Steven continued through the vast expanse of the marketplace of the sanctuary taking note of it’s wondrous sights and variety of services.

While many sold clothes, others offered armor of different qualities, and a few more specialized in weapons. Most of the stalls sold similar things, but the quality was what mattered, and Steven could clearly see the difference even from afar.

He made a mental note to come back to this place later, probably when he had found and completed his current goals within the Sanctuary.

Soon enough, he moved out of the buying-and-selling section and entered a much different area. This part had fewer people on the streets, and instead of stalls, there were larger buildings, houses capable of holding more than a hundred people at a time, or even more.

This was the teaching section, according to the map. A place where an Awakened could find teachers to educate them in whatever line of knowledge they desired.

This was Steven’s target.

The Realm of Entry had taught him two major flaws about himself. The first was his lack of knowledge about the Realm entirely. Apart from the shallow information the poor had been taught, he knew almost nothing. ’Compared to the other kids my age coming from prestigious homes, they already have more knowledge and education. I need to fix that before the First Realm,’ he noted mentally.

The second flaw was his lack of skill, which had shown clearly during his battle with Drake. Fighting someone who could read fate was one thing, but fighting him with the only combat knowledge he had known being feint, stab, then run was unreliable and mundane. There had been seconds where he realized that if he had been taught proper sword fighting, he could have blocked, countered, and landed a decisive hit. That realization burned itself deep into his mind.

The First Realm would be different. He wouldn’t get lucky there.

That much, he was certain of.

With his goals set, Steven scanned the buildings ahead.

The first place he saw after leaving the trading section was exactly what he had been searching for—a Weaponry Teaching Monastery that looked quite impressive. From the signboard hung outside, it promised everything Steven ever needed to learn: sword fighting, proper weapon handling, and battle styles of the old Realms.

But... something about the place made him uneasy.

The first issue was the number of students rushing inside the monastery. When teachers were burdened with enormous crowds, most students learned nothing. And even if they did learn, they wouldn’t get enough practice, because teachers only ever focused on a selected few.

And for Steven, who had no important name, no influence, no prestige, he would simply be baggage.

He sighed in resignation. "Still, this looks too righteous for my own liking," he muttered, walking away to check other training centers.

Some places he passed taught martial arts without weapons, making Steven frown. He wondered why he would ever want to fight a skinny, probably poisonous Shadow Eater using only his fingers as weapons. He hissed quietly and passed by, disregarding them as places meant for Awakened whose abilities relied on physical touch.

He then passed centers that taught ability control, which was a big no for him.

For a while, he continued walking and searching for training centers. Many of the ones he found were outright worrisome! Some didn’t even look like training halls but dens for drunken Awakened, others were far too high-class like the first monastery, and some were simply... sorry excuses to exist.

Steven soon began to feel like he would never find the right place to train. He started considering cruder options, up until—

His eyes caught sight of a new signboard and behind it was a building.

The building wasn’t too large nor too small. Dark marbled flooring reflected faint light, the roofing was made of dark stone-coated tiles, and the entrance was framed by two golden pillars that led into wide, jade-green doors.

Steven couldn’t help but smile at the name written on the signboard.

"Weapon Learning for the Shady and Despicable."

He wasted no time approaching the place, carefully observing the surroundings and quietly marveling at the unsettling beauty of it all. Passing through the gates, his eyes met a beautifully furnished wooden interior—the training hall itself. A polished wooden ceiling held multiple golden glowing lamps spaced evenly apart, bathing the room in a dim, almost conspiratorial glow. At the center of the floor lay a large black mat, and around the room were shelves lined with complicated and unfamiliar weaponry.

Entering fully, Steven stopped at the entrance before stepping onto the polished wood. He scanned the dojo for its owner, but saw no one... No students nor instructor.

"Hello?"

At first, no answer came. Then, after a moment, a voice barked from the corner of the dojo. "What do you want!—"

Steven peeked toward the corner, his eyes meeting a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He had long dark hair, a pale face, heavy dark bags under his eyes, and a scruffy goatee that added to his miserable appearance. Steven immediately understood where the shady reputation of the place came from.

"—I came here to register for sword training," Steven answered bluntly.

The man looked confused for a moment, his eyes drifting across the dojo as though he himself was surprised anyone had entered. Then he shook his head. "Didn’t expect anyone to come after such a name," he muttered aloud, loud enough for Steven to hear.

"Well then, your classes will cost two thousand Realm Credits."

Steven scrunched his nose at the price. "Isn’t that too much? Others don’t even charge more than five hundred at most."

The man shrugged and rolled up his sleeves, revealing four sigil marks etched into his skin.

Steven’s eyes widened in shock.

"I just came back from the Third Realm," the man said lazily. "Unlike the other bastards out there, I’m far better. So my course should be considered cheap. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to sleep before my other students arrive."

He shut his eyes immediately, clearly trying to fall asleep.

Steven fell into deep contemplation. The price was steep, but this was a Four-Sigil Awakened. Someone who had not only survived two Realms but completed the Third. Miserable and shady or not, this man was powerful.

This was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.

’Especially since he doesn’t have many students, I’ll get better education here,’ Steven reasoned.

Before the man could change his mind or disappear, Steven pulled out his card and hurried forward.

The Four-Sigil Awakened opened his eyes warily as Steven approached.

"I’ll register for the class," Steven said.

The man stared at the card hesitantly. ’I thought he’d turn tail and run. I’m literally scamming him... but he seems shady too.’ He sighed, took the card, and pulled out a white one from his pocket. Placing them together, he completed the transaction.

"Good. You’re my third and last student. Come back tomorrow. I’ve decided to take the day off."

Steven took his card back, hoping he hadn’t made a terrible mistake. He lingered for a moment, glancing around the dojo one last time.

"If you want, you can take a training manual from there and study before you return," the man said weakly, pointing toward a drawer built into the wall. As Steven nodded and moved toward it, the man added in a shady tone, "Can’t have you asking for a refund."

Steven smirked crookedly, hoping for the same.

He removed his shoes at the entrance and walked over to the drawer. Opening it slowly, he picked up the first book he saw and read the title aloud.

"Knowing the Weapon, written by Shady John."

Steven laughed quietly, his thoughts drifting toward what the next few months would hold for him.