《Law of the Jungle》


 Chapter 1: Initializing - 20% Complete...

    <u>Monday [09/02/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    Drake wasn¡¯t sure if it was because it was Labor Day, but the lack of spirits roaming Staten Island¡¯s streets that night was both a surprise and a disappointment.


    ¡°I thought Mid-Island was supposed to have more spirits than the South Shore,¡± he said while dodging an angered spirit¡¯s swipe at him.


    It was a geist ¨C a class of spirit born from the spiritual residue of the deceased. They constantly absorbed the spiritual energy around them to remain in the Earth Realm, and when their hunger grew too severe, they would feed off the spiritual energy of the living. To many, a hungry geist attacking them was of great concern. It might have been for Drake too had he been an ordinary pedestrian.


    But for a cultivator, dealing with geists; especially ones with Colorless souls, was trivial thing.


    With chi coursing through his fist, he threw a hook just below where the spirit¡¯s soul was knocking it several feet into the air before flopped down behind him. It hissed before disintegrating into spirit particles. Its vanquisher took a deep breath and absorbed the spiritual energy into his essence. He then exhaled and felt the new energy infuse itself into his core.


    ¡°¡­Man, this sucks. Trying to cultivate off spirits this weak ain¡¯t worth the trouble,¡± he said.


    ¡°So, what? You just called us out this late for nothin¡¯?¡±


    The brunette glanced over to where his friend CJ had his back to a tree. He had yet to move once since they arrived, but he had gone through a few cigarettes in that time. How he managed to smoke so much without the smell getting in his dreads, Drake never knew. He also couldn¡¯t figure out why their friend Skylar, who sat perched on a branch of the same tree, never complained about the smoke rising into her face.


    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t call you guys out here for nothin¡¯,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Then why are we out here past midnight, man?¡±


    ¡°To knock some geists back to the Soul Realm and cultivate! Y¡¯know, that thing cultivators usually do? C¡¯mon, school starts back this Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°Just how much progress you expect us to make by then? Only a crazy bastard stays out all night fighting spirits. Me and Skylar; already got our cycles in for the week.¡±


    Drake clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re still using those old boring-ass cultivation methods they taught us in junior high?¡±


    ¡°Those ¡®boring-ass¡¯ methods don¡¯t magically become trash just the second we become high schoolers. Yo, Sky. You tell ¡®em too.¡±


    Skylar ignored him completely while tapping away on her phone. The only response she gave was a giggle at something a friend had sent her.


    ¡°Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe she posted that! There¡¯s no way she¡¯s not getting dumped!¡±


    CJ sighed and pulled out another cigarette.


    ¡°Look, CJ. I get where you¡¯re coming from, but you gotta understand that this ain¡¯t gonna be middle school anymore. Starting Wednesday, we¡¯re students of a Jungle School ¨C cultivation schools that adhere to the Darwin¡¯s Law Act. After tomorrow, we¡¯ll be more than cultivators. We¡¯ll be Warriors who have to climb the---¡°


    Skylar rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, look¡­ He¡¯s going into ¡®speech mode¡¯ again.¡±


    ¡°Told ya he would,¡± CJ said while lighting his smoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just blow me off like that! I¡¯m being real right now! For a Warrior, the best and most efficient cultivation method is fighting; plain in simple. Whether it¡¯s fighting other Warriors or fighting the spirits that fill the streets at night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s real cool and all, Drake, but¡­ you still gotta do those ¡®boring-ass¡¯ cycles, man. You don¡¯t filter out that old spiritual energy it¡¯s gonna mess with your chakras, and your meridians are gonna get swollen. Good luck climbing to the top after that happens.¡±


    Skylar snickered while running her fingers through her lengthy blonde hair. Drake grumbled, feeling a bit disheartened now. Perhaps it was for the best that he just call it a night? He had barely encountered any geists, and ones he had weren¡¯t worth the effort. A non-cultivator could have scared most of them off with some spirit warding you could pick up at the local supermarket.


    He sighed. ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s just---¡°


    He felt it. So did CJ and Skylar. Suddenly, a striking spiritual power was sensed by them. Together, they looked up and saw a geist perched on a street light. In its chest was a colored soul ¨C bronze. Normally, a bronze soul was nothing to stir about, but this geist¡¯s soul was burning so radiantly, it outshined the street light beneath it.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s a Blazing Bronze Soul geist, isn¡¯t it?¡± Skylar nervously asked.


    A drop of sweat fell off Drake¡¯s brow. Usually, Bronze Soul geists weren¡¯t much worse of a threat than the Colorless Souls, but a Blazing Bronze was a very different beast. A geists power correlated not only with its soul¡¯s color but also with how brightly its soul shined. A Blazing Bronze Soul was considerably stronger than a plain one.


    ¡°So¡­ you still feelin¡¯ up to this, Drake? A soul that bright could be too much for a D-Rank to handle,¡± CJ said.


    There was initial reluctance but Drake eventually slapped some moxie into his head and treaded toward the street light where the geist was perched.


    ¡°Hey, you! The blazer up there! Get down here and show me what you¡¯re made of!¡±


    The spirit gave a hiss in response. It then flew off in the opposite direction.


    ¡°What the¡­? Get back here and fight, dammit!¡±


    With his temper flaring, Drake leaped atop the street light in a single jump. It was too dark for him to spot where the spirit had gone. He couldn¡¯t even spot it burning soul. Still, Drake could vaguely sense the trail its spiritual power left behind.


    ¡°Yo, Drake. Don¡¯t go doing anything stu---¡°


    Before CJ could finish, Drake leaped away. His friends just shook their heads.


    ¡°He¡¯s always doing whatever the hell he wants¡­¡± complained CJ.


    ¡°Can he even handle that geist by himself?¡± Skylar asked.


    CJ wasn¡¯t keen to wait and find out. After stamping out his cig, he quickly gave chase after Drake¡¯s trail. Skylar finished texting her friend back before doing the same.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    After jumping from dozens of roofs, they finally caught up to Drake. His head was whipping in every direction while he tried to make out where exactly the geist had fled.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t gone back to the Soul Realm yet. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it if it did,¡± he said. ¡°That means it¡¯s definitely close. But I still can¡¯t¡­¡°


    A loud demolition-like sound interrupted him. Drake and his friends looked in the direction from whence it came.


    ¡°The hell was that?¡± CJ asked.


    ¡°Maybe the geist?¡± Skylar suggested.


    Curious to know, the trio leaped off in that direction. When they reached the site of the sound¡¯s source, they spotted no spirit. They found a group of six on the street below instead. There was an entourage of five consisting of two girls and three boys, with one of the latter standing before a small crater in the ground. From debris still sprinkling from his fist, it was obvious that he was the one who created it. The last of the six was a bespectacled boy who lay on the ground on the opposite side of the crater from the other five.


    ¡°Still wanna pretend you didn¡¯t insult my tech?¡± the debris-knuckled one asked before blowing on his fist.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything except that it¡¯s a waste to fight weaker spirits that way¡­¡± the boy on the ground said nervously. ¡°Wasting all that chi just to kill a spirit of that class is---¡°


    The boy was kicked in the stomach so hard he rose a few feet off the ground before landing back down. It was a miracle his glasses remained on his face.


    ¡°You think you in the position be givin¡¯ out advice? You¡¯re too scared to swing back, but you wanna mouth off?¡±


    The boy coughed with his pressed to his stomach. ¡°But I didn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Deontay. Maybe you should test your new Martial Technique on him,¡± one of the girls glibly suggested. ¡°Show him how ¡®necessary¡¯ it really is.¡±


    A dark grin flashed across Deontay¡¯s face. He raised his fist and quickly amassed his chi into it. His essence flowed from his fist as it let off a vigorous glow.


    ¡°H-hey, hold up¡­¡± the boy entreated.


    Deontay only took a single step toward him before Drake swiftly dropped down in-between the two. He had become more annoyed than he thought he would while watching. His friends stayed up high, unsurprised looks on their faces.


    ¡°We¡¯re not helping him just so you know,¡± Skylar said. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on getting sweaty tonight, and that¡¯s not changing just because Drake can¡¯t chill out to save his life.¡±


    ¡°Fair ¡®nough. Doubt he needs help with guys like this anyway.¡±


    Deontay kept his fist aglow as he asked: ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°None of your business. Now put the lights out on that hand and walk away, and we can just leave it at that.¡±


    Deontay blinked. He and his friends erupted into roaring laughter. One of the girls even pointed a finger at Drake while she cackled.


    ¡°This dude really thinks he¡¯s a superhero or something!¡± she blabbered.


    Drake¡¯s eyebrow twitched. He was never a big fan of being laughed at.


    ¡°Fine. We can do this the hard way too...¡±


    ¡°What? You wanna take the other dude¡¯s spot?¡± Deontay asked, still chuckling. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not gon¡¯ stop you. Just don¡¯t expect me to---¡°


    ¡°Man, just hurry up and use your cheesy- technique.¡±


    The smirk dropped from Deontay¡¯s face, and a glare took his place. With his hand still gleaming, he shot after Drake with his fist raised. Just as he swung it, Drake¡¯s own fist surged with chi in a faster yet identical method that Deontay had.


    A white, hot fash was born from their clashing chi when their fists collided. They were equally matched for only a brief moment before Drake overwhelmed Deontay, and sent him flying back to his friends¡¯ feet.


    The defeated scrambled to stand, a shocked look on his face. ¡°You¡­ You copied my tech!¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ It¡¯s just Furious Power Strike. I had that move down pat back in the 7<sup>th</sup> grade. I stopped using it as much in my last year ¡®cause I thought everybody in a higher grade already knew how to counter it. Guess I was giving you high school cultivators too much credit... I mean, you are in high school, right? Hard to tell just based off your moves.¡±


    A bitter look sprawled across Deontay¡¯s face. His essence started to surge about him once more. It stopped when one of his friends grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°Hold up, man. I don¡¯t think this dude¡¯s a high schooler...¡±


    ¡°And? So, what?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ if he¡¯s not at least in high school yet, he¡¯s not a Warrior. If you fight him, and he isn¡¯t the one startin¡¯ it, that¡¯s breakin¡¯ Jungle Law. You really wanna catch any trouble like that right when school¡¯s about to start back?¡±


    Deontay wore his bitter look in silence for a few moments. Eventually, he snatched his arm from his friend¡¯s grasp and started down the street.


    ¡°You better hope this is the last time I see you, bitch. Next time, I¡¯ll kill you for real!¡± he hollered back at Drake.


    The Warrior left without another word, his entourage in tow. Drake watched them go right up to when they turned the corner.


    ¡°Those guys were Warriors, but going off that one guy, I bet they barely pass for E-Rank. Un-friggin-believable¡­ Is this really the best Mid-Island¡¯s got?¡±


    ¡°Hey, man. Can I get a second?¡±


    The boy behind Drake finally managed to catch his attention. Despite having helped him, Drake looked none too enthused to speak to him.


    ¡°What d¡¯ya want?¡±


    ¡°Just want to say thanks. I was in a seriously bad spot just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ain¡¯t you ashamed of getting bullied like that when you¡¯re a Warrior yourself?¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m Warrior?¡±


    ¡°No shit, genius. That dude I scared off was dumb, but even he wouldn¡¯t use Martial Techniques on some regular cultivator. Warriors fighting non-Warriors for any reason outside of self-defense is Jungle Law 101. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, I---¡±


    Drake clicked his tongue. ¡°Man, for an Asian kid with glasses, you ain¡¯t as bright as ya look. And what was that about you being ¡®too scared to throw a punch''? Did you seriously not try to fight back at all?¡±


    ¡°I mean, yeah. But there¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m reluctant to---¡°


    ¡°Bro. You¡¯re a fucking Warrior. Fighting other Warriors is what you¡¯re supposed to do! Do you know anything about Jungle Schools?! Where the hell are you from?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Kansas.¡±


    Drake blinked. Kansas was consistently in the bottom fifteen states when it came to chi research, education, and cultivation.


    ¡°Shit! Now I¡¯m pissed¡­¡± Drake hissed. ¡°I shoulda let your ass get pummeled.¡±


    ¡°W-why are you so mad?¡±


    Drake¡¯s friends sighed again from up above.


    ¡°Here comes the speeches again¡­¡± Skylar groaned.


    ¡°If you were just a regular cultivator, you¡¯d still be pitiful but at least you¡¯d have an excuse. Cultivators don¡¯t actually have to know how to fight. That why they don¡¯t have Martial Ranks like we do. They¡¯re farmers. Foragers. Herbivores. But Warriors¡­ we¡¯re predators. Hunter. Goddamn carnivores. We cultivate our chi and refine our chi through combat. We have to fight to ea, dammit!¡±


    The Warrior blinked.


    ¡°Look, don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how to fight. I wouldn¡¯t be out at night when the geists are most active if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°Fighting spirits don¡¯t mean anything if you can¡¯t fight another cultivator! Cripes, how¡¯s someone like you even get this far in the first place? Just what school did you go to?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± The Warrior looked extremely unsettled by the question for some reason. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard it. It¡¯s some small cultivation school in the middle of Kansas.¡±


    ¡°Kansas? So you¡¯re just a country bumpkin then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t get any cultivating done. In fact, I go through my cycles everything every week, and---¡°


    An awful look came across Drake¡¯s face that shut the Warrior up.


    ¡°Man, I feel sick. I shoulda just let that dude beat your ass,¡± he said. ¡°Let me make this real easy for you to understand since you ain¡¯t from around here: Here in New York, Warriors don¡¯t play around like they do in Kansas. If you can¡¯t find it in you to climb to the top of the food chain, your gonna get eaten. You follow me?¡±


    The Warrior nodded. ¡°Y-yeah. Sure. I follow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Drake! You done preachin¡¯ yet, or you gonna force that guy to listen to your sermonize all night?¡± CJ shouted down from up high.


    Drake looked up and shot him a finger. It then that it occurred to him that he still had yet to find the geist he was chasing from earlier. He up his spiritual senses for a moment to try and locate it, but he could no longer sense its power.


    ¡°Shit! It must¡¯ve gone back to the Soul Realm¡­¡±


    He spat at the ground while cursing himself.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe I let a blazer get away¡­¡± he muttered while jumping back up to join his friends.


    With a bitter fleeting glance back down at the bespectacled Warrior, Drake took off with CJ and Skylar. The Warrior, after dusting himself off, headed off as well.


    ¡°Man¡­ What a rough night. I almost had to---¡°


    He couldn¡¯t make it to the corner before he sensed a strong spirit¡¯s presence. It swooped right down before him. It gave a sharp hiss while its bronze soul burned furiously in its chest.


    ¡°Ah. Another geist,¡± the Warrior said calmly. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I missed one. I really was a rough night for me.¡±


    The spirit hissed and rushed him faster than Deontay had rushed Drake.


    It wasn¡¯t enough.


    The moment the geist came close enough, the Warrior¡¯s arm moved in a blur and knocked the ethereal being¡¯s head askew. It gave a final hiss before disintegrating into spirit particles. Taking a deep and steady breath, the Warrior absorbed the particles into his essence. Once finished, he stared at his hand expectantly.


    ¡°¡­Still not enough, huh?¡±


    The Warrior pushed up his glasses and continued down the street. The rest of his walk was a pleasantly quiet one.

 Chapter 2: Initializing - 40% Complete...

    Wednesday [09/04/2019]


    <hr>


    There was a rumor floating around that drinking lukewarm coffee in the morning could possibly dampen the performance of one¡¯s chakras for 24 hours. While Keith doubted such pseudo-science had any merit to it, the taste of lukewarm coffee certainly dampened his mood in the morning. Just the sight of the stuff in Heartland High¡¯s faculty lounge was enough to demotivate him for the day.


    Admittedly, Keith Forrester was always a bit less than enthused when he showed up for work.


    ¡°It¡¯s never hot when I get here,¡± he said while glumly pouring himself a cup.


    ¡°Try showing up for work earlier then,¡± another teacher in the faculty lounge told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s 5:30.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be here at four. Homeroom starts in another thirty minutes. You not supposed to show up when the students do, Forrester.¡±


    Keith shrugged while he put a finger to the drink¡¯s surface. He held it there for a moment until wisps of steam began to rise from it. It wouldn¡¯t make the coffee taste the same as when it was fresh, but at least it was warm again.


    ¡°Principal Hopkins told you about frivolously using chi campus¡­¡± another teacher lectured.


    ¡°Yeah, he tells me a lotta things.¡±


    Keith didn¡¯t look back as he headed out. He already knew the type of looks his fellow school staff was giving him. Any he crossed paths within the hall didn¡¯t go out of their way to make small talk with him either, including the custodian. He was fairly certain his coworkers weren¡¯t all that fond of him. Not that he could blame them. He wouldn¡¯t consider himself the cheeriest guy to be around, let alone work alongside.


    ¡°How cheery can you actually be while working at a shithole like this school?¡± he grumbled to himself while approaching the stairs.


    ¡°Is that any way to talk about our lovely Heartland High, Mr. Forrester?¡±


    A tired look came across the teacher¡¯s face as he looked up at the stairs. Standing at the height of the flight to the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor was someone he would have rather not met on the first day of school.


    ¡°Juana Martinez¡­ Just my luck that I run into a Lord this early in the morning,¡± Keith complained.


    ¡°You say that like you hate to see me.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I love it either.¡±


    She giggled as she strutted down the steps. She was not wearing Heartland High¡¯s uniform, and neither was the entourage that followed her. As far school¡¯s students were concerned, dress code was some myth the school board made up. Juana, in particular, was probably dressed the most fashionably dressed student on Staten Island, cultivator or not. Still, what Juana Martinez was most known for was not her immaculate fashion sense.


    ¡°Gotcha now, Jane!¡±


    Suddenly, a student jumped out from behind the stairs and darted at Juana. He moved quicker than any of her posse could have reacted, but none of them would have made a move even if they could. They were not concerned or even surprised over the Warrior¡¯s dynamic entry. Neither was the boy¡¯s target.


    ¡°This is payback for last year, you bitch!¡± he exclaimed as his hand ignited with flame. ¡°Have some of this Mortal Fire Fist!"


    He struck at the back of Juana¡¯s head, dead in its center. Though the fist landed, it hadn¡¯t singed a single hair on Juana¡¯s head. Her essence manifesting as a wall of her chi thinner than a pencil kept the burning knuckles from even grazing her.


