Master Zhao nodded . "With the attention the battle at Windsong's monastery has drawn, it won't be long before the Academy sends new mages, stronger than the previous ones . "
"But can't we hide?" Arran asked . "After we fled Fulai City, we didn't see any signs of the Academy for half a year . Why can't we do the same again?"
"Because I killed over a dozen Academy mages," Master Zhao said plainly . "Before, they were just looking for an initiate with a forbidden Realm . Now, they're looking for someone who attacked the Academy . "
Arran frowned . "So there's no way for us to hide?"
"By myself, I can hide quite easily," Master Zhao said . "And even if they find me, I will have little difficulty escaping . But with you along, it will be far more difficult . "
"If they find us, can't you just fight them?" Arran asked . The battle at the monastery was still fresh in his mind, and from what he had seen there, Master Zhao had little reason to fear the Academy .
"Probably," Master Zhao said . "But if I defeat the ones who are searching for us now, more will take their place, even stronger than the last . Any victory would merely draw even more attention . "
"What happens to me after you leave? Without your help, I don't stand a chance of escaping them . " The thought was enough to make Arran feel desperate . If Master Zhao couldn't guide them to safety, what chance did Arran have by himself?
"You have two choices," Master Zhao said .
Arran listened intently, understanding that what Master Zhao was about to tell him might well determine whether he would live or die .
"The first is to hide away by yourself," Master Zhao continued . "The Academy will be looking for me, and you should be able to escape their notice at least for a while . Using that time, you could travel to a remote location in the mountains, where the Academy will have little chance of finding you . "
"And then what do I do?"
Master Zhao shrugged . "Spend a century or two training, and you will probably be able to become a Master, or even a Grandmaster . By then, you should have some hope of staying alive without my help . "
After a moment's thought, Arran shook his head . Even spending years alone in the mountains by himself was a dreadful prospect . Spending centuries training by himself? Even if he survived, he would probably lose his mind .
"What's the other choice?" he asked, hoping that it would be something more appealing .
"The other option is to join the Shadowflame Society," Master Zhao said .
"The Shadowflame Society?" Arran had heard the name before, but he did not know what it was .
"There are four Great Societies in the Empire," Master Zhao said . "Each of them is tasked with protecting one of the Empire's borders . The Shadowflame Society is one of these Great Societies . "
"Won't the Academy be able to find me there?" Arran asked .
"Even if they found you, there would be little they could do," Master Zhao replied . "The Great Societies are powerful enough that even the Academy would not dare offend them lightly . Certainly, they would not start a conflict with the Shadowflame Society over a single initiate, forbidden Realm or not . "
"What's the catch?" Arran asked with a frown . If this Shadowflame Society was as powerful as Master Zhao said, surely the man would have suggested it earlier — unless there were some major downsides .
"The catch, as you put it, is that it will be dangerous . "
"Dangerous?" Arran asked . "But I thought you said I would be safe from the Academy?"
"The danger would not come from the Academy," Master Zhao explained . "To join the Shadowflame Society, you will have to serve across the border for a year, hunting monsters, bandits, and rogue mages . Most of those who join do not survive their first year of service . "
Hearing this, Arran swallowed hard .
"After that, you will be allowed to start training," Master Zhao continued . "But training at the Societies is difficult and dangerous, even at the initiate level . And during your training, the Shadowflame Society will regularly send you across the border, to face even greater dangers . "
Arran gave it some thought . From what Master Zhao told him, it sounded like joining the Shadowflame Society would be far more dangerous than simply going into hiding .
"Which option will make me stronger?" Arran finally asked .
Master Zhao smiled approvingly . "Joining the Shadowflame Society, of course . You will face many dangers, but if you survive, you will have enough training and experience to protect yourself . "
The decision wasn't an easy one, and Arran spent some time considering his options .
Going into hiding would be the safer choice, but he would have to spend years living like a hermit and training by himself . And although his magical abilities would grow stronger, he would lack the combat experience he needed to survive if he found himself in a fight he could not avoid .
Joining the Shadowflame Society, on the other hand, sounded like it would be near-suicide . He would have to fight bandits and monsters, and cross the border into the lands beyond the Empire . Yet he would gain the experience he needed to survive . And more importantly, he would not be alone .
With that last thought, Arran made up his mind . "I'll travel to the Shadowflame Society," he said .
"Good," Master Zhao replied . "It's a dangerous path, but I believe that it's your best chance at surviving . "
"But what of her?" Arran looked at Jiang Fei, who seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness, although her body still occasionally spasmed .
"I will give her the choice to either accompany you or leave," Master Zhao said . "But I will discuss that with her when she awakes . Right now, we have some preparations to make . "
"What preparations?" Arran asked with a nervous look at Master Zhao . He could already sense that something unpleasant was about to happen .
"First, I need to seal off your Realms . "
"Seal off my Realms?!" Arran paled at the words . Without his Realms, he would be unable to draw Essence . And without Essence, he would be defenseless .
"The Academy is still looking for an Initiate with a forbidden Realm," Master Zhao said . "And someone at the monastery will likely have told them about the strength of your Fire and Wind Realms . Maybe you won't encounter them, but if you do, you need these seals to remain hidden . "
Arran nodded reluctantly . He could not fault the man's logic, but by now, he dreaded the thought of being without magic .
"I will leave your Shadow Realm unsealed," Master Zhao added . "Using Shadow, you can unravel the seals on your Fire and Wind Realms . Once you are able to do so, you should be able to recreate them yourself, allowing you to hide your magic at will . "
"How long will it take?" Arran asked . The prospect of learning to hide his magic when needed brightened his mood, if only slightly .
"A month or two should be sufficient . "
"And what about my forbidden Realm?"
"For that, I will use a stronger seal . Unraveling it might take you some years, but once you do, you will understand Shadow seals well enough to hide it from all but the strongest mages . "
"Alright . " Arran reluctantly agreed, understanding that he had little choice in the matter .
He leaned forward, and Master Zhao put the fingers of his right hand against Arran's temple . Almost immediately, Arran could feel his connection with his Realms weaken . Only moments later, the connection was gone entirely .
"Now use up the Essence that remains inside you," Master Zhao said .
Arran did as the man asked, launching several blasts of Fire and Wind until he felt the last of the Essence leave his body . He shuddered at the feeling of emptiness that followed .
"Now what?" he asked .
"Now," Master Zhao said, "we wait for the girl to wake up . "
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