Around 7K words long, far smaller than last time, but that's to be expected given this chapter was originally cut into two!
This chapter serves more to tie the previous and the next chapters together, but it's not that bad either way.
Enjoy! (Images will be posted soon, I'll also give the chapter another edit when I can)
.
.
.
—
"Urg… Everytime…"
The sudden flash of light took Philip by surprise, making him squint his eyes as he covered them with his hands.
/Chatter…/
"Where… Cough! What's this smell?..."
Hearing the dense movement of a crowd, he opened his eyes as he adjusted to the brighter environment, noticing that he was in a large hall that looked like a big supermarket.
He saw all sorts of people walking around and talking as they looked at the products on the displays. Some had staves on their hands, others had swords... A few, books…
It felt like being sent into a fantasy shop, but once he thought about it for a moment, he laughed drily.
Lost in thought, Fabrin took his attention away, saying:
"This is the underground market. Exclusive for teachers and other employees. It's also open for graduates like you if you stick to some principles."
"Calm your breathing and don't inhale too much air at once, otherwise you won't be tasting food for the next few days…"
He took a step forward as he tapped on his shoulder, adding:
"But this isn't our destination, so follow me for now."
Philip looked around in confusion, but he shook his head and walked, sorting his thoughts as he followed.
Seeing this, Fabrin asked:
"Not a big fan of teleportation by the looks of it, no?"
"... It's better than portals…"
'That said, I felt as if my stomach had been thrown upside down… Took me a moment to calm down.'
Fabrin nodded with an understanding gaze.
"Well, yeah, portals tend to be unstable and cause nausea if not used properly…"
"... It was a joke…"
"Ha!... Pardon me for not understanding what you kids are into these days."
"In any case, let's go over what I wanted you to do… But first, I want to know, how long do you intend to spend in this Academy?"
"Hum…"
This question made him think, and after a minute, Philip responded:
"That will depend on how things go, but no more than two months."
'If I can cross out my current goals for this place, there'd be no reason for me to remain here. The only thing I can think about would be gathering data for Simulation Room so I can train anywhere, anytime.'
'The Academy has some of the most powerful wizards and mages in this continent, and while I won't find any mythical or legendary master here, I don't need any of those anyway.'
'My goals can change depending on how I develop my abilities, but right now, two months seem enough to get everything finished. But that can change based on how long it takes for me to find my target.'
Fabrin nodded with a quiet sigh, not asking for his reasons.
"I guess we can work with that… In any case, let's go back to the matter at hand."
Fabrin pushed some people around, leading Philip into an alley that led into another, less crowded but narrower street.
The area reminded him of the narrow streets found in places like London and Europe in general, stone brick roads and walls, a low ceiling with glowing lamps, people shouting everywhere, the smell of strange perfumes and incense…
Even with his knowledge of fantasy and what he studied, he couldn't even recognize a tenth of everything lying around. However, Scholar Vision helped him identify some of them as he was pushed around the place.
(Image?)
"The academy is built on a Dungeon-Rich area, their density being several dozen times that of the average of the continent, and this isn't counting the dead and abandoned Dungeons buried underground still left to be found… Some lying dormant just waiting to burst open."
"And for all the good and richness this gives us, this leads to a problem."
"The entire underground of the Academy is filled with caves and complicated, maze-like pathways filled with underground monsters, and as you know, those aren't straightforward creatures to deal with... Even for many of the professors."
"As you know, the best way to understand this is to imagine a Dungeon is to think of it as a tree. It grows from a seed deep in the ground. It first grows its roots, and once it arrives at the surface, the trunk of this tree starts to grow… All the way to Heaven."
"Once it arrives at its final destination, the tree slowly dies, wilting away, and eventually it collapses, leaving behind its husk… The same husks we used to build the walls and many facilities of this Academy, due to their exotic properties."
"The husk falls, enriching the land, transforming it, sedimenting on the ground and serving as nutrients for the next tree to grow."
"The main building of the academy is the lower section of one such trunk... An ancient Dungeon that died long before the Academy was built… Long before the empire was even a thing."