    Juana cast an annoyed look at her ambusher. ¡°I was planning on getting through the day without fighting anyone, but¡­¡±


    Without moving a single muscle, Juana roused her chi and blasted her attacker away with her essence alone. The student cratered into the wall, going unconscious on impact. They remained planted there for several seconds before flaking from the wall facefirst onto the floor. Keith gave a sympathetic look as he sipped his coffee. The boy most certainly wasn¡¯t going to regain consciousness before the first bell rang.


    Juana shook her head. ¡°I''m surprised there are still Warriors at this school who think they can ambush me. Idiot wasn¡¯t even D-Rank. All he had to do was respect the truce, but I guess some people just can¡¯t control themselves.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you say truce? Between who?¡± Keith asked.


    ¡°Between the Three Lords of Heartland, duh. We all agreed there would be no feuding between our factions for the first three days of school. Figures you were the last one on school staff to hear about this.¡±


    ¡°Hunt and Bronson really agreed to this? Shocked you three could all get together and arrange a ceasefire that easily¡­ Or without a fight breaking out. I suppose you guys are saving all that aggro for Friday¡¯s Battle Royale?¡±


    ¡°Look how clever my old teacher was! And to think, everyone at Heartland thinks you¡¯re not qualified to teach.¡±


    Honestly, even Keith himself wouldn¡¯t completely disagree with that sentiment. Jane gestured for her clique to follow as she continued down the hall. She stopped for a moment and looked back at Keith.


    ¡°Oh, and another thing, Forrester.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over it before, but I¡¯ll give a refresher for the semester: I don¡¯t wanna hear the name ¡®Juana¡¯ from you or anyone else at Heartland. That¡¯s a privilege reserved for my abuelita. Here in this Jungle, I¡¯m only known as¡­ Queen Jane.¡±


    Keith took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Yea. Sure. Whatever you say, Martinez.¡±


    Jane giggled as she strolled off again, her followers behind her. Keith continued on his steps, not giving much thought to what Jane had told him. The Three Lords all held self-appointed nicknames their affiliates were forced to address them by. Keith found it a bit silly.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He wasn¡¯t particularly interested in their little ¡®truce¡¯ either. It wasn¡¯t the first time the Three Lords called for a ceasefire between their factions. Whenever Heartland High was threatened by other Jungle Schools, the Lords always made peace just long enough to be rid of the threat only to return at each other¡¯s throats once again. Keith never recalled them ¡®meeting up¡¯ this early in the year though.


    ¡°Was the truce really all they set up together?¡± he muttered to himself as he entered his classroom.


    His thoughts were disrupted by a surprising sight ¨C a student. He was already seated, and in the front row of class nonetheless. Keith had never known a Heartland student that arrived to class so early before the first bell rang. Even more surprisingly, he was the only student in years that Keith had seen wear the school¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Morning,¡± the student greeted plainly.


    ¡°O-oh, yeah, morning. You new here?¡±


    The student nodded. ¡°Transferred in from Kansas.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s a big move. I¡¯m Keith Forrester, your Homeroom teacher¡­ and maybe something else too. I don¡¯t know your schedule. What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Isaac Moon, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Keith took a sip of coffee as he headed to his desk. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to have a normal student for once. You don¡¯t seem like the type to cause headaches, at least.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with the students that go to this school?¡±


    Keith snorted. ¡°A problem? Let me tell ya; even by Jungle School standards, the kids at Heartland are---¡°


    Before Keith could finish his sentence, whoops and hollers began rolling in through the classroom windows.


    ¡°And speak of the Devil¡¯s children¡­¡± Keith sighed while approaching one. ¡°Guess that truce didn¡¯t last too long.¡±


    Curious, Isaac did the same. A brawl was taking place outside. Dozens of Warriors from various grades were duking it out within the center of a large crowd of students. By the looks of it, over 1/3 of the Heartland¡¯s students were already present.


    To Keith¡¯s surprise, it wasn¡¯t the three-way confrontation between factions that he was expecting. Out of the few dozen or so students who were fighting it out, they weren¡¯t all fighting each other but rather two students that Keith didn¡¯t recognize. While he certainly wasn¡¯t the best when it came to remembering faces, Keith was sure he would remember students strong enough to dozens of Warriors from Heartland at once. Despite being terribly outnumbered, they were demolishing anyone who dared to come at them. And they did so without any Cultivation Techniques, only Martial Techniques.


    ¡°Damn those boys are ridiculous¡­ Why haven¡¯t I seen them around more?¡±


    ¡°Because they just got here. Those two are freshmen,¡± Isaac unexpectedly answered.


    ¡°You know them?¡±


    ¡°Kind of? The White kid ¨C Drake I think was his name ¨C helped me out two nights ago. I didn¡¯t know either of them was enrolled in this school though. Didn¡¯t know they were this good either...¡±


    Nobody could have predicted for freshmen to be this dominant. It was rare for freshmen at Jungle Schools to be skilled enough to challenge their upperclassmen in any meaningful way. Their Martial Ranks and Core Stages were often too low. There was the occasional exception, and it became increasingly obvious that the duo were one such case.


    Drake delivered a notably devastating declaration to the idea when he threw an uppercut at a senior¡¯s jaw, launching him several feet into the air and plummeting back down over the wall of students that crowded around them. The students went wild, some with cheers and some with slurs.


    Drake just gave a tired sigh to it all.


    ¡°Is this really all you guys got? I knew Heartland wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest school on Staten Island, but c¡¯mon... This is just gettin¡¯ to be a waste of time.¡±


    He swiftly dodged a Mortal Fire Fist a female student tried to ambush him with, countering with a swift kick to the hip that sent her cartwheeling across the grass. A yawn slipped out as he watched his partner deliver a roundhouse to another student¡¯s face, sending him twirling through the air before landing facefirst in the ground.


    ¡°Yo, I think we went a little too hard on ¡®em, Drake.¡±


    ¡°Too hard? We¡¯re only freshmen. It¡¯s not our fault these upperclassmen are all piss-weak. Man, we shoulda just enrolled in a school on North Shore...¡±


    Dozens of upperclassmen were laid out all around the two. All their remaining opponents could bring themselves to do was glare anxiously at the duo. Their reluctance earned them a great deal of mockery from the crowd. Despite the jeers and insults, they were still unwilling to fight further. Keith assumed that this would spell the end of the brawl, but then he saw another student arrive from within the crowd.


    His first impression of her was that she was pretty. Breathtakingly pretty, with the longest set of blonde locks he had ever seen on a student.


    ¡°Drake, CJ; are you two finally finished? Homeroom¡¯s going to start soon,¡± she said.


    Drake spit at the grass. ¡°Yeah, looks like all this ruckus we caused was for noth---¡°


    Before he could finish, a female student blurred past him to the girl and took ahold of her by the hair.


    ¡°This girl¡¯s with you two? She¡¯s your friend, right?¡± she barked. ¡°Well, you two are gonna get real polite real quick if you don¡¯t want me to slide this bitch!¡±


    The boys blinked at her.


    ¡°Talk about a bad call¡­¡± CJ said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe she went for Skylar¡¯s hair first¡­¡± Drake muttered.


    The female student looked confused by their responses. Then she felt her arm being grabbed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Touch¡­¡± Skylar whirled the girl over her shoulder, making the air howl as she flung her. ¡°My hair!¡±


    The girl soared from Skylar¡¯s grasp at a blitzing speed to the window Isaac was looking through. He barely ducked in time as she crashed through it. She slammed against the classroom wall before coming to a sloppy landing with her arm in a ¡®compromised¡¯ position and glass all about her clothes.


    ¡°Holy¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn. And windows at this school are all made of reinforced glass too,¡± Keith commented. ¡°Don¡¯t tell that blonde girl¡¯s a freshman too? If so, I wanna know what pills they¡¯re giving these kids in junior high these days. That girl over there¡¯s definitely gonna need a trip to the infirmary when she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean you aren¡¯t gonna take her now?¡±


    Keith gave Isaac a look. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    Isaac blinked.


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re fresh and all that, but don¡¯t forget this is a Jungle School, kid. Everyone here, including the teachers, has to adhere to Jungle Law. One of the most commonly known of which is that school staff are expressly forbidden from interfering in any manner in the battles between Warriors unless one of the Warriors is in danger of losing their life, or when severe brutality is on display.¡±


    ¡°How would taking an unconscious girl with a broken arm to the infirmary count as ¡®interference¡¯?¡±


    Keith sighed. ¡°If you care so much, how ¡®bout you take her. I already got to sweep up the glass before class starts.¡±


    Isaac stared incredulously his Homeroom teacher. Eventually, he pushed his glasses and went to retrieve the student. Without another word, he left the room with her in his arms. His teacher sipped his coffee in his absence.


    ¡°..Weird kid. How can he not understand basic Jungle Law?¡± Keith muttered to himself. ¡°Even the students who attend ordinary cultivation schools know that much.¡±


    He returned his attention to the events unfolding outside. Skylar was combing her fingers through her beloved hair, while the boys poked fun at her for her sensitivity to it. No one dared to make a move against them during this. Whatever the trio¡¯s Martial Ranks were, they were certainly greater than whatever was common around Heartland High.


    However, the student who arrived next was far above the common rabble they faced thus far.


    Keith, along with the growing numbers of students among the crowd, all took notice of him almost immediately. He was hard to miss as he towered over every other student, including the other seniors. He was also built like a tank; similar to a prime Mike Tyson if he was a foot taller. Drake, CJ, and Skylar were marveling at his size even before the crowd of students made a pathway for him to pass through. He brushed past Skylar without sparing her a single glance. All of his attention fell upon Drake and CJ.


    ¡°So, you the ones raising all this hell. I was wonderin¡¯,¡± the said. ¡°You two know whose Warriors you were smashin¡¯? Whose truce you were breakin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Course we do. You think we could enroll at this school and not know who the Three Lords of Heartland were?¡± Drake asked. ¡°A 6¡¯10 black dude who¡¯s built like a battleship. Who hell else could you be but Iron Bronson? Was wondering when one of you Lords would take the bait.¡±


    ¡°¡­You already know who I am, but you still decided to try me? Who¡¯re you supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Me? I''m Anthony Drake, your soon-to-be Guardian.¡±

 Chapter 3: Initializing - 60% Complete...

    <u>Wednesday [09/04/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    Drake¡¯s declaration put everyone around the schoolyard to silence. Bronson eventually broke it with roaring laughter. The laugh proved infectious, and other students began joining in.


    Drake¡¯s expression remained unchanged through it all.


    ¡°A¡¯ight¡­ that was funny,¡± Bronson said, wiping a tear from his eye. ¡°But for real, how ¡®bout we wrap this up. There was supposed to be a truce today. You two are new, and I¡¯m in a good mood. Just call it ¡®your bad¡® and bow out silently, and I¡¯ll let this slide¡­ for today, at least.


    ¡°What¡¯s this truce gotta do with us?¡± Drake asked. ¡°We¡¯re Warriors. You¡¯re Warriors. We¡¯re supposed to fight. All that dumb politicking you and the other Lords just seems like a waste of time. It¡¯s the reason this school still¡¯s without got a Guardian after so long. Now, are you gonna throw the first punch or am I?¡±


    Bronson gave a sigh. ¡°Oh. You one of those ain¡¯t you? Just so you know, man, we get a few of your type every year. Yea, you¡¯re stronger than most of ¡®em; can¡¯t front on that, but that won¡¯t change how this gonna end.¡±


    The face Drake put on had both his friends worried. Whenever he donned a look like that, recklessness was soon to follow.


    ¡°¡­And just what type of guy am I?¡± the freshman pressed.


    ¡°You already know. You¡¯re the type of guy who---¡°


    Before Bronson could finish, Drake threw a punch square in his face that made the air ring out. It shocked everyone, CJ and Skylar included.


    And yet.


    ¡°¡­thinks he¡¯s already at the top of the food chain,¡± Bronson finished.


    The punch had been completely ineffectual. His nose hadn¡¯t even been pushed in. The Lord then put a hand on Drake¡¯s face and, with a simple push, launched him half the length of the schoolyard and into several other students like a bowling ball into pins.


    ¡°Drake!¡± Skylar exclaimed.


    CJ cast a burning glare at Bronson. ¡°You bitch!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try it. Best walk away while you can,¡± Bronson warned.


    CJ disregarded the warning and kicked himself off the ground. His chi manifested from his leg as a furious essence as he spun in the air. It condensed around his leg, making it as heavy and hard as metal alloy as he brought it down. This was a Martial Technique beyond what a freshman should have known. This was the Iron Axe Heel Technique.


    When CJ chopped it down against Bronson¡¯s thick neck, the ground beneath the Lord''s feet cratered in. Bronson himself, however, barely buckled. CJ realized his technique¡¯s ineffectualness all too late. His opponent reached back ¨C much faster than the freshman expected from him ¨C and snatched him by his hardened leg. He then hoisted him upside down like a prize fish he had just pried from a hook.


    ¡°Hope that wasn''t ''sposed to be an Iron Axe Heel, ''cause I barely felt a thing through my Iron Body Technique,¡± the Lord taunted.


    CJ attempted to attack Bronson while being hung upside down like a fish, throwing a flurry of blows. Each proved just as ineffective as the last. He even kneed Bronson square in his eye, but this didn¡¯t cause it to swell or even redden.


    ¡°If this is the best you guys¡¯re bringing to Heartland, you might wanna head on back to your old junior high. Cause this¡­¡± Bronson began as he started clenching tighter at CJ¡¯s ankle. ¡°¡­just ain¡¯t gon¡¯ cut it!¡±


    Initially, CJ¡¯s technique was able to resist, but Bronson¡¯s raw power proved too much. He tightened his grip until the metalized skin tissue was overpowered, crushing the bone that remained unchanged underneath.


    CJ wailed when his ankle was snapped like a twig. It was drowned out by the crowd, cheering like they were at a Roman gladiator match. CJ¡¯s friend did not join in with the noise. Skylar was even aiming to attack Bronson from behind but stopped when Lord abruptly cast CJ aside like a ragdoll. She then moved to catch him before he could land.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be good again after a couple days,¡± Bronson said. ¡°But he¡¯s done with the fancy kicks for the rest of the week.¡±


    ¡°Bronson, you bastard!¡± Drake howled, his chi raging about him in the form of his essence.


    A second wind coming over him, he shrugged off the other Warriors trying to pin him down.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m done playin¡¯ around!¡±


    Everyone paused, awe-stricken looks sitting across each of their faces. Even Bronson looked surprised. The freshman initially assumed it was him who had them so stunned. But when he suddenly sensed a chi so striking that it made him completely tense up, he realized this was not the case.


    ¡°Can¡¯t remember the last time Heartland had new-meat this hungry for clout,¡± they said from behind him.


    The hairs on the back of the freshman¡¯s neck began to stand up in bewilderment. He hadn¡¯t noticed the stranger until they were close enough to breathe down his neck. That shouldn¡¯t have been possible. The only people who had ever been able to get behind Drake so easily without him sensing them had only been teachers. Drake briefly pondered if this new person was as much, but when he glanced back at them, the fist that greeted his cheek and sent him barreling across the grass once more told him plainly that this was no teacher.


    It was a student. A strong one. At least as strong as the one who had just crushed CJ¡¯s ankle. But unlike Bronson, his height and build were only slightly above average. It was everything else about him including his wild hair and the large scar that stretched diagonally across his face. But most intimidating of all was the look in his eyes. They were like that of an animal¡¯s ¨C a predator which had locked its gaze onto its prey. Just standing in front of the student provoked a slight tremble in Drake¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Is this really the guy, Deontay? He doesn¡¯t look like much?¡± the student asked.


    A familiar ¨C and unwanted ¨C face appeared from within the crowd. It was the Warrior Drake had met on Labor Day night, and he looked far too excited to see Drake suffering as he was.


    ¡°Aw yeah. He¡¯s the dude from before,¡± Deontay said. ¡°Can¡¯t believe he enrolled in this school and started even more shit. You might need to give him the business, Hunt.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened. He realized then why the student before him was so strong. He was one of the Three Lords of Heartland ¨C Derrick "the Wild¡± Hunt. Good sense would have told him to think carefully before engaging such an opponent, but if the freshman had much sense to begin with he would have never raised this type of ruckus on the first day of school at all.


    ¡°Looks like I bagged two Lords for one price,¡± Drake said, ignoring the tremble in his hands. ¡°I was plannin¡¯ on taking all of you down before the end of the week anyway.¡±


    Hunt had yet to bare his essence, but Drake could still feel the pressure of his chi from a few feet away. It caused a bead of sweat to run down the freshman¡¯s brow. Hunt noticed this and grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting¡¯ shaky are ya, freshman?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Shaky? Over what? Some dude who has to take cheap shots to win a fight?¡±


    ¡°That punch wasn¡¯t meant to knock you out. It was for discipline. Y¡¯know, like a father spanking his brat after they get out of hand. Obviously, your real old man didn¡¯t teach you any respect, so I¡¯ll have to do his job for ¡®em.¡±


    Anger flashed across Drake¡¯s eyes. The incensed freshman rushed at the predator-eyed Warrior and pitched a punch fast enough to make the air whistle. The air was all the punch hit, however. Hunt had somehow vanished before it could land. Before Drake could even register the whiff, a fist struck his cheek in the exact same place as before. Drake was caught off guard, but he didn¡¯t buckle. He swung back in the direction the blow had come.


    He whiffed again, and a third blow was delivered to the back of his head. This one sent him barreling forward several feet. He quickly scrambled to his feet just in time to see another punch coming. Going off reflex alone, he dodged it. His instincts proved his undoing when Hunt''s punch was revealed to be a feint. The Lord then caught Drake with a swing so bullish it made the grass at their feet flutter when it landed.


    The freshman¡¯s sight went dizzy for a moment. When it resettled, he assumed his head was still rattled because he was seeing Hunt move from one space to another seemingly in an instant. It looked like he was teleporting, but Drake knew better than to think that. The answer was far simpler and far more impressive.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, freshman? Can¡¯t keep up my foot techniques?¡± Hunt taunted while shifting to a new place each time Drake blinked. ¡°I¡¯m trying to take things easy on you; pulling back my punches and all that. After all¡­¡± Hunt disappeared and then reappeared just inches from Drake¡¯s face. ¡°¡­just for discipline.¡±


    The trembling came again, and it was worse than before. The students watching, Deontay especially, were too caught up in the euphoria of the fight to pay attention to such a detail. Even CJ couldn¡¯t notice right away, but Skylar could. Leaving CJ¡¯s side, she attempted to rush over to Drake¡¯s. She stopped when she was caught by the hair.


