Arson answered the questions on the Realm Travelers exam and to his surprise, the test was not easy at all.

“What does any of this have to do with traveling between realms?” muttered Arson to himself. He’d never had to face the hurdles presented by the questions throughout most of the exam, but was luckily able to finish the test with a passing score.

Not because he knew the best material for constructing a parachute, or what types of mud and sand were optimal for building a makeshift hut to survive volatile realms with severe weather patterns, but because his knowledge on random subjects that allowed him to break down the test question by question.

“The look Amethyst gave Arson when he turned the test in early, made him wonder if he should have taken more time to thoroughly look the test over.

“Are you sure, young man? There are thousands of questions and we do need you to complete them all before we will even start to grade your exam, and incomplete—“ Arson didn’t let the man finish, merely sent over the electronic document by waving his hand over the examiners station-table, and smiled.

“I definitely answered them all, just need it graded,” stated Arson with a simple smile. Many in the room around him either looked shocked or laughed at how preposterous Arson’s claim was to them. Then a green light pinged softly with a pulse that indicated a passing grade, and Amethyst frowned; the thought of cheating the only thing that could explain Arson’s accomplishment in the man’s mind. For no other reason than the simple probationary stamp on his neck.

“I’m sorry but due to the speed in which you completed this exam, I will be forced to give you a secondary, and more difficult exam, and will be forced to watch you take it from start to finish,” said Amethyst redirecting Arson back to his seat.

“May I ask why,” prompted Arson confused by the sudden additional hurdle. Which Amethyst was glad to give an absolute remorseless response too.

“You have no backing, you score a near perfect grade on the test and haven’t even been here for a fourth of the time offered to test takers, you either cheated, or I’m going to be forced to increase the difficulty of the exam regardless of the objectives of my peers if some unknown street tra… I mean,” said Amethyst trying to cover up his slip of the tongue, but Arson was over the man’s undeserved discrimination of him and sneered down at the man. His fist being balled so tightly that his knuckles being cracked could be heard even through the slight noise from the equipment in the testing area.

“I understand what you mean, sir. May we begin now? I have much I need to complete beyond this testing today,” responded Arson, not allowing for the man to finish. Amethyst gulped unconsciously to clear his throat and looked down to find what he felt to be the most difficult test he’d ever designed on realm theory.

Normally test takers were tested on things that were needed to be known for basic survival. How to start fires without mana. How to create drinking water using condensation and tools, among many other things that Arson could only guess at from what he learned in the season cycles prior to him becoming a cultivator in the library of the Maelstrom orphanage.

This new test though, was what Arson had assumed the first test would be about. The designs of realm systems. How stars were used to generate power through energy and motion. Ways even cultivators' own power could create realms on a minor scale, and the theories on how the immortals and gods themselves manage to twist the laws of reality with the use of mana and Uni-Vare.

The very basis of realms was runes and how they were manufactured to create natural environments that could grow and prosper themselves, which Arson believed only a handful of people his age or younger could possibly wield as much information as himself about.

The gasp of air that Amethyst made when Arson took the man’s own seat and started the test without even a real pause to figure out what the exam was over, was priceless to Arson.

There were even questions that Arson knew had no concrete answers to; so when Amethyst continued to gasp at Arson’s own stated hypotheses that could potentially explain things the man believed to be phenomenon, Arson started to give the man strange glances of his own.

Amethyst by that point was reading over his shoulder; so close that Arson was forced to lean away after the man's ears grazed his. The man had given up all pretenses of trying not to bother Arson, and the grudging glances of respect that passed over Arson from the man with each question answered only pushed Arson to show off more of his knowledge as he continued.

“What makes you say that Void mana is akin to light mana?”

“Some mana types are actually a spectrum of energies that actually aren’t a new element or type of mana, but a single mana that has less or more energy, Light and Void, Lightning and Ice for example, same element, various energy levels, or differing capacities for movement, and tangible densities,” responded Arson already having had moved on to the next question even as he answered Amethyst.

It wasn’t until Amethyst started to call over his colleagues that Arson became suddenly wary of the information he offered, remembering that some information was volatile just being known and understood. Arson stopped typing, halfway through the test when he realized, more questions were being added even as he took the test.

“What is it, why did you stop?” Arson stared down the man over his shoulder, waiting…

“Are you quitting, you know that means that we cannot give you a license if you—“ It was Arson’s turn to cut off Amethyst, and his single comment was enough to stop the farce of a test he was being put through.

“It's fine, I’ll just call the sergeant back, I think I have had enough of the judgment and obvious stealing of my intellectual property. You know if you just would have asked I may have been willing to share some interesting off-realm texts on these subjects, but I’m beginning to see how our local Hall of Realms operates,” said Arson as he rose from the man’s desk and started to scroll through his contacts, not actually looking for anyone in particular.

“Wait wait wait, I apologize, young master,” said Amethyst. An immediate change in how Arson was being addressed hadn’t escaped Arson’s notice, but he continued to scroll on his watch's face in threat.

“Seriously, Carter, I apologize. You have to understand that being the foremost informed group within our realm on these types of matters is something my family has long cherished and claimed as their own, being obviously outclassed by some unknown youngster is hard for anyone who has pride in themselves, I am seen as a prestigious figure in my scientific circles, and now I worry that I may somehow be less informed and knowledgeable than I’ve been given credit and credits for…” Arson stopped scrolling and looked at the now very sympathetic city official and scientist in from of him.

