Before Robert left through the void, a question popped up. "Will they find suspicious if I pay my debt too fast?"
"No, not really," Noah replied. "If you keep the door to this chamber closed, they will just think you are using essence supplements to pay the debt. While it's stupid to do it, there's plenty of stupid to go around. These spoiled young masters love their shortcuts even if these shortcuts cut their progress short. They believe daddy will come and fix it with some miracle treasure."
"Sure."
"Just don't be seen. Or caught. They can detect invisible things."
"Okay. You should leave first."
"Be safe."
Noah left. Robert checked his debt, punched in his other affinities to see if they were paying a better ratio. At this point, he was procrastinating. If the ratios changed all the time, it wouldn't matter until he hauled his ass back with a full essence pool. He used his primary talent, dove into the void. There, he changed into his fairy form and donned only his underwear. The clothes Amanda made resembled the Academy uniform too much.
Diving deeper into the void, he emerged right next to the passage. Robert couldn't see the passage but he could sense its presence. After pondering for a while, he found the reason. His spatial sense tempering allowed him to detect spatial anomalies. Nothing could be more anomalous than a rift between two dimensions. Just like physical matter left a visible echo in the liminal void, the passages left an echo in the spatial plane.
He waited right in front of the passage for his time to run out, working on his imprint in the meanwhile. When time resumed, he darted through the passage and used his talent again. If anyone could detect him while invisible, it was for just split-second. And all they saw was a fairy going into the passage. If his secondary talent became public knowledge, they could add two plus two, but the passage belonged to Amanda. He worked for Amanda. Their two plus two would come short a few ones because he was committing no actionable offense.
The passage was chaotic. Rain clouds choked the sky and wept electricity. Thunder and lightning were a commonplace occurrence, the flashes of light and the peals of rumbling cracking air happening several times each minute. The surface was rock, washed by the constant rain. A film of running water made the ground treacherous. Not only the rocks were slippery but the running water would sap some momentum from one's feet.
Robert could see some monster corpses around the passage, piling up in the depressions, water flowing over them. In some places, islands of bodies rose up from the water, parting the currents.
Flying around was hard. The raindrops were physical obstacles in the liminal void and Robert had to move around them. Flying here in this storm was asking to fall down in the water below and get swept up by the currents.
After a few minutes searching, Robert found a tribe of Gurglocks. The fish-men were assembling for war, all of the tribe carrying weapons and marching for the passage. They were lambs to the slaughter.
Robert felt his time was about to end. He readied a spell and waited for a few seconds. When he returned to reality, he cast a spatial distortion above him, a wedge-shaped one to push the raindrops to the sides. Just like light going through a prism, the raindrops came out of the distorted space with sideways momentum, leaving him dry.
Robert wasted no time admiring the distortion. He placed drain essence curses on three Gurglocks in separate spots of the marching column. Then he waited. The cursed gurglocks grunted and gurgled, trying to find the hidden enemy. That put the whole tribe in alert mode and they stopped their advance. After a few minutes, he sensed a fourth stream of essence coming his way. Then a fifth. Another minute brought the sixth and seventh, then another five in the third minute.
His upgrade to drain essence was already paying itself off. These free curses from contagion were pure profit. He felt his essence pool fill rapidly. When it reached its cap ten minutes after the first casting, he used his primary talent and flew back to the Academy facility. The curses he left on the monsters would be all dispelled because the caster was no longer in the same dimension but he could always come back and curse them again.
he appeared in the locked room and checked the ratios. Space was still the best option. Robert locked his payment plan, guaranteeing he would pay the current ration no matter if the future ratios went up or down. He put his fairy hands on the storage crystal and pumped it full of space essence. He only left enough to cast drain essence three times. With the discounts from his tempering, it was almost like he was getting one cast free.
The first tribe of Gurglocks died after five visits. That forced Robert to find another tribe, drain it until only dried husks were left behind, and then a third and fourth tribes. The fourth tribe had more essence than he needed but he used that to train his new spells and get a feel on their improvements. He was very satisfied.
*
*
Robert found Amanda waiting in line to use one of the seven Earth gathering chambers. He waved at her and approached with a grin on his face.
