Chapter 138-140

I almost forgot to post these three chapters.

I don't have the time to convert the markdown to rich text or whatever it's called. The bold, as I've just checked, got fucked and replaced with one asterisk. Don't know why. I also haven't had the time to proofread them because I was running a few errands today.

BUT.

They are three chapters. Let a three-chapter-day sate your thirst despite the lack of proofreading and weird formatting.

Chapter 138

I smirk as I read the entries from the Grimoire about the food.

"So, you said that this is a fine-dining establishment," I say to both the waiter and Marcel. "How good of an establishment did you say this was again?"

"For people at Platinum Rank, we're basically the best there is. Beyond our quality, there's only Diamond Rank restaurants. But our pick of the best Platinum Rank monsters and materials makes us the very best for the student of the first two years," the waiter says proudly.

"But clearly, someone like you wouldn't know," Marcel snickers. "When have you ever had good food?"

That riles up the crowd and I now see many people smirking.

"So, you said that you served Heavenly Trout, Spicy Volcano Potatoes, and the Herbland Cow's Butter. Correct? And that these should all be Platinum Rank ingredients."

"Indeed," the waiter says smugly. "Peak Platinum Rank ingredients."

"Marcel, since you know so much about fine dining, would you mind trying the ingredients yourself and confirming this?"

Marcel can't wait and jumps at the occasion of proving me wrong, taking a fork and stabbing the food, putting it into his mouth, chewing expertly, and then declaring for everybody to hear, "the waiter is correct. My refined palate could recognize such great food anywhere. I could probably still recognize such great food even if I lost the sense of taste!"

"What now, sir?" The waiter asks me. "Are you going to finally reprimand your Squire?"

"Boss, I swear, this is not--" Lancelot looks about to cry but I raise a hand in front of his face, silencing him.

"I admit that my Squire might not be the brightest, nor the most courageous warrior, nor a good spender of money, nor--"

"HEY!" Lancelot cries out.

"Right," I say, "I was getting carried away. What I meant to say was that despite all flaws that he might have, his palate is without the slightest doubt the most refined here. And it's not close. In fact, this?" I point at the supposed Heavenly Trout.

"This is a Gold Rank Flyfire Bass."

"Flyfire Basses are super common!" Fatty cries out. "The taste is indeed vaguely similar to an Heavenly Trout, but when it comes down to the energy and quality of the fish itself, it's like comparing heaven and earth!"

"Preposterous!" the waiter frowns. "How do you dare insult--"

"Lancelot," I say, looking intently at my Squire.

I am easily able to identify the fish thanks to the Grimoire, but there's only one real food expert here.

"Now that my Boss has mentioned it, this is clearly a Flyfire Bass. Look at the skin. Do you see those small orange scales under the fins? That's the mark of a Flyfire Bass. Heavenly Trouts have lightly yellow and azure scales there. It's almost impossible to see without the right light, but you can just..." Lancelot rips out a few scales and drops the crispy scales into the waiter's hand. "This is a scam."

"Oh my! I can see it from here! That kid is right! I've ordered the same, look! This is a damn Flyfire Bass! Why the hell did I pay the price of a Heavenly Trout for a Flyfire Bass?!"

Several other patrons notice the same in their plates and one of them even smashes the plate on the ground, furious.

Marcel now looks paler than a sheet.

"Marcel, you said that these, too, were Spicy Volcano Potatoes and Herbland Cow's Butter, right?"

My cousin nods angrily.

"That must have been a mistake! A batch must have been swapped by whoever gives them fish! Even the best establishment can be scammed once! There's nothing that weird about it! You're just making this into something bigger than it actually is, you dirty peasant!"

Now that they've heard Marcel talk, even the patrons look unsure. They're now wondering if this was an honest mistake and the waiter, too, says the same.

"Yes, yes! It must have been a simple mistake! We'll, of course, reimburse you all, let me fetch the manager! We'll also offer complementary drinks."

"Not so fast," I say. "These potatoes right here, which might look like Spicy Volcano Potatoes, are actually--"

Lancelot is examining one of them closely and swears.

