Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 210: A Lot Of Work

Asher sat on the couch within the living room, his posture relaxed and a calm smile resting on his face. The earlier frustration he had felt toward the stingy system had already faded into the background of his mind, forgotten as though it had never been. Right now, his thoughts were consumed with anticipation, what exactly would the Academy teach, and how would those lessons shape him in the days to come?

Although he already possessed the rare and formidable ability known as Perfect Astra Control, which made the Astra Control Class itself obsolete for him, Asher had every intention of attending. After all, showing off once in a while was not a crime, and even the humblest of people sometimes enjoyed the spotlight. Asher was not particularly vain, but who didn’t like to demonstrate their superiority every now and then?

Still, it was not mere vanity that stirred his thoughts. His mind drifted through the long list of classes that awaited him, envisioning what each might be like. He had read countless Academy arcs back on Earth during his previous life, devouring every story about young geniuses attending prestigious institutions, battling rivals, and earning glory.

But reading and experiencing were two entirely different concepts. Stories could only ignite the imagination; reality, however, had the power to ignite the soul.

The more Asher pondered the road ahead, the stronger his excitement grew, a subtle but undeniable happiness coursing through his veins. He had never wished for transmigration or reincarnation, such concepts belonged to fiction, not the reality he once knew.

But, fate had seen fit to thrust him into this world, and if that was the case, he would not waste the opportunity. He would enjoy every moment, savoring the challenges and victories alike.

’I wonder if the upperclassmen will try to bully us juniors for our points. After all, I saw nothing in the Academy’s rule book preventing them from doing so,’ Asher mused inwardly.

His thoughts spun further. ’And it seems there are no clubs here, no student body council, no associations, no extracurricular groups. Strange... most Academy arcs I read about always had them.’

Another thought surfaced, pulling his brows slightly together.

’Hmm... also, could some of the instructors despise nobles simply because of the divide between nobles and commoners? That wouldn’t surprise me. In fact, in most of the novels I read back on Earth, such biases were practically a cliche. Would an instructor really go out of their way to bully me, just because I am the son of a Duke?’

The possibility was not entirely far-fetched, and for a fleeting moment, Asher imagined an instructor standing before him, sneering, trying to make him bow or bend. He smirked faintly at the image, if such a thing did happen, he was more than ready to respond in kind.

Unexpectedly, his mind shifted to Finch, the chubby heir of a Baron Household whom he had only recently met. Since arriving in Crymora, Asher had never seen anyone with a body like Finch’s.

Here, everyone seemed to possess the same natural, athletic build, as though the world itself demanded physical perfection. But Finch’s round figure stood in defiance of that unspoken rule.

’Could it be connected to his ability?’ Asher wondered, tapping his finger against the couch.

On Earth, he wouldn’t have spared Finch a second thought. But here in Crymora, Finch’s existence made him pause. The boy seemed like an anomaly, an oddity that didn’t quite fit into the perfect mold this world seemed to demand.

Asher shook his head and cast Finch to the back of his mind. His thoughts returned to the Academy’s rule book. Though he had already finished reading it, his mind continued to replay the contents in perfect detail, looping through every line as if searching for hidden meanings or overlooked clauses.

’I wonder if William will challenge one of the Royal twins. Or perhaps one of them, especially Vaelric, will challenge me instead,’ Asher mused, his lips curling into a faint smile.

Vaelric, the royal prince, remained a puzzle to him. There was something about the boy’s tone, something subtle but undeniably hostile. He seemed like the complete opposite of his twin sister, Vaelra. One was blunt and straightforward, while the other cloaked himself in veils of politeness and restraint.

’Should I say like father, like son?’ Asher mused to himself with a soft chuckle.

Still, that did not mean he was letting down his guard around Vaelra, no matter how pleasant her smile appeared. She was royalty, and royalty had mastered the art of scheming long before ordinary people even learned to walk. If anything, Asher imagined deception was her personal awakened superpower.

To him, she was nothing more than an acquaintance, neither ally nor enemy. If she ever chose to make a move against him, then Virelass would be ready, ready to rip through her defenses without hesitation.

Almost as if in response to his thought, Virelass flashed into existence beside him with a low hum, the elegant rapier circling him slowly, as though agreeing with his sentiment.

”Aren’t you turning into a battle junkie, Virelass?” Asher asked aloud, his smile widening.

The rapier gave a faint hum in reply, floating midair, its sharp presence vibrating subtly through the room.

”Don’t blame me,” Asher continued with amusement. ”I didn’t make you this way. This is simply your true nature.”

Virelass hummed again, though this time it wasn’t in reply to his words, but in regard to something else entirely.

At her silent message, Asher raised an eyebrow, then smirked knowingly. ”It seems you’re just as sharp as I am, Virelass,” he intoned.

She had reminded him of something he had overlooked. He had been so focused on others challenging him for his rank and points, envisioning himself crushing them mercilessly, that he had forgotten he could just as easily challenge them first.

Why wait to be challenged when he could seize the initiative?

Of course, it wasn’t entirely his fault. The best rarely went out of their way to seek conflict. Excellence, after all, had no need to prove itself, it simply was.

Still, the thought lingered, tempting him.

Virelass, sensing her master drifting into contemplation, floated down gracefully before resting gently upon Asher’s lap. He ran his fingers absentmindedly across her smooth, silver, tooth-like edges, the weapon vibrating softly in response.

”We have a lot of work to do, Virelass,” Asher murmured, the rapier humming in acknowledgment, its resonance carrying a quiet promise of carnage.

One of the foremost tasks on his ever-growing to-do list was to create his own sword techniques. Once crafted, he would weave them together with different elemental affinities, forging techniques unlike any other. Beyond that, he still had to strengthen his weaker affinities, space, gravity, and light, all of which lagged far behind his lightning affinity. He had trained lightning for an entire year, but the others had received only a month’s worth of effort.

The imbalance frustrated him. He sighed heavily, knowing that his work continued to pile higher with every passing day. Deep down, he was a lazy person at heart, one who wished he could simply lie down and drift effortlessly to the pinnacle of the world. But Crymora was a merciless world, too cruel to allow such ambitions.

’Its you and I against the world, Virelass,’ Asher thought silently.

And as though hearing his unspoken resolve, the rapier hummed once more, her tone sharp and eager, as if ready to cleave through the very fabric of the world alongside her master.