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Conqueror of the Verse
By ColdLink Writer
Chapter VIII — Blades Beneath the Academy
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Morning sunlight washed over the towering stone walls of the Royal Integrated Academy of Aetherion.
Students gathered near the grand entrance gates.
The academy stood like a fortress of knowledge and power.
Knights.
Spirit users.
Elemental wielders.
Strategists.
This place forged the future defenders of the capital.
But before talent—
There was status.
And status ruled everything.
---
The Gate Incident
Near the entrance courtyard—
Three noble students surrounded a boy wearing torn clothes.
They laughed loudly.
“Look at this trash.”
“Did you come here to beg?”
“Go back to the streets.”
One of them kicked the boy.
THUD.
The boy collapsed onto the ground but quickly pushed himself up again.
“I… I came for the entrance trial…”
The nobles burst into laughter.
“You?”
Another kick struck his ribs.
WHACK.
“People like you shouldn’t even enter the gate.”
Students nearby watched.
But no one stepped in.
This was normal.
Power humiliated weakness.
Then—
A calm voice interrupted.
“That is enough.”
The nobles turned.
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Kashihero stood there quietly.
His black cloak shifted slightly in the morning wind.
Lucas stood beside him like a silent shadow.
The nobles frowned.
“Who are you supposed to be?”
Kashihero didn’t respond.
He simply looked at them.
Something in that gaze unsettled them.
The air grew heavy.
Uncomfortable.
One noble scoffed, though his voice carried hesitation.
“Whatever.”
They turned and walked away.
“Not worth our time.”
The courtyard slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
The boy remained standing.
Then suddenly—
He bowed deeply toward Kashihero.
“Please take me as your student!”
Nearby students turned to watch.
Kashihero studied him calmly.
The boy spoke again.
“My name is Arin.”
“I was abandoned when I was small.”
“I have nowhere to go.”
“I’m good at spirit control… and gathering information.”
His voice trembled slightly.
“But if I leave the academy gate…”
He lowered his head.
“I will probably die.”
Silence lingered.
Lucas observed the boy carefully.
His aura was weak.
But his spirit threads were unusually stable.
Exceptional control.
Lucas leaned closer to Kashihero.
“He is telling the truth.”
Kashihero looked at the boy for another moment.
Then spoke.
“Stand up.”
Arin slowly raised his head.
“You are accepted.”
For a moment he didn’t react.
Then realization struck.
His eyes widened.
“R-really…?”
Kashihero turned and walked toward the academy grounds.
“If you can’t keep up…”
His voice remained calm.
“I will throw you out myself.”
Arin bowed repeatedly.
“I will not fail you!”
Lucas smiled faintly.
“A useful addition.”
Kashihero said nothing.
But the scar on his hand pulsed once.
THUMP.
---
The Academy Grounds
The training fields echoed with noise.
CLANG!
CLANG!
THUD!
Steel struck steel.
Spirit energy flickered like sparks in the air.
Noble students dominated the central arena.
Commoners trained along the edges.
Some held cracked swords.
Some trained barefoot.
Arin followed behind Kashihero and Lucas nervously.
“This place is… huge…”
Lucas answered politely.
“It is also dangerous.”
---
Sword Enhancement Class
Several students gathered before Kashihero.
Most were commoners.
Two noble students joined out of curiosity.
One of them sneered.
“You’re the new instructor?”
“You’re barely older than us.”
Kashihero ignored him.
He slowly drew his katana.
SHING.
The sound sliced through the air.
“Enhancement is not power.”
“It is control.”
He raised the blade—
Then cut his finger.
A thin line of blood formed.
A single drop fell onto the katana.
“Fire.”
Instantly—
WHOOSH.
Flames wrapped around the blade.
Students gasped.
“That’s instant casting…”
Kashihero swung once.
SWOOSH.
The training dummy exploded.
BOOM.
The flames vanished immediately.
He sheathed the blade.
CLACK.
“Spirit energy does not obey those who beg it.”
Silence filled the yard.
“You must command it.”
No one mocked him again.
Arin watched with shining eyes.
---
Lucas’ Spirit Class
Inside the spirit hall—
Lucas stood before a large spirit-measurement crystal.
Students gathered around him.
He calmly removed his gloves.
“Spirit energy is not about quantity.”
“Only control.”
He placed his hand on the crystal.
A glow appeared.
Then intensified.
MMMMMMMM—
The crystal vibrated violently.
Thin cracks spread across its surface.
Students stepped back nervously.
Lucas removed his hand.
The glow vanished instantly.
The crystal stabilized.
One student whispered in shock.
“H-how much was that…?”
Lucas smiled politely.
“Ten percent.”
Silence.
---
The Academy’s Reality
At lunch the courtyard filled with students.
Nobles ate at polished marble tables.
Servants delivered their meals.
Commoners sat near the walls.
Arin sat quietly beside Kashihero.
After a moment he whispered.
“There are… strange instructors here.”
Lucas turned toward him.
“Explain.”
Arin spoke cautiously.
“Some instructors only appear at night.”
“And they always gather near the spirit tower.”
Kashihero’s eyes shifted slightly.
Interesting.
Across the courtyard—
An instructor stood near the tower.
His left hand rested casually at his side.
A black ring gleamed on his finger.
A hollow circle symbol.
Hollow Sigil.
Lucas murmured softly.
“Three of them.”
Kashihero nodded.
“They are watching.”
The ringed instructor suddenly looked toward them.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment—
Kashihero’s scar pulsed.
THUMP.
The ring glowed faintly.
Then the instructor turned away.
Lucas spoke quietly.
“Shall I remove them tonight?”
Kashihero shook his head.
“No.”
Lucas tilted his head slightly.
“You want to observe them.”
“Yes.”
Kashihero’s voice became colder.
“If they are here…”
“Something bigger is happening.”
---
Night in Aetherion
The academy became silent after sunset.
Wind flowed through the stone corridors.
WOOOO—
Torches flickered.
Students slept.
Inside their quarters—
Lucas poured tea calmly.
“You are patient tonight.”
Kashihero looked toward the distant cathedral rising over the city.
“The Hollow Sigil never moves without reason.”
Lucas nodded slowly.
“Then we are inside their nest.”
Kashihero’s scar burned again.
A system notification flickered faintly in his mind.
> Hollow Sigil Activity Detected
Observation Protocol Initiated
Deep beneath the academy—
A ritual circle glowed faint red.
Energy flowed through carved symbols.
At the center—
A Hollow Sigil elder slowly opened his eyes.
“The vessel has arrived.”
Another voice responded from the darkness.
“Prepare the ritual.”
“The Demon King will be pleased.”
Above them—
Kashihero opened his eyes slowly.
He looked toward the academy courtyard.
“But I am pleased too.”
Lucas smiled faintly.
The game had begun.
---
— End of Chapter VIII —
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