《I Became The Mafia Boss Inside The Novel》


 Chapter 1: Elias Roan

    <h4>Chapter 1: Elias Roan</h4>


    [The Heroes of the New Age]


    A popr novel that recently emerged in the online literature space. It appeared like a dark star, instantly topping most of the rankings and charts at its start, surprising everyone.


    Written by an amateur author with no prior experience, such instant resounding sess was unexpected and shocking.


    But after the readers, conquered by curiosity, read the novel, they only had one remark about it.


    Amazing.


    It was the type of novel that made one shed tears,ugh out loud, and act ecstatic and childish.


    It was unique and special, an amazing work with well-written characters that the readers could rte to.


    And it wasn''t no surprise that with its spreading reputation, the novel quickly gained a sturdy fanbase, having the spotlight for a while in the online literature space.


    To the readers or fans of the work, it wasn''t merely a novel. The novel far surpassed that. It was a novel with the fun of web novels and hints of ssics.


    Although it wasn''t safe from criticism as it was not perfect from all ends, the good it had far outweighed the bad it could have.


    In short, it was a resounding sess.


    Therefore, it was entirely puzzling why the author suddenly messed the story up, badly ruining everything.


    ***


    [Heavenly Sovereign God: Dogshit author! Howe Lance reverted to his original personality???]


    [Fallen Human: I''ve seen many authors messed up, but never this badly. You should be ashamed of yourself for existing.]


    [FuckYouEroan: I made this ount on how much I hate you. You ruined everything.]


    [AliceLover12457: Even Alice wasn''t safe from your clutches... I curse you...]


    [...]


    A young man garbed with ck linen clothes and wearing a scarf on his neck silently read thements.


    "They''re really angry."


    Elias Roan chuckled. He was not surprised by the reactions of the others to the novel. No one in the world was more familiar than him with the novel.


    Why? Because he was the amateur author of that novel.


    Author: Eroan¡ªThe author who wrote [Heroes of The New Age].


    When he wrote it, the poprity and trend it brought only made him widen his eyes and scoff in madness at the situation; it was a surprise, really.


    An ironic twist of fate that a novel he created on a whim of sarcasm could amass him such poprity.


    That was not him being arrogant, it was the truth.


    Often he would browse through reviews of his own work and he would see fans praising it for being a work made from heartfelt emotions and passion, filled with nuance,plexity, and themes of human nature.


    On that, he wouldugh. Elias Roan wouldugh without hesitation. There was no doubt that he made the novel with heartfelt emotions and passion; but not the emotions which they were thinking of.


    It was a work written out of spite and rage. Out of malice, sorrow, rage, and spite¡ªa way to vent his repressed emotions during the worst times of his life.


    It had no nuance,plexity, or any other thing. It was just pure nonsense. There was no deeper thought to it. Just a pure, heap of bullshit.


    And yet such a thing¡­ It was regarded as a great novel?


    "What a load of bullshit¡­ what has the world gone to?"


    Elias sighed self-deprecatingly.


    That''s why, during thest arc he decided to ruin everything. To throw away all character development and destroy every little good thing about the novel.


    Back then, he was quite looking forward to the reaction that would spur when the novel got worse.


    And he wasn''t disappointed.


    "Curse all you want, nothing is going to change."


    Elias muttered to himself, stretching his handszily.


    Looking at the time on theptop, he realized it had been a while since he was writing.


    He looked at theptop screen, the smile on his face widening.


    It had been three years since he made the novel, and now was the time for its final publication. After this, it would thoroughly end.


    With little to no reluctance, Elias saved and uploaded the final chapter of the novel before standing up from his chair.


    Before he left the room, he took ast nce at theptop before chuckling self-deprecatingly. It''s done and he finished it in the way he wanted.


    Of course, the way he wanted¡ªthe opposite of what the readers wanted.


    To borate, thest arc and thest chapter of the novel is a tragic ending.


    It was the type of ending that would spur a fandom to curse the author, destroy what reputation remained of the work, andpletely ruin the experience of every reader.


    It was the horrible ending that every author should avoid, but one he purposely wrote.


    He did it for one reason; out of damn spite. He already got everything out of it, might as well spite everyone in the process.


    Childish? Yes. Immature? Yes.


    Did he remotely care? No, not at all.


    "Hahahahahahahaha."


    Eliasughed with a hint of mockery as he exited the room. Soon, the lights turned off as silence descended the room, leaving theptop on the desk.


    [...]


    After a while, since he left, theptop suddenly vibrated. Its screen turned on under no one''s influence, brightening a portion of the room.


    [You really did that, huh?]


    A sentence appeared on the screen before being wiped out as a new sentence formed again.


    [Sigh, that was my favorite work, you know? What a nasty bastard¡­ I should''ve seen thating when thest arc started... the characters were getting twisted...]


    [I''ve decided! I''ll use you for that spot. Hmph.]


    The text in the screen paused, as though contemting.


    [Maybe I shouldn''t do that? Nah. It''s his fault anyway. Technically. Yeah, that should be good.]


    At that moment, theptop turned off. The room once again descended in silence, overriden of darkness.


    ***


    In a pitch-ck room, the smell of blood and steel filled the small cell. At the back of the room, a young man with rough features groggily woke up.


    The young man wore a matching uniform and leggings, with parallel stripes woven in hue of contrasting ck and white.


    He had messy ck hair and a long scar beside his temple that entuated the dangerous and threatening air surrounding him.


    Slowly, the young man opened his eyes as the drowsiness that upied his mind vanished with each second.


    However, before the young man was confused, bewildered and before he could even react ¡ªhe suddenly grabbed his head in panic as his body fell to the ground.


    ''What the hell?! Wha¡ª!''


    Elias Roan groaned as he felt a massive headache abruptly assault him. It pierced through his fragile soul.


    "Arghhhh¡ª!"


    Elias eyes shouted uncontrobly.


    At that moment, several scenes shed through his mind. He didn''t know how, but upon seeing them, he immediately recognized what they were¡ªmemories!


    Under the assault of an intense headache, he couldn''t think of anything other than to integrate the memories.


    After a few seconds, the headache abruptly stopped as the memories that appeared finished engraving themselves on his mind.


    Fragmented memories of the past mixed along his present memories, interweaving. In the end, he was lost in a daze.


    Shortly after, Elias sobered up from his daze and disyed an expression of astounding disbelief.


    "What the hell are these memories... my name is supposedly Elias Vito Casteno?"


    Elias Vito Casteno, the fallen sessor of the destroyed Casteno Family.


    Due to a new ruler in the underworld, the Head of the Casteno, unwilling to surrender and swear subservience, was subjected to extermination as the entirety of the family was soon killed or jailed by the surrounding forces.


    And it had been approximately a week since the caught Casteno remnants had been thrown into jail.


    "I''m Elias Vito Casteno? No. I''m certain I''m me, Elias Roan... it seems I inherited the memories and emotions of Elias Vito Casteno."


    Elias realized this all at once. He could also feel some foreign emotions erupting from within him.


    Bottomless sorrow and infallible rage.


    He calmed himself down for a moment and assessed his own situation. Then, like the wind blowing the fog, he grasped on to little rity he possessed to think critically.


    ''A possession... no, more aptly. Transmigration or fusion of souls. I possessed this body and gained the memories and emotions of this person.''


    ''It could be said, although I am Elias Roan. I am also Elias Vito Casteno.''


    Soon, the fog of confusion departed from Elias'' mind. He groaned irritably as he had gotten an answer.


    After a wave of calmness, he managed to slowly separate the confusion between his identity and fix the dissociation within him.


    ''I''m Elias Roan, not Elias Vito Casteno.''


    At that moment, while he was thinking, a loud mechanical sound erupted in his mind.


    [Have you woken up yet?]

 Chapter 2: Tragedy Transmigration

    <h4>Chapter 2: Tragedy Transmigration</h4>


    Hearing that, Elias suddenly turned alert. <i>Huh? Did... I just hear someone speak in my mind? Who was that?</i>


    Confused, Elias slowly raised his head and suddenly felt the wind breeze, making his body tremble from the cold.


    The prison room which was quiet, suddenly shook, glitchy oveys appearing on the surface of reality as though there was a bug in ''reality'' itself.


    Seeing the changes, Elias was in a daze. He felt his hands tremble slightly¡ªbefore he clenched it tightly and focused, narrowing his eyes.


    <strong>[Hello, Elias Roan.]</strong>


    At that moment, Elias felt the room suddenly increase in temperature.


    <strong>[Or should I call you by your pen-name, Eroan?]</strong>


    Internally shook, Elias felt an indescribable chill suddenly spurt from his throat. <i>How does he know that? I didn''t even use my real identity when I sighed the writing contract with thepany....</i>


    "Who... are you? No, do I know you?"


    The voice paused, turning the room silent. After thinking for a while, it replied with a chuckle.


    <strong>[Me? Hm¡­ It would be anti-climatic to reveal myself at the start, wouldn''t it? That''s not interesting at all. More importantly, that''s not what you should be concerned about.]</strong>


    Unable to understand the thought process, Elias'' lips twitched as he deeply breathed, calming down his nerves in the process.


    "Who¡ªno, what are you? Are you the one responsible for transmigrating me here? What do you want?"


    <strong>[Unexpectedly, for a spiteful bastard... you''re calming yourself more quickly than I imagined, impressive. I''m sure you have a lot of questions right now. But I figured, wouldn''t it be more fun if you solve the mysteries yourself?]</strong>


    Despite feeling like there was something amiss of the whole situation, Elias was sure that the entity behind the voice was ying with him.


    <i>Laughing at him, mocking him</i>.


    He couldn''t help but feel a tinge of irritation.


    <strong>[Though, I''ll give you a headstart. The world you''re in now is a very, very familiar ce for you. Not Earth though. Far away¡­ or perhaps very close? Who knows.]</strong>


    Elias was confused, rightfully so.


    <strong>[The world of Aegis, familiar?]</strong>


    Hearing that name, all manner of color instantly drained from Elias face as his expression paled.


    <i>Aegis¡­</i> Elias widened his eyes at that word. He immediately thought of something, but he denied it fiercely. <i>No way! There''s no way!</i>


    As though taking relish over his suffering, the voice continued, but now filled with derision.


    <strong>[Indeed, the exact Aegis you''re thinking about. Be happy about it! It''s the world that you created! A world that you know very well, with your knowledge, even bing the strongest is no impossible task!]</strong>


    Despite the confirmation and encouraging words by the glitchy system, Elias could no longer keep the horror he desperately contained inside him from those words.


    <strong>[Heh. What a twist of fate, right? Of course, I won''t leave you helpless. I''ll give you this system as a help, I won''t take it back. Its only downside is that it kills you when you fail a mission¡­ and you can''t reject a main mission either.]</strong>


    <strong>[I can''t help with that. There''s a concept you should know very well: equivalent exchange</strong>. <strong>If you want power, you need to exchange for it.]</strong>


    At this point, the voice''s words fell to deaf ears. Elias was struggling to understand anything. It was unrealistic, unbelievable and t out... horrifying as a prospect.


    <strong>[But I''m sure the great Omniscient Author can handle that! Goodluck! I hope you survive until we meet, Elias Roan¡­ or should I now say, Elias Vito Casteno.]</strong>


    As soon as the voice''sst words fell, a harrowing silence creeped in the prison cell and made the air turn colder.


    Afterwards the glitchy ovey of reality vanished along with voice, leaving behind a blue system interface in front of him.


    Despite the harrowing and iprehensible entity already leaving, Elias was still paralyzed in disbelief with a pale face.


    The rest of the contents of the glitchy system fell t to him and entered one ear to leave to the other, only the word Aegis was resounding in his mind like a broken cacophony.


    Why?


    It was because Aegis¡ªthe world where [Heroes of the New Age] urs was headed into a certain, inevitable future.


    It was a future he meticulously weaved. The ending that Elias rigorously nned and written for years out of spite.


    Thest chapter of <strong>nketed tragedy.</strong>


    A future without life, a world of destion.


    Aegis was headed into an absolute, certain inevitable future of <i>destruction</i>. In other words, a tragedy that could not be circumvented.


    ***


    After a few minutes, Elias returned to reality, his face still pale while his eyes slightly regaining luster.


    The impact of the realisation of his situation left him in deep seated despair. However, he also realised one side of the situation that gave him hope.


    "Even if the world is going to get destroyed, It doesn''t matter, as long as I can return to Earth. I can''t give up yet¡­"


    Elias reminded himself. At that moment, various questions arose in his mind to distract him from the fact of his situation.


    <i>''How could the world I createde alive? Who was the person speaking behind the system? What''s my purpose in all of this? How can I return to earth?''</i>


    His mind was full of questions with no answers. Elias grimly sighed as he temporarily let every concern including his current situation be buried for the moment.


    Currently, he had no answer to any of the questions. He had some preliminary guesses from experience based on reading novels, but those were just some nonsense; this was reality.


    Shaking his head, Eliad looked at the most pressing matter right now.


    <strong>[Hero Creator System]</strong>


    From the words of the entity earlier, this system could be considered their help to him. However, he couldn''t verify if it was safe or not.


    But upon careful consideration, if the entity wanted to kill him¡ªit wouldn''t be using such a difficult and troublesome way.


    But... his mind was in a mess, repulsed by the thought of trusting some strange high dimensional entity.


    Thinking of that, Elias murmured a word he had read in the past: "Status."


    At that moment, the system screen disyed itself to him.


    <strong>[Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)</strong>


    <strong>Race: Human</strong>


    <strong>Talent: Indomitable Spirit</strong>


    <strong>Rank: E+</strong>


    <strong>Level: 17</strong>


    <strong>Unused status points: 150</strong>


    <strong>STR: E+ (78/100)</strong>


    <strong>AGI: E+ (70/100)</strong>


    <strong>STA: E+ (58/100)</strong>


    <strong>CONST: E+ (65/100)</strong>


    <strong>INT: E (51/100)</strong>


    <strong>MAG: E- (43/100)</strong>


    <strong>GROWTH: D (50/200)</strong>


    <strong>SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Ferocious Underdog], [Gaze of Intimidation].]</strong>


    <i>''Isn''t this kind of stats... a pile of shit?''</i>


    Elias was stunned as he looked at it. In the world of Aegis, there were ssified rankings implemented to measure strength.


    Rank F pertains to people as strong as ordinary humans, usually people below level 10.


    Rank E pertains to people above average, with levels around 10-19.


    Rank D pertains to those with levels around 20-39.


    Rank C pertains to those with levels around 40-59.


    Rank B, Rank A and beyond those¡­ were above level 60 and almost unmeasurable.


    There was also a system status screen in the world.


    But unlike the status system people use in this world, the Hero Creator System he currently has seems to have more advanced uses and additional tabs.


    For example, thetter has something called status points which have the ability to grant the user immediate power up at moments notice or instantly increase their familiarity in skills.


    That was a very broken ability, considering the way people raise their strength in Aegis is through either training, killing monsters, subjugating dungeons and enlightenment.


    There was also something called Mission Tab which immediately caught Elias'' notice as he remembered what the entity said.


    <strong>[MISSION TAB]</strong>


    Looking at the shining section, he recalled what the entity said before.


    ''It''s only downside is that it kills you when you fail a mission¡­''


    Elias hesitated to touch it as it may give him a sudden mission. But he had a feeling that regardless of his intentions, the system would force him a mission anyway.


    Before he could decide whether to touch it or not, the Mission Tab glowed brightly before a new screen override the status.


    <strong>[Main Quest: No. 1]</strong>


    <strong>[Rule the Underworld]</strong>


    <strong>[The Underworld has plunged into chaos, all the organisations and the long order within it has been broken down as a new ruler sat on the ghostly throne. The Ghost King killed all those who wouldn''t swear fealty to him. You, Elias Vito Casteno must rise up, kill the Ghost King and rule the Underworld to change your fate of death. Use any means necessary.]</strong>


    <strong>[Time Limit: 1 Year]</strong>


    <strong>[Rewards: ???]</strong>


    Beneath it, two new quests suddenly formed and entered Elias'' sight.


    <strong>[Subquest: No. 1]</strong>


    <strong>[The Don]</strong>


    <strong>[Create an organization and be the head honcho.]</strong>


    <strong>[Time Limit: None.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rewards: [Godfather], [Honor Among Thieves], [Master of Crime].]</strong>


    <strong>[Subquest: No. 2]</strong>


    <strong>[Student of Arcana Academy]</strong>


    <strong>[Enroll as a student of the famous Arcana Academy.]</strong>


    <strong>[Time Limit: 3 Months]</strong>


    <strong>[Rewards: [Advanced Talent Selection], [Technique Selection] and [Advance Item Selection]...]</strong>


    <i>This¡­</i> Elias was in a daze as he saw the list of quests. He didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.

 Chapter 3: Ghost King

    <h4>Chapter 3: Ghost King</h4>


    After his initial shock, Elias soon recovered from his daze.


    "The Ghost King¡­?"


    Looking at the eye-catching glowing main mission etched upon the screen, Elias suddenly felt some sorrow and deep seated rage within him rise up at the name.


    He was sure this wasn''t his emotions¡ªbut rather from Elias Vito Casteno.


    Through the memories, Elias found out why there was such deep seated rage and sorrow within him.


    In the world of Aegis there was an event called¡ªThe Great Catastrophe¡ªthat became the turning point for this world.


    Two hundred years ago since the Great Catastrophe happened, the world had massively changed.


    The peace that humanity desperately preserved, shattered as the dawn of destruction fell into the world.


    Innumerable disasters that came so suddenly destroyed countlessnds, sunk uncountable number of countries, and annihted a huge portion of the poption.


    But after the destruction subsided, humanity was nowhere close from peace¡ªfragmented spatial distortions appeared on thends.


    In other words, dungeons. These dungeons contained mystical inheritances, dangerous creatures, and a new world.


    Apanied by the arrival of dungeons, humanity subsequently discovered the new power of mana, the hidden power within themselves.


    It allowed them to shatter rocks, create fire on thin air, y dragons and summon even the mightiest waves of water.


    With such great power came great chaos, and the Underworld was one of the most affected and became more disorderly from such event.


    In the long process of upheaval, the countless Families of the Underworld lost control of the authority they held and even became more greedy, extending their hands to everything in the world.


    This contributed to more chaos and destruction.


    However, amidst the overgrowing chaos and unbridled destruction, a special man rose up to the evil during the The Third War (1180).


    The man was like a star, brightly shining with passion and power. He had immense potential. With the ruthlessness and charisma of a devil, he suppressed the countless Great Families and established a new order to the chaotic underworld.


    Before the united-government alliance could even do anything, the man became the ruler of the underworld and conquered everyone with fear and respect.


    And that man soon became a legend¡ªhis name bing a symbol of both fear and admiration, his feats inducing respect to even his enemies.


    That man was his father, Andolinio Casteno.


    For a long period of time, the Underworld was at peace under his rule¡­ however the Five Mafioso Families fell in the allure of Judas.


    The Ghost King, with the Five Mafioso Families, surrounded the Casteno family and Andolinio Casteno, ambushing them, and personally killing his father.


    <i>Afterwards¡­ the rest was history</i>. Most of the Casteno members were killed while some were rotting in jail, kept in a life sentence.


    It was a tragic ending for an otherwise legendary beginning.


    <i>No wonder¡­</i> Elias took a deep breath, restraining the rage inside him. If this world was really his novel, then he wasn''t unfamiliar to the aforementioned Ghost King.


    Although he barely went in depth to the Underworld-side when he was writing, he still built and wrote some foundation and world building as a backup when he needed it.


    It also struck his mind¡ªthe story of Andolinio Casteno was simrly written by him in the passing.


    Elias suddenly fell silent.


    He sighed before shaking his head, remembering where he left out.


    The Ghost King¡­ is an important character that wouldter serve as foil for the main characters. Although he wasn''t a King-level Ranker in the truest sense, he was still ssified as one by others.


    A King was as its name implies, a ruler of people. A vast and powerful entity that could grasp the world under their hand.


    Elias wrote the Ghost King as a character to bridge and introduce thete game or end characters to main characters for the story.


    In other words, the Ghost King was a terrifying individual.


    ''<i>How can I even kill a person like that in a year¡­ with garlic and prayer beads..?''</i> Eliasmpooned silently.


    As for the subquests¡­ they were fairly easy. That is, if he manages to escape this prison. Otherwise, they were just as hard as the main quest.


    "Shit¡­"


    Elias cursed with a sigh.


    From the memories, he knew that he was currently imprisoned in a dangerous facility.


    Specifically, in a facility known as Tartarus.


    Otherwise known as the most dangerous prison in the entire world, keeping some of the dangerous men alive with tight security.


    "How can I even escape a prison that hasn''t been broken out for the past 100 years¡­"


    "Whoever transmigrated me here really hates me. They didn''t even bother putting me directly in the academy like other extra novels¡­"


    Elias criticised silently. Although his situation looks hopeless from inside and out, oddly enough he didn''t really feel any despair.


    He figured every despair in his body was already drained when he learned that he was inside the world he had written.


    The only thing keeping him sane was that the end of the world would only ur a decadeter. By that time, he''s either dead or powerful enough to return to earth.


    Who knows, really?


    Elias shook his head. He stood up and approached the cell door. The cell invoked a nostalgia in hin.


    It wasn''t his first rodeo in the jail. Elias'' lips curled in a mocking smile. He pushed open the cell door, eliciting a strong sound to the quiet environment.


    The cells were open during the day to noon, while tight locked at night. During the day, the prisoners, his fellow inmates usually gather at the courtside for morning exercises. At noon, they gather at the cafeteria to eat.


    "They should be at the cafeteria right now¡­"


    Elias muttered silently, making his way to the prison cafeteria.


    ***


    Tartarus, Cafeteria.


    There were all kinds of people in the wide room, some with a burly and exaggerated appearance while others thin and pale, seemingly on their deathbed.


    "I''ve been saying, I couldn''t damn sleep with your fucking'' nail biting¡­"


    "Heh, have you gotten any news about your family outside?"


    "How long¡­ how long¡­ are we going to stay here?"


    The cafeteria was full of noise with countless prisoners each having their own conversations. There were countless steel tables in the cafeteria, representing different groups of people.


    In the middle, a particr steel table with five figures sitting emanated an intimidating presence. The other prisoners near them seem to be averting their eyes, wishing to have nothing to deal with them.


    At that moment while everyone seemed to be talking to each other, footsteps resounded the halls.


    Thump! Thump!


    The footsteps got louder each second, making some of the prisoners give their attention to who is about to enter.


    A few secondster, a faint shadow appeared on the entrance as a dark haired youth with a cold expression arrived, looking over the room.


    As soon as the dark haired youth with a cold bearing arrived, a pin drop silence suddenly fell on the entire cafeteria.


    Even the wind seemed to stop breezing.


    Elias nodded and made his way to the table in the middle. As for the silence¡­ let''s just say he had a reputation around the prison.


    To borate, there wasn''t anyone that didn''t know that he was the sessor or child of the legendary Andolinio. Such an identity could bite him in the back if he wasn''t careful, but thankfully his subordinates were also in Tartarus with him, keeping him safe.


    Although Tartarus was known by the public as the most dangerous prison in the world, it was mostly an exaggeration. It wasn''t entirely filled with strong and dangerous people.


    On the contrary, only few strong and dangerous people were kept here¡ªsince the truly dangerous ones were still running around outside.


    It was mostly filled with weak and cannon fodder threats. The reason is that Tartarus is also the prison where people that used their talents and magic for crime gets thrown into, regardless of the level of their power.


    The united-government couldn''t be bothered to separate criminals and decided to just gather them all together.


    That''s why although Elias wasn''t that strong, with his reputation and the faction around him, he could maintain a level of power in the cafeteria.


    As for the real dangerous threats, they were kept above, where security is more tight and those entric threats barely mingle with others in the cafeteria.


    That''s why around these parts, he was the head honcho,manding a bit of authority and power.


    Elias stopped at the table in the middle, looking silently at the five imposing figures sitting on the silver steel table.


    The five held unique and distinct appearances that left a deep impression to anyone who looked at them.

 Chapter 4: Five Musketeers

    <h4>Chapter 4: Five Musketeers</h4>


    The five imposing figures wore distinct remarkable appearances as they say on each side of the table:


    Galilei, a middle aged man with a long scar on his eye. He had a ferocious face, in contrast to his calm personality.


    Junior, a stoic man with an intimidating presence. He was a man of few words, and more action.


    Tauros, a man with narrow and big eyes that emphasised the irritant and mean air surrounding him.


    Donato, a bald man in his fifties with a piercing look that seems to be looking right straight into one''s soul.


    Alexus, a man with a mature face wearing a cold expression, resembling that of utter detachment.


    After seeing Elias arrive, they all simultaneously stood up as they widened their eyes and bowed deeply, as though surprised by his sudden appearance.


    "We greet the Don''s sessor."


    Elias stopped and tersely nodded in acknowledgement, showing no emotions.


    With his father being dead, the role of the Don naturally fell in his shoulder.


    But due to his father''s stern reminder that to seed him, he would also have to be worthy and establish his own alliance with economic prosperity.


    And thus until now, he''s still just considered a young master or sessor, but that didn''t lessen his authority or respect from his subordinates though.


    Under their surprised gaze, he sat down at the seat reserved for him, slightly shing his body with Donato on the right.


    Before they could open their mouth, he asked them first:


    "How is Uncle Swain?"


    Galilei''s face suddenly turned into surprise, to grimace and eventually he sighed, as though in a struggle.


    "...He''s still ming himself for the former Don''s death, unable to move on. We hoped to talk to him, but unfortunately he doesn''t ept any visitors at all¡­"


    "I understand. I''ll talk to him tomorrow."


    Elias replied, grabbing the spoon and fork on his te. His purpose foring to the cafeteria today was to check on his subordinates.


    Although the memory did say they were just fine and trustworthy, Elias never trusted anyone with full certainty.


    Even now, he preferred to not engage in small talk as they might realize that he''s no longer the old Elias.


    Hearing his words, the five of them wore an expression of surprise.


    Alexus, a tad bit worried and delighted, suddenly asked:


    "...Young Master, are you alright now?"


    Elias nodded and simply replied.


    "Don''t worry about it."


    Hearing that, the five of them heavily sighed in relief. Elias was the only proper sessor left of the Casteno blood, and most importantly, the eldest child of their Godfather, Andolinio Casteno.


    If something were to happen to the child of their Godfather, not even killing themselves would remove the stain of their sin.


    They were concerned about him as the young Don showed signs of defeat and resignation yesterday, worried about his state.


    After his father died, Elias understandably became depressed and angry to himself as he imprisoned himself in his jail cell, stuck in his own world with a defeated and lifeless gaze.


    Originally, they nned to wait at least two more days before visiting Elias. Grief, recovery and eptance¡­ they required time. And they hoped the young Don would rise up to it.


    While they were thinking, Elias took some food on the table and asked off-handedly to his subordinates:


    "How about you guys? Have you heard of any interesting newstely?"


    The rest looked at each other before Galilei took it upon himself to report something.


    "We''re fine, young Don. As for intel¡­ Donato is still gathering some from others but he found that there''s a rumoured seller in this prison."


    "A seller? Pray tell."


    Donato took it upon himself to exin. He tapped the table in slight curiosity.


    "He calls himself Goblin and everyone seems to agree with that name. Based on his own words, he can sell anything you want for a decent price."


    "Ah, Goblin?"


    Elias suddenly said, inwardly stunned.


    ''Goblin¡­ it couldn''t be that existence, right?''


    If it was true, then escaping this prison might be easier than he thought. No, it would be a breeze!


    Donato nodded amicably and added.


    "That''s what he called himself, yes."


    "...I''d like to meet that seller. Good job."


    Elias nodded. He''ll meet Swain first before checking if the aforementioned Goblin


    was that existence.


    After the report, a wave of silence took over the table¡ªElias focusing on his food as he ate silently. Another reason of himing here was to eat.


    He was practically starving in that cell.


    His predecessor, simr to the aforementioned Swain, also couldn''t move on from his fathers death and became depressed.


    It went to the point where his predecessor didn''t eat in almost a week, causing his body to weaken and be frail.


    As Elias ate, he suddenly paused in the air while his eye caught a glimpse at Donato to his right. There was nothing wrong other than the fact there was a¡­ screen¡ªa literal blue status screen beside the bald headed man.


    [Name: Donato Gueneva]


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Eagle Eye]


    [Rank: C+ (Suppressed to C-)]


    [Level: 44]


    [STR: B- (C)]


    [AGI: C+ (C-)]


    [STA: C+ (C-)]


    [CONS: C+ (C-]


    [INT: D (D)]


    [WIS: C- (C-)]


    [MAG: F (F)]


    [GROWTH: D+]


    [SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Piercing Bullet], [Long Range Killer], [Gun Mastery], [Elemental Bullets], [Precise Death]...]


    Perhaps thanks to his past life experiences or the fusion between the souls, he could control his emotions more precisely to the point he managed to immediately recover from his daze.


    "I can also view others'' status¡­?'' Elias thought in silence. That added to the list of useful abilities, but other than that, the [Appraisal] seems to be only faintly grasping the surface of the person.


    He noted thatpared to his own status screen that disyed an in depth examination of his progression, his [Appraisal] only viewed the surface abilities of a person.


    ''Nheless, it was another useful ability. I''ll try checking the others...'' Elias nodded secretely before focusing again on his food, asionally touching his subordinates "identally".


    After a while, he finished looking at each of their status screens and found out about their abilities.


    That short event was something no one noticed.


    ***


    TNG¡ª! TNG¡ª!


    The cafeteria bell rang loudly, taking everyone''s attention away.


    Elias looked up.


    "The bell is ringing. It''s time to go back."


    Donato and the rest added as they all simultaneously stood up.


    "You''re free to find us in the cafeteria everytime you need us, young master."


    "That''s right. Young master."


    Elias looked at the and slowly nodded before standing up. He waved his hand and inly spoke.


    "Rx, we''ll have more time to be together in the future."


    Without waiting for their response, Elias unhurriedly walked to his own jail cell while silently looking above, his gaze piercing through the ceiling.


    The five subordinates of his were all Rank C+ which could be considered an elite force in this world.


    He wasn''t certain if he could trust them even if the memory showed he could. It was an intrinsic difference of values and personality.


    However, he would operate under the assumption that they wouldn''t betray him¡­ as of yet.


    Right now, the most important thing is to rest and check all of his cards before formting his n.


    Preparation was the key to a prison escape.


    Speaking of preparations, he remembered a unique and convenient skill that has a rtively easy requirement to fulfill.


    Skills were ssified into two; active and passive. The former of which is more seen in techniques and abilities, while thetter of which is more instinctive and natural.


    Another difference is that active skills are techniques that can usually be learned through enlightenment, being taught, or learning from manuals.


    On the other hand, passive skills are something a person is naturally born with, acquired through repetitive actions, or granted by the will of the world through fulfilling a requirement.


    In another angle, one could consider active skills as self-created or man created skills while passive skills are the natural skills already there since the beginning of time.


    As for the passive skill that he was eyeing for, it was called¡­


    Sleight of Hand.

 Chapter 5: Pondering

    <h4>Chapter 5: Pondering</h4>


    After returning to his cell, Elias naturally returned to his bed. He was pondering on how he should go on about getting the Sleight of Hand skill.


    The Sleight of Hand skill was a rare passive skill that allows the person to move their hands niftily and steal anything unnoticed.


    Upon realising his predicament, his mind instantly went into that skill.


    It was the only chance he has to escape this ce, because the use of mana, the fundamental energy, was forbidden here.


    After being sent to Tartarus, the prisoners would be shackled by an anti-mana cor on their body and be suppressed of their strength.


    ''No wonder I couldn''t sense my mana at all¡­'' Elias thought silently, his eyes looking at the unfeeling cor attached to his neck.


    As far as he knew, there were only two ways to remove such restraints for the current him.


    The first one, believe or not, is to break the cor by overflowing it with mana from an outside party or external source. Ironically, the anti-mana cor''s greatest weakness was mana.


    That was rather simple but impossible for him. Tartarus didn''t have any source of mana outside of the guards and security.


    He couldn''t just walk up to them and ask "hey could you break my cor?" They surely wouldn''t agree to that.


    ''Surely¡­'' Elias sarcastically thought.


    The second one or his only choice was the old fashion way, to steal the key for the anti-mana cor and remove the restraints.


    While the two choices sounded rtively simple, it really wasn''t. The former was impossible. While thetter was almost impossible.


    The keys to the cors were not only tightly guarded but also located in an unknown room he didn''t know yet.


    That''s why he needed Sleight of Hand skill.


    However, if that Goblin existence was really here then, he could use another method. But he wouldn''t bet on it.


    ''If I remember correctly, the requirement for Sleight of Hand is rather simple but troublesome in a different way¡­'' Elias thought with a frown.


    Being one of the skills he created himself, he was familiar with the requirements of getting the passive skill.


    The requirement was to do the "act of theft" for a thousand times, the target object could be different or the same.


    That''s why it was rtively simple and yet troublesome. It took a thousand times¡­ it would take him more than a week to finish that.


    If he were to do so fifty times a day, then by a week he would achieve more than a quarter of the needed requirement.


    Thinking of that, Elias nodded to himself and thought about another thing he needed to prioritize.


    The second most important thing for him to do was raising his strength. The second subquest was enrolling in the prestigious Arcana Academy.


    The Arcana Academy was where all aspiring young heroes would gather so the requirements to be a student of that school were definitely not small.


    It was also where the main story actually starts.


    The minimum rank they ept is low Rank D, less than that was an automatic rejection. There were no special privileges, even for great families and nobles.


    ''For my current state, I''ll just be automatically rejected when I enroll there¡­'' Elias thought with a snicker.


    Truthfully, the number of young people that could reach Rank D at the age of 16 or 17 were few and in-between.


    Those that could reach Rank D at a young age were either sufficiently talented or spoon fed of resources.


    Elias looked at his status. His lips twitched when he saw his own Rank.


    ¡­It wasn''t that Elias Vito Casteno was untalented and poor that he couldn''t reach Rank D at his current age, 16, but rather he just didn''t work hard enough.


    His father was the ruler of the Underworld, it could be said that he was privileged for the most part of his life. It didn''t help that his predecessor''s father also doted on his family too much.


    That led to him not taking his training seriously enough and not thinking of his future, keeping him stuck at Rank E.


    From Elias calctions, it wouldn''t take long before the past him could reach Rank D anyways, with his stats bordering D rank.


    Unfortunately before his predecessor could even reach that rank, his life ended before his eyes.


    "It seems I will be here for quite some time¡­"


    Elias sighed. Oh well, not like that was bad, atleast that gave him more time to devise some ns for the future and adapt to this world.


    That was for the best. In any case, he would start training and executing his ns for the skill tomorrow morning.


    And maybe meet the people who are maybe potential keys to his ns in escaping this ce.


    Thinking of that, Elias'' eyes shed a cold glint before returning to normal as his lips curled.


    ***


    On a wider cell covered with pitch ck darkness, the silhouette of a tall figure could be seen leaning on the walls unnaturally silently as though dead.


    Light shone through the cell, revealing the tall silhouette''s appearance.


    It was a middle aged man with messy white hair and facial hair. His whole body was constricted and restrained, as chains from the walls shackled his arms and legs.


    Upon seeing the light, the man''s eyes immediately shed a dangerous glint.


    A faint sound echoed as the cell door opened.


    At that moment, a tiny pebble sted to the cell door in breakneck speed that could not be seen in the human eye.


    The security guard, who just came inside the cell, moved without interruption as the tiny pebble suddenly turned left before it could hit the person.


    "I''m here to deliver your food, Swain."


    The middle aged man, Swain, was silent for a moment before nodding.


    "Leave it there."


    The guard, indifferent, carefully ced the te of food inside the cell and left without saying anything.


    After the guard left, silence returned to the cell. Only after a while as a loud gurgling sound resounded did it break apart.


    Swain raised his head and looked at the food.

 Chapter 6: New Prisoners

    <h4>Chapter 6: New Prisoners</h4>


    "Wake up, inmate!"


    The guard from outside the cell shouted, shaking the cell door.


    ng! ng!


    In the cell room, Elias was woken up by the loud and erratic noise. However, he didn''t stand up yet. His eyes were zed towards the ceiling, as though unresigned.


    The in ceiling, ragged bed and cell room reeking of rusty steel made him realise that yesterday was reality.


    Last night, he was still keeping up hopes that everything was merely a dream and sleeping would resolve it.


    But¡­ Elias couldn''t help but clench his fist in a mix of rage and resignation.


    A few secondster as the nging of the cell door increasingly grew louder, the guard shouted.


    "Wake up! Inm¡ª"


    "Shut up."


    Elias clicked his tongue, mming his hand on the wall. Too damn loud. He really wants to bash that guard''s head to the cell.


    The guard suddenly retreated slightly before realizing that it was nothing. Angered by his actions, the guard shouted in rage:


    "You damn bastard, you dare to hold a tone against me? Who do you think you are¡­"


    "Fuck."


    Elias scoffed without regard. As a person, he could maintain a calm mind for most of the time, but when he doesn''t, he never cares for the consequences.


    It has always been a w of his, one that he was willing to embrace.


    Elias stretched his hands as he slowly stood up. Although the guards had ess to mana, he couldn''t find himself to care.


    They wouldn''t carelessly beat up prisoners, the guards also have ''restrictions'' in their actions.


    The guard was stunned and filled with rage. He was about to enter the cell.


    "You bastard what the hell did you¡ª"


    "Let''s go."


    However, Elias interrupted him and yawnedzily, arriving beside the guard. He patted the man''s shoulder.


    He suddenly remembered that it was Daytime.


    It was not good to bete. There were still plenty of things he needed to do. And besides, he felt it would be too troublesome if the guard attacked him blindly in rage.


    He was just provoking the man to relinquish some of his anger. He wasn''t really interested in a fight.


    Although the security in prison has formal restrictions to prevent them from beatomg prisoners up, it really wouldn''t restrict them.


    Like most of the rues, they were just formalities.


    They were forbidden to do so, but if a guard were to beat up an inmate, and thetter reports it¡ªwhich would the council believe?


    Certainly not the inmate with a criminal background.


    "What do you mean, let''s go, you damn bastard? You think¡­"


    The guard was about to strike in anger, but upon seeing his appearance, he suddenly bit his lip reluctantly before grumbling in annoyance.


    "Dammit."


    "Lead the way."


    Elias said coldly, ncing at the security guard.


    But that didn''t mean that the guards were invincible in this prison. Far from it. The security also had to thread carefully on which prisoner they had to offend and not.


    Some prisoners, like Elias for example, had a some strong prisoners backing him up and listening to hismands.


    Those were the prisoners that even the guards had to slightly keep their guards up to. Afterall, no matter how great mana is, could it save you from plenty of people?


    Rather than being scared of the person, they were scared of the authority the person possessed. The real restrictions he mentioned was not the rules, but those people beyond it.


    Most of the security were only at Rank E to D, with a special few at Rank C such as the vice chieftains, and the chieftain at Rank B.


    There were special prisoners in the facility that they had to take a step back too, even if they possessed mana.


    At some point, when a Ranker undergoes an advancement or trains long enough, the mana inside them would start to engrave in their body, as though bing a part of themselves.


    That allowed them to be resistant to attacks involving mana and even harm those with mana.


    That''s why, even if the security team were in possession of mana, they weren''t safe from harm¡­ especially from strong people or the prison bosses.


    Elias lips curled as he watched the guard lead him to the prison courtyard. It was now daytime.


    ***


    Tartarus, Courtyard.


    On a wide court spanning hundreds of yards, thousands of prisoners entered and organized themselves in a line.


    Elias followed casually, his eyes observing the courtyard. The ce was truly wide, as though abination of two or more football fields.


    All over the court, there were numerous fields with different purposes. What caught his interest was the gym section.


    There were also fields centered around sports. A basketball field, badminton field, etc¡­


    But the most eye-catching thing on the entire courtyard were the colossal watch towers beside each field. On top of each tower, multiple guards with firearms stood.


    Of course, the court ground also had multiple guards standing at the periphery of the courtyard, near the long walls of spikes that covered the outside world.


    Through the long spikes, Elias saw the outside world for the first time.


    The zing sun, the ever vast blue sky and the fresh lively wind. It was no different from earth, but the sight of it was more repulsive than where he previously was.


    While the prisoners lined up and organized themselves, a loud whistle suddenly echoed and rang out.


    "Alright, line up! You bunch of squirming thieves and criminals have new damn roommates!"


    A tall guard whistled as he sternly shouted in the front. Behind him, several silhouettes outlined themselves.


    Elias brows furrowed for a moment before looking at the new prisoners. Most of them were gathered to the left with their heads lowered, while on their front was a intimidating man withrge brows.


    By a nce, one would catch the assumption that the intimidating man was the tyrant leader while the others behind him were his loyal dogs.


    Simrly, everyone else in the courtyard thought the same as they turned to look at the man.


    The man reciprocated their stares.


    ''The others aren''t anything much, but that man¡­'' Elias frowned before shaking his head. He was thinking if these new variables would affect him to escape.


    Afterall, despite being the author, he never thought of himself as omnipotent and omniscient. There were bound to be new, unpredictable variables amok.


    However, he wasn''t much surprised by the new prisoners. Tartarus always had new people every week.


    "Huh, wait¡­ isn''t that the Bones King?"


    A mutter escaped from the inmate beside him.


    ''Bones King..?'' Elias thought before shaking his head. He never wrote a character like that before.


    While he was thinking, the stern guard suddenly paused before saying to the new prisoners:


    "You can leave your introductions forter. Each of you inmates go and line up with the rest. I suppose you inmates already got an idea about the prison schedule, right?"


    The newly introduced intimidating man opened his mouth. However, before he could answer he was suddenly cutoff by the guard.


    "You don''t have to answer. Even if you don''t know, I don''t care. Just go line up with the rest."


    The stern guard said coldly.


    The intimidating man, Bones King Gand, was visibly angered by the guard''s tone. However, whether it be his great will or perception, he ultimately nodded and obediently followed.


    Behind him, the other new prisoners also followed like meek pets. Bones King Gand took a deep breathe before muttering to himself.


    "Calm down, I just have to kill that person and I''m out of this garbage hole... the Family was eager, weren''t they? As long as my contribution is enough, they will release me."

 Chapter 7: Working Out

    <h4>Chapter 7: Working Out</h4>


    Tartarus, Courtyard.


    The sun shone brightly while the stern guard in the front shouted loudly.


    "Move your bodies! One, two, one, two¡­"


    Following the rhythm, Elias stretched his arms and moved his body rhythmically.


    All over the courtyard, every prisoner like him also stretched along and executed the morning exercise.


    While he exercised, his mind was thinking about the new prisoner from earlier.


    Turning his head to his left, Elias suddenly called out to the inmate beside him.


    "Hey, you."


    The inmate turned to look, adapting a surprised and terrified expression upon seeing his face.


    "...Is there a problem?"


    The inmate asked, wariness showing in his body movements.


    "You mentioned that prisoner earlier. Bones King, his title? Tell me more about him in detail."


    Elias ordered, leaving no room for rejection. He wasn''t used to ordering people around but it was the most convenient method right now.


    "Ah. You mean Bones King Gand¡­"


    The inmate seemed to be hesitant for a moment before continuing.


    "I came from the same town as he is in. Back then, everyone in the dark alleys and slums knew who he was. When I started engaging in crime, he was already quite infamous there¡­"


    "Gandmands a gang called Bones. All those who Interacted with him thought he was a terrifying individual. Tyrannical and oppressive, that''s the impression people got of him. Rumour has it that he''s a subordinate of the Maseuchossi Family¡­"


    Elias'' ears perked up towards the end.


    Maseuchossi Family. It was one of the families that participated in the elimination of the Casteno family.


    Deep inside him, he could feel an intense feeling of repulsion.


    However, Elias ignored that and slightly narrowed his eyes.


    Is it a coincidence?


    He had just arrived here a week ago, and now there''s a new prisoner in cahoots with the five families.


    No matter how he looked at it, it was suspicious. No, perhaps it was just his paranoia getting to him.


    He was always a paranoid person.


    Elias shook his head, deciding to not think about it any further.


    "Alright, one, two! one, two and three!"


    ***


    After an hour, the morning exercise finally stopped.


    "Alright, that''s it for today! Like usual, the courtyard can only be essed until 12:00 PM."


    As the stern guard announced, the dozens of guards behind him retreated to the back.


    Elias took a deep breath, feeling refreshed all over his body. The exercise took all the soreness out of his body.


    And perhaps due to his body, he wasn''t tired easily and could even go for an hour or two.


    As he waited for all the guards to move, he nced at the courtyard. A lot of his fellow inmates were heading to their desired field.


    He was trying to find Donato and the rest, and very quickly he found them. Coincidentally, they also saw him and made their way to him.


    Soon, Donato and the rest arrived in front of him.


    They bowed slightly before greeting.


    "We greet the Don''s sessor."


    "Drop the formalities. Where are you guys going?"


    Elias asked while waving his hand in dismissal.


    Donato and the rest looked at each other befor shaking their heads. Afterwards, Alexis spoke.


    "We don''t have any destination in mind, young master. Do you mind if we follow you?"


    Thinking for a moment, Elias shook his head. There was no problem, he was just going to work out anyways.


    "No. Let''s go then."


    After saying that, Elias moved to the north¡ªthe gym section while his five subordinates followed him.


    After a few minutes of walking, Elias and the crew arrived at the gym section.


    It was filled with stench of steel and sweat while work out equipment of moderately high quality were stationed.


    Looking all over the field, there were already people that arrived before them. And likewise, the people turned to look at them before averting their eyes.


    "Oh, we have new faces today."


    Suddenly, a curious voice echoed in the gym section. Elias and his subordinates turned to look at where the voice came from, adapting a look of surprise.


    "Hello there, neers."


    A shirtless man with a huge, muscr body, radiating pure unfiltered testosterone approached them.


    The man had a ferocious face with a strange, unfitting gentle smile.


    After seeing the man''s appearance, Donato leaned to Elias before whispering quietly.


    "That''s Hugo, young master. ording to the prisoners here, he''s the king of the gym, one of the prison bosses. When he''s here, no one would dare to cause any sort of conflict¡­"


    "However, there''s no need to be wary. Taurus is superior to him in strength, so you can do as you wish young master."


    Hearing that, Elias nodded and stared straight at the approaching man. He raised his hand and offered a handshake.


    "Hugo? My name is Elias Vito Casteno."


    Although it was structured as a question, the deliverance of the sentence made one think it was an order without room for rejection.


    Suddenly, Hugo stopped in front of Elias.


    The five subordinates near Elias narrowed their eyes while looking at Hugo, ready to act at any moment.


    An unsettling air erupted as Elias and Hugo stared at each other.


    However, the tense atmosphere quickly vanished. In the end, Hugo shook Elias hand and smiled.


    "Neer. It''s perfectly alright! As long as you don''t cause any troubles, you''re wee!"


    "I won''t."


    Elias shook his head before inwardly sighing in relief. As much as possible, he didn''t want to be in any conflict.


    Although his subordinates were strong, due to the forbidden use of mana, everyone''s strength was significantly reduced.


    And right now, he was utterly weak like a cannon fodder.


    "Okay then, I won''t hold you back! If you need any help, feel free to talk to me in the back, dear friends."


    After that greeting, Hugo turned back and returned to where he came from.


    Elias didn''t stop him and approached a bench nearby.


    To improve his strength, he needed to train with everything he had. It was his only choice if he wanted to live and escape this ce.


    And naturally, the best ce to train himself physically was the gym.


    Elias nced at the bench beforeying on it. He raised his hand and held the dumbbells attached on the bench.


    The metal was cold.


    "Haa¡­"


    One, two¡­ Elias took in the heaviness and began his training, gradually immersing himself.

 Chapter 8: Advancement

    <h4>Chapter 8: Advancement</h4>


    After quite some time, Elias pushed his body upwards, panting heavily in the process.


    "Ny-nine¡­ one hundred¡­"


    After the hundredth count, his body fell onto the surface while beads of sweat drenched his body. His prison uniform was nowhere to be seen, revealing his thin and toned body.


    "Huuu¡­"


    Elias panted as he stood up and walked to a nearby bench. It had already been two hours since he started working out.


    Thinking of that, Elias murmured "system" quietly.


    [Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    Race: Human


    Talent: Indomitable Spirit


    Rank: E+


    Level: 17


    Unused status points: 0


    STR: E+ (79/100)


    AGI: E+ (72/100)


    STA: E+ (72/100)


    CONST: E+ (72/100)


    INT: E (51/100)


    MAGI: E- (43/100)


    GROWTH: D+ (0/200)


    SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Ferocious Underdog], [Gaze of Intimidation]...]


    As soon as he whispered the word, a blue, static screen disyed itself in front of his eyes.


    Before he started working out, he allocated his unused status points to his growth so he could improve much faster.


    ''The gains are not that bad¡­'' Elias nodded but felt a little disappointed. He had been working tirelessly out for two hours straight, and thus he expected to at least to have a level up


    The condition for advancing a level was having four attributes increase in experience, while the condition for advancing a rank was having four attributes have a grade above your rank.


    Unfortunately, his attributes did not meet the requirements and thus it was still at level 17.


    He was worried about this happening, that''s why prior to working out he already allotted his status to his growth.


    ''But in the end¡­'' Elias suddenly shook his head. No, in the first ce, it was wrong to be dissatisfied with such speed and gains.


    When one became a Ranker, improving oneself through simple workout and exercise was nearly impractical.


    And the higher one''s rank, the more useless such simple exercise and work out be.


    However, that did not mean it was useless. It could help with discipline and facilitate the fitness and strength of the body.


    For instances of low rankers, working out was beneficial and had some benefits, no matter how little.


    Depending on one''s growth potential, the improvement that could be gained through working out could range from low to extremely good.


    In his case, his speed of improvement could be considered between good or extremely good.


    Elias had a D+ growth rate efficiency, while he was still E Rank. That means his improvement speed was double the efficiency.


    However, D+ growth rate would obviously matter little once he reached D Rank.


    It was already not bad, he was just being impatient. There was no such thing as immediate results.


    Calmness. Elias took a deep breath. If I keep this progress up, it would only take me a few more sets before advancing another rank.


    But his goal was at minimum Rank D, as that was the required rank for enrolling at Arcane Academy. He didn''t know if it was possible, but he would try his best.


    He wasn''t an avid gym person. In his past life, Elias never even gone to gym and just worked out in his house for daily exercise.


    "There''s nothing productive to do but to work out anyway."


    After resting for some time, Elias stood up once again and began another set of workouts.


    ***


    On the corner, the five subordinates watched quietly, as though acting as guards.


    Watching Elias work had, Galilei praised.


    "The young master has changed. He''s working hard. I wonder what sparked the change in him? Young master never worked this hard before..."


    "Well, he has the genes of the Godfather after all. I told you it would only be a matter of time before he changes."


    Alexus nodded with a smile of his own.


    However, as soon as he said that, the others turned silent and turned tense, as though the air around them froze.


    Alexus was about to ask why before realizing it himself, his eyes simrly turning distant.


    The mere mention of the Godfather made them remember of the tragedy that ured.


    On a night of a full moon, tinted red blood rained and covered the underworld of tragedy as a great war took ce.


    No one could''ve expected it. At that time, they were away from the Godfather and we''re attending the young master.


    Suddenly, a blood covered member of their familia, bursted into the young master''s home and informed them of what happened.


    They were about to join in the war, however what the member said atst stopped them¡­


    The Godfather issued a request to the five of them, ''I trust you five to protect my son. No matter what. Don''t go here. In my order.''


    That stopped them, in spite of their desire to join.


    Collectively, all five of them felt sorrow and anger in recalling the past.


    The Godfather was a person that inspired extreme admiration, he was the one there for everyone, no matter what. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say they would''ve preferred to die by his side than to be imprisoned.


    Taurus, the mean eyed subordinate among them, clenched his first and spoke.


    "...We should''ve returned at that time."


    Junior, the stoic one, sighed and retorted calmly.


    "And what? Die alongside the Godfather? I would''ve preferred that but¡­ we have to follow his orders and protect the young master."


    That made Taurus turn silent.


    "But.. we failed him in the end, didn''t we?"


    Suddenly, Alexus asked in a whisper while looking at his surroundings vacantly.


    Although it was a whisper, the four of them heard it clearly. To that, they couldn''t help but to turn silent as well.


    That was right.


    They were assigned to protect the young master, but in the end¡­


    They failed as they were captured and thrown into prison, slowly rotting in silence.


    "The Godfather wouldn''t appreciate us wallowing like garbage. He would scold us for sure."


    Galilei cleared his throat before breaking the silence.


    Andolinio Casteno was the type of man to toughen everything up. He was a man of action. The thought of wallowing in grief wouldn''t cross him at all.


    To his words, Donato nodded before saying.


    "...Right. There''s nothing we can do but protect the young master. Even if we escape this ce, the young master would be in danger."


    Junior eyes turned cold as he replied.


    "That''s right. Instead, let''s bid for time. When we finally escape¡­ we can achieve our revenge."


    To that, all of them agreed to his words. No matter how long, they swear they would avenge the Godfather and their fallen family.


    No matter what.


    ***


    After a while, Elias finished his sets and was fully drenched in sweat as he panted heavily on the bench.


    His whole body was sore while all of his muscles ached from pain from the intense session.


    However, despite that, his lips were curled into a smile.


    "Finally, It seems intense effort and work out is a good way to advance."


    Looking at the system interface in front of him, Elias couldn''t help but widen his smile.


    [[Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Indomitable Spirit (Not In Effect)]


    [Rank: D- (E+)]


    [Level: 22]


    [Unused status points: 500]


    [STR: D- (21/200) (E+)]


    [AGI: D- (18/200) (E+)]


    [STA: D- (25/200) (E+)]


    [CONST: D- (26/200) (E+)]


    [INT: E (70/100)]


    [MAG: E- (43/100)]


    [GROWTH: D+ (0/200)]


    [SKILLS: [Way of Casteno (Technique)], [Ferocious Underdog(Passive)], [Gaze of Intimidation (Passive)]...]


    After tirelessly working himself out for three more hours, his attributes finally broke through the bottleneck.


    Such a speed could be considered fast and not bad.


    However, it wasn''t truly unexpected to Elias. As he had said, his predecessor had some talent and resources, he just didn''t work hard enough.


    It would only be a matter of time before his predecessor advanced, and sure enough, some work out managed to do that.


    It also helped that his growth improved to an extent and he was still Rank E, thus having faster speed and lower requirements.


    ''So a rank breakthrough to D is 500 status points.''


    Elias felt refresh as he advanced a rank.


    It was as though his body was reforged into a higher level. He was sure that his mana changed as well, but he couldn''t sense it unfortunately.


    "Young master, the Courtyard is already closing."


    Looking up, Elias saw Galilei and the rest. Only then did he realise that it was already 12:00 PM.


    He remembered that he forgot to do the act of theft.


    Nevermind¡­ There''s still time. Elias shook his head before nodding to his subordinates.


    "Let''s go. I want to take a bath before having lunch."

 Chapter 9: Three Rules

    <h4>Chapter 9: Three Rules</h4>


    The sound of water dripping on the floor resounded loudly.


    ''Let''s see¡­''


    While Elias was washing himself, he found the opportunity to examine his own body after the advancement.


    He discovered that his body underwent a qualitative change, as though his strength was akin to a wild beast.


    If previously he was only slightly stronger than an average human adult, now his strength was simr to that of a strong beast.


    The feeling of strength was instinctual, as though carved deep to his soul and body alike.


    As for such phenomenon, Elias recognized it clearly.


    When one advanced a whole rank, their whole body would undergo a qualitative change, akin to an evolution of life order.


    Depending on the attribute they used to advance to the next rank, the benefits brought by a major advancement varied.


    Since he advanced through strength, agility, constitution and stamina, all four of them were upgraded while the rest were untouched.


    However, those were only considered minor benefits indirectly caused by the mana upgrade, the most important benefit of advancing a rank.


    The biggest qualitative change a major advancement brought was that the one''s mana would also be upgraded.


    Normally, such a change would be noticeable, unfortunately due to the anti-mana cor, he couldn''t sense it very well.


    However, despite that, he could still faintly feel the mana inside him reinforce his body and engrave deep into his bones and organs.


    But as soon as it reinforced his body, it couldn''t stay for any longer and returned to his throat, where the cor was located.


    Elias tried to control it to no avail.


    It was as though his mana was stuck on his throat, unable to move and circte, endlessly rotating, only a few leaks would circte.


    It could only be moved through a major advancement.


    To any other Ranker, this was the worst thing that could happen.


    Without mana, not only was a Ranker vulnerable to most attacks, their strength was also significantly reduced.


    The existence of mana could allow them to be almost immune from normal attacks and easily destroy normal objects.


    It was without a doubt the most fundamental aspect of a Ranker.


    That was also why Rankers were leagues above normal humans, because mana made them invincible among normal people.


    "It looks like it would be a while before I can experience the wonders of this world...."


    Elias murmured to himself while the shower continuously dropped water to him, drenching his hair.


    His naked toned body was deluged in the crystal, colourless water. Beside his temple, the long scar that ran deep was hidden in silence.


    The whole bathroom was silent, with only the sound of water echoing amidst the misty room.


    ***


    After taking a bath and drying himself up with a towel, Elias wore his matching prison uniform and made his way to the cafeteria.


    Now that he finished his morning training, it was time to aplish his routine ns for the day.


    While he was contemting about something, he remembered something and asked calmly:


    "Donato, didn''t you mention a seller? Tell me where that ''Goblin'' person is."


    Donato hesitantly replied.


    "...Young master, I''m not so sure. From the information I gathered, he usually appears in the cafeteria."


    Hearing that, Elias immediately frowned.


    "Why are you not so sure? Then where was he yesterday?"


    To his words, Donatio paused before answering.


    "That''s the strangest part of the information, young master. I tried inquiring about it and the others said he only appears randomly once a week, afterwards he vanishes. People asked the guard once in the past, but they said there was never an inmate with such a description. That particr instance also made the security wary and erupted a series of events to capture the Goblin."


    "Goblin''s mysterious nature to vanish led others to think he has some means to escape this ce, unfortunately once someone requested that to him he said that it''s impossible. An inmate once tried to force it out of him, unfortunately that inmate couldn''t even harm him and subsequently was gued with bad luck and even got sent a more restrictive cell."


    As he listened to the information quietly, Elias nodded and asked onest question.


    "...Did that ''Goblin'' person have a huge backpack with him?"


    Donato was slightly stunned by his words before nodding, confirming his suspicions about the ''Goblin''.


    "..Young master, that''s what I heard as well. How did you know?"


    "...It''s nothing."


    Elias lightly dismissed. From the looks of it, this ''Goblin'' is really that unique existence.


    With him on board, then this prison escape may be easier than he thought it would be. No, it would be far, far easier if that was the case.


    He was very familiar with that existence; down to that existence''s capabilities, personality, goal and origin itself.


    That was not strange, after all, he was the one that created that character.


    Soon, he and his five subordinates arrived at the cafeteria''s doors. Elias stepped inside, following him were his five subordinates.


    As soon as they entered, everyone except for eleven people stood up.


    When they stepped foot inside, they couldn''t help but realise something was wrong.


    The ten people sitting in the cafeteria, each strong person in their own right, observed silently.


    Most of the inmates were quietly standing, some were already taking a step back to prepare to escape.


    "Let''s get out of here. It''s going to get ugly."


    An inmate whispered to hispanion before taking a step back.


    In the middle of the cafeteria, there was a tall, intimidating man with bright red eyes arrogantly sitting on the table reserved for them.


    That''s¡­ Elias narrowed his eyes. The new prisoner, Bones King Gand was upying their spot.


    Without him needing to say anything, his subordinates immediately took action and approached Gand with cold expressions.


    Their imposing figures took everyone''s gaze. Their footsteps echoed on the silent cafeteria, causing a wave of tenseness to erupt.


    Without even a few secondster, they arrived in front of the red eyed man.


    "Move."


    Taurus hoarsely ordered while staring at the man with a piercing gaze.


    Beside him, Galilei, Donato, Alexis and Junior surrounded the table with stoic and cold expressions. Their eyes were callous, with a sharp gaze, they stared through the red eyed man.


    At that moment, the others, despite not being the target of the gaze, felt a chill curl up on their spine.


    Fortunately, such an intense atmosphere didn''tst very long.


    Gand, evidently tense and nervous as well, narrowed his eyes before opening his mouth to speak.


    "Why sh¡ª!"


    Bam!


    However, before he could even muster a word, arge hand grasped his head and suddenly mmed it on the table.


    "When I tell you to move, you move."


    Taurus whispered with a cold and authoritative tone. Despite his low voice, everyone in the cafeteria heard him clearly.


    And they couldn''t help but shudder.


    Gand, recovering from his surprise, tried to struggle.


    However, it proved to be futile as the hand grasping him¡ªas though a lion holding a rat, threw him away from the table.


    At that moment, the people in the direction he was thrown away moved at an instant.


    Bam!


    "Hurk..!"


    Gand crashed into a table, causing his expression to change in pain.


    "I would bash your head until it can no longer be recognized, but thank yourself that the Don''s sessor is going to eat at this table. I can''t dirty it with your blood."


    Taurus said while staring at the man coldly.


    No one in the room doubted that threat, not even Elias himself. The others that retreated couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    Beside therge Taurus, Alexus looked at everyone silently before turning his gaze to Gand and spoke.


    "An overconfident newbie, huh?"


    "Since we have new people around, I''ll take it upon myself to tell you the rules in this ce."


    The new prisoners straightened their backs unconsciously.


    "The first rule. The Don is absolute."


    "The second rule. The Don is absolute."


    "The third and final rule. No matter who you are¡­ if you challenge the Don''s authority, you challenge us."


    Alexus cold eyes swept to everyone, staying longer to the ten people remaining on their tables. It was best to warn people early.


    At that moment, countless footsteps resounded loudly.


    Evidently, themotion attracted the guards outside.


    Thump! Thump!


    Elias, who was silently watching everything, suddenly swept his gaze through the room and smiled


    "You know what to do."


    Hearing that, most of the prisoners lowered their heads and nodded in response.


    At that moment, a few security guards came rushing in and looked at the room.


    Immediately they noticed the silence and a prisonerying on the table in pain.


    "What happened here?"


    A security guard asked loudly.


    Everyone quietly stared at the person before turning their eyes to Elias.


    Elias returned their stare with a gaze of his own.


    Without hesitation, they lowered their heads before collectively opening their mouths to speak.


    ""Nothing happened.""


    The security team noticed the short interaction and turned their gaze to Elias.


    "...Is that true?"


    At that moment, before Elias could answer, Gand suddenly raised his arm and spoke up.


    "...Nothing happened. I fell by myself."


    The security guard fell silent.


    With the victim speaking up, the security team couldn''t do anything, even if they retrieve the camera records from the records room.

 Chapter 10: Act of Theft

    <h4>Chapter 10: Act of Theft</h4>


    As soon as the situation was resolved, most of the prisoners chose to exit the cafeteria.


    Those that left included Gand and some of the notable ten people that weren''t intimidated by him at the slightest.


    Despite being humiliated, Bones King Gand didn''t seem to mind, which Elias noted in his mind.


    The originally crowded room was now left with only a few people. That didn''t bother him, in fact he preferred that so he could think without noise.


    [Sleight of Hand - To execute the act of theft a thousand times.]


    As he sat on his seat, Elias thought of the skill that he needed to obtain.


    The requirement was to execute the act of theft a thousand times.


    That was simple enough, but requirements like these were not only the most annoying for him, but also the most troublesome.


    One reason why anyone rarely obtains a passive skill granted by the world will was because of the requirements needed to be specific and urate.


    Therefore¡ªhe thought for a moment, what would the act of theft mean?


    Theft, by definition, refers to stealing objects.


    But there were two definitions of theft; both robbery and stealing.


    While they might be simr, the former used threats to rob, while the other uses stealth to steal.


    Both were acts of theft, but specifically which would satisfy the requirement for the skill?


    If he were to tantly rob others in front of their face, forcing them to give him the object against their wishes, would it still be considered an act of theft?


    However, what if the requirement was more specific and thieving like¡ªsuch as to stealthily steal something, behind others back?


    To be specific, Elias'' main question was; should the act of theft be known (robbery) by the others or unknown to them (stealing)?


    If it was the former, then it would be considerably easier. If it was thetter, it might be harder.


    After thinking for a moment, he came to a decision.


    He figured that the context behind the passive skill was important as well. Sleight of Hand refers to stealing objects niftily, thus thetter seems to be more suited.


    ''Between the two, thetter seems to be more right¡­'' Elias thought for a moment before deciding to do thetter.


    A thousand times was a lot, he needed to make sure that he''s doing the right thing or else every work he''s going to do would be for nothing.


    Nheless, he couldn''t help but feel slightly disappointed.


    Back then when he thought of the skill requirements, he originally nned to ask one of his subordinates to stand still while he steals something from them.


    Or maybe even use his authority to tantly rob low level prisoners during cafeteria hours.


    But those options seemed to be more like robbing than thievery.


    Of course, there was a chance he was just overthinking things and robbery could also be counted, but being paranoid was always his nature.


    While he was thinking, a voice suddenly disrupted his daze.


    "Young master, are you still visiting Old Swainter?"


    To his left, Donato suddenly asked, snapping him out.


    "...That''s right. I''ll try to arrange a meeting after I finish eating."


    Elias nodded, remembering the matter. Meeting his father''s right hand man, Swain, was one of his important goals.


    After asking that question, Donato fell silent.


    There weren''t really much of anything to talk about, and from Elias'' bodynguage, the five subordinates thought their young master was thinking of something and thus chose to be silent.


    Elias also fell silent, contemting the matter of the Sleight of Hand skill again.


    He already had a rough outline on how he should go about aplishing the requirements.


    If he remembered correctly, there were many facilities in this prison, one of them is the library and this cafeteria¡­


    His n was rather simple.


    The gist of his n was to continuously steal objects in the prison.


    In different days, he would visit different facilities and steal different things. That way, it wouldn''t incur suspicion easily.


    He would alternate between any facilities in each day, broadening his area to steal in.


    After thinking about it, Elias looked at his food and suddenly stood up.


    "Wait for me. I''ll go get more."


    The five seemed to be wanting to volunteer, but he quickly escaped to prevent it.


    After a few seconds, Elias arrived at a long table where there were countless spoons and forks.


    The prison was rather generous, they allowed refills for food.


    Elias didn''t take any longer to take a te and choose a serving of food. Most of the food was unappetizing vegetables and fruits,cking any meat or fish.


    As he finished getting a serving, he quietly took a spoon and fork. And slightly moving his body to block a nearby camera, he took ten more pairs.


    Afterwards, he quickly hid it inside his clothes. Then he returned to his own table, without anyone noticing his actions.


    Luckily, the cafeteria didn''t have many people around. And also the security was ratherx, even the cameras could easily be avoided.


    ''One, two, three¡­ twelve.''


    Elias counted the spoon and fork he stole in his mind. It was only twelve, he needed a minimum of thirty five and maximum of fifty.


    There was still a lot of time for the day. More importantly, he finally started a step of his escape.


    ***


    After finishing eating in the cafeteria, he bid farewell first to his subordinates and went directly to the library.


    Surprisingly, stealing in the library was much easier. There were very few people and cameras.


    There were also a lot of objects to steal freely without incurring suspicion. He stole bookmarks, misceneous stuff and more.


    At the end of it, he executed the act of theft thirty five and more times, aplishing his objective for the day.


    ***


    Thump! Thump!


    "Swain¡­ hmm.."


    As Elias made his way to the third floor, he recalled the man named Swain in his memories.


    He had just finished doing the requirement for the day and this used the time to might as well meet his father''s right hand man.


    Swain was the right hand man of his father, Andolinio Casteni. He was considered as the sword and shield of the godfather.


    Andolinio Casteno discovered him as a beggar during the underworld war, he took him in and let him join his gang.


    Not long after, Swain was discovered to have immense talent in the sword and improved leaps and bounds through every fight.


    In the present, Swain "the Right-hand man of the Godfather" was a genuine B-Rank powerhouse.

 Chapter 11: Swain

    <h4>Chapter 11: Swain</h4>


    Tartarus was an institution made for two purposes; reformation and sealing.


    To reform criminals and to seal threats of society. That was the vision of the united alliance government when they established Tartarus.


    There were thousands of criminals within the prison, and each week a lot more enter while some leave, ending their time in confinement.


    Before being imprisoned, these criminals were appraised by the united alliance government and ssified ording to their crime and threat.


    Depending on the criminal''s threat-level and criminal background, the treatment they would receive by the government could range from a short time in prison or a life sentence.


    To be exact, if they were not threatening enough to society or had a considerably low background, they could still be "reformed" and be released.


    Most of the prisoners, including Elias and his subordinates, were under this category and could still be released.


    They had lower security ced on them and could exercise a higher degree of freedom on the prison.


    However, on the other hand, if the criminals were to be considered threats to society and highly dangerous, they would then be sealed for their lifetime.


    These types of prisoners were almost never seen by anyone, located at the third and fourth floor of Tartarus.


    By the government''s orders, these prisoners were never to be released, eternally sealed within the confines of Tartarus.


    Most of these prisoners were B Rank powerhouses, genuine living disasters that could terrorise society if handled wrongly.


    Swain, the Right Hand Man of the Godfather, was one such threat.


    ***


    On the second floor.


    In front of the stairs, there were two silhouettes standing around, one was a security guard while the other a prisoner.


    "The chief approved of your request and 005 also approved."


    The security personnel while standing in front of the stairs.


    "Lead me to him then."


    Hearing that, Elias nodded calmly.


    A while earlier, he had just filed a meeting request with Swain to the security team¡ªand just now it was approved.


    In Tartarus, you could meet sealed level prisoners only through a request and approval of both the security team and the sealed prisoner.


    And as he expected, both the security personnel and Swain agreed.


    The security personnel didn''t talk any more and nodded before walking to the stairs to the next floor.


    Elias followed him to the third floor, stepping on the spiralling stairway of darkness.


    Not long after, they arrived at the third floor.


    The third floor was dimly lit, as though light barely existed within. As soon as they arrived, different voices drifted across the floor.


    "Revolution¡­ hahahaha! It''s not over yet¡­ each one of you will regret what you have done¡­"


    "The devil! The devil is alive and it will soon destroy the world!"


    "Release me! Release me! I didn''t do anything wrong!"


    "I''ll kill all of you¡­ I''ll kill each and one of you bastards when Ie out¡­hehe.."


    A confusing echo of madness, screaming, and vast killing intent came out in the confines of each sealed room.


    As they made their way, some of the rooms suddenly went silent while some went increasingly louder.


    During all this, Elias quietly observed the ce while following the security personnel, looking at the sealed rooms.


    He paid more attention to the sealed rooms which were eternally quiet as autumn than to those who were loud.


    In his opinion, the rooms of those who were silent were more terrifying than those who were maddeningly loud.


    If someone were to be confined in a small room for a long time, it wasn''t strange for them to go mad. It was even stranger if it didn''t happen.


    As Elias followed the security personnel, both of them arrived at another spiralling stairway.


    Looking at the stairway, it was obviously the stairway to the fourth floor.


    He originally thought that Swain was located on the third floor, apparently he was wrong.


    The security personnel ignored the voices and directly led him to the fourth floor, eventually stopping when they arrived.


    "I''m going to guard here. Disaster-ss 005 is in the fifth confined room. Don''t try any funny business, I''m watching you."


    The security personnel coldly warned.


    Elias waved his hand in dismissal, ignoring the warning as he walked to the fourth floor.


    The fourth floor,pared to the third, had considerably fewer rooms and was less noisy to the point of silence.


    asionally, he would hear some weird sounds, but they quickly vanished mysteriously.


    Elias arrived at the fifth confined room, staring at it for a moment.


    Knock¡ª!


    "Uncle Swain, it''s me."


    He announced his presence calmly.


    At that moment, at the other side of the door, Swain widened his eyes.


    The chains restricting his body moved slightly while his eyes squinted, and after a period of hesitation, he asked.


    "Little Elias, is that you..?"


    ''What kind of nickname is that¡­'' Elias sighed before answering.


    "It is me, Uncle Swain. I''m d I finally had the chance to meet you¡­ after what happened to my father¡­"


    At the other side of the room, Swain suddenly flinched, wearing a bitter smile and shook his head.


    "It''s all my fault¡­ I failed¡­ I failed to protect the Godfather¡­ I deserve death¡­ I''m... I''m sorry, young master."


    Somehow, Elias could feel that the grief and sorrow the man was experiencing was real and true, making him question his father.


    To his father, who could inspire such admiration and trust... how did he do it?


    For him, as a person that never trusted anyone innately, he could never be like his predecessor''s father.


    Elias shook his head, forgetting those thoughts. He sighed before he spoke.


    "Swain, stop it. What''s done is done. I don''t me anyone for it, and father wouldn''t also. Stop crying like a little baby."


    After he said those words, Swain evidently stopped expressing his grief. Although Elias couldn''t see the man''s face, he was sure it was as familiar as the man in his memories.


    Seeing no response, Elias smiled and continued to speak.


    "Father would''ve cursed and beat you guys up if he saw you and the rest grieving like that."


    Hearing that, Swain let out a low, painful chuckle.


    "The Godfather is such a person indeed¡­"


    Andolinio Casteno was indeed a man of action and a dragon amongst men. He induced fear to his enemies, admiration to his subordinates, and love to his family.


    To Elias Vito Casteno, the man was arge mountain shadowing over him.


    Perhaps that was the reason his predecessor becamezy, subsequently souring his rtionship with his father a little.


    Elias shrugged and smiled.


    "Father was many things, but he rarely was soft. He was a hard person, especially to me. He would impart a lot of lessons and such."


    Swain nodded andughed in response, as though knowing what he was thinking.


    "It was for your own good, young master. The Godfather might have pampered the little miss, but he was strict to you, his sessor."


    Elias pursed his lips and snickered.


    "Tsk. He practically never left me off! If I never knew how much that old father of mine loved me, I would''ve thought he had a grudge."


    Not waiting for Swain to reply, he sudden changed the topic.


    "But nevermind that. My little sister, what happened to her?"


    At that moment, Swain was about tough, however the drastic change of tone caught him off guard.


    After a period of silence, Swain replied.


    "Little miss¡­ she''s fine. She''s safe. I managed to send her to the Godfather''s rtives before that night. I''m sure she''s being well taken care off."


    To that, Elias sighed in relief and muttered "thank goodness" under his breath. From his memories, he didn''t know the exact situation of his sister.


    It was strange. Despite him knowing clearly that the family and sister in his memories wasn''t really his family, he still felt something towards them.


    Elias bit his lip ufortably and stayed silent.


    After Swain answered and didn''t hear anymore questions, he turned quiet as well.


    The two temporarily entered a period of calm silence, with neither talking and just looking at the ground, unknown what they were thinking.


    After a while, Elias asked onest question.


    "Uncle Swain, don''t you have a family?"


    It was unknown what happened to the man at the other side of the room, but Swain didn''t answer for a long while.


    "...I do."


    Elias nodded and closed his eyes before speaking.


    "...A family. That''s all we have and thus we do everything for it. It''s something so simple. Father always told me that a family is the most important thing for a man."


    Swain didn''t respond, silent. It was unknown what his expression was or what he was thinking.


    "I''m sure father would''ve understood if he knew,"


    Elias said. After a while, seeing no response, he stood up and smiled.


    "Well, that''s all. I was happy that my sister is fine and well¡­ I''ll talk to you again for some time, Uncle Swain. I''ll take my leave first."


    As Elias walked away, Swain was still unresponsive and didn''t answer.


    Thump! Thump!


    It wasn''t until Elias was already down to the second floor, did a mutter echo silently in the room.


    ''...I''m sorry.''

 Chapter 12: Less Talk, More Punches

    <h4>Chapter 12: Less Talk, More Punches</h4>


    The distant sun shone brightly, illuminating the entirety of the courtyard.


    On the courtyard gym section, a ck haired young man with a scar on his temple determinedly worked out.


    "One, two, three¡­ one more set.."


    Elias muttered quietly, his bodyying on the bench, drenched in sweat as he carried a heavyweight barbell.


    His body shone under the sun, exposing his tone and masculine figure. While he kept working out, some gazes of others directed to him in surprise and respect.


    It had been five days since he transmigrated to this world and four days since he talked to Swain.


    Time passed quickly, and now he perfectly adapted to his circumstances,mitting everything his mind has to improve himself.


    During thesest few days, nothing noteworthy happened. The so-called urban legend of the prison ''Goblin'' hasnt appeared yet, but from the information gathered by Donato, they should appear soon.


    His daily morning to noon routine continued during thest few days, never settling for less and even going for more.


    With focus andmitment, he strives to increase his strength each day.


    Every morning, he would work out and afterwards spar with his subordinates when he''s tired, then work out again until the time ends.


    Since he had advanced to D Rank, working out alone barely gave any benefits, so he halved his working out time and put it into training his basic fighting skills.


    With his prior experience and their help in his training, he improved day by day and regained his fighting instincts.


    Thinking about that, Elias subconsciously frowned.


    In his previous life, he didn''t have the best upbringing and hung out with the wrong crowd.


    That sent his teenage self into a life of crime and fighting. But those memories were long abandoned by him, he preferred not to dwell on them.


    Besides doing his routine thesest few days, he also repeatedly wanted to talk with Swain, but unfortunately his request to meet was always postponed by the man.


    Faintly, Elias knew and understood why.


    More importantly, the progress for the Sleight of Hand skill was going well. He had never forgotten to steal some things daily.


    By his calctions, it would only take him at most a month before he finished.


    Ha¡ª!


    With onest push and pull, he panted.


    "...Alright. That''s it for the day."


    Elias said, gentlynding the heavy barbell to the handles. As he stood up, he stretched his body.


    Near him, one of his subordinates noticed that he was done and approached him.


    "Good work, young master."


    Alexus said with a smile, approaching him with a towel.


    "You too, Alexus."


    Elias looked at him and tersely nodded in acknowledgement. He grabbed the towel and hung it on to his neck.


    During the past days, he also interacted a lot with his five subordinates, learning more about them and their personalities.


    For one, Alexus with his detached expression was rather the opposite of the impression he gave outwardly.


    The man, when talking to him, was rather open and expressed what he thought directly.


    Thinking for a moment, Elias asked while looking at the sky.


    "Alexus, what time is it?"


    "The courtyard is about to close, young master."


    Alexus informed with a nod.


    Close to 12:00 PM then¡­ Elias thought. As usual, after this he was going to progress the Sleight of Hand requirements and make a request to meet Swain.


    But first he needed to take a bath. His body was covered with his sweat, making him slightly ufortable.


    Elias thought for a moment before speaking.


    "Where''s Donato and the rest? Call them now."


    As soon as he said that, Donato, Galilei, Junior and Taurus approached at the same time. Alexus chuckled quietly.


    Elias paused before shaking his head.


    "Let''s go then."


    As he and his subordinates left for the bathroom, they didn''t notice a man with two red eyes looking at them with a wide grin.


    The man stood up, wearing a grin as he walked. Behind him, twenty or more prisoners followed.


    "Let''s go. I already made an agreement with them to stall the others for a while¡­"


    ***


    As Elias and the others left the courtyard, they had gone their separate ways midway to get their own towels and outfit within their lockers.


    Their locker rooms were away from each other, so they decided to separate for the moment and meet at the bathroom instead.


    After getting a spare towel and outfit, Elias arrived at the prison bathroom quickly.


    However, before he could even take a step foot inside, he suddenly narrowed his eyes.


    "Elias Vito Casteno, right?"


    A hoarse and curious voice suddenly came from his right.


    Elias turned to his right, spotting a tall, intimidating man withrge brows and red eyes.


    It took him a few seconds to recognize the man. Bones King Gand, the new prisoner that was made an example by Tauros.


    The man wore a wicked grin, with scarlet red pupils, he had a ferocious face in contrast with his gentle expression.


    Elias suddenly paused his steps, looking at his surroundings. There were twenty or more people surrounding him, all wearing a wicked grin.


    After observing them, he dismissed them nonchntly and stared straight into Gand''s pupils.


    He wasn''t a fool. He instantly knew what they were going to do, he already knew there was something strange when the man sat on their chair a few days ago.


    A tense silence encroached the room.


    As they stared at each other, Elias answered calmly.


    "I am. Do you need something? I''ll say it first that I don''t give autographs."


    Hearing that, Gand''s grin became wider. He let out a low chuckle before replying with a wave of dismissal.


    "Haha! Look at this kid! Fearless, do you think someone is still prot¡ª"


    Pow!


    Before Gand could even finish his words, a straight punch came right through his face and made him fly away.


    "F*CK, Boss!"


    "Oh no!"


    "Bastard! You sneak attacked?"


    Several exmations rang out from the people surrounding him, their eyes abruptly widening.


    Thud!


    Gand fell on the floor, slightly dazed and stunned by the sudden attack. He held his hand to his cheek, unable to believe what happened.


    Looking down towards his pitiful figure, Elias retracted his hand and gazed straight into the man''s red pupils.


    [Gaze of Intimidation]


    At that moment, the surrounding people felt a chill run across their spine.


    Elias looked at the man with a calm expression before lightly speaking.


    "You talk too much. If you''re going to find a fight, talk less and punch more."


    Hearing that, Gand couldn''t restrain the immense fury¡ªthe volcanic rage of humiliation erupting within him as his face twisted ferociously.

 Chapter 13: Indomitable Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 13: Indomitable Spirit</h4>


    "Why you¡­!"


    Gand''s expression twisted ferociously. After recovering from his daze, he pointed at Elias and immediately ordered his subordinates fiercely.


    "What are you fools doing?! Overwhelm him! Go attack him!"


    At that moment, the surrounding inmates snapped out from their daze and looked at Elias.


    Without hesitation, they immediately surrounded him.


    "Right..!"


    "Damn, brat!"


    "Attack him!"


    ''There''s too many¡­'' Elias took a step back and unconsciously frowned.


    It wouldn''t be a problem if they were just ordinary humans, but considering they were imprisoned in Tartarus, they were most likely former Rankers with E Rank strength.


    However, despite being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, he didn''t show any signs of panic at all and remained calm.


    To him, there was no point in panicking.


    If there was anything the life of crime taught him, it was that in fighting, one has to be decisive, ruthless and resolute.


    Strike before the enemy and never show any weakness!


    Before the surrounding inmates could even react, Elias immediately pounced to the nearest inmate in his position.


    Swoosh!


    He assaulted the person and thrusted his knee to the man''s abdomen, making the inmate choke and falter.


    "Ga...k!"


    Then without pausing, he grabbed the inmate''s head and mmed the man to the walls, causing the man to go unconscious.


    m! Thud!


    Behind him, arge fist suddenly appeared. Before it could hit his body, he quickly turned around and covered his face with his arms.


    Pow!


    Elias pursed his lips as he took a step back from the force, his arms aching in pain from the attack.


    At that moment, his eyes shone with a glint as he saw an opportunity.


    As soon as he spotted the opportunity, he immediately went to action and grappled the man who attacked.


    Swoosh!


    "Hahahahaha."


    The inmate who was grappled was surprised before his lips curling into a wide grin,ughing inwardly. He had arger bodypared to Elias'' small figure.


    However, his smile immediately faded away as his suddenly body turned stiff. He realized toote as a strong force twisted his body and threw him away.


    "Run away! take cover!"


    "Oh no¡­! Alfonso!"


    The surrounding inmates shouted in surprise and horror, dispersing from the direction therge inmate was flying towards.


    Therge man crashed into the crowd, causing several inmates to fall to the ground.


    Thud!


    After throwing the man away towards the crowd, Elias took a deep breath and turned his focus up a notch, looking at his front.


    While he increased his alertness and focus, his expression was calm as several attacks suddenlyunched towards him.


    A flurry of punches and kicks arrived at him, both strong and fast.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Pow!


    The other inmates surrounding him saw his capabilities and didn''t underestimate him any further, going all out andunching attack after attack


    Bam! Bam! Pow!


    Elias dodged and blocked, but due to the overwhelming number of attacks, some of the attacks managed to get past and graze his body.


    "Huu¡­"


    A trace of blood leaked from his lips, Elias unconsciously licked it and curled his lips to a smile.


    In his mind, he recalled his own talent.


    [Talent: Indomitable Spirit ¡ª The embers of an unyielding spirit empowers the body in any situation, limitlessly.]


    Amidst the desperate situation, he found himself getting stronger and stronger.


    After momentarily resisting, he finally found an opportunity to attack and immediately acted to it without hesitation.


    Using a bit of his strength, he ran to the nearest person andnded a roundhouse kick to the inmate.


    Pow!


    The person quickly fell to the ground like a broken doll, however Elias'' expression suddenly turned grim¡ªhe couldn''t retrieve his leg.


    A familiar voice echoed.


    "The information given was wrong¡­ they didn''t say you knew how to fight, you goddamn bastard."


    In front of him, Bones King Gand stood, hisrge hand grasping Elias'' legs tightly. With a grin, he immediately raised Elias and mmed him to the ground.


    Bam!


    ''Gak¡­.!''


    Elias suddenly choked, feeling pain assault his whole body. Unfortunately, before could react, his body was raised and mmed once again.


    Bam!


    "But it doesn''t matter. After all, against me what can you do anyway? A single person cannot¡­"


    Gandughed arrogantly, his hand raising Elias for one more. However, his face instantly distorted as a sudden change ured.


    This time, Elias was prepared for the attack.


    Swoosh!


    Midway through the air, Elias twisted his whole body and escaped Gand''s tight grip to his leg.


    Without pausing for a moment, he immediately raised his leg andunched a brazilian kick to Gand''s head.


    Bam! Bam!


    "Wha.."


    Stunned, Gand was forced to take a step back and internally felt dizzy. Before he could recover, a fist came knocking straight into his face.


    Swoosh! Bam!


    Using all his strength, Elias raised his hand andunched a straight jab, putting Gand''s body to the ground.


    Thud!


    At that moment, everyone was stunned in disbelief.


    Elias retracted his hand and looked at the surrounding inmates, there were still more than ten left.


    Using the Way of Casteno, he could counter any attack and use many martial arts stored in the technique.


    The Way of the Casteno was the creation of his father, the culmination of his martial arts skill. It was the embodiment of mixed martial arts.


    And coupled with his unyielding talent, his strength increasingly gets stronger the more damage he gets and the longer the battlests.


    I can''t stop¡­ Elias didn''t rest and took the sudden distraction of everyone as an opportunity.


    As though a wild beast from the jungle, he immediately pounced at the nearest inmate to his position.


    Swoosh!


    He grabbed the man''s head and mmed the man to the nearest person, causing both of the two persons'' bodies to m at each other.


    Boom!


    Both of them were knocked out at the same time. At that moment, everyone heard the noise and recovered from their state.


    From a short distance, Gand was fuming in extreme rage as he stood up and recovered from the attack. He looked at Elias with a ferocious face.


    Elias didn''t falter and looked back without any fear, raising his arms as he assumed a fighting stance again while surrounded by several people.


    Unknown to him, his lips were curled into a wide, devilish grin, licking the blood from his mouth.


    [Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    Rank: D-


    Talent: Indomitable Spirit ¡ª The embers of an unyielding spirit empowers the body in any situation, limitlessly. (In Effect)]


    [STR: D- (6/200) -> (D+)


    AGI: D- (4/200) -> (D+)


    STA: D- (10/200) -> (D+)


    CONST: D- (6/200) -> (D+)]


    Eliasughed, his eyes emitting a fierce glint.


    ***


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Donato along with Galilei, Tauros, Junior and Alexus ran towards the prison bathroom in haste.


    "Young master, forgive us, we werete. We were held back by some¡­"


    However, Donato paused his words and suddenly stopped his steps. Behind him, Galilei, Tauros, Junior, and Alexus stopped as well.


    Their eyes collectively widened in disbelief of the sight before them. The words they were about to say drifted to the air vacantly.


    "...stupid ants in the prison."


    In front of them, Elias with bruises in his face and blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, stood while holding an unconsciousrge man with red eyes in the air.


    Surrounding his figure were thirty or more prisoners, messily stacked up against each other while unconsciouslyying on the ground with bruises on their face.


    The five of them looked at the ''corpses'' and looked at Elias, speechless.


    "Young master¡­"


    At that moment, Elias slowly turned his head to look at them. While wearing a calm and cold expression, he called out.


    "Donato, Galilei, Tauros, Junior and Alexus."


    Unconsciously, the five of them straightened their backs from his gaze.


    "...You guys arete."

 Chapter 14: Maseuchossi Family

    <h4>Chapter 14: Maseuchossi Family</h4>


    Faced with their young master''s blunt words, the five of them were unable to respond.


    There was a reason for them beingte¡ªbut for them to take so long that the Don''s sessor was now bruised and attacked by other prisoners.


    It was an inexcusable mistake.


    It was their duty as the protector of the Don''s sessor to protect the Elias, and yet they were nowhere to be found when their master was in danger.


    Their faces couldn''t help but turn grim and slightly lifeless.


    What happened was an utter disgrace and a careless mistake by them that could have cost their young master''s life.


    Their inability to do anything already costed the previous Don''s life, and now they were still as careless and useless as before.


    The five of them couldn''t help but feel extremely guilty and med themselves inwardly.


    But within themselves, they also sighed in relief that Elias was safe.


    Without even hesitating for a moment, the five of them quickly kneeled down and apologized.


    ""Please forgive us, Don.""


    Elias was startled. He nced at their sudden actions, finding it slightly amusing.


    He wasn''t really mad or disappointed in them, he already knew what was stalling them from Gand''s mouth.


    He just said those words because they were reallyte.


    But apparently, it had a greater effect on them.


    "Don''t repeat that mistake again."


    Thinking for a moment, he epted it as he lightly shook his head and released his grip.


    Thud!


    Therge, red eyed man, Gand fell t on the ground pitifully as soon as he released his hand.


    The five of them quickly nodded and stood up, sighing in relief.


    "Hm? Isn''t that the fool who foolishly tried to challenge the Don''s authority¡­"


    As he stood up, Alexus immediately recognized the person.


    The other four of them quirked their brows, and Tauros stared at the man deeply for a moment, as though remembering the person''s face.


    "That''s right."


    Elias nodded, gazing at the unconscious Gand. He continued.


    "His name is Bones King Gand, a gang leader of an insignificant gang called Bones. They''re overall strength is not that great, with Bones King Gand only a former D Rank at the lowest tier. Most importantly, apparently, they''re under the Maseuchossi Family¡­"


    Not even halfway finished, the killing intent of the five suddenly bursted.


    "...Gand and his little gang were sent to Tartarus due to dealing with mana drugs, and then the familia issued a mission to them to apparently kill me. They observed for a few days and made an agreement with some other prisoners. They particrly chose this prison bathroom spot because there''s no CCTV camera here."


    "They thought that the familia would save them if they aplished it so they did everything they could, but they didn''t know the Familia wouldn''t do such a pointless action."


    After he finished, the five of them turned quiet.


    Junior, who was eternally quiet, suddenly whispered with a glint on his eyes.


    "Maseuchossi Family led by Paul Maseuchossi¡­ one of the Five Families who participated in the Godfather''s demise."


    Elias turned around and nced at him, discovering the stoic man''s clenched fist that slightly trembled.


    He didn''t choose to address it and stayed silent instead, looking at his five subordinates who were varying in expressions.


    After Junior said that, Alexus on the left side suddenlyughed and shook his head.


    "Ahahaha¡­ It seems the Maseuchossi Family is still scared of the remnants of the Casteno Family. A bunch of cowards!"


    To his right, Donato closed his eyes and sighed, slowly releasing his clenched fist.


    "We knew that all along. They wouldn''t have gathered together and created an alliance just to kill the Godfather. The Five Families are cowards."


    The four others nodded in agreement, they also slowly released their clenched fist and slowly calmed down as well.


    As soon as they calmed down, Elias asked something puzzling him.


    "Where is the security team?"


    Donato quickly answered his doubts.


    "Some people that had an agreement with Bones King Gand stalled us, and the fight took the security team''s attention. Before the security arrived, they retreated and so did we. They''re probably about toe any moment now."


    Thump! Thump!


    As soon as they heard the footsteps, Donato''s expressions suddenly changed and turned helpless.


    They really came in at a moment. Elias couldn''t help but curl his lips in amusement.


    He shook his head and spoke calmly.


    "Don''t mind them. Give me my towel. I''m itching to take a bath."


    They nodded and quickly entered the bathroom, giving Elias his towel.


    But they didn''t take a bath with him, but stood at the doorsteps, guarding silently.


    ***


    When the security team arrived, the six of them were already in the prison bathroom. A few of the security tried to question them about what happened, but they answered that they didn''t know what happened and it was already there when they arrived.


    Helpless, the security team that arrived could only take the unconscious bodies and leave Elias alone.


    Although they were doubtful of it, unless there was conclusive evidence, they couldn''t take them in for detention.


    Where could they find conclusive evidence when there''s no security camera on this ce?


    Not to mention, it was pretty impossible to believe that Elias alone could beat thirty or more former Rankers in his lonesome.


    They also had the option to forcefully arrest them, but that was a temporary solution they didn''t want to take. They knew that these people were special, it could backfire at them and it was too troublesome.


    They could do so on weak prisoners, but not against strong ones.


    Despite being the most infamous facility, the death of some security personnel in Tartarus isn''t rare.


    Umon, but not rare. In fact, one might even say it''s quite high for a prison facility.


    Additionally, the majority of security personnel in Tartarus did not voluntarily choose to guard this ce. They were sent here as punishment by the council.


    They were already somewhat corrupt andzy from the start, thus they didn''t want anything to do with the prisoners and upholding the rules of the ce.


    They just wanted to quietly pass the time of their punishment until they returned back to the outside world.


    Thus, most security personnel only attach great importance to sealed level threats and not reformation criminals.


    Before they left the ce however, they warned Elias and the rest to precaution and hold back a little, since the magnitude of the fight this time was greater.


    In any other situation, it would''ve called for a detention, regardless of who they are. Luckily, there were no security cameras.


    As for Donato and the rest, although there were security cameras in the lockers where they were stalled, the security didn''t bother to ask about it since nothing happened anyway.


    ***


    On the corner of the prison bathroom, Elias was deluged in the spring, clean water.


    While he was taking a bath, he took the opportunity to look at his stats in the system.


    [Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Indomitable Spirit (Not In Effect)]


    [Rank: D- (E+)]


    [Level: 22]


    [Unused status points: 500]


    [STR: D- (21/200) (E+)]


    [AGI: D- (18/200) (E+)]


    [STA: D- (25/200) (E+)]


    [CONST: D- (26/200) (E+)]


    [INT: E (70/100)]


    [MAG: E- (43/100)]


    [GROWTH: D+ (0/200)]


    SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Ferocious Underdog], [Gaze of Intimidation].]


    As soon as he saw his status, Elias squinted his eyes in slight surprise.

 Chapter 15: Captain Voxen

    <h4>Chapter 15: Captain Voxen</h4>


    Tartarus, Underground.


    Deep beneath the facility, in the underground, a room covered with boundless darkness was located.


    In the room, faint breathing could be heard, blowing away the wind.


    After a while, another kind of sound reverberated in the vast underground.


    Thump! Thump!


    It was footsteps.


    The footsteps were like ripples in the sea, disrupting the silence of the vast underground.


    Soon after, the footsteps stopped, and at that moment, the dark room was suddenly brightened up, revealing everything.


    In the entrance, a security personnel walked in and stood respectfully as he saluted.


    "Captain."


