Chapter 96: Classroom C2.
Four Days Later...
Levi and Arthur could be seen standing before a giant, closed steel gate, connected to steel walls with spiked wires on top.
"Bro, are we in the right place?"
Arthur looked around him with a dazed expression, staring at the farm fields and livestock roaming about, feeling like they were sent to a prison.
They knew that the Daywalkers’ training center was a well-protected facility since it involved the future of the region. But those steel walls and wires looked like they were planted to keep the trainees from running away.
Suddenly, the heavy metal gate groaned as it opened, gears grinding and hinges screeching like rusted chains.
Levi used the noise to map out the interior of the training center. What appeared before him was a new, beautiful world; a world he always wished to be part of...Campus life.
The Training Center used to be a location for an ancient university. While it was remodeled to train Daywalkers by adding cultivation zones, combat arenas, merchandise stores, mission boards, and such, the campus life was still pretty dominant.
There were mixed dorms on the far right side while the main school building was in the center, surrounded by a breathtaking open space plaza with grass fields, trees, and even a small running stream.
Levi’s spiritual vision picked up on hundreds of auras spread out everywhere, some sunbathing on top of trees, some sitting in circles, some sparring amongst each other, but the majority were inside the Central Hall.
Levi wasn’t surprised by the hefty number of auras, as he knew that it was extremely challenging to graduate in one’s first year.
Some Daywalkers had failed to graduate for three years straight, forcing them to remain under governmental care. He even read that some Daywalkers purposely fail to graduate to remain here due to the benefits outweighing joining a low-ranked agency.
Of course, the government would never allow freeloaders to hang around. They put them to work as either assistants to the instructors or outsourced their duties to agencies, using the mission board. They might also send squads for low risk expeditions under the government’s name. Likewise, they get a portion from their services.
In a sense, the Grand Daywalkers Training Center was the unofficial agency for the government.
"You’re here right on time." The gatekeeper said with a welcoming smile.
"Thank you, sir." Levi bowed his head slightly and nudged his brother to do the same as he could feel his spiritual aura belonged to a veteran Warden.
While there was only one rank separating a Warden and a Solarbound Daywalker, it was considered a chasm much difficult to cross than all previous ranks combined.
That’s why Solarbound Daywalkers (Tier 5) was the minimum rank to apply to become a Governor of a settlement or a city.
Still, becoming a Warden Daywalker was a difficult challenge on its own, and anyone at this rank was considered an elite Daywalker deserving of respect.
"Report to the administration office, and they will get you settled." The Gatekeeper warned, "Be quick, Sir Seraphis will give you hell if you are one minute late to his class."
"Will do." Levi nodded gratefully and took off with his brother towards the administration office, jogging with two backpacks filled to the brim.
As the gatekeeper looked at Levi’s back, he couldn’t help but crack a faint smile.
’I have guarded the gate for a decade, and led hundreds of newborn Daywalkers through, yet, not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a day would come when I would open the gate for a Blind Daywalker...’
The gatekeeper held a sun-shaped pendant and prayed softly, "O light above, shine within him. Though his eyes are veiled, let your warmth be his sight...Auryn."
...
After Levi and Arthur went to the administration office, they were given their ID cards, their dormitory room number, a rule book sent to their email, a map of the training center, and their weekly schedule for their classes. Then, they were sent on their way.
Fearing they might be late for their first class, they checked into their dormitory to put their backpacks and then swiftly followed the map, leading them to a classroom named C2.
Arthur swung the door wide, almost breaking it off the wall, alarming everyone inside the classroom.
Uncaring about the annoyed and death stares he received, Arthur greeted with a wide grin.
"Yo."
"Arthur, do you have to be loud in everything you do?" Melissa sighed helplessly.
"It’s my way of life, deal with it." Arthur shrugged.
"Yet, when I call you a Gorilla, you get upset." Jojo snickered.
"What are you even doing here?" Arthur fired back while sitting next to her, "Shouldn’t you be meditating outside with the livestock or something?"
"I am already next to one."
"Ooof..."
Rayan sucked a cold breath while Levi and Melissa chuckled at her comeback, knowing that while Jojo seemed to embrace the life of a peaceful monk, she was a true menace.
"It wasn’t even that funny," Arthur muttered in annoyance as he listened to their laughter.
Meanwhile, after Levi took his seat, he was immediately surrounded by everyone’s contracted nightcrawler besides Demetris’.
He was sitting at the far corner of the first row, sparing a mere glance at Levi’s entry and then going back to scrolling on the network. It was like he had put everything that happened in the assembly behind him, not wanting to interact with Levi ever again.
But Levi could easily pick up on his wild enmity, making him understand that he had yet to learn his lesson.
Levi ignored him too and started talking with everyone’s nightcrawlers, whispering and chuckling from time to time, akin to a madman.
