordingly.


    When Theron¡¯s blade flashed for a second time, his short sword and dagger attacked opposing limbs, and the Thornhulk was ready, protecting its joints once again.


    CHI. CHI.


    The second.


    ¡¯It can only control the Wood Mana in its body that is imbued with its aura. For external Wood Mana, it can only sense it, not control it.¡¯


    The beetle wasn¡¯t the only one that could sense roots in the ground. Theron had used that exact trick to deal with Yonowai.


    His steps changed. With the two remaining limbs facing Theron blocked at the joints, the Thornhulk couldn¡¯t easily attack again.


    Theron took advantage, slipping beneath the enormous beast and roaring.


    Veins popped across his forehead, his back bracing against the ground as his legs kicked upward.


    He might not be a Flux Mancer, but this level of weight was well within his capabilities to move if given the opportunity.


    The Thornhulk tipped over, its body unable to stop itself as it fell toward its side. With one leg missing and two with encased joints, it couldn¡¯t maneuver itself at all.


    The third.


    ¡¯If it protects its joints, its poor agility becomes even worse.¡¯


    Theron flipped the Thornhulk onto its back, its two legs almost snapping beneath the pressure of its own weight.


    He hopped to his feet almost like a specter, shifting from the beetle¡¯s side.


    The Thornhulk thought it sensed movement in the wood underground and reacted accordingly, protecting the side where it sensed Theron.


    It was wrong.


    Theron had poured his Water Mana into the ground, allowing the roots of the trees to soak it up and give the illusion of pressure.


    The Thornhulk was protecting the wrong side.


    Theron fell from above, his twin blades descending like guillotines as they split the soft joint of the Imbued Beast¡¯s neck. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The creature¡¯s shriek was abruptly cut off, replaced by a gurgling.

 Chapter 61: Prerequisites

    Theron felled the third and final Thornhulk, his blade twisting and ripping.


    Knocking its head off as the light of dawn beamed down from the skies, snaking through the gaps in the forest¡¯s leaves.


    The exoskeleton of the Thornhulk was especially tough. Its inner flesh, though, was not only delicious, but it was exceptionally soft.


    His blades had dulled considerably after these three battles, and yet they had always been able to pass through the joints and inner flesh of the beetles with ease.


    After a few slashes, he managed to take out a small bead from the center of the creature¡¯s head. It reflected a greenish bronze hue unique to Bronze Resonance Wood Mancy Beasts.


    What was unique to the Thornhulk, though, was the swirling patterns within. They matched the beautiful mahogany and brown patterns of their exoskeleton.


    Honestly speaking, these exoskeletons were quite valuable, but Theron didn¡¯t have a spatial device that he could use openly, so he was unable to bring them all back.


    This Seventh Resonance Exoskeleton, though¡­ he would. It should fetch a pretty penny.


    He hadn¡¯t gotten any rewards for killing Yonowai for obvious reasons, but this would definitely be worth more than that. It would be worth at least 50,000 bronzes even if he didn¡¯t include the beast core.


    Looking at his blades, it was about time he bought new ones. Plus, after mastering three techniques to Consummate, it was also about time he added more versatility to his arsenal.


    After all, if he was going to return to Daggers of the Night, he was going to need a little extra something in his back pocket.


    Theron dug out all the flesh in the exoskeleton, doing whatever he could to make it lighter. After he was finished, he grunted, heaving it all onto his back.


    His feet sank into the ground, his legs quivering.


    It seemed that his training wasn¡¯t over yet.


    With a step, he left in a light jog.


    **


    Theron dropped the bag of three beast cores on the table.


    Burne looked up, raising an eyebrow. It was quite early in the morning, so much so that there was no one in the classroom yet. He was only here because he had to take this job quite seriously despite what most of his actions seemed to relay.


    If they were going to turn the youth against the Imperial Clan, then his role was actually quite important.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was Theron to suddenly appear here.


    There was an odd glow to Theron¡¯s face. He was calm and collected, and almost looked like he had just gotten a refreshing night of sleep.


    Once again, they had lost track of Theron last night. He had meant to keep tabs on him, but the kid seemed to have a knack for slipping away. It was one of the reasons he had been even more certain that Theron was from Daggers of the Night, but that theory had no choice but to be buried. ??¦­?¦¢¨º? Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Could it be¡­


    Burne reached forward and tipped the bag over.


    His eyes narrowed when the cores began to roll out.


    One Sixth Resonance Beast Core. Two Seventh Resonance Beast Cores.


    Feral beasts didn¡¯t have beast cores to begin with; all of their power was concentrated in their bodies. These could only be from Mancy Beasts.


    "¡­ Thornhulks¡­"


    It didn¡¯t take more than an instant for Burne to recognize the patterns.


    He had completed the mission in a single night? Right after suffering what should have been such a harsh blow to his soul?


    Burne¡¯s fingers trembled just the slightest bit. He looked up subconsciously, finding that the arrogant Theron from yesterday was gone, replaced with the same gentle, unassuming boy that usually sat in his classes.


    A facade he felt was exactly that¡ªfake.


    And yet, he couldn¡¯t see through it even though he knew it to be the case.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the bravado Theron had shown in the Dean¡¯s office was the real facade. Theron wasn¡¯t that person, he had never been.


    "I didn¡¯t expect that you would pick such¡­ useful beast cores."


    "I don¡¯t know what you mean, Teacher," Theron replied calmly. "I only chose what made sense to choose."


    "¡­ Where are the exoskeletons?"


    "You never told me to gather them for you."


    Every reply was just as gentle. Burne almost hated how soothing Theron¡¯s voice was; it made it difficult to hate him. But for some reason, that only annoyed him more.


    He didn¡¯t know why he became so agitated around this youth. He could only hope that his death date was sooner rather than later.


    "¡­ You¡¯ve done well." Burne eventually said.


    He waved a hand and a bottle appeared. It quickly shot into Theron¡¯s palm.


    Catching it, Theron looked down. He then nodded.


    "Thank you. I actually had a different favor to ask of you, though, Teacher."


    "And that is?" Burne asked indifferently.


    "I want to sit in on the Fourth Year Botany Class."


    Burne¡¯s expression changed. This, he didn¡¯t expect.


    While it seemed like all years were tossed in together, there were certain Classes barred from under-years, this being one of them. Herbology was considered quite a dangerous endeavor for obvious reasons.


    Without completing certain credit prerequisites, it was impossible to attend these specially curated classes.


    "Is that so¡­ Alright." Burne said slowly, his gaze shifting to the pill bottle. Thinking about what was inside, he decided he might as well allow this.


    Theron turned and left after saying his thanks again.


    Burne¡¯s eyes narrowed. Theron actually didn¡¯t check what the pill was before leaving; that was unexpected.


    ¡­


    Theron looked in the bottle after returning to his dorm. He hardly reacted to the fact he had been awarded with a mere three Mid-Tier Bronze Resonance Pills.


    He had been taking pills like this since he was in Third Resonance. What were they supposed to do for him now that he was in the Seventh?


    He tossed it to the side indifferently.


    Out from another secret compartment, he pulled out a new black robe, his last having been tossed in his escape.


    It was time to return to Daggers of the Night.

 Chapter 62: Alright [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron had chosen two new techniques.


    The first was [Water Wrap], a control method that used tentacles of water to restrain opponents. At the Entry Boundary, it could only be used with force and speed because the tentacle itself would be too intangible to maintain steady contact.


    At the Proficient Boundary, the outer skin of the technique would be more substantial and could thus be used to restrain and limit the actions of others with greater ease.


    Beyond this, the true strength of the technique could begin to be displayed. Depending on the intent of the Mancer, it could flow into a more focused control method or an extra attacking and defensive method.


    Much like most techniques, the end result would be dependent on the user upon reaching the Consummate Boundary. Though¡­ most would never step beyond Proficient.


    The second technique was [Water Scythe]. It was an additional attacking method¡ªsharper, faster, and far more lethal than [Water Bullet], not to mention having a wider range. At Adept, it could be as much as three meters across, making it quite the quasi area-of-effect technique as well.


    Theron was a bit slower to improve with [Water Wrap] as it was still stuck at Proficient, but he had already brought [Water Scythe] to Adept. The principles that built it were too similar to [Water Bullet]. The process of concentrating water, taking advantage of its density, and using speed to cut through things¡­


    It was the same thing on another level.


    [Water Scythe] was actually a Mid-tier technique, much like [Water Wrap], while Theron¡¯s other three methods were all Low-tier Bronze Resonance techniques.


    One would think that Theron would have immediately gone for High-tier¡­ but he didn¡¯t think that was necessary at all.


    In truth, most would pick just three techniques at most per Mancy level and give their all to them.


    Theron, however¡­ saw the world very differently.


    With his blades by his side, he would walk his own path.


    But first, he needed to get his father¡¯s blade back. It didn¡¯t matter how long it took or what he had to sacrifice.


    This life of his wasn¡¯t his own.


    **


    Theron appeared in his Daggers of the Night living quarters. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It looked exactly the same, but he knew this wasn¡¯t the location he was used to. The headquarters had most definitely been moved even though the entrance method had been the exact same as always.


    "Please proceed to the hall. Congratulations on surviving."


    A voice echoed from a dirty mirror to the side.


    Theron hardly reacted to it, simply nodding. His hood over his head, he strolled out and into the eerily familiar halls.


    ¡­


    One would have thought that their last headquarters had been transplanted here. Even the curves and markings on the wall were identical. If not for his sharp intuition, it was hard to fathom if Theron would have realized it at all. ????¨¤¦­??§¦?


    Soon, he had made it to the hall.


    "001 reporting," he said calmly.


    "Of which year?" The very same lazy old man behind the desk asked calmly without even looking up.


    "Them all."


    The old man paused, his eyes narrowing. He slowly looked up.


    "I don¡¯t have time for games, child. Next time you report yourself, state your title properly. I¡¯ve seen three 001¡¯s in the last week, and you are among the last to arrive. Don¡¯t think yourself to be special."


    After every recruiting cycle, code names would be given. These code names would come in the form of numbers assigned by ranking of performance. Obviously¡­ 001 referred to Theron¡¯s placement as number one in his cycle.


    Normally, he went by River.


    His code name was 001 ¡¯997.


    It was obvious that for the sake of this culling, reporting this code name was more important than anything else. It was the way they would register who returned and who died.


    "Merchant Greycoat¡¯s killer," Theron replied calmly.


    The old man opened his mouth as though he was about to lose his cool, but then he paused. He looked at the blue eyes shining through Theron¡¯s cloak, and his lips slowly closed.


    "The young these days are truly arrogant," he finally said.


    Shaking his head, he lowered his gaze back to whatever he was reading and then ignored Theron. Clearly this was his way of saying he had now registered him.


    Theron, however, didn¡¯t leave.


    "I¡¯ve noticed something about you, old man," Theron said.


    "I¡¯m busy."


    "You¡¯re always here, and you don¡¯t react to much," Theron continued unbothered. "But I¡¯m also pretty sure that you aren¡¯t in Silver Resonance. And if you were a normal Gold Mancer, I would be able to sense it. So, why is it that I cannot?"


    "I do not have unlimited patience."


    "I need the protection of someone like you," Theron continued, as though the old man¡¯s words were going in through one ear and out the other.


    "I¡¯m just a desk jocky."


    "You¡¯re also an assassin that shows your emotions a bit too easily, which is odd, because like I said, you don¡¯t usually react to much. When I first handed in the Merchant Greycoat mission, your reaction was also clear on your face. That either means one of two things: either you have no right to be here, or you¡¯ve grown to a level where you can truly blend into society¡ªa mortal amongst mortals."


    The old man set his book down and looked up at Theron.


    For the first time, Theron felt a cold chill.


    "Would you like me to kill you right here and now, child? Do you not understand the words I am speaking? Buzz off."


    "No. What I would like to understand is why a talent like me was almost killed at the hands of a Silver Mancer who should be a senior to me. Is rule number one of the Guild something you wipe your ass with?"


    BANG!


    Theron stood in place, but the sturdy desk almost shattered to pieces. Fine cracks raced across its surface, splintering into one another and fusing.


    Seeing Theron still standing there, the old man¡¯s aura vanished into thin air and he slowly stood.


    "Alright," he said lightly.


    He tapped the desk, and an alarm was raised.


    Disputes amongst assassins were rare. Normally, as their profession called for, such things would be handled in the dark. Someone like Theron almost never appeared.


    But since he had proclaimed such things so boldly, out in the open, and with so many witnesses¡­


    Well, there was no choice but to trigger a Daggers Call.

 Chapter 63: A Daggers Call.

    A Daggers Call.


    The last time one had happened was seven years ago. It could be said that it was a hidden rule of the Guild that was almost never triggered. It existed purely for deterrence. But on rare occasion, like today¡­


    Someone would be stupid enough to use it.


    The reason it was so foolish was because, amongst assassins, the only reason someone would take this sort of path was if they had no confidence against their enemy.


    On the surface, this would even the playing field.


    In action, the result would be much the same as always.


    Death.


    ¡­


    Theron¡¯s arrogant demeanor vanished after he turned away from the old man. A deathly stillness hung in his chilling blue eyes.


    Today, it was unlikely that he¡¯d be able to get his father¡¯s short sword back. But¡­ he would be establishing himself and taking his pound of flesh.


    Raiden had done well to make him feel his presence. Today he would learn just who River was.


    ** S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ambience was dark. It always was in the Guild, but there was something particularly heavy about this place.


    As assassins filed into the seats, each donning their own black cloaks, the air only seemed to get darker¡­ heavier.


    Theron stood on a circular platform filled with deep grooves all on his own. There was a small elevating step that stood apart from the rest of the ancient etchings, and his feet barely had the space to stand calmly on it.


    His hands hung in his sleeves loosely, his eyes closed.


    He had already been standing here for 30 minutes, and assassins were still arriving.


    According to the rules, the target had three days to respond to the call. But everyone knew that returnees were nearby given the current circumstances. The Guild had yet to start handing out missions once more, so there was no excuse for anyone to take more than a few dozen minutes at most.


    As such, most began to file in after a half hour. But then an hour passed, and then two.


    Some of the more powerful assassins shook their heads, standing up and leaving. If Raiden wanted to prove a point, they certainly wouldn¡¯t obediently wag their tails waiting for him. They had things to do.


    The flow of assassins began to reverse as the day waned.


    ¡­


    Down on a platform before the circular stage, the old man leaned back, reading his book. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the proceedings, but given the fact there were no Gold Assassins present, it was too obvious that he held all the authority here.


    From time to time, he would glance at Theron, but the child just stood there, unbothered. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem like even a single hair had shifted on his body.


    At first, he didn¡¯t think much of it. But then a quarter of the day passed by, and then half a day.


    Theron¡¯s breathing was still even, his feet still in the same location, his body still unmoving.


    He began to almost vanish from the old man¡¯s senses, forcing him to narrow his eyes.


    Theron¡¯s presence sharpened in his mind¡¯s eye again, but the fact it had faded even the slightest bit in the first place made his heart skip a beat.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that if it had been raining, let alone 12 hours, Theron would have vanished from his sights instantly.


    And then an entire day passed.


    ¡­


    The arena was mostly empty by now. The only ones that remained were the weakest of the Bronze Assassins, probably strong-armed into staying behind by their elders to report on what happened and call them over. ?????N?¦¢??


    And then there was a movement.


    A flash of lightning arched through the air.


    It was a random time in the afternoon on the second day. Raiden didn¡¯t pick a particular time at all, just appearing when he felt like it, his body moving into a bolt that landed perfectly on the opposing elevated platform.


    The circular, ancient rune-etched stage trembled.


    Theron¡¯s eyes slowly opened, but he looked right by Raiden, his eyes landing on an assassin that rushed in after him. Looking around, this assassin found a seat near the first row and then sat.


    The arena burst with life. One after another, message jades started to go out, and a sea of assassins was soon swarming back in.


    The old man also seemed to start paying attention to things, closing his book slowly. He swept a glance over the both of them, his eyes lingering on Theron for just the slightest tick more.


    "A Dagger¡¯s Call has been thrown. I assume that neither of you two need this explained. Challenger, explain your plight."


    The introduction was lazy, but the old man couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more.


    "An attempted violation of rule one of the Guild."


    "And how do you plead, defendant?"


    "Not guilty," Raiden replied indifferently.


    "How would you like to proceed, challenger?"


    Theron didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he moved for the first time in almost two days, his blade drawing a line across his robes and forearm. The movement was so fluid and swift it was hard to tell when he had unsheathed his dagger in the first place.


    He sliced skin and fabric in one motion, blood splattering onto the etchings below. Or, rather, one very particular bowl within the etchings.


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    "The challenger has chosen True Blood."


    Raiden watched this scene for a moment before rolling up his sleeve. He unsheathed a small curved dagger, his movements slow as though deliberately doing so with the intention of allowing others to follow him.


    He too drew a line across his forearm.


    In truth, he didn¡¯t expect this. True Blood was a temporary soul-binding method. It only served one purpose¡­


    To force those under its effects to tell the truth.


    The problem with this path was that not only did he have no obligation to answer questions he didn¡¯t want to, but Theron was subject to the effects as well.


    In this sort of situation¡­ didn¡¯t Theron have far more to hide than he did?


    After all¡­ he knew River¡¯s true name now while Theron knew nothing at all about him.

 Chapter 64: Here.

    Theron squeezed his fist, allowing his blood to pool until it had perfectly filled the bowl to the brim. Then, he released his hold, taking out a bottle of medicine, pulling out a fingerful, and drawing a line across it.


    He pushed the tip of his finger into the wound, the clay-like medicine both stemming the bleeding and healing at once.


    Raiden¡¯s approach was very different. Lightning sparked, and he directly used it to burn his wound closed.


    "Like I said, you two know the rules. Questions must be related to the accusation. Failure to do so will result in immediate death. No one is obligated to ask a question, but failure to do so will increase the pressure on your pain receptors. Relief comes from answering.


    "The same question cannot be asked twice. The defender has the right to rebut and counter-defend.


    "The final judgment will be decided by me according to the result. Challenger, you may ask the first question."


    The old man hadn¡¯t even stepped off of the platform when Theron spoke.


    "Did you try to kill me?"


    The old man almost fell off.


    He almost snapped his head in Theron¡¯s direction.


    Almost.


    This child couldn¡¯t possibly be so foolish, right?


    Laughter immediately erupted through the arena. One wouldn¡¯t think that this was a den of assassins at all. It was more like a group of people from teen to middle ages enjoying a comedy show.


    Among them, Manson¡¯s reaction was the fiercest, directly falling out of his chair and holding onto his stomach.


    Theron didn¡¯t react to their laughter in the slightest, his gaze chilling as he met Raiden¡¯s.


    A pair of blue eyes stared back at him, and Raiden seemed to hardly react either. There was no need for him to do so when others had said all that needed to be said for him.


    "Did you kill my brother?"


    Raiden replied with a question.


    There were three ways to reply in a True Blood dispute. The first was to answer directly under the effect of the soul contract, the second was to not answer at all, and the third was to reply with a question.


    This question had to be related to the one being posed, and it had to have a path that could lead to your innocence.


    Obviously, if Theron had killed Lyn, then Raiden would not only be vindicated, but he would be right to kill Theron on the spot for violating the first rule. ????????§§?


    No one expected Theron¡¯s reply, though.


    "Did you send your brother to be killed?"


    Raiden¡¯s eyes narrowed. Clearly, he didn¡¯t expect this reply either.


    The old man¡¯s gaze shifted to the runes and his shock toward Theron¡¯s line of initial questioning slowly faded. It seemed that maybe¡­ this child might know what he was doing after all.


    There was no way that Theron should know of this. That meant that he had deduced it. As for why that was, it was none other than thanks to the figure that rushed in after Raiden.


    Manson.


    Manson was the very same assassin who had stopped Theron after he handed in the Merchant Greycoat mission back then.


    The first thing he had asked Theron back then was where Lyn was.


    At first, Theron didn¡¯t think much of it. Manson and Lyn must have been friends, and it was unlikely that Lyn would hide the fact that he was going on this mission if his goal was to brag about his achievements.


    But Theron spotted Manson during his escape from the culling, only for Raiden to successfully find him and almost kill him.


    That much was still nothing more than a coincidence, and there was certainly no proof. It made it even harder to believe because Theron had recognized him by his gait alone before and went out of his way to avoid him.


    So even if Manson had spotted him back then, how could he let Raiden know where he was?


    But something kept nagging at him, confirmed especially after Manson just rushed in after Raiden.


    Why would a Silver Mancy genius amongst geniuses care to spend so much time with a Bronze Assassin?


    After listening to Raiden¡¯s conversation with Sadie, Theron understood the genius¡¯ personality quite well.


    Cutthroat. Cold. Detached. Willing to do whatever he needed to claim power, but he was also no cowardly rat, and he certainly wasn¡¯t someone who needed groupies.


    That pointed to one conclusion.


    It was eating Raiden up inside that he hadn¡¯t been the one to clear the Merchant Greycoat mission¡­ and he also really wanted to know why he hadn¡¯t been allowed to.


    His brother was his method of doing so, and Theron had stood in the way of that.


    As for Manson, he had been a close friend of Lyn¡¯s who somehow ended up being closer to Raiden than even the latter¡¯s own brother had been. Meaning, he had some sort of special ability, talent, or usefulness.


    The moment Manson walked in, Theron knew that Raiden would obediently take one step after another in the palm of his hands.


    At first, the laughter was still glaring, but the longer Raiden remained silent, the more it ebbed. Soon, there was a deathly silence that hung in the air.


    The pool of blood in Raiden¡¯s bowl suddenly shrunk and ghastly green veins appeared across his body. He didn¡¯t speak a word, and his expression didn¡¯t so much as change, but all those present knew that he was enduring a shocking amount of pain right now.


    "Interesting non-answer." Theron said calmly. "Sending your brother to die for a mission you¡¯re so very curious about, and then throwing a fit when someone else cleared what you couldn¡¯t."


    "Challenger." The old man interjected.


    Theron didn¡¯t look at the old man for the reprimand.


    Raiden was seething, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t even bring up Sadie because it was unrelated to the question Theron had only just asked. The formation would sense that and kill him.


    "Arbitrator, I would like you to cast your judgment now. I am finished with my questioning."


    The old man paused and then exhaled a breath. If the child had just come here to vent a bit, then that was fine. He had made a great enemy, but judging by their questions, it had long since reached that point already.


    "What do you request?" the old man asked.


    It was a right the challenger received once the defendant failed to answer a question. After all, they couldn¡¯t allow everyone to just flout the rules, right?


    Although not all requests would be followed, within certain limits, they could be accommodated.


    "Three months of confinement and death by combat with his right-hand man." Theron replied.


    Raiden¡¯s eyes narrowed. His right-hand man? Who was¡ª?


    Fury flashed through his blue gaze, lightning sparking.


    "And that would be?"


    "Manson 003 of ¡¯993."


    "003 ¡¯993!" the old man barked. "Present yourself!"


    Manson didn¡¯t expect to be called out in this way. A bit shellshocked, he made his way forward. But by the time he got to the stage, he was calm.


    What was Theron? A Fifth Resonance Bronze Mancer? He had long since reached the Ninth. There was no competition.


    However¡­ maybe he should have noticed that Raiden didn¡¯t even look at him a single time.


    "I don¡¯t know why you would come seek your own death like this," Manson sneered.


    "Begin." The old man¡¯s voice fell.


    Manson shot forward, Dark Mana streaming out of his body as he suddenly vanished from Theron¡¯s sight.


    However, Theron was an eerie sort of calm that reminded one of a trickle of rain.


    "Here¡­" he said softly. "Have this back."


    A spark of lightning shuddered within Theron¡¯s body, pain flaring up within him. But one wouldn¡¯t guess that from the way he pointed his finger forward. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A [Water Bullet] shot through the air, encased within it the last strand of lightning Raiden had left in Theron¡¯s body in hopes of crippling him.


    That night, Raiden had just not been able to leave things alone. How could he leave a threat so easily? So he compromised in this way, doing something he managed to hide even from Sadie¡¯s eyes.


    The largest reason Theron had suffered so much was because of this strand of lightning.


    And right this moment, it appeared again, ejecting itself from Theron.


    There was a shudder through the air as Theron¡¯s black cloak billowed.


    In a single bound, he stepped into Eighth Resonance.


    BANG!


    The [Water Bullet] collided with what looked like empty air.


    Manson froze, convulsing once, then twice, then thrice, before exploding into a rain of blood.


    Lightning that very clearly carried Raiden¡¯s aura writhed on the ground.


    Theron, however, had already turned to leave without another word. No one noticing how a [Water Wrap] tentacle took something away from Manson¡¯s body.

 Chapter 65: Imbued Resonance [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    "When will missions start again?"


    Theron found himself standing in front of the old man minutes later, as though nothing at all had happened. He could feel the old man¡¯s gaze on him, but he scanned through the missions before him as though he couldn¡¯t tell.


    There was a grace period due to the culling, but very soon Theron would be running up against his quota. He needed to complete another mission soon since he couldn¡¯t count on Yonowai.


    Though Theron was expecting an answer, he didn¡¯t get one. Instead, the list he was looking at found a blockage before it.


    His mind came out from the jade to find that a palm was over his own.


    "You say you want protection?" the old man asked.


    Theron¡¯s gaze flashed. This¡­ was not part of his plan. He was simply speaking nonsense to push the old man into a corner and force him to follow the Guild¡¯s rules.


    This turn around wasn¡¯t expected.


    His mind kicked into overdrive, shifting things around.


    The main goal today was obvious. In confinement, Raiden wouldn¡¯t be able to improve. If Raiden couldn¡¯t cultivate, within three months Theron was confident in reaching Silver Mancy, killing the Lightning Mancer himself in the cover of darkness, and taking his father¡¯s sword back.


    Unfortunately, he had known that asking for his short sword back wasn¡¯t in the purview of the requests he could make. In addition, he didn¡¯t want to do anything to compromise his chances of getting it back.


    Right now, the short sword was probably forgotten in a corner of Raiden¡¯s spatial device. If Theron made it clear how much he wanted it back and yet failed to retrieve it, there would be no time for regret if Raiden decided to destroy it to infuriate him further.


    For now, this slow and steady approach was best. Maybe Raiden had already forgotten about the blade, and that would be for the best.


    Theron¡¯s lips parted to respond, but he found something projected into his mind before he could.


    ¡ª


    [3 Star Bronze Mission - Kill Thalrix Ironhart]


    [Reward]


    [>335,000 Bronzes]


    [>Silver Resonance Breakthrough Pill]


    [Details]


    [>The Ironhart Clan is a Earldom Clan of Metal Mancers. Known for their exceptional defenses and unordinary ability to manipulate the earth beneath their feet, changing its form into their unique Ironhart Metal]


    [>There are signs that Thalrix has awakened the Ironhart Bloodline to the Silver Tier already despite only being at the Ninth Bronze Resonance. The Bronze Tier allows Ironhart Skin to be formed. The Silver Tier not only provides an upgrade to this, but also allows Imbued Resonance to be reached]


    [>Thalrix is well known for his arrogance and can be easily goaded into one-on-one combat]


    ¡ª


    This was all the information there was, but Theron was surprised that there was information at all. Normally, you could only see this information if the mission had been accepted¡ªthat was an ironclad rule. ?????¦­?????§§S


    Just how high was this old man¡¯s clearance, exactly?


    "Clear this mission and you will get what you want."


    "Alright," Theron said calmly.


    He already had some speculation. It seemed that this Ironhart would be attending the banquet. He didn¡¯t believe that it was a coincidence that this mission would appear at the same time as Sigil was holding such an event.


    The two connected in his mind seamlessly.


    "You¡¯re accepting a bit too fast, don¡¯t you think? The only reason this isn¡¯t a Four Star Mission is because it was put in yesterday."


    "It doesn¡¯t make a difference," Theron said.


    The old man chuckled and removed his palm from Theron¡¯s hand.


    "Off you go, then."


    Theron nodded and left. At the same time, his gaze flickered down to his hand and the old man behind him looked at his own palm at the same instant.


    ¡¯Peculiar¡­ from First Resonance to Eighth in not even half a year, but I can¡¯t sense anything special about him¡­ An odd variant, it seems¡­ this should be an opportunity.¡¯


    What the old man was most enamored with was Theron¡¯s dealing with Raiden¡¯s lightning. That Mana Control was simply out of this world. Just how long had he been storing that in his body? How much pain had he endured.


    He truly didn¡¯t plan on getting involved with this child at all. But¡­


    There was a flash in the old man¡¯s eyes, and his demeanor seemed to change to that of a completely different person for a moment.


    ¡­ Theron had made it too difficult to refuse.


    Between Raiden and Theron, just who would come out on top, exactly?


    **


    In a deep, dark, and damp room, Raiden sat in silence. Shrouded by black, his blue eyes seemed dim.


    "You¡¯ve suffered a loss today."


    The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, stating something quite plainly.


    "¡­ I have." Raiden said calmly.


    "What have you learned?"


    "Nothing."


    "Oh?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I knew that this was a risk when I let him live. I did not want to do so, but I chose another path. Since this is my fate, so be it. When the opportunity next presents itself, he will die. In the meantime, I will take advantage of the positives of my decision if I must suffer the negatives as well."


    The voice didn¡¯t reply for a long while, but then seemed to nod. A wind kicked up and there was suddenly an array of pills, bottles, and a single booklet before Raiden.


    Raiden¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t bother to speak. He knew that his master was already gone.


    It seems that master has begun to take him seriously as well.¡¯


    **


    Theron walked out of the hotel room, allowing a prostitute to scurry away. If he was going to return to such a hotel so often, he would obviously need a cover even if he changed his face.


    His mind, though, was elsewhere.


    ¡¯Imbued Resonance


    It was a term that he had only heard of vaguely, so rare he could only recall it being mentioned in two books he had read. But to this day, he wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    And what did it mean for Thalrix¡¯s bloodline to allow him to touch it?


    It seems that the Thistles would have to show their use again.

 Chapter 66: Fourth Year Botany Class

    The Fourth Year Botany Class wasn¡¯t being taught by Burne, but it was, unsurprisingly, being taught by a Thistle. Maybe this was only natural. Of the noble families, the Thistles had the closest relationship with herbs and nature.


    Of course, it was a family of Soul Mancers¡ªthe Gianni Dukedom Clan¡ªthat truly monopolized herbology, alchemy, and things of the like. But the Thistles weren¡¯t all too far behind.


    Unlike the other Thistles in this branch of Imperial Academy, though, Teacher Vibra Thistle had been here from the start. She was an old woman that looked like she had a closer foot to the grave than even Burne, but she had a sharp shrillness to her voice that made her sound decades younger.


    The class took place in a field rather than in the normal classroom setting. All around them, there was greenery and shrubbery. However, if one took even the most ordinary of leaves too casually, one would suffer.


    The best outcome might be itching a layer or two of skin off.


    The worst might be an immediate death.


    There was a reason this class was buried beneath so many prerequisites.


    Of all the mature-looking faces around, Theron stood out like a sore thumb as a result.


    One could join the academy any time before their 17th birthday so long as one could pass the entrance exam. This meant that there were some Fourth Years here that were already into their twenties. A 14-year-old like Theron would certainly look out of place.


    However, Theron was too focused on the words of Vibra to care. He had tuned out the rest of the world, and it seemed that for once, he was rewarded for his diligence.


    Unlike the other Thistles, Vibra seemed to take a liking to him almost immediately. There was a hint of discontent at the start, but between his questions and his attentiveness, her heart melted.


    This was already the second day Theron had attended this Fourth Year Botany Class, and she already couldn¡¯t look at him without smiling.


    "Alright, that will be enough for today. Your task for today is to make it out of this maze of greenery. We are nearing the halfway point of the year, so this challenge will be substantially greater than what you are used to."


    Vibra smiled and looked toward Theron. "Little Theron, would you like to start at the middle of the maze? You¡¯ve only been with us for two days, I can give you a handicap."


    Theron shook his head. "I would like to try if it isn¡¯t too much of a burden for Teacher."


    A light chuckle came from Vibra. "You do that, then. Good luck, everyone," she turned to the rest, her voice becoming shrill once more, "sharpen up and don¡¯t let a child beat you."


    Roots rose up from the ground and wrapped Vibra up. They pulled her down into the ground and she vanished without a trace.


    Inwardly, Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡¯A Thistle that specialized in herbology¡­ is certainly a completely different sort of challenge.¡¯


    It seemed like a good thing that those like Vibra who took this path were rare amongst the Thistles. But now wasn¡¯t the time to focus on this.


    Theron turned and much of the class had already dashed out. He, however, wasn¡¯t in a rush. He wanted to make it out safely, and as Vibra had said, this was only his second class. Until now, he had yet to fully integrate his former knowledge with real hands-on experience.


    What better chance than now?


    After scanning the region, he stepped forward. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had only taken three steps before he paused. After two or so seconds, he sidestepped and then continued.


    Though Vibra called this a maze, it wasn¡¯t exactly that. There weren¡¯t tall hedges. From a bird¡¯s eye view, it would look like a normal field allowed to grow wildly. In fact, Theron could see a straight line right toward their destination, the small figure of Teacher Vibra already there.


    Deciphering what plants you were dealing with, how they might interact with those around them, and acting accordingly¡­ that was the true maze.


    The furthest ahead was, of course, the two best-performing students of the class. They were about a dozen or so meters ahead of the second place students.


    Nara and Vaelen. Nara was a Vermouth, a member of their Earldom. Vaelen, however, was much like Theron, not of noble blood, but a great talent in alchemy nonetheless. ????B¦¥????


    Nara was already 20 years old this year. Vaelen, however, was just 17 years old. The dynamic between the two was extremely competitive, and their deductions were quick.


    As they got closer to the end, they would only get quicker. Right now, they were still probing the difficulty.


    Theron sidestepped again, but just as he was about to allow his foot to fall to the ground, he paused. He raised a finger and dropped a tear of water.


    A vine suddenly shot up, snapping at the air right beneath his feet. When it hit nothing, it gave up quickly and vanished. The ground didn¡¯t even look disturbed.


    ¡¯So many sensory carnivores around here¡­ there¡¯s something about this maze that breeds them. How interesting


    Carnivorous plants were very territorial, but this was already the second time Theron had avoided one.


    He pulled his foot back and stood in place, his eyes calmly sweeping things.


    ¡¯Ah, so that¡¯s it


    This maze wasn¡¯t set up at all. It was allowed to grow wildly on purpose, that way the challenge of making it out would be different every time. If the students could prepare in advance, what would be the point?


    Because of that, unique mutations were bound to appear from time to time, and this one, if Theron was correct, was particularly fascinating.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the understanding to grasp it entirely. He only had an inkling.


    ¡¯There must be a strong Yin Mana hanging around if so many have formed. But with how vibrant this field is, that doesn¡¯t feel like it makes sense. In which case


    Theron raised a finger again.

 Chapter 67: Polarity

    Water Mana and Wind Mana, according to the complexities of Mana Theory, were both considered Yin-aligned Elements. Fire and Earth were the opposite.


    Something like wood, being a fusion of Earth and Water Mana, could take on the characteristics of both.


    Many old men and women spent countless years of their lives studying these sorts of things, so even Theron wouldn¡¯t claim that he completely understood. Also, these sorts of affinities didn¡¯t start making real sense until one reached much higher levels of cultivation.


    The main point was that plants could take on a path based on their circumstances. If above ground everything looked so bright and inviting, then the concentration of Yin must be below ground.


    In which case¡­


    Theron closed his eyes, and his Water Mana shifted.


    ¡­


    In the far off distance, Vibra was paying attention to Theron from time to time, but the bulk of her focus was on Nara and Vaelen. They were also her star students, of course.


    Plus, though she spoke like she would leave them all to die if they made a mistake, she would certainly step in if something went wrong. So she was on high alert.


    But when she saw what Theron was doing, her heart almost shut down.


    How is that possible¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    Theron didn¡¯t move for a full half hour. By this point, he was not only the furthest behind, but Nara and Vaelen were already near the exit, moving faster and faster in a rush to be first. Though, this pace was just relative. Their actual movement speed was still slower than a leisurely walk.


    Even the weakest of the class was already at the 75% point.


    From time to time, some would look back at Theron and shake their heads. They couldn¡¯t even understand how a First Year was allowed to be here, much less participate in such an assessment.


    However, after so long, they just stopped looking at all. They had their own improvement to focus on.


    But then Theron opened his eyes and began to move.


    His nose twitched every few seconds, his eyes rapidly scanning as spheres of water rotated around him. These spheres subtly rippled and informed his movement.


    As he grew comfortable, he moved faster and faster, but unlike Nara and Vaelen, this wasn¡¯t a difference of a slow crawl and a slow walk. Theron had started off at a confident stride, and then seemed to enter a power walk, only to begin to jog. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It looked like he could have gone even faster if he wanted, but it was entirely unnecessary.


    His feet seemed to barely graze the grass at some point.


    The current last place, a chubby young man who went by Torvek, looked back out of boredom, feeling like he needed a break. But when he saw Theron coming, his eyes widened.


    "Hey! It¡¯s dangerous! What are you doing!?"


    Torvek¡¯s outcry caught the attention of many others, and the third person in the class who needed to be saved appeared. Vibra vanished in a flash, caught them, and soon a pale-faced youth was placed by her side.


    More and more gazes flickered to Theron, with even Nara and Vaelen being no exception.


    But then a few seconds passed, and then half a minute, and then a full minute.


    Theron showed no signs of being attacked.


    Theron himself ignored the words and glances. He was focused on his nose and sight, the spheres of water around him being almost an afterthought. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the real reason he came to this class. ????§£¨¨?


    This boost to his Water Mana Control was just a bonus. He didn¡¯t think it would have such an interesting application¡­ maybe he should thank Raiden for that.


    He also didn¡¯t know just how floored Vibra was. Of course, as a Gold Mancer, she recognized what Theron was doing. But¡­ that was something that even Gold Water Mancers struggled to do even with a lifetime of experience.


    Nara and Vaelen suddenly realized that they might be overtaken if they were too casual and started pressing. They couldn¡¯t lose, they definitely couldn¡¯t lose.


    It was useless.


    Theron glided by them not even five minutes later, landing before Teacher Vibra and giving her a light bow.


    "Thank you for your teachings, Teacher."


    "I¡­" Vibra blinked. "¡­ Do you understand what you¡¯ve done?"


    Theron looked up at her in confusion.


    Seeing this gaze, Vibra¡¯s lip twitched and then she calmed down.


    "Explain it to me. What did you just do? In your own words."


    "¡­ I noticed that the field had a strong Yin character and that was where most of the danger came from, so I found a method to detect it with my Water Mana and avoid the threats when they appeared."


    It was indeed as Vibra thought, but the three students who had failed by her side could only look in confusion. Yin? Since when did this field, so bright and cheerful, have a Yin character?


    "Yes, but how?"


    "Water Mana has a strong polarity to it if you know how to trigger it. I found out recently that by controlling this polarity, I can force it to have various effects," Theron said simply. "Having it react to strong Yin forces seems to be one of them."


    Directing and trapping Lightning Mana was another. But there was no need for him to say that out loud.


    "Fascinating¡­ truly fascinating¡­ you, Little Theron¡­" Vibra shook her head, almost forgetting she had other students for a moment.


    In the end, she chose to bite back the words she wanted to say.


    "Well done. You may go and enjoy the rest of your day."


    "Thank you, Teacher."


    Theron bowed once more and left.


    Vibra looked at his back, shaking her head slowly.


    What sort of monster was this? How could a person have such control without Imbued Resonance from a bloodline? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡­


    Theron returned to his dorm with a calm expression. He was close. Today, he had recognized many of the scents within the Verdant Bloomstone. He was about 90% of the way done.


    But¡­ there seemed to be some particularly unique scents remaining. His intuition was telling him that it was unlikely he would find them within the Fourth Year Botany Class.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll have to find another method.¡¯

 Chapter 68: Soul Tie [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron walked through the halls of Daggers of the Night. Soon, he had made it to a familiar desk and placed a brown linen sack down.


    The old man looked up, raising an eyebrow.


    "What¡¯s this?"


    "Just a warm up."


    "¡­ Mm."


    The old man nodded and gave Theron his reward. He watched quietly as Theron left, an eyebrow raised in his heart.


    ¡­


    ¡¯The old man is sharp. Maybe too sharp.¡¯


    Theron exhaled a breath, but this was a risk he had to take. While he was surprised by the old man¡¯s skepticism, it wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected.


    The day was Friday, the last day of the weekday. Tonight would be the banquet. It was odd for Theron to go out and complete another mission.


    But Theron also knew that the old man would never guess why he would do this.


    To the old man, he was probably unconfident in success. However, Theron just needed a reason to return to the Guild.


    He rounded a corner and made a subtle movement with his palms and fingers. If one looked into the depths of his eyes, it would be possible to see just how dim and lifeless they were. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Veinsong.


    A beam of red entered his sleeve and he seamlessly slipped back into his accommodations.


    **


    ¡¯Interesting


    Theron had been waiting all week for this.


    After he killed Manson, he had sensed something odd on his body, but he also didn¡¯t want to take it outright and in the open. So, he instead used his own blood to activate [Water Wrap] and bury it. ???????????¦¥s


    They were an assassin¡¯s Guild. The platform used for the Dagger Call wasn¡¯t cleaned; it was allowed to dry naturally. In fact, all of the blood from every Dagger Call triggered was still etched into the platform. It was part of the reason for its rusted, gritty look.


    As such, Theron knew that he would be able to bury the item in his bowl of blood.


    Because Raiden¡¯s lightning had been such a draw¡ªnot to mention the fact it was incredibly easy to hide movement of well-controlled Bronze Resonance Water Mana in the presence of wild Silver Resonance Lightning Mana¡ªTheron¡¯s attempt had gone seamlessly.


    All he had to do was wait for the arena that was almost always ignored to be forgotten again.


    Finally, after nearly a week, he had gotten his chance.


    He actually picked this day on purpose because he knew that in the case the old man was suspicious, it would be for the wrong reasons.


    Would it have been better for him to just wait and turn in the Ironhart¡¯s head instead?


    Yes.


    But Theron knew that he was on a tight timeline, and killing the Ironhart wasn¡¯t exactly going to be easy either. It could be said that his margin for error was incredibly small.


    Luckily¡­ there would be rain tonight.


    A bead rolled across Theron¡¯s palm.


    He didn¡¯t expect that he would get so lucky.


    It seemed that the Nightingale Clan wasn¡¯t so simple to use. At the very least, that was what he hoped. Because if this was the plan of that little girl alone, he just might need to re-evaluate her once again.


    ¡¯So Manson wasn¡¯t just a henchman of Raiden after all. He was a mole the whole time


    The bead in Theron¡¯s palm was formed from Soul Tie Jade. It had one use, and that was to relay all sensory information captured by the soul of the child-holder to the Soul Tie Jade of the parent-holder.


    One would think that meant that Theron would be exposed now, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    As the name Soul Tie suggested, it was powered by the soul. Meaning, the moment Manson died, it shut down and was no longer functioning. It also wouldn¡¯t trigger again.


    One needed the parent Soul Tie Jade here in order to form a new tie.


    That meant the bead in his palm right now couldn¡¯t read or send any information.


    Still, this information seemed worthless. Manson was dead now, so he couldn¡¯t continue being a mole. In fact, it was possible that Theron should feel bad for killing someone who was likely just playing a character.


    But not only did he not even feel the slightest twinge in his heart, this bead also wasn¡¯t useless.


    The Soul Tie Jade didn¡¯t have an infinite range. It was more than likely that Manson had to return to a specific location to allow it to relay properly.


    Since the parent Jade also had to be in range, whoever held it also had to make time to approach.


    It was still quite convenient because even if they were at opposite ends of a city, it would work well. So you never had to risk meeting face to face and blowing your cover.


    But it had its limitations.


    Considering all the chaos in the past few weeks, the odds that Manson had had a chance to dump the information on this Soul Tie Jade were low.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t impossible that it had been emptied recently. There had been quite a lot of time since the culling. But that would depend on Theron¡¯s luck.


    There was only one question left to answer, then. How could he access it?


    That was actually quite easy.


    Any child Jade holder should destroy it before they were killed by detonating their souls. Unfortunately for Manson, he had not only been caught off guard, but Raiden¡¯s lightning had frozen him in mind and spirit.


    Without a soul overseeing it, a child Soul Tie Jade was incredibly vulnerable. All you needed was the prerequisite Mana control.


    Theron left his underground space and returned with a bowl of water, allowing the transparent white marble, fluttering with clouds within, to sink.


    He took a breath, exhaled, and then put his fingers into it.


    Slowly, one image and one memory after another began to pool into him.


    ¡¯Only two weeks of information¡­ it seems he has dumped it recently.¡¯


    It was unlucky, but still manageable. Half a month was a lot.


    This was also a crucial time, so there were still good odds that there was something important.


    Theron was patient, rushing through one sensory memory after another. Even if it took all night, he wouldn¡¯t care in the slightest. Luckily, he was running through the memories much faster than they had been lived.


    And then he suddenly stopped.


    A sharp glow radiated in his eyes.


    That right there. That was it.


    His odds of successfully completing Plan A had just gone from 60% to over 70%.

 Chapter 69: Imbued Resonance

    "This is your stage, little brother. I¡¯m sure there will be some nonsense for you to deal with today, but you¡¯re one of mine. I won¡¯t let you be bullied, and if you feel the need to go wild, go wild."


    Sigil patted Theron¡¯s shoulder with a wide grin. It looked like he was more excited to see Theron go wild than anything else.


    Theron got the feeling that Sigil didn¡¯t really want to hold this banquet but had been strong-armed into it. So the only way for him to make it up to himself was to get Theron to do something to make it worth his while.


    To this, Theron could only chuckle.


    "I¡¯ll be trying my best to keep a low profile."


    "Low profile?" Sigil erupted with laughter. "They¡¯ve all definitely heard about your credit spree by now. Those also weren¡¯t the actions of someone who wanted to keep a low profile."


    Theron smiled. "I¡¯m sure you understand what I did there."


    Sigil paused.


    Right then, the two were in a small green room of sorts. There were plush couches around and luxury abound, not to mention the patented wooden accents the Thistles loved so much.


    For now, there was no one but the two of them here and a silent old man near the door. Though, judging by the reactions of this old man, it was like he couldn¡¯t hear a single thing, though Theron knew that even if he tried to have a hidden conversation with Sigil, it would be a fool¡¯s dream.


    "You¡¯re quite straightforward, aren¡¯t you?"


    Theron shrugged, leaning back into his plush chair.


    "You¡¯ve already said it, I¡¯m no noble. And as a noble yourself, I¡¯m sure you know exactly how nobles came into power."


    There was a flash in the old man¡¯s eyes as he looked toward Theron.


    "That¡¯s¡­ quite the dangerous thing to say, little brother," Sigil said, his smile remaining light.


    "Not really. A Soul Imprint has already been placed on me."


    Sigil frowned. "What?"


    Theron raised an internal eyebrow while the old man slowly looked away as though he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.


    It wasn¡¯t within Theron¡¯s expectations that Sigil wouldn¡¯t know of this, so he decided to adjust some things in his mind. This was actually an interesting development in his estimation. ??????????


    "I¡¯m one of your Clan¡¯s vassals now; I don¡¯t think speaking of such things around you is very dangerous at all."


    Sigil¡¯s frown only deepened.


    "¡­ I¡¯m not a fan of this, but my words don¡¯t carry much weight right now. Fair enough, it seems that I¡¯ve underestimated the state of things a bit."


    Sigil didn¡¯t apologize for the actions of his family, nor did Theron really feel like he should have to either.


    "I already expected this to happen. Your sympathy is unnecessary."


    Sigil chuckled. "Why are you bringing this up now, then?"


    "I¡¯m very interested in understanding something. But Burne is a very annoying handler to have. I have no interest in dealing with him and he will make my sacrifice worthless."


    For the second time, the old man looked over.


    Theron was well and truly towing a very dangerous line right now, one that had already stirred his killing intent, not once, but twice already.


    "That¡¯s twice already," Sigil said with a smile. "Old man Barren has been with me since I was a child. He truly doesn¡¯t react to much."


    Theron shrugged. "I¡¯m only speaking the truth. There¡¯s no secret that he and I have never seen eye to eye."


    "Burne is my father¡¯s most trusted advisor. He won¡¯t even listen to my words over his. In addition, if Burne doesn¡¯t trust you even with a Soul Imprint in place, it can only mean that he has a very good reason."


    "His reason is that I am too talented and he¡¯s worried that I can¡¯t be controlled."


    "And what does that have to do with me?"


    "Nothing. Like I said, I¡¯m just very interested in something that I doubt I can claw out of him." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sigil raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"


    "Imbued Resonance. What is that?" Theron¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity. For the first time, he actually did look like a 14-year-old boy.


    Sigil blinked for a moment and then erupted into a fit of laughter. He laughed so hard he wiped tears from his cheeks.


    Old man Barren once more went back to not paying attention.


    Theron blinked for a while. "What? Did I say something funny?"


    "No¡­ No¡­" Sigil tried to catch his breath. "It¡¯s just that¡­ ah¡­ never mind¡­ I thought you were about to ask me for family secrets or something. Imbued Resonance is not a secret. You probably only haven¡¯t learned about it because it doesn¡¯t appear often in books circulated amongst mortals. Third and Fourth Year martial stream books mention it all the time.


    "The secret of Imbued Resonance is the first part of its moniker. Those that reach Imbued Resonance can mimic the abilities and control of Imbued Mancer Beasts. Sometimes that is literal, as in it comes from Echoes. At other times, it¡¯s not so literal¡­


    "Flux Mancers, for example, can reach Imbued Resonance with their fists or their weapons. Elemental Mancers are more on the literal side of things and can touch shocking levels of control with their elements.


    "The Ironharts¡ªyou¡¯ll meet some today¡ªare an excellent example. Earth Mancy has an incredibly high ceiling, but an incredibly low floor at the same time. There is Earth Mana literally all around us, and in large quantities at that, unlike Wind Mana. But the Heavens are fair and balanced.


    "Because of this, controlling Earth Mana imbued into the ground is incredibly difficult. The Ironharts, however, can¡­ imbue their Mana into the ground, converting the Earth Mana and controlling it with far greater ease.


    "This is Imbued Resonance."


    Theron¡¯s eyes glowed from start to finish, hanging on every word.


    "Of course, it can get much more complicated. For example, Soul and Spirit Mancers, due to their proximity and affinity with Flux Mancers, can sometimes gain their sort of Imbued Resonance abilities too¡ªand vice versa.


    "Flux and Elemental Mancers are on opposite sides of the spectrum, so we usually have no luck in that regard. But we have a small chance at some Soul Mancer abilities like Treasure Control and such¡­"


    Sigil paused. "Ah, seems I¡¯ve spoken too much. It¡¯s your time to be introduced now, go on."


    Theron snapped out of his intent listening and stood.


    "Thank you for the explanation. See you soon."


    With that, he turned and left for the banquet.

 Chapter 70: Tapestry of Emotion

    The curiosity in Theron¡¯s eyes faded as he entered the long hallway. He could hear the bustle of festivities in the distance, and a herald¡¯s voice was already announcing his achievements to the crowd. His gait, however, didn¡¯t speed up.


    ¡¯As expected¡­ Imbued Resonance is more of an open secret.¡¯


    After Theron combed through Manson¡¯s memories, he got that vibe as well, so he thought it was the perfect opening volley toward Sigil.


    While he was, indeed, curious about what Imbued Resonance was, it wasn¡¯t to the point of taking such a risk without reason or cause.


    The words he had chosen today were very deliberate.


    Thanks to Manson, Theron had learned three very important things.


    The first was that Imbued Resonance wasn¡¯t as shocking a secret as he thought it might be. Though, he felt that there was likely a reason it was still so protected.


    Theron had never seen something so censored before. Just for comparison, he had a full understanding of maybe every special herb and plant beneath Gold Grade. Logically, these should be no less valuable than the information about Imbued Resonance.


    So why was one so protected while the other wasn¡¯t?


    The answer wouldn¡¯t come today, but something else certainly would. In fact, all three tidbits of information Theron had learned would be very useful tonight.


    The second was that Sigil wasn¡¯t the only candidate for heirship of the Thistle Clan. He was the most talented of his father¡¯s sons, but there were various uncles and cousins in the main family line as well. There were two others with no less talent than Sigil himself.


    His path to Patriarch wasn¡¯t guaranteed, and much like his father before him, he would need to build his own coalition.


    Theron obviously hadn¡¯t come right out and said it, but that was why his mention of Imbued Resonance was so perfect. Sigil would assume that that was what he really wanted to know, while the seed of taking him in as a real vassal would be planted.


    In such a situation, wouldn¡¯t he gain a small bit of leverage?


    As for the third thing he had learned¡­ well, that would play itself out very soon.


    ¡­


    "¡­ A young genius that¡¯s already accumulated a shocking 39 Credits in just his first year! Please welcome, Theron Galethunder!"


    Theron took a step out from a curtain, stepping through. Light beamed down on him, a great number of gazes landing on his young face.


    Curiosity, intrigue¡­ doubt, disdain¡­ animosity, indifference¡­


    Colors of an emotional spectrum painted the room, bending, bowing, and shifting the Mana in the air. Theron couldn¡¯t help but wonder how a Spirit Mancer might see this sort of crowd. §²????????o?????§¦s?


    The pressure didn¡¯t stop him from calmly scanning the crowd, though. He wanted to understand just what he would be facing tonight.


    His Imperial Scholar robes fluttered beneath the waves of pressure.


    One after another, he met the gazes of those that looked toward him, his expression gentle, his eyes difficult to read. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Hm...?¡¯


    Theron found Thessa in the crowd. But more interestingly than that, Soren and Teagan, who usually followed her around, were instead on the far opposite side of the table.


    ¡¯Interesting.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t the separation that mattered to him. It was likely that since this wasn¡¯t a Sect setting, their noble statuses meant far more than their shared disciplehood. In that case, Thessa being promised to a Nightingale would place her status on a completely separate level from them.


    Though it was doubtful Thessa was here under that status given the circumstances, she had to be from a decent noble Clan herself to warrant a prince¡¯s attention.


    That said, it was the fact Thessa was here at all, especially when Yonowai had only just tried to kill her a month ago, that was of real interest.


    Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he was seeing her in quite a while.


    Theron smiled and gave her a nod.


    Thessa was a bit taken aback, but then quickly looked away.


    Though he raised an internal eyebrow, Theron didn¡¯t think much of it as he swept his gaze through the last and final group. He had left them for one final purpose.


    Their gazes were the most intent, their presences looming the largest.


    The Ironhart Earldom. The Vermouth Earldom. The Ashenvale Earldom. And finally¡­


    The Thistle Marquisette Clan.


    Amongst the Vermouth, Theron pretty quickly spotted Malaya and gave her a small smile as well.


    Malaya blushed, lowering her head quickly. A young man by her side that bore some resemblance raised an eyebrow, and then gave Theron another look. But he said nothing at all.


    He seemed a year or two older than Malaya, but on his lapel there was the insignia of the Luminscent Moon Sect, meaning he wasn¡¯t in the Imperial Academy.


    ¡¯That isn¡¯t a normal Insignia. He is a Core Disciple.¡¯


    Core Disciples were only beneath Chosen. As far as Theron knew, the Chosen for the Luminscent Moon Sect for this generation had yet to be selected, which meant that all things considered¡­ this young man had a very good chance at it.


    His cultivation was at worst at the Higher Silver Resonance levels.


    Someone this powerful wasn¡¯t expected by Theron at all. It seemed that there would be quite some fireworks tonight.


    Each noble Clan seemed to have at least one young noble of this caliber with them.


    The Ashenvale had sent forward two incredibly pale-faced young women that looked like a pair of elder and younger sisters, while the Ironhart Clan¡­


    Well, they too had sent forward two people, but Theron was only interested in the younger of them, a young man with a row of grinning silver teeth.


    He wore a suit, but the sleeves had been ripped off, revealing a chiseled pair of arms lined with silver tattoos.


    His hair spiked up in all directions as though he had just been shocked, and there was a fiery blaze in his bronze eyes.


    Every time he moved, heavy brass bracelets that looked far too large to have successfully stayed on his wrists rattled, but one would be quick to find out that there were more pairs around his ankles as well, hovering above his bare feet.


    It looked like he had been forced into formal attire, only for him to rip them apart with his bare hands.


    This could only be one young man.


    Thalrix Ironhart.


    [Important announcement below]

 Chapter 71: Curious [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Thalrix grinned wildly at Theron, clinking what looked like silver nails turned claws on the table. It tore into the delicate fabric that adorned it.


    Theron met his gaze calmly.


    There was nothing at all on Thalrix¡¯s body that denoted he was part of any sort of Sect or Imperial Academy. But most often, this was the most fearsome sort of opponent.


    It was a young talent a family didn¡¯t want to be influenced by any others. These were existences that were likely beyond Chosen in many instances, young elites that a family would pour all their resources into if given the chance. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sigil was almost certainly such an existence before Dean Thistle chose to bring him forward. Presenting Sigil like this, there was obviously just a single purpose¡­


    To display dominance.


    That was how confident Dean Thistle was in his son.


    Of course, this was all relative. A talent an Earldom would keep in-house likely couldn¡¯t be comparable to a talent a Marquisette would.


    How talented Thalrix truly was¡­ well, Theron¡¯s blade would have to test that.


    Theron took a seat by the seat of honor. Of all those here, he probably had the second most prominent position, and yet he didn¡¯t have a name any of them recognized.


    Sitting there on an elevated platform, when there was no doubt geniuses here that also came from families that had secretly submitted to the Thistles, was bound to bring forth ire.


    If Theron noticed it, though¡­ he didn¡¯t seem to react much at all.


    The herald¡¯s horn finally came to a stop.


    "And now, I will introduce the main character of today¡¯s events, a young talent you¡¯ve likely heard quite a great deal about. Stepping into the Imperial Academy and completing 33 Credits in a single bound, not wasting even a second day, his legend has long since spread far and wide.


    "Some of you know him as Young Master Sigil; some of you might call him Imperial Scholar Thistle; I know him simply as Young Heir, a young man truly bound for greatness¡­


    "Please help me welcome, Young Noble Sigil Thistle!"


    It wasn¡¯t long before Sigil walked out with a smile, standing before the seat of honor right beside where Theron sat.


    "Thank you, thank you everyone. I¡¯m endlessly grateful that so many young elites have chosen to come to my banquet today, it is an honor like no other."


    He reached for a cup of wine before him, raising it high up.


    "I¡¯ll do my best to be the greatest host I can. I hope your time here tonight will be some of the best times you¡¯ve had."


    Many raised their cups along with Sigil, Theron being no exception. Then, they downed their cups.


    Sigil took a seat with a wide grin.


    "Come! Dancers! Music! Ambience!"


    Every clap of his hands brought another shudder to the room. Wooden panels writhed, roots moving and shifting.


    It didn¡¯t take the geniuses present to realize that this was a display of Sigil¡¯s Mana control, and that it was.


    So all-encompassing, such a wide range, and yet so delicate and unforced.


    A sextet of scantily clad dancers rose up, with vines wrapping around their bodies until six separate platforms were formed around the room. Each one began to dance in an elegant rhythm all on their own. ?¨¢?¨®???


    At the center of the banquet, in between the arrangement of two long tables, a wooden platform opened up to allow a band to rise up from the ground.


    At the same time, roots curling through the ceiling fell from above, their flowers budding and shimmering with light as the main lights of the dining hall fell to silence.


    It all happened together in a single instant, and even Theron found his eyes narrowing.


    Mana control was his specialty. He didn¡¯t think he lost to anyone in his own generation. But this range and sheer quantity¡­ he couldn¡¯t match up to such a thing yet.


    Sigil might be on the verge of the Middle Silver Resonance tiers, but he was a genius for a reason. His vast stores of Mana might already match up to many Middle Silver Resonance geniuses on the verge of the Higher tiers.


    It was just a simple motion, just four claps of the hand, and yet every ripple was imprinted onto their souls.


    Sigil sat back in his chair, not even pale-faced. Then, he leaned over to Theron.


    "Ha, now it seems I won¡¯t have to do anything else tonight. Clever, don¡¯t you think, little brother? Saves me so much work."


    Theron smiled. "Your range is something else."


    "My range, huh? It seems you¡¯re not very impressed by my control," Sigil said jokingly.


    "I don¡¯t think anyone is a match for me in control," Theron said with a chuckle.


    "Yeah?" Sigil grinned, a light of competition sparking in his eyes.


    The two joked about it for a bit longer, but Theron knew that with Sigil¡¯s pride, he would never actually challenge him until they were on equal footing. As far as he was concerned, any win otherwise would be meaningless.


    "It¡¯s not like I have a choice," Theron said. "Water Mana isn¡¯t good for combat. Without control, I have nothing."


    "I understand what you mean. But before my ancestors¡­ Wood Mana was also not good for combat," Sigil grinned.


    There was a sparkle in Theron¡¯s eyes when he heard this. Then, he slowly nodded, his gaze becoming a bit absent.


    Indeed, there was no reason the Thistles should have such great defenses or combat abilities. But they did.


    Teacher Vibra¡¯s path was also exceptionally interesting. Honestly speaking, Theron thought that that path had even more potential than the ones the Thistles were on now.


    If he was a Wood Mancer, he would certainly pick it.


    Sigil allowed Theron¡¯s thoughts to churn and he found himself genuinely smiling. Theron was certainly an interesting character, and reminded him a lot of himself.


    They were both prideful. But neither was arrogant.


    "Young noble!" A voice came from the tables ahead.


    Sigil looked up, smiling when he noticed it was the Vermouth beside Malaya speaking.


    "This is quite the friendship you have with young Theron. I¡¯m very curious, how did you two become so close?"


    Sigil chuckled.


    "It¡¯s rare for young master Aeryn to be so interested in someone else. I was certain you were a man of few words."


    Aeryn smiled politely, his gaze landing on Theron after another glance at Malaya.


    "I¡¯m just curious."

 Chapter 72: I’m Sorry [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron looked quite calm on the surface, but he was still calculating something.


    When he used Malaya back then, his intentions were quite obvious. He needed a cover for his movements¡ªa reason to be at the Purple Scale Teahouse and an alibi following Yonowai¡¯s death.


    Of course, he had thought about what it would mean to choose Malaya as well. He had known Malaya was a Vermouth back then, so why would he choose her specifically?


    The answer was obvious as well. He knew that as a noblewoman, she couldn¡¯t control her own marriage. In addition, her personality was quite soft and pliable, so it would be easy to get in and get out without too many strings attached.


    Although she would be sad for a while, that wouldn¡¯t be because she had actual feelings for him. Instead, she would just feel bad about not reciprocating.


    While there was a chance that she could fall for him¡­ what did that have to do with him?


    With how docile she was, she would be unlikely to pursue it because she wouldn¡¯t want to disappoint her parents.


    An overprotective elder brother, though¡­ that was out of his calculations. Even he couldn¡¯t account for everything, least of all for such a thing to appear right here and now.


    Unfortunately for him, Malaya was terrible at hiding her emotions, and even worse at lying. Depending on how close she was with her brother, she was one session of questioning away from spilling everything.


    Would that be bad for Theron? Not necessarily.


    But that would also depend on how "overprotective" they were talking.


    "I actually haven¡¯t known little brother for long, but we are kindred spirits. I believe we vibe together quite well."


    "Oh? You call him little brother? High praise, high praise indeed."


    Aeryn looked toward Theron again, his smile deepening.


    "Theron, is it?"


    Theron smiled. "Yes, that¡¯s me. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not sure if I know you. I¡¯m not familiar with most here; this is my first time in such a setting, please forgive me."


    "Not to worry," Aeryn chuckled. "I am Aeryn Vermouth, Core Disciple of the Luminiscent Moon Sect. I am Malaya¡¯s elder brother, I¡¯m sure you know her."


    "I do, I do," Theron nodded without missing a beat while Malaya turned as red as an apple. "Malaya and I managed to claim three Credits together at an academic stream debate. She played a huge role, carrying a little First Year like me."


    Malaya¡¯s lips parted to refute, but her tongue didn¡¯t seem to be working properly right now. She just kept jamming her covert fingers against her brother¡¯s waist, but that only made Aeryn press on all the more.


    "Oh? Is that where you know her from?" Aeryn blinked as though in surprise.


    Theron blinked. "Yes, of course. That, I believe, is when we first interacted."


    "Have you taken a liking to my sister, Theron?"


    This time Malaya yanked on her brother¡¯s arm hard.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be anything malicious in Aeryn¡¯s words, and the banquet was still lively. The music continued, the dancers moved, and the mood was good. ?¨¢£Î?????¨¨????


    But there were still quite a number paying attention. Who could miss something so interesting?


    The two sisters of the Ashenvale Clan giggled, but didn¡¯t say too much.


    As for Thalrix, he was sinking his sharp silver teeth into a huge leg of meat and seemed to be the only one that truly didn¡¯t care.


    What surprised them all, though, was that Theron¡¯s reaction was quite quick and didn¡¯t carry the slightest hint of nervousness.


    "What is there not to like about your sister? She is beautiful, demure, and has a heart of gold. It is unfortunate that I have no fate with her."


    Even Aeryn was a bit taken aback.


    To Theron¡¯s side, Sigil was grinning ear to ear like some sort of proud elder brother while Malaya almost hit her head against her plate of food. She would have dove beneath the table if she wasn¡¯t sure that that would make the situation even more embarrassing for her.


    Aeryn recovered quickly, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.


    "And what do you mean by that?"


    Theron tilted his head to the side in confusion as though he didn¡¯t know why Aeryn was confused.


    "I¡¯ve spoken to Malaya about it quite plainly, I was open with how I felt. Unfortunately, she isn¡¯t at liberty to control her own marriage. I do not want to come between her and her Clan, so what else can I do but take a step back? sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My parents died early, I have no family or background, I can only build one myself. Unfortunately, Malaya cannot wait for me to do such a thing. That is not her fault, but mine."


    Aeryn didn¡¯t reply immediately, but the danger in his smile faded. It seemed that he had jumped to an improper conclusion.


    Throwing a glance at his little sister and seeing her face buried beneath her hair, her ears poking out like two steaming hot tomatoes, he was caught between laughter and guilt.


    A silence fell for a moment.


    "What a useless conversation."


    Thalrix interjected, meat juices falling from his lips and chin like blood. He spoke with his mouth half full without regard for anything.


    "If you want to fuck a bitch, then fuck her. Once the rice is cooked, what can her brother say? Sounds to me like you¡¯re a pussy."


    Theron¡¯s gaze slowly turned to Thalrix, who was half devouring his food, half looking at him.


    "Just look at a certain princess consort that¡¯s here. She only just now realized that distancing herself from her reverse harem was probably smart. Women these days don¡¯t care about their reputations anyway, so why should you guard it for them?"


    A flare of rage surfaced on Thessa¡¯s face before she buried it just as fast as it came.


    "Oh my, oh my, I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s not enough food here, and when I¡¯m hungry, my mouth runs on its own. But I really would be too embarrassed to send my princess consort here if she couldn¡¯t even take a main seat. What an embarrassing woman."

 Chapter 73: Princess Consort [Super Gift Bonus]

    [Big thanks to Mr. Ham]


    Theron raised an eyebrow.


    Many, whether by accident or in subterfuge, looked toward Thessa at that moment.


    Soren and Teagan both clenched their utensils, but didn¡¯t say a word, burying their heads into food as though this might help them forget what was going on around them.


    Theron hadn¡¯t thought that Thessa¡¯s princess consort status would be exposed like this. At the very least, not in such a crude fashion.


    In reality, this was the only logical path to take after her attempted assassination failed. There was no point in hiding her identity anymore if people were already aware of who she was.


    "If you have something to say to me, say it boldly and proudly," Thessa said coldly.


    Thralix blinked as though confused why Thessa could possibly be angry with him.


    "Didn¡¯t I already say what I wanted to say? If he wants her, he just needs to find a good time to fuck her. Threaten her parents a little bit with ruining her reputation, then poof¡ªhe¡¯ll have the wife he wants. Clearly he¡¯s too busy bullshitting people to do any of that."


    Aeryn¡¯s dangerous smile had returned.


    "Drystan, I would advise you get your little cousin to watch his mouth, or I¡¯ll be happy to show him the difference between the Bronze and Silver Resonance."


    CRACK.


    Thralix¡¯s silver teeth shattered a leg bone half the width of his face with a bite, the splintering pieces revealing a drooling bone marrow within.


    "If you want to address me, address me directly," Thralix said with a savage grin. "I¡¯m not like certain other ball-less cowards here."


    "But you certainly are more stupid."


    Thessa¡¯s voice had been several degrees colder.


    Theron sat back in his own seat, watching this unfold. It was fascinating to him.


    He couldn¡¯t feel them, but he was sure there were a large number of Gold Mancers keeping an eye on this place, each one charged with the protection of these little nobles. ????????N?§£¦¥?


    All the while, these Clans were allowing their youths to battle it out.


    Sigil had been sent here to assert dominance, so what was Thessa sent here for?


    Was it the same? S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thessa¡¯s eyes lit ablaze as she stood to her feet, her palm rattling the table beneath her.


    "The Crown has just been insulted," Thessa said coldly. "I¡¯m sure young noble Sigil won¡¯t mind this princess consort reminding a little Earldom of their place, correct?"


    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    This wasn¡¯t the Thessa he knew. Clearly, there were quite a few people around him playing characters. As much as he thought himself to be sharp¡­ he wasn¡¯t sharp enough.


    If Thessa managed to take the reins of the banquet so easily, it would certainly flip things on its head. Much of Sigil¡¯s earlier display would also become useless.


    This was a clash between rebel and crown¡­ and more importantly than that, should Sigil lose, it would be a hard blow to come back from. That was because he wouldn¡¯t be losing to the Crown Prince. He would be losing to his betrothed.


    ¡¯They¡­ certainly have quite some confidence in Thessa¡­ but why¡­?¡¯


    He had seen her battle, she was nothing special. And then he recalled something.


    Fire Mana


    It was the perfect counter to Metal Mana, but that wasn¡¯t the most important point. Just why had Thessa hidden her abilities back then?


    Sigil chuckled. "My oh my, you¡¯re certainly putting me in a tough spot."


    The moment Sigil began to speak, Theron could feel that he wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with the situation.


    Sigil didn¡¯t even want to be here. Political savvy was obviously not his forte.


    ¡¯I wonder Theron thought. Just how far back does this go? Was Thessa in on Sadie¡¯s slip-up even back then too? Why would the two even coordinate something like that if it was the case?¡¯


    Theron suddenly chuckled. "They really are driving you into a corner."


    Sigil blinked, giving Theron a look as though to see if he had anything to pull him out of this.


    "You have an idea, little brother?"


    "Why not? I was bragging so much earlier about control, so instead of ruining the ambience, we can just have a little competition of Mana control?"


    "Mm," Sigil shook his head, picking up on something. "That would probably be unfair. We¡¯ve all heard that Thralix has already awakened his Ironhart Bloodline to Silver Resonance and gained an Imbued Resonance. He¡¯ll have too much of an advantage."


    Theron shook his head. "That¡¯s ridiculous. This is the princess consort we¡¯re talking about, how could she lose because of an Earldom¡¯s bloodline?"


    Sigil smiled. Indeed, this little brother of his was too sharp for his own good. Even he might be goaded into such a thing.


    But the goad wasn¡¯t what was all that important. It was the intent.


    If Thessa had come here to assert dominance, she couldn¡¯t possibly back down from something like this, right?


    Thessa sneered, her eyes boring holes into Theron. Flames licked about in the depths of her eyes, her black hair slowly raising and then falling down to the small of her back once more.


    Something seemed to be burned away from her, and in that moment, she without a doubt became the most radiant woman in the room. It was hard to fathom just how they hadn¡¯t realized just how beautiful she was until this moment.


    ¡¯Sensory perception nullification Theron calmly analyzed. I wonder what form it took


    "I do not mind a battle of Mana control to keep the peace. So long as the loser presents their head to the victor. That should keep it peaceful enough for you, right?"


    BANG!


    Thralix stood as quick as lightning, his chair shattering beneath him. The table would have shattered as well if not for the fact it was made of wood and Sigil had lightly tapped a finger.


    "Do you think I¡¯m afraid of a slut?"


    Thessa suddenly slapped out with a palm, but it wasn¡¯t toward Thralix at all. Instead, Soren and Teagan were ripped into the air, dangling by thrashing vines of fire.


    Before they could react, a line of flames pierced their foreheads, ripping out a bundle of fluttering, cotton-like white energy.


    "Have either of you ever defiled my innocence?" she asked coldly.


    Like dull zombies, they spoke out at the same time.


    "No."


    BANG!


    The vines of fire squeezed down and a rain of blood fell.


    "Now, you. Come to die."


    Her fury had reached such a peak that her hair danced in an unknown wind.


    Theron¡¯s pupils had constricted into pinholes. ¡¯That isn¡¯t Fire Mana¡­ That¡¯s Fire Spirit Mana.¡¯


    Thessa wasn¡¯t a Fire Mancer, she was a Spirit Mancer. Not only was she a Spirit Mancer, she was a Quasi Silver Spirit Mancer that had already integrated an Echo. Not only had she integrated an Echo before the Silver Resonance, but it was an extremely rare Fire Spirit with a soul, allowing her to combine her Spirit Mancer abilities with that of a Fire Mancer seamlessly, gaining the best of both worlds.


    Theron realized then that he had completely underestimated her. This card that the Nightingale kept in their back pocket... was truly something else.


    Inwardly, he smiled.


    ¡¯Perfect.¡¯

 Chapter 74: Mana Wrestling (1)

    Theron truly didn¡¯t expect that he would see such a thing here.


    Spirit Mancer cultivation methods were rare, so rare that even a talent like Burne was left aside by the Thistles for so long. So just what kind of background did Thessa have to use such methods? S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Fusing with an Echo before Silver Mancy¡­ I have a feeling that this isn¡¯t natural. It¡¯s more likely that she had a cultivation method that requires it. Maybe when she enters Silver Mancy, she will replace this Fire Spirit with another. Or, maybe the process of entering Silver Mancy itself requires a Silver Grade Fire Spirit?¡¯


    If Thessa knew that Theron had figured out her cultivation method with a glance, it was unknown how she would react. But what was certain for now was that she was out for murder.


    No¡­ she had already murdered.


    Theron looked at the blood that splattered across the ground. The musicians, coated in crimson gore, froze¡ªand many others stopped with them. To the side, the dancers screamed, shuddering and huddling down on their wooden platforms.


    Aeryn slowly stood to his feet.


    "I do not care who you are. Killing two disciples of my Luminescent Moon Sect is absolutely unacceptable."


    The Core Disciple seemed to be truly enraged.


    Soren and Teagan were completely innocent, but just for a little bit of reputation, she had actually killed them so openly and without regard for the face of the Sect.


    The righteous indignation of Aeryn was palpable. It was easy for Theron to tell at a glance, especially from the way he protected his little sister, that this was a man who always wore his heart on his sleeve.


    Maybe it was only natural he reacted like this despite the risks.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even get the chance to move when a shadow suddenly appeared before him. Their face was obscured by a mask of swirling black, a cloak just as dark adorning their body.


    The figure didn¡¯t say a word, but Aeryn could feel a suffocating pressure pressing down on him. A cold sweat formed on his brow, his heart beating erratically.


    It wasn¡¯t until Malaya pulled his sleeve hard, pushing him into his chair, that he finally escaped the pressure.


    "Are you okay, big brother?" Malaya asked softly.


    The cloaked, shadowy figure vanished into thin air as though they had never been there.


    Aeryn didn¡¯t get a chance to respond before Thessa spoke again.


    "It seems that many of you have forgotten, but let me remind you. This land is ruled by the Nightingale Clan. My hand has been promised to the Crown Prince¡ªI, the Princess Consort of the Nightingale Clan, will not accept any form of disrespect. The punishment¡­ is death!"


    BANG!


    Thalrix landed heavily on the platform from which the musicians had long been scattered, leaving their blood-soaked instruments behind.


    "Enough talk!" he growled. "Little pussy, what are the rules of this Mana control competition?"


    To the side, Theron raised an eyebrow.


    "Young master Thalrix, I think you¡¯ve been quite the agitator today already, don¡¯t you think?" Sigil¡¯s voice echoed coldly, the platform Thalrix stood on trembling just the slightest bit as though to remind him that Sigil could kill him whenever he so pleased.


    Thalrix looked down beneath his feet, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    "It¡¯s fine," Theron said with a light smile, "since he dares be so rude even to the princess consort, then who am I to complain? I can only hope he keeps his head." ?§¡??????¨¨s


    Thessa and Thalrix both looked to Theron together, as though the two of them were both surprised that he would say such a thing. But Theron didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    "The rules can be quite simple, a Mana Wrestling match. Each of you form this quantity of Mana¡­"


    Theron raised a finger and a sphere of water slowly rotated into being until it was a perfectly smooth blue ball about a foot across. It didn¡¯t have even the slightest ripple across its surface as it rotated.


    "Simply press your balls of Mana against one another, and whoever crushes the other first wins."


    Thalrix and Thessa both snorted, raising their fingers. Their Mana swirled into being.


    Thessa¡¯s Mana swirled into a sparkling red-gold flame, and Thalrix¡¯s crumpled into what looked like an enormous bit of tin foil.


    It was clear at a glance that neither one was comparable to Theron. Thessa¡¯s flames still licked out from time to time like the arcs of solar flares, while Thalrix¡¯s¡­ well, it was an unsightly piece of work to be sure.


    Without saying a single word, who was superior and inferior was clear at a glance, and both could only be lucky that they weren¡¯t facing off against Theron instead. Even Sigil, by Theron¡¯s side, couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes.


    Was that a ball of Water Mana? Or was it a polished marble? Which was it?


    "Ready? You can begin when my water sphere bursts apart," Theron said calmly.


    His finger flexed and the sphere shot into the air above the duo.


    "Three¡­ Two¡­" Theron snapped his fingers and a misty rain fell from above, avoiding the two. It wouldn¡¯t be very fair if he doused Thessa, now would it?


    Both spheres shot forward at once.


    BANG!


    They collided in the air, sparks of fire and molten droplets of metal sprinkling out.


    Sigil tapped a foot, and a barrier appeared around the tables to protect the spectators. It was clear that he had been ready for something like this to happen this evening, even though it had occurred in such an unexpected way.


    Theron watched calmly as the two balls wrestled against one another.


    The type advantage here was clear, but everything was relative. Thalrix¡¯s metal might melt in part, but that didn¡¯t mean it would melt all the way through.


    Plus, he was able to make his Mana far more dense due to the nature of Metal Mana to begin with. By comparison, Fire Mana was far more volatile and harder to compress. Doing so was like forming a bomb in real time. It might have the most explosive offensive strength of the four base Elements, but that came at a price.


    Unfortunately for Thalrix, this wasn¡¯t normal Fire Mana.

 Chapter 75: Mana Wrestling (2)

    The two spheres of Mana seemed to be at a stalemate. Thalrix had the density advantage and as much as Thessa melted the layers of his tinfoil ball away, the poor folding actually helped him.


    There were so many air pockets in Thalrix¡¯s ball that the fire couldn¡¯t pass on its heat evenly and efficiently. In fact, after observing for a while, though Theron knew that Thalrix couldn¡¯t make a ball as smooth as his own, he could certainly do much better than this.


    It was clear that Thalrix was a genius for a reason.


    The most important point, though, was that while Thessa¡¯s Fire Mana seemed to flick away and vanish into the wind easily, from time to time, Thalrix would take control of the cooled molten Mana that flaked from his tinfoil ball and slap them back on.


    Slowly, Thessa¡¯s ball of fire became smaller while Thalrix¡¯s own, while having shrunk a small bit, had remained relatively the same size.


    A sneer came from Thalrix, the painted lights of orange and red dancing across his silver teeth and tattoos in the somber lighting. He could feel that victory was approaching.


    "You know, maybe if you strip for me I¡¯ll forgive you and won¡¯t take your head. But I¡¯m a man of the people first and foremost, so you¡¯ll have to give us all a little show." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the first goading got a reaction out of her, Thessa had hardly reacted with anything other than cold, ruthless efficiency afterward.


    Even hearing these words now, her expression didn¡¯t change or shift in the slightest.


    As much heat as her Mana was giving off, she was cold. Frigidly so.


    Her flames seemed stoked by something else entirely.


    "It seems that it¡¯s time to end this." She finally spoke after the third wave of Thalrix¡¯s taunts.


    She allowed him to rise to a high, riding on a wave of arrogance and complacency. But now¡­


    He would pay.


    Chi. Chi. Chi.


    Sparking embers suddenly erupted. Not from the air, not from Thessa, but from within Thalrix¡¯s tinfoil ball.


    There was a sudden change to Thalrix¡¯s expression, but it was too late.


    ¡¯Fascinating Theron thought. ¡¯She can control the heat of her flames through her soul itself; this is far more control than any Fire Mancer has. She allowed Thalrix to think the bits of metal had cooled down, while in reality the kernel of her flames was still in there. Then, when the time was right §²¨¢?????¦¢??


    BANG!


    The tinfoil ball exploded.


    Thalrix crossed his arms in front of himself, protecting his face and using his Mana control to send the tidbits of shrapnel curving away from him.


    PENG! PENG! PENG! PENG! PENG!


    The rebounding echoes pelted across the barriers, a violent upswell of shuddering, quaking Mana filling the air.


    Thessa unleashed an enraged shriek as though all her compressed fury was erupting all at once.


    Her body flashed, appearing above Thalrix and slapping down.


    A flaming palm crashed down from above, expanding so fast it was already the size of Thalrix¡¯s body by the time it collided.


    In the same fluid motion, Thessa used her other hand to flip a palm, pulling out a sword that instantly erupted into flames.


    She didn¡¯t even wait to see the result of the palm, slashing down with all her might.


    There was no chance to succeed.


    Sigil had already tapped a foot, a covert barrier of wood appearing around Thalrix.


    The Ironhart were soon to become a subordinate of his Thistle Clan, and he couldn¡¯t allow their best genius to die so easily. Inwardly, he sighed.


    He really hated politics.


    BANG!


    Thessa¡¯s blade rebounded against something hard, but through all the flames she couldn¡¯t see exactly what it was and wasn¡¯t sure that Sigil had interfered. But it didn¡¯t take a genius like her to make a guess at that.


    She was sent flying back, her wrists rattling beneath the pressure.


    Her thoughts were already swirling with how to attack again when a figure suddenly appeared before Thalrix, waving a hand. The flames and wood all dispersed at once, making it impossible to see that Sigil had ever interfered in the first place.


    Thessa landed heavily on the ground and was still about to risk everything to burst forth once more, but a large back had long blocked her way.


    The cloaked figure.


    A stalemate.


    Two hidden Mancers stood across from one another, their charges to their backs. It was clear that neither had the intention of stepping aside.


    Thessa huffed for breath. "So the Ironharts don¡¯t know how to keep their word. I don¡¯t know why I expected anything else from a little Earldom."


    Her words dripped with venom, her fury lacing through them all.


    The cloaked figure before Thalrix didn¡¯t say anything even after their young master stood to his feet, wiping his mouth of blood.


    There were tidbits of metal sticking out of him, but it was clear that he hadn¡¯t suffered any substantial injury at all.


    He sneered. "I don¡¯t remember agreeing to give you my head, slut."


    BANG!


    A slap turned Thalrix¡¯s head. The cloaked figure that stood to protect him didn¡¯t say a word, just turning and thrusting out a palm.


    After this, he threw a spatial ring forward and then took Thalrix by the arm, vanishing.


    Thessa trembled with rage, but there was nothing she could do. She had known things would end like this; it was why she had attacked so fiercely and without hesitation.


    In the end, it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Theron watched all of this calmly by the side. As the proceedings continued, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything nearly as entertaining that would occur, and the night waned with nothing more than empty small talk and Malaya doing everything she could to avoid eye contact with him.


    The Ashenvale sisters, though, seemed quite eager to get to know Theron, taking turns to see which of them could fluster him first to no avail.


    And like this, the banquet ended. As for the winner?


    All that could be said was that it was an unfortunate debut for young noble Sigil.


    **


    Thessa sat in a hall on the ground, her head buried into the fabric of her dress. Her wails filled the hall, tears streaking down her face.


    "My best friends¡­ my best friends¡­ Soren¡­ Teagan¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­"


    The heart-wrenching cries of a broken heart echoed, and yet a stone-cold figure stood right next to her in a cloak of black, reacting as though it hadn¡¯t heard a single thing.

 Chapter 76: Pelting [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    The moon hung high in the skies, rain pelting down from above as though the Heavens were in a furious rage.


    Theron sat silently on a rock, his mind at peace, his eyes shockingly cold.


    He was right there. Anyone should have been able to see him, sitting on the side of a dirt road on a boulder without the slightest hint of concealment. And yet, maybe even a Gold Mancer might accidentally overlook him right now.


    Others might choose to stay in on a night like this. For him, though, he felt the most at peace in this rain¡­


    His mind was calmer.


    His thoughts were clearer.


    His blade was sharper.


    ¡­


    A carriage rattled in the distance.


    "FUCK!"


    Thralix almost shattered a panel, but his fist was stopped by Drystan.


    Again.


    "That¡¯s the last time I stop you, Thralix. I¡¯m not your babysitter," Drystan said coldly, beginning to grow tired of Thralix¡¯s antics. "If you shatter this carriage, you¡¯ll be walking in the rain alone, naked, and cold. I will strip every fucking thing off of you¡ªtry me."


    "Who the fuck are you to talk to me like that?!"


    "Someone who¡¯s stronger than you. Try remembering that sometime."


    "You sure have a lot of balls¡ª."


    "Whatever. Surpass me first, then you can talk about what you¡¯re going to do. All I see is a child with an overbloated ego, and now your bullshit has cost the family. Do you have any idea the kind of loss we suffered tonight?"


    Thralix finally fell into silence. If there was one person he was actually afraid of, it was his father. No¡­ his mother was probably even scarier.


    When he thought about the grilling he would have to endure when he returned home, he felt a pit drop into the bottom of his stomach and he almost lashed out again.


    But this time, it was a flare of Drystan¡¯s aura that stopped him.


    He exhaled a breath and looked out toward the pelting rain.


    There was a reason they were still on this road despite having left so early. After being taken away by old man Mona, they had been pulled into a meeting with Dean Thistle. ????¨¢N§°????§§?


    The Dean hadn¡¯t said much, and pretty much only spoke to Drystan directly. Being there¡­ Thralix had never felt so small in his life.


    He had always been the center of attention, the genius, and yet this man didn¡¯t even care to look at him a single time.


    In the end, the agreement was for him to enroll into the Imperial Academy, which required more bullshit and preparation. It was only after all of that bureaucracy was settled that they could finally rumble back to their hotel.


    But going to the Thistle¡¯s main manor meant leaving city grounds, so now they were on their way back.


    It had been nothing but a night of absolute frustrations. He wanted nothing more than to sleep, and yet he had no idea if he would even be able to sleep once he hit his pillow.


    It was that sort of dreadful, terrible night.


    And it suddenly got worse.


    Chi.


    The sound was so subtle that it was impossible to hear beneath the pelting rain for mortals. In fact, even Thralix didn¡¯t hear it, only Drystan did.


    His head turned, but it was too late.


    Thralix froze, his body not even having a chance to convulse before it slid down his neck, plopping onto the ground. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Drystan stared in shock, the blade Mana rebounding off his body. It tore into his robes and left a faint mark across his skin, but it was as though he hadn¡¯t sensed it at all, unable to take his eyes off the corpse before him.


    Even when the carriage came to a grinding halt, skidding across the road and then tipping over, his gaze didn¡¯t shift.


    Only when the rain began to pelt through the cracks and shattered windows, the blood that had splattered across his face being wiped away by its relentless barrage, did he awaken.


    Drystan roared to the skies, his eyes looking in the direction the blade had come and dashing out with full force.


    He knew that old man Mona had long since moved, but logic wasn¡¯t driving his actions right now.


    He was annoyed by Thralix, but only in the same way a big brother would nag his little brother. Only he was allowed to do such a thing, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t harm Thralix to any substantial degree.


    Even if someone looked at Thralix wrong, he would erupt into a furious tirade.


    To kill him? That was absolutely unacceptable.


    Absolutely unacceptable.


    ¡­


    Theron dashed through the forest, his eyes leaving blue streaks in his wake that matched the changing tides of the moon¡¯s ripples.


    He shifted and moved with a shocking agility, but he knew that he would be instantly caught at this pace. He was no match for the speed of a Silver Mancer, let alone a Gold Mancer.


    It was a good thing, then, that they were running in the wrong direction.


    Sure, his Mana had come from that side of the road, but who said anything about him sitting on that side?


    As for the aura they were chasing, it was little more than rippling mists of [Touch of Mirage]. They thought that they were seeing through a pitiful technique by a cultivator much weaker than them, when in reality they were just seeing through something he wanted them to.


    Of course, they would realize the difference very soon, but by then¡­


    It would be too late.


    Theron¡¯s ability to mask his aura in the rain, especially when Veinsong was activated, couldn¡¯t be explained in a few words. If they didn¡¯t know exactly where he was, then what chance did they stand?


    Which was all the more reason why it was shocking when Theron appeared at the wreckage of the carriage.


    He calmly took a seat within, the pelting rain above him like a tonic for his very soul.


    Calmly, he stored Thralix¡¯s head in a sack. Then he brought out his dagger, drawing across the corpse¡¯s chest.


    The character for River pulsed with a subtle vitality before fading.

 Chapter 77: Watch This [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron returned to his dorm room that night without much fanfare. But what he didn¡¯t expect was for a certain Teacher Burne to be standing there, waiting for him.


    A powerful aura descended onto Theron the moment he appeared, causing him to narrow his eyes.


    "Why are you late in returning?" Burne asked coldly.


    Theron didn¡¯t reply directly, pointing to the skies.


    "Is it not a beautiful night? Why would I return so soon?"


    Burne frowned. Who would call this a beautiful night? It was the worst night to be out.


    But seeing how dry Theron¡¯s clothes were, he faintly understood something. And that was when his heart shook.


    "Eighth Resonance?!"


    He didn¡¯t even mean to say the words out loud, but they slipped without his prior knowledge. For a Gold Mancer to make such a mistake, one could guess the level of shock he was in.


    "I was already close before," Theron replied simply.


    "No. No you were not."


    "It seems that your senses are lacking a bit, Teacher."


    "What did you say to me?" Burne growled, the pressure on Theron increasing.


    "I think that instead of growing so infuriated with me, you should instead thank me for saving your Thistle Clan from an even more embarrassing loss tonight. But if you¡¯re more interested in relying on worthless nobles instead of real geniuses, you¡¯re free to go out and lose more."


    BANG!


    Theron fell to a knee, the Soul Imprint in his body burning with a furious light. It practically felt like he was being burned all the way through him.


    "Have you remembered your place yet?!"


    Burne¡¯s voice boomed, nearly causing Theron¡¯s forehead to smash to the ground. Seeing his head finally matted in the rain, its relentless pelting beginning to soak him through, he finally felt a small hint of satisfaction¡­


    Until he almost heard Theron¡¯s sneer through his voice.


    "Whatever helps you feel better, oh great Teacher."


    Burne¡¯s eyes flashed with fury and he raised a palm, ready to kill Theron right then and there. It almost got to his head¡­ almost.


    In the end, his respect for Dean Thistle was too high, and it wasn¡¯t yet time to kill this boy. That and¡­


    A message jade flared in Burne¡¯s spatial ring.


    The Thistle¡¯s eyes opened wide and he dashed away without a word, not even following up on Theron¡¯s disrespect.


    Theron didn¡¯t even look in the direction Burne left, his arrogant demeanor vanishing. With a flick of his finger, all the rain that had soaked him through vanished, leaving him completely dry as he walked into his dorm room. ???????????¦¥S


    His expression had an eerie calm on it. If not for the throbbing pain in his knee and his slight limp, one would have thought he hadn¡¯t gone through anything at all just now.


    ¡¯The third


    The third tidbit of information that Theron had learned from Manson¡¯s Soul Tie Jade was that the Ironharts would be visiting on this date.


    That sounded like a worthless tidbit, he should have already known, but it was vastly important¡­ that was because it was directly as a result of this tidbit that he knew where the Ironharts would be tonight.


    The Heavens had chosen to smile down on him today and given him the rain. Others hated it¡­ he relished it.


    Today, the legend of River would begin.


    But quite soon, he would start another one.


    Looking toward the window, the heavy rain threatening to soak even it through, a peculiar question entered his mind.


    He wondered¡­ when would he be able to start Theron Galethunder¡¯s legend?


    **


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    A chandelier fell from on high, a throne soaring through the air and shattering a pattern-adorned window. Dining room tables as heavy as small hills crumbled to pieces, and the earth reacted as though the ocean¡¯s waters were ripping and soaring into tsunami-like striations.


    "BRING ME MY SON BACK! BRING MY SON BACK TO ME!" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A headless corpse with the character River written on its chest lay in the middle of the hall. Somehow, despite all the destruction, it was the one thing entirely untouched.


    A woman wearing nothing but bandages across her chest and heavy lower armor stomped about, her Mana flooding out in violent waves.


    At the entrance of the dining hall, a man stood. He was the only reason the destruction hadn¡¯t gone beyond these limits. If not, the entire manor would have long been crushed.


    His eyes, however, weren¡¯t on the woman, nor was there a hint of dissatisfaction in them. Instead, there was the very same endless fury alone.


    Looking at his son¡¯s headless corpse, he couldn¡¯t remember ever having felt so infuriated.


    And this actually happened under the Thistle¡¯s watch.


    All those promises. All that bloviating. All that arrogance.


    And for what?


    For his strongest heir to die like this?


    "Mona." Earl Ironhart spoke in a voice that sounded like a drill grinding against heavy metal.


    There was a flash and old man Mona fell to his knees before the Earl, not moving his head from the smashed position in the ground beneath it.


    "I want nothing to do with the Thistles."


    Old man Mona shuddered from head to toe, understanding the implications of such words.


    "Your head. Give it to the Nightingale¡¯s in apology."


    "Understood!"


    The old servant didn¡¯t even try to argue.


    There were many good ones to be had. What if it was the Nightingale¡¯s that had killed his son just so he would do exactly this? Wouldn¡¯t he be falling into their palms?


    But Mona knew that even for the Ironhart¡¯s who were known to be hot-blooded, there was no fool with such a high noble title.


    Earl Ironhart had already thought of this. It just didn¡¯t matter.


    If the Nightingale¡¯s could do such a thing in the thick of the Thistle¡¯s territory, then the Thistles weren¡¯t worth taking a shot on. What good would his Earldom be if it lost all of its heirs?


    But that wasn¡¯t the worst part.


    The blade that killed his son hadn¡¯t even scratched his nephew. That meant the Nightingale¡¯s didn¡¯t just send some Gold Mancer¡­ they sent a youth.


    They were sneering down from above, disdainful of their arrogance.


    The words were simple, but fierce:


    "You think you have geniuses? Watch this."


    There was no rebuttal to be had.


    Mona waved a hand, rising up from his kneeling position, and forming a blade of metal and slicing his own head off in a single motion.


    His body didn¡¯t collapse, remaining there in its kneeling posture. It was his final pride as a cultivator.


    Until the rampage from the Matriarch of the Clan blasted what remained of him to pieces.

 Chapter 78: Manaborn

    One would never guess that the reason for tonight¡¯s chaos would be a young man calmly looking out of the window of his dorm right this moment.


    Theron almost felt it was a shame that he would waste a night as good as this one. It felt like there was so much more he could do¡­ but now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Not yet.


    This region was filled with thick forestry, so rain was quite common. They were already slowly moving into the warmer months, so rain like this would only become more so.


    Theron wasn¡¯t a fool. How could he choose a location where he would be at a disadvantage when the entire Empire had been up for his selection just months ago?


    He had been unlucky these last couple of weeks as many of the important things he wanted to do had fallen on dry nights. But as rain season was coming into full force¡­


    It was his time.


    ¡¯Right about now, the Ironhart¡¯s should have made their decision to break off with the Thistles. A fragile relationship like that wouldn¡¯t have lasted long anyway. Now, the Thistles will be in a bind. Whether they want to or not¡­


    ¡¯They will have no choice but to use me.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s blue irises flickered. ¡¯I wonder what name I should use for this one. If my Daggers of the Night persona is River, then for the Thistles we¡¯ll be¡­ Rain.¡¯


    It sounded foolish. To use such a similar moniker, and the same M.O. felt like he was begging to be caught.


    But Theron had his own plans. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sadie already knew who he was. This situation wasn¡¯t as black and white as it seemed. And right now, his top priority wasn¡¯t to survive, it wasn¡¯t to set himself up for the future¡­


    It was to retrieve his father¡¯s short sword.


    **


    Theron walked into Daggers of the Night with a calm gait. With his head cloaked, none recognized him, but such was the case for most.


    Those like Theron who used a different mask every time they came to Daggers of the Night weren¡¯t rare, and they were no less secluded than he was.


    But in the end, before the old man at the desk, all of their concealment was worthless.


    This time, the old man looked up before Theron set anything down on the table. Even after Theron did set it down, he seemed to have eyes for the chilling pair of blue orbs shrouded in the shadows of his cloak.


    After a long while, the old man stood to his feet.


    "Come with me."


    There was a flicker in Theron¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t even notice when the head on the table vanished. By the time he reacted, he could barely catch sight of the old man¡¯s back disappearing around a corner. ?????£Î??§§¡ì


    Theron dashed after him.


    ¡­


    Theron took deep breaths. He knew the old man had done it on purpose, but it was still rare for him to be so out of breath when he wasn¡¯t training.


    Though he guessed that he could count this as a small session.


    Somehow, they had left the underground space and had entered a small clearing in the forest. But even if Theron tried, he really couldn¡¯t recall how they had gotten here. It was like his mind had been bent and twisted out of proportion.


    Up ahead, the old man sat at a plain, circular stone table, sipping at some tea.


    "Took you long enough."


    Theron blinked in confusion. He could have sworn that he was just following the old man¡¯s back just now, wasn¡¯t he? How exactly had he ended up "taking long."


    The realization hit Theron.


    Had he been following a projection this whole time?


    "You¡¯re too smart for your own good, but I doubt you have the full story¡ª."


    "¡­ A movement technique¡­"


    The old man paused his sip, the hot liquid almost going down the wrong pipe. Luckily, he managed to maintain his composure enough to not hack and cough, but it took all the willpower he had.


    Another stroke of luck was that Theron seemed to be absentminded, trying to figure out what he had just seen.


    Just what sort of movement technique left such long afterimages¡­ such real, tangible, almost clone-like existences.


    And yet Theron, with all his Mana control, couldn¡¯t even begin to tell the difference.


    ¡¯They¡¯re not real clones, though¡­ I¡¯m sure of that


    "That technique is called [Echo Plus]. There¡¯s no need for you to think so much about it. You can only use it if you gain an Echo from a certain rare Sound Mancy Beast. I myself was very lucky to gain it back then."


    The words made Theron snap out of it, his eyes looking toward the old man with just a fraction of heat to their usual chilliness.


    "It was Manaborn, wasn¡¯t it?"


    The old man¡¯s pupils trembled.


    Feral beasts. Unranked, often nameless, known colloquially by most. And yet, they were normally stronger than cultivators of the same level.


    Imbued beast¡­


    Strong.


    Even Theron had to start with one at a watershed tier beneath him to get acclimated. And then he struggled with a pair afterward that were right at his cultivation level.


    Against normal people though, even a Fourth Resonance Imbued Beast could crush a Sixth Resonance cultivator.


    And then, a step above even Imbued Beasts¡­ were Manaborn Beasts.


    Manaborn were to Imbued Beasts what Imbued Beasts were to humans. The gap with every grade up in Mancer Beast only grew more feverish, more shocking.


    "Too smart, indeed¡­"


    Theron felt a chilly sort of killing intent lock onto him, causing him to frown.


    "You didn¡¯t come here to show off and then just kill me because, right?" Theron asked.


    "You don¡¯t know the value of a Manaborn Echo."


    Theron shrugged. "Clearly you don¡¯t either, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t bring it out so casually."


    The old man was tongue tied and his killing intent receded like a tide.


    "Fine, fine." He tossed a spatial ring over. "Your rewards are in there. As for the ring, keep it."


    Theron¡¯s eyes sparkled, but inwardly he was as calm as an ancient iceberg.


    A spatial device? He had many. He just couldn¡¯t use any of them, and he would likely have to add this one to that list too.


    "I will not teach you any of my techniques as you do not have my Echo nor do you follow my Mancy Path. But I will teach you the methods of an assassin as promised. First, show me your Veinsong."

 Chapter 79: Case Study 331

    Theron raised an eyebrow. But eventually, he did as he was told.


    Inwardly, he was still calm, wondering how fast he should go, and how long. In the end, though, he chose to go all out in terms of speed. As for his length, he wouldn¡¯t allow the old man to see that.


    What exactly did he have to lose? At least against an opponent like this¡­ he stood no chance at all.


    The old man was prepared to comment, but then he froze.


    Theron¡¯s gaze had already reached a state of unprecedented concentration, and then it became dull. His entire body seemed to have disappeared where it stood, his aura waning and becoming a controlled center of Mana.


    Right then, he was little different from an Imbued Beast, everything flowing naturally between nature and himself.


    Then, he pulled himself out seamlessly to find the old man staring at him.


    For a long while, there was a silence as the old man didn¡¯t say anything. This time, the latter¡¯s face was stone cold and impossible to read. If he had been surprised, there was nothing there to suggest it. He had truly become an iceberg.


    "¡­ What do you think are the most important things you learned at Daggers Camp?"


    "The tenets of an assassin."


    "Don¡¯t bullshit me."


    "I am serious." Theron replied.


    "Then why?"


    The tenets of an assassin were very different from the rules of the Guild. They were more free flowing, and far more detailed.


    They couldn¡¯t be explained in just a few sentences as they distilled years of training into thick tomes. They described methods of disguise, what to do during an operation¡¯s failure, how to scout a region and how to set traps.


    They encompassed all the sorts of detailed readings that Theron liked to do¡­ and they were also among the things new recruits disregarded the most.


    For Theron to reply with it was like he was trying a little too hard to be a teacher¡¯s pet. At least, that was what the old man thought.


    "Why would the most important compilation of centuries of experience not be the most important?" Theron raised an eyebrow as though it was obvious.


    The old man was speechless again. Normally when he asked this question, the kid would get flustered trying to remember details about things they had only vaguely read. ???????¦¢¨¨????


    Theron didn¡¯t even bother.


    "Is that so¡­" The old man¡¯s eyes flickered. "In that case, Case Study 0331¡ª."


    "A case of an old man in a rocking chair. You enter the room, sun is coming from a north facing window, your target is in a corner, elderly and too weak to move. The floor boards creak as you quickly side step to your right, not having expected such an open invitation. There is vast open land between the forest and the cabin that is your target. If there are protectors, you¡¯ve almost certainly been exposed already, and yet they¡¯ve allowed you to enter the room without pushback. What do you do?"


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    "And?"


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? There should be no direct sunlight coming from the north. There are only two options. The illusionist either made a mistake, or it was a necessary change."


    "Why would it be?"


    "For others that are in hiding to understand the changed orientation of the room. The sunlight is like tag reminding them of how the room was shifted. In this case, it¡¯s a reminder that north has now become whatever direction the sunlight should be coming from, and to adjust accordingly."


    "And then?"


    "If the man is beside the north-facing window in his rocking chair, with direct sunlight beaming down, then just attack the west corner of the room."


    "Why not the east? Why are you so sure? The time of day is not listed in the case study."


    "That was idiotic, by the way. The tenants are very useful, but some of the problems within it are silly. What assassin wouldn¡¯t know the time of day? But regardless, I choose to attack the west because of the floor board¡¯s creak."


    The light in the old man¡¯s eyes became especially sharp, waiting for Theron to continue.


    "If the first thing I notice when coming into a room is the sunlight from the north, then I entered from the south. But we¡¯ve already established that it couldn¡¯t possibly be the south, it has to be the west or east.


    The creaking of the very real floor boards is the one thing that can¡¯t be changed through an illusion that strictly takes place in the mind. But the target is in a rocking chair. If there were squeaking floor boards beneath it, it would be heard. Regardless, what¡¯s most important is that where I stepped is likely the true south of the home."


    "And why¡¯s that?"


    "The south receives the most sun through the day, even if it isn¡¯t direct. The cabin is made of wood and prone to expansion and contraction. For mostly unused floor boards to squeak, while floor boards that undergo perpetual wear and tear beneath a rocking chair do not, that is the most likely explanation."


    "Continue."


    "If stepping to the right meant that I was south, then that means that the way I just came from should be the true west, which means that the rocking chair is usually placed near an east facing window." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Didn¡¯t you say to attack west, then?"


    "Casting a bad illusion is easy enough if you have enough Mana as a Spirit Mancer. Casting a transposed illusion like this one is impossible without the highest levels of intelligence. This illusionist is a man or woman who undoubtedly has genius-level intellect; they would certainly think one step deeper.


    So you attack east, right next to the location of the doorway you just entered from, and right through the swung open door."


    "And why not two levels deeper and attack east instead?"


    "Why bother? If you miss, run."


    The old man¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t come off of Theron. It was like he was staring at a real-life gem.


    After a long while, he slowly stood.


    "I will give you the protection you want. In Daggers of the Night, no one can touch you. Not even the Nightingales."

 Chapter 80: His [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron was unmoved by the words. Deep inside, he would have sneered had that been in his personality to do. He would be a fool to trust anyone who killed for a living.


    Who knew how many women, children, and elderly the old man had killed in his life. There was no mission an assassin wouldn¡¯t take if the pay was right and the challenge suited them.


    When you reached the level of the old man, you had to have become so indifferent to killing that it came with your inhale and exhale. If it suited him, Theron didn¡¯t believe for a second that the old man wouldn¡¯t kill him right here and now.


    For him to take him under his wing meant that he needed something.


    It had to be remembered that this wasn¡¯t part of Theron¡¯s plans. He didn¡¯t think the old man would take him in. The fact that he dared to claim the Nightingales would be able to touch him either was an especially interesting touch.


    Theron couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ just how deep did this pool go?


    Still, none of that stopped a light of excitement from flashing briefly in his gaze. As much control as Theron had over his Mana, his control over his expressions and emotions just might be even more shocking.


    And of course¡­ such things were also in the tenets of an assassin.


    The old man didn¡¯t even ask Theron to kneel and acknowledge him as his disciple. Maybe amongst assassins, these things were entirely unneeded.


    "What cultivation method do you practice?"


    "[Water Conventions]," Theron replied.


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. "You cultivate the most widely circulated method of Water Mancy cultivation?"


    "It¡¯s the one that¡¯s been vetted by the most people." Theron replied simply.


    "Ha¡­"


    The old man chuckled, looking Theron up and down. By now, he could certainly afford a better cultivation technique, but he didn¡¯t bother to get one. Instead, he used the slowest method available to him¡­ and yet had somehow reached the Eighth Resonance so swiftly.


    But this method¡­ was also the one without the slightest holes.


    It was just as Theron had said, his cultivation method might be slow, but it was also the one guaranteed to not have the slightest flaw at least until the end of Gold Mancy.


    "What techniques do you practice?"


    Theron listed them¡ªall five.


    "You practice five techniques?" the old man frowned.


    "Three are at the Consummate Barrier, one is at Adept, and the last is at Proficient."


    The more questions the old man asked Theron, the more ridiculous he found it. He didn¡¯t know whether he was listening to a child speak, or a fictional character. ????§Ñ???§¦????


    Slowly, he shook his head.


    "¡­ Like I said, I can only teach you assassination techniques. But understanding your foundation is necessary. As you know from the tenets, it¡¯s not about what you know, but about how you apply them.


    "I will teach you two methods, both of which are related to Veinsong. The first is a concentrated attack that channels the focus you gain from Veinsong into a powerful blow that is as much as double your baseline strength.


    "The second is an escape method. This channels the focus you gain from Veinsong in a burning blood method that increases your speed as much as ten times. With your current body, you should be able to match the speed of a Higher Silver Resonance Mancer for a minute or two.


    "Both methods are sacrificial and dangerous to use, especially for those of us who are not Flux Mancers.


    "These Methods are known as [Songful Blade] and [Blood Escape]. Prepare yourself. The run here was for no reason other than to warm your body up."


    **


    Three days later, the old man sat alone at his stone tea table, seemingly the only part of his little peaceful garden that wasn¡¯t disturbed.


    "I wonder¡­" he said to himself after a sip. "¡­ Did I make a mistake?"


    He looked toward some sliced rock in the distance, and then some deep foot plants imprinted right into the trunks of ancient trees.


    Reaching forward, he pulled his tea pot toward him and then poured the steaming liquid, not into his cup, but onto a small plate. With a tap of his finger, an image began to sparkle into being.


    When it solidified, an unexpected image reflected back¡­


    Raiden.


    "Even my little disciple here has only barely mastered those techniques¡­ just what kind of monster are you, exactly¡­?"


    The old man was a legend amongst legends. Theron had never asked for his name, nor had he ever shown any signs of giving it, and maybe that was good.


    If Theron had known it, maybe even he would have trouble keeping his cool.


    The non-descript old man was known by a single title. Four little words that reverberated not just across this province, but them all.


    Cadence of the Crypt.


    But maybe his more shocking identity right this moment was that of being precisely the overprotective master of Raiden.


    **


    Theron collapsed in his basement, his body spasming. It felt as though he had been swallowed by a cramp that went head to toe.


    With his control over Water Mana, how could he, of all people, suffer cramps? But this time, he truly couldn¡¯t control it.


    His muscles formed balls and knots in his body, and even soaking in water didn¡¯t seem to have helped. The balance of his body itself was off. Water alone wasn¡¯t enough; he needed minerals, supplementation, food, and sustenance.


    He understood enough about his body and bodies in general to know this. But that didn¡¯t mean it would be any easier to deal with when just moving made him feel like death.


    Unfortunately for him, there was a trembling of Mana that passed through his abode, a system to let him know that someone was at the door. And he got the very unfortunate feeling that he knew exactly who it was.


    Teacher Burne had returned. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He grit his teeth, forcing himself up. What happened next would certainly be a large part of his plan.


    If Burne had returned so quickly, it was only for one reason.


    They wanted him to kill Thessa.


    He could see their plans long before they had even decided on them. This was his chess board, not theirs.

 Chapter 81: Idiotic

    "I hear you¡¯ve said some quite arrogant words."


    Theron stood in silence, not replying.


    "Mm," Dean Thistle chuckled, but he only leaned back in his chair. He didn¡¯t feel like he had a need to display his power again. "You know, if you would like to ingratiate yourself with me, you should get more used to lowering your head."


    "If you want to use me, use me. If you want to keep losing, feel free to continue flexing your superior age."


    "Oh?" Dean Thistle burst into laughter. "If you get old enough to flex your superior age as well, you¡¯ll realize just how hard that was to come by. You have little idea just how many of those like you die too early because they don¡¯t know how to control themselves."


    "Or aren¡¯t born into prestigious noble clans. But I¡¯m sure it was all your self-made genius that got you to this point."


    There was a flash of cold in Dean Thistle¡¯s eyes, but he knew if he lashed out now it wouldn¡¯t be in the best interest of his image. He had to admit, though, the child had a sharp tongue and he knew how to use it.


    In the end, he chuckled once more.


    "You know, commoners like you really do think it¡¯s very easy to be born a noble. I find it quite amusing. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very impressive to be born with nothing and force yourself to strive for something¡ªwhat choice do you have?


    "What¡¯s truly impressive is the man who has everything¡­" there was a dense flash of red in Dean Thistle¡¯s emerald eyes. "¡­ And yet still carries with him the hunger of a lion."


    In the corner of the room, Burne¡¯s eyes burned with an endless fanaticism.


    Theron stood across from Dean Thistle¡¯s desk. What must have been at least three meters separated them, and yet it felt like a beast had opened its maw right before his face, its roar blowing his hair back and shattering his aura.


    And then it was gone.


    Dean Thistle was still reclined in his chair. A file had appeared in his hand at some unknown time and he tossed it onto the table.


    It slid across, coming to a stop right at the edge.


    Theron had no choice but to take a step forward to grab it, a sizzling scent of death prickling against his skin as he did so.


    He opened the file and read it.


    ¡¯Thessa. Predictable.¡¯


    His eyes narrowed as he read. His speculations seemed correct. She was, indeed, a Spirit Mancer that followed a unique Elemental Path. However, what was entirely unexpected¡­


    ¡¯Thessa Firewing


    Firewing. The Firewing Clan.


    Trouble.


    Theron had thought of a lot of things, adjusted for countless possibilities. He was already close, and everything was in the palm of his hands. But this¡­ this felt like a wrench being thrown into the spokes of the wheels. ????¦¡??????¦¥?


    The Firewing Clan wasn¡¯t technically correct. They were instead known as the Firewing Imperial Clan, an Empire directly adjacent to the Nightingale Imperial Clan¡¯s territory.


    As far as Theron knew, the relationship between the two Clans had never been good, but they hadn¡¯t necessarily been at the point of war either. The idea of marrying two of their talents together, though¡­ that was unheard of.


    Especially since the Firewings were obviously marrying Thessa into the Nightingales. There was no way the Nightingales would do the reverse for a young man they had already given the title of crown prince to.


    What was happening here?


    At this point, killing Thessa wouldn¡¯t just be a matter of pissing off the Nightingales. He would be fragmenting the relationship between two entire Empires. If he was also found out on top of that, then he would have to somehow escape from not just one Imperial Clan, but two of them.


    This also wasn¡¯t in line with his plans.


    Had he planned to kill Thessa? Yes. But the turmoil it would cause now was far more than what he was aiming for. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His best guess for Thessa¡¯s identity was either the daughter of a powerhouse without a noble house backing them, or a commoner born into a great amount of talent. These were the two that made the most sense.


    He hadn¡¯t even considered this third possibility.


    He knew that the Nightingale Empire didn¡¯t have any extremely powerful Fire Mancer Clans because such existences would have long found a way to ingratiate themselves with the Firewings¡ªmuch the same with the Nightingale Empire having quite a disproportionate number of Dark Mancers.


    All things considered, his conclusion back then made sense. But this¡­


    According to the original plan, he would kill Thralix as River and then kill Thessa as Rain. He would play both sides, and because both characters were hiding in plain sight and both far too similar, the odds people would choose to connect them before it was too late were minimal.


    Instead, it would look as though Rain was created in retaliation of River. Thessa¡¯s subsequent death would only make that feel more real.


    As for the purpose of this, that much was obvious.


    Chaos.


    He would force both sides to suffer losses, weaving through them until they suffered to the point they couldn¡¯t continue to tiptoe around the issue.


    Soon, they would have to make a decision to either back down or go all out, and the odds of doing the former were minimal.


    By taking over the Imperial Academy Branch, though, the Thistles were clearly planning to play a long game and wouldn¡¯t be ready for something so acute. They would be forced to rely on him more and more, especially as he continued to improve.


    He would take advantage of their resources to improve, making use of them all along the way.


    Had they already planned to kill him? Almost certainly.


    Would they dare to when push came to shove? Almost certainly not.


    He would prove too useful.


    But if Theron killed Thessa now, let alone getting a chance to take advantage, the war would start right here and now. His plan would fail and all the intricate details of it he had glossed over would collapse.


    So, Theron threw the file back onto the table.


    "You want me to kill a noble of the Firewing Imperial Clan? What an idiotic plan."

 Chapter 82: Adjustments

    Burne¡¯s hands twitched in the corner. He wanted to cut Theron¡¯s head off with every fiber of his being, but he forced himself to stop looking so intently at the boy¡¯s side profile and instead look at his Patriarch.


    "Is that so?" Dean Thistle asked, his voice flat and not carrying the slightest hint of his earlier amusement. It was quite clear that if Theron didn¡¯t have a very good reason for saying what he said, he would kill him right here.


    There was a certain dignity that strong cultivators needed to have.


    Maybe if it wasn¡¯t for Thralix and this setback, he would have already acted and Theron wouldn¡¯t even know when his head flew from his shoulders.


    "If you were ready to start your war now, you wouldn¡¯t be in this Imperial Academy."


    "There¡¯s a difference between winning a war of attrition and winning a war by a landslide. Why choose the former when you can have the latter?"


    The words weren¡¯t empty. If the Thistles were so easy to defeat, the Nightingales would never allow this disrespect to continue.


    The fact they had such an alliance with the Firewings, and yet still let the Thistles rampage like this¡­ well, that spoke volumes about something that Theron still hadn¡¯t fully understood yet.


    "In other words, you aren¡¯t ready," Theron said plainly. "Killing her will get you the face you¡¯ve lost back, and likely strain and shatter the relationship between the Nightingales and the Firewings, but the gains don¡¯t outweigh the losses."


    "Without the Firewings, the Nightingales will fall."


    "Yeah? And why is it that two Clans without the best of relationships have come together in the first place? Do you think talents like Thessa grow on trees? What about the crown prince of a nation? To choose to allow his Empress to be the seed of another country, do you think it¡¯s easy to make that decision?"


    Dean Thistle¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    "I would suggest you get to the point."


    "The two Imperial Clans are obviously working together for reasons I can¡¯t fathom. And judging by your reaction, you have no idea either. You¡¯re taking a risk by killing her, and you know that.


    "You think at worst, even if they choose to continue working together, their relationship will be strained enough that there will be something you can take advantage of. But there¡¯s another possibility, and that¡¯s that instead of straining their relationship, you¡¯ve instead solidified their determination to crush an annoyance."


    Dean Thistle didn¡¯t reply, his expression becoming harder and harder to read.


    Theron had already noticed this sort of pattern with old, experienced men. Sometimes, it seemed quite easy to goad emotions out of them. But then they reached a point of seriousness where they became as calm as lakes.


    It was at this point that they were the most dangerous, the most unpredictable.


    Theron was unmoved.


    "The smartest thing to do isn¡¯t to kill her, it¡¯s to defeat her. Then, you should turn your attention to the Luminescent Moon Sect."


    "Is that so?"


    "There¡¯s no need to play ignorant. It¡¯s obvious that the Sects are going to play a huge piece here. You have the Vermouths on your side, and the Nightingales have Thessa. Is it a coincidence both of them have chosen the Sect?"


    "Burne also isn¡¯t very subtle. Clearly, to you, controlling the Sects is far more important than controlling the Academies. You took over the Academy so easily, but are still waiting for a chance at the Chosen of the Luminescent Moon Sect."


    Dean Thistle¡¯s gaze shifted toward Burne.


    "He¡¯s talking nonsense, Dean," Burne said through gritted teeth.


    What a joke. In a room full of children and teachers, it went over all of their heads. Just because you¡ªthe little monster¡ªpicked up on it didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t subtle. ???????


    Dean Thistle didn¡¯t say anything.


    "If you want to control the Luminescent Moon Sect, control its Chosen. Make sure that Thessa doesn¡¯t have the time to improve as much as she needs to compete. That means stopping her from getting her hands on the Silver Resonance Flame she¡¯s obviously looking for.


    "The odds you can do that are low. But you can certainly delay, and in the meantime, you should find a method to force the hand of the Sect elders to move their Chosen competition up."


    Dean Thistle continued to lean back in his chair, tapping his finger on the table. Every knock sounded far louder than it should, as though the wood itself was resonating with him.


    "And defeating her, you¡¯ll do that, supposedly?" he finally spoke.


    "What do you think restrains fire best? She won¡¯t last 20 exchanges," Theron said indifferently.


    If Theron were to attack to kill, with as much preparation as he had for Thralix, Thessa would die just as easily.


    A single stroke.


    "And how would you suggest you do that?"


    In order for this to help the Thistles, Theron had to be one of them. But Theron had no real affiliation with them. Of course, those in the shadows would know the moment Theron appeared to do this, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Thessa¡¯s death¡­ now that was a message anyone could understand. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This, however¡­


    "Marry Malaya to me," Theron said calmly.


    Dean Thistle blinked. For a moment, his frosty indifference cracked.


    ¡¯Pathetic.¡¯ Theron thought, but his expression was anything but. In fact, it looked like there was a light of anticipation in his eyes.


    ¡­


    Theron walked out of Dean Thistle¡¯s office indifferently. After he rounded a corner, he palmed it for balance, gasping for breath. The spasms in his body continued.


    It had taken everything in him to not collapse. Hiding the state of his body right now was especially difficult.


    But in the end, he had succeeded.


    ¡¯Now they think I have a weakness to take advantage of,¡¯ Theron thought, his pain not changing the chilling cold in his eyes as he pulled himself up, continuing to walk forward slowly.


    After showing off so much, he needed something to ease Dean Thistle¡¯s heart. So why not let him think Malaya was his weakness?


    By the time he realized he had no control over him at all¡­


    It would be too late.


    Now, he had a battle with a certain princess consort to prepare for. As for how it would be happening¡­


    The plan had long been formulated.

 Chapter 83: Fourth

    ~


    "How was your day, Little Theron?"


    "It didn¡¯t rain today."


    A chuckle came from the beautiful middle-aged woman.


    "You know, only you like the rain so much."


    "I¡¯m not sure why. Most Mancers have the ability to avoid getting wet. That shouldn¡¯t be an issue."


    "People like to see the sun. You know, your future wife might like seeing the sun, too. You should be more accommodating."


    "Maybe I will marry someone who likes the rain, too," Theron said with a smile.


    "You never know. Someone you hate just might become your wife. Someone you love with all your heart might not be the one for you."


    Theron blinked, looking up from his book at the same time to gaze at his mom. There was an odd look in his eyes, the sort of look he got when he didn¡¯t understand something.


    His mother smiled. Her little boy was already 12 years old today, and she felt like she was seeing that adorable little look less and less these days.


    "All a mother means is that the love of your life could come from the most unexpected of places. So you should treat every woman you meet well, or else you might give her ammo to blame you for a lifetime. How would my little genius feel about never winning an argument again?"


    Theron¡¯s confused look vanished as he smiled.


    At that moment, he didn¡¯t really understand. But he found what his mom said funny, so he laughed.


    His mother smiled a knowing smile, and then her visage began to fade.


    Then a familiar tragedy played itself out.


    ~


    Theron¡¯s eyes flashed open, a chilling blue being pulled out from them.


    He exhaled a slow breath, feeling out the changes to his body.


    ¡¯I need another two days


    This was the longest it had ever taken him to recover from any training. His body simply had nothing more to give.


    ¡¯We should be at 98% of the herbs recognized by now¡­ we are close


    The old man had been unexpectedly helpful. His garden had quite a few of the herbs that Theron was missing, many of which he used to brew his teas. As such, Theron was able to match them to his memories quite easily.


    Now he was close. There should only be about four or five scents he was missing. Then he could complete the deciphering.


    ¡¯The fact that that old man had so many of the herbs in his garden means that this place should be quite local¡­ but I wonder


    Dean Thistle, if he was looking for the jade, hadn¡¯t shown any signs of it to Theron, at least. It was still possible that he was, or¡­


    ¡¯Did Yonowai keep it a secret?¡¯


    It was highly likely. From what Theron could tell, Sigil was Dean Thistle¡¯s true successor, and Yonowai was more so an afterthought. Neither father nor more-talented son seemed to show much heartache over the loss either. ?????£Î??????????


    It was possible that Yonowai wanted to keep these things to himself. In that case¡­


    Where did the Verdant Bloomstone come from?


    ¡¯Luminescent Moon Sect.¡¯


    It was the most obvious conclusion. Yonowai must have become wrapped up in something related to the Sect and it eventually led to him coming into the Verdant Bloomstone.


    Theron had already been forced to shift some of his plans to incorporate the Sect. If the Verdant Bloomstone led him back there as well¡­ then maybe he might come into a little bit of luck finally.


    ¡¯The question is¡­ are the Nightgales and Thistles so interested in the Sects because they¡¯re powerful pawns to be played, or is there something else the Sects have that they want¡­?¡¯


    Theron came to his answer quite quickly as he pushed himself up slowly to begin his recovery before classes.


    If the Sects were such easy pawns to manage, they wouldn¡¯t have to use such roundabout methods. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Yonowai had managed to pull the wool over the eyes of his own father and brother this time.


    ¡¯It seems I¡¯ll have to see what that "bully" and Yonowai¡¯s good friend know.¡¯


    He doubted Sawyer would know much of anything. But Kai¡­ Yonowai seemed to trust him more than usual.


    There was a good chance he had let something slip to this good friend of his. Now it was just a matter of finding an opportunity.


    ¡¯There is another possibility Theron thought with narrowed eyes.


    Maybe the Sects weren¡¯t here because of the influence of the Thistles or Nightingales, but rather because of a small nudge.


    In which case¡­


    **


    Theron walked into the Nightingale Pagoda. He had almost 400 000 bronzes in his possession, and that didn¡¯t include what he could gain by liquidating the Silver Resonance Breakthrough Pill and Echo Pill that were both in his possession.


    A familiar attractive middle-aged woman noticed Theron immediately. She bolted ahead faster than she should have been capable on her heels, appearing before Theron before he could even scan the region properly.


    "Young master Theron," Starra spoke enthusiastically, "it¡¯s nice to see you again so soon. What can I do for you today?"


    Theron gave her a gentle smile. "Today, I¡¯d like to see if I could enter the Fourth Level of the Pagoda." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Starra was a bit taken aback when she heard this.


    All Nightingale Pagodas had nine levels to them. The first three were for those of the Bronze Resonance, the middle three were for those of the Silver Resonance, and the final were reserved for those of the Gold Resonance.


    Entering a level higher meant better treasures to pick from and better resources. But the Nightingale Pagoda didn¡¯t allow people to flout their rules so easily.


    If you wanted to enter, you would have to display some extraordinary skill that could compare to those of said cultivation level.


    Starra had a good impression of Theron, but from his actions, he seemed a bit naive and¡­ airheaded? He liked to comment about things he didn¡¯t understand casually all the time. But this sort of client, given how good his commissions, she also couldn¡¯t afford to offend.


    "Young master, this¡­"


    "Bring me to the Mana Control test," Theron said simply.

 Chapter 84: Not a Problem

    Thessa stood in silence, her eyes aimed toward the ground as she waited. There were a few others around her, though only two really mattered¡ªboth of whom were from the Luminiscent Moon Sect.


    They weren¡¯t really of concern, actually. One of them was from the Ironhart Clan, a young man that seemed to have become Thralix¡¯s replacement. He was Drystan¡¯s little brother, and technically the dead Thralix¡¯s cousin.


    He was only at the Eighth Resonance, but he was also about a year younger than Thralix.


    Though this was the case, no one was under any illusions that he and Thralix were on the same level, not unless he¡ªby some miracle¡ªawakened his bloodline to Silver Resonance as well.


    The other member of the Luminiscent Moon Sect was of the Ashenvale Clan, a familiar young lady with a shockingly pale face. This was the younger sister of the Ashenvale Clan pair.


    This young lady was technically an enemy, but Thessa couldn¡¯t bring herself to take her seriously in the slightest. Today, she had come here for the sake of entering the Fourth Level; she didn¡¯t care about anything else.


    However, that didn¡¯t stop her from being on full alert. Drystan¡¯s little brother, Veron, made sense. The Ironharts had already extended an olive branch to the Nightingales, and were likely here to show their loyalty.


    But why were the Ashenvales here?


    Thessa sent a glance toward the young girl. She had an odd name, Oxon, they called her. It was a weirdly masculine name for such a fragile little girl. She must have been at least 16 or 17 given her strength, but she looked closer to 12 years old than anything else.


    Thessa only gave her a brief glance, wondering for the third time already why this hadn¡¯t started yet.


    There should be no foul play. This branch was called the Nightingale Pagoda for a reason. If she had wanted, she could enter the Fourth Level just based on her status alone, but in this sensitive time, she couldn¡¯t easily do things like that.


    And then there was a rumble.


    "Apologies, princess consort. There are an oddly high number of individuals who want to participate today, and I¡¯ve been forced to arrange things.


    "You should have told me you were visiting; we would have granted you a grand entrance and ceremony. Apologies again for the poor hospitality."


    An old man with vigorous vitality and ruddy, wrinkled skin strolled in with billowing robes of black and silver. He should have been the Branch Manager of this Pagoda¡ªManager Yuan.


    Thessa opened her lips briefly to reply before closing them again.


    Behind the Branch Manager, another youth appeared and her gaze couldn¡¯t help but sharpen.


    Theron.


    He appeared with that same gentle demeanor, a caring smile, a soft gaze. He was a handsome little man with an unassuming sort of sharpness to him¡ªone that one would only notice after he decided to unsheathe it the slightest bit. ????¦Á??¦¢§§?


    Thessa shook her head and looked back to Manager Yuan.


    "No, you don¡¯t have anything to apologize for, Manager Yuan. I came here today uninvited, but I would like to take on the same challenge as everyone else."


    "Not a problem, not a problem at all. What challenge would you like to take, princess? The alchemy challenge, perhaps?"


    A Spirit Mancer with Fire Mana control was maybe one of the most unique combinations in the world. Almost all secondary profession geniuses were born from Soul Mancers, and Spirit Mancers were their direct opposite. So Thessa learning alchemy was akin to Theron ever mastering a weapon or martial art resonance.


