Rivers of the Night

"Alright, enough."

There was a flare-up in General Pennel's power and he caught Theron's wrists, only for a flying knee to slam right into his jaw.

Rattled, the General closed one eye and shook his head. But rather than getting angry, he just sighed. This boy really was something else.

Theron landed on the ground and used the slight loosening of the General's grip to pull his arms back to his control.

The General stood there for a while, stretching out his jaw before he chuckled. He could feel that the two women to the side were sizing the two of them up, sitting at the end of their seats as though they were worried about what other foot might drop any moment now.

They had realized about partway through that something bad was churning up between the two men, but in a situation like that, any added variable would be a detriment, not a help.

Teacher Fern wasn't anywhere near the combatant her husband was—though to be fair, that wasn't saying much. Dean Pennel, by comparison, was well into her old age, so in a situation where her Mana was suppressed like this, she was only a slightly healthier elderly woman.

Neither of them could stop this fight even if they wanted to do much other than just screaming out. But what would happen if one of them listened and the other didn't?

"Who are you, exactly?" General Pennel asked.

"You've read my file," Theron replied with a gentle cadence. "Do I have anything to hide?"

"That sounds like someone with something to hide. Did you really kill Mason Zhen?"

"Who?" Theron blinked.

Dean Pennel's lip twitched when her son looked over at her. But then they both realized that Theron really might not even know Mason's name. It was hard to tell if this made them more or less shocked.

Of course, that was nonsense. Theron definitely knew who Mason Zhen was. He knew all of the heavy hitters of both the younger and elder generation.

The main issue was that he didn't know what their faces looked like because he usually faced the same problem with the knowledge in his head. He had the information, but not the experience to match with it.

He might not know about small fry, but when it came to people whose names spread far and wide, it was obvious enough to him.

"What is your cultivation?"

Theron looked up at the General but didn't reply. This, however, made the big man chuckle, finding Theron a hint amusing. There was something about this kid that, on the one hand, made you feel like you were teetering on the edge of life and death, and on the other hand, like you wanted to make him your son.

It was hard to tell if that was because Theron looked so innocent or not. There was something about looking at his face that put you at ease, and yet put you on edge.

Unpredictability.

"Alright, fine. Don't tell me your cultivation, but that'll make it troublesome to plan things out for the military stream."

"How powerful are other First Years?" Theron asked.

"The best might already be at Third Resonance."

Theron raised an eyebrow. "I'm undefeatable within low-tier."

The General's eyes sharpened and for a moment, his aura as a General returned.

"You speak quite boldly for a child that hasn't seen much of the world."

"I speak truthfully."

"Have you seen every low-tier in existence? Even if you have, what if there were two of them? Three? Ten? A hundred? Would you still be undefeatable?"

"Yes."

General Pennel's eyes narrowed further, practically squinting into a pair of crimson lines that radiated a heart-stopping aura. But much the same, Theron just stood there, unmoved and unbothered.

Usually, a person would try and backtrack their words, saying something like they were talking about a one-on-one battle. But Theron didn't even bother to do that much. It was like he didn't care about his own life, nor General Pennel's face at all.

"Hm… is that so…" General Pennel looked toward the door and waved a hand. A badge carrying a formation by his waist activated and a door opened up.

Out from behind that door, three young men took a step inside.

When Theron saw this, a gentle smile arched his lips. He was more certain now than ever that General Pennel was far from a brute. He had done this on purpose.

But the end result he was looking for wouldn't come for him, unfortunately.

"If you can defeat these three, I'll never question you again."

"With that armor on?" Theron asked.

"Is there a problem?" General Pennel asked.

"I'm just making sure you know that those Ebonstone Armors counter the effects in this room."

"I do know. Didn't you say you're undefeatable in low-tier?" He repeated the words, this time not for Theron, but for the three young men.

"You don't need to goad them on my behalf, I can do that just fine. The reason I'm making sure you understand this is because not questioning me again isn't enough of a reward for this at all."

"Oh? Is this a tough task for you?"

"You don't need to try and goad me either. I'm confident enough in myself that I feel no need to prove myself to you. Remember that you're asking for my help, not the other way around."

General Pennel grinned. "Incorrect. I'm just acting on the Emperor's orders like any good public servant and citizen would."

"Shameless enough." Theron replied perfunctorily, causing Teacher Fern to let out a laugh she hurried to cover. "Either way, I have no intention of fighting if it doesn't come with benefits. I fought you only for the sake of bringing my wife here. Now I think I want something else."

"And what is that?"

"Unfettered access to the Main Imperial Academy Library. I don't want limitations that come from being a First Year or lacking in credits and prerequisites."

"Done!" Dean Pennel called out on behalf of her son.