    In the room, a middle aged man with white hair and ck pupils as deep as the abyss stood silently.


    The middle aged man was fashioned with a ck and gold military uniform, while most of his white hair was covered with a military style cap.


    He had an impressive stature and intimidating presence, overwhelming gravitas that made anyone that took a single look at him have a deep impression of his appearance.


    The security personnel standing from a distance felt fear and awe at the mere sight of the man''s figure.


    The middle aged man''s identity was well-known among the security and prisoners of Tartarus.


    Captain Voxen, the Acting-In-Chieftain of the security team in Tartarus.


    A genuine, top ss B-Rank ranker.


    At this moment, Voxen was staring at the middle of the room, his expression cold as ice.


    In the middle of the room, a terrifying seal was in ce. Countless magic formations, anti-mana chains and security measures were ced in the middle to seal something.


    In the middle of the seal, a coffin was situated. As though sensing someone''s arrival, the coffin involuntarily trembled by itself.


    But the seal ced around it forcibly constrained it, returning it to its oldened silence.


    Afterwards, Voxen slowly nodded calmly before turning to look at the security personnel in the entrance.


    His deep ck eyes were cold and apathetic, as though an unfathomable abyss.


    The security personnel involuntarily gulped when stared at by such eyes, in fear of staying any longer, he hurriedly added:


    "...Captain, I''m here to deliver today''s report."


    Hearing that, Voxen understood and reached out his hand.


    "Give me the document."


    The security personnel handed the document hurriedly. Voxen reached out his hand and unsealed it, reading it''s contents.


    As he read, his brows furrowed for a moment before returning to its natural state. It was as though he had read something interesting.


    After a while, he nodded and told the security personnel:


    "Return. It''s not safe here."


    The security personnel hurriedly nodded. But as soon as he turned his back, a clean, white de suddenly grazed him.


    Shng¡ª!


    The security personnel stopped in shock.


    "Don''t bother staying any longer. Go."


    Voxen''s voice echoed behind him, making him rush out of the underground despite his curiosity.


    In the room, Voxen held a sharp katana with his hand. On the tip of the katana, a tiny fragmented bandage could be seen.


    Voxen was silent, turning his gaze to the coffin. After a while, the tiny bandage burned to dust.


    At the same time, the boundless, infinite darkness returned to the room, seemingly an unfathomable abyss.


    ***


    At this moment, Elias was in the prison bathroom, silently contemting by himself as he was deluged in water.


    This day could be said to be eventful, with Gand and the rest attacking him in sudden surprise.


    But overall, it didn''t disrupt his ns. After the battle, he had done his daily routine and even talked to Swain.


    It could be said, everything was proceeding smoothly, so smooth in fact it was making him nervous.


    Regardless, he was not going to ck off or lower his guard.


    Even the surprise today was not as shocking to him. He had somewhat expected Gand to attack when he learned of the man''s background on the second day.


    He just didn''t expect it would happen so quickly. It seems that the man couldn''t take the prison life any second longer.


    However¡ªnow that the man had done so, he didn''t need to worry of any ambush or attacksing his way anytime soon.


    And thus his ns were proceeding nicely, it was only a matter of time before he could get the [Sleight of Hand] skill without attracting any suspicion.


    While his only worry, to advance to D Rank before he eventually escape this ce, finally had a breakthrough.


    Regarding this, he had to thank Bones King Gand and his goons.


    Due to their ambush, he was forced to retaliate and use everything in his disposal to fight.


    After the battle, he examined his stats in the prison bathroom and he was pleasantly surprised to see that his stats had quite an increase.


    But after thinking about it, he quickly realized why. Fighting and struggling were intrinsic to a Ranker.


    To a Ranker, for them to develop faster¡ªthey must struggle or engage in fighting.


    The greater the struggle, the more intense a fight, the better the benefits brought to the Ranker.


    In short, the key to developing faster was fighting. Elias'' eyes shone brightly amidst the dark cell.


    ''...Those five are perfect for this.''


    Naturally, he was referring to his five subordinates.


    After finishing his recountment for the day, Elias'' proceeded to contemte more about his future ns of escaping.


    To escape was no easy task, but it was not impossible.


    As he was the author of this world, he knew more of Tartarus than anyone else besides the United Alliance Government.


    He knew a lot of Tartarus'' hidden mechanisms, secret information, and secret sealed threats.


    For his escape n, he was going to rely on his knowledge about the secret hidden mechanism located in the underground of Tartarus.


    ''But even then, it''s still going to be immensely hard for me to do that¡­'' Elias sighed.


    There was nothing he could do about it, unless he meets that rumoured ''Goblin'' then his chances would be higher, but so far, that existence hasn''t appeared yet in the cafeteria.


    Currently, he just needed to prepare for it and bid up time. In the meanwhile, he also assigned his five subordinates some tasks.


    After a while of thinking, Elias head started to hurt. He shook his head and nkly stared at the ceiling.


    ''Goblin... the chances of my escape will depend on whether you appear or not.''


    ***


    A few days passed quietly, and soon, Elias finally met the famous and rumoured ''Goblin'' in the prison.

 Chapter 16: Meeting Goblin

    <h4>Chapter 16: Meeting Goblin</h4>


    ''Hm¡­ What''s this?''


    As Elias and his subordinates arrived at the cafeteria, they noticed a strangemotion urring among the prisoners.


    On the corner of the cafeteria, there was arge line made up of prisoners.


    "Goblin! I''ve been waiting for ya! The usual. Three packs of cigarettes."


    "Hey, Goblin, did you bring in the goods I asked this time? I''ll pay anything you want."


    "Line up properly you punks!"


    Amidst the loud crowd, an unfamiliar conniving voice answered with a chuckle.


    "Oh, yes, yes. I, Goblin, never disappoint. I got a bit dyed but I brought good things! But you know the usual; it isn''t for a cheap price, hehe.."


    Hearing that, the prisoner first in the line let out a chuckle and waved their hand in dismissal.


    "Yeah, yeah! Spirit force, valuable objects, or something, I don''t know what you want,, but we know that we don''t need it!"


    "Hurry up, Goblin!"


    While such a strangemotion was urring, some of the other inmates were on their seats, watching the scene with interest.


    ''Ah, it seems he''s still scamming people at this point¡­"


    Elias inwardly let out a low chuckle.


    ''Goblin.. We finally meet!"


    Beside him, Donato leaned in and whispered some information about themotion.


    "Young master, be careful¡­ based on the information we gathered that Goblin is most likely a dungeon escapee. Not to mention a powerful one, considering the security team failed to catch them even with the captain."


    "I think it''s unsafe to go there. But from the information I gathered, it seems Goblin is genuinely selling things¡­ for a weird price. Not money, but something called spirit force and potential."


    Spirit force, what a fancy name for lifespan¡­ Elias nodded, his lips curling into a smile.


    He shook his head and replied.


    "Don''t worry."


    From the information gathered¡­ there was no doubt about it, the Goblin was that existence.


    ''But why is he here? Wait¡­ could it be? Since the novel hasn''t started yet¡­ then he''s still under that existence?''


    Elias'' thought as his eyes widened slightly.


    ''I have to act fast then.''


    With Goblin''s help, escaping will be much easier and faster.


    While themotion was getting louder and louder, he snapped from his daze and looked at the line with interest before speaking his thoughts.


    "Let''s go and see. I''m curious about this Goblin."


    Donato and the rest gravely nodded before following along. They didn''t lower their guards as they approached the corner.


    As they walked, the other prisoners finally noticed them.


    Thump! Thump!


    Seeing them proceeding towards the line, the prisoners in the line abruptly changed their expressions and looked at each other helplessly.


    ''They''re here.''


    From their eyes, they conveyed their intentions as a tacit agreement was made.


    At that moment, they simultaneously decided to disperse and created a separate space for Elias and his subordinates to walk on.


    While such a strange scene urred, Elias watched everything expressionlessly.


    This was the might of authority.


    In thest few days, besides working out in the morning, fighting his subordinates and progressing the skill requirements, he also didn''t ck off in establishing his authority and control in this prison.


    He realized that through this way, he didn''t need to worry any more about troublesome matters appearing like Gand and his goons.


    And if some people found his rules unreasonable, they could rebel and fight him, which he wouldn''t mind as it further added into his progress.


    It was a win-win scenario for him.


    And more importantly, he didn''t need to exert strenuous effort to do it and just assigned his subordinates for the task.


    With his subordinates'' strength, it was enough to intimidate most of the prisoners in Tartarus and establish a reputation.


    Authority through intimidation and fear was often a bad idea, but it was the easiest and fastest way to gain recognition.


    And for him, who had no interest in forming any connections with the other prisoners, it was the best option.


    As the line dispersed, the figure on the corner of the room was exposed.


    Goblin was a short man with a ruddy face, with his overall height merely at the level of Elias'' waist.


    Behind his back, a gigantic brown bag hung heavily, as though containing an uncountable amount of treasures.


    Goblin was surprised by the sudden dispersion, directing his gaze to the approaching Elias.


    As he saw Elias'' and the other five''s appearance, his eyes seemed to sh his thoughts ''a good costumer!'' with a glint.


    "Ah, sir? You are?"


    Goblin hurriedly approached with a conniving smile, sping his hands together.


    As soon as he moved, Donato and the rest were about to step up and guard Elias, but a hand stopped them.


    "You five step back for a moment. I''m going to do some business."


    Donato and the rest didn''t want to, but under Elias'' orders, they reluctantly stepped back a little.


    "Young master, be careful¡­"


    Elias simply nodded and waved his hand in dismissal.


    "I''ll be fine. Don''t worry too much."


    Donato and the rest turned quiet after that, obediently following his order. They stood at the side in guard, ready to act at any moment.


    Looking at the dwarven-like figure, Elias slowly approached with a smile of his own.


    Goblin rubbed his hands together. He shed a smile showing his white teeth before introducing himself.


    "Ah, may I know the good sire''s name? You can call me Goblin, the best merchant in all realms. I''ll have you know it''s not an exaggeration! I travelled a thousands miles and have everything you want, of course not for a cheap price¡­"


    However, Eliasughed and rejected instantly.


    "Let''s not do this. I''m not fond of people trying to scam me."


    Goblin momentarily froze. However, he recovered quickly.


    "Haha, what does sire mean by that¡­? I''ll have you know¡ª"


    Cutting his words off, Elias shook his head and spoke.


    "Stop. I know what you''re trying to do. I''ll get straight to the point, are you interested in making a deal with me?"


    Thump!


    Taking a step back, Goblin suddenly changed his expression, looking at Elias warily.


    However, he quickly reverted back to his previous smiling face and spoke.


    "Deals are my lifeblood! I do all kinds, any kinds and every kind of deal for the right price. I wonder what deal sire is talking about¡­? I''ll say it first that escaping this prison is impossible."


    Under everyone''s gaze, Elias nodded and suddenly reached out his hand.


    "Excellent. Since that''s the case. I''ll cut it short. I want to make a deal with you, be my subordinate for ten years."


    No one was prepared for that¡ªnot even Donato and the rest. Everyone''s eyes suddenly turned wide, especially the man himself, Goblin.


    Goblin was momentarily stunned. After quickly recovering from his daze, he hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head.


    "What? Are you crazy?! That''s impo¡ª"


    Before he could even finish, Elias cut off his words with a smile.


    "Are you sure? I''ll make you an offer you can''t refuse."

 Chapter 17: An Offer You Cant Refuse

    <h4>Chapter 17: An Offer You Can''t Refuse</h4>


    At that moment, the entire cafeteria was silent.


    Goblin narrowed his eyes and turned serious, emitting a threatening air around him.


    In the cafeteria, everyone suddenly felt a subtle sense of suffocation from the mere disy of power.


    Goblin stared directly at Elias, openly expressing his anger and impatience.


    "What do you mean?"


    Unflinching, Elias stared back with a casual gaze.


    "I meant exactly what I said, Goblin."


    In front of such a suffocating aura, he didn''t back down and rather felt more confident.


    Perhaps it was due to his inner self-confidence or talent, but he didn''t feel any sense of fear to stronger opponents.


    The two of them continued to stare against each other for moments that seemed like hours for others.


    After a while, Goblin retracted his gaze and shook his head, waving his hand in a ''shooing'' gesture.


    "Go away. I won''t do any business with you."


    Despite that, Elias didn''t move away and simply stood like he didn''t hear anything.


    Goblin narrowed his eyes once more.


    "Brat. I said, go away if you won''t¡­"


    However before he could finish, Elias cut off and let out a low chuckle.


    "Why not hear my offer first? aren''t you curious about what it is?"


    Goblin clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "What can a brat like you possibly offer?! It''s impossible! It''s impossible! Now, shoo, shoo! Don''t make me angry!"


    Elias didn''t mind the rejection and simply shrugged with a smile. With a slightly reluctant expression, he took a step back.


    "Alright then, and here I was generous enough to offer you the location of your hometown. A pity. A pity."


    ''Heh, that''s righ¡­''


    Goblin was about to mock Elias again, however, his entire body immediately stiffened up.


    ''... location of your hometown¡­''


    Goblin couldn''t help but freeze in shock, his eyes widening in utter disbelief. Home may mean very little to others¡ªbut to him, it was everything.


    While he was still in shock, Elias nodded and turned his back, looking at his five subordinates.


    "Let''s go. I''m already starving from my morning routine."


    Donato and the rest nodded and internally sighed in relief. It was dangerous earlier.


    However, just as Elias was about to take a step to their table.


    At that moment, before he could move, a skinny and small hand suddenly grasped his legs and stopped him!


    Goblin''s panicking voice resounded.


    "Wait! Wait! We can discuss this more. What did you mean by that line?!"


    At the same time, Elias'' lips curled into a smirk, turning his gaze to below him and spotting the small Goblin.


    Goblin''s ruddy face was in slight panic. He wore a pleading expression, as though begging earnestly. It was widely different from his earlier actions.


    Instead of the confident and conniving smile he usually wore, it was reced with a pleading and pitiable expression.


    It was like a merchant turning into a beggar in an instant.


    Goblin didn''t hesitate to throw away his pride!


    "Good sire! We can discuss this, please don''t go as of yet! Wh-what do you mean about my hometown?!"


    However, Elias merely shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal.


    "Forget it. It seems like you didn''t want to know about Elysia and Franheirt."


    Hearing ''Elysia'' and ''Franheirt''bined in one sentence, Goblin''s expression further exploded in dazzling disbelief.


    This time he couldn''t keep himself calm anymore, he tightened his grasped to Elias leg and his eyes turned slightly crazed.


    "You know?! You know where those two ces are?! Tell me..! Tell me, right now! I''ll give you anything!"


    "Please! Tell me! I''ll give you anything, anything you want..! I can even help you escape this ce!"


    At that moment, under everyone''s widened gaze, the conniving confident Goblin turned into a man on desperate straits in mere words.


    The others couldn''t help but look at Elias, whether in fear, admiration or respect, they all subtly felt a sense of awe.


    Galilei, Donato and the rest were about to take a step and act against Goblin¡ªbut Elias stopped them and simply smiled.


    ''A chance!''


    Seeing that, Goblin''s eyes shed a sense of relief before pleading disgracefully again.


    "Are you willing to tell me where is it?! I''ll give you anything you want. Any price. Anything! Just¡­"


    However, Elias suddenly raised his hand, stopping Goblin midway. With a nonchnt smile, he told Goblin.


    "The same condition; be my subordinate for ten years and I''ll tell you in the fifth year."


    Hearing that, Goblin''s expression immediately changed into aplicated and difficult one.


    Although he was desperate to find those ces, being a subordinate for ten years was simply too long.


    And additionally, how could he confirm that the man was speaking the truth? He couldn''t help stutter.


    Goblin gritted his teeth.


    "Ten years¡­ that-that''s rather¡­ plus how¡­"


    As thoughpletely being able toplety read his thoughts, Elias narrowed his eyes and snorted.


    "What? You don''t believe in me? I''d say that I''m more reliable than a devil. Think for yourself, my words are more trustworthy than a devil''s whispers."


    Hearing ''devil'' being repeatedly mentioned, Goblin suddenly trembled uncontrobly again.


    ''Does he know?! Does this kid know about that existence¡­?!''


    Stunned, Goblin raised his head again and spoke hurriedly.


    "You even know that..! So you must know the risk right? it''s not worth it, in my opinion, you will be implicated..."


    As I thought¡­ Elias subconsciously frowned before shaking his head. He answered calmly and put his hand on Goblin''s mouth, cutting the man off.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. But I''ll say that under the Casteno name, I would never betray a promise."


    To prevent anymore secrets froming out of the little man''s snappy face, he covered Goblin''s mouth.


    While leaning, Elias whispered a few words.


    Goblin nodded and tried to calm down. But because of the shocking revtionsing from Elias mouth, his body was still shivering while he took deep heavy breaths.


    After a while, he finally calmed down, took a deep breath and stood up. During that timeframe, he thought about whether to ept or not.


    ''...No matter. He''s right. I now have another option than to trust a devil, but how can I be sure?''


    ''Besides, if what he''s saying is true then... he''s my only option.''


    As he stood up, Goblin asked with some apprehension before deciding to ept.


    "...How could I be sure you know where those ces are? What if you''re scamming me?"


    Elias suddenlyughed and put his hand on Goblin''s shoulder. He stared at Goblin''s face unflinchingly and directly said without a hint of fear.


    "You don''t. It''s a gamble. Simple as that. You gamble your chances that I know and you can trust me more."


    "Don''t you merchants like ying with your odds?"


    Goblin''s face massively changed. But Elias didn''t care, he simply waited for a response.


    After a while, Goblin''s experienced myriads of emotions. His expression had changed from desperation, reluctance and finally to eptance.


    With heavy breathing, under everyone''s gaze, Goblin let out a sigh and suddenly kneeled down.


    "...I ept to be your subordinate for ten years as long as you tell me the location."


    Looking at the kneeling Goblin, Elias couldn''t help but smile widely, as though he was happy.


    Approaching closer, he patted Goblin''s shoulder and spoke in a calm tone.


    "I told you I''ll make you an offer you can''t refuse."

 Chapter 18: Memory, say goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 18: Memory, say goodbye</h4>


    Kneeling on the ground, Goblin suddenly stiffened up by his words but didn''t muster a response.


    Aftering into terms with a deal, Elias was internally overjoyed and decided to end things right here.


    However, he kept calm as he called his subordinates.


    "Let''s go, you five. It''s going to be bad if we get caught on what happens next."


    Donato, Galilei and the rest looked at each other with questioning expressions, but they eventually nodded and followed Elias.


    Although, they didn''t know what happened, since their young master was safe, that was all that mattered.


    Around them, they weren''t the only ones


    baffled and bewildered by what just happened.


    Everyone in the cafeteria that witnessed everything was also wearing strange, confused and half-terrified expressions by the end of it.


    It was bizzare, especially for the old prisoners. In their time, they never saw Goblin act like that.


    For Elias to make the man act like a beggar in mere words, it was iprehensible.


    Before Elias left, he waved his hands and directly told Goblin.


    "You should start preparing yourself. As soon as you''re done, meet me in my cell. As for your first task, I''ll leave this situation to you."


    "...Understood."


    Hearing that, Goblin slowly nodded and stood up. He indifferently nced at the other prisoners in the cafeteria who were wearing baffled expressions.


    At that moment, the prisoners felt an unexinable chill run down their spine.


    Swoosh!


    Without slowing down, Goblin turned around and opened hisrge mountain bag, taking out a strange white wand.


    Wielding the white wand, he sighed.


    "I didn''t expect I would have to use this baby of mine so soon¡­ damn it!"


    With his crafty mind, he naturally understood what his boss meant at thest part in his sentence¡ªit was to deal with the other prisoners that witnessed the entire agreement.


    To both of them, Goblin and Elias, it was dangerous if their agreement were to be spread around, so they had to hide or cover it up.


    His first task as his boss subordinate was to ensure that nothing about the deal between them gets leaked.


    ''There''s no need to worry about the security team. I''ve already made arrangements to not get caught before I came here. I''ve already tampered with the space around this ce.''


    Goblin thought silently while looking at the retreating prisoners near him.


    ''These people are the problem.''


    These prisoners within the cafeteria that witnessed everything.


    In truth, with his methods, it wasn''t really a problem to straight up erase these prisoners'' memories. It was just that he had to sacrifice a little to use that method.


    But what could he do about it?


    Thinking about it, Goblin couldn''t help butin in his mind.


    If his boss knew it was going to be a problem, then why in god''s name did the boss talk about it in the open¡­


    Whether it was his boss''s recklessness or astounding confidence, Goblin couldn''t figure it out and just sighed in resignation.


    "A small price to pay for salvation. You damn bastards are lucky to witness my creation!"


    Goblin muttered to himself as he shook the white wand in his hand.


    ''Erasure.''


    Wooooosh¡ª!


    At that moment, the white wand bursted into an all-epassing bright light. It was like heaven''s shining light, covering every corner of the cafeteria.


    The prisoners in the cafeteria were unable to respond in time to close their eyes and were simrly exposed by blinding light.


    During this process, Goblin carefully controlled the light to not extend to his boss who was on the furthest end of the cafeteria with a fascinated smile.


    However, he was also thinking whether to erase the memories of the five subordinates near his boss.


    He thought for a moment before removing that thought. Since it was his boss'' subordinates, then they could be trusted.


    This special white wand was a recent creation of his. It could help make people affected lose their memories fifteen minutes earlier.


    Woosh¡ª!


    After a while, the blinding light finally extinguished and the white wand in his hand turned to dust.


    Goblin nced at the wand that turned into speckles of dust in his hands with a sigh before throwing it away.


    The dust spread in the air, vanishing along the wind.


    Behind him, the space slowly fractured and opened up a hole where he slowly entered.


    Before he left, he gave onest nce at his boss in the cafeteria and nodded gravely.


    His boss predictably nodded back and waved his hand in goodbye.


    ***


    In the entrance of the cafeteria, Elias was standing still, watching everything unfold.


    ''So he used that after all¡­''


    Elias thought as he looked at where Goblin disappeared. Beside him, Donato and the rest were still in daze, unable toprehend what they saw.


    However, Elias quickly turned his gaze to the prisoners in the cafeteria.


    The prisoners blinded by light were gradually recovering, slowly snapping out of their dazed state.


    After a while, most of the prisoners finally came to their senses.


    "Huh..? What happened?"


    "Hm¡­? Did something happen just now? I feel like¡­ urgh!"


    "...I feel like I forgot something¡­"


    "...Wait, what about Goblin? Didn''t he appear? I was about to buy cigarettes!"


    At that moment, aloudmotion ured among the prisoners, with all of them wearing estranged and difficult expressions.


    ''As expected of Goblin. But most importantly, that was magic huh?''


    Elias smiled as he watched everyone in the room forget about what happened.


    Different from mere writing and vivid imagery, the actual experience of magic was an eye opener.


    It was truly magic in its truest form¡ªmystical, bizzare, illogical, unexinable and mysterious.


    From a blinding light, everyone''s memories were erased thoroughly as though nothing really happened.


    And more amazingly, it was just one of the limitless and infinite uses of magic in this world.


    ''With countless possibilities, maybe one of them could help me return to earth.''


    Thinking about it, Elias couldn''t help but be excited. Unfortunately, his mana was still locked, so he was unable to use magic.


    Mana was the essence of magic, without it, magic is impossible to bring forth. It could be said mana is the foundation of infinite imagination.


    After everything finally calmed down, Elias nodded and patted his subordinates shoulders, waking them up from their daze.


    Pat!


    "Let''s go and take a seat. I''m hungry. I''m sure you guys have questions, I''ll exin as we eat."

 Chapter 19: Loyalty

    <h4>Chapter 19: Loyalty</h4>


    Not long after, Elias and his subordinates arrived at their own table in the middle of the cafeteria.


    They all sat down on their respective chairs in silence.


    Of course, Elias naturally took a seat before them. It was basic courtesy for him to do so. It was an acknowledgement of authority.


    But that was not important. More importantly, a heavy silence hung around the table as they sat.


    It was a serene, yetplicated silence.


    Donato and the rest tried to hide it, but Elias keenly saw through their inner bafflement and bewilderment instantly.


    That was just natural.


    They had recently just witnessed something strange ur, or more urately, they witnessed the young master they took care of all these years suddenly project ayer of mystery.


    It was not far-fetched to be baffled and confused if someone you originally knew very well suddenly exhibit strange and mysterious actions.


    Depending on the person in question, it could fill one with doubt and distrust.


    Of course, Elias also knew the underlying risk around his actions and already expected such a reaction by them before doing so.


    But he still did so despite the risk.


    If you think about it, he could''ve left them to Goblin to also have their memories erased about what happened, but despite that, he didn''t do so.


    With his untrusting and paranoid personality, it was quite strange that he didn''t do so.


    But the reason for that is simr to Goblin epting his deal, he was also gambling whether he did the right thing or not.


    Currently, Elias was risking a discreet gamble with the five of his subordinates¡ªwhether famous ''The Five Musketeers'' of his father would still trust him or not after witnessing his sudden change.


    This was immensely important; their stance regarding this matter would decide whether they were worth being informed of his n to escape or not.


    If they weren''t, then he would escape on his own and leave them be.


    There was no use for bringing subordinates he couldn''t fully trust outside. It would just endanger him. Not to mention, with his future actions, he was going to be more suspicious.


    On the other hand, if they were worth trusting, then he would inform them and have them all escape since he would need some subordinates outside.


    In other words, he was probing the extent of their loyalty to him. How loyal are they? He was very interested.


    They were loyal to his father, but how about to him?


    He needed the results right now because he''s escape was going to be put up in advance since Goblin appeared.


    Normally, if Goblin didn''t appear, it will take him a month. But with Goblin, he could escape very soon.


    Elias quietly watched them from the corner of his eye, waiting for someone to express their doubts.


    But even after a while, no one did. It made him slightly surprised and nervous, he had already expected some of them to ask in doubt.


    When one expresses doubt, that means they still haven''t fully put their trust in him yet. Conversely, it also meant he couldn''t put his trust in them either.


    That kind of thinking, of course, was quite ludicrous and foolish. That was just in extreme paranoia.


    No matter who the person is, they had doubts. It was impossible to remove them.


    But regardless, he had to do it so he could feel safe.


    He could only put trust in people that never questioned his trust in the first ce, that was an absolute rule he established for himself.


    ''I''ll wait until the cafeteria hours finish.''


    Elias thought silently as he gazed at the te below him.


    In truth, Elias was just too disillusioned and being extremely paranoid due to his former experiences.


    If he could take a step back and see things more clearly with less prejudice, it wouldn''t be soplicated.


    ''The Five Musketeers'' Donato and the rest had taken care of him since his birth, seeing him as their own responsibility to a degree.


    Additionally, although they were loyal to his father, their loyalty also extended to him due to his connection to his father, their original master.


    Furthermore, Donato and the rest lived most of their life in service of his father. Thus, when his father died, they also lost their original purpose in life and made protecting and serving him as their new resolve.


    That was why¡ªeven as the bell rang and prison cafeteria hours ended, no one among the five asked anything.


    To Donato and the rest, it was very simple. If their young master wasn''t willing to tell them in his own initiative, then so be it, they have no need to know.


    They only needed to trust and ensure their young master''s life was safe from harm. That was enough.


    A good subordinate never probes their master. And they''ll be damned if they were a failure of a subordinate.


    Faced with such trust and resolve, Elias felt extremely surprised and ufortable at the same time. He didn''t know how to face such overwhelming trust.


    In all his life, trust was something that gradually became foreign to him.


    In his past life.


    A silhouette standing beside his younger self appeared in his mind, and around them, a number of people were unconscious.


    The two of them gave each other a smile andughed together like an unmatched duo, but who could have known¡­


    Elias distantly remembered his past before shaking his head. He tapped his fingers on the table.


    Tap¡ª!


    At that moment, Donato, Galilei, Tauros, Junior and Alexus were alerted and raised their heads to look at him.


    Facing them, Elias ruefully smiled before sighing.


    "Do you guys trust me?"


    Without even a slight moment of hesitation, the five of them nodded. Donato answered with a slight smile, staring at Elias.


    "We were able to live because of the Godfather. Even if he had died, we can never forget the gratitude we have towards him."


    "You are his son, the blood life of the Godfather. As long as we live, our life is yours to order."


    "It doesn''t matter if you are not the Godfather, what matters is that at present, our life has no other purpose but to help you. We will serve you like we serve the Godfather."


    At the end of it, Elias was silent. It took a while before he opened his mouth and told them quietly.


    "...I n to escape this ce with you guys."


    ***


    At that night, under the shining moonlight, Goblin appeared in Elias cell with arge backpack.

 Chapter 20: Half-Breed

    <h4>Chapter 20: Half-Breed</h4>


    Tartarus, Night.


    In a dimly lit cell, a young man with dishevelled ck hair and sharp eyes sat on the bed.


    "...I have to finalise my ns soon. With Goblin''s addition, I can put up my escape in advance."


    "My n has more than eight percent chance of seeding. I have no need to find the keys for the cors, I only need to safely get the key to underground and escape there."


    "The risk is significantly lower and my chances are higher. I''m about to finish Sleight of Hand for a couple more days, that''s when the n will start."


    Elias muttered to himself while pinching his chin. Time was rapidly moving, it had already been half a month since he had transmigrated.


    Although he was working hard, he had never forgotten the ticking time bomb "mission" in the system.


    The mission that needed the most priority was enrolling in the academy, which had a three month limit.


    While he was thinking about it, a hole of space suddenly opened in the corner of the room, warping the surroundings slightly.


    Elias turned his gaze over in surprise. In the hole of space, a small figure with a ruddy face walked across the hole and entered the cell.


    "You''re here."


    Eliasmented before looking away. He gazed at the ceiling of his cell, turning his sight to the small little camera in the top corner.


    It was so small that it was almost invisible, but he had already found out about it since the first day, he just didn''t bother to think or talk about it.


    Goblin noticed where he was staring at and simply nodded, gesturing that he had already dealt with it beforehand.


    Goblin''s power was connected to space. He has the ability to create a sealed space in a specific area.


    Using that, he could avoid the security team''s notice.


    With Goblin''s confirmation, Elias smiled and asked:


    "Since you''re here already then have you already prepared?"


    Goblin grimly nodded in acknowledgement before sighing in slight mockery.


    "I already did. I even erased all my traces. I don''t know if I''m stupid or not to trust you, but that existence is definitely going to hold a grudge over me¡­"


    Elias merely smiled and responded while waving his hand.


    "Don''t think too much. That thing is still recovering. Besides, what''s a little risk in life when your dream is in your sight?"


    Goblin fell silent. It took him a few while to reply with a slight nod. He raised his head.


    "...You''re right. Besides, my gut tells me to trust you. Anyways, since you know about those ces, then do you know what I am?"


    Without intending to hide it, Elias nodded and directly spoke.


    "That''s right. Elysia is the home of the elves, while Franheirt is the home of the dwarves. Goblin, you''re not human at all."


    Goblin momentarily paused before confirming it with his own words.


    "That''s right. I''m not human. I could be considered what you humans call a dungeon escapee, are you sure you can trust me?"


    Dungeon escapee. A term for monsters or beings that originally lived in the mysterious dungeons before being able to escape and invade human society.


    Most of them caused disasters to the world upon their escape, unleashing catastrophic damages to society.


    To his expectations, Elias unexpectedly shook his head and answered.


    "I don''t trust you at all and I don''t mind if you don''t trust me either. However, I do trust that you treasure your dream more than anything that you will realise it''s counterproductive to betray me."


    "I believe in your greed and desire to find those ces, not your morality. If you do betray me even with that, consider it my short-sightedness."


    Goblin opened his mouth but was unable to respond, speechless.


    It was true in a way¡ªas long as he could find those ces, he would do anything. He was no role model of ethicality and fairness, far from it.


    For example, a few months prior he even contracted with a devil to find those mysterious ces.


    That was the reason why he was in this prison selling misceneous stuff. It was that in his deal with the devil, he needed to gather life span and souls.


    Thus, he went to prison after prison, sold stuff and asked for their "spirit force" or a fancy term for lifespan and their soul.


    That was why Elias was calling what he was doing a scam.


    Cigarettes, wine and etc for their lifespan?


    That was utterly nonsensical.


    The reason why no one found out about it is because he was very careful about it, removing any traces and not being too greedy.


    The real truth of him being a merchant¡ªhe was scamming people all over the world.


    Seeing that Goblin didn''t muster a response, Elias continued slowly.


    "You will go to any extent to find those ces, forsaking morality, pride and even life. They must be very important to you."


    "You''re finding those ces because that''s where you think you belong, correct? It''s because you''re a half-breed. A half dwarf and a half elf. In truth, we are roughly the same situation."


    To those words, Goblin was confused but admitted to it in resignation.


    "That''s right."


    After that, Elias didn''t say anything anymore. Goblin was silent as well. They were both quiet.


    After a while, Elias clenched his hand and suddenly broke the silence. He directly told Goblin his intention.


    "I n to escape this ce."


    As though he had expected it, Goblin didn''t show any surprise and asked in response:


    "Do you need my help?"


    Elias nodded slowly and stared at him. No, more specifically, stared at what was behind him.


    Goblin immediately noticed his gaze and took a step back instinctively, grabbing his woven mountain bag tightly.


    In an instant, he realized what his boss wanted from him.


    "...No. Please no."


    Goblin begged. Unfortunately, the glint of greed in his boss'' eyes only red up more.


    "A wise man knows when to submit to his circumstances,"


    Elias chuckled as he approached.


    "Bullshit! Absolutely not!"


    Goblin cursed in infallible rage as he hurriedly retreated to a corner.


    Elias simply smiled and stared at Goblin without fear. Goblin didn''t relent either, the two stared against each other.


    It took a while before Goblin eventually relented, breaking the stalemate between the two.


    Elias could take some few items, but not everything at once. Plus, he could not take Goblin''s own created items for free.


    However, that was enough for Elias to be satisfied.


    Despite being a scammer, Goblin was a genuine merchant traveller of many realms. He had a lot of items stored in the mountain bag.


    After havinge up with an agreement, Elias smiled and pped his hands.


    "It seems It wasn''t a mistake to have a deal with you."


    ''You have the gall to say that¡­ It was a mistake for me having a deal with you¡­!'' Goblin''s thought as his face distorted, smiling in anger.


    Without slowing down, Elias stood up and opened the heavy mountain bag. There were five zippers, the higher, the more valuable the objects stored.


    He opened the lowest zipper first, but soon closing it as he didn''t find what he wanted, then the second zipper¡­


    Each and every of his actions made Goblin shiver in silence. His own wealth was being ransacked in front of him.


    Elias took his time, spotting countless items in the heavy mountain bag. It was like a space bag in fantasy.


    Very quickly, he found the item he needed in the third zipper. He took it out. It was a shining crystal, filled with crystalline light, exhibiting a luminous glow.


    "Ah, I found it. This is what I needed."


    Elias said, caressing the luminous crystal with his fingers. Without hesitation, he abruptly crushed it in his hands, breaking the crystal!


    Woosh!


    At that moment, bright formless energy erupted from the crystal, entering his body.

 Chapter 21: Where Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 21: Where Are You?</h4>


    As the formless energy entered inside him, he could feel an abrupt change ur within his body.


    Elias couldn''t exactly describe the feeling. It was liberating, as though the shackles hidden within him were shattered in the presence of the energy.


    The formless energy spread all over his body, leaving a short-lived light along its way, as though purifying him from the inside.


    After a while, the formless energy fully spread all over his body and integrated with him entirely, disappearing silently.


    Shortly after, Elias immediately examined his own body. After he saw the results, he couldn''t help but be overjoyed.


    ''I can finally sense and control my mana!''


    Within him, the mana originally restrained in his throat by the anti-mana cor was now endlessly circting all over his body.


    Instinctively, he knew that with just a single thought he could control this mana and move it all over his body.


    Undeniably, that also meant the anti-mana cor that restrained and suppressed him was now useless.


    ''With this, I no longer need the keys¡­''


    Elias couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly. On his palm, the crushed shining crystal had long turned into specks of dust.


    The crystal was the one responsible for the change. It has an incredible and mysterious origin.


    It was referred to as¡ªDragonic Tears.


    Legends say, the Dragons were the master of all kinds of energy and were immune to all kinds of negative influences.


    Any part of their body was a heavenly treasure with many uses, even their tears were no exception.


    Once in a hundred years, a dragon would cry and weep. Their tears would then be crystallized and contain a small fraction of their power.


    Dragonic Tears was a one-time consumable item with one particrly useful ability; to eliminate all negative influences in the body.


    ''Excellent.''


    Elias smiled as he carefully controlled his mana. The mana inside him moved where he wanted.


    Although he mentioned there were only two ways to solve the influence of the anti-mana cor, there was also a hidden third one he didn''t bother to mention.


    That was to directly eliminate its restraining or debuff effect without removing or destroying the cor.


    The anti-mana cor, in essence, was an item that procured negative influence to the wearer''s mana and body.


    With an item like Dragonic Tears that removed negative influences in the person''s body, it could be solved rather easily.


    However, he didn''t bother to mention that third method because it was impossible to do that without a special item or skill.


    Back then, he didn''t even know that Goblin was in the prison, that was why he didn''t bother to think about it.


    Seeing his joy, Goblin snorted and grumbled loudly.


    "Alright, give me my storage bag now that you''re done."


    However, Elias didn''t do so and merely smiled as he shook his head. He raised his hand into a number ''five'' and pointed at the bag.


    "I need five more of these tears."


    Goblin already had a bad feeling beforehand, but now hearing the request, his eyes were slightly dizzy. He angrily shouted.


    "Are¡­ are you trying to rob me?! Those are Dragon Tears! They''re not simplemodities! I-if you want to remove your subordinates'' cors, then just break them! You have mana now."


    Elias shrugged.


    "I can''t do that. It would alert the security team, as much as possible, if we were to escape, we need to be sneaky as much as possible."


    "Tha¡­ that''s not my problem!!"


    "It is. If I get caught, then you will never find those ces."


    "You¡­. You son of a¡­!"


    Elias and Goblin argued for quite some time, but with thetter eventually relenting with heavy breathing.


    Feeling extremely aggrieved, Goblin bit his lip as he fumed in rage, his small body shaking.


    "Five more Dragonic Tears¡­ That''s all! Alright! No more!"


    Elias nodded and waved his hand in dismissal, pausing his words.


    "Rx, that''s all I need for now. But¡­"


    Goblin''s eyes turned red and his body trembled more fiercely. However, Elias ignored him, finding it a bit funny before he continued.


    "...I need you to do something for me. I''ll give you your second mission."


    Hearing that, Goblin deeply breathed as he inwardly sighed in relief. He nodded and asked:


    "What is it? As long as it''s within my capabilities."


    Elias nodded and directly told him.


    "It''s simple. I want you to explore the entire facility and make a map. Write down the ces where security is sparse andrge. Additionally, note down the routine of the security team."


    Goblin nodded.


    "Alright. I can do that."


    After saying that, he immediately vanished, as though afraid Elias will continue to take more of his treasures.


    As soon as Goblin disappeared, the seal in the room was gone as well


    Elias lightly looked at the camera in the top corner before moving his gaze to the ceiling. The smile on his face was wiped out, reced with a serious expression.


    While the nightly silence carried on, he clenched his fist tightly.


    Now that the end of the month was approaching, It was time to finalize his n to escape. He needed to escape fast, not just because of the mission but also for another reason.


    Ever since he slowly managed to integrate his memories, besides the time limit¡­ there was also someone he needed to see okay.


    ''...Wait for me.''


    Elias thought as he let go of his clenched fist. The night was still long and he was not yet sleepy or exhausted.


    ***


    Far away from Tartarus.


    In arge multi-floor luxury mansion, the wind blew quietly, slowly entering one of the rooms with their window left unclosed.


    The moon shone of luminous light, entering that particr room and illuminating it dimly, and behind that window was a small figure covered with silver moonlight.


    It was a young girl about eight years old adorned with an emerald green dress.


    The young girl had long ck hair tied into a ponytail, with pale white skin andrge dark beady eyes, she stared at the moon in deep sorrow.


    It was unthinkable for such deep sorrow to appear in a young girl like her.


    Despite her age, the young girl had already experienced deep, heart wrenching sorrow continuously in the past weeks.


    It was just a few weeks ago that everything was fine and okay. However, in the span of one night, everything she held close was abruptly destroyed and shattered into pieces.


    She couldn''tprehend how and why it happened.


    In her sleep, she still dreamed that her family was still okay. Even now, she still held desperate hope that they were still alive and living well.


    But the dawn of the morning and the light of her wake made her slowly realize that everything was truly gone and away.


    But she wouldn''t ept that. She couldn''t.


    As she lost herself in sadness, only the deste moon and starry night sky can calm her stirring, unexinable sorrow.


    The young girl turned her head to the side, looking at a picture frame of three people that was on her table. One was her, then beside her was a young man with a striking appearance, and behind them both was arge man with a gentle expression.


    Beneath the frame,rge letters formed a name.


    ''Casteno Family''


    Looking at the frame, the young girl held back a tear as she miffed.


    "Father¡­ Big Brother¡­"


    "Where are you¡­"


    In the peaceful night, beneath the starry sky and luminous moonlight, the young girl cried once more and yet nothing had changed.

 Chapter 22: D Rank and Sleight of Hand (1)

    <h4>Chapter 22: D Rank and Sleight of Hand (1)</h4>


    Tartarus, Courtyard.


    A week passed quietly.


    "Haa!"


    In the courtyard, in the martial arts field, two people were fighting on the corner while four other imposing figures watched them.


    Pow! Bam!


    Elias delivered a high kick, but Taurus body wasn''t even the least affected, as though an immovable iron fortress.


    However, that didn''t deter him. Elias kept on his advances, using the special martial art technique Way of Casteno in his attacks.


    A punch, a kick, an uppercut¡­


    Tauros calmly stood as he let the attacks hit him. No matter how many grazed him, he calmly received them. However, his eyes shed a genuine glint of admiration from the attacks.


    ''As expected of young master¡­ He''s talented at hand-to-handbat like the Godfather.''


    Although Elias'' attacks didn''t show any discernible damage, for the five veteran experts watching, they could see through the natural talent their young master held.


    Not only that but as the fight continued longer, Taurus could feel a sense of umtion of damage.


    That was right.


    It was as though the longer the fight went on, the more damage was umted and Elias'' continuous strikes became faster and stronger.


    ''This must be the young master''s innate talent.''


    Taurus thought before finally reacting. He moved his hands to catch an uing strike. As soon as he did so, Elias'' pupils shrank as he couldn''t react in time.


    Pow!


    Taurus slightly smiled, holding his young master''s hand. He raised his other arm and closed his hand into a fist.


    "Young master, I''m about to strike."


    He warned abruptly. However, he didn''t need to do so as Elias sensed it and quickly kicked him, using the recoiling force to leap back slightly.


    As Elias retreated, his pupils shrank once more. He hurriedly raised both of his hands and crossed it Infront to guard his body.


    Woosh!


    At that moment, Taurus body shed in speed. He arrived at Elias'' front and immediately striked with his closed hand.


    "Urg!"


    Elias gasped as he was hit by the hand. He retreated slightly from the immense force, feeling soreness all over his hands.


    After that, Taurus didn''t attack anymore. He pped his hands and smiled.


    "Young master, you''re improving quickly."


    "...That''s to be expected."


    Elias replied lightly, shaking off the soreness in his arms. Since he had already eliminated the anti-mana cor''s negative influence, he was no longer suppressed by it.


    When he was in E-Rank, the anti-mana cor didn''t suppress him much due to how weak he was, it only prevented him from using mana.


    However, when he reached D-Rank, the anti-mana cor began to suppress his actual strength by a rank.


    But now he was able to fully exert his strength and capabilities. But as expected, it did nothing at all to Taurus.


    Elias silently pondered while staring at Taurus.


    Although the ''Five Musketeers'' were notparable to Swain in strength and fame, they were still strong and famous.


    They each had their titles and strengths, being known throughout the Rankermunity. Taurus ''The lron Fortress'', Donato ''The Old Death'', Alexus ''The Cold Mastermind''...


    In particr, Tauros was known for his great physical strength and sturdy body. It was normal for him to not be able to shake the man off.


    Of course, if Elias used mana it would be a slightly different matter. But he didn''t dare to use mana in the courtyard where hundreds of security personnel were gathered.


    ''I''m about to advance to D-Rank¡­ I can''t slow down.''''


    After resting for a few minutes, Elias deeply breathed.


    "Alright. I''ll do a few sets of workouts."


    Every morning he would divide his training into two, working out and training his fighting skills. He didn''t ck off one bit ever since the start of his transmigration.


    Both helped him grow immensely fast to quickly reach D-Rank.


    And now he was about to reach it. As he estimated, he was about to reach middle D-Rank as the month approaches its end.


    As soon as he said that, he immediately began to work out in front of his subordinates.


    Towards his actions, the five subordinates had amazed expressions as they looked at each other before shaking their heads and sighing withplex emotions.


    It was impossible to stop a dragon from rising.


    Back when their young master proimed he had nned to escape, the five of them were deeply shocked and stunned.


    Of course, this was a prison, so everyone could say they wanted to escape. However, deep down everybody knew it was impossible.


    Tartarus was located on an ind far away from human society. In over a hundred years, no one has ever managed to escape.


    Even Donato and the rest simply gave up deep down. Even if they still had mana, there was no chance they could escape from scratch.


    Donato even personally exined the dangers and impossibility of it.


    But despite knowing that, Elias didn''t show any intention to give up and continued to work hard the following days. They always wondered why their young master was working out so intensely, but now they knew and were in awe and ashamed.


    What makes a man? It was the heart of never giving up.


    When Elias proimed his intention, they didn''t feel doubt but instead felt his resolution¡ªa burning me of passion that made them believe that it was possible.


    It was unexinable.


    If any other person said it, they would be treated as a fool that didn''t know their own limits. But when their young master said it, it seemed like it was possible.


    At that moment, they saw the figment of the Godfather in Elias'' figure subconsciously. It made them feel excited.


    Watching their young master work hard, Galilei subconsciously sighed.


    "Although the Godfather already died, he shall rest in peace in heaven or hell. His son would seed him as he dreamed."


    "Hard times make great men, and through great men¡­ a legend will rise above and grasp the world."


    However, he had a premonition¡ªa myth, surpassing a legend, will be born. And as a person witnessing it, he was faintly expectant of the future.


    ''The Five Families¡­. they underestimated the young master.''


    ***


    After a while, the prison courtyard finally closed as noon arrived and Elias took a break, subsequently taking a shower and eating in the cafeteria.


    However, soon after, he left the cafeteria and explored some of the facilities, covertly stealing some of the items.


    And as soon as the end of the day arrived, Elias sat on the bed of his cell, looking at his hand in serious silence.


    [Sleight of Hand ¡ª To execute the act of theft a thousand times.]


    [Status: 1,000/1,000 (Complete)]


    He had finally aplished the requirements for the skill he was working hard for.

 Chapter 23: D Rank and Sleight of Hand (2)

    <h4>Chapter 23: D Rank and Sleight of Hand (2)</h4>


    Tartarus, Night.


    Elias curled his lips into a wide smile as he looked at his own hand. He could feel a soft, invisible energy cover his hand and fingers.


    At that moment, a transparent blue screen appeared in front of his sight.


    [Sleight of Hand ¡ª A legendary thief among thieves. A magician among magicians. Nothing can escape from your grasp. Attention and stealth is your forte, none can notice your thievery.]


    [Requirements: 1,000/1,000 Steals (Complete!)]


    [(Passive: In Effect) In any attempt of thievery, the target won''t notice your actions. Your hand is nimble, swift, urate and precise, like a legendary thief. Misdirection is your domain.


    (Thievery Skills), (Trickery Skills), (Agility C+ when stealing), (Hand Mastery), (Finger Flexibility), (Misdirection).]


    [(Note: The chances of stealing unnoticed is lowered if the enemy is stronger.) (If mana is not used, the effect is considerably lower.)]


    At the same time, Elias found new information and knowledge about thievery and trickery suddenly appearing in his mind.


    Furthermore, his control of his own hands were raised to an astounding degree. He could now freely move each of his fingers with flexibility and dexterity like an expert thief.


    He even has some hidden sixth sense on how to use them properly and efficiently.


    Examining the changes brought by the skill, Elias sighed in genuine admiration.


    It was truly magical and wonderous.


    With the thievery and trickery skills in his mind along with his newfound extraordinary mastery misdirection, Elias felt like he was some sort of fictional magician that could steal anything and conjure strange magic tricks.


    Overjoyed and excited, he wanted to use it at once to test its effects, however his rationality told him there was a CCTV camera in the room watching his movements.


    "I''ll have a chanceter¡­"


    Elias sighed in regret as he calmed his feelings down. It was strange. Although he was thinking of leaving this world, he was also genuinely attracted to its wonders.


    After calming his feelings down, he started to think about where the skill came from¡ªthe will of the world.


    In the world of Aegis, there exists some kind of "will of the world", a mysterious formless will that allows people to gain skills easily and power up in advancements.


    Very little was known about it and its existence was still in question. However people hypothesised that such a will truly exists, otherwise where did the skills that were gained through requirementse from?


    As an author, Elias also knew little of it. Of course, his knowledge was still far vaster than the people in this world.


    ording to him,


    ''The World Will was awakened when mana and dungeons arrived. Upon its awakening, sensing the danger and extinction of its inhabitants, it helped all beings¡ªwhether human or animal¡ªin the dark and gave them skills and advancements.


    When Rankers advance to a new rank, the World Will silently give them help and evolve their bodies and mana to a whole new level.


    When Rankers achieve a hidden requirement, the World Will would give them a new skill to reward them for their efforts.''


    Elias had experienced both; when he advanced to low D-Rank and now when he aplished the requirements for the Sleight of Hand skill.


    "Speaking of advancements, it''s time..."


    Elias muttered to himself in slight excitement. After working hard for weeks straight and engaging in intense training without break, his efforts finally paid off and bore fruit.


    Although hewas still short of reaching middle D Rank, but he had something to solve that and make him advance at the moment.


    Elias muttered "system" underneath his breath.


    [Hero Creator System]


    [Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    Race: Human


    Talent: Indomitable Spirit


    Rank: D-


    Level: 23


    Unused status points: 500


    STR: D- (77/200)


    AGI: D- (77/200)


    STA: D- (81/200)


    CONST: D- (80/200)


    INT: E (51/100)


    MAG: E- (43/100)


    GROWTH: D+ (0/200)


    SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Ferocious Underdog], [Gaze of Intimidation]....]


    Looking at his stats, Elias smiled widely for a moment beforee allocated his unused status points to strength, agility, stamina and constitution at the same time.


    "Allocate."


    [Unused status points: 500 -> 15


    STR: D- (200/200) -> D (0/200)


    AGI: D- (200/200) -> D (0/200)


    STA: D- (200/200) -> D (0/200)


    CONST: D- (200/200) -> D (0/200)]


    At that moment, Elias felt a qualitative change ur within his body.


    [Rank: (D-) -> (D)!]


    Simr to when he advanced to low D-Rank, his body experienced great changes and upgrades. His strength, agility, stamina and constitution considerably increased!


    Additionally, his mana shone brightly as its quality improved and increased in volume making him more powerful and stronger.


    His long, intense hard work finally paid off!


    Elias now advanced to middle D-Rank and acquired [Sleight of Hand] skill at the same time,pleting his original goals.


    ''Although the change isn''t as drastic when I advanced from high E-Rank to low D-Rank¡­ this is still quite an increase.''


    Elias thought as he examined his own body and tried out the changes himself. He estimated that if he fought Taurus now, he could now deal some additional damage and even block an attack.


    Of course, that was only if Taurus was not using mana and letting himself get hit.


    But regardless that was already wonderful enough!


    Taurus was a veteran C+ Ranker, a strong and valuable force of nature in any organisation. In the Casteno Family, he was one of his father''s best subordinates.


    ''Finally¡­''


    Elias sighed quietly. His two goals were now achieved, now the only thing left is to n for his escape and execute it¡­


    Crack!


    At that moment, a sudden crack snapped him out of his thinking. He snapped his head to the corner, spotting a hole suddenly appearing in space, leading to a void.


    A hole in space appeared in the corner, and walking across the space hole was a small, dwarven-like figure with a ruddy face.


    "I''ve finished your task, boss."


    Goblin said slowly as he entered the cell. He let out a tiresome sigh that made people have an impression he was being overworked.


    In his chest pocket, there was arge paper scroll.


    Perfect timing! Elias smiled widely as he approached the half-dwarven. When he was close enough, he waved his hand slightly.


    Feeling somewhat strange, Goblin was wary of his boss'' approach. However, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.


    In front of him, Elias was holding therge scroll he kept in his chest pocket.


    Feeling disbelieving, Goblin hurriedly checked his chest pocket and found that therge scroll had indeed disappeared.


    "You have a space rted skill..?"


    Goblin asked, slightly curious andrgely rmed.


    However, Elias ignored him and opened up therge scroll instead. On therge scroll, a well drawn illustration of the entire facility was disyed.


    There were all kinds of detailed observations and notes, pointing out which one was more dangerous and had more security and conversely which one had less security.


    As Elias studied the illustration, his lips curled into a smile that kept getting wider and wider until it reached its limit.


    ''With these, It''s time to escape this hell hole of a prison.''

 Chapter 24: Explosion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 24: Explosion (1)</h4>


    Tartarus, Hidden Facility.


    In a dark, covert room far from the surveince of the security team, six figures were standing around with tense and serious expressions.


    Naturally, these figures were; Elias, Donato, Galilei, Taurus, Junior and Alexus.


    "This is the ce where we will escape."


    In the center, Elias looked at the map of the entire prison facility and pointed at the bottom ce where an eye-catching ''X'' sign was drawn.


    This mark was not drawn by Goblin, but by him. Using his knowledge of Tartarus, he deduced where the hidden mechanism and exit was ced.


    He was confident that he was right about it.


    In front of him, Donato and the rest nodded silently with thoughtful expressions.


    After the exnation of the n, the room turned quiet.


    "Do you guys have any questions?"


    Elias inly asked, crossing his arms.


    The five of them immediately shook their heads; ever since Elias'' obtained the map, they gathered in this ce to continuously discuss and rehearse the n.


    They had heard and discussed the n multiple times already, naturally they would fully understand it now.


    Seeing their confident expressions, Elias nodded with a sigh and changed the topic.


    "Since that''s the case, how were the preparations and tasks I assigned doing in your end?"


    "Don''t worry, young master. We''ve already controlled most of them. Although we didn''t manage to subdue everyone, the manpower we''ve gathered is enough."


    "Are you sure there will be no problems?"


    "Have faith, young master. We''ve made sure they were thoroughly intimidated and subdued to do our bidding. I''ve asked them to cooperate."


    Saying this, Galilei and the rest smiled slightly, exhibiting confidence.


    "That''s good."


    Sensing their confidence, Elias nodded thoughtfully before adding.


    "The more distractions, the better. Our priority is to escape, the best possible oue is to escape without alerting anyone."


    Although his five subordinates were strong, they weren''t strong enough to handle the entire security team''s collective force, especially the chieftain.


    "Rest assured, young master. We know our limits."


    Donato and the rest reassured him. Using the Dragonic Tears, they were no longer suppressed by the anti-mana cors.


    They were now capable of exerting their full strength and capabilities. However that didn''t mean they were arrogant enough to challenge the entire security team.


    Strength aside, the sheer number would eclipse them.


    Elias thought silently.


    ''Excellent. All the preparations are almost in ce¡­ this way, most of the security''s attention will be taken away from the underground. The worst possible oue is if we''re discovered.''''


    With him silently contemting, Donato and the rest looked at each other strangely before Galilei stepped up and asked.


    "Uh, young master¡­"


    "Hm? Yes?"


    Elias snapped out of his daze and looked at his subordinate directly.


    "...About Swain¡­ is he not going to escape along with us?"


    Galilei asked while he wore a difficult andplex expression.


    ''Hm..? Ah, they don''t know the truth.''


    Elias was puzzled for a moment before immediately remembering a crucial fact. He thought for a moment before directly telling them the truth.


    Upon hearing the truth, the five of them were in utter disbelief. Their expressions changed indescribably, as though unable toprehend the words he said.


    However, after a while, their expressions reverted back to normal as they calmed down. But shock and confusion could still be seen in their eyes.


    Elias nodded silently. He couldn''t help but sigh. In a way, everything happening at the moment was his fault.


    With anotherplex sigh, he finally ordered.


    "It''s time. Let''s talk about this for another time. Go prepare yourself along with the n, we''ll meet up at that ce."


    Elias waved his hand, making five new paper scrolls appear on his palm. He threw each one of the paper scrolls to his subordinates.


    "Take these. Put it in your body as soon as you aplish step one."


    Donato and the rest caught it without a word. With Elias'' orders, they immediately left the room in heavy calmness and got ready to execute the n.


    "..."


    As soon as Donato and the rest left, Elias looked at the ceiling before closing his eyes and ordering softly.


    "Come out."


    At that moment, in the corner of the room, Goblin walked out with his heavy mountain bag hanging behind him.


    "How are the preparations in your end?"


    Elias calmly asked.


    "Hahahaha, with the form you gave me, it was a certain sess. Do not worry. Do not worry. I''ve already put them in ce."


    Goblin chuckled joyfully before adding.


    "I''ve also added a timer. Around when the bell strikes, it will go¡­ boom. So you don''t have to worry about my end. I''ve sessfully done what you want, boss."


    Hearing that, Elias nodded thoughtfully. With that, everything was in ce. It was time to escape this hell hole of a prison once and for all.


    ''Now¡­ let''s get ready to act.''


    Without turning his back, he slowly walked out of the room and left a few words.


    "We''ll meet again, Goblin."


    ***


    Tartarus, Cafeteria.


    In the cafeteria, a rare urrence was happening. The whole ce was crowded with inmates, almost reaching a thousand.


    "Jeez, why is the cafeteria so full today¡­?"


    "I don''t know. It seems like the prison bosses have some shit to announce¡­ leaving will be unwise¡­"


    "Then where the hell are they?"


    "Be quiet! Let''s just wait! The day is about to end anyways¡­"


    However, the so-called prison bosses were silent and didn''t move. They held their heads down as thoughcking any intention to do anything.


    The rest of the prisoners noticed this and felt odd; however they simply waited and whispered among themselves.


    In the corner, Bones King Gand was silent as well while his subordinates and goons were wearing worried and annoyed expressions.


    "What the heck? Why the hell are we staying here? Let''s get out¡­"


    "We can''t. Look at the door, they''re guarded by some strong people."


    "It''s fucking hot! Shit! When will this shit finish, and why are the prison bosses still damn quiet?!"


    "Let''s calm down. I feel like something is wrong."


    Themotion grew louder and louder with each passing moment increasing the unsatisfaction and annoyance of the crowd.


    After a while, they finally couldn''t handle it.


    "Open the door! It''s goddamn hot!"


    "Let us go! Shit!"


    "What are these¡­"


    At that moment, the bell of the prison rang loudly, announcing the end of the day.


    With the bell ringing, the prisoners subconsciously looked up and they said.


    "The bell rang, you guys can''t possibly mak¡ª"


    BOOM!


    At that moment, countless silent explosions took off.

 Chapter 25: Explosion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 25: Explosion (2)</h4>


    Tartarus, Surveince Room.


    In a wide room filled with monitors, a plump, chubby middle aged man wearing a security uniform satzily.


    "The end of the month is approaching. Only a few more days, and I can finally have a dayoff. I swear, I won''t do something stupid anymore..."


    "Eh, the prison facilities seem to be a little empty today. Less troubles the better anyway¡­"


    The plump security personnel muttered to himself, looking over the monitors like watching a theatrical show.


    "Hmm? What''s this¡­?"


    Suddenly, the plump man discovered something odd.


    "Why¡­ are there so many people in the cafeteria?! Odd. Really strange¡­"


    The plump man immediately pressed a button, making all the monitors disy the scene in the cafeteria.


    Like he had seen, there were almost a thousand people in the cafeteria, all wearing prisoner uniforms.


    The scene looked like a crowded market ce, with everyone sticking towards each other closely while they constantly whispered among themselves.


    ''Something''s happening¡­ I''ll go call the security just in case.''


    The plump guard felt uneasy and immediately connected to themunicator signals. As soon as he connected, he immediately spoke:


    "This is the monitor personnel speaking."


    A voice immediately replied to him.


    [Is there a problem?]


    "Not sure, but there seems to be a problem going on in the cafeteria¡­ a lot of prisoners are gathered. I suggest putting some manpower there, just in case."


    The plump guard answered while looking at the monitors. He recounted what he was seeing on the voice.


    "Hm, something is odd, even the prison bosses are quiet and still. They seem to be waiting for something. But the day is about to end. Wait. It seems there''s going to be a riot, the prisoners are¡­"


    At that moment, the bell of Tartarus rang loudly.


    "...They''re rioti¡ª"


    At the same time, a blinding light took over the whole monitor.


    BOOM!


    The plump man immediately sobered up in shock as a huge explosion erupted in the cafeteria. He couldn''t help but mumble in shock and panic.


    "What¡­ what the hell¡­?!"


    [What happened?! Monitor personnel? A huge tremor just ured¡­!]


    However, the plump man didn''t reply and was still in utter disbelief. The whole cafeteria was still covered in blinding light.


    [Goddammit, monitor personnel! Tell us what happened¡­!]


    [Monitor personnel! Answer us! Oh no¡ª]


    Hearing the loud shout, the plump man snapped out of his daze.


    "Y-yes¡­! Right!"


    After a few seconds, the blinding light finally vanished¡ªthe plump man immediately turned up the focus to the cafeteria, preparing himself.


    But¡­


    Unlike the gory and vicious sight he imagined, the cafeteria was safe and sound and no prisoners were harmed.


    ''...What?''


    The plump man couldn''t help but be puzzled and confused. However, that puzzlement and confusion immediately turned into immense disbelief and terror in the next second.


    "What''s this¡­.!!!!"


    In the countless monitors, the prisoners stood around in daze. But most importantly, the anti-mana cors on the prisoners¡­ were destroyed.


    "Oh no..! Oh no¡­! This is a crimson level designation! immediately go to¡ª"


    [What the hell is happening?! The fourth floor is also experiencing tremors! Something wrong happened to Disaster-ss 005. Wh¡ª"


    "That''s not important right now. The anti-mana cors of a thousand prisoners¡ªa thousand¡­ have been destroyed!! An explosion took ce in the cafeteriann"


    [What?!]


    For the first time since a hundred years, Tartarus, the infallible prison fortress of all Rankers, experienced great terror and changes.


    ***


    Tartarus, Second Floor.


    At this moment, an ordinary looking security guard was running down the stairs while wearing a panicked and terrified expression.


    "This is A-145 speaking. I''m about to arrive at the first floor cafeteria!"


    [Hurry up! We need more reinforcements!!]


    "Hold on! The others with me are alreadying down there! We split up to intercept some of the prisoners that escaped!"


    The ordinary looking security guard said loudly, running down the stairs. While he was running, he didn''t notice a shadow trailing behind him.


    "Wait! I see about a few prisoners!"


    [Copy that! We can still hold on!]


    The ordinary looking security guard immediately disconnected with the transceiver and was about to run to the prisoner he saw.


    Snap¡ª!


    However, a hand appeared behind him and chopped his neck, rendering the ordinary security guard unconscious.


    Thud!


    Behind the ordinary looking security guard, a silhouette slowly revealed itself.


    It was a young man with dishevelled ck hair and deep ck eyes, pale skin and a scar etched down on his temple, entuating the threatening air around his figure.


    "Step 1, aplished."


    Elias muttered to himself, looking at the security guard on the ground. Without slowing down, he dragged the man to a hidden corner.


    After a few seconds, he came out looking differently.


    Elias looked at his new attire, it was exactly the same as the outfit of the ordinary looking security guard from earlier.


    In his pocket, a few keys were hanging, and one of them was vital to this n.


    "By this time, the preparations should have gone off, right?"


    Elias muttered to himself thoughtfully. It could easily be proven by the fact that the whole prison was in chaos.


    ''Alright, next up¡­''


    Without turning his back, he waved his hand and let a paper scroll appear. He opened the scroll silently, making the contents reveal itself.


    On its surface, an indescribable and mysterious character was drawn with scarlet blood.


    As soon the scroll opened, a bright red light suddenly shone through its contents and shed him, entering in his face for a few seconds.


    After the bright red light disappeared, the paper scroll turned into dust and scattered with the wind itself, vanishing.


    At this moment, Elias'' face slightly changed. His outwards appearance didn''t change, but when one looked at him, a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity would permeate.


    Disguise Charm.


    Elias nodded thoughtfully. After using the scroll, he didn''t rush to go to the meeting spot and but used a Fire Charm he took from Goblin to burn his prisoner clothes.


    As his former clothes turned to dust, now, he decided to act and run down the stairs to the first floor with a calm expression.


    He now looked like a different person all together. With his anti-mana cor gone, no one would suspect him.


    As nned, he broke the anti-mana cor at the same time the mana bombs detonated and caused an explosion.


    Why did he wait for the mana bombs to explode before breaking his anti-mana cor?


    It was simple. Because the anti-mana cor when broken had an automatic function that would alert the whole security of the prison.


    If he broke it before the appointed time, his ns would''ve failed. The prison security would''ve discovered him and destroy any possible future for his escape.


    If that was the case, he would not be able to destroy the cor, and he cannot regain his ability to use mana... that was unless he could resolve the issue of the cor.


    It was originally his toughest problem, but he resolved this easily due to Goblin.


    Goblin''s appearance fast forwarded his ns and made the escape significantly easier and faster.


    Dragon Tears helped him ''remove'' the anti-mana cor without actually destroying the object itself, thus bypassing the hidden alert function of the cor.


    However, that was just a temporary solution. He still needed to destroy the corter on to fool the security and sessfully escape.


    Elias was originally stuck on how to deal with this issue until he figured something out.


    <i>If</i><i> destroying the anti-mana cors is a problem because we''re going to be targeted and singled out by the security, what if everyone''s cors were destroyed?</i>


    That lead him to an idea¡ªdestroy virtually every anti-mana cor in the prison so everyone was escaping, not just them.


    That way, when he breaks his own anti-mana cor, the security wouldn''t just be alerted of one or two escapees.


    But rather... they would be alerted that all of the prisoners were trying to escape.


    That would cause a massive surge of alerts in the entirety of the prison, causing chaos and confusion throughout the ce.


    After that happens, the security would have no time to differentiate who to deal with amongst the prisoners because they had to deal with almost the entirety of inmates of the prison.


    In simple words,<strong> </strong>he was using the inmates as distraction to the security for his escape in the shadows.


    While thinking, he opened up the transceiver.


    "Alright, I intercepted the prisoner. I''m about to go down. Are you guys still holding up?"


    [Barely. But we''ve been able to. The vice chieftains and officials havee and suppressed the others, hurry up.]


    "Copy that."


    Elias sighed quietly as he turned off the transceiver. As expected of the security team, they acted fast despite being surprised.


    However, it wouldn''t matter.


    At that moment, he arrived at the first floor. But instead of going to the cafeteria, he gone to the opposite direction.


    But just as he was about to run, arge hand calmly held his shoulder down.


    "Wait."


    Feeling surprised, Elias immediately turned his head around and came face to face with a middle aged man adorned with military suit.


    Captain Voxen.


    Elias face slightly changed, however he immediately reacted and bowed while saluting in respect to the man.


    "Captain Vo¡ª"


    However before he could finish, Captain Voxen cut him off with a calm look.


    "Where are you heading towards to?"


    At that moment, Elias was in a huge crisis.

 Chapter 26: Oh no! Anyways...

    <h4>Chapter 26: Oh no! Anyways...</h4>


    "Where are you heading towards?"


    Elias was in an unprecedented crisis! He could feel the subtle, presence of death loom over his figure, making him feel immense pressure.


    ''This is bad. I was toote¡­ I need to do something quick.''


    His mind rapidly churned out thoughts, however, outwardly his expression didn''t change and was still the same.


    Captain Voxen frown intensified.


    "Not answering?"


    Elias expression turned slightly grim as he bit his lip quietly He quickly bowed more deeply and saluted with a slight change of expression.


    "C-captain Voxen! This subordinate greets you!"


    "I''m asking you where were you going."


    Captain Voxen said inly, his eyes cold as ice while a hint of suspicioun shed in his deep, abyssal dark pupils.


    ''I have to do something quick¡­ I''ll die if he finds something wrong.''


    Feeling immense pressure, Elias thought for a moment before answering.


    "...Captain. I just got a report from the transceiver requesting for my reinforcement. I thought I could help them first before helping with the cafeteria."


    However, Captain Voxen didn''t say anything, it was unknown what he was thinking. Elias internally sighed and continued.


    "One of the prison bosses managed to escape before the reinforcement of vice chieftains arrived at the cafeteria. They requested some reinforcment. I wish to help them as soon as possible, Captain!"


    Saying that, Elias bowed deeply.


    "Turn on the transceiver."


    Instead, Captain Voxenmanded inly.


    Elias face rapidly changed, but he wasn''t discovered due to the Disguise Charm and his head being lowered down.


    He slowly reached out to his pocket, taking the transceiver out. As soon as he held it, he secretly pressed a button.


    Afterwards, he quickly offered the transceiver to Captain Voxen.


    "Here, Captain. Please believe in me. I need to help them as quickly as possible."


    Captain Voxen didn''t reply to him and simply took the transceiver. He turned on the transceiver. At that moment, the transceiver buzzed and a voice came out.


    [...! A-114?! Is that you?!]


    [A-114 Where the hell are you?! We need your help right now at Room 67! This bastard is unexpectedly strong¡­! Goddamnit, hurry up!]


    Other than the voice, there seemed to audible sounds of fighting uring, with explosive attacks being thrown around.


    Hearing that, Captain Voxen''s frown considerably easened up. He looked at the transceiver before looking at Elias.


    "It seems to be true."


    Elias nodded and sighed in relief. As he raised his head, he coincidentally spotted something on Captain Voxen''s pocket.


    His eyes widened slightly as he found himself daring to do something dangerous.


    "Take it back. Quickly go, Tartarus is experiencing an unprecedented crisis."


    Captain Voxen said and held the transceiver towards him. However, Elias didn''t move and was still hesitating about something.


    Captain Voxen was about to frown and say something, but Elias finally acted with resolution in his eyes.


    "Sure thing captain..."


    Elias reached out to the transceiver. However, just as his hand was close to the transceiver, he ''identally'' tripped and fell to Captain Voxen''s chest.


    Thud!


    Feeling surprised, he quickly raised his head and his eyes shed a nk, fearful emotion as he stared straight at Captain Voxen''s distant eyes.


    Elias showed a stunned expression.


    "...sorry?"


    At that moment, his hand waved.


    Woosh!


    Captain Voxen''s stoic, cold face suddenly turned into a stern frown while his brows quirked. He felt a sense of unease that something is wrong!


    "Oh no¡ª! Sorry, Captain! Please forgive me!"


    As soon as he realized what he had done, Elias immediately took the transceiver and retreated with a heavy bow.


    His expression was in fear and apprehension. He looked like he was genuinely asking for forgiveness by his clumsy mistake.


    At that moment, the transceiver in his hand buzzed out and a voice came once again.


    [A-114 What the hell are you doing?! We are waiting for your goddamn presence since a while, you bastard! I''ll report you to the captain!]


    Elias face suddenly changed to the worst. He deeply bowed to the captain once more before telling the transceiver.


    "Wait for me! I''m about to arrive!"


    [Hurry the hell up, you bastard!]


    Elias quickly gave onest nce at Captain Voxen before nodding and quickly running away, his other hand hidden in his clothes.


    "Wai¡ª"


    Captain Voxen felt the uneasy feeling intensified and called out. However, at that moment, arge tremor ured at the whole facility.


    Shook!


    Captain Voxen''s transceiver buzzed and a voice came out.


    [Captain¡­! Help! Disaster-ss 005 has been released from his restraints!]


    Captain Voxen''s face suddenly changed into an ugly one. He gave onest look to the running Elias before running to the fourth floor.


    **


    Thump! Thump!


    Elias ran quickly and didn''t turn his back. His face was as cold as ice, expressionless but a trace of joy and relief shed in his eyes.


    On his clothes, he slowly took out his hidden hand.


    His hand was still the same, except it was now holding onto a bright yellow sharp object that looked ordinary.


    It was a key.


    Elias had risked for further suspicion, and in a certain perspective, risked for his very life and everything of his ns to steal this key.


    ''It''s worth it. It''s definitely worth it. This key is the¡­''


    Master Key.


    That''s right. The key he was holding onto¡ªwas the Master Key. The key to all locks in this prison facility. It could be said with this, he could enter anywhere in the prison.


    ''With this, there''s no need to go through step three.''


    Elias felt his lips curl in joy, but he restrained it. It wasn''t time¡ªthe job wasn''t done yet. If there was anything that could still make him fail, it was hiscency.


    ''Still, I didn''t expect for Voxen to act that fast¡­ and even more that he held this key. No, it''s reasonable for him to hold this key...''


    Elias thought calmly. Naturally, he knew of Captain Voxen''s existence. In fact, the man was the biggest obstacle to his n when he constructed it.


    However, with the man evidently going to the fourth floor¡­ that meant his n to distract the security team was obviously a sess.


    Buzz!


    At that moment, the transceiver in his hand buzzed once more and the voice earlier came out.


    [A-114! Where the¡ª]


    "It''s me. Calm down. Alexus."


    Elias suddenly interrupted inly. The transceiver was silent for the moment before the voice came back and replied calmly.


    [Has the situation been resolved, young master?]


    Inexplicably, it was the voice of Alexus, one of his subordinates!


    "It was and there''s a change of ns. Wait for me there."


    [By your orders, young master.]


    At that moment, the transceiver buzzed again and turned off. Elias quickly ran off while his eyes were cold and unfeeling.


    Naturally, he had backup ns in case something went wrong. And one of them showcased it''s use at this moment, helping him survive.

 Chapter 27: Truth of Swain (1)

    <h4>Chapter 27: Truth of Swain (1)</h4>


    Tartarus, Fourth Floor.


    A while earlier, before the n officially began.


    In the fifth sealed room, a middle-aged man with dishevelled grey hair and facial hair looked at the ceiling silently.


    Disaster-ss 005¡ª"The Sword of Andolinio."


    Swain Casteno looked at the ceiling distantly with mncholic eyes, as though looking at a far away past.


    Many years ago.


    While he was in his most pitiful state, emptily wandering in the streets and alleyways with no destination in sight, a man walked up to him.


    The man was special and unique. It was hard to describe, only that boundless confidence and charisma could be felt around the man.


    The man reached out his hand and offered a deal. Even though years had already passed, he still remembered the exact words the man said that time.


    ''You''re quite pitiful. It''s quite a waste with strength and talent like yours. If you have nothing else to do, why not contribute your life to me?''


    ''You''re strong, different from most. You have the qualifications to stand along with me. Follow me and we''ll rule the underworld together.''


    At that time, he didn''t know whether he should answer in anger orughically at the craziness of the man''s words.


    Rule the underworld? That was foolishness. At that era and time, the underworld was experiencing unprecedented chaos and destruction.


    New people rose with powers beyond human and strength beyond beasts, contributing to chaos and destruction. It was an era where humanity fought against themselves.


    However, when the man said those words, there was no sign of joking or inconfidence at all. It seemed like it was truly possible by the man''s belief.


    Even him, who was slightly insane, was questioning the man''s sanity.


    Nheless, even with those doubts in his mind, he inexplicably found himself epting the man''s deal.


    It was strange.


    Thinking back at it now, it was an offer he couldn''t refuse at all.


    Whether it was because he was enamoured by the man''s passion and charisma, or he was in his lowest state in his life and didn''t care anymore, he chose to ept it.


    Somehow, he felt like he could believe in the man. That''s why he epted the man''s hand.


    But even he couldn''t predict the events that would follow.


    As soon as he held the man''s hand, that was when the legend of Andolinio Casteno, The Godfather, began.


    With the two of them, they travelled across the world.


    They suppressed the countless great familias, they defeated the overlords of the underworld, they led the first unification of the underworld, and subdued many enemies and allies through fear and respect.


    It was a golden era for both of them.


    Together, they conquered the world and had it under their grasp. Once upon a time, they were the brightest stars in the new world.


    But he wouldn''t dare topare himself to the Godfather. He was vastly inferior, weaker and pathetic.


    To him, who had lost himself in depression and sadness, the man, the Godfather, gave him purpose and another life.


    Unfortunately, he was a sinner and forsake his own sacred oath. He was the worst kind of a man, a betrayer.


    It was his fault why The Godfather, Andolinio Casteno, died.


    The truth of the Godfather''s demise was a nasty truth.


    Back then, he didn''t participate in the war and turned around when the Godfather needed him the most.


    That was the truth to the death of the Godfather. It was his shame and sin that will follow him even in death.


    TANG¡ª!


    At that moment, the bell rang loudly.


    Swain felt droplets of tears fall from his face. However, he couldn''t find himself to care as the sorrow and guilt in his eyes intensified.


    ''Godfather, forgive me. I have sinned upon the family. I betrayed you. I couldn''t dedicate my life to you¡­ I''m¡­ the worst. However, I''m going to repay everything to your son.''


    ''Your son is smart, Godfather. I believe he will definitely seed you well.''


    At this moment, he remembered the first talk he had with Elias, where thetter repeatedly mentioned family.


    "Young master, you know of my sins¡­"


    Swain sighed deeply. Every day, he lived in guilt of his decision at that time, he feared for Elias'' reaction when he knew the truth.


    Who knew that Elias would know and even understand his decision?


    "I am truly pathetic¡­"


    Swainughed bitterly as he wiped the tears in his face. He was the worst kind of person. A pathetic sinner that betrayed the own hand that helped him.


    And yet, the Godfather''s son still tried to sympathize and understand his decision. He was truly unworthy to have lived a life with such great masters.


    After a while, the tremors finally stopped.


    ''It''s time.''


    As soon as the tremors stopped, Swain shook his head as he looked at the metal door before turning his head to the chains and cors restraining him.


    Crack¡ª!


    At that moment, iparable power suddenly coursed through him, making the chains and cors break.


    Swain nodded as he looked at himself, his own skin pale and weakened. However, the chains and cors restricting him were now shattered.


    At that moment, he was no longer suppressed.


    Due to some unknown special means, Swain returned to being a genuine, top-ss B Ranker.


    He slowly stood up and walked towards the metal door. With a fraction of his strength, he pushed the door and made it fly away.


    All around him, countless security guards were standing in apprehension and fear.


    Swain looked at them for a moment before smiling. In exchange for his own life, he would do his best to help the young master escape.


    ***


    Tartarus, Stairway.


    In the stairs towards the fourth floor, a middle aged man fashioned with military clothes rapidly ran towards the top.


    Captain Voxen dismissed the uneasiness he felt earlier and didn''t hesitate any longer to run towards the fourth floor.


    After a few seconds, he finally reached the fourth floor.


    What greeted him was countless security guards on the ground with their eyes closed and unconscious.


    And in the middle of the sea of unconscious bodies, a middle aged man with dishevelled white hair and facial hair stood silently with a sword in his hand.


    He waste.


    Captain Voxen looked at the scene in front of him in rage, he clenched his fist tightly as he turned his gaze towards the man.


    With just a nce, he recognized the man.


    "Swain Casteno¡­"


    Captain Voxen took a deep breath, showing iparable coldness in his face. He reached out to the katana waist and unsheathed it.


    "...Today, you will die. I swear upon it in my honour."


    At that moment, Captain Voxen and Swain looked at each other. In a split second, their figures blurred as they attacked against each other, causing a stunning fight to ur!

 Chapter 28: Truth of Swain (2)

    <h4>Chapter 28: Truth of Swain (2)</h4>


    Tartarus, Underground.


    In the surface depths of Tartarus, Elias stopped in front of a locked metal door. He took out the keys in his pocket and inserted one of them into the door.


    Click!


    The door gave out a click as it was unlocked. He quickly pushed it open and entered. As soon as he entered, he paused and looked at his surroundings.


    Beyond the door was not a room, but a spiraling stairway that led to the very bottom of the underground.


    The spiraling stairway seemed endless. It was like a stairway to hell, leading to a bottomless pit of no return.


    Elias gazed below the endless stairway, seeing no end in sight.


    This ce was also known as the "Infernal Stairway", the stairs of Tartarus that lead to the most dangerous sealed prisoner.


    Elias observed for a moment before he decisively ran down the stairs. The further he ran, the more he realized how long the stairs were.


    Shook!


    However, arge tremor suddenly erupted on the entire prison facility making him slow down.


    Elias suddenly stopped and looked at the ceiling. His eyes sharply narrowed as though looking through it.


    ''...It has begun, huh?


    He had faintly guessed the reason for the tremor this time. Most likely, Voxen and Swain had already met and started fighting against each other.


    But he only took a quick look before continuing to run again. He can''t waste any more time or untimely idents could happen.


    At this point, he could only hope that Swain would seed in stalling for time enough for them to escape.


    Of course, it would be more delightful if Swain were to win and defeat Voxen.


    ''Swain¡­''


    On the topic of Swain, Elias couldn''t help but feelplicated emotions within him. As he had once said, the story and legend of Andolinio Casteno was written by him in the passing.


    Naturally, even Andolinio''s eventual demise was also part of his writing. That''s why he not only knew everything about his father but also what happened during the warst month, and how his father died.


    In truth, the whole matter of his father''s death was veryplicated.


    The Ghost King and the Five Families allied together to kill his father and started a war in the process, leading to his father''s tragic demise.


    At least that was what was known by the others.


    That information was correct for the most part. But it was just the surface truth and wascking in many details.


    For one, only a few know that Swain didn''t participate in that war and indirectly let his father die.


    However, there was a reason for it.


    Swain had a family.


    The Ghost King and Five Families discovered Swain''s family and threatened him, making Swain submit to their demands and forcing him to not participate in the war.


    If it was in the past, Swain would''ve still helped The Godfather despite his family being threatened by his enemies. It would not even take him a second to decide to help The Godfather.


    That was how grateful and loyal Swain was to his father, and yet why did he ultimately betray the man?


    It was simple.


    The Godfather, Andolinio Casteno was a man that advocated family above all else. He taught all of his subordinates the importance of family.


    In his words, what was a man if they abandoned their own family?


    Influenced by the Godfather''s teachings, Swain found a new reason to live other than to serve his master.


    Swain had found a new family in recent years, making him discover a new goal in his life. However, he couldn''t have expected he would be forced into a corner by his own family.


    The Ghost King and The Five Families exploited his weakness and threatened him to either join in killing The Godfather or not participate in the war at all.


    Forced to a cruel decision, Swain, who was influenced by Andolinio, ultimately chose to protect his new family rather than help the Godfather.


    At that time, he forced himself to believe that the Godfather was strong enough and that he was not needed for the fight at all to cope with his decision.


    But above all else, the truth was¡­ he submitted because he was internally terrified of losing his family once more.


    Swain, the right-hand man of The Godfather, known as the cold sword of Casteno, was terrified of losing his family once more.


    At the end of the war, the Godfather died and Swain was captured by the United-Government Alliance, and thus Swain continued to live in shame, guilt, and rage for his decision.


    It was a tragic ending for the man who only wished for a good life.


    "If I could''ve known that this world was real, would I have still written such a tragic story¡­?"


    Elias asked himself quietly. Faced with such a question, he fell silent as he didn''t know what to answer.


    ***


    After a while of running, he finally reached the end of the stairs. He came down the stairs and looked at the underground floor.


    As soon as he walked down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of five familiar figures standing in front of a closed elevator.


    As though waiting for his arrival, Donato and the rest already had their gazes turned to look at him as soon as he appeared.


    "It seems I was thest one to arrive. Alexus should''ve told you the details already, I was obstructed by something earlier. But it was already resolved."


    Elias said as he slowed down his steps. He approached them and stopped in front of the elevator


    As soon as Donato and the rest heard his words, they sighed in relief as the slight anxiety present in their expressions vanished.


    Elias stepped up and took out the key in his pocket, waving it slightly.


    "We''ll have a change of ns. I managed to obtain the master key, we''ll skip step three and directly go to step four."


    His n was simple and had five steps in total.


    Step 1, get the keys to the underground.


    Step 2, reach the underground.


    Step 3, get the keys to the underground rooms.


    Step 4, directly go to that "ce" and activate the hidden mechanism.


    And at the end, Step 5, escape Tartarus.


    But among them, step 3 was the most time consuming. Skipping it meant he could escape faster!


    Elias looked at the elevator and pressed a button. As the elevator opened for them, he walked inside.


    "Let''s go."


    Behind him, Donato and the rest nodded as they followed inside.


    TNG!


    As soon as they entered, the elevator closed. The underground returned to its deste silence.

 Chapter 29: Escape (1)

    <h4>Chapter 29: Escape (1)</h4>


    Inside the elevator, Elias and his five subordinates stood tall as they waited silently.


    They were all wearing solemn expressions. Adding to their intimidating appearances, the narrow space was filled with a tense, cold atmosphere.


    Ding!


    At that moment, the elevator finally stopped. Elias nodded and gestured at his five subordinates silently.


    Donato and the rest looked at each other and nodded.


    Shortly after the elevator stopped, the entrance slowly separated and opened.


    Beyond the entrance, arge underground facility could be seen. Besides the elevator, two security personnel watched over the ce.


    Without slowing down, Elias walked out of the elevator casually.


    "Hey, you¡­"


    Surprised, the two security guards were about to reach out and ask some questions. However, arge hand suddenly obstructed their faces and mmed them into the walls, causing them to fall unconscious.


    Bam!


    "Hmph."


    Taurus grunted as he retracted his hands, letting the two guards be released from his hands. He walked out of the elevator, following his young master.


    The two security guards unconsciously fell to the ground, causing a loud thud to ring out in the silent hallways of the underground facility.


    Elias didn''t even spare a nce at the two and continued walking in a certain direction.


    Soon, four more security personnel wandering the hallways noticed their odd group. They couldn''t help but be surprised at their appearance.


    "Hey, why are you here? I don''t think you''re assigned in this ce¡­"


    "Isn''t the cafeteria in need of reinforcement right now? Why are you six¡­"


    As they approached and questioned the group, Elias didn''t bother to pay attention to them and continued walking forward.


    The four security guards were puzzled and suspicious, however just as they were about to ask again and reach out their hands, a blur shed before them.


    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!</i>


    The four security guards wore shocked expressions as though in disbelief before they fell to the ground, unconscious.


    "It seems I''m not that rusty with my speed yet."


    Galilei slightly nodded and cracked his fingers. As soon as the distance closened, he immediately struck, leaving the four unconscious.


    Elias continued to walk along the hallways and met some security personnel, however, they were quickly taken down by his subordinates.


    It was a concise, simple, and straightforward one-sided beating. Why? It was because all of the strong security personnel were upied with themotion and chaos above.


    The rest at the underground were simply no match for his subordinates with mana!


    Along the way, Donato reached out to his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes. He looked at Alexus and gestured quietly.


    Alexis nodded and pointed at the tip of the cigarette, making a tiny fire erupt from his finger. The fire quickly ignited the cigarette.


    Donato took a smoke. He looked at the others and asked.


    "Do you guys want some?"


    Galilei nodded and epted a cigarette, while the rest shook their heads and rejected his offer.


    After a while of walking, they reached the end of the hallways and stopped in front of arge two-way door.


    Besides therge two-way door, a smart lock device was glued to the walls. The smart lock had a tiny keyboard under it.


    "Watch over me. There might be some security personnel that we haven''t encountered yet."


    Elias thoughtfully walked towards it and looked at the keyboard. He pressed several letters on the keyboard, forming a strangebination.


    The door code was quiteplicated, taking him a longer time to finish.


    At the end of it, the smart lock processed the code for a moment and suddenly buzzed. It shed a sentence¡ª''unlock sessfully''


    Seeing that, Elias sighed in relief. Naturally, he knew of the passcode through his knowledge of the novel.


    However, he wasn''t fully confident if it was correct or not. But undoubtedly, the passcode in the novel is the same as in this world.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    Shortly after the device buzzed, therge two-way slowly separated and opened. Inside, there were a lot of security personnel.


    Elias walked inside the wide room and reinforced his ears with mana.


    "One, two, three... I haven''t had these many targets since a while."


    Behind him, Donato took a smoke of his cigar before his hand quickly reached out to his waist and took out two handguns.


    Kachak!


    At that moment, the security personnel noticed the sound and turned to look at them with surprised and shocked expressions, however, they were toote.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Consecutive gunshots rang in the wide room, Donato continuously shot the security personnel with pinpoint uracy.


    The group of security personnel quickly took their handguns, however, they couldn''t even load a bullet before they were shot and fell unconscious.


    Thud!


    However, as the security personnel fell one after another, the group found out that no blood came from where they were shot.


    Donato was puzzled for a moment before he quickly realized why. The bullets were not mana bullets, they were ordinary ones.


    Against security personnel with mana, although he managed to urately hit their vital spots, he only put them unconscious.


    "Well, no matter."


    Donato quickly shook his head. They were not here for bloodshed anyways but for a prison escape. He wasn''t one for senseless killing. He reloaded and continuously shot once more.


    Elias looked at the fallen security personnel. He didn''t expect the bullets to be ordinary, as a matter of fact, he was ready to see bloodshed.


    However, at a certain angle, it was indeed reasonable. Why would the United-Government Alliance invest mana bullets in Tartarus?


    It was unnecessary. The prisoners were normally restricted in their use of mana in the first ce, ordinary bullets would be enough.


    Of course, that didn''t mean there were no mana bullets at all. Most likely, they were taken and used by the higher-ups or vice-chieftains.


    Elias observed his surroundings. Besides the sea of unconscious security guards, there were two doors, both on the left and right.


    He nced at the right door for a moment before his mouth twitched. The right door¡­ was extremely dangerous.


    Behind him, Donato smoked his cigar.


    Kachak!


    He put the two handguns in his waist before following his young master. The others nodded and quickly followed.


    Elias walked to the front of the wide room. It was like amand center, filled with countless buttons and wires.


    Ordinarily, this ce would be the most protected area in Tartarus, however, the chaos he had caused made almost every reinforcement busy.


    He walked up to themand center and looked at the buttons. Shortly after, he quickly found something simr in the description in his memories.


    ''Found it¡­ This should be it.''


    Elias thought calmly, looking at one button in the middle of the red and blue buttons. It was a medium-sized button that looked ordinary.


    ording to the novel,


    ''In the countlessmands, there were three special buttons that were beside each other. The blue button signified a request for a call to the headquarters.


    The red button signified an emergency of a crimson-level designation.


    While the middle unassuming button signified the hidden mechanism of Tartarus.''


    Elias nodded and reached out to press the middle button. However, just as his finger was about to reach it, a voice resounded in the room.


    Buzz!


    [Tartarus A-06 sent a crimson-level designation threat. This is the representative of the headquarters, did something happen to the highest security level threat?]


    In front of him, therge monitor brightened up and revealed a middle-aged man with an arrogant and cold bearing.


    ''It seems the red button had been activated a while ago and only now did a response was sent¡­ unlucky.''


    Elias sighed before looking at Donato and gestured bluntly.


    Donato, understanding his gesture, nodded and took a handgun on his waist. He reloaded it.


    Kachak!


    [Huh? Who are¡ª]


    The figure in the monitor was puzzled and confused, however, before he could even finish his words a bullet struck the monitor and shattered it.


    Bang! Crack!


    The monitor quickly turned pitch ck.


    Elias nodded and pressed the middle button.


    Ding! Shhh...


    At that moment, a quiet mechanical sound rang out in the widemand room. In the corner of the room, a hidden entrance was opened.


    Behind the entrance, a metal door was situated. The metal door was rather simple, requiring a key to unlock.


    Elias walked up to it and took out the master key with a solemn expression. It was finally time¡­ to escape this prison once and for all.


    Escape was finally in their grasp. The whole matter of their escape was stealthy and silent, without anyone knowing about their escape at all.


    Behind him, Donato and the rest also wore solemn expressions.


    Click!


    He inserted the key and the door¡­ was unlocked. As soon as the door was unlocked, he pushed the door open, revealing a strange portal inside the room.


    "Prepare yourselves. It''s time we finally get out of this damn prison. But it isn''t over yet.. there''s still a crowd waiting for us beyond the portal."


    Elias'' lips curled into a wide smirk.

 Chapter 30: Escape (2)

    <h4>Chapter 30: Escape (2)</h4>


    Inside a building, countless security personnel were standing around while holding different weapons as they looked at a portal warily.


    "Prepare yourselves."


    The security personnel leading them said quietly, raising his hand.


    "We''ve just received a crimson-level designation from the higher-ups. We don''t know the specific details but a crimson-level designation is guaranteed to be dangerous."


    "Right now, every branch is guarding their portal. Death is a high possibility. Sorcerers, go to the back and prepare to cast your spells. Hunters, go behind the Combat Mages."


    At the back formation, the Sorcerers with wands and staff nodded calmly. While the Hunters with guns and weapons followed his orders resolutely.


    The Combat Mages, the strongest force in the room, nodded apprehensively.


    ''It''s rare to mobilize such a great force. So this is a crimson-level designation.''


    The leading security guard nodded pensively.


    Buzz!


    At that moment, the portal suddenly buzzed.


    Everyone paused and held their breaths, the Sorcerers ready to react, the Hunters ready to press the trigger, and the Combat Mages ready to attack directly.


    Roll¡­


    However, different from their expectations, several metal orbs suddenly spat out from the portal and rolled towards them.


    "What.."


    The leading security guard''s squinted his eyes before his expression immediately changed, just as he was about to signal a retreat¡ª


    Boom!


    The metal orbs exploded!


    At that moment, the leading security guard was sted to the ends of the room while countless security guards flew and mmed into the walls, falling unconscious.


    Heavy smoke abruptly drifted around the ce, turning the room into a foggy ruin. Amidst the chaos, six shadows silently appeared at the portal.


    They were: Elias, Donato, Galilei, Junior, Taurus, and Alexus!


    Elias silently observed the heavy fog with aplex expression before shaking his head. He walked forward with a cold gaze.


    "We don''t have time. Kill those who remain standing."


    Donato and the rest tersely nodded. Killing was second nature to them, they were more surprised of their young master''s resolution to kill.


    At that moment, at the end of the room, the leading security guard finally recovered from the explosion and shouted.


    "The enemies are here! Be careful!"


    Galilei and the rest snorted and immediately acted. They turned into a faint blur, dashing in through the fog.


    In one area.


    Galilei appeared in the fog and reached the nearest dazed security personnel. The security personnel was a C Rankbat mage with a sword as a weapon.


    Combat Mages was one of the three Ranker professions. They were usually the strongest force in any organization, they were people adept at both magic and fighting.


    Normally, such a formidable person would be a great trouble for their group, unfortunately, the bombs that Elias used were unique and different.


    They were made by Goblin and could even deal severe damage and stun effect to a C Rank ranker, for below those, they were either sted apart or directly fell unconscious.


    That''s why, the majority of the Hunters and Sorcerers in the formation were sted unconscious. Simply put, they were E-D Rankers.


    Galilei raised his hand, striking the security guard''s stomach and easily making them choke and fall to the ground unconscious.


    In the other areas, Taurus, Junior, and Alexus also quickly took the otherbat mages down and made them fall unconscious.


    As soon as they finished their task, they immediately came back to Elias.


    "We can''t escape to this exit. It''s full of their reinforcements, let''s go to the upper floors."


