Seth sat in the library, surrounded by the mountain of books Elena had brought over. While Jenna and Devus were watching that day's fights at the coliseum, he was stuck here on a Sunday wading through pages of history and archaic theories he doubted he'd ever use.

Since he only had one fight per week, the tournament stretching out to eleven weeks, Seth had plenty of downtime between the classes and matches—but this was not how he wanted to spend it. He had no intention of joining the military, so all this pointless knowledge would go to waste when he'd leave in a year or two.

Once I'm out of here, I won't need any of this sh—

"Stop daydreaming and focus," Elena scolded, her voice breaking his train of thought as she dropped yet another stack of books on his already-cluttered desk. "You only have six weeks to catch up on everything you missed."

"I know," Seth grumbled, his gaze lingering briefly on the noblewoman as she sat across from him.

For quite some time, he had assumed she was just another pampered noble, one of those born into wealth and privilege, untouchable and disconnected from reality. But it turned out she was different. Elena was fierce, driven, and had fought tooth and nail to prove herself. And unlike the others, she stood up for commoners—as long as it was within the bounds of the law.

Seth's mind drifted away for an instant, losing himself in the noblewoman's striking emerald eyes, which contrasted perfectly with the rich, vivid crimson hair that gently cascaded down over her shoulders. She's stunning.

'I heard that,' Nightmare chuckled inside the necklace.

'Shush.'

"You should go watch the fight with the others," Seth suggested with a half-smile. "I'll be fine here."

"Last time you said that was before the Aether Sensing and Manipulation's exam last month, and you almost failed," Elena said, glaring at him. "And that was the easiest one of all the finals."

"But I passed," Seth answered with a shrug. "That's all that matters."

Elena shook her head and sighed. "You're really hopeless, you know that?"

"Thanks."

Seth grinned, flipping the page of the history book in front of him. Even if Elena didn't care much about watching the other students' fights, he couldn't help but feel grateful for her time. Sitting here and helping him study was certainly not how she enjoyed spending her Sunday afternoon.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk about it," Elena began, changing the subject, "but whatever happened with the Black Hounds, you need to let it go."

Seth's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"One of my House's scouts told me this morning that they aren't just connected to any of the Houses—but one of the Twenty Great Houses."

"Which makes them even more untouchable," Seth muttered, failing to hide the anger in his voice.

He'd already told Professor Reat everything, and the man had promised to dig into it, but there was an issue—Reat had never heard about them. That could only mean the Black Hounds weren't a registered branch of the Adventurers Guild. And now that they had spotted Seth at the abandoned warehouse, they would almost certainly lay low for a while, making them even harder to track down.

"Well, it depends on what they did," Elena answered while Seth was still lost in his thoughts. "And more importantly, to whom they did it."

"Oh, I see," Seth said, trying to control his tone. "So they can't steal a coin from a noble, but they can butcher a dozen commoners."

"What?" Elena blurted out. "They killed commoners?"

Seth pressed his lips together, fighting the urge to facepalm himself for letting that slip out. "Uh, yes."

"Did you report them to the local authority?"

"Would anyone believe me over one of the Great Twenty Houses?"

"No, but it—" the noblewoman started before pausing abruptly, eyes locking with Seth's. "Don't tell me you're planning on handling this by yourself."

"Whoa, whoa!" Seth raised his hands defensively. "I'm not dumb enough to go up against that whole fake-adventurer branch alone."

'Yeah, right,' Nightmare said with a cackle within his beast-holder.

'Don't even think about telling her.'

Briefly closing her eyes, Elena let out a heavy sigh. "We never know with you."

"Ouch," Seth said, mocking being offended. "That hurts."

A faint smile appeared on the young woman's lips as she slid a book in front of him. "Good. Now get back to studying."

After rolling his eyes, Seth tried bringing back his focus on the endless text, but the mention of the Black Hounds had triggered a flood of grim memories: the youngster sobbing and begging while getting stabbed, all the prisoners screaming in agony as they got killed, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Maybe he wasn't strong enough yet to avenge them and annihilate that organization—but one day he would be.

And then, they'd all pay the price.

Hours later, as dusk approached, Elena decided to wrap up their study session and they began returning the numerous books back onto their shelves. Seth, arms loaded with a stack of heavy tomes, couldn't help but sigh, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of catching up he would need over the next weeks. Studying with the noblewoman made it more bearable, but the thought of every weekend spent like this, head buried in books, was daunting.

"You did well today," Elena said as they both packed their stuff. "Better than I expected, actually."

Seth managed a half-hearted smile as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Thanks for all the help."

"No problem," she answered, tucking her chair in. "I guess I've done my good deed for the day."

"I'd say for the week."

Elena rolled her eyes as they walked out together. "Nice try, but we're still studying tomorrow evening."

"Oh, come on," Seth groaned. "We've been at it all day. Can't we take, like, a little break?"

"Nope. See you tomorrow," Elena replied, offering him a smile and a small wave as she headed off.

Seth stayed still for a moment and watched her go, crimson hair swaying behind her. That 'see you tomorrow' had given him mixed feelings.