"However, this isn't the case for the roots; those remain behind, sustaining the ecosystem it houses. And due to their unique structure, even without their "heart", they still end up attracting more creatures to them as they manipulate and transport energy around."
"Usually, nature solves it all… But from time to time… They can overflow, or some annoying creatures may grow in there… Creatures we wouldn't want to see on the surface."
"To nature, this isn't anything odd; it happens everywhere. Sometimes it can be predicted, other times it happens in a flash in the most inopportune moment… Something we can't tolerate."
"No one can live calmly knowing the ground can burst beneath their feet at any moment… Most can't…"
"That's why, every year, there is a big hunting event performed by the Academy to eliminate these creatures and gather materials and resources in the process."
"At the same time, this is a prime opportunity to scout and evaluate the situation in the underground. To evaluate our efforts for the remainder of the year and beyond."
"..."
'I know of this. In fact, I was planning to find my target before this happened… It's dangerous down there, and anything could happen… Without knowing how my actions might've altered the fate and future of those around me, there's no guarantee the target would come out unscathed from this.'
'All it takes is a single decision, to take the right instead of left down there to completely alter the future…'
"And this leads us to our reason for being here… Are you still with me, or did you get lost?" He asked as he looked at Philip
Albeit slightly distracted by those around him, Philip still nodded.
"Are you even listening by now?"
'My daughter usually drifts off by now…'
"I heard you, just taking a look at these people's weird attire..."
Fabrin let out a laugh before he said:
"Things haven't changed much since my time, but at least then you could identify the philosophy someone adhered to based on their clothes; it isn't the same now…"
"Back to the topic… The hunting event changed a lot over the years, and currently, it's solely made for the kids who are in their last year to grow and experience something new."
"Fifth years?"
"Correct, it's a chance for them to experience just how harsh this world can truly be… To some, they'll never have the chance to test themselves again like this, not without putting their lives truly on the line."
Philip frowned, asking:
"It seems a bit counterintuitive to send students... especially those arrogant brats to such dangerous places, no?"
Sighing, Fabrin replied, "They may be arrogant, but that stems from reason... They are all quite capable."
"The problem is when they find pleasure in remaining stagnant… It is okay to accept your limits. It isn't to live in delusion and challenge problems you aren't yet ready to face, putting not only yourself but others around you in jeopardy."
"That is why we use this event to give them an incentive… To most, the Fifth year is where their growth rate explodes, the point where all of their years of training and study culminate and germinate into the shade they'll be under for the rest of their lives."
"Few amongst them will develop this shade further. Most will live under it or make the most of it until they grow old…Even so, that's only if they can keep up with it or have the desire to surpass themselves and others."
"Of course, the Academy has no intention of sending them there without assistance. Teachers, staff, and private guards are allowed to participate as long as they don't interfere too much. You can figure the rest out, don't you?"
"..."
"I will be participating, but I am a teacher and I have my responsibilities… Do I need to say more?"
Philip had to think a little, but he soon understood.
"Sigh… Who do you want me to keep an eye on?"
"It's good you get things fast… Do you remember the girl in white you scared yesterday?"
Philips eyes sharpened for a moment as he noticed Fabrin's change in tone…
"... Ahem…"
"Heh, I can see the disappointment in your tone… You likely figured by now, but that girl was my daughter."
/Whistle…/
Philip looked away as he scratched the back of his head.
Fabrin looked at Philips' expression and smiled.
"Don't try to feign ignorance, you're not tricking anyone… Besides, you shouldn't take things too seriously; you handled it quite well. That's why we are here having this conversation."
His emotions confirmed that, Fabrin wasn't upset about it, but…
"That doesn't make me feel any better…"
Fabrin tapped on his shoulder, laughing faintly.
"Let's forget about what already happened and focus on the future. My daughter has always been a bit of a hothead like me and her mother were when we were her age... She doesn't even rely on me for anything."
"... And now, this reckless girl lost to someone her age… So I am certain she will try something stupid again."
