AThousandCurses

Iris Ascendis

Before he could make another incision, "My apologies; due to the lack of occupants around the area, I assumed this place would be fitting for practice." Emelie seemed so absorbed in her video-watching that Chunji assumed she wouldn't have noticed. Unfortunately, she did. Chunji didn't feel guilty for his actions, seeing that the one in pain was himself.

"You are correct on the former. This is my first time casting Heal." Looking at his hand, he was quite impressed by it. Usually, when he practiced new spells, his hand would become disabled or be inflicted with more lacerations. Heal was an impressive spell. "Though you are wrong about the latter. I've been practicing the arts of healing for at most eight years." It wasn't his first, nor would it be his last time healing this way.

His eyes narrowed at Emelie's statement, and Chunji looked genuinely perplexed. "Why? Aren't animals and humans both living beings? Is there any difference between performing healing on an animal in comparison to a human?" Biologically, they were different, yes. However, animals could feel pain as a human would. Since they could not consent, Chunji felt it was unfair to subjugate them to his healing arts. "Additionally, I have consented to the practice of my healing arts. This is more efficient since I can practice the magic art wherever, and have fewer problems from outside parties." The thought of dealing with someone other than the patient felt incredibly time-consuming.

Chunji listened and nodded at Emelie's commentary. "I am aware of the flaws of my spell." His eyes lingered back to the spellbook. "I thought I could use the motive of 'self-love' to fuel the spell. Having compassion for oneself is the same as compassion for another." He saw no real difference in that instance. "Though it seems misjudged the parameters. Regardless, this is an improvement compared to my experiences with other spells."

There was something that Emelie had struck Chunji earlier in the conversation. "Aren't all interactions transactional to begin with?" Closing the book, he looked at Emelie without turning his head. To someone else, it looked like he was glaring at her. "People talk to one another. In exchange for their time, they are given entertainment in idle conversation. People gather and adventure together. In exchange for split resources, they earn companionship and protection in numbers. Even now..."

He turned to look at Emelie. "In exchange for your concern for me, you try to trade with it a sense of relief, comfort that I will stop. I am grateful for your concern, but you're overstepping the boundaries between strangers." With a straight face, Chunji presented his side as if it were a presentable argument in a court of law. There was a pause before Chunji gave up on more examples in his thinking. "Heroes are no different. They slay beasts and save the world. In return, they are given praise and recognition. A reward of a sound mind knowing that they positively impacted the world."

Iris Ascendis

"Compassion. Regret. Desperation." The three key values involved the spell 'heal.' Chunji could already tell what the problems were even before casting the spell itself. Compassion and Regret were words that Chunji did not resonate with. It was honesty that made clear that the word 'compassion' was not a word to describe Chunji. Logically, efficiently, and cold. There is nothing warm about him that could be labeled as 'compassion.' Regret was something he was unfamiliar with, either. He gave it his all in his training, his procedures, his everything. There was not a time that he regretted failure.

Desperation.

That word was the only thing that made sense to Chunji. He had seen it in the eyes of his parents. Their desire to free themselves from the poor lives and live in more comfort. He had felt it. The eyes of his parents made him train him to his limit. There were times when he wanted to cry but held it in to press onward. Those tears were never seen again. Even back at the auditorium, he felt desperation at his stolen seat. Chunji still resented the shadow witch for taking the seat. He was not a good person by definition.

Still, it did not deter him. Failure was inevitable, but how to overcome it was important. Taking out a scalpel from his pouch, Chunji proceeded to slit the palm of his hand. A perfect incision, a habitual repetition that Chunji couldn't even feel the pain of it. Blood began dripping out of the new wound. Chunji dug his thumb into it, festering it in the process.

"Heal." Compassion for himself. That at the end of the tunnel, there was a reward of light. Regret about failure. Even if it was shallow, there was still a negative pool that dragged him down. Desperation for everything. The desire for glory, the desire for family, the desire to find the answer.

A sharp pain crunched his hand. It was nothing that he had ever felt before. Compassion was self-pity. He was only in it for himself. Selfish, arrogant, and idiotic. Regret was melancholy. Laziness, ineptitude, and disconnect. The only thing that went right was desperation. Desperation. Desperation. Desperation.

