"Quite a busy place." Kaido said to himself as he chuckled, watching the hustle and bustle of The Market. Countless students were buying various items or rushing into The Forest with their group.
His intentions here were obvious enough. But before heading into The Outer Layer, he decided to fully understand the situation here. Finding the information wasn't too difficult after asking around. All he had to do was find someone who worked here.
"So, you want to know how this place functions?" The attendant for the Monster Core Trader asked. She was a very petite lady, with brown hair and freckles on her face.
Kaido, sitting across from her, nodded his head with a smile.
"If it's not too much of a bother. I'm a new student and haven't been here before." The attendant shook her head, though she was secretly surprised. A new student and already at 2nd Star meant he was a peerless genius.
'Be in my best interest to have a friendly connection with him.'
"No problem at all, happy to help a promising young man like yourself. First, we should talk about the Point System. Monster Cores you gather in The Forest can be traded here for points and confirmation of kill. Be careful though, we do allow them to be stolen." She got a bad look to her face and clicked her tongue, clearly not agreeing with such a rule.
"The top brass says it's to promote conflict between the students, so they can fight against one another and become stronger through it. A load of shit!" A snort came from her as she grit her teeth.
"Bad experience with it?" Kaido said, making her look at him with surprise.
"Yeah, that's exactly right. When I went here long ago, my hard earned Cores were stolen by some piece of shit noblemen. Also took all my points, which can be transferred between students, or else they'd have raped me." A mocking sneer came from her as she continued.
"As for the rule saying transferring points can't be coerced? What can commoners do? We have to bow our heads to them. Because if not, they'll have their men pay a visit to our families." Kaido shook his head, a sympathetic look on his face as he sighed angrily.
"Such an awful situation for you. I'm sorry you went through such a thing." The concern from him warmed her heart.
"Thank you. By the way, my name's Elise. Just in case you wanted to know. Anyway, let me continue. So after you bring the Core here and trade it in for points, you can use them to obtain a whole number of super useful items. Oh! Almost forgot!"
Kaido's eyes narrowed for a split second at how she seemed a little closer to him. Yet he kept that same smile to his face. He had no other intentions than to keep a friendly relationship with her, as he did to all. There was already enough on his plate in terms of women.
"I should explain how many points you get per Core, which vary depending on the tier.
• Kill Low Class Monster – 5 points
• Kill Medium Class Monster – 50 points
• Kill High Class Monster – 500 points
• Kill Ultimate Class Monster – 5,000 points
Also, I should mention that you can also obtain points by completing missions at the Mission Hall or finding any rare treasures or herbs inside The Forest and trading them with the Academy." He raised an eyebrow, finding what she said interesting.
"Mission Hall?"
"Yup. You can take missions inside or out of the Nirvana Kingdom. Based on how difficult they are will decide how many points you receive in return. Generally they reward more than killing monsters in The Forest. Though, only those at 4th Star can leave the Nirvana Kingdom's territory."
"The only way someone lower than 4th Star could leave, is if in a group and their leader is the correct Rank. Do you want to know anything else?"
"Yes, what's the purpose of that screen over there?" Kaido pointed behind him, where a 100 meter tall floating blue screen could be seen in the distance. It had numerous names and numbers on it. Sometimes, they would even change places.
"Oh! That's the Ranking Screen. It records how many Academy Points someone has in real time, all through the use of your uniform which keeps track of all your points. The minimum requirement to enter is be ranked in the 500s out of the entire school." Kaido was enlightened and took another look.
There, he could see many names he had heard of during his time here thus far. Even his sister was there, being ranked third overall with 120,418 points. It wasn't too surprising considering she loved to fight, which he guessed was where the majority of that score came from.
The first and second place weren't too far off, only separated by a few thousand. As for the ones who beat his sister, they were quite famous in the Academy. However, they were about to graduate in just a few months. His sister however had another seven years in the Academy.
"Is there any reward for staying high in the rankings?" Elise smiled and nodded her head.
"Yes, and some of them are quite good too. Like getting a free supply of one Low-Grade Star Elixir daily. Or some other useful potion and herb, you get the point. Though, any time you spend your points your rank will most likely go down, so be careful if you're aiming for the higher ones."
"I see..." For Kaido, this was something very interesting to him. Being at the top of everything was exactly what he wanted. Never to be below another.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Facing her question, Kaido thought for a few moments before shaking his head.
"No, that'll be all. But-" He leaned in, looking directly into her eyes.
"Thank you very much for your help. I am in your debt, beautiful." Elise blushed a little as he got up and walked away. She fanned her face, watching his back and mumbling to herself.
"What a dangerous and handsome man..."
While Elise began having fantasies for a man she would never be able to have, Kaido walked for the Weapon and Armor section. Although he wanted to go with just his school uniform, staying safe was paramount.
"Though, it's a shame about Yin." He muttered sadly, caressing his empty and barren neck.
Initially, he was going to bring her along for the ride. However, she insisted on staying in his room for some reason. Kaido found it suspicious, because she had never been so serious in her life. So why the sudden change?