    Elias had a grim expression and signaled them to follow. He looked at the side and immediately ran to the nearby stairs to the next floor.


    Thump! Thump!


    At that moment, countless footsteps resounded. At the end of the room, the reinforcement came trailing behind the leading security guard.


    The leading security guard stood up with difficulty and gritted his teeth, shouting loudly.


    "Fire! This smoke¡­ different. It interferes with our mana senses! We can''t find out anything about them!"


    "Just keep firing! I''d like to see how they could escape with us here in the exit!"


    Not doubting his words, the countless security guards had a change of expression and immediately took their firearms to shoot at the heavy fog, causing countless gunshots to echo.


    Kachak!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    "..."


    However, after a few rounds of shooting, the leading security guard realized that they weren''t hitting anything at all.


    And soon enough, as the heavy smoke dispersed, they were greeted with the sight of their fellow workmate''s unconscious bodies.


    Some were bloodied, but we''re severely injured and no longer able to nattle. While some were dead, no longer breathing. But most importantly, there was no enemy in sight.


    "They escaped!"


    The leading security guard said with a grim expression.


    "They couldn''t have gone beyond us. Hurry up to the second floor, while some of you call for more / reinforcements!"


    ***


    Second Floor.


    Elias and the group continued to run, with dozens of security guards chasing after them.


    "Shoot them!"


    "They''re the enemies."


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    However, it was for naught as Galilei stood behind Elias and wielded a sword, swinging it gracefully as he cut the dozens of bulletsing their way.


    "Damn it! They have a strongbat mage!"


    "It doesn''t matter! Sorcerers!"


    At that moment, fire, lightning, and water spellsunched toward their group. However, Taurus blocked the spells with a grunt.


    Seeing that it dealt no damage, the Sorcerers were about to stake greater effort to unleash a greater spell.


    "Don''t. The building will copse if you use a stronger spell! Let them run. They''re going nowhere, anyways."


    Without their interference, Elias and the group ran faster, reaching the third-floor stairway while they followed behind.


    ***


    With their focus concentrated on escaping, Elias and the group quickly passed the second, third, and fourth floors and finally the fifth floor.


    They reached thest stairway towards the rooftop.


    The leading security guard chasing after them stopped and shouted loudly.


    "Surrender now! You have no way out!"


    "If you surrender, you''ll get a lighter sentence! It''s futile¡ª"


    Ignoring them, Elias sneered and signaled the group to follow him to the rooftop. They quickly followed.


    ''We''re at a dead end.''


    Along the way, Elias sighed and shook his head before his eyes shed a glint.


    ''But that''s okay¡­ everything is all ording to n.''


    At that moment, Elias and the group finally reached the rooftop, stopping at a locked door. He took out the master key and immediately unlocked the door to the rooftop.


    Afterward, he pushed open the door and saw the rooftop.


    "Gentlemen, this is our escape n."


    Elias'' lips curled into a smirk while Donato and the rest widened their eyes in surprise.


    In the middle of the rooftop, a helicopter was situated.


    ***


    On the fifth floor, the leading security guard felt bewildered and uneasy all of a sudden. With his experience, he immediately decided.


    "Go, let''s follow them to the rooftop."


    Shortly after, they bypassed the stairways and reached the rooftop, stopping in front of the locked door.


    ''The door is locked, then where are they¡­''


    The leading security guard frowned before immediately opening the rooftop door. He pushed it open and his eyes squinted in surprise.


    Something was missing.


    "Did anyone use the heli¡ª"


    One of the security guards gasped and pointed at the air, shouting loudly.


    "Leader, look! Isn''t that¡­ isn''t that our helicopter?!"


    "You''re¡­ huh?!"


    At that moment, everyone followed where he was pointing at. The leader along with security guards widened their eyes


    in shock.


    In the sky, a helicopter flew. It trailed behind the clouds, rapidly distancing itself.


    ''That''s our¡­ helicopter.''


    The leader was stunned and fell into a daze.

 Chapter 31: The pursuit of freedom

    <h4>Chapter 31: The pursuit of freedom</h4>


    In the middle of the sky, inside the helicopter, Elias looked below with a smirk as he muttered to himself.


    "The world of Aegis¡­ This is where things truly begin."


    The blue sky was immensely vast while thends beneath were tinted of green and filled with high mountain peaks and breathtaking sights.


    asionally, one could hear a beast cry echo from the wide mountain forests, entuating the wild and free air around the high mountains.


    The sight of the world made Elias uncontrobly smile. It was breathtaking, immersive, and most importantly¡­ free.


    In this world, who doesn''t like freedom?


    Certainly not him. Elias pursued the freedom of life. He sought to enjoy life and at the same time not be restrained by anything.


    Unbound by anything, freely indulging in life.


    Ding!


    At that moment, while he was immersed in his thoughts, a system notification suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Achievement Unlocked!]


    Elias furrowed his brows, confused.


    [Mastermind: The nner behind the shadows, the instigator of chaos, the conspirer of society. Be the source of chaos you have always been, Hero.


    Rewards: INT (D+) and Trait (Mastermind)]


    ''This is¡­ Traits?''


    Elias raised his eyes in surprise. This was unexpected. There were no such traits in the original novel.


    ''Then is this something exclusive to the Hero Creator System?''


    Regardless, this was a wee surprise. He would take any advantage he could get.


    He hurriedly pressed the shining Trait (Mastermind).


    [Traits: Mastermind - People you intend to use will be more easily convinced. Whether unintentional or intentional, they also are highly likely to move ording to your ns subconsciously.]


    "Not bad."


    Reading the effect, Elias remarked with a nod. This trait was extremely useful to him, especially forter on when he starts to establish his own force to fight the Ghost King.


    Although that time was still far, preparing early was the only way to even have a fighting chance against that main quest.


    While he was thinking, Junior suddenly called from the cockpit.


    "Young master, we''ve already flown away to a safe distance like you ordered."


    Hearing that, Elias snapped out of his thinking and looked below.


    Beneath the vast infinite sky, there was arge forest near the mountains with a small vige nearby.


    ''This ce should be good enough. There''s a settlement, so it should be a safe space. Additionally, since there''s a settlement, maybe a town is also nearby¡­''


    He thought for a moment before he decided in his heart. He turned his head to his subordinates and praised them.


    "Good job. Since that''s the case, get ready and take some of the backpacks on the back."


    Without asking exactly why, Donato and the rest gave a nod and followed his orders, taking one backpack for each of them and giving an extra one to Elias.


    Woosh!


    Elias caught it calmly and immediately wore it on his back. He examined it and checked its contents.


    "Ah, It does have parachutes. Nice. Alright, Junior, you can stop now."


    "Young master, are we¡­?"


    Leaving the cockpit, Junior stopped and hurriedly moved to them. He also wore a backpack behind him. He and the group had faint guesses in their hearts.


    Looking at them, Elias slowly nodded and confirmed.


    "That''s right. We''re going to jump. Have you guys ever skydived before?"


    From the beginning, he had never nned tond using the helicopter. This was the enemy''s helicopter. What if there was a hidden tracking device in this thing?


    No one knows for sure.


    Donato and the rest looked at each other before shaking their heads with a rueful smile.


    "No. We haven''t had the chance to do so.


    "Oh? That''s great then. I don''t have experience either. This is a good opportunity. We''ll jump on the count of three."


    Elias said as he calmly looked below, seeing the vast sky and infinitends. He felt exhrated but at the same time, he couldn''t help but feel a slight anxiety.


    "One."


    Hearing his words, Donato and the rest suddenly widened their eyes as they prepared themselves hurriedly.


    "Two."


    At the same time, the helicopter was slowly going haywire with no one in charge of piloting in the cockpit.


    Inside the helicopter, Elias'' lips curled into a wide smirk.


    "Three."


    At that moment, he jumped. Besides him, Donato, Galilei, Taurus, Junior, and the rest also jumped at the same time.


    Woosh!


    Elias had a wide smirk on his face as he fell to the infinite sky. The wind elerated their fall to the ground.


    ***


    Tartarus, Fourth Floor.


    Woosh!


    "Gahk..!"


    In the sea of unconscious bodies, Swain gasped and coughed out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes.


    The blood heavily sshed, smearing the long de that was piercing through his chest. The long metal de gave out a light sheen, reflecting the appearance of a middle-aged man with a military suit.


    Captain Voxen was silent, his gaze was cold as ice while he stared at Swain. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke calmly with a sigh.


    "Swain Casteno, you lost. Although you''re a criminal, you gained my respect. You refrained from killing any of my subordinates weaker than you, only knocking them out. You clearly had the chance to do so, but you didn''t."


    "Alternatively, you could have also caused further chaos by breaking the other sealed cells in this ce, but you didn''t. It''s a pity¡­ if only you weren''t a scum criminal."


    Hearing that, Swain was still silent with a vacant gaze. However, Captain Voxen shook his head and continued:


    "Speak, what was your goal in all of this? You even used such a self-destructive skill that destroys yourself in exchange for greater power¡­ clearly, you''re resolved to die for this goal of yours. Were you trying to escape?"


    "..."


    Utterly silent, Swain didn''t respond, staring at the ground vacantly as though dead. Captain Voxen let out a long sigh and gave up.


    "Why struggle in futility? The great era of Andolinio is over. The times have changed. It''s time to ept that, Swain Casteno."


    "No matter what your goal is, it wouldn''t change anything. Even if you did manage to escape, you were going to die by your own skill in the end. This is just an asinine struggle."


    While he was speaking, a buzz rang out on his transceiver and a voice came out.


    [Captain, there''s an emergency!]


    Captain Voxen stooped and pressed the transceiver with a heavy frown.


    "Calm down. What is it?"


    [The underground facility has been invaded and attacked! Everyone down here has been knocked out!]


    Captain Voxen''s pupils rapidly shrank as his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He hurriedly grabbed the transceiver.


    "What?! What about the sealed demon ss?!"


    [Don''t worry, Captain! The demon-ss is still sealed! More importantly, someone managed to escape this ce through the portal!]


    Captain Voxen sighed in relief before turning grim once more.


    "What?! Did you manage to identify the prisoners?! How could they have escaped? That''s impossible! How could they have the door code and the right keys to that ce¡­"


    At that moment, Captain Voxen suddenly remembered the uneasy feeling he had. He slowly reached out his hand to his waist and felt nothing.


    "...The master key."


    At the same time, the transceiver quickly answered.


    [We just received an update! We''ve managed to uncover their identities! It''s¡­ it''s the son of Andolinio Casteno, Elias Vito Casteno, and the ''Five Musketeers'' of Andolinio!!]


    Hearing that, Captain Voxen''s eyes widened in realization and his gaze fell at Swain. He gripped the transceiver tightly and broke it in rage.


    Crack!


    "So¡­ that''s it."


    In front of him, Swain was extremely pale, as though slowly losing his life in each second. Hearing those words, his eyes shone with bright hope and joy.


    Using all his remaining strength, he raised his head and answered with a slight smile.


    "..Indeed, you''re not wrong. The great era of the Godfather ended that night. The times have changed. I also should''ve died that night along with the Godfather¡­"


    "..But now I realized It still wasn''t time yet. I wasn''t destined to die that night. I still had a purpose left in this world."


    Even with a long de piercing through him, Swain stared directly at Voxen and let out a low, maddening chuckle.


    "Now I know¡­ that purpose is to bring upon the rise of the devil himself. Hehehe¡­ My sacrifice is not in vain. It won''t be long until a new true war will start as the son attempts to reim his rightful throne."


    Feeling his death quickly approaching him, Swain paused before he sighed and chuckled quietly.


    "...It''s truly a pity, I can''t live long enough to see that future. The Ghost King¡­ the Five Families¡­ they couldn''t have known that they made a huge mistake that night."


    "A pity..."


    Swain whispered quietly, his words drifting along the wind. His eyes slowly lost their bright luster and in the end, he stopped breathing.


    However, even in death, a smile remained on his face.


    Swain Casteno, the right-hand man of Andolinio Casteno, has finally died with a smile.


    ''A new true war¡­''


    Captain Voxen gazed at Swain with aplex feeling.

 Chapter 32: Aurora Village

    <h4>Chapter 32: Aurora Vige</h4>


    Wooooosh!


    The wind was extremely loud and harsh to his ears, filling his hearing with erratic noise. However, he couldn''t feel the slightest annoyance.


    Falling from the sky, Elias looked below him as he felt his adrenaline pump out and burst throughout his entire body.


    "Hahahahahahaha!"


    Instead, Elias couldn''t help butugh loudly. It was a deliriousugh, one that he normally wouldn''t show to others over his dead body.


    But right now, he couldn''t help it. Truly.


    At this moment, all of his senses seemed to have been awakened by the intense excitement coursing through him.


    An indescribable sensation filled him.


    It was an addicting feeling ¡ª all of his worries and problems disappeared at this moment!


    Reced with bent-on calmness and crude delirium, all of his present troubles seemed to have vanished from his mind.


    Only two things remained; himself and the world.


    Right now, he couldn''t give a damn about anything else at this moment other than to thoroughly enjoy the experience and sight before him.


    Observing the entirety of the sky andnd, a realization hit him.


    ''I never realized¡­''


    Throughout his whole life, Elias never imagined the world could be sorge and breathtaking. In his previous life, he was always upied by his own problems.


    ''...The world could be thisrge.''


    Inparison to the world before him, he was truly insignificant and small. Tiny like an ant. And yet, there was no sense of depression towards that.


    "This is truly the best feeling in the world.. freedom."


    Instead, Elias muttered to himself as he immersed himself in the fall. For the first time in his life, he was not bound by anything and was truly free.


    After measuring the distance, he reached out to his back and activated the parachute. He looked at his subordinates and nodded, flying to a certain direction.


    ***


    In a small vige, the people living were strolling across the street, engaging in mundane activities, and buying simple necessities.


    In the periphery of the vige, the vige chief, a short old man with a long white beard and sses stood.


    ''The night is almost approaching¡­''


    The old man thought while looking at the sky.


    Thud!


    At that moment, a loud thud suddenly echoed near him. The bushes and trees at his left were wildly disturbed.


    Woosh!


    "Who is there?!"


    The vige chief couldn''t help but be alerted. He subconsciously stepped back and sternly scrutinized the ce where the sound came from.


    A momentter, several figures walked out of the bushes and trees, wearing ck tattered security uniforms.


    Aside from their tattered uniform, the neers varied in appearance and disposition, each of them leaving a distinct impression on the old vige chief''s mind.


    One of them was arge intimidating man, one looked stoic, one looked detached. It was a variety of impressionable people.


    Leading them was a young man with a striking and strong appearance. He had ck hair and a calm and cool disposition, making his presence a tad intimidating.


    "...Who are you people?"


    Seeing that they were human, the old vige chief asked slowly with an eased expression. He had originally thought they were wild beasts.


    Hearing his words, the group was silent and smiled helplessly.


    "Ah..."


    The young man leading them scratched his hair awkwardly. He looked at the people behind him. After a while, he nodded and seemingly decided to answer.


    "...Sorry, my name is Elias. These are my seniors in the workce. We were exploring the forests and mountains due to a mission but we got lost in the forest instead.."


    Saying that Elias suddenly sped his hand and looked at the vige chief with a genuine expression.


    "We were hoping you could lend us a hand?"


    Hearing that, the old vige chief squinted his eyes before nodding slowly. He looked at them and at the sky before he spoke and turned around.


    "Well, it''s already gettingte. It would be inappropriate to leave you by. Follow me, stay in our vige for the day."


    ***


    Dawn came to the vige, the sun slowly being reced by the nightly moon.


    Strolling across the street towards the old vige chief''s house, Elias and the group were listening as the old vige chief talked along the way.


    "Hehe, wee to Aurora Vige. We''re just a small vige with a rather short history. But rest assured, people here are weing and simple, even if you''re from the city, they won''t discriminate against you. It''s rather a culture of ours to be easygoing and friendly,"


    The old vige chief continued amicably.


    "Although this small vige of ours might not be as lively as the city, we pride ourselves on our simple and easy lifestyle. It can''t be helped, although some of us go to the cities to pursue greater dreams, most of us return in ourter years because we were attached to this kind of lifestyle in the vige."


    True to his words, the people in this vige had a simple but happy lifestyle. In the corner, a mother was calling for her kids, in another corner, kids were ying¡­


    ''Although their living conditions cannotpare to those of the people in the city, they look happy and not stressed.''


    Elias looked at the viges and thought to himself. In truth, he preferred to live in a vige like this than be in a city.


    While they were walking across the street, a middle-aged woman noticed them and called out with a wave.


    "Oh my, Mr. Harris¡­ are they visitors?"


    "Ah, Lydia. Yes, yes, they are. They were lost in the forests and mountains."


    The vige chief, Harris nodded and answered with a smile.


    "Oh goodness, are they alright?"


    Hearing that, Lydia gasped audibly, her hand covering her mouth in surprise. She looked at them in concern.


    Seeing her concerned appearance, Elias waved his hand and smiled helplessly.


    "Hehe, don''t worry. It''s alright. We''re Rankers so it''s not a problem. We explored the forests and mountains, we just didn''t expect to get lost this time."


    "Oh, Rankers?! Little Timothy would always gush on about being one, sigh¡­ no matter how many times I put it in his head that it''s dangerous¡­"


    Lydia sighed and shook her head. She raised her head and smiled.


    "I won''t hold you people then, carry on. If you have time, visit my ce, I''ll treat you people to a meal as wee!"


    "Alright, Lydia."


    Harris nodded and continued walking.


    Elias and the group trailed behind him. As they walked across the street, they felt some curious gazesing from the other viges.


    That was unavoidable. They were rather eye-catching with their tattered ck uniform and appearance.


    At this moment, Harris spoke to them.


    "You guys are Rankers, right? We also have some Rankers in this vige."


    "Oh, may we ask who they are?"


    Elias raised his brows. He was not that shocked. This vige was situated somewhere on the outskirts of society, in the middle of a forest, so having a couple of Rankers was not unreasonable.


    "Well, I''ll introduce you to them. Coincidentally, they are also guests in my house. Come,e¡­"


    Harris smiled mysteriously as he led them to his house. After a while of walking, they finally reached the vige chief''s house.


    Elias looked at the vige chief''s house and couldn''t help but notice its simplicity. It was not grandeur norrge, it was just a simple ce covered with an amiable ambiance.


    As soon as they reached the house, a gentle and feminine voice suddenly resounded from the house.


    "Grandfather!"

 Chapter 33: Sancho Sanchez (1)

    <h4>Chapter 33: Sancho Sanchez (1)</h4>


    "Grandfather!"


    Elias and the group abruptly turned to look at where the voice came from.


    At the old vige chief''s door, a beautiful young girl with long brown hair tied into braids stood and waved her hand with a gentle and lovely smile.


    She had a gentle and kind air around her, making anyone who looked at her feel tender and softhearted. Her curious blue eyes looked at them, entuating her cute appearance.


    She looked around Elias'' age, fifteen to sixteen years old.


    Seeing her, Harris couldn''t resist the smile on his face and spoke.


    "Alysa, why are you outside? It''s already turning night, did you tend to those guests of ours?"


    The brown-haired girl, Alysa, chuckled.


    "Rx, Grandfather. I''ve tended to the guests already. I was just about to find you¡­ but.."


    Midway through her words, Alysa suddenly paused and looked at Elias and the group, her sea-blue eyes peering in curiosity.


    Harris saw her look and smiled as though expecting it. He turned to look at Elias and the group before speaking with a bright smile.


    "This is Alysa. My granddaughter. I''ve taken care of her since she was a kid, don''t mind her curious personality. She''s just like that, she means no harm.."


    "It''s alright. We don''t mind at all."


    Elias shook his head and reciprocated a smile on his own. He turned to look at Alysa and bowed slightly while pointing at his group.


    "Also, Ms. Alysa¡­ it''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Elias Corleone. These are my seniors in the team, Donato, Taurus, Galilei, Junior, and Alexus."


    "I-it''s a pleasure to meet you people too."


    Alysa bowed and was slightly flustered at his greeting. Inwardly, she berated herself for acting like this. She was easily flustered in meeting new people.


    In front of the people in the vige, she could act as her true self. But in front of new people, she was slightly afraid of being embarrassed.


    Especially if said people were from beyond the vige. She lived in the vige most of her life, so she was curious and at the same time shy of foreign people.


    Seeing her slightly flustered appearance, Elias smiled.


    "Don''t mind my granddaughter. She''s just a shy person. In fact, let me tell you, back when she was a kid she was so shy and¡­"


    Harris chuckled loudly and was about to narrate a story about Alysa.


    "Grandfather!"


    Aysa''s body stiffened up and immediately shouted in a fluster. However, Harris ignored her and continued with a pleased expression.


    "She actually did-"


    Slightly in panic, Alysa immediately cut him off and tried to change the topic.


    "Dear guests, it''s already turning night, I''m sure you people are hungry. It''s just in time to cook. I hope you cane into our house to stay for the night and have a meal!"


    While saying that, she looked at Elias and the group with a gaze that seemed to be saying ''please, please'' earnestly.


    Elias couldn''t help but chuckle seeing her situation. He decided to help her out.


    "Thank you for your kind gesture, Ms. Alysa. We are indeed in need of a ce to stay and rest for a while."


    "See, grandfather? It''s not good to keep our guests waiting!"


    Alysa nodded with a sigh of relief.


    Hearing her words, Harris coughed in embarrassment. He looked at Elias and the group before leading them to enter the house.


    "That''s right. Forgive me, that was rather inconsiderate of me. Come then, let''s have a meal first, and let''s talk about my granddaughter''s childhood escapades on the table¡­"


    Alysa, who was sighing in relief, immediately froze.


    "Grandfather! Please stop embarrassing me further!"


    ***


    The old vige chief''s house was rather simple in design. It was slightlyrge, but not toorge. It had three floors.


    Entering the house, Elias and the group immediately took notice of the two people standing near the table in the middle


    At the same time, the two people also noticed them and slightly frowned before furrowing their brows in confusion and shock.


    ''A group of Rankers! One of them is young, while the five others emit a strong aura! Are they from a famous guild or family?!'' The two of them thought in shock as they looked at each other.


    ''These should be the Rankers the Vige Chief mentioned, right?'' Elias thought while looking at them curiously.


    From their mana fluctuations and aura, he could faintly guess their strength.


    They were at the same rank as him, D Rank. When one bes a Ranker, one could have some sense of idea to know how strong a person is.


    Oddly, he found them slightly familiar. But he was sure this familiarity didn''te from the memories of Elias Vito Casteno.


    Seeing the two people''s confusion, Harris immediately took it upon himself to exin the situation to the two people.


    "Dear guests, these people are staying with the rest of us tonight. They have a simr situation to you two. They were exploring the mountains and forest and got lost in the process."


    Hearing that, the two people''s expressions immediately eased.


    The two of them looked at each other before turning to Elias and the group, reaching out for a handshake.


    "We didn''t expect to see fellow Rankers here. My name is David, a Hunter. While this my partner is Francis, a Sorcerer. We''ve just be Rankers recently."


    David introduced himself with a slight bow. While doing so, he pointed at the thin person beside him wearing sses.


    David was a tall man with bronze skin and a slightly hardened gaze while Francis was thin and had a rather expressive and small face.


    ''David and Francis¡­ why are they here?''


    However, Elias'' mind was in turmoil and didn''t respond in time. It took a few seconds before he snapped out of his daze and shook their hands.


    "My name is Elias Corleone. These are my teammates or seniors, Donato, Taurus, Galilei, Junior, and Alexus. I hope we can get along."


    David nodded and sighed in relief. He looked at them curiously and inquired about their situation.


    "Likewise, Elias. If you don''t mind us asking, It seems you people are teammates. I wonder what guild you are in¡­?"


    "Oh, we''re not in a guild. I can guess why you think that way though. But¡­ our situation is a bitplicated to exin¡­ I hope you can forgive us for not being able to say it."


    Elias shook his head and exined with a difficult expression.


    In this world, there were guilds formed by Rankers and they were heavily supported by the united-government alliance.


    Seeing that they didn''t want to talk about it, David promptly stopped probing any further and stayed quiet. Although they were new and curious, they were not socially inept.


    After that short exchange, Elias looked at Harris and spoke.


    "Mr. Harris, I hope I can borrow your phone or any device. I wish to contact my family to inform them of my situation."


    Harris nodded and caressed his long white beard.


    "Alright then. Alysa, could you bring my phone to our guest?"


    Alysa nodded and immediately went to take the phone. After a few seconds, she returned and brought back the phone to Elias.


    Elias reached out to grab it and looked at Harris and Alysa with an expression of gratitude.


    "Thank you. I''m going out for a while."


    After taking the phone, Elias waved his hand and told the group his intentions before leaving the house.


    Donato and the rest nodded and decided to stay and exchange some small talk. As he left the room, Alysa''s eyes slightly flickered.


    ***


    Outside the vige chief''s house, Elias had the phone on his ear and was calling a particr number.


    The kind and genuine smile on his face was wiped off and reced with a cool and cold expression.


    At that moment, the number epted the call. He immediately asked.


    "Hello, is this Sancho Sanchez?"


    [Hm? A brat''s voice. Who the hell is this¡­]


    "It''s me. Elias Vito Casteno, the eldest son of Andolinio."

 Chapter 34: Sancho Sanchez (2)

    <h4>Chapter 34: Sancho Sanchez (2)</h4>


    [You¡­ what? Are, are you serious?!]


    "I''m not joking, Uncle Sanchez. It''s really me."


    [But¡­ weren''t you taken to Tartarus¡­? Wait. Recently, I got some news that somebody caused chaos in Tartarus¡­ don''t tell me that..?!]


    Elias sighed and directly cut to the point.


    "That''s right. I escaped Tartarus."


    The voice on the other side of the phone was silent for a while, utterly speechless. A momentary silence took ce in the conversation before the voice spoke again.


    [...I''m d. Are you alright? Sigh, this is all too sudden! I don''t know what to think. You really are reckless, but at least you''re fine now. Where are you right now and who are you with?]


    "I''m not sure. But I''m in a vige called Aurora Vige. I''m with the Five Musketeers."


    [Oh? You''re with Donato and the rest? That''s reassuring. I believe in their strength to keep you safe. As for that vige¡­ I''m not sure. I''ll ask my subordinates whether they know where that ce is.]


    "I appreciate it, Uncle Sanchez. I''ve called you because I wanted your help. First, have you gotten any news about Swain? We weren''t able to escape with him."


    [Don''t mention it. It''s the least I owe you after what happened. As for Swain¡­ well I don''t know what happened but¡­ he''s dead. The United Government Alliance just announced it earlier. But don''t worry, your escape wasn''t announced to prevent unrest and chaos among the masses.]


    Elias sighed in relief. As he had thought, as much as possible the united government alliance would want to capture them secretly rather than to hunt for them publicly.


    That course of action would cause massive unrest and chaos, especially when the prison hasn''t been broken in a hundred years since its creation.


    [Is there anything else? Don''t hold back, Little Elias. It''s the least I owe to yourte father, my brother.]


    "Since I''m an exile now, I hope you can help me forge a new identity."


    [Got it. What''s the name? I''ll ask my connections about the best forger in the underworld so you don''t have to worry about it. But it may take some time.]


    "Elias Corleone. Name it, Elias Corleone. It''s fine if it takes some time. I''ll stay at this ce for a while¡­ it''s rted to my second request."


    [Don''t hold back, tell me what you want. I can give you anything, just say it.]


    Considering the identity of his Uncle Sanchez, Elias didn''t doubt that in the slightest.


    "It''s rather simple. I would like you to enroll me in the Arcane Academy entrance examination that will happen in three months."


    [Oh¡­ that. You just reminded me. That''s not a problem. Coincidentally, your cousin will also attend that academy, I can help you two enroll. Is that why you asked me to forge you a new identity?]


    "Sort of."


    [Consider it done. Anything else?]


    "Nothing for the moment."


    [Do you want me to pick you up?]


    "No. Let''s wait for that until my new identity arrives."


    After that, a momentary silence took ce between them. After a while, the voice on the other side of the phone broke the silence with a heavy sigh.


    [Little Elias¡­ I''m ugh¡­goddamit¡­ I''m really sorry. You must hate me. I¡­ I couldn''t help your father that night¡­ I couldn''t take you from them that night¡­ I couldn''t do anything at all. I''m¡­ sorry for not being able to help you.]


    [...I''m sorry. I promise I''ll repay everything back to you. Even if it costs me my life.]


    Elias wasn''t able to respond. He could say it was fine, but would it remove the guilt and regret of inability and inaction? No. No words could ever remove it.


    After a while, feeling that the call had gone long enough, Elias broke the silence and muttered.


    "It''s gettingte. Before I end the call, I want to ask about my¡­ uhm, no, nothing. Never mind¡­ forget about it."


    [...Your sister is fine. I know what you wanted to ask. She''s fine. I promise you that nothing will happen to her as long as she''s under my care. As your uncle, she''s also my responsibility. Do you want to meet her? I can let you do that.]


    Elias was silent for a while before muttering.


    "Thank you¡­ but no, not right now."


    [...If you say so, Little Elias.]


    "I''ll end the call, Uncle Sanchez. I''m just borrowing a phone. I''ll call you again when I need you for something."


    [...Alright, take care. Elias. Be safe.]


    Beep!


    Elias pressed the screen and ended the call. After the call, he didn''t immediately go back to the house, he continued to stand in his position, staring at the nightly moon and starry sky.


    It wasplicated. He wanted to meet his sister, but at the same time, he was scared of meeting his sister. After all, only the emotions and memories remained, he was no longer the same person.


    ''I''m afraid of getting attached to this world too much.''


    Elias realized this and chuckled self-deprecatingly.


    If he could, he would choose to abandon his current identity and do things in his own. However, the main quest of the system prevented that.


    One way or another, Elias Vito Casteno was tied to his <i>identity. </i>The system, his family, his subordinates, his fluctuating emotions...


    It no longer matter if he could ept his identity¡ªit was the only way to live. And if it took grasping at the edge of knife to live, he''ll damn well stab his palm to that knife.


    At this moment, a gentle voice suddenly came from behind him.


    "This is Alysa. Forgive me for disturbing you, Sir. Elias but the dinner is ready."


    Elias was silent for a moment before nodding. After a while, he turned around and walked inside the old vige chief''s house.


    ***


    Capital City, Sanchez Family.


    In arge multi-luxury vi, the home of the Sanchez family, one of the six great noble families of the united-alliance government.


    If there were the Five Great Families of the underworld, in counterpart, there were the Six Noble Families of the overworld.


    In the entire United government alliance, these Six Noble Families had the highest status in the entire world!


    Their prestige and power were unmatched!


    Aside from the President of the United Government Alliance and the King of the Truensoest empire, these six noble families were the most renowned.


    Sancho Sanchez, the head of the Sanchez Family, stood up and looked through the mirror in his own room.


    "... My brother, Andolinio, whether you rest in heaven or hell, be at peace. I''ve got both of your children under my care."


    Sancho muttered to himself. Arge smile was stered on his face while his eyes shed with sorrow.


    While he was standing by himself, a knock echoed on the door.


    Sancho didn''t turn around and simply ordered.


    "Come in."


    At that moment, the door opened and a tall figure with long ck hair and a monocle in his eye walked into the room.


    "You called for me, Sir?"


    "Sebastian¡­"


    Sancho slowly murmured while looking through the mirror, observing the moonlight outside. It was a good night.


    "Contact the greatest forger in the underworld. Tell them I have a personal request. I''ll pay anything they want as long as the product is the best."


    "...Is there anything else, sir?"


    "Find a ce called Aurora Vige. I need it at once, use any resources needed to find it. That is all, you may go."


    "By your orders, Sir."


    Sebastian nodded and immediately took action. He left the room and closed the door behind gently.


    After he left, Sancho was silent for a long while as he stared at the starry sky, unknown what he was thinking.


    "My brother¡­"


    After a while, Sancho muttered to himself and turned around. He looked at a picture frame of a family¡ª''The Casteno Family''.


    "...You got yourself a dragon of a son."

 Chapter 35: Alysa, The Painter

    <h4>Chapter 35: Alysa, The Painter</h4>


    After returning to the old vige chief''s house, Elias had a meal with the others and promptly stayed silent the whole time.


    Everyone noticed his silence, but no one disturbed or asked him for his own privacy.


    After finishing his meal, Elias decided to take a rest and told the group his intentions. He went up and rested in one of the rooms on the second floor.


    ***


    The morning sun rose, shining brightly through the mirror.


    Elias'' eyes twitched and slowly widened. After a while, he woke up to the sight of a wooden ceiling and remembered what happened yesterday.


    It was quite eventful, all things considered, he managed to execute his n and escape, destroying the legend of Tartarus.


    Of course, that was without consequences. Now he couldn''t use his own identity anymore¡­ but that was a small price to pay for freedom.


    "I should get up¡­"


    Elias yawned before promptly deciding to get up. Before leaving, he cleaned his own bed and fixed the arrangements.


    He went down to the first floor and saw no one else but Alysa, who was sitting on the table and painting quietly.


    Creak¡­


    His footsteps caused the stairs to creak, making Alysa turn her head in and noticed him on the stairway. She shed a gentle smile and said.


    "Sir. Elias, you''re finally awake."


    "Thank you. I wonder where the others are..?"


    Elias nodded and asked with confusion.


    "Oh, the others? Grandfather is attending to his duties and Sir. Donato and the rest decided to go outside to interact with the vigers. As for Sir. David and Sir. Francis, they already went their way early in the morning."


    Alysa exined patiently with a smile.


    ''They''re already gone? A pity...'' Hearing that, Elias thought and couldn''t help but express slight disappointment.


    Although right now David and Francis were nobodies and weak rankers, in the future, they certainly would change qualitatively.


    In five years'' time in the novel, David and Francis would quickly advance to ranks and rece one of the top guilds in their position.


    They were called the [Twin Stars of Humanity] by the Rankermunity, gaining unprecedented prestige and fame.


    That was why his mind was in turmoil after hearing their name. Of course, he was at first doubtful since David and Francis were verymon names in the first ce.


    But a quick handshake and [Appraisal] made him confirm that they were the two characters he was thinking of.


    It was a pity he couldn''t capitalize on his meeting with them. If he could establish a rtionship with them early, it might help him in the future.


    But¡­ considering his time limit in his main mission, he reckoned they most likely wouldn''t help much anyway.


    Elias quickly shook his head and forgot about the matter. He turned to Alysa and nodded with a grateful expression.


    "Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it, Ms. Alysa."


    "It''s no problem at all, Sir Elias! Do you want some coffee?"


    Alysa chuckled and offered.


    "Sure."


    Elias nodded and promptly sat on one of the chairs. He couldn''t help but notice what Alysa was doing on the table before she stood up.


    After he sat, Alysa stood up to go brew some coffee in the kitchen, momentster she came back with a cup of coffee in her other hand.


    After she arrived, Alysa saw Elias'' curious expression and exined with a soft smile.


    "I really like to paint as my hobby. I love art¡­ I''ve been painting for years now. I hope you don''t mind me painting in front of you."


    "Not at all, continue to do so Ms. Alysa. No man would reject such a beautiful sight."


    Elias smiled in jest. He looked at the painting and had an expression of amazement before continuing with apliment.


    "You''ve been painting for years? No wonder it''s so beautiful. I can see that you really love art with your painting. Although I know little of art, I know enough to say this is quite amazing."


    Alysa was speechless and couldn''t help but stiffen as a blush appeared on her face. Noticing theck of response, Elias looked at her and inquired.


    "Ms. Alysa?"


    "..A-ah¡­ thank you? Yes! Thank you!"


    Alysa couldn''t help but stammer in surprise. She was blushing and madly in fluster due to the consecutivepliments.


    Inwardly, she berated herself in her embarrassment.


    Elias looked at her expression and couldn''t help but be amused. He wasn''t dense and realized she was not used topliments at all.


    Which was somewhat strange, considering her beauty. But he would just chalk it up to fantasy world beauty standards.


    Elias coughed in embarrassment.


    "I''m sorry. I couldn''t resist but admire your painting skills. You see, I also love art and painting. It calms me down for some reason."


    "Uhm, it''s fine, Sir. Elias! I also understand what you mean. I grew up with a painting brush and learned to draw as I grew old¡­ during some sad times, I used painting to calm myself down."


    Quickly calming down, Alysa slightly stammered as she expressed with a nostalgic smile.


    "I see. That sounds wonderful. Also, the coffee..?"


    Elias nodded and reached out for the coffee.


    Realizing that she hasn''t given the coffee yet, Alysa smiled in embarrassment and quickly gave the coffee to Elias.


    Elias epted and let her sit down on her chair.


    Afterward, she sat down and picked up the brush on the table. As soon as she touched the brush, she became one with herself and focused on the painting intently.


    While watching her paint silently, Elias sipped his coffee.


    That morning, while the birds chirped and the sun shone brightly, the sight of a beautiful girl painting with determination and focus gave out a soothing and calming visage.


    ***


    "...And there! I''m done."


    Alyssa finished up the closing touches and smiled brightly while looking at the painting. It was an illustration of a woman with a red rose in her hand, staring at the starry sky.


    "That looks absolutely stunning. You''re amazing, Ms. Alysa."


    Near her, Elias couldn''t help butment in amazement.


    Alysa was surprised by the voice and quickly turned her head slightly before asking.


    "You''re still here, Sir. Elias?"


    "I have been here since you started painting."


    Elias chuckled, much to Alysa''s embarrassment. Looking at the painting, he curiously asked.


    "But why a woman holding red roses?"


    "Hmm¡­"


    Hearing that, Alysa paused for a moment. After thinking for a few seconds, she looked at Elias directly and answered cheekily.


    "I don''t know myself. I just drew it because It appeared in my mind. I just wanted to draw this for some reason. Some say art is prophetic and mystical, it could mean something or mean nothing at the same time."


    Elias nodded and agreed, not pursuing the topic. At that moment, while they were talking to each other, the door of the house opened.


    Donato, Galilei, and the rest entered.


    "Oh you guys are here, that''s perfect."


    Seeing them, Elias smiled. He was just about to go find them and discuss something¡ªin particr ask them to train him for the entrance examination.

 Chapter 36: You guys made the right choice.

    <h4>Chapter 36: You guys made the right choice.</h4>


    "You guys are finally back. I was just about to look for you guys."


    Elias said while looking at Donato and the rest who had just entered through the door.


    Donato and the group raised their brows, puzzled.


    "You were looking for us, young master? Why?"


    "I have something important to discuss with you guys."


    Elias answered simply and tapped the table. At this moment, Alysa, who had just finished painting a piece, heard their conversation and promptly stood up.


    "Sir. Elias, I''ll take my leave first. You can just find me outside if you need me."


    "I appreciate it, Ms. Alysa."


    Elias replied with a slight nod.


    After saying that, Alysa smiled and took her painting and brush before leaving the house through the front door, passing by Donato and the rest.


    "..."


    Now that only the six of them were left in the house, Elias'' smile slowly vanished and turned into a callous and serious expression.


    Seeing his look, the five of them immediately turned tense as well.


    "First, take a seat."


    Elias said calmly while looking at them. Sensing the severity of his tone, the five of them quickly nodded and directly chose their seats on the wide table.


    After they sat, a long silence suddenly took over the ce.


    Tap..tap..


    After a while, Elias broke the silence as he tapped the table for a moment before directly telling them.


    "I called Uncle Sanchez yesterday."


    The five of them abruptly widened their eyes in surprise. But before they could speak, Elias looked at the ceiling and continued.


    "I told him our situation. And he sympathized. I asked him to make a new identity for me, it''s likely he would also make one for each of you guys too. But¡­"


    Midway through, he suddenly paused. Feeling like there was something wrong, Donato cleared his throat before asking.


    "...That''s wonderful to hear. But is there a problem with it, young master?"


    Elias was silent as he thought for a moment. He shook his head and gazed at the five of them before speaking inly.


    "There isn''t. But it''s necessary to ask you guys for your thoughts. Since we already escaped the prison and my father is now dead, you have the option to not follow me anymore."


    At that moment, the air around the room froze.


    Donato and the group were slightly in a daze. They immediately recovered from their daze and quickly shook their heads with shocked expressions.


    "What are you saying, yo-young master¡­! No. We will never do that."


    "Are you sure? I''m not like my father. You may have some preconceived notion that I''m simr to him but I''m not like him at all."


    Elias tilted his head and asked calmly. Hearing his words, Donato and the group were silent for a moment before bowing deeply.


    "Young master¡­ even if that''s the case. We wish to follow you and help you. Please ept us, young master."


    Elias looked at them silently, not speaking. Under his gaze, despite being countless times stronger, Donato and the rest felt pressured.


    Deep down, they felt fear to be thrown away. As time passed, they felt the pressure and fear intensify as sweat even dropped from their back.


    After a while, Elias stood up and slowly approached them. He patted their shoulders lightly while his lips curled into a smile.


    "You made the right choice."


    Hearing that, the five of them couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    After circling around the table, Elias returned to his seat and smiled.


    "Now let''s get to the main point."


    ''Huh..? That wasn''t the main point?'' Donato and the rest couldn''t help but be puzzled as they raised their head and looked at their young master.


    "Haha, not at all."


    As though being able to read their thoughts, Elias chuckled and shook his head.


    "I''ll tell you guys this directly. I''m going to participate in the entrance examination of the Arcane Academy. I want you guys to train me."


    Hearing that, the five of them widened their eyes in joy and surprise and immediately nodded without hesitation.


    "We''re honored to do so, young master!"


    "That''s right! If you wish, we can start right away..!"


    "When will we start, young master..?"


    However, Elias didn''t respond to them and was looking at the air with a slightly distant and surprised gaze. His eyes contained unconcealed joy.


    [Subquest: No. 2]


    [Student of Arcana Academy]


    [Enroll as a student of the famous Arcana Academy.]


    [Time Limit: 3 Months]


    [Rewards: [Advanced Talent Selection], [Technique Selection] and [Advance Item Selection]...]


    [...]


    [Mission Completed!]


    [Rewards: [Advanced Talent Selection], [Technique Selection], and [Advance Item Selection]!]


    [Note: Congrattions, young hero. You have now been officially listed in the Arcane Academy entrance examination! May the academy change your twisted nature and turn you into the greatest hero.]


    ''Uncle Sanchez acted faster than I thought he would¡­'' Elias thought, his lips slowly curling into a wide smirk.


    Seeing the rewards, he was already drooling in greed over the rewards of the mission and wanted to immediately im them.


    As for the note below, he directly ignored that crappy note.


    Without hesitation, he pressed the system interface and imed the rewards. While he was doing this, he looked at his subordinates and replied.


    "We start¡­ right now."


    ***


    Outside the vige chief''s house.


    Alysa sat on a stool near the house, her focus intently directed at the canvas in front of her as she painted meticulously.


    At this moment, Harris saw her and approached her.


    "Hm? Alysa¡­ why are you painting outside? Oh right, did that youngster Elias already wake up? It''s already quitete.."


    Hearing her grandfather''s words, Alysa snapped out of her focus and turned to look at her grandfather before answering.


    "Ah, Grandfather. I just went outside¡­ and yes, Sir. Elias and the other guests are discussing something important inside. I didn''t see it right for me to stay and intrude in their discussion."


    Hearing that, Harris nodded amicably and responded gently.


    "Oh well, you did the right thing. Also, what do you think of that youngster Elias?"


    "Pardon?"


    Alysa tilted her head and was stupefied.


    "The world is increasingly getting more dangerous than ever. It''s no longer safe and wise to stay in the vige. It''s not like I can keep you in this vige for so long¡­ hm, also I''ve heard of you two talking so sweetly like newlyweds earlier inside the house¡­ not to mention you keep sending him nces at dinnerst night¡­"


    Harris mumbled to himself, much to Alysa''s increasing embarrassment and fluster. He continued.


    "Also, since he''s a Ranker at such a young age, then he should be rich and capable? Enough to take care of a woman, at least? No, never mind. It''s still too early after all. Let''s get to know him first, if he turns out to be a womanizer, I''ll be damned¡­"


    "G-g-grandfather?! What are you saying?!"


    Alysa stammered in a fluster. She couldn''t believe she was hearing those words from her grandfather¡­


    "Hm? It''s nothing. Don''t mind it."


    Harris dismissed lightly.


    At this moment, the door abruptly opened and six figures walked out of the house. Leading them was Elias, who looked at Harris with a smile.


    "Mr. Harris. We were hoping to go out for a while, do you mind? If you have any task for us to do outside the vige, we can¡­"


    "No, sure, sure. Go on. Don''t mind me, young man."


    Harris shook his head and waved his hand.


    Elias smiled and nodded slightly. He turned to look at the flustered Alysa and raised his brows before asking.


    "Alright, how about you, Ms. Alysa? Do you need anything¡­ no, are you okay? You look red.."


    Hearing his words, Alysa suddenly stiffened up and remembered her grandfather''s words. She blushed furiously.


    "N-no¡­! Not at all, Sir. Elias. Please excuse me..!"


    On the corner, her grandfather, Harris raised his brows and chuckled knowingly.


    "Oh, youth¡­"

 Chapter 37: Limitless talent, I alone am the worthy one

    <h4>Chapter 37: Limitless talent, I alone am the worthy one</h4>


    Somewhere in the vast forest and high mountain peaks, six figures arrived at a location and stood quietly.


    Elias stood tall, looking at the five of them.


    Standing beside the others, Donato slightly nodded before speaking.


    "After some discussion, Junior proposed a n that we take turns in teaching you our knowledge for each day, young master."


    "Go on."


    Elias nodded calmly.


    "Based on the maximum efficiency and potential, Junior suggested that the order should be; Galilei, Taurus, Alexus, Junior, and finally, Donato."


    Before he could ask the reasoning, Donato continued.


    "Galilei is a Combat Mage, he exhausts mana and stamina quite fast. He should teach you the first day."


    "Taurus is a Hunter, he would help you in your hand-to-handbat so even without mana you''re not helpless. To prevent consecutive mana overuse, he should be second."


    "Alexus is also a Combat Mage. By that time, you should be safe from overuse and could exhaust your mana once more."


    "After Alexus, since Junior is a Sorcerer, he can help you rx in meditation and control your mana more efficiently."


    "As for me, I''m thest, also a Hunter. My expertise is guns and marksmanship¡­ but I can only teach you archery for the moment. So I will teach you basic survival skills along with archery instead."


    The world of Aegis contains mana which allows the birth and existence of Rankers. After people be Rankers, they have three professions to choose from.


    [Hunter], [Sorcerer], and [Combat Mage].


    [Hunters], among the two other professions, are the mostmon types of Rankers. A distinct trait about them is that theyck talent in control of mana and magic.


    However, inpensation, they are experts in scouting, killing, and finding weaknesses in their opponents. They are experts in wielding weapons and using them to their limits.


    Although they might notpare in raw power to the two other professions, it could be said their killing power is the highest among the other professions.


    On the other hand, [Sorcerers] are long-ranged magicians that have expertise in magic. They are known for their great control of mana to use magic andrge mana reserves.


    They use magic symbols and great focus tounch magic spells from afar, causing immense destruction. Although their raw power could be considered the strongest, they are also known for their physically weak disposition.


    Unlike [Hunters] or [Combat Mages], [Sorcerers] are known to have weak physiques and strength, making them efficient inrge battles but inefficient in one on one.


    Andstly, [Combat Mages], the rarest and most sought types of Rankers. Among the two other professions, they are without a doubt, the most well-rounded and considered the best profession among the rest.


    With the mana control and mana reserves of [Sorcerers], strong physique, and weapon talent of [Hunters], [Combat Mages] are without weakness and have thebined advantage of the other two professions.


    Possessing great physical strength and magical talent for sorcery, they are the elite force and trump cards of many organizations due to their potential alone.


    They are most suited to traversing the dungeon and leading the expeditions, considering their well-rounded powers and abilities. However, a major w is that they are too rare and too hard to raise.


    [Combat Mages] require time, immense talent, and valuable resources to fully raise. It could bankrupt an organization if it casually decided to raise one without consideration.


    Hearing their exnation, Elias was easily convinced.


    "But¡­ young master, are you sure? Do you wish to be abat mage and learn from all of us? It will be extremely difficult.."


    At this moment, Donato suddenly said with a serious expression.


    "Yes. I have decided. It''s the best profession for me,"


    Elias nodded confidently. It was not blind confidence or immense arrogance that spurned such a decision, he was not an idiot.


    He really did have the qualifications for it.


    Of course, if it was before this, he might not have the talent and qualifications for it. But right now, he was confident that only [Combat Mage] would suit him.


    Elias'' eyes flickered silently.


    [Talent: Indomitable Spirit, Limitless.]


    [Limitless: Breaking the shackles of a mortal vessel, transcendence of body and soul, beneath heaven and earth, I alone am the worthy one.]


    Afterpleting the mission of [Student of Arcana Academy], he immediately used one of the rewards, [Advanced Talent Selection], and picked the talent of Limitless.


    It rather had a simple and straightforward use.


    It allowed the person to bepatible with all kinds of powers and weapons, gaining immense potential and talent for everything in the world.


    A master of the de may not necessarily be a talented spear user, but with this? It was possible!


    A fire sorcerer may not necessarily be proficient in water spells and magecraft, but with this? It was possible!


    The strongest magician may not necessarily be the strongest warrior, but with this? It was possible!


    It was the best talent out of everything on the list. It brokemon sense. As its title suggests, it had limitless potential.


    However, although it gave him limitless potential, it did not increase his growth on the status page.


    [Hero Creator System]


    [Name: Elias Vito Casteno (Elias Roan)


    Race: Human


    Talent: Indomitable Spirit, Limitless


    Rank: D


    Level: 25


    Unused status points: 300


    STR: D (4/100)


    AGI: D (2/100)


    STA: D (5/100)


    CONST: D (6/100)


    INT: D+ (7/100)


    MAG: E- (8/100)


    GROWTH: D+ (0/100)


    SKILLS: [Way of Casteno], [Ferocious Underdog], [Gaze of Intimidation]....]


    After using all of his 500 status points to advance to D-Rank, he gained 300 extra status points after advancing.


    If one looked closely, one would realize that something had changed on the status page. Mainly, the D-rank (200) requirement turned to being (100) requirement instead.


    Although Limitless did not increase his growth stats, it made him have immense potential and talent that everything became far easier to increase now.


    In a way, it indirectly increased his growth talent.


    Elias'' eyes flickered silently while he murmured in his heart.


    ''Allocate''


    [Unused status points: 300 > 200]


    [GROWTH: D+ (100/100) > C- (0/100)]


    ''Allocate''


    [Unused status points: 200 > 100]


    [GROWTH: C- (100/100) > C (0/100)]


    ''Allocate''


    [Unused status points: 100 > 0]


    [GROWTH: C (100/100) > C+ (0/200)]


    Using all of his status points, he directly made his D+ growth raise to a whopping C+ Rank!


    It could be said, Limitless was the perfect talent for someone like him, who possessed the Hero Creator System that could raise one''s attributes at will.


    After allocating his status points, Elias quickly removed the system interface in front of his screen and turned to face his five new ''teachers''.


    "Let''s start."


    Donato and the rest looked at each other before most of them stepped away, leaving Galilei in the spot alone.


    Looking at Elias, Galilei smiled and threw a in wooden sword at him.


    "Catch, young master."


    Woosh!


    ''This..''


    Elias thought, catching the in wooden sword in the air. However, he didn''t expect that the moment he did so, Galilei rushed in and thrust his own wooden sword!


    The training officially began!

 Chapter 38: Training with the five musketeers.

    <h4>Chapter 38: Training with the five musketeers.</h4>


    While Galilei thrusted his wooden sword, he announced loudly:


    "Among the five musketeers, I could be considered the strongest due to one thing.. my sword can reach anything and pierce through it."


    "Using my mastery over the sword, I have in countless strong foes and monsters that dared oppose the Godfather."


    "Please observe this one''s sword skills, young master. I will impart to you everything I know about the sword."


    Hearing that, Elias'' expression drastically changed as he leaped back. However, the wooden sword suddenly arrived before him.


    He leaped back once more, but the in wooden sword always caught up to him, as though its length was infinite.


    At that moment, the in wooden sword thrusted forward and stabbed him in the stomach!


    Gahk¡ª!


    Elias audibly gasped as his eyes slightly rolled upwards. However, the sword immediately moved once more, but this time¡­


    Woosh!


    Elias immediately adjusted his body and raised his in wooden sword and enforced it with mana, deflecting the attack.


    Tak!


    Seeing that, Galilei smiled widely and lowered his sword. His smile was calming and terrifying at the same time.


    ***


    The second day.


    ¡­.


    Elias breathed deeply. At that moment, tworge fists suddenly came crashing down on him in different directions.


    ''Oh no!''


    Before he could dodge, the fists already arrived in front of him and struck his body, making him tremble and gasp in pain.


    Bam!


    Elias widened his eyes suddenly, feeling like a speeding truck hit him!


    Bam!


    "Graaghka¡­!!"


    At that moment, Elias choked loudly as he clutched his stomach in pain, his body trembling from the attack brought by the raw physical strength of the fist.


    Looking down at him, Taurus prepared his fists once more before speaking calmly:


    "Among the five musketeers, I am the strongest physically. I am more known for my hand-to-handbat and immense durability."


    "Do you know the secret of my strength, young master? It''s to suffer and endure. To endure until everything that made you scream in pain bes nothing but an ant bite in the end."


    "If you wish to learn hand-to-handbat and have an indestructible body¡­ the only way is through experiencing it yourself. Prepare, young master. I won''t hold back."


    "That strike was merely a tenth of my strength hitting you directly. If you wish to give up, feel free to say so."


    Hearing his words, Elias took a deep breath before he raised his head and scoffed with a slight smirk. His eyes shed an arrogant and derisive glint.


    "...Is that all you have?"


    ***


    On the third day.


    ¡­


    In the infinite darkness, Elias stood quietly with his eyes constantly moving in alert all over his surroundings.


    The vast forest and darkness made his eyesight considerably lower and his reactions much slower, he wasn''t used to fighting in the dark after all.


    After a while, the wind suddenly shifted as a cold breeze hit him, making him slightly shiver.


    At this moment, a shadow arrived behind him and suddenlyunched an attack!


    Elias'' pupils rapidly shrunk as he tried to dodge. However, he was toote as a sharp de suddenly grazed his cheek.


    Woosh!


    Without slowing down, he immediately retreated and touched the wound on his cheek. He looked at the trailing blood in his fingers, his expression turning grim.


    At this moment, Alexus'' voice echoed in the darkness.


    "Young master, you must be faster. Faster than anything, until you can react to anything in the world."


    "The darkness, the light, the wind, and nature¡­ make it your tool. You must feel the wind, be one with darkness, and sense nature. Then, everything fast bes slow to you."


    "Among the five musketeers, I am the weakest in destructive power. But no one canpare my speed and stealth. If I want someone dead silently, then It only takes me a second to bring their decapitated head."


    Hearing those words, Elias'' face was expressionless as he retreated deeper into the forest.


    ***


    On the fourth day.


    ¡­


    Sitting on the ground in a meditative position, Elias closed his eyes and concentrated with all of his mind.


    Beside him, Junior also sat in a meditative position with a stoic expression. Watching his young master, hemented lightly:


    "Among the five musketeers, I could be considered the one with the strongest destructive powers. I am a fire sorcerer, with a focus on three aspects; buffs, debuffs, and destructive attacks."


    "But that is not my lesson for today. First, I will teach you the fundamental essence of sorcery: the control of mana."


    "Every Ranker can use mana, but only a rare few can use them so well that it could bring forth magic. Mana has two aspects: mana sense and mana reserves."


    "Mana sense is your control of mana, while mana reserves are the capacity of your mana. In the path of a Sorcerer, both aspects are incredibly important."


    While he was talking, Elias'' eyes suddenly twitched as sweat dripped on his face.


    Below him, his hands were trembling as he manipted his mana with all of his concentration, creating something out of nothing.


    Above his hands, a formless orb slowly manifested¡­ before suddenly breaking apart and vanishing.


    Crack! Woosh!


    Elias'' eyes opened as he sighed.


    "I failed again¡­"


    "Try again. Failure is nothing. It matters not how many times you fail, but only how you react to it that matters."


    Junior calmly said. While saying so, he manipted his mana and created a stable formless orb below him.


    "After thinking for days, I made this exercise myself. It challenges your control and stability of mind while teaching you the importance of mana sense and mana reserve."


    "To aplish this exercise. You must control mana precisely and you must use the right amount, not too much nor too less."


    "Even geniuses and talented people will have a hard time in this exercise. Only the aplished sorcerers could do this.


    "Remember this well, young master. Conquer yourself, then you shall conquer the world."


    Hearing his words, Elias took a deep breath before closing his eyes and attempting the exercise once more.


    ***


    On the fifth day.


    ¡­


    In the vast forest, Elias was silently sitting on the tree. His eyes moved through the trees and wild bushes, gazing at a red antelope.


    While he was staring at the monster, his hands were holding a bow and arrow, with one of them slowly pulling the string of the bow.


    At this moment, the red antelope seemed to notice his gaze and turned to him.


    Woosh!


    Before the antelope could react, he immediately released the string, letting an arrow fly through the forest and hit the antelope precisely.


    "Wah¡­!"


    The red antelope cried out in pain before another arrow suddenlyunched once more, hitting its eyes.


    A few momentster, the red antelope died.


    Seeing that, Elias sighed in relief.


    In another tree, Donato looked at him and pped with a gentle smile.


    "Nice job, young master."


    "Among the five musketeers, I can be considered the weakest. However, I am also the most versatile and resourcefulpared to the rest. Thus, I cannot teach you anything other than to survive¡­ and to kill."


    "Surviving and killing is my specialty. Even among the others, my kill count is the highest. I will teach you the ways of survival in this world and the ways of killing people."


    ***


    And just like that, a month and a half quickly passed.


    The day of farewells came.

 Chapter 39: Life is full of separations.

    <h4>Chapter 39: Life is full of separations.</h4>


    Aurora Vige, Old Vige Chief House.


    A month and a half quickly passed by.


    ¡­


    The moon shone brightly.


    Aftering back from the routinely intense training, Elias returned to the vige chief''s home with his whole body drenched in sweat.


    Without asking for permission, he went to use their hot spring and immediately took a soothing bath to remove the soreness in his body.


    Deluged in sprinkled clean water, Elias was refreshed. The training was no less intense than ever.


    "A month and a half has already passed so quickly. The entrance examination to Arcane Academy ising up. But now I''m assured that I can pass it."


    "...During this past month and a half, I''ve trained every aspect of a Ranker. I''ve be much, much stronger than before to the point even I couldn''t believe it myself."


    "...At first, I couldn''t do anything against Donato and the rest, butter on, I managed to tie a draw against them in battles and aplished their self-made exercises."


    "Furthermore, with the help of Limitless, I had close to no problems learning their teachings and imparted useful skills."


    "I''ve also discovered some things about the system."


    Elias chuckled while looking at the ceiling distantly. He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, his Uncle Sanchez called him to tell him that his identity is finished.


    "Now, a month and a half have already passed so quickly¡­ tomorrow is the day Uncle Sanchez will pick me up."


    Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but feelplicated emotions. He had been here one month and a half, forming some friendships with the other vigers.


    He had interacted with almost all the vigers already, making him familiar with everyone in the vige, including Harris and Miss. Alysa.


    That was why he did not bother asking their permission to use the hot spring, on one hand, he waszy, on the other hand, he was already familiar enough with the vige chief to do so.


    These one-and-a-half months were quite eventful. It''s a pity that he was going to leave and say goodbye to them.


    "Life is full of separations. Nothing we can do about that."


    Elias cynically muttered out loud as he closed his eyes. While he was deluged in refreshing clean water, he calmly rxed in the breezing wind.


    Creak..


    At that moment, the door suddenly opened as someone entered the hot spring.


    Elias suddenly widened his eyes and turned around only to see a naked long brown haired young woman with only a towel covering her body.


    "..."


    Alysa opened her mouth, closing it soon after. Her entire face immediately turned red while her lips trembled in embarrassment.


    She was blushing furiously.


    Looking at Elias who had a toned perfect body, unhidden and a striking appearance, Alysa felt dizzy as her nose slightly bled.


    Without saying anything, she slowly turned around and opened the door¡­ wanting to escape as quickly as she could.


    However, Elias didn''t give her the chance.


    "Ms. Alysa? I didn''t know you were going to take a bath in the hot spring. I should''ve told you, sorry about that."


    Hearing him apologize, Alysa suddenly stiffened up as she withheld her desire to immediately run away and instead spoke up.


    "...I-it''s fine¡­ It''s fine, Sir. Elias. I-I was also at fault for not realizing that someone is in the hot spring, m-may you excuse me..! I''ll just take a bath after you!"


    Alysa was stammering through her words but didn''t turn around. Seeing her, Elias couldn''t help but be amused.


    He thought for a moment before he ultimately asked.


    "Miss. Alysa, if you''re going to take a bath.. why don''t you stay here for the moment?"


    "..Ah?"


    Alysa suddenly widened her eyes. At this moment, she wanted to pinch her skin to check if this was reality or not.


    Elias hummed before reasoning with a calm smile.


    "The hot spring is big enough for two people anyways. I don''t mind if you want to take a bath also. It''s also gettingte, if youe before me, it might be toote. If you wish, I can close my eyes so I won''t make you ufortable."


    ''What are you saying Sir. Elias¡­'' Alysa felt dizzy as she thought. Taking a bath together¡­? Absurd. Absurd.


    However, after a while, she didn''t open the door at all.


    With a slightly reddened face, she came back to the hot spring with her lowered eyes unable to meet Elias'' eyes directly.


    "...I don''t mind, Sir Elias. I mean¡­ if you wish then that''s al-alright. No need to close your eyes¡­ yes, no need at all."


    Inwardly, she was screaming at herself for her decision. But unfortunately, her desire overcame her embarrassment.


    "..."


    Elias chuckled before looking up, staring at the nightly moon and starry sky. His eyes were slightly mesmerized.


    After a while, hemented.


    "The moon is beautiful, isn''t it?"


    Hearing his words, Alysa also looked up and observed the nightly lunar moon. She nodded in agreement.


    "..."


    While both of them were deluged in water and a misty atmosphere, a long,fortable silence took ce between them.


    It was not tense nor awkward, it was serene and peaceful.


    After a while, Alysa raised her head and broke the silence as she suddenly spoke.


    "Sir. Elias, are you really leaving tomorrow..?"


    Hearing that, Elias slowly opened his eyes. He thought for a moment before nodding directly.


    "Yes. My rtives are going to pick us up. I''ve already said my farewells to your grandfather. We''re thankful for your hospitality these past months, this gratitude will be repaid well.."


    "I see.."


    After spending a month and a half time with him, Alysa wasn''t surprised. She had observed him and talked to him for so long to realize something was different about him.


    Although a lot of Rankers cross their vige, there were close to none who was as young as Elias who came.


    When her grandfather muttered his intentions of marrying her of jokingly, she started to see Elias in a... more so different light and saw a lot of things she liked about him.


    With his mysterious allure, dependable personality and handsome appearance, she grew a budding crush on him over time.


    She rarely came in contact with the opposite sex of her age, and thenes in a person like that.


    It was somewhat reasonable a small infatuation and a budding crush to develop, but not outright love.


    Her feelings was something she realized rtively early but didn''t bother enough to think about it.


    After all, with their statuses, they were simply worlds apart.


    With her natural curiosity, she observed him and grew to realize there was something amiss: Sir. Elias was lying at first. He has a mysterious background and was a Ranker at a young age.


    That made her realize that there was something wrong and mysterious about him. However, she wasn''t worried and didn''t ask or interrogate him about her suspicions.


    On the contrary, she kept it to herself and stayed silent about the matter. If anything, Sir. Elias and the group were good people and became a huge help to the vige.


    They collected monster carcasses, beast hide, and materials and helped out the other vigers, making the vige much livelier than ever before.


    Thinking about it, Alysa''s face couldn''t help but give a radiant soft, and gentle smile.


    While she was mesmerized by her own memories, a voice suddenly snapped her out of it.


    "You should smile like that more. You look beautiful when you''re happy."


    Seeing her smile, Elias chuckled as heplimented her genuinely.


    "...Please don''t tease me, Sir. Elias."


    Alysa sighed and smiled bitterly. Now that she confirmed he was leaving the vige, she couldn''t help but feel slightly sad.


    ''And this man finds more reasons why I should like him¡­ and here I am, a fool, falling for it anyways,'' Inwardly, she berated him and herself in her heart.


    Seeing her expression, Elias raised his brows in confusion and asked hesitantly.


    "...You look sad, is there a problem?"


    Alysa was silent for a moment before admitting.


    "You''re leaving."


    Elias suddenly widened his eyes in surprise. He raised his head and stared at her while a sigh escaped his lips.


    "I also feel it''s a pity."


    Alyse pursed her lips before asking.


    "Will we meet again?"


    Elias nced at the stars before turning his gaze to her with a helpless smile.


    "If fate would allow it, perhaps we will. Or perhaps we will never."


    "I hope fate allows it."


    Alysa whispered loudly.


    "I hope so too."


    Elias smiled while looking at her with aplicated expression. After a while, he felt that he was already staying long enough.


    He stood up from his position and looked at Alysa, who was covered in a towel, slightly averting his eyes.


    "Miss. Alysa, I''m sorry, I''ll take my leave first. I hope you don''t mind."


    Alysa nodded slightly. Elias nodded back and left. She raised her head and looked at his retreating figure. In the end, she smiled while a sigh escaped her lips in the end.


    "..."

 Chapter 40: Farewells

    <h4>Chapter 40: Farewells</h4>


    The next day.


    While the vigers were engaging in their daily routines, a helicopter suddenly hovered above their vige, making them subconsciously look up and let out a surprised gasp.


    It was arge helicopter with an extravagant style, with a rapidly spinning chopper, it slowly flew around the vige and lowered down,nding outside the vige area.


    "A helicopter? Who are they¡­?"


    "Such an extravagant helicopter, I wonder from which rich family in the city this belongs?"


    "Mommy! look, it''s a helicopter!"


    While the vigers were enamored by the vehicle, Harris came out of his house with his granddaughter and Elias with his group.


    "Vige chief, is that perhaps the city envoy? Why are they in a helicopter?"


    A viger approached them with a worried look. Harris smiled at the person and waved his hand in dismissal, reassuring them.


    "Don''t worry, we''re still safe for one more month before the envoyes again. This helicopter is not them, they''re here for our friends here."


    The viger looked at Harris'' left and widened his eyes in surprise. He nodded at Elias and his group and sighed in relief.


    Elias nodded back and turned to look at Harris and Alysa with a genuine smile, expressing his gratitude.


    "Sir. Harris and Ms. Alysa, we are immensely thankful for your hospitality this past month and a half. I promise in my name that you will all be repaid for this kindness and generosity."


    "Now, now, it''s my job as the vige chief to amodate guests from far away. And it''s not like we didn''t take advantage of you people. You helped us in gathering monster carcasses, materials, andbor work."


    Harris shook his head lightly, much to Elias'' amusement.


    "Let''s go, Sir Harris. I''m sure you will be quite surprised."


    ***


    While they were talking, the luxury helicopter outside slowly opened and countless men wearing double-breasted suits came out of the entrance.


    Leading them, a handsome man with long ck hair and a monocle walked out with his hands behind his back.


    Sebastian called out to two people to bring something out of the helicopter. A few secondster, two men came out while holding a pair of heavy suitcases in their hands.


    Outside the vige, Harris and the group of vigers just came out and watched the people with slightly puzzled expressions.


    Sebastian moved his eyes, looking through the group of people outside the vige. Soon, he spotted a young ck-haired man with an intimidating presence.


    Under the other vigers'' gaze, Sebastian quickly approached and bowed to the man with his hand on his chest.


    "May I confirm if you are Sir. Sanchez''s godson, Elias?"


    "Corleone, then indeed. As for these people, these are my subordinates. If I''m not wrong, you should be sent by Uncle Sanchez, right?"


    Elias affirmed while he pointed at the five people behind him. Donato and the rest were watching Sebastian with curious and guarded gazes.


    Paying no heed to it, Sebastian nodded while politely bowing his head.


    "That is correct, young master. I am Sir. Sanchez''s personal butler, Sebastian Ciel. Under my master''s orders, we are to bring you and your subordinates back to the Sanchez family."


    Elias nodded slightly.


    "I have no problem with that, but have you brought what I told you to bring?"


    Hearing that, Sebastian lightly pped his hands and the two men with briefcases immediately came forward. Elias looked at the men before turning his attention to the briefcases.


    "How much is this? These are my benefactors. I hope Uncle Sanchez didn''t stint on his rewards."


    "Rest assured, the amount is¡­"


    Sebastian leaned forward and whispered an amount. Elias whistled and nodded in satisfaction. At this moment, Harris and Alysa suddenly came forward and approached them.


    "Sir. Elias...?"


    Elias suddenly turned around and looked at them with a smile. He pped his hands and spoke.


    "Perfect timing. Sir. Harris and Ms. Alysa, I was just about to look for you two."


    "Is there a problem, Sir Elias?"


    Hearing that, Alysa asked in confusion.


    Elias shook his head lightly before snapping his fingers. Behind him, the two men holding the briefcases came forward and opened the briefcases, revealing the contents inside the briefcases.


    Harris and Alysa''s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.


    It was arge amount of cash, filling the briefcases entirely. For both of them, it was an amount they perhaps could never witness in their entire lifetimebined.


    "S-sir Elias, w-what could be the meaning of this?"


    Harris snapped out of his daze and immediately looked at Elias with a stunned expression.


    Instead of Elias, it was Sebastian who came forward and answered.


    "This is your enumeration for taking care of our young master during his stay here. Its total is fifty million in cash. You don''t have to worry about its authenticity. Furthermore, our master discussed with the mayor of the nearby city and told them to exempt your vige from taxes for a year."


    Hearing that, Harris was shocked in disbelief and immediately shook his head.


    "W-we can''t ept this!"


    "Sir. Harris and Ms. Alysa, please ept it."


    Elias suddenly said, patting the man''s shoulder. He persuaded them calmly.


    "This is my gratitude towards the vige for taking care of us. As I promised, I will repay your hospitality countless times more. If not for you and the others, where would we be? We would be starving in the forest with no way to go."


    Harris suddenly fell silent. Of course, that was not true. They were Rankers, not ordinary people, Elias and the rest could''ve survived just well.


    But it wasn''t like he didn''t understand.


    If he rejected the gift, it would seem like he was rejecting their kindness. If the other party were to be offended by it, wouldn''t he just be endangering his own vige?


    In truth, he was just overthinking things. Elias would never recklessly act just because he was offended, he wanted topensate for their help and also show that he had basic principles he adhered to.


    After a while, he raised his head and wore a difficult expression. He clenched his hand tightly before he sighed quietly.


    "...Can I exchange it with something else?"


    Sebastian frowned, looking at Elias before nodding slightly. Harris sighed in relief, he looked at the still-dazed Alysa before speaking out his thoughts.


    "Can you bring along my granddaughter instead?"

 Chapter 41: Reunions

    <h4>Chapter 41: Reunions</h4>


    A brief silence erupted. Elias and the rest of the group were stunned. The dazed Alysa immediately snapped out of her dazed state and shouted in disbelief.


    "W-hat are you saying?! Grandfather?!!"


    "What? You don''t want to?"


    Harris gave an inquisitive look to Alysa, much to thetter''s increasing fluster. He thought for a moment before he continued.


    "I''ve thought about it, anyway. With the further increasing chaos of the world, it''s no longer safe to keep you in this tiny vige. It''s not because I want you out, I want you here forever¡­ but that''s impossible, even I know it."


    "It''s for your own good, a talented artist like you should not be stuck in a tiny cage like this vige. I promised my son and daughter-inw to take care of you. I know you have a lot of dreams, so this is your opportunity!"


    "As for me, I can still handle being along for a few more years. You don''t have to worry about me, Alysa, think about your future and dreams first, alright? So go with them."


    Alysa was stunned and couldn''t muster a reply.


    Near the two of them, Sebastian looked at Elias who was quiet and stayed quiet as well. This wasn''t him to decide.


    Thinking for a moment, Elias closed his eyes before shaking his head.


    "With all due respect, this is not our decision to make, Sir Harris. I want to hear Alysa''s decision before we should talk about it and consider this."


    Harris was stunned before sighing in relief. He nudged his granddaughter beside him.


    Beside him, Alysa was speechless but quickly recovered. She was grateful that she had a decision over this matter¡­ but what exactly should she do?


    Her grandfather was not wrong, she did have dreams. She wanted to go to the city and experience more things than to be stuck in the vige.


    After a while, Alysa made up her mind and nodded.


    "I''ll go with you, Sir. Elias to the city."


    Hearing that, Elias nodded and looked at Harris with a smile.


    "Since she agreed, then we''ll take care of her well like how you take care of us. But take the cash as well. I know you''re also worried about the cash getting stolen by others, but as long as you say the Sanchez''s name, you will be safe."


    ''Sanchez isn''t that¡­'' Harris was stunned before quickly nodding. Inwardly, he sighed in relief that he gambled for his chances.


    In truth, he was pessimistic about his chances but still did it anyway. They had no reason to take Alysa, who could just be a burden, but they might ept it to their gratitude.


    It was not like he couldn''t send Alysa to the city on his own, but with a backer behind her, she should be substantially safer.


    With her granddaughter''s naivety and inexperience, she would be prey to those crafty conniving people in the city¡­ and he could note with her to help her as he had duties to attend to.


    That was why this was the perfect opportunity.


    Of course, he didn''t just make this decision on the spot. He was not stupid, what if Elias and the group were horrible people that would not help her daughter?


    He had already considered this decision a month prior. By observing Elias and the rest for a month, he hade to a conclusion: they might not be good people, but they also might necessarily be bad people.


    It was a risk he could take.


    Elias'' reward for their kindness solidified his decision, making him think that they have their own basic principles to follow and they were trustworthy.


    Giving onest look to the vige, Elias patted his subordinates'' shoulders and looked at Alysa before leaving for the helicopter.


    "Let''s go. I''m sure the pilot is waiting for us."


    Sebastian nodded and followed Elias and the group. The two men gave the suitcases to Harris and left, leaving the old vige chief and his granddaughter alone.


    After a few seconds, Harris sighed and patted her hair.


    "If you can, make sure you return to the vige once in a while. I know you always wanted to go to the city, I always see your curiosity towards things."


    Alysa was silent before she nodded.


    "Goodbye, grandfather."


    The two didn''t speak for a while before Alysa closed her eyes and left as well.


    At the entrance of the helicopter, Elias waited until Alysa arrived. Before entering, he looked at Alysa and smiled knowingly.


    "Fate sure is a funny person, isn''t he?"


    Alysa smiled quietly, her eyes shing with sorrow before turning into resolution, following him inside the helicopter.


    Afterwards, the men guarding the outside of the helicopter also came in and the helicopter promptly flew away.


    ***


    Entering the helicopter, Elias wasn''t prepared for the disbelief and shock of his lifetime.


    In front of him, an adorable young girl around seven to eight years old stood with sparkling eyes.


    The young girl had long ck hair tied into a ponytail, pale white skin, andrge dark beady eyes, she stared at him with overjoyed emotions.


    It was as though time stopped for both of them, Elias stared at the girl with unconcealed shock and confusion.


    As though time resumed, the young girl adorned in an emerald green dress suddenly rushed to him and hugged his leg.


    "Big brother¡­!"


    Elias staggered in surprise before immediately adjusting his body. Subconsciously, he patted the young girl''s hair softly.


    Behind him, Sebastian whispered to Alysa before going away and leaving both of them for their reunion.


    ''Is this¡­ my sister?''


    Elias didn''t know what to say. He didn''t expect his reunion with his supposed-to-be sister to be this early. This was out of his pictured scenarios and ns.


    In fact, he was just going to prepare thinking about it in the helicopter. But that n was immediately ruined by this unexpected scenario.


    He had a gut feeling that this was an intentional arrangement by his Uncle Sanchez and he was sure of it. He knew the man meant no harm.


    But regardless, now that they have already met and reunited, what should he say? What should he feel? What should he do?


    Before this, he was sort of expecting to be mixed with emotions. He was right, but not entirely. He didn''t feel any repulsion or indifference toward her sister, only love and care.


    ''She''s not my sister.''


    Elias reminded himself, but the feeling of love and care inside him didn''t go away. While thinking, he gently patted his young sister''s hair, caressing it.


    ''But¡­ isn''t it my responsibility now? Who''s going to take care of her? How can she grow up properly?''


    That was what he thought. In a way, it was his fault that Elias Vito Casteno had died. In a way, it was his fault that she was all alone. In a way, it was his fault that this world was experiencing tragedy.


    Thinking about that, he felt some bitterness but there was no guilt in his heart. He was just t-out angry at whoever transmigrated him here.


    ''No, it doesn''t matter if she''s my sister or not. I''ll¡­ keep her safe, at the very least, I''ll treat her like my sister as long as I''m in this world.''


    ''But the sooner I''m gone¡­''


    Elias thought as he resolutely decided. He looked down and saw his young sister''s puzzled and saddened eyes.


    "Brother Elias...?"


    Looking at those eyes, he felt his heart be devastated. Elias bit his lip and sighed, slowly he put his hand on her cheek and kneeled.


    "I''m here, my little sister, rissa."


    rissa''s eyes brightened.

 Chapter 42: Expectations to the future.

    <h4>Chapter 42: Expectations to the future.</h4>


    The helicopter slowlynded on the ground.


    After the helicopter stopped, the entrance slowly opened and countless men wearing double-breasted suits came out.


    When they walked out, they immediately dispersed to the side and created a wide line.


    Under the bright sun, Elias walked out of the helicopter with a young girl around eight beside him. While behind him, five imposing figures¡ªDonato, Galilei, Taurus, Junior, and Alexus followed.


    Besides them, there was also Sebastian and Alysa walking along with them quietly.


    "Greetings, young master."


    At that moment, the countless men on the side greeted and bowed their heads slightly.


    Elias nced at them slightly before nodding. He turned to look at his sister again and ruffled her hair, making it slightly messy.


    "Let''s go."


    rissa had a happy and curious expression as she nodded. She followed him as both of them entered the majestic and beautiful vi.


    At the back of the group, Alyssa was stupefied by what she was seeing with her own eyes. She looked at her surroundings in a daze.


    Seeing her expression, Sebastian chuckled harmlessly.


    Hearing his quietughter, Alysa snapped out of her daze and suddenly felt embarrassed.


    "S-sorry, It''s my first time in the city¡­ so I haven''t seen anything like this before. I-i just imagined them from the books in our vige¡­"


    Sebastian smiled and shook his head.


    "Do not mind me, Ms. Alysa. I can understand your shock. Do you want me to give you an introduction to where we are?"


    "I''d appreciate that, Sir. Sebastian. I heard from my grandfather there are six cities. I wonder which one we are in now?"


    Hearing her words, Sebastian nodded slightly and began to exin.


    "As you know, when the Great Catastrophe happened ''it'' destroyed and sank countlessnds. Not long after that event, thends that managed to be preserved then merged together into one continent, making most of humanity finally united in one ce. Of course, there are still those humans living in the Astrea Continent, but it''s just a matter of time."


    Sebastian paused at this point, much to Alysa''s confusion.


    "When most of humanity finally gathered in one ce, they began to unite with each other¡ªcreating the United Government Alliance and the Five Cities of the Remnant Continent. These five cities are collectively known in the present as the bastions of humanity, where humans are safe from disasters and monsters."


    "These cities are called; Trier City of the north, Howling City of the east, Ember City of the west, Frostern City of the south, and finally, the most important, Heaven City at the center of it all."


    "Right now, we are at Trier City and at one of the master''s residencies in this city."


    Sebastian finished his exnation and looked at Alysa meaningfully.


    "So that''s it¡­ Trier City, I also heard from my grandfather that it''s the closest city in our vige. It''s known for its great art museums and galleries. Among the other cities, it preserved most of humanity''s literature and arts."


    Alysa muttered to herself, her eyes slightly sparkling as she thought of something.


    Sebastian simply smiled as both of them entered the majestic and beautiful vi alongside Donato and the rest in front of them.


    ***


    Sanchez Vi, Living Room.


    Elias seriously looked at rissa and Alysa in front of him, his hand tightly clenched as though holding something inside.


    rissa and Alysa focused intensely.


    After a while, Elias shook his hand intensely. Then, he opened it under their intense gaze¡ªrevealing countless shiny coins on his palm.


    rissa and Alysa were stunned. They blinked and looked at the hand again, now only one remained while the others vanished like they were never there.


    They blinked once more. Then, the countless coins appeared on the palm under their gaze once more, as if it was always there.


    While they were stunned and in a daze, Elias lightly snapped his fingers and made them snap out of their daze.


    rissa immediately got up and touched the coins, her eyes in disbelief.


    "What the?! Howe it became one, two, three¡­"


    "Eight, my little sister."


    "Big brother, how did you make it turn into eight?! It was just one before¡­"


    Hearing her words, Elias smiled and chuckled mysteriously.


    "That''s called magic."


    "Then teach me magic, big brother!"


    "No can do, a magician can never tell his secret tricks to anyone¡­ or else it''s no longer a secret."


    "That''s¡­ true?"


    Seeing rissa be convinced, Alysa lightly chuckled before turning her head to Elias and asked with a curious expression.


    "I''ve never thought of you as a magician, Sir. Elias."


    "There''s more to me than you think."


    Elias smiled mysteriously while looking at her directly.


    Under direct eye contact, Alysa immediately turned stiff as she averted her eyes with a slight blush on her cheek, much to Elias'' slight amusement.


    At that moment, Sebastian suddenly went down the stairs and called for him.


    "Young Master Elias, Sir. Sanchez is calling for you upstairs."


    "Oh?"


    Elias raised his brows before he nodded. He looked at rissa, ruffling her hair before turning to Alysa and nodding.


    "Well, it looks like I''m going first,dies. Take care, if you need anything just call the maids and butlers in the vi, don''t be shy."


    Alysa gently nodded and waved her hand.


    After saying his short farewells, Elias approached Sebastian and went to the upper floor with a in and expressionless look.


    ***


    Not long after, they arrived in front of the room of Sancho Sanchez.


    Sebastian came forward and lightly knocked.


    "Sir¡­"


    "Come in."


    Before he could finish, a strong voice resounded on the other side of the room.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Elias curled his lips slightly and pushed open the door, revealing the person inside the room.


    Creak¡­


    In front of him, a middle-aged man with short white hair and an intimidating presence sat with a bright smile. He was the head of the Sanchez family¡ªSancho Sanchez.


    "Godson Elias! I''m happy to see you finally arrived, I''ve been waiting for you!"


    "I feel the same way, Uncle Sanchez. It''s been a while since we met."


    Elias approached the man with a smile and gave him a hug, both of them hugging and patting each other''s back. After greeting each other, he stood back and looked at his uncle.


    "Uncle Sanchez, I''ve heard you were calling for me?"


    "Haha, impatient, are we? That''s right. I''m curious about your ns for now. What are you going to do? I might be able to help you."


    Sanchez asked directly with a smile.


    "I''m nning to attend the Arcane Academy, Uncle Sanchez. I have something I need there. I also want to improve myself. After all, times are changing, aren''t they? It would be horrible if I were to be left in the dust by the new trends."


    Elias softly smiled.


    "That''s indeed true, the dungeon appearances are far more severe now than in thest fifty years. The forbidden areas are slowly breaking out too¡­ It''s a wise choice to be a student at that academy. Is there more you''re not telling me?"


    Sanchez looked at him meaningfully. Elias tilted his head, as though unaware and confused before remembering something with an ''oh''.


    "Oh, there''s that matter about my subordinates. I want them to get outside and take a break for a moment. I''d like you to help them a little, Uncle Sanchez."


    "That''s not a problem."


    Sanchez nodded in approval.


    Elias smiled meaningfully as well. After talking about his ns, both of them changed the topic and exchanged some small talk about the past and his sister.


    They also talked about some certain matters of the Casteno family, before Elias brushed it off and changed the topic.


    After a while, Elias finally stood up and bid farewell.


    "I''ll go now, Uncle Sanchez. It''s been fun talking to you."


    "Go, go, sure."


    Sanchez nodded and waved his hand in dismissal.


    As soon as he stood up, Elias turned his back and left the room without slowing down, leaving Sanchez and Sebastian alone in the ce.


    "..."


    Sanchez sat on the chair, looking at the door where Elias left moments prior.


    "He''s an interesting one. Sebastian, what do you think of the kid? Do you think he can avenge his family in the future?"


    Behind him, Sebastian looked at the door for a moment before answering with a bitter smile.


    "He''s impressive for his age, sir. But that would be difficult to say. I''d say it''s very unlikely for him to seed at all, he''s only a kid."


    "It seems even you''ve fallen for his trap."


    Sanchez chuckled and shook his head, much to Sebastian''s confusion.


    "What?"


    Sancho suddenly smiled and looked at the chair where Elias was seated earlier.


    "A kid, sixteen years old, the whole family got killed, and sentenced to prison in a month, and now he finally escapes the prison with all supposed resentment and anger with him,"


    Sancho leaned his back slightly while his sharp eyes narrowed.


    "Now what does he do? He tells his subordinates to stay low and rx, but in truth, he''s also instructing them to gather the remnant forces of the family. He thinks about his future and enrolled in the number one academy, but he knows that it''s the safest ce for him in the world, bar to none. e avoids the topic of his family as if he has no intention at all."


    Hearing that, Sebastian suddenly widened his eyes. He didn''t think about it that way at all.


    "See? Isn''t it strange? It''s like¡­ there''s no anger. No rage. Nothing at all. All of his moves and ns are subtle and considering the bigger picture. He''s calmly thinking, nning, and waiting. Silently, he''s bidding for time."


    Sanchez continued with a smile.


    "That''s what''s terrifying about him, Sebastian. He''s far too calm, too cool-headed. While others would immediately go into a rage, he stays calm, bidding for time¡­ and then at the right moment, sometime in the future, he strikes."


    Sebastian was speechless.


    "Don''t you overestimate him too much, sir?"


    Sanchez shook his head and looked at the ceiling.


    "That''s what you think. And that''s most likely what the other families think as well. That will be their downfall. To underestimate someone is one of the most fatal mistakes a man could make."


    At this point, Sanchez smiled widely.


    "I''m excited for the future."

 Chapter 43: Elias Corleone

    <h4>Chapter 43: Elias Corleone</h4>


    Pitter... patter...


    The nightly moon was covered with grey, dark clouds. Droplets of rain poured heavily on the ground, sttering and spreading throughout the city of Trier.


    The heavy storm raged seemingly without end. In one of Trier''s many spots, a famous medium-sized casino was located.


    The entrance of the casino slowly opened, letting a gust of wind escape the ce.


    "Fucking hell! I''ve lost again¡­! I have to borrow more money from that bastard again!"


    At the entrance door, a brown-haired man grumbled loudly while stepping on the ground and causing the puddle of rain to stter.


    While he was in a vexed mood, beside the casino entrance, he saw a white-haired young man wearing a single-breasted suit beneath a long ck coat standing with an umbre in his hand, and the other holding a phone.


    "Hm?"


    The brown-haired man''s eyes narrowed. He nced at the young man and suddenly shifted ufortably.


    The young man lowered his phone a little and stared at him, making him feel inexplicably pressured and slightly intimidated.


    ''Who is this brat¡­ wait, no¡­''


    Without bothering to utter a reply, the brown-haired man suddenly felt his gut twist¡ªhe knew something was going to happen¡ªand he wanted none of it, so he immediately left.


    After he hurriedly left, the young man was left puzzled.


    "Hm? Why did he run away?"


    The white-haired young man muttered while looking at the retreating brown-haired man.


    [Did you say something, Elias?]


    "No, it was nothing. I''m already here, I''m going to drop the call now, Uncle Sanchez."


    Elias shook his head before answering lightly. The voice on the other side of the phone replied with an uncertain tone.


    [Are you really sure about this? I mean, I know you want to do this, but, this is slightly dangerous¡­]


    "I epted the mission because of two things, uncle. I want to repay you for your help so far and I want your support for my new family and hide it for the time being."


    [... Certainly, this seems to be the best opportunity. Consul Moretti is no threat, I just didn''t care about him enough. If you wish to take on this mission, go ahead, I won''t bother you anymore, just don''t bete. Hajin is waiting for you at Trier airport for the academy flight.]


    "No problem. I''ll settle this quickly."


    Elias nodded and swiped the screen, ending the call. He put the phone in his pocket and looked at the watch on his wrists.


    [10:30 PM]


    There was still some time left, enough to settle this. The flight would start at 11 PM and the airport was fairly close by. He lowered his hand and closed the umbre.


    Elias gave a deep look at the casino before entering inside.


    As soon as he entered, the aroma of cocktails spread into his nostrils while he saw countless men wearing fervent smiles with their hands grasping on chips and pennies, forming a strange carnal scene of sin.


    "A royal flush!"


    "I''ll go all in! Number 4 and 13!"


    "Please, please, please win.. fuck¡­ please win, I''ll go broke and homeless if I can''t¡­"


    Elias entered the casino slowly and looked for the nearest bouncer. From a short distance, arge man stood tall with a ck and white uniform.


    He lightly gestured his finger to call for the bouncer. Not long after, the bouncer approached him with a slightly confused look.


    "...Is there a problem?"


    "Tell Consul Moretti that Sanchez''s representative has something important to discuss with him."


    Elias calmly ordered the bouncer.


    Hearing the name Sanchez, the bouncer suddenly felt his face go pale and immediately contacted the boss through the phone at the casino.


    After a few seconds, the bouncer dropped the phone and called out for Elias toe with him to the upper floor.


    "Consul Moretti calls for you upstairs."


    "Lead the way."


    Elias nodded and expressionlessly followed the bouncer upstairs.


    ***


    In the room, the interior was heavily simr to the traditional Japanese homes. While armed men were on the side of the room, two people of contrasting appearances sat on the tatami floor silently.


    "... Who are you supposed to be?"


    Sitting on the floor, Consul Moretti looked at the white-haired young man sitting in front of him with a bewildered and contemptuous expression.


    Elias calmly took the tea on the table and sipped on it.


    "Elias Corleone. I''m the representative of Sanchez this time. Consul Moretti, I have little time to spare, so let''s cut directly to business."


    "Kid. What business are you talking about? Does the boss have a problem with something? The operations are running smoothly. Nothing is wrong."


    Consul Moretti''s frown intensified. He lightly nced at Elias while he sneered inside his heart in slight contempt.


    Elias raised his head to stare directly at Consul Moretti.


    "I''ll make it simple for both of us and cut to the chase. The Boss has relinquished your position to me because of treason. For the sake of the Boss, I can let you off as long as you don''t make any rash actions."


    Consul Moretti''s expression suddenly turned ugly. He calmed himself down and took a deep breath.


    "Are you joking? I want to speak with Boss Sanchez. On what grounds does he relinquish me? I have all the respect for him, I have done nothing wro.."


    Before he could finish his words, Elias suddenly reached out in his coat, took a couple of pictures, and threw it on the table.


    It was pictures of Consul Moretti talking to a particr person and exchanging the new popr drugs.


    Elias tapped the table lightly.


    "The evidence is there. The Don has always been selective in his business, and you know that drugs were something he would never approve of. But you still did enter that business, you betrayed his trust."


    "What the hell¡­!"


    Seeing the pictures, Consul Moretti''s face turned pale as a ghost. He immediately stood up while his face twisted malevolently.


    "How the hell did you get this?! Did the Kuzuki Family betray me?! They fucking swore that nothing would be caught on camera!"


    "Out of all the Five Underworld Families, why would you engage with the Kuzuki? They''re known for being lower than scum."


    Elias shook his head calmly.


    Hearing his words, Consul Moretti felt the anger in him significantly increase as he gritted his teeth while rage shed in his eyes.


    "Fuck! So what if you have evidence? I don''t care! I''m not going to give this damn position to you. The Don should understand! It''s about business! I''m not going to give this position to you, men!"


    As soon as he ordered, the people standing in the room immediately took out their guns and pointed at Elias'' head.


    "You''re just one man! Even if you''re a D-Ranker, so what? I''m also a D-Ranker and the guns here all have mana bullets!"


    "Not to mention downstairs! I still have hundreds of fucking men! A lot of them are D-Rankers at our level. It''s your goddamn mistake toe here alone."


    However, in contrast to his expectations, Elias disyed no fear at all.


    "A wise man submits to his circumstances, Consul Moretti. I hope you won''t regret this decision of yours."


    Elias sighed calmly while staring at Consul Moretti deeply. He turned to look at his watch, seeing the time slowly move forward.


    Seeing his calm expression, Consul Moretti slowly felt like something was wrong. His guts twisted, telling him to run, but from what?


    Elias continued to sit down calmly. After half a minute, he raised his head and stared at Consul Moretti silently with a smile.


    ''What is this guy...'' Consul Moretti thought with a grim expression.


    Boom!


    At that moment, while they were thinking, a loud tremor erupted in the whole building as countless gunshots suddenly echoed throughout the whole building.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Consul Moretti and the others'' eyes turned wide in shock. However, this moment of distraction was immensely fatal.


    Elias moved and immediately knocked out the five men in the blink of an eye, causing them to fall unconscious on the ground.


    Thud!


    As they fell, Elias cracked his fingers and turned to look at Consul Moretti, who was still in a daze and shock of not understanding what was happening.


    At this moment, the door opened and a middle-aged man came in with bloodied clothes.


    Elias slightly turned his head and immediately recognized the person.


    "Donato, you''re here. Give me your gun for the moment."


    "Here you go, young master. The operation was sessful. We killed all of his men downstairs and let the people leave."


    Donato sized up the room beforeing forward and bringing a shiny revolver into Elias''s hand.


    Elias held the revolver and nodded. He looked at Consul Moretti who was in the corner with a disbelieving face.


    Consul Moretti had snapped out of his daze and his eyes widened with a fearful expression. He tried to move but¡­


    "Consul Moretti, I gave you a chance. No hard feelings, alright? It''s strictly business."


    Elias said politely as he held the revolver. Under Consul Moretti''s fearful gaze, he pressed the trigger mercilessly.


    Bang!


    At that moment, Consul Moretti''s head was pierced by a bullet, and blood sttered on the tatami floor and walls.


    Elias returned the gun to Donato and looked at the corpse of Consul Moretti calmly without any emotion.


    "Tonight, the Corleone Family shall make its debut."

 Chapter 44: Hajin Sanchez

    <h4>Chapter 44: Hajin Sanchez</h4>


    Outside the Trier Airlines, while countless reporters were standing in anticipation, a standard white car suddenly stopped in front of the entrance.


    The car''s door slowly opened, revealing a handsome white-haired man wearing formal attire while staring at his surroundings coldly.


    "I''ve been waiting for you, cousin Elias."


    At that moment, a striking dark blue-haired young man came forward. He was rather handsome and had a casual and rxed demeanor.


    While wearing a simple yet shy attire, the blue-haired man lowered his head slightly, revealing his strong eyes under his sunsses.


    "Hajin?"


    Elias raised his brows in curiosity. He slowly stood up from the car and closed the door of the car under everyone''s gaze.


    "Bullseye, dear cousin. My father must''ve introduced me to you already, but for what it''s worth¡­ I''m Hajin Sanchez, part-timedy lover, full-time life enjoyer."


    Hajin smiled widely while he reached out his hand.


    "So I''ve heard. It''s nice to meet you, let''s get along, Mr. Hajin."


    Elias nodded while looking at Hajin silently. He also shook Hajin''s hand to appraise him.


