I was only bedridden for another day before I could walk around the hospital. A few more passed before they released me. With another night of sleep, the tenderness pervading my body subsided to a faint ache, then disappeared. From there, I just had to get used to my new senses and the almost foreign movements of my body.
Maxwell’s additional Crown enhanced my bodily acuity. He said they used spinal fluid, so I assumed that it modified the neural pathways across my spine and limbs.
I was more sensitive, reactive, and had a lot more control over my body. I didn’t suddenly become an Olympic gymnast or anything like that, but the entirety of my motor function had been brought up a level.
My senses were the most obvious improvement though. The first time I stepped outside, a whole new world opened up to me.
My eyesight was unlike anything I could have imagined. The color range available to me seemed to have tripled at the least. I almost didn’t recognize some things because of how detailed and vivid they were. Not only that, but it turned out that merely seeing the texture on a wall was the most minimal ability of my new eyes.
Looking out at the Saints’ Walk, I focused on the towering statue of Jesus and zoomed in on his head. And not just zoom in like a camera, but like a telescope. After some fine focusing, I could even see the minute cracks and weathered textures on the sculpted hair.
And that head was sitting close to a mile from the ground, which meant I could easily see even the small details of something more than a mile away.
It was difficult to test out anything beyond that due to where I was. I’d need to go to the top of the Verga tower in order to get a line of sight to something farther. But regardless, the fact that I could see something a mile away as if it were 5 feet from my face was astounding.
I could hardly believe it was possible, and perhaps biologically it wasn’t. I knew eagles had good eyesight, and maybe if I had something like the massive eye on a Scout, the lenses might be large enough to act like a telescope. But two regular eyes shouldn’t be able to see that far. The physics of optical focusing simply didn’t allow it.
But of course, magic didn’t give a damn about what physics said. So not only was the biological eye itself probably a few times better than a human’s, but the magic built into it multiplied that strength by a dozen times over. That was the reason liquified White Crystal was utilized to such an extent. This organ was by no means completely organic.
And it was difficult to think that those Scouts still had better eyes. My eyes only touched upon a portion of their power. It was no wonder they were so weak. They traded all of their survivability for observational prowess the likes nobody could imagine.
Then again, it was a Royal I got the material from. I wasn’t quite sure what the difference would be.
Since I was able to walk around and operate normally, my squad and I spent the day touring the town. Vetsmon insisted that he cart us around, taking us to his favorite restaurants, entertainment venues, and the school in which he was raised.
The Ark was the Holy See’s version of the Magisterium. Or perhaps it was the other way around. It would raise children from the young age of 5 until their Crest was activated when they were 16. Once that happened, they would move into the grades of higher magical learning.
The difference from the Magisterium was in how long each taught for. Each year of students in the Ark would be with each other for 15 years until they turned 20. Every single child who had a Crest within the entirety of the Holy See would enter and be taught by the Ark.
Vetsmon made it a point to mention that nobody was allowed to fail out, and there was no other school for Magi to go within the Holy See. Because of this, every major and minor family had a massive investment in the school: their own children. It was on a whole other level of involvement compared to the Magisterium, as well as perhaps the most significant and important institution in the city, solely responsible for shaping the future of the Church.
And because of this, it was naturally far larger than the expansive Magisterium grounds. Each of the Eight Towers were 600 meters tall. And not only was the Ark even taller, but it was effectively the size of all eight towers combined into one.
It had three primary sections. There was one central tower and two sub-towers connected to the central tower’s sides, making it look like a rocket with two boosters.
It was the one place where the entirety of the Magi youth went, which meant there were a lot of children of all ages in that one place. It needed a lot of facilities for both them and the teaching staff, as well as maintenance and whoever else might need to work there.
Their building may as well have been a city unto itself, and it was what Vetsmon brought us into.
There were thousands of children and parents within the plaza surrounding the entrance to the building. The only requirement to come to this place was to be a Magus, so no matter if they were five cities away, any child with a Crest could enroll in the Ark, and it was apparently completely free. No parent would have to pay for their child to live, eat, and learn there. There were even ways for them to make money if they were really that strapped for cash, allowing some method of self sustainment.
It seemed like a paradise, but of course, there were downsides to any institution. The most prevalent issue was the division between the noble children and the commoners. The Church had its own noble class and they were addressed as such even if they didn’t operate in the same way as Kingdom nobles. And because they were the ones who funded and operated the Ark, their children were prideful and ruled the place as they saw fit, even if the school advocated for equal treatment.
And that led to the second issue. Staying with the same people for 15 years could become quite a drag, especially if they didn’t get along. That brewed no shortage of discontent in the long run and commoners always suffered the brunt of that, so many quit. Just because you couldn’t fail out didn’t mean you couldn’t quit.
It wasn’t the perfect system, that much was for certain. But there were certainly worse systems out there. Compared to those, or no education at all, these kids had it pretty damn good.
The interior of the Ark wasn’t much different from any one of the Towers, besides being filled with children and teens. It was at the higher levels that the young adults were found, those being the same age as us from the Magisterium.
School was in session as we walked through, and Vetsmon brought us to the training grounds. Apparently, he had stayed within the Ark until two years after his Crest was activated, getting taught the ways of the knight before getting sent off to the Magisterium. That meant he had many friends here, and that's who we were going to see, as well as a teacher he was close with.
We soon arrived, entering through a normally sized pair of doors, greeted by the wide open indoor field on the other side. The walls were made of massive glass panes, letting in natural light, and there were a bunch of students doing various drills across the field.
We stood to the side for a moment, a question spilling from my mouth as I watched.
“Vetsmon, why did your dad send you to the Magisterium halfway through?”
