15 minutes passed since Emil and Dustin entered the Lava Pool.
Dustin was reaching his limits.
Leaving the pool, he took out a water bottle and gulped it down. His body steaming, and his skin red.
Glancing at Emil who was still cultivating in the pool, he took his leave quietly and waited outside.
Emil was unaware of his surrounding, his entire attention focused on cultivation.
The lava coming into contact with his skin softened and burned his muscles down, while special mana unique to the pool surged through his pathways and restored said muscles.
Emil's muscles were constantly getting destroyed and rebuilt, getting slightly bigger and stronger through each cycle.
Outside of the pool, next to the stone door, Dustin was seen leaning against the wall and tapping his feet on the ground.
His eyes opened up every once in a while to glance at the stone door, waiting for Emil to make his exit.
He was beginning to feel anxious.
It's been 20 minutes, yet Emil hadn't come out.
The record for the longest stay in the Lava Pool was 18 minutes.
Emil was already in for 20 minutes, but still showed no signs of coming out.
'why isn't he coming out? It's been half an hour already.
What if something's happened?
That's it, I'm calling for help!'
The stone door started moving as those thoughts passed through Dustin's head.
"Emil! Are you alright?"
He rushed to Emil, scanning him for any injury, or signs of damage.
"Yeah I'm fine. Do you have some water?"
Emil's dry lips parted and his hoarse voice sounded out.
Quickly, Dustin took out a water bottle and handed it to him.
*Gulp*Gulp*
Seeing Emil finish it one gulp, he took out another one, and another one, and another one.
Five liters of water later, Emil dried his mouth with his cuffs and smacked his lips.
"Haaah, that's much better."
Noticing Dustin's weird look, he questioned.
"What?"
"Sigh, nothing.
You had me worried there for a sec, but seems like you're okay."
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Uhhh, well.
No one usually lasts thirty minutes in there.
It's not everyday you get to see a record broken."
Emil pointed at himself.
"Me? I broke a record? What was the previous record?"
Dustin showed a weak smile.
"Eighteen minutes."
"..."
Silence lingered in the air.
Emil had an unusual lack of reaction towards the news, unethusiastic even.
"Why so down dude? You broke a record, by a huge margin at that! The whole academy will be shocked at the news, from students to teachers, all the way to the headmaster himself!
They'll even award you for it you know!?"
Emil's expressionless started turning grim at the prospect.
"Uhhhm, Dustin, how about, how about we keep this to ourselves? Like, I'm sure no one would like it if the Lava Pool's record were to be broken by me, I've got quite the reputation you know?"
"What? Who're they to talk? Let them say whatever they want, you've broken the record and earned your place rightfuly. You shouldn't be afraid of anyboby!"
"Regardless, I'd still like for you to keep this a secret.
Can you do that for me?"
Emil looked straight into Dustin's eyes as he pleaded.
Dustin didn't reply.
He couldn't understand, why was Emil so flustered all of a sudden and why didn't he want his achievement to be known.
He shouldn't let the words of others hold him back, his title was well-earned and he had every right to claim it.
But Emil was insistent, perhaps because he had some other reason.
Whatever it was, Dustin wasn't planning to probe. All he could do was respect his decision, as a friend.
"Alright, if that's what you want."
Seeing him finally give in, Emil's tense face began to loosen a bit.
"Thank you."
The two began walking down the mountain path thereafter.
"So how was your experience? Feeling any changes?"
Dustin spoke.
Changes, Emil fell in thought.
Stretching his body and feeling the power inside, he nodded with affirmation.
"Change? Yup... Big change." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Dustin squinted. Why was he looking at his Schlongus Longus?
"Well, what do you say we test it out at the Arcade? it's been ages since I've been there."
Emil coked his head.
"The Arcade? What's that?"
Dustin looked at Emil again, his face aghast.
'Ah shit, here we go again.'
***
The two boys soon found themselves in a building, hundreds of meters across and five stories tall.
The inside was bustling with people, and was filled with machines and contraptions.
Emil's eyes couldn't help but be drawn by them as he followed Dustin.
"Cool right? This is where most students spend their free time. You can come to either play, or use the machines to train."
Emil nodded absent-mindedly as he listened.
"Oh, there's the machine we're looking for. Come on."
Dustin pointed at a device not too faraway.
Emil's eyes scanned device as he came to a stop next to it.
It was a boxy rectangular contraption, with its ends embedded into the ground and a metal tablet etched next to it.
A few small and large inscriptions could be seen etched into them, forming runes. Emil, after over a month of studying in the Academy, could somehwat understand these basic inscriptions.
Seeing his friend's curious gaze, Dustin started explaining.
"This is a punching machine. Lemme activate it."
He walked to the tablet and enforced some mana into it. The runes on it started glowing and a semi transparent page, similar to that of their badges appeared on the tablet.
Once Dustin tapped his badge on it and paid the activation fee, the runes on the punching machine glowed up in a yellow hue, and a small sandbag the size of a human head extended out of it, its top connected to the device through a metal bar.
"Go ahead, give it your strongest punch."
Dustin gestured at Emil, a smile forming on his lips upon seeing his agape mouth.
"Well well."
Emil muttered as he looked at the device.
He rolled up his sleeves and raised his fist for a mighty punch.
*Pa!*
The sandbag receded into the machine upon contact, after which a row of numbers appeared on the tablet next to it and started jumping up.
Emil and Dustin watched in anticipation as the number rose to 1,2,3,5, and eventually stopped at 6.2.
A questioning gaze was sent towards Dustin.
"How'd i do? Was that good?"
Dustin scratched head and gave Emil a goofy smile.
"Seems like you broken yet another record."
The words, and the tone of the speaker's voice made the listener skeptical.
"What do you mean, why are you smiling like that?"
Dustin didn't elaborate. He merely patted Emil's back and gave him a solemn look.
"It's alright, you'll get better. Just keep cultivating."
The latter's face began to darken.
"How bad was it..."
"You don't wanna hear this."
"No, i have to."
"Are you sure? You might never recover from thi-"
"Just tell me! I'm..."
*Sobs*
"I have to know where I stand!"
"...sigh."
"Just remember, you forced my hand.
That, huuu."
Dustin turned his back to Emil, his body facing the setting sun, gentle sunrays casting a large shadow over the person behind him.
He turned his face, and slowly muttered under his breath.
"That, was the lowest any Knight had ever scored. You're barely a Fourth-Class Knight."
A lump stuck in his throat, Emil kneeled on the ground, his nails digging through his own flesh.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A gut-wrenching yell pierced the heavens.