Chapter 733: Changes Are Coming...
CHAPTER 733
After witnessing the last item, Northern could almost not sleep. He was troubled and toiling with so much joy. At last, it was at hand.
The goal he thought would be far in the future was delivered right before his hands.
In no time, he would be able to make mundane items have orders just like soul items. Although there was no certainty that they would be soul bound too, this was a first step.
A great one at that. One that arrived too early.
Northern had wanted to do it, but this was something he was still looking at in the next two or three years, after he had gotten quite used to soul forging of the limitless void.
But now, things had turned around for him.
'First, I'm going to get used to soul forging as fast as I can. That means I need to start a forge construction in the Limitless Void.'
Not just a forge construction. Northern had once taken a short survey around his soul scape and noted some things that he could build.
This was, after all, not something he was unused to. He was an able engineer in his past life. Even though he had not practiced for a long while, that knowledge still resided in him.
When he took that survey and planned the way the buildings in the Limitless Void would be, he was very happy. He felt like himself for some reason.
Lost in that zone where the cares of the world and the deceitfulness and riches of power mattered not to him.
Like a child that just earnestly wanted to play.
He planned to make the Limitless Void become a city of his own.
Outside the limitless void, the souls that resided there lacked bodies and were no less than ghosts. But inside, they were as real as Night Terror and every other Void summon was.
Not to mention, with time, they had begun to show growth, attitudes besides what you'd expect a monster to be.
Creating more infrastructure in the void would definitely grant them the privilege to learn much better and become more intellectual.
Then at the center of this civilization in his soul would be the forge. The core of everything. The place where every mineral would be processed and used for a greater good.
The place where soul bound items would be created en masse and spread across the whole world.
Distributing his influence and amassing riches for himself.
Northern rolled on the bed, turning his face up and his arms folded behind his head. He studied the intricate design of the ceiling as he thought about it.
Loud drums and joyous jubilation from the city, along with some students perhaps, flowed into his ear, somewhat subdued by the stretched out distance between the estate and the main city.
Milhwa hailed from the kingdom of Verulania. He had accomplished several things in the name of the nation and was one of the reasons why Verulania mattered in the pages of history and the significance of nations in the world today.
It was no wonder the nation had taken it upon themselves to always have this carnival, with or without the approval of the academy. It was just an extra joyous occasion that the academy, a center of Milhwa's accomplishment, joined them in this season.
Snowflakes danced tenderly in the cold wind, settling on the edges of windows and roof, slowly gathering a pile of white on them.
The wind was biting outside; people wore thick fabrics and carried sticks of flames and paper lanterns with burning plumes of flame.
They danced to a strange trumpeting sound, along with loud, heart-thumping drums. Northern could feel the subtle vibration of the ground, his bed, following each beat of the drum.
'It would be hell of noise down there...'
Aster had knocked on his room several minutes before he lay down, inviting him to go to the carnival together. But Northern refused.
He and the other three could just receive the reward on his behalf; he was not going to go somewhere that noisy.
Aside from his cohort, no cohort had made it out of the rift. Usually, a tier V rift was not something a bunch of awakened Drifters, Nomads, or at most Masters could defeat on their
own.
What the school expected was the most they could do within the time frame they were given. Defeating the rift in thirty minutes was an outrageous and blatantly unbelievable achievement. It was bound to cause some noise very soon.
It would take at least two days for anyone to come out with above fifty kills, except for those that gave up mid-way.
Northern thought for a while and muttered.
"I feel like I know who will come out first..."
He dwelled on the thought for a while, went on to think about a few other strong folks he had noticed during the assembly.
With the soul reading ability of his eyes, he saw several interesting students with amazing talents and soul attributes, but none interested him more than the instructors. The four instructors that were the school's strongest.
While imagining what tactics he would employ fighting each of them and how interesting the fights would be, he drifted towards the steep plane of slumber.
It was so steep that he couldn't pull himself up, not that he wanted to anyway.
Before long into the night, Northern was sound asleep, surrounded by the muffled sound of the carnival.
***
In a large and deep brown-accented room, sitting around a long rectangular table were five instructors: one at the head of the table, two on the left, and the other two on the right.
All five of them stared the paper reports on their table with disbelieving expressions. The instructor seated toward the last end of the right broke the silence, a slight frown hardening his gaze.
"This doesn't make sense. Even as a Sage, defeating a tier V rift alone in thirty minutes? That's unheard of!" Instructor Wane's voice rose slightly, his frustration spilling over.
"Facts are facts, Wane," replied Instructor Bradley, sitting to Wane's left. His tone was calm but laced with pointed frustration. "The rift is gone. Denying the evidence won't help us
prepare for what's coming."
Instructor Wane grimaced, slamming the report on the table.
"Prepare? For what? Another prodigy who thinks the academy is beneath them? You saw what
happened the last time someone this strong thought they didn't need us and ended up
tarnishing our name!"
"These are two different scenerios, Rughsbourgh is different from an ordinary student. Besides, this only calls for a different approach."
Bradley countered, his voice firm.
"This boy isn't just another talented student; he's an anomaly. If we fail to act now, we risk
him becoming either a loose cannon or someone else's weapon."
The head instructor, seated at the table's center, raised his hand, silencing both men with an
authoritative gesture.
"Enough," he said, his voice steady and commanding. "This isn't about past failures or
bruised egos. This student represents a turning point for this academy. Whether we like it or
not, he's outgrown the typical student mold. Either we guide him to our cause, or we risk him
becoming a threat."
The room fell silent for a moment, each instructor absorbing the weight of the head
instructor's words.
Bradley leaned forward, tapping the edge of his report thoughtfully.
"We need to establish a foundation of trust. Start with his family. If we offer them opportunities-social elevation, resources-we can tie Northern's future to the academy's
success."
Wane scoffed, crossing his arms.
"And if he refuses? What then? Do we just let him walk around, stronger than any of us, and hope he doesn't hold a grudge? Especially after what happened with the dark continent?" "Your skepticism is noted, Wane," the head instructor replied coolly. "But for now, we extend the hand of cooperation. We can't afford to alienate him, and we certainly can't afford to antagonize him. The priority is ensuring Northern feels valued, respected, and connected to
the academy."
"Assuming that works."
Wane muttered under his breath, though his tone had softened slightly.
The head instructor turned his attention to another man seated across from Bradley. This instructor had a stony face marked with a deep scar that ran across his cheek. His sharp eyes studied the head instructor carefully.
"Darvill, you and Wane will make the arrangements," the head instructor continued. "Find his family. Present them with our offer-subtle, non-intrusive, but enticing enough to draw
their loyalty. Report back once it's done."
Darvill nodded curtly.
"Understood, sir." Wane sighed, his posture relaxing slightly as he gave a reluctant nod.
"Noted."
The head instructor leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together. His gaze swept
across the room, resting momentarily on each instructor.
"This situation demands caution," he said.
"His potential is undeniable, but power without direction is chaos. If we don't guide him,
someone else will-and that someone may not have our best interests at heart."
He paused for a moment, then added.
"A monster has been birthed among us. But whether that monster serves as a shield or a
sword depends entirely on us."
The weight of his words settled over the room. None of the instructors spoke, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, the head instructor waved his hand dismissively.
"That will be all for now. Prepare your plans and move quickly. This is an opportunity we can't
afford to lose."
The instructors rose one by one, their expressions somber and focused. Even Wane, though still visibly skeptical, left the room with a more subdued demeanor.