Chapter 51
I sat on the couch for several hours—so long that the shape of my body was imprinted into it.
I consumed Essence Stones one after another throughout the day, until the sun of the following morning was about to rise.
In the end, I had consumed thirty-five medium-Essence Stones , and I received a noticeable boost in strength.
By my estimation, I would need to consume around four hundred stones to reach the advanced sub-rank, and that would take roughly twenty days. After all, I couldn’t sit here all day consuming them one by one—there was a limit to how many classes I could skip.
Not to mention the preparations I needed to make before the next mission, which would begin in about a month.
Then there were the practical and theoretical exams that would start soon.
And on top of that, working with Alicia... at least I was getting paid a respectable salary for it.
I returned the remaining Essence Stones to my ring, then glanced at my phone.4:01 a.m.
"Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight," I muttered, then stood up.
I left my room and headed out for my usual training.
.....
The clash of swords rang out as Elliot blocked my strike.
I lifted my leg and drove a kick into his stomach, forcing him to stumble several steps backward."You seem faster today."
I shrugged."And you look like a shy girl."
In the next moment, I was already in front of him, swinging my sword.
Elliot raised his blade and blocked again. Honestly, he really did look like a shy girl today—and I knew why.
"Are you really still thinking about those criminals?"
His expression turned somber as he spoke."Caius... they were like us. Humans with lives, families, children... even if they were criminals in the end."
I smiled at his words."Yeah. That much is obvious."
Elliot hesitated."You know... they begged me, talking about their children and wives. And I killed them... I killed them without mercy."
"And how did it feel?"
He looked at me with trembling eyes."Terrible."
I nodded."Then you’ll have to get used to it."
Elliot stood there in front of me, sweat pouring down his face."I don’t think I ever will."
I spoke as I lunged at him again.
"No. You will... we all do, in the end."
.....
I sat inside the lecture hall while the professor of history and geography, Rowan, spoke.
"This region is formed of black glass, harder even than metal."
The others eagerly took notes, while I leaned my head back in boredom.
I felt the professor’s gaze fall on me."Caius, would you mind telling us who rules this place?"He spoke while pointing at a red-marked spot on the map.
I adjusted my posture and replied lazily."It’s a Rank 7 monster, known as the ’Falling Star Shard.’ Some believe it to be the hardest creature in the world, with a terrifying body spanning dozens of kilometers. The records indicate that we’re fortunate it chose to remain within its territory and sleep peacefully."
The professor nodded, satisfied with my answer."Well answered... but why aren’t you taking notes like your classmates?"
"Because I already know all of this, Professor."
He adjusted his glasses and smiled."It seems you’re quite knowledgeable in this field."
I nodded."Yeah. I enjoy discovering the history and regions of this world, so I’ve read a few books that talk about this kind of information."
That was half a lie... I hadn’t read anything.
But it was true that I loved exploring this world in the game. In fact, my favorite part of games had always been exploring fantasy worlds.
The professor seemed to take an interest in me."I like that passion of yours, Caius. I hope your classmates can be the same... since this is easy for you, let’s speed up the pace of the lesson a bit."
In the next moment, everyone let out groans and shot me looks filled with pure hostility.
The professor ignored them and continued.
"Recently, a strange entrance was discovered there, engraved with several symbols. Now, the four empires are in conflict over who has the right to explore that place."
Time passed as the professor spoke without pause, while everyone else’s hands moved faster, scribbling notes.
Eventually, the class came to an end. The professor picked up his bag, preparing to leave."Your first exam will be held next week... and thanks to your classmate Caius, I’ve decided to include some material that wasn’t covered in my lectures, to test your true knowledge."
Thanks to your classmate Caius? Is he trying to get me killed?
He smiled and nodded at me before turning to leave.
I raised my hand to stop him—he needed to correct that sentence."Professor... Professor..."
But he completely ignored my call.
I felt everyone’s eyes on me... and it’s worth noting, those looks weren’t friendly.
I smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head."You guys know this isn’t my fault."
Leona, who was sitting a few seats ahead of me, turned around and gave me a thumb-up.
I thought she understood, but in the next moment she tilted her hand and dragged it across her neck in a clear execution gesture, her lips moving to form a few words:"Watch yourself."
Is she threatening me now?
Fortunately, the next professor entered, drawing the attention away from me.
A man in his mid-twenties walked in, his footsteps echoing across the hall.
He looked young compared to the other professors in the Axis. With brown hair and blue eyes, he stood at the desk with a charming smile."Greetings, my dear students."
This was Professor Lucas, the specialist in Relics and Artifacts.
He wasn’t particularly strong—only Rank 3, intermediate—but with his vast knowledge of Artifacts, he had earned a position as a professor in the Axis.
Yeah, impressive, right... but that’s only if we forget one little detail.
That this handsome professor, who seemed to be trying to charm the girls in the class...
Was a member of the Void System
And also...
The star of the upcoming event...
And someone I must...
Kill.