CHAPTER 55: A SPARRING PROPOSAL

"Yes. Come in," the man said.

The door creaked open, and Meridith entered, followed closely by Derek.

"Good morning, Master," Meridith greeted politely, bowing her head. Derek followed.

"Yeah, good morning. But tell me, what brings you here so early in the morning? Don’t you have classes to take?" the man asked as he placed the towel he’d been using to wipe his sweat onto a chair.

Now that Derek could see him clearly, he finally understood why Meridith spoke about him with such respect.

The man was tall and powerfully built, and even his neck was thicker than Derek’s thigh. His messy black hair framed a sharp jawline, and his entire presence radiated a cold, intimidating aura. It wasn’t clear whether that chill came from his temperament or from the sheer pressure he gave off.

’He’s powerful. I can tell with just a glance,’ Derek thought to himself.

"Yes, Master, I do have class," Meridith said quickly, "but something urgent came up, so I came straight to you."

"Urgent?" The man’s brows furrowed slightly. "What is it?"

"Master, do you remember the first-year student I mentioned to you, the one you approved to be brought into our house? I’m here to talk about him," Meridith explained.

"Yeah, I remember," the man said, his gaze instinctively shifting toward Derek. "So, this is the brat you were talking about, right?"

"Yes, Master," Meridith confirmed.

"What about him? What’s so urgent? Have the others already started bullying him?" the man asked as he moved behind his desk and sat down. "He should at least be able to endure that for a few days, no? Yet here he is, standing before me to complain on the very first day."

"Huh? Complain?" Meridith waved her hands quickly. "N.. No, Master, you’ve got it wrong!"

Since Derek was a cultivator and it was his first day at the academy, the man naturally assumed the urgency had something to do with Derek being bullied. But Meridith immediately corrected the misunderstanding.

"It’s not about him being bullied. And to be honest, I don’t think any student here even has what it takes to bully him," she said confidently.

That made the man raise an eyebrow. "No one among the students, huh? You’re saying that because he’s already reached E-Class?"

"That’s partially true," Meridith admitted, "but that’s not what I am here for. The issue is, while his assigned guide was showing him around the house, he decided to try out the Weapon Mastery Chamber as a trial... and he ended up breaking three records."

"You mean the Martial Arts Mastery Chamber?!" the man asked for confirmation. After all, Derek was a cultivator, not an Auran, so why would he go to a Weapon Mastery Chamber? But Meridith’s following words shook the confident composure he had until now.

"No, Master. It’s the Weapon Mastery Chamber, and he broke three records in Level 1, Level 3, and Level 6 trials."

The man stopped what he was doing, looked up, and froze, as if still trying to process what he had just heard.

After spacing out for a few seconds, he finally spoke again. "Meridith, have you lost your mind? Why would he be in a Weapon Mastery Room when he’s only a cultivator?!"

"That’s exactly why I said it was urgent," Meridith replied quickly. "Before he causes any more commotion, I thought it would be best to seek your advice first."

"He’s a cultivator, yes, but he also enjoys wielding swords. And during his trial, he broke three records already. His ranking has reached fifty-one, and with just one more trial, his name will surely appear on the record boards in the hall board and in the other two houses as well."

Hearing that, the man went silent again, staring blankly for a few seconds before repeating, "He wields a sword?!" he asked in disbelief. "And he broke three records?"

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and stared at Derek with a sharp, piercing gaze.

’Is that even possible?!’ He thought.

Then suddenly, a low chuckle escaped his lips. "Alright, brat," he said with a faint smirk as he rose from his chair. "Let’s see if what Meridith’s saying is really true."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Derek finally spoke for the first time since entering the room to meet the House Master.

"What else?" the man replied calmly. "You like wielding swords, don’t you? I’m an Auran, and my preferred weapon also happens to be a sword. So, let’s have a little spar. I’ll see for myself what you can do and then decide what to do next."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room. Meridith and Derek followed closely behind.

’A spar? With him?’ Derek thought, his expression tightening slightly. ’He’s an Auran and most likely at S-Class level. Sparring with him using a sword doesn’t even make sense. I’ll lose before the match even starts. It would’ve been a different story if I were still at my peak, though.’

Lost in thought, Derek continued walking until the man stopped before a large open hall that resembled a training arena, though unlike other chambers, this one had no buttons or panels.

The man turned to him and said, "You probably haven’t visited this place before. It’s used for sparring sessions. You can go all out here."

With that, he unsheathed his katana.

Meridith immediately stepped aside, giving them both the space they needed.

Derek, meanwhile, drew his sword as well. Even though he stood before a man who was not only an Auran but also far above his level, and even though he knew the outcome was inevitable, his face remained calm. He took his stance, his sword’s blade gleaming under the room’s soft light.

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly as they fell on Derek’s weapon. He could tell right away that Derek’s sword wasn’t ordinary.

He didn’t bother taking any stance himself. Instead, he said in a low, steady voice, "You can attack whenever you’re ready."