Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

After two days in Irondom, Liam felt he had grasped the city's essentials. He had dined at the main restaurants, visited the most renowned Runemasters' establishments, explored the Irondom Bookstore, and witnessed firsthand the reality of a city dedicated to forging and inscribing runes.

Irondom wasn't exactly modern compared to the cities on Earth that Liam knew. However, by the archaic standards of the mortal kingdoms of Twin Land, it was remarkably advanced, with magic visible in every corner.

The city's cable car was a prime example of how magic and technology intertwined in this unique community.

But what captivated Liam most during those two days wasn't this fusion of magic and technology. It was seeing Spirit Masters using their Spirits for purposes beyond combat that truly opened his eyes.

In Demon Gate, Liam was accustomed to a society where almost everyone was a warrior, at least in essence—a stark contrast to Twin Land, where Spirit Masters often specialized in a single path, and many lacked combat skills altogether.

Spirits in this vast world came in all forms and weren't confined to warfare. Liam observed Power Spirits—creatures capable of moving gears and operating large objects like cable cars—serving their masters effortlessly. Other Spirits, such as small insects, assisted in medical treatments, helping Healers clean wounds, perform sutures, and carry out other vital tasks.

Alchemists possessed Spirits that aided them in selecting ingredients, brewing their magical concoctions, and even infusing parts of themselves into their potions. For example, Bee Spirits could produce mana honey, used in various potent applications.

In a place as diverse as Irondom, seeing Spirits wandering the streets, sometimes even without their masters, was considered commonplace.

These two days in the city had opened Liam's eyes to the vast world he found himself in, revealing aspects of this magical society that he had previously overlooked.

But beyond just revealing, these days were incredibly productive for him. While most of his group had primarily focused on monitoring their surroundings and ensuring his safety, Liam took the opportunity to study and practice his craft using the local resources available.

In Irondom, there was an establishment similar to the Lotus Temple of Demon Gate, but it was entirely dedicated to the art of runemaking. In such a place, professionals like Liam could pay for access to rooms containing rune fragments—essentially, essences of characters that facilitated the mastery of those runes.

Just as Demon Gate disciples found it easier to absorb mana and advance their cultivation within a room at the Lotus Temple, the rooms Liam visited in Irondom offered a better chance to learn new combinations of characters.
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Thanks to this opportunity, Liam enhanced his abilities as a Runemaster, mastering several new Fourth Class runes over those two days.

Now, he stood on the day of his promotion exam, prepared and optimistic, ready to take the next step in becoming a Fourth Class Runemaster!

...

Arriving at the place inside the Runemasters Association building where today's exam would take place, Liam faced a corridor full of groups like his own.

There were so many people there that there was hardly any space left for people to move around the area.

Despite the many groups, the place wasn't noisy. Most of them were looking at each other in silence, in particular, the smaller groups were monitoring the larger ones.

Liam found himself in the middle of the area, with several eyes turned in his direction, none of them good, in his opinion.

Toby laughed subtly and said to Liam, "I forgot to warn you about that, Chief. We're not exactly well-liked by most people who can recognize our uniforms."

"Yeah, I can see that." Liam sighed, seeing looks of hatred and envy in his direction.

His uniform clearly indicated to everyone that he was important and the most relevant of the group. Naturally, the negative feelings of some individuals in that corridor were directed towards him.

Isa said, "Don't worry so much. We're in a city and most of them just don't like us. But if we were outside, I'd worry about the group dressed in white and silver." She avoided pointing, but Liam looked in the right direction.

Toby said, "Those are members of Whiteshroud , a fanatical angel-worshipping cult."

The angels of Twin Land weren't exactly like those in Liam's popular imagination of Earth. Angels were members of the anti-demon race native to Twin Land, usually with a great affinity for the light. Their members had powers that were usually the opposite of those of demons. As for their form, they didn't look like humans, and had various shapes. The common point between them was the existence of many eyes and a unique type of aura.

In short, when you saw an angel, you would immediately understand the type of creature in front of you!

But despite the distinctions between demons and angels, they did have some similarities. Among them, both were famous on the continent and gave rise to Spirits.

Demon Gate cultivated demons and Whiteshroud cultivated angels.

Naturally, the two forces were enemies.

"They don't look strong." Nance muttered beside them, looking toward Whiteshroud's group.

Isa said, "I don't mean them, but the force they're part of. However, don't underestimate them. Angel bearers are quite tricky to fight when you have demons as your main Spirits."

Those in the group who didn't have as much experience heard that and kept her teaching in the back of their minds.

Toby sighed and said, "Today's competitors aren't much of a concern, anyway. Although Third Class Runemasters are important, they're not that uncommon. And most here will still need time to consolidate as Third Class Runemasters. Naturally, their groups aren't that strong."

Not everyone there was hiding their levels. As logical as it might seem to keep your strength to yourself, not everyone saw things from that angle. Not everyone was a warrior, and there were always those who preferred to make their strength known to those around them.

Liam's group understood the powers of most of the people in that corridor given the diverse nature of the people there, most of them being between 5-Star of the Spirit Earth Realm and 3-Star of the Spirit Sky Realm.

Of those who would actually sit the tests for today's promotion exam, Liam was the only one in the fourth realm.

Normally, when one reached the requirements to take the promotion exam, they and their forces would expedite for these professionals to obtain their new credentials. After all, as much as the test usually didn't change anything about the professional's skills, it gave credibility to the products built by these people, which these forces often sold or involved in commercial exchanges.

In addition, Runemasters needed to attend the association's posts to advance and access to better materials and services was limited by the level of credential one had.

So cases like Liam's were not common!

"But that will change if you take the Fourth Class exam," Isa said in a warning to Liam and their entire group. "The Fourth Class exam will basically involve mid-level Spirit Sky cultivators, i.e. stronger than you. And I wouldn't be surprised to see a bodyguard from the fifth realm escorting your competitors."

Toby agreed with the Commander. "It is more dangerous to take the test for Fourth Class, Chief. I know you're keen to achieve this feat on this trip and earn merits with our superiors, but be careful where it takes us.

The situation outside headquarters is very delicate. It wouldn't take much for us to start a war."

Liam had long since learned that this world was complicated. It wasn't exactly chaos where everyone attacked everyone for no reason—one wouldn't start a fight with them just because they were passing through town, for example. But it would take very little for a peaceful journey to become deadly dangerous.

Fourth Class Runemasters were like scientists capable of creating atomic bombs on Earth, so their value was indispensable!

'That's all the more reason for me to get my certification now while I have the protection of the sect.' Liam thought carefully, looking at his future steps after his group's escape. 'This will increase any kind of persecution from the sect against me after my escape, but otherwise, I'll only have advantages. My value will be much higher for any relationship I think of starting and I'll have bargaining power capable of moving even Spirit Kings!'

Fourth Class Runemasters were usually the favorite type of professional for most Spirit Kings on the continent.

Ideally, a Spirit King would have access to a Fifth Class Runemaster. But these professionals were rare and usually weren't free to do business with ordinary Spirit Kings. They usually ended up within a large force or family, and served small groups of very powerful individuals.

What was left for most Spirit Kings was to do business with Fourth Class Runemasters or simply abandon the idea of having enchanted items in their forces or during their fights.

That's why Liam thought that all the trouble he might get into in Irondom was worth the risk!

But before he could say this to his companions, one examiner appeared outside the examination room and called out to the Runemasters.

"The second Third Class promotion exam of the month is about to begin. Please, candidates, proceed in an orderly fashion to the room."