"These are Earthly Oven Potatoes! How did I miss this?! If I had known that these bastards were trying to scam us this bad, I would have looked better! Look, look at the skin of the baked potatoes, do you see those little brown veins?! That's the sign of a Earthly Oven Potato!"

"And this is not Herbland's Cow Butter. This is Green Cow Butter. These are all Gold Rank ingredients. The thing is, while eating a Gold Rank ingredient at Platinum Rank has no side effects, it also doesn't have any positive effects. Eating enough Platinum Rank ingredients makes your veins stronger and slightly increases your natural talent, right? Well, it turns out that all that you've paid so far here was actually for naught. If they serve Gold Rank food without worrying about the consequences today, who knows how long they've been doing it."

"Outrageous!" Patrons are now properly riled up after finding out.

A few of them are even Diamond Ranks who have come to dine with their Platinum Rank friends. They start getting up from their tables, looking murderously at the waiter. "Fetch the manager!" one of them says. "I want EVERY receipt reimbursed before I raze this entire place to the ground!"

"There's few things that one can forgive when they offer you cheap food at such a fine dining establishment," I smile at the shaking waiter. "One honest mistake is definitely among those. But this? Scamming people to have a bigger margin on food? What about trust, loyalty? Whoever manages this place hasn't just ruined this restaurant forever, it has also damaged the trust that people put into the food that gets brought to them at other restaurants."

I turn toward Marcel, who's completely frozen, flick his hat away, revealing his shining bald head, and say, "next time, don't lie about your taste just to boast. If Lancelot and I hadn't been here, you would have kept the scam going for everybody. Learn some humility, baldy."

"Lancelot," I say, looking over my shoulder as I start walking out. I want to have a cool exit, but I see Lancelot scarfing down the food on the table while the patrons rage and storm the kitchen. "What are you doing?!"

"Just because it's Gold Rank doesn't mean it's not good! One second, I'm almost done!"

*

"Ouch, ouch," Lancelot screams while I drag him out of the restaurant by his ear. "You dumb beast! You absolute pig! When will you learn?! Have I not been generous with you?!"

"What have I done?!"

I look at him and push him forward, giving him a solid kick in the rear.

"You need to learn self-control! Let's go, we've got some studying to take care of."

We're on our way to the Astral Library since I need to brush up on Runic Notation and talk to Elder Karl to get access to the Platinum Rank section on Runic Notation.

Yet, on the way, I see a man walking toward me. I recognize the blond hair and raise an eyebrow.

"Orrivane," I say.

Orrivane Nyxmoor, the Void Mage, one of two people whose Rainbow Skill I've seen in action when we fought Iskara's older brother back in the Tomb of Fate. His Rainbow Skill, Event Horizon, is the most impressive Skill I've seen so far. The peculiarity of Rainbow Skills is to completely ignore Ranks in their effect, which makes them terrifying. They're far from invincible, but they're... Insane to say the least. Event Horizon creates an absolute shield that swallows any attack, no matter how strong. From the reading I got from the Grimoire back then, I know, however, that, at his current Rank, he can only summon a very small version of it.

I wonder what he wants. We haven't really spoken since the fight. He's among the more reserved Champions.

"Jacob," he says without one of his usual yawns. "Can we have a word?"

I look back at Fatty and then back at him, "Sure. In private?"

"If you don't mind."

"Lancelot, go to Elder Karl. I'll be along shortly. Give him this," I give him my token. "Have him only spend the Merit Points for the Runic Notation. If I find one more Merit Point than that missing, I'll have you spit out the last month's meals. Do you understand?"

"You're so mean," Lancelot cries out. "Can I stop to eat something on the way? I saw this stall--"

Lancelot cuts himself off when he sees I've summoned Hellbane's sword.

"Yes, Boss. Immediately, Boss."

He takes the token and runs away.

"You certainly have an interesting Squire," Orrivane says with a hint of mirth.

"I do," I sigh. "Anyway, where would you like to talk?"

"Come."

We reach a hall and then a small room.

"This is warded against eavesdroppers," he says.

