When Eldryn went downstairs, everyone was present except Nathan. Eldryn asked them, "Where is Nathan?"
Amelia replied, "Brother, he said he would be able to break through to the 3rd rank yesterday, but he still hasn't come out of his room. I guess he must be cultivating."
Eldryn nodded. As a warrior, skipping meals and sleep for a day or two wouldn't have any negative effects.
While they were having breakfast, Andrea said, "Your father and uncle will be returning this evening, so we will be having a feast tonight."
Eldryn nodded and was about to ask something from his mom when an excited voice sounded in the room. Nathan came in with an excited look and said, "Mom, Aunt, I've broken through to rank 3 warrior!"
"Oh, Eldryn and Amelia, you're here too. How about we go have dinner at the Seastone Inn?" Eldryn asked them without giving time for them speak.
"Congratulations, Nathan, on reaching the 3rd rank warrior!" everyone congratulated him.
Then Emily said, "Your father and uncle are returning today, so we have planned a special dinner. You don't need to go to the inn; we will make a special dinner to celebrate your breakthrough to the 3rd rank warrior."
Nathan exclaimed, "Father and uncle are returning?"
Emily nodded in confirmation. Eldryn then asked Andrea, "Mom, when will we go hunting? It's been more than a month since we trained in the mountains."
"We'll let you know after discussing it with your father and uncle," Andrea replied.
Then she looked at Nathan and said, "Nathan, since you have reached the 3rd rank warrior and awakened 2 affinities, you can decide whether you want to attend the academy. The first admission is in four months."
"The second admission will be at the end of the year, so you can choose whether to join at the first or second admission."
After pausing with a sigh, she continued, "Or you can choose not to enter the academy. As we've mentioned, the academy is in the capital city, where the power of the royal family is second only to the five academies. It will be easy for them to arrange challenges for someone of your age,or to make things difficult to you during your stay at the academy."
Nathan, without responding, looked at Emily, who sighed and said, "You can decide which option you prefer. We will always support you. Even if you choose not to go to the academy, it won't be a significant loss, other than missing out on the experience of academy life."
Nathan nodded, his mood shifting to one of hesitation.
Eldryn then asked Andrea, "Mom, why do the five academies have two different admission periods, and is there any difference between students who join in the first and second admission periods?"
Andrea replied, "There's not much difference. However, students who join during the first admission period receive 100 academy points every month. These points can be used to learn skills and obtain resources at the academy."
They then started to talk about their cultivation progress and other events in the town while having their breakfast.
Emily suddenly asked, "Right, Eldryn, how is your progress with the talisman? Were you able to draw the 36 patterns with smooth and natural execution?"
Eldryn shook his head. "No, Aunt. For some of the special 36-pattern talismans, I'm not able to draw them fluently yet, but I should be able to do so within a month."
The paragraph is already well-written, but here's a slightly polished version:
Emily nodded and said, "Once you're able to draw all of the basic 36-pattern talismans, we can go and get a 9th rank talisman master token from the Rune Guild for you."
Eldryn nodded and asked, "Aunt, can't we get the 9th rank talisman master token now, since I can already create 36-pattern talismans?"
Emily replied with a smile, "No, it's not possible. The 9th rank talisman master exam requires drawing three different 36-pattern basic talismans. The types of talismans you need to draw will vary with each exam, so mastering all the basic 36-pattern talismans will ensure you pass."
Hearing this, Eldryn nodded in understanding.
Eldryn then asked, "Aunt, is there any benefit to passing the talisman master exam?"
Emily nodded and said, "Yes, there are many benefits. You'll learn more about them once you've passed the 9th rank talisman master exam."
Eldryn nodded and didn't ask further, as he knew he would understand the benefits once he passed the exam.
After having their breakfast, Eldryn, Amelia, and Nathan went to practice. When Eldryn returned to his room, he focused on refining the Time Essence to temper his body and soul. However, he was interrupted by a sound from downstairs, so he stopped his cultivation and went to investigate.
As Eldryn came downstairs, Nathan and Amelia also emerged from their room. Upon arriving in the hall, they saw it filled with a lot of dishes, and Andrea, Emily, Jonathan, and Andrew were engaged in conversation.
When the three of them entered, Andrea, Emily, Jonathan, and Andrew paused their discussion.
Jonathan looked at them with a smile and said, "It seems you've all made great progress in your cultivation during this time."
Nathan replied enthusiastically, "Yes, Uncle. With the Soulforge technique, my cultivation speed is faster than before, but the resources required are also substantial."
Jonathan nodded and said with a smile, "Indeed, better cultivation techniques lead to faster progress but require more resources, as they strengthen your body and soul more effectively than lower-level techniques."
Andrew also looked at them and said with a smile, "Good, good. You've all made excellent progress. Let's have dinner, and we can discuss your training then."
After finishing their dinner, Andrew looked at Eldryn, Nathan, and Amelia and said, "Since Nathan has reached the 3rd rank warrior and is eligible for the five academies, we have decided to move to the city."
Nathan looked somewhat hesitant. Seeing this, Jonathan said, "Even if Nathan is not interested in joining the academy, we will still be moving to the city, as it will be beneficial for your growth. Additionally, according to Emily, Eldryn needs to take the talisman master test, which can only be done in the city."
Eldryn asked, "Dad, which city are we moving to?"
Jonathan replied, "We haven't decided for sure yet, but it will most likely be Willow Mist City."
"As for your training in the mountains," Jonathan paused and looked at Eldryn. "Eldryn, your aunt and mom told me you should be able to master all the basic 36-pattern talismans in a month. Is that possible?"
Eldryn nodded. "Yes, Dad."
"Then we will discuss your training once Eldryn has mastered all those talismans," Jonathan said. He looked at them and smiled with satisfaction.
Then he looked at the quiet Nathan, who had always been talkative, and said, "Nathan, if you don't want to go to the academy, you can join your uncle and father in accepting tasks at the Mercenary Hall and training outside."
Nathan struggled to speak. "But, Uncle, the royal family..."
This time, Andrew interrupted with a smile. "Nathan, you shouldn't be afraid of the royal family. Even if you're hesitant about joining the five academies because of them, you need to cultivate well and improve quickly. That way, they'll be wary of you in 10 or 20 years."
"So don't overthink it—focus on your cultivation. Once we move to the city, as your uncle said you can accompany us on our missions , which will be more fun than the academy"
"Yes, Dad, I will definitely make the royal family afraid at the mention of my name," Nathan said with determination.
"Good, that's the kind of determination you need. Go and cultivate well during this time," Andrea said.
She then looked at Eldryn and Amelia and added, "You two can go to your room and rest. Over the next two weeks, we'll be teaching your dad and uncle the cultivation techniques. Take care of your needs during this period."
They nodded and returned to their room.
Looking at their backs, Jonathan sighed, "I hope Nathan can overcome this hurdle."
Andrew said, "Brother-in-law, it's just the royal family. If he's really afraid of them to the point of affecting his cultivation, I'll deal with some of their members to show him that the royal family is just trash."
Jonathan nodded without saying anything. "I hope everything goes well." He then looked at Emily and Andrea and asked, "Is the Soulforge technique you mentioned really as remarkable as you say?"
Andrea replied, "You can see for yourself once you switch to this technique."
Andrew added, "Then let's switch and start practicing with this technique today."