Because of this, every single one of the youths knew who Malakai was.
And they knew his story.
Regardless, as Malakai passed, each of them bowed their heads and greeted respectfully.
“Ninth Vein.”
Some even muttered the deeper greetings, the formal ones reserved for non-direct descendants addressing direct descendants.
Despite his past, the sheer weight of the title Vein felt like the sky to them.
And with the Sovereign’s decree that Malakai was to be treated like any other direct descendant, the entire clan had gotten the message.
Malakai nodded briefly to each youth that greeted him. After walking for some time, he reached another wall, one with the same type of door and panel he had used earlier.
The training grounds were divided between the unevolved and evolved, with the unevolved occupying the outer parts and the evolved in the inner.
“Damn,” Valentine suddenly muttered. “They looked like little devils.”
He was referring to the short, innocent looking youths they had passed earlier. They would have seemed completely harmless, if not for their crimson hair and cold eyes.
Valentine couldn’t help but understand a little better how Malakai had ended up the way he had. The sanguine clan was something else.
Scanning himself through the next door, Malakai stepped through it, and was immediately met with more buildings, though fewer youths moved about.
These ones were older, ranging between twelve and fifteen. And unlike those outside, they were evolved.
The sight of the Ninth Vein entering the evolved section clearly shocked them.
It wasn’t a sight they had ever expected to witness.
Still, they bowed their heads and greeted him respectfully as he passed.
‘Some are familiar,’ Malakai thought.
Among them, he recognized a few faces. He hadn’t seen any other Veins yet, but he remembered training alongside some of these people back when he was unevolved.
Not that it mattered. His reclusive nature had prevented him from making friends back then, and now, they were little more than strangers.
Malakai’s steps carried him toward the largest building, situated at the very center of the training grounds.
All other structures were clearly built with it as the anchor.
‘This should be the administrative building,’ Malakai thought. This was the place where the youths would be tested, categorized, and handed their timetables.
The unevolved section had one too, and this was where his next steps would begin.
He entered the building and immediately spotted a counter at the far end, manned by a Sanguine man seated lazily, engrossed in a book.
“Hello.”
At Malakai’s cold greeting, the attendant lazily lifted his eyes from the book, only to freeze when he caught sight of Malakai’s face.
‘A Vein!’
The man immediately straightened up and bowed deeply.
“Blood flows where you walk. May your blood burn brighter than the sun,” he greeted.
“As it should,” Malakai responded calmly.
A brief awkward silence followed before the attendant’s eyes widened.
“Ah, yes! Today is your first day, Ninth Vein. I shall fetch the Head Instructor immediately. Please give me two minutes.”
Malakai gave a short nod as the attendant scurried through a nearby door.
Left alone, he used the time to quietly observe his surroundings.
It was a plain room.
The Sanguines, especially the Sovereign, had never been ones for aesthetics.
Still, this section was clearly larger and richer in vita compared to the unevolved section.
Two minutes later, the attendant returned, but not alone.
A man walked just ahead of him, radiating the overwhelming aura of a Synergy Stage evolver.
“Blood flows where you walk. May your blood burn brighter than the sun.”
The man bowed as he approached.
Malakai nodded in response.
“As it should be.”
The man straightened and spoke.
“My name is Grinner. I am the Head Instructor of this section, Ninth Vein.”
Grinner had a slender frame, though his body was packed with muscle. His crimson hair was cut low, and he was beardless.
“I am here to join the training. What is the next step?” Malakai said, getting straight to the point.
Grinner nodded once, seemingly appreciating Malakai’s directness.
Most Veins loved showing their superiority, especially when meeting people for the first time.
Grinner had expected no less from Malakai, given his backstory.
The boy had more to prove than most.
Grinner spoke.
“Just like in the unevolved section, we categorize each youth into three types, beginner, intermediate, and advanced, depending on their mastery of the different disciplines we train.”
“The next step will be testing you to determine which category you belong to, Ninth Vein.”
Malakai nodded.
It was just like the unevolved sessions.
‘Looks like nothing’s changed,’ he thought.
“What will I be tested on?” Malakai asked.
Though he knew the general structure, he hadn’t been informed about the exact disciplines taught here.
At his question, Grinner gave another nod and respectfully handed him a small book.
“This contains all the training disciplines we offer, Ninth Vein.”
“Take your time to study it. If you have any questions, bring them to my attention. When you’re ready for the test, inform Oda here. I’ll oversee it personally.”
“Alright,” Malakai said with a short nod, before moving to a corner and lowering himself onto one of the seats, already flipping through the book.
Seeing this, Grinner bowed and returned deeper into the building.
‘Hmm. It’s pretty much basic,’ Malakai thought as he read.
Books had always been a point of interest for him, and he was even a little glad the man had given him a full written guide rather than relying on word of mouth. Although his memory was good, it would give him something to reference. Plus, it was good to see that he had all the information that the other veins started had.
In a few minutes, Malakai had already summarized everything into key points in his mind.
The training grounds offered exactly seven disciplines:
Blood Meditation & Vita Breathing
Combat Conditioning (Weapons & Hand-to-Hand)
Blood Arts Training
Darkness Theory & Tactical Drills
Live Combat Simulation
Darkness Creature Hunts (Field Practice)
Will Training