"Please don't tell me you are already done," Amanda said with undertones of irritation in her voice.
"I won't," he replied with a barely suppressed smile.
"Damn," Amanda shook her head and pulled some hair behind her ear. "They should let people volunteer to pay for others."
"And the weaker students would be bullied into becoming essence mules. Not mules, cows. Who said that again?"
She punched his shoulder. "Smartass."
"Anyway, do you need me for anything?" He said to tease her.
"Yes, actually. Stay here. Save my spot in the line. I'm going to check the Nature chambers."
Some students glared at Amanda for violating unspoken rules but it was the privilege of the truly powerful.
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Just as Archhumans were subject to less and less rules and regulations as they ascended. They paid less taxes, had more leeway when behaving badly, and so on. Enforcing the law on people who could wipe a city block with a thought was ridiculously hard. Only public opinion and the Empress' wrath kept four-stars from running amok.
Robert stood in line in his best parade rest, staring straight forward. Some students noticed his Samson Security pin and made the connection. Others just looked at him like he was some sort of weirdo. Meanwhile, Robert kept working on his imprint.
*
*
Amanda took the better part of the day to pay her debt. And that with Robert keeping a spot for her in the Earth gathering chamber line. This facility was always lively but now, with the tournament quickly approaching, it was crowded.
They were on the way to the cafeteria/restaurant to grab dinner when a group of students approached. It was dark and they were crossing a stretch of lawn that was mostly desert and far from any surveillance. Their expressions spelled "trouble", if faces were letters.
"Miss Samson, good evening!" The leader said. "I'm glad to know that you returned from your tribulations in the interspace unscathed."
"Phillip Shayver. Good evening to you," Amanda replied.
Robert read her body language like an open book. This guy was someone she couldn't just scoff away and ignore. Probably the scion of another major faction, backed by at least one four-star Arch. He scanned Phillip's clothing for any allegiance pins but found none. But he noticed that the guy was in the late stages of two stars. Maybe even holding back his ascension so he could dominate the two-star bracket.
I would like to have a private conversation with you, if that's possible," Phillip said.
Amanda glanced at Phillip retinue of sycophants. With a gesture, he dismissed them. The other students went away, leaving only the three of them.
"Won't you dismiss the help?" Phillip said, nudging his chin at Robert.
"I'm afraid you'd need to get Mrs. Samson to authorize that, Mr. Shayver," Robert said.
"I didn't ask you, grunt," Phillip said with disdain. "So, Ms. Samson. Do you still need your babysitter around?"
The way that guy talked made Robert wish he could void punch his chin.
"It is as he said, Phillip. Unless you get my granny to dismiss him, I'm afraid he's staying," Amanda shrugged. She hadn't smiled once during this encounter.
"So be it. It's not like he will be of any consequence. My father is having talks with your great-grandmother about our engagement."
"I wish him good luck," Amanda said. "Is that all?"
He reached to grab her hand. Amanda quickly withdrew her limb. Phillip seemed surprised.
"You became very fast, didn't you? I see that this four-month expedition with that deranged professor wasn't in vain. Did he try to abuse you?"
Robert cast haste on Amanda, at a low setting. And a full-power one on himself.
"What? NO!" Amanda cringed.
Phillip tried to embrace her. Robert moved forward with preternatural speed and grabbed his wrist.
"Please refrain from touching Ms. Samson," he said with a mechanic voice.
"Don't you dare touch me, worm!" The arrogant young master retrieved his arm and rubbed it. Phillip glared at Robert, who returned a cold stare.
The two bucks engaged on a staring contest. Soon they would start ramming each other's horns. Amanda took a half-step backward to stay closer to Robert. It only pissed Phillip further.
"Well, that's it. I must show this scholarship mutt some manners," Phillip said and snapped his fingers. His retinue was waiting nearby and they rushed to close in as they heard their masters' call.
Robert was expecting the "courting death" line so famous in the martial arts books.
"I challenge you, student blaze, to a duel."
Oh, never mind. There it was, disguised.