    Hajin Sanchez, the son of Sancho Sanchez and the projected future head of the great noble Sanchez family. However, as one of the six noble inheritors, he was widely known for his foolish antics and casual way of living.


    Inparison to the other noble inheritors, he was the strangest and mostid-back. His current strength was unknown, but considering his unprofessional behavior, it was surely inferior to the other inheritors.


    ¡ªThat was the evaluation of the people in the media, or the whole world for that matter.


    ''This person needs to be evaluated more highly.''


    However, Elias thought differently as the author of the novel. Although Hajin seemed unreliable due to his personality, he was hiding terrifying talent and ability that was not inferior to the main characters.


    Under the guise of a carefreeid-back personality, whether unintentional or intentional, he fooled the whole world into underestimating him.


    Hajin Sanchez, one of the most talented and terrifying weapon users in humanity.


    [Name: Hajin Sanchez]


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Devilborn de Mastery]


    [Rank: D+]


    [Level: 37]


    [STR: D+]


    [AGI: D+]


    [STA: D+]


    [CONS: D+]


    [INT: D-]


    [WIS: D-]


    [MAG: D]


    [GROWTH: A+]


    [SKILLS: [Lethal One Kill], [Sanchez de], [Demonic Strike], [me de]...]


    While appraising him, Elias was not surprised by what he saw. It was remarkable strength and talent, slightly inferior only to the main characters.


    ''My stats are stronger though...''


    Hajin suddenly chuckled and patted Elias'' shoulder.


    "What are you getting so stiff for? Drop the honorifics, just call me Hajin. If you wish, you can call me boss instead!"


    "Don''t touch me so lightly. Let''s go."


    Elias ignored him and suddenly left the ce, walking towards the entrance of the airline. Hajinughed before following him inside the airline.


    After they left, the reporters were surprised and started to discuss among themselves.


    "Hey, did you manage to record that?"


    "Does anyone know the kid? To be associated with Hajin Sanchez¡­ that kid definitely isn''t simple!"


    "The Arcane Academy examination this time is definitely full of hidden talents! There''s the Saintess who entered much earlier, the other inheritors in other cities, and some unknown faces too¡­ in any case, this is good for humanity!"


    At the entrance, inside the standard white car, Junior and the rest of the five musketeers smoked a cigarette and looked at the airlines for a while before promptly driving off.


    "Let''s go. We still have a business to settle."


    ***


    Inside the airline, Elias walked across the ce and saw countless young men and women standing with rxed expressions.


    Simr to him, they were Rankers at the D-Rank minimum.


    "Hey, cousin Elias, you took your time. Did you do something beforeing here?"


    Behind him, Hajin asked with a bored yawn.


    "I settled some business."


    Elias answered casually. While he was walking, he suddenly stopped and raised his head to look above him.


    Bzzt!


    "Business, meh¡­ I don''t like it one bit. I only like two things in life, beautiful women and fighting. I prefer the former though, since you can fight them even in¡­"


    While Hajin was talking, he was suddenly cut off by the loud sound of the extrarge monitor above their heads.


    [BREAKING NEWS: Chips and Stack Casino destroyed and raided by unknown people earlier tonight!]


    [Consul Moretti, the well-known businessman of Trier, was discovered shot in the head and dead with a fearful expression!]


    [The estimated casualties of this unknown raid cost the lives of 200 or more staff, with at least fifty Rankers! However, strangely, no customers were harmed in the process¡­]


    [...What is happening in Trier?! What could make the well-known businessman Consul Moretti feel fear?! If you wish to find out, stay tuned to Daily Trier News¡­!]


    Everyone on the airline was caught by surprise and looked at the wide monitor.


    "Wow¡­ just before the Academy takes us out of this ce, a major event happens in Trier City of all times¡­"


    "I''m more surprised fifty Rankers died in the raid! That''s a rarely seen number even in the past few years¡­!"


    "Something dark is brewing under Trier¡­ It''s a good thing we''re leaving this city at midnight, even Rankers are not safe."


    Upon seeing the news, the people inside the airlines had different reactions and expressed their surprise and relief.


    "What a horrible event."


    After taking a nce, Elias smiled before walking away.


    "Chips and Stack Casino? Hm, I''ve heard of that before¡­ I think that was my father''s. I wonder how would that old miser feel about this. I surely hope he feels utter shit... oh no, wait for me, Elias!"


    Hajin muttered to himself with a wicked grin before he realized that he was already left alone. He saw Elias walking from a distance and immediately ran after him.


    "Hey, why did you run off before me!"


    "You were just slow."


    "As if, sigh, for the sake of my father I won''t be angry at you anymore¡­"


    "Yeah, sure. Goodluck with that."


    "I''m going to ignore that. Anyways, let''s go there and get some ice cream, I''m starving for some ice cream today for some reason¡­"


    Elias and Hajin strolled across the airlines, exploring therge ce for quite some time while other Rankers looked at them, mainly due to Hajin.


    After they walked away, a white-haired girl possessing ephemeral beauty and divine blue eyes suddenly appeared on their spot and sighed.


    "I felt the presence of a very¡­ sinful man. It''s a pity I waste. But¡­ we''ll surely meet again."


    After saying that, the white-haired girl promptly walked away before anyone discovered her.


    ***


    After a long while of waiting, the academy staff finally gathered all the students and let them enter the academy''s ne.


    In total, there were about three thousand or more young Rankers that were chosen to participate in the uing academy entrance examination in the City of Trier.


    The academy used six nes in total. As soon as every participant in the entrance examination was inside the nes, the academy nes finally took off.


    Inside one of the nes, Elias sat with Hajin beside him and looked through the mirror beside his seat with a forlorn gaze.


    ''The main story finally starts... Chapter 1: Rain Violetstar.''

 Chapter 45 Rain Violetstar

    <h4>Chapter 45 Rain Violetstar</h4>


    On a massive ind, within a vast forest filled with tall trees andrge colorful mountains, a figure walked out of the narrow trees.


    It was a young man with soft, purplish hair and a gentle, effeminate face. An air of kindness and generosity seems to spread around him, as though he was profoundly harmless.


    He was Rain Violetstar.


    "So this is Arcane Academy, huh¡­"


    Rain strolled through the vast forest. Right now, he was finding his way through this massive ind full of dangers.


    This massive ind was Arcane Academy itself.


    Arcane Academy was not located in either of the two main continents, the Remnant Continent and the Astral Continent.


    But rather it was situated outside the two continents, in arge unmarked ind far from human society and the six cities.


    This has to do with the extraordinary origin of Arcane Academy. The academy was not built by a single force but rather by a cumtive effort of all forces in the worldbined.


    As the chaos caused by dungeons and monsters ensued, all forces in the world made a temporary truce and cooperated with each other to create an institution that fosters future heroes of humanity.


    Of course, to prevent the academy from being controlled by a single force, it wasn''t situated on either of the two continents but was built on this unmarked massive ind instead.


    That was the origin of Arcane Academy.


    Thinking about something, Rain paused for a moment and looked at the sky.


    "I have at least seven days to find the academy. I have no clue where it is¡­ but ording to simple logic, the academy should be in the center of this ind?"


    Before they were whisked away to this ind, the academy staff gave them the details of the examination and a wristwatch to record their location.


    The Arcane Academy entrance examination was rather simple; find the academy in seven days, failure to do so means disqualification.


    However, it was not as easy as it sounded.


    The Arcane Academy uses its massive territory to its advantage, creating an artificialrge-scale dungeon on this ind.


    On this massive unmarked ind, there were countless strong mutated beasts, poisonous traps, and dangers that could kill a person.


    If one was not careful, they could die.


    For an academy, it sounded quite cruel and uncaring to its students. However, that was not the case. The academy was very blunt about the examination''s risk of death, those who died could only me themselves.


    To some extent, even Rain agreed with it.


    It was training Heroes of Humanity, Rankers of Tomorrow¡ªnot hot-blooded children who don''t know their own limits.


    Although Rankers were very idealized by the masses, it was a profession that resulted in a lot of tragedies and death.


    "I should go to the center of this ind then, perhaps along the way I could also meet with other people and team up with them."


    While walking around, Rain pondered with a small smile. Besides him, the other examinees in the ne were also thrown on various corners of the ind.


    Uponnding, he immediately set off and explored the ind.


    Along the way, he had a rather smooth journey and saw interesting sights, but so far, he hasn''t encountered anyone at all.


    it was best if he met someone so he had a teammate to rely on.


    While he was thinking of that, he suddenly felt a strong sensation of danger fill him.


    Growl~!


    Rain abruptly stopped his steps. He raised his head and saw arge mutated beast eyeing him from a distance.


    It was arge lion with nine eyes on its face, with each of its eyes shing with different and distinct colors.


    "This is¡­ a beast king? A nine-eyed lion king!"


    Rain squinted his eyes in surprise, his expression turning very heavy.


    Mutated beasts have different categorizations,mon mutant, umon mutant, and beast king.


    There were still more, but a beast king was known as a strong mutated beast with high-D Rank strength.


    Seeing that it noticed him and was itching to devour him, Rain''s lips curled into a helpless smile.


    It was not a problem for him at all to kill it but to kill it, he was going to have to use some of his strength and skills¡­. which he preferred not to.


    ''Should I fight or retreat¡­?''


    Rain thought quietly in indecisiveness. Before taking any action, he looked at his surroundings silently, trying to ascertain if there was anyone around.


    After seeing that no one was watching him, Rain took a deep breath and reached out to the sword on his waist.


    ''...I''ll kill it. If I don''t, it might attract attention to other beasts, which will make me use my strength even more.''


    Subconsciously, his hands trembled as soon as he held the sword. It was unknown if he knew that or not.


    "..."


    "GROWL¡­!!"


    Upon seeing the human assume a stance, the lion king roared in extreme delight. It immediately pounced on the human, making its blue pupil glow.


    Woosh!


    Rain''s pupils shrank rapidly. He immediately leaped away and drew his sword in a graceful arc, deflecting the icicleing his way.


    What differentiated mutated beasts from normal beasts?


    It was their use of mana!


    While humans managed to obtain mana, beasts also obtained them and mutated, gaining immense strength and strange magical abilities.


    The world was impartial to its inhabitants after all, whether man, beasts, or nts, they were all affected by the change of the world.


    Nine-eyed lion kings had immense physical strength, but they were more famous for their signature colorful nine eyes.


    ording to some information he had read, Nine-eyed lion kings contained a magical spell in each of their nine eyes.


    After deflecting the attack, Rain''s eyes turned extraordinarily cold. It was as though time paused, and before the lion could react, a sword suddenly appeared in front of it.


    [Absolute Sword Strike]¡ª!


    Without it understanding anything, the lion king could only see blood suddenly spurting from its neck and sttering on its nine eyes.


    After a few seconds, itsrge body fell to the ground.


    Thud!


    It was dead.


    "...."


    Just like that.


    There was no climax, struggle, or anything. It was not even a fight. It was an execution of life. It was just one strike to kill a beast king.


    "Huff¡­"


    Rain took a deep breath, his eyes returning back to normal. Behind him, the nine-eyed lion king died with an iprehensible expression.


    Very slowly, he returned his sword to his waist. He looked down and saw his hands shaking strongly, faintly he saw an illusion of blood on them.


    ''Monster¡­ why? how could¡­''


    ''..Why? Why?''


    ''Plea¡­no¡­snap..out¡­''


    Rain shivered, but no sound escaped from his lips, only a trail of fresh blood caused by biting it too strongly.


    Rustle¡ª!


    At that moment, rustling echoed on the trees and bushes near him.


    Rain''s pupils shrank as he held his sword again instinctively. His entire face was twisted while sweat poured down his back.


    "Who''s there?!"


    Momentster, a golden-haired man with a callous and cold expression walked out of the bushes and trees.


    "Your voice is too loud, cur. My name is Lance Schultz, stick it into your mind."

 Chapter 46 Origin

    <h4>Chapter 46 Origin</h4>


    On top of a mountain, Elias gazed distantly.


    ''By now¡­ Rain should''ve met with Lance Schultz, right?''


    Rain Violetstar and Lance Schultz, names that were deeply engraved in his mind. They were two of the main characters of the novel¡ª[Heroes of the New Age].


    Back when he was writing the novel, the two of them stuck out like a sore thumb, being two of the most discussed characters in the story.


    If he had to describe them, they were akin to opposite sides of a coin, inherently the same in essence but distinctly different at the same time.


    Although both of them possessed great talent, Rain was kind and harmless while Lance was the opposite.


    However, those insignificant characteristics


    weren''t what made them popr in themunity, it was just icing on the cake.


    ''To think I will revisit my past in this way¡­''


    Elias thought bitterly with a long sigh.


    In truth, there was a reason why he truly never liked [Heroes of The New Age] despite being arge sess.


    The novel was a reminder of his past. Back when he wrote it, the novel became the sole tool for him to vent out his pent-up emotions and trauma during the worst times of his life.


    All of his fears, sadness, insecurity, and anger were poured into writing the novel.


    Naturally, the characters were also influenced by his emotions at that time, hence he modeled most of his characters to himself, more urately to his own ws and fears.


    Rain Violetstar was made from Elias'' fear of himself.


    When Rain was a child, the vige he was living in encountered a monster horde. Faced with countless mutated monsters, the vigers were helpless and could only await death.


    However, at that time, Rain awakened his mana. But there was something wrong with his awakening¡ªhe lost control and went berserk.


    By the time he snapped out of it, he found that only he was left alive, the monsters are in, and the other vigers were dead, but most importantly¡­


    Rain held the corpses of his parents, bleeding under his arms, while both looked at him in horror and disgust.


    A momentter, it struck him¡ªhe killed everyone.


    "That was what started the fear in his heart. When he uses his own power, he bes reminded of his sins."


    Elias smiled wistfully. Well, it was not like he was different.


    Do not forget¡ªRain Violetstar was modeled after himself after all, simrly, both of their past was not that different.


    Remove the monster horde, remove the vige and vigers, and leave the main character and his parents while the ending remains the same.


    What''s left was his origin¡ªElias Roan.


    ''A monster who killed his own parents.''


    ***


    Coming down from the mountain slope, Elias found arge pond nearby, overflowing with clean, sparkling water.


    Besides the pond, an eye-catching blue-haired man was leaning on the boulder, soothed by cool gusts of wind.


    Undisturbed, Hajin rxed while he spoke.


    "Did you find something, Elias?"


    "What do you think?"


    "I am asking y¡­"


    "The academy is in the center of this ind. We''re quite a bit far¡­ but I found a good route to get there."


    Elias cut him off while taking a seat on the nearby rock. After taking a seat, he gazed at his reflection in the sparkling, calm pond of water.


    Faintly, he saw the image of Elias Roan before turning into his current appearance, a white haired man.


    Hearing his words, Hajin yawnedzily.


    "Should we go then?"


    "No rush. We still have seven days. If you''re not confident in yourself, you can go now."


    "Tsk. Who''s not confident? I''ll have you know, even if I had a day left, I could finish this exam easily!"


    "Oh really?"


    "Absolutely! Hmph, you may not have known, but beforeing here, I spent a hefty sum of money for information."


    Elias furrowed his brows, confused.


    "For what?"


    Hearing his words, Hajin opened his eyes and wore a smug expression.


    "Since you''re my cousin, there''s no harm in telling you. I bought some information about the examination this year, the hidden routes and shortcuts on this ind. So don''t hesitate to rely on¡­."


    However, he suddenly stopped his words when he saw Elias'' looking at him like he was extremely retarded.


    ''Huh¡­ did I say something wrong¡­?''


    Slowly, a strange, worrying premonition erupted within him. Hajin felt inklings of sweat pour down on his back.


    "..."


    Elias was silent for a moment.


    "How much did you pay for that?"


    "...Does it matter?"


    "You got scammed."


    Hajin froze while his eyes darkened.


    Ignoring his internal demise, Elias continued:


    "Do you think the academy is stupid? They have had this entrance examination for years now, and obviously, they have made adjustments to prevent people from cheating. Every year, the academy remodels the ind and changes the hidden spots and routes."


    "Then I just bought¡­"


    "You''re an idiot. That''s the only way to describe you."


    Elias sighed tiredly.


    Hajin was silent for a moment, his eyelids and lips trembling slightly. It was such a hefty amount too¡­ I got scammed¡­


    ''I''ll kill that bastard!''


    Hajin''s face darkened.


    Unfortunately, he was now away from the two continents. Perhaps that was part of the scammer''s n too, they would scam him and get away scot-free.


    It certainly worked, much to Hajin''s irritation.


    While both of them were silent, the pond suddenly rippled, disturbed by something.


    At that moment, a huge ashen white wolf suddenly walked out of the trees, and on its head was a strange sharp horn.


    The pointed horn was sparking with lightning, seemingly containing bolts and thunder, making its figure more intimidating.


    The white-horned wolf looked at them angrily and grunted with a howl. Through its fury, the horn on its stop crackled of yellow thunder.


    "Woooo¡­!"


    At that moment, several white-horned wolves suddenly appeared and surrounded both of them, gazing at them angrily.


    However, Elias was calm and unaffected. It was as though there was nothing remotely worrying about them.


    But in contrast, Hajin was pissed. Utterly furious.


    "Why are these sons of bitches so noisy?!"


    Elias reminded calmly.


    "I told you earlier, this was a marked territory. We''re invading their territory."


    "So what?! They can''t appreciate guests?"


    Hajin snickered, feeling furious. He stood up and took a small stick from his pocket. He pressed it and the stick immediately elongated, turning into a staff.


    "Leave this to me. I''m gonna vent a little, Elias."


    While saying that, Hajin smiled and clenched the ck staff tightly. He took a deep breath, gazing at the white-horned wolves.


    Feeling anger course through him, Hajin couldn''t help but silently grit his teeth with a widened smile.


    At that moment, one of the white-horned wolves took the opportunity and pounced on him at extraordinary speed.


    [Lethal One Strike]¡ª!


    Hajin immediately swung his staff, blowing the white-horned wolf away like a ragdoll. The wolf flew away, like a homerun disappearing from their sight.


    Woosh!


    The white-horned wolves widened their eyes and took a step back.


    "Lightning horned wolves¡­ tsk. I killed hundreds of you already, too weak to even waste time..!!"


    Hajin snickered and shook his head.


    "Come at me together!"

 Chapter 47 Sanchez Blade: Thousand Strikes

    <h4>Chapter 47 Sanchez de: Thousand Strikes</h4>


    As soon as his words fell, the white-horned wolves suddenly turned ferocious as though provoked by his taunts.


    Therge white-horned wolf gritted its teeth and howled, making its sharp horn buzz from sparkling lightning.


    Bolt! Bam!


    However, contrary to Hajin''s expectations, it didn''t target him but shot through the other white-horned wolves.


    After being injected by therge white-horned wolf''s lightning, the white-horned wolves seemed to be reborn by thunder.


    Seeing this strange scene, Elias raised his brows and spoke lightly.


    "Oh, it seems that therge white-horned wolf is a beast king. A lightning-horned wolf king. It''s different from the lightning-horned wolves you faced in the past, don''t underestimate it. It gained buffing and debugging abilities of lightning."


    "That''s just perfect then. I won''t be able to remove this anger by beating up weaklings."


    Hajin snorted with a smile. He retracted his staff and cracked his hands for a moment, looking at the newly buffed wolves, he gestured a thumbs down.


    Woosh!


    At that moment, the lightning-horned wolves were angered. Somehow, across thenguage barrier, they understood.


    Several lightning-horned wolves pounced on Hajin, much to thetter''s amusement and enjoyment.


    Hajin raised his staff and skillfully maneuvered it, hitting, and blowing back the approaching lightning-horned wolves.


    Pow! Pow! Pow!


    However his attacks didn''t end there, before the wolves could stand up, Hajin moved his staff in a graceful arc and paused.


    [Sanchez de: Thousand Strikes]¡ª!


    At that moment, as though time resumed, Hajin swung the staff lightly¡ªcreating shadows and silhouettes that barraged the lightning wolves.


    The lightning-horned wolves couldn''t resist!


    They tried to retreat, but the shadows were like the real thing, material. But when they tried to attack it, their ws went through the shadows, as though immaterial.


    However, once lightning sparked on their horns, the lightning wolves realized that the shadows barraging them reduced.


    Using this discovery, the lightning-horned wolves lowered their heads, making their horns st an orb of lightning!


    However, as though expecting it, Hajin smiled instead.


    At that moment, Hajin suddenly retracted the staff and stopped in the middle, closing his eyes as he patiently waited.


    As the lightning orbs got nearer and nearer¡­


    [Sanchez de: Twisting Reality]¡ª!


    At that moment, Hajin opened his eyes and swung his staff in a circr motion.


    Woosh! Woosh!


    The staff, as though arge gust of wind, hit each iing lightning orb and propelled them back to their origin!


    The lightning-horned wolves didn''t expect it and fell prey to their own attacks, unable to react as the lightning orb shot through them and exploded!


    Boom!


    The nearby trees crashed, smoke erupting from the explosions, meanwhile, Elias was undisturbed looking at the rippling pond.


    After a while, the smoke finally dispersed¡ªrevealing the corpses of the lightning-horned wolves who attacked him earlier.


    "Still too weak."


    Hajin snickered and retracted the staff. He turned around and looked at the other lightning-horned wolves with narrowed eyes.


    The rest of the lightning-horned wolves, along with the lightning-horned wolf king, took a step back and grunted warily.


    They were forced to recognize the threat.


    "Where are you guys going?"


    At this moment, Hajin smiled terrifyingly.


    "The battle is not over yet until I say so."


    ***


    Thud!


    After a while, the lightning-horned wolf king was sted into the air, falling to the ground with arge thud.


    "Impressive."


    Seeing that, Eliasmented from the sidelines.


    "Heh, of course. I''m Hajin Sanchez."


    Hajin smugly responded. He pressed the ck staff and turned it into a small stick. Afterward, he put it in his pocket.


    Ignoring his boisterous response, Elias looked at the Hajin before turning to his surroundings.


    Hajin was mostly unscathed, as though he was never truly in danger. However, on the other hand, the environment they were staying in was mostly destroyed.


    The wooden trees, strong and sturdy they may be, broke apart quite easily, faced with the terrifying lightning orbs earlier.


    On the other hand, the ground was covered in dirt, ckish earth fragments spread all over the ce due to explosions and the aftermath of the battle.


    It could be said this ce was in ruin, and most likely, all over the ind, simr scenes of ruin were urring.


    Elias stood up and patted his clothes, shoving away the dirt.


    "Let''s go. You ruined our base, now other monsters are going to be attracted here due to the noise."


    "Are you scared? Don''t worry, I can handle them myself!"


    "Alright then, you can stay."


    "If you say so, I''ll¡­ hey, hey! W-wait! I was just joking, wait for me..!"


    Hajin shouted loudly. However, Elias ignored him and continued walking away from the ce unhurriedly.


    Hajin grumbled before running up to Elias. After he caught up, he let out a snicker as he followed behind Elias.


    "Where are we going anyway?"


    "You should know where we are going. Although the information you bought was a scam, it shouldn''t be fully fake and useless¡­ unless you''re a true idiot?"


    Hajin immediately shook his head.


    "No, I bought this from a reputable source. If I have a guess, then we''re going deeper into the ind, the inner circle?"


    Hearing his words, Elias affirmed with a small nod.


    "That''s right. We''re headed to the inner circle."


    "I see¡­ I guess it doesn''t hurt to go there now. What about the route?"


    Hajin nodded before asking curiously.


    ording to the information he bought, the academy ind has three sections; the outer circle, the inner circle, and finally the core circle, where the academy was located.


    Currently, all of the participants were in the outer circle and navigating the ind. To find the academy entrance, one must traverse the inner circle and reach the core circle.


    However, it wasn''t so simple to reach the inner circle of the academy ind. To safely reach it in the shortest time possible, a good route was needed.


    This was where a great Hunter''s usefulness could be identified¡ªthrough the navigation of unknownnds and ces.


    "Didn''t I tell you earlier? I found a good route for us."


    Elias reminded him. This route was actually found by him through navigation and not knowledge obtained from the novel.


    Using the skills taught by Donato, he managed to skilfully navigate through this ind and smoothly find a route to the inner circle.


    Although he knew of another route, most of the routes he knew were going to be used by the protagonists.


    As much as possible, he didn''t want to interfere with their adventures. Of course, if needed to do so, then the storyline be damned.

 Chapter 48 Foils

    <h4>Chapter 48 Foils</h4>


    In one of the areas in the outer circle, a young man with golden hair and noble light followed by another person navigated their way through the ind.


    Lance Schultz, wearing a cold and irritated expression, walked through the forest before suddenly stopping his steps.


    After he stopped, the footsteps following behind him also stopped as well, adding to his unreasonable irritation for the day.


    ''This man¡­''


    Lance closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. With one swift motion, he swung his spear in a graceful arc behind him.


    "...Why are you following me?"


    TNG!


    Behind him, Rain blocked the spear using the sheathed sword from his waist rather easily, looking at him with a calm and kind smile.


    "Is this what they call a friendly greeting? I''m Rain Violetstar, by the way."


    However, that profoundly calm and kind smile only fueled more unreasonable irritation to Lance, which he recognized as truly irrational!


    Lance couldn''t exactly decipher why, but there was something about the man that made him instinctively annoyed and irritated.


    Restraining his irritation, Lance took back his spear and walked away again.


    "I recognize that you''re strong, but will you stop following me? I would much prefer to be alone, clown. If there''s something you want to say, say it."


    "Is that why you stopped calling me cur earlier? But now, my nickname ismoner¡­ you sure do like your nicknames."


    Rain pondered out loud.


    "...Last warning. Stay away from my sight."


    Lance took a deep breath before moving along. He felt veins bulge on his forehead as he walked away, however, the trailing footsteps behind him didn''t disappear at all. It was then he decided he would just ignore it.


    However, Rain Violetstar was not in agreement with him at all.


    "Where are you going?"


    Some part of Lance wanted to ignore him, but he thought that would instead make the man''s attitude far more annoying.


    "Finding the academy entrance."


    Lance answered inly. To his utmost gratitude, that stopped Rain from speaking¡ªbut he took that back momentster.


    Then, Rain was struck with a realization.


    "Lance Schultz¡­ are you part of the Great Noble Schultz family?"


    Lance froze for a moment before he continued walking again, as though he heard nothing at all. It was that slight pause that made Rain realize that it was most likely a sensitive topic.


    Rain wasn''t socially inept, well partly inept, but to his credit¡ªhe was perceptive of mood changes and people''s mannerisms in general.


    After a while, Rain got bored again and asked another question.


    "Hm, why do you call people cur? That''s quite rude, isn''t it?"


    "Is that your attempt to provoke a conversation? I would not like a lecture of rudeness to someone that stalks me around like a clueless idiot."


    "A clueless idiot¡­ tsk, you''re too cold and rude. Where did that terme from? With that attitude, you will never have any friends at this academy."


    Rain grumbled loudly, shaking his head. However, his words made Lance suddenly stop and narrow his eyes in disdain.


    "Who said I was intending to make friends in this academy?"


    "You weren''t? Then why attend this school in the first ce?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    Lance strongly replied, walking away more quickly.


    Seeing him walk further away, Rain smiled before following him from a distance.


    Truth be told, Rain was rather amused by the man''s cold and arrogant personality. But if he said that out loud, he was sure that he would be greeted by the man''s striking spear.


    As much as possible, he didn''t want to antagonize a potential friend or ssmate. After all, he swore that he would make new friends and rtionships in this academy.


    After wandering aimlessly throughout his life, Rain had enough of his aimless bleak way of living and decided to enroll at the academy to put something in his colorless life.


    "Hey, Lance! Wait for me!"


    ***


    After a while, Rain and Lance reached their first impasse.


    They discovered a dark, misty cave below a mountain slope.


    It was a massive cave, tall and wide, seemingly containing endless darkness while soft, elusive fog continued to flow out and in throughout its surroundings.


    Lance squinted his eyes, looking through the cave in confusion.


    "What''s this mist¡­ it seems strange¡­"


    "Oh, it''s an ignis fatuus fog. A deceptive fog that can make one whoes in contact experience hallucinations and lose their sense of direction."


    However, Rain immediately recognized it with his deep knowledge. When mana and dungeons arrived in the world, living beings weren''t the only ones affected by the change.


    Simrly, the terrains and environment were also affected by the wondrous aspect of mana, bringing forth magical and strange urrences in nature.


    One such example was the Ignis fatuus fog, a strange fog that emits extreme hallucinogens that can make an ordinary person turn insane with the slightest contact.


    Hearing his words, Lance his eyes twitched.


    "...I didn''t ask, you know."


    "It''s alright, I just identally blurted it out loud."


    Rain smiled and shook his head. However, the next moment, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise while staring at the mist.


    Inside the cave, a faint silhouette suddenly outlined.


    It was a massive shadow, seemingly that of arge dragon with two serpentine wings. It flew around the elusive fog for quite some time before going deeper into the cave.


    Seeing that, Lance''s frown intensified.


    "What was that?"


    "A wyvern."


    Rain smiled bitterly.


    "More urately, a dream wyvern. They''re beast emperors, mutated monsters with low C-rank strength. It''s best if we avoid it, let''s take a detour."


    Above beast kings were beast emperors, mutated beasts that were in another ss on their own. It seemed the rumor was true, the academy contained beast emperors on its ind.


    Rain shook his head. However, he soon realized that there was something wrong. He looked beside him and saw that Lance was gone.


    However, he was sure that this wasn''t an illusion caused by the Ignis fatuus fog, after all, he was immune to mental attacks or psyche interferences.


    Rain turned to look at the fog for a moment, internally deciding whether to go or not. He clenched his jaw before letting out a long sigh.


    Then, he too entered the Ignis Fatuus cave fog.

 Chapter 49 Muddy Forest Swamp (1)

    <h4>Chapter 49 Muddy Forest Swamp (1)</h4>


    Meanwhile, in one of the areas in the outer circle, Elias and Hajin strolled through the forest before reaching an impasse, their first hurdle.


    "Ready your weapon,"


    Elias said out loud, stopping in front of a wide forest swamp. He looked at the scene in front of him and narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Lush trees and moistened soil surrounded the forest swamp, fallen trunks, and humid bushes floating still on top of the muddy water.


    A damp air spread out from the leveled forest sea, and upon a closer look, deep beneath the swamp, silhouettes ofrge beasts swam slowly.


    "Huh, why?"


    Hajin asked, feeling strangely nervous.


    Hearing his shaky voice, Elias turned around to look at Hajin. He saw a puzzling sight of Hajin being unnerved with a pale face, as though afraid of something.


    ''Now, where did this idiot''s former bravado and fighting spirit go¡­?''


    "Fight, obviously," he added.


    "Hehehe¡­ that''s a nice joke¡­"


    Hajin chuckled nervously, taking a step back. However, momentster when he heard no response, he realized that it wasn''t a joke.


    "...You''re not serious, are you?"


    "I''m serious, now get ready. I''ll count on you to kill the strongest one."


    Elias nodded seriously, much to Hajin''s face turning deathly pale. Seeing his abrupt change of expression, Elias was confused and curious at the same time.


    Although he was the author of the novel, he was not omniscient. He was not able to urately predict each of every character''s actions and behavior.


    Even more difficult, it was something out of his expertise, emotions, feelings, and empathy. Admittedly, he was horrible at those three things.


    In fact, throughout his life¡ªhe never bothered to consider anyone''s feelings or emotions when doing something.


    ''What is this man''s problem...?''


    In his mind, Elias always pictured Hajin to be ax person who likes women and battles, but his current behavior was too out of character for the image he always thought of.


    "Ugh¡­ dammit¡­ fine... you owe for me this, alright?"


    Hajin whined, shaking his head. He raised his head and saw Elias'' confused expression. With some shame and embarrassment, he added.


    "I don''t know about you, but fighting in wet ces suck... My clothes are gonna get drenched, don''t you feel the same? I mean, I didn''t bring extra clothes..."


    Even with Elias'' mentalposure, the answer cracked his hardened demeanor for a moment before immediately recovering.


    However, that slight change wasn''t able to escape Hajin''s notice at all.


    "Did you just smile? Haha, I saw you¡­"


    Immediately forgetting his shame, Hajin suddenly asked smugly.


    Elias ignored him and removed the ne on his neck. He closed his eyes and inserted mana into the ne, causing it to turn bright.


    After a few seconds, the bright light vanished and the ne was reced by a long handgun that emitted a cold deathly air.


    The ne was called [Emperor''s Wish] a unique arcana item that could transform into any existing arcana weapon of the user''s choice.


    Of course, the prerequisite of the transformation was that the user must have the visual image and understanding of the arcana weapon he wanted to make it work.


    The better the understanding of the arcana weapon, the more urate and precise the transformation that would take ce.


    For him, who was the author of the novel, it was the perfect arcana item to have!


    As for where he had gotten [Emperor''s Wish]¡ªhe picked it among the list of items in the [Advanced Item Selection] reward from the subquest.


    ''Let''s see how this baby works¡­''


    Elias held the newly transformed handgun with a small smile and pointed it at the forest swamp.


    Right now, he transformed the ne into a renowned arcana weapon¡ª[ughterer]!


    A handgun with extraordinary effects and terrifying origin!


    In the novel, [ughterer] would appear once in the hands of a great ranker in the future during the demon war, killing hordes of demons and archdemons with its might.


    [ughterer] was a versatile arcana weapon.


    It had seven types of bullets, with each of them having different abilities and uses. However, most importantly, its most terrifying aspect was that it had infinite amounts of bullets!


    More urately, the handgun reloads its ammunition using the mana of the user holding it. Hence, as long as one still has mana on their mana reserves, [ughterer] will never run out of bullets.


    "It''s practically a broken arcana weapon I made on a whim,"


    Elias muttered to himself, feeling strange. He was benefiting from hiszy and horrible writing, how should he feel about that?


    Elias shook his head and forgot about it. Before taking action, he looked at Hajin and asked quietly.


    "Are you confident in killing a beast emperor?"


    "Confidence is something I don''tck at all... wait, why are you asking me that?!"


    Hajin subconsciously pumped his chest confidently in a pompous manner before realizing that there was something amiss.


    ''It can''t be..''


    Thinking of something, Hajin looked at the forest swamp and widened his eyes.


    "...Wait, there isn''t a beast emperor here, is there?"


    Elias unhurriedly took a nce at the forest swamp before exining:


    "Each route towards the inner circle has hurdles and difficulties, like this forest swamp right here. Some hurdles are less problematic though, but some are extremely dangerous, containing a beast emperor in them."


    "We have two choices, we take a detour but take two or three more days to reach the inner circle, or we fight through this swamp and reach the inner circle in a day."


    The higher the danger, the better the benefits.


    From his previous words, Hajin immediately realized that the forest swamp in front of them was an extremely dangerous hurdle, containing a beast emperor.


    "Let''s change to another route¡­"


    Bang!


    However, Elias ignored his words and immediately pressed the trigger, shooting at one of the silhouettes deep in the swamp.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    However, he didn''t stop there but continued to shoot more, causing a barrage of bullets to shoot through therge beasts swimming beneath the swamp.


    On the surface of the muddy water, red blood erupted after each gunshot and slowly spread around.


    "What the hell, you, you¡­"


    Hajin was stunned. However, he was not able to finish his words¡ªas the next moment, a monstrous roar echoed throughout the forest.


    "ROAR!"


    Elias stopped shooting and raised his brows.


    In front of them, a massive thirty-foot-tall dark blue crocodile emerged from the swamp waters, creating waves as it rose.


    The massive crocodile turned to look at both of them, its pair ofrge pupils emitting unprecedented anger and ferocity.


    "Get ready!"


    Elias sternly warned and patted Hajin''s shoulders.

 Chapter 50 Muddy Forest Swamp (2)

    <h4>Chapter 50 Muddy Forest Swamp (2)</h4>


    "Get ready! I''ll leave this one to you!"


    Hearing his words, Hajin immediately snapped out of his daze and turned to look beside him. However, Elias had already disappeared from his sight.


    On the top of a nearby tree, Elias calmly sat while leaning on the trunk in a rxed manner.


    Seeing him acting rxed, Hajin couldn''t help but feel a tinge of rage erupt within him.


    ''This guy¡­!''


    However, it was useless¡ªhe buried the rage for another time, as there were far more important things in front of them.


    While he was thinking that, the massive crocodile immediately moved before it ferociously roared!


    "ROAR!"


    "Goddammit! You owe me for this, cousin Elias!"


    Helpless, Hajin fumed in rage before taking out his ck stick. However, he didn''t attack right from the get-go.


    Rather, he did somethingpletely unexpected.


    "Hm, what is this guy doing¡­ wait,"


    On top of one of the trees, Elias muttered to himself before his eyes widened in surprise.


    "This guy is quite a character¡­!"


    Below him, Hajin was removing his jacket and clothes until only a simple underwear was left. He threw the clothes to Elias.


    "Catch this! You better make sure that my clothes don''t get wet!"


    "Alright."


    Elias nodded and promptly caught the clothes. He looked at the sight below him and was slightly amused.


    However, while doing so, he pointed ughterer toward the massive crocodile running through the swamps. He inserted mana and reloaded the gun with ammunition.


    Kachak!


    Elias held the gun and pressed the trigger!


    Bang!


    In front of him, a ck bullet shot through the air¡ªDark Restriction Bullet¡ªa bullet that can slow the target''s movements.


    "Lucky,"


    Elias whistled with a smile. Although ughterer was powerful, it was not perfect. The bullets that shot out werepletely dependent on luck.


    Woosh!


    The massive crocodile didn''t expect the sudden gunshot and couldn''t dodge in time. However, the Dark Restriction Bullet was deflected by its hardened scales, unable to pierce through!


    TNG!


    Seeing the result, the massive crocodile grunted before its expression immediately changed.


    Upon contact, the Dark Restriction Bullet suddenly exploded and a dark fog erupted, invading the body of the massive crocodile.


    Elias retracted his arm and smiled.


    "I''ll help you since you look like you can''t beat it,"


    "Dammit, it''s your fault in the first ce!"


    Hajin didn''t know what Elias did, but he could only hope that it was good. After taking out his clothes, he pressed the ck stick, turning it into arge staff.


    Without slowing down, Hajin immediately dashed towards the massive crocodile!


    ''Aiya, I''m really in a bad mood today¡­! After this crocodile, I''ll teach that cousin of mine a lesson...''


    Much to his added irritation, the massive crocodile suddenly roared more loudly, making his ears shiver.


    "ROAR!"


    Perhaps it was the primal instinct within him, or his cumtive anger erupting all at once, Hajin fought back a roar on his own.


    "UWOAAHHH¡­! FUCK YOU TOO..!"


    While running, Hajin roared back at the massive crocodile. While running, he made sure to step on the floating rocks and trunks on the swamp!


    After reaching the massive crocodile, Hajin''s eyes shed a blue color. He didn''t hold anymore and used his full power!


    On the tip of the in ck staff, a spark of lightning seemed to erupt¡ªit continued until the entire staff was covered with sparks of lightning.


    Hajin was a Combat Mage!


    The Sanchez family was a well-renowned noble family, they were feared for two things; their mastery over weapons and their terrifying magical affinity of lightning!


    At this moment, Hajin was fully disying his true abilities!


    Hajin''s eyes were bloodshot as he roared.


    "HAAA! You shitty reptile, get ready to die!"


    ***


    While Hajin was fighting the massive crocodile below the swamp, Elias'' rxed eyes suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.


    He suddenly picked up ughterer and pointed it towards his left, aiming at an unexpected and unlikely figure.


    Kachak!


    "Oh, you caught me, haha. I suppose my divine concealment is nothing but a farce against a devil, isn''t it?"


    On his left, a white-haired woman sat on another tree branch, chuckling cutely. She had a divine presence around her.


    She had long, ethereal white hair and innocent pure blue eyes. Her divine presence seemed to emit an air of soft kindness, making her appear otherworldly.


    While ughterer pointed at her, she was totally unfazed.


    "Saintess, what are you doing here?"


    Elias asked calmly but didn''t turn around. He already guessed who the other person was with a nce.


    "Would you believe in me if I said this meeting is a mere coincidence?"


    The Saintess smiled calmly.


    Instead, Elias tightened his hold on ughterer more and slightly caressed the trigger of the gun, disying his intent to shoot.


    "I don''t know, but your presence is unwee here, Celestia Lilinia. Leave from my sight."


    "Not so friendly, are we?"


    The Saintess¡ªCelestia Lilinia¡ªsimply sighed and shook her head. However, she didn''t leave but instead watched the fight below.


    Below was an interesting sight, an almost naked dark blue-haired man fighting against a massive crocodile.


    Their battle made the swamp waters rage, the air bow harshly, and surrounding obstacles implode into pieces.


    Seeing the scene, Celestia was amused.


    "Why are you not helping your friend over there?"


    However, Elias didn''t reply to her and instead thought of her character in the novel.


    Why was he so wary and defensive of her?


    Celestia Lilinia¡ªin simple terms¡ªwas crazy. She was a pathological liar and a sadist, finding enjoyment in the misery of other people.


    Even with his high tolerance towards evil, the Saintess was one of the characters he didn''t want to be acquainted with.


    She was a ticking time bomb, ready to implode at any moment. Regarding her appearance, Elias already had a faint guess why she was there.


    Every generation''s Saintess was granted the ability to sense sinful people near them. He was faintly sure that this ability was what brought her to him.


    While he was thinking that, Celestia off-handedly asked.


    "I wonder what you did to have such heavy sins? Even the demons locked up in God''s Acre didn''t have such sins as yourself."


    "I wonder that myself."


    Elias answered casually. Internally, he was sighing. Now that Celestia caught him under her radar, it was going to be troublesome to deal with her.


    Unlike the previous generation Saintess, Celestia was raised and taught by a strange and odd pope that instilled unorthodox teachings towards her.


    Ordinarily, the Saintess was a kind, soft-hearted and gentle individual¡­ but Celestia was an anomaly among the others.


    Instead of the eradication and conversion of evil, Celestia pursued the truth of evil.


    While he was thinking that, Celestia moved her fingers.


    Bang!


    Elias didn''t hesitate to press the trigger at all, causing a red bullet¡ªLethality¡ªto shoot out of ughterer.

 Chapter 51 Muddy Swamp Forest (3)

    <h4>Chapter 51 Muddy Swamp Forest (3)</h4>


    Bang!


    The red bullet¡ªLethality¡ªreinforced with ming vestiges of destruction shot like a meteor towards the white-haired saintess.


    Celestia smiled and muttered under her breath. A barrier of holy light bathed her figure, keeping her safe.


    [God''s Protection]¡ª!


    Upon contact, Lethality abruptly stopped at the surface of the barrier. With a loud bang, the red bullet exploded into armageddon mes as the holy shield turned into an apocalyptic mess, ravaged.


    Crack¡ª!


    Seeing that, Celestia smiled in interest.


    Seeing that Lethality broke the barrier, Elias once more indifferently pressed the trigger and shot twice in a row.


    Bang! Bang!


    Following the gunshots, two kinds of bullets shot out. A blue bullet and a yellow bullet¡ªVers and Sanction.


    Celestia was still calm and unfazed. She softly chanted under her breath, making another barrier of holy light cover her body.


    Bam!


    When Vers reached the barrier, it didn''t make a dent in the surface. However, the barrier suddenly disyed signs of frost, freezing the surface of the holy light.


    Following the frost bullet, Sanction blitzed toward the surface of the barrier. With a click, the yellow bullet exploded¡ªturning into a barrage of lightning as though divine punishment.


    The frosted surface was barraged by violent lightning, causing fractures and ruptures on the sturdy barrier of holy light.


    Crack¡ª!


    While her barrier was on the brink of copse, Celestia calmly closed her eyes and muttered under her breath once more.


    At that moment, Elias suddenly appeared above her head.


    Celestia''s expression was unchanged and continued chanting under her breath. Above her head, Elias raised his leg andnded a kick, shattering the barrier of holy light!


    The barrier of holy light shattered into pieces.


    At that moment, Celestia opened her eyes. A transcendental, giant hand made of light suddenly manifested above her.


    Seeing the golden hand, Elias frowned but couldn''t do anything.


    Bam!


    His reinforced kick and the massive hand shed against each other, making the wind burst into a whirlwind.


    Woosh!


    On the air, Elias looked down and gazed at Celestia indifferently.


    Celestia stared back with a soft and creepy smile, unfazed.


    Woosh!


    Like a blur, Elias vanished from his position and reappeared at the tree branch he was sitting at earlier.


    Celestia nodded. She waved her hands and made the golden hand disappear.


    That short exchange was witnessed by no one. After that, both of them turned quiet and watched the battle below.


    ***


    "RAAAAAAA!"


    Hajin screamed, filled with battle intent and impotent fury. His two hands holding onto the ck staff have never been tightly clenched until this moment.


    Without regard to his mana reserves, he reinforced his ck staff and activated multiple skills at once with great power.


    "GRAAAAA!"


    Simrly, the massive crocodile didn''t back down and roared. Its roar made the water rage, inducing high tides behind him.


    The high tides towered over Hajin, tall and unfathomable, they were like monsters with an insatiable desire to devour.


    Unflinching, Hajin maneuvered his staff of violet lightning. He bashed it onto the swampnds loudly, making the battlefield and of lightning.


    Crackle!


    The yellow lightning expanded on the swampy waters, reaching the massive crocodile floating on the surface.


    The massive crocodile, unable to react, felt the violent lightning connect through him and made him flinch.


    That slight distraction made it lose control of the waters, making the high tides suddenly fall apart and pour on the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Hajin raised the staff of violent lightning and strongly bashed it on the massive crocodile''s head!


    [Sanchez de: Mountain Fall]¡ª!


    [One Lethal Kill]¡ª!


    As though turning into a meteor, the ck staff pounded the massive crocodile''s head with immense, terrifying force!


    Crack!


    The massive crocodile''s head was slightly cracked, its scales on its head, as though fragile ss fractured into pieces.


    Additionally, the lightning fell down and burnt its head, turning its unprotected front into a sizzling sight.


    "GRAAAAAAAA¡ª!!"


    The massive crocodile cried in pain. In its primal fury, it became berserk and started to wildly attack Hajin!


    Hajin reciprocated its attacks with a wide smile. He maneuvered his staff skillfully, making it appear like a blur and attacking the blind spots of the monster.


    However, he wasn''t safe from the waters¡ªin the crocodile''s fury, the waters also raged and turned sharp, making Hajin''s body bloodied and wounded.


    But none of the wounds deterred Hajin''s attacks, in contrast, it only fueled his raging fury and battle intent more.


    A grueling sight of a bloodied man fighting a giant unfolded, but extraordinarily, the man was the one with an advantage.


    On the muddle forest swamp, violent lightning intertwined with the furious waters, making the harsh wind transform into a whirlwind.


    A misty fog erupted and covered the figures fighting in the swamp, only the sounds of immense force shing against each other echoed.


    asionally, one would be able to see through the mist and see a bloodied man and half-destroyed massive crocodile screaming at each other and bashing their bodies.


    Woosh! Crackle!


    This battle persisted for at least an hour long, turning the swamp forest into a cluttered mess in its aftermath.


    After a while, a blur shed¡ªElias lightly appeared on the corners of the cluttered swamp forest and made the mist disperse.


    Under the cover of the mist, Hajin stood unconscious whilst being supported by his ck staff.


    Without the slightest damage, the ck staff pierced through a massive crocodile''s head. It was a scene straight out of a fantasy.


    Man triumphing against nature¡ªHajin won against the beast emperor.


    "As expected of Hajin Sanchez. I''m surprised he didn''t call for help¡­"


    Seeing the result, Elias nodded in admiration. He was prepared to help at any time, but Hajin never called for him.


    Maybe Hajin thought he was weak or didn''t want him to interfere, regardless, that one-man show he witnessed won his admiration over.


    While he was thinking, Celestia slowly walked out from the corner and chuckled in amusement.


    "You''re quite cruel and sadistic, you just watched as your friend slowly turned into a bloodied mess."


    "I don''t need to hear that from you,"


    Elias was unamused.


    "Why not? Perhaps we''re more simr than you think?"


    Celestia whispered in a fascinated tone. But Elias simply ignored her and approached Hajin and the beast emperor''s corpse.


    "You''re set on following us, right? Why not put your Saintess abilities to use for once?"


    "For once? It seems you have a low opinion of me. I actively use my abilities to pitiable people in society!"


    Celestia mewled cutely with a ''hmph'' but she nodded and quickly took action. She muttered under her breath.


    [God''s Grace]¡ª!


    Momentster, she opened her eyes.


    On top of Hajin''s body, a burst of starlight shone and suddenly entered his body, suffusing his body and healing his wounds.


    Seeing the effects, Celestia spoke her thoughts.


    "Hm¡­ his wounds are quite severe, his injuries are not a problem, but his mana reserves would take a day or so to fully recover¡­ you''re quite a cruel man to make him fight alone. Don''t you think you should escape now and leave this man alone? He might kill you in anger."


    Celestia muttered before turning to Elias with sparkling eyes.


    Feeling slightly creeped out, Elias shook his head and dismissed lightly.


    "I have my reasons."


    Hearing that, Celestial simply smiled whilst her eyes sized him up. It was as though examining an interesting specimen.


    Ignoring her gaze, Elias took out some parts of the massive crocodile''s body before carrying Hajin''s body and walking away.


    ***


    After a while, Elias walked out of the swamp forest. He was carrying another person''s body on his shoulder. While behind him, he was apanied by Celestia.


    Together, they trudged the swamp forest and approached their destination.


    The inner circle.

 Chapter 52 Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave (1)

    <h4>Chapter 52 Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave (1)</h4>


    The Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave was like an endless maze, seemingly with no end in sight. It was like a vast dungeon.


    The elusive fog covered the entire cave, within its inner depths, it gave off a helpless ambiance of hopelessness.


    Despite this concern, Rain continued to run deeper into the cave.


    With a skill that helped resist any kind of mental influence, the ignis fatuus fog was nothing threatening to him¡ªufortable, perhaps, but not dangerous.


    That skill was called [Transcendence].


    The most mysterious and unfathomable skill he possessed even among his wide arsenal of strong skills.


    Even to him, he didn''t understand it very well. But that skill was what helped him stay calm through many situations and be in control of his own mind.


    [Transcendence] gave him an edge over the exploration of unknowns and dangerousnds, making him immune to mental attacks.


    However, Lance on the other hand¡­


    Rain furrowed his brows. Now, Lance¡ªhe wasn''t so sure. He knew Lance was strong, call it an instinct. But he was not sure if the nobleman had some resistance to such mental influence.


    ''I hope you''re okay.''


    Despite just meeting Lance, Rain felt obligated to save him. He acknowledges it as foolish, but he would never let another person die in front of him again.


    After a while of running, he finally caught sight of a blonde-haired man slightly standing in a daze, looking at some ce distantly.


    "Lance! Are you alright?"


    Seeing him, Rain immediately called out with a relieved expression.


    Snapping out of his daze, Lance turned to look at Rain with an irate expression, clearly unappreciative of his presence.


    "... It''s you again,moner. Why are you here? I told you not to follow me anymore."


    Rain smiled sheepishly.


    "I was worried. You suddenly disappeared before me, I thought you were affected by the cave fog and were lured inside."


    Lance showed an expression of disdain towards his words. He looked all over the cave before shaking his head.


    "This thin fog affecting me? I''ve had worse,"


    Without bothering to exin that vague statement, he suddenly turned around and strolled across the foggy cave like it was nothing.


    Rain was left confused but didn''t think about it any further. If it was important, then it was probably something he shouldn''t know about.


    He quickly followed after Lance, both of them walking unaffectedly in the elusive and mysterious foggy cave.


    With no one talking among them, a strange creepy silence erupted.


    This silence was preserved for quite some while. Before Lance, unexpectedly, spoke and asked a question.


    "Did you meet someone aftering here?"


    "Besides you? No. Not at all."


    Rain frowned and shook his head. He wanted to ask what it was about¡ªbut out of nowhere, a dragon cry suddenly echoed throughout the fog cave.


    RAAAAA!


    It was a cry of fury in its highest form. Rain immediately realized it was the dream wyvern''s cry of anger.


    The dream wyvern was furious, making the entire fog cave tremble. The silent calm fog was like a raging whirlwind, turning harsh and unrestrained as it made everything blurry and strange.


    Lance, as though realizing something, snickered.


    "It seems my hunch was true. Someone was here other than us,"


    "Really? I couldn''t sense very well due to the cave fog''s obstruction,"


    "Even I couldn''t sense anything, much less you. I saw a moving figure earlier, but you suddenly took me by surprise so I lost sight of them."


    Lance admitted bluntly. He looked in the direction where the dream wyvern''s cry came from before suddenly sprinting in that direction.


    "Hey! Wait!"


    Rain widened his eyes and shouted. He immediately followed after Lance, chasing behind his figure with both of them sprinting away.


    ***


    In the depths of Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave, arge crystalline den was situated.


    Crystal rock shone on the walls, shimmering brightly. The den was beautiful and mesmerizing. The fog of Ignis Fatuus roamed the ce, adding to the ce''s mystery and wonderment.


    The sheen of crystalline walls and ores reflected an extraordinarilyrge nest in the middle of the den.


    Upon closer inspection, the nest was absent of any eggs.


    From the corner, Rain Violetstar and Lance Schultz walked out with varying expressions as they looked above them.


    Above the crystalline den, an enthralling wyvern with soft white scales and furious red eyes pped its wings in anger.


    With a nce, both Rain and Lance recognized it as the dragon silhouette they had seen prior to entering.


    "A beast emperor¡­ the dream wyvern¡­"


    Seeing its furious appearance, Rain let out a sigh of mixed feelings. It appeared he had no choice but to use his power again.


    No matter how much he was used to it, the pain within him never reduced. Instead, he felt more and more terror and pain as he wielded his sword.


    At this moment, he felt his eyes go slightly vacant.


    Thud!


    "If you''re going to hesitate and act afraid right now, you shouldn''t have followed me in the first ce. Are you a clown?"


    Before Rain could react, Lance suddenly pushed him away and stood in front of him. He faced the dream wyvern on his own, taking out his spear.


    Seeing his back, Rain felt a mix of bitterness and anger towards his words but couldn''t muster a response.


    Lance was right. What was the point of being here if he was going to act like a coward and be lost in his hesitation?


    ''How can I save anyone with how I act¡­?''


    Rain thought for a moment. After a few seconds, he let out a deep breath and stood up to walk beside Lance.


    Thump! Thump¡­


    "Don''t try to handle something above your level. Stay away. I''ll handle this. I''d appreciate it more if you run and leave me by."


    Seeing him stand up, Lance said in an unamused tone. He clenched the handle of his spear tightly beforending it on the ground.


    "Lance, has anyone told you that you''re irritating?"


    Rain shook his head and muttered, much to Lance''s surprise. He looked at the dream wyvern before turning to Lance with a kind smile.


    "I insist that I should help you. I don''t think you stand much of a chance without me, as a matter of fact, perhaps you should take a step back and let me handle it."


    Rain spoke with a ''kind'' and ''truthful'' expression.


    Seeing his irritating face, Lance smiled unkindly. He felt his hands clench the spear more tightly, as though utterly furious.


    "Clown, has anyone told you that you speak too much?"


    "Hm? That''s funny. Schultz, has anyone told you that youin too much?"


    Rain tilted his head and looked at him in confusion, much to Lance growing irritation and fury.


    While they were taking jabs against each other, the dream wyvern was trembling in anger and roared furiously.


    "ROAAAAAAR¡ª!"


    Woosh¡ª! Crack¡ª!


    The crystalline den rumbled strongly, turning the surrounding fog sharp and harsh whilst the crystal walls shattered.


    Rain and Lance suddenly fell silent. They looked at each other and silentlymunicated with their gazes.


    Rain reached out to his sword, flinching before forcing his hands to hold it. He took a deep breath and turned to look above the den.


    However, at that moment, an unexpected scene unfolded.


    Woosh!


    At that moment, a whirring sound resounded. Under their gaze, a translucent arrow with mesmerizing features shot out.


    Unable to react in time, the dream wyvern could only slightly move its body before it was hit by the translucent arrow.


    Boom!


    The arrow pierced through its eyes and exploded upon contact. The dream wyvern cried out in pain and suddenly fell to the ground.


    On its descent, the crystalline ground suddenly morphed into thorny spikes. The dream wyvern couldn''t move its body and fell towards the spikes!


    Screech¡ª!


    With a loud screech, the dream wyvern''s body was pierced by the crystalline thorns, impaled to the ground with a pained expression.


    Rain and Lance couldn''t believe what they saw. At that moment, they heard footsteps from the corner and turned to look.


    From the corner¡ªa beautiful young woman with short ck hair and ethereal green eyes walked out slowly, holding a bow and arrow.


    She had an icy cold demeanor, looking towards the dream wyvern with an expression of indifference and callousness. Her eyes shed an emotion of disappointment.


    "Weak, inurate and slow, unrefined and without grace. I missed my mark slightly. It''s still far from perfection¡­"


    Hearing her words, Lance snapped out of his daze and turned wary. He looked at her and asked.


    "Who are you?"


    With a bow and arrow in her hand, the young woman turned to look at both of them with an aloof and cold gaze.


    "...Sumi Aethereal."

 Chapter 53 Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave (2)

    <h4>Chapter 53 Ignis Fatuus Fog Cave (2)</h4>


    "Sumi Aethereal."


    Rain felt that the name was quite familiar, but he couldn''t pinpoint where he heard it before.


    In contrast, Lance immediately guessed the identity of the ck-haired beauty with ethereal green eyes in front of them.


    "Sumi Aethereal,"


    Lance repeated, rubbing his chin in contemtion. He looked at Sumi and sized her up with interest.


    "I''ve heard of you before¡­ Sumi Aethereal, the heiress of the top-ranking guild, Aether."


    "It is said that when she was eight years old, she alreadyprehended her father''s greatest archery art."


    "When she was ten, she became an E Ranker, and started to join dungeon expeditions and began to fight monsters and demons."


    "When she was twelve, she became a D Ranker, the most promising talent in the guild of Aether. Upon reaching sixteen, she was already halfway through C Rank."


    Hearing his words, Sumi narrowed her eyes but didn''t say anything. She pursed her lips and approached the dream wyvern instead.


    Lance''s gaze remained on her.


    However, Rain began to look at Lance strangely, he was seeing Lance in a new light¡­ one that was more humane, to say the least.


    Seeing that Lance was done talking, he coughed in embarrassment before nudging his elbow slightly to Lance.


    "...I''m sorry, Lance, but how do you know so much about her?"


    "That''s just basic information. A little investigation would give you that background of her,"


    Lance responded inly, shaking his head.


    "Why investigate her in the first ce? Do you like her or something?"


    Instead, Rain muttered under his breath. Lance seemed to have heard that and narrowed his eyes, not bothering to respond.


    looked at the ck-haired beauty before turning his gaze back to Lance with a difficult expression.


    "I don''t think you should''ve described her entire life out loud like that. She probably¡ªno, definitely felt ufortable that you just described her entire life in front of her."


    While saying that, Rain suddenly thought of something and blurted his thoughts out loud.


    "Is that your way of talking to people? No wonder youin too much about conversations¡­ you''re socially inept!"


    Rain nodded with a sigh. He stopped talking and patted Lance''s shoulder with a soft pitying smile.


    Lance felt irked for some reason. But he didn''t bother to entertain Rain with a response, that would only extend the pointless conversation.


    Ignoring him, Lance approached Sumi instead.


    "Sumi Aethereal. Were you the one that angered this dream wyvern, if I had a guess¡­ Did you steal its eggs?"


    "Yes."


    Sumi nodded while taking out a sharp dagger. She inserted mana and the dagger turned translucent and bright.


    With one swift motion, she stabbed the neck of the dream wyvern¡ªeffectively killing itpletely in one strike.


    Under her cold gaze, the dream wyvern could only let out a cry of pain and couldn''t even put up a struggle.


    Whii¡­


    ''A beast emperor died just like that¡­''


    Rain looked at the dream wyvern with conflicted emotions. He had no doubt he could kill the wyvern, but he couldn''t do so with such efficiency.


    Sumi''s simple and effortless way of killing the dream wyvern reminded him of a certain timeless quote in the Rankermunity.


    ''Hunters do not fight, they kill.''


    The fighting style of a Hunter¡ªinparison to other professions, the Hunter profession was the weakest in firepower but had the most killing potential.


    That was not something said without reason.


    Even with the change of time, mankind''s fear of death has never faltered, only risen more strongly before.


    Hunters were feared because of their intricate preparations, extensive knowledge of their enemies'' weaknesses, and the ability to control a battle''s tempo.


    With those three aspectsbined, a Hunter could kill anything in this world with ease. That''s why they were not to be underestimated.


    A normal Hunter wasmon.


    A decent Hunter was someone to remember.


    While a great Hunter was someone to be feared.


    Let''s take this dream wyvern for example, to any other, this beast emperor would be a troublesome foe with its ability to fly and manipte the wind.


    However, Sumi killed it easily like it was nothing.


    Through her words, Rain made a guess in his mind about how the battle must''ve gone.


    Sumi first discovered the dream wyvern''s den and waited for the beast emperor to go away to take the eggs from the nest.


    By stealing the eggs of the dream wyvern and making it angry, she made the beast emperor go berserk.


    With its mind filled with fury, it couldn''t properly assess its own situation. The dream wyvern could only scream in fury.


    However, at that moment, the beast signed its death warrant. Sumi took the timely opportunity where the dream wyvern discovered Rain and Lance and got distracted.


    Sumi shot out a special arrow, hitting the dream wyvern in one strike to kill it. But she, unfortunately, missed her mark and didn''t kill it in one arrow.


    As the dream wyvern fell with a pained expression, she activated a magical spell and manipted the ground to transform into spikes, impaling the beast emperor before killing it.


    By managing to influence the environment with her magic spell with such ease, it could be said that Sumi was quite talented at magic also.


    However, there was still something Rain didn''t understand.


    ''With this extremely dense and harsh fog, how could she urately hit the dream wyvern without missing¡­?''


    Rain was curious, but he didn''t bother to ask. He already had a faint guess about the answer from hearing Lance''s words earlier about Sumi.


    Obviously, it was her transcendental archery talent.


    While he was in deep thought, Sumi Aethereal had finished taking something out of the dream wyvern''s body.


    Afterward, she stood up and took a light nce at Rain and Lance. It was unknown what she was thinking.


    Under their gaze, she let out a sigh before walking away silently.


    Thinking of something, Lance observed her actions for a moment before following her from behind when she was in the distance.


    Rain chased after him and let out a low chuckle.


    "How the tables turned, huh?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    Lance was confused. But Rain''s smile became wider, as though thoroughly entertained by something.


    Before Lance could get impatient for an answer, Rain shook his head and gave out a wistful sigh¡ªone that irked Lance.


    Rain slowly spoke with a smile.


    "Who''s the clueless idiot stalking other people now huh?"


    Lance suddenly stopped. He forcibly buried his voice in his throat and took a deep breath. He massaged his forehead, processing the words he had just heard.


    "What did you¡­"


    However, before he could finish, Rain was already running away whileughing madly. Lance felt his pupils constrict in anger.


    ***


    Night has arrived.


    The starlit crescent moon illuminated the dark forest with moonlight.


    Somewhere on the vast unmarked ind, the birds suddenly flew away whilst the forest trees were startled.


    Elias stopped his actions, while near him, Celestia also opened her eyes. Both of them were wearing startled expressions for different reasons.


    "I sense it. An existence of sin itself¡­ an archdemon!"


    Celestia whispered, her calm smile vanishing into a frosty expression. She looked in the direction where she felt it.


    But her expression immediately changed thereafter. She lost her connection of the demon.


    Celestia widened her eyes and was perplexed.


    "Huh? no... am I imagining things? Did it just disappear?"


    However, Elias was looking at the air vacantly with a distant expression. His eyes expressed a rare emotion of surprise.


    [Subquest: No. 3]


    [Demon Extermination]


    [Kill the demon "Baron of Pride"]


    [Rewards: ???]

 Chapter 54 Academy Examination (1)

    <h4>Chapter 54 Academy Examination (1)</h4>


    While Elias and the rest were slowly approaching the inner circle, the other participants on the ind were also progressing.


    Somewhere in the outer circle, arge hulking man with broad shoulders and long white hair was setting up a fire.


    Surrounding the herculean, the forest area was half destroyed. The trees were broken apart while the ground showed signs of fracture.


    In the middle of the destruction, the white-haired man was sitting on top of the corpse of a massive man-devouring snake, using it as a stool.


    If anyone saw this sight, they would be speechless. The massive snake was a well known mutated monster.


    It was a beast emperor¡ªthe serpentine death!


    "It''s been a while since I tasted snake meat!"


    Ragna Newgateughed loudly. He was overflowing with boundless strength from hisrge physique alone.


    Totems, or symbols, could be seen dancing around his bloodied and messy body. It was an extraordinary sight.


    At this moment, Ragna rubbed his chin in contemtion.


    "Tomorrow, I''ll set off. My senses are tingling. I can sense that a great foe awaits¡­!"


    While saying that, he looked at the direction towards the inner circle, his lips subconsciously curled into a wide smile before heughed loudly.


    "Hahahahaha! This is definitely more exciting than living in the damn mountains with that old geezer!"


    ***


    In another ce.


    The willow leaves slowly fell to the ground while the wind was ominous and silent, giving off a chilling atmosphere at night.


    All over the surroundings, fresh blood was sttered on the wooden trees while bodies of various different mutated monsters wereying around.


    Each of these mutated monsters were beast kings.


    Extraordinarily, the beast kings were not dead yet, they were still alive with severe bullet wounds that rendered them crippled.


    From their injuries and wounds, it could be inferred that whoever did this to them didn''t want to kill them at all¡­ but rather to make them suffer and slowly die.


    It was cruelty, but in another angle, outstanding knowledge of the monsters and terrifying marksmanship skills.


    The culprit?


    On the sea of bloodied corpses, a young woman with short blue hair and beady dark pupils stood with a bored expression.


    She was wearing an all-ck suit while her right eye was covered with an eye patch, her face had a smear of fresh blood.


    While holding two guns, she stood with nonchnce and indifference. Upon closer inspection, the young woman was wearing a small smile.


    "This academy is really interesting. I wonder if I can kill other people in the ind?"


    Zyrish Fallen wondered with an interested expression on her face.


    "The higher ups explicitly told me not to but... those old geezers would be fools if they think I would listen to them. Regardless ,I''ll fully enjoy my time here. The higher ups don''t let me out of that ce at all... I''m quite excited."


    ***


    In another ce.


    In arge sparkling pond, a young woman could be seen sticking her feet inside the water, carefreely enjoying herself.


    If a person were to see her, they would be stunned and speechless from her otherworldly appearance.


    A masterpiece of God¡ªthe young woman was that beautiful.


    She had natural soft blonde hair, brightly shining in the night. Her hair cascaded downwards while a white flower ornament was attached on top, fitting for her elegant visage.


    Her embroiled, royal outfit entuated her graceful and beautiful demeanour, whilst her gentle and kind face made her appear otherworldly.


    Elizabeth Soest, the third princess of the Truensoest Empire.


    "I wish I could stay like this forever, don''t you think so too¡­ Vylix?"


    After saying that, a bright blue light suddenly came out of the pond and circled around her. The blue light seemingly nodded with excitement.


    "Hehe, but that''s impossible. I can''t do that¡­ besides, don''t you want to experience the academy first?"


    Elizabeth smiled. The blue spirit paused for a moment before going up to down, as though agreeing with a nod.


    "Miss. Catarina told me that we should treasure our experience in this academy. That''s why¡­ I''m quite excited about what''s ahead."


    Under the night, bright shining orbs floated around the young woman, they seem to possess sentience, circling around her figure.


    It appeared as though Elizabeth was blessed by the world itself.


    ***


    In another ce.


    Over a ce full of zing mes, a young woman with bright orange hair was panicking in a humorous manner.


    "Oh no¡­! I-I got carried away and used too much power¡­ if master hears about this, she''s going to kill me¡­"


    Thinking of the mere possibility, Roshia Entelech couldn''t help but shiver. She gazed towards the corpse of a massive beast emperor.


    "Tsk! It''s because this dumb beast surprised me..!"


    Roshia sighed before shaking her head. It was best to remove the fire before it quickly got out of hand and suddenly spread.


    Earlier, she was half curious and half panicking on why the mes were not spreading too much, instead only got weaker.


    It turns out there was a hidden involvement of an archmage, making the artificial ind be safe from too much harm and destruction.


    However, even with her immense talent, she couldn''t figure out what the archmage did to this ind.


    ''As expected of the famous arcane academy¡­ no wonder teacher instructed me to go here to broaden my horizons...''


    ''Maybe I can even learn the secret of being an archmage in this academy...and then, then...!''


    Then, she suddenly realized that she was, once again, distracted by her thoughts. The mes were growing stronger and stronger.


    Roshia coughed in embarrassment. She concentrated before muttering under her breath, then a three-circle symbol appeared on her mind.


    [Modified Flood]¡ª!


    At that moment, blue sparkling water suddenly erupted above her head. The water descended like a heavy storm, overflowing the surroundings of flood.


    "Oh wa¡ª!"


    Then, Roshia realized¡ªshe was going to get drenched as well, she didn''t manage to control the casting direction. However, she was unable to stop the spell in time.


    Woosh!


    "NOOOOOOOOOO!"


    ***


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the inner circle, a rupture in space slowly appeared. It was eight feet tall, containing purplish void and profound mystery.


    While the space slowly fractured, a scarlet deep red arm slowly extended towards reality, causing the air to change terrifyingly.


    After a while, an eight-foot tall dark red humanoid monster appeared in front of the rupture in space and levitated slightly.


    Garuda, the Baron of Pride.


    "It''s been a while since I got out of my castle¡­ I wonder why their majesties suddenly issued me a mission? It''s quite puzzling."


    "In any case, I cannot defy their orders, even if it means death¡­"


    Thinking of that, Garuda restrained his aura and slowly transformed into an ordinary human. It was better and safer this way.


    Then, he vanished in the darkness.

 Chapter 55 Academy Examination (2)

    <h4>Chapter 55 Academy Examination (2)</h4>


    The first volume of [Heroes of The New Age] was entitled¡ª''Pride.''


    ''Pride'' was a long saga divided into multiple arcs.


    The first arc explored the entrance examination of Arcane Academy and introduced the major characters in the novel.


    In the very first chapter, the main character, Rain Violetstar gets introduced in the story during the academy examination.


    In the process, he would meet other characters and form an unofficial team with them¡ªnamely Lance Schultz and Sumi Aethereal.


    While Rain Violetstar and his team were undergoing their examination, a dark undercurrent was brewing behind the scenes.


    On the academy ind, an archdemon suddenly appeared and interfered with the academy examination.


    With a terrifying foe added to the mix, the entire entrance examination was thrown into chaos and the rest of the participants began to realize that there was a problem.


    As they reach the inner circle, the rest of the leading participants woulde to face to face with the archdemon.


    Then, the archdemon that appeared became the sole antagonist of the first arc


    His name was¡ªGaruda, the Baron of Pride.


    ***


    While the fire crackled on the moonlit night, Elias was doing pushups. He slowly took his gaze away from deeper the forest ind.


    Garuda, the Baron of Pride.


    Like mutated beasts, demons were also divided into different categories.


    At the very bottom, there were the otherworldly demons who were simr to monsters of the fabled hell realm.


    Above them, there were the archdemons, the rulers of otherworldly demons and children of sins.


    ''An archdemon is a noble demon that was granted status and power by them. An archdemon''s strength usually mirrored their status, with Baron being the lowest noble status.''


    ''An archdemon has a minimum strength of C Rank. In other words, Garuda possesses at least C-Rank strength.''


    Elias was clearer than anybody of Garuda''s strength. As the author, he even knew all of the Baron''s abilities like the palm of his hand.


    While he was in deep contemtion, the zing fire over the middle of the small camp suddenly red up.


    Crackle!


    On top of a long bright log nearby, a dark blue-haired man could be seen sleeping with a dreamy expression.


    Hajin''s body suddenly trembled while his eyes twitched. With some fuzziness, he slowly woke up from the cold chilling air.


    As soon as he woke up, intense soreness assaulted immediately his body and mind.


    Without a doubt, it was the consequence of using too much of his power and mana at once, causing an intense recoil.


    ''Ah shit, Elias¡­ I''ll kill you for this¡­''


    Hajin bemoaned in displeasure. Upon being woken up by soreness, he immediately remembered what happened before he turned unconscious.


    Needless to say, the fury he had buried from being ordered around by his cousin immediately returned like a raging storm.


    But at that moment, when his vision finally cleared up, he suddenly forgot about the anger brewing inside him.


    Hajin''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    What greeted him was a heavenly sight.


    Beside him, a white-haired beauty with divine blue eyes containing profound charm stood and smiled at him sweetly.


    "Oh, you''re awake¡­ Hajin Sanchez, right?"


    Hajin dumbfoundedly brushed his eyes. However, nothing changed. Celestia was still there, smiling at him.


    "Is there a problem?"


    "Did I die and go to heaven¡­?"


    Hajin had a dumbfounded expression. But, seeing Celestia, he immediately forgot the implications of it and smiled stupidly.


    So be it if he died, at the very least, he was in the embrace of an angel.


    White hair, divine blue eyes, otherworldly beauty¡­ what else if it was not an angel?


    This was god''s reward for him for helping his cousin! Thinking of that, the anger stored inside him toward his cousin immediately vanished away.


    However, contrary to his expectations, Celestia blinked and chuckled in amusement.


    "Don''t be silly. Why would you think you''re in heaven?"


    "Why not? If an angel like you is by my side, then any ce bes heaven."


    Hajin''s lips curled into a smile. Ah, that must''ve struck her heart¡­ probably¡­ well, all a man needed was confidence!


    "..."


    However, Celestia stared at him, silently. She slowly smiled more widely to the point it was eerie and creepy.


    "Is that so? But you''re in hell."


    Hajin was stunned. He didn''t know why, but he suddenly felt the air around him suddenly drop to several degrees.


    ''Okay¡­ wait, it''s tingling!''


    Hajin''s smile froze.


    The beautiful smiling Celestia, who he saw riveting and spellbinding, suddenly turned terrifying and crazy in his eyes.


    From years of experience with women, Hajin has developed a crazy-woman sensory. It was very much needed to avoid crazy women!


    And now, it was tingling. More loud, and intense than anytime before. Then he realized, it was not a goddamn warning anymore, it was a full-blown crisis.


    ''Oh no, this woman¡­ she''s definitely crazy. I don''t know how, but my crazy woman sensors is ringing!!''


    Hajin''s body trembled. Thest time it happened with a woman, believe it or not, he was greeted by that woman with a knife upon waking up.


    ''I need to run¡­!''


    At that moment, his saving grace came unexpectedly from the unlikeliest person.


    "Celestia, stop scaring him."


    From nearby, Elias'' cold voice suddenly resounded. Hajin has never, ever, been more grateful than before to hear his voice.


    "Alright, alright."


    Celestiaughed. He turned at Hajin, her smile softening. Sheined with a cute and smiling expression.


    "Your cousin surely can''t take a joke? He has no humor at all, right?"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­"


    Hajin nodded before slowly retreating away. As he retreated, he saw Celestia smile more brightly¡ªbut somehow it scared him more.


    Without hesitating anymore, he quickly walked towards Elias.


    "H¡ª"


    However, before he could utter a word, Elias cut him off and threw something into the air, which he subconsciously caught.


    Elias snickered and mocked him.


    "You have no clothes, casanova. Go dress yourself before talking."


    "What casanova¡­"


    Hajin was about to rebut, but then he realized something important from his words.


    ''Clothes¡­? Oh, my clothes!?!''


    He touched his own body and felt his bare skin exposed. Now, he put his hand on his waist and only his boxer was present¡­


    He was semi-nude, with his top body fully exposed shamelessly. While his waist was only covered with an embarrassing boxer.


    And unaware of that, he was talking and flirting all the while naked.


    ''C-can I die instead¡­?''


    Even with his shameless personality, Hajin felt some shame and embarrassment course through him thinking of his conversation earlier.

 Chapter 56 Inner Circle (1)

    <h4>Chapter 56 Inner Circle (1)</h4>


    ?


    After a while, Hajin stepped out of the corner of the trees, fully clothed in his simple but shy modern attire.


    Nearby, Elias was shirtless and doing push-ups. He seemed to be unaware of his surroundings,pletely focused.


    ''This guy sure is working hard¡­''


    Hajin thought. He was nning to ask Elias about what happened after he fell unconscious, but seeing that his cousin was busy, he removed the thought for the moment.


    With no other choice, Hajin approached Celestia instead.


    "Uh¡­hey,"


    Hearing his words, Celestia tilted her head with a soft smile.


    "Hello."


    "...This might be generic, but you look familiar. Did we perhaps meet before?"


    Hajin asked with a stiff smile. Celestia was about to reply, but before she could utter a word, a voice cut her off.


    "Don''t you recognize her, Hajin? She''s Celestia Lilinia, the current Saintess of the Holy Orthodox Church."


    Hearing the voice, Hajin turned towards Elias, who had just finished, and stood up, walking towards him with an amused gaze.


    Elias pursed his lips and snickered.


    "While you were fighting, she suddenly appeared. Like an annoying leech, she wants to follow us. Oh right¡­ Celestia is also the one who healed your wounds from your fight."


    "Celestia Lilinia¡­ oh, wait¡­ that Celestia?"


    Hajin widened his eyes. He immediately turned towards Celestia with aplicated gaze. Every generation of Saintesses, they were very talented and beautiful.


    ''The rumors were indeed true¡­''


    It was rumored that Celestia Lilinia was a person like an angel. Seeing her upfront, Hajin somewhat agreed.


    The only issue he had with the rumor was that angels were supposed to be good and virtuous beings¡­


    ¡ª!


    While he was thinking that, Hajin suddenly felt a shiver run down him. He saw Celestia looking at him with a smile.


    Hajin forced himself to smile back.


    "You have my thanks, Saintess. I''m sorry for earlier."


    "You''re wee."


    Celestia nodded with a light smile.


    Elias was amused. He looked over the area, gazing at the campfire nkly for a moment before speaking his mind.


    "Anyways, Hajin, you should eat. And Celestia, get some rest. I''ll watch over you guys when you sleep¡­ tomorrow, we''ll set off to the inner circle."


    "What if you kill me in my sleep?"


    Celestia asked innocently, much to Hajin choking in shock.


    "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn''t give you a sign about it. Do whatever you want, It''s not my problem who''s going tock any sleep."


    Elias chortled. He looked at the starry sky above, his gaze piercing through the vast infinite space andnding on the moon.


    ''Besides, I have to prepare for the climax soon.''


    ***


    The inner circle was entirely different from the outer circle. It was hard to exin and believe unless one truly experienced it on their own.


    Simply put, it was unbelievable.


    After passing a long walk through the mountain forest ind, Elias and the group reached the borders of the inner circle.


    Elias stopped and spoke to them.


    "The inner circle is an entirely different ce from the outer circle. As for how much different, let''s just say¡­ it''s a dimension away kind of difference."


    "Ah, the church did have some records about that. It is said that simr to the outer circle, the inner circle also changes every year, "


    Celestia nodded to his words. The previous generation of Saintesses left behind some information about the academy examination.


    There were some records about the nature of the academy in the church. But Celestia didn''t pay much attention to them, she preferred to enjoy the examination blindly.


    However, Hajin was left confused. Although he had gotten some information, it was from a scammer after all, it was not as detailed to say, as Elias and Celestia''s information.


    While Hajin was confused by their words, Elias gazed toward where the inner circle was supposed to be.


    However, unlike what he said, it was just full of trees, a towering mountain, and forestnd. It was nothing different from the outer circle.


    ''That''s just a front¡­''


    Without hesitating anymore, Elias and the group soon stepped into the inner circle, entering its borders.


    Elias felt something and nothing at the same time. However, something evidently happened to them because¡­


    "Whoa! What the hell?!"


    Hajin suddenly eximed loudly.


    Elias and Celestia looked in front of them with shock¡ªthe surroundings werepletely changed, as though they were no longer on the forest ind.


    The inner circle was a clean and vibrant grassy infield, absent of any forest trees and mountain peaks.


    Elias looked back and saw that it was the same as his surroundings. He was no longer in a mountain forest ind but in a vast infield.


    ''Like in the novel, the inner circle this year is a grassy infield dimension¡­''


    Elias thought silently.


    While most of the people outside thought that Arcane Academy was simply located on the ind, they were not wrong, but they weren''t entirely correct either.


    The Arcane Academy ind outside was merely a massive borate illusion to trick the untrained eye¡ªbut its true location was two dimensions away.


    ''The outer circle was an ind, the inner circle was a secret dimension, while the academy was hidden in another hidden dimension.''


    Elias couldn''t help but be amazed.


    In the entire world, the Arcane Academy was the most advanced in its research of magic and dimensions.


    Besides fostering future Rankers, the Arcane Academy also had another purpose; to crack down on the origin of dungeons and prevent them.


    Using resources from all forces in the world, the Arcane Academy''s research progressed rapidly and reached unbelievable heights.


    Then, with the help of the most talented sorcerer on the, they managed to obtain a method topletely separate their location from the real world.


    Well, not pletely'' creating a full separate dimension was much harder than one thinks. The dimensions made by the academy used the world as an anchor to stay afloat.


    While Elias was in deep thought, Hajin suddenly shouted and pointed in a direction.


    "Hey, look! There''s someone there¡­!"


    Elias snapped out of his thoughts. He turned to where Hajin was pointing and suddenly saw a tall andrge figure appear and walk from a distance.


    As though sensing their gaze, therge figure nced at them and suddenly run towards them.


    "It''s him."


    Elias blurted out.


    From a distance, he could ascertain the person''s features¡ªtherge figure was a broad-shouldered man with long white hair, and he had arge body and terrifying physique.


    Ragna Newgate, one of the top geniuses of this generation.

 Chapter 57 Inner Circle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 57 Inner Circle (2)</h4>


    Ragna Newgate.


    An overwhelming man that mirrors strength itself. Born in the mountains, he was taken care of by the Old Man in the Mountains.


    His story was simply splendid, one that could make people sigh and say¡ªHeaven is unfair, men are born unequal.


    As one of the biggest talents of the generation, Ragna had an extraordinary childhood.


    At the age of six, he was able to crack a stone.


    At the age of eight, he was able to uproot trees.


    At the age of ten, he was able to tear down mutated monsters.


    At the age of thirteen, he was able to wrestle beast kings.


    At the age of sixteen, he was already eating beast emperors as lunch.


    Talent, strength, potential¡­ Ragna Newgate had it all. There was no other geniusparable to the physical strength he possessed.


    "Out of everyone we could''ve met, why did it have to be him?"


    Elias pensively muttered out loud. He already knew that there was a high chance of meeting the other prodigies in the inner circle.


    In the novel, Rain Violetstar and Sumi Aethereal formed an unofficial team and also crossed paths with another genius of the generation in the inner circle.


    With that in mind, he had already expected to meet the other talented prodigies. He even considered the possible scenarios that could happen when he meets them.


    Truthfully speaking, with his current strength, he was not that worried about the other prodigies in a fight¡ªwell, except for Rain Violetstar.


    ''Rain is the main character, after all, I have an extremely small chance of beating him when he goes Unrestricted¡­''.


    But if there was someone he found troublesome, even with his current strength, it would have to be Ragna Newgate. It was just difficult to fight with that man.


    Ragna had a talent called [Totem Deity]¡ªan extremely overpowered talent.


    Like a Totem incarceration, the talent granted him a powerful totem body that could assimte with anything it devours.


    To be exact, [Totem Deity] allowed him to devour other living beings and gain a fraction of their strength and abilities.


    But it was not without limits, it was impossible to have such a broken talent so there was a restriction ced upon it by the world''s will.


    Elias looked at Celestia and Hajin.


    "Step back."


    Without asking why, Celestia smiled and took a step back.


    Hajin followed as well, slightly confused. But he wasn''t going to disobey¡ªhe was practically at his weakest state right now, recovering from his mana exhaustion.


    "Are you going to fight him?"


    "Probably."


    Although he said that, Elias was sure. He knew of Ragna enough to know that the man would just recklessly attack anyone by Instinct.


    ''How much strength should I use?''


    Ragna''s physical abilities were merely icing on the cake, the most terrifying aspect of him was his variety of abilities and nearly indestructible body.


    He wasn''t holding back for no reason¡ªit was vital to preserve his strength and mana reserves until the climactic battle of the academy examination arc.


    At that moment, Ragna could be seenughing. He leaped into the air, with two fluorescent wings sprouting behind his back.


    Woosh¡ª!


    Without the slightest hesitation, Ragna flew to them. He was like a falcon, intimidating and quick. He was already rapidly shrinking the distance between them.


    "Wind Eagle¡­"


    Elias muttered out loud. A wind eagle was a mutated beast, their most memorable abilities were their wings that could be supported by wind to be extremely fast.


    Ragna was using the Wind Eagle''s abilities.


    Thinking of that, he reached out to his pocket and took out a ck revolver¡ªughterer


    "1 minute."


    Elias suddenly said with a calm expression. He pointed at Ragna, who was flying rapidly, and shot continuously until all the bullets were exhausted!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang¡­


    At that moment, seven bullets with seven different colors were shot into the air¡ªeach of them contained different abilities!


    Dark Restriction, Lethality, Sanction, Verss, Blinding Light, Temporal, Soul Crusher¡­


    From the distance, Ragna''s pupils shrank. While using the wind eagle''s abilities, the wind was powered up around him.


    That means, the wind just didn''t make him fly faster, it also made the bullets approaching him propel faster!


    Immediately recognizing this, Ragna had two choices; to deactivate the wind eagle''s abilities or to head in and try to dodge the bullets.


    The best choice was obviously the first one! However, Ragna smiled widely¡ªhe wasn''t the one to pick the boring choice, that was for sure.


    At that moment, Ragna flew straight towards the flying bullets, disregarding everything with a wide smile on his face.


    Dark Restriction came first, and Ragna, seeing the ominous dark bullet, slightly steered away and dodged it at breakneck speed.


    However, just as he dodged, Lethality flew towards him like a meteor¡ªbut this time Ragna didn''t dodge and wore a wide grin.


    Ragna flew straight towards Lethality!


    Boom!


    As Lethality exploded into a ming vestiges of destruction, his robes were burned to a crisp but there was no damage in his body!


    "Hahahahahaha! Not bad, but this is too boring!"


    Ragnaughed in enjoyment. At this moment, the other bullets suddenly stopped mid-air and self-destructed altogether!


    Boom! Boom!


    Ragna raised his brows, impressed. However, he didn''t find the need to steer away¡ªon the contrary, he wanted to test them!


    He went inside the explosions, fully epting the attacks in a confrontation. While doing so, he had a wide grin.


    Smoke erupted like fog, covering his figure. After a few seconds, Ragna came out of the smoke with only a slightly messed up body!


    "Hahahahahaha! Good try, marksman! Those bullets were special...!"


    While rapidly flying, Ragnaughed without care. It was as though he wasn''t damaged at all!


    "This guy is insane!"


    Hajin muttered out loud in shock. Even if he did not know the extent of the capabilities of ughterer, he knew it was a very powerful arcane weapon.


    To just scoff it off like it was nothing¡ªthe long-haired man flying towards them was extremely strong!


    In fact, Hajin was not sure if he could beat Ragna¡­ unless he brought that thing out. But he would never bring that out. Hajin shook his head and looked at his cousin.


    Extraordinarily, Elias was still calm. It was as though there was nothing surprising¡ªsometimes Hajin thought of his cousin as emotionless.


    Woosh!


    At that moment, Ragna arrived above them and deactivated the wings.


    Bam!


    With a loud crashing sound, Ragna dropped to the ground in front of them. He stood tall, like a monstrous behemoth, he had an overwhelming presence.


    Ragna looked down, staring at Elias with a grin.


    "It''s game over, marksman."


    Elias simply stared back and didn''t reply.

 Chapter 58 Inner Circle (3)

    <h4>Chapter 58 Inner Circle (3)</h4>


    "30 seconds."


    Elias calmly sighed. He slowly reached out to his pocket and took out two ck gloves and inserted them into his hands.


    "What do you me..."


    At that moment, while Ragna was observing at his actions curiously, Elias'' suddenly moved and struck decisively without a word.


    Pow!


    Before Ragna could react, a roundhouse kick struck him in the head. At first, Ragna didn''t think anything of it, however, he suddenly felt a numbing headache!


    Ragna slightly staggered as he felt dizziness hit him.


    Not letting him speak, Elias attacked again decisively. He reinforced his fist with a heavy amount of mana and lit up his entire arm with fire.


    In a smooth motion, he threw a straight ming jab towards Ragna''s face¡ªcaving his zing fiery fist towards the man''s face.


    Boom!


    It was like a meteor strike, with untold might and force, Ragna suffered a direct explosion on the face and staggered slightly.


    However, most importantly, Ragna was concerned about something else, from the man''s attack...


    He felt pain.


    "How the hell¡­?!"


    For the first time in the battle, Ragna was shocked.


    The marksman was actually hurting him¡ªin a physical confrontation, no less¡ªhe couldn''t process it for a moment.


    At that moment, after a slight dy, numbing pain suddenly assaulted his face from where he was hit by the fist!


    Ragna''s expression twisted slightly as a trail of blood dripped on the corner of his lips. But his face was not mad, rather perplexed with a hint of curiosity.


    "Aside from that old geezer, I haven''t been hurt like this before. How the hell can you do¡­"


    Like a blur, Elias abruptly reappeared in front of him and struck once more. But this time Ragna was ready and blocked the attack sessfully.


    "...that?!"


    With one swift motion, Ragna raised his fist and mmed it towards Elias!


    However, Elias saw through it and kicked Ragna''s face, using it to propel himself backward and dodge the attack on time.


    Ragna''s fist mmed to the ground, causing the soil to explode into a mess. He licked the blood on his lips while looking at Elias.


    Woosh!


    ''1 minute is up. As expected of Ragna Newgate, there''s no chance of winning this if I hold back...''


    Eliasnded in the distance, looking at the man silently. It was settled then.


    "Not answering?"


    Ragna frowned. He cracked his fingers. His eyes turned red while a terrific aura circted around him.


    The aura emitting around his figure caused Hajin and Celestia to widen their eyes in surprise.


    Ragna grinned slightly. He assumed a stance, both of his hands opened like ws. He was prepared to attack.


    Right now¡ªhe seemed like a Mad Demon.


    With his overwhelming physique, red aura, and slightly crazed expression, Ragna was like a mad demon.


    "Ragna Newgate, you want a good fight, don''t you?"


    At this moment, Elias suddenly spoke. He wore a calm expression while staring at Ragna.


    "Absolutely,e! Let''s fight!"


    Ragna nodded with a smile. That was one of the main reasons he wanted to join this academy, to experience an amazing fight.


    Aside from escaping from the old geezer, he wanted to experience more of the world other than live in the mountains and hunt beasts.


    Although he didn''t know how the man knew his name, he couldn''t care less. It was not important at all.


    Ragna looked at Elias expectantly. However, Elias instead removed his gloves and returned them to his pocket before speaking lightly.


    "Then wait until another time."


    "Huh?"


    Ragna was stunned. However, he immediately recovered and looked at Elias with a confused and angered expression.


    "What do you mean¡­ wait? Are you running away from the battle?!"


    "No, I''m saying we can fight another time. I''m currently handicapped, so I can''t fight with my full strength¡­ or are you implying you don''t care about that?"


    Elias spoke amusedly while tilting his head. That was the truth. Well, partly. He was indeed handicapped.


    "Of course not!"


    Ragna suddenly felt anger course through him. How dare he suggest that..?! He wanted to fight, but not when his opponent was handicapped.


    ''This guy...''


    Thinking of that, Ragna exhaled deeply.


    "Fine, when do you want to fight then?!"


    "After the examination, in the academy."


    Elias responded lightly.


    Hearing his demands, Ragna was reluctant. He was itching for a fight, but he didn''t want to fight someone handicapped.


    In the end, he chose to ept as he scoffed under his breath before nodding, as though unwilling.


    "How can I be sure that you won''t break your promise?"


    "Don''t worry. I swear by the Corleone name that I''ll fight you after the examination, if not then I shall bebeled as a coward for a lifetime."


    Elias simply smiled and reached out his hand.


    Ragna looked at Elias¡ªseeing the resolve in the man''s eyes. In years of living with beasts, he found the eyes of others a reliable way to assess their personality.


    Elias eyes were confident, fearless and calm.


    Ragna nodded an shook the man''s hand. Elias patted his shoulder and spoke:


    "I hope you can be patient until then,"


    [Name: Ragna Newgate]


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Totem Deity]


    [Rank: D+] (Rank Advancement: Unfulfilled)


    [Level: 39]


    [STR: C]


    [AGI: C-]


    [STA: C-]


    [CONS: C-]


    [INT: D-]


    [WIS: D-]


    [MAG: E+]


    [GROWTH: S]


    [SKILLS: [Blessed by Nature (Passive)], [Giant Strength (Passive)], [Dragon''s Fist], [Wind Flight], [Lightning Rage]...]


    ***


    While this was happening, in another ce, Rain Violetstar, Lance Schultz, and Sumi Aethereal were walking through the forest.


    Sumi Aethereal stopped in front of the borders of the inner circle. As she stopped, the two footsteps behind her also stopped.


    An awkward silence erupted¡ªshe turned around and looked at them.


    "Are you guys still going to follow me even through the inner circle?"


    "No. We split ways after that,"


    Lance immediately shook his head.


    "I object!"


    However, Rain rejected that notion. The two stared at him. But he didn''t back down. He looked at them earnestly and spoke his thoughts.


    "Let''s not split up. Our teamwork is immacte. Besides we already spent a night together anyways, we might as well team up in the inner circle to pass the examination faster, how about it?"


    "...No. We''re going to split up."


    Lance rejected that thought almost immediately. However, Sumi was rather quiet, ruminating over the idea of teaming up.


    "How about it, huh Sumi?"


    Rain ignored Lance and looked at Sumi instead.


    "...That''s alright."


    Thinking for a moment, Sumi nodded and agreed. It was not like she hated their presence, on the contrary, she found them slightly enjoyable to be with.


    "Yes!"


    Rain smiled widely and clenched his fist. However, Lance frowned and shook his head, looking at Rain with an amused expression.


    "I''m not going with you guys."


    "That''s alright."


    On the contrary, Rain smiled instead. He tilted his head and suddenly spoke out loud.


    "With Sumi around, reaching the academy is far easier¡­ we''ll probably be first as for others¡­ they''ll be left behind like dust,"


    "Do you think that will work on me, fool?"


    Lance haughtily spoke.


    "So you''re fine with being second?"


    Rain asked with a smile.


    "That won''t work. I can reach first on my own."


    Hearing that, Lance was amused. Without slowing down, he walked inside the inner circle, disappearing from their sight.


    "Well... that failed."


    Rain shrugged and looked at Sumi, who was wearing a slight smile. Soon, the two of them also entered inside.

 Chapter 59 Purpose of Inner Circle Exam

    <h4>Chapter 59 Purpose of Inner Circle Exam</h4>


    Soon after, Rain and Sumi then stepped at front and entered the borders of the inner circle.


    As soon as they stepped in, the surroundings turned illusory and vanished, as though a fleeting dream. It was a sight to behold.


    The space around them shifted slightly.


    Rain opened his mouth, speechless. He brushed his eyes, checking if he was seeing things or not, but it was all real.


