Wrath Nihility Academy's Outskirts

Heian Ciemnosc walked through Gustav City's streets. There was a difference between the cities and specific organization's territories he had seen before. There were several tens of meters to even more than 300 meters wide streets for walking, whose lengths never needed as it all seemed interconnected throughout the city. Then there were the vehicle roads and floating vehicle trajectories, whose purpose couldn't be more obvious.

Only those roads were thin and couldn’t compare to the streets where ten of thousands of people walked, but there were still lots of those roads where vehicles of all kinds went through at intense speeds. Mostly, however, there were large transportation vehicles to carry several people at the same time. And with the tremors he felt, and his Spirit Sense going underneath, he could feel the many conveyances going even faster than on the surface. There were more roads for vehicles or fauna below, and it was a whole lot.

Heian Ciemnosc ignored it and proceeded to take a bus, one that was packed up with a lot of people from different Races. He saw some yellowish skin Race with tentacles all over their faces, some had eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, and some did not. Some had a few features on their faces. But all of them had a strange, creepy mouth filled with tentacle teeth that gave Heian Ciemnosc dangerous feelings even as they slightly moved and behaved like tentacles still.

Heian Ciemnosc also saw a teenage girl with gigantic boobs. When he tilted his head to the right naively. And started for far too long at the peculiar specimen, whose height and looks were ordinary and human but whose breasts were each bigger than half her torso. She turned around and returned the gaze as calm and curious as he was.

Heian Ciemnosc saw a few Perkanai. He had already seen many female ones before but not ‘young’ Perkanai. Most Perkanai was born in the image of an adult of any Race. It only was when they procreated with other Races, which was significantly arduous, that they could have such abnormality occur. However, this always led to slightly better cultivation than regular talent and potential, so it was a must for ambitious and proud Perkanai to go through.

He also saw a few Dwarves. They were all a family and young looking, undoubtedly around here for the start of the Wrath Nihility Academy’s enrollment. There were a few Demon teenagers. They were in a group and reading with elegance. When they felt Heian Ciemnosc’s curious gaze, they gazed back for a bit, enjoyed his face, then continued to be proper young, growing ladies.

Heian Ciemnosc observed around the city through the windows. And when he entered the alchemy & flora district, he came down the bus. After coming out, he looked around for a bit before moving over to where many signs and words were written on a wall. After reading through it, he went in a specific direction from there, feeling the gazes of the blushing Demon girl from the bus on his back as they teased each other.

After 10 minutes of walking, Heian Ciemnosc arrived at a broad store, 1-story high, and spanned over a whole street with the label ‘general market’ on it. Entering it, Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t stopped by the nearby guards who were in a realm above the Ashes Appeception realm that, even up until now, Heian Ciemnosc barely knew about

Barely stepping in, he smelled tens of thousands of different types of plants, herbs, and medicinal pills. Looking around, he saw all that he smelled. Some young people were selling their medicinal pills. Though some had a name that didn’t mean anything with the ‘medicine’ signifying on it. Heian Ciemnosc, the Ignorant, could only walk through the corridors and watch, he was penniless, and should he be hungry, he had to depend on Sub-Teacher Antonio, for that matter.

Observing the vendors and their stalls, Heian Ciemnosc compared them to Alyona’s pills she gave him to heal and find a breakthrough quickly. They were trashy in comparison, not because of their effectiveness and property but because those pills were capable of far too little. They only served to increase Heian Ciemnosc’s expectation for learning.

Walking further around, Heian Ciemnosc saw many herbs and plants, which he had no idea about their names. But, somehow, he felt really impressed and simply glad to see them. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know their names, but he immediately understood their properties, their inclination towards any Element or quality in pure energy. As well as their unique use and could already form a few mixes, which could work if only he knew how to truly incorporate them.

After an hour of browsing, Heian Ciemnosc returned to the inn, it was soon the next day, and he was planning to cultivate again once his daily free quota was refilled automatically at the very first hour of the next day. Heian Ciemnosc had his ‘fun’ and enjoyed it a lot. Now, he wanted to make time for the next few days to observe more places like that, not just alchemy. There were all kinds of districts. Each profession in Craftsmaking had one in Gustav City.

Even then, the most attractive and had the best infrastructure and focus were the military districts, which had, from books to troops training for the public to observe.

The array formation district even had public displays. They were not afraid of being pried on and having their array formation’s ‘secrets’ discovered by ruffians and scumbags. It didn’t look like they needed to fear such things in the first place, even if someone, for some reason, decided to do so.

The forging district was full of prideful and bragging fellas, from young to old. They fought others to claim themselves as the best forgers of the section, in the streets, or in the neighborhood blacksmith shops. The caretaking profession was more extensive by necessity than because of its popularity. It had all fauna, and they were a downright brand new thing for Heian Ciemnosc, who had a little ‘someone’ already waiting for him at the Academy.

