"So, what did you want to discuss?" Xander asked as he looked at Asher, who was standing before him.
He had received a message that the Rank 1 First Year Student requested an official appointment. However, knowing that he had given Asher an easier way to meet him, he found it odd that Asher had used a formal contact method.
'Is it because of Arthur?' Xander pondered.
It was highly likely that Asher might harbor negative feelings toward him due to the strained relationship between him and Arthur Greville.
"I want to get approval to use the Beast Grounds on this Flying Island," Asher said as he looked at Xander.
"Beast Ground? Those are only accessible to second-year students or above," Xander informed him.
"But we will be adding a Duel Course against beasts and monsters soon, after your Mid Terms," Xander added, aware that this information was only known to a select few.
"But that will be a duel. I want access to the Giant Forest," Asher specified, raising Xander's eyebrows.
The Giant Forest was an area on the Flying Island where all sorts of monsters were present. Apart from a few dungeons, this forest was filled with beasts ranging from D to A rank and even some S rank monsters.
Most of these creatures wouldn't leave the boundary of the forest due to the presence of various SS Rank Hunters around the World Academy and the security runes that would alert if any beast crossed the border.
This Giant Forest was the hunting ground where, starting from the second year, students would go and defeat the beasts within.
"Is it because of your spar with Blake Cranston?" Xander asked, curious why Asher wanted to tackle challenges beyond a first-year student's capability.
"Even if you can outperform your peers, we can't bend the rules to favor a single student," Xander replied sternly.
He might have shown a bit of favor towards Asher, but it was due to his past.
"However, if your teams take first place and you maintain your Rank 1 in all subjects, I might discuss this issue with the rest of the council," Xander suggested.
"Okay," Asher said as he turned to leave.
"Won't you ask about the Mid Terms?" Xander asked, curiosity etched on his face.
"I don't need to," Asher exited the room.
"Hmm, confidence is a good, young man, but overestimating yourself will only lead to regrets," Xander mused, reminiscing about his younger self.
Xander was involved in preparing and suggesting the Mid Term, but the final decision on its format would be made by Farnus.
"Well, this won't be easy for you guys," Xander remarked, reviewing the information he had received from Farnus regarding the exams.
A Week Later,
Amelia and Damian were sparring with Sam Allister and Vanessa.
"You focus on her. I'll handle him," Sam instructed as Vanessa directed her attention toward Amelia.
Amelia noticed Vanessa's aggression and used various spells to obstruct her advance.
"Mana Barrier," Amelia chanted the basic barrier spell they had learned from Elsa.
Unlike Eva's more complex and powerful barrier magic, Mana Barrier was a mage's most common defensive tactic in combat.
While Vanessa attacked Amelia with her sword, reinforced with her Aura, Sam advanced toward Damian, armed with a shield.
Sam spun his spear as he attacked Damian, who deflected his assault.
After being pushed by Damian, Sam retreated and charged towards Amelia.
He baited Damian, but Amelia noticed Sam advancing on her.
Amelia began chanting a spell, but Sam didn't detect any magic.
"Behind you," Vanessa warned. Sam turned and saw Damian preparing to strike him with his shield.
"Damn, this augmenting magic," Sam cursed as he braced for Damian's impact with his spear.
"It's over," Damian declared, observing Sam's vulnerable position.
"Okay, you win," Sam conceded, snapping his fingers.
Damian offered Sam a hand, helping him up.
"Well, the score is now 12-8," Damian said, smirking.
His smirk irked both Sam and Vanessa, but they conceded that both Damian and Amelia were superior in terms of synergy.
"Hmm, this should be the last spar I will participate in. The theory exams are only four weeks away, so I will focus on that," Sam said as he grabbed Damian's hand to rise.
"We'll probably do the same," Damian agreed.
The theory exams were based on the subjects they had taken, and they all aimed to reach D Rank before the exam.
"I heard that Kevin Whiteheart is already preparing to reach D- Rank," Sam shared what he had heard from Matthew.
