Murray looked at Zephyr before he seriously spoke, “The apprentices I collect are usually from the Ahi Dynasty. There are other brothers from other kingdoms. I’m sure they’re just like you, a prodigal, you must be careful!” he paused. “Because your performance in the upcoming trials will determine how you’ll be treated in the future!” Murray continued on. “Other than that, you must be careful of…”

Murray patiently explained the intricacies of an Academy to Zephyr. He explained in detail about the dos and don’ts of Academy etiquette and the likes of it all. All the while, Zephyr listened on attentively, taking in a great deal of information.

After five days, Zephyr awoke from a training-induced stupor. He slowly opened his eyes and could feel that the ship had stopped, and was slowly descending. He looked out his window, only to find a great mountain. Around the mountain was an endless range of smaller peaks and hills, each with clouds that caressed their tips. Fog blanketed most of them. He wondered if he had reached somewhere high enough to reach the Heavens.

Zephyr could notice streams of energy that wafted around. Even though he had not made contact with them, he could tell they contained vast amounts of primordial energies. “Alright then, let’s go. The entrance is below. I cannot send you further, you must walk the path alone,” Murray said, pointing at one of the mountains. “Thank you, Murray!” Zephyr greeted the man once more before getting off the ship. He slowly made his way out of the ship and set foot on the ground.

As he touched the ground, Zephyr once again took in the surroundings of the mountains, and he felt a great wave of energy blow over him. He was at The Boundless Academy’s Mountain Gates! The mountains around all belonged to the Academy. As he continued observing the environment, he noticed more and more people slowly descending from the skies, each of them was young and full of power.

These were the other apprentices, here for enrollment. The aura they exuded was strong. As they descended, they eyed the others as well. Everyone had serious looks on their faces. Zephyr found it hard to blame them, after all, they were not official apprentices yet. They still had more to compete for to have the official apprentice title.

“Stop lollygagging and make a move!” a voice came suddenly. In front of Zephyr was a man dressed in black robes, coldly scanning the new apprentices. He was in charge of the new arrivals. He was in his thirties and was already an Agile of level three. He was powerful. However, after Murray’s explanation, Zephyr knew that only Agiles of level five or legendary warriors were allowed to be initiates. After all, initiates were highly coveted positions in the academy. This man was not, he was a mere apprentice.

“He’s just an apprentice and is already an Agile of level three? The Academy sure is a place for strong people!” Zephyr exclaimed to himself, before quickly approaching. After about ten minutes of walking, they came across a large, deep pool that blocked their path. The one managing the new apprentices stopped, coldly saying, “This is the first trial!” He continued, “If you fall into it, there’s a one-in-ten chance you’ll die! If you don’t want to risk it, you may leave! However, if you’d really like to test yourselves, you may try flying across!”

Everyone was startled. In front of them stood a great mountain, they could not even see the peak. How would they fly across? As the man finished speaking, he immediately flew across the pool without another word. He was fast, though, one could notice he was hanging from something. Within the pool, one could make out the reflection of a metal wire. In other words, the manager had used a wire to transport himself across.

This calmed Zephyr. After all, they were a mile apart from the mountain peak. He knew he would not be able to make the flight across on his energies alone.