“He didn’t want me to remain within the bubble of the Holy See.”
He answered back with a shrug.
“You only ever see the same several dozen people for so many years, and he wanted me to go out and meet more and get exposed to the reality of the Kingdom. Only after I had learned what he wanted me to, though. Once I had a foundation, he sent me to the Magisterium to finish up my time. Becoming an Elite was also an expectation.”
“Hm, I guess that makes sense. Do you think it was worth it?”
“Of course. Last year wasn’t nearly as exciting, but it was still fun. And I wouldn’t trade anything for you guys.”
“Heh, you’re gonna make me blush.”
I laughed, making the big guy scratch the back of his head.
At that point, I started feeling a bunch of gazes fall on us. All of them, to be precise. It seemed they all recognized Vetsmon.
Noticing, the instructor finally diverted his attention.
“Vetsmon! Either get the hell over here and introduce us to your friends, or leave! I’m on a schedule!”
“Hello, Sir Klein!”
Vetsmon waved and walked over, the four of us following to arrive in the center of the field.
A few other students also jumped out, running over to Vetsmon.
“Hey! Vetsmon! What are you doing here?!”
“Hey guys. Just visiting.”
“Well, at least you came to say hi!”
Six guys and two girls came over, all of them surrounding Vetsmon and exchanging reunion greetings.
At the same time, more gazes fell on us, curiosity and judgment prevailing in their thoughts.
When Vetsmon finally peeled away from everyone, he introduced us.
“Sir Klein, this is my squad from the Magisterium. John, Umara, Feiden, and Tana. We’re all Elites, and John here is Rank 1.”
“Oh? The strongest in the Magisterium?”
“Yes sir.”
Vetsmon nodded and everyone looked toward me, my brows raising.
“It’s not official yet.”
“Yes it is. The stele was updated yesterday.”
“That doesn’t help, darling.”
I poked Umara, who laughed while batting away my hands. So much for dodging attention.
“And he’s a summoner!”
“I’m gonna have to fight someone, aren’t I?”
“I’ll protect you.”
Feiden stepped in front of me as I said that. I chuckled and hugged him from behind, looking over his shoulder at Vetsmon.
Sure enough, every eye fell on me. Many were competitive, but most were doubtful. It should be impossible for a summoner to top the leaderboards of an institution like the Magisterium.
One of Vetsmon’s friends spoke with such doubts.
“Hey Vetsmon, are you saying this guy could kill you?”
“Heh, probably.”
“Stop lying, you big hunk of muscle.”
I looked at him with narrowed eyes, causing his arms to go up in surrender.
“I’m not! Especially with that new gun of yours. You still haven’t told me what the hell that was.”
“It’s a machine gun, and even with that I couldn’t kill you so long as you weren’t stupid.”
“What about your grenades?”
“...Maybe.”
“Exactly.”
Vetsmon smirked at me, as if I was the one losing the argument.
I just rolled my eyes as Sir Klein stepped in.
“Alright, Vetsmon, how about you help us with training today? Let’s see how you’ve grown during your time away. Your squad can participate too.”
“If they’re fine with it.”
“So long as I get Feiden.”
I raised my hand from behind Feiden. That's when Umara jabbed me with her finger, my body jolting.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be recovering.”
“I want to use my eyes though.”
“...Fine. But if you feel anything off, you stop.”
“I’ll be careful.”
I smiled as Sir Klein organized the training event, Umara’s brows raising as she watched me continue to hug Feiden.
“Is he your new girlfriend now or something?”
“Maybe. Feiden, don’t tell your girlfriend about us.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Exactly. Good job.”
“Pfft.”
Umara laughed at Feiden’s flustered face.
Right then, Sir Klein got the event organized.
“Alright, I’ve pulled together a squad of five. I won’t have you all fight each other, but instead compete. Your objective will be to fell the same monster. First team to do so wins. Now, both teams come to the center. Everyone else gets to watch.”
Sir Klein dispersed the other students to the side as we assembled. We all had our armor, so we donned them before the surroundings suddenly changed.
The field of grass flowed to life as a breeze swept over everyone, two thunderous quakes shaking the ground as the monsters appeared, one on each end of the field.
It was a huge gorilla, one that we were a bit familiar with. It stood over 10 feet tall and was covered in thick bristly brown fur.
It seemed this place had a simulator similar to the Magisterium’s. It didn’t surprise me too much. If one could do it, so could the other.
“Everyone ready?”
I looked around. The other team had five people in it, three warlocks and two knights. It was a well balanced team and no doubt consisted of the Ark’s finest.
I let out a long breath, the Lewis Gun appearing in my arms and immediately drawing attention. The other spectators had all gathered on the side as well, watching intently.
Once everyone was ready, Sir Klein started the challenge.
“Go!”
My squad bolted off at the word, as did the other one. I, on the other hand, remained where I was in the center of the field.
I watched as my three knights ran forward and lunged at the gorilla. Vetsmon took it head on, ramming into it with his shield while Tana moved behind it. Feiden also wrapped around it and started laying into it with his spear.
Each strike gouged a hole in its body, but it was so big that it almost seemed not to matter.
The gorilla roared with rage as it fought back, using its mass to its advantage as it attacked Vetsmon.
Unfortunately, the big guy was no weakling. When the gorilla swung its arm like a bat, he raised his shield and tanked the hit head on. His feet sunk into the ground as a low sound rumbled through the air from the impact.
I racked the bolt, hearing the metallic thwack of the bullet chambering.
The gorilla swung again, and Feiden struck his spear into its hide once more.
I reached out with my Aura, contacting the minds of my entire squad and giving a command. They all jumped out of the way when I did so.
