They left the arrays and walked to the next building.

„This is the Mission Hall. We will come back and see it later.” Zotmund looked at Naómi helplessly.

The boys sadly accepted it.

They reached a parting of the ways and turned right. They saw another building.

„This is the Refining Club’s building. Arrays and seals can be learned by anyone, but refining not. You will have a test when you start your second year to see if you have the necessary ability to learn it or not.”

„Why? It will be so much easier if I can make my own pills.” Belinda said.

„The herbs are precious, and the academy doesn’t want them to be wasted. If you are not helped by a teacher you need to buy the herbs. If you count the failures, it’s won’t cost more than buying the ready pill.” Zotmund smiled. „You can’t get your own garden here, so you can only make money after leaving.”

They walked further away and saw 2 buildings.

„On the right side is the Herbs learning’s building. There will be your classes and you can find all the related books here. On the left side, there’s the Demonic Beast learning. Similarly, there will be classes, and the books there too.” Then he looked at Belinda. „The beats tamers are learning here too.”

„Those beast are so much different than ordinary animals? I traveled to a lot of places, but never saw any.” Dárius asked.

„They live on the continent just hiding. They need spiritual energy to grow stronger. Because mortals body contained little amount, they don’t hunt them. After you start cultivating and go out to do tasks, you will realize how little you know about this world.”

„Then what about those herbs?”

„Herbs contained large amounts of energy, and it can kill mortals if eaten. Fortunately, they use the illusions to hide themselves. They not doing it because of the mortals, but because of the beasts and immortals. They try to save themselves from them. So if your cultivation reaches the 3^rd level and you walk next to a 5^th level herbs, you can’t find it. In the Academy’s garden, there are arrays to neutralize this ability.”

„Really?!” the kids were shocked. They never thought, there were so many things they didn’t know.

„I’m sure none of you heard about any cultivator’s sects, but there are more than how many countries.” Zotmund laughed. He remembered, how surprised he was when he saw the world true appearance.

„Cultivator’s sects?! Didn’t the cultivators go back to their city to help them?” Gregori asked.

„Those mortals love to say that, but only 1 or 2 go back in a year. Mostly, they hope to get a job with a high salary. They are using their positions as immortals to get benefits.” Zotmund stopped and turned to them. „A long-long time ago, those sects fought for the kids to cultivate them. They had mortal cities under their hands and attacked the nearby ones to get them from the other sects. It’s caused a lot of unnecessary death and sometimes the losing sects just massacred the children before they gave up the city. The academy was founded to stop these fights and created the law to protect every kid under 10. They still fight for territories, but they can’t take away any kids. The Academy’s teachers are under big pressure because the sects want to get their position into the Academy too. After graduation, the students can choose any sects, but because they didn’t grow up there, they didn’t have any attachment. There’s no trust between them.”

The children stayed silent to digest this information.

„They find a way to solve it, not?” Belinda asked.

„Yes. They don’t have the right to get a position as a teacher, but they can send here their children. Those children get the mission to find talented kids and make them join them. They working as a club and do tasks and other things together. So when you go to a closed world and run into a big team, they will be the followers of a sect.” Zotmund sighed. „If a sect found you worthy to join them, they will do anything to get you. In the Academy you are safe, but once you go out to do tasks they will go after you and hunt you down. There are rumors about students, who were killed.”

Belinda was frightened. This place was so much worse than she imagined. So if she showed up any skill or knowledge that can make her valuable, then her life would be doomed.

„Umm… then the mentors?” she asked.

„Oh, yes. If a mentor already a member of a sect, then they have the right to take in their students. You can try to fight against them, but it’s better to join hands with them than be forced to others. Just think about it, you end up joining a sect that’s the enemy of your mentors. You can imagine what kind of hell will await for you.” he laughed happily.

The kids were speechless.

Belinda looked at Bertold. She saw he shook his head.

  No? What no? You don’t take me in, or you are not a member of any sect?! Please speak!!

 Belinda sighed. It seemed, the best choice was to close herself in her room and let the world forgot about her existence.

„And what about you, Zotmund? You are a member of any sect?” Naómi asked.

„Me? It’s doesn’t matter.” he shook his head and turned to Belinda. „But your life will be hard. Until now, there wasn’t anyone, who was able to recruit Bertold. From now on, you will be his weak point. Be ready to become the target to those sects’ members.” he laughed, and then continued to walk ahead.

Belinda felt her foot rooted there.

  What’s the weak point?! Why hunted down?! Me, a stranger?! Do they really think that I have any value?! Just leave me alone!!

Belinda realized again how bad this world was. In her black notebook, she wrote down Bertold’s name and drawn some cross next to it. She would make him pay for everything!

Bertold stood behind her. Why was he shot down, when he didn’t do anything?!