Night of the Broken Gliph

“I believe that you’ve heard about the purpose of a primary education institution from your parents.

“This is a world of gliphs.  

“To survive in this world, you’ll need to understand the rules of gliphs. Mathematics, languages, history and all the other subjects aren’t important. All that matters is the study of gliph. Studying gliphism is the only way to achieve higher education, take up gliphism and learn from powerful organisations or sects. 

“So now, you will need to focus on your cultivation and start by storing energliph at the age of ten. Aim to break through your first chamber by twelve, as that’s the only way you’d be qualified to join a sect to continue your journey of gliphism.”

Chor Shing Chit’s words sparked excitement among the class. Images of them being headhunted by various organisations and institutions were playing in their head. Everyone was filled with joy, except Chui Yim, who was deep in thought. 

This world is way more regulated than the Swallow Continent. They’re separated into two groups, the gliphism cultivators and the non-cultivators.  

And in this world, the latter is destined to work for the former… Which means that commoners are inferior in this world. 

Yet, they seemed accustomed to such a lifestyle. Am I the only one who feels that something is wrong? 

“Alright, let’s begin our first lesson.”  

Chor Shing Chit wrote the word “gliph” with white chalk on the blackboard and drew two lines extending out from it.

“Can anyone tell me what routes you could take when you pick up gliphism?” 

“I know!” Chan Ngou Tin stood up with his hands high in the air.

Awkwardness fell over Chui Yim. He’s indeed a classic annoying kid… 

“Sit down, Chan Ngou Tin.” Chor Shing Chit coughed. “I’ll call you if I want you to answer.” 

Chor Shing Chit looked around the class, but nobody other than Chan Ngou Tin was willing to answer. Thus, he had no choice but to let him answer. “Chan Ngou Tin, what’s the answer?” 

“Glipher and gliphist!” 

“Correct.” Chor Shing Chit nodded and wrote glipher and gliphist under each line respectively. “Can anyone point out the difference between the two?”

Chan Ngou Tin raised his hands again.  

Chor Shing Chit sighed helplessly. 

The Riding Clouds Academy wasn’t a top school. Most of the students here were from ordinary families, and even the best among them only knew some basic knowledge or barely knew how to read.

“Chan Ngou Tin, answer.”  

“Gliphers becomes gliphs themselves, while gliphist use energliph as gliphs.” 

Chor Shing Chit nodded. “That’s a textbook answer. However, it’s too difficult for our other classmates without any prior knowledge to understand. Therefore, I’ll explain it.”  

“Yes, Sir.” Cha Ngou Tin answered and took his seat, looking at his classmates with his nose in the air, as if sending the message, I’m different from all of you. However, when he looked at Chui Yim, he realised that Chui Yim was just staring at the board, paying him no attention. 

“Gliphers use their bodies as gliphs through the six chambers. In simpler words, the six chambers are the left arm, right arm, left leg, right arm, wind and heart chambers. You cultivate through them, and you also store your energliph within them. When a chamber reaches its limit, gliphers will get a gliph tattooed onto them by a gliphist, converting the energliph into strength. 

“A gliphist’s work is simpler compared to a glipher. They tattoo gliphs just to allow them to break through the first chamber. They mostly tattoo gliphs that help increase their energliph.

“Gliphists mostly cultivate with energliph and convert it into strength via gliphs. The condition to become a gliphist is harsh:  you must be able to break through the wind chamber as it’s the chamber that stores the most energliph. 

“More importantly, gliphists are people who tattoo gliphs on others.  

“Gliphers and gliphists work together. Without a gliphist, a glipher is just a commoner with the ability to fight. They won’t have any special powers like they do now.  Vice versa, without gliphers, a gliphist might die when assassinated by even a commoner due to their slow energliph manipulation.

“If there’s only one glipher in a hundred or thousand, then there’s only one gliphist in ten thousand. Other than having the aptitude for cultivating energliph, one needs a strong mentality too.

“In this world, becoming gliphers and gliphists is everybody’s goal. For the next six years of your life, aim to become either one. If not, you’ll be destined to stay a commoner, living an ordinary life.

“Understood?” Chor Shing Chit looked at the class.  

“Yes!”

Chui Yim walked to the canteen slowly. Chor Shing Chit’s words rang in his mind repeatedly.

This world is centered around gliphs. If I fail, I’ll suffer for the rest of my life.

Gliphs? Such an interesting thing. 

If Chui Yim put it in the context of the Sallow Continent, a gliphist would be a magician while a glipher would be a martial artist. And they were closely related to each other.  

Chui Yim once thought of honing magic in this world, but maybe due to language differences, it didn’t work. Magic made use of ancient language, after all. 

I guess I can only follow the rules of this world. To protect myself and not be killed without any ability to retaliate, I can only become a glipher or gliphist. 

He entered the canteen and looked at the menu.  What a joke, they even separated the meals into three classes.

The third class meal was the bad one Chui Yim ate yesterday, which cost two silver taels. The second class meal cost ten silver taels, and the first-class meal cost twenty silver taels.  

Chui Yim stared at the menu speechlessly. With my pocket money, I won’t have anything left if I get a first-class meal. As such, he got the third class meal and forcefully stuffed it down before returning to class.

It was fitness for the next lesson. 

A group of six-year-olds stood in the sports hall like a group of ducklings. Sadly, Chui Yim was one of them. This was the place where all the students, even grade six students, had their fitness class. 

Chor Shing Chit was with them. He wore a black singlet that outlined his muscular body and black cloth around his forearms, leaving only his upper arm and fingers exposed. 

As six-year-olds, they were curious. “Sir! Why are your arms wrapped in cloth?” 

“In this world, if others know what gliphs you have, they will know your powers. That is extremely risky as enemies might take advantage of that information. So most gliphers cover their gliphs like me,” Chor Shing Chit answered nonchalantly. 

“Sir, you’re a glipher? Of which state?” some students asked excitedly.