Dalam seluruh laporan yang ia dengar, anak laki-laki ini adalah tipe yang sengaja mencari masalah serta melakukan tindakan yang sangat berbahaya dan gila. Melakukan hal semacam itu membutuhkan keberanian tanpa akhir atau kebodohan tanpa akhir.
Ia tidak tahu dari mana anak ini mendapatkan kepribadian seperti itu.
Mungkin itu adalah faktor genetik... menurut cerita yang ia dengar tentang sang Patriarch keluarga Vorhelm, pria itu memiliki kepribadian yang sama.
"Sedikit." Lian tidak bisa menahan tawa singkat, lalu menambahkan.
"Profesor, bagaimana situasi di sini? Sembilan bulan bukanlah waktu yang singkat, bagaimana situasinya saat kami pergi?"
"Bisnis seperti biasa," jawab Aldric dengan sangat sederhana.
"Definisi normal Anda bisa sangat mencemaskan."
"Sebagian besar mahasiswa menghabiskan banyak waktu di Base Number Three, berburu, mengerjakan misi, dan menjelajahi area baru. Para anggota Kelas Bintang Lima telah menyelesaikan evolusi pertama mereka, dan sejumlah besar dari mereka juga telah melewati Level 25."
Lian mengangkat alisnya; itu tidak terlalu buruk. Sembilan bulan adalah waktu yang panjang untuk pertumbuhan.
Namun, harapannya terlalu tinggi. Kecepatan pertumbuhannya sendiri melonjak dengan sangat mengerikan, dan meskipun EXP yang ia butuhkan untuk setiap level bisa mencapai lima kali lipat jumlah yang dibutuhkan oleh kelas bintang lima, ia tetap naik level dengan sangat cepat.
Dan ini berkat salah satu skill bawaannya, yang memungkinkannya menyerap 100% EXP dari membunuh setiap monster, meskipun sekarang sudah menjadi 150%.
Namun, Awakened lainnya tidak memiliki keunggulan seperti itu. Kelas bintang empat hanya dapat menyerap 40% dan kelas bintang tiga hanya 30%.
Kecepatan naik level mereka jauh lebih lambat, dan tidak seperti dirinya atau Seris, mereka tidak dapat berburu sendirian. Hal itu mengurangi kecepatan mereka dan bahkan membuat mereka harus membunuh monster dalam kelompok, yang memotong perolehan reward menjadi separuhnya.
Itulah mengapa bagi kelas bintang dua, tiga, dan empat, mencapai evolusi kedua bisa memakan waktu hingga dua tahun.
Jika ia tidak terjebak di dalam Area Spesial, levelnya mungkin akan jauh lebih tinggi dari tiga puluh; bahkan, ia mungkin sudah mendekati evolusi kedua.
Tentu saja, level bukanlah segalanya. Segala sesuatu yang ia peroleh di Area Spesial jauh lebih berharga dan menebus waktu yang telah ia hilangkan.
Selain bisa mengenali bagian tersembunyi di dalam tubuhnya yang disebut Ruin Heart dan mempelajari rahasia besar seperti rahasia tentang para Calamity.
Ia telah berhasil menghancurkan dan melahap salah satu Calamity tersebut, mendapatkan bakat S-Rank yang sangat berguna, dan memperoleh seekor semut bertubuh raksasa sebagai tunggangan.
"Jadi aku benar-benar tertinggal jauh," kata Lian bercanda.
Aldric tidak mengatakan apa-apa dan hanya menatapnya selama beberapa detik, tatapannya menjadi lebih tenang dan penuh perhitungan.
Pemuda keluarga Vorhelm itu hampir bisa merasakan bahwa sang profesor sedang meneliti sesuatu di dalam dirinya.
Manusia, tidak seperti monster, tidak memiliki panel yang secara langsung menunjukkan level manusia lain.
Namun, profesor tersebut memiliki banyak pengalaman, dan pengalaman itu memberitahunya sesuatu.
Kehadiran Lian sangat besar, namun terkompresi dan dikendalikan dengan kuat, bagaikan sungai besar yang mengalir di bawah permukaan yang sepenuhnya tenang.
"Aku tidak tahu tentang Rindo dan yang lainnya, tapi aku meragukan kalau kau tertinggal dari siapa pun."
"Bisakah aku menganggap itu sebagai pujian dari Profesor Aldric?"
"Ngomong-ngomong, apakah kau sudah menyelesaikan evolusi pertamamu?" Aldric mengabaikannya dan mengganti topik.
"Ya, aku sudah menyelesaikan evolusi pertamaku." Lian mengangguk; tidak ada yang perlu disembunyikan tentang menyelesaikan sebuah evolusi.
"Bukankah kau ingin menjelajahi sekitar Base Number Nine selama beberapa hari sebelum kembali? Ada beberapa dungeon di area itu, dan bagi seseorang yang baru saja berevolusi, itu adalah kesempatan bagus untuk berkembang. Kau pasti memahami nilai dari Fragments sekarang."