"Very secretive," I frown. "What's the matter? Did anything happen?"

"My family wants to talk to you.”

“Ok?” I frown.

“No. Not ok. If you do, they’ll kill you and make a slave out of me, Jacob.” 

Chapter 139

"Is this..." I look at Orrivane, confused. "Are you messing with me?" 

"What do you think?" Orrivane says, looking dead serious. 

"I guess not. Ok, would you mind explaining?" 

"You and Iskara are the only ones who saw what I can do. You saw..."

"Your Rainbow Skill," I say. "And Iskara suggested to everyone I have one too. What's the deal here?" 

"I don't know if you have a Rainbow Skill or not. And if you do, you're under the protection of the Headmaster." 

"So are you," I frown. 

"Yes. But the Headmaster is not all-powerful. Even he can only be in one place at the time."

"So?" I ask. "What are you getting at?" 

"My family, Jacob... they're Soul Mages."

"Oh." 

I now remember that when we fought Iskara's brother, Orrivane was the only one who didn't faint completely other than me and Iskara. And the only reason I didn't pass out is because King Baalrek protected my soul. 

"So," I mutter. "Your family. Why would they want to kill me?" 

"If they extracted the knowledge about what you saw, they'd want to take me away from the Academy immediately. They'd call upon powers that I'm not sure the Headmaster would want to battle for you." 

"I mean, it seems to me like the Headmaster is not someone who would refuse a war out of principle." 

"Yes, Jacob, but you would be dead." 

"So, your family doesn't want your Skill to be revealed to anyone and they'd take you away to protect you."

"No. That's not what I said. They'd take me from the Academy because they'd want the Skill. Not because of me. My family... they're not good people, Jacob. They enslave people." 

"What?" I frown. "Enslave?" 

"Their minds through their souls," Orrivane says slowly. "What I'm telling you is something extremely confidential. My family would shatter my soul if they knew I told you."

"Well..." I frown. "So... wait. Are you telling me they don't know that you have a Rainbow Skill?!" 

"Indeed, Jacob, they have no idea that I own a Rainbow Skill." 

"Oh, wow. And you're telling me because they want to talk to me because... I'm the Champions' Guide?" 

Orrivane nods. 

"You can't allow them to talk to you. And you can't reveal what I told you to anyone. They'd use Soul Magic to peer into your soul and glean everything that you saw during the battle. It doesn't matter if you have some rudimentary soul defenses like you showed. They are masters of the craft."

King Baalrek.

*No one can peer into your soul. I don't have a physical body, Jacob Cloud, but I can use Soul Magic as strong as the one I had when I was alive at least INSIDE your soul. As long as you have me, not even Asmodeus could peer into your soul.*

Well, that's actually reassuring. But... the problem stands.

I look at Orrivane.

"I'll talk to them, Orrivane. No one's able to peer into my soul. Not even your family." 

Orrivane raises an eyebrow.

"Are you boasting, Jacob? Did you understand--"

"Not even Asmodeus himself would be able to peer into my soul."

Orrivane now does a double-take.

"So, your Rainbow Skill is connected to Souls." 

"What Rainbow Skill?" I say innocently. "Plus, why don't we bring this to the Headmaster? You don't want to see your family eradicated?" 

"I... I have a dead man's switch in my soul. If my family activates it, I'm dead. I am a master of Soul Magic as much as Void Magic, which makes me uniquely able to hide things from them, even if they're infinitely stronger than me. I can obfuscate my Rainbow Skill thanks to that and my Class. But I can do nothing to what they did to my soul for now. Not for a long time. And I'd rather not die." 

Anything you can do? 

*As I said, Jacob Cloud, I can only act inside YOUR soul. There's nothing I can do for the kid. But ask him if his family is part of the Cult of Lazhardrak.*

"May I ask something, Orrivane?" I ask slowly. "And I hope this insinuation is not offending."

"Ask away."

"Is your family part of the Cult of Lazhardrak?" 

Orrivane eyes widen. 

"You know about the Cryptic Souls? How? Who the hell is your Master, Jacob?" 

