<h4>Chapter 123: Changes happening in the academy[1]</h4>


    Third Person''s POV:


    "Actually, you being here might not be such a bad thing after all..." Noah''s words echoed, apanied by a smile, which was directed towards Emily.


    Currently, in the cafeteria, a few pairs of eyes were stealing nces towards the bench where Noah sat.


    No, the eyes were not directed towards Noah. He was never a guy to invite poprity or attention to begin with.


    These eyes belonged to two distinct groups: the devoted members of the Emily simp club, and the girls who harbored secret crushes on Aeravat Indrath.


    Both Emily and Aeravat held an almost celebrity-like status in their cohort, so it was only natural.


    Soon, they stopped gawking and resumed their own work.


    "Hmm...''Such a bad thing''? So, in other instances, it would have been a bad thing, for me, to be around?" Emily pitied in passive aggression, tilting her head inquisitively.


    Her expression remained devoid of any clear emotion—a calmness that made Noah uneasy.


    He could sense her pique, but he wasn''t sure why she was displeased.


    Was he perhaps a bit too rude to her?


    Now, Noah was not a smooth talker but, a guy has to learn things in his life, right?


    So he tried to uplift her mood.


    "No, it''s not like that," Noah began, his gaze downcast as he sheepishly rubbed his head.


    His troubled expression betrayed a sense of ''intimidation''.


    "It''s just... with you being so popr and good-looking... Emily," Noah honeyed words, his brows arching as his eyes met her medallions of lemon-gold, "it bes troublesome dealing with all the attention you bring."


    As Noah''s words sank in, Emily felt a faint blush creeping to her cheeks.


    Being acknowledged as ''good-looking'' and ''popr'' by someone who previously seemed disinterested, stirred mixed emotions in her.


    It was a stark contrast to his previous aloofness, and though she wouldn''t admit it outright, her mood hiked up a bit.


    The reason why Emily was feeling a bit bothered earlier was because she had always made an effort to be friendly towards Noah.


    Whenever they bumped into each other, she would greet him with a smile and a cheerful hello. But theter would just push her away, brush her off, or even ignore her altogether.


    It really hit her self-respect. I mean, no guy had ever treated a beauty like her that way. So why was he so cold towards her? They were getting along just fine a few months ago. What caused this change?


    But now, Emily kinda understood why.


    It was obvious that the grace and attention shemanded could easily overwhelm someone like Noah, who always seemed to enjoy solitude.


    Emily took a moment to carefully observe Noah. He really was a simple guy but...ahem, a bit handsome.


    Feigning yfulness and disregarding her previous indifference, Emily posed a question to Noah, "So, why exactly is it a good thing that I am here?"


    Noah replied quickly, "You see, Aeravat and I were nning to do a dungeon expedition. Considering your father''s influence in district 2, it would be much easier to obtain the necessary permissions through you. You did promise me that opportunity before, remember?"


    District 2, esteemed as a perilous region, held a distinct danger that set it apart from other areas —mana crystals. These radiant gems attracted an abundance of monsters due to their substantial deposits.


    Mana crystals served myriad purposes, ranging from fueling the art of cksmithing to concocting potent potions and even crafting powerful artifacts.


    As a result of ongoing technical issues stemming from the central union and the rise of influential entities iming vast stretches ofnd, the dungeons in this specific area had been restricted to those below D rank.


    Not just anyone was permitted to venture to the particr location Noah had in mind.


    While that region posed rtively low riskspared to other parts of the forest, there were significant chances of acquiring a rare blood bead.


    District 2 was not the sole location with such stiptions. Across the country, there were thousands of simr ces where obtaining permissions was a requisite.


    This was not a free world.


    "Oh, so it''s about that?" Emily''s recollection resurfaced. Indeed she promised to help Noah once after the dungeon trials.


    "It''s such a pity though..." Emily exhaled while eyeing Aeravat and Noah with a yful expression.


    "What''s a pity?" Aeravat asked.


