Chapter 269: Condition to join the Purging Order

"I will join the Purging Order," Vlad declared, his expression darkening, his voice firm. The earlier hesitation was completely absent from his face. ’So...those bastards were from Excidus,’ Vlad muttered inwardly, tightening his fists at his sides until his knuckles turned white. ’Finally, after so many years, I got a lead. If I have to, I will hunt down every last one of those bastards until I find her.’

Lucas raised a concerned brow. The persuasion had been going so well, so how had the end result turned out to be the complete opposite of his expectations? Vlad now seemed even more determined to join the organisation.

More concerning was the look in Vlad’s eyes. He didn’t seem like a teenager anymore, but rather like a boy who had already lost his innocence.

"Have you thought it through?" Lucas asked, his tone serious.

Vlad nodded.

"Fine then," Lucas released a defeated sigh. He took out a paper scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Vlad. "It contains information about the Purging Order. Read it carefully and give it back to me."

Vlad untied the small ribbon from the centre and opened the scroll.

The Purging Order currently had nine Inspectors who commanded nine different units called Eclipses. Each Eclipse was further divided into nine subunits called Totalities. The leader of a Totality was called an Arbiter, and its members were called Censors.

The Censors were at the level of a Three-Star Knight or Four-Ring Mage. To become an Arbiter, aside from the necessary requirement of being a Four-Star Knight or Five-Ring Mage, several achievements were also required, including finding important intel on Excidus or killing at least one Lower Moon from the Lunar Twelve of any branch of Excidus.

Naturally, the requirements to become an Inspector were even more demanding. One had to be at the level of a Five-Star Knight or in the Early Stage of the Six-Ring Mage realm, with the necessary condition that they must have slain at least one Upper Moon from the Lunar Twelve.

Vlad’s brows rose in mild surprise as he read the details. The very foundation of the Purging Order was based on eliminating Excidus. If Vlad wanted to enter the second part of the Main Quest, he needed to reach the level of a Five-Star Knight, a goal that was still far beyond his current strength.

Vlad’s eyes momentarily stopped at the condition to become an Arbiter. "Since I have already killed a Lower Moon, doesn’t that mean I’m qualified to become an Arbiter if I become a Four-Star Knight?" Vlad asked as he folded the scroll and gave it back to Lucas.

"Are you a Four-Star Knight?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Vlad shook his head. "So with my current strength, I can join the Purging Order as a Censor."

Both Aldric and Lucas seemed a bit taken aback by Vlad’s murmur. His words implied that he had already reached the level of a Three-Star Knight when it had not even been two months since he joined the academy and formed his core. But again, since he had defeated a Five-Ring Necromancer, even if it had been a fluke, the strength of a Three-Star Knight was the bare minimum required to accomplish such a feat. So they didn’t doubt his claim.

’Such unprecedented growth...’ Aldric gasped inwardly. ’He might even be more of a genius than Nolan, and his talent could surpass even Chloe’s. But how is that possible... when Chloe herself isn’t even bound by the limitations of humanity?’

"So when are we leaving?" Vlad asked Lucas, curiosity laced in his voice. "I need to inform my friends."

"Leaving where?" Lucas asked, his eyes narrowing.

"To join the Purging Order, of course," Vlad answered as a matter of fact. "I need to drop out from the academy to join the Order, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Lucas’s answer came sharply. "This isn’t a job you show up to every day. You’ll stay at the academy and keep up with your studies. When the Order has a mission for you, a message will reach you. Until then, carry on like nothing has changed."

The expression on his face turned even more serious as he continued, "And keep this in mind. Don’t tell anyone about the Order or Excidus, not even Sera. The Purging Order is a secret organisation, and everything about it must remain confidential."

Vlad was more relieved than surprised after hearing Lucas’s instructions. He had already prepared himself to leave the academy now that he had finally found a lead. But deep down, there was a hint of hesitation as well. There was still so much to learn, so much to explore, and so much to experience at the academy. But he knew his priorities, so he suppressed those desires. Now, Lucas’s instructions made it clear that he could join the Purging Order while staying at the academy itself.

It was a complete win-win situation for him.

The corner of his lips slightly rose into a faint, relieved smile.

"It’s too early to be smiling just yet," Lucas’s threatening words pulled him out of his momentary relief.

"Huh?" Vlad raised his head.

"You aren’t thinking that you can join the Order just because you said you wanted to?" Lucas asked with a frown.

"But it was you two who told me about the Order," Vlad responded, stating the facts.

"Ahem, we only provided you with the option to solve the matter of Excidus," Aldric said, joining in. "As for whether you are truly qualified to join the Order, you need to prove your abilities."

"Do I need to fight a monster or something?" Vlad asked, his eyes already gleaming with excitement. He hadn’t properly tested his powers since he had returned from the Ascension Dungeon, after all.

But disappointingly, Aldric shook his head. What he said next was the worst nightmare for any student who had not been attending classes for over a month.

As those words left Aldric’s lips, Vlad felt as if he were looking at a monster even more horrifying than the Primordial Pyro Dragon. No way, Aldric could be a decent person to utter such inhumane words.

Vlad took an instinctive step back, his face turning pale.

"Wh-what did you say again?" he asked, swallowing hard.

Both Lucas and Aldric stared down at Vlad with demonic smiles on their faces as Aldric repeated, "You need to clear all midterm exams and practicals with an overall percentage of 90 or above and come out on top in at least one subject."