"Did I mention I'm sort of an expert on the heritage of King Baalrek? That's how I helped Iskara." 

*I had MANY encounters with those bastards. Lozhardrak, their Dark God, is not someone you want to take lightly. This kid was born into a Cult that rivals that of Asmodeus, Jacob Cloud. He's dangerous.*

He is, I reply mentally, evaluating the situation. 

"King Baalrek the Infernal was a sworn enemy in the lore of the Cryptic Souls..." Orrivane mutters. "If your knowledge about him is as vast as you claim it to be, then it makes sense that you would know about my family's business. Do not reveal about your heritage to them, however."

"Don't worry about it," I smile. "I'll take care of this and not reveal anything about you, you can rest assured."

I see Orrivane finally breathing out a mouthful of stale air that he seemed to have kept inside until now. He goes to sit on a couch in the room and puts his face between his hands. "You can go, I... I need to decompress."

I turn toward the door and I hear Orrivane deep sighs.

"Orrivane," I say, turning over my shoulder. "I got your back. Don't worry. And if you ever need something, please don't hesitate to ask. I don't have many friends here. We share secrets that could get both of us killed. We can at the very least be friends of convenience, alright?" 

I see Orrivane raising his head and giving me an actual smile. 

"Thanks. I'll come if I need it, then. Now that this is solved, I sorely need a nap." 

*

_*I tell you that the kid is dangerous and you want to get closer to him, Jacob Cloud? Why offer to be his friend? Why not Asterion? The Highblood likes you and his friendship could open doors that--*

I think Orrivane feels alone and with his back to a wall, I say mentally to King Baalrek as I walk toward the Astral Library. I can empathize with what Asterion told me about himself so far, but I don't really understand it that well. I haven't lived down the kind of pressure that Asterion faces. Orrivane's troubles, instead, feel a bit closer to home. Not the crazy family that is in a Cult or the Soul Magic, of course. But the fact that he feels alone. He came to the Academy to become a Knight, probably telling his family a bunch of lies in order to be allowed to stay here. But if he came here, he must have dreamt of becoming a Knight for some time. I was alone in the mines, doing a thankless job for pennies and dreaming about becoming a Knight for the better part of my life. I can clearly feel that Orrivane is the same. But he has more baggage than I do... I can see why he's always tired now. I would be too.

*Worries like the ones the kid carry are like death by a thousand cuts, Jacob Cloud. You, however, should keep in mind that many, under that kind of pressure, will lose their mind and revert to the easiest option. He could kidnap you, bring you to the Cult, and barter your soul for his freedom.*

He can try, I smirk. 

Soon, I arrive in front of Elder Karl. 

"Jacob!" Elder Karl says, rubbing his hands together. "You finally decided to come and get the Platinum Rank Runic Notation section! I've been waiting for this!" 

"My life's become more expensive than I planned for at the beginning of the year," I say, looking toward Lancelot with a withering gaze. He, however, is just sipping on some tea that I have no doubt is more sugar than water. 

"I already went through the procedure and updated your token. It costs thirty Merit Points to open the Runic Notation section in the Platinum part of the Astral Library."

Thirty?" I am stunned. "What do you mean thirty?" 

The sound of pages and pens are the only background for a moment. 

"Thirty?" I repeat again. "Thirty Merit Points? I have, like, only sixty-three!" 

"Lower your voice," Elder Karl sighs. "From Platinum Rank onward, the price of the knowledge in the Astral Library skyrockets. Once you get to Diamond Rank, a single section can be worth hundreds of Merit Points."

"What the..." I mutter. 

*Wait to hear how much entering the Heartspire costs.* 

I don't think I want to know. 

"But, since you achieved so much already and you unlocked a Platinum section," Elder Karl gives me my token back and I see a small platinum etching on the token, "as a Library Elder, I can offer you Challenges, Quests, and more." 

"Oh," I say, interested. "I never heard of this." 

"Usually, no student in the first year gathers enough Merit Points to unlock any Platinum section. And if they do, they usually use them for the Heartspire, weapons, or something else. Knowledge, sadly, is not the first priority of many." 

