Aleister entered Luo Yun's Dojo. Members packed the place full. A stark contrast compared to its shape just a month ago when it had been barren. He caught a few glimpses of each of his...disciples? He wasn't really sure what to call them right now, but that was close enough. However, he ignored them for the time being and headed straight for the office. Messing with them, while a fun and philosophically rewarding task, wasn't what he needed right now.

"Oh," Luo Yun looked up from his desk as he noticed the door open, "Look at who it is."

"Yes, your gym is doing lovely by the way."

"It's at max occupancy for now, but we'll have to see how it pans out after a few months and years."

"To be honest, I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you would have changed your office location to the tavern."

"It's still under renovation, so until then, I'm here. And speaking of which, have you made any progress with the shop? Or do I need to ask for the deed back so I can sell it?"

"That's actually the reason I came here, but first, I've been meaning to ask, but how was the fight at the warehouse? Or rather, how well did my plan work or not work?"

"Your plan worked—"

"Which part did you start with? The one where—"

"I heated the building and one of them opened the door. Kyoko knocked that person out and Myra put everyone inside to sleep. However, the situation inside differed completely from what anyone expected. The gang members already slaughtered the kidnapped victims in the warehouse."

"Quite unfortunate." Aleister shook his head. "How recently killed were the bodies?"

"They were all victims that went missing several weeks ago."

"And were there any hidden entrances?"

"None that we found."

"How hard did you look?"

"Secret entrances were not the first thing on our mind, but after the bodies were transported and the gang members were taken captive, a thorough search of the premises was done. Something you should have been there for."

"No, thanks."

"You came here for the shop, right? Do you need me for something?"

"Yup. I need some money."

"How much and why should I give it to you?"

"Few thousand should suffice and because it's an investment."

"Investment into...?"

"My domination of the entire medicinal market."

"A few thousand gold coins are a lot of gold. Even for me."

"I'll pay you back in a few years. And if that's not good enough, then I'll even put up my bag of holding as collateral."

"You didn't need to do that, but since you did, I'm not going to refuse. When do you need the gold by?"

"Right now would be great."

Luo Yun opened a drawer and took out three bulky coin pouches. "Adding the three of them together, there's about one-thousand gold. You can come back to collect the rest tomorrow."

"Appreciate it."

"Wait," Luo Yun said, raising his voice, "Before you leave, tell me when you plan on applying to fight in the Weaver Brackets for the Osetia Showdowns? Lord Kilciar contacted me recently and has been pressuring me to get you back into the ring."

"I'm not sure, and you said brackets?"

"Yes, once you become a Weaver, more brackets open up, and I'm sure you can imagine why."

"Because not every class is suited to direct combat, correct? Even so, it's a fighting competition. If their skills don't apply, then they can't fight."

"Yes, which is the reason there are different brackets of competition."

"So it's not just all about fighting? I suppose that makes sense, actually."

Luo Yun nodded. "Becoming a Weaver developing such distinct soul classifications provides a degree of competitive entertainment opportunities that are less commonly seen."

"What are all the brackets, then?"

"There are too many for me to recite off the top of my head, so just look at the official list. I'll have a copy ready when you pick up the gold tomorrow."

Aleister nodded. "And along with this, how do they deal with the differing strengths and bonuses between ranks?"

"They are also bracketed," Luo Yun said. "So Rank One and Two are the first tiers, Rank Three and Four are the second, and Rank Five the third."

"No bracket for Rank Sixes or Sevens?"

"If you've reached a rank that high, you aren't going to waste your time in frivolous competitions. Even Rank Five participants are rare. So much so it's been three years since they held the last one."

"I see."

"Along with that, there's an additional bracket that allows a lower rank to challenge opponents of a higher rank, but these, in turn, don't have numbered competitors and are really just for testing their own power. So it's often only done by the champions of the first tier against opponents of the second."

"So basically what I did, but official."

"Correct," Luo Yun said. "There are also team brackets. These are more combat orientated though, as each member provides a unique skill set and by working together, they achieve significant results."

"How many members are usually in these teams?"

"The hard limit is seven, with most teams at about five or six. More members don't equate to advantage however, it's all about how cohesive your unit operates."

"Well, thanks for that information." Aleister grabbed the bags of gold and tossed them into his bag. "However, you don't need to create a copy of that list for me. Oh, and you can tell Lord Kilciar that he can continue waiting. I have more important tasks at hand the wasting my time in irrelevant and meaningless displays of strength."

"I'll tell him that you're busy and focused on your alchemical studies and cut out the insults at the end. How about that?"

"That works as well."

"But I initially befriended you and brought you on as a talent, and have treated you as such, but since you no longer plan on entering any competitions, how should I treat you now?" Luo Yun asked adding a sinister undertone to his voice.

"We're business partners, and besides, you don't need me to participate in fights anymore. Especially not since I gifted you with four Weavers. That's four times the showdown. Just talk to Lord Kilciar, I'm sure he'll understand."

Aleister waved behind him as he left Luo Yun's office. However, before he could leave the dojo, Malozar stopped him. His appearance was similar. However, the white-onyx crystal now displayed its effects. A small white diamond tattoo engraved itself in the middle of his forehead. Two lines detached themselves from each side and angled down to his eyes and marked themselves straight down to the top of his torso, and likely below. Aleister didn't know for sure, as Malozar's training clothes covered the rest of his body.

"Master Aleister," he said with a bow. "I just want to thank you for—"

"Your welcome," Aleister cut him off. "Now you go be the very best chef there ever was, and once you do, I expect free food or at least steep discounts. Oh, and if you ever get the chance, stop by a restaurant called the Wild. It's superb and has some interesting food, but the prices are astronomical."

He sidestepped past Malozar and was met with Stronvun at the exit.

"I just want to ask something."

"Go ahead."

"Luo Yun explained it to us after we woke up, but, I want to know, how did you convince my family, and the rest of their families or acquaintances, to play along?"

"I just told them who I was and then gave them a bunch of gold."

"Is that really it?"

"If you don't believe me, just ask them yourself. After all, everyone including is hurting for money these days."