    ¡°Ay, hold up, girl. Where you think goin¡¯?¡± Bronson said while snatching her. ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯re gon¡¯ interfere, do you?


    She tried throwing Bronson the same as she had the girl from earlier, but she couldn¡¯t get him to budge.


    ¡°Tryin¡¯ to throw me? Sorry, but that ain¡¯t gonna work. Version of Iron Body I use makes me way too heavy for a rookie like you to swing me around like that. Now, how ¡®bout you just sit¡­¡± Bronson whirled Skylar by her hair and slammed her back-first into the ground. ¡°¡­down for a minute. I¡¯m trying to enjoy the show. It¡¯s pretty rare I get to watch Hunt fight.¡±


    Skylar twitched, her pain temporarily paralyzing her. CJ, also immobile because of his broken ankle, looked on morosely. There was nothing he could do to help Skylar. And there was even less he could do to save Drake.


    His friend looked more anxious than CJ had ever seen him. He breathed awkwardly, sweated profusely, and the trembling never seemed to stop. But most concerning of all was how he fought. He pitched the sloppiest punches and most half-hearted kicks CJ had ever seen from him. Hunt fended them off with ease and often countered with several of his own. CJ had never seen Drake in such a one-sided battle before. It was obvious to him why. It was obvious to Hunt why. It was obvious to everyone but Drake why.


    He was afraid; deadly afraid. His opponent had obviously struck his fighting spirit deep. But still, Drake would never admit to such a thing. He repeatedly told himself while he threw his feeble strikes: there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. There¡¯s no need to back down. He¡¯s strong, but so are you. You can take this guy. You can win. You can win.


    He could win.


    ¡°That kid¡¯s done for,¡± Keith said, sipping his coffee from his homeroom class¡¯s broken window.


    The teacher had witnessed many of Hunt¡¯s bouts before, and he knew exactly what was coming next. In fact, it happened right on cue. Just as Drake wound back to throw another punch, he stopped. Confused, he struggled to complete the motion, but his body refused to carry out his will. He tried in vain to make even his toes twitch, but that part of his body too wouldn¡¯t listen to him.


    W-why can¡¯t I move¡­?! his thoughts scrambled.


    Hunt gave a knowing smirk while strolling up to him. ¡°Took long enough for it to start taking effect. I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯re made of some decent stuff to resist Black Wolf¡¯s Gaze for that long. But everyone I fight gives into the fear eventually.¡±


    ¡°F-f-fuck y-you¡­!¡± Drake stammered. ¡°I-I¡¯m n-not---¡°


    ¡°C¡¯mon, new-meat. No point acting tough anymore. Black Wolf¡¯s Gaze isn¡¯t like most essence-based Cultivation Techniques. Most of its power doesn¡¯t stem from the user¡¯s chi. Nah, its power goes up in proportion to the target¡¯s anxiousness and fear. There¡¯s only one way you¡¯d end up like this, and that¡¯s if you¡¯re pissin¡¯ yourself scared¡­¡±


    The realization hard Drake harder than any blow Hunt had delivered thus far. Worst yet was the raucous noise that came from the other students. They were mocking him. They were laughing at him. And still, the worse had yet to come.


    ¡°You know we¡¯re not done with discipline yet, right?¡± Hunt chillingly asked, cracking his knuckles.


    Struggling to even grit his teeth, Drake stood helpless as the first strike came across his face. Hunt held back purposely. He didn¡¯t want Drake to down in a few hits. The freshman was to be his punching bag for the next few minutes. His ¡®discipline¡¯ would last until the first bell rang. Drake¡¯s friends; too hurt to help, looked on helplessly as the Lord relentlessly pummeled their friend. Drake¡¯s cheeks went swollen and red, his lip was busted several times over, he bled from the mouth and nose, and everything above his waist ached from being barraged by an onslaught of blows. Even his consciousness was gradually leaving him. Eventually, the only thing he was able to make out was the sound of the other students still calling for blood.


    The final thing Drake made out before shutting his eyes was Hunt¡¯s blurry visage prepping for another swing. He was confused when it never came. What came instead was a familiar voice.


    ¡°Pretty sure you won. Can¡¯t you just call it a day now?¡±


    Drake opened his eyes. Even with his sight mostly gone, he could still tell that the look on Hunt¡¯s face ¨C on everyone¡¯s face ¨C was that of pure shock. Nobody knew who he was, or why he thought what he was doing was a sane move, but the sight of a student ¨C the only one of them that wore Heartland¡¯s school uniform ¨C holding back Hunt¡¯s arm left them all scratching their heads.


    ¡°¡­Do you know who I am?¡± Hunt asked.


    ¡°No. I doubt it would change much. Now, can you cut all this out? I think we can call this your win.¡±


    The Lord snatched his hand from the student¡¯s grasp and then took him up by the collar.


    ¡°You just put hands on the Wild Hunt, one of the Three Lords of Heartland. Around here, that¡¯s means a fight.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ are we fighting right now?¡±


    Hunt put his face even closer. Despite his glasses barely being inches away from the Lord, the student showed no meekness, nor did he show aggression. He wasn¡¯t distressed or angry. He just looked back into Hunt¡¯s hungry eyes with a cool expression.


    Eventually, something came over Hunt and he struck the student to the ground. Miraculously his glasses remained uncracked.


    ¡°Little bitch¡­!¡± he snapped. ¡°¡­Whatever. I¡¯m done here.¡±


    Hunting stomped away from two. He threw the student who was wiping blood from his lip on the ground a fleeting and acrimonious look. Drake, however, wasn¡¯t given so much a fleeting glance. He received just as little attention from the other students who headed on to the school building as well, including Bronson. What he did receive sucker punches from all of the Warriors he and CJ had beaten earlier. They also made sure to kick CJ while he was still down, save for Deontay who only struck Drake alone, laying a poignant punch into the freshman¡¯s gut.


    He walked away with a smirk as Drake sank to his knees. Hunt¡¯s Cultivation Technique apparently had worn off. He might have fallen facefirst to the earth had the bespectacled student not caught him.


    ¡°You alright, man?¡± he asked.


    Drake didn¡¯t respond. His eyes lingered on the ground. His physical injuries meant nothing. It was his pride that truly scarred. All around, he could hear the shuffling feet of students, now bored by the anti-climactic ending, heading off to their homerooms.


    ¡°Hey, can you hear--?¡±


    Drake jolted to his feet and took the student by his collar.


    ¡°You think this is fuckin¡¯ funny?!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What I do this time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your backup, asshole! I don¡¯t want help from some guy that can¡¯t even throw a punch! You think you¡¯re tough now just ¡®cause you got in Hunt¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°Drake! Cut it out!¡± CJ exclaimed.


    He was being helped to his feet by Skylar, who was quite banged up herself. She could, at least, walk unaided. Something more than CJ could say. Drake settled himself after seeing his friends¡¯ conditions. He released the bespectacled student and headed toward the school gate.


    ¡°Where are you going now?¡± Skylar asked.


    ¡°Home. I¡¯ll see you and CJ tomorrow.¡±


    Skylar almost called out to him, but she just shook her head and let him go.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Drake¡¯s never been that great at holding L¡¯s,¡± CJ said.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Sorta stuff he said doesn¡¯t really get to me.¡±


    ¡°Right. But, hey...¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Drake wasn¡¯t completely wrong, y¡¯know. If you aren¡¯t gonna swing back, you probably should stay out of another Warrior¡¯s face. Next time you play hero, you¡¯ll only be making things worse if you aren¡¯t prepared to fight yourself.¡±


    The student blinked.


    ¡°H-hey, look. CJ¡¯s not trying to put you down or anything,¡± Skylar hastily added. ¡°You stopped Drake from being put out of commission for the next few days, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I get it. You guys aren¡¯t wrong,¡± he replied. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still adjusting to this new environment.¡±


    ¡°Yea, well. Thanks for the help, man,¡± CJ said as he and Skylar left for the infirmary.


    Eventually, only he was left standing alone in the schoolyard ruminating over what she said, even staring down at his fist for a few moments. Eventually, looked up at where his homeroom classroom was. Keith had been watching him. The teacher poured the rest of his coffee from the classroom¡¯s broken window before retreating from it.


    Pushing up his glasses, Isaac started to head back to his class. He was the last one to arrive in attendance.

 Chapter 4: Initializing - 80% Complete...

    <u>Thursday [09/05/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    It felt strange for Skylar to arrive head to school alone.


    Back when the trio attended school on the South Shore, they usually went together. That morning, however, CJ was going late due to his injury. As for Drake, neither Skylar nor CJ had heard from him since he left school before the first bell yesterday.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t answer our calls either. Don¡¯t even know if Drake''s coming to school today. Ugh¡­ I swear to God, he''s the biggest drama queen, I know.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s not going to work. Heartland only needs one queen.¡±


    Skylar whipped her head back. Several Warriors had approached her, a fashionable Latina with sunshine gleaming off her sunglasses at their lead. Skylar looked back ahead and saw the path before blocked as well. There were even Warriors waiting on the opposite side of the street.


    She had been ambushed.


    The fashionista lifted her sunglasses to her forehead. ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re one of the Three Lords of Heartland ¨C Juana "Queen Jane" Martinez.¡±


    ¡°¡®Queen Jane¡¯ is all you need to use, and I suggest you get started now. You¡¯re already in deep shit as it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never fought or even met you until today.¡±


    ¡°But you did fight a few of my Warriors yesterday. Did them in pretty dirty too.¡±


    ¡°Drake and CJ fought, not me. Heartland didn¡¯t have enough cream to its crop for them to need my help.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Seems you¡¯ve got a little amnesia. Lemme fix that.¡±


    Jane gestured for a girl behind her to show herself. She had a casted arm, and bandages around her face and leg. She was the one who Skylar flung through a window yesterday.


    ¡°So¡­ what? You want me to apologize for tossing her through glass?¡± Skylar asked.


    ¡°No. We don¡¯t repay debts at Heartland with ¡®sorry¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®never happen again¡¯s¡¯¡± Jane said while raising her sunglasses to her head. ¡°We take payment the old-fashion way: eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Hammurabi¡¯s favorite.¡±


    Knowing what Jane was implying, Skylar immediately took a stance. She expected to be jumped from every angle, but the only one to approach was Jane herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t an ambush. All you have to do is beat me, and only me, and then you can go. No strings attached.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t? What are you gonna do? Break my arm to make us even?¡±


    ¡°No. Well¡­ yeah. Obviously. But that¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be enough. Cultivators can recover from a broken arm in around a week. It would teach a lesson, but it wouldn¡¯t leave a statement. I wanna make sure the thought ¨C Don¡¯t fuck with Queen Jane ¨C stays good and well in your noggin for the next few months.¡±


    Jane then let her essence flow forth. Nearby birds scattered, debris on the sidewalk and road was blown away, and Skylar¡¯s lengthy hair fluttered at her shoulders. It the greatest display of chi she had ever seen from a cultivator in her age group. Nothing she could do with her own essence could compare.


    And Jane knew this. As the Lord started her stride, Skylar grit her teeth and braced herself.


    <hr>


    <hr>


    There were two gymnasiums at Heartland High School. The first was both for typical Physical Education and PCT ¨C practical cultivation training; things schools with actual funding would have separate facilities for. The second was a smaller gym commonly known as the fitness center. It was essentially a fitness gym any student was allowed to use before, in-between, or after classes.


    At least, it was before it became the domain of the Bronson Faction. They hoarded the hours almost exclusively among themselves, which lent to them being beefier than most other students at Heartland. Bronson, in particular, went to the center every morning to get in a workout before Homeroom. Hence his surprise that day when he arrived to find all of his Warriors who usually awaited his arrival laid out around the building. Sat on a bench in the center of the center ¨C a stubborn look in his eyes ¨C was Anthony Drake.


    While the Warriors that came with him braced for combat, Bronson gestured for them to hold.


    ¡°You really ain¡¯t got any shame, man? You really gonna come running back for a rematch after catching an ass-beating like yesterday¡¯s?¡± he asked. ¡°Everyone at Heartland, teachers included, think you¡¯re a joke, bro.¡±


    ¡°Appearances don¡¯t matter to me. I just keep hammerin¡¯ at a wall ¡®till it cracks. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve already done things. Besides¡­¡± Drake said while standing. ¡°This ain¡¯t a rematch. We just traded blows yesterday, but the only one of you Lords that I fought was Hunt. You and that one chick who thinks she¡¯s royalty or whatever; you¡¯re both in my sights too.¡±


    Again, Bronson¡¯s followers tried to engage, but they stopped once their Lord started toward the freshman.


    ¡°Nah, stay back. This dude¡¯s gonna be my morning workout,¡± he said while casting off his track jacket. ¡°C¡¯mon. Let¡¯s see whatchu learned from last time. Gimme ya best shot!¡±


    Drake was happy to comply. His essence plumed off of him like smoke from a bonfire. It gradually all amassed at his right arm. There the essence caught aflame as though a lit match was thrown into it. The temperature in the room even hiked up a few degrees. Bronson took note of that. Still, he waited with his arms held wide as though awaiting a hug.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give that Iron Body a test¡­¡± Drake said before rushing after Bronson.


    He swung his burning arm forth, delivering a strike to the Lord¡¯s sternum. It was Drake''s speciality - a Martial Technique he had spent all of junior high mastering - it was theFlame King''s Right Hand.


    The blow¡¯s impact echoed throughout the center, making the equipment reverberate. Bronson was knocked back a few feet, with his shoes skidding across the floor and his shirt catching aflame. His Warriors were left speechless, and Drake was left with a broad and satisfied grin on his face. Bronson dismissed these reactions with a single flex. The flames were dispelled, raining from his in the form of sparks. Any injury to his person was completely superficial.


    Now it was Drake who was speechless.


    ¡°Not gon lie: That one actually hurt,¡± Bronson said. ¡°But my Iron Body art¡¯s the best in the Mid-Island. If you were at least C Rank, I¡¯d be worried, but I¡¯m not getting laid out by a D Rank¡¯s version of Flame King¡¯s Right Hand.¡±


    Drake backed away with his fists still raised and himself still raring.


    ¡°You really wanna keep goin¡¯? Alright¡­,¡± the Lord said while cracking his knuckles. ¡°Don¡¯t cry ¡®bout this later.¡±


    <hr>


    <hr>


    When Drake regained consciousness, it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize he was in the school¡¯s infirmary.


    He woke in a small white bed with a curtain drawn around it, like a patient in a hospital room. Unlike a hospital room, there was not an IV pole beside his bed. Instead, there was a caduceus staff ¨C new-age medical equipment for delivering chi therapy to patients ¨C with two serpents that slithered from it. They bit onto Drake¡¯s forearm, but he felt no pain. They were harmless spirits after all.


    The black serpent gave him a surplus of yin energy and the white serpent gave him yang. The harmony of the yin-yang chi boosted his body¡¯s natural healing factors. It was especially beneficial for cultivators like himself. This was basic medical knowledge for anyone who had seen a doctor in their life.


    ¡°But who brought me here in the fir---¡°


    A sudden pain that jolted throughout his body made him curl up into his sheets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around so much. It¡¯ll take you longer to recover,¡± a woman said as she peeled back the curtain around the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you any longer than I have to.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    She looked Indian and not of the native sort. Her hair was tied in a single braid that fell longer than even Skylar¡¯s hair did. What stuck out the most was the jaded expression that never seemed to leave her face.


    ¡°You the school nurse?¡±


    ¡°No. I just hang around the infirmary to pass the time. You can go whenever you feel you¡¯re able by the way.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ You have a problem with me or something?¡±


    ¡°You slept here through the entire school day. I run an infirmary, not a daycare. The sooner you can go the better.¡±


    The nurse went back to her desk without sparing him a second glance. It was obvious she didn¡¯t care for presence. Though, he had a feeling he wasn¡¯t unique in that regard. Regardless, Drake was a bit surprised to hear he had been out for the entire school day. Bronson definitely didn¡¯t pull his punches as Hunt did.


    ¡°Hey, excuse me, Nurse¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Singh.¡±


    ¡°Nurse Singh, y¡¯know who brought me here? Was it Bronson?¡±


    ¡°No. He just beat you senseless and then threw you out of the fitness center. At least, that¡¯s what the student who brought you here said. I didn¡¯t get his name. Didn¡¯t care to. He was Asian if that helps. Korean I think. He¡¯s also the only student I¡¯ve seen in years that actually wears their uniform.¡±


    Immediately, Drake¡¯s expression sagged. He knew it had to be the bespectacled student again. This made the second time in a row he had helped Drake without him asking for it. Just what was his angle? What was he after? Was he trying to put Drake in his debt?


    While his mind was tumbling over the issue, the door to the infirmary slammed open. A familiar face stood in the frame, but it wasn¡¯t looking cordial.


    ¡°CJ? What¡¯s up, man?¡± Drake asked. ¡°How¡¯s that cast treating you? Gotta be hard to walk with a crutch.¡±


    CJ displayed no problem with walking as he marched to Drake¡¯s bedside. CJ then yanked him up by his collar, briefly causing him injuries to flare.


    ¡°O-ow! What¡¯s your problem, man?¡±


    ¡°Have you contacted Sky today?¡±


    ¡°No? I was busy.¡±


    ¡°Getting your ass beat by another Lord again is ¡®staying busy¡¯ to you!?¡±


    The nurse shot them an annoyed look. ¡°Keep it down. I¡¯m trying to get some work done. If you¡¯re going to fight, take it outside.¡±


    CJ let Drake roughly, causing his injuries to spasm once more.


    ¡°Damn, dude...! What¡¯s your problem? This ain¡¯t the first time I went after a big fish by myself.¡±


    ¡°Look, dumbass: these dudes ain¡¯t like the guys we fought in middle school. These are high school cultivators; Warriors. And the Three Lords... they¡¯re on some different shit. Their techniques are better. Their chi is more refined. They¡¯re just stronger than we are. Way stronger.¡±


    ¡°So, what? You just want me to roll over and accept the Lords as my new masters?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do shit. I¡¯m just tellin¡¯ you that these aren¡¯t the type of guys that you can keep throwing yourself at and expecting them to eventually fall. Look at you now. Still got the bruises Hunt gave you while you¡¯re lying in the infirmary over an ass beating Bronson gave you this morning.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eye hovered down to CJ¡¯s leg. As cultivators, they healed from injuries far faster than normal. A cultivator with a broken arm could recover from it fully within a week. If their core was at a high enough Stage, they could do so in roughly half that time. That Drake and CJ that either had barely healed within twenty-four hours of receiving their injuries spoke volumes of the power Hunt and Bronson¡¯s chi, as well as how Drake and CJ compared to them.


