CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 705: A year and Three Months

Four days had elapsed since Asher, William, Finch, and Lucifer embarked on a mission together. Throughout their undertaking, precisely as Asher had anticipated and arranged, he remained largely an observer. Admittedly, he did interject occasionally with minor suggestions for improvement following each engagement or significant development... beyond that, during the actual missions, Finch and William's combat efficiency and prowess saw an increase. This notable improvement prompted Lucifer to inquire, and Finch, without reservation, disclosed that Asher had been their trainer.

No unusual events transpired during the mission, thus Asher maintained his non-interference. He simply observed, returned, and permitted his companions to distribute the mission rewards amongst themselves. Naturally, the mission they had accepted involved a noble who significantly inflated the reward by an additional thirty thousand points, a sum Asher eagerly claimed half of without a second thought.

Asher possessed no need for speculation; he readily understood that the noble’s substantial increase in the mission bonus was a direct consequence of the Wargrave family's conflict with the Imperial family. However, did Asher concern himself with such matters? Absolutely not. Why would he refuse such a generous amount of points when it was so conveniently presented to him?

At this very moment, Asher found himself comfortably possessing a substantial sixty-five thousand academy points, securely held within his Point Card. Thirty thousand points were accrued from the kidnapped Villager mission, an additional fifteen thousand served as a bonus for the rescued villagers, five thousand points were awarded by Finch for training sessions, and now, another fifteen thousand had been earned for contributing nothing more than his observational presence.

With such a considerable sum of points at his disposal, Asher felt a strong urge to immediately head to the Training Facilities Building. However, he resolved to accumulate one hundred thousand points before sequestering himself within its confines.

William, Lucifer, and Finch collectively divided the remaining fifteen thousand points. William expressed an immediate desire to remunerate Asher with the bonus reward to secure further training. Asher, however, simply declined, stating that William needed to fully internalize the lessons already imparted before progressing to new instruction.

Heeding Asher’s advice, William nodded, recognizing his own haste. He ventured to ask Asher to hold onto the five thousand points with the promise of training at a later date, perhaps a month or two hence. Asher refused, unwilling to hold points that did not rightfully belong to him, insisting on receiving payment only after the lesson was rendered.

Lucifer appeared to be the outsider in this exchange. Through the discussion between Asher and William, he became aware of the five thousand point fee for training sessions. Nevertheless, he dared not broach the subject with Asher, nor did he contemplate suggesting it. He understood his position; William and Finch were associates of the Tenth Sun, a status he did not share, and this clear distinction was sufficient to suppress any potentially ill-considered thoughts.

While the Tenth Sun might have offered a few pointers on hand-to-hand combat during the mission, Lucifer comprehended that these were merely casual observations extended to everyone present due to the ongoing mission. With the mission concluded, so too were these gratuitous minor instructions, leaving no room for misinterpretations or unfounded hopes.

Asher did not dispute the fact that Lucifer, true to his namesake, or perhaps not, was undeniably talented. The young man specialized in hand-to-hand combat. Though he undeniably paled in comparison to the formidable Ryaen, he remained a genius nonetheless, possessing an innate instinct and remarkable adaptability that distinguished him significantly from ordinary combatants.

It had officially been the third month since Asher's enrollment in Star Academy, leaving him just nine more months to complete his inaugural year. Yet, deep within, Asher was already contemplating strategies for an accelerated graduation; despite the Star Academy's standard three-year curriculum, Asher had no intention of remaining for the full duration.

The reason? He simply possessed too much talent to be confined here.

While such a declaration might sound exceedingly arrogant to others, it was, for Asher, the unvarnished truth. Although Asher remained unaware of the precise graduation prerequisites or the expected combat prowess of the third-year students, he harbored doubts about their ability to survive a confrontation with individuals like Debro. Furthermore, his own personal strength was projected to increase exponentially in the ensuing nine months, making the disparity between his capabilities and the academy's offerings increasingly evident.

However, if any single factor tempted him to prolong his stay, it was the allure of the Training Facilities Building. Alas, Asher understood that if he made inquiries, he might discover facilities of comparable caliber. If such options did not materialize, he could potentially negotiate a special arrangement with Cindralis. Naturally, this would not be a direct personal negotiation, as he was far too powerless and financially constrained for such an undertaking. Instead, he could enlist Malrik's assistance. Then again, this course of action was contingent on whether the Wargraves already possessed their own dedicated Training Facilities, a possibility that seemed highly probable given their esteemed standing.

Asher sat in solemn quietude upon his balcony, a goblet of wine in hand, his gaze lost in the darkened expanse above. Evening had settled, marking a full day since William’s team successfully concluded their mission. Asher would readily admit, he had savored a period of perfect repose; his sole activity was silently appreciating the moon, his violet hair stirred gently by the nocturnal breeze, his countenance serene and utterly unconcerned.

'A year and three months have elapsed since my arrival in this realm,' Asher mused internally. 'A year spent within the confines of the Wargrave Estate, followed by three months navigating the halls of Star Academy.' His thoughts continued to cycle, contemplating the trajectory his life had taken thus far.

His eyes shifted sideways. Despite the lateness of the hour and his own presence on the balcony, none of the individuals ranked within the top ten were visible on their own balconies. It was likely they were all deployed on missions or immersed in rigorous training. As for sleep, Asher doubted any among them indulged unless their physical forms absolutely necessitated it – such was the relentless dedication of each cultivator, propelled by ambition and stark necessity in equal measure.

'Hmmm... I find myself pondering the current activities of the Crown Prince,' Asher pondered. This contemplation wasn't a mere whimsy; earlier in the day, while strolling casually through the grounds of Star Academy, he had encountered Vaelric by chance. At that time, Prince Vaelric had extended an invitation for conversation, an overture Asher had not declined, finding no reason to rebuff the prince's advance.

Asher sensed the prince's nascent desire for companionship and harbored no objections. Merely because Vaelric's paternal ancestor was a notorious manipulator of minds did not compel Asher to cast judgment upon the son.

'Sigh... tomorrow heralds the resumption of my mission,' Asher thought, his focus diverting from the Prince.

With his period of idleness drawing to a close, further delay was imprudent. It was time to recommit to the arduous path, accumulating thirty-five thousand points to achieve the coveted hundred thousand point milestone. Following this, he intended to seclude himself within the Training Chamber. Once his accumulated points were depleted, he would re-emerge, undertake a series of missions, and then retreat once more. Naturally, periodic rests would be incorporated, maintaining a delicate equilibrium to foster continuous advancement without succumbing to utter exhaustion.

His moments of leisure would cease with the imminent sunrise.