(Going hot.)
I slammed down the trigger and sent out a volley of empowered shots toward the gorilla, pelting its body and sending metal streaking through its muscles.
It roared and covered its face, unable to do anything but defend or risk getting put down prematurely. With every shot, more blood spurted from its body.
It tried jumping to the side in an attempt to dodge, but I found it all too easy to track it. Wielding the gun was especially easy. The Crown was already impressing me.
And then, when the gorilla was on its last legs, I ran out of ammo, giving another command.
(Finish it please.)
“I got it!”
Tana swooped in at that moment. However, she was too late, and I watched as the gorilla launched itself toward me.
The distance wasn’t much, no longer than 70 yards, and it crossed it with a single bound, intending to reach out and crush me.
I saw Tana right behind it, her sword slicing out and severing its achilles tendons.
Then, Feiden appeared in front of me, diving forward and tackling the beast to the ground.
Vetsmon was last to arrive, sailing through the air, landing right next to the gorilla’s head on the floor and beheading it with a single swipe of the blade.
I looked down at its severed head, its lifeless eyes seeming to stare straight into my own.
“You got faster, Feiden.”
“I was inspired by our fight not long ago.”
He got up and smiled, blood smeared all over him.
He lifted up his bloodied arms toward me.
“Want another hug?”
“Give me a kiss instead.”
“... Nevermind.”
“Hahaha!”
Umara started laughing her ass off as Feiden backed off.
That’s when I turned around to see the other team still fighting the gorilla.
They were slowly whittling it down, a multitude of wounds stacking up and blood spilling like a fountain. Until finally, a few minutes later, it fell to one last strike across the neck.
Sir Klein clicked his tongue.
“You’ve got a damn good squad, Vetsmon. That thing sat at the height of Authority 6.”
“Yes sir I do.”
“And I can see why your summoner sits at the top of the Elites. That’s some shocking damage, kid. What’s your name?”
“John Cooper.”
I gave my name, Sir Klein nodding.
“It’s good to meet you, John. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your Authority?”
“On the verge of Authority 5. I’m about to advance.”
“Authority 4… That’s some freak talent. Vetsmon! Keep this one safe! If I find out that anything happened to him, I’ll have your head!”
“Of course, sir!”
Vetsmon responded with a shout, making me smirk a bit.
None of us had broken a sweat with that beast. We dealt with far more during the Puppet Master’s training. Besides, we were all getting stronger.
Vetsmon and Feiden were both about to advance to Authority 6, Tana only a bit behind them. And I would be advancing soon myself, not to mention the recent boost from the Crown operation.
It felt good to exert myself a little, and to help Vetsmon show off.
Sir Klein shouted.
“Alright, everyone else, line the hell up! Obviously some more training is in order! Start running!”
We watched as all the other students started doing more drills, our group shifting to the side.
After that, we talked some more with Sir Klein. It was mostly Vetsmon catching up with a former teacher, but he did formally introduce us as well.
After all that, Vetsmon brought us out to tour some of the other facilities. It was later in the day when we finally left the Ark and went back to the Verga Tower for dinner in a restaurant on one of the upper floors.
I also got a message from Maxwell saying that he had left for the Capital and to meet him when I was ready to advance.
And that concluded our stay at the Holy See. The Magisterium’s fourth year students were already back and everyone was preparing for the tournament. The others couldn’t be absent since they wanted to compete, so we decided to all head back together the next day.
Like that, we took the teleporter and arrived back in the Capital the next morning.
……
…
“Well would you look at that?”
I let out a low whistle as Umara and I read the updated leaderboard.
She had already told me that it changed, but seeing was believing.
…
Rank 1: John Cooper - 3620
Rank 2: Ponteck Gulliard - 3370
Rank 3: Feiden Desmus - 3090
Rank 4: Vetsmon Verga - 2880
Rank 5: Umara Talerria - 2710
Rank 9: Tana Choron - 1980
…
“Seems we’re all in the top 10 now.”
I nodded at Umara’s observation. Tana had the lowest point count in the squad, but even she was now within the top 10. I was quite proud of her, especially when I remembered the time that the Puppet Master wanted to replace her.
Back then, he had pinned the blame on her especially hard. She had definitely been the weakest link, her performance not up to the level of the other two knights and therefore unable to keep up.
But she stepped up, and we hadn’t run into any more problems like that.
If I had to say who was the hardest worker in the squad, it would be her. Her role had initially been the Scout, someone who monitored the general situation and attempted to guide the flow of battle by applying force to the various scales of battle, tipping it in our favor.
It required extreme stamina and wise decision making, knowing when to press harder and when to back off and support. I could often see how she operated from my vantage points, and it was assuredly stressful, more so than the other roles including mine.
It was probably why her Aura was better than the others. During the Puppet Master’s scenarios especially, she was constantly pushed to her limit and was always the most beaten and tired by the end of the battle.
And that hard work was paying off. If given more time, she would continue to rise higher. But that didn't mean she wasn’t one of the best Elites in this generation, no less than Feiden or Vetsmon.
I nodded again with a smile.
“I’m really proud of Tana. She’s come far.”
“Mm, she has. I initially thought that she was biting off more than she could chew when she was first put into our group. But she no doubt earned her spot on the Magisterium’s best squad.”
“What’s it like, knowing that we’re the best?”
“It’s weird. It doesn’t feel like it’s anything worth being proud of.”
She tilted her head, my voice coming out in agreement.
“Yea, I get that. There’s too much ahead of us to get excited over something so small. But hey, it’s not like we can’t have fun with the small stuff.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, making her smile.
“That’s true.”
“So, you ready for the tournament?”
