This time, Holy Abyss Academy had admitted thirteen students.
Additionally, in order to recruit Abby, Daniel had summoned several talented students to bolster their ranks.
Hence, their group was quite large.
In a split second, Caitlin’s words clearly reached their ears, leaving them utterly shocked. Especially the male students from Holy Abyss Academy felt as if their hearts were about to shatter.
Previously, Howard’s F-level talent, which was desired by many academies, combined with having a girlfriend like Abby, already stirred their envy and jealousy.
Now, to hear their goddess call Howard “darling” was the last straw. They all turned, their eyes fixed intently on Howard.
Abby, equally stunned, recognized Caitlin. Hearing Caitlin’s address to Howard, she exclaimed, “Howard, were you the masked man in the Ruins?”
“What?!” Glyn, taken aback by Abby’s words, exclaimed, “Oh, Howard, are you that distinguished person? My God, you’ve only awakened half a month ago, and you possess such power?!”
“Damn! This is truly unbelievable!” Glyn, in his excitement, said, “So, our journey to the Ruins tomorrow, we’re going together, right?”
Clearly, Caitlin had informed Glyn about the Castle of Vampires Ruins.
“Of course.” Howard replied with a smile, then turned to Abby, softly adding, “I had my reasons for concealing my identity back then.”
“It’s okay,” Abby replied, undeterred by Howard’s secrecy, and giggled, “Now that I know how powerful you are, you’ll have to protect me from now on!”
Hearing this, Caitlin couldn’t help but slightly frown. She couldn’t believe that a girl would not be angry after being deceived by her beloved.
“Enough, you two. How old are you to be so lovey-dovey?” Daniel, seeing them still engaged in their conversation, couldn’t help but interject, “At your age, you should be focusing on your training! Given your talents, who knows, you might one day become experts on par with Rick Suleiman.”
Pausing for a moment, Daniel whispered, “Let me tell you something, but never let it get out.”
“What is it?”
“Is it some gossip?!”
It has to be said, gossip is the true essence of humanity.
Upon hearing about some secret matter, even the jealous male students quickly forgot their envy towards Howard.
They quickly gathered around Daniel, their ears perked up, listening intently.
Both Caitlin and Abby’s attentions were similarly drawn in.
“Cough, cough!” Daniel cleared his throat, leaning in to whisper, “Rumor has it that Rick Suleiman has a thing for our dean! If not for our dean, with Rick Suleiman’s current strength, he would’ve already ascended to the upper ranks of the Alliance, or perhaps would be on the front lines as a commander.”
“My God! Someone has feelings for our dean?”
“And just how powerful is Rick Suleiman?”
The students were thoroughly taken aback. The shocks of this single day seemed to surpass those of an entire year for them.
Howard, however, wore a wry smile. He hadn’t expected that Rick Suleiman’s search for his nemesis would be spun into such a tale in the mouths of others.
Grinning, Daniel continued, “Rick Suleiman and our dean once journeyed together to the Extraplanar. After facing numerous hardships and successfully completing a mission assigned by the Alliance, it was then that Rick Suleiman requested a transfer to Adia.”
“And for the next decade or so, no matter the achievements he made, he refused any transfers. Preferring to remain in Adia without seeking promotions. Can you guess why?”
Daniel’s narrative immediately lit up the eyes of the students, making it seem as though Rick Suleiman had turned into a hopeless romantic.
Only Howard sensed something amiss and quickly inquired, “Mentor, can we still travel to the Extraplanar?”
“Yes,” Daniel confirmed, “Not only can Extraplanar creatures descend to our world through space rifts, but under specific conditions, we can also travel to their realm. However, once there, the perils are immense. Many prodigies with S-level talents have perished in the Extraplanar. That’s why the Alliance gradually ceased to assign such missions.”
“Even those with S-level talents can fall? Is it that perilous?”
“We’ve only awakened B-level talents. If we were to go, wouldn’t it be a near certain death?”
The students were filled with trepidation.
