Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

The Runes Hall was open 24 hours a day, just like all the halls of the sect. This was a city within a headquarters. Every service there was basically open at any time of the day. Only the shops owned by the sect members didn't follow this protocol, as they were private areas.

But the movement through the sect's halls was especially noticeable in the middle of the day. This morning, Liam found himself in a quieter place than the previous afternoon, as most of the people in the area were guards or those who did the administrative.

He watched the people coming and going along the large corridor where the entrances to the main areas of the second floor were located.

'Later, I'll continue reading Guardian Derik's fighting techniques,' he thought, his eyes closed as he contemplated the knowledge he had gained after just one night of study.

The book he had obtained on the second level of the city Library was so interesting that he was eager to continue his study and eventually pick up the other volumes he had seen on his way through the second level of the Library yesterday.

This book—Fighting Techniques by Guardian Derik—was basically a volume on the characteristics of the most common Spirits and how to fight these creatures, considering different abilities.

Demon Gate specialized in demonic cultivation, so there were many strategies for Spirit Masters who possessed demon-type Spirits.

Merely dedicating a day to studying had allowed Liam to uncover mistakes from his past that had jeopardized his safety.

'If only I had possessed the knowledge I have now during my time on the island, my encounter with Thal'Korr would have been far less challenging.

Presently, I would approach him completely differently, taking advantage of the daylight and employing his own mind against him. Using the daylight, my attacks would have been twice as potent, granting me a significant advantage.'

"You're early. Good. Come with us."

A voice cut off his train of thought.

Ann appeared at the beginning of the corridor, followed by three people—two men and a woman, dressed as outer disciples, with youthful appearances and icy stares.

Liam followed the group without asking questions. His 48-hour protection had expired hours ago, and he didn't want to get in trouble for talking to someone he shouldn't have.

"These individuals here are Giles, Fred, and Virginia. They find themselves in the exact same situation as you do," Ann remarked, a slight smirk forming on her lips as she locked eyes with him. "They're the ones you'll be competing against."

Liam's gaze pierced through them, his eyes narrowing as he observed the trio. He frowned, feeling a sense of discomfort rise within him as he took in the woman's provocative tone.

"Only one of you will become a Second Class Runemaster this month. The other three will have to vie for the next opportunity next month," she explained, but failed to elicit questions from Liam.

"I understand. I'll do my best then." Liam said only what he should have.

'They have the option to employ an evaluation method that grants approval of everyone who attains a specific level, but they choose to foster competition amongst us. This approach within the sect will undoubtedly bring many challenges for me.'

Casting cautious glances, he noticed the frigid stares and felt the palpable tension in the air. The atmosphere was charged, a silent symphony of anticipation, as if even a pin drop would shatter the delicate equilibrium.

'They are probably not beginners like me, so at least two of them, if not all three of them, have already failed once and are competing against each other for the second or third time... It's going to be tricky. I have to be careful about them uniting against me.'

Of the three Initiates at his side, Virginia and Giles were 3-Star Spirit Lords, while the blond boy, Fred, was on the same level as Liam, 5-Star of the second realm.

The three noted Liam's power and saw he could become a problem if he had the chance to learn the profession quickly.

'I have to get my promotion to Second Class before this brat learns enough and becomes a First Class Runemaster.' Fred looked at Liam.

He was trying to get promoted to Second Class for the third month in a row.

"You'll be with me most of the time today. Virginia, Fred and Giles, continue your training in inscribing runes on artifacts. I'll be watching you while I guide this newcomer."

"Yes, Initiate Reed." The three moved on as soon as they entered a large class.

Liam quietly surveyed the classroom's surroundings and his eyes fell upon a platform in the left corner. Behind a glass wall, he noticed a wooden dummy, reminiscent of the one he had encountered during the promotion exam.

On the opposite side of the room, in the right corner, there were five booths, each separated by glass walls. Virginia, Fred, and Giles entered three booths.

In front of the entrance to the classroom, besides a pair of windows overlooking the city, were small shelves of books, as well as chairs and tables.

Ann pointed to one chair and table and explained, "Liam, let's get straight to the point. At the Demon Gate, we teach nothing unless you pay for it or earn it somehow. I'm here to watch you and guide you through your doubts.

To gain knowledge, begin by rolling up your sleeves and delving into the study materials. Everything you require is readily available right here."

He sat down in the designated place, while she sat next to him, monitoring the three in the glass-enclosed booths.

He asked her, "What is this wooden dummy? I had to face something like it in the Promotion Exam. It was terrifying. If it hadn't been an exa—"

"Would you be dead? Yes, probably." She smiled, imagining the situation he had found himself in. "This is a Spirit Puppet. It's a Fourth Class tool, with 44 runes in total. The one you faced in the Promotion Exam was like this one, or even better. We will use this as an example for our dear students.

As I said, the art of rune-making is limitless. However, we usually focus on simply creating runes and placing them on artifacts.

An important Runemaster has created such a device in order to have suitable training conditions with a high level of competition and little risk to the Spirit Master's life. With Spirit Puppets, you can fight with 100% of your power without the risk of injuring your companions, while the only risk to you is being incapacitated for a few hours after training.

This training tool is truly remarkable. They claimed that by using it, one can achieve mastery over a set of fighting techniques within a few hours. However, its high price tag makes it accessible only to affluent families."

"Can't we use it for training?" Liam asked naively.

"No," she smiled as she took her eyes off the wooden puppet. "This one, as I said, is for study only. A complete one is too valuable to be so accessible to mere outer disciples."

"I see... But how does it work? In my test, I faced seven creatures. Since it's a Fourth Class artifact, shouldn't it only provide four opponents?"

"Your logic isn't bad, but it's incorrect. Fourth Class items are limited to the power of the fourth realm. But that doesn't mean they're limited to the entire fourth realm. Spirit Puppets are not Spirit Masters. A complete puppet can provide dozens of artificial Spirits. The fact that it is of Fourth Class or higher only tells you how much maximum power it can expose and withstand.

You faced seven creatures because the historical limit for a disciple new to the sect was seven Spirits defeated in the Promotion Exam. To avoid wasting mana, the First Officer of the tests usually limits the number of artificial Spirits to that number."

Liam couldn't help but widen his eyes upon hearing that. "Wait, so someone actually defeated seven Spirits after joining the sect? How is that even possible?"

She also found it impressive, but it was a true story. "I wasn't there to see it, but geniuses differ greatly from us."

Liam stared at the books beside him, his fists clenched and his thoughts racing.

Ann looked at him and understood what was going through his mind. With a sigh, she said, "Look on the bright side. You may create tools like it in the future. Maybe you won't be the warrior like that genius, but even someone like that could fall for a talented Runemaster."

She said it not only to Liam but also to herself. She wasn't a genius either, and she was already a real Runemaster—someone at the Second Class.

'These dolls are much more than just training objects. With a minor alteration of their runes, they can serve as soldiers on the battlefield.' She closed her eyes as she turned her face forward, remembering the goals she wanted to achieve.

Liam continued to watch her, curious. 'Why is she encouraging me?'

But her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't waste your time thinking about the puppet now. If you want to build one, learn the basics of the runes first. Start reading. We only have two hours together each day."