Professor Noire’s knees weakened as he mustered his courage and stammered. His eyes fixed on the brown-eyed man.
"You... you are back, Sir. Moore...?"
Moore stared at him, making him sweat.
"It’s Professor for you. Of course, I will be back once I have cleared the 40th level of Battle Royal. It was incredibly difficult. So I am curious how those who are currently at level 51 managed to clear it. If only I could enter the highest level available directly..."
He clicked his tongue in distaste.
"But those damn rules! You can only move up to the next level in Battle Royal if you’ve beaten the one before it yourself."
Hawthorne and Noire were sweating profusely, unlike Skyler and Charles, who watched Moore with eyes full of intrigue.
The duo’s eyes lit up when they heard his words, and they exchanged glances, their eyes conveying the same thought.
They seemed to have stumbled upon a hidden character—the kind that appears in fictional novels, often overlooked because they don’t look special. However, in reality, this character is a powerful, hidden master who helps the protagonist get stronger and wants them to become their disciple when their uniqueness catches their eye!
Charles and Skyler’s eyes were filled with glee as they excitedly waited for Moore to beat these two professors and take them as his students, while saying that he could see their potential and knew they would achieve greatness under his guidance.
Of course, reality was far from Skyler and Charles’ wild imagination. Their excitement was extinguished like a candle when Moore simply shook Noire’s shoulder and nodded at Hawthorne before waving goodbye.
"I shall take my leave. I was just resting in this place because I forgot where my living quarters were. Take these kids to VP Doris before she finds out that you two acted on your own and punishes you, bye bye."
Noire and Hawthorne nodded their heads like headless chickens. Meanwhile, Skyler and Charles were dumbfounded. Were their calculations wrong? How could that be?
Moore turned with a yawn. He liked Skyler and Charles, but it was unfortunate that he already had a few personal students. Any more, and he wouldn’t be able to handle it.
He muttered absentmindedly.
"I wonder how my students are doing? I have been away for a long while. Hopefully, they have gotten stronger in my absence."
Skyler and Charles’ eyes widened at his faint murmur. It seemed that some other scumbags had already secured the hidden, powerful character in this academy! They were the ones who were too late!
Simultaneously, far away in a classroom, Max and Austin both let out a sneeze. They looked at each other, wondering who was speaking ill of them behind their backs.
Once Moore left, Hawthorne and Noire finally regained some of their composure. Noire clicked his tongue, wiping his sweat.
"That uncouth man! Just why the hell did Doris let him become a professor here!"
Hawthorne glared at him.
"Speak quietly, idiot. Who knows if he is listening? You know his temper. He won’t hesitate to challenge us to a duel."
They both turned to the two kids, who were still grappling with the truth that the hidden master who was supposed to take them as his disciples had been stolen.
Professor Hawthorne clicked his tongue. Now that Moore knew he could not simply kick Skyler and Charles out of the academy without informing Doris. That bastard had a loose mouth and would tell Doris about this, which would get him in trouble.
His gruff voice was enough to get the attention of the youngsters.
"Follow me. I will take you to the VP."
He turned to Mr. Noire.
"You, stay in the hall. The first-year idiots I punished will be back soon after they have run a circle around this area. Handle them."
Noire nodded and Hawthorne started walking toward the hall exit with a huff. Skyler and Charles hurried after the man, unsure of what would happen next. It’s only been a short time since they arrived here, and they had already faced so much.
Skyler gently caressed Riruru, who was sleeping in his jacket. It was fortunate that no one was questioning her presence, even though he knew many could sense her.
He wanted to tell her that he was once again disappointed in Jenny. One thing he had seen in his sister’s eyes, and had now finally come to expect, was that she looked down on him. She had already assumed he was worthless and would never be able to achieve anything in this life.
’Was she always like this? I wonder what changed her. Is it the recognition of being the best in this academy? The acclaim of being the strongest among her peers?’
He was a bit haughty, he knew. However, what Jenny showed him wasn’t arrogance. She simply believed he was useless.
She didn’t even consider that he could get stronger just like her. Let alone putting her trust in him. For her, he was just a weak brother who was getting into trouble.
Well, he would just ignore her. That’s best for both of them. Now, he didn’t even need an apology. A clear line had been drawn.
"I guess once a crack is formed in a relationship, no matter how small, things can never go back to how they were."
He muttered with a quiet sigh.
The late afternoon sun blazed above the academy as Skyler and Charles walked quietly behind the middle-aged man.
Many students noticed them due to their handsome features, but seeing Hawthorne with them, no one dared to approach them.
By the time they reached VP Doris’s office, the afternoon sun had already begun to dip below the horizon, and the clear sky was filled with orange and golden clouds. Discover more stories at NovelFire.Côm
Skyler and Charles were both panting and sweating, their feet aching. Skyler glared at Hawthorne’s back, cursing the man for the hundredth time in his head. Unlike them, he seemed completely unaffected.
It was clear he had deliberately walked so much to torture them before they reached the VP. With a silent groan, Skyler glanced at the rows of small buildings before them. These buildings were smaller but grander than the student registration building.
Hawthorne was greeted by a few other professors on the way as they entered the building in the center of all. Passing the first floor, they came to a halt in front of a room at the end of the second floor.
Skyler and Charles glanced around. The entire second floor was quiet. They were hoping to find the VP and be done with it.
Hawthorne knocked on the door and waited. When no answer came, even after a few long minutes, he turned to the youngsters with an evil smirk, prepared to shoo them away from the Starlight Academy, thinking the VP was really not present. Before he could, an old voice echoed from behind.
"You may enter."