Kael was still going through his cycle of torture and had already vomited again, but because he hadn't eaten since yesterday, he was not allowed to vomit again.
He was now running around the arena, if it could even be called running; he was staggering at best, running in an unsteady manner. He only had one more cycle to complete, but he wasn't sure if he would finish it on time.
His evil teacher would surely torture him. He glanced at Valdren and Elmyra. Valdren was holding his sword with one hand, the other hand behind his back, and Elmyra was fighting with everything she had.
Valdren gave instructions each time and offered advice simultaneously:
"If you had attacked directly, you could have evaded."
Elmyra nodded without saying anything and continued struggling with her teacher.
Kael sighed in frustration:
"Damn it, I'm tired and badly injured. I have a broken rib…"
Kael opened his mouth and suddenly stopped in shock. He lowered his gaze slightly to his rib, raised his hand slowly, and touched the spot.
There was no pain, he felt nothing. He gained courage and pressed harder, but still, he only felt the pressure. He was even more shocked:
"Has it healed?? When??"
He started thinking about the last time he checked his condition but couldn't remember when he had last done it. Fatigue and the thoughts of black blood and the absorption of the bloodline had made him forget everything.
"Could it be because of absorbing the new bloodline ?"
That was certainly a possibility, since whenever he absorbed the bloodline, he felt a change in his body and even his soul.
"But… but it healed the first time in my last fight with the young men, but it didn't happen again, so it can't be the bloodline. Could it be the black blood?"
He stopped for a moment and thought about his possibilities.
"Maybe I wasn't even injured the last time, and I only imagined it due to fear. But that still seems a bit silly… Even if it was the black blood, is it something good or bad?"
"Surely healing is a good thing, but what is the price behind it?"
Kael started thinking about the lower layer and the way the black blood absorbed people, and suddenly, a thought struck his mind:
"Wait, was it really absorbing people? Doesn't this resemble the ability of Shadow Blood?"
Kael started thinking about what Shadow Blood and nyros had said before:
"Your true ability is self-absorption. What did they mean by that?" And nyros had also said: "The black blood has chosen you." So, was it really enjoying or searching for its chosen one?
"Even if that's true, it didn't choose me. I took it by force, so what does that mean for me?"
Kael stood there, and the questions just kept piling up in his head. He already had many questions before this, but now they had only increased. He felt a bitter feeling, not understanding what was happening to him and what was going on around him—'the unknown'—it really was frustrating.
He looked at his teacher while thinking:
"I can't even narrow down all these questions. I've had a bloodline for only a short time. Maybe the fact that I was born in the lower layer gives me an advantage in not having people suspect me. But I have to be careful with my questions."
He decided to leave everything and organize all the questions in his mind first, then start searching for the answers. At that moment, Valdren called out to him:
"Kael, time's up. How much did you complete?"
Kael looked at him with a frustrated look:
'Don't pretend to be clueless, you know well how much I've done.´ He sighed inwardly. "I only have one cycle left, and I couldn't finish it."
Valdren smiled at him: "Alright, don't worry. Your training will increase next time. Come on, sit down."
Kael listened to him, and looked at Elmyra. Her cheeks were flushed, she was sweating, and her breathing was heavy. He sat a little away from her, afraid of the strong beauty…
"It's time for the academy lecture. Go have lunch at the academy, then come for the lecture. Afterward, rest for the night, and we'll meet tomorrow."
He turned his head to Kael with a smile:
"Kael, tomorrow I'll teach you about the stages of advancement and explain other concepts to you, then I'll help you enter the first stage. But usually, that takes time, especially considering the purity of the bloodline you took."
Kael looked at him for a moment:
"So we also have to go to the academy. So all this running was really just for torture," he thought inwardly.
Valdren added with a somewhat amused expression:
"Don't neglect the lectures. They will help you understand this world and the wonders that happen."
Kael remembered something and raised his hand, a little embarrassed:
"Uh, teacher, I don't write or read."
Both Valdren and Elmyra looked at him.
"Damn, why are you looking at me like that? I was born in the lower layer, the lower layer!"
Valdren laughed to lighten the mood:
"Alright, don't worry, you just have to listen. Elmyra will help you learn, and if you don't understand something, ask her. So, stay together so you don't get lost."
