The following days passed in a blur. Zeke spent his mornings studying Mana Breathing with the others, and his afternoons tinkering on his own. One of the advantages of his contract was that he could skip training whenever he wanted. The agreement he had signed with the Lion's Den only obligated him to compete and nothing more.
Of course, he didn't forget to attend his daily matches in the Rings. However, he had vastly underestimated the impact his first fight had had on the contestants. One after the other, they all surrendered. Even the contestant who would meet him in the final did the same. And so it happened that Zeke was crowned champion of the first circle with only a single real fight under his belt.
Zeke was quite happy with this development, but the Dragon didn't share his feelings. The reptile got more irritable by the day as it didn't get to use its new body at all.
Leo also managed to win this week. However, he had a much harder time of it. His final opponent had been a Chimeroi called Rockfist. He was of the Stonegiant race, and their fight was spectacular. Clad in earthen armor, Leo went blow for blow with his hulking opponent. Ultimately, his constant manipulation of the terrain allowed him to eke out small advantages here and there and eventually stand victorious. To Zeke's dismay, his brother chose to advance to the next circle as well.
The third circle was not a place where True Mages could contend. As if to prove this fact, not one of the few Mages in the third circle was below the Grand Mage level. Even so, Zeke wasn't overly worried for Leo's safety.
While it was a life-or-death struggle for the slaves, the Rings of Samsara were more like a pastime for human Mages. Most contestants would think twice before killing humans, as you could never really know who you might offend by doing so. The Chimeroi even had to ensure not to injure the Mages too severely in fear of retaliation.
The only times a human Mage was in any real danger was when two rival schools faced each other. For example, if Zeke were to meet a member of the Firebrand school again, he would have to watch his back. Those contestants would usually not hesitate to kill as their schools would protect and even reward them for such a deed.
At the moment, Zeke was sitting in his room in the Lion's Den. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was controlled. He was trying to copy the Mana Breathing technique. However, all his attempts so far have failed.
Even though he could easily attract Mana with his Core, that was not helpful in this situation. From his observations, he had learned a few crucial points about Mana Breathing.
The first thing he learned was that the strange breathing patterns and muscle fluctuations didn't only serve to attract Mana. They also increased the body's receptiveness and could be compared to opening one's pores. Only in such a state would he be able to absorb a useful amount of Mana.
The second thing he learned was that he knew far too little about how a monster's body worked. For now, he could forget about creating his own Formula. He would either have to observe many more breathing techniques or survey monsters — preferably both.
With a sigh, Zeke opened his eyes. The Dragon had been right. It was hopeless for him right now. He couldn't even properly experiment as of now. He either needed to wait until his body had absorbed a lot more draconic essence, or he could find a Chimeroi to help him with his experimentation.
Just as Zeke was considering his options, he heard knocking at his door. "Who is it?"
"It's me," came the reply.
Zeke immediately recognized the voice — it was Sunil. He was Ravi's son and a rather talented Mage. Like his father, he also had an affinity for Lightning Magic. He was 42 years old and had reached the Grand Mage level over a decade ago. This speed of advancement wouldn't be considered fast by empire standards, but Sunil made up for it with his abundant combat experience.
Zeke opened the door and saw Sunil grinning at him. Over the past week, the two had gotten somewhat close. Despite being in his forties, Sunil didn't look much older than Zeke. He had a rather plain-looking face for a Mage, but his shining eyes always danced with mischief. He was one of those people who were easy to get along with and hard to dislike.
"What do you need?" Zeke asked.
Sunil ignored the question, stretched his head into the room, and eagerly looked around. He seemed to be searching for something. Zeke merely raised a single brow but didn't try to stop him. After a while, he stepped back and rubbed the back of his head. "My bad, Pete! I was certain you were hiding a girl in there or something."
Zeke rolled his eyes. "Why would you think that?"
Sunil frowned and pointed at Zeke accusingly. "Can you blame me? You spend more time in your room than anybody I know. What else am I supposed to think?"
Now, it was Zeke's turn to scratch his head awkwardly. He naturally couldn't tell Sunil about the true purpose of the long hours he spent in his room. Therefore, he did not say anything about what he was doing. It was no wonder the man had begun to speculate.
"I like to read," Zeke explained.
Sunil looked at him doubtfully. "Then where are your books?"
Zeke quickly stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. "Was there a reason you came to find me? Surely, you aren't just here to spy on my hobbies, are you?"
"Ahh, that's right, I almost forgot! My father wants to see you."
"Alright," Zeke said, glad his friend was so easily distracted. "Where is your father right now?"
"In his office," Sunil said. "I'll take you there. He wants to see me, too."
As Sunil led the way, Zeke wondered what Ravi wanted. Since it was not only him the man had called for, he was most likely not just trying to catch up. On their way, the duo walked into several people heading in the same direction. Something was definitely happening.
Zeke spotted Ash and Leo, and the latter immediately came over as he noticed Zeke. His brother was wearing a torn uniform with sprinkles of half-dried blood all over his sleeves. It was clear that he had been fighting until just recently.
"Do you know what this is about?" Leo asked.
