The sun shined on the academy’s walls as it rose high into the sky, marking the start of a new day in New Lumingard. Just a bit after sunrise, the group was awoken by the sound of shouting and training, prompting them to meet in the main hall. There, they were greeted by an already busy Farkael. The Draconidean stood on one leg, with the other bent, his palms pressed together in an almost praying gesture.

“Good morning. I hope you managed to get some rest.” Farkael said as soon as they arrived, smiling gently—this time, his face not hidden behind a mask. Ascalon and his friends were slightly surprised to see his whole visage for the first time, noticing a few scales on his chin and a set of pointy teeth in his mouth.

“Good morning!” Lilithra exclaimed excitedly, raising a hand and waving. Selorien nodded at Farkael, while Ascalon bowed slightly. As they exchanged pleasantries, another voice chimed in from behind them.

“I see you are awake, good! Those who rise early are the first ones to seize the day!” Litak commented in a proud voice, his closed eyes and half-smile giving off a really amicable aura.

“Follow me, please.” The elder added as he headed toward one of the many doors in the main hall. Farkael nodded at them, his meditative stance unwavering. A bit hesitant, the group exchanged looks before following after Litak.

They were guided into a smaller room, likely an office of sorts. The walls were decorated with red wallpapers that depicted golden dragons, alongside many shelves full of books and scrolls. In the center rested a simple round desk, low in height, surrounded by cushions for sitting. The light entered the room from a big, tall window behind the desk, offering a gorgeous view of the Southern district even from across the room.

Litak sat with his back facing the window and urged them with a gesture to sit down, and the rest complied. Once they were all accommodated, the elderly man grabbed a kettle from behind the desk, alongside some small cups and an assortment of floral herbs.

Ascalon and his companions remained silent, unwilling to break the calm atmosphere as Litak prepared tea and slowly served them.

“Please, enjoy.” The man said with a smile, while the rest took their respective cups and drank the freshly-made beverage. It had a soothing, sweet flavor, and their bodies felt immediately relaxed.

“Wow…!” Lilithra blurted out with a content smile, causing Litak to chuckle. Ascalon let out a satisfied sigh, while Selorien sipped quietly. As he watched over them, the man spoke up once more.

“I do not mean to rush you, but a busy day lies ahead.” The man began with a conflicted tone. “As I declared yesterday, you passed the test! Congratulations!” Litak exclaimed, his voice ringing with cheerfulness.

The group beamed at him, with Lilithra swaying in place animatedly. The elder chuckled at the sight, and continued.

“Usually, you have to get here to complete the test. But your group is really unusual—especially for a D-rank application.” He commented, causing Lilithra’s smile to turn awkward, likely feeling sheepish. Then, Litak produced the black box from his sleeves, causing the group to perk up with interest.

He traced the surface of the object carefully, before raising his hand and extending his middle and index finger, pressing them together. In a flash, he struck the item with a series of quick pokes, and the box suddenly opened!

“Whoa!” Lilithra exclaimed in surprise, leaning in with curiosity. Ascalon smiled at her childlike wonder, while Selorien giggled—though he also leaned forward, as eager as his friend.

“Hmm… very nice!” Litak chirped as he inspected the box. He then put his hand inside, and pulled out a variety of colorful flowers.

“Huh?!” Both Lilithra and Selorien exclaimed in unison, shocked by the revelation. Even Ascalon looked dumbfounded, realizing that what they had been protecting this whole time was just some flowers.

“Ho ho ho!” Litak suddenly laughed, probably amused by their reactions. “It is always fun to see people’s reactions when they discover the contents of the box!” He added cheerfully, carefully handling the flowers.

“Augh…” Lilithra groaned, and Selorien sighed in disappointment. They were certainly not expecting that. The elder smiled gently at them as he spoke.

“It may seem like a joke at first—but these flowers are very important!” Litak declared, garnering the group's interest. “They are used to make Recovery Pills!” He revealed, causing both Lilithra and Selorien to gasp in astonishment. Ascalon raised an eyebrow in confusion, turning to Lilithra for aid.

“Oh, uhm. Remember the javelin guy? When he ate a round thingie?” Lilithra asked, and Ascalon pondered for a moment. He faintly recalled something like that, so he nodded. “At the time I didn’t realize… but it makes sense now! He ate a Recovery Pill!” She declared proudly, though Ascalon was still unaware of what that meant—though the name was sort of a giveaway.

“Oh, right. They’re like potions but in the form of pills, and are incredibly powerful!” Lilithra finally added, and Ascalon let out a soft ‘oh’ in understanding. The elder chuckled at the sight, taking the chance to interject.

