Academy Showdown
1945 Words
Taking his mind off cultivation, Emmett wandered through the academy. Eventually, he found his way to a corner of the martial arts field.
This part of the grounds was reserved for archery practice.
Shoosh!
An arrow cut through the air and buried itself dead-center in a target fifty meters away.
"Impressive shot! No wonder Kael Thorn is ranked among the top three archers in the academy."
"That arrow could pierce right through a fighter level 3 Essence’s defenses… maybe even drop a wild beast in one shot."
Cheers echoed from nearby students.
Formidable, Emmett thought. fighter level 3 Essence… is that like the Third rank of the Martial Path? And Soulchi, could Hayki be their version of Soulchi?
Kael Thorn stepped forward and loosed five more arrows in rapid succession. They landed in a tight ring around the bullseye.
"Excellent form!"
The crowd clapped and whistled in approval.
Emmett watched, uninterested in the cheers. He didn’t need praise to know what he could become. He quietly stepped into an open space, grabbed a spare bow, and took aim.
All eyes shifted to him.
"Who’s that? Looks like a newcomer."
"Judging by his robes, he’s a nobody."
"He doesn't look like much. Let's bet on how badly he misses."
Kael Thorn arched an eyebrow. “Archery requires talent and spirit,” he said coolly. “It’s not something you pick up just because you feel like it.”
Emmett ignored them all.
He let the third eye stir just slightly. The target at fifty meters grew clearer and clearer in his vision.
Shoosh—
The string hummed. The arrow flew, touched the edge of the target… and fell to the ground.
It fluttered down, harmless.
A bead of sweat rolled down Emmett’s neck. It was his first time handling a bow.
Laughter broke out around him.
He didn’t react. First shots meant nothing.
He reached for another arrow, this time channeling more energy and syncing with the Meteor Cascade Arrows technique burned into his mind.
Shoosh—
The second arrow zipped forward and landed one ring from the center.
Ninth Ring.
Silence fell.
The jeers halted. Kael’s expression darkened.
That shot… was clean. Better than most first-years. Better than some veterans.
"Lucky shot!"
"Yeah! First one didn’t even land. No way this guy just 'figured it out.'"
The crowd barely got their words out before Emmett fired again.
Shooosh—
The third arrow ripped through the air and struck dead center.
Bullseye.
More silence. Everyone stood still, stunned.
Even Kael Thorn had no words.
"My luck’s not bad today," Emmett said with a faint smile.
There was something quietly sharp in that smile, like he was letting the arrow do the talking.
"Luck? What the hell is up with this guy?" one archer muttered.
"Nobody’s that lucky..."
"Take another shot!"
"Yeah, do it again!"
Voices piled on. The crowd wasn’t done with him yet.
Emmett hesitated. He’d intended to leave. But clearly, they weren’t going to let him walk away.
Some of them were older, stronger, fighter level 3 Essence, maybe higher.
He shrugged. "Fine."
And picked up the bow once more and slowly drew the string.
“Look at his stance. Obvious rookie,” one of the onlookers snorted.
“If that shot hits center, I’ll write my name backwards.”
Most of the archers had amused expressions, watching him with thinly veiled mockery.
The most skilled archer on the field, Kael Thorn, stood with arms crossed, eyes confident. “Archery only improves through repetition. Thousands of shots. Tens of thousands. Only then do you reach mastery.”
His words earned a round of nods.
Emmett narrowed his eyes. This time, he chose not to activate his Third Eye.
If he used it fully, he knew he’d land another bullseye. But that wasn’t what he wanted right now.
He suppressed the power, channeling only the fundamentals of Meteor Cascade Arrows. The technique settled deep into his bones his muscles, his breath, his rhythm. Every part of him subtly shifted.
The change was invisible to most.
But Kael Thorn’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Shoosh—
The arrow ripped through the air like a falling star.
Dead center.
“Another bullseye!”
Emmett blinked. A faint grimace crossed his face.
He hadn’t even tried to go all out. He barely used any precision enhancement from the Third Eye, just form and flow. Yet still…
A perfect shot.
He exhaled and shook his head, annoyed.
To the others, his reaction only added to the confusion.
“Another perfect hit… who is this guy?”
“Two in a row? No way he’s that lucky.”
The archers shifted uncomfortably, their bravado shrinking by the second.
“I’m done here,” Emmett said, brushing dust off his sleeves and placing the bow down gently.
He turned to leave.
His footsteps were calm, but behind him, a growing tension pulsed through the crowd.
“Hey! You, stop right there.”
A sharp, cold voice cut through the noise.
Emmett paused and looked over his shoulder.
The one who’d spoken was Kael Thorn.
The number-one archer on the field.
And he was staring straight at Emmett.
Kael Thorn’s expression twisted into a scowl. As a fighter level 3 Essence cultivator, his aura surged slightly, putting pressure on everyone nearby.
He was older, around seventeen or eighteen, and not only was he stronger in cultivation, but his broad frame gave him a menacing edge over Emmett’s leaner build.
“I already shot my arrow,” Emmett said calmly. “What else do you want from me?”
Kael didn’t move. “Still putting on the act?” he sneered. “You’re no beginner. You were just playing us.”
