My Cuckhold System - Chapter 243: Awakened Battle Arts Hall
Debra and Amos?”
West nodded. “They safe?”
Zu Li leaned against the railing. “Yes… I got Nightingale off their trail.”
West’s brow rose. “You… got an awakened assassin off someone’s trail.”
Zu Li said it like discussing weather. “I spoke to the right people.”
West crossed his arms in astonishment. “…Sometimes I forget how terrifyingly connected you are.”
She ignored that.
“More importantly…”
She turned fully toward him.
“Dragon Fang is declaring war on Frankincense.”
West straightened. “…War?”
“Yes.”
“Open pressure.”
“Economic.”
“Operational.”
“And if necessary…”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Violent.”
West almost pitied Frankincense… almost… because there was no way they were getting out of this without acquiring grave loses.
Zu Li continued. “They won’t have the resources to send more assassins.”
“Or hired awakened.”
“They’ll be too busy defending themselves.”
West let out a slow breath. “Thank you.”
Zu Li looked away. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Yes I do.”
“There is a condition.”
West sighed. “There it is.”
Zu Li smirked. “I received confirmation… that the research data is with Debra.”
West’s eyes narrowed, seemingly already expecting this.
Zu Li continued. “If Debra and the remaining colleagues want Dragon Fang forgiveness…”
“She hands that data over.”
“All of it.”
West nodded almost immediately. “No problem… It’ll be done.”
Zu Li looked mildly surprised he didn’t argue while West shrugged.
“If it keeps them alive…”
“Easy trade… besides, I don’t think they want the ire of awakeners. Things could go very south if word spreads of a weapon that puts awakeners in jeopardy…”
Silence settled again since the matter was now resolved… at least for now.
Zu Li stepped away from the railing while looking over the base again. “Well… Congratulations again.”
West followed her gaze, staring at his empire.
“…Still feels unreal.”
“It shouldn’t.”
She started heading toward the exit but paused halfway as if remembering something.
She turned slightly. “Oh.”
West raised a brow. “What?”
Zu Li folded her arms again. “You need to stop relying purely on instinct.”
West looked offended. “My instincts are beautiful.”
She ignored him. “Go to the Awakened Arts Hall.”
His expression changed as he recalled the Awakened Arts Hall.
Now that Shadow Reapers was official… they had access.
Zu Li added. “Find battle arts for yourself and your gang members.”
She looked pointedly. “Raw talent only carries you so far.”
West slowly nodded. She was absolutely right after all. He had abilities but formal battle arts was different.
His mind was raced with thoughts as he wondered what battle arts would suit Jax and Nina… and summoner-compatible combat scriptures for himself…
His eyes lit slightly.
Zu Li caught it. “There…that look.”
“What look?”
“The one you get before doing something troublesome.”
West grinned. “That means it’s a good idea.”
Zu Li rolled her eyes. “Go with your members later… Jax and Nina.”
West nodded. “I will.”
She began walking again while speaking. “And West.”
“Hmm?”
“Try not to start trouble.”
West looked offended. “I’m deeply insulted you’d assume that.”
Zu Li only waved a hand dismissively and kept walking.
West watched her go before muttering. “…I might start two.”
Her voice echoed from the corridor. “I heard that.”
He laughed while waving at her.
…
…
~ The Next Day ~
The Awakened Battle Arts Hall stood in the older martial quarter of Misty High City, though calling it a “hall” felt almost insulting.
It looked more like a citadel built for gods of war.
Massive black stone pillars rose dozens of meters high at the entrance, each carved with glowing symbols. Two colossal statues flanked the stairs. They were ancient armored figures with one holding a spear of lightning while the other had a blade engulfed in frost.
A golden inscription shimmered above the gate:
POWER WITHOUT DISCIPLINE IS CALAMITY.
West read it and snorted. “Sounds preachy for gangsters who never follow rules.”
Jax looked up. “Sounds expensive.”
Nina adjusted her hair and smiled. “Sounds like somewhere you’ll definitely cause trouble.”
West smirked. “No promises.”
They climbed the broad marble stairs together till they arrived inside.
The interior scale was ridiculous…
A vast central atrium opened upward through multiple floors, ringed by balconies and floating platforms connected by suspended bridges of metal and luminous glass.
Hundreds of awakeners could be spotted moving everywhere.
Some looked like ordinary fighters while others looked like walking disasters with gang jackets, scar patterns and neck tattoos.
Some even had weapons strapped to backs with their eyes glowing unnaturally…
Power radiated everywhere.
Some figures had bloodline manifestations flickering over skin… Others bore beast-like features from transformation branches.
Summoners walked accompanied by creatures ranging from spirit wolves to armored specters.
West’s eyes widened. “…Okay.”
“This is cool.”
Even he admitted it.
At the central registry desk, a broad-shouldered attendant in dark robes barely glanced at them.
However, when he did, his eyes narrowed.
“You three.”
“Civilians aren’t allowed.”
One security awakener nearby began moving, clearly about to remove them.
West raised a brow. “Civilians?”
He reached calmly into his jacket and placed their gang authorization pass on the counter.
The attendant read it with an expression of surprise and looked again before straightening.
“…Shadow Reapers?”
He glance again, a little skeptical before nodding reluctantly.
“Access granted,” he stated before adding.
“Bottom-ranked gangs use wing one through three only.”
West smiled. “Appreciate the warm welcome.”
—
The first floor alone was divided into entire wings.
Bloodline Combat Arts… Transformation Martial Disciplines… Summoner Convergence Arts… Support and Construct Techniques.
Rows upon rows of shelves held awakened manuals sealed behind energy wards.
Some were tablets, some crystalline codices, some old scrolls while others were floating memory orbs.
West felt like a child dropped into a treasure vault.
They began with Nina looking for construct-compatible arts.
She moved like someone inside a candy store and after a couple of minutes, one manual caught attention:
~ Phantom Artisan Scripture ~
A construct battle art specializing in rapid manifestation speed and battlefield layering.
Nina’s eyes lit. “Oh this.”
West read over it. “Lets you chain summon drawn constructs?”
Jax whistled. “That’s broken.”
“But you need something that helps more with close quarters combat… we can take this for now, we’ll check for more later,” West decided.