Since everyone already knew of his condition, no one wanted to bother him. A few minutes later, the door was unlocked and Nurah walked in, wearing comfy oversized clothes in black.
She was yawning and had an aura of tiredness surrounding her, like she had pulled a three-nighter.
She went straight to the seat next to Levi’s and complained, "Did the class really need to be scheduled this early in the morning?"
"Are you a night owl?" Levi asked, smiling.
He didn’t seem bothered by her getting this comfortable with him, as he had no issues with making friends.
"No, I was on a mission and just got dropped off by my mother."
Nurah yawned again and rested her head on the desk. Then, she pulled the hoodie over her head and asked Levi to wake her when Instructor Seraphis arrived.
’Mission with her mother...She has just become a Daywalker and is already going on missions.’ Levi raised an eyebrow as he glanced at her shadowy spiritual aura.
While he still couldn’t discern between the spiritual auras of different stages in the same rank, Levi had a strong feeling that Nurah must have reached the peak of the Rookie rank already.
The Blackthorn family’s pockets were deep enough that they could afford to push someone as talented as Nurah straight to Pathfinder rank in less than a month if they wanted.
If it wasn’t for the government’s strict rules of having all newborn Daywalkers graduate from their training center before securing their certified Daywalkers IDs, he doubted she would be here with them.
Unfortunately for Nurah, she wasn’t given even five minutes of sleep before the door opened up and Instructor Seraphis walked in, his posture as straight as an arrow.
Just as Levi was about to poke Nurah, he found her already sitting straight, her eyes barely opening up.
Instructor Seraphis stood in front of the podium and glanced at the class of freshmen under his care, scanning them akin to a hawk.
Omar, Selene, and Keira were sitting together on the right side while Levi’s group was chilling in the middle area. Only Demetris was sitting alone, like a castaway no one wanted.
"If you hear your name, step to the podium and summon your weapon." Instructor Seraphis ordered calmly, not wasting his time on greetings.
"Demetris."
Demetris stepped onto the stage and extended his hand, summoning a beautiful sword with two sharp edges and a green, flowery design on its hilt. He seemed proud of his creation as he had a look of adoration while holding it.
Instructor Seraphis took it from him and waved it around for a few moments. Then, he threw it back to Demetris.
"Decent, return to your seat."
"..."
Demetris walked to his seat, his eyelids twitching in dejection, expecting a much better reaction from Instructor Seraphis...Especially when he was a famous swordsman.
"Arthur."
Arthur ran to the stage with an excited expression and then uttered before everyone, "Be prepared to witness the greatest, most awesome shield in the history of shields. A shield that I have worked tirelessly with my partner to design. A shield so great, so powerful, my enemies will be blinded by its beauty before I get the chance to pound..."
Smack!
"I told you to show your weapon, not give us its lore." Instructor Seraphis smacked him in the neck before he could get to the good part.
Instructor Seraphis’ patience was already thin, and Arthur still had the nerve to test him with his bullshit.
"Fine, fine...It’s too good for you anyway."
Arthur murmured under his breath, but Instructor Seraphis heard him. His upper lip twitched, but he decided to ignore it.
Levi merely covered his face with one hand, feeling like his little brother would get himself expelled on his first day if he kept up his shenanigans.
Though Arthur’s weapon did deserve the hype he built, as the moment he summoned it, everyone was taken by surprise.
The shield was made of dark gray metal with a black edge and shaped like an octagon. At its center was a smooth, round black gemstone, resembling a black hole.
There were small empty sockets in front of each edge, and markings were etched into the surface, forming rings around the gem, akin to knights protecting a Queen.
It was big enough, Arthur held it from the center, and managed to hide his entire arm and a large portion of his torso.
"Looks good, but it is still just a shield," Omar commented indifferently.
Keira, Demetris, Selene, and even some of Arthur’s friends also shared the same sentiment, understanding that shields couldn’t be used as weapons, but mere tools for protection.
Thus, as cool as it was, it fell short of being a true weapon.
"Oh, I would love to change your mind over a spar." Arthur grinned, challenging Omar without an ounce of hesitation.
Ooooooo!
Everyone didn’t hesitate to instigate further, calling out Omar to accept the challenge. They also wanted to see the source of Arthur’s confidence.
Only Levi knew what his brother’s new powers were capable of, and he could do nothing but smile wryly, knowing that Omar stood absolutely no chance.
"It’s up to the Instructor," Omar said, unfazed by Arthur’s confidence.
Arthur turned around, giving Instructor Seraphis a puppy look.
"Stop it, you are ruining puppies for me." Instructor Seraphis’s eyelid twitched at Arthur’s diabolical expression.
Then, he told them that he already had plans to have everyone spar after the weapons demonstration to check on their powers and help them either build a fitting fighting style or improve it.
"Next, Levi!"