Philip frowned.
"Are you insinuating this was my fault? Also, I'm not her age..."
"No no no… Not at all. What you did changes nothing, I'm just mentioning how she usually behaves. Besides, I'm sure you aren't that much older."
"... Im 22..." He said in a low tone
"That's close enough."
Fabrin ignored Philip's expression and continued his narration:
"That girl's a real troublemaker, she tries to keep a strong front to keep up with expectations, so even if she hadn't met you yesterday, this would've happened sooner or later."
"What I need from you is to do what I cannot… To protect when she's out of my sight."
"Albeit unlikely, if something goes awry, you should be at least strong enough to flee with her, yeah?"
"You're quite the protective dad…"
"I'd rather believe those who don't worry in these moments are the unhinged ones." He replied with a shrug
"... Fine, I'll do it."
"I knew I could on you, kid! Once this ends, I'll keep my part of the promise and help you. We'll have a lot of free time on our hands."
"You should enjoy this as well. Play along and take down some monsters, save a few students, do a few commissions… Once you gather enough points, you can exchange them for some valuable things… You'll likely already do all of that anyway, why not make some money in the process?"
"I was going to do it either way, no need to try and convince me…"
"Then its a deal!"
Fabrin continued to guide Philip throughout the underground shops cheerfully.
…
/A few minutes later/
They left the main streets and entered into a series of maze-like corridors with little to no people moving through them.
They were very fancy and had a luxurious vibe due to the use of red and brown in their decoration. Philip could even smell a faint, refreshing fragrance in the air, something incomparable to before.
At the same time, the corridors didn't seem to make sense, as even as they moved in circles throughout the corridors, they'd always end up somewhere else. Being all non-Newtonian.
While Fabrin seemed to know where he was going, Philip, on the other hand, was extremely confused. Trying to make sense of the world around him as the ceiling and ground changed colors, and the decorations twisted and turned as they came and went through the same places they walked through before.
He was pulled through false walls, floors, teleportation devices, and a few more bizarre things… Eventually reaching a dead end with a closed pair of doors.
"Urg… How is someone supposed to navigate through this place…!" Philip asked as he put his hand on the wall, almost falling through it as it phased past it
"You'll get used to it, it took me four years to learn it though… And I barely covered a sixth of this place. You won't starve if you get lost, since someone will come after you, but it can be pretty embarrassing."
/Creak…/
Fabrin opened the pair of doors, and they arrived at a balcony leading to a massive garden filled with exotic trees and houses.
It was packed full with people, students, and teachers alike. But Philip looked towards the ceiling, even more confused.
(Image?)
"The moon? Since when did we get outside?…"
'I'm actually getting sick from all of this…'
"It's an illusion. Well, kind of… A part of the outside sky was translocated here through mirroring a fraction of it… I can understand, it took me a while to understand it too, actually, I don't think I do to this day either."
"This is the main hall, and in the middle of this garden is the only physical entrance to the underground of the Academy. All other entrances were sealed long ago; that is why if you enter a Dungeon and go to its depths, you'll be met with a wall."
"Oh!"
Philip suddenly remembered the wall in the first Dungeon he visited. For the first time in a while, a question he had had been answered.
"I see, it makes more sense now."
"There are other entrances, but those are heavily supervised… I have to go now, kid." Fabrin said as he turned to look at the garden
"So sudden? What about the rest? What's this even about?"
"Didn't I just tell you? The Great Hunt is about to start."
"... What?! I thought that would happen a few weeks from now!"
'How am I supposed to find the target on time?!'
"There were some changes recently, so the event was brought forward. That's why I rushed things a little, as you came in at just the right time. Saved me the trouble of looking for a caretaker."
"..."
Fabrin pointed at a tower that looked like a pillar. It went all the way to the sky and beyond the clouds.
"See that pillar? Focus your mind on it and you'll know the rest… See you later, kid."
/Crunch!/
Fabrin suddenly turned into dirt, and his body crumbled into the ground, vanishing soon after as he left a flabbergasted Philip behind.