“As much as I can be. I’m trying not to be cocky, but there’s no reason I shouldn’t win in the Warlock Division. I’m more anxious over Vetsmon and Feiden’s battles than my own.”
“Yea, that’s going to be a hell of a fight. When will the semis start?”
“A week. That’s when the Elites will start taking part in their divisions. A week after that the champions for each division will be decided before moving on to the Champion Tournament. There, the top 3 of each division will compete against each other, warlocks vs knights primarily. And the one who comes out on top will be crowned Grand Champion.”
“How nice.”
I pondered a bit, wondering how Feiden or Vetsmon, perhaps even Umara, might fare against the now Rank 2 Ponteck Gulliard.
I hadn’t seen the man fight much at all, but he was ranked high for a reason. He definitely wasn’t any less skilled than the other two considering some of the things I’d heard about him.
They would be fighting well before the Champion Tournament, so like Umara, I was quite excited to see how they would perform.
At that moment, I turned and saw Vetsmon and Feiden walking over.
“Hey guys.”
“Hello, Mr. Rank 1.”
“Tsk, let’s just walk over.”
I smacked their shoulders before all of us started heading to the training grounds.
There, we met with Tana and the rest of the Elites, all of us waiting to hear from the Puppet Master.
Once he emerged from his shed, he announced.
“For the duration of the Tournament, we will halt all Scourge scenarios. You all will be offered opponents to battle should you want them. We have humanoid simulations and you can specify the type of enemy you want for training purposes. Knights, you can fight against other knights or walocks. Warlocks have the same options. Just tell me what you want and I’ll send you to a private area to battle against your opponent. Their skill may not be so elaborate – nothing can quite mimic human decision making and unpredictability – but it’ll be close enough, especially if you battle against an opponent significantly stronger than yourself. So, line up and let me know what you want to do.”
He waved us over, everyone getting in a long line to specify the enemies we wanted to face.
Hearing all that, I rubbed my chin.
“I might just sit this one out.”
“You don’t want to train?”
Umara asked inquisitively. I had just gotten new senses, so I should be training to adapt to them more.
“I do, but right now I think focusing on advancing is more important. Besides, I’m not competing, so there’s no point. Cultivating is the way right now.”
“That’s true. Well, I’ll let you know when I’m done here. Go ahead and relax in the hotel.”
“Mm. Have fun.”
I gave Umara a kiss before walking off. Right as I did so though, I heard my name.
“John!”
“Huh?”
“Come here.”
The Puppet Master waved me over, so I cut to the front of the line where he brought me to the side.
“What’s up?”
“I see your new eyes. First and foremost, congratulations. Was it worth it?”
“Completely. And thanks for your help. This has benefitted me massively.”
“Mm, good. Unfortunately, you’re going to be putting them to use sooner rather than later. I have a verbal message from Carrion.”
“...”
I stood there silently, just letting him spit it out.
“He said that you will be participating in the tournament whether you like it or not. He didn’t bother to print out the rules for you to read, but wanted you to know that this is an order from him and disobeying it can result in varying consequences not limited to expulsion. And he said that if you really had an issue, that you could go see him in his office again where he would explain it to you in a more clear and concise manner. But for all that is holy, I ask that you don’t.”
“...Don’t worry, I won’t.”
I smirked a bit, even chuckling, and earning a strange look from the Puppet Master.
“What? Have you finally gone insane?”
“No, I just find it funny. What reason could he possibly have for forcing me into this tournament? Does he want to kill me or something?”
“Well, injuries are common. So there’s that, or perhaps he wants you to kill someone instead. Then he can throw you in jail.”
“Hm, I guess that’s true. Fine then. I’ll play his game.”
“Your name is already signed up. You’ll be competing in a week for the division title, which you should attain with no issue. The summoners here are so weak that they belong to a level of their own. So you only need to worry about the Champion Tournament where you fight the knights and warlocks.”
“Or I could just forfeit.”
I smiled, causing him to sigh.
“You could, John. You must participate, but technically you can forfeit. There’s nothing in the rules that say you can’t. But I’d like you to think about this. We both know how strong you are. You’re an anomaly, a summoner that the Magisterium has never seen. You’ve already left your name behind on the annals of history, and in my opinion, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t continue to do so. So, I want you to consider seriously competing.”
“...”
I went silent, genuinely following his advice and considering it.
He continued.
“John, there are a lot of things stacked against you. You’ve got a lot of attention, especially now that you’re Rank 1, and becoming the Grand Champion won’t help that. But I don’t believe it’ll bring you many, if any, negative consequences that, frankly, don’t already exist. You’ve fought through a lot and I believe that you deserve nothing less than to become the first summoner to ever become Grand Champion at the Magisterium. And since you’ll be entering the military, these things will actually help you land a good spot. Regardless, you understand what I’m saying. Play his game, like you said. But try and beat him at it since you have to play anyway.”
“...Alright, fine.”
I nodded, sufficiently convinced.
“I’ll win it.”
“Mm. But don’t get too cocky. Ponteck is undoubtedly going to bring you a dangerous challenge, to speak nothing of your squad. I don’t believe he actually has it out for you, believe it or not. But he’ll probably kill you if it means winning, especially if they’re telling him to try and do so.”
“The only thing I’m worried about is accidentally killing someone, not dying myself.”
“Sure. So, do you want to train today? I can give you a simulation pretty close to Ponteck.”
“No, I need to cultivate. I’m about to become Authority 5.”
“Tsk, what monstrous talent. Fine then. Come back whenever you’re ready.”
“Will do.”
We shook hands before separating. Finally, I retreated back to my lair where I began the final steps toward Authority 5.
