Know Your Place

Before, at the party celebration, Heian Ciemnosc had drunk 2 'VIP' drinks without care. And he endured them both like a champ while the rest of the new Sub Students barely began downing their drinks. However, after the second drink, Heian Ciemnosc finally knew what food poisoning was, or intoxication, for that matter. He had to walk around to ascertain he wasn't losing his head as a predatory but guardian-looking female Sub Student followed him, scaring away the evil women and young girls and defending his purity from evil and scheming bad guys.

When Heian Ciemnosc sat around a table, his virginity guardian and a few others joined him to drink and talk about the world. And intoxicated as he may be, Heian Ciemnosc could learn and understand new things from their speech. They also didn’t shy away from explaining to the drunk pale teenager, knowing he was from a backwater Kingdom.

Slowly but surely, and with drinks that drinking them helped him sober up, somehow, as the rest got drunker and drunker instead. Heian Ciemnosc became clear headed and could at last protect his own body. After the female Sub Student noticed this, as did many others, she finally went to an unknown place with the nice guy flirting with her all day, winking at the semi drunk Heian Ciemnosc before going to find heaven.

Little by little, Heian Ciemnosc was more or less left alone at his table and even at the whole bar. When the bartender saw Heian Ciemnosc’s hungry gaze, he broke Heian Ciemnosc’s heart, telling the pale teenager he couldn’t give him more than 2 drinks since he almost lost consciousness with the second drink. One thing was getting the Academy’s money, and the other was poisoning its students to death.

After the party was over and a mellow flirty guy returned with a proud and satisfied female Sub Student, they helped up the lonely Heian Ciemnosc, who seemingly didn’t have time to expel the intoxication out of his body, and its medicinal effect was still dwelling inside him. Then, the Teacher came, and ignoring all sorts of renowned things happening in and around that bar, he brought Heian Ciemnosc away, flying into another remote corner of the Academy’s territory.

That remote corner was just like the ‘deserted’ neighborhoods close to the western gates and possibly all around the perimeter behind the Academy’s territories walls. Only. This remote corner of the territory was closer to the center, where a ring, or square, empty space of nature lay. In it, a little cottage that was way too wide to be called little was waiting for him and the Teacher to come in. Which happened, and Heian Ciemnosc was thus in this situation.

Now, looking at the smooth, flat grey floor and after stepping from the corridor to this ‘secret’ place. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the tall bird, about 6 meters tall, with its head facing his opposite direction. Heian Ciemnosc was still slightly drunk but could see and notice everything around him with certainty. And then, the tall bird turned around- no, instead, the bird’s head turned 180 degrees.

“You’ve come, I’m glad,” the owl’s beak opened but didn’t move anymore. Yet, its voice came out, and it went straight into Heian Ciemnosc’s ears, not mind as he already knew it was possible to do: sending mental messages of sorts. The owl started walking backwards, and though it should’ve been funny and it did look comical, Heian Ciemnosc could only feel his body revering at the tall bird for some reason. “I was just worried you would be too shy to meet new people; hehe. Did you have fun in your first few hours in the Academy?”

“?” Heian Ciemnosc remained quiet, his lips pouted in confusion and surprise as he stepped back with his left foot just as the owl suddenly turned its whole body around. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t fear it, so he only took that 1 step back, and as the owl’s brown-yellow eyes glared at him with their glowy luster, Heian Ciemnosc saw the curiosity, intrigue, and honest interest in his person.

“What a marvelous body!” The owl said, this time not even bothering to open its mouth. Its eyes looked at the floor Heian Ciemnosc was stepping on before lifting to directly glare at Heian Ciemnosc again, but with ‘greediness’ this time like a fat perv preying on rich prey. “It will do. You will become my new vessel. Bwahahahaha!”

Heian Ciemnosc: “...”

As the owl kept a ‘Ò,Ó’ face, Heian Ciemnosc was expressionless and quiet. After more than a minute of silent staring, the owl acquiesced and began laughing to its heart's content, with its eyes turning into slits instead of rever ‘U’ and facing the seemingly endless ceiling. “Bwahahehehehah! Ah~~, sorry. I haven’t had a good time since Alyona left this place. Mhm. Sigh, time flies so fast. One wouldn’t want to waste away one’s chances of life.”

