Everyone should take Medic-301. It's not because the instructors are kind and generous; they are not. They are harried, they are frustrated, and they will not rarely snap at you. It's not that it's an easy course. No, most students will flunk out and switch to another before a month has passed.

  It's arduous. It will test you both mentally and technically. It also doesn't matter if you have levels in Practical Metabiology beforehand. It doesn't matter if you are a surgeon. To be a resident means helping in whatever way you can.

  Vanguards can carry wounded Pathbearers from bed to bed, and at times hold them down when they're spasming or undergoing treatment. Shadows need to flow through the hustle and bustle of the hospital, keeping track of the patients’ conditions, assisting specialists and residents in whatever way they can. And for those of you who wish to be healers, this is non-negotiable. You need to see the ugly truth about combat, about disease, about the sacrifices that our defenders make to keep us safe.

  I remember the first patient I lost. We were trying to suture his injury. It was a relatively deep cut, but a simple one. It should have been easy. But the cut, it just kept moving. It fled from us.

  And things of this nature are a commonality you will face. Magical injuries inflicted by those who intend to do our people as much harm as possible. We tried to pin the wound in place, but even with the help of a resident, it still slipped past, and it slipped deeper.

  I will never forget Militia Sergeant Myers for as long as I live. I don't know anything about him. All I know is that he was my age. He had a brown crop of hair. He had the most terrified look on his face when he died. And there wasn't anything left of his mother's mind to mourn him. She was in the room next door. She passed a month later, choking on the fluids of her own lungs. She called for her son before she left, thinking he was still there.

  This is not a class about success. This is a class about the weight of failure. And we need to feel that weight.

  We are not at the Academy to have a good time. This is not a party. This is duty.

  -Adept-Second Year Mallory Kaine, Apprentice Resident at Last Light Wellness

  222 (I)

  Academia [II]

  In the end, Shiv ended up filling his week with seven different classes. His schedule was packed tight starting from Dawnsday, then proceeding to Twosday, Midsday, Thorsday, Passday, Solsday, and Restday.

  The capital ran on a seven-day schedule, a bit different than what Shiv was used to at Blackedge. On the frontier town, everyone worked practically every day, but the hours were loose and based on necessary demands. Thus was Roland Arrow's way: to see the work done and done promptly rather than waiting around.

  Here, however, the laborer worked 45 hours a week, starting from Dawnsday and ending at Passday. Passday was a five-hour day, and Solsday and Restday were off days for other matters such as family and leisure. Students followed this schedule as well. However, those who were diligent and interested in pursuing professions that weren't so confined usually saw their time filled to the brim like Shiv.

  It helped that when you had Adept-Tier Physicality, you needed a lot less time to recover from arduous activity and stress.

  And with Shiv being a Legend, who knew how long he could go without rest. It also meant that instead of having a 12 to 15 hours window of activity every day, Shiv would use the entire day, with the hours after midnight being designated as a stretch of time for Shiv to self-develop, assist Irons in his investigations, or aid Adam and the others in whatever they needed.

  At present, Shiv still had quite a few hours before the sun came back up, and he was likely going to spend most of that time going through the Odes and partaking in Helix's instruction. Near the end of that time, he also wished to spend a while more scouting the academy grounds. He'd been forced to flee from Marcus's assailants earlier, so that cut his exploratory time short.

  Now, in the pre-dawn hours, there would be fewer students about, and it would also be a good opportunity for him to examine the capabilities of his new frying pan.

  Being able to carve pieces out of shadows and blend with them was an invaluable benefit. One that might just help him spike his stealth skill as well. In the capital, his Creeping Void was more conspicuous than it was beneficial, and so he needed to evolve that skill to something more subtle and advantageous, if possible. He would advance that in his own time.

  Right now, he was looking over his weekly schedule once more. Today was Thorsday, which meant that he was only going to begin partaking in Gen-101 next week. That ran from Dawnsday to Midsday.

