The ten students had returned to the Red Headband group's building. It wasn't exactly the biggest building before, since there were the fewest students.
However, it was slightly more luxurious compared to the other buildings. What they did notice, though, was they had more space compared to before.
The teacher had arrived, and then shortly after, didn't say anything; they both just left, standing outside or heading back to the main academy, leaving all of them in the same room.
"So, what do we do now?" Tinson asked.
"What, you want us to all hold hands and play a game together?" Mada asked. "Just because we went through that together doesn't mean we're friends now, alright?"
"What do you mean?" Joe replied back. "Do you want to just sit here, wait, and count down the days until the next assessment? We don't even know what it's going to be, I'm not sure my heart can take it."
Dame then stood in the center of the room and looked at Joe; he placed his finger toward his lips, and then placed another one towards his ears.
Everyone got the gesture; it was the fact that there could be those around them watching or listening at any time, so they needed to be careful.
"If we talk, we talk in our rooms, and only when we can be sure that no one is around. Whatever you do, don't go mentioning any of this on the outside; if any of you do, I will come and find you." Dame raised his fist, and for a moment, he let out a bit of his Qi.
It was the first time they had felt his power. Before this, they just knew him as someone who was part of Raze's group with the others.
Sure he was skillful, but they didn't know how so, that was until then. It was clear Dame's Qi was stronger than them all.
Well, maybe not all, as it was now on par with one person's, but that person was now sitting down. Raze was in the open area, watching everything; he was breathing carefully.
When the room went silent, they could all hear a slight wheezing sound. They all knew who it was coming from, but they were afraid to even look.
They didn't quite understand what was going on, just that ever since Raze's altercation with the Clan Head, he looked a bit weak in their eyes.
After his strong conversation he had before, it wasn't something they expected.
When Raze stood up and headed for his room, the rest of them thought they would do the same. They decided to rest for the night as each of them was exhausted, but they were left with strong thoughts in their mind.
Dame still had the statue with him, but it needed magic to activate. He was sure it was his tool for reaching the middle stage, but even if he could get Safa or Raze to activate it, where could he practice with it in the academy?
For Simyon, Liam, and Safa, they knew even though they had grown far stronger than before, but for what Raze wanted them to do, it wasn't enough, and now with the state that Raze was in, they needed to do more, to protect him, just like he had done for them.
Then there was finally Raze himself, while all of them were busy thinking and sleeping, he was drawing a magic circle on the ground.
He had the level 3 power stone on the floor.
'Although my Qi is greatly disrupted from me being unable to breathe, I can still use my magic just fine. And it's not like it's impossible for me to use my Qi.
'I'm getting used to controlling it a bit better. If I'm able to use it while my body is strained, maybe I'll even be able to learn the complete Descending Steps.'
That night, Raze had gotten to work, in a number of ways, doing whatever it was he could.
The next day when the sun shined bright, the 10 students were a little dumbfounded about what to do. They were no longer fighting for their life, but when they went to the back of their courtyard full of the training equipment.
They didn't quite feel like continuing their fight. The goal in their heads had disappeared, that was for all of them apart from Ricktor and Mada, who continued to train diligently.
"I wonder where Raze is, and what he's doing?" Tinson asked.
"Oh, I think I saw them enter one of the rooms, but I have no idea what is happening," Joe replied.
Tinson let out a sigh. He didn't know what was happening or what they should do. After agreeing to help, he was just a little tense, feeling as if anything could happen at any moment.
The rooms they had were far bigger than the seclusion rooms and were about the same size as the inns that they would rent.
There was enough space for them to move around, and certainly enough space for all of them to gather and talk.
"Alright, I checked the area," Dame said. "There is no one close, so do what you want to do, Raze."
Raze nodded, and then went ahead to the three of them. He gave a small pouch that was a handful to both Simyon and Liam.
Immediately Liam wasted no time as he opened up the pouch, and he could see that they were filled with small balls.
"Are these, Qi pills!" Liam asked.
Dame took a peek but just standing from where he was alone he could tell what they were.
"Level 3 Qi pills, and a whole bunch of them as well. I have no idea where he managed to get his hands on those, but it looks like Raze wants the two of you to get stronger," Dame explained.
Originally, Raze was thinking about using the stage three crystals he obtained to create stronger pills, but he realized that being a stronger Pagna warrior was more important first, and then the pills could just be a simple buff after.
A permanent increase in strength was more important than a temporary one.
"I'll help you guys in absorbing the Qi pills properly, and training as well. Just absorbing them all like so, it isn't going to do much," Dame explained.
Raze nodded, hearing this. Then out from his hand, he pulled out a book and handed it over to Safa.
When she looked at the front, she was slightly confused because it had markings that she didn't understand, but when she opened it up, she could see several magic circles.
"Is this a magic book?" Safa asked.
To which Raze nodded again. It was the Light magic book he had obtained from his vault, full of spells she could use.
She could use magic, and having a Light mage on their team would be a big support, but not the way she was now.
That was when Raze had the Raw Level 3 crystals with him, and pointed to a magic circle on the ground.
'I'm going to increase Safa's star level as well. With these crystals, she could reach and become a 3-star Light mage.
'The risks are there, though, with each star breakthrough, a massive amount of Mana is released, which means there's a chance of a portal breaking out.
'But if a portal break happens, well, fuck them, let the monsters come and kill them all.'
