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  “Makes sense.” Einen replied.

  The islander was silent once again. He liked pondering, and while he was pondering, he hated being distracted by idle talk. Hadjar sometimes appreciated this and sometimes he hated it.

  They walked down another yellow stone road and found themselves in front of a tall building. It had white stone walls, multicolored stained glass windows, and a marble porch. ‘The Holy Sky’ School was clearly not poor.

  Mentor Jean, as always, was the first to enter. The interior was filled with an abundance of velvet, gold, carpets from the Sea of Sand, armour from various cultures, and other luxurious things. And once again, there were no people here.

  “The six days of exams are always a holiday,” Jean explained. “The disciples either take advantage of their unrestricted access to the city or seclude themselves in solitary meditation. Well, as you’ve noticed, many also attend the training sessions and lectures they can. The parade grounds usually aren’t that busy.”

  “The ones they can?” Hadjar asked.

  He already knew the answer, but he wanted to confirm his guess.

  “Yes, young warrior, that’s right.” Hadjar was the only one whom Jean turned and looked in the eye. “You need to have a high enough status to access the upper library floors, as well as to attend classes. Actually, you’ll see your schedule in the hall of Knowledge. That’s where we’re going next.”

  They went through many corridors and found themselves in a wide hall. The floor was decorated with various drawings, the ceiling was very high, and a huge number of stands stood on either side. Parchment and paper sheets were attached to them:

  Training (12) by Master Dai Sho — only available to fully-fledged and inner circle disciples. 600 Glory points.

  Lecture (7) ‘The Art of War’ by Mentor Bagini — only available to inner circle disciples. 999 Glory points.

  …

  “The numbers in brackets are the number of lectures or training sessions,” Jean explained.

  Hadjar, along with the others, continued to study the list carefully. As he had previously suspected, no lectures or training were provided for the ordinary disciples. The most expensive, of course, were the lectures that concerned artifacts and alchemy. However, despite the high price tags, they were many who wanted to attend them. About a hundred people were interested in the six spots one Mentor was offering.

  “Well, let’s go take a look at what you’re all undoubtedly interested in,” Mentor Jean half-smiled, like a circus barker, and moved on to the next room. “Welcome to the Hall of Fame!”

  This room was almost identical to the Hall of Knowledge. There were also various stands with parchment and paper sheets attached to them in here as well. But instead of specifying how many Glory points were required, they explained how many Glory points you could get:

  The core of an Air element monster no weaker than the middle of the King Stage — 65 Glory points

  Ten kilos of Moon Metal — 105 Glory points

  An artifact at the Heaven level — 45 Glory points

  One kilogram of the Sliding Drops Glass — 12 Glory points

  …

  The lists were huge. In fact, Glory points could be obtained for any tangible benefit that a disciple brought to the school. So, the process of learning here was more like an exchange. A disciple gave something to the school, and the school gave something back to the disciple. Such rules were in accord with the principles of the world of martial arts, where nothing was free.

  “Why is everything so cheap here while the prices in the Tower are incredibly steep?” One of the disciples protested.

  His outraged tone kindled a spark of discontent in Jean’s eyes, but the Mentor quickly extinguished it. He was walking on a razor’s edge. Many of his colleagues were just waiting for a chance to expel Jean. Maybe no one would normally protest if he turned an impudent ordinary disciple into a cripple, but he wouldn’t risk it in his current situation.

  “If you don’t like it, disciple, you can return your token and leave.”

  That was Jean’s answer. At first, the young man wanted to argue, but he stopped. A person had to be an idiot to argue with a man whose aura, even hidden, could take the life of a mere mortal.

  The disciples spent more time studying the lists. There were some items here that could earn one thousands of Glory points or more. For example, the core of a Lord Stage beast, which was equal to a human at the Lord level in strength. Or bringing back an Imperial level Technique or an artifact at the same level. Or the root of a Star River Flower older than fifty thousand years. This plant alone granted the amount necessary to take the exam to become a fully-fledged disciple. The higher the reward, the crazier the demands. However, this didn’t bother Hadjar or Einen. On the contrary, there were half-mad smiles on their faces. If the rarest Techniques, ingredients, monsters, and artifacts were listed here, then all of them, with due diligence and luck, could be found within the territory of the Empire!

