The Celestial Pool Secret Realm is a high-tier secret realm in Southwind City. It was conquered long ago and is now under the control of Red Maple Academy. Entering the secret realm not only accelerates cultivation but also enhances various attributes.
Ordinarily, regular instructors only get access to the Celestial Pool once every three months.
But Luca was a special case—not only was he the headmaster’s student, but he was also an academy instructor, and his talent was monstrously exceptional. So, even though Orf granted him special privileges, allowing him to enter the Celestial Pool once a month, no one had any objections.
Meanwhile, Rogge and the others had finally learned that Luca was the one who had caused their assessment to end prematurely.
“Instructor?! That guy is actually an instructor?!” The red-haired girl looked absolutely stunned.
If those words hadn’t come straight from Orf’s mouth, she would never have believed it. This guy, who seemed about the same age as them, had passed Red Maple Academy’s assessment and become their instructor.
Not only that, but he had participated in the assessment alongside them. Some of them had even seen Luca inside the Trial Tower.
This left everyone with a surreal sense of disbelief.
They were all just eighteen years old. Why was he qualified to be an instructor?
The gaze of the examinees was filled with shock and complexity, especially Rogge, whose eyes were practically blazing with fury as he looked at Luca.
If it weren’t for him, the assessment wouldn’t have ended prematurely. He would have been able to secure the top freshman spot as planned. But because of this guy’s one skill, all his hard work had gone to waste, and in the end, he got nothing.
If it weren’t for the fact that Luca’s strength was clearly leagues above his own, Rogge would’ve charged at him right now and fought him to the death.
Luca, however, didn’t pay any attention to the stares around him.
As soon as Orf finished speaking, a game notification appeared in front of him.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have passed Orf’s assessment and officially become an instructor at Red Maple Academy!]
[Reward: 500 Reputation Points!]
Luca glanced at his status panel. With the reputation he gained from reaching level 30 earlier, his total reputation points now exceeded 4,000. Although it was still a long way from his goal of 100,000 reputation points, it was progress nonetheless.
At that moment, Orf seemed to remember something. He took out a Storage Ring and a red badge, handing them to Luca.
Smiling, he said, “This is your instructor’s badge. With it, you have unrestricted access to Red Maple Academy’s library. As for this Storage Ring, it contains equipment I used when I was younger. I haven’t had a chance to give you any gifts before, so consider these yours.”
“Thank you, Professor!” Luca accepted the ring and badge with a smile. It really paid off to have a good mentor—the perks were on a whole different level.
The instructors’ badges were slightly different from those of the students. Instead of a leaf motif, the instructors’ badges were adorned with a fruit symbol.
He then swept his mental energy through the ring and was pleasantly surprised by what he found.
Inside the Storage Ring was a set of Gold Grade equipment, and not just any equipment—it was a complete Gold Grade set!
[Magic Runes Set: Gold Grade, usable by Demonic Rune Mages. Equipping the set grants the following effects: +20% magic runes attack power, +350 mental attributes, -15% magic runes cooldown.]
[Skill 1: Rapid Drawing — Increases magic runes drawing speed by 30% when activated.]
[Skill 2: Rune Amplification — Increases magic runes attack damage by 20% when activated.]
This was clearly a set of equipment designed specifically for Demonic Rune Mages. Every attribute and skill aligned perfectly with the class’s needs.
The gear he was currently using couldn’t keep up with his level. He had been planning to save up money for a new set, but now Orf had directly gifted him a professional equipment set. Luca’s joy was beyond words.
He quickly expressed his gratitude to Orf. Just this set alone was worth tens of thousands of gold coins. Such a valuable piece of equipment was given away so casually—truly fitting for a Superclass practitioner!
The others looked on with envious expressions.
Having a powerful mentor was indeed a blessing—receiving gear and materials as gifts seemed to be the norm.
Some players even shouted that it was unfair, suspecting favoritism. They were still struggling with Black Iron Level gear, while Luca already had a Gold Grade set. How were they supposed to compete now?!
Hearing Luca’s thanks, Orf stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “This is nothing. Follow me and train diligently in the future. With your talent, becoming one of the top experts in Eternal Continent is only a matter of time.”
Orf’s words were spoken with genuine conviction. With Luca’s level-10 maxed aptitude, combined with his guidance, it was only a matter of time before Luca surpassed him and became the strongest Demonic Rune Mage in the Clinton Empire.
Luca smiled and said, “I will, Professor.”
If it were anyone else, they’d probably be overjoyed beyond measure.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, Luca had been a top-tier expert. Orf’s words didn’t stir up too much excitement within him.
Kruse watched and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Not only did Luca possess exceptional talent, but he was also taken in as a student by a top-level expert. More importantly, he had the right temperament.
It wouldn’t be long before this young man became the brightest new star in the Clinton Empire!