After briefly closing his eyes, Seth let out a loud sigh and turned on his heels, heading to the cafeteria for a quick meal. Once he finished, he then made his way to the academy's backyard. Today was the second Sunday of the month, the day the rankings were updated—and as one of the first-years' top three, he was now entitled to certain privileges, like the access to the coveted Epic Training Chambers.

It would be the perfect occasion to try out the new spell he had bought earlier in the morning at the shop of the Adventurers Guild's outpost.

At first, he'd searched for an upgrade spell-scroll—something like Intermediate Identify, but for Dark Shocking Strike. He'd been disappointed to not find any. To make it even worse, nearly all the Primalist-specific scrolls required aether affinities he didn't possess like Wind and Earth.

The only Iron scroll for his class that matched his Darkness affinity was a spell named Silent Mantle, which was basically a weaker version of Nightmare's Illusionary Emptiness. Celine had promised him she'd try to find something more suitable, but for now, Seth had decided to buy an upgrading spell-scroll for Haste. At least it would boost his speed in combat a little bit.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

As Seth stepped outside the academy's main building, he easily spotted the training facility on the left. It wasn't as eye-catching as the coliseum or the Trial Tower, but it was still larger than he'd expected.

Inside, he found a simple interior with a front desk and six sturdy wooden doors with carved eagles on their sides. A spark of excitement flickered in Seth's chest as he approached the instructor sitting at the desk.

"I'd like to use one of the Training Chambers, sir."

The man arched an eyebrow and flipped the pages clipped on his clipboard. Then, after a moment, he nodded. "Hmm, you're new to the top ten, aren't you?"

Seth nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Alright," the man said. "I'll give you the info you need to know. Third place gets you six free hours in the Epic rooms and allows you to buy six more at a discount: five irons an hour."

Seth gulped, his throat suddenly dry. Five irons? That's half a month's worth of beaststones. I'll have to pass on any additional time.

"Each room has an orb similar to those in the Trial Tower," the instructor continued. "Once you activate it, it'll also protect you with an aether barrier based on your Toughness, plus you'll be able to summon beasts from a training list. Just focus on the one you want to fight, and it'll appear in the painted mark on the floor five seconds later. Other than that, you'll also find inside a chest with various training aids—Lighters of various Tiers and uniums, Blockers, and artifacts for affinity training. Remember to put everything back when you're done."

'Blockers, huh? We should give those a try,' Seth said to Nightmare, recalling when Elena used hers in the library a month prior while he studied. The sleek black artifact was designed to be worn on the eyes and inhibited one's capacity to perceive aether, allowing the user to refine close-range sensing more effectively.

'Not a chance,' the direwolf answered. 'We're spending every single minute of those six hours fighting those empty puppets.'

Seth sighed inwardly and followed the instructor into one of the Epic Training Chamber on the left. The room was impressively large, with a ceiling soaring thirty feet high, reminding him of the Trial Tower's spacious floors. Soft light-lamps lined the walls, while a swirl of blue aether glowed within an orb perched on a small altar a few yards away. In one corner, a large wooden chest sat waiting.

"Have a good training," the instructor said before stepping out, leaving Seth alone in the room.

Seth took out the scroll he had bought earlier that day and cast Identify once again on it.

Huntbound Rush (Crude)

Upgrading Spell-scroll

Tier: Iron

Grade: Uncommon

Affinity: -

Restrictions:

- Primalist.

- Haste with at least a Standard quality.

- 60 Agility.

Back at the outpost shop, he'd faced a choice: Crude or Decent. And while the Exceptional quality of Haste's grooves allowed him to learn the Decent version without issue, he hadn't been able to bring himself to pay two silver coins for that version when the Crude one cost only a third of that price. The spell, offering only a 15 Agility and 10% speed boost, would barely be an upgrade over Haste because of its current Exceptional grooves. Still, with his core, he was confident he would be able to improve Huntbound Rush's quality in the future.

Without wasting any more time, Seth crushed the scroll in his palm. The parchment dissolved into motes of light that flowed into his skin and plunged deep into his body. He felt the familiar burn as deeper, more intricate grooves began carving themselves alongside the old ones in his Well. Their complex network spread outward, tracing new trenches through the aether channels in his legs and arms, solidifying the new spell's structure within him for about a minute.

As soon as it was done, Nightmare burst out of the teardrop necklace. 'Alright, show me what we can fight now!'

Seth smiled, pulling his combat gauntlets from his Endless Pouch. After slipping them on, he adjusted them to fit snugly and reattached the small purple bag to his belt. He then placed his hand on the glowing orb and infused aether inside. Instantly, a list of beasts appeared in the air before him.

Brown Cottontail - Rank 2 (Low-Copper)

Red Foxes - Rank 3 (Low-Copper)

Night Crow - Rank 4 (Low-Copper)

Mountain Lizard- Rank 5 (Low-Copper)

[...]

His eyes skimmed through the first four on the list. Then, as they paused on the three dots at the bottom, more names appeared. Without wasting time, he continued scrolling.

[...]

Moon Spider - Rank 47 (High-Iron)

Gale Hawk - Rank 48 (High-Iron)

Red River Alligator - Rank 49 (High-Iron)

One-Horned Imp - Rank 50 (High-Iron)

[...]

