"Let's try something," Greenwood said, his eyes sharp. "Young man, can you recall your first relic into your soul space? Now, let's test this again." He produced the orb he'd used to check relic rank.
'Ah, he wants to see the rank of the World-Split Blade,' Neo realized. He asked the system to unsummon Pandora's cube and placed his hand on the new orb. He wasn't worried about its rank; he was just glad it wasn't another God Rank Relic. A slightly lower rank would make their cover story more believable.
The orb began to shimmer with a flowing, silver radiance.
"Oh… Oh, my," Greenwood breathed, his scholarly composure cracking. "Young man, is your soul domain fortified with twelve golden pillars? To support a God Rank relic and an SSS Rank relic… What kind of foundation do you have?"
'SSS Rank?' Neo thought, his mind racing. *Is that still too high?* He absorbed every detail of their reactions.
"An SSS Rank relic!" Greenwood turned to Richard, his excitement warring with concern. "How do we make this work? Even with this rank, the old factions will still fight to claim him."
Richard simply stood with a faint, helpless smile.
Greenwood fell silent, stroking his beard. "It seems the Academy will need to pull its full weight this time. I'll summon Elder Cyril and explain the situ—" He cut himself off, his spiritual sense flaring outward.
"What's this?" His eyes snapped to Neo. "He hasn't even begun cultivating, yet he can access his soul domain? What manner of insanity is this?"
Richard's grin widened. "I thought you'd never notice."
Greenwood shot to his feet. "Richard, get him cultivating immediately. We only have a year until the next enrollment. I will inform two of the elders—we must keep him within our ranks." He turned to Neo, his expression solemn yet charged with promise.
"Neo, I will see you at the entrance exam." With a tap of his foot on the floor, he sank through the stone and vanished.
Neo stared at the spot, amazed by the display.
"Neo," Richard began, his voice heavy. "I'm sure you have questions. Have a seat. Let's talk."
Neo nodded, settling on the bed while Richard took the chair.
"Neo, your awakening in the Templar Empire… it ruined an active plan of 57 years. Countless lives were sacrificed to establish that foothold, and now we've lost one of our most valuable assets within their borders because of the disturbance of spiritual energy you caused."
Neo listened quietly, connecting the dots. He felt a surge of grim gratitude—if Richard hadn't taken him, he'd likely have shared his brother's fate.
'Hah…' Richard let out a weary sigh. "I don't blame you for what happened, really. But our return isn't as Glorious as it may have seemed. If anything, we were sitting ducks, waiting for the Templar Empire to come demanding our heads. And trust me, I have seen it happen before a lot. We would be handed over without a second thought."
He leaned forward, his gaze intent. "Your relic's ability—and your sheer potential—are the only reasons we have a chance. The entirety of the Blackstone Empire lacks anyone with your gift, and the Academy will only risk conflict with the Templar Empire and back us because of your value to them. It was not my first choice, but it was our only path to survival."
Neo met his eyes and offered a faint, understanding smile. "I understand."
Richard visibly relaxed, the tension easing from his shoulders. He had never wanted to use Neo as a bargaining chip, but survival in the wake of the storm they'd unleashed left little room for idealism.
"Alright. Enough relic talk," Richard said, standing up. "I'll get out of your way. I'll see you at dinner. The house is equipped with everything you'll need—ask any one of the servants. We can start your cultivation tomorrow." His tone left no room for debate as he left the room.
Taking a quick shower, he got ready to walk around for a bit. He needed some basic knowledge. He had heard a couple of things so far, and he could decide to wait till the next day and ask Richard about the things he wanted to know, but sitting still didn't feel right to him.
He already had a lot of months to do nothing, almost going crazy, without the emotion control relic, he wouldn't have been able to stay sane in the loneliness. Now that he had an actual goal, he wanted to devote himself to it entirely.
Neo walked behind a servant as they arrived at a large door. It didn't take too long to find a servant who led him to the library, which was a separate building of its own. He stepped to the side in a bow, indicating that he had arrived at the massive brown doors of the library.
Neo stepped through the massive brown doors and into a silence so profound it felt like stepping into another world. The library was cavernous, dominated by eight towering shelves that stretched toward a vaulted ceiling. Walkways between them felt like canyons, making him feel wonderfully, purposefully small. A few other readers were scattered throughout, absorbed in their own texts, the only sound the soft rustle of pages.
'Efficient,' he thought, recalling the blue flash of light that had downloaded the library's protocol directly into his mind. 'Grand Library of the Tasher family'.
He found the designated circle—a faintly glowing patch on the floor—and stepped inside. Light coalesced into the form of an elderly woman, her image shimmering with a holographic stability that felt both futuristic and ancient.
"World history," Neo stated clearly. "And an introduction to cultivation."
The spectral librarian nodded. In a flash of soft light, two substantial volumes materialized in his hands.
"Begin with these," her voice echoed mildly in the enclosed space. "For more specific queries, you may browse the shelves directly or return with your inquiry."
"This will be perfect for now. Thank you."
The hologram blinked out as he stepped from the circle, the grand library snapping back into focus around him. He found himself an empty, heavy wooden table and chair and settled in, the weight of the books promising answers.
He opened the first page of 'Ashes of the Empire'.
(Creator,) The system's interface popped up.
(The system can scan these pages, compile the data, and provide a summary for your comprehension.)
Neo paused, his finger on the page. 'Just what are you system?' he thought back.
(The system is an extension of the Creator. Without the Creator, the system does not exist.)
The answer was circular, unsatisfying, but the utility was undeniable. He didn't have time for philosophy.
'Do it.'
He began to flip the pages. Not reading, not skimming—just a steady, rhythmic turn of each leaf, his eyes passing over the text. As each page turned in his mind's eye, clean, organized text blocks began to form, outlining millennia of conflict, the rise of the Templar Empire, the stubborn resistance of the Blackstone and Nether factions, the delicate, bloody balance of power.
He moved to the second book, 'A Foundation for Cultivation'. Again, the steady flipping. Concepts of spiritual energy, soul spaces, cultivation ranks, and elemental affinities unraveled and reassembled themselves into a coherent framework in his mind.
"Ahhh… finally done." He closed the second book and stretched, the mental integration leaving him feeling full.
Then he noticed the stares.
Several readers had looked up from their own studies, their expressions a mix of curiosity, confusion, and mild disapproval. He had been flipping pages like a man fanning himself in a heatwave, not reading a single word.
'Right. The page-flipping.'
He offered a small, private, wry smile and shook his head. Let them think what they wanted. They couldn't sense the system saving the knowledge directly. They didn't understand the clock ticking in his chest—a countdown measured in his brother's captivity and the inevitable scent of blood that would draw the Destroyers.
He was a young man who had been, in a sense, blessed by the heavens with a terrible gift. He couldn't afford to slack, couldn't afford to care for how anyone saw him. He would use every tool, every advantage he could get.