Just then, a graceful figure approached Luca.
“Instructor Luca, congratulations!” Fratis’ beautiful eyes curved like crescent moons as she spoke sweetly.
Luca’s admission to the academy made her heart brim with joy. Even though he hadn’t become a student and had instead joined as an instructor, it didn’t matter—as long as he stayed at Red Maple Academy!
Hearing Fratis’ address, Luca felt an indescribable sensation.
Why did he feel like there was something strange in the way this woman was looking at him…?
On the other side, Susie, who had been preparing to cause Luca some trouble, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Who is this woman?” She puffed out her cheeks, feeling an inexplicable irritation as she watched the two of them chatting and laughing.
Nomadey did know a bit about Fratis’ identity. Before coming to Red Maple Academy, he had done plenty of research, so he explained, “She’s the sixth princess of the Clinton Empire, named Fratis, a third-year student here.”
“Princess?!” Susie frowned, feeling even more annoyed, and spat, “What a shameless flirt!”
She had only been away from Luca for a few days, and now he was already getting close to a princess?
He doesn’t even spare NPCs—what a desperate guy!
Glancing between the young man chatting and laughing with Fratis and Susie.
Nomadey’s expression turned strange.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked, “That guy… is he Luca?”
At this point, even if Nomadey were dense, he could sense that something was off. There were plenty of people with the same name in this world.
But for Susie to care this much, it could only be because of that guy who had overshadowed him for three years—no one else would make her react like this.
Susie didn’t reply, but Nomadey already had his answer.
“What the hell is he doing here too?” His expression darkened. Back at school, he and Luca had always been at odds. If it weren’t for that jerk, he might already have a two-year-old child with Susie by now.
After finally getting a chance to get close to Susie, he hadn’t expected to run into Luca in the game as well.
Nomadey’s heart felt as if he had just swallowed a pile of filth.
Luca, on the other hand, had been keeping an ear on Susie and Nomadey’s conversation.
Hearing their murmured discussion, he understood that his identity was probably exposed.
There was no point in pretending anymore. He spread his hands toward Nomadey and said, “And why shouldn’t I be here? It’s not like Eternal Game is owned by your family.”
Without waiting for Nomadey’s face to turn even darker, Luca turned to Susie with a smile and teased, “Hey there, classmate. You don’t look so good—are you feeling unwell? Do you need me, your instructor, to escort you to the infirmary?”
Susie was even more furious at Luca’s mockery. This jerk was definitely doing this on purpose!
Sensing its owner’s emotions, a small white mouse sleepily crawled out of Susie’s arms.
As soon as it saw Luca, it shuddered and instinctively glanced at the silver snake-shaped bracelet on Luca’s wrist.
With just one look, it seemed to have seen something terrifying. In a flash, it scurried back into Susie’s arms, curled up tightly, and started trembling.
Susie’s anger flared even more—what was there to be afraid of with this guy?
“You just wait!” Susie huffed coldly, turning on her heel and storming off. She was already planning to tell Sini all about Luca’s antics in the game and let her properly teach this scoundrel a lesson.
“How dare you make Susie mad—Luca, just wait and see!” Nomadey was secretly delighted to see a conflict arise between the two. However, he still put on a fierce expression and glared at Luca before eagerly trotting off to follow Susie.
“Are those two students your friends?” Fratis asked, watching the pair walk away, a look of curiosity and concern in her eyes. With a young woman’s intuition, she sensed that the relationship between Luca and the blonde girl wasn’t ordinary.
“Yes, they are,” Luca replied with a cheerful nod, not taking Susie’s threats seriously at all.
That woman’s personality was just like that—give her a little time, and she’d forget all about it.
Orf and Fred both watched the young people with great interest. As older men who had lived through their share of experiences, they could immediately pick up on the unusual dynamics between the group. Their faces bore knowing smiles, as if they were witnessing a glimpse of their own youth.
Luca didn’t linger for long.
After completing the Trial Tower assessment, his strength had undergone a significant boost, and he had also earned a multitude of rewards. He was already itching to go through his spoils.
Orf, noticing Luca’s eagerness, smiled and gave him a few words of advice before asking Fred to escort him to his new living quarters.
All instructors at Red Maple Academy were provided with their own residence within the academy grounds, and Luca was no exception.
The place Orf had arranged for him was a pavilion located behind the faculty building. Originally, these quarters were reserved for the heads of each grade level, and Luca had been assigned to one of these residences.
A newcomer to Red Maple Academy, and yet he already had his own private pavilion.
It was enough to make many instructors and students green with envy.
But none of them dared voice any complaints.
Who would be foolish enough to mess with Orf’s student? That would be the same as inviting trouble for themselves.
Orf’s reputation as a petty, overprotective Superclass practitioner was well-known throughout the entire Southern Territory.