“The Extraplanar is our arch-nemesis. To some extent, they are even more terrifying than the monsters and demons that invade our world… After all, the goal of Extraplanar beings isn’t just to dominate our world.” Daniel said with a solemn expression, “If we lose to demons, we might still live. But if we lose to the Extraplanar, our world will be devoured along with us.”
Hearing this, the students looked gravely concerned, realizing the magnitude of the threat they faced.
“But you all shouldn’t be too concerned,” Daniel said with a chuckle, “Our race’s elites have been steadily reinforcing the spatial channels. Nowadays, the Extraplanar beings that can come through the space rifts aren’t that powerful. And if you were to encounter one and managed to slay it together, you can claim a reward within the Alliance.”
“Slay an Extraplanar creature and claim a reward from the Alliance?” On hearing this, Howard furrowed his brows. He had already eliminated two Extraplanar beings and hadn’t claimed any rewards. Had he missed out?
Daniel laughed, “Exactly. As long as you have proof of having killed an Extraplanar creature, you can head to the Alliance for your reward. However, some cities are too far from the Alliance and aren’t aware of this. Even within Adia, only our Holy Abyss Academy has contact with the Alliance to exchange for rewards.” .
As he spoke, pride shone brightly on Daniel’s face.
Howard’s eyes lit up. With Daniel’s assurance, every future Extraplanar kill would now come with an extra reward. Who would ever say no to more rewards?
“I dare say, joining the Holy Abyss Academy will be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make!” Daniel paused, then continued, “Let me explain more about the academy and things to be mindful of once you arrive in Adia.”
Having never traveled far, the students hung onto Daniel’s every word, listening intently.
As the conversation flowed, Howard and the group followed Daniel to the relay station.
“Remember the precautions I’ve laid out for you,” Daniel said seriously. “I’m giving you three days off. Spend time with your parents, families, and bid them farewell. After three days, we set off for Adia. Once there, you can’t just return on a whim. If someone rashly leaves the academy, in serious cases, they’ll be deemed as truants and expelled immediately.”
Hearing the severity of the consequences, the expressions of many students changed. Only Howard seemed unaffected. Having grown up in an orphanage, he could tell that Daniel was merely trying to intimidate them.
“Caitlin, Howard, Glyn, Abby, Aisha, the five of you, stay behind!”
Just as Howard intended to leave with the rest, Daniel’s voice halted him.
The other students cast curious glances at the five but didn’t linger. They left quickly, leaving Howard, Abby, Caitlin, and the rest to follow Daniel into a room.
As soon as they entered, Daniel formed a hand seal, releasing a radiant silver glow that enveloped Howard and the others.
“Earlier, I heard from Glyn that you’re planning to explore the Ruins tomorrow,” Daniel, eyes sharp, inquired, “Who discovered these Ruins? How many can enter at most?”
At this, Glyn looked utterly bewildered, “Uh, did I mention that?”
“Nonsense!” Daniel snapped coldly, “Do you truly believe I’m the kind of mentor who gossips? If it weren’t for diverting the conversation and not letting the others notice your talk of the Ruins, would I fabricate a story about the headmaster and the Inspector General?”
“If they were to find out, I’d undoubtedly suffer a painful lesson! Two beings over level 90…”
As he mentioned this, an involuntary shiver passed through Daniel.
Howard and the rest exchanged glances, their curiosity deepening.
Just how fearsome were Rick Suleiman and the headmaster’s strengths?
The mere mention of them seemed to terrify a mentor like Daniel!
“The Ruins were discovered by Howard,” Caitlin retorted with a pout, “As for the details, we’re not entirely sure. Mentor, do you intend to join us in the exploration?”
Daniel gave a slight nod, whispering, “Howard and Abby are the future’s hope. I can’t ease my mind letting you go into the Ruins recklessly.”
“So, I’m not the hope for the future?” Caitlin replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, while Glyn scratched his head, looking a bit naive.
“It’s different!” Daniel chuckled, “You, Glyn, and Aisha all possess the power to defend yourselves. Howard and Abby have just awakened; I’ll only be at ease if I accompany you.”
“Why? Are you not pleased that someone’s guiding you through the Ruins?”
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