  His first upcoming course was Culin E-333, a per-credit volunteer cooking course that allowed students to join up at various kitchens across the city. There was no high-level Cooking Skill requirement assigned to the course, and as such, no one would ask questions with regards to why Marcus Unblood, a Biomancer in training, would wish to partake in such a class.

  Time for Culin E-333 is also pretty flexible, Shiv thought to himself. Says it sees you get a credit for each restaurant you volunteer at across the capital. The course itself appears to be a cooperative program that the academy established, so first-years can get an appreciation for the capital's culinary arts, and also aid the Master Chefs there in their endeavors. I do need to get checked in with one Master Chef Ramirez, though. He seems to be the chief liaison between the capital's culinary guild and the academy.

  The Deathless grinned. This'll be interesting. Frankly, this might be the class I'm looking forward to the most. I know I'm not supposed to say his name, but I wonder if anyone here was trained by George's too. Guess I'll just have to do a little subtle investigating of my own…

  Then, his next course was in the late afternoon. M-Theory-101, or Magical Theory, was a daily class for those who wielded attuned mana. It was a class Shiv desperately needed, because he'd been wielding his magic instinctively so far, like a monster instead of an individual. That was viable for his Chronomancy since it was a monster skill, but if he wanted to develop his Biomancy further and become a proper mage, he needed to have a good grasp of the basics.

  Shiv frowned as he examined M-Theory again. It had a line of text underneath its selection stating that students were to continue with the course load until adequate mastery has been demonstrated and a beginner's ritual was performed. Shiv asked Adam what that meant, and found out that effectively all courses within the university were based on a pass or no pass structure. You got grades for individual tasks performed in each course, but ultimately, it was up to the instructor to decide whether you were a qualifying Pathbearer for a specific discipline.

  "It's an evolution of the old master-apprentice system," Adam explained. "Long before the academies were a thing, there were warrior cults, mage schools, shadow sects, monster hunting guilds, and more. And the only way you were accepted as one of their ranks was if an existing member of the organization qualified you. The scope is just bigger at Phoenix Academy. The core is functionally still the same."

  Shiv licked his teeth in thought. "So, that means I can finish some of these courses early if I decide to test through them?"

  "Correct," Adam replied. "However, I'd recommend that you don't be in such a hurry. Overachieving draws as much attention as underperforming. And moreover, you want to make sure that you are educated properly. Don't be a theory ape."

  A snort escaped Shiv. “Theory ape? The hells is that?”

  "A theory ape is someone who simply regurgitates the text they see in a book. It's a bit of an insult meant to offend mages specifically." The Gate Lord rolled his eyes. "An apt insult for some mages, perhaps, but ultimately, everyone has a bit of a theory ape in them. It comes with ignorance."

  Shiv grunted as he nodded in understanding. "And how many classes did you pass early in your first year?"

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  Adam smirked at Shiv. "Ten."

  "Ten!" Shiv almost shouted.

  "Yes, five in the first month. My father saw me prepared well."

  Shiv tried not to show his unease. He was competitive, but testing through ten courses when he didn't have an existing foundation of higher education was… Well, it was going to be a bit hard.

  "I know that look," Adam said, his grin growing ever more taunting. “Don’t try it.”

  Shiv folded his arms. "Do you, huh?"

  "Don't try it, Shiv. I'm serious, don't. You're a monster at many things, but if you try to challenge me here, I fear you will meet a most unkind fate."

  "I'm a Pathbearer. Unkind fates are my thing," Shiv shot back with a scoff. "Besides, trying things and failing is half the fun."

  "Well, just make sure you don't fail the entire course," Adam said. "That will cause us no shortage of problems. Remember, you are not Shiv of Blackedge. You are Marcus Unblood. You are part of the Wild Card Program. So, what you need to do is perform adequately for most courses, poorly for physical courses if you're ever forced into one, and above average for courses relating to medicine, surgery, and Biomancy. Acting out of the ordinary will result in questions. We don’t need more questions directed at us.’