    But in this case¡­ Thessa¡¯s genius seemed to be shining through.


    "No. That would be too boring," Thessa said calmly. "I would like a trial by combat."


    Even Manager Yuan was taken aback, let alone the others. Didn¡¯t this mean that Thessa wanted to fight a Silver Mancer for the right to enter the Fourth Level¡­?


    At the Bronze Resonance? Impossible.


    The gap was too big, even if Thessa was at the Quasi Silver level.


    Theron was the only one that didn¡¯t seem very surprised by this.


    Right now, he was functioning under the impression that the Nightingale Clan knew that he was River. But that didn¡¯t mean that all of them knew.


    In addition, did it matter if they knew? Not acutely, it didn¡¯t.


    Daggers of the Night was a hidden pawn of the Nightingale Clan, not an open one. They wouldn¡¯t easily tie these two things together until the time was right, or else Sadie wouldn¡¯t have to hide her identity.


    When Theron said he was walking a tightrope of life and death, he meant it with every fiber of his being.


    Manager Yuan seemed caught between a rock and a hard place, not knowing what to do. This was too dangerous to take a risk on, but he also didn¡¯t want to offend the princess consort.


    For now, he could only stall.


    "This is¡­ unexpected. In that case, it will take some time to prepare a Silver Resonance Mancer of the proper level. In the meantime, what do these other young geniuses want to do?"


    "I will take the Mana Density test," Veron replied.


    "I will take the Mana Resistance test," Oxon said with a cute little smile.


    "I plan to take the Mana Control test," Theron chimed in softly.


    "I see, I see. You¡¯re all quite different, then. These tests are already prepared; you can start readying yourselves now. Give me a moment, please."


    Manager Yuan quickly left, leaving the youths and their handlers behind. They all seemed to have a protector except for Theron himself, yet he seemed to be the calmest of them all. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Theron!" Oxon smiled brightly at him.


    "Hello, Oxon. How have you been?"


    "I would have been better if someone didn¡¯t forget me," Oxon pouted. "You just chatted up me and my sister and then you disappeared, leaving us like whores by the side of the road. What happened to our words of love?"


    Theron sighed on the inside. What words of love? What chatting up? All he had done was talk to them for a bit at the banquet.


    "These sorts of words can¡¯t be said even as a joke anymore, Oxon. Otherwise my fiancee might kill me."


    Thessa¡¯s eyes sharpened as her head snapped over, while Oxon nearly jumped out of her skin.


    "Fiancee?! Since when?!"


    Theron chuckled lightly, a hint of pride on his expression and the slightest blush on his face.


    "It seems my words moved the Vermouth Clan. I will have Malaya¡¯s hand in marriage."


    Oxon¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    "Disgusting."


    In the silence, the venomous words that seethed with a fiery menace were all too obvious.


    And of course¡­ they came from a certain princess consort.

 Chapter 85: Ten Moves [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron didn¡¯t seem to react much to the words, but Oxon blinked so rapidly you¡¯d think she might accidentally dry her eyes out. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Theron and Thessa.


    "Oh my, Little Theron. Don¡¯t tell me you have something going on with the princess consort? That¡¯s so dangerous, you bad boy. I could swear I smell jealousy in the air."


    A flash of murderous rage sparked in Thessa¡¯s eyes. It seemed as though she might lash out at any moment.


    "I would be careful with your words, Oxon."


    Theron didn¡¯t say anything other than that, but his implication was clear.


    The last people to say such things about the princess consort ended up dead. And unlike them, Oxon wasn¡¯t supposedly best friends with this princess consort at all. She¡¯d have even less qualms about killing her.


    There wasn¡¯t even the slightest hint of sarcasm in Theron¡¯s voice, and it sounded like he said it very seriously. Honestly, there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of a fault to find against him. Even if there had been a noble of substantial power here, it was doubtful that even they would dare to act on this much alone.


    But that didn¡¯t stop Oxon from quickly covering her mouth like a giddy little girl, or from flames sparking in Thessa¡¯s hair.


    "¡­ I thought you were much better than this," Thessa said with a seething heat in her voice.


    Theron frowned, looking at Thessa in what was clear confusion. But this only made Thessa feel more infuriated.


    There was truly no fault to pick with Theron, but she had lost so much in these last few days, and now she was being treated like a fool. She was already teetering on an edge, and Theron seemed to be kicking at her back.


    "I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve offended you in any way¡ª."


    "ENOUGH." Thessa roared, her hair dancing in a fiery rain. She unsheathed a flaming sword, the air in the region superheating to the point that Thralix¡¯s younger cousin was forced to take several steps back.


    The young man had been quiet since everyone appeared, not that there had been much of a chance to speak. But it was clear that, unlike with Yonowai¡¯s death, the Ironharts were taking Thralix¡¯s far harder. He didn¡¯t even look like he wanted to be here.


    "Princess consort, I have no intention of fighting you," Theron said seriously.


    "Bring out your weapon, coward," Thessa said through gritted teeth. "You can hide behind a woman, but you can¡¯t fight one? What sort of man are you?"


    Theron¡¯s frown deepened.


    "You can insult me if you¡¯d like, but I won¡¯t be fighting any unsanctioned battles against a noble, least of all a princess consort. My life isn¡¯t worth enough, and I don¡¯t have any protectors to swoop in and save me at the last moment."


    Thessa¡¯s eyes spit fire.


    "Are you trying to say I¡¯ll need such a thing?!"


    Theron didn¡¯t even know how to respond to such an irrational statement. Clearly he was speaking about protecting his own life, but after shaking his head inwardly, he was quite calm.


    ¡¯She¡¯s more unstable than I thought she¡¯d be.¡¯


    The plan was to goad her. But it wasn¡¯t supposed to be so easy.


    Judging by her reaction during the banquet, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to get her up in arms. This, though, made his job easier.


    "I¡¯m saying I have no intention of dying because of a noble¡¯s temper." Theron showed a bit of a hard edge for the first time.


    "Do you think I need to rely on something like that?! If you want a sanctioned battle, I will give it to you! Do you think you¡¯re someone now that you¡¯re marrying into the Vermouth Clan?! You¡¯re a shame to your parents! The only merit worth much of anything in life comes from yourself!" ??????????????¨§S?


    "Oh?" Theron¡¯s gaze became icy cold. "And are you under the assumption that Earldoms just marry their talented daughters off to any commoner? If a sanctioned fight is what you want, then it is what I will give you.


    "Ten moves," he said, "if you can last through ten moves of mine you can have my head."


    Theron pivoted on his heel, a chilling aura surrounded him. The room should have been hot to the point of forcing even Mancers like themselves to twist, and yet several felt as though goosebumps were gliding up and down their skin.


    Thessa felt some of the flames in her eyes cooling. The protector by her side suffered a slight twitch in his hand, but just barely managed to stop himself from drawing his weapon.


    ¡¯Princess, we are leaving.¡¯


    A voice pierced into Thessa¡¯s mind, waking her up.


    Thessa frowned. "No."


    ¡¯Princess.¡¯


    Thessa took her hand away before it could be grabbed and marched after Theron, her fury returning.


    These people wanted to control everything about her life. She wouldn¡¯t have it.


    The protector could only watch, frowning. At this point, taking Thessa away by force would only make things worse.


    ¡­


    Gongs echoed through the Nightingale Pagoda. As one of the central economic hubs of the city¡ªor rather The central hub¡ªthere were many more things to do here than just buy things.


    There was no way the Pagoda wouldn¡¯t take such an opportunity.


    News of a marriage of the Vermouth Clan¡¯s young princess had been spread almost artificially slowly¡­ until it all suddenly exploded.


    Knowledge that the Nightingales thought they had strong control over spiraled and soon a scenery was painted for the citizens of Thistle Brook¡­


    A princess consort looking to prove herself¡­


    A young commoner marrying into a Clan far above his station¡­ S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A man and a woman both pining for validation.


    It was an interesting story to be sure.


    One made maybe all the more interesting by an underlying insinuation.


    Pining for validation? Or frustrated by their inability to control their own marriages?


    A woman promised to a prince she had hardly ever met. A man humiliated into marrying into a Clan that wasn¡¯t his own.


    It sounded more like a fascinating love story twisted into a sickening plot of blood and vengeance.


    But neither of the two seemed very aware of the changes to the outside world. At the very least¡­ Thessa would have no idea until it was far too late.


    As for Theron¡­ he wasn¡¯t in the mood to consider how smooth his plans were going.


    ¡­


    The crowd¡¯s noise faded to Theron. He didn¡¯t even hear them, nor did he even see much of the arena itself. It had all faded away, and there was nothing else but a vague form before him.


    He couldn¡¯t see Thessa¡¯s beauty, or even the curving outline of her silhouette. He had forgotten about everything.


    Until something triggered in his mind. Maybe after he was finished, he would recall that that had been the judge¡¯s command to begin. But right now, even that had faded.


    He took a step forward.


    [Bursting Water Shield] took form, looming large and mighty. Three [Water Bullets] formed behind it, curving forward and across blind spots.


    Fire and water clashed, but a [Water Wrap] formed from the shattered [Water Bullets] the instant they splashed into a pool by Thessa¡¯s feet.


    She was ripped into the air, a tendril wrapping her ankle.


    [Bursting Water Shield] shattered from an attack Theron hardly seemed to register, but the plumes of fire encased in water were sent spiraling in all directions.


    Thessa was tossed into the air by [Water Wrap] just as Theron closed the final distance, his fist smashing into her face.


    The princess consort landed heavily out of the arena as the howls of the crowd faded into a silence.


    She twitched just once, her will alone seemingly wanting her to stand. Then... she lost consciousness.

 Chapter 86: Nothing [Super Gift Bonus]

    [Big thanks to RolaySaltT20]


    Thessa wouldn¡¯t even know how to describe what happened. It was like from the start she never stood a chance.


    The judge¡¯s call fell and her sword was already at the ready, blazing with flames. But Theron only took a single step before he vanished behind a wide wall of water.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was on purpose or not, but the reflections and refractions in the water screen made it look like he had split into four people. Without Third Eye, it was impossible for her to tell which was the real one, so she launched a powerful attack to shatter it.


    In the instant she made the decision, she regretted it. Three [Water Bullets] had curved around her blind spots, and she had been so focused on figuring which was the real Theron that she almost hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Having poured out a large amount of Mana to ensure she could shatter the screen before Theron got close, she was forced to use her blade alone to parry the bullets. But because of that, she didn¡¯t feel that the diversions they took while gliding along her blade were off.


    They all landed in the same puddle behind her.


    And it was then that maybe the most shocking thing happened.


    Thessa had never considered that [Bursting Water Shield] wasn¡¯t an illusion method, but rather a defensive technique. Changing the reflections in the water like that required a level of control she couldn¡¯t fathom. It wasn¡¯t something that the Consummate Barrier alone could explain.


    Theron had practically overhauled the technique.


    It was something that would only work on Bronze Cores, but that was precisely why it was so shocking. He had casually manipulated the technique to suit the battle he was in currently, uncaring for anything else.


    And he had done it as easily as breathing.


    This alone was already shocking enough.


    But taking control of spent Mana, reaffirming one¡¯s connection with it after it had splashed away, and then using that very same Mana to form a new spell to cast?


    That was something that she could only do because she was a Spirit Mancer. It was because she had Spirit Mana that she could control even the spent embers of her flames as though they were extensions of her body. And technically, it was because the flames went out, not her Spirit Mana itself, that she could do that.


    That wasn¡¯t something Theron should be able to do.


    Something like taking the Mana from three [Water Bullets] and pooling them together to form [Water Wrap] right in the middle of battle was impossible.


    She wasn¡¯t a fool, nor had she lost her head. How could she ignore the [Water Bullets] that fell behind her so easily if she thought it was possible they could be a threat? At the very least, she would rush forward to avoid them.


    The thought simply never crossed her mind.


    In the very same instant her blade of fire was swallowed up by [Bursting Water Shield] and split into countless streams of flames like meteors falling from the skies, she felt it wrap around her ankle.


    Theron burst through her attack, unblemished, and appeared before her as she was flipped through the air, her body flailing.


    From start to finish, she didn¡¯t even get the chance to gather Mana for a second attack, too obsessed with trying to use the Mana Theron had dispersed with [Bursting Water Shield] to attack him from the back and catch him off guard like she had with Thralix.


    It was useless.


    The scent of death filled her head and she felt a blade slice across her neck. Those chilling eyes were the last thing she saw¡­


    Until a fist appeared and smashed against her fair little nose. Her beauty collapsed and distorted, a feeling of humiliation and pain causing her eyes to water as her skull practically deformed beneath the blow.


    As poor as the bodies of Elemental Mancers were, the bodies of Spirit Mancers weren¡¯t that much better, if at all. Only those that followed specific unique paths would be able to shore up that weakness¡­


    And Thessa certainly wasn¡¯t one of them.


    She was sent flying off the stage.


    Three moves were all it took. Even if you counted the [Water Bullet] morphing into [Water Wrap] as two, it was still just four.


    It was a complete dismantling.


    Blood trickled down Thessa¡¯s neck and collarbone, not coming from her nose or broken row of teeth, but rather from the blade that had almost run across her neck. ?§Ñ¦­????????¨º????


    Theron stood on the stage for a few short breaths before he exhaled and turned to leave.


    He had almost killed her. He had really thought about it. And unlike with her pitiful attempt against Thralix, he could have succeeded.


    He truly didn¡¯t care about what others said about him. But mentioning his parents¡­


    The chilliness in the depths of his eyes deepened. A frosty cold was drawn into his necklace silently before the crowd erupted once again.


    But by then, Theron had already long vanished.


    ¡­


    A shadow flashed by and picked the princess consort up, quickly vanishing into the distance. It looked down at the wound on Thessa¡¯s neck, a tremor erupting in its heart.


    Just a moment of carelessness was enough to decide far too much¡­


    **


    Sadie stood on a viewing platform high above the arena, her head covered in a cloak as she exhaled a breath. She had really thought that Theron would kill Thessa. But¡­


    Her eyes dimmed. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think these days anymore.


    "He is dangerous, princess."


    "He is useful," Sadie said calmly. "Daggers of the Night hasn¡¯t been under our full control in too long. He can change things."


    "He can never be trusted. You will just replace one problem with another."


    Sadie didn¡¯t reply for a long while.


    "What have you found out about what happened to his family?"


    "¡­ You know that for your father to suppress such a thing, it is beyond our means."


    "Is it beyond our means? Or is the time just too sensitive for him to stick his neck out?"


    "This servant is not at liberty to speculate. I only think that if we should rely on anyone to corral Daggers of the Night, it should be princess."


    "I will," she said as though it was only a matter of fact. "But the Gale Lineage is my ultimate goal."


    After some thought, she pulled the necklace she wore off of her neck and handed it to the servant.


    "Princess?"


    "It has nothing to do with Wind Mancy. I must keep looking."


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 87: Three Decoding Methods

    Theron walked into the Fourth Level calmly, his breathing having returned to normal.


    He didn¡¯t like to lose control of his temper. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t remember many instances of having done so. The last time¡­


    He remembered a memory from his third day in the Daggers of the Night camp. It wasn¡¯t something he liked to recall¡­ Something that reminded him of how cold he could be when he stopped caring.


    The weight of living for something other than yourself sounded nice, but it was also that weight that sank you to the bottom of an abyss. He was smart enough to be aware of it, but uncaring enough to disregard it.


    Whether he truly became a monster or not¡­


    Theron shook his head, his focus returning.


    He hadn¡¯t just come to the Fourth Level to goad Thessa. So after he defeated her, he went straight to complete his Mana Control exam and continued up.


    It just so happened that this would be a nice cover for his actions.


    It was already quite weird of him to ask to sit in on the Fourth Year Botany Class. But if he was found perusing Silver Resonance Herbs as well, the second oddity might start raising eyebrows.


    The only people that would be so interested in herbs were alchemists and potion makers of the like. If Theron, who had no real path to becoming one, suddenly became so interested in herbs, it would raise eyebrows.


    Even if they didn¡¯t make the connection with the Verdant Bloomstone, they might think him to have some sort of alchemy recipe he felt the need to hide. The worst part was that with the ways of the cultivation world, even if someone wasn¡¯t smart enough to guess at any of this, just the speculation alone could put him in danger.


    His interest in the botany class could be waved away because of his previous infatuation with academics. Clearing that class now would also make several prerequisites far easier.


    But right now he was aware that he was walking a fine line.


    A line that he had always walked perfectly.


    ¡­


    Hours later, Theron left the tower with a cultivation method he had wasted all of his bronzes on. His pockets were completely empty, and he had spent them on what was ultimately a worthless technique to him.


    But to Theron, when there was time to take risks, he would take them. When it was time to be cautious, however¡­ no one would be more cautious than himself.


    ¡¯I should have them all now,¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡¯But¡­ this final one¡­ is not quite right.¡¯


    Theron had run into a problem he had expected long ago.


    Verdant Bloomstone had fallen out of favor long ago. Though it was still very useful for passing on coded messages, because it was so out of circulation, very few used it for that either.


    Due to this, this Verdant Bloomstone was almost certainly imprinted a very, very long time ago. Depending on how long ago that was, it was possible that the region had undergone sweeping changes since then.


    This could mean two things.


    First, the location that this Verdant Bloomstone wanted to direct him to might likely already be compromised or changed beyond recognition.


    And second, the herbs used to imprint the code might have evolved, mutated, or even gone extinct since then.


    The good news was that up until this final herb, this latter problem hadn¡¯t been an issue. But, it seemed that the final herb had, indeed, mutated somewhat.


    The scent was close enough that Theron was sure they were related, but not close enough that they were identical.


    And that meant that his code might be off unless he could figure out exactly what it had evolved from.


    When Theron had this thought, though, he calmed down. If that was the case, then the solution was easy.


    ¡¯Whatever the answer is will likely be the only one that makes sense. I don¡¯t need to find a potentially extinct plant. I just need to look up all the plants it could have evolved from and then decode them one by one, swapping in a new one every time the decoding is a failure. Whichever one makes it make sense in the end is the correct one.¡¯ £Ò?£Îo??????¡ì


    There was a small chance that there would be multiple solutions. But¡­ that would be a very small chance.


    The solution was close. Soon he would know where this Verdant Bloomstone was pointing him, and what it had to do with Echoes.


    **


    Theron slowly closed a book in the depths of the Imperial Academy library. His eyes closed along with it.


    He leaned back in his chair, feeling the moonlight beaming in from a high, slanted window on the ceiling.


    The world seemed to have nothing at all to do with him. He was sure that there was a great deal of commotion after he defeated Thessa so easily, and there would certainly be problems that came with it, but he had a knack for ignoring troubles.


    The calm rhythm of his heart made his thoughts flow smoother.


    ¡¯I see. It¡¯s not the entire smell I need¡­ sometimes it¡¯s only part of the herb. That changes the calculations.¡¯


    He shifted his thoughts again.


    There were three possible ways to solve this.


    The simplest was a word puzzle. Rearranging the names, letters, or syllables of the herbs themselves until the solution was found.


    The second most difficult code was the pill code. Using the arrangement of herbs, you would divide them into the pills they could forge, and then use the properties of the pills themselves to decipher what the Verdant Bloomstone pointed you toward.


    The most difficult code was the Mana type. In this case, you needed to find the solution by understanding the way your Mana would interact with a field of these herbs arranged in a very specific pattern. Of course, that pattern was also hidden within the Verdant Bloomstone.


    Theron had expected it to be the first and simplest form.


    It wasn¡¯t. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, all that meant was a few extra hours for him.


    Merely an hour before dusk, he opened his eyes. It seemed Vibra¡¯s class was more helpful than he ever thought it could be.


    "Hm? Interesting, interesting. Why is a First Year so interested in herbs?"


    Theron looked up calmly to find a figure he had been looking for¡­


    Kai.


    Yonowai¡¯s good friend.

 Chapter 88: Bloomstone

    Theron knew exactly who Kai was. He also knew that it wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing that this person of all people had found him here.


    But he also had the mood of someone who had already expected this. After all¡­ he had been looking for him.


    How could Theron sit here with a book that could potentially be a weakness to him for hours on end just waiting for someone to find him if there wasn¡¯t a purpose to it?


    Theron¡¯s gaze shifted down to Kai¡¯s uniform.


    "Visitors to the Imperial Academy are only allowed on campus three hours from now. You also have to register, and aren¡¯t allowed into this region of the library."


    "Hoho, a real stickler for rules, is that it?" Kai smiled, his gaze a bit venomous. "Do you think it¡¯s easy to sneak into the Imperial Academy? If I¡¯m here, there¡¯s a pretty good reason for it, don¡¯t you think? How high up do you think the person who let me in had to be? Go on and take a wild guess."


    "It¡¯s actually very easy to sneak into the academy. The guards are lax because no one dares to disrespect the crown, or try and sneak into a place that has the highest concentration of Gold Mancers in the entire city."


    Theron slowly stood to his feet as Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed. The latter was quickly realizing that intimidation wasn¡¯t going to work.


    "My guess," Theron said calmly, "is that Sawyer let you in. These days, even if the guards did see you, because there was a Thistle walking beside you, they would have turned a blind eye."


    Kai¡¯s pupils constricted into pinholes.


    "You know, fools like Sawyer are very predictable. All I had to do was step out of the Fourth Year Botany Class once in front of him and I knew he¡¯d go running his mouth to you."


    Chi.


    Kai froze as a blade ran right into his chest, slipping through a small sliver between his heart and lungs. He tried to retreat, but tendrils of Mana sunk into his body, making him realize that any movement would cause it to explode.


    "If you came, then it would certainly mean that you did know about the Verdant Bloomstone. If you didn¡¯t, then I¡¯d just let you live. But to think you¡¯d take such a big risk on a small sliver of a chance. Let me guess, my battle with Thessa is what tipped you off. If I could defeat her so easily, Yonowai would clearly not be a problem for me. And since my soon-to-be marriage with a Vermouth is so public now, you know that I¡¯m in bed with the Thistles as well, so there¡¯s a minor chance I just might be related to Yonowai¡¯s death.


    "Either way, this jade is so important to you that even for such a small chance, you would definitely take the risk."


    Kai¡¯s eyes opened wide, but he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    "You certainly have a unique vantage point on things. It¡¯s too bad that it¡¯s meaningless."


    The Luminiscent Sect disciple grit his teeth. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you very angry? Maybe you have the right to be. The Thistles have many powerful warriors, but they birthed someone as useless as Sawyer who didn¡¯t understand when he was being used. I guess it is a good thing I didn¡¯t kill him so soon."


    Sawyer¡¯s jealousy was easily manipulated. So long as he knew that Theron had leapfrogged everyone to enter a Fourth Year Class, and he was still trying to ingratiate himself with Kai in hopes of using the Sect to make up for his lost credits, news of this would certainly reach Kai.


    Theron had actually planned to sit in this library until dawn for several nights in a row. Who would have thought he would only need to waste two days?


    "Luckily, I didn¡¯t waste my time. It seems that you¡¯ll be more useful than I thought."


    Kai¡¯s screams filled the air. Unfortunately, no one would hear him.


    ¡­


    By the time the sun came up, Kai was no more.


    There was one thing Burne was very right about. Water Mancers were quite good at cleaning.


    Theron wasn¡¯t much of a talker. The only reason he had said so much was because it was a type of psychological torture tactic. If he wanted the information he got, he had to pressure not just Kai¡¯s body, but his mind as well. ?¨¤??????§¦????


    Torture was unsurprisingly not a quiet a part of the tenets of an assassin.


    He placed Kai¡¯s body within a spatial device and put it into his pocket before strolling out of the library. The first rays of sunlight had yet to even descend.


    ¡¯So that is the story¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the Luminiscent Moon Sect to have such a storied history. Is that why they are so interested in it? Or is it just Sects in general that all have such histories?¡¯


    Theron wasn¡¯t sure.


    What he did know was that the Luminiscent Moon Sect was far from the strongest Sect in the province. That was the Obsidian Eclipse Sect that formed a trifecta with Daggers of the Night and the Imperial Clan as the strongest powers.


    But¡­ if that was the case, why send the princess consort to the Luminiscent Moon Sect instead? Unless they were already confident in controlling the Obsidian Eclipse Sect?


    ¡¯Hm¡­ Luminiscent Moon¡­ Obsidian Eclipse¡­ what an interesting dichotomy


    According to Kai, Yonowai was trying everything to improve his foundation so that he could make a huge push into the Silver Resonance, hopefully positioning himself to be strong enough to fight for Chosen when the time came.


    Amongst Outer Disciples, he was easily amongst the top three in strength, and was well on his way to achieving his goals. Thanks to that, he was able to enter what they knew as the Luminiscent Realm.


    Deep within it, they found the remnants of an ancestor and barely managed to survive on the way out. The way Kai described it, it still didn¡¯t make sense to him that they managed to keep their lives. It was almost like the ancestor let them leave, or even escorted them out.


    However, after coming out, they couldn¡¯t understand the Verdant Bloomstone at all. So, they started looking through historical records, which was where they learned about Bloomstones.


    The Bloomstone was a family of jades, of which Verdant was just a single type. The Bloomstone, though, was born beneath the light of the moon, nurtured by it, and grew from it.


    According to the history of the Luminiscent Moon Sect, they had created an entire cultivation system reliant on this¡­ and maybe the most shocking method¡­


    Allowed one to use the moon as a substitution or an enhancement to the Echo Pill, giving the user the ability to fuse with Beast Souls far beyond their means.

 Chapter 89: Closing [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Thessa startled awake, jolting upward. An ache in her face made the blurriness in her consciousness fade much faster than usual. In fact, rather than fading, it felt like a boulder had crashed into her as a wave of adrenaline poured into her veins like masses of green tendrils.


    Wiggling vascularity pumped across her, her body tensing. But very quickly, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t just the pain responsible for this.


    Her head had already snapped in a certain direction, her body tightening further as she saw a familiar young man sitting by a windowsill.


    The best way he could be described was¡­ so handsome it almost hurt. His skin was almost sickly, but it worked so well with his sharp features and dark hair and eyes that it was easily overlooked.


    He was the sort of young man in his early twenties that women and teenage girls would swoon over, but he was also the man that Thessa least wanted to be in a room alone with.


    Crown Prince Aetherion Nightingale.


    Confusion clouded her mind more than the pain ever could have. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be here; he was supposed to be very, very far away¡ªfocused on something he would deem far more important than her in the capital somewhere.


    There was so much turmoil, so many things to focus on with that land so, so far away. The last thing he should have had time to do was come to see her.


    The worst part was that this was the nicest way she could have put it.


    Come here to see her? No¡­ it was more like put her in her place, remind her of what she was to him¡ªnot who.


    "You¡¯re awake."


    He spoke in a calm, deep voice.


    "I¡­"


    Thessa didn¡¯t know what to say, her voice losing itself in her throat as though falling into a maze of darkness.


    "You did well killing those two. I¡¯ll let their families go."


    Thessa¡¯s breathing hitched. She wanted to feel some sort of relief, some sort of happiness that she had managed to do at least something for them before their lives were ruined for no other reason than association with her. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "However, your loss today was unacceptable. Losing is fine. Losing in such disgraceful fashion, though¡­"


    And there it was. She couldn¡¯t breathe again, her hitched breath rolling into a ball in her throat. The lump grew larger, and the cry of tears seemed on the verge of spilling forth.


    Then he looked over.


    Those eyes were like two swirling abysses, a depth of Dark Mana she couldn¡¯t begin to fathom bearing down on her.


    "But I will let it go. Today, you lost to a man. So long as you are the best woman in the world, it changes nothing to me. The situation has been handled for you."


    Then came the waves of confusion once again.


    And up and down, a volatile storm of emotions. That was the only way to describe every interaction she had ever had with this man.


    His words were sickening down to her very core. Who cared if Theron was a man? She wanted to win. She wanted to put him in his place¡­ for what he had done, for what he was doing to Malaya, for what he was doing to little Sadie who had been a complete mess to console these last few days.


    What were his words if not a reminder?


    Even when it seemed he was being kind to her, he was doing nothing more than putting her in her place, reminding her that she was meant to be a wife to the Emperor in the future and nothing more. ?¨¤??¦¢§¦s


    Her skill now, the efforts she put into cultivation, all the blood and sweat she shed for what she thought was herself, would only go toward building up his image, his ego, his legacy.


    There was nothing in this life built for her and her alone.


    "For the next few days you will remain here and recover your face. Heal well. After this, we will make an appearance together."


    After saying these words, the prince turned and left, not even so much as saying goodbye.


    Thessa sat in her bed listlessly, not knowing what to say or do.


    In the end, she almost cried once more.


    Almost.


    With a slow push, she ebbed her way off the bed. Her legs wobbled, and she realized that she must have suffered more than just a broken face. Her brain was most definitely in a terrible state, and she had a severe concussion.


    However, she still stood, her gown falling to her shins as she finally stood with the help of the bed and a side table.


    Every step was another wobbling sort of torture, the ligaments and tendons of her legs bowing and crying as she tried to force herself to stabilize.


    She didn¡¯t know how many minutes it took, but she finally crossed the room, making it to the door.


    Train.


    She needed to train.


    Her sword needed to be faster, her Spirit Mana control stronger, she needed to¡ª.


    She opened the door and a pair of backs stood in her way.


    Both cloaked figures looked back at the same time, but only a single one of them spoke.


    "Please return to your bed, princess consort. You must rest for these coming days. The prince has ordered that you must return to your best condition for the coming public appearance. You are his wife-to-be, after all."


    Thessa didn¡¯t know what it was. They were kind words, all things considered. These men would probably never dare to harm her or say a harsh word to begin with.


    But neither of the two were cloaked figures that she was used to. That man had certainly already died. And for what? Because she lost a battle? Because she didn¡¯t listen to him when he said not to go? That Theron was too dangerous?


    The tears she had held back returned in a flood.


    She tried to fall to the ground, but even that wasn¡¯t allowed. Her arms were caught, and she was slowly put back into bed.


    The last thing she heard before her wails took over her soul once again was the clicking of yet another door closing.

 Chapter 90: Tired [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron heard about the rumors the next day. And honestly, he had to admit that it was a good play, a nice angle to use. He hadn¡¯t well and truly thought about it¡ªsomething rare even for him.


    He never really saw men and women as much different. He didn¡¯t have much experience in the matter despite his mother trying to drill him with things since he was young.


    On top of that, his first real world experience with the opposite sex had come from many of them trying to kill him. Other than the women in his family, he had never truly thought to treat the so-called fairer sex much differently at all.


    The way he saw things, that was a recipe to get yourself killed.


    The only woman he had somewhat treated differently¡ªSadie¡ªhad also ended up grabbing onto his greatest weakness before he even realized it.


    She had reminded him so much of his little sister that he couldn¡¯t help himself. But such a thing only made the way he viewed things even colder.


    He was sure that before they died, Teagan and Soren never thought that it was Thessa that would take their lives. But now, buried six feet deep, it was far too late for them to regret that slip-up in judgment.


    This was just the way of the world, but it seemed that there were too many people eager to ignore that judging by the looks he was getting on the way to class.


    Looks filled with disdain, disgust¡­ and most of all avoidance as though even those that might understand wouldn¡¯t want to touch him with a ten-foot pole.


    It seemed that he had finally been outplayed, and not even truly by intelligence, but by someone with far more life experience than his own.


    Before he even heard the rumors, he understood what it was. By the time he sat down in class, he had heard enough whispers.


    A violent man.


    A woman-beater.


    A bundle of raging testosterone that didn¡¯t know how to be kind to the fairer sex.


    It was a label that was quite easy to stick on a man. If Theron had been any older, it would have likely been even worse.


    After sitting down, Theron closed his eyes. He sensed Sawyer walk in, and he shut off all his senses.


    If things were going like this, something would certainly be said to set him off. He didn¡¯t want to hear it. If he did, a head would fly. And at that point, what realms of control he did have over the situation would be ruined.


    So he didn¡¯t hear what Sawyer said at all. He didn¡¯t feel the looks of vitriol or the venom-laced words clearly backed by the fear of an unknown.


    Sawyer knew that Kai had gone to see Theron. And now Kai was gone.


    It could be that Kai had simply left after using him, but there was another possibility¡­ a possibility that Theron had made him disappear.


    It wasn¡¯t a possibility that Sawyer was willing to accept, but his bodily responses didn¡¯t care about his ego. The more fear he felt, the harsher his words became, the more overbearing the commotion he caused as though he was afraid others would hear.


    He was truly a fool. He didn¡¯t even realize that insulting Theron now was like spitting in the face of his own Thistle Clan. A true fool amongst fools. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then Theron felt something touch him.


    His eyes snapped forward, the words lingering in the air finally piercing to him.


    "¡ªYour mother would have been ashamed to have raised such a barbaric beast, and yet you don¡¯t even dare to open your mouth and defend her. You sicken me¡ª."


    Theron¡¯s eyes opened and a murderous intent he had suppressed spread out in all directions.


    Sawyer¡¯s words caught in his throat as he stumbled back, but the death that Theron had been willing to grant just now was restrained when he recognized the palm on his forearm. R????£Î¨°??????


    He looked to his side.


    "¡­ Malaya?"


    The Vermouth Clan Princess had been avoiding him for many days now. He didn¡¯t really care, but the last thing he expected was to see her suddenly take a seat by his side.


    Malaya grabbed onto Theron¡¯s arm as though she was afraid he might pull away and make this situation even more embarrassing for her.


    She didn¡¯t say a word and sat there as ripe as a tomato, but Theron seemed to forget the words that had just entered his ears.


    The red from Theron¡¯s eyes receded and he sat there in silence.


    After a long while, he looked away from Malaya¡¯s blushing face, took her hand, and closed his eyes once more, shutting out the rest of the class.


    Malaya¡¯s head lowered, her ears practically emitting steam. But as time went on, she too calmed down.


    "You¡­ You must have killed him¡­ you must have killed him¡­"


    Sawyer fell to his ass, pointing at Theron as though he had lost his mind. But the smell of urine filling the air made the noses of many twitch.


    All of a sudden, their attention was on Sawyer, their faces twisting with the same disgust and disdain.


    Sawyer couldn¡¯t even be bothered to deal with them, his incoherence growing worse and worse until he suddenly vanished.


    It was unknown what power ripped him out of class, but what everyone did know was that Sawyer was never seen again.


    Deep in the Thistle mansion, his soul lamp blinked out.


    The Thistles had suffered far too much embarrassment that day to allow it to continue.


    **


    That afternoon, as the noise of rancor against Theron increased, he was unsurprisingly called into Dean Thistle¡¯s office.


    "Give me one very good reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill you. Just one will suffice," the Dean said calmly.


    "Maybe because while you¡¯re busy blaming a 14-year-old for you being out-maneuvered by the Nightingale Clan, he found your son¡¯s killer."


    Theron threw the Verdant Bloomstone onto the desk.


    "I¡¯ve really grown tired of this back and forth. If you want to kill me, then just kill me. You¡¯re a man who supposedly rose up to Patriarch ¡¯on your own¡¯, but you need me to think out every little detail for you?"

 Chapter 91: Cut the Line

    The Verdant Bloomstone rattled on the table, spinning until it came to a stop.


    Dean Thistle¡¯s gaze sharpened. He didn¡¯t recognize the jade immediately, but very few would. Still, his knowledge as a high-level cultivator was certainly extensive. While it took him a moment, the instant the scent hit his nose, obscure memories rolled in one after another.


    Theron saw it when it appeared, that moment of agitation, of recognition, of undying greed.


    For a cultivator at this level to lose his cool like this, Theron knew that he had grasped onto the perfect weakness. Almost nothing else would matter precisely because this Bloomstone had appeared.


    Dean Thistle regained his calm with shocking efficiency. As he reached forward to pick up the jade, it was as though he didn¡¯t know what it was at all.


    He flipped it in his palm, looking at it from all angles.


    "Verdant Bloomstone. What does this have to do with my son¡¯s death? And¡­" Dean Thistle¡¯s gaze sharpened as he looked back up. "How does the likes of you even know that I lost a son?"


    "You have fools like Sawyer in your Clan. Is there a need for me to explain?"


    Dean Thistle didn¡¯t reply, looking back down at the Verdant Bloomstone.


    "Who killed Yonowai?"


    "Kai." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Impossible," Dean Thistle said indifferently, his suspicions blaring.


    "Then you might want to ask yourself why this fool came to hound me for no reason other than reading books on herbs."


    The sound of squishing liquid and flesh resounded as a head fell onto Dean Thistle¡¯s table.


    It was none other than Kai.


    "So your suspect is dead?" The sneer in his tone was practically palpable.


    "Don¡¯t you have a Spirit Mancer by your side? Use him. Or could it be that I need to explain to you how to do this as well?"


    "Your tone is getting quite big, boy."


    "And your family has given me absolutely nothing despite what I¡¯ve given them. If your plan is to string me along and then kill me when you feel I¡¯ve grown too strong, then you might as well kill me now. Do you think I¡¯m a fool? ?¨¤?????


    "I gathered three Beast Cores perfect for the youths of your family, and what did I receive in return? Three Mid-Tier Bronze Resonance Pills when I was already in the high tier? The ability to sit in on a class I was going to be able to sit in on given another few months anyway? How useful you¡¯ve been."


    Dean Thistle¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he looked over to Burne, who turned stiff but didn¡¯t dare to meet his gaze.


    The Patriarch didn¡¯t say a word in reply as he continued to observe the jade. At the very least, not related to Theron¡¯s complaints. But that was as good as an acknowledgment.


    The reason so many Sect disciples had appeared in Thistle Brook was for no other reason than to clear out the Sect and make things easier to search for.


    Originally, Sigil had been meant to enter the Sect during this time as well, but the plans on this side needed more stabilization after Yonowai died, so that was tabled for the moment.


    Dean Thistle had expected that it would take a great deal of time to get everything sorted, but he didn¡¯t expect that what he had been looking for all this time would fall into his lap like this.


    "How will you deal with this situation?"


    "Me? I don¡¯t have the resources of a Noble Clan. What do you expect me to do to combat public sentiment? They managed to twist a battle I was challenged to by another cultivator into bullying a woman. Half of the city hates me by default, and another 40% either want nothing to do with me or are disdainful.


    "I bet that very soon, this princess consort¡¯s husband-to-be will make an appearance, or maybe a statement. If he¡¯s as smart as it seems, it will definitely be the former¡ªhe¡¯s just waiting for his fianc¨¦e¡¯s pretty face to heal.


    "At that point, my reputation will be set in stone. In fact, very soon, rumors of how I forced Malaya into marriage will certainly start to spread, building up to the day of their appearance, where I¡¯m sure this crown prince will challenge me to a duel for the sake of his fianc¨¦e¡¯s face.


    "I will inevitably reject because I have no intention of fighting a Gold Mancer for your sake, nor should you want that. If I die, you gain nothing and lose far more."


    "You¡¯ve said a lot," Dean Thistle responded indifferently, still studying the jade. "What is the solution?"


    It was like he hadn¡¯t heard Theron¡¯s insults at all.


    "Before I give you the solution, how are you going to compensate me?"


    A dangerous light flashed in the Dean¡¯s eyes.


    "You¡¯re playing a dangerous game."


    "The game¡¯s been dangerous ever since I completed those 21 Credits. But you are free to use my Plan B if you want. Kill me and then blame the Nightingale Clan, spread tales of how they failed me in my youth, allowing my parents to be killed under their watch, and that bred my hatred¡ªonly for them to kill me silently in the dark for fighting back.


    "It¡¯s a good plan, don¡¯t you think?"


    The Dean¡¯s gaze shot up, a shuddering pressure descending onto Theron.


    "I¡¯ve grown tired of the childish games," he said coldly.


    "Don¡¯t be mad at me for reading you. You¡¯re predictable, and that¡¯s no one¡¯s fault but your own. That¡¯s why you were outmaneuvered this time. You think that you¡¯re the only smart person in the room, and contrary to your overinflated sense of worth, you only got here with everyone kissing your ass.


    "Now do you want to hear a real plan or not?"


    A wild grin spread across Dean Thistle¡¯s face.


    "I can¡¯t wait to kill you," he said coldly.


    Theron¡¯s hair fluttered, his true expression slipping into being as his face became frighteningly cold.


    "You had better cut the line early, or I¡¯ll be holding your head instead."

 Chapter 92: Retirement

    Theron left the Dean¡¯s office with an indifferent expression on his face. What need was there to be worried? He knew that Dean Thistle couldn¡¯t kill him, not right after so publicly promising him to Malaya.


    After losing the Ironharts, making the precious daughter of one of his staunchest allies a widow was not acceptable.


    Though the Plan B seemed smart, there were too many holes in it. It required straining relationships that couldn¡¯t afford to be strained.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of Earl Vermouth either, but also Malaya¡¯s elder brother. There was no secret how much he loved his little sister, but more importantly than that, he was a key cog in the Luminescent Moon Sect.


    Even if their father was able to swallow the disrespect and anger, Aeryn would become a wild card. Having such an important piece who might not listen at a critical time was unacceptable.


    It seemed that Theron was using Malaya, and that he was. But in his opinion, especially after recent changes¡­


    This "weakness" that he had given the Thistles was just a "weakness" to him. To them, however¡­ S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had them by the balls.


    ¡¯It seems I have a wedding to prepare for,¡¯ Theron thought indifferently.


    His body was just about recovered too. It was about time he returned to Daggers of the Night to see what he could do to shake up the situation even more.


    Giving up the Verdant Bloomstone was a great risk, and that it was. But he was confident in himself even if no one else was.


    This matter would work out. In fact, his plan had gone from a 70% chance of success to 80%.


    So what if they were Noble Clans? They would fall to his palms just the same.


    **


    "Pa¡ªDean, we can¡¯t do this. I agree with the boy for once. Let¡¯s just kill him and use his death as a flash point."


    Dean Thistle didn¡¯t even look up from the Verdant Bloomstone. He could hear the seething tone in Burne¡¯s voice, and he knew that this Spirit Mancer of his wanted to kill Theron all the more now¡ªespecially after the words just spoken.


    Instead, a head flew over.


    "Look to see what you can find from the remnants of his soul."


    Burne wanted to argue, but he didn¡¯t dare to. Soon, his Spirit Mana had moved, and he began to look through Kai¡¯s soul.


    He paused.


    "Dean, the soul is far too damaged to get more than a few fragments. But, there is a Soul Tie Jade here. Very well hidden."


    Dean Thistle¡¯s eyes narrowed and he looked up.


    "Look through it."


    "Right away."


    Burne¡¯s expression changed several times over the next few seconds. He went through the Soul Tie Jade even faster than before.


    When he snapped out of it, he was shaken.


    "What did you find?"


    "He¡­ Daggers of the Night."


    In the end, that was the only thing that he could get out, but it was enough for Dean Thistle¡¯s eyes to shoot up.


    "¡­ How did you miss this, Burne?" he finally said coldly.


    The reason he said it was impossible for it to be Kai was because Kai was the very first person they investigated. But on top of the fact that Kai was a Flex Mancer and not a Fire Mancer, he had been squeaky clean. ???¦¯???


    "Patriarch!" Burne hurried to defend himself. "The first instinct of a Soul Tie holder is to destroy everything; it¡¯s suspicious that anything was left at all."


    "Yeah? And what do you suggest happened?"


    "I¡­"


    Burne didn¡¯t know what to say. It was impossible to plant a Soul Tie Jade so expertly unless you were a Spirit Mancer. A Soul Mancer was a close second.


    Plus, where would the Soul Tie Jade have come from in the first place? They had already checked and Theron wasn¡¯t of Daggers of the Night.


    If Burne said Theron definitely planted it, he was either admitting he mis-diagnosed Theron the first time, or Kai this time.


    Then there was Sawyer.


    The one who killed Sawyer was none other than Burne personally after receiving the Dean¡¯s order. He had, of course, checked Sawyer¡¯s soul for the memories¡ªespecially since he had been saying such odd things before he died.


    Sawyer had been an obvious flaw in Theron¡¯s plans, and the oddities had made them doubt Theron once again. In truth, when Theron came here today, Dean Thistle had already decided to kill him.


    It had been obvious to Burne that Theron had manipulated Sawyer into drawing Kai near him. And in the end, that had obviously cost Kai his life.


    But this all also meant something else¡­ Theron had sensed something odd about Kai¡¯s obsession with herbs and somehow took advantage.


    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t enough to prove that Theron was already aware of the Verdant Bloomstone ahead of time. The group of three¡ªthat being Sawyer, Kai, and Yonowai¡ªhad bullied Theron before in the past. That was part of their due diligence on Theron.


    Who knew if Kai had let something slip at some point because of that?


    On top of that, there was also news that Theron had once been close with Thessa and those disciples of the Luminescent Moon Sect as well¡­ there were simply too many ways a boy as intelligent as Theron could have picked up the clues he needed.


    "You¡¯re dismissed, Burne."


    Burne paled.


    "Have Sierra replace your teaching duties for now. You¡¯ve been working for me for a long while and you¡¯ve grown tired. Take a vacation. I will call you when I need you."


    Burne took a breath.


    "Understood, Dean."


    Bowing his head, Burne then turned and left.


    Dean Thistle didn¡¯t seem to notice the departure, his fiery eyes locked onto the Verdant Bloomstone. This¡­ would change everything.


    ¡­


    Burne slowly walked out of the building, taking deep, slow breaths to calm himself.


    "Out of a job?"


    The Spirit Mancer¡¯s gaze sharpened, his head snapping toward Theron who leaned on a pillar.


    "Enjoy retirement, old man. Maybe you can use your extra time to learn how to clean stuff up yourself. Contract a broom or something and get to sweeping."


    After saying these words, Theron left.


    Burne stood there, clenching his fists so hard blood trickled down his wrinkles.

 Chapter 93: Someone Else

    Theron dashed through a forest, his expression calm. His former arrogance seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    As much fun as that character was to play, it wasn¡¯t him. It just made those elders think that he had more weaknesses to exploit than he actually did.


    His emotions were just the same as always. He rarely got too high or too low. The only real weakness he had was mention of his parents, but after slipping up that way once¡­ he refused to allow himself to do it again.


    These last few days could be considered the first time since his parents¡¯ death that anyone had used them to attack him. It had caught him off guard and his body reacted on its own.


    He had almost killed Thessa, and if not for Malaya, he would have certainly killed Sawyer.


    But what he did best was adapt. That wasn¡¯t a button he would allow others to push again.


    Who cared if he got revenge for what an unrelated party said about his parents if he died before he could make the person that killed them pay dearly? What were words to the graves where his parents were buried right now? His innocent little sister?


    The more Theron thought, the calmer he became and the smoother his blood flowed.


    An odd feeling of lightness overcame him and his steps felt faster. His blood moved through his veins faster, and though his heartbeat became slower, it was at the expense of becoming more efficient. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It all happened subconsciously, and suddenly he was moving faster.


    Theron didn¡¯t seem to notice the change, but there was a slight glow to his necklace once again as he accelerated. His speed just barely touched onto the threshold of Silver Mancy before he noticed that he was fatiguing himself faster than usual.


    It was only when Theron realized his breath had become more labored than he remembered that he finally raised an eyebrow.


    ¡¯What happened?¡¯


    The odd state vanished and his body went back to normal.


    He hadn¡¯t thought much of it because he thought that he was dealing with Veinsong again. But that didn¡¯t quite feel like Veinsong.


    Theron realized that he couldn¡¯t just wait here, so he started to move again. This time, he felt a slight tick up in his physical abilities as he moved, but it wasn¡¯t exaggerated enough for it to be noticed normally. If Theron wasn¡¯t paying so much attention, he wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it at all.


    ¡¯Odd¡­ truly odd


    There was one thing that was for certain. Veinsong had gotten stronger, and he didn¡¯t need to slip back into it again to confirm that. He almost knew innately.


    Was it because of his training with the old man? That didn¡¯t seem like it was the case either.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll be needing it. Now isn¡¯t the time to test it out


    Theron accelerated again, dancing and darting around. He fought a few feral beasts on the way, making short work of them even if they were deep into the Ninth Bronze Resonance.


    The more he fought these existences, though, the more he wondered just how the gap between Bronze and Silver Resonance was so large.


    He had felt undefeatable in Bronze Resonance so long as there was rain ever since he was in the Third Resonance. But he still didn¡¯t feel like he could take on someone at Silver Resonance even at the Eighth Resonance now.


    ¡¯Is Third Eye really such a huge deal?¡¯


    It didn¡¯t feel like a power gap. It felt like a control and reaction gap that he couldn¡¯t bridge.


    ¡¯Does Gold Resonance have such a gap as well?¡¯


    It was an odd thought for Theron to have. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t consider something so far into the future.


    Ever since he began to cultivate, he found himself changing¡­ but it was hard to tell if this was because of the cultivation or because he was slowly adapting to what life without family felt like. ?????¨º?


    From a young man wrapped in warmth every day, he was thrown into a world of chilling cold. There was nothing but damp chill around him, almost humid, but lacking in any of the warmth.


    That was his world now. How could he not change?


    Theron tapped a foot on a branch and fluttered down, landing in a vast expanse of nothingness. Up ahead, there was a familiar old man sitting at a stone table.


    The ravaged lands that he had left in waste just days earlier had been tidied up to the point that it was perfectly fine.


    Slowly, the old man looked up from the table. His expression was placid and cold, impossible to read. It was the face he put on when he was the least predictable. The sort of face he used when he just might kill any moment now.


    "Why, exactly, should I not kill you?" he asked.


    "Believe it or not, that¡¯s the second time tonight someone has asked me that question," Theron said as though he hadn¡¯t just been threatened.


    "Do you think I¡¯m that easy to use?"


    Theron blinked as though he was confused. "Aren¡¯t you the one who said I was under your protection now?"


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. Facing that gaze, Theron felt as though tiny razor blades were cutting across his cheeks and neck. It wasn¡¯t suffocating like the Dean¡¯s aura¡­ but that was because he could hardly sense it at all.


    This was the aura of an assassin.


    "They will know." The old man finally said.


    "I¡¯m sure you have a method to kill him without his Soul Lamp going out."


    The old man said nothing.


    "This will be the last time. Do something like this again, and I won¡¯t be so kind."


    "I can¡¯t promise that. Rescind your promise first, and then I will gladly take a step back. Or maybe you¡¯re confident in finding someone else that can learn [Songful Blade] and [Blood Escape] in three days?"


    The old man didn¡¯t reply, tapping his tea cup. The ripple of sound was sharp and almost grating despite being so acute.


    ¡­


    Burne had already turned to run, pushing himself to his absolute limits. Even his wrinkles had flattened against his face, the fear in his gaze palpable.


    He wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    His legs continued to move, but his head had long fallen from his shoulders.

 Chapter 94: Geniuses

    Theron didn¡¯t take long to find Burne¡¯s corpse. He slipped a spatial device off of his finger, but he didn¡¯t even get the chance to go through it before it vanished from his hands.


    He didn¡¯t even have to look up to know that it was the old man. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be getting any freebies today. But that much was fine by him.


    Theron had known that after taunting Burne, the man wouldn¡¯t be able to help himself. A good dog would always be eager to please his master, and even more eager to make up for any mistakes he had made.


    To Burne, the only way to fix things was by proving that Theron was every bit the danger he assumed him to be. So this time, Theron wasn¡¯t as cautious as he usually was. He just pretended to be and then slipped out of the academy.


    Honestly, though¡­ that was the easy part.


    Theron walked back to the old man.


    "How did you find this place?" he asked coldly. Clearly, the old man was still upset.


    "You¡¯re the one who told me you had a rare Manaborn Echo from a Sound Mancy beast. After that, it was easy."


    "You managed to remember the route in such detail?"


    "I think that¡¯s the least impressive thing I did, actually. I deciphered the distortions and built out the true route from the illusion. Then I knew you would sense me enter your domain and make your way here to help me deal with this little problem."


    "You realize that¡ª."


    "That you weakened the distortions so that I could actually follow you? Yes, I know that. That¡¯s why I was confident in finding this place."


    The old man found himself feeling slightly¡­ annoyed. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron spoke about these things as though it was easy, but he wasn¡¯t just remembering a path down a road; he was remembering the specific Mana fluctuations in the air and then deciphering them after the fact.


    He reoriented his inner ear through a memory alone, adjusting what his mind had once thought were rights to lefts, and vice versa. It was like going back through a fever dream.


    While it was true the old man had weakened his abilities so that Theron could actually keep up and follow him, this was still not just a small shock to him.


    Somehow¡­ he had still underestimated this young man.


    "Tell you what, if you¡¯re still upset, you can always give me another impossible mission."


    The old man rolled the spatial ring through his fingers, not replying immediately as though he was ruminating over something.


    "I hear that you¡¯ve gotten yourself into quite some trouble?"


    "How is getting married trouble?" Theron asked as though he was well and truly perplexed.


    "You¡¯re playing a very dangerous game, child. Weaving the line you want isn¡¯t so easy. You¡¯ll end up crushed."


    "In two weeks, I¡¯ll be marrying the love of my life." Theron said simply.


    "You are fourteen years old, you don¡¯t know what love is."


    "Saying this while sending me off to kill for you is a bit amusing, don¡¯t you think?"


    "You¡¯re also too cheeky for your own good. If you want to use your little facade, do it on someone who doesn¡¯t know the tenets like the back of their hand." ???????


    "My real personality isn¡¯t nearly as fun," Theron said as though he didn¡¯t hear the implication in the words.


    "¡­ Are you aware how powerful Bronze Resonance geniuses of the province can become? Thralix is an ant. So what if he reached the Silver Resonance of his Bloodline when the Ironharts only have a Silver Resonance cap to begin with? There are those of the Bronze Resonance that not only have Gold Resonance caps, there are those that have even stronger bloodlines than that.


    "And some of them have already awoken their bloodlines to Gold Resonance, while their Bronze Resonance bloodlines alone would already be stronger than Thralix¡¯s Silver Resonance Ironhart Bloodline."


    "But you actually sent an open invitation to them all? Have you lost your mind?"


    Theron smiled. "They think I only know how to beat up women."


    "You¡¯re a fool."


    Theron chuckled. "You tell me, old man. If a no-name marrying into a mere Earl Clan because he has no noble lineage of his own sends out such an open invitation, how many of those arrogant geniuses you just mentioned would care to accept it?"


    The old man stopped twirling the ring through his fingers, looking up at Theron.


    "So you¡¯re betting on the luck of the draw."


    "No. I don¡¯t care who comes, I¡¯m undefeatable beneath Silver Resonance. I¡¯m just trying to help you calm down. Your investment won¡¯t vanish overnight. How could I miss my wedding night?"


    The old man gave Theron a deep look. After a long while, he threw a jade out.


    Theron caught it and looked through it.


    "A Sect Disciple?"


    "The number one Outer Disciple of the Luminescent Moon Sect. It seems that he is about to be poached by the Obsidian Eclipse Sect and their elders don¡¯t want to see that."


    "Better than Yonowai?"


    "So you are the one that killed him."


    "What can I say? The Thistles pissed me off."


    "But you didn¡¯t hand in the mission."


    "I don¡¯t have a death wish."


    "So you¡¯re not going to hand in this one either?" the old man sneered.


    "Would you look at that? You suddenly have so much faith in me. What happened to there being geniuses I couldn¡¯t handle? You¡¯re already talking as though I¡¯ve succeeded."


    "Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re quite annoying?"


    "I thought you only saw it as a ¡¯little facade¡¯?"


    The old man waved a hand. "Go. And don¡¯t come back unless I call you myself."


    "Will do. Unless I¡¯m in trouble again. In which case, I¡¯ll be returning."


    The old man shook his head as he picked up his cup of tea.


    Theron had vanished into the woods again before he stopped sipping.


    Shaking his head again, the old man sighed. "He actually left this corpse here for me to clean up. Ridiculous."

 Chapter 95: Beifong Lu [Super Gift Bonus]

    [Big thanks to RolaySaltT20]


    [4 Star Bronze Mission - Kill Beifong Lu]


    [Reward]


    [>20 000 Silvers]


    ¡ª


    This line alone was enough to make Theron raise an eyebrow.


    20 000 silvers was the equivalent of two million bronzes. It was a substantial reward, one that was far more than one should ever expect for a Bronze Mission.


    But what was more curious was that it was the only reward. It wasn¡¯t until Theron read more that he found out additional details.


    ¡ª


    [Details]


    [>Beifong practices the three main techniques of the Luminescent Moon Sect: the technique set [Luminescent Blade], the defensive method [Moonlit Skin], and the control method [Luminescent Rain]. Outwardly, he has mastered all of the Bronze Resonance versions of these techniques to the Adept Boundary, but it is speculated that he has reached the Consummate Boundary with [Moonlit Skin] and has practiced the first few Silver Resonance moves of [Luminescent Blade].]


    [>[Luminescent Blade] is a technique that emphasizes swiftness and sharpness. Gathering momentum is its main¡­]


    [>[Moonlit Skin] is especially powerful at night, and even more so beneath the full moon, so it is advised to avoid combat¡­]


    [>[Luminescent Rain] is a technique that can convert Mana into a unique Spirit Mana known as Luminiscent Mana to the Ancestors of the Sect. It mimics the gravity of the moon and can make it difficult for those trapped in the domain to control their Mana properly¡­]


    [>Beifong is speculated to have stolen a very important jade of the Sect. If this jade is recovered and returned, additional rewards can be discussed. It should be noted that without the methods of the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s inheritances and their cultivation method, this jade is worthless to outsiders.]


    ¡ª


    It was the last line that stuck in Theron¡¯s mind.


    Could it be that Beifong was being framed for the loss of the Verdant Bloomstone? Or was there another reason?


    Did Beifong steal a very different jade?


    Theron couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Verdant Bloomstone was related to this jade or not.


    Interestingly enough, though, the old man didn¡¯t even mention it. Did the old man not understand the underpinnings of what was happening here either? Or could it be that he was just waiting for Theron to come back with it too? ????????¨§????


    Obviously, Theron couldn¡¯t return the jade to the Sect personally; the old man would be the liaison. But if Theron did find the jade and pretended not to have it, then he might have to deal with the old man¡¯s impatience.


    The best-case scenario was that the old man didn¡¯t care about this jade, didn¡¯t know about it, or if he did know about it, didn¡¯t care to consider it as though it were beneath his notice.


    The worst-case scenario was that the jade was actually useful to the old man and he was waiting for Theron to come back with it.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t make a decision without knowing what the jade is first. I guess I will have to kill him.¡¯


    Theron fell into his thoughts. The odds that Beifong would come to his wedding to be part of the challengers would actually be quite low, especially if he could feel the heat from his own Sect wanting him dead.


    But there were certainly methods of nudging things in that direction.


    Let¡¯s go with that, then.¡¯


    **


    Sigil¡¯s laughter filled the room. He laughed so hard that he fell out of his chair.


    "Fuck me. I didn¡¯t take you to be so cruel to the fairer sex, little bro."


    He wiped tears from his eyes.


    "Laugh it up," Theron said, shaking his head. "I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very amusing when you¡¯re not me."


    "Okay, okay. I won¡¯t laugh anymore¡ª." He had barely said the words when he burst into another fit. "I¡¯m sorry¡ªI really can¡¯t take it seriously. What were you supposed to do? Let her beat you?"


    He laughed for a while longer before he finally managed to climb back up to his chair.


    "Finished?"


    Sigil exhaled a high-pitched breath. "¡ªI don¡¯t know, maybe," he spoke as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Okay, okay. This time, for real. Tell me what you need help with."


    "Just put out a message for me saying that the Luminescent Moon Sect is trash for using this sort of method to protect the reputation of a weak disciple. If they want, I¡¯ll fight their number one Outer Sect Disciple. Oh, and add that he won¡¯t last 20 exchanges for me."


    Sigil¡¯s lip twitched and then he fell into silence for a long while.


    "You know¡­ you seem gentle, but you really do have a hard edge to you. I¡¯ve heard of Beifong before, actually. He was adopted by a Core Elder of the Sect that was once a Chosen. Though he didn¡¯t become the Patriarch of the Sect, he was close and is only not the Grand Elder out of principle. Though, no one knows the exact reason for that. Are you sure about 20 exchanges? How about 50 instead?"


    Theron chuckled. "It seems your confidence in me isn¡¯t too bad."


    "Of course, my little brother can definitely win in 50. 20 just seems a little tight, especially since Beifong has never been documented as going all out. His strength is unpredictable."


    "That¡¯s alright. I picked an auspicious day for my wedding."


    "Auspicious? How?"


    "Don¡¯t you like the rain?"


    **


    Theron settled into meditation. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯It¡¯s no good


    He had gotten addicted to the feeling of quick improvement, but after reaching the Eighth Resonance, he realized that it would take him at least a month and a half before he could knock on the door of the Ninth Resonance.


    If he used pills right now, he would be mostly wasting them. His Core needed time to settle, and he would be particularly prone to accumulating impurities in this state.


    Pills would always come from them, but there were definitely states worse than others.


    Reaching the Ninth Resonance before the wedding would be impossible. But¡­ it seemed that Dean Thistle had decided to actually properly reward him for once.


    Theron took out a black box formed from a wood that gave off a particularly strong floral scent.


    He undid the latch, but to his surprise, he didn¡¯t find any resources inside.


    "A Water Mancy technique?"


    Why would Dean Thistle give him such a thing?


    After an initial scan of the jade, Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 96: Brash Young Man [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron had expected Dean Thistle to give him something after he brought up Burne¡¯s snub. But this wasn¡¯t what he expected, and he also knew he would be a fool to think that there was nothing wrong with the technique at all.


    What the Thistle Patriarch didn¡¯t realize, though, was that Theron would figure it out instantaneously.


    For a long while now, Theron had been building up a solid foundation of Water Mancy comprehension. It wasn¡¯t just that his cultivation technique was the simplest, but even his chosen Mana skills were slowly built on top of one another.


    In fact, while others were chasing after power Echoes, Theron had actually planned to get one of the easiest Echoes to claim, coming from an Imbued Beast that was known for being difficult to catch and yet having no combat power.


    If not for the twist of fate that was the Verdant Bloomstone, he would have easily continued down that route.


    Since he was a youth, Theron had come to understand that his cultivation would never be predicated on raw power. Water Mancers didn¡¯t have enough of it.


    He would never be able to draw a [Water Scythe] as sharp as a good blade in a Flex Mancer¡¯s hand, nor would he be able to form a shield of water as solid as an Earth Mancer¡¯s, and certainly not a Metal Mancer, nor would he be able to cast illusions as well as Spirit Mancers, nor heal himself as well as a pill or a Light Mancer could.


    What he would be the best at was control. He needed to lean into it, and he needed to ensure that it was his greatest strength¡­ and Mana Control was downstream from Mana comprehension.


    The better he understood his Element, the better he would be able to control it.


    Wood Mancy might have been born for Water Mancy in part, but no matter how powerful Dean Thistle was, he couldn¡¯t fathom just how strong Theron¡¯s understanding of Water Mana was.


    Ironically enough, if this was before he took the Fourth Year Botany Class, Theron would have known there was an issue, but wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend what it was.


    Now, however¡­


    ¡¯This is a Domain skill. It can increase the Water Mana concentration in the region by a lot and lower the cost to myself. But if it¡¯s activated in this way, it would be very susceptible to absorption by a strong Wood Mana user


    Theron had experienced having his Water Mana sapped away before in his battle with the Thornhulks. But this would be like that times ten or a hundred. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The secret was something Theron had only learned of recently.


    Polarity.


    ¡¯The support aspects to this aren¡¯t hidden, which is part of what makes it so clever. The technique clearly outlines here that this would help Wood Mancers and other Variants downstream from Water Mana such as Ice Mancers, while also suppressing Fire Mancers¡­


    ¡¯If I¡¯m correct, Dean Thistle probably thinks that I¡¯d stop there, assuming that to be the "flaw", or maybe get me to think that he was only giving me this technique so that I could better support his family¡¯s geniuses in the future¡­


    ¡¯When in reality if I practice it like this I¡¯m one thought from a Wood Mancer away from having my body sucked dry of all its Water Mana¡­


    ¡¯This technique¡­ It¡¯s quite good¡­ But


    [Tidal Convergence].


    This was the sort of technique Theron couldn¡¯t trade for even if he wanted to. It was most definitely a High-Tier Bronze Resonance technique, but it would certainly be classified as a Clan Secret by a powerful Water Mancy Clan¡ªthough Theron could think of none in the Nightingale Empire.


    It just does what the rain does for me.¡¯


    This technique would be useless to Theron in the rain. But outside of the rain, it might be able to give him about 20% of his usual strength in rain.


    All things considered¡­ that wasn¡¯t too bad.


    And if Dean Thistle dared to send one of his geniuses to try to take advantage of the weakness of this method, well¡­ there¡¯d be quite some price to pay for that. ?????¨§S?


    ¡¯This gives me an idea, though. If polarity can be used to attract Water Mana to me¡­ there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t make myself even stronger in the rain with these concepts


    Theron¡¯s mind churned. He would have to finish raising [Water Wrap] and [Water Scythe] to Consummate quickly. He had a feeling he would need more experience to figure out a method to do this.


    As for this technique, he guessed he could give it a go.


    It only took a night for Theron to reach Adept in this new High-Tier Bronze Resonance technique.


    **


    The days passed and shifts and changes began to occur in Thistle Brook City. The weight of Malaya¡¯s wedding was already quite heavy to begin with, but it only became more so with the implications.


    Theron and the Thistle counterattack had caused the crown prince to move back his public appearance with Thessa, while Theron¡¯s image as a brash and arrogant man was only growing.


    As for the man himself, Theron acted as though there was nothing coming over the horizon at all.


    In fact, in these last two weeks, he cleared another four academic stream class exams with a perfect S Grade. His credit total for the academy stream increased to 24, a perfect mirror to his 24 military stream credits.


    A First Year with 48 credits. A shocking achievement to be sure.


    But there was no doubt skepticism. While it was impressive to be a genius of two streams, there was no doubt that every subsequent credit was more difficult to get. Gathering 24 credits twice wasn¡¯t nearly as difficult as gathering 33 credits to graduate just once.


    The jury was still out on if Theron could continue this sort of momentum and match up against the best of the best.


    But he would certainly act as though he could nonetheless.


    Theron¡¯s brashness only grew as the wedding day approached. But while everyone was raising their eyebrows, wondering what a man marrying into his woman¡¯s Clan could possibly have to be so arrogant about, Theron himself sat in a luxurious waiting room, dressed in his groom¡¯s robes.


    His expression was peaceful, his eyes were closed.


    Soon¡­ he would retrieve his father¡¯s sword.


    ¡¯Two more months at most¡­ just two

 Chapter 97: A Blow

    Malaya sat in a seat of honor, maids and servants dashing around her.


    It should have been hard for someone to remain flushed for so long. At the very least, her heart should have given out long ago from the mixture of nerves and anxiety. But it seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to do even that much today.


    There were at least three wind mancers in the room controlling currents to cool her down and yet not disturb her hair or makeup. It would be quite useful, and she should even be thankful, if not for the fact she almost wanted to pass out to have her own miniature time skip.


    There was nothing worse than the anticipation of waiting.


    Even now, she wasn¡¯t quite sure how she felt about this. But then again¡­ she had always known that her marriage wouldn¡¯t be up to her. All things considered, though Theron was four years younger than herself and she never really imagined things being like this¡­


    It was better than marrying someone forty years older than her.


    She sighed. ¡¯What sort of man are you really, Theron?¡¯


    While Malaya didn¡¯t have much life experience, there was still a reason why, of all the available students, Teacher Fern had still picked her out to be Theron¡¯s partner.


    If Theron hadn¡¯t leveraged some influence to force this to happen, she wouldn¡¯t believe it. She wasn¡¯t as naive as most people thought her to be. She was actually among the most intelligent in the Imperial Academy.


    This was the real reason she had avoided Theron for so long. He seemed like a gentle boy on the surface¡­ but he had a coldness in him that made him unpredictable, like he could do or say anything he had to.


    But right now¡­ she just really wanted to know why.


    Does he even like me at all?¡¯ she thought silently.


    Oddly, these thoughts helped her calm.


    **


    Theron opened his eyes. ¡¯It¡¯s about time.¡¯


    According to the tradition of the Nightingale Province, it was his job to pick up his bride with an escort and gifts.


    He had no noble status, so his gifts were provided by the Thistle Clan. Since he was currently representing their face, it was only natural.


    But Theron was still surprised to step out of the room and find Sigil waiting for him.


    "What? Why so surprised? I can¡¯t possibly allow my little brother to go off on his own, right? What if some shameless fellows try to bully you?"


    Theron chuckled and then nodded. The two walked out from a side door of the wedding venue. They had rented out the entire Purple Scale Teahouse, luxurious banners of violet, maroon, and velvet red hanging from banisters and indoor balconies. ??????¨°????§¦?


    When the duo stepped out into the warm air, there was a long line of carriages and well-bred steeds adorned in beautiful wooden armors. Vines wrapped around their legs and bodies, but rather than making them slower, the pulsing Mana in the air made it clear that this was the exact opposite.


    "What are you expecting?" Sigil asked.


    In response, Theron tapped a foot and landed on a horse at the front. With a movement of his own Mana, he unhitched it from the procession.


    "What am I expecting?" Theron smiled. "Nothing on the way there. Fun on the way back."


    After saying this, Theron kicked the side of the steed and shot off into the distance.


    Sigil was speechless. This wasn¡¯t the sort of briefing he wanted. How about some more detail?


    "If we don¡¯t go now, we¡¯ll be wasting the rain." Theron¡¯s laughter echoed from the distance.


    "Rain?" Sigil raised an eyebrow and looked up to the clear sky. "What is he¡­"


    A rumble echoed.


    Sigil¡¯s pupils constricted.


    It took him a long while of silence before he slowly recovered. That¡­ was not normal.


    Theron had mentioned that there would be rain weeks ago, but Sigil had honestly forgotten, mostly because he thought Theron was just messing around.


    How could someone predict the weather?


    There were Mana scientists that were capable, but definitely not two weeks out, and certainly not to the exact hour.


    "¡­ Replace the stud. Let¡¯s go." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sigil¡¯s orders echoed out.


    ¡­


    The procession moved out through the main roads of Thistle Brook City. Theron led the charge, his long black hair fluttering in a high ponytail.


    His black and blue robes fluttered, the heaviness of his sleeves and their sheer volume seemingly not affecting him at all.


    His smile slowly faded from his face, and a deathly seriousness came over him as the Vermouth Clan mansion closed in from a distance.


    Their wide gates, with a pair of lions facing out to the world, gave off a powerful presence.


    The Vermouth Clan was a family of Flex Mancers especially known for their lion-like strength. Taking it quite literally, the feral beast became their spirit animal as well.


    All things considered, they weren¡¯t the perfect match for the Luminscent Moon Sect that had inheritances more based in finesse than anything else, but geniuses of a path didn¡¯t have such limitations.


    Seeing Malaya¡¯s brother standing alone at the entrance, his eyes sharp and his aura deadly, Theron felt that quite intimately.


    Theron pulled the reins of his steed. As its forelegs reeled upward, he flipped off its back, landing to its side with a confident stride.


    With a deathly calm expression, he crossed the distance between himself and the gate as the procession behind him also slowed.


    Somehow, his horse remained obediently in place.


    Theron himself, though, came to a stop two meters from Aeryn, looking up slightly to meet his gaze.


    Neither said a word. Theron didn¡¯t greet his brother-in-law-to-be, nor did Aeryn explain why he was there¡­


    Until he suddenly said something that made Sigil¡ªwho was already at the ready¡ªjolt.


    "Today, you have no choice but to take a palm from me."


    Aeryn moved the instant he spoke.


    Too fast.


    Theron could hardly react before a palm slammed against his chest.


    His ribs deformed, his pupils constricted as a mouthful of blood came from his lips.


    BANG!


    The echo of the blow only resounded in his ears long after he was sent flying.

 Chapter 98: Madman

    Sigil burst up. He was slow to react, still preparing for interference from outside forces. He didn¡¯t think that the first blow would come from internal conflict.


    The Vermouth Clan was on their side. They should understand how important his was. Aeryn attacking Theron like this and heavily injuring him was like forcing them to admit their loss before things could even kick off.


    Sigil caught Theron¡¯s flying form, trying to dissipate some of the damage. But there wasn¡¯t much he could do about pure raw power outside of cushioning and slowing the deceleration. Plus, Aeryn¡¯s cultivation was far beyond his own as well.


    Aeryn was supposed to be there to deal with the bullies that Sigil couldn¡¯t, not be one of them himself.


    "Aeryn!" Sigil roared, his anger getting the best of him for a moment.


    While Sigil seemed quite happy and cheerful most often, he was under as much pressure as anyone. He couldn¡¯t afford for things to go wrong either.


    He might not be the heir apparent yet, but his father¡¯s success would directly translate to his own. If there was no Thistle Clan, what would he take over in the future? He would just be a fugitive on the run if he could keep his life at all.


    Sigil honestly couldn¡¯t believe how idiotic Aeryn was. What did he even think he was accomplishing here?!


    "There will always be a price to pay for those who hurt my little sister. I don¡¯t give a damn who you are," Aeryn growled. "If you think I don¡¯t understand your little political games and want to insult my intelligence like this, I¡¯ll gladly take his head instead!"


    A madman. A true madman.


    Sigil was so baffled he didn¡¯t even know what to say. By the time he regained some of his mind, he snapped.


    "You fool! If he fails, your sister fails! Your family fails! Your sister won¡¯t have wedding gowns prepared for her; she¡¯ll have a coffin instead!"


    "My Vermouth Clan doesn¡¯t think so much," Aeryn replied with a low rumble. "We settle accounts and we move by the weight of our hearts. When the time comes to deal with those things, I will be the first to stand in front of her. If someone wants to harm her, they will have to step over my dead body."


    There was simply no reasoning with him. Sigil was about to say more, but it was Theron who pressed a hand to his shoulder.


    "That¡¯s enough."


    There was a steadiness to Theron¡¯s tone that belied the trembling in his chest.


    Nothing was remotely light about this blow. If there was any saving grace, it was that the breaks were clean and didn¡¯t puncture his lungs or flesh. But that didn¡¯t mean the reverberating remains of the attack hadn¡¯t ruptured some of his soft organs anyway.


    Right now, it was even hard to breathe properly, let alone battle.


    Still, he stood up straight.


    Did he expect such a thing? No. Was he surprised? Also no.


    "They need a handicap regardless," Theron said lightly.


    Sigil¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Somewhere deep inside, he felt like he had never seen the real Theron, as though there was some thin veneer separating them. He was more sensitive to these things than even his father, because while Dean Thistle only saw pawns, Sigil saw people. ???????????§§?


    Logically speaking, these sort of arrogant words would only be said by Theron the character. So¡­ why did it feel like this was the first time he was hearing the true Theron speak?


    But more importantly than that¡­ Theron had spoken so softly it was as though he was saying the words only for himself.


    ¡¯He¡¯s angry


    It was odd. Sigil didn¡¯t understand this either.


    Theron wasn¡¯t someone who got angry easily. At least the true Theron wasn¡¯t.


    Sigil looked from Theron and then to Aeryn in the distance. By the time he did so, Theron had already stabilized himself, standing to his full 5¡¯6" height.


    He smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes, using his Water Mana and then quickly drying it just the same. Soon, it didn¡¯t look like anything had changed.


    Walking forward again, he cupped his fists and bowed to Aeryn.


    "Greetings, brother-in-law. I have come to pick up my bride."


    Aeryn¡¯s gaze flashed.


    "That¡¯s enough, Aeryn. Return."


    A gruff voice, even deeper and fuller than Aeryn¡¯s, echoed. It wasn¡¯t clear where it was coming from, but it felt distant.


    Earl Vermouth.


    The gates slowly opened and a palanquin carried by four women appeared. Each of them had boulder-like shoulders, and though their forms were still relatively slim and feminine, they had a hard edge to them that made one think of the military.


    And yet, each one was dressed in a beautiful dress.


    Theron walked up to the palanquin, the hidden, veiled form of Malaya within.


    Ignoring the four women, he walked to its side. He could feel the dangerous auras coming from them, but there was an even greater depth of chilliness coming from him.


    "Malaya." Theron called out softly.


    "Ah, yes, yes?" Malaya hurriedly turned toward Theron. "I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not very easy to see through this¡ªthe veil is thicker than any I¡¯ve seen before."


    Theron smiled gently. "I¡¯ve yet to see your face, but you look beautiful. Today, would you do me the honor of riding with me?"


    The four women frowned.


    "Ah¡­ ride with you? Of course¡­"


    Malaya didn¡¯t know how to say no in the first place. If she did, she would have likely never gone on a date with Theron. But this time, she felt that it would be odd if she did say no.


    Wouldn¡¯t they be sharing a room tonight?


    Her face flushed. For the first time, she was thankful for this heavy, thick veil.


    She reached out a hand and Theron took it.


    Malaya squealed, caught off guard as she was swept into Theron¡¯s arms.


    A harsh whistle filled the air and the unmoving steed rushed ahead.


    Theron grabbed its reins, swinging onto its body as the first rain droplets fell from the skies.


    "I know we have quite a number of guests watching from the shadows today. You will pretend as though you haven¡¯t seen what just happened, though. And that¡¯s fine by me. If you think that this is enough to defeat the number one cultivator beneath Silver Mancy, feel free to step forward."


    Theron stabilized Malaya in one arm, unsheathing a short sword with the other.


    He swept a glance over Aeryn, the chilling light in his blue eyes unbelievably focused.


    Was he pissed off? Yes.


    He didn¡¯t care if Aeryn wanted to protect his little sister, but standing in his way of retrieving his father¡¯s blade¡­ that was unacceptable.


    He would remember this.


    Theron kicked his horse and its hooves rose into the skies, a booming thunder echoing across the clouds.


    The moment the hooves landed on the paved stone, they shot out into the distance.


    ¡­


    "How arrogant."


    The sentiment was the same across distant buildings. However, the one who spoke this time was a certain Crown Prince. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By his side, there were several youths standing, each one with their heads lowered and their gazes measured.


    One of them particularly stood out, though¡­ the logo of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect hanging from their lapel in the form of a blackened moon eclipsing a violet sun.

 Chapter 99: Your Words [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Malaya couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but she could feel just fine. The sudden changes and the additional heartbeat she could hear in her ear left her flustered and unsure how to react.


    This definitely wasn¡¯t traditional, not by any stretch of the imagination. But she was too flustered to understand why Theron was doing this.


    Her brother, though, understood just fine.


    For the first time in a long while, Theron displayed the pride of a man.


    So what if you were angry? Your sister would become my wife today whether you like it or not¡­ and I would defeat the geniuses of the world while I do it.


    His back stood tall, with splashes of water sparkling across the hooves of his steed, as he charged down the streets as though the procession meant nothing to him at all.


    Theron¡¯s blade flashed. Slowed, it looked like a silvery light was crossing the rain droplets of the skies.


    The water pooled into a solid line, streaking across the air.


    A youth had barely appeared on the road when his head flew into the skies.


    They actually sent someone of the Seventh Resonance at him. If his mind wasn¡¯t so focused, he might have actually been offended.


    Fast. Sharp. Ruthless.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment before he took a life, his horse not slowing for even the briefest moment.


    The skies opened up, clouds rolling in. As though dumping the fury of the Heavens from above, a flash of lightning sparked like the herald of a coming torrent.


    The head barely rolled across the street, seeping blood, when Theron and Malaya passed it.


    "Theron, what happened?"


    Malaya felt the subtle pulse of Mana in the air.


    Theron narrowed his eyes. His control was too high for someone to sense it so easily, and even less so for someone in Bronze Resonance. But he could chalk it up to her being so close. With her ear to his chest, she could probably even hear the circulation of his Mana if she wanted to.


    "It¡¯s raining," Theron said with a gentle tone. "I¡¯m just shielding us. We can¡¯t have your wedding dress getting wet."


    "¡­ Oh¡­" Malaya said softly. She could definitely hear the rain now, but that hadn¡¯t felt like the continuous stream of Mana you would need to form a shield.


    That Mana had been sharp and swift¡­ deadly.


    Theron looked at her for a moment.


    "¡­ There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about," he said after a while. "Today will end just as planned."


    Malaya blinked beneath her veil.


    ¡­


    "Are you really going?"


    A youth stood in silence as the rain began to pelt down harder and harder.


    "What the hell are you thinking? Didn¡¯t you want to leave the Luminescent Moon Sect anyway? Why do you care about their reputation?"


    The voice of a woman echoed again, aggravated and tainted by poisonous tendrils of anxiety.


    "Beifong! Answer me!" the tone became shrill.


    "Do you know why I want to go to the Obsidian Eclipse Sect?"


    Beifong looked back to the woman behind him, his gaze cold. The depth of black in his eyes seemed no less deep than the crown prince himself. All he was lacking was foundation¡­ ?????£Î??¦¥????


    No, what he was lacking the most was time.


    "It¡¯s because the Luminescent Moon Sect is too small," he answered for the woman. "They¡¯ve fallen too far from what they once were. Now they can¡¯t even compare to an ant-like Sect in the Obsidian Eclipse. It won¡¯t be long before I leave the Obsidian Eclipse Sect as well and move on to a larger Sect that I will also inevitably leave.


    "My goal in this world is not something that you can fathom, Ruu. I told you during our first night together that I would leave you. It¡¯s you who believed that you could change me.


    "My blade doesn¡¯t move to the tune of anyone else. They can call me ungrateful, they can say I¡¯m a traitor, but my Dao Heart will remain without the slightest hint of dust.


    "No one, though¡­ no one is allowed to call me a coward nor claim their blade to be stronger than mine."


    Beifong¡¯s robes fluttered and he vanished.


    "I HATE YOU!"


    Ruu watched with red eyes as he vanished¡­ and then her eyes slowly turned cold.


    She turned to the bed, pulling her underwear and other undergarments back on. There was a slight twist of disgust on her face because she would have rather cleaned herself up first, but unfortunately there was no time for that.


    ¡¯At least he was decent in bed,¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡¯But he is far too sharp, far too intelligent, and far too diligent. I didn¡¯t find a single opening at all. Today, though¡­ there just might be one


    She pulled her dress down over her ample breasts. The movement caused a slight shimmer in the reflective mirror across from her, revealing the faintest edges of a familiar curse mark¡­ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mark of Daggers of the Night.


    ¡¯I¡¯m in the territory of another branch right now, though¡­ I need to be cautious.¡¯


    A sparkling light reflected in Ruu¡¯s eyes and then she vanished.


    The door opened and closed all on its own, the mess of the previous night left behind for others to clean up.


    ¡¯This Theron character is quite interesting, though. He seems firmly tied to the Thistles and the chaos here. There might be something to take advantage of


    ¡­


    Corpses littered the streets. By now, the security guard of Thistle Brook City should have been out in full force, and yet they seemed to have completely turned a blind eye to the happenings.


    The moment someone appeared, Theron didn¡¯t even hesitate. A single stroke of his blade was all it took, the rain falling around him seemingly becoming an extension of his domain.


    But he was waiting¡­ waiting for a real challenge to appear.


    Would they continue this vain attempt to tire him out? Or would they finally place something decent before him?


    Sect Disciple¡­ Imperial Scholar¡­ Clan genius¡­ it didn¡¯t seem to matter at all what was put across from him. They all fell just the same.


    Seventh Resonance¡­ Eighth¡­ Ninth¡­ Quasi Silver¡­


    Dead.


    Dead.


    Dead.


    He never took more than a single strike, never more than a light swing of his arm and a flicker of his wrist.


    And then¡­ someone finally blocked a blow.


    A heavyset young man skid back a step in the quickly wetting streets.


    When he stopped, he looked up with a grin, a heavy sword across his chest.


    "You swing heavy for a Water Mancer. I guess you¡¯re quite lucky that it¡¯s raining today, or else you would have probably kissed earth by now. It¡¯s too bad that doesn¡¯t matter much to me."


    The heavyset young man swung his sword and slammed it into the ground.


    "My name is Easton Burdeaux of the Burdeaux Marquisette Clan. Seventh Bronze Resonance, ranked 37th in my Clan at that cultivation level."


    He announced himself in almost excruciating detail. It couldn¡¯t have been clearer that a message was being sent.


    "37th?" Theron asked lightly.


    "That¡¯s right." Easton grinned.


    "And I assume you¡¯re here to show me how unimpressive I am?"


    "Your words, not mine."


    "Mm¡­"


    Theron carefully set Malaya down on the back of the horse, falling to the ground lightly.


    All of a sudden, his protection against the rain vanished and he was instantly soaked through.


    A Marquisette Clan had chosen to take personal action against him today? What a nice chance to make the higher ups who ignored the plight of his family bleed.


    Theron took another step and then seemed to vanish.

 Chapter 100: Easton

    Easton¡¯s vision blurred, but his reaction was fast. He couldn¡¯t see Theron clearly, but his training took over. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Water Mancers in combat were rare, but there was no cultivator worth their salt that wouldn¡¯t understand at least the fundamentals of battling one of the four main Elements.


    While Water Mancers were rare in combat, Water Mancers themselves were everywhere.


    Rather than trying to find Theron¡¯s exact location, Easton slammed his sword into the ground. A pulsing wave of Mana kicked up, and the air around bristled.


    Theron appeared, his body twisting in a sideways arc. His second blade had appeared in his open hand as he twirled.


    Chi. Chi.


    They sliced against the forcefield of rushing Mana one after another, slicing a path through.


    Easton took another step back, this time to create distance as he pulled his sword out from the ground. A pulsing Flux Mana formed through his blade, giving it a steaming white aura that made it look as though the metal was scorching hot to the touch beneath the pelting rain.


    Theron landed on the other side of the rushing forcefield, steadily regaining his balance. But Easton¡¯s attack was already coming.


    What Easton had used just now was an incredibly common method of the Flux Mancers. Flux Mana was far sturdier and solid than other Mana forms, making it incredibly good at pushing and pulling on things.


    But this time, Easton didn¡¯t activate [Force Push] for the sake of completely dealing with Theron. He wanted one, to find him, and two, to delay just enough to end all of this in a single blow. But there was also a third¡­


    Theron had only just stabilized himself on his feet, a tick later than usual. His injuries might have been suppressed by his will, but his body would be slower and less effective no matter what he did.


    By the time he was ready to attack again, the length of the great sword was already right above his head.


    ¡­ With [Force Push] having only just activated, for a brief instant, there was no rain to use at all.


    "Die." Easton sneered.


    To think that a person on this level would claim to be undefeatable beneath Silver Resonance.


    His sneer was still frozen on his face when his arms collapsed to the ground, not having the slightest bit of strength to them. Sliced off at the elbows, blood spurted as Easton continued his downward stroke, but without any leverage from his body, his great sword was calmly batted away by Theron.


    The pain only hit the Marquisette Clan genius several moments later. He barely had time to register that Theron, who had just been soaked through by the rain, was completely bone dry now. And even that only lasted a brief instant before the effects of [Force Push] ran out and the downpour returned.


    Theron¡¯s short sword pierced through Easton¡¯s chest. Without forearms and hands, the young man couldn¡¯t even begin to resist.


    He just stood there, looking at the blade in his chest as though he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    BANG!


    An explosion bombarded the inside of his rib cage, several [Water Bullets] booming outward as though Theron wanted to ensure that he was dead.


    Pulling his sword back, Theron allowed the rain to clean the blood away.


    He gave the corpse before him a look and then raised his head to the distance.


    ¡­


    The crown prince stood in silence, but his eyes narrowed when he saw the direction Theron was looking in. How had he picked them out? This wasn¡¯t something a Bronze Resonance should be able to do. Even a Silver Resonance expert would find this outside the range of their Third Eye¡­ £Ò?????s?


    "¡­ Cuco. Moreno. You two will go next."


    The two frowned, but when the crown prince looked at them, they shuddered, hiding their reaction and dissatisfaction.


    They might not be from a Marquisette Clan, but in their opinion, Easton could hardly be considered as such. What was being ranked 37th at the Seventh Resonance worth, exactly?


    Asking them to go together was as good as asking them to fight together. They already didn¡¯t want to be here. If not for the crown prince forcing their hands, they would have all ignored the talk from an ant of a branch city Imperial Academy.


    Cuco was a First Year of the Main Imperial Academy, having already accumulated 17 credits. If not for being over eager, she would have had a perfect 18, but she could only blame herself. Yet, instead of making up for that lost credit, she was here instead, dealing with a boastful bastard who thought that his 48 credits were worth anything compared to hers.


    Moreno was likewise a First Year, but of the academic stream. To him, it made even less sense to be here. He didn¡¯t like to battle, and he didn¡¯t like to cultivate¡­


    But he was known as a madman because of an incident that took place two months ago.


    Both Cuco and Moreno were from Knight Clans, technically nobles, but not truly considered so by anyone other than commoners. Yet, Moreno had killed the genius of a Duke Clan for disrespecting his favorite author, earning him a reputation not only for what he did¡­ but the fact he somehow managed to survive.


    A genius that had accumulated 36 academic stream credits in just half of their First Year.


    Moreno¡¯s expression was almost lazy, while Cuco was struggling the most with trying not to show her displeasure as the two shot out.


    Behind the crown prince, only three remained. Aetherion himself, though, didn¡¯t seem to mind what was happening at all.


    ¡­


    Theron looked away, his eyes narrowing somewhat in pain before he suppressed it.


    The geniuses of the capital were, indeed, something else. If these were the ones that insisted on coming now, that much would be fine, but it seemed that he would have to take a more straightforward approach.


    He leapt back onto his steed, taking Malaya into his arms. Somehow¡­ the both of them were completely dry.


    The chilling light in his eyes only deepened. He could sense them coming.

 Chapter 101: Cuco and Moreno

    "Theron¡­" Malaya called as they raced down the stone-paved roads.


    "Yes?"


    "Are you injured?"


    Theron raised an eyebrow. "¡­ Not by anything worth considering."


    "¡­ Why¡­ why did you make a claim like that¡­? You¡¯re usually so¡­ levelheaded¡­" she asked softly.


    "Sometimes there are things you have to do no matter what," Theron replied.


    Malaya fell into silence. Her brother and father said stuff like that all the time, and she just never understood. There were some things that just weren¡¯t worth it.


    "Okay¡­" she said after a long while.


    The sound of rain and hooves stomping against stone echoed again and again.


    Theron was quite calm. Even with there having been a while since the last enemy appeared, he didn¡¯t feel anxiety, nor were his eyes constantly scanning for them. It was as though he wasn¡¯t in a deadly situation at all.


    They crossed the halfway point between the Vermouth Clan and the venue. Until now, the streets had been relatively deserted, the commoners having cleared away.


    These regions were mostly the business and high-class districts, so they weren¡¯t common to be seen here.


    But as the venue approached, the number of people began to increase. While they were still sparse, being mostly stragglers that weren¡¯t in the know of what was happening today, their appearance seemed to be like a signal.


    As they got closer to the wedding venue, the number of people increased, and from stragglers¡­ they became spectators.


    ¡¯Interesting choice,¡¯ Theron thought indifferently.


    They had gone from a strategy of tiring him out to this. Maybe they thought that he was already nearing the end of his rope, but to only make him step out a single time before reaching this point¡­


    Were they really so confident in who they were sending?


    Theron pulled on the reins, his steed¡¯s hooves rising to the skies as it came to a stop, skidding across the wet stone.


    Up ahead, two young people stood, one man and one woman.


    Cuco and Moreno.


    The former was a woman with a clean-shaven head and sharp silver eyes. She had a weapon by the side of her hip stored in a sheath that was impossibly thin, so much so that from some angles, it seemed to vanish from sight entirely. ???£Ï??????


    The other had his hands clasped before him in thick, large, and heavy sleeves. He looked more like a monk on his way to pray rather than someone that had come to battle, and that was only further borne out by the fact his glasses were fogging beneath the humidity of the rain.


    Theron calmly set Malaya down once again, slowly sliding off the back of the horse and landing on the ground. His actions seemed a bit labored, but the coolness of the rain soaking him through seemed to temper some of the pain away.


    ¡¯Both are Quasi-Silver


    It was truly a large leap. Right from Seventh Resonance to Quasi-Silver.


    Theron took one step after another, the puddles he stepped through hardly rippling at all. But anyone who knew him would know that this wasn¡¯t his best.


    Even when he was in the Third Resonance, these puddles he stepped through would be as still as a calm lake. The fact there was any ripple at all went to show his current state.


    The shift to his ribs and their fractures were pressing against his meridians in several locations. Not only did it make it painful to circulate his Mana through those areas, but it disrupted the flow.


    For someone with as much control as Theron, every little detail mattered, let alone details as important as this.


    But that didn¡¯t stop his steps.


    He didn¡¯t question anything. He didn¡¯t ask why there were two, he didn¡¯t taunt them, he hardly looked at them. It was like he wasn¡¯t seeing two people at all, but rather that he was looking at two whetstones.


    BANG!


    Cuco stomped a foot. "I¡¯ll end this."


    Moreno watched her back for a moment and then dashed forward. There was a look of indifference on his face, his back leaning forward and his hands still clasped within the large sleeves of his robes.


    He had just made a risk assessment. The crown prince had implied that they should fight together. So even if they didn¡¯t, he had to make a show of it.


    Cuco snorted when she sensed him behind her, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Just when she entered a two-meter radius of the walking Theron, she unsheathed her sword.


    Lightning fast, blindingly so. She was so swift and powerful that in an instant, her blade had passed through Theron¡¯s throat¡­


    Hitting nothing.


    Theron had swayed, [Touch of Mirage] activating.


    Cuco spun, ready for an attack from the back, only for a blade to run through the back of her knees in a swift motion. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Assuming that his [Touch of Mirage] was so easily handled just because Easton seemed to have done so was foolish to an extreme. Easton¡¯s method had worked only because Theron had allowed it to.


    Cuco¡¯s head flew into the skies.


    If they would like to say that this was bullying women, they were free to do so. Today, he would be killing everyone that stood in his path.


    Moreno¡¯s eyes narrowed. He was barely a few steps behind Cuco and had seen everything happen. It was like Cuco had presented her back to Theron.


    "Your [Touch of Mirage] is powerful," Moreno said lightly, his footsteps not slowing in the slightest.


    There was a rattling in his sleeves and his hands finally unclasped.


    Nine rings shot out from around his wrists.


    Theron had already seen through it.


    Soul Mancer. Quasi Third Eye.


    He could have warned Cuco, but he didn¡¯t.


    Unfortunately for him, Theron had already seen their dynamic from the first time they stepped out. He could hear the reluctance in Moreno¡¯s steps, see the annoyed twitch in Cuco¡¯s eye.


    They hadn¡¯t been seamless from the very start.


    The Soul Mana fluctuations hadn¡¯t escaped Theron at all, and as the nine sharp rings converged toward him from all sides, he only calmly took a breath and then exhaled.


    This would be tougher without [Touch of Mirage].


    But still not enough.


    [Bursting Water Shield].


    A sphere of water suddenly manifested around Theron, the rain pelting down from above rotating into a cyclone.


    The nine rings entered and were ejected out in nine different directions as the sphere burst apart, not a single one touching Theron.


    [Water Scythe].


    Moreno lost sight of Theron, only for a water blade three meters across to suddenly appear in his sights in the latter¡¯s stead.


    [Important Announcement Below]

 Chapter 102: Impossible

    Moreno¡¯s lax expression changed. But rather than surprise, it was as though he had suddenly woken up.


    His hair fluttered, strings of white coming from it as the threads on his heavy robes lit as well.


    The tendrils extending from his hair quickly reached out and snagged his spiraling rings out of the air. At the same time, his robes seemed to have finally activated in full, a pulsing barrier crashing against [Water Scythe].


    The long blade shattered as the tendrils of white Soul Mana flexed in the air.


    Two rings were snapped toward Theron¡¯s back, two more circulating to protect Moreno¡¯s back, while the final five of them converged to the latter¡¯s front, blocking Theron¡¯s path.


    They moved much faster than Theron could dash. And with Moreno having Quasi Third Eye, [Touch of Mirage] seemed to have become useless.


    Theron¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t change. The shattering impact of [Bursting Water Shield] formed pillars of arching water that splashed against the ground, rippling out in large waves.


    And then he cast it again.


    Seven times.


    Moreno¡¯s expression changed once again. This time, he couldn¡¯t hide his shock even if he wanted to.


    Easton was right about one thing. Theron really was more powerful in the rain. But the largest change wasn¡¯t strength.


    In the rain¡­


    He almost didn¡¯t have Mana capacity restraints.


    The seven rings surrounding Theron found themselves stripped of the Soul Mana Easton used to control them. The first time, Theron only redirected them. This time, he caught Moreno off guard, activating the strongest ability of [Bursting Water Shield]¡­


    Disrupting Mana flow.


    After Moreno called out [Touch of Mirage] by name, Theron knew that he was facing off against a well-learned person. But often, fighting someone confident in their knowledge made them more susceptible, not less.


    When his rings survived the first wave of Theron¡¯s [Bursting Water Shield], Moreno¡¯s assumption was that Theron had yet to reach the Adept Boundary and thus couldn¡¯t use the Mana severing abilities of the Low-Tier Bronze Resonance technique. Because of this, he separated his rings and used quantity to try and overwhelm Theron.


    He poured more Soul Mana into them, forcing the rings to fly faster so that even if Theron managed to cast [Bursting Water Shield] again so quickly, his rings would be able to run right through them. Even if they were diverted, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for Theron to avoid a lethal blow.


    This confidence in his knowledge and his understanding of techniques for a Path of Mancy completely outside his own was precisely his undoing. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was too confident.


    Moreno lost connection with seven of his nine rings.


    He instantly began a retreat, pulling on the two to his back to block while pouring more Soul Mana into his robes to prepare for another defense. But he had used up so much Mana to send forward this attack that it was taking time for him to gather more. ??¦­????


    Most Soul Mancers that followed his path would control one or two Treasures at once. But he was controlling ten of them.


    That came with its advantages, but it also came with its drawbacks.


    And he would suffer them now.


    Theron was far faster than he could have ever expected, and his methods were even more shocking.


    The moment Moreno lost control of the rings, two [Bursting Water Shields] shattered apart, ejecting a pair of rings right at the two Moreno planned to use for defense.


    At the same time, three more shot out in quick succession, ejecting from the [Bursting Water Shields] that trapped them so fast Moreno didn¡¯t believe that Theron hadn¡¯t tweaked the cast.


    Consummate Boundary.


    This could only be Consummate.


    Unfortunately, he had noticed far too late.


    CLANG! CLANG!


    Four rings clashed against one another in the air, three more slipping between their rebounding forms and appearing before Moreno in an instant.


    The Imperial Academy disciple had no choice but to trigger his robes again. But without having had the chance to fully charge it, it sputtered and barely blocked.


    One of the rings embedded itself into his shoulder, the other two just being deflected away.


    But then Theron appeared before him.


    Moreno¡¯s eyes flashed. He was waiting for just this, a chance to overturn the tides. He knew that Theron was injured. And, he might be a Soul Mancer, but he was a tier and a half above Theron in cultivation. On top of that, neither Water Mancers nor Soul Mancers were known for the strength of their bodies.


    He was barely hurt, having allowed the ring to cut into a non-fatal region. And, so long as the ring came into contact with him¡­


    He could take control of it once again!


    "DIE!" Moreno¡¯s gaze turned malevolent, a hint of that rumored madman coming out of him as a bloodthirsty air began to manifest.


    The ring in his shoulder shot out in a spurt of blood, aiming right for Theron¡¯s head.


    At the same time, he stomped a foot, punching at Theron¡¯s chest. He knew that there were two more rings behind Theron¡ªhe hadn¡¯t lost count. But he was confident that he would be faster.


    Moreno¡¯s eyes became wild, pulsing red veins growing out from their whites, almost overwhelming them to the point his black irises sat in a sea of crimson.


    But the gaze he met¡­ was something he would never forget¡ªsomething he couldn¡¯t forget.


    Cold, focused, indifferent to praise and disparagement, uncaring for pain and hardship, a hollow husk empty of all things but the task it had chosen to focus on.


    The ring that ejected from Theron¡¯s shoulder passed over his head.


    Moreno was stunned. He missed?


    That was¡­ impossible. How could he make such a mistake?


    It hadn¡¯t passed through Theron, it had quite literally gone over his head. How could that be¡­


    The ring he thought he was controlling vanished, becoming a ring of water.


    There was a reason why it was Quasi Third Eye and not a true Third Eye. Moreno could only focus on one thing at a time, and it seemed smart to focus on Theron.


    Unfortunately for him, the ring he thought he was controlling had actually been under Theron¡¯s control the entire time, shrouded by [Touch of Mirage].


    As for the real ring, it was still in Moreno¡¯s shoulder.


    "How?! That¡¯s impossible! I know the difference between a treasure and a shape of Mana!"


    His fist was still moving toward Theron, but what good was it when the ring couldn¡¯t distract his target?


    His head was sliced in two.

 Chapter 103: Movement

    Even as his scalp fell from his head, Moreno was still screaming until his body slowly gave out, falling to his knees and then flopping to the ground.


    His rage was warranted. When he took control of the ring, he had poured his Soul Mana into it. How could he not tell that he was pouring his Spirit Mana into a well of Water Mana instead of the runes of the treasure he was trying to control?


    In truth, in that moment, both had embedded into his shoulder. When Theron ejected the ring at him, he cast a mutated version of [Water Scythe] as well, shrouding it in [Touch of Mirage] so that it was completely missed.


    The ring in Moreno¡¯s shoulder had been very real. What Soul Mana he was pouring into it was also very real.


    But because he wanted to catch Theron off guard, and because he didn¡¯t have much time to work with to begin with, he ejected it swiftly, just throwing it out.


    In the hectic situation, all he felt was something leave his shoulder. But he didn¡¯t even realize that what was flying out of his shoulder wasn¡¯t the ring he thought it was, but instead Theron controlling his shrunken [Water Scythe].


    That was because when Theron used [Bursting Water Shield] on that very ring earlier, he hadn¡¯t just ejected it at Moreno; he had also destroyed the Soul Mana Tracts on it.


    Moreno thought he was controlling it, but in truth, the situation had gone from one climax to the next before he even noticed that the runes on his treasure were broken.


    Even if Moreno knew the truth, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to accept it. How could it be so easy to destroy the runes of a treasure?


    And if he knew the answer to this, he just might cough up blood and die again. That was because it wasn¡¯t Theron who destroyed the runes personally, it was Moreno who had.


    When the four rings clashed after Moreno tried to launch them at Theron to buy some time, Theron used [Touch of Mirage] again to swap them in the air.


    He controlled the two rings from his side in that clash, angling them so that they crashed into the very runes he wanted to destroy. Then, while he pretended to launch another ring from behind him, he actually grabbed one of the rebounding rings out of the air instead.


    Moreno was so focused on making sure Theron didn¡¯t disappear that he didn¡¯t even notice how many times Theron used [Touch of Mirage] on the objects around them.


    Theron watched indifferently as Moreno fell to the ground. Then, his gaze swept over the spectator, and a slow huff of heated breath came out from his lips.


    ¡­


    ¡¯A little monster Sigil thought from the distance.


    The procession had never stopped following the duo. They and those hidden in the dark were also the reason that no one above Silver Mancy had acted yet. And yet, every victory Theron took was like another hammer to their hearts.


    Unlike the Bronze Resonance masters Theron was facing, every one of them had Third Eye. They could see what Theron was doing in almost excruciating detail. But even then, they couldn¡¯t help but stand in shock.


    Was it really possible for a Water Mancer to be so powerful? What kind of mind did he have that it worked like this?


    Sigil¡¯s eyes gained a fiery glow to them.


    He had truly been hesitating these last few weeks. Taking in Theron as a retainer seemed to be the obvious choice, but he didn¡¯t like that he couldn¡¯t see through him, and Theron was very clearly a danger. But sometimes what decided if a risk was worthy was whether the potential payoff would be.


    And Theron might have been boasting, but even if he wasn¡¯t truly the strongest under Silver Mancy in the province¡­


    He was certainly close.


    ¡­


    Theron met the gazes of the spectators and then turned to leave. But before he could, his steps paused, his eyes narrowing.


    The echo of clapping resounded through the air, the rattling of chains following it.


    A young man dressed in black appeared at the end of the road, with what people there were in the way splitting to open up the road for him.


    To his back, two thin, curved blades were sheathed, their handles peeking above his shoulders. Every time he moved the rattling of chains came with them, and it must have been because a set of black ones extended from their pommels. ????????¨º?


    He had the haircut of a samurai of legend, the sides of his hair faded down to the skin, a single long ponytail coming from the top of his head and swaying down into the wind.


    Theron turned back.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed this man¡¯s approach, which was odd. No one could hide from him in the rain.


    But then he understood. Unlike the others, this man wasn¡¯t using his Mana to escape from the rain. He was allowing it to drench him all the way through as though he was basking in it as well.


    Theron guessed who this person was instantly.


    Beifong Lu.


    The first reason he had done this was to give the Thistles a way out so that they didn¡¯t do something stupid like killing him for the sake of saving face.


    The second reason, however¡­ was to lure this young man.


    Theron exhaled a slow breath, the pulsing pain in his chest being unceremoniously suppressed by him one more time.


    He looked down at the blades in his hand. It seemed that it was about time to actually use these.


    For a while now, Theron had been testing something out. The real reason Dean Thistle believed him over Burne so easily wasn¡¯t just because of the Soul Tie Jade, but rather because it should be impossible for a Water Mancer to transfer something like that into someone¡¯s soul. Something like that should only be possible for a Spirit Mancer.


    Theron took a breath, steam emitting from his mouth. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since his real target was here, it was probably about time he stopped conserving what he had left.


    Looking ahead, he saw the wedding venue and closed his eyes.


    When he opened them again, they were sharp as blades of ice.


    The rain around him froze not in temperature, but¡­


    In movement.

 Chapter 104: Beifong Lu

    Theron didn¡¯t bother to exchange words with Beifong, accelerating forward. The frozen state of the rain caught the Outer Sect Disciple off guard, but his reactions weren¡¯t slow.


    He extended his hands and his short sabers unsheathed themselves, slapping into his palms. A chain linked them, rattling beneath the pulse of his Flux Mana.


    "You don¡¯t want to speak after saying all of that, huh?" A wild grin spread across Beifong¡¯s face. "That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll do the speaking for you since I¡¯ve been forced to listen to your nonsense for the last half a month.


    "Remember when I take your head today¡­ it was because you pissed off the true number one beneath Silver Mancy, Beifong Lu."


    He didn¡¯t even mention the Luminescent Moon Sect a single time; he didn¡¯t give a damn about them. But his own Dao Heart¡­ it would remain without the slightest speck of dust.


    Theron had read his file. He understood the kind of person Beifong was before he even appeared. While he seemed like the scheming sort, willing to betray his own Sect just to move up the ladder, the fact that he hadn¡¯t given over the jade he got from the Luminescent Moon Sect to the Obsidian Eclipse Sect painted a completely different picture.


    While Theron hadn¡¯t been sure, he had made a bet. And this time, he was correct.


    Even so¡­ right now, he wasn¡¯t thinking about that at all. His mind was so focused, ripples of a mysterious strength coming from him.


    All the rain in the surrounding 20 meters seemed to have come to a complete stop, and then Theron swung down, and the Heavens roared down with him.


    BANG!


    Their blades met, and Theron was sent stumbling back three heavy steps, a mouthful of blood coming from his mouth.


    "You¡¯re injured." Beifong said, and then began to laugh. "You¡¯re so arrogant, yet you ended up in this state before even facing me? Are you even worthy of my blade? Just die, then!"


    [Luminescent Blade] was known for its swiftness, and swift was exactly what Beifong was. He seemed to cross the distance in a single step, crossing his blades across Theron¡¯s neck.


    Theron leaned back, his dagger sliding between the pincers of the two blades and blocking them both at once as his short sword arched toward a blind spot.


    Beifong¡¯s laughter rang beneath the pelting rain, sparks flying as he pulled his blades back. But rather than blocking Theron¡¯s short sword, he simply twisted, a cyclone of blades rotating around him as he spun into Theron again and again.


    Theron¡¯s body had overextended itself after missing, leaving his entire chest open. He could only block with his dagger continuously as he tried to pull his short sword back with as much speed as he could muster.


    But then there was a rattling of Beifong¡¯s chain and his wrist was caught.


    Beifong, who could have taken Theron¡¯s head off in a sweep, instead took an unpredictable step back.


    "Your combat style is interesting," Beifong spoke as his foot lightly landed. But his words didn¡¯t delay his actions in the slightest. If anything, he was even faster. "I can see your eyes calculating, trying to lure me into traps, into false senses of security. I find it a little pathetic. This isn¡¯t how a man should battle."


    CHI.


    The chains tightened around Theron¡¯s wrist. Beifong pulled with the distance he created and a great pain surged through Theron. With the chain tightening around his wrist, it would shatter any moment now. The raw strength gap between a Flux Mancer and an Elemental Mancer was too great, even if Beifong specialized in speed.


    The smartest thing to do was close the distance and use the opportunity to loosen the chains enough to pull his arm back. But as large as the strength gap was, the speed gap was even wider.


    The battle seemed over before it even started.


    Beifong¡¯s grin became even wilder. "Say goodbye to your hand. I wonder how you¡¯ll fight. I might choose to kill myself if I were you to avoid further embarrassment."


    He pulled as he spoke, yanking hard and pulling his chains apart. If he considered Theron launching a ranged attack with his Water Mancy, it didn¡¯t seem like he cared.


    The radiant glow on him showed precisely why. Why care when he had [Moonlight Skin] and Water Mancers had poor attacking power anyway?


    Who would suffer first and the most was obvious.


    Chi.


    Beifong didn¡¯t hold back in the slightest, but the sound of snapping bone wasn¡¯t what he heard. Instead, there was a splash and shattering of water.


    Theron had cast [Water Wrap] over his arm, jetting it forward and smoothly pulling the chain over and off his wrist.


    He had to give up his sword in the process, or so it seemed. The chains latched over the blade and Theron¡¯s wrist twisted only the slightest bit before he let go. ?¨¤???????s?


    Beifong had yanked with all his might, only to send a blade right at himself, the tip flashing beneath the pelting rain.


    [Moonlit Skin] flashed, but Beifong ducked regardless, the blade slicing over his shoulder and barely nicking his black robes.


    The sword clanged down to the ground behind his back and Beifong looked over his shoulder at it as though he didn¡¯t know Theron was in front of him.


    "Haha¡­" Beifong chuckled, but it was dark and sinister in a way that made it seem as though madness was spilling out of him.


    He had almost suffered from such a petty trick. The timing, the guts, the sharpness needed to think of such a thing in a life-and-death situation¡­


    He hadn¡¯t watched Theron¡¯s earlier battles--he was too prideful for that. It was just that he had felt out the sort of combatant Theron was after a few exchanges alone.


    Yet, he had still underestimated him.


    "Alright." Beifong said, looking back to find Theron¡¯s eyes a chilling shade of indifferent. "Let¡¯s go." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beifong¡¯s grin darkened and the heavy rain droplets around him gained a white-gold hue.


    [Luminescent Rain].


    All the Mana in the region seemed to have been locked down.

 Chapter 105: Much Fine

    In that moment, Theron felt as though his connection to the rain had been severed. The streams of blue that seemed to reflect in his mind¡¯s eye had become motes of white-gold instead. Every time he tried to touch them, it became akin to a flashbang going off in his mind, or almost like touching a hot stove.


    It reflected his attempts to control it, smothering his soul like sticky squishiness and suffocating him.


    Every attempt was like another rebound against his spirit, buffeting against him and making it harder and harder to gather momentum to do anything else.


    Theron barely reacted, hurriedly raising up his one remaining blade¡ªhis dagger¡ªto block.


    BANG!


    Theron felt his wrist almost snap. He tried to use skill to meet raw power, sliding Beifong¡¯s short saber to the side. But how could his technique match up to someone who had given his entire life to his blades?


    Even if he was smart enough to guess what Beifong would do, Beifong was fast enough to make sure that it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Theron¡¯s arm was knocked to the side and a second blade was already coming for him in a swift motion. Without his short sword, there was nothing he could do but try to dodge. But because of Beifong¡¯s earlier attack, the momentum of his body was swinging the wrong way.


    He could only push off the ground as hard as he could, trying to pull his momentum further to the side and toward the outside of Beifong¡¯s shoulder.


    He succeeded, but Beifong¡¯s sword was faster than his body could ever be. There was an accumulation of Luminescent Mana, and then it was as though the gravity in the air shifted.


    Theron felt his feet become heavy, all while Beifong¡¯s blade suddenly accelerated, a twist of his wrist seemingly bending the laws of physics and shifting his saber¡¯s momentum toward Theron.


    Sensing the shift, Theron had already dropped to the ground, or rather he tried to do so as quickly as possible, his back arching toward the pavement.


    The saber¡¯s edge shot for his nose, its speed causing the falling rain to split and the wind to unleash a sharp hiss.


    A [Water Wrap] barely formed in time, tugging on Theron¡¯s waist and pulling him to the ground.


    Beifong¡¯s laughter echoed as his saber just barely missed Theron¡¯s nose, his leg already raising into the air as he stomped down. His heel surged, aiming right for Theron¡¯s knee.


    With a quick twist of his waist and a tense of his torso, Theron rolled to the side.


    His mind flashed with danger when he heard the rattling of chains.


    What splashed up from the ground as Beifong¡¯s heel collided with stone, but his chains had already moved. Like writhing snakes, a white glow jetted out from them as they seemed to wiggle independently, wrapping around Theron¡¯s ankles just as his back turned in his roll.


    The moment Theron heard the rattling, he knew that something very wrong could happen.


    His decision was made in an instant. He took a risk, cancelling his roll and withstanding the pain in his chest as his palms slammed into the ground, his pecs pumping explosively out of a push-up motion. ?£Á??¦¢¨§????


    He soared up, his elbows flaring out to where Beifong¡¯s nose was.


    Losing his wrist back then wasn¡¯t an option; losing a foot was even more unacceptable.


    The chains rattled loose around his feet as he closed the distance.


    Pain erupted through his back. He had felt the odds of this were low, but he also knew that Beifong was far too fast to be caught completely off guard.


    The blade ran through his gut, a flash of silver blinding his eyes for a brief instant as it exited through his stomach.


    But his elbow didn¡¯t slow.


    BANG!


    It collided solidly with Beifong¡¯s nose and sent him stumbling back. But just when he wanted to claim some distance, Theron clamped down on his saber with his other hand and kicked out a leg in a strong step forward.


    The chain hanging loosely around his ankles tightened once again, sending Beifong sprawling back toward him into another elbow.


    The second was even more powerful than the first, Theron¡¯s stance and foundation being set far firmer. He drove everything he had through Beifong¡¯s nose, snapping it to pieces and forcing a rushing geyser of blood.


    The Flux Mancer¡¯s eyes watered, his vision blurring, but his grip on his blades never weakened even once.


    Theron was already prepared for that eventuality.


    After his step forward, the blade was almost out of him. He took another step, ignoring the pain as the last of it sliced through as it exited the wound cleanly.


    He stepped clear of the chains, spinning around to face his opponent.


    Theron held onto his side, Beifong grabbing onto his nose and half the hilt of his blade at the same time.


    "You really are an annoying little shit," Beifong snarled, pressing a thumb against one side of his nose and snorting out a spurt of blood.


    Just now, Theron had managed to use [Water Wrap] even under his domain. It was an impotent form, and clearly wasn¡¯t worth much outside of turning him around. But it still pissed him off.


    "Just die."


    A pulse came from Beifong¡¯s sabers, and he seemed to have had enough of toying around for a crushing victory. A white-gold glow concentrated on their edges and he slashed out. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shuddering auras of phantom blades crossed through the air and a gravity that was easily three times what he was used to crashed down onto Theron, making him feel as though he suddenly weighed almost 400 pounds.


    Theron didn¡¯t bother to move. The distance was too close, and his body felt far too heavy now. Rolling would just give Beifong the chance to launch an even more deadly attack in this situation.


    But that much was fine.


    He had seen enough.


    Veinsong.


    Theron¡¯s blood churned into a silent rhythm and the hold [Luminescent Rain] had on him seemed to collapse.


    The rain froze once again.

 Chapter 106: Songful Resonance

    [Songful Blade] was a truly miraculous technique. It unleashed the mind, pulling on the potential of the body to unleash everything it had in one go. This was how it could double the output of your strength.


    But Theron found it interesting for another reason.


    Although crude in usage, it was quite similar to the ability he seemed to have awakened during the culling¡­ the ability to control the blood of his own body while he was in Veinsong. Or, more accurately, the ability to pull on the Mana of Life that was usually tethered to the body.


    [Songful Blade] was far more violent, and far more taxing to use.


    But Theron¡¯s abilities¡­ it flowed naturally, the backlash wasn¡¯t nearly as heavy, and this ability to pull on the Mana of Life¡­


    It was truly freeing in ways that were hard to explain¡­


    And it also allowed things that others could hardly fathom.


    At the very least, in this storm of rain, the Heavens opening up to pelt down their fury from above, there seemed to be a line formed between him and it.


    His palm opened up, and his short sword, scattered away in the distance, rattled¡­ then shot into his palm of its own accord.


    He took a step back, crossing his arms in front of him.


    BANG!


    With the added leverage of the short sword, and the sudden collapse of [Luminescent Rain], the power of the blades fell substantially.


    Flux Mancers weren¡¯t ranged attackers to begin with. It was only because of his host of abilities that Beifong was capable.


    Now, however¡­ he was in Theron¡¯s domain.


    Theron had just wanted to see [Luminescent Rain] work. Now that he felt the concepts in real time, he adjusted.


    Like he had said¡­ this was the final opponent worth his attention.


    He would go all out here.


    Blood flowed down his hip as he took a step forward. The pumping of his heart accelerated its loss, internal bleeding pumping through the cavity of his ribs at the same time. ??N??????¡ì


    But it was like he didn¡¯t feel a thing.


    Beifong immediately felt a difference. This time, it was his own Mana that didn¡¯t seem to be responding to him. But what he understood even less was what had just happened with Theron¡¯s sword. That was most definitely a Soul Mancer ability, something Flux Mancers couldn¡¯t do unless they had formed a Weapon Resonance, something he thought he was close to, yet hadn¡¯t quite succeeded in just yet.


    Was Theron actually a Soul Mancer? Or¡­


    Beifong¡¯s heart jolted and he quickly tilted his head to the side.


    A blade of water manifested from the rain right by his neck, almost taking his head off.


    He didn¡¯t even have the time to be shocked before Theron¡¯s dagger appeared at his throat.


    Usually, the sword was the lunging weapon, but Theron¡¯s actions seemed to underline a shocking confidence, choosing speed and precision over safety and distance.


    Beifong took a step back to form his own distance, only for Theron¡¯s dagger to pull back in a shocking fluidity. It didn¡¯t feel like he was watching a dagger at all, but water flowing down a mountain.


    DENG! DENG! DENG!


    A quick three exchanges echoed between the two, sparks flying only to be doused by the heavy rain.


    Beifong¡¯s blades were fast, but Theron¡¯s were patient in a way that was hard to describe. They only did as much as they needed to, contacting and carrying away, parrying and sliding against, meeting force with a pale, but continuous resistance that met power with consistency.


    Blood flew as an arc of it ran from Beifong¡¯s cheek. He barely dodged again, but this time it wasn¡¯t a spontaneous blade of water, it was Theron¡¯s sword.


    And then again.


    Then again.


    Wounds began to litter Beifong¡¯s body, Theron¡¯s skill¡ªonce wholly inferior to his own¡ªseemingly having reached an untold level.


    And then he saw it. The glow on Theron¡¯s blade.


    Weapon Resonance.


    No, that was impossible. A Water Mancer¡ªno, an Elemental Mancer in general couldn¡¯t possibly have a Weapon Resonance!


    Theron¡¯s eyes flashed across his vision. They were gentler than they usually were in battle, more free-flowing, more at peace than ever before.


    His blades suddenly accelerated.


    It was like facing a waterfall, a heavy downpour that started off as spurts piercing through faint cracks in a dam, only for the wall of stone to suddenly give way.


    Patient and all-encompassing, and then suddenly vicious and unrelenting. Gentle and peaceful, and then suddenly chilling and piercing. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Halfway through the combo, as the water flowed around Theron, their droplets forming into winding blades and twirling cycles that followed the dance of his feet, Beifong understood two things.


    Theron could have killed him already. He just wanted to do it with his blades for some reason.


    And two¡­ even if someone told him now that this was a Weapon Resonance, he wouldn¡¯t believe it for a single instant of time.


    This was no Weapon Resonance, this was a Mancer embodying his Element to a degree he could hardly fathom.


    This had to be an Elemental Resonance, a Water Imbued Resonance so powerful it somehow seeped into the style of his blade arts as well.


    Chi. Chi. Chi.


    Beifong¡¯s arms flew into the skies, the tendons of his knees being sliced apart and causing him to fall to his caps, all before his head was severed from his neck so cleanly that it wasn¡¯t even clear he had lost it till his body released one more shudder¡­ allowing it to slide off his shoulders and plop to the ground.


    Theron snapped out of Veinsong, his body shuddering as though it only just realized the state it was in. He stumbled a step before he caught himself, his face paling. The loss of blood was substantial. Entering Veinsong with a gaping wound in his body was nothing short of suicidal. He had easily tripled his blood loss rate, if not more.


    But standing there, looking down on Beifong¡¯s corpse from above, he felt a chilly sort of assurance.


    ¡¯The¡­ last


    He had barely had the thought when the voice echoed.


    "Not bad."


    A young man squatted down to the tips of his toes from a building high above Theron, the emblem of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect on his chest.


    "Normally, I would invite you to join the Sect. But I¡¯m sure as you can tell, my hands are bound this time."


    The young man smiled a gentle smile.

 Chapter 107: Five

    Theron huffed out breaths. The puddles beneath him began to pool into foul swirls of crimson and violet, painting the ground a darker hue than the rain alone was capable of.


    His body seemed to sway side to side in the wind. Any moment now, he could teeter over, collapsing to the ground.


    ¡­


    "He¡¯s at his limit," Sigil said softly from a distance, his frown deepening.


    He recognized the young man as an outer disciple of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect. In fact, he wasn¡¯t just any disciple; he was ranked 17th in the Outer Sect.


    The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was huge. The number of Duke, Marquisette, and Earl Clans that sent their young talents into their midst was uncountable. There were even some from neighboring Provinces that sent some of their youths for exchanges in diplomacy.


    The number of Outer Sect Disciples was easily in the several thousands, approaching four digits. To be ranked 17th amongst them all¡­ this young man would most definitely hold up a piece of the sky with his palm in the future.


    Skyler Surgg.


    Sigil wanted to take a step forward, but he felt an aura lock onto him. His eyes narrowed.


    This wasn¡¯t an aura from an outsider; it was a higher-up of the Thistles. He could feel the unique Wood Mana and could only stop moving.


    He didn¡¯t understand.


    At this point, there were enough spectators that anyone could tell that this was ridiculous.


    But even as he had the thought, Sigil knew that he was being naive. When someone said words as boastful as Theron, the methods their enemies could use to twist them were simply far too many.


    Plus¡­ who was to say that these spectators couldn¡¯t be compromised?


    Was the crown prince that had pushed them into this corner in the first place really so foolish?


    From start to finish, there hadn¡¯t been a single scream, a single panicked shout or scatter. While there had been changes in expression, it was almost as though everyone here had already expected all of this to happen.


    Was this a show of power? Was this the Nightingale Clan showing them how much influence they still had over Thistle Brook City?


    Sigil¡¯s frown deepened. Theron had suddenly stumbled.


    ¡­


    Theron seemed to have truly stumbled, falling to a knee. But it was right by Beifong¡¯s corpse. He pulled on it, taking it into his spatial device.


    Since Dean Thistle had given him one with his last rewards, he could now use it openly. Plus, he had likely been overcautious in the past anyway. An Imperial Scholar of his talent wouldn¡¯t raise any eyebrows by having such a thing in his possession. ??????????§£¨§?


    Slowly, Theron pulled himself back up to his feet, his breathing heavier after the strain.


    He took a deep breath as Skyler still seemed to be curiously observing him from above. He seemed to find Theron¡¯s actions odd, but all things considered, who in the cultivation world didn¡¯t take their spoils of war with them?


    But, taking spoils when you were about to die¡­ well, that would never not be weird.


    "You¡¯re a bit of an oddball, kid. But I guess I¡¯ve seen weirder fanatics than you. The Sect is full of them. I guess I¡¯ll send you on your way now." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Skyler hopped down from the building.


    "I promised¡­" Theron spoke softly, "¡­ to kill the number one Outer Sect Disciple of the Luminescent Moon Sect¡­ in 20 moves¡­ but¡­ he provided me an interesting breakthrough opportunity¡­ so¡­ I ignored it.


    "I think that¡­ to make up for it¡­"


    Theron slowly raised up a hand, his actions seeming labored and strained as he spread out his five digits.


    Skyler blinked. "You want to give me a high five?"


    "You will die in five moves."


    Theron¡¯s voice fell, his tone incomparably gentle, and his eyes seemed to have lost their chilling cold entirely. In its place, an almost dull gentleness remained.


    Veinsong.


    Skyler¡¯s heart jolted and his Dark Mana circulated. A circular ring of darkness formed around his feet and then he seemed to sink into the ground.


    In an instant, he had appeared several of meters away, a cold sweat on his back and forehead, only for a danger to come from his back.


    He hurriedly spun, a dark spear appearing in his palms as he thrust out several times in quick succession.


    The [Water Scythe] that seemed to have manifested from nothing at all shattered, falling to the ground, only for it to form several tendrils of [Water Wraps] to burst out from them.


    Caught off guard, one of them wrapped around his ankles.


    Skyler swept out a blade, severing it in two, but then another caught his other ankle.


    Droplets of rain swirled in the air, [Water Bullets] shooting at him from all sides.


    The Obsidian Eclipse Sect Disciple had no choice but to ignore them, surging out with his Dark Mana to sever the second [Water Wrap].


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    His body was bombarded by [Water Bullets]. His Mana skin shattered and he was suddenly soaked through by the rain. It was only the briefest instant of time before he had it back up, but it was enough.


    [Bursting Water Shield].


    A burst of water shattered Skyler¡¯s robes and dissipated his Mana all at once.


    All the while Skyler was fighting for his life against what seemed like the world itself, Theron had been walking over with slow, teetering steps.


    Skyler didn¡¯t even realize when Theron appeared behind him, the latter¡¯s blade thrusting forward slowly.


    It pierced into Skyler¡¯s back and the Obsidian Sect Outer Disciple froze.


    Skyler couldn¡¯t even believe it. He almost thought that pain was imaginary, that some Spirit Mancer had gotten a hold of his mind and trapped him in this ridiculous nightmare. It didn¡¯t even feel like he had a chance to use his full strength at all.


    But¡­ Beifong had been perfectly correct.


    Theron could kill him whenever he wanted. He just preferred to use his blade for unknown reasons.


    And now, that reason bore out.


    Skyler simply wasn¡¯t ready for this bombardment.


    Theron¡¯s blade moved with an almost agonizingly slow pace, almost shifting into Skyler¡¯s body as though he was trying to fuse the two.


    "I think that¡¯s about enough," a voice echoed.

 Chapter 108: This Time

    Theron¡¯s blade paused, his head turning up to the skies to find a young man with a pale but handsome expression standing above them on the edge of a building.


    He had never seen this young man before, but Theron knew who he was immediately nonetheless.


    Crown Prince Aetherion Nightingale.


    The crowds seemed to scatter all at once without a single hint of a sound.


    ¡¯Truly incompetent.¡¯ Was Theron¡¯s first thought, at least¡­ until his eyes narrowed.


    Incompetence, maybe? Or maybe this was just hedging.


    The Thistles had no idea if he would be able to fulfill his promise to defeat all those beneath Silver Mancy or not. Maybe they could have fought back against this setup, but chose not to in order to mitigate potential backlash should Theron lose.


    It was idiotic. The same sort of foolishness they had fallen into before.


    The Crown Prince had certainly known this, which was why he was so confident in executing this move.


    Sometimes, Theron couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Thistles, a mere Marquisette Clan, were so confident in their victory. If they were at least intelligent, he would understand it. But they were being played in the palm of his hands and he didn¡¯t even have the same resources the crown prince did.


    Above Marquisette Clans, there were still Dukes and Grand Dukes, and that didn¡¯t even mention the Imperial Clan themselves.


    There had to be a story behind why a mere Marquise would dare to do all of this, but judging by the actions he had seen until now, there was nothing particularly impressive about them at all.


    And now there was this crown prince above him, seemingly wanting to save the outer disciple in his hands.


    But how could Theron possibly let him go so easily?


    "You want to save his life?" Theron asked calmly.


    "My wants and the laws of the Heavens are one and the same. Asking me foolish questions will only end your life sooner," Aetherion said calmly.


    "Is that so? I bet you¡¯ll have a lot of explaining to do when you return to the capital. How many geniuses did you bring over that have already died at my hands? What are you going to do? Blame it on a little live-in son-in-law like myself?"


    Aetherion¡¯s expression didn¡¯t shift in the slightest, but his silence told it all.