    They were simply not on the same level as the Lords of Heartland. Even for someone as stubborn as Drake, it was indisputable, and it hurt more than any physical injury.


    ¡°Goddammit! This sucks¡­¡±


    His mind was still in turmoil when CJ¡¯s phone vibrated for a moment. CJ withdrew it and saw that he had received a message.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s a text from Sky. Guess she finally answered back.¡±


    ¡°What she say?¡±


    As soon as CJ opened the message, a shock hit his face. He showed Drake, and the same expression came across his own. It was a picture of Skylar, bloody, beaten and bald. The message beneath it read thus: The Queen¡¯s had her fun. You can pick up your princess now. She¡¯s in the school storage building.


    Drake shot up from bed so swiftly, the serpents biting onto him dissolved into spiritual particles and returned to their caduceus.


    ¡°That bitch! She¡¯s dead!¡± he howled.


    ¡°Think they¡¯ll jump us when we get there?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    CJ¡¯s silence was all the response Drake needed. With no further words, the boys left the infirmary. They threw a fleeting glance to the school nurse as they went. She gave none in return.


    <hr>


    <hr>


    They expected an ambush, but Drake and CJ only encountered one person when they reached the storage building ¨C Skylar. They spotted her sitting in the corner, a cloth wrapped around her head.


    ¡°Sky! Are you okay?¡± Drake asked as they approached.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine,¡± she lied.


    Her face was bruised, her lip was swollen, and it was obvious from how she held her arm that it had been broken. She was far from fine, but she also wasn¡¯t a stranger to getting roughed up. It was a different type of wound that was causing her pain.


    ¡°You two already saw, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked.


    Remorsefully, they nodded. Skylar then sighed, let the cloth fall revealing her bald head. Jane had shaved her down to the follicle. Skylar had prized her hair as much as her ability as a cultivator. She had treasured it before she even knew Drake or CJ. Whether Jane knew that or not the damage she afflicted was no less poignant.


    Drake gnarled. ¡°I swear, next time I see runway-bitch, I¡¯m gonna---¡°


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget what we talked about in the infirmary,¡± CJ said.¡°


    ¡°Man, shut the hell up! You see Sky like this, and your first thought is to come up with an excuse for us not to fight?¡±


    ¡°CJ¡¯s not wrong,¡± Skylar stated. ¡°Jane¡¯s just like Hunt and Bronson ¨C a monster out of our league. Honestly, she might have killed me if it didn¡¯t break Jungle Law. Challenging the Three Lords like we did the punks throughout the South Shore isn¡¯t gonna work.¡±


    Drake wanted to dispute Skylar¡¯s words; his fists trembled with pressure to do so, but he knew, just like CJ, she was just spelling out reality. Before he could say anything more, he paused. All three of them did when they sensed a powerful chi approach. The freshmen looked toward the building¡¯s entrance and spotted Jane accompanied by several of her Warriors.


    ¡°Looks like the knights found their princess. Don¡¯t you love the new look I gave her?¡± Jane said. ¡°I wanted to play with her a bit more, but after we took the pictures I felt like I got my point across. Might just share ¡®em online later when I come up with a good caption. Who knows; maybe they¡¯ll go viral.¡±


    Drake could hear something snap within him. He only aw pure red when he shot after Jane. His friends called out for him to stop, but he was too far gone in his wrath. Surging chi coursed power through his hand as he threw a Furious Power Strike square at her face.


    Casually, Jane put up her hand and caught it. Drake blinked. Furious Power Strike was by no means a spectacular technique, but his had still never been stopped so easily. The freshman had no words as his fist trembled in the Lord''s grip.


    ¡°You¡¯re the guy who got clapped by Hunt yesterday, right?¡± Jane asked. ¡°Guess you¡¯re the type that learns everything the hard way.¡±


    Jane chi surged and blasted the freshman away. He barreled across the floor half a dozen times before crashing into a pile of miscellaneous school paraphernalia. Ignoring his spasming injuries, Drake pushed the equipment away and scrambled back to his feet for round two. He wasn¡¯t finished. Skylar, however, was.


    She stepped in front of him before he could take any of his own.


    ¡°Just stop, Drake. You won¡¯t beat her.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t know that! Not without me giving it all I---


    Skylar gave him a look. It shut Drake up immediately. Not because it was steely, but rather that it was too soft. He looked past her shoulder and caught Jane giggling to herself. The Lord blew him a kiss before leaving with her entourage in tow. Drake watched them go while clenching his fists so hard, his palms went pure red. He couldn¡¯t beat Queen Jane, just like he couldn¡¯t defeat Iron Bronson, just like he stood no chance against the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°Hey, Drake. Look¡­¡±


    Skylar tried to say something to ease his anguish, but CJ tapped her and shook his head. Drake didn¡¯t need or want any ¡®encouraging words¡¯. Sighing, Skylar rewrapped her head and left the storage building.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow,¡± Skylar said as she went.


    CJ gave Drake a pat to the shoulder before leaving as well. Left in solitude, Drake spent several minutes ruminating on nothing in particular. Eventually, he too headed off.


    <hr>


    <hr>


    Drake was glad he barely encountered any other students on his way. He was not in the mood to deal with others. Of course, he was bound to run into somebody, and he did once he reached the school¡¯s rear entrance; three in fact. And one was a familiar face roused a sigh out of the freshman.


    ¡°Not this guy again¡­¡±


    Two Warriors facing down the bespectacled transfer student Drake had encountered twice before. As he was on the night they met, the transfer student was in distress.


    ¡°I already told you guys I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± he said, already looking a bit scuffed up.


    ¡°You go ¡®round steppin¡¯ on shoes and then act like you ain¡¯t tryin¡¯ to start shit?¡± one of the duo said, his face threateningly close to the transfer student¡¯s. ¡°I ain¡¯t Hunt! I¡¯ll put you in the dirt, bitch! So, you better be ready to pay up!¡±


    His companion laughed at the transfer student¡¯s tribulation. They were obviously trying to extort some cash out of an easy target. And just like on that night, the transfer student showed no signs of fighting back. How such a coward had managed to stand up to one of the Three Lords, Drake had no clue. Still, the freshman acknowledged was currently in said coward¡¯s debt.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this about scuffing shoes?¡± Drake asked as he finally made his presence known. ¡°From the looks of it, your kicks were pretty dusty to begin with.¡±


    The duo was visibly shaken. Though everyone had seen Drake get beaten savagely by Hunt, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he and CJ decimated every student they fought who wasn¡¯t a Lord.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, no need to stop just ¡®cause I¡¯m here.¡±


    The duo disagreed. They headed off without a word.


    The freshman shook his head. ¡°These guys get real meek real quick when their Lords are around to put the little freshman in his place. Damn cowards.¡±


    The transfer student laughed, earning him a sore look.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re barely better than them. Start learnin¡¯ to swing back for once, dammit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hear you. Self-preservation hasn¡¯t been strong suit lately,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks for helping me out. Guess I owe you again.¡±


    ¡°Yea, right. I know you¡¯re the one who hauled me to the infirmary this morning.¡±


    ¡°So, Nurse Singh told you? I was just passing by when I saw you laying in front of the fitness center. Other students were just stepping over you¡­ or on you, so I decided to get you out of there.¡±


    ¡°But for what? What¡¯s your angle? To get me in your debt?¡±


    The student looked at Drake oddly.


    ¡°Dude¡­ what¡¯re you talking about? You see a guy who¡¯s bruised up and laid out on the ground. Isn¡¯t it normal to, y¡¯know¡­ help him?¡±


    Drake blinked. The suspicions he had about the person before him were immediately squashed. There were no Machiavellian schemes in motion. He had only meant to lend Drake a hand.


    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah, I guess so?¡± the freshman stammered. ¡°Thanks then¡­ Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Isaac. Isaac Moon.¡±


    ¡°Moon. Right. ¡­Thanks.¡±


    Isaac gave a nod in return and then headed off.


    Drake continued on his own way. His thoughts continued to stir for the entirety of his walk. He was uncertain about a lot of things: his own strength, how he could overcome the Three Lords, just how far he really was from becoming Heartland High¡¯s Guardian. The school¡¯s Battle Royale was tomorrow, and he was uncertain if he should even participate.


    But among his turbulent thoughts, there was one thing Drake was certain of.


    ¡°Man¡­ That Moon dude is a damn weirdo.¡±

 Chapter 5: Initializing - 100% Complete...

    <u>Friday [09/06/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    Young cultivators heard about it constantly throughout junior high. The Guardianship Battle Royale ¨C an event held on the first Friday of every Jungle School¡¯s 1<sup>st </sup>semester. As the name suggested, it was one-Warrior-take-all event where any student was allowed to participate regardless of their year, Martial Rank, or Cultivation Stage. The rules were simple: Whoever was the last fighter standing was declared Guardian of the school.


    ¡°So, how come Heartland High hasn¡¯t had one in over three years?¡± Drake asked as he CJ grabbed a seat at an empty lunch table.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± CJ responded.


    They continually ignored the looks they received from other students in the dining hall. By then they had come to realize almost every Warrior at Heartland belonged to one of its three factions with. Only a few indecisive freshmen and the South Shore trio were the exceptions. The dining hall was even compartmentalized by factions with a single table in the corner for freshman who had yet to affiliate themselves.


    Drake and CJ sat at the very edge of it, receiving the ire of everyone else all the while. They gave them no mind. Even without the Three Lords¡¯ truce, all fighting was forbidden on the day the Battle Royale would occur outside of the royale itself. Even beyond that, the duo, even with their injuries, could still hold their own against anyone at Heartland save the Lords themselves.


    After taking a bit of some turkey, CJ started to explain the politics of Heartland High.


    ¡°See, back when Hunt was a freshman, everyone thought he was gonna be on top, but Bronson, who had just transferred in from a school in Queens, fought him to a stalemate in their first GBR. Since there was no real winner, the two spent the rest of the year scrapping it out with no real winner. That kept going ¡®till they were sophomores, at which point Jane came to Heartland. She was just as dominant in her freshman year as they were, and not even juniors and seniors could touch her; only Hunt and Bronson. When it came time for the Battle Royale, what happened was a three-way Mexican stand-off where none of the ¡®em could beat one without risking of gettin¡¯ murked by another. And so¡­ they just didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t what?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t fight. There was the occasional skirmish every now and then, but none of ¡®em wanted to risk putting themselves in a position where one could have an upper hand over the other two. Most of the fighting was done by the Warriors beneath them. The goal was to crush the other factions to the point they can gain more influence over the school; essentially becoming Guardian without actually becoming the Guardian. Hence the name ¡®Three Lords of Heartland¡¯.¡±


    ¡°So, basically¡­¡± Drake began with his mouth still full. ¡°The Three Lords are too chicken-shit to fight each other straight up?¡±


    ¡°Basically, yeah.¡±


    Tension filled the air as every pair of eyes in earshot honed in on the pair. Drake knew nobody in the dining hall was bold enough to challenge him without one of the Three Lords present. At least he assumed as much until he sensed someone was behind him. The freshman shot up from his seat and snatched them by the collar before they could react.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Guess I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s a bit on edge today,¡± Isaac said.


    He had miraculously prevented his tray from spilling when Drake grabbed him. The freshman, both a bit annoyed and embarrassed, released him then sat back down. He grew even more annoyed when Isaac sat down at the table, just a seat apart from him.


    ¡°The hell, Moon? You can¡¯t find anywhere else to sit?¡±


    ¡°Not really? Every other table, even the mostly empty ones, are taken by one of the factions. Since I haven¡¯t joined any of them, I¡¯m not exactly welcome.


    CJ waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Drake. Sit where you feel like, man.¡±


    Isaac thanked him and proceeded to eat. At least, he tried. Every time he raised his fork to his mouth, his hand would start to shake and the food would spill onto the tray. After the fourth failed attempt in the row, Isaac finally set his utensil down.


    ¡°Eh¡­ I wasn¡¯t that hungry anyway.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± CJ asked.


    ¡°The Battle Royale¡­ It¡¯s only a few hours from now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what gotchu shaken up? You even participating?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. And I mean, I really can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why? Anyone can.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it still wouldn¡¯t be a smart thing to do. Things would go bad really quick.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but still---¡°


    Drake sighed. ¡°Just leave it alone, CJ. This is just how this guy is. Don¡¯t know where all that moxie he had when he faced Hunt the other day went. Maybe we all just imagined it, but as of yesterday, he¡¯s right back to tucking his tail between his legs at the first sign of a fight. No idea how a guy who¡¯s too scared to throw a single punch plans to survive in a Jungle School. Don¡¯t even get how Moon got enrolled here in the first place, but he seems fine with spending the next three years of life at the bottom of the food chain.¡±


    ¡°Drake, c¡¯mon, man¡­¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not beating ¡®em up. Look, Moon. I don¡¯t know what bully or whoever traumatized you back in Kansas, but if you can¡¯t get over that shit and start swingin¡¯ when your life depends on it, your life on Staten Island¡¯s gonna be hell. You get where I¡¯m comin¡¯ from?¡±


    Isaac stared at his untouched food for a moment, his hands occasionally still trembling. After a while, he got up with the tray in hand.


    ¡°Yeah, I get you. Thanks for the advice,¡± he said. ¡°Good luck in the royale.¡±


    He left without taking a single bite of his meal. The boys watched him throw away the untouched food, put away his tray, and leave the dining hall.


    ¡°¡­Yep. He¡¯s a weirdo,¡± Drake said in Isaac¡¯s absence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna dispute that, but¡­ I don¡¯t know, you seemed to go hard in the paint against the dude.¡±


    ¡°If Moon can¡¯t get it through his head to grow a pair and act like a real Warrior, he¡¯s gonna be the whipping boy of Heartland for the rest of his high school career. I¡¯m just tryin¡¯ to spare him a trip down an ugly trail.¡±


    CJ cocked his face. ¡°So, you were just givin¡¯ him honest advice? Damn, I¡¯m gonna have to tell Skylar about this one: Drake actually tried helping somebody.¡±


    ¡°Man, shut up! It doesn¡¯t go that deep,¡± he said while dropping one of the foundation pills that came with each student¡¯s meal into his drink. ¡°Hey, how is Sky anyway? I texted her, and she just responded with: I¡¯m fine. See you next week.¡±


    ¡°Sent me the same message. Same with her girlfriends that still go to school on the South Shore. Just give her space. For Sky, losing all her hair isn¡¯t like gettin¡¯ a broken arm. She probably feels the same as if she had one of her ears chopped off.¡±


    Drake ruminated on it while finished his supplemented drink. He came to agree with CJ, and the pair went to put away their trays. A new wave of glares came as they headed toward the exit, but nobody dared try them. There was no need. In just a few hours, anyone who still held a grudge against Drake would get the opportunity to settle it during the Battle Royale anyway.


    And that included the Three Lords of Heartland.


    <hr>


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    <hr>


    There was no 8th Period class.


    When the second-to-last bell rang, every student at Heartland began shuffling to the battlegrounds of the Battle Royale ¨C the gymnasium. Drake and CJ assumed they would get there at the head of the herd, but they found most of their upperclassmen had already arrived beforehand. Apparently, they didn¡¯t wait for the bell. Since no one was currently allowed on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor, everyone who came had to be packed onto the bleachers on the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor. To nobody¡¯s surprise, brouhaha was beginning to brew between the factions.


    Nobody came to blows; partially because of the teachers there to keep the ruckus in check, and partially because the faction¡¯s leaders themselves had yet to become caught up in the discord. They sat patiently among their Warriors as though no noise was being raised at all. They didn¡¯t give Drake and CJ any attention either when they passed by them. Honestly, the duo appreciated the lack of attention for once. The students¡¯ rabble-rousing continued until a single staff member with a microphone walked out into the middle of the gym floor. The fuss between Warriors was then replaced with a wave of groans and moans from several upperclassmen.


    ¡°Of all the teachers to make this year¡¯s ref they really chose Forrester?¡± a junior beside CJ bemoaned.


    The teacher seemed completely unfazed by the reaction the students gave him. He was more apathetic than anything.


    Drake and CJ weren¡¯t sure what to make of him. He didn¡¯t come off as the pedagogic-type. Not his age, not in how he dressed, and not in how he carried himself. He, furthermore, proceeded to do the least ¡®teacher-like¡¯ they could imagine ¨C he lit up a smoke in the middle of the gym. This only further inflamed his detractors.


    The duo blinked in disbelief. Even kids too young to begin cultivation proper knew that smoking was bad for the chi. When tobacco products were ingested, they would pollute the chakras and disrupts the flow of chi through the meridians. Only masters who had progressed to such a level that something like smoking was trivial, or juvenile deliquents who didn¡¯t care all that much to begin (like CJ) with would light up a cigarette so carelessly.


    Of which camp the teacher belonged, Drake and CJ were unsure.


    Forrester prodded the microphone in his hand, causing it to make several ungodly sounds across the gym¡¯s speakers before he finally spoke into it.


    ¡°Mic check: one, two¡­ Alright, time to get started. I''m Keith Forrester, and I¡¯ll be the teacher refereeing this year¡¯s Guardian Battle Royale. Now, I shouldn¡¯t have to explain the rules ¨C not even to freshmen ¨C but, for the slower students in attendance, the rules of the Battle Royale go as follows:


    <ol>


    <li>Don¡¯t kill anyone.</li>


    <li>Last Warrior standing wins.</li>


    </ol>


    And there you go. Outside those rules, feel free to use any Cultivation Technique, Martial Technique, marital art, underhanded tactic, etcetera during the royale. Hell, you can even use weapons. Feel free to use a gun if brought one.¡±


    CJ made a face. ¡°A gun? Is he serious?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Most Warriors higher than F-Rank can dodge semi-auto fire,¡± Drake said. ¡°And something like an AK¡¯s pretty much worthless against guys with decent reinforcement techniques.¡±


    While Keith¡¯s comment may have been frivolous, the ultimate meaning behind it remained still clear ¨C there would be no-holds-barred in this competition.


    Keith puffed smoke. ¡°Now that the rules have been made clear, let¡¯s get this over with. Anyone who plans to participate in the GBR, come down to the ground floor now. If you aren¡¯t present on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor within the next five minutes, you¡¯re automatically disqualified from competing.¡±


    Of the students to head down, the Three Lords were the first. They left a nervous ambiance in their wake. Nobody at Heartland could be called a coward for avoiding a confrontation with Queen Jane, the Wild Hunt, and Iron Bronson, and yet several students did go. Some were sophomores. Some were juniors. Some were seniors. No freshman dared to go down.


