Following the King's Banquet

The infirmary is a nice place for people who suffer honorable injuries during battle.

However, for ones who only care about getting stronger, it is the worst.

Such was the case with Ace Ambrosia, the now #1 King of Academy 07, King of Indifference.

Despite his heroic win against Leo Kadz, he wasn't satisfied.

What he wanted was to defeat the person who would terrorize and rip to shreds the planet Ace currently resided on.

That was his main goal.

There were always unknown variables, which is why he wanted to become as strong as possible in the nine years given to him.

No, he thought the tragedy might begin quicker.

Since the Deity of Destruction was expelled from the time cycle which the Akashic Records reversed, he would have an idea of how to progress his plans forward quicker.

To prevent that incident from ever occurring, he needed strength, allies, and extensive knowledge about the deities.

The first two were all up to him.

However, the last one could only be acquired through Akash, or the Akashic Records.

For now, his goal was to achieve what was expected of him by Akash in the dungeon assignment.

'Three weeks. No, it's a little more than two weeks now.'

That was the amount of time he possessed to prepare everything for the dungeon assignment.

First of all, he needed a better weapon.

Since he didn't have any money, it was going to be a challenge to get one better than what he currently owned, which was a D Rank artifact.

Artifacts were items either found in dungeons or created through mana arts such as blacksmithing. They were items that could circulate, contain, and emanate mana. Mana was imbued into them when in the process of creation, which is what made them tolerable to mana.

The amount of mana they could tolerate was what decided their ranks.

Since Ace's mana stat was nearing the D- Rank, he needed a better weapon, so that his own mana wouldn't shatter his weapon.

If such a thing happened in the midst of battle, all chances of winning would diminish.

And, he knew just where he could find the best blacksmith in Bryxton.

However, the blacksmith wouldn't craft items for money.

No, he needed a different kind of payment.

Incorrect, it is not anything indecent.

To prompt him to craft an item, one needed to pass the trial known as "The Trial of Worthiness."

Knock Knock!

"Come in!"

Ace said, as a lanky-armed individual entered the infirmary.

He was Ace's first visitor. His family tried meeting him but were denied entry onto the campus since it was a minor injury.

As the lanky-armed individual with smooth blonde hair approached him, Ace noticed something different.

"Why… are there bruises on your body and face?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But, couldn't you consume an elixir? It would get rid of those wounds in an instant."

"Well, the person who gave me them decided to not let me use any."

Deciding not to pry any in his life any further, Ace halted his series of questions along with his advice.

"Anyway, enough about me. How are you feeling?"

"Has our King of Idiocy become soft~?"

Hearing the exaggerated response, Leo chuckled bitterly, shaking his head.

For some reason, Ace thought Leo had matured a bit since their fight. No longer were his cheeks becoming beet-red due to embarrassment.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Go on."

"How did you neutralize the forcefield? It was too strong for someone at your rank to be able to perform that feat, let alone in milliseconds."

"Well, it was an extension related to my strongest skill. I'm afraid I can't tell you more."

Raising his hands for a second, Leo smiled.

"Alright."

'I was correct. He does have an aura of maturity now.'

Ace stroked his chin, causing Leo to tilt his head.

"Three weeks until the D Rank dungeon assignment."

Ace announced, causing Leo to widen his eyes to the point where it seemed they would bulge out at any second.

"You were serious about that? I thought you were joking!"

"Dead serious."

"Well, at least I rose to the E Rank. You won't be able to."

"Oh, yes I will. I'm almost there, actually."

Hearing his response, Leo's jaw dropped as he questioned his life choices. A person who had been F+ Rank when he entered school had already risen to E- Rank, and was on the verge of hitting E Rank!?

Anyone who heard that would think it's bogus.

However, Leo knew better than to underestimate the prodigy he saw before him.

This was the legend who was being praised by many others in Bryxton.

"Well, that's nice. Also, I think Lily's coming for you, man."

"That's to be expected. Her narcissistic self can't handle someone being better than her at something."

"You better be careful. Walls have ears… no, eyes… I have no idea what body part walls have."

