Chapter 41: The Calm

  A studious ambience blanketed the classroom full of students determined to succeed in their attempts at rune fusion. On the edge of this warm and harmonious environment, Damon stood frozen in front of a young girl with pigtails. He was closely scrutinizing her results with his Truesight ability, and the images displayed shocked him. He could tell at a glance that the jagged and curvy lines were the work of an amateur. Especially for the ‘heat’ rune. This girl most likely had drawn the rune for the first time today. Yet, the image of fire he could see using his ability was much brighter than his own.

  In the grayscale world Damon was currently visualizing, the fused rune he had drawn was the textbook example of perfection. The ‘heat’ rune supplied his ‘fire’ rune and caused it to increase in size and heat. This heat was displayed by a brighter light in his current sight. The one this girl had completed looked like a failure, yet the jagged lines caused the fire to burn hotter, albeit smaller.

  This was something Damon could not have produced. His ability to copy runes always made his lines absolutely perfect, in sync with the form he had memorized. However, he was now beginning to comprehend some of the mysteries of Runeology.

  By comparing the girl’s work to his own, Damon ascertained he may be able to discover entirely new applications for these runes. His thoughts did not stop there.

  If I use Truesight while drawing my copied runes and deliberately alter the lines in specific areas, the outcome might be superior to what I had previously seen as perfect.

  His understanding of Runeology increased by leaps and bounds due to his realization and speculation.

  I guess there is no such thing as perfection in this world. My own imagination was too shallow. I must continue to break through my own limitations.

  Damon’s glowing white eyes returned to a dark blue, still glowing with visible excitement. He grabbed the parchment that the girl had drawn the fused rune on and ran straight out of the classroom. He did not say a single word, nor did he even stop to think about what he was doing. He was too focused on analyzing the differences between his rune and hers.

  The girl yelped in surprise before yelling after Damon. “Older Brother Damon, what are you doing?”

  The rest of the class looked over in confusion, barely managing to glimpse the tail of Damon’s robes disappear through the open doorway. They turned their focus over to the girl, who was flushed a deep shade of vermillion, tears threatening to explode out of her large, round eyes. Even her pigtails were trembling violently from her erupting emotions.

  “You’re so mean, Older Brother Damon!”

  A few days later, Damon was sitting on his bed, facing the excited Dylan once more. It was time for the weekly earnings report. Dylan animatedly explained the profit and loss summary while gesticulating in large motions. Damon just quietly watched with a satisfied smile on his face. He was happy to earn essence stones to support his cultivation, but it was Dylan’s joy and happiness that brought him a greater sense of fulfillment.

  “... And so, this storage pouch contains all the earnings, subtracting your required amount of new materials, and my share of the profits. Please take it, Older Brother Damon.” Dylan had a solemn look on his face as he took out a bulging storage pouch from his robes and handed it to Damon with both hands.

  Damon chuckled as he accepted the pouch. This kid was becoming slightly similar to Claire in personality, though a much, MUCH calmer version. However, that was only around him. He remained quiet and shy around people he wasn't close to.

  As Damon was lost in his own thoughts, comparing Dylan to Claire, Dylan brought up a new topic of conversation.

  “By the way, Older Brother Damon, have you heard the news going around the Academy lately? Everyone is buzzing about the upcoming combat tournament!”

  “Is it the tournament that is held every five years? I have heard it mentioned before. I had been meaning to ask you or Claire about it, but I completely forgot. It was supposed to happen sometime soon, right?”

  Damon recalled the message he had heard from the communication disc he had obtained from the Deputy Leader he had defeated. Now that I’m reminded of it, I need to decide on what to do about that Law Enforcement Hall Leader… He was considering his options when his thoughts were interrupted by Dylan once again.

  “Yep, that’s the one! The official name of the tournament is the Crucible Convergence. The dates have been confirmed. It is starting in a month. The candidates from the Military and Arcane Academies have already been decided as well!” Dylan exclaimed. He seemed especially chipper today. Perhaps that was just the meaning of youth. Unfortunately, Damon had not been able to experience the same childish emotions.

  For a moment, Damon watched Dylan’s antics with a complicated expression. He was smiling happily for Dylan, but it did not reach his eyes. Deep within his eyes was a mixture of sadness and regret.

  “Oh, they decide on the candidates rather than having a selection process? Why is that?” Damon asked, genuinely curious about the tournament.

  “Apparently, they are chosen specifically from the Combat department, and only those who are at the late stage Node Awakening realm. The Senior Apprentices get together and discuss to decide who will be best to send out, as they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of the Towers.”

  “I see. It should be interesting to watch. We might be able to learn something from their battles. Do they give anything to the participants?”

  “Yes, depending on how well you do, there are special rewards. They haven’t announced what they are for this Convergence, but the older students were saying that the Academies and the Towers pool together some resources to give them out. They will definitely be very good!”

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  Damon mused about everything Dylan had said. Rewards, huh? A shame. I wouldn’t have minded giving it a go if the rewards were precious. But it’s held with the nearby Towers, huh? That must be why the Hall Leader is coming. He must be escorting the Initiates from the Arcane Tower of Argent Flame. I wonder if Jon and Raina will come too. Are they doing well? I hope they are healthy and happy.

  “Oh, earlier I mentioned they chose the contestants from the Combat department, but there was a slight change to those rules this year. They allowed Miss Claire to be included. Apparently, she barged in on the meeting of Disciples and demanded a spot. They had no other choice but to agree. Apart from her, the others are Sir Thomas, Sir Alistair, and Sir Ivan. The rest are all late stage Initiates from the Combat department.” Dylan continued, trying to squeeze out every drop of information he had regarding the tournament. Since Damon was showing keen interest, it was the best opportunity to show how talented he was at gathering information.