    None save for the Punk from South Shore.


    ¡°Wish me luck,¡± Drake said while approaching the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor¡¯s railing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get murdered this time, man.¡±


    Drake cast a thumb up before he hopped the railing and dropped down to the ground floor. His entrance caught everyone¡¯s attention. The 11th, 12<sup>th</sup>, and 13<sup>th</sup>-grade students already down below honed their sights on him. Even as roughed up as Drake was from the previous days¡¯ skirmishes, he was still one of the strongest Warriors at Heartland High. Ironically, the only ones who weren¡¯t sizing him up were the only other Warriors of which he was wary ¨C the Three Lords.


    They were all staring each other down like they were in a Mexican stand-off. The heat from the friction of their clashing essences alone made hairs stand up on nearby students¡¯ necks. The teacher who stood not too far from them was thoroughly unimpressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m really hoping you three finally squash this civil war shtick of yours this year,¡± Keith said.


    ¡°Sound a little heated there, Forrester. What¡¯s got you so bothered?¡± Hunt asked.


    ¡°You know why, smartass. While you three have been playing Three Kingdoms with your little factions, Heartland¡¯s been without a Guardian for three years running. Sure you¡¯re aware by now, but Jungle Schools without Guardians get their funding cut, they get excluded from events, and they receive no Prestige Scores. Heartland already wasn¡¯t doing that rosy before you ¡®Lords¡¯ split the school in three. But now, we¡¯re one of the worst-ranked schools in New York City. Hell, probably New York in general. You managed to turn a shithole into a garbage dump. I¡¯d be impressed if I didn¡¯t have to work in it.¡±


    It was the first time Drake heard someone aside from himself speak to the Lords in such a way. They just brushed his rant off with shrugs. Obviously, they were accustomed to Keith taking such a tone with them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡®bout a thing, Forrester. We already decided to settle everything today,¡± Bronson said.


    Keith gave them a look before returning to his microphone.


    ¡°Last call for participants in the GBR! Get down here now or stay upstairs until the royale is finished!¡±


    A few more students started filing down to the 1st floor. Drake looked up expectantly at CJ who just shook his head. Drake gave him a dismissive gesture in return.


    CJ just snorted. ¡°Dumbass really thinks I¡¯m gonna go down there with my leg like this. Not sure if I¡¯d go even if I was in decent shape. For somebody unaffiliated with the Three Lords to go down there with those wolves, they¡¯d have to be crazy or---¡°


    CJ was interrupted by possibly the craziest sight he had witnessed all week ¨C Isaac had suddenly walked out onto the 1<sup>st</sup> floor. It took a while for the other participants to notice his arrival, but when they did, he garnered more attention than Drake¡¯s entry had. Drake especially was genuinely bewildered by his appearance. His eyes had never been as wide as when Isaac approached him.


    ¡°Moon¡­ Are you alright in the head right now?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°¡­Nope. Not even a little bit,¡± Isaac answered. ¡°Though, to be honest, I¡¯ve been in this mood for a while.¡±


    Isaac¡¯s hands were trembling again. He also had a peculiar look in his eyes. Drake recalled it as the same look Isaac had when he got between him and Hunt. The freshman couldn¡¯t quite pin its nature down, but he could tell it wasn¡¯t simple nervousness. Before he could decipher it, Keith spoke up again.


    ¡°Anyone not already on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor will be disqualified in six... five... four... three... two...¡±


    At the final second, Jane, Hunt, and Bronson all leaped from where they stood on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor up to the 2<sup>nd</sup>. Everybody in the gym, staff included, was dumbfounded. The exceptions Isaac who was still deeply ruminating over his own thoughts, and Keith who was more agitated than anything else.


    ¡°And just what the hell is this?¡± he asked them over the mic.


    ¡°Just what it looks like, Forrester. We¡¯re disqualified,¡± Hunt answered.


    ¡°You guys, serious? Bronson, didn¡¯t you say you three were gonna settle things?¡±


    ¡°We are. See, we¡¯re just as tired of this Game of Thrones shit as you are, Forrester. Stalemates get old after three years. Still, we weren¡¯t just gonna draw straws to decide who was gonna be Guardian. So we came up with a compromise.¡±


    ¡°What? Pissing me off?¡±


    ¡°Nah, instead of us locking horns this time, we¡¯re gonna let the strongest Warriors from our factions be our champions. Whichever faction the last Warrior standing belongs, their Lord becomes Guardian.¡±


    Keith exhaled so much smoke most of his face was hidden by it. ¡°That¡¯s not how this works ¡­¡±


    Jane shrugged. ¡°A Guardian can cede their position to any other student from their school whenever they feel like it. Our compromise is right in line with the rules.¡±


    All Keith could think ¨C aside from how much he despised his job ¨C was how the Lords would make spectacular lawyers and bureaucrats if they actually gave a damn about their academics.


    After rubbing his temple red, Keith put out his cigarette and said: ¡°Whatever. Do what you want. As for the rest of you¡­ I don¡¯t know how many of you knew about this compromise beforehand, but the rules of the Battle Royale remained unchanged: Last Warrior standing becomes the Guardian of Heartland High. Do you all understand?¡±


    Nobody on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor made a sound or even a gesture. Neither did anyone on the 2<sup>nd</sup>. That was answer plenty for Keith. He raised his hand high.


    ¡°Alright. Let the Guardianship Battle Royale ¡­ begin!¡°


    The moment Keith brought his hand down he vanished from where he stood. None of the students were bothered by his disappearing act. They were too busy honing in on a particular target ¨C Anthony Drake. It was unclear how many of the Warriors truly knew of their Lords¡¯ plot, but what was clear was that the biggest threat to its realization was the hot-heated freshman.


    And who else would be at the lead of such a charge than Deontay?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this for days! You ready for round two, bitch?!¡± he howled as he bound toward Drake, his fist glowing with the power of the Furious Power Strike technique.


    Drake braced himself. He was injured, he was vastly outnumbered, and he also had the liability of somebody like Isaac, an upperclassman who couldn¡¯t even throw a punch to save his life, right beside him. Still, he would face this coming storm head-on, just as he always did.


    ¡°Hey, Moon! You better keep your distance if you want to surv---¡°


    One could hardly blame Drake for not catching it. Deontay hadn¡¯t, and it struck him dead center in his face. Its impact resonated throughout the gym. Students on the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor heard it before they saw Deontay fly into the bleachers, an imprint of a fist left across his face.


    All movement stopped both for the students and for the teachers. Even the Three Lords looked lost. The strangest reaction of all came from Isaac himself. The transfer student looked down at his still trembling fist and smiled. He smiled like a child that had just blown out all the candles on a birthday cake.


    ¡°I forgot what this felt like¡­ Fighting spirits ¨C it¡¯s just not the same,¡± he said. ¡°It can¡¯t compare to going at it with another person¡­¡±


    Drake looked on with disbelief. He realized at once that what he had assumed about Isaac was completely false. He never had a problem with throwing punches. He just held himself back to prevent this odd euphoria from coming over him, like a shark that swam in the opposite direction of where it smelled blood. That look in Isaac¡¯s eyes ¨C the same look that had sparked a reaction out of Hunt before ¨C was not that of fear or nervousness, it was of a wild animal anxious at a chance to hunt.


    Isaac Moon was not at the bottom of the food chain. He, perhaps more so than even Anthony Drake, was a natural-born predator.


    He pushed up his glasses and put up his fists. ¡°Alright¡­ Let''s go!"

 Chapter 6: Mission Cleared!

    <u>Friday [09/06/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    It was like an explosion had gone off in their faces. Nobody in the gym knew what to think. The timid transfer student had thrown the first punch of the GBR. He even knocked someone unconscious and into the bleachers with it. No words could properly convey the shock everyone was feeling. And yet, Hunt still managed to find some for the Warriors down below.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with all of you? You scared just ¡®cause he got in a sucker punch?¡± he barked. ¡°Go fuck ¡®em up already!¡±


    His words proved to be the kick the other Warriors on the floor needed to continue their stampede. Drake braced to take the wave head-on. While his mind was still reeling from Isaac¡¯s one-hit KO as much as everyone else, it barely changed the urgency of the situation. They were two Warriors facing thirty-four ¨C most of whom were upperclassmen.


    ¡°Alright, Moon, listen! We¡¯ll have to split up their numbers!¡± Drake exclaimed. ¡°You take fourteen, and I¡¯ll take the other twenty. We might be able to---¡°


    Before Drake could finish, Isaac had already gone out ahead. The freshman¡¯s eyes widened in bafflement once more.


    ¡°Dumbass! Are you insane?¡±


    One could be forgiven for assuming that was indeed the case. The way Isaac mindlessly charged at the other Warriors seemed nothing short of suicidal. The Warriors he was charging were among some of Heartland¡¯s strongest ¨C high E-Ranks and even a few D-Ranks. Even Drake and his friends would have been pressed to face such a mob. And yet, as Isaac came closer and the look in his eyes became more visible, an endangered feeling resonated within his challengers. It was the same feeling a herd of buffalo had when being pursued by a lone wolf ¨C a fear that strength in numbers could not ease.


    They let up just before the collision. Isaac did not. The transfer student crashed into them like they were pins in a bowling alley runway.


    None of them knew what Isaac¡¯s Martial Rank was, but it mattered little. From the strength of his punches, the speed of his kicks, and the reflexes that made it difficult to even graze him, it was obvious that he was no average Warrior. Numbers alone could not overwhelm him.


    Their numbers actually proved to be something of a liability. As Isaac tore through them, he was too swift and too turbulent for any coordinated effort form. It was essentially every Warrior for themselves. He used no techniques. He used no arts. He didn¡¯t even use his chi in any creative way. None of his opponents could figure out how to deal with his formless fighting style. Their only course of strategy was to apply more pressure, but the more that they poured on, the more bellicose Isaac became. It was like casting oil onto an open fire. No matter the volume or the ferocity with which they came at him, it was never enough.


    The audience was losing its mind at the sight of it all. They couldn¡¯t fathom what they were seeing. The Three Lords especially were dumfounded. But even their bewilderment couldn¡¯t compare to Drake¡¯s.


    He had yet to take a step since the Battle Royale began. His head was in too much disarray about what he was seeing. Drake honestly considered that he may have been knocked out earlier and everything before him was just a dream his mind had conjured. And yet, one by one; and occasionally two by two and three by three, bodies continued to drop around the transfer student.


    Eventually, only seven of his opponents remained.


    Though Isaac was battered and was panting heavily, the seven were reluctant to approach him. With nearly thirty other students ¨C some of whom were of higher Martial Rank than them ¨C lying about his feet, they knew better than to simply rush him as the others had. And so they circled around him; none daring to make the first move.


    ¡°The fuck are you doin¡¯? Playin¡¯ musical chairs?¡± Bronson hollered down at them. ¡°Fight!¡±


    The Warriors could almost hear the sound of each other grinding teeth as they finally decided to attack. They came at Isaac from a different angle each with the hope that at least one of them could land a lucky hit before he could react. Like the others, they had overestimated the strength that numbers gave them. Isaac bobbed and weaved around the attacks of the first six before throwing a punch at the seventh. She quickly threw up her hands to protect her face, but the blow never came. Isaac had stopped his punch before it connected.


    Rather than follow-through, he just sighed. This caught everyone off-guard more than anything he had done thus far.


    ¡°Man, I really went off the deep end this time. It¡¯s really been a while since that happened,¡± Isaac said, lowering his fist.


    He sighed again while pushing up his glasses. He appeared disappointed in himself.


    ¡°H-hey! Don¡¯t act like we ain¡¯t a threat!¡± the girl before him exclaimed. ¡°We ain¡¯t scared of you, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Course, you are. That why your hands and lips are trembling so much.¡±


    The bluntness in his tone hit the girl so poignantly Isaac may as well have followed through with his blow. The other Warriors made similar expressions. It was obvious none of them wanted to continue fighting.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not a fan of bullying. I don¡¯t like watching it, hearing it, and I definitely don¡¯t wanna be the one doing it. And that¡¯s kind of what it always feels like whenever I¡¯m fighting someone who¡¯s lost the drive to keep going. Now, if you guys want to keep going, we can. Otherwise, feel free to call it a day and walk away.¡±


    Not fighting Isaac could incur the wrath of the Three Lords, the seven knew this. It was a poor idea to earn the ire of monsters like those so early in the school year. However, the seven still came to the conclusion that dealing with monsters they knew was better than fighting the new monster before them. The Warriors disengaged the transfer student, ignoring the derision that came from the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor. The Guardianship Battle Royale now only had two challengers, and neither was a subject of the Three Lords.


    For the first time since the royale began, Drake approached Isaac.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this shit¡­ You were really this strong the whole time?¡± Drake snapped. ¡°Why¡¯ve you been playin¡¯ as damn weakling for so long?¡±


    ¡°Was I doing that? I was just trying to keep myself out of trouble,¡± Isaac responded. ¡°Not sure if you noticed but I can get sort of¡­ ¡®out of hand¡¯ when I get too hyped during a fight. It¡¯s the reason I avoid fighting other people if I can. Fighting geists never triggered that part of me, though, so I just kept hunting them as a coping mechanism. Kind of like how ex-smokers take up vaping or e-cigs to kick an addiction. This was actually the first ¡®relapse¡¯ I¡¯ve had in years. Looks like I haven¡¯t mastered as much restraint as I thought¡­¡±


    Drake blinked. ¡°You really are a damn weirdo¡­¡±


    Isaac shrugged.


    No more words were exchanged as the boys squared off. Drake wasted no time culminating his chi. The essence emitted was so intense it caused the air around him to run hot. It was an impressive display for a freshman. Not even the Three Lords were at Drake¡¯s level during their 1<sup>st</sup> year. Still, Isaac looked unfazed by his power. He didn¡¯t have that possessed look in his eyes when he raised his fists. The sophomore was calm as he waited for the freshman to come to him. After a few seconds, he did.


    Drake ignited his right arm as he closed the distance between them. He expected a few outcomes as he lunged for with his Flame King''s Right Hand technique: he expected Isaac to block, to dodge, or perhaps to meet his technique with one of his own. All of these predictions were off the mark.


    He realized this when Isaac stepped in and weaved so slightly away from Drake¡¯s attack, his left cheek getting slightly singed by the grazing blow. Then, while the freshman was still in motion, Isaac delivered a devastating cross that snapped across Drake¡¯s chin. For a moment, Drake¡¯s head went crooked. In the next moment, everything went black. When the light came back, only three seconds had passed. Drake had ended up on the floor within those three seconds and was now gazing up at Isaac and his slightly burnt cheek.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    All of the Three Lords had defeated Drake through the use of their chi and powerful techniques. Isaac had done so with a simple right cross punch. Out of all the defeats he had suffered that week, this was one he felt no scorn over. Isaac Moon was simply a better fighter than he was.


    A buzzer rang throughout the gym, signaling the Guardianship Battle Royale¡¯s conclusion. The gym went crazier it had ever been. Nobody could believe what just happened; Drake least of all. He was brought back to reality when Isaac extended his hand down to him. After a moment, Drake took it and was helped to his feet.


    ¡°Hey, so¡­ is Kansas full of guys like you?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°How ¡®bout you tell us then?¡±


    Isaac had noticed him until Hunt was already near enough to breathe down his neck. The other two Lords followed suit, swooping down around Isaac and Drake. Suddenly, all the noise in the gym had vanished. The Three Lords were obviously not satisfied with the results of the battle royale and did not try to harm their contempt. The combined pressure from their chi was the most oppressive Isaac and Drake had ever felt. The latter even dropped down to one knee.


    ¡°Not gon¡¯ lie, you had us pretty good, new guy. Didn¡¯t suspect you for a minute,¡± Bronson said.


    ¡°Was this your plan the whole time? If so, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Jane asked. ¡°I¡¯m ready to break both your arms, but I¡¯m still impressed.¡±


    Hunt put a hand on Isaac¡¯s shoulder and dug his fingers in so deeply, Isaac was amazed he didn¡¯t start bleeding.


    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re gonna let you have your way?¡± he asked


    ¡°I know you guys hate following the rules, but Jesus Christ¡­¡± Keith sighed.


    He had reappeared only a few feet away. No one had noticed the teacher¡¯s arrival. Even the lit cigarette in his mouth did not give his presence away.


    The teacher puffed smoke. ¡°Since you apparently forgot how the rules work: No violence is allowed today outside of the Guardianship Battle Royale. The GBR just ended, so that means you¡¯re breaking the one rule you were expected to follow today. But hey, if you three wanna disrespect the rules I can just let the principal now, and he can---¡°


    ¡°Alright! We get it¡­¡± Hunt groused as he and the others calmed their chi.


    It was obvious the Lords wanted to protest Keith¡¯s authority, but even if they did, it would not be him but with Principal Hopkins personally that they would have to contend. That was something not even the Three Lords wanted to deal with.


    They all parted for separate exits and sure that Isaac caught a dark look from each of them before they finally left. Isaac, still panting heavily and wiping sweat from his brow paid them no mind. Neither did he pay mind to all the students who were leaving the gym before Keith could even declare Isaac the winner. With the fighting done and the Lords scared off, they had lost interest. Even the teachers ignored anything further concerning the battle royale save for the unconscious students they still had to scoop up.


    ¡°You two alright?¡± Keith asked.


    Isaac gave a haggard reply. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ Felt like a boulder just got lifted off my shoulders, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too. Compared to Wednesday and Thursday, that was nothing,¡± Drake said, rising to his feet.


    Though he was still a bit wobbly from the chin-check Isaac had given him, Drake walked unassisted to the exit where CJ was waiting for him. Both the freshmen threw gestures Isaac¡¯s way. The sophomore gave his own in kind before the boys left.


    ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s gone. No big ceremony for you, it seems,¡± Keith said.


    ¡°Ceremony? ¡­Wait, you mean the Guardian thing?¡±


    Keith furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait; did you seriously blank out about the entire reason we were holding this thing?¡±


    Yes, he had. When Isaac came to the gym, all he was concerned about was the chance to break his several years-long fighting abstinence. Outside of that, he hadn¡¯t considered anything else. He still didn¡¯t even know what ¡®Guardian¡¯ thing was supposed to be. How could he possibly accept a position he knew nothing about.


