Chapter 175: When Heroes Are Born


    All good times came to an end, that was a truth in life. Although it was also fair to say that all terrible things had their own climax as well. The world was cyclical, and what came up would alsoe down. It was the circle of life or something like that. Han didn''t know why he was having such thoughtsbut it was probably because he parted ways with Ellynn.


    He half-regretted choosing a mixed course, but he had already chosen what he did. The young man managed to use the Map function to find his ssroom, he had misced his own schedule somewhere. He should have ced it in the Inventory but forgot about it, for all he knew, the thing might have gotten lost in the Library, but he needed to stop mulling over it too much.


    It was finally time for ''Preparation for [ ss ] Advancement'' under Professor Liddell.


    Han hadn''t actually seen the teacher since the Colossal Wyvern incident, but it wasn''t actually that too long since then actually. He could onlye to one conclusion, the people here recovered way too fastalthough it must have been obvious with the healing potions and white mages? Somehow, his situation still ended up being seated close to Sir Harrington and Donovan, front row in the ssroom. But he wasn''t even sure why he was still invited. "I''ve been missing out on eating with you guys."


    "Because you were trying to act too friendly with the Half Elf?" Donovan grunted.


    Sir Leon de Harrington shed him a smile, "It''s no trouble, friends don''t have to always stick around each other''s side."


    "Uh, okay then." Han scratched the back of his head and returned the smile with one of his own. At least the color was returning to the Noble''s face, it was practically drained during lunchtime but he wasn''t going to be the one who brought that up. Actually, now that they were herebefore the lunch thing actually happened, the Noble was asking about his ss. They had wanted to congratte him for gaining a new ss.


    It was probably fitting to discuss it here.


    ss Advancement Preparation and all, but Han needed to keep his mouth shut. He wasn''t sure how fast other people advanced, but suddenly gaining six Levels in Rogue and four in Psion seemed like a speedy development. That was basically ten Levels all in all. So there was no need to exin it. Instead, he tapped his fingers on the table and tried to wait for the Professor toe back.


    And yet the urge to ask them what urred during lunch stuck with him.


    "So uh"


    Donovan nced at him with a frown, "What?"


    "Rude." Han scratched the back of his head and nced at the other rows. Lady Angelika would be nicer to talk to but she was seated elsewhere. And when he nced behind him, he could already see Diov in the third row and Calum in the furthest row. The guy was pretty weird. At least much weirder than Diov now.


    Somehow being a Noble meant that things changed right?


    It was simr to the bias that said all good-looking people tended to have the ''halo effect'' and were less likely to be judged. Now Han understood that the gauntlet-wielding, ''useless!'' shouting young man was actually a cynical Noble, he was more prone to just ept their odditypared to Calum. Bias probably worked here too.


    "I mean, uh, we just saw the Top Three for the first time right?" Han asked. Everybody was staring at them during lunch, and Kai and Theodore also exined that they''ve gone through a mission.


    Donovan nodded a bit, "The Top Three for their year-level and the Academy, but I''m positive that Sir Harrington can ovee them." They gave a look at the young man who really didn''t seem to have recovered from lunch.


    "You give too many expectations on me, Donovan." A chuckle escaped the Noble''s lips, "I''m but a humble Warrior aiming to be a Fencer, it''s a little iparable to their sses."


    Yeah, Donovan was still ''go Lord Harrington!'' all the way until now wasn''t he? Han couldn''t understand the adoration, but he shrugged, "They looked really cool, who would have known that they had rtives. Also, you know their sses?"


    "Everyone has rtives, Han. You couldn''t have just popped out of nowhere." Donovan replied. The guy rolled his eyes at the statement.


    Han coughed and waved a hand, "I guess you''re right." Even Han Jing''s avatar seemed to have a backstory of their own, although he wasn''t sure if the character really just popped out of Rockfall Vige with no parents or something.


    It really did feel weird asking questions right now, but this was information gathering and not just gossiping for him. What other things weren''t obvious? Kraelonia Academy that had a murder library underneath it was one. Your seatmate might actually just be a Noble that had a freedom issue and maybe the one you''re talking to wasn''t even from the same world as you.


    "Well, if your head is not too caught up in the clouds. It''s fairly easy to tell what their sses are, Mister Arcois is a Healer, Miss ckthorne is a Champion and Miss Brande is a Bard. She''s quite talented with the harp." Sir Leon de Harrington folded his hands together. The man was answering but notpletely there.


