《On the River》 Prologue: Bad Egg At its most basic level, the MMORPG called ¡®Trinity¡¯ was a game of rock-paper-scissors. Mage classes destroyed fighters, Stealth classes assassinated mages, and Fighter classes beat down assassins. To fill in for individual weaknesses, Guilds were formed and party lines divided the map into contested territories. A game intended to be about immersion in a fantasy world transformed into a parody of political strife and war. The game¡¯s popularity soared and the game company sold out. They introduced class after class, with each addition throwing off pvp balance in insane ways. The new classes were put out as ¡®DLC¡¯ and the game quickly earned fame as a pay-to-win. Paladins, battlemages, nightblades, ninjas, and a massive assortment of other ¡®combination¡¯ style classes were introduced and the game went into pure chaos. Players soon were able to ¡®buy¡¯ accounts. Multi-Class accounts were put up for auction. People left the servers in the thousands. After three years, only a small dedicated few still played Trinity. Danny Smith was one of those few. - His father owned a rather large company, and let Danny have access to a near limitless amount of money. Despite being spoiled, Danny was also clever. He did all his assigned work, received excellent grades in his school, and kept himself in good athletic shape. He knew full well that if he slacked off his father wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pull the plug on his plastic money. Because of Danny¡¯s exceptional performance in all other aspects of his life, his parents opted to let him carry on with his vice of online gaming. After all, so long as he wasn¡¯t breaking any laws or destroying himself with drugs, how bad could a gaming hobby really be? Danny abused this freedom. He spent nearly every waking free hour in the game Trinity. The game being pay-to-win fit him well, and he ruled the largest Guild ingame with an iron fist¡­ The other Guilds often remarked that he ruled with a ¡®Gold¡¯ fist, though. Danny knew about his reputation, but he truly didn¡¯t care. He took the moniker ¡®Gold-Fist¡¯ in stride. Danny knew, even in the virtual world, the only thing people respected was money. Why work hard when you can pay others to work hard for you? Why be honest when you can pay others to hide the truth for you? If you throw money at problems, they go away! So you can imagine Danny¡¯s excitement when information that Demoness Sky, the most powerful unaffiliated player on all of Trinity, decided to auction off her account. Demoness Sky, despite being a free-to-play player had accumulated legend after legend in the game. She uncovered almost every secret class, found ways around paywalls, and consistently plagued the admins with bug after bug to the point they had a full moderator team tasked with following her around everywhere she went! Her account was a max level Mage, Thief, Assassin, Battlemage, Paladin, Oracle, Hunter, Array Master, Alchemist, Blacksmith, Samurai, Knight, and Summoner¡­ Plus some others. Granting her a total level of 1,945! The next highest level player was Danny¡¯s own Gold-Fist himself at only 977. One can only imagine how much he coveted the account. So Danny decided to go all out in the auction. The auction was hosted by the company behind Trinity itself, with them taking 10% of the cut. Apparently the girl who owned Demoness Sky wanted to keep her identity anonymous, but word got out that the reason she was going through with the auction was due to a family member¡¯s illness. The other players of Trinity, knowing full well Gold-Fist would win in the end, bid against him to drive up the price. It was the first time in the history of Trinity that 90% of the guilds banded together to do something like this. Eventually, Danny won the auction with a final bid in the tens of millions, an astronomical sum. Danny didn¡¯t care. He used his entire savings, and all the accounts his parents lent him. The money barely put a dent in his family fortune. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. - Danny sat in his computer chair with a goofy smile on his face. The room around him was wide and filled with posters and gaming paraphernalia. ¡°Yes yes yes!¡± Said Danny as he pumped his arms. On his computer screen the words ¡®Congratulations, you won the auction!¡¯ were flashing in bright green colors. Soon the popup faded and a robotic voice called out, ¡®You¡¯ve got mail.¡¯ Danny spun around once in his chair and then tapped his keyboard, opening up his e-mail. There was a letter from the Zero Sum company delivering the account information to the game account Danny had just purchased in the online auction.
Account name: Demoness Sky Account email: [email protected] Account password: Bucket9999%
Without hesitation, Danny opened up the game Trinity and entered the information. A small loading screen popped up before the game opened and Danny was looking at the character account he had just purchased. The account info worked. Without hesitation, Danny changed the password and account email to protect this new powerhouse account. He didn¡¯t trust anyone else in the world with this information. The character Demoness Sky was too powerful to give to his Guild Lieutenants. He only trusted himself operating the highest level and most broken character in the entire game. After changing the account information to protect it, Danny started rifling through the status screen.
Account Name: Demoness Sky Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 24 - Strength: 999 Speed: 999 Accuracy: 999 Stamina: 999 Spiritual Will: 999 Spiritual Sense: 999 - Classes (lvl): Mage (100), Thief (100), Assassin (100), Battlemage (100), Paladin (100), Oracle (100), Hunter (100), Array Master (100), Alchemist (100), Blacksmith (100), Samurai (100), Knight (100), Summoner (100), Qigong Fighter (100), Martial Artist (100), Healer (100), Spearmaster (77), Tamer (100), Dragon Rider (68)
Danny went slack jawed. He knew Sky was powerful, but even he hadn¡¯t been prepared for this obscene situation. The stats being maxed was considered impossible by most in the game¡­ Even Danny, with his main account being considered the second strongest player in Trinity, had only stats in the upper 600s. ¡°How did she manage to do this?¡± Danny asked aloud to no one. Sweat began to form on his brow. The account had been auctioned off by the official game company to help the original owner maintain her anonymity, so surely everything on the account had to be legitimate¡­ But Danny still couldn¡®t figure out how someone could get such a powerful character without hacking. Danny stood up. His eyes glowed with confusion. He decided he needed a drink, so he left his room and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Grabbing a tall glass, Danny pressed it up against the ice dispenser on his fridge. His phone buzzed, giving him a notice about a new text. Ice cubes clanged down into the glass, but one bounced out onto the floor. Danny didn¡¯t notice. He was too focused on his text message. Danny stepped forward, directly on the dropped ice cube, and slipped. The back of his head smashed into the corner of the marble countertop. He died in a flash. As the world grew dark, Danny only had one regret: that he hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to use the Demoness Sky character yet. The darkness seemed to swirl around Danny, and then something that looked like a tunnel opened up. At the end he could see a bright light, like a newborn star. Suddenly a massive pressure pressed down on all sides of him and he found himself moving towards the light. The light grew larger and larger, until it completely surrounded him. Then everything went dark again. Danny cried out in pain, and was surprised to hear his own crying voice. Amale voice spoke in a strange language Danny didn¡¯t recognize. To him it sounded like gibberish. Then a woman¡¯s voice, a voice filled with both exhaustion and softness, replied with a word Danny did understand: ¡°Sky.¡± Danny tried desperately to open his eyes, just to confirm his suspicions, but when he did the light was overwhelming and he could only make out what seemed to be silverish outlines of giant people. Danny had been reborn. 1. Take Time With a Wounded Hand A 13 year old Sky stared up at the heavens, her eyes filled with both determination and the fire of youth. Her body was well toned for a teenage girl, and she was nearly a head taller than her peers. Her hair was a glossy black and long, falling to the mid of her back. In front of her was a blue-colored screen that only she could see.