“... You knew Alyone? Did she study here?” Heian Ciemnosc asked the owl, whose face returned back down. This time looking more like a likable and cutest owl, its legs started taking a few steps towards Heian Ciemnosc. Amidst the walk, it spoke to him, “No. Well, yes. But… because of the Great Sage’s relationship with her, she only stayed here a little over 11 years…”

“She was spectacular, no one in her realm was her match, and I could even see her future becoming so much brighter than the stars…” The owl stood, or sat, beside Heian Ciemnosc. He couldn’t tell, as the owl looked like a fluffy thing with only its owl head’s features discerning its nature. The owl continued, “I wanted to wait until she became an Assistant Teacher before taking her in. That was my pride back then and my wish for the Academy to nurture a person belonging to the Wrath Nihility Academy only. I have read far too many records of my predecessors nurturing spineless cowards.”

“My mistake was not to wait and waste time, precious time that was wasted in the end,” the owl turned its head to the right and entirely down to look at Heian Ciemnosc, who wanted to feel its feathers. It ignored it and continued, “It was to think Alyona could potentially become like that. My mistake was to let such a talented little girl leave without help or having received teachings. My teachings as her master, mentor and protector.”

“I did not only betray the Academy’s ‘golden’ rules but also wasted her talent… If it wasn’t because I was petty and egotistic, she would’ve had become by now at the very least. And her title would also be a Lord, at the very least. Though I don’t think anyone would dare not think she deserved to be called Lady instead, as very few had during our time after legends.”

“Now, I’m not telling you this because of your connection and relationship with Alyona,” as the owl continued to speak, the place in front of them began changing. The darkness and gray, smooth floor began to turn into some sort of light blue water, with calm but moving flow and waves. It was just tranquil and peaceful. “Nor because of it, I will help you and keep your history secret. That’s not for me to decide anyway. In any case, I’m not welcoming you to the Wrath Nihility Academy because of her, nor the words of someone else. But because…”

The light blue water below made the owl slowly pause, its eyes attracted to a spot below the water where a dark stain began to expand altogether, rising from under the water. It condensed first, then developed with thin and tiny tentacles towards a few places before it started extending as if nothing could ever stop it. Not even all that exists and there is. But then, the stain dissolved, swiftly and quickly…

“You give me more terror and speechlessness than I ever felt before. Be it any other Genius, Gifted, or Chosen of the Academy had nurtured previously for its own purposes. Alyona… or the Great Sage… Even the last Lord, whose whereabouts remain unknown since Archeons ago. None of them provoke fear in me like you do… and that is wonderful.”

“...?” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the now azure, glowing eyes of the owl. It looked majestic and surreal, almost godly. The owl kept looking at the water, exactly from where that dark stain had formed. Looking at it again, Heian Ciemnosc felt like he understood something. It wasn’t that it died or was forced to dissolve… it had simply moved away. Quickly… and swiftly.

Then, in the very middle of this light blue water, the dark stain reappeared. And as it did, it expanded just like before. Only. Its development was slower, though at the same time, it became much more solid and stable than ever. After growing a certain amount, parts of it suddenly appeared everywhere in this water. And so it began to turn the color of life and beauty into… darkness.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Wop. Suddenly, with everything around him ‘blinking’ as if looking through another person’s point of view without possibly causing any change, Heian Ciemnosc returned to standing on the gray, smooth, and flat floor. Heian Ciemnosc immediately looked to his left, where the owl’s brown-yellow eyes were no longer azure and glowing such, and looked warmly into the pale teenager, nothing about any fearing sorts of feelings among them.

“I hope I didn’t scare you. I just wanted to see your Dominion a little. It was scarier than I thought, heh heh.” The owl said, filling Heian Ciemnosc’s mind with questions, but he also understood what it was more or less speaking about. The owl shook its head a little, then said as its 8 meters wide right wing opened to make a humane-like gesture to forget about it. “It’s a thing you’ll know about in the library, don’t worry.”