    "I also bet that if this Obsidian Eclipse Sect disciple isn¡¯t the best you¡¯ve brought, he isn¡¯t far from it. You moved a lot of capital today in hopes of saving the face of your little princess consort. What if another one dies?"


    All the while, Skyler didn¡¯t dare to move a single inch, his body frozen in place. With just a thought from Theron, his Water Mana could explode in his body. ??????§à?§¦S


    Poor offensive capabilities or not, no one wanted any sort of Mana exploding within their bodies. Unless the strength gap was enormous, the only result would be immediate death. But if the strength gap was large enough, there wouldn¡¯t even be a chance for this in the first place.


    "You¡¯re playing a very dangerous game."


    Theron smiled a gentle smile.


    "How many people in this world want your head? You¡¯re much more valuable than a lowly commoner like myself. I would urge that the prince be careful appearing out in public like this."


    Theron¡¯s words carried an edge to them that they usually didn¡¯t. But if one understood the fire burning in his heart right now, they would know just the level of restraint that he had already shown.


    The Nightingale Clan was the Imperial Clan of this province. It was their duty to protect their citizens. It had once been his lifelong dream to become an Imperial Scholar, a subject that was ultimately subservient to them.


    Had he ever thought of it in so many words? Of course not. His goal was to learn¡­ but the end result would have functionally been the same.


    He would have been just fine serving the Nightingale Clan and helping them to rise up in the world until the day he breathed his last.


    But how exactly had they treated his family? Did they even care about what happened back then? Was there anyone that even mentioned what happened to his village in the Imperial City?


    The fact that he was standing here, having a conversation with a gentle smile on his face¡­


    That was his restraint.


    "Dangerous actions, and even more dangerous words. Even if I present my neck, who would dare to use it?" Aetherion asked calmly.


    "Apologies, I wasn¡¯t aware the influence of the Nightingale Clan was so vast. I was under the impression that the powerful never had to deal with betrayal. But maybe rumors are exactly that¡ªjust rumors."


    Aetherion looked toward Theron for a long while. And then, he raised up a palm.


    Theron couldn¡¯t react before his hand felt weightless, Skyler having disappeared from where he stood in a swirl of black.


    "Enjoy your wedding. You have the Nightingale Clan¡¯s congratulations."


    Aetherion vanished afterward without saying a single word.


    For a long while, Theron didn¡¯t say anything. He wasn¡¯t sure why the crown prince gave up so easily, but he had his own guesses.


    His knees almost gave way, but he stabilized himself in time. Maybe it was a rare pride, but no matter¡­ he would fall today.


    As he walked across the blood-soaked ground, back toward his steed, he had no intention of getting rest or slipping. This was just one challenge, an insignificant drop in the bucket.


    He would climb over them all until the day the corpse that lay beneath his feet was the man from that day.


    With a step, he pulled himself back up and onto the horse Malaya waited on.


    What no one but she seemed to notice was that from start to finish, even without having to use an ounce of her Mana, she had remained bone dry.


    Theron had never allowed a single drop to fall on her. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    "This time, I will listen to you," the crown prince said calmly.


    "¡­ You never listen to anyone. You just know that I¡¯m right. So long as the Thistles keep them by his side¡­ they¡¯ll collapse all on their own." the voice of a little girl replied.

 Chapter 109: No Weakness

    Theron sat on the edge of a bed. Behind him, Malaya kneeled silently in a nightgown, tightening bandages around him. Though he hadn¡¯t asked her to do this, she seemed insistent, so he could only oblige in the end.


    After making sure that the bandages weren¡¯t going anywhere for the third time, Malaya found herself looking at the parts of Theron¡¯s back that were still exposed¡­


    If you could call it that.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be a single region that could be classified as normal skin at all. Thin lines and scars covered him, some healed, some not quite, and then there was the largest of them all on his chest.


    Usually, she would be embarrassed in a situation like this one, but it was hard to be when she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of them.


    What could a 14-year-old have possibly gone through to put his body in such a state? And how was he still going?


    But then she thought back to the gaping wound she had just stitched together. Maybe today was just far from the first time he had done such a thing.


    Theron hadn¡¯t even made a single sound, his gaze intently focused on something, or on nothing at all. It was hard to tell from her vantage point.


    "Okay," Malaya said lightly.


    She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes as though waiting for something. But Theron continued to sit on the edge of the bed, still absent-minded.


    Malaya¡¯s eyes slowly opened, and she peeked over. Suddenly, she started blushing again. She couldn¡¯t possibly be the one to initiate, right? She had spent so long drilling herself to prepare for this moment, but all of those scenarios involved Theron pouncing.


    Though, to be fair, maybe she had twisted his image in her mind a little bit too much.


    "You can go to bed," Theron said after a while. "I still have something to think through."


    The light voice came with hints of reprieve from Malaya as Theron stood, the lean cuts of his back rippling slightly beneath the dim lights.


    His steps hesitated for a moment, and then he looked back.


    "You also don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯m sure whether this happens or not is irrelevant to what others would think happened tonight. But the world is large. With how much your father and brother love you, I doubt they would ask you to have a child any time soon."


    Malaya blinked, not quite understanding for a while. It wasn¡¯t until Theron was about to vanish to the training room connected to their wedding chambers that it clicked for her.


    He was saying that even if the people of the Nightingale Province knew that she was a married woman now, there were plenty of other Provinces in the world. So long as her innocence was intact, if there was an opportunity one day¡­


    She could go wherever she wanted and start a new life without any of this baggage.


    "Theron¡ª" Malaya called out before she could even properly think through what she was about to ask.


    "Yes?" Theron looked back.


    Malaya had turned red before, but right now she might as well have been the sun at dusk. It looked like her blood pressure might start bursting out from her pores.


    "Have you¡­ um¡­ done¡­ this? Before?"


    Theron met her gaze for a while, and for some reason Malaya found herself calming down.


    "I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to have any weaknesses."


    After saying this, Theron left the room and entered the training chambers.


    Malaya lay on the bed, the silky threads wrapping around her.


    She half wanted to laugh at herself, and half felt a deep sense of emptiness.


    Maybe it was naive, but she had always hoped that she and her husband would share their first time together. But Theron¡¯s response¡­


    A single tear fell down her cheek.


    That night, she wasn¡¯t sure when she fell asleep.


    **


    Theron stood in probably the best training room he had ever seen in his life, and these were just the accommodations of an Earl Clan. How much better were they elsewhere? ??N?????§¦????


    The training facilities of the Imperial Academy, even as a branch, certainly stacked up. But the trouble was that the only time you could use them for free was ironically during Exams. Otherwise, you needed money.


    The personal training room Theron had in his dorm was extremely barebones, and that was after proving himself to be a worthy student. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In this world, without noble status, there were truly very few things that you could accomplish.


    But he would forge his own path.


    Holding up his dagger and short sword, Theron could feel how dull they had become after so many battles. He had experienced this many times with the daggers he carried. But this was the first time he was experiencing something like this with his other blade.


    The fire for his father¡¯s sword only burned brighter.


    He pressed it down.


    Today¡­ he had made a large advancement, and he might have even somewhat touched onto the secrets that might be in the necklace that hung from his neck.


    He had said it before, but after learning [Songful Blade], he felt a connection between his Mana of Life and his blade for the first time. But he had felt that the method was crude¡­ because it was far inferior to what he had felt when he controlled the blood of his body.


    Mana of Life wasn¡¯t a specific sort of Mana, but rather referred to the Mana rooted in the body. It could come in many forms, but amongst them, Water Mana was one of the most abundant.


    At least 60 to even upwards of 75% of the human body was formed of water.


    With [Songful Blade] as a catalyst, Theron realized that if he could reach an Imbued Resonance with the Water Mana in his body, he would be able to channel that Resonance into his weapons.


    The result was a blade style that embodied water itself.

 Chapter 110: Embody

    The main problem Theron had with all of this, though, was that there were still too many questions¡­ and too much of it was still vague in his mind.


    The reason he wanted to observe [Luminescent Rain] first was because he wanted to feel that aspect of taking and control that [Songful Blade] embodied, manifested in another form. The fact it was raining and Beifong was stripping him of control over Water Mana was even more important.


    When Theron took it back with Veinsong activated, that layered it once again.


    But¡­


    Why could he only use this ability in Veinsong? What were the reasons he could control a weapon through a Water Imbued Resonance? What did this have to do with his necklace?


    If it was a bloodline, why couldn¡¯t he sense it already? Could it be his bloodline had still yet to actually activate? But in that case, how could it already be so powerful?


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    Bronze Awakened bloodlines could be of vastly different strengths, assuming their ceilings were also vastly different. But Theron had never heard of an unawakened bloodline displaying such prowess.


    Theron didn¡¯t like the feeling.


    The bloodline wasn¡¯t the problem. The main issue was that he was used to relying on his intelligence, his control, to add to his prowess. But right now, it felt like he was relying on something he didn¡¯t quite understand.


    While it sounded like it made "sense" for this to work, [Songful Blade] didn¡¯t actually resonate with a blade; all it really did was explosively increase his strength.


    And that made sense to Theron.


    But the leap between strength to controlling an external item in his blade did not. There was a linkage here that he was missing.


    Theron absentmindedly swung his swords, immersing himself in those memories. He didn¡¯t dare to use Veinsong right now, but he went through the motions, imprinting his new blade style into his muscle memory so that he could begin to use it in part even without Veinsong active.


    It wouldn¡¯t be nearly as strong, but the blade style was far better than any he had ever used before, and most importantly¡­ he had a shocking affinity for it.


    Until now, Theron had never dedicated himself to any blade style techniques outside of the very basics. He had drilled them again and again until they were like extensions of his body, but compared to Flux Mancers¡ªespecially ones as skilled as Beifong¡ªhe was still too inferior.


    There were Water Mancy blade techniques out there, but he found them all to be unworthy of his time. But this¡­


    ¡¯It feels like I¡¯m using a Silver Resonance technique


    It was hard to describe, but the gap between Bronze and Silver Resonance techniques was in their control of the environment and their ability to influence one¡¯s surroundings.


    This didn¡¯t mean area-of-effect techniques, but instead take something like [Water Bullet], for example.


    The reason everyone was always so shocked when it suddenly manifested from the air was that Bronze Resonance techniques had very short ranges when it came to their activation zones.


    Bronze Resonance techniques manifested near the user, and then crossed distances to impact elsewhere.


    The only reason Theron seemed to be capable of ignoring this rule was because he was actually cheating.


    When his techniques manifested "out of nowhere," they were actually the product of spells he had already cast earlier that collapsed. It was just that he never gave up control of the Mana, while his opponents couldn¡¯t understand how someone could continue to control a shattered technique. ?????????S? S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Silver Resonance techniques, because of Third Eye, were far more flexible.


    Somehow, this Water Imbued Resonance of Theron¡¯s was capable of not just mimicking, but even faintly surpassing what only Silver Resonance techniques should be capable of.


    He had truly felt like he and the sky itself were one and the same in those moments.


    The water spontaneously fell into his control, and he formed [Water Scythes] and other techniques from a far-off distance with nothing more than a thought.


    Then, one after another, without the slightest hint of effort¡­


    All of his techniques reached Consummate.


    ¡¯I see


    Theron slowly lowered his arms, steam rising from his body as his bandages were coated in rivers of sweat.


    He finally understood it.


    ¡¯This Mana of Life indeed doesn¡¯t have just Water Mana alone¡­ so that¡¯s why


    Through this Mana of Life, Theron could pull on the other Manas stored in his body, Mana he had no affinity with whatsoever. But through his control of Water Mana, he could¡ª.


    ¡¯No. I¡¯m not controlling other forms of Mana. Instead, the character of my Water Mana is changing to embody them, making it seem like I am¡­ because of this, I was able to implant the Soul Tie Jade into Kai¡¯s soul like a Spirit Mancer¡­ because of this I could pull my sword to me like I was a Soul Mancer¡­ because of this I could wield this blade style as though I was a Flux Mancer


    Steam continued to emit from Theron¡¯s body, the cool air rushing over him.


    There was a very important distinction here. He wasn¡¯t controlling Soul Mana, Spirit Mana, or Flux Mana, he was tweaking his Water Mana to embody aspects of them.


    He couldn¡¯t just control any treasure like a Soul Mancer could. But, he could shift around the blood in a dead man¡¯s body to force it to accept a new Soul Tie Jade.


    He couldn¡¯t just control any weapon, but he could resonate with it and force it to embody the fluidity and patience of water.


    Even after all this thought, Theron still felt like he was missing something, like there was something he would either never understand without guidance, or he would have to reach a far higher level to grasp.


    But, he knew that no matter what, understanding this path forward would be his path toward true strength.


    And he also knew that those who watched his battle would be doing their best to understand just how he had done it.


    Luckily for him, today was his wedding day. He had been given more Water Mancy techniques than he could study in a lifetime.


    Why not take advantage?

 Chapter 111: An Inferior Path [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    [Tidal Wave]. [Water Prison]. [Aqua Resonance].


    All three were High-Tier Bronze Resonance techniques. Theron had also received quite a few Silver Resonance techniques, and two Gold Resonance techniques that came from the Thistles themselves, but he directly ignored them all.


    Originally, he only planned on picking two more techniques to round out his Bronze Resonance methods, but he changed his mind, adding [Aqua Resonance] when he otherwise wouldn¡¯t.


    [Tidal Wave] was an area control method. It formed a wave of water that doubled as a method to increase the Water Mana concentration in the region.


    Honestly, it was a very rarely used technique. The requirements for sheer Mana quantity meant that it was only cost-effective for Silver Mancers.


    As one might imagine, forming a wave of water required a lot of, well¡­ water.


    Even right now, to use it at the Entry Boundary, it would require half of Theron¡¯s Mana to use effectively. And, unlike with [Water Wrap] and [Water Scythe], Theron didn¡¯t get an immediate boost in comprehension to it either because it was too different from the others he had used.


    However, at the Adept Boundary, there was a change.


    At Adept, [Tidal Wave] could be used on existing water and gained control and chaining aspects to it. Meaning, you could use a small amount of water to control much larger amounts to act in the same way.


    Depending on the environment, this could be very effective.


    [Water Prison], though, reached the Proficient Boundary instantly. It formed a sphere of water to trap opponents and had many foundational runes to it that mirror the runes found in [Bursting Water Shield].


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    At the Entry Boundary, it would easily take up 30% of Theron¡¯s current Mana reserves to cast and likely wouldn¡¯t be very effective in trapping anyone of decent strength.


    If Theron wanted it to be somewhat effective, he would probably have to compensate with more Mana, so it would end up needing around 50% of his Mana to cast, much like the current [Tidal Wave].


    But, at the Adept Boundary, rather than being a normal sphere of water, [Water Prison] became more like a maze of currents, and it also ground down on anyone trapped within, stifling their Mana usage, crushing their bodies, and making it very difficult for them to slice or swim their way out.


    And finally, there was the one technique that Theron had had no intention of choosing.


    [Aqua Resonance].


    It was the most powerful Water Mancy healing type technique of the Bronze Resonance.


    Theron honestly didn¡¯t feel like wasting time on this was worth the foundation he was trying to build in Water Mancy comprehension. But this new experience made him realize that if he didn¡¯t pay more attention to how Water Mana could resonate and help the body, he would only continue to have more questions.


    In fact, although [Aqua Resonance] was the main headliner, he had picked out five lesser healing techniques as well.


    This all sounded very foolish on Theron¡¯s part. Not the choice to pay so much attention to healing now, but rather instead that he had ignored it before.


    There was a good reason for this.


    Theron wasn¡¯t the type to leave stones unturned. The reason he had ignored this path of Water Mancy was because it was an inferior path. Water Mancers weren¡¯t good at combat, so they slowly carved out another road to follow for themselves. But Water Mancers would never be as good at healing as Soul Mancy alchemists were, and certainly never as good as Light Mancers. ?????¦¥?


    Due to this, Theron chose to focus his attention on what he felt Water Mana was actually the best at¡­


    Control.


    He was slowly building up a foundation for himself, but this mystery in his body had made him realize that maybe he was wrong. And the best path to see just what secret connections Water Mana might hold with the body was to delve into this Path of Water Mancy Healing.


    Theron seemed to have forgotten that he had added [Tidal Wave] and [Water Prison] to his arsenal, focusing the entire rest of the night on his healing techniques.


    **


    Theron left the Vermouth Clan compound the next morning, returning to the Imperial Academy as though nothing at all had happened the previous day.


    The looks he received this time were very different. There was a wide berth around him, and a dense amount of fear in many who stepped by his side.


    It seemed that the Thistles had finally done at least something correctly, but he was still unmoved by it all.


    He was sure that by now there were pieces and details everyone was putting together.


    Just 14 years old¡­ just at the Eighth Resonance¡­ and yet all of these accomplishments on his shoulders.


    Even the youngest he had faced, Easton, was only about his age, while the strongest were not only Quasi-Silver, but easily 16 years old if not older.


    So much of this context, lost in the moment, was revealed one after another.


    Just how powerful would Theron be when he reached Ninth Resonance? Was he Quasi-Silver? S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Theron entered his dorm room, his gaze sharpening.


    ¡¯I wonder how long it will take the Thistle Marquise to realize that Burne is dead


    Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but Theron knew that this rare instance of peace was his chance to do things without being monitored.


    It was a risk to kill Burne, but it was also a necessity. That old fogie would have never left him alone, and Dean Thistle probably knew that.


    The fact the man¡¯s Soul Lamp hadn¡¯t gone out yet would only buy him so much time. But that much was fine.


    Soon, he was betting that Dean Thistle would call him for matters related to the Verdant Bloomstone. So, before that¡­


    He would have to figure out just what it was Beifong was hiding.


    With a thought, the outer sect disciple¡¯s corpse appeared on the ground of Theron¡¯s basement, and he pulled his spatial ring off of his finger.

 Chapter 112: Forbidden

    Theron faced the same problems with Beifong¡¯s spatial device as he did with Yonowai¡¯s. However, this time he had far fewer worries.


    For one, he was far closer to Beifong in strength than he had been to Yonowai. And second, he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone sensing him break into Beifong¡¯s device. Everyone knew he had it.


    Though that was a worry in itself, it wasn¡¯t something that would bear fruit in the short term. By then, he would be ready.


    Theron wasn¡¯t naive. He knew that for there to be a mission placed in Daggers of the Night for what Beifong had in his possession, and for the reward to be so steep, there were certainly far more people than just himself who knew what was going on.


    He had yet to figure out if the old man was one of them, but even if he wasn¡¯t, there were certainly others who would be.


    However, as with all things, there was a balance of risk to reward he had to take.


    Crack.


    The restrictions on the ring split open and the contents of the spatial ring spilled out.


    There were a large number of miscellaneous items. Clothes, disguise methods, weapons, beast pelts. It didn¡¯t seem very organized at all¡ªcertainly not compared to Theron¡¯s own spatial device.


    Digging through one¡¯s spatial device, especially without Third Eye, could cost you precious split moments in battle. Knowing exactly where everything was could save your life.


    But Theron wasn¡¯t here to judge a dead man.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯


    Theron picked up a booklet from the ground.


    There were two methods of storing techniques. Jades were more common these days, but original copies were still kept in written form a lot of the time, as inscribing jades required a deep understanding of the technique.


    By comparison, just writing down circulation methods and rune information was far easier.


    As such, to ensure there were no mistakes involved, the main copy was always in this cruder form. But because it was far easier, stolen copies often tended to be in this medium as well.


    Theron flipped open the first page.


    ¡¯This isn¡¯t among the three techniques


    The information the Guild noted about Beifong mentioned three techniques: [Luminiscent Blade], [Moonlit Skin], and [Luminiscent Rain]. Of course, this didn¡¯t count whatever cultivation method he used. ?????????o??§§s?


    This, though, wasn¡¯t any of the three, and he hadn¡¯t used it in battle either.


    ¡¯This information mentioned that he had learned the first few Silver Resonance moves of [Luminiscent Blade], but given the nature of Silver Resonance techniques, my guess is that he would need [Luminiscent Rain] active to use them to make up for the gap in Mana purity. So when I activated my Water Imbued Resonance, he lost the ability to use them.


    ¡¯But this isn¡¯t those techniques either. This should be


    The runes were obscure, of a form that Theron didn¡¯t understand. And the circulation pattern was complex. It was the sort of spell that would take a cultivator several seconds to cast in battle. Experience more on


    Unless you were a Spirit Mancer of the Beast Taming or similar path, or you had other teammates that could stall for you, no cultivator worth their salt would place this as one of their main techniques.


    The only exceptions would be those army veterans¡ªgraduates from the Imperial Academy¡¯s military stream¡ªthat would tailor their battle styles to fit in with troops around them.


    Theron still didn¡¯t know what the spell was all about, but not only was it certainly not a Water Mancer technique, but even if he ignored that and circulated it, it would take him upwards of 15 to 20 seconds to finish the casting.


    If he was uninjured and in Veinsong, it might take him closer to 12, but that was still far too long a period in battle. Even one second was too long in many cases¡ªeven at the Bronze Resonance. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On top of that, what he assumed was Beifong¡¯s handwriting was far too messy. There were several places that could be misinterpreted, and half of Theron felt that that had been done on purpose.


    Beifong wasn¡¯t just courageous; he had a brain between his ears as well. He knew when to be cautious.


    After almost half an hour, Theron was able to figure something out.


    ¡¯Is this


    Theron¡¯s hand moved like lightning, snatching up something.


    In the pile of clothes Beifong had, many of them were women¡¯s garments. Some of them looked like they were used for disguise as they were far larger than the average woman would need.


    These stood out because Beifong had many clothes that were appropriately sized for the average or petite woman. So unless he had such wide and variable taste, Theron¡¯s explanation was the most logical answer, especially since many of the larger sizings all had the same measurements.


    But it was among the pile of used "souvenirs" that Theron grabbed a bra embroidered with several gems.


    He ripped it apart.


    Out from the gem embroidery, a small rock that looked no different from all the rest fell into his palm.


    ¡¯I see¡­ the Luminscent Moon Sect¡¯s description of the mission implied that anyone taking on the mission should return the jade because it couldn¡¯t be used without the cultivation method of their Sect¡­ but did they expect me not to realize that this is the so-called "cultivation method"?¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed, weighing the jade in one hand and the booklet in another.


    ¡¯Could it be that they didn¡¯t know that Beifong already stole their method? Or¡­ did they call it a cultivation method on purpose, when in reality, it¡¯s a Mancer Spell?¡¯


    A Mancer Spell, often colloquially referred to as Forbidden Spells, were complex methods that stood above normal spells and techniques. Often, they could only be used when given ample time, preparation, and resources.


    Some of the worst of them required great sacrifice on the cultivator¡¯s part.


    What Theron didn¡¯t know was that having the right Imbued Resonance could make casting Forbidden Spells far easier¡­

 Chapter 113: Such a Day

    Theron not knowing much more than surface information about Mancer Spells was only natural. He had hardly known anything about Imbued Resonance just days ago.


    But even if he did know, it wouldn¡¯t help much, or so it seemed.


    After all, this was the Luminiscent Moon Sect¡¯s method, not some Water Forbidden Spell. There was only so much he could do.


    That said¡­ he had figured out that this Mancer Spell and this jade were connected.


    What he wanted to understand was¡­ why the Sect mentioned the very important jade as though it was singular, and yet¡­


    Theron looked down at the beads on the ground. Not every one of them was the same as the jade in his palm, but about 20% of them were, for a total of about 17.


    They were all around the same size as well, and they didn¡¯t look like they had been broken.


    Were they mistaken? Or was this another lie by the Sect in hopes that he wouldn¡¯t figure things out?


    What was the purpose of all these lies?


    Theron fell into silence and then closed his eyes. He slowly went through his thoughts one after another.


    ¡¯They lied about it being a cultivation method, lied about the number of jades there were, were quite vague about what these "additional rewards" might be¡­ Alright, then let¡¯s do things like this


    Theron took 16 of the 17 jades, storing them away. Then he made a copy of the booklet, Beifong¡¯s likely purposeful mistakes and all.


    Once he was finished, he plucked out a belt from seemingly one of the many women Beifong had been with and sowed the one remaining jade into it.


    Then he tossed everything into Beifong¡¯s spatial ring, stored away what he had gained, and left his abode.


    **


    Theron walked into Daggers of the Night cloaked, his expression calm.


    The old man was waiting at the same desk, but this time Theron didn¡¯t pull out proof of his mission completion immediately. Since the old man had given him the mission in secret, it was hard to tell if he wanted this matter to be publicized or not.


    Plus, if Theron brought out Beifong¡¯s head here, wouldn¡¯t everyone be able to connect to his real identity? Although he knew many in Daggers of the Night were already aware, that didn¡¯t mean making it common knowledge would be a good thing. ?¨¤N?£Â¨º?


    The old man looked up and then stood.


    Theron followed him.


    ¡­


    By the time Theron caught up, the old man was already at his stone table. So, he simply deposited the head there. Stay updated with


    "I hear you killed quite a few people."


    "What can I say? They tried to ruin my wedding with a beauty."


    The old man gave him a glance.


    "How did you do it?"


    Theron blinked. "Do what?"


    "Your weapon. Your change in blade style."


    "¡­ I don¡¯t understand? What¡¯s so special about that?"


    "Do you think you¡¯re speaking with a child?" the old man asked.


    Theron shook his head, unsheathing his dagger.


    In one moment, it rested in his palm. In the next, it was hovering in the air.


    "I focus on control. It¡¯s not that difficult."


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. He could feel the small droplets of water around Theron¡¯s blade.


    "It¡¯s called buoyancy. The denser the fluid, and the more of it that is displaced, the more buoyancy there is."


    "You expect me to believe that you can increase the density of water vapor to this extent? The amount of pressure you would need would form something more violent than a bomb."


    "Have you never seen a genius before?" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron¡¯s dagger spun in his palm, dancing and weaving.


    In truth, he hadn¡¯t been able to do this just yesterday. But the principles of [Water Prison], especially how it increased water pressure and density, making a meter depth of water feel like a thousand-meter depth, helped him apply this now.


    It looked invisible, but the old man could certainly feel the large amount of Water Mana pulsing in the air.


    "You¡¯re already breathing hard and you expect me to believe that?"


    Theron raised an eyebrow as though he was looking at an idiot. Even though the old man was right, and beads of sweat were already falling down his brow, he still looked in control.


    "It was raining."


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had no refutation for that.


    Other Water Mancers found it almost impossible to take advantage of rain. But given the control Theron displayed, maybe it was only natural that he could do what they couldn¡¯t.


    "And what does that have to do with your blade style?"


    "That¡¯s something I created on my own. I¡¯ll never be able to do what Flux Mancers can, so I thought why try and copy them when I can make my own path? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not the first to try to embody the essence of an Element with a blade style.


    "What is with this questioning, old man? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s supposed to be teaching me, not the other way around."


    "You created that blade style¡­ on your own?"


    "Well, have you seen it anywhere else?"


    "I¡¯m not a Water Mancer."


    "Well, that¡¯s good, because I definitely wasn¡¯t going to teach you even if you were. Now can we get to business, please? I¡¯m owed two million bronzes and extra rewards on top of that. Who am I negotiating with?"


    "Me," the old man said.


    Theron made a weird face. "What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You want to be the middleman and snatch away my rewards?"


    The old man¡¯s lip twitched. "¡­ No. The Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect is a good friend of mine. The mission wasn¡¯t made public, only you and I know of it."


    "Is that so? If he¡¯s such a good friend, then invite him here to have tea. I¡¯d prefer not to use a middleman, who knows how much you¡¯ll try to stiff me out of?"


    The old man was truly speechless this time, but before he could respond, laughter came from the far-off distance.


    "I never thought you¡¯d have such a day, old man."


    A figure fluttered in from the skies.


    Theron hadn¡¯t been there then, but if he had been¡­ he would have known that this was the second voice on the mountain peak the day of the culling.

 Chapter 114: Two Things

    The badge of a white gold moon hung from the newcomer¡¯s lapel. There was a heaviness to his aura that the old man didn¡¯t have, not because the old man was weaker¡­ but maybe because this newcomer¡ªthe Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect¡ªwasn¡¯t an assassin. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The difference between facing a powerhouse that had spent a lifetime learning to mask their aura, and one that was used to flexing it to establish prestige, was akin to night and day.


    And yet, this man still made Theron feel far warmer than the old man ever could have.


    This feeling, though, only lasted for a brief instant before Theron shrugged it off, frowning inwardly.


    He didn¡¯t like that feeling just now, the feeling of reverence. It was like he almost naturally gave way for the man.


    Of course, Theron wouldn¡¯t mind even bowing right now if that was what he had to do. But there was a difference between doing something to get by and because he felt it was the smart thing to do, and doing something because he wanted to from the depths of his soul.


    The latter was the far scarier prospect, because that would mean he would have lost what edge there remained to him.


    "Ah, so you are the River I have heard so much about. Thank you, thank you. You¡¯ve helped us deal with quite the scourge of our Sect."


    Theron curiously observed this man for a while, trying to understand something.


    "Why Daggers of the Night?" Theron eventually asked.


    The Patriarch blinked. "What do you mean?"


    "Well, the world doesn¡¯t know that Beifong is a traitor, so they¡¯ve just taken it as your top Outer Disciple losing to a live-in son-in-law."


    The Patriarch burst into laughter.


    "Ah, so this is what you¡¯re worried about. Only the weak care so much about face, young man."


    There was a flash in Theron¡¯s eyes.


    Was this true? In part. Theron himself subscribed to this philosophy. He had put himself through a lot to reach this point.


    But by the same point, face was a fact of life. Without face, a Sect would struggle recruiting strong geniuses. Without face, the tides of war could change as neutral parties might choose to join your enemies. Without face, someone who was strong might have to waste too much time fighting small fry that didn¡¯t know their place, wasting both time and energy.


    Most of the strongest families of a city could probably be toppled over if enough smaller Clans came together, but would these smaller Clans ever do this?


    Likely not.


    Why?


    Because the strong Clan had too much face.


    Face wasn¡¯t just an arbitrary measurement of pride and the prideful. It was a very strong political tool used to avoid headaches and concentrate power. ?¦¡¦­§°¦Â??


    If the Nightingale Clan¡¯s face was great enough, would the Thistles even dare to lead a rebellion? This was why Theron had found the crown prince¡¯s words so ridiculous.


    But by the same token, was the Patriarch wrong?


    No.


    If you were indeed strong enough, none of it would matter. Who cared about disciples joining your Sect? You were their future. Who cared about little Marquise Clans attacking you? You would crush them. Who cared about ants when a single snort could send them all flying?


    "It¡¯s just not too convenient for me to bully the young," the Patriarch said with a smile. "I was also hoping that he could take another step forward under the pressure, honestly. But it seems that for his first challenge, he met someone he couldn¡¯t surpass. What do you say, River? Would you like to become the new number one ranked Outer Disciple of my Sect?"


    "Don¡¯t try and poach my men right from beneath my nose."


    The Patriarch put his hands up.


    "Okay, okay. I¡¯m just here to bring rewards. Tell me, River, have you found the jade?"


    Theron shrugged. "I looked through the spatial ring and found some stuff, but I have no idea if it¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for. Feel free to check for yourself."


    The Patriarch chuckled. "Is this a method of testing me to see if I¡¯m more honest than the old man? Fine, fine."


    Theron tossed over the spatial ring and the Patriarch caught it. After a quick look through, he nodded, smiling.


    "It is indeed all here. So, River, what rewards would you like for this?"


    "Two things. I want the Beast Core of a Ninth Silver Resonance Immortal Jellyfish. And I¡¯m also curious about the booklet. Can you tell me what it is?" Explore hidden tales at


    The Patriarch blinked while the old man just leaned back in his chair, watching curiously.


    "Immortal Jellyfish? Are you sure?" The Patriarch looked to the old man, but the latter didn¡¯t seem intent on giving anything away. "Do you¡­"


    "I know. It¡¯s probably among the bottom three weakest Water Imbued Beasts in all of existence, but it¡¯s the one I want."


    "It¡¯s not just that, but there are no redeeming qualities about its Echo. Many Water Mancer researchers in the past have had no ambitions for combat and have tried to use them as a medium for improving the Path of Healers for Water Mancy, and they¡¯ve all failed. You should know that Echoes are best chosen from beasts that have strong external effects. Beasts that internalize their abilities make the worst Echoes."


    "There¡¯s just something everyone has neglected about the Immortal Jellyfish?"


    "Oh?" The Patriarch started. "That¡¯s quite arrogant of you to say."


    "The self-healing abilities of the Immortal Jellyfish all boil down to one very important thing: control. Its body is made up of over 95% water, and yet it can seamlessly heal itself nonetheless."


    The Patriarch frowned. "This isn¡¯t difficult. That 95% of water is tied down by the Mana of Life. All it has to do is distinguish between Water Mana it can use and cannot."


    "And what of the transition between Water Mana to healing?" Theron asked. "At that point, there¡¯s little difference in feel between Water Mana and Water Mana imbued with the Mana of Life."

 Chapter 115: Are You Sure?

    The Patriarch looked at Theron for a long while.


    "¡­ Are you asking for this poor reward just so you can know about the methods of my Luminescent Moon Sect?"


    Theron smiled. "If you want to look at it like that, you can. If you feel bad, you can use more detail. I won¡¯t mind."


    The Patriarch chuckled. "Maybe if this was a matter related to me alone, I might oblige. But since this is a matter of the Sect, I cannot be so willful. All I can tell you to feed your curiosity is that the control of Bloomstone and its methods of use in cultivation are a large part of the strength of our Sect.


    "In this case, this method that Beifong stole is a unique method of strengthening your Golden Resonance Tribulation."


    "Strengthening?" Theron asked.


    "Indeed."


    "Isn¡¯t it hard enough?"


    The Patriarch laughed again. "For some people. For geniuses, sometimes it isn¡¯t nearly hard enough. Maybe one day you¡¯ll reach a point in cultivation where you realize that it isn¡¯t that you cannot take more, but rather that the Heavens do not care to give you more."


    Theron felt like he had just heard something extremely profound. No, it was deeper than just words. It was almost like he was hearing a secret he wasn¡¯t meant to hear.


    And yet, he couldn¡¯t quite explain why that was.


    What secrets could this possibly be related to?


    The Patriarch didn¡¯t seem eager to interrupt Theron¡¯s thoughts and just let him think for a long while until he finally spoke again.


    "Are you sure about the Immortal Jellyfish?"


    Theron looked up. "I am."


    "Alright. Give me a moment."


    The Patriarch vanished. Theron thought he might have to wait hours, but he didn¡¯t expect that it wouldn¡¯t even be ten seconds before the Patriarch returned, tossing a spatial ring over.


    "There is your reward and your request. I¡¯ve also put something extra in there for you to take a look at. If you don¡¯t like it, go ahead and sell it. It won¡¯t offend me."


    "Thank you," Theron bowed lightly, then turned to leave. He could feel when he wasn¡¯t welcome anymore, though the two old men would hardly kick him out so harshly.


    The two watched him leave without saying a word.


    "What do you think? Still feel that same way?" The Patriarch turned to the old man with a grin.


    "I can¡¯t trust that brat as far as I can throw him."


    "You know, that saying doesn¡¯t work when you can pick up mountains."


    "His ego is just that heavy."


    "That¡¯s not his real face, and you know it."


    "That child¡¯s arrogance is probably the only thing about that face that is real."


    The Patriarch fell into silence, this time not refuting. It was the old man that spoke again.


    "Did he really return everything?"


    The Patriarch shook his head. "It doesn¡¯t really matter. The main point was to confirm how much Beifong took. It¡¯s also hard to tell what was kept by the boy and what Beifong hid elsewhere. That child has always been cautious; I doubt he kept everything on his person all the time." ??N?????¦¥?


    "Then why didn¡¯t you question the boy more?"


    "First of all, I am not you. I don¡¯t bully children because of my own mistakes. Second, like I said, it doesn¡¯t matter. The booklet left behind was indeed in Beifong¡¯s writing¡ªeverything from the strokes to the Mana was him, and as expected, Beifong purposely left mistakes. Even if the jades are in River¡¯s possession, and he made a copy of the method, it would be useless to him."


    "But you told him the truth about the Tribulations. Why not lie? I can¡¯t stand how stupid you are sometimes."


    The Patriarch grinned. "What can I say, I like talents. What if he could figure it out? Wouldn¡¯t that be amazing?"


    "You couldn¡¯t even figure it out with the full, intact, and blemishless Forbidden method, how is he going to?"


    "Isn¡¯t that what would make it interesting?"


    "That stupidity of yours is why your Sect has become the laughing stock of the world."


    "I wouldn¡¯t talk if I were you. Your Daggers of the Night is just conveniently in the back pocket of a little Nightingale Clan. Throwing stones in glass houses and all that."


    The old man snorted and the Patriarch laughed.


    "What did you give him?" the old man asked.


    "Curious?"


    "I just know you have a streak of doing unnecessary things."


    "Nothing much. I just want to test him a bit, so I gave him a Ninth Silver Resonance Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core."


    The old man¡¯s hand shook and his teacup shattered.


    "What the hell did you just say?"


    The old man¡¯s eyes turned red and he looked at the Patriarch as though he might murder him.


    The Patriarch grinned. "I gave him a Ninth¡ª."


    "I heard you, dammit! Why the hell would you do that?!"


    Read exclusive chapters at


    "I told you already, it¡¯s for a little test."


    "Fuck your test! What if he actually sells it?!"


    "Wouldn¡¯t that be interesting?" The Patriarch blinked.


    The old man almost fainted.


    The Black Limbo Tortoise wasn¡¯t just any normal Mancer Beast. It was the Spirit Beast of the Black Clan, maybe the only example of powerful combat Water Mancers in the entire world.


    Well, to say that they were combatants was a stretch of the truth. In reality¡­ they were more like tanks, tanks that could make even Earth Mancers bow in inferiority.


    This was barely the tip of the iceberg. If Theron actually attempted to sell it, things would only end one way.


    Death.


    If he tried to fuse with it, things would only end in one way just the same.


    Death.


    Whether by exploding or success.


    It simply didn¡¯t matter if he succeeded, because it was impossible that the Black Clan would let any other Water Mancer have an Echo of their Spirit Beast. They would hunt him down to the ends of the earth.


    And yet, even after all that, it still wasn¡¯t enough to paint the picture of what this old bastard had done.


    The Black Limbo Tortoise was a Mancer Beast. But it wasn¡¯t an Imbued Beast, it wasn¡¯t even a Manaborn Beast. It was a level above.


    It was a Runebound Beast. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Manaborn Echo was already rare enough that the old man didn¡¯t dare to casually speak of his.


    But this Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect had just handed Theron something like this?!

 Chapter 116: His Path

    Theron sat in silence, holding two Beast Cores in his hand.


    One of them could only be described as beautiful. A light, delicate blue--it looked like fluttering ribbons of silky violet, blue, and pink streams were spontaneously manifesting and disappearing around it, just like the body of a jellyfish.


    As for the other¡­


    He couldn¡¯t even pick it up.


    The back of his hand was smashed to the floor, his bones creaking as the concrete beneath them had already cracked. The only reason his entire hand wasn¡¯t minced meat already was because he had reacted quickly enough to mitigate some of the oppressive air with [Water Prison] and his new buoyancy technique.


    Unfortunately, the effort had drained him of Mana entirely, so now he could only sit here and flex, hoping the Beast Core didn¡¯t get any heavier while he focused his mind on suppressing its powerful Water Mana from dissipating too far.


    If someone sensed this while he was stuck in this position, it would truly be the end of him.


    He didn¡¯t know what the Patriarch had given him. He didn¡¯t even know what Imbued Resonance was a few weeks ago, how could he recognize the Beast Core of a Runebound Beast?


    Even so, he knew one thing for certain.


    There was nothing pleasing about that smile.


    Whether it was the old man or the Patriarch, both were dangerous, and both were only out for themselves.


    ¡¯The only way for a Beast Core radiating Silver Resonance Mana to be so powerful is if it¡¯s a particularly powerful Mana Beast. Is this a Manaborn Beast Core¡­? Why would he give me this?¡¯


    Almost any other 14-year-old in Theron¡¯s position would be over the moon, but all Theron himself could see was a trap.


    Even the old man had reacted fiercely when Theron exposed the fact he had a Manaborn Echo. Setting aside the fact Theron likely didn¡¯t even have a powerful enough Echo Pill to fuse with a Beast Core this powerful, what would happen once he did?


    Also¡­


    Theron had no interest in this Beast Core.


    He could feel the powerful waves coming from it, he knew that it was hundreds of times more powerful than the Immortal Jellyfish, but¡­


    So what?


    He had already hand-selected his own path.


    Originally, he was going to fuse with the Blue Pufferfish. It was a weak Imbued Beast on the same level as the Immortal Jellyfish, and its only redeeming quality was that it was able to withstand exceptionally high pressures of water. ????¨¢£Î????


    However, he had changed his mind.


    The Blue Pufferfish and the Immortal Jellyfish had something in common, and that was that they were both amongst the oldest Imbued Beasts still in existence, with a lineage that spanned back millions of years.


    Other races had come and gone, but these two remained, hardly without any evolutionary changes.


    This meant to Theron about the same thing as the basic Water Mancy cultivation method he used did¡­


    Flawless.


    Theron took a deep breath, finally regaining enough Mana to pull the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core back into the box it had come from. He could tell that if he didn¡¯t store it like this first, it would shatter his spatial ring. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once it was restrained, he put it away and massaged his hand.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s do this.¡¯


    Theron stood, took a calm bath, then returned to his training room. Taking a seat, he placed the Immortal Jellyfish Beast Core between his interlaced fingers, calmly resting the backs of his palms on his crossed legs.


    He took another breath and exhaled.


    There were two ways to integrate an Echo.


    The first was an Echo Pill. Depending on the grade and power of the Echo, one would need a more powerful Echo Pill to succeed.


    The second was to be a Spirit Mancer.


    Spirit Mancers had the ability to externalize their Mana to control the souls of others and benefit from changes to them. As such, integrating the souls of beasts was quite easy for them. Of course¡­ that would likewise depend on the skill of the Spirit Mancer.


    This time, Theron planned to test just how far he could stretch this mysterious power within him. Could he use it to integrate with an Echo?


    Honestly, Theron had originally planned to wait to see how things would shake out with the Verdant Bloomstone first before he integrated an Echo. Who knew if the Luminescent Moon Sect might have something truly powerful waiting in the depths of its inheritance for him?


    However, he dismissed the thought.


    First, the Sect wasn¡¯t a Water Mancy Sect. Second, even if they did have a method of allowing him to integrate more powerful Mana Beasts, he would have to somehow get his hands on those beasts. And third¡­


    Experience tales with


    The feeling of the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core in his palms solidified his decision.


    It would likely be impossible for him to ever find a more powerful Water Mancer Beast Core. And yet, he felt¡­


    Unmoved.


    His path was his path and he would follow it to the end. He was no longer living for himself, and that was true. It was just that he felt that this was the best path for him to live up to that.


    His path would be that of control; he had just tweaked it the slightest bit.


    The hard part would have been to get his hands on such a Beast Core. No matter how weak the Immortal Jellyfish, it was still an Imbued Beast, and it was still at Ninth Silver Resonance. Theron wouldn¡¯t have the strength to capture one himself, or even make it to an area they resided.


    He would have to buy it, and even his 20,000 silver reward wouldn¡¯t put a dent in the wealth he would need to do that.


    Since the Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect had so conveniently given him exactly what he needed, why wouldn¡¯t he take it?


    Theron took a breath and exhaled.


    A process that should have been a nightmare for others was incredibly gentle for him even in a heavily injured state.


    He had successfully integrated an Echo at the Eighth Bronze Resonance.


    Not only that¡­


    But he felt his Bronze Core shift.


    He was breaking through.

 Chapter 117: Cake

    ¡¯Is an Echo¡­ supposed to feel¡­ like this?¡¯


    Theron felt as though something in his mind had opened up wide. Large amounts of Water Mana rushed toward him, and for a moment, he even thought that he would break into Silver Mancy directly.


    But rather than that happening, it was something even more shocking that did.


    His Bronze Resonance core was compressed, and then compressed again. Impurity flaked off of it, and yet instead of tending toward Silver Resonance, Theron even began to think that he would regress.


    But just when his Bronze Core was about to fall back to Eighth Resonance, an even larger wave of Water Mana rushed into him.


    The oddity was that Theron never felt like he was growing weaker. If anything, he only felt like he was continuously growing stronger and stronger despite the constant regression and progression of his aura.


    In fact, if others were watching and couldn¡¯t feel his body¡¯s situation as intimately, they might not sense a regression at all, but rather his aura continuously climbing up the side of a steep mountain.


    ¡¯This commotion will be far too much


    Theron frowned. He hadn¡¯t accounted for this.


    First, he thought the integration process would be far more difficult. Even the best of geniuses only integrated at Quasi Silver at the earliest. To integrate an Echo at the Eighth Resonance was completely unheard of in the Nightingale Province. To do it so easily was even more ridiculous.


    Second, an Echo was supposed to fuse with your Bronze Core, but his¡­ well, he had tried to direct it to his Bronze Core, but on the way there, it had dissipated into his body instead.


    According to the texts, this was exceptionally dangerous and he should have received a great amount of backlash for it. But not only was there no backlash¡­


    He was growing stronger?


    Third, his wounds were actually healing at a considerable speed. He would have already undergone three or four sheddings instead of just two. But most of the Water Mana he had gathered was actually healing him.


    At the same time as all of this was going on, the composition of his body itself was changing. If a large portion of his Water Mana was going toward healing him, then it was also taking the opportunity to increase the concentration of water in his body.


    Before, Theron was probably around 70 to 75% depending on how hydrated he was. But he had already crossed 80% now, and it felt like it was still increasing.


    Water intoxication should have been on the table, a result of over-hydration. Yet, he didn¡¯t feel that way at all.


    If anything¡­ he felt better now than he ever had in his entire life.


    ¡¯I need more Water Mana, and it can¡¯t come from the atmosphere anymore.¡¯


    If he pulled any harder on the ambient Mana, it would extend beyond his dorm, and the formations wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him from detection anymore.


    There was only one solution.


    Theron opened up the Black Limbo Tortoise box and placed a hand on top of it.


    It was as though a cyclone-like vacuum formed in the palm of his hand.


    SHUUUUUUUU!


    A Beast Core wasn¡¯t just where the soul of a beast resided, but it was also the source of their cultivation. There was a large amount of Silver Resonance Mana within it. ???????????¨¨????


    Theron had no idea if his body could convert it to the Bronze Resonance Mana he needed, but he would just have to hope.


    And that hope paid out.


    A sliver of Silver Water Mana made his body shudder, but then it was ground away and then burst apart. It exploded in size as its quality plummeted, filling his body to the brim in a single instant of time.


    Flakes fell from his Bronze Core and the process repeated.


    A third time, then a fourth, then a fifth.


    Every time, his Bronze Core became smaller and smaller, shimmering so bright that if an outsider took a peek, it would look more like a Gold Core than it ever could a Bronze Core.


    The Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core found itself getting dimmer and dimmer, fading into obscurity. But likewise, the pressure it gave off lessened considerably as well.


    Theron fell into a silent trance, his body rhythmically thrumming like the movement of the waves in the ocean. Almost softly, he eased into Ninth Bronze Resonance for the final time, reaching the very pinnacle.


    Impurities practically poured out from his pores, a grotesque stench filling the air.


    His Bronze Core had gone from around half the size of a fist to barely the size of his thumb. And yet, the Bronze Resonance Mana it was resonating with was so pure and lively that breathing it in alone made him feel like he was walking on cloud nine.


    Water Mana fell into silence around Theron and he felt like his control reached a completely new level.


    Until this point, he had felt no confidence at all battling against someone of the Silver Resonance, even with the support of the rain. But right now¡­


    Theron¡¯s eyes slowly opened, a flash of deep blue coming from their depths. Large amounts of frosty energy left his lips, but the steamy smelliness coming from him caused him to miss it entirely.


    Theron was a huge fan of being cleanly, but this time, his first instinct wasn¡¯t to get clean. Instead, he looked toward the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core.


    Without the oppression of the Mana within it, he could see into its depths clearly.


    The most obvious thing was the miniature, illusory tortoise with a shell as black as night within it. But the less obvious thing¡­ were the complex runes etched into its shell.


    ¡¯I can study those Theron thought to himself, still having no intention of integrating it.


    This sounded odd. After all, a person should only be able to integrate a single Echo in their lifetime. Enjoy more content from


    But Theron¡¯s thoughts were very different.


    If his Bronze Core was still unoccupied, and Echoes diffused into his body¡­ S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Could he take on another?


    ¡¯A Ninth Silver Resonance Blue Pufferfish costs a hundred thousand silvers to exchange for. It seems I need to earn more money.¡¯


    This time, he would have his cake and eat it too.

 Chapter 118: Stricken-ness

    "You¡¯re getting bolder by the day," Dean Thistle said calmly, still looking down at his desk.


    Theron didn¡¯t respond, just standing there. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought about gathering the money himself, but why waste his time? He had just accomplished something quite good for the Thistles. Wasn¡¯t it about time they reward him again?


    If he let them decide, it would probably just be another dud like [Tidal Convergence] had been. But he had already proven that when he came forward with reasonable requests himself, he would usually get them. At least that had worked for the Fourth Year Botany Class.


    "I think it¡¯s pretty reasonable. Just a hundred thousand silvers is chump change to the Thistles."


    "I¡¯m more interested in what you need that sort of money for at Bronze Resonance," Dean Thistle continued, just as unmoved.


    "I think it¡¯s about time I integrate with an Echo."


    Finally, these words made the Dean look up from his documents. He looked Theron up and down, his eyes narrowing when he noticed that Theron had, indeed, reached the Ninth Resonance.


    It wasn¡¯t just this, but Theron felt¡­ harder to read, somehow, like his cultivation had veered down an unconventional path. Usually, the rebelling Marquise only felt this sort of feeling when trying to scan those of neighboring provinces that followed cultivation methods he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    "Is that so¡­"


    There was a moment of silence in the room before the Dean took out a card radiating a silver aura. It was a bank card from the Pagoda, and from a glance, Theron could tell that it had ten times the amount he had asked for.


    But this only made him raise an eyebrow as he caught the card. Continue your adventure at


    "You¡¯ll be making a trip to the Luminescent Moon Sect. Your goal is to join as a disciple. That money will help you get your foot in the door. What you do with the rest has nothing to do with me.


    "You will succeed within the next two weeks and form a footing. When the time is right, you will receive a call."


    "You want me to join as Theron?"


    "Is there a problem?"


    "It seems you¡¯re very eager for me to die. But this is hardly a problem."


    After saying this, Theron turned and left.


    Dean Thistle watched his back without a word.


    ¡¯Is he practicing a cultivation method from outside the province? Where would he get something like that¡­?¡¯


    **


    There were no rules against joining the Sects and the Imperial Academy. The problem was that the Sects had far stricter rules about leaving their grounds.


    As such, if you joined the Sect, meeting Imperial Academy target goals was almost impossible unless you already had freedom of movement.


    But, gaining that freedom of movement required being an Inner Disciple, which by extension required being a Silver Mancer. The entry age cap for the Imperial Academy was 16 years old, and the number of people that could make it to Silver Mancy before then could likely be counted in the hundreds at best.


    In an empire where the population was easily counted in the tens of millions, this number was impossibly small.


    Everything was so carefully selected and curated so that the Sects, run by the general cultivation world, and the Imperial Academy, run by the Imperial Clan, could draw a clean line between the two without being outwardly hostile. ????£Á?¦¯B§§????


    When you entered the world of cultivation, you realized all too often that everything was a similar thin veneer of feigned compliance and tacit war-avoidance¡­. All while secretly plotting to cut one another¡¯s throats in the darkness of night.


    This, though, wasn¡¯t what Theron was thinking about. Instead, he knew he needed to find a way to survive.


    The Sects weren¡¯t the Imperial Academy. The latter still had the civility of law, while the former were the bare face of the true cultivation world.


    Were there rules against killing? Sure. But it was an even thinner veneer than what existed between the Sects and the Imperial Clan.


    Right now, he was public enemy number one of the Luminescent Moon Sect after what he had done to Beifong.


    Obviously, Dean Thistle was sending him there for the sake of prepping to enter whatever secret realm the Verdant Bloomstone was tied to. But that didn¡¯t change how much danger he was putting Theron in.


    However¡­


    This much was already well within Theron¡¯s expectations.


    ¡­


    Theron leaned against a pillar, waiting silently. A bell rang and a stream of students came out.


    Several gazes landed on him again, but they had changed once more.


    From the dense fear that had been there just a few days ago, there were waves of fanaticism, intrigue, and a heavy dose of love-stricken-ness.


    Obviously, the Thistles couldn¡¯t have him become some sort of martyr, feared by all. They needed him to become the good face of the branch Imperial Academy, and then use him as a bridge to get more disciples to look toward the Sects and force them to enter a firmer rein of control.


    Theron hadn¡¯t forgotten that Dean Thistle wanted the attention of the students here to turn toward the Sects. While on the surface, humiliating the Luminescent Moon Sect seemed to be a step back in that regard, sending Theron there now was actually quite clever and would kill two birds with a single stone.


    At that moment, a little girl that was less lively than usual walked out of class, followed by her "best friend".


    Sadie¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Theron before they dimmed again.


    Theron smiled at her and waved.


    Ducking her head, Sadie scurried away. The audible sound of hearts breaking practically hung heavy in the air, but Theron didn¡¯t seem to notice as his wife walked out of class soon after.


    Malaya was just trying to weave her way through, not sure why there were so many people blocking the path when usually everyone wanted to head out and have fun as quickly as possible.


    But then she saw Theron and found herself blushing.


    Theron smiled, walking up and taking her hand.


    "Come on, I¡¯m taking you somewhere today."


    Before Malaya could say much, she was pulled away under countless jealous gazes.

 Chapter 119: Seamless

    Theron pulled Malaya along to the Nightingale Pagoda, and soon they had entered the fourth floor and began to work their way up to the sixth. Normally, Malaya wouldn''t be allowed up here, but there were obviously some exceptions for plus ones.


    At first, Malaya was a bit confused about why Theron was doing this. But then it settled in.


    If Theron married her, and then just ignored her, it probably wouldn''t work well for his plans¡­ whatever those were.


    Honestly, she still wasn''t sure about what Theron was doing, but she had her own guesses. Maybe it was because she was so ignorant of it all that Theron had told her as much as he did.


    Malaya was overthinking it, though.


    To Theron, it didn''t matter whether she told others of what happened that night or not. In fact, if she told people that they hadn''t consummated their marriage, Dean Thistle would only be more convinced that he was in love with her.


    Whether he cared for Malaya or not, what 14-year-old boy wouldn''t lay with a woman if he had the chance to?


    Theron had already steeled himself to use Malaya. He wouldn''t leave such an obvious flaw in his plans just because of a moment of weakness.


    At first, the realization made Malaya a bit stiff and sad, but as Theron began to joke with her and laugh, she found herself being almost gently massaged into a more relaxed state.


    Part of her didn''t understand if this was the real Theron or not, but the other part almost¡­ didn''t care.


    As much as she had fantasized about the perfect wedding and husband, she had thought even more about how it all could go horribly wrong.


    All things considered, being married to a man who was using her wasn''t the worst-case scenario¡­ at the very least, he wasn''t cruel to her and didn''t force her to do things she was uncomfortable with.


    And if he matured a little more¡­


    Malaya found herself blushing and turning away again. What was she thinking? He was way too young for that.


    There was something particularly¡­ clean about the current Theron. They were practically the same height. And if Theron was taller, it was by barely a half-inch, if that.


    But he felt so¡­ comfortable to be around.


    Malaya''s thoughts were in a tailspin. She truly didn''t know what she should be thinking or feeling.


    ¡­


    Malaya''s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    "Theron, you¡­"


    Theron had a gentle smile on his face but didn''t say too much.


    "You need it soon, right? It''ll be good for you. Your family specializes in strength and power, but I''ve noticed that you haven''t really taken that route. Your Flux Mana is far gentler and tends toward a more Flexible Flux Mancer Path.


    "It''s very difficult to find Echoes for Flux Mancers because much of the path of humans is so externalized. If you awaken the Vermouth Bloodline, it''ll be even more difficult. ?¦Á£ÎO?????§¦s?


    "I was thinking about it, and I felt that the best way forward for you is actually something that increases your analytical ability, to read and react. That way, you have ultimate flexibility in the future.


    "The Twisted-Eye Crow is the best for you."


    The Twisted-Eye Crow was an Imbued Beast of the Flux Path as well, but it was special because it focused so heavily on the senses¡ªnamely its eyes.


    While the Echo System was most externalized, Flux Mancers had a certain advantage that other Mancers did not. It wouldn''t be perfect, but it was the best path.


    Malaya was floored.


    She had spent so many months¡ªno, years¡ªthinking about this exact same problem. Yet Theron seemed to have thought it through for her in an afternoon.


    "¡­ Theron¡­ but," she hesitated, "it''s¡­ I¡­ so¡­ expensive¡­"


    The Twisted-Eye Crow wasn''t very popular, and this one was only the Beast Core of a Third Silver Resonance one, and yet it was still over 800,000 silvers.


    This just went to show how inferior the Blue Pufferfish was considered.


    "That''s okay. I have mine here."


    "But Theron¡­ are you sure¡­ this Echo¡­"


    Theron smiled. "I''m sure."


    "But my family can¡ª."


    "The situation of noble Clans isn''t so simple, I know that. They''re not just supporting you and your brother, but the hundreds of other descendants as well. Spending 800,000 silvers on a non-combatant like you, who is going to become an Academic Scholar anyway¡­"


    Theron''s voice trailed off and Malaya lowered her head.


    She knew that her Vermouth Clan wasn''t in the best of situations financially, but she didn''t expect Theron to see through it so easily.


    "We''ll take both." Theron made the decision for Malaya, and the steward didn''t refute. What a joke, how could they give up such a large commission? Who cared if Theron ruined his future or not?


    But¡­ news of this would certainly spread.


    What did this have to do with Theron, though?


    **


    While the world was almost certainly boiling over with Theron''s choice in Echo, Theron himself was seated in front of the Bronze Core, wondering if he was about to make a mistake or not.


    He had spent 100,000 on the Blue Pufferfish, 800,000 on Malaya''s Beast Core, and then another 100,000 just buying large concentrations of Water Mana.


    Everyone would be so focused on the Twisted-Eye Crow that they wouldn''t even notice where the rest of the money went, and that was Theron''s real goal.


    If he bought a large amount of Silver Resonance Water Mana that he could use, that would certainly raise eyebrows. But he bet that part of the story wouldn''t even make it into circulation.


    He much preferred sacrificing more in exchange for caution than not. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If this succeeded, he knew that he would need the Silver Resonance Water Mana, so there was no choice in this matter.


    ''I guess it''s time¡­''


    Theron began the process once again, prepared to absorb the Blue Pufferfish Echo.


    But once again¡­


    It was almost too seamless.


    This time, however, the Echo fused into his Bronze Core, settling down and growing comfortable as it should.


    Then Theron began to down bottles of Silver Resonance Water Mana, his body practically begging for it.

 Chapter 120: Full

    Theron exhaled a breath, his body feeling vibrant and comfortable. Continue reading stories on


    His Bronze Core looked even more eerily similar to a Gold Core than before. On top of that, it had grown substantially in size, returning to its previous size of half a fist and showing signs of wanting to grow further.


    Finally, Theron felt¡­ full.


    ¡¯So is this my limit? I can integrate two Echoes? One into my body and the other into my Core?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t really understand, and he somewhat wondered if he had made the right choice.


    If he integrated with the Blue Pufferfish first, would it have also integrated into his body like the Immortal Jellyfish had? Or would it have always gone to his Core?


    If it was the former, then had he done it in the right order? Technically speaking, the Blue Pufferfish¡¯s abilities seemed far better to integrate into his body, while the Immortal Jellyfish¡¯s methods were far better for his Core.


    The ability of the Blue Pufferfish to regulate the pressure in its body, adjust itself, and withstand the heavy load of water was obviously more of a Flux Mancer-like ability, though it was a Water Mancy beast.


    By comparison, the Immortal Jellyfish¡¯s ability to heal itself and live a long, extended life, even regrowing limbs and returning to its infancy at will¡­ those seemed like things more akin to complex workings of Mana and should be integrated into the Core.


    These thoughts swirled around in Theron¡¯s mind, and he felt like he had made a big mistake. Or at the very least, he had potentially made one¡­


    Could he reverse it?


    Divesting from an Echo was possible, but the methods were excruciating, required a Spirit Mancer, and worst of all, would more than likely leave cracks in your foundation.


    Theron took a breath and exhaled slowly. He closed his eyes, regulating his heart rate until he had calmed down completely.


    Whether he was wrong or not, there was only one way to find out.


    His hand wrapped around his necklace.


    Now that he had integrated with an Echo, the path to Silver Mancy was wide open. All he needed to do was accumulate.


    What Theron wouldn¡¯t expect was just how much accumulation he would need with the changes to his body. His Bronze Core planned to take its new Blue Pufferfish abilities far too literally.


    **


    Theron rushed through the forest.


    Normally, for a trip like this one, he would be wearing a large and heavy backpack, but this time, he was completely free, not carrying the slightest hint of anything.


    Spatial devices were truly too convenient. It was almost a shame he couldn¡¯t openly use them in the past.


    Right now, he felt faster and more nimble than he ever had in his life. His body was pulling Water Mana in from the air all on its own, healing micro-tears in his muscles and adjusting his fatigue levels on the fly.


    It didn¡¯t even feel like he was a Water Mancer anymore. It felt like he had somehow become a Flux Mancer without even realizing when he hit the point of no return.


    If he really had made a mistake, it would be a shame, but certainly not a disaster.


    This felt too good.


    Even ignoring the physical changes to his body, his Bronze Core right now felt like a fathomless abyss.


    He was certain he had more Mana now than most Low-Tier Silver Mancers, and yet he still had more room to grow. It didn¡¯t even make logical sense.


    Just what was going on with his body? And if his family had such secrets¡­ why hadn¡¯t he known about them?


    Was it because he was just too young and his parents never got the chance? Was he just an odd mutant and this had nothing to do with his family at all? Could it be that he was putting too much hope in the necklace giving him any answers? ?§¡??????????????


    Everyone in his family was an Ice Mancer while he was the only Water Mancer. This was odd enough¡­ who knew if there were other mutations triggered or not?


    A tree branch bowed beneath Theron¡¯s weight as he sprang forward. He calmly flipped through the air and landed on another branch, stopping there as his black robes fluttered.


    "How long do you plan to follow me? Your breath is all over the place, your concealment methods are shoddy, and your killing intent isn¡¯t well-concealed. You might just be the worst Silver Assassin I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of coming across."


    Theron¡¯s voice echoed calmly, but there was no response at all. Not even the slightest shift when he noted their assassin rank either.


    However, Theron knew the danger was there.


    You weren¡¯t supposed to get the immortal abilities of the Immortal Jellyfish when you fused with it. So what did those that fused with this Echo normally get? Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Immortal Jellyfish¡¯s danger sense.


    Relying on polarity, the Immortal Jellyfish could imprint static electricity into the waters around it, allowing it to extend its sensory range a great deal.


    Many jellyfish Mana Beasts grew to gain Lightning Mana abilities from this, but this was the original technique of their ancestor.


    For Theron, with his level of control, this was akin to awakening a Quasi Third Eye of his own.


    While it seemed he didn¡¯t know where this assassin was, he knew exactly where they were. And the only reason he had spoken just now was because they were on high alert. A sneak attack would never work.


    But if they thought he didn¡¯t know where they were and relaxed just the slightest bit¡­


    BANG!


    A Water Bullet manifested in the air right in front of the hidden assassin. It hit them like a falling boulder, the weight of the water so heavy and dense it felt more like they had been sneak-attacked by an Earth Mancer instead of a Water Mancer.


    This was the Echo ability of the Blue Pufferfish¡­ to instantly increase or decrease the density of water.


    As the Silver Assassin fell into a daze, Theron was already on the move.

 Chapter 121: The Strength of Silver Mancers

    Theron¡¯s robes seemed to unfurl, the hilts of his weapons being revealed beneath the harsh wind as he fell from above. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed them, slashing down.


    The Silver Assassin regained their bearings quickly. Or at the very least, Theron sensed something vague and amorphous lock onto him.


    Though their vision hadn¡¯t cleared, their Third Eye activated seamlessly, finding Theron¡¯s position and then dodging out of the way.


    Theron¡¯s raised hands didn¡¯t slash down, his eyes narrowing. He realized he had to change his battle tactics. It was likely that from now on, his greatest challenges would come from Silver Mancers. The same tricks wouldn¡¯t work.


    He landed on the ground, accelerating forward.


    The Silver Assassin unsheathed their weapon, a thin sword that seemed to vanish beneath the rays of the sun.


    ¡¯Light Mancer.¡¯


    The Silver Assassin could have never guessed that Theron would see through their Element before they could even use it. He simply sensed the vague fluctuations and grasped a faint inkling.


    His senses had grown sharper to a shocking degree, and his reactions even more so. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron¡¯s forward momentum came to a grinding halt, and he leaned back, arching his torso.


    There was a whistling over his nose and he knew that he had guessed correctly. The flexible sword was deceptively long. It hid the true extent of its body beneath shifts and changes to the light.


    Not only was this a Light Mancer, but it was a Light Mancer that specialized not in attack, but concealment.


    That made some things harder¡­


    But other things far easier.


    Theron¡¯s leg kicked up. Timed perfectly, his fists collided with the ground at the very same instant his foot slammed against the bottom of the Silver Assassin¡¯s wrist.


    He flipped backward, landing on the balls of his feet and accelerating forward.


    The Silver Assassin had only just stumbled back a step when Theron had already closed the distance. The reverse grip of his dagger slashed forward, hitting nothing but air.


    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed. He was quite used to doing this to others, but it seemed that he wasn¡¯t the only one that could use illusions. The question was¡­ how had she confused his Quasi Third Eye? There was no way he would deactivate it in the face of someone with such abilities.


    ¡¯They¡¯re close.¡¯


    It was the obvious answer.


    There was no way to fool him entirely. At most, they could make him be mistaken by a few measures, which was enough in a battle like this one to regain footing and counter.


    Unless they were found out.


    [Water Bullet].


    The spell formed so fast it was almost as though it had always been there. There was hardly a lag between Theron slashing and a [Water Bullet] shooting out.


    There was no time to apply the Blue Pufferfish¡¯s Echo, but that was fine. That wasn¡¯t Theron¡¯s true purpose.


    BANG!


    He found it. Read latest chapters at


    His sword slashed and cut against fabric and flesh.


    There wasn¡¯t even the slightest hint of a grunt, but Theron didn¡¯t expect such a thing, not against any assassin worth their salt.


    Yet, rather than pressing an advantage, Theron accelerated backward.


    The whistle of a sword passing right through where his head had just been made his eyes go icy cold.


    Three [Water Bullets] formed in the air as Theron whispered beneath his breath. He applied heft and density to a slower formation of [Water Scythe], pincering the Light Mancer in from all sides. ?????????????


    Flashes of light echoed from an invisible blade and assassin, slicing the [Water Bullets] apart, only for the scythe to close in the distance a moment later.


    The assassin made a move, only for two [Water Wraps] to lock their ankles in place.


    The physical strength of the Silver Mancer alone was able to shatter them, but the lag was enough.


    Finally, the Silver Mancer seemed to realize that so long as they were wet with Theron¡¯s first attack¡­ he could target them with ease.


    Unfortunately, it was too late.


    The Light Mancer was forced to cross their thin sword before their body.


    Theron was already moving.


    He already knew that there was no way they could handle it. After being caught off guard, unable to stabilize their foundation, they would certainly be blown back.


    And that was finally what happened.


    The slightest hint of a grunt echoed through the air as Theron accelerated.


    Theron sensed the strong fluctuation of Light Mana before it happened. His eyes narrowing, guessing what was coming. But he didn¡¯t think that an illusion type would have such a spell in their arsenal.


    [Full Counter].


    A strong, reflective shield manifested, the silhouette of a female fully revealed beneath it.


    Theron only noted this for a moment before his heavy Water Scythe was sent right back at him.


    There was no time to dodge. The force of the counter was too great and for the first time in his life, Theron was faced with friendly fire of his own making. With his level of control, when had he ever faced such a situation?


    This was a spell rare paladin types would have, not an assassin focused on illusions.


    But he should have known this intimately. He had used this very sort of thing on others. Sometimes, the most knowledgeable were also the easiest to trick. The more intelligent you were, the more that could be used against you.


    Theron released his blades, his palms opening up to allow them to fall to the ground. He unleashed a roar as he clamped down on the scythe of water.


    He could sense that the Silver Assassin had already released a speed type spell, rounding to his back for the final attack while he was occupied. Their concealment was so great that he could have easily missed them.


    But in this case, it didn¡¯t seem to matter whether he saw through them or not.


    ¡¯Silver Mancers¡­ are truly powerful.¡¯


    The conclusion came with a chilling cold from Theron¡¯s eyes as he settled into a focused state.


    Veinsong.

 Chapter 122: Prison

    Suddenly, the heavy scythe shattered in Theron¡¯s hands. Water spurted in the surrounding, sparkling like drops of golden dew beneath the rays of sunlight.


    "[Water Prison]."


    Theron spoke in an ancient language, focusing his mind. He wasn¡¯t familiar enough with this new method yet, but even if he was, he still might speak like this to cast faster.


    There was a shift in the air just as the sword approached his back, but then the [Water Scythe] enveloped them both, trapping the two in a sphere of rotating water. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron leaned to one side, his speed accelerating as the water slowed the assassin.


    He was just fast enough, and she had become just slow enough, that the thin blade entered his shoulder.


    Theron didn¡¯t so much as flinch. In fact, he pressed forward, allowing the blade to enter his body and exit from the other side.


    The Silver Assassin tried to move out of the way, only to find her movements so suffocated that she could hardly kick out a leg.


    Theron, by comparison, was like a fish in water. Ignoring the wound in his shoulder, he grabbed her wrist. Grabbing a handful of hair with his other hand, he drove a knee up.


    Everything felt like it was in slow motion for her, but Theron seemed to touch a speed he had never been able to in his life before.


    BANG!


    A jet of water kicked out a pillar from the top of the [Water Prison], the force of Theron¡¯s blow, backed by heavy waters, causing a shift and tide that smashed her face to pieces.


    Teeth scattered, her nose flattened, and her skull suffered several fractures. Had Theron been at Silver Mancy, he would have certainly killed her with that single blow.


    But now, it hardly seemed necessary.


    Reaching forward, he ripped open her robes.


    Nothing? No.¡¯ His eyes sharpened and a concentrated stream of water pierced just above the Silver Assassin¡¯s breast. There was a shudder and then a formation of sorts collapsed. ¡¯I see. She really is from Daggers of the Night. I doubt she is from my branch, she must be from another


    Theron had all the information on Bronze Assassins, but Silver Assassins and above eluded him.


    While he couldn¡¯t confirm with 100% certainty, he could speculate. The odds his branch would approve a mission to go after him were unlikely.


    But then again¡­ the odds that any branch would be going after him were low. So why was this woman here?


    ¡¯Her killing intent wasn¡¯t truly aimed at me, now that I think about it. It was so faint that it was more of an odor from her previous experience. She wasn¡¯t trying to kill me, she was tailing me to¡­ see what I was up to? Maybe wait for an opportunity?¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He was on a mission for the Thistles right now, technically. The fact that Daggers of the Night would try to tail him wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise if he thought of it from that perspective.


    But in that case, whether he killed this woman or not, the road ahead would be more troublesome.


    Still, he felt like he was missing something. Could she be after something else?


    While it made sense for Daggers of the Night to appear here for that reason, it still felt¡­


    Unlikely.


    His gut was telling him they wouldn¡¯t bother to do this. They had enough eyes in the Sect itself in all likelihood. Why bother doing things this way?


    There was a flash in Theron¡¯s eyes.


    ¡¯Beifong? Did the Patriarch solicit the help of more branches than just one? But why? Wasn¡¯t he friends with the old man?¡¯


    The existence of the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core told Theron one very important thing¡­ The Patriarch was anything but a kind man no matter how nice his smile was. ?a?§°???


    But what could he be playing at by contacting two branches? Wouldn¡¯t the old man know?


    And if the old man wouldn¡¯t know about this, was there a way for him to take advantage of that?


    As things stood right now, the addition of the old man to Theron¡¯s plans made some things more convenient, but also added another worry.


    If Theron took a step back, and assumed that it really was the Patriarch that contacted another branch, the fact that said branch thought it best to send a Silver Mancer, while Theron himself had been sent at the Eighth Resonance, seemed to detail the fact the old man preferred him dead for whatever reason.


    There was certainly more than one example of this, but this couldn¡¯t be considered one of the most blatant.


    Not only was the old man a variable, he was also seemingly hostile for reasons Theron didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Theron¡¯s eyes refocused to find a chilling pair of amber eyes staring back at him. The Silver Assassin didn¡¯t seem to care that a part of her chest was exposed at all. If nothing else, she had the disposition of a true assassin.


    Even in disbelief that she had lost to a Bronze Mancer, she hardly showed it.


    Knowing that she was trapped in Theron¡¯s Water Prison, she could only hope that his Mana ran out sooner rather than later. If he was foolish enough to try to rape her, even better. She had lost count of the number of men she had killed in such a way.


    But unexpectedly, the [Water Prison] they were in suddenly burst.


    The moment she hit the ground, she took a deep breath and was ready to attack again, only to find that they were still enveloped by walls of water.


    Her pupils constricted.


    How could a Bronze Mancer possibly control this much Water Mana? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Stay tuned for updates on


    "You are from Daggers of the Night," Theron said as a statement rather than a question.


    The woman didn¡¯t answer.


    "You came for Beifong¡¯s things."


    There was only the slightest flicker in her eyes, but Theron picked up on it. He could even feel the prickling of her skin through his Immortal Jellyfish Echo.


    "What would you do if I just gave them to you?"


    Theron pulled out a booklet and a jade.

 Chapter 123: Balls

    The pupils of the female assassin constricted into pinholes.


    "I¡¯ve heard that assassins from Daggers of the Night won¡¯t stop coming after you if you kill one of their own, and I¡¯d rather not deal with that. So just take it and leave me alone."


    Theron tossed it over.


    The assassin caught it, still wary of some sort of trap. But nothing of the sort came. She opened it and was shocked to find that it was truly exactly what she was looking for.


    And the fluctuations, the writing, everything screamed Beifong.


    She looked up to Theron who was still standing there.


    Hunt people down to the ends of the earth? As if Daggers of the Night would ever do that. Those were just baseless rumors that acted as a form of deterrence.


    If there was a mission that was a great matter, then they might do something like that to prove a point. But certainly not for something like this.


    However, a layman might truly be ignorant about these sorts of inner workings. Plus, she was inclined to believe him if for no other reason than the fact¡­ there didn¡¯t seem to be a reason for him to lie.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom how intertwined Theron was with these complicated matters, so how could she guess at his intentions?


    After a while, she nodded and then turned to walk away.


    Theron opened up a path for her through the waters and watched her vanish into the distance.


    ¡¯I wonder if it¡¯ll be worth it.¡¯


    Theron was curious, though¡­ what sort of button would this push? S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maybe nothing would come of it. But if he was correct, then this would do several things.


    First, it would remove the Patriarch¡¯s suspicions on him. The Silver Assassin would never speak about what happened here in all likelihood. Not only was it a humiliation to lose to a Bronze Mancer, but there would never be a reason to.


    Theron knew that this woman was a true assassin, and that was why he trusted in his judgment.


    This aside, if a second person returned with items identical to what Theron had handed in, the first assumption wouldn¡¯t be that Theron was pulling tricks, it would be that Beifong had hidden his things in multiple locations and this second assassin happened to find them as well.


    In that case, the odds that Theron had kept things to himself would be low.


    No matter what, Theron would benefit from this. But there was also a second thing that might happen here.


    If news of this second mission succeeding in another branch reached the old man¡¯s ears¡­ how could he react?


    Would he not care? Or would he feel like it was a betrayal?


    And what would happen if these two had a falling out? Would Theron be caught in between? Or would there be something to take advantage of?


    Explore stories on


    ¡¯It seems that we¡¯ll find out.¡¯


    Theron turned and left the region, having calmly set in motion something that just might cause huge waves in the future.


    When history retold of this era, it would be hard to fathom just how much of an imprint an insignificant Bronze Mancer had had on it.


    **


    Theron came to another stop. This time, he didn¡¯t sense another assassin. Rather, he could sense a shift in the air.


    ¡¯It should be close


    This was no longer the time for the Sect to recruit disciples. There was a reason the Dean had given him so much money. He was supposed to bribe his way in. ?????£Î§à£Â¦¥?


    But there were more ways to make it into a Sect than bribery. In truth, Dean Thistle had only given him so much money as yet another test. If he could manage to keep all of it, then that was a reflection on him, and the rebel Marquis would never say a word about it.


    What the Dean likely couldn¡¯t fathom was how easy it would be.


    The Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect hadn¡¯t just liked the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core in the spatial ring, but also a recommendation letter.


    SHUU! SHUU! SHUU!


    Theron had only stood there for a few seconds before he was surrounded. A trio of Silver Mancers wearing heavy leather robes appeared. One of their shoulders held a silver pauldron, a singular strap going across their chests to hold it in place.


    These should be the law enforcement officers of the Sect. Odd that they were patrolling right now, though. Usually, that would be left up to lesser disciples.


    In Sects, law enforcement officers tended to be among the most powerful in combat. Though not all of the most powerful disciples would choose this route, those that did were almost certainly powerful.


    Well, either that or they had an inferiority complex.


    "State your purpose. This is the territory of the Luminescent Moon Sect, and we are not currently accepting visitors."


    Theron pulled out his recommendation letter and tossed it over.


    The eyes of the officer that spoke solidified¡ªfirst because he saw the recommendation letter¡ªa true rarity¡ªbut then because of the name.


    Theron Galethunder?


    Wasn¡¯t this¡­


    The eyes of the officer narrowed, looking up at Theron.


    "You want to join our Sect?"


    "I do," Theron replied calmly.


    Only now, the officer seemed to realize that Theron was standing on a branch high above them.


    After a while, the officer seemed to relax. He casually folded the letter and then handed it to the side.


    "Follow me."


    Theron hopped down from the tree as the other officer began to curiously read as well. The both of the remaining two were curious about the surprise of the middle of them, but even though they thought they were prepared, they were still taken aback by the truth.


    They watched Theron¡¯s back, their eyes narrowing.


    "He¡¯s got Tenn leading him."


    "He¡¯s finished."


    "But this was a recommendation¡­"


    "Who cares? The signing elder is a nobody, just a little Outer Sect Elder."


    "Use your head for once. You think a little elder would dare to invite him of all peop¡ª." He stopped speaking as the letter was handed back to him.


    "Check the date."


    The eyes of the second officer widened and then he began to laugh.


    "This Theron really has some fucking balls to show up here with a letter from three months ago. And from Elder Harlo of all people, I can¡¯t breathe!"

 Chapter 124: Wrong Direction

    Theron followed after Tenn before he suddenly paused.


    "You are going in the wrong direction," Theron commented calmly.


    Tenn blinked, his steps pausing for a second. The Sect was covered by a concealment formation, which was quite common practice. It stopped feral beasts from casually roaming in and disrupting the peace, while stronger beasts were smart enough to know danger was ahead and avoid it.


    Usually, the formation could only be sensed clearly by those with Third Eye. A Bronze Resonance Mancer like Theron shouldn¡¯t know the difference between walking toward the Sect and away from it.


    Not only did Theron point it out, though, he did it with speed. They were still not even half a kilometer away from where Tenn had picked him up.


    "The location for disciple entries, recommendation entries, and test entries are all different. You came to the main entrance of the Sect, but using it would require shutting down the entire formation. That only happens when it¡¯s an important guest or a large-scale event. You¡¯ve already missed the disciple acceptance period. Did you think we would make such an exception for a Bronze Mancer?"


    The explanation was quite sharp and well thought out. So much so that though Theron felt he was lying, there were probably some kernels of truth to it.


    The best lies weren¡¯t complete lies, but shades and omissions of the truth. That was also in the assassin tenets.


    Theron chose to continue to follow. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t expect Tenn to admit his fault openly. But his words just now served their own purpose as well. They would make Tenn several times more cautious with what he would try to do because now he knew Theron was on high alert and not so easy to fool.


    "You law enforcement officers probably wield a great deal of power, right?" Theron asked.


    Tenn raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t look back. "We do."


    "It¡¯s a bit odd that someone of your stature is being forced to patrol around. Usually, that would be left to much lesser disciples. Did something big happen at the Sect?"


    "¡­ That shouldn¡¯t be your concern. You¡¯ve yet to officially join."


    "I see¡­"


    ¡¯He doesn¡¯t know,¡¯ Theron concluded. ¡¯In that case, this change is probably related to the same matters that caused that large number of Sect disciples to head to Thistle Brook City. Maybe everything is just related to the Verdant Bloomstone after all.¡¯


    Theron smiled a gentle smile.


    "¡­ I do plan to join officially soon, though. I think I might be able to enter Quasi Silver and then Silver Mancy soon. I hear your Chosen Selections haven¡¯t happened yet. How many years away do you think that is?"


    Tenn finally looked back for the first time, frowning.


    "Our Core Disciples are all in the High Tier of Silver Mancy. You don¡¯t stand a chance even if you¡¯re given another five years."


    Theron didn¡¯t seem perturbed, just smiling.


    "So High Tier Silver is the goal?"


    Tenn scoffed. "Not just any High Tier Silver. They all integrated their Echoes at Quasi Silver and have grown with them well. Even the last and fifth-ranked among them, Senior Brother Jodie, integrated a Fourth Silver Resonance Echo. These aren¡¯t geniuses you can fathom."


    "Mm, Fourth Silver Resonance at Quasi Silver, truly powerful¡­"


    The limit for an Echo was the Ninth Silver Resonance, but Echoes could grow along with their cultivator¡­ just in limited fashion. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Find more to read at


    Because Echoes were slower to evolve than their cultivators, the higher tier they started at, the better. It was not just the mark of a genius how early they could integrate an Echo, but also how powerful their Echo was. ???¨°??????


    Unfortunately for Tenn, Theron had integrated two Ninth Silver Resonance Echoes¡ªone at Eighth Bronze Resonance, and the other while he was in the Ninth.


    He was still a sliver from Quasi Silver, a cultivation rank he would likely skip right past.


    "Right. So I would suggest you keep your head down and just follow the rules."


    "Then, senior brother, when did you integrate your Echo? And how powerful was it?"


    Tenn sniffled a little bit as though he was feeling quite proud.


    "Me? Nothing special. I integrated at the First Silver Resonance and managed a Fifth Silver Resonance Echo."


    "Oh? You¡¯re pretty good," Theron said with a gentle smile.


    While it sounded like it was more impressive to integrate a Fifth Silver Resonance Echo than a Fourth like the fifth-ranked Core Disciple had, the difference was akin to night and day.


    When Jodie broke through from Quasi Silver to Silver, his Echo probably reached Sixth Silver Resonance instantly¡ªSeventh if they were a little lucky. Though that was highly unlikely.


    This was why cultivation geniuses aimed to integrate before reaching Silver Mancy. It was a cheat code of sorts.


    This cheat code was part of why Theron¡¯s Echoes were already displaying such might.


    The question was, if Ninth Silver Resonance was the limit of Echoes, what would happen once Theron broke into Silver Mancy?


    He was curious to find out as well.


    Tenn chuckled, feeling good hearing Theron¡¯s praise. But then he stopped when he saw they had arrived at their true destination.


    "Alright, we are here. Go on ahead and state that you¡¯ve been given a recommendation letter."


    Up ahead, there wasn¡¯t much to see at all, just some shrubbery and the faint smell of livestock wafting through the air. It hardly needed to be explained what sort of scents came with it.


    But Theron couldn¡¯t see the actual livestock at all. They seemed hidden behind a formation.


    Theron gave Tenn a glance, but the latter just stood there smiling. Though¡­ the curve of his lip now seemed much less self-satisfied and far sharper.


    "Okay." Theron said calmly, walking forward and slipping through the formation.


    Tenn¡¯s sharp smile became an all-out sneer. There would be an interesting show to watch for sure. In that case, after receiving all that praise, shouldn¡¯t he be a good senior brother and gather a crowd?

 Chapter 125: Rumor

    When the edges of the illusion cleared, Theron found himself standing in a farm, but quite an odd one.


    There were the normal things one might expect. There were acres of crops and vegetation, stables for horses, pens for pigs and the like, all while the stench of livestock had grown exponentially.


    Experience tales at


    Wet fur, manure, freshly cut grass, and rain¡ªthe scent bombarded Theron one after another.


    Then he saw the workers. Many were young, but there were some old among them, sweating away on the fields as the weather became slowly more humid.


    To the side, there were a few overseers, chatting away on plow machines or rocking their chairs. It was they who saw Theron¡¯s appearance first, but Theron¡¯s attention had already turned away from them and toward what truly made this place odd¡­


    The enormous wall of steel.


    It was tall enough to make any man feel small, skyscraping beyond the heights of even the Nightingale Pagoda; it must have been at least 50 or 60 meters in height alone. That certainly didn¡¯t account for how deep its foundation went underground.


    And then came the series of doors that was akin to the cherry on top.


    Little flaps one had to duck to make it under.


    They seemed so¡­ out of place for such an enormous structure. Why would there be such a flaw in an otherwise robust defensive system?


    ¡¯I see¡­ the wall is just there for show, for grandeur. The real defenses of the Sect are only activated when the formation is. There¡¯s likely a more complex defense and attack formation hidden within the concealment formation.


    ¡¯Those openings in the steel wall become obsolete at that point. So why not leave a convenient little entrance for the worker disciples of the Sect?¡¯


    "Hey, you!" A middle-aged man sporting a belly with enough rippling waves to rival an ocean called out. "What are you doing here?"


    Theron opened his mouth to reply before he paused for a moment. Changing his mind about what to say, he finally spoke.


    "I¡¯m here for the disciple entrance exam."


    The middle-aged man looked to the side toward one of the worker elders and burst into laughter.


    "Kid, you¡¯re about half a year too late for that. Recruitment took place ages ago."


    Theron scratched the back of his head.


    "Sorry, senior. I received a recommendation letter three months ago and that helped direct me to the Sect, but I don¡¯t have very much money or status where I¡¯m from, so it took me a very long while to get here. I wasn¡¯t sure if the recommendation letter would still hold true, so I came here hoping to take a test. I didn¡¯t know I already missed the window." ?????????????


    Theron looked quite dejected, but the middle-aged man raised an eyebrow.


    "A recommendation letter, you say? Three months ago? From who?"


    "I received it from Elder Harlo of the Outer Sect."


    "Oh, is that so¡­" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s nerves seemed to calm after hearing this. Recommendation letters were rare, but one from the Outer Sect wasn¡¯t as big of a deal. If it had been an Inner Sect Elder, then they¡¯d probably have to hurry and build a bridge for Theron to the Sect even if it meant lining up their backs for him to step on.


    "¡­ You¡¯re saying you got here by accident?"


    "Yes, senior."


    "Mm. Well, this isn¡¯t the entrance for you."


    "Is it possible to point me to the right way?"


    "I¡¯m just a little worker elder, I don¡¯t know about these things," the middle-aged man waved a hand dismissively.


    "I see¡­ sorry for bothering you, then. Other seniors, is there anyone of you that might know of something that can help me?"


    The older men and women just blinked, their gazes quite blank.


    Theron¡¯s smile remained a little sad and gentle.


    "Are there never any elders that come to inspect? Is there any way I can wait here until one of them shows up?"


    "Well, you can wait," a kindly middle-aged woman spoke up, "but there¡¯s no promise of how long. Inspections don¡¯t happen very often so long as quotas are met."


    "I see. Thank you. Where do they usually come from?"


    The middle-aged woman paused as though trying to recall, and then her eyes lit up as she pointed toward the wall. But rather than the doors, her finger had gone almost to the clouds.


    "Usually, they fall from up there."


    Theron looked up to the smooth silver wall.


    "Is there no other way to join the Sect?" Theron asked.


    "Without a recommendation letter? I¡¯ve heard of rumors of a way, but I can¡¯t confirm," the middle-aged man with a belly spoke.


    "And that is?" Theron asked curiously.


    "Well, like I said, they¡¯re just rumors. But there is a challenge in the Luminescent Moon Sect. Problem is that you actually have to be inside of it to do it."


    "And where is that?" Theron asked another question.


    "It¡¯s located in the Inner Sect as far as I know."


    "What a ridiculous rumor," a man sitting on top of a plowing machine called out. "If it¡¯s a chance to enter the Sect, why is it located in a place only actual disciples can get to?"


    "Fuck you, didn¡¯t I say it was just a rumor three times? What are you busting my balls for?"


    "Maybe because your lazy ass never does any work. How many sizes did your gut grow in the last half month?"


    "Not enough for your wife to stop liking it."


    "Say that again, you fat bastard!"


    Theron had already tuned out the bantering old folk. At some point unknown to them, he had walked to the wall, looking up the sides of its sheer cliff.


    In the cultivation world, there were only a few ways to fly.


    To be a Wind Mancer with exceptional talent and bloodline. To be a Soul Mancer with a special treasure. To be a Spirit Mancer with a unique contracted spirit or bird beast.


    To be a Gold Mancer.


    There were probably countless other exceptions and unique possibilities, but none of them were ones Theron uniquely fell into.


    But he didn¡¯t need to fly this time.


    ¡¯Breaking into a Sect might be interesting.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s quads flexed, his eyes flashing with a concentrated light.


    BANG!


    He leapt into the air, the tips of his feet sliding against the smooth silver wall a full five meters up.

 Chapter 126: Accomodation

    The middle-aged woman screamed, being the first to notice what was happening.


    In truth, it was an overreaction. Even if Theron fell from five meters, his current body likely wouldn¡¯t even bruise¡ªand that was assuming he didn¡¯t land on his feet.


    But what happened next seemed to make such a reaction more than warranted. In fact, it felt like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Theron¡¯s foot only slipped for a moment before it seemed to latch onto something.


    He sprang forward, leaping up another five meters.


    His foot slipped just the slightest bit once again. Discover stories at


    ¡¯This should be about the correct rhythm¡­ I¡¯ve got it.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes flashed once again and he launched himself up seven meters this time. More confident in how much weight he could catch, he accelerated.


    Mana didn¡¯t just randomly attach itself to anything. But who asked the Luminescent Moon Sect to make their entire wall out of metal?


    By shifting the polarity of a layer of Water Mana beneath his feet, he simply used the entire wall like it was a magnet.


    SHUU!


    He soared up, his steps becoming faster. His hair fluttered in the wind, his robes whipping about as he soared past the final height, clearing the wall.


    The old folks stood in silence. Even the fat middle-aged man had stood from his rocking chair, looking toward where Theron had disappeared with a cold sweat on his brow.


    Was Theron sure that it was an Outer Sect Elder that had invited him?


    Recommendations were rare, but one from such an existence was still next to worthless. Outer Sect Elders weren¡¯t even Gold Mancers and many were weaker than active disciples. The fact they were given one recommendation slot a decade was already giving them face.


    Most would just use it to flex a little bit of nepotism once in a while, and those disciples rarely if ever panned out.


    But this young man¡­


    For a moment, they began to wonder if they had made a mistake not trying harder to help out.


    **


    "Why are you bringing all of us here, Tenn?"


    Tenn grinned. "It¡¯s just to witness something funny. When have I ever steered you all wrong? Come on, we need to gather up more disciples."


    "To the worker disciple quarters? The stench here is terrible."


    "Fine, fine. Do you remember Theron Galethunder?"


    Several in the party frowned. Most were outer disciples, but there were a large number of inner disciples as well. As a Silver Mancer, Tenn himself had obviously already crossed the latter threshold as well. ?????????o?§£¦¥?


    But the gap from inner disciple to Core Disciple was probably something most of them could never bridge. Unless you could make it to High Tier Silver Mancy by 25, and pass the test, they would forever be inner disciples.


    But that much already came with a great deal of prestige. Most of them would slowly accumulate and reach Gold Mancy one day, and that would be enough to hold up a small piece of the sky.


    "The one who killed Beifong?"


    The air became a bit stale. This was a great humiliation for their Sect. Even amongst the inner disciples, many were quite close with Beifong, realizing his talent.


    They weren¡¯t fools, they knew that once he finished accumulating, he would soar through Silver Mancy. Plus, he was the adopted son of a powerful elder. Even if he was weak, they would be foolish not to try and curry favor, let alone the fact he wasn¡¯t.


    But now he was dead, and it was a smack to the face of their Sect. It had left a great number of them infuriated.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to get revenge¡ªnot until Theron entered Silver Mancy.


    Beifong was already their strongest Bronze Mancer, and if they sent an inner disciple to deal with Theron, they would only lose more face.


    As such, they had only been able to grit their teeth and endure.


    Tenn sneered when he saw their reactions. "Would you believe me if I told you that he¡¯s about to obediently crawl through that door?"


    He pointed over his shoulder.


    The region was barren, sand and dried soil pooling around on the ground. However, there was a flapping curtain dancing in the wind. From time to time, it would blow just enough to show an entrance barely tall enough for a young boy to walk through comfortably.


    Anyone an inch or two above five feet would have to duck.


    "What nonsense are you talking about, Tenn?"


    Tenn¡¯s sneer became a grin. "He came here to become a disciple with a three-month-old recommendation letter from an Outer Sect Elder. Can you believe the audacity?"


    The disciples were stunned for a moment and looked toward one another. As the truth settled in, though, they too began looking toward the door, feeling their own eagerness set in.


    Unlike the worker elders on the outside, they understood the Sect far better. They knew that even if the recommendation letter came from years ago¡ªbefore Theron was born, even¡ªit would still be active for use.


    The power of recommendation was ingrained into their laws and practically as absolute as the veto powers of the Patriarch.


    If they couldn¡¯t block Theron from entering the Sect, and they couldn¡¯t fight him for fear of loss of face, then humiliating him¡­ yes, that seemed like the next best option.


    "Interesting crowd. What are you all looking for?"


    The gentle voice came from high above them. They all looked up at once, frowning as they noticed a boy standing atop the Sect walls.


    It wasn¡¯t that no one had ever been there before, but access wasn¡¯t common and quite restricted.


    But then, before they could even understand, under their astonished gazes, Theron took a step off of the wall.


    At that sort of height, was he looking for death? They couldn¡¯t even grasp what his intentions might be before their minds broke again.


    Theron was just¡­ walking¡­ sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Walking down the side of the Sect walls as though it was flat ground.


    He touched down to the cracked soil and smiled at them.


    "Is this a welcome for me? Hello, fellow senior brothers and sisters. Thank you for accommodating me."

 Chapter 127: Fourteen

    The disciples could only watch in a daze as Theron greeted them and just¡­ left. Even Tenn, who had set all of this up, didn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    Was Theron a Metal Mancer? But they thought he was a Water Mancer?


    No, wait¡­ even if he was a Metal Mancer, what good would that do? Even the Ironharts wouldn¡¯t be able to manipulate the metal that forged the Sect¡¯s walls, let alone a Metal Mancer without an Imbued Resonance.


    What did they just witness?


    Tenn shuddered awake after Theron vanished into the distance, a voice calling out to him.


    A young inner disciple who went by Carpe snapped him out of it.


    "Tenn? Tenn!"


    The law enforcement disciple looked to Carpe, his head still half in a daze.


    "What are you going to do now?"


    "I¡­" Tenn was at a bit of a loss before he shook his head.


    That was right, his plan wasn¡¯t just as simple as watching Theron crawl to get into the Sect, that would hardly be enough. He was aiming for something much better than that.


    What he really needed was a method of dealing with Theron within the rules that could allow them to punish him to the greatest extent. The best way to do that was to have him enter the Sect in an unconventional way.


    In the end, hadn¡¯t he succeeded?


    All Tenn had to do now was wait for Theron to expose himself.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t be the one to do it, or else things would collapse too easily. But if he could get an Inner Sect Elder to make a move, by the time they realized that there was something wrong, they¡¯d have no choice but to cover things up for him.


    Tenn wasn¡¯t worried about this coming back to bite him at all. The Law Enforcement Grand Elder would definitely cover for his own, and more importantly than that¡­


    Everyone felt that Theron was a thorn at their side. How could they let him do what they wanted so easily?


    ¡­


    Theron¡¯s gaze swept through the Sect as he moved, his thoughts unknown to most but him. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the inside, the Sect felt more like a community than anything grandiose. Normal roads, normal houses¡­ if there was anything special, it was the density of Mana in the air and the frequent use of what looked like white marble.


    But out here, it was so selectively used as an accent to the design that it was easy to miss.


    From what Theron could tell, it should be a special jade of sorts that helped increase the concentration of Mana even further.


    ¡¯It will be difficult to tell where to go Theron thought to himself.


    He could guess at Tenn¡¯s intentions. The plan wasn¡¯t bad, and honestly speaking, though Theron looked calm now, he was actually balancing on a knife¡¯s edge.


    This was a Sect, the true face of the world of cultivation. A single slip-up, angering the wrong person, overstepping bounds just one time, was enough to be slapped to death with a palm.


    So what if they were apologetic about a mistake afterward? You¡¯d already be dead.


    However, Theron didn¡¯t have another choice but to take this route. He didn¡¯t have the time to waste playing Tenn¡¯s games, and even if he had managed to find the right entrance to take, it wasn¡¯t lost on him that they had never handed him back his recommendation letter.


    They wouldn¡¯t dare to destroy it, but so long as there was enough of a lag between it being presented and when Theron would need it, that would be enough to cosign him to death.


    That was the main problem. There were too many ways to accidentally nudge him to death, but the words of the middle-aged man had caught Theron¡¯s attention.


    He would never bet everything on a worker elder who likely hadn¡¯t even seen much of the inside of the Sect at all. What he was betting on, however¡­ was the Patriarch.


    "Hello," Theron called out to a disciple who seemed to be in her early twenties, "I¡¯m looking for Elder Harlo. Do you know where I might find him?"


    "Sorry, I wouldn¡¯t know something like that. Excuse me."


    Theron nodded. He didn¡¯t expect it to be that easy, or else Tenn would be more obsessed with following him around and ensuring he couldn¡¯t take any of the obvious ways out.


    "Just one more question, sorry to bother you."


    "Hm?" The young woman looked back.


    "Is Elder Harlo¡­ you know¡­" Theron nudged as though he was in the know about something he wasn¡¯t.


    There had to be some sort of clue in the recommendation letter. The words themselves were too plain. That only left two things¡­ the elder in question and the date.


    There was a flash in the young woman¡¯s eyes. She hesitated, but a little boy almost half her age, with a kind smile at that, was easy to let her guard down around.


    "You didn¡¯t hear this from me, but Elder Harlo got exposed for some things a couple of months ago. Apparently, he had a rolodex of picture jades filled with nude photos of female disciples. If you¡¯ve been assigned him as your overseer, I¡¯d probably advise you find someone else.


    "Once the other foot comes down on his punishments, the disciples will end up scrambling to fit under new elders. By then, it would probably be too late and you could get rejected. You¡¯ll need a good pretense to switch overseers, though¡­"


    The woman¡¯s voice trailed off. Find more to read at


    "Does senior sister have any advice for me?" Theron asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.


    "Well¡­" the woman seemed as though she was weighing her options. The longer she thought, the more expectant Theron seemed to become, and the less she could bring herself to not help. "¡­ Listen, there really aren¡¯t any good options. But your aura is sturdy and you¡¯re what, 13? 14?"


    "Fourteen."


    The woman nodded. "The Chosen Selection should be coming up soon and there¡¯s going to be a push by the Sect soon and some rules have become more lax. How about you try the Luminescent Tower?"

 Chapter 128: Sneaking In

    Theron immediately had two questions.


    What was that?


    And why was this a matter that needed to be hesitated about to the point of near secrecy?


    "What¡¯s that, senior sister?"


    "It¡¯s not a surprise you don¡¯t know about it. The tower is in the Inner Sect. It¡¯s said that if you can pass its test, you can become a Core Disciple immediately regardless of your cultivation, and gain the resources that come with it.


    "The problem is that normally the tower is closed because it takes a large amount of energy to activate. It¡¯s not worth it just for one disciple after another to fail.


    "But, this is more of an open secret. For a while now, the acting story has been that the tower has just been rejecting entries because no one has even been worthy to take the first floor test¡­"


    Read the latest on


    The voice of the young woman trailed off as she gave Theron a pointed look. If Theron was a talent that had even a remote right to challenge the tower, he would understand by now.


    The Sect had budgetary constraints, so rather than admitting that, to save face, they pretended as though none of their disciples were ready. But now that the Chosen Selection was coming up again, they had secretly begun funneling resources into the tower once again.


    That meant that the first few people to realize this would likely have an advantage.


    Who knew how much longer the Sect would keep the tower open? Those in the know would keep this to themselves for as long as possible so that they could take a chance themselves.


    The fact that this test had no cultivation restrictions gave many hope. Who knew if they were the ones that might soar up to the Heavens in a single bound?


    So, in return, Theron thanked her profusely and then asked her for directions.


    After the young woman left, Theron regained his calm, skepticism practically oozing out of him.


    The young woman was somewhat talented, but nothing special. She was in her early twenties, and yet still Quasi Silver. That wasn¡¯t terrible, but she had no shot at becoming a Core Disciple in her lifetime. If she was any slower, the Inner Disciple test would be too difficult for her to complete too.


    So how did she know about something so important?


    Obviously, the Sect unleashing this news wasn¡¯t as secretive as it seemed. There was a clear selective spreading of this information. As for why, Theron didn¡¯t know.


    What he did know was that he would be entering this tower today. Clearly, this was what the Patriarch wanted him to do.


    Even if he didn¡¯t quite feel comfortable following that man¡¯s lead, there was no real other choice right now.


    ¡­


    Theron slipped through buildings and past trees. The transitions between living accommodations and nature were growing more seamless as he approached the inner regions of the Sect.


    But right now, he had to be even more cautious.


    The strongest plan would usually be to act like he belonged and confidently strut in. Who would sneak into a Sect as a Bronze Mancer? No one would expect such a thing.


    But with Tenn looming in the back of his mind, he had no choice but to take this path.


    ¡¯Water.¡¯


    Theron smiled.


    There was a bridge separating the Outer and Inner Sect, just like the young woman detailed. Beneath it, there was a wide moat.


    Just observing it, it was a truly gorgeous scene. But watching washing waters from a distance was nice. Entering them, especially in a Mana-dense region like this one, would almost certainly mean death even for a Water Mancer.


    To Theron, it was music to his ears, though.


    He sat there patiently, slipping into Veinsong seamlessly and waiting as time passed.


    Night fell before he finally moved.


    There had been a great number of Silver Mancers passing through this area, but not a single one had felt him.


    He had been able to hide from even Gold Mancers for brief instances in the past when they weren¡¯t expecting him, let alone now that he was much stronger. Fusing an Echo into his body made him so much more in tune with Water Mana, especially in Veinsong.


    All he had to do was mimic the aura of the thick Water Mana in the air and might as well have not been there at all.


    Finally, Theron moved, slipping down the side of the moat and into the waters.


    There were surely powerful creatures below, all of whom were at Silver Mancy, but not a single one of them sensed him at all. He was just another current in the ocean as he crossed, climbing up to the other side and slipping into the Inner Sect.


    **


    "Where the hell is he?!" Tenn slammed down another drink in frustration.


    If he had known this would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have taken his eyes off of Theron so easily. He knew the Sect was large, but with the eyes of the law enforcement officers, how could anyone hide?


    Plus, wasn¡¯t the plan supposed to be for Theron to expose himself, thinking too much of his status? But that didn¡¯t happen either.


    "Tenn!"


    A voice came from outside the bar before the door was practically smashed in.


    "Slam my door like that again and I¡¯ll hang your butt naked! Try me again!"


    "Sorry! Sorry! This is important!"


    "What¡¯s going on, Oile?"


    "The Luminescent Tower, it¡¯s lit."


    Tenn frowned and stood up. The rumors were true?


    But they only just started circulating¡­ maybe someone really couldn¡¯t wait anymore and went to test it out.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    "Wait!"


    "What?! What the hell are you blocking my way for?!"


    "It¡¯s not just that it¡¯s lit, it¡¯s who it¡¯s lit by!" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tenn frowned, a bad feeling welling up inside him.


    "Just tell the whole story! I¡¯m not paying you for cliffhangers, bastard!"


    "It¡¯s Theron Galethunder. He¡¯s the one who entered."


    Tenn felt an explosion going off in his mind. How the hell had a Bronze Mancer snuck into the Inner Sect?!

 Chapter 129: Curiosity and Survival [Super Gift Bonus]

    [Big thanks to RolaySaltT20]


    "Oh?"


    A familiar old man opened his eyes slowly. Somehow, his eyes seemed less lively than when Theron saw him last.


    "That was faster than expected¡­ the boy really does tend to surprise me a lot."


    The Patriarch paused, his head tilting to the side as though he was trying to understand something.


    "¡­ He integrated with a Blue Pufferfish Echo¡­?"


    First, he was shocked that Theron had actually ignored the temptation. But if he was going to fuse with the Blue Pufferfish, why ask for the Immortal Jellyfish?


    For a long while, the Patriarch sat there trying to understand something until his gaze flashed as bright as the sun.


    ¡¯A Dual Resonance Core?¡¯


    **


    Theron realized that his situation was a bit bad after he entered the Inner Sect. That much had gone well enough, but the actual tower was quite heavily protected.


    In the end, he had no choice but to do what he had originally wanted to avoid: act confident and hope things went well.


    Luckily, he had been hiding for long enough that Tenn and his lackeys had completely lost his tracks, so the risk was worth it¡­ and it worked out.


    But now, he really had no choice but to succeed. He had placed down his name and been scanned. There was certainly a commotion gathering outside right this moment. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he failed, well¡­ Tenn would be able to accuse him of a great number of crimes, and there would be no real way to get out of it.


    He had indeed snuck into the Sect. And even though the commotion was great enough that he could use the letter as a shield now, what would a ticket to the Outer Sect do to excuse him of crimes of sneaking into the Inner Sect?


    Theron calmly took a breath, exhaling as the water that soaked him through was slowly pulled from his cloak and body. He had no idea what sort of trials there would be ahead, but he might as well come prepared.


    ¡­


    Theron raised an eyebrow as his vision cleared. Ahead, there was a single statue stuck in an odd pose.


    On the one hand, it reminded him of some Flux Mancy techniques where positioning the body in stressful situations¡ªmatched with peculiar circulation methods¡ªcould accelerate muscle growth or the flushing of impurities.


    But on the other hand, it felt like a sword stance of some sort as well, almost like it hid some power.


    The statue¡¯s back was arched and its head was twisted to the side. While its feet were perpendicular to Theron, its head and the sword pointed in its hand were aimed right at him.


    However, its knees were bent so much, and its back arched so greatly, that its chest pointed to the ceiling.


    Even the way it held its sword was odd. It looked more like it was pointing a wand than holding a weapon, the sword hilt barely hanging to the tips of its fingers.


    If a person took a stance like this in battle, it would feel ridiculous. But by extension, it didn¡¯t completely feel like a cultivation method either.


    ¡¯Interesting


    ¡­


    Explore more at


    "What¡¯s happening? Why is he just standing in a blank room? Dammit, I thought we could learn something from this."


    "As if it would be that easy to gain an advantage. Everyone waiting for someone else to go first just wasted their time."


    "No, there¡¯s still a chance. Depending on what action he takes, maybe there¡¯ll be something to pick up on."


    The murmurs in the crowd grew to confusion the longer Theron stayed there.


    It had been a very long time since anyone challenged the tower, but there were rumors¡­ just like there always were.


    Rumors of confusion, of things not making sense, of the tower having a different sort of challenge depending on who entered.


    The only thing that was certain was that cultivation level didn¡¯t seem to matter. Bronze Mancers had succeeded in the past, Gold Mancers had failed to get out of the first floor¡­


    It was the way of the tower.


    ¡­


    Theron shook his head. ¡¯This tower is not for me.¡¯


    It was clear to him that, if nothing else, this was a challenge for a Flux Mancer. If it was just a challenge of combat prowess, fine. But it wasn¡¯t.


    This statue wasn¡¯t one or the other. It was both trying to teach him a body refinement method and a sword style. He was supposed to deduce it from the statue alone.


    But he had no affinity with Flux Mancy. The sort of body control, hand-eye coordination, and bodily flexibility Flux Mancers had¡­ he simply didn¡¯t.


    Even more unfortunately, there was no way back, and he wasn¡¯t going to hold his breath for the Patriarch to save him.


    ¡¯Kill our way out?¡¯ Theron thought with an eerie calm to him.


    He bet that if he was fast enough, most wouldn¡¯t react. The trouble would be if Tenn or any one of his lackeys was in the crowd. But if Theron left now, the odds he could make it before Tenn arrived were high.


    Theron observed the statue one final time.


    ¡¯[Luminescent Rain] he thought to himself.


    The peculiar thing about Luminescent Mana was that it was almost like a cancer, not having form of its own, but rather latching onto other forms and converting them. But because of that¡­


    It¡¯s good at taking on the characteristics of other things¡­ but then why so much focus on Flux Mancers? What am I missing?¡¯


    This time, it was Theron¡¯s curiosity that was evoked. But curiosity was one thing, survival was his highest priority.


    The question now was how he was going to deal with the backlash from the Thistles for his failure.


    Theron turned to leave.


    ¡­


    The crowd on the outside erupted with a chorus of boos, their distaste showing through. But it was clear that none of them actually cared so much. There had been great anticipation, but ultimately¡­ didn¡¯t it always end like this?


    Those that tried would either end up looking foolish or giving up like Theron.

 Chapter 130: Everyone

    "Hey, hey. Where are you going?"


    A familiar voice echoed in Theron¡¯s ears, causing him to stop. He frowned, not having expected the Patriarch to contact him.


    "I¡¯m a Water Mancer, this isn¡¯t for me."


    Theron had no idea how to communicate via this method, so he could only cover his mouth and speak in a whisper.


    The voice laughed. "There¡¯s no need to worry. No one can hear what you say. There¡¯s a filter of distortion over what happens in this realm. While they¡¯re observing, important details are impossible to make out."


    "Except for you."


    "Well, maybe. But even if I told you that wasn¡¯t the case, you wouldn¡¯t believe me."


    Theron didn¡¯t reply. Was that a joke? Why would he trust this man?


    No one just handed out Beast Cores like the Black Limbo Tortoise for free. That thing was worth far more than the mission he had completed.


    Maybe what Beifong had in his possession was worth it. But there was no such thing as a kind heart in the world of cultivation. Since the old man had already gotten what he wanted, why would he extend Theron extra gifts for no reason?


    Theron didn¡¯t need to know the background of the Black Limbo Tortoise to know that there was something fishy about it all.


    He wasn¡¯t comfortable with just accepting things as they were so easily.


    "At least go on and try the test," the Patriarch said.


    "I don¡¯t have the time. I need to escape before things become particularly bad for me."


    Theron continued to walk away.


    "Alright, alright. You drive a hard bargain. Tell you what. So long as you can pass this one floor, I¡¯ll extend you protection." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron frowned.


    Even if a powerhouse was going to trick him, it wouldn¡¯t be in this way. In all likelihood, this man was telling the truth.


    But why? What was the purpose for his change in tone?


    Theron had no idea that the Patriarch had misinterpreted a scan of his body, assuming him to have a Dual Resonance Core. This mutation was even rarer than Runebound Mana Beasts were.


    There was a reason the old assassin was so enamored with Raiden. No matter how much talent Theron showed, there was only so much a gap in comprehension talent could bridge at the higher levels.


    The reason he said there were no geniuses beneath Gold Mancy, while still giving such favoritism to Raiden, was because with the latter¡¯s talents, reaching Gold Mancy was a matter of time¡ªand a short time at that.


    But would the old assassin¡¯s tune change if he knew of Theron¡¯s Core situation?


    ¡¯Unfortunately for that old fogie, his senses aren¡¯t nearly as sharp as mine,¡¯ the Patriarch almost laughed like a maniac, but managed to restrain himself.


    Of course, he was cheating. Had Theron not entered the tower, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell either. But no one needed to know that.


    ¡¯I wonder how this little one hides it so well, though


    "Hey, hey! Didn¡¯t you hear me, why are you still leaving?!"


    Theron didn¡¯t respond.


    The Patriarch felt like he was losing his mind. Dealing with intelligent and arrogant youths was truly an annoyance. Beifong had driven him up a wall and that was his adoptive son.


    The world had no idea that it was the Patriarch and not an elder that had taken Beifong in, and they certainly had no need to know.


    "Fine, fine, fine. I¡¯ll give you Chosen accommodations instead. Not just that, but I¡¯ll also let you see the original text."


    Theron¡¯s steps paused. "¡­ Just for passing the first level?"


    "Well, you have to do your best on the other floors as well¡ªI will definitely be able to tell, so don¡¯t try it. But yes."


    Theron stood in silence for a while.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but to him¡­ this Patriarch was far more dangerous than the old man. And it wasn¡¯t even close.


    "Alright."


    Theron turned back.


    ¡­


    The uproar outside stopped with a confused whimper. What was happening? Why had he suddenly changed his mind like that? Did he not want to be humiliated?


    From a distance, Tenn was rushing over, practically gasping for breath. For a cultivator at his level to be so tired, one could imagine how far he had pressed himself just to make it here. Experience new tales on


    Seeing that Theron was still inside the tower, he exhaled a breath of relief.


    As soon as he failed, it would all be over.


    A glow radiated from Tenn¡¯s eyes.


    ¡­


    Theron faced the statue once again. But this time, he didn¡¯t bother to observe it, closing his eyes in an almost gentle silence.


    His breathing crawled into a steady rhythm, his body entering Veinsong.


    While part of the reason he had walked away was because this tower wasn¡¯t designed for him¡­ the other part was because he didn¡¯t want to expose too much of his ability to embody the other three paths of Mancy.


    However, as he was thinking things over, he realized that while embodying Flux Mancy with his Water Mana was one path, there was another¡­


    ¡¯Bloomstones¡­ Tribulation¡­ Echoes


    He had learned about two methods unique to the Luminescent Moon Sect, both of which were shocking.


    The Verdant Bloomstone pointed to a method of using these special jades to increase the chances of successfully absorbing an Echo, or absorbing a far stronger Echo.


    Then there was the Bloomstone jade that Beifong had stolen. It was apparently the root of a method that allowed cultivators to increase the strength of their Gold Mancy Tribulation.


    Both were entirely unrelated to one another other than the fact they were both related to breakthroughs in the path of cultivation, one for Silver Mancy, and the other for Gold Mancy.


    That made Theron wonder¡­


    Was the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s path truly tailored for Flux Mancers? Or was it that the Flux Mancy Path was the only one simple enough that it could allow the methods of the Sect to bloom properly?


    ¡¯[Luminescent Rain]


    It was the analysis of this technique that made Theron feel it could only be the latter.


    This path was for everyone. It was just a matter of if you could figure it out or not.


    Theron suddenly moved, his eyes still closed. His movements were so sharp his robes almost sounded as though they were whipping against the air.

 Chapter 131: Sliver

    The sight looked no less ridiculous than the statue had to Theron earlier. To the spectators on the outside, it looked more like Theron was doing an interpretive dance than anything else.


    And yet, not a single one of them spoke. That was because there was a large surge of Mana that suddenly rushed toward the tower.


    But then Theron suddenly stopped, standing straight once more.


    ¡­


    Theron stood there, his eyes closed. It hadn¡¯t quite felt right, but he didn¡¯t know why. He had moved perfectly in his estimation, but¡­


    ¡¯The Immortal Jellyfish?¡¯


    There was an echo of distaste in his mind, as though he wasn¡¯t quite perfect.


    Distaste felt like an odd word to describe it. Normally, Theron would probably call it discomfort. But the feeling was so personified that he changed his perspective.


    ¡¯Is it guiding me on how Water Mana should be used?¡¯


    Theron¡¯s gaze flickered.


    Had he made a mistake? Or had he made the perfect decision, after all?


    The Immortal Jellyfish was far superior to the Blue Pufferfish in terms of integration with Water Mana. If Theron had integrated with the Blue Pufferfish first¡­ Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This feeling wouldn¡¯t be so clear.


    ¡¯Again


    Theron¡¯s body moved.


    This time, the feeling wasn¡¯t nearly so sharp. There was a fluid edge to it as though it had softened. He had been too focused on striking the pose perfectly and not focused enough on the journey to that point.


    His body almost glided into position like water streaming across a smooth surface.


    The Immortal Jellyfish seemed to hum in satisfaction, Water Mana flowing into it as naturally as it always did, its body melding into Mana as seamlessly as it had since its very birth itself.


    ¡¯What a wonderful feeling


    ¡­


    The rush of Mana returned outside the tower, this time far greater than ever before, as though plumes of Heavenly energy were descending to bless them.


    Cyclones of wind kicked up and formed into streams of circling waters, a gorgeous scene of sparkling liquid droplets dancing through the air and yet refusing to fall like rain.


    There were very few Water Mancers in the crowd, and yet most of them held their tongues out, hoping that just one of these drops of dew would fall, just a single one would be enough.


    But it never happened. It all rushed into the tower and toward Theron.


    ¡­ Enjoy exclusive chapters from


    Theron felt the shift in his body.


    Mana cultivation occurred through either the mouth or nose; there was no other option. But right now, it felt like Mana was surging into his pores, opening them up and flooding into his body.


    At that moment, he was locked in position. Even if he wanted to move, he couldn¡¯t.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the Patriarch¡¯s gaze was only growing sharper and sharper.


    The fact that Theron had gotten it on the first try was already enough to leave him stunned. But¡­


    There was also a reason Theron had thought that this was only half a cultivation method and another half a battle technique.


    The Mana was supposed to overflow. The body was supposed to reach a limit of what it could take in, leaving the cultivator with no choice but to expel the rest in a technique.


    So¡­


    Why wasn¡¯t Theron hitting his limit?


    ¡­


    Theron stood in place for two minutes before the energy withered away and he regained control of his body once more. While he could have broken free whenever he wanted, why waste such perfect energy?


    However, what left him stunned was that despite the sheer amount of Mana he had just taken in¡­


    His cultivation had hardly budged. He edged a little closer to Quasi Silver, but that was it.


    That energy just now should have been enough to break through ten times over. How had he only improved just a small sliver?


    ¡¯The Blue Pufferfish?¡¯


    This was bad. Theron had thought that with his current momentum, reaching Silver might just be a matter of weeks. Accumulating the amount of Mana he had just now would have been the equivalent of three months of training for him at the very least, and that was assuming he kept extorting the Thistles and maybe applied some pressure on the Vermouth as well.


    Theron exhaled a breath, knowing that he had to calm down.


    Requiring such accumulation should mean good things for his future. The problem was that he didn¡¯t have time.


    However¡­ wasn¡¯t this tower giving him a chance to close that gap a little bit?


    It seemed that he would have to move forward no matter what. Any plans he had to half-ass the next floors were thrown out of the window.


    ¡­


    Theron progressed¡­ almost too easily.


    Every statue was simply another pose. Using his own control and his sensitivity to the feelings of the Immortal Jellyfish Echo, he was like a fish in water.


    Larger and larger cyclones of Water Mancy formed, and every time, the sliver of progress that Theron gained was just a little bit larger.


    And yet, he felt that the more he progressed, the further away he got. The chasm between himself and Silver Mancy was so large it was as though something physically did not want him to get there.


    ¡­


    Theron struck the ninth pose, and this time, he was stuck in place for a full three hours. In that time, not a single one of his muscles so much as twitched.


    His back curled, his legs twisted, his neck bent into an arc. He looked more like a human pile of limbs forced into a statue of a mad artist¡¯s making than a cultivator.


    But the chilling calm in his eyes all the while painted a picture all to itself.


    The Patriarch had long since stopped knowing how to react at all as he realized something shocking¡­


    Their world¡­ it simply didn¡¯t have Mana density high enough to allow Theron to use the attack methods at all.


    ¡¯His talent is above the cap limit¡­ a True Chosen fell into my palms like this¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    The surge of Mana came to an end and Theron slowly stood, his body aching beneath the strain. He knew that if he were to try to strike such a pose again, his very skeleton might explode.


    At best¡­ he could do this once a month. And that was factoring in his new healing factor abilities. Though the lesser poses, he might be able to get away with more often.


    ¡¯There¡¯s another floor?¡¯


    Theron raised an eyebrow. He was sure he had only counted nine.

 Chapter 132: Bound [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron walked up to the next floor, not quite knowing what to expect.


    He wasn¡¯t completely ignorant to the possibility of a building being larger on the inside than the outside being very real¡­ but this wasn¡¯t normal by any means.


    Spatial devices could either be forged by Soul Mancers or exceptionally rare Space Mancers. At the very least, Soul Mancers were common enough¡ªthough it was difficult for many of them to grasp the necessary formations and runes, which was why spatial devices were so expensive.


    However, changing the inside of a building like this¡­ no normal Soul Mancer could do that, and no normal Space Mancer either.


    As far as Theron¡¯s deductions could tell, one would likely have to at least be among the most powerful Gold Mancers to pull something like this off. And there was a good chance that he was overestimating Gold Mancy when he said this.


    What level was this ancient Luminescent Moon Sect on, then?


    ¡­


    Theron¡¯s vision cleared and he raised an eyebrow. He was back in the first room?


    He hardly finished the thought when the statue moved.


    A beam of concentrated white-gold energy formed from the tip of its sword, appearing before Theron in an instant.


    Theron was always on high alert, side-stepping with deft speed.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯


    There was an oddity in Theron¡¯s body just now. He shouldn¡¯t have been that fast, and it certainly wasn¡¯t because of the sliver increases to his Bronze Core.


    ¡¯My body¡­ interesting.¡¯


    His body didn¡¯t necessarily feel stronger. He would have already noticed something so obvious. Instead, it was like it was more flexible, more fluid. His transfer of energy was smoother and his ability to accelerate and decelerate had increased.


    Right now, he was more in tune with himself than ever before. And he began to wonder¡­ if he could create a blade technique based on Water Mancy, why not a movement technique? Why even stop there?


    The statue shifted from its place, lunging at Theron. There was a flexibility and strength to its movement that was riddled with sharpness and suffocating swiftness.


    Fast.


    Theron knew that it was, but its movement pattern was so obvious to him that even though he moved much later, he seemed to reach the target destination even faster.


    With a swift motion, Theron unsheathed his short sword. Holding it in a reverse grip, he pointed it toward the ground, flexing his wrist and twisting it to the side.


    The statue¡¯s thin blade collided with his edge just as he twisted, sending it parrying to the outside of his shoulder and hip.


    Theron took a step forward as sparks flew between their blades, unsheathing his dagger in a movement somehow even more fluid than the first.


    The head of the statue fell from its shoulders as Theron took two calm steps by it.


    There was no point in even watching it fall. Hearing the sound behind him, Theron had already turned his attention to the staircase to the next level.


    ¡­


    The scene seemed to replay itself again and again.


    Theron didn¡¯t really understand the point of this. He already understood the technique; why was he being made to fight it? The movements were so predictable he knew what was coming before even a step was taken.


    It was like he was given a map of their attack patterns ahead of time, and they were foolish enough to follow them.


    The worst part, though, was that Theron gained nothing for this effort. His body couldn¡¯t withstand using this cultivation method right now, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any rewards.


    By the time he got to the "ninth" floor again, he almost lazily took the life of the statue. It was the strongest and the trickiest, but the end result was just the same as always.


    Until Theron froze.


    ¡¯This sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Memories rearranged themselves in Theron¡¯s mind until it felt like a flashbang of deductions were being completed one after another.


    How had he not seen through the real secret here? These attack methods¡­ sure, it would be great if he could actually use them¡ªthough for some reason he couldn¡¯t. But wasn¡¯t there something obvious that he was missing?


    These attack methods, they embodied a blade style that could be used as a template for not just one form of Mana, but all of them.


    If that was the case, and he used it as the foundation to his Water Blade Style, or even as just an addition, how much stronger would it become?


    Would it reach the level of a Forbidden method?


    Theron felt that he was getting ahead of himself, especially with how much stress these poses placed on his body. He couldn¡¯t imagine using them continuously in battle.


    But there was certainly something to gain here.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯ Stay tuned for updates on


    Theron was so deep in thought he nearly didn¡¯t react in time.


    White gold energy descended in streams, pouring into his body. He felt nourished and refreshed.


    By the time it was finished, he felt like he could run through all of the pose floors again and benefit once more.


    That was when a booklet fell from the skies, ancient and looking so yellowed and brittle that it might collapse at a single touch.


    Without even looking at it, Theron calmly put it away. With a step, he had already left the tower. But rather than appearing outside like he had expected, he was transported a long distance away.


    **


    When Theron could see again, he was sitting across from a familiar old man. And yet, he felt like he was facing off against someone he had never met.


    The split was hard to fathom, and the cognitive dissonance left him without the time to adjust himself before the Patriarch spoke.


    "Let me see it."


    Theron realized he was speaking about the booklet. In the end, he just obediently handed it over.


    The Patriarch stroked it as though it were his child, reminiscing about something.


    "¡­ Every time the tower is cleared, another piece of our legacy is recovered. You¡¯ve done the Sect a great service, River. If it were up to me, I would wave a hand and deal with all your problems for you. Unfortunately, I cannot even control the fate of my own adopted son. There are too many things I am bound by."


    The Patriarch waved a hand and the despicable booklet floated through the room and slotted into what was almost a barren bookcase.


    "What I can give you is what I¡¯ve promised. Chosen status, and¡­ I can give you the right to look through all of these ancient methods. But whether you can understand any of them will be up to you."

 Chapter 133: Just One

    Theron¡¯s mind took in several thoughts at once.


    It was impossible for him to miss the mention of an adopted son. Was he speaking about Beifong? Theron was under the impression that Beifong was just the adopted son of a random elder, likely quite high up in the chain of command, but not this high up.


    Had a father set a kill notice on his own son?


    Theron had known from the beginning that the Patriarch couldn¡¯t be trusted, but even he didn¡¯t expect that it would be to this extent.


    However, the rest was arguably just as intriguing. What could bind someone of the Patriarch¡¯s caliber so greatly?


    Honestly speaking, Theron had never heard of a cultivation level above Gold. None of the books or anything of the sort that he had come across ever mentioned it.


    But what he did know was that there likely was one. After the Imbued Resonance debacle, he knew that there were certainly things about this world that he wasn¡¯t privy to information about. If not for this, it wouldn¡¯t have taken him so much effort to find the information about the Verdant Bloomstone he needed.


    This secret, though¡­ seemed to be on an entirely different level. What was going on, exactly, that someone so powerful could only sit on their hands?


    And what did this have to do with Beifong? Why was he talking like his son had died tragically when he had ordered for the death in the first place?


    Finally, there were these ancient methods. Honestly speaking, Theron couldn¡¯t have been more eager even if he tried.


    He knew now that much of his information was limited and not nearly good enough. What better way to shore up those weaknesses than like this?


    But how far had the Luminescent Moon Sect fallen that it could have such things all while still maintaining its spot at the bottom rung of the Nightingale Province?


    And by the Patriarch¡¯s words, it seemed like Theron would only be able to help him clear the tower once?


    ¡¯Seven others?¡¯


    The booklet he had brought rounded out the total to eight, the other seven being unknowns.


    ¡¯Could it be that the real reason Beifong was able to get his hands on that booklet was because he cleared the tower? How much control does the Patriarch have over that tower? Could he stop others from noticing that it had been activated? I can¡¯t see why not


    Some puzzle pieces were coming together, but it made it obvious that the overall picture was much larger than he expected. There was definitely something odd going on here, but Theron didn¡¯t have the ability to pick up on exactly what it was because he simply lacked enough information.


    Rather than replying to the Patriarch, then¡­ Theron stood up.


    The first booklet he touched was his own. He expected to have to stand there for hours like he had when he went through Beifong¡¯s booklet¡ªor rather, the past number one ranked Outer Disciple¡¯s copy of one.


    But no.


    ¡¯I see¡­ So this Vital Bloomstone is the secret, and this method is what could be used to repeatedly cast that cultivation method while avoiding the risks to the body.¡¯


    Theron already had a cheat code in the Immortal Jellyfish, and yet even he would need a month before he could use this technique again. Unless someone else was born with a similar bloodline that gave such a great healing factor, it would take them probably as much as three months before they could use this method again.


    But if you could cast this Forbidden Spell, with the support of Vital Bloomstone, then it was possible to heal the body after a cycle of these techniques and use it again the next day.


    While this would still limit you to just once per day, just how much faster would you be able to cultivate with such a thing by your side?


    The bottleneck here, though¡­ was obviously the Vital Bloomstone itself.


    "How much Vital Bloomstone does your Sect have?" Theron asked.


    "Probably a couple dozen pieces," the Patriarch replied with a light smile.


    Theron shook his head. Even if the Patriarch was willing to give it to him, didn¡¯t that mean that he would only have enough for a month, maybe two of cultivation if he was lucky?