"You can't just... Fuck me…"
Blurting out an insult as he held his nose bridge with an upset expression, turning to look at the tower with a helpless expression:
'Focus on the tower? Fine… I'll give it a try…'
Philip rested his elbows on the balcony and looked at the tower, sharpening his senses.
He felt a faint tug at the back of his mind, a strange but familiar sensation. His mental power was being stimulated, albeit he couldn't quite understand how.
/Twinkle…/
The tower started to shine in response to his actions, but no one reacted to it; only Philip saw what was going on...
Slowly, more and more symbols shone on its surface, some even started to fly and fuse in front of him.
Soon enough, he could almost figure out what was going on. So he took a step back to get a better look at the tower when…
/BAM!/
"Get out of the way, fucker." Someone exclaimed as they bumped into him
"Hm?... I wasn't looking, I apologize."
'Rude bastard. It's not as if I'm in the way, and the balcony is quite far from the main path. How did you bump into me?'
Philip was incredibly focused on the tower, and due to his negligence, he was almost sent crashing down into the garden below.
He turned around and looked at the rude person who took him out of his trance, slightly upset but calm nonetheless.
"Look at this guy? Screw off, kid."
The man noticed his expression, but scoffed at him as he arrogantly pushed his shoulder aside.
He had a strong build and was also rather tall, as well as a bit handsome. The kind of muscular man one would often see in movies.
Red eyes and blue eyes, at first, he assumed him to be royalty, which put him on edge, but after looking around closely, he threw that possibility aside.
While red hair was a trait of royals, there was a distinctive tint to it that differed from this man's hair. Even if he was related, it wasn't to a high degree. But it was enough to make Philip think twice about his next actions.
Next to him were two more people, two girls, one had the same hair color as him and she looked shy, the other had green hair and she looked like a bitch.
It wasn't just her looks that gave him that impression, her thoughts were also sharp and arrogant. And while he couldn't read them, he could infer their contents.
Philip was getting better at reading the emotions of others, especially those who had nothing to hide, like arrogant nobles his age.
He didn't like judging people by their appearances, but he grew pessimistic about the children who frequent the Academy. So after thinking about it once, he didn't return to it once.
It wasn't worth his time.
[Lv ???]
[Lv 19]
[Lv 29]
Their levels were quite impressive. From that alone, he assumed the big guy to be a fifth-year.
As for the girls, judging by their clothes, the first one was was probably a 2nd-year student while the bitch was a fifth-year student like the man.
Her level was lower than normal for the batch, probably a slacker. And with most students entering the fifth year being around Lv35+, if she wasn't that, then she was just untalented.
Even if the year had just started, being this far behind already told him quite a lot about her. Although he could always be wrong…
"..."
To their aggressive actions, Philip just rolled his eyes and turned around after stepping aside.
There was no need to involve himself with them… It was a complete waste of his time. While he was angry about their actions, he didn't care much to do anything about it.
It was just a push and a bit of verbal abuse. Only a kid would start a fight with another kid over such petty things… One could say the same about the water balloon, but that was a different situation also…
"Tch! Aren't you an advanced student as well? Where's your courtesy as a fellow student?" The green-haired girl asked in a tone full of mockery
Philip, who was planning to leave, stopped and turned around, looking at them with an annoyed expression.
'Sigh, I can't have one day of peace without meeting one of these? That was why I didn't want him to leave…'
The man pulled the girl back, shaking his head, "Forget it, this guy is just a nobody… Nevertheless, shouldn't you at least apologize to me?"
"..."
This made Philip sigh mentally as various scenarios played in his head while he thought about what to do. Eventually, he chose one, already expecting its outcome…
But given the other possibilities, he'd rather wager on the faint chance of the unexpected than go through them.
"Apologize?... I already did. Besides…"
/Slap!/
"Look at you! Who allowed you to speak?!"
"..."
He did not react; in fact, he just looked at them with pity and disappointment.
It was the sadness of an adult witnessing a child without hope.
