The shuttle brought him to the designated destination; in front of the gates of the Golden Sun province's most prestigious school.
Many luxurious cars had already been parked in the parking lot next to the school, and Michael could see a few familiar faces.
He didn't bother to walk over and greet them and headed straight in the direction of the school's auditorium.
While he walked to his destination, various thoughts flashed through his mind. The memories of his school life resurfaced as he saw the familiar corners of the high school, and he immediately wanted to leave once again.
His time in high school hadn't been as bad as Michael always said. He was just too embarrassed about his own behavior in school to talk about it with someone.
However, to the golden spoons, Michael was an eyesore. He had always been since he joined their school.
He was merely an ordinary citizen, yet he dared to enter the most prestigious school in the province. Who did he think he was, a prodigy?!
Many students were irked when he became the top student after the first semester results were announced. They bullied him and succeeded in suppressing Michael completely. He didn't have any power, forget about any influential connections he could use.
One time, he got so pissed that he nearly beat the shit out of one of his bullies, only to recall the trouble that would await him if he dared to act on his impulse of going against the children of wealthy and highly influential families.
The hesitation he felt on that day and the worry of the aftermath and how it would affect his future had made him feel hopeless. It was one of the most frustrating moments in his life.
Just because he was ordinary and they were born with a golden spoon, Michael had to accept their bullying and presumptuous attitude. If he retaliated, he would be at fault. He didn't have the necessary power to twist the truth however he wanted, but his bullies had.
Michael didn't want to be expelled because he required the benefits provided by the elite high school. Thus, he ended up hiding in the corners of the school ground every now and then, avoiding everybody altogether.
It was quite embarrassing, but the situation had changed now.
They were not students anymore, and Michael's life had been turned upside down since he manifested the War Rune. The days after he entered the Origin Expanse shaped him into a different person and he was now more confident about himself. Even if someone was to attempt to bully him, Michael wouldn't stay idle. He would retaliate and do everything he could to protect himself.
In the worst case, he could leave Laki to enter the Origin Expanse for a few weeks. However, Michael was sure that it wouldn't be necessary to flee and escape into the Origin Expanse.
When he reached the auditorium, Michael walked over to the small counter where he showed his ID to register as a graduate before he was let inside.
The auditorium appeared just like always to him except for the fact that it had been decorated a little, and tables and chairs had been placed all over the auditorium.
On the left side of the auditorium, some staff members were busy setting up the plates for the buffet at the afterparty, while others hurried through the auditorium to change minor details in the decoration.
Michael saw a few familiar faces, but he ignored them once again and sat down at the table the furthest in the back.
The graduation ceremony started less than 20 minutes later in which Michael thought about his high school life, and the most important question- what he could have done better.
Ever since he entered the Origin Expanse he had matured a lot. Rather than being annoyed with the bullies, or sulking about the unfair treatment he received merely because he was an ordinary citizen, Michael felt frustrated about his own behavior in the past.
The more he thought about it the clearer it was that he had been acting like a coward.
'At least, I know that I've been a coward in the past. If I use the mistakes I made in the past and learn from them, I shouldn't have to consider these years as a failure and wasted time. Instead, I can use them as a lesson to grow stronger, to become better!'
Michael nodded his head subconsciously. Learning from mistakes was the most important if he wanted to grow as an individual. Unlike what others thought, it was fine to make mistakes. However, it was not fine to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
Understanding this principle was the first step of Michael's growth as a person.
'I think it was a good decision to come here,' He acknowledged at last. Even if the afterparty was why he participated in the graduation ceremony, Michael felt that the most significant gain he made today was that he had come to terms with his past.
He could acknowledge why he acted like this in the past and what kind of person he had been in the three years he spent in the elite high school!
Michael's train of thought naturally wandered elsewhere after his mind fell at ease.
'If I reach the 1st Tier before the 20th, I should be considered a genius, or not? It will be a little over half a month since I first stepped into the Origin Expanse, and I have two Soultraits. My combat prowess is also not that bad nor is the knowledge I acquired in the last few years. It shouldn't be too difficult for me to get accepted at the Saphirelake Military Academy, right?' Michael thought.
After a while, the graduation ceremony was halfway done. The headteachers and the principal had concluded their speeches, but Michael's mind was somewhere else.
He was in the Origin Expanse, trying to find the most efficient way to advance to the 1st Tier.
'Hunting a few Tier-2 Monsters should allow me to advance to the next Tier.'
The Lizard mother's energy share had been massive. Michael couldn't even absorb half of it at that time. By now, Michael was confident that his body and War Rune were strong enough to handle the energy share of a Tier-2 monster.
The only problem was how he should hunt Tier-2 monsters with the means at his disposal.
'Will a sneaky attack be enough? Probably not. I should make a few more preparations and purchase some stuff…'
For a while, Michael completely forgot where he was. His surroundings turned insignificant as his thoughts focused on the various plans that were forming in his head.
His goal was to become a Tier-1 Lord before the aptitude assessment for the Saphirelake Military Academy started on the 20th. He still had two weeks left to achieve this goal. But the task was not easy as the energy required to reach a higher refinement degree increased drastically from the Late stage.
It would require several times more energy to refine his War Rune to the peak of the 0th Tier than refining it infinitely close to the Late stage.
After that, Michael had to break the barrier that separated Tier-0 existences from the 1st Tier.
This would require a tremendous amount of energy, lots of time, and exceptional willpower.
With that in mind, he continued to ignore the speeches and useless talk of the headteachers and the principal. He couldn't care less about them now that his mind was focused on the Origin Expanse.
After all, the afterparty was the most important event he eagerly awaited. It was an opportunity for Michael to get back at some idiots and witness their stupidity one last time.
Times had changed, and Michael had grown much stronger, physically, but even more so mentally!
He was not the same man as a week ago!