    With the current state of his Bronze Core, he wasn¡¯t even sure if that would be enough.


    He had still yet to investigate what was going on with his body, but this bottleneck¡ªthe first of its kind he was experiencing¡ªwas truly something else.


    Theron slowly put the Vital Bloomstone Forbidden Method down and picked up the one that had triggered his curiosity in the first place, the Tribulation Bloomstone Forbidden Method.


    ¡¯Indeed, he did take out quite a lot of it¡­ he didn¡¯t just change things around, he put many things in shorthand. No wonder it took me so long to go through it the first time. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯But this still seems so hard to decipher, as though it¡¯s still written in some kind of code. That code is more obvious to me in the Vital Bloomstone Forbidden Method, but even I can¡¯t see through it in a single sitting. It would probably take me¡­ three days to decode?¡¯


    Stay connected with


    Theron¡¯s thoughts were his own. If the Patriarch knew what he was thinking, it would be hard to tell if he¡¯d be shocked or appalled by the audacity.


    ¡¯This Tribulation Bloomstone Forbidden Method, though¡­ not only would it take me months, if not years¡­ but it seems only the lowest threshold is nine pieces of the jade. If I want to trigger the method to the middle tier, I would need 99, and I only have 15 pieces right now after giving two away. If I wanted the perfect method, I would need 999 pieces


    Theron frowned. "How many pieces of Tribulation Bloomstone do you have?"


    The Patriarch¡¯s grin grew wider. "Just one."


    Theron was speechless.


    "That said¡­ there is a method of getting more Bloomstone of all eight kinds¡­"

 Chapter 134: Falling Legend

    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed. "And that would be?"


    "We have a Secret Realm here where most of our Bloomstone comes from. The next time it opens, you can try your luck."


    "And you can¡¯t enter?"


    The Patriarch chuckled. "No, only those beneath Silver Mancy can enter for reasons I¡¯m not quite sure of."


    Theron raised an internal eyebrow. Logically, if only those beneath Silver Mancy could enter, then the logical conclusion was that that was what the rules of those that created the world stated.


    But judging by the Patriarch¡¯s tone, things weren¡¯t so simple. It seemed that maybe it was the case that those at Silver Mancy the Sect had tried to throw in just didn¡¯t meet a requirement of some sort.


    As for what that requirement was, the Patriarch wasn¡¯t aware, and maybe that was part of the reason for his despair.


    ¡¯Despair¡­ yes¡­ that¡¯s it


    The Patriarch, if nothing else, seemed to actually care about the future of the Sect. How much that mattered for his ego versus a more tangible and moral reason, Theron didn¡¯t know.


    What he did know was that even if this was the case, a man with such passion about something like this both had a weakness and was far more dangerous.


    If the Patriarch was willing to do anything for the sake of the Sect, even going as far as to kill the son he raised with his own hands, what wouldn¡¯t he do?


    It also wasn¡¯t lost on Theron that Beifong had only died after getting what the Patriarch wanted¡­ a booklet from the tower?


    A chilling realization overcame Theron. Could the old man have raised a son for no reason other than that?


    Theron opened up the other booklets. The third was a method that he had already heard faint inklings about through none other than the Verdant Bloomstone: The Echo Bloomstone Forbidden Method.


    This one helped one to integrate Echoes that were far stronger than yourself.


    This was the third and last of the eight that Theron could understand in any sort of reasonable timeframe. And honestly speaking, after asking about the Echo Bloomstone and learning that the Sect had zero of them, he realized there probably wasn¡¯t even a point in knowing about the others.


    What good was wasting so much time on something that he couldn¡¯t use?


    "Alright, I will take my rewards now," Theron said after setting the last book down.


    The symbols, runes, and such floated around in his head. He might not understand them now, but he could take his time to do so later. Unlike Beifong, he really didn¡¯t feel the need to write them down.


    Sometimes he double-checked things out of an abundance of caution, but in practice, he was more than confident in his own memory and the execution of it on tasks exactly like these.


    The Patriarch chuckled, not saying much about Theron¡¯s action. He tossed over a jade.


    "This is the location of your living abode."


    "The Core Disciples won¡¯t be happy."


    "They won¡¯t bother you after I speak."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. After I tell them any one of them could become a Chosen by doing what you just did, what will they say?"


    Theron smiled a gentle smile, not believing it for a single instant. That said, he did have a brother-in-law to exploit. After what he had done, maybe it was time Aeryn started paying his dues.


    One of these days, Theron would get his payback for that palm. In the meantime, he would take some interest.


    Theron turned to leave, but as he was about to shut the door behind him, he heard the Patriarch¡¯s voice echo once more.


    Goosebumps raked across his body, a shiver passing through his heart.


    "You toe quite a dangerous line. Just know that I care very much about this Sect¡­ Theron."


    The door clicked closed behind Theron as he exhaled a breath. There was a dense sort of heaviness in his heart, but he calmed himself well.


    He knew that that was a warning.


    The Patriarch was aware of all of his identities now, and likely knew of how close he was to the Thistles.


    Connecting how the Patriarch said his hands were tied to how the Sect seemed split down the middle by two warring factions¡ªthe Thistles and the Nightingales¡ªTheron knew that if he really took steps to bring the Sect beyond the point of no return, the Patriarch might throw all caution to the wind for the sake of revenge.


    A man that was so fiercely loyal to his convictions and his own goals was the most troublesome sort of man to deal with.


    It seemed that now, Theron would have two lions looking over his shoulder.


    No¡­ three.


    He couldn¡¯t forget about the old man no matter how much the latter¡¯s repressed aura made it easy to.


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    Theron moved ahead, but the next day, a storm began to kick up that he could never avoid the center of.


    ¡­


    News of the princess consort¡¯s return to the Luminescent Moon Sect was only overshadowed by the silent coronation of Theron as the first Chosen of this generation.


    The idea that a Chosen had been selected before even the Selection itself had truly drummed up an uproar. But because of what happened afterward, it was hard for people to be angry.


    The day the princess consort returned, she too entered the tower. And just like that, a legend that hadn¡¯t been broken a single time in dozens of years had been broken twice in the span of the same number of days.


    The skies seemed to be shifting and a second Chosen was selected.


    Those that could feel the undercurrent of it all were pressed down by its heavy weight.


    After this, more and more began to start to attempt. But one after another, they failed as well¡­


    Everyone was waiting for the same things. Would the Core Disciples step forward to try and prove themselves like Theron and Thessa had? Or would they allow a pair of Bronze Mancers to ride over their heads?


    The answer came the following week as all five of them appeared at the same time.

 Chapter 135: Ruu [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Ruu returned to Daggers of the Night calmly, her expression hidden beneath her cloak.


    Soon, she stood before a desk that seemed identical in all ways. However, this time, there was a woman behind it. Old, wrinkled, and looking as though she had already passed away, the elder sat there and didn¡¯t seem to acknowledge Ruu¡¯s presence at all.


    It was then that things shifted. Or rather, they shifted the moment Ruu placed the bag in her hand down.


    The murky eyes of the old woman opened and she looked at it. Read new chapters at


    "There is no blood," she said calmly.


    "My mission didn¡¯t require blood. It was a retrieval mission."


    "The Guild has grown soft," the old woman said indifferently.


    There was a chilliness to her tone that made Ruu feel goosebumps race across her skin. She couldn¡¯t find it in herself to lie to this woman at all. Those eyes, no matter how murky they were, were too sharp, too powerful, too all-seeing.


    She could only hope that she wasn¡¯t asked any questions¡­ but she also didn¡¯t know why she was so nervous either.


    Daggers of the Night didn¡¯t care about methods used. They were assassins. There were certain people that had attacked and succeeded in the most grotesque of ways.


    Using children as hostages, killing pregnant women, raping and pillaging. As far as Ruu was concerned, or the Guild was at that, something like someone else completing her mission for her then handing her the rewards might as well have been a fairy tale.


    Why would they care about such things?


    But, even so¡­ Ruu didn¡¯t want to let anyone know, and had no need to let anyone know either.


    All she knew was that her mission was complete, and that was all they needed to know.


    With a raise of her head, she waited as the old woman pulled out the jade and booklet.


    "Mm¡­"


    It took a long while before the old woman said anything, and the hum left Ruu on tenterhooks.


    "Here are your rewards."


    Finally, Ruu exhaled a breath.


    "But¡­"


    Ruu froze again.


    "You took much too long to complete this mission. Your next quota is already coming up. Any more lags like this and you¡¯ll be executed."


    Ruu stiffened considerably before she felt a flash of rage in her. She was nowhere near close to her quota coming up. In fact, she was far ahead.


    The old woman grinned a toothy grin.


    "What? I don¡¯t like it when people try to hide things from me, and I like Light Mancers even less. Would you like to have a duel about it? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been a while since the last time our branch had a Daggers Call. What do you say? Let¡¯s do it.


    "I hear that another branch had one recently. It really got my blood going. How much of it do you think was spilled?"


    Ruu¡¯s fury was like a flame doused in ice-cold water. She stood there for a long moment before turning around and leaving without a word.


    The old woman¡¯s sneer didn¡¯t vanish for a long while, but then she went back to her usual half-dead look, her senses passing over the jade again and again.


    ¡¯Interesting


    ¡­


    The days passed and the old woman continued to sit at the desk as though she never had anything better to do. Then, over a week later, she suddenly awoke and vanished.


    When the world stopped spinning around her, she stood high in the skies, fluctuations rippling across the bottom of her feet.


    If others had been there, they would have recognized this Mana¡­ a rare Mana, so unlikely to appear that in all likelihood, in the whole of the province, she was the only one with such an ability¡­


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    The old woman took another step forward, and when she appeared again, she was standing in quite a familiar place.


    The Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s abode.


    With a wave of her hand, the sack carrying the jade and the booklet fell onto the old Patriarch¡¯s desk.


    He looked up. "What is this?"


    "Open it."


    With a frown, the Patriarch¡¯s senses poked at the bag. When he saw what it was, his frown deepened further.


    "There¡¯s more than one?"


    "You know that there were originally 17 pieces. Clearly, he hid them in different locations."


    "Did you interrogate the one that handed it in?"


    "She had an odd reaction to be sure, but nothing that seemed worth looking into. I could smell the scent of men on her, she probably just used some unsavory methods to get what she wanted."


    The old woman¡¯s face twisted with disgust and the real reason she had punished Ruu came to light. If you had strength, why did you need to use such methods?


    The Patriarch shook his head and barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Using babies as shark bait was fine, but god forbid someone open their legs.


    This old lady was truly insufferable to him, but having a Space Mancer as an ally was too important.


    "Interesting. I was almost 100% certain he had the rest."


    "He?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know."


    The old woman pouted, a sort of look that didn¡¯t seem to fit her appearance at all. It was enough to make a man shudder.


    "Well, he could still have a few. But it seems that Beifong likely hid the bulk of it in a secretive place. It¡¯s even possible he already gave it over to the Obsidian Eclipse Sect¡­"


    "How did you even allow this to happen?"


    "I let him take it," the Patriarch said with a wave of his hand, still lost in thought.


    "What?!" the old woman was taken aback.


    "Is it so surprising? The only way to get these snakes to show their tails is to bait them out with some rats. I just didn¡¯t expect Beifong to die so easily¡ªthat was a miscalculation on my part."


    "Who killed him?"


    "Just worry about the matters of your branch."


    "You know that I¡¯m the only one that can cross provinces so quickly, right? I¡¯m not so limited. I can help here."


    "No. Don¡¯t do too much or you¡¯ll ruin everything."


    The old woman fell into silence and this time, she waited for the Patriarch to finish thinking.


    Eventually, he exhaled a breath. "We need someone to enter the Obsidian Eclipse Sect to confirm. Send the same girl. She is familiar with the mission and she has the unsavory methods necessary to weave her way in."


    The old woman rolled her eyes. "Fine."


    "Stay in touch. Send me information she gathers. Once we can confirm or deny, I¡¯ll talk to you about the next steps."


    "Understood."


    There was a flicker of silver and she vanished.


    The Patriarch¡¯s eyes narrowed, his finger tapping at the desk.


    ¡¯Theron¡­ Theron¡­ Theron¡­ you¡¯ve really caused me a great deal of trouble by killing my son so easily. Luckily, you¡¯ve made yourself useful.¡¯


    Slowly, he exhaled a breath.


    ¡¯If I want to pierce the ceiling of this world, I need more¡­ I can only suppress it for so long. A True Chosen is in my hands now, but the Tribulation Bloomstone is too important¡­ With both


    There was another flash in the Patriarch¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 136: Fun

    The appearance of the five Core Disciples wasn¡¯t something the Inner Sect was expecting on this day. But no one would think that it was a coincidence.


    As they approached, it was clear that there was a divide between them, forming three total groups.


    The first carried the fifth and second ranked Core Disciples¡ªJodie Sine and Aeryn Vermouth. They walked shoulder to shoulder, their presences somewhat muted.


    There was a calmness they both carried that belied the weight in Jodie¡¯s gut. The young man knew that today would either end in triumph or humiliation, and of all those here¡­ it was the most obvious what his outcome would be.


    There was nothing he could do about it. Who asked him to be the weakest?


    That said¡­ it said something about his strength of character that he had appeared here nonetheless.


    If this was where his fate as a genius ended, then fine. But he would be damned if he fell in the shadows of his own abode, locked in by four walls not placed up by another, but rather his own cowardice.


    The second group was that of the third and fourth ranked disciples, Dorian Valebane and Vaeilina Blackthorn.


    The Valebane and Blackthorn Clans were both Baronies that specialized in a special branch of poison Soul Mancy. They had always had a close relationship and often matched themselves together in marriage.


    Dorian and Vaeilina were no different, having been promised to one another since their youth.


    What was odd was that poison masters didn¡¯t seem to have a place in this sort of Sect at all. But if one were to look at the two of them, it would be impossible to guess that they dabbled in such arts. In fact, they looked more like Flux Mancers than Aeryn, who specialized in strength.


    Dorian had wide shoulders and stood at over seven feet tall. But his wife-to-be was probably even more freakish considering her gender. Vaeilina¡¯s delts were even more defined than her fiancs, her skin carrying a bronze sheen to it that told a story of many hours training beneath the sun.


    At first glance, neither looked like Soul Mancers at all.


    And then there was the last "group." The number one ranked Core Disciple, a man who simply went by Ironvale.


    He wore black leather armor so tough and rigid it almost looked like shingles of metal pasted onto his body. A sword that was no less draped in dreary blackness hung on his back, but rather than being in a sheath, it just seemed to hover there, following after him of its own will and volition.


    Among all of the Core Disciples here, Ironvale was the one and only that had integrated a Sixth Silver Resonance Echo at Quasi Silver. The moment he entered Silver Resonance, it broke through, passing the most difficult bottleneck and rising to Seventh Resonance.


    Now, no one was sure what level his Echo had reached, but since he had long reached the higher tiers of Silver Mancy, he had likely already reached the cap.


    It was really just a question of how much he had refined it.


    Ironvale walked forward on his own. Considering how indifferent he was to everything, it really did seem like his appearance today was nothing more than a coincidence. Experience new stories on


    Everyone seemed to expect that Jodie would enter first as the last ranked, and they would have to wait for Ironvale¡¯s performance at the very end of it all.


    No one expected that, ignoring everything, Ironvale would simply walk ahead and straight into the tower.


    "¡­ That guy¡­" Jodie muttered under his breath, feeling as though he had already lost.


    How much confidence did it take to be number one, know that two weak Bronze Mancers before you had already succeeded, and yet still boldly take the first step while everyone else was more than willing to allow you the grace of going last?


    Jodie felt a pat on his shoulder.


    "Keep your head up. There¡¯ve been many failures in the past. The main difference between him and us isn¡¯t that he¡¯s confident he will succeed. It¡¯s that he¡¯s indifferent to success and failure."


    Jodie looked to the side to meet Aeryn¡¯s gaze, but the Vermouth heir was focused on the images ahead.


    "¡­ You fought him."


    "I did."


    "And?"


    "I didn¡¯t stand a chance," Aeryn replied calmly.


    "¡­ It sounds like you¡¯re indifferent to success and failure too."


    "If I was, I would have challenged him publicly. I¡¯ve already lost. It took me a while to understand just what the difference was. Now I feel it all the more right this moment."


    Ironvale¡¯s trial began and everyone watched in silence.


    The process wasn¡¯t nearly as graceful as Theron¡¯s, nor did Ironvale seem eager to chase after that sort of perfection at all.


    There was a wildness to his every action that made it feel like he was having¡­


    Fun.


    When he failed, there was no embarrassment, just an eagerness to jump in again.


    Half a day passed like this, the Sect watching Ironvale teeter on the edge of failure again and again¡­


    Only to finally step out of the ninth floor¡ªsuccessful.


    The image flashed and Ironvale vanished, a heavy silence hanging over them all like a cloud.


    For some reason, they found themselves respecting Ironvale far more than they did Theron or Thessa. But most of them couldn¡¯t vocalize why as clearly as Aeryn had.


    Much like the other successes, Ironvale didn¡¯t appear again.


    Aeryn took a deep breath.


    "I guess this means that it¡¯s my turn." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he didn¡¯t go now, he would forever be behind that man. And¡­ how would he protect his sister from Theron in the future?


    There was a flash of near madness in Aeryn¡¯s gaze, something else churning inside of him for a moment.


    He didn¡¯t seem to notice as he stepped forward, but his hair rose up almost like the mane of a lion fluttering in the wind before he disappeared into the tower.

 Chapter 137: Pawns

    Dean Thistle sat across from his son, Sigil. The two of them saw the reports and were quite stunned themselves. Though Dean Thistle¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, Sigil wasn¡¯t as reserved as his father and reacted quite fiercely.


    Then he began to laugh.


    Who would have thought that the Luminescent Moon Sect would make such an exception? They were making such large moves in the background just for the sake of placing Chosen at key positions.


    But this¡­ S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dean Thistle shook his head. "Your vision is still too limited."


    "What do you mean, father? Isn¡¯t this a good thing?"


    "No. It is not. The weight of the title of Chosen has been thrown into the trash in a single night. If the Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect did this on purpose, it¡¯s a brilliant move and it makes things far more difficult for us."


    When the Chosen Selection occurred, there would usually be one winner. In the rarest instances, there might be two or three. But with the plans they had in place, even if there were two, they were confident in ensuring that at least one of them would be theirs¡ªeven accounting for that Ironvale and Aeryn¡¯s inferiority.


    But now, the Nightingale Clan had found an easy method of placing one of their own up there, and as for Aeryn¡­


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    Aeryn¡¯s state was unknown, having fallen into a heavy coma after exiting the tower. It seemed that he had failed because he wasn¡¯t teleported away like the others.


    Now, they had both lost a path to Chosen, and one of their best trump cards at the Silver Mancy rank would be out of commission for who knew how long.


    The worst part of it all was that Theron was now the only link they had to the Sect, making them even more reliant on him now than ever before.


    Dean Thistle thought about sending Sigil to the Sect too, but he had to be wary. Sigil was his strongest heir, there was a reason Clans were so cautious with talents like him and preferred to keep them in-house.


    Plus, what if Aeryn¡¯s unconsciousness wasn¡¯t a coincidence? How much control did the Patriarch have over the tower? What could he do if Sigil entered and then ended up dying?


    Not only would the Thistles lose a great amount of face, but he would lose the heir to his bloodline. It was unacceptable.


    If he was the Patriarch, he would much rather the battle between the Thistles and the Imperial Clan happen on the Bronze Mancy scale. It would be far easier to control like this.


    Having Theron and Thessa at one another¡¯s throats was far more manageable than having to deal with geniuses on the cusp of Gold Mancy.


    Sigil wasn¡¯t quite there yet, but would it be long?


    No, he couldn¡¯t take such a risk. It seemed that¡­ Theron had won another round.


    Dean Thistle looked down at the Verdant Bloomstone on his desk. Was he really going to have to hand this back to Theron with both hands?


    **


    Theron threw a gaze at the tower from a distance, his feet still aimed toward the exit of the Sect.


    This time, he could only say that he had gotten lucky, as much as he wanted to take credit for it.


    The Verdant Bloomstone he had given Dean Thistle was, indeed, the real one. It was just that he knew that there were very special requirements for entering the realm where it could show its youth, requirements that only one person at the time could have met.


    Aeryn.


    Theron hadn¡¯t been 100% certain that Aeryn had already met those requirements, but he knew that only a disciple of the Sect could. By extension, he also knew that once he showed his use, given the plans of the Thistles, the Dean would eventually send him to the Sect.


    Once he was here, he was confident that he too would meet those requirements.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that the requirement would necessitate the tower--something he hadn¡¯t learned of until completing it--and he also hadn¡¯t planned for Aeryn to push himself too far and fall into such a coma, leaving the only connection to the Sect as Theron himself.


    Of course, the Thistles certainly had more than just one pawn in the Sect, Jodie likely being one of them considering how close he and Aeryn seemed to be.


    But none were likely to be as dangerous, and more importantly, without clearing the tower, none would be able to affect him.


    In the end, things actually fell so perfectly into his lap. While he was the one who put the chess pieces in place, this was almost too perfect.


    But he didn¡¯t let his guard down, not just yet.


    There was someone that had unexpectedly succeeded¡­ that being Thessa.


    In addition, that Ironvale¡­ he had a feeling that lost in all these shuffling pawns were the ones that the Patriarch himself had put into place.


    Would Ironvale allow him to do as he pleased in that realm? Theron doubted it.


    But Theron himself was eerily calm about it all as he looked away from the tower. It was time for him to use his privileges as a Chosen to leave the Sect for a while and return.


    After he put the last puzzle pieces in place, he would be sure to come out on top in this Secret Realm.


    Something told him that if he wanted to successfully reach Silver Mancy, he would need a big opportunity. And this would have to be it.


    He would have to thank Dean Thistle in advance for that.


    ¡­


    Theron left the Sect in the dead of night, the moon hanging overhead and radiating a shallow blue mixed with a murky mercury.


    But, it was when the Sect was no longer in sight that he came to a stop.


    "I didn¡¯t know that the duties of the law enforcement branch extended so far outside of the Sect," he said indifferently.


    The sound of rustling leaves and shifting branches filled the air.

 Chapter 138: A Sect’s Unity [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Four figures rushed out, surrounding Theron from all four cardinal directions.


    Honestly, Theron was a bit surprised, not just by the boldness, but the fact there were so many willing to participate in such a thing. He wasn¡¯t just some random nobody now, he was a Chosen of the Sect. The weight of his life and its value had completely changed.


    ¡¯I guess this is what happens when too many new Chosens are conferred at once. It¡¯s diluted the meaning. The fact it takes an entire generation for new Chosens to be selected as well means that this current batch of disciples never really understood the meaning to begin with.¡¯


    This obviously wasn¡¯t the real reason these four were here. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron immediately recognized Tenn and the two law enforcement officers that had been with him that day. The fourth, though, he didn¡¯t recognize, but this was the same young man that had pulled Tenn out of the bar and told him about Theron¡¯s appearance at the tower: Oile.


    ¡¯They¡¯re here because of passion for their Sect. How interesting


    There was something quite interesting he had noticed about the Sect. They were very¡­ familial.


    It was the best way for Theron to describe it.


    The young woman he had come across that told him about the tower should have almost certainly not given him such important information. Maybe she was just a kind person, sure¡­ but then there was the Sect¡¯s reaction to Ironvale¡¯s success.


    There was something particularly warm about it, as though even if he struggled more than Theron had, he was more worthy of their respect nonetheless.


    It was easy to have a distorted sense of what the Sect was because of how he was treated when he entered, but he was the one that had killed their genius, and then came strutting forward to claim an even more prestigious title for himself.


    They were right to hate him.


    Maybe these four knew perfectly well just how heavy Theron¡¯s title was to the Sect. Instead, they had just chosen to take the risk anyway.


    It seemed that the inner workings of these things were far more complicated. Winning a game of politics wasn¡¯t just about having more power or better schemes, sometimes it was just about controlling the heart and emotions of the people.


    Even with all his caution, Theron had still underestimated the Patriarch.


    To Theron, the Patriarch was a cold, heartless man, willing to do anything for the sake of his goals.


    But to the disciples of the Sect, they would die for him and the emblem on their chests.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll have to observe more to figure out exactly why that is. Is he really so good at managing the Sect? Or are there other reasons?¡¯


    Either way, Theron slotted this information to the back of his mind. His thoughts were so distracted that one would have never guessed that he was facing off against four Silver Mancers.


    The strongest of them, Tenn and Oile, were both at the Second Resonance, the other two being at just the first.


    Not a single one of them had integrated an Echo before Silver Mancy, though. So at best, they had Fifth or Sixth Silver Resonance Echoes.


    Theron¡¯s palms lightly touched the hilts of his weapons, but to their credit, they reacted immediately in kind.


    With a subtle relaxation of his legs, Theron sank into a readying pose, rocking to the balls of his feet and flexing his quads as his knees bent.


    Faced with four attacks from four sides, there was no easy way to account for everything he needed to. Illusion techniques wouldn¡¯t work, not when all four of his opponents had Third Eye.


    In that case¡­


    Veinsong.


    SHIIING!


    The color in Theron¡¯s eyes solidified, a steely, cold blue radiating out as he unsheathed both of his weapons so seamlessly they sounded as though they were one.


    He took a step at an angle, his torso twisting.


    By now, his Immortal Jellyfish sensory domain had already been deployed and he could sense a tacit link between the four law enforcement officers.


    They were used to working together, and likewise, they knew that launching four all-out attacks from all sides would also put themselves in danger of harming one another.


    As such¡­


    ¡¯Two attacks are just feints.¡¯


    Theron picked out the subtleties immediately. His understanding of the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s methods had deepened considerably in these last few days.


    He could feel the differences in their muscles, in the circulation of their Mana.


    He could see through them.


    Oile and Tenn were feinting.


    Clever.


    Just not clever enough.


    DENG! DENG!


    Theron actually met the attacks of two Silver Flux Mancers head on. With his arms extended out, spread to meet the angles of their slashes, his wrists and forearms trembled hard beneath the strain.


    He was forced a heavy step back, but the weapons of Tenn and Oile had already pulled back, just like he expected.


    Using the rebounding force, he was suddenly pushed into the space between the latter two, his mind flashing with runes and his Mana thrumming to life.


    Two [Water Bullets] formed in the air, splitting in two directions and forcing them to block.


    The two First Resonance officers lunged after Theron, pressing him so that he wouldn¡¯t try to use an opening to escape, but Theron met them first.


    He took a step to the side, allowing a blade to rush across the length of his shoulder as he closed in the distance on one.


    Bending back, his torso flexing and his arm reaching out as though pointing a wand, he dodged the attack of the second, his short sword nearly piercing the latter¡¯s chest before he managed to block.


    DENG!


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    Theron spun, his body suddenly accelerating out of the first statue¡¯s pose.


    The line of blood from his shoulder formed another [Water Bullet], catching the First Resonance officer that injured him off guard.


    Suddenly faced with three attacks, and still in the process of pulling his blade back, he didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Theron¡¯s spin brought both his dagger and short sword across his neck, splitting his throat open and sending spurts of blood gushing out.

 Chapter 139: The Brightness of a Gaze [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    In the darkness of the night, no one saw what Theron had done with his blood. Even with their Third Eye active, it was impossible for them to tell the difference, not when it radiated like Water Mana to their mind¡¯s eye regardless. Experience exclusive tales on


    But what they did sense was the death of their friend.


    Rage filled their hearts. It was just unfortunate that now that the number of enemies had fallen from four to just three, the pressure on Theron had relaxed considerably.


    Facing off against several enemies with such heavy control over the region thanks to their Silver Cores made it especially difficult for him to gather Water Mana from the atmosphere. This was why he had only cast his simplest and easiest to use spells, even being forced to use his own blood when he would rather keep his ability hidden.


    But now, with just three such domains active instead of four¡­


    He felt as though a heavy weight had fallen from his shoulders.


    [Tidal Convergence].


    The glow in Theron¡¯s eyes sharpened as three roars echoed around him. All three lunged, their fury filling their eyes and their white-gold Mana pouring out like liquid flames.


    Each one had mastered the Bronze Resonance aspects of [Luminescent Blade] to at least Adept after stepping into Silver Mancy. While they had yet to learn the Silver Resonance forms well enough to use in battle, this was more than enough.


    They were fast, their blades heavy, and their attacks sharp.


    Unfortunately, the death of their friend left a hole in their formation. Theron didn¡¯t hesitate to step out of it, his Water Mana pooling out of him.


    Suddenly, it felt like the humidity in the air skyrocketed, a stickiness accumulating onto the skin of the three remaining Silver Mancers.


    The blades missed Theron, and a large accumulation of Water Mana began to suffocate their ability to control their own energy. They reached out with their Third Eye, trying to grab more Mana from the air to suppress Theron, but before they could do something about the changes¡­


    Theron¡¯s body shifted into another pose, his tendons aching as they rubbed against the bend in his bones and the pull of his muscles. He forced himself into the second stance and suddenly, there was a strong ripple in the air.


    The effectiveness of [Tidal Convergence] skyrocketed as huge waves of Water Mana pooled over, swirling into a cyclone.


    But Theron pulled himself out of the second stance before his body internally combusted, his eyes flashing as he cast yet another spell.


    [Tidal Wave].


    WHOOSH!


    It felt as though the skies had opened up, a wave of water solidifying and descending from above.


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    It was like a river had suddenly plopped down, crushing its waves against the trees and pinning the three Silver Mancers beneath it.


    Theron appeared above the waves, stepping on them lightly, his eyes still flashing with a dense coldness. He wasn¡¯t done, he was far from done.


    His blade cut across the air, leaving gashes in the dense humidity that still hung.


    The First Resonance officer was pulled out of the water by a writhing [Water Wrap]. He tried to struggle, but it was futile, his neck practically presenting itself to Theron to cut open.


    Theron claimed his second kill.


    Oile and Tenn pulled themselves out of the water, avoiding the fate of being trapped by sending out large pulses of Mana from their Cores. But at this pace, it was impossible that they could keep such a thing up.


    Neither of them could fathom just how a Bronze Mancer could possibly produce enough Mana to form a tidal wave like this.


    There was no choice other than for them to go all out, but their skills had only half-formed when Theron cast two [Bursting Water Shields].


    It was too late for them to pull back, and their slashes reacted as though falling into the depths of the ocean, only for the shields to burst apart and send their Mana flying in all directions.


    Theron¡¯s steps had never slowed, crossing through the curtain of blasting waters. The blue coated his body, soaking him through and drenching him to the bone. And yet he only seemed more chilling, more focused, more deadly.


    All the two could seem to focus on were those orbs of ice he called eyes.


    [Water Scythe]


    The three-meter curved blade manifested from what felt like nothing, slicing at them.


    The two Second Resonance Silver Mancers blocked with all their might, but the heaviness of the scythe caught them off guard. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tenn roared, his Echo manifesting in black shadows as his body¡¯s speed seemed to accelerate. He rushed back to create more distance and limit the impact.


    Oile reacted in kind, a pair of illusory wings appearing on his back. While he couldn¡¯t fly, his speed, too, seemed to increase.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Theron realized now just how weak Echoes could truly be.


    BANG!


    The Water Scythe exploded, catching them off guard. They were struggling so much against its sturdiness that they could have never expected for such a thing to happen.


    They realized it was a trap immediately, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    [Water Wraps] lunged at them from the [Tidal Wave] below, [Water Bullets] naturally forming in the air and pelting at them from above, all before a large [Water Prison] formed out from the [Water Scythe], trying to swallow them.


    There was too much to handle at once, and their struggles were devoured by the churning sphere of water¡­


    Only for Theron to jump right through it, the water accelerating him forward until he drove both his blades through their chests.


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    BANG! BANG!


    Their backs landed on the heavily moistened ground, Theron looming above them on the balls of his feet, his dagger and short sword driven through each of their chests respectively.


    As the last of [Tidal Wave] rushed away, being soaked up by the soil and lashing out its last bursts against the ancient trees, they felt their lives slipping away.


    Somehow, the brightness of Theron¡¯s gaze seemed to overwhelm the moon that hung above his head.

 Chapter 140: Secrets

    Theron balanced on the balls of his feet, staying there for a while as he crouched down. Taking deep breaths, he slowly pulled himself out of Veinsong.


    The aches to his body came in waves.


    He got tired much faster today than before, and it was certainly related to his stint in the tower.


    It had already been over a week since then, and yet he still hadn¡¯t recovered completely.


    Normally, he would have been fine, but in order to end the battle, he had forcefully pulled out the first and second stances.


    He shook his head.


    Silver Mancers¡­ even the weaker ones had so many abilities to account for. Theron already had the strength to face off against them, but he didn¡¯t have the auxiliary skill.


    To match up to their Third Eyes alone, he had to put in so much more effort. It wasn¡¯t easy to keep the Immortal Jellyfish Echo active for an extended battle, and to trigger the Blue Pufferfish Echo at the same time was an even greater strain.


    But if he didn¡¯t do all of that, their sensory control over the atmosphere would have overwhelmed him.


    The situation would have been even worse had they pulled out their Echoes any earlier. Luckily, Theron was probably the only one who pulled out his Echo so easily.


    For most, it was a great drain so it was reserved as a trump card.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that it wasn¡¯t a great strain for Theron as well, but rather that he hadn¡¯t had a choice.


    Both times he had pulled it out early now, he had been facing off against Silver Mancers.


    Discover hidden stories at


    This time, he had taken advantage of their confidence to kill two of them before they could pull out their Echoes, but there was no guarantee he would be able to do that again.


    ¡¯This is just the qualitative difference between cultivation realms


    In Theron¡¯s views, these four had been the bottom of the barrel in terms of Silver Mancers, yet they pushed him so far.


    He pulled his blades back, their blood running smoothly down their edges as he stood to his full height.


    ¡¯The density of Water Mana I¡¯ve left here after [Tidal Convergence] and [Tidal Wave] is far too high. I¡¯m not sure I could clean up this battlefield even if I wanted to.¡¯


    Theron shook his head before pausing.


    ¡¯Hm, this might be useful. As for the Water Mana


    Theron stored the corpses away and then took a deep breath.


    His long black hair began to wave in the air, sparkling mist of pale violet, shallow pinks, and delicate baby blues rising.


    It would take someone with very strong senses to tell when Theron activated his Echo normally. His control extended to it, and most often, the physical forms of Echoes were just empty displays of strength.


    Oile¡¯s wings hadn¡¯t been real, nor had the shadows coming from Tenn been tangible.


    But there was another level one could reach once an Echo reached its peak.


    Unfortunately, Theron hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. Right now, the real reason his Echo was manifesting was because he had to focus on strength to do what he wanted right now¡­ Control was secondary.


    His mind flickered between the healing spells he had learned, and a strong suction force formed.


    Swirling cyclones of Water Mana were pulled from the surroundings, the dense moisture now coating the ground and the trees being sucked away.


    Like solar flares, the sparkling mist rose from Theron¡¯s fluttering hair, his hair itself looking like dancing silk threads.


    Several dozen minutes later, Theron opened his eyes and nodded his head.


    ¡¯It worked.¡¯


    The Immortal Jellyfish¡¯s Echo was just a Quasi Third Eye in effect. It was no wonder most thought it to be worthless. After all, if you were integrating an Echo, you were close to Silver Mancy anyway. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Theron wouldn¡¯t foolishly pivot just in exchange for such an Echo. He felt that there were other secrets to gain from the Immortal Jellyfish¡­ namely its ability to integrate with Water Mana and its control.


    Using its Echo, Theron became far more sensitive to Water Mana than usual. Then, because it was integrated with his body, he was able to pull at even these minor strands of Water Mana to replenish his Core and Meridians.


    Finally, he used [Aqua Resonance] to heal himself. Though the healing spell was still only at the Entry Boundary, Theron felt that the Immortal Jellyfish made it far more effective than usual, allowing its results to be the equivalent of the Proficient Boundary.


    ¡¯There are definitely more secrets to pull out from these Echoes. I think I made the right decision.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t lost on Theron that he was able to pick up on these secrets with far greater ease thanks to whatever hidden abilities were locked away in his body. But even if he wasn¡¯t aware of exactly what was going on, he would surely take advantage of it.


    He would pull out all the secrets from the Immortal Jellyfish and the Blue Pufferfish.


    ¡¯That and


    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed, his thoughts flickering to the runes on the back of the Black Limbo Tortoise shell.


    He hadn¡¯t had time to truly go through it, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten. In this time, though, he had seen through one thing.


    Those runes just might trigger interesting synergies with the Blue Pufferfish Echo.


    Taking one more look around the battlefield, Theron took a step and then vanished.


    It was barely a few seconds before a figure appeared where he had just been standing.


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    The figure was quite familiar¡­ she was none other than the very same woman Ruu had handed in her mission to.


    ¡¯Is that him? Hm she looked around. ¡¯Interesting. He didn¡¯t leave behind anything that could be used. A Ninth Resonance Bronze Mancer killing two First and two Second Resonance Silver Mancers¡­ a shocking feat, indeed. No wonder Gian is so protective of him.


    ¡¯Is this a True Chosen? Was that really the Immortal Jellyfish¡­?¡¯


    Her eyes narrowed before she vanished once more.

 Chapter 141: Teach

    Theron looked back as he dashed through the forest. He hadn¡¯t sensed anything, but according to his feel for the situation, the odds that someone would know what happened there were high.


    Unfortunately, his assumption was that it would certainly be the Patriarch.


    The reason he had been sure to clean up as much as he could was so that he didn¡¯t leave anything obvious behind. He didn¡¯t believe that a man like the Patriarch would be capable of controlling the hearts of these disciples with just raw kindness; there was definitely some manipulation going on.


    If he left behind obvious evidence, then at an opportune time, it could be turned back on him while the Patriarch got to keep his pristine image.


    What Theron didn¡¯t know was that the person who probably wanted to protect him the most in the world right now was the Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect. He wouldn¡¯t be scheming against Theron in this way.


    Of course, whether that was because of the kind and pure intentions in his heart was another matter entirely.


    Either way, at least this time, Theron¡¯s caution had saved him from being schemed against again. But it had placed yet another target on his back. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Stepping on a branch, Theron accelerated ahead once more.


    He was playing around with people whose strengths were far beyond his imagination. There was no way he would be able to account for everything. But¡­


    He could put himself in the best position to win nonetheless.


    **


    "After all this time you still don¡¯t have anything new to teach me, old man?" Theron grumbled.


    "Go learn the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s techniques since you like to philander about so much."


    Theron grinned. "Do you want me to teach you? I can do that."


    The old man scoffed. "If you could understand even an inkling of those texts, I would bow down and call you teacher."


    "I might not be able to read the others, but the one I received after clearing the tower? That¡¯s a different matter entirely."


    The old man froze for a moment, then looked up at Theron. Seeing the sneaky look in the runt¡¯s eyes, he almost blew his fuse.


    Theron was too smart to not understand just how important the information he had let slip was. Not only did it reveal where the ancient methods of the Sect came from, but it also revealed that those who claimed those rewards had advantages compared to others in using those Forbidden Spells.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that. The price will be quite high. All you¡¯ve done is teach me a couple methods I learned in three days. Clearly, they weren¡¯t that impressive."


    Theron was lying through his teeth. It was because of [Songful Blade] and [Blood Escape] that he was able to sense his ability to resonate his Water Mana with other paths.


    But that was also why he wanted to learn other methods.


    After this last week of going through the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s Forbidden Spells, he realized that what he was lacking most was foundation. There were too many things that he didn¡¯t understand, and it made it hard to deduce and fill in the gaps he was missing on his own.


    That was when he thought of a solution. Wasn¡¯t it time this old man be useful again?


    After a while, the old man shook his head.


    "I¡¯m old. The methods of the Luminescent Moon Sect have no meaning to me. Show me your [Songful Blade]."


    Experience tales with


    The old man waved a hand and a heavy stone appeared.


    Theron raised an eyebrow. "This is¡­"


    "Ebonstone. Cut it in half. If you can do that, I¡¯ll teach you something new."


    Theron frowned.


    Ebonstone was probably one of the most important strategic resources of the Nightingale Empire. It was a rare stone steeped in both Dark and Metal Mana. The Metal Mana alone made it sturdy, but the Dark Mana made it especially good at dispersing impact and withstanding even sharp blows.


    The entire Imperial Army was outfitted with Ebonstone Armor of various grades depending on their skill and usefulness to the Imperial Clan. They were certainly a nightmare for enemies to deal with.


    This piece was of the Low-Tier Silver Resonance, and it was a head taller than Theron himself, not to mention twice as wide.


    The width wouldn¡¯t normally matter since the old man only asked him to cut it in half, but this was Ebonstone. The larger the piece, the more Dark Mana there was in it, and the more surface area it had to disperse the impact.


    A piece of this size could only be split in two with the raw power of a High-Tier Silver Mancer. And that was without the refinement of a Soul Mancer blacksmith.


    Theron unsheathed his common short sword, looking down at its half dulled blade and shaking his head. This task felt impossible.


    "Tell me. If I cut this in two, what will you give me?"


    The old man sneered. "You need motivation?"


    "No. I¡¯m just deciding whether it¡¯s worth harming myself or not. If you¡¯re going to give me the same trash as the first time, I might as well not."


    There was a flash in the old man¡¯s eyes. Does Theron really think that he can cut it? Even though this Ebonstone wasn¡¯t refined, it wasn¡¯t something even normal Silver Mancers could cut.


    "¡­ If you can cut it, I will teach you [Songful Resonance]. It¡¯s a less acute version of [Songful Blade] and amplifies your entire body instead of gearing it up for a single strike."


    "Not enough."


    "Don¡¯t cut me off, brat. I¡¯ll also teach you [Soul Escape]."


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    A radiant light flashed in Theron¡¯s eyes, his aura changing. A dense swirl of Water Mana seemed to manifest around him, so thick they began to form streams of mist.


    Veinsong.


    Theron¡¯s skin suddenly began to redden, the echo of his heartbeat becoming so violent that it threatened to shatter his eardrums.


    The pupils of the old man trembled, but Theron had already moved.

 Chapter 142: Soul Escape

    Streams of vaporized blood came from Theron¡¯s eyes and ears, his veins bulging in size until they looked as though pythons were writhing beneath his skin.


    When his foot pressed down, the soil compressed by an entire half-foot. But the swirling concentration of Water Mana was so high that the earth that should have swallowed up his feet became a liquefied mesh that propelled him forward instead.


    BANG!


    The legs of Theron¡¯s pants ripped apart as though his quads had exploded with too much strength.


    Holding onto his short sword with two hands, Theron¡¯s body seemed to blink forward, streams of water wrapping around him in larger and larger tidal waves.


    And then they all vanished in the blink of an eye, being sapped into his pores, as though pooling into dried sand.


    SHIIIIIING!


    There was a heaviness that suddenly formed around his blade, a bright coating of blue blooming so bright that it swallowed up the sunlight itself.


    If not for his cultivation level, even the old man would have had to blink.


    CHI.


    Theron¡¯s body appeared on the other side of the Ebonstone, his heels grinding into the dirt and leaving large trenches before his knees buckled. He collapsed to the ground.


    His veins burst, blood leaking from his ears, nose, and eyes as he keeled over. Every part of him twitched, and yet it seemed like the Ebonstone was still standing tall¡­


    Or so it seemed from the old man¡¯s vantage point.


    Slowly, the old man stood, rounding his table and standing before the stone.


    There was a large trench formed, starting from where Theron had taken his ready stance to three dozen meters ahead, where he finally came to a grinding halt.


    And in the middle of that, split by the large trench, there were the two halves of the Ebonstone.


    The pupils of the old man trembled.


    ¡¯He¡­ used [Blood Escape] and [Songful Blade] at the same time. Then he used some odd method to increase the concentration of Water Mana in the air, before somehow concentrating it all into his blade with a heavy resonance


    Theron had layered so many abilities that as someone who wasn¡¯t a Water Mancer, the old man simply wasn¡¯t able to see through it all. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was right about Theron using both techniques the old man taught him. It made him a madman, but he had done it.


    Using [Blood Escape] when he first learned it would have already made him fast enough to escape from most Low-Tier Silver Mancers. Now, however, he was definitely fast enough to escape most Middle-Tier Silver Mancers.


    Rushing forward with the speed of a Fifth Silver Resonance cultivator with the body of a Bronze Mancer¡­ right toward an indestructible wall¡­


    That was begging for death.


    Not only was the boldness shocking, but the fact he had been able to activate both it and [Songful Blade] at the same time was enough to leave the old man floored.


    [Blood Escape] concentrated its power into the legs and lungs, pumping the body with oxygen while driving one¡¯s speed. It focused on fast-twitch muscles and only a single region of the body.


    By comparison, [Songful Blade], focused on far more robust muscle fibers, didn¡¯t include an oxygen-pumping method, and mostly concentrated its strength into the arms for a single swing.


    Being able to activate the two together practically meant that Theron could already cast [Songful Resonance].


    If Theron had done this alone, it would have been enough for the old man to have no words to speak. The rest, though¡­ somehow, he felt that it was even more impressive.


    And that it was, especially considering that Theron had used his Blue Pufferfish Resonance to increase the density of the edge of his blade.


    A Bronze Mancer¡­ not even at Quasi Silver¡­ capable of matching the raw power of a Seventh Resonance Silver Mancer¡­


    Even if it was just for one attack, even if Theron had nothing left to give and could be killed by even a mortal now¡­


    Just what sort of monster was this child?


    The old man took a breath and shook his head.


    "Idiot."


    If Theron had just left a nick, it would have been enough. All he had wanted to do was knock him down a peg. But¡­


    ¡¯The boy Raiden. He only cut halfway through at Quasi Silver


    The old man felt himself wavering slightly. It wasn¡¯t until Theron¡¯s coughing up blood caught his attention that he snapped out of it and threw the boy a High-Tier Silver Healing Pill.


    ...


    "Come back later. Your body is in no state to learn those techniques right now." Experience more on


    "But I can learn [Soul Escape], no? Don¡¯t try and shortchange me, old man."


    "[Soul Escape] isn¡¯t what you think it is."


    "It¡¯s just a method of using soul strength to amplify the body, right?"


    The old man opened his mouth to refute before pausing.


    Normally, when people heard that name, they would think it meant expelling the soul from the body and running away with it. Theron, though, seemed to have already grasped the truth.


    That was why the moment he heard it, he knew he had to learn it. This might be the missing piece he needed to grasp what was truly special about the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s methods.


    He knew that a real soul escape was impossible for anyone. The soul was too fragile. For the old man to bring out this method as a final shot at convincing Theron to give it a go, it obviously couldn¡¯t be so useless.


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    The answer was so obvious it wasn¡¯t worth even considering the other possibilities.


    "¡­ This method is even more dangerous than the other three. A drain on the body is far different from a drain to the soul. The latter you might never recover from without very special methods. If your soul is permanently weakened, everything from your intelligence to your Mana control will take a permanent hit.


    "Do you understand?"


    "I understand," Theron said, his eagerness still bleeding through.

 Chapter 143: I Swear

    "Congratulations," Theron said with a gentle smile. He sensed Malaya¡¯s breakthrough into Silver Mancy immediately.


    Honestly, it was a bit surprising.


    Malaya wasn¡¯t exactly young, being already 18 years old. Her progress to Silver Mancy couldn¡¯t be said to be slow, but it wasn¡¯t on the same level as exceptional geniuses either.


    However, the ease with which she entered Silver Mancy, so soon after gaining an Echo at that, told a different story.


    How long ago could she have entered? It made him wonder.


    Malaya blushed, lowering her head. "Thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to you¡­"


    Theron shook his head. "Some people have all the resources in the world and yet can¡¯t do anything with it."


    "Hey, hey! Is that a dig at me?"


    A laughter came from the distance.


    At that moment, the pair of newlyweds were seated on a bench at the Imperial Academy, a calm garden behind them and a relatively barren path before them.


    It was Sigil that approached from the distance.


    Theron smiled. "How could that be? Haven¡¯t you already entered the Fourth Silver Resonance now? If anything, you¡¯re the exact opposite."


    Sigil¡¯s gaze flickered. "Little brother¡¯s senses are as sharp as always. I¡¯ve heard that a good woman can bring out the best in a man, I see that that¡¯s truer than ever."


    Malaya gripped her dress at the folds of her thighs, wanting to find a hole to bury herself in. She really couldn¡¯t handle such praise at all.


    "Of course. My wife has only brought out the best in me."


    "I don¡¯t doubt it. You¡¯re the first I¡¯ve heard of a Bronze Mancer becoming a Chosen of a Sect."


    Malaya¡¯s ears perked up. This was clearly the first she had heard of this. She looked to Theron subconsciously as though to confirm, but the very same gentle smile was there as though he was indifferent to praise and criticism alike.


    It seemed that the Vermouth had hidden her brother¡¯s injuries from her.


    "Oh my, I¡¯m sorry for being the one to break the news. I¡¯m sure you wanted to show off to your wife a little bit," Sigil said with a laugh.


    "It¡¯s fine. Malaya isn¡¯t easily impressed by such things, I¡¯d much rather speak with her about the books we like."


    "A good woman, indeed. I¡¯m sorry, Miss Vermouth. I¡¯ll need to steal Theron for a little bit if you don¡¯t mind."


    "No no, of course," Malaya replied, a bit flustered.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring him back intact and full of stamina."


    It wasn¡¯t until they were long gone that Malaya seemed to register the double meaning in Sigil¡¯s words and she almost fainted from the steam building up in her skull.


    **


    Sigil clasped Theron¡¯s shoulders.


    "It seems you¡¯re enjoying married life. You came back from the Sect and went right to be with your woman, you didn¡¯t even remember your brothers."


    Theron chuckled. "Did the Dean want to speak with me? I just assumed that he would know what happened. I¡¯m sure the Thistles have more than enough eyes and ears in the Sect."


    "Don¡¯t be like that, you know I¡¯m not that type of person. If that was it, I would have just told you my old man sent me."


    "Sorry, sorry," Theron put his hands up as they walked into Sigil¡¯s dorm. Though, it was less of a dorm and more like a small chateau. "I guess I¡¯ve been steeped in politics for too long."


    "I don¡¯t blame you. Part of the reason I did come was because I had a talk with my father. Here."


    Something flew at Theron and he caught it.


    "This is¡­?" Theron¡¯s gaze flickered. The Verdant Bloomstone. "Did you ever figure out what it was?"


    Stay connected with


    "You don¡¯t know?" Sigil asked with a meaningful smile.


    "I can recognize Verdant Bloomstone, yes. I even tried to use the Fourth Year Botany Class to try and understand it. But a lot of the plants and herbs that make it up are beyond what I can even touch."


    Sigil was a bit taken aback by Theron¡¯s honesty, but eventually nodded. He recalled that Theron didn¡¯t even know what Imbued Resonance was, so it made sense he wouldn¡¯t be able to pick out all of these herbs by scent alone.


    "That¡¯s true." Sigil nodded. "This Verdant Bloomstone points out a location. More accurately, it points out a location within a Secret Realm. There should be a shocking deposit of Bloomstone at that location, and it will be invaluable to our future plans."


    "Our?" Theron asked with a raised eyebrow. "What? Did you finally work up the courage to ask for my hand as a retainer?"


    Sigil was stunned by Theron¡¯s joke for a minute. The Theron he knew was quite gentle and reserved, but after a while, he burst into laughter.


    "If you say it like that, you¡¯ll make Miss Vermouth very jealous."


    Theron smiled but didn¡¯t reply.


    "Honestly, Theron, I do not know if I can trust you. But if I hesitate any longer, it will be too late by the time I make a decision. A man needs to be decisive if he wants to grow as a leader. You¡¯ve proven yourself to be more than talented enough to be a retainer of mine¡ªin fact, your talent terrifies me a little bit.


    "But I don¡¯t want you as a retainer. I want you as a brother in arms. I will help you reach your goals, and you will help me reach mine.


    "What do you say?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sigil reached out a hand.


    Theron was a bit taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected this at all and wasn¡¯t sure how to react to the hand for a long while.


    His mouth parted slowly.


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    "Then¡­?"


    There was a strong light that radiated out from Sigil¡¯s eyes, a bronze aura radiating from him as waves of Wood Mana pooled into the surroundings.


    "Thank you for not taking my hand immediately, Theron. I can tell you that if you agree to this, once I become a Gold Mancer, I will strike the curse on you to ashes. This I swear on my Core."


    A rumbling filled the air.

 Chapter 144: Talent

    Theron looked at Sigil¡¯s hand for a long time.


    An oath taken on one¡¯s Core was heavy. It was the one Forbidden Spell that any cultivator could cast themselves.


    Sigil¡¯s request was unexpected¡­ the oath was even more so.


    Reaching forward, Theron took his hand.


    "Alright."


    Sigil grinned, his fingers tightening around Theron¡¯s hand.


    "Good! In that case, I look forward to hearing about our success."


    "You aren¡¯t coming?" Theron asked.


    Sigil sighed, shaking his head. "It¡¯s not something my father would allow. I¡¯m his only heir. This will be left up to you. I have a feeling, though, that when you return, you just might be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with me."


    There was a sincere grin on Sigil¡¯s face. He hadn¡¯t made his oath lightly.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve done my duty. If you survive this time, everything will change."


    "I will," Theron said calmly.


    There was a flicker in Sigil¡¯s eyes, and then he slowly nodded. After seeing the procession, it was hard for him to find the muster to doubt Theron.


    But something told him that though on the surface, only Bronze Mancers could enter¡­ the tides were shifting.


    If this tower was as important as it seemed, very soon, news of the secret realm being open to Silver Mancers as well would likely spread.


    Theron himself had already felt the oddity in the Patriarch¡¯s words, as though the latter was leaving a clue behind for him to figure it out himself.


    But regardless of what the challenge was, he didn¡¯t plan to lose his life. Not before his revenge was complete.


    ¡­


    Sigil watched Theron leave, exhaling a breath.


    There were certain talents that couldn¡¯t be controlled. It was either you killed them before they grew, or you became friends with them.


    His father had chosen to kill. But his father¡¯s methods were also the reason even in the midst of this chaos, he still had to be wary of his own uncles and cousins. It was why he had never been close to his own late brother.


    Sigil planned to take a different path for himself.


    The oath he had made today wasn¡¯t just a promise to Theron, it was an assertion that he would stand against a decision his father would likely try to make in the future.


    That came with a completely different weight to it.


    **


    Theron returned to Daggers of the Night several times over the course of the next two weeks. This time, it actually took him quite some time to learn these new techniques.


    [Soul Escape] wasn¡¯t nearly as intuitive. He couldn¡¯t even sense his own soul very clearly. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    Ironically, it was only thanks to the existence of the curses on him that he could feel it out.


    Of course, he knew where the soul was¡ªlocated at the center of the forehead. But knowing where something was, and intently feeling its existence were two different things. Even when he implanted the Soul Tie Jade into Kai, it was only by pressing it into the general location.


    Obviously, that had been good enough for then, but the same couldn¡¯t even remotely be said in this case.


    According to the old man, the soul decided more about the lifespan than the body alone did. A sliver of energy from the soul was worth hundreds of times the same density of Mana.


    If you could pull out this sliver, the explosion of power one could gain would be shocking. But if you took too much, there was no going back.


    By the same token, because it was so difficult to control, and because it was so energy dense, you had to constrain it well.


    Much like [Blood Escape], all of the energy was concentrated into fast-twitch muscles, mostly of the legs, though some energy radiated elsewhere.


    Theron had truly never felt so challenged before, not when it came to matters of control.


    But¡­ wasn¡¯t this exactly what he wanted?


    He was so enamored with mastering [Soul Escape] that he never tried to segue it into any other understandings. And yet, he didn¡¯t regret it in the slightest.


    ¡­


    The old man watched Theron leave, his eyes following him for much longer than maybe even the boy was aware.


    ¡¯Odd¡­ his progress has always been so fast. Why has his cultivation slowed so much?¡¯


    The excitement of Theron¡¯s progress seemed to be growing dull to him. Not dull as in it shocked him any less, but instead that he had grown used to it enough to begin to see some things more clearly once again.


    The odd and sudden slow crawl of Theron¡¯s cultivation gave him cause to pause. Was his rise not nearly as natural as it seemed? Had he maybe taken shortcuts?


    But that didn¡¯t make sense. Someone that had taken shortcuts wouldn¡¯t have nearly as much control over his strength as Theron did¡­


    In the end, was it really just a lack of talent? Was there no amount of comprehension abilities that could make up for raw talent?


    The old man looked down at his teacup and shook his head.


    There was a reason he had said that there were no geniuses beneath Gold Mancy.


    ¡¯Well, I guess there¡¯s no need to rush it. Let him keep proving himself. I¡¯ve already found my True Chosen anyway. If I get another, then good. If I don¡¯t, then I just wouldn¡¯t be the luckiest man alive.¡¯


    Raiden was still rough around the edges and hadn¡¯t been given the best resources; otherwise, he would have reached Gold Mancy long ago at just 16 years old.


    But the old man wanted him to struggle, to feel that hunger that could drive him forward. Only that way could he forge a true killer.


    As for Theron, if he really lacked the talent, then using him as a whetstone while Raiden was still so weak was good enough as well.


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    **


    Theron returned to the Luminescent Moon Sect, feeling that there was something off about its atmosphere immediately.


    ¡¯Right on time, it seems


    The Secret Realm would certainly be opening up soon. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he was called.

 Chapter 145: Can You Really?

    Theron could feel a tension in the air. As he moved, he listened to conversations from time to time. But it was difficult to pick up most when his presence was like a magnet.


    Every time he passed by a group, their conversations would lag, their gazes falling to him either subtly or not so subtly.


    By now, most in the Sect knew what his face looked like. Unlike Tenn, who hadn¡¯t been aware at the start, there wasn¡¯t a single soul that didn¡¯t know that he was the very same Theron who killed their number one ranked outer disciple.


    Yet, before they could even mourn that, he had suddenly leapfrogged over all of their heads, becoming the first Chosen.


    This blow was lessened considerably thanks to Thessa and Ironvale, but it wasn¡¯t something that they would easily get over nonetheless.


    At some point, Theron coincidentally ran into the young woman that helped him out on his first day, but she quickly looked away.


    Theron didn¡¯t blame her. It was only natural.


    If others found out that she was partly responsible for what happened, allowing him to know of the tower ahead of time, how would she react?


    ¡¯The Patriarch is quite clever Theron thought to himself.


    Ultimately, of Tenn¡¯s friends, he had only killed three of them. There were many more, many that had been there the day they appeared. And as cautious as Theron was about not letting information about his involvement in the law enforcement disciple¡¯s death leak, there were certainly other ways it could given this.


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    That said, this wasn¡¯t Theron¡¯s main concern right now. His involvement with the Outer Sect Elder on his recommendation letter was, though.


    Theron had only just had this thought when he felt the atmosphere shift again.


    His head calmly turned, only for him to find a group of law enforcement disciples making their way toward him.


    Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t had any time to do a deep dive on the disciples of the Sect. Outside of the Core Disciples, he was in the dark about most of the others.


    But much the same¡­ the greatest threats were also just those five. As for those beneath them, while there were many Theron couldn¡¯t defeat, there were none he feared.


    Especially not as a Chosen.


    There weren¡¯t a small number of them. It must have been a formation of eight, their singular pauldrons shimmering beneath the sunlight.


    Disciples surrounding the region split seamlessly to give them a path through.


    The group of eight came to a stop just three meters from Theron, just a single one of them taking a step forward and tossing two pairs of thick cuffs at him. One had a much longer chain between their links, so they must have been for his ankles.


    "Disciple Theron Galethunder, there¡¯ve been tips from several disciples that you have been involved in Elder Harlo¡¯s misdeeds. You will be detained for the time being as investigations are ongoing. This is to prevent you from running from your responsibility."


    Theron¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave the chains for a while. Then he looked up, blinking as though slightly confused.


    "Elder Harlo? Who¡¯s that?"


    The question stunned the young man.


    Baun was quite burly. His blades, compared to the others of the sect, were also much closer to great swords than the swift, thin swords disciples of their Sect tended to use.


    This was to say that surprise wasn¡¯t a usual expression for him at all.


    How could a person be so shameless?


    "Are you trying to say that you have no recollection of the Elder that recommended you? If you are found in contempt of judgment, or in obstruction of justice, you will be punished separately first before your other charges come down," Baun said coldly.


    "Other charges?" Theron blinked again. "Sounds like you¡¯ve already decided that I¡¯m guilty. Odd thing for a law enforcement disciple to say."


    Baun¡¯s gaze flickered, but he didn¡¯t reply. Or rather, he didn¡¯t get a chance to because Theron had already spoken again.


    "The old man I met never gave me his name, and my recommendation letter was sealed. I have no familiarity with him at all. I only knew him as someone who attempted to poach me from the Imperial Academy. When would I even have time to participate in his "misdeeds," whatever they are?"


    "Sealed¡ª?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, sealed. It wasn¡¯t me who opened up the letter, it was your people."


    Of course, that was a lie. But the ones that had done it were dead now. Who would confirm that?


    Though, it also didn¡¯t matter even if they could refute, because that wasn¡¯t what Theron was relying on.


    Baun¡¯s gaze flickered again, but he steeled himself. It didn¡¯t matter what Theron said today, they had enough to take him in.


    The treatment of disciples and elders were very different. Elder Harlo was being investigated, but he hadn¡¯t been detained yet. Theron, however, seemed to be about to suffer such a fate.


    Unfortunately, Baun was interrupted again.


    "Also, your lack of professionalism in accusing me of crimes you¡¯ve apparently yet to investigate aside... have you even read your Sect¡¯s handbook before?"


    Theron tilted his head to the side as though he was truly curious about the answer.


    Baun froze. What was that supposed to mean?


    "The Chosen of the Luminescent Moon Sect. Are you aware of where their seniority lies? No?"


    Theron¡¯s gaze swept over them all.


    "The voting power of a Chosen is the equivalent of a Core Elder and only beneath that of the Great Elders and the Patriarch. What possessed you to think that you had the right to detain me? You¡¯d have a better chance at detaining that Elder Harlo you mentioned than me."


    Theron kicked the chains back to Baun¡¯s feet.


    "If you¡¯re all upset because I killed your former number one ranked disciple, I¡¯d ask you all to consider what you would do if someone came to shed blood on your wedding day.


    "Am I not allowed to be confident in my abilities? Did I not prove myself properly?


    "I¡¯ve grown to have great respect for the camaraderie of the Luminescent Moon Sect, and I¡¯m willing to become one of you all and uphold the honor of our name. But do not make me look down on you.


    "If you want to test your meddle, my blade can take on anything at the First Silver Resonance and below. If you¡¯d like to challenge me, be upfront.


    "Use these petty tricks again, and next time I¡¯ll just abuse my Chosen Title to take your head like you seem to think you can abuse your law enforcement position."


    Baun¡¯s face turned a fierce shade of red, staring down at the chains as though they were the only things in the world.


    It wasn¡¯t just him, but several others looked away, finding themselves wondering why it was they were so mad.


    "Is that so?"


    A voice that could only be described as gruff echoed, a young man dressed in black robes strolling forth, an equally as black sword hovering to his back.


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    Ironvale.


    Theron looked over, raising an internal eyebrow. Why was this number one ranked Core Disciple here?


    No¡­ he too was now a Chosen.


    "I¡¯m very curious. Can you really fight someone at First Silver Resonance?"

 Chapter 146: Reckless

    Theron met Ironvale¡¯s gaze calmly.


    "I killed Beifong at Eighth Bronze Resonance. What do you think I can do now that I¡¯m at the Ninth?"


    Ironvale hardly seemed to react to this, but that didn¡¯t stop others from being shocked. This detail seemed to have slipped the minds of most.


    At the time, Beifong was already Quasi-Silver; he was just waiting for the perfect opportunity for a flawless breakthrough. By joining the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, he would have gained access to a wider range of Echoes to choose from. That was likely his main goal.


    With the capital of the stolen methods of the Luminescent Moon Sect, he would have had the leverage to demand something quite great as well.


    Though, thinking back, if the Patriarch could get his hands on something like the Black Limbo Tortoise, then what could he have not gotten for the sake of his foster son?


    It just went to show that even the youth wasn¡¯t free from his own father¡¯s schemes.


    But to Ironvale¡­ Explore stories at


    "The gap between Silver and Bronze is quite substantial."


    "Maybe to you," Theron replied.


    For the first time, Ironvale smiled.


    "Indeed. To me it is." Ironvale looked off to the side, sweeping a gaze over the crowd before he landed on a particular youth. "Caelan, are you willing to fight?"


    An inner disciple was startled. First, he was stunned that his hero was talking to him, and second¡­ how did Ironvale even know his name?


    "Ah¡­ yes, yes, yes!" By the third "yes," his voice seemed to have regained its firmness.


    Theron raised an internal eyebrow. Interesting.¡¯


    "I won¡¯t offer to suppress my cultivation as I don¡¯t think that would be very fair. Why don¡¯t you fight one of our best First Silver Resonance disciples instead?"


    Caelan blushed almost as though he was a young maiden. He really couldn¡¯t take this sort of praise from Ironvale of all people.


    "It makes no difference to me," Theron said calmly.


    Theron¡¯s words seemed to focus Caelan. No matter what¡­ he couldn¡¯t lose.


    ¡­


    Soon, the two young men stood across from one another. Caelan wasn¡¯t too old, probably around 15 years old. The gap between him and Theron was probably half a year at most.


    Caelan, though, had a much taller build. He must have been at least six feet tall already, while Theron was still 5¡¯6" or so. The difference in stature was great, and the gap in power seemed greater.


    With a smooth motion, Caelan unsheathed his sword, his bronzed skin flickering beneath the sunlight almost as much as its polished surface. His grip tightened only the slightest bit before it loosened so much it seemed his blade might fall from his hands.


    In that moment, he had forgotten about everything.


    All the praise, all the gazes, he forgot it all. There was only the blade in his palm and the enemy before him.


    There was an echo of a gong and the two moved at once.


    Theron dashed forward, his steps light.


    Just when it seemed he would complete an exchange without unsheathing his weapons, the sound of blades sharpening lagged behind the swiftness of his movements.


    His dagger slashed toward a blind spot, his short sword moving to meet Caelan¡¯s.


    Caelan¡¯s forefoot glided along the ground, his knees sturdy beneath the strain, his muscles flexing. He came to an abrupt and controlled stop, his blade shifting from a straightforward thrust to a violent swipe upward.


    Lights of gold streaked up, clashing against Theron¡¯s short sword.


    Theron¡¯s vision was blinded by the arc of the sword, and the strong attack against his sword almost sent it flying out of his palm. There was no doubt that Caelan¡¯s raw power, even in a sudden change of attack, was something else.


    And, because he came to such an abrupt stop, Theron¡¯s dagger hit nothing but air.


    Suddenly, Theron was swiping at nothing and his sword arm had been knocked up, leaving his chest completely open to attack.


    Caelan¡¯s foot came strong and fast, colliding against Theron¡¯s torso.


    BANG!


    Theron flew back, his body twisting in the air to land on his feet. The grip he had on his blades only tightened, his eyes flashing with the glow of a quickly forming spell.


    But he had only completed half of its circulation when Caelan appeared.


    Fast.


    Faster than fast, even.


    It was as though he had become a streak of white-gold, his body wrapped in a glow that could have only been [Moonlit Skin]. There was no need to cast such a defensive method right now, and yet he had.


    He wanted a strong and decisive victory.


    Theron hurried to block, the cross of his blade barely stopping the tip of Caelan¡¯s sword.


    Chi.


    The sound of his dagger cracking resonated like thunder in Theron¡¯s ears.


    He reacted quickly, pulling his arm up and using the notch Caelan¡¯s sword was cut in to forcefully send it over his shoulder before his dagger completely gave way.


    A sharp pain ran through his shoulder. He had succeeded, but not enough to completely avoid injury.


    And now, Caelan was suddenly so close he didn¡¯t even have an angle to thrust his short sword. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    BANG!


    A body coated in [Moonlit Skin] slammed against Theron¡¯s.


    The echo of bones snapping was only less obvious than the streak of blood that came from Theron¡¯s lips. The arc of scarlet was almost blinding with so much red gold as a backdrop.


    Theron landed on the ground heavily, his body aching.


    He tried to stand, but a blade had appeared above him, hovering before his throat.


    Theron looked at the blade for a while before nodding.


    "I yield. You are very strong."


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    Caelan blinked, seemingly snapping out of his hyper-focused state. He hurriedly pulled back his sword as though a bit flustered and not wanting to hurt Theron. But then he remembered who Theron was and felt conflicted.


    "I¡­ don¡¯t say such reckless things anymore," he eventually said.


    After that, he sheathed his sword and turned to leave.


    The cheers of the disciples of the Sect acted as his backdrop.

 Chapter 147: Again

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    Theron coughed up another mouthful of blood and slowly stood to his feet. His expression was calm.


    Many were probably looking to see a fierce reaction, but at that moment, in the face of a loss, he didn¡¯t look much different than Ironvale would have. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calm and unhurried, he moved to leave, only to find that Ironvale had taken a step toward him again.


    "You aren¡¯t bad," the new Chosen complimented.


    "Not bad? I guess maybe that¡¯s true, just not true enough," Theron replied.


    "The Imperial Academy is not like the Sects. All we do here is breathe battle. Even your military stream doesn¡¯t know what that means just yet, not until they step onto a real battlefield. Caelan¡¯s method of victory was a bit direct, but that is also how things will work in real life.


    "You have a lot of potential and are worthy of your arrogance. It seems that today won¡¯t set you back very much. I expect that you will be much stronger when I see you next."


    Theron didn¡¯t reply, simply nodding then stepping around Ironvale.


    Under the scrutiny of countless, he disappeared into the distance.


    For some reason, the disciples found it difficult to celebrate as they were before.


    "Losing is part of cultivation. Learn to embrace it," Ironvale said calmly to the crowd. "Take every loss as a learning opportunity and you¡¯ll carve yourself into a truly precious stone."


    The crowd of disciples began to murmur to themselves before their eyes blazed with a bright light. Even Caelan seemed to have been fired up once again. After having to try so hard to beat someone at the Ninth Bronze Resonance, he knew that he had much more room to grow.


    **


    Theron didn¡¯t have to fake his indifference. He well and truly didn¡¯t care. Plus, he also hadn¡¯t faked his loss, not this time. Though, maybe he had held back some other methods he could have used.


    He had been practicing the new methods the old man had taught him relentlessly for the last several weeks. While he looked fine on the surface, his body was filled with micro-tears, even down to his Meridians.


    Usually, he would have healed himself long ago, but this time he chose not to on purpose because he had guessed that something like this would happen.


    As great as his control and acting skills were, it was impossible to leave no flaws at all while losing on purpose. The only way that it would be perfect was by, well¡­ losing.


    At that point, all Theron had to do was to control any outward signs of pain he might have had and leave his body to do the rest. And that¡­ that had always been easy for him.


    He had been through worse.


    There were three main reasons he had done this along with several other miscellaneous ones.


    The first and most obvious was the death of the three law enforcement disciples. But quite frankly¡­ this was only a small piece of the puzzle.


    The second and more important reason was that he couldn¡¯t go around being hated by everyone and anything in the Sect. Not only was it an annoyance, but it could actually end up costing him his life if the right person decided to throw caution to the wind.


    Now, the odds of that were significantly reduced, not only because anyone who did act against him would be likely to be weaker, but also because their reasons for hating him so much had been mitigated greatly today.


    Those that still bore a grudge had seen him lose, and those with a softer stance from the start would grow to respect him more for how he had taken this loss.


    Of course, he could have waited to return and then won, but that would have only pushed those with a grudge over the hill, while his arrogance wouldn¡¯t be taken well by those who would be unlikely to try and directly harm him.


    The third and final reason¡­ was of course the upcoming Secret Realm.


    That little show wasn¡¯t just for the sake of Ironvale and the other cards, but those that would be entering the Secret Realm with him as well.


    If he was correct and the Bronze Resonance limit was more so a facade than anything else, then he would certainly have enemies in there that he would need to be wary of.


    When the time came, he would just have to give them a surprise.


    ¡­


    Theron returned to his Chosen abode and spent the next week in full recovery. He didn¡¯t train anything but his mind, reading through the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s Forbidden Spells and studying the Verdant Bloomstone. In that span, he even found time to take a look at the Black Limbo Tortoise Shell.


    In terms of the latter of the three, he didn¡¯t make much progress. The runes he was seeing on its shell were very different from the ones he was used to.


    But that alone was its own fascination to him. It allowed him to reach the interesting conclusion that spells, cultivation methods, and the like, all varied by region.


    Maybe two different regions might have the same spells, but reach their "conclusion" in vastly different ways. All of that would be dependent on their environment, the beasts around them, and the Imbued Resonances they could form.


    That said, Theron found that his decision to choose two such fundamental creatures of Water Mancy to form his Echoes only helped him.


    Because they were the foundation upon which all others branched from¡­ there were roots to be found in these Black Limbo Runes. And through these roots, Theron could decipher the rest.


    Slowly, a picture began to unfurl, one of defense, heft, and gravity¡ªnot in a literal sense¡­ but in the sense of density.


    ¡¯Fascinating¡­ if I can manipulate my Water Mana in this way, how much more efficient would the density abilities of the Blue Pufferfish be?¡¯


    Theron lost himself in this world as he allowed his body to recover.


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    And then, midway through the third week, he finally got a call from a not-so-unexpected place. The former fifth, now fourth-ranked Core Disciple, Jodie Sine.


    What was interesting, though, was who was present at that meeting. Because the future husband-wife pair, and new second and third-ranked Core Disciples, were also present.


    It seemed that Dean Thistles¡¯ methods weren¡¯t bad at all. Of the five Core Disciples¡­ he actually controlled four of them.


    But after seeing Ironvale¡¯s influence on the disciples of the Sect¡­ something told Theron that the Dean had been outplayed once again.

 Chapter 148: Meeting

    Theron felt that the atmosphere was a bit weird.


    Logically speaking, he was the Chosen, and if there was anyone here who should call a meeting, it was him. Plus, calling this meeting in the Sect itself was another oddity¡ªwas this supposed to display the boldness of the Thistles?


    They still dared to do this even after Aeryn had gone down?


    All three of them were in the high tier of Silver Resonance, but Jodie was only at the Seventh, and of the betrothed, only Dorian was at the Eighth.


    Theron wasn¡¯t 100% certain, but Ironvale felt like he was already at the Ninth, and he was clearly the superior talent. It just felt silly to have any sort of confidence at all. Even if the three worked together, it would be useless.


    But¡­ this only made Theron more wary.


    Thessa herself was certainly planning something. But if all the Core Disciples were under the control of the Thistles, what chance did she stand? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By the same token, there was no way that the Nightingales had sent her here to die.


    His thoughts couldn¡¯t help but drift to Sadie. Who was to say that she only had two identities? What if she had a third shadow? Or a fourth?


    He had no idea how many she could have. But what he did know was that if the Nightingales were willing to throw their princess into a dangerous hell-scape like Daggers of the Night, the Sect seemed like a joke by comparison.


    Was he overestimating the strength Sadie had at just 12 or 13 years old?


    Maybe¡­


    But if he was honest with himself, his one fear was that he wasn¡¯t giving her enough credit.


    A 12-year-old Silver Mancer was already ridiculous. What if she was even stronger than just the low tier?


    All of these thoughts flashed in Theron¡¯s mind instantaneously as he stood before the three seated Core Disciples. None of the three seemed to have any intention of offering him a place to sit, but just the same, he stood in place.


    These three weren¡¯t existences he could take on right now, at least not head-on, certainly not without rain, and especially not all three at once.


    His persona when he faced off against the powerhouses like the old man and Dean Thistle only existed so that they could feel he had weaknesses to take advantage of. The gap between them was so large that this was the only small advantage that Theron could find.


    But in this case, the minds of youth wouldn¡¯t be nearly as meticulous. If Theron was arrogant in front of them, it would just piss them off more and make it more likely for them to stab him in the back or try to kill him.


    Were the odds of that high? Unlikely.


    But what if they weren¡¯t taking direct action but instead sitting on their hands? In a place like the Secret Realm, the odds of such a thing happening were high.


    So, Theron, who didn¡¯t care much about their disrespect to begin with, most definitely didn¡¯t have an outward showing of such a thing either.


    "Greetings, senior brothers and sister. Might I ask why you¡¯ve called me here today?"


    The three blinked, seemingly not expecting Theron¡¯s response. Usually, those like Theron were exceptionally arrogant, and that was disregarding the fact the persona that Theron had been building up all this time.


    Hadn¡¯t he been the one who arrogantly challenged anyone beneath Silver Mancy?


    That was when they "understood." Since Theron was a pawn of the Thistles, it was only natural that he do things he wouldn¡¯t normally do otherwise for the sake of appeasing them.


    Theron could see the three of them visibly relax upon reaching this conclusion, and their mannerisms changed.


    "Come, come," Vaeiliana said with a bright smile that belied her chiseled shoulders. "Sit next to big sis, we have a lot to discuss."


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    Theron blinked, as though confused by the change in reception. It wasn¡¯t until Vaeilina hurriedly stood and pulled him over that he ended up sitting down as he was asked.


    After suffering some ruffling of his hair, they finally got down to business.


    "¡ªThe news has come down," Dorian said calmly, his voice deep and resonating, almost magnetic in a way, "the Secret Realm will open in three days¡¯ time, but there¡¯s been a change. Ironvale went to test the gate, and it seems that he was able to enter. At first, it seemed like he would be the only one, but after he succeeded, the Secret Realm seemed to become far less resistant to Silver Mancers, but only by a small extent."


    Theron¡¯s head tilted in confusion. "Do you mind clarifying what you mean for me, senior brother?"


    "Yes, the gate has allowed Silver Mancers to enter, but all those but Ironvale will have to suffer a suppression. By the calculations, it might be as much as a minor tier."


    Theron¡¯s brows raised.


    A minor tier was a big deal; that was three stages of Resonance. That meant that Dorian would fall to Fifth Resonance once he entered, while Jodie and Vaeilina would fall to Fourth.


    By comparison, Ironvale would still be at Ninth Resonance.


    The Patriarch almost certainly knew of this,¡¯ Theron concluded. ¡¯No wonder he doesn¡¯t feel the need to gather anyone else. And even then


    Like Theron had said, Ironvale¡¯s influence was too high. Depending on the number cap for entry, it could be an entire army of elites versus just the few of them.


    That was practically a death sentence.


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    "Do we¡­ have an entry limit yet?" Theron asked.


    "As far as we¡¯ve seen, those that can enter under a suppression are limited. We three are the only ones with great certainty. The inner disciples will in all likelihood be limited to maybe the one or two best at every Silver Resonance tier."


    "I see¡­ I understand." Theron nodded. "Is there anything you need me to do?"


    Dorian slowly shook his head. "We only really called you here to ask you to hand over the Verdant Bloomstone. Your use will be limited in the Secret Realm, and we can¡¯t have you losing it to someone else."

 Chapter 149: Help

    "¡­ Take on this challenge well, young ones. For those of you that don¡¯t succeed in entering today, use it as fuel for your future endeavors. As for those of you that do, know that this is only the first step.


    "The Luminescent Moon Realm has not chosen to open its doors to this extent for many generations. The Realm that you are all familiar with is only a small piece. But today¡­ you will have a chance to see it all!"


    An old man with a billowing, long white beard stood on a high platform. Off to the side, acting as a larger centerpiece than the expert himself, there was a pair of overarching pillars that curved like the tops of a gate, but had no doors to speak of.


    Instead, Mana sparked and danced within it like bolts of multi-colored lightning. It looked as though something was about to ignite, edging closer to doing so, but wasn¡¯t quite there just yet.


    And then it did as the last of the old man¡¯s words fell.


    This wasn¡¯t just any old man, he was maybe the strongest of the Grand Elders, the head of the law enforcement disciples, Grand Elder Acer.


    Today, the Patriarch didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of showing himself, but maybe that was because he didn¡¯t want to treat this opening as any more special than the others even though it very clearly was.


    As the last sparks of Mana within the gate suddenly fused into one, there was the booming echo and a trembling of the earth before it all solidified.


    A gate of white-gold Mana took shape, filling in the gaps in the archway.


    "Chosen! Step forward!"


    Theron, who was standing amidst the crowd, took a step forward. He wasn¡¯t too surprised by this. This was obviously the easiest way to allow Ironvale to enter first and gain an advantage.


    He looked to the side and saw Thessa was looking at him as well. This was the first time they had seen each other since the battle, yet there was a particular coldness that seeped out of Theron¡¯s eyes when he saw her that he wasn¡¯t quite able to control.


    Thessa felt the cold shiver, yet she maintained eye contact nonetheless until Ironvale¡¯s side profile blocked both of their lines of sight. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good luck to the two of you," he said calmly before rushing ahead.


    Theron took a step after him, and Thessa followed suit.


    Unlike the others, they wouldn¡¯t suffer any sort of suppression, but as Theron entered, he sensed the fluctuation in Thessa¡¯s aura as she was scanned.


    ¡¯She broke through.¡¯


    It was a calm assessment of the reality. She had been Quasi-Silver. Now she was Silver. But¡­


    What difference did it make?


    **


    Theron¡¯s world spun around him, and when he appeared again, he found himself in an odd, rocky plain.


    He had read through the ancient text that the Sect had on this Secret Realm, but much like their Forbidden Spells, much of that information had been lost.


    Though, he had good reason to believe that the Patriarch was hiding most of those things. Theron didn¡¯t believe it was a coincidence that things worked out so perfectly for Ironvale just by chance.


    Plus, because he entered first, he now had no idea how many disciples would succeed in breaking through the barrier either. So he wasn¡¯t even sure how many enemies he was dealing with.


    The only saving grace was that they had been randomly teleported, so he should be alone now unless he was exceptionally unlucky.


    ¡¯The main goal right now is to find a way to get my hands on the Verdant Bloomstone again. But¡­ I do know enough to find the location on my own. Something just tells me that won¡¯t be enough.¡¯


    What the others didn¡¯t know was that the odd Echo Pill that came with the Verdant Bloomstone was still in Theron¡¯s possession. Something also told him that it wasn¡¯t a worthless piece of the puzzle either.


    Theron never assumed his plans would go perfectly. This time, things almost did. But even so¡­ would he be unprepared?


    He looked up into the skies calmly. ¡¯What a nice coincidence.¡¯


    A droplet of rain fell onto his cheek. He sighed, allowing the calming feeling to wash over him.


    While he was super focused on the secrets of the Verdant Bloomstone, this wasn¡¯t the main target of those that entered the Secret Realm in general.


    There were normally two targets: the beasts and the jade.


    The attraction of this Secret Realm was that it was akin to a transportation back in time. Many of the things here had either gone extinct, or over long periods of time, had mutated in unexpected ways.


    The beasts were one such example. Their Beast Cores were exceptionally valuable and the Sect paid a tidy sum for them. In addition, many disciples had found themselves uniquely compatible Echoes here.


    According to what Theron had read, he had deduced that there might even be Manaborn Mana Beasts here, something that couldn¡¯t even be found near a major city like Thistle Brook.


    Of course, running into such a beast might not be so great given how powerful they were, but it was something to keep in mind nonetheless.


    As for the jade, it spoke for itself. If one wanted to practice the Forbidden Spells of the Luminescent Moon Sect, the jades were a necessity. Theron had learned that the hard way.


    Theron flipped open his palm, two Bloomstone pieces appearing. The Patriarch had finally ended up giving him two. With these, he would be able to practice the full routine for two days in a row without worrying about significant injury.


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    But¡­ he felt like he needed ten times more than this before he could breakthrough into Silver Mancy.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯


    Theron¡¯s head turned. As the rain began to accelerate into a low drizzle, the range of his senses also expanded. He sensed the fluctuation of someone being teleported in his region. They were about half a kilometer away.


    ¡¯And powerful too¡­ interesting.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t just the power that caught Theron¡¯s attention, or just the appearance alone, but something else.


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    This person¡¯s aura was very familiar, but he didn¡¯t know of them.


    ¡¯Unique cultivation method.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes flashed, one deduction after another coming to mind.


    ¡¯Thessa¡¯s help is coming from her Firewing Empire, and this must be one of them.¡¯

 Chapter 150: Low

    Low stood in silence for a while, taking in his surroundings. His tongue couldn¡¯t help but click when he sensed the first few droplets of rain.


    ¡¯What an annoyance,¡¯ he thought.


    With a subtle pulse of Mana, his usual perpetual Mana skin was amplified an extra bit.


    Usually, those who were combat veterans would almost always have a protective layer of Mana over them. Some did this for raw defense, others did it to detect subterfuge with greater ease, but regardless, it wasn¡¯t usually enough to not be bothered by the rain.


    This was because it was limited to the skin, whereas a rain barrier would need to cover the clothes and hair as well. The gap in Mana usage wasn¡¯t huge, so it was still worthwhile for the majority.


    Clearly, Low fell into this demographic.


    Krr.


    The snapping of a twig caught Low¡¯s attention, and he looked back. He didn¡¯t see anyone immediately, and he somewhat wondered how incompetent someone had to be to step on a twig of all things in this barren landscape.


    ¡¯Maybe it wasn¡¯t a twig and just a rock or something.¡¯ There were tons of those around, at least. The difference didn¡¯t seem to matter.


    "Is someone there?" a voice came.


    There was a flicker in Low¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t be so lucky, right? To run into one of their targets so easily?


    How could he not recognize Theron¡¯s voice?


    Low didn¡¯t reply, his steps flickering.


    This land was barren, but there were large collections of rocks everywhere, and the few sparse and half-dead trees here and there. There was plenty of cover in this region.


    Unlike this idiot, he didn¡¯t plan on making such a rookie mistake.


    ¡­


    Theron shook his head when he didn¡¯t receive a reply. Honestly, he had thought about seeing what he could get out of this young man without killing him first, but it seemed that Theron was on a kill list.


    In a way, the fact Low was already emitting killing intent was its own form of information.


    But it was also odd.


    After the prince let him go so easily, Theron was fairly certain that the Nightingale Clan had decided to use him for their purposes, much like the Thistles had¡­ and much like the Patriarch and the old man were.


    Thinking through it all, he was somehow caught between what seemed like four factions, each one of which had its own goals.


    This aside, the fact that he was being targeted for death now was¡­ interesting.


    ¡¯It seems that the alliance between the Firewing and Nightingale Clans isn¡¯t so solid. Either that, or the Nightingales are hiding things from the Firewing, which is only natural. This can be used as well.¡¯


    Theron calmly added this to his rolodex as Low appeared to his back.


    Even until now, he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the man at all, and Low hadn¡¯t brought out his Mana, trying to remain covert until the very last moment.


    ¡¯Their mission must be quite important to them, taking even a Bronze Mancer like me so seriously.¡¯


    Chi.


    Low¡¯s Mana flared, his sword passing right through Theron¡¯s body and¡­ hitting nothing. Continue your adventure at


    Stunned, Low¡¯s Third Eye activated.


    Third Eye was excellent, but only when it was actually activated. The trouble was that others could sense it if a Third Eye locked onto them or passed over them.


    Out of an abundance of caution, Low didn¡¯t use his. And of course, Theron had sensed this and taken advantage. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Touch of Mirage].


    CLANG!


    Low reacted quickly, blocking a dagger that was just about to separate his calf from his thigh.


    Theron was a bit surprised that he reacted so quickly. Low was at the Third Resonance now, which meant he was probably at least Sixth Resonance before the suppression. Knowing he was faster than himself, Theron had aimed for the Firewing¡¯s leg instead of the neck.


    It was an awkward angle and it would force Low¡¯s sword to travel a much further distance. Yet, the Firewing had still managed to block.


    ¡¯Silver Mancers are, indeed, strong¡­ especially when they¡¯re veterans of battle like this one. Unfortunately, it still isn¡¯t enough.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes almost glazed over, slipping into Veinsong. His second blade accelerated, water wrapping around him akin to the swaddle of a newborn.


    It caressed the edges of his sword and dagger as though it couldn¡¯t sense his lethal intent at all. Like a mother that closed her eyes to the fault of her child, the rain lovingly gazed upon Theron nonetheless.


    Low hurried to make some distance, but his blocking angle was awkward and placed so much pressure on the knee he had just saved from decapitation that his legs buckled, slowing his retreat.


    Leaning back, he blocked the short sword coming for his neck, only for a dagger to stab at his chest.


    One attack flowed into the next, a relentless barrage like water broken free from a dam.


    And yet the strikes almost seemed gentle. Not once did Low feel as though he was about to lose grip of his weapon, nor did he feel like he might fall over.


    He snorted on the inside. In the end, Theron was still a Bronze Mancer, the gap was too big. Plus, they had all seen him lose to Caelan. All Low needed to do was regain his footing and then¡ª.


    DENG.


    CHI.


    Theron¡¯s short sword suddenly accelerated, a heaviness falling like a meteor from above.


    Low¡¯s sword flew out of his hand, a foot sweeping at his calf and sending him flying in a spin through the air.


    The last thing he saw as he fell parallel to the ground, still spinning as though he would land heavily on his neck, was a dagger that descended from above.


    It was beautiful, no less as fluid as the others.


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    And then it resonated like a blade, its tip extending and piercing right through his neck.


    BANG!


    Low sputtered out a breath, trying to breathe and only expelling blood instead.


    He died with his eyes wide in disbelief.

 Chapter 151: Manifestation

    Theron shook his head. He wasn¡¯t very happy with his performance.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t like how much he had to rely on Veinsong to begin with. But unfortunately, his bloodline¡ªif it even was that¡ªdidn¡¯t seem to want to listen to him unless he was in that state.


    He was even more unhappy, though, that he hadn¡¯t been able to keep Low alive. The Firewing was too dangerous.


    The dead man was certainly right about one thing, and that was if Theron had allowed him to regain his bearings, it would have become a much more difficult fight.


    The main issue was that Low wasn¡¯t a Third Silver Resonance Mancer, he was a Sixth. His cultivation might be suppressed, but his Mana control, his technique comprehensions, and even his body were far beyond what his cultivation said it was at.


    Theron was confident in winning even if the man did regain his bearings, but he wasn¡¯t willing to take such risks, not right now, and especially not if there just might be other clues on Low¡¯s body that he could make use of.


    Thinking to this point, Theron began to pat Low¡¯s body down.


    At first, he didn¡¯t find anything of interest.


    He double-checked Low¡¯s soul in case there was a Soul Tie Jade he had to be worried about, but luckily there was nothing of the sort.


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    That was when he finally found it.


    ¡¯Hm¡­? This flame? No, this isn¡¯t a flame, at least not one he controls


    Theron thought for a long while before it clicked.


    ¡¯This must be their method of finding one another. This should be a piece of Thessa¡¯s contracted Fire Soul. When they¡¯re close, they should be able to sense one another


    Theron¡¯s frown deepened. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could use this.


    He had no affinity for fire, and the main body of the flame was with Thessa. While she could sense things properly, that didn¡¯t work in reverse unless Theron was an especially skilled Spirit Mancer.


    Even if he was, the lack of fire affinity would be a tall obstacle to clear.


    ¡¯Maybe I can use it that way¡­ but it would need very special circumstances. Hm


    The idea Theron had could work, but it needed to be implemented swiftly to have the highest odds of functioning.


    ¡¯Not necessarily¡­ if I¡¯m correct, she should only be able to sense them when she enters a certain range. If I¡¯m unlucky, then she might have already sensed this flame and will get suspicious instead, but the odds of that are impossibly low


    Thinking to this point, Theron wrapped the crystal with his Water Mana and put it into a pocket.


    Water restrained fire. If there was any Mana in the world that could hinder Thessa from sensing her flame, it was Theron¡¯s. But¡­


    ¡¯This isn¡¯t enough


    Theron could still feel the strong flame, and he knew that this was because it had life. It wasn¡¯t normal fire, but rather almost like a Mana of Life itself.


    ¡¯Fire Spirit


    Theron had always been curious why it was that Fire Spirits were so much more common than those of other elementals.


    He had heard of Thunder Spirits before, but they probably cost a thousand times as much as a Fire Spirit. As for Spirits of other sorts, they basically didn¡¯t exist, or were so rare they functionally didn¡¯t.


    ¡¯Maybe if


    Theron¡¯s mind drifted to the Black Limbo Tortoise again. He had never tried to apply those runes, just putting all of his effort into studying and comprehending them. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable trying something until he fully grasped it unless the situation was dire. But¡­


    ¡¯I only need a piece of it, and it¡¯s for an external item. Let¡¯s try.¡¯


    Theron took a breath and exhaled. Then, he closed his eyes.


    It was a good thing that it was raining. He had a feeling that this would bolster his chances of success substantially.


    There were three parts to casting a spell. The first was Quantization, the second was Circulation, and the last was Manifestation.


    Quantization was just a fancy scientific term Mana Scientists came up with to describe the process of pulling out Mana from the Core. The Core was solid, but Mana was not. Quite a number of Mancers were unable to truly master this step.


    Circulation was the process of priming the Mana by passing it through the Meridians. Specific circulation patterns corresponded to specific spells, while certain Mancer paths tended to use and reuse many of the same patterns across various techniques.


    Finally, there was Manifestation. Often, this was where runes came into play. At this point, the Mana had been properly primed and understood the general gist of what it was supposed to do, but it wouldn¡¯t be able to execute on this without special markers known as runes. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This came from the caster¡¯s soul, and it was like a final kiss goodbye to the Mana one had just circulated.


    After being formed into these runes, the Mana in one¡¯s body had everything it needed to communicate with the atmospheric Mana around it to form the end result of a technique or spell.


    Ultimately, though, it could be said that Manifestation was the most important step of them all. The trouble was if the Mana wasn¡¯t primed properly through the second step, or you pulled too much or too little during the first, it could very well still fail.


    Therein lied the problem with what Theron was trying to do. He had the runes needed for Manifestation here, but he didn¡¯t have the Black Limbo Tortoise¡¯s Echo.


    An Echo was so powerful because all three steps were managed for you. But now, Theron was just staring at the last step without having any feel for the first two.


    And yet¡­


    ¡¯Success.¡¯


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    Theron knew he had succeeded when he was halfway through. One of the simplest runes on the Black Limbo Tortoise¡¯s shell was etched onto the small shield of water around the crystal. Finally, the aura of the flame was completely snuffed out.


    A breath slowly came from Theron¡¯s lips, but he had only just calmed himself when his Mana circulated all on its own in his body.


    Taken aback, Theron quickly turned his senses inward, only to watch the simple rune carve itself into his Bronze Core.


    What is happening?¡¯

 Chapter 152: Gamble [Top 10 in GT Bonus]

    Theron could hardly complete the thought when he felt his Core compress¡­ again.


    His lip twitched. There was no way that this was happening.


    He had only just finally gotten to a place where he might be able to see a breakthrough into Silver Mancy on the horizon. It couldn¡¯t be that he had just been pulled back so far again, right?


    In truth, Theron wasn¡¯t so focused on cultivation. What he needed the most was power. If he could kill his enemy with the cultivation of the First Bronze Resonance, he would take it. Why would he need more?


    But the problem was that that wasn¡¯t realistic. And, after fighting so many Silver Mancers, he realized that it wasn¡¯t just a matter of raw power.


    After his Core upgrades, Theron had found that his Mana was even more pure than most Silver Mancers he came across, and though his raw power was lacking, that was only because he was a Water Mancer and not a Flux Mancer.


    When he had time, and could concentrate his strength, his lethality could rise to the point of matching high-tier Silver Mancers.


    However, without Third Eye and the qualitative changes to the abilities that Silver Mancers underwent, he was still at too much of a disadvantage.


    Even the techniques that Silver Mancers could cast were simply on another level. [Touch of Mirage] was useless against Third Eye, but there were illusion techniques that Silver Water Mancers could cast that could pull the wool over the eyes of other Silver Mancers with Third Eye. Stay updated with


    All of these things were cut off from Theron unless he could take that step. Raw power simply wasn¡¯t enough; he needed other methods.


    Now, his Core kept regressing again and again.


    While it was good that it was growing so powerful, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of sitting back and forging some perfect foundation. He was caught in the middle of four warring factions, and his life was hanging by a thread already.


    He relied on his talent and potential alone to keep them happy. The moment he showed any slippage or weakness in this aspect, they would be happy to punt him off a cliff to his death.


    Before he returned to the Sect, he had already felt a slight shift in the old man¡¯s demeanor, and now this.


    There were only two paths ahead if this continued to happen. Either he would have to just wait for his death, or he would have to reveal his secrets.


    But how could he accept either? Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Being a genius was fine. Being a monster would lead him right back to the first result.


    Theron took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.


    ¡¯There¡¯s only one way to see what sort of damage we¡¯re dealing with here


    Entering a focused state, Theron slowly performed the first form of the dance. With the rain pelting down from above, the accumulating of Water Mana came fast and easy. From just the first alone, Theron felt his Core return to its previous size after only about 5% of it was through, the rest of it pooling together to forge his cultivation ahead.


    Theron would have sighed out a breath of relief in any other situation, but he just couldn¡¯t settle his heart down. Not when there was this looming cloud over his head.


    The only solution to this seemed to be the necklace around his neck, and yet it was precisely because of all those questions that he kept slipping further and further away from being able to use it to answer those very same questions.


    Was he just supposed to avoid the Black Limbo Tortoise shell now? Forget about all the effort he had put into learning about it?


    What Theron didn¡¯t know was that what had just happened to him was more than just a small deal. Runes being etched onto the Core¡­ such a thing could happen only when you had bonded with a Runebound Echo.


    Yet, Theron hadn¡¯t bonded with any such Echo, but suddenly gained a small piece of their abilities.


    Theron pushed and pulled on his own thoughts, weighing his options until he realized something that should have been obvious.


    ¡¯Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t this the reason why I tested this to begin with? The bottleneck and the suppression of my Core seem to be two different things. If anything, my bottleneck actually seems¡­ a bit looser now than it was before?¡¯


    By his calculations, he should have only reached this level after going through all nine poses. But somehow, he had gotten through it after only a single time.


    Theron stood in silence for a long while before he made a decision.


    On the back of the Black Limbo Tortoise, there were a total of 1108 runes exactly. The first 999 were foundational, just as simple as the one that Theron had just drawn. The next 99 were more complex, and Theron was still having a hard time deciphering them. The following nine might as well have been a blur, while the final one¡­ well, Theron could only speculate that it was there with no real assurance.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s take a gamble, then¡­ the first 999.¡¯


    Theron was confident after the first success that he could replicate it. Focusing, he began to draw one rune after another with his soul. Rather than slowing, he only increased the pace.


    After practicing [Soul Escape] for so long, his ability to sense, pull on, and direct the matters of his soul was on another level. This had had a substantial effect on his Mana control as well, though it hadn¡¯t manifested quite so clearly just yet¡­


    Until now.


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    Rather than fatiguing like he should have, Theron only sped up. In not even 30 minutes, he had finished, and just as expected, every single one of the runes had taken form on his Core, shrinking it to the point it wasn¡¯t even a quarter the size of a fingernail.


    ¡¯Once more.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s eyes flashed, and he moved into the second pose.


    Water Mana thrummed, and rain pelted down even harder.

 Chapter 153: Deposit [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Theron¡¯s Core had already been insatiable, but now it was akin to a bottomless well.


    For a hundred meters, then a half kilometer, then an entire kilometer, it was as though there was no rain at all. It all concentrated into a funnel, pooling into Theron¡¯s Core.


    This amount of Mana should have made even a Silver Mancer explode, let alone a Bronze Mancer like Theron. And yet, he was a truly fathomless pit.


    When Theron finally completed the last pose, and the aches to his body relaxed, his first action was to move.


    He had already taken Low¡¯s corpse and cleaned out the battlefield out of habit. Without knowing who was nearby, this sort of commotion wasn¡¯t something he could assume hadn¡¯t been sensed.


    ¡­


    Only when Theron was a long distance away, still weaving through a forest of stones, did he finally relax just the slightest bit and turn his attention to his core. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He really had gotten closer to a breakthrough. Shockingly close.


    It shouldn¡¯t have made sense given he had just regressed so much. But not only was his Core back to the size of a fist, it was even purer than before.


    Now, it truly looked nothing like a Bronze Core. It might as well have been a sphere of shimmering glass.


    Oddly enough¡­ the runes were gone. What had been etched into it before disappeared.


    After some thought, Theron pulled on his Mana, only to find that¡­


    ¡¯So heavy


    It wasn¡¯t his senses that felt burdened. It was his Mana, it moved just as easily, but he could practically feel his feet sinking into the ground.


    ¡¯The Blue Pufferfish, it grew so much stronger because of that tortoise?¡¯


    The Blue Pufferfish Echo was all about density. This sounded great, and as though it should have been a much more popular Echo, but no one cared for it much precisely because it was a Water Mancy method.


    Water Mana was very fluid. Adding density to it only made it more difficult to control and took away some of the element¡¯s most useful abilities.


    A density ability for an Earth Mage or Flux Mancer would be like adding wings to a tiger. But no one cared if it was for water.


    Your adventure continues at


    While there were some applications where heavy water could be useful, there was a second problem as well¡­ that being that the Blue Pufferfish¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t potent enough.


    Not only was it useless to most applications of Water Mana, but its influence was limited. It was like if one had a gravity field only capable of outputting an added 5% to your enemy¡¯s weight. Who would care for that?


    The only reason why Theron¡¯s Blue Pufferfish abilities seemed so powerful was because he had integrated with a Ninth Silver Resonance Blue Pufferfish Echo. Of course it would seem powerful.


    By the time he started fighting against real middle and higher tier Silver Mancers, the density change would be negligible.


    Even so, Theron had always been confident in himself. The ability to change the density of water didn¡¯t just represent heft and weight to him, nor added defenses. It was like opening a world to changing the properties of water itself.


    He envisioned a future where as a Water Mancer alone, he could change the properties of his water to the point that it became chilling ice or billowing steam. Maybe he was very far from such a future, and maybe he was even overestimating himself, but self-belief wasn¡¯t something he ever lacked in.


    Who would have thought that before he could grasp this, something like this would happen instead.


    The density ability of his Blue Pufferfish had improved by more than ten times easily.


    If before the density was only enough to force a low-tier Silver Mancer to take it seriously, now even the lower end of middle-tier Silver Mancers would suffer if they were caught off guard.


    At this point, the density alone could crush a First Silver Resonance Mancer.


    And all of that analysis only took into account the Mana itself¡­ not what spells Theron might attach to it.


    Theron reached up a hand to his necklace and gripped it tight.


    Just¡­ what was going on with him?


    **


    The sound of footsteps through the sloshing rain and puddles echoed, a group quickly surrounding a now empty location.


    "Nothing?"


    "Nothing."


    Silence fell.


    "How many are we still missing?"


    "Princess, there are still about 37 of us unaccounted for."


    "¡­ Too many. But we have enough to start a more systematic approach to things."


    "Which plan do you want to start with, princess?"


    "We have time. We¡¯ll take the most conservative approach for now. Kill any unaffiliated disciples we come across, but the main focus is unique Fire Mana Beasts and gathering Bloomstone."


    After a pause, she spoke again.


    "Sound off one by one. On your way here, how many of you found things worthy of note? We¡¯ll decide our main targets from there."


    "And what about this location, princess? The commotion here was very loud."


    "There¡¯s no need to look into it. I know who it was. He is trying to improve into Silver Mancy as fast as he can. Unfortunately for him, he seems to have run into a bottleneck. We just can¡¯t let him get his hands on any Vital Bloomstone."


    "Understood."


    "I think I stumbled onto a potential Vital Bloomstone deposit, princess. It is hard to tell because the deposits are always very small, and well guarded by Mana Beasts, but the aura of life over there was very strong. There are very few other types it could be."


    "Anyone else run into what they think might be Vital Bloomstone?" the princess asked.


    "No, but¡­"


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    One of the others seemed to want to say something important, but Thessa cut him off.


    "We will go to the Vital Bloomstone deposit, then."


    Thessa pointed to the one that had spoken and had him lead the way.


    The others looked toward each other and could only shake their heads inwardly. Even now, they really didn¡¯t understand why they were putting so much effort into blocking a Bronze Mancer¡¯s progress of all things.

 Chapter 154: Aberrath

    Theron moved swiftly, leaving the region. He could guess that there would be groups pulled by the commotion, but this also wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing either.


    The number of people that wanted to kill him were substantial, but the number that were on his side wasn¡¯t bad. As for those on Ironvale¡¯s side, they were unlikely to try and kill him outright like the Firewing had.


    As of now, at least, the Patriarch seemed to need him for something and was more interested in suppressing and controlling him than killing him. This was very different from the situation with the Firewings.


    As such, by Theron¡¯s deductions, all things being equal, there was probably two thirds of a chance he would run into an ally or a party that was neutral to him. Those odds weren¡¯t bad.


    ¡­


    Not even ten minutes later, he sensed something in the rain.


    ¡¯This shower will end soon, unfortunately Theron thought.


    As much as he wanted to take advantage of his added strength in the rain, the situation was still too murky to take any substantial leaps in effort right now.


    With a strong step, Theron leapt on top of a rock and dashed forward. Four leaps later, he came to a stop, looking down to see a group of three led by none other than Caelan.


    They all sensed him at once. Maybe their assumption was that Theron had stumbled onto them much the same way.


    The three were in the middle of a battle with an odd beast that seemed part horse and part beetle. While it had most of the body of a horse, there was the shell on its back that split to produce wings from time to time.


    But much like the Thornhulk, its body seemed too heavy to actually fly through the air. At most, it could glide for short frames of time. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How does this even happen?¡¯


    Theron didn¡¯t seem focused on the group at all, his expression becoming a bit weird.


    There was definitely something about this beast that wasn¡¯t natural.


    ¡¯Could it be?¡¯


    Theron thought of a Bloomstone he had learned about during his research through the Sect¡¯s records: Aberrath Bloomstone.


    While it was true that this Secret Realm had many creatures that had taken odd evolutionary paths, these paths still had to make sense. There was no path for a horse to suddenly become mixed with a beetle.


    However, among the Forbidden Spells of the Luminescent Moon Sect, there was the Aberrath Bloomstone Forbidden Method. This was a method that gave Echoes far more substance than they should otherwise have, causing mutations that almost looked like a fusion with the beast.


    There was no doubt that in the distant past, this was a highly sought-after method for Flux Mancers, who probably gained the least from Echoes compared to the other Mancy Paths.


    But this explanation still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Simply put, Mana Beasts didn¡¯t fuse with Echoes because they were their own Echoes.


    ¡¯Interesting


    "Get out of here or we¡¯ll attack you!" one of Caelan¡¯s group members barked at Theron. There was a particularly odd sharpness to his brows that made them angle down and around the sides of his eyes. If he was much older, one could imagine them growing out in two lines of white.


    Theron gave him a glance and then took a step, vanishing.


    He wasn¡¯t interested in the creature. He was interested in the Aberrath Bloomstone deposit that was likely nearby. Though this didn¡¯t seem like the full explanation, he couldn¡¯t think of another plausible one.


    Caelan followed Theron¡¯s back for long enough to make sure that he was gone before they focused their attention on the beast again.


    ¡­


    ¡¯Should be near here


    Theron wasn¡¯t one to lose his temper over something so small. And he was especially good at controlling his temper if it meant he was gaining an advantage over someone else.


    Using the last of the rain, he was able to find the deposit that he was looking for.


    It was quite well hidden, a large boulder standing over it.


    ¡¯This boulder was moved here, but not by someone with normal hands and arms considering the awkwardness. This should have been done by an intelligent beast, maybe even that horse beetle¡­ no, almost certainly that horse beetle.¡¯


    Pressing a palm against the boulder, Theron could see why.


    It was normal for a deposit to have only three or four pieces of a Bloomstone. This was why the Verdant Bloomstone was so much more valuable. It seemed to point to a deposit of Echo Bloomstone that was substantial, likely having hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces.


    It almost certainly had secrets outside of just this alone as well.


    But this deposit here had over a dozen pieces. This was an enormous haul.


    Theron¡¯s arm flexed and then he pushed.


    The boulder tumbled over, and the flickering pieces of black jade beneath showed themselves.


    He bent down and pressed a palm into a crack. Water from the rain that had just stopped pooled forward, pouring into the cracks.


    Theron was patient, taking his time and slowly forming seals over the cracks. He added density to his Water Mana, and with his patience came results.


    The cracks began to grow in size, and soon, the aura of the Aberrant Bloomstone became more and more prominent until¡­


    CRACK.


    The earth shattered, and the deposit was pulled out in one go.


    Storing it away in his spatial ring, Theron slowly stood to his feet.


    "STOP!"


    A booming and familiar voice echoed.


    Theron didn¡¯t look back, leaping onto the boulder he had just pushed over and then flickering to the next. It looked like he was disappearing into the distance until the flapping of robes echoed.


    He was instantly surrounded from all sides, Caelan standing across from him with a frown on his face.


    Theron looked down at the group and shook his head.


    To his surprise, Caelan seemed to have maintained his Silver Mancy cultivation. Or maybe it was that the Realm didn¡¯t bother to suppress him below First Resonance to begin with. Theron guess that this was the case because the other two were also at this level.


    Without a word, Theron unsheathed his blades, not bothering to listen to their explanation or words of anger.


    With a step, he vanished.

 Chapter 155: Never

    Bel couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.


    Was this Bronze Mancer¡­ taking the initiative to attack him?


    When he called out to Theron before, it was out of an abundance of caution and honestly annoyance. Any cultivator worth their salt knew it was improper etiquette to watch an unknown group in the middle of battle. The fact that Theron had been watching them was already crossing a line.


    Back then, he had told Theron to scram to make sure nothing went wrong. But what he didn¡¯t expect was that Theron would overstep his bounds to this extent.


    They, too, had noticed the oddity with the beast, which was why they decided to fight it even though its abilities weren¡¯t appealing to any one of them.


    Plus, unlike the usual entries of the Sect, they were already Silver Mancers, so they had no need for Echoes. What they were more interested in were the Bloomstones the beast had likely been in contact with.


    Who would have known that Theron would casually leave and find it first?


    Now, he had the audacity¡­ to attack him?


    Bel¡¯s expression froze, his head flying into the air. He didn¡¯t even get a chance to take his last breath, his diaphragm losing connection with his brain and the pipeline from his lungs to his mouth being completely severed.


    He didn¡¯t even get the chance to raise his weapon in the air, his last thoughts being that of disgust, disdain, and then finally¡­


    Disbelief.


    ¡­


    Caelan¡¯s eyes opened wide. He had yet to unsheathe his sword himself, but the moment he saw the change, his first reaction was to do so and then call out.


    "Bel!"


    It was far too late.


    Theron landed on the ground, and with a light pivot, he had already shot toward the only woman of their group. She was a somewhat chubby young woman with a hint of youthful beauty to her. It was clear, though, that she kept the weight on not because she couldn¡¯t lose it, but for a very specific purpose.


    Unfortunately for her, that made reading her Flux Mancy path exceptionally easy. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was either Strength or Defense, and because so much of the weight was concentrated in her gut¡­


    ¡¯Defense.¡¯


    Theron fluidly changed tactics as he sensed Caelan charge at him to close the distance. But he was still a step ahead.


    The three had surrounded him while he was on top of a boulder. Because of that, their line of sight to one another had been cut off. Due to his vantage point, only Caelan could see both Bel and the chubby young woman¡­ and because of that, she didn¡¯t realize one of her own had already fallen until it was too late.


    Theron leapt over the boulder, his foot lightly touching it.


    Caelan thrust his sword at him, but the Theron of now was much faster than the Theron Caelan knew of. All the First Silver Resonance genius could see was the cold, indifferent side profile of Theron as his sword missed, passing through the air where Theron¡¯s hair had just been.


    Falling down from above, Theron raised his blade, descending toward the woman.


    She, too, was shocked by the sudden turn. Theron was attacking her of all people? And in such a direct confrontation? It was absolutely ridiculous.


    DENG!


    She raised her heavy sword in a crossing motion, ready to kick Theron back into the air and cut him in two. But her eyes widened when her knees buckled.


    BANG!


    Her arms trembled and lowered. By the time she realized that this would cost her the life she had held so precious, it was too late.


    Theron¡¯s short sword passed right through the top of her head, splitting it open like a blooming flower.


    With a flip, Theron had landed behind her. Caelan was on a furious rampage, rushing after him as quickly as he could. The First Silver Resonance genius had overshot the boulder, landing on the other side and then rushing to round it again¡­


    Only to find that the deed had already been done.


    Theron stood there, blood dripping from his blade.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Caelan hyperventilated, watching the young woman tremble on her knees, her head having fallen into pieces. The cut was so perfect that she neither tilted to the left or right, nor forward or back.


    Brain matter oozed out of her, dribbling out in chunks as blood fell akin to its own rain.


    Then there was the man that had done all of this, calmly standing there and tilting his head to the side to meet Caelan¡¯s gaze.


    The words couldn¡¯t even come out from Caelan. Infuriated, he roared, his aura flaring up as white-gold wrapped around him. The image of a roaring white tiger bloomed, the echoes of sharpening blades filling the air. Explore more at


    Caelan¡¯s arms moved in blurs, one slash after another erupting as he cut at the air as though it was Theron¡¯s head.


    Theron¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡¯A Fluorescent Tiger Echo¡­ Rare


    The Fluorescent Tiger was one of the strongest Imbued Beasts in the Empire. They were Light Mancers and known for their indescribable claw strength and penetrative powers. They were every swordsman¡¯s wet dream.


    Caelan was quite bold to take one on despite being a Flux Mancer. However, he had displayed his might as a genius well. With [Luminescent Blade] as a conduit, he was able to tap into as much as 90% of his Echo¡¯s true prowess. With more practice, he could reach 100%.


    Plus, he clearly had the foundation of a Core Disciple as well as his Echo was already at Sixth Resonance. He must have integrated at Quasi Silver as well.


    It was unfortunate, though¡­


    That he was facing off against Theron.


    Chi. Chi. Chi.


    One [Water Bullet] after another took shape in the air, countering every blade as though it was a Silver Resonance technique itself. And then a [Water Scythe] took place, shattering the final slash as though it was a mesh of cheap paper.


    Theron took a step through the mess of Mana fluttering through the air, the shattered motes of Water Mana forming into his blade as he appeared beneath Caelan¡¯s gaze.


    "You¡¯re¡­ so much¡­ stronger¡­" Caelan said in shock.


    "You were never a match for me in the first place."


    Theron¡¯s words had hardly been registered by Caelan before a blade edged by dense waters split his head down his jawline.

 Chapter 156: Eruption [Top 10 in GT Bonus]

    Theron looked down at Caelan¡¯s corpse, not feeling much at all. He didn¡¯t need others to see his victory. He had known from the start that this person wasn¡¯t his match.


    Plus¡­ now wasn¡¯t the time to display his true strength.


    His earlier commotion had caused quite a number of people to gather here, so it likely wouldn¡¯t be long before he met up with those three again. Once that happened, he would have much less freedom to do things the way he wanted to, so everything would have to be prepared.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, Theron left the region once more.


    Once he was sure he was alone, he checked on the Aberrath Bloomstone he had collected.


    As he had told the old man, his ability to understand the other Forbidden Spells of the Luminescent Moon Sect was severely hampered. But that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t understand the value of this Aberrath Bloomstone.


    If nothing else, he could definitely use it to trade for more Vital Bloomstone and thus complete his progression to Silver Mancy with more speed.


    Though, he seemed to have found another shortcut to this. If he could comprehend the other runes of the Black Limbo Tortoise shell, would he be able to smoothly unloosen his bottleneck?


    But there was still one thing that left him confused¡­


    How had that horse used the Aberrath Bloomstone to transform like it did? And was it natural for a beast to be smart enough to hide the deposit like it had?


    Sure, Mana Beasts were far smarter than feral beasts, but not really to this extent. They knew enough to understand how to protect resources, but usually that manifested in just them becoming lurking watchdogs. Something like moving a boulder over a deposit after they had found it was far more rare and basically never happened.


    Their intelligence usually manifested more like intuition in controlling and countering various Mana skills.


    Was this an odd mutation of the beasts in this realm? Were they smarter than normal? Or was it something that Theron was missing?


    ¡¯This just might be¡­ very important


    **


    Half a day passed before Theron finally ran into the group that he was looking for. He managed to find just one more deposit, and this was actually of Tribulation Bloomstone interestingly enough. Unfortunately, it only had three pieces of Bloomstone within it. But something was still better than nothing.


    The group themselves, though¡­ seemed much less enthusiastic to see Theron. And they were much larger than Theron was expecting.


    There were the obvious three¡ªthat being Dorian, his fianc¨¦e Vaeilina, and Jodie. But there were also about a dozen others, most of whom Theron had no recollection or understanding of.


    But this much was expected. As powerful as the three Core Disciples were, the firm hold Ironvale had over the hearts of the other disciples told a tale of just how difficult it might be if they were to try to do everything alone¡­


    Especially considering Ironvale was the only Ninth Silver Resonance existence in the whole Secret Realm.


    Theron didn¡¯t say much, just hanging behind the group. He was content with being ignored.


    While Vaeilina had tried to smooth things over after their initial meeting, Theron knew well enough that Dorian and Jodie were more set in their ways. To them, maybe Theron being humble was only natural. After all, he was a man that had married into his wife¡¯s family and was now an obvious pawn of the Thistles to them.


    Somehow, they seemed to have skipped over the fact that they were pawns as well. But whether that was willful hypocrisy, or they felt they were different somehow, Theron didn¡¯t care to figure it out.


    Soon enough, they would be useful to him. He was just waiting for the right time. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What he was curious about, though, was the fact Dorian¡ªwho should be in control of the Verdant Bloomstone right now¡ªdidn¡¯t seem eager to use it just yet. They were definitely planning something else first.


    If Theron had to guess¡­ they didn¡¯t want others to stumble into an opportunity by following a commotion they triggered¡ªleast of all Ironvale himself.


    Knowing this, the obvious answer seemed to be clear.


    They wanted to kill.


    There was no way they could cause a commotion that would be bigger than whatever the Verdant Bloomstone would bring down. The only chance forward was to kill¡­ kill until rivers of blood ran true.


    ¡­


    "Here."


    Dorian¡¯s voice came from the front of the group.


    ¡¯Odd,¡¯ Theron thought to himself.


    They had long left the stone maze region. From what Theron could gather, the group had come forward to check out the commotion he had caused, but after ensuring that it had nothing to do with the Verdant Bloomstone, they left to start their own plans.


    This was convenient enough for Theron as this allowed him to run into them without much issue. But now that they had finally reached their true destination, his gaze couldn¡¯t help but flicker.


    From what Theron knew, this region was two territories southeast of the stone maze. The air was much more humid, and the temperature was much greater. This region was the eruption zone, and it was known for forming powerful steamy geysers. Explore more at


    The Bloomstone that appeared here most often was known, appropriately, as Eruption Bloomstone. It was a Bloomstone used with a Forbidden Spell that was a perfect mirror to the Berserk skill abilities of some pure Flux Mancy Beasts.


    Berserk was an incredibly rare Flux Mancer spell and not every Flux Mancy Mana Beast would have it. If there was a rank for most expensive and valuable Echoes, Berserk would most definitely be in the top five, if not the top three, not just in this Province, but across likely all of them.


    This Forbidden Spell of the Luminescent Moon Sect, however, could actually mimic it quite well. In fact, depending on the tier you used the skill to, it could be even more effective than the Echo.


    But of course, much like always, not only was it impossible to understand the spell, it required external Bloomstone to trigger properly.


    That was all well and good. But what was the purpose of this?


    "Theron."


    Dorian suddenly called out to him.


    Inwardly, Theron¡¯s attention focused. What could he possibly be calling him for after ignoring him all this time?

 Chapter 157: Jealousy

    Theron weaved through the crowd of disciples, none of whom seemed all that intent on making room for him despite having clearly heard Dorian¡¯s voice. But there wasn¡¯t much of a reaction to gain from Theron at all.


    After following the party for long enough, Theron believed he had a gauge on the temperature of why things were happening this way.


    Jealousy. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was something that he had overlooked, but it was more and more obvious the more he looked at it.


    All of these geniuses came from families vying for rank beneath the Thistles. The better they performed, the better their status would be once the Thistles became the new Imperial Clan.


    Someone like Theron surely threw a wrench in those plans, not just because of who he was, but because of who he had "backed."


    By marrying into the Vermouth Clan, Theron had shifted the balance of power more than just a small bit. Aeryn was already amongst the strongest of them all, and the Vermouth were in a strong position to claim what would be a very valuable Marquise Title in the future and take control of Thistle Brook after the Thistles inevitably took over the Capital.


    To their luck, right before such an important mission, Aeryn fell.


    This should have been their opportunity to vie for that position, only for them to remember that there was someone else that might cause a problem.


    Theron.


    Now what would happen if Aeryn recovered, and Theron continued to grow into the powerhouse he seemed on track to become? Wouldn¡¯t that mean the Vermouth would have two powerful pillars of the younger generation to themselves?


    At that point, how would they even compete?


    The Nobles of smaller Baronies and Viscount Clans were quite used to lowering their head to those with Titles that surpassed their own. What they weren¡¯t used to was having to do so to a live-in son-in-law who somehow had more talent than they did.


    Theron felt a bit foolish for neglecting this earlier, but it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out why he had.


    When Aeryn was here, all of this jealousy was meaningless because he was the shield that took it all on.


    It was only when Aeryn was gone that this reared its ugly head and began to manifest in these annoying ways.


    Aeryn¡¯s fall had been so surprising to even Theron that he didn¡¯t change his mentality fast enough to account for this.


    ¡¯A third mistake.¡¯


    Theron shook his head inwardly. Even he was prone to missing things. He was only human.


    He had been outplayed by Sadie, then outmaneuvered by her brother, the crown prince, and now this slip-up was of his own making.


    But he was still confident enough in himself.


    These youths had probably received secret orders from their own seniors to deal with him if the opportunity came. And why wouldn¡¯t they?


    It was low stakes, high rewards.


    Theron was only a Bronze Mancer. Whether he lived or died wouldn¡¯t impact the outcome of the mission. Plus, because he was only a Bronze Mancer, dying in this place only seemed natural.


    On top of that, he might be a pawn of the Thistles, but only because of what his talent could provide. What good was a dead genius? Enjoy new chapters from


    "Yes, senior brother?" Theron asked with a gentle tone.


    "Up ahead there¡¯s a Mana Beast of unknown origin. It isn¡¯t entirely clear what it descended from. Though it has lizard-like features, it has the hard exterior shell of a tortoise, and it somehow seems¡­ natural to it.


    "It has the ability to burrow underground by melting earth and seems to have a rare variant Lava Mancy path to it. Because of that, it can form tunnels large enough for it to pass through, then melt them after it has already passed. What¡¯s left behind is too small for more to slip through.


    "Your frame is slight, and you have high resistance to heat because of your Water Mancy path. We¡¯ll have to rely on you to go on ahead and make it swallow this."


    Theron looked at the three jades in Dorian¡¯s palm.


    Resonate Bloomstone.


    If Eruption Bloomstone allowed Flux Mancers to enter a Berserk-like state, then Resonate Bloomstone was the same but for Elemental Mancers.


    It amplified Mana to the point it felt like one was fighting an entire major tier ahead, as much as three sub-tiers of advancement. And that was just the lowest levels of it.


    But it, of course, also left one¡¯s Meridians in a sensitive state. That was where the Forbidden Spell of the Luminescent Moon Sect came in, soothing the process.


    Though the Meridians would still nearly collapse, at the very least, it wouldn¡¯t leave lasting damage so long as it wasn¡¯t used too often. If it was paired with Vital Bloomstone, then one could imagine that this method could be used continuously and provide quite a strong impact.


    Even though Theron couldn¡¯t learn much from the methods, though, what he did know for certain was that the Eruption Forbidden Spell and the Resonate Forbidden Spell could never be used at the same time.


    Not to mention the fact that most would only have the affinity necessary for just one or the other. If you did use them together, the implosion of your body would actually be the least of your worries.


    You might very well lose your soul.


    Berserk was known as such for one reason. By releasing the limitations of the body, you were actually impeding your brain in keeping those limitations active. Doing so dulled your senses and made you more impulsive.


    If you amplified your body even further with something like the Resonate Forbidden Spell, you¡¯d be giving that psychosis wings.


    By this point, it was easy to understand their intentions here.


    This unknown, unidentifiable beast was likely far stronger than Dorian was letting on. Though, to be fair, Dorian never mentioned its strength.


    Regardless, once it had these Bloomstones, whatever strength it already had would skyrocket to another level. While it would surely lead to death, the synergy between Eruption and Resonate was exponential.


    However, Theron wasn¡¯t thinking about any of this. Instead, he had latched onto a very specific piece of Dorian¡¯s words.


    ¡¯Could it be¡­?¡¯


    Reaching forward, Theron took the Bloomstones.


    "No problem."


    After saying this, Theron turned and rushed toward one of the geysers.

 Chapter 158: Street Rat

    Dorian¡¯s gaze flickered as though he wanted to say more. Or maybe it was that he was already in the process of saying what he planned in case Theron rebuffed him.


    But what he didn¡¯t expect was that there wouldn¡¯t even be the slightest shift in Theron¡¯s expression. He just took the Bloomstones and vanished.


    Somehow, Dorian felt like something was wrong. But he also couldn¡¯t place just what it was.


    "That was easy," a young man said as Theron vanished. "How long do we wait before we go and actually complete the mission? I tried to tell you that we should have just let him go. It¡¯s such a waste of Bloomstone if he doesn¡¯t make it all the way there¡­"


    The young man¡¯s voice trailed off as Dorian gave him a look. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt a chill.


    "Talk less, Ali," Dorian said coldly.


    His mouth clamped shut in response, his adam¡¯s apple moving slightly as though swallowing the next words he had wanted to speak.


    Ali shrank back into silence. But much the same way as it was with all the others, it was impossible that his ire would be aimed toward Dorian.


    These sorts of street rats could only target those they thought to be weaker than themselves.


    Looking down to the ground, Ali clenched his fists in his robe sleeves but said nothing at all.


    Dorian looked toward where Theron had disappeared again, and a silence fell over the entire group.


    ¡­


    Theron had already forgotten about the others the moment he entered the geyser. He knew that it could blow at any moment, and speed was the best option.


    Others might have avoided this geyser because it had only just blown, but it was precisely because it had that he selected it.


    The moment he entered, he fell into what felt like a steaming, fathomless pit.


    ¡¯This vapor really is very difficult to control¡­ no, it¡¯s basically impossible


    Theron had controlled mist before. In fact, it was the very foundation that formed his Immortal Jellyfish Echo. Even before he got his Immortal Jellyfish Echo, though, he had already been capable of using mist to detect his surroundings at the cost of a substantial amount of Mana.


    Unfortunately, there was a difference between mist and steam. Mist was just regular Water Mana that was highly dispersed. Steam, however, was a phase change. It was no different from Theron trying to control ice.


    It was impossible.


    In this state, the Water Mana was hardly reacting like Water Mana. Instead, it was a lot more like Fire Mana¡ªviolent, unrelenting, and almost cancerous.


    Fire Mana wanted to consume everything it touched, and this steam seemed to want to pass on its volatility around as well.


    This was just a natural law of energy, a movement of things from higher tiers of concentration to lower.


    If Theron tried to control this vaporized steam, he would burn his body from the inside out the moment communication was formed between himself and it.


    His Meridians couldn¡¯t withstand that unless he was a Fire Mancer. But, obviously, a Fire Mancer couldn¡¯t control this steam either because they weren¡¯t a Water Mancer.


    Luckily, Theron had his own plans.


    ¡¯There.¡¯


    He caught onto a ledge and pulled himself up.


    This ledge should be one of the many small openings that the unknown beast used to make their tunnels.


    Theron had known that it would be here from the start. That was because, while he had no ability to control this superheated water, what he could do was sense it just as easily as he could any other Water Mana.


    This region seemed like a land for Fire Mages, but it was almost like a candy store hidden behind glass and bars. He could see, but he couldn¡¯t touch or enjoy. Explore more at


    And that was still more than enough.


    Theron pulled himself up and squeezed himself into the hole.


    He lowered his head, crawling forward with sure wiggles.


    A dozen minutes later, he had made quite a way in before there was another rumble, and the geyser shot once again.


    ¡¯There are good odds that they¡¯ll try to get in now, thinking that I¡¯m dead. But they might also wait for the next. It doesn¡¯t really matter much either way.¡¯


    Theron could feel that he was almost there.


    The tunnels were winding and seemingly endless, but he made his way through them with shocking ease, always choosing the right path in the fathomless maze.


    Then he stopped.


    Up ahead, there was a deep drop to a sea of red gold. Heat hit Theron¡¯s face in waves, or it should have had his Water Mana not been very good at dispersing it.


    If there was one thing Dorian hadn¡¯t lied about, it was that Water Mana was very good at dealing with heat. Ironically, it was even better than Ice Mana was. That was because the specific heat of Water was far higher than Ice Mancers could match. An Ice Mancer would have to output far more Mana to deal with the same amount of heat as compared to a Water Mancer.


    Of course, there were some genius Ice Mancers that could control Water Mana as well. In which case, they had an advantage compared to Theron.


    But such geniuses were rare.