Robert tried to remember the dueling rules. He, as the challenged, could pick the venue and the weapons. But the more restricted he set those, the less points he'd earn with a victory. He didn't need to worry about losing points since he had none. His duel record was one win by WO.
"Right here, twenty feet radius ring, all weapons and spells allowed," Robert said.
"Oh! No referees?"
"Do you need one to powder your cheeks?" Robert taunted.
Phillip removed his jacket and tossed it to one of his minions. Robert put a hand on Amanda's back and looked at her. He got a nod from the Samson princess. She moved away. One of the minions used a spell, creating a ring of light forty feet across. Everyone moved out of it.
Robert stood at ease. Phillip took a rapier from his ring.
"Let's make a wager," Phillip said.
"No, thank you. I don't want to be accused of robbing the weak," Robert said.
"You bastard mutt!" Phillip cursed. Though he still didn't say the famous phrase, it was hanging in the air.
"Amanda, you give the start signal."
She conjured a dandelion. it blossomed and detached its head. Glowing, the dandelion floated until it was above the ring and then exploded in a cascade of light sparks.
Robert cast slow on Phillip. Phillip lunged with his rapier. Robert dodged with ease, sidestepping and tripping the arrogant young master. All the while, he had his hands across his back.
Phillip recovered and came, slow like molasses. Compared to Robert, their personal time was running three times slower.
"I'll fucking kill you!" Phillip said an octave lower because of the time compression he was under.
Robert started to dance a happy jig. He clapped his hands, tapped his feet, smiled at Phillip, who stopped to stare, completely discombobulated.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Fighting!" Robert lilted as he went to and fro sideways, like a happy quadrille dancer. His mood was so contagious some of the minions caught themselves clapping along.
Amanda started to chortle, her peals of laughter somehow following Robert's rhythm.
"Agh!" Phillip lunged. Robert slapped him on the wrist and cast a spell.
The rapier dropped, sticking into the grass pointy end down, standing at attention like a fence picket. Robert danced and twirled around Phillip.
"Hooray!" Robert clapped. He waved his hands to entice the crowd to go along. Amanda was clapping, laughing, and shouting alongside with him. Some minions finally gave up and went along.
"Dance, Phillip! Dance!" Robert goaded.
Instead of picking up his rapier, Phillip started to dance. At first, he looked confused but he started to slowly catch up with Robert.
They showed their best dance moves. The minions followed their master and were now clapping, dancing, and shouting, collectively creating the music. Some of them took musical instruments from their storage rings and played by ear.
Ten minutes later, Phillip was completely enraptured by the dance. The young master was smiling, giggling, twirling like a ballerina, jumping, clapping, shouting "Hey, Yeah," and "Oh!"
It didn't matter who was the better dancer. They were prancing under the moonlight, all of their grudges and worries washed away. The revelers weren't rivals or even warriors. They were dancers, artists, singers, musicians.
The music and lights and shouts drew in students by the dozens. People left the cafeteria to see what was going on. Fire Archs added their flames to the show, a display of skill and pyrotechnics as magical fireworks bloomed in the sky. Air Archs added their tunes, other students took maracas and drums and other instruments.
Word of what was happening spread, mouth to mouth. A dance duel, what novelty! Some teachers came to watch, and people talked among themselves. The artistic display of magic reached new levels. Light and Water students combined their efforts to paint rainbows in the night sky.
And in the middle of the ring, Robert and Phillip danced and dueled not with weapons and offensive spells but with grace and rhythm.
Then, at the climax, with sweat trickling down his brow, Robert shouted.
"Concede the duel!"
The music stopped. The conversations died. Everyone watched with enraptured eyes.
And Phillip, completely in the clutches of Robert's euphoria spell, shouted. "I concede the duel! I yield!"
Amanda squealed as loud as she could. The other girls added their cheers and shouts. Some threw flowers at the champion of the night.
But as all true magic, it came to an end. The teachers who appeared to referee took note of the duel's result, officially crowning Robert as the winner.
And as he snapped out of the Fey magic, Phillip realized what had happened. He became furious, his face a demon stuck in a rictus of wrath.
He took his rapier from where it laid stuck on the grass and stabbed at Robert, aiming for the heart.