At dusk, the two figures arrived in front of a building. It was old and pretty isolated, but the advantage was its considerable size, perfect for the duo to keep their harvest. They were currently both in a garden.

The building was, in fact, an old abandoned art school. It was said that once it was renowned all over the lower part of Elysium. It was actually led by a powerful Rune scholar, but due to his arrogance, he offended people he should not have.

He was killed, and his school dismantled. Since then, this place had turned empty, not even a single soul apart from our two friends here. Currently, Neo sat as he faced Amarok, who held a shining sword in hand. Under the moonlight, he practiced under Neo's guidance.

"Master, why did you act that way?" Amarok asked as he suddenly stopped. He knew his master was not that kind of person.

"What are the three things I have asked you to never do?" Neo didn't answer but asked another question with a serious look.

"I shouldn't use any Rune weapon until I master all the four movements of the sword dance, and I should never, no matter the circumstance, kill anyone," Amarok said seriously, especially the second part. His master had been extremely strict about that. Looking at Neo's annoyed gaze, he scratched his head. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but master, I think it was just two things," he said after some thought.

"Don't get close to any noble; now it makes three," Neo said. He knew what he was asking was impossible, but for Amarok's own good, it would be better for him to stay far away from them, at least until he was strong enough. Amarok frowned; he knew it had to do with his half-memories, but he could not pinpoint exactly what. He nodded.

Neo has always had his best interest at heart. He will never do or say anything without a reason. Until he finds out what it was, he would comply. "Understood, master," he said reluctantly.

"Good. How far has your sword dance progressed? How many moves can you complete now?" Neo asked in anticipation.

"You're not going to be disappointed, master," Amarok said as he stepped into the center of the hall. It had a huge circular window at the top allowing the faint moon rays to fall on them. Amarok smiled as he inhaled; his aura shifted in an instant, his black hair danced.

"First move: half-moon slash," Amarok waved his sword at lightning speed; a whooshing sound could be heard as a white arc drew in the air. He was performing a series of sword strikes and slashes in the air; whistles sounded under his every move. Compared to the Amarok of earlier, it was like heaven and earth; he looked like a fierce lion unleashing his wrath upon the void.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Half-moon slash, piercing void, spinning flurry; not bad. One more, and you will be ready to start using a Rune weapon. Good job; you must have worked hard," Neo said, nodding in satisfaction. At first, he had been scared that Amarok might not be able to completely learn this skill; his talent was really not the best.

Amarok seemed to sense something. "I told you, master, I am talented," he said with a grin.

"Why do I have to first learn all of this? Many of my peers have started learning how to use Rune weapons," he asked.

Neo understood what he meant; he would be left in the dust if he started too late. Most Rune warriors grew with their Rune weapons; that meant the earlier one started to assimilate its power, the faster they would grow.

That was also why most people started their training with their Rune weapons immediately; it was this way in every school that existed. But his master thought differently.

"You will thank me later. Mark my words: no Rune weapons until you master the last move of the sword dance," Neo insisted once more.

Amarok sighed in desperation. He had taken almost six months just to learn the third move, spinning flurry. The last move promised to be even more difficult. He wondered whether he would one day be able to use a Rune weapon.

"Master, the golden season's exam is fast approaching. This year, it is Wandleaf who has the honor of organizing it. Can I participate?" he asked, eyes full of anticipation. He had been practicing for years already but had never tested his skills on any other person other than the poor beast in the forest. These days they were so dispirited that they fled just at his sight.

"No, we have not finished collecting the golden flowers, and if we don't, we wouldn't be able to leave before the next season," Neo explained as he stood up. "There would be a lot of influential people there. This could be the best opportunity to sell our flowers; they are very useful for common medicine and potions. Think of it. What is the use of all this training if I can't use it?" Amarok explained. "I am not going to stay my whole life here. If I don't test my skills, how will I know if I am fit to survive outside?"

Neo was in deep thought. What Amarok said actually made sense. "Plus, killing is forbidden, so there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"Okay, fine, but you better win that competition. The first place gets a weapon with the Crying Ember Rune. Although it's nothing really special, it can still sell for good money," Neo said seriously, calculating their benefit; that was almost two seasons' worth of flowers.

Amarok was speechless. Was this the same person who a minute ago didn't want him to get even close to it? "I better get to work then," he said as he resumed practicing. Excitement was coursing through his veins. He would finally have the chance to test his skills. He was really curious if his talent was as poor as his master thought compared to others.