  “We’ll soon reach the area where the ordinary disciples live. Our introductory lecture ends there. You’ll have to find out the rest on your own. The motto of ‘The Holy Sky’ School is: ‘The strongest of weapons tempers itself!’”

  Hadjar chuckled. The school provided an opportunity, but wasn’t responsible for the results. Just like a casino: maybe someone would win a large sum, but the house always won in the end. The cursed world of martial arts was consistent…

  They came out of the building, first walking along a paved road, then a path. The farther they went, the more wild and unkempt the place became. The mown grass gave way to weeds, the neat gardens to woods, and the plains and parade grounds to endless hills and pits. Half an hour later, they arrived at the edge of the clearing. It was clear that someone cut the trees here often and thoroughly.

  “This is where the ordinary disciples live,” Jean said.

  “Where?” One of the disciples asked him confusedly.

  “Wherever you want,” the Mentor shrugged. “This is the Forest of Knowledge. It’s the territory of the ordinary disciples. This is where we part ways.”

  Before he left, Jean added:

  “I hope all of you survive today.”

  After those parting words, the disciples tensed. Hadjar and Einen, who’d already gone through a similar trial in Underworld City, drew their weapons. Soon enough, other holders of silver tokens began to emerge from behind the trees. They were armed, wearing ragged, old clothes, their eyes burning with excitement and greed.

  “Newbies!” A tall, broad-shouldered man of about… forty appeared in front of them. Apparently, he’d joined the school a long time ago. “We’re happy to welcome you to our friendly ranks. Don’t be afraid, Jean is always messing with everyone. No one will harm you in the Forest of Knowledge.”

  The others breathed a sigh of relief, but Hadjar and Einen didn’t sheathe their weapons. They didn’t like the look of this.

  “Let me explain the rules.” The giant of a man said. “In this forest, everyone is on their own. You can cut down any trees you like, and as many as you like. They’ll grow again in a week. Using that wood, you can build a house, or even a palace if you have enough skill. ‘The Holy Sky’ School has several territories in the vicinity of the capital assigned to it. That’s what the Schools are fighting for.”

  The more the giant spoke, the more worried Hadjar became. In this world, information was an invaluable resource, and no one ever shared it just like that…

  “There are six such areas, but, alas, we ordinary disciples are only allowed to enter the Forest of Shadows and the Valley of Swamps. There isn’t a lot of prey there, but if you aren’t lazy, you’ll earn enough to pay for your studies.” The giant chuckled. “That’s everything. You can ask for a map of the area in the Glory Tower. They’ll give you one for free.”

  “Thank you!”

  “Thank you very much!”

  “We owe you!”

  “Oh, don’t thank me,” the man said, waving his
hand dismissively. “You see, this information isn’t free, and it costs... all the Glory points you have. I forgot to say that if you take someone else’s token, you can transfer all the Glory points from it to yours. For this bit of information, I’ll charge you... forty more points.”

  Those who’d come out of the forest laughed, but the newcomers murmured nervously.

  “But you said you couldn’t touch us here,” a girl said timidly.

  “Yes, that’s right. However, you’ll have to go hunt for Glory points sooner or later, and that’s where the rules don’t prohibit fights.”

  The forty-year-old man stood there, looking at the group of children who’d once considered themselves blessed by the Heavens. Every year, it gave him great pleasure to pull this trick off. Seeing the faces of these ‘geniuses’ lowered in meek submission was an amazing feeling. In addition, even after the points were divided between him and all his helpers, it was still a very profitable venture. No one had ever refused before…

  “Have a good day and thanks for the instructions.” Two newcomers, one bald and the other shaggy and with ornaments in his hair, saluted and went into the forest.

  Both the old-timers and newcomers alike were taken aback by their impudence. They watched the two friends leave in absolute silence.