    ¡¯There.¡¯


    Theron laid eyes on the beast. It was just as Dorian said, a large lizard-like beast that was about three meters long, not including its slender tail, which was easily another two meters all on its own. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Its main body was black, but the shell on its back, pointed with spikes, carried a black, rouge, and almost maroon color to it. The shell looked almost like a layer of triangles pieced together step by step and was sharp at any angle.


    Theron¡¯s shoulder shimmied, bringing forward a single Resonate Bloomstone.


    ¡¯If I¡¯m right about this Theron¡¯s eyes flashed.


    The shelled lizard beast¡¯s mouth opened with a yawn, a rough tongue of black and violet rolling out.


    Theron¡¯s finger flicked, sending the Bloomstone zooming forward in a wrap of Water Mana.


    It soared through the air, layers of water steaming off and leaving a comet trail in its wake before it popped into the lizard¡¯s mouth perfectly.


    The beast¡¯s body trembled.

 Chapter 159: Risk and Reward [Top 10 in GT Bonus]

    There was a small lull, and then the beast¡¯s shell seemed to burst with steam.


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Pillars of lava erupted from the sea of red gold below, surging up and slamming against the reddened ceilings.


    Theron watched intently, not missing a single beat. This was it.


    ¡¯Indeed¡­ they can swallow it¡­ they can swallow the Bloomstone


    This didn¡¯t seem like a huge deal. In fact, it seemed inconsequential. So what if a beast could? What difference did it make?


    Anyone worth their salt knew that the bodies of beasts were vastly different from their human counterparts. There was no surprise if they could do something a human couldn¡¯t, especially if it was an Imbued Beast, and even more so if it was a Silver Imbued Beast like this one.


    But to Theron, it was like firecrackers were going off in his mind.


    He was overwhelmed with a sense of gravity.


    Connecting things back to the horse beetle, he realized how it managed to do things as well.


    ¡¯Could it really be¡­?¡¯


    Theron¡¯s gaze flickered again and again.


    If he was correct, this was game-changing.


    What if¡­ the Forbidden Spells of the Luminescent Moon Sect didn¡¯t exist as methods of taking advantage of unknown abilities of the Bloomstone? What if, much like many other spells of a much more normal kind, they were mimicking something that already existed in nature?


    What if the special mutations of the beasts in this Secret Realm had allowed them to always use Bloomstone in this way? And, what if¡­


    Theron was able to use Bloomstone in this way as well?


    It was a wild thought, but it was one that Theron couldn¡¯t conceivably separate for himself. That was because he had felt what it was like to activate the Vital Bloomstone Forbidden Method in part.


    When he first did the poses, his Immortal Jellyfish had corrected his stance, making him feel more whole and complete. But then, when he used Vital Bloomstone for the first time to heal himself, not only did it happen with shocking speed, but it was no less as fluid.


    It was like¡­ his body was already naturally able to do precisely what it was that these beasts could.


    In that case¡­ if he swallowed a Bloomstone, what would happen? Would he need to master these Forbidden Spells at all? Or could he skip all of that and allow his body to trigger their abilities all on its own?


    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Theron¡¯s gaze flickered continuously as he watched the beast continue its rampage. More and more pillars of fire and earth surged upward, slamming continuously. Continue your adventure at


    In terms of variations, there was no doubt that Lava Mancy was truly up there. Theron had never heard of a human having it, at least not in the Nightingale Province. But he also hadn¡¯t heard of a beast having it either. Its existence was practically sheer speculation.


    But in terms of raw power alone, it might only be matched by Lightning Mancy. And honestly speaking, if Theron were to choose between the two, he would without a doubt choose Lava Mancy.


    That was because it not only had the offensive capabilities of lightning, but it also had strong control and defensive capabilities as well. There was a reason it was the far rarer Mancy.


    Now, Theron was facing off against it while his mind was weighing out the struggle of a lifetime.


    There was only one way to test his hypothesis. But testing it might also cost him his life.


    The downside was obviously death. But¡­ what about the upside?


    The upside was a chance to unlock a whole host of abilities with the simple swallowing of an external resource. And unlike pills, there were no impurities to consider or worry about. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So long as he had enough Vital Bloomstones¡­ he could push himself to the very brink.


    Theron hesitated, and then hesitated again.


    Then¡­ his eyes grew frighteningly cold.


    If he went with his original plan, he would win, but it would be a pyrrhic victory where he danced on the blade¡¯s edge until the very end. He just might lose his life.


    But if this worked¡­


    This entire Secret Realm, all of its secrets, and all of the resources that would come with it¡­


    Would be his.


    There was only one decision to make.


    One was the cowardly way out. But the other¡­ it almost guaranteed him revenge for his parents.


    There was always a risk-to-benefit analysis to take when making a decision. Theron wouldn¡¯t certainly die if he swallowed a Bloomstone; it was just a good chance.


    If death wasn¡¯t guaranteed, but the upside was life-changing wealth, a complete change to his Fate¡­


    Then what was there to hesitate about?


    Do it.


    ¡¯But not now. Not yet. Only when all the cards are on the table.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s shoulder shifted again, and this time, he didn¡¯t pull out a Bloomstone, but instead a familiar crystal.


    According to Dorian¡¯s plans, he would control and then guide this beast. Only when the time was right would he try to pull things toward Thessa and, in all likelihood, Ironvale.


    To Dorian, Ironvale was most definitely the greatest enemy to deal with. Such an enemy was almost certainly chosen to deal with him specifically.


    But there was also no doubt that how well this plan would work would be dependent on Thessa and her faction¡¯s reaction.


    Now¡­ what would Dorian do if Thessa appeared unannounced?


    With a squeeze of his fist, the Water Mana around the crystal shattered. But Theron was far from done.


    With a push of his palm, the crystal soared down.


    In a relentless rampage, the beast didn¡¯t even understand what it was doing. All it sensed was a great amount of Fire Mana rushing toward it, and it reacted on instinct, swallowing it whole.


    Suddenly, the Fire Soul ember flared. Influenced by yet another Resonate Bloomstone Theron had thrown into its mouth, it was suddenly amplified countless times over.


    ¡­


    From a far-off distance away, Thessa¡¯s expression changed.


    What just happened with her Fire Soul fragment?

 Chapter 160: No Proof

    Dorian¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    This trembling¡­ Theron succeeded?


    There was a very palpable shock in Dorian¡¯s eyes. Although he had waited for so long just in case such a thing would happen, he still hadn¡¯t expected the outcome.


    This was also its own problem; with just three Bloomstones, the rampage of the beast might not last long enough for them to accomplish what they needed to.


    He began to wonder if Ali was right. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have given Theron anything at all. But the trouble with that was that he would have had a hard time convincing Theron to go.


    At the very least, even if he wanted to target Theron, he couldn¡¯t do it so openly. That would give the others vying for position with his Valebane Clan a chance to deal with him in turn.


    No matter how lowly Theron was, he was still the son-in-law of the Vermouths. And if Aeryn awakened with his full array of skills, or even part of them, there would definitely be hell to pay for making his sister a widow.


    Who didn¡¯t know how insane the Vermouths were?


    So, he chose to compromise a bit. But now, Theron had done the impossible, putting him in a bind.


    Should he go? Or should he try to accelerate the pace of the plans instead?


    Most of the Resonate Bloomstones he had in his possession were extras. Three Bloomstones might be enough to last long enough, but he would have felt far more comfortable with four.


    Right now, he had five left, which was why he had given Theron three. In the end, he should be able to keep one for himself. But now¡­


    "Execute on the plan now. Jodie, we have sights on Ironvale already, right? Give the signal. Vaeilina, you know what to do."


    Jodie pulled something out of his pocket and Vaeilina was ready to dash into the distance when Dorian¡¯s expression changed.


    "Shit! RETREAT FIRST! RETREAT!"


    Dorian¡¯s heart shook. What the hell was happening here? Why was the Fire Mana so oppressive?!


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    One geyser after another erupted, peeling into the skies and causing a rain of soot, ash, and superheated water vapor.


    Screams began to echo as the Mancers hurried to pull up their protective coverings, rushing into the distance.


    This region wasn¡¯t like this because of the Lava Mancy beast; that was impossible. At Silver Mancy, while far more powerful than what Bronze Mancers were capable of, it wasn¡¯t to the point that they could change the landscape.


    It was more accurate to say that the Lava Imbued Beast had chosen this region because it was like this, rather than the other way around. This was why Dorian and the others hadn¡¯t retreated after the change. It didn¡¯t make sense for a landscape warp like this one to trigger in the first place.


    By the time they realized that this was far beyond their scope of abilities to handle with ease, many of them had already suffered severe burns.


    "Am I still sending the message?!" Jodie roared out over the noise.


    "YES!" Dorian barked.


    Now there was no choice. Press forward. Regardless, this commotion would bring over a large number of people whether they liked it or not.


    Luckily, this was still within their plans. They should still have just enough time to¡ª.


    Dorian froze, his head snapping toward a certain direction as he sensed other fluctuations on the way. Experience more content on  S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no way. Were they so unlucky?


    No, that¡¯s impossible. They hadn¡¯t gathered everyone they could. Most of their members were still dispersed through the disciples, and from time to time, he would get reports on both Ironvale and Thessa¡¯s locations.


    From the last report, Thessa should still be several dozen kilometers away. At full tilt, getting here should take just shy of two dozen minutes or so.


    This was also only considering a situation where she abandoned everything and came here with everything she had, even disregarding fatigue and the like.


    But since the change triggered, it had barely been ten minutes or so. On top of that, they didn¡¯t even send out their messages to bring in the net yet.


    How could they be caught with their pants down like this? And why would Thessa come here as though her life depended on it?


    While this region was dense with fire, everyone knew that it came with Eruption Bloomstones. For a Soul Mancer following a unique Fire Mancy path like Thessa, this was the most useless as it was designed for Flux Mancers.


    Plus, because she had cleared the tower, Thessa had her own Forbidden Spell to gather Bloomstones for.


    There was no explanation for it.


    Dorian almost immediately realized that Thessa¡¯s increase in speed should be because she reached Silver Mancy. But this wasn¡¯t enough. This was far from¡­


    Subconsciously, Dorian looked toward where Theron disappeared.


    He had no proof, no way to know for certain, and yet he did. It had to be that boy, it could only be that boy. It was all his doing.


    He didn¡¯t know how Theron had done it, but he most certainly had.


    Dorian dodged out of the way of a flying, flaming rock as he clenched his fists. There was no time.


    "FORMATION!"


    The string of curses filled Dorian¡¯s mind. There was no doubt that Ironvale would come here now. He had legitimately just told Jodie to send the message, and now the die was cast. There was no coming back.


    Even if he hadn¡¯t, this commotion was too large. It was on a larger scale than even Theron¡¯s from earlier.


    "What about¡ª?!"


    Ali was cut off again.


    "I SAID FORMATION! FORM UP! NOW!"


    Their shoulders began to press together as they faced off against the world, retreating further and further from the depths below.


    They needed more distance, but they couldn¡¯t retreat wildly or they would suffer for it. Dorian had no choice but to take the slower approach instead of risking losing so many of his men before the penultimate battle.


    ¡¯They¡¯re here.¡¯ Dorian thought with gritted teeth.

 Chapter 161: Stripped

    As Thessa dashed ahead, ignoring the reveal of her Silver Mancy cultivation. She had been hiding it all this time, but whatever was happening now definitely couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    The sudden flare of her Fire Soul was very dangerous for her, but it could also be an opportunity.


    The trouble with separating out her Fire Soul like she did was that although the Soul Core was in her possession, it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility that another could form.


    In fact, this was the most common way Fire Souls were born¡ªby splitting off from the main piece.


    But if that was so easy to do, everyone would just farm a single Fire Soul. That was why this matter was so shocking to Thessa. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no way to confirm until she got there, but it felt like the ember of her Fire Soul was awakening into a new Fire Soul of its own.


    If she could swallow a second, especially given the amount of energy it was radiating off right now, she might be able to cross from the First Silver Resonance to the Ninth in a single bound.


    If not¡­ she had to know what happened to her Fire Soul fragment and what was causing all of this.


    Her eyes sharpened, though, when she sensed Dorian and the others. Why were they here?


    A trap?


    No, it didn¡¯t seem like that. They were retreating and quite flustered at that.


    This should be the Thistles group, so where was Theron?


    Somehow, both Dorian and she got the same idea at the same time. But¡­


    The Fire Mana in the air was thick, and she had a group of Firewings with her right now. There was only one logical decision to make.


    She unsheathed her sword, her hair fluttering with sparks of Fire Mana as her intent bloomed.


    "KILL."


    She charged without hesitation. Regardless of what was going on here, securing the region was the most important.


    Since they had the advantage in environment and landscape, how could they not?


    **


    Theron wasn¡¯t having that great a time despite the fact his plans were going well. With the eruptions happening so continuously, plus the rampage of the beast, he was doing everything in his power to both remain hidden and unharmed.


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t a Lava Mancer so he couldn¡¯t just bend the molten walls out of the way. He had to crawl through them back the way he came.


    He thought about trying to follow after the Lava Imbued Beast as it left the region, but there was no way he could take that sort of risk. Plus, the beast closed up the tunnels after it, and that would likely put Theron in even more danger.


    Theron stopped, bracing his body and pooling more Mana into his protective covering.


    A concentrated burst of steaming waters shot over him and he used the momentum to jet forward, clenching his jaw hard.


    Luckily, the density of his Mana was simply off the charts¡ªnot just in terms of actual weight, but the sheer amount of it he had.


    A normal Ninth Resonance Bronze Mancer like himself would have run out of Mana after the first wave and had no choice but to sit here and die.


    But this was already the fourth time it had happened and Theron had yet to use up even a third of his Mana.


    That said¡­ if things continued like this, he might not have enough Mana left to do what needed to be done once he reached the top.


    ¡¯The environment will definitely be a problem. The Firewings will have a huge advantage.¡¯


    Theron already knew this¡­ but he took this path anyway.


    There was no going back now.


    BOOM!


    ¡¯It should have just reached the surface¡­ perfect.¡¯


    **


    Ironvale stood on a mountain peak, calmly looking at things from above. There was a chilling indifference to the scene before him.


    Fires erupted with such fervor that even from the several kilometers away he was, the walls of heat still blasted against his face, making his blade sing and his hair dance back.


    Then he watched the beast unearth itself, plumes of fire and a roar that could separate the clouds coming from its maw.


    Something big was happening, but should he even go?


    All of his enemies were down there and it only seemed natural to take the step. But¡­


    Ironvale¡¯s head suddenly tilted to the side as he received a message.


    ¡¯Oh¡­ I guess there¡¯s no choice, then


    Experience more content on


    He raised his hand calmly, his blade suddenly falling to silence and then calmly landing in his palm.


    Ironvale arched his blade back and then¡­


    BOOM!


    It shot out like a cannon from his hand.


    Bending his knees, his indifferent expression suddenly became one of unprecedented focus and almost¡­ madness.


    BANG!


    He launched himself forward, the tips of his toes landing on the soaring blade. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he crossed the several kilometers that separated himself and the battlefield.


    Once more raising his hand, his sword flickered, landing in his palm as he plummeted down from above.


    BOOM!


    His knees bent slightly as the ground quaked, waves of earth rising out in all directions.


    Ignoring all the chaos, Ironvale moved, heading right for Dorian as though he couldn¡¯t sense the Lava Imbued Beast lock onto him at all.


    Dorian¡¯s expression changed, not having expected such an entrance. Even worse than that, since when could Ironvale fly? That changed everything¡ª.


    DENG!


    Ironvale flicked his blade to his back, blocking a dagger thrown from an unknown young woman of the Firewings.


    Predictable.


    Even if they were at each other¡¯s throats before, the moment he appeared, they would surely turn their attention to him. It was only natural, he was the only Ninth Silver Resonance Mancer here.


    But did schemes matter when you were strong? There was not a single thing here worth his time other than the beast behind him. But it was too stupid to even touch a single hair on his head.


    Ironvale brandished his blade, calmly exhaling a breath as white-gold began to envelop him.


    [Luminescent Rain].


    He would show them what a High-Tier Silver Resonance Technique taken to Adept Mastery looked like.


    All of a sudden, the heavy concentration of Fire Mana in the air was stripped out of the control of the Firewings.

 Chapter 162: New [Top 10 in GT Bonus]

    Ironvale¡¯s sword didn¡¯t move at first. He stood there, in complete silence. The geysers faded away, as did the heat. In the world, there was only him and his sword.


    And then a resonant hum filled the skies. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He outstretched his blade, foggy remnants of steam colored with white gold Luminescent Mana pooled.


    His Luminescent Rain might have only been at Adept, but [Luminescent Blade]¡­ he had long since risen both the Bronze and Silver portions to Consummate. He breathed with his sword. It wasn¡¯t just an extension of his arm, it was his life.


    And when it killed¡­


    It filled him with warmth.


    He took a step forward.


    From the start of the rain of Luminescent Mana to this instant, it seemed as though several seconds had passed, and yet it was all in an instant.


    He appeared before Dorian, his sword slashing down.


    Dorian had already prepared an attack, roaring out. And yet, Ironvale just felt far faster than he was prepared for. If not for the fact he had formed the formation ahead of time, he would have seen the reflection of his death in that black iron blade.


    No, even now, he could smell it lingering in the air, holding onto him as though it might take control and refuse to let go.


    If not for his fianc¨¦e stepping to his side, he would have lost himself to that scent.


    Soul Mancer.


    Ironvale wasn¡¯t a Metal Mancer at all. He was a Soul Mancer.


    An incredibly powerful one that had grasped Sword Resonance.


    How had he managed to hide this for all this time? Even in the tower, he had never used it a single time.


    "I¡¯ve got you!" Vaeilina called out, a violet Mana blooming from her.


    Dorian reacted in kind, his sickly green Mana instead.


    Striking a balance with one another, the Manas pooled into one. When they brandished their heavy blades, it was as though they too had gained a Blade Resonance of some sort.


    They slashed down together.


    Before they even clashed, Ironvale could sense the difference. Their poison¡­ it was like a cancerous stream, seeping into Manas and corrupting it into their control.


    When this poison path was matched with the Luminescent Sect¡¯s methods, it was akin to giving tiger wings. What was [Luminescent Rain] if not a similar method?


    Suddenly, Ironvale felt as though his control was being restricted somewhat.


    ¡¯They came prepared.¡¯


    Deng. Deng.


    The heavy blow Ironvale had been preparing slowed and became light strokes, deflecting both blades at once.


    "Keep attacking from a distance!" Dorian called out to the young Firewing. He didn¡¯t know what her name was, but it was clear that she was the only other one on this battlefield that could stand with them against Ironvale.


    The woman didn¡¯t reply, but she began to throw out daggers toward Ironvale¡¯s back.


    ¡­


    ROAR!


    The Lava Beast, seemingly forgotten, smashed its head into the ground, rolling around and causing streams of red gold, molten rock to seep out like waves of a lake.


    The Imbued Beast shouldn¡¯t have lost its mind to this extent. But the truth of the matter was that it was in great pain. The Fire Soul within it was rampaging about.


    It had given it too much Mana out of instinct, and now it was suffering because of it. The ember had grown out of control, but the beast didn¡¯t have the Fire Soul Core needed to take hold of it, causing it to flail about in its body as though it might swallow it whole.


    Off to the side, Thessa was on the fringe of the battlefield, surrounded by protectors from all sides. But her eyes hadn¡¯t left the Imbued Beast from the moment it appeared.


    She could feel it. Her Fire Soul fragment was in its body.


    Had it swallowed one of her people? That would explain it¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t explain why the Fire Soul fragment had grown so powerful.


    Unfortunately, this didn¡¯t seem to be the birth of a Fire Soul like she was hoping. But that didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t benefit.


    If she fused this amplified Fire Soul fragment back with the main body, she would still skip several tiers of cultivation at the very least.


    But how? Should she wait for it to kill itself? Or should she try to take control of the flame from a distance and kill it from the inside out?


    The risk was high. If she acted, the beast would almost certainly sense her.


    Imbued Beasts were incredibly instinctual when it came to Mana. Right now, Thessa didn¡¯t even want to use her Fire Soul in case the beast sensed the core in her and came after her. At that point, she would just end up screwing things over for her faction.


    She had to be patient, to wait and bide her time. Given how much damage the beast was taking, and how severely it had lost its mind, the odds that it could continue for very long were low.


    Once it died, she¡¯d be the only one that could control the fragment. At that point, victory would be certain.


    Her gaze shifted to Selena in the distance, clenching her fists. Her retainer was fighting on a knife¡¯s edge. Ironvale was simply too powerful.


    However, they had known that when they came in. They were just waiting for their own opportunities to use their own trump cards.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯


    Thessa felt that something was wrong.


    The ground was still rumbling, but¡­


    Her eyes widened, her head snapping back toward the beast. The roars, they had stopped. No, worse than that, her connection to the Fire Soul had been severed. That could only happen if¡­


    Standing on its four feet, it glowered ahead, its head scanning each one of them one by one as though wondering why the hell there were so many people in its territory.


    Deep in its eyes, flickering flames danced, and the aura of the Lava Beast suddenly climbed to an unprecedented height.


    Quasi Gold. Continue your journey on


    Thessa¡¯s pupils trembled.


    A new Fire Soul had successfully been formed.

 Chapter 163: Don’t Disappoint [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Ironvale sensed the change second, only after Thessa herself. There was a solidity to the light in his eyes now that hadn''t been there before. This certainly changed everything.


    If the creature was lucid, and now had such a huge power-up, even he might not be able to get out of here alive.


    Suddenly, everyone changed tactics once again. From Ironvale, their target became the Lava Beast.


    At this point, there was no running. If they turned tail, nothing but death would be waiting for them. As geniuses, and veterans of battle, they understood this implicitly without anyone saying a single word.


    Still, they all cursed in their hearts.


    Why did it feel like the worst possible situation was happening every time?


    ¡­


    Theron felt the changes calmly, having just reached the surface not long ago. He had only been able to guess at certain things before, but now he could sense the situation clearly.


    Things seemed to be going even better than he expected.


    He hadn''t known for certain that the Lava Beast would succeed, but he had his educated guesses.


    The difference between a Fire Soul and a fragment was something quite important: life. One was half a living creature while the other was just a powerful flame.


    Logically speaking, the bridge that was missing between the latter becoming the former was, well, life.


    The creatures of this world seemed to have the unique ability to ingest Bloomstone and use their abilities directly. While this seemed simple enough on the surface, there was a reason Theron had linked it to his odd bloodline abilities so immediately¡ªif it even was a bloodline.


    Raw materials usually needed to be processed before they were useful to the human body. This required experts like alchemists to add the guides that would allow the body to use them the most efficiently.


    While raw materials like herbs could be ingested directly, in most cases you would waste a vast majority of its medicinal properties. For raw materials like Bloomstone, the body couldn''t even begin to digest it to begin with, so the only path forward was death.


    In order to bypass this, one needed a bridge between one''s Life Mana and the raw material. Usually, one''s digestive system would do the processing, breaking the item down into its bare form and then integrating it. It could be said that the digestive system was the only natural way of adding or subtracting from one''s Life Mana other than cultivation itself.


    This was a complex field of Mana Science that could very quickly get even more complex, but the short of it was that for the beasts of this world to do this, they needed a special sort of connection in their body that allowed their Life Mana to process Bloomstone so directly¡­


    A unique level of control over Life Mana, if you would.


    And didn''t such a thing sound eerily similar to Theron''s ability to integrate an Echo directly into his body rather than his Core? Or his ability to control the balance of liquid in his ears? Or to cast spells with his blood?


    If these creatures had such a unique ability with Life Mana, then maybe, just maybe, they might be able to exchange their own with a Fire Soul fragment, awakening it in an unprecedented way.


    From the reactions of the Lava Beast, it was clear that it had almost died in the process. But because it had taken Eruption Bloomstone before, its vitality was incredibly high.


    This was all to say that Theron had figured out how to do something that even the Firewings couldn''t. Even if it had a very high chance of failure, he had done it nonetheless¡­


    A process to farm Fire Souls.


    It was a shame that he wasn''t a Fire Mancer, but that was hardly relevant. That was because the situation was about to change once more.


    Dorian thought Theron had fed the Lava Beast three pieces of Resonate Bloomstone, when in reality he had only fed it two. But that also wasn''t the main point.


    Resonate Bloomstone''s function was to amplify Mana. It was burned through as it functioned, and the more Mana one had, the more Resonate Bloomstone one would need to trigger the necessary changes.


    The Lava Beast had a great amount of Mana, but even that wasn''t the point. That had already been accounted for by Dorian and the Thistles. It was all part of their plan, and since so many things had been cut short by Theron, the odds that the Bloomstone would run out any time soon were near zero.


    Unless, of course, there was another huge draw of Mana on the Resonate Bloomstone. And wasn''t there a convenient, recently evolved Fire Soul ripe for the picking and ready to do exactly that?


    Theron had no way of knowing exactly when it would happen because he wasn''t sure of Dorian''s initial plans. But what he did know was that the Lava Beast would run out of steam far sooner than any one of them could possibly expect.


    One might think, then¡­ why would Theron ever want this? The stronger the beast, the better for him, no? All of his enemies were here right this moment.


    But that was meaningless to Theron.


    As powerful as the Lava Imbued Beast was, these people had come here prepared. There were too many of them and the beast would inevitably fall, though there would surely be casualties.


    But who cared for casualties if the actual important parties didn''t fall?


    If they finished fighting a battle of attrition, there was no doubt that in the end, the three parties might choose to retreat and lick their wounds. Then eventually, people would put puzzle pieces together and he would be the one left holding the bag.


    But, if while they were working together, in such close proximity, the beast were to suddenly falter¡­


    ''I know you know how to take advantage of a situation, Thistle. Don''t disappoint me.'' S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was quite interesting, no? In all these geniuses that sided with Dorian, there wasn''t a single leader amongst them that was a Thistle? Was someone as cunning as Dean Thistle really leaving such a valuable chance to the mere vassals of his Clan?


    And then it happened.


    The group charged their attacks, ready to launch yet another blow toward the Lava Beast, only for it to suddenly sway, its eyes glazing over for a moment before its scales erupted with blood as though it was imploding from the inside out.


    The charged attacks rushed forward, slamming into the beast and ripping it to pieces.


    They were all stunned at once, not understanding. They had just been toeing the line of life and death, only for this to happen? Were things really just going to end like this?


    The Lava Imbued Beast landed on the heavy shell of its back, its chest splitting open as a fiery pillar rose into the skies.


    The Fire Soul. It was free.


    The eyes of the geniuses all flashed. Fire Mancer or not, a Fire Soul represented a significant sum of money. How could they give up such an opportunity?


    The instant it was free, though, the Fire Soul dashed away, rushing into the tunnels. Right now, it was nothing more than a bundle of instincts. It would run to where it was most comfortable: the highest concentration of Fire Mana it could find¡­


    And that happened to be located beneath their feet.


    Theron watched on silently as everyone chased after it, scanning them one by one before he slipped back into the geyser.


    It had been a while since he assassinated someone. He''d have to get a few to make up for it.


    But, he had also found who he was looking for¡­ the Thistle lurking in the dark. In a moment of surprise like that one, it was impossible to hide the truest intentions in your heart.


    ''So it was you. Interesting.''


    It seemed that being a street rat had its perks.

 Chapter 164: Eruption

    "Man the perimeter!" Dorian roared out as he dashed ahead toward the Fire Soul. As he looked back, he gave Jodie a pointed look that made him stop in his tracks.


    Gritting his teeth, Jodie had no choice but to stay behind. He knew what Dorian was asking of him. Now that they had this excuse, it was the perfect time to set up their original formation.


    Dorian and Vaeilina worked best together, and it was only natural that, as the third strongest of them, he remain behind. Plus, he didn''t stand a chance against even one of them, let alone both of them at the same time.


    In this case, he got the short end of the stick and could only accept it.


    "Princess, stay behind!" Selena spoke out in a rare instance, dashing after them as well.


    Of those here, Thessa had the highest chances of subduing the Fire Soul. But she was too weak to get involved in this sort of battle.


    Thessa hesitated, but in the end, she remained in place as well. She trusted Selena. The two of them had practically grown up together despite the age gap. With her going, if the Fire Soul was retrieved, Selena would do the right thing.


    The only one here who could seamlessly integrate with the Fire Soul without missing a beat was her. If they could do that, victory would be certain.


    Plus, as a Firewing, Selena had an advantage the other three didn''t¡ªa Fire Mana affinity.


    As for who the third was, that was, of course, Ironvale.


    In a blink of an eye, the three had vanished.


    Thessa''s head snapped toward the direction of the Thistle faction.


    "Stop them from doing whatever they want to do!"


    Thessa didn''t care what the plans of the Thistles were, or how they would execute them. All she knew was that she had to stop them.


    But to her surprise, they suddenly fanned out. Directed by Jodie, they vanished in all directions.


    Thessa bit her teeth, hesitating. Jodie might have been last ranked amongst the Core Disciples, but he was still a Core Disciple. Without Selena here, dealing with him would require at least three of their best to ensure that nothing went wrong and there were no casualties. But it was difficult to both deal with him and stop the others at the same time.


    Clearly, Jodie knew this. Because he was the only one amongst them all that didn''t move.


    Ultimately, Jodie knew how to play his role well. He forced Thessa''s hand. There was no way they could allow him to just roam freely and pick them off one by one¡ªwhich was exactly what would happen if they fanned out to deal with the enemies around them.


    "Reland, Joesii, Popsy¡ªtake him down. I will support from the back."


    The three were her protectors and hesitated upon hearing the order until they heard that she would remain nearby. Since there were still two others, it should be fine.


    "Yes, princess!"


    They rushed out, pincering Jodie from three sides. There was no choice but to try and decide this battle quickly.


    ¡­


    DENG! DENG!


    "The Firewings are quite shameless," a disciple sneered, his eyes dashing about as he seemed to be looking for something. "This is the Nightingale Province, not your playground."


    "Oh? You know it''s the Nightingale Province too? Why don''t you wag your tail and get your masters to scram out of here, then?"


    "You''re really asking for it."


    "What? You know how to speak but can''t take it yourself? As expected of a lapdog."


    "You¡ª!"


    Chi.


    The sound was so silent neither heard it even until their deaths.


    Theron appeared silently and vanished without a word. Their bodies hadn''t even fallen to the ground before they were lit on fire by the heat. Without their protective covering, even Silver Fire Mancers wouldn''t last long in this region.


    How could he not take advantage?


    ¡­


    Theron was like a specter on the battlefield. The constant eruptions of steaming geysers made visibility low, and with the Mana being so volatile, Third Eye was likewise incredibly limited.


    Using the underground tunnels, Theron seamlessly moved from place to place.


    The strongest were only Third Resonance Silver Mancers at best. In a situation where Theron had to assassinate them, it only took a single stroke of his blade. It only made it easier that they were locked in their own battles.


    The numbers continued to slowly decline, but no one seemed to notice. It wasn''t just sight that was so limited, but hearing as well. How could they notice the battlefield getting quieter and quieter when there was another eruption every few seconds?


    ¡­


    ''It should be here¡­'' a disciple under the Thistle''s faction hurried away from the corpse of a Firewing he had just managed to deal with. Bending down, he pressed a palm into the ground, sensed for a moment, then nodded.


    After this, he brought out a piece of Bloomstone.


    Eruption Bloomstone.


    He made a move to start digging into the ground, but just as he was about to focus on this task, his expression changed.


    It was too late. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His head fell from his shoulders, and Theron caught a piece of Eruption Bloomstone.


    This was already the 17th he had collected, making him extraordinarily curious. What exactly were the Thistles planning on doing with this?


    ''Anything that requires using Bloomstone like this would require an incredibly deep understanding of the Forbidden Spell associated with it. But as far as I know, no one has that understanding aside from maybe the Patriarch himself¡­''


    What Theron didn''t know was that the Forbidden Spells were mostly a mystery even to the Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect. But that would only go to prove his point all the more.


    ''Unless¡­ they learned something from the Verdant Bloomstone? No, it shouldn''t be that either¡­''


    Then it clicked for Theron.


    He knew from the start that the Thistles were very interested in the Sect. That was why he knew giving Dean Thistle the Verdant Bloomstone would set things in motion and save his life.


    But what he hadn''t thought enough about was exactly why they were so interested. Or in this case, how had they come about gaining this interest?


    ''The Eruption Forbidden Spell was amongst the old guard of Forbidden Spells already unlocked before I got there. Could it be that it was a Thistle that gained it?''


    Theron felt like he had just gained an important piece of the puzzle.


    With a step, he vanished again.

 Chapter 165: Run

    Thessa tried her best to follow the battle. Although she had said that she would support from the back, the speed was too much for her. While she could still track it, attacking precisely was another matter entirely.


    She had decided fairly early on that she would simply pose a threat, remaining a shadow at the back of Jodie''s mind. If she ever actually attacked, the fourth-ranked Core Disciple would find out pretty quickly that she wasn''t actually a threat.


    As for the two guards by her side, she knew they wouldn''t attack even if she told them to. With three of them gone, their focus right now was definitely her safety first and foremost. They were on high alert for anyone that might try to sneak attack them.


    In this low visibility, they were even more on alert than usual.


    That was why when a young man suddenly appeared to their backs, they noticed him the moment the vague outline of a shadow took shape.


    They immediately turned, their blades brandished. The sound of unsheathing weapons caught the attention of the three protectors locked in combat with Jodie, but they didn''t have the luxury of seeing what was going on.


    The shadow suddenly accelerated. When they felt its aura, their expressions all changed at once.


    What was going on? That aura, it was at least of the Fifth Silver Resonance. But there shouldn''t be anyone here that powerful outside of the Core Disciples and Selena. Did Dorian or Vaeilina return?


    The two pivoted, standing shoulder to shoulder to protect Thessa''s back.


    Thessa looked as well, feeling taken aback by the change as well. But she realized along with the others that it wasn''t Dorian or Vaeilina at all.


    ''This isn''t good¡­''


    The figure''s face was covered, but their strength was true.


    Unlike Dorian and Vaeilina, Thessa''s two protectors might have quite some experience in fighting together, but the fusion of their strengths wasn''t nearly as seamless.


    BANG!


    And much like Thessa had thought before¡­ against an opponent so powerful, they would need three.


    The two protectors stumbled back, barely managing to stop the first assault. But they were quickly put on their backfoot as a flurry of attacks ensued.


    By the third exchange, they knew that things would never go their way.


    "PRINCESS! RUN!"


    Thessa''s expression changed, clenching her fists hard. She bit into her lip so hard that blood trickled down, falling into a line down her chin.


    There was no time to hesitate.


    With a step, she launched herself out and to the side. The unknown figure tried to rush after her, only for her protectors to block the way like their lives depended on it.


    There was only one way out of this. She needed the Fire Soul no matter what.


    "PRINCESS! NO!"


    Thessa didn''t look back, launching herself into one of the many geyser openings. She had been paying close attention all the while. She knew that this one had erupted just recently, and this would be her best chance.


    Fire pulsed around her as she seemed to become a flaming woman, disappearing from sight.


    ¡­


    Thessa fell fast and hard, but the increase in Fire Mana also made it easier for her to sense things around her. Unlike others, because she was a Soul Mancer who veered into the path of Fire Mancy, her senses were naturally far stronger, as was her Third Eye. Compared to Theron, who took advantage of the concentration of water vapor to extend his own sense, hers were still ten times better, clearer, and wider in range.


    Unfortunately for her¡­


    Thessa sensed the figure and the fist instantly. She realized that it was Theron a moment after.


    It was just that it didn''t seem to matter in the slightest.


    She slapped out with a palm, not having time to pull out her sword. Falling through the air still, she pulled on her soul and activated her Fire Soul, the blazing aura around her becoming even more violent.


    The fist collided with her palm, but rather than feeling like she had just rebounded against a great force, it was almost like punching into a cloud.


    The fist''s elbow bent and Theron''s body pivoted in the air, causing her to overextend herself as he drove a knee right into her gut.


    Thessa''s mouth opened, her tongue practically flailing out of the opening as all the wind in her body was knocked out.


    She keeled over, but the strength of the knees caused her downward momentum to slow and Theron''s to speed up¡­ and that only added strength to Theron''s oncoming elbow.


    She felt something heavy and sharp slam into the back of her skull. Her world spun and in those last moments, she couldn''t believe it.


    How had she¡­ lost so easily again?


    Her vision went black.


    ¡­


    Thessa awoke to a painful tug of her hair.


    The first thing she saw was a cold pair of blue eyes staring at her. Somehow, despite the cold indifference on Theron''s face, it looked as though he was using every fiber of his being to hold back from killing her right then and there.


    She couldn''t even understand it¡­ she was the one that should hate him for everything he had done. What had she done to deserve this sort of hatred?


    Her heart shuddered at the thought. Could it be because of Soren and Teagan?


    Thinking of those two, she bit her lip even harder than before to hold back the tears.


    She had no idea that Theron couldn''t have cared less about that.


    "You will help direct me to the Fire Soul. You will be silent and obedient, or you will not only lose your life, but your dignity."


    Theron truly didn''t care about the deaths of those two, or why Thessa had done it. But he could guess.


    In all likelihood, she didn''t have a choice. He had been tricked before, but not to the point that someone could make him think they cared about someone they didn''t. He didn''t believe that.


    That meant that to Thessa, protecting her reputation right now was worth the life of two people she called friends. And that was something he could use. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially if he was going to set a trap to kill a duo of Core Disciples and a Chosen.

 Chapter 166: All or Nothing. [Top 10 in GT Bonus]

    Thessa froze beneath Theron''s gaze. She saw chilling murder in her reflection, a steely will that didn''t match the delicate, almost gentle face before her.


    He had yet to even grow into a real man, and yet the soothing cadence of his voice and his small stature did nothing to belie his masculinity.


    It filled her with a fear, a thought that she couldn''t do anything but what this man asked.


    "Good."


    She didn''t even reply before Theron said these words. It came from a depth of confidence that didn''t need to be explained.


    "It''s in my best interest that you continue to live for now. So do as I say and you will leave here. Now point me toward the exact direction of the Fire Soul every time you sense it, and give me the exact distance¡ªapproximations of the latter are okay. But if I feel like you are misdirecting me with the former, you will suffer for it."


    After saying these words, Theron let go of Thessa''s hair.


    Somewhat stiffly, she pointed.


    "Go." Theron pointed to one of the tunnels to the side. Though oddly enough, it wasn''t the most direct one to the direction Thessa had pointed out. "I will follow behind you."


    Thessa could only do as she was told. She had no idea what was wrong with her body, but her mind couldn''t seem to muster up the will to defy Theron at all.


    There were no bindings on her body or her soul. But it felt like even if she suddenly launched a sneak attack, it would be worthless.


    Something told her that Theron wasn''t making her go on ahead because he feared an attack from the back either. It served a completely different purpose.


    And when they ran into the first pressurized rush of steaming air, she found out why immediately.


    If she was behind Theron¡­


    She would have died.


    Thessa''s heart shivered uncontrollably.


    How had Theron known where she would be? Why did this chaotic battlefield feel like it was completely under his control?


    When she first thought of Theron, she had pressed down the impulse. She wanted to believe that she was just paranoid, but now she was second-guessing everything.


    Was it really him pulling strings from the very start? Was that masked figure his doing too? Did he know who it was, at least?


    Feeling Theron''s gaze on her back, she suffocated her own thoughts, somehow scared that he would read even them.


    Did Theron know who that figure was? Of course, he did. It was none other than a familiar street rat.


    Theron knew that the moment all of this chaos was triggered, the best way to take control of this situation was with Thessa. But the Firewings wanted to protect her, and thus wouldn''t easily let her put herself into such danger.


    When an opportunity presented itself, the cards that the Thistles had left in the dark would certainly take action. As expected, that was exactly what they had done.


    At that point, Thessa could make two choices: run away or dive off the deep end. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The smart choice, regardless of what her retainers wanted, was most definitely the latter. If she ran away, the street rat would most definitely catch her and it would end the same way.


    Now, all the cards Theron needed were in his hands.


    He would end all of this soon.


    ¡­


    Minutes later, Theron came to a stop. According to Thessa''s last report, they were 40 meters from the Fire Soul. The problem was that the distance she pointed toward was right beneath them and through what was likely two or three meters of heavily tempered rock.


    This location wasn''t just a strong concentration of Fire Mana, but the much less permeable Earth Mana as well. The rock that could survive these temperatures and remain solid was incredibly tough. Only the Lava Beast could so easily bend them out of the way, which was why they were crawling on their bellies now instead of chiseling their way through.


    But Theron had already known this.


    The tunnels through here, he had already been around several times between getting to the Lava Beast in the first place and then completing his assassinations.


    He had picked this path out on purpose.


    Theron fell into silence, slowly rubbing his Mana-protected palm over the heated surface.


    In blacksmithing, there was a process known as quenching. It was a technique where hot metal was rapidly cooled in a bath, making the metal incredibly hard. But, also¡­


    Very brittle.


    ''Yes, it can work,'' Theron thought after sensing for a while.


    Then, as though he hadn''t just spent several minutes in the same location, he began to crawl forward once again.


    ¡­


    Another several minutes later, Theron appeared at an entrance hanging off the wall of the underground world of lava. His shoulders were just barely wide enough to make it through the exit.


    He hopped down. Thessa had already gone ahead, flames billowing around her. By the time they got to this point, even with Theron''s protection, she was burning through Mana at an alarming rate. She had no idea how Theron had managed all this time as a Bronze Mancer.


    Could he be hiding his cultivation too?


    Theron looked off into the distance where he knew the Fire Soul would be. But by now, they were already separated by more than just a few kilometers.


    "Go toward the Fire Soul," Theron said calmly.


    Thessa''s pupils trembled. She grit her teeth, but in the end, she listened.


    If Theron was going to use her as bait like this, it would also be her last chance to turn the situation around. In the end, there remained just the slightest hint of defiance in her heart¡­


    So long as she didn''t meet his gaze.


    She didn''t look back, and with a step, she launched herself forward.


    What she didn''t see was that Theron wasn''t even looking at her. Instead, he was staring at the Bloomstone in his palm.


    ''¡­ All or nothing.''


    Theron popped it into his mouth.


    Next bonus chapter at 900 GTs. Currently at 848

 Chapter 167: Neat [Golden Ticket Bonus]

    Dorian and Vaeilina moved around the tunnels as best they could, relying on their union to fight off the streams of hot air that threatened to char them to ash.


    They weren''t sure of the exact location of the Fire Soul, and they also knew that Ironvale had certainly made a move. Unwilling to run into him too soon, and unknowing of exactly how to get to the location they were looking to get to, they could only do one thing¡­


    Go deeper.


    While Ironvale had his great strength, and Selena had her Fire Mana affinity to rely on, they had their own advantage: that being an understanding of the landscape.


    They had scouted out this region long ago, and over the course of several openings to the Secret Realm. Plus, they had a rudimentary understanding of Fire Souls.


    Thanks to this, they knew enough to know that if there was anywhere the Fire Soul was going to go, it would be toward the largest concentration of Fire Mana in the region.


    The only place that could be would be the depths of the volcano-like region.


    Down below.


    So, as they weaved through the tunnels, they always chose the path that seemed to go downward. Although this wasn''t perfect, and they ran into several dead ends, they were slowly but surely getting closer and closer to their destination.


    And then they finally saw it, a light at the end of the tunnel, an endless sea of red gold laid out before them.


    ''It should be up ahead.''


    Dorian looked back to his wife-to-be, and they communicated with their eyes alone.


    Without a word, he pulled himself forward, clearing the last.


    Their exit hole, much like Theron''s, was attached to a far-off wall. In the expanse of vibrancy, it was very easy to pick them out. But that also went for everyone else.


    The fact that the sea of red gold below was so open was both a detriment and a help. They would be exposed to their enemies, but they would also be able to spot anyone almost immediately.


    They landed on the lava, their eyes scanning the region. Standing shoulder to shoulder, their Mana was already churning. Their plan was really simple¡­


    While they weren''t Fire Mancers, they were Mancers. They could feel the variety of Mana nonetheless. From a far-off distance, they couldn''t possibly pick it out. But here, they would be able to sense the differences in Fire Mana concentrations.


    All they had to do was head toward the place it was highest.


    What they didn''t expect was to see a figure streaking in the distance, rushing toward one particular location.


    Thessa.


    Their eyes sharpened. This was the last person they expected to see, but given how she had dared to expose herself like this and what they knew of her, they didn''t hesitate.


    With a burst, they rushed ahead, their speed blazing compared to the newly advanced Silver Mancer.


    Dorian realized about halfway through that the sea was too vast. It would be hard to tell exactly where Thessa''s destination was. But he dismissed the thought quickly. All he had to do was follow the line she was following now and he would eventually find the Fire Soul.


    Mana coated the bottom of his feet as he pressed down hard. The sea of red gold rippled, but its density was far higher than that of water. Dorian knew that he could get away with it.


    It was only the slightest of slip-ups, the smallest of hitches in his and his fianc¨¦e''s communication. She was already prepared to accelerate once more as well, more than ready to follow her fianc¨¦e''s lead. In another blink, they would have been basically shoulder to shoulder once again.


    But that briefest of instances was enough to decide life and death.


    The sea of red gold beneath them rippled, a scythe of cool blue appearing. It was so out of place in the sea of red gold that it felt blinding.


    But the result was even more so.


    Vaeilina continued to rush forward, not realizing what happened even until the end.


    Her face slowly slid off of her head, a clean cut from the bottom of her jaw to the top of her skull.


    Dorian seemed to realize that his wife didn''t follow after him as quickly as he expected, only to look back to find half of her brain reflected back at him.


    But it was only for the briefest of moments before she was charred to ash.


    His steps lagged and he almost stumbled. His mind buzzed, not quite understanding what was happening.


    His wife-to-be¡­ dead? Just like that?


    What? How¡­?


    A scythe came for him.


    Honestly, he didn''t know how he had managed to react to it at all. His chest just felt hollow and nothing was working properly. But the original attack had been for his wife, and he was up ahead. With his speed, although he slowed to a stop, it was still a separation of several dozen meters.


    But even though he barely blocked, still in a daze, it sent him flying off of his feet.


    Powerful.


    So heavy, so dense¡­


    Was this really water?


    Wait, water?


    A figure almost levitated out of the sea of red gold, lava pooling to the sides and steaming off of him as though it had just come into contact with something even it couldn''t quite burst into a fiery heat.


    And then the last of it fell off.


    Dorian''s eyes widened when he saw the face. He didn''t believe it for a single instant of time. Nothing, not even in the deepest depths of his soul could have allowed him to accept what he was seeing now.


    Theron.


    He stood there, his Mana so radiant and blinding that he looked like a bright blue star in the midst of the magma.


    And yet, it was all so perfectly controlled, so tidy, so neat. As neat as the stainless sword that had just taken his future wife''s life. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dorian''s mind collapsed and he unleashed a furious roar, his Mana pooling out in waves that caused the lava to ripple like violent tides.

 Chapter 168: Silent

    DENG.


    Dorian crossed the distance so fast it almost felt like he flash-stepped, an ability that only Light Mancers should have had. But he had poured so much Mana into his legs that the lengths of his pants splintered apart, a ripping energy jetting out of him.


    Theron blocked, or so it seemed. His wrist twisted just the slightest bit, his short sword parrying Dorian''s blade to the side.


    His movements seemed almost heavy, labored. Yet his dagger was as swift as darkness swallowing the light. Akin to one burying one''s head under dozens of meters more of water, it streaked across the blinding red gold in the shadows.


    Dorian barely curled his body out of the way, but the overextension of his arm in his first attack left him wide open. Theron''s dagger missed, but his short sword slipped into Dorian''s guard, slicing a gash right across his chest.


    The Valebane genius tried his best to pivot to the side, but it wasn''t fast enough, the blow leaving blood and bone exposed.


    Pain spiked in Dorian''s senses, but it did nothing to deter the rage that filled his mind. His fury pressed against his skull like pressurized steam looking for an escape.


    From the moment Theron appeared, he knew that he was outmatched. No normal Bronze Mancer could kill a Fourth Resonance Mancer in a single blow, taken off guard or not. It was made even worse by the fact Vaeilina was actually in the Seventh Resonance and had all the skills, bodily strength, and reflexes of one.


    Whatever Theron had done to himself, he was on a level even beyond Dorian right now. The only way to win was by taking risks.


    So he put everything he had into this maddened attack, playing every bit the part of the infuriated lover. He didn''t need to pretend at all, feeling as though his heart was splitting in two, like one half of it had long left him.


    But it would be enough.


    It had to be enough.


    As Dorian fell back and to the side, trying to curve out of the way of Theron''s blade and fall to the lava at the same time, he knew that he would die. He didn''t know how Theron had done it, but entering the lava with their cultivation should have been impossible. Concentrating enough Mana to protect their feet was already taking everything he had. Protecting his entire back was a pipe dream.


    But he would take Theron with him. That he was certain of.


    Dorian''s mouth opened, his tongue flickering. It looked like he was bellowing out yet another enraged roar, but a needle as a tenth the thickness of a single strand of his hair shot out.


    Silent but deadly.


    Too often, people looked at the structures of his and his wife''s bodies, seeing how fit and stout they were, and forgot that they were truly Poison Mancers.


    Unfortunately for him, Theron never forgot.


    It was only a slight tilt of the head, an action so subtle and fluid that it seemed as though he had already seen ten steps ahead.


    The needle whizzed by him before its Mana ran out. Unable to hold out against the heat, it was incinerated to ash.


    Dorian''s back collapsed into the pool of lava, his eyes opening wide. He had wanted to see the needle go through Theron in his final moments. So long as he could see that, it would be enough. Just a small nick, even¡­


    But the opportunity he had wasted his life for failed.


    He tried to pour more Mana into protecting his back, but he had known that it would be useless from the very start.


    The bits and pieces of his cobbled-together Mana shield shattered on impact and then his body was swallowed whole.


    Theron never even sent a third attack. It was like he knew the moment the first combination was finished, the battle would likewise be over.


    He sent a glance toward where Thessa was still running and then, slowly, he sank back into the streams of lava. One would hardly know that he was in a quasi berserk state. Even the redness of his face was only slight.


    So far, everything was going as planned.


    He and Thessa got here first because he was both familiar with the tunnels and had her as a guide. If he was only concerned with getting here, he would have gotten here even faster. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dorian and Vaeilina got here second because they had familiarity with the tunnels as the Thistles had already mapped everything out.


    Which meant¡­ Selena would get here third as she was the one with the best Fire Mana senses of them all.


    And then finally¡­ there would be Ironvale.


    The top of Theron''s head vanished, his eyes having reached an impossible state of true focus.


    ¡­


    Thessa''s heart was beating out of her chest when she first noticed Dorian and Vaeilina. But the end result left her almost wanting to stop and vomit on the spot.


    Her stomach was doing flips in her body, her heart thrumming so wildly it almost felt like it might shatter her ribcage just to escape.


    She couldn''t believe what she was seeing at all, so much so that she had no idea how her feet had continued to carry her forward. She believed it even less when she finally got to the location of the Fire Soul and Theron still didn''t appear.


    Half of her felt like he might suddenly appear beneath her, taking her head off just the same way he had taken Vaeilina''s.


    But that didn''t happen.


    Did he¡­ was he actually giving her such a chance? Didn''t he¡­ didn''t he understand what it meant?


    Thessa grit her teeth.


    Do it.


    Do it now.


    Thessa''s Fire Soul bloomed, coming out of her forehead like a spinning lotus.


    Sensing the new source of Fire Mana, the ignorant, immature second Fire Soul shot out of the lava of its own accord, hovering before Thessa''s forehead curiously¡­


    ''Now!''


    Thessa focused everything on this moment. If she died, then she died.


    But if Theron made such a mistake in his calculations, allowing her this opportunity, she would make sure he suffered for it.


    The lotus suddenly expanded, swallowing the second Fire Soul whole.


    BOOM!


    Thessa''s dantian felt almost like a heavy stone had fallen into a calm sea.

 Chapter 169: Suffer

    Thessa''s body seized.


    She knew that this would happen from the very start. That was why she likewise knew that this would be a make-or-break moment for her.


    If Theron wanted to use her as bait, and this was part of his plan, then he would also be the one to protect her.


    While her body integrated with his Fire Soul, she wouldn''t be able to move a single inch. If she let up for a single moment, it would be her soul that was swallowed by the Fire Soul.


    One of a Fire Soul''s favorite "snacks" was the souls of those with strong fire affinities. Of course, Thessa''s Fire Mana affinity was only average. She was a Spirit Mancer, not a Fire Mancer.


    However, this was precisely what made her so shockingly powerful.


    Even as a Spirit Mancer, she was still born with the Firewing Bloodline. Usually, this would make her an invalid, an abandoned genius by her Clan.


    But to the Firewings, this was a celebratory affair. It had been a very long time since the last Fire Spirit Mancer was born in their Clan.


    Having an average Elemental affinity while not being an Elementalist was impossibly rare. And it was even rarer to have a method of taking advantage of it on top of that.


    Thessa had both.


    This was all to say that the true goal of the second Fire Soul wasn''t to swallow Thessa''s soul, but rather what resided in it¡­ the original Fire Soul it was born from.


    If it succeeded in doing that, it wouldn''t just be a matter of Thessa losing all the cultivation she had built up. This Fire Soul had long integrated with her.


    To start, Thessa integrated with a Bronze Fire Soul. When she was ready to step into Silver Mancy, she found a Silver Fire Soul. The two fused into one and reformed the very foundation of her soul.


    Right now, they acted as both her Echoes and had a strong tie to the core of her soul.


    If the original Fire Soul was taken over, Thessa''s body itself would fall into the control of the second Fire Soul. For all intents and purposes¡­


    She would be dead.


    In a moment as pivotal as this one, she needed absolute focus and couldn''t be distracted.


    On one side of her, there was death¡­


    On the other side¡­ there was also death.


    Right down the middle, an impossibly thin blade''s edge resided. It was what she would need to balance to maintain her life.


    She pressed down all the fear, all the anxiety, all the angst. So long as she could succeed¡­ so long as she could take this step¡­ she could change everything.


    **


    Selena honestly didn''t know how she died. Not for certain.


    Her last memories were that of seeing Thessa in the distance, focused on absorbing the Fire Soul.


    At first, she was stunned, then horrified, and then ecstatic. If they could succeed, then everything would change. But she also had no idea why Thessa would even be here, and part of her thought that it was an elaborate trap, a projected illusion of some sort.


    So, even though she saw Thessa, unlike Dorian and Vaeilina, she didn''t rush toward her immediately. There was also no rush either. With how wide open the landscape was, any enemies would be clearly seen.


    Unfortunately, while she didn''t make the first mistake the late couple had¡­ she made the second: assuming that no one could hide within the lava itself.


    Her body froze as a blade passed through her back, shattering her heart to pieces with a burst of Water Mana. She didn''t even see the person until the very end, not understanding what was going on.


    Where had this person appeared from? How come her Third Eye didn''t pick up on them until the last moment? It couldn''t be that¡­


    She looked down, her gaze passing over the short sword in her chest down to the sea of red gold beneath her feet.


    He came¡­ from there?


    "Thess¡­" she said softly, her lungs too shattered to produce more air for a louder shout. "¡­ Run¡­"


    She tried her best, but she knew that Thessa wouldn''t hear her. Even if she shouted at the top of her lungs, it wouldn''t have mattered.


    In the sort of focused state Thessa was in, the world itself could collapse around her and it wouldn''t have shaken her awake.


    Selena burst into a rain of fire and ash, sprinkling down and vanishing.


    All the while, Thessa wasn''t even aware of what was happening. Maybe she could guess that this would occur, maybe she knew that it was inevitable that she was sacrificing yet another friend of a lifetime for this opportunity¡­


    But what choice did she have but to be used? To suffer and carry this weight until she had the strength to control her own fate moving forward?


    Theron slowly sank into the lava once again.


    There was just one man remaining, and he would kill him just the same.


    **


    Blood, that was all there was. Or, that was all there would be if it didn''t incinerate the moment it left the body of its host.


    The masked man and Jodie stood over five corpses, the latter looking toward the former with a frown as though still trying to understand who he was. But after a while, Jodie lowered his gaze and didn''t dare to look any further.


    Was there a need to consider this much further? The dense Wood Mana coming off of the man more than painted the picture.


    "Is the formation set yet?" a gruff voice came from behind the mask.


    "I don''t know." Jodie replied hesitantly. "But it should be close." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was only one way to know for certain. They made a move to go and check, only for their expressions to turn to frowns.


    Dead.


    They were all dead.


    Every single last one of them.


    And the Eruption Bloomstones they should have had with them had vanished into the wind as well. Just what happened here?


    They went to check across the various locations, only to find nothing at all.


    But then they looked into the distance at the same time.


    What happened? Why was there a large number of people moving toward this location all of a sudden?

 Chapter 176: Thank You

    Theron didn''t let his guard down as the calm, beautiful smile. There was something particularly innocent about the woman''s gaze, but after what he had realized, he was even more cautious.


    Plus, it also didn''t help that the only person to truly pull the wool over his eyes in his life also happened to be an innocent little girl that looked like she couldn''t harm a fly¡­


    Only to turn out to be a 12-year-old Silver Mancer.


    Truthfully, Theron didn''t need the recent reminder to be cautious at all.


    "It has been a while since an Elementalist has made it here. I am very happy. What is your name, little brother?"


    Theron''s gaze flickered before he responded in his usual gentle tone.


    "Rain."


    "Is that so?" the woman smiled a meaningful smile. "How coincidental, I didn''t think that I of all people would be the one fighting it out against an assassin."


    "I will be fighting you?" Theron asked.


    "Well, not me, per se. But a version of me, I guess. Which version, though¡­ I guess that would depend."


    Theron frowned inwardly, not sure what this meant. The woman was speaking in cryptic, hard-to-decipher language.


    It was the sort of challenge he hated the most, because he wasn''t even meant to understand her in the first place. That, though, only made him more focused.


    "Hoho, little brother is very focused. In that case, I won''t waste your time anymore."


    With the same smile, there was a ripple that came from the young woman, and soon she was radiating a dense Water Mana.


    Theron raised an eyebrow.


    If she had always been a Water Mancer, he would have sensed it long ago. It was more like she had become one.


    Was she trying to match him, or something?


    Theron''s body moved before his mind understood clearly. He shifted his head to the side, dodging a [Water Bullet].


    It had manifested right in front of his face and hardly had the time to accelerate.


    But it didn''t seem to matter.


    The young woman blinked. It seemed that even she was surprised that Theron had managed to dodge.


    A second [Water Bullet] came, and then a third.


    But when the fourth tried to form, it froze, stalling out. Water sputtered in the air and fell impotently to the ground.


    The second and third [Water Bullets] slammed against Theron''s body, only to seamlessly fuse into his Mana skin, vanishing without the slightest hint of an impact.


    "You¡­"


    The young woman was already having difficulty hiding her surprise, but now it was even more exaggerated.


    She seemed to forget that she was in the middle of a trial at all, her wand almost falling out of her hand.


    Even when Theron raised a finger and drew it across the air, she was a step late to react.


    A [Water Scythe] tore through the air, appearing before her in a blink.


    She hurriedly raised her wand, a defensive ward forming.


    Theron tilted his head to the side.


    Wands weren''t rare. In fact, Elemental Mancers that used normal weapons like Theron were actually on the rarer side. That was mostly something Soul and Flux Mancers did.


    The reason why Theron had rarely run into such people was because the Nightingale Province tended more toward weapon users. But that wasn''t necessarily true across the world.


    As someone that had lost himself in books for much of his formative years, Theron was well aware of this.


    Even so, he didn''t have much actual experience with such existences, and that showed.


    He felt as though the control over his [Water Scythe] was about to be ripped apart.


    But the young woman was halfway through¡­


    When she failed.


    The [Water Scythe] she was so confident in dealing with was formed of Mana far denser than anything she had ever seen from a Bronze Mancer.


    She was torn in two.


    Blood splattered and silence fell.


    Then, slowly, the blood faded away, as did the two halves of the young woman''s body.


    She seemed a bit pale, but mostly just more surprised than anything else.


    "¡­ You are¡­ something else, little brother."


    She chuckled eventually, and then her eyes lit up.


    "Honestly, there is no point in continuing the rest of the tests. I do not understand why you are so powerful, but it''s clear to me that you''ve transcended the level of a Bronze Mancer. If I''m bound by fairness, there is no test here that will pose any challenge to you."


    ''She''s lying¡­'' Theron concluded.


    Maybe it was because the woman was a bit flustered, but her ability to hide her true thoughts was significantly handicapped.


    She wasn''t lying about there being no challenge here for Theron. She was lying about her level of surprise.


    Was she surprised at his strength at Bronze Mancy? Yes.


    But she didn''t believe that there were no others capable of this. No, more accurately, she knew exactly what it meant for Theron to be capable of this.


    What was inexplicable was¡­ why? Did she know about the oddities going on in his body?


    What Theron didn''t know was that she was completely ignorant of those things. Instead, she was enamored by something completely different. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, tell me little brother. Will you take the rewards for the Bronze Mancer? Or will you attempt to take those of the Silver?"


    The eyes of the woman were sparkling.


    This time, Theron''s frown appeared on his face.


    He realized something else¡­ it wasn''t that the woman was easier to read because she was flustered, and seeming¡­ excited, now?


    No, it was also because she was still in her Water Mancy form. Somehow, Theron found that he could read her intentions much more clearly because of this.


    He stared at her silently for a long while before he slowly opened his mouth.


    "No, thank you. I will take the Bronze Mancy rewards I''ve earned and won''t overextend myself."


    The woman''s eyes opened wide in shock. She was so looking forward to the answer that she forgot to consider the possibility of Theron saying no.


    It was only for the briefest of instances, but her face twisted with rage.

 Chapter 177: Etching

    Theron''s gaze didn''t so much as flicker when he saw the woman''s rage. He had a guess in his heart, and if he was correct, he had made the correct choice.


    There was no one in the world that could just decide what Mancy Path they were. These four statues looked like they were set up as real people, but they were likely incredibly far from that reality.


    It was more likely that they were item spirits.


    Much like Imbued Resonances, Theron had only caught faint snippets of this concept. He wasn''t even really sure what level of treasure you had to be to reach this stage, or how to even create them, but what he was certain of was that these projections weren''t real people.


    As a result, they were certainly bound by rules, rules set by whoever created this realm and also whatever bound their treasures.


    The words of the woman were very carefully chosen.


    Will you take the rewards of the Bronze Mancer? Or will you attempt to take those of the Silver?


    There didn''t seem to be anything wrong with them, but rarely did anyone ever just refer to Mancers as "Silver." Most times, one would say Silver Mancer or Silver Resonance, at the very least.


    The use of "take those" was also quite vague. It was like she had front-loaded all of the information, trying to get Theron to make his own assumptions and fill in the gaps of the latter.


    Honestly speaking, Theron wasn''t some mind reader, and though he thought he was intelligent, just this sentence alone wasn''t enough to get him to feel that something was wrong. Instead, it was the fact that he had felt something wrong first that he grasped the other problems.


    This was the first time he had faced another Water Mancer in combat. That was to be expected; Water Mancers weren''t usually adept in battle, they were most often in the backline acting as support healers.


    That was why he was confused¡­ was he always able to read the emotions of Water Mancers so easily? It practically felt like this woman''s mind was an open book.


    She was plotting, scheming, sinister down to her very bones.


    And she was filled with killing intent.


    But Theron couldn''t understand why.


    What he was clear about were two things. He didn''t actually need to face the Silver Mancy challenge at all. He was a Bronze Mancer, not a Silver Mancer. Because he had cleared it as a Bronze Mancer, all of the rewards available would obviously, likewise, be accessible to him.


    What this treasure spirit was trying to do was to get him to challenge the Silver Mancy version of herself of his own volition. In fact, because they hadn''t specified which level of Silver Mancy, he doubted that she would just choose the First Resonance either.


    The second thing he was sure about was that she wanted to kill him because of his talent. And he wasn''t sure how that aided her at all.


    Sure, he had heard of taking over bodies before¡­ mostly in fairy tales and stories. But even assuming that it was possible, a treasure spirit was bound to their treasure. One of the fundamental laws that governed them was that they would always be.


    It was hard to fathom how it would even take advantage of his body even if Theron presented his neck to it.


    "¡­" The young woman paused and then cleared her throat. "¡­ Are you sure, little brother? You know, all the great geniuses of the world love to take on challenges."


    "I''m sorry. I will have to disappoint you." Theron said lightly.


    Once again, her words didn''t allude to exactly what she wanted.


    "I¡ª."


    "Please take me to my rewards." Theron interrupted.


    The body of the young woman stiffened. As though compelled by something, her body was ejected, the projection jetting through the air and slamming back into her statue where her aura completely vanished.


    Theron frowned as he watched this, still not understanding why she was so adamant about his life. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he didn''t get a chance to consider it much before the moons above began to rotate. As they moved, the world seemed to shift.


    The ground beneath his feet slid, but he felt like he was still in place. But his vision warped and twisted just the same.


    And then it all came to a stop.


    Theron found himself standing in the middle of a library truly endless and unfathomable in scope.


    ''A library¡­?''


    As much as Theron liked books, he certainly couldn''t stay here his entire life, and even worse, these weren''t the sort of rewards that he had risked his life for.


    He had gone through all this trouble in hopes that he would find the resources he could rely on to reach Gold Mancy as quickly as possible.


    Everything he had learned about this Secret Realm, either directly or indirectly, told him that it was harboring a great secret.


    Maybe that secret was in these books. If there was anyone that understood the power of knowledge, it was certainly him. But¡­


    This just wasn''t enough. No, more accurately, it wasn''t fast enough.


    Theron took a breath and calmed himself. Then, he began to do the only logical thing.


    Walk around.


    Who knew if there was something else?


    Slowly, he made his way through the library, lines upon lines of bookshelves as tall as 20 meters up shimmering beneath the moonlight above.


    There really didn''t seem to be anything here other than books¡­


    Until Theron made it to the center.


    There, there was a wide space, circularly in form, and carrying the etchings of a complex magic circle.


    It reminded him of a Forbidden Spell.


    ''Hm?''


    Maybe it was because he had been staring at those booklets for so long, but this etching felt familiar.


    Theron raised his head to the nine moons above, his eyes narrowing.


    ''¡­ Interesting¡­ how do I align them? Do I just need to wait for their cycles to complete?''


    Theron looked down from the nine moons, picking out nine nodes in the formation beneath him.

 Chapter 172: How

    Theron exhaled a heaving breath.


    He had known from the start that he would be under a great disadvantage. When the battle started, he had two main goals. First, he definitely had to deal a severe injury to Ironvale from the very start. Second, he had to take the sword no matter what.


    Others might not have noticed, but Theron most definitely had. He knew that Ironvale was a Soul Mancer from the beginning¡ªwhat wasn¡¯t obvious was what his path was.


    That was¡­ until Theron saw him throw a sword in the air and ride it across over a kilometer of air. By then, the answer was obvious. Ironvale was a Soul Mancer that followed the bound treasure path. And the sword was anything but common.


    If Theron was correct, it had been handed to him by the Patriarch almost certainly.


    Theron knew that if he couldn¡¯t accomplish these two things, he would lose. Eruption Bloomstone wouldn¡¯t work well for him because it was far more suited to Flux Mancers. He had to rely on Resonate Bloomstone, but before he killed Dorian, he only had his hands on one.


    The good news was that he had more now. The bad news was that he still didn¡¯t dare to carelessly take more than one if he didn¡¯t have to either.


    His Meridians had grown enough that they could withstand a Resonate Bloomstone with surprising ease. He hardly felt much pressure at all. But if he took another, he would likely start suffering some damage to his foundation, and that was unacceptable to him for now.


    So the question was¡­ if even after the first two things were accomplished, how had he managed to kill Ironvale?


    Two of the tenets: controlling the battlefield and keeping your cards close to the vest.


    From the start, Ironvale didn¡¯t understand Theron¡¯s full scope of sensory abilities. Theron was just a Bronze Mancer, and though his aura had grown exponentially more powerful, Ironvale was a Soul Mancer with sharp senses as well. He knew that Theron was still only using Bronze Resonance Mana.


    As such, Ironvale knew that Theron couldn¡¯t possibly have a Third Eye. To add to this, every time Ironvale used a misdirection method, Theron fell for it. Though Theron always managed to save himself from lethal damage, he had suffered more than once.


    That made Ironvale even more certain in his assessment.


    But the truest cherry on top¡­


    Theron looked up to the hole in the ceiling.


    He had controlled the battlefield from the very start.


    Ironvale didn¡¯t have time to consider how the shattering in the ceiling even happened. But if he did stop to think about it, he would have begun questioning many things.


    How had Theron, who was obviously hidden in the lake of lava, controlled the destruction of a ceiling?


    The answer was that, ironically enough, the ceiling and those rocks were the only true forms of Mana control that Theron could exert here. Even after Theron entered Veinsong, he hadn¡¯t been able to sense the true essence of Water Mana well enough to flow into his Water Mancy blade style properly¡­


    And yet, he somehow controlled rocks?


    Back then, when he stopped, he was checking out the sort of rock that was above this space. After confirming it would work, he marked it.


    The rocks in this region were under a constant state of pressure. Not only was the moisture content in the air incredibly high, but so was the heat.


    One of the reasons wilderness experts warned about casually heating up rocks found by riversides was because they could easily explode, but this time, Theron was using the opposite principle.


    He didn¡¯t want the rocks to rapidly heat up; he wanted them to rapidly cool.


    The problem was that he didn¡¯t have the Mana quantity or quality to do that¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Until he ate the Eruption Stone.


    The real reason Theron couldn¡¯t cast Water Mana here wasn¡¯t because he was so suppressed. Even if he was suppressed, with his control, he would be able to cast at least something as simple as [Water Bullet].


    No¡­ the real reason he hadn¡¯t been able to was because he was depleted. He had channeled almost all of his Mana into those rocks above. Then, controlling them from a distance, he used his Water Mana to rapidly absorb all the heat in the rocks and their surroundings.


    The sudden change caused them to shrink relative to the rock around them, and the tempering process made them incredibly brittle.


    The end result was them shattering and falling like rain from above.


    But once this happened¡­


    Who said Theron lost control of them?


    His Water Mana had saturated them. All he had to do was protect them from the heat around them no differently from how he protected his own body. With them protected, his Water Mana wouldn¡¯t evaporate, and he would still have control over them.


    If you permeated a material with enough of your element, controlling it was theoretically possible. But maybe in the history of Bronze Mancers of this province¡­ Theron was the first to succeed in such a thing.


    By now, the rest of the story was too easy to grasp.


    Ironvale thought he could pull the wool over Theron¡¯s eyes, only for him to run full speed into a boulder. It might not have been enough to kill him, but it definitely shook his brain and concussed him, causing a lag in his reaction.


    It wasn¡¯t a blow he had seen coming, so he couldn¡¯t even brace himself.


    By then, cutting off his head was as easy as flipping over a palm.


    As for what Theron meant by he didn¡¯t have to risk it, well¡­


    His gaze shifted to Thessa.


    Theron sheathed his short sword, not even bothering to look for his dagger. He knew it was molten metal along with his hand right now.


    It was time to go.


    He flipped a palm, popping a Bloomstone into his mouth.


    As he vanished into the distance, seemingly forgetting about Thessa, tendrils of white gold began to wrap around his body, rapidly healing his wounds¡­


    And regrowing his severed forearm and hand.

 Chapter 173: Unmoving

    The sound of battle echoed in Theron¡¯s ears as he walked away from it. One would have thought that it had nothing at all to do with him. Everything had been under his control from start to finish, and this would be no different.


    Jodie and the masked figure were stuck in a battle of life and death, trying to fend off the group of disciples that Ironvale had called forward. In fact, they had probably been blamed for all of his assassinations as well.


    A true shame for them.


    But they wouldn¡¯t be the last to suffer because of this.


    **


    Thessa suddenly gasped like a fish out of water.


    Her aura began to skyrocket, from the First Silver Resonance to the second, and then from the second to the third, and then fourth.


    It was such a violent, and yet controlled breakthrough that only started to slow when she reached the Seventh Silver Resonance.


    She sat there in complete shock, both basking in the feeling and wondering how things had ended up like this. Theron really let her succeed? Did he make a mistake and underestimate how fast she could finish?


    Her confusion wasn¡¯t cleared, but she knew that she had no choice but to rush her way out. No matter what Theron¡¯s reason for this mistake, she would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Maybe this meant that Theron was in some sort of trouble and she could take advantage. Maybe Selena was even still alive.


    ¡¯Please still be alive


    Thessa jumped, leaping into the hole in the ceiling as jets of fire flickered beneath her feet. She barely made it, grabbing hold of the ledge and pulling herself up.


    Then she began to crawl. From this location, she knew the direction out.


    However, in the back of her mind, the uneasy feeling was only increasing. She had remembered Theron feeling out this region before¡­ just what had he planned? And was all of this actually exactly what he wanted?


    Thessa clenched her fists. Regardless, this changed everything. It should have taken her half a decade, if not more, to reach this stage. Her being this strong now¡­ would throw a wrench in a lot of people¡¯s plans.


    Once she gained control of this new power, the gap between her and the crown prince would infinitely shrink. She would see if he still dared to control her with such impunity in the future.


    Strength.


    Her knuckles turned white beneath the strain, the highly resistant earth crawling beneath her sinking and melting with every clawing motion she made to pull herself forward.


    And that was when it dawned on her.


    Was that exactly what Theron wanted?


    The thoughts consumed Thessa until she made it to the surface, only for the sound of battle to overwhelm her.


    "Another one!" A roar came.


    "Get her!"


    "Kill her!"


    Thessa¡¯s eyes widened. What the hell was going on?


    Suddenly, she was surrounded from all sides by a sea of disciples.


    Wasn¡¯t the Secret Realm supposed to be highly limited in entry? Where had all these people come from? Was this the true trump card of the Luminescent Moon Sect?


    She grit her teeth as she understood something.


    Theron didn¡¯t just want to use her to occupy the Nightingales and the crown prince, he also wanted her to deal with these people for him too.


    As for where he had gone? Probably to calmly collect his treasures.


    Thessa should have been enraged beyond the point of reason, but surprisingly, she exhaled a calm breath.


    ¡¯Thank you.¡¯


    She closed off all her other thoughts. She had been used all her life; what was the problem with being used one more time? The difference was that this time¡­ she had been granted true power.


    She could only hope for Theron¡¯s sake that he didn¡¯t regret this in the future, because very soon¡­ she would be making quite a lot of people regret things.


    In this sea of disciples, they might have quantity on their side, but there wasn¡¯t a single existence above Sixth Resonance here.


    Wasn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity to get used to her new strength?


    **


    As Theron walked, he held the black iron sword in one hand and the Verdant Bloomstone in the other.


    He rotated the black iron sword in his hand, but¡­ he found nothing special about it.


    ¡¯Just like father¡¯s sword


    Theron wasn¡¯t a fool. He knew that there was no way Raiden took his father¡¯s sword just for the sake of it. As far as Raiden was concerned, he had crippled Theron back then, so what good was it to take a useless sword if he didn¡¯t need it?


    ¡¯There must be a reason the Lightning Mancer could sense the difference and I couldn¡¯t¡­ but also, I¡¯ve used father¡¯s sword in front of many Silver Mancers before, especially during the assassin trials. Why did only he figure it out? There must have been a special circumstance.¡¯ S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron swung the sword, trying to get used to its balance and his new hand at the same time.


    As expected, swallowing Vital Bloomstone had healed him. But unfortunately, it seemed it would take a bit of time before his severed hand was back up to its previous strength.


    The good news, though, was that his body wasn¡¯t focused on its strength as he wasn¡¯t a Flux Mancer. The gap he had to make up was much smaller. Even better than that, his Immortal Jellyfish Echo was working wonders, he just needed to get out of here and move to a region with Water Mana he could actually take advantage of.


    He would need to top up his Core before he took the next step.


    With everything handled¡­ he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be disturbed as he calmly took what everyone was going after for himself.


    Whatever secrets this Secret Realm had would be his.


    **


    Patriarch Gian sat in silence, staring at a soul lamp that had extinguished what felt like moments ago, but had already been several hours.


    From time to time, a vein would throb on his forehead before it returned to a state of calm. His eyes, though, were as unmoving as the night sky.

 Chapter 174: Blooming Heart

    Soul lamps were uniquely special items. On the one hand, any Clan worth almost anything would have some, even those too insignificant to be considered minor nobles¡ªClans that didn¡¯t quite have true noble status, but had made their way in the world in other ways.


    But, on the other hand, they could scale to shocking degrees.


    The vast majority of soul lamps could only work within certain ranges. Because of this limited range, it was hard to tell when or if someone died at all unless they did so within said radius. If an important member of a Clan planned to leave this range, they would often have to take an amplifier of some sort with them.


    There were many cases of such members of Clans leaving for too long, causing their soul lamps to extinguish. If they ever returned, they would have to reignite them.


    A tier higher than these soul lamps were ones that worked anywhere in the world. In the Nightingale Province, such powerful soul lamps were only available to those with the wealth of Marquis Clans at the very worst. And even for them, they would often only use them on key pieces of their Clan while using normal soul lamps for all the others.


    Even at this tier higher, though¡­ such soul lamps could never cross the barrier of a Secret Realm to decide who had died within it and who survived.


    However, Patriarch Gian¡¯s could.


    Unfortunately, that was all that it could do.


    Detecting a death in the Secret Realm was already the limitation of this soul lamp, and yet its expense was hundreds, even thousands of times more than that of the tier beneath it.


    All it could tell him was that Ironvale had somehow died despite all the advantages. And worst yet¡­ he had no idea who had done it.


    No, that wasn¡¯t the worst part. The worst part was that this person almost certainly knew of the weaknesses of soul lamps and knew that they could get away with it.


    If they also made sure that there were no witnesses, although Patriarch Gian might be able to guess at what might have happened, he would never know for certain.


    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a matter of trying to cut corners. This soul lamp¡­ was already the strongest in the Nightingale Empire. If he had wanted to give Ironvale a stronger one, well¡­


    Only those Behemoth Clans would have such a thing.


    If he had the sort of resources they did, would he even be in this situation in the first place, though¡­?


    **


    ¡¯I don¡¯t think I like dual-wielding swords. There¡¯s not enough variety. But for now, it will have to do.¡¯


    Theron slowly got used to the black iron sword, but he decided that dual-wielding two swords wasn¡¯t for him. Technically, the black iron sword wasn¡¯t the sort he liked the best either.


    He preferred swords that had blades that were two feet long at the longest. He also liked them to have straight edges without any curve or taper. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The black iron sword was mostly straight, but its tip angled into a defined, though symmetrical point. The main issue, though, was that it was closer to three feet long and it was quite heavy.


    It was definitely a Silver Resonance weapon created for a Soul Mancer, which meant that it would need a Soul Imprint¡ªsomething that could only be formed with Third Eye.


    This made it doubly useless to Theron, at least on the surface. Without a Soul Imprint, it wouldn¡¯t display its true strength.


    Theron would still use it for now because it was incredibly sharp and durable, far more so than any of his other weapons. But he looked forward to returning to his dagger-wielding ways.


    A dagger just gave him more control, more flexibility, more agility. It was a nice change of pace.


    If he wielded two swords, it felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to tap into his Water Mana Blade Resonance nearly as easily.


    Maybe that was just an illusion, but it was a gut instinct Theron trusted in.


    ¡¯This should be it Theron thought to himself.


    His steps came to a stop, and there was a complete silence around.


    There was a rock formation ahead that almost looked like the rounded seats of a coliseum depressed into the ground. But after a second and third inspection, it seemed more like a curious pattern of erosion.


    Theron pulled out the Verdant Bloomstone once again. It was slightly warmer to the touch now than it had ever been before.


    After some thought, he tossed it forward.


    It tumbled down the eroded steps until it fell into the deepest depression, rolling to a silent stop.


    ¡¯Interesting.¡¯


    Nothing happened.


    Theron nodded, having already expected this.


    He then pulled out the Echo Pill.


    For a long while now, he had been wondering what the purpose of this thing was. He thought that maybe it was even supposed to be used with th secret inside this realm at some point. But the more he thought about it, the less it made sense.


    If the Echo Pill was so important, it wouldn¡¯t have been for Yonowai to get it. It was much more likely that, since it was with the guide to the entrance, it should also be part of how to enter.


    But how?


    An Echo Pill was supposed to be swallowed by a cultivator to help with the integration of an Echo. Not everyone was a Spirit Mancer, so integrating a soul into your body didn¡¯t come naturally. A pill was needed as a medium.


    This left Theron confused for a while until he saw the Lava Imbued Beast swallow a Bloomstone.


    He was looking at things from his own constrained worldview. If one stripped everything back and just thought about the purpose of the Echo Pill¡­


    Could it really be that this Verdant Bloomstone was only meant to direct him here and nothing else?


    Or was it that it too had a power inside of it that had to be triggered? But much like normal cultivators not named Theron Galethunder, this opening needed a little help integrating with the Bloomstone.


    A slight smile appeared in Theron¡¯s eyes, one that he didn¡¯t even notice. He loved stuff like this, it was where his inner child came out. Complicated problems that could only be solved when you took into account every little detail.


    Playing people in the palm of his hands was too easy, he never really cared much for it.


    But this¡­


    He had always wanted to be an Imperial Scholar, locked away in a library reading everything he could get his hands on... This was where his heart bloomed most.


    A burst of light came from the Verdant Bloomstone as the Echo Pill touched it.

 Chapter 175: Hall

    The light was a beautiful green, the sort that made one feel cozy and at home. It spread quickly, runic lines etching itself into the eroded rock until, with a burst, it bloomed into an ethereal tree.


    It had bare branches of the same gentle illusory green, its branches spreading out to bloom sparkling golden leaves.


    While the body of the tree was translucent, it carried a substance to it so heavy and ingratiating that Theron almost felt like he was levitating off of his feet toward it.


    Just before he took an involuntary step forward, he managed to stop himself at the last moment, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡¯What a strong pull


    It wasn¡¯t necessarily trying to control him. The feeling that Theron was getting wasn¡¯t malicious at all. Instead, it more so felt like his body naturally understood that something ahead benefited him a great deal.


    Interestingly enough, it should have been the actions of the Immortal Jellyfish despite the fact there wasn¡¯t a particularly great increase of Water Mana in the region.


    In fact, it seemed closer to Wood Mana than anything else, though it wasn¡¯t quite that either. It was just a supremely strong, vitality-filled Mana.


    ¡¯Well, there¡¯s no going back now.¡¯


    Theron walked down the steps slowly as illusory plants of green and gold continued to spontaneously form, spreading out.


    When he reached the bottom, he continued to walk forward until he walked right into the thick trunk of the translucent tree, vanishing.


    Silence fell in the region, the beautiful scenery growing until it got right to the edge of the depressed rock formation.


    It waited there, sitting for a long while as though hoping that someone else would come.


    But no one did.


    A depressed sigh seemed to echo through the air, and as though deflating, the beautiful foliage began to retreat. In its wake, the rock crumbled further.


    The energy of the Verdant Bloomstone and Echo Pill ran out, and soon everything was gone.


    All that was left behind was more crumbled, eroded rock.


    Near the very edge of it all, the grass that once surrounded it wilted, withering away. The scent of death filled the air.


    **


    Theron felt a flash in his eyes, blinding and carrying quite some permanence. His body tensed as it took several seconds for the flash to finally leave him, clearing his vision enough to see what was ahead of him.


    A hall.


    Or was it? It was hard to describe it that way. It was almost more like an observatory, but it carried the grandiose air of a palace¡¯s entry and hosting area.


    Up above, there was a domed ceiling of glass that reflected the night sky, the stars, and nine moons that seemed¡­ far too close to be natural, and yet felt every bit as real as any moon Theron had ever seen.


    The moons reflected various colors, each one slightly different from the last, variations of pinks, violets, and blues.


    Theron found himself staring at the blue ones for longer than usual, feeling like he quite liked the color for some odd reason.


    Shaking his head, Theron looked ahead and saw the four statues that truly made this feel like a grand hall. They must have been at least 50 meters tall, if not more, but this wasn¡¯t what truly caught Theron¡¯s attention.


    ¡¯Soul


    One statue was that of a woman. Her breasts seemed almost exaggeratedly large, something that Theron wouldn¡¯t even bother to take into account if not for the fact she wielded a staff she pressed right between them, resting the smooth orb that adorned it at the peak of their crevice.


    ¡¯Spirit


    The next statue was of a man. His eyes were particularly dark and murky, like a swirling mass of blackness. His features were sharp, and his stature was the shortest of them all.


    Looking at it, though, one would wonder why Theron had concluded Spirit Mancer. The man looked far more like an assassin, countless blades sheathed on various locations on his body, not to mention the straps that almost certainly hid more lethality.


    ¡¯Flux


    Another man. He was calm and unassuming, not carrying the bulkiness of many Flux Mancers, and even having a bow strapped to his back.


    Theron¡¯s pupils couldn¡¯t help but tremble when he looked at this bow. It felt like some unknown danger had locked onto him, like it didn¡¯t matter how far he rushed away, he would find an arrow through the heart regardless¡­


    Almost subconsciously, Theron¡¯s head snapped back to the large-chested woman and the Spirit Mancer. He stared at them intently until he felt it, a looming mass that hung overhead, so far and away stronger than himself that nothing he did could ever allow him to catch up.


    The assassin made sense. He did this all his life.


    But the woman¡­ she was even more deadly.


    Those sweet eyes and that dripping-with-honey smile. She looked like a big sister that would rather starve and tremble in the cold than let her younger sibling go with food or blankets.


    Yet, she was no less dangerous than the archer who arrogantly displayed his prowess.


    Theron¡¯s eyes slowly shifted to the last.


    Elemental


    A woman. Barely taller than the assassin, she stood in silence, her hands hidden beneath long sleeves and her head adorned by a pointed witch¡¯s cap that hid much of her eyes. She almost seemed to be asleep, but when Theron watched very intently, he just barely managed to see the tip of her wand pointing out from her thick sleeves.


    Dangerous. Every one of them was dangerous.


    The hall rumbled.


    The Elemental Mancer woman¡¯s head slowly tilted up until her hidden eyes locked onto Theron.


    Theron¡¯s heart seized. He didn¡¯t know why, but in this place, he was having a very hard time controlling his emotions like he usually did. But he also had no idea why.


    Was it because he had truly never come across people so powerful before? Or was it something else?


    The woman¡¯s statue pulsed, and a projection formed out of a neutral Mana, descending until she faced off against Theron, standing at just a half-inch or so taller than him.


    She smiled. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 178: Hum

    ¡¯It seems that the answer is¡­ time.¡¯


    Theron didn¡¯t like that answer either. He didn¡¯t want to waste too much time here if he didn¡¯t have to. The Secret Realm would only be open for a short while, and as far as he knew, teleportation out was instant.


    Even if this secret nook of the world was able to save him from that fate, that would actually make things worse.


    He had gone through so much trouble to set up fall guys and point eyes in directions other than himself. If he was the only one that was teleported out late, then it would be like flashing up warning signs that he had gotten something that he shouldn¡¯t.


    The time the Secret Realm spent open wasn¡¯t decided well in advance. No one seemed sure of exactly what might trigger it. But normally, it could be anywhere between a week and a month or so.


    Despite everything that had happened, they were barely heading into the second day. All things considered, even with the shortest timeline, Theron had about six days to figure out what was going on.


    ¡¯There has to be another way


    Just logically speaking, inheritances or secret trials like this only existed because a Sect¡¯s legacy was in danger of disappearing. Considering the state of the current Luminescent Moon Sect, that was all the more certain.


    For such inheritances, safety of those they selected was of the utmost importance. But, that could mean one of two things¡­


    Either there really was a way hidden around here to speed things up, or, in the worst case¡­


    It wanted him stuck here.


    What better way to protect a successor than by shielding them from the world completely?


    ¡¯No, there has to be a way


    Theron wouldn¡¯t give up on this until the very end. Anything else would actually be a detriment to him, so he had no choice but to take on this mindset.


    ¡¯The moons


    Whenever Theron ran into a problem, he often went back to the small details. The details were what normally escaped people when they were often so very important.


    Today, paying attention to the little details, realizing that the statues and their item spirits couldn¡¯t be trusted, had already saved his life this time.


    So Theron thought back to the first feel he had had when he saw the moons. Soon, he had landed on two sensations.


    The first was the closeness he felt to the bluer ones. That¡­ he wasn¡¯t quite sure about, it didn¡¯t make much sense to him. Sure, blue was the color of Water Mana, but it wasn¡¯t like the moons followed the patterns of elemental Mana. They were shades of purple and pink, not red, or brown, or green.


    So why did he feel the closeness he did to the bluer ones?


    Then there was the second sensation. This one had happened much later. After he defeated the young woman, he was transported here. But the method of transportation was very curious. It was like the world was shifting all around him.


    If he recalled correctly, the moons were moving particularly fast back then. But when they stopped, they were in the exact same position as they had been from the start.


    These two things felt almost vapid. There was nothing concrete to glean from them.


    No matter how much he stared at the blue moons, they weren¡¯t clicking with him. And when he thought of the world spinning around him, even if this space had some sort of method to move the moons, it didn¡¯t mean that he would have access to it.


    ¡¯Wait


    Theron¡¯s heart skipped a beat as his eyes locked onto one of the blue moons in particular.


    If he thought about it, he felt just a slight hint closer to this moon than the other blue moons. It was minor, but the uptick in comfort was definitely there when he looked at it.


    But why¡­


    ¡¯It¡¯s identical. It¡¯s identical to the real moon.¡¯


    Theron frowned.


    The moon that hung above the world was this exact shade of blue when it was full. Often, it was a white silver, but on the perfect night, it would become a pale silvery blue instead, not obvious enough that it would feel as though a sapphire was in the sky, but enough that calling it a blue moon wasn¡¯t an exaggeration at all.


    ¡¯Do these moons represent real moons? What does that mean?¡¯


    After some thought, Theron decided to focus all of his attention on the blue moon he felt the closest to. He was so intently trained on it that he didn¡¯t even notice when he slipped into Veinsong. But logically, that was exactly what he wanted.


    At that moment, his Immortal Jellyfish Echo began to react.


    The relationship between water and the moon was well documented. Often, the repulsion, yet closeness that formed between the two was the stuff of lore and legend, and also the reason the moon was so tied in with the concept of yin¡ªmuch like water itself.


    The complexities of the Mana Science behind it were far deeper than even Theron was comfortable with deducing.


    There was a natural push and pull between the two, and as Theron sank into the sensory blanket descending from the moon, gentle waves began to move within his body.


    First it was just his Mana, but then it grew deeper, down to his blood itself.


    Something within him stirred, and for the second time, a gentle aura radiated. His black strands of hair began to emit a mist of delicate pinks, lavender violets, and sky blues.


    But then, something even more shocking happened. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The vague outline of an Immortal Jellyfish appeared to his back, swaying from side to side to the rhythm of the blue moon above.


    At the same time, beneath Theron¡¯s feet, one of the nine nodes lit up.


    Slowly, but surely, the Mana it formed pooled outward, filling the other trenches of complex runes step by step.


    And then it began to pour into the other nodes, first the two closest blue ones¡­ and then the color began to slowly change, shifting and morphing into pinks and purple as the magic circle hummed to life.

 Chapter 179: Who

    Deep in the night sky, a full moon hung. So far away it could never be sensed, and yet so large it almost felt as though you could reach out and touch it.


    There was a subtle ripple across its surface and just the slightest of trembles before it went back to normal.


    But almost the same instant this happened, powerful senses capable of overturning a world shot over one after another.


    They were a step late. It all happened too fast.


    Their senses bombarded against one another in the attempt, reflecting and clashing. There was a hint of rage in each one, but in the end, they chose to restrain and control themselves.


    This moon should have been too far away to sense in this way¡­ and yet these powerhouses had.


    It was hard to tell exactly what they were looking for, though. Or whether they were really just infuriated because their senses clashed with others, or if it was because of something else entirely.


    **


    Black Clan. Black Province. Patriarch¡¯s courtyard.


    A pair of dark blue eyes snapped open. At first glance, they almost looked black as night. But as they regained focus and a Mana so powerful the air quivered awakened, they lightened, sparkling like reflecting black light.


    "Who."


    It was meant to be a question, but as though the man was far too used to being in command, it didn¡¯t come out as one.


    His head tilted up, piercing through the ceiling, the clouds, and even the dome above to set eyes on the moon.


    But it was already gone. So fast, so fleeting¡­ impossible to track.


    There was simply no way that that Sect would have left such an obvious loophole in their plans. The Patriarch bet that even if he had been observing the moon the entire time, he still would have been a step short.


    That inheritance had chosen someone. But the question was¡­ who among the True Chosen was it?


    The Patriarch¡¯s senses swept out, landing on a particular young woman. But seeing that her privacy barriers were up, he didn¡¯t disturb his daughter.


    If they were up, she was either sleeping or taking a bath. They wouldn¡¯t be up during her cultivation because she would know that he would want to step in should she take a wrong path. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That meant that it wasn¡¯t his daughter who had succeeded this time. In that case¡­ it only meant one thing.


    Whoever it was had to die.


    All across the world, countless Patriarchs and Matriarchs alike reached the same conclusion.


    **


    Patriarch Gian continued to sit, staring at the soul lamp before him. A sudden ripple caught his attention and he frowned, staring up to the skies.


    ¡¯Hm?¡¯


    Unfortunately¡­ his senses weren¡¯t as strong as the others. He couldn¡¯t sense exactly what happened just now; he only knew that anything that caught his attention had to be important.


    ¡¯Could it be? Who is it?¡¯


    It seemed that even the Patriarch didn¡¯t know himself that this was the secret that was held by his Sect.


    But what was for certain was that this event would set into motion a great number of things that couldn¡¯t be stopped until they either reached that penultimate moment¡­ or everything boiled over into an Armageddon.


    ¡­


    While the world was in a state of confusion¡ªor at least the highest echelons of them were¡ªthere were some guesses. In fact, many felt that of those with a chance, there were only really three or four geniuses that it could have been.


    All of a sudden, the world focused their gazes on these young heroes while their Clans and Sects went on the defensive. Even if they released news that it wasn¡¯t their True Chosen that had succeeded¡­


    Who would believe them?


    **


    Theron had no idea that so many things had been set off by a simple action on his part. Even now, his body moving and swaying to a rhythm that wasn¡¯t his own.


    No longer was he just standing still, allowing his Mana and blood to move on their own. His body itself had begun to move¡ªfirst subtly, and then in an elegant dance that seemed as though he was gliding back and forth across the barriers of life and death.


    Calm and cool, his aura steadily grew sharper and more stable. He could sense Water Mana now in a way that he simply never had before, the Moon guiding him toward a level of control that existed, quite literally, on a completely separate plane.


    It was intoxicating.


    This level of power, it was the kind he had only ever been able to tap into when it rained. But now it felt like he could touch it beneath the full moon as well.


    Oddly enough, if Theron had been awake, this wouldn¡¯t move him. It rained more often than there was a full moon to take advantage of. But even so¡­ it was the principle of it that just felt different.


    When facing the young woman turned Water Mancer, Theron had felt something peculiar about her wand. She had tried to take control of his Water Mana. Though it had failed in the end, that was only because she ran out of Mana herself. Theron had dozens of times the Mana store a Bronze Mancer should have, and his spells reflected that.


    But what if they had been at an equal level? What result would there have been? What level of control did this embody?


    Theron¡¯s body began to radiate a strong pulse of blue.


    Unbeknownst to him, his Water Imbued Resonance was evolving, improving by steady leaps and bounds until¡­


    SHUUU.


    It was a sound akin to running water, flowing smoothly across soft rock.


    Theron broke through in a way none had ever seen in the Nightingale Province.


    His Water Imbued Resonance took an enormous leap forward, moving from Lower to Middle, and then Middle to Higher, and then from Higher to Peak¡­


    Before it finally became a Water Manaborn Resonance.


    Theron¡¯s strength skyrocketed.

 Chapter 180: Farming Ant

    An Imbued Resonance¡­


    It was known as the marker of a true genius of the Nightingale Empire. Only those with exceptional talent or bloodlines could unlock one.


    Thralix had been just one such existence. And it was precisely because of this that he played such a pivotal role in everything reaching this point.


    However, that was a mere Low Imbued Resonance. Above Low Imbued Resonances, there were still Middle, Higher, and Peak ones. In the entire Nightingale Empire, the only bloodline that could produce a Higher Imbued Resonance was the Nightingale Imperial Clan themselves.


    And yet, Theron had crossed Peak, leaving it behind entirely to form a Low Manaborn Resonance.


    The gap was so shockingly large that it was hard to fathom. Every leap upward was a huge qualitative change. But a crossing of a major barrier was another matter entirely.


    If Theron had been able to tap into this during his battle with Ironvale, there was simply no way he would have needed to go nearly as far to defeat him. In fact, Theron might not even need to swallow a Resonate Bloomstone at all.


    Of course, that would be contingent on him actually having Water Mana that he could use instead of being stuck in the volcanic zone. Even a Manaborn Resonance wouldn¡¯t allow him to control steam.


    In a single bound, Theron had left the Nightingale Province far behind. And yet¡­ as he slowly shook awake, he still somehow felt that there was more.


    Theron almost stumbled forward as though he was trying to step toward a road that had disappeared before him.


    His mind shook and he awakened to what he had just done.


    He had hardly even understood Imbued Resonance, let alone what was a step beyond it. All he knew was that he felt his connection to Water Mana getting even stronger.


    However, he only basked in that feeling for a short while before he understood something.


    ¡¯There are higher levels of this technique. How do I get them?¡¯


    Theron was like a fish out of water, looking for more. That mysterious state he had just entered, his body moving about on its own¡­ it was definitely a Forbidden Spell as well.


    No, it felt different¡­ more complete somehow, and more natural.


    All he did was think it, and then a sea of information flooded his mind. One after another, almost suffocating.


    His skull felt as though it was being split in two. But then the pain vanished as a refreshingly cool liquid spread through his mind.


    Theron¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    He had never experienced this feeling personally, but he knew what it was immediately.


    His Third Eye. It was opening.


    All at once, his mental capacity skyrocketed. His sensory perception elevated, his ability to sense Water Mana took yet another leap forward, and his thoughts and reactions all became far quicker.


    Finally, the information he had been struggling to keep up with became clear.


    ¡¯The [Luminance Moon Cycle]¡­ is this the true core cultivation method of their Sect¡­? Fascinating. But this


    According to what was currently still a surface understanding on Theron¡¯s part, the [Luminance Moon Cycle] was based on the cycle of these nine moons. But, it seemed to imply that the other eight moons weren¡¯t actually of this world. Though, depending on the time of year, they could appear in the skies at some time or another.


    A key part of this technique was actually taking advantage of those times of year so that the other methods could be practiced.


    ¡¯Worlds, huh


    This place was known as the Luminance Library. To Theron¡¯s delight, it was all his own to take.


    The trouble was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do such a thing until he was at Gold Mancy. In order to refine a place like this one, he needed the special quintessence that only Gold Mana could provide. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But what excited Theron was that this library had a great deal of information not just about this Province, or even just this world¡­ but rather information about other worlds.


    Theron didn¡¯t even quite understand the concept or what it could possibly mean¡­ but he knew that he wanted to learn more.


    Unfortunately, as he had said¡­ now wasn¡¯t the time. If he wanted to push himself to the next level of this technique, he would need to wait until the next moon phase in the real world, and that would take another two months.


    There was time for something else, though.


    Theron walked into the middle of the magic circle and closed his eyes. The world began to spin around him once again until it came to a stop.


    When Theron opened his eyes this time, he was in a treasure room. There were no weapons, no item spirits, but instead¡­ there were nine piles of Bloomstone stacked as tall as mountains.


    Echo Bloomstone. Tribulation Bloomstone. Spirit Bloomstone. Resonate Bloomstone. Aberrath Bloomstone. Eruption Bloomstone. Vital Bloomstone. Soul Bloomstone. And then there was a Bloomstone that Theron actually didn¡¯t recognize.


    Most of this list he had known about for a long while, and then there were a few standouts¡­ namely, Soul Bloomstone, which just might hold the secret to why Ironvale had been able to form a sword spirit Echo.


    However, Theron didn¡¯t care about any of this. Looking at the piles of Bloomstone, he knew that this would be his capital to grow into a true powerhouse in a very short time.


    He was especially looking at the Aberrath Bloomstone. What would happen to him if he swallowed it? Would he mute?


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Theron¡¯s eyes shifted to the pile of Vital Bloomstone. No matter what, he would break through to Silver Mancy before he left this place.


    Plus, this Bloomstone also¡­ presented a unique opportunity.


    An opportunity to lay more traps.


    **


    In a distant land, a young man looked into the skies along with everyone else, lost in thought before a light smile spread across his face.


    To think that he would be put under house arrest because of his own doing. Now his Clan wouldn¡¯t let him go anywhere for fear of being assassinated.


    ¡¯Never did I think a little Karma farming ant I set free would put me in such a bind¡­ but go ahead¡­ struggle. This only made things more interesting. Just how far will I break through after devouring you?¡¯


    He and Theron had become the only two to truly know whose hands that inheritance fell into.

 Chapter 181: Do It

    Theron took a seat in the middle of the treasure room without a care in the world. Now that he knew how to leave this place, there was no need to stress about it. He could use this region as a safe haven for his breakthrough.


    The pile of Vital Bloomstone stacked up before him, and initially, he planned on just practicing the dance he had learned from the tower over and over again, but then he had a different thought.


    Swallowing the Vital Bloomstone worked to heal him. Swallowing the Resonate Bloomstone had amplified his Mana a great deal as well¡­


    What about the others?


    His gaze shifted and it landed on the Echo Bloomstone.


    Originally, this was the Bloomstone that the Thistles were likely the most after. With it, one could integrate with an Echo far stronger than they should normally be able to handle. At least that was what Theron had picked up from reading the Forbidden Spell¡­ but it was also deeper than just that.


    Potentially, it could allow one to swap out their Echo after already entering Silver Mancy, and most importantly, it could help one to improve one¡¯s Echo with far greater swiftness. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So what would happen if Theron swallowed one?


    If he was going to break into Silver Mancy, it was in his best interest that his Echoes be as powerful as possible first.


    While he wouldn¡¯t chase a stronger foundation over improvement, if he had the potential for a stronger foundation right in front of him, why not take it?


    Plus¡­ he had a feeling that something interesting would happen.


    ¡¯I¡¯m putting the cart before the horse.¡¯


    Theron closed his eyes and entered a silent state of meditation. He had all these things around him, but he was forgetting about the most important thing.


    He raised a hand to the necklace around his neck and grabbed it. He took a deep, slow breath and then exhaled.


    The opportunity to see what was in this necklace before Silver Mancy might be huge, but it could also potentially be dangerous.


    Do it.


    ¡­


    Theron felt as though his mind was sapped out from his skull. And then he was overwhelmed by completely new sensations.


    The first was a deathly, bone-chilling cold. Dense and dark, it made him feel as though his fingertips were turning back and his lips were being painted in blue.


    But then came the heat.


    Overwhelming and relentless, they ground away at him from two separate directions at the same time.


    PA.


    It all shattered.


    ¡­


    A grogginess hit Theron in waves, but when it faded away, and his eyes opened, he was shocked.


    The moons still hung high above him, but whereas before they felt so very far away, right now it felt like he could reach out and touch them truly.


    ¡¯What¡¯s this


    Before, Theron only felt a certain degree of closeness with the blue moons, but now that same closeness had been extended to the purple ones as well. In fact, the two blue ones that he had ignored earlier reached the same level as the blue moon he identified with the most, while the purple moons rose in familiarity to the level they had once been on.


    It was a peculiar change, and one that Theron couldn¡¯t easily explain.


    But then he felt another change.


    ¡¯My control¡­ it¡¯s gotten even better? What is going on?¡¯


    It took Theron a long moment of meditation before he slowly grasped what was happening.


    His mind¡­ no, his soul, maybe? It had been refined yet again. As much improvement as he had gained from his Third Eye before, right now it was like he had improved by ten times more in a single sitting.


    What was going on?


    ¡¯The necklace, it refined my soul for me?¡¯


    Theron frowned, not quite knowing how to feel about this. He thought that he would get answers.


    A power-up was nice, but he hadn¡¯t even gotten used to the first one before this came. Somehow, it left him feeling far emptier.


    It wouldn¡¯t be until many years later that Theron understood how groundbreaking what he had done on this day was. The difference between experiencing this at Bronze Mancy versus Silver¡­


    Theron took a breath and steadied himself. With a flip of his palm, the Black Limbo Tortoise Beast Core appeared again, and he was ready to alternate between seeing how the Echo Bloomstone could help him while he broke through the rest of his bottleneck. But then¡­


    He only gave the Beast Core a glance when suddenly the second layer formed of 99 runes all reflected in his mind at once. Abstruse concepts he hadn¡¯t been able to grasp before came to him in a flood.


    Instantly, all 99 were imprinted onto his Bronze Core.


    It shrank, and then shrank again, impurities pouring out from Theron¡¯s body one tidal wave after another.


    ¡¯So¡­ easy.¡¯


    Theron watched as his Bronze Core shrunk to the size of a sliver of a fingernail, his breathing remaining even.


    Before, without Third Eye, he could only vaguely feel the changes and observe his Core. But now, it might as well have been hovering right before his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t even have the time to care for or consider just how much more control this would give him. He was too stunned by his leap in comprehension abilities.


    Theron had always been intelligent. That wasn¡¯t him being cocky, it was just an objective truth. But right now, it felt like his brain had suddenly gotten a far purer, more powerful fuel to rely on.


    It changed everything.


    It had taken him weeks to understand the simplest layer of the Black Limbo Tortoise runes before. And this time¡­ he understood the second layer with a glance.


    He turned his attention to the third layer.


    Three seconds.


    The rune shrank into his core to match its new size, and suddenly the sliver had become a barely perceptible point of light.


    And then the last layer.


    Barely half a minute.


    Theron¡¯s Bronze Core became a grain of sand, shining so bright it looked every bit the part of a Gold Core.


    He stood to his feet, his eyes sharpening as he fluidly took the first step of a familiar dance.


    Large amounts of Mana began to flood toward him.


    That was when Theron realized he had neglected something else¡­


    The Mana density in this place was simply off the charts. And, because of his new Manaborn Resonance, he was pooling together more than a hundred times more Mana than before.

 Chapter 182: Inferior

    Theron¡¯s Core was truly insatiable. By the time he finished the ninth form, he had absorbed more Mana than most would need to enter the Seventh Silver Resonance, let alone Silver Mancy.


    But he was calm.


    He walked to the pile of Vital Bloomstone and popped one into his mouth.


    If he was using the Forbidden Spell, he would need to wait until tomorrow in order to execute it again. But because of his Immortal Jellyfish Echo, he didn¡¯t seem to have a need to worry about this at all.


    Instantly, he was back up to his full strength.


    He executed the dance again, and then again.


    Finally, he felt it¡­ that feeling of near fullness. He was right on the precipice when he came to a stop, his head slowly turning to the Echo Bloomstone.


    At this point, he had to go all out.


    He took one Echo Bloomstone out of the pile, checking the state of his body to ensure that he was in an ideal state. Truthfully, he had never felt better in his life. He was brimming with life and vitality¡­ it was almost scary how untouchable he felt.


    If he was being honest with himself, if there was rain, he already felt invincible beneath Gold Mancy, and that was an uncertain feeling for Theron. He felt that sort of overconfidence would come back to bite him.


    He had yet to understand the ins and outs of Silver Mancy, and there were far more variables in combat the higher up you went. Fights between Bronze Mancers were barely more complex than fights between mortals. But there were too many secret methods and options a Silver Mancer would have that a Bronze Mancer wouldn¡¯t.


    Saying that he was invincible beneath Gold Mancy in the Nightingale Province was at least closer to the truth¡ªso long as there was rain. But in the world? Across Existence?


    He would be too foolish to say that even about beneath Silver Mancy itself. He didn¡¯t know enough to claim such a thing.


    But it was also hard to not feel that sort of overconfident arrogance when he had already been so powerful, and yet now felt like he could beat his former self with an arm tied behind his back.


    Theron suppressed his thoughts. No matter what, as he had said many times¡­ he wasn¡¯t living for himself. He would never allow his own sense of worth to overshadow the goal.


    Get his father¡¯s sword back.


    Get revenge.


    Those two things drove him more than anyone could ever imagine.


    With a flick of his wrist, the Echo Bloomstone popped into his mouth.


    Theron stood there in silence, his head bowed and his mind focused. He felt the power sweep through him as though looking for something. But then it swept over his Core, washing over it in long, drawn-out waves.


    But it still didn¡¯t seem to have found what it was looking for.


    Then, slowly, the Bloomstone vanished.


    Theron opened his eyes, frowning.


    It didn¡¯t work? S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn¡¯t try to direct the energy. Whether it was the Vital Bloomstone or the Resonate Bloomstone, they all worked on their own without much fanfare at all. He thought things would be the same for the Echo Bloomstone, but it seemed almost lost and confused.


    ¡¯The beasts Theron suddenly thought.


    What had led him down this path? Wasn¡¯t it observing how the lava beast could swallow the Bloomstones directly?


    ¡¯But¡­ beasts might not have Echoes, but they do have their souls within their Beast Cores. It is the same principle in a lot of ways, so why doesn¡¯t this one work?¡¯


    Theron was ready to give up on this path as it wasn¡¯t too necessary or important to him. But something was nagging at him.


    ¡¯Try again.¡¯


    This time, Theron tried to direct the energy, forcing it not toward his Core this time¡­ but his body. Most accurately, his blood.


    The change was instantaneous.


    There was a liveliness that coursed through Theron¡¯s body akin to nothing that he had ever experienced before. His pupils dilated and his mind was transported back to an ancient era.


    Locked in the depths of the ocean, he felt the peaceful hum of the cold waters. There was darkness all around him, and yet it didn¡¯t feel off-putting¡­ it was just natural, calming, soothing¡­


    Theron had no idea how long he was lost in that state for. It could have been seconds, it could have been hours or even days.


    All he knew when he awoke was that he was very hungry.


    And unbeknownst to him until that very moment¡­


    He had somehow broken into Silver Mancy.


    Not just any level of Silver Mancy, but the Third Resonance.


    **


    The Luminescent Moon Sect shuddered. The gates of the Secret Realm shook and soon a swirl of Aether took shape.


    SHUU! SHUU! SHUU!


    Several powerful figures approached all at once, surrounding it from all sides. Many of these elders were intent to see what the disciples had gotten.


    One after another, those that survived began to appear.


    Grand Elder Acer was the first to realize something was wrong. The teleportations back were far too slow. No, not slow¡­ they weren¡¯t happening with the frequency that would be necessary to pull back a large number of people.


    At first, he thought it was because something was wrong with the gate, but then the horror of it all settled in, especially as one half-injured, half-dead disciple after another began to appear.


    The smiling expressions of the elders began to stiffen.


    Theron stumbled out, half a mangled mess, no different from the others. He looked charred, crucified to the greatest extent. Even half his head was gone.


    He felt a gaze on him and he looked over. Despite his state, he was calm to an extreme.


    Thessa met that gaze. She had been so confident in herself, more assured in her new power. But seeing the burnt state of Theron, and knowing he had left her just fine, her heart shuddered.


    He had done this to himself. And yet, his eyes were as steady as a boulder.


    Somehow, she knew that he hadn¡¯t even flinched at the prospect of being so cruel to himself.


    Why did she still feel so inferior?

 Chapter 183: Let Her

    The fallout of the close of the Secret Realm was to be expected. Theron seemed to have dodged the entirety of the storm, while the Luminescent Moon Sect themselves was left half crippled.


    Locked in a stand-off against the Thistles and Nightingale-Firewing Faction, there was little the elders could do in retaliation even though they were almost certain that the culprit was Thessa.


    Thessa herself remained silent. She knew that even if she had ten mouths, all of this would be impossible to explain.


    No one bothered to even check Theron''s cultivation. If they had, maybe some of them would have realized that he had entered the Third Silver Resonance.


    But the problem was¡­ after becoming a Silver Mancer, Theron''s Third Eye had become even stronger, undergoing a third evolution.


    Between this increased soul strength, the ridiculous density of his current Mana, and the odd spike that the Immortal Jellyfish Echo had experienced, Theron was easily able to make it seem like he was in the First Resonance even to the prying eyes of Gold Mancers.


    Cultivation detection wasn''t an exact science, and because Theron''s path was so odd to begin with, it was impossible to tell with ease what cultivation level he was at even if he was using his Mana in combat.


    Maybe only if he was forced to go all out would someone stand a chance of doing so.


    Not once was Theron even questioned about what happened, as a result. He simply waited for the commotion to die down a slight bit before he returned to Dean Thistle to give his report.


    Theron knew quite well that this would be something else that would be easy¡­ that was because a certain street rat would tell the exact story he wanted Dean Thistle to know.


    At that point, was there a need for him to make up a story?


    **


    "Are you not going to speak?" Dean Thistle said lightly, not even looking up from his desk.


    "What is there to say?" Theron asked.


    "Indeed. What is there to say?" Dean Thistle finally met Theron''s gaze. "What happened at the bottom of the volcano? Why did everyone die? And how did you of all people survive?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron blinked. "How would I know? I was left for dead by people that were supposed to be teammates. It isn''t my fault they were foolish enough to go and get themselves killed."


    "Is that so?" Dean Thistle asked lightly.


    "If you want an excuse to kill me, I don''t think that''s necessary, right?"


    Theron''s words had an obvious implication. Dorian and Vaeilina were both in the mid-tier of Silver Mancy. Not only a major boundary, but a watershed boundary ahead of him as well¡ªthat being the gap between Bronze and Silver Mancy, followed by the gap between low-tier and mid-tier.


    Then there was the fact Ironvale and Selena had both gone down and died as well. The assumption was that there was a second, hidden Lava Imbued Beast down there that must have been even more powerful than they all expected¡­


    Either that or Thessa had killed them all.


    The power of a Seventh Silver Resonance Dual Fire Soul wielder would certainly be capable. Maybe Selena died trying to protect her while she integrated with the soul, or maybe Selena got greedy and Thessa had to kill her anyway.


    Dean Thistle didn''t say anything, as expected. He had already gotten most of the story from the street rat. All Theron had to do was fill in some gaps here and there.


    "You broke into Silver Mancy. What is your Echo?"


    Theron pulled on the Blue Pufferfish Echo.


    The Dean frowned. "The Blue Pufferfish? Why would you do such a thing?"


    "I have my own belief in myself," Theron said calmly.


    Dean Thistle couldn''t help but sneer, a weight falling from his heart. Maybe like this, he could actually use Theron for a little while longer.


    The Blue Pufferfish Echo seemed to be at the Ninth Silver Resonance, so for now, how weak it was wouldn''t impact Theron too much and would even be quite decent for his strength.


    That was impressive in itself depending on when Theron integrated with it. But the weaker the Echo, the easier it was as well. So that dimmed the light of Theron''s accomplishment considerably.


    This was perfect, though. Theron had basically crippled his own future, while making himself more powerful in the immediate situation. This was exactly what Dean Thistle wanted.


    "Truly a brat who overestimates himself."


    Theron shrugged as though he couldn''t be bothered to respond.


    The Dean was about to open his mouth again when the door swung open.


    "Father, I''m taking Theron with me to the Imperial Capital," Sigil stated. "Also, there''s no word from Uncle Burne, and there''s news that Aeryn seems to have awoken from his coma. That last bit of news is most important, actually. The speculation was that Aeryn failed, but he did not. Aeryn successfully became a Chosen."


    Dean Thistle was ready to respond to the first bit, but was stalled by the second piece of news.


    How did his son even learn of such information before he did?


    Subconsciously, Dean Thistle looked toward where Burne usually stood. It seemed that the gap the old man left was quite substantial.


    With a shake of his head, Dean Thistle reset some things in his mind.


    "No. Neither of you will be going to the Imperial Capital."


    Sigil blinked in surprise. "But¡­"


    "I''ve changed my mind. Ironvale is gone and we now control two of the three Chosen. We''ll force the Imperial Clan to play on our home turf. Right now, the strongest disciple of the Sect is¡ª."


    "I wouldn''t advise dimming Thessa''s light right now." Theron interjected.


    Sigil blinked, looking at Theron. He couldn''t remember anyone ever so casually interrupting his father. But even more shockingly, Dean Thistle hardly seemed to react.


    "And what would you suggest instead?"


    "Let her take the spotlight. Didn''t she kill her fellow disciples before?"

 Chapter 184: No

    Now one of her closest aides disappeared and dozens of powerful disciples of the Sect were murdered while she suddenly leapt up seven realms of cultivation in a single bound. Curious, don''t you think?"


    Dean Thistle''s eyes narrowed.


    "And what would we gain from that?"


    "Simple, really. Build her up to be a villain. Use it to reflect on the cruelty of the Imperial Clan. You can even use my backstory at some point if you want. She''ll eventually be far too restrained to even stay in the Sect."


    "This still doesn''t help us."


    "Doesn''t it? The camaraderie of the disciples of the Luminescent Moon Sect is especially strong. Their loyalty is extreme. If you want to control the Sect, you need to control them. At that point, even the Patriarch won''t be able to do much.


    "Build her up as a villain, then take her down. If you can''t find someone as strong as her, then just use the Sect''s rules to do so. If you really want to be smart, build up the Obsidian Eclipse Sect as an outside enemy at the same time. If you do both at the same time, force them to face off against a common enemy, and even force the hand of the Nightingales to move her there, you''d grasp the very heart of the Sect. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you''re willing to take the risk, using Sigil would guarantee the Sect fall into your palms."


    Both father and son looked toward Theron with a slight heat in their eyes. Theron spoke of these things so easily, but this wasn''t the sort of mind a 14-year-old should have.


    As for Theron himself, he only looked at them calmly.


    "Isn''t it the obvious path to take? Since they''ve already stepped onto the field of psychological warfare, we can just hit them back in the same place."


    Theron found their reactions odd, honestly. It was the obvious answer.


    What he hadn''t considered was that a plan like this would only work if one knew about the state of the Luminescent Moon Sect in the first place.


    The camaraderie of the Sect couldn''t be understated, but it was only obvious to Theron because he had experienced it personally. But in his defense¡­ he had noticed it within days.


    To him, the real sticking point here was how the Thistles hadn''t understood this point and taken advantage of it yet. But¡­ not everyone was as fond of paying attention to details like he was. It was even more difficult since this wasn''t technically a detail at all.


    Sometimes the most difficult things to pick up on were the things hidden in plain sight.


    It made Theron wonder¡­ was he truly just that sharp? Or were the Thistles just so incompetent?


    But if the Thistles were so incompetent, what gave them the confidence to try and overthrow an Imperial Clan?


    ¡­


    Sigil and the Dean accepted Theron''s words quite swiftly. What the latter had put so simply was something they were able to retroactively grasp with ease.


    For a Sect, the Luminescent Moon Sect was oddly¡­ familial. Even Thessa, Teagan, and Soren had all been as close as family before the incident. Aside from oddities like Yonowai, who were quite literally outsiders, the disciples were very close-knit.


    By comparison, the Obsidian Eclipse Sect was too obsessed with power and matched the cruelty of the martial world with much more accuracy.


    Under normal circumstances, this would make the Luminescent Moon Sect an impenetrable shield¡­ but not if they suddenly lost their pillar and now their sudden strongest disciple was actually an outsider.


    Theron had suddenly given the Thistles an opportunity on a silver platter. The end result, though, was Theron receiving his first mission as Rain before he could leave.


    River was the persona he had built up in Daggers of the Night. He had only struck once, but to take out a genius of an Earl Clan in the face of a Gold Mancer''s protection¡­ it could be said that this legend had already spread in the most important circles even if he wasn''t known to the general public yet.


    Rain, however¡­ that was the persona he planned to use as a vassal of the Thistles. But he had yet to have a great opportunity just yet, if he didn''t count his wedding procession.


    Now he would have that opportunity.


    **


    Theron sat by Malaya''s side as they traveled in a boat down a stream. A curtain separated them and the rower, the sheer silkiness rippling in the wind.


    After a long day together, the mood had turned into a comfortable silence. Normally, Malaya might be flustered, but she was finding that it was easier to be alone with Theron although this technically didn''t count as that.


    "I will have to go away soon again," Theron suddenly said.


    "You''ve received another mission?"


    "I have. This time I must go to do something related to another Sect?"


    Malaya''s brows trembled. There were only so many Sects in the Province. The number didn''t exceed five, and there was only really one of real note¡ªthat being the Obsidian Eclipse Sect.


    "Is it dangerous?"


    Theron looked over and smiled. "No."


    Malaya blinked, seemingly not understanding. But Theron only chuckled, not explaining further. With a third party here, he couldn''t get into the details anyway. But he thought he should tell her nonetheless.


    Well, was it dangerous? Technically yes. In reality? Not even remotely.


    It was his idea, after all, to build up the Obsidian Eclipse Sect as an enemy to the Luminescent Moon Sect. So it wasn''t a surprise to him at all that now it would suddenly be up to him to light that spark.


    The Thistles weren''t targeting the Obsidian Eclipse Sect with nearly as much fervor. The obvious reason for this seemed to be that the Sect was far more under the Nightingale Clan''s clutches than the Luminescent Moon Sect had been.


    This was yet another head-scratcher to Theron. If the strongest Sect and strongest assassin guild were all under the control of the Imperial Clan, why were the Thistles so confident?


    Right now, though¡­ that answer mattered less.


    Now, he had to put on his villain cap again and become the spark that lit a fiery clash between the disciples of two Sects.

 Chapter 185: 75

    The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was known undisputed as the strongest Sect of the Nightingale Province for very good reason. While the outer disciples of the Luminescent Sect stopped at the Peak of Bronze Resonance, without making it to the middle tier of Silver Resonance, challenging for inner disciple would be a death sentence.


    More importantly than that, though¡­ their Chosen had to reach Gold.


    The Sect had a very famous saying¡­


    There were no geniuses beneath Gold Resonance.


    As good of a reason as they had for their reputation, this saying¡ªcommon throughout the wider cultivation world¡ªstood the test of time because it too had a very good reason for existing.


    Until one passed the Tribulation of the Heavens, it didn''t matter how much you accomplished beneath it.


    ¡­


    "How have none of you dealt with this yet?"


    Rowan Bordeaux had been annoyed for a long while. One of their own¡ª37th ranked or not¡ªhad been killed in broad daylight. But instead of doing anything about it, their Marquise Clan pretended as though nothing at all had happened.


    They let Theron stroll around as though he was really the king of Bronze Resonance or something.


    What annoyed Rowan the most, though, was the fact that he hadn''t been in Bronze Resonance anymore for a while. Even if he wanted to take action, he couldn''t or else that would just help Theron prove his point all the more.


    Looking at his juniors, all of whom were trying their best to avoid his gaze, he felt like bending them all over his knee. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Cowards."


    He clicked his tongue, scoffing.


    It was obvious why they were so antsy. It was said that the crown prince personally spared Theron in the end. It seemed on the surface that the crown was fond of this talent and would try to reel him over.


    All things considered, personally acting against Theron now might get them into quite some trouble.


    These few "geniuses" thought they were being clever by trying to get on the prince''s good side, but they were idiots in Rowan''s view.


    How had Theron caught the crown prince''s eye? Wasn''t it by killing?


    If they wanted the crown prince''s favor, it was about time they realized this was the cultivation world.


    Even if you were a live-in son-in-law like Theron, you could make the blood of nobles flow through the streets so long as your talent was great enough. How could they not understand this simple concept?


    Rowan gritted his teeth.


    It was annoying enough that these few Bordeaux disciples were just fools. But somehow, there were even more annoying troubles to deal with here.


    His head snapped toward Holden and Rin. These two had been at Bronze Resonance before and could have easily held off on a breakthrough. But they dismissed his concerns and broke through at the same time.


    They were the only two looking at him with smiles in their eyes as though they found his anger amusing.


    "Big bro, you''re overthinking things. We aren''t cowards, we understand. But Thistle Brook City is too small a gameboard. Who cares about being favored over there? Let him come to the Imperial Capital and see if he can still maintain that favor."


    Rowan''s eyes narrowed. He was about to respond when a young woman rushed in.


    The Bordeaux''s had gathered in a small hall in the Imperial Capital. The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was located in the Obsidian Mountains that overlooked the city, and the two powers¡ªImperial Clan and Sect¡ªformed dual pillars that held up this piece of the sky.


    The only reason they were here, though, was because Rowan''s patience was running out, so he summoned them all here; and as the second rank of the Third Silver Resonance of his Clan, he was their number one outer disciple in the Sect and as such had strong pull with all of them.


    He had already said that he didn''t want to be interrupted, but very few even knew they were here in the first place.


    When he looked over, his expression softened as a young woman rushed in.


    "What''s the matter, Rii?" he asked.


    Holden whistled, earning him a glare from Rowan.


    Coughing lightly, Holden looked away. "Nice weather we''re having here, huh Rin?"


    "Yeah, it''s gotten a little hot under the collar. Feels kind of good now that the winter cold is fading away."


    "Hot under the collar is right, for sure, for sure."


    Rin was a woman, and yet they both stole glances at the oncoming young woman as they made their pointed comments.


    Rowan could only roll his eyes. These two would annoy him to death one day.


    "Young master," Rii seemed far too innocent to understand the comments of the two, so she continued after a light bow, "there''s news that Theron Galethunder is making an appearance."


    Rowan''s eyes flashed like lightning.


    "An appearance? For what purpose?"


    "The news is sparse, but it seems that he''s reached 75 credits in the branch Imperial Academy and has now come to challenge the Main Academy."


    Rowan''s heart skipped a beat and even Holden and Rin''s smile froze.


    75 credits? As a first year? What was going on here?


    "No, I''m sorry, young master. He reached 75 credits in the academic stream alone. He still has credit from the military stream that I didn''t add. But from what I can tell, he hasn''t added to his military stream credits in over a month. He suddenly returned from the Luminescent Moon Sect''s Secret Realm and completed so many academic credits in one go¡­


    "Including the infamous Fourth Year Botany Exam."


    Rowan calmed down when he heard this. For some reason, he had assumed it was the military stream.


    Was it shocking that he had accomplished this nonetheless? Yes. But it was more a matter of his shocking intelligence than anything else.


    That was precisely why, though¡­ that someone who could complete so many academic stream credits so early was even rarer than someone who could do the same with the military stream.


    Bloodlines could have a huge influence on one''s combat prowess. But in the academic stream¡­ it should take years to accumulate the necessary knowledge.


    How had Theron done it?

 Chapter 186: Senses

    Rowan stood in silence for a while. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    The words had barely left his mouth when he was already by the door.


    Holden and Rin looked toward one another and then rushed after Rowan.


    It was one thing to make the trip to Thistle Brook City. That was an annoyance in itself. The travel, even with the fastest steeds, would take days. Who wanted to be on the road for that long just to deal with an ant?


    But if Theron was in the Imperial Capital¡­ that was a different matter entirely. They had their own pride as well.


    **


    Theron¡¯s head was practically tilted up to the skies. But there was no sea of blue and streams of clouds above him. No¡ªthere was a ceiling that certainly seemed as tall as one, though.


    The Main Imperial Academy made the Thistle Brook branch seem impossibly small and tiny. As he passed by streams of people, he felt like he picked out a Gold Mancer at least once every ten or so, a ratio that made little to no sense.


    But his expression was calm.


    He had thought a bit about how to accomplish this mission that Dean Thistle had given him. What was amusing to him was that such an important mission was only handed out because Dean Thistle believed he had run into the end of his potential. Otherwise, as foolish as Theron thought the Dean was sometimes¡­ there was no way he would give him this opportunity.


    The more Theron thought about it, though, the more he felt that the more frequent vulnerability the Dean was showing these days was only because of one reason.


    Burne¡¯s death.


    Even Theron had underestimated just how much the patriarch relied on Burne, and clearly, the Dean himself had underestimated it. The intuition of a Spirit Mancer with the path affinity Burne had was more important than a few words could describe.


    Ironically enough, Theron had taken out a pillar of the Dean¡¯s strength before the latter could even rev his engines properly.


    ¡¯I would have realized this a long time ago if I had my current mind. But before


    These days, things just felt so much easier. Things that would normally take him weeks or even months to grasp before took minutes at times and hours at worst.


    The faults in Dean Thistle had only become more obvious, and he was quite certain now that he just might come across something in the Imperial Capital that he could take true advantage of.


    Theron was entering his endgame. He had no intention of wrapping himself up in the Nightingale Province for a lifetime. Once he retrieved his father¡¯s sword, he would be leaving.


    He would only return when he reached Gold Mancy and could enter the Luminance Realm once more.


    It would only be another two weeks or so before Raiden was released from his punishment. When that time came, Theron would take his head.


    A chilling aura seeped out from Theron as he approached the desk.


    To call it a desk was a bit of a stretch. It was more like an enormous counter, dozens of receptionists dealing with one stream of disciples after another.


    The receptionist across from Theron was a young woman with her hair done into a bun. But the smile on her face froze when she sensed the sharpness that came from Theron. Soon, however, she felt like she had to rub her eyes, wondering if she had seen wrong.