"Makes sense," I say out loud, making Elder Karl wince. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that knowledge is a less short-term... item than, say, a sword or a Skill Crystal." 

"Kids these days..." Elder Karl complains. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is that you'll be able to get some of the points back from me. I know you got the initial batch from one of the Elders under the Dean of Admissions. But I, as a proper Elder, carry way more Merit Points to distribute than you would imagine. In fact, few departments in the entire Academy carry more Merit Points than the Astral Library Elders and Dean. The Headmaster knows the value of knowledge very well. Anyone capable of contributing or proving himself worth of it is rewarded." 

"So, what would I have to do?" I ask. 

"If you decided to sell your knowledge about Runic Notation back to the Astral Library, you would make an incredible amount of Merit Points. I can't even fathom the amount. I would have to summon the Dean himself, perhaps even the Headmaster to intercede. It's above my own authority. Plus, it would make it impossible to profit as much from Runic Notation once it got out. You could sell all the Runic Notation about Skills to the Astral Library for Merit Points, but if you're here, you probably need more coin than points." 

I nod. 

"Well, then, I could issue a formal Challenge. Merit Points are not only a reward for deeds that aid the Academy, but also proof that you deserve to advance based on your knowledge in a specific domain. I can't show excess favoritism since it would violate all my Oaths, but I can offer..." Elder Karl does a dramatic pause. "A puzzle!"

He summons a complex looking projection and smiles. It's a small citadel with tiny little shadow people walking around. 

"This is an historical puzzle. It's way beyond your capabilities at the moment, but your ability to extract knowledge from books should aid you. You need to channel your Mana in such a way that it does not disturb the projection. You'll be able to complete it thanks to the references to it in the following books--" 

I look at the puzzle, activate the Grimoire, and effortlessly channel Mana through the streets inside the projection. The moment it hits the final spot, right above a small waterfall, the projection brightens up and then slowly gets tinged of gold as the shadowy figures in it, which now become lifelike.

Chapter 140

“What the—” Elder Karl is stunned. “How did you do that?”

"Puzzles are my specialty. How many points was that worth?" I ask. 

"Ten points..." Elder Karl is still staring at the projection. "I don't think I can offer you more puzzles then. It would violate my Oath now that I know how good you are at them. Well, there might be a few retrieval tasks that might be at your level, but I have to check the board later. I'll let you know. Why don't you start with the Runic Notation? I've brought a few Skills for you to work on that are very high in demand at Platinum Rank and will fetch several hundred of Platinums each." 

*

After three days of painstaking work on the Runic Notation--which took all the free time I had--I finally managed to compile the perfect Platinum Runic Notation and I easily compiled three perfect Skill progressions with it for Elder Karl to sell. 

This should, hopefully, cover my debt for the time being and, soon enough, give me enough funds to buy Skill Crystals on the Hidden Market. 

There's so much that I need that it's going to be a massive pain in the ass. 

However, as I get out of the Astral Library with bloodshot eyes and a severe need for sleep, I find a woman with purple hair looking at me like a predator stalking their prey.

"Oh my, I finally meet you, Jacob Cloud."

Who the hell is this, now? 

"Hi," I say. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" 

*She's with the Cryptic Souls Cult,*  King Baalrek says.  

"You don't," the woman says in a high-pitched voice. "But you shall, soon. I'm Lavrine Nyxmoor, Orrivane's Aunt. I wanted to ask you a few questions in private if you don't mind." 

Indeed, she is. 

"Sure thing," I say with a smile and she looks taken aback by my reply. She probably expected me to question it more.

"You... you're just coming with me?" she asks. 

"Yeah, why? Are you dangerous and not to be trusted?" I ask innocently. 

She laughs nervously.

"No, of course not! I'm just surprised you trust a stranger like this!" 

"Well, this is the Academy. Everything is monitored by the Headmaster. So." 

"Right, right!" Lavrine says. "I forget. Well, then, I know a secluded room covered in wards. I just wanted to ask a few questions about my dear Orrivane. I'm so worried about him." 

