In the dead of night, Professor Noire's expression twisted in displeasure as he stared at the youth standing before him.
Clad in his nightwear, his ugly expression made him look like a devil ready to erupt any second, standing on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings at the academy.
"Leave right now!!"
He bellowed at the youth, but Skyler merely blinked. Skyler was not in the least bit guilty for disturbing Noire's sleep so late at night. A while ago, after leaving the library, Skyler's first act was to scroll through the available missions he could see on his student ID.
That led him here. Naturally, he didn't care that the time had long passed 1:00 AM.
Skyler fixed his gaze on the professor, his calm eyes betraying nothing. Even now, the latter appeared so prim and proper that he felt an urge to mess with him more. He still remembered the way Professor Hawthorne and Professor Noire had welcomed him on his first day at the academy. It was a very unpleasant experience, to say the least.
He held out his student ID card.
"Sir, I'm here to complete a mission I've already accepted. Let me enter the Novice tier crystal behind you. The mission details say any student can enter and kill the boss monster inside, as long as they are above 5 stars. I have zero stars on my ID. I need to earn my fee. How can you stop me from completing a mission in the academy?"
Professor Noire's eyebrow twitched. He gritted his teeth. His residence was within the building on whose rooftop they stood. It was his door that was knocked when Skyler arrived at the rooftop so late, demanding to enter the crystal floating above the building. Even though the five students guarding the crystal had already turned him away.
"You're talking about mission details with me? You? Why don't you discuss the details that state a party of five students is required to enter any crystal within the academy?"
Noire raked Skyler from head to toe, his displeased gaze flickering with disdain.
"Look at yourself! You're not even wearing any decent equipment! If you end up dead in there, I will lose my job! Do you really think I don't know that a lot of people are watching your every move currently?"
Skyler raised a brow. So, this man has a good network within the starlight academy? He already knew that Skyler was one of the students who had entered the Battle Royal recently, yet the sole one who had returned. And the fact that both the government and the principal were keeping watch over him.
But would that make Skyler back down?
No, it wouldn't.
Skyler had already decided to enter his second crystal to test his new spells.
He would never back down.
"Sir, I have an Epic-tier beast with me. The academy rules state that students can enter a crystal without a team if they've a powerful beast! With Riruru, if I also have a team with me, wouldn't that be an overkill? The crystal behind you is just a Novice tier!"
Huffing, Skyler pointed at Riruru, who was clinging to his arm, and then at the crystal.
"Moreover, the crystal is pure white! That color signifies it's safe! There wouldn't be any monsters inside that crystal!"
Professor Noire's face darkened further. Why wouldn't this student leave?
Just why?
Why was he so stubborn?
The five students who had called him, the ones who guarded the crystal, flinched in fear behind him when a heavy aura came from his body as he glared at Skyler.
Noire would have loved to throw him into the crystal, pit him against monsters, and watch him scream for help. But he couldn't. He and Hawthorne had received news that morning that the Principal had asked Doris to keep an eye on Skyler. He just didn't want to cross the VP by putting Skyler in harm's way!
His voice rose in frustration.
"Leave before you regret—"
Yet, he stopped mid-sentence abruptly, a calm voice interrupting him from above.
"What's going on here?"
All eyes on the rooftop traveled above.
There, in the sky, a tall, muscular man in a tight-fitting battle suit hovered. Professor Noire recognized the man immediately!
It was Alfanzo, the leader of the group of powerful Lights sent by the government to the academy to oversee the matter related to the recent turmoil caused by Moore.
Skyler, too, recognized the tall, muscular man. It's just that he knew little about him.
Alfanzo landed atop the rooftop. His brows furrowed tightly as his gaze swept through the scene before pausing at Noire.
"I said, what is going on here? You were so loud that I could hear you from where I was resting. You woke me up. Explain."
Noire trembled at the calm, authoritative voice. Still, he wasn't weak himself. So, he was able to compose himself. He hurriedly explained the situation to Alfanzo.
Skyler scoffed inwardly at the side.
'What a two-faced man. He was being so high and mighty in front of me. Now look at him, all meek in front of someone stronger. Tsk, tsk, the strong do rule after all.'
Alfanzo listened to Noire and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. His gaze then shifted towards Skyler, and he chuckled.
"He wants to enter the crystal, then let him enter. Why the fuss? If he can clear the first level of Battle Royal, then what's a Novice tier crystal? This is nothing for him."
Noire wanted to argue, but shut his mouth when Alfanzo stared at him rather calmly.
On cue, Skyler chimed in with a smirk.
"That's what I am saying. I am not weak. Riruru is with me as well. I don't know why the professor wouldn't let me go inside the crystal. I am already asked to not leave the academy. Now I can't even enter a crystal within the academy to grow stronger?"
He paused with an aggrieved face.
"How unfair."
Alfanzo chuckled at his faint murmur. He could see through what Skyler was trying to do. It was so obvious. The youth wanted to make sure Noire suffered for crossing him.
'I see, he likes to get back at people.'
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was feeling bored staying in one place for so long. Now was his chance to have some fun.
"On that note, how about I go with you?"
Skyler's head whipped toward the man with lightning speed. He gasped, shocked. What the hell? He just wanted to enter a crystal to kill some monsters and try the new spells he had learned?! First, Professor Noire was hell bent on stopping him, and now this tall man from the government wanted to follow him?! It was almost as if they had realized that he was about to secretly steal one of the good treasures Max's would find in the future!
'Damn it! Why is my luck so bad?'
With amused eyes, Alfanzo watched the myriad of emotions flit across the young man's face. He barely stifled a laugh.
Skyler offered a strained smile.
"Sir, I believe there is no need. I am strong enough to handle a Novice tier crystal on my own. You should have many better things to do than following a student around."
Alfanzo shook his head. He had already decided to follow this youth for a while. He also wanted to get more information about the person who had done the impossible.
And why wouldn't he? Currently, Skyler was the only person in Eldoria who had cleared a level of a Battle Royal in such a short time, as he hadn't heard of anyone else doing it.
"No, I'm free. Besides, it would reflect poorly on me if you entered the crystal and got hurt. Anyway, I will just follow you from a distance. You can do whatever you want in the crystal. I won't interfere unless your life is in danger."
Skyler cursed under his breath.
Speechless.
He had to change his plan. With someone so strong trailing him, he would be an instant target of suspicion if he suddenly went into a crystal with little to no monsters around, one that had been plundered by the academy countless times, and found a treasure.
Annoyance flickered in his blue eyes as he tried one last time to convince Alfanzo that he would be fine alone. But after failing, he had no choice but to clench his jaw as the muscular man followed his every move.
Groaning inwardly, Skyler approached the floating crystal to go in. He wondered silently just how bad his luck was. He couldn't even do one thing the way he wanted.
'My luck must be in the negative.'
He wanted to cry, but stroked Riruru's body to dispel the negative feelings as he stepped in the crystal. The crystal's surface ripped as his body vanished. Then, he materialized in an open clearing filled with sand.