  “Where should we go first, my friend?” The baldy asked. “The Forest or the Swamps?”

  “I don’t know,” the other shrugged. “But I think we’ll find someone willing to part with their lives and their tokens in both places.”

  “I don’t doubt it, my barbarian friend, I don’t doubt it.”

  They both laughed in a horrid, demonic manner.

  Chapter 432

  As they walked deeper into the forest, Hadjar and Einen attracted curious and hostile glances, but they didn’t spot many people among the trees. During their years as ordinary disciples, these people had learned to disguise themselves perfectly in this eternal forest. And their huts as well. Being an experienced tracker, Hadjar could determine where large settlements were located using indirect signs. The forest went on for many miles, and it was logical to assume that one could find both single houses and rather large ‘villages’ in here.

  “This seems like a nice place,” Hadjar muttered as they climbed another hill.

  From this vantage point, they could see all of the surrounding area, which meant that even if someone wanted to attack them despite the school rules, they would have to try very hard.

  “Do you know how to build a house?” Einen asked.

  The islander had worked with wood before, but could only build boats or rafts. He had no special skills or knowledge when it came to building anything else. Smugglers and slave traders didn’t really need huts or houses.

  “Well, you’ll make the traps, then.”

  Einen smiled bloodthirstily. Pirates didn’t know anything about building houses, but they could make a deadly trap out of almost anything.

  The friends had travelled light. All of their meager possessions had been placed in Hadjar’s spatial ring. Looking around to make sure no one was watching them, Hadjar mentally dived into the storage space of the artifact. In addition to the fairy’s body, the scroll with the image of the Black General, and the smallest drop of the elixir of the gods, the ring also held several heaps of Imperial coins, gold, and two travel bags with various items. These contained, among other things, two axes. Hadjar took them out and handed one to his friend.

  Back when he’d been an officer in the army of Lidus, he’d gotten enough lessons from Dogar, their commander, to be quite good at building a hut and even a whole barracks. That was a long time ago. At the time, he’d been at the Formation level. Now, as a true cultivator, he could do so much more, far more quickly.

  Spitting on his palms, Hadjar took the handle of the axe and swung, cutting down a tree that was three feet thick with one blow. He made terrifyingly quick progress. By the evening of his first day as an ordinary disciple, Hadjar cut down enough logs to train the entire Bear squad with.

  Einen kept coming back to collect the bark and branches. Hadjar didn’t know what his friend was making on the outskirts of their new home, but the baldy kept asking him not to go down alone. He promised to show Hadjar a safe way down later. Hadjar didn’t argue. He was too busy.

  With one mighty push, he drove ten-foot stakes into the ground, using them as the foundation. Then he laid down the floor, put up the walls, and made a few rooms. Then he added a chimney, a place for the stove, a convenient porch, and an attic. Sixteen hours of work was more than enough time for a Heaven Soldier to make a hut, but Hadjar had no particular desire to do so.

  They’d need this place not just to live or sleep in, but also as a safe haven where they could meditate, and maybe it would even provide the comfort of knowing that they had their own home. A purely psychological need.

  The roof was then covered with clay and turf, and that was the end of it.

  By the time he finished, it was already dawn. Einen showed him the safe route to the bottom of the hill. Slightly confusing, it wound between the invisible, even to Hadjar, traps. They could hardly harm a true cultivator, but they would detain them and make enough noise to alert both of them. They also worked perfectly against Concealment Techniques.

  The last exams ended and the school territory came alive.

  Hadjar, wiping away sweat and washing himself with water from a hastily dug well, joined Einen. Together, they wandered between the traps, down to the bottom of the hill, and headed for the main square.

  “Look!” Other ordinary disciples whispered around them. They were also heading for the Hall of Fame. “These are the two newbies who didn’t agree to pay Araz.”

  “Idiots. Their days here are numbered.”

  “Even if they gave up their tokens right now, Araz would still kill them.”

  They were certain that the giant Araz would be able to easily deal with the two newcomers. At the entrance exam, he’d been able to knock a huge chunk of stone from the stele with his ‘Diamond Fist’ Technique!