The red-haired girl felt something was off as she saw the girl go over the line, so she hedl onto the man's sleeves, "B-Brother… Let's leave… This is enough…"
"Eh? Sister, this is why people bully you, you can't be so meek all the time." The green-haired girl retorted as she crossed her arms
Seeing those guys ignoring him and treating him like trash made Philip's eyes turn cold. But he closed them soon after, calming down.
Even if not elegant, he turned around and tried to leave once more…
/Thud!/
"Brat, I gave you a chance, and you are now trying to leave?"
The red-haired man kicked Philip on his leg, making him fall on his knees, and after that, he grabbed his hair and pulled.
"... I had enough of you all."
'If buddha is watching me, I apologize for being unable to endure. This is as far as I'll go.'
But this time, Philip just got to his feet and grabbed his hand, making the red-haired dude surprised.
"Aren't you quite bold…"
/CRACK!/
In the blink of an eye, Philip moved his right hand and crushed the red-haired man's nose casually.
At the same time, he closed his left hand, crushing his wrist.
"AHH!"
While the man agonized in pain and confusion, Philip brushed his hair, adjusted his clothes, and said:
"I don't know what you want from me. I apologized and stepped out of the way. But if it's a fight you want, you got it."
He shook the blood from his fist, looking down at him as he cracked his neck.
"Dont blame me for this… Kid."
"You!"
The man stepped forward, ready to counterattack, but to Philip, he was so slow he stopped in place momentarily.
He got into a stance, and moved his arms:
/CRACK!/
/CRACK!/
/CRACK!/
/CR…/
With a flurry of moves, he precisely struck around his body where he knew would hurt the most, breaking a dozen bones all at once.
He knew where to hit to make it hurt. They wouldn't heal anytime soon, nor were they fatal in any way. This was plain torture meant to last.
/CRACK!/
/CRACK!/
/Cr…/
But after striking a dozen times more in the slowed-down world, Philip reconsidered his actions. 'Did I go overboard?' He asked himself as he looked at the shockwaves traveling around the man's body.
'He did attack me first, but a punch to the gut would've sufficed… Going overboard will only trigger the Academy Spirit, and I have a mission to do. I can't have this fool risk it.'
He thought about the people he knew and how they would react to this, and with a sigh, he realized that the only two people he knew up close in this world, Dae and Petter, would likely not care about it at all…
What a twisted world…
/Smack!/
To finish it off, he struck the man's temples, knocking him out completely.
"Ahhh! Wh-Wh…"
/SLAP!/
After he was done with the man, he raised his right hand and slapped the green-haired bitch right across the side of her face without even looking at her, making her teeth fly down the balcony and into the garden.
/BAM!/
Her face crashed against the stone floor, making a large dent in it… She didn't move after that, blood streaking across her lips, she could only gasp in shock as she struggled to breathe.
"!!"
All of this was done within a few seconds; it was all so fast that the younger girl stepped back in shock and fear, her hands trembling as she hyperventilated.
Philip felt it from the moment he saw her, but this girl was a little too weak-minded…
She looked at Philip's emotionless eyes and almost pissed herself when he raised his hand towards her…
"NOO!"
She screamed in fear, but he didn't do anything apart from pushing her aside. He crouched on the ground and lightly tapped the back of their heads, erasing whatever memories they had of this encounter.
Was this necessary? Probably not, since it was impossible to erase all evidence from all the eyewitnesses around them.
In fact, he stopped midway, feeling that doing so would be far too lenient.
After he was done, Philip got up and left by jumping out of the balcony and into the garden, leaving the bleeding bodies, and a terrified girl, behind.
…
/Swoosh!/
Soon enough, a teacher came flying from the garden and inspected their conditions. Once he realized they were fine aside from a few bruises, he fed them something before checking for any eyewitnesses and recording the area.
"This…"
When he realized what had happened, he let out a sigh, knowing this would be a headache to deal with. But once he took a good look at their faces to identify them, he realized who it was, and his face paled.