    "Yea, what''s so pity?" Noah inquired.


    Emily''s lips curled into a seductive smile as she leaned closer. "A golden opportunity to embark on a thrilling adventure with two dashingly handsomepanions!" she cooed, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Oh, how I would have loved to join! But s, I''ve got a date to attend."


    Ah, Emily, the enchanting seductress with a yful spirit. Noah couldn''t help but marvel at the character he had created in the pages of his novel.


    "A date?", Noah muttered.


    "You intrested in someone?" Aeravat tilted his head.


    "Not a romantic date. It''s a training date." Emily replied.


    A training date? What the heck is that?


    "By the way Noah..." Emily said while locking eyes with Aeravat, who visibly signaled for her to hold back.


    "What is it?", Noah asked.


    "Nothing... nothing yet," she replied cryptically.


    ***


    The saying, "Justice is to the heart, what strength is to the body," was one that Takahashi''s grandfather often shared with him. In those days, Takahashi couldn''t fullyprehend its meaning.


    Even now, the true significance eluded him.


    For Takahashi, the only aspect that held any importance was the concept of "strength." Justice, on the other hand, held little significance in his eyes. After all, why should it matter to him?


    Pushing aside his thoughts, Takahashi nced at himself in the mirror. He had to agree, he was alluring from head to toe, even in simple attire.


    Takahashi shed a confident grin. "Guess I''m the Mr. Empyrean of this year, huh?"


    He turned to Aurora, "What do you think?"


    Aurora couldn''t help but keep her gaze fixed on Aoi. "Well, there''s still time for that," she replied, a hint of hesitation in her voice.


    No doubt about it, he had this irresistible charm.


    "Alright then, let''s not keep ''big sis'' waiting," Takahashi said, casually picking up his ive and stashing it in his dimensional bracelet.


    Aurora squinted at him, "You call her ''big sis'', but are you sure there aren''t any feelings lurking there?"


    Aurora''s reaction was understandable.


    After all, the person Takahashi referred to as ''big sister'' was not his biological sibling, but someone he had met during their time at the academy.


    As fellow ive users, they developed a unique bond resembling that of siblings over time.


    "Ahn Ji-hye is like a sister to me, Aurora. I have no romantic interest in her," Takahashi exined, oblivious to the hint of jealousy that tainted Aurora''s voice. "Her expertise in ive techniques is invaluable to me. I need to learn from her before we are assigned any major assignments."


    "Sure, whatever," Aurora responded dismissively, brushing off any further discussion about Ahn Ji-hye. "About these ''big assignments''. What makes you so confident that we''ll actually get one?"


    "Well, they held big assignments for the first-years before. They made different units coborate based on their merits."


    Aurora scoffed, "Different units, huh?"


    Takahashi continued, "Based on what big sister told me, and my own calctions, we might end up with students from unit 7, 8, or 3—the same ones from the dungeon electives."


    His words brought to mind Harry Butts, Sophia, Cherry Buster, Anastasia, James, Luke Armstone, and Kenta, who were all part of the dungeon electives.


    On the other hand, unit 3 belonged to Kai Lee.


    "Or maybe we''ll end up in a unit as strong as Svena''s," Takahashi spected.


    "That damsel in distress?" Aurora furrowed her brow, a hint of disapproval evident on her face.


    ***


    Noah''s POV:


    "Oh yeah, she''s the supervisor for your unit," James mentioned casually as we strolled through the serene garden near the weapon arts gym.


    "Yep, that''s her. Karthik is totally smitten with her, it can be a bit grating at times," I responded, rolling my eyes.


    Out of nowhere, James''s tone turned serious. "I don''t know, Ahmya. There''s something about her that doesn''t sit right with me. It''s just a gut feeling, but you might want to keep your distance from her."


    Caught off guard by his sudden shift in atmosphere, I couldn''t help but question, "What''s with the change, James? Why the concern over Ahmya all of a sudden?"


    Infact, I noticed that James had deliberately directed the conversation towards my unit, specially towards Ahmya... It was strange.


