So, he wasn't planning to kill me. The immediate danger had eased, though the tension hadn’t disappeared. I laced my fingers together, mirroring Vaclav. But my heart was still beating faster than it should.
Something else was starting to boil inside me. It felt like the emotional crash I’d experienced after the interface installation. I forced my emotions back under control—as much as that was possible.
Inhale—exhale.
"Kate can wait," I said, meeting Vaclav’s gaze.
His eyebrows rose slightly, but his face remained unreadable.
"Now it’s my turn to ask questions," I added.
Vaclav didn’t answer right away. He simply studied me, assessing.
And then—something strange happened.
The air around me seemed to thicken. My heart lurched into a frantic rhythm, my palms went cold, and a chill of sweat ran down my back.
Fear.
It had no scent, no color—yet it sank into my bones, making every cell in my body scream of danger.
I could still see Vaclav in front of me. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t even changed his expression. But his aura—his very presence—suddenly became so heavy that I felt like a mouse caught in the gaze of a cat.
No.
A goddamn tiger.
I knew this feeling. I had known it long before waking up in this body. This was the breath of death. This was an orc horde, charging your trench when your ammo had run dry...
"Interesting," Vaclav finally said.
I gripped the armrests, forcing myself to breathe evenly.
Yes, I was afraid. Yes, my body was screaming—run! hide!
But… dying a second time wasn’t nearly as terrifying.
The pressure didn’t vanish immediately, but I felt it receding. My body was still trembling, but my mind remained cold.
"Ask," Novak permitted.
I gave a short nod, pulling my thoughts into order.
"Has the invasion already begun?"
Vaclav shook his head slightly.
"Not yet. But that doesn’t mean the enemy isn’t already here."
"Demon agents?"
"Yes. They’re already on Verdis. And, worst of all…" Vaclav paused, studying my face carefully. "They’re not just agents. They’re real demons—wearing human bodies."
I didn’t need an explanation to understand what that meant.
The demons hadn’t just infiltrated the moon—they had an entire network here. They could be anyone. Any cadet…
Only cadets?
Suddenly, the pieces started falling into place.
I had no memories of my past. I had woken up in someone else’s body.
This wasn’t a coincidence. More likely—it was a mistake.
"This body…" I said aloud. "It was meant for a demon, wasn’t it?"
Vaclav nodded slowly.
"I suspect so. But I also can’t rule out the possibility that you’re just lying to me."
His voice hadn’t changed, but a chill ran through me anyway.
If he decided I was a demon—he would destroy me. That much was obvious.
We locked eyes for several seconds.
"How long?" I asked.
"Clarify."
"How long have they been here?"
"Who knows… Aren’t you going to try convincing me you’re not lying?"
"How?!"
"No idea," he admitted.
"Exactly!"
I exhaled sharply and leaned back.
"Tell me this—can demons only take cadets?"
"Well, we can’t rule anything out…"
"Great."
So it could be anyone.
One of my neighbors, Doc, Diego… Anyone.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
As I was considering my next question, Vaclav leaned down to gather the shattered pieces of his cup, left the room, and returned with a new one. He poured himself some tea, took a slow sip, leaned back into his chair, and stated:
"Kate will be your mentor."
"So basically, Kate will be watching to see if it’s time to…" I dragged a thumb across my throat.
"Kate doesn’t know," Vaclav said. "And I’d rather keep it that way. I don’t want to distract her."
"Who does know?"
"You think I’ll tell you?"
"Omar Hakim?" I asked.
"Who?" Vaclav frowned.
"Second-year. We ran into each other by accident. He mentioned demon agents. And that a few years ago, the School buried some girl with no memories in the desert."
Vaclav’s eyebrows told me there was some truth to that.
"No way! You actually buried her? Was she a demon?"
"Omar Hakim, you said?" he clarified.
"Apparently, people think he’s into conspiracy theories," I added. "You might want to be careful before you bury an innocent person next time."
"Maybe worry about yourself first. Anyone else?"
"Big guy. Fourth-year. No idea what his name is. Red-and-black armor, carries a mace…"
This time, Vaclav’s face didn’t so much as twitch.
"And what did he say?"
"Nothing, really… We ran into each other a couple of times in the metro. He was very suspicious. The first time, he asked where I was going. The second time, when he heard I was coming to see you, he said he hoped to see me again… Like it was my last trip."
"I see. I’ll look into both of them."
He definitely knew the brute. His indifference was way too deliberate.
"And if I run into anyone else suspicious?"
"Then you’ll message me. Or call."
"Alright. I need yellow pine blossom tea."
"For what?"
"I promised it as a bribe to my doctor. To get into the Flow Chamber ahead of schedule."
Vaclav actually tilted his head at that.
"So instead of kicking that corrupt bastard out, I’m supposed to fund your bribery?"
"Well, if we’re really playing fair, you’d have to shut down the whole damn school. I’ve only been here a few days, and I’ve already seen enough favoritism to last a lifetime."
Novak puffed up at that but said nothing.
"Doc could be useful. Let me build some useful connections, and I’ll keep my ears open."
I could see him thinking it over—not tense, but serious, weighing his options.
"Alright," Vaclav finally said. "I’ll give you some tea."
He got up, left the room, and returned with a small tin—like the kind they sell mints in. He placed it in front of me.
"This isn’t that one, is it?" I asked, frowning.