He noticed Preternaturals before, but they were docile and always the same within the Carrier. Even if they weren’t docile, they became calm when seeing him and sensing his presence, let alone when he was with Hong Mei. They were like pussy kittens trying to win customers off, acting all fluffy and adorably huggable until they exploded from being squeezed. But it’s just deserving.

Monsters were an easier target for Heian Ciemnosc to see around the districts. They were very well-tamed but also overprotective of their master. Heian Ciemnosc was present when quite a few times he saw a Monster bear its fangs, claws, or tail to the sightseers when handsome young men flirted with their young, naive, and pure, innocent maidens. Of course, pure in their minds, for the fauna had a much different thought on purity. Their masters could be free use sluts, and they would be pure and naive in their Monster’s eyes.

Creatures were the most recognizable and expected of all fauna. And though they also had a label for being the ‘weakest’, they were not weak in any way. A Creature could very effortlessly kill a cultivator on the same stage, it was the same for a Monster, and so it was for a Preternatural. Monsters looked similar to Creatures but had a distinguishing feature in their appearance without needing a mutation or evolution to occur.

Preternatural were the unique ones from the group. They were impossible to confuse with Creatures or Monsters from baby to adulthood. They were also labeled as the strongest among the three.

When Heian Ciemnosc saw great variety of Preternaturals, the caretakers in charge of the district showed conceit and arrogance towards anyone who wasn’t a caretaker, which was entirely meh. But at the same time, they showed solidarity for their own, even if others couldn’t raise a Preternatural. They were once like them, after all. Rearing a Preternatural is the same as being at the peak of a Step. Enormous reverence and privileges were just the raw expected benefits.

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During these days, Heian Ciemnosc was looked at, winked, and whispered about how wet some kitties were and how much they would like to meet him in a room alone. Mostly girls, he scampered away when any male figure attempted to get close to him. Reverse trap or not, Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t use his Spirit Sense randomly unless he wanted to be easily seen through and offend half the world all at once.

As he walked, he had to keep himself on guard, lest some big mommy with huge chests, ample, square bottoms, and supple thighs kidnaps and robs him from the Academy, granting him a blissful life without worries. He had to be careful.

But Heian Ciemnosc also visited brothels, or rather, tried visiting one. Because the moment he stepped into one, he saw teats bare open in the air, aiming at him as if drawing him in with invisible tentacles of lust. Antonio showed up and dragged him out. That was the least of Heian Ciemnosc possibly causing trouble. Antonio felt his heart thumping, almost letting that happen, but, also glad it was all over. The next day, they departed, onwards to the Academy.

… A few days in the city and Heian Ciemnosc was already attracting too much attention, becoming a famous little beauty around here, forcing Antonio to pay several female military officers up to not mess with the teenager. They didn’t care if someone strong wanted him. They wanted Heian Ciemnosc as well.

Now that they were on their way to the Wrath Nihility Academy on a mechanized monkey-like traveling tool on its back, Antonio was breathing air and pure energy naturally as if he was no longer to suffer a calamity the very next moment. It was true what they said, beauties are nothing but problems. Poor boy, what future ahead does he have to face off?

“...” Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc was busy seeing tons of different fauna, traveling tools, and vehicles moving in the same direction and together with him towards the Academy. Everyone went at the same speed. It was just that some left earlier and some much later. It was only a single day travel for the first to leave, while those at the rear didn’t have anything to worry about, as the enrollment would begin on the tenth day. There was more than enough time to be present when it happened.

It was an exciting sight to behold.At least in Heian Ciemnosc’s mind. Heian Ciemnosc looked left and right constantly and even up at times. There were also a couple birds flying tens of meters above him and Antonio, with cute, pretty; young girls looking down. Giggling could be heard from time to time, Heian Ciemnosc wondered. ‘Ah, is this the life I heard from many who go to Schools and Academies speak of? Too bad I’m not married yet.’

Heian Ciemnosc thought so, but he couldn’t really care so much for those things. All that was occupying his mind were the promised books, knowledge, and learning from actual Teachers that know the world better than they should, according to the things told everywhere in Gustav City. However, unlike the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect treating Craftsmaking and knowledge before they betrayed him, these overly knowing Teachers were treated as eminences in the world.

Still, looking at the people flying around, they were majorly young and excited or old and hopeful. It wasn’t new to hear stories about 80-year-old citizens becoming incredibly talented cultivators right before the end of their lifespan, getting them more time and opportunities to grow until who knew which stages in life. Heian Ciemnosc felt like everyone was marching together and joining the academy. He wasn’t the only one, nor was it only this time.

… The next day, in the morning. A long encampment south of the Wrath Nihility Academy was set up, and people had already been resting there for hours. Some bonfires were set ablaze, and the cold temperature of the Region was slightly lowered. It was certainly helpful for the citizens, which cultivators minded not helping up.

Many tens, large enough to fit even a thousand people, were given to them by some Sub Students nearby waiting for more people to encamp. It wasn’t just the south of the Academy, which had a long encampment. More people were already arriving from the south, forming a second long encampment behind the first, where Heian Ciemnosc and Antonio stayed.

