Swaths of students were arrayed in the dojo's many halls in the outer forest regions of Chicago, practicing everything from Japanese kata drills to neoshamanistic mindfulness cognition techniques, in an effort to gain greater clarity.
The grounds were protected by sigils, enchanted wards, and a veritable armada of sensors and deterrents around the campus.
The Sage, as Jacob was now known, took in many students from all over who were seeking respite and a solution to their issues, whether it was drugs, poverty, or any matter really, trained them based on their preferred school of thought while opening their minds to others, and as their stay was voluntary, sent them on their way with the tools and resources they needed to succeed in their own lives.
At first, the gaining of students had been a slow trickle by word of mouth, and while not large, had grown to a moderate size, and was steadily climbing in numbers.
No one knew who The Sage really was because he obscured his appearance with a chi aura and his cloak, a Night Warden suit which had been programmed to take that configuration by restructuring the liquid lattices of it, it had all the advantages of its normal configuration despite its new look.
Jacob ran the academy during the day, Chase Conglomerates was in the good hands of Horatia Warthen for now, though Jacob knew he would have to reclaim his company someday.
At night, The Sage terrified the Chicago mob, and word was growing about the hooded figure who was even more terrifying then Night Warden, not because he relied on intimidation through disposition, but due to his deliberate calm, even trancelike state with which he would carry out his missions, nothing seemed to rattle him, or if it did, he didn't show it.
The Sage fought peacefully but unrelentingly, his cleaving through the criminal underworld, using both esoteric and mechanical means would severely cripple the underbelly of the city, and, as he blanketed an entire arms deal in shadow through an energy technique, he took an entire coalition of crooks into incapacity, and when the mist cleared as the police rushed to the scene, they saw in inky black smoke before it vanished, "Tell all who commit crimes in this city, The Sage Will Strike!"
As chilling laughter was heard from far away, The Sage perched on a ledge, knowing the eerie chuckle he made would unsettle all who heard it, and The Sage's phrase was printed on the Chicago Tribune's front page soon after.
The Sage would strike at the heart of injustice while nurturing the light of those who sought to empower themselves in these troubled times.
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