"If you really want me to show you."
His eyes held the man's gaze. "I'll show you then."
The man didn't step back, even if he should for a display of the fire element.
Killian let out a quiet breath, as his fingers moved to the edge of his cloak. He pulled off the gloves on his wrist, and let his arm fall under the wide arm.
Something fell off the gloves and into the wide arm sleeve.
He stepped forward into the sunlight, baring his wrist to the sunlight, while his other arm stayed behind him.
Black smoke rose from his exposed skin.
"Mana-imbued fist."
As he spoke, his hands lit up in fiery yellow flames, not burning his skin. It was the same style as when he had seen Juda's fire envelop his arms.
The teacher was a little surprised. A thin smile spread on his lips.
The fire coiled around his hand, wrapping it, making it look like it was coming from him. "Enough?"
Mr. Jenovan tried to quench it, but Killian pulled his hand away.
"Enough." He wore his gloves. "I already told you that I am drained."
If he touches it, he will realize that it is cold.
Also, the illusion would break if someone makes body contact.
He switched off the lighter he held behind him, and snuck it back into his side pocket. He returned his hand in front of him.
Quara fed the lighter with his mana composition so any mana he emitted served as its fuel.
With the reaction of his skin to the sun, he hid mana traces within the smoke and used it for the effects.
"Hmph," the teacher muttered after a moment, leaning back slightly. "You are really a fire user."
That is settled.
"I'm also not interested in being your stud—"
"I wasn't offering." Mr. Jenovan adjusted his posture. "I just needed to know that you weren't another incompetent Dominic. It makes my precious student look bad."
Killian smiled, agreeing. The man might already know about Keith's undeserving promotion.
"Don't worry. Most of the skills I know were taught to me by your precious student."
The man's shoulders relaxed and he started leaving. "Then you really don't need to be my student."
"That was what I meant in essence."
The man chuckled in a low tone as he left. He took only three steps away from the window before his presence vanished.
Killian noticed the crystal floating on the ground. It must've reflected the Mage's figure while his physical body was elsewhere.
He is a talented Mage, specialising in the Fire and the Fusion Element, Crystal. Sadly, there's nothing he could teach me to improve my skill in Void.
He checked his WLog updates and saw that his badge was ready for collection. He headed for the next building.
Killian didn't slow down even as the noise of the main hall increased as he passed. He could feel the weight of eyes gluing to his back.
How can they tell that I was the top scorer? Could someone have posted my picture already?
This popularity phase just crept up on me in two days.
He moved through the quieter corridors, and his shoulders eased as no one was watching him as if he were a spectacle. "Finally—"
"Killian!"
His face lit up on hearing her voice. Finally, he was around with his teammates. "Hey, Evelyn!"
When he looked up, he braced himself for her hug, as she was already running to him.
But she halted a step away from him, and leaned forward. "Congratulations! When did you actually get to 106!" She laughed. "That's more than those prodigies ever scored during their first training!"
Killian loosened, and he felt a little disappointed by her self-restraint. "Yeah, it just happened."
Then, he remembered to give details or she'd get suspicious. "I realized that my black fire was advantageous for sneak attacks because it was cold. The worms never see it coming."
That was partially true. Most monsters were naturally averse to heat, but never very wary of the cold creeping up on them unless it was intense.
Those tendrils had an advantage there.
"Oh," Evelyn nodded, as if a question had been answered. "So you would be our perfect long-range fighter. Very efficient for this."
Killian wanted to ask what she meant but she spun around. He looked ahead, and spotted Juda leaning back on a seat, his head drooping.
He walked to them.
"By the way, do you have points left?" Evelyn said as she showed him a list. "Juda needs Ache Aid."
"The last ones were given to an injured person."
"Was it a trainee? And you are already a people person?" Evelyn teased.
He shrugged. "She needed it. It was just five points."
Evelyn's expression stilled for a second, then she crossed her arms. "A girl needed five points, and you just gave them to her?"
