----

For a while, Apollo looked at Lucas silently. In addition to possessing plans to venture Ashiraem frequently, he was also affiliated with Odessa. If he went behind her back and made a deal with Lucas that conflicted what they established, his word, something he deemed to be of utmost importance would longer bear any use.

Anyone who he sought to make a deal with would shun him and find someone else to do so. After all, the connections of a Paragon were not to be underestimated. In fact, even these Children of War paled greatly when put in comparison to Odessa and Alistair.

Thus, Apollo made his decision, "I thank you for presenting me with the option but I'll have to respectfully decline. I am already tied together with Odessa. If that wasn't the case, perhaps I would have taken you up on this decision. Even though I don't know how important these fragments are, I can tell that your only desire is to use my power and nothing else," Apollo responded.

In return, Lucas gave Apollo a meaningful look, "Oh, that's very interesting. You didn't know?"

"Know what?" Apollo asked in return while looking at Lucas's shocked expression. Based on what he saw, he could tell there was something greater in his request. And, not long after being asked, he revealed it.

"Joining arms with a Paragon is completely different than doing so with one of us. If I was to make a comparison, I'd have to use like and darkness. Each of them can be seen as one of two broad spectrums, correct?" Lucas responded in a cryptic way.

"That is correct, each of them can be seen as a broad spectrum with numerous variations and comprehensions," Apollo nodded without hesitation. His question then made Apollo ponder a few things to which Lucas clarified.

"Then, you can see the paragons as the light and darkness. Each of them could be called a vast faction that encompasses numerous factions. We, the Children of War, are supposed to become their weapons. In short, even if you join one of us, you'll be essentially joining a Paragon once again. So, if you feel like you're betraying, that's incorrect," Lucas revealed.

Upon hearing this information, Apollo's eyebrows rose. In truth, he was expecting these guys to be a completely separate faction. If this was truly the case, then he had nothing to worry about. That was, except for a simple matter.

"Ah, then tell me, which of the Paragons will you support?" Apollo inquired. If the answer was to his liking, then he didn't mind join this individual. In addition to him not mind his direct personality, Apollo also had a feeling he had a sizable collection of fragments.

If it was possible, he wanted to witness the other fragments. Even though he sensed one, none of the other areas showed resonance with him. This made him believe each fragment was unique and that just because he sensed one, that didn't mean he had the ability to claim the others.

Still, just because he couldn't sense them, didn't mean there wasn't a way to get them without sacrificing ample time and resources.

"Well, to be honest, I possess familial ties with the Crux, so my path was predetermined. The one you truly need to ask is Xavi. Until now, I haven't heard of him joining or intending to join any faction. In fact, I've even heard that he has turned down numerous offers. Not to mention, these also came from Great Families and above while on special missions," Lucas said after giving the matter some thought.

After thinking about it, he knew there was no harm in building a relationship with Apollo by revealing some of his own information. At the same time, he lifted his arm and showed a marking.

"Have you ever heard of something called Ancient Families?" Lucas asked while showing a marking in the sign of 6 inverted arrowheads with sharp edges. On the end of it, the tips were darker than the rest of the markings.

"No, I can't say that I have," Apollo answered truthfully. Even inside all of the books he had read, Ancient Families were something that was never mentioned. However, be that as it may, it seemed that a prime source for information about it stood before him.

"Long story short, Ancient Families are stronger than Great Families but loyal to the Supreme Families to a certain extent. There are some, like the Vermillion Family that move their power elsewhere. In their case, this academy. They used their linage to build the foundation of this place,

"On the other hand, families like mine are seen as the weapons of the Crux. Due to their practices, their offensive abilities in the family are generally lacking. That's another reason they possess one of the biggest factions on the battlefield," Lucas answered while glancing to his side.

One of his subordinates approached him, but he issued a signal and ordered for them to hold off on reporting any matters. As Apollo took notice of this, he realized there was more order to Lucas' operation than he previously thought. Moreover, he didn't seem to rule by fear.

Inside his subordinate eyes were only respect and the wilfulness to comply, 'So this is the ability of a Child of War. On the battlefield, having an ally like this would lead to increased chances of survival. However, this would also be a terrible opponent to face. If his ability to control morale is similar as well, then he would become a force to be reckoned with in the future,' Apollo thought to himself.

Shortly after, Apollo continued on what Lucas mentioned, "They're coveted due to their ability to keep their people alive right? I heard from Odessa that her family is the undisputed first in healing. A single art from them is capable of rejuvenating a legion, right?"

"Precisely, thus everyone flocks to the underlings of the Seraphim Legion. Every year during the annual battle report, they report the least losses. However, they also present the least accolades on the battlefield. In that field, the Dongguang lead with a monumental lead. Surprisingly, their mortality rate doesn't match up. It's always just slightly under the Crux," Lucas answered before shifting the topic.

"How about I sweeten the deal, if you join me, then within 3 months, I'll gather enough people to simulate the first fragment related to the Spiritual Art you just acquired. Is that a deal?" Lucas grinned while holding out his hand to agree to the term.

But, before Apollo sealed the deal, he looked at Lucas with interest, "Answer this. Do you possess the fragments I can use?"

"Nope, I use the shadows offensively, I don't specialize in the movement through shadows. Furthermore, acquiring more than one partial fragment is a monumental task. If you wish to do so, there is a special set of instructions you have to follow," Lucas answered.

He then went on to reveal that each subsequent attempt to claim the next partial fragment would cause the one in his possession to resonate. When they did so, it amplified the difficulty to claim it by exhausting the spiritual energy at an exponential rate.

Finally, Apollo agreed. Truth be told, he had already used far too many Academic Credits today. Before he could acquire a way to earn them steadily, he deemed that it would be best to refrain from wanton spending. He had to be sparse in his usage. For now, it wasn't worth it to appear here once again.

According to Lucas, the first partial fragment's position was always changing. However, depending on your first comprehension, the path of the others would be set in stone. And, they would only appear on the second-level areas and above.

Before the next set of Academic Credits were consumed, Lucas helped him leave. While standing at the door, he left a message, "When it is time, I will send of my men to contact you. In the meantime, try to advance further and awaken your Spirit. I'll ask the Headmaster if I can enact the special clause for you."

"What's that?" Apollo questioned.

In return, Lucas smiled mysteriously, "Early live combat. I'll take you on a mission if I can and allow you to witness how Spiritual Arts are used. Once you become one of my followers, your future will become dependent on my abilities as a leader as well."

After a short deliberation, Apollo nodded. While he didn't take any of this to heart, there was a question on his mind. If everyone inside that space possessed a Spirit, why didn't they summon them inside? 'It must have something to do with the environment of the Tethered Shadow Origin Room.'

Immediately after exiting the room, both Geneva and Sapphyr's pristine figures entered his eyes. Specifically, Geneva had a faint smile on her lips. What he didn't know was that the moment he comprehended a partial fragment, the orb sent her a signal.historical

As the Headmaster, every generation had to leave a soul marking on it to keep it from losing control. "It seems you've done well inside there for your first attempt. You two, come with me."

Even though her voice was gentle, it carried an authoritative aura that made both Apollo and Sapphyr obey.