    ¡°Dammit, this is annoying¡­¡± Keith griped. ¡°Alright, fine. Look, Moon, if you don¡¯t want to be Guardian, just tell me now while I can still go and catch that freshman.¡±


    Isaac was fairly certain Drake wouldn¡¯t mind have Guardianship ¨C whatever it actually was ¨C fall into his lap, and he definitely wanted nothing to do with it himself. He came to a decision quickly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have any intentions to be the Guardian. ¡­Mr. Forrester?¡±


    Isaac waited for Keith¡¯s response. Eventually, he noticed that Keith was no longer blinking or breathing and that the smoke coming off his cigarette remained motionless. Isaac immediately knew what had occurred. He whipped his head around the gym and saw that all the teachers hauling students off the floor had paused as well; even while in the middle of picking some of them up. Everyone in the gym except for Isaac had become frozen in time.


    ¡°No way¡­ Did it happen again?¡±


    It had.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    SUCCESS!


    Isaac has cleared the Secret Mission: ¡°Win the Guardianship Battle Royale¡±


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Secret Mission? Those are thing?¡±


    It had been days since Isaac last heard the Navigator¡¯s voice. It was as exuberant as ever. When he first arrived on Staten Island, he seemed to never stop hearing from it, but in the days leading up to school, the Navigator went silent after giving him a Main Mission - one he had yet to clear.


    Or so he thought¡­


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has Leveled Up! Isaac is nowLv. 10!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has unlocked the achievement: ---New Kid in Town---</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°I Leveled Up just now? Is it because of the Secret Mission thing? And Lv. 10? Wasn¡¯t I only at Lv. 7 before?¡±


    Interrupting his thoughts was a screen that manifested between Isaac and Keith.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac Moon</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Level</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Borough</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Staten Island</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Affiliation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Heartland High School (student)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Element</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Earth</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Martial Rank</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">G1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Core</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Emergent Mortal Stage</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fighting Style</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fisticuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Reputation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center">??Attributes??</td>


    <td style="width: 50%"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Strength</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">117</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Endurance</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">123</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Agility</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">105</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Technique</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">64</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Chi</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">71</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Will</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">202</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Focus</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">99</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Charisma</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">86</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He saw that all of his Attributes had increased, but only slightly. Some of even increased only by a single point.


    ¡°Isn''t that a small amount for three whole levels? When I was grinding the month before by fighting spirits every night, my Attributes were raising by the double digits almost every time.¡±


    Isaac was still trying to figure out the cause of his small stat increas when a new prompt appeared.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">Isaac has obtained a new Main Mission: ¡°Confront the Principal of Heartland High¡±</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He adjusted his glasses to make sure he was reading the prompt right. It had been two weeks since he last obtained a Mission directly from the Navigator. But why this one specifically? Was it because he reached Lv. 10? Was it because he had won the Battle Royale? Was it because of that Achievement he earned? While he racked his brain for a solution, the screens and prompts suddenly vanished and the world around him went back into motion.


    ¡°Moon¡­? Hey, what¡¯s up with you, kid?¡± Keith asked. ¡°Hurry up and tell me what you¡¯re going to do.¡±


    ¡°Huh? O-oh, yeah! I¡­ I was just wondering how long my talk with the principal would take.¡±


    ¡°Not too long. He¡¯s got other stuff to take care of, so it¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to hold you up all afternoon. What? Did you change your mind about becoming the Guardian?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d just like to speak with the principal about it first before I go and decide anything.¡±


    Keith gave the boy a look. Eventually, he shrugged.


    ¡°Fair enough, I guess. C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll take you to him now.¡±


    Isaac did so, following the teacher through one of the gym¡¯s exits. He still had his discretions about Guardianship ¨C whatever it even was ¨C but, more than that, he wanted to see this Mission through. It could prove to be the first step to him figuring out just how to get out this bizarre alternate reality he had found himself in.

 Chapter 7: New Guardian in Town

    <u>Friday [09/06/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    The Fight Navigational System, or simply ¡°the Navigator¡±, was what the voice in Isaac¡¯s head referred to itself as. It was what guided him through the game-like mechanics and interface of this alternate reality, much to Isaac¡¯s relief. Despite what many might think from looking at him, Isaac was never much of a ¡°gamer¡± in any serious sense. Most of the time he did play them was with his brothers. He often played fighting games with his younger brother, and would play sports games ¨C usually either the latest Madden or NBA 2K ¨C with his elder brother. He had never finished an RPG of any sort ¨C Western, Japanese, MMO, etc.


    He wasn¡¯t even sure what some of his Attributes did; Will and Charisma especially. Did they literally mean ¡°willpower¡± and ¡°personality¡±, or something else? Also, why was the only Fighting Style he knew just ¡°Fisticuffs¡± when he had partook in martial arts when he was younger? How did the Mission System work? Was the game full of Secret Missions that he could stumble onto at any occasion or was what just happened with the Battle Royale a one-time occasion? Why could he no longer Level Up from fighting spirits? Why did Leveling Up no longer increase his Attributes by any significant margin?


    Isaac had a plethora of concerning questions about the Navigator and pondered them in-depth while he followed Keith.


    ¡°Hey, Moon. ¡­Moon!¡±


    Isaac jolted out of his thoughts. ¡°Mr. Forrester?¡±


    ¡°You alright? You¡¯ve been spacing out for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. Just a little tired is all.¡±


    ¡°Just a little? You fought like a maniac, kid. Honestly didn¡¯t know you had that sort of moxie in you. It¡¯s like you were possessed by a Spartan that died at Thermopylae.¡±


    Isaac blinked. ¡°Can that happen?¡±


    ¡°What sort of question is that? Of course, it can. You never learned about spiritual possession?¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­ Not while I was in Kansas. Our, uh¡­ Cultivation Studies kinda glossed over stuff like that¡±


    Keith shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s the Midwest for you.¡±


    Isaac sighed. He didn¡¯t want to drag Kansas and the rest of the Midwest¡¯s reputation down so often, but he felt it was important to keep up appearances that he actually knew anything about this bizarre alternate reality, and pinning it all on his home state¡¯s poor education was currently the most efficient way. For all he knew, Kansas¡¯s chi research and cultivator education were some of the best in the country. But as little as Isaac knew about this reality, he knew even less about his background within it.


    In his original reality, the reason he had left Kansas and transferred to a New York City school was because of his father¡¯s job. It required him to relocate to South Korea, and Isaac didn¡¯t want to follow him out of the States. The only reason he moved to Staten Island specifically was that his aunt lived there.


    This was not exactly the case in this reality. Here, the additional cause for his moving on top of his father¡¯s relocation had been cultivator business. According to his aunt, Isaac was a cultivation student back in Wichita; a poor one. His results were so poor that Heartland High was the only cultivation school on Staten Island he could admit into. This was a shock to Isaac as school was something he had always taken very seriously. How could he perform so poorly that a school like Heartland with poor funding, unenthused teachers, and classes that were never full because a portion of students was always playing hooky was his only option?


    Isaac had spent the days since he had woken up in this reality trying to piece things together, and he still couldn¡¯t figure anything out. He wanted to contact his father over it, but he felt asking about such things would result in more questions for him than answers.


    It was a frustrating situation, but Isaac put his agitations aside as he and Keith finally arrived at the front office.


    Keith stopped at the principal¡¯s door. ¡°He¡¯s expecting you. Just make sure you knock first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. Thanks, Mr. Forrester.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need thanks for what I get paid for.¡±


    As Keith headed on his way, he grabbed an apple that sat in a basket at the front desk, earning him a sharp look from the receptionist. In three days, Isaac still hadn¡¯t picked up a ¡®teacher-like¡¯ vibe from him. He wondered how someone who was so discontented with teaching would even become one in the first place. Pushing, the thought aside, Isaac approached the principal¡¯s door.


    He was about to knock on it, but right before his knuckle rapped against the wood, a voice called out to him.


    ¡°Please come in, Mr. Moon,¡± the principal said from inside.


    Isaac paused wondering how the principal knew he was about to knock. There was no window on the door. Still curious, the sophomore went in as he was requested to.


    What took him most by surprise when he entered was how normal the room was. It was an ordinary principal¡¯s office. There was nothing particularly outstanding about it. Aside from a few motivational pictures which were framed on the walls and the Newton¡¯s cradle on his desk, the room was completely mundane.


    The principal himself was another story. His muscular body was apparent even in his clothes. His face and hands were covered in scars. He wore an eyepatch over his left eye and had a style of facial hair Isaac was certain hadn¡¯t been in fashion since the American Civil War. He didn¡¯t look like the principal of a school. He looked like a retired gladiator in a suit.


    He beckoned for Isaac to come near. When the teen cautiously did so, the principal stood from his desk and flashed Isaac the warmest smile he had seen since he came to Staten Island


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Moon. I believe this is the first time you and I have ever met face-to-face,¡± he said while extending his scar-riddled hand. ¡°I¡¯m your principal ¨C Phineas Hopkins. It¡¯s wonderful to meet you.¡±


    His voice was as gruff as Isaac could have expected from a man who looked as he did. It also swelled with sincerity. Isaac was no longer nervous when he shook his principal¡¯s hand. Both sat down on opposite sides of Hopkins¡¯s desk.


    ¡°I was surprised to discover it was you that won the Battle Royale. I think it¡¯s the most shocking result Heartland has had in over two decades.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks. I wasn¡¯t really planning on participating today, so...¡±


    ¡°Really? But you marched down there of your own volition, and you certainly weren¡¯t pulling any punches during the brawl.¡±


    ¡°You saw?¡±


    Hopkins nodded before opening one of his desk drawers. He pulled his phone from it and then showed Isaac a video. It was Isaac arriving just before the GBR began. He then skipped to when Isaac was fighting practically everyone else at once.


    ¡°I have to say, that¡¯s quite the look you there in your eyes. Even gave me a bit of a quiver.¡±


    ¡°You had the royale recorded?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Events like the annual GBR are always required to be recorded by the NYCC.¡±


    NYCC; it was a term Isaac had heard enough times to know to research it. He did so online and was surprised at how easy it was to look up. Not only did he get several pages worth of results, one of the first ones was an extensive Wikipedia page. The New York Cultivation Commission ¨C or simply the NYCC ¨C was responsible for the regulation and overview of essentially all things cultivation-related in the state of New York. Every cultivation school and research center heeded the guidelines they set as tentatively as they did Jungle Law.


    Hopkins set his phone down and pulled a folder from his desk. When he flipped it open, nothing but information about Isaac was inside.


    ¡°This folder contains all the essential information from your previous high school,¡± Hopkins said. ¡°I was honestly a little shocked at how spotless your record was. Heartland usually doesn¡¯t get model citizens transferring in. Your academics were spectacular as well. You¡¯re consistently among the brightest in your class. You were an excellent student!


    ¡°Hmm... I see.¡±


    Everything sounded no different than usual so far.


    ¡°However...¡± his new principal continued. ¡°Your cultivation studies are a noticeable sore spot. I¡¯m not trying to be mean Mr. Moon, but your grades here are frankly just abysmal. When tested on your Martial Rank, you were graded as an G1. That¡¯s barely on par with a junior high freshman. I¡¯m not sure what the quality of cultivator education in Kansas is these days, but it¡¯s disheartening just reading this.¡±


    Well, that answered one of Isaac¡¯s questions. That being how he had performed as a cultivator back in Wichita. He hadn¡¯t expected the Isaac of this reality to be so talentless, though. Still, he figured it would be best if he went along with the news.


    ¡°Y-yeah. Cultivation studies were always a major weak point for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Indeed. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m so perplexed right now. Look, Mr. Moon ¨C I¡¯m aware Heartland High isn¡¯t the most stellar school on Staten Island. We¡¯re the worst-performing non-reformative cultivation school in the borough. We aren¡¯t exactly producing its finest cultivators. Still, I have faith that my students aren¡¯t so weak they would lose to an F5-Rank. You even bested Mr. Drake, perhaps the strongest freshman currently attending Heartland. Be honest with me, Mr. Moon. Just what detail is your record here missing? What about the Isaac Moon sitting in front of me is so different than the one in this folder?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Isaac¡¯s gaze flitted about the floor. ¡°Well¡­¡±


    For starters, the Isaac Moon in front of him was not the Isaac Moon in the folder at all. He was from a separate reality where things like chi and ghosts were just fantasies written about in stories. The Isaac Moon in front of Hopkins knew better than to attempt to explain such a thing. It would only garner more questions, many of which he did not know the answers to himself. And so he quickly came up with a fabricated excuse.


    ¡°Well¡­ When my dad first told me I would be transferring to a Jungle School in New York City, I decided to put more initiative into cultivation studies than I ever had before. I knew the Warriors here would eat me alive if I stayed as I was in Kansas, so I put everything I had into training. I trained harder than I ever had since I first did martial arts as a kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You did martial arts when you were younger?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Taekwondo. My dad¡¯s a black belt and taught me and my older brother. I had to quit though because of a¡­ ¡®accident¡¯. It¡¯s been a few years since I practiced seriously; if at all.¡±


    ¡°So, you took up Taekwondo when you were young? Strange, I didn¡¯t see anything particularly ¡®Taekwondo-like¡¯ in the video. I¡¯d liken your style closer to that of a bar fighter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    There was that, and also that the Navigator would not allow him to use any distinctive Fighting Style. Despite practicing them virtually every day when he was young, most of the muscle memory Isaac had concerning Taekwondo was gone. He couldn¡¯t even visualize the majority of his old maneuvers.


    ¡°But still, you became quite formidable for someone who only started training seriously over the summer. That¡¯s a lot of progress in just a few months.¡±


    Isaac nervously adjusted his glasses. ¡°Guess hard work pays off.¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose it does.¡±


    Hopkins was obviously still pondering the plausibility of Isaac¡¯s dramatic metamorphosis over the summer but dropped his suspicions for the present. He shut Isaac¡¯s folder and slid it aside. He then dug into his desk a final time, this time pulling out a small lockbox and key.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Isaac asked.


    ¡°Your reward for winning the Guardianship Battle Royale. Please use the key to open your first prize.¡±


    Isaac did so. The moment he did, the top of the box flung open. For a moment, a bright beamed from inside and blinded his sight.


    ¡°W-what is this?!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Sorry about that, Mr. Moon,¡± Hopkins said. ¡°The box was bound with chi to stop anyone from breaking it open without the key. I apologize for the surprise.¡±


    With such a precaution to be taken, Isaac suspected something grandiose to have been tucked inside. When the gleam finally died down, however all he saw before him was a plant.


    He blinked. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Obviously, it¡¯s a ginseng root. As a cultivator, you should recognize one when you see it.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a ginseng root. Just¡­ why are you giving it to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your prize? You don¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡±


    Hopkins shook his head. ¡°Mr. Moon, I¡¯ll have you know this ginseng is over a century old. An American naval officer brought it home with him following the Korean War. And despite what you may have heard, thousand-year-old ginsengs aren¡¯t that big of a deal. The root typically achieves its maximum spiritual power around the two and a half-century mark. Any boons gained for letting it sit for another century or so beyond that is usually negligible.¡±


    Apparently, receiving this bulky plant was a privilege. Isaac wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to consume it or not, but he thought it best to just accept the prize quietly.


    ¡°Thanks, Principal Hopkins. Here¡¯s the key back.¡±


    ¡°No, you keep the key as well. It¡¯s your second prize. That not only unlocks the box, it also unlocks every door at Heartland High School. As the new Guardian, you have permanent access to it.¡±


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac recieved new items: Heartland High School key (1x), 118-year-old ginseng (1x)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Wait. Can we actually talk about this whole ¡®Guardian¡¯ thing for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. What about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I really want it.¡±


    Hopkins looked at Isaac peculiarly. ¡°Excuse me? Why in the world would you participate in the Guardianship Battle Royale if you had no intention of becoming the Guardian of the school?¡±


    ¡°...Because I wanted to fight?"


    "Oh. I see," Hopkins said, slightly taken aback by the simplicity of his response. "Still, why refuse Guardianship after having won it? Many of your fellow students would kill you for such a position. And that''s not an exaggeration."


    "Well, for starters, I¡¯m not sure exactly what the position even is. We don¡¯t have many Jungle Schools where I''m from, so I¡¯m not all that familiar with it.¡±


    ¡°I see.I suppose that¡¯s the Midwest for you ¨C always playing catch up.¡±


    Isaac gulped guility as he once again threw his home state under the bus.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make this explanation brief: The Guardian is essentially the ¡®warlord¡¯ of a Jungle School. They sit at the top of its hierarchy right beside its principal and the de facto leader of the other Warriors with their school¡¯s sphere of influence. They can issue High Edicts, which are basically Executive Orders but for Jungle Schools, which the Warriors below them are compelled to follow and can only be vetoed by the principal. They can scout new students from other schools, scout new staff, and can expel either as well. All of these actions, save expulsion, require the principal¡¯s approval. Finally, they wield the authority to formally declare war on other Jungle Schools.¡±


    ¡°Declare war? Like actual war?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. It is against Jungle Law for students from one school to continually engage in unconsented combat with another they are not at war against. Schools that repeatedly do so will receive will lose Prestige, and schools of low Prestige¡­ Well, they end up like Heartland High. Routinely raising the Prestige of one¡¯s school is also a priority of the Guardian, though you learn all about Prestige in due time. There are several other miscellaneous duties for the Guardian, but we¡¯d both be here for over an hour, if only that, going over it all. Thankfully, I have a book on the subject for you that you can study throughout the weekend. That is¡­ if you wish to be Guardian at all. Do you, Mr. Moon?¡±


    After hearing all that being Guardian actually pertained, Isaac¡¯s answer to whether he wanted to be one was clearer now than it had been in the gym. Who in the right mind would want anything to do with such a position? Who would want anything to do with a Jungle School, to begin with? Isaac may have had an itch for fighting begging to be scratched, but everything about this just boggled his mind.


    He silently shook his head.


    The principal sighed. ¡°I see. Well, I suppose we can have it arranged for Mr. Drake to---¡±


    The principal suddenly stopped. The same went for the watch on his wrist and the Newton¡¯s cradle on his desk. Everything in the room had suspended save for Isaac.


    Suddenly, a prompt manifested before him with a message that the Navigator narrated.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Will Isaac decline Guardianship and abandon the "Unification of Heartland High" questline?


    [Yes/No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­Questline?¡±


    The sophomore was befuddled. Thankfully, the Navigator seemed to pick up on his confusion and opened up a second screen with some illuminating information. It displayed to Isaac a ''mission tree''. At the top of it was his current Mission, and below were mission paths he would embark on depending on whether he answered "Yes" or "No". There was an distinct difference between the two paths one couldn''t miss - the "Yes" path had several missions beneath it which were all hidden behind dark silhouettes, while the "No" path held only one: "Graduate".


