The Walker Of Voids

After unarmed basic combat, not much happened in theory class. The main points were simple, and almost everyone knew them. The class they were currently in was clearly just a way to get those who were clueless a chance to catch up with the rest. It was a bit of an introductory lesson that explained the curriculum and the main events that will be held in the next term.

Since everyone was already in the same class for theory, too, they only had to leave the hall so it could reset back to a lecture hall, and since that was over now, Lloyd was certain that he wouldn't have to see most of them until tomorrow.

'God, I wish no one from my tutorial is in rouge combat class...' Lloyd thought.

The first class Lloyd had was Rouge combat, a class specialized toward those who have a rouge class. While Lloyd was a bit of a heavy hitter and a tank when it came to close combat, he had to also keep up the facade of being an assassin.

Of course, he had many abilities that helped him when it came to being an assassin, but he wanted to learn the art from a master rather than have to rely on his abilities to perform any assassin feats.

In the future, too, Lloyd knew that the military and possibly even the adventurer's association might ask him to complete a mission that was suited to his assassin class, so he might as well add the rouge combat class into his arsenal of fighting styles.

Walking into the hall, Lloyd looked around momentarily before sighing slightly.

From what he understood, theory and unarmed basic combat were the only classes where everyone was stuck with the group from their tutorial class in the morning. However, when he goes to other classes, people from D to A could go to the same class, while S and X had their own separate classes.

After having walked in, Lloyd couldn't really tell who was from where.

From what he understood, the average commandment in his class was about early to mid-stage first commandment.

Still, despite there being a few late and even peak first commandments in the class, the average commandment was initial to early first commandment, and he was one of those people.

Standing with the rest of the people in the crowd, Lloyd felt a sharp gaze lock on him once more, yet he had done this charade far too many times for him to not know who it was.

She was a soul reaper, after all... What did he expect? Of course, she was going to be in this class!

A portal suddenly opened up in the middle of hall, and out of it came a man clad in black armor and a dark grey cloak.

The man was powerful; everyone could see that.

His dark aura expanded throughout the hall, causing many to shudder while others simply froze in place.

"Rouge combat training. Over several years of training kids the same age as you guys, I've come to realize that the best way to teach you how to be a good fighter is to enhance what you already know, or completely demolish it an build you from the ground up." he explained before vanishing into thin air and appearing in the same place a second later, this time having placed a dagger in everyone's hands.

"The dagger is the basic weapon for a rogue. Some rogues like to use guns, snipers, or even their own abilities to create such things, but most use the dagger, or that's at least the case with most classes." He explained while looking at the few people who he had placed a gun instead of a dagger in their hands.

Lloyd looked at the dagger momentarily before glancing at Luna, who was doing the same thing.

The dagger was nothing, really. It was weak, and could be easily considered a piece of crap. Yet, despite that, it was much better than the katana Lloyd had when he entered the eternal autumn dungeon.

"Now, I'd like you to team up with someone of equal strength to you. During your spar, you are not allowed to use your elements of abilities. I want to see your raw rogue combat abilities." The man said.

Lloyd looked around and tried to walk to someone at the initial stages of the first commandment too, but he felt a tug on his sleeve, was a glare pierced and made him smile in self-pity.

"What?" Lloyd asked, slightly annoyed.

"Me, you, spar." Luna crossed her arms with an equally annoyed expression.

"You know you can just leave me alone if you dislike me so much." Lloyd chuckled.

"You've caught my eyes." She narrowed her eyes before continuing-

"You should be honored that a peasant like you had caught the eyes of someone so much better than you, in every way." She boasted.

'Ah... This is why I don't like her.' Lloyd sighed after finally finding the reason why she ticked him off.

She kind of reminded him of Lucy the first time he met her... But that shit was behind him now.

"We aren't the same strength though, so there is-"

"Cut the crap. I saw you against instructor Kim. You are just a little weaker than me, and I am a prodigy!" She boasted once more.

Lloyd looked toward their instructor with pleading eyes, yet his instructor didn't react.

"Alright, the person you've chosen will be your partner for the next two weeks. Make sure you get to know each other over the next few days." He spoke before walking to the back of the room and simply staring at us as if he was waiting for something.

"Begin." He muttered after a couple of seconds, causing everyone to dash toward each other and begin sparring.

The spar with Luna went as expected. Due to Lloyd's power being way higher than hers, he was easily able to counter her attacks or even take then head-on without the fear of being hurt.

However, Luna was a lot more nimble and precise than he was. She was also super flexible, allowing her to hit Lloyd with combos that he never thought possible without dislocating a limb or two.

Luna moved with just as much expertise in the air, too, making what he thought was an advantage quickly turn into a disadvantage as he was forced to block multiple attacks from above while everything but her nimble feet was out of range.

Their instructor went around and simply observed, yet he didn't give them a single pointer on what to do and how to improve.

The class ended quickly afterward, making some grunt as they got off their asses and walked to their next class feeling bruised all over.