“Yes, that is right. We make our own Recovery Pills, and they are some of the highest quality ones.” Litak explained, the group's attention back to him. “We trade them with headquarters, and they sometimes include delivering the ingredients in the tests.” He giggled cheerfully, while Lilithra frowned in concern.

“But aren’t those valuable? Why risk losing them just for a test!” She complained, causing her friends to nod in agreement. Litak looked confused for a moment before realizing what she meant.

“Ah! You mean the box part, I assume! That is just to scare applicants, haha!” He laughed, as Lilithra opened her mouth wide in shock. Selorien frowned at the revelation, while Ascalon narrowed his eyes as he pondered over the matter.

Perhaps the box collapsing onto itself, or the contents being lost, was just a fabrication. As he wondered about that, Litak spoke again.

“They scare people like that to test their resolve, to see how well they manage under stress, and if they can follow instructions!” The elder explained as he nodded thoughtfully, with the rest absorbing the information.

“Some get impatient and run! Others don’t take it too seriously and fail when it gets taken from them. You guys did very well, even if the test was cut short!” Litak chuckled once more, while Ascalon hung his head down in slight regret. “But do not worry about that, I deemed it complete so it is fine.” He declared confidently, inspecting their reactions.

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Lilithra sighed in relief, while Selorien simply drank his tea. Ascalon was feeling a bit conflicted, but was happy that the elder didn’t seem to be angry at him.

“Either way, another test remains! I was told by Kain to send you to headquarters when you are done here, so I have a vehicle ready to take you once we finish the tour.” Litak spoke with a smile, and Lilithra’s visage immediately brightened with a huge smile.

“The tour!” She raised her arms enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling at the prospect of being guided through the academy. Both her friends watched over her with warm smiles, though they did end up chuckling at her energetic reaction.

“Thought I would forget? No! Let us begin at once, hehe!” The man said with an energy unfit for his age, quickly getting up and heading for the exit. The rest promptly followed, as they were guided through the vast academy.

The place was even larger than it looked from the outside, with way more rooms than they expected, tailored for different kinds of training: climbing, running, weapon fighting—anything they imagined and more. The decorations were also incredibly stunning, and the dragon motif was present throughout the whole place—clearly holding a significant meaning for them.

All the while, Lilithra chirped with questions, and the elder happily answered—it was as if she had gotten a new grandpa out of nowhere, and Selorien most of all could relate with her excitement.

Though the academy was quite expansive, the tour didn’t take longer than an hour, and they were guided to the exit once they were done. But before finally bidding goodbye, Litak pulled Ascalon aside under the curious stares of his friends. Once a good distance away, the elder spoke.

“I am going to use a skill on you.” He blurted out suddenly, confusing Ascalon. “Do not worry, it is nothing bad, and it will not take long! Just accept it, please.” Litak added with a reassuring smile.

The knight was understandably suspicious, but he sensed no ill intent from the man, who had been nothing but respectful to them. With a resolute nod, Ascalon decided to trust Litak, and a blue screen materialized in front of him.

You are being invited into the - Serene Mindscape - by Litak.

Do you wish to enter?

Confirm / Deny

Ascalon read the text with utmost curiosity, and didn’t hesitate before pressing confirm. Just then, he felt his consciousness leaving his body, ascending rapidly into the sky, high above the clouds.

“What…?” Ascalon muttered in disbelief, his sole eye wide open. He felt somewhat disconnected from the world, and could even sense his own body down below, somehow. In front of him was Litak, hovering over the clouds as he approached.

“Ho ho, not a bad reaction!” He chuckled as he put both hands behind his back, straightening his posture. “This is my [Serene Mindscape], a separate space from the reality you are used to—born from my own consciousness!” He revealed triumphantly, causing Ascalon to gasp in fascination.

That sounded like an incredible skill! But what could be its purpose? Ascalon wondered, just as the man spoke again.

“Anything that happens here will not affect our real bodies, but—!” Litak began, smiling mischievously. “If you train here, your real body will improve, too!” He declared with confidence. That sounded incredibly convenient! But, once more, Ascalon wondered.

“Excuse me, but why are we here…?” Ascalon asked, still confused about the whole ordeal. Litak shook his head and exhaled deeply, clearly disappointed.

“So impatient!” The elder complained, causing Ascalon to frown in regret. “I want you to hit me with all you have got!” Litak added, further astonishing Ascalon.

“Huh?” Ascalon muttered, and Litak chuckled heartily at his reaction.