"Oh well, the Bond between us is still in effect and working fine. I doubt it's anything that will harm me." The Bond he was referring to was how the Tamer and their monsters, or familiars as some call them, stay connected.
It was similar to a Contract, but it wasn't in writing and connected their souls together. Despite the Bond favoring the Tamer and basically making them the master of the relationship, both parties must agree to it.
Soon enough, he entered inside one of the shops for free weapons and armor. Unfortunately, he couldn't use his family's money to get the best gear. Items within the Academy could only be bought with points. There were a few others looking around, but none of them caught his attention.
Except for one familiar average face.
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"I'm not really sure what to pick." Dyson said, uncertainty within his voice. His eyes hovered over the dozens of weapons in front of him, none standing out. Suddenly, a hand patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry and take your time. This is a life changing decision. You should experiment with a few of them first, see which one fits the best before heading into The Forest." Zendrix, his new friend, said.
A smile was on the Regressor's face as he watched this kid mull over what to pick. He had done the same long ago and mistakenly chose the spear. It was only decades later did he meet his Master, who told him to wield a sword as he was the most talented with it.
'Master, you should be wandering the Undeath Continent for 'that' item, right? But you won't find it there…' He sighed heavily, the past flashing through his mind. Dyson's voice broke him out of his memories.
"Maybe you're right. It's just so overwhelming to me is all. So many different choices." His hand gripped the hilt of a sword, feeling it out by swinging through the air. Despite his worries though, an excited smile was on his face.
Zendrix could see his movements were full of flaws, like this was his first time even wielding a sword. But he didn't point them out and ruin his fun. Suddenly, a laugh made them stop. The voice that echoed through the air, made their bodies shiver.
"Having fun?" They both turned around, shock within them seeing the black eyed teenager walking towards them, hands behind his back.
He stopped a few feet away from them, a pleasant and charming smile on his face. Neither one of them spoke up for a few moments, a myriad of emotions going through them. However, Zendrix quickly composed himself.
"Yeah a little. I'm just showing my friend here around a bit. You know, which weapon to choose and whatnot."
Having a Protagonist by his side, Dyson's courage rose sharply. But when Kaido's black and emotionless eyes settled on him, it all vanished into nothingness. It was as if this evil bastard was looking straight through him, spying on all his secrets.
"I remember you, from the black tent. I'm glad to see you're making friends!" He suddenly laughed heartily as Zendrix did the same. Dyson tried to join them, but his was quite awkward and forced.
'An old man like him, I get. But why is this evil psychopath so good at acting?!' If he didn't know about his true nature, Dyson would have been made a fool by him. Used as a puppet and discarded when useless.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but I was only curious about you two." His face turned awkward as he asked a question.
"I'm sorry if this is a bit forward of me, but what might your names be? Such a talented man like you is certainly not unknown." Kaido's innocent words made Zendrix curse in his heart.
Clearly, the bastard could tell he wasn't far from the 2nd Star. In fact, he would only need two days to get there. The problem, is that his Star Generation to the public is only a measly 40, which was the truth. As for why he was so close to the 2nd Star despite that?
Because he was spending almost his entire day, besides classes, gathering stars. He didn't need to focus on anything else like Jobs or his Element. That was the benefit of being a regressor. If he wasn't so worried about keeping up appearances, his star generation could be even a few higher.
The reason this was a problem however, is because Kaido would take interest in him. Why would this person, who had average talent, spend all his time cultivating? Was he simply an idiot, or did he have something to hide?
'Normal people wouldn't think like this. Except a piece of shit like him. What should I do?' His mind and heart was calm. But then he saw Kaido's smile deepen after a few moments of silence.
'Shit. I took too long.'
"Zendrix. I'm no one special. Just a random Knight who spends all day cultivating."
"Oh, I see. And you sir?" As if he thought nothing of it, Kaido simply looked towards the quiet boy.
"Uh, D-Dyson." Zendrix looked at him strangely, confused as to why he seemed a little scared of Kaido.
"Well, I should get out of your hair. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again, very soon." Saying that, he walked over to the receptionist who happily received him.
"Should we go?" Dyson asked with a whisper. But he saw his partner shake their head and pull him to the corner of the store, far away from Kaido.
"Not yet, it'll be suspicious. Listen Dyson, never trust that man. Do you understand me?" Seeing how serious he was, he immediately nodded his head.
"Of course! I've always felt something was off about him." Zendrix was shocked. Besides him, he doubted anyone could see past Kaido's lies. But this person could? Clearly, he would make for a decent ally despite his poor talent.
As Kaido was checking out some of the armor with the receptionist, Dyson decided to use Observation. It took the edge off a little bit because it made him believe he was in a game for a moment.
[ Name: Kaido Vairathul
Age: 16 Years Old
Race: 95% Human / 5% Light Elf ( Very Distant Bloodline )
Class: Elemental Mage?
