Chapter 5

Dorian woke up to the uncomfortable feeling of a weight on his chest. 

Perhaps brashly experimenting with Ichor flow wasn't the greatest of ideas, especially when the results could quite literally blow up in one's face. Dorian could still feel some of the side effects of his little experiment lingering. 

Dorian then winced a bit. Admittedly, he didn't think the aftereffects would last thing long. But when he finally opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of Cain sitting beside him, with his left hand on his chest and his right scribbling something in the snow. 

Quite frankly, this was a bit much for Dorian. Although he thought of himself as more adaptable than the average person, he certainly didn't expect himself to be stuck in a situation where he was half naked and his roommate fondling his chest for "scientific purposes". Needless to say, Dorian wasn't quite sure how to respond to said situation, but he certainly knew how he felt. 

Repulsed. 

But he didn't do anything. He kept his eyes closed and tried to make sense of his situation. After all, acting rashly and quickly was an easy way to make a bad situation worse. 

So I think Cain did something to help save me, not quite sure what, but I'm sure that the explosion would have left a whole lot more damage if not for him. Compared to other Ichor explosions I've seen, I think I could've even died. So technically Cain saved my life? 

The thought of Cain saving his life sent a cold shiver down his spine. Dorian could only imagine the kinds of 'favors' that Cain would ask of him in return. He suspected that he'd be feeling extremely lightheaded as soon as he fully recovered from this explosion. 

"So," Cain began talking, "when are you gonna say thank you to your savior?"

Dorian kept his eyes closed. Almost unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. How Cain had noticed Dorian had awoken was quite simple. He was keeping track of Dorian's heartbeat. From that, Cain had been able to estimate that Dorian was at Lower Rank 2. Although he wasn't completely confident, as people's heart rates tended to vary regarding the degree they slowed down when sleeping, Cain was quite confident with his guess. And so when Cain felt Dorian's heart rate spike, there was only one logical conclusion to draw. 

"Ha ha ha ha... " Dorian could barely muster an unconvincing fake laugh, "you got me."

Cain simply stared at Dorian. 

He's just so much weaker than I originally thought... Cain thought to himself, I figured at this time he'd already be at Lower Rank 3, at the minimum. With how fast he shot through the Ranks in the past, I assumed that he was like that from the start but I suppose not. 

"I'll be blunt. Are you at Lower Rank 2?" Cain asked. 

It was the type of question that violated every last law of social etiquette imaginable. It was akin to asking a rival if they could pause for a bit so that you could win. An unwritten rule that everyone just followed, except for Cain. 

Dorian simply assumed that Cain had been counting his heart rate for the entirety of his unwanted nap, so he chose to answer honestly. After all, Cain probably already knew the truth regardless, so there was no reason to lie or deceive the person who had just saved his life. 

"Yeah, I broke through pretty recently."

It had been a difficult journey for Dorian. The guidance from his teachers had been significantly less helpful than he originally expected. Becoming Rank 1 was easy, as it simply required the help of an Ichor Master of Rank 3 or higher to help their awakening at age 18. 

But to ascend to Rank 2 was a different story. Instead, it was significantly more abstract. Dorian's teachers would preach about 'finding your own heart and path' but it didn't help him much. In fact, Dorian found it quite difficult to take any of his teachers seriously in the first place. 

Although their Ranks were never publicly revealed, it was implied that they were all around Rank 3. After all, anyone at Rank 4 or higher would be considered an expert and therefore wouldn't be wasting their time teaching a bunch of students. These kinds of people would be near the top of humanity, only below Rank 5 experts, who rarely appeared. Most leaders and authority figures in this world were Rank 4 or above.

Someone at Rank 3 could travel across the Continents alone but was just a step above average in comparison to all Ichor Masters. They were suitable to be teachers and had the knowledge to be helpful. However, they were common enough for the average Rank 3 Ichor Master to settle and become a teacher. 

So when Cain looked surprised that Dorian was Rank 2, Dorian felt a bit proud. Most students were stuck at Rank 1 for years so for Dorian to quickly progress to Rank 2 within a year was extremely rare. There had only been a handful of such achievements in all of the school's history. 

Just Rank 2? The legendary genius, Dorian, stuck at Rank 2 at this age, and he just broke through? Cain couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. 

Dorian was a generational genius. One whose intuitive knowledge paired with his meticulous nature helped him burst into the public's eye as the greatest genius in the Eastern Empire. They had even named him 'The Gifted' as soon as he graduated college. 

So while it was still impressive that Dorian was already at Rank 2, it certainly didn't match Cain's perception of where Dorian 'should' be. But then again, many things didn't match up. The Dorian that Cain had heard legends of was nothing like the current teenage Dorian that he was rooming with. But then again, perhaps that was to be expected. After all, who was born perfect? It would be quite amusing if someone peaked in maturity the second they were born. 

But still, regardless of what his logic was telling him, Cain still felt a sense of disappointment. Perhaps his stories were too exaggerated, or the reputation of Dorian was too glamorized. Cain had always assumed that Dorian was simply hiding his talent at school, training in secret. But as it turned out, he just didn't live up to his expectations. 

