“Oh, I’m in this place again.” said Raven as he looked at the endless grey nothingness. He then noticed a black spot far in the distance. Looking around, he couldn’t see anything else, so he decided to go there.

He flapped his wings and launched towards the spot. The feeling he got when flying just felt right, enjoyable. It was one of the things that make you feel good, like sleeping does.

The black spot grew as he neared it and soon became a bed. Lying on it was a man, now Raven knew full well as Crow.

He walked towards him.

“Julian!!!” shouted Crow as he woke up with a start.

Raven nocked his head and looked at the one before him.

“Oh, you’re here brat.” said Crow with a smile “So, how much of the grimoire did you read?”

“The first three?” said Raven with a questioning tone.

“Oh, you didn’t try to read it further?” asked Crow.

“Well, I got a headache whenever I tried to.” answered Raven

“Figures, I believe you can’t use [Dust End] then.” said Crow after some thinking.

“What of it?” said Raven with an irritated tone.

“You’re too weak.” said Crow with a smirk.

“Thank you very much for your criticism, but I believe I didn’t need to hear that.” answered Raven with a sigh.

“I’ll train you.” said Crow.

“Thank you very much for that too, but I don’t even know from where the fucking hell you came out from!” shouted Raven. “Aren’t you supposed to be, something like dead?”

“Well, my real body was destroyed and my soul was sent away to another dimension, but I sent a fragment of my soul into the grimoire at the last moment. That means I’m technically dead.” said Crow.

“Is that even possible?” asked Raven with disbelief.

“The soul is an interesting thing, the magic even more so. “said Crow as he got up and sat on the bed.

“Which is?”

“You can steal the gods’ immortality and kill them, or on the other hand, you’re invincible to mortals.” said Crow “So let me give you a hint-“

“Why are you teaching me anyways? I’m just some lucky kid who got the book.” asked Crow.

“Because you opened the nearly impossible to use grimoire and you have my talents, not to mention you’re the first human I’ve talked to, in about a thousand or so years. But maybe that’s just me, I lost my sense of time a long time ago.” said Crow with a matter of fact tone.

“So, you just have too much free time and are so bored that you want to teach me.” said Raven with a bored tone.

“You’re sharp. So let’s get back to topic. I’ll give you a hint, you have to strengthen your will.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Basically, you have to get into situations that normal people wouldn’t feel comfortable in and get out unfazed. You have a good foundation from a few months of [Soul Recovery], so you should do just that and you’ll learn the first stage.”

“Is the first one referring to dangerous, or the other one?”

“Just go to the women’s bath and stay calm.” blurted out Crow.

“What kind of training is that?!” shouted Raven, blushing.

“The hardest kind.” said Crow with a smirk as he waved his hands. Raven was now standing with dozens of nude women in a bath.

…

“Ugh! My body is aching all over.” said Jet as he groggily opened his eyes.

“That’s because you used an outside power source by using your body as the catalyst.” said a woman.

Jet struggled to get up for a minute, resisting the warnings his body gave him. The girl on the next bed was far more injured than him, as suggested by the casts covering her body. Jet recognized her as the girl he fought.

The room they were in was like a hospital room, with only 2 beds in it. Coincidentally, they were in the same room, or is it even considered a coincidence.

“You found out?” he asked.

“Of course, since you started wearing your weapon, I couldn’t have not known.” said Emily as she struggled to look at Jet.

“You’re in a far worse shape than I am.” said Jet as he fell to the bed again.

“I’m not spiritually exhausted like you.” she said with an arrogant tone

“I guess, then I’ll have to sleep it out.” he said and closed his eyes, dozing off to sleep.

Emily on the other hand, only sighed and did the same. It’s not like she had a choice.

…

“I lost?” asked Qu Xin as he sat on the bed in a far better condition than Raven, who was in a deep sleep for a while.

Although his body was damaged, there was no real damage. This was thanks to the regenerative abilities of Qi, when properly trained.

The recipient answered “Yes, and with a rookie mistake.” answered a boy slightly older than him with blue hair with a bang at his left. He was handsome and was wearing the normal uniform of Krouxorth. That person was currently standing with his back to the wall.

“I never thought I’d lose outside of the dynasty to the ones of the same generation.” said Xin with wide eyes.

“I’m way stronger than you, or is it not so now?” asked the other man with a smile.

“Of course I can’t beat First Brother, we’re on the same side anyways.” said Xin as he jumped off the bed.

“Hmm, I guess I’ll meet the kid during the coronation. And I’m not the only strong person here.” said the one with blue hair as he left the room.

The door opened to a long corridor with nurses going in and out, making it cramped. There were many rooms, too many to count, but only a about 20 of them were in use, which was nonetheless a big number.

He bumped into a boy with violet hair by not as much as an accident as it was intentional. “Oh, what a coincidence to meet here, San.” said the one with violet hair with a smirk.

“Hmm, I wonder what The Warmonger is doing in such a place?” asked the one known as San.

“Well, I want to check on the new Ruler. Now that Vivian has fallen, there will be many challenges for the kid.” said the Warmonger.

“You didn’t answer my question.” said San with the ever present smirk on his face.

“I’m not obliged to.” he said, walking away.

‘Geez, I’m always on the edge when I meet that guy.’ thought San as he walked out of the infirmary, which was a separate building, a normal sized one for heavens’ sake.

On the other hand, the one with violet hair was thinking while walking towards Raven’s room. ‘That kid must have used some trick to defeat her. Sigh, he doesn’t know the consequences.’

The Warmonger opened a door with the number 145 on it and walked inside without a second thought. What he saw was a nurse attending to the currently sleeping Raven.

“Mr. Makarov, may I ask what you are doing here?” asked a feminine voice. The one with violet hair, The Warmonger, otherwise known as Makarov looked to the side and promptly walked back and closed the door behind him, before running off that is.

Unknowingly, he walked into a trap and came back into the same room when he should have left the infirmary through the door.

The one who scared him was the principal, in his true form. No good would come out of him in his True Form.

“I-I, wanted to congratulate my junior.” he said with a shaky voice.

“Is that all? I thought you wanted to recruit him or something. Just so you know, he’s my apprentice.” said Stein while examining the boy like a wolf would do to its prey.

“I wouldn’t dare, The Violet Feather has enough members.” said Makarov as he turned to leave.

“Hey!” shouted Stein, scaring Makarov in the process “Don’t get any funny ideas.”