by William Hill
He focused on the Azure feisty Ape martial technique and after memorizing and practicing the first three sequences to a certain extent Jason noticed that the Instructor began to use different compatible weapons with the technique.
Only a small modifier from the normal techniques has been done but unpleasantly it was connected to a different Playlist of videos which would cost credits
But Jason was delighted as he was scared to face wild beasty with razor-sharp claws and teeth only with bare fists and the fee credits he had to pay was nothing compared to the importance Jason gave his own life.
Chapter 22: Unique Bloodline
Because he didn't have any weapons at home, which lead Jason to look at what types of weapons were the most suitable to learn with the Azure feisty Ape technique.
In the end, he found out that gauntlets and daggers were the most suitable for this technique.
Jason was tempted to purchase gauntlets but he also wanted to get something sharp as his body was still too feeble to kill or heavily injure beasts with his fists or gauntlets alone.
Only humans with a strong physique would use gauntlets or other blunt weapons and Jason was definitely not one of them.
Looking at the online weapon store he found a few thousand types of daggers at every grade.
Jason was overwhelmed with the supply but the price for most daggers wasn't something he could handle, so he had to filter his research slightly.
With a little bit more than 130.000 credits left, he could afford a grade-1 dagger which ranged from 20.000 to a few hundred thousand credits.
After thinking for a few minutes, Jason understood that he had to buy a weapon sooner or later, as he would venture into the wild zone´s somewhen.
Looking through the descriptions of a few dozen daggers within his price range Jason found something that attracted his attention.
[Low Tier-1 Jade Iron Dagger] Jade Iron, tampered in the flames of a Two-star azure flame, able to pierce through mid-awakened ranked beasts.
Price:30.000 Credits
For a Tier-1 weapon in this price range to pierce through a mid awakened beast was extremely good.
There were many grades for weapons and armors but the most commonly used ones were Tier-1 to Tier-3 while Tier 4 and 5 were already fairytales.
Jason didn´t know a single human with a tier-4 or tier-5 weapon, as such he regarded them as legends.
There were also mana and soul weapons which are special due to their certain effects.
Mana weapons could enhance the weapon's strength or amplify an element, while soul weapons would grow within the soul world until the material used for the soul weapon would reach its potential limitation.
Soul weapons could resonate with their contractor and enhance one's strength more than mana weapons if well nurtured.
While normal graded weapons were already expensive, mana and soul weapons could only be purchased by rich merchants, nobles, higher-royalty, and big families.
Soul weapons were more expensive than mana weapons because the materials needed were super rare and the ability to grow and adjust its strength with the master was extremely powerful.
Each Tier could be divided into four segments indicating the capabilities within their grade also called Low, Mid, High, Peak.
Low Tier-1 weapons are commonly only able to pierce the hide of weaker awakened beasts while Peak Tier-1 weapons can already pierce the skin of evolved beasts without focusing on weak spots.
He wasn't sure why the price for this dagger was so low but the website only allowed genuine transactions and would punish frauds harshly.
Jason purchased the Low Tier-1 Jade Iron Dagger and was left with around 100.000 Credits.
This would give him the chance to purchase two small mana stones if needed.
The parcel with the dagger arrived around afternoon and Jason began to learn the Azure feisty Ape technique modified to use with Daggers.
Four days later one could see a small but handsome youth running through the park sweating and slightly exhausted.
Jason trained his body really hard the last few days and he ate a lot which resulted in him growing some muscles and gaining a little bit of weight.
He was still malnourished but his physique got better with each day passing.
Over the last week, his mana core was filled more and more with mana and in a few days at most, Jason would reach the requirements to break into the 3rd Novice rank.
His mastery of the Azure feisty Ape technique improved more and more while each sequence became smother and smother.
Artemis was still sleeping inside the soul world which made him slightly worried because it was already a week but sensing her health he knew that she was more than healthy.
Inside his soul world, he inspected Artemis for a while when he noticed that the feeble color enveloping her was becoming denser.
This was probably because of the Mana she absorbed.
The absorbed mana was probably able to initiate the mutation that was previously backslashes but Jason wasn't sure about that.
During the last week, Jason chatted a lot with Greg which surprised him quite a bit.
Greg messaged him the day after his soul-awakening and since then they became friends? Or at least chat-buddies.
Greg´s parents had something against him because they thought Greg was persuaded to take a different first soulbond which wasn´t the case.
Six days after Greg formed his soulbound contract with the reinforced horned bull, an advanced potential test found out that the non-elemental bull had a hidden bloodline that normal tests couldn´t find.
This hidden bloodline was from a rare race called "Lesser Minotaur" race which also formed small societies and was almost like one of the foreign invading races except for its lack of intelligence.
