"Go on... be quick. We've spent quite some time in here," Sansa urged, growing anxious. The longer they stayed, the more likely the Order would dock her points, and since Ethan wasn't paying her for this, any loss would come straight from her pocket.
"Answer if you can," Ethan began, his focus absolute. "How do you choose your spells?"
Sansa thought for a moment. "That's a good question. I guess it's easier to choose when you figure out a spell that plays a single role instead of multiple.
An example could be the fire spell 'Fire Ravens.' I spent years on that spell. Think about it—it can be used to scout, attack, and distract. When I first started, I thought it was gonna be the perfect first spell. But after studying it, I found the ravens move according to my will, and you can see through their eyes. It's incredibly versatile. Now, what do you think a spell structure for something like that would look like?"
Ethan nodded, understanding she wasn't asking for an answer but making a point.
"Well, there you have it," Sansa said, concluding the session. "I'm leaving now. I'm not sure how much you understood, but that's way more than I ever told Alan, so do what you want with it."
Ethan nodded in appreciation as Sansa deactivated the portable privacy circle and stored it in her ring. They both walked toward the door. Lost in thought, Ethan bumped into Sansa's back as she suddenly stopped just outside the room.
"You know, you need to actually move for me to step out?" he said, slightly annoyed.
Sansa finally stepped aside, no longer blocking the doorway. Now Ethan could see what had made her freeze. An ascendant stood there, his forearms covered in intricate runes.
"Uhhh, hi..." Ethan said, immediately wanting to avoid whatever drama was unfolding. "Well, Sansa, thank you again. I'll see you around." He tried to sidestep the man, noting the lack of the crippling pressure he felt from a Rank 3 ascendant. This man was Rank 2, just like him.
He was almost past when he saw a glint in the man's eyes.
"Hold it there," the man, Frey, said, grabbing Ethan's arm without even looking at him. "So, Sansa, 'this' is what you call busy?"
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Hey, man, even if Sansa gave herself to me for free, you have nothing to worry about. So, could you let go? I have a lot of things to do."
Ethan pried Frey's hand off his arm and walked away without a backward glance, leaving Sansa to deal with her problem. He didn't have time for petty fights. His mind was wholly consumed by Sansa's explanation about spell structures; he was already mentally back in his lab, unwilling to give up on the Phantom Wolf's spell without one more attempt.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" Frey called out, his voice tight with disbelief. He couldn't fathom someone daring to brush him off so dismissively.
But Ethan, already several paces away. But he had long tuned out the scene behind him. He was eager to lock himself away again, the looming two-year deadline Leo had imposed pressing heavily on his mind. *Couldn't Leo have summoned me a little earlier?* he thought with frustration. He hadn't even had time to properly explore the Outer Order since arriving in this world.
***Crack!***
The floor beneath Frey's foot splintered as he activated his spell, **Air Burst** under his foot. He was charged for the damage immediately, but he didn't care. As the third son of an Inner Order member, he was unaccustomed to such blatant disrespect. Even Rank 3 ascendants would consider his family's influence before crossing him, fearing retaliation from his father or older brothers. And now, before the woman he had pursued for five years, this nobody had not only brushed him off but had done so with an infuriating lack of concern.
The insult hit him differently. Moments earlier, an underling had reported seeing Sansa in an intimate conversation with someone. Frey had arrived just in time to see them emerge from the private testing room—a room he knew was only used for checking the rank of affinities; he was an Initiate at some point.
When he saw the confidence in Ethan's stride walking out of the hall, he knew the young man was no longer an Initiate. While Ethan was ignorant of his identity, Frey took the dismissal as personal. He would make Ethan utter his name with his last breath; that was what he decided.
If this unknown Soul Born had a backer. Frey's first move would be to discreetly investigate Ethan's connections. But if he found none... he would personally drive a sword through Ethan's heart.
The sight of that perfect white hair and smug face, standing beside the woman he desired, was an unbearable affront to his pride. A public attack was beneath him and would risk his father's reputation, but nothing would stop him from sending his underlings to correct this insult.
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had cluelessly provoked a powerful enemy, now stood in the middle of the street. He pulled absently at the tips of his long white hair as he checked his soulband balance. He had 1,500 points now, after selling the Poison Fang. While any other Rank 1 beast wouldn't have fetched less than a thousand points. But with the difficulty in killing a Poison Fang and the single cut he used to kill it had made it worthwhile.
Yet, he couldn't help but sigh. Selling to the Order was a significant loss, but it was the only safe option. If he tried to sell to other ascendants, he'd be robbed of the points before he ever made it back to his apartment in District 7.
He changed his destination as he walked. Both the Order-hall and the Order-library were in the 5th district, and he needed to visit the library before he went back to the 7th District. So far, he knew almost nothing about Talruy and the Aeltic Order's inner workings. His initial plan had been to secure a spell first, but with his constant failure and Leo's deadline approaching, his survival depended on more than just power. He needed knowledge—specifically, about the Northern Continent, the primary human stronghold in Talruy.