While the protection runes from the uniform protected them to a certain extent, it still made sure you felt the blunt impact of the attack you received.

"Thank you for a being my punching bag." Luna chuckled mockingly as she left the classroom, making several boys look at me with either pity or envy.

Going to his staff combat class, Lloyd recalled being forced to use the staff during his last void walk, so he wasn't about to let that drag him down again.

*Ring Ring*

Hearing a ring, Lloyd quickly looked at his watch, but he could not help but raise a brow when he saw who it was. 𝑓𝒓e𝑒w𝑒𝒃𝑛𝒐𝘃ℯ𝙡. c𝚘m

'Rosepetal?' Lloyd thought before pressing ignore rather than decline.

He remembered her calling him a few days after he left the dungeon and repeatedly after that. While he didn't really want to talk to her, he also didn't have the courtesy or time to do so. He had so much going on that talking to Rosepetal was the last thing in mind.

'If I think about it. Shouldn't Trishaless be in the academy now too?' Lloyd thought, remembering that she was a year older than him and most likely in one of the academies.

Walking into his staff combat class, Lloyd felt that something was different. No, it wasn't different; it was just that all the attention was being centered around a single individual, making Lloyd instantly analyze them before raising another brow.

'On the verge of reaching the half-step second commandment? Must be some kid from the A group.' Lloyd thought before ignoring him and joining the student crowd and waiting for their instructor to come.

When they finally opened a portal to come through, everyone's eyes landed upon a bald man wearing the robes of a monk and holding a staff in his hands.

His eyes were closed, and it didn't seem like he had any intention of opening them any time soon.

Tapping his staff onto the floor, he finally opened his mouth.

"I am Instructor Chen Yung. If you wish to learn the art of staff combat, you must put blood, sweat, and tears into this class. If you are in this class for the extra credit or just to add another martial art to your arsenal, then I suggest you leave. The art of the staff is not for everyone." he explained, making many look at one another before one of them finally left quitely.

Seeing that one had left, some of the others found the confidence to leave as well, making a class that was filled to the brim now reduced to only ten people.

'Damn... That many people left just because he said something about working hard? What losers.' Lloyd thought

However, when the instructor approached him and pointed his staff at his forehead, he finally understood why they all left so quickly.

"You have stayed, yet you are not a monk, nor are you a martial artist. Your class has nothing to do with the staff, so tell me, what gives you the confidence to stand before me?" He asked, his voice reaching an almost threatening tone.

"Confidence?" Lloyd mocked while looking him dead in the eyes... Or, technically, dead into his eyelids.

"What is your class?" The monk asked before Lloyd could continue.

"Shadow assassin hybrid." Lloyd answered, causing everyone who wasn't already looking at him to turn to their right or left and stare at him as if he was stupid.

"What is your main weapon of choice..." The monk asked another question as a scowl appeared on his brows.

"The katana." Lloyd answered without an ounce of shame in his voice.

"You think the katana is like a staff?! The katana is the weapon of the-" one of the weaker boys roared, but he was quickly stopped by their instructor, who lifted his staff and pointed it toward the boy's forehead.

"Why do you want to learn the art of the staff?" The monk asked.

Lloyd paused for a moment, thinking of what to answer him with, but eventually, he chose to answer truthfully. Or, to be specific, tell him half the truth.

"I once stood before several monsters with no armor and no mana left in my body to be useful. My katana was broken, and my backup weapons were gone.

However, in that moment of desperation, it wasn't a sharp claw of a dagger that I found in my hands; it was a staff. I can barely remember what happened afterward, but if it weren't for the staff I was holding, I would have died.

Despite it being a moment of desperation, that day, not only had I gained a new level of respect for the art of staff combat, but I also felt a connection to the weapon, as if it was a part of me... No, an extension of me. It was the same feeling I had when I first picked up the katana." Lloyd explained, making the monk raised his brows slightly, but barely enough for Lloyd to tell the difference.

"Would you not rather learn about the katana instead? Would you not rather learn how to weave it like a master rather than learn a new weapon from scratch?" The monk asked with a little more respect in his voice.

"I've been learning to to weave the katana for 15 years now, I think its okay if I try to learn another weapon." Lloyd chuckled, making the monk nod before turning around and walking to the front of the room.

"I accept you as one of my students, but do not expect me to go easy on you just because you're new to this." Instructor Yung spoke, making Lloyd nod with a determined smile.

Of course, most of what he said was part of his facade, but if he wanted to survive his next void walk, he might as well get used to the staff since it could be the line between life and death for him.

***

Council of Races - Planet Albergia

"There was clearly someone behind this attack! Are you telling me that despite standing right in front of the spatial tear the entire time, your soldiers didn't even realize that the very spatial tear they were guarding was a one way portal to hell?" A man with cat-like ears and bronze skin slammed his fist onto the table, causing the entire place to shake.

"General! Control yourself!" Another man ordered.

"I will not control myself until I find the person responsible for my daughter's condition!" The general roared out in rage, causing several soldiers to appear and restrain him.