    "Umm... ''Throat goddess''—that''s the kind of vibe she gives me."James shrugged his shoulder, nonchntly dismissing my previous worries with a bullfuckeryment.


    "Throat goddess?"


    "You know, someone who could snatch souls?"


    "What...does... that even mean?"


    James shook his head pityingly, "Oh, Noah, you''re just too innocent for this filthy world."


    "Keep going."


    "I''m worried she might suck your soul."


    Suddenly, a boy approached andtched onto James from the side. He greeted him with a casual, "Yo bro, what''s up!"


    "Ah, Hairy Butt...z," James greeted Harry Butts with a nod. They had been friends ever since they found themselves in the same unit.


    James'' unit included Anastasia, Harry Butts, Buster Cherry, and Lylia Redrivers.


    I just walked along without entering their conversation.


    "Don''t you look a little too happy, what caused this unusual shift in mood?", James asked Harry.


    "Well, you know Lylia?" Harry smirked mischievously. "Man, she just made my whole week!"


    James raised an eyebrow in response. "She made your ''hole weak''? Damn, that''s wild, bro., but I think you are mistaking me for someone who actually gives a fuck."


    "Don''t be like that-", Harry replied.


    As they continued chatting, I waved my hand at James, signaling my departure. "Catch youter, bro. Got other things to take care of."


    "Ciao," James bid me farewell.


    Both James and Harry were enrolled in the dungeon course elective, and they had formed a bond with a few senior students. As a result, they often had practice sessions in the weapon arts gym.


    Come to think of it, even the main cast was part of the dungeon electives.


    I had initially thought that Svena would also join the dungeon course, but I was mistaken.


    She insisted on joining the chemistry elective, just like me. But, I did my best to discourage her.


    I couldn''t allow her to join me in the chemistry elective. Thatb was more of a weapon experiment chamber for me and Edward rather than a ce to learn.


    Dhup!— Suddenly, while lost in thoughts, I collided with someone.


    "Oops, my bad. I totally zoned out," I sheepishly apologized as I looked up only to realize that I had bumped into none other than Takahashi Aoi.


    On his right stood a girl who appeared slightly older, while Aurora stood on his left.


    "It''s alright," Takahashi replied, his smile fading slightly as he scrutinized me from head to toe.


    There was something in his expression that seemed off, a hint of concern perhaps. "You... no."


    An awkward silence hung in the air, leaving me confused.


    "Is something wrong, Aoi?" the senior girl beside him inquired, snapping him out of his trance-like state.


    He briefly nced at her before refocusing his gaze back on me.


    He managed to shake off his frown and responded, "Just be more careful and keep your eyes open next time." With that, he turned and walked away, followed by Aurora who shot me a peculiar look before refocusing her attention elsewhere.


    Huh, Takahashi being polite? That''s quite a surprise.


    Speaking of polite, what was up with his "you no"ment? Ah well, probably nothing important.


    As I continued on my way, I noticed various club students engaging in different activities. Some were even dressed in borate costumes. It was apparent that preparations for the uing tinum jubilee of Arcanaum des Academy were in full swing. The excitement was building up.


    As I made my way, I noticed the engineers and workers diligently building various structures.


    It was evident that Arcanaum des Academy was undergoing a remarkable transformation this year.


    By the next year, this ce will be one of the most powerful institutes in the world and along with that wille new trouble makers who will probably be as powerful as the main cast.


    Entering the teleportation gate area I asked, "Open the gate, I need to go."


    "Need special permissions for 1st years." The guard replied.


    I shed a certain insignia,"Is this enough permission?"


    His eyes widened before he looked at me carefully and replied, "Y-yea.. It''s fine. Where do you want to go?But try toe back before tomorrow morning."


    I nodded replying, "Ohinosberg."


    It was time for new weapons.


    ***


    Shout-out to one-inch.


    Also, if anyone feeling a little sympathy, please send your love and shower me with flowers! Bwahahahaha