The End Results
"Ciemnosc... these arr... e..." Vice-headmaster Topi said, looking down at the documents that were now in his hands and looking at the 3 pointed out selected missions that Ciemnosc chose. Trying to say something to convince Ciemnosc of choosing another 3 missions he looked up and finally spoke out some other different words. "Ciemnosc, you're only at the 1st stage of the Spirit Gathering realm, wouldn't it be bett-"
"!" Just as vice-headmaster Topi had begun to talk Ciemnosc out of at least 2 of these missions and looked at Ciemnosc's face, which wasn't that lower than at his own chest level, he and everyone around witnessing the birth of the academy's 'hero' could see as Ciemnosc's cultivation base began to change!
From the 1st stage of the Spirit Gathering realm, one by one, he began oozing off the presence of a 4th stage in the Spirit Gathering realm!!
“Woah, how can he do that? And without even the vice-headmaster knowing about it? Incredible!!” - “Of course! Someone that can be better than our current leading students of course has to be this much at the very least.” - “Eh? Wasn’t it said that it has been about a month since this person entered the Spirit Gathering realm?” - “No way…”
Voices rang out beside him, farther ahead from behind the reception desk and behind his ears. But Ciemnosc was so tired of having this situation play out that he didn’t even look that different from a newly killed body turning into a corpse with its slightly pale skin and lifeless darkest eyes.
“Ahem,” vice-headmaster cleared his throat, saving Ciemnosc the trouble of hearing people gossip all around him so ‘rudely’. And after looking at the group of supervisors and deans, who then began to quiet everyone around with gazes, he looked back at Ciemnosc before starting to speak. “One at the 2nd stage, one at the 3rd stage, and another one at the 4th stage, and all at the Conflagrate realm for that matter.”
“Wooo.” - “Woah~, how daring!” - “It’s- is it true then? This person can actually fight a whole realm above his own?!” - “Look at him go and not come back, he gunna d-” - “Silence already!!”
More words were beginning to dance about, but the supervisors closest to the ones barely speaking out their minds at this moment were all shutting up those students with stern faces and loud shouts. Those who were near the deans barely even dared to make an exclamation.
“And each of these has a Spirit Sense that is not low, Ciemnosc, are you s-” Topi’s annoyed face calmed and eased down, he then looked down to speak to Ciemnosc again, but Ciemnosc interrupted him by directly shrugging his shoulders and forcing himself to speak up just so that no more of his time would be wasted. “I am sure, vice-headmaster. I want to go and do this myself, and if I can get something out of it, it’ll be my little extra payment.”
“...” Vice-headmaster Topi looked down at those eyes. His chest barely filled with air, but it still expelled a lot of it and quite heavily. After looking at Ciemnosc with some apprehension, recognizing this little boy a little, Topi then added. “Then fine. For our students, Ciemnosc, we do not meddle with how they are and how things are settled. As long as their stand is morally upright and they are not in the wrong, any relief is welcome as well.”
“I’d like to part for my assassinations already, can I go now?” Ciemnosc offered no more words for any matter other than continuing with his missions and getting it done. As for that note of their Spirit Sense not being ‘low’, for Ciemnosc to care about some Conflagrate realm who didn’t even have half the maximum Spirit Sense range for their cultivation realms… How the fuck would he care about such little things?
“Very well, I’d just like to remind you. It is assassination, nothing else Ciemnosc. You can save your vendetta for when you prove yourself to us. We will give you a horse type of Creature to-” The vice-headmaster nodded and acquiesced once more to Ciemnosc. But he was once again interrupted when trying to clear some things out to Ciemnosc in case he didn’t read those records he asked for.
“No need, I have my own transportation methods,” Ciemnosc said, but he could’ve said more. He just didn’t and merely looked up at Topi, who also understood this.
Finally, the vice-headmaster let it go and simply nodded. Ciemnosc turned around and made his way out of the building before heading to the entrance of the academy. Just as he was coming out of the building though, a cute ‘little’ blonde girl that attracted all eyes began to walk with him side by side.
