Chapter 263: Announcement of A Grand Task

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Several moments after Typhir appeared, both he and Apollo left the independent space. The moment they opened the door to the residence, a stream of eager people could be seen traveling towards the auditorium wherein most of the announcements were made. However, what Apollo noticed was the fact that the crowd only consisted of the freshmen who were leaving the Outer Barracks in waves.

'So the information pertains to freshman only? I'm guessing Geneva has some very important information in store for us. As a matter of fact, I believe Robyn hinted that the end of the year was when freshmen became more active. If I'm not mistaken, the purpose of this should be to discern whether or not their combat ability warrants them taking distant missions,' Apollo thought to himself while following along with the stream.

All of a sudden, an arm wrapped around his causing Apollo to turn his head, "Hey! Why have you been neglecting me so much? Aren't I a person too? It's impolite to not come and check on your friends. Even Typhir has stopped bothering me, what's going on?" Nadida whined while pulling down on Apollo's arm.

In response, Apollo gave a wry smile. Her timing was quite impeccable. Either she was waiting for him to leave his room, or her senses were strong enough to know when he had left his residence. Regardless, both of these matters alerted Apollo of how diligent Nadida was when she set her mind on something.

"I've been busy. If I don't train, how will I grow stronger? And, that strength takes precedence over all else. As for Typhir, well, you know his previous situation. I only recently healed him as you know and now he has invested himself into training as well," Apollo answered.

Slowly, a deeper pout formed on Nadida's lips, "How strong have you two become? I can't sense it," Nadida then paused as if she couldn't believe her next set of words to be the truth, "Have you both broken in the Zul Knight Realm or… even a  Spirit Warrior?"

For a moment, Apollo was silent and enter his thoughts, 'Well truthfully speaking, we don't use that standard for our strength. But, luckily the system gives a general estimation of where our internal state resides. It seems that evolution meter may be directly linked to estimated cultivation level.'

The more he compared his advancements in the evolution process and his internal energy reserves, the more he felt this was the truth. If this was the case, then certain percentages lined up with another realm of Astarat's cultivation. To verify this thought, all he needed to do was make sure his evolution meter advanced with haste.

While cultivating his Ira was a fast way, there was an even quicker one. One that he hadn't performed in a short while. Back when he accomplished feats coinciding with his state of Demonic Conduct, he received Demonic Essence Pellets as a reward. However, now that he could make Pure Demonic Anima, the system recalibrated for this ability.

Now, the items received for accomplishing even more feats would be even more notable. Furthermore, there was also another change affiliated with Demonic Conduct. Unfortunately, for him to become privy to that, he would need to reenter the Nihilistic Rings.

Nevertheless, Apollo shook his head and denied her claim, "Neither. We've just been comprehending things. Also, since you're here, let's attend the assembly together."

"Ermm." All of a sudden, Nadida started to squirm. Well, you see, Odessa kind of already knows what this is about and she has been in a bad mood because of it. I won't say anything, but you'll soon know why. So, if you see her, refrain from asking questions!"

In light of this revelation, Apollo's eyebrow rose with intrigue, 'Hoh? Has their relationship deepened to such a level? Even though their identities are so far apart, they're able to get along. I guess the demeanor of a so-called Paragon isn't as aloof as one would believe. Or, perhaps Nadida has also proved her worth.'

"Has Odessa approached you to join one of her legions in the future?" Apollo questioned. Since this question was so abrupt, it left Nadida stunned for quite some time. But, when she pieced together the fact that Odessa spent a substantial amount of time with Apollo, she then realized he should have been approached.

"Indeed, she has. But, I never gave an answer. For me to become someone's comrade, it's not all about what they can offer in terms of material. I have to know that my life is secure. To leave my back to someone's reactions is to vest my trust in them. That isn't something that should be readily given away," Nadida answered. At the same time, there was an oddly serious look in her eyes.

When Apollo saw this, he praised her inwardly, 'Lighthearted trust that is easily given is the recipe for an early demise. It's a good thing she is mature enough to understand this. She has been using this time to determine if Odessa is one who is trustworthy enough to utilize your life as a means of gambit. After all, every battle one enters is a potential gamble with their life.'

While the three continued to talk amongst themselves, they arrived before the auditorium in seemingly no time at all. Moreover, Apollo also became privy to the fact that Nadida was slowly leaning towards accepting Odessa's offer. Truthfully, Apollo didn't reject the idea. Based on what she showed, her heart was indeed pure. It just seemed her initial attitude was influenced by the large weight on her shoulders from her family's expectations. 

"Ahem!" A resounding voice permeated the surroundings and penetrated everyone's eardrums. Those who weren't familiar with the person stiffened up quickly. But, those similar to Apollo who had met this individual before simply looked at him quietly.

"As you all can infer, this assembly pertains to you all freshman and how your future in this place will unfold. As a result, the entire staff is here. We'll also enter a specialized period where you'll all be allowed to request our guidance once a week," Rezar announced.

Shortly after he took the stand, the rest of the administrators appeared. Naturally, they were spearheaded by Geneva, the Headmaster. As she appeared, there was an odd look in her eyes as she scanned the crowd. Soon enough, she found Apollo's figured and glared daggers before returning to normal.

Since Fuhrer wasn't here, Apollo wasn't sure what this stare meant. However, one thing remained true, there was a trace of cold sweat flowing down his back, 'Could her corruption have momentarily lapsed as Fuhrer suggested? Perhaps I should steer clear of her for the moment.'

On the other hand, Geneva opened her mouth while raising her hand, "Adding upon what Rezar just said, this period will only last for the next 3 months. After all, that is all that is left in the current schedule. Your last month will be spent inside a special area. This will test all the qualities you must possess to gain access to the missions of a second year."

Slowly, murmurs bruited about as the youths talked amongst themselves. There was excitement in their eyes when they thought about being taught by true experts. Ones who have been to the Catastrophe Line, forming the barrier into the Endless Death Domain.

"Hold on, please refrain from the excess noise until we're done! Although this might sound fun, it won't be. These special administrators are much more strict than a typical instructor. They possess far more stringent requirements deeming a basic to have been mastered. Therefore, give this matter adequate thought and choose wisely," Geneva warned.

As a result, the noise dwindled to a barely discernible whisper. Once that happened, Geneva took a step back and allowed Sylvester to take the stand, "As the Vice Master of the Disciplinary Committee, it is my duty to help prepare you all, thus I will provide some information as far as what we are looking for goes.

"Unlike the selection, what you'll be experiencing is solo. However, there is a catch, those who possess a Spirit possess an upper hand. After all, a Spirit can be counted as a teammate. When going up against a singular opponent, you'll possess the advantage in numbers. Beyond that, there is a restriction; all those who wish to take part in this expedition will have to reach the Zul Knight Realm. Your current cultivations just won't cut it," Sylvester added.

Once everyone heard this, they frowned. The difference between a fresh Zul Knight and peak Zul Warrior was large at all. Besides the increased reserves, the change in strength wasn't too noticeable. In other words, they wanted the youth to reach at least the middle stages! The excitement soon turned to frowns, meanwhile, a pleased smile appeared upon Apollo's lips.