CHAPTER 62: DISCIPLE CULTIVATION SYSTEM CH62 MAKING ALLIES PT2.

Valaria and Kurt strolled down the empty street, riddled with cracks. Before them lay a demolished cityscape—an effect of the continuous battles it had survived. The duo weren’t in much better shape either. They were bloody, their clothes full of holes, and their skin covered in cuts that leaked blood. It was as if they had walked out of a warzone, and Valaria’s reddened eyes—a result of crying so much—didn’t help refute that statement.

She looked miserable. Kurt wanted to comment, but he was sure Valaria had already noticed. She seemed to glance at every piece of glass or mirror where her reflection was displayed. Each time she saw herself, she would bite her lip and clench her fists. She didn’t want to accept how pathetic she looked. If her master were here, he would have given her the same sad look he always did when she disappointed him.

"You know, I was quite strong for my age," she began, rambling to Kurt, who made no attempt to stop her. "I first harnessed Aura ten years ago, at age eight."

Kurt was genuinely impressed—he had only done so at age ten—but he tried not to show it. He wanted to keep a neutral stance with Valaria. They had a deal: he would eliminate her after twelve hours. Two had already passed, leaving ten more to go. He didn’t want to mistake their current cooperation for teamwork and chicken out when the time came to eliminate her. So, he acted disinterested.

"Impressive, right?"

"I guess."

Val sighed at his attitude but continued nonetheless. "An old friend guided me in its use. He even told me the spear was my destined weapon. I followed his words, and now I use a baton. Strange, isn’t it?"

"You seem to have skipped a lot, but I won’t say it’s strange. You’re just adapting."

Valaria smiled at his response. Art had said something similar, but she wasn’t using a baton to adapt. She didn’t particularly like it, but since it reminded her of her pent-up hatred for Art, it had ended up sticking with her.

"Hey, what’s your story?" she asked, showing interest in Kurt.

Kurt wanted to tell her off, but he knew a persistent person when he saw one. Besides, she had shared a hint of her past, so now it was his turn.

"Mine is pretty standard, as far as things go. My parents are Heroes. They’re occasionally stationed near the smaller rifts around the continent and fight anything that steps out of them."

"They must be strong," Val exclaimed in curiosity.

She had seen the rift once during her stay in Kingford City. That thin gap in the sky was haunting, capable of breaking the minds of the weak. The sole reason she hadn’t cracked under Art’s training was that her mind had been tempered to resist any form of torture. Her master had made sure of that, and her continuous exposure to the Rift had fortified it. Those with weak wills and bodies would go mad from even a glance. Even the smaller-scale rifts were no different—hence why she found Kurt’s parents impressive.

"Both are nearing the Sixth Enlightenment, so yes, they’re strong."

In this world, any warrior who reached the Fifth Enlightenment was undoubtedly a genius. The Third Enlightenment (or Three-Star) was common for an average person. The Fourth was for trained individuals, the Fifth for geniuses, the Sixth for true monsters. The Seventh and Eighth couldn’t even be described—those who reached them were in a league of their own. They were either titled "Ascent" for the Seventh Enlightenment or "Saint" for the Eighth.

There were theories of a Ninth and even Tenth stage, but no warrior in the modern age—since the treaty—had achieved it.

Mages had their own ranking system, with their current peak being "Magic God"—the Ninth Stage. Only one man had ever reached it: a man with the qualifications to rival the Demon King himself. The strongest human alive.

Their Saint equivalents were witches and wizards.

Val herself was at the Third Enlightenment—the peak for a first-year student. Not everyone had the opportunity to advance in rank until they entered the academy. Hence, just as there were Three-Star aura users in her year, there were also One-Star users.

The peak for second-years was Four-Star.

The peak for third and fourth-years was Five-Star, though most didn’t reach that stage unless they graduated and underwent their internships. It was also where they gained the qualifications to become instructors—if they wanted.

A certain someone had managed to skip that process and was now making waves in the academy.

"So, you decided to follow their path and become a Hero?" she asked, returning to her conversation with Kurt.

"I wasn’t interested in this Hero business. I just wanted a simple life, but... every time my parents go into battle—fighting those abominations trying to invade our world—I can’t help but worry. Fighting? I don’t like it. But if it’s the only way to help my parents, then I’ll do it."

Val was stunned, blinking at Kurt, who wore an indescribable expression. She could see the worry in his voice when he spoke of his parents. He wasn’t a Hero—just a son who didn’t want his parents to bear the burden alone. He wanted to help them, be useful to them, even protect them.

"Hey, Kurt... after this game, come find me. I’ll teach you a technique."

No Aura meant no technique for her, but she could still pass on her knowledge to him—as long as he was willing.

"Thanks, but I’ll have to pass. I don’t want to owe you any favors," he refused.

"You won’t owe me anything. It’s just a bonus for helping me," Val explained trying to assure him.

Kurt still wanted to refuse, but Valaria shook her head, signaling she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

"Who knows? It might save your life someday."

After that, they argued lightly before continuing forward—a sense of comradeship forming between them.