Name: Sky Frederiksen Age: 13 Gender: Female Cultivation: Body Refining (7) Cultivation Technique: Rising River Qigong Method (Low Tier) - Strength: 999 (6) Speed: 999 (7) Accuracy: 999 (6) Stamina: 999 (9) Spiritual Will: 999 (10) Spiritual Sense: 999 (12) - Classes (lvl): Mage (100), Thief (100), Assassin (100), Battlemage (100), Paladin (100), Oracle (100), Hunter (100), Array Master (100), Alchemist (100), Blacksmith (100), Samurai (100), Knight (100), Summoner (100), Qigong Fighter (100), Martial Artist (100), Healer (100), Spearmaster (77), Tamer (100), Dragon Rider (68)
A strange smile crossed her face as she looked down at the field in front of her, where rows upon rows of other kids her age were all sitting cross-legged trying to refine Qi. The highest among them was her older cousin at the Body Refining 8th Rung. Casting her eyes at him, Sky called out the word ¡®Status¡¯ in her head.
Name: Eric Frederiksen Age: 18 Gender: Male Cultivation: Body Refining (8) Cultivation Technique: Inferno-Style Qigong Method (Low Tier) - Strength: 7 Speed: 8 Accuracy: 6 Stamina: 9 Spiritual Will: 13 Spiritual Sense 12 - Classes (lvl): Qigong Fighter (2), Martial Artist (2)
In this world, Sky inherited her classes, levels, and stats from the Demoness Sky character account. At the age of five her previous classes were unlocked, and she became the most powerful toddler in history¡­ Of course, on the outside no one could tell how powerful Sky was. She began cultivating at the age of ten, and purposefully held her cultivation back. Despite that, her speed was well above her peers. The adults all called her gifted, and poured martial resources into her¡­ All of them completely in the dark of Sky¡¯s true strength. On the surface she only showed meager stats, but at the drop of a hat she could unleash her body¡¯s full potential. ¡°Sky,¡± A man called out. Sky turned around, recognizing the voice as belonging to her uncle Soren, Eric¡¯s father. ¡°Yes uncle?¡± Sky asked as she bowed and clasped her hands to the tall man with a dark-black beard and bald head who was floating down towards her from the sky. ¡°You¡¯ve made another breakthrough?!¡± Her uncle asked, his eyes wide. Inside his eyes a faint killing intent could be seen, something Sky could only see due to the powerful class bonuses from the Oracle class. ¡°Yes uncle,¡± Sky replied. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± He lied. ¡°You¡¯ll be overtaking Eric soon.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Uncle,¡± Sky replied, trying to keep her emotions from showing. She knew her uncle hated her. She knew he was jealous of both her talent and the fact that her father was inheriting the family estate. Eric¡¯s talent should have made Soren the first in line for the inheritance, but Sky¡¯s appearance and her incredible performance stole that glory away. ¡°Your Grandfather wants you to go see him,¡± Soren replied, still hiding his disdain. Sky bowed to her uncle and made her way off into the distance. She could feel her uncle¡¯s icy glare boring into her back. After Sky left, Soren started walking after her. He wore an ugly expression on his face, as if the task of fetching his niece was beneath him. - Being only in the Body Refining Rungs meant Sky was incapable of flight. Of course, using her real class powers she could achieve flight easy, but she restrained herself. She jogged, using only the stats someone at her level of cultivation should have. Slowly the training fields gave way to a large series of brick courtyards and snaking white-stone walls. Grand buildings appeared one after another, until finally the most majestic building on the entire estate came into view. Numerous people were shuffling about here and there, going on about the clan business and dealing with the day to day dealings of running a powerful house. Sky walked up to the main building and climbed the stone stairs, ignoring the stares from all of the passerby. She was immediately recognized as the ¡®clan princess¡¯ and numerous people wanted to catch sight of her. Of course, in her own opinion, Sky wasn¡¯t all that pretty. She was fairly average, but¡ªdue to her talent and position¡ªthose around her viewed her as far more attractive than she did. Sky hated her body. She hated being womanly, and actively trained her muscles to try and bulk out her physique. It was only partially effective and only served to make her body more appealing as she continued to grow. At the top of the stairs stood a large door. Outside the door stood two guardsmen wearing ornate armors and brandishing spears. They didn¡¯t stop Sky as she entered, having recognized her immediately. The inside of the building was as grand as the outside. Azure hallways were adorned with gold finish. Every door inside the building was made of 100 year Spirit Wood and the floors were adorned with carpet made from the furs of Spirit Beasts. Close behind Sky was her uncle Soren, staying far enough back that people could tell they weren¡¯t walking together¡­ Despite them sharing a destination. Sky turned down a long hall adorned with paintings of the past Patriarchs of the Frederiksen family, each one more ancient than the last, all the way down to the very founder. At the end of the hallway was a large double-door. Sky pushed it open and walked into what looked to be a round council chamber. At the end of the room was a curved table filled with all of the clan elders. In the center of the table was the current patriarch, Sky¡¯s grandfather, York Frederiksen. Soren entered just after Sky and hurried over to the curved table and took his seat near the far end. Opposite him sat Sky¡¯s father, Derik Frederiksen. In front of the table, standing at a podium, was an old man Sky didn¡¯t recognize. However his cultivation base was above even her grandfather. He was in Cracked Core stage. Next to him was a young man Sky did recognize as Ryan Grento, a boy from the Grento clan the same age as her. They were even friends and went on adventures when they were younger. Of course, his personality was rather arrogant, but he acknowledged Sky was superior to him and reigned in his haughtiness in front of her. A confused look crossed Sky¡¯s face as she looked on. Why was Ryan here? Who was the old man with him? Sky could sense his cultivation and see his stats, but couldn¡¯t determine his name until she was told it. Her cheat powers weren¡¯t omnipotent, unfortunately. ¡°Sky,¡± spoke her grandfather. ¡°This is Elron Grento, the patriarch of the Grento branch in this country.¡± The old man nodded as Sky¡¯s grandfather introduced him. From his expression, Sky could see where Ryan got his arrogant nature from. ¡°And you already know Ryan.¡± Ryan nodded, imitating his grandfather¡¯s style. Normally he¡¯d wave when he saw Sky, but today he seemed reserved and unmoving. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Sky Frederiksen greets the envoy from the Grento Clan,¡± she said as she curtsied. The motion was rather butchered, but she was never concerned with etiquette anyhow. Sky¡¯s horrid curtsy drew a frown from the old Grento guy. ¡°This is the girl?¡± The old man asked Ryan, his voice laced with disbelief. He seemed surprised. ¡°She has talent sure, but that¡¯s all she has.¡± The old man¡¯s words were like arrows. Sky felt like she had just been sucker punched, and her uncle was openly laughing. ¡°Grandfather, she¡¯s the only one that can match up to me (aside from the Capilli freak). All the rest are too far beneath,¡± Ryan replied, his voice oddly sharp considering he was speaking with his respected grandfather. Though he did whisper something strange in the middle. Sky¡¯s eyes went a bit wide as she started to understand what was going on. She wasn¡¯t here to be punished for something¡­ ¡°Very well. Girl, from now on you¡¯re a daughter-in-law to the Grento family,¡± said the old codger, as if he could decide the matter alone. Ryan¡¯s face went bright red as he looked over at Sky. Sky¡¯s face could only be described as being in utter shock. Just as She was about to start yelling, her grandfather stood. ¡°Now hold on, Elron. We haven¡¯t even asked the girl what she thinks about all of this. I thought you were here for a marriage proposal. That didn¡¯t sound like a proposal.¡± ¡°My grandson has taken a liking to this girl,¡± spoke the old Grento, ¡°And I think she¡¯s just talented enough. I don¡¯t care what her thoughts are. She¡¯s just a Body Refining cultivator from an inferior clan.¡± A mild killing-intent spread from the old man. A vein pulsed on Sky¡¯s forehead. Her Qi churned and she stared daggers at both the boy she considered a friend and the rude old man. If he made even one move towards any member of her family, she would smite him then and there. Just as Sky was about to start shouting her father Derik Fredericksen stood up from his seat. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all just calm down here,¡± said Derik with a strained smile, knowing full well of his daughter¡¯s impetuous nature. A few others in the room also breathed in relief, noticing Sky¡¯s anger boiling. ¡°Sky is only 13 this year anyways. Talks of marriage can wait until both her and Ryan have graduated from the Academy in three years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s too young to just outright declare these things, Elron,¡± Grandfather Frederiksen interrupted. ¡°Tch. You truly are an ignoble weak clan. Most in our Grento house are engaged and married before their 15th year,¡± said the old man as he walked towards the door, dragging his grandson with him. He stopped just in front of the exit and asked, ¡°Why are you being difficult anyways?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to marry Ryan,¡± said Sky, finally interjecting. Her voice was incredibly firm. She liked Ryan as a friend, but she had never once considered him as anything more. The mere thought of relationships terrified her. Even with 13 years to adjust to being a woman, she wasn¡¯t ready to take the next step. Only the heavens knew when she would be. In fact, she had forgotten entirely about the idea of marriage while living to her fullest the last 13 years. Ryan, still being dragged by his grandfather, looked crestfallen at the statement. Then, a strange determination crossed his face and he looked up to meet Sky¡¯s eyes. The pride of a noble showed and, rather than being an incomprehensible asshat, Ryan found an inner strength that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Sky, I like you. I know we¡¯re friends, but I want to be more than friends with you. Will you be my wife?¡± he asked, finding a tremendous amount of courage. His voice didn¡¯t waver. ¡°No. You are my friend and nothing more.¡± Sky¡¯s curt words cut back almost on reflex, eliciting a few laughs; the oddest being the old Grento Patriarch who couldn¡¯t hold back a smile-- ¡°Actually, I¡¯m starting to like the girl. She resembles my wife a lot.¡± He looked down at Ryan with pity in his eyes. Sky tilted her head to the side. The old man¡¯s tone changed too fast. Elron continued, ¡°You have more sense than I thought, stupid grandson. I won''t be forcing anything for now. Two years.¡± He held up two fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give your Fredericksen family two years to agree before I have Ryan married off somewhere else. I''m certain you won''t find anyone better to take in your daughter, and the shame of being unmarried past 15¡­ You won''t wish that on her, will you?¡± The old man threw his head back and laughed again as he dragged Ryan out. The door shut behind him and the entire meeting room seemed to release a held breath. ¡°You stupid girl!¡± Boomed uncle Soren as he stood. ¡°That is the Grento house! Their elderly master is the Emperor¡¯s uncle! Their daughters serve in the imperial harems. Do you know how high our status would rise if we married a daughter into their main family line?!¡± ¡°Soren that¡¯s enough,¡± growled Derik. ¡°If my daughter doesn¡¯t want to marry someone no one here will make her.¡± Sky smiled at her father¡¯s words. She was used to being spoiled, in both this and her last life. Of course, her parents in this life were around far more often. In fact, she felt oddly close to them. To Sky, her father in this life was more important to her than her parents from before. That was also why she used her skills unreservedly to support him from the shadows. It was no secret that he was growing stronger far faster than anyone else in his generation, just like his daughter. Soren was probably feeling the pressure in the race to inherit the position of patriarch. In fact, had Sky not been so close to her parents she would have ran off long before reaching this point. Only out of love for them did she stay. After all, this was a fantasy world to explore! Sky wanted to see everything it had to offer, not sit in the Frederiksen compound her entire life. It wasn¡¯t like she lacked strength either. While her uncle and father started fighting, the rest of the family elders shuffled out of the room; some grumbled at the spat between brothers, others laughed and clapped along. Sky caught her grandfather¡¯s eyes and he grinned from ear to ear. ¡°You broke through again?!¡± Grandfather Frederiksen said in a loud voice. Everyone stopped moving. Only Soren didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°7th rung at only 13?¡± ¡°My god she has more talent than even the founder.¡± Immediately people began talking. Soon the entire estate would know. Sky groaned. Then, suddenly, she was picked up in the air and whirled about. ¡°You silly girl, why didn¡¯t you say something to me earlier!?¡± Her father asked as he danced with glee. ¡°In fact, had you mentioned your breakthrough earlier, none of these old codgers would have tried to marry you off so easily!¡± Sky grinned and then flipped out of her father¡¯s hands. Landing gracefully, she pat down her ruffled clothes. ¡°I was going to tell you, father. Then all of this popped up,¡± she replied, hiding a glint in her eyes. ¡°My god, at this rate the sects will send more recruiters than ever before at the New Year tribute--¡± This brief conversation allayed Sky¡¯s previous worries. She hoped she hadn¡¯t been letting her ¡®cultivation¡¯ advance too quickly. It seems she was balancing out her talent just right. She wanted to seem gifted, but not monstrous. A gifted child could inherit the clan itself, after all. She had considered using her skills to make a fake ¡®Master¡¯ for herself to explain her advancements if it seemed she was going too fast, but her worries were needless. If her father¡¯s biggest concern was recruiters coming later in the year, then her being at level 7 wasn¡¯t too big of a splash. - Meanwhile, outside in the bustling city air¡ª ¡°Grandfather, why did you threaten her?¡± Ryan Grento asked the old man still pulling at his arm as they walked off the Frederiksen estate. He frowned and glared at the old man with sharp eyes. ¡°You stupid boy,¡± the old man replied. ¡°You think I¡¯d threaten a house we¡¯re friendly with without purpose?¡± Ryan tilted his head in confusion. ¡°The old Patriarch of the Frederiksens planned that exchange. We wanted to see how this girl you¡¯re smitten with would react. They say she¡¯s never been interested in romance before. Her mother and grandfather were worried and helped set up something fun to test her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ryan seemed a bit shaken. ¡°I also got to see my own adorable Grandson so flustered, hehehehe~¡± The old man¡¯s tone shifted and his eyes narrowed. He stuck his tongue out and laughed. ¡°Grandpa stop, please,¡± Ryan asked as he lowered his head. Other people nearby were staring at the red-faced child and his laughing elder. A few watched with warm eyes; others looked on with colder expressions. ¡°That girl, though¡­ She¡¯s already at the 7th rung. She has more talent than any sect disciple I¡¯ve ever heard of¡­ And she doesn¡¯t seem to be that aware of how rare she really is. The Frederiksens did good raising her like that. She doesn''t¡¯ have your stupid arrogant nature.¡± The old man looked down at his grandson. Ryan¡¯s eyes went wide the moment his grandfather said the number seven. Ryan himself was considered a great talent, able to join almost any sect by being at only the 4th rung. ¡°That girl, when I released some bloodlust to see how she¡¯d react, her Qi started going wild. She would have tried to fight me directly to protect her family. Such a cute child. You did good getting close to her, boy. You have to win her heart in the next few years before she realizes just how high she can really shoot for. She could marry into the Emperor¡¯s family, even. Hell, the emperor himself would probably even take her as a wife if he could, knowing her talents. I know I talked a big game in there, but I was playing the bad guy for her Grandfather so she doesn¡¯t get conceited. You¡¯re now part of this plot, Ryan. If you don¡¯t work hard Talen Capilli might steal her from you.¡± ... ¡°But Granpa, Talen is a girl¡­¡± The old man smiled and said, ¡°You really are too young. You do know the King of the Northern Plains is actually a woman, and one with many wives at that. Girls can be just as big of competition for you as men in this world, you know~ I¡¯ve heard that the Capelli¡¯s ankle-biter has had her eyes on...¡± The two took a long walk back to the Grento estate and discussed many scandalous things. History would remember this as the day Ryan Grento learned some troubling truths of the world. ¡°Come, let Grandpa teach you the way to win the hearts of women~¡± - Later that night Sky laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling to her room. In this life she had many things she hadn¡¯t in her last. Sure there were no video games, but this life was like a video game itself. Being a girl was confusing, but it wasn¡¯t all that different from growing up as a boy either. Particularly when her ¡®boyish¡¯ interests like fighting, bugs, and adventure weren¡¯t disregarded in this strange world. She had always been a bit of a nerd, after all. Sky waved her hands and moved the Qi in the air around. She also felt mana and other resources there too from the game Trinity. This world was just like the game, but so much more real. Cultivation systems were mere subsets of the Qigong Fighter class. Most of the world didn¡¯t seem to even know about mana or elemental energy, either. They didn¡¯t seem to know about many things... It was strange, but Qigong was the easiest to tap into by purely training the body. It made some sense, but Sky didn¡¯t think too deeply on it. With the moon rising in the distance, Sky got up from her bed and changed into a more adventurous outfit. It was time for her weekly outing. On the night of every 6th day (Saturday), ever since her seventh birthday, she had followed the same routine. It was something she started on a whim but found great pleasure in afterwards. She used illusion magic to hide herself, activated her Thief skills, and then vanished from her room. A small ninjutsu clone was left behind in case the servants decided to check on her. In the halls of the Mercenary Guild, injured people were standing in a long line outside a small office. A bright glow came from the door, and then it opened up. Standing there, wearing a white mask, was the disguised Sky. She looked like a woman in her forties, her graying hair tied in a lovely bun. She wore brown ascetic robes. ¡°Come in, let¡¯s get treatments started,¡± she said with an upbeat tone. One by one adventurers, mercenaries, soldiers, hunters, and other people living rough lives were herded forward and fully healed free of charge by a wondrous magic. ¡°Thank you healer Daniela,¡± said one patron through sobbing tears, his right arm finally working again. After the last of the injured passed through, the healer Daniela vanished into thin air once again. The Grento guardsmen who came searching for her at this time found only an empty office and unkind words. The townsfolk didn¡¯t take kindly to anyone threatening their ¡®jewel¡¯. Cicada songs faded into the night and the city went to sleep. Only the mighty Lao River spoke, its hushed whispers bubbling over the banks. White fog rolled up the valley. It covered the city and tiptoed all the way to the base of the Fredericksen estate. Another night passed in peace for the city of Altruce. 2. Redefine Your Priorities Laying in bed after returning from her Saturday excursions, Sky thought about her future. She loved power. Political power, that is. Something about being able to order others and have them listen, not because she was strong, but because they respected her came with a strange high. It was why she ran a guild despite all the hardships of it in her previous life. It was also another one of the reasons she never left the Frederiksen estate. Sky loved her parents and siblings, but she also loved the prospect of inheriting a noble house. She didn¡¯t want to stay on this crappy estate her whole life, but she wouldn¡¯t mind keeping it as her base of operations. The money and power that came with a noble clan, even a lower ranked one, was too much of a temptation. Oddly, as she laid still, Sky¡¯s thoughts turned and she pictured Ryan¡¯s face as he proposed to her the day before. Despite her cold words, Sky seriously considered marrying Ryan at that moment¡ªeven if just to abuse his name to secure her future as the de-facto leader of her clan. Her instincts stopped her short, and she shivered at the thought of having to do anything ¡®romantic¡¯ with him, though. Oddly, those aversions seemed to be growing weaker. A distant part of her puberty-soaked brain screamed in the background, telling her to do unspeakable things. Adolescent hormones were a massive kick in the ass at times. She even thought, for a moment, that having a house-husband to unload all the work of running a clan onto wouldn¡¯t be so bad¡­ - Sky leapt from her bed at the first sign of morning. Two maids entered the room and started helping her get ready for the day. They were already used to their lady waking early. Dressed in training garb, Sky walked to the main family courtyard and began going through the ¡®exercises¡¯ her family provided her. She walked through the martial arts carefully, and continually forced her own ¡®Martial Arts¡¯ from taking over. Acting weak with her body was far harder than she originally thought it would be seven years ago. Many-a-times had she been ¡®rescued¡¯ by her illusion spells at younger ages. In fact, morning training was probably more stressful and difficult for Sky than any other child her age. The others were training to get stronger, but Sky was training to hold herself back. A feat she often failed. With morning training coming to an end, Sky returned to her room where her maids had already dragged in and filled a wooden bathtub. Sky didn¡¯t have any problems with being bathed or pampered by others. Her past life gave her plenty of experience being taken care of by servants. In fact, she never would have died in the first place if she had called her maid to get the glass of water for her back then... Of course if she had the body she had now she wouldn¡¯t have been injured by such a simple fall, either. In fact, she was certain her current body could take on a nuclear blast point-blank without much trouble. With the bathing over, the maids pulled out a uniform Sky hadn¡¯t seen before. She tilted her head in confusion for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s your uniform for the Academy, Miss,¡± said one of the maids, reading Sky¡¯s questioning glare perfectly. ¡°Oh, the Academy classes start today?¡± Sky asked, actually surprised at the lost time. ¡°No today is just the opening ceremony and an introduction. Your classes don¡¯t actually start until next week, Miss.¡± The maids were used to their mistress being a bit out of the loop. The clan kept many things from her to allay her troublemaking nature. Sky nodded her head and was quickly dressed. The uniform consisted of black pants and a dark blue shirt, both made of course rough material. The academy logo of a crane in a martial pose was on the back. The clothes had weight to them, and the weight could be increased by linking to certain arrays and formations within the Academy. It was an efficient training uniform. Perfect for an Academy dedicated primarily to martial endeavors. The Academy taught martial arts, history, economics, mathematics, social studies, sciences, alchemy, smithing, etc¡­ But the unifying features for everything were Qigong and Martial Arts. Only with sufficient Qi could a person perform alchemy or smithing to a high level. Only with internal power could a person memorize thousands of array points, or perform extremely advanced mathematics in their head. ¡®Of course mana could be used for all of these as well¡¯, thought Sky. It was truly a fantasy school. Sky felt somewhat excited, to be honest. Perhaps she could find some skills or professions her abnormal body hadn¡¯t already mastered. Or she could even find information on the structure of the world as a whole. So far she only knew of the empire she lived in, the Northern Grasslands, the mountainous regions to the west, and the sea to the east. There had to be a whole wide world out there, and she wanted to see all of it. A sense of adventure swelled up inside her. This would be her first step towards her goal. If she graduated with top honors her family wouldn¡¯t be able to guilt-trip her into staying put at the mansion either! She could take Ryan Grento in as her househusband, and then go on adventures while he did all the paperwork back home. She could even bring Talen along too. Talen loved adventures and was, perhaps, the best friend Sky had ever had in two lifetimes. It was a solid plan. She was iffy on the ¡®marriage¡¯ part, but she was more confident after having some time to think on it. She outright denied Ryan on the spot yesterday, but she was certain he was someone she could always overpower if needed. She couldn''t ask for a better ''husband''. Until she was fully comfortable with being a woman, there would be zero romantic stuff happening... And she could experiment as she pleased. It¡¯s not like Ryan could stop her; he could hardly get a word in edgewise whenever they did anything together. He was more like a subordinate than a friend. Sky liked it that way, though. Ryan was a precious friend who would do anything for her, after all. Sky grinned to herself and laughed under her breath. Her maids looked on with dejected expressions. Everyone knew about Sky¡¯s habit of evil-laughing whenever she thought up some boneheaded troublemaking scheme. It was too common of an occurance in the Frederkisen estate. - Ryan Grento sneezed. He felt, for some reason, that something terrible and ominous just happened somewhere in the world. He shivered as he finished putting on his Academy uniform. He wasn''t certain why, but he felt as if his future just became infinitely more bleak. - The carriage ride to the Academy was quiet. Sky rode alongside her mother and older brother, both of whom were people she had trouble acting out in front of. Mostly because they were too kind; it hurt Sky¡¯s heart whenever she disappointed them. Her father though? He encouraged her too much. Father and daughter were kindred spirits in troublemaking. The maids must have ratted on her, and told the family she was planning something earlier. That was usually how Sky¡¯s shenanigan making was caught, after all. She decided to punish the maids later. After all, this time she hadn''t even been planning any real shenanigans. Sky¡¯s older brother had little talent in cultivation, but no one dared make fun of him or cause trouble for him at the Frederiksen estate. Especially after Sky raised hell and beat the tar out of the few that did try. He was of average height for a 16 year old and was going into his senior year at the Academy. Bellan Frederiksen was renowned for his talents as a merchant, and he even owned a few caravans that traded with other cities. While most people in his position would be targeted by evildoers, no one ever tried to approach him with malicious intentions¡­ There was also a rumor that those who did usually disappeared. Having the world¡¯s most powerful little sister did have some benefits, even if Bellan never knew about any of them. To him, Sky was someone he had to protect. Sky¡¯s mother was a rather talented cultivator, having reached the same realm as the current Patriarch: the Golden Core stage. In fact, she was probably the strongest cultivator in the entire Frederiksen estate (barring a few of the ancestors hibernating on their deathbeds). Not many actually knew this because she kept a low profile. In her youth, Natalie Frederiksen had been much more active. Thankfully, starting a family calmed her heart and helped her settle down into a wonderful life. Frankly, Sky wasn''t certain how her father managed to land such a catch. Sky loved her mother a lot in this life, and couldn¡¯t act out in front of her at all. Her mother had a ¡®heartbroken stare¡¯ that she could flash to instantly reign in her daughter. It was an odd dynamic, but both loved each other to pieces, and that was all that mattered. Despite having a high cultivation, Sky¡¯s mother was an exceptionally gentle woman. Sky¡¯s younger brother and her father both remained at the estate and were undergoing special training from Grandfather Patriarch. Sky wished they were here. Without them around, her ability to cause trouble was halved at least. A school to train yourself as a warrior seemed far less appealing to someone already far stronger than any teacher she could ever meet. - The streets of Altruce were paved with something similar to cement, a very heavy and smooth brick-like substance native to the mountains around the city. With cultivators being used as a labor force, the three big families (Grentos, the Frederiksens, and the Capillis) maintained the infrastructure and the peace. Tax income coming in from the markets and the guilds funded the three families in return. Of course this income was partitioned based on national standings and strength, meaning the Frederiksens recieved the least while the Grentos took in the most. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. All three families, despite their relentless teasing and fightings, were rather close. They liked to foster competition to improve their younger generations, but all of them were tight knit. Intermarriages were common, but nothing close to having the main families tied together. The biggest reason Ryan and Sky being ¡®engaged¡¯ was such a hot topic was due to this. The Capilli family especially didn¡¯t want to see anything like that. If the marriage actually did happen it could throw off the natural order, and pull the Frederiksens into second place. That and it would break their Young Master¡¯s heart. The ride was smooth and Sky enjoyed talking with her mother and older brother for a bit. Both were gentle people and very encouraging. Her brother, especially, talked about how she didn¡¯t need to marry the ¡®Grento Bastard¡¯ if she didn¡¯t want to, and that he could get her much better options. Sky didn¡¯t doubt him. His ties as a merchant were surprisingly deep, to the point he even managed to approach her ¡®alternate ego¡¯ Daniela once. Of course, Daniela vanished and gave him the cold shoulder. Sky didn¡¯t trust her magics enough to disguise herself in front of others who knew her that well, especially her family. She enjoyed helping others and got out all her ¡®altruistic tendencies¡¯ by using Daniela. If her true identity were ever uncovered, she¡¯d have to run away in shame. She had a reputation as a troublemaker, after all. Daniela, on the other hand, had a reputation as a true Saint. Sky didn¡¯t want Daniela to ever meet a member of her immediate family. She wanted to use Daniela as her ¡®mysterious master¡¯ should the need ever arise. It was another one of the reasons she started going out and helping others: to build a good reputation. There weren¡¯t many healers or doctors in this world, it seemed. Qigong could be channeled to heal others, but it was extremely taxing and not that good at dealing with anything more serious. Not many cultivators would go out of their way to help others. All the piled up injuries, broken bones, and broken spirits gave the city a depressing feel¡­ This world was a harsh one to live in. Sky didn¡¯t like that. She liked money more than most things, but she liked having a nice hometown more. Altruce was hers. She would never let it fall to ruin, because she planned on running it one day. Daniela never charged a single dime for her healings. - The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the Academy gates, and Sky jumped off laughing. Her expressions and brusque movements drew the ire from some onlookers, but most stopped staring when they saw the Frederiksen crest. ¡°Come along, sis, I¡¯ll show you around. We still have an hour until orientation,¡± said Sky¡¯s brother as he stepped off the carriage in a more graceful manner. If Sky¡¯s energetic movements drew stares, then Bellan¡¯s calm and stoic nature attracted a ferver. Whispers shot through the courtyards by the gate about the ¡®Talentless Trash¡¯ of the Frederiksens. Sky¡¯s eyes jumped from face to face, memorizing the visage of every person that dared insult her older brother. Sky knew for a fact that revenge must be swift and ruthless. - Sky and Bellan walked through the gates together. Their mother decided to wait in the carriage for a while until it was time for the orientation. She claimed to be tired, but Sky knew that was bullshit. A golden-core staged cultivator wouldn''t get tired from a carriage ride. Her mom was drawing up talismens and other arrays instead, making small tools and accessories for her children to protect them. "She''s too good for this world," Sky mumbled under her breath, holding a hand over her heart. "Did you say something?" Bellan asked. "Nope!" - One by one Bellan introduced the buildings and their functions. The campus for the Academy was large, filled with sweeping courtyards and snake-like paths. Most of the buildings were brick or stone, but a few were made of other materials like spirit-woods or even the bones of wild beasts. ¡°This building, shaped like the letter ¡®T¡¯, is where most of the science and alchemy experiments are done¡­¡± Bellan¡¯s voice droned off in the background. Sky didn¡¯t really care too much about these things. Instead she focused on sensing the most powerful auras on the campus. There were four distinct, powerful people here. Each would probably be equivalent to a level 50 or higher character. While they were a far cry from herself, these people over level 50 were definitely the cream of the crop in this country. Even Elron Grento, the strongest man Sky had met since coming to this world, was only level 32. The cultivation equivalent would be Nascent Soul or even the next step up, Dao Soul. They were strong. Much stronger than the three families (at least on the surface)¡­ And one of them was approaching. ¡°Ah!¡± Bellan cried, as he grabbed Sky¡¯s hand and pulled her towards a gray-haired old woman. Sky could feel the woman¡¯s strength. Her Qigong method made her soul glow with a frightening light. ¡°Sky, this is Mistress Yan, the head of the Alchemy and Array schools.¡± Mistress Yan smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkled. ¡°Hello there, little Bellan. This must be your sister,¡± she said, offering a hand for Sky to shake. Sky could see the magic of ¡®appraisal¡¯ on Mistress Yan¡¯s hand. This woman was crafty, but she didn¡¯t have any killing-intent at all. The appraisal seemed purely for scouting talent, and Sky was trying to pretend to be a talent at the moment. Harnessing her Oracle Class, Sky forcibly modified the information her body would show on an appraisal. She changed her stats to match a 7th Rung cultivator, and she added in both low ranked professions for alchemy and array master, as well as a few others related to the Academy curriculum to pad out her skillset. She decided on only using 7 basic professions, since they were the easiest to understand. She assumed seven wouldn¡¯t be too little. After all, her account for GoldFist back then had around 12 professions, even, and she considered that to be pretty normal for high ranking characters. Demoness Sky went by far too different of a standard to measure. Limiting her professions to these seven might be a bit overkill, but Sky didn¡¯t want to show off too much. These were also the seven primary skills she planned on using in public with her real identity, eventually. Everything else would stay hidden. The Thief and Assassin classes being at level 100 was the greatest boon for Sky. With their powers she was able to hide any spiritual fluctuations and keep up her facade. She didn¡¯t want to startle this world. She just wanted to live a fun life, and maybe become a high ranking aristocrat. Maybe go on a few adventures¡ªDefeat some mythical monsters¡ªTopple a few evil demon lords along the way¡ªGet her house husband to raise some kids... You know, girl things. For that she wanted to build up her ¡®legend¡¯ step by step. After all, she wanted normal relationships with people, and if she revealed her true powers to the world, she had no doubt her relationships would be a bit strained. Her family would probably still love her, but they would definitely look at her differently. Sky''s heart shook at the thought. Sky lived her first 5 years in this world without any powers at all, and she grew to truly love her family and friends in that time. Just because her classes, skills, and stats were activated on her fifth birthday didn¡¯t mean Sky became a different person. In fact, such an overwhelmingly loved early life had a tremendous impact on Sky¡¯s mentality. It was something she never experienced in her past, where her parents never bothered much. If it came down to it, Sky would literally die for her current family''s peace. So she planned on being a truly talented and wonderful daughter. Sky took Mistress Yan¡¯s hand with a rough grip and rudely greeted her, ¡°Hello there, Miss Yan!¡± One thing Sky learned from the last few years of hiding her strengths was to avoid lying whenever possible. That included lying by pretending to be something she wasn¡¯t. Sky didn¡¯t like etiquette, or being fancy. If she wasn¡¯t obligated to do it, she wouldn¡¯t. And an informal meeting with a woman who would soon be her ¡®teacher¡¯ was definitely a good time to let her true self shine. By showing a more raw side to her emotion, she added another layer to her oracle deception in fooling the appraisal. ¡°Ah! Sky that¡¯s not how you greet a respected elder,¡± her brother chimed in, and Sky froze. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry!¡± Sky bowed her head. She couldn''t handle her brother¡¯s disappointed stare. She loved him too much. With proper form, Sky reintroduced herself to Mistress Yan. Of course, she made certain to keep up her counterfeit status for the appraisal spell. ¡°You are quite an interesting one,¡± said Mistress Yan, her smile spreading wider and wider, as if it were to cut her face in half. ¡°You have a lot of talent. I¡¯ll go to the principle and have you assigned to my direct classes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± said Sky with a proper curtsy. The three talked for a moment, and then Mistress Yan walked away. Bellan seemed particularly excited that his sister made a good impression with a proper master. He had set this meeting up in the first place, after all. Though he was definitely going to tell their mother about Sky''s rude attitude with the first greeting. Such poor manners needed to be hammered out early. - Mistress Yan walked into a wide room filled with auburn colored furniture. Maps covered the walls, some so old they were disintegrating in their displays. Flags from numerous empires and countries could be seen folded in the corners. Replica weapons and real weapons were strewn about like detritus. In the room three people were waiting, the three other strongest people on the campus. Mistress Yan smiled and spoke, ¡°She¡¯s even better than we thought.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± replied an old voice, belonging to the current headmaster, Old Senn. He stroked his long beard in thought. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yan, ¡°She¡¯s already at the 7th rung and close to breaking through to the 8th.¡± The three men in the room stood from their seats. One with dark hair nearly jumped. ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Mistress Yan continued, ¡°She has several inborn divine talents. One for Alchemy, Arrays, Smithing, Swordsmanship, two for Stealth, and even one for Healing.¡± In that room, the sound of a pin drop could be heard. All four of the school heads couldn¡¯t breathe. The principal cleared his throat, ¡°We¡¯ll set up a special education course for her. I¡¯ll teach her swordsmanship, Yan will teach her alchemy and arrays, Enkidu will show her smithing and Jamisen will give her instructions in stealth and assassination.¡± The man named Enkidu stepped forward with a dark look in his eyes, ¡°Sir, what do you intend to do here? Are you trying to¡­¡± ¡°I intend to raise a little monster. If that old codger Frederiksen wasn¡¯t lying, this girl is a bit of a hellion, but a very loyal one. Wouldn¡¯t it be fun, to raise a cultivator stronger than any sect master, one who only has allegiance to the city of Altruce?¡± The Headmaster laughed with a dark look in his eyes. ¡°My friends, perhaps it¡¯s not long until Altruce can declare independence from the empire..." "What about healing," interjected the dark-haired Jamisen. "I''ve never heard of anyone in the city able to teach that..." "Well," said Mistress Yan, "If rumors are true there may actually be someone capable." "You mean the Saintess?The timid healer who runs away at the first signs of any trouble? How could we even approach her?" "I''ll do it," said the principal. "I have an idea." 3. Introductions and Breakthroughs Sky and Bellan walked for a bit longer, but soon made their way to a massive auditorium. A thick line of people were pouring in each of the entrances, their advance regulated by older uniformed students with log books. ¡°Name?¡± One of the older students asked, not bothering to look up from the book. ¡°Sky Frederiksen.¡± ¡°Frederiksen, Frederiksen¡­ Ah here,¡± said the boy pointing towards Sky¡¯s name in the booklet. ¡°You¡¯re in the front row¡­ WAIT.¡± The older student looked up and met eyes with Sky¡¯s brother. He faked a laugh and pulled out on his collar for a moment. Sky tilted her head in confusion, uncertain why the attendance taking student was freaking out. She didn¡¯t really care, though, and grabbed her brother by the arm and started dragging him into the auditorium, away from the strange staring match that had been taking place. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Sky asked her brother as they walked down the long sloping aisle. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ª A curt reply. ¡°Okaaaaaay,¡± Sky trailed off, noticing that her brother clearly didn¡¯t want to talk about it. The pair found their seats. Their mother was waiting for them there, waving her hand. Sky sat down and leaned into her seat, noting that it was made with 10 year spirit wood¡ªA nice luxury. The seat to her left was empty at the moment, but soon a familiar face filled it. ¡°Talen!¡± Sky exclaimed, smiling like a child as he best friend in all the world sat next to her. Talen Capilli cut an interesting figure. She looked more like a man than a woman, with her rugged features and flat chest. Her face angled downward and looked like it belonged on a bird of prey, not a human. She had short spiked auburn hair and a crooked grin. ¡°Sky, you idiot,¡± said Talen, her voice crackling like an old record. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Ryan proposing to you!¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Sky¡¯s eyes went wide as she realized she never did send a message to Talen about that. ¡°You forgot. I can see it in your eyes.¡± Sky gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. ¡°Sorry,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you said no. That you snapped back with pretty harsh words too,¡± said Talen, her chin in the air and eyes curling like a hawk¡¯s beak. ¡°Yeah. I might have been a bit callous¡­¡± The corners of Talen¡¯s mouth lifted, ¡°No, I think you did just fine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ryan needed to get his arrogant ass slapped down. He needed to know his place.¡± ¡°His place?¡± Sky asked, confused. ¡°Third place, to be exact. First is you. Second is me. He can only be third,¡± said Talen as she faced forward, only looking over towards Sky with the corner of her right eye. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Is this a ranking of strength? Because last I checked Ryan beat you about a week ago in a fight¡­¡± Talen¡¯s head snapped sideways and she huffed, ¡°First of all, I was tired that day. My dad made me do the Spirit Mountain Climb earlier. Second of all, he got really lucky. I¡¯m definitely stronger than him¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°But no. I¡¯m not ranking strength. I¡¯m ranking in relationship-ship power,¡± she finished. ¡°Relationship-ship what?¡± Sky asked. ¡°In all the city, us three are the three youngest and most sought after marriage partners. Now that we¡¯re 13, our parents and family are going to start pressuring us¡­¡± Talen¡¯s voice seemed to fade off there. She looked Sky in the eyes. ¡°Sky, we should just marry each other and elop¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s starting, Talen!¡± Sky interrupted, not hearing her friends proposal at all as she focused on the stage where numerous strong people gathered. One of them was the teacher Yan who Sky talked with earlier. All four of the strong presences were there. Sky could feel a few of them staring at her. She gave them a goofy grin in return. ¡°You got shut down, Talen,¡± came a male voice from the row behind. Sky didn¡¯t really hear it. She was too focused on keeping her fake status up in case anyone on the stage had stronger appraisal magic. Just as she doubled down on her fake status another appraisal magic did indeed scan her. ¡®I am such a genius,¡¯ thought Sky. ¡°Shut up, Ryan. You fared no better,¡± Talen hissed off to the side. - An old man with a long beard walked up to the podium in the middle of the stage. He cleared his voice. ¡°Hello new students and their families, I am Headmaster Senn¡­¡± Sky listened but was a bit bored by the speech. She paid attention to the rules, in particular. She noted down anything important such as grading systems. Students were ranked in this school with Contribution Points. Each year had separate rankings, but there was also a universal all-time ranking board too, to foster the spirit of competition with past generations. Points were earned from successful completion of classwork, high performances on tests, outstanding feats, cultivation breakthroughs, tournament victories, and basically any other thing under the sun that could be a form of competition. New students would start with points equal to their cultivation rank in the body refining rungs. That meant Sky would start out with 7 points. The point ranking couldn¡¯t really earn anything other than recognition or fame, but Sky didn¡¯t mind. Reputation and fame was all she really wanted out of her school years, after all. She had a future planned, and in order to achieve it she would need to reign in as the top student of not only her year, but of all time. She would be at this school for 5 years, but she was certain she could break the records by her 3rd or 4th without giving up her secrets. She could easily break records her freshman year if she just outright revealed her real abilities¡­ The headmaster moved on to basic rules of the academy. Conflict was allowed, but if injuries cropped up everyone involved would get in trouble and could potentially lose points. There was an official dueling platform, but people had to be within 2 cultivation realms to fight there. Injuries were not investigated on the platform, but the participants were expected to pull back if the duel looked like it might end lethally. While killing was allowed on the official dueling platform, it was heavily frowned upon and most teachers would refuse a known murderer from their classes. Classes themselves were interesting too. Each teacher would give lectures and lessons to a certain number of students. They would take in only so many student disciples for specific subjects, often giving those with more points priority for their lessons. So teacher ¡®A¡¯ might only be willing to teach 30 students the basics of swordsmanship, but if 50 students try to sign up the 20 with the lowest points wouldn¡¯t be able to get in. If you had low points you had to study under worse teachers, and if you studied under worse teachers it¡¯d be hard to earn more points. It was a vicious system for the untalented.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Every student was assigned ¡®homeroom¡¯ teachers, as well, who doubled down as guidance counselors of a sort. They¡¯d give suggestions and help students plan out their paths. With the basic introductions over, the headmaster backed up and the other teachers on the stage started to spread out to their own personal stations. Students were expected to find and sign up for classes on their on at this point¡­ Well, most were. Mistress Yan walked up to Sky with a smile. ¡°Young Frederiksen,¡± called Mistress Yan, drawing looks from numerous people in the building. ¡°We¡¯ve already signed you up for your classes at the behest of your family.¡± Sky looked up and grinned. She knew full well she was getting special treatment here, and it felt great. Sky was never one to look down on being treated better due to status, money, or personal strength. Mistress Yan handed Sky a schedule, ¡°You can find any electives or other classes you might want to join, so long as they don¡¯t conflict with the times we have you down here. The Headmaster has taken a liking to you, girl, and decided he¡¯d be teaching you swordsmanship himself.¡± - Orientation for Sky proved to be almost a waste of time. She did manage to find a few clubs and electives she found interesting, but most conflicted with the schedule the academy higher-ups made for her. This frustrated her a bit. Several of the electives actually looked interesting. While Sky was, perhaps, the strongest person in the world, there were plenty of things she didn¡¯t know that could prove useful. Wilderness Survival, for example, was one elective that caught her eye. A few of the more mundane ones showed up too, like literature club type things and theater¡­ Oddly, Sky felt more attracted to those two than anything else. She never had much interest in theater or books in her past life, but that was because Video Games filled every void. In this world there were far less¡­ Interactive things to do. Books were a great company for a rainy evening alone when adventures couldn¡¯t be had. With those thoughts in mind, Sky picked out those electives on a whim more than anything. Immediately after she did so a veritable landslide of other first year students signed up for them as well, just to be in the same class as the ¡®Frederiksen Clan Princess¡¯. School was going to be quite an interesting time. - As the general assembly started to wind down a sudden wind lifted up, blowing papers and unfastened hats into the air. Overhead an airship crossed the horizon and landed on the green just outside the auditorium. The noise of its engines disrupted the entire event. From the airship Sky could feel the aura of two cultivators who were on the same level as the old Grento bastard among a bunch of smaller auras. There was also one strong one, about the same level as the Headmaster and Yan. The side of the airship came into view and Sky recognized the insignia on it. It belonged to the Empire¡¯s Royal Family¡­ Why was a royal airship crashing the Altruce Academy¡¯s orientation? That question was quickly answered as a middle-aged man walked off the ship with a young boy in tow. The kid looked to be about Sky¡¯s own age so she looked up his stats.
Name: Obern Sada
Age: 13 Gender: Male Cultivation: Body Refining (6) Cultivation Technique: Royal Lion Dual-Cultivation Qigong Method (High Tier) - Strength: 10 Speed: 6 Accuracy: 6 Stamina: 9 Spiritual Will: 10 Spiritual Sense 9 - Classes (lvl): Qigong Fighter (1), Martial Artist (2) Sada was the surname of the current emperor. Obern was the name of the Emperor¡¯s fifth son. Sky heard rumors about that name recently, bad rumors. Treating injuries as a ¡®saint¡¯ left her privy to the knowledge the lower class has, and that was invaluable at this moment. Sky immediately positioned herself to stand behind her brother and Talen. Ryan happened to be in front of her too but that didn¡¯t matter. Obern was, for all intents and purposes, not someone she wanted to be near. While she could kill him with a flick she really didn¡¯t want to expose herself over this. Obern was known to be forceful with women who caught his fancy, which happened to be literally any girl that had talent. His cultivation method too further reinforced just how shitty of a person he was. Sky analyzed it and the details made her want to puke. The Royal Lion method required intimate bodily contact with the opposite sex, and it drained the cultivation of the unfortunate partner at the same time. In exchange for such stringent requirements, it gave the user incredible prowess in their own cultivation stage and enhanced their physical body¡¯s strength. Which explained why his strength stat was even higher than Sky¡¯s cousin despite being two whole cultivation ranks lower. ¡°Prime Minister Maurel, what brings you and the young prince here to Altruce?¡± The headmaster said as he stepped forward and met the eyes of the middle-aged man. The ¡®Prime Minister¡¯ smiled. ¡°His majesty Prince Obern has heard great things about your Academy and, wanting to have some distance from his brothers and sisters, asked me to transfer him here,¡± replied the sleazy-looking Prime Minister. As the greasy man said those words, Sky felt his eyes look directly at her. Immediately Sky¡¯s oracle class went into high gear and a small fire lit in the pit of her stomach. She was really getting sick of being scanned and analyzed today. Really really sick of it. ¡°And, it seems, he¡¯ll have some tremendous competition here. Far more than he would back home in the same year,¡± the Prime Minister said, licking his lips like a freak. ¡°Where is she?¡± The young prince asked. ¡°I heard she¡¯s quite the beauty.¡± ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± The Headmaster asked. ¡°The Princess of the Frederiksen Clan, duhh,¡± the prince replied, rolling his eyes. ¡°Father sent me here with his blessing, saying I can take her as mine.¡± ¡°Now Prince, that is not what His Majesty said,¡± interjected the Prime Minister. The Prince rolled his eyes again and sneered. ¡°He might as well have. He said I am free to court her. Now, where is she? I demand her to be brought before me.¡± - Sky¡¯s fists were shaking. Her eyes narrowed and a terrible thought came to her mind. She was about to take action when a hand grabbed hold of her shoulder. Sky looked up to see her mom looking at her with a gentle smile¡­ Though her mother¡¯s smile didn¡¯t hide the absolutely overwhelming killing intent radiating out. ¡°Young Prince, as the headmaster of this academy I would like to ask you to stop making a scene. If you wish to sign up for classes during this orientation ceremony feel free, but I wont have you making demands of my students. While in this school, everyone¡¯s status is directly related to their Academic Points Total.¡± Sky smiled hearing the headmaster defend her¡­ Though he did it in a rather roundabout way. He should have just slapped the arrogant bastard. ¡°Tch,¡± spit the Prince. ¡°Fine. Maurey, sign me up for the same classes that girl is in. I¡¯ll just see her then. I¡¯m going back to bed.¡± With that said, the Prince walked back onto the ship and slammed the interior door behind him, disappearing from sight. A flash of anger crossed the Prime Minister¡¯s eyes before he looked back over and smiled at Sky. ¡°Headmaster, can I trouble you to help me,¡± the Prime Minister asked. ¡°Of course, come, why don¡¯t I escort you to my office.¡± - The auditorium emptied out as everyone finished signing up for their classes. Sky followed her brother and mom, her hands still shaking in anger at the audacity of that royal bastard. Did she not show enough talent? Was 7 rungs in 3 years not enough to make the nobility back off of her and leave her alone? In her rage, Sky¡¯s aura increased explosively. Her seventh rung cultivation moved and smashed through the ¡®bottleneck¡¯. All at once she reached the eighth rung, and her aura settled down. All around her eyes were looking over, now. Teachers, including Yan and her high level posse, were staring slack jawed. ¡°Sky did you just¡­¡± Talen started to ask as she ran up. ¡°Yes.¡± Sky replied, her voice curt but laced with anger. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around Sky. Sky turned and hugged her mother back. ¡°That¡¯s my little pumpkin. You really are our brightest star. Dad will be so happy to see how hard you¡¯ve been working. Let¡¯s go home~¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom¡­ Do you think I could get away with breaking that Prince in half when he tests my patience?¡± ¡°Of course dear. In fact, your mother was planning on dealing with this herself¡­¡± Sky¡¯s mom grinned and a dangerous look crossed her eyes. A tremendous killing intent surged along with her cultivation. Her aura rose and a peal of thunder cracked in the sky. Like mother like daughter. A beam of spirit energy crossed the heavens and the older woman transcended the Golden Core stage in the middle of a crowd while hugging her daughter. Some would call this foolish, since anyone could interfere and hamper her breakthrough, but on this campus there was only one person who both could (and would) dare to. Though, if he tried, Sky would have smote him like an angry God. The crowds were wrong. Those who said the word ¡®Crazy¡¯ just didn¡¯t understand. Perhaps, in all the world, hugging Sky was the safest possible place to be during a breakthrough. On this day, the strongest cultivator in the Frederiksen house was made public. Sky¡¯s mother crossed into the Cracked Core stage with ease under the gentle nourishment of her daughter¡¯s love.