Kael nodded, but Elmyra was still looking at him with a somewhat strange expression. Kael shivered as he felt her gaze pierce through him.
*****
They both headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Kael scanned the place a little, and the other students were noisy, seemingly all coming back from training. Kael's body shuddered:
"Damn, why are you still looking at me?"
Elmyra, who was supposed to be leading him and showing him the place, had started following him, her gaze never leaving him since they left the training.
"You don't need to take everything so seriously, girl," he thought, laughing inwardly.
They both stood in line. He took a tray, put a plate and a bowl on it. Elmyra was still staring at him and didn't do anything, so he took the same for her and handed it to her.
The place was noisy with students talking and coming in, but Kael was lost in thought:
"Maybe I can find some information about the black blood or Shadow Blood in the library or the archives in the lower layer. Even though the library is something public, it might help me. But the archives will definitely have some information, but I can't access it, and even so, I don't know how to write or read, and it will take time."
He started thinking about the possibilities, and suddenly, a strange thought came to him:
"Wait a minute, how exactly do I know about the library and the archives?"
And he started laughing at himself:
"I don't need to learn how to write or read. I already know it: the Guardian's memories are now my memories."
He smiled happily:
"I had already forgotten because of the black blood and the strange healing. Damn, I need to calm down. But I already told Valdren and Elmyra, and it caused a bit of a dilemma, but it's not really a problem. I can pretend for a few days. In fact, maybe it's for the best. They might suspect me if I said I already knew it. How could someone born in the lower layer know it? Haha, my stupidity really helped me."
After a while, Kael heard Mousan's voice shouting:
"Kael!"
Mousan approached him, who was at the beginning of the line. Kael glanced at his lunch, which was yellow soup, some rice with meat, and a bit of vegetables. He smiled at Mousan and greeted him.
After sitting down and continuing their lunch, Kael introduced Mousan to Elmyra, who had forgotten about Kael and started eating her lunch.
*****
Now in front of them was their professor, an old man with white hair who must have been in his fifties, short with a noticeable belly, his clothes a bit stained, and his hair somewhat messy. Unlike the man beside him, a tall figure with elegant clothes, a black robe, and black caftan, wearing gloves and glasses. He exuded an aura of authority and power.
Once everyone had taken their seats, the plump professor began speaking:
"Hello, everyone, I'm Professor Mailon, and I'll be your teacher as long as you're in the first year. Beside me is the great sorcerer of the White City, Kandro Solan, who offered himself today to explain some concepts and show you their work, and perhaps you'll choose him for a job when the second year comes, though I don't recommend it."
Kandro looked at Mailon, but the smile never left his face, while Mailon didn't show any expression.
Kael was a little surprised:
"Is there a problem between them? And what is the second-year job? Sorcerers? There's nothing about them in the Guardian's memory."
But he listened to the sorcerer Kandro:
"Hello, everyone, and thank you to Professor Mailon for introducing me. Yes, I've come today primarily to explain some things we deal with daily and also to educate you on what's around you."
He paused for a moment before continuing:
"We are what are called sorcerers, and our job is to protect the residents of our town. Isn't that the goal of all of us? Who doesn't want to protect their family? We consider everyone in the White City our family, and that's why we risk our lives every day."
At these words, the expression on Professor Mailon's face seemed a little disgusted, and Kael noticed it. Suddenly, one of the students asked:
"What are you protecting us from? Isn't that the police's job? After all, they have people in higher stages."
Kandro smiled:
"That's true, the police also protect our citizens, but there are matters you don't know. The police don't have anyone in higher stages or even people in any stages. They deal with us because of that, and that issue isn't common due to the law in place. Perhaps you've all heard that the police protect us from thieves, criminals, or even monsters, and that's partly true, but it's not entirely accurate."
He paused briefly:
"You should know that this world has bigger secrets than you can imagine. For example, do you all know that bloodline come from gods? Every bloodline has its own god, and of course, when there's a god, there are also evil gods, demons, or even evil spirits."
"Perhaps some of you have heard of forbidden bloodline. Those bloodline came from evil gods as well."
Hearing this, Kael shuddered:
"What?? Gods?? And my bloodline is from an evil god?"