The lower levels of the library were quieter than the halls above, the sounds of footsteps muffled by thick stone and ancient formations embedded in the walls. Shelves stretched endlessly in neat rows, packed with manuals bound in leather, and jade casings dulled by time. Scrolls made of golden silk rested side by side.
The three boys moved slowly, eyes scanning titles as they walked.
"So," Will said casually, breaking the silence, "how'd cultivation treat you, Young Master Hans?"
Malichi didn't look up from the shelf he was browsing. "Straight to business, huh?"
Will grinned. "Three days is three days. Reaching level two of the Body Forging Realm isn't unheard of, but it's still impressive."
He glanced sideways. "And if anyone could pull it off, it'd be Freidak Hans' son."
Malichi clicked his tongue softly. "You're too nosy."
Will raised both hands. "I'll take that as a yes."
Malichi finally turned, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Fine. Yes. Level two."
Will let out a low whistle. "Knew it."
Malichi shrugged lightly. "It wasn't easy. Even with resources, pushing past the first bottleneck that quickly isn't pleasant."
Zareck listened quietly, fingers trailing along the spines of manuals as they passed. His expression was calm, almost absent-minded.
Will's gaze shifted to him.
"And you?" Will asked. "Don't tell me you're still stuck at the entry."
Zareck stopped walking.
He turned slowly, meeting Will's eyes, then Malichi's.
A small smile formed on his lips.
"I think," Zareck said evenly, "I'll leave it as a surprise."
The words were simple.
But the silence that followed was not.
Malichi's brows rose slightly. Will's grin froze mid-expression.
They both stared at him.
"…That's not how someone at level one answers," Will said carefully.
Malichi studied Zareck with renewed interest, eyes sharper now. "You're saying that like it's not even a question."
Zareck only smiled again, offering no clarification.
The implication hung between them, heavy and unmistakable.
Level two.
Or beyond.
Will let out a slow breath. "You're serious."
Zareck resumed walking, fingers brushing past another shelf. "I said it's a surprise."
Malichi exchanged a look with Will, then followed after him. "You know," he said lightly, "if you've done something reckless, you're required by friendship to tell us."
Zareck's smile didn't falter. "Then it's a good thing I haven't told you yet."
Will shook his head, half-amused, half-wary. "You've always been quiet, Zareck. Didn't think you'd be mysterious."
They stopped at an intersection of aisles where several plaques hung overhead.
Unarmed Techniques – Foundational.
Body Reinforcement Arts.
Movement and Evasion.
Malichi gestured toward the unarmed section. "Let's start here."
Zareck looked at the rows of orthodox manuals, each promising efficiency, balance, safety.
Hans-approved paths.
And yet, for the first time, he wasn't comparing them to Thy Image of Zenith.
He was measuring himself against them.
Behind him, Malichi and Will continued talking, their voices low.
For now, Zareck said nothing more.
Some surprises, he knew, were better revealed with action.
And time slipped by faster than Zareck expected.
He skimmed.
One scroll or manual after another passed between his fingers, some promising brute force, others elegant movement, many repeating the same ideas with slightly different phrasing. To angle the knuckle a particular way. Position the forearm in certain directions to best parry. Strike cleanly by shifting the shoulder 'this much'.
Safe. Predictable.
He could almost hear Elder Grigs' voice in the back of his mind, praising balance and restraint.
The techniques for Body Forging cultivators were as simple as they came. With cultivators of this stage only really able to absorb spiritual energy to enhance the body, combat techniques at this level were closer to mortal martial arts than the mystical abilities you often heard about with cultivators and their arsenals.
Zareck exhaled quietly.
They didn't have all day.
His hand paused on a thinner manual tucked between two thicker volumes, its cover worn smooth from age.
Tiger Claw Fingers
The name alone made him stop.
He opened it.
The technique was straightforward, almost blunt in its description. It instructed the cultivator to gather a slight excess of spiritual energy into the hands, not enough to apply any real pressure of course, but enough to strain the fingers past their natural limits. The manual detailed a precise sequence of finger movements, flexions and rotations meant to guide the energy along the smallest channels in the hands.
The illustrations showed fingers curved and spread, joints locked at unnatural angles, tendons standing out like cords. The result, according to the text, was simple: fingers capable of tearing flesh, cracking bone, and rending through defences meant for fists or palms.
Zareck's eyes lingered.
It wasn't flashy.
But it was lethal.
And more importantly, it demanded control under excess, not balance through limitation.
"…This'll do," he murmured.
He closed the manual and turned back toward the aisle entrance.
Will and Malichi were already waiting nearby, each holding a scroll of their own.
Zareck held up the thin book. "I think I've got mine."
Will leaned over immediately. "Tiger Claw Fingers?"
Malichi tilted his head. "Interesting choice."
"It focuses on the hands," Zareck said. "Excess spiritual energy, but localized. Turns fingers into weapons."
Will winced. "Sounds painful."
Zareck smiled faintly. "Most things worth learning are."
Malichi nodded approvingly. "Efficient. Unexpected, too. Most people reinforce fists."
Will snorted. "Most people don't think about getting their fingers broken either."
"Exactly," Zareck replied.
Will held up his own manual next.
Stone Pulse Body
"This one trains defensive stances," Will explained. "Add on that the short burst of spiritual energy it teaches you to time and implement in certain body pockets to enhance endurance, its pretty sweet. Less about hitting hard, more about not going down when you get hit."
Malichi hummed. "That suits you."
Will grinned. "I plan to get hit a lot less than people expect."
Then Malichi lifted his scroll.
Swift Root Mirage
"A movement technique," he said. "Short-range bursts. Anchors the lower body while accelerating the upper. Goes well with my cultivation manual."
Will whistled. "Speed again?"
Malichi smiled thinly. "I like consistency."
He had during there technique search explained his differing cultivation manual, Celestial Roots Binding.
Zareck looked between the two manuals, then nodded. "They all complement each other."
Will blinked. "That almost sounded tactical."
Zareck shrugged. "Combat usually is."
They stood there for a moment, three boys holding the first techniques that would shape how they fought, how they survived.
Somewhere deeper in the library, Marrionette Hans waited. Unimpressed, unbothered, ready to tear apart whatever illusions they had about themselves.
Zareck tightened his grip on Tiger Claw Fingers.
He could feel it already.
Excitement. And focus.
"Let's go," he said.
And together, they turned back toward the stairs.