Most of them didn't believe the dungeon could be cleared. Even if the strength and skill of the boss have been reduced, he will have the strength of a top-level mana entity and the skill of the third step at his disposal. There's no way a newly evolved mana entity can match that. So they would be content with simply farming the dungeon.
The son of legends then said something weird. "What we need now is a fragile platform."
They didn't understand him but they asked other questions and the meeting dispersed on a happy note. Then each family began to prepare their youths. The Ghastorix family is also one of them.
The creation of the divine dungeon happened a week before Soverick demolished SLEEP DEPRIVED DEMON. He was still training with SQUARESKULL and the Ghastorix family didn't want to risk him. But his performance made them rethink their plan to exclude him. So SQUARESKULL informed him and Soverick decided to participate.
But he met Ghaster and Litori first before leaving.
"So you are done with your training. Isn't that a little early?" Litori asked quietly.
Soverick answered. "Maybe."
"Enough of that. Why are you here? To rub your success in our face?" Ghaster didn't hold back his anger from his voice or his face.
Soverick leveled his gaze on him for a second before turning to Litori. "To ask about your Progress and to say goodbye."
"Well, I have finished the preparatory stage for both physical and spiritual fitness. So I move on to the second stage just a few days ago. It's all thanks to Ghaster. He gave me vitality medicine he got from somewhere and it sped up my rate of progress. He has also completed his physical fitness requirements but he is still lacking in the spiritual aspect. He has problems with Mind Division and Mind Pressure."
Litori did most of the talking while Soverick listened and Ghaster glared at him. There were standing in front of Litori's room.
"That should be it. I'll be leaving now." Soverick said to her exactly five minutes after they started talking. He had places to be and things to do. His objective was already achieved by asking about their well-being, he didn't need to listen to their problems for too long.
"Do you have any advice for us?" Litori asked and Ghaster turned his glare to her.
"Don't be stubborn. Question Everything. Be willing to learn. Be willing to adapt. Think and plan before taking action. Think outside the box. Master your body. To master your body, you must master your emotions first. Only when you have mastered your emotions can you change your habits. Habits are like emotions, involuntary and mostly independent of the mind. You must bring your mind to the equation. Remember, the Mind should be above the body."
"We know all that. You didn't have to tell us." Ghaster said.
"Why did you even come along if you were going to be like this?" Litori asked Ghaster but he couldn't answer.
"Don't mind him eldest. We have some thoughts and instincts due to our bloodline but we didn't know what they meant exactly. Your advice has given us something to aim for and we appreciate it."
Soverick shrugged. "Don't fall behind too much. You can see me off now because we are at the same academy. If you don't keep up, you will never be able to catch my trail much less overcome me. Isn't that right Ghaster?"
Ghaster pressed his lips into a thin line and refused to answer. But that's okay with Soverick. It was a rhetorical question anyway. He left them at that. His life at the battle academy has ended. He might return for tertiary education in the future, but there's no guarantee.
Ghaster and Litori watched him go.
"What an insufferable showoff," Ghaster spoke first.
"And you're an insufferable loud mouth," Litori shouted at him.
"Why else will he come to see us every time he is about to move on to another stage? He just wants to rub his talent in our faces." Ghaster shouted back.
Litori sighed. "I doubt the eldest values our opinion so much that he would that. You know the eldest doesn't care about what other people think."
That gave Ghaster pause but he came up with an explanation. "That's even worse. He doesn't think our opinions matter. So full of himself."
Litori gave up on convincing him and left, leaving Ghaster to his thoughts. Ghaster clenched his fist before sighing and unclenching them.
"It's not his fault. It's my weakness for being weak." He thought to himself.
It wasn't Soverick's fault that he was great. It wasn't Soverick's fault that people bother Ghaster to ask about his brother. Soverick never did anything wrong, he probably worked hard for his success.
Ghaster isn't jealous of Soverick's talent or his success. It's just Soverick's behavior that irritates him. It would have been okay if Soverick liked to brag. If Soverick were someone that liked to bask in his glory or if he was arrogant. But Soverick isn't any of those. Instead, he acts as if everything is beneath him, as if even his own great success is nothing and as if his progress is normal. Then what does that make Ghaster's progress? Less than nothing. Less than normal.
Soverick's neither humble nor proud attitude undermines everything he has worked for and Ghaster hates him for it. It's like Soverick has a gold coin while he has a silver one but Soverick doesn't value the gold coin he has. He hates Soverick even more because he knew that he wouldn't be so nonchalant about it if he were the one with the success.
Ghaster would have been okay with being that guy that is proud of his elder brother. He would have loved to brag about his elder brother to everyone that could hear. But how could he do that when that elder brother doesn't care and only works hard?
Soverick has set a high bar for what can be considered excellent. So he has to work hard himself and yet all his effort produces results that don't even come close to that bar at all. It's as if all his hard work is a joke. He would like to be unfeeling like Soverick but it is not in his nature.
"Good riddance. Out of sight and out of mind."
He doesn't know about Litori but he is thankful that Soverick is leaving. Then he won't know what Soverick is up to and he won't know how wide the gap between them has become. Ignorance is bliss.
Back To Soverick.
Soverick began to wind through the bland hallways. He was heading toward the portal that brought them in. Only at that point can he leave the academy and only if he has authorized access. He met someone on the way there. It was that battle sage monkey that had been beating Ghaster up. She had joined the third stage of training a little before Soverick. Soverick remembered Ghaster telling him her name.
Soverick smiled at her, "Viki is it?"
He continued on as he spoke to her. He didn't plan to wait for another chat. He wanted to reach the divine dungeon as soon as possible. He had heard that it has been open for more than a week and he doesn't want to be late for the party.
She stumbled when she recognized him. She righted herself and replied, "I was shocked a little. I thought I saw a ghost or something."
Soverick chuckled a little. People always say he looked handsome or cute because of his features. They might say he is odd looking but never scary. She continued to walk with him when he didn't stop.
"Dude, you're strong, like really strong. I heard from Ghaster that you and he are litter mates. Truly extraordinary. I witnessed that fight of yours. It was epic and scary, dude. You are my inspiration, I work harder anytime I think of that fight. But I still can't get that image of you impaling that girl out of my mind."
Soverick was a little amused. The first time he had met this person, she had promised to beat him up if he joined the third stage because he ignored her. But she seemed to have forgotten all that and was chatting with him like a long-lost friend.
"Do you want to spar? But you have to take it easy on me." She finally asked when he didn't say anything.
He answered. "I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Her curiosity was obvious in her question and on her face. She really wanted to know what he is busy with.
Soverick remained stoic. "Going somewhere."
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere." He repeated.
"But where?"
Soverick turned silent. She was amusing. She is even friendly and her straightforward attitude is admirable, but he had no obligation to satiate her curiosity. He had given her enough hints to clue her into his unwillingness to divulge what he is busy with. The rest is up to her.