Step step- tap, tap tap…
“Hello!” The girl said, greeting Ciemnosc with a large and bright smile as he made his way out of the building and now towards the exit of the academy nonchalantly and without any decor Hell, he even looked as if he both wanted to get out of the academy as if it was a kind of hell and as if he just wanted to go out and assassinate people left and right.
“...” Ciemnosc said nothing, but his eyes did give her a ‘greeting’ back with an ultimately cold pair of darkest eyes with a side glance, the notion stifling the girl for a moment, leaving her behind, Ciemnosc sensed her coming back towards him still without anything else but a nice smile on her lips.
“Hey, you aren’t seeing how everyone is looking at me? Sure, you handsome, but I’m handsome too as well as pretty damn good at alchemy~!” The blondie said, making the many faces around them blush, and some even about to faint from her beautifully well-spoken words. “Look, that cute sister over there even looks like she wanna grow a dick up!”
Step…?
“...” Ciemnosc stopped and turned to face the beautiful blondie who was definitely older than him… in age, with a face that really asked the world and nature why he had to deal with such a little girl older than him, sigh.
“Heheh, sorry,” bumping into him rather obviously as she was just looking at him but ‘desperately’ turned her head to the left as if looking at something really interesting and then bumped into his chest. Thereafter brightly smiling at the dead-like Ciemnosc with lifeless darkest pool-like bottomless eyes and slightly pale skin. “Hello, my name is Tini. And nope, I’m not related to any higher-ups around ~.”
Cutefying her words, Tini did indeed make Ciemnosc speechless as he looked at Tini’s face just as he looked at Topi’s face before, only with a difference since this one wasn’t just a female and a young one at that who was very bright, cheerful, and outgoing it seemed; but also simply beautiful.
She had curly blonde hair, but strands of smooth dark hair were beautifully separated from the rest of her blonde hair. Her skin was creamy white but more whitey than creamy, looking a lot like a simple girl that one could only be glad to at least have as a friend. Yet, she was still too simply beautiful no matter what. And her obscure blue eyes were just more magnificent than the whole skies during the day.
For Ciemnosc, no matter what or who it is, nothing can compare to the eventful dark deep blue night skies.
‘Phrenic realm 3rd stage, about what… 16 years old? And she really does smell of herbs all around, not quite like I can do when I handle plants or herbs, but is similar… it reminds me of Mirror of Equinox, could they…?’ Ciemnosc thought, studying this young girl as much as he wanted without caring about the hearts of those around them, and much less of the blushing beauty before him.
And while the beauty didn’t fully shy away, remaining on her spot the whole time ad enduring, even more, the furious, burning gazes of others on her and on Ciemnosc. She also started taking Ciemnosc’s body into her eyes. Cute eyes, cute nose, cute lips, cute skin, cute height… Cute strong looking arms, legs… oof oof oof.
‘Would he find it bothersome if I peek at his butt?’ The shy girl, totally shy girl, asked herself in her mind as she lifted her palm and planted its lower section at her chin. Her index and middle fingers crooked over to her lips without touching them. And as if she got her mind read, Ciemnosc suddenly spoke out to defend his dignity and principles. “If you dare peek at me, I won’t stop myself from telling everyone here your colors.”
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“... … … … … … … …” The crowd went wild, so wild their mouth could fit a fairly large rock inside with a perfect fit, and the silence everyone created together could deafen even the already partially deaf, even blind the ignorant, and make those who love to eat food lose their sense of taste right away.
Tini: (O∆O)...
‘M-mah- my colors?! Like… my pinky- gaaaasp!’ The shy girl got shier. She looked around with her eyes darting towards all possible angles, seemingly searching if there was anyone flying about as well. She then leaned in on Ciemnosc and, without much shame in her bold tone and even bolder words, whispered into his little right pale ear.