I was only bedridden for another day before I could walk around the hospital. A few more passed before they released me. With another night of sleep, the tenderness pervading my body subsided to a faint ache, then disappeared. From there, I just had to get used to my new senses and the almost foreign movements of my body.
Maxwell’s additional Crown enhanced my bodily acuity. He said they used spinal fluid, so I assumed that it modified the neural pathways across my spine and limbs.
I was more sensitive, reactive, and had a lot more control over my body. I didn’t suddenly become an Olympic gymnast or anything like that, but the entirety of my motor function had been brought up a level.
My senses were the most obvious improvement though. The first time I stepped outside, a whole new world opened up to me.
My eyesight was unlike anything I could have imagined. The color range available to me seemed to have tripled at the least. I almost didn’t recognize some things because of how detailed and vivid they were. Not only that, but it turned out that merely seeing the texture on a wall was the most minimal ability of my new eyes.
Looking out at the Saints’ Walk, I focused on the towering statue of Jesus and zoomed in on his head. And not just zoom in like a camera, but like a telescope. After some fine focusing, I could even see the minute cracks and weathered textures on the sculpted hair.
And that head was sitting close to a mile from the ground, which meant I could easily see even the small details of something more than a mile away.
It was difficult to test out anything beyond that due to where I was. I’d need to go to the top of the Verga tower in order to get a line of sight to something farther. But regardless, the fact that I could see something a mile away as if it were 5 feet from my face was astounding.
I could hardly believe it was possible, and perhaps biologically it wasn’t. I knew eagles had good eyesight, and maybe if I had something like the massive eye on a Scout, the lenses might be large enough to act like a telescope. But two regular eyes shouldn’t be able to see that far. The physics of optical focusing simply didn’t allow it.
But of course, magic didn’t give a damn about what physics said. So not only was the biological eye itself probably a few times better than a human’s, but the magic built into it multiplied that strength by a dozen times over. That was the reason liquified White Crystal was utilized to such an extent. This organ was by no means completely organic.
And it was difficult to think that those Scouts still had better eyes. My eyes only touched upon a portion of their power. It was no wonder they were so weak. They traded all of their survivability for observational prowess the likes nobody could imagine.
Then again, it was a Royal I got the material from. I wasn’t quite sure what the difference would be.
Since I was able to walk around and operate normally, my squad and I spent the day touring the town. Vetsmon insisted that he cart us around, taking us to his favorite restaurants, entertainment venues, and the school in which he was raised.
The Ark was the Holy See’s version of the Magisterium. Or perhaps it was the other way around. It would raise children from the young age of 5 until their Crest was activated when they were 16. Once that happened, they would move into the grades of higher magical learning.
The difference from the Magisterium was in how long each taught for. Each year of students in the Ark would be with each other for 15 years until they turned 20. Every single child who had a Crest within the entirety of the Holy See would enter and be taught by the Ark.
Vetsmon made it a point to mention that nobody was allowed to fail out, and there was no other school for Magi to go within the Holy See. Because of this, every major and minor family had a massive investment in the school: their own children. It was on a whole other level of involvement compared to the Magisterium, as well as perhaps the most significant and important institution in the city, solely responsible for shaping the future of the Church.
And because of this, it was naturally far larger than the expansive Magisterium grounds. Each of the Eight Towers were 600 meters tall. And not only was the Ark even taller, but it was effectively the size of all eight towers combined into one.
It had three primary sections. There was one central tower and two sub-towers connected to the central tower’s sides, making it look like a rocket with two boosters.
It was the one place where the entirety of the Magi youth went, which meant there were a lot of children of all ages in that one place. It needed a lot of facilities for both them and the teaching staff, as well as maintenance and whoever else might need to work there.
Their building may as well have been a city unto itself, and it was what Vetsmon brought us into.
There were thousands of children and parents within the plaza surrounding the entrance to the building. The only requirement to come to this place was to be a Magus, so no matter if they were five cities away, any child with a Crest could enroll in the Ark, and it was apparently completely free. No parent would have to pay for their child to live, eat, and learn there. There were even ways for them to make money if they were really that strapped for cash, allowing some method of self sustainment.
It seemed like a paradise, but of course, there were downsides to any institution. The most prevalent issue was the division between the noble children and the commoners. The Church had its own noble class and they were addressed as such even if they didn’t operate in the same way as Kingdom nobles. And because they were the ones who funded and operated the Ark, their children were prideful and ruled the place as they saw fit, even if the school advocated for equal treatment.
And that led to the second issue. Staying with the same people for 15 years could become quite a drag, especially if they didn’t get along. That brewed no shortage of discontent in the long run and commoners always suffered the brunt of that, so many quit. Just because you couldn’t fail out didn’t mean you couldn’t quit.
It wasn’t the perfect system, that much was for certain. But there were certainly worse systems out there. Compared to those, or no education at all, these kids had it pretty damn good.
The interior of the Ark wasn’t much different from any one of the Towers, besides being filled with children and teens. It was at the higher levels that the young adults were found, those being the same age as us from the Magisterium.
School was in session as we walked through, and Vetsmon brought us to the training grounds. Apparently, he had stayed within the Ark until two years after his Crest was activated, getting taught the ways of the knight before getting sent off to the Magisterium. That meant he had many friends here, and that's who we were going to see, as well as a teacher he was close with.
We soon arrived, entering through a normally sized pair of doors, greeted by the wide open indoor field on the other side. The walls were made of massive glass panes, letting in natural light, and there were a bunch of students doing various drills across the field.
We stood to the side for a moment, a question spilling from my mouth as I watched.
“Vetsmon, why did your dad send you to the Magisterium halfway through?”
