Three Years

Chapter 36: Three Years

The death of Scott and also the disappearance of the Miller Family caused quite a commotion both in the academy and the town for the next few months. But as days passed, everything returned to normal. 

Although nothing much changed at the academy, Raven and Dante didn't get bullied due to Scott's absence.

Shockingly, Dante's improvement in spearmanship skyrocketed within the next two months.

He actually managed to increase his rank from 92 to 73 on the practical test!

On the other hand, Raven also managed to see a slight improvement in his spearmanship.

Before, the experience comprehension was 0% and didn't show any sign of improvement.

But after the kidnapping incident, it actually rose to 1.2%!

Raven knew that wasn't due to his hard work but due to Casper's strange memory.

It was only a single slash movement. But as Raven continued to mimic the posture and movements from the memory, his progression rose steadily and only stopped after reaching 1.2%!

After reaching that stage, Raven managed to find out that he could also activate the sealed Ice Spell from the 'Frozen Ender' spear!

But Zera firmly told him not to act recklessly and even warned him about the severe backlash.

At that moment, Raven also realized that he would never increase his spearmanship using normal means and decided to focus on learning new skills through memory.

This time, he chose the third skill called the 'Past Finder' skill!

After he realized that he could improve his spearmanship from the memories, he strangely felt that this skill might help him in the advancement of his spear mastery.

For the next three months, he stopped focusing more on practicing spearmanship and started learning the 'Past Finder' skill with the help of memories and experiences of the system owner.

After experiencing endless torture of pain, Raven managed to comprehend the 'Past Finder' skill up to 100% and finally learned it.

However, due to the lack of spirit power and specific 'Past Time' power in his body, Zera told him that he couldn't use that skill for now!

Although he was disappointed by this result, he never regretted it.

'Only three more years until I can learn 'Elemental Circlet Technique.'' He endured patiently and continued to focus on his studies.

…

Another three years passed.

Rune Era Year 1420, August 19th. 

Now, Raven had already turned 15 years old.

He had grown up to 165 cm tall at this moment and looked more like a teenager. Although he tried his best to continue training, his physical stats also progressed considerably. As for his Spearmanship's experience comprehension, it remained the same at 1.2%.

On the other hand, most of his classmates had already reached the third circle in the Knight Pathway, and some geniuses like Mary even learned one or two unique basic skills. 

Meanwhile, Raven became the only student with no circle and no skills in any combat. Even his sister and aunt persuaded him to drop out of school multiple times and suggested he focus on alchemy alone. 

Even Raven knew that he would become a top scorer in any written exam and might be able to get a government position. If he worked harder, he might even be selected as an assistant for Baron Alexander or any other low-rank nobles.

Alas, Raven's goal was not to be under the shadow of his sister and aunt but to grow stronger and protect them instead. 

Even though he got the last rank in all practical exams and became the worst student in the badge, he managed to get a top score in all written tests and barely passed all semesters. 

To others, he looked more like a loser and an untalented guy. 

But only he and his family members knew his true worth. At that moment, his Alchemic Knowledge had far surpassed anyone in the town itself. After realizing that it would be hard for him to graduate from the academy, Raven focused on improving his alchemy knowledge.

But he wasn't out of options. If he could use mortal potions, it would be much easier for him to get good results in practical exams.

'No. That would be considered cheating. Although no one will find out, I should rely on my strength.'

'I'm now in the middle of concocting a Low-Rank Strength potion, which is said to increase one's strength stats up to 1.0 points in one go permanently. I already got seven Dragonroots and a bottle of Moonlit water. The only remaining thing I still need to concoct the potion is Ogre's or a Minotaur's blood. For each set, I need two drops. In total, I needed around 15 drops. But getting a high-rank monster blood is not an easy task. I hope Aunt Shirley manages to get her hand on any of these two items from the auction house.' 

While thinking, he slowly woke up with a sleepy face and looked at the body condition.

[Name: Raven Sillalus Jorvot,

Age: 14

Nationality: Zenith Empire

Title: 66th Prince of Zenith Empire

Level: 0

Class: Acolyte Warlock (0th Circle)

Soul Rank: Mortal (Soul damaged 83%)

Life Pathway: Beginner Alchemist

Health: Normal

Attributes:

Strength: 0.9

Agility: 0.8

Vitality: 0.9

Luck: 1.5

Spirit: 5.4

Bloodline Spells:

Regeneration (Incomplete)

Additional Skills: Past Finder, Instant Memorize, Wonder Sense.

