The morning sun over the Heavensward Institute was blocked by a massive, floating schedule board in the center of the plaza. Lady Yue had used her Mirror-Soul to project the "Master's Weekly Rotation" for everyone to see.
"Isolation Week 1: Night Pavilion with Empress Mo Rong," the projection glowed.
"Isolation Week 2: Divine Forge with Matriarch Zhu Feng."
"Isolation Week 3: Administrative Audit with Lady Yue."
Gaurav stood at the base of the tower, looking at the board with a mixture of awe and terror. Old Man Wei and Prince Zhao (the janitor) walked past him, giving him sympathetic looks.
"Master," Wei whispered, "I have a pill for 'Spirit Suppression' if you need to... uh... survive the Matriarch's forge. It lowers the body temperature by a hundred degrees."
"Keep it, Wei," Gaurav sighed. "I think I'm going to need it."
[DING!]
[System Alert: Target 10 Located.]
[Identity: General Khors (The Fallen God of War).]
[Status: Amnesiac. Currently begging for scraps in the Central Market of the Iron-Sand Empire.]
[Warning: The World Will has placed a 'Seal of Oblivion' on him. To awaken him is to declare total war on the Heavens.]
Gaurav's eyes sharpened. A God of War as a disciple? This was the "Fist" the Academy needed to lead the Shadow Army Seraphina had brought.
"I have a mission," Gaurav announced, turning to his wives who were approaching him with "Isolation" shackles (mostly symbolic, but still terrifying).
"A mission, or an escape?" Zhu Feng asked, her flames turning a playful but dangerous purple.
"A necessity," Gaurav replied, his voice regaining its Sovereign authority. "The 10th Disciple is a Fallen God. If we don't get him, the World Will will use him as its next Assassin. I'm taking Zhu (the Swine Prince) and Seraphina with me. We need the 'Ghoulish' touch and a 'Universal Stomach' for this one."
The Iron-Sand Empire: The Beggar in the Dust
The Central Market of the Iron-Sand Empire was a chaotic mess of spice traders, camel caravans, and mercenaries. In a corner, sitting on a pile of discarded crates, was a man with a wild beard and eyes that seemed to look at a world no one else could see.
He was covered in filth, but his frame was massive—broader than even Han Tie. People threw copper coins at him, which he ignored. He was busy drawing battle formations in the dirt with a piece of charcoal.
[Target: Khors]
[Condition: Absolute Amnesia. His 'God-Core' is buried under 1,000 layers of Heavenly Curses.]
[Hidden Talent: Sovereign of Slaughter (God-Rank). He cannot be defeated in a fair fight.]
[Flaw: 1 (He has forgotten how to hate).]
"General Khors," Gaurav said, standing over the beggar.
The man didn't look up. "General? No. I am just a man who hungry. Do you have a bun?"
Zhu (The 8th Disciple) stepped forward, his own stomach growling in sympathy. He pulled out a bag of 'Spirit-Buns' and handed them to the beggar. "Eat, brother. The Master's food is the only thing that tastes better than jade."
Khors ate the buns in silence. As he finished, Gaurav reached out and touched the charcoal drawing in the dirt. He didn't use Holy Energy. He used Demonic Essence to mimic the 'Hate' that Khors had lost.
[Technique Active: Sovereign Memory Extraction — The Blood Path]
"You led the armies of the 13th Heaven," Gaurav whispered, his voice vibrating with the Sovereign Archive's power. "You were betrayed by the World Will because you refused to slaughter an innocent planet. They took your memory, Khors. They turned the God of War into a beggar. Are you going to let them win?"
The air in the market turned freezing. The charcoal drawings in the dirt began to glow red. Khors's eyes, previously dull, suddenly exploded with a crimson light.
"I... remember the screams," Khors growled, his voice sounding like two mountains grinding together. He stood up, his rags tearing as his muscles expanded to their 'Godly' proportions. "I remember the betrayal. My brothers... they turned into light and burned my soul."
He looked at Gaurav. He didn't kneel. He slammed his fist into his chest in a military salute that cracked the cobblestones for miles. "Master... give me an army. I will march into the Heavens and tear the Sun from its throne."
[System Notification: Tenth Personal Disciple Bound.]
[Reward Unlocked: The Hall of Slaughter & 1 'Heaven-Cleaving' War-Axe.]
The World Will Strikes: The First Intervention
Suddenly, the sky above the Iron-Sand Empire turned a sickly, bruised purple. A massive eye, ten miles wide, opened in the clouds.
[WARNING: DIRECT INTERVENTION BY THE WORLD WILL!]
"Master, look out!" Seraphina screamed, her violet eyes flaring as she summoned a wall of ten thousand skeletons to shield them.
A beam of pure 'Universal Law' shot down from the eye, aimed directly at Khors's head. The Heavens didn't want the God of War to wake up.
Gaurav didn't flinch. He looked up at the eye and pulled out three God-Binding Leaves at once.
"You think you can delete my student in front of me?" Gaurav roared. He threw the leaves into the air, where they transformed into a massive, golden net that caught the beam of law.
[Technique Active: Sovereign Law-Breaker — 100% Output]
Gaurav didn't just block the attack. He channeled the beam back through the leaves, into his own body, and then into Zhu.
"Zhu! EAT IT!"
The 8th Disciple opened his mouth, his Universal Stomach expanding into a literal black hole. He swallowed the energy of the World Will's direct attack.
BURP.
Zhu patted his stomach. "Master... that was a bit spicy. I think I need a nap."
The eye in the sky blinked in what could only be described as 'Universal Confusion' before the Archive forced it to close.
The Return: The Council of Wives' Revenge
Gaurav returned to the Academy with a God of War and a very full Swine Prince. But as he stepped onto the plaza, he saw Lady Yue, Zhu Feng, and Mo Rong waiting for him. They weren't looking at the new disciple. They were looking at Seraphina, who was currently wiping the dust off Gaurav's shoulder.
"Three weeks, Gaurav," Mo Rong said, her silver eyes glowing with a cold light. "And since you used three God-Binding Leaves today, we are adding another week for 'reckless use of Academy assets'."
"Four weeks?!" Gaurav gasped. "But the 11th Disciple... the Archive says—"
"The Archive can wait," Zhu Feng said, her hand resting on his shoulder, her heat making his robes smoke. "Tonight, the Master becomes the 'Student.' We have a very long lesson on 'Academy Priorities' prepared for you."
Lady Yue smiled, a mirror appearing in her hand. "Don't worry, Master. We've managed the departments perfectly. The Academy can survive four weeks without its Librarian."
As they led Gaurav toward the Isolation Wing, Khors looked at the other disciples. "Is... is the Master in trouble?"
Old Man Wei sighed, patting the God of War on the arm. "No, my boy. He's just experiencing a different kind of 'Heavenly Tribulation.' One that even the Sovereign Archive can't solve."