Volume One: Six Paths Meridian Lock

Chapter One: Misfortune and Miracle

"Hey, isn't that Brian Carter from the second year? I heard that during the grade's outdoor training, he stepped on a rolling stone and fell off a cliff seven or eight meters deep, smashing his head and bleeding all over..."

"I have to say, I really admire his bad luck, haha. When you're down on your luck, even drinking water will get stuck in your teeth."

"His meridians have been sealed since childhood, unable to become a bloodline warrior—that's bad enough. Will he turn into an idiot after this fall?"

...

Walking along the wide avenue of the school, Brian Carter felt so depressed. No matter where he went, people pointed and whispered about him. The gossip that drifted to his ears from time to time made Brian Carter, already in a bad mood, even more frustrated. What did he do to deserve this? He couldn't even walk without tripping, and this time he fell straight down a cliff seven or eight meters deep...

Luckily, it was only seven or eight meters. If it had been any deeper, wouldn't he be dead by now?

He touched his forehead. Even though several days had passed, it still ached faintly.

Falling off the cliff was bad enough, but his forehead just happened to smash into something—he didn't even know what it was. It looked like a crystal ball, and his head shattered it to pieces. It was so hard, even harder than stone, and left him covered in blood.

Blood... How many eggs and how much meat would it take to replenish all the lost nutrients?

Brian Carter angrily kicked a small stone off the road, cursing inwardly at how fast rumors spread. He'd only just returned to the academy, and it seemed like everyone already knew what had happened to him.

As soon as he got back to his dorm, he lay on the bed in frustration, when a knock sounded at the door.

He opened the door to find a tall, handsome young man standing outside, a teasing look on his face, his gaze landing squarely on Brian Carter's forehead.

"Mm, I heard you smashed your head and bled all over. Looks like you're fine though..."

The handsome young man crossed his arms, whistled, and strode into Brian Carter's dorm, his casual words full of schadenfreude.

Brian Carter glared at the guy angrily, ignored him, and went straight back to bed, grumbling, "You jerk, gloating over my misfortune. I curse you to only ever date frigid women!"

The handsome young man spread his hands innocently. "Come on, I'm here to check on you. How can you curse me so viciously? You've hurt my feelings."

Unimpressed by the shamelessness, Brian Carter simply replied with one word: "Get out!"

The handsome young man wasn't angry at all. In fact, he seemed quite pleased with Brian Carter's irritation and helplessness. He laughed and plopped himself down on the only chair in the room.

The handsome young man was named Edward Clark, one of Brian Carter's few friends at the academy, and also one of the academy's most popular figures.

Good-looking, strong, and rich—a classic outstanding young man with looks, ability, and wealth.

People often wondered why someone like Edward Clark would be friends with Brian Carter, and not just casual friends, but very close ones, since the difference between them was so great.

Brian Carter was undeniably talented—everyone agreed on that. At only eighteen, he had already reached Level Seven Strength, ranking eighth on the academy's strength list. But Brian Carter's meridians were sealed by a powerful force. It was said that only a super expert could perform such a seal, and Brian Carter would likely never awaken his bloodline or become a bloodline warrior in his lifetime. Even though he possessed the Nine-Winged Heavenly Dragon bloodline, considered one of the most powerful, it made no difference.

Because of this, even those much weaker than Brian Carter—though they wouldn't say it to his face—looked at him with pity and scorn. Even if their bloodlines were several grades inferior, they still felt superior to him. No, superior to Brian Carter.

By all rights, someone like Brian Carter shouldn't be friends with a star like Edward Clark. But in reality, they really were friends—very, very good friends.

You could tell just from their conversation.

If there was anyone else in the academy who could tell Edward Clark to "get out" and still walk away unscathed, it could only be Brian Carter.

Sometimes even Brian Carter was puzzled by it, and had half-jokingly asked Edward Clark about it. Edward Clark just grinned and told Brian Carter he was making an emotional investment.

"Look, you're so talented, and you have the Nine-Winged Heavenly Dragon bloodline. Ahem, even though it's sealed, but what if—just what if—one day the seal is broken? Then you might become a super expert, and when I say I was your friend, wouldn't that just prove my great foresight?"