Hell's Academy

Great Slavensen Throne Room, Six Dome Palace 

A large golden emperor's chair rested in the center of a grassfield inside of the largest room in the palace. It had dozens of rare plants coiling around it that had dozens of sharp thorns that gave off a terrifying presence to anyone that neared the throne.

These were called Rending Razor Vines, and though they were only S rank plants, they had been protecting the kings of the Great Slavensen Nation for generations. If anyone got near the throne room, the domain in the room would activate and increase the strength of the Rending Razor Vines into the peak of the SSS rank. 

Though this was an extremely powerful array, it also had one extremely deadly cost. The last king who had to activate it to protect the nation from a foreign attack died because of it. Using it for more than 10 minutes would completely consume the life force of someone in the SSS rank. It provided the power of something akin to hundreds of vine like beasts descending from the sky, yet to accomplish that, it would take a similar toll on the user.

Howard walked into the room and looked at them with minor amusement before walking over to Mernan as he sat down in the center of the throne. His countenance had regained a somewhat sallow tint again after unleashing his strength the night before, and yet… he still had to follow through with his duties as a king. He looked at Howard and doffed his throne before tossing it onto the floor. He didn't feel proud about the decisions that he had to make, but having to tell Howard he had to leave was one of the hardest things he had to do in quite some time.

"Howard…" Mernan smiled and cheerfully squinted at him. "How did you enjoy my daughter last night? You realize you made so much noise that this old man, who was supposed to be healing, couldn't sleep all night." He somewhat angrily pulled up his sleeves and scowled at Howard with a menacing stare. "If you want to kill an old man, the easiest way is to play with his daughter while he's sick! What exactly were you trying to accomplish?"

"I just wanted to accept her reward. She did most of the giving," Howard laughed, causing Mernan to almost explode with anger. His eyebrows flared up over his head while he looked into Howard's shimmering eyes. The next moment, he couldn't help but laugh.

"HAHAHAHA! You're more bold than pretty much any teeanger I've ever met. I wonder what you father must have been like. If he displayed any of the central characteristics my father did. My best guess is he happened to be extremely handsome and get any girl he wanted?"

"My father is dead," Howard didn't mince words, and just said what was on his mind. "He died because I wasn't strong enough to save him. Now that I'm stronger, I will do almost anything to protect your daughter. Even if an army comes, I will completely destroy them."

'Even if an army comes?" Mernan thought with a minor look of surprise on his face. He couldn't help but wonder if Howard could somehow sense the caravan and just hadn't told him yet, but if that was teh case, he wouldn't be so carefree with his damn beautiful daughter! "Haha, Howard… If my daughter happened to be in danger, and you couldn't defeat the army, then what would you do? Do you think there is any obstacle you can't defeat?"

"I'm certain that I can't let anyone die in front of me ever again," Howard replied honestly with a head nod while looking out the window. Deep down inside, he always wondered what made him want to get stronger, and perhaps it really was the death of his family. "However, perhaps it's also because I just like protecting women who make me happy, yet if there really was something I couldn't overcome. I'd find a way to protect everyone in the surrounding area."

'Maybe I shouldn't tell him to leave,' Mernan smiled and gently pointed Howard over to a corner of the throne room. There were three large stone tablets in the corner that explained some of the techniques of the Great Slavensen People.

These three great stone tablets were called the three divine branches of the Great Slavensen People, and were made by the first king of the Great Slavensen people. All three of them had to do with principles after the S rank and were called the three verdant pillars of the king.

The first of the three pillars happened to do with breaking into the SS rank, and the king couldn't help but wonder maybe it be worth having Howard stay if he could learn the three principles. Mernan pointed at them while looking at Howard with a strange intent in his eyes. Howard had no idea that Mernan was about to take a risk he might gravely regret.

"Howard… Those three tablets over there are called the three verdant pillars of the king… They have to do with principles that we use to breakthrough into the SS rank and one of them even has clues on how to create domain ki. Though it might not seem like a lot, it's rather common for warriors in your age bracket to spend two weeks studying them. If I let you stay in here for three days, do you think you'd be able to learn anything from them?"

"I don't even know if I can read it yet," Howard replied and turned to look in their direction. He had on Alenx black robe, but it was somewhat torn after the previous nights festivities. "Would you happen to have anyone that can translate it for me, haha. Would Lasinda be able to be around me while I'm studying it?"

"Hmph, our language is different then the ones up on the surface," Mernan stepped off his back foot before he launched off his chair and landed in front of the grey tablets. "This language is read by putting your Ki into the letters. You can pretty much store any information you want. All I have to do to let you read it is put a little bit of my Ki into your body. It will allow you to read the great writings of the greatest king of our people. King Gramin…"

"Hmmm, is it really that simple?" Howard took a second to walk over to the tablets and then looked at the rocks. He couldn't imagine how easy it would've been to go through school if all he had to do to learn was put some ki into his body. "Doesn't that mean you can also teach techniques that way? Or am I wrong about that?"

"The most I can do is teach you a few basic C rank techniques with this ability. Once you get passed a certain level of information, it gets harder to use ki to transport information. Imagine having a certain size tunnel and if you put too much inside of that tunnel, the route will be lost."

"Okay, well, I'm ready to learn whatever you have to offer me, haha! However, what I really wanted was a map of the land around here. Can you give that to me as well?" 

Howard was worried that if he didn't get a map of the nearby areas sometime soon that he might never be able to do what he accomplished. He came here to meet with Barabin and Founder Arista. If he kept searching through the Jarkalon Abyss, he might really get lost for a few years.

By that point, the dangers Founder Arista spoke about would most likely have already happened. He looked at Mernan and saw a large smile appear on his young countenance. 

"Hehe, I can give you a map of the nearby area up to 6 layers up in the Jarkalon Abyss, which included 10 other minor nations. However, for the greater nations, for information on the Arthraku, you will have to go to a merchant that possesses that kind of information. It won't be cheap, but for the right price, they'll give you an even better map."

"As long as it's a start. I have a feeling I know one more person who can help me," Howard looked at a small orb of light that appeared in Mernan's hand and then gently touched it as he was instructed.

The next moment, all the information Mernan had promised him appeared inside his mind. He turned around, and to his surprise, he could clearly read the language written on the three large stone tablets.