Chapter 106- Academy Realm (Part 4)

Chapter 106: Chapter 106- Academy Realm (Part 4)

Chapter 106- Academy Realm (Part 4)

"Wow, I’ve only heard about this mountain. It looks terrifying in person." Rize said in awe as he stared at the gigantic mountain with wide eyes. He had never witnessed a mountain that huge before in his life, and the feeling it gave him was just so odd. It looked more like a living titan than a piece of rock poking from the Earth beneath it.

However, at the same time, he oddly found its presence quite assuring. It was akin to a divine being overlooking this city and protecting them from the dangers of the world in silence.

"It’s not even the tallest mountain in the world, and yet it is one of the most important peaks in the world," Venera explained. "Let’s go, I have to show you something."

As Venera said that, she started walking through the streets of the city as she pulled her phone out. Rize followed her cluelessly; it seemed Venera had really planned everything for their arrival in that city, even though she didn’t really tell him about it.

’She really knows how to keep secrets.’ He smiled to himself as he watched her figure out their route to their destination through the map on her phone.

As they walked, Rize kept staring around him at the buildings, the shops, and even the large skyscrapers that were few and far between. The movement around the city made it feel so alive and yet also so new.

People were still discovering the place, checking their maps, going to restaurants and stalls to try the food and all kinds of things being sold. Everyone was getting ready for the crucial day tomorrow, when the true test would start.

Eventually, the two walked a bit farther from the bustling parts into the residential district, which was where most candidates and their families would be living for the next few weeks. There were countless buildings lined up across a long road that diverged into many other roads. Rize couldn’t even count the number of buildings around him.

There were thousands or even tens of thousands and each one could easily host hundreds of individuals, so the numbers were ridiculous to even understand. However, even then, they didn’t stop and took a different path from the rest of the candidates walking around them.

"Where are we going, Venera? The residential area is that way." Rize said.

"Yeah, but we aren’t going to stay there," Venera said. "I have planned this for a while. Since we could be catching a lot of attention and perhaps even getting the wrong eyes on us, we need a more private residence. Luckily, you can rent a better residential area here, so I just decided to take one for us."

"Private residence, huh?" Rize muttered. "That sounds quite expensive."

"It is. But I believe it’s worth it. I don’t want any unnecessary trouble chasing us." Venera said. "Anyway, I think we’re almost here."

As they emerged from the residential area, they found themselves in what seemed to be a very rich neighborhood in a different section of the district. The path was pristine, with beautiful trees lined up on each side.

All around them were beautiful villas with nice modern exteriors and a rather peaceful vibe. There weren’t as many of these villas as there were other buildings, but they were quite nice.

"Here, 27B," Venera said as she stopped at one of the villas’ gates and looked at it.

"Residence, you say? This is an entire villa!" Rize said with a baffled look.

"More spacious so you could feel more comfortable and at home," Venera said with a smile. "Come on, let’s check the interior. I think we have what we need waiting for us inside."

Pushing the fence door open, she walked through the garden path to the gates. There, Venera pressed her hand against the handle and suddenly, a green light lit up and the door unlocked.

"Fingerprint sensor?" Rize asked.

"Handprint sensor."

Then, Venera pushed the door open to show Rize a gorgeous villa. It was incredibly spacious with a beautiful living room, a kitchen, and a large panoramic view of the entire backyard, which had a large pool and a jacuzzi in it.

There were three bedrooms, each with its own shower and bathroom.

"What do you think?" Venera asked.

"It’s... really nice."

"Right? Well, you can choose any room you want." Venera said.

"I’m really not picky; you know me."

"You have to be picky sometimes. It’s not that bad." Then the girl walked to the living room and found several items sitting on the table.

Two watches and two badges with their names and pictures on them.

"Here, these are our items. I heard this watch is going to be crucial in the tests so don’t lose it." Venera said as she handed him both items.

"Hmmm..." Rize inspected the watch, but it didn’t work. It looked quite smart, though. Then, when he clicked a bit more, a notification appeared.

(Watch will unlock soon.)

"Interesting," Rize muttered. "I guess it will probably be unlocked tomorrow."

"Yeah, we can’t really check anything yet. Just strap it on."

Wrapping it around his wrist, he suddenly felt a very odd sensation. His essence instinctively wrapped around the watch, and he suddenly felt as if he was connected to it directly, like a part of his body.

"Magic."

"Sigh, I’m exhausted," Venera said as she sat down on the couch and stretched her body. "It really isn’t healthy to travel for that long without moving much."

"We will have to get accustomed to that. Everything is so far away."

"Yeah..." Venera replied, almost distracted by her own thoughts. Then she looked at Rize, who went to check the kitchen. "Hey, Rize."

"Yeah?"

"Are you nervous?"

"About what? Woah, there is even chocolate cereal?"

"About tomorrow," Venera said.

"Hmmm, no, not really. I think we are more than ready to tackle anything they throw at us. Maybe even excel at it." Rize said as he read the boxes with a smile.

"Hm, you have a point."

"I came here with two goals," Rize said as he walked to the counter and poured himself some cereal along with milk. "The first one is to naturally get a high spot so I can be by your side at all times."

"Hm? That’s your reason? Not because you want a prestigious position?"

"I’m not someone who cares about all that. I would rather be the only person who knows that I’m strong." Rize replied as he walked to the couch with a big bowl in his hand. "And you, of course."

"I see." Venera smiled. "And what’s the second goal?"

"The second goal is..." He pointed his spoon at the princess. "To help you get the top spot."

"..." Venera was taken aback for a second. "Me?"

"Yes. I will assist you in your ambitious goal."

"That’s... Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Because you deserve it?"

"No, I meant... Why do you think I could even get such a spot?"

"Venera," Rize said in a serious tone. "I will tell you this as bluntly as possible. I can only see a future where you’re one of the strongest, if not the strongest, awakened in the world. I can’t see anyone else doing that."