CLEAVER OF SIN

"How much for the advanced training chamber?" Asher asked calmly, his tone even, though a faint hint of curiosity colored his words.

The woman behind the counter lifted her gaze to him, her eyes gleaming with amusement as though she had just been asked the most absurd question of the day. A small smile tugged at her lips, and for a brief second, it seemed she was trying to suppress a chuckle.

"The price of each training chamber depends on the element," she replied in a light, almost teasing tone. "Elements like Fire, Water, Earth, and the other basics all cost fifty thousand points per half hour."

At those words, Asher felt his heart skip a beat. He nearly choked on air. Fifty thousand points, for just half an hour? For thirty minutes? That was practically daylight robbery.

'That advanced training chamber had better ascend me directly to heaven with those thirty minutes,' he thought bitterly, his expression stiffening as he tried not to let his shock show.

The woman, noticing his grim expression, only seemed to enjoy it more. Her lips curved into a wider, almost playful smile as she continued, "As for you, who possess the Light element, a rare affinity, your cost would be eighty thousand points per half hour." She leaned slightly forward, her voice smooth and final, clearly taking pleasure in his silent horror.

'I barely have fourteen thousand points,' Asher thought with a grim sigh.

He hadn't intended to use the advanced training chamber; his question had been purely out of curiosity. Now, he regretted even asking. 'Is this what they mean by curiosity kills the cat?' he mused dryly.

"I'll take the basic," Asher finally said, his tone calm but his patience thinning.

"Wise choice," the woman nodded approvingly. "The basic training chamber for the Light Element costs five hundred points for every half hour."

Asher exhaled quietly, a faint sigh escaping him as he pondered how his own elemental affinity might one day drive him into poverty. Having Light as an element was rare, yes, but it came with outrageous expenses. And that wasn't even counting his other affinities, Gravity and Space. He could only imagine how astronomically expensive their training chambers would be. Even Lightning, though not as rare as Space, would surely cost more than the average elemental chamber.

"I'll be paying for two hours," Asher said at last, his voice composed, though his thoughts were still dwelling on his dwindling points.

"A rich first-year, I see," the woman remarked with a teasing smile as she reached for a smooth orb. "It seems you've already robbed some of your classmates of their points."

Asher didn't respond to her words. He simply stepped forward, pressed his point card against the orb, and watched as two thousand points vanished from his balance, reducing it to twelve thousand five hundred.

Once the transaction was complete, the woman stood and motioned for him to follow. "Come with me," she said.

Asher followed silently, his footsteps steady and light against the polished floor. They passed through several thick metallic doors, each engraved with complex sigils that pulsed faintly with Astra energy. Finally, they stopped before a door marked with a glowing plaque that read "Light."

"This way," the woman said as she stepped forward.

Beyond the door lay a corridor lined with several smaller doors, each labeled with a number. The corridor itself shimmered faintly, as though particles of light hung suspended in the air, casting a soft radiance upon the white walls.

"All those doors lead to the basic-level training chambers," the woman explained. "You can choose any one of them. They're all identical, so there's no need to overthink or waste time deciding."

Asher nodded without hesitation. Since the woman stood on his left, he picked the nearest door to her side. She followed his choice, sliding a golden card across a large blue orb embedded beside the door. Instantly, the door released a low hum, creaking open as a surge of radiant light flooded out, washing over Asher's form in a brief but intense glow.

"Since you're new here," the woman began, "let me explain a few things first. The moment you step inside and this door closes, your two-hour timer will begin. You'll be able to see your timer displayed on the inner wall of the chamber. Once your time ends, you'll be granted a two-minute grace period, just in case something delays you. But after that," she added, her tone turning slightly more serious, "for every additional second you remain inside, we'll deduct ten points from your account. And if you're still inside after five minutes, we'll forcibly teleport you out of the training chamber."

Asher raised an eyebrow, impressed by how efficiently the academy managed to turn everything into a business. 'They already have systems in place to extort students,' he thought dryly.

By his quick calculation, anyone who stayed five minutes longer than allowed would owe thirty thousand points, a truly painful penalty for something as simple as losing track of time.

"And," she continued, "in case of emergencies, if you're unable to reach the door or lose consciousness, just say the phrase 'Fail Safe,' and you'll be teleported directly to my desk at the front."

Asher nodded slowly, committing the phrase to memory. "Understood," he said.

"Any questions?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, as though curious to see what he'd ask next.

Asher went silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Then, his calm voice broke the silence. "Is this training chamber always active, or do you have to turn it on each time someone pays?"

Her lips curved faintly as she regarded him, almost as if she knew where his question was leading. "I have to manually activate it each time with a card," she replied, lifting the card she'd just used to open the door. The runes on its surface shimmered faintly.

"In the beginning, the chambers didn't require manual activation," she explained with a light chuckle. "But some clever students tried to cheat the academy by teleporting directly into the active chambers without paying. So, to prevent that, they changed the system."

Asher gave a small, knowing nod. In truth, that had been precisely his plan. He'd intended to ask so he could find a loophole, perhaps mark the chamber with a teleportation mark and use it secretly later. If the chambers were permanently active, he could have paid once, left a teleportation mark, and snuck in every night to train without losing points. But it seemed other people had already beaten him to that idea.

"You speak as though you were here from the very beginning," Asher said, his tone even as his sharp, purple eyes regarded her. There was something strange about how she spoke, with the casual familiarity of someone who had seen the academy grow and adapt over the years.

The woman simply smiled faintly, avoiding his gaze. "Since you have no further questions, I'll take my leave," she said instead, deftly sidestepping his comment. Her tone was calm and indifferent now, almost dismissive.

Asher watched her quietly until she disappeared down the corridor. Then, with a light shake of his head, he turned back toward the chamber.

He stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft metallic hiss. A wave of brilliant, almost tangible light enveloped the entire room, so bright that it felt like standing inside the heart of a star. The air thrummed gently with power, the walls glowing with a gentle hum that resonated with his elemental core.

Asher exhaled slowly, letting the radiance settle over him. Thoughts of how to refine and expand his control over the Light element began to swirl through his mind, structured and clear. The time for curiosity had passed, now, only focus remained.

Two hours. He would make every second count.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, everyone, we've finally touched 1,000 golden tickets mark for the first time. Thank you for the love, for the support, for the gifts, for the comments, for the reviews. I fucking love y'all to the death. We still have 7 days to climb to the top 10 of the golden ticket ranking, we are ranked 16th at the moment.

Also; A Magic Castle brings 2 bonus chapters.

A Spacecraft brings 5 bonus chapters.

A Golden Gachapon brings 10 bonus chapters.