“He didn’t want me to remain within the bubble of the Holy See.”
He answered back with a shrug.
“You only ever see the same several dozen people for so many years, and he wanted me to go out and meet more and get exposed to the reality of the Kingdom. Only after I had learned what he wanted me to, though. Once I had a foundation, he sent me to the Magisterium to finish up my time. Becoming an Elite was also an expectation.”
“Hm, I guess that makes sense. Do you think it was worth it?”
“Of course. Last year wasn’t nearly as exciting, but it was still fun. And I wouldn’t trade anything for you guys.”
“Heh, you’re gonna make me blush.”
I laughed, making the big guy scratch the back of his head.
At that point, I started feeling a bunch of gazes fall on us. All of them, to be precise. It seemed they all recognized Vetsmon.
Noticing, the instructor finally diverted his attention.
“Vetsmon! Either get the hell over here and introduce us to your friends, or leave! I’m on a schedule!”
“Hello, Sir Klein!”
Vetsmon waved and walked over, the four of us following to arrive in the center of the field.
A few other students also jumped out, running over to Vetsmon.
“Hey! Vetsmon! What are you doing here?!”
“Hey guys. Just visiting.”
“Well, at least you came to say hi!”
Six guys and two girls came over, all of them surrounding Vetsmon and exchanging reunion greetings.
At the same time, more gazes fell on us, curiosity and judgment prevailing in their thoughts.
When Vetsmon finally peeled away from everyone, he introduced us.
“Sir Klein, this is my squad from the Magisterium. John, Umara, Feiden, and Tana. We’re all Elites, and John here is Rank 1.”
“Oh? The strongest in the Magisterium?”
“Yes sir.”
Vetsmon nodded and everyone looked toward me, my brows raising.
“It’s not official yet.”
“Yes it is. The stele was updated yesterday.”
“That doesn’t help, darling.”
I poked Umara, who laughed while batting away my hands. So much for dodging attention.
“And he’s a summoner!”
“I’m gonna have to fight someone, aren’t I?”
“I’ll protect you.”
Feiden stepped in front of me as I said that. I chuckled and hugged him from behind, looking over his shoulder at Vetsmon.
Sure enough, every eye fell on me. Many were competitive, but most were doubtful. It should be impossible for a summoner to top the leaderboards of an institution like the Magisterium.
One of Vetsmon’s friends spoke with such doubts.
“Hey Vetsmon, are you saying this guy could kill you?”
“Heh, probably.”
“Stop lying, you big hunk of muscle.”
I looked at him with narrowed eyes, causing his arms to go up in surrender.
“I’m not! Especially with that new gun of yours. You still haven’t told me what the hell that was.”
“It’s a machine gun, and even with that I couldn’t kill you so long as you weren’t stupid.”
“What about your grenades?”
“...Maybe.”
“Exactly.”
Vetsmon smirked at me, as if I was the one losing the argument.
I just rolled my eyes as Sir Klein stepped in.
“Alright, Vetsmon, how about you help us with training today? Let’s see how you’ve grown during your time away. Your squad can participate too.”
“If they’re fine with it.”
“So long as I get Feiden.”
I raised my hand from behind Feiden. That's when Umara jabbed me with her finger, my body jolting.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be recovering.”
“I want to use my eyes though.”
“...Fine. But if you feel anything off, you stop.”
“I’ll be careful.”
I smiled as Sir Klein organized the training event, Umara’s brows raising as she watched me continue to hug Feiden.
“Is he your new girlfriend now or something?”
“Maybe. Feiden, don’t tell your girlfriend about us.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Exactly. Good job.”
“Pfft.”
Umara laughed at Feiden’s flustered face.
Right then, Sir Klein got the event organized.
“Alright, I’ve pulled together a squad of five. I won’t have you all fight each other, but instead compete. Your objective will be to fell the same monster. First team to do so wins. Now, both teams come to the center. Everyone else gets to watch.”
Sir Klein dispersed the other students to the side as we assembled. We all had our armor, so we donned them before the surroundings suddenly changed.
The field of grass flowed to life as a breeze swept over everyone, two thunderous quakes shaking the ground as the monsters appeared, one on each end of the field.
It was a huge gorilla, one that we were a bit familiar with. It stood over 10 feet tall and was covered in thick bristly brown fur.
It seemed this place had a simulator similar to the Magisterium’s. It didn’t surprise me too much. If one could do it, so could the other.
“Everyone ready?”
I looked around. The other team had five people in it, three warlocks and two knights. It was a well balanced team and no doubt consisted of the Ark’s finest.
I let out a long breath, the Lewis Gun appearing in my arms and immediately drawing attention. The other spectators had all gathered on the side as well, watching intently.
Once everyone was ready, Sir Klein started the challenge.
“Go!”
My squad bolted off at the word, as did the other one. I, on the other hand, remained where I was in the center of the field.
I watched as my three knights ran forward and lunged at the gorilla. Vetsmon took it head on, ramming into it with his shield while Tana moved behind it. Feiden also wrapped around it and started laying into it with his spear.
Each strike gouged a hole in its body, but it was so big that it almost seemed not to matter.
The gorilla roared with rage as it fought back, using its mass to its advantage as it attacked Vetsmon.
Unfortunately, the big guy was no weakling. When the gorilla swung its arm like a bat, he raised his shield and tanked the hit head on. His feet sunk into the ground as a low sound rumbled through the air from the impact.
I racked the bolt, hearing the metallic thwack of the bullet chambering.
The gorilla swung again, and Feiden struck his spear into its hide once more.
I reached out with my Aura, contacting the minds of my entire squad and giving a command. They all jumped out of the way when I did so.