    ¡°Is that the equivalent to ¡°Free Play¡± Mode, or whatever? Will anything actually come of that, or will it just leave me going around in circles forever?¡±


    The sophomore pondered on it. Eventualy, he came to a clear decision. He had countless questions about how he got here and how he was supposed to get out. Something told him that going about his business aimlessly and not engaging in this strange reality''s mechanics at all would answer none of them. He was still unsure of what the Navigator held in store for him, but going along with it until he could figure things out appeared a better option than doing nothing and hoping for the best.


    Finally, Isaac answered, ¡°Yes, I accept Guardianship.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? You want to be the Guardian after all?¡± a confused Hopkins asked after time resumed. ¡°Why shake your head then?¡±


    Quickly, Isaac scrambled for a response. ¡°Um¡­ Body language is kinda weird in Kansas. Sometimes shaking your head means yes and nodding means no.¡±


    ¡°Really? Interesting¡­¡±


    Isaac would never be able to step foot in Wichita again even after returning to his reality. At least the principal bought it. After accepting Isaac¡¯s change of heart, Hopkins went to his bookshelf and withdrew a heavy book from it. He placed it open on his desk. To Isaac¡¯s confusion, the page it landed on was completely blank.


    ¡°It¡¯s for you to put your signature on,¡± the principal said while giving him a pen.


    Isaac uncapped it, revealing a small blade.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Prick your thumb it with that blade and then press it against the page. That¡¯s all you''ll need to do.¡±


    Isaac stared at the blade warily for a moment before doing as he was instructed.


    He pricked his thumb, drew blood, and then planted it on the blank page. When he removed it, his bloody thumbprint sizzled and began to gleam. The page instantly began filling itself with information about Isaac: his grade, age, height, etc; all written in his blood. At the very bottom of the page was his name, written identically to how he usually wrote his signature.


    ¡°And there you have it. With this I, Phineas Hopkins, hereby declare you, 2nd year Isaac Moon, Guardian of Heartland High School. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll perform wonderfully, Mr. Moon.¡±


    Time paused as another screen manifested.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    SUCCESS!


    Isaac has cleared the Main Mission: ¡°Confront the Principal of Heartland High¡±


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">Isaac has attained the Title: ~Guardian of Heartland High~</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">Isaac''s has gained the Reputation: Heartland''s Rising Star</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">Isaac has unlocked the achievement: ---Big Man on Campus--</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has Leveled Up! Isaac is now Lv. 12!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Isaac smiled. ¡°Well, would you look at that?¡±


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has obtained a New Main Objective: [Unification of Heartland High]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has obtained a New Main Mission: "Defeat the Three Lords of Heartland"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°...And would you look at that."

 Chapter 8: A Walk in the Park

    <u>Saturday [09/07/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    ¡°I don¡¯t get this at all¡­¡±


    Isaac had spent his entire morning in his room with his eyes miserably glued to his phone. At the request of his principal, he had installed an app on it yesterday known as Way of Mastery. It cataloged martial techniques and cultivation techniques for students. In exchange for Prestige that the student had learned, they could gain access to newer techniques. They could even request to receive personal tutorage.


    Isaac had zero techniques marked as learned in this app. While busying himself with figuring out the Fight Navigational System, and how this bizarre world worked in general, there had been no time. Things had changed. As another reward for his victory in the Battle Royale, Hopkins had provided Isaac with several credits that could be used in place of Prestige to acquire any techniques he wished, provided they were C-Rank or lower. This might have pleased an ordinary student, but for Isaac who knew almost nothing about the myriad of techniques listed in the app, he didn¡¯t know what to pick.


    He searched the app for techniques that met the criteria of ¡°good for beginners¡±. He happened upon a few techniques that were apparently popular with cultivators junior high age and younger. The ones that caught his interest the most were the few tagged ¡®Fundamental¡¯. As a former practitioner of martial arts, Isaac knew the fundamentals were always the best to start with. Also, learning them would be both easier and quicker than learning Demonic Fighting Whirlwind or Uppercut of Crystal Perceptions.


    Or so he had thought.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    FAILURE! Isaac cannot learn this technique at the moment...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Isaac groaned at the prompt. ¡°Every time¡­¡±


    The first technique he had decided to learn was known as Chi Distortion. Its description was straightforward: One of the ''fundamentals'' that all young cultivators should know. It disrupts or misdirects the flow of foreign chi by counteraction with the user''s.


    The technique¡¯s instructions were written in plain English just like its title and description. At least at a glance, they were. Whenever Isaac tried to intentionally read the instructions, his sight would become dizzy and his mind jumbled. Focusing further only gave him a migraine. He went so far as swapping out his glasses, taking a screenshot and attempting to read it instead, or simply reading the instructions aloud syllable by syllable.


    It always came to the same result.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    FAILURE! Isaac cannot learn this technique at the moment...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He sighed and pushed his phone aside. ¡°Dammit, I¡¯ve got to stop. My eyes are starting to hurt.¡±


    His strained eyes strayed aimlessly about the room while they recovered. It was a guest room his aunt had given him for the duration of his stay on Staten Island. It came with a desk that she claimed was new, though Isaac found the clearance sale sticker she had forgotten to peel off.


    It was spacious, but mostly because it was so empty. Isaac hadn¡¯t brought many things with him to New York. While he wasn¡¯t exactly a minimalist, he disliked clutter and only brought what he thought he would need. In such a sparsely decorated setting, there was one small object that stood out. It was Isaac¡¯s chi filter which sat upon the dresser.


    According to his aunt, he had brought it with him from Kansas. It was something all cultivation students, whether they were Jungle students or not, possessed. Form what he read online, they were meant to be used during a cultivator¡¯s ¡®cycles¡¯; a cultivation method where a one would absorb the energies around them to help them channel the residual chi in their chakras into the device. Wherein the filter would refine it of impurities and dissolve it into some liquid substance that was to be turned in to the student¡¯s school once every two weeks.


    Isaac had yet to complete a single cycle since arriving in this world. He didn¡¯t know how it was done. He researched it, but could not replicate the method regardless of how many videos he watched.


    ¡°Doubt that excuse will work with the school. For whatever reason, they grade us on this. I¡¯ve gotta put at least a few ounces in this thing by next Friday. Maybe doing it outside will help. A lot of the vids I watched were recorded outdoors.¡±


    Getting up, Isaac grabbed his phone, his shoes, and his filter as he left his room. While heading for the door he encountered his Aunt Brenda lounging in her recliner and watching some Mafioso movie. Since he was young, he had always known her to be obsessed with crime dramas. The Godfather, Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, American Gangster, Scarface ¨C she watched it all. She even read the Godfather novel at least once a year.


    It was an odd passion for a cop. Granted, it was impossible to tell Brenda was one while she was off duty.


    ¡°Isaac? You heading somewhere?¡± Brenda asked, noticing him heading for the door.


    ¡°Just getting some fresh air. You won¡¯t mind if I stay out late, will you?¡±


    She snorted. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this already. You can stay out as long as you like.¡±


    ¡°Careful telling that to a 17-year-old. I might stay gone ¡®til Monday morning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a pretty responsible kid. I¡¯m not all that worried about what you might be getting up to in the evening. As a matter of fact...¡± Brenda stood and went to retrieve something from a drawer in the kitchen. ¡°Here. Take this.¡±


    Isaac caught it. It was a key.


    ¡°What does this go to?¡±


    ¡°This house, obviously. Now you can stay away as long as you want.¡±


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac received a new item: Key to Aunt Brenda''s House (x1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Oh¡­ Wow. Thanks?¡±


    ¡°No prob. Get some coffee on your back, okay?¡±


    Isaac assured he would as headed out the door. Another reason why it was hard to tell his aunt was a cop ¨C she was the least strict person he knew.


    <hr>


    <hr>


    Fresh air had always been one of the quickest ways for Isaac to clear his mind. This is why he thought he had lucked out that, out of all of New York City¡¯s boroughs, his aunt resided on Staten Island. Whereas most of the city was an urban, concrete jungle with the occasional big park here or there, Staten Island was by far the greenest and least congested borough. Its population fell just below 500,000, and it had several large contiguous natural areas and parks fittingly called the Greenbelt.


    Brenda stayed in Heartland village, which was in the geographical center of the island, and was met on three different fronts by three different parks. Isaac had visited all three in the past few days, but the one he preferred had always been LaTourette Park in the west. Conveniently, it was also the nearest to Brenda¡¯s home.


    However, after making the brief trip over to it, a prompt appeared.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(224, 62, 45, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    WARNING! Entering rival school territory!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Isaac cocked his brow. He visited the park before and hadn¡¯t received this ominous message before. Was it because school had yet to start then? Now that he was officially affiliated with a Jungle School, was straying too far from his ¡®home turf¡¯ a problem now.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying. Guess I¡¯ll head to Willowbrook then?¡±


    Isaac made a new journey up north to Willowbrook Park. But as he came close¡­


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(224, 62, 45, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    WARNING! Entering rival school territory!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Are you serious? Is anywhere outside of New Springville ¡®rival school territory¡¯?¡±


    The sophomore hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to head back home as he started toward the final park close to Heartland Village ¨C New Springville Park. He was anxious as he approached but gave a relieved sigh when he entered the park without any prompt appearing. He believed he could finally enjoy some peace in a park. How quickly he had forgotten the nature of the reality he currently resided.


    ¡°Hey! You with the filter! C¡¯mere for a sec.¡±


    A tired expression came across his face. He already knew what business he would be dealing with before he turned around. Four boys approached him, each with an unscrupulous smirk on his face. While three of them sized Isaac up their leader, and tallest among of them, addressed him.


    ¡°You a cultivator?¡¯


    ¡°Would I be carrying a filter if I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question, smartass. You are cultivator or ain¡¯t you?¡±


    Isaac sighed, pushing up his glasses as he answered. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    ¡°Alright. In this park, there¡¯s been a new rule established: the cultivation tax. You wanna do some cycles, you gotta pay up first.¡±


    Isaac just stared blankly at him for a moment. ¡°Dude, why didn¡¯t you just say ¡®give me your money¡¯ instead? Like, cultivation tax? For real? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to say that out loud? Man, I hope you haven¡¯t been saying that to other people, cause if you have¡­¡±


    The punk scowled at Isaac¡¯s dismissive words. Some of his friends started to snicker, but he shut them up with a look. He then got in Isaac¡¯s face; close enough that they could hear each other¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°A¡¯ight, you little bitch, since you wanna talk shit¡­¡± He said while leaking off his essence. ¡°Remember that I gave you a chance.¡±


    The tall boy, while not as huge as Bronson, was tall enough to tower over most teens his age; Isaac included. Unfortunately for him, his size and rising chi didn¡¯t arouse a response out of Isaac. This caught him off guard more than the sophomore¡¯s comments had. The brute was used to people backing down as soon as he got in his face. Isaac shows no signs of doing so.


    The look in his eyes was calm, but somehow still caused the punk¡¯s nerves to quiver.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Y-you think you some tough shit?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°Not really. Look, if you wanna try and take a swing, go ahead,¡± Isaac responded. ¡°I got stuff to do today.¡±


    The punk hesitated. Before he could find the nerve to escalate the confrontation he heard a passerby comment: ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that guy Heartland¡¯s new Guardian?¡±


    The passerby was a young woman and a friend, both carrying with chi filters of their own.


    ¡°That skinny, nerdy-looking dude? You sure?¡± the first girl''s friend asked.


    ¡°Yeah, look,¡± she said while whipping out her phone. ¡°My boyfriend goes to that school. He took a video of the Battle Royale on Friday. See? It¡¯s him!¡±


    The other girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Woah¡­ He¡¯s steeling off on like five dudes at once.¡±


    The punk and his friends¡¯ ears perked as they listened to the chatter. The hesitation within the former devolved into full-blown belliphobia.


    ¡°You going to actually do something?¡± Isaac asked.


    The boy said nothing as he and his friends disengaged with the Guardian. As always, people¡¯s moods and intentions quickly changed once they realized Isaac wasn¡¯t as low on their aforethought food chain.


    ¡°Every ¡®tough guy¡¯ thinks he¡¯s a shark until meets a bigger fish,¡± Isaac muttered.


    He shrugged and then continued on his way. Before he could take more than two steps, his path was obstructed.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Guardian. You wanna hang out with us?¡± the girl from earlier asked, as she and her friend blocked Isaac¡¯s way.


    ¡°Have we met?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Sarah, and this is Olivia. There, now we¡¯re all met up.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Olivia giggled. ¡°Relax, man. We just wanted to see if you wanted to meditate with us. We¡¯re cultivators too. We brought our filters just like you did.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the invite, but I wasn¡¯t planning on--¡±


    ¡°Dude. Two super cute girls are inviting you to hang out with them, and you¡¯re gonna say no?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you had a boyfriend?¡±


    Sarah put a finger to her lip. ¡°Did I say that?¡±


    Isaac blinked. His gut told him that random women who didn¡¯t even know your name showing interest in you rarely led to good things. However, there was the possibility that following these girls¡¯ lead could help him learn how to finally perform cultivation cycles properly. The experience could be a valuable one.


    Also, they were both very cute.


    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± he answered.


    The girls were delighted and had him follow them. They led him to space further in the park but away from the trail. They eventually arrived at a totem pole. Isaac had seen several like it before. There was one every few miles in any direction on Staten Island. Apparently, they helped regulate the spiritual energies in the air and kept the spirits from going too wild.


    ¡°Why here though?¡± Isaac asked.


    ¡°Totem poles make it easier to convert spiritual energy into chi and make it easier to channel that chi,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t everyone do it then?¡±


    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t help that much,¡± Olivia said. ¡°It speeds up the process a little, but unless you¡¯ve literally never done a cycle before, you don¡¯t need a totem pole to get the job done.¡±


    Isaac was suddenly very glad he had taken the girls up on their offer.


    When two sat down around the totem pole he did the same, trying to pretend he knew what he was doing by following their example. When they shut their eyes, he shut his. When they started breathing slowly and deeply, his breathing began mimicking theirs. When he could sense them releasing their chi and steadily absorbing the energies around them, he did the same.


    They were meditating, just like the cultivators in the YouTube videos he watched. It was nothing different than what he had attempted before save for the additional sounds of birds chirping in the distance or the footsteps of the occasional jogger.


    But gradually, likely thanks to the totem pole¡¯s presence, he found that he was able to distill his mind further than usual. Background noise became more distant until it muted, and all his other senses followed not shortly after. Isaac¡¯s mind was gone.


    Then he noticed something felt¡­ off.


    Isaac opened his eyes. The totem pole and his filter were no longer in front of him. The girls and even the park they sat in were nowhere to be seen. Isaac sat alone on a grassy mound in the center of a body of water. He wasn¡¯t sure how large a body it was as the wall of fog surrounded him and kept him from seeing further than a few feet in any direction. The only thing with him on the mound was an array of eight scrolls which were sat beside him.


    ¡°¡­Where am I?¡±


    The answer came in the shape of a screen.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    Welcome to your Inner Sanctum. Please choose from the selection of scrolls to proceed with a course of action.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With no other course of action, Isaac did so. As his hand came close, each scroll¡¯s purpose was revealed to him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    PEFORM CULTIVATION CYCLES


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The straight-forward title said all Isaac needed to know. Upon selection, a bar showing his cultivation progress manifested above him. The bar continued to load as he looked through the other scrolls.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    SPHERE OF INFLUENCE


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Opening this scroll manifested a large map of Staten Island which highlighted how far Heartland High¡¯s influence reached throughout it. As he thought, it only covered the neighborhood of New Springville.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    SCHOOL STATUS


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The general Power, Morale, Academics, Cultivation Quality of Heartland''s students were displayed. It was about what Isaac expected from Heartland High. There was also a category that displayed Isaac''s reputation at the school. It read "Despised".


    "Looks like Monday''s gonna be interesting."


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    OBJECTIVES & MISSIONS


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This scroll displayed Isaac¡¯s current objective: Unification of Heartland High, as well as three current Main Missions which involved him defeating each of the Three Lords. He was still unsure how feasible that feat currently was for him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    ISAAC''S STATUS


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Isaac¡¯s Status Screen was conjured just like it always did when he Leveled Up. This time, he could, thankfully, check to see what each Attributes actually did, and Willpower and Charisma did indeed mean more than their names implied.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    TECHNIQUES


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was blank.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    TRAITS


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This was perhaps the most interesting of all the scrolls. Isaac wasn''t aware these ''Traits'' existed until now.


    <hr>


    [Battle Junkie]


    Denotes Isaac¡¯s condition as a belliophile ¨C someone who loves fighting. Isaac receives a plus modifier against effects that target his mental status while in combat. He is also capable of entering a state called Fighter¡¯s High that briefly raises his Strength, Endurance, and Focus.


    [Keen Analyzer]


    A trait bestowed to a user of the Fight Navigational System. It allows Isaac to use Analyze and gather information on others by vigorously focusing on them for a moment.


    <hr>


    Isaac cringed at bit at [Battle Junkie]¡¯s description despite knowing how true it was. In fact, the truth of it agitated him all the more. Still, [Keen Analyzer] was the Trait that garnered more of his interest. He was unaware he had such an ability. Could he Analyze people at any time?


    He pondered it while reaching for the final scroll.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.4445%; background-color: rgba(185, 106, 217, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 10%; text-align: center">


    LEARN NEW TECHNIQUE


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was caught off by how straight-forward it was. He peeked inside and saw that there was only one item listed under ¡°Ruminated Techniques¡± ¨C Chi Distortion. Isaac selected it. He was curious how long it would take to learn.


    The answer was: instantaneously.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac learned a new cultivation technique: ''Chi Distortion''!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Well, that was easy. What does ¡®ruminated techniques¡¯ mean? Ones I''ve thought a lot about?¡±


    Before he could ponder on it too much, the world around Isaac faded. He didn¡¯t know exactly why but, just as he broke from his meditation, something told Isaac to jump out of the way. He did so, barely escaping Sarah and Olivia¡¯s sneak attack in time. The ground where he previously sat was caved in by their fists.


    ¡°Shit! He noticed!¡± Sarah exclaimed.


    Isaac shook his head. He had a hunch something was up with these two. Thankfully, he was warned while still meditating. Apparently, time did not stop while he in that ¡®inner world¡¯ like it did when he leveled up, completed a Mission, or received a prompt from the Navigator. He would make sure to keep that detail in mind going forward.


