The class was loud that day.
Everyone was talking about the upcoming tournament.
Normally, it was meant for first-year students, but this time the academy had changed things. Second-years would be allowed to participate too.
A lot of people weren't happy about it.
"It's not fair."
"They're doing this on purpose."
Complaints kept coming from different sides of the room.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin didn't really care.
Complaining wouldn't change anything.
Later that day, Khalid came to them.
He looked more serious than usual.
"I should tell you something," he said. "The reason second-years are included… is because of me."
The three of them looked at him.
"I have some issues with the principal," Khalid continued. "I didn't think he'd go this far and involve the students."
There was a short pause.
"It's fine," Isshin said.
Rune nodded. "We'd have to fight strong people anyway."
Karin shrugged. "Makes things more interesting."
Khalid looked at them for a second, then gave a small smile.
"Good."
Not long after, tournament registration opened.
The event would take place in six months.
The prize was announced.
The Pill of Great Life.
A pill containing around a hundred years' worth of qi.
For most people, that amount of qi would take decades to build up.
If used properly, it could push someone up multiple realms.
On top of that, the winner would also get access to restricted academy resources.
Everyone took it seriously after that.
The next day, classes went back to normal.
During one lecture, the teacher started asking questions.
Students who couldn't answer would be skipped, and someone else would take their place.
Isshin answered most of them.
Calm, direct, no hesitation.
Raijin and the system made it easy for him to understand things clearly.
Not everyone liked that.
A blonde girl sitting nearby had already failed a few questions.
She was clearly getting annoyed.
Then the teacher asked something different.
"Do resources like pills and advanced techniques create an unfair advantage in cultivation?"
The blonde girl answered immediately.
"Of course not. If someone doesn't have resources, that's their problem."
Isshin spoke without thinking.
"I don't agree."
The girl turned toward him.
"Why?"
Isshin leaned back slightly.
"If you put two cultivators in the same situation with nothing, no pills, no manuals, no outside help, the one who understands cultivation better will improve more."
He looked at her directly.
"Resources help, but they don't define everything. Saying someone shouldn't cultivate just because they don't have them doesn't make sense."
The room went quiet.
The teacher nodded. "That's a fair point."
After class, Rune bumped his shoulder lightly.
"You really had to say that?"
Isshin shrugged. "It was annoying."
Rune shook his head. "That girl's from a noble family. You know how those people are."
Before Isshin could reply, someone walked up to them.
The same girl
She stopped right in front of him.
"What's your problem?" she asked.
Isshin didn't look away.
"Did that hit a nerve?" he said.
Her expression tightened. "Watch what you say."
Without warning, she attacked.
A burst of flame shot toward him.
Isshin stepped to the side and avoided it easily.
He moved in right after.
A quick burst of thunder qi.
It hit her.
She was pushed back and fell to the ground.
Her cheek started swelling immediately.
The room went silent.
Two girls rushed over to help her up.
She was shaking, furious.
"How dare you hit me?! I'll make sure you and your parents regret this!" she shouted.
Raijin's voice echoed in Isshin's mind.
"They're already gone."
Isshin didn't react outwardly, but he understood what he meant.
At that moment, Karin walked in.
She looked at the girl, then at Isshin.
"What happened to her?" she asked. "Did a bee sting her?"
Isshin almost laughed.
The girl glared at them.
"My name is Nora Zeldyr. Don't forget it!" she said before leaving with her friends.
Karin raised an eyebrow. "So what did you do?"
Rune sighed. "nothing really..."
He explained what happened.
Karin smiled slightly. "You might want to be careful. She has an older brother who is a Second-year student, they are more powerful than you think"
Isshin let out a breath.
"It is what it is"
He shook his head.
"Guess I just need to get stronger."
The next few days passed without anything major happening.
Life at the academy went back to normal. Classes, training, repeat.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin stayed focused. They trained together often, improving both individually and as a group. Their understanding of cultivation got better, and they started working more smoothly as a team.
After about a month, rumors started spreading.
A cave had been discovered near the academy.
Not long after, the academy confirmed it.
A large underground cave had been found, and they planned to send students there. Officially, it was for learning about monsters and gathering raw materials. Unofficially, everyone knew what it really was.
Free labor.
Still, the academy wasn't careless.
Each group was carefully formed. Around twenty students per group, a mix of first and second years, along with an instructor.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin ended up in the same group.
After a week of preparation, they set out.
When they reached the cave, a cold wind came from inside. The deeper they went, the darker it got.
Their instructor created a floating sphere of qi, lighting the way with a dim white glow.
The group moved quietly.
Then something broke the silence.
A sharp screech.
A winged creature rushed out of the darkness, heading straight for them.
The instructor reacted immediately, forming a blade of ice and throwing it. The creature dropped before it could reach anyone.
Then more appeared.
A swarm of bat-like creatures flooded the space.
Everyone reacted.
Swords, techniques, and attacks filled the cave with flashes of light.
Isshin moved quickly, using thunder qi to cut through anything that came close.
Rune focused more on control, using his sword carefully instead of relying on raw power.
Karin moved the fastest, using qi in her legs to shift positions constantly, striking enemies cleanly.
The fight didn't last long.
Once it ended, the cave went quiet again.
They moved deeper.
Eventually, they reached a large open area.
The walls were filled with glowing crystal veins.
Qi crystals.
Their instructor looked at them carefully.
"These can be refined into high-grade pills," he said. "This place is more valuable than they're saying."
Before anyone could react—
Something dropped onto Karin's shoulder.
She flinched and stepped back immediately.
A snake.
Then more started appearing.
From cracks in the walls, from the ground, from everywhere.
Large ones.
At least seven or eight feet long.
The instructor stepped forward.
"Stay back!"
He raised his hand.
"Thousand Freezes of Ice!"
Sharp icicles formed and shot forward, hitting several snakes instantly.
But more kept coming.
The students joined in.
Isshin stayed alert. "Karin, left!"
She moved just in time to avoid an attack.
Rune cut down a snake that had gotten too close to another student.
The group worked together.
It didn't take long, but it was intense.
Eventually, the area was clear.
They paused for a moment to catch their breath, then kept moving.
After some time, they reached a cliff.
The path continued on the other side, but there was no direct way across.
Only a narrow ledge along the wall.
Below was complete darkness.
No bottom in sight.
"I-I think we should leave right now"
Most students wanted to leave, while the trouble makers wanted to go farther in.
They crossed one by one, staying close to the wall.
No one spoke.
Once they made it across, they saw movement deeper inside.
Larger creatures.
Stronger ones.
The instructor didn't hesitate.
"We've seen enough. We're going back."
The group turned around.
The return felt worse.
The ledge seemed narrower.
The silence heavier.
Then—
A shift.
A step off balance.
"Isshin?" Rune called.
No answer.
They turned.
Too late.
Isshin was gone.
He had fallen.
Straight into the darkness below.
Karin froze.
Rune rushed forward, but the instructor stopped him.
They all stood there.
No one spoke.
The light above them flickered slightly.
Below them, there was nothing.
Isshin had disappeared.