4. Seeds of Doubts
"I humbly refuse."
Just being her disciple isn't beneficial enough for me.
"Except you agree to sponsor me and take No. 1 and No. 163 under your wing too."
"Making demands of me, I see. Clever boy."
Her mana suddenly surges.
"Thanks for the nice massage. I'll be taking my leave now," I reply to her.
"Hahaha. Interesting. Your arrogance knows no bounds. I accept. Now Amber Ascot and Jimmy Gates will be taken under my wing along with you. And you will receive my full sponsorship so long as you keep on impressing," she declares, her voice echoing in the arena.
"What just happened now?" a guy turns to the girl beside him.
"We just witnessed something that will go down in history," she replies.
[All total of 36 aspirants are now students of the Parmond Academy. Congratulations. Classes start tomorrow.]
[The points you obtained from the entrance exams serve as the main functional currency within the academy grounds. So please spend them wisely. That will be all. You are dismissed.]
Some individuals are heartbroken, others are annoyed, while some are glad they made it in.
Before I came for the exams, I had already reached the peak stage of the 5th Grade. But breaking through to the 6th Grade is where the hard part begins. Most mages barely make it to the peak of the 7th Grade in their entire lifetime.
The plan was always to wow the dean. Also known as Darkness Mirror, she is an extremely powerful peak stage 7th Grade mage. She's known for her extreme obsession with training talented individuals. That's why I made her my target.
"Takeru Sai, Amber Ascot, and Jimmy Gates, please follow me to my office. We have much to discuss."
We follow her. I can see how they are both staring at me intensely. I'm sure they're wondering, what could he possibly want?
Creak!
She opens the door.
"I'll get straight to the point. You all are extremely talented individuals, but initially I chose only Takeru. Nevertheless, nothing is a waste. Being talented won't guarantee your survival within this academy. And as you all are now, you are ready targets. Since you are under my wing, I will try my best to offer you my full support."
Her voice cuts through the silence like a sharp blade.
"The only way to survive in this academy is to become strong — ascending to the highest point of the student rankings that you can. When you gain fame, you become harder to kill here. Any resources you need, I'll be happy to provide. And one last warning — avoid the Topas Syndicate."
That's quite the elaborate welcome speech, though I couldn't care less. I intend to stick to my own plans and tactics.
"Yes, ma'am," Jimmy replies, full of energy.
"I don't know why I'm here, but thanks for the info anyway," Amber adds.
We step out of the office.
"You both don't need to glare at me like that. Let's find somewhere quiet to talk."
I walk to a garden not far from the dean's office.
"Block out all listening ears. Silence Box."
It's a spell that prevents eavesdropping.
"What are your intentions? Surely you didn't just do it because you felt like it. Am I right?"
Amber turns toward me.
"Just as I expected — you are quite level-headed. That's why I chose you," I reply.
"Chose her for what exactly? Just go straight to the point. What exactly do you need from us?" Jimmy breaks into the conversation. He might be energetic, but he isn't dumb.
"A ruined genius who everybody hates for no reason — at this rate, you won't last here for long. Even an unwavering flame can be quenched if it runs out of fuel. The wannabe prodigy who lacks proper backing — it won't take long before your talent is swept under the carpet."
"Are you purposely provoking us? You had better have a damn good reason, brother!" Jimmy's cheerful demeanor changes.
There's the little spark I need.
"I'm down. He obviously wants us to react this way. You're a commoner like Jimmy — but how will you provide us with what we need?" Amber asks.
"That's the question I was eagerly waiting to hear. I have already gotten the dean's favor, but apart from that, I can bring out your full potential. This is my offer to you — become the first members of the syndicate. This will topple all the others and go down in history."
"That's a really bold claim. I would have laughed under normal circumstances. But coming from someone who managed to reach the 5th Grade — something even geniuses our age struggle to reach — I'm interested. I accept your offer," Amber replies.
"Ohohoho. You could have said that earlier, brother. With your skills, I'm sure there's a lot I can learn from you. Plus, there are so many other things you're keeping hidden. I accept your offer," Jimmy says.
Just with a few words, they already understood what I was after — remarkable. They will make incredible teammates.
"I welcome you both to Haven's Claw Syndicate. It's getting late. I will contact you guys tomorrow."
They take their leave, and I walk to the hub — all sorts of activities occur here, but I'm here to pay for my dorm room.
"Hello. You must be a new student. I haven't seen your face around here before," the facilitator says.
"I am a new student. I came to pay for my dorm room," I reply.
"Okay! Would you like the triple, double, or single room? I would recommend that you spend your points wisely. The only way you can earn points now is through tasks and clearing dungeons," he says, increasing his tone.
"I would like the single room."
"Did you not hear my advice? The single room is 4,000 points. Can I get your ID number?" he asks.
"No. 87."
"20,000 points?! Now I see why you're taking the single room. This is the key for Room 6."
He hands me the key.
I walk to my dorm room. As expected, it's quite luxurious.
Ahhh. The bed is so comfortable — unlike that haystack I slept on before.
The easy part is done. Time for the interesting part.
After a good night's rest, day breaks the next morning. Classes will be starting in an hour. I have to get ready — I don't want to be late. I have a reputation to keep.
After taking my bath and having breakfast, I head for the first lecture hall.
"Hello, my brother!" Jimmy waves at me.
"Can't you be a bit less energetic for a moment?" Amber walks in on us.
What a chaotic set of individuals.
Wrahhhhh!
"It's Crown Prince Liam!" a girl screams.
Why is the big-shot prince walking toward us?
"Amber, you really have fallen this low — hanging out with commoners," he smirks.
"The same commoner that beat your royal ass? Shouldn't you be a bit embarrassed?" Amber replies.
He walks away.
"Nice one, Amber." Jimmy shoves her shoulder.
"Watch it, idiot."
Judging from the stares, I guess I'm quite the celebrity now.
[Attention! Attention! All first-year students should report to the hub's practice center.]