"That's great, you're definitely ahead of your peers, I could probably count the number of students at Rank 2 at your age on one hand," Cain replied to Dorian. 

They both didn't know how to continue the conversation from there, so they began walking back toward their dorm. It had been both an interesting and productive training session for the two of them. Cain had made progress towards honing his Ichor control, while Dorian had discovered a 'new and innovative' way to channel his own Ichor. 

As they walked back to their dorm, Cain began thinking. In his past life, the legend of Dorian's rise to fame and power was widespread, albeit a bit exaggerated. However, there were still many key events that Dorian was fortunate enough to encounter to help bolster his Ichor control. 

Cain had suspicions about whether Dorian's rise to power was fabricated. There seemed to be several 'coincidences' that helped Dorian significantly. One of them was his luck to stumble upon the crystalized blood of an Immortal. Whose blood it was, it remained unknown even to Dorian. However, according to Dorian's legend, he had stumbled upon it during the first semester of his second year at school. 

This kind of fortune had always seemed unbelievable to Cain. He felt as though the story was simply propaganda. One used to convince those with lesser talent that they too could flourish and obtain the wealth and fame so many desired. However, after realizing Dorian's current Rank, Cain began to seriously consider the probability of the story being true. After all, without a miracle-like event, it was highly unlikely that Dorian would be able to graduate school at upper Rank 3. 

***

But as they continued to walk in silence, Dorian grew more and more uncomfortable. Although he didn't feel guilty about attempting to steal whatever technique Cain was practicing, he certainly felt awkward walking silently alongside someone he had just stolen from, even more so when they had presumably also saved his life.

I guess I should apologize. If the situation were reversed and I had caught him red-handed trying to steal my Ichor Manipulation techniques, I'd be mad too. I can only imagine the kind of research that went into this kind of technique. Although it's simple on the surface, that's exactly what makes it appealing. Anyone can use this, as long as they have a bit of guidance so it doesn't blow up in their face when they use it. 

Dorian took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for trying to steal your Ichor Manipulation technique."

Dorian continued walking awkwardly as he paused for a bit. It was an uncomfortable feeling, to be caught stealing. Regardless, if he had the opportunity to do it again, Dorian would still steal the knowledge even if he were caught. The technique was just that innovative and helpful to him. 

While Dorian was uncomfortably waiting for Cain's reply, Cain was struggling to suppress his laughter. Never did Cain expect the creator of his Ichor Enhancement technique to apologize to him for using his own technique. Moreover, he had incorrectly labeled it as a Manipulation technique rather than an Enhancement Technique. After composing himself, Cain finally gave his reply.

"I don't mind."

If Dorian were forced to describe his relationship and interactions with Cain, he would say that they mixed like water and oil. The conversation was anything but smooth, with many extended and uncomfortable pauses in between. Quite frankly, Dorian wasn't sure if he'd rather deal with another explosion that'd leave him with an extra hole than be forced to talk with Cain for more than 15 minutes straight. 

Dorian couldn't think of anything to say back, so the two of them went back to walking in silence. But halfway to their dorm, they noticed someone lying in an hammock. A young man with dirty blond hair and brown eyes with immense bags underneath them. 

Dorian could only look in absolute disgust at his smoldering hot classmate. Not figuratively, but quite literally. Khon was lying in the hammock half-naked, wearing a pair of shorts and flip-flops in the cold snow. And a faint golden glow emitted from each visible vein in his body.

Apparently, he too had the idea to train near the outer campus. However, Dorian wasn't quite sure if this could be counted as training. Sure, he technically was working on his 'endurance' for maintaining his body enhancement. But he also looked like he was taking a nap. 

Perhaps this was the reason behind his atrocious eye bags. After all, the sleep quality in freezing cold weather probably left a lot to be desired. 

Dorian couldn't have been more glad to see Khon. He was like a light at the end of the tunnel, an escape from the awkwardness that was Cain. Was Khon still sleeping? Most likely yes. Was Dorian still going to wake him up so that he wouldn't have to spend more time walking alone with Cain in silence? Definitely. 

"Why hello there, my fellow academic weapon."

Cain watched in silence as Khon completely ignored Dorian's greeting. Whether it was because he was asleep or he didn't want to be bothered, Cain wasn't sure. But much to his surprise, Cain watched as Dorian placed two fingers just below the angle of Khon's chiseled jawline. Dorian counted Khon's heartbeats for a few moments and quickly came to a conclusion.

Fuck, Dorian thought to himself, He's actually sleeping. Or unless he's ascended to Rank 2? Nahhhhh, there's no way. I don't think he's got the same kind of talent and Ichor Concentration as me, so even if he's more of a hard worker than me, I don't think he'll reach Rank 2 until later in his second year or earlier in his third year. 

Suddenly, Dorian felt Khon's heart rate spike back towards 1 beat every .9 seconds. Near the top of Rank 1, but not quite at the level of Rank 2.

"Well, that's one way to start a greeting, Dorian."