Chapter 28: The Two-Week Rewards

It had been two weeks since Sam, Yuki, and Isabelle entered the Academy, and so far, their routine had been quite simple.

Sam would rise early each morning to train with his sword and spear for an hour. 

Occasionally, the girls would join him as training partners, but it was clear that his skills in both swordplay and spearplay were unparalleled; they were no match for him.

After his morning training, Sam would attend classes. 

The class schedules varied for each student, as they focused on different aspects of cultivation or specific pursuits. 

There were also common classes held once a week to cover fundamental topics. 

Although Sam was already familiar with much of the material, these classes proved useful for deepening his understanding. 

Many complex questions were often clarified by revisiting the basics.

Speaking of complexities, it had become widely known that Sam was living with Yuki and Isabelle. 

Wherever Sam went, the girls were always by his side. 

Interestingly, despite expectations, neither the Hounds nor the Reapers had approached him for recruitment. 

Sam speculated that Lucy might have had a hand in this unexpected peace.

Neither Lucy nor the student council had made contact with him directly. 

However, they did approach Yuki and Isabelle, inviting them to join the student council. 

This invitation came from another member, not Lucy herself. 

Knowing that Sam had not joined the student council, the girls declined the offer as well. 

The council soon realized that to recruit Yuki and Isabelle, they would first need to secure Sam's allegiance.

This situation drew even more attention because Sam, Yuki, and Isabelle were the top three scorers of the entrance exam, and their refusal to join any faction became a hot topic. 

It became apparent that whichever faction succeeded in recruiting Sam would gain significant strength in the ongoing power struggle.

Despite the intrigue, no one aside from Lucy had made any overt moves towards Sam. 

They didn't even attempt to make things difficult for him.

Apart from receiving constant curious glances, everything was proceeding smoothly. 

However, things took a strange turn when Sam decided to enroll in all available classes, astonishing everyone with his talent in every subject.

The Academy offered a wide range of classes, both common and optional. 

The common classes included Cultivation Theories, Martial Arts, Energy Principles, History, Logic and Critical Thinking, Bestiary, Mythology, and the Study of Mortals. 

The optional classes covered more specialized subjects such as Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Alchemy, Assassination Arts, Archery, Survival Arts, Tampering Arts, Energy Manipulation, etc.

Sam, being the natural freak he was, had enrolled in every class the academy offered. 

Initially, many assumed he was either out of his depth or simply showing off, but it quickly became evident that he excelled at everything he pursued. 

His presence was steadily becoming a focal point of interest within the Academy.

Yet, what was most difficult for others to accept was that Sam wasn't just inherently talented; he was also an incredibly diligent worker.

Then, there was the system.

Over the past two weeks, Sam had accumulated a plethora of rewards from the system for his achievements across all stuffs. 

Moreover, he had garnered acclaim for winning duels against more than half of the first-year Awakeners. 

His exploits had made him the talk of the academy, with everyone buzzing about his capabilities.

This only added to the mystery of why neither the Hounds nor the Reapers had approached him yet.

Currently, Sam sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, with a system prompt glowing in front of him.

[Your contracted beast, Anthra (Beast Ant Queen), has Awakened from her slumber]

Sam took a deep breath as his consciousness detached from his body and arrived in a cave hidden within a mountain. 

Inside, he could see Anthra cocooned, but she appeared vastly different from before. 

The once white cocoon had transformed into shades of red and purple, exuding an intense, flesh-ripping Aura. 

Sam could hear deep heartbeats resonating and glimpsed the swirling silhouette of the beast within the cocoon.

"She's awake, though not yet ready to hatch completely. It seems she'll hatch in a few days," Sam murmured upon opening his eyes.

It had taken Anthra fifteen days to awaken, a longer period than usual for a Beast Ant Queen. "It seems my connection with her is affecting her more profoundly than I anticipated."

Raising his hand, Sam conjured a single mana dot that swiftly expanded and multiplied into dozens of condensed mana spheres before vanishing.

Back in the Anthill, dozens of condensed mana spheres materialized out of thin air, and merged with Anthra's cocoon making it glow intensely for a few seconds

"Show me all the rewards I received," he commanded.

In response, the System displayed the cumulative rewards he had earned over the past two weeks:

[Reward 1: +40 Free Stat Points]

[Reward 2: +30 Mana]

[Reward 3: +35 Mana Stones]

[Reward 4: +30 High-Level Beast Cores]

[Reward 5: +1 Rare Stat]

[Reward 6: +1 Innate Ability]

[Reward 7: +1 Noble Attire Set]

[Reward 8: +1 Magic Mirror]

[Reward 9: +1 Herald's Wand]

[Reward 10: Elements of Suits (Complete Set)]

These were the rewards the System had granted him in just the past two weeks.

He had yet to accept them because he hadn't found the time to review them properly.

While he was perusing his System rewards, Yuki and Isabelle were deep in cultivation.

Their focus was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.

Sam was also disturbed, and when he went to answer the door, he saw Yuki and Isabelle already there, talking to the visitors.

Quickly, Sam hid under the stairs so they wouldn't notice him.

"We are the Reapers," one of the men in the group announced with a confident grin.

Sam could tell, using his charm ability, that this guy was trying to court Yuki and Isabelle.

"Who is this bastard?" Sam thought, instantly annoyed, but he didn't move.

He wanted to see what else they had to say.

"The Reapers? What's this about?" Isabelle asked, her smile remaining, though annoyance flickered in her eyes.

"We heard that you young ladies have yet to join any factions and have even rejected previous invitations," the man said, his smile growing more sinister.

"Consider this another invitation, and this time, we won't take no for an answer."

"And if we say no?" Isabelle asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Then we won't be asking nicely," the creep replied, his aura rising. 

The pressure he exuded made the girls cautious; they could tell he was at a higher level than them.

They were right.

These Reaper thugs who came to force them into joining their faction were all higher-level than Yuki and Isabelle. 

They were second-year students and some of the best members of the Reaper faction.

Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted, dispelling the pressure exerted by the second-year reapers as a figure emerged with an intense presence.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his aura growing stronger, consuming theirs and forcing them to take a step back.

"They said they don't want to join your little gang, so why don't you... you know, fuck off," he said, smiling. 

However, the tension in his expression and the veins bulging on his forehead betrayed anything but friendliness.

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[A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! 🙏]