*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*


    "Big brother?...Big brother!"


    Shye was startled awake by resounding knocks on the door of his new room.


    Yesterday, after their grand celebration at the luxurious restaurant, the deans gave them another pleasant surprise.


    Instead of returning to their old shabby amodation, the deans led them to a hotel fit for a championship stage academy.


    The hotel''s exterior was majestic, leaving the students and a few instructors awestruck.


    Standing at a height of fifteen floors, the hotel was constructed using the finest brand of opulent wrobblestone bricks. It boasts a symmetrical rectangr shape and is adorned with a top-tier beige paint finish.


    However, when the entire Colzen cohort entered, they were even more bbergasted.


    The inexperienced group was greeted by a vast and luxurious gray-themed lobby with enormous square ss windows, a widevish pelt carpet from some kind of creature below numerous grey marble tables, and the corresponding grey marble chairs with plush cushions.


    Around twenty meters away from the opulent automatic ss door was an elegant gray granite countertop with highly-trained personnel right behind it, ready to receive new guests.


    Dean Privett quickly sorted out the paperwork since everyone was already tired after such a grand celebration, especially the representatives who had to fight four matches in a single day.


    Once the paperwork was done, squads of trained personnel suddenly came out of nowhere and led every student to their corresponding rooms.


    Naturally, the representatives were given one room each.


    "Here''s your room sir, if you need anything just press this button right here."


    Upon arriving in front of his new room, the service staff gave him a few reminders and a deep bow before leaving.


    Shortly after, Shye entered the room and was once again awestruck.


    In front of him was a ridiculously spacious room with vast windows giving him ess to a majestic thirteenth-floor view of a huge part of Valenzia City.


    The elegant walls of the room adorned with a top-tier gray paint finish were connected to an intricately designed ckwood high ceiling.


    Attached to the ceiling was an opulent chandelier casting a warm golden glow to the entire room, washing away the biting darkness of the night.


    Below, there were various furniture and appliances such as a luxurious ckwood working table with a corresponding single high-back plush chair, a huge holographic television, a mana-powered kettle and stove, cooking and dining utensils, and many more.


    There was also a decent-sized bathroom with a spacious bathtub and hygiene necessities.


    However, what immediately got his attention was the immense bed in the middle of the room, it looked so soft andfortable.


    It was like a crafty demon urging Shye to lie down and enjoy its cozy embrace.


    Naturally, Shye immediately changed into his pajamas and fell onto the bed. Only, it was toofortable so he wasn''t able to wake up on time resulting in Maia having to knock loudly just to wake him up.


    ''Crap! I woke upte again!''


    It was already past noon when he woke up–the damned bed was just toofortable.


    Shye quickly got up and washed his face before opening the door where he was greeted by a fuming Maia who couldn''t believe how tardy he was.


    When the two of them were living in the dpidated hut, her big brother always woke up early to train and hunt small animals for them to eat.


    But now, after years of living inside the school dormitory with a ss exemption pass, it would be a miracle if he managed to get up at 8 AM.


    "Big brother! Do you know what time it is already?! It''s 1 PM! Quickly prepare, I''ll wait for you in the lobby. The cksmithpetition already started a few hours ago!"


    "Shit, I will receive an earful from the deans again…" Shye muttered as he facepalmed, inwardly reprimanding himself for another blunder.


    He quickly ran to the bathroom, took a quick bath, and put on his Colzen representative uniform before rushing to the lobby where Maia was waiting.


    Upon arriving at the vast and luxurious lobby, he was shocked to find that Shirley and Wendy were also there.


    It seems that the three of them were starting to get along after such rough interactions in the past.


    Naturally, Shye was happy to see this since it would be quite ufortable if your friend and your girlfriend weren''t getting along.


    Fortunately, they made up.


    "Yo, Shirley, Wendy.."


    "Shye…you''rete again…"


    "Yo, Crowley."


    After short greetings, the four of them immediately headed towards Valenzia Square, the venue of the cksmithpetition.


    The square was quite far, luckily, they managed to find an empty horse cart.


    Although the fare of 500 silver coins for a short travel time of 30 minutes was a bit expensive, it was better than missing the cksmithpetition.


    Finally, after thirty minutes, they arrived at Valenzia Square.


    Unlike Valenzia Arena, the square was an open area without high walls and it was usually free for everyone to ess.


    However, today, there were luxurious giddletwine ropes barring people from entering unless they paid an entrance fee of three hundred silver coins to watch the cksmithpetition.


    Fortunately, as a Colzen Academy student, their entry fees had already been paid by the deans and all they had to do was show up.


    Upon spotting their Colzen uniforms, the staff member overseeing admissions promptly opened a dedicated entrance exclusively for them, granting them entry under the envious gaze of those patiently waiting in the queue.


    Shye was pumped.


    The special treatment for a championship stage academy felt good, making the fires of passion ignite inside his heart.


    He knew that in the future, such special treatment would only be reserved for the best adventurers of the best adventurer guilds.


    Thus, he vowed to never settle for mediocrity.


    He also needed to gather news about his parents so the more prominent he was as an adventurer, the more privy he would be to insider information.


    Upon entry, Shye raised his hands to block the overwhelming sunlight that was impairing his vision as he narrowed his eyes to see what was going on at the vast and enormous stage in the middle of the square.


    Although he was struggling to see what was happening as they walked towards their designated seat, the resounding voice of thementator helped him know.


    "After such a brutal elimination rate in the second round, 16 cksmiths remain! Next up is the final stage of the Valenzia cksmith Competition. Who will reign supreme?! Will the renowned Doran keep his crown?! Or will another cksmith finally stop his dominion?!"