  “Did you hear that there was a guy who could almost cut through the stele?”

  “Yep. And he was immediately beaten by someone who actually did it.”

  Hadjar looked at the disgruntled Einen and grinned triumphantly. It was a friendly jest, nothing more.

  “Yesterday, there was a guy who beat both of them,” another voice said immediately. “They say that he was able to cut one stele down and scratch another with a single swing of his broadsword.”

  Now Einen chuckled, glancing at the startled Hadjar. Of course, it was strange to think that the two of them were the best of the... worst, but it was still a bit pleasant. Just like everyone else on the path of cultivation, the two friends weren’t devoid of feelings of vanity and pride.

  “And even he,” the voice continued, “Paid Araz.”

  “The sooner we pay, the sooner we’ll be able to earn Glory points.”

  “Yep.”

  “Let’s hurry before all of the most profitable orders are taken!”

  Hadjar and Einen looked at each other. Jean had showed them the board of the so-called general requests. However, there were also orders, ones that someone had personally posted. So, Glory points were a unique currency for the whole school. If they could be taken away, they could also be exchanged.

  The friends soon joined the crowd of thousands of ordinary disciples. All of them, covered in scars, wearing rumpled clothes, their hair unwashed and beards unshaven, were rushing to the Hall of Fame. If Glory points had a special symbol that denoted them, Hadjar had no doubt that it would be burning in the eyes of the savage disciples right now.

  Compared to them, the fully-fledged disciples looked a little better. They were also running to the Hall of Fame. As for the inner circle and core disciples, they weren’t here. Did they have their own personal boards?

  The closer they got to the Hall of Fame, the clearer it became how requests for strong monster materia
ls were fulfilled.

  “There’s a request for a Stone Lion at the Ancient level. It grants nine hundred Glory points! Who’s with me? I’ll take sixteen warriors!”

  Almost ten times as many people rushed over to the man who was waving the parchment around. Fully-fledged disciples had priority, of course.

  “A request for two hundred pounds of Dawn Grass! Five people! Two hundred points!”

  “A request for the core of a Fire element beast at the Primordial level! Only for inner circle disciples! Three thousand points!”

  Six people came out of the crowd. After talking to the guy who had obtained such a difficult request, they all started walking toward the school gates together.

  “Let’s go,” Einen said.

  They entered the hall side by side. Deciding to confirm their hunch about the exchange, they started with the Hall of Knowledge. There were far fewer people in there. Along with yesterday’s sheets, new ones had been added. These were the result of some disciples offering to give lectures to others for a certain fee. Usually, the fully-fledged disciples were offering to share knowledge with the ordinary disciples. So, this was how disciples with the silver medallions studied here. It was a common practice, even in Lidus.

  Leaving the Hall of Knowledge, the friends cut through the crowd and made their way over to the stands with requests. They saw some bored fully-fledged disciples sitting at tables there. They were apparently being punished and forced to distribute maps of the surrounding area belonging to ‘The Holy Sky’ School.

  “Two maps, please,” Einen said.

  “Take them.” The disciple, who was about twenty-five, held out two scrolls.

  “Thank you, senior disciple.”

  These were the local rules: they had to call teachers Master or Mentor (a Master was ranked higher than a Mentor); they had to call other disciples of the same age or status disciple; a junior disciple if they had a lower status, and a senior disciple if they had a higher status.

  They looked at their maps and let out disappointed sighs. The Forest of Shadows and the Valley of Swamps were the only two regions where the ordinary disciples were permitted to venture. However, the most valuable requests would require them to go to the remaining four regions — the Desert of Death, the Lake of Dreams, the Storm Mountain, and the Wastelands. The names were pathetic because of how hard they tried to sound cool, but Hadjar didn’t care. He almost snarled when he realized that everyone could visit all of these regions except for the wearers of the silver medallions. Once again, it was clear that the ordinary disciples were being used as servants. Ninety percent of the orders available to them revolved around gathering herbs or grasses, cutting down rare trees, mining ore, and so on.