As always, Greja never seemed to sleep, and after I told her I needed to talk with both her and Jrino, it only took a second for the man to flash into the second floor of the shop.

  After that, I explained in detail about the soon to come war and what I knew. Making sure to emphasize that the person confirming the war was Elder Zal. I don’t think they doubted her.

  They were silent for a moment, but it was Jrino who eventually spoke up.

  “So. What would you have us do?”

  That was a weird question.

  “I don’t understand. What do you mean by that?”

  I don’t control their actions so I’m not sure why he would ask me that.

  “The main Olirag Clan won’t support this war, and the members here will not be running away. For better or for worse, we’ve thrown in our lot with you. So. What would you have us do?”

  Hm, well that puts me in somewhat of a sticky position. I didn’t really have plans for these guys. I figured they would have their own conditions and/or limitations. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they tried to leave. What type of crazy person would willingly stay on a Planet that’s about to dwell into war?

  Actually, I would but that’s beside the point.

  Moving on, I don’t really have anything specific for them to do.

  “Honestly, just do as you see fit. If anything, please support Richard as he prepares the City and all of our forces for the war. Hmm…now that I think about it, perhaps you can help the members of the Ash Guard train as well?”

  “Then we will do just that. Though I will make a suggestion. I would not inform the other factions on this Planet about what’s to come. Information is priceless during war. The Vhampryls don’t need to know that we are preparing for war.”

  “That’s a good point. Thanks for the suggestion. Oh, almost forgot to mention. I’ll be in seclusion until the war starts. So, make sure to coordinate with Richard.”

  Both of them gave me a pointed look before acknowledging with a nod. Hm, do they know something I don’t?

  It’s just some personalized training right?

  Yeah I’m worried about nothing.

  Moving on, I left the shop and met back up with Richard to help him draft documents up. It was the least I could do after dumping all of this work on him.

  Hm, I feel like that’s not the first time I’ve had that thought.

  I also told him about not going out of his way to let foreign factions know about the impending war. If the local City Lord wanted to share that information on their own accord, then fine, but no need for us to speed up the process.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Anyway, this out for a few hours before the sun finally rose and the night receded.

  Elder Zal said she would give me a day, but I didn’t need the rest of it. Richard was very capable.

  I really should increase his pay when this is all over.

  Oh, I also left a letter with him for Irene. It wasn’t anything crazy, just a promise of a proper date ion the future and a very short explanation of what’s happening and where I’m at.

  There wasn’t any need to wake her up from a drunken sleep to tell her all of this. Hopefully the letter suffices.

  Now with the boys gathered in my office, after spending the night preparing the City, we waited on Elder Zal to swoop us away. Which is exactly what she did only a minute after we gathered.

  “I’m assuming your ready.”

  “I am.”

  “Good. Then we will begin right away, there is no time to waste. First of all your foundation still needs work, and a war isn’t an excuse to forgo it. We will only immensely speed up the process. You will bleed until you reach a satisfactory level.

  “Next, the three techniques I gave you. You will master them in this time. And finally, your cultivation. Depending on when the war begins, the goal is for you to reach the absolute peak of Qi Refinement, and if possible break through to the Core Formation Realm.

  “There will be no breaks, there will be no rest, there will be no mercy. You are an Infernal and your body can handle far more damage than you realize. The boys will be my assistants.

  “Lirian and Frian. If you show mercy in your attacks in an effort to curry favor, there will be punishments. The kind that should still be fresh in your memory.”

  “Understood Elder Zal.”

  “Understood Elder Zal.”

  “And you, Patriarch Raizen. Do you understand?”

  It’s interesting that she mentions bleeding. And being able to take more damage than I thought I was capable of.

  She’s been beating the living daylight out of me every single day in the name of training for quite some time now.

  Yet now is when she mentions bleeding.

  Whatever let’s do it.

  “I understand.”

  “Good.”

  Right after she her eyes seem to flare with power for a moment before I began to feel pain…a lot of pain.

  I almost curled over on the floor with how much pain I was feeling. It felt like I was being stabbed all over my body by a million small daggers.

  I know Elder Zal was doing this, but I didn’t understand how or even the purpose.

  Not that I had much room to think considering the level of pain that I was in.

  It was then Elder Zal’s could be heard in the room once more.

  “Lirian and Frian. Attack him. Don’t stop until I say otherwise.”

  Of course, if it was just them two alone, It would already be a real task to fight them considering the difference in cultivation and now the pain I was suffering.

  But no, I Elder Zal brought out her favorite stick as well, and I saw out of the corner of my eye as it floated ominously for a few moments before darting alongside the boys in my direction.

  Fuck.

  I don’t know how much time has passed since the training began. There wasn’t a moon, a sun, or even a dam clock in the training room, and of course, Elder Zal wasn’t being very forthcoming with that type of information at the moment.

  But what I do know, It’s truly been a long time since I was covered in so much blood.

  Especially since all of it was my own.

  The boys, true to the word to Elder Zal, never let up once. They were using their actual spares and on more than once occasion their spears sliced into me with varying degrees power and damage.

  Some cuts were small flesh wounds while some bore large holes into my body.

  By no means was it a pretty spectacle.

  Especially with the fact that if I ever moved out of line and showed a lack of proper control, or my feet weren’t set right, or the way I held my spear wasn’t firm enough, or the way I delivered my attacks, or whatever else Elder Zal could come up with…If any of it was out of place, her precious stick would be there to make sure I understood my mistake.

  That’s what caused a lot of my injuries to the boys.

  Well it wasn’t like I was successfully fighting back against them, all I could do was defend for the most part.

  Until I was slammed in the back by Elder Zal’s stick thus causing me not to block an attack successfully and be stabbed or sliced somewhere.

  Ah…seclusion eh.