Starra rushed in as though gliding on a cloud, handing Theron a sleek white box. Inside, there was a dagger with a seven-inch, curved blade. The cool edge radiated a touch of blue light, and the handle was a dense black that contrasted well.
Theron picked up the dagger and balanced it in his palm. He resisted the urge to use any knife skills, cognizant of the fact that he was an Imperial Scholar right now, not an assassin.
“Good blade,” he commented perfunctorily.
In reality, it was a bit worse than his short sword. But he had yet to see a low-tier Bronze Soul weapon that matched up to his short sword.
For the cost of 6,300 bronzes, it was good enough.
Starra beamed, seeing that Theron was happy. She brought in the three techniques he had exchanged for soon after.
There was a clear vision in Theron’s mind. He had only just started on the path of cultivation, but his mind had been filled with books on military strategy.
The path of the Imperial Scholar was actually twofold. There was the military intelligence path and the Imperial Court path.
Theron had reluctantly studied the military path in the past only because the exams covered both aspects, not expecting it to come in handy.
First, defense. Second, ranged assault. And third, movement.
The defensive technique he chose was the most powerful of the three. Water Mancy wasn’t good at attack or speed and agility, but it was excellent in defense.
[Bursting Water Shield].
This method was an oddly technical one. It had four Stages of Mastery like all techniques did, each one allowing for an elevated level of control.
At the Entry Boundary, blocking was the greatest result one could expect. It functioned exactly like other shield skills, though the potential was far more limited than those formed by Earth Mancers, for example.
Upon transcending to the Proficient Boundary, it was possible to trap and contain attacks, redirecting them under the right circumstances, or slowing down attacks too powerful for the technique to stop outright to allow the opportunity to dodge.
Beyond was the Adept Boundary. This was the stage where one gained access to the moniker of the technique: burst. Burst was an added layer of complexity, allowing the user of the water shield to deconstruct and self-destruct the technique in a controlled fashion.
Used at the right time, it could dispel an attack of great strength, redirecting it into several smaller portions.
A step beyond this was the Consummate Boundary, but it represented something deeper than just an added ability or usage type.
[Water Bullet].
This was the ranged spell Theron chose. They were slower than wind bullets and less penetrating, but they couldn’t be ignored either. With each added Stage of Mastery, one could control more bullets with greater dexterity.
Finally, there was [Touch of Mirage].
Once again, Water Mancers were not well known for their speed, but their auxiliary abilities were still quite good. [Touch of Mirage] allowed Theron to convert his Water Mana into mist to disrupt his enemy’s senses and add mystery to his movements.
At the Entry Boundary, this wasn’t too obvious, but at the Adept Boundary, he could even create semi-realistic clones of himself from the mist.
The sum total was over 45,000 bronzes. Theron paid this price without a hint of a frown before bidding Starra farewell.
This money had, of course, come from Merchant Greycoat. In truth, between all the bank cards and promissory notes, let alone bronzes, the fat merchant had a wealth nearing 100,000 silvers. For context, a single silver was worth a hundred bronzes.
Even further, all of this wealth was just what Theron could scrounge up from physical cash alone. If he were to sell the merchant’s treasures and other assets, this wealth would easily triple.
But he couldn’t.
Spending this much was already pushing it. No one would blink because he was an Imperial Scholar, but it was already odd that a 14-year-old with access to this much wealth would need to buy techniques through such a channel. Shouldn’t they be provided by his family?
This didn’t mention the fact he had yet to look into the mystery of what was so special about the merchant. He didn’t have time to go through all of Greycoat’s belongings because it was only a matter of time before the signal flare he had sparked attracted others to the estate.
Theron walked out of the private room, the embroidered box that carried his dagger resting under an arm. The memory jades that held the techniques were already slotted away into a pouch on his waist. He had long since memorized them but kept them safe nonetheless.
“Theron?”
A sweet voice drifted to Theron’s ears. Looking up, he found a group of five — three women and two men — walking toward the private rooms together.
Theron always did his homework, so he knew who these people were. Two of them wore Imperial Scholar uniforms, including the young girl who had just spoken. The other three, however, wore uniforms that were quite eye-catching.
The uniforms of the young Imperial Scholars were white and violet, while the true nobles, those who graduated and went on to take up official positions in the army or government, wore black and violet.
These three youths, though, wore black and gold. They were facing Theron, so he couldn’t see their backs, but he was sure that if they turned around, he would see a golden moon on their backs as well.
The Obsidian Eclipse Sect was the most powerful in the Empire, but that didn’t mean it was the only one. These youths were from the Luminescent Moon Sect, a powerhouse in the region. In fact, they held more influence than the Marquess Mansion.
The young girl’s eyes lit up when she confirmed that it was Theron, running up with a happy smile.