Greg persuaded his parents to let his soulbond get tested about his potential because he believed that Jason wouldn't lie to him, even if Greg wasn´t completely sure why he did that
They have never talked much with each other but Greg felt comfortable around Jason which wasn't the case with his other ex-classmates as they liked his strength and background.
In the beginning, he wasn't sure why he believed Jason so much but after seeing his golden eyes Greg´s suspicion was completely shattered.
After finding out about the reinforced horned bull's hidden bloodline Greg´s family calmed down and they had a better view of Jason.
But they were still suspicious as it could have been luck.
How should a previously blind youth be able to find out something that normal tests couldn´t?
They paid huge amounts of credits to let the reinforced horned bull calf tested its potential and it was only because of that, that they found out about its bloodline.
Normally nobody would make a test about something like that without prior knowledge as it was a waste of credits and time.
Nevertheless, they had to thank Jason as this bull calf was a much better first soulbond than every other beast he could have chosen in the C-Grade Beast Pagoda.
Greg also informed Jason that he would move away in a few weeks into an A-grade City called Cyro City where he would attend one of the most prestigious high-schools.
His parents knew some headteachers from the school and due to Greg´s exceptional exam result with his 4-star soul-awakening, it wouldn't be a problem for him to attend the school.
After receiving this information Jason was slightly shocked.
He wasn't sure if Greg was his friend but he was the only one at his age, who he chatted with.
The information that Greg would move away, into one of the two A-grade cities on Astrix, caused Jason to feel sad and even jealous.
School would start its first semester in mid-August and there were still 6 weeks left but Greg had to move in around four weeks.
Jason wasn't even sure if he could apply for a school in a C-grade city… He felt that the gap between him and Greg would only widen as he would get h
igh-ranked support from professional instructors and many resources to increase his rank, while Jason would be left behind.
Even if Greg´s parents were still suspicious about Jason they had to thank him so they asked Greg to question him if he needed something.
Jason didn't expect that Greg´s parents wanted to thank him and he had to think for a while.
He needed many things so he wasn't entirely sure what to ask for but considering the dangers of lacking soul energy for example when Artemis would evolve, Jason got scared.
"Greg I've thought of something." Jason started before he hesitantly asked
"Can you ask your parents if they can get me permission to the Heaven's Hell technique? My Credits and contributions are too low and I don't know when I'll be able to attend a high school or if this highschool has the permission to hand it over... "
The Heaven's Hell technique was a soul energy refining technique that would use up soul energy forcibly and replenished it continuously.
To put it simply soul energy could be compared to a muscle. If you don't use your muscle there wouldn't be any change but using the muscle and exhausting it consistently would force the muscle to be tempered and strengthened.
And this is where the importance of high soul energy came into the game.
Having more soul energy means you have more muscles to strengthen this is harder but also results in higher benefits.
Comparing Jason and Greg's soul energy Jason would need to train a long time to increase his soul energy by one point as was an increase of 100% but for Greg with his soul energy slightly below 500, the increase of 1 point was equivalent to 0.2%.
This was because the Heaven's Hell technique followed the exponential growth principles and Greg had a better foundation while Jason started way behind him.
But even if this was the case Jason had the chance to increase his soul energy with the Heaven's Hell technique.
Jason also consulted Greg about the Azure feisty Ape manual and some flaws he had as Jason wasn't entirely sure of everything he did was correct.
A few days passed and there was still no message from Greg, causing him to wonder if something happened.
Maybe it was too rude for him to ask about the permission to use Heaven's Hell? But that shouldn't be the case as it was a civilian technique which everyone could use with enough credits and some contribution like hunting beasts or jobs like that.
Jason wasn't sure but he didn't think too much about it, as he practiced the Azure feisty Ape technique with the dagger modification.
Artemis was still in her deep slumber.
His man's core reached almost its limit and Jason was close to the break-through into the 3 Novice stage which made him happy.
Jason's slim body became more muscly and his weight finally reached the common standards for a skinny youth.
Suddenly Jason got a call while he was training with his dagger.
Chapter 23: Unexpected Reward
Jason accepted the call almost immediately as Greg's face suddenly appearing within the holographic-screen.
"Hey Jason, how are you doing?" Greg looked happy and Jason wondered what the cause was.
"Hi Greg, I'm still practicing the Azure feisty Ape technique with the dagger modification. Why are you so happy?"
Jason was curious so he asked straightforwardly.
"Hehe, I have some news for you. Which one do you want to hear first? The good one or the super-duper extreme nice one?"
It was weird to see Greg so happy as he seemed to have a rather cold personality previously. `Maybe this is his real character` Jason thought.
"Well, maybe the good one first?"
"Ohh boring... Well ok, then we go in this order.
The good news is that I was able to receive the permission for your Heaven's Hell technique.
THE super-duper extreme nice news involves your bad grades... Hehehe. As you might know I'm going to move to Cyro-city and you might know that I don't have many friends..