Ace chuckled at Leo's attempt at a joke while stretching his arms by raising them up in the air.

"I think I'll be discharged today."

"That's cool. Don't train, though. I heard training makes muscles sore."

"Stop playing. I'm better than you at basically everything."

Leo's cheeks turned red as rage was visible on his face.

'Guess he hasn't matured after all.'

"How's Sebastian?"

Ace asked, curiosity visible in his abyss-like crimson pupils.

"Ah, he's still bedridden. He will be for the next couple of months… maybe even longer."

"You really broke him, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I hated that guy!"

"So, since you hated him, you ruined his entire life by deforming his face. Elixirs can fix that wound but applying it too soon might have side-effects. Besides, he isn't even in the Kings rankings anymore."

"Someone named Jean Gray overtook him."

"Melissa's opponent in the Dormitory War?"

"Yeah. Guy's a real handsome devil."

"You hate that guy too, don't you?"

"Of course. He's right beneath me in the rankings."

"Y'know, I just noticed something."

"What?"

"You're able to have a proper conversation without getting pissed at me."

"That's because we aren't on each other's throats right now. Nor are we discussing how you're better than me."

"So, you admit it?"

"I–I didn't say that!"

Leo's cheeks reddened once again. For Ace, this was now a routine.

"Anyway, I should probably take my leave now."

Leo muttered as he opened the door to leave the room. Pausing for a split second, he turned his head around and gave the most attractive smile he could muster.

"Just to let you know, we aren't done with our rivalry yet."

"Wasn't really a rivalry. More like a one-sided beating."

Ace muttered under his breath, but gave a satisfying response by putting his thumb up.

*

*

*

After being discharged from the infirmary, Ace went back to the Dormitory. Then, he dressed up in casual attire, such as jeans and a shirt.

After that, he headed to his next class, history.

As he entered the classroom, he was met by the raspy voice of his history teacher, Vertigo Lawrence.

Greeting his teacher, who gave him a faint smile, he sat down in his chair. Noticing that Leo had occupied the spot right behind him, he let out a bitter chuckle.

"Did you sit here to annoy me or something?"

"You realize that you got me detention a week or so ago, right?"

"That was completely your fault."

"Sure it was."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a dry cough, after which they felt like their souls were pierced as they felt a fiery gaze locked on them.

"I apologize, Mr. Lawrence."

"Sorry, Mr. Lawrence.

Ace and Leo apologized respectively as they turned their heads to look at their teacher.

"Now, as I was saying. The origin of the Iniquitous and Conscientious Faction dates back to 2046. 20 years after the emergence of the substance named 'mana', Andrew Simmons and Jorge Musk decided to establish their own factions. At the time, they were friends, but after the establishment of their opposing factions, their rivalry became irreconcilable."

"Conscientious Faction, a faction established by Jorge Musk, which soon became a faction that influenced half of the world. It is one of the two main factions in effect currently, and represents those who wish to maintain their morals and ethics by using their power for democracy and equality instead of destruction"

"Iniquitous Faction, a faction established by Andrew Simmons, which soon became a faction that influenced the other half of the world. It is also one of the two main factions in effect currently, and represents those who wish for monarchy and absolute power, which is often classified as 'evil' by the Conscientious Faction members."

"Currently, the Conscientious Faction is headed by Noah Williams, while the Iniquitous Faction is headed by Genro Govel."

"The rankings. The Conscientious Faction and Iniquitous Faction both have rankings that measure a person's merits and strength using a numerical value. The heads of both factions are #1 in their rankings because of their overwhelming strength and influence, along with merits."

"The rankings also decided your social status, as the #343 Conscientious Ranker might be more respected than a #1047 Ranker, or a #147,985 Ranker."

Suddenly, a student raised their hand, causing Mr. Lawrence to point to him and asked what his question was.

"You mentioned that the heads of both factions possess overwhelming strength and influence, along with merits. However, I wonder if that automatically means that they have the necessary requirements as a leader to become the head of their respective faction."

Having expected this question, Mr. Lawrence didn't lose his composure.

