Seven days after opening his second vessel core, Baines’s body finally felt mobile, though the ordeal had taken twenty-five days. Nine such cores awaited, each promising excruciating pain. Eye had dulled the ntal toll, preventing madness, but his body remained sore, barely able to stand, let alone walk.
After five more days of recovery, marking his sixth month in the Sun Tower. His core now brimd with more aura, pushing him to peak 6th-star rank.
Staggering to his quarters, he gathered his belongings and descended to the first floor.
The registrar, spotting his luggage, looked at him with pity. This was the most untalented student she’d ever seen. The truth was she had tried teaching him to move up the floor faster; however, the boy was just too horrible. The amount of ti it took to master a basic spell was two weeks. She gave up afterwards.
"You’re finally leaving?" she asked.
"Yes, I don’t think magic is my calling," Baines replied, his voice strained.
’He just noticed?’ she mused.
"I thought you could recomnd to study magic engineering in the Moon Tower," he added.
"Recomnd?" She raised an eyebrow. Typically, higher-floor masters issued recomndations, not her. Naturally, she would’ve been excited about it, but to an untalented child like Kirk? It might even spoil her record.
However, she pitied him. Except for those months when he suddenly vanished, he was diligent. A part of her wanted to reward him for that.
"Alright," she sighed. "But please, know when to give up. It’s important. You are a rchant, right? Focus on that, you can employ strong individuals if you want."
Baines nodded, waiting as she drafted the letter, then left with it in hand.
...
Tasha and Aires strolled through Soctis Academy during a break when Aires dropped a bombshell.
"Aires, what are you saying?" Tasha’s voice trembled with shock.
"I’ll soon leave this continent," he said, sighing.
’Ever since that woman approached ...’ Aires’ thoughts trailed off, haunted by her words: Would you like to be a hero?
And it stuck to him. He’d joined the academy seeking purpose, but a nagging sense of misdirection plagued him. Like sothing telling him he was doing the wrong thing.
"Where would you go?" Tasha asked.
"I don’t know the exact location, just that it’s beyond this continent."
"What will you do?" Tasha asked.
Aires gazed into the distance. Coincidentally, at that mont, a certain figure was dragging his aching body across their route, and the answer ca to him.
"Help," he declared, turning to Tasha with newfound clarity. "I’ll help people." A radiant light seed to emanate from him.
Tasha sighed, nodding. Just like Jin’s departure, Aires’s exit stung, but she hoped for better days. "Alright, before you leave..." She planned a small farewell party, masking her bittersweet feelings.
***
In the Lindell family’s estate, Diphus Lindell sat before his sister Quintelle, relief etched on his face.
After defeating the infamous ’Jin’, his na skyrocketed to the clouds. He further cented his na as a top contender among the family’s successors, the family elders were satisfied with him, and his standing increased.
He was honestly shocked at hearing the death of ’Jin’. And because he was the last person to physically indulge ’Jin’, he was a pri suspect. However, everyone knew: he, the academy, his family, and investigators knew. He had no reason to kill ’Jin’.
It would’ve been different if he had lost; however, he’d won. What reason did a winner have to kill the loser?
At the mont, he was at the best monts of his life.
However, his sister thought differently. Quintelle was among the few who saw through the facade. "We have to find him," she muttered after hearing his recount of the events again.
"What do you an?" Diphus frowned, puzzled. What was she saying? did she want to find his corpse or sothing?
"Don’t tell you believe it," Quintelle said, exasperated.
"Believe what?"
"That Jin is actually dead."
Diphus stood, his face darkening. "What are you saying?"
"Sit," she ordered, but reluctantly, he complied.
"Your story has two flaws that don’t make sense at all," Quintelle began. "First, you fought a 5th-star, not a 6th-star. Jin is a 6th-star, nearly at the peak."
Diphus’s eyes widened. If Quintelle was certain, it was true, but he shook his head, refusing to believe it. "No, it must’ve been one of his tricks," he protested.
"No, I saw it," she countered. "The second you said was he smiled. How many celebrations and banquets have you heard him attend? He made excuses to miss them all, and suddenly, in the academy, he accepted praises and smiled."
Diphus sneered. "And how’s that enough proof?"
Quintelle sighed. "When you et him, you’ll see. Anyways, you didn’t defeat Jin."
Diphus’s confidence crumbled. It was like his efforts and achievents were based on a lie. "So, he tricked the academy, the empire, and my achievents are a lie? Then there’s no way the family doesn’t know."
’Such an innocent brother, or is he just stupid?’ Quintelle thought, sighing. "Jin holds a One Sun rank; it’s well within his right. Besides, the family has no reason to deny your victory. The privileges it brought us are so obvious, so we decided to act like that. You defeated Jin."
Diphus slumped, disappointed. "Haa, then why look for him, then?"
"The family is finalizing a plan to present to the imperial family," Quintelle explained. "While our rank surpasses his, we must tie him to us."
Diphus blinked, confused. Was this what was going on in his family?
Quintelle corrected his unspoken thought: ’No brother, it is happening all around the empire.’
***
Baines, still weakened, reached the Moon Tower’s front desk.
The manager, eyeing his average appearance, three-star aura, and golden mage robe, dismissed him with a sneer. "How can I help you?" she asked, her tone dripping with disdain.
Unfazed, Baines presented the recomndation letter. "I’m Kirk Barns, here to learn magic with this recomndation."
She scrutinized the letter, glancing between it and him. "You’re lucky," she said finally. "If you ca just to learn magic, I’d have sent you away." She stamped his paper with a thud.
Baines, struggling, weakly pulled a sack of gold as paynt, took his stamped papers, and left.
"Tch, so much for a rchant," she muttered, sneering at the money but still pocketed it.
That was how he entered the moon tower.
Reviews
All reviews (0)