“Ho ho! Just do it, hit me without holding back. I want to witness your strength first hand.” Litak commented, his voice gradually turning serious. Ascalon could feel an intense pressure envelop him as the elder slightly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of golden orbs.

Ascalon’s instincts awakened immediately at the sight, Exemplaris materializing on his hand almost out of reflex. His thoughts raced back in time, to a war-torn battlefield—the smell of burnt flesh and smoke assailed his nose, the clamor of battle echoing in his ears. Before him stood a massive red dragon, his spear pointed right at him as the creature laughed in mockery.

In the next moment, he was brought back to the present by the elder’s voice, his grip over Exemplaris quivering with both anticipation and doubt.

“Come now.” Litak spoke in a commanding tone, his mere presence causing the air to warp around them, and Ascalon steeled himself. He didn’t want to hurt the elder, but something gnawed at him, and urged him to unleash his might—perhaps the influence of the man’s ‘mindscape’.

Without further hesitation, the knight lunged forward, his arm drawing back as he prepared to strike. His whole body began to glow as [Blessed be the Knight] encompassed his body with divine might, his heart racing rapidly as he focused on the monstrous elder.

“Oooh~!” Litak exclaimed as the radiance expanded and grew closer to him, his figure unwavering in the face of the incoming storm.

As soon as he closed the distance, Ascalon stepped in with a powerful stomp, his whole body twisting forward as he struck ahead with a powerful piercing strike. Exemplaris unleashed its might, a barrage of incandescent light enveloping Litak’s entire figure as it ravaged through the fabricated mindscape. The ‘walls’ separating the space from reality trembled, with Litak being caught right in the middle of the onslaught.

Slowly, the attack subsided, the divine light fading and revealing a completely unscathed Litak in its wake. Ascalon was taken aback—one of his most powerful moves had been taken head-on by the elderly man—and yet it had done nothing!

“Impressive…!” Litak said in astonishment. “If we were in the real world… I would not have walked away unscathed!” He added with a chuckle, though his words were ringing with disbelief.

Ascalon sighed in relief, understanding now why his attack had been unsuccessful, and reassured the man was completely fine. This ‘mindscape’ of his was beyond incredible. As he recovered from the shock, Litak spoke.

“Hmm… no, he really does not need to learn any martial arts.” The man pondered aloud as he stroked his chin. “Though you are welcome to join us anytime.” He added with a smile. “I apologize for bringing you here just to satisfy this old man’s curiosity!” Litak bowed while giggling, his child-like attitude causing Ascalon to relax.

“It is alright. I thank you for showing me such an amazing skill!” Ascalon replied, beaming confidently, and Litak nodded as he closed his eyes fully.

Then, the knight felt himself being pulled back to his body once more, stumbling awkwardly as he regained hold of his existence.

“Whoa…” Ascalon muttered as he shook his head, feeling a strange sense of belonging now that he had returned to his body. The elder watched him with an amused grin, and quickly urged him back to his friends.

“You alright?” Selorien asked as soon as Ascalon returned to them.

“What did you guys talk about?” Lilithra chimed in, her big eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“We, uh… what did we talk about?” Ascalon questioned, unsure of what to say.

“Uhm, yeah? You were just standing there with the elder, and we couldn’t overhear anything!” Lilithra reproached, as if her words weren’t unreasonable! Ascalon sighed as his shoulders slumped, a soft smile forming on his face. Her usual attitude was a refreshing break after the tense experience in the mindscape.

Before he could reply, the elder’s voice cut through the air. “Alright then, you should go!” He declared with a cheery voice. “But do visit us sometime! We would be glad to have you.” Litak smiled as Farkael and the javelin thrower—whose name was still a mystery!—joined him, and they all bowed respectfully toward them.

Lilithra beamed with unbridled happiness as they bid goodbye to the Musashi Academy, hitching a ride back to headquarters. On the way, they talked about their impressions of the academy, agreeing that they would love to visit again sometime—perhaps this time, in the capacity of students!

Once they were properly escorted, the group once again entered the headquarter’s building, feeling like they had been frequenting the place quite a lot lately. It was then that an almost forgotten thought flashed through Lilithra’s mind.

“Wait! Before going to Mr. Kain… let’s check the rankings!” She said excitedly, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“Oh, yeah!” Selorien chimed in with curiosity, while Ascalon recalled they had been meaning to check on that!

After a bit of looking around, they found a set of large, floating screens in the distance, the words ‘rankings’ conveniently displayed above them. With decisive steps, they approached the already bustling area. Just then, Lilithra froze, as they all stared at one of the screens in disbelief.

What they saw left them utterly speechless!