His flesh regrew, his bones realigned themselves, and the feel of touch reassembled. It was the 'perfect' heal. Perfect in the way that it cared nothing about the process but only for the end goal.

When Chunji looked down at his hand, it was perfectly normal. It was also insufficient. The amount of pain he went through could send someone into shock if they were heavily injured. He needed to readjust the parameters. The practice was made perfect, and this healing spell would be the same.

Grabbing his scalpel, he went through the same process again. He would do it as many times as possible until he got the spell correct.

Iris Ascendis

So, the most advanced arts were located somewhere else? How disappointing. There wasn't anything Chunji could do about that, so he'd needed to find a way to access those tomes later in the year. For now, the provided books would suffice. "Thank you," Chunji bowed in gratitude. It wouldn't hurt to revise the foundations of his magic. Not to mention, the 'Heal' spell would be beneficial to learn. It was good to have a spell that was consistent, if anything else. Learning the spell shouldn't take too much time since it was a lot less complex than the Yi's healing spells.

Alchemy was also a study that Chunji was interested in. He had dabbled in it a few times before, but there were a variety of problems. The first was the equipment. There was only so much that could be done with the bare minimum, and refining was even harder. The second was the lack of materials. While there were a few herbs and wildflowers, there wasn't much that Chunji could utilize. The third was the lack of information. His parents weren't experts in that regard, so the little that Chunji did was self-taught.

Everything else was something he would read throughout his days at the academy. Putting the books away and the sticky note, he looked back at Emelie. "I understand as much. I'll have to inquire about the requirements to access them from a teacher or Principal Raja." To achieve his goals, gaining access to the tower was essential to his family's goal. Not only would he gain a fountain of knowledge but a reputation as well.

With that said and done, it was now time to move on. Since there wasn't much going on for the later course of the day, Chunji would have liked to spend it studying the books he had received. Tomorrow, he'd go to the library again and search for more books once the library had been properly organized.

"I'll leave you to your..." Chunji looked at the screen projecting Adapa. "Light reading." With that, he turned and headed to the nearest table to study to settle down. Bringing out the Heal book, he began to promptly read intensively into it.

Iris Ascendis

To think that the demon leg girl, now known as Emilie, was the librarian. How was she a librarian and an applicant at the same time? Was there some sort of application process that he wasn't aware of? What would have happened if she had failed the orientation? Would she still be the librarian? This academy had grown to become more and more confusing by the second, but nonetheless, he was here for a reason. If she was the librarian, then there were no more questions to ask.

"Chunji." That was sufficient for an introduction. A glance at the screen told everything that he needed to know what Emilie was doing. Watching a battle royale in an environment that was meant to be quiet was quite contrary to expectations. Deciding he need not comment on her peculiar taste in interests, Chunji blinked at the girl's flirtations.

He looked her up.

He looked her down.

Then he looked her straight in the eye. "I'm here to check out books regarding healing techniques, along with textbooks that are helpful for coursework. Both magical and medical. In addition, I want to request a detailed explanation of the organization of the library. This is so that I may find the books myself if you're occupied with something else." It was up to Emilie to think that he was talking about the video she was watching, but he really meant that she was busy helping someone else.

He considered asking her about occult textbooks but decided against it. If she got a wind that he knew about her leg, it would be akin to a boiling pot of water being poured all over his body. In other words, it is troublesome. There was also a problem with Wingram Academy's social standards. There were some places in the world where the occult was scrutinized for associating themselves with otherworldly beings and demons. With Vaalin Union being one of the more critical of Umbralism, he wouldn't be surprised if they scrutinized the occult as well.

Iris Ascendis

<Snipped quote>

Bruh lmao, do you even read my posts? That was done a whole two posts ago, two sentences in.

@ERode

Sorry, I have short term memory loss. :^)

Edit: That and I've been very busy with college.

Edit 2: Considering my post speed, you shouldn't surprised if I do miss 90% of details.

Edit 3: I have been affected by the reading comprehension devil.

