Ray walked out of the class after it was over. 'So at the end of the day, it turned out to be the Theory of Cultivation class.' He ran a hand over his face.
It wasn't a total waste of time. At least he got some information about cultivation. "Maybe I'll continue taking this class." He nodded to himself and walked away.
He lazed around looking for another class and soon came upon a rather less-than-glamorous door. Well, it was less glamorous than other doors.
Curiosity nibbled at the back of his mind. 'Curiosity killed the cat but I'm not a cat. That doesn't mean it can't kill me though.'
Turning away from it, he tried to take a step forward but his legs refused to move. 'Satisfaction also brought the cat back to life.'
He gritted his teeth and turned to the door, opening it while praying another arrow didn't almost kill him.
This time, he was lucky.
The inside of the room was almost completely dark and empty, with only a few partially occupied seats and heaps of trash. Ray entered and nearly coughed out his lungs because of the dust.
It formed a rather thick coating over everything. "Who is that?" Ray jumped as an unexpected voice asked.
His head snapped to a heap of random stuff and he saw the outline of a middle-aged man lying amongst it.
"Sorry, I didn't realize that anyone was here." Ray backed away, planning on leaving when he heard a small sigh coming from the man.
Ray turned to the door but didn't leave. 'Leave goddammit! It isn't your business.' Yet he found himself turning to the man.
"Why is this place so empty and uncared for?" He asked despite his body telling him not to engage the strange man.
The man stood and stepped into the light. He was rather short and had a wild, greying beard. His eyes were saggy and had dark rings around them.
"Sheesh. He looks terrible." Onyx remarked bluntly as he appeared. Ray wanted to call him out on being rude, but he didn't bother because he was right, and well, he didn't fancy a trip to an asylum.
"Ya, yungins are so lucky. Ya have no idea how heartbreaking it is to watch your lifelong study go down the drain because no one fancies it no more." The man sighed and his eyes somehow managed to sag even further.
Ray's eyebrows furrowed. "What happened? What study?"
The man's eyes widened, "Don' ya patronize me, yungin. I wager ya onna those who get a laugh from Crazy Ol' Gerald."
Ray raised his hands in mock-surrender. "I actually have no idea what you're talking about."
Old Gerald tilted his head, "Ya sure are onna a kind. Ya truly don' know?"
"Af'er runic enchantments don' went and became popular, traditional elemental enchantments bit the dust."
Ray nodded slowly. 'That actually makes sense.' Most enchanted items he had seen or heard of were engraved with runes.
The idea of another type of enchantment hadn't even presented itself to him.
"Do you know why?" He asked and the man's eyes darkened.
"Ya can proper blame the rich for that nonsense." His voice was coated in venom. "Forgetting about proper power and potential just because of a few dangers? Ludicrous!"
Ray raised his eyebrow, 'So they barred it because it is dangerous?'.
As Old Gerald had bitterly said, it wasn't too strange for the nation to limit the production and propagation of certain commodities that have been labelled too dangerous.
He could easily imagine a flame rod that could melt mountains but one wrong move would wipe out a squad of cultivators.
Onyx scoffed. "Birds of a feather, end up arrested together."
Old Gerald stared absent-mindedly at the floor. His figure seemed to have lost all and any energy that was left.
"Teach me." Ray suddenly spoke, surprising both Onyx and Gerald. The two stared at him with wide eyes.
Gerald reached for Ray and gripped his arm. "Really?! Ya ough'a know that i' is dangerous but I can beat my beard to swear that the risk is sure worth it."
Ray inhaled sharply. 'I can't believe I said that.' In truth, he had somewhat been considering attending an enchantment class while in the academy.
What he hadn't expected, however, was to meet a teacher of one — albeit dangerous — so conveniently. 'My luck seems to be turning around. Time to milk that cow dry.'
The dark rings around Gerald's eyes seemed to almost vanish as a renewed vigor lit embers in him.
"Wise lad. This ain't gon' be easy but I'll whip ya into an enchanter fit for all the ages!" He laughed and hugged Ray.
Despite being short, his thick muscles cut off Ray's circulation and nearly popped his eyes out.
He eventually let Ray go and patted his shoulder. "What's ya name yungin?"
Shaking his head, Ray answered.
Gerald nodded slowly then burst out laughing. "That ain't no name for an enchanter in training!" He slapped his knees and doubled over. Ray frowned. 'It isn't that funny.'
His laugh soon died down and he appeared to be deep in thought. "I know!" He suddenly yelled.
Gerald scanned Ray once more, "When yer outside, ya can answer to that Ray but when yer in here with me, yer name is Reece — named after the fabled demi-god of songs and whispers. And so may yer creations yield songs of warning to the enemy and draw whispers from allies."
Ray's eyes widened. 'Since when is this barbarian a poet?!'
"Hahaha. I bet ya didn't know that Ol' Gerald here is a stallion of many skills. Leave… we will discuss classes later. I will find ya." With those words, Ray left Gerald alone.