Blaze slowly released his mana and to his shock, his bar was only blue.
"And you're welcome. I've helped you conceal your death energy," Aphrodite whispered.
However, things were far from over. The blue bar kept climbing and reached the fifty percent mark. However, it never stopped. It continued climbing until it reached about eighty percent.
Blaze's jaw dropped. He was not alone in that, as all the spectators had their jaws opened wide.
"How come?" Blaze muttered as he quickly retracted his hand from the tester.
"The crystals from the Ancient Moon Curse were converted to mana. So you had a massive boost," Aphrodite explained from the shadows.
Blaze gritted his teeth. Sneaky away inconspicuously is impossible, as he's now the focus of the spectators.
"It takes approximately three days to liquefy a drop with mana stone, which is equivalent to a percent. So does that mean he started absorbing mana earlier than the nobles?" Somebody mumbled loudly, which attracted the attention of the nobles. The aim of the person was obvious.
"Congratulations!" Yvonne stood up and said exuberantly as she walked up to Blaze.
Blaze just smiled weakly. Things were taking another turn because of his negligence. His calculations were now useless if Robin spilled the secret.
"Your name is Blaze, right?" Yvonne asked.
"Yeah," Blaze reverted to his cool and impassive expression when he saw the glare of the nobles.
"I know some little stuff about making potions. I will teach you some technique if you acknowledge me as your master," Yvonne said with a merry smile.
'Potion your mother! Who wants to do that?' Blaze cursed inwardly without displaying the slightest discontent on his face before he replied with a poker face, "Not interested."
His impassive expression made his reply sound like a prideful rejection. Everybody's jaw dropped.
"You could have minced your words and made it less blatant," Aphrodite chided. However, she understood that Blaze tended to be reserved when conversing with unfamiliar individuals, preferring to keep his interactions concise.
Yvonne smiled and walked back to her seat.
"Okay, the test is over. Orientation is tomorrow for the students." Yvonne clapped her hand.
As if summoned by an unseen force, the air beside the door began to dance and swirl, the energy intensifying with each passing moment. Blaze watched in confusion as the swirling motion grew in strength, gradually giving shape to a portal. Blaze could see outside the academy through the hole. His jaw slacked a little.
"Is that what she meant by spatial gate?" Blaze muttered as he looked at the portal with interest. If he had followed the original plan of kidnapping the princess and seizing the train, he would have died like a wingless chicken.
After the spectators shared their pleasantries, they walked through the portal.
Another portal opened at another corner. However, Evelyn remained.
"Okay, all the students can go to their rooms. Civilian students should get their things and move to the higher rooms. Both nobles and civilians are mixing. No discrimination." Yvonne's loud voice echoed across the auditorium.
Blaze walked through the portal before walking to his room. However, unlike the other students who were packing and moving to the higher rooms, Blaze remained in his old rooms.
Going to the new rooms will mean sharing his room with a stranger. Blaze wouldn't be free and will always be on guard. Secondly, the forbidden bloodline threat is still hanging over his head.
With a swift movement, Blaze lowered himself to the floor and retrieved the bag that was used to pack items when they went to rob. Without wasting a single moment, he delved into the contents of the bag, his hands searching for the specific item he sought. He fished a book from inside.
The book contained the noble ranking of the Dragon Empire. After the stare the nobles gave him, he planned to know about them. The chances of fighting with them might come sooner than expected.
Just as Blaze sat down and prepared to read, a knock stopped him. Blaze unhurriedly hid the book before walking to the door. When he opened it, he saw Robin standing with his hands on his waist while giving him a foolish grin.
Blaze performed a quick scan of his surroundings before pulling Robin inside.
Robin quickly started bootlicking, "Boss! I never knew you had almost filled your core. No wonder the Ice Reaper was snuffed out of existence. May your reign remain for thousands of years until eternity. Liam's face was like a—"
"What do you want?" Blaze quickly cut Robin. Talking non-stop is an easy feat for Robin.
"Can you give me one bloodstone?" Robin asked with puppy eyes.
"Why do you want a bloodstone?" Blaze asked.
"I want to beautify my room," Robin said.
Blaze stared at him for a moment before whispering, "Get out of my room."
