Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Combat Proficiency
"Friends… I don't think so."
And once again, there was a silence in the observation room as Lucian just completely refused the two's offer to become friends without any hesitation. Perhaps it hadn't quite registered in their mind yet, as their hands were still reaching out to Lucian.
After a few seconds, however, Harvey reached out hand pointed right at Lucian's face.
"Why?" Harvey's friendly tone disappeared as he leaned his head back to look down at Lucian even further, "Is it because you think you are better than us!?"
"No, not at all," Lucian let out a small breath filled with exhaustion; the tone of his voice, still completely emotionless, "I am not better than any of you — I just did not come to the Cultivator Association to make friends, Mr. Harvey. I apologize."
"Wh—"
"I understand, Mr. Lucian," Emilia also finally retracted her hand as a small smile crawled on her face, "Then, maybe if we meet outside again, we can try being friends?"
"Maybe," Lucian just nodded, slightly glancing at the two before starting to walk away, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, what do you mean goodbye!?" Harvey quickly blocked Lucian's path; his head still tilted back, "You don't plan meeting friends, meeting friends just happens!"
"I see," Lucian blinked a couple of times as he looked down, "I did not know that, thank you for the insight."
"What do you mean you don't know that? How could you not know that!?"
"I never had friends, Mr. Harvey," Lucian just casually said without any hesitation.
"O…oh," Harvey's tilted head very slowly returned to normal as he just awkwardly looked at Lucian, "You've… never had friends? What's… what's with that?"
"Can you just stop bothering him?" Emilia also quickly moved in front of Harvey, trying to push him away but couldn't, "And what's it to you that Mr. Lucian doesn't have friends? Why, how many friends do you have?"
"I… I have plenty," Harvey slightly stuttered as he looked away.
"Wait…" Emilia quickly noticed that as a small smirk crawled on her face, "...You also don't have any friends!"
"Psh. Pft, me?" Harvey let out a scoffing chuckle as he pointed at himself, "I have like 400 friends on social media, bro."
"And do you know any of them in person?"
"Does… that matter?" Wait a minute!" Harvey then pointed at Emilia, "How many friends do you have!?"
"I will have you know that I have plenty of friends," Emilia crossed her arms.
"Okay, show your photos with them together," Harvey smirked.
"Why… why would I do that?" And almost immediately, the confidence in Emilia's face faded away, "That's a private matter!"
"You don't have any friends too, right?" A wide and very cheeky smile crawled on Harvey's face, "Right!? I knew it, I fucking knew it!"
"What do you…"
And as the two just began arguing in front of him, Lucian just said his farewells again, but the two did not seem to hear him so he just went and walked to the elevator. But before the elevator could close, however, Emilia and Harvey stepped inside; the two of them, now extremely quiet.
"I… I was kicked out by the proctor because of this stupid child," Emilia's face was completely red as she crossed her arms and explained the situation to Lucian, even though he was not asking for it.
"Okay," Lucian, however, still answered. Unfortunately for him, the two once again began arguing inside the elevator — the only thing he could really do was look back and forth between them.
"You're going to get your license, right?" And as soon as they got out, Emilia faced Lucian, "I'll assist you since I suddenly have more time."
"Oho, I get it…" Harvey hummed out as he stepped out of the elevator with the two, "...You like old men?"
"Shut up. And you're the reason why I suddenly have more time," Emilia rolled her eyes before looking back at Lucian, "And stop calling Mr. Lucian old!"
"It is fine, Ms. Emilia," Lucian shook his head as he followed Emilia, "I am old, I am already 30 years old."
"...That's not that old, Mr. Lucian," Emilia sighed while shaking her head, "Let's wait in the lobby first, they will call your name once they are done processing your license."
"I'll grab us some drinks!" Harvey clapped his hands.
"What the—just go home and stop bothering us!"
"First of all, I'm not bothering you, I am bothering him," Harvey pointed at Lucian, "Go make yourselves comfortable while I get us some proper refreshments."
"Where would you even get some drinks here? This isn't a hotel, it's the Cultivator Association," Emilia said as she sat down at one of the many comfortable sofas in the lobby of the Association, "Anyway. I hope you don't mind me asking, Mr. Zhang. But why register as a cultivator now?"
"Because the Heaven's Judgment sect discovered me, Ms. Emilia."
"The Immortal Police…? I suppose you were lucky," Emilia's eyes widened as she heard Lucian's words, "I heard some of them are extremely strict against rogue cultivators and even cripple or kill them. But I guess that's only because some of them are pieces of shit—well, I… I don't mean you."