Iris Ascendis

At the Principal's dismissal, Chunji rose from his seat and began following the mannequins. The first step had been made, though there were many more to come. For now, it was time to familiarize himself with the grounds of the academy. Chunji had an overview of the academy when he was locating the auditorium, but learning in a time of battle wasn't the ideal way to memorize the ways around.

There wasn't much Chunji paid attention to. He didn't bother responding to any prompts of communication, nor did he hear anything come from his Adapa.

Speaking of his Adapa, after it greeted him and stated their service, it promptly disappeared. Short, concise, and blunt. It was something that Chunji could follow.

Though it was a living being, no? Even if it wasn't human, it still had a conscience. Since there were multiple Adapa, Chunji figured naming his would help him distinguish it from the others. But what name would be fitting?

The room that had been assigned to Chunji was at the end of the hall, which was a minor inconvenience, though the room was satisfactory. A bed, desk, and all found within the room. Taking a seat at the desk, Chunji allowed himself to relax. Without a certain Shadow Witch yanking away his chair, he was allowed ample time to check himself for injuries before addressing the issue from before.

"Adapa."

The Grimoire appeared beside him. 'Hello, Chunji. How may I assist you?'

A mental message, something similar to what the owl boy had done when he linked their minds together.

"Your name shall be 'Dayin.' If you already have another name, then please state it if so." Chunji wasn't good with names, but he felt Dayin would suffice. In his language, it meant 'print,' and the Grimoire was, in fact, a book.

"Affirmative. The name 'Dayin' has been registered. Is there anything else I may help with?"

Chunji shook his head. At the sign of his dismissal, Dayin disappeared back into his being. Comparing it to back then, it wasn't mocking nor inquisitive. If anything, it reminded him of the clockwork of Rekordia, robotic. Its tone didn't betray any depth of emotion, which meant what Principal Raja said was more or less correct. It suited itself to his personal needs. Something that Chunji felt was a little wrong.

Whatever the case, it was only past 10:00 AM. There was still much to do until tomorrow's meeting. Getting up from his seat, Chunji began to travel back into the academy.

Wingram Academy, despite its messy introductions, was still an academy. It had a trove of knowledge for any staff or student that could access it at any time. That being said, Chunji's first stop was going to the library. He needed to learn more about healing since it was inadequate. He needed to rectify that problem.

It probably wouldn't take him that long to locate it, but the only problem was finding the books. However, that could be rectified by talking to the librarian in charge.

Iris Ascendis

Pog. Orientation Arc is over?

Iris Ascendis

My epic one liner.

Iris Ascendis

Correction. This was not a teacher but the Principal of Wingram Academy. From his seat, Chunji dug his nails deeper into his skin for that mistake. However, what proceeded after didn't seem relevant. Gulliver was, in fact, correct about already being a student, which was surprising since how spectacularly hard he failed to give a good first impression; whoever gave the idea of giving a position of authority needed to re-evaluate their job and its security.

Paying attentively to Principal Raja's speech, Chunji couldn't help but feel apathetic. The speech was inspirational, but to Chunji, it didn't invoke any sense of the word. Whenever winter fades, spring is sure to come. It was only obvious that he would constantly change within due time.

At the change of subject, a blue light appeared in front of every student in the auditorium. The manifestation came in the form of a book, an Adapa, that hovered right in front of him. Chunji didn't interact with it, but seeing Davil, from a few seats away, fall unconscious, it seemed he had made the right choice. Another trial but for the mind, as Principal Raja had put it. Without further ado, he grasped the book and fell unconscious.

---

Green. The sharp blades of grass tickled his skin. Green. The sky was covered in leaves, leaving little left to the blue sky. Getting up from the ground, Chunji checked himself. Judging by the size of his hands and feet, this must have been around the time he was still ten years old. It was clear to him what this event was.

Something growling was heard. Turning to address it, an enormous white tiger was moving towards him. Its teeth were bared, its majestic white coat shined even with the shade of the forest, and the scars that littered around its body told many battles.

It was already clear what he had to do.

Producing a knife from his pocket, Chunji went for

"Aren't you afraid-" A voice spoke in a voice completely identical to his own. Its tone is similarly vacant of emotion but at the same judging. However, that did not stop the swing that Chunji did with his knife. As if a repeated habit, the movement was precise.

