Leaning casually against the grand doorway of the lecture hall, Aidan watched the flurry of excitement and ambition unfold within, his expression one of detached amusement. The fervor that the announcement of class head and deputy positions had ignited among his peers seemed to him a display of youthful naivety and fervent idealism. To Aidan, the notion of honor was nothing more than a tool wielded by those in power to manipulate the aspirations of their subordinates—a concept devoid of genuine substance, a mere illusion.
His experiences from a past life on Earth, coupled with the wisdom accrued over five centuries, had imparted Aidan with a profound understanding of the mechanics of power and hierarchy. "Be it kingdoms, alliances, or families; no matter the world or realm, every organization operates on the same principles. Establishing ranks, setting clear paths for advancement—it's all designed to propel individuals within the structure to strive upwards. The pursuit of profit is intrinsic to human nature, and positions of authority often give rise to delusions of superiority and a misguided sense of one's life holding more value than others."
The concept of power, Aidan mused, functioned like a carrot dangled before a donkey—spurring on desires and ambitions, driving individuals to scheme and scramble for a higher standing. "Climbing one rung only reveals another above it. Unbeknownst to them, in their scramble for advancement, their labor is exploited, their value harvested by those above."
"In any organization where a hierarchical structure exists, it serves primarily the interests of those at the top. The roles of class head and deputies are but the smallest of carrots, designed to entice others into deeper entanglement with the system. To prevent subordinates from discerning this reality, those in power often enforce a unified set of values, concepts of honor and merit, establish hierarchies and differentiated privileges, or even leverage religion to govern hearts and minds."
"This is the underlying truth, yet sadly, the vast majority fail to see it, blindly exerting themselves in service to others. At the heart of all organizational structures, stripped down to their essence, lies a singular motive—resource redistribution, with those higher up enjoying a greater share."
Aidan's reflection on the true nature of power and organizational dynamics was not born of cynicism but of clarity—a recognition of the universal patterns of manipulation and control. As the lecture hall buzzed with the aspirations of those eager to ascend within the academy's newly established hierarchy, Aidan stood apart, a solitary figure privy to the deeper machinations of the world, untouched by the allure of titles and the ephemeral chase for honor.
In his past life, Aidan founded a vampire sect using blood magic, amassing followers that numbered in the tens of thousands. He established ranks such as vampire soldiers, vampire generals, and vampire marshals, offering corresponding benefits that attracted countless individuals to serve under his command. Such experiences granted him profound insight into the true nature of these principles.
"Therefore, any organization is merely a facade; the real foundation boils down to two words—resources. Without food resources, one would starve to death. Without water resources, one would die of thirst. Without essential resources, one would become weak and eventually be bullied to death."
"And essence gems are the primary resource for ascenders to enhance themselves!" Aidan's eyes, deep as mysterious pools, reflected this thought, and a slight smirk curled at the corners of his mouth, sketching a cold smile.
He had left the academy early and was now standing at the entrance, watching the first group of students come out, gradually approaching him.
"It's Aidan."
"What's he doing blocking the doorway?"
"Ugh, every time I see him looking so smug, it really annoys me."
"Don't mind him; he's probably waiting for someone."
The young Ascenders didn't take it seriously and were about to walk over, taken aback by Aidan's sudden obstruction, paused, unsure of how to react. Aidan's presence in the doorway, once merely an annoyance, now felt menacing. "Robbery. Everyone can leave after handing over an Essence Gem."
The young ascenders, faced with Aidan's daunting challenge, experienced a whirlwind of emotions. Shock rippled through them at first, disbelief that one of their own would impose such a trial at the academy's gates— facing extortion. But as the initial surprise faded, it was quickly replaced by a fierce indignation. How dare he stand in their way, testing them in such a manner?
The ascenders exchanged glances, their initial surprise quickly turning into a shared resolve. One of them, a spirited young man, stepped forward. "You think you can intimidate us into submission? We're ascenders, not cowards!"
Aidan suddenly made his move. His right hand formed a palm, slicing through the air with precision and speed, striking the left side of the young man's neck with the edge of his palm. This unfortunate youth, caught completely off guard while mid-taunt, was hit hard. His eyes rolled back as he immediately collapsed, unconscious.
"Damn! You really dared to make a move!?" The crowd erupted, and the youths instinctively took a step back.
"He has been knocked unconscious, what do we do?" Someone cried out in shock and fear, their voice tinged with panic.
"What else can we do! There are so many of us and only one of him. Let's rush him together and beat him up severely," someone else shouted, anger bursting forth.
"Right, he's asking for it, challenging us all by himself. How dare him! Everyone, together!!"
However, before they could act, Aidan had already made his move.