Furthermore, I know that you would love to go to high-school in order to learn more about martial arts, beasts, wild zones, and many more things.
Also, the resources provided by high-school are much better which is probably also a reason for your wish to attend high-school, am I right?
Throughout the last few days, I nagged my parents and told them that they owe you a favor because of their prejudice against you and my first soulbond with it´s lesser minotaur bloodline, so they gave me the permission to use our newly obtained nobility rights if you fulfill certain requirements. Isn't that nice? Hahaha "
Jason wasn't sure what to think about Greg's revelation.
Receiving the Heaven's Hell technique was something good, but what Greg wanted to tell him about the nobility rights was unknown.
He wasn´t even sure what these rights were.. and since when was Greg a noble?!?
Jason was way too confused and said dazedly
"Hugh? What about your nobility right? I don't know anything about the right of the nobles.. and what requirements? Explain please?!"
Greg smiled proudly.
"We know that you´re way too weak right now but the reason I want to use my nobility rights is pretty simple. You´ll get to attend the affiliated school of the Vanguard school I´ll attend.
Isn't that nice?
I'm not a Nobel from birth but we have more assets and credits than most small nobles on Astrix and recently my mother was assigned as a minor noble because of her contributions to mankind which makes me a noble of the second generation.
Through this, our family is able to allow someone, in this case, you, as a student for the affiliated school with my mother's connections. You'll be able to enter the school with that. Unfortunately, that wouldn't save you from the rules of the Vanguard School which is the main school I´ll attend.
While I´ll enter the main school, you will enter one of the affiliated schools of it.
Now to the small issue.
Many rich merchants already tried to pay nobles, so that these nobles would use their nobility's right to take their children with them to the prestigious A-grade schools.
The Vanguard school knows that and accepts them into the affiliated school during the first year.
After a year without reaching the required strength, merit points, and other requirements, one will get thrown out immediately without caring about anyone´s nobility right and whatsoever.
Furthermore, I had to promise my parents a few things so that they accepted you but that can´t be considered a problem.
The main problem is that you have to pass their `small` test.
If you pass their test you can go to Cyro-city with us and attend the Vanguard affiliated school, one of the most prestigious schools in Astrix, even with your bad practical exam results.
Ahhhh, wait… as for your exam results. You have to let your blindness remark get removed. Otherwise even the nobility right can't help you apply for the school.
My mother assumed that you have special trait eyes and if you get a special certification about that, you might get some extra credentials for your application."
"Back to my parent's test.
Because they know your mana core's rank and your former blindness, they were benevolent in my opinion and you only have to defeat either one awakened beast or five five-star wild beasts in 3 weeks, without using mana pistols, rifles, and so on.
Isn't that nice?"
Jason was still confused about what was going on, but getting to know that he might be able to attend a prestigious school in an A-grade city heightened his mood.
Even if he was at the bottom of the chain in this school, Jason would have better chances to soar into the sky. rather than staying within the C-grade city, without knowing for sure that he could attend a decent high school there.
And his strength would be at the lowest chain everywhere so he didn´t really mind that at the moment.
But to attend this school or even go to an A-grade city Jaso
n had to rely on Greg´s family which wasn´t really what Jason wanted.
Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity that would not come around every day and Jason thought of a saying.
`Sometimes one had to take a step back before making a big jump.`
Listening to the stated requirements Jason thought for a moment before he cursed Greg´s parents in his mind. He was pitifully weak, had almost zero combat prowess and his mana core rank was low to say it nicely.
`Nice my foot!!!`
If he put in enormous effort to defeat five-star wild beasts he should be able somehow to do it, but it would be extremely dangerous.
`Probably?` At least, that was, what Jason hoped for.
Right now Jason felt confident to fight some weaker wild beasts as his understanding of the dagger-modified Azure feisty ape technique deepened.
In 3 weeks Jason was confident to reach the 4th Novice stage and with some tricks, he might be able to fight against five-star wild beasts, which any sane youth would only dare to do at the 8th or 9th Novice stage with some company and good equipment.
But fighting head-on with such a beast would be suicidal for Jason right now.
Unfortunaltely his chances would only increase slightly through the next few weeks and he had to think of a plan to survive an attack against five-star wild beasts.
Jason and Greg chatted for an hour as both were in a good mood while Jason was deep in thought.
After the call ended, Jason continued to practice his martial art technique.
Watching some other videos about the Azure feisty ape technique, Jason found out that the mastery of martial art technique was divided into different parts which also applies to weapon and elemental masteries.
These dividers were called basic mastery, familiar mastery, experienced mastery, profound mastery, and perfect mastery.
After the perfect mastery would be the combination of different techniques but not many did this as it would waste too much time.
Following the description of the videos, Jason saw, he figured out that he had entered the basic mastery of the Azure feisty Ape technique.
