Compared to the loud cheers and general glamour of the square, the next stage of Allen’s new academy life was somewhat more, basic. He was shuffled off the stage and onto a small work boat. Aside from the small booth where the captain stood the entire thing was exposed to the elements with absolutely no effort made for comfort or even safety. The three people who had been passed ahead of him were already waiting, all looking various degrees of excited. Unlike before, Allen made no effort to socialise, instead pulling on his footwear and then taking time to study the academy building in the distance. Everyone knew the academy was on its own island. The story said that the royal family had raised it up themselves using earth mana, but his father told him that was stretching the truth. The island had always been there, but had been connected to the mainland before. The royal family had used their cultivators to sink the land around it and the large square that housed the testing, but that was all. Still impressive, especially given that the highest known cultivator was in the apprentice realm. It would have taken hundreds of cultivators working together to accomplish the task. The academy itself was a fortress, at least from the outside. It was heavily promoted as the most secure building in the world, with cultivators guarding the high mana infused walls at all times. A member of the royal House revealed years ago that every graduate infused some of their own mana into the wall before leaving, meaning it was getting stronger every year. Looking at it now, Allen could believe that. The wall was a monster, easily twenty meters high with guards visible even from his distance. You could only get there by boat, and there was only one dock. To get from the dock to the wall you had to walk up a narrow incline that was completely visible to the walls. It was medieval at best, but he had to imagine incredibly effective. It made him think back to his mothers comments, and how his father had apparently already come and scouted the place out. Allen knew his father wouldn’t lie about that, but still shuddered slightly at the idea of just how strong the man really was. He also briefly wished his first element could have been water. In a place like this it would certainly grant extra strength. It was nearly midday before the boat finally had enough people on it to make a trip over. As soon as the boat launched, people started talking for the first time. Excitement was clear in their tones as Allen just focussed ahead. As they approached the concentrations of mana became thicker and thicker, and it was obvious they had a gathering enchantment of fairly decent strength within the walls. Unbidden, a small smile formed on Allens face as he looked at his life ahead. WIth a decent array in place, there was a good chance his cultivation speed wouldn’t suffer as much as he first feared. Especially if he used his own much smaller one to focus it around himself when cultivating. He just had to be careful to do so in secret. Twirling the ring on his left thumb, ensuring it wasn’t activated, Allen breathed in and centred himself as the boat docked up against the academy island. As before, he waited to leave the boat until all the others had, stepping up behind the crowd and following up the long stone walkway. Guards were watching them the whole way, and even a cursory scan told him they were at most novice realm cultivators. Most however were barely on the path at all. Stepping into the large gates a large table was waiting in front of them with dozens of people standing around behind them.

“Have your ID card ready then follow instructions. line up, stay silent and hold all questions until tonight. The academy head will welcome you and provide all relevant information.” Called out a man standing to the side of the desk.

As instructed, the forty or so teenagers shuffled into a line. To his surprise Allen was somewhere near the front, his position near the centre meant the queue formed around him. One by one, the new students were processed, their ID cards scanned in and then the student sent off to one of the many students standing around. Finally as Allen had his turn, a girl in a horrible yellow outfit, paired with a pair of large black combat boots stepped up to him.. He would have been tempted to shy away, if he hadn’t seen the Sussex House crest on her shirt. Before he could introduce himself however, she spoke up

“Come on, lets get moving.” Without a word she walked passed him.

Allen hurried to catch up, falling in a step behind her very quickly.

“The academy is split up into the Houses. Each House has their own facility within the walls, which is where you will spend the majority of your time. Do well and the House will invest in you attending one of the classes in the main building. Do poorly and you will be limited to what you can learn.”

She started talking as they walked down what could only be described as a street. On one side were numerous large stone walls, protecting giant manor houses. All of them had different House crests decorating them, signalling who was inside. He could see patrolling the walls, both the giant ones that protected the island, and the smaller ones guarding each Houses territory. On the right hand side, towards the centre of the island, were various much grander looking buildings, all spaced around the giant arena in the middle. Finally after walking what felt like half the island, they came to a wall with a familiar looking blue crest with a bird rising from flames.

“Home sweet home. Come on” the girl didn’t pause, stepping through the gates with a head tip to the two people guarding it.

“Is the yellow?” Allen started to ask, before seeing the answer for himself. Everyone around them was wearing the same hideous yellow combat trousers and jacket. “Well that’s not a good look.”

“Uniform colours depend on your rank within the House. Now come on.” The girl, who still hadn’t given her name, said. As she marched through the large yard Allen looked around. There was one very large mansion type building at the very back, which had another wall protecting it guarded by people wearing green this time. Alongside one of the side walls, that seemed to be up against House Derby, was a long stone building that blended in with the wall itself. Only the fact the building was substantially smaller made the separation separate.

“Kyle I have a new one for you.” His guide said, gesturing to Allen as she shouted to the man standing against the stone building.

The man, in the same hideous yellow outfit, stepped off the wall and looked Allen over. “Alright, thanks Priya I’ll take him from here so you can head on back.”

Without a word to Allen, the girl spun and started to walk away

“Thanks for your help” he called after her, but she didn’t even pause.

“Don’t mind her, the more people she brings in the more points she earns, and she wants to do well this year. Come on.” The boy said, leading Allen into the building “This is the Yellow barracks. Do you have your ID card, I’ll get you scanned and set up.”

Allen nodded, and pulled out his card again. The boy took it and instead of scanning, started typing the details into a tablet that he fished off a table. While he worked, Allen looked around. Clearly nobody had put much thought into comfort, as this smart room, which was clearly a reception area, had no decoration aside from the table and rows of racking. Two doors, one of either side, were the only gaps in the racks.

“Well good news, you’re one of us. Here” he walked towards one side of the racking and pulled out a crate out that contained piles of yellow clothing. “Grab a pair of boots your size and then follow me.”

Doing as instructed, Allen found a show box labelled with his size and then turned to the new guide.

“In case you missed it, I'm Kyle Meadows. Currently I’m class head for the Yellows so I’ll be in charge of your training and pretty much everything else while you are in these walls. Today is a little mad, because people come in so slowly, but I’ll give you the key points. That door” he pointed to the one that was now behind Allen “leads to the Yellow training hall. In there you can work on your fitness, your combat skills, or if you earn enough to get a technique, even cultivate. Feel free to use it anytime. This door takes you to everything else.”

Carrying the crate and boots, Allen followed after him through the narrow door, pausing slightly when he saw what awaited them. Rows of metal beds lined the walls, with another set back to back in the middle. Each had a single chest at the end of them, and he could see suitcases and other items stored underneath most. There was no effort for privacy or even to give people some alone time.

“Your crate has a number on it, which should match up with a bunk. Find it, get changed and then make yourself comfortable. Lunch is soon so head down to the far end where there’s a cafeteria. Showers and bathrooms are through there” he pointed to another doorway against the back wall. “Once you eat lunch today is largely your own until tonight’s speech, but I’ll get you for that. Either stick to your bunk, or head to the training room. Please don’t go outside until the speech, but if you need anything come find me.” With that Kyle didn’t stop, turning and heading back to the front desk.

Allen just looked around, slightly amazed that he had found himself in a home less comfortable than the one he built himself as a fifteen year old.