She wants to fish for information about Orrivane. Even though they don't know about his Rainbow Skill, there's something that they clearly suspect him of. Or maybe they just keep tabs on him. Hard to be sure either way. 

We walk inside a room and I hear King Baalrek talk to me.

*She's already prodded your soul. I've let her take a brief glance at it. Her guard will be extremely low now.* 

No idea what that means in practical terms. 

*Your friend's soul is bound by these monsters. If you provoke her, she will definitely want to steal your Rainbow Skill. To do so, she'd need to enter your soul space. If she does, she'll be powerless against me.* 

Will you be able to help Orrivane? 

*If she's got a strong tether to the boy, I can destroy the dead man switch inside his soul through her. But you need to lure her in first. I could just hide everything from her and show her a mundane battle if you want me to. If she got a whiff of what you're trying to do, she might just kill you on the spot and flee the Academy. The room she's bringing you to is most likely enchanted so that not even the Headmaster would feel your presence disappearing. Not immediately, at least. What do you want to do?*

I'm a Knight. This woman is a Cultist. I'll gladly risk my life to take her out.

*

Lavrine Nyxmoor was beyond ectastic. She couldn't believe her luck. The boy, the Guide, the Fake Champion had accepted to come with her without even protesting. If he had made a scene in public, that would have caught the attention of the Headmaster, and that would have been real trouble. Instead, she had managed to sneak the boy into an enchanted room, where she would simply pry his soul without him even realizing it. 

Now, she would finally see what Orrivane is up to. She knows that the boy is hiding something. Not many in her family believe her since Orrivane chose Void Magic instead of Soul Magic, making him an outcast in the family. But the boy's talent and the fact that he managed to infiltrate the Academy allowed her to convince the Patriarch to test the waters. She had come with the excuse of seeing Orrivane and asked him about the fight they had with the Cult of Asmodeus. Orrivane had been unable to lie and had to confess that he had fought alongside Jacob Cloud, the boy she's leading to the room, and Iskara Drazhal. 

Lavrine is not fearless enough to try and use Soul Magic on an Infernal Princess--not even the Crytic Souls are bold enough to try and start a major conflict with one of the three Great Races. 

But a boy with no background if not some vague ties to the Valemont Family? She could scramble his head a little and just have him forget that he ever met her. Well, that was the best case scenario for him. If Lavrine found out that Orrivane was hiding something as she has been suspecting, then she'd be forced to kill the boy. 

Lavrine looks at the unassuming Jacob Cloud. He doesn't stand out much for anything other than his deep eyes. 

He's so plain. Yet, he was made Guide of the Champions. Orrivane said it was unanimous. He must hide something juicy... and I'm about to find out! AH! 

Lavrine opens a door for Jacob and licks her lips. 

"Well, there you--" 

Jacob enters without even looking back and she looks puzzled at his back.

What kind of instinct of survival does this boy have? No noble or royal *ever* would have come with me like this without an escort. Not that an escort would have been very useful to him, but does he not know anything about threats? How did he even survive this long? And how did he end up becoming the Champions' Guide?

"So, Jacob--can I call you Jacob?"

"Sure, Lady Lavrine." 

How polite for a peasant, Lavrine smiles to herself.

"Before I ask my questions, would you mind telling me why you came to the Academy?" 

He doesn't know it's a tactic, Lavrine smiles. I'm just trying to distract him. 

"Women," Jacob replies right when Lavrine's about to prod his soul. 

"What?" Lavrine asks, her concentration broken. "Did you just say women?" 

"Yes. Women. I love... boobs?" 

Lavrine deadpans at the boy. 

Is his head empty? Is he just a cover for the Champions, some kind of scapegoat they want to use for some Knightly business? 

"You love... boobs," she slowly repeats what Jacob just said. 

"Yes. Large boobs. Very large." 

Lavrine, starting to lose her patience, prepares to actually attack Jacob Cloud's soul. Being a woman who had to deal with her fair share of lustful men, she doesn't appreciate such a comment at all. 