'What to do… Dammit! I should've ignored this instead of getting on with the troubles caused by this kid… What a fucking day.'
'It just had to be today too… Give me a break. I knew this would happen eventually. It was just a matter of time.'
Putting some thought into it, he called for someone to carry them into the infirmary while he also had another professor take care of this issue, going back to his previous post.
This wasn't his problem anymore.
…
"... I've gone quite far from the center… This should be enough. " Philip mumbled to himself as he put his back against a tree
The tower was now hidden beyond the trees' canopy. It was pretty strange that a forest was located underground, but it wasn't the strangest environment he found inside a Dungeon.
'No matter where I go, there's always someone looking for trouble… This likely won't be the last time this happens unless I go back to hiding.'
Shaking his head, Philip jumped and sat down in one of the tree branches, looking at the tower in the distance.
Once again, the same symbols started to form, glowing and blinking as a shape materialized before him…
*You have connected with the Nexus*
A male voice echoed in his mind, surprising him a bit. But he continued to look at the tower.
*Matching ID… Checking Identity and credentials… Welcome, Philip. Your entrance to the yearly underground Great Hunt has been verified and approved*
/Sha sha sha…/
A series of numbers and words started to appear before him, like a 'lite' version of the System.
They slowly gathered, persisting even when he closed his eyes. But before he could even read them, the voice continued:
*A request has been received from Professor Fabrin Peos:*
*Mission Type: Protection
Description: Protect student Ivia Peos through the remainder of the Great Hunt.
Additional Condition: Any intervention during the Great Hunt will disqualify the student until further analysis is done to determine the cause. Even so, professors and staff in charge of security are advised to prioritize student safety above all else. In case of irregularities, re-entry into the Great Hunt may be authorized.
Rewards: Discussed in private beforehand*
"So this is how it works... Simple enough. I accept… Is this how it's done?."
*The contract has been accepted, sending you the location and ID of the student…*
/Sheen…/
The previous runes broke apart, and a map appeared before him, showing a red and a white dot in a wide open field.
He immediately understood the map, but quickly lost interest in it due to how unresponsive it was.
"This is kind of annoying, how do I take this out of my vision?..."
*You can disconnect from the Nexus at any point by saying "Avich". Reconnecting to the Nexus can be done in the same manner as long as the user is within effective range*
"Very well."
'She isn't that far away from me, but I don't need to get there now… But it wouldn't hurt much to at least say hi before it starts, it would be a bit awkward otherwise.'
After he was done with that, Philip took some time to learn more about the Nexus.
Missions from the Academy, commissions from individuals and groups, requests for assistance… It was like using a web browser with multiple tabs open.
He scrolled through the requests first, but he didn't see anything interesting. He also went through what seemed to be an open market, but found nothing of interest aside from potentially a map of the underground regions. He also found a summary of the monsters he'd found, together with other similar summaries being sold by students likely trying to make some cash by selling information.
Even if readily available, it took some work to put it all together.
After spending some minutes inspecting the System, he got curious, asking:
"Hum… How does this "System" work?"
*A response has been formulated, guidelines are being displayed:*
*The central formation tower builds a mental link with its users through mental manipulation, connecting them with the Nexus by proxy. This allows for seamless exchange of information without external interference*
*It is important to mention that the Nexus is incapable of peering into the mind of any of its users as per rule N…*
*The Nexus is only accessible to those with considerable mental capabilities. Those unable to interact with it are given the lowest level of clearance*
*It's possible to use your student ID to connect with the Nexus in case of insufficient mental power*
*Nexus clearance level is determined by your ID specifications.*
"Hum… That's interesting and all, but it wasn't my question."
"I would like to know what the Nexus is."
*Checking ID… Clearance insufficient.*
"A bummer."
'Regardless, I find this all pretty interesting. Using mental power to create this strange network… It's not utterly inconceivable to me, but it would require an insane level of power and control.'
'Most likely, though, it isn't just about that but also about the method.'
