42. Rue

~Test Building~

"He burnt them," the man's eyes twitched as Hiro stood scratching his head. He voiced no word but he screamed in his head. "How did hell did he? He was almost done and he had purified them to a great extent."

Hiro had started off well. The three ores had slowly melted under the controlled heat of the flame. Slowly he took care of the impurities. By looking at how he did it, one may believe he was a semi expert if not an expert. The only issue was the long time he took. Thirty seven had finished purifying the herbs, joined him in purifying the ores and finished before him. So although he was good at controlling the flame, he was slow, very slow. This was what everyone had thought. However, more than half way through the process, Hiro had lost control of the flame and burnt the almost purified liquid ores.

"Did he purposely do it? No, it didn't look intentional. Is the flame spirit not fully refined? Perhaps it is fighting back," thought the man.

"Ah, I wasted this one too. I'm sorry," Hiro continues to scratch his head.

"How's your body? Do you feel anything struggling with in?"

"Hmm? Nothing sir, why?"

"Never mind. All of you follow me."

The man turns around and walks up to a door, none of them had noticed before. He opened it and led them in. They came into a small room and were greeted by three elderly men, two elderly women and ten kids that each looked around eleven years old.

The elderlies were seated behind a long table. From left were the two elderly women followed by the three elderly men. Five of the ten kids stood to the left of the table and the remnant stood to the right.

"I'll leave them to you elders," the man said and bowed. They nodded at him and he turned to leave.

"Ahem! First I'll congratulate you all for getting in, but I advise you to not relax, for this is not an achievement. This is only the beginning of your path in cultivation," the first elderly lady said. "I am the first elder of this academy, beside me are the second, third, fourth and fifth elder."

"Greetings seniors," the five of them bowed.

"Thirty four, here is your identification token. You will be sent to the northern region," the first elder said. A golden plate flew to him and a kid from the left walked up to him.

"Senior brother please come with me," he said and led him to the left side of the room. There was a door there but the kid didn't go through. "Please wait here."

"Okay."

"Thirty five!" the second elder called out. Her voice sounding so sweet to the ear that one would wonder if she really was an elder. However, Hiro was unfazed by this voice. His attention was on something else and he seemed to be in a daze.

"Am I just seeing things?" he wondered while looking at the elders. Through his left eye, he could see a dark red glow around their body.

"Thirty five!" the second elder called again but Hiro was lost in thought.

"It's the same light I saw around the supervisor's body. Perhaps it's…"

"Thirty five!" the second elder interrupts.

"Huh? Yes ma'am."

"It seems you would like to return."

"Absolutely not ma'am, please forgive me," Hiro bows.

"You'll be sent to the southern region. Due to your lack of knowledge of the basic history, your strong soul, and your mediocre skill in purifying ores, you'll be attending history class, soul cultivation class, and artifact refinery class along side your cultivation class."

A golden plate flew to him and he caught it. On one side was boldly written characters, 'IMPERIAL EAGLE' and on the other, written simply was the word, southern. A kid walked up to him and bows slightly.

"Please follow me elder brother."

Hiro nods and follows as the boy led him to the right end of the room. Once they got there, they stood and turned to the elders.

"Thirty six, although your soul strength is strong, your talent can not be wasted. You'll be sent to the northern region," the third elder said and shot a gold plate at her. A kid, a girl, from the left walked up to her and led her to thirty fours side.

"Thirty seven, you'll be sent to the northern region," the fourth elder said. And just like before a girl led her to the left end of the room.

"Thirty eight!" the fifth elder called. "You'll be sent to the southern region. In addition to your cultivation class, you will attend history class."

"Yes ma," thirty eight replies as a kid from the right walks over.

"Congratulations to the five of you," the first elder says. "Lead them away."

"Yes ma'am," the five kids replied simultaneously.

"Come with me, elder brother," the kid beside Hiro, said to him and turned around. Hiro watched him open a small door that led out of the room, before following after him.

"My name is Rue, elder brother. I am a top-tier Dot, disciple on trial. It is nice to meet you,"

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Hiro."

"So it is senior Hiro. Allow me explain the academy's way for new disciples like you senior Hiro."

"Okay," Hiro replied and kept following him.

"Upon successful entry to the academy, a top-tier Dot is assigned or paired up with a disciple, to enable quick grasp of the academy. First a top-tier Dot is a trial disciple, at least on the eighth stage of the body tempering realm. Our job is to explain the needful about the academy. However, it also means we are in our paired seniors' care until we reach the foundation realm."

"Could you please elaborate?"

"It means until I reach the foundation realm, I am your errand boy. I'll live wherever you live and take care of the minor things. But it also means in exchange for that, my feeding and cultivation needs will be handled by you, senior."

"Oh, that works well for me. I'll be able to focus on cultivating."

"Please take care of me elder brother," Rue said with a wry smile while side glancing at Hiro, who was now walking beside him. He couldn't get over Hiro's burnt face.

"But honestly, is this method really okay? I mean, what if I don't have the means of taking care of you or I decide to maltreat…"

"Elder brother seems to be kind. Well, I am not to tell you this but, a senior checks the well being of top-tier Dot frequently. Disciples who are found maltreating us will be punished."

"I see, that's good."

"Yes. Elder brother, we should get to the dormitory and register so we get assigned a room.

"Alright, let's go."

"Um," Rue turns to Hiro, but quickly turns away. He was avoiding looking at Hiro's face. "I would have suggested getting you treatment first, but acquiring a room is very important. The earlier, the better the room we get."

"I understand."

"Unless elder brother wishes to buy a place."

"Buy a place?"

"Yeah, there are two dormitory: K Dorm and Q Dorm. K Dorm, is the main dorm. Every disciple in the southern region is entitled to get a room here. For those who don't like the small space and crowding of the main dorm, they are free to buy a courtyard in Q Dorm. It will be yours until you leave the southern region," Rue clears his throat and continues. "Also, the Q Dorm is closer to central region of the academy so the energy is richer there."

"Leave the southern region to where? The north?"

"No, no. To the western region. The northern and southern region are for low-tier disciples: disciples on the foundation realm. When low-tier disciples become mid-tier disciples, they leave the northern and southern regions. Those in the southern move to the western and those in the northern move to the eastern."

"Okay. I'm guessing a mid-tier disciple is a disciple in the core formation realm."

"Yes."

"So how much for a place in the Q Dorm?"

"Courtyards at the outskirts are sold for fifteen thousand gold, those within are sold for thirty thousand."

"Okay, let's get one at the outskirts."

Rue smiles at Hiro's words and says happily, "this way elder brother." He turns and says. "The Q Dorm is north of the southern region. K Dorm is at the east. We have a market and that's at the west. The south is for administration, that is, the main hall, disciplinary hall, mission hall, hall of rewards, and registration hall. The mid-tier and low-tier Dot also stay there. Finally, the center is for all classes, martial skills hall, and the battle area."

"The information you are throwing at me is too much. Let's focus on getting a place first, okay? I'll gradually learn the rest."

"Okay elder brother,"

"Just call me Hiro."

"Alright,"

…