    Theron¡¯s chilliness had vanished, replaced by a gentle, almost adorable smile that made her want to pinch his cheeks and call him little brother.


    What happened?


    "Hello. I¡¯m from the Thistle Brook Imperial Academy. I¡¯ve reached the threshold for challenge and would like to make a bid for a position in the academic stream of the main academy."


    The young woman blinked. "¡ªOh! Right, right¡­ a moment¡­"


    With the commotion in the lobby, no one heard Theron, so it didn¡¯t raise any uproar. But that was also why it was so surprising when Theron suddenly turned back as though he had sensed something.


    Almost immediately, Theron picked out the Bordeaux¡¯s.


    In the stream of people, they were a bit hard to pick out, except for the fact they were the only group moving in a block of more than a dozen.


    Theron felt the instant a subtle, fluttering sense touched him. And rather than ignoring it, he reacted. His eyes shifted until it landed on Rowan.


    ¡¯Hm. Third Resonance.¡¯ Theron was about to nod to himself when he saw an unassuming maid following after them.


    His eyes narrowed.


    This maid was unassuming only because of her demeanor. But her beauty itself seemed to warm the room. That demure cadence to her gait and the sway of her hair, the slight, cute chubbiness to her face, and those innocent, deer-in-headlights eyes.


    She was the textbook girl next door.


    Unfortunately for Rowan, she was also an assassin.


    The first thing that caught Theron¡¯s attention was the Light Mana she had suppressed very well. But the moment he sensed those fluctuations, he recognized them.


    That girl was the very same assassin that tried to kill him.


    Thanks to his study of [Soul Escape], Theron¡¯s soul control was on a level far beyond those of the same cultivation level. When this was added to the fact he awakened it before Silver Mancy, allowing it to undergo a double awakening¡­


    Well, his Third Eye wasn¡¯t something Silver Mancers could even fathom right now. The assassin girl, despite her own sharp senses, didn¡¯t even seem to realize that Theron had picked her out.


    Interesting¡­ Coincidence? I doubt it.¡¯


    Theron¡¯s gaze flashed. It seemed that one of his plans was bearing fruit.


    The hardest part about leaving this province wouldn¡¯t be Dean Thistle, it would definitely be the Patriarch and the old man.


    But, if he could find a method to deal with them or at least distract them for long enough¡­


    It seemed that his opportunity was here.


    Rowan came to a stop right in front of him.


    "Holden."


    A young man stepped out from behind him and a fist flashed toward Theron.

 Chapter 187: Spin Cycle

    To Theron¡¯s senses, the fist practically moved in slow motion. He watched as it approached him, his eyebrow slowly raising.


    BANG!


    The fist seemed to land on his face, but Theron was still staring at it, his body having not moved a single inch.


    [Shedding Water Skin].


    Theron hadn¡¯t wasted his time upon his return. With his comprehension increase, pushing all of the Bronze Resonance spells he had chosen to Consummate had been far too easy.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of his comprehension either, but the formation of his Manaborn Resonance. Water Mana somehow came even more naturally to him now than it ever had before.


    Even if [Shedding Water Skin] hadn¡¯t been built on many concepts of [Bursting Water Shield], he would have still pushed it to Adept with a glance at the runes that formed it. Because it had been, though, he had long pushed it to Consummate as well.


    There didn¡¯t even seem to be a ripple of water around him at all, the transparent blue so clear it just seemed to tinge his skin just the slightest bit.


    The commotion in the surroundings came to a slow halt as everyone looked over.


    Theron stared at the fist that was actually stopped just an inch or so from his face.


    "¡­ Are you finished?" Theron asked.


    Holden¡¯s wrists were trembling, his knuckles having already split and begun to bleed.


    Support was something that Water Mancers were quite good at. Their defensive methods weren¡¯t nearly as good as Earth Mancers, but they were more than decent. This, however¡­ seemed to be on an entirely different level.


    None of them even sensed Theron¡¯s Mana move.


    The only reason Rowan had Holden attack in the first place was because he had sensed Silver Mana coming from Theron. But he had no idea what level Theron was at.


    Given the time between then and now, it should just be First Resonance at most. But how was Theron so strong, then?


    Theron¡¯s head turned back toward the receptionist and Holden stumbled back, grasping his hand to try and stop it from shaking.


    "Are there rules against attacking the Imperial Academy?" Theron asked.


    Flustered, the receptionist could only hurriedly nod, but then she shook her head, then nodded again.


    Then she keeled over and fainted.


    This was her best option at this point. She didn¡¯t know the background of any of these people, but she couldn¡¯t afford to offend any of them.


    Theron had, of course, asked just for show. He knew exactly what the rules were. In the Imperial Academy, all fights could only take place in sanctioned arenas with supervision of an overseeing elder. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The problem was that these rules only applied to actual students here. He technically didn¡¯t count as one, and neither were these Sect disciples.


    "Which family of losers are you from?" Theron asked, tilting his head to the side as though genuinely curious.


    "What did you just say?" Rowan¡¯s eyes flashed.


    "Well, I assume for you to come here and attack me without a word, it could only be because I killed someone you sent back when I challenged all the Bronze Mancers of the province. Isn¡¯t that so?"


    Rowan¡¯s face stiffened.


    "So¡­ which family of losers are you from?"


    The group of more than a dozen were all suddenly furious. All thoughts of the crown prince and pleasing him flew out of the window.


    They were a Marquis Clan, not something a live-in son-in-law could so easily turn his nose up at. But before they could say anything, Theron spoke first again.


    "No response? I guess it also doesn¡¯t matter. If you want, I¡¯ll give you another chance. Anyone at First Silver Resonance is welcome to challenge me. If you can last 10 exchanges, you can have my head. How about it?"


    The silence of the hall gave way to shocked murmurs. Such arrogant words, they had heard some faint inklings about something similar before. Could he and that person be one in the same?


    A ripple of Mana came from Theron and a badge appeared in his palm. He tossed it behind him and it landed on the receptionist¡¯s desk, right on a set of runes that activated all on their own.


    Theron seemed to understand how these things worked like the back of his hand.


    Barely a few dozen meters away, something in the large hall shifted and a large group of students were forced to move away as a platform elevated.


    Theron had already calmly walked over and took a step onto it.


    "Well?" Theron asked. "Who is coming?"


    Holden¡¯s eyes lit up with fury. He had already forgotten about how much he had made fun of Rowan, unsheathing his great sword and taking a heavy step forward.


    With a leap, he landed on the platform with a booming resonance.


    His Flux Mana surged, shingles of heavy silver armor forming out from it and slapping into place on his body.


    He roared, an echo that disrupted natural Mana flow pulsing through the air and whipping Theron¡¯s head back.


    Holden stomped the ground, rushing forward. He cut across the air like a rushing bull, a harsh whistling pulling against the skin of his face and through the gaps in his Flux Armor.


    In a blink, he had already appeared before Theron, his great sword flashing down from the skies.


    Theron took a step forward.


    It was almost eerie how well timed it was, so perfect that Theron¡¯s palm lightly touched Holden¡¯s forehead the instant all of his momentum transferred to his blade.


    There was a ripple of Water Mana that shattered the sound spell Holden had only just used. A small drop of water rapidly increased in size until it encased his body.


    [Water Prison].


    Holden¡¯s body was forced to a stop. And then¡­ his body began to spin.


    The waters churned, once current spinning him to the left before another formed from the right, spinning him the other way. He flipped upside down, then right side up, then at an angle.


    As though stuck in a spinning cycle, Holden lost sense of up and down, water even opening his mouth and forcing its way down.


    The First Resonance Silver Mancer lost consciousness, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

 Chapter 188: Grand Duke

    A sputtering young man was ejected.


    Holden couldn''t even orient himself properly. His feet stamped down, thinking that he was landing on solid ground, only to land right on his head instead.


    His eyes rolled to the back of his head, blood and water spewing out in a violet rouge mix that tore his throat to ribbons.


    And then he lost consciousness. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron continued to stand on the platform, blinking at Holden''s unconscious form as though surprised he was so weak. Then he looked to Rowan.


    "Next?"


    The silence was deafening.


    Holden wasn''t just any First Silver Resonance Mancer. He was ranked in the top 100 of them in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, and top five within the Bordeaux Clan. But even the first-ranked of the Bordeaux Clan couldn''t possibly defeat him so easily.


    But to Theron, it was only natural. Was it his fault they couldn''t tell he was already at Third Resonance? Maybe they should have awakened Third Eye in Bronze Resonance like he did before they started an attempt at targeting him.


    Theron''s eyes flashed and landed on Rin, who felt her heart shrink.


    Was she ranked above Holden? Yes.


    Did it matter? Not even the slightest bit.


    Holden was ranked fifth while she was ranked third amongst the Bordeaux Clan. Honestly speaking, it would only be a matter of time before they were first and second respectively because they had only just broken through into Silver Resonance.


    The problem was that¡­ in the eyes of everyone else, Theron should have only recently broken through as well.


    If she and Holden were to battle, it would definitely last dozens of exchanges at least before she won a clean victory. But she most certainly couldn''t do what Theron just had.


    "No takers already? I didn''t expect First Resonance Silver Mancers to be so weak. How about this? Second Resonance. If you can find a Second Silver Resonance Mancer who can last ten moves against me, I''ll give them my head."


    BANG!


    The arena shook as soon as Theron finished speaking. A behemoth of a man with muscles stacked atop his muscles appeared. His vitality seemed to suggest he was barely 20 years old at most, but it was hard to blame someone for thinking that he was already in his 40s.


    Theron raised an eyebrow, his eye catching the bronze glint streaking across the man''s skin.


    ''Interesting.''


    "Honestly, I''m more interested in challenging the disciples of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect. But I guess this wasn''t the best place to do that."


    "Are you looking down on me?" The young man asked coldly.


    "Didn''t you hear me? I look down on anyone below Third Silver Resonance. I think I made that clear already."


    A savage grin spread across the young man''s face. He spread out his hands, a pair of hammers with faces twice the size of his own head appearing in his palms.


    "According to the rules, you''re not even a student of our academy yet. I can''t wait to splatter your blood all over the walls."


    A cold glint flickered in the depths of Theron''s eyes when he heard this. These words weren''t spoken for him, they were spoken in reminder to everyone else.


    He had expected this at some point, but it wasn''t something that these kids should have been able to pick up on so quickly¡ªespecially not in the heat of the moment.


    Was that him looking down on these students? Maybe. But that didn''t mean he wasn''t correct.


    BOOM!


    As the young man suddenly charged at him, Theron''s senses began to spread out as though he couldn''t sense what was coming.


    There was definitely someone watching him that directed this.


    ¡­


    "Why is he doing this?" A voice came.


    "He''s probably sent by the Thistles to provoke us. But they clearly don''t care about his life very much if they sent him into the lion''s den like this."


    "They know we can''t kill him in the open."


    "They should also know we have a million ways to kill him in secret."


    "Maybe."


    "Maybe?"


    "Not if he becomes an Imperial Academy student."


    "What are you talking about? It would be especially easy if¡ª."


    "Why don''t you go to that old woman and tell her that? Do you remember the rampage she went on after what happened in that little branch academy? In fact, if I recall the details of what happened back then, didn''t that Teacher Fern get fired because of this brat in specific?"


    "The Thistles wouldn''t possibly know that. Even if that saved the kid, it would be purely coincidental and just another proof of their incompetence. They''re just ants who think too much of themselves. The game the Firewings and Nightingales are playing exists on a scale they can''t fathom."


    Silence greeted the words.


    "What now?"


    "Don''t underestimate the Thistles."


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Back then¡­ the Thistles should have become a Grand Duke Clan at the very worst. It was their bad luck that the Firewing Lineage was born."


    "How is that related?"


    "Fire restrains Wood. A province appearing right next to us, one that evolved such a strong Fire affinity, restrained the progress of Wood Mana in this region and allowed the Nightingales to take precedent over the region."


    "You''re saying the Nightingales took advantage and then suppressed the Thistles? That''s foolish. Why didn''t they wipe them out to the last man?"


    The words were spoken so naturally, and that was because it was. Who would allow their enemy to grow in their territory and become a silent cancer like this?


    "Plus, Wood is a Variant Mana. It''s not so easy for Fire Mana to restrain it."


    "Since when was the Fire Mana of the Firewings so simple? And now they''ve birthed another Fire Spirit Mancer."


    "You still haven''t answered the question."


    "I think you already know the answer. If they could have destroyed the Thistles, they would have. So you guess what it means that they haven''t yet."


    A silence fell again before a murmur echoed.


    "¡­ I don''t get it. There''s nothing special about them. Their Patriarch is a fool too."


    "Let''s just say that the Firewings aren''t the only Elemental Spirit Mancers. There''s a reason the Thistles randomly birth Spirit Mancers from time to time¡­ And something tells me that with their recent aggression, they''ve finally birthed another genius that can stand alongside Grand Duke Thistle."


    A hushed wind whistled by, the words of blasphemy hanging heavy in the air.


    The Title of Grand Duke had not been that of the Thistles for a long while.

 Chapter 189: Talk

    BANG!


    The hammers of the behemoth of a young man shattered, his nose and face collapsing in as he fell by the side of the arena, barely breathing.


    It wasn''t even obvious to those well above Theron''s cultivation how he had done it.


    "You aren''t in the First Silver Resonance." Rowan''s voice echoed coldly.


    Theron blinked and looked over. "I don''t remember saying I was. But also, I can neither confirm nor deny. What obligation do I have to tell you what my cultivation level is?"


    Rowan clenched his jaw.


    The feeling of the density of Theron''s Mana made him feel as though he was already in the Ninth Resonance, but that didn''t make any sense at all. Who could accept something like that?


    Yet, the subtlety and smoothness of the Mana, though it represented signs of someone who was incredibly experienced with Silver Mana, also made it feel a lot like First Silver Resonance Mana.


    The completely contradictory thoughts made Theron an enigma.


    Theron hopped down from the stage.


    "Since there doesn''t seem to be anyone else, this is a waste of my time. I came here to be an academic, not a brute. I''m just a little Water Mancer, I''m not very good at combat."


    Countless heated gazes landed on Theron as he walked back to the counter, pulling his badge out and moving to a receptionist that wasn''t fainted on the ground. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please help me register for the entrance exams of the academic stream. If possible, book all the First and Second Year Exams for me as well."


    "Uh¡­ yes¡­"


    The receptionist wanted to reject, but he simply didn''t have any reason to. Plus¡­ Theron''s power left him trembling.


    The lingering words of sarcasm hung heavy in the air.


    Water Mancers? Weak in combat? Even if it was true, who would dare to retain this thought as though it was some sort of ironclad truth now?


    ¡­


    Rowan could only watch Theron walk away. He was right there, and yet he didn''t dare to fight.


    There was something about Theron that felt like a deep, unfathomable well. The shattering of those hammers was without a doubt the largest impression.


    Who had ever heard of a Water Mancer with destructive power to do that?


    What was that spell? [Pressure Burst]?


    Rowan wasn''t a scholar, but he had vaguely heard about this spell before. It was a complicated Water Mancy spell that basically no Silver Mancer was capable of using.


    It was a spell available to both Water and Wind Mancers, but regardless of who it was, it required a level of control over Mana that was far too high.


    The concept was simple enough: rapidly change the atmospheric pressure in a region, causing a shift from a region of high pressure to low pressure. Depending on the method used, it could force an item to crash in on itself, or for something within it to rush out.


    The power of atmospheric control was unique to Wind and Water Mancers who also had the largest array of weather-related spells in general.


    But to use a shift in atmospheric pressure to shatter a pair of Bronze Resonance Treasures?


    Luckily this spell could only be used on inanimate objects not well protected by Mana¡­ but even if those hammers hadn''t been well protected, they had certainly had their own skin of Flux Mana.


    Just how had Theron done it?


    Monster.


    That was the only conclusion he could come to.


    It was rare that a genius came from a nothing bloodline, but not rare enough that it never happened.


    This Theron¡­ he represented the potential rise of a Water Mancer bloodline.


    ''We have to kill him. We can''t let the Thistle birth a powerful enough Water Mancy line to counter the Firewings¡­''


    It seemed that this Rowan''s thoughts were far more meticulous than even Dean Thistles were.


    **


    News of Theron''s appearance spread like wildfire. When the results of his academic stream results came out, though, it was like the flames were doused in the most volatile of crude oils.


    It burned wildly, insatiably, spilling over everything in waves.


    A single student. A single day. A single string of Exams.


    42 Credits.


    In a single bound, Theron had claimed enough credits to graduate not from a branch academy, but the Main Imperial Academy, a smooth string of S Grades following his wake without a single hint of a slip-up.


    By this point, news of his arrival to the Imperial Capital had reached the ears of many of the Clans he had offended, from the Knight Clans all the way up to the Marquis Clans.


    But it also had to be remembered that among the few he had killed on that day, there was a youth that had killed the genius of a Duke Clan and yet survived to tell the tale¡­


    Moreno''s Knight Clan was also alerted to the happenings.


    Theron, however, was on a completely different mission as though none of the commotion had anything to do with him at all.


    ¡­


    Deep in the night, Theron appeared at the window of a wooden cabin. Crouching on the sill, he watched the beautiful woman bathing down below with indifference in his eyes.


    The woman suddenly froze and looked over her shoulder. She hadn''t even locked eyes with Theron when she jumped to her feet, a blade appearing in her hands.


    The muscles of her torso tightened and her quads flexed, but her breasts continued to sway out of her control, soapy water falling down their curves.


    Even so, much like the last time Theron had seen her in such a compromising position, her gaze remained cold and focused as though it simply didn''t matter how many eyes fell on her in such a state.


    When she saw that it was Theron, she didn''t relax. If anything, she tensed more, the grip on her weapons tightening to the point her already fair knuckles went completely white.


    Even as soap pooled into her eyes, turning them red and sending a stinging sensation pulsing through her, she didn''t dare to blink a single time.


    The latch on the window broke and Theron hopped down calmly.


    "Nice to see you again. I think we should have a talk."

 Chapter 190: Play

    Ruu didn''t reply, still on full alert. She had already lost to Theron when he was a mere Bronze Mancer. Right now, she had even less confidence¡ªespecially after seeing his battles today.


    She had only recently touched the boundary of Second Silver Resonance. But even if she had just touched the Fourth, she wasn''t as foolish as Rowan. She knew a man who wasn''t even remotely trying his best when she saw him.


    Somehow, Theron had been able to track her all the way here without her even noticing. She didn''t even understand how this alone was possible. But what she did know was what it meant.


    No help.


    To say that she had been cautious in sneaking out to make it here was an understatement. Staying in character for so long was a heavy drain on the mind. If she didn''t decompress and relax, she would end up slipping up at the worst time.


    Theron took advantage of this.


    She took a breath and exhaled.


    "What do you want to talk about?" she finally broke after Theron just stood there, still looking at her as though he could stay still till the end of time itself.


    "Your mission."


    Ruu stiffened.


    The last time Theron helped her complete her mission, she had already felt that something was off. Would someone as smart as Theron really make the mistake of thinking that the guild would come after him for someone as insignificant as her?


    But she chose to accept it because just because someone was smart didn''t mean that they had a perfect understanding of all topics.


    This follow-up, though¡­ it broke all her previous suspicions free.


    "¡­ What about it?"


    "I''m curious about what it is."


    "I''m not at liberty to disclose that. I will die. At that point, I will be of no use to you."


    "It''s fine. I have my own guesses. You only have to either confirm or deny."


    Ruu didn''t even know how to react to these words. How could he guess something like that?


    "You were by the side of the Bordeaux. I doubt that''s for the sake of killing him, or else you wouldn''t appear so publicly. Once he died, you would be the obvious choice.


    "That means that your target is either someone higher up on the food chain that he happens to be a ladder to, or you need to access something through him.


    "The issue is that you''re too weak. You can guarantee the death of a First Silver Resonance existence, probably a Second as well depending on how much setup you use, but a Third Silver Resonance Mancer like Bordeaux is beyond you¡ªso you certainly can''t be targeting someone even higher up the food chain than him.


    "Obviously, then, you''re on a reconnaissance mission. On the rarer side, but not impossible either. Your disguise methods are good enough to pull it off for sure. So then the question becomes: what purpose do you have?


    "At that point, the answer is pretty clear. This is no doubt related to your previous mission. I''ve been to the Luminescent Moon Sect already. In fact, I''ve become one of their Chosen, so I understand more about these things than you think. That leaves the final conclusion as¡­"


    Theron''s lip curled into a gentle smile.


    "¡­ You''re here to find out how much the Obsidian Eclipse Sect knows about the Luminescent Sect''s methods and how much Beifong might have already handed over to them."


    Ruu''s pupils trembled.


    Was this the full story? No. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was it damned close? So close she felt all her hairs standing up. Had she really revealed so much from a simple action alone?


    "¡­ What do you want from me?"


    "I think that we can work together."


    "How so?"


    "The Luminescent Moon Sect is in a bit of a bind right now. I only just became a Chosen, but I realized that this isn''t nearly as prestigious a position as I thought it would be. There are too many powers at play, I feel suffocated. So I want to do something about it."


    "¡­ Why don''t you just join the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, then?"


    "And die in my sleep without knowing how? The easiest path to rising up as a commoner is the academic stream, and I''m already on it. The Obsidian Eclipse Sect chews people up and spits them out without any remorse."


    Ruu remained silent, not having a response to this. Theron wasn''t lying.


    "But your mission provides a unique opportunity. If the people targeting the Luminescent Moon Sect think that the Obsidian Eclipse Sect has more than they do, then their target will change and I''ll have more breathing room."


    "¡­ You want me to lie? You''re just asking me to die again. You might as well kill me now. It''ll probably be less painful than whatever the guild comes up with."


    "Am I asking you to lie? I guess you could look at it like that. But I could also be giving you an opportunity."


    "¡­ Like what?"


    The thought of the old woman made Ruu''s skin crawl. She couldn''t wait until she was strong enough to pluck that old hag''s head off her shoulders. But until then, she had to be patient.


    "I''ll give you a method of the Luminescent Moon Sect. One of the very methods that got you in this position to begin with. How about it?"


    Ruu stared at Theron for a long while.


    "¡­ You are playing a very dangerous game."


    The smile on Theron''s face faded, replaced by a cold, striking indifference. The chilling orbs that hovered in his eyes seemed to pierce right through her.


    "You can either choose to play this game, or you can die right now. Which will it be?"


    "I choose to play," Ruu said equally calmly.


    It was the response that Theron had always expected. There was no real loyalty in the guild. Every assassin was out for themselves. Who cared if she had to lie if she could get away with it?


    But¡­ she also knew that there was a deep abyss staring at her from below.

 Chapter 191: Soon

    Theron left Ruu''s abode with a flash of his step, disappearing into the cool night air. Streaks of icy blue followed his irises as he dashed ahead, his thoughts moving with added swiftness. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, everything should be in place.


    He had already planted the first seed of discord after he caught Ruu and let her go the first time. But after his mind received an enormous buffer, he realized that he was missing a piece of the puzzle.


    How was Patriarch Gian directing a branch of the guild from a completely different province?


    It wasn''t a matter of distance that had Theron confused, but the control Gian was exerting.


    Theron was almost 100% certain that the Patriarch was not an assassin. Although it was possible that the Patriarch was just better at hiding these things than others, Theron believed in his own intuition.


    If the Patriarch wasn''t an assassin, then how could he control a branch of Dagger of the Night? That didn''t make any sense.


    But then it clicked. Who was to say that if the Patriarch could be friends with the old man, he couldn''t be friends with another important figure of another branch?


    In that case, Theron wasn''t just facing the threat of two powerhouses; he was facing the threat of three.


    This left one big hole that had yet to be filled.


    Traveling just from Thistle Brook City to the Imperial Capital took days. Crossing a border and moving to a completely different province would take weeks given the very best conditions. Factoring in the fact that Ruu had to remain stealthy, it taking months wouldn''t be outside the realm of possibility.


    But somehow, in a little over a month, Ruu had had the time to complete a round trip? Why were they even confident in sending assassins here to complete missions in the first place?


    This led Theron to two conclusions.


    First, the relationship between Patriarch Gian and his liaison wasn''t normal by any means. This liaison was risking offending another branch of Dagger of the Night by stepping onto their territory.


    It also had to be remembered that Ruu didn''t know that Theron was aware that she wasn''t of his branch. Asking her such a line of questioning would definitely reveal to her that he was more tied with Dagger of the Night than she knew¡ªso obviously, he didn''t ask and could only speculate himself.


    To her, it wasn''t a surprise that she had gotten back so fast. But to Theron, it was the biggest of red flags¡­ which led to the second conclusion.


    This second branch had a method of moving across incredibly fast distances in short order. And for that to be possible, there were only two possibilities.


    Teleportation platforms or Space Mancers.


    Technically speaking, the latter was far rarer than the former. But there was a very obvious reason why the former wasn''t an option¡­


    Where was the relay station?


    A teleportation platform needed a receiving end to work properly. Maybe there were some that didn''t need a formed connection between two, but they would be on a completely different level entirely.


    Theron''s level of knowledge now couldn''t be compared to before he entered the Secret Realm. While he hadn''t had nearly enough time to read through the entire library, he had accomplished some reading¡­


    Enough to reach one final conclusion.


    Ruu''s guild branch had a Space Mancer. In fact, said Space Mancer might very well be exactly the liaison that Patriarch Gian was relying upon.


    This wasn''t something that Theron could have ever expected, and it made things a thousand times trickier for him. It was already going to be difficult to escape from the old man and Patriarch Gian, but how would he manage against an old monster that could cross hundreds of kilometers with a thought?


    Despite this, Theron was eerily calm.


    He looked down at his palm, squeezing it closed as he felt his blood pumping through him.


    Since the first time he used Third Eye on his necklace, he had tried to enter two more times, failing both times. From what he could tell, he would have to cross into Fourth Resonance before he could again.


    He still wasn''t entirely sure what happened in there, but rather than finding the answers he wanted, he instead felt a clashing energy. On one side was a sharp cold and on the other was a blazing heat.


    The two slammed together as though trying to force themselves into a state of cool calm. But that volatility of both ripped his mind apart instead.


    Yet, rather than crippling him, his soul came out far stronger. With it, his Mana control climbed to higher and higher levels.


    Maybe he still hadn''t reached the threshold his necklace wanted him to, but at least for now, it was no longer a useless weight around his neck.


    And if his necklace had such a secret¡­ what secret did his father''s blade carry?


    ''Soon.''


    Theron slowly unclenched his fist, his calm returning.


    Tomorrow would be the day he got the ball rolling. He had no time to waste here at all.


    A branch bent beneath him as he accelerated once again.


    **


    By the next day, there was hardly anyone in the Imperial Capital who hadn''t heard of Theron''s appearance. But this time, it was Theron''s turn to be caught off guard.


    He had only just woken up to attend his first set of classes, only to be called to the Dean''s office.


    Honestly, until now, the only times he had been called to the Dean''s was for Dean Thistle. Half of him thought that there would be another Thistle on the other side waiting for him to deal with. But the reality was very different from what he expected.


    There was an old woman he didn''t recognize across from him. But she radiated the gentle aura and fragrance of a Soul Mancer who specialized in alchemy.


    It wasn''t the old woman, though, that attracted his attention.


    Standing by the side of the desk, there was a chubby middle-aged woman whose eyes were brimming with tears.


    The moment she saw Theron, she couldn''t seem to control herself anymore and rushed forward, pulling him into an enormous bear hug that almost suffocated him to death.

 Chapter 192: Compensate

    Theron blinked and then smiled.


    "Hello, Teacher Fern. How have you been?"


    Teacher Fern was about to answer when she suddenly remembered that she was very angry.


    She pulled back on her embrace and grabbed Theron''s shoulders.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing, Theron?! This isn''t the gentle boy I remember! Why are you suddenly going around provoking everyone?!"


    Theron''s head tilted slightly. "Self-preservation."


    Teacher Fern had a whole speech she wanted to go in on, but the moment Theron said this, it felt like a lump had formed in her chest.


    She pulled Theron into her chest, tears falling from her eyes. No longer trusting her voice to speak, she didn''t say anything.


    There was an odd flicker in Theron''s eyes. Honestly, this was the first time Teacher Fern had ever hugged him. And quite frankly, it had already been almost a year since a person had last hugged him like this. He had almost forgotten what it felt like.


    "I''m sorry. I''ve caused you so much trouble."


    Theron remained silent. In truth, Teacher Fern wasn''t responsible for much of anything. Everything that happened after her absence was his own doing.


    The Merchant Greycoat business had kicked off things that he couldn''t stop even if he wanted to, from the culling, to the Thistles moving in on the branch academy, down to this very moment right here.


    All things considered, what she had done was just a blip. He would have ended up like this anyway because he was embroiled with Daggers of the Night.


    "It''s not your fault," Theron said gently. "The world is just like this."


    The gentle calmness in Theron''s voice only made Teacher Fern cry harder.


    "Alright, Fern. You''ve suffocated the child enough."


    A voice surprisingly just as gentle as Theron''s spoke out, finally allowing the latter some breathing room. Given what most said about this old woman, you would never expect for her voice to sound so soothing.


    "Theron, this is Dean Pennel."


    Theron''s expression didn''t change, but his mind focused quite sharply on the elderly woman before him.


    Pennel? That was the last name of one of the Empire''s two Grand Duke families.


    It wasn''t a surprise that such an important pillar of the Nightingale Clan was controlled by one of the strongest families. But it was still a surprise that Teacher Fern had a relationship with this person.


    "Take a seat, Theron."


    "Dean¡­" Teacher Fern tried to speak, but was cut off by a wave of a wrinkled hand.


    Theron felt that something was wrong, but there wasn''t really much of a choice. So he did as he was told.


    "You killed my disciple. How do you plan to compensate me?"


    Theron''s eyes narrowed at the nonchalant phrase. His mind spun as he tried to recall who that could have possibly been, but he drew nothing more than a blank.


    A dark chuckle came from the old Dean, one that was almost eerily gentle in an odd way. It was so soothing, and yet you couldn''t find it in yourself to relax the slightest bit.


    "It seems that you''ve killed so much that you can''t even recall."


    Dean Pennel tapped a sharp nail on her black oak desk. A black fog took shape before twisting and turning until it formed the face of a familiar young man.


    Moreno.


    Theron didn''t know much about this young man, but everyone else in the Imperial Academy did. This was the young man who killed a disciple of a Duke Clan and somehow survived despite being from a mere Knight Clan.


    It seemed that the reason for that was on the table now.


    Theron, though, was much more focused on something else. If the Dean wanted revenge, she would have just killed him unless she had a sadistic desire to see him squirm in retaliation.


    No, he was instead far more focused on the control.


    Dark Mana was notoriously difficult to wield. It was very foggy and loose. While Fire Mana was unwieldy because it always wanted to combust everything it came into contact with, Dark Mana was levels beyond that in terms of just how much it wanted to dissipate and spread out.


    Yet, this Dean had managed to use it to form the perfect replica of a person''s face.


    It wasn''t just this. She hadn''t just formed an outline of a face, but she was controlling how much light each edge, fade, and corner absorbed, making it look as though this face was interacting with the light in the room just like any other object.


    This was clearly against the normal properties of Dark Mana, which always wanted to absorb all light.


    "Wow¡­" Theron said softly.


    He wasn''t acting; the words slipping out of him without much care because it didn''t seem like it needed to go through his filters at all.


    This level of control was no less impressive than his polarization control. But it was far more delicate, and it carried an artistry to it that was truly special.


    Dean Pennel blinked. Even she wasn''t expecting this sort of response.


    Theron raised a finger and tapped it on the desk as well. A swarm of Water Mana took shape and began to form a head.


    First, he started with a perfectly smooth sphere, and then he tried to change its form and shape. But he was shocked to find that he was having difficulty just forming a face, let alone a recognizable face.


    This was also despite the fact his Mana control had reached a shocking level after his Third Eye awakened not just once over, but thrice.


    Theron frowned, his finger tapping again as he tried once more.


    He closed his eyes and his track of time vanished.


    An hour¡­


    Two¡­


    Three¡­


    Beads of sweat fell down his brow before he finally managed to reconstruct a face he knew better than anyone else''s¡ªhis father.


    It was the face he saw every time he closed his eyes at night, the final face before his entire family was wiped out by a bolt of lightning.


    ''It''s still not good enough,'' Theron thought to himself.


    "Stop."


    The forceful word of Dean Pennel shattered the figure.


    "You will overdraft yourself if you continue. Check the state of your Core." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron turned his attention into his body to find his Silver Core had turned into a dry desert.


    When had he used this much Mana?

 Chapter 193: Control

    Theron looked at his Core for a moment before he pulled back and closed his eyes. A large amount of Mana began to surge toward him, rolling in waves that even knocked the hair of the two women up.


    Dean Pennel was about to speak again when her pupils constricted.


    Theron''s eyes opened ten or so minutes later, his Mana replenished by as much as 10%. Now he had about a fifth of his Mana overall, but he couldn''t wait, so he started again.


    What he was trying to do was mimic the old woman''s Mana, but the issue was that Dark Mana and Water Mana didn''t have the same properties. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While it was the case that Dark Mana was prone to swallowing light, doing something like adjusting how much light it was swallowing was a lot easier than trying to replicate this.


    Theron was trying to mess around with the smooth and rough textures of the water to give it depth it otherwise shouldn''t have, making the surface more smooth where he wanted to reflect more light, and more rough where he wanted to swallow more light.


    What he was doing was actually far more complicated, but he wanted to succeed.


    He always took pride in his control, and it always came naturally. It could be said that this was the first time it wasn''t.


    "¡­ What is wrong with this child?" Dean Pennel muttered.


    Fern beamed as though she was looking at her own son.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen him like this too. I don''t even think he can hear us right now. I almost forgot that he was just a little boy."


    Dean Pennel looked toward Fern.


    Fern blinked. "Don''t look at me like that, mother-in-law. You know that not having children was never up to me."


    Dean Pennel snorted. Her son was a stubborn old brute. She had told Fern to just get him while he was drunk several times, but this daughter-in-law of hers was too much of a goody-goody.


    "It''s good to know that he has his own interests as well," Fern eventually spoke again.


    "This doesn''t look like an interest¡­" Dean Pennel said softly.


    Looking at Theron, who had his head down as though the entire world had vanished, she saw a reflection of her own son.


    This wasn''t interesting. It was obsession.


    If she knew Theron, she would understand why.


    His entire life, Water Mancy had been Theron''s greatest weak point. It didn''t have great offensive power. Its defenses were good, but it would never be comparable to Earth. Its healing abilities were decent, but it would never be comparable to Light or what Soul Mancers could do with a single pill.


    Control was all he had.


    Control was his path to power, to true strength.


    He could accept if his attack was lacking. He could accept if his defenses were penetrated, or if he couldn''t heal himself well enough.


    But he would never accept someone having better control over their Mana than he did his own.


    If he couldn''t maintain his absolute dominance in this field, how would he be able to accomplish what he needed to?


    Theron felt himself enter a Mana-depleted state again.


    He stopped, re-upped his Mana, and then went again.


    And then again.


    And then again.


    It was difficult. How could he make the surface of the water rougher without actually changing the shape?


    ''Refraction index¡­ messing with the density, the viscosity of the water¡­ if I can bend the light enough¡­ but that changes it beyond the properties of what still makes it water¡­ I have to¡­''


    Calculations ran through Theron''s head one after another.


    He ran out of Mana again.


    Once more, he closed his eyes, focusing on replenishing it.


    As the Mana rotated through him, he found it being compressed, the runes on his Core flashing as it manipulated the Mana. He was focusing on speed, but he had done it so many times in recent memory that he almost became passive.


    Suddenly his eyes snapped open.


    This time, he had barely replenished 1% more of his Mana and was only just in the green. In nothing more than a few seconds, he would probably be at a deficit again. And yet¡­


    Veinsong.


    Theron shattered the sphere of water with a palm, causing a puddle to form over the black oak desk. But when he lifted his hand up again, the water followed, forming a sphere so perfectly round and clear it seemed to vanish in the air.


    And then it moved, rippling waves forming across its surface and dancing in arcs like the strokes of an artist''s brush.


    Chi. Chi. Chi.


    The water splashed, and yet not a single droplet fell until a face formed once again.


    His father''s face.


    But this time, if it wasn''t for the fact that it was a transparent blue, it would have almost felt as though a real face was right before them.


    A handsome man with a gentle countenance. A pair of eyes that reminded one of a slowly melting iceberg, inviting and filled with the winter''s richest dew. Hair that danced in the wind as though every individual filament was just as real as they had been that day.


    But then there was the pain, the realization, the understanding of what was happening.


    The runes within it danced so delicately, hidden beneath the surface and capturing the light in just the right ways.


    BANG!


    Theron''s head slammed against the table and the two women startled awake.


    "Theron? Theron!"


    Theron was out cold. He had given it everything he had.


    Deep inside him, something was rolling in waves, the Immortal Jellyfish pulling and pushing on his blood in odd ways.


    Water Mana began to spontaneously rush toward him and flakes of silver fell from his Core as he broke into the Fourth Silver Resonance.


    Large pools of Mana swarmed him. Rivers formed in the air, rushing toward him.


    Dean Pennel stood and stopped Teacher Fern from rushing forward. Deep in her aged eyes, there was a fierce glow.

 Chapter 194: Coward

    Theron''s eyes snapped open. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Power brimmed through him, his head rushing up from the table it had just slammed on.


    Barely a few minutes had passed, and he had expected as much. When he noticed how focused he was, he knew that he couldn''t allow himself to lose control of his body for so long.


    The only option at that point was the breakthrough into Fourth Resonance.


    Luckily, the pressure he put on his Core by continuously draining it had allowed him to push through the final layer. While he had still lost consciousness for a short while, it shouldn''t be enough to put him in real danger.


    The moment he awoke, though, he found two pairs of eyes staring at him maybe a little too intently.


    Theron blinked and then smiled lightly.


    "Sorry, I was very focused. Thank you for the lesson, Dean Pennel."


    "The lesson?" The old woman was speechless. She was pretty sure that she had been accusing this brat of killing her disciple. What was the relation between these two things?


    Several times during Theron''s attempts, she had tried to stop him. The fine motor control she was using relied heavily on abilities that only Gold Mancers should have.


    It could be said that the Bronze and Silver Cores were also known as False Cores in the cultivation world. The True Core didn''t manifest until one reached Gold.


    To do what Theron had done with a Silver Core simply made no sense.


    And just what was that breakthrough? Was that truly someone entering the Second Resonance? It felt more like he was breaking into Gold Mancy.


    But it was very clear that he was still using Silver Mana.


    Dean Pennel leaned back into her chair, looking at Theron silently for a long while. She wasn''t in a rush to speak anymore, but she seemed to also realize that intimidating this boy the way she wanted to was going to be impossible.


    Something told her that even if Theron chose to display some fear, it would be little more than a facade.


    After a while, the Dean smiled a gentle smile. She had a much better idea.


    "I''m rejecting you from the academic stream."


    Theron blinked, but his eyes only seemed to lose a slight hint of gentleness to them as he looked at her intently.


    The Dean''s eyes narrowed. This was certainly not the normal reaction of someone who was being screwed over.


    "The Main Imperial Academy is not like the branch academies," the Dean continued without missing a beat. "Those that graduate from the academic stream with a passing grade are guaranteed a low-tier government position. Those that graduate as Honored Imperial Scholars and meet the 66 Credit cut-off mark are guaranteed a mid-tier government position. Those that graduate as Perfect Imperial Scholars and clear all 99 Credits are guaranteed a high-tier government position.


    "There is no working your way up, no probation period, you immediately start influencing the decisions and direction of the Empire.


    "Because of this, students aren''t just accepted based on their skill and merit, but also their character.


    "Your character is lacking, as you''ve proven several times already. And I''m not comfortable with the pace at which you are gathering credits. At this rate, you are guaranteed a mid-tier government position, and that''s about as good as leading a hundred thousand-man army."


    Dean Pennel shook her head, but Theron didn''t respond as though he was waiting for something.


    The Dean only smiled. So, Theron nodded.


    "Okay."


    After saying this, Theron stood to leave.


    "If that''s everything, then I''ll excuse myself."


    The Dean''s lip twitched, but by the time she thought to say something, Theron had already left, the door softly clicking closed behind him.


    A silence fell in the office. Well, it was silent until Fern chuckled and she hurried to cover her mouth as the Dean''s head whipped over.


    Fern coughed. "Nice weather we''re having, hm?"


    ¡­


    Theron looked up into the skies.


    ''It''s going to rain soon¡­ hm, maybe I can use this¡­''


    Dean Pennel''s words had long been forgotten by him. Quite honestly, he didn''t care. It didn''t matter much to him what he faced, he was indifferent to it all¡ªhumiliating or not.


    There were a million things he could have said in response, up to and including pointing out the fact it was Dean Pennel''s own disciple that had traveled to his city for no other reason than to kill him. Was that morally upright to the Dean?


    But the words would have been wasted.


    He could tell that Dean Pennel was trying to hint at him to do something else, but he didn''t have the time to get wrapped up in the schemes of yet another old monster.


    If nothing else, his rejection was even more useful than his acceptance.


    But now wasn''t the time to use it. He would be asking for death if he did something like that in the Imperial Capital.


    Others might think him to be reckless, but he was toeing a very fine line right now.


    With that thought, Theron silently slipped into the shadows.


    **


    "You got embarrassed."


    "Say one more word like that and I''ll fight it out with you right here and now." Rowan growled.


    "You''re a peak Outer Disciple of our Obsidian Eclipse Sect and you didn''t even dare to fight!"


    "He said anyone beneath Third Resonance! BENEATH!"


    "You can fool someone else with that bullshit, but me? You were scared to step onto the arena and you know it."


    BANG!


    Rowan threw his glass of brown liquor against a wall, the splash of sparkling crystal and dark gold playing against the aged wood of the bar.


    He glared at the young man speaking to him, veins bulging across his forehead. But seeing the sneer he got back, he eventually took a breath and turned, opening the doors and leaving.


    "Coward."


    The word made Rowan see red. But he was simply no match for a genius of a Duke Clan. He might be second-ranked amongst Third Silver Resonance Mancers in his family, but he was only barely top 100 among them in the whole Sect.


    ''One day I''ll take your head, Alden Nowlan. You wouldn''t be the first of your family to die because you ran your mouth too much.''


    Alden sipped at his drink for another few hours before he got up, leaving the bar with a strut in his step.


    He steered down an alley to take a piss, not knowing those would be his last.


    His head flew through the skies as the drizzling rain fell on his corpse.


    The word "Rain" was etched into his chest.

 Chapter 195: Bad News

    Theron left the scene in a flash as though he had done nothing at all. Tonight, this was just one of his targets.


    Thanks to Ruu, he had learned quite a lot about the disciples of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, and he also knew exactly which ones he could and should target.


    He had been meaning to build up his River and Rain personas more, but he hadn''t had the chance to do so because he was forced into one mission after another. But now, that chance had come to present itself to him.


    The purpose of such a thing didn''t seem obvious at all. Why potentially expose himself as River in the first place?


    Maybe only Theron would know the answer to that.


    By the time his enemies realized what he was doing, it would be far too late for them.


    Theron had long updated the rate of success of his plan. Moving forward, he had no intention of slipping up at the last moments. And in the future, when it truly became time for his revenge, these plans that he laid out now just might come to play an important role.


    **


    Obsidian Eclipse Sect.


    An old woman sat wreathed in black and silver. Her eyes rotated like black holes, and there seemed to be a wide berth all around her, not from people as she was almost alone, but instead from what seemed like Mana itself.


    It was as though she had become such a sunken hole that there was no Mana left around her to absorb in the first place.


    This woman was the Matriarch of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect, an old monster no less powerful than Dean Pennel.


    She, however, wasn''t of the Pennel Clan. Instead, she had married into the Nowlan Duke Clan.


    Receiving a report about Alden''s death, though, she didn''t care very much. The Nowlan Clan might be her husband''s Clan, but Alden was neither her student nor her son or grandson. If anything, the Nowlan name just made her raise her eyebrow just a little bit more¡­


    Until, that is, more reports started coming in.


    The main issue, though, wasn''t the deaths; it was the exact targets.


    They weren''t all disciples of Clans as powerful as Duke Clans, but they seemed strategically chosen to stir up the most trouble possible.


    Alden, for example¡­ he was a top 10 outer disciple. And, he actually still had more room to grow. There was a chance he could push himself into the top six or seven before he ran into the end of his potential and broke into Fourth Silver Resonance.


    Not only was he powerful, though, but he had a contentious relationship with the youth of the Bordeaux Clan. Rowlan might have only been ranked in the 90s or so, but he was the leading figure of a Marquis Clan in the outer disciple.


    Whether the Nowlans would be able to prove that the Bordeaux were involved or not¡ªor even in the case that the Bordeaux were clearly proven innocent, it wouldn''t matter.


    That sort of relationship wouldn''t be easily capitalized on again. There would be an estrangement between the families that only time could fix.


    At first, Matriarch Louvana thought that it was a coincidence. After all, Theron had left the mark of "Rain" on his target. It didn''t seem like he cared to use this to his advantage at all.


    But then the pattern started appearing again and again. Not in the same way, and often cleverly hidden, but it was most definitely there.


    In the second case of death that night, it was actually an Inner Disciple of a Knight Clan. In fact, it was the very same Knight Clan that Moreno had descended from.


    This was why it was clear that Theron wasn''t just targeting geniuses. The Knight Clan in question had already lost the one genius they had, but they did have an Inner Disciple that managed to make it to Eighth Resonance.


    Only for him to die unceremoniously as well.


    This Knight Clan had already been facing suppression because of what Moreno had done to a member of a Duke Clan. Now, their strongest pillar in the Sect had suddenly been crushed. How would the others of the family even survive? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then there was the third case. Somehow, it seemed even more inconsequential than the others.


    All things considered, Alden was a minor figure. Who cared if he was a top ten outer disciple? There were no geniuses beneath Gold Mancy, and certainly none at Lower Silver Resonance.


    Then there was the Eighth Silver Resonance inner disciple? The Matriarch cared even less about this disciple, they had maybe a 5% chance of reaching Gold Mancy in some distant future¡ªif and only if they stumbled onto some opportunity.


    But this one was even more ridiculous.


    A maid servant.


    At first, the Matriarch didn''t even understand why this landed on her desk in the first place until her lip twitched.


    ''¡­ Not good¡­''


    This wasn''t just any maid servant. She might have been the weakest of them all, having barely entered First Silver Resonance, but she was the maid servant of that kid.


    No, maybe only Matriarch Louvana would dare to call him a kid.


    He was the first to reach Quasi Gold of this generation of disciples, front in line to become their first Chosen. Just because the Luminescent Moon Sect had jumped the gun and picked out their Chosen ahead of time, didn''t mean that the Obsidian Eclipse Sect would do the same.


    In fact, Louvana was quite sure that the main reason this young man hadn''t broken through yet was because he was waiting for Beifong''s successful return so that he might have a chance at using the Tribulation Bloomstone.


    Mason. Mason Zhen of the Zhen Grand Duke Clan. The second-ranked Quasi Gold Mancer of their family.


    Just maybe¡­ he would have been first if he didn''t waste his time being so lascivious and sex-obsessed.


    The fact that this maid servant had died¡­ it was bad news.

 Chapter 196: Rain

    Theron sat in silent meditation. He hadn''t just killed three people last night; he had killed more than a dozen. Some of them were far weaker than himself, but there were a decent number that were quite a bit more powerful.


    Though, it could be said that the highest difficulty kills had nothing to do with the strength of the target themselves, but rather the security. The maid servant was without a doubt the hardest kill.


    As for why Theron had done it¡­ it was necessary.


    A lot of the information he had gathered about the Sect was thanks to Ruu. Originally, when Ruu wanted to join the Obsidian Eclipse Sect to find the information she was looking for, there were two paths. Either she became a disciple, or she found a disciple to latch onto.


    If she chose the former, it would be too difficult to hide her tracks properly, so she chose the latter. At that point, it was just a matter of which disciple she chose to latch onto.


    Although she didn''t want to use her body to get into places, she had her own moral compass when it came to such things. Mason had been at the top of the list for obvious reasons, but it was too risky. He was too powerful, and working her way up the list of his favorites would be too difficult.


    It might turn a mission that she could complete in a handful of months into one that might take years¡­ or one she might never complete at all.


    It was said that maid servants who went to serve Mason didn''t always make it out alive. Though Ruu wasn''t averse to risk in general, going into such a place with a secret identity would have been no less grueling than trying to join such a powerful Sect with a false identity.


    This was where the true trouble came.


    The reason why maid servants kept being sent to Mason was obviously because of his status as a genius of a Grand Duke Clan. It was a high risk, high reward sort of situation.


    But Mason also didn''t kill without any reason at all, he wasn''t a madman. Those maid servants that died were often caught doing what they weren''t supposed to, trying to stick their noses into things that didn''t belong, or overstep their boundaries.


    This was where this particular maid servant came into play. Her position by Mason was no less than that of Ruu by Rowlan''s side. But what was more important than that was where she had come from.


    The Imperial Clan.


    This was a tidbit of information that Ruu had only managed to stumble upon after a great deal of effort.


    This maid servant wasn''t a particularly strong talent or anything of the sort. In fact, it could be said that this was exactly why she was passed off as a maid servant.


    She was the illegitimate child of a distantly related prince. All things considered, as Mason''s top maid servant, she was destined to become his favorite concubine in the future, a much higher position than she would have been given by birthright.


    Of course, as someone with Imperial blood in her, her life would have been comfortable no matter what. But this was very different.


    Though by choosing to become a maid servant, she wouldn''t be able to become the first wife. She had clearly made this choice knowing full well what the outcome would be.


    There was no way her thin Imperial Bloodline would have allowed her to marry someone who could vie for the position of Patriarch of a Grand Duke Clan in the future. If she wanted such a husband, this was the only way.


    However¡­ no matter how thin¡­


    She still had noble blood.


    Now that she was found dead in Mason''s abode, when he also had a reputation for killing his maid servants¡­ well, whether Rain was etched onto her chest or not, it would lead to yet another strained relationship. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron had truly handed the Thistles an opportunity on a silver platter. If they didn''t know how to take advantage of it, they could only blame their own incompetence.


    BANG!


    The door to Theron''s hotel room shattered. Yet, he only calmly opened his eyes, looking ahead to see the swarm of Imperial Guards that had suddenly burst through without any warning at all.


    He was already expecting this.


    No one was a fool. A Water Mancer suddenly going around and killing people, writing Rain on their chests, right after Theron got to the Imperial Capital?


    If they couldn''t draw a connection to him, they would be a bit too stupid.


    "Stand up!" The Imperial Guard roared.


    Theron only did as he was told without the slightest hint of resistance, presenting his wrists to be shackled.


    Soon, he was led away, the Imperial Guard feeling like he punched into a cloud. Theron didn''t react how practically any other cultivator would have in this situation. It was like he was a blank slate and didn''t realize he was being disrespected.


    ¡­


    Theron spent the next night in a cell, silently meditating without a word. His spatial rings had been plundered, but they wouldn''t find anything in there. He had his valuables in there, of course. But none of the Bloomstones he had taken.


    Before he did this, he had already hidden those. In fact, when he came to the Imperial Capital itself, he had only taken a fraction of what he had with him in the first place.


    He thought ten steps ahead, not just one.


    And it was also because of that that he knew he would make it out of here in one piece.


    Maybe before he met Dean Pennel, he would have taken a less radical approach. But since he could get away with it now, why not? It would save him the time he would waste.


    CLANG.


    The rolling of metal against metal and a BANG echoed as his cell doors were finally opened. He had hardly opened his eyes when he was forced to his feet and dragged out.


    Soon, he stood before a court, two old people sitting on an elevated platform and looking down at him. One of them was precisely Dean Pennel.


    However, Theron didn''t pay much attention to the two older individuals, looking to the side instead to find something that made him raise an internal eyebrow.


    If he was correct, this was the Matriarch of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect.


    Odd.

 Chapter 197: A Show of Force

    "How¡ª."


    The word had barely come out when it was cut off.


    "Present the charges."


    Dean Pennel spoke up as though the military stream Dean by her side hadn''t spoken at all. All of the old man''s aggression flew out the window, and he deflated like a balloon.


    "Theron Galethunder," a herald of sorts by the side took a step forward and unfurled a long scroll. "You have been accused of several counts of murder¡­"


    The herald continued to list the casualties one after another.


    At some point, Theron started to look around at the courtroom, if you could call it that. What was most interesting to him was the fact that this wasn''t a formal court; it was almost like a court-martial court, but only for Imperial Academy students.


    That was a very important point because Theron technically wasn''t¡­ at least not in the eyes of the Imperial Academy themselves.


    That said, it was interesting for another reason. This meant that he was pulled here not by the Sect, but by someone from the academy.


    The question was¡­ was this because the Sect didn''t want to pursue it?


    Theron''s eyes landed on the Matriarch that was looking at him with those rotating black holes for eyes. Another disciple would have long since looked away from her, but he seemed to take a moment to memorize her face. Only then did he look away. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Doubtful. If the Sect wasn''t involved at all, she wouldn''t be here. In that case, is it a show of power? They probably know they don''t have enough evidence to kill me, and that I also have just enough backing that killing me without due process would make the most sense as a show of strength.


    ''But to what end? A show of power to the Thistles? Waste of time. To me? Even more of a waste. No, it''s a show of power to the Clans and families I targeted. They want to make it clear that if they use those deaths as a reason to strain relationships like I want, they''ll be dealt with in short order because the Obsidian Eclipse Sect and the Imperial Clan are in lockstep.


    ''Clever. But that also means that I can push the issue pretty hard today. I bet I can get a lot out of it.''


    Theron suddenly smiled a gentle smile.


    He would never put himself at risk without an exit plan. How convenient for him that they had taken this route instead. He happened to be in need of more Water Mancer spells.


    While he had gotten quite a few from his wedding, and many of them were actually quite powerful Silver Mancy ones, they weren''t exactly what he was looking for either.


    The only trouble here was that there was no way they would let him off without any punishment at all, or else that would have the reverse effect of the threat they were so very clearly trying to exert.


    Dean Pennel felt her lip twitch when she saw Theron''s smile. Ever since their first meeting, this child had left a very deep impression on her. As expected, he had already seen through the true purpose of this farce.


    Inwardly, though, she was laughing as well. She would see how he would escape from her palm this time.


    Half of her believed that it really was Theron who did this. But¡­


    Sneaking into the Obsidian Eclipse Sect and killing a maid servant of a Quasi Gold? Killing not just one, but four high-tier Silver Mancers by her count?


    As impressive as Theron''s talent was, his strength shouldn''t be on that level yet.


    "How do you plead?" the military stream Dean blew out his mustache and beard, finally speaking.


    Theron looked up at him. "Is this because I defeated the students of the Main Imperial Academy? They threatened me first."


    BANG!


    The military stream Dean, Dean Slater, felt his temper flare to his head.


    "You will treat these proceedings with the seriousness they warrant, or I will kill you on the spot. Do you understand me, boy?"


    Theron blinked. "These charges are obviously ridiculous, so I''m only asking a question. According to your list, I apparently killed so many Obsidian Eclipse Sect disciples. I didn''t know that the Imperial Clan''s academy and the Sect were close enough for the former to bring forward charges for the latter.


    "I can only speculate that it''s revenge for embarrassing your disciples. In which case, I''d remind you that I''m not a disciple of the Main Imperial Academy; my application was rejected by one of your Deans. So if you want to try me, you''ll have to do so in a real court.


    "By extension of that, I''m the son-in-law of an Earldom with potential to become their heir in the future. I am also the Chosen of the Luminescent Moon Sect. You aren''t allowed to arrest me on suspicion alone."


    The Imperial Academy could bring their own students in for questioning whenever they wanted. But an official court had much stricter rules, ones that not only favored nobles, but also drew a clear line between Empire matters and Sect matters.


    On the one hand, Theron was a Vermouth, so he had the status to be treated as the Vermouth Ancestor had earned for his descendants.


    On the other hand, he was a Sect disciple, and he had killed other Sect disciples¡ªor rather, had been accused of doing so.


    That obviously made this a matter to be handled between the Sects, not the Imperial Clan.


    The more Theron spoke, the larger the thumbs up in Dean Pennel''s heart became. It sounded like Theron was being combative, but highlighting these norms was actually only helping them. It would only focus the attention of those they wanted paying attention on exactly what they needed to.


    It seemed that it was now time for her to speak.


    "Actually, Little Theron, your application was approved yesterday, not long after you left. You are indeed a student of our Main Imperial Academy now."


    Dean Pennel smiled her usual gentle smile.


    Those in the courtroom shivered. They feared that smile the most.

 Chapter 198: Proof

    Theron raised an internal eyebrow. He hadn''t been expecting such a result, honestly.


    At first, he thought that maybe she was just saying this to cut him off. But his intuition shot that down quite quickly.


    Though he and Dean Pennel didn''t see eye to eye on everything, he had never felt that she was hostile. Though that might have been a great deal due to the fact she was close to Teacher Fern and Theron quite liked Fern, Theron could feel that she wasn''t targeting him either.


    Rather, the vibe he got from Dean Pennel was that she was used to being in a place of authority and had the pride that came with that. So when she formulated her plans, she naturally placed herself at a higher position than those she was moving around like pawns.


    Theron didn''t begrudge her that. She had put in the years of training and experience to reach her level. She was also the first person with control that shocked him enough to feel inferior.


    The only reason he hadn''t gone along with her plans¡ªwhatever they may be¡ªinitially was because he truly didn''t have the time to get embroiled with the machinations of yet another powerhouse. It would just make things more difficult for him to slip out of his province.


    He thought that with the Dean''s pride, she wouldn''t drop the topic and not bother to bring it up again. But it seemed that he had miscalculated a bit this time.


    Dean Pennel wasn''t very prideful, at least not beyond the normal sense. She had the natural authority to her actions Theron mentioned, but outside of this, she carried also a bit of the shamelessness of an older person who had lived enough life to not care about what others thought.


    Though it seemed to take a while for Theron to finish thinking through all of this, he realized the crux of the matter instantly.


    "Ah, I see. When was it made official?" Theron asked with the same gentle smile, not even bothering to argue.


    Dean Pennel''s smile became wider and looked toward a watch on her wrist.


    "Hm, I would say about three, four¡­ five seconds ago?"


    Theron almost chuckled inwardly. Indeed, the old didn''t have to care about the opinions of others at all. They could be as shameless as they wanted and who would say something about it?


    Once he got his answer, Theron looked toward the herald.


    "I believe that all of these incidents happened last night under your reports. So, again¡­ my response remains the same."


    BANG!


    Dean Slater looked as though he was truly about to lose his mind. What was this farce? S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The loophole in the rules was very clear and obvious. At first, he thought Theron had slipped out, then Dean Pennel spoke up and he thought things had been saved, only for things to revert back to the same state as before.


    If he had known Dean Pennel would respond like that, he would have spoken up first and lied. Clearly, Dean Pennel was making things up too, so why couldn''t he?


    Theron raised another internal eyebrow. Why was this guy so mad?


    Theron''s gaze shifted to the name tag the lay engraved in brass on the judge''s bench.


    Dean Slater.


    Slater was actually the name of a Knight Clan. This Dean must have worked quite hard to reach his current standing.


    Was it just a matter of him being a stickler for rules, then? Or¡­


    ''A puppet?''


    The odds someone with no backing could reach this level were slim to none. Either he was a genius amongst shocking geniuses, or he was someone''s useful idiot.


    Or maybe not so much of an idiot if he knew exactly what he was doing.


    "Enough." Dean Slater growled. "This is a courtroom¡ª"


    "Not exactly accurate." Theron interrupted. "A courtroom is a name reserved for those that act under the authority of His Imperial Majesty. Like I said before, this is the academy''s court."


    "I didn''t ask you for a history lesson, boy."


    "I''m only making sure that Dean Slater doesn''t accidentally offend those he shouldn''t. I apologize if I''ve overstepped my bounds."


    A vein popped across Dean Slater''s forehead and Dean Pennel seemed to be doing a terrible job of trying to hold her laughter back.


    Dean Slater clenched his teeth hard. He wouldn''t usually lose control of his emotions so easily, especially not in front of a junior. The main problem was that he felt like he couldn''t do anything in the face of Dean Pennel''s willfulness, and that left him feeling suffocated.


    This frustration wasn''t only Theron''s doing.


    But it was already clear that what he wanted to do today wouldn''t be allowed by the Dean.


    "Tell you what," Dean Pennel suddenly began to speak again. "What you''re being accused of did, indeed, happen before you were officially a student. But, as you know, the burden of a student of our academy comes with an exceptional weight to it.


    "While the rules won''t allow us to punish you for what you may or may not have done in the past, disciplinary action for those deemed to be of questionable character is still unavoidable."


    Dean Slater''s eyes lit up as though he had found an opportunity, but Dean Pennel continued to speak without missing a single beat at all.


    "The last time we spoke, you didn''t seem interested in it. But now, I am not asking. This will be your mode of rehabilitation.


    "Two months from now, there will be an exchange between Imperial Academies of the surrounding five provinces. Unfortunately, our slot for First Years has been left vacant due to reasons I''m sure you''re aware of.


    "In this coming time, you will be tasked with training and preparing for this exchange. Be sure to win your lane and I will personally write all of this off and take you as a disciple.


    "Fail, and I will have you tried in a real court."


    Dean Pennel smiled gently.


    Theron recognized that smile well, the smile that was the very reason everyone shivered when this old woman walked into any room. It was the same reminder this world liked to give him all the time.


    It didn''t matter how clever he was. If someone powerful enough felt the need to act, they didn''t need any evidence at all.


    Clearly, Dean Pennel didn''t need proof to believe Theron had done it.


    Theron smiled gently back.


    So what?

 Chapter 199: No Secrets

    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?!"


    BANG!


    Dean Slater slammed the door to Dean Pennel''s office behind him, absolutely fuming. The latter had defused the entire situation, and though technically speaking, she had toed the line perfectly and there were no faults to pick, this wasn''t nearly enough for Dean Slater.


    They could have gone for blood, really flexed their muscles here, but the end result was something that could only have been considered "not bad."


    All things considered, the task that Dean Pennel gave Theron was incredibly difficult, and it was a genius maneuver.


    The Thistles were trying to shift everyone to the Sects and undermine the power of the Imperial Clan. But now one of their pawns had gotten caught by them and would be forced to act on their accounts.


    If Theron succeeded, all the glory would be that of the Imperial Clan''s. And if he failed, it would be a matter of ease to flip things and blame the Thistles again. They would also have a convenient excuse to handicap one of the best pawns the Thistles had.


    No matter where you looked these days, Theron seemed to be everywhere.


    Some things had calmed because Theron wasn''t at the forefront of the Secret Realm incident. But the fact he had managed to survive such a massacre spoke for itself.


    "Whose door did you just slam?" Dean Pennel hadn''t said a word as Dean Slater went into a tirade. It was only when she sat down that she finally seemed to notice that there was a furious man in front of her.


    Dean Slater''s eyes narrowed. "Do you think I''m a child? Do you think I fear you?"


    "Fear me? No. But you should fear my son."


    Dean Slater gagged on his breath. This woman was truly shameless. But could you blame a mother for relying on the child she had pushed out herself?


    "So I''ll ask you again. Whose door did you just slam?"


    Dean Slater grit his teeth. "Don''t try and scare me with a man who''s a million miles away. He could die any time."


    "Is that so?" Dean Pennel nodded slowly, her smile appearing again just as gentle. No, even more so¡­ almost sickly sweet. "Mm, I will keep that in mind, then."


    Dean Slater trembled involuntarily. Then, somewhat stiffly, he turned back to the door, ready to leave.


    But then it was as though he had gotten a small boost of confidence from some unknown place. Or maybe it was simply his own foolishness shining through.


    "Your stubbornness will just lead to the downfall of your Clan eventually. You only have one man holding up the skies, a man with no heir at all. You have no husband by your side, and all you do is play around with handsome little boys all the time as though this will save your pitiful future.


    "You''ve been left behind by the times long ago. And there are ways to deal with your kind."


    Dean Slater ripped the door open and slammed it closed again on the way out.


    Dean Pennel didn''t say anything in response, but murder flashed in her eyes. Twenty years ago, she would have already taken his head clean off his shoulders.


    But twenty years ago¡­ her husband was still very much alive.


    After a long while, she sighed and her anger deflated. Why should she waste her time with someone who was just a pawn of a pawn?


    Sometimes she wished that her son wasn''t so stubborn, that he didn''t have to hold up the skies on his own. But¡­ he got that from his father. She couldn''t change it now even if she wanted to.


    The world was undergoing an upheaval, and her son felt that it was his responsibility to set things right. It was just that he was foolish enough to think that he could do it all on his own.


    Until he was strong enough to ensure that no pain or hardship came to his child, he refused to have them.


    Having experienced the loss of a parent, he had no desire to put his own son through such a thing.


    What he didn''t realize was that this was just the way of the world. Even if he grew strong enough to hold up the entire sky here¡­ S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What about the sky beyond that?


    And the sky beyond that one?


    In the end, she could only do her part. She had to raise a generation that could stand by her son. But maybe¡­ she had focused too much on their talent and not enough on their character.


    ''¡­ What choice do I have?''


    Her aged hands slowly pulled out a file. The pages were worn from how much she had read through it, filing out every detail of Theron''s life that the Empire had managed to gather.


    ''A young man with so much hatred in his heart¡­ am I about to make another mistake? Will he help the Empire? Or will he destroy it?''


    The answer to that question was one she didn''t have. It all depended on just how large a fingerprint Theron had had on recent events.


    The trouble was that she didn''t have enough evidence for her conjectures at all. But if she was correct¡­


    He would almost certainly destroy the Empire.


    ''¡­ And maybe that''s for the best.''


    She closed the file again, rubbing her hands across its worn surface.


    ''I can only hope that if you one day grow powerful enough to do that, you won''t run into the same roadblock my late husband did¡­ the same one my son almost certainly will¡­''


    If she was correct about the person who slaughtered Theron''s Clan, though¡­ it was unlikely that he would even get a chance to run into that roadblock.


    Given the abilities of that Clan, someone that they had marked couldn''t hide, they couldn''t run, they couldn''t scheme.


    If there was one person in the world that knew exactly how much of a fingerprint Theron had on all these matters, it was the young man that appeared that day to cross his Gold Tribulation.


    How could you face an enemy you could have no secrets before?

 Chapter 200: Too Straight

    "Is everything prepared?" Theron asked Ruu.


    "It''s all finished," Ruu replied with a cold chill to her tone. It seemed that when she wasn''t acting, this was her true self. Or maybe that was just another facade. It was hard to tell with assassin types.


    Sometimes, you spent so long in another person''s shoes, pretending to be something that you weren''t, that you forgot who you were as well.


    "Alright. In that case, I will be off then, as well."


    "You''re returning to Thistle Brook."


    Theron gave Ruu a look, but she didn''t avert her gaze. If anything, this woman was at least not scared of the moment. She had a vigor to her that was interesting¡ªthough by vigor, Theron meant her willingness to take on any challenge. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why so soon?" Ruu followed up without caring for Theron''s lack of a response.


    "If I don''t, I have a feeling that there''ll be someone who can''t wait to kill me very soon."


    Ruu didn''t need the confirmation. That person was obviously a certain Quasi Gold Mancer who had yet to appear.


    Theron obviously knew all the risks of what he was doing, so he obviously knew where his plans were most likely to fall through.


    "Are you sure? It''s probably better to stay under Dean Pennel''s protection."


    Ruu''s words made it clear that she also saw through things almost as well as Theron had.


    "That''s probably what she expects, too," Theron said with a smile.


    Dean Pennel had yet to set a schedule for his training or what he would need to do. So technically, leaving now wouldn''t mean that he was ignoring her orders.


    Plus¡­ he had a sword to retrieve.


    "You know that you''ll almost certainly run into something on the road. There are no impenetrable walls."


    "Impenetrable walls? I plan on walking right out of the city," Theron looked to the skies with a gentle smile on his face.


    Two days of rain in a row. How convenient of the weather.


    Actually, it wasn''t all that convenient at all. He already knew that rainy season was coming as they transitioned out of winter. He had already known this would happen.


    Since sensitivity toward the weather pattern and its changes only increased with his Third Eye.


    "It sounds like you''re looking forward to it."


    Theron blinked, not expecting this response.


    "Looking forward to it? No. I''m not a fan of combat and blood."


    "Is that so?" Ruu tilted her head to the side, meeting his eyes intently. "In that case, what you''re more sinister than I thought."


    Theron''s eyes flickered, but Ruu didn''t explain as she vanished into the distance.


    ''Sinister? Am I?''


    He thought back to the first time he killed someone. It was in the assassin training camp, and the little boy tried to steal his bread. He was probably three years younger than Theron, barely 10 years old, if that.


    If it had been one of the bigger kids, Theron would have ignored it and let it happen. But he remembered calculating whether he could win against him first before taking action.


    He could also remember that after making that decision, he acted decisively without the slightest hint of wavering intent. Rather than throwing up, he just went to bed clutching his bread, then woke up in the morning and devoured it.


    All the while, the corpse by his side had been used for warmth into the night until it wasn''t useful for that anymore and he threw it away.


    It was just the logical thing to do. He allowed the strong to trample over him, and he snuffed out the weak. Then when he was strong enough for his revenge, he would slaughter those who slighted him.


    Was that sinister?


    No.


    But that was likely not what Ruu was referring to.


    ''Let''s go.''


    Theron easily pushed the thoughts out of his mind. With a step, he vanished.


    ¡­


    "He left?" Dean Pennel asked softly.


    "If you knew he would, why didn''t you stop him?!"


    Teacher Fern was doing her best to try and keep her temper under control. This was her mother-in-law, after all. But it was hard to see a child go and throw his life away like this.


    "Did you notice that it''s raining tonight?" Dean Pennel replied with a question that seemed completely unrelated.


    "What does that have to do with anything?!"


    "I don''t know. I just found it interesting."


    "Mother!"


    Dean Pennel finally looked up, and Fern''s next words were cut off. There was the same gentle smile on the Dean''s face, but there was a redness in her eyes as thin lines of crimson ran through them.


    "Sometimes following the rules isn''t enough, Little Fern. Following the rules killed your father-in-law. One day it might also kill my son¡­ if you''re too straight, you''ll break.


    "I believe in your eyesight. There''s a reason you love this little boy so much. But it''s also obvious he has an edge to him that you haven''t seen yet¡­


    "Whether this new era steamrolls over our Nightingale Empire or not might very well be decided by him. And he just might be the one holding the knife. So¡­


    "Let him be, for now."


    **


    Theron strolled right out of the city just like he said he would. He checked out through the guards and slipped out with calm flare to his actions before leaping onto a horse and shooting off into the distance.


    It would be a long ride back to Thistle Brook, so it was best to start now as the moon pulled into the skies.


    He was a Silver Mancer now. His need for sleep had already shifted slightly, so starting a journey in the dead of night wasn''t so bad at all.


    But he had only barely crossed into the wilderness when the first drizzle began. And once it did, the range of his senses expanded a great deal.


    Like the echolocation of a bat, one figure after another was outlined in his mind, even as far as 10 kilometers away.


    For them to get ahead of him so fast¡­ it seemed that they really were eager.


    But Theron doubted that it was the Quasi Gold Mancer taking action already.


    How many youths had he killed back then? How many noble Clans had he pissed off?


    The more Theron thought, the calmer he became.


    He didn''t end up getting the rewards he wanted because of Dean Pennel''s interference. It seemed that it was time to recoup some losses.


    The sound of his blades unsheathing echoed in the night.


    The legend of Rain would form in earnest beneath this moonlight.

 Chapter 201: True Knight

    Theron''s horse dashed across the quickly moistening ground, his gaze calm as though he didn''t sense the sheer number of individuals surrounding him at all.


    He let the rain soak himself through, droplets sliding down his cheeks and chin, dribbling down onto his black robes.


    His hood was pulled over his head, his eyes forming a pair of sky-blue orbs that glowed in the darkness.


    The gentle smile that seemed to always be on his face was nowhere to be seen.


    ''They want to make me wait? Good luck.''


    The sound of hooves and splashing water was all that could be heard, the whistling night air falling dull beneath them. But none of the enemies in the dark took action.


    It was clear that they wanted to wait until he was a further distance from the city just in case Theron had help. Otherwise, his actions right now would be far too reckless.


    None of them believed that Theron had well and truly left on his own.


    **


    "It''s been long enough. Whether he has help or not, they won''t show themselves so easily. We''ll have to force them out if they haven''t already appeared by now."


    A voice echoed from the shadows.


    "Then you go."


    A snort came in reply. There was a slight shift in the leaves, and the figure was gone.


    "Idiot."


    ¡­


    The figure accelerated through the night, the emblem of the Obsidian Eclipse Sect on his lapel. But there was another aura to him, one very reminiscent of the Bordeaux Clan.


    This man, though, wasn''t Rowlan. It was Tian, an inner disciple already in the Fifth Silver Resonance. Amongst the Bordeaux, he stood ranked at fifth. Amongst inner disciples, he was much too far from the limit of their cultivation to be properly ranked.


    However, if one were to speak only of those in the Fifth Resonance, he would certainly be in the top 200. While the number seemed large, that was only because of the sheer number of disciples in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect.


    This feat was quite impressive alone.


    But that was why his sudden death made so little sense.


    He only crossed a 100-meter radius of Theron, hardly having taken a single step into it, when his head slowly slid off of his shoulders.


    It happened so fast it was almost as though he had run his neck right into a steel wire.


    His legs didn''t register what happened at all, and his gaze was still focused with all the intent in the world before he fell to pieces in a heap.


    Theron continued to ride forward as though nothing at all had happened, his gaze calm and unhurried. Running through the rain around him without nearly enough protection¡­


    Was asking for death.


    ¡­


    "What happened just now? Did you sense that?"


    "No. One moment he was running, the next he was¡ª."


    "Water Mancy."


    "What?"


    "It was the rain. There''s an expert in the shadows somewhere. It only makes sense. To create such a powerful Water Mancer, there has to be a master somewhere."


    "What do we do now, then?"


    "Let the Knights go."


    A silence fell.


    The best counters to Elementalists were without a doubt Flux Mancers. But much the same way, the best counter to Flux Mancers were Elementalists.


    They were two sides of the balance, one pulling on the other. It was just a matter of if the Elemental Mancer''s control would win out, or if the Flux Mancer''s counter skills would.


    ¡­ S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron sensed the heavy steps from over half a kilometer away. Heavily armored knights wearing the insignias of their families.


    ''Is this their counter?''


    Knight Clans sounded like just an inferior noble title, and that was technically true. But the way the Knight Title was granted was a bit different from how the other Noble Titles were given.


    Usual Nobles were descendants of the families that had fought and shed blood for the construction of the Empire. Knight Clans, though, could be promoted and demoted, overturning after a single or a handful of generations.


    They were families of powerful Flux Mancers. Though there would be some exceptions here and there like Moreno, those that descended from Knight Clans would almost always be true Knights.


    What set Knights apart was their ability to act as the vanguard of the Empire. And in order to qualify to do this, not only did you need to have at least three experts capable of wearing 70% Gold Grade Ebonstone Armor.


    This wasn''t just a feat of absolute strength considering the heft of armor of that caliber, but it was more accurately a huge drain on Mana.


    Ebonstone was known for its ability to absorb, disperse, and misdirect Mana. Wearing an armor like that in battle could bring a person to the brink of Mana Depletion in an instant.


    A true Knight had to be able to resist the pull and still have the physical strength left over to lift the armor. This meant they had to be able to hold and move freely with upwards of 100,000 jin on their backs without relying on their Mana.


    Such a feat was easy even for a Silver Mancer if they could use their Mana. But to do so without the support of any energy at all¡­


    This was where true strength lied.


    This was why Ebonstone Armor had become the signature of Knights and the strongest Flux Mancers of the Nightingale Empire. If you had such an armor, not only were you clearly wealthy¡­


    But you were a genius amongst geniuses.


    And right this moment, three Silver Mancers wearing 50% Silver Grade Ebonstone Armor were rushing for Theron, brandishing their heavy swords and spears.


    Theron had no idea which families they came from, but it also didn''t matter to him whether they were from Moreno''s Clan or not. The difference was just the same to him.


    Slowly, he raised his dagger into the air.


    He really had to thank Dean Pennel. Without her insight, this might have been a little difficult.


    But right now¡­ the Ebonstone he had tried so hard to cut through before might as well have been wet tissue paper.


    Theron''s eyes flashed.


    The fun started now.


    He vanished from his horse''s back.

 Chapter 202: True Spear Knight

    A True Spear Knight dashed across the night. His steps might have sounded heavy to Theron, but this was already a mere fraction of his true weight hitting the ground.


    The reflective blues of the moon danced across his armor, mixing it into a dark hue that made him look like the depths of the ocean in the night.


    His Third Eye flashed and his eyes flickered with surprise.


    Theron was¡­ coming toward him? What was he doing?


    The shock wasn''t just his own. Everyone that had the senses to pay attention from a distance was doing so. But the problem was that they were finding it more and more difficult to keep track of Theron until he seemed to vanish beneath the rain entirely.


    However, the sight of it had been clear enough.


    Theron was most definitely attacking on his own. Was it a facade? A fake?


    Theron should be at First Resonance, and an enemy capable of wearing 50% Silver Grade Ebonstone Armor had to not only be at least in the Fifth Resonance, but if they were, they had to be elite in strength at that tier.


    This particular True Spear Knight was actually in the Sixth Silver Resonance, but that only made him even more difficult to deal with.


    Danger suddenly shook the True Spear Knight''s mind. He hurriedly rotated, pinning his spear''s body to his hip and spinning in a wide arc. He didn''t have the time to feel out exactly where the danger was coming from, but this defensive maneuver should give him just enough time.


    Tap.


    Something collided with his back. As light as a feather, it almost felt like someone was knocking on wood rather than attacking him.


    He hurriedly spun back, only to sense another tap, and then another.


    Finally, he spun for a fourth time and saw the vague outline of a figure. He stood there, just outside the range of the spinning spear tip.


    The True Spear Knight roared, lunging forward.


    Theron, however, lunged toward him as well, rotating in the air.


    The spear missed by a hair''s breadth. As though they had coordinated one another''s attacks to perform an intricate dance of life and death, the spear passed over the back of Theron''s head as he spun parallel to the ground, the black just grazing against the split between his shoulder blades.


    Theron''s blades spun as his body rotated, and suddenly it felt like a cyclone of water droplets had formed in the air.


    Chi. Chi. Chi. Chi.


    They collided against the black armor in a pelting avalanche, relentless, but mediocre. The True Spear Knight couldn''t even feel a single thing.


    But that was why his death was so shocking.


    There was a burst of water at the opening for his head. Like a spiked shackle forming around his neck, it all burst, shards of water forming as though blue icicles ripping through his flesh and bone.


    Theron had already vanished before the body hit the ground.


    ¡­


    Chi.


    Rain fell heavily from the skies as Theron''s blade glided along the edge of the True Sword Knight''s.


    Chi. Chi. Chi.


    A burst came from the gauntlet along the True Knight''s armor, his bone shattering to ash as the limb fell limply to his side. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With one side completely unprotected, he couldn''t do anything as his neck was cut clean in two.


    Theron continued to rush by him as though he wasn''t even there, reaching out and grabbing the reins of a steed that rushed by at the same moment. With a leap, Theron was already on its back again, rushing off into the distance.


    **


    Three True Knights, three kills. Each one happened swifter than the last, and the harsh reality was that most couldn''t even feel what happened.


    It was like Theron vanished from his horse''s back for a small instant, and then came back soon afterward. But by then, three of those that had been aiming for him had already died.


    What the hell happened?


    Was it a facade? Or was Theron far stronger than any of them had thought?


    ¡­


    The Bordeaux Clan members frowned.


    "Did any of you catch that?"


    "Did he get masked by someone?"


    "No, I think we''ve been tricked."


    "Tricked how?"


    "He''s more powerful than we¡ª."


    A head fell.


    The eyes of the Bordeaux Clan members suddenly widened as their eyes opened wide, but all they saw was flashing blades.


    Their last thoughts were that of confusion. Wasn''t Theron riding on the horse in the distance now? Was there really someone else?


    But then they saw those cold blue eyes, indifferent to life and death. They watched as he ducked and weaved beneath their blades, his steps sure and powerful, and yet not leaving even the slightest dent in the moistened ground beneath him.


    Theron''s dagger ripped into a belly and cut across, disemboweling them.


    With a flicker of his wrist, the bloodied mess flickered upward, slapping against the eyes of another Bordeaux.


    Blinded, they flailed out and pulled on their Third Eye. But this only confused them further.


    There was still nothing there at all.


    Chi.


    His head fell from his shoulders.


    Theron leapt backward, dodging out of the way of a heavy spear that crashed into the ground. The earth trembled and formed a wave, not from Earth Mancy, but pure strength alone.


    It didn''t even faze Theron. He seemed to have seen through it before it even took shape, his eyes flashing with a dense pulse of Mana.


    [Pressure Burst].


    BANG!


    The wave of earth exploded out, reversing directions in an instant. The moisture content in the soil was far too high right now. Trying to use it to attack Theron was like giving him another weapon.


    Now, the shield that should have blocked his eyes blocked theirs instead, stone pelting against them.


    Cries of pain echoed before they came to sudden stops, lines of a beautiful blue streaking across the air and reaping a life with every swipe.


    Theron came to a calm stop, soil and rain falling down around him in their own sort of hail.


    He exhaled a breath, a steamy white pooling across the air.


    It seemed his body was warmed up now.


    SHU.


    He vanished once again.

 Chapter 203: The Rain

    "The Bordeaux have been wiped out."


    "Confirmed?"


    "Yes."


    "What about the Knight Clans?"


    "After the first wave, they lost three Silver Grade 50% armors. They feel like the losses are too heavy and don''t want to send in more."


    "What do you mean lost? Did the Water Mancer duo take them?"


    There weren''t many spatial rings even capable of holding Ebonstone due to its special properties. A normal ring would have all the Space Mana that made it up sapped and crumble.


    Holding just one would take a specialized spatial device, and it would likely only be able to hold one at a time. What were the odds of them holding three?


    "No. The armors were destroyed."


    "What?! Are we facing a Gold Mancer? What the hell are we still doing here? Retreat!"


    "¡­ There¡­ there is no confirmed sense of Gold Mana in the field. Only Silver Resonance Mana."


    "That''s impossible."


    The response was firm and didn''t carry nearly the same hesitation.


    BANG!


    The two figures suddenly snapped back, their heads almost twisting from their necks with how much whiplash they gave themselves. In a single motion, they had retreated and unsheathed their blades.


    "Oh? You want to attack me?"


    The two shivered from head to toe when they heard the voice.


    Across from them was a young man in his early twenties. He had a handsome head of blond hair and amber-brown eyes that seemed to give off a glow no less daunting and fierce.


    The rain almost turned into a delicate mist around him before it could even touch him, vanishing into nothingness.


    Somehow, this young man felt so bright, as though they were facing off against a Light Mancer. But¡­ they knew well that this was no Light Mancer. This was a Dark Mancer, one of incredible power and repute at that¡­


    Mason Zhen.


    The two figures immediately fell to their knees.


    "No, no, young heir. We wouldn''t dare."


    Mason chuckled.


    Calling him young heir would actually probably lose these two their heads. Mason was only ranked second amongst Quasi Golds in his Clan, though he felt like that was only because he was too lazy to take first.


    Either way, the title of young heir couldn''t be handed out so casually and had to be decided upon by the Patriarch and elder council. A random servant certainly couldn''t hand it out just because they so pleased.


    However, Mason obviously wasn''t going to ding them for it.


    "What did I miss?" Mason asked.


    The two figures looked at one another and hurriedly filled the Grand Duke Clan genius in.


    "He''s not dead yet? I only came here to see a corpse."


    The smile on Mason''s face was still there, but they both felt a cold chill in their hearts.


    "Who is he receiving help from?" Mason asked.


    "We¡­ we weren''t able to confirm. We can''t find them."


    "Because of the rain?"


    "We aren''t sure, young heir."


    The two were even more hesitant now. Controlling the rain seemed like an obvious thing to advantage Water Mancers, but anyone who knew how difficult it was to control Mana also knew that trying to control rain droplets was even harder than trying to wield a cyclone of wind.


    Any Water Mancer would far prefer a calm lake to a rushing river. And even then, they would far prefer a rushing river to even a light drizzle of rain, let alone a heavy fall like this one.


    "There''s no need to be surprised. Not all Water Mancers are created equal. I''ve heard of an exceptionally powerful Water Mancer Clan¡­ the Black Clan. Their best also receive an exceptional boost in the rain. One could go as far as to say they''re invincible within the same cultivation realm beneath a storm."


    Mason seemed absent-minded while he was speaking, almost as though he was speaking more to himself than anyone else.


    "We actually live beneath their umbrella. Our five provinces are only Empires in name. I wonder if at the exchange this time¡­ if they will appear again."


    Mason seemed to recall a memory that made his eyes sharp.


    "I will go personally."


    He had to see for himself.


    If it had been someone else with these deductions, they would have turned and returned home. If the Black Clan really was involved, this was beyond something even the Imperial Clan would want to interfere in.


    But Mason was really hoping that it was the Black Clan. That humiliation of all those years ago¡­ he would undo it all one step at a time.


    His laziness didn''t stem from any of the reasons others thought. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shu.


    A swirl of black wrapped him up and he vanished.


    **


    Theron leapt from the trees, soaring up, grabbing a branch and swinging himself forward.


    His foot lightly tapped on a trunk, [Pressure Burst] activating along with [Shedding Water Skin].


    The water beneath his feet exploded, sending him accelerating forward. At the same time, [Shedding Water Skin] dispersed the impact through his body, making it no less a force on his body than a normal running motion.


    His speed shot up and his figure flashed above a horse that seemed to have a perfect copy of himself riding it.


    He landed right on top of it, the [Water Clone] fusing into his [Shedding Water Skin] seamlessly without the slightest hint of wasted Water Mana.


    It was a completely unnecessary flex. How could he ever run out of water in this storm?


    But his Water Mana control right now felt smoother than it ever had before.


    [Water Clone] was a half illusion, half tangible spell. He could create a clone with form, and a little bit of substance, but it was easily crushed as it had no strength of its own.


    The illusion aspects triggered in turning the blue Water Mana into what looked like flesh and clothing. In this rain storm, especially after Theron''s session with Dean Pennel and the recreation of his father''s face, his [Water Clone] looked no different from himself.


    ''Interesting.'' Theron thought. He didn''t think that someone so powerful would appear so early.


    A line of darkness cut through the rain in his mind, radiating out a powerful intent that made no attempt to hide itself.


    Theron''s thoughts, though, were elsewhere. He would have to kill everyone that came today so there would be no clear reports on what happened here.


    What was the best way to go about that?

 Chapter 204: Soul Method

    ''No, I don''t have to kill them all. I just have to kill the ones with decent enough Third Eye abilities to be able to see through the inconsistencies in what I''m doing. In that case, that just leaves¡­ three of them?''


    The Bordeaux Clan was dealt with. The only one of the Zen Clan was on the way here. That left two others, a Seventh Resonance Silver Mancer and an Eighth.


    They were quite far from one another, pincering Theron from the left and right at a distance of at least half a kilometer or so. Then there was Mason himself who was rushing up from behind.


    It felt impossible that Theron would be able to deal with both of them ahead of time before Mason caught up to him. But he also couldn''t allow them to witness his battle with Mason either, otherwise they would certainly run away first unless they were the worst of fools.


    ''The only solution is to make them come to me.''


    That seemed like the obvious solution. But how?


    ''I guess we''ll see just how far I can take this.''


    At that moment, Theron did something completely unexpected. He closed his eyes, sitting cross-legged. From everyone''s Third Eye, he seemed to have entirely vanished.


    Veinsong.


    Theron hadn''t moved at all, but even in the back, Mason felt like he lost track of him.


    ¡­


    ''Hm?''


    Mason''s body, wrapped in a thick black fog, suddenly came to a stop. Where had his target gone?


    In one moment, he was rushing toward a stampeding horse, but in the next moment, it wasn''t just Theron that disappeared, but the horse as well.


    What was going on?


    ¡­


    "He''s gone. We''ve lost track of him again."


    The voice sounded frustrated. After they realized they had been chasing around a clone, they redoubled their efforts, focusing on Theron with everything they had.


    But they found that it was extremely difficult in the rain. Theron seemed to be radiating an aura of oneness that made him impossible to track fully. They realized that if Theron had been immersed in water instead, rather than dealing with the uneven pounding of the rain, they would have lost him long ago.


    Now they really had.


    "Shit!"


    There was a sudden flash and the figure hurried to dodge, rolling out of the way.


    "He''s here! Kill him!"


    ¡­


    A similar scenario was playing out an entire kilometer away from this location, but this one was more peculiar. It felt like Theron''s clone was actually¡­ probing something?


    This figure didn''t speak at all, and actually seemed surprised that Theron had found him.


    But between his Immortal Jellyfish Echo and his thrice upgraded Third Eye, there was no one that could hide from Theron in the rain. He highly doubted that even a Gold Mancer could do it¡­


    Which was precisely why he was so bold in acting right now.


    The others had obvious insignias on their bodies and Theron knew exactly where they had come from. But this one¡­ Theron didn''t know, and that left him curious.


    Because of that, while he was controlling his [Water Clone] to lure him in closer to the location of where his real body was hidden, Theron was trying to find out more information.


    ''Flux Mancer¡­ Eighth Silver Resonance¡­ Doesn''t seem to be using any obvious Clan methods, but that''s likely on purpose¡­ focused on strength¡­''


    Theron''s clone weaved through the trees, "attacking," but continuously missing. There was a sharpness to his aura that fused into the water itself, masking it in deadly intent. But he knew well that should any of those strikes actually land, the Eighth Resonance Silver Mancer would immediately realize that there was no threat at all.


    ¡­


    Theron continued to sit cross-legged on his horse''s back as it continued to dash on ahead. The irony of it all was that he could have easily used this method to escape. But he didn''t.


    Maybe that was why he was so sinister after all.


    His eyes suddenly snapped open, his body flickering and vanishing.


    ¡­


    ''There!'' Mason''s eyes sharpened and he dashed ahead again. But by this point, the distance between himself and Theron had already more than doubled.


    That much was fine by him. He would close it quickly enough.


    ¡­


    Chi. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A blade pierced through a heart, an explosion exiting out from its back under the effects of [Pressure Burst].


    Theron hardly paused, gliding back and out of the way of a desperate swipe of a spear.


    With a light tap to the ground, [Pressure Burst] activated again, sending him up more than ten meters in a single clearing.


    ''I see¡­ so that''s it.''


    Theron''s mind was still partially focused on his other [Water Clone] fighting it out against the Eighth Resonance Silver Mancer.


    ''You''re from the academy, hm? Sent by who? Dean Pennel? I doubt it. The other Dean, then, probably.''


    The Eighth Resonance Silver Mancer had only made a slight slip-up, honestly benign in most contexts.


    The Imperial Academy didn''t actually have many secret methods of their own, they just taught general knowledge. But what they did have were unique cultivation methods reserved for their true elites.


    These cultivation methods weren''t for Mana, though. They were for Third Eye, or more accurately, the soul.


    Ultimately, the academy was an academy. Even the military stream wasn''t raising soldiers, they were raising Generals. And Generals had to have strong mental capacities not only to make sharp decisions, but to actually get a sense of what was happening on a large battlefield.


    Soul cultivation methods were incredibly rare, which was why just joining the academy wasn''t enough, you had to have already crossed the 66 Credit Honors threshold as well.


    Theron could feel the Eighth Resonance Silver Mancer''s Third Eye get an unexplained boost all of a sudden mid-battle.


    The man was suspicious after fighting Theron''s clone for so long and had no choice but to use this method, thinking that he would be fine since most wouldn''t recognize what he had done anyway.


    But that much was enough for Theron.


    ''You can die now.''


    Theron''s real body swayed, causing the tree he rested against to bow so far its canopy almost touched the ground.


    BANG!


    He shot out like a bow from a string.

 Chapter 205: Illegitimate

    "A clone."


    The Eighth Silver Resonance Mancer growled, half annoyed and half enraged that he had been tricked like this.


    He slammed out with a palm and the clone shattered to pieces as his head whipped back. Where was the real Theron, then? And had it really just been Theron here all the while?


    He was about to rush out along the road to see if he could find Theron again when danger hit him again.


    ''Not again.''


    The academy student immediately triggered his soul pulse method again, amplifying his Third Eye.


    ''Real!''


    Luckily, he hadn''t let his guard down under the assumption that it would be another clone. With a swift pivot of his feet, he turned to meet Theron, a short sword raising along with his movement.


    ¡­


    Theron closed in the distance, his cool blue eyes almost seeming to meld with the rain in the surroundings. Everything about his movements was fluid to an extreme. Even after stepping out of Veinsong, he found that his body was more rapidly adapting to the water around him as though it was more naturally accepting of it.


    Water Mana almost casually poured into his body of its own accord, while it flowed out even faster as he controlled that of those in his surroundings.


    A fluid process of exchange, of give and take, of push and pull. Even the process itself embodied the flow of water, and when Theron exhaled, it was like he was water and water was him.


    Manaborn.


    Theron''s dagger caught the tip of the man''s blade, gliding down its shaft until their hilts locked one another in place.


    His arm suddenly became as heavy as a waterfall, activating [Pressure Burst] out from his hilt to accelerate its pace downward.


    The blast almost knocked the Eighth Resonance Mancer off of his feet, but Theron dispersed it through [Shedding Water Skin] once again. Like a manmade kamikaze, he seamlessly used the bursting water to his advantage, pulling on it to add to both his speed, burst, and power.


    His own short sword flowed forward in the same fluid motion, slicing toward the neck of the Flux Mancer. With the latter''s blade occupied, there didn''t seem to be anything he could do to block.


    But Theron sensed it before it came.


    An Echo.


    A raging flood of Flux Mana formed, pouring into the shell of what looked like a turtle. It formed quickly, and was just as quickly given substance by what must have been a spell.


    Theron''s short sword clanged against it, reflecting back at him and almost shattering his wrist.


    But from the expression on Theron''s face, one would have never guessed that he had suffered at all.


    With the hilt of his dagger still locked onto the Flux Mancer''s, he pulled it toward him, driving a knee toward his sternum instead.


    A knee replied to his attack in counter, a clash that should have shattered Theron''s kneecap reverberating. But instead, the strength of the impact spread over his [Shedding Water Skin] as though he hadn''t suffered it at all.


    BANG!


    The Flux Mancer''s body almost fell forward. Between Theron''s tug on his sword, and the feeling of his knee landing on cotton after his force was dispersed, it felt like all his momentum was being pulled forward¡­


    Right into an elbow from Theron''s dagger-wielding arm.


    The dagger and short sword hilts unlatched from one another when the Flux Mancer least expected it. Without the time to react, he couldn''t even use his Echo to block in that direction, having focused all his defenses on blocking Theron''s sword.


    Because they were so close together, he knew that Theron wouldn''t have an angle to use his dagger blade, but what he expected least of all was for an Elementalist to be willing to use such close combat methods.


    His nose broke, his eyes stinging. He poured more Flux Mana into his Echo, expanding it further so that he didn''t get caught off guard. At the same time, he sent out another pulse from his soul, activating his soul method to an extreme so the wool didn''t get pulled over his eyes again¡­


    Only to see that Theron wasn''t trying to trick him at all.


    All he saw was that pair of cold, frigid blue eyes and the equally as blue moon that hung behind them. The three seemed to be linked in some odd, mysterious way, a resonance that forced all the Water Mana into obedience.


    In that moment, the man couldn''t even hear the rain at all.


    What he could hear, though, was the silent trickle of dense waters pooling around the tip of Theron''s short sword.


    In those last moments, he realized that he had been fooled all his life.


    Who said Water Mancers were weak in combat?


    PUCHI.


    Theron''s sword suddenly accelerated forward, [Pressure Burst] erupting the exact instant his blade pierced into the Echo shield, ripping it to shreds.


    The blade didn''t stop, thrusting right through the academy student''s forehead and bursting his skull into a rain of bone shards and brain matter.


    Theron pulled back his sword and watched as the corpse fell to the ground.


    The echoes of claps resonated to his back, but he didn''t bother to look back. He knew who it was; he had timed things perfectly. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I would have never imagined. How much of your cultivation are you hiding? The density of that Mana just now felt at least high tier. But that should be your Echo. The Blue Pufferfish? Interesting choice, but I''ve always said that geniuses need to march to their own tune.


    "I''m just wondering if it really is your own tune, or if it''s the Black Clan''s tune¡­ because your aura feels very similar to theirs, but not quite--like you''re missing a little something. What are you? An illegitimate child out for revenge?"


    Mason''s voice echoed through the sound of the pelting rain, it having returned not long after Theron''s attack finished.


    Finally, Theron''s head tilted back toward Mason. With a shake, the blood that coated his blade shattered and was washed away by the rush of water.


    He wasn''t interested in a talk. Fighting a Quasi Gold Mancer should be interesting.


    Theron took a step forward, but the step was facing away from Mason.


    Even so, his speed suddenly got a wild boost, his body separating into a dozen [Water Clones] all at once.


    "No talk? That''s fine by me. Right now, I''m quite certain that you are the one who killed my favorite girl."


    A grin spread across Mason''s face.


    "How about I repay you by making you squeal like she used to?"


    BANG!


    A violent eruption of Dark Mana pooled into the region, a black hole of density ripping the Water Mana in the air apart.

 Chapter 206: Look Down

    It felt as though there was no Water Mana left in the region. Sapped away, sucked into a vast nothing, it was ripped to shreds.


    But only for a moment.


    Theron''s step didn''t pause, nor did his expression change. Those cool blue eyes cut through the air, indifferent and unmoved, unhurried and unbothered.


    BANG!


    The black hole shattered to pieces, and Mason''s expression changed as Theron flashed before him, his dagger crossing toward his throat.


    Mason leaned back, arching his torso and flexing with all his might just to barely dodge out of the way of Theron''s dagger.


    His palms slammed against the moistened ground, and he threw up a kick right at Theron''s chest. However, in that moment, Theron had truly become as fluid as water.


    Having entered Veinsong before he even took a second step, the Water Mana in the region pooled around him, pouring into his pores and guiding the movements of his body. He seemed to have lost all sense of bone and structure, the foundation of a movement technique that built itself on the essence of Water itself guiding his body.


    Theron twisted, causing Mason''s leg to miss the center of his chest and slam into his shoulder instead. There was a burst from [Shedding Water Skin] and a shattering impact of black fog and radiant blue caused sparks of Mana to fly through the air.


    The attack did no damage, but what it did do was accelerate the twist of Theron''s body.


    Cyclones of water suddenly formed around him as his blades twisted at the air.


    Chi. Chi. Chi. Chi. Chi.


    This time, the sparks were very real, three defensive shields formed of Ebonstone manifesting from Mason''s spatial ring as he fell back.


    Chips and cracks formed in Theron''s blades.


    BANG!


    The two were forcefully separated, gliding back against the ground, their heels sinking into the soft soil.


    Theron looked down at his blades and shook his head inwardly. His weapons were almost always his weak point nowadays. He missed his father''s short sword, but he wondered if it would suffer just the same. In that case, he would have to just treat it as a family heirloom and store it away in his spatial ring.


    He had long abandoned Ironvale''s sword. He wouldn''t leave such a ticking time bomb on his person. And even if he hadn''t, he wouldn''t take it out now. Who knew if Patriarch Gian had some sort of connection to it that he couldn''t sense?


    There was no way Ironvale had gotten his hands on such a weapon anyway. There was only one person that could have given it to him.


    Mason stood to his full height, three miniature shields rotating around him. They vanished into the pooling black fog around him and randomly appeared at various locations as though teleporting from place to place. It made it feel like they could appear anywhere he wanted them to.


    "Imbued Resonance? No, it''s more powerful... too powerful. You have a Manaborn Resonance¡­"


    Though Mason''s voice was calm, his pupils were constricted into pinholes.


    Before, he had only been speculating, but now he was very certain that Theron had to be a member of the Black Clan. There wasn''t a single genius with a Manaborn Resonance in the whole Empire. How else could Theron have one?


    It wasn''t the rain alone allowing Theron to close this gap. Something was telling Mason that even without the rain, Theron could give him a run for his money.


    For some reason¡­ he got the feeling that Theron wasn''t yet going all out.


    A chuckle left Mason''s lips.


    "You actually look down on me that much¡­"


    He realized why then. Theron was saving his strength and many of his trump cards in case there was someone even more powerful than Mason coming.


    He was actually prepared to run from a Gold Mancer today if need be. He had no intention of relying on anyone else at all.


    It was such a familiar, bitter feeling. That gap that couldn''t be closed no matter how hard he tried.


    Mason''s chuckle became darker, his golden hair beginning to gain tendrils of darkness as veins of black etched themselves out from the corner of his eyes as though sinister lines of crow''s feet.


    The veins pulsed and Mason seemed to grow a size. He was already well over six feet, towering over Theron. But now he had grown closer to seven, his shoulders bulging with strength and power as he pulled out a heavy black spear.


    Mason''s chuckle became a savage grin, two black canines growing out from his teeth.


    The small shields multiplied from three to six, and then from six to nine.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed. Those shields weren''t simple. He had sensed this the moment he clashed with them.


    They weren''t Silver Ebonstone at all. They were Gold Ebonstone. Not just this, but it was at least 20%, something that only geniuses of the low-tier Gold Resonance could wear as armor.


    Theron''s body seemed to relax as he exhaled a frigid breath. He crossed his blades, his wrists lightly resting against one another as Mason pointed his spear at him.


    "I want you dead." Mason said with an eerie calm that belied the savage grin on his face.


    BANG! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spear was already at Theron''s face.


    Fast.


    Streaks of black cut through the rain, the shaft of the blade having already passed through the guard Theron had put up.


    But Theron himself didn''t seem moved. Or maybe he was just not fast enough to react¡­


    Until a blue glow coated his blades.


    Theron moved just as the spear was about to run through the center of his forehead, his crossed wrists lifting up and to the side. He shifted his position, sending the spear flying over his shoulder in a textbook usage of Mason''s own power against himself.


    BANG!


    CHI!


    Sparks flew as Theron''s blades collided with two of Mason''s shields.


    He sent out a knee that was blocked as well, one series of combos after another facing the same staunch opposition until Theron was sent into a retreat by yet another swing of Mason''s spear.


    The Grand Duke Clan genius'' defenses seemed entirely impenetrable.

 Chapter 207: A Point

    Theron seemed unbothered. He relentlessly attacked, one fierce combo after another.


    Mason was ultimately a Dark Mancer, and it showed. He was excellent at controlling his shields and moving them into position. But his spear was mediocre, and Theron, despite being slower and weaker, was running absolute circles around him.


    Every savage attack fell on air or the feeling of the softest cotton. Theron bobbed and weaved, using Mason as though he was target practice.


    In the past, Theron struggled against Silver Mancers because of their absolute control over ambient Mana, but now he was on another level entirely. Before him, even a Quasi Gold Mancer couldn''t pull on Mana as they pleased¡­


    Especially not in the rain.


    Chi. Crack. BANG!


    Theron''s short sword shattered.


    He pivoted out of the way of a spear, its tip crossing along the length of his chest but hitting nothing but air once again.


    In one fluid motion, he gripped his now empty hilt and threw it at Mason''s face. Falling back, he didn''t get much power behind it at all, but that didn''t stop a swirl of Water Mana from propelling it through the air. Or so that was what it looked like.


    Mason could tell the subtle difference. It wasn''t that Water Mana was propelling it, but rather that Theron was controlling the rain falling through the air to move out of its way so that the heavy pelting storm didn''t affect his throw.


    How could someone be casual enough in battle to do this? And why even put in the effort? At most, the rain could budge the hilt a few fractions of a millimeter. Was it worth being so precise?


    Mason didn''t realize that the moment he had such thoughts, he had already lost¡­ not the battle, but the journey of cultivation itself.


    [Pressure Burst].


    BANG!


    A shield appeared in the path of the hilt, but after Theron had been wielding the weakening sword for so long, he had poured a great deal of Water Mana into it, allowing him to burst it apart at the seams at just the perfect time.


    This was the real reason Theron''s sword had shattered. The protective glow on it had mostly been for show as Theron slowly ebbed its structure away with his own Mana.


    The shield shuddered on impact and was blown back.


    Theron''s back foot slammed into the ground and his Silver Core glowed with a radiant light as he pulled on his Blue Pufferfish Echo in earnest for the first time in this battle.


    A [Water Wrap] formed beneath his foot, spiraling beneath it and looking as solid as a blue steel pillar. Its density was so high that all the moisture in the surrounding ten meters was soaked out from the ground just to form what was ultimately an arm of barely six inches across.


    [Pressure Burst].


    BANG!


    And then half of it exploded, its tail end whipping Theron forward.


    The distance between Theron and Mason hadn''t been very far to begin with since Theron had only just dodged the latter''s spear. This was why Mason had found it even more ridiculous that Theron would do something like controlling the rain to fall around his projectile. There wasn''t time for the rain to change much of anything about its trajectory.


    But what Mason didn''t know was that Theron wasn''t controlling the rain for that sake alone. What he wanted was to ensure that the impact caused by the shattering of his sword hilt came with enough control that the rebounding of the shield went to the exact position he wanted.


    From the start of the battle, Theron had been observing Mason''s fog, clearly a projection of his Echo. While the miniature shields seemed to teleport at will, that was impossible.


    Although Dark Mana could display some Space Mana-like abilities in the hands of those talented enough, it wasn''t to the point that it could be used so freely, and it had far more limitations than Space Mana did in this regard.


    Space Mana could casually shrink and expand space, pulling two nodes together or suddenly apart. Dark Mana''s teleportation, though, usually worked by deconstructing and then reconstructing something. It looked like teleportation when in reality it was just speed.


    To control nine small shields like that randomly would consume a lot of soul strength. The only way to make it easier was by having them rely on a movement pattern of sorts, or more accurately¡­


    A formation.


    Like this, each shield would have its own region of protection, and though there would be some overlap, if one region was disrupted just enough, and in just the right way¡­


    BANG!


    Theron''s fist collided with Mason''s nose, crushing it with yet another activation of [Pressure Burst]. This spell should have consumed a large amount of Mana every time, but Theron had already used it more than two dozen times in the course of this battle alone and yet he wasn''t showing even the faintest signs of Mana Depletion.


    In fact, his second attack came even faster.


    His dagger-wielding hand swung, slashing out against a lagging shield that just barely managed to recover in time, but a cascade of clangs had already sent the formation Mason was relying on into chaos.


    The first shield collided against a second, which collided against a third and fourth.


    Half of the formation was ruined in an instant. There was only one that remained that was still somewhat working properly, but without the support of the formation¡­


    Theron''s dagger easily parried it away.


    With a soft touch, Theron landed on the ground and crouched, Mason''s spear slashing out over his head and missing entirely.


    He leapt up in a fluid motion, so fast that he almost ran his own head back into Mason''s blade. But everything down to the slightest millimeter had already been calculated.


    Another slash of his dagger, a second fist to the face, a kick to the liver.


    One vicious combo after another that seemed to target the perfect spot every time to keep Mason''s miniature shields in perfect disorder.


    Time and time again, though, Theron''s dagger collided against that one shield as though it was the one thing protecting Mason''s life, until¡­ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chi.


    The shield split in two.


    Mason''s eyes opened wide, the struggle on his expression bearing ripe fruit as despair colored his irises.


    Who was this monster? Was he trying to break the shield to prove a point?


    Theron''s blade continued forward, in a fluid motion. A streak of radiant blue, gliding beneath the night''s moonlight and relentless rain being the last sights the Grand Duke Clan genius ever saw.


    Mason''s head was severed at the neck.

 Chapter 208: Mess

    Theron landed on the ground lightly, hardly reacting much to his victory at all.


    Mason was right about one thing, he was targeting the shield over and over again in an attempt to break it. But it wasn''t to prove a point, he didn''t have the care or will to do such a thing. Instead, he was testing to see if his method of dealing with Silver Resonance Ebonstone could be used against Gold Resonance Ebonstone as well.


    Ebonstone was a very powerful defensive stone. Usually, the larger it was, the more defensive properties it had. To be used in small little shields like Mason did was actually the worst use case of it¡ªwhich was probably also why Mason had no choice but to move up to Gold Resonance Ebonstone, otherwise enemies at his level would deal with them too easily.


    But ultimately, Ebonstone functioned just like any Mancer or Mana Beast did: it used Mana.


    Anything that worked with Mana could be countered with Mana.


    Originally, the only method Theron had to deal with it was speed and concentrated power. That was why he had burned himself out slicing that Ebonstone the old man put in front of him.


    But after his "lesson" with Dean Pennel, he found another way.


    Theron had always thought that the best sign of control was a uniform, placid Mana, one without any variation or change. Smoothness was always what he strove for.


    But Dean Pennel had taught him that some variables actually worked to your benefit.


    By varying the density of his Mana, Theron could actually use the strengths of the Ebonstone against it. Because Ebonstone always wanted to disperse and spread out the Mana it faced evenly, it could be tricked.


    Depending on the density of the Mana it faced, and the size of the Ebonstone, the change in dispersion would also change. If you hit it with a continuous streak of changing flows of Mana, the Ebonstone could be vibrated into a cadence where it was particularly vulnerable, almost like vibrating glass.


    Of course, it would never be truly as fragile as glass, but it was enough to disrupt its flow of Mana and cut it in two.


    This was why Theron had tapped the armor of the True Knights so many times. But it was also why he had to be more forceful with Mason''s Ebonstone. Otherwise, the Gold Resonance Ebonstone would deal with his Mana too easily and that vulnerable state couldn''t be reached.


    ''I think I can make this method even better. Doing it in multiple attacks wastes too much Mana. If I can concentrate all the variation into a single stroke, I''ll at most need two attacks to deal with it. If I can reach a new level of control beyond that, I might be able to do it in one¡­''


    Theron bent forward and unceremoniously took Mason''s spatial ring. Then he tapped a foot and vanished into the distance.


    It wouldn''t be a surprise to anyone why he was putting so much effort into studying Ebonstone.


    If there came a time he needed to sever the Nightingale Empire at the root, it would do him good to understand the resource they relied the heaviest on.


    As for the thought of severing such a long-standing Empire in the first place, he hardly flinched at the thought at all. As far as Theron was concerned, he would do whatever he so needed to for revenge.


    If that meant taking down an Empire¡­


    Then that was just what he would do.


    **


    There was a flash through the air and a figure suddenly came to a stop.


    Dean Pennel.


    She looked at Mason''s headless corpse, her gaze hard to read or understand.


    This wasn''t the first location she had been to. In fact, the sun was already beginning to peek over the horizon. Maybe there were already a large number of people from the capital wondering what had happened here.


    No one would have thought that they should have sent Gold Mancers after a First Silver Resonance Mancer. But¡­ was Theron in the First Resonance?


    After he had his breakthrough in her office, she thought that he was breaking into the Second Silver Resonance. But was there really a Second Silver Mancer in the world that could have a breakthrough at such a level?


    It felt more like he was breaking into the high-tiers, and not just the Seventh either. But even that was only because the Silver Mana being used was clear. If not, maybe she would have thought he was breaking into Gold Mancy.


    "You''ve left quite a mess¡­" Dean Pennel said softly.


    One would think that the chaos Theron stirred only came from this killing spree alone¡ªsomething she still wasn''t even sure he had done alone. However¡­ the real reason so many were distracted and it had taken so long to get back here was because of what had happened back in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect.


    Another one of "Beifong''s" secrets had been found. This time there was Tribulation Bloomstone and the method.


    Not long after Mason left, his new head maid servant found it. But it was clear that she wasn''t nearly as trustworthy as the last one, because knowing Mason was gone, she knew she couldn''t miss an opportunity to bring something so valuable back to her family.


    Who would have guessed that this matter that should have been known to herself alone was exposed before she could get very far?


    It was needless to say that another one of Mason''s treasured maids died that day, but the situation led to a butting of heads in the Sect.


    The Zhen Grand Duke Clan¡ªMason''s Clan¡ªobviously felt that it was theirs to take.


    But the young woman was from a Duke Clan too. Although she wasn''t a prominent figure, and a Duke Clan was beneath a Grand Duke Clan, they obviously had enough stake to make a claim themselves as well. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Obviously, the Obsidian Eclipse Sect couldn''t just sit idly by and let these Clans take what they had been looking for all this time casually either.


    All of a sudden, the warnings the Imperial Clan had sent to these noble families through Theron''s trial completely fell on deaf ears.


    The tension that Theron had triggered with his assassinations played a pivotal role, almost boiling over.


    And then Mason''s soul lamp flamed out.

 Chapter 209: Not Good

    The death of a Grand Duke Clan potential heir was too much. Mason might have been ranked second amongst his Clan''s Quasi Golds, but that position alone was more than worthy to become a future pillar of the family.


    No Clan was built off the back of one genius. Even if they felt right now that he was inferior to another, it wasn''t by an exaggerated amount, and it certainly wasn''t enough for them to feel that he was worthless.


    This was only more so since Mason was a key figure in their position in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect as well.


    As per usual, Clans always kept their best geniuses in-house, only sending out those beneath them to join other organizations like the Sects and the Imperial Academies. This was how they could prevent their geniuses from being influenced by ideologies they didn''t agree with, and also keep them from being unnecessarily targeted.


    The Zhen Clan was in a unique position where they had two outstanding geniuses, one capable of holding up the skies in the Sect and another capable of doing the same back at the Clan.


    Their future was bright.


    Until it was suddenly ripped to shreds.


    Suddenly, the Zhen Clan went from a somewhat firm stance on the material being their own to lay claim to, to practically feverish.


    They had lost a genius through unknown means, and now this seemed like the only way for them to recoup their losses. Only if they could make their number one Quasi Gold genius even stronger than now would they have a small chance of making up over almost a quarter century of investment into Mason.


    But how could the Obsidian Eclipse Sect let such a thing go so easily?


    And by extension, how could the Duke Clan of the maid servant allow themselves to be nudged out? If anything, the Obsidian Eclipse Sect would use them as a shield and support them from the background so they could continue to stand up to the Zhens as technically speaking, they had the largest claim.


    This Duke Clan though¡­ was it a coincidence that they were actually of the Nowlan Duke Clan? The very same Clan that the Matriarch of the Sect descended from? The very same Clan whose genius Theron had killed in a dark alley not long after he clashed with Rowan of the Bordeaux Clan?


    Suddenly, the Bordeaux Clan got a chance to infiltrate into these matters if for no other reason than to stand on the side of the Zhen Clan.


    Because of their clashes, the Nowlan Duke Clan had begun to faintly suppress the Bordeaux Clan, and there was only so much the Imperial Clan could do about it.


    No one was naive enough to believe that the Imperial Clan would truly be able to protect them all. If the Bordeaux Clan got a chance to cut the Zhen Clan down a peg, they would take it.


    Suddenly, it felt like one domino after another was falling, and so many heads were clashing in the capital that not nearly enough manpower was put into finding Mason''s killer until the sun slowly peeked over the horizon.


    Maybe even Theron himself didn''t expect things to work out so smoothly. But for these Imperial Nobles¡­ none of them would have guessed that they were merely the appetizer.


    Theron wasn''t doing all of this for the sake of targeting them; that helped out the Thistles far too much, and he wasn''t in the business of giving them too much aid as that would make his path forward all the more difficult.


    Instead, the real reason he had done this was for a plan that was about to bear its fruits very soon.


    There was no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Ruu had said it herself.


    This time¡­ that was exactly what Theron was banking on as the capital fell into chaos.


    **


    Theron was honestly quite surprised. Was the cultivation world really so incompetent? They didn''t send a single Gold Mancer after him?


    Honestly, he had been looking forward to what he could do against a Gold Mancer. While he didn''t think he could defeat one even in the rain, he felt that he could use them to fight on the edge of life and death a bit, maybe earn some breakthroughs in the throes of battle¡­ before escaping with either [Blood Escape] or [Soul Escape] depending on how powerful they were.


    But no one showed up. Even days later, he was still on high alert, and yet no one had come at all.


    The truth was that they weren''t incompetent. Theron was simply too much of an anomaly.


    The main crux of the issue wasn''t that Theron had hidden his cultivation so well. It was just that logically, he couldn''t have been at his current cultivation realm at all.


    Theron was already at Fourth Resonance after there were even reports of him being stuck at Ninth Resonance for so very long. Who could predict something like that?


    And even if they had known, who would send a Gold Mancer after a mid-tier Silver Mancer? The fact Mason was acting was already more than overkill in their eyes.


    Plus, the timing of Theron''s plot was too perfect. He had planned contingencies for things going wrong, especially since he was relying on Ruu and not himself to lay out the seeds to sprout, but Ruu had performed just as perfectly as he would have.


    Now, it was about time he returned to Daggers of the Night.


    There was a flash of cold in Theron''s eyes as he leapt from the back of his steed. It continued off into the distance, but before it had vanished over the horizon, Theron himself had long done so.


    ¡­


    Chi. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A figure suddenly appeared before Theron''s steed. Even if he had been there, he wouldn''t have recognized this person at all, though this could be said to be the second time she had appeared.


    The old lady of Ruu''s Daggers of the Night branch.


    She blinked, looking at the horse, seemingly confused.


    Where had Theron gone? Shouldn''t he be here?


    Her palm clenched, and the head of the horse shattered to pieces in a twisting weave of spatial nodes.


    "Did this boy trick me? How could he even know who I am?"


    A sudden realization came over the old woman, and her expression changed.


    "Not good."


    With a flicker, she vanished. At that moment, she knew that dealing with Theron was the last of her problems.

 Chapter 210: I Wonder

    "You''re back."


    The old man sat at a familiar stone table, sipping at his tea. He seemed like he was always there, and yet he also seemed like he was always at the front desk of the guild as well.


    It was obvious to Theron that he just traveled back and forth, so he wasn''t sure why the old man was insistent on pretending like this. It would have been a little cute if not for the fact that this man was trained to kill.


    "I am." Theron said with a smile.


    "The Thistles haven''t killed you yet?"


    "Not just yet. But maybe soon, who knows."


    "You seem quite nonchalant about that."


    "Isn''t that part of an assassin''s job? To be casual in the face of death?"


    The old man took another sip of his tea and didn''t answer immediately.


    "Are you going to teach me anything, old man?"


    "Did you go to the Imperial Capital?"


    The response had nothing to do with Theron''s question.


    "I did. Why?"


    "What did you do there?"


    "Just joined the main Imperial Academy and stirred some trouble in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect."


    "Is that so?" the old man asked lightly.


    "Mm, come to think of it, there was some more trouble brewing by the time I left. It probably helped me out quite a bit."


    "And that is?"


    "I''m not sure. If I stuck around to find out, I probably wouldn''t be here."


    "And you know nothing?"


    "Not nothing. But mostly just speculation."


    "Then speculate for me."


    Theron''s head tilted to the side as though he was curious about why the old man was suddenly asking so many questions about this one topic.


    "Remember the Beifong mission? There''s rumors that he had other stores of Bloomstone and copies of the technique hidden elsewhere. Some storms are being stirred up in the Obsidian Eclipse Sect because of that, I would assume. Seems like one of their geniuses really wanted to get their hands on the Tribulation Bloomstone."


    "Mm¡­"


    The old man seemed indifferent to it all until his gaze suddenly sharpened. Theron felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar as those cold, murderous eyes landed on him for the first time.


    A frostiness radiated from the necklace in Theron''s robes, but his own mind was entirely focused on the old man in front of him as though it would make much of a difference.


    "And you had nothing at all to do with this?"


    Theron frowned. "To do with this? I mean, I killed Beifong, but you already know that. You''re the one who gave me the mission in the first place."


    "Is that so? Then why is there such a rotten stench over all of this?"


    Theron''s frown only deepened. "I have no idea what the hell you''re talking about. If I had extra copies of that technique to use to screw things up for the Thistles, why wouldn''t I just tell you? At the very least, I could make an elaborate fake¡ªI thought about doing it.


    "But the issue is that I had no method of sneaking into the Sect, so I abandoned the thought and took another route instead. I just assassinated a bunch of their little noble heirs to sow chaos."


    The old man''s frown deepened.


    Everything about Theron''s words made perfect sense. It was just that¡­ he didn''t believe it.


    There was definitely some subterfuge going on here, and it felt like it was aimed at him. He had an instinct for this that came not only from his cultivation and the sense it granted him over his own Fate, but also his years as an assassin.


    Someone was playing with him, and he didn''t like it.


    Not even in the slightest bit.


    And the biggest issue was¡­ he couldn''t figure out how or for what purpose?


    So what if the capital was in chaos? So what if there was another copy of Beifong''s stolen technique? It had nothing to do with him at all.


    It was right then the old man''s eyes suddenly widened.


    He stood up violently, the stone table shattering not to pieces, but directly to ash. A vibration of sound too subtle and out of bounds for the ears to hear radiated out in all directions.


    And then the old man was suddenly calm. His expression became akin to stone, his heartbeat slowing to the point it only thumped once every several minutes. It was almost like he was completely dead. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man''s head turned to Theron slowly, his eyes shifting along the latter''s body from head to toe and then back as though he was trying to decide on something.


    "You broke into Silver Mancy."


    "Second Silver Mancy," Theron corrected, a frosty hint of cold in his voice that was very different from his usually arrogant, nonchalant air around the old man.


    "Is that so?" the old man only said these words, but Theron knew they were as good as a lifeline.


    With a flicker, the old man vanished entirely.


    Theron didn''t move nor relax, he only calmly turned his own head toward the direction the old man had disappeared, something he shouldn''t have even been able to tell with his current cultivation level.


    But the fact he could told him one thing clearly.


    The peak the old man stood on wasn''t all that far away from him after all.


    With a pivot of his foot, Theron turned and began to walk toward a particular location. At this point, he knew that his plan had worked. There was only one thing left to do.


    ¡­


    Theron''s footsteps echoed through the eerie darkness of a dungeon, the cold stone radiating its piercing needles of frost up his heels and through his ankles.


    And then he came to a stop.


    Up ahead, a young man with shaggy, messy blond hair sat in meditation, a stench radiating from him, but an even greater power sizzling at the air.


    Raiden.


    "I''m surprised," Raiden said calmly. "For you to be here¡­ I wonder what that means."


    Theron''s reply was an unsheathing of his blades.


    **


    In a distant location, the head of a young woman was pierced through a pike. The wooden sharpness ran through the flesh of her neck, through her jaw, and out the top of her skull, the pole clearly visible in place of her tongue as her mouth hung open.


    Silver Assassin Ruu.

 Chapter 211: He Was

    Chains rattled as Raiden stood to his feet. The man looked disheveled, but there was a vast gap between mere outward appearance and the depths of power within him.


    Theron could see it all quite well. The empty pill bottles, the lingering Mana in the air, the dense lingering fragrance of one breakthrough after another.


    According to the rules of the guild, Raiden should have been locked away, unable to see the light, unable to control his own thoughts, unable to even think of cultivation itself. And yet, here he was, having improved by leaps and bounds over the last three months.


    This confirmed for Theron something that he had been speculating for a long while.


    Raiden had the support of someone quite high up. In fact, the odds that that person was the old man were nearly 100%.


    But wasn''t that exactly why he sent him away?


    Now¡­ Theron would kill in peace.


    BANG!


    Raiden''s arm flexed, ripping his chain off the wall and swinging it in a line of snaking lightning toward Theron.


    Fast, vicious, ruthless.


    The strike embodied everything about the relentless nature of lightning, and Theron realized in that brief instant that Raiden was indeed a genius. A genius worthy of the old man being hesitant about Theron himself.


    Manaborn Resonance.


    Theron''s wrist flickered. Like flowing water, he took a slight step to the side, his blade crossing the edge of the cinderblock that hung from the end of the chains.


    He parried it to the side.


    BANG!


    The block crashed against the ground, scattering to pieces as lightning jumped from the chains onto Theron''s body, arcing over him in waves.


    In an instant, Theron had become a man of bolts of yellow and gold. They writhed across his body akin to roaring serpents and twisting vines, fusing and separating in a wild chaos.


    And then it all vanished.


    Theron stood there, unblemished.


    Raiden''s eyes narrowed.


    There was a natural progression of Mancers and the Elements. Water Mancers should suppress Fire and be especially susceptible to Lightning. And yet¡­


    Raiden cracked his neck, spreading out his limbs, flexing them and hopping up. Lightning Mana crackled through his eyes, and in just a few split seconds, his body was completely warmed up.


    He clenched his other fist and the second chain ripped out from the wall, the radiant aura of a Seventh Silver Resonance Mancer pooling forth.


    BANG!


    The cinderblock shattered.


    The two assassins stood across from one another in silence, neither seemingly having the intention to talk. At this point, there was no need for it.


    Raiden had wanted to kill Theron long ago, not for his younger brother, but simply for the sake of removing a threat and satisfying his curiosity. To this day, he still didn''t understand how Merchant Greycoat related to all of this.


    As for Theron, his purpose spoke for itself. Raiden had already crossed his bottom line. Because of this man, he had taken risks that put his very chances at revenge in jeopardy¡­


    He would make him pay for that.


    Chi.


    Theron suddenly drew his short sword across the air, a [Water Scythe] ripping through and appearing before Raiden in an instant.


    The Lightning Mancer was impossibly light on his feet. As though a bolt himself, he didn''t seem to dodge the scythe but instead passed right through it. Flashing once to move out of its way, and flashing a second time to close in the distance on Theron.


    Twin chains lashed out, wreathed in lightning akin to the thorns of a rose, the chains gave sparking light to the dreary underground dungeon.


    Every time they clashed, stone crumbled and metal bent.


    Theron had long slipped into Veinsong, his eyes focused. Every streak of lightning was misdirected, every blow parried.


    He took a step forward, and then another, his body almost carrying the momentum of his blades. While his slashes, and cuts, and thrusts all seemed casual, the power that rushed up from the base of his feet to the pivot of his hips and then the flex of his torso was undeniable.


    He embodied fluidity, understanding the transfer of power in ways others couldn''t begin to fathom.


    But then there was Raiden. His Manaborn Resonance had power of its own, vicious and mighty. It carried a tempestuous fury to it that reminded one of the fury of the Heavens themselves.


    But Theron could tell that Raiden had yet to bring out his true strength. These chains weren''t even his real weapons.


    That said¡­ neither had he.


    [Pressure Burst]. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    BANG!


    One of Raiden''s chains shattered to pieces. It had just been snaking through the air, aimed for the very center of Theron''s forehead. In fact, Theron himself was dashing toward it as though presenting his head to be splattered like a watermelon to a sledgehammer.


    But the instant they were about to collide, the makeshift weapon crumbled as though combusting from the inside out.


    The snap change caused Raiden''s arm to whip back, leaving an opening to his side.


    Theron had already taken advantage, accelerating and appearing to his side, driving a dagger right toward his liver.


    Sparks danced in Raiden''s eyes, and crouched down from below, Theron''s met that indifferent gold with a chilling blue of his own.


    Chi.


    BOOM!


    Theron''s blade pierced through, only to be stopped by what felt like an impenetrable wall.


    Raiden''s lightning had solidified into a barrier. No, not a barrier, but an armor.


    In the same instant, the arcs of lightning on the one remaining chain solidified as well. If before they were vaguely reminiscent of thorns, now they well and truly were.


    It didn''t look like Raiden was controlling Lightning Mana at all. Rather than having the usual volatility, it was as solid as glowing gold metal, as though he had become a Light Mancer.


    No, not like a Light Mancer.


    He was a Light Mancer.


    A Light Mancer and a Lightning Mancer in the body of one young man.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed as he tried to pull his dagger back only to find it the light-lightning combo snaking up his blade.


    It was possible to have two affinities like this?

 Chapter 212: Bold

    To wield lightning as though it was light, and light as though it was lightning. Both carried supreme penetrating strength, and when they were together¡­


    Chi.


    Theron twisted his body to the side, his eyes still narrowed.


    ''No. This is an Echo. How bold.''


    Flipping to the side, Theron abandoned his dagger, flipping a palm to pull out another from his spatial ring seamlessly and without missing a single beat.


    He hardly landed on the ground before a piercing javelin of light and lightning descended toward him.


    Pushing off the flex of his calves and the pressurized burst of his toes, he rolled.


    BANG! S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dark, moss-covered stone of the dungeon burst apart, the rumbling of the underground space growing more feverish.


    Lightning was an incredibly hard Element to wield and control. It was much like Fire, but even more volatile. Anyone that relied on it knew this well.


    Often, many techniques and spells for the Lightning Element used up a great amount of Mana just focusing on directing and guiding the strike or the defense.


    And yet, even with all of this wasted Mana, Lightning Mana was still known to be among the very top of offensive Mana.


    In a moment of sheer madness, Raiden had chosen to fix this issue. Rather than continuing to waste so much Mana, he fused with an Echo meant only for Light Mancers.


    Theoretically, Lightning and Light Mana were very close. But in practice, they were two completely opposing Elements, the latter far more gentle than the other.


