Samuel and Ryan left the arena together. The crowd was still buzzing, the noise following them like a swarm of bees. Whispers floated through the air, some loud, some hidden behind hands.
"Did you see that golden light inside the blue?" one student asked, pointing toward the tower.
"Yes, I saw it. It was the first time I ever saw a golden color on the crystal. Usually, it is just blue or red," another student replied.
"Is he really the waste of the Crimson Clan? Are all those rumors about him having zero aptitude false?" a third student questioned.
The gossip spread fast. Samuel kept his face blank. He did not look left or right. He knew attention could be dangerous.
Marcus Thunder stood nearby with his minions. He watched Samuel walk away. His face was twisted in anger.
"It was just luck," Marcus said loudly, so everyone nearby could hear. "Next time we meet, I will show him what real power is."
After saying that, Marcus turned and left with his minions. His steps were heavy, kicking up dust.
Ryan walked beside Samuel. He looked towards Samuel with stars shining in his eyes. He could not hide his excitement.
"I knew you could do this, brother Samuel. You were so cool there," Ryan said. His voice was full of admiration.
Samuel glanced at him. "I know that. But be careful of that Marcus and his minions. They might try to play dirty in tomorrow's combat test. The Thunder Clan does not like losing."
"Okay, I will be careful," Ryan nodded his head. He looked serious now.
Like that, they reached the dormitory district area. The buildings here were made of white stone, the same material used to make the capital walls. They looked strong and sturdy, glowing faintly under the sun.
But the Elite Student Dorm was separated from the rest. It was a towering structure made of black iron metal. It looked like a fortress. Runes on the surface of the black iron were floating like water in the sea, pulsing with light.
"Elite Class student dorms are here, those iron metal towers. Normal student dorms are those wooden ones over there without any anti-magic properties," said Ryan. He pointed to the simpler buildings nearby.
"You should meet me near the gate. Tomorrow we will join the combat test together," Samuel said. He stopped at the entrance of the black tower.
"Good luck," Ryan said. After saying this, Ryan walked toward a different counter for his key.
Samuel walked toward the counter of the Black Iron Tower to get registered and take the key. There was a woman sitting there with black hair tied back. She was wearing glasses, and she looked very tired. There were piles of paper in front of her.
"Name," she asked. She did not look up.
"Samuel Crimson," he replied.
"Let me check the student list," she said. She picked up a book and flipped through the pages. She stopped at his name. Her eyes widened slightly. There was a note next to his name, 'Priority Watch List'.
She looked at Samuel for a second, then looked back at the book.
"Room No. 304, third floor. Don't lose the key, or you will need to pay 20 gold for a new key," she said. She handed him a metal card with Samuel's picture on it.
Samuel took the key. "Thanks," he said. He turned and headed toward the third floor of the black iron tower.
The hallway was quiet. No one was there. Thick red carpet covered the hallway on the third floor, muffling his footsteps. The mana density was even higher here than in the arena. It felt like liquid mana was in the air. Every breath felt heavy and rich.
Sam found room No. 304. He opened it with the metal card. He tapped it on the door lock, and it opened on its own. The door opened with a hiss sound, sliding into the wall.
Sam stepped inside the room. The room had a large bed with soft sheets, a desk with a chair, and a small kitchen in the corner. The room was large enough for him to train here without hitting the walls.
There was even a window there. From it, he could see the academy training grounds. Even further, there was a dark outline of the Night Forest. The wind breeze was cool and relaxing, carrying the smell of pine.
[Host completed the quest: Enter Into The Academy]
[Reward Claimed: Skill Book x 1, One Opportunity for Mana Cleansing, and 10% Increase in Rank Progression]
[65% → 75%]
[Skill Point Acquired]
[System Notification]
[Mana Cleansing Has Started]
Sam did not feel the pain like when the System was integrating. He felt a warm, comfortable feeling inside his body. A warm current was flowing inside his veins, washing through his organs.
[Mana Cleansing Has Completed]
[Mana Capacity Has Increased by 10%]
[Mana Purity: High]
Impurities from his body were removing in a black substance form, oozing out of his pores.
"It smells so bad. I need to take a shower and change my clothes," Samuel said. He wrinkled his nose.
Saying that, Sam took a hot shower. The water washed away the black sludge. He felt lighter, cleaner. His skin glowed slightly.
After showering, Sam opened the System. A blue screen appeared in front of him.
