Reaching for the Stars

Chapter Forty

With the competition only days away now, I was at a loss as to what to do with myself, I had stuffed as much herbalism information as I could possibly find inside my head, and the teachers here had nothing left to teach me, I had even had Professor Rayax help me improve my pulse reading even more last week. Realistically most of the other competitors would be cramming more information in their heads, but I didn't see the point in reading things I already knew.

But at the same time I didn't want to risk cultivating and having to go to the competition with a cracked inner foundation, it could lead to inconsistencies with my spiritual energy as I brewed potions, and such. So even though I desperately wanted to try out Cato's cultivation crystal now that I had a high enough rank to do so safely, I didn't dare risk it. Fluorite ensured all the plants in the spatial ring were tended to, so I couldn't occupy my mind with that either. I certainly didn't want to go to town and spend money, I just wasn't in the mood for that.

That didn't leave me with a whole lot of options, of course there was one, but it was almost in the same boat as Cato's cultivation crystal, and that was Livia's book on fighting techniques, with a few days left before the competition I refused to practice anymore potions or pills, I just wanted a small break from herbalism, so I decided to give it a shot.

With Carina trying to complete an Advanced potion for days now, I had tried to help her, and she had refused me, wanting to do it on her own, and Andreas still looking for the perfect gift for me after Carina's surprise gift, I was left without friends to waste time with, leaving it as the perfect opportunity to try Livia's book. I had seen it before, the figure of light it conjured, but I had yet to truly interact with it. Though I suppose I had to start at some point, and with me wanting my mind off of herbalism, this was the perfect excuse.

Though I would have to make sure it didn't hurt me in anyway so that I was still in peak condition for the approaching competition. I step onto the sand of the training area that the book was next to, the light figure forming the second I step onto the sand, it looks at me, while I look at it, before it turns to the side and shows me a series of fight moves. It isn't hard for me to figure out that it means for me to copy it, I do the moves, only for the light form to dissipate and appear in front of me, adjusting my stance and the way I do the moves.

Once I have the move done to its satisfaction, it moves again to a further distance where I can clearly see it as it begins showing me another move, this continues on for hours, it simply showing me moves before correcting me, over and over again. Until suddenly it appears before me and takes a swing at my head forcing me to dodge it, it uses moves that I quickly realize correspond with the defensive and offensive moves it showed me.

We don't fight for long before it plants me on my butt, but I quickly get up again and fight it again, this was sort of exhilarating I wasn't sure why I hadn't done it before, it goes on like that for days in the spatial world, us fighting back and forth, and since I don't get tired or hungry in the spatial world, I didn't have to stop. It is on the last day that I have before we must leave the academy for the competition that it finally does something else, conjuring a dagger in its hand, it throws one at me as well, letting me hold it, before it begins to show me how to use it. We don't practice very long with them before it is time for me to leave and get ready for my trip to the competition grounds.

The light figure disappears the moment I step outside of the sand, opening my eyes in the real world, I come face to face with an extremely annoyed Orpheus. "You've been in there for days! Do you know how bored I got in this tiny little room! Not to mention that I am starving!" I roll my eyes at his attitude, at his level of power, however high that may be, starving to death wasn't a thing, his spiritual energy would sustain him, though he would still feel hunger. I throw a Sustenance pill at him, it would stop his hunger, and I take one myself as well, knowing I would likely feel hungry later and this was easier than going to find food.

Being immersed in the spiritual energy rich spatial world, ensured that my body didn't become dirty, the energy purified me, just as it sustained my hunger, and kept me energized. I could probably spend months in there without issue, but I didn't want to be gone that long from the real world, so I usually limited myself to at night, or now for the past three days. Which would have been my limit anyways, if no one had seen me for four days they likely would have gotten suspicious, three days was usually the limit for giving people the benefit of the doubt that they were fine and not injured somewhere. Though the chances of me getting injured at the academy and not found right away were slim to none, too many spiritual animals would notice the smell of blood and tell someone who would in turn come investigate.

But I quickly changed my clothes into fresh ones just in case they were a little dirty, with nothing really to pack except for my clothes and a few other items that were quickly stored in my spatial tattoo, I was set to go, I had already cleaned up all my herbalism equipment a few days ago, so I didn't need to worry about any of that. It was strange to see this room barren once more, to know that I likely wouldn't come back here after months here,

Why did it seem like I could never stay in one place for a year, first the Silver Woods, and now Ashara Academy, though I intended to stay in the Valena Empire itself for a little while, I just hoped that nothing would change that, this place felt more like home than anywhere else I had been before, and I knew the city wouldn't be the same as the academy, but it would still be close. I answer the door before Professor Rayax even gets the chance to knock, greeting him ready to go, he looks over my barren room, and I can see it in his eyes that he knows I likely won't be returning, he looks sad but also proud that I was so accomplished in herbalism that this academy could no longer help me.

Only two other professors here could really say they helped me in learning herbalism, he was one, but Professor Takeshi and Professor Kresmir were the other two. As we walk out of the academy, I can feel the anticipatory stares of my classmates and students from other division, they all knew I was going to the competition, one of the five chosen from this academy, and they all hoped that one of us would win, that they could claim that prestige that the best herbalist of the year had come from their school.

It was still strange for me to be looked at with awe and respect, I still felt as if I hadn't done anything to deserve it, even though it was for the herbalism skills I had studied so hard for these past few months. There are three carriages waiting to take us to the competition grounds where lodging would be provided, Professor Rayax leads me to the last one, where I can see the four other students who are going to the competition already seated inside, I imagined the other two were for the professors who recommended the students for the competition, the rest of the students or professors would likely have to make their own way to the competition grounds.

I am not greeted by smiles and sayings of luck by the other students, instead they glare at me with annoyance and anger, all of them either Advanced herbalism students or disciples under a Master Herbalist, they likely thought that I shouldn't be here, that I hadn't earned my place yet as I had only arrived to the academy a few months ago, but I'd like to see which of them could beat me in this competition, because if they were anything like most of the teachers at Ashara Academy, I would destroy them.

This competition could be about anything regarding herbalism, it was in no way restricted to just potion brewing, or pulse reading, it was all decided by the Queen and the Master Herbalists chosen to judge this year's competition. Leaving no one any way to focus on any one particular thing, instead one had to have a rather all-encompassing knowledge of herbalism to even stand a chance of winning this competition, which is why it was so hard to get recommended for the competition, needing three teachers recommendation, with only five spots granted to each academy, even still there would be hundreds of competitors, coming from all across the Valena Empire.

I was lucky in the sole fact that Ashara Academy was already in the capital, I didn't have to travel for weeks just to get here, like many likely did, but that didn't mean much, everyone had to be there by today to check-in, then they were allowed a single rest day before the competition, to ensure that no one was unfairly treated because they were travel worn. One day might not sound like enough for someone who had to travel weeks, but a simple Low-Grade Healing potion would heal all those aches and such up in a few hours, meaning it was plenty of time, because as this was a herbalist competition for herbalists, no one lacked potions.

I was nervous, but I was also sure I had done everything I possibly could in order to prepare for this competition, so only when the competition finished, would I know win or lose, that I tried my absolute best, and that was all I asked of myself.