Stephen turned toward Liam and bowed his head slightly.
"Instructor, thank you for helping me earlier."
Liam waved a hand dismissively, as if brushing away dust.
"It was nothing," he said. "But you missed an entire day of morning training."
His eyes narrowed.
"So for the next week, you'll be running two hundred laps around the training grounds."
A pause.
"And no slacking."
Stephen's mouth twitched faintly, but he followed behind him anyway.
"Instructor… that man from earlier…"
"You mean Walter?" Liam snorted. "He's a coward."
His expression darkened slightly.
"But don't underestimate him. He's sly, vindictive, and the type to smile while sticking a knife in your back. If he can't beat you openly, he'll find another way."
Stephen listened silently.
"You'll understand more once you enter the Inner Sect," Liam continued. "The sect allows disciples who reach the Emperor Realm to establish factions of their own."
"The more powerful the faction, the greater the influence its leader has. Some of them are even considered potential candidates for the position of Sect Master."
He clicked his tongue.
"Walter belongs to the Alliance of Stars."
Stephen's eyes flickered.
"Their founder is Travis Thorn."
Liam glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"Wilson Thorn's older brother."
Stephen understood immediately.
So that's why he acts like he owns the world…
Liam folded his arms.
"Just try not to butt heads with them for now."
Stephen could clearly feel the concern hidden beneath Liam's rough words.
It warmed his heart slightly.
"Instructor," he said with a faint smile, "for someone who acts like such a devil, you're actually kind of a softy."
The air around Liam changed instantly.
His face darkened.
"How dare you call me, Liam Maxwell, the Butcher, a softy?!"
His roar shook the nearby trees, startling a flock of birds into the sky.
"If you weren't already injured, I'd beat the shit out of you for saying that!"
Stephen coughed awkwardly.
Liam snorted, then rose into the air.
"Now get lost."
A moment later, he disappeared into the distance.
Stephen stood there for a few breaths before turning toward the Treasure Hall.
He needed medicine.
The fight earlier had left his insides feeling like they had been run over by a cart.
By the time he arrived, night had already fallen.
The Treasure Hall was much quieter now.
Most of the counters had closed.
Only two remained open.
One was manned by a stern-looking old man with deep lines across his face. The other had a young woman seated behind it.
The old man glanced at Stephen once, then lazily pointed toward a scanner mounted on the wall.
"Scan your card," he said flatly. "Browse the menu. Pick what you want. Points will be deducted automatically."
The young woman beside him looked at Stephen and added kindly, "You look new, so here's a little advice."
"Save your points."
"You might think a thousand points per month is a lot…"
She smiled faintly.
"But you'll realize soon enough how wrong that is."
Stephen thanked her before heading toward the scanner.
The moment he scanned his card, a menu appeared before him.
[Weapons]
[Armor]
[Pills]
[Martial Skills]
[Body Refinement Arts]
[Runes]
[Materials]
And many more.
Stephen searched through the healing section before settling on a bottle of Basic Recovery Medicine.
Price: 50 points.
After confirming the purchase, a small compartment in the wall slid open with a click.
Inside sat a glass vial filled with emerald-green liquid.
Stephen picked it up and placed it into his spatial bag.
Then he turned and headed back toward the dormitory.
The distance between the Treasure Hall and the dorms was not short, especially after everything that had happened that day.
By the time he returned—
It was already midnight.
He removed his torn, bloodstained clothes and washed himself thoroughly.
Only after that did he sit down on the bed.
He opened the vial.
Immediately, a rich fragrance spread through the room.
It was fresh, cool, and strangely calming.
Just smelling it made his mind relax.
Stephen raised the vial and took a mouthful.
The moment the liquid slid down his throat, a cooling sensation spread through his body.
It flowed from his chest to the tips of his fingers, soothing every ache and bruise along the way.
Even his soul sea seemed to settle.
Stephen carefully corked the vial and placed it back into his spatial bag.
Then, for the first time since arriving at Great Sword Mountain—
He lay down and fell asleep almost instantly.
When Stephen woke the next morning, he froze slightly.
The soreness that had filled his body the night before had vanished.
The pain in his chest was gone.
Even the old hidden injuries he had accumulated during his early hunts in the forests outside Ironveil City felt lighter.
His body felt refreshed.
Light.
He clenched his fists and felt strength brimming within him.
Not even a trace of fatigue remained.
Without wasting any time, Stephen got dressed and headed out for another day of morning training.
In the blink of an eye—
Half a year passed.
The weight of the training armor had increased from five hundred pounds to one thousand.
The number of laps had steadily increased as well.
By now, what had once seemed impossible had become routine.
Stephen and the others had also been attending classes regularly under Selena Redwood.
She taught them the basics of beasts.
Their habits.
Their biology.
The different types of monsters found across the world.
How terrain could be used during battle.
How swamps, forests, cliffs, caves, and narrow passes could become either an advantage or a death trap.
Liam, on the other hand, taught them about surviving in the real world.
What mistakes people made when exploring rifts.
How greed could kill faster than monsters.
How a single wrong decision could doom not only yourself, but everyone beside you.
His lessons were crude, harsh, and often filled with curses—
But no one doubted their value.
In one class, a student finally asked the question many of them had been wondering for months.
"Mentor Selena," the student said, "why are we learning so much theory when we're not even true members of the sect yet?"
Selena looked at them calmly before replying.
"Because once you become inner disciples, no one will waste time teaching you these things anymore."
Her voice was soft, but every word landed clearly.
"The curriculum in the Inner Sect is much more advanced. There will be practical exercises, combat training, real missions, and more dangerous forms of cultivation."
"The instructors and mentors there will focus on strength, battle power, and survival."
She paused briefly.
"So use these three years wisely."
"Learn everything you can now."
"Because once you enter the Inner Sect…"
Her eyes swept across the room.
"No one will slow down and wait for you."