I doubted he’d lie about not having yellow pine blossoms. So… was this something better?
"Pure Thoughts," he explained, nodding toward the same dark green teapot he had poured from for Kate and me. "It’s an excellent tea for first- and second-stage cultivators. It would be strange to give you something you can’t even use. Besides, this blend has more properties than pine blossoms—though they’re weaker."
"Will Doc take it?"
"He’s a doctor. He should appreciate it."
"Okay."
Never look a gift horse in the mouth. I slipped the tin into my right pocket.
"Now, call Kate."
I stepped outside, gave her a nod, and went back in.
She looked a little uneasy. Before taking her seat again, her gaze flicked over me—like she was checking whether I was still in one piece.
"You’re taking him," Novak stated. "That’ll give you enough points to cover the Flow Chambers and breakthrough materials."
She looked at me, then back at Vaclav.
"Alright."
"What’s the plan?" the master asked. "How are you going to train him?"
Kate glanced at me, as if asking if I wanted to explain.
I nodded and opened my mouth—
Vaclav shut it.
"Who’s the mentor here?" he asked.
Kate had to answer after all.
"The goal is to break through the first bottleneck. As soon as his insurance payout comes in, we’ll start cultivating in the Flow Chambers. Until then, he’ll work in the Fist Garden. Physically, I mean."
"To get a feel for Fist Qi?" Vaclav guessed.
"Exactly."
"Smart."
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together again.
"I’ve seen your results. Fifteen minutes—that’s impressive. Did it hurt?"
"Not really. Toward the end, I kind of… dissolved into the flow. I could’ve lasted even longer."
"Is that so?" Vaclav raised a brow. "Reassess him," he told Kate.
"I object!" she declared, cheeks flushing slightly. "As you yourself said, Master—I’m the mentor here. Rushing things could be dangerous! I don’t want to cripple him. Fifteen minutes is already a lot! We’ll revisit this after the insurance payout… No, in two weeks. I’ll cover his cultivation with my own points until then, and he’ll pay me back. Deal?"
"I’ve got about twenty thousand," I admitted.
"Oh. That should be enough for now. You’ll cultivate once every four days…"
"I gave him tea," Vaclav interrupted.
But that tea was meant for something else!
"Oh. Then once every three days," Kate corrected herself. "Can I add him to the chat?"
"Let’s not rush that. He’s your trainee, not my disciple."
"But you gave him tea…"
Wait. Was this some kind of ritual? Giving tea to a student? And what chat? Was there a group for Novak’s students?
"Speaking of tea," I cut in. "Will I be able to buy more when the insurance comes in?"
"Sometimes the school store has it for points," Kate said. "But not always… Right now, for example, it’s out of stock."
"Your stash is empty?" Novak asked.
Kate nodded.
Her master got up again, left the room, and returned with another tin.
"This is Pure Intent. Five doses. Use it wisely."
Kate’s eyes lit up. She jumped up, bowing slightly as she accepted the tin with both hands.
"Thank you, Master!"
"It’s nothing," Vaclav waved it off. "Looks like you have a plan. Need any advice?"
Kate hesitated, then shook her head.
"I’ll manage."
"Good. Then I won’t keep you," Vaclav said, subtly hinting at the door. "Send Jake the brewing instructions."
Brewing instructions? This tea needed a special brewing method?
Wait—what was I even supposed to do with this tea? Give it to Doc, or drink it myself?
Vaclav walked us to the door, said his goodbyes, and practically shoved us out. During this process, my right pocket suddenly felt heavier. I slipped a hand inside and found another tin—identical to the one in my left pocket.
Well. The tea problem was definitely solved.
And I was still alive…
Funny how quickly I’d stopped worrying about the Damocles’ sword hanging over my head and started focusing on tea.
Then again, that was the right call.
Because there was nothing I could do about the sword.
"What’s next?" I asked Kate.
"Next, we’re getting you a teapot, some cups, and some cheap tea leaves so you can serve your neighbors. And don’t even think about sharing Pure Thoughts with them!"
"Not offering them any would be rude…"
Kate gave me the look of a mother scolding a child—though she still had to look up at me. With a gesture, she ordered me to take out the tin.
I hesitated slightly, then pulled out the one from my left pocket. I still wasn’t sure what Vaclav had slipped into my right one.
Kate snatched the tin from my hands.
"This is top-tier spiritual tea! It rarely shows up in the school store, and when it does, it costs at least ten thousand! But the price isn’t even the point. There are only fifteen doses in here. This isn’t something you serve guests—it’s a valuable cultivation resource!"
"Isn’t that exactly what your master just did? Served tea to his guests?"
"First of all, don’t compare his resources to yours!" Kate snapped. "Second, don’t go looking for friends among first-years. You’re not friends. You’re competitors. Do you know why it is that rich kids and legacy cultivators always break through first?"
"Enlighten me."
"Because they don’t share the resources their parents give them! You’ve seen the sucklings by now."
"The what?"
"The ones whose parents gave them spirit crystals. Ask around—see if any of them shared."
Hah. She had a point. Bao sure as hell didn’t share his.
"Got it?" Kate asked, handing the tin back. "Good. Then take it. And feel free to tell everyone I swore to break your spine if you share even a single dose."
She spun on her heel.
"Now let’s go buy you a teapot and a cup."