  “Claire and Thomas are contestants, huh? That makes sense… They are certainly formidable opponents,” Damon replied grumpily. His own tone of voice surprised him as he didn’t intend to respond with such gloom. After thinking for a moment, he realized why he felt that way. Deep in his heart, he already considered Claire and Thomas his friends. He did not want to be left out as they walked ahead of him. He wanted to stand on the same stage as them.

  “Have you seen Miss Claire and Sir Thomas in battle? I’ve heard they have very unique abilities, thanks to their family backgrounds. Also, there are four cultivators from the Military Academy, forming eight in total from the Assembly. Three Towers will participate with eight cultivators each, establishing a clean ladder of 32.”

  “Do you know which of the Towers that are attending?” Damon only knew about the Towers of Argent Flame and Auxiliary Paths. He had not focused on geography when studying at the Legacy Hall. It reinforced his desire to obtain even more knowledge than he had now.

  “Yes, Older Brother Damon, I do in fact know them!” Dylan replied with a grin. Today was the best day. He was able to provide his benefactor with all the information he wanted. “The three towers that are coming are the Arcane Tower of Argent Flame, the Hidden Tower of Violet Mist, and the Lunarsol Tower. There’s a fourth one nearby, but apparently they don’t specialize in combat, so they don’t participate in the tournament.”

  “Is that so? Do you know more about these Towers?”

  “Of course, Older Brother Damon! Who do you think I am? I’ve already looked into everything before coming to you! So, the Arcane Tower…”

  Like this, Damon and Dylan conversed deep into the night, discussing the various minor details related to the tournament and the Towers.

  The next morning, Damon arose from his slumber before the sun had risen. He needed to maintain his routine as always. Consistency was just as important to cultivation as it was to gather resources. Within the warm, hazy light of the oil lamp, he completed his recitation of the Sutra, the mind spike tempering, the meditation for Arcane cultivation, and crafted the first batch of scrolls. After cleaning himself, he walked out of the dorm room. Thankfully, nobody was waiting for him today. He was not interrupted from his schedule.

  When Damon stepped out of the dorm building, he noticed that it was an incredibly humid day. A fine layer of stickiness immediately clung to his exposed skin, even though the temperature itself wasn’t very warm. He looked up at the murky, overcast sky, witnessing the sight of the day gradually darkening. The gray sky, along with the thick, muggy air, seemed to be shrouding the entire region in an oppressive atmosphere.

  “It looks like a storm is coming. Even with a barrier to block the rain and a Cleanse spell to rid the stickiness, staying in this environment too long would be unpleasant. I should get to the Legacy Hall quickly.”

  As Damon made his way over to the Legacy Hall, the clouds only grew thicker, and the environment further darkened, almost as though the sun had never risen today. It was as though a perpetual darkness had fallen.

  The sky was heavily shrouded in dense, dark clouds; the occasional flash of lightning brightly lit up the heavens, the brilliance revealing the overlapping curves of the clouds. The booming thunder followed, shaking the atmosphere with the reverberations caused by the sound.

  Beneath this overcast sky, a figure hidden under a thick, black cloak kneeled on one knee before a man clad in elegant and stylish amber robes. The standing man had his back turned, staring up at the sky with his hands clasped behind his back. They were located on a cliff at the side of a small mountain.

  “Master. The preparations are complete. I have identified and infected all individuals susceptible to the Seeds of Corruption. They are ready to be released at your command.” The kneeling figure had one arm crossed over his chest, and his masked face lowered. The gravel beneath him was stabbing into his knee, but he did not so much as budge an inch.

  “How many did you manage to corrupt?” Asked the robed man in a dulcet tone without turning around.

  “There are a total of 12 Disciples and 45 Initiates,” reported the kneeling figure. “There was one more late stage Initiate, but he was somehow able to overcome the effects. I have not felt a connection for several months now.”

  “No need to worry about that. You’ve done well. You should head back and release the corruption immediately. Don’t worry about the aftermath. I will personally ensure your future.” The robed man replied in a smooth, mellow voice.

  “Your wish is my command.” The cloaked figure responded with contentment as he got up and flew away.

  The dignified man remained standing on the spot, continuing to gaze up at the heavens. “One of them managed to escape the corruption, huh? It must be someone with both a fragile heart and a strong will. I guess that’s the limitation of the Seed. Everything is still proceeding as planned. It’s about time for me to go and meet the cultivators from the Towers. But first… Let’s get rid of the sneaky rat.”

  The robed man gracefully turned around, his wooden face a stark contrast with his dulcet tone or his polished movements. He raised his arm and pointed a finger at a large tree in the distance. The ground in the area began quaking, emitting a sound similar to the grinding of a millstone, before erupting upward in an explosion of dirt and stones. A bloodcurdling scream rang out before everything returned to silence, save for the occasional thunder and the raining stones falling back to the ground.

  From afar, a bloodied man with his limbs encased in stone hovered over. He was unconscious, with his head lolling to the side. The expressionless man pointed to the ground before his feet, and the captured man was forced to his knees in that exact spot. The kneeling man was wearing the black and verdant robes of the Assembly, but with a sword and shield emblem on the chest.

  “Tch. Just a Disciple from the Guard Manor. A waste of time. I was hoping for something a little more entertaining.”

  The elegant man clenched his hand into a fist, commanding the earth to crawl up the bloody and bruised man, fully enclosing him within. The packed dirt and gravel began compressing tightly as droplets of dark red blood began oozing out, before sinking back into the ground. The scent of damp earth intermingled with the metallic smell of blood, which permeated the muggy air with a foul stench.

  Afterward, he hummed a merry tune as he slowly floated into the sky and flew away at a leisurely speed.

  The Calm before the storm...