[You Have One Skill Point Host]
"System, how to use skill points?" Sam asked.
[Host Can Unlock One of These Skills]
[Available Skills: Mana Shield, Shadow Step, Iron Skin]
Samuel thought for a moment. "I have Fire Dash, so I don't need Shadow Step. And taking damage physically is not a good choice. I need defense. System, I choose Mana Shield."
[Skill Acquired: Mana Shield]
[Effects: It can absorb physical and magical damage for host. Durability depends on volume of mana]
"Let's test it." Sam stretched his hand and casted Mana Shield. A blue transparent layer covered his body, like a thin film of glass. But it lasted for only 1 second. Then it vanished.
"Looks like I need to train this skill to master it," he said.
He checked his bag. There was a knife he had brought there. It was sharp enough to easily cut stone. And there were painkillers that Aria gave him. He put them near the bed.
"Tomorrow when I enter into the Night Forest, I need to be careful of the Thunder Clan and Demon Cult. They will try to take action," Samuel was thinking that when there was an impatient knock on the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Samuel hid his knives under the pillow. He walked toward the door and opened it slightly.
There was a boy standing there with red hair. He wore a robe with a flame emblem of the Fire Rose Clan on the chest.
"You are from the Crimson Clan, right?" the boy said while leaning on the door frame. He looked Samuel up and down. "The one with that weird light on today's test."
"Yes, it's me. My name is Samuel Crimson," Sam said with a calm voice. He did not invite the boy in.
"I am Felix Fire," the boy said with a smile on his face, but it did not reach his eyes. His eyes were cold. "I just came here to give you a piece of advice. The tallest trees are the first to be cut, Samuel Crimson."
"Are you trying to threaten me?" Samuel asked. His hand was near his pocket.
Felix laughed at it. "No, just a piece of advice. Some people fall from high places very easily. Especially if someone pushes them."
While talking, he secretly tapped his ring on his finger. There was a red gem on the ring, and it glowed dimly for a second.
[Warning! Hostile Intention Detected, Host]
[Item Identified: Target Ring Has Traces of Flame Poison on the Gem]
After seeing the warning, Sam took a glance at the ring. It was glowing dimly. It couldn't be noticed if not for the System warning. The poison was invisible to the naked eye.
"Thank you for the advice. I will consider it," Samuel said. He looked Felix in the eye. "You should be careful while walking. Floors are slippery."
The smile from Felix's face faded, replaced with hostility in his eyes. He did not expect Samuel to be calm even after his warning. Most students would be scared.
"See you at the forest," Felix said.
Saying that, he turned around and walked away. His steps were fast. After seeing him go, Sam quickly closed the door. He locked it.
"System, what effect will the flame poison have on me?"
[Don't Worry Host. It Will Only Cause Fever and Burns]
*But Due to Your Fire Immunity and Poison Being F-Rank, It Won't Affect You]
Samuel still checked his body if something was wrong. He felt fine. His fire mana protected him.
"Thank God. If not for fire immunity, it would have caused quite a trouble. And they tried to use this type of cheap tricks on me," Samuel said while gritting his teeth.
"They want me to fail. Let's them see how I pass tomorrow's exam," thinking that, Samuel started training his Mana Shield.
He stood in the center of the room. He focused. He pulled mana from his core. The blue film appeared again. It lasted for 3 seconds. He tried again. 5 seconds.
After many tries, he could use Mana Shield for a long time. The shape became stable. After training, he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark, and only runes were glowing in the dark room.
Outside the room, the wind was blowing fast. The moon was hung high in the sky. Moonlight passed through the windows, landing on Samuel's face. He looked handsome with white hair and dark green eyes. Samuel slept soundly.
In the tower above, Officer Kane was sitting on a chair in front of a flowing crystal ball. From it, he watched the black iron tower. He also saw Samuel's room glow blue for a moment during the training.
"Cleansing completed," Kane said. He wrote something in a note he held in his hand. His handwriting was sharp.
"And he even learned a new skill. What a fast learner."
He put down the quill that he had in his hand. He looked at the name written on the paper.
"Let us see if you survive the night or not, SAMUEL CRIMSON."
The moon rose high in the sky. The capital was completely silent. But in the academy, a war was waiting.
P.S. For those wondering how Sam can use mana despite not having a mana circuit, it's because the mana comes from his contracted spirits rather than from Sam's own body. Because of this, there's a chance someone stronger could detect it.