"Selain membunuh monster dan mengerjakan Quest, kau juga harus tahu bahwa membersihkan beberapa dungeon dan melakukan eksplorasi dapat memberimu Fragments."
Lian mengetahui hal ini. Ketika ia pertama kali dipanggil ke Ruined Realm, saat ia dan Seris menemukan Frostfallen City, sistem telah memberi mereka reward berupa Fragments.
Tentu saja, mendapatkan Fragments melalui kedua cara tersebut sangatlah sulit dan bergantung pada keberuntungan, dan sistem tidak selalu bersikap bermurah hati seperti itu.
Meskipun demikian, jika ia tidak memiliki hal lain untuk dilakukan, ia mungkin akan melakukan hal yang sama.
Namun—
"Aku punya beberapa urusan yang harus diselesaikan," jawabnya, lalu menambahkan.
"Aku juga memiliki baju zirah yang sudah menungguku selama sembilan bulan, dan mengetahui kepribadian pandai besi itu, aku yakin dia sangat marah padaku, dan aku juga perlu menemui temanku."
"Kain?" tanya Aldric langsung.
"Oh, aku tidak menyangka Anda tahu namanya."
"Aku tahu nama-nama mahasiswaku, dan bagaimanapun juga, aku bukan satu-satunya yang mengenalnya akhir-akhir ini."
"Maksud Anda?" Lian menjadi serius kali ini.
"Temanmu saat ini menjadi salah satu topik diskusi utama di ibu kota, dan lebih spesifik lagi, dia adalah seseorang yang sedang berusaha direkrut oleh guild-guild besar," jawab sang profesor.
"Oh?" Pemuda keluarga Vorhelm itu awalnya sedikit terkejut, namun kemudian ia tersenyum.
Ia tidak menyangka hal ini, setidaknya tidak sampai pada titik di mana bahkan Profesor Aldric akan berbicara baik tentangnya. Ia tahu bahwa dengan warisan yang telah diperoleh anak itu, cepat или lambat ia akan menarik perhatian.
Dan sepertinya ia benar-benar berhasil menorehkan namanya selama masa ini.
"Sebelum kau merasa terlalu senang, kau harus tahu bahwa situasinya di akademi tidak baik." Namun Aldric melanjutkan hampir seketika.
"Maksud Anda?" Senyuman Lian perlahan menghilang.
"Dia telah diisolasi."
"Apa?" Wajahnya menjadi benar-benar serius. Bagaimana mungkin seseorang yang sedang berusaha direkrut oleh guild-guild terbesar bisa terisolasi di akademi?
"Kau tidak ada di sini, dan banyak hal berubah di dalam akademi selama sembilan bulan ini, dan sebagian besar dari perubahan tersebut berkaitan dengan seorang mahasiswa bernama Roderick."
"Roderick." Mata Lian menjadi sedikit dingin.
Nama itu.
Pria yang, sebelum ia memasuki Area Spesial, lebih mirip nyamuk yang menyebalkan daripada ancaman nyata, dan selama masa ini, ia telah melupakannya sepenuhnya; ia telah menjadi begitu tidak berharga di matanya.
Namun rupanya, sembilan bulan juga tidak terbuang sia-sia bagi orang itu.
"Aku dengar kau punya sedikit masalah dengannya." Aldric mengamati reaksinya.
"Bisa dibilang begitu."
"Kalau begitu, kau mungkin harus bertanya pada Kain untuk detailnya. Selama aturan akademi tidak dilanggar secara langsung, aku tidak ikut campur dalam konflik anak-anak."
Lian merenungkan kata terakhir itu sejenak.
Anak-anak.
Beberapa dari
In the entire report he heard, this boy was the one who went toward trouble and extremely dangerous and crazy actions, and doing such things required either endless courage or endless stupidity.
He did not know where this kid had gotten such a personality.
Maybe it was genetic... according to the stories he had heard about the Vorhelm patriarch, that man had the same personality.
"A little." Lian could not stop a short laugh, then added.
"Professor, what about things here? Nine months is not a short time, how was the situation while we were gone?"
"Business as usual." Aldric answered very simply.
"Your definition of normal can be worrying."
"Most students spent a lot of time in Base Number Three, hunting, doing missions, and exploring new areas, and the members of the Elite Class completed their first evolution, a considerable number of them also passed Level 25."
Lian raised an eyebrow, it was not that bad, nine months was a long time for growth.
But his expectations were too high, his own growth speed was terrifyingly explosive, and even though the EXP he needed for each level could be up to five times the amount needed by a five-star class, he still leveled up very quickly.
And this was thanks to one of his innate skills, which allowed him to absorb 100% of the EXP from killing every monster, although it was 150% now.
But other Awakened did not have such an advantage, and four-star classes could only absorb 40% and three-star classes 30%.
Their leveling speed was much slower, and unlike him or Seris, they could not hunt alone, and this reduced their speed and even caused them to kill monsters in groups, which cut the rewards in half.
That was why for two-star, three-star, and four-star classes, reaching the second evolution could take up to two years.
If he had not been trapped inside the Special Area, his level would probably have been much higher than thirty, in fact, he could even have been close to his second evolution.