Affinities:

Life: Low.]

"At this moment, all my classmates are around second or third-circle Apprentice Knights. But my current progress is worst." But what he worried about now was the practical test.

No, it was not a normal practical test but more like a hunting test.

With his current stats and skills, he wouldn't even pass at all! 

"Even if I pass this test, the next one should be the affinity test. Although I have a low rank in 'Life' thanks to the potion I created, I will still end up failing the graduation exam. I can't even use the Ice affinity potion, thanks to my injured soul." A bitter look appeared on his face.

In truth, he wanted to attend the Crows Misery Academy and become a true wizard first.

But after gathering some information, he realized that it was nothing more than a pipe dream.

"There are only three months before the affinity test and the final graduation. I at least want to graduate from the Apprentice Knight Academy. Otherwise, my life will be full of hardships."

[Haa, I'm hearing the same thing every day. Don't mind those things, and focus on today's test. Who knows? You might get something good.]

Her words only made him let out a deep sigh.

'She has been saying these similar words more than 100 times after I learned the 'Wonder Sense' skill.'

After looking at the status, he got up from the bed and walked out of his bedroom to freshen up.

As he entered the living room, he saw a familiar face through the opened entrance door.

In the serene ambiance of a lush green yard, a young woman of approximately 25 years of age dedicated herself to rigorous training, brandishing a long sword with evident proficiency. Her physical presence radiated a distinct aura, characterized by her olive-toned skin, captivating reddish-orange eyes that held an allure, and a cascade of black hair that framed her face.

Possessing a round and youthful countenance, she showcased a captivating beauty that complemented her athletic physique. The woman was attired in a v-necked linen top paired with long pants, subtly revealing the contours of her well-defined figure.

She was none other than his sister Athena.

"You wake up much earlier today?" A voice came from the kitchen, causing him to turn around with a smile.

Soon, he saw a beautiful woman with blonde hair, around 35 years of age, leaning on the wall and staring at him with her bluish eyes.

"Good morning, Aunt. Today is the practical final exam for the Knight Training School."

Upon hearing those words, her expression turned solemn.

"Is it today? Will everything be alright? Should I also come to the test site to oversee the exam?" Shirley couldn't help but ask in a concerned tone.

"Don't pamper him too much, Aunt. I had already gone to check the surroundings and found nothing abnormal. Although he hasn't created any mana circle yet, he will be able to pass as long as he stays in the group. Moreover, he has many tricks up in his sleeves anyway." Athena's voice came from outside, making Shirley chuckle.

"Haa, it's always better to be more careful. Suppose you find anything abnormal, run from the woods, Raven. Don't care about the test." Shirley said in a solemn tone.

"I will." Raven nodded and hurried to freshen up.

During these three years, many good things happened.

The first good news was that his Aunt also managed to enter the realm of Radiant Knight two years ago!

'Zera also said that her average life span also increased by more than 50 years.'

Of course, it was mainly thanks to Raven's Alchemy skills.

After spending almost 600 gold coins on Knight's Awakening potion materials, Raven managed to create one potion and helped her break the bottleneck.

Not only that, but his sister had actually managed to comprehend the intermediate-rank sword aura and became a Rank-2 [Sword Dancer].

Her overall strength had far surpassed any Radiant Knight!

If she had faced the Orc Commander now, she could have killed it in a single strike. The same goes for Shirley!

'Zera actually said my sister and my aunt could easily solo a Rank-1 Magical Beast with their current strength.' But what annoyed him more was that she kept telling him to have them go to the deepest part of the 'Mirage Woodlands' and hunt down the Magical Beasts for him.

But Raven firmly refused to let his family members enter the woodlands and decided to go on an alternate route.

The second good thing was that he had already memorized all the Adept Rank Alchemy books and improved his knowledge to an incredible level a year ago.

Theoretically, he was an Adept Rank Alchemist!

After that, he also learned the 'Wonder Sense' skill through the skill book. Although he hadn't used this skill yet, it somehow managed to increase his luck stats by 0.5 points!

But awakening this skill also put a lot of restraint on his soul.

His soul took a small amount of damage when he learned this skill, resulting in his current lifespan being reduced by two years.

At this moment, he only had around five years and six months left to live.