Chapter 110: I Do Not Really Like School

"It was nothing."

Joren meant it.

He had only stopped because his hands were itching for a fight and there happened to be Bloodstars sitting right in front of him.

Saving them was incidental.

Jace seemed to relax a little when he realized Joren was not difficult to approach. Fighting through the pain, he stepped forward and cupped his fists respectfully.

"My name is Jace. Fourth year student at Highcrest College, and captain of this squad."

He gestured toward the others.

"These are my teammates. Cerys, Mercer, and Holt."

"If you had not stepped in today, none of us would have made it out."

Jace kept his posture low as he spoke, watching Joren from the corner of his eye.

Highcrest College was a name with weight behind it. Governors from across the provinces would usually show at least some courtesy when they heard it.

Joren barely reacted.

If anything, he looked a little bored.

"Oh."

He nodded.

"I have heard of Highcrest College."

That was it?

Cerys blinked.

She had expected something more.

Then another thought came to her.

Someone this young, this strong, and apparently unaffiliated...

If they could bring him into Highcrest College, what would happen at this year’s national college tournament?

They could probably bulldoze straight through it.

"Um... Joren, right?"

Cerys quickly smoothed back the hair the battle had thrown across her face and offered him her best smile.

"Which college are you from?"

"Joren."

That was all he gave her.

The second half of the question went completely unanswered.

Joren?

The others searched their memories.

Nothing.

That name was not on the Ascendant List.

Cerys changed tack immediately.

"Joren, are you traveling alone?"

Her eyes brightened.

"Then why not join Highcrest College?"

"We have some of the best cultivation resources in the Dominion, and Rank Six instructors who can personally guide you."

"With your strength, Hector Tyren would absolutely approve the highest scholarship package. You might even be admitted directly into the War God Reserve Camp."

The more she talked, the faster the words came.

A completely unaffiliated monster had fallen into their laps.

How could they not try to recruit him?

Jace joined in.

"She is right. I do not know who trained you, but Highcrest College is one of the best platforms in the Aurelian Dominion."

"If you came with us, I would hand over the captain position immediately. We would be on the same side from then on."

Joren listened to the offers and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Cultivation resources?

He had the Bloodstar System.

Kill monsters. Get stronger.

What resources did he need?

A master to guide him?

At this point, it was hard to say who would be teaching whom.

"Not interested."

He waved a hand and cut Cerys off before she could continue.

"Ah?"

She stopped.

"But... this would be really good for your future."

"I do not like school."

Joren looked toward the distant sky.

Norcrest lay in that direction.

"I only want to go where there are lots of Voidbeasts."

That was where he belonged.

"All right. I am leaving."

He glanced at the system panel.

The instant kill had put another chunk of Bloodstars into his account, so his mood was pretty good.

Then, without giving anyone a chance to stop him, cyan wind erupted around his body.

Boom!

[Garuda Skyfall Wings] burst open behind him.

The wings stretched more than twenty meters across, every feather gleaming with the cold edge of compressed wind.

Loose stones tore away from the ground.

Before anyone could react, the air detonated.

Thump!

A white sonic cloud exploded where Joren had been standing.

He was already gone.

Only a streak of light remained, shooting into the clouds and vanishing beyond the horizon.

The four students stood below, staring at the white trail hanging in the sky.

Mercer finally broke the silence.

"Wait. He just... flew away?"

Jace swallowed.

Mercer looked over at him with a helpless smile.

"Looks like the Ascendant List is about to get rearranged."

Jace drew a breath and nodded.

His eyes stayed on the direction Joren had disappeared.

"Once we get back, report this to the college immediately."

His fingers slowly tightened.

"This Joren..."

"He is going to shake the entire Aurelian Dominion sooner or later."

High above the clouds, two enormous cyan wings tore across the sky.

Joren moved like a meteor flying against gravity, carving a long white corridor through the atmosphere.

He adjusted his breathing.

That had been his first time combining the Intent from [Peerless Blade Saint] with his protective force in actual combat.

The result had been better than expected.

A little too good, even by his standards.

"Early stage Rank Five."

"One strike."

"System, show me the new Talent."

The dark blue interface refreshed across his vision.

[Talent: Earth Tyrant]

[Grade: Purple]

[Description: The earth has crowned you. The weight of mountains and rivers now runs through your flesh and bone. You are no longer dust beneath the world. You are the mountains given form, sovereign over gravity. Wherever you stand becomes forbidden ground. Want to make you bow? Then bring down the earth beneath your feet first.]

[Gravity Prison: You can control gravity within five hundred meters of your body. Gravity can be adjusted freely between zero and fifty times normal strength. Crush enemies until they cannot move, or reduce your own weight until a single leap carries you a thousand meters.]

[Child of the Earth: Passive effect. As long as any part of your body remains in contact with the ground, including structures connected to the ground, physical stamina and protective force recover 500 percent faster. You also gain the Immovable effect, making you immune to all knockback and launching effects from enemies of your rank or lower.]

Joren read through the entries.

An excellent defensive and battlefield control Talent.

But after seeing what an orange Talent could do, purple Talents no longer looked quite as tempting.

Rumble.

A distant sound like rolling thunder spread across the horizon.

At noon, the cloud layer split apart.

A cyan streak descended toward the camp beneath the abandoned television tower like a falling meteor, bringing a wall of wind pressure with it.

"What is that?"

The Antares Command soldiers cleaning the battlefield snapped to attention.

Several Awakened Warriors went pale.

The cyan mass looked like a sun dropping from the sky, bright enough to sting their eyes.

Then it drew closer.

"Do not panic!"

Alar recognized the figure first.

"It is the Frontier Marshal!"

His voice immediately rose.

"The Frontier Marshal is back!"

Cheers broke out across the camp.

Joren slowed above them and descended.

The instant his boots touched the ground, [Garuda Skyfall Wings] dissolved into scattered cyan light.

The gale faded with them.

Only a tall figure in black remained among the ruins.

Joren looked over the camp.

"How is the cleanup going?"

Alar snapped to attention and saluted.

His reply boomed across the camp.

"Reporting, Frontier Marshal!"

"Voidbeast density in the core region has dropped by 90 percent."

"We expect to complete the full sweep within a ten kilometer radius before sunset."

Joren narrowed his eyes slightly.

"We are staying here for the next few days."

His right hand lifted and made a simple cutting motion through the air.

"Until every Voidbeast in this Fallen Zone is dead."

"Not one left."