Rebirth of the Nameless Immortal God Chapter 3

Delia guided Dyon across the woodland, keeping one step behind him in case her judgment proved faulty. Dyon didn't mind this much. It would seem far stranger if she showed no wariness toward him.

‘So, will you explain what's unique about that lake?’ Dyon glanced back at Delia, whose gaze stayed locked on the path ahead.

‘Since you failed to notice it right away, you wouldn't get it even if I spelled it out.’

‘Give it a shot.’ Dyon grinned. It had been ages since anything baffled him. If it truly did, that would just ignite his interest even more.

Delia lifted her eyes to Dyon and shook her head. She saw him as an arrogant lad who flirted too freely. If he knew her father's status or how simply she could end him, he wouldn't act so laid-back.

‘In essence, all things in the cosmos possess a will. A lake's will is tranquility and peace. Swimming in it clearly defies that will, so it naturally resists.’

Dyon stared blankly at her before shutting his eyes. To Delia, this confirmed her hunch: he was clueless.

Right as she prepared to drop the topic, Dyon's eyes snapped open. ‘Fascinating.’ He turned away.

Delia shook her head. ‘Who does he think he's fooling?’

‘My mother sent me to this academy. She only said it was an entirely new realm with a fresh field of study to delve into. That ‘will’ you described ties directly to what she meant.’ Dyon's gaze grew distant as he pressed onward along the trail.

Delia found this intriguing. From a common family, his mother couldn't possibly grasp real details of the martial world. Yet labeling their arts as novel science fit how outsiders would see it. Though Delia believed it was truly the most ancient science.

As though sensing her musings, Dyon spoke up. ‘You view it as the primordial science, don't you? From your lake explanation, everything holds a will. If that's accurate, it extends across the entire cosmos. Thus, with the lake's will so palpable, the grandest will must belong to the universe.’

Delia's eyes expanded in surprise before curving into a grin. ‘Perhaps he's sharper than I thought. Still a tad off, though—maybe I'll correct him this once.’

Before words left her lips, Dyon went on. ‘However, I've swum in countless lakes back home and never sensed anything like that. So it must relate specifically to your realm.’ He paused. ‘That points to one of two possibilities. Either this lake reigns supreme over all others. Or, the ultimate power lies with your martial world's cultivators, who impose their will to bend the world's other wills.’

‘To infer that from mere words. Looks like he doesn't require my guidance after all.’

‘You appear quite sharp. Now you grasp why I doubt you crossed the lake alone. Especially claiming it in just 5 days.’

Dyon flashed a cryptic smile. ‘Perhaps my will outranks the lake's.’

‘Or that gadget on your wrist does.’ Delia retorted boldly.

Traversing the lake so swiftly without aid like a silver yacht was unthinkable. It demanded extraordinary innate talent. Yet his entry test marked him as scarcely average.

Moreover, with his newborn grasp of the martial world, his talent would need to be astronomical to offset his ignorance of countering the lake's resistance.

Dyon eyed his wrists and smirked. ‘Never encountered these, huh? Curious.’

Delia instantly caught his implication. Unfamiliar with their purpose, her assumption fell flat.

‘He's bluffing for sure.’

Dyon twisted his wrist, retrieving a hot bag of burritos, then eyed Delia. ‘Care for one?’

‘No thanks. That's no food for an athlete.’ She declined resolutely.

‘Your call.’ Dyon started devouring them.

Delia's eyes bulged once more. ‘How does he pack away so much and stay so toned?’

In the half-hour trek to the forest's heart, Dyon polished off five arm-thick foot-longs. Shocking, given their size.

Dyon flicked his wrists anew, picking a white pearl and slipping it into his mouth. He let it linger as they neared a towering tree, then gulped it down.

Delia stared puzzled. ‘You ate a pearl? You're a glutton, but for rocks now?’

Dyon laughed. ‘I adore a stunning woman with wit. That was a cleansing pearl. Can't arrive at a big event with foul breath.’

Delia averted her gaze to a concealed panel on the massive trunk, brushing off his remark.

Dyon grinned at her response before sharpening his focus. ‘They craft tree-embedded high-tech lifts, sustain subaquatic structures, and yachts to defy lake wills—yet storage bands and cleansing pearls baffle them. Bizarre.’

‘How long until the ceremony? Are you joining too?’ Dyon inquired as they entered the tree.

The shaft matched the towering spires' vibe. Hexagonal mini-tiles lined ceiling and floor. A glass tube nestled between, featuring another control panel.

‘It starts tonight. I'm a first-year too, so I'll participate.’ Delia hesitated, weighing her words, then sighed.

‘You might not realize, but this opening rite holds great weight for the school's six pillar clans. Typically, only main family heirs join—not even branches. Your inclusion signals goodwill to the mortal realm. I hope your pranks don't shame you.’

Dyon regarded her steadily before responding. ‘Perform? What's that about?’

Delia gaped. ‘You don't know you're supposed to showcase talents at the ceremony? It's your shot to attract mentors and school resources.’ She pitied him with a headshake.

‘Lacking martial backing, he's resource-starved already. Poor showing seals his fate.’

‘Fascinating. So this is your martial world's game? Not unlike reality. Elites flaunt skills; the lowly get nothing.’ Dyon stayed composed. ‘If only mains usually perform, how do branch kids secure patrons?’

Delia eyed him. ‘His first question is that?’

‘Branch members align with main heirs' factions, earning resources indirectly…’

Dyon nodded silently.

Delia held her tongue too. Pointless. Even prepared, it'd flop. Without her, he'd lack basics. Wowing masters now? Impossible. Likely why clans permitted him.

‘He's set to humiliate himself…’

Absorbed in thought, Dyon's eyes widened suddenly. The lift exited its metal shaft, unveiling the vast underwater tower. Students from his age to twenties filled it. Blue lake light bathed everything in soothing azure. But a colossal book wall seized his attention; even descending, endless shelves stretched rightward.

‘Multi-floor library spanning levels.’ Dyon surmised.

‘We've hours, yeah? Mind if I check that library?’

‘No ID yet, but take mine. Return it at the ceremony.’

Delia rarely offered, but pitied his looming doom. Outward strength often crumbled in real tests.

‘Hope this aids him.’ She concealed her sympathy.

‘Noble ladies like you are surprisingly kind.’ Dyon smiled warmly. ‘I'll repay you someday.’

Her hidden sorrow hadn't escaped him. Smart as he was, the core issue eluded him. But pity stung clear.

‘From her lake reaction, this will concept isn't simple. Yet judging new gens at the rite means mastering will is crucial…

‘Twelve hours to ceremony… Intriguing… Scheme to mock me, eh?’

Dyon's eyes flashed, a simmering volcano lurking in their depths.