'No, those two instructors are in Seth's pockets.' Such a thought appeared in Nickyle's mind.
He shook his head, inwardly cursing, 'Much less fuck Seth over, I'm the one who'll face danger…'
How was he going to maneuver his way out of this mess. Several ideas entered his mind and were crushed soon after.
'This is damn annoying.' Nickyle felt hopeless.
Even if he reported Seth, how was he going to go about this?
"Seth entered my room and used some kind of evil means to get me sick?" Did this even make sense?
'But the fact that I can think of harming Anon and Seth, in and of itself, is the greatest proof that I've been healed.' Nickyle grinned.
Hmph…!
'Instead of relying on others, I'll simply do it myself.'
Tell his father?
Though he was a genius who entered the camp of ten thousand and had long reached the requirement to enter the military academy, he was not the only child of his father to do so.
He wasn't extraordinarily special, at least, not just yet.
When he planned to entice his father, at that time, it was solely due to the Constantin family's involvement.
Now, was he going to say that the Constantin family's young master had somehow got him sick?
Much more than shame himself, it would enrage his father, not because of Seth's actions, but due to his pathetic state thereafter.
If word reached his father's ears that he lost to a commoner like Andrew, who wasn't half the freak Anon was, Nickyle wouldn't even get the chance to find a hole to bury himself in.
Right now, he needed to grasp more power and enact vengeance for himself, eliminating any chance of shame befalling him.
Only in this way could he stand before his father, and only in this way could he look at himself in the mirror.
…
Although classes had ended, the duo were allowed to stay in the gravity room until dinner clocked in, which was around eight in the evening.
With the passage of time, Anon's mastery over the staff steadily improved.
As the duo left the gravity room, a smile tugged at Seth's lips. "I'd say you should start learning some staff techniques now."
"Hmm…" Anon tilted his head. "But I haven't mastered the staff yet. Didn't you say it's easier to achieve mastery over staff techniques after mastering the staff?"
Seth shook his head. "That's true..." He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing, "Let's put it this way: staff techniques were created by different people after they gained insights into the staff. By learning several techniques, you gain multiple distinct perspectives on the staff."
Though someone who has mastered the staff would learn staff techniques much quicker, it's only because achieving mastery over the staff is more difficult than mastering the techniques themselves.
By learning multiple staff techniques, one would successfully be gaining insight into the thoughts of those who created them and their unique perspectives on the staff.
After all, Anon perceived the staff differently from Seth, and the same held true for others. No two souls were alike, and thus no two minds thought alike.
By observing the staff from various angles, one gains far more understanding than by viewing it from just a single angle.
This approach leads to a much faster rate of achieving mastery over the staff itself.
"Mastering techniques and mastering what these techniques were derived from are two completely differing things, Anon."
Seth grinned, stating, "For example, you've grasped true mastery over Man Like Beast, and yet, you've not grasped mastery over your own body."
Anon heard this and turned to Seth.
He stared at him silently, not bothering to hide his doubts, as his eyes seemed to ask... What stupidity are you saying?
"Geniuses are called that not just for how quickly they can cultivate; that's merely a false genius," Seth grinned.
"Geniuses earn that title because they're capable of transcending worlds."
"Some say those in the first world lack the means and abilities that someone from the second can extract from their principles, but that's because the entity in the first world is just a false genius—an average individual."
"Mastering the spear, sword, staff, axe, or even your own body would allow you to step into the realm of second-world entities, if only in fighting prowess." Seth turned to Anon and shook his head.
"Anon, remember when I said you're only comparable to a first-year in the academy?" He didn't wait for a reply, continuing, "That statement still holds true, even now."
"At most, you're somewhere between a genius and what some would call a freak. These freaks can battle those in the second world, and the key lies in combat arts and weapon techniques."
Seth grinned, "Most of these freaks come from the greater families, and we'll cross paths with them in the academy."
This...
Did it make sense to believe Seth's words?
Of course it did!
As much as he was the devil, he was also Anon's guide.
Trusting his mother meant that Anon trusted Seth more than any other living person, except for his father.
But there was still something that greatly confused him.
"What do you mean by mastering the body? I get that people say that the body is a weapon, but they say that in a more metaphorical sense, right?" Anon voiced his doubts.
After all, everyone was born already controlling their bodies.
Sitting, standing, walking, running, punching, kicking, all of this was only possible thanks to one's control over their bodies.
Mastering the body, did he not already master his body?
"Well, it's only natural that you're lost." Seth said this, at the same time, the duo had descended the stairs and reached the first floor of the combat hall.
Stepping out, Seth and Anon ignored Lyla, who steered clear of them. Seth continued, "As the spirit ascends to the second world, the third, and beyond, one's ability to control their body undergoes drastic changes."
Turning to Anon, he added, "Controlling one's joints, unleashing 100% of the power from one's muscles with every punch, manipulating even down to the cellular level... It's not unusual for these individuals to stand thirty-six feet tall. This is mastery over the body."
…
The cafeteria was expansive.
Students weren't allowed to eat until rank one had entered.
Thankfully, tonight, Anon had come to dinner not too long after the meals were prepared.
And still, many were suffering.
Besides the thirty students in this dorm, there were hundreds of male students who had to wait for all thirty to finish their dinner before entering the cafeteria.
For those at the bottom of the rankings, it wasn't unusual to see them trying to enter the cafeteria just minutes before eleven. As curfew approached, they were often prevented from entering and had no choice but to skip dinner.
Currently, Anon and Seth sat opposite each other, separated by a metallic table on which their plates rested. They sat on benches placed on either side of the table.
Although Anon had taken actual food, Seth's plate held only an apple. Until now, Anon hadn't seen Seth eat anything that could be considered as real food.
Anon's eyes trailed all around Seth's body.
'He doesn't seem to be malnourished—maybe a little short, but certainly not suffering from starvation. And yet, he hasn't eaten in days.'
Anon wasn't dumb enough to think that maybe, Seth had prepared meals to eat in private.
He simply did not eat.
"Why're you staring at me like that?" Seth grinned.
A mischievous light shone in his eyes. "Though I don't mind being your lover, I don't think your father would be pleased whatsoever."
Tilting his head, Anon thought, 'Father? Displeased for what?'
This was amusing.
Anon was about to ask for clarification, but before he could, the two were disturbed.
With a clank, a plate was placed on the table where they sat.
A black-haired boy with dark, abyss-like eyes took a seat next to Anon.
"Good evening," he said, his tone dry and his voice croaky.
"Evening," Anon replied, while Seth turned to him and nodded.
"You've yet to reveal yourself," Seth said, a strange expression crossing his face. "Do you not desire to enter the gravity room as quickly as possible, Bolan?"
Rather than answering, the black-haired boy, Bolan, stretched across the table and took Seth's apple, biting into it.