"The #1 Ranker is not always the head of the faction. At least, that is the case within the Conscientious Faction. Noah Williams was chosen because of his leadership skills and his perseverance and patriotism towards the faction. It was only a coincidence that he happened to be the strongest."

"However, Genro Govel was chosen due to the fact that he was the best. He was chosen to head his faction because of his strength which could put thousands to shame. And frankly, the process suits the morals and ethics of the respective faction."

Concluding his lecture, he waited patiently for any questions that the students might have.

Suddenly, a hand shot up.

"Yes, Mr. Kadz."

"What are the requirements to become a Conscientious Ranker?"

"Good question. There are many different divisions of the Conscientious faction, and many are for military purposes, while the others are for non-combative purposes. It depends on what subject you excel at. After picking the subject, one must become one of the best in their field. After that, one must acquire enough merits by working as a trainee, be recommended by one of the top 1000 Rankers, or pass a trial dedicated to the specific subject."

Sitting down, Leo nodded his head in understanding.

Ace couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how much Leo had changed.

'Did his father do something again? How did he become so obedient?'

However, this wasn't the time to think about things like that.

Raising his hand, he quickly stood up.

"Yes, Mr. Ambrosia."

"How powerful are the top rankers of the Conscientious Faction?"

"The top hundred usually ranges from S Rank to SS- Rank. The top ten is mostly filled with SS to SS+ rank individuals. Finally, Noah Williams' is known to be at the SSS- Rank."

"Thank you."

Sitting down, he absent-mindedly listened to Mr. Lawrence for the remainder of the class.

Following the end of class, he hurried back into his room.

Using his phone, he informed the teachers about his one week absence.

Now, he had to cultivate.

He sat on his bed and channeled his mana slowly to begin.

Since he was nearing the E Rank quicker than he expected due to Akash's training, the matter deserved immediate attention.

Channeling his mana throughout his veins to smoothen any obstacles inside them, he quickly began absorbing the surrounding mana.

A lot of time was spent in the process of refining and absorbing. It was a process that normally took very long to perform due to the thickness of the mana in the surrounding atmosphere.

When mages used spells or when close-combat fighters augmented their bodies, the mana they absorbed is released back into the air. Only, the mana becomes impure due to it mixing with the impurities inside your body.

Then, one absorbs it, refines it, and uses it again.

It is an endless cycle of recycling.

*

*

*

7 days passed in an instant, and Ace slowly opened his eyes.

Due to having gotten tremendous gains over the past week, he couldn't help but let out a smile.

Due to Akash's training, his rank had already neared E.

Now, due to a week of mana cultivation, he had surpassed the boundary and stepped into the E Rank, officially becoming as strong as some in the D Rank due to his various abilities.

Despite having only trained for a couple of weeks since he regressed, he was surprised by his own progress.

He wondered if Akash had anything to do with it.

Getting up from the bed, he quickly performed some stretching exercises to loosen up his rigid body now that he had finished his seclusion.

Now, he had to attempt something he could never perform prior to increasing his rank.

He quickly headed to the Public Training Room, worried that the Private Training Room might be too small.

Having used the move before, he understood its destructive capabilities.

Thus, he wanted to attempt it in a public place in case the move accidentally destroys the entire place.

Well, he wasn't even sure he could attempt it. Having failed to do so before, he wasn't sure if he could perform it.

As he stood before a wall inside the Public Training Room, he concentrated his mana on just his blade.

He activated [Aura Manifestation], coating his hands and blade with enough aura for the move to not accidentally shatter the blade.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the trajectory, strength, and speed he would put into the strike, while also maintaining the perfect amount of mana so that the blade wouldn't shatter due to his newfound mana stat.

'Here we go.'

'3'

'2'

'1'

"Hey!"

A quiet scream escaped Ace's mouth as he accidentally put all of his mana reserves into his blade.

Crack!

Smash!

Silence descended upon the Training Room as everyone stared at the boy who had shattered his blade.

As rage boiled inside of him, he turned back, only to see a lanky-armed individual standing there with a complicated expression and gaze.

He noticed Leo's gaze was locked on his blade.

