The Shock of Comparison
"Senior Brother, I’m already at level two of the Astral realm."
A hush ca from Selena - unnervingly steady. Not a trace of pride, no flicker of anxiety, not the faintest spark of thrill. Spoken flat, as though noting clouds passing by or wondering about tonight’s al. Her body didn’t tense, arms hanging easy, fingers slack, as if words hadn’t just cracked open silence like stone splitting down the middle.
Frozen in place, Kevin showed almost no response right away.
A tiny nod slipped out, gaze already wandering as if thoughts lagged behind. "Hmm, level two Onyx Realm? Not bad."
Out of the corner of his mouth, he spoke like it didn’t matter much. His eyes stayed elsewhere, fixed on nothing close to her face. What he said ca from guesses more than facts. Back then, two moons past, she first entered the Onyx Realm. Rising one rank since? Well, that tracks. Talent has always moved through her like breath.
Expected.
Normal.
But then...
Sothing in his mind snagged.
A single word echoed back, clearer this ti.
Astral.
Kevin’s expression slowly stiffened.
The noise of the training hall—the faint clashing of practice weapons, the murmured conversations in the background—seed to fade into nothing. For a brief second, everything felt unnaturally still, like the world itself was holding its breath.
He lifted his head, this ti actually looking at her.
Really looking.
Wait a minute...
"What?" His brows pulled together, voice rising without him aning to. "Level two Astral realm?"
The disbelief hit him all at once, plain on his face now. This wasn’t a small mistake. This wasn’t a minor slip of the tongue.
This was impossible.
Selena blinked at him, clearly not understanding why he was reacting like this.
"Yeah... what’s wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her tone was soft, confused—but completely genuine.
Her confusion was so innocent it almost hurt. She wasn’t boasting. She wasn’t proud. She simply didn’t understand why this was strange.
Kevin stared at her, then at Leon, then back at her.
"How is that possible? You only took two months to go from the Onyx Realm to the Astral Realm?"
His voice cracked at the end.
Selena answered seriously, like a student giving a report. "In the past two months, I followed Teacher down the mountain to travel and kill many vicious beasts. I absorbed the power of the precious bones, so my cultivation increased a little faster."
A little faster.
Leon calmly took a sip of tea, as if this discussion had nothing to do with him.
Selena didn’t ntion the Divine Marrow Pill that had reshaped her physique... how her bones had been tempered to an extraordinary degree. She didn’t say that the impurities from those precious bones were quietly filtered and refined. That her foundation remained steady like a mountain.
Nor did she ntion the endless nights of reflection.
The quiet ditations.
The silent self-examination.
Leon had made her temper her Principal Heart daily, sharpening it as carefully as he honed her sword intent. Every flaw was corrected the mont it appeared. Every imbalance was adjusted before it could grow.
She had not leapt recklessly.
She had advanced step by step.
Kevin swallowed.
"I see..."
Envy flickered through his eyes before he could hide it.
To have a Teacher who watched your cultivation like this... who personally guided each adjustnt...
On other Divisions, disciples cultivated alone. If they trained, they trained. If they didn’t, no one chased them. There were too many students to monitor.
But here?
Leon only had two.
Every breath they took in cultivation was within his sight.
Kevin understood sothing now.
This wasn’t just talent.
This was guidance.
"What about Junior Sister Rias?" Kevin asked carefully, turning toward Rias.
He had heard about her joining the Academy a few days ago. She had just entered. At most, she should still be in the Mana Requirent stage.
Surely, she wouldn’t be—
"?" Rias smiled gently and tugged at the edge of her crimson sleeve. Her eyes sparkled with playful mischief. "I’m already at level three of Onyx Realm..."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kevin felt sothing inside him snap—not anger, not jealousy... just numbness.
He was numb.
Level three Onyx Realm.
He repeated it internally, as if confirming a nightmare.
Even that young man who entered Secret Sword Summit with Selena two months ago had only reached the eighth stage of Mana Requirent. That result alone had been praised throughout Celestis Academy as a rare genius.
Shera had been grinning for days, boasting to anyone who would listen about his prized student.
Compared to these two?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Kevin could already imagine Shera’s face if he heard this news.
It would probably look worse than swallowing sothing rotten.
"Haha..." The thought broke through Kevin’s shock, and he suddenly burst into laughter.
Too loud.
Too abrupt.
The girls blinked.
Realizing his loss of composure, Kevin quickly coughed and composed himself. "I’m sorry, I suddenly rembered sothing happy and couldn’t help it."
Selena and Rias exchanged a glance.
Rias leaned closer and whispered, barely concealing her voice, "Senior Sister, this Senior Brother Kevin is so strange. He’s smiling foolishly for no reason."
Selena’s lips twitched. "...I think so too."
Leon sat there in serene silence, robes flowing faintly in the breeze. No ripple of emotion touched his expression.
Kevin felt his ears grow hot. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, pretending he hadn’t heard.
Then he turned toward Leon and cupped his hands respectfully.
"Guardian Elder Leon, I’m truly impressed today."
His tone had changed.
"Not only is Guardian Elder’s cultivation unfathomable, but you’re also so outstanding when it cos to teaching students. If the Guardian Elders of the other Divisions knew about Athyst Summit Division, they would probably be shocked, right?"
Leon set down his teacup lightly.
"Yeah," he said calmly. "I’m just casually teaching."
"..."
Kevin’s mouth twitched violently.
Casually teaching?
You practically carved the Sacred Arts into their bones.
You personally tempered their foundations.
You watched their Principal Hearts every day.
And you call that casual?
He felt faintly humiliated on behalf of the entire Academy.
anwhile, Leon leaned back slightly, looking every bit the detached mountain recluse.
Inside, however—
He was quite satisfied.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
Athyst Summit Division may only have two students...
But one was ice.
The other was fire.
And together—
They were enough to shake the Seven Division.
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