Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 493: A Few More Months

High above the battle coliseum, within the drifting sea of clouds, various Instructors could be seen sitting casually upon the clouds themselves, some standing atop Astra-forged platforms, while others simply floated in place as they defied gravity with calm, composed looks on their faces, as though such a feat were no more difficult than standing on solid ground.

”It seems the Prince lost without even putting up any shred of a fight,” one of the Instructors stated as they stared down at the now-empty coliseum below, their tone carrying mild disappointment.

”I guess I won the bet then, both of you can transfer your points now,” another Instructor stated with a wide grin. The other two clicked their tongues in frustration as they reluctantly transferred several million points each to the smiling Instructor, their expressions darkening as the transaction completed.

They had made various bets beforehand, and the winner had wagered that the Tenth Sun would end the battle with a single attack. They usually did this whenever prominent genius students challenged one another, turning overwhelming talent into casual entertainment.

”Sigh... you people worry about points, I worry that the Tenth Sun might get to our level before he even graduates,” another Instructor stated as he leaned back against the cloud he sat on, his tone heavy with concern rather than humor.

”With that much talent, I can understand why he skips class altogether, if we teach him, we might actually hold him back,” an Instructor said with a tired sigh, rubbing her temple as though the mere thought bruised her pride.

”Indeed, personally, I would have chosen not to even charge him a single point for missing any class, but due to the rules, I still have to charge him. At least I only deduct a single point,” the Instructor for hand-to-hand combat class stated with a faint smile. The Tenth Sun had attended his class a few times, and during those sessions, he had personally witnessed just how ridiculous the boy’s talent truly was, talent that made decades of experience seem trivial.

”Are we forgetting that the attack he used wasn’t created by his own Astra energy, but by the Astra energy in the air?” Instructor Melissa’s voice rang out calmly. She was in charge of the Astra control and manipulation class.

At her words, it dawned on all of them simultaneously, their expressions subtly shifting. They had overlooked it because to them, manipulating Astra energy within the air and atmosphere was normal, something any seasoned Instructor could accomplish without thought. But the Tenth Sun wasn’t supposed to be able to do this, after all, one needed to reach the Firmstar Life Rank to even attempt such a feat.

’It seems his control is still as ridiculous as ever. As I suspected, it’s an innate ability. It seems the Tenth Sun awakened an ability aside from the one bestowed by the Wargrave bloodline,’ Instructor Melissa thought to herself, her gaze sharpening slightly as she recalled earlier observations.

During a first-class session with the first years, Asher had done something even she couldn’t accomplish with such precision, and that was manipulating a single mote of Astra energy, the smallest measurable unit of Astra, something so minuscule that most people couldn’t even perceive it, let alone control it.

’Besides, not a single strand of Astra energy was wasted in that attack... sigh,’ she exhaled softly as she shook her head. The more she watched the Tenth Sun, the more absurd he seemed, as though the very laws of cultivation bent themselves to accommodate him.

”What about you, Jane, don’t you have anything to say?” an Instructor asked, their eyes shifting toward Jane. She was one of the three strongest individuals within the entire Star Academy of the Separate Dimension, so her opinion naturally carried significant weight.

”I have nothing to say,” Instructor Jane stated without a change in expression, her pink eyes calmly following Asher as he walked away with Ryaen Silvershade below, her gaze steady and unreadable.

”But here you are, watching. If you weren’t curious, you would be in your office,” another Instructor chimed in with an amused tone.

”I simply came to make sure that the Tenth Sun wasn’t skipping his rapier training. If he was, then I would fine him half of his entire point balance, therefore forcing him to return to my class,” she stated plainly, her voice flat and direct, and indeed that had genuinely been one of her reasons for being here.

”It seems your plans for being here didn’t work out then,” Instructor Melissa stated with a faint smile as she floated effortlessly. Just like Asher, she had achieved flight purely through Astra control and manipulation.

”It seems so,” Instructor Jane replied quietly. She turned to the rest of the Instructors, nodded then vanished from the cloud she sat on without a ripple, as though erased from existence.

”Sigh... she is very strong but too rigid. She should loosen up a bit,” an Instructor said with a weary shake of his head.

”You know one of her hobbies is teaching students, especially those who are willing to learn,” another Instructor replied in her defense.

”Anyway, I have a class with the third-year students, I will be taking my leave then,” an Instructor said before vanishing without a trace mid-sentence. With that, the other Instructors disappeared one after another, each returning to their duties after coming merely to witness the famed Tenth Sun and the Prince of their Empire clash.

Kilometers away from the place where the Instructors had gathered, within a building adorned with extreme wealth of gold, crystals, gems, and priceless paintings, a woman could be seen sitting alone. Her presence was peaceful and serene, her beauty ethereal, as though she did not belong to this world at all but had descended from a higher realm.

She was Cindralis, the Space Goddess, creator of the Star Academy and the Separate Plane.

In front of her floated a screen that displayed the battle Asher had just concluded with the Prince, every moment replaying clearly within the projection.

’A pity,’ she sighed softly, ’it seems my greed had gotten the better of me previously,’ she mused to herself. A pity, because Asher had not become her student.

During her encounter with Asher, she had never truly planned to kill him, that had merely been a lie. As the Tenth Sun was a Wargrave who didn’t accept masters or use techniques that weren’t of their own personal creation, Cindralis knew that Asher would never accept her as a master willingly, hence the pressure she had applied on him at the time.

If it had been any other student, she wouldn’t have bothered to use such a method, because her name and presence alone were enough for them to kneel and bow before her without hesitation, begging to be accepted.

’But it doesn’t matter, this year makes it the tenth year, and this year, I have him. With him, those idiots from the other Empires will eat dust,’ she mused to herself calmly, her lips curving faintly.

’Just a few more months and it will be time,’ a small flicker of excitement bubbling quietly within her heart as anticipation began to grow.