Training ground

Helial was tracing mid-air ellipses with Curse of the Demon. His muscles reached the fullest contraction. Sweat was slowly trickling down his body, drenching the ground under his feet. He was under a backbreaking physical strain. Nonetheless, Helial felt that his every muscular fiber broke and regenerated ever more quickly.

A window popped up in front of Helial.

Passive Skill

Lv: 6

Body of the Qilin

The strength of your arms and legs increases by 6000 kg per limb.

Vitality Regeneration: 2300%

Health Regeneration: 2300%

Physical Resilience: 3600%

Resistance to Magic: 3600%

Your body was bestowed with the body of a Qilin.

One of the supreme Skills of the forces of Life.

The Skill levels up as you temper your body. It is not possible to upgrade it in any other way.

Exp: 15.5%

“There is a limit to the level you can push Body of the Qilin to. It depends on your Knowledge Grade. How nice would it be to make people stronger just by torturing them?” Iblis yawned. He was wearing sunglasses while lying on a beach chair. From time to time, he would take a sip from the straw coming out of his coconut.

“Curse of the Demon has reached the maximum weight you can bear. Or rather, it’s slightly over your limit so that you can improve. If you keep this pace, your body will gain strength. Body of the Qilin is now Level 6. Once you reach the Master grade and change your Knowledge Grade, your body will be indestructible. I don’t think there’s anyone in the First Phase able to harm you in all Orma. But keep in mind that you’re not training to fight a couple of Goblin idiots, but a legion of mythical creatures legends are based on. One day, all the Clans of Life will chase after you. And they’ll be double angry when they find out you cultivate both Life and Destruction Mana.”

As he slashed in slow motion, Helial felt his muscles tear under a weight that overtopped 10,000 kg. He said: “Won’t the Forces of Destruction frown at me, since my Mana is in part made of Life?”

Iblis took a sip and slightly furrowed his eyebrows as he maintained: “Don’t put Life and Destruction on the same level. If the forces of Destruction were pains in the ass like the members of Life, we wouldn’t’ stop fighting for a moment. But we don’t care about what they intend to do, we never did. It was them who dealt this violent campaign to suppress others. If they had let us live in peace, we wouldn’t have declared war for sure.”

Iblis seemed to grow thoughtful all of a sudden. “Still, they pursue this aim to eradicate evil at all costs.” He stroked his chin and gave a sigh. “But guess who’s the real evil here?”

“Destruction is?” Helial asked.

“This fucking juice is. Puh! I messed up with doses, too much alcohol. Undrinkable. A terrible mistake.” The Devil really looked much more devastated for his juice than for the universal conflict going on unresolved since the night of times.

Helial was so shocked that Curse of the Demon slipped out of his clutch. Due to its terrifying weight, it plunged into the ground for several centimeters. “What’s so different about Life and Destruction anyway,” he said in bitterness.

The kid had the coconut disappeared as he stood up. “By the way, you’ve almost reached the limit of the Mana you can gather in the First Phase. What you need now is a little practice on the field. How will you do that?” Iblis asked his disciple.

“It’s no problem. The disciples of the Royal Academy must undergo compulsory training. Every member will team up with a group of people in their same Phase and complete some Quests, like clearing a Dungeon to grab some items. We work for free, basically. I’ve scrolled through the available Dungeons. We’ll go for the most challenging one, monsters between the Early and Late stage of the Second Phase. Boss might be in the Third even. I think our teamwork will be enough to knock out a Third Phase Boss.” Helial had already examined the problem and come up with a solution.

Iblis nodded in satisfaction. His pupil’s scrupulous and rational thinking never fell short of his expectations. He boasted an impressive problem-solving.

Helial wasn’t one who would say no to a task because of the obstacles to be faced along the way. But he wasn’t stubborn enough to follow a fruitless path either. For Helial, efficiency was key. He always tried to maximize his effort and get the fullest results.

This attitude did please Iblis.

Through mere thought, Helial opened up a window.

Passive Skill:

Sword Mastery

Lv: 8

Knowledge Grade: Power is everything

Effects:

Sword damage: 500%

Sword Skills Cost: -150%

Exp: 22%

“My Skills grow more powerful with each day. But as you said, I still lack experience,” Helial mumbled in disappointment.

“Don’t you need to look for the cousin of that girl?” Iblis stifled a giggle. “That’ll be the start of your Quest.”

A helpless expression hung on Helial’s face. “Circe told me he’s strong yet lazy. Won’t be easy to persuade him. But I have to do it as a favor to my fiancé, WHO HAS ALREADY ANNNOUNCED OUR ENGANGEMNT TO ALL ORMA. I don’t think I can get a cold feet at this point.”

Curse of the Demon disappeared in a dark beam. It melted back with the boy’s Soul. Helial walked towards the bathrooms to get refreshed as he wondered what could be the best time to go and talk to Vlad, Circe’s cousin.

***

Private halls of the descendant of the Sect of the Worthy

“Cousin! The brat humiliated me. If it hadn’t been for Pseudonym, he would have killed me!” Medusa screeched in a towering rage. Comodus was gazing at her down top, a hostile expression on his face.

“I see. But what do you want me to do exactly?” Comodus asked swallowing his words.

“I want you to kill him! How could a filthy human dare to…”

“Bla bla bla bla.” Comodus raised a hand to mock at her cousin’s empty words. “If you women could make decisions, our Sect would be long dead.”

All of a sudden, Comodus’ Aura suffocated a gasping Medusa.

“You’re asking me to irrupt into the Clan of the Heavenly Eagle, throw every diplomatic relation still left to keep some face into the sewer, disturb the balance between Orma’s two powers, and start a diplomatic incident I will have to take blame for?” Comodus spoke words of disdain. “Humans are lesser creatures, cousin, but if you think this would solve anything, you are no better.”

Medusa blushed with shame. She wanted to say something, but Comodus’ Aura suddenly exuded a wild pressure which took her breath away. She couldn’t move. Then Comodus withdrew it. Medusa could finally breathe again.

“This is not how we’re gonna play this game. That old bastard of my father explicitly ordered me to avoid stirring up trouble. Just because I killed a couple Goblins down the streets of Orma. I’m basically under house arrest for now. I can’t go out and kill some others or do anything that could possibly be traced back to me. You’ll have to wait, Medusa, and sooner or later this Helial and his friends will get in my way. Only then will I do something. Take action sooner is madness.”