'Summons that One-Horned Imp!' Nightmare urged, jumping on his front paw. 'It's the same Rank as both the Fishlord Lancer and that Ronard guy from the Black Hounds.'

'There's no way we can beat a High-Iron beast,' Seth answered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

'Who cares? It'll disappear when our barrier is depleted. This is the perfect opportunity to fight against a stronger foe.'

Seth hesitated for a brief moment, then let out a resigned sigh. There'd be no end to Nightmare's complaints if he refused. "Fine, let's do it, then."

Focusing on the One-Horned Imp's name, Seth channeled aether into the orb, and particles of aether began to swirl around him and Nightmare, encasing them in a protective barrier. The azure layer had barely formed when the direwolf dashed toward the white cross painted on the floor, vanishing with Illusionary Emptiness halfway there. Seth followed and burst into a sprint.

Seconds later, the One-Horned Imp appeared on the mark, and Seth's core throbbed violently, shooting its mysterious energy throughout his body. Though small in stature, the creature exuded an overwhelming and terrifying aura of power and death. Its skin was a fierce, molten red, as if forged in the heart of a volcano, and a single, twisted horn jutting from its forehead. A malicious gleam shone in its eyes as it flapped its leathery wings to float in the air. Dark aether fizzed and crackled around the prongs of the golden trident firmly gripped in its three-clawed hands.

Seth immediately cast Identify.

One-Horned Imp

 

Potential: Silver Tier

Rank: 50 (High-Iron)

Affinity: Darkness / Fire

 

Strength: 57

Arcane Power: 166

Toughness: 65

Well Capacity: 131

Agility: 110

Regeneration: 71

"Shit! That's a lot of Arcane Power!" he couldn't help but say aloud.

The imp looked at Seth for a brief moment, then its head snapped toward Nightmare, who was dashing forward, still invisible. Without warning, a dense sphere of purple flame materialized at the tip of its trident and shot toward the direwolf.

Nightmare, caught off guard, quickly used Shadow Step and evaded the searing projectile. The moment he reappeared behind the imp, he lunged—but the small creature reacted with astonishing speed, spinning around and unleashing a massive lance of purple flames from its weapon. The direwolf tried to jump aside, but the spell still struck him, hurtling him across the room and crashing into the wall.

Heart pounding, Seth charged at the imp, sparing a brief glance at Nightmare lying on the ground, his barrier flickering. With a wicked chuckle, the demonic creature turned to Seth and hurled three purple fireballs in rapid succession.

Driven by his core's instinct, Seth poured aether into Huntbound Rush, and twisted his body, narrowly dodging the barrage. Once within range, he threw a punch, but before it could hit the imp, a whirlwind of purple flames burst out of the creature.

Shit!

Seth crossed his gauntlets to block, but the sheer force of the attack drove him back several feet; scorching pain ripped through his arms, and the layer of aether around him diminished by half in an instant.

Seth lowered his arms just in time to see a massive lance of purple flames hurtling toward him. In a split-second, he rotated his hips and swung his fist behind him, putting all his weight and half his Well into the punch. The moment the imp was about to leave his line of sight, he cast Shadow Step and reappeared into its shadow. The small creature tried to turn and pierce him with its trident, but it was too late—Seth's punch had already connected. His gauntlet slammed into the imp's tiny ribcage with a sickening crunch, sending the creature flying across the room.

Determined not to give it any chance to recover, Seth charged. He funneled more aether into Huntbound Rush, and a surge of raw power flooded his lower body. The muscles in his thighs and calves swelled, hardening into tight cords as each stride launched him forward with explosive force. The ground seemed to compress under his feet, propelling him across the distance in a blur.

Yet to his surprise, the creature was already hovering back above the ground. Eyes blazing with fury, it unleashed a volley of purple fireballs. Seth weaved and ducked, unsure what to do next when suddenly Nightmare sprung out of the imp's shadow.

'I'll kill this little demon,' the direwolf growled, black smoke billowing from his maw.

Snapped his jaws on the back of the creature's neck, he sunk its canine deep into its crimson flesh as Seth rushed toward them. The imp let out a bloodcurdling scream, flapping its wings wildly as Nightmare thrashed it around like a ragdoll. Then, aether crackled around the demonic creature and purple flames burst out, forming a blazing cyclone that blasted the direwolf away.

"Not again," Seth hissed through gritted teeth, shielding his face with his gauntlets.

The fire whirlwind exploded in a heartbeat and struck him, eating away some of his remaining aether barrier and sending scorching jolts through his body. Wincing and clenching his fists, Seth dropped to one knee, fighting to stay conscious through the excruciating pain. Then, as abruptly as it had erupted, the firestorm dissipated.

Panting heavily, Seth looked up and saw Nightmare sprawled on the floor, the blue protective layer completely gone around his body. That's why it stopped.

The moment the imp vanished from the room, ending the combat, Seth's own barrier flickered before fading away entirely. With a loud exhausted sigh, he let himself fall to the side, his shoulder hitting the chamber's hard floor with a thud.

Damn imp.

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