“Knowing a lot has never made anyone important for more than a period of time, any scientist who studies anything they love and are dedicated to knows that, right? I guess I’m not speaking from personal experience, but the most intelligent people I know have engrained the fact that when you stop learning, or lose the ability to adapt leads to death, maybe not the loss of your life, but anything important to you can be lost, your passion, or even the community of people that love what you do,” said Arson trying to be empathetic to the man. Arson didn’t know how much he’d truly unbalanced Amethyst, but when the older man extended his hand to Arson once more and smiled, Arson did the same.

“Your understanding of things makes you wise beyond your seasons, young man, but for my actions earlier I would like to apologize, and extend a personal invitation to join the Hall of Realms as a specialist. May we start from the beginning? I’d like to try and make less of a fool of myself and the facility I love,” said Amethyst, and Arson gave him a nod while they gave one another a firm shake.

“No problem, as long as I am done answering questions, you got a deal!”

…

Max believed in the art of surprises which she successfully pulled off on Elizabeth’s brat when she slow clapped the moment he exited the portal.

She could tell he was normally not accustomed to being snuck up on by his reaction. An instant readiness took over his features, and until he saw her face, an odd pressure had filled the air. Not a pressure that threatened someone of her power, more something that unsettled the inner workings of a core slowly, and thoroughly. As if Arson’s own mana would eventually find the slightest crack in any foundation and…

“Headmaster, what are you doing here?” asked Arson. A smile on his face that temporarily made her forget the odd sensation that made her feel like drips of mana was being sucked from her soul itself.

“I am here to see what the son of my once disciple will be involving himself with while spending time on my campus,” said the woman with a raised brow toward him. Max’s question was rhetorical for the most part, but there were truly a few things she didn’t want, yet wanted, to know.

“I haven’t decided on a major yet if that is what you are asking. I mean, I plan on taking every crafting class available to first years, but otherwise...” said Arson with a shrug to close his statement. Max was surprised by his answer, under the assumption that Arson would follow in his mother’s footprint and develop skills in crime-craft as a Scapegrace. Then even wondered if the boy knew his options as the other HonorBorn students did, or if he was as uninformed as many of the cultivators with low born or mortal parents.

His mother was born in a time where the fight for knowledge was a literal crime, and her thirst for information was seen as a vigilante's spree.

Don’t tell me you let this boy out here with the sharks wearing a bloody shirt, child… The more Max thought, the more she knew, that her once student, probably hadn’t taught her son much of the culture the other HonorBorn scions were accustomed to, feeling the practices limiting, or wanting him to experience certain situations with an untainted perspective.

“I see…”

Arson scratched his head and broke eye contact for the first time in Max’s presence, enough of a signal to the headmaster to tell her everything she needed to know.

No HonorBorn scion would have ever looked away from me, no matter how powerful I may be. Some of my weakest students would let the sky fall on their heads before breaking eye contact with another cultivator, especially one more experienced.

“Never turn away from a potential threat, boy, not that I necessarily want it, but you will give me your full attention whilst in my presence, especially if I am to consider you as an acolyte or disciple,” suggested Max, but the young man’s response surprised her further.

“I don’t need to face anyone to see them,” muttered Arson under his breath.

“What was that, boy?”

“I said I would be honored Headmaster,” said Arson, once more looking in her direction. A slight bow given with just enough poise to make Max scoff a laugh.

“Teachers here won’t be kind, child. Keep that tongue of yours calm, the powerful are often indiscriminate killers of anything that assume superiority,” said Max. Arson seemed to want to say something, his mouth opening to start speaking, but he decided against it. A simple nod of admission was all he gave in response, which made her rethink how quickly the young man may be forced to visit her office at the behest of an angry administrator.

“You’re smarter than you look, child. Welcome to Adroit academy,” said Max. She then snapped her fingers, and teleported the two directly outside the campus. The world around them reforming on arrival was something Max was used to.

She wasn’t expecting Arson to hyperventilate or pass out as some did, but she did want at least a gasp at being teleported away, something… Yet Arson just seemed to take things in slowly.

Though she felt Arson’s lack of reaction to what she felt to be like watching everything around oneself dissolve in reverse to be disappointing and meager, when he turned around everything changed. His eyes when he saw the school was worth every hard moment she’d experienced in her career thus far.

If you manage to keep the look of wonder you have now, child. I guarantee the world of cultivation will be changed by the things you learn here, thought Max. Her own excitement at a new season for learning rivaled only by the young man in front of her. His gaze filled with a powerful potential as Arson took in Adroit Academy in its sunlit magnificence, filled Max with hope for the future to come.

A sea of students could be seen flying toward buildings taller than mountain ranges with unseen tops; their tips covered by clouds as they pierced the heavens themselves. Max had always felt as if her school had become that of a magical beehive, filled with minds meant for grand change, the feeling only growing stronger the more time passed, and the larger the school grew.

This place was the most magical and scientifically advanced marvel in their current tier of the SunSpire realms. And though no one knew how high one had to climb before they found the heavens, the sight before them often made many feel close.

Max knew the truth of the school that made its potential to rival the heavens a real claim, but the secrets of Ikarus within its depths was only for her and the schools council to bear the weight of, but as Max watched Arson’s eyes rove over his new home, she began to wonder.

“What shall you teach me, young man…”

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Arson glanced over his shoulder for a mere breath, back to his analyzation of the College Sekt, even before Max could respond fully.

She had many ideas for the young man in front of her, and didn’t want to scare him off. She would take things slowly at first, of course.

As the convergence of realms was a dangerous doorway to power, and one that she could no longer ignore, especially when the gods continued to send her keys…

“Oh nothing, child, nothing at all.”