Back in the city, Isshin, Rune, and Karin were walking through a crowded street when a voice caught their attention.
"Want to know your destiny?"
An old man sat beside a worn-out tent under a crooked wooden sign that read FUTURES REVEALED. His robes were faded, his expression calm, but his eyes looked like they had seen too much.
Karin hesitated. "It's probably a scam… but I'm curious."
Rune shrugged. "It Could be interesting."
Isshin nodded. "Let's check."
The man gestured for them to come closer and led them inside the tent. Isshin stepped in first.
The moment he did, the system activated.
Hostile intent detected.
He moved instantly.
Three assassins rushed him from the shadows, but he was already ready. He deflected the first blade, stepped past the second, and drove a punch into the third attacker's throat. Rune and Karin entered right after and finished the rest cleanly.
The old man turned and ran for the back exit.
Isshin caught him before he could get far, slamming him to the ground and locking his arm.
"Who sent you?" Isshin asked.
The man smirked. "You won't get anything from me!."
Isshin didn't react. "Zeldyr Clan. Obviously."
The man's expression shifted for a second.
He tried to bite down on something hidden in his mouth, but Rune reacted quickly, forcing his jaw open and pulling out a small pill.
"Try that again and it'll go worse for you," Rune said.
That was enough.
"I was just bait!" the man said quickly. "Ivan Zeldyr told me to bring you in. That's all I know!"
Isshin stood up slowly. "Maybe we will let you go… if you help us."
They came up with a plan.
The man would act as bait again, this time for whoever gave the order. Isshin, Rune, and Karin took the assassins' clothes and disguised themselves.
Karin adjusted the cloak. "We should probably tell Sensei."
Rune shook his head. "Not yet."
That night, they waited near the edge of a forest.
The old man stood alone until a hooded figure appeared.
"They're dead," the old man said nervously. "You can release the rest of the payment."
"We already paid you, What are you talking about? Where are the bodies?" the man asked.
Isshin spoke, keeping his voice low. "Too many people around. We'll move them tomorrow."
The man clicked his tongue. "Fine. You'll get paid when I see them."
This interaction was a complete fluke, but they were able to get away from the situation.
He turned and started walking away.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin followed at a distance.
They didn't get far.
Everything went dark.
Moments later, they woke up tied to a tree.
Khalid stood in front of them, arms crossed.
"What were you thinking?" he said.
No one answered.
"You knew he was heading back to the Zeldyr estate. What was your plan after that?"
Still silence.
Khalid shook his head. "I know there's a problem with Franz, but this isn't how you handle it. I'll deal with it through the academy."
He cut the bindings and walked away.
Later that day, inside the academy's meeting hall, several senior staff were gathered.
"You can't just—"
The doors slammed open.
Khalid walked in, dragging the bodies of the assassins behind him. He dropped them in front of the table.
The room went quiet.
"Why are there assassins targeting our students?!" Khalid asked.
"You can't just bring corpses in here—"
"Who is working with the Zeldyr clan?!" Khalid cut in, his voice sharp.
No one answered.
"I may not hold my old position" he continued, "but I still have enough power to deal with this myself."
Silence filled the room.
No one challenged him.
As the situation with the assassination attempt settled, the academy didn't return to normal right away. Instead, things became quieter in a different way. People spoke less openly. Conversations shifted behind closed doors. Rumors about Khalid spread quickly.
Instructors who usually ignored gossip were now part of it.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin happened to be walking near one of the faculty corridors when they overheard voices.
"He should've been exiled years ago—"
"And after what he did in that meeting? That was reckless."
"Don't forget who he used to be. He's not someone you can ignore."
They slowed down slightly, listening more carefully.
Then a voice cut in from behind them.
"Are you lost, or just eavesdropping?"
They turned around.
A middle-aged professor stood there, arms crossed, glasses slightly tilted, clearly tired.
"…Sorry," Isshin said.
The man sighed. "I figured as much. Khalid's students tend to be curious. Though it's strange… you don't seem to know who he actually is."
Karin stepped forward. "Then tell us. We've heard things, but nothing clear."
The professor hesitated, then nodded toward a nearby café. "Not here."
They sat down at a quiet corner table. For a moment, no one spoke.
Then the professor started.
"Eight years ago, Khalid Ryfar was considered the greatest prodigy this world had seen. Someone who was expected to become the third immortal."
All three of them paused.
Rune frowned. "Immortal… as in actually immortal?"
The professor nodded. "There are only two recorded cultivators from this world who reached that level. They exist beyond this realm now. Immortality doesn't mean living long. It means you can't be killed. The only way to deal with them is to seal them away."
Isshin leaned forward slightly. "And Khalid was close?"
"Closer than anyone in centuries," the professor said. "But reaching that level requires an insane amount of energy. Comparable to a star. Your body has to hold it."
"And his couldn't?" Karin asked.
The professor shook his head. "He hit a limit. A complete stop. He couldn't go further."
Rune leaned back. "So he just… stayed here?"
"More or less," the professor replied. "But someone like that doesn't fit into a system like this. Especially not one that isn't exactly clean."
Isshin narrowed his eyes. "The principal?"
"He's cautious," the professor said carefully. "Let's leave it at that."
They didn't ask more.
The professor stood up. "You wanted the truth. That's it. Just be careful what you do with it."
He left.
The three of them stayed quiet for a while, processing everything.
Days passed.
The semester ended, and the six-month break began. Students started leaving the academy, heading back to their families and clans.
Isshin, Rune, and Karin stayed.
One morning, Khalid approached them.
"I am leaving."
Rune blinked. "Where?"
"Seclusion," Khalid said. "I am trying to get back to practicing again. it will take a long time for me to come back."
None of them responded right away.
This was a pretty sudden decision that they did not expect.
"Alright," Isshin said after a moment.
Khalid gave a small nod. "Good."
Then he left.
Just like that.
That evening, the three of them sat outside under the open sky.
"So… six months," Karin said. "What now?"
"Everyone else is going home," Rune said. "We're not."
Isshin pulled out a map and placed it between them.
"What about this?"
He pointed south.
A mountainous region far from the academy. Known for wandering sects and cultivators who didn't follow academy rules.
"The southern peaks," Karin said. "It is a pretty decent sect, we can check it out"
Rune nodded. "Better than staying here."
They didn't need to discuss it much more.
They made their decision.
At dawn, they would leave.
And head south.