    The forest trees, the mountain peaks, and the soilednd of the ind¡­ were gone, reced by a vast clean infield.


    ''Huh? What the heck? Is this real? or am I imagining things...?''


    Surrounding them, the inner circle was an infinitend without trees and mountains. A vibrant grassy field, absent of any monsters and harmful traps.


    The air was calm and soothing, unlike the ind''s harsh and pungent wind. It really seemed like he was in a different world.


    Merely by standing, they could feel the peaceful and hopeful ambiance of the vast infield spread throughout. It was something both of them particrly foundforting.


    Beside him, Sumi also seemed to be surprised.


    "This ce¡­"


    "This is¡­ the inner circle, Sumi?"


    Rain asked, finding it unbelievable. The entire ce changed, nothing about it was remarkably simr to the ind forest.


    Looking at him, Sumi gave a short nod before speaking.


    "This should be the inner circle. From what I''ve heard, the academy has the most advanced research on dimensions. They can even create artificial dimensions, and the academy itself is hidden in a dimension."


    "Wait, so are you saying the entire inner circle is a separate dimension?"


    Rain was dumbfounded.


    "Yes."


    Sumi nodded expressionlessly, not finding it strange. She already gathered information about the examination beforehand, including data about the academy.


    It was not unreasonable for the inner circle of the academy to be in another dimension, it was unbelievable, but not impossible.


    "Every year, the academy sets up an examination for the uing freshman. One thing that does not change is the ind or the outer circle¡ªit''s their way to test the Ranker''s ability to navigate or survive in a newnd."


    "The inner circle, however, changes every year. It could go from and of fire to an ocean. I wonder what''s the purpose of the inner circle examination this time around?"


    Sumi spoke her thoughts out loud, causing Rain to be slightly surprised. He had never heard her talk so much before.


    "Perhaps it has something to do with those odd pir over there?"


    Rain suddenly chimed in and pointed at something from a distance. From a distance, a tall pir-lie beacon was located.


    "Maybe."


    Sumi didn''t give out an assured response. Without thinking about it any further, she walked toward the direction where the towering pir beacon was located.


    Rain followed after her. While walking to the rock, he caught sight of Lance walking on his lonesome from a long distance.


    He found it a pity that the nobleman was stubborn and too prideful to team up with them, but he didn''t want to push any more of the man''s patience.


    In any case, they could still meet in the academyter on.


    ***


    The purpose of this year''s inner circle examination¡ªwas to test teamwork.


    At this moment, in another area in the inner circle, Elias could be seen with Hajin, Celestia, and Ragna standing in front of an odd pir-like beacon.


    The pir-like beacon had ancient markings all over its body. On the sides of the pir, there were deeply engraved handprints carved in.


    "Are you sure we should stick our hand to these?"


    At this moment, Hajin asked while looking at the handprints.


    "Trust me."


    Elias affirmed. He knew the entrance examination like the back of his hand. Currently, what they were doing was necessary for the exam.


    If the outer circle tested the aptitude of the freshman, then the inner circle tested the teamwork ability of the freshman.


    The inner circle test was rather simple¡ªthroughout the in dimension, there were pir-like beacons situated all over the ce.


    They were called "checkmarks" and each of them contains a puzzle piece once unlocked.


    These puzzle pieces, oncepleted, create a "key" to the core circle.


    Then, the way to unlock the "checkmarks"?


    It was through putting your hand on one of the handprints, activating a mechanism, and getting the puzzle pieces.


    It was simple as it gets.


    But the kicker was that one person could notplete this test alone. The "checkmarks" were designed so that one person cannot get a puzzle piece by themselves.


    The "checkmarks" all over the dimension contained different puzzle pieces, certainly, there were different activation requirements for each of them as well.


    For example, the "checkmark" in front of them needed two handprints to unlock.


    However, there were some "checkmarks" that needed three to four handprints inserted to unlock and get the puzzle.


    But the minimum requirement was at least two handprints!


    Then, a question arises, why can''t the person just insert their hands on each handprint multiple times on the "checkmark" to unlock it?


    Naturally, the academy was not stupid.


    That was impossible, since once you put your hand in one of the handprints, the pir beacon will recognize it and you can''t use it again.


    In other words, this was an exam impossible to pass alone!


    It relied on the person''s ability to adapt,municate and coborate. To simplify, it was about teamwork!


    That was also the reason why he let the Saintess join his team, not because he could not stop her.


    "Let''s proceed."


    Elias ordered out loud. He raised his hand and put it on top of one of the handprints, causing it to glow brightly.


    Hajin nodded, proceeding with his instructions. He also raised his hand and put it on top of one of the handprints, causing a simr glow.


    Woosh!


    At that moment, the pir-like beacon slightly trembled. The ancient markings around its body were glowing.


    Elias, Hajin, Celestia, and Ragna looked at the unfolding scene with curiosity.


    After a while, the pir-like beacon stopped trembling and the ancient markings also stopped glowing.


    Then, in the middle of the pir, the side was pushed away¡ªrevealing a hidden container from within.


    The container had a small fragmented stone inside it.


    "Perfect work, Hajin."


    Elias said and took back his hand. Afterwards, he took the blue stone and kept it in his pocket.


    Seeing his actions, Ragna was curious and asked.


    "What''s that thing?"


    "A piece of a key."


    Elias answered vaguely before taking a step back. At this moment, the pir trembled once more and suddenly burrowed to the ground.


    "Let''s go. I found another checkmark when we passed by."


    Turning around, Elias waved his hands and walked away. Hajin, Celestia, and Ragna were perplexed by his attitude but followed nheless.


    ''With that, I have ? of the pieces¡­''


    ***


    On Rain and Sumi''s side, on the other hand, they were in a dead end¡ªthey arrived at a checkmark that needed three handprints to activate.


    Rain and Sumi both put their hands on the handprints, but unfortunately, the hidden mechanism didn''t trigger.


    "Are we doing something wrong¡­ or maybe?"


    Sumi muttered out loud. On the pir-like beacon, there was a huge symbol of the number ''3'' signifying the requirement


    "Perhaps we need one more person with us. It doesn''t work for the two of us. If that''s the case, then that''s unfortunate¡­"


    "True. If I had known, I should''ve tried my best to keep Lance with us. It might''ve let us known what this thing is."


    Rain nodded and sighed helplessly. Considering that these pir-like beacons were the only thing in this vast infield, maybe they were the key to the core circle.


    Regardless, it didn''t hurt to try. Unfortunately, they couldn''t even attempt to do it due tocking one more person.


    "Nevermind. Let''s go, maybe there''s a simr one that requires two instea¡­"


    Sumi shook her head and turned around. However, she stopped her words when someone suddenly appeared in front of them.


    Woosh!


    It was as though space shifted¡ªunder their gaze, a new figure suddenly appeared and entered the inner circle.


    Rain widened his eyes in surprise.


    In front of them, a young woman with bright orange hair stood with an amazed and astounded expression on her face.


    She had sapphire blue eyes that disyed novelty and curiosity. While she stood in a daze, an intelligent and cute air surrounded her.


    She was beautiful. Rain added to his mind. Before he could even speak, the orange-haired girl suddenly shouted in surprise.


    "That was¡­"


    "...so coooooooool¡­.!!!"


    Roshia''s eyes were sparkling. Unaware of her surroundings, she mumbled under her breath in a daze.


    "What was the theory around that? How did space shift and transport me in a dimension? No, speaking of which, how can a dimension entrance be disguised so well? Does that mean the ind was an illusion all along? No, that does not seem like it at all¡­"


    "Uhh¡­"


    "No, this seems to be something like the work of a magical formation. But such a formation thatprised the inner part of the ind, such a thing is possible¡­? No, that''s not possible, unless¡­"


    "Uhm, hello..."


    "It definitely is! Impossibility, magical, and wonderous... this definitely involved an archmage''s interference to work and that makes a lot of sense!"


    "Hey!?"


    At this moment, Rain raised his voice.


    "Ugh! What is it?!"


    Snapping out of her daze, Roshia was in a rage. She raised her head and looked at Rain and Sumi like she was about to cook them alive.


    However, upon seeing both of them, she widened her eyes in horror as she staggered back.


    "Who are you guys and where did youe from?!"

 Chapter 60 Team, Teammates, Teamwork

    <h4>Chapter 60 Team, Teammates, Teamwork</h4>


    After a lengthy exnation from Rain, Roshia heard the gist of the situation and nodded absentmindedly.


    "So that''s the case¡­"


    After a few seconds, Roshia realized that her habit of mumbling made her unaware of her surroundings again.


    Lowering her head, Roshia rubbed her neck nervously.


    "Uh-huh.. s-sorry about that earlier. Due to my upbringing, I''m not that good with people. My name is Roshia, by the way."


    Rain didn''t mind about it and waved his hand in dismissal. He shook her hand and promptly introduced himself.


    "It''s alright, we did disturb you earlier. Nice to meet you, Roshia. My name is Rain Violetstar, you can call me Rain."


    After he introduced himself, the ck-haired girl beside him who was silent and expressionless spoke up.


    "Sumi Aethereal."


    Seeing both of them introduce themselves, Sumi followed inly. She nodded and turned towards the pir-like beacon without a word.


    Rain felt awkward by herplete disregard, but Roshia seemed to have not minded it and simrly looked at the pir-like beacon.


    Looking at it, Roshia fell into deep contemtion, mumbling under her breath.


    "This thing¡­ looks like a magic tower. A formation is set up on the entire thing. It''s quite interesting. So, as you said¡­ we need to put our hands in this thing?"


    "That''s right, or at least that''s what we think we should do."


    Rain nodded. There was no instruction manual, so he didn''t know for sure. They were relying on logic instead.


    If there were handprints caved in, then wasn''t it logical that putting their hands on it might elicit a change or something?


    It was possible!


    Hearing his words, Roshia spoke in a curious and interested tone.


    "Well, I don''t think your logic is wrong. From what I can see, the formation seems to concentrate on the handprints, so putting our hands might activate a hidden mechanism."


    "You can understand formations?"


    "Well, my hobby back in my ce was to read and create formations, so I have some little knowledge about what it is about."


    Roshia nodded. She stared at the ancient markings and at the ''3'' symbol on the pir-like beacon silently.


    "In Sorcery, formation is thenguage of magic. Besides adding attributes to things, it could also be used as a way to express a message. While setting the formation around this tower, the academy also left a message."


    Now that made Rain and Sumi interested, with thetter suddenly turning her head and looking at Roshia in slight anticipation.


    There might be important information or instructions left behind by the academy¡ªthat was what they were thinking.


    At this moment, Roshia''s expression turned strange.


    "It says¡­ ''To whoever sees this, I wish you good luck - yours truly, the teacher with the best disciple in this entire academy.''..."


    Rain and Sumi were speechless.


    "What a nice teacher, they left us a good luck note¡­"


    Roshia''s smile twitched.


    Sumi shook her head in disappointment and put her hand on one of the handprints on the tower.


    Following her actions, Rain and Roshia looked at each other before they also did the same thing.


    Since there was no advice or instructions, they might as well put their hands. If it backfired, Rain was pretty confident they could handle it all together.


    At that moment, the pir-like beacon trembled and glowed brightly. Roshia seemed to be fascinated by the sight.


    Woosh!


    After a while, the pir-like beacon stopped trembling and let out a container that stored a blue fragmented stone.


    Rain and Sumi looked at the container curiously.


    However, upon seeing it, Roshia immediately picked it up and looked at the blue stone up close.


    "This is¡­ a fragment of an arcane item! There''s a formation engraved on the stone. But it''s missing a chunk of its contents, it''s impossible to activate or use."


    "Then it''s just nothing?"


    Rain couldn''t help but be disappointed.


    However, Roshia shook her head.


    "I don''t think so. If we manage to gather the rest of the fragments of this arcane item, then the arcane item would be restored back and formation could be activated as well!"


    "Where would we find the rest of the fragments of the arcane items¡­?"


    At this moment, Sumi suddenly spoke with narrowed eyes.


    "While we were walking, I saw a simr pir like this. If my guess is not wrong then¡­ the rest of the fragments are maybe contained in the other pirs as well."


    "I didn''t see that... but if you say so, I''ll believe you. Then that''s quite possible."


    Hearing her words, Rain nodded and agreed. It was definitely usible. He rubbed his chin in contemtion.


    "Then should we go there right now to verify?"


    "That''s right. I think we should go immediately but..."


    Sumi responded before she turned to gaze at Roshia silently. Seeing her cold gaze, Roshia inadvertently felt intimidated and nervous.


    However, Rain?immediately realized what she was thinking. He also looked at Roshia and reached out his hand.


    "Ah, Roshia¡­ sorry, Sumi isn''t one to talk much. Do you mind apanying us? If we use this tower as a reference, the other tower might also be the same as this one, requiring three people. We can''t do it with the two of us so... we would greatly appreciate it if you join us."


    Roshia was surprised. She thought for a moment before she agreed.


    "...I don''t see why not. Besides, if a team is needed to pass this, then I don''t think I can pass it if I remain alone."


    After saying that, she slowly reached out and shook Rain''s hand.


    Rain smiled and weed her to the team. With that, they didn''t slow down any further and immediately walked towards the other checkmark.


    ***


    While Rain and Sumi form a team, on the other side of the inner circle, two figures abruptly appeared in the dimension.


    "So this is the inner circle¡­"


    "What do you think, bitch?"


    The two were beautiful women, one was a long blonde haired girl while the other one was a short blue haired girl.


    The blonde haired girl¡ªElizabeth Truensoest¡ªhad a curious and amazed expression while looking at her surroundings.


    However, the blue haired girl¡ªZyrish Fallen¡ªhad an annoyed and pissed off expression, as though having the worst day of her life.


    To Zyrish''s words, Elizabeth calmly responded with a smile.


    "Calling someone bitch is rude, I''ll forgive you, just this once."


    "Ooh, the little princess is angry¡­ What are you going to do about it, huh?"


    Zyrish taunted with a mocking expression.


    However, Elizabeth''s smile didn''t go away. She slowly turned around and stared directly at Zyrish calmly.


    "You seem to have forgotten what happened earlier?"


    At that moment, Zyrish froze stiff. Her entire body was trembling in anger. She looked at Elizabeth like she was about to murder her alive.


    Elizabeth was unfazed as she continued.


    "I don''t mind if you need me to remind you about it,"


    "Y-you¡­!"


    Zyrish gnashed her teeth. She clenched her hand tightly, remembering the events before entering the inner circle.


    Merely by thinking about it, she wanted to pull out her guns and outright kill the blonde haired bitch in front of her.


    It was that disgraceful.


    But after a while, she didn''t do anything. Or rather she knew it was futile. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down, but fury still remained on her face.


    "Hehe, let''s go."


    Elizabeth chuckled cutely and started walking away. Behind her, Zyrish followed with a furious and annoyed expression.

 Chapter 61 Celestia’s Curiousity

    <h4>Chapter 61 Celestia''s Curiousity</h4>


    In front of an odd-pir-like beacon, Eliasy on the grassy infield, looking at the sky distantly. He saw clouds gather and disperse.


    After reaching the second checkmark, he took the fragment stone contained in it and proposed to the group to take a rest for the moment.


    Hajin, Celestia, and Ragna had no problems with his arrangement. There was no rush to gather all of the fragments in a day, in truth they arrived very early.


    In the novel, it was only two to three dayster would most of the worthy participants arrive at the Inner Circle and participate in this teamwork test.


    That way, there would be no shortage of teams in the Inner Circle vying for checkmarks and collecting the fragmented pieces, making the ce lively.


    However, right now the ce was more or less empty.


    Currently, those who arrived at the Inner Circle as early as the second day of the examination were individuals at the top of their batch in talent and strength.


    In other words, prodigies.


    ''By now, Rain and Sumi must''ve already met with Roshia Entelechy and formed a three-way team to reach the rest of the checkmarks.''


    ''Then, Elizabeth and Zyrish also must''ve already arrived at the inner circle together and teamed up to explore the inner circle. In the novel, they would shortly meet Rain and the rest a dayter.''


    ''If all those conditions are fulfilled, then that means that has Lance already met with that person¡­ then, the plot of the inner circle has started.''


    Elias was in deep thought. While rxing, he remembered the sequence of events in the novel during the inner circle examination.


    If nothing went wrong, then the story''s first arc should still progress normally ording to his expectations without any issues.


    So far, he had not really done anything significant or major so that the storyline would change drastically and go in another direction.


    For that matter, Elias suddenly thought of the changes he made in the storyline.


    Hajin was supposed to arrive at the inner circle two dayster, but with his interference, the man arrived much earlier.


    However, that was not anything major.


    Elias didn''t think his actions would affect the story that much. Whether Hajin arrives earlier or not, it wouldn''t change anything in the academy examination arc.


    He had the man under his watch. If Hajin were to do something that would change the storyline of the novel, he would know in advance.


    On the other hand, letting Celestia and Ragna join their little merry group could be considered minor, he also didn''t think it would affect the story. Simply because they didn''t really have much of a bigger role in the first arc.


    Ragna and Celestia would only appear in the climax of the first arc of Pride, which Elias would participate in as well, therefore nothing would change in the storyline at all.


    While he was thinking deeply, a charming voice suddenly called out to him.


    "Hm, you have quite a pensive look on your face. What are you thinking about?"


    To his surprise, it was Celestia Lilinia, the current Saintess. She was sitting on the grass beside his head, looking at Elias with a slight smile.


    Elias didn''t turn around to look at her.


    "Celestia Lilinia¡­ I suppose you''re curious about it. I was thinking about the future."


    "Is that so? I didn''t take you for being such a boring man. I thought you were already hatching your evil master n to kill everyone."


    "Sorry to disappoint you then. I may be evil, but I''m also boring. Others'' evil may be like that, but my evil is dull. It''s something even I find lukewarm and pathetic."


    "Your attempt to disparage yourself to make me lose interest in you is amusing. But you''re just making me interested in you more and more,"


    "I''m telling the truth, Saintess. Don''t you have a lie detection skill from the Inquisitors? You can try it out and see for yourself."


    Celestia raised her brows. She was curious how the man knew about her so much and about the Inquisitors, who were considered secrets by the church.


    But she didn''t bother to ask about it. Who cares if he knew about the church? The church was something she didn''t really care about, truthfully speaking.


    In the meantime, she was more curious about the person in front of her. It was not a curious interest in the opposite sex, but an interest in the evil he seemed to possess.


    After a few seconds, Celestia spoke again with a sad look


    "I activated it. It says that you were lying directly to my face. How could you have lied to such an innocent pure Saintess like me?"


    "... Your skill must be defective then. Or you''re outright lying about the result. It could be both, but thetter is more likely."


    "You clearly lied to me and then you refuse to admit it, you''re so cruel, leader~"


    "Ugh, don''t call me a leader. Please. Also, don''t act like that, it''s seriously creepy and revolting,"


    "How cruel, leader. You don''t hold back your words at all against a fair maiden like myself, but that''s as expected of our evil leader~ fufufufufu¡­"


    "Disgusting,"


    Elias had a disgusted expression. Even though he couldn''t see Celestia''s expression, he was sure she was enjoying herself watching him suffer from repulsion.


    But seemingly not minding it, Celestia let out a softugh.


    "I''m really curious. You don''t seem like the man I expected at all, care to exin? You didn''t answer mest time, but why do you have such heavy and evil sins?"


    Elias fell silent. After a while, he turned to look at Celestia directly


    "What do you see in me?"


    "Bottomless evil."


    Celestia answered almost immediately. Every generation''s Saintess was granted a skill that saw through the sins of people, making them an expert at discovering evil people.


    Right now, on top of Elias'' head, an ominous image was depicted. It was a blood red world, shining a deep scarlet color.


    The image represented the sins of the person, while the red color represented their evil, the deeper the scarlet gleam, the greater the evil.


    The image was usually different from person to person, depending on the sins theymitted in their life.


    Celestia had seen some unique and awful images, but she had never seen something so ominous as the image depicted on Elias. It was like he destroyed a whole world.


    For her, who possessed never-ending curiosity, she wanted to know the reason. She wanted to know what the man did to umte such sins.


    As for killing Elias? That coulde after she knew the reason.


    Hearing her answer, Eliasughed.


    "Figures. Your divine god must really hate me, huh?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Celestia furrowed her brows, confused.


    But before she could receive an answer, Elias abruptly stood up. He stretched his hands before calling out to the rest.


    "Hajin, Ragna, let''s go. It''s time to collect the rest. We''ve rested enough. It''s boring to stay in one ce for too long. We still have six more fragments to find,"


    "Aye, aye,"


    Hajin yawnedzily before standing up. Beside him, Ragna could be seen with an utterly bored and sleepy expression.


    "This ce is boring. There''s nothing else to do but find things. I should''ve stayed on the ind, at least I can kill some beasts and eat some meat¡­"


    "I agree with ya, Big fe. This ce is boring as heck¡­"


    Hajin patted Ragna''s back.


    "You guys are too energetic. But don''t worry, interesting times wille very soon. You just have to wait."


    As both of them stood up, Elias smiled vaguely. He looked at both of them before turning his gaze to Celestia, causing her to purse her lips in annoyance at not getting an answer and stand up.


    "Let''s go."

 Chapter 62 Ragna Newgate (1)

    <h4>Chapter 62 Ragna Newgate (1)</h4>


    Like the outer circle, the inner circle was a huge ce where the participants were required to venture deeper in thends to reach the core circle.


    When the participants finally reach the inner circle, they will appear at the border of the dimension. The border of the dimension was barren, almost empty.


    It was an intentional design from the academy.


    The border of the inner circle had the least amount of checkmarks and participants, that was why it was necessary to walk deeper towards the center of the inner circle to pass the examination.


    The closer the participants were to the center, the more checkmarks and participants that would appear, but there was also newly apanied danger along with it.


    Merely travelling and getting puzzle pieces was simple, therefore the academy thought to add some challenge and increased the difficulty by a notch.


    At this moment, Elias and the gang stopped at one peculiar checkmark.


    The checkmark was the same as the others, a pir-like beacon covered with ancientplicated markings and firmly standing while gravitating an oldened presence.


    The only peculiar difference was the sleeping mass of stone besides the tower.


    Elias and the gang''s gaze drifted to the side of the tower and stopped at the strange mass of stone.


    It was a gigantic life-like statue, hardened and massive. It was over six metres tall and hadrge, circle white eyes.


    Its eyes were pure white, seemingly innocent in contrast with its intimidating overwhelming stone physique.


    Simr to the checkmark,plicated markings were carved deeply on its body, drawn beautifully reflecting the masterful craft of whoever made it.


    "A golem."


    Celestia raised her brows.


    The mass of stone beside the tower was a Golem, slumbering peacefully while guarding the checkmark silently.


    The Golem had no reaction to their slow arrival, as though a motionless statue, it kept slumbering. In fact, it was quitemon to mistake a golem for a statue.


    But whoever does so ends up paying for their mistake.


    Celestia smiled sweetly and reached out her arm, stopping Elias and the rest from continuing forward.


    "I haven''t done anything for the group yet, have I? I suppose I''ll try and be helpful. Golem''s have strengths and weaknesses, let me analyze it. Wait a moment."


    "...Alright. I''ll leave it to you then."


    Elias looked at her strangely and nodded. Beside him, Hajin had an interested expression while Ragna wore a confused expression.


    Hajin had heard of Golems before, but never actually seen one. He was curious about its appearance and abilities.


    However, Ragna was perplexed. He had never heard of Golems before. For most of his life, he was stuck in the mountains and had no knowledge of anything rted to sorcery.


    However, somehow, he could feel a presence¡ªa sense of life within the mass of stone. It was strong, Ragna thought with narrowed eyes.


    Celestia nodded and stared at the Golem deeply.


    Golems were separated into two states: activated, and unactivated. Currently, the golem in front of them was deactivated and still slumbering.


    Usually, the activation of a Golem depended on the requirements set by the creator or the Sorcerer, but Celestia''s intuition told her that stepping forward would spell its awakening.


    It wasmon for Golems to be used as guards on magic towers orbs of sorcerers. Most golems that had this kind of purpose were activated through intrusion of other individuals.


    It was best not to awaken the Golem at the moment, she wanted to examine the Golem''s strength or abilities first through the formation on its body.


    Celestia told her intentions to the group.


    Elias agreed almost immediately, but Ragna was left slightly confused. He was not familiar with sorcerers and formations, much less golems.


    A golem was not a natural mutated beast from nature. It was a lifeform made by Sorcerers using thaumaturgy.


    Golem creation was a branch of thaumaturgy.


    Golems had different types, purposes and abilities, all of which depended on the intention of the sorcerer during the creation process.


    The mostmon of Golems were those with just brute strength,cking any magical rted abilities aside from reinforced physical resistance.


    Only aplished and talented sorcerers would be able to make Golems with magical rted abilities, such as a Golem with fire resistance and fire spells.


    Celestial scrutinized the sleeping Golem. She was a Sorcerer, so she was familiar with thaumaturgy and golem creation.


    In fact, she was very adept at thaumaturgy.


    The Holy Orthodox Church taught each generation''s Saintess of thaumaturgy, including all of the branch, however the branch of Golem creation was the most frowned upon by the church.


    It stepped into the domain of god¡ªlife creation.


    After a few seconds of silence, Celestia smiled calmly with an interested gaze.


    Elias noticed her face and raised his brows.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "I tried to examine the formations around it to find a weakness, but there''s little to none. Whoever made this Golem is a very talented and aplished sorcerer. It''s resistant to most attacks; physical and magical."


    Celestia exined.


    "Hm, but I did gain some insights about it. The Golem has five different type of spells, its body has some light resistance to magic and strong resistance to physical attacks. Its strength should border around a normal beast emperor, facing it with sheer strength would not be rmended."


    Hearing her words, Elias rubbed his chin in contemtion, he suddenly remembered something from the novel.


    Ah, the creator of this golem should be her¡­


    He was remembering a particr character in the academy. That character was very famous and a favourite among the fans.


    In fact, that character was also his favourite in the novel. Unfortunately, she also suffered a tragic end at his handster on.


    Elias shook his head calmly and looked at Ragna.


    "Ragna, you''re bored right? I''ll leave this to you."


    "Wait, I just told you¡­ physical strength is not rmended. It''s greatly resistant to physical attacks."


    Celestia was confused. However, Elias simply smiled at her words while looking at the white haired burly man.


    "What do you think, Ragna?"


    "I don''t really get it¡­ but what you''re saying is this stone thingy is a monster to beat, right? Leave it to me then."


    Ragna rubbed his neck and made a ''cracking'' sound. His lips curled into a smile, looking at the golem with a grin.


    His fight with Elias was disturbed and temporarily cancelled, he was naturally dissatisfied, but for the sake of the bigger picture he kept it in.


    Under Celestia''s puzzled expression, Ragna walked towards the golem.


    "So this thing is called a golem, huh?"


    Ragna raised his brows and approached the golem. As soon as he stepped into a certain distance, the golem trembled.


    It slowly stood up, with its overwhelming rock body towering over the gang like a giant. It was even bigger than Ragna.


    However, to Ragna, that didn''t scare him one bit. Living in the wilderness, he was used to fighting beasts at the size of giants.


    "Hehe..!"


    Seeing him face the golem, Elias and the gang took a step back and watched with interested expressions.


    Hajin, in particr, was attentive. He was curious of this mysterious man that Elias lured in the team and wanted to see the man''s strength.


    "Ragna Newgate¡­"


    Elias smiled faintly.?In front of him, a status interface floated.


    [Name: Ragna Newgate]


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Totem Deity]


    [Rank: D+] (Rank Advancement: Unfulfilled)


    [Level: 39]


    [STR: C]


    [AGI: C-]


    [STA: C-]


    [CONS: C-]


    [INT: E+]


    [WIS: E+]


    [MAG: E+]


    [GROWTH: S]


    [SKILLS: [Blessed by Nature (Passive)], [Giant Strength (Passive)], [Heaven''s Rage], [Dragon''s Fist], [Wind Flight], [Lightning Rage]...]

 Chapter 63 Ragna Newgate (2)

    <h4>Chapter 63 Ragna Newgate (2)</h4>


    [Name: Ragna Newgate]


    [Race: Human]


    [Talent: Totem Deity]


    [Rank: D+] (Rank Advancement: Unfulfilled)


    [Level: 39]


    [STR: C]


    [AGI: C-]


    [STA: C-]


    [CONS: C-]


    [INT: E+]


    [WIS: E+]


    [MAG: E+]


    [GROWTH: S]


    [SKILLS: [Blessed by Nature (Passive)], [Giant Strength (Passive)], [Heaven''s Rage], [Dragon''s Fist], [Wind Flight], [Lightning Rage]...]


    Elias looked at the status screen for a moment before turning around.


    "Let''s go. We''ll take the piece while he''s fighting the Golem, the requirements for this checkmark are only two."


    Hajin was surprised. He looked at Ragna directly facing the Golem, and with some hesitation he asked:


    "...Are you sure? Shouldn''t we help him?"


    It was not that he thought Ragna was weak, but rather the Golem just seemed strong. Too strong for one man.


    The Golem, from the danger it let out, was as strong as a beast emperor¡ªand that was not yet ounting for the various abilities it could possess.


    It seemed a bit too careless to leave it to one person alone¡­


    Beside him, Celestia agreed. It was one thing for it to be strong, but the Golem was heavily physically resistant.


    From her assessment, Ragna Newgate was a physical fighter. Him fighting the Golem was tantamount to trying to destroy an indestructible object.


    In fact, she felt like she was more suited to fight it with her sorcery.


    "I would say that this man is right, leader. It''s a bit careless, no?"


    Hearing their words, Elias suddenly stopped and had a strange expression on his face as he shook his head.


    "Don''t be ridiculous."


    Hajin and Celestia stared at Elias with confusion. What was ridiculous about that? Then, before they could open their mouths to speak, a loud sound suddenly resounded.


    BOOM!


    Hajin''s and Celestia''s eyes immediately snapped towards the direction of the explosion and saw an unbelievable scene.


    It was a two colliding forces, although one was obviously bigger than the other, the man shed with the stone giant and tied the golem on a battle of overwhelming force.


    The sight in front of them was one that could only be described as a superior disy of strength. It was like¡­ a battle of giants.


    "That man alone is enough."


    Eliasmented and walked to the checkmark. I suppose no one really knew Ragna at the start, since he was hidden in the mountains¡­


    To dare say words like that to Ragna, they haven''t even seen the best of him the future version of him.


    Behind him, Hajin and Celestia were speechless as they stood still.


    ***


    On the side.


    "Hehe! Let''s start!"


    Ragna grinned widely. He clenched his fist tightly, and without the slightest hesitation, shot it against the Golem.


    The Golem, seemingly expecting his attack, raised its palm with unbelievable speed for its massive physique.


    At that moment, both the fist and the palm collided against each other.


    BOOM!


    The shockwaves of their attack made them both tremble. The air blew harshly and slightly lifted Ragna''s sleeve.


    "Hehe, as expected¡­ you''re quite strong."


    Ragna''s eyes glinted with excitement. In contrast, the Golem was emotionless, merely acting as it was programmed to do.


    Ragna narrowed his eyes and attacked once more with passion, exchanging blows with the Golem in sheer strength.


    Whoosh! Pow! Bam!


    "Hahahahahaha!"


    Each of their blows caused shockwaves, creating miniature explosions as their fists collided with each other.


    It was like a battle of two giants.


    From an outsider''s perspective, it seemed ridiculous and unbelievable. If the Sorcerer who made the Golem was here, they would definitely be shocked as well.


    The Golem was reinforced with heavy physical resistance, physical attacks should be ineffective against it.


    Not to mention the material used to forge its body, the Golem''s physical strength could be said to be as strong as C Rank hunter.


    But Ragna defied it. More urately, his strength was prating through the physical resistance like it was nothing.


    [Giant''s Strength (Passive): The Body is the weapon itself. Through cruel training, the physical body contains attributes that render ''normal'' defenses useless.]


    Bam! Bam! Pow!


    After a while, the Golem seemed to have enough of him and suddenly clenched its fist. Thunder bellowed on its arms, and with unbelievable speed, it struck.


    Ragna saw through the attack moments prior but didn''t dodge. He relished taking his opponents'' attacks to experience their strength.


    The thunderous fist struck!


    Boom!


    Ragna gasped audibly, with thunder crackling throughout his whole body. The lightning danced on his body.


    It crackled, with thunderous echoes, it was deadly and ferocious. But aside from making him feel a slight pain, it gave no real injuries.


    Ragna recovered quickly from the attack. As though he wasn''t just fried with lightning just now, heughed joyfully.


    "That was a good one! It stung quite a bit, but that''s still far away from damaging me!"


    The Golem retracted its fist, seemingly surprised at the man managing to resist the attack. It narrowed its pupils and stared at the white-haired herculean.


    It had five abilities granted by its creator, [Firest],[Earth Eruption], [Water Shield], [Lightning Strike], and [Four Elemental st].


    Among them, [Four Elemental st] was the strongest in destructiveness but it exhausted all of his energy reserves, so it was a trump card at best.


    But the second strongest was¡ª[LightningStrike]¡ªa?normal second-circle spell that was improved by its creator.


    If used on a Rank D student, that student would faint upon receiving the attack. It could even kill if one was not careful of using it.


    However, thankfully the Golem was programmed to not exceed damage beyond fainting.


    It would only release power equivalent to how much the participant it fought could handle, and it would continue increasing power until the participant faints.


    But, in the case of Ragna, it released all of its dormant power¡­ and yet.


    The man was unaffected.


    At that moment, even with its simple thinking, the Golem realized: the man in front of him was different.


    Ragna looked up and grinned widely.


    [Blessed By Nature (Passive): Since birth, you possessed unparalleled strength. Nature blesses you with its powers, making the body heavily resistant to external damage/control.]


    "You''re pretty strong, but hehe¡­"


    Ragna chuckled and easily shoved off the attack like it was nothing. He cracked his fingers loudly, stretched his arm, and used a skill.


    At this point, he already felt the extent of the Golem''s power. It was strong... but no different from the meals he ate on the mountains.


    Crack¡ª!


    At that moment, Ragna''s whole arm zed. A scarlet red phantom of a dragon suddenly enamored his whole arm as an overwhelming force surrounded it.


    [Dragon''s Fist]


    In the Mountains, there were rumored dragons who asionally appeared to devour beasts. They were real dragons, not mere wyverns, but flying beasts truly possessing dragon blood.


    But their dragon blood, although pure, was quite few, only a fraction. Nheless, that fraction made them emperors of the mountains.


    In the past, Ragna encountered a dragon like that. The dragon was gigantic and overwhelming, emitting immense pressure.


    If not for the fact the dragon was injured when he met it, Ragna was sure that he would have never survived that day.


    After killing the dragon, he devoured it and with his [Totem Deity] talent, he gained one of its abilities that helped the dragon conquer the mountains.


    [Dragon Fist]


    A simple, yet overpowered skill.


    One fist to conquer the world.


    "...you''re not at my level yet. It''s a pity. I would like to enjoy more of this fight, but it doesn''t seem like you''ll survive this. Since you''re a beats, do you think I can eat you? Does stone taste tasty?"


    Ragna grinned and continued while power gathered on his arm. With a dragon crawling on his fist, the Golem was not the least intimidated.


    Golems were emotionless in nature. It recognized that none of its attacks would work on its opponent and subsequently improvised.


    There were no options left other than its strongest attack, its trump card.


    The Golem gathered both of its arms in front, with its hands spread out as though it was going tounch a beam.


    Then, lightning bellowed, fire zed, water flowed, and earth erupted. It was four elements integrating, mixing, and empowering each other.


    [Four Elemental st]


    The Golem slightly shook. With this one attack, it exhausted most of its energy reserves. Its mana was not unlimited.


    A whirling ultraviolet orb manifested, twisting the air as it gathered power, and momentster the orb reduced to palm-sized


    Standing a few meters away from the beam, Ragna could feel immense power. But he felt no fear, only thrilling joy!


    "Hehehehehe, let''s finish this, stone guy!"


    At that moment, Ragna clenched his fist and shot forward like a blur. He punched as the dragon on his arm roared while the Golem released its attack.


    BOOM!


    Two attacks of epic proportions collided with each other, causing a massive explosion in the surroundings!


    ***


    Whoosh!


    Elias grabbed the puzzled piece from the container and put it in his pocket. He turned around and looked at a figure with slightly tattered clothes.


    With a small smile, he nodded.


    "You took your time, Ragna."

 Chapter 64 Pride (1)

    <h4>Chapter 64 Pride (1)</h4>


    A dayter.


    The miniature world was basked with light, the sun ever-shining and eternally present, exuding infinite serene brilliance to the whole dimension.


    The grass expanse was stretched infinitely, as though there was no end. It was as resplendent as the day before, stuck in an immutable ataraxy.


    Elias pressed his hand to the checkmark handprint, causing a bright glow and shiver in the tower.


    Besides him, Hajin and Ragna also did the same actions from the other parts of the tower. It had been a day or so since they started traveling together.


    As it turned out, time was no different in the Inner Circle dimension, it was just the same with the outside world.


    However, there was a majordifference.


    There was no night in this ce.


    The night was absent in this separate world, disying a stagnant dimension of "every day" with no shifts of darkness.


    It was just broad daylight here, with the sun present at every moment.


    As a result, it was hard to track the time in this world. With the sun eternally present, it was difficult to notice how much time they already spent in the inner circle.


    Thankfully, whether the intentional design of the academy or mere coincidence, the special watch given to them on the first day recorded the time of the outside world.


    ''Day 3, 9:10.''


    Elias and the gang have been together for the past day. They traveled throughout the inner circle for a day, nearing the center of the dimension.


    At this moment, they were standing in front of a checkmark with the number ''3'' marked on its surface.


    Elias waited for the pir to stop trembling before turning around as he looked at his group. Hajin and Ragna backed off and looked at him, their eyes containing discreet boredom.


    Over the past few days, they kept repeating the same actions over and over. The act of unlocking checkmarks was already like second nature to them.


    If it weren''t for the asional Golems that they fought in turns, Hajin and Ragna would''ve probably died of boredom.


    Even then, beating some mass of stones losses its fun after a few attempts. Even Ragna with his battle junkie nature was disinterested after a few fights with other Golems.


    Golems, from their experiences, were pretty much the same in strength and abilities.


    Celestia and Hajin tried for themselves but didn''t have the same efficiency as Ragna had¡ªwhich made them recognize the white-haired herculean strength.


    Conversely, Ragna also seemed to acknowledge their strength. But he was more interested in Hajin, for some unknown reason.


    As for Elias, he asionally revealed some of his abilities during battles to garner a bit of trust and respect from his members, although unnecessary.


    Celestia and Ragna had already exchanged blows with him, so they roughly understood that he was quite powerful, just not having an idea to what extent.


    In the end, Elias and the gang settled to just handle the Golems together as a team to increase the efficiency.


    That did wonders. It made them much closer as a team and had the opportunity to learn about each other''s abilities, increasing their chemistry as a group.


    From how things were going, it was rather impressive how their teamwork was improving even though the group was formed on a spur of a moment.


    However, in Elias'' opinion, it was still too underdeveloped. Not that he cared, they were just using each other to pass the test anyway.


    There was no real "trust" between them.


    Elias reached out for the ''puzzle piece'' in the container and put it in his pocket.


    "We rest for the time being,"


    After saying that to the group, he took a step back and sat on a massive golem''s fallen and unresponsive body.


    Hajin, Ragna, and Celestia nodded quietly. They were walking for a while now, so it was best to rest and rx.


    Feeling bored, Hajin looked at Ragna and casually asked.


    "Yo, Big Fe. The whole exam is kinda boring, right?"


    Ragna nodded but didn''t reply.


    As though expecting it, Hajin didn''t mind and yawnedzily before asking with interest.


    "I''m curious. You''re quite strong, what did you do beforeing to this school? I never heard of your name before."


    Ragna replied casually.


    "I live in Azaraith Mountains, atleast that''s what the Old Geezer said to me. In the mountains, what I do is survive. Fight. Eat. Sleep."


    Hajin raised his brows slightly. Well, the man did present himself as some battle-crazed person, so it wasn''t that surprising to him he fought to survive.


    A mountain dweller, not the most shocking thing. But still surprising. However, where did he hear the name Azarith Mountain from again?


    Shaking off that familiarity, Hajinmented.


    "...I can''t say that''s out of my expectations. Why did youe to this academy then? I can tell you''re not the type to enjoy school."


    "To find an opponent. My old geezer told me that a lot of strong fighters are in this ce. I''m looking for a good fight,"


    Ragna grinned. He clenched his hand tightly, looking at Elias on top of the golem before turning to Hajime with a knowing gaze.


    "Hm, that makes sense. The Arcane Academy is indeed full of geniuses¡­ at least from what I''ve heard. It will satisfy your wishes,"


    Hajin nodded, ignoring the sharp gaze.


    Although he wasn''t that interested in the affairs of the Rankedmunity, he knew some geniuses in that part of society.


    As a matter of fact, he knew a couple of faces in the academy.


    "...But is that all that you came here for?"


    "That''s all."


    "I see."


    "Yes."


    Ragna nodded and turned quiet. Beside him, Hajin fell silent as well and kept his eyes open, as though waiting for something.


    However, Ragna didn''t speak anymore afterward. The conversation suddenly froze as both of them fell silent.


    "..."


    After a moment of silence, Hajin awkwardly coughed and broke the pregnant pause.


    "...Aren''t you going to ask me?"


    "About what?"


    "...Nevermind."


    Hajin sighed, shaking his head. He wasn''t surprised anymore, this was not the first time he was talking to Ragna.


    During their travels, they asionally took a break and he would take that chance to know more about the others.


    After a day of traveling, he gained a rough understanding of their personalities and background.


    Knowing all that, Hajin sighed as he concluded.


    ''My teammates are truly strange. A cold, silent mysterious cousin¡­ a crazy nun chick¡­ and a giant battle junkie.''


    ''But¡­ this is what makes this interesting. More fun.''


    Hajin thought, repressing a smile to appear on his lips


    ***


    On top of the Golem''s head, Elias perched on the destroyed guardian of the pir, simr to a king taking a seat on his throne.


    From below, he could sense Hajin and Ragna''s boredom.


    ''It would be strange if they weren''t bored.''


    The inner circle examination was monotonous this year, focusing on traveling and collecting puzzle pieces.


    It was understandable to feel bored. Only God knew how many miles and time they spent walking to each checkmark and another, activating it before subsequently realizing that the fragment inside was something they already had.


    The fragments in the checkmarks were randomized, although not fully random.


    Each fragment or piece had different chances of appearing, some like the fifth fragment to the eighth fragments were rare.


    In contrast, the first four pieces weremon.


    Elias and the gang hade to a lot of checkmarks and the first four pieces were the pieces they found most of the time.


    At first, they didn''t think much of it. But after repeated attempts, the gang felt a profound sense of pointlessness.


    However, it wasn''t all for naught. In ordance with their efforts, they had already gotten over half of the needed fragments, only missing a couple of them.


    ''6 fragments, while the total needed is 8¡­ Hm. We''re just short of two. That''s easy enough, we can slow down at this part.''


    Elias was not particrly in a rush, even if the others were already overwhelmed by boredom.


    There was still the ck sheep that yet to appear.


    While he was musing by himself, Elias suddenly remembered that this was the day that Rain''s team met Elizabeth and Zyrish.


    ''I''m not sure of the exact timeframe, but it will happen today. They will group up¡­ I wonder if we will encounter them?''


    Truthfully, he wasn''t looking forward to it. He didn''t really want to see the faces of the characters he created, especially Rain.


    They reminded him of his past. Elias closed his eyes. Not to mention, he didn''t want to establish any connection with the characters in this world at all.


    That included Hajin, Ragna, and Celestia.


    In fact, if this Inner Circle examination was not about teamwork¡ª-he would''ve finished this exam alone without a team.


    There was no need for allies when you could do it yourself. From his experience, allies and friendships were rather unreliable.


    ''The only reliable thing in this world is the self.''


    As cruel and cynical as that sounded, it was the lesson he learned from his life of crime. To rely on others was a weakness.


    However, although he knew that, Elias was not a delusional person.


    He understood clearly that he was not strong. He was still part of the weak people who relied on others as well, and it was hypocritical for him to preach about the notion of self-reliance.


    There were times in the past when he relied on others, such as the matter with the Five Musketeers and Uncle Sanchez, and he knew that it would continue happening until in the end such weakness would be his downfall.


    From his experience, Elias came to understand something.


    When you rely too much on others, you begin to rely less on yourself and you gradually be weak and too trustful.


    Then, it wille to a point when you be too dependent andpletely unable to stop yourself from relying on others.


    What happens when those other people you''re relying on leave or betray you?


    The consequences need not be said.


    You will be left alone, unable to ept the reality, and gradually step into the path of self-destruction¡­


    ''How familiar. Fuck, I hate being reminded of that person. That fucking bastard.''


    Elias gritted his teeth, being reminded of someone in the past.


    A vision of a person that stood beside him in the past suddenly shed in his memories. Then, that person smiled and pushed him off to darkness


    That was the fate of the weak. That was his fate once more if he would continue to rely on the others and stay weak and powerless.


    Elias understood that fully.


    That''s why he can never be satisfied.


    He needed to get stronger. Better. So he would not be weak, he would not lose control of his life, he would be free.


    Free like a bird in the sky, free like the emperor on the throne, and free like an infinite ocean with no depths¡­


    Elias unconsciously clenched his fist tightly.


    At this moment, Celestia interrupted him.


    "Leader, there''s people in sight."

 Chapter 65 Pride (2)

    <h4>Chapter 65 Pride (2)</h4>


    "Leader, there''s people in sight."


    Elias opened his eyes, loosening his tight grip over his hands. He took a deep breath as he temporarily shoved away his thoughts to the recesses of his mind.


    Let''s not think about it right now.


    Hearing Celestia''s words, he furrowed his brows. It was not like it was out of his expectations to meet other people, but it was still too early.


    If he remembered correctly, there were indeed some participants who managed to reach the inner circle earlier today, but they should still be wandering at the borders.


    That meant that these people approaching them on their sight were prodigies who were more or less important characters in the novel since they were near the center dimension.


    But who could they be?


    ''It can''t be Rain and his group, right? That would be too troublesome.''


    While thinking about this, Elias turned to look in the direction where she was pointing towards.


    From the north, they could see two eye-catching figures slowly sauntering forward. One of them had blonde hair, while the other had scarlet red hair.


    To Elias'' surprise, he knew the duo. He was certainly not expecting to cross paths with them today, they were equally as troublesome as meeting Rain and his group.


    He didn''t expect to meet the two of them this soon, did he perhaps jinx himself earlier? It was Lance Schultz and another person.


    Would meeting them like this affect the plot?


    Elias suddenly narrowed his eyes. Considering their identity, there was arge chance that the current plot would have some ramifications if he met them like this.


    But at the same time, if he met them like this and made full use of this opportunity, he could gain arge advantageter on in the climax.


    After considering the benefits and losses, Elias promptly decided to meet them. As for the plot potentially going haywire¡­ well, he''ll handle it when it does.


    There was little room for the plot to go haywire at this point of the story, so it wasn''t something to be afraid of. The consequences were minute.


    "Wait for them here,"


    Elias thought for a moment before speaking. Since they were able to see the two of them, the duo most likely already saw their group as well.


    It might be the reason they were approaching in the first ce.


    Whoosh!


    However, ignoring his words¡ªRagna suddenly flew up as wind gathered on his body. Without a word, he abruptly shot towards the direction of the duo.


    Before they knew it, Ragna was already flying away in the sky with a wide grin on his face. He dashed towards the north with unmatched speed.


    Elias and the rest were stunned.


    Quickly recovering, Elias shook his head as he pursed his lips. Prior to inviting the man to the group, he knew Ragna wouldn''t follow his words unconditionally¡ªthere was no trust between them yet.


    Ragna followed them because of the requirements of the test, not because of trust or friendship. Due to that, he didn''t have any high hopes of ordering the man as he wished.


    Perhaps if he fought Ragna in a fight and made the man acknowledge his strength, then his words would have had an effect on the savage man, but now was not the time for it to happen.


    Although he knew that, he still couldn''t help but feel some annoyance.


    ''Hm, Ragna is getting bored for a while now¡­ then I suppose I can let him have his fun for the moment, there''s nothing to do anyway. This would also help in what I n to do.''


    ''As for Lance¡­ he should be okay. Lance Schultz is strong enough to contend against Ragna, he is not the rival of the main character for no reason. If we''re going by overall ability, they are roughly equal.''


    ''Still, extra insurance is needed. Considering both of their personalities, they might kill themselves from stubbornness before giving up.''


    Thinking for a moment, Eliasmanded.


    "Hajin, go with Ragna. Stop the fight after he had his fun,"


    Hearing his words, Hajin was surprised a little. But he didn''t reject the suggestion, in fact, he was curious about the new people as well.


    But¡­ he didn''t want to be ordered around like a subordinate. He had his pride, he only followed Elias because he was his cousin.


    Hajin narrowed his eyes.


    "Don''t order me around willy-nilly. Don''t think I''ve forgotten about you forcing me to fight that beast king. I''ve almost died."


    "I''ll introduce you to some girls in the academy."


    "You''re ignoring the point."


    "Uncle Sanchez didn''t give you an allowance, right? I''ll give you some money to spend in the academy, as much as you need."


    "...Damn it. Aye, aye, captain,"


    Hajin rubbed his nose. Well, might as well have fun. He activated his movement technique and dashed towards the north and the duo.


    ***


    In the north.


    Lance stopped walking as he frowned. He turned up and looked at the sky, taking sudden notice of a huge figure suddenly flying towards them like a wind dragon.


    Behind him, there was a scarlet red-haired man with a calm and smiling expression, letting out a creepy vibe. He stared at Ragna with some confusion.


    "Do you know who they are?"


    "...No."


    Lance searched through his memories, however, he didn''t find any records or information about a white-haired burly man.


    That meant it''s either the man was nothing to worry about, or the man was everything to worry about. His premonition told him that it was thetter.


    Thinking for a moment, Lance took the spear behind his back and skillfully handled it.


    "I''ll take care of this."


    "Alright if you say so,"


    The red-haired man seemed surprised. He nodded and activated a skill. Below his feet, his shadow wriggled and stretched.


    Then, with a blink, he retreated to a short distance.


    Lance nodded with appreciation. There were very few people he would acknowledge like this, and that spoke volumes about the scarlet red-haired man''s strength.


    The red-haired man''s name was Yoru, he met him yesterday at the borders of the dimension.


    After distancing himself from Rain and Sumi, he quickly realized that there was no chance he could do the test alone, due to its requirements.


    Thankfully, while he was wandering around, he met Yoru and abruptly fought against the red-haired man, with the end result of him winning at the end.


    But Lance didn''t look down on Yoru for losing, not at all, in fact, he acknowledged the man''s strength for fighting even with him for quite some time before losing.


    Yoru was sufficient as an ally. He would do good as his subordinateter on in the academy.


    At this moment, the white-haired figure finally arrived above him.


    He wasrge, like a giant. Lance thought while staring at the figure above. He couldn''t properly assess the man from a distance, but up close, he could sense that the man was strong.


    With a towering physique, the man abruptly fell to the ground.


    Whoosh!


    Then, Lance slightly lifted his gaze and finally saw the full appearance of the man.


    It was a white-haired man with a towering body. Totems, or abstract symbols, danced around his waist to his chest like tattoos. Aside from that, the most notable detail of his skin was his scars, scattered around his body randomly, as though he experienced hundreds of gruesome battles.


    As though a mad giant, the man''s eyes were narrowed while his lips curled a wide grin.


    "What''s your name?"


    "It''s polite to introduce yourself first before asking others, savage baboon."


    With derision in his tone, Lance waved his spear in an arc emotionlessly. He manipted his mana and transformed the edge of his spear with sharp water, making it extremely potent and sharp.


    Using the opportunity, he immediately went for the attack. He shed his spear diagonally while looking at the man with surprise and mixed disdain.


    Whoosh!


    Ragna merely stood still, watching the spear close into him. He wasn''t dodging or preparing any defensive measures, in fact, he was waiting for the attack instead.


    Bam!


    After the attack connected, Lance''s face suddenly scrunched up into a heavy frown. Then, his eyes turned serious, no longer containing any disdain or arrogance, reced with wariness.


    "Oh?"


    Ragna looked at where the spearnded. On his shoulder, a small wound opened as blood seeped on the silver spear.


    As soon as he was damaged, the wound immediately healed thereafter as if there was no damage that urred in the first ce.


    Ragna smiled, faintly impressed.


    "That was a nice try. But now¡­ is that all?"


    Hearing his words, Lance narrowed his eyes. The silver spear, invigorated with the sharpness of water, could only create an incision wound that immediately healed.


    I?have to go all out.

 Chapter 66 Pride (3)

    <h4>Chapter 66 Pride (3)</h4>


    I have to go all out.


    Lance''s eyes shed a resolute gaze. He took a step back, taking his spear with him, and activated a skill in a split second.


    [Noble Light]¡ª!


    At that moment, his spear turned bright. Calm, yet destructive light suddenly bloomed on the tip like the dawn of judgement.


    The light was ephemeral and heavenly, as though it could burn the darkest abyss and lower hells with one wisp.


    The Six Great Noble Families had their own unique signature abilities. These signature moves were what made them renowned in the entire world.


    Noble Light was the signature skill of the Schultz family. It had a special and mysterious ability, albeit a simple effect.


    Upon activation, it would conjure ''the light of existence'' for the user to strengthen themselves and their weapon.


    The light of existence refers to the light of the ''spirit'' of the user.


    [Noble Light ¡ª Using mana to exert the spirit, the user would be able to conjure a special ''light''ing from their spirit to strengthen themselves or their weapon.]


    From a certain angle, one could refer to this ''light'' as the spirit itself ¡ª thus it was referred to as the ''light of existence'' by its users.


    If the user uses the ''light'' on themselves, they would gain a significant boost in their overall strength and abilities.


    Alternatively, they could also imbue it on their weapon and grant their weapon a translucent ''light'' that could pierce and burn through most defenses.


    There was also an option of doing both of the choices simultaneously, but they were not rmended.


    It had to do with the drawback of Noble Light.


    Among the other skills, Noble Light, despite its well-known prowess, uses minimal amounts of mana.


    But as a drawback, the user would experience rapid exhaustion and depletion of stamina during the timeframe they use Noble Light.


    With such a w, Noble Light could only be used sparingly and as a trump card against difficult opponents.


    At this moment, Lance was using the skill at the very beginning of the battle. It was evident how much he took Ragna seriously.


    In a split second, the silver spear transformed into an inverted spear of heaven, brightly burning and emitting an overwhelming light.


    Facing such a light even Ragna felt threatened. But there was no bit of terror seeping on his face, but rather delirious excitement.


    "Come!"


    Ragna shouted with a wide smirk. He clenched both of his hands and activated [Dragon''s Fist] twice ¡ª two dragon phantoms appeared on his two arms.


    With dragon phantoms on both of his arms, Ragna stared at Lance with a grin that almost reached his ears.


    Lance stared back coldly, offering no emotions. His eyes shed an emotion of pride and indifference.


    After a slight pause, the two simultaneously ran to each other!


    Whoosh!


    A spectacr sight immediately formed.


    Light shed rapidly like the dawn of judgement, striking the red arms of the demonic white-haired man.


    Bam! Pow! Rip¡ª!


    Ragna moved his hands deftly, defending against each spear thrust and stroke. His tant excited grin was all the evidence needed to tell how much he was enjoying the fight.


    Every time the spear hit him, he would suffer some great damage to his body. Because he kept receiving attack after attack, It didn''t take long before his two arms were filled with bleeding gashes and burns from light.


    Normally, [Blessing of Nature (Passive)] would''ve significantly reduced the damage of any elemental attacks, including light.


    But Noble Light brought out the ''light of existence'' itself ¡ª it was not the normal elemental light from nature, but rather the light born from living things.


    It wasn''t included in the defense the [Blessing of Nature (Passive)] gave to him.


    However, although he was filled with deep wounds, he didn''t feel any pain. If his numerous scars were any proof, he had suffered more painful injuries in the past.


    Compared to those injuries in the past, this little bit of damage and burn was nothing. It was like a mere itch to him.


    After a while, Ragna''s smile deepened. If there was anyone who knew him here, they would realize this was an indication that he was going to start his counterattack.


    It was rare for him to appear so bloody and damaged like this, but¡­ these level of attacks was not enough to threaten him.


    Additionally, there was something strange and amiss. He could feel that the blonde haired man was still hiding something, and he didn''t like it.


    If the man wasn''t going to show it, Ragna would force it out of him. in and simple. Like how beasts would show their everything in the face of death, this was the same scenario.


    Whoosh!


    At this moment, Ragna suddenly turned around. He greeted Lance with a menacing grin, one that looked especially terrifying.


    In the time for a blink to happen, Ragna punched with overwhelming might!


    His right arm, filled with potent and terrifying might, shot forward while the scarlet red dragon dancing on his arm roared.


    ROAR!


    Lance''s pupils instantly dted. He wanted to dodge, but he quickly realized that the fist would reach him first before he could even move.


    Faced with the terrifying attack, he immediately decided within his mind. A two-circle circle appeared on his head. Lance muttered under his breath.


    [Earth Shield]¡ª!


    The ground below suddenly morphed. A tall hard wall made of soil erupted from below, blocking the fist in front of him.


    At that moment, the terrifying fist connected.


    BOOM!


    The earth wall was instantly shattered to dust!


    It had no effect against Ragna''s fist. Like ss, it was extremely fragile in the face of his single potent attack!


    "Hehe, did you think this puny thing¡­!"


    Ragna grinned, but his pupils suddenly dted. His wide smile faded, turning serious. At that moment, he felt a long-lost sensation suddenly reappear within him.


    The sensation of ¡ª Death.


    On the other side, his fist was halted by a spear shrouded with heavenly light. It was evident that the spear confronted his fist head-on.


    However, despite that¡­ the spear had no damage. It was as refined and polished as before, emitting overwhelming light.


    But on the contrary, his fist was bleeding. Burning from the light. His prided attack couldn''t even shatter the heavenly spear, instead was damaged.


    Even then¡­ Ragna did not focus on that. He looked at the figure wielding the spear, the blonde haired man with a striking appearance.


    ''Something changed.''


    Lance Schultz stared back with his golden pupils emitting a faint wisp of light. His body had sustained no damage from the attack.


    Different from before, heavenly light could be seen dancing around his figure ¡ª guarding him from the insignificance of the world.


    Before the attack connected, Lance used Noble Light to himself.


    Why was Noble Light renowned enough to be a signature skill of the Schultz Family?


    At a nce, it seemed like a simple reinforcement skill that merely increases the user''s strength and ability. There were plenty of skills like that in the Rankermunity.


    But Noble Light, despite having the same effects, was treated as one of the most powerful skills in the Rankermunity.


    The reason was simple.


    Noble Light did not simply increase the user''s strength and defense, it made the user effectively¡­ indestructible against an opponent of the same rank


    After using Noble Light for themselves, the user would be able to negate most of the damageing their way.


    Noble Light was the perfect reinforcement skill. It gave immense strength to weapons and a nearly indestructible defense to the user.


    Lance retracted his spear, stabbing its hilt on the ground. He looked at Ragna and spoke with arrogance.


    "Stand proud, savage baboon. You forced me to this extent¡­ I''ll warn you out of my gracious heart. I''m going to use my spear techniques now. I only use them against strong opponents,"


    Hearing his words, Ragna''s lips curled into a wide smirk. He grinned with fervor, exhibiting excitement and demonic zeal.


    "Hehehehe, I thought you were done! You''ve finally shown what you were hiding¡­ that''s good then. Use those techniques. Use everything. I''ll use everything as well!"


    At this moment, an overwhelming aura erupted from Ragna''s body. It increased his power by twice the amount, inting the pressure over the surroundings.


    The two of them stared at each other.


    Ragna was like a giant, while Lance seemed like a small person inparison. The former was excited, while thetter was cold.


    They assumed a stance, preparing to attack ¡ª but at that moment a voice suddenly broke the tense silence between them.


    "Hey, that''s enough."


    Hajin stepped forward, his sunsses covering his eyes while he stared at them. He held a ck staff in his hands casually.


    His voice wascking the usual nonchnt and joking tone he always had reced by a solemn pitch.


    "You guys think you can stop fighting for me? I''m supposed to stop you two. My cousin is quite stingy¡­ but I''m promised a good reward this time, you see."


    Hajin said calmly. He put the ck staff behind him while he lowered his head, showing a glimpse of his sharp eyes.

 Chapter 67 Weak (1)

    <h4>Chapter 67 Weak (1)</h4>


    The atmosphere was tense and silent.


    Hajin gazed at both of them from his sunsses. He gave off a solemn vibe, intrinsically different from his usual actions.


    Ragna lowered his head and did not reply. However, upon a closer look, one could see his body slightly trembling from rage.


    Being disturbed from a great battle, Ragna was without a doubt thoroughly enraged. That was the simplest description of his emotions right now.


    Ragna retracted his shaking fist. He raised his head, bluish and purplish veins protruding on his face from infallible anger. He turned around and slowly approached towards Hajin.


    Thump¡­ thump¡­


    Menacing, that was the air he gave off.


    It seemed like even the wind agreed as with each step he took the wind stilled, silent as though afraid.


    It was like calm before the storm. A boiling silence permeated the battlefield¡ªwith all eyes directed to the towering man who resembled a children''s nightmare.


    "What..."


    Slowly, Ragna crept upon Hajin and looked down on him. His voice was silent but deafening.


    "...gave you the guts to interrupt my fight!? Hajin, do you want to die?!"


    ROAR!


    The scarlet dragons on his arms roared with him, thoroughly angered by Hajin''s remarks from earlier. It was raging to attack at moments notice.


    Coupled with the immense and terrifying aura emitting from his body, he truly resembled a demonic asura now.


    However, there was no trace of fear or nervousness on Hajin''s face despite that. It was as though there was nothing in front of him at all.


    Although Ragna was stronger than him in almost every aspect, who said that was what defined who wins a fight?


    ''This is way beyond my pay grade...''


    Hajin looked directly into Ragna''s eyes, raising his brows. He sighed tiredly. Then, he raised his hand and lightly touched his ck staff.


    Hum¡ª!


    At that moment, both Ragna and Lance''s pupils instantly dted. They suddenly took a step back, with their expressions turning grave.


    ¡ª!


    It was a mere second, but they saw it. They saw a sudden sh appear and felt their limbs be suddenly sliced off in half.


    It was no exaggeration.


    Ragna and Lance gazed at Hajin grimly.


    Although it was a mere feeling, they intuitively knew that it was a premonition¡ªa warning of what would happen if they let their guards down against the man in front of them.


    Instant defeat.


    But¡­ that was only if they let their guards down. If they were serious, it was unknown what could happen.


    At that moment, Hajin rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly.


    "You know what? I don''t wanna die today. Girls and wealth are nothingpared to life, so you guys can continue fighting. Go on, go on, don''t mind me,"


    Hajin sighed in regret and took a step back. He waved his hands casually, acting as though nothing had just happened.


    Lance furrowed his brows and opened his mouth. But before he could even speak, he suddenly heard Ragnaugh boisterously.


    "Hahahahahaha! It seems¡­ I was not wrong about you. You have the air of an apex predator. A hidden dragon. It''s not difficult to convince me, I''ll go back with you as long as you promise to fight me too."


    "Nu-uh,"


    Hajin instantly shook his head. I''m not crazy enough to fight a guy like you¡­ Go ask that saintess chick or something, she''s definitely crazy enough¡­


    Probably.


    However, Ragna was not surprised by his instant rejection. Heughed with immense excitement instead.


    "That''s good! We will fight in the academy, with no disruptions. Of course, that''s after I beat up your cousin first¡­!"


    Merely from the entrance exam, he had already encountered several opponents worth fighting. That was a cause for celebration!


    Ragna was truly delighted to find plenty of worthy opponents. All of the anger brought by being disturbed in a fight was immediately washed away.


    There was always time to fightter.


    Near them, Lance quietly deactivated Noble Light and immediately felt a sense of weakness assault him from inside.


    But because he experienced it countless times already in the past, he was already used to it and brushed it off easily.


    Feeling slightly empty, Lance snorted. Beside him, a shadow suddenly crept up and Yoru appeared with a slight bow.


    "I suggest that we should take a step back and meet the person they were talking about, Lance."


    Hearing that, Lance frowned. That was originally the n¡­ but now he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen if he did, but he nodded in agreement regardless.


    I''ll go meet that person then.


    ***


    On the checkmark, Elias sat on top of a six-meter tall golem''s body. He wore a calm, amused smile and reached out his hand.


    "You''re Lance Schultz, right? My name is Elias Corleone. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    "...It''s a pleasure to meet you too."


    Lance nodded, rather surprised. He reached out his hand and epted the handshake. He observed the man in front of him.


    The man was charismatic and handsome, for theck of a better word. He had short white hair and wore a formal ck suit, while his skin was white and pale, he possessed a calming air that naturally gravitated other people around him.


    Furthermore, from the man''s mere smile and actions¡ªone could subtly discern a disy of overwhelming confidence with disregard for everything.


    Brilliant and rebellious, supported by his head-strong ck eyes that could seemingly triumph over any insurmountable challenge.


    From his impression of Ragna and Hajin, he faintly expected the one¡ªthe man¡ªleading them both to be an unreliable person as well.


    ''This person is definitely not simple¡­ but why haven''t I heard of him?''


    Color him surprised, Lance thought as he looked at Elias. However, the next few words that came out of the man''s mouth made him immediately stunned.


    "Now, let''s get straight into business. I''ll let you and your friend go if you give me your fragments. All of them."


    Elias spoke while his smile faded, his gaze turned cold as it leered down on Lance from above the golem''s head.


    Robbing.


    Although the inner circle exam tested the teamwork of a group to pass, there were certain loopholes participants could use to pass.


    If you have no team or your efficiency is too low as a group, then resorting to robbing other people of their puzzle fragments could be your only choice.


    Lance also thought of that, but unfortunately, the current participants that reached the inner circle were very few, so there were close to none to rob.


    As for the Arcane Academy punishing them for their actions?


    Nonsense.


    This world was not a just one. Wherever power existed, there was bound to be a ssification of the weak and strong.


    In a world where strength could triumph over even an army of men, the authority of the world belonged to the strong.


    Weak were the prey of the strong. All the factions and guilds in the world followed that philosophy although in a very subtle manner.


    As long as you''re strong enough in this world, it will follow your way. Even Arcane Academy followed this philosophy and taught it to their students.


    This world¡­ does not take kindly to the weak.

 Chapter 68 Weak (2)

    68 Weak (2)


    While Lance was sizing him up, Elias was also doing the same.


    Lance Schultz.


    He was a handsome man with little to no ws, one could even say he was perfect in any manner of appearance. He had shining, golden hair as though blessed by the stars.


    From his stature alone, he disyed an arrogant, and prideful air that made him appear detached from his surroundings, as though above all others.


    There was an aura of extreme derision and coldness emitting from his frosty golden pupils, making the people who see him naturally stay away from his sight in apprehension.


    Like the Sun, he took everyone''s attention by his mere presence and appearance alone. Ifpared to Elias, thetter might as well be invisible air.


    In the novel [Heroes of the New Age], he was one of the most prizing characters. There were different opinions regarding his character.


    Some hated him, but others loved him. It wasplicated. Some just didn''t like his personality and motives, conversely some liked him with passion.


    However, there was one thing for sure that both sides of the fanmunity could agree upon: Lance was definitely aplicated, pitiable character.


    Lance Schultz, the second son of the Head Duke of the Schultz family, had debuted at the age of 10 as one of the most talented Rankers of the new generation.


    Some say that if not for his slightly more prodigious and illustrious brother, Lance Schultz might as well have been the sessor of the Schultz family.


    Regardless, Lance was still talented in his own right even then. In some certain aspects, he was more blessed than his brother


    It was extremely easy to hate him for his prideful, and arrogant demeanour. But there was a reason that strange personality came to be, and remembering it gave Elias a faint sigh.


    Once again, the consequences of his actions continue to haunt him.


    At this moment, Lance widened his eyes with incredulity and shock. He almost thought he was hearing things¡ªhe, a member of the prestigious Schultz family, was being robbed?


    There was a certain level of confidence a man could have until it turned into blind arrogance, and eventually maddening delusion. This one was definitely at the top.


    From seeing Elias as a reliable person, Lance immediately had a change of impression. He furrowed his brows, an intense frown taking over his face.


    "Are you crazy? What do you mean by that? I''ll give you a chance to take back your words, Elias Corleone."


    Elias shook his head calmly, looking straight into him.


    "Exactly as I mean. I''m not fond of bullshit, so give those fragments to me and I''ll let you go. It''s a win-win situation for both of us."


    Feeling his gaze peering into his soul, Lance unconsciously clenched his hand. He couldn''tprehend the sudden hostility.


    ''Hm, wait...''


    Then, he suddenly thought of something that made his frown intensify.


    Lance red at Elias coldly.


    "Who are you exactly? Why are you doing this? I have a guess. Are you someone sent here by my brother to stall me or prevent me from enrolling?"


    It was definitely possible. From what Lance knew of his brother, this was exactly the type of thing he would do just to spite him or annoy him.


    However, Elias instead clicked his tongue in annoyance. He casually waved his hands in dismissal.


    "No. I don''t follow any high-strung noble''s orders. Though, I can see why you think that way. It might not hit you yet, but I''m simply robbing you because I can. It''s not thatplicated,"


    That made Lance pause in stupefaction, veins then protruded on his forehead as anger surged in his body like a boiling volcano.


    ''So he''s not sent by my brother... Then, why? Just because?''


    What was this situation? He couldn''t make any sense of it at all.


    Robbing him just because they can¡­? It was as though the man was subtly implying that he was weak and had no chance to resist him.


    It felt like he was being mocked, and dismissed so casually.


    No, being mocked was an understatement of a century.


    He was entirely being disregarded. Spat upon. The strength and pride he cultivated all these years were being stepped upon like he was just some random trash in the street.


    Lance red ferociously as he cenched his jaw tightly. He tightened the grip on his hand, restraining himself fromshing out.


    "... Are you mocking me right now? Do you think that you can rob me just because you want?!"


    Lance felt truly angered by the incredulousness of the situation. He found this situation more irritating and annoying than the time he met that annoying man from the outer circle.


    But Elias simply responded with a silent nod. Not even bothering to give him a satisfying reply.


    Whoosh!


    Unable to control his anger, he reached out to his spear, but before he could do anything, he suddenly heard Elias speak once more.


    "I''d warn you not to do anything. It won''t end well for you, Schultz."


    Lance was ready tosh out from being mocked and looked down upon, but as he heard the man''s words¡ªhe suddenly looked at his surroundings.


    The long white-haired man savage baboon that he fought earlier was simply watching with an indifferent smile and with faint excitement too.


    The dark blue-haired clown¡ªhe recognized as Hajin Sanchez¡ªthat gave him a dangerous vibe simply smiled nonchntly, as though everything currently happening was not of his concern.


    Then¡­ there was the strange, white-haired girl emitting pure divinity. She had an empty, sapphire pair of pupils that were seemingly deep as the sea, and bottomless as the abyss.


    She was staring at him, or rather behind him. At Yoru.


    She looked familiar.


    It took a moment until it clicked for Lance why he felt that the woman was familiar. She was the current generation Saintess, Celestia Lilinia of the Holy Orthodox Church.


    Then, he suddenly realized the situation he was in.


    He was surrounded.


    ''Everyone here¡­ is strong. If they alle together, then I''ll lose. Even if I went all out, using everything, I probably can''t win.''


    Despite knowing this, Lance didn''t even take a second to make a decision. Feeling anger surge within him, he curled his lips mockingly and clicked his tongue with derision.


    "Do you think I''ll give you my fragments just because you asked me for it? I would rather die than forsake my pride, bastard. It''s a pity¡­ you bastard, I''ve thought highly of you,"


    "Thought so. Noble families are really troublesome, they''re too prideful. But¡­ you seem to misunderstand something,"


    Elias shrugged before raising his brows, much to Lance''s confusion. While sitting on the golem, he continued calmly.


    "Number 1. I''m not asking you, It''s an order."


    "Number 2. You don''t have to act scared like I''m going to jump on you with my teammates, you think too highly of yourself."


    Then, he raised three of his fingers.


    "Lastly, Number 3. I''m stronger than you by a mile,"


    While saying that, there was no trace of arrogance on his face. It was just in, overwhelming confidence. It was as though it was not a statement, but a fact.


    Lance felt like he was being mocked and being looked down upon and couldn''t control himself. He immediately took out his spear, infused Noble Light, and attacked.


    Tng!


    However, a leg suddenly blocked the spear''s trajectory and pushed him back in a split second. Lance''s pupils dted as he tried to retreat.


    But Elias was not having it. He arrived in front of Lance as though he teleported and grasped the nobleman''s face, clenching it as he mmed him to the ground.


    Bam!


    Lance audibly gasped, unable to react. He looked above him and saw the white-haired man gazing at him coldly and indifferently.


    "You¡­"


    "Are you going to give them or not? I''d be more than willing to knock you out, and rob you afterwards."


    Elias asked with a cold gaze.


    The arc is almost ending! It''s pretty close. About 6 chapters or so, maybe

 Chapter 69 Weak (3)

    69 Weak (3)


    Looking at the pair of callous dark pupils staring down at him, Lance recognized ruthlessness that disregarded everything in Elias'' eyes.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt it was familiar. Those merciless, indifferent eyes that would strike fear even in the demons themselves.


    It was as though he had seen such eyes before¡­


    ''Ah.''


    Then, he remembered.


    It was like the eyes of his father.


    If there was anything he feared in the world, it was his father''s eyes¡ªa pair of emotionless pupils that hid a merciless and unforgiving nature.


    And when looked upon, those eyes would turn into a sharp gaze that pierced through the soul, as though looking through his¡­ entirety.


    Those were the eyes of the devil itself.


    Lance froze while sweat slowly poured behind his back. Like back when he was kid, he felt a strange and unsettling sensation slowly erupt within him.


    It was a sensation that he had already forgotten ever since he swore to be strong, and now it appeared toe back at the worst possible moment.


    He knew this feeling all too well.


    One that left his mind in apprehension, a sensation that shook his very spirit, and caused his shining, golden eyes to widen in nervousness.


    It was¡ªfear.


    As seconds passed by like eternity, the unforgiving ck pupils continued to stare at him, as though haunting him.


    Lance''s eyes widened, a trace of fear and rage appearing on his eyes as his body shook. His eyes were no longer seeing Elias, but a different man.


    ''I''ll¡­ kill y¡­''


    Then, he turned unconscious.


    ***


    "Good grief,"


    Elias muttered under his breath as he tightly clenched Lance''s face. He raised his hand and looked at his palm, slightly sweating.


    Then, he turned his gaze to the unconscious Lance.


    "...That was dangerous. I went a bit too far. He almost went berserk,"


    While he was holding on to Lance, he saw the man suddenly shake from fear, and his eyes hue of gold, darkened as though infected with dark ink.


    Without hesitation, Elias immediately knocked Lance unconscious.


    He recognized what was happening the moment Lance''s eyes darkened like a bottomless abyss. In the Rankermunity, there was a legend spread around.


    The legend was not about any particr person or ce. It was about a certain phenomenon that could ur to rankers and grant them iparable strength.


    However, in exchange, those who experienced such a phenomenon would turn into ruthless demons without a sense of reality.


    Although it was a legend, it was a true phenomenon.


    It rarely urred, and most of the rankers who experienced such a phenomenon died after it happened to them.


    The phenomenon was called¡ªMana Frenzy.


    A legendary phenomenon triggered by the extreme, negative emotions of the person. It would forcefully awaken the dormant power within and raise the person''s strength to several degrees.


    Along with the power, it would cause the person to lose all reasoning and rationale, and turn mad with the sole purpose of destroying and killing.


    It''s unknown how such a phenomenon came to be, but people guessed that it urs to rankers since mana and emotionse from the same source: the spirit.


    Manaes from the spirit of being, and emotions alsoe from the spirit.


    Because of their rtionship, the sudden influx of negative emotion causes the spirit to release all the dormant, hidden mana within the person''s body.


    It would then cause the person''s strength to soar into unprecedented heights that were beyond their control, thus turning them into berserk creatures.


    They would stay in that state until their mana bes fully exhausted.


    But of course, this type of terrifying phenomenon was not possible for just anyone to trigger. It only happened to people with strong spirits.


    Furthermore, people who experienced Mana Frenzy were usually hunted and killed by the United Government Alliance in fear of them turning into cmities.


    "Tsk, this bastard pretends to be cold and distant but can''t even manage his emotions right¡­ I hate people like you the most."


    Looking at Lance''s unconscious body, Elias snickered before reaching out to the man''s pockets and grabbing the fragments hidden inside.


    Without even looking at them, he put them in his own pocket casually.


    He turned around and looked at his group.


    Ragna and Hajin were stunned, speechless. They were in awe of the speed and ability he disyed. They couldn''t sense his attacks at all.


    Lance, who was someone they would struggle with, was effortlessly defeated by Elias like their levels were so far beyond each other.


    The both of them couldn''t help but be in deep thought while gazing at Elias silently. They originally thought the difference between them and Elias was small, but this made them think otherwise¡­


    Of course, if Elias knew what they were thinking about, he would apud them for it. In truth, Lance was defeated because the man was careless.


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    A single act of carelessness was enough to decide a battle.


    Elias turned his attention to thest person in his group.


    There was Celestia who was nonchnt and had a calm smile on her face as always, as though nothing could ever faze her.


    But¡­ Celestia''s attention was not focused on him at all, instead, she was staring at the dark-haired man that apanied Lance from earlier.


    Yoru was on the corner while looking at them silently with a nervous expression.


    Elias stared at Yoru quietly. Thinking of something, he raised his hand, causing thetter to grow more nervous and afraid. But after a while, he didn''t do anything.


    Instead, he smiled and simply waved his hand.


    "Take care of yourselves. Tell Schultz if he wants revenge, he should visit me at the academy. I''m afraid, if we meet again in this examination, I won''t hold back anymore."


    After saying that, Elias walked away, and Ragna and the others followed with slightly interested expressions.


    While walking, Elias and Celestia nced at each other discreetly.


    Only after Elias and the gang were far away was Yoru able to calm down and sigh in relief. He looked at Lance as his eyes shed a strange expression.


    ***


    After a while, Lance woke up and was greeted by the eternal sunlight.


    Under the sky, he vacantly stared at space emptily. The events of what happened before he fell unconscious shed through his mind.


    At that moment, Yoru walked to him.


    "Lance, you''re awake! We lost all of our fragments. I suggest we go back to the borders of the dimension to gather more allies to increase our efficiency!"


    However, Lance didn''t reply. He continued feeling lost, staring at the ever-expanding sunlight with emptiness.


    "Lance?"


    Yoru called out, confused. But Lance ignored him and thought of Elias ¡ª he sighed and muttered under his breath.


    "... I lost."


    Examination is finally ending soon!


    Deathilim_609

 Chapter 70 Oversight (1)

    70 Oversight (1)


    One dayter.


    Lance and Yoru walked over the grass field, the glistering light of the sun basking on their figures with humidity.


    As they walked, they kept their attention forward. On their entire journey, they were silent and barely conversed with each other.


    After the loss from Elias, Lance seemed to have toned down. However, he hadpletely changed. It would take more time and losses to defeat his spirit.


    Lance still had his impassive, cold exterior but it was nowcking the golden arrogance he usually exuded.


    Yoru noticed this keen detail but didn''t dare speak about it. He was afraid that it would be a sensitive spot for Lance and he would suffer from talking about it.


    Of course, he was right about his thoughts.


    At that moment, Lance stopped and raised his brows. Yoru also stopped beside him, looking forward.


    From a distance, they could see several outlines of different people, standing around with slight bewilderment on their faces.


    Simrly, the other participants also saw them from a distance and stared at them with curiosity, interest, and a hint of wariness.


    The participants who managed toe to the inner circle were the elites of their own batch ¡ª those who had sufficient strength and talent at the same time.


    Of course, there was still a long way for them to be called a prodigy.


    Lance and Yoru nced at each other, nodding slowly.


    After a day of traveling, they finally arrived back at the borders of the dimension. Unlike the first time, they were not clueless and had a big advantage.


    They were here for a different objective: to recruit allies and form a team.


    It was simply not possible to clear this test with two people in a short amount of time. There were barely any ''two handprint checkmarks'' and most of them contained the same, useless fragments.


    If they wanted to pass this faster and with more efficiency, they needed to find more allies and start taking the other checkmarks.


    Lance agreed with this n. It was a good opportunity to find more future subordinates for the academy.


    "Let''s go."


    Lance nodded quietly, turning his gaze back to the other participants.


    Using all of his speed, he ran towards them while a white light covered his figure with Yoru following behind.


    Whoosh!


    Sooner orter, they finally arrived in front of the participants.


    Lance stopped, deactivating the white glow covering him. Behind him, Yoru appeared under a stretched shadow.


    Seeing both of them, the participants descended into confused and grave whispers, murmuring to each other.


    "Who are these people? They came from deeper dimensions¡­ did they arrive before us?"


    "Wait, huh? That''s possible! To do that they had to have killed the beast emperor in their chosen route, is that even possible?!"


    "For ordinary people like us? Absolutely not. Even if beast emperors are not truly rank C strength¡­ they''re still impossible to deal with alone by rank d rankers, unless of course¡­"


    "Wait¡­ hm!? Golden hair, golden eyes¡­ could it be?! A member of the Six Great Noble Families, the Schultz family?"


    The participants finally had a proper look at the duo. Hearing the noble families mentioned, they gasped audibly.


    The Schultz Family.


    One of the Six Great Noble Families.


    The Six Families stood above everyone in the world, having themon world and ranker world under their hands.


    They were influential and extremely powerful!


    At this moment, any airs or pride they had were immediately extinguished. They looked at Lance with slight pause and solemness.


    However, some of the other participants had their eyes flickering into a bright gleam. Their expressions immediately turned into fawning and slightly warm looks.


    This was a chance. If they cantch on a noble''s leg, they wouldn''t need to worry about anything in the academy!


    Noble''s were the epitome of status!


    Riches, influence, and support¡­ they could have it all just by being linked with a noble. Who wouldn''t be enticed? It''s especially more true to those who hailed simply from normal ranker families.


    The resources, time, and consumption to constantly get stronger as a ranker was astounding. It would normally not be a problem in lower ranks but in higher ranks, it would be a nightmare to deal with.


    That was also one of the most prevalent reasons why most Rank D or C rankers would join guildpanies or organizations, they were simply too poor to get stronger on their own.


    As children frommon Ranker families, they were already instilled in childhood by the importance of resources and hardships of rankers.


    Now that they were Rank D rankers, the resources and time they needed to spend to reach Rank C multiplied by folds.


    Unless they had greater talent and growth, then they would certainly need to rely on organizations and resources to get stronger.


    Resources were very important.


    It was the single most important thing in a ranker''s development besides their talent and growth. It could decide the ranker''s future.


    Seeing the rabble grow into amotion, Lance frowned in distaste.


    But before he could say anything, one of the participants suddenly opened their mouth and spoke in realization.


    "Huh, wait a minute¡­ A Schultz member in the academy examination, are you perhaps Lance Schultz, brother of the great Aurelius Schultz!?"


    Hearing that, Lance suddenly froze. Then, a flicker of anger shed through his eyes. Yoru noticed this and didn''t do anything.


    Lance took a deep breath, calming himself down. It was hard ¡ª but over the bigger picture, he calmed himself.


    There would be a time, he added to himself quietly.


    The mere notion of being mingled together, and rted to that person filled him with anger. Fortunately, he knew how to understand the bigger picture.


    Lance tightly clenched his hand. He looked at the person who spoke and internally remembered their appearance.


    At that moment, Yoru stepped forward. He pped his hands and emitted a shadowy oppressive aura on the other participants.


    That silenced all of them quickly. Lance nodded at Yoru with a slight acknowledgment.


    Yoru sneered coldly. He raised his head arrogantly.


    "It''s your lucky day, bunch of talkative clowns. My leader, Lance Schultz, needs teammates at the moment. However, he''ll only pick two people from your ipetent bunch who are worthy to be beneath him."


    "Since the leader and I will handle most of everything, includingbat,mands, and ns, he doesn''t need anyone who disobeys his order. If you have no intention to follow his words, get away from our sight immediately."


    "He has little to no expectations of you ipetent bunch, but do well to prove to him your worth and you will be part of his team,"


    That caused an uproar in everyone''s mind. Then, everyone''s eyes glinted ¡ª this was a rare opportunity.


    They didn''t care about the demeaning, and insulting words spouted at them. It was insignificant. Most nobles were like that.


    Looking at each other, the participants understood what they had to do.


    One person stepped forward.


    "My name is Alex, I''m a sorcerer from the Gorodan family..."


    "No,"


    Yoru suddenly stopper him. He nced at the other participants indifferently before his lips curled into a cruel, sadistic smile.


    "Fight for the position. If you wish to prove your worth, then prove it by defeating everyone here and remain as thest one standing,"


    The participants suddenly fell silent. Fighting was already second nature to most of them, but there were people among them who had hesitant expressions.


    Alex was about to continue but before he could finish speaking, someone suddenly dashed to him and attacked him.


    Alex, the sorcerer, was in disbelief as he tried to block with his staff.


    Everyone was stunned until they realized that the battle royale itself had started. Knowing this, they were grateful that some of the strong ones that arrived the same day as them had left already.


    Not before long, a chaotic scene surfaced on the battlefield with Yoru smiling in hidden glee.


    "Now, show us what you''re worth."


    Beside him, Lance nced at him with a slightly strange gaze.

 Chapter 71 Mistake (2)

    71 Mistake (2)


    It was the fifth day of the academy examination.


    The empty, serene vast Greenfield of the inner circle was filled with people traversing towards the center, their eyes flickering with resolute determination.


    Most of the participants had already arrived at the inner circle, and those that still hadn''t¡­ were most likely already weeded out from thepetition.


    Throughout the entire inner circle, the greenfield was filled with marks of battle ¡ª evidence of multiple battles that took ce in days prior.


    Whether it was skirmishes between participants, team cooperation against golems, or fractured team unity.


    In one of the checkmarks near the center of the inner circle, there was a golem that was destroyed into pieces.


    "Finally,"


    Lance muttered to himself. He raised his hand and looked at the shimmering, stone fragment twirling on his fingers.


    After a day of traveling, he finally found most of the fragments, missing only thest piece. It wouldn''t have been so fast if not for those ''monkeys'' giving their fragments to him.


    Inspired by Elias and his gang, Lance forcefully took the fragments of the other participants his team came across.


    It made his efficiency in gathering the fragments soar. His status as a noble did help quite a bit in convincing the monkeys to give in¡ªbut even if they didn''t, he was more or less willing to use his strength.


    Although his actions would give him a terrible reputation, not that he cared one bit, those people should me themselves for being weak.


    Weak people had no right to voice an opinion. Lance fully believed in that. Thus, even if his reputation were to be tarnished, it wouldn''t matter to him in the slightest.


    A man shouldn''t be influenced by the growling and thoughts of themon rabble.


    Furthermore, as a Schultz, he was educated from a young age that not using one''s strength was the height of foolishness.


    Thinking of something, Lance''s eyes flickered a cold gleam. He took out several stony fragments from his pocket.


    Then, as though attracted to each other, the shimmering stone fragments floated and connected with each other, forming a stone tablet.


    However, the stone tablet was not yetpleted. In the middle, there was one fragment absent: the missingst fragment.


    From what he had heard, thest fragment only appeared at the checkmarks at the center of the inner circle.


    He was on his way there now.


    Lance returned the stone tablet in his pocket. He turned around and looked at the people following behind him.


    Aside from Yoru, there were two other participants that he epted as subordinates. They were Andrea and Juris.


    Andrea was a beautiful, green-haired sorcerer. She had a calm, yet attractive smile coupled with her curvy, sultry body.


    Juris was a stern-looking, bald hunter. He had a slightly intimidating look, whilst two short swords hung behind his back.


    Andrea and Juris were the ones who proved their worth to him back when he was recruiting allies at the borders yesterday.


    They were the ones who managed to beat everyone and remain thest ones standing.


    Although their strength was merely so-so in front of Lance''s eyes, they were good enough for him. He had no expectations of them anyway.


    For him, their only purpose was to follow his orders and serve as extra hands to open the checkmarks. As for other matters, he would handle it on his own.


    Aside from himself, there was no other person worth relying and trusting on. Other people were deceitful, unreliable, and served nothing but annoyance.


    This was also the main reason why he didn''t want to form a team with Rain or Sumi, even if he acknowledged their strength.


    They were strong, and thus would likely not listen to him. If he needed people by his side, they had to be subordinates who would follow his words and orders without a singleint.


    This was almost impossible to happen if his teammates were to be people of near equal strength to him.


    Lance was arrogant. But he was not delusional. He knew only one thing ¡ª he was the only thing worth relying on in this world.


    While he was silent, Yoru stepped forward and asked politely.


    "Are we going to the center now, leader?"


    "Yes."


    Lance nodded. He gazed at Yoru while his eyes flickered with a strange gleam.


    Yoru smiled slightly.


    Lance didn''t say anything more. He didn''t bother to acknowledge Andrea and Juris as he turned around and continued forward.


    He needed to be fast. Out of pride. It would be disgraceful if he ended upst or mediocre in this race to the academy.


    Over a day of traveling, there were already a lot of participants in the inner circle. He had received a lot of information from them.


    Supposedly, there were some strong teams that had formed and already gone to the core circle, such as the group led by Soulsde Aram.


    Surprisingly, however, there were some rumors of a lucky bastard who was in a team of four beautiful prodigious women.


    Those women even included the likes of the heiress of Aethereal, the grand pupil of the Secret Magus, and the princess of the Truensoest empire itself.


    There was even a description of the lucky bastard who managed to get into the team, his name was apparently Rain Violetstar.


    That took Lance by slight surprise. He knew who the princess of Truensoest was, and they could be considered old acquaintances.


    Aside from that, what surprised him even more was that there was no news or sighting of Elias and his terrifying gang.


    In a split second, Rain arrived in front of that person and thrust his sword forward with deathly cold 09:45


    eyes.


    Lance figured they probably arrived at the academy already, considering the headstart advantage they had.


    ''It doesn''t matter. My real goal isn''t any of them¡­''


    ***


    It didn''t take long before they reached the center of the inner circle. They could even sight some participants, who turned away from their group in cautiousness.


    There were a lot of checkmarks guarded by the golems at the center of the Inner Circle they tried their chances on.


    Unfortunately, the missingst fragment continued to elude Lance and his group. It made him question his luck.


    His doubt about his shitty luck only continued to rise when they suddenly encountered an unwee surprise.


    While Lance and his team just finished unlocking a checkmark and getting another useless fragment they already had, a group walked up to them.


    Normally, he could care less but he knew those people. It was a purple-haired man, along with four beautiful girls.


    Rain Violetstar, Sumi Aethereal, Roshia Edeletchy, Elizabeth Truensoest, and one woman he didn''t know.


    Lance already felt his headache.


    Behind him, Andrea couldn''t help but click her tongue the moment she saw the group of beautiful women.


    Juris, on the other hand, had a dirty, repugnant smile on his face as he looked at the women in the group.


    Yoru seemed surprised, but nheless calm. It was what Lance appreciated about him,pared to the other two.


    Then, the purple-haired man¡ªRain Violetstar¡ªalso met eyes with them. It was such a simple act, but it brought about a sudden cold akin to winter itself.


    It was unknown what caused such a reaction, but Rain''s eyes suddenly turned cold. He gripped his sword and immediately dashed towards them.


    Multiple shouts echoed from the women in the group.


    "Rain..?!"


    "Violetstar?!"


    Lance was shocked. He was about to take his spear but realized that he was not the target. It was the person beside him.


    In a split second, Rain arrived in front of that person and thrust his sword forward with deathly cold eyes.


    Yoru was dumbfounded, unable to react, and could only raise his hand to block the attack. Why was he attacked?

 Chapter 72 Mistake (3)

    72 Mistake (3)


    As Rain''s sword thrust forward with murderous intent, Yoru could only raise his two arms to block the sword.


    Shng¡ª!


    Under the gaze of everyone, the sword pierced through Yoru''s arms like it was tofu, causing blood to stter to his body.


    The blood was red. Too red. It descended like a waterfall, causing a pond of scarlet liquid to form beneath.


    Yoru''s eyes trembled incessantly, gazing at his own blood before raising his head to meet Rain''s deathly cold eyes.


    "Y-you¡­"


    "Shut up."


    Rain coldly spat out. There was no trace of mercy in his pupils, only repulsion and disgust. To those who knew him here, his actions were truly astounding.


    It was like night and daypared to his usual personality.


    Seeing what Rain did to Yoru, Lance immediately snapped out of his daze. His whole body trembled as anger surged within him.


    He approached Rain in anger and pressed his hand to the purple-haired man''s shoulders, gripping it tightly.


    "You... insolent clown, what do you think you''re doing?!"


    "You shut up too, Lance. I''m cleaning the parasites of this world that don''t deserve to live,"


    Rain didn''t bother turning around to acknowledge him.


    Lance only felt his anger rise through the roof with thatment. He was, once again, being disregarded like a couple of days prior.


    Without even thinking for a moment, his eyes flickered a golden gleam as he took out his silver spear.


    Seeing that the current situation was escting, everyone snapped out of their daze and caught on to the tense atmosphere.


    Except for Zyrish who couldn''t help but let out a low chuckle in the insanity, enjoying the scene like she was watching a movie.


    "Hehehehe! Who knew goody two-shoes had such a cold, interesting side to him?"


    Zyrish Fallen was fascinated. At first, she found Rain boring ¡ª but perhaps she was just too impatient.


    Ignoring her, Elizabeth was in deep thought beside her. She was confused. She thought she had a good grasp of people, but¡­


    "Violetstar, what are you doing¡­?"


    She looked at Rain, mystified by what was happening. As far as she knew, Rain wasn''t the type to attack people without reason.


    Sumi Aethereal eyebrows knitted to a frown. She was too confused for her own liking. She stepped forward, trying to mediate the tense situation.


    "Lance Schultz. Calm down, perhaps there''s a reason for this."


    "What reason could there possibly be?!"


    Lance looked at her and retorted with disbelief. He clenched the handle of his spear tightly and pointed it towards Rain in a threatening manner.


    "Release him, you insolent bastard. There''s a limit to my patience and understanding..! You simply think nothing of me, don''t you?"


    "I have no time to bandage your ego, Lance. Step back. I don''t want to fight you. This is not a fight you would want,"


    Rain spoke calmly. His words were like a knife, cutting through Lance''s pride and forcing his rage to erupt.


    Without any hesitation, Lance gripped his silver spear and immediately activated [Noble Light] in one instant.


    The originally tense atmosphere exploded as Lance was instantly covered with light and went for the attack.


    However, before he could even attack¡ªarge gust of wind suddenly pushed Lance back.


    [Hurricane Push]¡ª!


    On the back, Roshia closed her eyes and casted a spell. Lance was pushed back slightly and had his offense stalled.


    Whoosh!


    Unable to resist, Lance suddenly stabbed the hilt of his spear to the ground to stop his body''s momentum.


    Taking this opportunity, Sumi immediately stepped forward. She gave a grateful nce to Roshia before turning to Rain.


    "Rain, what are you doing? You better have an exnation for this. Why did you suddenly..."


