"From today onwards, you are formally a student of Heaven Fall Academy. Welcome to the Academy." Dean Alfin earnestly spoke.
"Thank you for accepting me," Gin ceremoniously spoke.
"Baste, show Gin around the academy. Also, don't forget to clean the academy every day." After saying this, Dean Alfin left.
"Ahh! Dean, it's not fair you deliberately tricked me." Baste cried, but Dean Alfin already vanished from their view.
Baste snorted, glared at Gin. 'It was all because of him.'
"Baste, Where are the other students?" Gin asked, curious.
"Oi, you are now a student at the academy. I am your senior, give some respect." Baste said.
"What? You are also a student at the academy." Gin weirdly looked at Baste and teased.
"I am just 26, only ten years older than you." Baste puffed.
"You mean, you were a student of this academy for more than ten years." Gin asked, astonished.
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?" Baste asked, unfazed.
"None, senior Baste." Gin replied, emphasizing the word 'senior'.
"Don't call me senior, just Baste is fine. I feel weird when you utter the word 'senior'." Baste glanced at Gin and said.
"Sure,"
"Where are the other students?" Gin asked again.
"I will first explain about our academy's origin. Heaven Fall academy is founded by Dean Alfin twenty years ago. I-"
"Only twenty years ago?" Gin interrupted. 'No wonder, not many peoples prefer Heaven Fall academy.'
"Yes, it's nothing surprising. Even the Silver Mist region was also established recently, around 300 years back."
"12 years ago, many students were cramming in our academy but due to a certain incident our academy became trash in other people's eyes." Baste sighed.
"Don't ask the reason, I won't tell you. If you want to know, ask Dean!"
"After that incident, many students left. Right now, there are only elven students present in the academy including you." Baste spoke and continued,
"Strictly speaking, only eight students are currently studying in the academy."
"I am the oldest of all students present. Apart from me, you and one other student, there's no one's at the academy right now."
"5 students have left the academy to complete a task."
"The remaining three students have already graduated and joined different organizations located in the core region of our continent, to further pursue their dream. Even so, they are still considered students of our academy."
While chatting, Gin and Baste reached the 3 story building on the right. From the distance, the building looked small but when they neared, it looked enormous.
"Let's go and meet the other student. Be careful, she's a little crazy."
"She?" Gin questioned. 'It's surprising, a girl studies here!'
"Yes, if you think that girl is like others then you are mistaken!" Baste said as both of them reached the first floor.
The first floor stretched long, with rooms arranged on either side. There's a least 5 meters gap separating every room.
"All floors in this building were constructed to house at least 1000 students but now, only ten peoples live here." Baste bitterly said.
Soon, Baste arrived in front of room 105 and gently knocked on the door like he was afraid of his knocks would disturb the person residing in it.
After 10 or so seconds, the door opened, revealing a thin female figure. She looked thin, disheveled and angry. She was sported in a black t-shirt and white tracks like pants.
"Baste, did you forget about what I said before? You better have a valid reason for disturbing me, otherwise-" the thin girl shouted, who looked no more than twenty, but her speech abruptly stopped when she spotted Gin.
"Who is this?"
"His name is Gin, a new student. Gin, she's Meylin, a mad and insane woman." Baste introduced, ignoring the fierce glare from Meylin.
"Hi Gin, as he said my name's Meylin. You can either call me Mey or Lin, anything is fine." Meylin spoke extending her dirty hands.
Her small hand reeked of blood but Gin still shook her hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Sister Mey!"
"Indeed, you are a cute little brother. Wait here, since it's our first meeting, I have to gift you something." Saying this, Meylin went inside her room.
Loud noises heard from her room as if everything in the room has been turning upside down.
"I got it, a good present!" Meylin came out, carrying a small container.
Gin saw a deep and concentrated red color liquid inside it, he couldn't tell what it was. But, Baste who saw this flinched, remembering an unpleasant memory.
Baste looked at Gin with pity but Gin didn't notice that.
"What's this, Sister Mey?" Gin asked accepting the gift.
"It's a potion I developed as a time pass. It has a good effect on enhancing and improving one's physique."
"You just have to skim it on your skin. If you want to see the maximum effect, apply after you finish your physique training," Meylin said.
"Ok, you two, now get going. I am in the middle of something important, don't bother me again. Gin, we will chat after I finish my work." Meylin spoke and quickly closed the door.
"Come, I will show you the room that you will be staying from now on," Baste said and led Gin, crossing few rooms on the way and stopping at room 112.
Opening the door, Gin and Baste went inside. It was a large room, even bigger than the bedroom of his own home.
There was a comfy bed, a lot of free space, a small kitchen like area, and a restroom. The room was a little dusty like it hasn't been used for years.
"The room's good, I like it." Gin commented.
----
After that, Baste showed Gin the entire academy around - Library, training room, Combat facility, the virtual room, food court, and much more.
Gin was amazed by the facilities present inside the academy, it's a good place to train and increase one's strength.
Apart from students and Dean, Gin met a forty-year-old couple — Mina and Juck, who are responsible for cooking and tending the gardens.
"If you have any unfinished business outside, you can go and end it. From tomorrow onwards, you have to work hard if you want to improve your strength."
"Okay! I have to meet my friends and get some of my stuff at home. I will come back tomorrow." Gin said.
"Gin, a word of advice. You better don't use that gift given by Meylin, otherwise, you will regret it," Baste said and walked off.
Gin was puzzled, but he didn't mind much about it. He soon left the academy and traveled towards his home.
He wanted to know the examination result of Skyfire academy, so he quickly called Hammer but he didn't pick up his call; the same for Astro.
After two hours Gin reached his home, he packed some of the daily things he needs like clothes and others.
At around five in the evening, Hammer called.
"Hammer, what happened?"
"We passed the entrance exam!"
"Astro too?" Gin asked.
"Yes,"
"Good, you guys done well!"
"What are you doing? Where did you go?" Hammer asked after a slight pause.
"I already joined an academy." Gin answered.
"What?! Which academy?" Hammer asked, not buying Gin's words. Hammer thought Gin said that to reassure him.
"Heaven Fall Academy!" Gin replied.
"Heaven Fall Academy? The number one trash academy of the continent? Why did you join that trash academy?" Hammer yelled, infuriated.
"Cool down, let me explain." Gin said and explained everything from the start; his encounter with Baste and why he joined the academy.
"Do you already know about the 'Contest of the gifted ones'?" Gin asked.
"Yes, not only me, many peoples coming from a decent background knows about it."
Gin sighed, hearing Hammer's words.
"Ok, shall we meet today?" Gin asked.
"I don't think we can, I am still at the academy. They said we have to complete some procedures before we can leave for the day. I think it will take around another 2 hours."
"It's ok, no problem. We will meet again after some days. So, how was the exam, was it tough?"
"Nah, it was not worth mentioning. They selected the students based on talents, strength, affinity, spirit seal and combat. It's just Astro had it little tough." Hammer explained.
"Ok, congratulate Astro for me. I will be returning back to the academy tomorrow. See you soon!" Gin said and hung up.
Gin stretched his hand and legs, it's a long day for him. He then went to his training room and began to train in the stances from the Physique Scripture.
Even after fifteen days, he hasn't gotten a hang of it. Practicing these stances was tough and exhausting but at the same time, it has outstanding effects on his body.