“... My advice?” Some minutes passed by after the owl gave Heian Ciemnosc time to do any question, but the ale teenager did not of that. Instead, the owl and pale teenager admired the room’s darkness and the gray floor. It was entirely spotless, and when Heian Ciemnosc felt his body almost completely sobering up, the owl spoke again. “Take the first 6 months to make something for your name, then use the remaining half a year of free access to the library later. Things will just be much better that way, mm.”

That was the last bit of ‘conversation’ Heian Ciemnosc and the owl had. Heian Ciemnosc left in silence after the owl made a few gestures to walk him out of the room, and then Heian Ciemnosc went to exit the cottage. On the other hand, the owl watched Heian Ciemnosc leave with its Spirit Sense, which it didn’t hide it in any way.

It was a peaceful time in that cottage. Heian Ciemnosc could only feel it felt really damn good to have and that he must have such a place for his own when he intends to take some breaths of relaxation alone. Mn that felt real, and Heian Ciemnosc wanted more of that. It would also be nice to make some to spend with Alyona and Hong Mei. It would be their own place to stay… It was just a pity he couldn’t birth babies with them or anyone, for that matter.

In his head, as Heian Ciemnosc thought up to that point, he looked at the sky into a spot where stars were lacking the most. ‘Would you be disappointed, Mother?’

… After coming out, a pretty young woman with gray robes was waiting for him, a Student. Under the Teacher’s command, she was to deliver Heian Ciemnosc to the place where his ‘little dog’ was. When the pretty young woman and Heian Ciemnosc were leaving the cottage’s surroundings, the former bowed respectfully for about 10 seconds before standing back up and leading Heian Ciemnosc towards the western Sub Student dormitories.

Heian Ciemnosc first hopped into her big black bat, which took them flying towards the nearest well-packed place with civilians walking, dining and spending time together. When they saw the big bat come near, they casually admired it for some time with what they could in the evening’s sky before returning to normal, leaving Heian Ciemnosc mildly and pleasantly surprised yet again. He held onto the seat and watched the houses below quickly passing by from the center of what seemed like a city with excesses of homes despite the city being so active at night.

Soon after, the homes disappeared and were replaced by buildings that could only be worthwhile for a cultivator, from Craftsmaking ‘stores’ and cultivation skills, techniques, and some libraries that were naturally not the same as the Academy’s library.

Rapidly, Heian Ciemnosc came to another city, where the bustling was more intense and brighter than before with the civilians. Citizens and cultivators mingled together, some very old citizens were melancholic but joyous and comfortable as they chatted and ate ordinary food beside some young cultivators.

Despite the bustling, noisiness, and brightness of this city, there were homes everywhere and hotels with cultivation facilities that the pretty young woman explained to Heian Ciemnosc as if she was his personal tour guide. This city was many times larger than the previous city, where only civilians resided in abundance, virtually without cultivators and citizens.

However, it didn’t seem like there was a fascist touch to this situation. It was common to nature to simply want to live peacefully without circumstances that involve ‘gods’ in one’s daily life. Though the civilians could effortlessly manage and accept it… but living well was about comfort. Without it, there would be itchiness all over their minds and bodies.

In Heian Ciemnosc’s head, the Academy showed extreme respect to the civilians. Not only did the Humans in that city have lifespans from 150 to 250 years, they had a much higher fertility rate. It was like the lifestyle within these walls was just that great, let alone the other Races cohabitating with one another like it didn’t matter, even if they were a couple meters taller than their partner or vice versa.

Only… Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know how they managed to make them feel safe. After all, should misfortune befall the Academy, these people were hopeless to the enemy’s attack. Living in the bigger, brighter, and louder cities wouldn’t help. As soon as something like that happened, it would be even more stupid to spread their own forces to defend these people. But the pretty young woman didn’t elaborate, and Heian Ciemnosc didn’t want to ask.

What the pretty young woman did tell Heian Ciemnosc was that the civilians living in the Academy’s territory without worrying about the ‘godliness’ of cultivation or space. They were like civilizations living under other civilizations, peacefully and with daily life’s troubles. They had jobs and had to maintain their own cities themselves. The Academy would intervene only when a catastrophe occurred. Or in case a strange malfunction happened in the cities.

