“How was the lecture?” Kent said to Ingrid the moment she stepped out.
“It was informative,” Ingrid smiled. ‘Theory of Spear Qi’… If she were on Earth, she would have said something like, “I have 3 credit hours on Theory of Spear Qi.”
It was one of her favourite lectures, and she never missed it. The instructor was a veteran who had fought in hundreds of battles and encountered hundreds of different experts, so he knew what he was talking about and how best to help a disciple.
Ingrid, who was a nerd in everything, wasn’t about to miss such a lesson. She wanted to understand the fundamentals of Spear Qi and how best to use it in its basic form.
She wanted to study Spear Qi and master it in all aspects. The path she wanted to walk was one of the spears, but her strong suit would be in Spear Qi.
‘She wanted to major in Spear Qi… lol.’
“I see. Then, can you escort me to the Archer Gate? I heard there’s a duel between a new genius and an old genius,” Kent said, standing up.
“Sure… I was actually here to tell you about the same duel… Looks like someone beat me to it,” Ingrid replied.
“Then let’s go. My master is already there… I was just waiting for you.” The two left the Spear Gate shortly after, heading toward the Archer Gate.
Of course, the gazes on them were still there as they passed through the Spear Gate, but the two didn’t mind them and just headed toward the Archer Gate.
It took them close to two hours to walk to the colossal gate of the Archer Gate. The moment they appeared at the gate, they were stopped by two guards.
“What business do you have at the Archer Gate?” one of the guards asked arrogantly.
Kent stepped forward, his expression calm but firm. “We’re here to witness the duel between the new genius and the old genius. We’re from the Spear Gate.”
The guard narrowed his eyes, looking them up and down.
“Do you have an invitation or proof of permission to enter? The Archer Gate doesn’t allow just anyone to wander in, especially during an event like this.”
Ingrid reached into her space ring and pulled out a small token, its surface engraved with intricate symbols. “Here,” she said, handing it to the guard. “This should suffice.”
The guard took the token, examining it closely. His demeanour shifted slightly, the arrogance fading as he recognized the insignia.
“Ah, I see. My apologies for the inconvenience. You may proceed.” He stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter.
As they walked through the gate, Kent glanced at Ingrid. “What was that token? I’ve never seen it before.”
Ingrid smirked. “It’s a merit badge given to those who completed a Calamity mission. I earned it about a month ago.”
“I see. Then I guess I should hurry up and become a core disciple so I can get one and roam around the sect,” Kent said, making Ingrid look at her with an unbelievable expression.
“What?” Kent asked.
“You do know many chase after merit badges so they can join the sect competitions and hopefully make it to the Kingdom Genius competition, right?” Ingrid asked.
Kent just smiled. “My bad… I guess I still have a lot of things to learn. Luckily for me, I have you around to teach and show me the ropes.”
Ingrid nodded and puffed out her chest. “I guess I need to teach you a few things before you get into too much trouble… In this sect, it’s not everyone you can provoke.”
“Then I will be under your care, Big Sister Ingrid,” Kent said, making Ingrid falter in her steps. But she composed herself and kept walking.
Kent just smiled and continued walking toward the centre of the Archer Gate, where the giant arena meant for duels was buzzing with activity.
Just a couple of days ago, a disciple joined the Archer Gate, and within the span of a few days, she has already broken a couple of records.
Records set by some of the best archers in the sect have been shattered by this disciple, who has even set her own. This event immediately captured everyone’s attention. Despite Kent’s wave spreading all over the sect…
Inside the Archer Gate, Unity, who has started making a name for herself, began capturing everyone’s attention. Naturally, the jealous and envious ones came forward.
However, most backed away when they saw her train, and some even retreated when the Gate Master took an interest in her. The Gate Master even took her to a certain training range that measures speed and accuracy.
The training ground has 23 levels, each with its own set of challenges.
Before Unity, the only inner disciple who managed to make a huge stride is now a core disciple and a member of the 27 who will be representing the sect in three months.
But even so, he could only reach the 14th level before he was defeated.
Unity, however, reached the 18th level, four levels higher than the top genius to have ever joined the Archer Gate. This meant Unity has become the kind of disciple that appears only once every 10,000 years.
Naturally, the current top archer in the inner section of the Archer Gate, who only managed to reach the 12th level, wasn’t happy that someone had overshadowed him.
So he challenged her to a duel, and as per the rules of the sect, she had to accept, which was what everyone was excited about.
The old and new geniuses are about to clash in a duel that will show who is who with the bow. Of course, many do not count on Unity, considering she has no battle experience.
But some also want to see some changes, with most sucking up to Unity since she is sisters with a Saintess.
Her popularity is coming from many directions, and if she manages to become the top ranker of the Archer Gate, she will undoubtedly become the next face of the Archer Gate.
“Who do you think this new genius is?” Ingrid asked as they neared the arena.
“Probably a blonde-haired beauty with willow eyes and a good handle on her bow,” Kent said, making Ingrid look at him weirdly but not say anything.
Kent just smirked, knowing she would hang her jaw when she found out Unity was, in fact, his girlfriend. But for now, they continued to walk until they arrived at the entrance of the giant arena.
There were hundreds of people currently entering, with a few coming and going. Ingrid didn’t join the line; instead, she led Kent to a section where only three people were currently passing through.
Kent didn’t need magic to know they were core disciples, with two even from the Sword Gate. They were wearing different uniforms, just as Ingrid was wearing hers.
Of course, when the two passed, he saw one of them sneakily say something to the elder checking the merit badges. He instinctively knew what was coming but acted like he didn’t see anything.
Instead, he talked to Gaia, and with a smile on his lips, he and Ingrid walked toward the elder, who raised a hand to stop them.
Ingrid retrieved her badge and showed it to the elder. He stepped out of the way and gestured forward. Ingrid walked past him, but he blocked him when Kent was about to pass.
“Only those with merit badges can pass… If you don’t have one but want to enter, you can join the normal queue.” The elder said…arrogantly
“_”
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