  "Alright, got it," Shiv said. It felt strange to constrain himself, but unfurling his capabilities was what the nights were for. Where Marcus would find himself limited, Shiv was going to excel. "No more being a dumb brute," Shiv said to himself. "It's time to grow into a proper Pathbearer."

  "What other courses you got?" Adam asked. "You told me about Culinary E-333 and M-Theory. Oh, by the way, E-333 is credit and volunteer, so you can keep taking it if you want, but after a certain number of credits, you are automatically designated as a pass, so long as there aren't too many issues."

  "Why is the credit-based course so easy?"

  "It's not easy," Adam said. "It's more like a program that's supposed to give you practical, workman-like experience. You'll be going across all the kitchens, so you're providing labor, anyway. Functionally, if the restaurants don't complain about you, and I expect they won't, then you're going to get through this without any difficulty. Eventually, you might be getting offers from some restaurants as well, but I'm not going to explain that to you. You probably know more about that business than I do."

  Shiv grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, there’s Scout-105 at five in the morning on Passday. Seems to run almost the entire day, though. It's a really long class for some reason.”

  "Ah, yeah, Scout-105." Adam narrowed his eyes. "I almost took that one. I wish I did. It seems interesting.”

  "Why didn't you?" Shiv asked.

  "Because the instructor, Scout-Master Athena, is one of the Stormhalt family's retainers. She is the personal Huntswoman of Havel’s fifth cousin. I have nothing against her personally, but the risks..."

  Shiv gritted his teeth. "Great. Fucking Stormhalt. And the academy's alright with this? Just letting noble loyalists plug up specific courses?"

  "It's a little hard to avoid," Adam replied with a light sigh. "To be noble, above all things, is to consolidate power. That's what my father told me. And so, what is power but influence as well? If you can have specific members of your household claim prestigious positions across various academies or in the government, then your power will continue to grow. And through Athena, more relationships might be established. Promising Shadows, Thieves, and more can be scouted for as well."

  "But I should be fine, right?" Shiv asked.

  "Oh yes, you should be." Adam considered that for a moment. "I suspect that, unless you perform extremely highly, you will be ignored. I've heard rumors about Master Athena. She's not a harsh task mistress, but she is cold and indifferent to those she deems mediocre or less. But it is a good course for you, even if she doesn't offer any special attention. Your awareness needs improving, and your stealth likely has a few gaps as well. She should help you fill it up."

  "I'll probably work on my stealth myself, and I should practice with Whisper too."

  The Gate Lord eyed him. He leaned in a bit closer. "Be mindful of what you let the orcs teach you. Let's not forget what they managed to do to you before."

  "Yeah," Shiv replied, gesturing at his Voidmantid armor, "I'm wearing that lesson right now."

  "Indeed. But it's more than that. The one who teaches you also molds you, shapes you into the Pathbearer you become, and they also get a grasp of your weaknesses too. What you're doing right now is wise. Learning from a different mix of sources and a different assortment of masters will make sure that they can plug up each other's deficiencies. Everyone has their own understandings, and an apprentice only starts to surpass their master when they notice the latter's flaws."

  "Is that from your father as well?" Shiv asked.

  "No, that's Irons," Adam said. "Is his class still on Solsday and Restday?"

  "Yep, ass-early in the morning."

  Adam laughed. "The other students in the class are going to hate you. I hope you know that."

  "Why? Because Marcus is a cripple without any weapon or combat skills?”

  "Yes. Most people who take Irons classes are, well, at least they fancy themselves to be hardcore warriors. Many drop out after taking one too many humiliating losses. The ones that stay, though, usually prove themselves to be quite impressive in one way or another."

  "You think Irons is gonna go easy on me, considering I have a cover?"