"Hmm, I feel like I could push to D Rank, but I'm not completely sure," Damian admitted, a sentiment shared by the others.
"But we have six weeks before the Mid Term Exam starts, so it will be fine," Amelia reassured them, receiving nods of agreement.
The SSS Rank Artifact that increased mana density on the whole island allowed students to rank considerably faster than others.
Two Weeks Later,
Professor Gilson was teaching Dungeon Theory and explaining some of the most dangerous places in the world.
"So remember, apart from the five continents, there are various inaccessible territories," Gavin instructed, displaying pictures of the Lost Land, one of the most infamous dangerous locations globally.
"For a long time, clearing these areas has been a problem for us due to the presence of various SSS Rank Monsters," Gavin explained, presenting a chart.
"Sometimes, when an SSS Rank dungeon explosion occurs, the climate and even the environment adapt to accommodate these terrifying creatures," Gavin listed some off-limits locations.
"Although we still hunt in these places, we generally avoid confronting the monsters unless necessary," Gavin continued as a student raised his hand.
"Why can't we hunt them? Don't we have 11 SSS Rank Hunters?" The student asked.
Gavin adjusted his glasses and tapped on the screen, revealing a graph comparing Hunter's Strength to Monster's Strength.
"The reason we avoid them until we are forced to fight is simply that losing a SSS Rank Hunter is the worst-case scenario for us," Gavin responded.
"You may not have witnessed a SSS Rank confrontation, but even multiple SSS Rank Hunters are sometimes needed to kill a SSS Rank Monster, depending on its abilities," Gavin elaborated.
"And these lands are not so valuable that we need to conquer them," Gavin added.
"So, we focus mainly on dealing with appearing dungeons rather than conquering the Lost Lands," Gavin concluded.
Asher was also among the attendees of this class, primarily because after the Mid Terms, this class would introduce Monster Battle, in which students would face monsters and learn to battle them.
'If I don't get approval to enter the Giant Forest, this should work,' Asher contemplated.
"I'll conclude the class now, but make sure you revise everything you've learned here," Gavin instructed.
"We could ask about any minor detail in the exam, so try to broaden your knowledge this month," Gavin suggested.
Asher rose to leave the class, drawing many watchful eyes.
The rumors were circulating, and Asher was perceived as a dangerous first-year student.
Many students deliberately avoided looking in his direction; some would even refrain from speaking in his vicinity.
Most of these students were from ordinary families and didn't want to get entangled with the heir of the Greville family.
At the moment, Amelia was receiving similar treatment.
"Everybody avoids you," Damian observed, turning to Amelia.
"It's not my fault that I'm the sister of the Rank 1 First Year," Amelia retorted, glaring at Damian, which made him avert his eyes.
She had hoped to make friends, but her status and Asher's reputation made it difficult for people to approach her.
"At least you get along with that Venessa girl," Damian remarked, but Amelia responded with an elbow.
"She's just a rude girl," Amelia retorted as Damian rubbed his side.
He was enjoying teasing Amelia as they were on their way to go outer sector of the World Academy to eat something nice.
"Should I invite our team members for lunch as well?" Damian suggested.
"Not a bad idea," Amelia said after thinking about it.
"Okay, I will send a message to all of them," Damian said as he messaged everyone, including Asher and Alyssa.
In the Great Library,
Professor Neyman was in the restricted section of the Great Library,
"Maybe I should read some old books," Neyman looked at the vast collection of books.
He had finished the preparations for his test, so he had a lot of free time till the Mid Term Examination, so he decided to use that time to read some books in the Restricted Section.
"Hmm, what is this book, Diary of Lizare?" Neyman picked an old book, and he opened the book, but all the pages were empty.
"What?" Neyman looked at the book again as he flipped every single page.
"Why is there an empty diary in the Restricted Section?" Neyman was confused.
"Did they make a mistake while placing this book?" Neyman concluded as he put the book back in its place.
"Let's see, I should find some other interesting book," Neyman start looking at the books around the empty diary.