    It really was a stark contrast to Diov who didn''t look bothered at allexcept for the looks that others were giving him. A re was sent Han''s way before he looked away.


    Han coughed, "It may seem too intrusive, but you seem to know this Miss Brande...also did you say Champion ss? Is that like a Hero ss?" There really was too much information that he needed toprehend.


    *Knock Knock*


    A sudden rap on the door made Han look up, and there he found Professor Liddell right by the door. He lookedpletely fine as the man inclined his head, "I didn''t expect there to be much squabbling in my ss due to me being absent recently." The Professor walked in front and eyed Han. "It seems like there are certain things that are appropriate to discuss now, especially for a curious one."


    Han gulped. The Professor didn''t recognize him fromst time, right? Surely they wouldn''t call him out here either.


    "sses all have their own benefits and features, but there are always those who are a cut above the rest. Certain Prestige and Honor sses, say the Emperor or the King ss." A smile curled on the Professor''s lips as he tapped his fingers on the board.


    Nothing really happened but the attention was back to the Professor.


    He continued, "There''s a lot of prerequisites that are needed to gain the specific ss though. Not everyone can be King simply because they want to. But there''s also Inheritable sses. If you''re a child of the Marquess, you''ll gain the Noble ss and have the ability to inherit the future role of your father once you be the head of the House. If you happen to be the son of a King then you''re quite lucky."


    A hand shot up, a young man spoke up with a grin. "What if you get married to a Princess? Wouldn''t that mean that I can be a King?" It garnered the Student a couple of jeers from his seatmate but they were unperturbed by it.


    "A political marriage?" Professor Liddell rubbed his chin, "Yes, alliances between Kingdoms have been made through arranged marriages, but a Royal marrying a Peasant?" He eyed the young man on the second row. "I don''t think that''s quitemon, but if you do somehow manage to make it work, Russel. Then yes, perhaps you can be King."


    The Professor took the question seriously even when the Student was joking.


    Han blinked. That would work better than saving a damsel in distresswait, it was practically the same. The Wood Elf just told him to save them from a Dragon, but it didn''t mean that he could use other means. If he actually had any charisma to make that work though.


    Now really wasn''t the time to be thinking of that.


    "Alright, settle down." Professor Liddell gave them a resigned smile, "I know some of you adore reading romance novels, like Russelbut now''s not the time to think about the Princess and the Peasant novel." He shook his head. "Alright, let''s move to Han''s question?" The Professor nced at him.


    "U-uh, yes." He really didn''t like being in the hot seat. Did he need to say the question again?


    "What''s the difference between the Hero ss and the Champion ss?" Professor Liddell nced at him one more time before addressing the entire ss. "The Hero has a lot of benefits and fewer restrictions than a Champion ss, although both of them tend to be received when several people view the individual as such. A living example would be the Champion of the King, Felix Quinn."


    Han raised his brow at the name, it wasn''t familiar but there was a ss like that?


    Professor Liddell continued, "And perhaps some of you may know Azhura ckthorne, she''s a Champion as well. Nothing specific, but she and her team tend to take missions to help people in needI wouldn''t be surprised if her ss bes Champion of the Weak once she grows stronger."


    A small cough erupted from within the ss.


    Perhaps not everyone was that interested in it.


    "Heroes are much rarer." Owen Liddell exined with a careful look on his face, "Now as to what I mean by less restriction, hypothetically if the Champion of the King were to disregard his duties as a Champion of His Majesty, the ss he has can be taken away along with all the Skills rted to it."


    "What about Heroes?" Han asked. "Does it mean that they can choose to do whatever they want?" His thoughts went towards Old Man Joe Light, although the guy was a Retired Hero? Or called himself one. Han believed the guythe guy blitzed through Gargoyles with sickles, but he also wanted to know the difference.


    "No, well you see, there''s a Skill called [ Champion''s Challenge ] and when that Skill is evoked, all sses that are simr to Champion, First Warrior, and such are expected toe forward and meet the person who used the Skill. Champions are expected to do certain things, that is why they are considered as ChampionHeroes, on the other hand, they tend to arrive when there are an insurmountable danger and peril."


    Professor Liddel scratched his cheek. "You can think of Champions as the first Warriors on a battlefield, but if they fail and are defeated, those are the moments when a Hero is born or given a ss and it''s when they turn the battlefield."