Author's notes: Here is a long over-due chapter with not much happening. i have just got through all my Finals and am going to have a holiday break since its going to be christmas and whatnot. i think the break lasts a week? i dont know, i never pay attention to these things. Anyway it means i will have more time to write. i want to get at least three out during this time, maybe more. My procrastination skills at a godly level and are passive skills to boot, so i may be affected by severe laziness but i promise to get a few out during this time. My sense of obligation kinda urges me to. If you have any questions about this chapter let me know. Other than the first half this can be considered a filler chapter really. As i said not much happens. Let me know if you find flaws in the chapter having to do with previously established information.

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In a large, lavishly decorated chamber Loki watched three feminine figures chatting. Two were a pair of young, pleasant looking women wearing finely tailored dresses which bespoke of a life of privilage. They both were flashing smiles at the other women who stood before them.

She had exceptionally white skin but not the pale white that would make a person feel uncomfortable. Rather, it was a pure snow, flawless and glowing . Her eyebrows were long and slender, looking like a crescent moon. Her lips seemed soft, tender and full as if drawn with excruciating care by a matchlessly skilled artist, both them and her cheeks a lovely pink. Hers was a beauty talked about in poems, otherworldly and without equal.

It was a type of beauty that made the stars and moon pale in comparison, drawing you in while seemingly making all other things in existence fade away until only she remained in your eyes. She was like a fairy who had descended from the heavens, perfect and without flaw. The black dress she wore hugged her curves, the destructive swell of her breasts and ample bottom enough to stir the desire of any living being.

Even a small glance at any part of her body would be enough to capture the soul of any man in the world.

Although they talked friendily, if one looked closely, they would notice the air of deference the two other women exuded. Obviously the status between them and the other woman was quite wide.

Other than her beauty, she had a regal bearing and seemed more mature than the other two while also displaying a faint innocence and naivety. It was a pleasing contrast that by itself would make a good impression on anyone. Simply that coupled with the warm smile which seemed to come from her very soul, there was virtually no one who would not feel moved by her presence. She also gave off an incomparably gentle and kind aura, to the extent that even Loki was amazed.

He must have arrived at the conversation late for the two women soon left, waving good-bye to the woman cheerfully.

Loki, having dispelled the power keeping him unseen, approached the woman while clapping his hands.

"What amazing acting skills. Truly praise worthy. Tell me, does it ever get boring having to put up that kind and caring facade of yours?" Loki, who to anyone would seem like having appeared out of thin air, asked the woman. She had not shown any reaction of surprise whatsoever.

Her face, unlike the warm expression it showed previously, was an icy mask of indifference, as if the entire world could burn and she would not bat an eye. It was unthinkable that she was the same person of a few moments ago. Those eyes, beautiful and lustrious, somehow made one think of a frozen blade.

"How rude, Loki. I have always been a kind and caring person." Her voice was perfectly even, no sign of any inflection to indicate her mood.

"Indeed. You are so kind that if a wounded person appeared before you, you would kill them to lessen their suffering. Truly the personification of kindness." Loki said, his mocking smile as ever present as always. Even to a beauty such as her he was not affected, not changing himself in the slightest.

"Quite so. And to which one of you do I owe the pleasure of speaking to?"

Loki laughed. " Do you have to ask? Almost any other me would have tried to kill you already, you know. Anyway, it has been quite some time since I last saw you, Gehenna. How has the Ruler of the Western Region of Hell been lately? And what could you possibly be doing in a place like this?"

" Since when have we been close enough for you to ask me questions regarding my own personal business, Loki? And do not use my name, it makes me feel sick coming from you."

" Ara~ What harsh words~! You wound me, truly. When have we not been the best of friends?"

Gehenna looked at him in disdain. " I have no friends, Loki. Certainly not one as treacherous as you."

"Treacherous? Never!" He exclaimed, looking scandalized.

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Enough of this, Loki. Speak, why have you come to bother me? I doubt you came here for a little chat"

" Well, it seems my other self recently met with an old friend. I was not aware that "I" had made a new companion a while back, but I think you will be very~ interested to meet that person. Apparently it is someone you know quite intimately. And since as a friend I know you so well, I had thought that you would like to know the whereabouts of that person. So naturally i came to seek you out."