    Somehow, Raiden had managed to make them work together.


    Theron''s eyes glowed, and for a moment he praised Raiden in his heart. But for only a moment.


    Here was where the real battle began. Since Raiden had decided to take this out, Theron would show him the gap between the two of them in earnest.


    BANG!


    Theron dodged again, but it didn''t slow the pull his soul had on his Blue Pufferfish Echo. The density of his Mana increased severalfold.


    Even without the Blue Pufferfish, his Mana already felt like it belonged to a high-tier Silver Mancer. With it, it was simply impossible to fathom it coming from a Silver Mancer at all. If not for the fact he didn''t have the aura of Gold Mana, many might assume him to have already crossed that threshold.


    Theron struck a fist clenching around his dagger at the ground, flipping his feet over his head and somersaulting to their balls. Crossing his blades over his chest, he took on the third javelin of light and lightning head-on, his feet skidding back until the blades of his shoulders softly touched a stone-cold wall.


    With a violent burst, he ripped his dagger and short sword across the body of the javelin, shattering it to pieces.


    Raiden''s eyes narrowed, his thumb lightly drawing across a spatial ring adorning his finger. Even now, Theron continued to surprise him. How could Water Mana be so dense? He would have thought that he was fighting against a Metal Mancer of some sort.


    A spear appeared in Raiden''s palm and he took a step forward. His hair stood on end, dancing bolts of yellow and gold making him look akin to a deity descending from the sky above.


    He thrust out his spear in quick succession, bolts forming as though afterimages, and yet forming very real attacks nonetheless.


    They pincered Theron from all sides, pinning him down in an avalanche of vicious blows.


    It was impossible to parry these torrid elemental attacks. They felt like they had no form, no substance, morphing and changing as they pleased. On the one hand, they were as fluid as lightning, and on the other, they were as rigid and straight as light.


    But this time, Theron didn''t dodge at all.


    ''That''s about enough.''


    [Water Clone].


    A dozen clones formed in unison, one formed for every one of the thrusts. They didn''t even look like real reflections of Theron, looking more like vaguely humanoid outlines.


    But when the thrusts of light and lightning struck them¡­


    PENG! PENG! PENG! PENG! PENG!


    The blades of gold entered and then began pinging around within the [Water Clones] as though they had lost their way.


    Raiden''s pupils constricted. Theron had trapped his attack.


    Wait!


    The Theron he had had his eyes and Third Eye focused on suddenly collapsed into a pool of water.


    Danger signs blared in Raiden''s mind and he hurried to spin back. He was fast enough, but this was still the wrong move.


    One of the [Water Clones] burst apart, the blade of light and lightning within it jetting out faster than it had come before.


    BANG!


    It collided against Raiden''s back. Despite the fact his armor of lightning protected him well, it threw him off balance, causing him to miss Theron''s short sword as it cut across his body.


    Chi.


    Sparks flew and the blade was reflected, but Theron calmly dodged Raiden''s follow-up, then drove a shin through the side of Raiden''s knee, causing it to buckle.


    BANG!


    A second [Water Clone] shattered. This time, Raiden had been ready, but Theron''s kick to his knee caused him to fail to dodge again.


    He stumbled forward, presenting his nose to Theron''s knee.


    Chi.


    More sparks flew.


    BANG!


    Chi.


    BANG!


    Chi.


    Theron was calm and calculated. It didn''t matter how sturdy Raiden''s armor was or how lacking his own offensive prowess was.


    His [Water Clones] and his real body pinged Raiden around relentlessly, chipping away at him again and again until¡­


    PUCHI!


    Theron''s blade ripped through Raiden''s chest, slashing across, severing skin, and tearing into bone.


    Blood splattered in mists of gold Mana.


    BANG!


    Raiden stumbled further into the slash as the final [Water Clone] shattered, causing him to suffer an even deeper wound.


    The scent of death filled Raiden''s nostrils. He didn''t have the time to pool more Mana into healing his armor, and Theron had a second blade. If he drew it across the same place, this time it would be deep enough to cut his heart in two.


    Feeling that weight of death, Raiden became deathly calm, the sparks vanishing from his eyes as a chilliness radiated from him.


    Veinsong.

 Chapter 213: Clash

    Theron felt the shift in the air first, then the accumulation of Lightning Mana, and then the shocking, focused control.


    Tendrils of gold quickly formed to fill in the gap in Raiden''s armor.


    It was too slow.


    Theron''s blade cut across, but while the filled-in Mana didn''t have enough time to fully form, it stopped his blade from cutting as deep as Raiden''s heart, being stopped short a few millimeters within his ribcage instead¡ªa long distance from the fragile organ.


    This gave Raiden enough time to recover, his body flickering as he activated a movement spell. In a flash, he became akin to a bolt of lightning, flashing to the side and out of the way of Theron''s next counterattack.


    The speed of activation could have only been bolstered by Veinsong, a conclusion Theron came to immediately.


    But there wasn''t the slightest hint of surprise on Theron''s face at all. He had already long expected this. In fact, he was ready for much more.


    Veinsong was something that was taught to every assassin in the guild. It was another matter entirely whether they could enter it in the middle of a battle, though. And that was something Raiden was clearly capable of.


    However, what Theron was truly prepared for wasn''t this, but rather all the techniques the old man must have taught Raiden.


    DENG! DENG! DENG!


    Exchanges of spear and short blades echoed, Raiden having formed a violent counter the instant he was out of range of Theron''s combination attack.


    With the [Water Clones] used up, there was no longer anything capable of attacking him from the back, and if Theron happened to form any spells back there, Raiden would surely sense it.


    He didn''t know how Theron could have possibly trapped his lightning like he had, but he had learned his lesson. If ranged attacks were useless against Theron, then he would just have to use close combat ones.


    He would take advantage of his cultivation, his superior speed, and his suffocating attack strength to crush Theron.


    However, by the third exchange, Raiden realized that he had overestimated himself. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His Resonance wasn''t like Theron''s at all. Theron''s Manaborn Resonance could be applied to his spells, it could dictate his movement, he could use it to bolster his attack and defense, or even apply it to his blades to mimic a Weapon Resonance.


    By comparison, Raiden''s could only do one thing¡­


    Help him control his lightning better and bolster its output.


    Normally, this was more than enough. But locked in close combat with Theron, while he found that his power was greater, his skill was severely lacking.


    The way one of Theron''s attacks flowed smoothly into the next. The way his feet moved and his body glided. The way he seamlessly carried the momentum of one feint into a true strike, or one strike into an explosive retreat.


    He moved across the battlefield like a spring of water directed by the trenches of his own mind. Slipping in and out of Raiden''s guard, he chipped away at him, streaks of a gorgeous blue hanging in the air like circulating currents descending from the skies themselves.


    Gold and royal blue crisscrossed in the otherwise dark underground space, every clash causing sparks to fly and water droplets to sparkle.


    Raiden took a heavy step back, bolts of lightning ejecting from his feet as though in an attempt to stabilize himself.


    It was then Theron''s ear twitched and his eyes narrowed.


    Suddenly, Theron seemed to overextend himself, rushing to make it to the gap in Raiden''s defenses. His short sword thrust out, aiming for the same vulnerability in Raiden''s chest of armor. From the start, Theron had never let the Lightning Mancer have enough time to fill it in completely.


    Raiden''s eyes flashed as though this was precisely what he was waiting for. His body stabilized, his spear bracing against his side as he thrust forward to meet Theron''s blow.


    For a moment, it seemed as though he would meet Theron head-on. But right in the brief instant before their blades touched, a wild spark of light and lightning rushed out like a flashbang.


    It was a common auxiliary skill, one used by both Lightning and Light Mancers alike to confuse the senses. Not only did it disrupt eyesight, but also the Third Eye itself.


    Raiden''s spear slightly shifted, the blade lengthening, and his grip slipping somewhat to move his own palm down its shaft. He already had the range advantage, but now he had upped it to another degree entirely.


    However, just as he thought he would pierce right through Theron''s chest, there was an odd shift behind him.


    The spark of lightning he used to stabilize his foot suddenly spun out of control.


    Pools of water had already begun to soak the ground of the dungeon through¡ªRaiden was more than aware of this. He was cautious about them, but he also knew that he should be able to sense any movement to them when the time came.


    What he didn''t expect was for the pools of water from the previous [Water Clones] to not try to attack or obstruct him, but instead help amplify and spread his lightning out in all directions.


    There was no danger involved for him at all. His instinct toward it hardly even flashed, and even now he didn''t understand what Theron was even doing.


    Until the ceiling rumbled.


    Raiden''s lightning crawled down the hallway and up the wall.


    [Pressure Burst].


    Theron''s eyes opened wide as he used up half of his Mana in a single go.


    In this battle against Raiden, he hadn''t even touched on his 10% threshold. And yet, right now, he went all out.


    Lightning and water bloomed into one another, pushing and pulling, and forcing each other to blossom.


    BOOM!


    Like the branches of a tree, the lightning spread out and collided with the ceiling of the dungeon just as a powerful aura rushed toward this location.


    Theron''s gaze became frighteningly cold as heavy stone after heavy stone fell from above. It looked like he was going to be crushed, and the long line of a spear running across his chest seared a line of blood into the air.


    But he never flinched a single time, his gaze never leaving Raiden.


    [Songful Blade].


    Chi.

 Chapter 214: The Reason

    "STOP!"


    Theron had already tuned everything out.


    A heavy stone fell from above, so large it could crush him into a meat paste.


    From the left and right, to the front and back, it wasn''t just him that was being swallowed up, but Raiden himself as well.


    Realizing that his spear must have only grazed Theron, Raiden was already prepared to move back and leap through to whatever was above. Silver Mancer or not, if they were buried beneath all this stone and earth, they would die.


    Surviving a landfall that was on the orders of hundreds of thousands to millions of jin was too far beyond them.


    And yet, Raiden didn''t have the time to notice that Theron wasn''t moving at all. He had dropped his dagger, calmly sheathing his short sword as he bent into a focused posture. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His aura fell into silence, his Mana retracting until he looked like nothing more than a normal mortal.


    And then came the solar flares of violet, blues, and pinks. His eyes were still a chilling blue, but his hair almost became akin to the silky strands of an Immortal Jellyfish''s lower body.


    He forgot about the world, his very intent itself focused into his blade.


    SHIIIIING!


    Theron unsheathed his short sword in a fluid motion. His actions flowed so perfectly that even given the small, narrow room to work with, the blade itself didn''t even touch the sides of the sheath.


    And yet, the moment the blade had been fully extracted, the sheath itself shattered in Theron''s palm, the power so great that his palm became a bloodied mess.


    But even now, he didn''t so much as flinch.


    His step was more of a flash than a change to his gait. The sudden burst of that first initial movement, that shocking inertia coming with such pace that Theron''s hair pinned back, their silky long strands becoming a streaming river to his back as though a manifestation all its own.


    Every ounce of his being was forward.


    And soon, it became obvious why. Raiden knew he needed speed, and he knew that he didn''t have enough of it, so in a moment of quick thinking brought by Veinsong, he immediately activated [Blood Escape].


    The Lightning Mancer had already leapt high, dodging the heavy stone and kicking down at them to send himself further up.


    Streams of blood-red coated his lightning, accelerating him upward all the more. And even as Theron crouched down from below, a heavy stone about to mince him to pieces, his own pupils had to rapidly bounce back and forth just to keep up with Raiden''s pace.


    BOOM!


    The heavy stone fell from above, a wave of earth crashing out in all directions. But Theron was completely gone.


    A streak of blue and the sparkling violet and pink was left in his wake, the roar of the early powerhouse echoing, but doing nothing to stop his forward momentum.


    His sword was still in an unsheathing motion, and yet he radiated such sharpness that the stone that fell behind him split into a clean two halves before it collapsed beneath its own weight.


    It was such a subtle change, lost in all the destruction, that only those with the sharpest of senses would have grasped it in the first place.


    But it only continued to happen.


    Theron still seemed to be unsheathing his blade, and yet every heavy stone he came across was split in two one after another.


    He streaked upward like a meteor, so fast that he crossed the distance between him and Raiden¡ªwho was extending it¡ªin the blink of an eye despite the latter''s speed.


    And then he burst through the surface.


    Chi.


    Raiden landed on the crumbling soil and moist grass, finding himself a place that remained relatively stable.


    To his back, Theron skidded across the very same soft soil, his momentum not nearly as controlled. His heels dug in, leaving two deep trenches.


    There was an odd silence between the two that belied the complete and utter destruction beneath their feet.


    Theron slowly lowered his blade, rising up from his crouched position with a calm countenance and a face that was only the slightest bit pale. He teetered on the edge of a Mana Depleted state, but he stood ramrod straight nonetheless.


    All the while, Raiden still seemed frozen in place, until a sudden burst of blood akin to a pipe leaking beneath too much pressure erupted from his shoulder down to his chest.


    A clean cut ran down diagonally, severing his collarbone, his shoulder, a lung, and his heart in a single stroke.


    Raiden''s hand trembled, his grip on his spear tightening as though to ensure that he was still alive for the moment. But it wasn''t nearly enough.


    The veins of his neck bulged, and the muscles he had left tried their best to slowly turn back toward Theron.


    He was a man who was supposed to reach the pinnacle of the world, a man who was just months removed from staking his future position in the Nightingale Clan. His entire life was in front of him.


    Had his master not insisted on suppressing his cultivation for so long and forcing him to learn the fundamentals of assassination rather than leaning into his talent, how much further along would he be? He was only around 16 years old, but he had all the confidence in the world that he would have already been a Gold Mancer by now.


    In just these three months alone where his master had finally cut him loose, he had gone from a low-tier Silver Mancer to a higher-tier.


    And now¡­ now he was¡­ dead?


    "You want to know about Merchant Greycoat, right?" Theron asked.


    Raiden''s pupils trembled.


    "Well, I can tell you one thing for certain. He''s the reason you''re dead right now. As for the rest, figure it out in the afterlife."


    Raiden''s pupils slowly dilated as the rest of his body relaxed.


    He fell over, collapsing into a pool of his own blood that was all too quickly sapped up by the moist soil around them.

 Chapter 215: Scorching

    "DIDN''T I TELL YOU TO STOP?!"


    Theron didn''t even turn to the voice, because it was nothing more than an echo from a far-off distance. He directly ignored it, moving to Raiden''s corpse, bending down, and plucking the spatial ring off of his fingers.


    He shattered the protections Raiden had on it with a thought, his own Third Eye so much more powerful that it was hardly much more than a breath of effort.


    ''It seems your master treats you well,'' Theron thought to himself.


    The spatial ring wasn''t a normal Bronze Resonance spatial device like Theron had grown used to. In fact, by the letter of the law, most spatial devices Theron had come across were better off being unranked. It was just that any spatial device was so rare that it felt odd calling it a common treasure, so the lowest were just slotted in as Bronze.


    This one, however, had the very clear signs of a Silver Resonance Treasure, and not just by some arbitrary standard, but a very real one. This wasn''t decided by its size¡ªthough that was one factor¡ªbut instead its stability.


    The more powerful the spatial device, the stronger the treasures it could store within it, the more fluidly one could use their Third Eye to pick out items, and the faster you could move items in and out by extension.


    Of course, this all translated to a larger size as well, and this spatial device was already the size of a small home.


    However, Theron didn''t care about any of this. With a pull of his Third Eye, he took out his father''s sword.


    When it landed in his palm, he exhaled a breath, his heart trembling.


    He closed his eyes, feeling all the rage and fury that had been building up in himself finally dissipating.


    A frosty breath was pulled out of his mouth.


    Theron''s eyes snapped open.


    ''What was that?''


    One part of Theron was paying attention to the surroundings to make sure that the old man didn''t suddenly appear, but just now¡­ he felt like his throat was being scorched by something.


    While it had looked like a frosty breath, it was anything but. It was more like steam.


    Theron never noticed it when frost was pulled out of his body because it had been happening since he was a literal infant. To him, it was a natural bodily function. Asking him to notice that was like asking someone to be conscious of their breathing 24 hours a day.


    But this one¡­ this felt very different from what he was used to. Just now, he practically felt like he was breathing fire, and that was ridiculous. In fact¡­ it hurt.


    This pain only lasted for a brief instant before it was replaced by a soothing massage to his soul. But Theron was certain that it had happened.


    Theron''s eyes snapped down to the necklace around his neck. That scorching pain¡ªit was very similar to what he experienced in there¡­ the push and pull of hot and cold almost tearing him in two.


    But in the end, he came out stronger for it by a substantial margin.


    ''What''s this?''


    Theron felt like his mind was being pulled in all sorts of different directions. First, it was scorching pain, then came his necklace, and then¡­ his father''s sword?


    The short sword was a straight edge with a transparent blue blade. It was never meant to be used like this, but it honestly would look like the quintessential assassin''s weapon had it not had such a light glow to it.


    Something from within the sword began to pull on Theron. First it pulled on his Core, and then the Blue Pufferfish. And then Theron felt it pull on his blood, before the Immortal Jellyfish. Then it pulled on his soul itself, going deep until it found his Manaborn Resonance.


    A connection formed between Theron and the short sword. All of a sudden, its blade became akin to a wispy mist, an array of gorgeous colors that reflected the body of the Immortal Jellyfish.


    But then it solidified, becoming so heavy and dense that Theron''s arm collapsed to the ground, his body almost being pulled over and forward.


    A small dent was formed in the ground, and Theron couldn''t help but blink.


    What happened?


    What he didn''t expect was that there''d be yet another change. A large amount of Water Mana began to pool in from the surroundings as though Theron was trying to break through, but this time it wasn''t him at all.


    It was¡­ his sword? Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It resonated with his Manaborn Water Resonance. The two formed a link, and the short sword began to pull in a great amount of energy from the surroundings.


    The process took several minutes, and when it all came to an end, Theron caught the faint glimmers of complex runes dancing within the transparent blue blade. It was only for a moment before they vanished, but just from that one look¡­ Theron was certain that they were simpler than the Black Limbo Tortoise Runes, and yet somehow far more profound at the same time.


    He really felt the urge to study them, but not only did trying to recall them give him a splitting headache, but they had long vanished. No amount of Water Mana Theron poured into his sword seemed to bring them back either.


    ''Wow¡­''


    Theron had thought that there must have been something special about his father''s sword for Raiden to go out of his way to take it when he didn''t lack weapons and didn''t even use a sword to begin with. But this¡­ it was beyond his expectations.


    His sword had upgraded. Not only had it become a Silver Resonance Treasure, it wasn''t a normal one. It was a Manaborn Treasure now, capable of resonating and pulling in Mana all on its own.


    If this sword was placed on the market right this moment, maybe even the entire wealth of the Nightingale Clan would be unable to purchase it.


    Right then, Theron realized¡­ he could upgrade it more. And its upgrades would be entirely dependent on his cultivation and comprehension.


    But more importantly than maybe all of that was the fact¡­


    It gave his Echoes tangible form.

 Chapter 216: Trio

    Theron looked at the sword as though he hardly recognized it. With one thought, it could become a blade of steam and mist, embodying water, changing its shape, and adapting to an attack or defense with a push of his intention. With another thought, he could make it as heavy as a boulder falling from the skies.


    Its material didn''t seem to have changed at all, and yet it felt sharper and more substantial than ever before, making Theron wonder if it could even cut Ironvale''s black sword.


    Taking a breath, Theron stood to his feet. Taking his father''s sheath, he slipped the sword in with a seamless ease.


    With this blade¡­ he was certain.


    He could kill a Gold Mancer.


    There was an indifferent coolness to Theron''s eyes as he had this thought, as though it was only natural, as though Gold Mancy wasn''t the main goal for practically every cultivator on the continent.


    Cultivation itself, though¡­ wasn''t ever something that Theron cared for. There was a reason he had only started it around nine or ten months ago.


    What he wanted from cultivation was the power it could give him, and the leverage for revenge.


    ''It''s time to go.''


    Today, he would be leaving the province.


    The rage-fueled voice of the old man had stopped echoing a long time ago. But Theron knew that he wouldn''t be able to make it back in time, not with where his target destination was. Even for a man like him, traveling across provinces was a heavy ask.


    This would give Theron more than enough time to leave.


    Theron popped a Bloomstone into his mouth, and his injuries began to heal in real time as his Mana quickly replenished. He took a step and vanished, his speed sending him forward at a breakneck pace.


    Right now, even to the eyes of low-tier Gold Mancers, he would look like nothing more than a blur of crimson, his blood boiling to the point steaming crimson rose from his pores.


    [Blood Escape].


    **


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    "You have some nerve, Mesmeralda!" the old man roared.


    "Get over yourself, Andros," a familiar old woman snarled.


    "You two, can''t we just get alon¡ª?"


    BOOM!


    The two turned and attacked Patriarch Gian at the same time.


    The trio snaked through the air, a three-way battle royale echoing through the skies and collapsing clouds. It looked as though a Tribulation was descending from the clouds above, heart-shuddering and cataclysmic in its momentum.


    "Hey, hey. Is there a need for all of this?" Patriarch Gian smiled, but there was a coldness in his eyes that made it clear that he wasn''t here to mediate. "I''m here just the same as you all, aren''t I?"


    "I thought you were my good friend, but you stabbed me in the back," Andros, the old man, growled. "If I don''t take your head right here and now, my name isn''t Andros Vellanci!"


    "Andros Vellanci? Abandoning Cadence of the Crypt, are we?" Mesmeralda sneered.


    "If I was acting in the capacity of Cadence of the Crypt, you would both be dead already."


    There was a dreariness to the old man''s voice that carried countless centuries of killing intent. One could practically hear the souls of his victims rolling off the tongue.


    "I think we all know that someone made it quite certain that you wouldn''t be able to do that, now didn''t he?" Patriarch Gian said calmly. "Don''t you think it''s pathetic to be manipulated by a little boy like this?"


    "Did you, or did you not go behind my back to support another Daggers of the Night branch?" Andros replied coldly.


    To this question, Patriarch Gian could only fall into silence. There was no refuting it.


    The best sort of scheme was an open scheme¡ªit was the reason none of them could escape this hold.


    There was no way that Gian could let Mesmeralda go because she had learned the methods of the Luminescent Moon Sect from Ruu¡ªthe very same methods that Theron had taught the Silver Assassin, only for those methods to be tortured out of her on her deathbed.


    There was no way that Andros could let Patriarch Gian go because his actions were not only toying with his bottom line by supporting someone he shouldn''t, but also because he had no choice in the matter. There was no way either of these two would let him go because his title of Cadence of the Crypt was too looming.


    If they let him go now, he would certainly kill them in silence sometime in the future. As such, trying to escape now would only lose him momentum and cost him his life. That was unacceptable.


    The only reason Andros had come here in the first place was because Ruu had left too many clues in her actions, making it clear that an assassin was acting. But he was also head of the branch¡ªhe knew every mission that came in and out of this place.


    So why would there be an assassin in a place he didn''t authorize?


    He came to investigate, only to end up in this situation.


    As for Gian, there was no way he could let Andros go because of the lurking danger of having such a powerful assassin after him. But just the same, how could he let Mesmeralda go when she had the secrets of his Sect?


    Plus, Mesmeralda was a far inferior pure assassin to Andros, but she was a rare Space Mancer. He couldn''t let her go easily either, or else he''d probably never have the opportunity to catch her again.


    Just like this, three powerhouses clashed in the air continuously, trying to decide a victor. All of them knew well that they had been manipulated by a little boy, and yet there was nothing at all that they could do about it.


    At best¡­ they could try to quickly kill their enemies here and then find Theron to deal with him in the future. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for Theron himself¡­ he had returned to the most unexpected of places.


    Merchant Greycoat''s estate.

 Chapter 217: Curious

    The estate looked much the same, but Theron could feel the shifts and changes in the air. There was definitely something odd about this place¡­ but it was also clear to Theron that it was unlikely he would stumble into some smoking gun.


    Honestly, he didn''t really have the time to come here. The only reason he did was because the location of the estate was already nearing the very edges of the province. From here, it was probably another two days'' journey to leave at most.


    But in the end, since this was on the way, Theron decided to take it. Not only because this way would probably be the best for him to take, but also because no one would expect him to return here.


    In truth, even Theron didn''t know the full story behind what was going on with Merchant Greycoat. All he knew was that the merchant was a fat Wind Mancer of the Bronze Resonance. He didn''t control some special element or anything of the sort.


    At best, maybe he controlled a substantial amount of wealth. But that was also what made things especially odd when Theron began to scout out the estate¡­


    No one was here, and yet all the fixtures, all the valuables, all the treasures seemed¡­


    Untouched.


    ''Why is that?''


    Theron frowned.


    There were two conflicting thoughts in his head.


    On the one hand, Merchant Greycoat was some big shot that couldn''t be touched. And yet on the other hand, his mission appeared in the Daggers of the Night branch.


    How could he be both untouchable and yet become a Bronze Assassin mission at the same time?


    With the streams of [Blood Escape] still flaring up around him, Theron chose to shoot inside. He had had the technique on a continuous loop since he left, and he was burning through all his Vital Bloomstone reserves at this rate, but it was a necessary evil.


    Even if he left the province without a single Bloomstone left, it would be well worth it.


    ¡­


    ''Nothing.''


    Theron stood in silence for a moment before flashing out.


    It was all very fascinating. Such an insignificant character was somehow the center of his storm, triggering practically everything that had happened to him in the last several months, and yet he had no explanation for it.


    "I know you''re there," Theron said calmly.


    There was a flicker in the shadows, and a young woman stepped out. No, young woman was inaccurate. She was quite the little girl¡ªadorable even without her twin little pigtails.


    Sadie.


    At the moment, the little girl''s usual red hair and sparkling emerald eyes seemed to have darkened considerably. They were still there, but it was like the red had almost become a maroon and the emerald was nearly a murky, swampy color.


    "I knew you would come here," she replied, without acknowledging the fact she was watching him from the shadows.


    Theron looked over to her, trying to gauge where the threats might come from and how difficult it would be to cut his way out of here.


    He knew that coming here would be a risk, but it was a calculated risk on his part. Usually, not many would think that he would return to the scene of the crime, so to speak. Plus, understanding this Merchant Greycoat situation was pivotal to how he might approach things in the future.


    At the moment, the two stood in an underground treasure room lit not by lights, but by gems and etchings into the wall. Coins stacked up high, treasures being strewn about. But they were hardly of great appeal to cultivators.


    The coins might be able to be used in exchange for something else, but they were the coins of the Nightingale Empire, and Theron didn''t plan to be here much longer.


    "If you stay, I will tell you the secrets you want to understand."


    Theron didn''t reply, still scanning the region.


    "There is no one here but me," Sadie stated quite plainly.


    Theron''s gaze landed on her again. "You are quite confident."


    "Confident? I guess so. But that isn''t what I''m trying to show off right now."


    The calmness in both of their eyes seemed to understate the relative heat of the situation. Whether the shocking number of treasures, or the silent life-and-death struggle between the two, they were simply far too¡­ at ease.


    "I won''t be staying," Theron finally said.


    "¡­ She will die, you know."


    Theron''s eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"


    "A threat? It''s not like I would be the one doing it. I''m just informing you what will inevitably happen. The Thistles will use her as bait to try to lure you back, you won''t return, and then they''ll wipe out the entire Vermouth Clan."


    "That''s completely and utterly foolish."


    "Have you ever considered the Thistles to be very smart?"


    The Thistles already lost the support of the Metal Mancy Clan before. If they tried to use his wife-in-name, with the fiery nature of the Vermouths, there''s no way they''d sit idly by. The only choice at that point would be to kill them all.


    But after already having failed to protect one heir, for them to actively target another and then wipe out a clan because of him¡ªa little Silver Mancer¡­


    Who the hell would follow them?


    "Do you know why their actions feel so contradictory and foolish to you?" Sadie asked, continuing before Theron could reply. "It''s because they''re not trying to be smart in the first place. They have strength, so they do not need intelligence."


    "It doesn''t seem like they have much strength at all."


    "They do¡­" Sadie said absentmindedly. "¡­ But probably not for the reasons you think, or even they do."


    Theron frowned, growing more confused.


    "Their Ancestor is still alive. He is a Spirit Wood Mancer who has reached the absolute limits of Gold Mancy, becoming a Demi-God. In terms of ability, he is probably the strongest in the entire Nightingale Empire. But his greatest strength isn''t in his personal power. It''s in how he restrains the Firewing Empire so well¡ªsomething that he has been in seclusion working toward since the fall of the Thistles." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron was only growing more confused. Why did Sadie''s words make it sound like this was related to the merchant? And yet nothing she said tied back to him at all?


    But just when it felt like she might let something slip, she asked another question.


    "Tell me. How did you manage to fool the senses of a Space Mancer? I''m very curious."

 Chapter 218: Nothing

    It was quite odd. Even if Theron managed to figure out that a Space Mancer might be targeting him, that wasn''t enough to misdirect them.


    "You''re asking for something quite important," Theron replied.


    "Is this your way of telling me you want to exchange information? Did I not just tell you quite a lot?"


    Theron''s head tilted slightly as he scanned the little girl from head to toe.


    "It seems like you need my help for something. But honestly, I do not need you. Whether you tell me now, or I find out in the future, is only divided by how much risk I''ll take on in the short term. And I''ve never been afraid of risk."


    "Fair." Sadie nodded, seemingly not taking offense. "Honestly speaking, once I tell you, I know for a fact that you will decide to stay."


    There was a flicker in Theron''s eye. There was only one reason he would ever make the conscious choice to stay after all of the chaos he had just stirred.


    His family.


    "Oh. Maybe I''ve said too much already. It''s hard speaking to someone who''s as smart as you are. I''m not very used to that. Sometimes I feel like I''m surrounded by idiots."


    Sadie smiled, and for the first time, Theron felt like he was actually seeing a genuine face of hers.


    After he learned of her true identity, it felt like he had to erase everything else that they had been through because she simply wasn''t the person he had thought her to be.


    Now, however, even while looking at things through that filter, it was hard for him to see anything fake about the current face she was wearing.


    His family? How could this be about his family?


    Theron''s mind went into overdrive.


    The short sword sheathed to his waist and the necklace around his neck already told him that there was something particularly odd about his family. But it could also be the case that what Sadie was referring to was the Spirit Mancer that had killed them all instead.


    It just didn''t feel like it made much sense if Sadie was referring to the former rather than the latter. That was because if the Nightingale Clan was aware of his clan having some mysterious background, then it was hard to believe that they would just sit idly by.


    If a mere Quasi Gold Mancer breaking into Gold Mancy could devastate his family like they had, there was no reason the Nightingales couldn''t do that several times over.


    Whether it was the sword by his side or the necklace around his neck, both seemed like exceptionally powerful items they might want to get their hands on.


    The sword was the most obvious¡­ but a necklace that could train your soul and improve your Third Eye so directly was maybe even more valuable than a weapon that could upgrade with your cultivation.


    Just looking at things from a macro perspective, Theron''s Third Eye was already infinitely close to the power a Gold Mancer might carry at that stage with theirs. With another breakthrough, it would probably be no weaker¡ªif not stronger¡ªthan many Gold Mancers.


    At that point, not only would he be able to detect a Gold Mancer''s senses, but he would be able to more easily hide himself from them as well.


    This wasn''t the value of something that could be easily understated. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more powerful one''s Third Eye, the stronger their control, the faster they could cast spells, the sharper their senses, the more ambient Mana they could control, the quicker they could cultivate¡­


    While it didn''t always immediately translate to power, Theron would choose his necklace over his father''s sword ten out of ten times if forced to make a choice.


    This was all to say that there was no reason for the Nightingales to just let him and his family go. Even in the case that it was because they weren''t Ice and Water Mancers and, as such, couldn''t make use of it¡­ just how valuable would they be to the right person?


    Theron had literally only just learned that the Nightingale Empire was under the umbrella of the Black Clan thanks to his battle with Mason.


    Just how much would the most powerful Water Mancer Clan on the continent pay for items perfectly tailored to them? How far would they help to elevate the Nightingales in return?


    With these deductions running through his mind one after another, Theron was certain that Sadie must be referring to the Spirit Mancer who killed his family.


    Was Merchant Greycoat related to that family?


    "The questions you''re thinking of¡­ the answer is yes¡­ but also no."


    Sadie smiled a sweet smile. She wrapped her fingers around one another behind her back and rocked from the tips of her toes to her heels and back again. She seemed to be having a great time teasing Theron.


    "If you know that I will stay if you tell me, then why do you want me to agree first before you explain?" Theron asked, having already regained his calm.


    "Because you''ve been very mean to me and I want a little payback, too¡ª"


    "I agree. I will stay," Theron said calmly.


    Sadie''s lip twitched, but then her amusement faded into a little sadness she quickly hid.


    The problem with Theron''s response was that it was too perfect, too stoic. He knew that he was coming back to three infuriated, top-of-the-line Gold Mancers. He knew that he had pissed off practically all the Noble Clans of the Imperial Capital. He knew that the Thistles just might do something drastic very soon¡­


    Yet he still replied like this.


    Sadie was just joking around. While she hadn''t lied at all, she only wanted him to lower his pride just a little bit as a petty hint of revenge on her part. But the fact he laid it down so easily made her heart hurt for Theron.


    The Theron she knew¡ªthe real Theron¡ªhe was a man with a great amount of self-confidence and sense of self-worth. But he didn''t care about his own thoughts and emotions at all when it came to his family.


    In all likelihood, even if she asked him to kneel right now¡­ he would do it. And for some reason, that really pained her.


    Her lips slowly parted.


    "¡­ It has nothing to do with wind¡­" Sadie said softly.


    It was just a single line, but Theron''s pupils constricted into pinholes the instant he heard it.


    Galethunder.

 Chapter 219: Half

    Theron still didn''t understand the full story. He didn''t know exactly what Sadie was trying to get at. He didn''t even know the significance of his own last name.


    But the moment Sadie said those words, he knew exactly what she had to be referring to. And at the same time, he was even more confused.


    It had nothing to do with wind? Then why was Merchant Greycoat a Wind Mancer, then? What was he missing, exactly?


    Why had she mentioned the Thistle Ancestor earlier and his ability to restrain fire? That seemed to have even less to do with his lineage and the name behind it.


    The more things he learned about what his father had left behind, the more he realized that his last name had to carry some sort of real significance to it. But he also had no one to talk to or understand about all of this.


    Just when he was hoping Sadie would have all the answers he wanted, she just shrugged.


    "Merchant Greycoat was indeed a Wind Mancer, and your last name really is Galethunder, so I was convinced that I could figure something out through Wind Mancy. But after trying for so long, I''m convinced that at some point along the way, there was a mutation in the bloodline that triggered these changes."


    "Are you trying to say that Merchant Greycoat is family to me?"


    "Maybe. In a distant cousin, more than a few times removed sort of way."


    Theron''s frown only deepened as he didn''t really understand what was going on right now. Nothing was adding up.


    If Merchant Greycoat got such protections because he was a little related to his family, then why was it that¡ª?


    Theron''s pupils trembled.


    Sure, the merchant was protected. But didn''t he end up on a kill list as well? Could it be that his family wasn''t just a random casualty of a cruel cultivator, but instead a product of a targeted assassination that just so happened to benefit a genius?


    After all, if his family had a lineage that interested even a genius on the level of Sadie, then if this Spirit Mancer genius was aiming to gather Karma and Bad Karma for their path of cultivation¡­


    Who better to target?


    "What are you trying to tell me?" Theron asked directly.


    "I''m telling you that there are a lot of people scared of the Galethunder name. There are just as many people who want to see them all dead. But I''m also telling you that there are profound secrets and variables involved that are too complicated to describe¡ªmostly because I don''t understand them all either."


    "¡­ I am not a Wind Mancer. I have no affinity for it. I also don''t have any affinity for Lightning."


    "Thunder and Lightning are not the same thing. Plus, I already told you¡­"


    "¡­ It has nothing to do with Wind Mancy?" Theron shook his head. If it had nothing to do with Wind Mancy, then why was Merchant Greycoat a Wind Mancer? It didn''t make any sense.


    "It was you that night, wasn''t it?" Sadie suddenly asked another question.


    "That night?" Theron''s eyes sharpened.


    "Don''t look at me like that. You already tried to kill me once, don''t tell me that you''re going to try and do it again?"


    Theron knew exactly what night Sadie was talking about. The night he felt the moon. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is the Luminescent Moon Sect related?" Theron asked.


    Sadie shook her head. "No. They are younger than whatever you descend from. But still old enough that they might have some answers you''re looking for. I''m only speculating, but I have a guess you know where that place might be."


    The library.


    Theron knew immediately, just like Sadie said.


    Were there answers about his family in there? And what exactly had happened to them?


    He didn''t know how he should take this, honestly. He had been so close to it, but he hadn''t had the time to go through a library so large. Even now, there was simply no way for him to just go back.


    While he had a few ideas on how he could protect his life if he should return, the troublesome part of all of this was that he had probably revealed too many trump cards¡ªthe most important of them being his ability to deal with soul brands.


    The old man would know with certainty now that the brand the Daggers of the Night left on him was worthless, and that would make him all the more cautious around Theron, if he didn''t outright try to kill him first.


    A part of Theron wanted to blame Sadie for not bringing up these matters to him earlier. But then the far more logical part crushed those thoughts beneath a heel.


    What did Sadie owe him? Nothing at all.


    All she had done was exactly what he usually did¡­ she waited until the person she wanted to manipulate was at their most pivotal point before she took action to push him toward the direction she wanted.


    It was a masterful move, and after almost dying to him the first time, there was no way she would easily let herself slip up this time.


    "What do the Firewings have to do with this?" Theron asked.


    Since he was here, he might as well get as deep of an understanding as he could.


    "I will just tell you what it is I''ve come to understand. The Galethunder Bloodline was once one whole, but it has long deviated from that. One half of it formed a powerful Wind Mancy Bloodline¡ªthey called themselves the Gale Clan."


    "Called?"


    "Yes. They are no more. Or, more accurately, their roots seemed to have inexplicably vanished, leaving behind stragglers of various branch Clans, of which the merchant was one. Many of these stragglers have managed to survive and thrive in one way or another, but mostly because many are scared to even try to target them due to the looming threat the Gales once posed.


    "But there are other factions that want to target them to find out what secrets there might be.


    "And then¡­ there''s the other half¡­"

 Chapter 220: He Won’t

    "¡­ The other half is more complicated, but they split into three lineages, all three of which have ties to Spirit Mancy. But they call themselves the Harmon Clan, the Bell Clan, and, presumably¡­ the Firewings."


    Theron''s brows wrinkled. He really didn''t understand. He was only now realizing just how much he absolutely hated this feeling.


    It wasn''t just a matter of not understanding itself, but the amplification of it in realizing that this was about his family, and yet with all the brain power in the world and the upgrades to his Third Eye, it was all still meaningless.


    "Whether it is the Harmon Clan or the Bell Clan, both of them are exceptionally powerful Sound Mancy Clans that have taken different routes, the Harmon Clan actually wielding Lightning Mana to a small extent, and the Bell Clan entirely focusing on the power of sound itself."


    ''Sound¡­'' Theron thought to himself, his mind flickering over to the old man. Was it a coincidence?


    Well, it wasn''t as though there was a monopoly on this path. Sound Mancers were rare, but they existed. It was also one of the paths that could be tapped into should you be close enough as well.


    "It''s hard to tell why this split happened, but Mancy has always been hereditary. If a bloodline is complicated enough, and there''s enough dilution to it over the course of many, many years, then it''s only natural that things end up going this way."


    "You''re avoiding the main question," Theron suddenly said.


    Sadie smiled. "I knew you''d say that eventually."


    She had repeated it more than once now. She kept saying that it had nothing to do with Wind Mancy, but everything she said afterward made it sound like it was at least somewhat related.


    But more importantly than that¡­ what was she even testing Wind Mana out for? She hadn''t mentioned the Nightingales in the list of Clans that descended from the Galethunders, so what good was it for her to try anyway? It wasn''t as though she had the bloodline to awaken. That made no sense.


    Their gazes met across the air, the very same calmness remaining as Sadie''s smile stayed calm and placid.


    "If you want to know that, I''m going to need you to use the Luminescent Moon Sect to do your part."


    "You want me to find out about the history of the Galethunders?"


    "Indeed, I do. Once you do, then I can share the rest of it with you."


    "Okay."


    After saying this, Theron turned to leave.


    "Aren''t you going to take any of this wealth with you?" Sadie asked with a blink.


    "No," Theron replied. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And why''s that? Don''t you need it?"


    "Why waste the space in my spatial ring when the Nightingales and the Imperial Academy are about to give me everything I could ever want?"


    Streams of blood came from Theron as he looked to an inconspicuous corner with a turn of his head. Then, he flickered and vanished in a bolt of red so fast Sadie''s eyes widened.


    Sadie took a moment before she calmed. Then, she looked toward the same corner Theron had.


    Slowly, a shadow manifested.


    "Didn''t I say I would come alone?" Sadie spoke in a tone that carried not the slightest hint of pleasure in it.


    "His senses are pretty sharp," the shadow replied, as though not hearing Sadie''s displeasure.


    "Because of you he thinks I''m a liar now."


    "Don''t raise that tone with me, little girl. He already thinks you''re a liar. And you are one. You''re talking out of one side of your mouth. None of this has anything to do with whatever nonsense ''Galethunder'' bullshit you came up with. That''s baseless speculation on your part. There''s no connection between this merchant and that boy at all."


    Sadie fell into silence.


    "Look at you, getting stubborn again. You can''t just go around thinking all your deductions are infallible. The last time you did that, you thought that you could just become a Wind Mancer to unlock the secrets of that realm, and how did that work out for you? You almost lost your life at the hands of a little boy a full tier beneath you. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?"


    "He caught me off guard¡­" Sadie said softly. "And this time, I''m definitely right."


    "What nonsense are you talking about now?"


    "What are the odds of a genius like Theron appearing with such a peculiar last name that vaguely translates to the same ancient runic texts we''ve been seeing?"


    "I see you just threw in the word ''vaguely'' in there as though it''s not holding a lot of water. The translations are hardly similar at all. Galethunder isn''t reminiscent of those runic texts at all.


    "Those texts speak of the balance between calm and rage, of hot and cold, of water and fire. What the fuck does Galethunder have to do with that? Gale and Thunder both, even if you separate them, are both hyper-aggressive. A Gale is a strong gust of wind. Thunder is quite literally the rage of the Heavens. What makes you think these things are related at all?"


    "It''s misdirection."


    "Misdirection for who?! And how could you possibly know that?!"


    "Merchant Greycoat''s last name isn''t Gale anymore, now is it?"


    "So why would you think some random family with even less power than him would gleefully keep the word ''Gale'' in their name, then? Hm?"


    Sadie had no rebuttal, but one could practically feel the shadow rolling their eyes.


    "Fine, fine, fine. You wanted to keep your little boyfriend from running away, I get it. But if you get him killed because of your willfulness, don''t come crying to me. I''m not saving him. I wouldn''t even lift a finger to save you. I don''t waste energy on useless people."


    After saying this, the shadow flickered and vanished.


    Sadie frowned. "He won''t die."


    There was legitimate anger in her tone this time, but the shadow had long gone too far to hear it.

 Chapter 221: Speechless

    Sadie stood in silence for a long while before her emotions were calmed.


    The holes that the shadow had poked in her theory were obviously good ones. There were many things that she couldn''t refute. But there were also things that the shadow had purposely avoided too, and Sadie sensed that enough to know that her thoughts weren''t completely off base. And there were many things that she didn''t lie about.


    The Gales were, indeed, part of this mystery. The Harmons and Bells were as well.


    The Firewings, well¡­ they were sort of part of this mystery, but that wasn''t entirely confirmed, and it was mostly speculation on her part as well.


    But the coincidence there was striking.


    The Gales were obviously the first part of Theron''s name, and the Harmons and the Bells¡­ well, while they weren''t exactly Thunder, the fact one of them used Sound to produce Lightning, and the other used Sound as their main method of attack and even to amplify their own physical strength¡­


    The coincidences were definitely there.


    But the main coincidence here was Theron himself. His strength, his talent¡ªnone of it made any sense. That was her main attachment to the theory even though she didn''t want to admit it.


    Plus¡­ she felt that it was a mistake for Theron to leave the Province. The danger out there wasn''t something that he was ready for, and the opportunities here had yet to run dry.


    Like he had said¡­ why take this wealth when her Clan and the Imperial Academy were about to give him everything he could ever want? Where else would he get such a deal?


    He was right to be bold and confident in himself.


    Suddenly, Sadie stomped her feet as she realized something, a puffing expression coming from her adorable countenance. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He never answered my question!"


    She huffed out a breath, suddenly feeling annoyed. She really wanted to know how Theron had managed to avoid Mesmeralda and fooled her senses.


    **


    Theron cut across the province again. He too was feeling slightly annoyed.


    Could he tell there were holes in Sadie''s story? Yes, he definitely could. But there was one thing he was sure she wasn''t lying about¡­ and that was the fact the library of the Luminescent Moon Sect likely had what he was looking for.


    There was no doubt in his mind that this was the case. That was almost enough for him to stay. But the real reason he stayed aside from that was the implication in her words.


    Protection.


    For Sadie to come out and say these things, even after saying that the Thistle Ancestor was such a powerhouse, it meant that she was confident in her ability to protect him.


    Did Theron think this meant that he would have round-the-clock bodyguards? No. But what it did mean was that he would be able to thread a needle to survival. And that was more than enough for him.


    ¡­


    BANG!


    "I''ve¡ª!"


    The old man''s voice came to an abrupt stop. He appeared out of the air from flowing ripples, half of his skull having vanished and a large portion of one of his legs.


    Blood flowed out of him in rivers, pooling and dripping to the ground. But the young man he expected to find in front of him wasn''t there at all.


    Instead, he found the corpse of a horse floating down the river, the markings of Space Mana over it.


    The old man''s eyes bulged with a fiery rage, and suddenly he understood.


    Theron wasn''t a fool. He knew he had a brand on himself. What the old man didn''t know was that Theron had long learned to find a way to weaken it, and after fusing with the Immortal Jellyfish, he had long been able to freely remove it from his body.


    How had he tricked the old woman? Easy. He left his Soul Brand on the horse and left.


    He had had no idea that she would be the one to appear. But it didn''t matter which of them had, they would have all been tricked just the same.


    Back during his battle against the disciples of the Luminescent Moon Sect that tried to kill him, the old woman had been watching, and she had used the opportunity to sense Theron''s Soul Brand. As a head of a branch of the Daggers of the Night herself, she already knew the necessary techniques to keep tabs on Theron, so she had never bothered to follow around behind him very closely.


    Because of that, she thought that she could intercept Theron along the way whenever she wanted, only to find a horse chugging along for her troubles.


    Now, the old man was experiencing much the same thing.


    What the old man wouldn''t expect was that just when he thought Theron would have disappeared forever after taking out his True Chosen, news of his reappearance would come down.


    ¡­


    Theron walked into Dean Pennel''s office, softly closing the door behind him.


    The eye of the old woman twitched. She was always calm, always unbothered, always wearing that same gentle smile she took around everywhere.


    But this child¡­ he was too bold, was he not? How had he even made it back into the city?


    Theron didn''t even look like he had broken a sweat. There was a gentle air to him, a soft, supple silkiness to his hair as it flowed down his back, and at the moment, there was an odd warmth to his eyes that had never been there before.


    If before his eyes felt a bit distant, now they had an inviting air to them that made him even more charismatic. He was already a boy one couldn''t help but have a fondness for when they laid eyes on him, but now it felt amplified to another degree.


    Theron took a seat across from Dean Pennel and gazed at her for a moment before he finally opened his mouth to speak.


    "So, Dean, shall we begin? What is my first lesson?"


    The old Pennel madame was truly left speechless.

 Chapter 222: Horns

    There was a calmness to Theron''s smile that seemed to completely ignore the fact that the entire capital was on fire because of him. Even staring at him now, Dean Pennel couldn''t quite believe what she was seeing at all.


    Unlike the other families that had been distracted by Theron''s schemes, she had gone personally to see what happened. While there was no way for her to confirm with 100% certainty that it was, indeed, Theron, what she did know was that it was most certainly just a single Water Mancer that acted back then.


    There was no second person there that night.


    Now whether that person was Theron, or if Theron was oblivious to it all and just drifted off into the distance, unknowing of the dangers that lay to waste behind him¡­


    Dean Pennel shook her head. Who would even believe that nonsense?


    After a long while, the Dean finally exhaled a breath.


    "Child¡­ you really know how to surprise an old woman."


    "Surprise?" Theron blinked in confusion. "Didn''t you say I had to represent the First Years?"


    Seeing the genuine innocence and confusion on Theron''s face, the old Dean almost wanted to throw her cup of tea at his head. Who was going to believe that nonsense?


    "Tell me. How are you so powerful?" she got straight to the point.


    "Powerful? Do you mean defeating those academy disciples? I don''t think it was very impressive. They''re not very strong."


    Dean Pennel''s lip twitched. "I¡ª."


    She was about to speak when the blaring sound of horns shook the windows behind them.


    With an abrupt movement, she violently stood to her feet, nearly shattering the desk to pieces. The woman suddenly had a vigor to her now that didn''t seem possible given her slender and delicate frame. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With an abrupt push, the desk that was teetering on the edge really did shatter this time, and Theron had to leap back and over his chair to avoid thighs filled with splinters.


    He raised an internal eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with this old woman. But he couldn''t even react to her suddenly appearing in front of him, grabbing his shoulder, and then vanishing in a puff of darkness.


    ¡­


    The horns sounded over the Imperial Capital. It wasn''t just windows shaking, but even buildings themselves. Had most of the citizens of the capital not been decent cultivators or benefiting from Mana protections that came from their homes or otherwise, it was certain that many of them would have died from the booming sound of the horns alone.


    They were truly that loud.


    These horns rarely sounded, and they didn''t foretell an enemy attack, but rather the return of allies. Most accurately, the return of the Northern Ebonstone Army led by the strongest General of their Empire.


    General Pennel.


    ¡­


    With a surging darkness, Theron stumbled a bit as he appeared on the city walls. By his side, the old Dean was standing, looking out into the distance as though she didn''t quite trust her ears at all.


    She peered forward, squinting as though she wasn''t a powerhouse who could sense dozens of kilometers away with her Third Eye alone, let alone the range of her sight.


    Theron had read about these horns before. But much like a lot of other things in his life, he had never experienced them personally. Because of that, he actually wasn''t sure what was happening. This event wasn''t the only one that required horns, and there were two other matters that could happen that would warrant these level of horns.


    However, when he saw that sea of black in the distance, and the flags torn and caked in blood rising up to the skies, he understood.


    One of the two legendary Legions of the Empire had returned.


    When the torn flags got close enough that he could make out the symbols beneath the rips and blood, he knew it was the Northern Army.


    Theron looked toward Dean Pennel and seemed to understand something. Only at that point did he well and truly relax.


    One after another, powerful figures began to appear on the walls. Most of them used the formations that were present, and it was then Theron noticed that there were actually clear regions and spaces for each one of them.


    It was a matter of respect. These armies spent most, often even years away on the frontline. In fact, as far as Theron knew, the last time the Northern Ebonstone Army had returned was easily over six years ago.


    Coming to greet their return personally was the least these nobles, who benefited from the peace they brought, could do.


    However, Theron couldn''t help but notice that even as the Northern Ebonstone Army came to a slow stop beneath the tall city walls, there were still several figures missing¡ªthe largest standout of which being the Grand Duke Zhen Clan.


    ''Interesting.''


    From the missing parties, Theron could deduce that many of them had ties to the Thistles. All Noble Clans, including the Thistles, had representation in the Imperial Capital.


    But¡­ the Zhen Clan was almost certainly not on the Thistles'' side. After all, they would have worked together with the Imperial Clan and the Pennels to subdue and suppress the Thistles all those years back.


    That meant that this represented another sort of rift.


    The only "faction" that should have the right to not appear at all was the Imperial Clan themselves. They would greet the heads of the armies in the Palace later today.


    Everyone else, though¡­ had to be here.


    Theron took some note of this. He wondered if this was because of his actions or not. If it was, then it would be a bit troublesome for him in the future. Those three powerhouses weren''t the only ones that he would have to deal with.


    BOOM!


    There was a sudden flash of darkness in Theron''s eyes, and a behemoth of a man had appeared before him. His eyes were shrouded by darkness, his helm hardly covering the wild mane of black hair that fell almost heavily to his shoulders and down his back.


    Bits and pieces of flesh still clung to his armor, and there was a dense scent of blood wafting from him that could either make one faint or vomit.


    The mouth of the man opened, his entire being focused on Dean Pennel. But before he could speak, he was distracted.


    First came a flash from the Zhen Clan''s formation, and then came his gaze toward Theron.


    General Pennel seemed to have forgotten everything but the little boy he peered down on from above.

 Chapter 223: How Much

    Theron looked up at the General, practically having to crane his neck. He hadn''t grown much more than maybe an inch or so in the last several months, but that still left him at 5''7". Compared to this behemoth of a man that was nearly seven feet tall, accounting for the heavy steel boots on his feet, the gap was too wide.


    But that didn''t really do much to change Theron''s heartrate or countenance, and that was the very first thing the General was focused on.


    The representative of the Zhen Clan opened his mouth to speak, but General Pennel spoke first.


    "Who is this, mother?"


    General Pennel tilted his head to the side, scanning Theron up and down.


    Dean Pennel pouted. "You''ve forgotten about your own mother. Do you know how much pain I went through to push out that big head of yours? But you forget to greet me first now?"


    "Ah¡­" General Pennel blinked and finally snapped his eyes away from Theron. "Sorry, sorry. Yes, ma, how are you doing? It''s been a while."


    "You know it''s been a while too? Six years, Flinny. SIX! You barely even send letters, and when you do, they''re written in that terrible chicken scratch. You don''t even bother to wipe the blood off your hands first. By the time they get here, if I''m lucky, the rotting smell will be a little bit more manageable.


    "You didn''t even clean yourself up first before coming up here! You couldn''t put on a nice robe or something? How are you going to go and see your wife? Like this?! What did I teach you about how to treat women?


    "You''re such a brute. You''re probably not even thinking about taking a shower first! What are you going to put that poor girl through?! Are you going to make her pinch her nose while you two finally give me my first grandchild?!"


    Theron smiled from the side. He didn''t have to fake this one; he just found the situation quite cute, as though he were an old man overseeing the relationship between a young mother and her son.


    He didn''t seem like a young boy at all. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His mother wasn''t nearly as aggressive, but she had her moments. She had lectured him quite a few times about any number of things. She especially liked it when she could because there really wasn''t much to get on Theron about.


    General Pennel could only stand there and scratch the back of his head, seemingly not noticing the grating sound of metal against metal as his gauntlets and his helm rubbed against one another.


    Finally, he managed to appease his mother with some reassurances and got the answer he wanted.


    "This is Theron. A new student at the school."


    General Pennel raised an eyebrow. A new student got to stand here? Since when? Theron was the only Silver Mancer on the entire city wall right now. He stuck out worse than a sore thumb.


    Dean Pennel smiled, though, as though not caring whether her son was confused or not.


    "What did you return for this time? This is abrupt. Usually, you write in advance."


    "This¡­" General Pennel''s voice trailed off. This wasn''t exactly the sort of situation he could explain these matters in. It was probably best to go and see the Emperor first. But by the same token, he couldn''t just not give his mother an answer.


    Between his Emperor and Dean Pennel, there was no question as to who he feared more.


    "There''s been trouble at the border. A change. It''s odd, there''s an aggressiveness from the Mana Beasts that''s been peculiar, especially under the moon, and even more so when the full moon approaches.


    "What''s even odder is that the new moons are more obvious in the night than they''ve ever been before."


    "Beasts?"


    "Well¡­ yes."


    Dean Pennel gave her son a look.


    Mana Beasts were one of the greatest threats that human civilization faced off against, but they certainly weren''t a reason to keep an army stationed out there for extended periods of time.


    The real reason the Northern Ebonstone Army was already deployed was because they had enemies in the surrounding Provinces.


    There were five in this region that fell under the territory of the Black Clan. The Nightingales and the Firewings were in one alliance and could be considered to be slightly more powerful than the alliance of three they faced off against.


    All these years, they had pretty much always had the upper hand.


    The fact that General Pennel was mentioning Mana Beasts before mentioning these more threatening enemies only meant one of two things.


    Either he was severely downplaying the activity of the Mana Beasts, or the changes to the three Empires were so substantial that even though it was his mother asking, he couldn''t be forthright with all of this information and could only throw out a distraction.


    Something was telling Dean Pennel that it was actually the former. And in a lot of ways¡­ that was more troublesome.


    She had felt the shift in the moon that night as well, and it seemed as though something that had been slumbering for a long while had stumbled awake.


    Throwing the continent into chaos seemed like an inevitability at this point.


    "We''ve also noticed that¡­ the full moons are happening more often. Before, it was just once a month, but now the cycles are closing in on two. And if you haven''t noticed, although it''s rainy season now, the rain is still more frequent than it should be. There''s been rainfall the last two nights, and it seems that there''ll be rainfall again tonight.


    "That''s the key point, though. The rain seems to be particularly more frequent during the night rather than during the day. And then¡ª."


    "How much are you planning to say here, exactly? Do you not take the Emperor''s rules and regulations seriously?"


    A voice abruptly cut General Pennel off. The Zhen Clan representative seemed to have lost his patience, but this representative wasn''t just any man that could be easily ignored.


    This man was a General in his own right, although he didn''t lead one of the two strongest armies of the Empire.


    The Northern Ebonstone Army was headed by General Pennel¡­


    The Southern Ebonstone Army was headed by the brother of the Emperor, General Nightingale.


    And then there was the Zhen Clan that headed the Central Ebonstone Army, one purely stationed at the core of the Empire. And it was led by this General Zhen.

 Chapter 224: Rubber

    General Pennel looked over at General Zhen for not much more than a brief instant.


    "Ignore him, kid. He''s annoying."


    Theron blinked. Of all the responses he expected, this was the last one. Of course, he could think of several ways to get out of this through words alone. But¡­ it seemed like when you had the power, talking was entirely unnecessary.


    What good was talking if it was just a waste of breath? What good was strength if you still had to bother to play political games?


    Would the Emperor himself even dare to slight General Pennel too much with how much of the Empire''s sky he held up? This man was far too important, and he also put in more work than anyone else too.


    If the Emperor took action against him, it would probably be the most foolish decision in their Imperial Clan''s history.


    Theron''s eyes glowed before he slowly suppressed it. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What was the use in getting excited? It wasn''t as though it was his strength?


    "He''ll be helping you, mother?" General Pennel asked, not paying much attention to General Zhen''s seething at all.


    "Mm, he will be." The Dean nodded.


    "Is he strong?"


    "Boy, what does strength have to do with being an academic?"


    General Pennel pouted. "He''ll be in the academic stream? What a complete waste."


    "You want him for the military stream?" Dean Pennel asked slowly, her eyes narrowing.


    General Pennel put his hands up. "No, no. Never that. Never that."


    "Good." Dean Pennel nodded.


    Theron looked between the mother-son duo, feeling like he was watching a theater show play out, and he wasn''t exactly sure why that was. It felt like they were manipulating something.


    Unfortunately, he had nothing more than intuition to tell him that. Looking at their mannerisms and the cadence of their speech, they were definitely not lying about how this return was a surprise.


    Plus, back in the office, it would have been impossible for Dean Pennel to plan out her surprise that well. Even if she could, why would she put on such a show just for Theron alone? After all, only he had been there at the time.


    This meant that whatever scheme this mother-son duo had come up with was being executed on the fly and completely without communication.


    ''¡­ Interesting¡­''


    It wasn''t until the following day that Theron would learn of what that was.


    **


    Theron stood across from General Pennel, a bit of an odd expression on his face, and that wasn''t because the man had just carefully peeled his wife off of his arm.


    Until just now, Teacher Fern had been hanging from the man like a koala bear, unwilling to let go of him, even now that they were in a training room.


    The room was filled with thick, black, rubber mats that felt like elephant hides to the touch of Theron''s feet. It wasn''t just the floors, but the walls, and even the ceilings.


    The only disruption in these rubber mats was the benches that Dean Pennel and Teacher Fern had gone off to sit on, and the pot lights that dotted them like stars from above and even below.


    "Military stream?" Theron asked. "Both?"


    General Pennel shrugged. "I wanted to listen to my mother''s words. She doesn''t really like it when academics waste time on war. ''There should be a clear divide between the mind and blood,'' as she always likes to say. But this time, it was the Emperor''s orders."


    Seeing the helpless expression on the man''s face, Theron was beginning to get the feeling that the stereotypes about military men being brutes were complete nonsense.


    This man was cunning and conniving. And Theron immediately understood why that was.


    General Pennel seemed to have replaced the second Dean of the academy in an interim position. Because of this, the Imperial Academy had suddenly become the territory of the Pennels as they controlled the dos and don''ts of both streams.


    Obviously, this wasn''t something that they could do out in the open because it would look like a grab for power. That would lead to a great deal of backlash. By pretending like Dean Pennel was highly opposed, it made it easier to swallow.


    Then there was the perspective of the Emperor himself.


    From what Theron heard from the conversation between Teacher Fern and Dean Pennel, General Pennel had no heirs. So even if the General was doing a power grab, who was he stocking up on power for?


    Finally, there was the pivotal point: Theron himself.


    No one had confirmed who caused those deaths. But what was obvious was that Theron was a great talent under the Thistle''s control. The more it felt like he was playing for the Imperial Clan, the more difficult it would be for the Thistles to use him as a political tool.


    Once Theron represented their Imperial Academy, it would be hard to wash off those "stains." He would permanently become a man of the Imperial Clan.


    In the end, here Theron was, suddenly being pulled into representing the First Years in both streams.


    He really didn''t know how this happened. He was just a live-in son-in-law, but now he had suddenly become like this.


    "So let''s¡ª"


    "General, can I ask for a favor?" Theron asked suddenly.


    "Hm? Sure. What is it?"


    "My wife¡­ I haven''t seen her in a while, and¡­"


    General Pennel blinked and looked to the side. "This kid has a wife?"


    The two women nodded.


    The General burst into laughter.


    "Alright, alright. We''ll bring her over, then."


    "She''s quite the genius herself too, of the academic stream. I think she could do well in the main Imperial Academy."


    "Good. Then we''ll have mother handle that. Shall we begin?"


    "What are we beginning¡ª?"


    Theron didn''t even get a chance to finish his question before a fist slammed into his chest.


    It felt as though all the organs in his body had been flipped on their heads, a mouthful of blood coming out from him long before he slammed into a rubber wall.

 Chapter 225: Question

    Theron found his head spinning, but his body reached a state of autopilot instantly. He reached for his weapons, only to remember that they weren''t there. He had stored them away in his spatial ring.


    Normally, he wouldn''t do this. But he wasn''t sure what was happening today. After General Pennel gave him this skin-tight black latex suit to wear, there was no longer anywhere to keep his weapons under robes like he liked to.


    Realizing he wouldn''t have the time to reach out with his Third Eye and pull them out, not with his head spinning like this, Theron made a split-second decision to focus on dodging.


    BOOM!


    The wall Theron had just been leaning against suffered a fist half the size of his head.


    Even with his vision swimming, Theron knew that the General had actually chosen to attack from a distance. There was no body to exploit, and his enemy was suddenly ages away.


    At the same time, Theron knew that there was no Mana to take advantage of here. These special rubber mats were precisely there for that purpose. The fist that just passed him by was nothing more than air pressure from General Pennel''s fist alone. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While it wasn''t strong enough to kill Theron, it was certainly enough to bruise and probably fracture a few bones.


    General Pennel raised an eyebrow, but soon his face returned to a neutral state. It was hard to tell if he was just impressed by Theron''s dodge, or if it was something else entirely.


    What he wanted to know was how Theron would deal with his Mana being suppressed, locked in a room with someone so much physically superior to him.


    The answer bore out quite quickly.


    Theron''s roll to the side stopped, slamming an elbow and the tips of his toes against the ground at the same time. He exploded up to a palm and then to his feet.


    His movements were fluid in a way that reminded General Pennel of water, but that was odd¡­ because there certainly wasn''t any ambient Water Mana here to control, and even if that was the case, why would that impact Theron''s movement technique?


    General Pennel blinked, and it felt like Theron had already crossed half the distance, and all the disorientation in the latter''s eyes had vanished, replaced by a chilling calm.


    All the pain shaking his chest and rattling his movements seemed to have been completely suppressed.


    In three more strides, he would cover the rest of the distance.


    General Pennel sank into a combat stance, a fist pulling back to his waist before he unleashed it in a whipping motion so fierce the air before his knuckles whined and popped.


    The timing was perfect. It would land on Theron right as his leading foot hit the ground, not giving him the time to dodge even if he wanted it.


    But Theron hardly reacted to this, his body twisting in the air. His leg swung out behind him in a wide arc, almost as though he was kicking at someone creeping up on him.


    The momentum of the swing of his foot alone was enough to shift him to the side, allowing the air cannon to pass by his chest unimpeded.


    He landed smoothly on the same foot he leapt from, his body completing its twist with the very same forward momentum.


    His calves flexed, his quads bulging in size as he leapt up and his knee driving toward the head of General Pennel.


    Once again, the General was surprised. As powerful as the air cannons his fists formed were, his raw power was even greater if it collided. He didn''t know why Theron would attack like this at all.


    It was one surprise after another. One had hardly dimmed down before another one formed.


    Right at that moment, the General was certain that he sensed an Echo. But he wasn''t sure what use one could possibly have when there was no Mana to make use of¡­


    Until he tried to slam a fist against Theron''s chest and hit nothing but air as he suddenly flipped over his head.


    Theron''s trajectory changed just the slightest bit again, his leaping knee to the General''s face twisting into a somersault overhead.


    He landed lightly behind the still-punching General, crouching into a sweeping leg position that slammed into the side of General Pennel''s ankle.


    Not once did Theron consider that his body might not be strong enough to knock the General off of his feet. Battle was all about a game of leverage, speed, and balance.


    And right now, the General was unbalanced.


    BANG!


    Theron winced as the feeling of his heel slamming against steel practically bubbled through him like hot, boiling lava.


    But the feeling and the result were two different things.


    Swung off his feet, the General found the world spinning around him.


    BANG!


    By the time the General landed on his side, Theron was already up, having raised a leg high into the skies and slamming down an ax kick. For the first time, he got the slightest hint of breathing room and used it to summon his dagger and short sword.


    The air shifted and a chilling intent filled it. The temperature plummeted and goosebumps rolled across the skins of the two women. It didn''t feel like they were watching a normal battle at all anymore.


    BANG!


    The General rolled out of the way of Theron''s ax kick, but Theron''s blades were already in his hands at this point. He took a step forward, slashing out in one combination after another, relentless in his fluidity and sharp in his intent.


    It was clear by the third combo that the General wasn''t a fist master and didn''t have his weapon to take out in the first place. Being forced to retreat again and again, Theron unwilling to release the upper hand from his control, the General only found himself becoming more and more surprised.


    Was this boy really trying to kill him?


    Matching those chilling blue eyes with his own cold gaze, the General seemed to realize something right then¡­


    Theron was asking himself the very same question.


    And if the answer for the General happened to be yes¡­


    Then he wouldn''t hesitate to slay him where he stood.

 Chapter 226: Done!

    "Alright, enough."


    There was a flare-up in General Pennel''s power and he caught Theron''s wrists, only for a flying knee to slam right into his jaw.


    Rattled, the General closed one eye and shook his head. But rather than getting angry, he just sighed. This boy really was something else.


    Theron landed on the ground and used the slight loosening of the General''s grip to pull his arms back to his control.


    The General stood there for a while, stretching out his jaw before he chuckled. He could feel that the two women to the side were sizing the two of them up, sitting at the end of their seats as though they were worried about what other foot might drop any moment now.


    They had realized about partway through that something bad was churning up between the two men, but in a situation like that, any added variable would be a detriment, not a help.


    Teacher Fern wasn''t anywhere near the combatant her husband was¡ªthough to be fair, that wasn''t saying much. Dean Pennel, by comparison, was well into her old age, so in a situation where her Mana was suppressed like this, she was only a slightly healthier elderly woman. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Neither of them could stop this fight even if they wanted to do much other than just screaming out. But what would happen if one of them listened and the other didn''t?


    "Who are you, exactly?" General Pennel asked.


    "You''ve read my file," Theron replied with a gentle cadence. "Do I have anything to hide?"


    "That sounds like someone with something to hide. Did you really kill Mason Zhen?"


    "Who?" Theron blinked.


    Dean Pennel''s lip twitched when her son looked over at her. But then they both realized that Theron really might not even know Mason''s name. It was hard to tell if this made them more or less shocked.


    Of course, that was nonsense. Theron definitely knew who Mason Zhen was. He knew all of the heavy hitters of both the younger and elder generation.


    The main issue was that he didn''t know what their faces looked like because he usually faced the same problem with the knowledge in his head. He had the information, but not the experience to match with it.


    He might not know about small fry, but when it came to people whose names spread far and wide, it was obvious enough to him.


    "What is your cultivation?"


    Theron looked up at the General but didn''t reply. This, however, made the big man chuckle, finding Theron a hint amusing. There was something about this kid that, on the one hand, made you feel like you were teetering on the edge of life and death, and on the other hand, like you wanted to make him your son.


    It was hard to tell if that was because Theron looked so innocent or not. There was something about looking at his face that put you at ease, and yet put you on edge.


    Unpredictability.


    "Alright, fine. Don''t tell me your cultivation, but that''ll make it troublesome to plan things out for the military stream."


    "How powerful are other First Years?" Theron asked.


    "The best might already be at Third Resonance."


    Theron raised an eyebrow. "I''m undefeatable within low-tier."


    The General''s eyes sharpened and for a moment, his aura as a General returned.


    "You speak quite boldly for a child that hasn''t seen much of the world."


    "I speak truthfully."


    "Have you seen every low-tier in existence? Even if you have, what if there were two of them? Three? Ten? A hundred? Would you still be undefeatable?"


    "Yes."


    General Pennel''s eyes narrowed further, practically squinting into a pair of crimson lines that radiated a heart-stopping aura. But much the same, Theron just stood there, unmoved and unbothered.


    Usually, a person would try and backtrack their words, saying something like they were talking about a one-on-one battle. But Theron didn''t even bother to do that much. It was like he didn''t care about his own life, nor General Pennel''s face at all.


    "Hm¡­ is that so¡­" General Pennel looked toward the door and waved a hand. A badge carrying a formation by his waist activated and a door opened up.


    Out from behind that door, three young men took a step inside.


    When Theron saw this, a gentle smile arched his lips. He was more certain now than ever that General Pennel was far from a brute. He had done this on purpose.


    But the end result he was looking for wouldn''t come for him, unfortunately.


    "If you can defeat these three, I''ll never question you again."


    "With that armor on?" Theron asked.


    "Is there a problem?" General Pennel asked.


    "I''m just making sure you know that those Ebonstone Armors counter the effects in this room."


    "I do know. Didn''t you say you''re undefeatable in low-tier?" He repeated the words, this time not for Theron, but for the three young men.


    "You don''t need to goad them on my behalf, I can do that just fine. The reason I''m making sure you understand this is because not questioning me again isn''t enough of a reward for this at all."


    "Oh? Is this a tough task for you?"


    "You don''t need to try and goad me either. I''m confident enough in myself that I feel no need to prove myself to you. Remember that you''re asking for my help, not the other way around."


    General Pennel grinned. "Incorrect. I''m just acting on the Emperor''s orders like any good public servant and citizen would."


    "Shameless enough." Theron replied perfunctorily, causing Teacher Fern to let out a laugh she hurried to cover. "Either way, I have no intention of fighting if it doesn''t come with benefits. I fought you only for the sake of bringing my wife here. Now I think I want something else."


    "And what is that?"


    "Unfettered access to the Main Imperial Academy Library. I don''t want limitations that come from being a First Year or lacking in credits and prerequisites."


    "Done!" Dean Pennel called out on behalf of her son.

 Chapter 227: Storm

    Theron stood across from three young men in silence, his hair tied into a long ponytail, his bare feet just barely depressing the thick rubber mats, and his hands almost loosely fitted around the hilts of his blades.


    He didn''t know much about these three young men aside from the fact that they were unlikely to be graduates of the Imperial Academy. They were ironically too young.


    If they were genius enough to graduate that young, then their cultivation would surely be greater than just the low-tier too. So it was all too contradictory.


    This, to Theron, meant that they must have been practically raised in the army, which was interesting because Theron didn''t believe that he had ever heard of such a thing.


    Of course, men that were of age would definitely have a chance to join the army. But these few had the air of veterans while barely being 20 years old at that. They had to have been in the army for at least five years to have such airs to them.


    And yet, only geniuses that had graduated from the academies could possibly join that young.


    It was one contradiction after another that led to just one possible conclusion¡­ there was likely some rule bending going on. But Theron also didn''t get the feeling from General Pennel that he was the type to thrust kids into a life of war and blood just because.


    Theron scanned them all one by one. But after a glance, he knew that there was little to no difference between them. They were all carbon copies of General Pennel, spear-wielding Flux Mancers.


    "Are you ready?" Theron asked.


    The eyes of the three young men narrowed. They had all been waiting for him. This question felt like more of an insult than anything else.


    "I''m coming."


    Theron tapped a foot and shot forward.


    **


    General Pennel sat on the edge of the bleachers, his hands folded into fists that held up his chin. Looking ahead at the three beaten and battered young men, heaving for breath ahead, he wasn''t sure how to take it.


    Theron had long left, but the lingering effects of his presence hung heavy in the air.


    Never once had the General ever seen such a systematic dismantling of a group of veterans. These three weren''t cultivation geniuses, but what they were was geniuses in battle.


    The two didn''t necessarily come hand in hand, unfortunately. Some of them had genetic defects, some of them were just unlucky, and some were just dealt hands in Mana comprehension that couldn''t be undone.


    But when it came to how to use their bodies, how to apply the strength they did have, how to manipulate the eyes and movements of their opponents, they were unmatched.


    If General Pennel were to rank them purely based on their combat sense and ignore their cultivation talent, they were only a tick beneath geniuses like Mason Zhen.


    And most importantly, there were three of them working together. Three that were very much used to standing side by side on a battlefield.


    Yet it wasn''t even close.


    From the start, Theron had them on their back foot. Unrelenting pressure, firm and commanding. He danced between life and death as though he had been doing it all his life.


    He didn''t fear for his own life being lost at all, as though it didn''t matter whether it happened or not, almost like his life wasn''t even his own to gamble with in the first place.


    The General felt a cold shudder in his heart.


    "Well?" Dean Pennel asked, taking a seat by her son.


    The General didn''t respond. He didn''t know how to respond. It wasn''t until several minutes later that he said anything at all.


    "He''s dangerous¡­ he''s this dangerous already and he''s still hiding so much."


    "And what do you think that means?"


    "He knows he can use us."


    Dean Pennel smiled. "And what do you think THAT means?"


    "That he needs something from us."


    "And isn''t that all that matters?"


    General Pennel looked toward his mother as though seeing her for the first time. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dean Pennel herself didn''t seem to mind her son''s gaze, finding it more amusing than anything else. Sometimes children forgot their parents had lived entire lives long before them. What they knew of their parents was simply the tip of the iceberg.


    "What should we do, mother?"


    "¡­ Your father''s death¡­ I am almost certain that it was related to the Zhen Clan. They simply underestimated how much you had already grown beneath his wings. However, I still cannot dismiss the possibility that this was a scheme of the Thistles to pit us against one another and shake the foundations of the Empire.


    "All I do know is that this Empire is sick. The Emperor hasn''t bothered to make a move in so long, the crown prince had long taken up so many matters into his own hands, and that mysterious little princess¡­ All I know is that the Nightingales are playing at a game I don''t understand, and it almost feels like they''re willing to let the entire Empire burn down for the sake of whatever goal it is they''re chasing."


    General Pennel continued to sit there, his thoughts rolling in his mind, and yet not coming with any more added clarity.


    "What we need right now is time. Since the little boy is willing to take on so much of the pressure himself, let him do it, and feed him what he needs. I do not want to see the Empire my husband bled for crumble all because a new regime is lusting after power they do not have the strength to hold.


    "If we have a dominant showing at the gathering, one of two things will happen. Either our enemies will get antsy and start showing their tails, or they will think twice.


    "¡­ Theron is the first step toward that."


    The duo fell into silence once more, only the gasping breaths of the trio of youths filling in the absence of noise.


    "¡­ I just don''t know if between now and the months to the gathering¡­ if we''ll even still be able to control him at that point anymore."


    ¡­


    Theron had no idea about the conversation between the mother and son, but he could guess that they were holding in quite a bit.


    Right now, though, that had little to do with him, not when he finally got access to the library.


    Sadie said that the information he needed would be in the Secret Realm, but he had another thought when she spoke so much about it¡­


    How did she know all of this information? Could there possibly be clues here in the largest library in the province?


    Theron hadn''t even waited for the General''s dismissal. The moment he defeated those three, he shot off to the library with Dean Pennel''s credentials.


    If he was going to be risking his life for the sake of finding out more about his family, he might as well actually find out more about them when he had the time.


    Because otherwise¡­ he felt that the next few months would sweep him into a storm he wouldn''t be getting a break from.


    As though to confirm his thoughts, Theron had barely stepped into the library when he felt countless gazes landing on him, one Third Eye after another brazenly sweeping over his body.

 Chapter 228: Looge’s Encrypted Cipher

    Theron¡¯s steps paused and he looked up. His gaze landing on a familiar Bordeaux: Rowlan.


    It was amusing. He was the first person to antagonize Theron in the Imperial Capital, and yet he had been one of the only ones to survive. But it was also because of that that he felt the pressure the most intimately.


    That night, Theron had killed a rival of Rowlan¡¯s no more than a few moments after the latter had left the scene. If Theron had thought that killing Rowlan would be more beneficial to him, wouldn¡¯t Rowlan be the one dead, bleeding out in the alley somewhere instead?


    The pressure of such thoughts made Rowlan look to Theron as though he was seeing some sort of monster in the flesh.


    This was much worse than Moreno. All Moreno had done was kill one Duke Clan member that slighted him. But Theron was caught up in something much worse, and yet here he was, strolling into the most populated location of their school.


    The worst part was that it had been announced not long ago that Theron would be representing the First Years in both the academic stream and the military stream.


    ¡¯Interesting.¡¯


    This was the only thought Theron had when he saw Rowlan, sweeping a glance over him and then looking away.


    As far as he knew, Rowlan was a Sect disciple, not an Imperial Academy student. So why was he here?


    It must mean that the Bordeaux had pulled many of their talents away from the Sect, likely because of the building tension. And if that was the case, it should be because of something the Zhen Clan was doing, in which case they were very much still fighting over the scraps Theron had left behind.


    It was no wonder the tension here was so very high.


    Theron ignored those thoughts, though, walking to the receptionist desk. Surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t an attendant or usual librarian there, but rather a young woman who looked youthful enough to be a student. Looking at her uniform, Theron knew that she must have been.


    "Hello. I would like to see the directory. This is my first time in the Main Library so I¡¯m not too sure how it¡¯s organized."


    The young woman looked up. From the start, her Third Eye had been on Theron, but for some reason, she was pretending to have only just seen him.


    Her fingers tapped at her desk, and then a series of magic circles flashed by Theron¡¯s eyes. This lasted for a few seconds before they faded away.


    Theron nodded and then walked away, leaving the young woman blinking in silence.


    What just¡­?


    She stood up. "Hey, wait."


    Theron stopped and turned back. "Yes, is there something the matter?"


    "Your question¡ª."


    "You helped me answer it quite well, thank you. Apologies, I should have thanked you already. I appreciate your efforts."


    After saying this, Theron turned to leave again, but the young woman called out to him once more.


    "Wait!"


    "Yes?" Theron blinked in confusion, this time really wondering what the young lady wanted.


    "You¡¯re sure you saw all of that?"


    "What was there not to see?"


    "That was the entire directory encrypted through¡ª."


    "Professor Looge¡¯s Encryption Cipher. I¡¯m aware of it."


    "If you¡¯re aware of it, then you should know that unless you have the key or Third Eye evolved to¡ª." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡ªWalk while you feel, you won¡¯t be able to see through it?"


    The young lady opened her mouth again, but this time her words were caught in her throat.


    The Looge Encryption Cipher was a way of bundling large amounts of data into a limited space. The higher up in cultivation you got, the more complicated Runes became, and the more layered magic circles and the formations they formed had to be.


    At a certain point, the effort wasn¡¯t worth it. This was where Encryption methods came into being.


    For a library of this scale, ironically enough, an Encryption Cipher was overkill. Though there were definitely millions of books here, the name of an author, title, and location weren¡¯t too hard to bundle up.


    It could be considered an unnecessary flex on the part of the Main Imperial Academy that they were using such a method at all.


    But there was no denying the efficiency of it all nonetheless. This Encryption Cipher not only incorporated those three items, but also a small summary of the book as well.


    As for the "walk while you feel" state of Third Eye, it wasn¡¯t a true state, but rather a feeling just as described. It was a level where someone had truly made their Third Eye akin to a Third Eye.


    Third Eyes only manifested in Silver Mancy. Compared to other senses people had spent a lifetime getting used to, it took some adjustment. It only made it harder that every time you improved your cultivation, your Third Eye would also change and shift.


    Reaching that colloquial "walk while you feel" state was akin to making your Third Eye as thoughtless as every breath you took, not just in deploying it, but also in processing the information it returned to you.


    One could imagine Third Eye like an additional view downloaded into your brain. If one lost a real eye, it would take time to get used to the loss in depth perception, or you would have to make up for a much larger blind spot.


    With Third Eye, it was like this, but in reverse, and also hundreds of times more difficult.


    A new Silver Mancer having already reached that state¡­ was absolutely ridiculous.


    But by the same token, scanning that many complicated and encrypted magic circles with your eyes alone was impossible. Theron had to have used his Third Eye.


    But shouldn¡¯t she have sensed his Third Eye if he did?


    "You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re lying through your teeth."


    Theron raised an eyebrow, half wondering why this woman was so hostile.


    "¡­ Are you one of the participants for the gathering?"


    The woman was startled for a moment before she shook awake.


    "I¡¯m under no obligation to answer that question."


    "Mm." Theron nodded. "Well, you¡¯ve done your job already, and I¡¯m under no obligation to continue this conversation with you."


    After saying this, Theron turned and left the region, spinning the encryption around in his mind until he found the pieces he wanted to unravel.


    ¡¯Should be there


    The eyes of the young woman behind him widened.


    "No! You wait right there!"

 Chapter 229: Silence Rules

    Theron ignored the young woman, walking through the library with calm, unhurried steps. He didn¡¯t detour a single time, taking any turns he did take with purpose. It was clear from a glance that he was sure of where he was going and not confused in the slightest.


    He could hear the steps of the woman behind him. She had swiftly caught up and was now practically charging at him, and yet not at the same time. It was like she was channeling all of her forward momentum into downward pressure toward the ground instead, following after Theron with anger in her steps.


    Toward this, Theron could only shake his head inwardly. He had already guessed that this young woman was likely one of the participants for the gathering of the academic stream.


    No normal student would be allowed to be an acting librarian here. That came with a great deal of power.


    Theron had to finagle his way to full access to this library. A librarian here had that by default. They had to not only be powerful but trustworthy.


    Just by the fact she was at the desk, while it seemed like she was just some small-time receptionist, she was anything but.


    When Theron saw her hostility, but realized that this hostility didn¡¯t spill over into killing intent, he could only think of one reason why someone of this caliber would carry that sort of distaste around for him.


    It was either that she felt he was too young and inexperienced and would likely lose them the round for the First Years, or she didn¡¯t like how his focus was split between the academic and military streams.


    The former case sounded ridiculous because he was a First Year, he was meant to be inexperienced. But Theron was quite young for a First Year of the Main Imperial Academy.


    In Thistle Brook, there were still students like Sadie who were only 12 or 13 years old. But making it into the Main Imperial Academy was much harder. Plus, Noble Clans would hold their geniuses back until they were well prepared.


    Just like Dean Pennel had said, Credits you gathered here carried a ridiculous amount of weight. Just graduating guaranteed you certain positions in high society. If a young noble joined too early, they would be at a disadvantage, and that would soon translate to the fall of a Clan over long enough periods of time.


    This was all to say that Theron, who was only 14 years old, was actually two to three years younger than the vast majority of First Years. Plus, he didn¡¯t have the systematic training a Noble Clan could give on top of that.


    The skepticism and animosity of the young woman seemed warranted due to those reasons.


    Theron came to a stop and the young woman almost crashed into his back.


    ¡¯Should be here.¡¯


    He looked up.


    The bookcases of the library were shockingly tall. It felt impossible to get anywhere even with a ladder.


    Rather than floors, the main library of the Imperial Capital was all on a single floor with a ceiling that was at least 50 meters tall. The bookcases themselves became the various "floors," with each of them having various levels and ledges on them that attached rolling ladders.


    From time to time, you could see students and teachers alike zipping by on these ladders and coming to abrupt stops at locations that interested them.


    Theron waited until a ladder swung by and he grabbed it. There was some force behind it to be sure, but he held on firmly, his body hardly swaying.


    ¡¯Interesting


    Compared to this, the branch academy felt far less dangerous and imposing. But it seemed that not only did this main library protect its information through formations and the like, but also by challenging you to have enough strength.


    Theron began to climb, his movements smooth. He could only shake his head again when he felt the woman still following after him.


    He was certain that she wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, but it seemed that she didn¡¯t care about her own job anymore. Then again, with her talent, she probably didn¡¯t need to worry about much more than being scolded a bit.


    The ladder came to an end and he reached a ledge. Theron frowned and looked down.


    ¡¯There¡¯s a warp here¡­ Fascinating.¡¯


    On the ground, the ceiling only felt 50 meters away. But right now, it still felt 50 meters away.


    It was a very complicated application of Space Mana.


    Theron continued to climb.


    "Hey! Wait! You don¡¯t have the authority to¡ª."


    Theron passed right through a hidden barrier unobstructed.


    The number of flying ladders increased at this point, but the number of actual people here had decreased. Suddenly, the ground felt hundreds of meters away, while the ceiling still felt like it was just 50.


    Theron, though, had found what he was looking for. He plucked a book out of the shelf, shifted his position on the ladder, and took a seat right on the end of the ledge as though there was a drop to death down below his feet.


    The young woman glared at him, still holding onto the ladder.


    "How long are you going to pretend?"


    "I prefer to read in silence," Theron said calmly.


    "If you think that¡ª."


    "You¡¯re a librarian here, aren¡¯t you? Are you aware of the rules around silence? Or do I need to read them out for you?"


    The young woman froze.


    "You¡­"


    Theron began to flip through the pages, his eyes scanning, but his Third Eye shifting even faster. He gained a sharpness to him that made any rebuttal the young woman might have had fall into an abyss of nothingness.


    Then, minutes later, he suddenly closed the book, his eyes lost in thought. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Gale¡­ Nothing to do with wind¡­ Is that the secret?¡¯


    Theron drew a finger across the air, a stream of blue following it in a gorgeous arc. The Water Mana in the air moved toward him like it was being naturally funneled.


    He was Water Mana, and Water Mana was him.

 Chapter 230: Gale and Thunder

    Theron lost himself in a trance. Honestly speaking, he didn''t expect to find something like this so easily. But when he was reading it¡­ it was just so¡­


    So obvious.


    Gale and thunder. They were both so aggressive, so forceful, so violent, in a lot of ways.


    Just now, Theron had found something interesting about the Gale Clan. They were only mentioned briefly in the book he just picked up, and it was clear that whatever was happening in earnest had been censored heavily. But what Theron read was enough.


    They were a Wind Mancy Clan, and yet they struggled with something very interesting¡­


    Their tempers.


    It was truly peculiar, and the mention of it was nothing more than a brief aside that Theron almost skipped over himself, let alone everyone else.


    But there was a reason Theron latched onto it. It was because two separate times now, he felt something about his Resonance deepen when he almost lost control of his emotions and then stabilized it.


    There was that moment he was "running" away from the Thistle''s Spirit Mancer old man, leading him into a trap to be killed by the old man of the Daggers of the Night. And then there was that moment not too many days ago when a fiery heat came from his throat.


    The first wasn''t nearly as obvious to him as all he had felt was an odd boost in his running speed and an added fluidity to his body. But the second¡­ it was something that he couldn''t forget because it was too foreign to him.


    Theron was someone who paid into every little meticulous detail of everything, including himself and his own body. If not for the fact he had been experiencing that frosty breath since he was a youth¡ªquite literally a baby in his mother''s arms¡ªhe would have noticed that as well. But even he had his limits.


    It wasn''t as though he had been born as some overly meticulous savant.


    These two times alone weren''t enough for Theron to grasp much of anything¡­ until he recalled the necklace.


    Those hot and cold energies, that overwhelming clash in his mind that made it feel like his soul was being ground away.


    ''There¡­''


    Theron''s eyes flashed with a blinding light as he pulled on something that shocked him.


    It was just by a few degrees, barely perceptible at all, but he was certain.


    His Water Mana just now had gotten colder. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a snap, the Water Mana on Theron''s finger vanished.


    ''This¡­ this is far better than ice¡­''


    Theron wasn''t even close to being at the point of producing Mana anywhere near the frostiness of ice, but he saw the potential. He wasn''t producing ice, he was producing cold water.


    That didn''t sound very impressive until you understood the science behind it.


    Adding salt to water, for example, lowered its freezing point. That meant that you could bring water below zero and still have it stay in a liquid state. And, because it was in a liquid state, this water was far better than ice alone would be at lowering the temperature of surrounding things because its surface area was just so much greater, as were its contact points.


    The best example of this was how someone could use mounds of snow to insulate themselves and survive a harsh winter storm, but if you tried to do the same with the same amount of water, even if you could somehow breathe under water, you''d die of hypothermia long before the storm could pass.


    But Theron''s chilly Water Mana¡­ was far beyond just salt water.


    Salt water had a lower specific heat than normal water, meaning not only was its freezing point lower, but it was also easier to heat up compared to normal water as well. This was the trade-off.


    Theron''s Water Mana¡­


    Didn''t have this weakness.


    Not only could he lower the freezing point, but it retained the exceptional specific heat of water, making it very difficult to budge even a single degree.


    Theron''s finger rose into the air again and he drew it across the air. This time, there was something about him that changed and he saw it shift in real time.


    He snapped his fingers.


    There it was¡­ he was sure¡­ his Water Mana had ticked up a few degrees this time.


    Each time, the change was small, minor. But with Theron''s control, he was sure that he hadn''t made it up.


    He seemed to have forgotten about the world around him entirely, feeling like a new world was opening up.


    ''Their tempers¡­?''


    Theron suddenly stood to his feet, brushing past the young woman, he leapt down the ladder and kicked at the ledge, sending it soaring past where she was standing.


    The eyes of the young woman widened.


    How the hell was she supposed to get down now?!


    ¡­


    ''It really is like this¡­''


    Theron sat in silence, a book about the Bell and Harmon Clan before him¡­ they too were known for their violent tempers and inability to control themselves.


    ''Is this a curse? Is this just a natural extension of who they are? What is this¡­?''


    Gale and Thunder¡­ they were both violent forces of nature, often used to depict just how furious the mother of all was.


    Each was relentless and suffocating in their own way, but one came with a chilling sense of doom, while the other sparked a point of superheat more condensed than even the surface of the sun.


    One chilling.


    One hot.


    And yet the name still just felt so¡­ empty. There felt like better names you could pick for such a thing, and if not for the fact Theron had experienced the changes to his Water Mana himself, he would have thought that he had made it up, as though he was trying to find meaning in a place there was none.


    Just what was his family really? Was he just too young at the time for his father to find the right opportunity to tell him?


    The confusion in Theron''s eyes slowly faded into something else.


    More importantly¡­


    How strong would this make him in the future?


    "I FOUND YOU!"

 Chapter 231: False

    Theron looked up to find a familiar young woman had caught up to him. At this point, he couldn''t understand why she was so insistent at all. Was it really this serious?


    He found himself getting a bit annoyed, but the feeling simmered inside him, calm and controlled, before it vanished into wisps of smoke as though it had never existed.


    This was just the frivolity of nobles.


    He gazed at the young woman for the first time in earnest. She had caramel skin and a dense pack of almost shimmering brass filaments that made up her curling hair, not to mention a pair of bright amber eyes to match it.


    Just from her look alone, Theron knew that she was from the Teran Clan, a Duke Clan of the Imperial Capital. She had been pampered since her youth without much of a doubt, and it had made her so willful.


    No one who had truly scratched and clawed for everything would waste so much time on something so insignificant. Right now, he was much more interested in finding out more about these abilities of his and what they meant.


    As powerful as it sounded, being able to shift the freezing and boiling point of water a handful of degrees wasn''t enough to change anything, especially since he couldn''t even get close to those freezing and boiling points.


    Theoretically, if he matched it with an external item¡­


    ''Wait, that is possible¡­''


    Theron''s eyes flashed and he suddenly wanted to try it. If he could find a worthy treasure, he could take a shortcut. Rather than waiting until he was strong enough to lower the temperature of his Water Mana considerably, or the opposite, if he just took advantage of the changes to its freezing and boiling point instead¡­


    ''Relying on external items too much would harm me. But in the right situation¡­''


    Theron stood up. His eyes flickered up to meet the young woman''s furious gaze.


    She was already in her twenties and he was still just a teen. Plus, considering the family she came from, it wasn''t too much of a surprise that she was taller than he was.


    "Let''s settle this, then. It will save us the trouble of dealing with this in the future. We''ll keep it simple. Name the book, I will find it."


    The young woman blinked, looking at Theron in surprise.


    "You¡­ what?"


    "Isn''t that what you want? You think I don''t understand the cipher, and you''ll keep bothering me until I prove that I can, is that right? So name the book."


    The young Teran calmed when she heard this.


    "Conce¡ª."


    Theron cut her off. "I''m only giving you one chance at this. Don''t choose randomly. Think about it. I don''t want to hear your excuses after the fact."


    Her eyes narrowed. "It sounds like you''re quite confident."


    "You''re only here wasting my time because you''ve already heard about me, no? Is there a need to say such worthless stuff?"


    "Fine." She sneered. "I admit that I am wasting your time, so I will give you something in return if you prove that I''ve been doing so without cause. You''re just a little kid, right? I''ll give you a little feel if you can manage it."


    She bent forward as though she wanted to make Theron uncomfortable. But judging by her actions and the slightly awkward way she pressed her elbows together, Theron could tell that she was only doing this because she really did see him as a little kid. Her robes went all the way up to the mid-point of her neck; there wasn''t even any cleavage to see.


    Theron''s reaction was deadpan. "I have a wife. Please refrain from such things."


    The young Teran seemed legitimately surprised to hear this. But to her credit, she didn''t seem embarrassed at all. It was as though he really was just a child to her.


    "A wife? You''re a little brat¡­" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Name the book."


    She looked at Theron, her eyes narrowing again.


    "Fine. There''s a book here that''s usually tough for even new librarian recruits to find. It''s called Mazes of the Mind, by Scholar Duran¡ª."


    "Found it."


    Theron spoke out to cut her off and then hopped down the ladder, sliding down its length.


    When he hit the ledge below, he moved to the side.


    "¡ªHey! Wait!"


    ¡­


    Theron pulled out a book from the shelf as the Teran rushed to catch up.


    "You¡­" she blinked, looking at the book in Theron''s hand, almost fumbling it in the air when he tossed it at her.


    "Alright, I think we''re done here. I hope that in the future we can be more like real teammates. It would also be great if you could help me to appease the other members of our team as well. I don''t want to go through this another dozen times."


    She opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it, but then she opened it again.


    Theron turned to leave again, but this time his wrist was caught.


    "Yes?" Theron asked. "Is there something else?"


    "I''m a woman of my word," she said with surprising calmness.


    "I told you I have a wife. If you want to pay me back, then do as I asked."


    The woman didn''t seem to be listening to Theron at all. Instead, she took a quick look around before pulling Theron''s palm to her chest. She pressed the back of his hand down with her other hand, held it down for a second as though to make sure he couldn''t accuse her of backing out, and then released him.


    "Okay, go, go, scram," she cleared her throat, coughing to cover up her slight embarrassment.


    Theron raised an eyebrow. He hardly felt anything. Her robes were thick, and she definitely tied her breasts down quite stiffly. It must have been uncomfortable.


    He shook his head. Regardless, this was better than the alternative. If she wasn''t his teammate, he wouldn''t care. But he didn''t want to spend too much time avoiding knives from the back while he was facing off against knives from the front too.


    The young Teran watched him leave, looking down at the book in her hand. Inwardly, her heart was shaking.


    She was lying through her teeth. This book had been missing ever since the last librarian died. No matter how hard she tried to find it, she couldn''t.


    And yet, it took Theron all of a second.


    ¡­


    Theron left the library and suddenly flipped a palm, a book resting in his palm.


    ''Interesting¡­ I wonder why a book in a public library would have a false cover like that¡­ what''s hidden here?''

 Chapter 232: Mazes

    Mazes of the Mind¡­


    Theron looked down at the small booklet in his hand.


    When he got to the section that the young Teran was talking about, Theron immediately sensed something odd. The book there was a facade.


    At first, he thought that he had actually been tricked and was about to admit his defeat. But when he touched the actual book, things changed.


    The current Theron was incredibly sensitive to Water Mana, but that control itself had begun to bleed over into neutral Mana as well. When he touched the book, it felt like he was fighting against two competing streams of influence, the first very obvious, and the second so subtle it was hardly detectable.


    When Theron cross-referenced with the cipher, he realized that there was another layer of code hidden within it as well that matched up with what was happening across from him. But it, too, was very subtle.


    Theron didn¡¯t really know why this would be. Weren¡¯t there better places to hide things than a public library?


    Granted, the section that Mazes of the Mind was hidden within was limited-access.


    The library was separated into seven tiers of access. The first four were divided by years, the fifth required 66 credits, the sixth required 90, while the seventh and final didn¡¯t rely on credits or years, but instead a unique combination of Dean or Teacher approval and perfect S-Grades in certain prerequisites.


    To make it to the section that Theron had gone to, not only did you need Dean approval, but you needed an S Grade in the Fourth Year Methods of Third Eye Class.


    Just being allowed to take that class alone required a string of prerequisites, let alone the process of getting a perfect grade in such a difficult class.


    Theron didn¡¯t know if the young woman had cleared those requirements or not, but she was likely an exception regardless due to her acting role as librarian. As for Theron, he had blanket approval from Dean Pennel that helped him avoid all the annoyances.


    Mazes of the Mind, at least according to the surface level of the cipher, was a book about layering one¡¯s Third Eye, making it harder to detect and easier to use covertly. It also helped you to hide your cultivation from the probing of others.


    This wasn¡¯t a skill or spell, per se, but rather a taught philosophy of Third Eye usage and helped you to better develop your control and insight into your own soul.


    Honestly, it was something that Theron would be interested in anyway, regardless of anything else. If he wasn¡¯t so enamored with finding out about his family, that is.


    But this¡­ this wasn¡¯t just a book on philosophy, it was an actual technique.


    The book in Theron¡¯s palm now was substantially smaller than the behemoth of a tome that had been on the bookshelf. It was small, slender, and as solid as a thin slab of marble. But because of that, it felt like if he dropped it, it would shatter on impact.


    Theron flipped it in his hand, trying to find how to open it.


    Even after several seconds, he couldn¡¯t. The only reason he knew for a fact that this was a technique of some sort was because he could feel the fluctuations on it. This was a slab of some precious metal that someone had used their Third Eye to carve something into.


    The only way that would happen was if someone was leaving behind a technique to be consumed by others. It was definitely the unique fluctuation of a spell or technique of some sort, though it could possibly be a cultivation method.


    ¡¯For Third Eye?¡¯


    As far as Theron understood, only Gold Mancers had the strength of soul necessary to cast spells with their Third Eye. And usually, it was only Spirit and Soul Mancers that could do so.


    Flux and Elemental Mancers had a few superficial methods, but they were forgettable. Even with the refinement of the soul a Tribulation could give, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Theron probed the slab with his Third Eye and immediately felt a heavy drain. He frowned immediately and stopped.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t like that Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The slab had begun to pull on him all on its own. If he let it continue, he¡¯d probably end up passed out. That wasn¡¯t something he could afford while he was stuck in enemy territory.


    Right now, he was far more interested in figuring out why someone would hide something like this in the library rather than finding out about the technique itself.


    If it really was as Theron speculated, there was little need for Mazes of the Mind, not when the necklace around his neck seemed to have the unique ability of aiding his Third Eye to improve by leaps and bounds on its own.


    He wasn¡¯t in pressing need of another method to do so.


    Theron never did anything by half measures. He wouldn¡¯t just put himself at risk because of unknown potential. The only reason he had allowed himself to lose consciousness in Dean Pennel¡¯s office was because he had some assurance in Teacher Fern¡¯s character, it was an opportunity to break through a major bottleneck he couldn¡¯t miss, and he was certain in his ability to wake up quickly.


    This, however¡­ was a complete wild card.


    Theron calmly put the slab away. Something was telling him that very soon, he¡¯d find out just what this was.


    The capital was stirring up with a great deal of chaos. Now, with General Pennel being forced to return, things were being kicked into another gear.


    Theron was right on the money with his guesses.


    The following day, he was called in by the General once again, only to find himself standing in the midst of several youths, one of which was a familiar young librarian.


    There were seven in total. Two from each year other than First Year itself¡­ where Theron took the position of both military and academic stream.


    "I wanted to give you all more time to get to know me and my style of doing things, but there¡¯s no more time. We¡¯ll hop right into field training."

 Chapter 233: Three Paths

    Theron could feel the gazes on him as they trotted along on their horses. He was up ahead, so it was as though they were searing holes through his back. However, judging by his expression, one would never guess that there was anything wrong with him at all.


    He was trying to figure out something else entirely while ignoring the young Teran trotting along by his side.


    Why? Was this gathering really so important?


    General Pennel was taking them along on an expedition of sorts, not as far as the northern lines, but clearly to a place that was very dangerous nonetheless. But it seemed odd to take a group of Imperial Academy students down such a road just for training.


    Usually, powers would be much more protective of their children. This culture was quite pervasive, given how the top geniuses of Clans were always retained by them and not allowed to join any other powers.


    Recalling what the General had said about the changes to the border, he began to mull things over.


    ¡¯Is it really my fault?¡¯ Theron looked up to the faint outline of the moon in the bright day¡¯s sky. It was definitely larger than usual, and unless it was a wild coincidence amongst coincidences¡­ it was probably related to the Luminescent Moon Sect.


    But according to Sadie, or at least what she implied¡­ the Luminescent Moon Sect¡¯s history was far shallower than the Galethunder¡¯s.


    That said¡­ Theron never believed anything Sadie had to say these days. What the truth was, it was impossible to tell.


    The horses suddenly came to a stop.


    Up ahead, General Pennel and what looked like a lieutenant of his came to a stop.


    "Academic stream," he said calmly.


    Theron looked past the General and took in the scene. There were several dirt paths ahead, and he could hear the faint trace of a stream off to the far, far right. But other than that, there didn¡¯t seem anything special about the forest trail other than the fact that this deep into the woods, it was still wide enough for two horses to move along side by side.


    Still, Theron obliged, moving forward with Aliza¡ªthe name of the Teran as he had recently found out. As expected, she was the Fourth Year representative of the academic stream. Then there was Gengh and Shah, the Third and Second Year representatives, respectively.


    Aliza was from the Teran Duke Clan, while Gengh and Shah were from the Gianni Duke Clan, a Soul Mancy Clan that controlled the vast majority of the Imperial Capital¡¯s herbology and alchemy.


    Gengh and Shah weren¡¯t directly related and were instead part of two separate competing branches of the Clan. The former being more of an herbologist and green finger, while the latter was far more of an alchemist, and pill and elixir refiner.


    The four of them hopped down from their horses and came to the front. They looked to General Pennel for instruction, but when it became clear that neither he nor his lieutenant would be speaking again, they were all smart enough to understand the intention.


    They were meant to figure it out.


    Before this, they had been given a briefing. Their target was an infiltration by a pack of Lightning Blood Hounds that were led by a powerful Imbued Resonance Alpha of Quasi Gold Mancy. Usually, such demonic creatures wouldn¡¯t infiltrate the empire¡¯s territory so deeply, but this one had managed to slip through the crevices.


    Theron swept his gaze over the region and then fell into silence.


    It was Gengh, the Third Year, who spoke first.


    "Should be this way."


    He pointed toward the path right down the middle. There were three of them, and they all looked pretty much identical. There were no tracks to follow, nor was there any lingering Mana in the air. Gengh also didn¡¯t seem to care to explain himself, as though they should just all understand his thinking.


    Theron could tell what he was seeing immediately.


    Lightning Blood Hounds weren¡¯t what they sounded like at all. They were actually a species of wolves, and their so-called Lightning Blood was actually not lightning at all.


    They had a very rare and mutated form of Flux Mana that caused their blood to spark as though it was lightning, giving them exceptional fast-twitch reactions and superior speed and agility. The tallest of them would only grow to about two meters in height or so, quite small for a creature capable of reaching Gold Mancy, but that only made them faster.


    But because of the volatility of their blood, the Lightning Blood Hounds not only shed and overturned quite a number of blood cells every moment, but most of their habits were surrounding the idea of countering that loss.


    To put things into perspective, the Lightning Blood Hounds even breathed sparking crimson fog because their blood so naturally and spontaneously vaporized.


    As such, they needed two things: water and nutrition. Constantly.


    By all rights, then, the most logical path for them to be on would be the far right path, that was the one closest to the river that Theron could sense.


    But, the soil on the right path, while moist, was lacking in a great deal of nutrients. The soil seemed to have been stripped of its vitality. This wasn¡¯t obvious at first glance, but anyone who had knowledge of Third Year Botany could pick it out. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The most logical explanations for this were twofold: the speed of the river¡¯s flow and the ecosystem of the river itself.


    Usually, soil by rivers was almost always more fertile than soil elsewhere. For it to be the opposite, it had to be the case that the river¡¯s flow was beyond normal means, not allowing the usual sediment to settle, or there was a species of Mana Beast that lived inside of the river that made it impossible for the soil to be nutrient-rich.


    In the former case, the wolves wouldn¡¯t be able to get the sustenance they needed. In the latter, they would be clashing with an enemy in their territory while at a severe disadvantage.


    Neither seemed likely.


    By comparison, the middle road seemed like the most obvious response because there were some subtle signs of Blood Weed by the side. Not the plant itself, but its symbiotes, a special fungus that spread far beneath the ground.


    It was quite sharp of Gengh to pick this out.


    But¡­


    "It¡¯s the far right path. Let¡¯s go." Aliza said calmly.


    Without waiting for Gengh and Shah, she hopped back onto her steed and dug her heel into its side.

 Chapter 234: Scythe

    Aliza didn''t wait for Gengh''s rebuttal at all. As for Theron, he just followed along without a word too.


    Gengh stood in silence, not sure what to do, but then one horse after another began to brush by him.


    "Wait!" Gengh called out. "You can''t just make a unilateral decision. You have to at least explain yourself!"


    He quickly hopped onto his horse and rushed after them. There was a defiance in his eyes that was only belied by his embarrassment. But he felt that he couldn''t just let things drop like that for no reason.


    Theron didn''t have much to do with this, so he was content to sit by and watch. Why get himself involved in something he didn''t have to get involved in?


    Aliza looked over her shoulder. "There''s no such protocol."


    According to the rules, decisions like this could be made based on hierarchy, and she was clearly the highest priority opinion here. Plus, if every decision intelligence made had to be explained down to the lowest tier soldier, then would the army ever even get anything done?


    Obviously not.


    Gengh was simply wrong again, but his embarrassment wasn''t allowing things to rest.


    In Aliza''s opinion, though, he only had himself to blame. If he didn''t try and make a quick decision for everyone, she would have been willing to have a discussion. But there was little she hated more than people who were confidently wrong, so she decided to put him in his place instead.


    Irritation flashed across Gengh''s face, and he almost exploded. But in the end, he quite literally bit his tongue to calm himself down. This was definitely some sort of test, and he was failing with drowning colors at this point.


    "¡­ Then I will have to ask my superior to please explain to me¡­" he said slowly.


    Aliza looked back as they trotted along.


    "Your deductions were too shallow," she explained. "You spent all your brain power thinking about what path the hounds would choose, and not enough about what would happen to the path after they got there."


    Gengh''s eyes opened wide as realization set in.


    "But¡­ have they been here for long enough to cause such changes to the environment?"


    "That would also depend. Where are we right now?" Aliza asked as though lecturing a child. But the gentle and almost caring tone of guidance she was suddenly using showed why it was Dean Pennel would trust her with the role of librarian.


    "Um, the center of the province?" Gengh wasn''t sure how else to answer.


    "Not just the center of the province. We''re actually in a plain located between the north and the center, a transition point that doesn''t have much of a population, and for good reason. The nutrients here are lacking, the Mana isn''t quite so dense, and the natural phenomena here are lacking. If anything, the hounds are choosing this place precisely because it''s the location with the least amount of competition."


    Gengh''s eyes opened wide. "You mean because this region is so weak and Mana deficient, the ability of powerful Silver Resonance Mana Beasts to influence the landscape is naturally powerful?"


    "Exactly right. They could probably do this much damage in just a few days at the moment. In fact, it wouldn''t be that much of a surprise if they caused these changes to the right path in just a single pass through if what I think about the Alpha is true¡­"


    Gengh and Shah looked toward one another.


    "What''s wrong with the Alpha?"


    "¡­ The instincts of a beast should be even sharper than any of ours, especially when it comes to finding things that would be useful for their evolution. There''s a very good reason they would ignore the potential Blood Weeds on the first path¡­"


    "It''s no longer useful to them," Shah finished softly.


    Blood Weed. It wasn''t some great Mana Herb or something, it was just a Bronze Resonance Mana Herb that could be improved. But¡­ it was still classified at the Imbued Grade, making it far stronger than most Mana Herbs.


    Logically speaking, it was quite valuable. Even if not for Silver Resonance Mana Beasts, the lower tier Bronze Resonance Mana Beasts of the pack would certainly need it.


    Plus, finding it and nurturing them, protecting them, was something that might give the pack a chance to grow them into Silver Blood Weeds, which would be useful for the larger majority of them.


    But the pack ignored them entirely.


    What would give them the capital to ignore Imbued Mana Herbs?


    Much like Beasts, Graded Mana Herbs were on another level compared to normal Mana Herbs. Mana Herbs and feral beasts were perfectly analogous to Graded Mana Herbs and Mana Beasts.


    The only Mana Beast that would ignore Imbued Mana Herbs of the Bronze Resonance was either a beast that had already stepped from Quasi Gold to Gold¡­


    Or a Manaborn Beast.


    The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.


    "Alright, Aliza. Come back," General Pennel said calmly. "You will ride with us."


    Aliza blinked, but silently obliged, slowing her steed until she rode alone behind the General and his Lieutenant. By this point, the four students of the military stream had moved ahead of this group.


    Theron continued to observe this silently. Now, the academic stream trio was ahead of everyone else, but they were also going deeper and deeper into what was presumably real danger.


    ''Interesting methods¡­''


    Theron''s eyes shifted back to the military stream students to see what they were thinking. One of them, the Second Year, Theron believed, grinned at him.


    Theron''s eyes shifted to his lapel, and then back up to the golden hair that flowed down his shoulders.


    Zhen Clan.


    Typical.


    Well, this wouldn''t likely be under Dean Pennel''s instruction. She was the head of the academic stream, not the military stream. The only reason Theron was participating in both was because of the Emperor''s words. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But other than that¡­ the Pennels had very little input on who could stand amongst them today.


    "Shouldn''t you be paying attention to the road?" the Second Year asked.


    Theron smiled gently. "I am. Understanding my teammates is part of my task."


    "Is that so?"


    "Mm," Theron nodded, his smile still so gentle no one noticed him unsheath his weapon but General Pennel himself.


    But even General Pennel only had time for his gaze to sharpen just the slightest bit before a scythe of water had cut off the Second Year''s head.

 Chapter 235: Why Don’t

    Theron''s actions were so abrupt that the academic stream students by his side didn''t even realize what was happening. Or more accurately, they didn''t see what happened at all.


    It wasn''t until the Third Year of the military stream screamed that they saw the end result, but even then, they didn''t know that it was actually Theron who had done it. How could they ever guess at such a thing? On its face, it just felt so completely and utterly ridiculous.


    But then the Third and Fourth Year of the military stream both took out their weapons, a spear and a glaive suddenly pointing right at Theron.


    Theron himself, though, had already hopped up from his seated position, landing on the back of his horse with two feet. In terms of leverage and ability to read and react, he was in the superior position. By comparison, the experience these two military stream students had with battling on horseback¡ªwhile there¡ªwas still obviously limited.


    Knowing he had too little experience himself, Theron just forewent it entirely.


    The eyes of the lieutenant by General Pennel''s side sharpened, but he froze as a spear pierced right through his chest.


    Looking down with a light of shock in his eyes, the lieutenant was shocked to find that it wasn''t the Pennel who had attacked him, but instead Aliza, who was behind them all now.


    "You¡­" The lieutenant couldn''t believe it. He, a mighty Gold, had died at the hands of a Silver brat?


    In those last moments, he barely registered the fact the weapon Aliza was holding in her hands wasn''t normal at all. And just when his Mana had been about to flare up, a suppressive aura had come from his right. Catching him off guard, he didn''t even stand a single chance.


    "¡­ Damned¡­ rich¡­ brats¡­" he wheezed out.


    Theron lightly tapped a foot on the back of his horse, soaring up and out of the way of a duo of strikes. He landed on a branch that seemed barely strong enough to hold the weight of a medium-sized bird. And yet, his steps were so light it hardly seemed to register him.


    Chi. Chi.


    His weapons flashed and he deflected the pair of strikes that came at him, retreating further and flipping down and back from the tree.


    By the time he landed on the ground, the Third and Fourth Years were already out of their saddles, ready to attack again. But this time, they were stopped by General Pennel''s voice.


    "That''s enough."


    The duo froze, frowning. It wasn''t until Theron put his blades away that they fully relaxed. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­ What¡­ what is happening?" Shah couldn''t help but ask.


    "Spies." Theron said simply.


    "You¡­ how could you possibly know that?" Gengh''s worry wasn''t without merit. Just now, he had "tried" to lead them down the wrong path. Would he be accused of being a traitor next?


    No, it wasn''t just an accusation. Theron didn''t accuse anyone. He killed first and didn''t even bother to ask questions later.


    It was then they noticed the spear through the lieutenant''s chest, and they understood that this matter had suddenly become much deeper than any of them were prepared to deal with.


    "How? He claims to be a member of the Zhen Clan, but he showed no hostility to me at all. His word selection was off, too kind, too measured. Plus, he wasn''t glancing at me nearly enough for someone who was to my back."


    "You¡­ you killed someone based on that¡­" Gengh was horrified.


    "Well, his cultivation was already an entire tier higher than he should have been."


    Gengh froze.


    A tier? As in three sub-realms? Did that mean that the Second Year was actually in the Seventh Resonance? And Theron killed him before they could even understand what was happening?


    Even if Theron caught him off guard, and was in close proximity, the gap between a First Resonance and Seventh Resonance should be so large that it could be akin to a toddler and a fully grown adult.


    None of this made any sense.


    Wait. How did Theron even tell the cultivation of someone who was trying their best to hide it? If he was so confident in hiding from General Pennel''s eyes, how could he not hide from Theron''s?


    "I''m just messing around," Theron said with a smile. "Look at his lapel."


    Gengh felt like he was going to faint. Was this a joke to Theron? He had heard that this boy was very arrogant, but this was the first time he was seeing it so clearly in person.


    Even so, he obliged and looked. But there was nothing special there at all.


    "Now look at his hair."


    Gengh looked again, but still found nothing special.


    "The stitching on the emblem he''s wearing on his chest is fresh, too fresh. There''s too little fraying. It''s either he''s never worn this before, or it''s new."


    "It''s possible that he just wore a new robe to impress the General. What is unexpected about that?"


    "I agree." Theron nodded. "That''s why I said look at his hair."


    "What''s wrong with his hair?"


    "Unique bloodlines have unique traits. The Thistles, for example, have a unique almost brass-brownish tint, with just the slightest hints of rouge, to their hair that''s very hard to replicate. Replicating it with a technique would be even more difficult to do because the Mana fluctuations would be off.


    "Their different colors come from their unique Resonances with Mana to begin with. Plus, hair is too fragile and falls out easily. Once it loses connection with the Mana flow in your body, it would return to its original color, exposing you. So if you use Mana to start replicating it, you would either need a technique at a much higher level than the Zhen Clan''s Bloodline, which is unlikely. Or, you would just have to do it the old-fashioned way and dye it."


    Gengh''s mouth opened, then closed. But even after several moments, he still didn''t understand.


    Was the shade off? Was there a slight discoloration?


    "Look at his scalp. It''s redder than the rest of his head, probably because he had to use a particularly abrasive bleach to reach the right consistency. It would normally be a simple task to replicate that redness, except for the fact¡­"


    Theron took a step forward and pinched at the head rolling along the ground, peeling a layer of skin off to reveal the face of a middle-aged man beneath.


    "Changing the shape of a body is too difficult. Rather than doing that, they got someone who was close enough in size and then sowed them a perfectly matching set of robes. No one would notice usually." Theron looked up at Geng. "Usually."


    Silence fell.


    From the back of the group, Aliza''s gaze was flickering wildly as she looked to Theron. She hadn''t known what was happening until the very last moment when Theron gave her a look. It was then she realized what she had to do.


    But even then, if not for the subtle shift in the lieutenant''s aura, she still wouldn''t have acted.


    "¡­ What now?" Shah asked, still a bit shell-shocked.


    "Well, why would spies choose to come on this mission? Aliza''s words were interesting, don''t you think? This region between the center and north has been dead since the very start. What if the real reason that pack of hounds is here is because it''s no longer so dead?


    "Why don''t we go and see what would make a group of Mana Beasts ignore a stash of Imbued Mana Herbs? No, more accurately¡­ why don''t we go and see what changes could have triggered in this region to cause such powerful Mana Herbs to appear in the first place?"

 Chapter 236: Sangun [150 GT Bonus]

    Theron hopped back on his horse, kicking its side and moving forward without the input of the others.


    In reality, he wasn''t very happy right now. He just couldn''t show it.


    While this was a test, it put him in danger. A wild card like the lieutenant could have killed them at any time.


    Although he felt he might be able to deal with a Gold Mancer right now with his father''s sword to rely on, that would require a very curated situation, and that situation certainly couldn''t be suddenly attacked from the back by one.


    Theron shook his head, his mind clearing up and his discontent vanishing. Those thoughts weren''t like him.


    ''I''m growing arrogant¡­''


    Theron looked up through the foliage of the trees, feeling that the rays of the sun were particularly red-tinted today compared to their usual golden hues. It was just an optical illusion, but it still felt so very real.


    ''I wonder if this is what cultivation does to people¡­''


    He had never been very interested in cultivation before, nor had he ever been very arrogant. Though, he could consider himself to be quite a confident person, marching to the beat of his own tune.


    But ever since he started cultivating, he found himself becoming more abrasive. Well¡­ maybe there was a good reason for that. How could a person lose everyone they had ever loved and yet be unaffected by it all?


    Maybe Ruu was right and that he was too sinister. Now, he just had a reason to display it.


    Power¡­ it was said that absolute power corrupted absolutely. That might be more true than he knew.


    Regardless, he would never allow anyone to put his life in danger, not without reason, and not without a purpose that aided his ultimate goal in the end.


    If General Pennel insisted on putting his life on the line so he could play his little political games, then Theron would just have to take matters into his own hands.


    General Pennel watched in silence as Theron trotted into the distance on his horse. This was troublesome. Things weren''t supposed to go this way.


    Some band-aids couldn''t just be ripped off so unceremoniously, but Theron didn''t seem to care.


    **


    "They''re dead."


    A pair of miniature soul lamps winked out of existence.


    The location was a damp cave, the scent of beast sweat and blood hanging in the air. The carcass of a bear beast was laid off to the side, skinned and taken apart for its nutrient flesh.


    Seated across from each other with a flickering flame between them, a group of people munched on large pieces, even chewing into the bone on many occasions.


    "That doesn''t make sense. According to the reports, they only just got to this location. Why would they suddenly kill those two now?"


    "A trap."


    Silence fell.


    It made sense. All of this seemed too disorganized. Why kill them now? It reeked of something fishy.


    Logically, the most obvious answer was that the spies had accidentally slipped up and allowed the Nightingale Empire to catch onto their tails. This led to an immediate retaliation.


    But that just felt¡­ too coincidental.


    How had they managed to go through all the trouble of sneaking in, even taking over the position of a lieutenant, just to fail during the final step?


    It would have made more sense if the Nightingale Clan and their underlings learned the truth long ago and chose to hide it until springing this surprise on them in the last moment. Of course, they would be prepared for this, but it would at least seem like the more clever plan.


    This, however¡­ it was almost like they wanted to try and lull them into a false sense of security.


    What if they killed them right now on purpose just to craft the illusion of a flailing team who was now split? Of a team that suddenly didn''t trust each other very much at all?


    "If that is the case, then we should leave and report this. General Pennel is personally taking part. This already made this mission too dangerous. Now it''s even more so."


    Silence fell again. It was hard to refute this at all¡­ until a voice said otherwise.


    "We press on."


    The one who spoke was the youngest of them all. He might have been 13 or 14 years old, but he had the coldness of a heartless murderer in his red eyes. The piece of meat in his hands was particularly bloody, almost as though it had been hardly cooked over the fire at all.


    The little prince of the Sangun Imperial Clan.


    When he spoke, they no longer questioned it. This little prince had the trust of the Emperor, so much so that they were under expressed orders to follow everything he decided down to the most minor of details.


    None of them dared step out of line.


    The little prince took another bite, cleaning the bone dry before his canines flashed beneath the flickering orange-red light of the flame. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Crack.


    The thick bone in his hand shattered, thick, oozing marrow pooling out and into his mouth.


    "There''s a First Year by the name of Theron Galethunder. He is the highest priority target this time. Everything else can be ignored so long as he dies."


    Surprise colored the features of the others present. Weren''t they here for the natural treasure about to be born? When did this suddenly become a mission to kill one boy they had never heard of?


    "It will be impossible to miss him. He is only around my age and is a Water Mancer. If you find him, do not let him go. Kill with prejudice."


    Despite the confusion of the group, their orders were absolute. Who didn''t know about the ruthlessness of the Sangun Imperial Clan?


    "Now, we''ll separate them."


    "How should we do that, young prince?"


    "Let nature take its course. The hounds will do the work for us."


    The others looked to one another again. They didn''t understand why they were here at all now.

 Chapter 237: Acute

    Theron''s horse slowly came to a stop by the river. Unlike what some of his speculations might have concluded, the river looked almost more like a lake¡ªone that had grown so still and stale that it had already begun to atrophy and die off.


    There was a faint scent of death in the air, and what should have been rushing currents moved so agonizingly slowly that one would have thought there was no movement at all.


    The staleness was causing waves of death in the river, and there was hardly any turnover or recycling.


    ''Stagnant water¡­''


    When bodies of water lost their movement, bacteria began to grow, the microbes causing mass waves of death and destruction to the ecosystem. In the cultivation world, the result was even worse for everybody, as these microbes were often heavily boosted by Mana in ways that could kill and poison even Gold Mancers.


    Normally, water would put Theron at peace, and he would feel like he had an extra trump card hanging from his hip. But right now, he couldn''t feel any sort of comfort at all. For him, this water was so far separated from the essence of Water Mana that controlling it would be as difficult as controlling the steaming plumes of smoke back in the underground volcano.


    The others slowly caught up to Theron and then looked back to General Pennel. But seeing that the latter was still sitting on top of his horse with his arms crossed, as though nothing at all had happened, they knew that they were still being tested.


    Gengh opened his mouth to say something, but then paused again, suddenly entirely unsure of himself.


    Shah''s lips remained sealed, looking up at Theron as though he was waiting for him to speak first.


    Then there was Aliza, still in the back, seemingly separated from the group after having passed her own assessment.


    Theron didn''t seem to have any intention of saying anything, though. He just continued to observe the stale river in silence, every slight tinge of green and brown standing out to him as he scanned it slowly.


    All he knew was one thing for certain¡­


    This had definitely happened too fast.


    Theron was someone who liked to be prepared. Overly prepared.


    Not only had he looked at maps of this region, but he even understood its history quite well.


    This river here was the very same one that ran through the entire Empire, splintering off into countless little streams¡ªincluding the one he had killed Yonowai on and the one he had used to escape the culling at Daggers of the Night.


    That was to say, this river had so many entrances and exits feeding into it and allowing escape routes that growing stagnant like this required a great change to take place. And more importantly than that, this great change had to have occurred within the last handful of weeks, if not days.


    Theron crouched down, taking a closer look.


    ''This entire region is located in a basin. Water has a very easy time coming in at least¡­ the outflow might be the problem, then, since it needs to climb out. In that case, the most obvious place to check would be further north, where the exit of this basin should be¡­''


    Theron reached his conclusion, but he wasn''t too eager to say anything. As for why, only he knew. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The only thing that was certain was that it had nothing to do with his temper flare-up from earlier. He had long gotten that under control.


    It would be too foolish of him to allow himself to be ruled by the power in the palm of his hands. His greatest asset was still his mind, and it was in his best interest to move through life with that understanding.


    His real reason was very different.


    He looked back toward Gengh and Shah. "I''m not too sure what''s going on here, seniors. Can you help me?"


    The two blinked and then looked to one another. They weren''t sure if they believed Theron at all. He had displayed analytical skills just earlier that were beyond them. Plus¡­ this was right in his wheelhouse.


    He was the only Water Mancer here, after all.


    Gengh and Shah were both Soul Mancers. General Pennel was a Flux Mancer, while Aliza was an Earth Mancer. As for the Third and Fourth Year of the military stream, both were likewise Flux Mancers.


    Theron scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    "Honestly, I don''t know much about the region. I didn''t grow up near the capital, and you know maps are pretty limited to commoners like me. I have some grasp of the region, but I feel like I''m lacking important context."


    It was a common control tactic of Empires. Most maps in circulation were very limited in detail and scope. For a river as important as this one that branched through the entire Empire, there was no way a commoner could easily get their hands on such a thing.


    Gengh and Shah seemed to understand a bit better now. Assured that Theron probably wasn''t just teasing them for a chance at a "gotcha," they relaxed a bit.


    "What do you think?" Gengh asked Shah.


    "Well, this must have happened very recently, and it''s a very acute symptom as well because as far as I know, the rivers by the capital are entirely unaffected, and it would be much easier to report something wrong there as opposed to here. Whatever we''re looking for has to be large enough to trigger these changes, have a scope narrow enough that it could only affect this region, and it has to have only appeared within the last two weeks at the earliest."


    "I agree. There''s a strong slope at both ends of this region, and this river flows north instead of toward the south, which would be closer to the capital. In that case, we should go check the exit paths out of this basin and probably be prepared for danger."


    The two discussed and reached conclusions on some of the finer details before they set off.


    As for Theron, though, his mind was elsewhere.


    Were they right? Yes. But they weren''t right about just how "acute" this phenomenon was.


    He was certain that he sensed water flowing quite fast not even half an hour ago.


    What could cause all of this in not even an hour?

 Chapter 238: Mist

    The horses moved through the forest, trotting alongside the stagnant river. As they moved, the smell only became worse, a fogginess beginning to hang in the air.


    The mist accumulated, making it difficult to see what was happening ahead.


    ''There''s Mana in the air too¡­''


    Theron found that when he tried to use his Third Eye to combat the limited range of sight, he received pushback in return. Third Eye always struggled in regions where Mana fluctuated, and had as tough a time moving through streams of dense Mana as it did solid objects. But this situation was particularly odd.


    The Mana itself wasn''t very dense, or else Theron wouldn''t have had to deploy his Third Eye first before noticing the issue. Somehow, this mist was mimicking the effects of a concentration of Mana that was easily hundreds of times more dense.


    ''Formation? No. That would be too obvious. But it''s also not far from the truth either¡­''


    The jumbled thoughts in Theron''s mind didn''t seem to make any sense at all.


    "We need to tighten up," Gengh called out. "I think it would be smart if Ray and Supra took the vanguard for now. There might be danger very soon."


    Ray was the Fourth Year of the military stream, a powerful Flux Mancer from the Brien Marquis Clan. He had quite a wide stature and seemed to carry around a weight so heavy that his steed''s hooves sank into even the nutrient-stripped, hard soil beneath them.


    Supra was the Third Year, a woman of the Zhen Grand Duke Clan and technically the second of their trip, though the first had been killed by Theron unceremoniously. Well¡­ an imitator had been killed, anyway.


    The two didn''t show any refusal toward this suggestion. They had yet to do any of the work, and technically guarding the academic stream geniuses was their task.


    Theron let them go on ahead as well, but he followed behind. He would have to do double duty anyway. But since he was a First Year, he could get away with relying a bit more on his upper years, so he took advantage.


    His eyes continued to scan the region, trying to make out what was so special about this fog.