"No, I am not."

"They will be no reward for doing his."

Blood erupted from his wrists. A sanguine pool started to grow beneath him. His feet were muddied by the red ichor that was his own blood. Chunji could only stare at his reflection. "I do not expect a reward, nor do I expect anything from others." That was the resolution he came up with many years ago.

"If there's no expectation, what is the point of continuing."

"脉动. 死而复生." The incantation had started. The White Tiger roared and charged at him. There was no fear, nor was there hesitation. Keep moving forward and never look back. "I continue for the sake of continuing." Life moves with or without. It is impartial yet equal to all. It doesn't matter who you are; all it does is continue in its cycle.

"Yet, we both know that is wrong. It is the sake of our parents.".

Chunji stopped the next part of the incantation. Was it out of shock, or was it out of nostalgia? It didn't matter as Chunji's small body was thrown across the forest with one swipe of the Tiger. A trail of blood follows him thanks to his bleeding wrist.

"A lie within a lie. To expect a reward from your parents, you continue regardless.". The words were mocking, and Chunji could not refute them within spoken words laid a grain of possibility. At one point, he did yearn for their affection. Yearn for the unconditional love he had seen other children receive. Run across the field and embrace their parent.

A thick paw stepped onto the rib cage. Instinctively, Chunji rushed to push against it out of survival instinct. The breath of the Tiger brushed his face as it leaned closer to him.

But still.

"蠕动. 脱壳." The pool of blood rippled. The rest had been disturbed, and it had been called. "Yet, is it bad to follow a lie?" It didn't matter much to Chunji at the end. At the end of the day, a lie was the same as the truth. Motivating people to follow a path, they guide them to their destination.

"You won't be happy.".

"从一开始 它一直都在."

"I'm fine with that."

"无龙之福，亦无虎之威."

"You won't be satisfied.".

"被海洋拒绝，被大地拥抱."

"I'm fine with that."

"脉动。抵抗命运!"

"You won't be loved.".

"蠕动。破壳而出!"

"You don't know that."

"召唤 - 神花的人生八景!"

It happens in an instant. Blood started raining from the sky. The white Tiger was immediately subdued by several tentacle-like appendages. No, the appendages were wrong. They were heads. The Snake God's presence made itself known. All eight of the eights hissed as they wrapped themselves around the white. The struggle of the white Tiger was evident but fruitless against the Serpent.

"After all, the only people who can say that are the people in question themselves."

All eight heads bared their wrath at the White Tiger. Blood gushed out of its wounds, and a sickly poison followed with it. It didn't take long for the White Tiger to fall limp underneath the Snake God. Standing above its crumpled foe, the Serpent roared into the sky. Was it relief to overcome a rival? Or was it a grudge that had been lifted over a millennium? Chunji didn't know, but-

---

Green. The sharp blades of grass tickled his skin. Green. The sky was covered in leaves, leaving little left to the blue sky. Getting up from the ground, Chunji checked himself. Judging by the size of his hands and feet, this must have been around the time he was still ten years old. It was clear to him what this event was.

A breath. The dragon appeared above him. Its eyes scrutinized him, its scales perfect and enviable. Everything that the Snake God had aspired to be but could never reach.

"Even if they're the ones doing this?".

This was a dream. A dream created by his mother. A training that would persist even in his sleep. There was no reprieve in the realm of the living, nor would there reprieve in the realm of the dead.

Yet still.

It was already clear what he had to do.

Producing a knife from his pocket, Chunji went for his wrist.

Blood sprayed every. Blood splashed in the appearance of the Snake God. Another obstacle vanquished. Another dream.

"Even if they're the ones doing this.". Chunji himself would see to it what their answer would be.

---

Chunji awoke in his seat. As if nothing had happened, he glanced around to see his other peers. They were still unconscious, still taking their trial. Relaxing against his seat, Chunji produced a book from inside of his pockets and began to read. It was something he had more than once, maybe even a thousand times, but it was still comforting.

He wasn't shaken, but his resolve was tested. No matter what, he would complete his stay at the academy and fulfill his family's goal. That way, the answer he yearned for would finally come to him.

Iris Ascendis

Pog. Time to expand backstory.