(Going hot.)
I slammed down the trigger and sent out a volley of empowered shots toward the gorilla, pelting its body and sending metal streaking through its muscles.
It roared and covered its face, unable to do anything but defend or risk getting put down prematurely. With every shot, more blood spurted from its body.
It tried jumping to the side in an attempt to dodge, but I found it all too easy to track it. Wielding the gun was especially easy. The Crown was already impressing me.
And then, when the gorilla was on its last legs, I ran out of ammo, giving another command.
(Finish it please.)
“I got it!”
Tana swooped in at that moment. However, she was too late, and I watched as the gorilla launched itself toward me.
The distance wasn’t much, no longer than 70 yards, and it crossed it with a single bound, intending to reach out and crush me.
I saw Tana right behind it, her sword slicing out and severing its achilles tendons.
Then, Feiden appeared in front of me, diving forward and tackling the beast to the ground.
Vetsmon was last to arrive, sailing through the air, landing right next to the gorilla’s head on the floor and beheading it with a single swipe of the blade.
I looked down at its severed head, its lifeless eyes seeming to stare straight into my own.
“You got faster, Feiden.”
“I was inspired by our fight not long ago.”
He got up and smiled, blood smeared all over him.
He lifted up his bloodied arms toward me.
“Want another hug?”
“Give me a kiss instead.”
“... Nevermind.”
“Hahaha!”
Umara started laughing her ass off as Feiden backed off.
That’s when I turned around to see the other team still fighting the gorilla.
They were slowly whittling it down, a multitude of wounds stacking up and blood spilling like a fountain. Until finally, a few minutes later, it fell to one last strike across the neck.
Sir Klein clicked his tongue.
“You’ve got a damn good squad, Vetsmon. That thing sat at the height of Authority 6.”
“Yes sir I do.”
“And I can see why your summoner sits at the top of the Elites. That’s some shocking damage, kid. What’s your name?”
“John Cooper.”
I gave my name, Sir Klein nodding.
“It’s good to meet you, John. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your Authority?”
“On the verge of Authority 5. I’m about to advance.”
“Authority 4… That’s some freak talent. Vetsmon! Keep this one safe! If I find out that anything happened to him, I’ll have your head!”
“Of course, sir!”
Vetsmon responded with a shout, making me smirk a bit.
None of us had broken a sweat with that beast. We dealt with far more during the Puppet Master’s training. Besides, we were all getting stronger.
Vetsmon and Feiden were both about to advance to Authority 6, Tana only a bit behind them. And I would be advancing soon myself, not to mention the recent boost from the Crown operation.
It felt good to exert myself a little, and to help Vetsmon show off.
Sir Klein shouted.
“Alright, everyone else, line the hell up! Obviously some more training is in order! Start running!”
We watched as all the other students started doing more drills, our group shifting to the side.
After that, we talked some more with Sir Klein. It was mostly Vetsmon catching up with a former teacher, but he did formally introduce us as well.
After all that, Vetsmon brought us out to tour some of the other facilities. It was later in the day when we finally left the Ark and went back to the Verga Tower for dinner in a restaurant on one of the upper floors.
I also got a message from Maxwell saying that he had left for the Capital and to meet him when I was ready to advance.
And that concluded our stay at the Holy See. The Magisterium’s fourth year students were already back and everyone was preparing for the tournament. The others couldn’t be absent since they wanted to compete, so we decided to all head back together the next day.
Like that, we took the teleporter and arrived back in the Capital the next morning.
……
…
“Well would you look at that?”
I let out a low whistle as Umara and I read the updated leaderboard.
She had already told me that it changed, but seeing was believing.
…
Rank 1: John Cooper - 3620
Rank 2: Ponteck Gulliard - 3370
Rank 3: Feiden Desmus - 3090
Rank 4: Vetsmon Verga - 2880
Rank 5: Umara Talerria - 2710
Rank 9: Tana Choron - 1980
…
“Seems we’re all in the top 10 now.”
I nodded at Umara’s observation. Tana had the lowest point count in the squad, but even she was now within the top 10. I was quite proud of her, especially when I remembered the time that the Puppet Master wanted to replace her.
Back then, he had pinned the blame on her especially hard. She had definitely been the weakest link, her performance not up to the level of the other two knights and therefore unable to keep up.
But she stepped up, and we hadn’t run into any more problems like that.
If I had to say who was the hardest worker in the squad, it would be her. Her role had initially been the Scout, someone who monitored the general situation and attempted to guide the flow of battle by applying force to the various scales of battle, tipping it in our favor.
It required extreme stamina and wise decision making, knowing when to press harder and when to back off and support. I could often see how she operated from my vantage points, and it was assuredly stressful, more so than the other roles including mine.
It was probably why her Aura was better than the others. During the Puppet Master’s scenarios especially, she was constantly pushed to her limit and was always the most beaten and tired by the end of the battle.
And that hard work was paying off. If given more time, she would continue to rise higher. But that didn't mean she wasn’t one of the best Elites in this generation, no less than Feiden or Vetsmon.
I nodded again with a smile.
“I’m really proud of Tana. She’s come far.”
“Mm, she has. I initially thought that she was biting off more than she could chew when she was first put into our group. But she no doubt earned her spot on the Magisterium’s best squad.”
“What’s it like, knowing that we’re the best?”
“It’s weird. It doesn’t feel like it’s anything worth being proud of.”
She tilted her head, my voice coming out in agreement.
“Yea, I get that. There’s too much ahead of us to get excited over something so small. But hey, it’s not like we can’t have fun with the small stuff.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, making her smile.
“That’s true.”
“So, you ready for the tournament?”