Of course, level was not everything, everything he had gained in the Special Area was much more valuable and made up for the time he had lost.
Besides being able to become familiar with a hidden part inside his body called the Ruin Heart and learn huge secrets such as the secret of the Calamities.
He had managed to destroy and devour one of those Calamities, gain a very useful S-Rank talent, and obtain a multi-ton ant as a mount.
"So I really fell far behind." Lian said jokingly.
Aldric said nothing and only looked at him for a few seconds, his gaze became calmer and more careful.
The young Vorhelm could almost feel that the professor was examining something inside him.
Humans, unlike monsters, did not have a panel that directly showed the level of other humans.
But the professor had a lot of experience, and that experience was telling him something.
Lian’s presence was huge, but compressed and heavily controlled, like a large river flowing under a completely calm surface.
"I don’t know about Rindo and the others, but I doubt you have fallen behind anyone."
"Can I take that as a compliment from Professor Aldric?"
"Anyway, have you completed your first evolution?" Aldric ignored him and changed the subject.
"Yes, I completed my first evolution." Lian nodded, there was nothing to hide about completing an evolution.
"Didn’t you want to explore around Base Number Nine for a few days before coming back? There are several dungeons in that area, and for someone who has just evolved, it was a good chance to grow, you should understand the value of Fragments now."
"Besides killing monsters and doing Quests, you should also know that clearing some dungeons and doing explorations can give you Fragments."
Lian knew this, when he was first summoned to the Ruined Realm, when he and Seris discovered Frostfallen City, the system had rewarded them with Fragments.
Of course, getting Fragments through these two methods was very difficult and depended on luck, and the system was not always that generous.
Still, if he had nothing else to do, he would probably have done the same.
But—
"I have some things to take care of." He answered, then added.
"I also have an armor waiting for me for nine months, and knowing that blacksmith’s personality, I’m sure he is extremely angry with me, and I also need to see my friend."
"Kain?" Aldric asked immediately.
"Oh, I didn’t expect you to know his name."
"I know the names of my students, and in any case, I am not the only one who knows him these days."
"What do you mean?" Lian became serious this time.
"Your friend is currently one of the main topics of discussion in the capital, and more specifically, he is someone the major guilds are trying to recruit." Professor answered.
"Oh?" The young Vorhelm was a little surprised at first, but then he smiled.
He did not expect this, at least not to the point that even Professor Aldric would speak well of him, he knew that with the legacy that boy had obtained, sooner or later he would attract attention.
And it seemed he had really managed to make a name for himself during this time.
"Before you get too happy, you should know that his situation in the academy is not good." But Aldric continued almost immediately.
"What do you mean?" Lian’s smile slowly disappeared.
"He has become isolated."
"What?" His face became completely serious, how could someone that the biggest guilds were trying to recruit become isolated in the academy?
"You were not here, and many things changed inside the academy during these nine months, and a considerable part of these changes is related to a student named Roderick."
"Roderick." Lian’s eyes became slightly cold.
That name.
The man who, before he entered the Special Area, was more like an annoying mosquito than a real threat, and during this time, he had completely forgotten about him, he had become this worthless in his eyes.
But apparently, nine months had not been wasted for him either.
"I heard you have some history with him." Aldric watched his reaction.
"You could say that."
"Then you should probably ask Kain for the details, as long as the academy rules are not directly broken, I do not get involved in the kids’ conflicts."
Lian thought about the last word for a moment.
kids
Some of those same "kids" could probably destroy a building with their fists now.
But from Aldric’s point of view, they were apparently still children.
"Thanks, I’ll ask him when I see him." In the end, he also nodded.
"He’s here?" He immediately asked another question.
"He should be." Aldric answered.
"You’re not sure?"
"I’m not in charge of attendance at the dormitory."
"That makes sense."
"A general call has been sent for the final exams, all students have to return, even those who spend most of their time in the Ruined Realm."
That was good news, so he was probably here, or at least he would return soon.
And it was not only Kain, almost their entire generation should have returned, rivals, the Elite Class students, and Roderick and Elena.
It seemed he had chosen a good time to return.
The conversation continued for a few more minutes, but nothing else important was brought up.
"If you have nothing else for me, can I go?" He finally stood up from the chair and asked.
"Sure." The professor nodded.
Lian walked toward the door and put his hand on the handle.
Now his first task was clear, he had to find Kain and find out what had happened while he was gone.
But just before he opened the door, Aldric’s voice came from behind him again.
"Wait."
"Yes?" The young Vorhelm kept his hand on the handle and turned halfway around.
"Do you remember Commander Gareth?"
Lian turned completely around, going over the name in his mind for a moment, but only for a moment.
How could he forget? Commander Gareth, the man responsible for dealing with the incident of the fallen border city.
One of the first real and bloody events he had faced after becoming an Awakened.
The same city that had been occupied by monsters, and later it was discovered that the truth behind it was more complicated than they had thought, and unfortunately, the real culprit had escaped.
"Yeah, why?"
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!