Oliver spent the night sleeping rough, he'd lost his place in the slums and had to stay in the city to make it to school the next day. He looked like crap, mud all over his face, his clothes the same unwashed rags, cuts from the beating still covering him.
'Fucking hell, the nobles are going to kill me. If I make it to the Tier 1 in 2 weeks they're going to riot, aha those rich snobs throwing shit around cause of a peasant, now that'll be a sight to see.'
It was 8am about 20 minutes from the first assembly, 'Shit, I forgot the time'. Oliver ran, using his time in the slums he made his way around vendors setting up for the day and pedestrians just going about his business. He just made it, however everyone looked at him.
'Ha someone actually dares to come late to the first assembly.'
'Look at his clothing, is he in the wrong place? Peasants.'
'Ahh man, he just screwed himself for the year.'
The headmaster just glared at Oliver as he took a seat. There was a boy on his right and a girl on his left. The girl just looked at him, sneered, and spat on the floor. Oliver tapped the boys hand on his right, "What's her problem," he whispered.
"Mate you came in late in rags, props to you for having that confidence but that's gonna make you stand out and not in a good way..."
"Fuck me man I slept too late what's the big deal I even got here before the assembly started," Oliver mumbled, looking depressingly at his seat. 'You know what, fuck it, I'm going to show them all how it's done.'
"Hey, mate, what's your name? Aha the nobles hate me too, if I hang out with anyone they'd be ostracized but... well you already have, wanna be friends?"
Oliver just stared at him blankly, a noble trying to make friends with a peasant? One dressed in rags nonetheless? Did he take him for a fool? Growing up in the slums let you read people, and this one seemed to be nothing good. That emblem on his chest, the one of the twin swords with a purple skull... That must mean something.
'Never mind it, he's a noble, even if he has ulterior motives if I can get resources to cultivate with his help, I'll do it. If he try's to cross me though, I'll ruin him'
"Hey, I'm Oliver, sure we can be friends. What's your name?" Grinning Oliver put his hand out to the boy, he gladly accepted and shook it with a grin on his face.
"I'm Callum, nice to meet you, I'm sure we'll get along well," Callum was smiling, he actually made his first friend. His family was incredibly strict because of their business, in fact if Callum hadn't used underhanded tactics he would've never been allowed to attend the academy.
"ALRIGHT KIDS, SHUT UP," An exceptionally loud noise accompanied by a terrifying aura pressed down on the students. The headmaster had arrived to give his opening speech.
"This is a big day for you, perhaps for humanity too. As you all know, the Gods abandoned us well over 30 years ago expecting us to defeat the tower in order to save humanity, dungeons have long since plagued our planet, destroying our houses and slaughtering our loved ones.
Does this make you feel enraged? Good.
Remember that feeling, you'll need it to overcome the challenges ahead of you. Humanity has only managed to defeat the 12th floor of the tower, and while it sounds like a lot considering the time limit of 1000 years, each floor gets exponentially harder.
Along side that up to level 6 dungeons have been appearing on earth causing chaos and destruction anywhere they appear. You are the future.
You will save us, so far on earth there is only one body cultivator with a gaseous dantian and a magic cultivator of the master level. These people are humanity's backbone, and I hope for our future that in time all of you shall become humanity's backbones, if not our saviors as well.
So work, if you want your families to stay safe, if you want your friends to continue living, if you want to destroy that piece of shit that's slaughtered billions of us then persevere. Because the only way to make that happen is to become strong.
Become the strongest you possibly can, and strive for even greater heights. This is the only way you can save all you hold dear, good luck."
"Fuck, Oliver, that speech almost had me in tears yknow?" Callum whispered, looking around hoping he hadn't been seen by any teacher.
"Aha I know how you feel, that headmaster really is a hell of a man," Oliver responded, laughing out loud, unaware of everyone's silence around them.
Callum just looked at him with a ghastly pale face, knowing the consequences that Oliver just brought upon the two of them.
"YOU TWO," A teacher bellowed at the two, swarming them with his aura making them almost double over in their chairs.
'Fuck, what have I done now, we were just talking about the speech why's he so pissed off.'
"YOU ACTUALLY DARE TO TALK IN OUR ACADEMYS ASSEMBLY?! YOU SURE HAVE SOME BALLS ON YOU BOY, DRESSING LIKE THAT AND HAVING THE GALL TO TALK?! BOY I SHOULD EXPELL YOU RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW."
'Tsk if it wasn't for Callums family I would expel him on the spot as for the peasant... usually I'd expel him on the spot, but to actually make a friend of Callum? With his family? I need to see where this will go.'
"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULDN'T KICK YOU BOTH OUT RIGHT NOW!"
"Sir, me and Callum were just discussing the speech and how we'll become strong, stronger than you've ever seen before!"
"Yes sir! That's what me and Oliver were talking about, nothing about your fashion sense at all sir!" Callum grinned cheekily, knowing the teacher couldn't do anything against him.
"BOY," The teachers face had gone bright red, it was one thing talking about becoming stronger, it was another making him lose face in front of the entire school. "BOTH OF YOU REPORT TO MY OFFICE EVERYDAY AT 5 FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, I'll be giving you training like you've never received before.."
"Thank you sir!" Callum and Oliver responded at the same time, Oliver genuinely grateful and Callum not caring about anything apart from having some fun.
"All right, if anyone else dares to act as these two have today, I will expel you in an instant, understood?"
A chorus of understoods erupted from the audience, no-one wanting to make the same mistake, for fear of becoming expelled or even worse... become a laughing stock within the academy. Without backing and peers wanting to help you, it was exceptionally hard to grow and gain resources within the school.
"All of you have been assigned to random tutor groups for the next two weeks, during this time you will learn the ins and outs of your system, cultivation and how dungeons and the tower work.
Alongside that you will learn you need to work together, you may be nobles and peasants out here, but in the dungeons it may very well be a peasant who saves your life...
In two weeks everyone's system will have awakened and you will be separated into separate classes based on your talent and battle prowess. Every term if you are within the top 5 of your class you will be given the chance to challenge one person of your choosing from the class tier above you.
If you are successful you will swap places with them, because even if you have the talent, without battle prowess you will fail. That is all, dismissed."
Callum elbowed Oliver, "Hey, wanna go check what tutor class we're in for the next two weeks? Also, have you been sleeping rough? There's an extra room in my school forms if you want it?"
"Sure that sounds good to me, I'll pay you back in the future though welp if I don't get fucked by the goblins aha."
"Ahhh it's not issue we're friends remember? I help you and you help me bro, speaking off, look at those girls man, fucking hot!" Callum whistled at the group passing by, who proceeded to sneer at him.
"What an asshole..."
Oliver went bright red grabbing Callum, "MAN! Are you trying to get us killed?! Those are nobles you know? What do you think will happen if we get on their bad side..."
"Don't worry about that one my friend, I'll protect ya," Callum walked off to the tutor board laughing with a skip in his step. 'Finally, a day I actually feel free, fuck the elders... I want to live my own life not kept as a porcelain doll.'
"Hey Oliver, we're in the same tutor group!" He grinned at Oliver who began to feel a sense of dread overcome him...
'What exactly have I gotten myself into now?'
"We have our first day of school tomorrow, let's go back to my house and get you cleaned up, agh that assembly tired me out."