Rin looked toward Eugene, who had closed his eyes as if asleep.
Rin frowned for a few moments, then smiled with a slight side grin.
He said sarcastically,
"I really thought you might fool me. I know you're awake, but you're pretending to sleep so I won't say I beat you and proved my point was right."
Eugene glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"Aaah…" he sighed, letting out the beautiful night air.
Rin stood up from the ground and began brushing the grass off his clothes.
"Alright, I'll see you later," he said in his usual calm tone.
Eugene opened his eyes, then stood as well, asking,
"Where are you going?"
Rin stopped and looked at him, raising an eyebrow with a sarcastic tone.
"Where do you think I'm going? Obviously, I'm going to sleep."
Eugene began playing with a lock of his hair for a few moments.
"You should go and sleep too. There are only…" he looked toward the clock tower "…five hours left. I don't think it's enou—"
He heard a sound, like something cutting through the air rapidly from behind.
He turned around and found Eugene rushing toward him, his fist clenched, about to strike.
But Rin jumped backward quickly, avoiding the attack.
"Have you gone crazy? Why are you attacking me?" he shouted angrily, confused.
But Eugene smiled his wide smile, showing his white teeth and canines.
Then he took a fighting stance, pulling his left foot back, clenching his fists, and steadying himself firmly using his right leg.
Eugene said with excitement and determination,
"You said it yourself, five hours. Why don't we spend at least one hour training? Weren't you training already, and I was the one who interrupted you?"
Rin put his hand on his face.
"What training are you talking about? It's late, and I'm starting to feel sleepy." Rin kept the same calm tone.
But Eugene didn't care and attacked again, rushing forward, trying to land fast punches.
Rin dodged all of them.
"You're really stubborn."
Rin kept retreating, which annoyed Eugene.
He pointed at him and said sarcastically and angrily,
"Keep running like a rat. Didn't you say you didn't want to be a 'moon' or whatever? Then this counts as a draw. Attack me."
Rin felt Eugene's words stir something inside him.
Instead of retreating, he stood upright, tensed his body, extended one palm forward, and pulled the other hand back.
"You asked for it." Rin's voice charged with excitement and a bit of tension.
Boom.
Rin lunged toward Eugene and began striking with open-palm blows.
Boom, boom, boom. His strikes were clearly fast, unlike Eugene's attacks, which were slightly slower but powerful.
Rin aimed a punch at Eugene's face, but Eugene blocked it with his right hand and countered with a strong kick.
Rin blocked it.
They continued like this, punches and kicks, moving in harmony between speed and stealth, strength and slowness, mixing kicks, head strikes, and punches, then punches alone.
Boom. Eugene landed a punch to Rin's face, sending him stumbling back a few steps.
"Rin!" Eugene panicked, worried he had put too much force into the punch.
He rushed toward Rin to check on him, but the moment he reached him—
Rin attacked with a double kick to Eugene's face, sending Eugene flying backward at least five steps.
Rin stood up and said, a glint in his eye,
"Haha, I won."
Eugene stood up from the ground, wiping blood from his lips.
Then he raised his lip and eyebrow.
"That's not true. I'm just tired, that's why you managed to land that hit. And who said you won?"
"Yes, I won… I won and you lost… I won and you lost." Rin repeated it several times with sarcasm and a smile.
Something inside Eugene began to boil.
"Aaaaah… huff." Eugene took a deep breath, calming himself.
Then he said calmly and with satisfaction, his expression resembling that of a wise old man,
"You're right. You won. Congratulations."
Rin tilted his head to the left and clasped his hands in confusion for a few seconds.
"Strange… why didn't you get angry like usual? You're not the type who accepts defeat. And what's with this refined attitude?"
Eugene replied with the same tone and facial expression,
"I realized that anger isn't a solution, but… aaah… an expression… yes, anger is an expression."
"Huh?" Rin became even more confused and tilted his head further.