"Did I…"

"Yes, you did. My mana is too high for this blade to contain, which is why I was maintaining the perfect amount. You…"

He didn't say a word before chasing after the lanky-armed individual who was already running away.

Using [Aura Manifestation], [Body Augmentation], and holding the piece of his former blade's hilt, he activated [Sword Saint] to Beginner Level Mastery.

Then, he leaped forward several meters and on top of Leo's head.

With a…

Bang!

He smacked Leo's head with his fist, causing severe head injuries for the lanky-armed individual.

He made sure to harm the nerve cells, so that Leo would become a non-functional human being.

Well, he would… if Earth was in its 2026th counted year.

Now, the medics could easily differentiate his stem cells into nerve cells to fix any brain injury.

Only, it would cost way more than Ace's family can afford.

Blood flowed down Leo's head as he lay unconscious.

Knowing his injury could be fixed easily, Ace didn't care about his well-being.

All he cared about was his broken blade.

Leo had forced Ace to break his blade, which meant that the latter would have to visit the blacksmith earlier than he had expected.

Moreover, Ace wanted to learn the first move of [Sword Saint] before he visited the blacksmith, so that he would at least have a chance of passing the trial, which he didn't know anything about.

All he knew was that in two years from now, someone passes the trial and that the blacksmith creates the best blade he could for them.

Now, he had to take on the trial without possessing a blade or having learned the first move.

The former wasn't a problem, but the latter was crucial.

'Should I ask my mother for money again? No, that's not an option. If I remember correctly, the family was running low on funds right about now because of my admission to Academy 07.'

He had to think of another solution.

He couldn't leech off of Leo, since he had already given him brain injuries.

The medics had already taken Leo, and some of them even openly showed their hostility towards Ace, who forced them to work overtime.

Paying no mind to the medics, he pondered ways he could make some money.

This was a matter that needed urgent attention. It was also one he had been thinking about for a long time.

'Maybe I can join the IFA to fight for money, but for that I need a blade… I'll ask my mother for money, and then pay it back tenfold once I join the IFA.'

He decided on this plan, and quickly pulled out his phone.

Typing his mother's number, he called her.

-Ace?

"Hello, mother."

-Thank god you're alright.

His mother's voice was shaking, and he could hear Alice's gleeful voice in the background.

-So, what's the matter?

"Um, so my blade broke because of that damned Leo…"

-An artifact, huh? Will C15,000 suffice? It should be enough for a D Ranked artifact.

"My mana has stepped into the D- Rank…"

There was a short pause, and then Amanda began talking again.

-Your mana's already at the D- Rank!? What overall rank are you at?

"I achieved E Rank a couple of hours ago, but my mana is higher."

-Woah. Anyway, what about C50,000?

"That should be enough. Thank you, mum. I'll pay it back tenfold, I promise."

Amanda smiled gently, but it was unbeknownst to Ace.

-Sure.

"Thank you!"

-Bye.

As she hung up, Ace punched upwards as a sign of victory.

It was a bit embarrassing that his mother assumed he needed money, but he truly wanted to pay her back tenfold when he had the means to.

[Amanda Ambrosia has sent you C50,000]

Smiling inwardly, he opened up the Conscientious Market.

Finding the perfect item, he immediately ordered it.

[Sharp Long-Sword x1]

It was a basic item, but the details mentioned it was a C Rank artifact.

Moreover, it cost just as much money as his mother lent to him.

Immediately, he ran outside the Public Training Room and was greeted by a black drone levitating in the air.

Going up to it, he grabbed the package.

Heading back to his room, he couldn't contain his excitement and finally let out a smile.

'I can probably use this artifact until I reach D- or D Rank.'

Inside his room, he carefully ripped apart the packaging and witnessed the true beauty of the blade.

It was a silver blade that shone brighter than anything he had witnessed before. The hilt was white-golden.

'It's perfectly balanced, too.'

'Tomorrow, I'll attempt the move I had been trying to perform for so long.'

'Then, I'll go to that blacksmith. It's probably going to take months for him to create the sword. Well, that depends on whether I pass the trial or not. Moreover, I'll probably need to gather the materials too.'

He sighed, believing his workload was too high.