A cold hand dug into his arm. Loki secretly smiled.

"Ah, that really did grab your attention didn't it~?" But he knew it would.

Afterall, it was no secret that Gehenna had been, quite earnestly, searching for a certain someone for some time now. And Loki, a god who is afiliated with the aspect of madness, had long ago recognized the light of obsession in her eyes. It was faint, well-hidden, but unmistakably there.

She underwent a sudden change, her entire being radiating a bone-chilling coldness.

"Tell me." She commanded. Her voice rose only a little louder than a whisper, but the words resounded through the room. It was probably the first time Loki had seen Gehenna truly ruffled. It was a splendid face she was making and it made him feel a certain perverse sense of giddiness.

"Dont wanna~" He sang. " Why should i tell you anything? " His laugh rang out loudly.

Although few would be able to tell, his words definitely caused her pain. Loki was in ecstasy. Ah~! Yes, that wonderous expression of desperation is the best~!

" I never said i would tell you where that person was, only that i thought you would like to know. Of course, for you, i would be willing to part ways with the information. . . For a price"

Gehenna frowned. She suppressed the unwanted pain in her heart and forced herself to remain calm. She wanted nothing more than to beat the information out of him, but even if she tried it would be useless. The other gods or factions of power had nearly always turned a blind eye to his actions, and there was a reason for it.

Loki was a person who was impossible to predict. He is one of the few gods whose aspects take on a life of their own. From his current demeanour, she knew this was not the mischief maker, but the schemer, the one who takes utmost pleasure in making others suffer.

They were in essence the same person, but were as different as night and day. This one was the most troublesome to deal with. Of all the gods, demons and other supernatural beings she knew, the Loki before her was the most cunning. Only his other aspects, his other selves, would be capable of handling him. . . But they generally did not mess with one another's affairs. She knew there were dangers involved, and he never said the person he knows of is the one she is searching for, but if it was coming from him then it could be no one else, for she held no interest in anyone apart from that person. And he knew that leading her on would only prove troublesome for him.

Loki prided himself on not lying. He would twist the truth and manipulate others with his words, but she knew the information coming from him would always be reliable.

So she didnt hesitate. Rather, even if the information wasnt reliable, if there was even a chance they could meet again . . .

". . .And what would you ask for in return?"

"Nothing. However, should i ever need a favor . . ." His smile grew wider.

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Meanwhile, another Loki peered at the group assembled below. He was amazed. Only three days and every single student under Roland's guidence seemed downright brainwashed. Or, no, it was more like they had the soul sucked out of them? In any case, today he didnt beat them mercilessly like before. Rather, he had them fight one on one against each other. The result was that they found it much easier to dodge and see attacks coming. After being forced to endlessly recieve the lightning fast strikes Roland dished out, they found that coping with their classmate's movements was much simpler.

Perhaps that had been his intent all along.

Maybe Loki should give him an actual classroom. He could start explaining the theories behind different combat syles and such. Wait, did he assign him a classroom? He couldnt remember. Meh, whatever.

Other than that, he had used a certain spell to increase the gravity on their bodies. The students, all of whom came from powerful families, had never really been subject to harsh training to the point where it felt like they would pass out from exhaustion. Of course there were some unlucky ones who annoyed Roland and didnt get any rest even when they did pass out. Their bodies were placed under a spell in which their unconscious bodies were still having to perform rigorous, excruciating movements. They probably tore a few muscles, though of course even if Roland didnt heal them they would heal naturally within a few hours. Loki probably didnt even need those school doctors or nurses he had. Wait, why did he insist on having them anyway?

The bodies from kids who hail from high ranking species are not to be underestimated.

What annoyed Loki was that he had not seen his daughter at any of the training sessions. In fact he had not seen her in a good few days. Usually he found her by the small lake, but she was nowhere to be found. That girl would find trouble, he was sure. She was like Loki in that respect. He didnt bother looking for her much anymore. She was a shape-changer like him so he didnt want to waste the effort to search for her.