"Haha, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by that?"
Eugene returned to his usual expressions, his tone sarcastic and childlike in energy.
"I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just trying to control my anger."
"Hehehe," Rin laughed softly.
Then he looked at Eugene with sarcasm and challenge.
"I challenge you not to last even one week without getting angry."
Eugene replied, his eyes gleaming,
"No, I will do it."
"No, you'll never do it," Rin said, moving his face close to Eugene's.
"Hah… we'll see by the end of the week." Eugene leaned his face closer as well, both of them carrying a challenge.
Rin stepped back and said,
"Anyway, try to raise your intelligence level, okay?" Rin mocked Eugene.
Eugene raised an eyebrow with a smile.
"You're trying to provoke me, and that won't work."
…
The line of dawn painted the sky, carrying a light blue color gradually fading into yellow, with white clouds and a chill in the air that grew day after day.
…
Eugene arrived at Professor Alex's hall and grasped the cold, smooth door handle.
He entered the hall and went to sit beside Rin at the front.
Rem was directly behind them, trimming her nails.
When she noticed the obvious drowsiness and exhaustion on both Eugene and Rin, she spoke calmly,
"It seems you didn't sleep well?"
"Aaaaah," Rin yawned deeply.
Eugene answered while rubbing his eye,
"Yes… aaaah… pretty much."
The hall was warm, beautiful, and decorated, and the white crow was still standing above in the same place.
Luxurious, smooth wooden chairs and tables, elegant and refined.
Then the hall door opened, and the sound of Alex's footsteps spread through the air.
Alex moved in, looking tired as well.
He stood, leaning his back against his desk, staring at the floor for a few seconds.
The students began looking at each other uneasily, and some started whispering softly.
"What's wrong with Alex?"
"I don't know."
"He looks exhausted, look at the dark circles under his eyes."
"You idiot, those circles have been there since our first day at the academy."
Alex raised his head and clapped his hands.
Clap, clap, clap.
Everyone focused on him and stopped whispering.
"Listen to me. I'm extremely sleepy, and today's lesson will be short, alright?"
"I don't want any behavior that might disrupt the lesson."
He moved toward Eugene and tugged lightly at his hair, making him wake up.
"Pay attention. I don't have the energy to repeat the lesson."
He leaned back against his desk.
"Listen carefully.
"The cultivator, as we know, has an inner world. It is the world in which he plants his imprint and begins trying to understand it in order to use its maximum potential."
"Aaaah…" Alex yawned and continued.
"This world is small at the beginning. It is actually one very large world, but it is divided into levels. Between each level and the next, there is a wall.
"A glass wall known as a primitive shard, whose hardness and strength differ from one tier to another.
"For example, the second-tier wall is stronger than the first-tier one. That is why ascending between levels is difficult.
"Between each level and the next, there are, Eugene, three small stages, called stars.
"For example, a first-tier cultivator with two stars is stronger than a first-tier cultivator with one star."
A student raised his hand, but Alex gestured for him to lower it.
"And each tier allows the cultivator to use a certain number of imprints.
"It is not possible for a second-tier cultivator to use more than two imprints.
"To ascend from one tier to another, the cultivator must use resources, training, and imprints in order to develop and nourish his core, also known as his nurturing imprint.
"This process is difficult, because the first time, understanding the imprint becomes harder, and likewise the core's ability to feed on the laws and feathers of the universe becomes more difficult."
Eugene frowned sleepily, thinking to himself,
"What are all these terms? Laws of the universe, core, imprint… were these explained earlier and I didn't notice?"
"Aaaah…" Alex took a long inhale, then exhaled.
He looked at his watch and said,
"Alright, there are… fifteen minutes left. The lesson is over."
Alex went and sat on his chair, and the students began talking again.
Eugene and Rin rested their heads on the table, slowly drifting into sleep.
Behind them, Rem and Melissa were talking and laughing.
End of the chapter.