    If there was anything he knew for certain now, though¡­ it was that they were being targeted. The spies weren''t the only ones on this trip.


    But that much should have been obvious. How could they be so bold as to target a mission one of the strongest Mancers of the Empire was on without a backup plan, and likely a backup to their backup?


    There just might be a cultivator on this mission that¡ª


    Theron''s eyes suddenly sharpened, his head ducking down with such swiftness that he couldn''t consider the balance of the rest of his body.


    He tumbled down the side of his horse''s back, nearly being trampled beneath its weight.


    If it was just a normal horse, that much would have been fine. But these were Silver Mancy steeds. There was a very good reason why they could withstand Ray''s weight, and now that positive was a hair away from turning into the negative that cost Theron half his skull.


    SHU.


    The sound was delayed, distorted through the mist. It made it difficult even to tell exactly where it was coming from in the first place. Had Theron not felt something pulling on his blood, causing him to react on instinct, he would have lost his head to that pulse of Mana just now.


    The Immortal Jellyfish had saved his life.


    ''We''re not being targeted. I''m being targeted.''


    Theron reached the conclusion in a breath of time, just barely rolling out of the way of his horse''s hooves and unsheathing his blades. He sent a glance back toward where General Pennel should have been, only to see that the man and Aliza were nowhere to be seen.


    He looked ahead to where the team of remaining academic and military stream students should have been, to see that they had vanished as well.


    This wasn''t a coincidence. The mist had grown thicker.


    In all likelihood, they were still right there. But in the event that they weren''t¡­


    Growls reached Theron''s ears.


    He didn''t bother to turn in the direction he heard them. That arrow''s sound had come from his right, so he fell down the left side of his horse''s body. But the wind pressure he felt came from his left.


    Sound was being distorted in an odd way here.


    Yet, Theron was still sure that it wasn''t a formation. It was something else.


    ''Resonance¡­ Echo.'' Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron''s eyes sharpened. Was he dealing with another Water Mancer? No, it wouldn''t be a Water Mancer; it would be a Mist Mancer.


    Mist Mancers were so rare that Theron had only come across them once in a book. They were described as a genetic defect possible in variations of Water and Ice Mancer bloodlines.


    If Water Mancers were considered weak in combat, then Mist Mancers were still somehow the little brother to Water Mancers. They were utterly and completely useless. They were purely auxiliary and could only be deployed in very specific situations.


    However¡­ this Mist Mancer felt different. There was something¡­


    ''Poison.''


    Theron realized what it was, and he made the connection to the stagnant river. But there was still something that he was missing, something that wasn''t quite right.


    Then it clicked.


    Mist Mancers couldn''t just become Poison Mancers just because they felt like it. Much like with Raiden and his unique Echo, they would have to take drastic measures.


    That was when Theron understood. The poison was still accumulating, and the source of that poison¡­ was the stagnant river.


    They were on a ticking timer right now. If the poison''s concentration increased to the point that their Mana could no longer naturally detoxify it, then they would likely all die beneath this mist.


    By the time the others realized that poison might be what they were facing, it''d be too late. If not for Theron''s affinity with Water Mana, he wouldn''t have even sensed the issue either.


    ''Find them. Quickly.''


    Unfortunately, as Theron was having these thoughts, the growls echoed once again. This time, much closer.


    Pairs of crimson eyes began to slowly glow around him.

 Chapter 239: Blood [300 GT Bonus]

    Theron tossed everything to the back of his mind, reaching a deep state of focus.


    Something earlier had pulled on his blood, that much he was certain of. Somehow, that must have been related to this change.


    Though the Lightning Blood Hounds were called as such, their abilities should have nothing to do with either lightning or blood. And yet, Theron would never question his own senses, not when it came to something like this.


    But the problem was that the arrow should have come from a person.


    ''Wait, arrow? Why am I so sure that it was an arrow?''


    The moment Theron had this thought, a wolf lunged at him. He was sure that it was coming from his front, but he felt a prickling sensation on his back. All the blood vessels down the vascularity of his lats and shoulder blades, pulsing within the scars that littered his body, suddenly pulled at him all at once.


    It was almost like his blood was trying to exit through his very pores.


    It was an irritating sensation that Theron immediately turned toward.


    The maw of a hound suddenly appeared out of thin air, Theron''s blade being the only thing between it and a bite that would have severed his head clean off.


    For the first time, he got a clear look at the creature. It didn''t look like any hound at all, but rather a wolf with a mane of black and a body of blood red. Its eyes looked as though they were dripping with crimson, the whites only a slightly lighter shade of the sanguine color.


    Its jagged teeth bit at Theron''s blade, and a crack appeared in the short sword. Theron hadn''t taken out his father''s blade just yet for obvious reasons, and he almost paid for it instantly.


    ''What''s going on? It''s too powerful¡­''


    Theron stumbled back, trying to pull on Mana from the air to cast a spell, only to realize that he was out of luck. The mist was interfering heavily.


    This was far worse than what he had faced as a Bronze Mancer back when he fought his first few Silver Mancers. He was practically cut off from the world of Mana entirely.


    No, it wasn''t a severance technically speaking. Instead, it was more like the area had been so saturated with Mist Mana that there was nothing else to draw on.


    And because no one else in their party had any Mist Mancers, the end result was obvious.


    Theron had heard that though Mist Mancers were weak in combat, their auxiliary abilities were actually quite top-notch. It seemed that¡­ this was very true.


    Without a choice, he allowed himself to fall to his back. A second hound soared over his head, missing his back due to his maneuver. Then, at the same moment, he slammed into the ground. He kicked his foot up and moved his dagger-wielding hand.


    In one fluid motion, Theron sent yet another hound flying over his head, this time with a long vertical wound down its belly that sent its guts spilling out. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron rolled to the side out of instinct and popped back up to his feet. He closed his eyes and shut his Third Eye down to the outside world, focusing every ounce of his attention on the shifts and changes in his blood.


    There was a sudden calmness about him that belied the situation. Had he ever fought by relying purely on such a sensation before? No.


    Did it matter? No.


    The adaptation of an assassin was most important. And he had plenty of experience adapting.


    Theron''s blades suddenly began to move through the air with a fluidity that cut through the mist akin to lightning striking down through clouds.


    The trouble he had before seemed to have vanished. Just the slightest tug on his blood meant death for them.


    He didn''t care for their cultivation, their speed, their savagery.


    If their cultivation was stronger, he would just be more skilled. If their speed was greater, he would just be more precise. And so what if they were savage¡­


    He could be more so.


    His blade ripped through the head of a hound, twisting until one of its eyes was minced to meat.


    With a pull along the dull edge of his dagger, the hound was swung to the side, its head still impaled, right into the path of a lunging wolf.


    The hound didn''t even realize what was happening until it had already bitten into the neck of its half-dead companion, and with its maw occupied, Theron pulled his dagger out, his hips pivoting and generating momentum down through his short sword.


    The neck of the second hound was cut in two.


    One careless reaping of a life after another came in stronger waves. The number of hounds didn''t seem to be decreasing, but Theron''s ability to read and react to the shifts in his blood was only growing.


    However, as time ticked by, he could sense the poison in the air growing more dense. There was even a connection he could sense directly between the death of the hounds and the increase in the poison.


    Every time he killed, it bore down stronger, and the pull on his blood became more and more obvious.


    But when Theron realized this, he didn''t panic. If anything, he became calmer.


    That line between life and death, he had grown used to it. This wasn''t a bad thing at all. In fact, the denser the poison became¡­ the more he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.


    Theron sidestepped a claw. His dagger spun in his palm from a backhanded grip to a forehand one. Without missing a step, he stabbed it upward, disemboweling yet another wolf as his eyes flashed open.


    His head turned with a vicious sort of momentum, a cool radiance coming from his steely blue eyes.


    There.


    Theron took a step, and the dry soil compressed beneath the point of his toes.


    BANG!


    He accelerated forward in a line of murderous intention.

 Chapter 240: Mist Mancer

    Standing hip-deep in the stagnant river was an older, middle-aged man, his eyes closed in concentration. Around him, the corpses of Lightning Blood Hounds floated, their carcasses already rotting and emitting a grotesque stench that sank deep into the heart and made one viscerally gag.


    It should have taken weeks, if not months, for creatures so powerful to reach such a state of decomposition. But if one had been there from the very start, they would have known that it took less than an hour.


    Cold water would slow down the rotting of corpses, but stagnant, warm water? It was the exact opposite. Not only did it bloat corpses, separating the layers between their flesh and making them more vulnerable, but it also accelerated decomposition through the softening of flesh and the introduction of bacteria.


    This man seemed to have tapped into this ability, but on another level entirely.


    It would take Water Mana quite some time to penetrate the bodies of these creatures. Even for a normal mortal, if a corpse was left to sink, it would take a day or two before it bloated to the point it floated to the surface and began to emit an unbearable stench.


    However, Mist Mana had far greater penetrative power. Although seemingly harmless, against a dead opponent with no Life Mana to protect themselves, it could speed up the process significantly, creating the perfect environment to flake off layers of skin and introduce bacteria at deeper and deeper levels.


    As the rotting stench continued to increase, the Mist Mancer simply vaporized more and more of this grotesque air into his Mist, layering it and slowly increasing the density of the poison in the air.


    As time ticked by, the Lightning Blood Hound corpses sank to the bottom of the river, their remains reduced to masses of bone. They were replaced by more corpses, created by the numbers Theron and the others were killing.


    Like they were controlling a conveyor belt of death, the Mist Mancer didn''t lift a finger in combat at all¡­


    Until his eyes suddenly snapped open. Looking ahead, a shock ran through him.


    That was impossible. Someone was ignoring his layers of illusion and coming right toward him. Even General Pennel had been lost in this Mist, and the Mist Mancer had certainly paid the greatest attention to him. How could it be possible for anyone else to¡ª?


    ''The boy.''


    The little prince had said to watch out for him, to kill him at all costs, but it wasn''t until now that the Mist Mancer understood why that might be necessary.


    The Mist Mancer raised his hands, forming one set of hand seals with one palm and another set with his other hand. He split his attention two ways, using a special technique of the Sangun Clan to complete a Quasi Dual Casting.


    Dual Casting should have been impossible for anyone born without a shocking double set of Meridians. But even the idea of such a thing was purely speculative, as there had never been a confirmed sighting of such a person.


    However, there were methods of mimicking it that, while nowhere near as efficient, could get the job done.


    The various hounds trapped in the Mist were suddenly, and then very quickly, being diverted toward Theron''s direction. At the same time, just in case, less of the poison diffused through the Mist and began to accumulate around the middle-aged Mist Mancer.


    Without having to cover a region as large as two kilometers with this poison, the concentration in the immediate area grew to sickening levels. Even the corpses of the hounds around him began to melt off their bones, their flesh rapidly consumed by bacteria until they became mounds of oozing black.


    Mist Mancers, indeed, had little combat strength, even for a Gold Mancer like him. But that didn''t mean they were helpless.


    After giving him so much time to prepare, what chance did a little Silver Mancer stand¡ª?


    The Mist Mancer''s eyes widened as Theron suddenly burst through his Mist, tapping a foot on the stagnant waters with a layer of Water Mana protecting his soles.


    Theron''s hair had become a stream of light pinks, baby blues, and delicate violets, a misty aura radiating from him as well. He hardly looked like a Water Mancer anymore, but instead more like a deity of these stagnant waters, come for revenge against the one ruining his domain.


    "Impossible!"


    The Mist Mancer was sure of it. Theron had been a long distance away. How could he be here? Right now, Theron should have been surrounded by hounds from all sides. No, in fact, he had just been torn to shreds a moment ago!


    What the Mist Mancer didn''t notice were the long cuts down the length of Theron''s forearms.


    Without a chance to think, the Mist Mancer directed the poison Mist toward Theron, creating wall after impenetrable wall to attack his body directly.


    Theron burst right through it as though he wasn''t afraid of it affecting him.


    The Mist Mancer''s eyes widened. Suicide? This poison had been crafted by a Gold Mancer. Weak in combat or not, Theron would die.


    But would it matter if he lost his head first?


    The Mist Mancer let out a roar, slapping out a palm with all the strength that he could muster. A concentrated hand of compressed Mist took shape, swirling in Gold Resonance Mana that shook the air and pulled in even more poison.


    Theron''s eyes sharpened, his body loading like a spring. The stagnant water beneath suddenly churned so violently that the bacteria and algae dispersed, leaving behind nothing but the purest of waters.


    BANG!


    He shot forward, throwing his cracked short sword forward as though it were a javelin and unsheathing his father''s blade.


    No one would ever expect a non-throwing weapon to be coming at them, and the Mist Mancer''s lack of combat experience shone through instantly.


    His palm was forced to defend against a blade that was ultimately of little threat, and he couldn''t even react to Theron suddenly appearing by his side.


    Chi.


    A head slowly fell from the middle-aged man''s shoulders.


    Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 241: Impossible

    ''¡­ Weak¡­'' Theron shook his head.


    He knew why the Mist Mancer was so weak. It wasn''t just the fact that he was poor in combat; regardless of how poor his skill was, he was still a Gold Mancer. Just by the difference in the quality of Mana alone, he should have had body composition, senses, and reaction time that were far beyond Theron''s.


    As large as the gap between Bronze and Silver Mancy was, the gap between someone who had been through their Tribulation and one who hadn''t was even more exaggerated.


    The only reason Theron confidently claimed that he could kill a Gold Mancer with his father''s sword wasn''t because it suddenly made him equal to a Gold Mancer, but instead because he was confident that with such a good blade, he wouldn''t have to worry about a hit he finally managed to land doing no damage at all¡­


    But actually being able to land that hit was another matter entirely. And whether that hit would reap a life was yet another matter as well.


    The real reason the Mist Mancer had fallen so easily was because of the sheer amount of Mana they had already poured into this setup.


    First, there was this Mist that had a diameter of what must have been at least three or so kilometers. Although Mist Mana was able to cover a much larger area per degree of Mana used, to have this Mist be this thick, enough to obstruct views and dispel the placement of other Mana, it had to have taken a substantial amount of effort.


    Theron was actually quite sure that this Gold Mancer had drained his Gold Core more than once to achieve this sort of effect, likely relying on some high-quality elixirs to replenish himself.


    Second, there was this poisoning process.


    This was obviously a Mist Mancer, not a Poison Mancer. The process of using his Mist as a carrier for this rotting poison required an exceptional level of focus and control. As such, not only was it taking up a large amount of Mana to continuously disperse this poison through the air, but it was draining the Mist Mancer''s focus as well.


    And all of that didn''t even consider the illusion aspects of the Mist as well.


    If anything, Theron was very impressed that one man could accomplish all of this, adequate preparation or not. If not for his Echo, this might have well and truly been the place he died, which actually led into the third reason¡­


    That being that the Mist Mancer was so confident in his abilities that he didn''t have a backup plan for his backup plan, and maybe rightfully so.


    He was able to fool even General Pennel''s eyes; how could he ever think that a Silver Mancer would see through his situation? Much less even fool his eyes in return.


    As for how Theron had done that, it was quite simple¡­


    He just made a [Water Clone] with his own blood.


    Then, when he activated Veinsong and his Immortal Jellyfish Echo, he was able to control his own body to the point that it wasn''t detected by the Mist Mancer''s abilities.


    The Mist Mancer assumed the blood [Water Clone] was actually Theron, when the real Theron had vanished along the same path, closing in the distance before the Mist Mancer could react. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, that left a very large elephant in the room.


    How was the Mist Mancer controlling blood?


    It had to be remembered that when Theron first realized he could control the fluid in his body, he had been shocked. That was because this should have been impossible.


    Life Mana was anchored down to the body and wasn''t capable of being used. In fact, Life Mana was part of the reason it was so difficult for external Mana to affect the body as well.


    Even controlling your own body through Mana should be near impossible unless you were using a proxy. For example, you could try to attach tendrils of Mana to a person''s body and wield them like a puppet, or fool their senses with an illusion to make them act in certain ways, but actually going into their body and controlling them from there was ridiculous.


    Although pulling on his blood wasn''t exactly controlling him, it wasn''t enough steps away from it to be completely unrelated.


    Theron, for example, could control his own body''s fluids when he entered Veinsong. That ability of his became even stronger when he activated his Immortal Jellyfish Echo.


    However, he had never felt the ability to control the blood in the bodies of others.


    He realized that there was something very unique about his own body in particular that allowed it. It was less accurate to say that he could control blood, or the fluid in his ears, etc., and far more accurate to say that he could control some core essence within them that was unique to that of others.


    With that logic, it just might be the case that there were others out there who could control Theron''s body as well. That was a worry he hadn''t allowed to sprout in his mind, but it was a reality he knew he might have to deal with one day.


    He thought that day would be today, until he realized that he was likely not the only one here experiencing such a thing.


    When he got here to the location of the Mist Mancer, though, he finally got his answer.


    It wasn''t that the Mist Mancer was controlling blood. Instead, it was much like the abilities of the hounds.


    The Lightning Blood Hounds were Flux Mancers, not some unheard-of Blood Mancers, nor were they Lightning Mancers. They were existences that had a unique Bloodline Resonance that made their blood spark as though it was arcing with lightning.


    This resulted in their blood almost bubbling out of the surface of their skin and manifesting in these bolts that assaulted the world.


    The principle here was the same. Theron''s blood hadn''t been directly controlled; instead, it had been influenced.


    But as far as he knew, the hounds could only do that with their own blood. Since when could they do that with the blood of others, and how had the Mist Mancer tapped into it?


    A new understanding was slowly forming in Theron''s mind.


    Rather than making a move to regain the group, or what might have been left of them, he silently slipped away.

 Chapter 242: Medicine [450 GT Bonus]

    "Role call!" General Pennel barked.


    Finally, their voices seemed to be directed from the right places. As the hounds slipped away, rushing away with their tails tucked between their legs, the group began to come together once more.


    To maybe all of their shocks¡­ no one had died. Everyone seemed to be here.


    At the very least, no one except Theron, who seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    Theron had reacted quickly, quickly enough that while many of them were heavily injured, they had still managed to stave off death. If he had taken any longer, though, their Mana would have likely been depleted to the greatest extent. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These few obviously couldn''t sense their blood moving as easily as Theron could. As such, they had to rely on other methods to sense and feel the shifts in the world around them.


    Back when Theron was a Bronze Mancer, one of his favored sensory techniques to make up for a lack of Third Eye was dispersing his Water Mana around him¡ªironically into a mist¡ªand feeling the movement of those that pushed through it.


    Of course, this wasn''t true Mist Mana, but instead a bastardized version. But even so, that method wasted a ton of Mana because while Theron could disperse his Mana to that point, he couldn''t pull it back because it was no longer in a form he could easily control.


    In this case, these geniuses had managed to form their own similar methods. But that likewise wasted a great deal of Mana.


    Luckily for them, they had more Mana now than a Bronze Mancer Theron. But they were still barely able to hold on to this point.


    "Where is Theron?" General Pennel asked.


    The group looked to one another, but it was clear that no one had an answer.


    General Pennel fell into silence. He felt that there was something wrong, but the first answer didn''t seem to make any sense.


    That answer was that Theron had cleared their challenge away for this, causing this Mist to slowly dissipate and allowing them to see through it and hear one another again.


    But the other answer¡­ that Theron was the target all along, and once he was dead, there was no need for them to attack anymore¡­


    That somehow felt less ridiculous.


    Why would Theron be the target? He had caused a great deal of upheaval in the Nightingale Empire by this point, but had it reached a level of reaching the ears of the other Empires?


    But the first problem seemed even more ridiculous than that, because even if Theron was the one that got them out of this¡­ where was he? What reason would he have to suddenly escape?


    If escaping was something Theron wanted to do, couldn''t he have done so any number of other ways already?


    General Pennel could have never guessed that the real answer was a combination of the two. But what he did know was that they were suddenly out of their target depth, and something had to be done, or else Theron might not be the only one to die.


    Taking a breath, General Pennel settled down.


    The smart thing to do was retreat, but there was a very good reason he had brought these kids along with him. If they couldn''t display their talent now, there would never be a chance for them to do so in the future.


    The Nightingale Empire was closer to collapse than any of them knew.


    General Pennel had never wanted kids of his own because he knew that they would have to carry this burden. These kids, though¡­


    Weren''t his children.


    They were the warriors of the Empire, and they would have to start acting like it.


    "Find your horses. We move forward. Aliza, you will take the vanguard with the other academic stream students once again."


    **


    Theron dashed to the other side of the stagnant river, his thoughts not on General Pennel at all. All he cared about was taking advantage of the Mist while it was still here.


    Without the direction of the Mist Mancer, the density of the fog had already begun to flag, but by then Theron had long made it to the other side of the wide river and to the location he was aiming for.


    The blockage.


    ''Earth Mancer. A powerful one, at that.''


    Theron looked out toward where the river began to slope upward, headed out of the basin they were in. There, at a critical point, a tall line of thick, jagged rocks had appeared. It was definitely not a natural formation; they were too uniform, and too perfectly designed not to entirely stop the water, but to instead slow it down considerably.


    Building a dam to stop a river this large would be a tall task given a short period of time. But if it was a Gold Mancer, and they took an intelligent approach like this one that forced the water to take a maze through to get to the other side¡ªnot to mention using gravity to their advantage¡­


    It could be done.


    Theron nodded to himself. ''Interesting.''


    He stood, crossing over to the other side of the river where the bacteria and various other pathogens had already been filtered out. Here, he could finally sense pure Water Mana again.


    Bending over once more, he dipped his forearms in and took a deep breath. His hair flickered with familiar colors again, but he didn''t dip completely into his Echo.


    [Aqua Resonance].


    A light blue glow crawled up his arms and his wounds began to heal at a visible speed. Theron had put a lot of effort into learning healing spells these days, and unsurprisingly, his progress was shocking.


    Even though [Aqua Resonance] was just a Bronze Resonance Technique, when amplified by his Immortal Jellyfish Echo, its power was more than 10x what it should be.


    Not only were his wounds healing, but his blood was being replenished at an astonishing pace.


    After a while, Theron slowly opened his eyes.


    ''The alpha won''t like that so many of its kin are dead.''


    Theron pulled out the severed head of a familiar Mist Mancer.


    ''Using the hounds to target me is interesting. I wonder if you''ll like a taste of your own medicine.''


    Theron tossed the head into the river, watching it bob up the flow.


    A head like that wouldn''t necessarily naturally float, but Theron had made sure it would.


    For so many of those hounds to make it here, the pack''s core must be nearby. They had likely migrated away from the stale water. In which case¡­ they''d stumble onto this head very soon.


    Theron''s figure flashed and he vanished into the line of trees. Hopping up, he shrouded himself in stealth, his breathing becoming incredibly shallow, his Mana slowing to a crawl, and his steps echoing not even the faintest of sounds.


    Minutes later, he spotted his first hound. His pores practically closed up, the scent of his blood and life suffocated into silence as well.


    He continued forward, and he began to stumble into more and more hounds until he spotted it from a distance.


    A hound trotted forward almost nervously, a head in its open maw. It stopped before a wolf the size of a horse, letting the head drop to the ground.


    The alpha looked at the head, its nose twitching for just a few moments before it raised its head up and unleashed a howl that made the trees sway.


    It stood so fast the ground cracked, its long, shimmering, and arched claws splitting the hard soil like scythes.


    Then it dashed off.


    Theron watched all of this calmly.


    The Mist Mancer was obviously already dead. However, he had saturated himself with poison formed from the rotting corpses of countless hounds.


    The reason these wolves were called hounds instead of wolves was precisely because of just how sensitive their noses were. It was because of this it was so peculiar that they had ignored the Blood Weeds when they definitely should have sensed them.


    And that sensitive nose would allow the alpha to decipher between hundreds of different scents¡­


    Including those of the people the Mist Mancer had spent the most time with in the last few days.


    Theron lightly tapped the branch as the pack began to surge. He followed after in the shadows, his movements impossible to track.

 Chapter 243: Odd

    Theron tracked the hounds expertly. There were probably no other Silver Mancers in the world that would dare to follow a pack of hounds so closely, but Theron was undetectable to them.


    The hardest part was hiding his scent, but once you understood the principles of odor and how water could influence it, it was a simple matter for Theron with his new level of Mana control to manage it.


    Moisture tended to make smells stronger. The power of a scent often came from the length of contact with the nose as well. Not only did water and water vapor do a much better job of trapping scents and forcing them to linger in particular regions, but when these odors reached the nose, the extra water content would cause them to coat the olfactory senses for much longer.


    This sounded like Water Mana would do the opposite of what Theron wanted, making him smell stronger to the nose of these hounds and thus picked out with far greater ease. But it was all about applications.


    Not only could Theron control his own body to the extent that not much of his own scent would leak out through the most obvious methods like sweat, but he could deploy his Water Mana strategically to make it so that scents around him were dramatically exaggerated, masking what scents he might accidentally leak all the better.


    If he was amplifying the scent of leaves and bark in a forest filled with, well¡­ leaves and bark, how would the hounds pick him out? Especially if he did so over a large enough area?


    The applications of Mana control simply felt endless, and every time Theron thought of a new method of application, he was all the more certain in his own assessments of the right path to take forward.


    Now, when he started playing with the density of these waters as well¡­


    The results spoke for themselves.


    Theron came to a stop, his eyes narrowing. Up ahead, there was a rocky region that cut into the otherwise green landscape. This rocky region had several openings that formed what seemed to be a network of underground tunnels, cave systems, and things of the like.


    Until now, Theron had yet to lay eyes on what it was the hounds had come here for. In fact, he had found it quite odd that the pack was just lazing around in the middle of nowhere.


    Other than being near the normal flow of the river¡ªalbeit stymied by the block of the in-flow¡ªthere was nothing special at all about the location he had found the hounds in.


    He thought that maybe by using the hounds to find those hidden in the background, pulling strings, he would be able to spot what was so special about this region. But once again¡­


    ''Wait.''


    Theron took a look at the rock formations again as the hounds charged in. He remained hidden in the line of trees. Due to the rock formations, there was little in the way of cover ahead, so it had become far riskier to move forward. In fact, he was even tempted to wait for nightfall right now, which didn''t seem too far away.


    However, right now, this wasn''t what was at the forefront of Theron''s mind. Instead, he was looking at the rocks, staring at them as though they could give him the insight he wanted.


    ''¡­ Indeed¡­'' S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Theron was certain of it. These rocks were formed by the same person who formed the blockage up the river.


    Every Mancer''s control had unique imprints on them. For something like Earth Mana, or Mana that took solid forms in general, these imprints were more obvious.


    It was like a clay sculptor constantly molding their fingers around an object they were forming. Various Earth Mancers would all have their own ways of building up and forging Earth Mana.


    Over the years, they''d get used to particular patterns, not just because of familiarity, but also ease.


    Earth Mana was particularly difficult to take from the world around them because it was rooted in the Life Mana of the world itself. Although this Life Mana was more forgiving, that didn''t make it easy.


    Because of this, Earth Mancers needed methods of cutting corners and conserving their own Mana to the greatest extent possible. Depending on the skill of the Earth Mancer, these methods would come in various forms, but no two methods were exactly the same.


    Ironically enough, the more powerful and skilled the Earth Mancer, the easier these patterns were to pick out, almost like sediment locked away in the earth.


    If he split these rocks in two, the patterns would become even more obvious, and he would be able to follow the layering technique the Earth Mancer loved most.


    ''If these rock formations aren''t natural, then that means that whatever their target is happens to be underground? But then why is it that the hounds haven''t been here the entire time? Was their migration more coincidence than not? Then why ignore the Blood Weed?''


    Theron thought of the Mist Mancer. Then he considered the fact that Mana Beasts, in particular, were much more intelligent than their feral beast counterparts.


    ''Could the tunnels have confused them? If that''s the case, then they might have pulled back to rest or find a solution¡­ until I gave them a method to use their noses to find their targets directly.''


    By the time Theron had gone through his thoughts, the entire pack had surged inside. There had been more of them streaming in from behind him, but now even they were gone.


    Theron had counted over about 80 or so of them, the weakest of which was in the mid-tier of Silver Mancy, and the strongest¡­


    Well, that was the Alpha at Quasi Gold.


    But he had also noticed that there was something peculiar about the Alpha. It seemed almost¡­


    Hollow.


    As though some part of it was missing.


    It felt so weak that Theron thought he could kill it with a single blow.


    ''There''s definitely something odd going on here.''


    Theron looked up at the skies again.


    Logic said it was far too dangerous to enter tunnels formed by an Earth Mancer, especially since said Earth Mancer would likely have Gold Resonance.


    Theron took a step and shot forward.

 Chapter 244: Sangun

    The little prince sat on a rock high above the floor of the open chasm. Down below, a team of Earth Mancers, led by a burly, powerful man, continued to chip away at the earth.


    The lower they went, the more difficult it was to use Earth Mana as they got closer to the core of the world.


    Technically speaking, they were still a long distance away from the core of the world, being barely 30 meters or so beneath the surface. And yet, the difference was already striking.


    The little prince''s eyes suddenly narrowed as he pulled out something from his spatial ring. Once again, a miniature soul lamp had winked out¡­ the very soul lamp of a familiar Mist Mancer.


    A shadow popped up from the little prince''s back, staring down over his shoulder.


    "Prizdyl does not know how to listen to instructions, he never has. This is not your fault, prince."


    "¡­"


    Was it that the Mist Mancer hadn''t listened to instructions? Or were their enemies more prepared than they knew?


    In truth, the little prince didn''t know much about Theron either. He was told to speak the words he had, so he had done so. Those that wanted this to happen were much more powerful than him, and it seemed that his father felt he was still too young to know the inner workings of such things. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the more odd things that occurred, the more he couldn''t help but build Theron into some sort of mythical figure¡­ and the more he wanted to fight him.


    "I feel like something will go wrong soon," the little prince said slowly.


    The intuition of the little prince spoke for itself. In the entire Sangun Empire''s younger generation, the only one with a sharper instinct for such things was the little prince''s elder brother, the crown prince.


    The words of the little prince had hardly fallen when howls began to reverberate through the tunnels.


    Reacting immediately, the little prince stood to his feet.


    "Impossible," the shadow said coldly. "The Alpha wouldn''t be so stupid, not when the poison is still running through its veins. We should still have another three days."


    The words of the shadow were very odd, almost as though he, a Gold Mancer, was afraid of a mere Quasi Gold beast.


    "That only depends," the little prince replied.


    As for what it depended on, they both knew. If the Alpha wanted to take the risk of ignoring everything and taking that final step, or it got close to both of their targets, it would mean trouble.


    A lot of trouble.


    There was only one reason the Alpha would do this.


    "Prizdyl made a mistake or overextended him¡­ the noses of the hounds are too strong, and it''s especially bad since they''ve smelt us all before. Prepare for battle."


    **


    Theron shot into the rock formations, his steps fast and light, but he also wasn''t pushing himself as fast as possible. What he didn''t expect was the surprise that came after just a few steps.


    The sound of the tunnels was very peculiar. Theron could feel them reverberating back at him, forming into peak waves that made him feel as though his ears might burst, but then when he took another step, it would be as though there was no sound at all.


    A frown furrowed his brows.


    This had been happening since he stepped into the tunnels. It was similar to the methods of the Mist Mancer, and yet so much different at the same time.


    It was like they used the same principles, but chose to apply them in different ways.


    However, this confusion of Theron''s only lasted for a moment before a realization overwhelmed him.


    His steps came to a pause, the darkness of the cave unable to stop the glow of his blue eyes. He stood there for a long while, adjusting himself, changing his plans, and then assessing and reassessing the situation.


    ''¡­ I see¡­ so that''s what I''m dealing with right now¡­''


    There was a big difference between knowing that they were being targeted by what was likely another Empire, and knowing exactly which Empire that was.


    It completely changed Theron''s approach.


    The Sangun Empire wasn''t something that Theron knew much about. His information about things was very limited, mostly because he lacked the time.


    However, now that he was going to be facing off against the adjacent Empires, he knew that he had to be on top of this game, so he had done a small bit of research on them before leaving¡­


    At least enough to know the basics.


    The Sangun Empire didn''t have a particular affinity like the Nightingale or Firewings seemed to have. Instead, they were known for a very particular array of paths, all of which were related to Sound Mancy.


    It could be said that regardless of the Mancer Path a member of the Sangun Empire was on, they would have some sort of sound-type technique to supplement it.


    This was very odd to Theron because it didn''t make sense. Sound Mancy was its own entity, so the insistence of following the path even when it wasn''t the best option for your Mancer Path was peculiar. It was like if Theron insisted on becoming a glass cannon as a Water Mancer.


    There was another reason this stuck out to Theron, and that was obviously because not long ago, he had had a discussion with Sadie about particularly powerful sound-type Clans¡­


    The Harmon Clan and the Bell Clan.


    For him to suddenly run into an enemy that also relied so heavily on sound, he was very curious¡­


    He felt like he was being targeted from the very moment he stepped into this place, and then there was Sadie''s words about his Galethunder Clan. If Sadie could figure it out, what about the Clans themselves?


    Or maybe¡­


    Was this the retaliation for the death of Merchant Greycoat finally coming to collect?


    Theron''s eyes narrowed. Slowly, he pressed a palm against the walls of concentrated earth.


    Could all of this be a facade to lure him into a trap?


    No. How could they set something like this up so fast? Even he had only recently found out that he would be representing the Nightingale Empire.


    In that case, there was definitely something down there.


    ''Forward.''

 Chapter 245: Inner Ear

    Theron''s steps came to a slow stop. The sounds of battle were beginning to intersect in his ears faster and faster. The peak nodes were starting to accelerate, which should mean that he was getting closer.


    ''This must be a flaw of the sound dispersion method¡­''


    Theron had had a hard time finding his way forward. And because all the tunnels were artificial, they were purposely structured so that each one felt identical to the last while you were in the middle of it.


    Between that and the distorted sounds, not only was his balance a bit off, but keeping track of exactly where he was at all times was very difficult.


    Without a sense of smell like the hounds to follow, and being unable to follow closely behind them without being attacked himself, he could only move forward by trial and error.


    The main trouble was that, as he moved forward, he found that this "flaw" he had found was actually quite a problem to deal with.


    The clashing sounds from sudden abrupt silence were really messing with his inner ear. This wasn''t just messing with his actual balance, but also his ability to orient himself, to tell up from down and even left from right.


    Sometimes when he moved, he had to be doubly or even triply sure before he took a step, or else he was worried that he might go the wrong way.


    Theron was slowly finding his own methods of countering this, his steps slow and steady, his mind completely focused.


    By the time he got to this point, he felt that his ability to counterbalance and shift the fluid in his inner ear was getting better.


    He entered Veinsong, and his steps began lighter. His sharpness over the control of his body increased.


    Then¡­ he began to play around with the density of the fluid in his ear.


    That was when Theron began to slowly master a new ability.


    By using his Blue Pufferfish Echo to change the density of the water in his inner ear, he could change the structural properties of his ear. Meaning¡­


    Sounds that humans would never be able to pick up on because they were outside their frequency ranges¡­


    He could.


    Not only could he, but he could shift the refractive index of the water in his ear to trap sounds that would otherwise be too far away or too low in volume to pick up on. Or, he could do the exact opposite¡­


    Making loud and abrasive sounds worthless in front of him.


    ''If I can do that¡­''


    Theron realized that this had a lot of potential. The trouble was that it took a lot of refinement and practice. He wasn''t a Sound Mancer, so his feel for Sound Mana was limited. He had been able to dial in a defense against these tunnels because the challenge was consistent. But could he easily do the same in the middle of a battle?


    Unlikely.


    That said, he had the thought anyway. If he could do this for his ears, there was no reason why he couldn''t shift the water content of his nose around to pick up on scents with greater ease as well.


    But ironically enough, that would probably be even more difficult precisely because it would be less exact.


    Maybe he''d be able to make smells more obvious to him, but that didn''t mean that he''d have the same ability as hounds to decipher between them and pick out exactly what he needed to follow.


    Theron slotted these thoughts into the back of his mind. For now, the tweaks to his olfactory senses could be set aside. As for his hearing¡­ this just might save his life very soon.


    ''Here.''


    Theron came to a stop and then peeked around a corner. A clashing wave of sounds assaulted his ears, but he was more than ready, the density in his ears having already adjusted.


    ''If I make it any heavier, I''ll rupture my own ears¡­''


    It was a good thing that this should be the last push.


    Theron slipped forward, pushing past the last abrasive echo to set sights on the scene below.


    It was absolute chaos.


    Finally, without the distortions, Theron could see the scene, and it was well and truly as he described.


    It didn''t feel like a normal battle at all, but an all-out war, and at the center of it all, there was an Earth Mancer Theron was sure was the core reason behind these extensive tunnels, and the Alpha.


    The Alpha, ironically enough, looked broken and weak as though it might collapse at any moment. Yet, rather than going in for the kill, the Earth Mancer seemed to be especially wary.


    ''There really is something wrong with the Alpha.''


    Theron had realized this earlier, but he hadn''t taken advantage mostly because it was more convenient to him to make use of the pack. The Core of a Quasi Gold Mana Beast entirely unrelated to his Mancy Path was worthless to him at this point. He didn''t need the money, he would just extort any one of the powers vying for his attention if he needed something.


    Now, it seemed that that decision on his part was quite smart. If the Alpha was hiding something that could make even a Gold Mancer too wary to deal a death blow, then it would surely kill Theron too.


    Theron laid low, continuing to scan the scene of the battle. He noticed that there were a few other entrances to this place that hung high above like his current position, but everyone seemed to have already joined the battle.


    ''This is another flaw. To make sure the sound travels well in the tunnels, they had to form these many "vents"¡­ but what are they fighting over?''


    Even after several seconds of scanning, Theron couldn''t see anything special. All he noticed was¡­ S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''They''re still digging¡­ is what they want underground?''


    "So it really is you."


    The voice came from nowhere and yet everywhere at once, surrounding Theron''s head like a pocket of air in the depths of the ocean.

 Chapter 246: Or...

    It was quite rare for Theron to be taken off guard. But while he was caught unawares, he wasn''t actually surprised.


    This wasn''t his territory, but instead that of another. If the tunnels had been perfectly curated to forge a formation of sound waves that amplified and dulled echoes, there was no reason for them to not be able to do it in reverse.


    Theron could easily imagine a scenario where they had known the moment he entered and had been tracking his movements all the way.


    Of course, that was also the worst-case scenario, and while he had taken it into account, he didn''t feel that it was likely.


    This was much more in line with what he thought might happen. They could detect him, but there were limits, or else, in all likelihood, it wouldn''t have taken them this long.


    And oddly enough¡­ there wasn''t nearly enough hostility given the situation.


    Theron simply turned his head back to find a young boy maybe just a couple of months younger than him, if he was younger by much at all.


    He had eyes that glowed red in the slight darkness and hair that perfectly fused into that very same darkness.


    Though they were around the same age, though Theron''s shoulders were broader, the young boy''s stature was taller by a good half a head. The black robes he wore and the shadows around them made it feel like he stretched out even further than that, giving him an even more looming and cool feel.


    The young prince of the Sangun Clan, Akkun.


    Theron gave the boy a glance and then looked around. He didn''t detect anything, but he also wasn''t entirely sure. The distortions in this place were quite great.


    "You''re quite arrogant," Akkun said with the same calm cadence. "You see a boy your age, and your immediate assumption is that he came with help? You think quite highly of yourself."


    Theron ignored Akkun. His actions had nothing to do with arrogance; it was self-preservation. Why would he assume that this young man was just strutting around on his own?


    Akkun didn''t seem to mind, looking past Theron and toward the battle down below.


    "I bet you''re wondering why it is the Alpha is acting like that. I can tell you."


    Theron''s eyes narrowed.


    "Oh, so you''re that type," Akkun said faintly, tilting his head to the side as his gaze returned to Theron.


    Theron wasn''t sure what Akkun meant by "that type."


    "Well, I''m a man of my word. It isn''t as though whether you know or not will make much of a difference to the situation. I''m not entirely sure how you managed to make it here, but what I do know is that if you try to fight right now, you''ll find your body not working the way you hoped it would.


    "As for the Alpha, it''s at a fork in the road of its cultivation journey. On one side, there''s a sliver of hope to become a Runebound Mana Beast. On the other side, there''s the door to Gold Mancy."


    Theron''s gaze flickered. Runebound? That was ridiculous. Lightning Blood Hounds weren''t common by any means, as they were Mana Beasts at the end of the day, but they were still just Imbued Beasts.


    Between Imbued, there was still Manaborn, and then Runebound Beasts beyond that.


    Theron had never laid eyes on a Manaborn Beast, let alone a Runebound one.


    Defeating Imbued Beasts at the same level was already a nightmare. The only reason Theron made it seem so simple to slaughter the hounds was because¡­


    Well, he was far stronger than an Imbued Beast. After all, he had a Manaborn Resonance now.


    "Don''t believe me?" Akkun asked. "It''s the reason they came here in the first place. There''s a very interesting history to this land, you know. You ever wonder how a Fire Empire and Wood Empire ended up right next to one another?"


    Akkun continued to observe Theron, but by now, Theron''s expression had become a blank slate.


    "Ah, you might not know. This Nightingale Empire is mostly a facade. Darkness? It could be said that the Nightingale Clan lives up to their affinity, slinking around in the shadows, backstabbing others in the night, and then rushing off like thieves.


    "The root of it all is Spirit."


    Seeing that Theron still didn''t respond, Akkun just continued to speak as though he had all the time in the world.


    "You ever wonder what''s so special about this region here? Why your strongest army has to be positioned to the north and we just so happen to be in a transition point between the northern tip of your Empire and the center?"


    Akkun suddenly smiled, but it seemed almost forced, almost as though it came from someone who wasn''t used to it.


    "It''s quite an interesting tale, actually. Curious how it''s your General Pennel who knows of what''s happening in this situation, but your Emperor doesn''t. Do you think the Pennel Clan is rebelling? How interesting."


    Suddenly, Akkun went from divulging large amounts of information to teasing out his next words as though he wanted to see Theron squirm.


    He didn''t get his wish.


    There was a deadpan expression on Theron''s face as though he hadn''t been listening at all. His eyes even dropped somewhat, exuding a near laziness to them that was actually underlying the amount of focus he was putting into his thoughts.


    Or more accurately¡­ his body.


    BANG!


    Theron suddenly moved.


    Akkun took a step back at the same time, his motions almost casual as a black spear with a crimson red blade appeared in his palm. He thrust it downward like a king pointing toward his army from on high, his Mana flourishing. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chi.


    Theron''s body seemed to hit a new gear.


    Akkun''s spear-wielding arm flew into the skies, his blood spurting and using his widened eyes as their canvas.


    Theron was quite surprised as well. He had aimed for Akkun''s neck before shifting to his arm last minute, assuming that an attack would come somewhere from the shadows.


    Only for nothing to come.


    Either whatever was in the darkness didn''t act on purpose¡­


    Or this prince really had been idiotic enough to come on his own.

 Chapter 247: A Game [600 GT Bonus]

    Akkun felt his world spinning around him.


    "You¡­"


    Theron lightly tapped on the ground with a foot, his eyes still darting around as though he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but nothing came of it.


    Without turning back, his head tilted to one side as a spear thrust passed over his shoulder. There was a smoothness to his actions that made them incredibly hard to read, and the so-called imbalance that he was supposed to suffer according to Akkun didn''t seem to be there at all.


    Only Theron knew that it truly was there¡­ it was just that Akkun was far too weak.


    Being a few months younger than him, Akkun was surely a great talent, a young man already in the Sixth Silver Resonance. Unfortunately, before the current Theron, such a cultivation level, especially without a Manaborn Resonance to back it, was absolutely worthless.


    He didn''t need to use any special tricks, abilities, or even spells. The only reason he was so cautious was because this environment wasn''t to his advantage. The Earth Mana was in high concentration, and the disorientation caused by the sound field was troubling. But¡­


    Theron crossed his blades along the shaft of the spear just as the little prince tried to pull it back.


    Unfortunately for him, Akkun only had one arm left and not nearly the same strength or balance. The spear blade''s lower body got caught in the cross of Theron''s blade.


    Theron took a strong step back, his leg splitting Akkun''s own as it pulled his crossed blades forward. With a twist of his hip and torso, he threw Akkun over his shoulder.


    BANG!


    All the wind was knocked out of the little prince as his back slammed into the ground. He tried to get up, but both of Theron''s blades pierced into the earth on either side of his neck so close that a layer of skin was peeled off.


    At this point, Akkun didn''t even dare to stand, even if Theron gave him the opportunity to. The blades were so close that if he shifted just the slightest bit to the left or right on his ascent, he would sever his own artery.


    No, they weren''t just "close." They were literally already embedded into a shallow depth of his skin. Just the level of weapon control it would have taken Theron to do this made Akkun want to shiver from head to toe, and yet he forced his body to stop, thinking he might accidentally kill himself if he did so.


    "The likelihood a little prince like you would be walking around without protection is minimal. It seems that you''ve been betrayed," Theron said calmly.


    Akkun''s eyes widened, and then his pupils trembled. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hadn''t thought of it because before he left, he had told the shadow his services wouldn''t be needed. But since when had the man ever listened to him?


    "Maybe he''s in the shadows right now, listening to that. I imagine even if I let you go, he''ll kill you anyway to stop you from getting the chance, hm?"


    "No¡­ no, he won''t." The first "no" was shaky, but Akkun seemed to remember who he was after hearing the cowardice in his tone.


    "Oh yeah? Why''s that?" Theron asked lightly as though he didn''t know the answer.


    "Because my soul lamp is too high level. My Clan will know if he is the one to kill me."


    "Clever. Is that your way of warning me?"


    Akkun didn''t respond.


    "You seem to forget that you already came here to kill me. What difference would it make if I killed you now? I''m sure another will come."


    "You couldn''t possibly know that."


    "Well, I know it for sure now."


    Akkun clenched his jaw, but then immediately stopped as he felt the slight bulge in his neck deepen the cuts.


    "So why don''t you tell me why, and I can consider letting you go?"


    "¡­ I don''t know," he eventually replied.


    "Who ordered it?"


    "I don''t know. My father is the one that informed me."


    Theron didn''t reply. Akkun''s words came with a lot of implications to them. Implications that seemed to point toward the Emperor of a province maybe taking orders from somewhere else?


    "And you''re telling me that you have no guesses at all?"


    Akkun''s pupils trembled again, but his voice remained steady.


    "I do not."


    "Mm. Is that so? So you''re just so sure that it wasn''t your father that ordered it, and you want me to believe that, but also simultaneously believe that you have no inkling as to who might be directing from the sidelines?"


    Theron tapped the hilt of his short sword just the slightest bit, sending vibrations down its side. Every slight shift took a little bit more blood, and now Akkun could feel the hot stickiness running down his neck and soaking the back of his head through.


    "I¡­ really don''t know for sure."


    "Give me your best guess."


    "I don''t know them. I just know that my father has been meeting with people I do not recognize. They came after the change to the moons. Other than that, I really don''t know anything."


    "Sure you do. Describe them to me."


    "They were all covert. I didn''t see anything other than black cloaks and swaying figures. I couldn''t even make out the color of their eyes. They were definitely wearing some sort of masking technique."


    "They, huh? So more than one of them appeared?"


    "Yes. There were four of them."


    This made Theron curious.


    "How long after their appearance did your father give the order to kill me?"


    "It was only after the moon phenomenon. It hasn''t been long since then, and they appeared a day or two after it happened."


    Theron looked up from Akkun, his eyes glowing in the shadows.


    Akkun kept mentioning the moon phenomenon not because he knew Theron and it were connected, but because it was a fairly huge deal and an easy marker to use as a checkpoint in his memories.


    But these words meant something very different to Theron.


    I will let you live. Stoke that hatred, become the fuel for my Karma.


    The words echoed in Theron''s ears. The only Path of Mancy he knew almost more than Water Mancy was the Spirit Mancy Path. He spent every fiber of his being reading everything he could about it.


    He still didn''t know everything it meant for one person''s Karma to fuel another, but he had some guesses.


    He was being fattened up like a lamb.


    The moment Akkun said there was more than one, alarm bells had gone off in his head. If the party could direct the actions of an entire Empire, sending more than one person seemed superfluous. Unless¡­


    Unless the people sent weren''t the real heads, unless they were just obstacle courses placed in front of him now that a certain Spirit Mancer was finally just a little bit interested in him.


    If there was one person in the world that knew Theron was linked to the changes in the moon, it was that person. Theron felt it more intimately now than ever before.


    And whoever those four cloaked figures were, they were coming after him.


    Murder reflected in Theron''s eyes. He really did just treat this like a game.


    Theron ripped up his blades and Akkun''s head went rolling to the side, eyes wide.


    Heat bubbled up within him.

 Chapter 248: Instinct

    Theron stood there in silence for a long while, the world becoming a pulsing echo of his heartbeat ringing in his ears. He could practically feel every chamber in his chest opening and closing, their valves flexing and relaxing in a continuous motion that only seemed to get faster and faster with every passing second.


    Finally, he closed his eyes.


    He wasn''t living for himself.


    In this last year, he had lost count of the number of times he had whispered these exact words to himself. The furious side of him wanted to rampage, but it was foolish to even consider it.


    Where would he go on a rampage? Who would his opponent be? He couldn''t even protect himself completely in an Empire like the Nightingales, and now he was supposed to go up against a power that was stronger than them?


    How would he do that exactly? By screaming to the skies like he had a year ago?


    Pathetic.


    The last thought caused him to exhale. A steaming cold breath came from his lips, pulled right into his necklace.


    Theron looked down, his gaze carrying its own icy hell within. The temperature in the surroundings seemed to drop by just a few degrees, but it was very real nonetheless.


    His gaze shifted and he looked off into the distance, but the shadow that was meant to be protecting Akkun still hadn''t appeared.


    While it seemed foolish for Theron to kill Akkun without finishing his questions, he had done it on purpose. The fact Akkun''s soul lamp recorded his last moments meant that anything he found out through Akkun, others would know that he knew¡ªat least up to a certain point.


    Maybe it wouldn''t make much of a difference if that Karmic Spirit Mancer knew that he knew of his existence, but Theron still didn''t want him to know that he was aware just yet.


    And more importantly, if just the immediate situation was taken into account, the secrets of the Nightingale Empire and its surrounding lands¡­


    However, there was one thing that Theron was quite certain of.


    "I know you''re there. So how about we stop wasting time?"


    Theron''s foot moved in a flash, Akkun''s head deforming as though a ball on the roof of his foot as he kicked it out. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    BANG!


    There was a pause and then the head suddenly accelerated, a great deal of power and menace sending it flying into the distance.


    If all of that was the first reason he killed Akkun so abruptly, the second reason was to find this danger hidden away in the shadows.


    The instinct of this shadow, maybe for every year since Akkun had been born until right this moment, was to protect. No matter how stone-cold, no matter how indifferent, that instinct would kick in even to the slightest extent when Theron so abruptly acted to kill.


    Unless the shadow was ready and prepared to control themselves, there would definitely be a flinch of their bodies, a twitch of their hearts, a hitch in their breath.


    Something.


    Theron had killed Akkun so abruptly, and for seemingly no reason at all. Akkun''s last words had just been about pinpointing time, and there were still so many other questions to ask, it was simply the last moment the shadow would expect him to be killed.


    BANG!


    The head exploded on contact with the wall, but there was nothing at all.


    Theron looked out, blinking toward the location. He stood there for a long while as though he was still double-checking.


    Then, he shook his head, bent down to snatch Akkun''s spatial ring, and then turned to leave.


    Just as he passed a certain location hidden in the shadows, he suddenly moved. His eyes left streaks in the air, almost as though he had instantly become a wild, untamed beast with death-filled pupils.


    Savage and abrasive, he swung his short sword with all his might. But at some point, it had been swapped. No longer being a normal short sword¡­


    But instead, his father''s.


    A cry of surprise echoed as something shifted, struggling to block.


    BOOM!


    There were two sounds, but the first of clashing weapons was suffocated by the sound of a back slamming against a stone wall.


    Theron''s back.


    All the air seemed to leave Theron''s body at the same time, hacking up the wind of his lungs and the saliva of his throat in one go. His inner organs shook and his ribs and spine flexed against the solid earth.


    ''Strong.''


    This wasn''t just some First Resonance Gold Mancer. No, Theron couldn''t quite tell his cultivation just yet. But what he did know was that there was a big difference between this man and the Mist Mancer.


    Even caught off guard, he defended so perfectly. No, not just defending, but countering.


    However, Theron was ready for this.


    The shadow seemed to slowly manifest, Dark Mana rippling around him as he looked down at the blade in his hand.


    A blade that had been severed in two.


    A gash ran down the length of his chest, just barely missing his neck and opting for his collarbone instead.


    Both things seemed to shock him, but losing his weapon seemed even more ridiculous to him¡­


    But then he looked up to the translucent blue short sword in Theron''s hand.


    Confusion. Surprise. Greed.


    The emotions were all layered atop of one another.


    "¡­ How did you know I was there?" the shadow asked coldly.


    Theron''s body slid down the wall, landing nimbly on the tips of his toes. His body swayed slightly before stabilizing itself.


    He really had to thank this man. If not for that sudden jolt, the last of the disequilibrium in his body wouldn''t have been shaken out. Now, he was ready.


    Veinsong.


    The frigidity in Theron''s eyes reached a new depth, his focus coming with a frosty stream of light that danced out of the corner of his eyes.


    Water Mana pooled around him, his hair beginning to emit solar flares of violet, blue, and pink as though becoming the silky tendrils of the Immortal Jellyfish.


    His toes flexed into the soles of his shoes and then the ground beneath.


    BANG!


    He accelerated forward.

 Chapter 249: Flash

    The shadow hardly had time to be shocked that Theron actually dared to attack him when the first blade appeared before his eyes.


    There wasn''t enough room to maneuver in the cave. They hadn''t had much time to form the tunnels in the first place, so the width was only about three meters or so. As for the lengths, there were many twists and turns in order to form the formation that filtered and controlled the sound.


    Due to that, there wasn''t even remotely enough room for the shadow to take advantage of his speed. By comparison, Theron''s ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change directions was actually far superior.


    His body was truly akin to fluid water. He crossed the handful of meters that separated them in the blink of an eye, slashing down with strong might.


    The flash of blue forced the shadow to dodge. There was simply no way he would dare to take that blade head on again, not without a weapon that could match it.


    Unfortunately for him, he had no idea that Theron had drained half of his Mana for that earlier attack. He had to make certain that he destroyed the shadow''s weapon, so he had made his blade exceptionally heavy.


    The reason his expression had been so savage was because he was swinging down a weight far beyond his ability to control with ease.


    But now, that feeling was imprinted into the shadow''s mind. No matter what he did, the fear of what this blade could do would lurk in the back of his mind. Even when he could take it head on, he wouldn''t dare to¡­


    That would provide opportunities for Theron''s follow-up attacks.


    And follow-up they did.


    The shadow dodged right into a swift thrust of Theron''s dagger. It swung in a vicious uppercut, aiming for the bottom of his jaw.


    Cut off, and having nowhere to go, the shadow could only face it, slamming out a palm toward Theron''s inner elbow to knock the dagger off course.


    A furious exchange suddenly exploded between the two in close quarters. It was clear in an instant that one party had far superior strength, but as though Theron was holding a bomb that would wipe out a mountain in his hand, the avoidance of the short sword was continuously the shadow''s downfall.


    Whenever it seemed Theron would lose any momentum he had, the flash of blue came, beautiful and sparkling in the depths of the darkness, and yet nothing but a nightmare to the shadow. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At some point, the shadow even began to question if he had been lied to. Was Theron really an Elemental Mancer?


    Because Theron wasn''t taking a breath to cast any spells, the shadow didn''t have a chance to cast anything either.


    ''He''s doing it on purpose.''


    The realization overwhelmed the shadow. This young man was walking him down with a vicious intent pointed to only one direction.


    Kill.


    Suddenly, Theron exhaled, a heated breath coming from him as though his body was overheating.


    A flash of blue came from his eyes, and he cast [Shedding Water Skin]. With another flash, the temperature of the water plummeted. All of a sudden, his body''s ability to keep itself cool hit another level.


    He took a step to the side, dodging a fist and thrusting his short sword at the shadow''s liver.


    The shadow twisted out of the way, his eyes widened in shock. Wasn''t Theron supposed to not be able to have time to cast just like him? How was this happening?


    Taking advantage of his spinning momentum, the shadow shot out a backhanded fist toward Theron''s head, only to hit nothing but air.


    Theron had leaned back, his pupils darting across as he watched the shadow''s knuckles graze against his nose.


    Time slowed for him considerably, his Third Eye feeling as though it could grasp onto every little thing.


    Theron had realized that while his Water Resonance had reached Manaborn, his ability to apply it to other aspects of his style of combat tended to peel away some of its effectiveness.


    The further from pure Water Mancy he got, the weaker his Resonance seemed to become.


    But when he settled into a comprehension, when he could feel that part extending from himself as clearly as always¡­ when his movement, his blades, his understanding of other Mancy Paths began to catch up¡­


    The true strength of his Manaborn Water Resonance would begin to rear its head, akin to a dragon awakening from a long slumber.


    Theron''s dodge seamlessly transitioned into an arch of his torso and a smooth backflip.


    He had hardly landed on his feet when a sweeping leg wreathed in shadows came for his head, but his eyes were cold and indifferent to a shocking extent.


    There.


    Theron landed right in the middle of a peak node of sound. The water that coated his body vibrated all at once; however, the density of his [Shedding Water Skin] trapped it all within.


    The blaring sounds made it look as though miniature waves and tsunamis were growing out of his skin, pooling in arcs of blue and rippling Mana.


    The shadow was already committed to his attack, and even if he wasn''t, he wouldn''t understand what was happening.


    He, too, was a member of the Sangun Clan. He thought that he had baited Theron into a mistake right now. He would be just fine in that sound node because he knew how to deal with it, but would Theron?


    Unfortunately for him, he had no idea that the answer was actually yes.


    BOOM!


    The leg of the shadow landed against Theron''s body, but all at once, the power of the sound waves and Theron''s defensive [Shedding Water Skin] pooled together. Just before they reached their peak, [Pressurized Burst] added boiling oil to the fire.


    A scream of horror and pain came from the shadow as his leg shattered into a rain of blood.


    Theron took a step forward, streaks of blue coming from him as water sparkled down into a wild rain around him.


    Chi.


    His body accelerated, his father''s blade flashing.


    He landed behind the shadow, sheathing his blade as the Sangun Clan heir protector fell into a crimson puddle of his own blood.

 Chapter 250: Obvious Choice

    The click of a blade into its sheath came with the vanishing of a subtle crystalline blue. There was something particularly smooth about Theron''s actions, even though his body right now was covered in blood.


    His own blood.


    The shadow hadn''t made Theron suffer even a single wound, but right now he looked as though he had practically been tortured to death. In fact, the only reason he wasn''t dead right now was because he had such great control of Water Mana, especially his own. If not, he would have riddled himself with holes.


    What he had done just now was the equivalent of unpinning a grenade in the palm of his hands and then stuffing it into his enemy''s mouth.


    Sure, the opponent lost his head, but he was right in the midst of the explosion too.


    Using the peaks of the sound waves to store a great deal of energy within his [Shedding Water Skin], and then applying [Pressure Burst] on top of that made the latter technique easily more than ten times as powerful as usual.


    Unfortunately, that increase in strength also pushed beyond what Theron''s body was able to withstand at all.


    The good news was that these were still mostly superficial wounds, not meeting bone or severing his muscles or tendons. The bad news was that there were so many of them that he was losing too much blood, and it was bound to affect his performance nonetheless.


    Theron took a breath, slowing his heartbeat and trying to regain some stamina.


    Now, he was down to just 20% of his Mana. He had grown used to having practically endless Mana reserves, but if he was going to be fighting Gold Mancers like this, he would inevitably run into walls that he couldn''t manage at all.


    But there was no choice but to press forward right now.


    ''I don''t know if any one of those four individuals are here right now, if that shadow was one of them, or if this is just a probe on their part. But what I do know is that whatever the Alpha hound is after, it''s very real. And the Runebound Core of a Quasi Gold Mana Beast¡­ that''s too intriguing to miss out on.''


    Theron had long made his decision as he slowly pulled himself to the edge of the opening again, peering down toward the battle below.


    Not much seemed to have changed other than the numbers. Whether it was the side of the Sangun Clan or the Lightning Blood Hounds, both had lost a substantial number of combatants.


    In the middle, the Earth Mancer was still locked in a peculiar battle with the Alpha. If one didn''t know the situation, one would think that he was choreographing this battle so that the largest number of his own men would die.


    Though, even now, Theron couldn''t outright dismiss that possibility. He wasn''t sure why that shadow didn''t try to protect Akkun from death, but what he did know was that the Sangun Empire was suffering from internal strife at the worst times.


    Akkun might have been nothing in front of Theron, but having that strength at 13 or 14 years old was objectively impressive. Losing a talent like that was devastating. The Sangun Clan had probably already lost their minds and might very well be sending real powerhouses here.


    ''Maybe. This is still Nightingale Territory, after all. It''s unlikely that they''ll throw all caution to the wind.''


    As though reading much of Theron''s thoughts, the situation down below changed.


    Yet another Sangun Clan member fell beneath the claws of a hound, and right then, Theron sensed a shift in the Earth Mancer''s priorities. It was slight, but not only were Theron''s senses sharp, but observing the battle from a bird''s eye view gave him insight into things others couldn''t catch¡­


    Like the fact the Earth Mancer had used his heel to kick a rock in the direction of the Sangun Clan member that just died.


    It was fast, subtle, and exceptionally controlled¡ªas expected of a powerful and skilled Earth Mancer. The action was in the blind spots of everyone present but the dying Sangun Clan member. But to Theron, it was all right there to be observed.


    ''He really was waiting just to kill them. In fact, maybe he was even stalling so that the shadow would find a chance to kill that little prince too¡­ Interesting¡­'' sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the actions of them all, they seemed very confident in these tunnels to not let anyone else in. They didn''t even have any other scouts out here.


    But this was also a bad thing for Theron as well. If the Earth Mancer had killed everyone he wanted to, that meant that the Sangun Clan members remaining would all be of one mind. There''d be little to take advantage of.


    ''There''s seven of them left. One Gold Mancer, three Quasi Gold Mancers, and three Ninth Silver Resonance Mancers¡­ if the little prince''s words are to be taken seriously, whatever is down below their feet could help the Alpha to reach Runebound. But the Alpha could also break into Gold Mancy whenever it wanted as well, triggering its tribulation and putting everyone in danger¡­''


    ''In that case, the best way to deal with this situation is to just kill the Alpha so swiftly it can''t make that decision itself. But the Alpha is obviously smart enough to know this as well¡­''


    The trouble was that a Manaborn Mana Beast at Quasi Gold wasn''t necessarily weaker than a Gold Mancer. Even Imbued Mana Beasts were nightmares at their cultivation grade, let alone a Manaborn one.


    The only reason the Alpha looked so weak was because it was suppressing its cultivation so that it didn''t accidentally break through. But if the Earth Mancer pressed it, those chains and levers could snap with a thought, then they''d all be screwed.


    It was a tricky situation. If Theron was going to deal with it, the obvious choice would be¡­


    ''He''s doing it.''


    The Earth Mancer stomped a foot and the ground shook.


    At the same moment, the Alpha''s crimson eyes seemed to grow even redder, its blood boiling to the point sparks of ruby lightning began to jet out around it.


    That was right. Make the decision for the hound.


    While it was taking its chance to break into Runebound, it would be the most vulnerable.


    The Alpha pounced.

 Chapter 251: Captain Halder

    Captain Halder blew out a steamy breath down his nose and through his thick, brown mustache. A pair of hammers rested in his palms, glowing with a bronze echoing resonance as he faced off against the Alpha that towered before him.


    Quite frankly, he was growing tired of this game, but it was a necessary evil to accomplish what he wanted. After this, the little prince and many of the annoyances would be out of the way. Then they could report back to the Empire whatever they wanted, or they could disappear into thin air.


    Theron was wrong about one thing: this wasn''t actually a display of internal strife. In reality, the Sangun Clan was mostly close-knit and quite well-balanced. Not everyone was as incompetent as the Thistles seemed to be.


    Unfortunately for Emperor Sangun, there were some things that were just out of his control¡­ like outsiders insidiously telling your men of the true value of the treasure they were aiming for right now.


    The greed of men was the most unpredictable of things, so much so that Captain Halder was actually hesitant to do this despite knowing it was by far the smartest choice to make.


    Just the idea of letting the Alpha have a piece of it to secure a victory made him feel as though his heart was itching. But it was either this, or they get nothing at all.


    All this time, he had been pretending to dig deeper and deeper, slowing down as they progressed. This made sense because every Earth Mancer would struggle to control Earth Mana more and more the closer to the core of a world they got.


    However, the scale at which that difficulty increased was very different depending on the Earth Mancer in question.


    He, a mighty Earth Mancer with an Imbued Resonance of the Gold Grade, was obviously far stronger than most others in this regard. But there was no one else here with a reference to how strong a Gold Imbued Earth Resonance was, so he could act as he pleased.


    Thanks to that, he knew that he was right on the edge of the treasure. So, the moment he stomped his foot, a bleeding red light spilled out into the environment.


    WHOOSH!


    All of a sudden, the Mana in the surroundings began to boil, and the Alpha opened its maw, roaring as it greedily absorbed the light. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The red light poured over Captain Halder''s face, casting shadows over his features and highlighting the lines of greed that deepened into his slight wrinkles.


    Just the light alone was intoxicating to an extreme.


    THRUM. BADUM.


    The ground shook as the Alpha''s black mane began to bristle with life and vitality. All of a sudden, those chains on the beast''s cultivation seemed to slack off one after another. Seemingly having lost its mind to the opportunity before it, it wanted nothing more than to pounce and greedily take in every ounce of the spilling light.


    By comparison, the Earth Mancer hurried to suppress himself, sealing up his pores and even holding his breath. He couldn''t allow his body to become intoxicated now.


    There was only one task right now.


    Kill.


    BANG!


    Captain Halder roared, both of his hammers smashing down onto the head of the Alpha. It all happened so fast that the creature''s jaw rebounded off the ground in seemingly the same instant, its teeth rattling and then shattering to pieces.


    A jet of earth peeled up from the ground at the same time, pummeling it further.


    The earth beneath Captain Halder''s feet rippled, and he launched himself so high into the air that he cleared over 50 meters. With a high raise of his hammers, their bodies grazed the ceilings.


    Tendrils of bronze Mana took shape, wrapping around the spikes on the ceiling as though ropes.


    With his arms raised high and his hammers pulled back, Captain Halder unleashed another roar.


    The stalactite separated from the ceiling in a smooth motion, and as the captain descended, his hammers moving faster than his body, the spike appeared below him, a spiraling wind forming around it.


    "HEAVY." The call of his voice came with a twinkling of more bronze Mana, a murky darkness flashing in his gaze.


    Everything about his actions was violent. It didn''t look like a man descending from the skies, but instead a second Alpha, one of the Human Race.


    The spike pierced into the body of the Alpha hound, only for Captain Halder to fall from right above it, slamming into its now smooth bottom and driving it in further.


    BOOM!


    The stalactite shattered to pieces, bits and shards of shrapnel littering the body of the Alpha hound.


    BOOM!


    Captain Halder landed on the ground, only to roar again without the slightest hint of stopping.


    A black pillar of earth rose out from the ground, piercing the Alpha hound through a now gaping wound right through its body¡­ this time from the bottom.


    There was an eerie aura coming from it, laced with menace and death.


    It was only after this pillar pinned the Alpha in place that Captain Halder took deep breaths, trying to steady himself. He had gone through a lot of Mana to ensure that the Alpha would be finished.


    So long as it was dead, the other hounds were child''s play. The rest were just Imbued Mana Beasts, and though any Mana Beasts were tough to handle, he had the advantage of an entire cultivation tier.


    This victory was his.


    ¡­


    Theron continued to watch from above. It seemed like he should be taking action now with everything settling down, but he couldn''t help but frown.


    Something was wrong.


    That was when he remembered a very important tidbit that he hadn''t been able to fit anywhere else.


    How was this Alpha a Manaborn Mana Beast? It didn''t make any sense.


    Lightning Blood Hounds were powerful creatures to be sure, but not this powerful. Mana Beasts also didn''t just randomly level up in grade.


    Plus, if the Alpha was smart enough to know how to use its potential breakthrough to Gold as a deterrent, would it really fall so easily?


    Theron''s eyes narrowed further as the Alpha seemed to slump, its eyes drooping until it closed. Its aura weakened until it vanished entirely.


    At that moment, Captain Halder had already killed more than half the remaining hounds. In just a few more seconds, they would all be gone.

 Chapter 252: The Essence of Cultivation [750 GT Bonus]

    Captain Halder huffed for breath, his hammers coated in blood. The battlefield was completely cleared, and unsurprisingly, there were very few still standing.


    Theron didn''t so much as flinch at this result. The only reason Captain Halder had even let so many live in the first place was probably because he was still wary of the shadow.


    Should things go wrong, the fact he had saved these few might make it so that they were more likely to take his side rather than that of the second Gold Mancer present here. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately for Captain Halder, he didn''t know that his "partner" in crime was dead. And just as unfortunately for Theron, this left more opponents than he could deal with, on top of the fact that he wasn''t all that confident in defeating a second Gold Mancer in his depleted state to begin with.


    "Are you still hiding, Jieow? You can come out now." Halder called out between huffing breaths. His eyes quickly scanned the region as the scent of blood built up.


    The bleeding red light was still coming from the cracks in the ground, and the others of the team were already having a hard time holding themselves back.


    It was odd. This bleeding red light seemed to tap into something particularly primal within them. It was no wonder the hounds seemed to have lost their minds as well.


    One of the warriors left couldn''t hold back anymore and fell into a seated position to immediately start cultivating, but that was ended with a swipe of Captain Halder''s hammer.


    The head was taken so cleanly one would have thought that Halder had been wielding a blade and not a pair of blunt weapons. The strength gap was shocking.


    "Control yourselves," Halder growled. "Anyone who oversteps, I will kill. In case you''ve forgotten, I put my life on the line against a Manaborn Beast to get us all this opportunity, don''t forget yourselves."


    The others grew stiff, but they nodded slowly.


    ''Clever enough,'' Theron thought, though he still felt like it was clumsy. If nothing else, Halder had at least acted swiftly, but it was obvious to Theron he just took advantage of the chance to get rid of an extra mouth to feed.


    It was also easier to make the decision since the one to die was one of the Ninth Resonance Mancers too.


    The Captain continued to scan the region and was beginning to grow antsy.


    "Jieow. This is not a game. Report your position."


    Since niceties weren''t working, Halder tried to flex his authority, but the response he received in return was the same.


    Nothing.


    Halder couldn''t imagine that the shadow was already dead. In his mind, the only reason he wouldn''t appear was because he was waiting for his opportunity.


    "Fine."


    Halder made a move to the crack again. He raised his foot up high and smashed down with a heel.


    The flood of cracks grew more expansive, widening out into a larger and larger region until...


    BANG!


    The ground beneath him shattered.


    Halder leapt back as the ground collapsed beneath them. With a wave of his hand, he sent the spike that held the Alpha in place up higher out of an abundance of caution. Unfortunately, he didn''t have a spatial device strong enough to hold the core of a beast this powerful, so he could only keep it outside for the time being.


    The flood of red only became more oppressive.


    ''So that''s what it is¡­'' Theron thought, his eyes narrowing.


    Blood Crystals.


    Suddenly, Akkun''s words echoed in Theron''s ears again. This Empire wasn''t built on Darkness¡­ the implication for the entire region was that it was built on Spirit, but more accurately, this territory in specific was meant for Spirit Wood.


    Blood Crystals could only appear under such conditions. It was no wonder¡­


    ''This changes everything.''


    Theron wasn''t even thinking about the Blood Crystals. The problem was that if these Blood Crystals were being brought up now, it meant that on a macro scale, the Spirit Wood Mana that had been occupied in this region would be unleashed.


    Once it was unleashed, the balance of power in the Empire would completely shift. From a Dark Mana dominated region, it would become a Wood Mana dominated region once again.


    In as little as five to ten years, the balance would be completely shifted.


    No¡­ the timing of the Thistle''s movements couldn''t have been a coincidence. They knew that this was going to happen, so they were prepared.


    The sudden change of a region''s Mana composition would cause enough volatility that many stuck at bottlenecks would be able to use it as a push to leap over hurdles.


    The power of the Thistles would undergo a qualitative change in as little as six months and in at most two years.


    How was all of this related to Blood Crystals? It all came back to how Blood Crystals were formed.


    Their origin was obviously blood, but it was a question of how this blood was accumulated. The only way for a Blood Crystal to form was by being gathered and purified over a long period of time.


    There was no existence better suited to doing this than Mana Trees, Mana forms akin to Mana Beasts of the plant world. However, without an area of exceptional Wood Mana, it was impossible for such things to appear.


    It was only after the Earth Mancer shattered the ground that Theron finally laid eyes on it, a streaming, powerful, thick, underground root system that must have taken thousands upon thousands of years to form.


    Every time a creature died in this region, the blood would be absorbed by the Mana Trees, and then, over time, it would forge this incredible concentration of rich vitality, the purest essence of evolution itself.


    Whether it was human or beast, it was one of the greatest treasures in all of existence, one that tapped into their primal desire for evolution, an insatiable greed for improvement that came not from the aware mind, but the subconscious mind.


    That was because Blood Crystals were the only treasure known to Theron capable of evolving a bloodline¡­


    Capable of helping a Manaborn Beast become a Runebound one.


    And it was at the moment this root system was exposed that the "dead" Alpha suddenly opened its eyes.


    Its aura flared and a crack appeared high in the ceiling. The spike that ran through its body shattered to pieces, and it fell from above before Halder could even react.


    Theron''s eyes widened. ''It triggered its Tribulation!''


    Even he didn''t expect the Alpha to put everything on the line like this. But for some reason¡­


    It made his blood boil.


    He forgot about everything for a moment and felt that intent churning within him.


    It wasn''t the Blood Crystal, he seemed indifferent to it, as though it wasn''t capable of helping him to evolve at all. Deep inside, he knew it wasn''t good enough.


    No. This was a completely different sort of primal desire.


    Seeing the Alpha throw caution to the wind, to bet everything on one chance to completely change its fate, to accomplish what its Ancestors would have hoped for and improve their bloodline to a completely new level¡­


    Theron suddenly felt the essence of the path of cultivation for the first time.


    A breath as hot as molten lava came from his lip, veins of red pulsing in his eyes.

 Chapter 253: Tribulation

    The roar of thunder overwhelmed everything. Even as the heated breath left Theron''s lips, the underground tunnels had already begun to shake and quake, swaying side to side as though they might collapse at any moment.


    Theron''s gaze sharpened, the scalding breath leaving his throat ignored by him for the moment. Peering down from above as the hound plummeted into the vein of Blood Crystal, and watching Captain Halder try in vain to stop it, he knew that the situation had just spun wildly out of control.


    But it was also something he knew he had to act on.


    This was a pivotal point in the history of the Nightingale Empire. So there were several questions he had in mind.


    General Pennel¡­ was he really here to just investigate the oddities happening here and train them for the coming gathering?


    Were the Nightingales truly unaware of what was happening here?


    And, most importantly, if the Thistles had been gearing up for this sort of event, would they be unaware as well?


    ''I understand¡­''


    The thoughts came to Theron in waves, his deductions falling like a tower of dominoes until he came to the conclusion.


    At the start, everyone here was on a level playing field. So how was it that the Sangun seemed to have such a massive advantage? In fact, if not for the noses of the Lightning Blood Hounds helping them to ignore the disorienting effects of the winding tunnels, the Sangun would have been here all alone to reap the rewards themselves.


    So what was the difference?


    Those four cloaked figures. They were the difference.


    The balance of power in this region was as even as could be until the Sangun suddenly got a helping hand from an external source. They were probably responsible for the Sangun having a leg up on everybody else.


    That meant¡­


    ''The others are certainly outside. Which also means¡­''


    BOOM!


    Something heavy slammed against the ceiling. The stalactites trembled, some peeling off and beginning to fall to the ground. Suddenly, the wide, open space became a death trap as spikes of earth as heavy as tens of thousands of jin plummeted from above, akin to mother nature''s guillotines.


    At that moment, cracks appeared on the surface, sparse, fluttering streaks of spreading lightning arcs dancing across its surface as though flames spreading across glass.


    Seeing that lightning for the second time in his life, Theron felt as though his heart had stopped beating entirely.


    Memories flashed in his mind one after another. Then streams of burning heat and shuddering cold poured through his veins as though even his bloodline itself was feeling the greatest sort of fear.


    His pupils trembled and his knees grew somewhat weak. It was a rare frailty that manifested from the depths of his soul, and his eyes involuntarily reddened.


    They were moments away from beginning to form tears when¡­


    Chi.


    An iciness blocked it, frosty tips of a lurking fog emitting from the corners of his eyes as his gaze suddenly became frighteningly cold.


    BOOM!


    The ceiling shattered to pieces and the skies opened up from above them.


    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Heavy stone turned to shards of glass as they were superheated by the violent, lingering streaks of yellow and gold.


    A Ninth Resonance Sangun below dodged with all his might, but the numbers were becoming too numerous.


    They began to scramble up the sides of the walls, trying to get into the tunnels, but he was too late. He was forced to dodge back once, only to find his path forward blocked. By the time he leapt over the shaking earth and new mountains of rock obstructing him, another he missed fell from above, crushing his body between the two masses in gruesome fashion.


    There wasn''t even any time to see blood. He had only just died when more stone fell from above, burying him even further.


    However, even in all this destruction, the Blood Crystal seemed to have some sort of protective barrier around it all. But it became quite clear that that protective barrier ironically came from the Captain-Alpha tandem. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Halder was constantly swinging his hammers and controlling the earth, sending them flying away.


    By comparison, the Alpha was in a heap of barely recognizable mangled flesh atop the vein of Blood Crystal, but his blood was boiling so violently that streaks of the lightning and pulsing crimson fog were shattering even heavy rocks before they got within three meters of it.


    The others weren''t nearly so bold nor so strong. Ultimately, only one of the Ninth Silver Resonance Mancers died, leaving them with five members, including Halder. The rest managed to slip into the tunnels, likely trying to find a chance to escape to the surface.


    But in Theron''s opinion, they were fools.


    The Tribulation had already descended. They were locked onto. They, Halder, the Alpha¡­


    Even himself.


    Theron had never felt it so clearly before. Back then, the Tribulation that killed his family had descended while he was still at home. But now he could feel the same things they must have felt, the same fear, the same helplessness.


    Looking up into the skies as the churning masses of black clouds accumulated more and more, Theron found that fear he had felt slowly ebbing into a deeper and deeper coldness.


    The calmer he became, the deeper the frostiness around him was as well.


    It was no longer just his mouth, but streams of coolness from the corners of his eyes as well. Even the very tips of his hair seemed to turn a shocking white.


    The Tribulation was about to descend. There were only two ways to survive this¡­ either kill the Alpha or survive until it succeeded.


    Theron slowly unsheathed the short sword at his side, his own blood having barely caked dry on his skin.


    ¡­


    On the surface, a battle had already erupted just as Theron expected. He had even guessed the two parties involved, but regardless of which of the two it was, they both looked over at the very same time.


    "Tribulation?" they both said in shock.


    One was none other than General Pennel.


    As for the other¡­


    It was Dean Thistle.

 Chapter 254: Weakness

    Scattered around the current Head of the Thistles and General Pennel was not just destruction, but the youths and warriors they had brought with them.


    It was clear at a glance, though, that General Pennel was severely outnumbered and overwhelmed.


    The Thistles were truly prepared, and while General Pennel tried to make a show of taking children along with him to make it seem like his target wasn''t a big deal, it was clear that the Thistles weren''t fooled. Or more accurately¡­ they never cared what actions the General took in the first place.


    No matter what, they had plans on being here today.


    If not for the genius of the remaining members of General Pennel''s party, they would have long been wiped out.


    But the Thistles had geniuses themselves. Not just Dean Thistle''s last remaining son, but also that of his cousins as well.


    Sigil Thistle.


    Lani Thistle.


    Surgen Thistle.


    Each one was around 17 to 18 years old.


    Each one stood well into the depths of the Silver Resonance.


    And each one seemed more than capable of holding their own against the best of the Imperial Capital''s geniuses, displaying strength that reports were certain they couldn''t have possibly had.


    Dean Thistle and General Pennel separated violently. Neither of them had expected this sort of change.


    Whipping vines danced around the former as he turned a deep gaze toward the General.


    "If you leave now, you just might be able to keep your life."


    "You''re speaking quite confidently right now, but I know this Tribulation isn''t in your plans. The Domain board is being reset right now."


    Dean Thistle''s eyes narrowed. "You overestimate yourself."


    "No. I think that you''re actually the one overestimating yourself."


    "What could a man without lineage understand about the ambitions of a lion? You''ve grown too used to bowing your head."


    "Calling yourself a lion while keeping a little girl hostage is quite the move. Are you really so afraid of a little boy?"


    A flash of rage sparked in Dean Thistle''s eyes, but it was controlled, cool, and mighty.


    Near the back of the group of Thistles, a young woman stood, her face pale with nervousness. She looked completely out of place on the battlefield. She didn''t hold a weapon, nor was she wearing any armor. Most even seemed to ignore her as though she wasn''t a person to be heavily protected or targeted either.


    She just stood there, ignored, wringing her hands and scattering darting glances from side to side. The only one who seemed to give her any attention at all was Sigil, who would sweep his Third Eye over her from time to time. But even he was too locked into battle to give her more than a sliver of his attention.


    Malaya Vermouth.


    Not long ago, Theron had asked for Malaya to be escorted to the capital. It was a favor that General Pennel would have done for him.


    But Theron could have never guessed that such a large operation was lingering in the immediate future. Even if he had known, he wouldn''t have expected that he had become such a thorn at the side of the Thistles that they would go as far as alienating yet another one of their allies for the sake of getting at him.


    Even though she wasn''t chained or restrained in any way, it was clear as day what she was here as.


    A hostage.


    There was another thing that Theron could have never guessed, though¡­


    This wasn''t Dean Thistle''s idea at all. For all his faults, the man was nothing if not obnoxiously prideful. He would never do something like this.


    This order came from above. From the only man capable of ordering the Dean to do anything.


    "For those words, I swear to you that I''ll take your head personally one day." Dean Thistle turned back. "Take her. We move now. Don''t enter the range of the Tribulation or it will begin attacking you too."


    There was no need to discuss things. There was no way they could ignore these changes just for the sake of fighting.


    Just like General Pennel had said, this Tribulation was outside of their expectations. They couldn''t just wait it out and hope the situation stayed the same.


    **


    Weakness.


    Theron''s definition of it had always been complicated. He wasn''t the typical young man who thought he could only measure it with his fist. For as long as he could remember, he was never very interested in cultivation. He found his strength in books, in knowledge.


    But there was an odd defiance in him right now, one rooted in something that didn''t seem to entirely come from himself, almost as though something else was pushing him forward.


    As he shifted through the tunnels, his steps agile as everything felt as though it was crumbling around him, he found himself reaching a state of more and more focus.


    The loud sounds faded away, the frostiness of his gaze beginning to stream out with larger and larger streams of icy blue.


    Chi.


    His blade flashed.


    The head of a Quasi Gold Sangun Clan member fell before he could even understand what was happening. Maybe even he didn''t realize just how much the Tribulation had paralyzed his Mana circulation.


    By comparison, it seemed to be spurring Theron''s on. It was like his body was being pumped with an endless amount of adrenaline, his emotions spiraling into a concentrated pulse of mighty energy.


    Chi.


    Another head fell.


    He moved through the tunnels, killing one after another.


    His research on Tribulations told him that their strength multiplied with the number of people trapped within it. If he wanted the best chance to survive, more of these people had to die.


    Their blood had to flow in rivers before he was satisfied. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chi.


    Theron''s steps came to a stop at the very edge of another opening. His hair blew to the side as the winds grew harsher.


    And then came the misting rain, sparse and almost like spurts of a God''s piss coming from above. There just seemed to be something particularly disrespectful about it.


    Theron tapped a foot, forming a line of blue as he descended from above.


    His target?


    Captain Halder.


    As his hair streamed out to his back, this impossibility of what he was doing never crossed his mind.


    There was only one path ahead, so he would take it.


    No matter what, he would survive.


    He landed on the ground to the wide eyes of the distracted Captain.


    "You¡­"


    Theron attacked.

 Chapter 255: Coming

    Theron shot forward like a stream. Nothing else in the world felt relevant to him, as though he had embodied the very same essence of carefreeness and grit that the Alpha had.


    BANG!


    His leg compressed the already cracked ground beneath him, the shattered shards of what had once been the ceiling sparking with hues of sparkling yellow and gold.


    The lightning licked at his ankles, riding up his body, only to be dispersed by his water into whips in the air.


    [Water Wrap].


    Halder found himself surrounded by snaking arms of lightning. He thought he only had one opponent to deal with from the front, but suddenly he was being attacked from three sides at once.


    Theron''s steps didn''t stop for a moment as Halder slammed his feet into the ground, entering a deep stance. Two walls of earth were practically ejected from the ground, a resonant hum of sound forming between them that matched the frequency of the hammers in his hands.


    The Captain raised his hammers high into the air, their blunt forms trembling so viciously they turned deep shades of red as they descended from above.


    They superheated the air, steam and flashing eruptions of boiling water vapor emitting from them as he swung down with all his might.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed, his forefoot''s toes pressing into the ground as he launched himself upward. Just as the hammers were about to turn him to minced meat, a [Water Wrap] that had been hidden behind him pulled at his waist, launching him to the side and out of the way.


    BOOM!


    The Captain slammed his hammers into the ground, a pair of trenches ripping up what was left of the sullied battleground, forming an array of continuous spikes that ripped at the wind as though even the air itself wasn''t worthy of surviving before its might.


    The maneuver Theron made to dodge didn''t shock the Captain at all. At least he thought he was well prepared for it.


    The moment his spikes began to elongate through the ground, they curved with menace, jetting right toward Theron''s landing location. The closer they got, the sharper they seemed to get. And by this point, the resonating hue of the hammers had vanished, meaning they could have only been in one place¡­


    Underground.


    The earth was ready to explode with all that energy the moment Theron touched down.


    Unfortunately, Halder had forgotten about the [Water Whips] from earlier.


    He wasn''t exactly at fault. He was a Gold Mancer and [Water Whip] was a Bronze Resonance technique. The fact he had put up defenses at all was already giving Theron too much credit, and in part due to his caution toward the lightning.


    But it wasn''t enough caution.


    The [Water Whips] burst before they even contacted the walls of earth, raining down sparkling droplets arching with golden lightning. It was a gorgeous sight, the sort that artists dreamed of being able to recreate.


    The dancing mists of blue and the almost sputtering sparks of gold played off of one another in beautiful choreography¡­ a choreography that landed on Halder''s body and froze him in place for just a moment.


    Theron landed on the ground just the instant Halder lost control of his trenches of spiked earth. They curved away from him, losing their trajectory, but he had never given them the slightest glance from the very start.


    The instant the tips of his toes landed on the ground, he accelerated forward. His hair lengthened into streams of violet, blue, and pinks, each color as delicate as cotton, and as mesmerizing as a fairy tale.


    Having already thrown himself to the side, the walls that Halder erected became the obstructions to the latter''s own vision. The instant Theron entered Veinsong and activated his Immortal Jellyfish Echo to the greatest extent, he seemed to have vanished within the misting rain of the accumulating Tribulation above.


    Halder didn''t stand a chance.


    He deployed his Third Eye on instinct, trying to track Theron''s movements. While his body was frozen, if he could just budge his Mana just the slightest bit, he might be able to delay Theron enough that he would protect his life.


    Unfortunately for him, what he caught in his Third Eye wasn''t Theron, but instead a [Water Clone].


    Its creation was so seamless, so perfectly timed, that Halder didn''t register the difference. He had been too distracted by the sparking lightning, and never could he have considered the fact that Theron had learned to control lightning like this long ago in a battle against a mere Silver Mancer.


    And now it would become Halder''s undoing.


    Theron rounded to Halder''s back as the latter managed to scrounge up the slightest sliver of Mana, raising a wall of earth to block the path of the [Water Clone].


    His gaze was deathly cold, streaks of white, frosting fog emitting from their corners, only broken by the streaks of violet, blue, and pinks that seemed to fuse right into it.


    Theron''s short sword blade glowed with life and vitality, with sharpness and deadly intent. The two contrasting ideals played off of one another, embodying a dance of both yin and yang that pulled on the very polarity of Theron''s Water Mana itself.


    He could feel it to the depths of his soul, the truths behind deepening his Resonances, of reaching a state beyond what he had reached now.


    Die.


    His thought was akin to a command coming from the skies themselves. As though sensing its dignity being impugned, the clouds rumbled, but it did nothing to slow Theron''s blade.


    His calves flexed, his feet becoming akin to springs as he rounded the corner of the earthen wall.


    In that moment, his body seemed to become a blur of deathly intent.


    Chi.


    He appeared before Captain Halder, a steaming, frosty breath coming from his lips.


    Suddenly seeing a back before him, the Captain didn''t know how to react. And he was even more confused as the relatively short Theron only became taller and taller in his vision¡­


    Plop.


    When¡­ had his head hit the ground? Had he fallen?


    That was Halder''s last thought as his skull rolled to a stop by the side.


    Theron stood in silence, not even looking toward the Alpha as the clouds rumbled again.


    Sparking gold swirled about.


    It was coming¡­


    BOOM!


    S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 256: Tribulation

    The oppression of the skies¡­ it was something that Theron never thought he would feel. Or maybe he had just wiped that part out of his memory.


    He had forgotten how heavy the weight of a Tribulation was. Every time he had that dream, he couldn''t recall the strength of the man exactly, he couldn''t recall the weight of the black clouds above. He couldn''t even recall how many people were there, or how many had died.


    All he could remember were those three faces. The tears streaking down his little sister''s face. The way his mother huddled over her as a protective shield. The helplessness his father looked back at him with.


    Every line of pain, every subtle regret, every stabbing emotion in those eyes that looked so similar to his own, and yet so very different.


    In all of that, he had forgotten the might the skies held.


    Staring up at it, as the rain grew from a mist to a heavy downpour, harsh winds splitting his hair into wild strands that seemed to reflect the turmoil in his heart, he felt that intimate terror all the more now.


    Bits and pieces of that dream that he dreamt every night began to piece themselves together. The young man seemed to have vanished entirely, leaving behind nothing more than those oppressive skies.


    And that was when he realized¡­ this Tribulation was so much weaker than it had been. Even with him standing here, it was pathetic by comparison.


    That young man had survived this? How old was he even, back then?


    Theron had no idea. Even now, he couldn''t remember that face at all, as though it had been erased from his memories.


    But he knew¡­ he knew that it didn''t matter what had been done to his mind, it didn''t matter how strong the technique or how unique the method. When he saw that face again, he would know it.


    Theron unsheathed his blade. With Veinsong thrumming to the beat of his heart, every resonating echo sending his blood flying through his veins faster and faster, he swiped his father''s sword across the heavy rain.


    Droplets began to accumulate, a swirling storm of might coming from on high.


    Theron unleashed a roar and slashed at the skies.


    Akin to a flood dragon ejecting from his blade, a scythe of water spiraled upward and cut through. It sputtered and flailed as it churned higher and higher, before it shattered to pieces, unable to quite make it.


    But the intent itself¡­ the intent itself was enough.


    The clouds seemed to roar back, their power almost doubling.


    Theron had already glided his sword across the air again, his Mana draining with considerable speed as he made it heavier, and heavier, and even heavier than that.


    He took a step forward, his torso flexing and his legs pulsing with so much strength they nearly tore what little remained of his pants.


    He roared again, a deep, rumbling roar that was completely unlike the usual gentleness of his voice.


    And then he slashed.


    This time, it soared through the air even faster than before, cutting through the rain so fiercely that there was a portion on the ground that forgot to be soaked through.


    But even it sputtered when it seemed to get close to the clouds above. Theron was just a Silver Mancer. Even though Tribulation Clouds were lower than usual clouds might be, the distance was still far too great for him to attack from. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, once again, the intent alone was enough.


    By this point, the Alpha was trembling. It was more than ready for Theron to try and kill it, but it didn''t expect that Theron would begin to do something like this. It didn''t even understand what the purpose was.


    Was he just trying to kill them both?


    It had no idea that Theron had ignored it because he had already forgotten about it.


    This wasn''t for the Alpha. This was for him.


    This was between he, Theron Galethunder, and the damned skies above his head.


    Theron gathered another scythe of water, this one so large that it arched across dozens of meters. The heft it carried with it was so great that the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in his shoulder seemed to be about to tear themselves to pieces.


    But Theron simply gripped his short sword with one hand, running the palm of his other across its surface.


    Deep in the depths of his eyes, the frosty intent had grown to a fever, the white in his hair becoming no less prominent than the streaks of gentle violets, blues, and pinks.


    His palm swiped across, his blood spurting and turning the gorgeous arc of blue into a devastating, almost devilish maroon violet.


    He took another step forward, his foot cracking the earth beneath his weight and stepping onto the vein of Blood Crystal.


    There was a churning in his body, down to the depths of his heart, and digging even further into the core of his very soul.


    He pulled the sword back in a wide arc, his two Echoes being pushed to their absolute limits as he looked above him.


    He would definitely split those skies in two.


    Veins popped across his arm, bursting the sleeves of his robe apart as the frostiness grew.


    Chi.


    His blade seemed to solidify, and he roared once more. This time, it came from so deep within him that his throat was shredded to pieces, mists of blood becoming sparkling, ruby-like gems as they froze through the air.


    And then he slashed at the skies once more.


    The scythe was ejected from his blade, growing larger and larger as it accumulated rain as it went. Theron''s blood seemed to command the rain and wind, splitting it in two and reaching the blackened clouds above in an instant.


    Chi.


    The black clouds were severed.


    Theron''s eyes became bloodshot, his grip on his short sword becoming so tight that it almost seemed as though his knuckles would tear apart his own skin.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The two halves of the Tribulation Clouds swirled into one mass, their forms bending and twisting until they formed a funnel aimed right at Theron.


    The first true bolt fell from the skies at that moment, moving so fast that Theron couldn''t even react as it enveloped him completely.


    Even if he had reacted, it wouldn''t have mattered¡­


    How do you dodge a bolt of lightning as thick as that?

 Chapter 257: Mandate

    It was hard to describe what it felt like to be struck by a bolt of Tribulation Lightning.


    In his life, Theron had suffered all sorts of wounds. Or more accurately, in the last year, he certainly had. He had gone from a young scholar without even the slightest callus on his hand to a seasoned assassin, littered with scars that layered so well in a mesh of thick and fine lines that some were so concentrated they hid the existence of others. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no easy way to put into words just the sort of hardship he had suffered to be able to stand here today.


    But those wounds felt surface-level.


    A bolt of Tribulation Lightning wasn''t just trying to break down your body¡ªit was attacking your Mana. It wasn''t just trying to rip your cultivation out of you, but also tear your soul down from its deepest depths.


    It scarred your flesh, assaulted your Core, and pelted against your mind. It wanted to not just kill you, but to rip apart everything you were, had been, or ever could be. And it wanted you to suffer that humiliation while believing you deserved it¡ªthat you had no right at all to stand tall in front of it, that the punishment you were receiving was only right.


    It was the Mandate of the Heavens, that all-seeing eye that descended from above and judged you for daring to try to take more from it than it was willing to give.


    Who were you to try and break into Gold Mancy? Who were you to need more from the Heavens after everything it had already given you?


    You were nothing at all. And it would remind you of that.


    No more than 30% of those that reached Quasi Silver would ever even have the chance to trigger a Tribulation. And of that number, only 30% of them might survive to see another day.


    Some of them failed, unable to withstand the Mandate. And some of them passed, only to be scarred by the experience for the rest of their lives.


    Theron had once read a work that was excoriated by the general public.


    Why was it that it seemed teens everywhere were deep in Silver Mancy, and yet the strongest of them that reached adulthood were still idling in Gold?


    This excoriated scholar claimed that it was not due to a lack of Gold Mana or Gold Resonance Treasures, but instead a state of the mind. They said that after experiencing one''s Tribulation, most would never be able to raise their heads to face off against the Heavens'' Mandate ever again.


    Subconsciously, they had given up striving for the truest peak the cultivation world had to offer.


    These were words that even Theron hadn''t taken very seriously. It was hard for him to understand, back then, the link between one''s state of mind and one''s cultivation.


    But the more he progressed, the more he touched onto the secrets of his bloodlines, the more he realized just how inextricably linked to it all his thoughts, emotions, and comprehensions were to just how strong he was¡­


    The more he realized that that excoriated scholar just might have been correct.


    His body had moved all on its own just now, as though it refused to take a step back, as though it wanted to prove to itself that the Tribulation that young man had gone through at Quasi Gold, he could go through right now at the mere Fifth Resonance.


    He had to prove it to himself, and he refused to take a step back while doing it.


    The Blood Crystals beneath his feet thrummed with life, larger and larger swarms of it all pooling into his body in an uncontrollable mass.


    But as though slowly boiling water on a stove, it hardly budged Theron''s internal state.


    He stood there, his skin charred to ash, sparks of gold still dancing between the cracks of his broken flesh. His hair was singed to ash, his clothing left in a mess of nothingness, but he continued to stand there.


    There was nothing to fight. If this had been his Tribulation, he would be able to face off against the bolts directly. But this wasn''t his Tribulation. It was his Punishment, a Judgement come down to viciously tear him down for daring to interfere in the Mandate of the Heavens.


    He could only take it.


    One bolt after another rained down, and by this point, the Alpha couldn''t worry about Theron even if it wanted to. Much of the Blood Crystal was being siphoned away by the young man, but it couldn''t even do much to fight back against it.


    It had given up too much. All it could do now was fight for a small sliver of a chance at survival.


    The harsh winds and heavy rain continued to billow down from the skies, currents forming and sweeping forth.


    But Theron continued to stare up. His eyes had long been blinded, but he stared, and he stared, and he stared as though he could overwhelm the state of his body with nothing more than his will alone.


    Scalding breath and icy chills crept his throat in one swinging temperature change after another, the necklace around his neck dancing in the chaos.


    At some point, he seemed to have entirely turned into a statue, a black mass of charred nothingness that was vaguely human and yet nothing else.


    His head was tilted to the skies, and his body was entirely frozen in place¡­ but if one was looking from a distance, there were two very clear oddities going on here.


    The first oddity was that the Blood Crystals were still rapidly dimming at a rate of speed that made little sense considering there were only two present.


    And the second oddity was that¡­ over 90% of the Tribulation seemed to be aimed at Theron himself, as though the Mandate of the Heavens had forgotten who amongst the two had triggered it at all.


    High in the skies, hidden above the black mass of clouds, familiar moons began to tremble, shifting their alignments once more.

 Chapter 258: Game Board

    General Pennel stood with a frown. These changes were entirely out of his expectations.


    One sweeping change after another was continuously throwing their plans into upheaval, and the only silver lining seemed to be that the Thistles were confused as well. If it was the case that they had come prepared, then the Nightingale Empire might truly be finished.


    He looked up, his face solemn.


    This Tribulation¡­ it brought back memories that made him shudder from head to toe, and yet it was tens of times¡ªno, hundreds of times¡ªmore powerful than his own back then.


    The gap was so wide that the General began to wonder if it was even smart for them to be here. If whatever it was survived their Tribulation, even as a newly minted Gold Mancer¡­


    Would they stand a chance?


    Given the region they were in, it had to be a beast. And not just any beast, but probably one above Manaborn¡­


    A Runebound Beast?


    General Pennel shuddered again, his grip on his weapon tightening considerably. Only this seemed to calm him down somewhat.


    He was a veteran of many battles; fear alone wouldn''t dictate his actions. But those reflections of his own past Tribulation still danced within his mind.


    ¡­


    "Are you alright?" Sigil asked Malaya softly. "I''m sorry about this."


    Malaya had her head lowered, but she still hurriedly shook it. She didn''t speak any words, but her default, people-pleaser state seemed to still be in full swing.


    Sigil gave her a glance and then shook his head.


    "What''s this, Sigil? Making a move on this girl?" a deep, rumbling voice came from the back. It seemed that they were all looking for a distraction from the oppressive Tribulation in the distance.


    Surgen was quite burly compared to the other Thistles. While Lani was more tall and willowy like Sigil, Surgen looked as though he had stuffed an ancient tree trunk in his gut.


    When he walked around, the earth seemed to shake a bit¡ªthough it certainly didn''t help that he was balancing an axe half the size of his body on his shoulder right now.


    Sigil gave him a glance. "This is someone''s wife. Show some respect."


    Malaya shrank away when Surgen appeared, her heart trembling. Deep inside, she had already come to feel that there was nothing good that could happen today. Even looking at that Tribulation in the distance, she felt that it was familiar for some reason, and that only made the sinking feeling in her gut even worse.


    "Hohoho. Even if you had a little taste, would he even know? Would she dare to say anything? I''ve heard that boy is a little psychotic, going around, pissing everybody off. But he''s been a good distraction for us, at least. You should reward him by giving his wife a good time."


    Sigil''s face was entirely deadpan, a cool indifference exuding from his eyes. Slight hues of brown and gold rippled in his hair as the weather around them got worse, and this sort of look would have normally been enough to threaten countless into obedience.


    But Surgen only grinned back at him.


    "If you won''t, then maybe I should. I didn''t think that you were such a sniveling coward. You really think you''re going to buy that rat''s loyalty like this? He only looks out for himself."


    They were the most insightful words Surgen had spoken until now, and it seemed to remind Sigil that there wasn''t any of the three of them that was incompetent.


    His gaze shifted from the burly Surgen to Lani, who leaned on a tree in the not-too-far-off distance. The young man seemed to only be casually paying attention to the clash going on here, while his gaze was far more focused on the Tribulation Clouds.


    But Sigil could tell that things weren''t so simple. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was odd, though. His father was the one leading this mission, while their fathers weren''t here. What were they hoping to accomplish by this? Did they just want to take whatever chance they could to suppress him?


    Sigil nodded inwardly. It made enough sense. This mission had the highest concentration of Thistle talents gathered in one place in a very long time. In the background, his father had probably pulled quite a large number of strings to make certain that his uncles couldn''t come.


    As for why Dean Thistle didn''t interfere, it was because if Sigil had to rely on his father to deal with this situation, then he would never gain the respect of this generation of Thistle talents.


    Sigil didn''t have to stand up straighter when he realized this. He was already ramrod from the very start. However, his gaze did become sharper.


    "Do you see that Tribulation in the distance?" Sigil asked coldly.


    Surgen sneered. "Trying to change the subject?"


    "I''m trying to point out how you''re a fool. Obsessed with taking women when there''s an example of what you''ll have to face very soon right there. You can''t control what''s in your pants, and you don''t know how to prioritize what''s important."


    Sigil flipped a palm, and a black whip adorned in crimson thorns appeared. It slapped against the ground, causing all the trees in the surrounding twenty meters to tremble and writhe.


    "If you''d like to fight, though, I will happily oblige. Don''t think of touching a hair on her head while I''m right here. I''d sooner cut your head off and deliver it to your father, since he won''t be here to see your untimely demise."


    Surgen''s sneer deepened into a dark grin, veins on his thick hands pulsing as his grip around his battle axe tightened. The roots beneath his feet began to tremble as well.


    ¡­


    From a distance, standing on a tree''s canopy high above, Dean Thistle watched this in silence and then nodded to himself. Sigil had performed well enough.


    The Dean turned away and back toward the Tribulation Clouds, the bad feeling in his heart churning. He had never regretted sending Burne away more.


    Unfortunately, the Dean hadn''t realized just how long he had been trapped within Theron''s plans¡­ or else maybe he wouldn''t have been so opposed to bringing Malaya at all.


    But ironically enough, the fact they thought they could threaten him with her was already evidence that even the Thistle Ancestor was on Theron''s game board.

 Chapter 259: Weak

    Theron''s world seemed incredibly small at the moment. Staring up into the skies, able to see nothing at all but vague darkness and a heavy, oppressive aura, he forgot time.


    The loops of his fear and hardship just kept playing in his ears again and again. It was then he realized something¡­


    This Tribulation¡­


    Was quite weak.


    To have such thoughts while he was a charred mess, his body seemingly just moments away from collapsing, was nothing if not absolutely ridiculous. To have such a boldness about him, such an indifferent, uncaring resolution in his mind¡­


    It belied his age to such an extent that even his previous and obvious maturity still seemed to be lacking in this moment.


    At that moment, something in the back of Theron''s mind snapped, a hold that had been on him that he didn''t even notice, a chain that was unraveling before his eyes.


    If Theron had to put into words why he had faced off against this Tribulation before this moment, he probably couldn''t have done it. It was stupid, it was reckless, it was all the things he had never been, that he had avoided being all of his life.


    But right now, he felt it was great clarity.


    From the start, he had had shackles weighing him down, shackles that weren''t just the product of his parents'' gruesome deaths, his little sister''s last tear-filled look, but instead the machinations of another man¡­


    This Imprint of a coward.


    "To think¡­ that your Tribulation¡­ would be so weak."


    He had sacrificed so many lives, crushed the hopes and dreams of so many innocents, just to get a Tribulation like this one¡­


    Only for Theron to stand here and take on all its rage with four Cultivation tiers beneath where he had been back then.


    Theron needed to see it for himself, that this man wasn''t some great boogeyman.


    He was a coward.


    A coward that targeted the elderly, women, and children.


    A coward that farmed Bad Karma from the weakest and the lowest.


    A coward with a Tribulation that couldn''t even kill a mid-tier Silver Mancer.


    "Nothing but a coward. I will slaughter you like a pig. You deserve nothing more."


    There was a deep malevolence in Theron''s eyes as the circulating hot and cold energies within him settled down for a moment before reaching their boiling point.


    They pooled over his body, through his Meridians, and shot up to their favorite spot in his mind.


    A light of gold sparked between Theron''s brow, then came the swirling masses of deep red and icy blue forming a dance between them.


    Theron''s eyes had long been charred black, but at that moment, there was a flash of radiant blue that took shape, carrying just the slightest tinge of violet in its midst.


    BOOM!


    The Blood Crystals, mostly empty beneath Theron''s feet, cracked as though something heavy had just fallen onto them.


    Theron broke into the Sixth Resonance, his charred flesh splintering more as blood began to run down his body¡­ blood that carried within it small flakes of the very same blue and slight violet that had just been on his forehead.


    BOOM!


    He sank further into the ground, shattering the barrier to Seventh Resonance as though kicking down a door.


    His Cultivation methods circulated all on their own, flowing through his body in wider and wider streams as his Meridians were bashed against and forcefully expanded.


    But what was curious was that as his blood passed through his Meridians, the flakes of blue and slight violet were absorbed by it, healing the microtears and making them thicker, larger.


    Theron didn''t seem to notice these changes to himself at all. He just continued to stare into the skies as though to remind himself how truly indifferent he was to it.


    That man¡­ if this was all the strength he had, no matter his backing, no matter what Clan he came from, no matter how far he ran when he came to understand who he had provoked¡­


    Theron would make certain he understood just how small he well and truly was.


    The Tribulation Clouds began to wane as though they had already given all the energy they could. Theron didn''t seem surprised by this.


    Even after slashing at it so many times, it was as though his Mandate of the Heavens had no real pride to it. It truly did feel weak.


    He had wondered why it was the Luminescent Moon Sect would create a method to make them harder, and he seemed to finally understand.


    Deep inside, he subconsciously knew that just slashing at the Tribulation Clouds wouldn''t make them much harder than normal. There seemed to be something special about him that pissed them off in particular¡­ but even then, it just sputtered and gave up in the end.


    He might seem torn from every angle and every limb, but the reality was that his inner organs were well protected and insulated, the lightning flashing through him as though it might as well have not been there at all.


    And then it suddenly came to a stop as the last of the Blood Crystal''s energies were sucked away.


    Theron stood there in silence, still unable to move freely. He might have said that the Tribulation was weak, but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t heavily injured¡­


    Slowly, he began to shift his arm.


    His skin cracked, large chunks of flesh falling from him in grotesque piles.


    There was no smooth skin beneath, just muscle, gristle, and tendons.


    Blood continued to fall, but one would have thought from Theron''s lack of a word that he didn''t feel anything at all.


    And then¡­ his hand made it to his mouth, a Vitality Bloomstone being pressed into the fused gap between his lips and ripping them apart with a punch of his palm.


    He could have taken this long ago, he could have right before his battle with the shadow, or right before his battle with Halder, or right before the Tribulation, or even right in the middle of it. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he hadn''t.


    He hadn''t to prove something to himself.


    And that was exactly what he had done.


    CRACK.


    A rippling life force began to run through Theron''s body, large amounts of Water Mana fallen from the Tribulation surging into his body in waves.

 Chapter 260: Alright

    Vitality pumped through Theron, all the broken pieces of his body mending together in a beautiful sort of melody.


    As it did so, the Immortal Jellyfish Echo seemed to have found deeper locations in his body to sink into. It weaved into his muscles, pierced into his bones, and layered itself into his marrow.


    The feeling should have been painful, but it was wonderful beyond compare, as though the hands of angels were gliding across his body, caressing him softly and gently pressing into him with their warmth.


    At that moment, Theron knew that part of the reason he was so indifferent to the lightning rampaging in the depths of his body was actually heavily related to the Immortal Jellyfish.


    This seemed counterintuitive even to him. Such a depth of water should have made him more susceptible, not less. But it also had to be remembered that¡­ the Lightning Mancy strains of Mana Beast Jellyfish had all descended from the Immortal Jellyfish.


    The Immortal Jellyfish didn''t have any lightning affinity, but what it did have was incredible prowess in Water Control. That control came from its ability to wield the polarities of water with ease, taking advantage of the positive and negative poles of the molecule to almost glide them into place wherever it wanted.


    Thanks to that, its Echo manifested in the form of a wide pulse that had acted in place of Theron''s Third Eye before he formed it. In fact, it was precisely because of this that so many had thought it was a useless Echo to have.


    Why would you fuse with an Echo that was just a worse version of an ability you would gain as a Silver Mancer in the first place?


    It also had to be remembered that people like Theron didn''t even normally exist. For most, fusion with an Echo was only possible when they were Silver Mancers already, so they weren''t even able to take advantage of it early like Theron had been able to¡ªmaking it even more useless to them.


    However, Theron had seen a different path through all of this. He had known the strength of controlling the polarity of Water Mana from very early on, intuitively, and he was only proven further correct during one of his first classes in the Fourth Year Botany Class.


    Now, that bet was paying off again.


    He hadn''t even had to do anything. The Immortal Jellyfish''s self-preservation abilities kicked in all on their own, directing the lightning to the least vulnerable parts of his body. It was why his skin and flesh were so devastated, but his inner organs and bones were relatively fine.


    Of course, any normal person would die from severe enough burns. The skin might seem like one of the easiest places to harm, but if enough of it was ruined, it would lead to death just the same. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But therein came the genius of Theron himself.


    The reason burning large chunks of your skin often killed wasn''t normally due to the injury, but infection.


    He took advantage of his high cultivation to withstand burns until a tough carapace was formed all around his body, all while the Blood Crystal beneath his feet fueled his body with enough energy that his heart couldn''t go into shock even if it wanted to.


    And then, when he was ready¡­


    It all broke away.


    Chi.


    The first chips fell, and then came the second wave, and then the third. They fell faster and faster until skin as soft as a baby''s began to appear.


    Theron''s injuries were nowhere to be seen. Let alone those injuries, he had filleted himself of all his skin before regrowing it¡­ none of his previous scars were there either.


    But Theron was focused on something else entirely. It wasn''t just his Immortal Jellyfish Echo that had undergone a huge change¡ªor more accurately¡­ its changes didn''t just affect it alone.


    His eyes finally opened in earnest, flashing just the slightest hints of deep red and icy blue before they calmed.


    Down beneath his feet, he saw the earth shattered, and he immediately knew why.


    His Immortal Jellyfish Echo had fused with his body so perfectly now that his Blue Pufferfish Echo wasn''t just applicable to his Water Mana anymore, but even directly to his own body.


    The water content of his body went from around 60%, blazing past 70%, before stopping right at 83%. This was still far from the above 95% of the Immortal Jellyfish, and Theron could also tell that every step further would be even harder than this¡ªbut the difference it made to him was astonishing.


    It was said that infant humans had a percentage of right around 75%. Sometimes, Theron wondered if that was responsible for their spryness and how quickly they recovered from injury. He had yet to investigate that, but what he did know for certain¡­


    Was that his body felt better now than it ever had in his life.


    The density of his body retracted and suddenly he felt as light as a feather.


    BOOM!


    The ground beneath him shattered once again as his weight became tens of thousands of jin. Almost 50,000, to be specific.


    In their normal state, Blood Crystals would take this weight with ease. But without the energy they usually had in them, they couldn''t withstand it even if they wanted to.


    Theron felt something lick his hand. He looked over to find that the Alpha had shrunk from its previous three-meter tall form to just two meters. But even then, it should have been towering over him.


    Rather than this, though, it had lowered its head completely.


    "Runebound¡­" Theron said slowly.


    The Alpha blinked its large eyes and then nodded, but there was also a light of gratefulness in its eyes. It knew that if not for Theron, it would have definitely failed in its gamble.


    But now¡­ it was one of the most powerful creatures in the world. A First Resonance Gold Runebound Mana Beast¡­


    Such a title was as long as it was powerful. It was unlikely that General Pennel would last more than a few exchanges with such a creature.


    "You want to follow me?" Theron asked. "You aren''t well-suited to me. It would be a waste of my time."


    The Alpha hurriedly shook its head and then spat out a mouthful of blood, pointing out a claw toward it.


    Theron''s eyes narrowed as he felt the Alpha form a connection with its blood. Before the glob fell to the ground, it was caught by a mysterious force, and then shaped into a strong claw that swiped down.


    Chi.


    The earth before them was cut in two, the line flashing by like a bolt of lightning until it reached the face of the open-air cave''s wall¡­


    And then it cut right through it too, moving so fast that in one moment, the cliff face was fine, and in the next, there was a clean cut right down the middle, continuing so deeply that Theron couldn''t easily sense the end of it.


    Theron''s expression slowly relaxed, but his pupils were still constricted.


    Blood Mancy? He had never heard of such a thing aside from¡­


    Himself.


    Somehow, the Alpha''s Flux Mancy had evolved in a completely unexpected way.


    "Alright," Theron said calmly. "You''ll follow me."

 Chapter 261: A Lion’s Mane

    The Alpha had completely changed from the creature Theron remembered. Normal Lightning Blood Hounds had the shape of wolves. Most of their fur was a deep crimson, but the strongest of them had powerful manes around their necks, shoulders, and heads that took on a deep black color.


    The deeper and more luscious the coat, the more powerful the creature.


    Now, however, the Alpha was completely crimson. Its mane had shrunk and was nowhere near as prominent either, but its coat¡­ it was so vibrant that it almost felt as though one was staring at a carving formed from thin strands of ruby gems rather than a living, breathing creature.


    At the same time, the Alpha had also shrunk considerably, from a height of over three meters to just around two meters or so. It had become far more compact, far more powerful, and now its claws glistened with a sharp intent.


    Those claws, however, weren''t the expected silvery hue, but were instead black as night, as though all the dense darkness from its mane had been transferred there instead.


    The last oddity was that its irises had become a beautiful amethyst¡ªdeep and rich, twisting with very subtle shifts and changes in shade that formed nebulae-like lines. But the most prominent color was most definitely a dark violet.


    There was no doubt that this creature was powerful. Shockingly so. Maybe other than the Patriarch of the Luminescent Moon Sect and the other members of the much older generation that Theron had met, it was the most powerful being he had ever stood across from.


    But that was also why it was so grateful.


    The Alpha had been intelligent long before it met Theron. Setting aside the fact its mind had gotten a huge upgrade just now, it would have already understood just how pivotal Theron was to its evolution. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Somehow, Theron had caused a Tribulation that wasn''t even his own to turn its entire ire toward him¡­


    And then he just stood there and took it.


    The Alpha had also underestimated just how volatile the Blood Crystals were as well. In a state where it had to face off against the skies and contend with an evolving bloodline, the Blood Crystal''s Mana just might have killed it before it got the chance to make it through either.


    The gap between Manaborn and Runebound was even larger than Imbued and Manaborn, and that latter process quite literally required an etching into one''s Core. Plus, how could an evolution of a bloodline occur without the replacing of one''s marrow?


    Pain of the body and of the soul was overwhelming during a process like that, so how could it also contend against the Mandate of the Heavens? It had been completely reckless and would have died ten out of ten times if not for Theron.


    That was why it had made such a choice.


    It recognized that in this situation¡­ it was no longer the alpha.


    Theron pulled out another pair of robes from his spatial ring, the one thing on him that he had managed to protect. Thankfully, so much of the lightning had been directed by his flesh that he was able to do exactly that.


    He reached a hand to his head, feeling the smoothness and shaking his head. He was about to leave it be, but¡­


    ~


    "Why don''t you let me cut my hair, mother? Long hair is so inconvenient. I have to carry around a hair tie everywhere I go, and it gets in the way of my reading¡­"


    Little Theron didn''t seem very angry when he was saying these things, just laying out a logical argument like he always did. It just felt silly to him, especially when many other boys had short hair.


    He wasn''t sure why that was either. Women could be just as beautiful with short hair too, so why bother?


    A familiar, beautiful woman smiled down at him, bending down and pinching his cheeks.


    "Have you ever seen a lion shave his mane?"


    Theron blinked. "¡­ No, but they also have to lounge around in the summer months looking for shade because of the inconvenience. If they could, I''m sure they would at some point."


    Theron''s mother laughed a gorgeous, bell-like laughter.


    "Do you think so? That mane is their symbol of status, of power. It attracts their mates and displays their might. They stand tall with it on regardless of its inconvenience because it displays how strong they are without lifting a single finger."


    Theron tilted his head to the side. "You want me to keep my long hair for status? We aren''t very rich or powerful, mother. I also don''t know if I care about such things."


    Her smile didn''t fade, but her eyes became more gentle.


    "When I met your father, he had very long hair. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen¡ªuntil you."


    Leaning forward, she gave Theron a kiss on the forehead.


    Theron looked at his mother for a long time, feeling as though there was something deep and profound in her words that he couldn''t quite understand.


    It was either that or she was already trying to marry him off at six years old. He couldn''t really tell.


    But if it just made her happy, then he would keep it.


    ~


    Theron stood in silence, rubbing his bald head and recalling the memory.


    He was older now. His mother''s words were probably still deeper than he could understand, but he could understand them somewhat.


    By his own logic, he would have shaved himself entirely bald. Why keep short hair at all? Long hair might be more inconvenient, but short hair could be inconvenient too.


    How far would he go for the sake of convenience¡ªfor chasing logic and pragmatism over feeling?


    However, there was another side to the coin, another meaning that his mother was getting at.


    "A lion''s mane¡­"


    Theron looked up, his healing spells churning as the growth of his hair follicles was being quickly stimulated.


    "What lion was mother referring to? What kingdom did he rule?"


    Theron took a step and landed on the Alpha''s back. By that point, his hair was already long and flowing, his eyes sharp.


    He had felt it within him¡ªa pride stirring from a place long since chained and suppressed in the depths of his body.


    Why did his bloodline hate the Mandate of the Heavens so much?

 Chapter 262: The Best Lies

    The crunch of leaves caused many to turn their heads.


    General Pennel was the first to react, and when he suddenly saw that it was Theron, his eyes couldn''t help but widen.


    The Tribulation had ended long ago, but no one would be foolish enough to just approach a location a Runebound Mana Beast could have been born from. As such, they were still watching from a distance, waiting to see if something would change when Theron suddenly appeared.


    "Sorry, everyone," Theron said with a light smile. "I hope no one was worried about me."


    The silence was deafening.


    Theron just rode in on the back of the Alpha, a light smile on his face as though he didn''t realize that his appearance here made little to no sense at all.


    General Pennel''s surprise slowly turned cold. He looked at Theron, and then down to the Alpha he rode.


    He didn''t recognize the Alpha at all. It looked nothing like a Lightning Blood Hound would. Plus, taking advantage of the tunnels, Theron had come out from a completely different direction than the Tribulation.


    After the Tribulation, the formation that the Sangun Clan had set up was destroyed, so going through the tunnels was easy. Theron had been able to easily find an escape plan they crafted and took advantage of it, exiting from a location far further away than the one he had entered from.


    As for the Alpha''s aura¡­ General Pennel couldn''t sense it at all. It was like he was looking at a normal wolf. Plus, the Alpha was just looking at the ground the entire time and seemed almost timid in a way.


    General Pennel didn''t seem to realize that the Alpha wasn''t looking at him because it didn''t see him as a threat in the first place.


    "¡­ How did you tame a beast? You are not a Spirit Mancer." General Pennel chose to lead with this question, but the geniuses around him were sharp. How could they not sense the favoritism?


    There was no question of desertion, no questioning about where Theron had been, but instead a question of how he had gained something while they were all fighting for their lives against the Thistles?


    "Tame?" Theron shrugged. "It chose to follow me on its own. I didn''t really do much but save it."


    General Pennel''s eyes narrowed. This wasn''t entirely uncommon, but usually the beast would have to be quite intelligent, which meant that it couldn''t be a feral beast¡­


    But nothing about this creature screamed Mana Beast either.


    What General Pennel didn''t know was that this was a result of the Alpha''s unique mutation. Not only was a Runebound Beast something the General had no familiarity with, but he also had no experience with this so-called Blood Mana.


    The Mana too easily blended into the Alpha''s Life Mana, making it look as though it was a normal creature, a feral beast.


    Theron''s smile never faded. But he did look up and sweep his gaze over everyone present.


    "I''m glad that so many survived as well. It got really dicey there for a moment."


    Gengh and Shah gave Theron a cold glare, as did the two remaining military stream students. They were still nursing injuries from their battle with the Thistles, and General Pennel seemed to have no intention of retreating even after all of this. So how could they not be discontent?


    Theron looked better than he ever had before, almost as though he had just been lounging somewhere.


    None of them even considered how Theron might have escaped the Mist in the first place. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The only one looking at Theron with more curiosity than anything else was Aliza. Her head tilted to the side, looking him up and down with a calm intent in her eyes.


    Her gaze fell to the wolf, and she couldn''t help but frown. It wasn''t that she could sense something, but she was the smartest of the young scholars here aside from Theron himself.


    This was not only a species that she didn''t recognize, but there were no comps to be found in this region.


    Theron was definitely hiding something.


    "Did you see anything odd?" General Pennel asked.


    "I did." Theron nodded.


    "Explain."


    "There was a very large beast that appeared suddenly. It was a Water Mancy Mana Beast, though I''m not sure of which level. Back when the Mist descended, I ended up stumbling near the river and found it stagnated and filled with a dense, poison-like air. If I had to speculate, I''d say that this infuriated a Mana Beast that was downstream.


    "I got there just as it killed the Mist Mancer in a fury and had no choice but to run."


    "¡­ Why would you have to run?"


    Theron gave General Pennel a weird look. "It was a Mana Beast capable of killing a Gold Mancer. Mist Mancer or not, what chance did I stand against that?"


    "It was a water-anchored creature."


    "And I was right next to the river."


    "So you couldn''t run away from the river? You had to run away from the battlefield itself?"


    Theron shook his head. "You don''t understand. The creature swallowed the Mist Mancer."


    General Pennel was about to lose his temper, just there sitting on the cusp of it. But then his pupils constricted.


    He ran through a plausible scenario in his head and all of a sudden, he looked toward where the Tribulation clouds had been.


    Theron didn''t even need to say much more. Sometimes, the best lies were told to one by themselves.


    If the creature that could kill a Gold Mancer was Quasi-Silver, then it was certainly a Mana Beast of great strength. And if a creature like this swallowed poison that it couldn''t withstand, it would either die¡­ or it would evolve to contend with it.


    The trouble was¡­ why did a water-anchored beast trigger a Tribulation in what was the middle of the forest, so far from the river?


    General Pennel no longer held back his Third Eye, sweeping it over¡­


    Only to find the entire cave system flooded.


    Not only was it flooded, but the Water Mancy beast was gone¡­


    Along with all the Blood Crystals.


    His face paled considerably.

 Chapter 263: Congratulations

    Theron just stood there, calm and collected. He didn''t give any additional input at all.


    After he found the escape path out of the tunnel system, he exited near the river far downstream. That was what allowed him to round the two groups from the opposing side. So, he took the opportunity to flood it.


    Even if they found the route, so what? The creature had to make it from point A to point B somehow¡ªit only made sense that they had taken some sort of path to do so.


    Luckily for Theron, the entire tunnel system was sloped downward, making it all as easy as breathing to handle.


    "Let''s go. We''re retreating," General Pennel finally said.


    Everything that had been done here today¡ªall the planning, all the effort¡ªit just felt completely worthless in the end. Other than the fact they had managed to take out the spies, they had gained nothing at all.


    It felt like a situation where man proposed and the Mandate of the Heavens themselves disposed. Even if you had given General Pennel hundreds of chances to guess what might happen here today, he wouldn''t have grasped any one of them.


    WHOOSH.


    At that moment, there was a sudden rush of Mana.


    Wood Mana.


    But it didn''t come from the Thistles. Instead, the Mana Trees¡ªno longer bound by their duty to the Blood Crystals, and unrestrained now that the Tribulation Clouds had vanished¡ªbegan to pump out a furious amount of Mana.


    It was only a few seconds, but in that instant of time, especially amidst the shift, it became difficult to even sense the existence of other Mana.


    Theron looked around much like everyone else, showing off the same hints of surprise that he should, but inwardly, he already knew that this would happen.


    The Blood Crystals were a bonus. It was the aftereffects that both parties were either trying everything in their power to stop, or everything in their power to accelerate.


    In the end, the Thistles might have lost out on the opportunity to explosively increase their bloodline potential, but the core of what they needed to happen still had.


    Only Theron knew just how much they lost this time, though.


    That Blood Crystal Vein¡­ it was deeper than anyone could have imagined, so deep that it didn''t quite make sense.


    Sure, it could be said that it just took a very long time to accumulate. But it would have also required the deaths of many exceptionally powerful Mana Beasts. So¡­


    Why would so many powerful Mana Beasts be here in the first place?


    That was a question Theron didn''t have the answer to, but he had a feeling that General Pennel had an inkling¡ªor he wouldn''t have bought the Water Mancer Beast story so wholly and fully without pushback.


    Theron was at the point now where he didn''t even need a full scope of understanding to use little tidbits of deductions in his schemes. So long as it worked, then it worked.


    What else was there to consider?


    "It doesn''t seem like we can leave anymore, General," Theron said softly.


    The Pennel Clan Patriarch narrowed his eyes. He understood what Theron meant, but he looked at the child with a shocked look in his eyes nonetheless.


    "How did you know they were here?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your actions all this time have been very odd. Your choices seem a bit clumsy. It''s almost as though you''re being like that on purpose to try and catch someone off guard. At first, I thought it was the spies from an enemy nation, but after I felt this Wood Mana, it became obvious¡­ the Thistles are here."


    The sound of clapping resonated from on high.


    Dean Thistle had appeared in a tree canopy above, twisting into being from an array of vines, branches, and flowers as though he was nothing more than a clone.


    But Theron was at the point now that he could see the things Dean Thistle did quite clearly.


    This was most definitely the Thistle Marquis'' real body, and as for his cultivation¡­


    Seventh Resonance of Gold Mancy.


    This stage seemed to be a huge demarcating line for the Nightingale Empire. Every step forward in Gold Mancy was enormous, but every leap across watershed realms¡ªfrom low-tier to mid-tier, and then from mid-tier to high-tier¡ªmight as well have been a completely new Realm of Mancy.


    Not only did each leap come with new abilities, but the gap between them was far more substantial than the gap between Silver Mancy and First Resonance of Gold Mancy.


    In fact, facing off against Marquis Thistle now, it was more accurate to say that Theron was a full three cultivation Realms behind than to say just one.


    "You''ve always been quite smart, boy. I didn''t expect you to make it so far. You''ve exceeded my expectations."


    With one flash after another, the Thistles appeared, displaying such a careless disregard for their Mana usage that it made the other geniuses feel on edge.


    They had only just been in a long, protracted battle. They shouldn''t have even fully recovered yet. The only reason they could use their Mana so recklessly was because the concentration of Wood Mana in the air had suddenly become so thick that they only needed to circulate a fraction of the Mana in their Cores as compared to before to produce the same effects.


    The advantage was striking.


    Theron looked up to meet the Thistle Marquis'' gaze, still sitting on the Alpha''s back with a calmness in his eyes before he smiled.


    "I guess congratulations are in order."


    "Why thank you."


    "You haven''t asked me what I''m congratulating you for."


    "Oh?" A dangerous smile spread across the Thistle''s lips. "And what would that be?"


    "You actually brought so many of your heirs here to die. I''m congratulating you on living long enough to become senile with old age."


    A harsh, cold wind swept through the battlefield. The brashness of Theron''s words echoed in pulsing waves that rode along its back.