Before answering, Zeke waved his hand, and the droplets of blood flew out of Leo's clothing without leaving even the slightest trace. They all gathered into a single, hovering puddle. He then mentally commanded the pool to elongate in the air before he forced it to harden.
The result was a semi-transparent needle that sparkled like a ruby. Zeke smiled at his work and mentally instructed the needle to fly into the folds of his robes, storing it for later use. Ever since he had come up with his [Blood Manifestation] spell, Zeke had been thinking of new ways to apply his Magic, and this application of [Blood Manipulation] was a result of that.
He then returned his attention to Leo, who was currently examining his freshly cleaned sleeves. "I don't know what this is about, but I am sure Sunil knows."
They both turned toward the man in question, who just admitted it right away. "That's right, I do know, but I don't want to spoil the surprise," he said with a smirk. "But don't worry, it's something good."
Without saying anything else, Sunil continued to lead the way. Zeke and Leo exchanged a glance before resolutely following. Soon, the trio entered the office. Zeke found that around 15 people were already gathered there.
The moment they entered, Ravi's voice could be heard. "Close the door. You are the last ones to arrive."
Zeke scanned the gathered crowd. It was a peculiar mix of people. All of them were Rana Samrat, but the selection was clearly not random. For one, every single human Mage was here. Counting him, Leo, and Sunil, they constituted 10 out of the 15 people gathered. The other five were Chimeroi, but they were remarkable in their own right.
Zeke immediately recognized Ashen Wolf, with whom he was most familiar. But the others weren't entirely unknown to him either. He had seen them before, as they were all competitors in the fourth circle. They were Ironhide, Mauler, Vipertooth, and Skycutter. Those five, together with Sunil, were the strongest fighters of the Lion's Den. After scanning the crowd, Zeke waited for Ravi to speak.
The leader of the Lion's Den regarded the crowd with a proud expression. "Most of you probably know what this is about." His gaze halted on Zeke and Leo. "But let me still explain it for the newbies. This is about the Veergati."
Zeke was puzzled. He was not familiar with this term. Thankfully, Ravi didn't leave him hanging for long and explained right away.
"The Veergati is an ancient tradition here in the capital. It's a quarterly event for the schools to meet peacefully. Of course, as members of the Lion's Den, you are all free to attend."
"What else are you not saying?" Zeke asked. "I am sure there is more to this event than just a friendly chat."
Ravi nodded. But instead of answering directly, he asked a question of his own. "How do you think the Lion's Den earns money, Pete?"
"Through the prize money in the Rings, I would assume," Zeke guessed.
"That is true, but it only constitutes a fraction of our income. We would be unable to operate if that were all we had."
Zeke thought about it for but a moment. "Is it through the sales of… personnel?" he asked, choosing his words with deliberate care.
"Indeed," Ravi said. "And that is what the Veergati is for."
"So, it is a slave market?" Zeke asked with a bit of surprise. He had not expected Ravi to be so openly mercantile. From what he had seen until now, the man went out of his way to create a sense of brotherhood within the Lion's Den.
Ravi frowned, clearly displeased. "Watch your mouth, boy! The slave market is a place for beggars and vagabonds, while the Veergati is where the rulers of Korrovan gather. Calling such a place a slave market is like calling the royal palace a shed. They can not be compared."
"How are they different, then?" Zeke asked.
Seeing how his father's temper was about to flare up once more, Sunil interjected hurriedly. "Father, Pete is not from around here and genuinely doesn't know. Let me explain it to him." Ravi nodded at his son, his expression relaxing somewhat.
"Listen, Pete, the Veergati is an amazing chance for all of us. Why else do you think we are all going?"
Zeke considered that question. This was a good point; if even the Mages wanted to go, then there must be something going on he hadn't yet realized. "Maybe to buy slaves?" he guessed.
Sunil grinned while many of the others chortled as well. "You'll most likely not be able to afford even the cheapest of slaves there. Listen, Pete, only the most outstanding Chimeroi are even allowed to attend." He pointed at Ash and the other four. "It is a place where the wealthiest and most influential people gather. Those people don't frequent the Veergati to find themselves housekeepers; they come to find themselves generals. Do you understand?"
Zeke scanned the crowd. Both slaves and Mages looked genuinely excited about this event. The Veergati had to be something of a melting pot of the social spheres. Seeing that even the slaves were eager, this event was most likely the reason many competed in the Rings.
This realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. If his guess was correct, then the Rings of Samsara were most likely a tool for the ruling class to discover notable talents. No wonder this institution was so influential in the capital.
After all, today's champions could become tomorrow's leaders.
At this realization, something else occurred to him. "We are for sale as well, aren't we?"
"Yes," Ravi said with a nod. "Well, not you personally, but your contracts are for sale. If somebody shows interest, they will have to reimburse the Lion's Den to buy your contract. Of course, as a free man, you have the right to refuse most offers."
Zeke nodded. He finally understood the purpose of this event. His lips curved into a satisfied smile. Wasn't this exactly what he had hoped for? There, he would be able to meet the people of the Gemkar family effortlessly. "I am sorry for my rash words, Ravi. I would love to attend."
"Very well," the man said with a smile of his own, "the event is in two weeks' time."