    Rain seemed hesitant for a moment before releasing a small sigh. He looked at Yoru with disgust.


    "He''s a demon."


    ¡­


    As his words fell, a pin-drop silence descended on the ce. Everyone was in disbelief, unable toprehend his words for a moment.


    Demons.


    Existence of sins. Symbols of evil. Leeches of life. Pervasive parasites. The all-consuming gue. Nightmares of the Universe.


    They were the enemies of humanity.


    Hearing his words, Yoru was shook. He saw everyone''s reaction, making him feel dread. He quickly opened his mouth and shouted in disbelief.


    "He''s lying! What demon?! I''m human, can''t you¡ª"


    "Shut up."


    Rain cut him off. He raised his sword, and in one fell swoop, cut off all Yoru''s limbs like it was nothing. It was a brutal sight.


    Elizabeth and Roshia winced, their eyes averting in disgust.


    Aside from them, no one seemed to care about Yoru''s state. Everyone was still fixated on the word "demon" that Rain uttered.


    Sumi quickly snapped out of her daze. She looked at Yoru''s body, limbless and seemingly in despair of his current situation.


    ''That''s a demon...? How?''


    Before Sumi could have a chance to speak, Lance opened his mouth first.


    "...Are you sure?"


    Rain nodded with certainty. He looked straight into Lance''s eyes, as though he was not afraid of being seen through.


    "Yes, I have a skill that can detect demons. I can''t exin the specifics, but trust me¡­ he''s a true demon."


    "..."


    Lance didn''t reply. He nodded slowly as he digested the words in his mind. His eyes were empty, but one could feel anger brewing in them.


    nothing at all.


    09:46


    It was different from the anger that he exhibited against his opponents; this was a cold, empty rage brought out by betrayal.


    At this moment, Yoru looked at him with despair.


    "Leader, you have to believe in me¡ª! I''ve been with you for the past few days! I''m not a demon! I''m really not a demon, leader..!"


    But his sorrowful cries fell on deaf ears.


    Hearing his sympathetic cries, Sumi seemed to be hesitant about something. Her eyes flickered a doubtful gleam.


    However, Elizabeth sensed her doubts and quickly spoke to everyone.


    "Rain is right. That person¡­ no, that evil being. He''s not human. The spirits have told me that he''s not someone from this world."


    Hearing her words, Sumi''s doubts were cleared.


    Elizabeth''s words may be vague, but considering her background, there was no need for doubt.


    Lance clenched his hand. He looked at Yoru, who was despairing and crying hearing their words, as though he was innocent.


    Then, Yoru fell silent.


    The tears on his face slowly melted, seeping deep into his flesh. He looked at the sky while his dark pupils were empty and unresigned.


    Under everyone''s watchful gaze, Yoru''s body trembled. It convulsed like something was growing out of it.


    It erged, widened, and finally bloomed. A huge, scarlet-red figure slowly came into being. The figure was erratic, strange, and evil.


    It was a five-meter tall humanoid being, with hard red flesh, as though scaled armor. He had an attractive mature face and ck hair, yet possessed demonic air.


    Underneath his long legs, Yoru''s body copsed and dispersed into fragments of shadow like it was nothing at all.


    Then, before their eyes, the scarlet-red demon with immacte evilness and sin gazed at them with rage brewing in his eyes.


    Garuda, Baron of Pride.


    So yeah.. long time no see. As you might feel, I''m rushing up this arc since it feels too dragge now.


    I want to get in the academy asap. I can''t upload this week, but I will finish this arc next week (mass upload).


    Life too busy, sigh. I want to write full time but it isn''t possible, nevertheless thanks for reading.


    Deathilim_609

 Chapter 73 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (1)

    <h4>Chapter 73 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (1)</h4>


    The atmosphere was tense and silent.


    Garuda was quiet and still, but everyone could feel the suffocating pressure he continuously emitted. His eyes were dark red, brewing with rage.


    He was like a predator disturbed from its slumber, eyeing the rest as though they were insects¡ªprey to be devoured.


    After a few seconds, Garuda sighed and muttered lightly.


    "Ha¡­ It was my first mission of a hundred years, I never expected to be disgraced like this aftering out of hell¡­"


    Hearing that, every participant felt the pressure thicken. If his appearance was not enough evidence, then his words certainly were.


    "Hahahahahaha, most importantly¡­ the reason I failed is because of a bunch of brats? A bunch. Of. Brats."


    Garuda couldn''t help but chuckle in disbelief over the situation. He had thought of the possibility of failure, but he never imagined it woulde from mere brats.


    "If I dare¡­ to report this kind of failure to the higher-ups, they''ll revoke my noble title. Heheha, hehe¡­."


    After that, he would return to his former ''unblessed'' status and be one of the prey amongst the predators of fiery hell.


    Forget about being mocked for his failure, he was certain to die if his baron title were ever to be revoked.


    He had made too many enemies in the past centuries. It was to the point he couldn''t even count them anymore.


    Thinking about it, Garuda felt his anger rise as his body incessantly trembled. He tightly clenched his jaw.


    Garuda was a Demon of Pride¡ªhe symbolized and wielded the sin of Pride itself. The fact he was going to fail because of some brats¡­


    And to add insult to hisughable failure, during this mission, he even willingly let his pride down for Lance to infiltrate the academy easier¡­


    And yet, he still failed.


    Garuda could only smile helplessly. Then, heughed.


    "Hehe, haha, hehehe hahaha! Hahahahaha! I have never been this angry ever since centuries¡­ The rage. The sheer humiliation¡­! I''m gonna¡ª"


    Before Garuda could finish speaking, a sharp sh suddenly flickered. It was fast. Unreasonably fast. Only a secondter did everyone see it was a sword.


    Swoosh!


    Rain''s pupils dted. The sword in his hand managed tond, but¡­


    Garuda looked at where he was attacked. Slightly above his waist, the sword was there¡ªseemingly stuck and unable to cut through his flesh.


    It could only let down a small wound, an ant bite at best and a paper cut at worst. It cleaned and regenerated itself right after.


    ''Absolute Sword Strike ''didn''t even cut through?! Just how¡­''


    While Rain was thinking, a blur suddenly appeared beside his head and pped him away like he was a bug!


    "Since I failed my mission anyways... I''ll just kill all you brats! I''ll start with you¡­ who caused me to fail my mission. I''ll kill you, cut your limbs, and devour you. That''s the only way to satiate my anger!"


    Garuda growled. Without hesitation, he turned into a blur as he dashed in towards the direction Rain was blown away.


    In a split second, Garuda was before Rain''s body.


    "Rain!"


    "Violetstar"


    Sumi Aethereal and Elizabeth Truensoest were the first ones to react.


    Elizabeth''s eyes were crystal clear. She softly raised her hands, and several white tiny figures floated in the air as they guided Rain to somewhere.


    Before Garuda could attack, Rain was suddenly carried away by a sudden gust of heavy wind. While the demon was slightly pushed away.


    "Huh¡­ Wind Spirits, I haven''t seen one since fifty years ago when we ravaged that summoner world. It seems summoners still exist even now."


    Garuda looked at the white spirits calmly and didn''t resist. He smiled before turning his gaze to Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth looked back with hardened eyes, filled with resolve and determination. He couldn''t help but think she was particrly attractive.


    ''Hm? What''s this? A charming skill, perhaps..? How devious.''


    Garuda knitted his brows. It reminded him of a horrible species in hell. While he was reminiscing, a flickering sound resounded.


    Swoosh!


    He raised his arm and caught a flying arrow with his bare hands. The arrow was imbued with frost, freezing his thumbs.


    At that moment, Sumi''s eyes shed a green light. Blood suddenly came out of her pupils, trailing down her cheeks.


    Facing the recoil, she couldn''t help but stagger in disbelief.


    "Be careful everyone¡­! This demon has the strength equivalent to a genuine C rank Ranker¡­ No, perhaps even stronger!"


    Hearing that, everyone''s expression immediately changed. There were different definitions of C rank strength.


    For example, beast emperors were known to have ''C rank strength'' because a normal D+ ranker would not be able to deal with them easily.


    However¡­ that was merely a false generalization.


    The true ''C Rank strength'' was beyond that. It was unbeatable and so powerful that it surpassedmon sense.


    Even fifty D rankers might not be able to kill a C Ranker.


    A C Ranker was in apletely different spectrum. In human terms, true C rankers could be equated to "real superhumans" that can destroy towns and viges.


    Mutated beasts were usually unable to reach this level of strength or evolution, unless they were born with a strong bloodline and be a beast god.


    In contrast, humans with their potential can ess this level of power¡ªC Rank¡ªmore easily with fewer restrictions.


    Through fulfilling the rank progression, humans can achieve qualitative evolution of life order and be above others.


    However, this kind of ''evolution of life'' only urred after stepping into the next rank after the advancement.


    Otherwise, even if the Ranker were to have attributes or strength that surpassed their rank, they would not be able to show the extent of their power.


    It''s unknown if such evolution happens to other species as well. Although some signs point out that other species also evolve, their methods remain elusive for humanity.


    That''s why although mutated beasts far surpassed humans in poption, humans still reign supreme in the remnantnds.


    The difference in qualitative strength was massive.


    If Garuda had the equivalent strength of a C Ranker or more, then there was almost no chance for them to win.


    "We''re dead¡­"


    Andrea and Juris, who were watching everything unfold, trembled and fell to the ground in fear. They could do nothing but wail in despair.


    ¡­


    While everything unfolded, Lance was looking at Garuda emptily. His pupils were callous, and deep, as though void of any emotions.


    ''Once again, my mistaken trust failed me and led everyone to danger¡­ there''s always the twist in the end, foolishness, Lance.''


    He looked up at the sky with a sigh. He shook his head, before imbuing Noble Lights to himself and his spear.


    At that moment, he was embroidered with golden light. His figure shone in heaven''s glory, attracting everyone''s attention to him.


    With a disinterested tone, Lance let out a tired sigh.


    "I''ll¡­ finish what my ipetence started. I should''ve known this was eventually going to happen. Back off, everyone."


    Everyone couldn''t help but be in disbelief at his words. The feelings were amplified much more by Andrea and Juris. Their impression of Lance was a cold arrogant piece of shit.


    Like any other noble.


    But¡­


    Regardless, they had to run. Andrea and Juris, without thinking about it anymore, heeded his words and decided to quickly escape the ce.


    Garuda keenly noticed them and snapped his fingers.


    [Iplete Territory ¡ª Pride]


    Then, as though the descent of evil, a devilish aura suddenly rose beneath his feet and extended throughout the battlefield.


    Shadows. A dark substance with a glistering scarlet hue, mixed with the bottomless color of the dark abyss, gathered and extended to everyone.


    Although Juris and Andrea tried to run, the dark red shadow substance crept up to their back and suddenly grabbed their feet.


    Unable to move, Juris and Andrea panicked even further.


    Then, Garuda moved towards them and turned into a blur.


    Swoosh!


    But just as he arrived, a flicker of light appeared before him. It was a golden-haired man with shining yellow pupils.


    Lance raised his spear and thrust the spear imbued with Noble Light.


    Tshak¡ª!


    Garuda''s eyes widened in surprise. He originally dismissed the attack as nothing, but as the spearnded on him, he felt pain.


    A searing pain coursed through him. Burning, it felt like. He was being burned¡ªexcruciating pain¡ªit was as though the spear of light was the nemesis of his existence.


    Garuda stared at Lance approvingly.


    "I see, I see¡­ I thought you were nothing but an egotistical fool who aplished nothing in life yet reveled in pride. But¡­ it seems you have the strength to back it up,"


    However, Lance wasn''t paying attention to him. But towards behind him. It took Garuda a second to learn why.


    An immense, indescribable pressure rose suddenly behind him. It was a familiar presence. But the person had changed massively.


    Without turning around, Garuda smirked with anger flowing through his body.


    "Since when were you standing there¡­ you damn brat?"


    Behind him, Rain stood silently with cold eyes.

 Chapter 74 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (2)

    <h4>Chapter 74 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (2)</h4>


    After Rain was blown away by the attack, something in him awoke.


    It was his instinct for¡ªsurvival and ughter¡ªthat awoke. With his sense of battle, he knew there was no probability of winning this fight unless he used everything.


    He would most likely survive if he focused on escaping. But he wouldn''t be Rain Violetstar if he ran away from a demon.


    ''Kill. Awaken. Kill. Awaken.''


    Rain was not satisfied with merely surviving. He wanted more. To kill the demon. To eradicate the demon. To erase its existence from the face of the universe.


    ''Kill. Awaken. Kill. Awak¡­''


    A voice rang through his head. Like a broken cacophony, it repeated until the slumbering beast within him was disturbed.


    ''Kill.''


    Then, Rain''s eyes turned nk. He had a skill that apanied him since he started as a ranker¡ªit was a skill he never used due to his trauma.


    However, his instinct to survive and kill the demon overrides his trauma at the moment. It unconsciously drove his mana and touched upon that skill.


    [??? Mode]


    A skill that made him go berserk and turn into a mindless ughterer. It raises his strength and powers by another spectrum for three minutes.


    However, during these three minutes, he had no control over his body in exchange for such overwhelming strength.


    It was like an imitation of the phenomenon [Mana Frenzy] but this skill made it ur autonomously by the user.


    ''Kill the demon. No matter what.''


    Then, Rain lost consciousness.


    ***


    ''What is this pressure I''m feeling? How did he get so strong in such a short period of time? This is...''


    Before Garuda could turn around, Rain raised the silver sword in his hand as its sharp edge flickered with a strange light.


    [de of Beginning and End: Genesis]¡ª!


    Garuda abruptly fell into a trance. Then as though Genesis itself ured, the swordnded on his body and cut off his entire arm with ease.


    Swoosh!


    For a moment, nobody could react. It was too incredulous and jarring, even for the demon of pride himself.


    However, Lance only took a moment to snap back to reality. He masterfully wielded his spear and followed up an attack.


    [Schutlz Series: Stroke of Unending Light]


    The spear spun in a horizontal sh, aimed towards the heavily wounded right arm of Garuda. Since thetter was still in a trance, itnded with ease.


    Like the judgment of heaven, the light concentrated over the tip of the spear and pierced through the body of the demon.


    Then came the searing pain.


    "Ah... AHHHHH!"


    Garuda instantly snapped back and howled uncontrobly. He felt the burning light enter his insides, inflicting excruciating pain.


    Using the opportunity, Rain moved once again in an efficient manner.


    [de of Beginning and End: Void]¡ª!


    But this time before it could hit Garuda, thetter immediately reacted. He snapped his fingers and blew the two away!


    Whoosh!


    Using the unique power of pride, along with mana, Garuda could instantly inflict "force" on anything in his vision with a mere snap.


    Lance flew away with a low grunt. He stabbed the hilt of his spear to the ground and forcefully stopped his body from moving.


    In contrast, Rain didn''t do anything but lightly throw his silver sword towards the demon.


    Then, he disappeared in a sh.


    [Sword God Steps: First Movement]¡ª!


    Under everyone''s eyes, Rain reappeared in front of Garuda with the silver sword in his hand. It was as though he teleported.


    Rain raised his sword andunched a vertical sh.


    Garuda tightly clenched his hand as he retaliated.


    Boom!


    The sword and the fist connected, unleashing immense "force" on the surroundings from their collision.


    Garuda grunted in pain, but in the end, his strength won over the fight. The silver sword in Rain''s hand exploded, unable to handle the attack.


    Nheless, it was still terrifying and shocking for Garuda that Rain managed to even deal some damage to him.


    "You¡­"


    Garuda knitted his brows in confusion. He infused some mana to his right arm but he was unable to regrow it fully.


    "Just what did you eat or do to be as strong as a noble demon in a short period of time?"


    From his estimations, his injury this time was too heavy. He would need a couple of days to recover fully from that attack.


    Although Rain had immense potential, Garuda dismissed him because it was still merely potential and not yet true strength.


    However, contrary to his expectations, Rain immediately became as strong as a noble demon or C ranker after being whisked away.


    Rain tried to punch, but Garuda attacked first with immense force, blowing the former away from his sight.


    Swoosh!


    The battlefield turned silent and tense.


    Everyone snapped back from their disbelief and finally managed toprehend what had just happened.


    Garuda looked at his right arm and shook his head. He withdrew his Iplete Territory and directed it towards his right arm.


    Within a few seconds, the ck substance with a glistering red hue transformed into a shadowy right arm.


    Andrea and Juris were ted that they were finally released. But before they could move, immense force suddenly pressed down on them and knocked them unconscious.


    Bam! Bam!


    Garuda contemted killing them but decided to do soter. He wanted to eat his prey alive to make them experience torture.


    Without giving the two another nce, he swept his gaze through the battlefield and looked straight at the eyes of the prey standing before him.


    Elizabeth, Sumi, Roshia, and Zyrish all stared back with varying expressions. But there was no fear in their pupils.


    "You know what pisses me off more than failing my mission? It''s those eyes of yours that have no fear in front of me. It makes me feel like I''m not worth a damn,"


    Garuda clicked his tongue. He cracked his fingers each by each, inducing sudden force throughout the battlefield.


    "But that won''t stay for long. You would soon realize the superior difference between us. I am blessed of by the sin of Pride itself,"


    "As the Baron of Pride, we were bestowed with two powers: the territory of pride, and the sinful power of pride. Thetter¡­ has a lot of uses and abilities, and one of them is that makes us stronger the more prideful our opponents are,"


    "This is why continue¡ªrevel in that egotistical nature of yours. You, who were born of blessings beyond ordinary men. You, who possess status beyond peasants. Dwell, submerged, and drown from that arrogance and pride you exhibit,"


    Garuda''s lips slowly curled into a grin. He looked especially demonic as he faced the rest of the geniuses.


    "And from that pride, you brats will suffocate alive. Be molded into a good meal as I devour you alive. I will teach you a lesson of despair as I slowly digest your insides,"


    As the Baron of Pride spoke, his voice became more demonic and demonic until he finally stopped. He realized that they were still determined, making him ted.


    Of course, it was not true that he grew stronger from the pride of his opponents. Only Marquiss could do that.


    But it wasn''t aplete lie.


    After devouring the geniuses, Garuda could absorb their pride and further increase his strength toplete his territory.


    He did that speech for one thing: to increase their resolve. He knew too many geniuses like them, those who never experienced true despair yet.


    From his experience, they were the tastiest.


    Rain and Lance, along with Sumi, Roshia, Zyrish, and Elizabeth prepared for the battle for their life with varying expressions.


    "Hehehahaha, hehe, haha¡­! Hahahahahaha! Let''s begin this ughter then! Try and resist but it would end all the same¡­!"


    Then, Garudaughed as he dashed towards Lance.

 Chapter 75 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (3)

    75 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (3)


    While Garuda started his long speech of pride and his powers, Sumi was staring at the air nkly for a moment.


    She saw many, messy scenespiled with each other ¡ª but all of it ultimately concluded to an empty bottomless darkness, or rather, death.


    It was an ominous visual.


    Then, moments after she suddenly snapped out of her daze and immediately looked for Roshia in a hurry.


    "Roshia¡­ as I recall you have a telepathic skill. How many people can you connect with your Telepathic Connection skill?"


    Roshia staggered in surprise.


    "What? Why¡ª"


    "Answer me!"


    Sumi suddenly shouted with impatience, causing Roshia to flinch slightly and meekly answer.


    "It''s¡ªit''s four. I can establish a telepathic connection with at least four people, but the prerequisite is they ept the connection¡­"


    "That''s good enough. Can you establish a mental connection between Me, Lance Schultz, and Rain? This is important!"


    Roshia nodded and quickly went to action. She noticed the severity of her tone and didn''t dare slow down.


    Aplicated 3-circle mark slowly manifested in her mind.


    [Intermediate Telepathic Connection]


    Then, a glowing pink current came out of Roshia''s forehead in multiple directions. The nearest one went to Sumi''s forehead as she epted.


    ''Alright¡­ can you hear me, Roshia?''


    ''Y-yes. I can hear you and¡­ Lance Schultz also epted.''


    As though on cue, Lance''s cold voice rang through their minds.


    ''What is the meaning of this? I told you not to interfere, Aethereal.''


    ''You¡­ shut up. You don''t stand a chance. If you wish to die, then don''t include us in your foolishness. Right now, only you and Rain stand a chance over the demon.''


    Sumi retorted with a loud stomp. She heard Lance''s tongue click in annoyance but she ignored it and focused on her other worry instead.


    ''By the way¡­ Roshia, where''s Rain? Why isn''t he talking?''


    ''Uh..? Huh? Wait¡­ Rain hasn''t epted the connection yet! H-he rejected it!''


    Roshia''s panicked voice rang through both Sumi''s and Lance''s minds, causing the former to crease her brows in worry.


    ''Shit¡­''


    Forgetting that her thoughts were being broadcasted to others, Sumi vexedly cursed in her mind. She gritted her teeth.


    ''Never mind, forget about him at the moment. While the demon is going through his inane, idiotic speech, we''ll set up a n.''


    ''And what n could you possiblye up with?''


    Lance''s dubious voice asked. Despite her thorough annoyance, Sumi simply took a deep breath and restrained herself fromshing out.


    ''...Since you''re so knowledgeable about me, then you know about one of my skills right? I can use one of those skills to help you during the fight.''


    ''Oh¡­ so that''s it. You''re pertaining to your rare talent [irvoyance]¡ªWait¡­ if you initiated this, then what did you see just now?''


    ''I saw death.''


    Sumi emphasized, causing Lance to turn silent. He had a hard time believing in such a future, but it was certainly possible.


    Seeing that Lance was finally convinced, Sumi nodded slowly and sighed in relief.


    ''Roshia, give thest connection to Princess Elizabeth.''


    ''Alright,''


    After Roshia''s voice faded away, a new soft and beautiful voice suddenly entered the minds of the other users.


    ''Hello, what is this?''


    Sumi nodded slowly.


    ''Perfect, Princess Elizabeth¡­.''


    ''Drop the Princess, Ms. Aethereal.''


    ''Okay, then. Elizabeth.''


    Sumi shook her head in exasperation. Without dwelling over it, she continued with a heavy and grim tone.


    ''Our current situation is precarious. Although I can say all of us are strong here¡­ we simply stand no chance against a genuine C-rank being. So we have to form a n,''


    Everyone agreed and listened carefully.


    ''Aplicated n would be full of loopholes. Thus, the n isn''tplicated. We risk everything, or we lose everything. That''s it. I''m confident that the academy staff had sensed this anomaly so they would probably arrive as long as we preserve,''


    ''But how could west long? This is the focus of the n. Right now¡­ the only ones that can cause serious damage to that demon are Lance, with his strange light, and Rain with his abnormal strength,''


    ''As for us¡­''


    Sumi lightly shook her head. She was blessed with talent, but right now she can admit that she can do almost nothing.


    ''We''ll serve as support instead. This is how the formation should go: Lance and Rain are the main offensive vanguards. Then, Roshia and Elizabeth would act as support buffs and debuffs. While Zyrish and I would be distractions in a sense,''


    ''Roshia and Elizabeth, can you tell me your support skill set? I understand why you would be hesitant¡­ but please. It''s for our chance of survival,''


    Sumi''s voice was heavy and sincere. Without thinking further, Roshia and Elizabeth agreed with her.


    ''We can do that. We trust you,''


    ''Thank you. As for Zyrish, just let her be. She''s appropriate as a distraction but I''ll prevent her from affecting the n. Do you guys have any questions?''


    ''What happens if the demon focuses on us support, instead of you guys?''


    Roshia worriedly asked.


    That was a good question, Sumi thought as she nodded slowly before answering the orange-haired woman''s doubts.


    ''It''s rtively simple. This is one of the main factors of our n. You have to be far, and too annoying for him to catch. Fly to the air with Elizabeth and cause mayhem. Make the entire battlefield ice, so that his steps would slow down. Turn the winds into hurricanes, so he wouldn''t be able to reach you in the air¡­''


    ''In other words, use the battlefield to your advantage. You don''t have to worry about Lance or us, we have the telepathic connection.''


    Hearing her examples, Roshia and Elizabeth''s eyes sprinkled with delight. They quickly nodded and didn''t have any more questions.


    As Garuda''s speech slowly came to an end, Sumi''s eyes flickered with green light.


    ''Any more concerns and questions?''


    After a few seconds, no one spoke. Sumi took a deep breath.


    Although she was not unfamiliar with the heavy responsibilities of a leader, the burden still continued to weigh heavy on her.


    ''Good¡­ now¡­''


    Sumi''s eyes flickered with resolution and determination.


    ''Everyone, survive. Please. I won''t say anything more. I hope we can all enter the academy together.''

 Chapter 76 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (4)

    76 Garuda vs Six Prodigies (4)


    "It''s ughtering time!"


    Garudaughed as he dashed towards Lance.


    Under everyone''s gaze, his figure suddenly turned illusory and blurry from how fast he moved through the battlefield.


    Only Sumi could see him.


    ''Lance, be prepared. He''s moving.''


    ''Got it.''


    Lance nodded and swept his gaze through the battlefield, looking at the madly running demon of pride.


    As the Baron of Pride dashed, he left a quaking force in his wake, causing unbridled destruction to the battlefield.


    Everytime he stepped on the ground, a destructive impact would erupt beneath him and cause smoke to rise and disrupt their sight.


    Then, in only a few seconds, he managed to cross a kilometer distance and came face to face with the golden-haired Lance.


    Without saying anything, Garuda grinned wickedly as he clenched his fist tightly andunched a right hook!


    Whoosh!


    Lance sensed that he couldn''t dodge the attack in time at all and thus countered with a vertical sh instead!


    [Schutlz Series: Vertical of Unending Light]


    The golden spear of heaven and the demonic fist collided at the same time, causing shockwaves to spread all over the surroundings!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The ground shattered, and the wind around them was blown away by the impact of their terrifying collision!


    But the Baron of Pride couldn''t find himself to be happy as he looked at the blown away Lance with no damage.


    Garuda had a furious and grim expression.


    ''It did nothing to him¡­?!''


    His fist punches were followed by a supreme force that could destroy a normal D Ranker''s body from the inside out.


    However, due to Noble Light''s unique trait, Lance and his spear weren''t affected by the ''supreme force'' and suffered no damage at all.


    On the contrary, Garuda was the one who suffered from the collision. He felt like his flesh was being seared by the mes of the sun when he touched the spear.


    The light of existence countered his very being.


    "Regardless, no matter its advantage... it won''t do anything against true strength!"


    But due to the natural difference between their ranks, Garuda could easily heal the burns using his 16:16


    mana.


    But due to the natural difference between their ranks, Garuda could easily heal the burns using his mana.


    Since the wounds were minimal and only induced pain, he was not in a hurry to cleanse it and chose to chase Lance instead.


    Sumi''s eyes flickered a green light. She took out her bow and shot three arrows all at once in one movement.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    At that moment, multiple arrows coated with different elements suddenly flew toward Garuda like a homing missile.


    Boom!


    Then, a dark-blue-haired woman with a crazy look on her face suddenly jumped into the air and appeared above him.


    "Hehehaha! I didn''t expect to meet a demon~ this is so nice~ I''ll be happy to ughter you from the inside out~"


    Zyrish''s lips curled into a wide grin. She reached out her hand and took out two guns from thin air. She aimed the two handguns and shot.


    [Twelve Bullets of Death]¡ª!


    After exhausting the bullets, Zyrish took out a bazooka next and smiled wickedly as she aimed at the demon.


    [Home Run! Bazooka!]¡ª!


    Aware of his previous mistakes, Garuda didn''t dare to casually dismiss any attacks lest they could harm him.


    Looking at what happened with Rain and Lance, they both turned out to have attacks that could damage and inflict pain on him.


    Garuda decisively stopped chasing. He dodged the attacks precisely. However, the moment he did so¡­ he left himself open to attacks.


    Then, Lance quickly arrived in front of him. He masterfully spun his spear.


    [Schultz Series: Barrage of Light]¡ª!


    Since Garuda was distracted, he could only dodge when the spear finally reached his scarlet scaled body.


    Beams of light manifested and surrounded the translucent spear. As the spear moved, the beams of light followed.


    Lance was silent as he thrusted the spear.


    Whoosh!


    It was like fifty, no, hundreds of spears of light thrusting all together to punish the demonic Baron of Pride!


    Due to being distracted, Garuda could only avoid a portion of the light attacks while receiving the majority of them.


    The barrage of light entered him and exploded within his body, causing spurts of bright red blood to erupt from his wounds!


    Tshk¡ª!


    "Ah¡­ AHHHHH! You damn brat!"


    Garuda fumed in rage as he felt excruciating pain.


    The spear attacks themselves weren''t a problem, they were negligible at best. But the burning light¡ª


    it was his worst enemy.


    Burning, searing pain coursed through him. But he couldn''t even take a break, as, at that moment, the whole battlefield suddenly shone.


    [Intermediate Fire: Blessings of the Sun]¡ª!


    Above the sky, Roshia rode a flying griffin with Elizabeth on the front. She muttered under her breath and used a spell.


    The sky turned blinding hot. It increased the temperature of the burning light on the wounds of Garuda.


    Although the ''light of existence'' wasn''t necessarily an element itself, it could still be influenced by fire or light support spells.


    Sizzle¡ª!


    "HAAAAAAAA!"


    Garuda felt the searing pain strengthen. Without even thinking about it, he focused on cleansing the wounds on him.


    However, Roshia wasn''t done yet.


    [Intermediate Wind: Hurricane Gospel]¡ª!


    [Intermediate Earth: Rockfall]¡ª!


    [Intermediate Ice: cier Fall]¡ª!


    At that moment, several spells descended from above simultaneously!


    After Garuda finished cleansing and healing his wounds, he looked up and witnessed a strange bizarre sight.


    The windy hurricane raged, while the hundred rocks fell, and the ice and snow drifted throughout the ce mindlessly.


    ''Now what is this¡­?!''


    Each of the spells seemed to be independent, but was in fact, connected to each other as a nastybination.


    The raging hurricane spread out the snow and ice while the rockfall was carried by the strong currents of wind, and hurled all over the battlefield.


    It was a rare spellbination that disrupted the entire battlefield, and rendered everyone unable to move as they wish!


    Wind, rock, and ice filled the ce. It was impossible to see through unless one had a special eye skill!


    "I see so this was your strategy. Since my force attack relies on my vision, preventing me from seeing will severely limit the range of my attack. But... this is futile! After I kill this man, I''ll escape here and eat you women!"


    At this moment, Garuda could no longer see anyone besides Lance in front of him. The surroundings were far too blurry and messy.


    Suddenly, a figure erupted from behind the Baron of Pride.


    a sword with him.


    16:17


    ''Where the hell¡ª''


    It was Rain who was blown away a minute ago. But Garuda quickly noticed that the man was holding a sword with him.


    ''Where the hell¡ª''


    Before he could finish his thoughts, Rain and Lance held no mercy and attacked simultaneously from both sides!


    "You bunch of brats...!!"


    Garuda didn''t dare underestimate them. He engaged with both of them using all of his strength and abilities!


    He continously produce force all over his body, causing mayhem and shockwaves and blew apart the rocks and icy snow.


    Some of the rocks and snownded near him, proving to be an inconvenience. It didn''t hurt him, but it slowed him down.


    However, his opponents, Lance and Rain were unaffected.


    Lance and Rain had a formless barrier granted by Roshia to cover them from the rocks and snow.


    Garuda grunted. He usedrge amounts of mana and made an forcefield barrier around him.


    Over the messy destroyed battlefield, Lance and Rainbined to fight Garuda under the intense hurricane!


    Boom! Pow! Bam!


    Flickers of sword light, zing spear attacks, and supreme force collided against each other and caused shockwaves through the battle!


    After a few minutes, the three of them were heavily wounded and battered on all sides.


    Even Lance, with his Noble Light state, was heavily wounded by the immense force of the Baron of Pride.


    At this moment, Sumi''s voice echoed.


    ''Lance, keep going. The academy staff still haven''t arrived!''


    ''My Noble Light state is about to expire. It''s already been three minutes, where is the academy staff?!''


    Lance retorted in his mind and deeply breathed. He heard Sumi reply to him, but he couldn''t understand due to his mind being a mess.


    The fatigue, and exhaustion that came with Noble Lights were slowly creeping up on him. It wouldn''t take long before he was unable to function.


    ''I need to end this fast.''


    Lance masterfully wielded his spear. He took a deep breath and looked at Garuda standing opposite from them.


    ''I need to finish this.''


    Simrly, Garuda also shared the same thought as Lance. There was no more time. He needed to finish this.


    As both of them recuperated for a moment, they didn''t notice that Rain also had the same thoughts as them.


    Although unconscious, Rain''s instincts knew that he had no time left. It was time for his final, most terrifying attack.


    Under the gaze of Garuda and Lance, Rain raised his sword slowly.


    Garuda and Lance immediately felt it.


    Death, itself.


    At that moment, Sumi''s voice rang through Lance''s mind.


    ''Lance¡­ run! You''re going to die¡­! I-I saw it.''


    However, the moment Lance saw Rain''s sword movement, he fell into a trance and couldn''t move anymore.


    "No!"


    Feeling the sudden sensation of death, Garuda decisively usedrge amounts of mana and pped loudly!


    p¡ª!


    At that moment, an unprecedented force erupted. It was so powerful it made everything near him instantly blown away.


    Lance, unable to resist the force, was blown away to kilometers of distance. He flew to where Sumi and the others were at.


    However¡­ Rain wasn''t blown away. He resisted despite the terrifying force, causing several of his bones to break.


    But his sword never faltered.


    [Endde]¡ª!


    At that moment, Garuda felt death. His face twisted in horror. He fell into a trance. He saw the sword in slow motion as it cut his entire chest.


    He couldn''t dodge.


    ***


    The whole atmosphere was silent.


    Everyone held their breaths in apprehension. What had happened? What had urred? Who had won? Who had lost?


    The battlefield slowly returned to its former state. A thick smoke covered the figures of fighters on the battlefield.


    After a few seconds, Lance flew out of the smoke thoroughly exhausted, and was about to fall unconscious.


    Sumi''s heart couldn''t help but drop. However, despite her worry, she continued to wait with a bated breath.


    It didn''t take long before the next one came out¡­


    Whoosh!


    To their fear and horror, it was Rain who came flying out of the smoke with a broken and unconscious body.


    Clearly, he had lost.


    Everyone''s heart couldn''t help but freeze.


    Sumi''s eyes trembled. Her entire body shook in despair¡­ she raised her head and looked at the drifting smoke¡ª


    Then, from the drifting smoke came a madugh.


    "Hehe, haha, hahahahahahehahehahahaha!!"


    16:18


    One that sounded extremely demonic.


    "HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! That was close¡­ that was truly close¡­! I was about to die from that attack¡­ what a monster¡­"


    Slowly, Garuda the Baron of Pride, came out of the smoke. He revealed himself with a battered and heavily wounded body.


    Thump... thump...


    He looked at the unconscious Rain with a slight tinge of fear in his pupils. He was truly on the verge of death earlier.


    If he wasn''t able to quickly heal himself, he would''ve likely died. This was truly a perilous battle for him despite his initial thoughts of his opponents.


    "Hehe¡­ now¡­ now¡­ that went long enough. I never expected a bunch of brats like you to be so troublesome... regardless I don''t need to worry about that!"


    Garuda''s lips curled into a wicked grin. It was time for feasting!


    "You brats¡­ I''ve yed with you for long enough. It''s time that you satisfy me! Hahahahaha! It''s been a while since I had such a meal like you brats!"


    "Is that so?"


    At that moment, a calm voice echoed.


    It disturbed the terrifying, and demonic atmosphere and caught everyone''s attention. The voice was as dispassionate and cold as it gets.


    Sumi raised her head, her eyes flickering with hope. Perhaps it was the academy staff, but as she gazed at where the voice came from¡­


    It wasn''t.


    Everyone''s rekindled hope couldn''t help but be washed away. It wasn''t the academy staff, but another participant.


    "What''s with your faces?''


    Walking over slowly from the side, a white-haired man with a charismatic and handsome face appeared.


    He wore a formal ck suit, and while his skin was white and pale, he possessed a strong calm air that made him look extremely reliable.


    It was hard to decipher how so, but the man''s simple actions gave a disy of overwhelming confidence with disregard for everything.


    Garuda, the Baron of Pride, staggered in shock.


    "Y-you are¡­ why are you here?!"


    "Why can''t I be here? Hm, I recall that I warned you that when I meet you two again I won''t hold back anymore."


    Elias Corleone cracked his neck. He reached out to his pockets and took out a pair of gloves as he wore them on his hands.


    "It''s unfortunate, but you see¡­ I''m a man of promise."


    Wow, this chapter is too long.


    Also, I''m currently re-editing some chapters and retconned Elias growth stats. It felt very stupid for Limitless potential to have weak growth.

 Chapter 77 Judgement (1)

    77 Judgement (1)


    Elias looked at his surroundings. Garuda, the Baron of Pride was standing with a nervous and astounded expression on his face, nearly falling over the ground due to his serious injuries.


    The two main characters, Rain Violetstar and Lance Schultz were nearly on their deathbeds.


    It was obvious that they lost.


    <nulli>''Just like the novel.''


    Thinking of that, Elias suddenly looked at the sky as though he was gazing at someone.


    "Back off, I''ll take it from here."


    His words were seemingly directed at one person, but they could also apply to everyone watching on the battlefield.


    Hearing his words, everyone couldn''t help but fall into confusion.


    Sumi, in particr, was extremely confused. Beforeing to the examination, she had amassedrge amounts of knowledge from the vastwork of her father''s guild for preparation for the academy.


    Even Rain Violetstar, who eluded Lance Schultz, she recognized as the upstart talented ranker that made some uproar in the rankermunity some time ago.


    But she obviously didn''t recognize the man in front of them.


    A demon of supreme force. That Rain Violetstar, and Lance Schultz, the two most talented people she ever met couldn''t defeat¡ª


    Yet, this man stated he could do so <nulli>alone?


    There was a line between fine confidence and in delusion, if Sumi didn''t know any better she would''ve outright thought it was thetter.


    But she knew <nulli>better.


    Whether it was the confident powerful air emanating from the man, or perhaps from her Odin''s Eye¡ª


    it all screamed that the man was serious about this.


    The man was truly confident of his chances against the demon.


    Sumi had lost hope in the academy staff after waiting for so long. She wouldtch on this illogical, strange man even if it meant she would look like a fool.


    Looking over Elizabeth, Zyrish, and Roshia''s faces, Sumi took a deep breath and slowly spoke.


    "Everyone... do as the man says. Back away,"


    As she expected, the three of them reacted quite strongly. They wore expressions of disbelief and confusion as they looked at her.


    But Sumi nodded to them, expressing her seriousness about the situation.


    She knew what they were thinking. This was the perfect chance to team up and take down the heavily injured demon.


    But it wasn''t that simple.


    They needed a backup n. Sumi learned that betting all their eggs in one basket was obviously a foolish choice.


    <nulli>If¡ªif, she''s implying, if the man was not really able to beat the demon, at least they would still have mana reserves to escape from a distance.


    Cowardly, and despicable¡ªbut that was the nature of man against the threat of death, "self-preservation".


    Of course, they could also engage in onest battle to truly decide who can win or not... but it wasn''t that optimistic of a n.


    Although baffled, Elizabeth, Zyrish and Roshia still retreated ording to her instructions, which made her slightly relieved.


    After a while, Garuda recovered from his shock. He realized that worrying was extremely stupid. He was a Baron of Pride, in human terms, he was a C Ranker.


    His strength was miles above any child in this ce.


    Instead, he shouldmend Elias for being stupid enough to deliver himself on his doorstep at this critical moment.


    If he managed to devour these prideful geniuses, then there was a chance his strength could evolve into a Marquiss.


    Thinking of that, Garuda''s lips curled into a terrifying smile. It was a wicked one.


    "Hahahahahaha, hehe, hahahahahah!"


    Seeing that, Elias was amused.


    "What made youugh like a fool all of a sudden?"


    "...Do you want to know? It''s you! Hahaha, hehe, hahahahahaha! An extremely sumptuous meal is delivering itself before me, how can I notugh in joy?!"


    "...Crazy bastard."


    Elias smiled and shook his head. However, he thought the same for Garuda¡ª¡ªsurely as a boss antagonist, he would give good rewards?


    This was the perfect scenario he had envisioned: Garuda, heavily injured and low on stamina, as though ripe for taking.


    At this moment, both of them saw each other as prey and predator.


    But who was the <nulli>true apex predator?


    ***


    After having a small conversation, the battle immediately started.


    Elias went for the first move, breaking the tense atmosphere. His figure turned into a slight blur as he arrived in front of Garuda quickly.


    <nullb>[Silent Approach]


    It was a movement technique developed by Alexus. He learned it from the detached man when he was tortured in the darkness.


    Unlike other movement techniques, this one didn''t give the user a speed boost nor aplicated movement series.


    It only had one ability: the mana presence of the user would lower to the point that it became non-existent.


    This would allow the user to be undetectable by his foes. Alexus used this a lot to kill his targets silently.


    His mastery over this technique even evolved to the point he was able to use it, not only for his movements but for his attacks as well.


    Elias used this same exact technique when he fought Lance. It worked the best against inexperienced rankers who only knew how to fight in closebat.


    Although his mastery was not yet as great as Alexus''s, he was approaching that mastery quite quickly due to Limitless and his extraordinary mana control.


    Garuda seemed slightly shocked. But he already learned from his previous mistakes to never underestimate other people.


    After Elias appeared in front of him, he clenched his hand tightly into a fist and punched the air.


    <nulli>Boom!


    But then, Garuda missed. No, not missed, more like he forgot to use mana and thus didn''t generate any force from his attack.


    "What¡ª?!"


    But that sounded insane.


    How could he forget to use something as fundamental as mana?


    It was like his mind nked out for a moment. He looked up and saw Elias holding his fist like it was nothing while wearing a small amused smile.


    Before he could even react, Garuda felt as though a metal slug hit him. A fist came crashing down his face.


    <nulli>Bam!


    The demon of pride staggered in a mix of shock and pain. The shock came from the fact that he was and was unable to process the damage.


    09:37


    After the attacks ended, Garuda staggered away. His vision returned, albeit blurry. His mouth and damaged by the seemingly ordinary fist.


    A trail of blood came out of his mouth.


    The fist was slow and steady. It didn''t exhibit any strong and threatening air around it¡ªbut it damaged him the same.


    How could that be...?!


    Even if he was this weakened and low on mana reserves, he should still have enough for basic reinforcement to endure any D Rank attack.


    "I can see it in your face. Confused, aren''t you?"


    Elias''s smile became wider. He got more and more amused as he looked at Garuda''s twisted expression.


    "Unfortunately for you, I''m not the type to exin his abilities during a fight. Good luck and try to figure it out,"


    Without hesitating anymore, he raised both of his hands and let out a barrage of never-ending punches!


    Afraid of experiencing his attacks, Garuda tried to dodge almost immediately¡ªbut he couldn''t react in time.


    Reason? He couldn''t sense the mana in the attacks.


    It was obvious that Elias was imbuing the concept of <nullb>[Silent Approach] in his attacks to make it appear undetectable.


    Garuda could only experience the attacks by each, due to his inferior reaction time. Perhaps if he wasn''t so injured, he could''ve still dodged.


    <nulli>Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Ba...


    Each of the attacks brought mind-numbing nirvana to Garuda. His mind nked out from each strike and was unable to process the damage.


    After the attacks ended, Garuda staggered away. His vision returned, albeit blurry. His mouth and body were fully damaged from the attacks.


    But he finally knew why he was feeling pain from those seemingly ordinary attacks.


    "You..."


    Garuda''s eyes gazed at Elias with terror and apprehension.


    "...How can you disable my use of mana?! What kind of demonic power are you using?!"


    Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!


    Deathilim_609

 Chapter 78 Judgement (2)

    <h4>Chapter 78 Judgement (2)</h4>


    Hearing that, Elias merely smiled silently. He had a calm and amused expression. He had no intention to reveal anything at all, it seemed like.


    But that only brought more fear to Garuda instead. The silence was basically a confirmation of his conjecture.


    ''I... I have to run!''


    Right now, every bit of bravado and arrogance he had as the Baron of Pride vanished¡ªGaruda was thoroughly afraid of that power.


    Without slowing down, Elias dashed in once more and began his offense against the Baron of Pride!


    Garuda was afraid. Thus, he tried to avoid every attack and used his "force ability" to attack Elias from a distance.


    Boom! Boom!


    But Elias forcefully advanced, disregarding the attacks. He resisted the force impacts, leaving a trail of blood on his mouth.


    [Indomitable Spirit]


    His eyes flickered a strange red gleam, as though the awakening of a wild beast. He chased the Baron of Pride without regard.


    Garuda dashed away without slowing down. He continously snapped his fingers and used mana to generate force impacts.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Bo...


    Everyone watching the battle was in disbelief. It was as though the roles between the predator and prey had swapped.


    The overbearing Baron of Pride ran in fear, while chased by the ruthless Elias.


    This sight continued on and on until Garuda found himself slowly losing out on mana from his force attacks.


    He had to stop.


    But to his increasing fears, his attacks didn''t weaken Elias at all.


    It made it seem like Elias was growing more stronger, faster, and durable as the battle went on.


    That was ¡ª terrifying.


    Garuda''s hands trembled. No matter what, he couldn''t get close to the man with his terrifying abilities. He had to run.


    The disablement of mana.


    What kind of power was that? It was a power that prevented the use of the fundamental energy.


    Perhaps if Garuda was still in full health, he wouldn''t be this nervous and afraid¡ªbut he was heavily injured without lick of protection.


    If his mana was disabled, and a terrifying attack came to him, he wouldn''t be able to do anything but die crudely.


    Currently, he was just relying on his advantage of experience, mana, and ability. His body was basically near death at this point.


    ''No, perhaps I''m overthinking things. There''s no way such a power like disabling mana exists, perhaps it''s an artifact, not a technique...''


    ''That sounds right. If I look back, my mana was only disabled when his hands began to touch my body, but right now he doesn''t, I can use mana...''


    Garuda took a deep breath. If that was the case, then the item should be very visible. He looked at Elias and noticed the ck leather handwear.


    ''Perhaps it was the gloves...?''


    ***


    In truth, Garuda, the Baron of Pride, was wrong about his guess.


    It wasn''t the gloves. It was a technique.


    Furthermore, Elias''s power didn''t disable mana. It was moreplicated than that.


    From the rewards of [Subquest No. 2], Elias had obtained Limitless from [Advanced Talent Selection], and Emperor''s Wish from [Advanced Item Selection].


    That leaves his remaining unknown choice from the [Advanced Technique Selection].


    After browsing the hundreds of techniques in the list, in the end, he chose the technique that he liked the most and had great potential.


    [Six Flows of the Spirit]


    It was a technique that unlocked the user''s true spiritual abilities and made them able to control the "power of the spirit" fully.


    Elias thought it was the best technique among the rest. As the author of the novel, he knew that the power of the spirit was one of the bestter on.


    What was the "power of the spirit"?


    To exin it in simple terms, it was the ability to manipte and control the mana inside the body on another level.


    Natural mana came from the Spirit of the Universe, but a person''s own mana came from their own living spirit.


    Therefore, being able to control the "power of the spirit" was akin to being able to manipte one''s mana on another level.


    It might not seem impressive upon first nce, but it was more than that. This technique brings six abilities, of which Elias, unlocked four:


    "Contain" which, in its name, makes him able to concentrate his mana in a particr part of his body to achieve greater effects.


    "Release" on the other hand, makes him able to release his own mana to the outside world as he desires, even if the target was a living being.


    "Limit" makes him able to decrease the amount of mana inside his body to a certain degree in exchange for greater quality.


    "Expound" on the other hand, makes him able to expound the mana inside his body to increase his mana reserves.


    These abilities didn''t seem muchpared to other techniques, which boasted overwhelming destructive force and killing power.


    But Elias still chose this technique because for him it was the technique that had the most practical application and potential.


    It didn''t have overwhelming force, but it was extremely powerful in the right user. For example, its most basic application is [Transfer].


    [Transfer] was the ability he used against Ragna, Lance, and Garuda which was able to inflict true damage and ''disable their mana'' in their own perception.


    By using "Contain" and "Release" at the same time, he''s able to gather mana on his fingertips and transfer it to the opponent''s body.


    Since foreign mana entered the opponent''s body, the mana inside them would panic or suddenly freeze by the sudden invasion.


    Thus, it was called [Transfer] the most basic application.


    That was what made Garuda''s mind go nk as he was unable to use mana. His mana was disturbed by foreign mana, in extension, affecting his mind.


    This effect was greater the less stable the opponent''s mind and mana control was. Thus, it was rather weak against Sorcerers who boast great minds and mana abilities.


    But... it''s applications didn''t end just there.


    ***


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, Elias suddenly stopped his assaults. He grinned while a trail of blood could he seen from the corner of his mouth.


    "...This should be enough. As expected, even with your heavily injured state I was still injured by your attacks and abilities."


    "I could only say that I made you too strong. But that was your purpose. You were a character that wasn''t meant to be beaten this early afterall,"


    Elias sighed wistfully. If it was not a person of his caliber fighting the demon of pride, they would''ve probably exploded from the force attacks alone.


    Regardless, he had prolonged this fight enough to lower Garuda''s strength at a sufficient level. It was time for the execution itself.


    Elias'' smile was wiped away as he slowly removed his gloves.


    "ytime is over, Baron of Pride."


    He slowly said while Garuda stood in confusion and fear. He took out Emperor''s Wish which was in the form of ughterer, and held the gun calmly.


    Without any emotion on his face, he pointed it at the confused Garuda and pressed the trigger of ughterer seven times.


    Seven different bullets came out and shot through Garuda!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Ba...


    Garuda snapped back to reality in an instant. Seeing that he still had ample mana left, he instantly snapped his fingers to shatter those bullets!


    Boom!


    However, that proved to be a fatal mistake. As the bullets exploded into a mist, several strange effects suddenly erupted that bound his movements!


    Before Garuda could react, he was assaulted by the binding effects of the bullets. This was the true strength of ughterer.


    It could restrict anything on its path unless the opponent had a special ability to resist entanglement or controlling ailments.


    "...What... is this....?"


    Garuda felt a plethora of different binding elements connect to him. At this moment, he couldn''t move at all. His body shook.


    Terror seeped into him, this was the worst-case scenario he had envisioned. It seemed like he was going to die without even putting up a fight.


    Thump! Thump...


    Then, silent footsteps slowly rang in his ears.


    Garuda slowly raised his head and saw Elias slowly walking to him. His eyes widened in fear.


    Elias gazed directly into Garuda''s eyes. He raised his hand and held the Baron of Pride''s head casually, as though ying with it.


    "If you weren''t so injured, then you probably wouldn''t have been restricted by ughterer. It''s effects are greater against demons. You also would been able to put more of a fight than die a meaningless death,"


    "But... unfortunately, life isn''t so fair. I''m sure your kind knows that very well. Now, prepare yourself, demon or pride."


    Elias slowly raised his left hand. He clenched it tightly and gathered mana using "Contain" on his fist.


    Then, he simultaneously used "Expound" to increase the mana quantity inside his body to an overwhelming level.


    He felt exhaustion creep up to him.


    But he didn''t stop and used "Limit" to turn that vast mana reserves into a point-sized amount of mana the emitted overwhelming power.


    Whoosh!


    While he stood, the air was shaken and suddenly intensified in pressure. It seemed to be a prelude to a terrifying attack.


    At that moment, Garuda''s fearful eyes turned nk.


    "¡ª!"


    Then, within a moment''s notice, Elias finished his preparation. His fist, which was radiating of great mana and power, came crashing down on Garuda''s face!


    Utilizing "Contain", "Expound", and "Limit", and "Release" simtenously ¡ª this was an specialized attack he made called [One Punch].


    Whoosh!


    Unlike the other seemingly, ordinary punch Garuda had received¡ªthis particr punch was like a heavy bomb that destroyed everything on the surroundings.


    Literally, not metaphorically, the punch was a heavy bombd that exploded upon contact.


    BOOM!

 Chapter 79 Judgement (3)

    <h4>Chapter 79 Judgement (3)</h4>


    Everyone couldn''t help but stagger from the sharp explosion. They covered their eyes from the wind and bnced themselves to prevent their bodies from being blown away.


    However, their eyes remained at the battle.


    After the explosion subsided, everyone could finally see the aftermath of the battle.


    Despite seeing Elias have an overwhelming advantage, everyone watching couldn''t help but have bated breaths over the eventual result.


    Who had won? Who had lost? What had happened?


    But they didn''t have to be anxious for long.


    Soon, under the sunlight, two figures revealed themselves to them.


    Garuda, the Baron of Pride, stood with half of his body obliterated, leaving only his lower body standing upright like a statue.


    Meanwhile, Elias Corleone was standing calmly seemingly tired. He looked at his broken left hand and covered it with his leather ck gloves.


    "I suppose it still isn''t perfect yet,"


    He muttered under his breath. A job half done always leaves some problems. Regardless, this showed he was in the right direction.


    Elias shook his head and looked at Garuda''s dead body.


    The battle ended in an extremely simple manner. It was anti-climatic, or to say, a one-sided beatdown from Elias from start to end.


    Garuda, unable to move due to the bindings, could not resist the full power strike of his fist and was obliterated in a matter of seconds.


    Elias had won.


    And Judgement has befallen the Baron of Pride.


    No matter the circumstances of the battle, Elias had aplished the great feat of ying a being above his rank.


    At that moment, without care for Garuda''s state, the system interface lit up and appeared in front of him.


    [Subquest: No. 3]


    [Demon Extermination]


    [Kill the demon "Baron of Pride"]


    [Rewards: ???]


    [ept reward: Y/N?]


    Without hesitation, Elias epted the rewards. He was curious as to what this unknown reward was going to be.


    [Rewards: ??? > Force Echo (Passive)]


    [Force Echo (Passive) - All of your attacks will have an extra force impact following it. Its strength will be randomized per attack.]


    [Congrattions on killing the first minor antagonist! This is your first step towards redemption. Good job, hero. Save this world from damnation!]


    Elias rolled his eyes towards the note. Save my ass, he didn''t want any of that responsibility. However, that was not the end of the system announcements.


    [Achievement Unlock...!]


    [Unlocked Trait: (Fist of Judgement), (Goliath Killer)]


    [Fist of Judgement: A passionate fist that destroys all evil. By killing Great Evil, you have achieved a virtuous, heroic deed. This would allow you to have a natural strength increase against evil people.]


    [Goliath Killer: The re-enactment of David vs. Goliath. You have aplished a feat that is so rare even amongst geniuses. This would allow you to have greater durability and endurance against stronger opponents.]


    After reading through the effects, Elias slowly nodded. It wasn''t as great as the reward of Subquest No. 2 overall, but this was a wee surprise.


    Thump! Thump...


    At this moment, footsteps resounded near him. Thinking of something, he temporarily shoved away the system interface to the back of his mind.


    Elias slowly turned around and came face to face with the four girls.


    Even though he prepared himself, he still couldn''t help but cringe. His expression turned slightly grim and bitter upon seeing his ''characters''.


    ''Ah, shit. Howe my horrible decisions in life always end up haunting me...?''


    Elizabeth was about to reach out her hand to thank him, but the expression on his face stopped her. She was sensitive to emotions, thus she instantly recognized that the man was ufortable.


    ''In any case, I feel tired. My body is sore all over from the recoil of One Punch... I shouldn''t use it very often. Let''s get this over with.''


    Elias sighed and quickly reverted back to his cold expression. He stared at them silently and furrowed his brows.


    "Hm? What are you guys doing here? Don''t you have some patients to attend?"


    Sumi stepped forward, looking straight at him.


    "Rest assured. Lance and Rain are... quiet fine. Princess Elizabeth had already tended to them using her healing spirits. Unfortunately, Roshia is still suffering from recoil from her spells so..."


    Sumi sighed in exhaustion. She gestured at the blonde-haired princess, who gave a small smile and thumbs up that could charm any man.


    Elias simply nodded at Elizabeth. It was not that he was immune to her beauty¡ªbut he didn''t want to look at her at all.


    He tilted his head.


    "Oh, then? What are you here for? If you''re grateful for my rescue, I don''t need it. I came here for a personal reason, not to save you guys. Besides..."


    "Besides..?"


    Although confused, Sumi''s ears perked up.


    "Even if I''m not here, you guys would''ve been fine."


    Elias iprehensibly said and suddenly looked up at the sky. Sumi and the rest were befuddled by what he meant, thus they also followed where he was looking towards.


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, a portal opened up in the sky. It was a swirling, purple vortex of void¡ªand what came out was a man covered in white clothes.


    The man had curly ck hair and a young attractive face. His body was epassed with pure white clothing.


    A pointed white wizard hat hung on his head, while his eyes were covered with ordinary sses that seemed out of cepared to his unique, handsome appearance.


    The wizard-looking man looked down and smiled at them.


    "That''s..."


    Sumi''s eyes widened in shock. She instantly recognized the man upon a nce.


    "Professor Felix of the Arcane Academy! The White Sorcerer, or more well known for his other title... the youngest Grand Sorcerer throughout history...!"


    Arcane Academy boasted a lot of attractions, and this included its line of famous teachers. Professor Felix was one of the most famous sorcerers in the present era.


    All of the young, and old sorcerers included, would wish to have a chance to meet him and learn under his tutge.


    Roshia''s eyes were sparkling with joy as she saw her idol. There were several Grand Sorcerers, but none of them were as inspiring and attractive as Professor Felix.


    Sumi instantly realized what Elias meant. She turned around and looked at Elias with a surprised expression.


    "So that''s what you meant..."


    "That''s right. So you don''t need to be grateful. I was merely taking out damaged goods. Even if I weren''t here, that obnoxious man would''ve definitely helped you,"


    Elias shrugged nonchntly. There really was nothing to be grateful about. It was the truth, otherwise, how would the main characters survive in the novel?


    Obviously, the academy staff saved them. In this case, Professor Felix.


    Despite knowing this, Sumi was still grateful nheless. She shook her head and gave a rare soft smile.


    "Still, thank you for helping us. By that time, we had no way of knowing that we were safe. I will remember this favor. My name is Sumi Aethereal, contact me if you need anything,"


    Beside her, Elizabeth also bowed slightly.


    "My thoughts are the same as her. My name is Elizabeth Truensoest, as the princess of the Truensoest Empire, I''ll remember this favor for the rest of my life,"


    "Don''t forget about me. I mean, I guess it''s the same with me... I''m Roshia Edeletchy. If you need anything rted to sorcery, thaumaturgy, or spells, feel free to contact me if you need help!"


    Roshia smiled cheekily. She twirled her long, curly orange hair and looked embarrassed by what she had said.


    After her, it was Zyrish turn. She smiledsciviously.


    "Hm, I don''t particrly care about you saving me... to be frank, I''m more interested in you as a person. Is that alright?"


    "Zyrish!"


    Elizabeth suddenly shouted.


    Zyrish clicked her tongue and shrugged.


    "What? I''m just being honest? Is princess jealous?"


    "None whatsoever, please have some dignity and gratefulness!"


    Elizabeth scolded, feeling tired. Zyrish ignored her. Watching both of them scold each other, Sumi and Roshia couldn''t help but smile.


    Elias was also affected by it and smiled. Even if he didn''t like them. It was wrong to not at least acknowledge them for their gratitude.


    "Sure whatever,"


    "Thank you."


    Sumi repeated one more time. She simply smiled while looking at Elias and slowly turned her gaze above them where a man floated.


    After a while, Professor Felix finally went down to the ground and met with them. He had a soft, charming smile as he spoke.


    "Hello participants, do you guys have your fragments? I can send you to the academy now if that''s the case~ by the way, did you guys know that this dimension is like a miniature world?"


    "Really?! That''s amazi..."


    Roshia was about to scream in delight before a hand suddenly covered her mouth. Sumi silenced Roshia and took a deep breath.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something first, Professor Felix?"


    Hearing that, Professor Felix suddenly averted his eyes.


    "Forgetting something... I don''t think so? Oh! You reminded me. I forgot to bring my very cute, beautiful, and elegant student around! Silly me!"


    "Not that!"


    Sumi gritted her teeth. She mmed her hand in the air, expressing her irritation.


    "I''m talking about the academy''ste response! There was a demon amidst our examination! This is a breach towards the academy''s defenses, do you know how serious that is?! Also, what''s with thete..."


    Before she could finish, she suddenly lost her voice.


    Professor Felix hummed softly. He tilted his head and let out a surprised gasp. He raised his hands Innocently.


    "Oh, it seemed like she lost her voice! Oh dear, I wonder what she had just said...? It seemed to be really important. But I suppose we have no choice but to hear it out next time!"


    "ssic. I suppose you had your fill watching students struggle to their deaths to awaken their potential against an overwhelming enemy,"


    Elias sighed in boredom. He casually took out eight fragments in his pocket and threw them towards Professor Felix.


    Professor Felix caught the fragments simultaneously with ease. He tilted his head with a confused and innocent expression.


    "Now student, that''s nder! Or maybe defamation! I was upied with a very busy matter that was why I couldn''te on time...! If only, sigh..."


    "Yeah, yeah. You should disable the silent spell you cast on her though, it looks like she''s about to lose her breath,"


    Elias yawned and gestured towards Sumi, who kept shouting while unaware that she was not being heard at all.


    Professor Felix simply smiled.


    "Once again, I didn''t do anything to her."


    "...do you have any idea what that means?!"


    Then, Sumi''s voice finally came back. She looked thoroughly pissed off and tired from speaking, only God knew how much rage would burst the moment she realized she wasn''t being heard at all.


    Snap!


    Professor Felix suddenly snapped his fingers. Then, he spread his arms wide and gave a brilliant smile.


    "Forget about the fragments, I''ll make an exception for this time. Although I may not know what you mean, but you must know what this means..."


    "...Wee to Arcane Academy...!"

 Chapter 80 Arcane Academy (1)

    <h4>Chapter 80 Arcane Academy (1)</h4>


    Snap!


    With a mere snap of his fingers, their surroundings instantly changed. From the vast greenfield of perpetual serenity, it turned into a bustling city filled with people!


    Elias and the group couldn''t help but widen their eyes in amazement.


    Professor Felix smiled as he spread his arms widely.


    "Wee to Arcane Academy! This is where you guys will start your new journey as student rankers. If I recall correctly, this ce is also called the ''core circle'' thus by reaching this ce, you have essentially passed the entrance examination and be an official student of the academy."


    "Since I''m the one that passed you guys then it should be my duty to introduce and lead you to get your student cards. BUT... that''s not happening."


    "What? Why?"


    Sumi tilted her head, utterly confused.


    "Well..."


    Professor Felix suddenly wore a difficult expression as though he was undergoing a heavy moral dilemma. After some reluctance, he sighed and continued:


    "...I''m toozy for that. Besides, if everyone saw me, then my admirers would crowd the city. That would be too troublesome. At the same time, I can''t me them! It makes sense why though, with my ungodly sorcerer skills and handsome face, I''m bound to have countless admirers..."


    Snap!


    Hearing that, Sumi''s eyes couldn''t help but twitch violently. Her body suddenly trembled as she looked like she was about to go on a rampage.


    For someone as quiet and stoic as Sumi to react like that, Elias had to p his hands on the obnoxiousness of Professor Felix.


    He was simply unmatched.


    Especially when his expression suddenly turned smug and proud when he spoke about himself in a narcissistic manner.


    ''A man with no equal, indeed.''


    Buzz!


    At this moment, the watch on Felix''s wrist buzzed. He nced at it and saw that someone was calling him with the name ''Luna''.


    Professor Felix''s brows rose in delight while his lips curled into a smirk. He shook his head lightly and looked at the four newly-passed participants.


    "I''ve already sent purple and golden to the infirmary if you''re wondering about them. No need to thank me for my noble deed. Also, in case you get lost, see thatrge building over the middle? That''s the academy,"


    "Go get your student cards first. That''s the most important thing in this ce. After you get your student card, you can freely explore the Ranker Society. Anyways, I''m out students. If you need anything, feel free to ask anyone but me!"


    Everyone''s eyes immediately moved toward the middle. True to his words, there was indeed arge building in the middle of the city. It was wide, and gigantic¡ªa perfect fit for its reputation as the most prestigious academy.


    Before Professor Felix vanished away, he looked at Elias and smiled.


    "Go get your student cards first. Also, you... white haired kiddo. After you get your student card, go to the academy and look for my disciple to find me. Let''s talk, I''m really curious about you, Elias Corleone."


    Elias simply nodded and gave no reaction. But that was enough as an answer for Professor Felix. Under their gaze, the obnoxious man suddenly vanished like he was never in front of them to begin with.


    Bam!


    At this moment, Sumi stomped on the ground loudly to express her irritation.


    "Originally, I thought it was absurd that my father didn''t hold Professor Felix in high regard. He said it was because Professor Felix... was unique, to say the least. That made me confused, but now I finally understand why..."


    "I don''t understand. I don''t understand. I don''t understand...."


    Beside her, Roshia shook. She looked at the sky with slightly vacant eyes, as though she couldn''t ept what she had just experienced.


    Never meet your heroes, she thought.


    ***


    After Professor Felix disappeared, Elias didn''t have any obligation to stay anymore and walked away from the group.


    He looked at the entrance gate of the city.


    After hearing "city" a lot of people would wonder why an academy for rankers would have something like a city in its midst.


    But it was rtively simple. Simr to the inner circle, the core circle was a separate dimension entirely.


    Butpared to the inner circle dimension, the core circle dimension had a stable spacetime coordinate and contained both morning and night cycles.


    To borate, the core circle dimension was like a full-fledged world where it was safe to build a base without


    fearing the risk of spacetime copse or destruction.


    Back then, after creating the academy building, the academy founders thought of creating a city of rankers toplement the arcane academy in its development.


    This city was called ¡ª the Ranker Society.


    After a participant reaches the core circle, the participant would have to enter the Ranker Society to proceed to the academy.


    The Ranker Society was like a real city in the outside world. It had its own government, institutions, and economy as well.


    ''Simr to real life, your performance in the academy will trante to your potential living conditions in the ranker society.''


    If your performance in the academy was poor, then it was likely your living conditions in the ranker society were going to be poor as well.


    However, if your performance was good, then it was likely your living conditions in the ranker society were good as well.


    Elias hummed softly. This was basically the academy implementing their philosophy of "only the strong can control their own life and the world" to the student''s mindset.


    By making the students with poor performance be punished, the academy was basically forcing the students to improve themselves for the sake of their living conditions.


    Although it was horrible for the students, the academy had already cautioned them beforehand that they were teaching future heroes, not ckers.


    If the students disagreed with that, then they should either improve or quit. in and simple.


    Elias entered the city and observed the Ranker Society. There were a lot of student rankers walking around and entering different buildings.


    Some were indifferent and happy, while others were depressed and anxious. He even saw a situation where one student was begging another student about something.


    After taking a look, Elias was no longer interested and went directly to the direction of the guide in the city. However, before he could take another step a shout suddenly resounded behind him.


    "Wait!"


    Without even turning around, Elias recognized the voice to be the princess of the Truensoest Empire ¡ª Elizabeth Truensoest.


    Following the shout, several footsteps followed. It was obvious that it wasn''t only the blonde haired princess that followed him.


    Elias frowned in dissatisfaction before turning around. He saw Elizabeth along with the others, the four beautiful girls approach him.


    The sudden shout of Elizabeth seemed to have gathered some attention towards them, with the student rankers in the city looking at her with strange expressions.


    "This girl... she''s so beautiful! But wait, she looks quite familiar..."


    "You idiot! That''s Princess Elizabeth Truensoest from the Truensoest Empire on the other continent! What do you mean familiar?! Jeez..."


    "Huh? But why is she here!?"


    "If I remember correctly, she just turned seventeen this year. She''s most likely part of the batch of the new students of this year,"


    Seeing Elizabeth, the student rankers were audibly surprised. But the surprise didn''t end there. They quickly noticed the other woman who was following her behind.


    "Oi, that woman... and green eyes. A trait of Aethereal family. Then, isn''t that...?! Sumi Aethereal?"


    "The heiress of the Aethereal Guild! She''s here...! If we can get to know her, we might get into a her guild even if we failed the academy!"


    "That''s right!"


    The reaction towards Sumi''s appearance was beyond Elizabeth. Most likely it was because the student rankers were more exposed to the Aethereal Guild than the Truensoest Empire.


    But nheless, none of those lessened the annoyance that Elias was feeling at the moment. He looked at them with a heavy frown.


    "You bunch again. What is it this time?"


    "I''m sorry! But can we follow you? We don''t know where to get the student card. Professor Felix left before we could ask. It seems like you know the way so... I hope you can consider this request of ours, please?"


    Elizabeth sighed in relief as she caught up to him. Her beautiful sapphire-blue eyes looked at him sincerely. If it was any other man, they wouldn''t be able to resist her current charm and allure.


    But Elias''s frown intensified instead. He didn''t really want to ept her request, but after careful consideration, if he rejected them it could easily lead to a more troublesome development considering the situation.


    If he rejects her request like this, he would be seen as a jerk or asshole by the people watching the situation. It wouldn''t even matter if he says he has his own reasons for doing so, the public will always side with the beautiful girl.


    If that happened, his reputation would plummet to the seven hells without him even doing anything yet. Considering his ns in the academy, he can''t let his academy life be over without even attending his first ss.


    Besides, there was no need to antagonize them in public. It may incur resentment or anger to them. If that happened ¡ª it would be a far, far more troublesome affair.


    Elias was not scared, hardly. But Elizabeth, Sumi, and the rest were still main characters. Although they might not be able to beat him, that didn''t mean they were powerless to make trouble for him.


    Thus after considering the pros and cons, Elias didn''t need to think twice and epted the request. He nodded as his expression smoothened.


    "Sure, I have no problem with that as long as you don''t talk too much. You gather too much attention with that loud voice of yours,"


    "Ah... I''m sorry. But thank you!"


    Elizabeth apologized, embarrassed. She held her skirt and bowed gracefully, which, Elias acknowledged with a simple nod and nce.

 Chapter 81 Arcane Academy (2)

    81 Arcane Academy (2)


    After Elias found a guide in the city, he was pointed to the direction where to get the student cards for new freshman.


    "We''re here,"


    Elias stopped in front of arge building. Behind him, the four beautiful women stood while looking at the building with curiosity.


    During their walk, Elias kept feeling the nces of the student popce stay on him due to the four beautiful women following after him.


    But he didn''t mind it. In fact, the fame brought by Sumi and the rest was going to be helpful for his ns in the academy.


    However... he would still ditch them given the chance.


    "I''m going in ahead. Like we promised, we go our separate ways now that we''re at our location."


    Elias said calmly before going inside the building. The building, simr to a city hall, was quiterge ¡ª but most importantly there were a lot of students inside.


    After entering the building, a lot of students turned their attention towards them and was instantly smitten by Sumi and the rest who were behind him.


    "Yo, Elias!"


    At that moment, an energetic voice suddenly called out to him from the crowd.


    Elias turned to where the voice came from. Over the crowd, a dark-blue haired handsome man with modern clothing squeezed out and waved at him.


    "Hajin. You''re still here? Why is Ragna not with you then?"


    "Eh, Celestia told me to wait for you here. I didn''t want to, but that woman... she scares me. As for Ragna, he''s in the bathroom,"


    Hajin replied casually as he walked over to Elias. At that moment, his gaze drifted behind Elias back and he saw the group of girls following his cousin.


    Not one, but a group of four.


    <nulli>''Huh?''


    Hajin squinted his eyes to confirm if he was seeing things right or not. He rubbed his eyes and saw that there was no problem with his sight at all.


    Under Elias and the girls confused gazes, he quietly walked over to their position and suddenly pulled Elias closer to his shoulder to whisper something.


    "...So what''s the deal? How the hell do you have four beautiful girls following you? No, not even that. One of them is a goddamn princess, you told us you were going to do something, but don''t tell me you were flirting? I understand why you wouldn''t want to let Crazy Nun and Big Fes in the mix, but why would you not invite me? Your dearest, most kind and handsome cousin...."


    Elias eyes suddenly twitched violently. Before he went crazy, he put his hand on Hajin''s endlessly chattering mouth to shut up the man.


    "Will it kill you not to speak too much? Also, I was not flirting. I just happened to meet them in the examination and they started to follow me like lost puppies,"


    "Yeaaaaaahhhh, surely that''s what happened. You were just walking by and they instantly fell in love with your godly charm. What are you, the MC?"


    Hajin rolled his eyes from the reply.


    "Hardly. Now, get off me."


    Elias snickered before pushing Hajin away. However, Hajin''s remarks made himin in his mind. <nulli>MC my ass, I''m not even a character that supposed to live in this world...


    Hajin simply shrugged and didn''t talk about it anymore. He looked at Sumi and the rest before his eyes fell on Elizabeth.


    In a speed that could only be described as godly, Hajin instantly arrived in front of Elizabeth and took her hand while looking at her eyes.


    "My name is Hajin Sanchez, the gentleman lover. It''s nice to meet you, princess Elizabeth. By the way, has anyone told you that your beauty is like the sun that it blinds the eye?"


    "...I get that a lot. But thank you nheless,"


    Elizabeth awkwardly chuckled. But Hajin wasn''t deterred in the slightest, his expression looked as though he was ready to risk it all.


    "Is that so? Thankfully, people still have eyes nowadays.


    I saw a caf¨¦ nearby, do you have free time? Perhaps we can talk and get to know each other more? I promise we won''t end up like Romeo and Juliet."


    "Ah... this is..."


    Elizabeth squeezed out a difficult smile. She looked at Sumi and the rest with puppy eyes for help, but Zyrishughed at her instead.


    From the sidelines, Elias couldn''t help but facepalm.


    "Hajin, that''s enough. Don''t make her too ufortable. Let''s go and get our student id cards before this ce gets anymore crowded,"


    "Tsk, bummer."


    Hajin sighed and pulled away. He scratched the back of his head and bowed slightly towards the confused innocent princess.


    "Sorry about that, princess. I just couldn''t resist your beauty. But the offer is still up though, feel free to call me, here''s my numb¡ª"


    "...Will it kill you to stop flirting? Look at your surroundings, people are watching you embarass yourself,"


    "A man need not to concern himself with the opinion of others, Brother Elias."


    Hajin snickered, much to Elias unamused smile. Seeing that his cousin was already walking away, he waved his hand to say goodbye to Elizabeth and the rest before turning around to follow his cousin.


    Before Elias disappeared from their vision, Elizabeth suddenly called out to him.


    "Thank you for saving us, I''ll definitely repay this favor when I can. I hope we meet again!"


    Elias suddenly stopped. He raised his right hand and waved it towards them slowly. Then, he walked away as their back disappear from the girl''s vision.


    Sumi''s eyes shed an emerald gleam as she looked at both Elias and Hajin. It was unknown what she was thinking.


    But after the two duo disappeared, the group of girls also went to get their own student ID cards.


    ***


    After a short process of filling up needed information, Elias finally obtained his own student card. He took the ID card on the table that disyed his name and information.


    He put it in his pocket and went out of the room without slowing down. Getting the ID card was easier than he though, no wonder Hajin didn''t take any long to get his.


    After he stepped out of the room, he saw Hajin waiting for him besides the door.


    "So? You done? Told you it was just simple. Anyways, let''s go and meet Ragna downstairs. Get ready though, he really wants to kill you for the stunt you pulled on him in the examination,"


    "He won''t do that. Besides, it was you and Celestia that executed the stunt, not me. I''m sure he would understand if I exined it to him,"


    "You shameless bastard,"


    "You''re the one to talk. You flirted with Celestia in the examination in nude with only boxers."


    Elias retorted to Hajin. In any case, the "stunt" he pulled was important to prevent any mistakes in his n. As for what the stunt was...


    Why was he alone when he fought Garuda? It was because prior to going to the battlefield he had already sent his team away to the academy.


    He needed to do that because Ragna would definitely interfere with the fight and try to fight Garuda on his own.


    In short, he sent Ragna away because he was an unstable variable in his n to defeat Garuda, the Baron of Pride.


    As for how he went on doing it, he convinced Celestia and Hajin to get into his n and stressed the importance of it.


    They were convinced rather easily. So by using the fragments they gathered on their journey ¡ª Celestia and Hajin took Ragna to the academy and left Elias alone.


    Obviously, Ragna was angry at the stunt and confronted them about it. Celestia, like the person she was, deliberately med Elias for the mastermind behind the stunt.


    Thus, after Ragna discovered that, he was filled with unbridled rage and fury. He thought Elias was running away from him.


    Hajin facepalmed himself.


    "Ugh, don''t remind me about it. I don''t even wanna remember that Crazy Nun, much less about that incident. Let''s talk about Elizabeth instead..."


    "Do you really like her? You seem obsessed with the princess."


    "Uh, eh, that''s besides the point. Before we walked away, she said something about you saving their group or something, what did really happen in the examination...?"


    Hajin raised his brows, curious. However, Elias didn''t answer him and shook his head calmly.


    "I told you, it was nothing. Don''t think about it."


    "Eh, you bummer. I''ll ask her when she responds to my coffee date. Don''t try to stop me, you manwhore."


    "...Manwhore? What the hell? I''ll kill you if you call me that again."


    "But am I wrong? Who''s supposed to be the handsome yboy in this dynamic? You arrived at the examination and met all the beautiful girls in the academy and grouped with them. Try to defend that, MC!"


    "...I don''t know what to tell you, but it''s really just a damn. Damning. Coincidence, believe me. I don''t want it to happen,"


    "Yeaaaahhhh, sureeeee."


    Hajin rolled his eyes sarcastically. Typical MC response.


    "Whatever, don''t talk to me."


    Elias sighed and decided to ignore him. Talking to Hajin made him extremely tired for some reason. He deemed himself as a tolerant and calm headed person, but Hajin just knew to push his buttons.


    <nulli>''Also, what manwhore... I didn''t even had a girlfriend in my past life. Sure, my life of crime in the past led me to some... well, ces of pleasure. But that''s just it. Never had a girlfriend at all,''


    At that moment while they were walking, they heard a suddenmotion ur near them.


    Yo I REALLY CANNOT write many chapters rn cuz of stupid dance sses taking my time and thesis


    would love I mass update, but hard to do so in this timeframe


    Deathilim_609

 Chapter 82 Arcane Academy (3)

    82 Arcane Academy (3)


    At this moment, the students were all gathered around and whispered at one another while watching theemotion.


    "Hehe, that bastard Lee Jin is scamming a new guy once more. I can''t believe this crazy punk haven''t had enough,"


    "I know right? Last year he tried that, he got his year paused by <nulli>that woman. I''m surprised he still haven''t learned his lesson yet from that incident,"


    "Well the new student he''s scamming right now... is also quite something. He really has guts, that I can sincerely say,"


    "Well, his club is backed up by that person so he can be as arrogant as he wants, as long as he don''t offend the nobles,"


    Hearing the hushed voices of the students gathered around, Elias and Hajin curiously went to look after the uringmotion.


    They squeezed through the crowd and finally saw what themotion that everyone was talking about.


    To their surprise, themotion had to do with someone they knew.


    At this moment, there were two people talking to each other. The first one was a thin, slimy looking man that was called by the students as Lee Jin.


    Lee Jin was a thin and sleazy man with a mediocre face. He had the type of appearance one thought when thinking of scammers.


    The second one, however, was someone Elias and Hajin were familiar with as they were just on their way to look for him.


    It was Ragna.


    Seeing that, Hajin whispered to Elias.


    "...Big Fes is getting scammed? Should we act cousin? I mean, he''s probably stupid enough to fall for it... by the way, don''t tell him I said that. I''ll die."


    "We''ll wait. Let''s see what''s the scam first. This is very interesting."


    Elias and Hajin looked at themotion silently. They decided to watch what was happening first before making a move.


    Lee Jin rubbed his hands together. He looked at Ragna''s body and nodded appreciatively. Heplimented with a convincing tone.


    "Big guy, you have it in you. I can tell even for a mile away, you''re something to be treasured. What do you say you join our club? My boss would love yourpany!"


    "What are you talking about? Your boss wants to fight me?"


    Ragna tilted his head while picking on his ears in boredom. He looked at Lee Jin disinterestedly like the the man was nothing but air.


    "Ah, you know what, close enough,"


    Lee Jin coughed awkwardly. This talk had repeated for a couple of times now and the man still didn''t get it. Like his motto, don''t mind the minor details just go with the flow.


    He hurriedly took out a pen and paper and pushed it towards Ragna with a bright innocent smile. But his sleazy look made him appear rather sinister and conniving.


    "Here. Sign it up and you can go meet my boss. He''s really strong, so yeah, also don''t mind the details in the contract, they''re not that important."


    "Whats this?"


    Ragna looked at the paper in confusion. Thinking of something, he took the paper and read it for a moment. But after a mce, he suddenly tore it into pieces, much to Lee Jin''s shock.


    "You... why the hell did you that?!"


    "I can''t read it. I don''t want to look at it, that thing makes my head go into a mess. Makes me pissed off so I tore it apart. If you have a problem, call your boss, I''ll wait for him anytime,"


    Ragna yawned in boredom. He waved his hand in dismissal. His eyes swept to the crowd before it suddenly lit up as he saw a familiar face.


    "You bastard...! You''re finally here! You have the guts show your face in front of me?!"


    The students gathered around raised their brows in surprise. They looked at the direction where Ragna was staring at and saw Elias.


    "Hm, wait? Isn''t he the guy with the princess and the heiress? So he''s with this guy also...?"


    "Now that you mentioned it. You''re right. Let''s watch, this is all getting very interesting. Come on, get your phones and take a record of this!"


    Elias clicked his tongue in annoyance. He stepped out from the crowd and went to directly face Ragna up front. He had a disinterested expression.


    "What are you getting angry about? You''re itching for a fight, right? Let''s do it right now. I happen to be free right now,"


    "Right now? Right here? Lets go. Do you think I''m scared of you?! If you want we can fight elsewhere, I''ll even carry you there so you won''t run in thest moment,"


    Ragna grinned widely, much to Elias amusement.


    "Where did you get the impression I was scared of you? Be thankful I''m in a good mood right now so I can go easy on you."


    "I''d like to see you try going easy on me, Corleone. I''ll destroy you if you try to hold back. Do not hold back. I won''t either."


    "You have to earn it, Ragna. That''s not how this works. You''re the challenger here, not me."


    Ragna and Elias stared at each other directly to the eyes before smiling at each other. There was no trace of fear, nervousness or anything of sorts.


    At this moment, everyone was watching them go off while recording the video andpletely forgot about Lee Jin.


    From the side, Lee Jin clenched his jaw as he looked at Ragna and the torn papers. He gripped his fist tightly as his eyes shone a hateful glint.


    Without anyone noticing, he quietly left the ce.


    At this moment, Hajin coughed and broke the tense atmosphere. He looked at Elias and said with some awkwardness.


    "Uhh, this is not the ce for you two to fight. Do you to want to get expelled or something? Besides, Crazy Nun is waiting for you cousin. She said she wanted to talk to you about something,"


    "..She did?"


    Elias frowned, turning his gaze to Hajin. What could that woman possibly want to talk about? Oh wait. Right... there''s <nulli>that matter.


    Hajin nodded slowly


    "Yeah, after we arrived at this ce her a group of people took her to somewhere. She told me to inform you that she wanted to talk to you in the chapel near here,"


    "...Is that so?"


    Elias was in deep thought. There was indeed a chapel nearby. But he was thinking if he should go or not. After a thinking for a moment, he looked at the frowning Ragna and shrugged.


    "Let''s schedule the battle to tomorrow then. You have no problem with that, Newgate? I still have some matters to settle."


    "Hahahahahaha! Tomorrow it is. I can tell you just came back from a fight. It would be a pity to destroy you like this anyway!"


    Ragna let out a boisterousugh.


    Seeing that the tension was sessfully defused, Hajin sighed in relief. He looked at the students and shooed them away with narrowed eyes.


    Wait¡ªthat scammer, Lee Jin, was <nulli>missing.


    ***


    In the slums and dirty narrows paths of Ranker Society, Lee Jin walked deeper to the discreet abandoned alleyways.


    After walking to the end of the alleyway, he stopped in front of a door. He knocked twice and waited for a moment with a tense expression.


    It didn''t take long vefore the door was opened by someone.


    Inside the ce, there was a group of students wearing a crude red armband drinking together on a bar table while staring at him with a re.


    "Lee Jin. You''rete. The boss is waiting for you upstairs,"


    "...Sorry, I was caught in with a troublesome matter."


    Lee Jin squeezed out a nervous smile as he nodded to them. He hurriedly waved goodbye to them and went upstairs in a rush.


    As soon as he went upstairs, his heart palpitated as he heard a strong voice that made his spine chill.


    "Lee Jin, oh, Lee Jin. You''re finally back. I''ve been waiting for you. I''m d that you didn''t forget your benefactor!"


    "...How could I do that?"


    Lee Jin clenched his fist tightly. As soon as he stepped foot on the second floor, he immediately saw a man sitting on a ck cotton chair with his back turned.


    The man slowly spun the chair around and directly came face to face with Lee Jin.


    The man had short ck hair and brown skin. He looked frugal and intimidating. There were uncountable number of jewelry and ornaments on his body for disy.


    But the most eye catching aspect of his appearance was not any of those mentioned, but rather the thickrge scar that dwelled on his forehead.


    Jacquin Maseuchossi, leader of Greedy Wolf Club.


    "Oh so? How many people did you lure in today? I don''t have to tell you the consequences if you don''t fulfill your quota, right? It''s already kind of me to even give you a chance like this, Lee Jin."


    "...Thank you for your benevolence, sir."


    Lee Jin kept his head down, hiding the hateful glint on his eyes. At this moment, Ragna and Elias appearances shed on his mind before he raised his head.


    "Regarding that... I have something to report."


    Hey guys, I''m sorry for missing an update yesterday. Believe me, I''m as disappointed as you are. Yesterday was a mess.


    My life is currently in shambles. Too tiring. I was writing before my body stopped functioning at night, causing me to miss this month''s perfect writing attendance again.

 Chapter 83 Plans (1)

    <h4>Chapter 83 ns (1)</h4>


    After scheduling a fight with Ragna for tomorrow, Elias didn''t dy anymore and went directly to the nearby chapel where Celestia wanted to meet him.


    Hajin and Ragna didn''t go with him as they had their own ns. And he didn''t want them around anyway when he was settling some private matters.


    Thus, he went on ahead and directly stopped in front of the chapel alone.


    Elias observed the chapel in front of him.


    The silent chapel, stuck in immutable ataraxy had the symbol of a female deity harnessing a holy shield on its top.


    The female deity was graceful, indifferent, and headstrong as she faced the sun above.


    She was Cassia, the Hallowed Mercy.


    At this moment, several students wearing white robes exited the chapel and saw him. They immediately went towards him.


    "Are you Sir. Elias, by chance?"


    "...Yes."


    Feeling confused, Elias nodded while looking at them casually. From their appearances, they seem to be part of the Followers of the Holy Orthodox Church.


    The followers suddenly smiled.


    "The Saintess is waiting for you inside."


    "Oh... alright,"


    Hearing that, Elias nodded slowly. The followers made way for him. Then, he went inside the chapel without a second thought.


    Creak...


    As soon as he stepped inside, he immediately saw a beautiful white-haired woman kneeling in the middle of the chapel.


    The woman had her hands sped into a prayer as she stood up slowly.


    When Celestia rose to her feet, she had grace and beauty in her every movement. There was a pervasive sensation of divine allure. It was an inexplicable mystery that couldn''t be exined with words, only felt.


    Under the dim light of the chapel, her pale white skin and sapphire blue eyes shone with merciful light as she turned around to look at him. Her pupils as bottomless as the sea, showed no emotions and feelings.


    She was as ephemeral and divine as a goddess. Indifferent and cold as a deity. Her appearance was striking and mesmerizing to the soul and mind.


    For a moment, Elias was frozen in ce.


    "Like what you see?"


    Celestia chuckled teasingly.


    Elias immediately recovered from his daze. Hearing the amusement in her voice, he pursed his lips and clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Has anyone ever told you that you would be more attractive if you didn''t speak?"


    "Haha, that''s a funny way to deflect your embarrassment."


    Celestia smiled and shook her head. She walked to one of the seats in the chapel and sat on it. She patted the other side, signaling for Elias to sit beside her.


    Elias paused for a moment. He looked at Celestia calmly before nodding slowly. Without a trace of emotion, he went up and sat beside her.


    It would be an outright lie if he said he didn''t find Celestia beautiful and attractive right now. But that was an unavoidable feeling¡ªhe was like any other other man that lusted over beautiful things.


    The difference was he knew how to tone it down and hide his attraction when necessary. In his previous life, he had no room for such emotions as love and trust, thus he learned to hide his feelings when talking with other people.


    His previous life was all about survival, money - and betrayals.


    There was no room for feelings of trust and romance in his past life. The time he did trust someone, he was betrayed afterward and left to darkness.


    Elias shook his head calmly, shoving those thoughts to the back of his mind. He looked at the front, where arge statue of Cassia, the Hallowed Mercy was situated before opening his mouth to speak.


    "So what did you want to talk about?"


    "What''s with the hurry? Don''t you want to spend more time like this alone? I can even guide you on how to pray the Holy Cassia. That would be magnificent, don''t you think? I would love to experience that,"


    "Spare me, my time is limited Saintess. Besides, I don''t believe in any god, but myself. So let''s get to talking, shall we?"


    "Boring as always, Elias Corleone. But I suppose you would say that,"


    Celestia chuckled at his reply. Although thatment was a bit out of hand, she seemingly took no offense from it. She shook her head calmly and turned her gaze up front.


    Looking at the symbol of Cassia, Celestia twirled her white hair with her fingertips yfully. Her smile remained as empty and distant as ever.


    "First, how was the demon?"


    "So you knew afterall,"


    "What? Did you think I would fall for your lies again? Fufufu, I had already sensed the demon but the signal suddenly disappeared, thus I suspect it had either escaped or hidden itself. When you wanted to be left alone, I already connected some of the dots,"


    "Then why didn''t you do anything?"


    Elias tilted his head, slightly confused.


    Celestia suddenly turned around and looked at him with a smile. She raised her hands and slowly put her fingers on his face.


    Elias wanted to dodge, but he had no more space left to pull away. If he moved back, he might fall over from the chair.


    Celestia merely smirked at his amusing reaction. She touched his chin with her pale fingers, slowly tracing it towards his forehead yfully as though she was caressing a fragile toy to be treasured.


    "Because it would be more interesting that way, don''t you think?"


    Elias fell silent for a moment. After a while, he opened his mouth and spoke with a dry tone.


    "...You''re messed up in the head. I shouldn''t have expected much from you."


    "Hearing those words from you makes my heart bloom. It means I''m one step closer to understanding evil. You make my heart flutter, fufufu~"


    "...You''re crazy. Downright insane, Liliana."


    Celestia chuckled but didn''t reply. She put her fingers back to his chin, tracing towards his face once more.


    Then, she raised Elias'' chin and looked straight into his eyes, confronting his abyssal dark pupils with her own empty blue eyes.


    It would''ve been a romantic scene if it didn''t feel so... off.


    Celestia let out a chuckle.


    "Fufufufu, we''re the same type of people, are we not? I can see it in your eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul. They tell your story."


    "They only tell a part of it. Not the whole. I''m not as crazy as you,"


    "You can deny it, but the truth is always there. Everyone has their own evil inside them, but yours is the most fascinating I''ve ever seen. It looks so fragile, and soft. It only needs one push... and crack, it breaks. I''m definitely expecting that day toe,"


    Elias suddenly fell silent, pushing away Celestia''s fingers. Maybe what she was saying was true. Maybe he was also crazy. Maybe he was also downright insane.


    But... it didn''t matter. It never mattered.


    He was not the type to care about anyone''s opinion about him. He only cared about living first, and freedom second, and his goals third.


    Everything else camest.


    Elias would continue to operate like this: uncaring of others, self-destructive, andpletely detached from his reality.


    How else could he survive in this world?


    It doesn''t matter if he was destroyed and broken at the end of his path, or if he was left all alone, he only cared about the results. Perhaps that was his insanity. Hisplete detachment to anyone, and almost anything but his goals.


    ''I care about no one, but myself. is that the case? Who knows? I don''t even know myself...''


    Elias sighed and shook his head. He shoved such thoughts to the back of his mind for the moment. He realized ever since he came to this world, he was prone to self-reflection. He also felt like it was unavoidable.


    "...Alright. Let''s move on. I want to get down to business."


    "Are you referring to the matter you asked beforehand?"


    Celestia''s eyes flickered a soft light. Elias gave a short nod. He did tell her about one of his ns during the examination before he sent them away to the academy.


    "That''s right. I want to start my own club, I hope you can extend your support towards it."

 Chapter 84 Plans (2)

    <h4>Chapter 84 ns (2)</h4>


    The sun slowly set over the horizon, its rays of light buried behind the grey mystic clouds as evening dusk eventually took over the sky.


    Over the Chapel of Cassia, Elias exited through the door and looked up at the sky in deep thought. His ck, formal suit was blown away by the gust of wind.


    Whoosh!


    "Oh my, it seems we took our time talking. It''s already about to get dark... do you perhaps want to stay with me for the night?"


    Behind him, Celestia gracefully walked out of the door and stopped to stand beside him as she looked at him teasingly.


    "I''d rather not."


    Feeling not so amused, Elias shook his head. Celestia didn''t take offense to his words and merely smiled in amusement.


    "That''s a pity then,"


    "..."


    Unsure if she was serious or not, Elias just decided to ignore her for the moment. It was no use trying to make sense of this woman.


    Elias sighed and changed the topic.


    "Before I go, I have to say... It was good talking business with you. I didn''t think you of all people would make me say that."


    "Hehe, don''t be like that. It was also the best talk I had in my life. I feel like I took a big step to my goal, don''t you also think so? I''d like to do it again next time too. But next time, let''s not talk about just businness shall we?"


    Celestia gave an unfathomable smile. It was hard to discern if she was being truthful or not, but there was some sincerity on her voice this time around.


    But, Elias shook his head calmly. There''s no clear answer when ites to her.


    If there''s anything new he learned about Celestia through their time together this time ¡ª it was that she was as unpredictable and unfathomable as ever.


    Elias was never a good judge of people, admittedly. And Celestia with her enigmatic and indecipherable nature was even more impossible for him to understand.


    "I''ll consider that offer. Despite your bothersome and irksome personality, you''re a rather pleasant businness partner to have."


    "It''s amusing. You just can never be honest with your feelings. Why not just admit you find me attractive and also want to talk to me more? I find that side of yours cute."


    "You know only half of that is true. Don''t overestimate yourself. Screw off."


    Elias callously replied, much to Celestia amusement. He didn''t even want to get down that rabbit hole ¡ª who made the people in this world so beautiful anyways?


    Oh right, him...


    Anyway, there was no avoiding it. The women in this world were too attractive, above Earth''s standards. But beauty was just pleasing to look at, more often or not they were sources of disaster.


    Thinking about that, Elias discreetly looked at Celestia. But he discovered that Celestia had never moved her eyes away from him since earlier.


    She was always watching him.


    The Saintess looked at him with a haf-smile.


    ****


    After bidding farewell to Celestia, Elias didn''t have anymore matters for the day and decided to look for the ''house'' the academy gave him.


    He took out his Student ID Card and saw that it was filled with his information. There was an adress of an apartment written on it.


    ''X989 - Red and Blue Apartments... oh, this address seems familiar. This should be from the left side of the ranker society...''


