Harry wasn't interested in whatever Joseph was talking about. "Can you tell us who is ranked first here?" Harry cut to the chase.
Since they wanted to gauge the average power of the students, it was best to start with the top ranker.
At this question, Joseph looked sideways, leaned forward, and whispered fearfully, "Uh... It's Brian. Don't bother him and his friends, or you'll regret it."
Copying Joseph's action, Liam also leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Do you know what level he is at?"
"He... he... is at..." Joseph paused, realizing he didn't know Brian's level. "I don't know his level, but every time someone challenges him, they never return in one piece," Joseph explained.
'This person doesn't know anything,' Harry sighed inwardly.
They exited the building.
"Can you see that tower? That's the best resource you can get for your cultivation," Joseph said, pointing toward a towering structure.
"That one? It certainly has a unique presence," Blake said in his deep, resonant voice.
"Let's go there," Tyler exclaimed.
"Haha, you'll need credits to train there, and having credits can only help you to a certain point. You'll also need a sufficient rank," Joseph mocked.
"And how can we earn credits?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"You can complete quests on the quest board, but it's a very basic and slow way to earn money. I can tell you a secret way, but for that, you'll have to hand me your badges," Joseph said mysteriously.
Everyone was confused about why he wanted their badges, but since they didn't see anything special in their badges besides their rank, they handed them to Joseph.
"Since you did what I wanted, here's the secret: you can go and bet in the challenge rings. You just have to tell who will win, and you'll get credits based on the odds.
With that, "I shall take my leave; I have some important things to do," Joseph said, handing their badges back to them.
Harry, Tyler, Liam, and Blake stood there, thinking about how they could find these challenge rings. They wandered for a while, observing a large field where many students were conversing.
Occasionally, they caught glimpses of elemental abilities—some students conjured fire in the air, others summoned water from thin air, and some moved objects with mere hand gestures.
Harry and his group realized that these elemental powers could also be used for daily needs.
Harry used his inspect skill on several students.
[Foundation Building 3]
[Elemental Master Level 1]
[Elemental Master Level 3]
He realized that many of the students around him were in the Elemental Master realm. He couldn't find anyone in the upper realms.
Seeing a group talking among themselves, Harry and his group approached.
"Do you know where the challenge rings are?" Liam asked.
The three students looked at Harry and his group in confusion and said, "You can see it on the map; just follow it."
"What map?" Liam asked.
The three shook their heads. "I think you're new here. Just double-tap on your badge."
Harry, hearing this, tapped on his badge. A screen appeared, showing all his information and the academy's map.
Seeing it, Liam, Tyler, and Blake also tapped their badges.
"Why do all three of you have 0 credits? New students get 100 credits. Did you buy something?" the three students asked.
"No, we didn't buy anything," they replied.
Then they realized something: Joseph had robbed them in broad daylight.
Harry had suspicions about Joseph, but who would have thought that this small badge was so important?
"I won't let that guy go. Next time I see him, I will teach him a lesson," Tyler exclaimed, pumping his fist.
"Calm down. We can't do anything about him for now. He's more powerful than us. We should have realized that without power, it's very hard to survive in this world," Harry said.
"Let's focus on the information we got. According to this badge, there's a tower where we can cultivate, a quest board for quests, and challenge rings. Everything necessary is on this badge," Harry continued.
"Did you notice it says rank one thousand and less can cultivate on the second level of the tower? Ranks one hundred and less can cultivate on the third level, and only under rank ten can cultivate on the fourth level," Tyler said.
"And the first level costs 10 credits a day. We could have cultivated for ten days if that bastard hadn't robbed us," Tyler added.
"Wait, he mentioned betting on challenge rings. We can earn credits there," Tyler suggested.
"No, we can't. We need credits to bet, so our only choice is the quest board," Harry explained.
They started heading toward the quest board, but before they got far, their badges lit up. Tyler jumped like a startled cat. Harry tapped his badge.
There was a message: "I hope you all have gotten comfortable here. Now all new students must assemble at the training hall."
Harry checked the map and saw that the training hall was to the east, 3 km away.
They started running, following the map, and arrived within a minute. Harry was surprised at how drastically his raw strength had improved.
When they arrived, they saw many students gathered, with more joining them. Harry and his group joined and stood there. In the front, there were many teachers standing, including Aiden.
"Very good, all of you arrived on time. You should already realize that to survive here, you must become strong and gain your ranking.
That's where we come in, to teach you various tactics and guide you. Although all these classes are optional, we advise you to take them seriously.
Now you will get a notification on your badges, and you can choose the classes you want to enroll in," Aiden explained.
With that, their badges lit up, and they all glanced at the information.
"Are you all excited?" Aiden asked.
Around 300 students responded with a unified "Yes."
"You have one day to decide which class you want to take," another teacher announced.
As it started getting dark, Harry and his group returned to their rooms.
Harry checked his badge. There were different classes:
1. Weapon Class
2. Qi Manipulation Class
3. Smithing Class
4. Pill Forging Class
5. Battle Technique Class
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There were many more, like history, geography, and medic classes, but they were the least popular.
Healing is not very important for cultivators since they already have improved immunity and tend to heal faster naturally. But in some cases, where there is a need to stop excessive blood loss or fix dislocated bones, it is useful.
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