“As much as I can be. I’m trying not to be cocky, but there’s no reason I shouldn’t win in the Warlock Division. I’m more anxious over Vetsmon and Feiden’s battles than my own.”
“Yea, that’s going to be a hell of a fight. When will the semis start?”
“A week. That’s when the Elites will start taking part in their divisions. A week after that the champions for each division will be decided before moving on to the Champion Tournament. There, the top 3 of each division will compete against each other, warlocks vs knights primarily. And the one who comes out on top will be crowned Grand Champion.”
“How nice.”
I pondered a bit, wondering how Feiden or Vetsmon, perhaps even Umara, might fare against the now Rank 2 Ponteck Gulliard.
I hadn’t seen the man fight much at all, but he was ranked high for a reason. He definitely wasn’t any less skilled than the other two considering some of the things I’d heard about him.
They would be fighting well before the Champion Tournament, so like Umara, I was quite excited to see how they would perform.
At that moment, I turned and saw Vetsmon and Feiden walking over.
“Hey guys.”
“Hello, Mr. Rank 1.”
“Tsk, let’s just walk over.”
I smacked their shoulders before all of us started heading to the training grounds.
There, we met with Tana and the rest of the Elites, all of us waiting to hear from the Puppet Master.
Once he emerged from his shed, he announced.
“For the duration of the Tournament, we will halt all Scourge scenarios. You all will be offered opponents to battle should you want them. We have humanoid simulations and you can specify the type of enemy you want for training purposes. Knights, you can fight against other knights or walocks. Warlocks have the same options. Just tell me what you want and I’ll send you to a private area to battle against your opponent. Their skill may not be so elaborate – nothing can quite mimic human decision making and unpredictability – but it’ll be close enough, especially if you battle against an opponent significantly stronger than yourself. So, line up and let me know what you want to do.”
He waved us over, everyone getting in a long line to specify the enemies we wanted to face.
Hearing all that, I rubbed my chin.
“I might just sit this one out.”
“You don’t want to train?”
Umara asked inquisitively. I had just gotten new senses, so I should be training to adapt to them more.
“I do, but right now I think focusing on advancing is more important. Besides, I’m not competing, so there’s no point. Cultivating is the way right now.”
“That’s true. Well, I’ll let you know when I’m done here. Go ahead and relax in the hotel.”
“Mm. Have fun.”
I gave Umara a kiss before walking off. Right as I did so though, I heard my name.
“John!”
“Huh?”
“Come here.”
The Puppet Master waved me over, so I cut to the front of the line where he brought me to the side.
“What’s up?”
“I see your new eyes. First and foremost, congratulations. Was it worth it?”
“Completely. And thanks for your help. This has benefitted me massively.”
“Mm, good. Unfortunately, you’re going to be putting them to use sooner rather than later. I have a verbal message from Carrion.”
“...”
I stood there silently, just letting him spit it out.
“He said that you will be participating in the tournament whether you like it or not. He didn’t bother to print out the rules for you to read, but wanted you to know that this is an order from him and disobeying it can result in varying consequences not limited to expulsion. And he said that if you really had an issue, that you could go see him in his office again where he would explain it to you in a more clear and concise manner. But for all that is holy, I ask that you don’t.”
“...Don’t worry, I won’t.”
I smirked a bit, even chuckling, and earning a strange look from the Puppet Master.
“What? Have you finally gone insane?”
“No, I just find it funny. What reason could he possibly have for forcing me into this tournament? Does he want to kill me or something?”
“Well, injuries are common. So there’s that, or perhaps he wants you to kill someone instead. Then he can throw you in jail.”
“Hm, I guess that’s true. Fine then. I’ll play his game.”
“Your name is already signed up. You’ll be competing in a week for the division title, which you should attain with no issue. The summoners here are so weak that they belong to a level of their own. So you only need to worry about the Champion Tournament where you fight the knights and warlocks.”
“Or I could just forfeit.”
I smiled, causing him to sigh.
“You could, John. You must participate, but technically you can forfeit. There’s nothing in the rules that say you can’t. But I’d like you to think about this. We both know how strong you are. You’re an anomaly, a summoner that the Magisterium has never seen. You’ve already left your name behind on the annals of history, and in my opinion, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t continue to do so. So, I want you to consider seriously competing.”
“...”
I went silent, genuinely following his advice and considering it.
He continued.
“John, there are a lot of things stacked against you. You’ve got a lot of attention, especially now that you’re Rank 1, and becoming the Grand Champion won’t help that. But I don’t believe it’ll bring you many, if any, negative consequences that, frankly, don’t already exist. You’ve fought through a lot and I believe that you deserve nothing less than to become the first summoner to ever become Grand Champion at the Magisterium. And since you’ll be entering the military, these things will actually help you land a good spot. Regardless, you understand what I’m saying. Play his game, like you said. But try and beat him at it since you have to play anyway.”
“...Alright, fine.”
I nodded, sufficiently convinced.
“I’ll win it.”
“Mm. But don’t get too cocky. Ponteck is undoubtedly going to bring you a dangerous challenge, to speak nothing of your squad. I don’t believe he actually has it out for you, believe it or not. But he’ll probably kill you if it means winning, especially if they’re telling him to try and do so.”
“The only thing I’m worried about is accidentally killing someone, not dying myself.”
“Sure. So, do you want to train today? I can give you a simulation pretty close to Ponteck.”
“No, I need to cultivate. I’m about to become Authority 5.”
“Tsk, what monstrous talent. Fine then. Come back whenever you’re ready.”
“Will do.”
We shook hands before separating. Finally, I retreated back to my lair where I began the final steps toward Authority 5.
