Rebirth-Transcending All Beings

"What are you picking?" He said with a casual tone.

I might as well get to know her, since she will be my seatmate.

She didn’t answer him right away, only tilting her head slightly to meet his gaze. Her cream hair flowed over her shoulder. Their eyes locked onto each other. One filled with curiosity, the other out of something entirely different.

Perhaps, she was determining whether to answer at all.

And after a brief pause. She looked away and responded with a cold voice. "Sword cultivator and aura."

The way she said it was clean and smooth. She only said what needed to be said. As if talking more was a waste of time. And each word carried no emotion.

No elaboration.

’A little harsh, to say the least,’ Vergil thought to himself at her response.

[You found another one, but she does pose quite the challenge,] the system remarked. [She seems very uninterested in you.]

Although she was uninterested in him right now, Vergil knew that not all people prefer to be isolated, prior to his own experience.

They yearn to talk to others. And one opportunity was all it would take.

All he had to do was wait.

He didn’t try pushing further for now. He wasn’t the type to chase after something if their interests didn’t align. Besides, there were more important things to focus on.

He kept his gaze forward, watching Rael tap the ground on his desk. Rael pretended to be focused on the papers, but in reality — his eyes flicked to Vergil every now and then.

He gave a little wave, but Rael didn’t react.

Rael knew Vergil was hiding something. He had trained countless students. And Vergil was most likely far above the average person after what he pulled off.

Rael himself was a battle-hardened aura swordsman. While he did try in cultivation, he wasn’t particularly talented. He knew how rare it is to be talented at two energy types and he hoped Vergil might be one of them.

Vergil, unaware of the scrutiny, contemplated as to whether to write down a magical specialisation.

I just don’t think I can handle the workload.

There was no point in trying to do more than he could. There was only so much time and he was more intrested in cultivation. Magic was a sub.

After a while, Rael clapped his hands once and instantly the room stilled. Pens dropped. All eyes focused on him.

"Good." Now hand your sheets to the staff walking around," Rael said, his voice projecting the weight of command.

Several assistants, dressed in green and gold uniforms — similar to Rael’s, though less ornate and embroidered, began walking through the aisles.

Collecting papers, some students hesitated, making sure they picked the right choices. Others handed theirs in confidently, proud of their choice.

Rael continued, his voice taking a more firm and more authoritative tone.

"Let me make this very clear. To all of you, your path isn’t a title. Don’t think its there to impress your peers. Its what you will be committed to for the rest of your life. Its the path you will walk. Your training schedule will be fixed after confirmation. Changing it will be difficult. Not impossible but annoying to do.

He paused. "Now. Now is the time to reconsider your choices. Not next week and definitely not after trying to learn for a week when you begin."

His gaze swept across the classroom, pausing momentarily on several students he had high expectations for. Including Vergil and for a longer moment, Yuna.

"Before anything. What is energy?" Rael stretched his arm, a small blue hue pulsed from beneath his skin. "It’s alive, it’s not just something you use, it shapes you."

The blue hue pulsed outward, forming a sword. "All paths walk the line between spirit and instinct. For some, you have to be born with it. Like Mana and Aura. Yuan Qi is fair to everyone."

"However, some you must be given it. For example Divine Energy." He paused for a fraction. "They offer themselves to become ’vessels of God.’ Whether they understand it or not.

He folded his arms behind his back and began pacing slowly in front of the class.

"From tomorrow, you’ll attend three mandatory lessons. These are mandatory for every path. Whether you wield a weapon or cast from the backlines."

He stopped pacing, turning to face all of them. "The first of the subjects is Politics. No matter how strong you become, you are part of a nation — perhaps even many. You will learn the structure of each continent. From the neutral kingdom Vaeloria to kingdoms like Aurelia and Soldara, to powers like Huanglong and Thaelon."

He gestured around the room. "Some of you are from different parts of the world. Some of you have probably never been to the others or even seen their people. But one day you will."

"One day you may be fighting for one of them or even against them."

The weight of his words lingered in the air.

That’s one way to put it.

Vergil understood his words, since if he wanted to accomplish his goal one day. It would mean fighting against everyone.

I shouldn’t think too hard now.

"The second subject is monster biology. Whether you’re a mage, or a swordsman. Monster’s won’t give a damn. Their instinct is to hunt, devour and defend their territories. You will be taught about classifications, species that have been recorded and mutations."

"But more importantly," he added. "How to recognise weaknesses and when to withdraw. One of the main topics is about tears. But your teacher will talk about it in further detail."

’Tears... Elvira did tell me about it. But the more I hear about it, the more curious I am.’

[Curiosity kills the cat.]

’Only if the cat can’t fight back.’ Vergil mocked.

There were murmurs among the students at that.

"And then we also have demons," Rael said flatly. "We don’t know where they originated from. Other than they live on the Demonic Continent. They have lived for thousands of years."

"And some humans," his face twitched. "Have decided to betray us to worship them."

Vergil leaned back slightly in his chair. This Rael was far different from the fighter he had seen. He was an educator who wanted to pass on his teachings.

The demonic continent. And demon worshippers. I wonder what they would call me?

"The third subject," Rael exhaled slowly."Energy Systems."

A soft murmur of interest ran through the class.

"You’ll learn about all the energy types," Rael smirked at the piqued interest. "The basic principles. But more importantly, what happens when you push your body too far, what backlash is, and why some energy types can’t be obtained naturally."

"And for those who are really curious... Theories that have yet to be tested."

His gaze hardened slightly.

"Speaking of energy types. Using Divine Energy without a blessing is considered heresy in Aurelia and even sacrilege in Thaelon. They would punish you with execution." Rael spoke darkly, his voice echoing.

His eyes scanned the students. "It’s almost impossible to do anyway, but if you get the chance. Don’t. Unless you’re ready to live in hiding until you die."

Vergil’s faint smirk faltered.

It felt personal.

The weight behind those words felt like a chain that bound him to the shadows. Although it was a general warning and not pointed.

Not directed. And that made something coil in Vergil’s chest. His curiosity.

He stood abruptly, his presence loud in the quiet room. "I want to know why it is heresy? I’m sure some others also do wonder why as well."