Twenty disciples clad in uniform attire formed a single file and advanced along the narrow path stretching down to the base of the valley, while Mel observed them from behind. These individuals, residing at the Elemental Transformation Stage—the prerequisite for entering the Red Claw Academy—were treated like thralls in a concentration camp, yet they could have led vastly different lives anywhere else in the world.
Sokom, the Martial Arts Division Leader of the Green Shadow Academy, was not much stronger than they were, but he managed to become a feared figure in a place where the power level was meager. The peculiar thing was, during the rare moments throughout the journey when the Blessing of Savagery fell silent, Mel realized the Kapos were not all that formidable either.