Murmurs rippled through the small crowd.
“No wonder he was so lucky.”
“He faked us out! Pretended to be a rookie.”
“Tiger pretending to be a lamb…”
Faces that were amused moments ago now turned cold, suspicious.
“I’m telling the truth,” Emmett said, shaking his head. “That was my first time picking up a bow.”
And it was true. He hadn’t expected those results either.
Kael narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp. “The first two arrows had me fooled. But the third? Your form, your release, your stance, those aren’t beginner movements. You’re trained.”
It didn’t matter what Emmett said now. The crowd believed Kael. His skill and status gave weight to his accusations.
“What do you want then?” Emmett’s tone flattened. There was no point arguing. They’d made up their minds.
A sneer curled on Kael’s lips.
“You played us, so you’re not walking away so easy.”
The students around him cracked their knuckles, fists tightening. More began gathering, drawn by the tension. The air grew heavy with anticipation.
Trouble was coming.
And Emmett could already feel the familiar spark of confrontation stirring in his chest.
“Sister Liora, that spot looks lively. Let’s go check it out.”
A group of academy girls had wandered over, drawn by the commotion. They looked between twelve and sixteen, chatting among themselves.
At the front of the group was a girl in a flowing violet robe. Her skin was pale as moonlight, her expression calm, and her beauty so flawless it made others seem dull in comparison.
“Who… who is that?”
One boy, around Emmett’s age, stood frozen, eyes locked on her like he’d forgotten how to blink.
“That’s Liora Vez,” someone whispered reverently.
She wasn’t just beautiful, she was known across the academy. A rising star.
“She’s only fifteen, but she’s already at fighter level 3 Essence advanced stage. Word is, she’s close to breaking into the Fourth.”
“Not just pretty. Her cultivation talent’s outrageous.”
Several students glanced away, almost ashamed to have stared. Like they knew they didn’t measure up.
Even Kael Thorn’s eyes glinted as he watched her approach.
It was hard not to look. Emmett knew that.
But unlike before, when he would have lowered his head or stepped aside for a strong, beautiful girl like her, today, he met her gaze without flinching.
He looked straight at her.
As he did, his third eye began to stir. Automatically. The world around her sharpened, deepened. Her figure pulled into focus with unnatural clarity.
And then—
Yi…
Emmett blinked, startled. Her robes seemed to lose substance under his gaze. He could almost see beneath, past skin, down to her pulse, the color of her blood, the flow of inner energy that moved with purpose and control.
It wasn’t X-ray vision. His third eye didn’t work like that.
But with its super-vision, the world collapsed to “zero distance.” What others saw from meters away, he saw as if it were in his palm.
And what he saw interested him.
It may have been called Hayki here, but it did indeed function the same as Soulchi in his world.
Whoever this beauty is, she’s already refined her Soulchi completely…
He exhaled slowly.
At fifteen, she’d nearly completed mastery of fighter level 3 Essence. If it was the equivalent of the third rank of the martial path from his world, that was the bottleneck where most cultivators stalled for years. Crossing into the Fourth Rank, where true internal power began, was rare, even for adults.
So her name is Liora Vez
…
Still watching, Emmett let his third eye fade.
Across from him, Liora shivered slightly.
She turned and looked at him, eyes narrowed.
Emmett met her gaze calmly and said nothing.
A strange look passed through her. Uncertainty. Like someone who’d just walked into a room that had felt too exposed.
Then she blinked and turned away, brushing the moment off.
“What’s going on over here?” she asked lightly.
Kael Thorn jumped at the chance.
“Ah, Sister Liora, let me explain…”
And he did, twisting the story, exaggerating the details, painting Emmett as an arrogant fraud who had toyed with the archery range to stir up drama.
“I see.” Liora glanced toward Emmett again, expression unreadable.
Emmett stood still. He knew nothing he said would clear it up. Not here, not now.
“Kid,” Kael said smugly. “You stirred up trouble and got everyone riled. I’ll give you one chance. Apologize.”
“Apologize?” Emmett raised a brow. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“If you apologize, we’ll let it go,” Kael said, trying to sound noble.
He was clearly putting on a show for Liora.
“Not happening,” Emmett replied. “You’re basing everything on your own assumptions.”
The crowd murmured, surprised at his defiance. Even Liora looked slightly annoyed now.
“This guy really doesn’t know when to stop…”
Kael’s smirk returned. “You like to argue, huh?”
The crowd began to press in. Things were heating up again.
Emmett glanced once toward Liora, then back at Kael. “You going to gang up on me now?”
That jab landed. Kael’s expression tightened. Acting like a thug in front of Liora wouldn’t help his chances.
“Fine,” Kael said smoothly. “Let’s settle this another way. One-on-one. An archery contest.”
He looked around. “That’s fair, right?”
“Yeah! Let skill decide!”
“Let Sister Liora be the judge!”
The crowd roared in agreement.
Kael grinned. This was perfect. Win the duel, humiliate the kid, and impress the beauty.
Two birds. One shot.
“Archery contest?” Emmett sighed. “Fine. If words aren’t enough, then we’ll speak through arrows.”
- Writer
