The Road to Eswald's Academy

The creature dodged a swing from a female guardian, its massive body towering over her. Its scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its eyes glowed with a fierce intensity. The guardians stood their ground, their weapons drawn and ready.

As the creature charged, the guardians split into two groups, each attacking from the sides. One group distracted it with ranged attacks while the other closed in with swords and spears.

The creature thrashed about, knocking several guardians aside, but they quickly got back up, unfazed. With precision strikes and coordinated attacks, they chipped away at the creature's defenses.

The creature's roars grew weaker and its movements became sluggish. Finally, with one last strike, the guardians landed the killing blow. The creature fell to the ground, defeated.

The guardians nodded at each other. The battle lasted for a couple of minutes and they won without injuries, but they knew their fight wasn't over yet. They quickly harvested the creature's core crystal, the source of its power, and prepared to leave for the next location.

Before leaving, the guardians praised Aaron for his bravery in saving the woman, one of them, named Mike, offered him an invitation to join their ranks after graduation. Aaron, however, politely declined, stating that his priority was to focus on his studies at the academy.

Mike respected his decision but couldn't resist rewarding him for his heroic act. He handed Aaron the creature's core crystal. Mike explained that it was equivalent to 10 average unranked crystals.

Grateful for the gesture, Aaron thanked Mike and his companions. After parting ways, Aaron went to the nearest exchange shop and traded the core crystal for 10 unranked crystals, which he planned to use to further his cultivation.

***

As the days passed, Aaron dedicated himself to improving his cultivation. Not content with the 10 crystals he had received as a reward, he used the money his parents sent him each month to purchase additional ones. Fortunately, the old Aaron's frugal habits had left him with a healthy savings account.

Over the course of the next three days, Aaron absorbed 26 new crystals, carefully managing his intake. He set one every two hours for his ability to absorb, allowing it to save it up and ensure he made the most of each crystal's power in the future.

In addition to his cultivation efforts, Aaron also spent his time practicing a basic footwork technique he had purchased online from the association's website. Known as Feline Steps, this technique promised to enhance his agility and speed in combat.

To his surprise, Aaron discovered that the [Training Time] option created an illusion in his mind that kept practicing the technique, slowly getting better which showed comprehension ability and talent. After the hour of practice passed, the figure stopped and vanished before a wave of experience washed over Aaron, bringing him one step closer to mastering the technique.

[Race: Fane (Human Form)]

[Spirit Crystals: 0 (Unranked)]

[Absorbed Spirit Crystals: 11] *+10*

[Cultivation: 1st Realm (Unranked)] [25/100] *+16*

[Cultivation Time: 1 Spirit Crystal per 2 Hours] [Upgrade (0/1000)]

[Training Time: 1 Hour] [Upgrade (0/500)]

[Exploration Time: 1 Hour] [Upgrade (0/500)]

Despite the expensive cost of resources, Aaron was determined to prioritize his cultivation over upgrading his options. He knew that if he wanted to be accepted to any prestigious academy, he needed to show remarkable talent. And if he wanted to join the legendary Eswald's Academy, he needed more than just being remarkable.

A single unranked crystal cost a whopping $100, making it quite difficult for Aaron to afford anymore after his expenditures. However, he couldn't forget the creature's core crystal he obtained 2 days ago. He realized that if he became strong enough to hunt more of these creatures, he would have enough resources to grow.

Eswald's Academy was a magical place that every cultivator dreamed of attending. Its glory and proud history were known far and wide. The academy had an immense influence on the cultivation world and was home to many legendary cultivators. Its mysterious buildings and lush gardens were a sight to behold.

The academy was also famous for the Genesis Gate under its control, which led to a different world filled with powerful beasts and rare resources. These gates were few, other than the academy, the army and a couple powerful organizations, no one else had access to one. Many cultivators had tried to breach the gate's defenses, but none had succeeded. If they ever wanted to go in, they had to pay a large sum to one of the holders, which made many cultivators never leave after entering. The academy's students on the other hand were the only ones allowed to venture through the gate free of charge, making it an even more exclusive opportunity.

Aaron couldn't wait to have the chance to attend Eswald's Academy and explore the world beyond the Genesis Gate. He continued to devote all his time and resources to cultivating his skills, hoping that one day he too could join the ranks of the academy's elite students.

***

As the sun rose over the horizon, students started to gather outside the high school gates. Some arrive on foot, while others come on bicycles, buses or cars driven by their parents. The air is filled with excitement and anticipation as students make their way to their respective classrooms.

As the doors opened, students flooded into the building, heading towards their lockers to deposit their bags and other belongings. The hallways are alive with chatter and laughter as old friends greet each other.

The teachers and staff were already busy preparing for the day ahead, checking lesson plans and setting up classrooms. They greet the students with warm smiles and words of encouragement as they make their way to their classrooms.

Aaron entered the school, about to reveal his newfound power to his teachers and classmates. As soon as he walked in, he headed straight to the teacher's lounge to speak with his homeroom teacher. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Ms. Lee, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes.

Ms. Lee looked up at him and noticed the changes in his physical appearance. She was momentarily taken aback, but quickly composed herself and asked what was on his mind.

Aaron took a deep breath and explained that he had awakened over the break. This did not seem to surprise his teacher much since she most likely guessed what happened the moment she saw him.

"Congratulations Aaron, who would have thought that 2 students from my class would awaken, haha!" She said happily.

"Two?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, didn't you read it in the class's group chat? Adrian awakened a week ago" She said, unbeknownst to her that Aaron was kicked off of the group chat by Adrian himself way back.

After their conversation, Ms. Lee walked with Aaron to his first class of the day. As they walked down the hallway, she told him that she was looking forward to seeing his progress in the future.

As Aaron entered the classroom, the usual murmur of voices hushed into silence. People's eyes widened, and a few girls even let out a small gasp at his appearance. He noticed some of the boys whispering amongst themselves, and he could only assume it was about his sudden transformation.

As the class began, the teacher explained that he had awakened and would be going to a cultivation academy after graduating. This caused a few students to murmur in awe, while others looked at him with envy. The ones who never spoke to him before began to approach him, trying to start a conversation.

However, the bullies from before just whispered amongst themselves, their eyes darting back and forth between Aaron and Adrian. They discussed how Aaron is acting arrogantly now by not greeting Adrian respectfully like he did before, they knew that Adrian would teach him his place sooner or later. They sneered at him, calling him a waste cultivator with trash talent. After all, awakeners were not rare, but talented awakeners were.

Despite the envious glares, Aaron remained composed and focused on the class. He knew that he had a long way to go before he could compete with the best, but he was determined to make it to Eswald's Academy and show everyone his true potential.

Little did he know, Adrian was looking in his direction, a menacing grin on his face. He is a tall, muscular guy with a sharp jawline and a constant sneer on his face. He has dark, brooding eyes that seem to always be looking for trouble. His hair is short and slicked back, giving him a menacing look.

Adrian's father is an awakened who had reached the soldier realm, making Adrian come from a family of high-status cultivators. He often flaunts his family's wealth and influence, believing that it makes him superior to others. He uses his family's connections to bully other students and get what he wants. Despite his arrogant and entitled attitude, many of the students at the school fear him due to his father's reputation and especially now with Adrian's newly awakened cultivation abilities.

"Doesn't matter if you awakened or not, doesn't matter if you have talent or not" Adrian leaned towards Aaron and whispered. "The resources, influence and money my family has is 100 times more than yours… Even if you awakened, you're still my bitch!"