Chapter 10: Academy
What do you mean by 'Spar'? Are those allowed here? Kiara inquired. She wasn't expecting a spar between Lucian and Zeph right after their awakening.
Zeph is understandable but Why would Lucian agree? Did he awakened something good? It seems I wasn't the only one with extraordinary talent. She mumbled inwardly, feeling her guesses were quite correct.
Y-Yes, it seems sparring is allowed here. The black-haired girl replied nervously. She was caught off-guard by Kiara's presence.
Hmm…Damn it! Lucian is probably getting his ass beaten by Zeph right now. I wanted to witness it too. Curse my luck! Kiara stepped forward while cursing inwardly, leaving the poor girl alone.
She approached the entrance door and stood beside it, waiting for her friends. Her wait didn't last long as Lucian and Zeph entered the hall shortly afterward.
Oh Hi, Kiara. Both of them greeted her warmly after entering the hall. How was your awakening?
Mmm…It was alright. She inquired with a suspicious look. They didn't seem like someone who had just battled with eachother a minute ago.
Why are your clothes changed?
Uhh…Well our clothes got badly damaged during our spar. So the instructor provided us with a new set of clothes. Lucian explained. It seems these clothes had simple enchantments on them as they fitted him perfectly.
I shall leave then. The instructor gave meaningful a glance at them before turning back. He exited the hall through the entrance door.
Thank you for your help. Lucian and Zeph thanked him simultaneously.
After he left, Kiara turned towards them and inquired,
Who won?
Hmm?
I said who won the spar. I wasn't there you know, someone seems to have forgotten their friends. Kiara replied sarcastically, gaining a shallow laugh from both of them.
It was Zeph's fault. I was waiting for you but he got a bit too over-excited about his awakening and challenged me to a spar. I couldn't deny him as a friend now, could I? Lucian answered, pointing his fingers toward Zeph.
Uhh..Umm…sorry Kiara. Zeph quickly apologized feeling her piercing look over him.
A silence reigned over as Kiara coldly stared at them.
Fine. I accept your apology. You did beat him, right? Kiara inquired, glancing at Zeph.
Nope. He won. He answered, gaining a dumbfounded look from her.
Zeph laughed as he didn't mind much about his loss. In fact, he was quite happy since he found a perfect rival.
Seriously? She turned towards Lucian as he nodded his head with a smirk plastered on his face. She knew firsthand how powerful Zeph's physique was so she found it quite hard to believe.
Ah right, Do you remember the bet we made? You know before awakening? Lucian inquired mischievously as a chuckle involuntarily escaped his lips.
Umm…Uhhh… Kiara stuttered at his question. She was at a loss for words since her defeat was quite clear.
ATTENTION!!
EVERYONE, GATHER AT THE FOREFRONT!!
phew~
I'm saved for now. Kiara sighed in relief upon hearing the announcement.
Let's go. She hurriedly moved forward, evading Lucian's question.
Lucian let out a chuckle and quietly followed her.
—
Good Evening, Everyone. Let me reintroduce myself. A middle-aged man wearing a long brown trench coat and a black hat stepped forward, capturing everyone's attention. He took off his hat and coldly glanced at everybody present.
I'm Dave Miller, the organizer of this awakening ceremony. First off, Congratulations to all of you for successfully awakening your Starseed. You've taken your first step towards your dream.
clap clap clap
The crowd loudly applauded upon hearing his words. Everyone had a dream of becoming a powerful awakener and they had successfully taken their first step towards their dream.
Some of you might have awakened a single element while others might have awakened dual elements but remember, this doesn't mean anything. No matter how talented you are, without putting off much-needed effort and hard work, it's worthless. Success isn't created by talent alone. Remember, Underdogs can unexpectedly overachieve. There are countless cases of such occurrences.
So, I hope you will heed my words cautiously. There's a saying back in my hometown, "The line between confidence and arrogance is very fine, and the line between arrogance and stupidity even finer"
clap clap clap
Enough motivation. Let's start the real talk now. He replied with a serious look on his face. The crowd grew a bit tense upon hearing those words.
Everyone must have heard of the FaithHaven Academy, right?
The crowd nodded their heads, expressing their acceptance.
I could see some clueless faces in the crowd. The FaithHaven Academy is the world's most respected Academy. It was created by our Ancestors, The Heroes who fought against the otherworldly beings in the Void Invasion War.
FaithHaven Academy has produced countless Heroes and Geniuses alike. Some of them are quite famous including 'The Berserk Swordsman', 'The Frost Witch', 'The Martial Maniac', 'The Heaven-Piercing Arrow', 'The Thunder Empress', etc.
The crowd murmured upon hearing those titles. Due to their incredible prowess, they were role models for many individuals and were respected everywhere.
Why am I telling you all this? That's because everyone here has a chance of enrolling at The FaithHaven Academy. Dave dropped the bombshell as the crowd went nuts.
W-What? Is he serious?
Oh my God! Can I really attend the FaithHaven Academy?
There must be a catch right?
Am I dreaming or something? Oi, pinch my arm.
Ouch Ouch! Stop it! I said pinch not pierce.
Everybody's reaction was completely different. Some were shocked, some thrilled, some excited, while some thoughtful. He mentioned that anyone could enroll the FaithHaven Academy but he didn't mention How?
Hey Lucian, What do you think? Zeph inquired, glancing at Lucian.
Lucian was deep in thought pondering over the information.
They are probably planning something. Kiara responded, folding her arms over her chest.
Yeah. Let's just wait and watch. We'll learn about it soon enough. He replied, gaining a nod of approval from both of them.
They patiently waited for Dave to continue since the information they'd just gained was too little to reach any conclusion.
SILENCE
All the murmurings stopped instantly as a complete silence enveloped the entire hall. The crowd stopped talking among themselves and turned their attention towards Dave.
Yes, You've guessed it correctly. We've prepared a test to judge your qualifications. Before that, Let me welcome someone whom you're quite familiar with. He turned towards the instructor, ordering them to bring the said person in.
The instructor bowed slightly and left the hall, exiting through the back door.
The crowd waited patiently for the 'familiar' person's arrival. Some were puzzled while some had made their own guesses.
tak tak tak
Low footsteps could be heard through the door.
click
The back door opened widely as the person arrived before everyone's sight.
Hmm…isn't he?
Haha…My guess was correct.
The crowd's reaction varied upon glancing at the person's appearance.