"You are very talkative, Ms. Emilia," Lucian could not help but slightly lean back on the sofa as he heard Emilia talk without pause.
"Am… Am I? I'm sorry."
"There is no need to apologize," Lucian shook his head, "I am just not used to it. Please, just continue being so, Ms. Emilia."
"You… don't need to call me Ms. every time," Emilia forced out a small chuckle.
"Okay, Emilia," Lucian nodded.
"Hm. My dad's actually the current principal of the Cultivator Academy of Old York, he's a little arrogant, but he's kind too," Emilia then suddenly opened up as she subtly looked at Lucian from head to toe.
"Okay," Lucian slightly glanced at Emilia's face before looking away, "Why are you telling me about that, Emilia?"
"...Because you are going there?" Emilia squinted her eyes at Lucian, "Don't tell me you don't know that it's mandatory to attend the academy?"
"I am already 30 years old, Emilia," Lucian shook his head, "I do not believe going back to school is the right path. I also do not have the time."
"Oh… then—"
"You can always take the Advancement Tests like me."
And before Emilia could say anything, Harvey returned with drinks in hand, "Water for the noisy girl, and cola for us men."
"Where did you even get drinks?" Emilia raised an eyebrow as she saw Harvey placing the drinks on the table in front of them, "...And why do I have water?"
"Tut tut. Don't be rude, I already got you one," Harvey wagged his finger, "As for where I got the drinks, I went to the staff's pantry."
"What the—why would you go there? Return these!"
"It's fine, my parents own the building," Harvey waved his hand.
"...What?" Emilia could not help but widen her eyes.
"Yup," Harvey just shrugged, "I'm not someone important, though. I'm just the 12th son, ah… life. You're more important than me since you're the only daughter of the principal of the Cultivator Academy. I honestly didn't expect it… for them to have a daughter as haughty and rude as you."
"I'm not rude! You're the one who keeps calling Mr. Lucian an old man!"
And as the two started arguing again, Lucian could not help but just stare at the floor. He also did not really expect that the two people in front of him would be the sons and daughters of the wealthy. If he had their kind of money, wouldn't he have already cured Malenia and Maeve?
"The Advancement Test," Lucian interrupted the two before their argument could turn for the worse, "Will it allow me to bypass the Academy?"
"I don't really know," Harvey shrugged.
"You just told us you took it," Emilia glared at Harvey.
"I didn't say I passed it, did I?" Harvey clicked his tongue before covering his forehead, "I failed, like miserably. It turns out only the geniuses of the geniuses could pass it…
…I am only a tortured genius."
"...Right," Emilia rolled her eyes, "Wait, what year are you in?"
"I'm in my 3rd year."
"I'm in my 4th year, that makes me your senior," Emilia crossed her arms.
"Is the Academy mandatory in order for me to be able to sell lithums?" Lucian asked.
"No." "Nope, not really."
"Then I do not believe I need to take it," Lucian shook his head, "I only registered as a cultivator to not be hunted down by the Heaven's Judgment sect."
"...But you need it if you want to hunt monsters, or go to the Demon Continent for treasures," Harvey looked at Lucian. And surprisingly, Emilia nodded her head in agreement.
"I am not a warrior, Mr. Harvey," Lucian shook his head.
"...But you killed a Blood Tiger in one move?" Harvey glanced at Emilia, both of them seemingly confused, "What else are you going to do?"
"I am going to work as a Looter again," Lucian once again shook his head, "But this time as a registered Cultivator, I should have no trouble finding people who will hire me."
"As… a looter? But why would you waste your strength with that? I'm sorry, old man. But… are you mentally insane?"
"Harvey, don't be rude!"
"It is alright, Emilia," Lucian shook his head and raised his palm, "He is right, I am in the spectrum."
"...You are?" The tone of Harvey's voice quickly lowered as soon as he heard that, "Shit, man… I'm sorry."
"There is no need to apologize," Lucian shook his head.
"Okay," Harvey then shrugged and smiled, "I still think it's stupid not to use your strength with—"
"Mr. Lucian Zhang?"
And before Harvey and Emilia could say their case, the receptionist approached them.
"Here… is your license."
And before Lucian could stand up, both Emilia and Harvey quickly rushed toward the receptionist as they both stood beside her to look at the license.
"Spirit Infant, okay. Okay… and then… what the fuck—!?"
"M…Mr. Lucian… You got an S for your Combat Proficiency!"
"S?" Lucian tilted his head to the side as he grabbed his license,
"...Is that good?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Romeru
Romeru Ei
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone