"Alright everybody, I'm about to go for a little walk with Oliver. See you later!" Sherach announced with a casual wave to his elite colleagues.
"Alright catch up with you later." Jura replied waving back.
We strolled away from the luxury of the VIP lounge, leaving the envious whispers of the diamond tiers behind. As we transitioned into the heart of the high-rankers' territory, the atmosphere shifted. It wasn't just the decor that was better; it was the entire infrastructure of power. The air here felt dense, saturated with the residue of high-level mana.
As we walked, I observed the stark divide between the classes. We passed the Ninja elite dojos, where masters—both men and women of various sects—oversaw grueling conditioning drills. Their movements were a blur of lethal precision. Further down, we passed an open-air pavilion where students practiced various forms of Kung Fu and other martial arts, their strikes creating sonic booms that echoed against the reinforced walls.
Finally, we reached a sprawling field where a group of young diamond tiers were practicing techniques that bore no resemblance to the basic elemental manipulation taught in the low-rank halls.
"Umm… Sherach?" I called out, my curiosity finally getting the better of me.
"Hmm?" he hummed, glancing back over his shoulder.
"What kind of magic is that? I've never seen those formations before."
"Oh, you mean those?" Sherach stopped, tilting his head toward the field. "That's called Shidan. It's the advanced doctrine of techniques used for high-output destruction and complex sealing. It's the standard curriculum for us diamond tiers."
"Why is it exclusive to your rank?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at a student who was currently condensing a sphere of oscillating energy.
"Because it's a matter of biological capacity, Oliver," Sherach answered willingly, his tone devoid of the usual elitist mockery. "Shidan requires a massive mana pool just to activate. A low-tier's vessel would likely rupture under the internal pressure. You need the hardware of an high rank to run the software of a Shidan technique."
I nodded, my mind already racing.
"Since he's a diamond tier and has befriended me, then I can use that proximity to my advantage."
"Sherach? Would you mind if I came here occasionally? Just to observe the training?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral. "Technically, a low-ranker like me shouldn't be permitted here, but with your word..."
Sherach laughed, closing his eyes as he gave a bright, supportive smile. "No problem at all! You're my friend, Oliver. You can come and go as you please. Honestly, I'm looking forward to your growth. Why don't you also come see me for private spars? You have immense potential, but your current techniques are... unbalanced. You're a lion in a cage, kid."
"I'd appreciate that. Thank you," I said. I wasn't about to waste the chance to study the mechanics of an SS-rank fighter.
"You're welcome! Now, shall we continue?"
I smiled, a genuine one this time. "Yeah. Let's go."
----
In a far, secluded section of the academy, deep within the obsidian-glass towers of the elite housing, Suki Von Valerius sat in a dimly lit private study. Before her, a blue holographic flicker stabilized into the towering figure of her father.
"Good day, Father," Suki said, her voice like a calm, frozen lake.
"Hello, my daughter. There is something I must show you, and I expect an adequate explanation." He flicked his wrist, and a holographic surveillance still of Oliver Veyron appeared in the air between them. "Who is this boy you have been spending your time with lately?"
"He's a friend, Dad," she replied simply.
"A friend?" Her father's voice boomed, vibrating the holographic projector. "Suki, it would be one thing if it were a female companion from a noble house, but a male commoner? Aside from your betrothed, no less?!"
Suki remained silent, her expression unfazed. She had dealt with his temper her entire life.
"Look here, young lady," he continued, his tone turning dangerously cold. "For the boy's own well-being, stay away from him. And he should stay away from you. You are obligated to Luka Cinandra. He is a Demi-God, the firstborn of one of the most powerful lineages in existence. He is your friend, your peer, and your future husband."
"Father, what are you suggesting?" Suki's eyes sharpened. "Don't tell me you intend to harm him. Besides, for the first time, I felt... alive. I felt like myself when I was with Oliver. I don't even know Luka too well."
"Did you just say Oliver?" Her father's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting into a mask of deep, suspicious thought. He seemed to recognize the name, or perhaps the weight it carried.
"Um... yeah? What's wrong with that?" she asked, noticing his sudden shift in demeanor.
He snapped out of his trance quickly, his face hardening back into a stern patriarch. "Anyway, I will not speak more than twice. A word is enough for the wise. For the kid's own safety, stay away from him."
The hologram flickered once and cut off, leaving the room in silence.
Suki sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Tsk. I don't get why I don't like that old manof my father. I'm sorry, Oliver... I'll have to avoid you for a while."
----
A month passed in a blur of secret training and public deception. During the day, I continued the training sessions with Ria and Kael. As I expected, their progress was remarkable, they had fully integrated the nebula breathing technique, their movements becoming more fluid and their mana signatures sharpening.
But while they practiced the basics, I was playing a much more dangerous game. Using Sherach's standing as a diamond tier, I spent my free hours sneaking into the Shidan training grounds.
With my hyper-god tier sage system, I didn't need weeks of lectures. I watched the diamond tiers struggle with complex seals for hours, while I grasped the entire concept of Shidan within minutes.
The Shidan techniques was fascinating. It wasn't the simple fire-and-forget elemental magic taught to the lower ranks. It was the art of elemental synthesis. It involved combining base elements—like the heat of the sun and raw mana—to create forbidden, destructive outputs or conceptual seals designed to neutralize cosmic-level threats.
I watched a diamond tier instructor demonstrate a high-level Shidan blast. He concentrated mana into his palm until it turned a blinding, sapphire blue. When he released it, the resulting blast didn't just hit the practice wall, it pulverized the atoms of the reinforced stone, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater.
No way, I thought, my heart thumping with excitement. I need to test this.
I left the academy grounds and headed for the outskirts, toward a secluded mountain range. It was a place of jagged rocks, lush green grass, and a thundering waterfall that masked any sound I might make. I sat on a flat rock in a yoga position, closing my eyes to enter my inner world.
My mana pool didn't look like a pond or a lake anymore. It looked like a swirling, miniature galaxy-like stardust. Although with a radius of twelve centimeters in length.
Suddenly, a strange, overwhelming presence washed over me.
It was so intense that I lost my concentration instantly. The pressure didn't feel like a physical weight; it felt like a heavy, freezing rain pouring down on my soul, accompanied by the silent vibration of thunder claps.
I snapped my eyes open and looked up.
Sitting casually on a jagged rock above me was a figure that seemed to swallow the light around him. He had spiky white hair and wore an eyepatch over his right eye. His left eye was a piercing, unnatural crimson. He wore the diamond tier uniform, but he had customized it—the collar was high and sharp, framing his chin like a rockstar, with red and black linen accents at the shoulders. He sat with his long legs in black denim draped over the edge, looking down at me with an unreadable expression.
The air around him was warped. His pressure was different from Sherach's—where Sherach was like a storm wind, this guy was like the cold, silent vacuum of space.
"Who is this guy?" I asked myself, my instincts screaming at me to run. This pressure... it's insane. It makes Sherach look like a child.
I stood up slowly, keeping my hands visible but ready to draw mana at a moment's notice. I stared at the figure sitting above me and stood up.
"Umm... who are you?" I asked, my voice steady despite the atmospheric weight.
The figure didn't answer immediately. He just watched me with that single crimson eye, as if he were deciding whether I was worth the effort of a conversation—or an execution.