Killian couldn't see the problem.
More precisely, he had already exhausted what he needed to buy, and he needed to do a good deed.
More importantly, her injury needed immediate care.
"Is that bad?"
Evelyn shook her head and turned away. "They are your points, so do what you want with them. Do you know anyone with Ache Aid though?"
"My sister perhaps."
"Let's get our badges, and you take Juda to her."
Why is she suddenly cold?
He hummed in response and they continued to the office. Killian supported Juda because the boy felt like his head could split open if he walked on his own.
There were four long lines, with four receptionists. "This will take a while," he sighed, leaning Juda against a wall, beside the first line.
He noticed Evelyn leave and joined the fourth line.
Is she avoiding me?
"That last line is faster though." Juda said, opening one eye. "Let's move to the fourth."
Is that why she left? Couldn't she say something?
He moved himself and Juda, but Evelyn shook her head. "We are teammates, so I can get our badges. Don't move him around much."
Oh, so that's actually why she left.
"You have entertaining misunderstandings, vessel."
"Don't tease me," he sighed, returning to the spot with Juda.
Evelyn returned two minutes later. There was a spring in her steps. "Killian, your badge looks like it would be platinum! Open it, let me see?"
Hearing her cheerful voice again, Killian felt relieved. He snapped the package open. She looked in first, before Juda turned to look.
It was a sleek, purplish-platinum metal piece with the same Light sigil he had seen at the gate.
When he touched its surface, it dimmed slightly and the sigils morphed into the black edges shape of the Void. Killian discreetly hid the badge.
"Oh, it registered you with a touch!" Evelyn quickly opened hers. "My turn. My turn."
Killian looked back at the line and confirmed that the fourth line had moved the fastest. Understanding social cues was something he needed to learn.
Ding!
His brows knitted when he saw the updated benefits added to his interface.
[Top Scorer EXCLUSIVE Benefits!]
[Access to Realm Simulation (B-tier And Lower Only.)]
[Three Summons For On-Demand Healing Mage!]
[Double Monetary Regards After First Mission!]
These weren't bad at all.
In fact, too good. Quara had gotten only one benefit, and she was also a top scorer.
The group continued to their last destination to get registered as a team so they could access their first mission.
The old lady at the desk was rather bored to receive another set of energetic teenagers.
"So, we are here!" Evelyn announced, pointing at their names on the hologram. "Of course, we are the highest-ranking team because of the Top Scorer."
A flicker of intrigue flashed in the old lady's eyes. She turned to the two boys seated in front of her.
"Is that you?" She asked the one not visibly in pain.
Killian nodded once.
"I see. Well, sadly the benefits for the highest ranking team aren't much compared to the Top Scorer benefits. But take any weapon you want."
She opened a drawer of small support weapons.
"..."
Evelyn trudged forward, and took two black daggers from the pile. She looked at them dryly but said, "Thank you, Miss."
The old lady smiled at being called a 'miss'.
"You are welcome, dear."
Juda reached for gauntlets, and Killian took daggers similar to Evelyn's.
"Now for our first mission!" she sprinted off.
Juda sighed for the seventh time since they met that day. "Do you think she has so much energy that just watching her tires you?"
"It's quite the opposite for me. It's good that someone is that energetic among us."
Juda smiled faintly. "I might be the problem then." He looked up at nothing. "Status."
He paused. "Killian, we have a new team leader, but he's not what you'd expect."
Killian also received the notification as Juda spoke. He checked his, and froze. "Were… you given a reason he was your team leader?"
"No, just name and rank. I can't believe he's such a top-rank and leading newbies. Were you given a reason though?"
Killian hesitated. "Of course not."
He stared at his WLog interface while a knot formed in his stomach.
The system wouldn't just let him breathe.
[You Have Been Assigned A Team Leader!]
[Big Stepper - A-Rank Lower]
[Reason: Anomaly!]