    Along with the student ID and some other benefits, the new students of Arcane Academy were also granted with a ''free ce'' to stay in upon their arrival in the Ranker Society.


    This was called "Free House System" by the academy.


    This type of system was established to give the students their own ces or home to stay when sses were not up.


    Aside from that, it was necessary because it would be a horrible look if they made their students homeless.


    it was fine to make the students struggle for resources and opportunities, but making them homeless was too much, even for the academy staff.


    Thus this free house system was implemented by the academy itself to prevent students from suffering too much.


    However, it was worth noting that the apartments or houses given by the free house system were rather... low in quality, so to speak.


    These free dorms or apartments were shared between 2 - 3 students and had some fair share of problems. If one was not willing to suffer through such problems, they could also buy their own house in the Ranker Society with academy credits.


    There was a problem though ¡ª it was expensive.


    ''There''s always two sides in a coin...''


    Walking across the dim alleyways, Elias took a look at his Student ID card. He couldn''t help but be slightly amazed by it.


    Why? The Student ID Card was like a mini system. It contained his all of his information, down from his birth name to his specific attributes.


    A few months ago, Elias mentioned that there was a ''system'' in this world that was used by Rankers as a status screen to disy information.


    The Student ID Card was one of them.


    [Name: Elias Corleone]


    [Sex: M]


    [Age: 17]


    [Date of Birth: November 1, 2017]


    [Academy Credits: 15,000]


    ***


    [Talent: Indomitable Spirit]


    [Rank: D+]


    [Level: 39]


    [STR: D+]


    [AGI: D+]


    [STA: D+]


    [CONS: D+]


    [INT: D]


    [WIS: D]


    [MAG: D]


    [GROWTH: B]


    ''But these are not my true stats though...''


    Elias thought in amusement as he looked at his information in the Student ID Card. Unlike the detailed and true status disy of his system ¡ª the Student ID Card only showed the information he personally submitted to the academy.


    Althought the Student ID Card was great, it was not a perfect technology yet. There was room for maniption of data and trickery in its information.


    Elias did exactly that and made some discreet changes in his information. He lowered his status attributes and hid his talent.


    He did this because he didn''t want to openly show his talents and strength at the moment. For him, it was always best to remain low-key and keep some things hidden as a back up n.


    If anyone dared to use his Student ID Card as reference for his strength, they were bound to be up for a rude awakeningter on.


    ''But some people already know though, tsk...''


    If it was not for the system issuing him a mission to kill Garuda, he wouldn''t had chosen to show his strength to the main characters, and especially to that Felix.


    That way, he would still be unknown and have a significant advantage in a fight as an underdog if he ever came in odds against the main characters.


    ''But there''s no use crying over spilled milk. Besides, having the main characters as allies are better than having them as potential enemy...''


    Elias shook his head. By saving them, he was incurring favor with them and thus made them allies for the foreseeable future.


    However, going back to the Student ID Card data maniption, just as there was a benefit to it ¡ª there was also a disadvantage to doing this.


    For example, it limited his opportunies in the academy.


    The Student ID Card was also known as the student''s ranker resume. If students wanted to join clubs or enter the academy dungeons, they would need to have a sufficient resume apanied with them.


    Clubs would not want weak students.


    Simrly, the academy cannot put the students in danger by allowing them to the dungeons with their limited strength. They would only allow students with sufficient resume.


    Thus having a great Student ID Card resume was essential to getting more opportunities in the academy. It was the goal of every student to raise their resume in the Student ID Card.


    Thus, what Elias did could be considered illogical and foolish.


    But even though he said all that, Elias current Student ID Card resume could be considered above average already. If he were to apply to any clubs, they would certainly ept him, bar from specialized clubs.


    "In a simr fashion, anyone could also fradulently raise their resume status. But the consenquences of being found out of doing that is more or less... life ending for the ranker."


    If someone instead of lowering, raised their status resume with fraudulent intentions, they could just say goodbye to their career.


    In contrast, what he was doing was not as bad.


    After a while of walking, Elias finally arrived at his own apartment. It was rather small, if he were to give a review about it.


    But nheless, it was alright. He hade from a poor househould in his past life so he was used to having low-quality living conditions.


    "Oh wait, I remember now why this apartment is so familiar...!"

 Chapter 85 Plans (3)

    <h4>Chapter 85 ns (3)</h4>


    Elias was suddenly struck with realization.


    Red and Blue Apartment was a ce asionally mentioned in the novel.


    Despite its simplistic name, the apartment was also very famous among the fanmunity.


    It was because Alice Heartfelt, one of the most well-received main characters in the novel, lived in the Red and Blue Apartment.


    ''What the hell kinda damning coincidence is this...''


    Elias was speechless. Why did it seem like he had such a close fate with some of his characters?


    For example, the body he took over was coincidentally rted to Hajin Sanchez, one of the side characters in the novel.


    Then, he coincidentally met and paired with Celestia and Ragna in the academy examination, both significant characters in the novel as well.


    Thereafter, he was given a mission by the system to kill Garuda, making him meet Rain and the others and saving them in the process.


    And now... he was coincidentally living at the same apartment ¡ª Red and Blue apartment ¡ª as Alice Heartfelt.


    Maybe he was just reaching an unreasonable conclusion about the matter, or he was just overthinking things again, but his instincts told him otherwise.


    And if he knew himself ¡ª he always trusted his instincts.


    Elias''s face turned heavy and grim. Although he was suspicious at first, this particr coincidence was the nail in the coffin.


    It made him confirm the conjecture he had at the start.


    He was, somewhat or in a way ¡ª ''coincidentally'' set up by something to form interactions and rtionships with his characters.


    Being rted to Hajin Sanchez, pairing with Celestia and Ragna, saving Rain and the rest, and finally... living with Alice Heartfelt.


    As the saying goes, "First time is luck. The second time is a coincidence. But the third time... there''s clearly a pattern."


    Originally, he did not consider saving Rain and his group as a coincidence because he did it of his own will in epting the mission ¡ª but this made him change his perspective on the matter.


    Did the creator, or being behind the system know him enough to predict that he would do the mission by his own choice anyway?


    ''What if...''


    Elias frowned, in deep thought. This type of feeling... it was as though he was being controlled or led by someone behind the scenes, but he couldn''t do anything about it.


    He hated this powerless feeling that he was experiencing.


    After a while, the nightly moon shone. The wind drifted, and the students all over the city slowly went to their own dorms.


    Under the night sky where no noise drifted, Elias stood quietly in front of the Red and Blue Apartment, staring at it with an indecipherable expression.


    ***


    Thump! Thump...


    Looking at his own Student ID Card, Elias found his designated room number. He raised his head and looked at the top of the blue door in front of him.


    ''Room 12''


    It seemed like he was in the right ce.


    After confirming it, he nodded slowly and knocked on the blue door, but after a while, no one answered him.


    Elias tilted his head in wonder before he thought of something. He held the doorknob and instantly realized it was open.


    Then, he twisted it as he slowly went inside.


    Creak...


    Inside the room was dark, and empty.


    Elias walked inside the room and slowly closed the door behind him with a thud. He quietly opened the lights and saw that no one was in the apartment.


    ''It seems like my roommates are still outside¡­''


    Looking around, he checked the ce he was going to stay in for the foreseeable future. The apartment was rather sufficient.


    There were two beds ced in the room. One was a medium-sized single bed in the left corner, and the other was a bunk bed in the right corner.


    Between the two beds, there was arge TV ced on a small circr wooden table.


    From the left side of the room, there was a door to the kitchen. And from the right, there was a door to the bathroom.


    It wasn''t thatrge of an apartment, but if Elias were to say so himself it was already enough. This was more or less what he was expecting for a free apartment.


    ''Thankfully, Alice isn''t my roommate....''


    Seemingly tired, Elias sighed and undressed his ck suit. He hung it on the clothes rack beside the door and proceeded to the single bed.


    ''Today was eventful¡­ to say the least.''


    Elias sat on the single bed, making himselffortable. Since there was no one around at the moment, it was alright to make himselffortable¡­


    Whoosh...


    He fell to the bed as he let the soft texture caress his body. He raised his head and looked at the apartment ceiling.


    A few months ago, his ceiling was still his apartment back on Earth. Then, all of a sudden, it was reced with the grey ceiling of a prison cell.


    Now it was different¡­ too different.


    It was a lesson learned for him. Life was unpredictable at times. He could be on Earth for a moment and be transported to another world the next second.


    A world where magic was possible.


    A ce torn by disaster and war.


    Aegis, where the future was dead.


    Elias took a deep sigh, letting himself vulnerable for the moment. He wanted to rx and stop, but there was still a lot left to be done.


    There was no room forpromise. Even if life or the world itself threw the hardest obstacles at him, he wouldn''t stop.


    He would never stop.


    Elias''s eyes flickered silently.


    His bodyy on the soft mattress, and the air-conditioner in the room made his body cold. There was no noise, no distaction, only calm silence in the room.


    At that moment, he felt drowsiness creep into him. It was normal ¡ª although he could sleepte at times, at this particr day, he was extremely tired.


    As consequence of using [One Punch] his spirit was left strained and tired, causing him to feel extremely tired and exhausted.


    He tried to hide it, but now that he was alone, he couldn''t repress his desire to take a rest anymore. It took over his mind and body.


    ''Oh shit... I forgot to get my suitcase...''


    Before he fell asleep, Eliasst thought was that he forgot to get his things. But there was always tomorrow, and a nice sleep like this was too rare for him.

 Chapter 86 Famous Overnight (1)

    86 Famous Overnight (1)


    "Wake up, you damn punk!"


    As the sun rose, a loud shout resounded in Room 12. It was hounding to the ear and woke up the exhausted, sleeping white-haired man on the single bed.


    <nulli>Snap!


    Elias snapped his eyes open in an instant. His gaze immediately spun around the room in alert while all of his drowsiness disappeared.


    After seeing that there was someone standing beside his bed, his body instantly went into action like a programmed machine.


    <nulli>Whoosh!


    Without a word, he immediately got up and dashed towards the person. He raised his hand in one swift motion to grab hold of the person''s neck.


    <nulli>Tak!


    He raised the person to the air before mming them to ground, causing an audible painful gasp toe out from the person.


    <nulli>Bam!


    Looking at the person, Elias eyes flickered coldly before he opened his mouth.


    "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    "You..."


    The person ¡ª a burly man with an intimidating face was speechless. He looked at the hand holding on to his neck and couldn''t help but tremble in anger.


    "You goddamn punk! You''re the one I''m supposed to be asking that! Why are you in my bed?! Are you asking for a fucking fight?!"


    "What...? What do you mean bed...? Ah."


    Elias was confused at first before he was immediately struck in realization. He looked at the person he was holding and realized that the person was his most likely his roommate.


    At that moment, the kitchen door opened and a thin man with a heavy eyebags walked out.


    "Oh, Peter? You''re here? He''s probably our new roommate. Terence got expelled since he couldn''t pay his <nulli>fees anymore,"


    "Wha... Terence did? Why didn''t you tell me, Robert? Poor dude... eh, anyways. Never liked that man so it''s good he''s no longer here. Instead of focusing on sses, he''s always out with the girls..."


    "I guess that was a given. This academy is hell. Unless you''re in a club, you can''t enjoy anything here, so much for being the best academy..."


    "You got that fucking right."


    Peter, the man under Elias hold, spoke in a surprised tone before turning dismissive and tired. After talking with Robert, he turned over to Elias and snickered.


    "You still aren''t gonna release me, you punk?! Since you''re a new student in the academy, I ought to teach you a lesson to respect your seniors!"


    "But we''re still first years..."


    Robert suddenly chided in.


    Rolling his eyes, Peter ignored him and shamelessly continued.


    "You! Newbie! What''s your name? I''d have you know, I''m Peter Clementza. Peter, C. The boss in this goddamn apartment. Respect me or else..."


    "..."


    Elias looked at the man silently. He sighed and retracted his hand, releasing Peter as he fell to the ground with a thud.


    <nulli>It was merely a false rm... Tsk. Getting all alert with thisical fool, I guess habits change hard.


    Peter was embarrassed and furious of being suddenly released without warning. He was about to open his mouth but Elias signalled him to stop..


    Elias snapped his neck, eliciting a cracking sound.


    "My name is Elias Corleone. Call me Elias or Corleone, I don''t mind either. But I''m not fond of nicknames, to be frank, I hate them. I''m also not fond of giving threats, I prefer action than talking, but when I do... don''t take my words for granted. I never go back on my words. Peter C."


    "Since you two are here, this is perfect. Peter and Robert, right? I have a nice impression of you two, so don''t ruin it for me. I don''t mind living with you two, but make sure your dirty stuff and things stay away from mine. No inconveniencing each other, and no messing with each others stuff, got it? Furthermore... don''t wake me up like that again. I''ll kill you."


    Peter and Robert were speechless. Elias words, no, the way he spoke, it was as if there was no Robert, on the other hand, was instantly sobered up from Elias words. He rubbed his drowsy ck 22:41


    eyes and looked Peter.


    challenging it. It was a decree.


    There was a certain level of esteem from his words. It was neither derision or arrogance, just an overwhelming level of confidence that made him seem above them.


    No, Elias was above them ¡ª they realized quickly. The tone of his voice, the authority that shadowed it, and the steadfast iron-will his words gave.


    It reminded them of the great Nobles they knew.


    Simrly, it was suffocating for the people confronted with it. Even though it was merely his introduction, he already left a deep impression on both of their minds.


    Elias patted his clothes calmly before turning around.


    He looked at them dead in the eyes. He opened his mouth and softly repeated.


    "Got it?"


    Hearing his voice, Peter and Robert snapped from their daze as they instinctively nodded inpliance and fear.


    "R-roger!"


    "Good. Let''s talk moreter, I''m gonna take a shower first. I''ll borrow your towels for the moment, I forgot to get my stuff."


    Elias stood up and nced at both of them silently. He nodded slowly before walking away to the bathroom. But before he disappeared, he left a few words.


    "Peter, right? That bed is now mine."


    "O-oh okay..."


    At that moment, Peter could only nod without a word. He looked at the ground and was seemingly muttering about something.


    Robert, on the other hand, was instantly sobered up from Elias words. He rubbed his drowsy ck eyes and looked Peter.


    "...It seems our roomate this time around is... someone special, huh?"


    "...So cool.."


    "Huh?"


    Robert repeated, staring confusedly at Peter who was looking at the ground. Peter snapped his head towards him and suddenly grabbed ahold of Robert.


    "That person... his name was Elias Corleone right? He''s so goddamn cool... also, wait. Wasn''t there a problem in the examination and announced by the academy?"


    "Huh...? Oh yeah, the examination ended pre-maturely due to an ident of a demon sudden¡ªoh, Oh..!"


    "That''s right. Our roommate is.. likely, no, he''s definitely the one! Professor Felix was the one that reported that issue and even announced on the forums the person was..."


    Peter and Robert looked at each, the former''s eyes sparkling in dazzlement unbefitting of his intimidating face.


    "...Elias Corleone."

 Chapter 87 Famous Overnight (2)

    87 Famous Overnight (2)


    <nulli>Creak...


    Elias let out a small sigh as he opened the bathroom door. A white towel covered his lower half as he exited the bathroom.


    The exhausted, and snappy air he radiated earlier was reced with a stoic and refreshed ambience after a good shower.


    <nulli>''Nothing a good bath can''t fix... Huh?''


    At that moment, Elias suddenly stopped. He furrowed his brows and stared at the two people in the living room.


    "What are you two looking at?"


    "U-hh... nothing..."


    Peter and Robert were staring at him, seemingly dumbfounded and expectant at the same time. It was quite a strange expression.


    Truth to be told, he was more or less expecting them to fight back against his attitude. Of course, he preferred if they wouldn''t do so ¡ª but there was something strange going on.


    Elias frown deepened. Even if he had experienced a lot in his past life, he was still not used to people giving him strange looks.


    It made him seem like he was a strange zoo animal.


    "It''s nothing! Sir. Elias, do you perhaps need us to handle something? Just say it, me and Robert are happy to help you!"


    At that moment, before things escted Peter suddenly stepped forward with undisguised excitement and passion.


    <nulli>''What the fuck.''


    Elias instinctively took a step back and stared at Peter with widened eyes. Meanwhile, the passionate Peter continued rambling on.


    "So? Is there something you need? Oh you did mention that you forgot to get your things earlier, I can get it for you as long as you¡ª"


    "What are you doing?"


    Elias finally took a hold of his bearing and stopped Peter with a strange look. He looked over at Robert and saw the man was at a distance, looking at him with caution.


    <nulli>There''s definitely something strange that happened I don''t know of.


    This was not even him being paranoid, it was a conclusion made from logical observation and reasoning.


    Elias took a deep breath, preparing himself.


    "Tell me. Now. Why are you acting like this?"


    "What...? Oh, you were indeed asleep Sir. Elias... so that''s why you didn''t know about this..."


    Peter was surprised at first before he understood. He hurriedly went over to his stuff and took out a ck smart tablet.


    Under Elias confused gaze, Peter opened his tablet and pressed some keys. Then, it didn''t take long before Elias knew what was the fuss about.


    On the tablet, an eye-catching headline could be seen.


    [Shocking Demon invasion: Students of Arcane, please beware! As reported by the academy dean, there was a demon invasion in the academy examination..(omitted)]


    As Elias read through the text, his eyes slowly widened inch by inch as indescribable feeling of shock erupted within him.


    [...Professor Felix admitted that he was aware, and was in control of the entire situation but wanted to see how the students react. To his surprise, however as quoted, "there was a participant with so much potential and power that I didn''t need to do anything," and furthermore, as he righteously say "as a teacher, how can I prevent my students from showing their strength?"]


    <nulli>''...What the hell.''


    Elias took a step back, extremely confused. He looked at Peter and Robert. Now he understood why they were acting like that.


    [...We asked who the student is, and Professor Felix was more than happy to reply with an amused and cheerful smile, "Elias Corleone. Get ready, he''s going to turn this academy around."]


    In thest segment of the news article, his name was mentioned by Professor Felix. He was given boundless and immacte praise.


    <nulli>''...I remember now. There was this side plot.''


    Elias suddenly thought back to the novel. There was indeed this kind of subplot after the first arc of the story concluded.


    As Professor Felix controlled the inner circle, he watched as Rain''s group, along with Lance Schultz slowly overpower the demon and leave the demon severely injured.


    Impressed by their potential and bravery, Professor Felix wanted to know more about them and tried to hide the matter of the inner circle. But the dean found about it and spread it around.


    Then, Professor Felix, with his own ns of amusement went ahead to announce Rain Violetstar and Lance Schultz as the heroes of the demon ying duty.


    That was the sub-plot that made Rain and Lance popr and connected to the higher clubs and noble students of the academy.


    <nulli>''...But.''


    The biggest difference now was that instead of Rain and Lance being the main characters of the story, it was him who killed Garuda ¡ª Elias Corleone.


    But it was not that Rain and Lance were not mentioned, they were also put in the article, but their names were far overshadowed by Elias esteem.


    Elias was being heralded as the Goliath Killer or Demon yer.


    Of course, if he were to have his own thoughts of the matter ¡ª it was all bullshit. Rain and Lance deserved the credit more from their outstanding performance. He was only there to reap benefits.


    But aside from that, this change was either a <nulli>major problem or benefit for him, depending on what angle he would look into it.


    It was a major problem because it would attract all sorts of eyes and gazes in the academy, including of those he was not yet ready to face in his current situation.


    On the other hand, it was a major benefit for the same exact reason. He was going to establish a club: he needed all the prestige and fame there was possible.


    Clubs, in the Arcane Academy, were very <nulli>unique and <nulli>special.


    "But... that obnoxious man,"


    Elias gritted his teeth and looked at Professor Felix on the tablet. There was only one reason the man did this and he knew it very clearly.


    "That shitty teacher really pisses me off. Since you did this, don''t get angry when I have my revenge in the future..."


    Professor Felix was a man that found enjoyment in teaching people. He relished over others finding and awakening their potential. He was a firm believer that the more struggles one would face, one''s potential would awaken more.


    By directly announcing Elias name in the article, Professor Felix was indirectly creating enemies for Elias in advance.


    Because in this academy... everyone who was not an ally was an enemy.

 Chapter 88 Famous Overnight (3)

    88 Famous Overnight (3)


    Elias shook his head and sighed heavily. What was done was done, no need to fuss over spilled milk. It was also his fault in the first ce to forget about this subplot.


    Or perhaps, one could say it was just his luck that attracted someone like Professor Felix.


    "This doesn''t change anything much... Or maybe the story gets affected, but who cares?"


    Elias muttered under his breath. After some thinking, the story didn''t really matter. It was headed to a tragic ending, thus it didnt matter if it was messed up or not.


    After recovering from his surprise, Elias looked at Peter and Robert. Peter was excited and thrilled, yet confused by his reaction from the news article.


    While the other one... Robert was just standing from a distance, showing some cautiousness towards him.


    It was evident to him that Robert had a story of his own to tell, but it was not something he wanted or needed to know, thus he dismissed it after a thought.


    After calming down, Elias looked at Peter and opened his mouth.


    "Did they publish a picture of mine in the news article?"


    "Nope! But they might update it soon, you have your student ID card now. They can look at it in the student database."


    "So there''s still time... I guess until this day,"


    Elias snickered and nodded slowly. There was still time before he was recognized by everyone and get targeted by other people.


    He wasn''t scared, but he was still new to the academy. There was still a lot he didn''t know of and had no control over, meanwhile some clubs here had been established since the founding of the academy.


    If the other higher ranked clubs knew he was going to make his own club, they might possibly obstruct or stall his recruiting process.


    Or worse, some malicious people might even attemptto kick him out of the academy or ruin his life.


    So until that time... he needed toylow and recruit the people he wanted.


    "First of the list... Hajin."


    Elias muttered under his breath.


    ***


    After bidding farewell to Peter and Robert, Elias didn''t stall any further and left Room 12. He walked outside and coincidentally saw someone on the way.


    On one of the apartment floors, there was beautiful woman with long-ck hair and white skin talking to someone. While she stood, her ruby red eyes shone of striking allure.


    She had a supple and charming body hidden under her stack of clothes, but her pair of sses and the shy introverted air she exhibited made her seem nerdy instead.


    Nheless, she was as mesmerizing as an newly uncovered ruby. Like a fragile, glowing gem that incites


    whoever who looked at her to treasure her very being.


    A woman that shone under the sun.


    Alice Heartfelt.


    After taking a nce at her, Elias instantly remembered her story in the novel. He couldn''t help but feelt slightly bad about it.


    He shook his head and immediately moved his gaze in fear of being noticed. He didn''t want to deal with her at the moment.


    If possible, may they never cross paths each other.


    Elias shook his head and sighed. He walked out of the apartment and saw that a lot of students were discussing about something.


    "Have you heard thetest news?"


    "Oh, that demon invasion right? What, are you scared of demons? Big deal, not like our midterm exam is not about ying demons..."


    "You fool! No! I''m talking about that Elias Corleone! The one who yed a Baron level demon...!"


    "Oh... yeah, that. Sigh. It seems like the Top 100 is going to have a new addition in this year, there goes my chances..."


    As everyone discussed about him, Elias simply shrugged and walked away. The first he needed to do for the day was to take his stuff, it had something important in there.


    There was still quite some time before his fight with Ragna. It was still at the morning, the schedule was at noon.


    While he walked, he heard a lot of students gossiping about him. It bothered him, but he did his best to just ignore them.


    It didn''t take long before Elias arrived in front of arge building. Without a second thought, he entered the ce and left after a while with a suitcase and a phone in his hand.


    To his surprise, the entire process of getting his items was rather a short and easy. He just needed to sh his Student ID card and the staff readily gave his things.


    Elias turned on his phone and dialed a number.


    <nulli>Ring.. ring..!


    Then, the number answered almost immediately.


    "Hello, who is this?"


    "Hajin,e to XXX14 in the left side of the academy. I''ll wait for you since I need you for something."


    "Huh? Who is this.. El¡ª"


    Elias immediately cut off the call. He looked at the sky and gave a long deep stare. Without further a do, he walked away from the ce.


    After getting his things, he temporarily didn''t have any more urgent matters to handle. He entered a coffee shop that he came across and sat at one of the tables.


    Elias turned on his phone and browsed the forums while waiting for Hajin.


    [Azinagi a Silver-ranked Club has secured a deal to be a subordinate faction of the Noble Familia...]


    [Martial Instructor Lothaire is hiring a few students for help in exchange for some contribution points... (omitted)]


    [Devil Heart a Gold-ranked club had recently rised in status, securing some outside deals and investments, had started to get more property in the city... (omitted)]


    <nulli>''Devil Heart?''


    Elias raised his brows. If he remembered correctly, there was an important side character in that club. But they will only appear in the story until ater arc.


    But due to the nature of the club business in the academy, he might meet that character sooner than expected. He might as well prepare for them.


    Elias shoved it to the back of his mind and read along again in boredom.


    [Tips and Tricks to pass Madam''s Vice Thaumaturgy ss: memorize, integrate and apply... (omitted)]


    [How to de... (omitted)]


    [Olympus, a tinum-ranked Club is looking to recruit Elias Corleone, sources say... (omitted)]


    Elias suddenly stopped scrolling. There were a lot of post about him in the forum, but he ignored them as usual... except for this one.


    It was too eye catching.


    A tinum ranked club represented one of the highest ranked clubs in the academy. Furthermore, the club Olympus was just all too familiar with him.


    "So it has begun..."


    Elias mused to himself. This happened to Rain and Lance in the novel as well, but since he took over their fame and reputation, this event happened to him instead.


    Elias tapped the table as his eyes flickered.


    Olympus... he would just destroy them the same if they were to obstruct his path.


    in and simple, just like how he preferred.

 Chapter 89 Right Hand and Left Hand (1)

    <h4>Chapter 89 Right Hand and Left Hand (1)</h4>


    At that moment, Elias saw a dark-blue haired man with a mboyant and snappy air enter the coffee shop.


    He raised his hand and waved as a signal.


    Hajin instantly saw him and went to approach him with an annoyed expression.


    "What did you need, cousin? I was in the middle of doing something interesting!"


    "You were just hooking up with some noble student girls, don''t think I don''t know what you''re doing."


    Elias rolled his eyes, much to Hajin''s shock.


    "How the hell do you know that? Did you send someone to watch over me?"


    "Take a seat first."


    Elias sighed and gestured to the chair. Hajin hurriedly took a seat and stared at him with raised brows, awaiting for his answer.


    But Elias didn''t answer yet. He tapped the table and called the waiter.


    Tap! Tap!


    The coffee shop was not that too crowded in the morning, so the waiter immediately arrived and brought two sets of menu.


    The waiter was a student, as young as them, most likely doing the profession as a part time job to support themself in the city.


    "Please pick your orders, Sirs."


    Elias nodded slowly and took the menu list. He promptly threw the other one to Hajin, which thetter caught easily and impatiently read through it.


    After a quick scroll, Elias hummed as he found the one he wanted.


    "I''ll get the Espresso."


    The waiter nodded and looked at Hajin.


    "I''ll get the Vani Latte, add in some breadsticks also."


    Hajin spoke casually. The waiter nodded and wrote their orders down in a small note, he gave a small bow to them before leaving.


    "Thank you for your order, Sirs. Please wait a minute for us to prepare your coffee,"


    Elias nodded slowly. Now that they were left alone, Hajin could finally ask the question he wanted to ask since the beginning.


    "How did you know what I was doing? We''re you putting some people to watch over me? Elias, as a good cousin, I''m going to warn you that¡ª"


    "Hajin, rx for a moment. Why would I do that? You''re not a threat for the moment. It was just a guess on my part. Besides what do you noble''s in the right side even do besides engage in such hobbies?"


    Elias calmly replied, pacifying Hajin. However, it wasn''t totally out of question for him to do so. In truth he was already thinking about it.


    Hajin sighed in relief and raised his brows.


    "So you''re familiar with the right side of this city, huh? The nobles, I mean. I''m quite surprised. If you knew, I should''ve invited you there. The shops are more fantastic,"


    "Left side is for the poor, and the right is for the elite. That''s the Ranker Society in a nutshell. For your offer... I''d rather not. Theres beauty in simplicity, don''t you think?"


    Elias replied casually. He looked at outside the coffee shop, seeing a lot of destitute and timid students that were too tired but kept functioning.


    Despite being a noble, Hajin agreed. There were times fantastic and extravagant things be too tasteless and nd.


    "I agree. Have you seen your apartment yet? Do you want toe over to my ce? I live by myself. The old geezer invest in some clubs here so I get to have some property of mine,"


    "I''ll pass. I don''t want to stay at that side."


    "Eh, suit yourself."


    Hajin yawned. He thought of something and suddenly took out his phone. He turned it on and smirked.


    "Oh right, Mr. MC it seems someone has be quite famous, huh? I didn''t expect you to get a headstart over me. Bravo, bravo!"


    "Tsk, don''t even get me started over that. Rumors of my strength are greatly exaggerated. It''s just going to bring in some trouble."


    Elias rolled his eyes as he remembered what happened early in the morning. Professor Felix''s smug, obnoxious face kept appearing in his mind.


    "Haha, as expected of the MC. Doing insane, and downright crazy stuff andining about getting attention for it!"


    Hajin couldn''t help but chuckle over the irony. Elias didn''t even bother to stop him ¡ª it was too taxing for him to even attempt to do so.


    At this moment, the waiter finally arrived carrying two cups of coffee. He put the coffee over the table and bowed before leaving.


    "Thank you for waiting. Please enjoy our finely tasted coffee."


    "Go."


    Elias nodded slowly. After the waiter left, he sipped the Espresso and gave a short smile of approval to the taste of the coffee.


    He had always loved coffee in his life, not all types though. The Espresso was his favorite among others. It just fitted his taste.


    Hajin, opposite to him, also sipped on the Vani Latte. After a small sip, he gave a surprised nod of approval to the taste.


    "I''m surprised. This taste good. I thought it was just gonna be a mediocre coffee."


    "What do you know in coffee anyway? Besides, of course it''s going to taste good. This is a coffee shop by Aura Revoir Club."


    "Oh, that club led by that strange woman? Now it makes sense. I heard some rumors about that person beforeing into the academy."


    "Yes."


    Elias nodded before suddenly changing the topic. He tapped the table twice and looked at Hajin straight in the eye.


    "Enough about that, it''s time to discuss about business shall we?"


    "I was just waiting for you to say why you called me here. So what is it? Are you ready to honor your deal in the examination?"


    Hajin asked casually. To stop Ragna and Lance, he made a deal with Elias that time. He had not forgotten about it just yet.


    Elias shook his head calmly.


    "Don''t be impatient. sses haven''t even started yet. I''m talking about something different. I''m sure you would love to hear about it."


    "Oh? Pray tell."


    Hajin raised his brows, seemingly interested. If he was curious before, then he was definitely interested now.


    Elias smiled at his reaction but didn''t immediately reply. He tapped the table twice and extended one of his hand to Hajin.


    "I''m going to establish a club. Join me and be my right-hand man. I won''t let your talents go to waste, Hajin Sanchez. Let''s turn this academy around."

 Chapter 90 Right Hand and Left Hand (2)

    <h4>Chapter 90 Right Hand and Left Hand (2)</h4>


    A brief silence erupted between them.


    Hajin''s brows knitted into a frown, then it turned into faint surprise. He looked at Elias dead in the eye and saw that his cousin was truly serious about his words.


    But that didn''t mean his words were any less arrogant.


    Hajin narrowed his eyes.


    "...Just to be sure. You''re not ying are you?"


    "I never joke about business, Hajin."


    Elias replied solemnly and tapped the table twice. His eyes were dead serious; there was no trace of amusement or jest at all.


    At this point, it was very clear to Hajin.


    Elias was serious about his words.


    ''...I see, so this is what that geezer meant."


    Hajin bemused. He knew that his cousin was an outlier even among the people he knew. That old geezer explicitly warned him about it too before he went to meet Elias.


    From his old man''s words, "Elias was a dragon amongst men."


    That was high praiseing from that old geezer. It spoke to Hajin about the level of expectations he should put into his cousin prior to their meeting.


    A man above others, someone like him, unrestrained by the norms of society.


    Exactly like that, Hajin already had some high expectations to Elias before their meeting even happened. That was why he even cared about thetters opinions and thoughts.


    But this was taking it to the next level.


    Even Hajin himself, despite his pride to hisx personality would never utter such words and mix in a confident attitude along with it.


    Those words simply possessed an unfathomable level of arrogance. It was at the point it could make another personugh over the ignorance of the person who spoke of it.


    But it didn''t feel like that.


    When Elias spoke about it, it felt natural. It felt possible, and it was as though the concept impossibility didn''t even exist or cross his cousin''s mind.


    Whether it was possible or not, Elias seemed not to care of his chances. He only believed he would seed in the end.


    What was that if not insane delusion?


    Hajin had a faint impression of Elias reckless confidence, but only now he witnessed and personally felt his cousin''s overwhelming confidence.


    But he had to admit, it was infectious.


    Sigh~


    Hajin leaned back on his chair softly. His entire vibe changed almost immediately. Since his cousin was serious, it would be disrespectful to not be serious as well.


    "Are you hearing what you''re saying right now? Although I might not look like it, I have my own pride. Why would I go under you, cousin Elias?"


    Despite being nonchnt and casual about everything, Hajin was still a noble at birth. Privileged. Talented. Powerful. It made him different from kids around his age.


    And that difference turned into ax, casual Pride.


    To be honest, Hajin never looked down on anyone, but he never looked up to anyone either. He was his own person and he treated everything else around him with utter disregard.


    That was the true nature behind his casual, nonchnt attitude. It was simply disregard to his surroundings and everything within his sight.


    To be frank, he could handle Elias wanting to rule the academy. But thinking he could insubordinate ¡ª him, Hajin Sanchez?


    That was an insult to his name, to his pride and towards everything about his strength.


    Hajin''s eyes flickered a cold gleam.


    A tense silent erupted between them.


    But it didn''t take long before one of them broke it. Elias took a sip on his Espresso and also leaned on his chair calmly, imitating Hajin.


    "For starters, I''m stronger than you."


    Elias bluntly replied in a calm tone. That caught Hajin off guard, but Elias seemed to not notice and still continued his words.


    "Secondly, I don''t think you care about being a leader, no? I can give you anything you desire with almost zero responsibilities. I''ll handle everything in the club, take my word for that."


    "Andstly, don''t you feel life is too boring and therefore you enjoy to conquer the impossible? What''s more impossible than this? The academy had no single club ruling it since its founding. Absolutely none."


    Elias suddenly smiled slightly and tapped the table.


    "But... with you and me. We can do it. We can defely turn this academy around and make it ours. Hajin, bring your talents under mine. I promise you, we''ll rule this ce together."


    "..."


    A brief silence erupted between them once more. Hajin didn''t reply immediately. He took a sip and enjoyed his Vani Latte first.


    Elias didn''t mind it and drank his Espresso too. He looked at Hajin and merely smiled, as though he was confident thetter wont reject it.


    After a while, Hajin lips curled into a casual smile.


    "You''re crazy. Do you hear what you''re saying?"


    Elias shook his head calmly.


    "It''s for you to decide if I''m serious or not, Hajin. I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    "Dissapoint you? You know what, hm... I reject your offer. Did killing a demon and ordering me a few times give an idea in your head that you''re stronger than me?"


    "I am stronger than you."


    Elias simply stated as though it was a fact.


    But Hajin only chuckled in response.


    "If you want to recruit me, don''t you think you should butter me up? I have a soft spot for people praising me, so if you do lick my shoes, I might consider it."


    "Hajin, I like you as a great talent. But you have to understand, I am stronger than you. It takes not even a monkey to figure that out. Be my right hand man, Hajin."


    "Let''s see Corleone, how about a counteroffer? You be my right hand man or secretary and I''ll be the boss, what do you think?"


    "I won''t follow anyone in my life, and especially someone weaker than me. Your worth lies in your strength and talent, not your leadership Hajin. I''d rather have you as an ally than an enemy. Not because I''m afraid of you, but that''s the best you offer."


    Elias dismissed casually without a change of expression. He was indifferent and cold throughout the conversation, uncaring of Hajin''s emotions.


    Hajin merely smiled with a very annoyed look and shook his head.


    "Us as enemies seem really interesting, I like the sound of it, what do you think? You''re not doing a good job convincing me to join you,"


    "Must you be so hard to convince? I''m sure it''s something you would regret. How about this, I have a fight with Ragnater on, you can watch it than decided, what do you think?"


    Elias sighed in exasperation and took a sip of the Espresso. He knew Hajin was not easy to deal with and he was proven right once more.


    Hajin looked at him for a moment. His expression was cold yet there was a trace of yfulness in it. After some thinking, he smiled and nodded slowly.


    "Deal."

 Chapter 91 Right Hand and Left Hand (3)

    <h4>Chapter 91 Right Hand and Left Hand (3)</h4>


    In the sprawling metropolis, one could see a striking white-haired man with a frosty pair of pupils.


    Dressed in a formal ck suit with a woolen dark coat casually draped over his shoulders, the white-haired man casually exhibited an intimidating and mysterious air.


    Before the man, arge and magnificent building towered over his figure.


    It was so big that perhaps only the academy building itself wasrger than it was in the entire ranker society.


    "It''s amazing how a building thisrge can fit in this tiny society,"


    As the gigantic building cast a wide shadow over the surroundings, Elias calmly observed


    the building in front of him.


    Above the massive building, the name of the ce was stered over it.


    [Arcana Battleworld]


    The towering building in front of him was a very special and unique ce. With its size and length alone, it stood out like a giant dome in the city.


    This massive building was called Arcana Battleworld. It''s an exclusive property of the academy that cannot be bought or sold off.


    In other words, no students or club could take the ce as their own.


    It was a ce that was free for all students to enter, whether it be the lowest of the low and the highest of high.


    Battleworld, as its name suggests, serves as the arena for the students to gather and fight to their heart''s content without the risk of causing damage to the surroundings.


    It was usually the ce where students flock to when they want to test their new abilities in a sparring match.


    They can''t just use their power carelessly, or else they might get sued for coteral damage.


    And, to put it lightly, coteral damage can be quite expensive.


    In short, it was not rmended.


    In the entire city, Battleworld was one of the most popr destinations students flock towards; not just forbat purposes but also because of the entertainment it brings.


    ''People like to watch a good fight.''


    Elias mused as he sized up Battleworld from top to bottom.


    There were a lot of students entering and exiting Battleworld each second, it was like a flea market.


    Everyone loves a good fight. Even back on earth, fighting sports were well-beloved and had ranked at the top of the list in the sports and entertainment industry.


    A good fight was satisfying, thrilling, and even vicious to the eyes.


    The human heart could be wicked, and though most people wouldn''t admit it, there was an undeniable pleasure in watching other people fight using their all inbat.


    That dark aspect was what made Arcana Battleworld be very popr amongst the students in the academy. Even nobles from the right side of the city frequent the ce to watch other students fight and bet against other people.


    Other than that, there were also cases where Clubs recruited their members in the Battleworld as it was a good ce to find talented rankers.


    To sum it up, Arcana Battleworld was popr with students due to many reasons. It was one of the top most frequented establishments in the city for a big reason.


    "Knowing Ragna, he''s probably waiting for me there already."


    Elias nodded slowly and decided to stop observing. Amidst the bustling crowd, he entered the building with a ck case in his hand.


    ***


    Battleworld, 1F


    The first floor was spacious, with multiple arenas set throughout the ce upied by various people.


    There were also stands on the sides for spectators.


    Looking all over the ce, Elias saw that almost every arena on the first floor was upied already.


    It made sense.


    There were two types of arenas in Battleworld; public, semi-private, and private.


    The public arenas were free of cost and only needed a reservation to use, but there was usually a long waiting line for them.


    They were located throughout the 1st - 39th floor.


    Semi-private arenas, on the other hand, cost 1,299$ academy contribution points for rent. It offered a better arena than public, but not as good as private.


    They were located throughout the 40th - 80th floor.


    Lastly, the private arena. It costs about 4,999$ academy contribution points per fight, and 8,999$ for long-rent.


    The price was expensive, but it was rather justified. The private arena was above and superiorpared to the public and semi-private.


    Furthermore, true to its name, the private arenas didn''t allow spectators to enter unless the private renter invited them.


    They were located throughout the 81st - 120th floor.


    Elias looked at the public arenas. There were a lot of students fighting on the first floor, but their strengths were mostly around D to D+ Rank.


    He strolled around and found the elevator. Entering inside, he saw the long list of buttons that could make one dizzy.


    The Arcana Battleworld had an overall 200 amount of floors.


    Elias carefully navigated through the buttons and finally found the 111th floor. He pressed it lightly.


    Ding!


    The elevator abruptly rang as the doors closed.


    Elias calmly waited as the elevator rose. The arena he rented for his fight with Ragna was a private arena.


    It cost him 4,999$ which depleted a good sum of his contribution points.


    But he wasn''t that worried. What was the use of money if he didn''t spend it?


    Call him arrogant, but with his strength getting some academy contribution points was easy.


    Besides, it was not like the money he spent was not going to good use.


    He rented a private arena because he was going to fight Ragna. He didn''t want to let just every Tom, Jerry, and John see his power just yet.


    Furthermore, since this was his fight with Ragna ¡ª he had to make it the best thing possible.


    After all, he had set an agreement with Ragna that whoever lost would do what the winner wanted, with no exceptions.


    Elias didn''t even have a doubt about his chances. He knew he was going to win, so he knew what he wanted already.


    To recruit Ragna to his club.


    Thus, one could say this extravagant spending was an "investment" for the future of his club.


    ''Yeah right, I''m starting to master the art of shamelessness now...''


    Elias snickered. It seems being with Hajin for a period of time had affected his personality.


    If Hajin had heard his thoughts, the dark-blue-haired man would definitely p back from being unjustly med.


    Soon, the elevator arrived at the 111th floor.


    Ding!


    The elevator door opened.


    Elias unhurriedly exited the elevator and saw that there were multiple rooms within the floor, all of which were barred with a pristine white door.


    He approached the 11th room and shed his Student ID Card beside the door.


    [Verification Sess!]


    At that moment, the pristine-white door opened to him and revealed arge white arena with two people.


    Hajin was on the private stands beside the arena. He waved at Elias and gave a cheekyugh.


    "Yo, the man of the hour has finally arrived."


    On the other side of the arena, Ragna stood with a wide grin. His long, wild white hair drifts like a ravished ravine.


    He was shirtless, disying his entire body''s scarred masculine glory. With a physique that could only be described as "demonic" to its core.


    Sorge, and so wide, it was akin to the Body of a Giant.


    Ragna immediately spotted him and let out a loud boisterousugh.


    "You''ve finally arrived! Here I thought you already tucked your tails and ran away, Corleone."


    "For a mere challenger, you''re awfully arrogant, aren''t you? I suppose the monkey from the mountain that never saw the vastness of the world would think he''s the strongest,"


    Elias tilted his head and entered the room. He dropped his suitcase on the ground, then he removed his woolen ck coat.


    Carefully putting it over a stand beside the wall, he was left with only his ck suit and white shirt.


    Then, he took his leather ck gloves.


    Elias unhurriedly wore the gloves. He cracked his fingers as it resounded loudly. He stretched his hands as he walked to the arena.


    "Let''s get this done quickly, shall we?"

 Chapter 92 Elias vs Ragna (1)

    <h4>Chapter 92 Elias vs Ragna (1)</h4>


    After greeting each other, the battle between them officially started!


    At that moment, Ragna crazily dashed to the middle of the arena while releasing a terrifying aura.


    Elias calmly elerated his steps.


    While running, he steadily gathered some of his mana while charging to the middle of the arena.


    Woosh!


    Then, as soon as both of them were within reach of each other, they both released their respective attacks!


    It was like two cannon balls crossing each other, ring of destructive power and sheer oppressive physical strength!


    Boom¡ª!


    At that moment, a loud explosion resounded!


    The wind shook as dust erupted, covering their figures as both of them stopped for a moment.


    Elias and Ragna stared at each other in the middle of the arena, both of their fist colliding with each other.


    Their eyes flickered as a smile rose on their face.


    At this moment, both of them seemed to havee into a slight understanding with each other.


    ''''He''s strong.''''


    Both of them thought at the same time.


    Ragna had his doubts about Elias''s strength, but now... he was sure.


    This was the same man that made him bleed.


    It was one thing to feel it once, but another thing to experience it again. Now, he had no doubts.


    Elias Corleone was a worthy opponent.


    In their first exchange of attacks, both of them didn''t use any of their magical abilities or special skills.


    They only used their body reinforcement techniques.


    It was just an attack of pure physical strength reinforced with mana, nothing less and nothing more.


    Their fist, bloodied and bruised, went against each other in a contest of pure physical strength.


    They were testing each other through that exchange, and most certainly the result didn''t disappoint both of them.


    But...


    Who was stronger?


    In terms of physical strength, it was without a doubt Ragna.


    Although both of their arms were broken and bruised, Elias had received more damage than Ragna overall.


    ''A physical monster... so this is Ragna Newgate. His physical strength isn''t any less than Garuda in his peak... as expected of the future [One For All] ¡ª a physical strength that defied logic.''


    Elias thought with a smile. He looked at his hand and saw that it was broken. With a quick shake, he returned it back to its former state.


    Crack¡ª!


    "Not bad, you''re strong."


    "I could say the same to you, Corleone."


    Ragna replied, seemingly impressed. He gazed at his right hand as his lips rose to a wild grin.


    His right hand was roughly the same, broken and bruised. But it was not like he had not experienced it before.


    Unlike Elias, he had natural experience with this sort of thing. He had resistance as well. It was all toomon for a man that dwelled in the unexplored mountains.


    But he had to admit... It was exceedingly rare for him to get injured physically against an opponent of the same rank.


    Other than a few exceptions, rarely did he evere across an opponent that could contest him physically.


    Even more impressive, 99% of them were mutated beasts, and the sole 1% was his master, the Old Man of the Mountain.


    But now... he could put Elias Corleone in that small, and tiny 1% of humans that can be equal to him in physical strength.


    Looking at Elias''s casual appearance, Ragna grinned. He took a step back and used one of his signature skills.


    [Dragon Fist]¡ª!


    A scarlet phantom dragon suddenly erupted from his shoulder, and as though a serpent of death, it coiled around his entire arm.


    As Ragna breathed, the red phantom dragon slowly spun around and red at Elias with its bright sharp eyes.


    Howl¡ª!


    But in response, Elias smiled casually. He simply stood and assumed a stance with both of his hands clenched.


    ''Huh? Don''t tell me...''


    Ragna was surprised for a moment. For a moment, even he was shocked by Elias response.


    But as soon as he realized Elias intentions, he didn''t think any further ¡ª he had to grant the man his wish.


    Ragna gathered power in his hand. He weed Elias attempt with an exceedingly wide smile that seemed too excited to act.


    ''Elias Corleon, is it arrogance? Or is it confidence? Survive this then!''


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, Ragna released his fist. The red dragon coiling around his arm howled in scarlet fury!


    Elias, without intention to dodge, took the full brunt of the attack. His expression instantly changed.


    Gasp¡ª!


    With Ragna''s unrivaled physical strength and the addition of Dragon Fist, Elias felt like a cannon had hit him.


    It eerily reminded him of his training with Tauros.


    So brutish, and so rough. Elias thought. It was unrivaled physical strength that made one submit through sheer ferocity.


    But...


    Despite that, he wasn''t blown away. He remained standing on his spot, unmoved. It was as though he wasn''t hit at all.


    His body didn''t tremble, shake, or anything. He didn''t even take a step back despite the ferocity of the attack.


    Elias was as calm as a steady mountain.


    The very definition of immovable.


    ''By using [Expound] and [Contain] I increased my defenses to multiple folds... I call this the ''Great Wall''.''


    Elias''s head slowly rose. His eyes flickered a red light, one that reminded Ragna of a wild beast.


    He raised his hand and wiped the trail of blood on the corner of his lips. Then, a smile rose on his face as he took a step back.


    "...ytime is over. It''s my turn."


    Elias clenched his right fist tightly.


    Using [Limit] and [Contain] ¡ª his mana reserves suddenly halved, but made a qualitative transformation.


    Although [Limit] sounded like a detriment, it was perhaps his most absurd and overpowered skill.


    [Limit] could transform the quality of his mana in exchange for some of his mana reserves. If he exchanged enough, he could even turn his mana into a Rank C one!


    However, if he did do that, it was likely that he would be limited to one attack only.


    Regardless, a skill that could transform the quality of mana like a Rank Advancement... they were exceedingly rare.


    Perhaps only ten students in the entire academy have such a skill, and two of them were Rain and Lance.


    As soon as he felt that it was enough. Elias stopped gathering and slowly raised his fist while his eyes gleamed.


    "Come!"


    Ragna seemingly excited, simply stood with a wild grin. He spread his arms widely as he seemed all too ready to receive the attack.


    But then, his pupils dted.


    Deat¡ª


    At that moment, Elias used [Transfer] as he propelled his fist forward like a raging meteor to Ragna!

 Chapter 93 Elias Vs Ragna (2)

    <h4>Chapter 93 Elias Vs Ragna (2)</h4>


    Ragna gasped as blood spurted out from his mouth. His body instantly flew away like a cannonball!


    Woosh!


    "Fuu..."


    Elias exhaled deeply. He slowly retrieved his hand and shook it lightly. Then, he looked at the opposite side of the area.


    Ragna Newgate was leaning against the wall, seemingly unconscious.


    "Done already? I was just warming up."


    He muttered loudly, a bit surprised. He cracked his fingers and was about to walk to Ragna.


    But it seemed like he didn''t need to.


    Because at that moment, an oppressive aura suddenly released from Ragna''s body!


    Woosh!


    Elias lips rose into a smile. He cracked his fingers. As I thought, he''s not going down that easy...


    Ragna slowly stood up with both of his hands hanging limply. He was like an awakened wild beast.


    His neck twisted slightly as his gaze fell on Elias. His lips curled into a wide grin that seemed to want to devour his opponent.


    Besides that, a red wrathful aura erupted from his chest and slowly covered him from head to toe.


    Elias had seen that strange red aura before in Ragna''s fight with Lance back in the inner circle examination.


    [Heavens Rage]


    It was a reinforcement skill.


    Simr to Lance''s [Noble Light] or Rain''s [Berserker], this was a skill that made the user stronger over some time.


    It was not as powerful as the two skills mentioned above as it didn''t change the quality of mana, but the skill had its own merits.


    [Heavens Rage] increased Ragna''s strength, agility, and constitution to almost another level at the cost of nothing.


    This was a skill Ragna obtained after he ate a [Wrath Demon] that was roaming the mountains unhindered.


    "Corleoneeeeee....!"


    At this moment, Ragna pounced with a wild grin!


    Elias smiled and put his two hands forward. In a matter of seconds, Ragna had reached his position.


    [Way of Casteno - Aikido]


    However, in the blink of an eye, Ragna''s body suddenly twisted in the air as he fell to the ground.


    Ragna couldn''tprehend what happened.


    [Way of Casteno - Taekwondo]


    Then while he was still in disbelief, a heavy leg suddenly descended to his sr plexus and crushed him inside.


    Ragna audibly gasped, blood spurting out from his mouth.


    Gasp¡ª!


    Elias smiled and unhurriedly moved his feet, putting his toes on the bottom of Ragna''s chin.


    In one swift motion, he threw Ragna to the air using his legs.


    [Way of Casteno - Boxing]


    While on the air, Ragna''s gaze moved to Elias who suddenly took a step back.


    His eyes were filled with fury, but his wide grin told otherwise. He was enjoying this fight as much as he was angry.


    At that moment, a heavy punch suddenly hit his face and blew him to the opposite side once again!


    Woosh!


    However, Ragna rose once more like a zombie. He clenched his fist tightly and grinned.


    [Dragon Fist]


    [Lightning Rage]


    Then, a phantom of a red dragon erupted from his shoulders and slowly spun around his arms.


    Furthermore, echoes and sparks of lightning apanied the dragon, making it stronger and more fiercer.


    Ragna tightened his back. He put his left foot a step back... then he dashed once more to the middle of the arena.


    But his speed was several more times than before!


    Woosh!


    Elias unhurriedly retreated. However, Ragna was so fast that he had already arrived in front of him.


    His pupils dted.


    Ragna''s grin widened. He grabbed Elias hands and spun thetter''s entire body around like a toy.


    The lightning dragon spun to Elias body, damaging him outside and inside. It fried his clothes.


    Before Elias could escape Ragna''s grip, Ragna suddenly clenched his hold more tightly and mmed Elias to the ground.


    Bam!


    Elias eyes twitched angrily as a trail of blood suddenly appeared on both corners of his mouth.


    Ragna grinned and seemed to want to do it once again, but Elias raised his leg and kicked the man''s face from his chin.


    [Way of Casteno - Taekwondo]


    Ragna suddenly flew into the air and froze for a moment.


    "You asshole, these clothes are expensive."


    At that moment, Elias stood up calmly, put his right foot one step forward, clenched his fist, and released it.


    [Way of Casteno - Kyokushin Karate]


    Before Ragna could react, a strong and heavy punch hit him on the chest and damaged him internally.


    Crack¡ª! Cra¡ªck-!


    He could hear it. He could feel it ¡ª his bones shattered from the sheer force of that attack. It almost turned him unconscious.


    Woosh!


    Then he was flung once more to the opposite side of the arena.


    Ragna crashed against the wall.


    "You have the eyes of a beast and the body of a giant. Unfortunately, youck the skill to use them."


    Eliasmented as he cracked his fingers. If Ragna was as skilled as him, then this match wouldn''t be so one-sided.


    But even then... he''ll still win.


    If it was him three months prior, then perhaps he would be destroyed by Ragna in a matter of seconds.


    But he was no longer that person.


    He was reborn anew by Limitless, granted with vast and overwhelming potential, one that epasses the earth and sky.


    Elias shook his head and turned his gaze to Hajin on the sides.


    "You, on the other hand,ck discipline. Your foundations are stable, but your mastery is subpar. You take your talent for granted,"


    "Where the hell did thate from?"


    Hajin asked in an amused tone. He clearly didn''t take it to heart.


    "Look at here. I''ll show you what mastery looks like,"


    While looking at Hajin, Elias silently raised both of his hands and concentrated his mana to use a spell.


    [Intermediate Fire - Fire Maniption]


    mes erupted between his hands and then they shaped into a long ming sword with no sharpness.


    Elias closed his eyes and simply grabbed the ming sword. It was hot. It burned his skin, but he was quickly healed with mana..


    At that moment, Ragna rose once more. He was like an undying zombie, unwilling to fall no matter the damage.


    He bent his head backward and gazed at Elias, filled with excitement and joy as a smudge of blood painted his cheeks.


    Then, he charged.


    Before Ragna could reach him, Elias opened his eyes. He swung the ming sword.


    Then something magical urred.


    Hajin''s eyes widened in shock.


    The ming sword, bereft of the sharpness of a de, suddenly turned sharp in a single breath.


    The ming sword was as sharp as a de newly forged. The fire was concentrated and precise ¡ª it was masterfully controlled.


    Then as soon as the sword was swung, the ming sword extinguished as a wave of fire came out of it!


    BOOM¡ª!

 Chapter 94 Elias vs Ragna (3)

    <h4>Chapter 94 Elias vs Ragna (3)</h4>


    mes engulfed the entire arena.


    Within the fire, Ragna''s silhouette could be seen faintly. It was stalwart and steady as he stood in silence.


    However, when the fire drifted away to reveal his figure...


    His eyes were shut unconscious. It was clear that his body couldn''t handle it anymore and had stopped moving.


    Ragna had lost the match.


    "As expected, you''re the type of person that would rather die standing. How admirable."


    Elias slowly walked up to the gigantic man. He raised his head and stared directly at Ragna''s pupils.


    The match had concluded by his expectations.


    He had won overwhelmingly.


    In this fight, his goal wasn''t just to win. It was also to show Hajin and Ragna the difference between him and them.


    When it came to prideful people like Ragna and Hajin, they were selfish people who would not follow anyone at all.


    If he wanted them to follow and acknowledge him as their leader, he had to show them his worth.


    What better way than to show his strength?


    Not just mere strength, but an overwhelming disy of strength that made them acknowledge him as superior.


    "...How did you do that?"


    At this moment, Hajin suddenly asked with a strong gaze. There was an unprecedented desire showing in his eyes.


    ''The fish has taken the bait.''


    Elias thought as he slowly turned around to look at Hajin. He couldn''t help but smile a little.


    "I told you, didn''t I? That was mastery. The ability to change the sharpness of anything I touch."


    "I know that. But how did you achieve it?"


    Hajin''s eyes were solemn. He muttered under his breath, feeling confused and irritated at the same time.


    There was a sense of urgency in his voice, despite how he tried to hide it. His curiosity, for theckofbetter term, was overtaking him.


    ''When the fish has taken the bait, the hook is only what''s left.''


    Elias thought as he suddenly walked ahead of Hajin and patted his shoulder twice with a knowing smile.


    "I use my de. That''s all."


    Hearing those vague words, Hajin''s pupils


    widened in surprise. Only they knew what the other meant by those words.


    Before Elias could walk away further, Hajin turned around casually and opened his mouth.


    "I thought about your offer."


    "Interesting."


    Elias smile turned wide as he stopped his steps.


    Looking at his cousin''s back, Hajin let out a small sigh. It had a feeling of resignation to fate.


    "I''ll join you... under one condition,"


    "Tell me then."


    Elias raised his brows in interest. A condition wasn''t entirely out of his expectations, in fact, he more or less was expecting it.


    He couldpromise a little if it was a talent like Hajin.


    Then, Hajin paused again before asking.


    "You''ll grant me anything I desire, correct?"


    "That depends. I''m not your ve."


    Elias didn''t agree nor disagree. If it was reasonable, then he could do so in a heartbeat.


    But if it wasn''t, he could live without Hajin. He would not sacrifice too much for just an individual.


    Hajin rolled his eyes and snickered.


    "Tsk... I''m not even a member yet and you''re already taking back your words? I could already feel this was going to be a bad decision that would haunt me in the future..."


    "So what is it do you want?"


    "I want everything."


    Hajin said casually. Elias was stunned, he could feel that his cousin was not joking in the slightest.


    But before Elias could open his mouth express his confusion, Hajin continued with a short apologetic sigh.


    "I''ve thought it over... I can''t just agree with following you. It''s impossible. But I''ll do it anyway. I''ll follow you and help you achieve your goals, I promise that. However..."


    "When the time is right ¡ª you stand on top of the academy, I''ll take you down. I''ll be your enemy next. When you have everything, I''ll defeat you and take over your position."


    "But until that time, I''ll help you."


    Hearing his words, Elias was stunned. He didn''t expect that condition at all. He couldn''t help butugh loudly.


    "Hahahaha! you never fail to make meugh, Hajin! I agree then. If you have what it takes, I''ll be waiting for that day."


    "I''m excited for that day as well. Take care of yourself. Don''t forget the women and wealth you promised, kay?"


    Hajin nonchntly shrugged, smiling widely. He exhibited a dangerous and nonchnt air at the same time.


    Elias didn''t reply and continued walking. With this, he obtained his "Sword" or Left-hand man.


    ***


    After the match, Elias took his coat from the stand and draped it over his shoulders. He looked at the arena.


    As he expected, there was no damage to the private arena at all. If it was the public arena, it might''ve already been destroyed.


    The private arena used a rare material called "unzerst?rbar" that could be found in a private dungeon the academy owned.


    It was impervious to most kinds of magic and destruction, and the only way to destroy it was through the power of a high-Rank C or Rank B ranker.


    But there was no student with that kind of strength.


    Thus, this private arena was indestructible. Even if he went all out, he wouldn''t be able to dent this arena.


    Elias shook his head and thought of his ns going forward.


    ''After this fight, the next person to recruit should be...''


    However, at this moment, Ragna''s eyes finally returned to consciousness.


    Confused, he looked at himself. His entire body was battered and bruised, as though he had just experienced an intense battle.


    He looked over the back of the arena... there he saw his opponent, Elias Corleone, fully dressed, without a trace of injury.


    ''Did I...''


    Then it struck him ¡ª he had lost.


    ''...lose?''


    But he wasn''t angered by his loss. It wasn''t fury that filled him. On the contrary, it was excitement and expectation for the future.


    Ragna could feel his lips curl into a grin. He had finally found a worthy opponent that he could not defeat.


    After calming down, he looked at Elias and opened his mouth.


    "...Corleone, you have won. I will honor our bet, what do you want me to do?"


    Elias nodded and didn''t respond immediately. He unhurriedly walked toward him before he exined.


    "Recently, I''ve been looking to make a club. I want to conquer this academy and turn it around. It was said that since the academy''s founding, no one has ever managed to do that. I want to destroy that tradition."


    "But with my strength alone, I know I can''t do it by myself. I need people and they should be worthy at the same time. I''m looking for a partner that can be my fist in the time of crisis."


    Then, Elias stopped his steps as soon as he was close to Ragna. He raised his head and smiled.


    "That''s why... Ragna Newgate, follow me. I''ll give you anything you desire and you only need to be my fist. Let''s turn this academy around."


    "...If I follow you, then does that mean I will have more fights with worthy opponents?"


    Ragna suddenly asked.


    Elias was stunned for a moment. Then, he couldn''t help butugh uncharacteristically. He patted Ragna''s shoulder and looked him dead in the eye.


    "I swear on that."


    Ragna grin widened. Heughed outloud as he narrowed his eyes.


    "...But after I kill them all, one by one... I''ll fight you again. Do you have any problem with that?"


    "No, not at all. have no problems with that as long as you follow my orders to their absolute."


    Elias couldn''t help but raise his brows. Howe both his right hand and left hand want to kill him?


    It was quiteughable, but if this was what it takes to have them by his side, then he had no problems with it.


    After all, they had no chance to achieve it anyway.


    Hearing his words, Ragna snorted and shook his head.


    "Don''t worry. I''m a man of my words. I will live by it, and die by it."


    "Excellent."


    Elias replied casually as he looked at both Ragna and Hajin deeply. He put his hand on his chest.


    Then, he solemnly spoke:


    "From this day henceforth, I shall treat both of you as my equal. Whether we go to hell or heaven, I''ll be there to apany you. If any of you are in trouble, I shall help either of you to the best of my abilities."


    "By agreeing with me today, we are forever allies. We are bastards and yet we are more than that. We are partners in crime. In the name of Corleone, I swear to you."


    "As long as you do not betray me, I will not betray you. I will be your light in the darkness. I will be your ally in the times of criris. I will be your friend when you need one."


    "As ourselves, we are merely mortal men. But together... we are gods that can aplish anything."


    "I promise that."

 Chapter 95 Fey Scaffold (1)

    <h4>Chapter 95 Fey Scaffold (1)</h4>


    After recruiting Ragna and Hajin, Elias went separate ways with them as he still had other matters to deal with.


    Namely, recruiting thatperson.


    The person he was referring to was very important to the growth of his club. At the very least, they were as important as Ragna and Hajin.


    However, there was a problem.


    Elias didn''t know where to find that person. In the novel, the house of some characters was never mentioned.


    That was the case with this character.


    Although that person was a very popr side character, Elias couldn''t just give a damn to take the time to give them an actual address.


    ''It''s not my fault. Who knew such trivial information would actually be needed?''


    Elias defended himself internally. He was the type of author who didn''t care about such trivial information.


    They were worthless in his opinion, at least that was the case before he came to this world.


    If he only knew that they woulde in handy in the future, he would''ve expended some energy to write those stupid character trivias.


    ''No use crying over spilled milk. Let''s focus on the matter at hand... how should I go on finding that person?"


    Elias thought for a moment. If he remembered correctly, that person had some reputation in the academy.


    If he went on asking the traits or the name of that person, perhaps a kind student might be able to lead him to them.


    Thinking of that, Elias nodded slowly. He had no other choice anyways, besides even if he was not sessful...


    When sses finally start, he could always find that person inside the academy and that would be much, much easier.


    ***


    When Elias was walking around and asking people, he coincidentally came across a very familiar individual.


    A familiar beautiful woman with overwhelming grace stood before him.


    Dressed in a royal, embroidered robe, she had a ruby ne hanging below her chin that resplendently shone.


    With long soft blonde hair that shone like the sun, and a pair of sapphire blue eyes as vast as the ocean, the word ''perfection'' was not enough to describe her beauty.


    Elizabeth Truensoest, or the third princess of the Truensoest Empire.


    Noticing the stares around her, Elizabeth had an apologetic smile on her face while she looked at Elias.


    "Sir. Elias, It''s nice to meet you here! I''m sorry for calling you out all of a sudden, you must be very busy..."


    "Drop the honorifics, princess. Someone of your status does not need to respect someone like me."


    Elias shook his head and sighed inwardly. It would just attract more attention... but it''s not like that could even be prevented.


    Any ce where Elizabeth appears, she was certainly going to snare some attention from other people.


    Elizabeth frowned, seemingly not content with his attitude and remarks.


    "You should think of yourself more highly. You saved my life back then, I can''t thank you enough."


    "It was a coincidence, believe it or not. But it''s not like you would believe me anyway. So what''s a princess like you doing here?"


    "Uh... I actually just went and visited Rain and Lance in the infirmary. I just got back and wanted to stroll around for a while."


    Elizabeth gave a cheeky smile. She waved her hands and suddenly thought of something.


    "They''re okay, if you''re wondering. The nurse told us that they would recover tomorrow, which is when sses start... so I suppose they''re lucky?"


    "Yeah, really lucky."


    Elias nodded strangely. More like extremely convenient. When he was writing this part of the novel, he hadn''t really thought of the plot yet.


    He was just winging it, honest to god. That''s why as he further explores his novel, he gets puzzled every time.


    How the hell did this shit be popr?


    But he couldn''tpletely say it was that bad either. There were still some good points about it.


    The quality of his novel aside, there were more important matters at hand. Elias sighed inwardly.


    Seeing his brows suddenly crease, Elizabeth had an awkward smile as she asked casually.


    "W-what about you? Why are you here? I don''t see you as a person who likes to stroll around casually..."


    "That''s correct. I''m trying to find a student. But I have no leads right now, unfortunately."


    "Oh, do you need some help?"


    Elizabeth raised her brows in interest. She seemed really eager to help, with her eyes sparkling.


    "Hm, what can you..."


    Elias was about to immediately reject her, but then he remembered something. He looked at Elizabeth carefully.


    Elizabeth was startled by his scrutinizing gaze, with her eyes averting in awkwardness and embarrassment.


    Completely ignorant of this, Elias was contemting deeply.


    Elizabeth Truensoest was a princess of the Truensoest Empire.


    But other than that, she was also a high officer in the tinum-ranked Astral Summoner Club in the academy.


    The Astral Summoner Club was a club in the academy that only recruited people from the Astral Continent


    For the reason of such a thing, some context needs to be shed about the club and the Astral Continent.


    There were two continents in the present Aegis; the Remnant Continent and the Astral Continent.


    The Truensoest Empire was located on the Astral Continent. They were the sole ruler of the Astral Continent.


    The Astral Summoner Club was not just a simple academy club. Like most Gold-ranked clubs, they represented an organization or force.


    In this case, the Astral Summoner Club represented the Summoner Alliance within the Truensoest Empire.


    Thus, as a princess of the empire, Elizabeth was naturally one of the high officers in the Astral Summoner Club.


    If Elias could have her connections, then the matter of finding that person would be resolved in a matter of seconds.


    "You... might just be able to help."


    "That sounds great!"


    Elizabeth''s eyes sparkled. In truth, she had always wanted to help Elias after he saved her from the demon.


    Part of it is that he reminded her of the prince or hero fantasy she had as a child, not that she would ever admit that.


    However, the main reason is that she was very ufortable about not being able to repay such gratitude.


    Elizabeth''s lips curled into a smile, one that seemed especially bright.


    "So, how can I help? What''s the name of that person anyway?"


    Seeing her enthusiasm, Elias felt slightly startled before replying to her.


    "His name is... Fey Scaffold."


    "Alright! Let''s go and ask other stude¡ª"


    "Wait, what?"


    Elias suddenly stopped her. Elizabeth paused and seemed confused, with her head tilting toward him.


    Seeing her confusion, Elias felt very awkward but continued nheless.


    "We''re... not going together and ask other people around. I''m talking about your Astral Summoner Club. If you can ask them about Fey Scaffold, I would be grateful."


    "..Ah, t-that..."


    Elizabeth paused. Her cheeks were painted with a faint tint of pink, while her eyes turned downcast with slight disappointment.


    She looked like a pitiful cat that made others ''aww'' on her appearance.


    In an attempt to avoid her embarrassment, Elizabeth averted her eyes and curled her hair awkwardly.


    "...I''m so sorry for misunderstanding...?"


    "No, it''s... alright."


    Dear god, Elias sighed inwardly. The stares of the people around them suddenly turned hostile. You might just be the death of me.

 Chapter 96 Fey Scaffold (2)

    <h4>Chapter 96 Fey Scaffold (2)</h4>


    As it turned out, nepotism was actually a great practice if you were the friend or family in question who was benefitting from it.


    ''Yeah right, but I have to say... so this is what privilege feels like...''


    A while earlier, Elizabeth contacted the Astral Summoner Club and found Fey Scaffold for him in a matter of seconds.


    It was so quick and efficient that Elias actually felt a little sorry for abandoning Elizabeth in the city like that.


    Just a little.


    He had more important matters to handle than to stroll around with her and attract all sorts of attention.


    Besides, in exchange for that help, he''ll repay her in the future... when that crucial event that would significantly change her urs.


    He''ll intervene for her.


    In front of a rather medium-sized house, Elias calmly approached the door and knocked twice.


    Knock! Knock!


    The house in front of him was Fey Scaffold''s ce. Fey Scaffold was a second-year student.


    Unlike the poor little first years, Fey Scaffold had umted some contribution points and bought himself a house with ab.


    For context, Fey Scaffold was a Sorcerer with expertise in Thaumaturgy.


    He was proficient in almost all branches of thaumaturgy, but his ideas were a little... too unique to say the least that no one would ept him even if he did apply.


    Furthermore, Fey Scaffold was an "outcast" or so to say someone who didn''t like to mingle with puny mortals.


    In that way, he was naturally a lowkey person with some little-known fame. The reputation he had was from something that happened in his first year.


    "Coming!"


    At that moment, a tired shout resounded from the house.


    Elias stopped knocking and waited in front of the door. He was indifferent on the outside, but he was thinking on what he should say.


    ***


    Inside the house, a curly-haired man wearing a pair of sses limply walked with eyebags as dark as the abyss.


    Fey Scaffold was quite frankly, tired. He put in hours and hours of research in his current project only for it to result in failure.


    He was not just running out of time, he was also running out of funds. But he''ll figure it out... probably.


    ''Who the hell is this guy?''


    But at this moment, Fey couldn''t help but sober up. He looked at the peephole and saw a strange... well-dressed man.


    The man had short white hair and a pale white skin. He had a slightly thin figure and a pair of sharp ck eyes that pierced through one''s soul.


    Paired with the formal ck suit and suitcase he was holding, his attire made him seem like someone very important.


    Like... someone from the authorities for example.


    ''I didn''t do anything wrong, did I..? Oh wait, I did buy some not-so-legal materials in the ck market because they were cheaper but...!''


    Fey feeling puzzled, immediately panicked when he remembered his orders in the ck market.


    Knock! Knock!


    Unfortunately, there was no use crying over spilled milk as the man knocked once again, forcing him to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, Fey immediately crossed his hands and shook his head.


    "I swear, I didn''t do anything wrong. I just bought those stuff because they were useful for my research! Also, they were cheaper."


    "...Huh?"


    Elias, feelingpletely confused, tilted his head.


    Fey, thinking that he was being judged, took a deep breath. He looked around the ce to check if there were other people.


    Seeing that there was no one around but them, he hurriedly took a stack of bills from his coat pocket.


    Fey suddenly leaned on to Elias while he pushed the stack of bills. He whispered.


    "Here, I promise I won''t do it again. I admit I may have bought illegal narcotics for one of my drug experiments, but you have to understand. It''s for the sake of mankind,"


    "Wha¡ª"


    "As part of the authorities, you understand me yeah? I''m sure you had to do some sketchy stuff to protect the people from behind. I also understand,pletely. So... won''t you forget this one, for humankind''s sake."


    Fey smiled calmly and patted Elias shoulder, causing thetter to widen his eyes in surprise.


    "Alright,"


    Feeling strange, Elias lips curled into a smile. He epted the stack of bills and put it into his pocket casually.


    Seeing that he seeded, Fey sighed in relief. However, the next words of the man.. made him stunned in ce.


    "But I''m not part of the authorities though,"


    Elias suddenly said, cracking a smile. He put forward his hand and re-introduced himself to Fey.


    "My name is Elias Corleone, call me Elias or Corleone, I don''t mind. But I''m not fond of nicknames, to be frank, I hate them. I''ve been wanting to meet you for a while, Fey Scaffold."


    "..."


    Fey was speechless. He curled his hair for a moment, unable to say anything. After a while of silence, he opened his mouth with great difficulty.


    "...So you''re not part of the authorities?"


    "Not at all."


    "...Can you forget what happened? Also, can I take my money back?"


    Fey suddenly realized and expressed an embarrassed smile. He looked at Elias with pleading eyes that made him seem like he was wronged.


    In truth, Fey was at his wit''s ends. He didn''t really want to give away that money, but if his choices were his research or his life, he would choose thetter without question.


    But now that he discovered that he was actually not in danger, he was really, really reluctant to part away with that money.


    That was his remaining funds for his research...


    Fey looked at Elias with puppy eyes. It was unknown if it worked it not, but Elias eyes twitched with an unspeakable emotion.


    "Calm down. Are you sure you want it back?"


    Calming himself down, Fey nodded resolutely but his eyes suddenly turned confused.


    "I would be grateful... but wait, what do you mean am I sure? That''s my money. I have the right to take it back."


    "I know. But will you?"


    Elias said calmly, much to Fey''s increasing confusion. But seeing that Fey was not getting his point, he made it clearer.


    "If you take this money back, I have the grounds to report you to the SSG. You do realize that you confessed your crimes to me, right?"


    He slowly recounted, causing Fey dawn in a realization as he froze in ce. Elias patted Fey''s shoulder and went inside the house.


    "Let''s go inside. Let''s talk about it. Depending on your answer or not, I might or might not report you."

 Chapter 97 Fey Scaffold (3)

    <h4>Chapter 97 Fey Scaffold (3)</h4>


    Inside the house, Fey Scaffold fidgeted while nervously watching Elias who was sitting on the couch casually.


    Without a slight care to Fey''s presence, Elias made himselffortable like it was his own house.


    Very calmly, he sipped the tea on the table like there was nothing wrong. He nodded slowly, as though admiring the teamanship behind it.


    "..."


    A long silence remained between the two of them before Fey Scaffold finally couldn''t take it anymore and opened his mouth.


    "So... can you promise me you won''t report me to the SSG?"


    Hearing that, Elias shifted on his seat. He gently put down the tea cup on top of the table before turning his gaze to Fey.


    His gaze was cold, and piercing. Fey thought as he shifted ufortably. But beneath all that, there was a trace of amusement.


    Elias smiled, as though impressed.


    "You''re amitted actor. I admire that, but you can drop the act now."


    "...Sorry?"


    Fey, unable to understand, tilted his head in confusion. He seemed to be genuinely baffled.


    But Elias seemed to be not satisfied with that respone.


    "I''ll spread the word around that the inheritor of the Secret Sorcerer is staying in the academy if you don''t stop acting,"


    Fey''s expression immediately changed. He immediately rose from his seat as shock took over him.


    While looking at Elias, his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief as anxiety and panic filled him.


    ''Have they caught on to me? How?! Did I leave a trace somehow?! Shit!''


    Taking a step back in panic, Fey identally hit the vase on the walls, causing it to fall and break.


    Crack¡ª!


    But he didn''t seem to notice, or perhaps he noticed but couldn''t afford to give a damn because of his current situation.


    ''I have to act¡ªNow!''


    At that moment, Fey''s eyes turned cold and resolute. He decisively made a move as his eyes flickered in determination.


    Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers and caused several guns toe out of the walls and point at Elias sitting on the couch.


    Snap!


    However, despite being surrounded, Elias was unfazed and didn''t seem to care about the weapons pointed at him at all.


    Theck of reaction from Elias both served anxiety and reassurance to Fey¡ªthe man was too confident for his liking.


    However, on the other hand, the man didn''t seem to be in a rush to eliminate or take care of him.


    Taking a deep breath, Fey sized up Elias cautiously. He opened his mouth and finally spoke after a while.


    "You... who are you? Are you from the Secret Pce?"


    "If I was, I wouldn''t be here talking to you. I would''ve already dragged you away, or perhaps killed you, don''t you think so?"


    Elias shook his head calmly, but Fey was unconvinced.


    "Fool me all you want, but I know that bastard Anti-Mage... he''s still looking for master''s inheritance."


    "Anti-Mage wouldn''t do that."


    Elias replied casually. Fey seemed confused, and Elias was more than willing to rify what he meant.


    "Anti-Mage is in a tight situation right now. He''s fighting against the Ice Pce, so he can''t afford to pay attention to you at the moment. Furthermore, he found a better inheritance."


    "...A better inheritance?"


    Confused how the man knew all this, Fey calmed down slighty and asked with furrowrd brows.


    Elias suddenly raised his hand, causing Fey to turn alert. But he simply grabbed the cup of tea on the table and took a sip.


    "That''s the reason he''s fighting the Ice Pce in the first ce,"


    That didn''t answer any of my questions, Fey thought with more confusion. But the man''s answers had indeed temporary alliviated his worries.


    ''Thankfully it wasn''t the Secret Pce.''


    Thinking of that, Fey dropped his guard down for a moment and sighed in relief.


    "Nevermind all that then, who are you? How do you know me... no, more importantly, why are you here then?"


    "Didn''t I introduce myself to you already?"


    Elias seemed amused. He took out his Student ID Card and threw it to Fey in a nonchnt manner.


    "I''m Elias Corleone. Call me Elias or Corleone, I don''t mind. But no nicknames. I hate nicknames. It''s a pleasure meeting you, Fey Scaffold."


    Impressed by how the ID Card spun in the air like a card, Fey caught it in time and looked at its contents quietly.


    Then, it struck him. He had been feeling overtly familiar of the name Elias Corleone since a while, but he simply dismissed it¡ª


    But only now did Fey remember.


    "You''re that first year! The one who made headlines before the sses even started."


    "It seems you know me already,"


    Elias smoothly replied, hiding his pissed off smile behind the cup of tea. He had suddenly remembered that obnoxious Felix.


    Ooh, how much he wanted to have a nice talk with that man. But what was done was done anyways.


    It was not good to get his irritationality affect his judgement. In a certain angle, what Felix did helped his eventual ascent to fame.


    He was just the type to not like unpredictable and random variables being inserted to his ns.


    Gently putting down the Student ID Card, Fey finished looking through the contents and turned his attention to Elias.


    "So... what''s a hotshot like you doing here? how do you know me? I don''t think I left my traces somewhere...?"


    "Fey Scaffold. You''re an interesting one,"


    Elias sized up Fey from bottom to up, causing Fey to shift ufortably. But before thetter could speak, he continued.


    "You possess one of the greatest innate talents of humanity [Savant]... not to mention, you also have the inheritance of the Secret Sorcerer,"


    "Fey Scaffold, a once-in-a-generation master of Thaumaturgy. Although your talent as a sorcerer iscking, it''spensated by your unparalleled aplishment in various branches of Thaumaturgy."


    "Then, there''s the matter of the inheritance of Secret Sorcerer. If used well, you can be one of the best sorcerers in this generation. You''re a gold mine¡ªno, you''re a diamond in the rough, waiting to be uncovered."


    Elias lips curled into a confident smile. Fey was not exactly sure where the man was going with this, but he simply listened.


    "You see, I have a goal. I want to create a club and rule this academy. Overturn it from inside. I want to break the tradition that no single power can rule this ce,"


    "I already have two helpers, both of them supernovas of this generation. They have their own agendas, but they''re willing to assist me in my goal. I''m confident in their strength,"


    "With all that said, Fey Scaffold. Join me and we''ll rule this academy together. I''ll grant you whatever you want and desire¡ªI swear on that. ept my hand, the future of this academy... is ours."


    After saying that, Elias put his hand forward as he stared at Fey silently.


    Now, it all hinges upon Fey''s decision.


    A long silence came up. Fey looked at the hand in front of him before raising his gaze to Elias in awe.


    "...You''re attempting to demolish the noble''s rule in the academy, you''re crazy."


    "They''re merely pebbles on the road. It''s a necessary step for conquering this academy altogether,"


    Elias replied sintly.


    Thinking of something, Fey quieted down. He gazed at Elias in what could only be described as amazement or awe.


    But behind that superficial awe he showed, he was thinking deeply¡ª¡ªanalyzing what could happen in the future if he epted.


    Using unknown means, Fey''s mind worked in inhumane processing speed before his eyes suddenly narrowed.


    ''The future is strange... it''s moving between the thin line of positive and negative. I can''t get a good read. It''s essentially unknown but...''


    A slight feeling was all it took for him to know it was incalcble. Fey prioritized analyzing his advantages and disadvantages instead.


    ''Nevermind. This deal doesn''t seem to pose a great risk to me, but gives me a lot of benefits instead.''


    ''If we put things into perspective, I still don''t know who this man is. But I''m certain he''s dangerous. Extremely dangerous. He also knows my identity and the Anti-Mage...''


    ''Considering all that, I''ll have to ept his offer. Like the saying goes, keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. Whether he''s a friend or foe, I need to keep an eye on him.''


    ''This deal is the perfect opportunity for that. If he''s a friend, I have an helping hand. If he''s an enemy, I have him under my thumb.''


    ''Elias Corleone... I can use you.''


    After a couple of seconds, Fey snapped out of his strange state. His gaze that was filled with awe finally returned to normal.


    To an outside perspective, it seemed as if nothing had happened at all, it was only a split second after all.


    But at that small time frame, Fey had already came to a decision.


    "I saw your Student ID Card, I say you''re a horrible liar. You cause a greatmotion like killing a baron demon and you try to convince people with that fraudulent card of yours? Nevermind... I''ll join you as long as you owe me a favor,"


    "That could be done immediately. But I''m not just going to grant you a favor, you think too little of me. I''m going to support every project of yours too, including that."


    Elias nodded slowly.


    Fey''s eyes shone and immediately shook the hand in front of him in a speed that could only be described as instantm.


    "Deal."


    "..Hahahahaha."


    Elias couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. He lowered his gaze and stared at Fey with a calm smile.


    "Wee to the club, Fey Scaffold."


    ***


    After settling a deal with Fey Scaffold, Elias went outside of the house and looked at vast sky that overwhelmed the earth.


    So far, everything is well ording to n.


    ''Oh, Fey Scaffold...''


    Elias lips curled into a smirk. He was all too familiar with Fey to know what the man was up to, and he was more eager to y along with it.


    ''Fey Scaffold. I will be the one to use you, not the otherway around.''


    While thinking of that, the wind suddenly blew and softly fluttered the coat that was draped over his shoulders.


    Elias looked over the busy society before turning his gaze to the academy.


    Thinking of Hajin, Ragna and Fey...


    "Cheers," he muttered under his breath. "For a great and eternal partnership¡ª¡ªtomorrow we start to conquer this academy."


    "Let''s do our best, shall we?"

 Chapter 98 Interlude

    <h4>Chapter 98 Interlude</h4>


    The moon shone of luminous light, bringing upon a beautiful gleam to the dark, quiet city of rankers below.


    After a long day, Elias returned to the Red and Blue apartment. His gaze wandered the ce before it fell on a figure on the left side of the apartment.


    It was a beautiful woman wearing a pair of sses.


    Alice Heartfelt looked at the moon distantly while her head rested upon her hand. She looked like a character out of an art book at this moment.


    Elias took a nce at her before moving to the stairs. He carefully walked to the stairs. It was unknown if he noticed or not, but Alice saw him.


    Soon, he arrived at his destination. He stood in front of Room 12 before he gently twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door.


    Click!


    Upon entering Room 12, he was immediately greeted by Peter''s ttering smile and chubby form.


    "Boss Elias! You''re back!"


    "...I am."


    Elias nodded strangely. After entering, he closed the door from behind.


    Click!


    Looking over the room, he couldn''t help but notice that there was someone missing. He looked at Peter and asked.


    "Where''s Robert?"


    "Robert... erm..."


    Peter scratched his head awkwardly. After a small sigh, he answered with a shrug.


    "He didn''t tell me where he went, but he''s probably preparing for tomorrow. sses will start tomorrow, after all."


    "That''s true."


    Elias took it as that and didn''t continue the topic. He removed his coat and hung it over the suit valet beside the door as he thought deeply.


    Peter''s words reminded him... sses were finally going to start tomorrow morning.


    ''My first ss or program is a Hunter-specialized one...''


    Upon passing the entrance exam, students were informed of the necessary programs or sses they must undertake during their time in the academy.


    Depending on the profession of the student, the programs or sses they were required to undertake usually differ from one another.


    For example, Elias'' profession is a Combat Mage. Because this particr profession needs both skills of a Hunter and Sorcerer, the programs assigned to him were both Hunter-specialized, Sorcerer-specialized, and Combat Mage-specialized sses.


    This included 8 ss programs like; Hunter (Strategic Survival), Sorcerer (Magic Theory), Combat Mage (Efficient Bncing Control)....


    Inparison, Sorcerer students or Hunter students have different programs or sses assigned to them to suit their own profession.


    To name a few, Sorcerers have a special specialized (Thaumaturgy) program exclusive to them and Hunters have a specialized (Navigation) program also exclusive to them.


    This was to prevent the students from learning useless information that they wouldn''t necessarily need in their own profession.


    However, worth noting, a student can still undertake programs or sses outside of their profession as long as it''s of their own volition. This was called "extra programs" by the academy.


    However, a student could only take 2 "extra programs" because students can only have a maximum limit of 10 programs or sses overall.


    As of the present, Elias wasn''t really too keen on having any extra programs. But it may change in the future.


    While he was removing his suit from the corner, Peter remembered something and suddenly asked.


    "Oh right, boss did you know about the Witch of the Red yet?"


    "The Witch of Red?"


    Elias was slightly surprised. He knew about it of course. It was what made Red and Blue apartment popr among fans of the novel.


    However, Peter had thought that Elias was confused about the Witch of Red and thus immediately exined to him.


    "The Red and Blue apartment is separated into two sides; the Red side for the female students and the Blue side for the male students. There''s a beautiful woman in the Red side, but you have to be careful Boss Elias..."


    Elias feeling amused, tilted his head.


    "Why?"


    "Rumor has it, that beautiful woman is a terrifying Witch."


    Peter proimed solemnly. Witches were a bunch of cruel sadistic female sorcerers with mysterious powers rted to ult and curses.


    "I definitely don''t want to meet them then."


    Elias inly replied. He opened his suitcase and put his ck suit inside before closing it gently.


    If it wasn''t obvious enough, the Witch of the Red was Alice Heartfelt.


    ''Witch, huh...''


    Thinking of something, Elias couldn''t help but let out a long sigh all of a sudden. It was a sigh that felt so... empty and sad at the same time.


    Peter, noticing the sigh, squinted his eyes and didn''t continue the topic. He returned to his bed and used his tablet in silence.


    Although he might not look like, he was a perceptive person.


    ''Never mind.''


    Shaking his head, Elias shoved away the distracting thoughts he had to the back of his mind.


    Afterward, he went to the single, medium-sized bed in the corner and sat on top of itsfortable surface.


    "I''ll have to sleep early..."


    Elias muttered under his breath. This day could be considered the most eventful one so far since he came to the academy.


    From this day alone, he had recruited Ragna, Hajin Sanchez, and Fey Scaffold to his club in session.


    Whether his decision would prove to be a mistake or not .. that was left for the future to decide.


    Before long, Elias fell asleep on the bed while thinking about the things he had to do for the rest of his days in the academy.


    ***


    Arcane Academy.


    Elias stood in front of the renowned academy of rankers. He saw many students go through the gate of the academy.


    "Ugh, hell days are starting again..."


    "I failed my Thaumaturgy programst year... I can''t fail again... I don''t think I canst another year..."


    "I have to join a club... I don''t think I can keep up with the sses this year..."


    Contrary to the beautiful morning, the faces of the students going through the gate were grim and solemn.


    It was as though they were entering hell itself, not the famed academy sought by many young aspiring rankers.


    But that description was not that far off.


    The sses in the Arcane Academy were indeed hellish.


    Elias wasn''t too fond of going to school either. But if he wanted to umte strength and knowledge, the academy was undoubtedly the best ce to stay.


    After observing for a few seconds, he didn''t dy anymore and promptly went through the gate of the academy.


    The academy was unsurprisinglyrge. It was easy to get lost if one was not paying attention to where they were going.


    After some time, Elias soon arrived in front of an entrance to a Lecture Hall. He went inside and saw that there were already a lot of students.


    The academy didn''t have any ssrooms, but instead used lecture halls.


    The total poption of the Arcane Academy was toorge, so using ssrooms was simply not an effective method.


    Therefore, such things like ss A, ss B, and ss C that divided students by ss were non-existent.


    Instead, departments existed to divide or differentiate the students. There was the Hunter Department, Sorcerer Department, and the Combat Mage Department.


    At this moment, a familiar voice called out to him.


    "Hey, Elias! We''re in the same program, huh?"


    Turning to where the voice came from, Elias saw a dark-blue haired man wearing modern clothes on the seats near him.


    Beside the dark-blue haired man, there was a monstrouslyrge white-haired student whom he also recognized.


    "Hajin¡­ and Ragna?"


    "Bullseye, dear cousin. One and only. Hajin Sanchez, part-time life enjoyer, and full-timedy lover."


    "Wasn''t it the opposite before?"


    Elias smiled in amusement as he took a seat beside them. Hajin gave a nomittal shrug to his question and instead switched the topic.


    "Fancy meeting you here, I didn''t think you were in the same program as me, Elias. You don''t mind if I call you by your name, right? Boss sounds too shitty,"


    "No, that''s perfectly fine."


    Elias shook his head. He didn''t really like it either. He looked at both Hajin and Ragna before informing them of his ns.


    "Don''t leave immediatelyter. I''m going to do something, alright? I need you guys as backup."


    "Sure, sure."


    "Alright."


    Hajin and Ragna bothplied with his orders without asking. Although they were interested, they could just seeter anyway.


    Soon, the lecture hall was filled with students. It didn''t take long before a teacher finally came inside and took everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 99 Statement (1)

    99 Statement (1)


    As soon as the teacher entered, the students  adjusted their seats and quieted down until the room was entirely silent.


    However, the teacher didn''t speak. He merely stood on the stadium while sweeping his gaze throughout the room.


    They didn''t know if it was their imagination or not, but there was a suffocating pressure that slowly came out of the man.


    It made almost every student in the room nervous.


    It didn''t help that the man''s eyes were sharp and piercing, intimidating whoever came eye to eye contact with them.


    Even after a minute or so, the teacher was like a statue and remained still and unmoving on the stadium. Staring at them, silently.


    While the students sat on their seats, no one spoke or moved an inch from their position as the nervousness they had turned into fear.


    It was very apparent why they were afraid.


    The teacher ¡ª a tall middle-aged man with a handsome, intimidating face stood on the stadium of the lecture hall. He swept his piercing gaze throughout the entire ss calmly.


    Dressed in a formal attire, a gray overcoat was draped over his shoulders. His choice of attire entuated the stern and unyielding air he gave off to others.


    His eyes¡ªpiercing and cold¡ªmade every weak-willed student in the room feel tense and nervous.


    Without a doubt, the man was someone not be messed with.


    Since he entered the lecture hall, the man had yet to speak a single word ¡ª but even so he had perfectly caught the attention of everyone in the room


    After in what seemed like an eternity, the man finally spoke.


    "My name is Alex Midgard. I''ll be your survival instructor in your Hunter sses for this year. Remember my name well."


    After he introduced himself, Alex took a chalk and turned around. He spoke as he wrote on the ckboard.


    "Since this is the first day, I''d like to get things straight to you bunch of lots. I''m a simple man with very simple requirements."


    "By simple requirements, what I mean is my rules in this ss are simple. Attend my ss, do not bete, and do not disturb my lesson. That''s all I want."


    "Failure to do so,"


    Alex paused. Then, he tightened his hold on the chalk and dragged it through the surface of the ck board.


    <nulli>Screech¡ª!


    The students were rmed, but once Alex turned around and swept his gaze to them again, they turned quiet.


    "You and I will never see each other in this ss again."


    "Is that clear?"


    The students, feeling apprehensive, nodded nervously from his gaze. Except... for one student that is.


    One student raised his hand calmly. It took everyone''s attention immediately, including Alex.


    "No, It''s not clear. I want you to exin it again for me."


    The students widened their eyes in disbelief at his words. <nulli>Was this student crazy? Did he not...


    But whether it was pure craziness or simple ignorance, the student that spoke had an amused smile.


    Everyone finally got a good look of the student''s appearance.


    It was a white haired man with pale skin. He was dressed in a formal attire that didn''t seem to match any other student''s outfit.


    There was something unique and mysterious about him that made him stand out among other people.


    Furthermore, the man had sharp, piercing eyes that was no less terrifying than Alex Midgard''s gaze.


    Alex calmly stared at the white-haired student.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Elias Corleone, a first year."


    The student replied casually, as though it was a matter of no importance. But to the other students, it was a bombshell.


    <nulli>Elias Corleone?! The guy in the headlines who killed the baron demon in the examination?!


    Alex, seemingly remembering something, nodded slowly. He gave a deep look toward Elias.


    "That obnoxious man had mentioned you to me in a passing conversation. I''d like to make it clear that I''m not like that man. I tolerate no disrespect from my students."


    "Have I disrespected you in anyway? I was simply asking a question."


    Elias raised his brows, nonplussed. He didn''t seem intimidated or nervous at all, different from the others.


    "That you haven''t yet,"


    Alex shook his head calmly. He put the chalk back on the ckboard and grabbed the cane beside him.


    "But I''m warning you now. If you try, in any way, to disregard my status as your instructor. Then, you will pay the price for that."


    "That sounds scary."


    Elias smiled nonchntly. He leaned on his chair casually and crossed his legs before he continued speaking.


    "Let''s move on, Professor Alex. I''d like to ask something regarding the rules; if we were to bete once, will you kick us out of the ss immediately?"


    Alex shook his head before replying.


    "Three warnings. I''ll give a total of three warnings per student."


    Elias nodded slowly. That was reasonable then.


    "What if there''s a valid reason for beingte? Then will you still give the student a warning or can you make exceptions?"


    "I don''t care. Beingte constitutes aste, no matter the reason behind it. If you have any concerns about that, keep it to yourself. In this ss, my words are the rules."


    Alex retorted calmly. There was no trace ofpromise on his voice. Only an unbending straightmand.


    Seemingly satisfied with the answers, Elias smiled politely.


    "I see... as expected of you, Professor Alex Midgard. Thanks for answering my questions, Professor Alex. I appreciate it."


    Alex indifferently nodded while staring at Elias dead in the eye. It was unknown what he was thinking.


    However, Elias didn''t back down either. He narrowed his eyes and stared back with an amused smile.


    The students around the could only p their hands for his audacity. It was perfectly in line of what they imagined of the student who killed the baron demon.


    After a long stare, Alex slowly turned his gaze away.


    "Moving on, let''s discuss what you lots will be learning under me for the year. I''ll be teaching you the basics of a hunter: how to survive and how to kill."