Your day just got much, much worse than you even realize, Cloud. I initially planned on just taking a look and erasing my presence from it. But now? Now I'm here to make you suffer. 

Right when Lavrine is about to attack, Jacob speaks again. 

"But asses, wow, asses too are great." 

"Jacob, are you having a stroke?" Lavrine, unnerved, asks. Why would you tell a Lady something like that?" 

"I mean, you're pretty old, no? I was thinking of asking some grandmas to be my matchmakers with their grandchildren. Wait, your grandchildren might be too old for me, though. And is that a bald spot on top of your head?" 

Lavrine starts trembling in abject fury.

GRANDCHILDREN! I'M ORRIVANE'S AUNT! I'M NOT EVEN FORTY! 

Then, she puts a hand on top of her head.

AM I STILL LOSING HAIR?! DAMMIT, SOUL MAGIC IS STRESSING, ALRIGHT?! 

"You look like a very simple guy for someone who became the Champions' Guide," Lavrine says between her teeth, ready to melt the boy's soul without even bothering to check on Orrivane anymore. She just wants this Jacob Cloud to suffer before she leaves the Academy. She'll interrogate Orrivane directly and force the boy to bare his innermost soul. "Maybe you shouldn't speak your mind so much, Jacob. I can't imagine the other Champions like that." 

"They don't. But my Rainbow Skill is something they really like. Have you ever heard of The Grimoire Extraordinaire?" 

Lavrine's brain suddenly shortcircuits.

THIS PEASANT HAS A RAINBOW SKILL! THIS IS MY LUCKY DAY! 

Rainbow Skills were uniquely rare, almost impossible to find. Any one of them could cause an entire Kingdom to go to war for its control. They were so stupidly strong that some Cults like hers had developed entire branches of magic in order to steal them. In fact, the Cryptic Souls were, among the many Cults of this world, the one who specialized in removing Rainbow Skills from one's soul and implanting them in someone else's soul. 

Even though Lavrine had never heard about this specific Rainbow Skill, she's absolutely sure it must be extremely valuable if the Champions put up for this fool for so long. 

But, curious, she asks one more question.

"Why do you tell me about your Rainbow Skill?" she asks, suspicious. "Has no one told you not to reveal them?"  

"Well, all the Champions already know and the Headmaster is going to protect me anyway, right? Plus, you're Orrivane's aunt and he saved my life back in the Dungeon. You must be as trustworthy as him." 

Poor, simple bastard, Lavrine thinks. This is literally the worst day of your life. You think that the Headmaster is some omnipotent entity? You just spelled your end in capital letters. 

"I'm glad I get to kill a peasant brute who lucked into a Rainbow Skill," Lavrine says out loud, seeing Jacob become confused. "And that I'm going to get a Rainbow Skill for myself. I'm about to become one of the most powerful women in the world! HAHAHA!" 

Lavrine's Mana explodes forward, restraining Jacob, and her body became transparent as she activates the Primordial Skill of the Cult of Lazhardrak, allowing her to enter Jacob Cloud's soul. 

She's salivates as her body slowly fazes into Jacob's soul realm, ready to put this ancient skill to use in order to steal from the boy. 

Who said that peasants are useless?! I finally found a use to them! Food for my power and--

Her stream of thoughts is interrupted as she enters the soul realm proper. Usually, especially for someone at a low-level like Jacob, untrained in Soul Magic, a soul realm is barely as big as a large room. In rare cases, it might be as big as a ballroom if the host has a great talent for Soul Magic. 

Lavrine's own soul realm is as big as a castle. 

That's why she feels a deep fear as she looks around.

There's a hellish landscape full of magma and sulphuric fumes that stretches beyond what the eye can see. On top of a giant cliff there's an entire citadel made of obsidian and surrounded by rivers of lava. 

"I need to get out!" Lavrine says alarmed, starting to cast. Yet, she finds her Mana completely cut off. 

When she turns, she sees a massive Infernal, ten feet tall, looking down at her. He has a crooked crown on his head and a skull painted over his face. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” the Infernal smiles. “It’s been a long time since someone had the honor of looking at me like this.”