Reith gazed at the white radiance from the orb. His Hana energy pool was being sucked dry, and he was growing weaker by the minute.
"A book emblem?" the Head Chancellor muttered to himself. "There's something like this?"
His gaze was focused on Reith's cultivation path. Most cultivation paths took the shape of a weapon or a symbol; some even took the rare appearance of life forms.
This was the first time he had seen an emblem with pages.
The book flew into the air, its pages turning endlessly. A stunning light shot out, blinding everyone in the arena, before it closed up and fell into Reith's hand.
"It's empty," Reith murmured, tightening his hold. He couldn't feel any energy from the emblem.
"I have never seen a cultivation path with a book emblem."
Someone spoke up, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. He was seated in the highest seat of the crowd.
Another one of the distinguished heads got to his feet.
"Measure the grade of that cultivation path. I expected the SSS to surprise us, but this is brilliant."
He chuckled, his bald head shining in the sun. "An entirely new cultivation path."
This man was the city head, responsible for the administration and reported to the Region Insignia.
Reith didn't know what to say.
"They don't know it's empty?" he muttered to himself.
A machine whirred to life as the book was placed on it.
"I expect nothing less from our pride."
The Head Chancellor patted Reith's back, staring at the hand of the machine's wheel.
The hand shot to the other side, pointing at the X grade, past the triple S mark. It wavered over the mark for a second before going back down.
"How is this possible?"
The Head Chancellor pushed his glasses up. "It went below the F grade?"
Isho sank into his seat.
"This isn't good."
The mere thought of what Reith would be going through was suffocating, and he sucked in air.
Displayed in the middle of the arena was Reith's cultivation path grade. It was blank.
A loud hush swept the crowd, and no one said anything for the moment.
"It possesses no Hana energy."
The Head Chancellor's voice turned low. "A worthless path."
He moved back to his stand, leaving Reith alone.
The crowd went wild, rage fueling them.
The one person they had relied on was a disgrace.
"I don't understand."
Reith's heart shattered. It was just a plain old book.
"A path with no energy grade? It's useless."
The Head Chancellor announced, his voice leaking with contempt.
"Reith," Isho whispered, his eyes fixated on his friend. Reith wasn't moving.
He was staring at the book in his hand. He couldn't imagine what Reith was feeling.
The book hit the ground with a loud thud, tossed aside by its owner.
No one had seen the light tremble it made.
"No, it can't be. I didn't work so much for this."
Reith's voice trembled. "Something has to be wrong."
Reith turned to the orb. Did the orb mistake him for someone like Isho?
A wave of guilt filled him.
"Don't think that way, Reith."
He stood straight and touched the orb again.
"Nothing?"
Reality hit Reith like a bullet train. Without the right cultivation path, he couldn't protect his family, or worse, he'd never be able to find her.
His thoughts grew louder each second, the bad mixed with the good.
Useless! Powerless! Incapable! Chosen. Redeemed. Condemned! Scum! Nonentity!
Isho shot up from his seat.
"Reith, watch out!" he yelled, dispelling the crowd's silence.
A tingling sensation erupted from within Reith, an ominous feeling.
In a second, a large chain landed where he had been standing, creating a crater.
"Bandar!" Reith yelled.
He had jumped out of the way. Did this guy just try to kill him?
He felt a slight dizziness, and his hand moved to wipe his nose. He was bleeding.
Was this the strength of an A-grade cultivation path?
Bandar withdrew his large chain, making it smaller, and wrapped it around his arm.
"I told you I'd rip you to shreds, goody two-shoes. Where's your God now?"
Bandar's laughter erupted around the space.
"You'd allow this?" Reith yelled, his eyes focused on the members of the prime seat.
Right there sat dignitaries of the city and many esteemed members of the region's parliament, and they all kept quiet.
Reith held his breath.
It wasn't just them.
"Are you all going to watch him do as he pleases?"
He addressed the crowd. No one said a word. He could see it, their fake smiles.
They wanted him dead from the start.
He could have been a tool, but now, he was a lump of flesh without a good path.
A man stood up, exceeding a pristine aura.
"You dare talk? After raising our hopes and wasting our time?"
This was the region's vice president. He initially came to see who this city's head bragged so much about.
If things went as planned, he could have recruited the boy for special training to be the right weapon for the zonal wars.
"A genius without function is better off dead."
He thundered, pointing a finger at Reith.
This was ridiculous. Reith clenched his fist.
There was no one ready to stand up for him.
Bandar moved again, faster than ever.
"The A-grade talent is simply exciting. How can he harness the skills of his path in hours?"
Bandar's proficiency captured the people's hearts at Reith's disadvantage.
He couldn't use his true skills yet, so he only moved the large weapon with his Hana lines.
Reith tried to move, but pain ripped through his body, causing him to fall to his knees.
A massive chain appeared in the sky, tainting it red.
"Now you see the true effect of my Demon's Claw Attack. Stay there while I end your misery."
Bandar was bloodthirsty, and he didn't hold back.
Impending doom engulfed Reith; if nothing occurred in the next minute, he would die.
A loud boom resonated, and the arena shook.
Bandar grinned. Death was the price for crossing his path.
The dust dispersed, and the audience couldn't deny the excitement creeping into their bones.
Reith opened his eyes, expecting to be in heaven, but someone was before him.
"Isho!" Reith said, his eyes widening.
"I guess I paid back my debt."
Isho smiled at Reith. A golden dome surrounded them, and the chain landed on it, red light crackling around it.
Some of the audience were on their feet.
No one had seen Isho move, nor a bright light from the orb.
"The appearance of an S- cultivation path?"
The Head Chancellor stroked his chin, measuring the situation.
Isho glared at Bandar.
"I can't believe they'd want you dead."
He sneered, ready to take another action.
Reith looked at Isho and saw something on his shoulder.
"Is that a bird?" He frowned.
"Yeah," Isho chuckled. "It's my cultivation path. I never knew they had life."
Reith felt strange but didn't want to think about it again.
However, did the orb make such a mistake?
Giving the undeserving a higher path than the deserving?
Isho's eyes narrowed.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine."
The words came harsher than Reith intended.
"I'm sorry, Isho. Thanks for your help. I want to leave, please."
"I can smell your jealousy, Reith. It's unnecessary as I think your cultivation is more potent—"
Before Isho could complete his words, Reith had already moved, his hands wrapped around Isho's neck.
In one second, he could snap it. The bird had not reacted because Isho's guard was down.
"Reith…"
At Isho's voice, a fiery arrow formed behind Reith.
Reith sighed, closing his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"I'm glad you showed your true colors."
Isho frowned, peeling Reith's fingers from his neck before walking away from the dome.