    "Since primitive times, violence has always been the most powerful weapon of mankind. Things are no different in the current era. It''s even more exaggerated now."


    "My job is to teach each of you lots how to use that <nulli>violence to survive. I''m going to drill in your heads on how you kill monsters properly and how to survive them,"


    Alex narrowed his eyes.


    "I''ll warn you in advance. Take my ss seriously. I''m not going to teach you theory like sorcerers or teach you fancy skills likebat mages¡ªI''m going to teach you the skills needed to survive in this world."


    "I''ve seen many stupid idiots, rankers more older and stronger than each one of you, die in some unknown ce because they forgot the basics of survival. Those fools thought they knew everything."


    "If you don''t want to be like them, then listen to my words: Pride kills a man, and arrogance is the death of great men. Be the exception, not part of the casualty."


    Alex slowly said, giving a deep look to the students.


    The students, although still nervous, seemed to have been slightly energized from his words.


    "I won''t be discussing for today. However, I will be announcing a couple of matters before I leave the ce."


    "Namely, the clubs."

 Chapter 100 Statement (2)

    100 Statement (2)


    "Namely, the clubs."


    The students instinctively smiled as a fire lit up within them. They immediately directed their focus to the words that he was about to say.


    After a short pause, Alex Midgard continued in a disinterested tone.


    "You may or not be familiar with them, but clubs are a huge part of the academy. It''s one of the greatest attractions of the academy itself."


    "Clubs date a long a history. It existed since the founding of the academy itself. It was proposed by the first Supreme Student Government and integrated into the system of the academy afterward."


    "If you wish to know about its history further, you can check it out in the library or online library."


    Alex stopped right there and changed the topic. He was not fond of long exnations, much less storytelling, though that much was obvious by his nd, disinterested voice.


    "Since today is opening day, club recruiters wander the hallways of the academy. If you find a club to your liking, then you can file a submission paper and join them."


    "The academy encourages all student to join a club of their liking, by their words, it helps foster amunity for every ranker."


    "However, the academy won''t force you to join a club if you don''t want to do so. But keep in mind that joining clubs has more benefits than demerits."


    After saying all that, Alex Midgard paused and took a nce at his wristwatch. He raised his head and looked at the students.


    "Do any of you have any questions before I dismiss the ss?"


    Hearing that, Elias raised his hand again. He took everyone''s attention in the lecture hall once more.


    Looking at Elias, Alex gave a deep look before nodding calmly.


    "Go ahead."


    "What if we don''t like any of the clubs in the academy? Can we make one on our own then?"


    Elias asked nonchntly while he reclined on his chairfortably, not showing any bit of nervousness or fear.


    Taking a nce at him, the other students in the hall raised their brows in surprise. Did this man want to make his own club?


    The newly enrolled students thought nothing about it, but the old first years couldn''t help but purse their lips in disdain at his hidden intentions.


    They could only say Elias was either ignorant or so full of himself to even consider making a club from scratch.


    "If you desire, then you can do so. There''s no one stopping you. But you need to submit an official form containing four of your members and the teacher behind the club to create one sessfully,"


    Alex answered calmly. He nced at Elias and shook his head lightly as he added in precaution.


    "However, I''ll warn you. Starting a club from scratch is much harder than you think it is. I rmend you to join an existing club instead."


    more, expecting the man to back out immediately


    10:31


    Hard is an understatement...


    The old students murmured before shaking their heads as they turned their sights to Elias once more, expecting the man to back out immediately


    But they were bound to be disappointed.


    "No, I''ll pass. I don''t think I''ll fail. Thank you for your warning though, Professor Alex. I appreciate it."


    Elias shook his head calmly and rejected the advice. He silently looked at Alex with an amused expression.


    <nulli>''Despite looking like an intimidating old man, he sure does like to offer unnecessary advice to his students...''


    Alex Midgard was one of the few characters he appreciated in his own novel. The man was strict and unyielding but was a great teacher to his students.


    It reminded Elias of his old mentor back on earth, who guided him in the most difficult time of his life.


    In fact, he wrote Alex Midgard''s character using his old mentor as a reference.


    A lot of the characters in the novel [Heroes of the New Age] were written using his past life experiences as a reference.


    Hearing his words, Alex Midgard couldn''t help but frown in disapproval.


    "...Alright. ss dismissed hen."


    But he didn''t extend his words any further; it was useless and Alex was not the type to be overly caring of his student''s choices.


    After dismissing the ss, Alex Midgard didn''t prolong his stay in the lecture hall any further and left the ce.


    But before he went on ahead, he left a few words.


    "If you have any questions or concerns, you can meet me in the faculty room until twelve noon."


    The students nodded, but no one really took it to heart. It was already nerve-wracking enough to face him in a lecture hall.


    As soon as Alex disappeared from their gazes, the students released the tense nerves and breaths they had been holding since earlier.


    "Huuu¡­ that teacher¡­ he''s kinda scary¡­"


    "We''re gonna be under him for a year, huh? I hope I don''t catch his attention¡­ he looks like a killer¡­"


    "Tell me about it. I literally had chills when I felt his gazend on me¡­ he''s definitely not someone we should mess with. But doesn''t he seem nice though?"


    The studentsined at one another, but before they could stand up¡ªa loud p took over their attention in the stadium.


    Huh? Who is¡­


    Standing in the stadium, there were three students just like them. One of them was Elias Corleone.


    "Don''t leave just yet,"


    Elias spoke casually, leaning over the back of the table located in the stadium. Beside him were Hajin and Ragna.


    Seeing the monstrous body of Ragna, the students who wanted toin closed their mouths and kept it to themselves.


    "But we were dismissed, weren''t we?"


    A male student suddenly stood up. He had a streak of violet hair and the white skin of a fair maiden.


    While he looked at Elias'' group, he had a haughty and arrogant expression that was extremely punchable.


    "Who are you to dictate, my¡ªLeonard Sodium, actions? Do not let your little fame get to you, filthymoner. I''ll have you know, no matter how famous you can get, you can never be above me, a true noble."


    Hearing his name, the students went to an abrupt discussion.


    "Sodium¡­ so he''s part of the Sodium Family of the six great noble families. A big shot at the start, huh¡­"


    "Who knows? But isn''t this a great opportunity? If we get into his good side, do you think we can¡­?"


    "No. I''d rather not follow a man like that. It''s better to not get involved with nobles, they''re usually¡­ a package of great risk."


    Leonard Sodium heard the student''s gossip and whispers, causing his lips to curl in a disdainful smile. He looked at Elias'' group which was silent and smirked.


    "What, too stunn¡ª"


    But before he could finish, arge hand suddenly appeared before him. It was too big of a palm, twice the size of his head.


    Bam!


    Before Leonard could even react, his face was suddenly mmed to the surface of his desk. It didn''t even ur to him what had happened until a few seconds passed.


    Simrly, the students around the lecture hall were t-out shocked and horrified at the same time.


    "Yo¡ª!"


    Leonard tried to rise, but therge hand had a tight grip on his head. He couldn''t even move an inch from the sheer strength of the grip.


    It was impossible.


    "You''re too noisy, y''know that? My boss is saying something, listen will ya?"


    In front of him, Ragna raised Leonard''s hair and stared straight into the nobleman''s eyes with a wild grin on his face.


    Leonard was thoroughly angered, but it quickly turned into immacte horror as he saw his opponent.


    It was a man so big, and sorge. A giant that seemed human, or perhaps a human that seemed like a giant.


    If it wasn''t for the human attire the man was wearing, he would''ve undoubtedly thought that he was facing a monster in human guise.


    But then, remembering his exalted status again, Leonard felt his pride be torn into pieces as his expression reverted to fury.


    "Release me a¡ª"


    But before he could even finish, Ragna mmed his face once more to the desk, silencing him.


    Bam!


    The students, unable to believe what they were seeing, couldn''t help but take a step back in both disbelief and horror.


    "Y-you¡­"


    "What the fuck¡­"


    "This man is crazy! He''s from the Sodium Family...!"


    There were a lot of concerns, that was for sure. But all of it was immediately silenced and suppressed by one single resounding p from Elias.


    p!


    The students immediately remembered that Ragna was not the main threat here; it was Elias in the stadium.


    "Okay, listen up. Don''t pay attention to the clown."


    Elias said calmly and sighed. He didn''t even bat an eye at Leonard Sodium, as though the man was worthless.


    "I take it everyone here is a freshman. New or old, I don''t care. Sit down and listen to me for a moment, I promise you that this won''t be long."


    Although puzzled, the studentsplied and sat down. It definitely helped that Elias spoke authoritatively like he was already the leader of the ss.


    But most importantly, no one wanted their face to be suddenly nted on their desk like the other students.


    Seeing that everyone finally returned to their seats, Elias gestured for Hajin to close the door.


    Click!


    Hajin nodded and promptly went to the door and closed it, causing the silent and tense atmosphere in the room to elevate.


    The students felt somewhat nervous.


    After what seemed like a minute or two, Elias spoke.


    "I''ve done some research on your behalf, and from what I''ve gathered, the second years and third years don''t really take us freshmen seriously."


    "It''s time for that to change. The perception of others toward the first years is the weak, sheep-minded, and easily fooled students of the academy."


    The old students nodded in agreement. This happens because the year of the student also equates to theirpetence.


    Higher year levels mean you have passed a year and are thus superior to the year below you. But this was not entirely true on a case-to-case basis.


    For example, Elias and the main characters. Even if they were just first years, they were also stronger than some second and third years.


    Elias tapped the table.


    "Thus, to prevent that¡ªI''m going to be the one to take the reins here, alright? I''m going to lead and represent the entire year."


    "From here on forward, I''ll be taking charge of the entire freshman batch. That means the whole first year."


    Elias paused before emphasizing.


    "I don''t ept any objections. This is not a request. I''m making a statement today.."


    The students were stunned in ce. Although they had the mind to stand up and protest about his words, the terrifying figure of Ragna dwelled in their sights.


    Elias was one thing, but Ragna was another entirely.


    Between standing up to protect their wounded ego or being face-nted on the desk, the students chose the former without hesitation.


    It wasn''t worth it. The students thought and didn''t object. Furthermore, it was not as if anyone wanted that position anyway.


    "Alright, everyone is free to go."


    Elias snapped his fingers.


    happy 100 chapters! drop down your technique/talent/skill ideas and i shall put them in the story!

 Chapter 101 Statement (3)

    101 Statement (3)


    Looking at the students exiting the door one by one, Elias saw a student suddenly stop by the exit to give him a deep look.


    The student was a man with long ck hair and a thin, muscr build. He had a sharp and stern gaze that made him seem mature beyond his years.


    After a some digging up, Elias realized why the man felt quite familiar. He recognized the student as a minor antagonist in the novel.


    "Soulsword" Aram Telford, the first minor antagonist.


    Currently, Aram Terfold was looking at him deeply with no obvious intentions. But Elias immediately assumed it was bad.


    <nulli>''Huh? Is this punk looking for trouble? This guy, is he picking a fight..?''


    Thinking of something, Elias frowned and stared back at Aram Telford as he released a bit of his aura.


    <nullb>[Gaze of Intimidation]¡ª!


    At that moment, Aram was suddenly frozen in ce by Elias gaze. A cold chill suddenly crawled on his spine, making his hair stand in utter terror.


    He realized he couldn''t move at all. No, rather, he could¡ªbut his body was too afraid to even make the slightest movement.


    <nulli>''What''s this...''


    Aram Telford shriveled in fear. He felt like there was a deadly, vicious fanged serpent slowly moving around his neck.


    And the fangs of the serpent were just slightly above his skin, threatening to devour him at the slightest mishap he could possibly make.


    <nulli>''W-what the...''


    Overwhelmed by terror, Aram reeled back in disbelief as he snapped back to reality. He hurriedly examined his neck twice.


    After feeling it up and felt there was no snake hanging around him, he couldn''t help but let out a long sigh of relief.


    He was <nulli>alive. Safe and sound. There was no snake, but there was even something more terrifying than a snake.


    Aram suddenly remembered something and raised his gaze. His pupils dted from immense terror while looking at Elias.


    Seeing his current state, Elias gave a small smile.


    "You alright?"


    Aram unconsciously took a step back out of fear. Without hesitation, he immediately left the lecture hall without speaking a single word.


    <nulli>Bam!


    "Hey! Watch where you''re going!"


    A studentined in anger as Aram Telford identally barged against them in a hurry.


    But Aram couldn''t give a damn and continued to run away.


    "Fucking punk!"


    The student grumbled under his breath before shaking his head. He left the lecture hall in a grumpy mood.


    The students were confused about what had just happened but didn''t think too much about it and simply went their own ways.


    But Hajin, who was beside Elias, saw the entire thing about Aram and couldn''t help but snicker.


    "Tsk, it seems like you look as hideous as Ragna now that you can make a student run away in fear from just a gaze. Impressive."


    "Shut up."


    Elias rolled his eyes.


    At this moment, Ragna approached them while dragging a violet-haired man along with him.


    "What am I gonna do with this idiot?"


    "Just throw him away."


    Elias replied casually as though they were taking out mere trash.


    Hearing their words, Leonard Sodium felt immacte fury erupt within him as his eyes turned bloodshot.


    But before he could even protest or fight back, Ragnaughed yfully and threw him outside the lecture hall.


    "Whoo hee! Up we go!"


    <nulli>Thud¡ª!


    Leonard abruptly fell on the ground head first. His eyes nked out in sheer fury. He felt his anger rise to the roof, breaking the limits of what he had even thought possible.


    After being released, he immediately stood up while trembling in anger. He was made like a fucking joke.


    "You.... <nulli>you... fuckers..."


    Leonard felt a mix of embarrassment and fury fill him up, making his mind dizzy. It was his first day of school and he was already made a joke.


    Overwhelmed by anger, he gritted his teeth as prepared to attack...


    ...But at that moment, Ragna''s neck suddenly twisted sideways as he stared at Leonard with a demonic grin.


    At that moment, Leonard suddenly froze in ce.


    Ragna had a wicked, dangerous smile on his face. It was an expression that could only be described as demonic.


    Leonard could not help but freeze in ce over fear. He was not fighting a human¡ªbut a goddamn monster.


    A monster twice his size with a face even more terrifying than a demon. At this moment, he was starting to regret standing up for himself.


    Terror suddenly seeped into Leonard''s body, making him unable to move an inch. It was a different type of fear¡ªa primal sense of fear.


    But very soon, Ragna turned away his gaze and left with Hajin, following Elias away the hallways.


    "Hajin, Ragna. Let''s go. We still have to register for our club. Don''t waste your time on small fries."


    After Ragna left, Leonard finally snapped back from reality and released a heavy breath.


    "What the... what the fuck... was <nulli>that?!"


    ***


    While the three of them walked along the hallways, Hajin thought back to earlier and asked curiously.


    "Do you really n to lead the entire first year? I didn''t think of you as someone who would do something like that. Ain''t it too troublesome?"


    Hearing that, Elias frowned slightly before shaking his head.


    "It''s part of my n, don''t worry about it."


    If he were being honest, he didn''t like it either.


    But for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to do it. He had to act the part. He needed to proim himself as the leader of the first year for his ns.


    <nulli>Even if he didn''t really fit the part.


    To conquer the academy, one needed not justpetent and strong allies but also arge group of followers or henchmen behind them.


    By bing the de-facto leader of the entire first year, Elias was essentially making every freshman his follower by name.


    Of course, that was only by name. It didn''t really have any substance but that was enough for now. His goal in doing this was the start a reputation for himself.


    By making a name for himself as the leader of the first years, he could attract some of the first-year students to his club.


    "Alright then, you''re the boss."


    Hajin shrugged and didn''t pursue the topic.

 Chapter 102 Corleone Familia (1)

    102 Corleone Familia (1)


    While walking in the hallways, a student approached them and had a wide smile as he spoke.


    "Hey, do you wanna join our c¡ª"


    But Elias and his gang walked ahead, ignoring the students as though they were air.


    The student stiffened and let out a long, deep sigh before simply walking away in resignation.


    Looking back at the student, Hajin narrowed his eyes and yawned in boredom.


    "That''s like our fifth time being recruited? What''s with these students wanting others in their club?"


    "Commission."


    Elias replied, much to Hajin''s confusion. He thought for a moment before he borated.


    "They get amission for every student they recruit. They''re given a reward every time they sessfully lure in a student to their club, that''s why,"


    "What''s the benefit of having more students in a club though? Isn''t it kinda pointless if your club is just a hobby?"


    Hajin raised his brows.


    "The more members your club has, the more allowance your club receives every month. It''s not just a hobby anymore when money is involved. It''s business,"


    Elias patiently exined. There were a lot of clubs that abused such a system¡ªthey were known as ''fisher clubs'' by everybody.


    Simply put, ''fisher clubs'' were scam clubs whose only purpose was to raise the member count and get more allowance from the SSG every month.


    Of course, to avoid getting removed, these clubs still participate in club activities for the sake of the minimum requirements.


    Elias had alreadye across five different students recruiting others to their club, and among them, three were disguised fisher clubs.


    But he didn''t call them out. He just ignored them and let them do what they wanted¡ªas long as they didn''t bother him.


    He wasn''t a paragon of justice that interfered with others'' business out of righteousness. That was something even he couldn''t act.


    Like a movie character had said, it''s nothing personal. It''s simply business.


    Elias embodied that and never let his emotions fully affect his judgment. Thest time he did made him regret it until this day.


    At this moment, a door with the name sign of ''Supreme Student Government'' appeared on his peripheral.


    <nulli>''We''re here.''


    Elias suddenly stopped in front of the door. He adjusted his coat and patted the dust away before knocking on the door.


    <nulli>Knock! Knock!


    It didn''t take long before someone answered.


    "Wait a moment."


    It was a soft and pleasant voice that came from inside the door.


    Elias and the group stood in front of the door, following her instructions.


    After a few seconds, the door was pushed open as a female student hurriedly came out and to greet them politely.


    "Sorry for the dy. Hello, and you are...?"


    The female student tilted her head slightly in confusion, swaying her shoulder-length blonde hair that was tied into an elegant braid.


    Her fair, white skin and graceful blonde hair made her seem like a noble princess from another country.


    "Elias Corleone,"


    Elias nodded indifferently and gestured to both of the men beside him. He inly introduced them to the female student.


    "Hajin Sanchez and Ragna Newgate."


    But then he saw Hajin look at him as though he was an iprehensible being.


    "Just... Wow. You''re as dry as the Nhardan Dessert. Introduce yourself with more ir, will you?"


    Hajin sighed and shook his head. He patted Elias back and whispered ''watch this'' before stepping forward with a wide smile.


    "The name is Hajin Sanchez, lover of beautiful sights, I didn''t know the Student Council also had one with them. Mind if you tell me your name?"


    Elias rolled his eyes. Introduction? More like flirtation. Seriously, he wasn''t even surprised anymore...


    Against Hajin''s bold introduction, the female student merely smiled politely.


    "I''m the President''s Secretary, ina Pris. It''s nice to meet you. Do you juniors have an appointment with the president? I must inform you that he''s unfortunately not..."


    Elias stopped her and shook his head.


    "No, I''m here to get a club form. I didn''t make any appointments beforehand,"


    ina''s eyes slightly widened in surprise as she paused. She looked at Elias and saw that he was serious.


    "...A club form? Is that right? Are you going to make a club?"


    "Yes."


    Elias gave a short nod.


    "...If that''s the case, then please let yourselves in. I''ll give you the club form inside. Follow me."


    ina''s surprise immediately wore off. She reced it with a calm and gentle smile as she invited them inside.


    She was professional, Elias thought while looking at her back.


    ***


    The inside of the Student Council or Supreme Student Government was arge office with a long wooden desk in the middle.


    Elias noted that the room was not only clean and spotless but smelled pleasant as well¡ªit provided a sense offort and rxation.


    "You three can take a seat. I''ll go get the papers. Please wait for me,"


    ina informed them before she went to the back of the office.


    Elias and the group nodded. He was the first to sit on one of the chairs and recline his back against it.


    As soon as he did so, he felt a soft,forting sensation spread through his back like he was being massaged.


    <nulli>''These chairs are good.''


    He wouldn''t call himself someone who knew about chairs, but this one was perfect for the back<nulli>.


    <nulli>''I have to ask inater what chair is this. I''ll put it in my clubroomter on...''


    Elias thought silently. He soughtfort and rxation a lot¡ªit was an addicting feeling, it made him feel so free.


    "These chairs are so small."


    Ragna grumpilymented as he tried to take a seat, but his rear was too big to fit on the chair.


    "You''re ass is just too huge, Big Fe. Haha! Just stand there and envy us enjoying the chairs."


    "It''s just a chair, what do you mean envy?"


    Ragna furrowed his brows and followed Hajin''s advice. Not like he had a choice anyway.


    "You wouldn''t understand. Aah~ so refreshing... this ce is really making me sleepy. It gives me a strange pleasant feeling."


    Hajin moaned pleasantly, rotating the office chair to 360¡ã as he closed his eyes with a smile.


    At this moment, ina finally came back with a paper in her hand.


    "That''s because there''s a formation in the room that makes the atmosphereforting and good for rxation."


    "Oh right, here''s your club form. You just have to fill this up and I''ll ry it to the President for a review."

 Chapter 103 Corleone Familia (2)

    <h4>Chapter 103 Corleone Familia (2)</h4>


    Ragna took the club form paper and passed it to Elias who was sitting on the chair. Then, he returned to his position afterwards.


    Elias reached out and epted the club form paper from Ragna''s hand, reading through its contents unhurriedly.


    It was just as he expected, to establish a club one would need to fulfill the following requirements listed on the paper.


    This includes; 4 members, a supporting club adviser, and the n of the club after its establishment.


    He had almost every requirement filled up except for the club adviser¡ªbut he should be able to settle it today at noon.


    He just had the right teacher in mind.


    As for his n for the club... well, Elias wasn''t ying games here. He had that already sorted out since the very beginning.


    He took his club personally, professionally and seriously.


    Clubs in this academy were not just simple hobbies, they more than that; a profitable business.


    ine smiled at him gently.


    "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I''ll be happy to assist you in your stay here."


    Elias tapped the table and asked calmly.


    "When is the deadline for the submission?"


    "By this week, if you aren''t able to submit your club form during this week, then you may need to fill up another form again next week."


    ine answered.


    "I see..."


    Elias nodded thoughtfully before slowly standing up from the chair. Since he had already acquired the club form, he didn''t have any reason to stay at the council anymore.


    "Miss. Pris... is that name okay for you?"


    ine blinked before nodding gently.


    "... Although I appreciate the respectful miss attached, it makes me feel old. You can call me ine or Pris. Both are fine to me, junior."


    "¡ªDon''t call me junior,"


    Elias suddenly frowned. ine was taken aback from his sudden shift of mood. He nced at her and exined.


    "Sorry. I don''t like nicknames. You can call me Elias or Corleone but don''t use nicknames. I''m not that fond of them."


    "I see... sorry for that then Elias."


    ine nodded apologetically. That made her raise her eyebrows in a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "It''s fine. Apology epted. We''ll go now. We don''t want to take your time any further with pointless conversations."


    Elias bid farewell before turning around with Hajin and Ragna, preparing to exit from the door.


    However...


    Click!


    At that moment, a student suddenly opened the door and saw the three of them together in the room.


    The student was a man with short ck hair and wore a pair of sses. He was dressed in formal attire while wearing ck gloves.


    The student calmly looked at Elias and the rest with narrowed eyes. Behind his piercing red eyes, there was hidden sharpness.


    The student sized up the gang cooly, nodding slightly before turning his gaze to ine sharply.


    "ine. What''s the meaning of this? I don''t think I have an appointment scheduled for today."


    "President! You''re back. Don''t worry, it''s not an appointment... This is Elias Corleone, Hajin Sanchez and Ragna Newgate. They''re here to get a club form."


    ine was surprised before she immediately exined. The President nodded slightly with an unreadable expression.


    "They already have one and they were about to leave but..." she added. "Well, you arrived. So..."


    The President turned his gaze to Elias and the rest, sizing them up with his sharp analytic eyes.


    "Elias Corleone, huh... I didn''t know the star of the first year was visiting this run-down office. I heard you''re going to establish a club. It''s going to be hard. I''ll give you a better offer: why don''t you join the supreme student government instead?"


    "I''ll pass. I don''t think paperwork is my forte,"


    Elias shook his head with a smile. He raised his head and stared back at the President''s eyes, feeling a slight chill crawl down his spine.


    This was rare. He felt danger.


    Ever since he enrolled in the academy, he hadn''t found any worthy opponents he could say to be at the same level as him.


    Perhaps Rain, but he didn''t consider the main character as an opponent. He was an ally got the foreseeable future.


    The President was giving him a sense of danger, something he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    ine was surprised. To be personally invited by the President... it seems the President''s assessment of Elias was quite high.


    ''Also star of the first year?''


    She felt like she was missing something important, but she couldn''t remember what it was.


    The President nodded and didn''t pursue the topic. He switched his gaze to Hajin and Ragna.


    "Hajin Sanchez... hm, the noble inheritor of the Sanchez Family? I see. now. Barely passable, I suppose."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Hajin narrowed his eyes. There seemed to be a bit of disdain and disappointmenting from the President''s voice.


    But the President ignored him and continued with Ragna.


    "Ragna Newgate... geniuses doe from strange ces. I can see that you have the strength in you, but youck the skill and technique. Continue to do well."


    "I''ll forget your arrogant words as long as you fight me. You''re quite strong... I feel it. Hehe, my hear is standing up. My body is itching to fight you."


    Ragna''s grinned. But the President shook his head and rejected him bluntly.


    "No. My schedule is full. I''ll consider it in the future when you be stronger, but as of now a fight with you will be a waste of time."


    "... What did you just say?"


    Ragna lost his smile from the President''s reply. But Elias suddenly patted his back and leaned in to whisper something to him.


    Ragna''s expression suddenly stiffened as he took a step back, shaking his head. He closed his eyes and stayed quiet.


    ine was about to act if Ragna were to still continue with his derations, but it seemed she didn''t need to do so.


    Elias gave a thumbs-up to ine, indicating that everything was fine.


    Seeing their interaction, the President''s lips curled into an interested smirk. He nodded slightly.


    "The future is going to be interesting, I suppose."


    Elias didn''t reply and stepped forward, passing ahead the President. He opened the door.


    But before he could take a step outside, the President suddenly called out to him.


    "I''ve heard about your ns. I say good luck and do your best. I''ll be watching you all the way. This academy has been silent and boring for a while."


    Elias stopped and tilted his head with a smile. It was a cold and amused smile.


    "Interesting, you speak as if you know of my ns, President. I don''t recall ever talking about it?"


    "Figure it out on your own. Now, get out of my office."


    The President shook his head and didn''t borate any further. He waved his hand in dismissal.


    "Alright. It''s been a pleasure meeting you, President."


    Elias said before stepping out with the gang following behind him. His smile vanishing in the process.

 Chapter 104 Corleone Family (3)

    <h4>Chapter 104 Corleone Family (3)</h4>


    Stepping out of the door, Elias'' eyes narrowed as the amused smile on his face gradually disappeared.


    "Tsk, a troublesome one."


    "Who the hell was that guy? Calling me out like that, how arrogant."


    Hajin yawnedzily. Even though he said that, he didn''t really show any signs that he took the criticism of the President to heart.


    "Someone dangerous."


    Elias replied with a shake of his head.


    Hajin and Ragna both suddenly turned to look at him in surprise. They haven''t heard Elias feel that way against someone before.


    From what they had seen of Elias, he was full of confidence and didn''t seem to have the concept of ''fear'' or ''caution'' ingrained in him.


    For him to call someone dangerous... he must really have a high evaluation of that President from the Council.


    Seeing their expressions, Elias guessed what they were thinking and smiled in an amused manner.


    "What are those faces? I just called him dangerous. He''s quite capable, perhaps the most capable person in the academy."


    To say the President was the most capable student in the entire academy was not an exaggeration in the slightest.


    The Supreme Student Government members were students specially handpicked and approved by the academy dean himself.


    That meant that their abilities, capabilities and down from their character was scrutinized and personally approved by the academy dean.


    Furthermore, the selection process of the Supreme Student Government was very strict and severe, even for genius students.


    For the sake of the acadeny''s order, there could be no bias andpromise to the requirements.


    To be the leader of such a prominent and huge organization... that alone spoke volumes of the President''s capability and power as a student.


    Even more impressive, throughout the long history of the arcane academy, the President was considered as one of the most capable students to ever set foot in the Supreme Student Government.


    He excelled in almost every area, and in the list of people Elias was most wary of in the academy, the President was part of them.


    Therefore, it wasn''t a stretch that Elias was wary of the President.


    "That''s a high assessment from you... how interesting,"


    Hajin hummed before he fell silent. He suddenly remembered the criticism the President gave him.


    Ragna asked straight to the point.


    "Hehe, he''s gonna be an enemy or an ally, boss?"


    "I don''t know,"


    Elias shrugged with an amused smile. He took a nce at the Supreme Student Government door.


    "Frankly speaking, he''s someone we should definitely be wary about... not just because of his strength, but also because of his authority and influence."


    "One word from that man, our dreams might as well be over before it even starts."


    Hearing that, Hajin and Ragna''s expression couldn''t help but turn serious and solemn by the revtion.


    "However,"


    Elias suddenly turned around and patted both their shoulders, looking at them dead in the eye with a confident smile.


    "You have me. There''s nothing to worry about. I''ll tell you once, I''ll tell you again: with the three of us together, we''re invincible."


    "Don''t forget that. Ever."


    Elias sternly reminded them before turning his back. His expression immediately fell into deep contemtion.


    The President words were definitely not something he could ignore casually.


    ''It seems he noticed... will he be an enemy or an ally?''


    It would be troublesome if the was the former.


    Having the Supreme Student Government as an enemy this early would be extremely detrimental for his ns.


    But thinking about it, he was just worrying for nothing.


    It was unlikely for the SSG to an enemy at this early. If the President''s words were anything to go by, the Council was not going to interfere with his ns for now.


    For now, Elias inwarldly thought. He was not a threat for now so the President couldn''t care less to bother him.


    But when he bes a threat, the President would likely be the first one to volunteer to eradicate his club from the academy.


    ''But that would be under the condition he''s still the academy...''


    Elias mused silentltly. If he remembered right from the novel, the President was already a third year and would advance to Rank C during the midterms...


    ...The rule of the academy is when a student advances to Rank C, they automatically graduate, no matter the year they are in.


    So there was nothing to be concerned about. The President was a man one step out of the academy.


    By the time Elias ns start to advance, the President was likely to already be out of the academy.


    ''It''s a typical case of suffering from sess. The morepetent you are, the faster you graduate from the academy.''


    Elias shook his head and focused on his present matters. He stepped forward and told Hajin and Ragna,


    "Follow me. Let''s go to the other department."


    ***


    There were a total of three departments in the academy; the Hunter department where they came from, the Sorcerer department, and the Combat Mage department.


    The three departments had their own area of specializations, and thus were separated from each other.


    Walking through the halls of the Sorcerer department, Elias saw a simr scene of other students publicly recruiting passing students.


    But like him, most of the passing students ignored those recruiters with a disgusted look on their face.


    "So who''s our fourth member again?"


    At this moment, Hajin sighed and crossed his arms together.


    "You''ll meet him soon enough,"


    Elias answered vaguely. He approached one of the rooms and pushed it open, revealing a wideboratory.


    Inside theboratory, there were plenty of students wearing a in whiteb-coat. They were all focused on what they were doing.


    "Scaffold!"


    Elias suddenly shouted, causing the tense, freezing silence in the room to break apart like fragile ss.


    The students were startled and had their focus broken apart. One of them had their experiment suddenly fail from the sudden distraction.


    "Uh-uh... This is not looking good, must you scream?"


    Hajin took a step back, scratching his head awkwardly while looking at Elias who was unbothered.


    At that moment, every student in the room slowly directed their gaze at the three of them, filled with fury and anger.

 Chapter 105 Corleone Familia (4)

    <h4>Chapter 105 Corleone Familia (4)</h4>


    A tense, boiling atmosphere filled the room.


    "Fey Scaffold,e here."


    Elias called out inly, without a change of expression. His eyes wandered all over the room before it fell to a particr student.


    But before he could approach the student, a student suddenly stood in front of him, fuming with anger.


    "Who the hell are you?! Didn''t you see the sign outside?! No screaming. NO FCKING SCREAMING. Look at what you did...."


    The student gritted his teeth with bloodshot eyes, pointing at the littered mess on one of the desk.


    Blue liquid dripped from a couple of fallen sks. It was obvious that the sk fell when the one who was in control suddenly lost hold of it.


    "...that''s hours, I tell you, hours of fucking work. But now... now... It''s all gone. Who are you in the first ce?! Why are you even here?!"


    The student shouted while trembling. If it was not obvious enough, he was beyond pissed.


    Ragna frowned heavily and was about to step forward, but Elias slid his arm and stopped him.


    Seeing the hand in front of him, Ragna looked at Elias with a questioning frown but didn''t say anything.


    The student, clouded by rage, finally snapped back to his senses when he saw Ragna''s monstrouslyrge body.


    ''O-oh no...''


    His eyes widened in nervousness. Although he was indeed angry, he might''ve thought before he acted if he had noticed Ragna.


    But what was done was done.


    Besides, what he did was right. The student thought and resolutely looked at Elias and Ragna, preparing for the worst.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Elias gave a sigh and slowly took back his hand. He stepped forward as the silence heightened.


    However...


    "I didn''t see the sign. I''m sorry about that. It was an honest mistake."


    Elias admitted, bowing his head slightly. He gave a sincere apology and made everyone in the room extremely surprised.


    To be honest, the student who was fuming in anger was stunned as well. He didn''t really expect it to end like that.


    "...I-is that so?"


    "Yes. I''m sorry. I didn''t know about it. Since you asked, my name is Elias Corleone, call me Elias or Corleone, any of which is fine. But no nicknames."


    Elias promptly introduced himself with a small bow. He looked at the students in the room and spotted his target.


    "I''m looking for that guy. Fey Scaffold. He told me that I should meet him here. I didn''t know the rules in the ce, I thought it was a public room."


    "...Alright."


    The student clenched his teeth, sighing in relief internally. That... ended in a better note than how he expected it to end.


    He was honestly expecting a fight to ur.


    Thankfully, things didn''t develop there. He wasn''t sure if he could''ve defended himself from Ragna.


    Elias was nice, or at the very least, a person that knew to acknowledge his mistakes. That was a rare trait to possess.


    Many people were too prideful for their own good.


    Don''t get him wrong, although he was still angry at what happened, a sincere apology was nheless pleasant to the ears.


    The student sighed internally. He couldn''t help but see Elias Corleone in a better lightpared to before.


    Instead, he looked at Fey Scaffold and red. What was Scaffold doing?! Why would he schedule a meeting in here of all ces?!


    At that moment, Fey suddenly felt countless hostile res be directed to him. He didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    ''Hey! I''m the one who''s wronged here!''


    Fey cursed internally before walking across the room in a hurry. He walked to Elias and whispered as quiet as possible,


    "Outside. Now."


    Elias nodded silently, and Fey skidded away to outside the room as fast as he can.


    As soon as Fey ran out of the room, the gazes finally fell t and lost its hostility. Elias looked at the students and bowed slightly once more.


    Then, he went ahead and followed where Fey went. While walking, he suddenly whispered to Ragna beside him.


    "Remember, violence is not always the answer. Sometimes it could be a show of weakness."


    "In particr circumstances, words can be as effective. I''m not saying you made a mistake, but fists are not the answer to every solution."


    "Remember that well, Ragna."


    Hearing that, Ragna fell silent. He nodded slightly and followed Elias outside of the room.


    The students lost interest and had no where to direct their anger and irritation to, thus they simply went on their desk and continued what they were doing.


    However, that short event--would surprisingly spread throughout the Sorcerers apartment in the following days.


    ***


    Outside the halls, Fey Scaffold took a deep breath to calm himself.


    Then, he raised his head and looked at Elias and his gang before suddenly letting out a tired sigh,


    "...What did you do that for? That was totally unnecessary. I told you to wait for me in the halls."


    "You don''t get it?"


    Elias tilted his head with a frown. He shook his head slightly.


    "Let''s get things straight between us. We had a deal, a strict deal that involves you being a subordinate to a club that I own. I''m your boss,"


    "And Scaffold, you don''t make your boss wait."


    Elias looked at Fey dead in the eye. Fey felt like he saw the abyss; a bottomless, well of darkness staring through him.


    He couldn''t help but feel nervous as the atmosphere turned solemn. How could he have forgotten?


    Elias was not a simple person. He was a dangerous man. He was a man that knew the Anti-Mage and the secret pce.


    Furthermore, he had never once paused nor showed a sign of fear even when Fey pointed the death guns at him.


    Those were signs of a man that spoke power and danger itself.


    Fey had great memory, and dare he say make urate decisions as well frequently, thanks to the Secret Sorcerer inheritance.


    But this also made him too assured of himself. He easily dismissed Elias as a threat once he knew thetter was a student and could be used.


    But that was a mistake.


    If his experience with dangerous people told him anything, dangerous men were incredibly unpredictable and to not be taken lightly.


    Like the Anti-Mage.


    Under his nervous gaze, Elias suddenly leaned forward and patted his chest with the club form paper.


    "Understand?"


    "Here, sign this paper. Let''s not get bad blood between us. I like you, and you like me. I''m sure this is just one big misunderstanding. Cheers for a beautiful partnership,"


    Fey looked at the club form paper as though it was the devil''s contract. He saw a striking title on the top of the paper.


    [Corleone Familia].

 Chapter 106 Corleone Familia (5)

    <h4>Chapter 106 Corleone Familia (5)</h4>


    Looking at the paper, Elias unhurriedly read though its contents.


    After a while of silence, Fey couldn''t help but turn nervous especially when he saw Elias gaze suddenly turn up to lock at him.


    "You''ve done well."


    Elias'' lips curled up to a satisfied smile.


    Fey was significant for his club''s ns, so getting his signature to join was absolutely crucial.


    Since Fey had finished signing, then he did not need to worry anymore. The future of his club was almost guaranteed.


    With Fey Scaffold, Hajin Sanchez, and Ragna Newgate ¡ª the Corleone Familia''s rise was nothing short of inevitable and unstoppable.


    Elias calmly took back the paper and folded it neatly, hiding it in his chest pocket.


    "From now on, we''re tied together as partners in crime. Both by business and personal. I''ll help you when you need me, and you will help me when I need you. That''s the rule of the contract. I expect great things from you, Scaffold. Don''t disappoint me, alright?"


    Feeling a huge weight on his shoulders, Fey smiled nervously as he rposed himself and nodded.


    "... Alright, I promise I''ll help you as long as it''s within my capabilities and in my morals. Do you ept that?"


    "Magnicifico. I can already see a great future ahead of us."


    Elias nodded with a satisfied smile. It was not his style to force his subordinate ¡ª his act of threat earlier was just to remind Fey of his position.


    Seeing that he epted, Fey sighed in relief inwardly. However, he couldn''t helped but be surprised internally.


    Elias tone and mood switched in a heart beat. If he hadn''t seen the threatening and serious side the man had shown earlier, he would''ve gotten an impression that the man was easy going and nice.


    He could be threatening in one second, then have a confident reassuring smile the next second.


    It felt so unnerving.


    Huh... wait.


    Like the sorcerers from earlier.


    Fey''s eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. Now that he thought about it, what happened in theboratory was far too convenient.


    He couldn''t help but have an inkling suspicion that Elias intentionally engineered such a scene for an unknown reason.


    It was unknown because, quite frankly, he didn''t really know why would he do that.


    Even with his talents, he couldn''t predict Elias actions. It was hard to discern what the man was thinking behind that expression of his.


    Taking onest nce at Elias, Fey fell silent before he shook his head.


    He had no doubt that his decision today would significantly impact his future. His calctions told him that.


    But what his calctions didn''t tell him was whether the impact would be positive or negative.


    ''I simply have to wait and see.''


    Fey thought silently. After the signing process, he was free to go. He rposed himself and told Elias his intentions.


    "I''ll take my leave. If you need me with anything, just call me. Is that alright with you?"


    "Sure, sure, go ahead."


    Elias nodded and let him go. Fey cooly turned around from them and entered theboratory room hurriedly.


    Once Fey disappeared, Hajin lifted his brows andmented in doubt.


    "...Is he our fourth member? He doesn''t seem to be that strong."


    "Why do we need more strong people? Three of us are enough. Besides, strength isn''t everything. There are more qualities to a person than their strength."


    Elias shook his head calmly. Despite how Fey looked, he was important ¡ª if not, the most important member of the club.


    The Corleone Familia''s rise was going to bergely attributed to Fey, that much he was certain.


    He turned around to look at Hajin and Ragna, the amused smile on his face vanishing as he switched the topic.


    "Enough of that. What''s your next ss?"


    "It''s a Sorcerer program, Magic Theory. How about you?"


    Hajin replied casually. crossing his arms together. Then both of them turned to look at Ragna.


    Ragna scratched his head awkwardly.


    "Uh... Sorcerer-something-Magic Theory."


    "I see..."


    Elias nodded silently. He raised his head and looked at Hajin and Ragna.


    "Well, it seems all of us have the same second ss. I have Magic Theory as well. Quite a lucky coincidence, I suppose."


    "Oh damn really...?"


    Hajin sighed before shrugging. He continued with a in expression.


    "Well, atleast Magic Theory will be more tolerable with you guys around. I heard it''s going to be filled with magic stuff."


    "That''s where the term Magic Theory came from."


    Elias gave a short nod. To be honest, this was quite a lucky coincidence for them to have the same ss.


    A lot of students have different programs to suit their own weakness and strengths, besides their profession.


    "Let''s go to the Lecture Hall. There''s no point in standing around in the hallways like this."


    Elias told them and both of them agreed as they all went to the first floor.


    ***


    Lecture Hall, Magic Theory.


    Inside the Lecture Hall, a purple haired man sporting a soft and bitter expression walked inside.


    "It''s too bad I missed my first program. Oh well, I''ll just do my best in Magic Theory... i suppose."


    The purple haired man was Rain Violetstar.


    After getting severely injured to the point of bedridden, he was finally discharged at the eve of yesterday... only to wake upte and miss his first ss.


    "Cheer up, it''s not that bad Rain."


    Beside him, Roshia chuckled and patted his back. She looked at inside and widened her eyes in surprise.


    "Huh, there''s already a lot of students sitting inside. I guess everyone was dismissed early as well."


    "You''re right. Let''s hurry up."


    Rain nodded and entered the Lecture Hall. He found a seat for two and gestured for Roshia to sit beside him.


    Roshia was more than inclined to do so. She took a seat beside Rain and reclined her back against the chair.


    "Oh right, who''s our teacher for this ...?"


    At that moment before she could finish, she suddenly felt the entire lecture hall turn silent and still.


    Rain and Roshia were confused before they turned their gaze to the entrance of the Lecture Hall.


    Contrary to their expectations, it wasn''t a teacher.


    It was three students ¡ª Elias Corleone, Hajin Sanchez, and the monstrouslyrge Ragna Newgate.


    After what happened to the first Hunter ss, Elias Corleone''s deration to lead the first year was already spread around the entire year.


    "That''s him isn''t it? Elias Corleone..."


    "He''s going to lead us...? Is he qualified?"


    "Well, he did kill the Baron Demon of Pride. That''s certainly a godlike feat... not to mention that monster beside him."


    "Don''t forget about Sanchez... he''s part of the inheritors, isn''t he? I''m surprised he''s willing to be a subordinate of someone!"


    Elias walked inside the lecture hall without a hint of expression. Dressed in his usual ck suit while a woolen coat draped over his shoulders.


    With sharp, piercing ck eyes that could make a weak-willed man tremble from fear, he entered the hall and took a seat on one of the front chairs.


    Beside him, Hajin and Ragna calmly followed and sat beside him as well.


    The students in the hall fell silent while looking at Elias.


    Although Elias barely even does anything, but the way he walks and move, there was a certain level of confidence and power to him.


    It automatically made Elias seem threatening and intimidating despite not doing anything. His aura alone was enough.


    Seeing Elias, Rain''s eyes widened in surprise. He was about to stand up and call for the man but Roshia suddenly stopped him.


    Rain tilted his head and looked at her in confusion.


    "I know what you''re thinking. But you can thank him after ss. I don''t think he likes being disturbed randomly... well, that''s the impression I got from him atleast."


    Roshia borated with a shake of her head. Then, she smiled as she suddenly turned to look at the door.


    "Besides, the teacher is already here."


    Rain raised his brows and turned to look at the door, but nothing could''ve surprised him more than by what he saw.


    Entering the lecture hall was a breath taking young woman with pure, snow white hair, resembling that of an endless snowke.


    An elegant butterfly ornament hung on her hair, as though a symbol of nature''s restless beauty.


    She had a gentle, and angelic demeanour that perfectly soothed the eyes and hearts of every male student who stared at her.


    The young woman walked up to the stadium silently while sporting a soft and gentle smile on her face.


    The loose, sorcerer''s robe that hung on her body revealed her curvy body and perfect proportions, entuating her beautiful and elegant appearance.


    It was hard to differentiate whether she was mortal or a goddess, but all the more unreal was she looked far too young to teach.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the young woman opened her mouth.


    "My name is Luna Edelfelt, your temporary instructor for Magic Theory. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Temporary?


    Seemingly seeing everyone''s doubts, Luna exined with a difficult expression.


    "Sigh... My master is supposed to be your instructor for this program, but he said he had too many things to take care of at the moment and transferred his job to me."


    "How unreliable, right? But don''t worry. I can atleast guarantee you that my Magic Theory knowledge is quite outstanding... so I''m qualified to teach you."

 Chapter 107 Magic Theory (1)

    <h4>Chapter 107 Magic Theory (1)</h4>


    "Do any of you have any questions before we start our ss?"


    Luna Edelfelt showed a brilliant, gentle smile that charmed all of the students in the room.


    The students, dazed and charmed, couldn''t muster the courage to raise their hand and ask her their questions.


    "Well, I do."


    Elias observed, reclining his back against the chair calmly. He sized up Luna Edelfelt boldly without restraints.


    Seemingly noticing his bold gaze, Luna turned around to meet his eyes and tilted her head in slight confusion.


    Her eyes were as beautiful as sapphire. A pair of sea-blue irises that reflected immutable beauty.


    It was nothing short of mesmerizing for the soul.


    Elias didn''t shy away his gaze from her eyes, an amused small smile blooming on his face as they stared at each other.


    The students immediately noticed that Luna was looking at Elias'' side.


    The male students in the room eyes twitched from bitterness, a streak of jealousy and envy erupting from their hearts.


    At this moment, Luna kept aposed smile and asked kindly.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "I suppose there is. I didn''t hear anything about students being allowed to teach other students in the academy. How surprising that the academy allowed this."


    Elias replied amusedly, lifting a brow. He then rested his head on his hands casually before he continued.


    "But I suppose It''s nothing new at all from that master of yours¡ªthat unreliable, obnoxious man who does as he please."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Luna furrowed her brows into a frown. It was true that she was unsatisfied with her master, but that didn''t mean she''ll let any insult of him go.


    Not to mention his words, it seemed as if he''s doubting her... the nerve of this first year!


    "Nothing. I''m simply wondering how you''re supposedly qualified to teach us, you''re a third year student aren''t you?"


    Elias shook his head and reclined against his chairfortably, unflinching from Luna''s displeased gaze.


    At this moment, the students heard his words and suddenly erupted in a heated discussion.


    "Wait, she''s still a student?"


    "Is that why she looks quite young...?"


    "Is she qualified to even teach us? How could the academy allow this? I thought they took their sses seriously?"


    "Why are you guys evenining? Isn''t this better than being stuck with an old hag or old wizard? Atleast she''s kind and beautiful..."


    Hearing the words spreading around in the room, Luna frowned and couldn''t help but look at Elias.


    This is this guy''s fault!


    Internally, she couldn''t help butin. She painstakingly tried to prevent this from happening...


    She already knew that if she introduced herself as a student, it wouldn''t go well with the others.


    So instead, she just introduced herself as the disciple of her master ¡ª Professor Felix ¡ª to prevent some controversy.


    Luna sighed inwardly. Well, there''s go all my preparation...


    "Yes, I''m a third year sorcerer student. I can see why may have doubts about my capabilities and qualifications, but rest assured."


    "The academy has approved of me being the assistant teacher, so you don''t have to worry about it. My master is Professor Felix. I''m Luna Edelfelt, his disciple and a third-year of the academy."


    That¡ªsilenced the students, at the very least, the name of Professor Felix itself made them quiet.


    Who was Professor Felix?


    He was the youngest Grand Sorcerer, and arguably the most talented sorcerer in history as well.


    He was the idol and inspiration of many young, talented sorcerers that aspired to reach his level someday.


    And if Luna Edelfelt was his student... then she was more than qualified to teach at his behest.


    The students changed their views almost instantly.


    Luna wasn''t just beautiful to the eye, she was the student of Professor Felix as well. That made it bearable to be taught by another student.


    "Is that the case? How unreliable of that man, throwing his job to his student."


    Elias smiled and shook his head. His words were crass and outright disrespectful.


    "Respectfully, do not mock or subtly insult my master. I do not care if you doubt me, but your attempts to attack to my master''s character is unnecessary."


    Luna sharply red at Elias, but thetter was unaffected and simply stared at her.


    Seeing his calm and uncaring gaze, Luna couldn''t helped but be vexed internally. Is she being taken as nothing but a joke right now?


    So much for her first day of teaching, Luna sighed internally. She was. Not. Getting paid enough to handle this.


    ''Just another arrogant self-absorbed first year that will be expelled in few months time...''


    Luna thought before turning her gaze away. It was quitemon for some people like Elias to appear, and most of them turn out to be just all talk.


    She wasn''t going to waste her time handling a snobbish, arrogant first year that was likely to be expelled in a year.


    ''Heh, I''ll have thestugh anyway.''


    Instead, Luna shook her head and looked at everyone in the hall. With a gentle smile that blinded everyone, she spoke.


    "Alright! Enough of that. Let''s start the ss. The first lesson is about mana and the magic it''s capable of..."


    ***


    While Luna was teaching, Hajin couldn''t help but lean sidewards and whisper a few words to him.


    "It seems our resident MC is picking another girl... not leaving anyone for themon man like me..."


    Elias stared at him strangely.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Huh?"


    Hajin widened his eyes, surprised. He squinted his eyes and made a funny face.


    "You weren''t doing an borate trick to hit on her? I thought that you were doing that cuz you wanted to catch her attention."


    "Huh? Absolutely not. Perish that thought."


    Elias frowned and shook his head, seemingly repulsed by the idea of acting like that.


    "Get your flirtatious ideas out of your head. If I like someone, I wouldn''t bother going in a roundabout way to do that."


    "Then, why did you corner her like that?"


    Now it was Hajin''s turn to look at him strangely.


    ''Well, It did seem like I was trying to bully her or something...''


    Elias paused for a moment.


    "I was testing something."


    To be specific, he was testing one of Luna Edelfelt''s talents.


    One of her talents was [Mind Eye] an ability that allows her to read another person''s thoughts without limit.


    In the novel, she had it turned off for most of the time because her experience with it traumatized her.


    Furthermore, she didn''t want to vite other people''s privacy.


    Elias was testing if she had it turned on. If she did, she would know his words weren''t serious at all.


    But it seems like she had it turned off.


    That was for the best. If she had it open, he had to limit his thinking because he didn''t want any of his thoughts to be leaked.


    The consequences would be severe, lightly speaking.


    Elias shook his head. In another note, this reminded him of Luna Edelfelt''s character in the novel.


    Luna Edelfelt was one of the most talented, if not the most talented sorcerer in the current era.


    Her talents were on par with Professor Felix, and in some areas, even above the obnoxious man.


    Additionally, she was one of the most popr characters in the novel. Her poprity at one point eclipsed even those of the main characters.


    But her ending...


    Elias could only say it was less than ideal.


    "Testing something... You''re weird."


    Hajin shrugged and fell silent, returning to his ce. He looked at Luna, who was teaching on the tform and listened.


    Eliss shrugged and shoved his thoughts to the back of his mind. He reclined his backfortably and listened as well.


    "Mana is the fundamental energy of both the universe and the living. Two hundred years ago, we lived without knowing the existence of mana, but it was always there, surrounding us and within us."


    "Through research and experimentation, we soon realized the power of Mana. It has th power to bring forth miracles, in otherwords, magic."


    "Miracle or Magic, by definition, is creating something out of nothing. Mana is the energy that enables us to do that."


    At this moment, Luna paused and waved her hands gently.


    Then, on the tip of her fingers, five elements appeared. Fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning.


    The students widened their eyes. To be able to aplish such a feat, it requires high mana sense and talent!


    Luna demonstrated while speaking.


    "This is magic. A miracle brought forth from nothing using the essence of mana. It could also be called a miracle in other definitions."


    Then, with another wave of her hand, the elements vanished like they were never there in the first ce.


    Under the impressed gaze of the students, Luna couldn''t help but wear a giddy smile and continued as she walked around the tform.


    "But is bringing forth magic simple? No, not at all. It is the recreation of miracle, it can never be simple."


    "To bring forth magic, a sorcerer must have these three necessary requirements; a concentrated mind, mana sense, and sufficient mana reserves. The requirements increases the higher the circle level of the spell."


    Then, Luna paused and smiled devilishly. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Elias at the seat.


    "Now, who among you can show me how to use magic...?"


    "You there, first year."

 Chapter 108 Magic Theory (2)

    <h4>Chapter 108 Magic Theory (2)</h4>


    Huh? Me?


    Elias nced at Luna in surprise. He didn''t expect to be suddenly called out for a demonstration.


    But seeing her enthusiastic expression, he immediately understood why so. He couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    So petty?


    "Well? Won''t you demonstrate to us how to bring forth magic, first year?"


    Luna wore a smug smirk. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to stand up and utter ain.


    ''Hmph. No hard feelings first year, this is simply the rule of the game... who told you to question me like that?''


    However, to her surprise, Elias smiled in amusement before standing up without anyints whatsoever.


    "What do you want for me to do again, Luna?"


    L-luna?! Luna froze as her face flushed before immediately rposing herself. The nerve of this student! No honorifics whatsoever!


    "Well... uh..."


    Feeling that her n wasn''t working, Luna sharply red at Elias before she gritted her teeth and continued.


    "Demonstrate to us how would you use magic."


    "Alright."


    Elias agreed withoutint. He took a step forward and walked to the front of the stadium.


    Under the gaze of everyone, he nonchnt put his hand forward.


    Woosh!


    Then, from his hand, a zing orange me materialized. It induced a streak of hisses to the air, showing its potent capabilities.


    But there was nothing surprising about it. It was just a basic "materialization" of fire which everyone can do.


    But after it materialized, it suddenly turned small and seemingly about to dissapear stunning all of the students.


    It was like a terrifying "snake" turning into a harmless "worm".


    ''W-what? How horrible! But anyways! I won, hahaha! What kind of mana sense is that, dear first year don''t me me...''


    Luna smirked, overjoyed. She was about open her mouth and criticize his magic in front of everyone, but...


    "Oka¡ª"


    At that moment, Elias smiled teasingly and slightly twisted his hand.


    The zing fire twisted and suddenly grew into arge snake. Then, it converged and magically shaped into a beautiful three-dimensional orb that rotated slowly.


    Every student watching was stunned.


    Even Luna was stunned, her smile freezing in ce. She originally picked Elias to criticize his magic and embarrass him on the stage.


    But...


    What he demonstrated was nothing short of precise and efficient.


    Other students might not understand it quite well, but Luna especially understood the required level of control and efficient of mana to bring forth magic with such level of freedom.


    It was easy to materialized a fire out of thin air, but to control that fire while in the air and shape it ord to your liking?


    That required high level of concentration and mana sense.


    However, Elias wasn''t done yet. He snapped his fingers, and the ming orb suddenly separated into three orbs, each rotating on their own.


    It was not just one, but three orbs.


    That meant his mana sense was unnaturally high.


    Then, with one more snap of his fingers, the ming orbs disintegrated into nothing, beautifully vanishing amidst the air.


    Woosh!


    Elias nodded teasingly at Luna who was wearing a surprised and vacant look.


    "How about it? Is the demonstration good enough for you, Ms. Edelfelt?"


    Luna recovered from her surprise and stared at Elias. She saw his wide teasing smirk and immediately realized that she had been yed in her own game.


    ...


    Deep breaths, Luna. Deep breaths. He isn''t worth it... he isn''t worth¡ª Ah! To hell with this first year!


    Clenching her teeth, Luna restrained her bitterness and sorrow as she forced a smile on her face.


    "...That''s enough. You performed well, Mr. Elias. You can go back to your seat now."


    "I see."


    Elias nodded and smiled amusedly. He shrugged and stared at her blue eyes before he walked away.


    "I''m happy it was enough for your standards. By the way, I have a name, Ms. Edelfelt. It''s Elias Corleone, call me Elias or Corleone, I don''t mind. But I hate nicknames."


    Luna couldn''t help but he surprised. She looked at Elias at a lost and was speechless for a moment.


    ''What a weird first year... and annoying too!''


    ***


    After Elias stepped out of the stage, the ss resumed as Luna started to broaden the brilliance of magic from the background.


    Sitting at the front, Hajin called out with a nomittal wave.


    "Yo! You''re back, so how was our beautiful teacher''s face upclose, huh?"


    Elias looked at him unamusedly. He took a seat at the middle and shook his head, replying with no hint of emotion.


    "You should try to flirt with women less, then maybe the speed of your sword won''t be as dull."


    "Ouch."


    Hajinmented with a sigh.


    "You just had to go there, didn''t you? I''ll catch up with you soon, so you don''t have to worry about it."


    "I hope so."


    Elias calmly nodded. He reclined his back against the chair, crossing his legs in afortable manner.


    "Or else, you will have no chance of defeating me at all. That would be disappointing after your deration, wouldn''t you say so?"


    Hajin fell silent, also reclining his back against the chair. After a while, he murmured under his breath, "Maybe."


    Elias didn''t reply and looked at the stadium, taking Luna''s glowing figure to his eyes as he paid attention to her words.


    Under Luna''s enthusiastic teaching, the time passed rapidly as the ss neared its end.


    Elias nodded appreciatively while looking at Luna.


    Although Luna wasn''t that great of a teacher, she had passion. Her words were filled with her excitement and passion for the subject.


    For some perhaps that wasn''t important, but for a lot of students it was quite refreshing and reinvigorating.


    Many teachers in Arcane Academy were old veteran rankers that had stern and strict dispositions.


    They seldom to express their emotions and passion, thus appearing intimidating and emotionless to the students.


    But with Luna''s outward pervasive passion and enthusiasm, the students in the hall were captivated by her and listened carefully.


    Except Elias and Ragna, for obvious reasons.


    Elias wasn''t really interested in listening. He did pay attention to the ss lesson, but he didn''t put all his focuse into it.


    As for Ragna...


    It was hard to know what he was thinking, but his expression was scrunched up into a terrifying and ugly frown.


    ''Yeah, he definitely doesn''t understand anything.''


    Elias took a nce at Ragna and shook his head. Then again, it was not like he recruited Ragna for his brains.


    "...Magic has always been seen as a miracle for us humans, not just because of its magical capabilities, but also because it protects us and guides us through this cruel world of demons and monsters."


    "To reiterate what the Dean stated in his famous speech, ''Magic is the light of civilization. It is both a tool for progress and power.''"


    Luna ended her words, a brilliant and gentle smile blooming on her face as she looked at every student.


    "Thank you for your participation today, I am eternally grateful. ss is dismissed."

 Chapter 109 Magic Theory (3)

    <h4>Chapter 109 Magic Theory (3)</h4>


    After dismissing the ss, Luna didn''t dy anymore and walked out from the room with a smile on her face.


    Click!


    After she dissapeared from the lecture hall, the students immediately erupted in a wistful and longing discussion.


    "Wow.... She''s amazing..."


    "And beautiful. Passionate. Lovely. Haa... I''m in love. I''m so happy I enrolled in this school, I think my life is fulfilled... only if..."


    "Heh, drop your wishful fantasies. Someone like her wouldn''t notice students like us. She''s in a different league."


    "Though... she''s really talented! She''s also kind and gentle. I learned a lot from her lesson today, no wonder she''s a Grand Sorcerer''s disciple."


    Luna Edelfelt''s appearance remained on their minds for a long while, as if an unforgettable dream.


    Whether man or woman, everyone was charmed by her permeating passion and lovely appearance.


    She was truly, in every sense of the word, perfect.


    Amidst all the discussion, Elias calmly stood up with both Ragna and Hajin following behind him.


    All the students in the room suddenly turned quiet.


    But at that moment, a cheerful and soft voice suddenly broke the silence.


    "Hey! Corleone, wait a moment!"


    "Hm?"


    Elias turned around, confused. He looked at where the voice came from and saw two figures walking to their position.


    One was a violet-haired man with a soft, effeminate appearance that made him seem harmless and profoundly kind.


    Apanying him, it was a familiar female student with long curly orange hair and cute sses that made her seem quite adorable.


    Huh... These two are¡ª!


    Before Elias could prepare himself, the leading violet-haired man suddenly ran to him and gave him a smile.


    "Elias Corleone, right? My name is Rain Violetstar. I''m one of the students you saved back then in the demon Invasion. I just want to¡ª"


    "Wait. Stop."


    Elias made him shut up instantly. He closed his eyes and massaged his head, feeling a massive headachee to him.


    ''Shit.''


    Simr to some of his characters, the mere appearance of Rain made a part of the memories he locked inside the depths of his mind be released.


    ''...You devil... How dare you raise your hand against...''


    ''...You son of a whore...! Ah¡ª! No..!''


    Elias widened his eyes as he suddenly bit his lips strongly, causing a trail of mush blood to appear.


    "Cousin?!"


    "Elias?!"


    "Boss?"


    Rain, Hajin and Ragna suddenly looked at him in mix confusion and concern, their eyes widening.


    p!


    Rain was about to reach out his hand but Elias immediately pped it away, looking at the former with a sharp re.


    Feeling the sharp re, Rain froze in his ce. He took a step back in nervousness and raised his arms apologetically.


    "...Ah, sorry? Did I... do something wrong?"


    "..."


    Elias stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. He took a deep breath and rposed himself.


    "Sorry, I... nevermind. What were you saying again?"


    "Are you alright?"


    Rain asked instead, worried. He seemed genuine in his kindness and concern, but it only served irritation to Elias more.


    ''Fucking hell. Just get straight to the point.''


    Elias sighed, adjusting his coat. He gazed at Rain while his expression naturally returned to the cool and passive face he always wore.


    "Get straight to the point. I''m busy. What do you need?"


    "Ah, it''s nothing... I just want to thank you for saving mest time. In the examination, I mean."


    Rain scratched his head awkwardly. He didn''t know why, but he suddenly felt like he was being a nuisance to Elias.


    Elias sighed and turned around. It was merely that.. Seemingly disinterested, he called out to his teammates and walked away.


    "Hajin, Ragna. Let''s go."


    Surprised, Rain was speechless. He merely stared at them with wide eyes as they slowly dissapeared from his view.


    "Well... that happened. Did... i do something wrong? I feel like I did something lextremely unnecessary."


    "No. I don''t think you did anything particrly wrong,"


    Roshia suddenly patted his back, supporting him with a smile. She looked at where Elias and gang walked away from and sighed.


    "He''s just a difficult person. I can''t get a read from him at all. I think he just doesn''t like you or doesn''t like being disturbed in general."


    "Is that so? I could''ve sworn that I saw..."


    Rain muttered under his breath, much to Roshia''s confusion. But he suddenly shook his head and shrugged.


    "It was... probably my imagination. Anyways, let''s go and meet Sumi and Elizabeth."


    ***


    On the hallways of the academy, Elias and the gang walked together quietly as a tense silence rose between them.


    Hajin couldn''t understand what happened. He felt like something was off with Elias. He seemed more... colder and serious than usual.


    However, Elias cold expression stopped him from bringing it up to his face. It was likely something private.


    Hajin joked a lot of times, but he even he knew that there was room for jokes and such and this situation was definitely not one of them.


    Elias expression was cold, a heavy frown apanying his sharp intimidating eyes. He seemed exceptionally terrifying and dangerous right now.


    If previously the aura he always exhibited was a calm, overwhelming oppresive feeling¡ªthen he was like a sharp de right now.


    A vtile, dangerous sharp de.


    The students in the hallways felt like if they did anything wrong, they would catch the ire of that sharp de.


    Therefore, a strange scene ured where every student on the hallways distanced themselves the best they can from the trio.


    At this moment, Ragna knitted his brows in a frown and spoke.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Faculty."


    Elias replied calmly. If he was angry or not, it didn''t show in his face at all. He had the usual passive and cold expression he always wore.


    It made Hajin slightly concerned. It was though Elias had full control of his emotions.


    After a while of walking in silence, they finally returned back to the Hunter Department and arrived in front of the teachers faculty.


    Elias stepped forward, knocked twice and opened the door.


    Click!

 Chapter 110 Three Major Aspects (1)

    <h4>Chapter 110 Three Major Aspects (1)</h4>


    "Come in."


    A frigid, solemn voice came from the door. It was familiar to both Hajin and Ragna for some reason.


    Click!


    Elias twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, unveiling the inside of the ''faculty'' room.


    The room was rather small, making them inwardly question if it was the teacher''s faculty room in the first ce.


    But there seemed to be no teachers at the moment, except for one familiar instructor who sat in solitude at the end of the room.


    On the end of the room, a thick, brown wooden desk was situated. It had a lot of paper and items on top of it.


    Meanwhile, sitting on the back of the desk, it was a cold, stern looking man with a mature and intimidating face.


    "...It''s you."


    Alex Midgard raised his brows, looking at Elias and his associates at the door. He stopped signing the papers and asked.


    "...What are you three doing here in the faculty?"


    "We''re here for you, Professor Alex."


    Elias said with a small smile, walking up to Alex''s desk at the end of the room. Alex just stared at him. He put his hands in his pockets and continued his words.


    "I suppose you wouldn''t mind if I consult you with a few matters, don''t you? Help your student out."


    "Make it quick."


    Alex simply told him without a hint of emotion. He put away the papers and put the pen on the container on top of the table aside for the momenf.


    Unsurprised, Elias nodded. He looked at Alex''s desk and saw a picture frame of the man and an unknown woman. It was hard to make details of the woman, but the man looked a lot like Alex.


    But after a nce, he moved his gaze away. He wasn''t the type to put his nose under someone else life. He turned around and stared at Alex with a slight chuckle.


    "Professor Alex, thanks for giving me the time to meet you. I couldn''t help but meet you again after the impression you gave us in the room."


    "...Is that so? What else are you going you say?"


    Alex frowned sternly.


    However, Elias didn''t seem to affected by Alex heavy frown. He sat on the chair in front of the desk, reclining his back against itfortably. He looked at Alex andmented in a fascinated tone.


    "A Rank B special instructor. A well-known, long time hunter instructor of the academy. The Master of Survival and Killing. He Who Does Not Yield. Professor Alex Midgard..."


    Alex frown hardened.


    "...But perhaps I should call you by your old alias, the ''Grim Reaper'' of the underworld instead? That seems to fit you more. Which do you prefer?"


    Woosh!


    Alex''s eyes suddenly widened in shock. His heart shook as his aura went out of control. He identally broke an empty mug on top of the desk, shattering it by the mere release of his aura.


    Crack!


    But he immediately snapped out of his shock and controlled his own aura, stabilizing himself. Alex looked at the three students, the blue haired seemingly serious and therge one grinning widely. His eyes stopped at Elias who had a cool, passive smile.


    That alias... he was caught off guard. He didn''t expect anyone to remember and recognize that alias at today''s age. Much less dare to call him that in front of his face.


    And especially not a kid of Elias age.


    But then, he immediately frowned and turned solemn. There was no way Elias could''ve known about him unless someone told the kid.


    ''This kid.... How does he know about that?''


    With the implications of Elias knowing about him, Alex realized that Elias was not that simple. His gaze turned sharp and piercing as he looked at Elias.


    At the very least, Elias background should not be simple. To be able to know such confidential information proved that fact.


    ''I thought that name would be buried in the past... I didnt expect someone would dare to bring it up to my face...''


    Alex shook his head as he thought back to the past.


    ''Grim Reaper'' of the underworld was an old alias of his back when he was still active in the underworld.


    It was during the Third War or Underworld War fifty years ago, when he reached Rank B and killed a lot of people, causing him to gain such a grim-sounding alias.


    The people who still exist today that can recognize him as the ''Grim Reaper'' were almost non-existent. Almost zero.


    Most of people who knew the identity behind the ''Grim Reaper'' had already met their ends in one way or another.


    Back then, Alex did not allow anyone to know about his identity due to various reasons involving his personal life.


    However, there were still a few groups and individuals in the underworld that knew his identity.


    Those groups and inviduals were ''special'' and were someone even he could not defeat or kill.


    ''What part of organization is this kid...? No, maybe better question is who''s kid is this...?''


    Alex frowned in deep thought as he looked at Elias. Corleone... corleone... he didn''t recall anyone with such a name from the war.


    ''...Nevermind.''


    After a moment of silence, Alex thought as he shook his head calmly. There was no use thinking about it, it doesn''t matter anymore.


    That time was a miserable phase of his life. He had already changed a lotpared to himself from back then. Even if someone still knew, it was hardly something he cared about.


    Alex looked at Elias calmly, sighing.


    "Those days were in the past. I have no interest talking about them anymore. Whoever told you that, tell them I send my regards. But... speak, why are you here?"


    "Alright, alright. I''ll get straight to my point,"


    Elias nodded slightly. He crossed his legs casually before he continued.


    "I''ll be blunt. I want to establish a club of my own, can you be the club advisor?"


    "No."


    Alex immediately shook his head, rejecting his offer.


    ''Wow, that was an instant no!''


    Hajin thought strangely. He turned to look at Elias on the chair and saw that his cousin still had a confident smile one him.


    ''Oh well, looking at that smug face of his he probably has a n... I''ll put some trust on him then.''


    Hearing the immediate rejection, Elias was not deterred in the slightest. He continued with a calm smile.


    "Why not hear me out first? It''s not gonna be a waste of your time, I promise you that."


    Alex fell silent, having the mind to reject it. But after some thought, he shook his head and let Elias continue as he desired.


    Seeing him turn silent, Elias smiled inwardly. He looked at Alex and borated.


    "As I said, I n to create a club. But it isn''t going to a normal club, there''s too many to count to them. You see... I want to conquer this academy and overturn its system around. Call me too ambitious, delusional or straight up arrogant... but I want to be a the first one to do that."


    "That''s why I''m here for you. The research advisor I''m looking for not only needs to bepetent, but also ready to handle other teachers in the other high ranked clubs in the future. I can''t have someone that can be bought or be scared."


    "Among other teachers, who else is better than hunter instructors at handling enemies? And among hunter instructors, who else is better than Professor Alex at handling such kinds of threat?"


    Alex mouthed a small ''o'' slightly taken aback. He took a deep breath and rposed himself. He shook his head and asked.


    "...You''re ambitious, I don''t hate that. But you have the wrong opinion of me. I''m not fit for handling clubs, that''s out of my expertise."


    "You don''t need to,"


    Elias replied calmly, causing Alex to furrow his brows. He cleared his throat and borated.


    "I''m gonna handle everything. The business, the system, the activities and members... i''ll handle everything. I just need you to act as both a protector and a threat against other organizations. A figurehead, if you will."


    Alex fell silent, delving to his own thoughts for a while. That could work... but there was still a huge problem he needed to address.


    He slowly raised his head and gazed at Elias solemnly.


    "...I want to know why are you so ambitious?"


    Elias shrugged nomittally.


    "I told you I wa¡ª"


    "Don''t lie."


    Alex suddenly interrupted him. He narrowed his eyes, causing the room temperature to drop several folds. His eyes flickered a cold gleam.


    "I know lies when I hear one, Corleone. Do not try to lie in front of my face or else I won''t bother considering your proposal at all."


    Hearing that, Hajin and Ragna widened their eyes. Both of them looked at Elias in susprise and confusion.


    He was lying about wanting to conquer the academy?


    Elias frowned deeply, feeling that the situation was turning too troublesome. He took a deep breath and shook his head in admittance.


    "...Alright, fine. I''ll admit I''m not entirely truthful with my words. But I''m not lying to you either, I''m just telling you a part of the whole truth."


    "Then tell me the whole truth."


    Alex imed calmly.


    "Fine,"


    Elias sighed, adjusting his seat. He took a deep breath once more and looked at Alex dead in the eye.


    Originally, Alex could feel nothing in those eyes at all. It was like an empty snake seemingly unsatisfied and emotionless. No emotion at all but emptiness.


    That was how he knew Elias was lying.


    But this time, Alex could feel something. Anger. Immacte fury. Vengeance. Coming out from Elias gaze.


    Elias slowly spoke in a cold tone.


    "I want to kill someone."


    The room fell silent as the temperature in the room felt an obvious decrease. The three of Alex, Hajin, and Ragna were too stunned to reply.


    This...


    Alexus took a deep breath, rposing himself. He looked at Elias and didn''t know what to say for a while.


    But he recognized it this time: truthfulness. Elias Corleone was not lying when he said he wanted to kill someone.


    The fury. The anger. The intense desire for vengeance... It could be seen in his eyes.


    From beside Elias, Hajin furrowed his brows, seemingly figuring something out from his cousin''s words.


    After a while, Alexus fell in deep thought. He finally opened his mouth and spoke in a calm tone.


    "I see. Then, I''ll sign the paper as long as the conditions you told me hold true. I don''t want to waste my time handling your club so I''ll just be a figurehead."


    "Excellent. That''s fine by me, Professor Alex."


    Elias replied with a smile, the angry gaze he wore suddenly dissapearing like it was never there at all. The way he shifted and controlled his emotions was terrifying.


    He took the club form from his pockets and handed it over to Alex.


    Alex epted the club form, looked over the contents and nodded slightly. He signed the paper before giving it back.


    "With that,"


    Elias took back the paper and stood up, pushing the chair back away. He looked at Alex and gave the man a great smile, one fitting of a charismatic leader.


    "Wee to the Corleone Familia, Professor Alex."

 Chapter 111 Three Major Aspects (2)

    <h4>Chapter 111 Three Major Aspects (2)</h4>


    After getting the adviser for their club, Elias and the gang walked out of the faculty room with cool expressions.


    The three of them didn''t speak a word to each other as they walked away.


    Hajin nced at Ragna from the corner of his eye. Ragna yawnedzily,pletely unfazed by the silence.


    Why the hell is the mood so awkward and silent...


    This guy doesn''t help!


    Shaking his head, Hajinined inwardly before he turned to Elias and cleared his throat.


    "I didn''t know you would pick that teacher, Elias."


    "Hm? Oh right... I didn''t tell you guys about that."


    Elias lifted his brows before nodding slowly. He nced at Hajin lightly.


    "Do you have any problems with that?"


    Hajin was taken aback. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissal as he replied casually.


    "Not really. As I said, I don''t care what you do with the club as long as it benefits me in the end. But I''m curious, why him?"


    Why Alex Midgard?


    Elias pondered. In truth, there were a lot of great teachers in the academy that he could choose from.


    Professor Felix, for example, was a good candidate. Even though Elias hated that man''s guts and attitude, credit should be given when it''s due.


    Professor Felix''s influence covered the entire school. He was one of the most influential and well-known teachers in the academy.


    If Elias chose that man, then there was no doubt that the Corleone Familia would instantly rise in prestige and reputation.


    In a matter of days, the applications for his club might reach a staggering amount simply due to Professor Felix.


    But there was a good reason he didn''t choose Professor Felix.


    Elias prioritized control and stability. If he chose Professor Felix, the Corleone Familia would be especiallycking in both aspects.


    Professor Felix was too unpredictable and unserious. It would be too risky to rely on a person like him.


    Although choosing that man would give the Corleone Familia unprecedented influence, it would be at the expense of its development.


    It was not worth it in his opinion.


    ''Doing things too fast will do more harm than good.''


    Thus, it was better to choose Alex Midgard, a cold, serious man who has a reliable character and a strong reputation as well.


    Influence and progress woulde in time, what was more important for the Corleone Familia was a stable foundation to rise from.


    Hajin furrowed his brows, waiting for his reply.


    "It''s rare to see you think and care about what''s happening for once."


    Elias said amusedly. Hajin lifted his brows unhappily andined with a grumpy expression.


    "What''s that supposed to mean? I should tell you I''m not as bad as this Big Fe over here!"


    Ragna nced at Hajin.


    "What? You wanna fight?"


    "You think I''m scared of you, Big Fe?"


    Hajin narrowed his eyes solemnly. But then, he pumped his chest up and raised his hands in defeat.


    "Well, you''re absolutely right."


    Looking at him, Ragna immediately lost all of his interest. He yawnedzily.


    "Boring. If you release that ''beast'' inside you, then maybe you will be worth fighting. But at your current state, you''re not a worthy opponent at all."


    "Your words don''t make sense at all,"


    Hearing that, Hajin''s brows twitched as he wore a rueful smile. He shook his head and left the topic as it was.


    Looking at both of them, Elias unconsciously smiled. He shook his head and replied to Hajin.


    "...I suppose you''re right. You''re better than him in that regard."


    "Told you so."


    Hajin chuckled with a shrug. He wasn''t as bad as Big Fe when it came to thinking, he would die on that hill.


    ***


    After walking for a while, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Hajin and Ragna seemed absolutely bored and done with all the walking, but Elias still had the usual calm unswerving expression he had on his face.


    In front of the Supreme Student Government door, Elias came forward and knocked at the door twice.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Come in."


    A calm and collected voice came from the door.


    Elias twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door.


    Click!


    Inside the council room, the President was handling some papers and turned to look at him in surprise.


    "Hm? You''re back here already? I assume you finished inputting the requirements in your club form then."


    "That''s right."


    Elias nodded and walked to him closely. He took out the club form and threw it to the long desk table.


    Looking around the room, Hajin curiously asked.


    "Where''s your cute secretary?"


    "ina is out right now. I told her to stop standing around in the council and take her duties seriously."


    The President picked it up and read through its contents, lifting his brow slightly in surprise.


    "Hm, quite an odd group of people you picked... and Corleone Familia? I see. I see how it is now. How interesting."


    Elias remained silent, waiting for him to continue.


    The President calmly put the paper down. He rested his chin on his hands and nced at Elias and the rest expressionlessly.


    "Overall, I didn''t find any problems with your application. However, I hope you have read the rules in the academy."


    Elias calmly nodded.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. We''re not going to do anything illegal. We''re reasonable people, president."


    "Is that so?"


    The President gazed at Elias dead straight in the eye. His sharp eyes stared deeply at thetter.


    "I hope you don''t, Corleone. It would be a pity to expel a talent like you."


    Elias gave a nomittal shrug.


    "So what''s the verdict for our club?"


    The President was silent for a moment before nodding.


    "I have no problems with your application. I believe in Professor Alex''s character and your club n is rather detailed."


    "Consider your club The Corleone Familia established from this day on."


    Elias and Hajin''s eyes lit up, a smile rising on both of their faces.


    Finally...


    Eliss sighed inwardly. He wiped out the smile on his face, recing it with his usual calm and collected expression.


    The President nced at him and spoke lightly.


    "I suppose you understand how clubs work in this academy? I can exin it if you want. Your current club rank is Unranked. If it doesn''t move a rank until next month, then your club will be abolished."


    "I know that. Thank you anyway."


    Elias naturally understood what he meant. In the arcane academy ecosystem, there were three biggest attractions that keep it alive.


    Its Teachers, Resources, and the Clubs.


    The Clubs were an integral aspect of the Arcane Academy''s system.


    In fact, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that without the club system, the academy wouldn''t be as influential as it is today.


    So to speak, the Clubs were one of the main reasons why the academy remains strong and influential to this day.


    Clubs were not just student groups, they were businesses also.


    For all organizations in the world, the greatest attraction of the academy was not just its students, but also its ability to gather all kinds of people.


    The academy consisted of multiple kinds of people from different organizations, factions, and ces in life.


    There were even people from the Astral Soul Continent.


    Any sharp-thinking person would immediately realize how massive of an opportunity was this for everyone.


    Every faction or organization could send their own representatives to the academy, put their services and products, and engage in global trades.


    Alternatively, they could use these clubs to buy exclusive resources and materials in the academy or simply lure and recruit students to their own faction.


    This was exactly what happened.


    The Clubs in the academy were utilized by outside organizations as a way to trade with the factions and to recruit talented students.


    Through owning clubs, organizations or factions could get a piece of the pie of the academy''s massive benefits and opportunities.


    Meanwhile, the academy would be able to get the participating organizations continued support, sell its resources, and increase its funds, while increasing its prestige at the same time.


    It was a win-win situation for the organizations and the academy.


    The Clubs allowed the academy to remain relevant and soar through unbelievable heights.


    However, for that reason, the clubs in the academy had to be maintained and regted. They need to be separated into different ranks in ordance with their value.


    The higher the rank, the higher the value of the club to the academy itself.


    The higher the value of the club, the greater the benefits and opportunities the clubs can have from the academy.


    Benefits such as clubs can increase their trade limits, unlock more dungeons in the academy, and get more contribution points.


    Clubs were separated into six ranks.


    Unranked.


    Bronze.


    Silver.


    Gold.


    tinum.


    Diamond.


    Each of these ranks grants different status and benefits, but currently, the Corleone Familia was at the lowest rank ¡ª Unranked.


    Elias club'' was the only Unranked club at the present.


    It was because the newly created Unranked clubs only had two endings to them: it was either they reach bronze or get abolished in the next month.


    It was extremely hard to rise.


    Thus, most students would just choose to join already established clubs instead of creating their own and painstakingly suffer through the process.


    The President remembered something and told them.


    "If you have time, remember to pay a visit to the academy finance room. Or the government buildings in the society. You can get your budget from there."


    "Alright. Thanks."


    Elias gave a short nod and turned around.


    The Corleone Family was officially established.

 Chapter 112 Three Major Aspects (3)

    112 Three Major Aspects (3)


    Elias walked on the hallways of the Sorcerer department, attracting all sorts of gaze and attention from female students to him.


    Because Ragna was not with him, the female sorcerer students were able to take a few nces at him without fearing for their lives.


    Lighly speaking, Elias had a very mature and handsome face along with a strict and calm disposition.


    Among the first year students, he was definitely one of the most attractive and handsome individuals.


    However, his biggest w would be that he was hardly approachable with the intimidating air he exhibited and his two subordinates often scared others off.


    Although, oddly enough, Hajin and Ragna were not with him at the moment.


    After the Corleone Familia was officially established, Elias separated with Hajin and Ragna to deal with some personal matters.


    Hajin and Ragna happily agreed, all the long walking and boring conversations they had truly tortured them in boredom.


    Elias didn''t have anymore use to them untilter, so he let them do what they want with the condition that they would arrive when he needs them.


    Both had no problems with that arrangement.


    Elias lifted his brows, exiting the Sorcerer department quietly. He continued walking until he reached the back of the academy.


    ''Let''s see... This should be the ce.''


    In front of him, a tall, andrge tower casted a shadow over the surroundings. It was like a spiralling pir, ancient and abstract in nature.


    Therge tower was magnificently built with obsidian ck, its hardened walls inscribed with intricate symbols and glyphs.


    Fog seemed to circle around the magic tower, covering its entrance and windows from the outside world.


    The building in front of Elias right now was a magic tower.


    A magic tower was just a better, ssier word for a sorcerer''s abode. It was usually filled with the sorcerer''s important stuff and experiments.


    Owning a magic tower usually means that the sorcerer was not only strong, but also filthy rich.


    Magic towers were insanely expensive, to put it lightly. But money was not a problem for great sorcerers at all.


    There were only a few or so magic towers distributed in the academy for teachers. And Elias was standing in front of one of them right now.


    As for who''s magic tower?


    "I know you can see me. Don''t you think you should invite me to your ce?"


    Elias calmly spoke, looking at the top of the magic tower. He saw no one there, and yet he was pretty confident that someone was inside.


    After a moment, an amused voice came from the magic tower.


    "I told you to meet me after you get your Student ID Card. It''s been days since and only now you bothered? Tsk, tsk... what a rebellious student you are."


    "I''ve been busy with a few matters. A great sorcerer like yourself surely wouldn''t mind that, right?"


    Elias said calmly, shaking his head. The voice seemed to be happy to be praised as a great sorcerer.


    "That''s right! I don''t really mind. I even helped you out a little by telling the entire academy how you saved them! You''re a hero!"


    Unconsciously, Elias felt veins protrude on his foreheads. He clenched his jaw tightly as he forced a smile.


    "That''s right... Alright, what is it do you want? I''ll leave this ce if you aren''t going to get serious."


    "Fine, fine,e inside."


    As soon as the voice said that, the magic tower''s entrance slowly creaked and opened like a doorway to the abyss.


    Elias walked inside calmly. But inwardly, he couldn''t help but sigh and feel like his decision to go to this ce was already a mistake.


    Ooh boy, let''s just get this over with...


    ***


    As soon as Elias entered inside, a familiar woman suddenly tripped on her steps when she saw him and blurted out.


    "It''s you!"


    Elias turned to look at the shouting woman, recognizing her as none other than Luna Edelfelt.


    Seeing her almost trip herself, he kept hisposure and gave her a nod of acknowledgement


    "Oh... It''s you, Edelfelt."


    "Edelfelt?"


    Luna eyes twitched in a fluster. She couldn''t help but feel annoyance erupt inside her after hearing herst name mentioned in such a in, disrespectful manner.


    What Edelfelt? That''s Ms. Edelfelt to you! I''m your teacher, arrogant first year!


    Lunained inside her mind, but she kept a gentle smile outwardly to uphold her image.


    Be better, Luna...


    Elias tone and words were truly disregarding her entirely, it almost cracked Luna''sposure but thank goodness she had a benevolent heart.


    "It''s you... and it''s Ms. Edelfelt for you, Elias Corleone."


    Luna forced a smile. She adjusted her clothes and stared at Elias with a calm, restrained smile.


    Even if she was a third year, she was still a senior and an assistant teacher. She should atleastmand minimum respect.


    Elias nced at her and gave a short nod before ignoring her entirely. He looked for the stairs and approached it.


    Without dying anymore, Elias went up to the second floor and left Luna standing alone in the first floor of the tower.


    Huh?


    Luna couldn''t but be stunned in a daze. She looked at where Elias had went as her eyes widened, at a lost.


    Did that first year... just ignore me?


    That first year... How dare he ignores me like that... I was just greeting him...! Complete disregard to a senior and teacher!


    H-h-he''s bullying me....


    Luna felt extremely helpless and dejected as her shoulders slumped. Her entire confidence had been shattered by Eliasplete disregard to her.


    Throughout her year as a senior student, no one had ever ignored or disregarded her like this.


    Even the President and other Club Leaders respected her name to a degree, but Elias didn''t seem to care at all.


    She had the mind to get revenge, but she always reminded herself that her enemy was merely an arrogant first year.


    If she tried to get revenge, it would be bullying at that point.


    Luna wasn''t interested in such things. She looked at the stairs and remembered that her master was also there.


    Huh, wait a minute. How did the doors open way for Corleone? Did Master let him in... ?Why is he meeting with master? Do they know each other?


    Luna finally caught on to the crux of the issue. But it only gave her more questions, causing confusion to rise in her heart.


    "Argh! It''s no use thinking about it! I''ll just do my research first then I''ll ask master when I''m done."


    Deciding just that, Luna immediately went away and focused on doing her own matters with a heavy sigh.


    ***


    "You sure do like to trick my cute daughter,"


    Felix chortled, looking at Elias with a smile. He reclined against his chair and stared at the standing Elias calmly.


    Elias crossed his arms and looked at Felix.


    "What do you need, Professor Felix? Why did you call me for again?"


    "Hm... i was interested in adding a member to your club, but seeing that you already have enough, forget about it."


    Professor Felix shrugged.


    "That''s not needed. And I don''t think you would''ve called me just for that."


    Elias shook his head. There definitely was a bigger reason ¡ª how so? He knew the man''e character from the novel.


    Professor Felix might be unserious and too amused by himself sometimes, but when he''s calling out students he was serious about his concerns to them.


    "Alright, it involves you."


    Professor Felix smile fell off. He snapped his fingers, putting in a silent spell within the room so no one could hear what was about to be said.


    Elias noticed it but said nothing. He lifted his brows and let Professor Felix contjnue what he was doing.


    Professor Felix cleared his throat, solemnly looking at Elias before opening his mouth.


    "You''re that escapee from Tartarus, aren''t you? Elias Vito Casteno?"


    Elias suddenly fell silent, looking at Professor Felix sharply. His smile was wiped out of his face.


    Professor Felix nced at him with an amused smile. Elias didn''t say anything but simply stared back at Professor Felix.


    "I don''t think you were trying to hide it in the first ce. But you sure are an interesting one. You''re the most unique student I''ve ever seen and read about, bar from none."


    Professor Felix continued, looking at Elias with a smile.


    "You''re a criminal from the strictest, most tightly guarded prison in the world. But then one day, you caused a greatmotion across the continent and became the firsy escapees of Tartarus. Ever. At such a young age. Your deeds are nothing short of legendary,"


    Elias sharply red at him, feeling a bit nervous inside.


    "Get straight to the point."


    "However... you are a wanted criminal. If it were to ever be discovered the academy is keeping in someone like you, then its prestige and reputation might crash. You''re quite a troublesome bomb pushed to us,"


    Professor Felix sighed and shook his head slightly. Elias felt his heart drop from the news.


    "But the academy soon reached a decision."


    Professor Felix paused before continuing solemnly.


    "Despite your status as a wanted criminal, the academy is willing to support you. As far as we know, you''re enrolled as Elias Corleone a cousin of Hajin Sanchez,"


    "But there''s a condition."


    EDIT THIS TOM MY EYES HURt. will fix this, tomtest. my eyes frickim hurt so bsd sorry guys Deathilim_609


    Suy ngh? c?a ng??i t?o

 Chapter 113 A Game of Hide and Seek (1)

    113 A Game of Hide and Seek (1)


    "But under one condition,"


    Elias eyes narrowed as his frown deepened. But inwardly, he sighed in relief as the built up anxiety in him slowly dwindled away.


    I''m not getting kicked out, thankfully...


    In truth, he was expecting something like this to happen beforehand. His escape from Tartarus was a huge matter concerning the whole continent.


    It would be odd if the Arcane Academy didn''t know about it.


    Feeling better, Elias nodded slowly, admitting to it. It was not like he could lie and fool academy anyway.


    By the moment he was invited here to talk, the academy was mostly 99.9% sure that he was Elias Vito Casteno.


    "Before we continue, do you have any chairs?"


    "Interesting."


    Seeing his casual admission, Professor Felix couldn''t help hut raise his lips in an amused smirk.


    Snap!


    He snapped his fingers, creating a chair out of nothing. The chair was made from pure white cloud.


    With its soft, cloudly looking appearance ¡ª it was definitely afortable chair to sit on, but...


    Elias looked at it with questioning eyes. He won''t fall if he sat here, right?


    Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but look at Felix. But the obnoxious man had a smug smile that only reinforced his suspiciouns.


    Elias looked over the surroundings and saw no chairs. Without any choice, he just went ahead and sat on the cloudly chair.


    Soft,fortable....


    But at that moment, he felt like the chair was about to copse and break apart from his body.


    Elias immediately manipted mana and used [Release] to the cloudy chair, stabilizing it and reinforcing it.


    Professor Felix''s eyes widened in surprise, a wide grin showing on his face filled with tion and joy.


    "You have good mana control. Even I didn''t have such control when I was at your age, is that a talent or a technique?"


    "Both."


    Elias nomittally replied, reclining his back against the cloudy chair. He crossed his legs and lowered his head slightly, staring at Felix.


    A calm, serene atmosphere rose between them.


    "The academy doesn''t mind of your origins or background. It''s not like you''re a full blown criminal anyway. We already investigated your past... and we know what happened to your family,"


    Professor Felix spoke, looking at Elias calmly. But he was bound to be disappointed if he was expecting something a reaction. Seeing no reaction, he continued.


    "I won''t get into the nitty and gritty details and I''m sure you wouldn''t appreciate it either. Let''s get straight to the point, you remember the demon?"


    "Garuda, the Baron of Pride?"


    Elias lifted his brows. Felix nodded snd continued.


    "That''s right. I''ll be honest with you: that baron demon was not the first one to invade the academy, there were others before him too."


    "That means...?"


    "Normally, it wouldn''t be too strange... but this time, the demon who invaded is stronger than any of the previous cases. A rank stronger. And he was inside the inner circle to boot."


    Felix frowned, adapting a solemn tone.


    Elias nodded. That was true ¡ª Garuda was a Baron of Pride, in other words a Rank C ranker in human civilization.


    If it wasn''t for Rain and Lance''s help, Elias would''ve likely took a longer time in defeating Garuda, or perhaps even lost.


    Despite being at the top among his rank, Elias was still a D Rank ¡ª no matter even if he was a genius or not.


    Garuda outsses him by atleast one rank and hundreds of years more experience. Elias would be in a disadvantage in a fair fight between them.


    But of course, results were not so easily predetermined...


    Elias still had trumpcards.


    Professor Felix sighed and suddenly spoke.


    "The academy''s coordinates are a secret. It''s located somewhere deep in the aeus world, so finding it is like finding a needle in the haystack. There''s no way for someone to invade here unless they went inside from the outer circle or the ind examination."


    "...But Garuda was in the inner circle already, wasn''t he?"


    "That''s correct, that''s what makes it all the more troublesome. The other demons that came before him were quite weak and only roamed the ind or outer circle from outside, that''s why we didnt pay any heed to it."


    Felix paused, his lips pursing.


    "...But Garuda appeared within the inner circle at his own. The inner circle is different from the outer circle. It''s an exclusive dimension of the academy with confidential coordinates, like this ce. It''s impossible for someone to enter or appear dimensions randomly."


    "Furthermore, I was watching the whole examination, so I definitely would''ve noticed it if Garuda entered through the entrance of the ind or outer circle. However...."


    Felix shook his head with a heavy frown.


    "I saw the baron demone out from a different portal. That can only mean one thing, the coordinates of the imner circle dimension were exposed."


    Elias frowned, lowering his head in thought. He didn''t speak as if he was thinking deeply about the situation.


    But inwardly... his heart was rapidly racing as he remembered something from the novel that he initially forgot.


    Oh no...


    Professor Felix took a deep breath, raising his head. He looked at Elias calmly and spoke solemnly.


    "Whatever we talked about in this room, stays in this room, Corleone. I hope you remember that."


    "Of course."


    Elias nodded solemnly.


    "Alright, let''s talk about the condition now for us to keep you in the academy."


    Felix eyes sharply narrowed. He snapped his fingers and caused a wooden table to appear in front of them.


    "We''re not going to be harsh on our demands. In truth, we would prefer to not choose a student for this kind of mission. But we have no choice."


    "Mission...? What are you talking about...?"


    Elias heart skipped a beat. Shit... It really was happening. If it wasn''t obvious before, then it was inly obvious now.


    "The condition for you to stay in this academy..."


    Felix gently looked at Elias with a smile.


    "...Find the traitor or the one supplying the information to the demons."


    "We have a reason to believe that a traitor lurks in the academy."


    im so sick and tired haha, just unlucky in life in general. thanks for reading :))


    Deathilim_609


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!