    ¡°So, that boyfriend of yours put you up to this, or is gunning for the Guardian¡¯s head just the thing to do when you see the opportunity?¡±


    The girls, failing in their ambush, looked fearful. Isaac kept a steady eye on them. Then a thought occurred to him that this was an apt time to test his Analyze ability.


    ¡°All I have to do is look at someone and focus, right?¡±


    Isaac gazed intently at the girls until an interface appeared in his vision.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Sarah</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Gender</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Female</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Borough</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Staten Island</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Affiliation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Element</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Water</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Martial Rank</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">E1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Cultivation Stage</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Flawless Inner Earth</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fighting Style</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Olivia</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Gender</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Female</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Borough</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Staten Island</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Affiliation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Element</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fire</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Martial Rank</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">E2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Cultivation Stage</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Tempered Outer Earth</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fighting Style</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°It worked!¡±


    His sudden exclamation confused the girls, raising their already high anxiousness. They didn¡¯t know what he was going to do with them next. Isaac then raised his hand and gestured for them to leave.


    ¡°Alright, just take your stuff and go.¡±


    "¡­Huh? Is he serious?" Olivia asked.


    "He''s trying to pull one over us. He''s got to be!" Sarah snapped.


    The Guardian shut them both up with a stern look. ¡°Do you two want to fight me?¡±


    After a pause, both girls shook their heads.


    ¡°Then shut up and go.¡±


    They didn¡¯t wait for him to tell them a third time. They swiped up their filters and scurried off, glancing back once to see if Isaac had given chase. He hadn¡¯t, and he was not planning on doing so. Fighting opponents who didn¡¯t have the stomach for it disinterested a ¡°battle junkie¡± like himself. He also still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the ideas of fighting girls yet. Even during the Battle Royale, he pulled some of his punches when they swung against a female student. Isaac understood that female and male cultivators were essentially the same so far as potential was concerned, but it would take some time for the idea to fully marinate.


    Besides, they had genuinely helped him resolve several issues he was having whether they knew so or not. Letting them go was, in his eyes, a show of gratitude.


    ¡°Anyway, how full¡¯s my filter?¡±


    Isaac looked over at it. His eyed widened when he saw it was filled to the brim with chi. The girls didn¡¯t have this much in their filters, and Isaac¡¯s cultivation meter was only half full before they attacked him, so why had he produced so much?


    ¡°¡­Is it because I went so many days without doing this?¡±


    Isaac had yet to do a single cycle since he arrived in this reality, during which he mostly spent his nights fighting geists. His chakras must have been full of unfiltered chi until recently. It seemed he would not have to worry about doing cycles again for a while.


    This only left his business with the Way of Mastery. Isaac pulled out his phone and opened the app. He could read the instructions of the technique clearly now and could begin practicing whenever. But not today. The time on Isaac''s phone and the sun dipping down below the treetops convinced him to head home before it got too late. His aunt might have given the Guardian carte blanche to return home whenever he liked, but Isaac felt he had outdoors for one Saturday.


    He spared the totem pole a fleeting glance as he left with his filter in hand. He only made two stops on his way home; both grocery stores. The first didn¡¯t have his aunt¡¯s favorite coffee brew.

 Chapter 9: The Bandit

    <u>Sunday [09/08/2019]</u>


    <hr>


    ¡°I need to learn a new Fighting Style¡­¡±


    Isaac ruminated on this while walking the streets of Bulls Head. It may have been unwise for him to enter into a rival school¡¯s territory, but it was equally unwise for him to carelessly walk the streets of his own neighborhood. While he may have been Guardian, he knew the Three Lords would not simply go along with him being Heartland¡¯s leader. Somehow, no matter where he went, he would always eventually spot one or two students from Heartland High watching him, only tearing their gazes away when Isaac looked their way. They were keeping tabs on him.


    Heartland Village, the entire neighborhood of New Springville in general, was hostile territory at the moment. Ironically, the streets of a foreign neighborhood where his face was less recognizable, was safer than the ones he lived and went to school on. He was currently ¡°Despised¡± at Heartland High despite being its Guardian, and things would only get worse when he went back to school on Monday. He couldn¡¯t return in the same state he currently was in. He needed to be better. He needed an actual Fighting Style.


    ¡°But how do I learn one by tomorrow morning?¡±


    Unlike the FNS and its mechanics, Isaac already knew quite a bit about martial techniques. He had been practicing Taekwondo since he was young. And while he was no prodigy like his elder brother, he was confident in the skills he developed before abandoning the art due to¡­ ¡®reasons¡¯.


    And yet, Taekwondo wasn¡¯t a Fighting Style that Isaac had access to. He couldn¡¯t even recall any of its techniques. The only Fighting Style available to him was Fisticuffs:


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center">??Fisticuffs??</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">An impromptu Fighting Style any untrained person resorts to when engaging in a battle. It has no discernable strengths, weaknesses, or specializations to speak off. There are no martial techniques which one can learn from the Fisticuffs style.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was essentially a placeholder Fighting Style. Something Isaac was meant to use until he attained a real martial art. All previous fighting experience he possessed before arriving in this reality was rendered null. Just like when he couldn¡¯t comprehend his new Cultivation Technique without meditating, a force beyond Isaac¡¯s control was compelling was preventing him to doing things he was otherwise capable of.


    ¡°Am I really going to have to relearn Taekwondo just to do moves I did back when I was four?¡±


    Just the thought of it made Isaac miserable as he walked the streets. He would have stayed miring in his poor mood had he not sensed someone¡¯s chi flaring just ahead. It came from behind an auto repair shop on the next corner. Cautiously, Isaac approached and poked his head out just enough to see five boys Isaac¡¯s age in some sort of confrontation.


    ¡°You went too far this time, ya damn bandit. You thought you could keep playing around like you do with other dudes'' girls it wouldn¡¯t come to nothing?¡±


    The ¡®bandit¡¯ in question with his back to the wall looked like just that. He wore a bandana with a pattern like a turtle¡¯s shell, wearing it so low it concealed his eyebrows. Only a tuft of his blonde hair stuck out from the back. Curious, Isaac analyzed him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">The Bandit</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Gender</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Male</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Borough</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Staten Island</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Affiliation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Element</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Water</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Martial Rank</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">F2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Cultivation Stage</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Tempered Inner Earth</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fighting Style</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He analyzed the boys surrounding him as well and saw they were all D-Rank. How could an F-Rank look so unconcerned with four stronger and hostile Warriors surrounding him?


    ¡°Whaddya mean it ¡®came to ¡®nothin¡¯? It came plenty for me.¡±


    The glares of the boys cornering him sharpened. Though, one of the four managed to maintain his cool and tried to coach the others to do the same.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him flare you up. That¡¯s exactly what he wants.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give him what he wants then! This piece of garbage thinks he''s Casanova, snatching up every girl he makes eye contact with! He was evenbeen caught with our Guardian¡¯s girl last Friday!¡±


    The calm one suddenly changed his tune. ¡°This dumb son of a¡­ Are you trying to start a war over some bullshit?! Do you not know what messin¡¯ around with a school¡¯s Guardian means?!¡±


    The bandit nodded. ¡°¡¯course I know. It means Lisa wasn¡¯t as much his girl as your boss thought.¡±


    All four broke off after the bandit at once, their essences as incensed as their wrath. Isaac expected a one-sided thrashing, and he was right. The bandit dusted off his opponents with ease.


    Despite being of lower Martial Rank than all four of his opponents, none of them managed to lay a finger on him as he knocked them around like they were children. His style of fighting was rough yet fluid; unrefined yet effective. And it all looked effortless. Isaac felt he was putting more effort in by watching him.


    Then he heard the Navigator¡¯s voice.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac''s knowledge of ''Street Fighting'' has improved.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A bar with the words ¡°Street Fighting¡± above it manifested before him. The bar filled to barely 1/10<sup>th</sup> of its capacity, but that it had happened at all stunned Isaac. Just by watching the blond bandit¡¯s skirmish, he had picked up on his style.


    ¡°This is why I told you fools not to swing! We can¡¯t take him by ourselves!¡± the calm one said as he helped his friends to his feet.


    ¡°You could come back with your whole school if you want. It won¡¯t change a thing but the time. Now, get outta my face. ¡­Oh, and tell Lisa I say ¡®hi¡¯.¡±


    The calmest of the four scowled the darkest as he and his friends went on their way. The bandit shook his head in their wake


    ¡°Those guys need learn to stop letting girls drive ¡®em crazy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?¡± Isaac asked while finally appearing from the corner.


    The bandit gave Isaac a look. He then headed off on his way.


    ¡°H-hey, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t talk to strangers. ¡­Unless they¡¯re girls. Try sending a girl to speak for you.¡°


    ¡°But I just want to learn how to fight like you do!¡±


    The bandit stopped and looked back at Isaac with a more puzzled look than before.


    ¡°Say what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting style ¨C I want to learn it. Can you tell me how? Is there a place on Staten Island I can go?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ It¡¯s not a ¡®official¡¯ style or anything. It¡¯s Street Fighting. Can¡¯t really learn it from somebody like you could with Karate, or boxing, or whatever. It¡¯s something you pick up by, y¡¯know¡­ ¡®fighting in the streets¡¯.¡±


    His point was a solid one. There likely wasn¡¯t a Street Fighting dojo that Isaac could just walk into and start receiving lessons because it wasn¡¯t a true martial art. There could only be one effective way to learn.


    So, as the bandit started to go again, Isaac called out to him for a final time.


    ¡°Can the two of us fight then?¡±


    The bandit stopped a second time, this time just giving Isaac a blank stare.


    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but I really want to learn to fight like you do. Fighting you, it just seems like quickest way.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­Yeah. It¡¯s crazy alright. Don¡¯t think I ever got a challenge like this. Basically you want me to teach you by kicking your ass?¡±


    The Guardian made a face. He could tell the bandit was skilled for an F-Rank, likely better than Isaac himself; but a fight between them still wouldn¡¯t turn out that one-sided.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a cultivator? You a Warrior too?¡± the bandit asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a sophomore at Heartland High.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re from Heartland and you¡¯re challenging me? ¡­You¡¯re not from around here, are ya?¡±


    ¡°No? I transferred in from Kansas. Is there something I¡¯m blanking out on?¡±


    The bandit scratched at his chin while ruminating on something. Eventually, he shrugged.


    ¡°Y¡¯know what... Fuck it. I got time to kill. Follow me. We''ll head to a place to spar.¡±


    Isaac did so, surprised the bandit agreed so readily. They two rounded a corner before hopping to the roof of a nearby apartment building. From there, they hopped from roof to roof.


    <hr>


    <hr>


    The bandit eventually led them to their destination - a scrapyard.


    When they arrived, it was vacant of any people. It apparently remained closed on Sundays.


    ¡°Scrapyard¡¯s the perfect place for a scrap. Everything here¡¯s already junk and nobody else is here, so our surroundings aren¡¯t an issue,¡± the bandit said. ¡°Before we start, what¡¯s your Rank and Stage?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a G1 at the Emergent Mortal Stage.¡±


    The bandit gave Isaac a look like he had just spoke in a Pig Latin.


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m fighting a G-Rank? Now I feel like I got punked¡­ I¡¯ll tell you what ¨C I¡¯ll only use my left hand to fight, and won¡¯t use any techniques. That oughta make it a bit more fair.¡±


    As he said, the bandit put his right hand in his pocket and beckoned for Isaac to come at him with his left.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. You can break the ice.¡±


    Isaac was being taken lightly. His opponent was only F-Rank himself, so it wasn¡¯t like he was in a position to look down on the sophomore.


    Dust kicked up in Isaac¡¯s wake as he dashed at his opponent. The first punch he threw caused the air around his fist to shudder, but his opponent dodged it with ease. He dodged the next punch, and weaved around the combination that followed just as nimbly. It was like trying to swat a fly with a chopstick. The bandit wasn¡¯t using any fancy footwork. His reflexes just surpassed Isaac¡¯s by mile.


    ¡°You alright, man? Need me to slow it down for you?¡± the blonde asked. ¡°I can fight on one foot too if you need me to.¡±


    Isaac clicked his tongue and came at the bandit again. His blows came none the closer than before. This was the best he could do with the Fisticuffs style. The predictable movements he was limited to left him unable to effectively fight a cultivator that was legitimately skilled. Despite his Martial Rank, his new opponent wouldn¡¯t go down so easily. Isaac needed to get creative.


    And so he did, feinting a jab and then going down for a leg sweep. The bandit saw right through his facade. He hopped above the sweep and twirled over Isaac¡¯s head in the same motion, delivering a mighty wallop to the back of the Guardian¡¯s head while still in the air. Isaac went barreling across the dirt. His head kept rattling for some seconds while he padded the dirt for his glasses and stood back up.


    Barely any chi could be sensed from that blow and it still managed to nearly put Isaac¡¯s lights out. Something was wrong. Isaac knew this was not the strength of any F-Rank. The girls who had tried to ambush Isaac yesterday in the park were E-Ranks and he knew they couldn¡¯t have been anywhere near this strong. Isaac Analyzed his opponent again, but he only saw the same thing as before.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">The Bandit</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Gender</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Male</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Borough</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Staten Island</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Affiliation</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Element</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Water</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Martial Rank</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">F2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Cultivation Stage</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Tempered Inner Earth</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 50%">Fighting Style</td>


    <td style="width: 50%">Street Fighting</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°So¡­ [Keen Analyzer] is worthless right now,¡± he concluded, pushing up his glasses. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll just have to feel this one out as we go!¡±


    The fight continued. It became very apparent to Isaac that his opponent was strong; unbelievably strong. The gap between them may as well have been a canyon.


    They went on for hours with Isaac being knocked to the ground or clobbered into piles of scrap metal countless times over, and all without laying so much as a scratch against his opponent who stayed true to his promise of only using his left hand. Isaac became haggard, getting too exhausted to stand without his legs wobbling. The bandit shared none of his fatigue. What eventually stopped his pace in its tracks wasn¡¯t any action of Isaac, but the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket.


    ¡°Yo, hold up for a minute,¡± he said while answering. ¡°Katie? Damn, girl! It took you long enough to call me back. I was just in the middle of something. ¡­No, I¡¯m not with some other girl! You¡¯re talkin¡¯ crazy again.¡±


    Isaac was more than happy to give him as much time to talk as he wanted. It gave him to opportunity to finally catch his breath. With his hands on his knees, his entire body shuddered. He hadn¡¯t been this tired or sweated this much even after the Battle Royale. He was completely spent.


    ¡°Yeah, I pay a visit in a bit. ¡­Alright, see you then,¡± the bandit said while hanging up, a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°And I thought tonight was gonna be boring. Hey, you mind if we wrap this up, man? I¡¯ve got plans.¡±


    Isaac was still breathing heavily when he nodded. ¡°Y-yeah, no problem¡­ Uh¡­ thanks for sparring session¡­¡±


    ¡°No prob. You lasted way longer than I would¡¯ve thought for a guy your Rank.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You too. You¡¯re the strongest F-Rank I¡¯ve met.¡±


    The blonde made a face. ¡°F-Rank? What makes you think I¡¯m an F-Rank?¡±


    ¡°I, uh... I¡¯m really good at discerning other cultivator¡¯s Rank and Stage by sensing their chi.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I get it now. No wonder you got it wrong. Lemme let you in on a little secret real quick before I go: Maybe you never met cultivators like this back in the Midwest, but here in New York there are tons of guys, ¡®specially the stronger ones, who can conceal the power of their chi and condense it into their dantian ¨C their chi center. It makes it harder to tell how advanced they really are unless you¡¯re already on that level yourself.¡±


    Isaac scratched at his sweaty cheek. He had just discovered [Keen Analyzer] and already a dimension of unreliability had been added to it.


    ¡°Oh. Well¡­ thanks for telling me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Really thought I could get you to use your right hand at least once but it looks like I still have ways to go.¡±


    ¡°¡­Want another shot?¡±


    ¡°What? Right now?¡±


    ¡°''course not right now. It¡¯s late and I got plans in another hour. This time next Sunday though, catch me at this spot again and we can go at it a second time. See, I ain¡¯t usually up to a lot on Sunday. This¡¯ll help me kill time. Plus, slapping you around will for decent cardio.¡±


    It didn¡¯t hurt Isaac to hear so much as it left him awestruck. Isaac had put forth his best efforts in their fight, and they were just ¡®cardio¡¯ for the bandit. He was sweating like he just run a marathon and was sore all over, but this guy looked at composed as ever. He was simply on another level.


    ¡°So, you up for it?¡±


    Isaac smiled. ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    ¡°Cool. See you next Sunday then, bro.¡±


    The blonde took off, launching himself off into the distance. It was only as Isaac watched his figure vanish from view that he realized he hadn¡¯t caught his name.


    Isaac sighed. Then he made a face. It suddenly occurred to him that he had never caught his sparring partner¡¯s name. So long as he was serious about his proposal, it shouldn¡¯t have been too much of a problem.


    ¡°That guy was ridiculous. I feel like we could¡¯ve fought through midnight without me touching him once.


    As he was ruminating on the bandit¡¯s strength, a prompt appeared.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac''s knowledge of ''Street Fighting'' has improved.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The bar appeared again. Like a thermometer in a burning house, it quickly filled to the brink.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has learned a new Fighting Style: ''Street Fighting''!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Wow... I didn''t expect to get it down so quick---¡°


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Isaac has Leveled Up! Isaac is now Lv. 14!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°I leveled up too? ¡­Twice?! But all we did was spar!¡±


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgba(53, 152, 219, 1); border-style: groove" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">??Isaac''s Attributes have increased!??</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Endurance increased by 14!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Agility increased by 7!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Will increased by 11!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Guardian blinked.


    Just how strong was the guy Isaac had sparred with, that just sparring with once earned him all of this? This was a greater increase of his Attributes than leveling had provided in days.


    Had Isaac accidently happened upon a monster? If so, why would such a monster waste their Sunday on him? He stood in silence for a few minutes thinking deeply about the Bandit. Eventually, he realized as this thinking would lead to no real answers, and that simply asking his new sparring partner next Sunday would be the simplest thing.


    ¡°Until then, I guess,¡± Isaac said to himself while he headed home.


    There was no reason to keep his mind on the bandit when there were three monsters from his own neighborhood that he was going to have to deal with come tomorrow morning. They had plans that went beyond friendly sparring.