After flying above 5 civilians’ cities and several more Cities, Heian Ciemnosc was brought to some sort of portal. And in this portal, a platform large enough to fit 5,000 people was its base, with an arching structure on the sides that wasn’t complete. Its center was left without a structure to shield them from the night sky. But as soon as Heian Ciemnosc saw the portal, there was already a batch about to be teleported away. It happened very simply but still impressive and overbearing. Giving the impression that only ‘godly’ masters in Craftsmaking could make something like this work properly.

When the bat was just descending from the sky, Heian Ciemnosc saw black smoke slowly surge from below the crystal floor, which was transparent but gave the erroneous impression it was black Crystal. Instead, some blackish smoke stayed below, fluctuating at all times but only noticeable to Second Step cultivators.

Heian Ciemnosc then heard a loud clap, and the smoke that had drifted out from below the transparent crystal ‘closed’ with the 5,000 plus people on the platform becoming engulfed by it. But even as the black smoke ‘clapped’ them, the people within were still visible, their silhouette demonstrating they were still there as the black smoke continued to clap the rest of the people until its center. When the black smoke hit each other in the middle of the platform, a flash instantly shot into the sky as a feeble limb of darkness as the black smoke slowly dissipated. But as it did, it reappeared back below the transparent crystal.

After witnessing such a wondrous thing, of course Heian Ciemnosc wanted to experience it! And so, without waiting too much and having a nice little date— meal —with the pretty young woman, Heian Ciemnosc and her went into the portal and were brought away just as the pale teenager wanted. When Heian Ciemnosc stood there, he felt as if the world beneath his feet trembled, but both the world and the crystal were alright, not even slightly moving.

Then, as the black smoke came up and began to embrace him, the young pretty woman and the group of 5,000 Heian Ciemnosc felt like his hand was being prickled by smallish particles of black smoke. Like caressing his hands like a lover would and trying to get him to touch them spoiled, Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes turned wholly black for half an instant when the teleportation occurred. By then, he only felt his world twisting and changing neverending.

Heian Ciemnosc had the sensation of his body elongating, forced, and pulled through a tunnel, one that kept him safe and made sure to bring him away to the designated place. His hands couldn’t be moved, and his eyelids were as if nonexistent. When he tried to move, all he felt was like he was in a bed with a safety protective slimy substance covering his back and front, trapped but simply ‘free’ at the same time.

He also couldn’t see anyone else and only the darkness of the tunnel as it moved, leaving barely noticeable contrails that sped away from his vision in less than an iota of an instant. And just as he felt like he would be there forever, not fearing it, though. Heian Ciemnosc felt his feet already weighed on heavily by the stronger laws of the Blackotia Kingdom, a Middle Kingdom.

The pretty young woman went up to him and helped him down the platform. Heian Ciemnosc was feeling a headache, and it was a strong one. The young woman seemed to know his feelings, drinking a bunch and teleporting for the first time wasn’t a nice thing, and every Sub Student had to go through it, after all. There was never a Sub Student who refused some little ‘greeting gift’ from their new ‘patron’ to cultivate to a new stage or even a Realm in some cases. Well, some others even gained a better chance to start in their cultivation thanks to the ‘special’ liquor they would receive as non-cultivators.

Helping Heian Ciemnosc walk through the night sky for some time until he could walk on his own. They then went to take another rest, where Heian Ciemnosc took advantage and emptied the blinking, pretty young woman’s pockets. Of course, such a thing as going to eat a lot would hardly diminish the contents in her pockets, but she was left speechless seeing the glutton eat away.

Afterwards, Heian Ciemnosc went through 2 more portals before finally arriving at the Sub Students dormitories in the Academy’s western territory. Once there, instead of directly going to the dormitories, the young pretty woman brought him to the Fauna-housing section slightly away from it.

Within just an hour, and as it was nearing midnight, the young woman didn’t seem to mind wasting her time with him, even as she had to carry him over her shoulders regularly. Only his arms had to be placed on her shoulders, though. Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t trying to seduce a kindhearted young woman on his first day at the Academy.

They reached the Fauna-hosting section, where Heian Ciemnosc was to finally meet that honorable Cloud Eagle.

…