  Adam sneered. "I think he's going to make things even harder for you. Because he knows who you are, what you can do. If you want me to guess, he's going to force you to learn subtlety, foresight, planning, and patience. Basically, he's going to treat you like an extremely promising Vanguard, and so your education is going to be mostly tactical and strategic. Which also covers for Marcus’s deficiencies.”

  "Well, I best get working on my Biomancy. Everyone loves a healer. I think I’ll focus on building that up as well.”

  "Everyone loves a doting healer." Adam held up a finger. "Remember that. And everyone's going to be screaming for you when they make a stupid mistake. Don’t be surprised if they blame some of their silly mistakes on you. Anyway, was that all?”

  "My final course is Stealth-114. Runs Dawnsday, Twosday, Thorsday, and Passday. Right before midnight."

  "Ah, that's a good one as well. You'll probably enjoy that. Considering it is graded and who it’s graded by, it will have you jumping out of bushes and terrifying your classmates like they’re small slave children wandering through the woods.”

  Shiv glared at Adam. "Look, I did that because you suggested it to me, and I regret it every single day.”

  The Gate Lord did everything he could to avoid cracking up. “They're probably still talking about the bloody Skintaker back in Weave."

  Shiv covered his face, but he couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Did scare the shit out of those slavers too, though."

  "It did, didn't it? Good times… So, that's all you have for now?"

  "Yeah," Shiv said. "This will be a start. I think I might take on one or two more over the week in case it's not enough."

  "It probably is more than enough. If I have one more recommendation, it would be to take a basic Biomancy course on top of Medic-301.”

  "Yeah, I'm considering that too," Shiv said, "but Helix would likely drive me insane with his unending complaints about how shit or wrong the Academy Biomancer is."

  A beat followed. Adam blinked as he grimaced. "Yes, I can see that. I can see that very clearly. Maybe just don't take him to those classes.”

  “Then he'll drive me insane when I get back."

  "Can we just kill him?" Adam asked.

  "Adam Arrow, genuinely suggesting murder as a problem solution?" Shiv whispered, awestruck. “Finally. I’ve been waiting for so long.”

  "Well, when it's an orc we're talking about… Yes."

  Shiv snorted. "Yeah, maybe after he does something stupid. Anyway, when I finish with the academy stuff, I'll come back here, and we can try helping Irons with finding Melissa. Otherwise, priorities are whatever you need to get done, my personal education, and self-improvement. And right, shit, we still need to talk to the Dragon Brokers at some point."

  "On our terms," Adam said. "We have enough conniving bastards coming after us already. We need to control what we can."

  "Of course." The Deathless then cast his psionic magic into Adam's mind. "Cullywier is also bound to me. We can call him at any time, but I don't know if he's listening in on us and informing the Dragon Brokers. We need to assume that's the case."

  "Bloody hells," Adam groaned internally. "All right, we'll deal with that too. Actually, you said he's a fairy, right? What's a fairy doing with a criminal organization?"

  "Seems to be a banished fairy," Shiv explained. "He can't go back to the Fairwoods because he had a kid with a human or something. That's what I got."

  "A child with a human? Is that even possible?"

  "Well, that's what it sounded like when I spoke to him the first time. I offered to set him free, but he didn't seem to care much about that either."

  "Broken Moon, it's just one mystery after another, isn't it?" Adam rubbed at his face as if he could wipe away some of the frustration. "Alright, we'll deal with them too. We need to figure out a plan for the Slipgate. We can't let anyone else hold it. Not the Neath, not the orcs, not the Ascendants."

  "Yeah, I got a few thoughts about that. Uva is tied to the Outside. She has the Starhawk with her. If we can use that to our advantage somehow, maybe we can end this fight before it even begins. But Adam, there's one more thing. The headmaster of the academy… You know he's probably a Seeker too, right?"

  "What?" Adam said, alarmed. "Hades Hymn? A Seeker?”

  "Yeah, his magic, it's kind of weird. And I think I felt it before. At Gate Theborn."