"Alright, alright," Robin conceded. "I aim to awaken my bloodline once I achieve the solid core Awaken rank." He lowered the upper part of his robe, revealing his back to Blaze. With a sense of pride, he declared, "Behold! I possess the legendary Thunderbird bloodline."
Blaze's gaze shifted towards Robin's back, and what he witnessed was truly extraordinary. A colossal Thunderbird, its wings outstretched as if soaring through the skies, dominated the expanse of Robin's back. The creature's head was positioned near Robin's neck, while its majestic tail extended down to his waist. Intricately etched in faint, almost imperceptible black tattoos, the Thunderbird commanded attention and reverence.
The presence of the Thunderbird evoked a sense of awe and wonder, as if it held within it the essence of mythical power and ancient wisdom. The intricate details of the tattoos seemed to come alive, as if the Thunderbird itself was ready to take flight and embark on a grand adventure.
"Is that not a forbidden marking?" Blaze asked.
"Hell! It's the red one that's a forbidden bloodline marking. The black one is a normal bloodline." Robin rushed to explain.
Blaze inquired, "Does everyone with a bloodline bear the depiction of their respective creature?"
Robin explained patiently with his back facing Blaze, "Yes, that's correct! Females usually have smaller markings near their belly button, while males have larger markings that span their entire back. However, it's important to remember that the sizes of these markings vary from person to person."
"Put on your clothes. I will give you the bloodstone on one condition. If you answer my question," Blaze said with narrow eyes that made Robin shudder.
"If… if… I know the answer, I will tell the boss," Robin quickly said.
"Now tell me why I was fighting a solid core Awakened mage as opposed to what you said," Blaze spoke coldly.
"I made a mistake on the route. The real route was opposite the Saudin road," Robin stuttered as he replied with fright.
"You made mistakes on the date and also on the route. Do you have eye problems?" Blaze asked calmly.
"Hell! My eyes are as sharp and brilliant as the stars. Nothing can damage these loving eyes of mine. I could even see beyond—"
"Alright, read this." Blaze passed him a paper with written words.
"Easy! 'The route is the south direction,'" Robin read sharply.
"I wrote 'southern', not 'south'," Blaze replied calmly.
Robin had to re-read the text again with deep concentration before he noticed that he skipped the 'ern' in the 'southern'.
"Your brain is programmed to autocomplete? I blame myself for placing my fate in your hands. No wonder you can spout rubbish without a break. An auto-completion with a mouth that talks without thinking," Blaze said with a weak sigh.
"It was a slight error on my part," Robin quickly stopped Blaze.
"The first time is a mistake, the second time's a big mistake, however, the third time is a problem. I will give you the bloodstone when you reach the solid core," Blaze said before dismissing him.
"Hey, I can explain. You see—"
"You can leave." Blaze interrupted him.
"I'm going to introduce you to some smart friends. They are beautiful and smart female friends with high mana affinity. You would love them," Robin rushed to explain with a silly wink.
"What were you talking about with Evelyn and Cherry?" Blaze asked, ignoring his previous speech.
"Oh! She was simply inquiring about you. Being a good friend, I attempted to arrange a date. No need to thank me," Robin responded, his pride evident in his voice.
"It looked like an interrogation to me," Blaze said calmly.
"Of course not. It was just Cherry…" Robin's pride was replaced with nervousness before his voice trailed off.
"Tell me," Blaze said coldly while releasing his killing intent a little. Trusting Robin is not him.
Robin rushed to speak, "She was asking how the underwear got to Liam's hand."
"An underwear?" Blaze asked.
"Well, Liam messed with me and I stole someone's underwear and dropped it in Liam's room. Liam's reputation took a deep dive at that time, but he has rebuilt," Robin explained while scratching his head.
"Pervert!" Aphrodite cursed.
"Forget about that. Tell me about Lord Ezra. For you to fear him, I need to know." Blaze never cared about petty things.
"Lord Ezra is—"
A knock interrupted their conversation.
"Somebody followed you?" Blaze asked vigilantly.
"It's the Principal," Aphrodite replied.
"Why is the Principal here?" Blaze questioned nobody in particular.
"Oh, bloody hell! The Principal? She must've bloody heard everything we said! We're done for, boss!" Robin's voice quivered with fear, and his boots felt as if they were about to give way beneath him. The gravity of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks, sending a shiver down his spine. But he never forgot the nickname he gave Blaze.