It had been a few hours since Roland and that girl returned. Loki saw Roland secretly weave a simple spell over the girl to make her eyes seem like normal. He didnt tell her of the change. How boring~

Well, it was interesting to see how that Lilith woman glared suspiciously at Roland. It didnt take much to figure out what ran through her mind as she witnessed the two come back. Roland, always a morning person, looked quite refreshed. The girl on the other hand, having endured a short yet intense workout session, was exhausted, flushed red and had a shortness of breath. She was able to walk normally by the time she arrived home though.

Loki returned his attention to the students. He knew Roland thought them weak, but he had only ever met those who had years of practice and old enough to have many high level techniques. Because of that, his scale of judging strength was a bit skewed. Loki thought that Roland had rarely met a person from the younger generation.

So he probably didnt know that despite their gene pool, they would still have to start from the bottom and work their way up. In terms of cultivating in martial abilities, the students were actually pretty much geniuses.

The only reason Roland thought of them that way was because he himself was just too damn strong. And although he didnt know it, he still used the old system to give a general measure of power, which is totally inaccurate. He does know that fact but it seems he still does it at times.

He probably didnt know there now existed a newer system and other realms of power. It was similar to the old system but there were several realms below the Sky realm. From the weakest, it was Origin, Mortal, Squire, Knight, Lord, King, Earth, Earth Fusion, Emperor, Sky, Immortal, Celestiel, Heaven, and fianlly Deity.

Currently most of the students were at least at the seventh stage, the Earth stage, which was quite good. Actually, a person could go from the Earth stage directly to the Emperor stage. Earth Fusion was a rarely reached sub-realm that wass not truly needed. But for those who achieved it, the benefits were unnumerable.

This was a new measurement created and used as a general standard. There were several realms added. It was a bit too many in Loki's opinion though.

Prviously the names and order of the realms were created by an ancient mortal who discovered a way to tap into the universal energies and nourish the body to gain greater power. However, that person was probably a rare, peerless genius. He or she had likely only felt the bottlenecks between a few realms, and broke through all the other bottlenecks with almost no effort. Because that person could not feel those lower bottlenecks, that person likely assumed they didnt exist.

It was for that reason there were oh-so-few people back then who could become truly powerful when cultivating in the Martial Way. They unknowingly tried to break through to the Earth realm when only at the Origin realm and believing all the while they were at the Mortal realm! Even if they were, they would first have to pass through the Squire, Knight, Lord and King realms!

The thought made Loki laugh hysterically to himself.

This new system had existed for quite some time, perhaps several hundred eons. For Roland to not know it was simply unimaginable!

It was truly a curious thing. Of course, the realms only applied to thouse who cultivate in the Martial Way. There are other ways to achieve power but they usually have certain conditions that need to be fulfilled. The Martial Way is popular because pretty much anyone can cultivate in it.

True Gods like Loki didnt need to practice it to gain strength. it could be said most gods already reached the pinnacle of their capabilities and were not likely to get stronger. Other races were born with quite a few advantages and they can get stronger in different ways but they could still practice martial arts if they wanted as long as they had a humanoid form. Some beasts like Dragons were born with human and Dragon forms. Other beasts who had no such form cultivated differently.

Although the other races modified the methods of cultivation to match their special bodiliy characteristics.

But also, even if someone broke through into the Deity realm they wouldnt be considered True Gods. Gods and True Gods were often confused with each other. The existence of how True Gods come into being is too complicated to explain. Loki's brain hurt just thinking of it.

Loki, having nothing better to do, watched over Roland as he taught the next few classes. Loki saw Abigail look at the scene with a worried expression but signaled for her to just go about her business. He wondered if he should have those four kids attend the school too. They're pretty much just freeloading right now. Loki did remember saying something about it being dangerous for them, so that's probably why they havent left their house much.

After it was time for lunch, instead of heading to the cafeteria, Loki saw Roland head towards the library. Probably to learn a bit more about this world. Loki didnt bother learning much about the outside world. Wasnt interested. Although that might change with Roland here. If Roland found a corrupt government or something undesirable then he would most likely get involved, which would be a bit fun to watch. Loki always liked seeing a bloodbath. He could make some popcorn and enjoy the show~