"Is it you, Killian?"

Killian took a step away from him, lowering his head.

"No."

His father’s eyes shifted to George, then scanned the room briefly. There was silence between the two that could easily tell anyone that they didn’t have a good relationship.

"I had the organisation send me your file." Mr. Dominic spoke up again. "It seems you’ve been doing unnecessary activities recently. Is that why your mana is flaring up?"

Killian tried to remember anything unnecessary he did in the last few days. For it to be unnecessary, it meant he didn’t get any good result from it.

Taking the human-rabbit could be one, but he hadn’t gotten time to get results. Fighting an angel that wanted to kill him for simply existing was grossly unnecessary.

It caused his Void to go mute, forced him to create a new element that’s incompatible with his body, and made his mana flare. Yet Killian kept his response in his head.

His father was still a respectable person in the organisation as a retired Fire Warden, so he shouldn’t oppose him in front of George. I should’ve left when I wanted to.

Mr. Dominic narrowed his eyes on him. "Answer me when I talk to you—"

George stepped forward, pulling Killian further away from the man. "We are merely practicing, sir." He stretched a hand to him. "Big Stepper, A-Rank. I am his leader."

"Ah...." Mr. Dominic’s tone softened instantly. He took George’s hand in a handshake. "I was wondering because you are young but you look like him, the famous Warden."

Killian kept his head lowered, till his father moved away and from the door, leading George inside.

"Tell me, how is Killian performing?"

Killian walked out, not wanting to hear any conversation. Watching his father suck up to anyone in a higher position always made his skin crawl.

He knew how low his father was willing to get to seize what he wanted, but it never stopped disgusting Killian.

Mr. Dominic called after him. "You will come back home with me—"

"I will return to Quara." Killian interjected, not looking back.

Why does he act like he came to see me?

If he did come for me, it was to make sure I didn’t drop out of the academy.

"Status." His interface popped up. He checked his Void Capacity and it had been on 31% since his last simulation.

"I have to feed him. Either victims or mana." He reached for his badge and tapped it lightly. "I have to get all of these sorted out before I leave for the academy."

He moved towards the simulation room, and scanned his badge. He left the door halfway open, checking his logs to see if there were available D-tier realms.

"Huh?" He grabbed the console and brought it to his face. He glared at the notice on the screen. "My last entry is unfinished?" He slapped the console back, and held his head.

I can’t go on unless I complete the B-tier realm from last time? Are they trying to kill me?

Going into a B-tier realm with an unstable mana would be the peak of his foolishness, but there was no other place he could freely use the Void without eyes on him.

He also needed to eat what he killed, and only simulations gave such privacy. "Still, I can’t go there alone. This is too dangerous for me right now."

Footsteps came towards the simulation room.

"Killian?"

Killian snapped his head back, and sighed in relief that it was just Theodore. He looked him over as a thought crossed his mind.

Theodore walked to him, with a questioning expression. "Are you alright now? Did that man help you?"

That man? He didn’t even know who he brought to me? Killian ignored his question. "Are you free now? Do you mind joining me for training? I need it urgently."

I should probably tell him that it’s a B-tier realm. "The realm will be—"

"Sure!" Theodore accepted quickly. His eyes were shining brightly as they stared at Killian with enthusiasm. "Don’t worry, I have worked as a Healer Mage so I can support you if things go wrong."

Killian paused, thinking about it for a while.

This guy looks like he likes trouble.

But it was a good deal. Most Water Users were trained as Mages and Wardens, for their healing ability, and getting injured was bound to happen at some point.

Theodore scanned his badge on the screen.

Killian noticed it was the same badge as his. He turned to the boy, then looked away again.

Isn’t he a newbie? Why does he have a C-Rank badge?

"Wait? B-tier?" Theodore asked after scanning.

He stared at Killian, whose expression had flattened as he realised he didn’t tell him before he swapped. "Well... okay..." Theodore accepted, less enthusiastically this time.

"Okay..." Killian repeated, and spun around to the entrance. I feel guilty but if he’s C-Rank then he can handle it. "Can we separate for a while, though?"

"Why? You said you wanted to train with me—"

The portal sucked Killian in before he finished listening to Theodore. He walked out to a narrow path, within a dense forest where the sunlight barely reached the ground.

Now I feel really guilty. Will that guy survive this? He exhaled, and focused on his surroundings.

<Shadow Writhe>

The tendrils became alert, pooling around his feet. Domain Skill: Totality Art - Realmcraft. His shadow on the ground darkened and from there, tendrils sprouted from the ground. They covered the area in front of Killian and at his back.

He controlled his breathing, stabilizing the tendrils that lowered to the ground, waiting to strike.

<Ablaze>

He concentrated his senses inward, and felt a different mana flow from his HEART to his limbs.

He remembered the past simulation and the Void scolding him in his head.

"Hopefully, I’ll be able to get him back today."

He turned to the portal that slowly dissipated. It completely vanished and Theodore didn’t appear from it.

"My studies were right. B-Rank realms usually have two entrances and luckily, he was sent through the other." He stretched his body, and rolled his shoulders.

"It’s just us two now." Killian said.

He looked up at what he spoke to, hanging off a large tree. "Since it’s just us, wouldn’t you come down and say ’hello’? I can’t climb that well."

A large gorilla-like beast sat on a large branch, having scars around its body and a steel club straddled at its back. Its expression darkened as it stared at Killian like it knew who he was.

There was no sound as it jumped down the tree, and stood upright like a human.