“Can we change the deal? I peek at you, and you tell me which one of my assets is the best looking?” Tini whispered tinier than a mosquito’s buzz. Ciemnosc felt once again wordless as he looked at the void. Why was he this charming? Harlots come and go nonstop like they are free cereal and are raining as well as coming out from below with earthquakes destroying the world.
“Okay, alright. I have to go,” Ciemnosc set his stance of being a proper boy, just like Mommy taught him, and added with a bit of still not caring about anything at all; well - seemingly. “If you had anything you needed to tell me, just do.”
Step step step- tap step step, step step, tap step step.
With that, Ciemnosc began resuming his walk to the exit, his feet remembering the layout from the map he was given as well as things that he was very well damn sure only he got to know from not only the brand new few hundred thousand recruits but even from leading students themselves.
“You still haven’t greeted me back,” a soft, breathless-like voice sounded from behind him as the girl kept following him with ease with hops and little steps every now in a while. “I told you my name and what I’m good at, looks and brains alike. Now you.”
Step… step step step, tap tap step step!
Ciemnosc stopped, just as she and everyone else had imagined he would, but then continued walking without making any stop and perfectly at the exact same speed as before. But he at least did ‘report’ himself back towards Tini, “Ciemnosc, I’m good at being betrayed it seems… And good at anything else, including killing and assassinations now as well.”
“Okay, very well mister Ciemnosc. I hope you come back soon, don’t take too long. There are no trackers in the uniforms we give so feel free to move at your own pace. Oh right, just don’t take longer than the missions are asking for,” Tini said, reminding everyone that Ciemnosc wasn’t going out to take a walk in the academy’s yard nor to a park and that he wasn’t doing it for anything else but to prove himself.
The crowds’ faces changed, feeling stern and becoming serious as they watched at Ciemnosc’s back. The academy’s missions were already not for the sake of simply letting the students gain Inferior Powerful Stones and learn teamwork, well they are indeed helpful for that matter, but their initial and most important factor within the academy is that of challenging their students.
One, anyone; could request for help in whatever they want, and with the help of a supervisor, their request would turn into a mission. When it came to miscellaneous stuff, like creating, the Mission Request & Acquisition staff would be providing compensation or the creation they desire but of the most general and able quality in case their missions ended up in failure or nobody took them.
Besides getting something for free, they would also be getting some Inferior Powerful Stones in return as well for the Rocaloi Academy cares for their students and the morality of their students. There had to be an example somewhere, and what better than to make it a great example?
While this might be a sure loss for pseudo-business-mad people, with the mines of Powerful Stones around and their students getting a lot of work in these mines on an everyday basis, the academy would always get much more than anyone could ask for. The miners themselves, which could be anyone, would not only receive Inferior grade Powerful Stones as payment, but they would also receive a share of their own work up to a certain limit.
And that limit alone was generous like hell, while their payment was also really good. It wasn’t a high payment because of the risk, as hardly any mines protected extra with layers of arrays have any danger. It was only because of the fact that mining would take a student 20 hours a day to work which they would not be allowed to stop unless they are willing to compensate the academy instead. Though it wasn’t that much for compensation, only depending on the remaining hours and the motive.
There might be no ordinary people within this academy’s territory, but that was normal considering no ordinary person in their right mind would be able to live for their whole lives from the moment they enter the academy in one single piece of land. They wouldn’t be able to keep this place secret if they were allowed to go out. While only some selected few could go out in the times before when the Rocaloi Academy didn’t even seem to have the word ‘ambition’ in their brains.
“Very well, mister Ciemnosc, I will wait for your return,” Tini said after gaining her desired info for her desired person. They were going to be very close in the future, no? She added after 3 seconds of looking at his also damn, mighty fine looking back. “I’ve heard from Old Brother Suru that you will be given a title if you complete really difficult missions compared to your cultivation base… in your own terms… And you'll also be allowed to train with us and be trained by us!”