Rank: 2nd Star
Job: 6th Rank Novice Tamer, 4th Rank Novice Flesh-Crafter, 4th Rank Novice Alchemist.
Elements: Fire, Ice, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Life, Time, Space, Soul, Creation, Death, Gravity... ( See More )
Thoughts about you: Is interested in you and why you fear him so much. Thinking of torturing you for info, then killing you just in case you might reveal it to others. Tread lightly Host…
Combat Rating: Because of his vast abundance of mana, high combat talent, great mastery in Elements, and unusually strong magic, even a 3rd Star would welcome the sweet embrace of death. You will die instantly, without even knowing how.
System Review: The System is thinking of the next Host after the current one dies. It hopes they will be one with a little extra intelligence. ]
'This fucking… whatever.' He clicked his tongue seeing the review, but ignored it. Instead, he focused on the Thoughts about you and Combat Rating.
Suddenly, he saw Kaido's head turn slightly in his general direction. He was horrified for a second, but sighed in relief watching him return to normal. He stepped a little closer to hear his conversation.
"Something wrong Milord?" Kaido shook his head, unconcerned.
"Felt like someone was watching me, but I get that a lot. Know what I mean?" His head was raised slightly as he chuckled. The receptionist awkwardly nodded.
"O-Of course sir…"
Dyson moved back to Zendrix's side who said it was time to go. He took one last look at Kaido and left with him.
'Scary fuck!'
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After the whole debacle in the store with the lying Zendrix, Kaido eventually picked out some light leather armor for himself. For extra protection, he had his uniform beneath it just in case.
'I need to seriously go through what sort of Runes are carved into it.' He thought to himself, walking through the Outer Layer without a weapon in hand.
The reason why he didn't have one, was because none caught his fancy. Instead, he would rather use his hands than rely on something like that. In his eyes, it was like a crutch, a tool only used by the disabled and the weak. But maybe he'd change his mind if he found one worthy of his glory.
He had also researched the danger levels of each Layer. Kaido knew he was an arrogant ass, but he was no fool. The Outer Layer had Low Class Monsters, with the extremely rare occasional Medium Class. As for them, they usually hang out in the Inner Layer with the High Class ones.
The Core was the most dangerous Layer, where most students go to die. Of course, only a few were suicidal, with the vast majority overestimating themselves. Because of the hungry monsters there, the bodies rarely get recovered before the Academy can arrive in time.
Suddenly, his thoughts were broken by the shuffling of some bushes ahead of him. Kaido became tense and solemn, losing his previous aloofness. His eyes scanned the shrubbery, before stopping a few meters ahead of him. He could see a clump of mana, slightly smaller than himself. Based on the amount, it should be a Low Class Monster.
It was hidden in a bush, unmoving. He reasoned that it became wary when it's prey suddenly stopped moving and seemed to be on alert. With a smile, Kaido waved his hand towards the mysterious enemy's direction.
A small, short, and slightly curved transparent blade shot out of his palm. The Space around it rippled as it moved swiftly towards his friend hiding in the bush. Two seconds later, a mournful wail came from the direction he shot the blade.
A shadow jumped out and tried slashing him with it's claws. But then, Kaido simply vanished out of thin air and appeared three meters away. At the same time, he shot out another Space Blade double the size of the previous one.
The enemy, slowed down by the first attack and shocked at it's opponent disappearing, couldn't dodge in time and got hit in the neck. It's throat was completely sliced open, the head falling off and rolling away as it's body collapsed.
With a chuckle, Kaido approached the dead corpse and looked it over. It was a large Silver Wolf, with a deep cut on it's side, right below the ribs. In truth, the wolf didn't look anything special besides it's big size, far above that of a normal wolf.
"Hm, don't wolves run in packs?" Kaido muttered to himself as he scanned the surroundings. However, he didn't find anything and could only give up.
He dropped down to his knees, wrapping a layer of Space around his hand to use as a knife. As he cut into the wolf's body to grab the Core, he went over his battle.
'Decent overall. My Space Blade is simple and easy to use, but could use some work. I can spam it as much as I want, and it's lethality is good enough.'
Before coming out here, he had already created three spells for himself. The first, and the one he used in this battle, was the Space Blade. It's concept was extremely basic and simple, one that many Space Mages use themselves.
All it does it send a sharpened 'blade' of Space towards the opponent. The size can be changed at will, but the degree of sharpness is dependent on the Mastery and Rank of the user. As for the other two, he doesn't see a need to use them as of yet. For the Outer Layer, the Space Blade and his short teleportation was plenty enough.
Done digging out the Core, he stored it in his Castle's Storage Room and left the corpse, wandering off into a random direction.
A few minutes later, a group of wolves arrived at the scene of the crime. Leading them was a much bigger Silver Wolf than the others. Besides the clear size difference, this one had a horn on his forehead. As it looked upon the dead wolf, it's body mutilated, the horn flashed with lightning. Pure rage overflowed from all the wolves eyes as they sniffed the air, tracking the one who did this.