"I think this is all to this, then. Some of these contracts are interestin,g but I won't have the time to do most of them. I'll have to resort to just… Hm?... This is…"
Philip was suddenly attracted to a certain portion of the Nexus… A long series of names and descriptions.
It was clearly a selection meant for professors and staff, so he was a little confused why he had access to it.
"This is… The participating students? It doesn't seem like I can see the status of other professors either. So is this due to my contract with Fabrin? It makes little sense otherwise."
'I can see quite a bit about them… Not everything I'd expect to find here, though. This means there is a lot of information I don't see... Can people see my own information as well?'
'I wonder what they'd see… But that doesn't matter right now, this is my chance!'
Motivated, Philip went through every student on the list. Mostly to find out the one he was looking for, but also to have an idea of his own strength within his age gap.
He didn't expect to find his target here at all, given he was likely too young to be here, but this at least served as a way for him to cross out this year completely and without too much trouble.
After an hour going through their profiles, he stopped.
"I've gone quite a long way… Compared to these guys, I'm not too far behind… No, I'm quite ahead."
'Look at this one for example, 19-year-old, 4th Circle… 18-year-old, 4th Circle… 19-year-old, quasi 5th circle? This is the average for them… Even if some of them are quite sorry asses, these are the elites of the elite in the continent attending an incredibly prestigious Academy.'
'You won't be doing any better unless you are the heir of some of the bigger clans… But what is that percentage? one in several ten million?'
'I can't quite compare myself with them, though… I'm not a wizard…'
'And after everything that occurred recently, I'm still getting used to things. They have studied and trained all their lives while I've been thrown into this land a month or two ago.'
'I can't say that's all the time I've trained, but it was the time I was given to put it into practice…'
"Some of these students have quite decent biographies… It seems my outlook of things was too biased."
Some students were heavily praised in these descriptions, and while the praise was neutral, it was still considerable given how emotionless the System was.
To be put in high regard like this meant he was likely a person of character. As rare as they may be, an actual Noble would be born from time to time.
"Oh! This kid… Is this the leader of the organization controlling the wardens?"
"Verimir Ji… Evythus Flower… That tracks with what I know."
'As expected, the Academy isn't in the dark regarding these. Hard not to with how high profile they all are.'
'One of the best students in the Academy and capable of 5th circle magic, albeit under the aid of special tools…'
"What about…? What? Locked?... So this is the end of my clearance. Just when things were getting interesting."
"Hopefully I won't meet with them again… I had enough of them."
"Who's next? Hm… Woah, this is one pretty lady…"
Philip checked the time, and he still had a lot of time to spend so he moved on to the next one on the list.
He jumped from student to student, eventually stopping as his eyes sharpened.
He took out his notebook for confirmation, his expression changing…
"Everything matches…"
She wasn't pretty, one could even call her plain…
Dark circles around her eyes… Pimples on her face… Her hair wasn't shiny or smooth like the other girls her age…
It didn't seem like she wore makeup or cared for her appearance at all, as even through an image, Philip could tell she was tired… But there was one thing about her that took away his breath for a moment:
She had a pair of violet eyes that seemed to peer into your soul…
'She's trying to hide her face in this picture, but it's unmistakable… Hair… Face… Expression… Even her school year… It all matches.'
'Second year… That's within the expected range. But… What is she doing here?'
'There was a chance she wasn't within the expected years, so I was in a hurry to confirm her location, but isn't this too much? I'm happy the information was correct, but what's a 2nd year doing in the middle of an event meant for 5th years?'
He went through her status…
'Recommended by a professor? Interesting! This is another box checked.'
Philip's target was said to be a talented individual, and while he wondered why that was mentioned at first, given his current location, after learning about the average of the Academy, he understood what Dae meant by that.
'Her strength… Mastered Fifth Class?!! And here I thought I was the monster.'
"She's definitely the person I am looking for."
'So the target was a girl, huh… This is strange. Dae's notes tell me the target is a man!... Could this be a false-positive? Does she have a twin brother, perhaps?'