“So,” after acting all cute, wagging her curly hair left and right, Tini was already the embodiment of The Devil of Cuteness. But she had to add in an even cuter and more sincere manner… “Good luck Cici. Let’s train hard together when you come back!”
Step step step step…
Ciemnosc kept walking forwards, there was nothing wrong with what Tini said, but… he would deal with his heart first. He would deal with his heart first…
‘I was stupid before. I didn’t dare to push you two because of what I wanted to do and wait for… That was… no… No… No more of that.’ Ciemnosc silently vowed in his mind, heart… and soul. He went up to a certain heavily fortified check that wasn’t there before, but that could be easily understood why it was there now and even more so with Ciemnosc not even needing to know the situation outside. War is coming into this world… like never before.
***
Within the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect’s territory, on top of a brand new large building which was basically a gigantic cube where there was once a mountain-rock building.
It has been quite a few days since the incredibly quick change of plans between all 4 major organizations. From a celebratory start of an actual alliance, the union of the 4 major organizations to deal against the greed of the world! To a simple chase of a criminal that with inside help barely managed to get out of the union and alliance’s righteous hands.
Many people died, and people really couldn’t deal with it in any way simpler than depression. Lovers, friends, family, and even those rivals or enemies within the same organizations; many lost a piece, a few, or several pieces of themselves in these few last weeks before it managed to all be toned down and quelled.
However, the damage was already done. And from all over the 4 major organizations, not only were there many vacant spots for many members but there were also cracks between the higher-ups and even the highest, upper echelon of such!
Ah, but if it wasn’t because of the hideously real, sudden, and unthinkable appearance of a common enemy… This world would have seen yet another ‘civil war’ between the alliance of the 4 major organizations; 3 major organizations had never allied with each other before, let alone all 4. This union that they were aiming for with only the upper echelons ever knowing from it when it did begin to occur, would’ve been over already if it wasn’t because of this so-called ‘Rocaloi Academy’s’ timely appearance to save their day...
And what was the worst part of this discovery? They not only stole their hundreds of thousands of disciples and believers. They not only showed a grand amount of strong people within their ranks but they also showed an incredibly well fortified and concealed academy’s territory. But… the worst of all, the most incredible worst thing that could happen became a reality, and that is… that they took Ciemnosc to their side!!
This was unforgivable!! How dare they take their meal away?! No! Their future?!!
Immediately after, no longer hearing about these terms for ‘pacifying’ that the Rocaloi Academy talked to them after they sent a Spirit Gathering realm 1st stage messenger into the ‘true west’; the tetra major organizations alliance directly declared war to the Rocaloi Academy once they have decided that they wouldn’t accept anything else but Ciemnosc’s body!
How dare they have it first? It was supposed to be theirs!! They must retrieve that corpse no matter what, for it belongs to them.
And so, after just 15 days since the revelation of the Rocaloi Academy, the entire cultivation world still thinking and pondering about this incredible one of a kind academy. Numerous strifes have already occurred both between the academy and the alliance.
Blood had been spilled, even as the Rocaloi Academy was still trying to find a contact to rely on their thoughts and closest ‘secrets’ that weren’t even actual secrets but ideals for the academy, yet shocking revelations for anyone outside of it. It was numerous students of their academy that were as if sacrificed lambs to the hands of the alliance.
This wasn’t a moment to forgive one’s enemies. Not at all, and the academy finally noticed the thoughtless, barbaric, and bellic instinct to just kill and wedge war from the east. They could no longer try and ‘talk’, so they decided to ‘act’; thereby the alliance was still thinking the Rocaloi Academy was of strong resources but of weak mind and were still thinking that the ‘true west’ would be theirs in 200 years or so.
And at this moment, the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect’s upper echelons and some of the other major organizations’ upper echelons as guests, the entire alliance’s upper echelons were there. All, just to evaluate the gathered intel from their reverse engineering attempts and researching of everything that long gone tool that is Ciemnosc had done.
…
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Let It Rain's Note: So her name is like 'tee nee', so.