It was like that in every other cardinal point, including the northeast, southwest, and the like. If this was civilians against each other, this could be considered a siege instead. But the encampments were too close and left defenseless to be so.

In one of those tents, Heian Ciemnosc sat on a bench with a bowl in his hands with no more porridge left. It was sweet and not too thick nor too thin. It was just right. He observed the magnificent, large as hell, larger than Gustav City, and towering precincts of the Wrath Nihility Academy. He thought everyone would be close enough to see the Academy’s staff members from afar, but the Academy was way too immense.

Even from hundreds of kilometers afar, all of the upper sections of its gates and walls could be seen, let alone the mountains within those walls and the different biomes within it. It was practically holding an entire ecosystem for itself!

All Heian Ciemnosc could see was some blue, some gray, and some bright red colors. And a lot of buildings behind those walls. Yet, it was all blurry and as if illusory. But there were no array formations, only the distance between the encampments and the Wrath Nihility Academy.

Step, step, step.

From afar, Antonio came to Heian Ciemnosc, his footsteps light and letting go of as if he felt at ease. Heian Ciemnosc felt his hands heavier as Antonio poured his bowl of porridge, then looked up and saw Antonio nod.

“Don’t worry about the time. It’ll start 2 days later,” Antonio said. Sitting on the ground to Heian Ciemnosc’s right, he was still at the teenager’s height who was sitting on a bench. While eating, Heian Ciemnosc asked Antonio, “Sub-Teacher, how will we be tested and go through exams? We are far away from the Academy.”

“Mn. You don’t have to worry. It’ll happen smoothly and without notice. All this Region is the Wrath Nihility Academy’s, don’t forget that. The rest of the world might not be as large as this 3* Region, but the rest of the many 1* and some 2* Regions leave not as much water as other Kingdoms have. Maybe, except for the Far East perhaps. Heh. That one is covered by water, though I suppose that’s why they are there, not here.”

“Well, some will come here, or a person if you’re lucky to see a Supervisor. He will send everyone here to the Academy. But whether you pass the test, it’s up to you, boy.” Antonio began to stand up as soon as he said those last few words. Heian Ciemnosc looked at Antonio getting up; and asked, “What about my companion?”

“Your parrot? Mn, it’s at the Academy, in an allocated place you can stay if you don’t like your little room. That is, of course, if you enter the Academy as a Sub Student first. Or as a Student straight up if you become the or some of the few selected best from this batch of enrollment.” Antonio answer. His right eyebrow sank, then relaxed as he gave Heian Ciemnosc enough info.

But Heian Ciemnosc’s face, though calm and composed, emanated some dark feeling into Antonio as the teenager asked the towering man. “What of my companion if I don’t end up entering the Academy then?”

“...” It was a question asked with the most natural calmness in the world, but it brought many thoughts to the both of them. Genuinely, Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t concerned, but he wanted to know. Antonio was taken aback slightly and momentarily. He arranged his clothes a few seconds after, flung his sleeve, turned around, and began walking away after answering.

“The letter said: ‘no special treatment for me’ after all.”

That ‘me’ was not Alyona speaking in Heian Ciemnosc’s stead, but so that her person wouldn’t be giving Heian Ciemnosc special treatment from being part of the Crimsonbreaking Faction. Heian Ciemnosc continued to eat his porridge until there was no more left. When he did, he exclaimed softly, looking into the sky at the starry, lit light blue sky before smirking somewhat from the right corner of his mouth.

He stood up, turned, and went into his tent. His and everyone else’s was a light fur brown color. When he went in, the several eyes on his body, curious, interested, targeting, and full of ‘rivalry’ disappeared. All of them were from the lower realms of the First Step or citizens, soon to become cultivators or even the Academy’s citizen staff members.

On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc bared his skin and enjoyed the sight of the intricate anti-surveillance array formation glowing and twinkling on the ceiling of the fur brown colored tent. Heian Ciemnosc’s right hand under his head, he kept looking all around in marvel and in a good mood while thinking of his sweet Hong Mei and cherishing Alyona, not able to sleep.

The world, this world, was an utterly incredible place. The pure energy was hundreds of times better than in the Sinvonnia Kingdom. The Region he used to live in was so large he could only cross through the east, north, west, and south after knowing from gramma Jing Zhu’s map to the letter. And it was incredibly detailed, for that matter.

‘Mommy, I promise that when I grow more powerful than anyone else, I will bring you back, I swear. I know I never had a father, so I will find you a husband. But he can only be as strong as me, at the very least, at least. And I’ll bring back all my little girlfriends, heheh. I’ll marry them too… Even if they don’t want to. You’ll see. I’ll even help Gallah have a chance to propose to Leen if he wants to. He truly thought I didn’t see his fearful eyes everytime she kissed me or went to my tent. Oh, so dumb~.’

…