SNAKES AND SAINTS.

***In the Inner Outskirts of Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans'..

***Clingford's Academy Martial Grounds..

***Form training grounds..

*°*Two days later..

#GONG¡#

*HUA!*...*HUA!*...*HUA!*..

 Today, Navi is finally back in shape enough to resume his martial lessons.

Alongside other rows of martial disciples, Navi makes his movements slow and in co-ordination to their own.

Holding up a form, A martial master soon comes to Navi's side and casually redirects the angle of his feet to be more apart with a staff and this small correction immediately bringing positive results in Navi's body arts.

#GONG¡#

*HUA!*..

 A drum rings out again and uniformly, the training martial disciples change their form with a yell while master's move through to make corrections.

This process repeats itself over and over again and then the two hour long martial lessons becomes over.

Feeling sore, Navi drags his sweat coated body away from the training grounds as the next set of disciples began to take their positions.

 Yesterday, Navi has been to the archery training site in hopes to catch a glimpse of the girl who has been challenged to a death duel but the only thing he met there has been disappointment,.. she wasn't there.

 From the rumours he've picked up, it turns out the Academy's owners who is a Rank 3 Battle-Mage(Warrior + Mage) is going to determine if there's an actual cause for the death duel to be declared legal.

 It yes, then the duel would most likely be hosted in the Academy grounds -much to Navi's approval- and if no then at most,.. compensation would be given.

 Navi still have not been able to pick up the cause of the death dual challenge or the relationship between the two involved though judging by the fact that rumours are bustling about the challenged girl running around to increase her strength as soon as possible then it's most likely that she has done something big, bad and unforgivable.

 The rest of the rumours that Navi has heard says that there is a son of another high level Rank 3 Cultivator who wants to take the girl in as a Concubine. The young master seems to be putting out an helping hand to the girl in exchange for her being his at the end of it all.

 In the Outskirts, the number of Rank three Cultivators are around just Eight with each one as feared as the last thus making their entire of their families equivalent to royalty as far as the Outskirts is concerned.

The fact that somebody from this line is stretching an helping hand means that no matter how wrong the challenged woman is or how lowly her helper is in his family line,.. the woman being challenged already has a solid advantage over her challenger.

 Thinking of this, Navi cannot help but nod his head at the level of hypocrisy in all of this. These people and the laws are not at all interested in right or wrong instead they only want to determine in the cleanest way a winner and an unfortunate loser.

 If the girl proves stronger and wins then she becomes the one who's right in all of this but if the guy wins then he becomes right.

All of this teaches Navi a little lesson about the answers he have been searching for..

 'Strenght determines justice.'.

 It is simple, unfair and even a bit wicked though it is the truth and they are not even bothered to hide it.

 With this thought in mind, Navi heads to a different martial building this time. He plans to use a particular benefit of his tier two package that he has never tried before.

 He has never tried out any of his twenty free passes to a tier one mana chamber. These mana Chambers are said to toughen the body and sharpen all the senses to mana.

 They are small Chambers powered by purified mana stones which are rare small gems sometimes found in the bodies of monsters or in areas rich in different affinities.

 The building holding these mana Chambers looks like a medium-sixed pentagon hall from the outside.

It has banners stating its title as well as two guards standing like statues by the sides of its only entrance door.

 Standing around the building's perimeter, Navi first of all takes in the elite view of the building before moving up to its entrance. Scanning his disciple slip, me moves inside.

The first notable difference that hits Navi as he enters are a set dim neon blue light that seems to come from everywhere.

 His eyes struggles a bit to handle the sudden change in lighting as he finds himself standing in the centre of a five feet wide hallway with five rows of doors on his right hand side and five on his left hand side.

 Glowing martial symbols tells Navi that each door hides independent mana Chambers and that three out if the ten doors present are currently occupied.

Navi looks around and just as expected, there were three doors on the end wall directly facing him that say 'Tier One Mana pools'.

 These Mana pools are a benefit that is not included in any Tier two package and is only reserved for those in tier three.

It is said to be a bathtub-like experience except with the water being a mix of alchemy portions and diluted liquid Mana.

 These Mana pools are said to be ten times more effective than Mana Chambers and with much more benefits.

It is said that using these Mana pools twenty times gives people a seventy percent chance of full grasping Mana and using it One hundred times increases the chances of breaking into Rank One by ten percent!.

 For the Martial disciples who want to become cultivators, The Mana pool is almost heaven on earth. Looking at the three doors just a couple dozen feet away, Navi cannot help but feel a little envious of the young masters and misses who could afford such luxury treatments ten times every year.

 Only one of the Mana pools shows the light of being occupied and standing in front of this occupied door is a tall and noble man dressed in a differently styled disciple robes.

 The combination of the man's distinct disciple robes and traditional scholar's hat shows that the man is a disciple who have already sensed mana and is aspiring to break into the first rank.

 The presence of the neon blue light in the background prevents Navi from seeing the man's exact skin colour and staring at his back does not at all give Navi much information about what he might look like.

 'Why is this young master waiting in front of an occupied Mana pool room?.', Navi cannot help but silently wonder as he looks at the tall man who's completely unaware of his presence.

 The light showing occupied immediately turns off as if in response to Navi's silent question. A familiar woman opens the door before stepping out of the Mana pools room.

 This woman is the exact same woman that had been challenged to a death duel!.

 Her robes at the time she has been challenged shows that she's a Tier one disciple in the segment of those who haven't sensed mana so how is if that she's able to enter a Mana pool for those in the tier three segment?!.

 Navi brows furrow a bit but the full story soon clicks together in his mind. Without akwardness, Navi cassually tears his gaze off the scene and pulls out his Disciple slip.

 He's no longer looking directly at the duo but he can clearly see as the lady gives a disciple slip back to its rightful owner who is the young master at the door.

 Scanning his Disciple slip in front of an un-occupied tier one Mana Chamber door, Navi retains his subtle calm as he opens the door and moves into the Mana Chambers which instantly locks itself up while slowing the red occupied lights.

This coincidences absolutely confirms it all.

 The rumours about her must be true. That young master must be the one stretching an helping hand and judging from the fact that the lady is truly trying her best to increase her strength with mana-pools to the very extent of agreeing to be someone's Concubine then she must truly be guilty enough for the Death duel to hold.

 With this realization, Navi slowly shakes his head left-right in a little pity for the guy who had issued the death duel to the obvious snake.

The cunning snake has used her charms and scales to find a strong cover thus leaving the poor challenger to walk into a death trap he has set for her.

 Navi shakes the issue out of his head because he is unsure of the ithe guy is strong enough to hold his ground.

He is not too interested in right or wrong nor does he care much about snakes and saints as the only thing on his mind is the thrill behind the death duel.

 He hopes the right guy is able to defend his honour but this hope would not magically tilt the odds in the guys favour so why bother with hoping?.

 With a sigh that washes all insignificant thoughts out of his mind, Navi finally concentrates on the sensations in the mana chamber he has just entered.

 The air in the Mana-Chamber feels a lot more heavier than the one outside and Navi can feel his pores opening up to the energy.

 He only has two hours in here so without any hesitation, Navi strips down to just his underwear as he sits in a meditating position on the wide sitting pillow at the centre of the room.

 The reason he has finally decided to use the benefits of the Mana Chambers today is because tonight, he plans to sleep. He plans to sleep and to probably continue to watch the memories in his dreams.

..