Would Luvi sponsor the tournament of his own school with the awakening serum? Or any awakener academy for that matter?
Of course not.
He isn't stupid enough to do that. Giving away something so precious as the awakening serum to students that already have awakened would be stupid.
So, unlike what many students as well as academy officials were thinking by sending him emails. Luvi didn't intend to sponsor any of them.
The people his goal was the underclass, those that never awakened even while having talent for something greater..
Which is why Luvi intends to push these very academies to conduct nationwide examinations with common people below the age of 20. An exam which would test wide varieties of a person's skills.
From physical to mental. And there would also be not any discrimination for there would be reward for every win in a particular test.
But, that was for later. Let the academies thirst for the free serums. For now, his real focus was still the tournament.
Luvi didn't know whether the dream demon got caught in the academy or not, but from the way the academy has resumed the classes once again. He can be seen that the dangerous element had been dealt with for now.
So the students were back with their usual routines. Minus the fact that some of the students left the academy and there were various hit pieces and complaints sent to the academies way, from various publications as well as parents.
The parents feared for the safety of their child, while the news publications asked a simple question.
"Why is it always the Skyward academy?"
Which sullied the academy's name further. Even during this year alone, there was a drop of 40% of students enrolling in Skyward from last year. And if nothing was done on time, the academy would lose all of their prestige in a few years.
Which would cause a huge loss in revenue for the sponsors with their money into the academy.
Which is why, there was a sudden drive in the academy to do better.
And better where?
Of course it's the tournament. It was the only chance to earn back the prestige and make the city know that even with everything their academy went through, they still remain supreme.
Which might in turn increase the enrollment of new students.
It was why some seeded students were picked up from the class. And due to the poster child of bullying, Andy was also chosen the same way.
And hence, rarely met with Luvi anymore.
Most of his time was either occupied by the psychological counselor and the training forced on him by the academy.
As for students on the level of Luvi of Idhant?
They were abandoned. With how much focus was given to the seeded students, the normal students were given free reign in training. As the teacher's attention is only limited and they can only focus on a few students at once.
Making it easier for Luvi to focus on his own training.
Which is why, he was able to practice his movement techniques in peace even during Bhuvesh's class, who usually forced his own movement techniques onto Luvi, without giving any levity to Luvi's physique.
Hence, he was progressing at his own pace.
"Well, your feet are more silent than before. Goes to show, my suggestion about changing your shoes was perfect." Luvi complimented Idhant, who was able to come closer to Luvi than before.
Though, at the end, he still failed and got caught by him. But with how their enemy is just an infected cow. This much was enough.
"This… but this is too expensi..ve. 49$ for a single pair of shoes?"
"Brother, your current shoes are still way cheaper than the stuff some students in our academy wear casually. You see it everyday. So don't be that surprised."
The training with Idhant was going great. He was a good helper as well as a partner for Luvi.
Beside the lack of firepower in their team, the two supplemented their weaknesses perfectly.
"The tournament was a few days ago, ours will be after the gauntlet and in the same area. So let's end today's session and focus on our plans."
Planning was essential in hunting. There were two reasons why the monster changed during each tournament, but they still gave out its name to the students early on.
It was so that they could prepare properly.
Because, in most cases, this would be their first time fighting a beast. As it is rare for students in the first year of their academy to have any practical experience.
Which would force them to show their potential and the speed at which they adapt to the enemy.
"First let's talk about what to bring to the hunting ground."
"There are 10 points, we can use it however we want to borrow equipment for our team."
The point system was the currency used in the hunt, the items they can bring to the hunting grounds can't exceed the 10 points and beside bringing your own armor. The rest of the equipment is a lot more expensive.
Which forces most of the students to balance out their needs and wants before finally stepping into the dungeon. And it also acted as the great equalizer for the rich as well as 'disadvantaged' students.
"Abo..out that… I was actually thinking of somet..hing."
In the cafeteria, eating bland but free food. Idhant showed Luvi his phone on which a particular plant was growing.
Which too was infected.
"This is Redforun Fungus, harmless to us humans, but lethal to the fungus that parasitizes the monster cow." With his head focused on the phone, Idhant, for the first time said a line without pausing. "Find in the same place where the signs of parasitic fungus are. Also used as an antidote in case a human gets infected by it. But that happens rarely, as the majority of humans are immune to it."
Luvi was fascinated looking at this. He didn't expect for Idhant to have this side to himself. And even though Luvi could have found something similar, his energy was limited, with all the training and managing his group. So, it was somewhat satisfying to think that Idhant was thinking about winning as well and not just following the will of his employer.
And to Luvi, this was enough.
"You mean to say, this Redforun Fungus might be in the dungeon?" Hearing Luvi say this, Idhant turned to face him and reverted back to his old nature fast.
"Ye…yes. I read about ..it. In previous tourna.. naments, something similar happened."
Then Idhant started to show his "small" research on the previous hunting tournament and the different beasts that were used.
And as he spoke about it, it was really a fact that there would always be something present in the hunting ground, which would directly counter the enemy. Making it easier for those learned students to take advantage of it.
Of course, this was an artificial dungeon and hence, these co-incidental props are probably put there by the tournament organizers themselves.
"So, how many of the students use this? I don't believe other students won't use it."
"... that, few do. It… they think, using it is a sign of wea… weakness."
"What a bunch of f'king rtards."
"Good, they will be releasing the map in a day or so. Your current job is to find the places in the map where this counter fungus might be present. And your job would be to retrieve it and I will hold back that cow."
Why didn't Luvi do something like other players and kill this beast?
It's easy, even though this mushroom cow is weaker after getting infected by the fungus. This fungus is very adaptive and difficult to be destroyed, it even becomes an annoyance as it would keep regenerating the injuries of its host and would harden the skin in areas which would be easily susceptible to damage.
Making it something akin to an armored tank which regenerates constantly, unless you kill the host in a single blow or before it can heal its injuries.
But with that fungus which Idhant mentioned, this would become a walk in the park.
******
In Siberia in an underground bunker, Aoto was managing the androids as they unloaded a cart of resources that was sent to him by the Wulfeer family using the underground rail networks.
His original life has been ruined and he can't ever go back. Though instead of feeling sad, he was free from the worries and was finally able to pursue what he liked.
Which was to develop new serums and medicines with his name on it.
And ofcourse, due he can't put his real name on his developus drugs, but it wouldn't mean he won't use his alias. And when he has grown enough in strength and influence, he would expose his true name, showing the world who he was and making his family regret.
Though, these lofty dreams need to wait.
"Master master, Jack stole my honey dew." A small fairy cried and rushed toward Aoto, complaining about her sad fate. "Please send him away master… he is a bully."
'*Sigh'
"Sylvia, don't cry, I will go and talk to rick."
These were the fairy companions that Luvi mentioned before, originally, their forms are not concrete and they barely resemble any human or animal.
But due to their nature as spirits, when they like a form, they can change to it and stay that way as long as they like.
And with the culture around the fairies in the world of humans, Aoto let these fairies experience some of the classic fairy movies, motivating them to change their forms to their current look.
Though, that was not what these fairies learned from these movies.
"Oye ya robot. Move away ye, ma master's coming for ma booty."
The fairy named Jack picked the wrong character to mimic from that movie.