Born in Blood



As soon as the train climbed over the underwater slope, Liam's eye widened with shock, his golden retina zooming in to get a better look. 

As if the bullet train wasn't enough, what caught his gaze almost made him gasp. 

The giant academy looked like a giant underwater 'dome' – at least, that's what the colossal, iridescent bubble surrounding it made it seem like. 

Colossal albino whales floated freely around the cupola-like location, releasing sharp-pitched screams that shot through the water. Thankfully, the bubble seemed to protect those inside the train from that.

"Guys! Look!" Nessa noticed the academy and proclaimed. Everyone moved towards the window to peer through.

Inside the bubble, was what looked like a vast city, grander than the entirety of Ucladd. 

Towering structures, blocky houses, luxurious mansions and circular domes were scattered all over it, shaped differently and made from varying materials. 

The space was lit with bright white lights, making it look like some sort of ancient underground metropolis.

Here and there, some towers had large antennas on them, which Liam could spot emitting powerful ripples of some kind of mental energy.

'Is that a scanner or something?' he thought, feeling like a caveman in a modern society. 'Just how much do I not know?' 

Right in the center, was a huge pit, even bigger than the hole Liam fell down in within the Abyss. 

Even from that distance, the waves of 'Ora' around them were beyond thicker than average. Considerably less than what Liam felt in the 'Ora' Mine, though.

'It's an 'Ora' well! It makes sense how they would make an academy right on top of one,' Liam thought excitingly. 'Our cultivation is bound to be sped up, right?'

The blocky houses were too much to count. Some were bigger than others, depending on how closer they were to the giant hole.

Upon a further inspection, there seemed to be an actual mansion over the hole, floating by its own accord – much bigger than any other house.

"Holy…" Sveinn's voice trailed off, a wide smile on his lips. He let out a chuckle. "How is that even possible?"

The train went around the bubble, slowly descending, like a helicopter circling a city. 

As they got closer, the structures grew more visible, enough to know there was a gate the train would go through at the bottom of the academy borders.

Kalia appeared then, grabbing everyone's attention. 

"We'll be out shortly. Before that, I'll need a few things from you all," she said, taking out five individual tokens from her ring. "You're all familiar with what a binding oath is, correct?" 

Liam was the last to nod. Just to be on the safe side.

"Good, then we won't waste any time on explaining. Imbue your 'Ora' into the token – it's just a standard 'don't give out any important secrets' oath."

Kalia threw everyone a token, which they promptly imbued with world essence. 

Strangely though, when Liam did the same to his own, there was no constriction around his core.

…It felt like there was, fleetingly, but a second later, it withered away and disappeared. 

'Binding Oaths don't work on me. It has something to do with the Kitsune,' Liam realized. 

He didn't know if that was good or bad. On one hand, he wasn't restricted by any harsh laws. 

If it came to it, he could trade crucial secrets to other organizations or maybe even countries. 

…If he lived that long.

On the other hand, that strange oddity might get noticed, and the Royalty might not have a friendly reaction to it.

Thankfully, Kalia didn't seem to know. 

"You can keep the tokens. You'll need them to get to your individual dorms," she explained. 

Outside, the view changed again. 

They finally pierced through the bubble. 

Instead of it popping, though, the train's bubble merged with the academy's. 

The train started to slow down, lining up against a large terminal that edged the academy borders.

There were various figures waiting there, staring at the train as it eventually stopped with a quiet hiss.

Liam and the other four followed Kalia outside, witnessing just how grand the bubble above was. 

Rays of sun barely penetrated through the dark depths of the ocean, but with Liam's vision, he could see the countless magical beasts that swam across those waters. 

Shadows of those waters were cast on the ground where Liam stood, flowing serenely with each wave and movement.

From the other sections of the train, groups of five youths led by a female Royal exited and greeted those waiting for them.

"Kalia!" a deep, feminine voice shouted in the distance. "You're late!"

The voice belonged to a lady with wild emerald hair tied to a bun. She had a sturdy build, not enough to be burly, but just above an athlete. 

She wore a pirate's eye patch on one eye, and the other had a green iris that pierced through whatever it looked at.

Her tanned skin was slightly scarred, but her tight huntress' clothing covered her fit body well. A quick-tempered air surrounded her.

'She's strong,' Liam thought, staring at her azure aura. 'Her aura resembles Samuel's, but I feel like she's much more dangerous compared to him.'

Kalia let out a short sigh when she saw the woman arrive. 

"This woman here is Janice – she teaches advanced battle techniques and prowess," she said, before whispering the next words: 

"Although she's a genius when it comes to fighting, she's an idiot in everything else."

"I heard that, princess," Janice said with a narrowed eye, before shifting her attention to Liam and the rest. "Who came first in your group?"

Kalia paused, then glanced at Liam. 

Janice beamed and smiled ear-to-ear.

"Oh, and he did it with one eye! Young... so young! And you did it with one eye? How about I get you an eye patch like mine? We'll be best buddies!"

Liam remained silent, glancing at Kalia and remarking her repeated sighing.

"I'm good, thank you."

Before Janice could enthusiastically convince him any further, Kalia spoke first. 

"You still need to explain some things and show them their dorms. Don't waste time." 

Janice pouted with a scoff.

"You're all no fun…"

She turned around and began walking away, gesturing for the five to follow her. 

"Let's go, twerps. Princess over there is gonna seethe if we linger for too long."

Kalia shook her head as she teleported away.

"Alright, first things first, let's start with how things function 'round here."