He strode forward, stepping into the crowd before anyone else could react.
With a diagonal strike, he hit another youth on the neck. The youth's eyes rolled back as he fell.
"Ah—!" Another youth screamed, swinging his fist towards Aidan.
Aidan ducked, dodging the blow, and kicked the attacker in the groin.
Ah, owww—!
The youth's scream, initially loud and fierce, turned sharply higher in pitch, filled with a mix of agony and distress after the hit.
Thump.
He clutched at his groin, knees buckling before falling to the ground, then rolling around, screaming in pain, drenched in cold sweat.
Aidan swung his palms, striking like a tiger among sheep!
With five hundred years of combat experience, facing these youths, merely fledglings in their practice, stood no chance against him.
In the blink of an eye, Aidan had knocked down the entire group. Each one was either unconscious or lying on the ground, gasping in pain, suffering immensely.
"What's going on here?!" Tristan arrived a step later, exclaiming in shock. He saw Aidan standing at the entrance of the academy, surrounded by 5-6 young man lying around.
"Aidan!!! he wants to extort our Essence Gems !" A young man who fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, shouted angrily.
"You're quite energetic." Aidan looked calm and kicked the yelling young man in the abdomen.
"AH.....!!!!" The boy immediately screamed in pain and curled up like a shrimp. A look of fear appeared on his face, tears flowed, and he no longer dared to speak.
Seeing this scene, The young ascenders who came over felt Aidan's ferocity, and their hearts trembled.
"Okay, please obediently hand over a piece of Essence Gem to me. I will let you go, otherwise, these people on the ground will be your fate." Aidan took a big step forward.
"What the hell! You're just a "Raidant", but you still want to defeat me??? I'm Luminous!!!"Tristan was furious, raised his fists, and rushed towards Aidan immediately.
Aidan turned his ankle slightly, turned sideways slightly, and let go of his fist.
Then he stretched out his left hand, raised his index and middle fingers, and stabbed accurately toward the center ofTristan's collarbone and the lower part of his throat.
Tristan's eyes suddenly darkened, he fell to the ground with a plop, and passed out.
Eeeeeeee.....
Seeing this scene, The young ascenders who were still trying to rush forward gasped and stopped.
Aidan's attack shocked those young people, but in fact Aidan was very measured in his actions.
Those who were knocked down by him either fainted or suffered severe pain and lost their fighting ability within a short period of time. No one was seriously injured.
This is the horror of five hundred years of combat experience!
"ONE Essence Gems " Aidan took a step forward and forced the other teenagers.
The young ascenders looked at each other, then gritted their teeth or roared, and swarmed towards Aidan.
After a few breaths, another groups fell to the ground.
"It's so cruel! It's terrible!"
"They won't be dead, right?"
Several young girls had not rushed forward. Their eyes widened in horror as they witnessed the scene unfold, their bodies shaking increasingly with fear.
Aidan's gaze swept towards them, causing their faces to pale as they hastily waved their hands in retreat, "No, please don't come over. We'll give, we'll give!"
After collecting a few Essence Gems from them, Aidan let them go.
Stumbling out of the academy's gates, more youths arrived, finding the path blocked. The gateway, the only exit from the academy, was now under Aidan's control, effectively trapping everyone inside.
"What in the world happened?!" The youths exclaimed in shock.
"Isn't that Tristan?" Emeric gaped at Tristan, who lay unconscious on the ground.
As Aidan spoke again, the youths, driven to anger, attacked and subsequently fell, one by one.
"Should we just stand by and watch, not intervening? What if this leads to a fatality, how will we manage then?" the guards expressed their concern with worried faces.
Some guards were outraged, "Aidan has gone too far, extorting his peers right under our watch, at the academy's entrance. This is a complete disregard for the law! With your order, we can apprehend him immediately."
Aidan's blockade and extortion had drawn attention from the start.
However, the mortal guards did not have the authority to punish ascenders; they needed to report to the elders first.
Upon hearing the news, the elder did not issue an immediate stop order but climbed to the tower to observe from a distance.
"This young man seems to have a knack for combat," the elder mused, increasingly intrigued as he watched.
Aidan's store had already sparked the elder's curiosity. Now, witnessing him stand against all students single-handedly, displaying a prowess reminiscent of a seasoned warrior, his doubts were dispelled.
In this world, some individuals possess a hidden talent for combat. They excel and revel in battle, often achieving surprising, even unimaginable feats of valor.
"This boy is a natural-born Master of battle. Alas, his aptitude is only Raidant," the elder sighed regretfully.
"Sir, do you not plan to stop this farce? Allowing him to continue this way might not bode well," the guards around him wore expressions of urgent concern.