"Dean, have you ever traveled to the core region and met the peoples there?" Gin asked. He was curious about the peoples in the core region and how strong they will be.
"I am a person who was born and raised in the core region of our continent, how can I not know about it?" Dean Alfin smilingly said.
"What?! Dean, then tell me about it and how strong they are?" Gin eagerly asked, forgetting his hunger.
"You know about the Sacred Province and different domains, right?" Dean Alfin asked while Gin nodded.
"The sacred Province is the heart of our human continent while the Eight Domains surrounding it are equally important."
"Many strong organizations, academies, and powerful families reside in the Eight domains. I hail from the 'Silver Dragon' Domain." Dean Alfin revealed.
"Every organization, academies, and families in the core region are very powerful, surpassing anything you can imagine."
"A truly strong person can kill you with a single look; It's how strong they are."
"You may think there are only three stages in cultivation and can easily surpass them, but it's not true. You will understand my words as time passes." Dean Alfin solemnly spoke.
"Take a look at this," Dean Alfin said, while a creature materialized and fluttered in his hands.
Gin was stunned, the creature looked like a half-dragon and half serpent; Its entire body is covered in black and silver scales.
It's beast-like blue eyes curiously gawked at Gin. 'Is this Dean's spirit seal?'
Presuming Gin's thoughts, Dean Alfin answered: "Yes, it's my spirit seal – Silver Dragonic serpent."
Gin knows about spirit seals as some of his friends brag about their spirit seal by flaunting it to before him. Spirit seal can grow anywhere on one's body — chest, arm, spinal region, leg, etc.
The spirit seal he has seen before all looked like a tattoo or symbol of different forms.
But, its Gin's first time witnessing a conscious spirit seal that can even materialize out of one's body.
Noticing Gin's stunned expression, Dean Alfin lightly laughed. Soon, the Dragonic serpent transformed into white particles and moved inside Dean's body.
"D-dean, I didn't know spirit seal can be handled like this." Gin spoke, little unsure of what he witnessed.
"Haha, a normal people can't do this; Only persons who destroyed at least one hidden seal in their body can do it." Dean Alfin said.
"Dean, you are a Seal Destruction Master!!" Gin asked.
"Yes, as far as how many seals I have destroyed – it's a secret. My Spirit seal may look undersized and even cute, but it has the ability to destroy any Seal Opening stage practitioners with its breath." Dean Alfin explained.
"What? that strong?" Gin asked.
"Haha, you don't know about the strength of those peoples. Even with my strength, many peoples in the core region can easily defeat me."
"Unlike Seal Opening practitioners, the 'Seal Destruction" masters are powerful with unimaginable strength; Their powers increase exponentially with each hidden seals they destroy." Dean Alfin said.
Gin was not depressed but excited hearing Dean Alfin's explanation. A strong yearning originated from his innermost soul as if his soul is tired from being idle and wanted him to challenge the mighty peoples of this world.
"Gin, I think what you lack isn't training, but experience and knowledge. Read the books in the library, it will show you a path." Dean Alfin suggested.
"Yes, Dean" Gin was also thinking of the same thing, he first wanted to understand more about this world and the peoples.
"The food is ready!" Mina came back, bringing a large tray full of aromatic meat - enough to feed three peoples.
As soon as Gin saw the food, hunger returned while his stomach growled again.
"Haha, Gin, what are you waiting for? Dig in."
"Here, it's your student ID. Keep it safe. I am leaving, if you have any doubts regarding cultivation or in other areas, you are free to approach me and ask; I will be at my office." Dean Alfin informed.
"Dean, you are not eating?" Gin asked, accepting his student ID.
"No, I am not hungry." Dean Alfin said and left.
Gin gobbled the magical beast meat in a few minutes which in turn subdued his hunger. He quickly thanked Mina and left the food court.
After dropping the things in his room, Gin went towards the library located in the central building.
Gin was surprised by the number of books arranged row by row, and what he found interesting is, there are no guardians or caretakers in the library.
The books in the library are organized neatly with respective sections they belong to, which made it easy for him to choose.
Gin began to accumulate knowledge starting from the History section, he picked four books to read first.
--
Days passed by one and one, swiftly one week passed.
In these one week, Gin spent his entire days in the library apart from eating, sleeping, and training for a few hours in the morning.
He read several books - history, cultivation, powerhouses of the continent, a person's experience, and much more.
Now, Gin was not the same ignorant person he once was as his knowledge about the world reached a certain degree.
The most important thing is, he learned about the kind that every human hates in the human continent - FIENDS.
Fiends don't originate from this world but of a different world. No one knows where they came from, but they suddenly appeared 10,000 years ago.
Some say, everything happened because of a particular meteorite fell on our world. While others say, they came here in search of a treasure.
No one knows the truth.
After they came, the entire world was filled with war, blood, and slaughter.
War birth heroes and warriors. Every single hero and warrior of the human continent united and fought a bloody battle with fiends - exiling them to the barren continent on the other side of the world.
That war ensured victory, but not peace. The fiends who got exiled survived and formed their own continent which later came to know as a Fiend continent.
The conflict between Human and Fiends were still continuing, unlike before the fiends are much stronger now, both in strength and numbers.
The fiends are evil, ruthless, inhuman and very strong. They are not demons or beasts but humans just like everyone else.
It's just after practicing a technique called 'Fiend Arts', their personality and disposition become twisted.
There's no activity of Fiends in the Silver Mist region because the silver mist is considered as backwater region. But in core regions and outside, you could see a lot of fiend activities.
The worst thing is, if the fiends don't activate their 'Fiend Arts', you can't determine whether that person is a fiend or not.
In a battle, they will be your worst nightmare if you don't have vast combat experience and strong skills.
Like Fiends, there's another strong kind in our world - Magical beasts. Unlike Wild beasts, the magical beasts are very strong and smart.
The magical beasts cultivation differs from humans and Fiends. The magical beasts only have 9 ranks starting from Rank-1 magical beast to Rank-9 magical beast.
A Rank-1 magical beast will have a single Elemental core in its body while Rank-9 magical beast has 9 cores.
A Rank-3 magical beast will be as strong as peak 'Physique Enrichment' stage practitioner while Rank-6 magical beast will be as strong as peak 'Seal Opening' stage practitioners and so on.
Rank-9 magical beasts are said to be as strong as peak 'Seal Destruction' stage masters.
They are smart, strong and capable of commanding other lower-ranked beasts. It's said that magical beasts are the true strongest race in our world.
The knowledge Gin read from the books broadened his horizon, and showed him a path that is suitable for him.
Gin doesn't have a desire to be a ruler or to be the leader of many followers, he just wants to reach the summit of martial arts and what it feels to achieve the absolute strength.
He also read about the 'Contest of Gifted ones' which transpires every two years.
The last contest took place one and a half years before; six months remain until the next one.
This contest is an opportunity for Gin, to meet Yirene again and to battle the true strongest powerhouses of the core region. He won't miss this god-given chance.
The only problem he's going to face is a lack of combat experience and strength. Even though, the contest is only for students below 21 years of age.
It's said, in the 'contest of gifted ones' you may even meet some super-geniuses who reached Seal Opening Stage and opened 2 hidden seals or possibly even more.
If you are not strong enough, you may not even pass the qualification round.
'Six months...it should be enough for me to improve my strength.' Gin mused.
The most important thing is, he doesn't have any good martial skills to bring out his full strength. He can only ask Dean Alfin, after exiting the library.