'There's no way they would've made a mistake…'
"... Now that I look at it… She's wearing boys' clothes… Coupled with her rough look and coat, I guess one could mistake her for a boy with long hair… An effeminate boy…"
'If it weren't for the portfolio telling me it's a girl, I would've assumed otherwise.'
"Nexus, show me more about this student."
*Displaying results…*
*
>Request for party - 1 out of 4 members.
…
*
"One request… Made by her? She looked like the loner type of girl, though…"
'She gives me the vibes of someone who wants to be left alone… But I guess that in the Great Hunt, having companions is better than being alone… It doesn't matter how she feels if she's dead in the end.'
'There are quite a few commissions… Too many actually. Did she come to the Great Hunt to make credits? Does she have financial problems?...'
'Enough speculating. Let's see… Undisclosed background. Not surprising. This means she's a commoner… Or someone with connections to the higher hierarchy of the institution.'
'Something doesn't quite fit here. How did she become a 5th Circle at such an early age? Talent alone doesn't cut it, but who am I to disagree?'
'Now, how did she even join in the first place? Even commoners joining the Academy do so through certain channels. It wasn't like this in the past, but now, this place is far too elitist to allow competition, even if unfair.'
'The rest of her profile is average as well. Even her scores are average… How? How is a 5th Circle student average at everything? It's not like she's bad at history and good at magic theory…'
'Given that her profile can be seen this openly, I doubt she's trying to hide from the higher-ranking professors. This seems more like she's trying to distance herself from other students, which I can understand.'
'But this raises the same issue from before. If her background is unknown, why is she given so much privilege? And why do I have permission to see what she's trying so hard to hide?'
Philip felt he was missing something, but couldn't think of it, so he moved on for now.
'I can't leave her alone now… This is the chance to grow closer to her and move on with my mission. But I can't join her due to my position.'
"Is there a way for me to join a student without disqualifying them?"
The Nexus soon replied:
*Staff are allowed to directly participate if they follow certain guidelines:*
*First, all previous rules still apply; you will still be prohibited from interfering with other students participating in the competition, with a few exceptions*
*You will be forced to join a team of similar strength to yourself, and if this condition is not achieved, the points you make will be deducted by a percentage depending on the circumstance*
*A penalty will be given for the difference in ability between you and the other members of the team. This affects all students and not only you*
*This was made to avoid artificial evaluations*
"This solves it then."
'These points were never important to me. And as long as the System doesn't penalize her too much, she probably won't bother too much with an advanced student helping her… Although her background could change how she sees things.'
'She's definitely hiding something… For now, I need to confirm she's the one I'm looking for. I'm still on the fence about it.'
Philip interacted with the Nexus, applying to join her team.
*Would you like to apply as an Advanced student or under an alternate identity?*
"What? That's a feature?"
*Correct, it's possible to hide your identity*
"Well! You just made my day; make me a Fifth-year student!"
'Anything younger than that won't cut it, I'm afraid… As long as my beard is cut, I'll look young enough… This makes me feel old…'
*The request has been approved. Waiting for the student's confirmation… Accepted.*
/Thud/
Just as the voice finished talking, a uniform materialized before him just like last time.
"Quick as always… Albeit a little crude. Last time you gave it to me in a box."
…
Philip put on his new attire and checked himself by creating a mirror with magic, avoiding pulling items from his inventory in the open.
"Oho? I look great…"
'My face hasn't aged that much since I was 18, so I can easily pass by as a "mature" 19-year-old… Honestly, I look younger than some of them even.'
'Most males seem to like beards and moustaches, so not having one already makes me look younger than most.'
"All is in order… But one last thing before I move on…"
He opened the Nexus, checking the map of the region once more:
'How can I protect two girls at once?... I can't be in two places at the same time…'
'I can't blame Fabrin for throwing this at me since he was the one who gave me the chance to be here in the first place, but it still bothers me a little…'
"... Ahh, whatever. I'll think about it on the way…"
Philip checked the Nexus and made his way to the girl.
It was time to confirm his suspicions.
...
.
.
.
Notes