Chapitre 68: Chapter 68: Freshman Chief! The Rumors Are Truly Terrifying
"Delayed because of me? Why would they delay it? I always try to skip these freshman ceremonies anyway," Liam said as he rubbed his slightly aching head and sat up in bed. He pulled the needle from his arm that had been administering the nutrient solution. As the needle withdrew, the puncture healed rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
Seeing that he seemed to be in good shape, Sophia naturally sat down beside him on the bed. After their recent battle and interactions, the two had grown closer.
"Why? Because you're the freshman chief," she said.
"Also, the vice dean really wants to meet you. Thanks to you, this year has been a 'bumper harvest' for the Eastern Academy."
"More than a quarter of the students granted direct admission this year joined because of you! After all, you saved them. Oh, by the way, quite a few girls wanted to come see you over the past few days. Of course, I turned them away to make sure you got your rest."
Sophia's tone had a hint of jealousy, though Liam didn't pick up on it.
"Freshman chief? What's that supposed to mean? Does it mean I have to attend?"
"Forget it; it's a waste of time."
"It's not just attending. You also have to give a speech as the freshman chief to inspire your fellow students."
"What?! Can I skip it?"
"Nope, everyone has to attend. The whole school has been waiting just for you, and your rewards will be presented by Dean Mo at the ceremony."
Liam: ... Oh, in that case, fine.
Truthfully, the only thing that swayed Liam's decision was the mention of rewards being handed out at the freshman ceremony. Very practical.
"You don't seem to care about these events at all. Being the freshman chief—the strongest of the year, being in the spotlight—doesn't that feel good?" Sophia asked.
"What's so great about it? Do you enjoy it?" Liam replied, exasperated.
Sophia was taken aback, then awkwardly coughed twice. It seemed she did like being in the limelight. Oh no, her true nature had been exposed...
"By the way, why did I pass out? Was I attacked?" Liam asked, changing the subject, much to Sophia's relief. She quickly relayed Old Xu's and the others' speculations to Liam.
"The... Fifth Realm?" Liam sat on the bed, looking down at his hands, clenching his fists tightly.
"What's so special about the Fifth Realm? I don't really feel any different."
Sophia shook her head. "No, the Fifth Realm is actually a qualitative change. Reaching it before enrolling is extremely unusual. You've now officially entered the upper echelons of society."
"What about you? Didn't you reach it before enrolling?"
"I was a special recruit; I didn't need to enroll, unlike you," Sophia replied matter-of-factly.
Liam: ...
"Alright, let's move on. Superpowers come in various types—energy projection, physical enhancement, mental abilities, and so on," Sophia continued.
"For those of us with energy projection abilities, the Fifth Realm has a very noticeable feature—flight."
"What?" Liam's interest was instantly piqued. "I can fly now? How do I do it?"
"This isn't something that can be taught; it's more of an instinct, like how you learned to crawl as a child. You'll have to figure it out on your own."
"Don't rush. After a week or two of getting used to it, it should become as natural as walking."
"You should rest now. Oh, by the way, during the freshman ceremony, the senior students will be there too. There's a tradition where seniors challenge the freshman chief."
"Of course, it's all in good spirit. It's to show the freshmen how much you can improve with the academy's training."
"And it's also a reminder for the freshman chief to stay humble, keep improving, and not become complacent."
"But..." Sophia's expression turned expectant, "I doubt any of them will be able to beat you."
"You should continue resting. I'll go tell the dean you're awake so they can set the ceremony's time."
With that, Sophia stood up and left the room.
"Thanks for taking care of me these past few days," Liam said, picking up the bottle of nutrients and speaking to her retreating figure.
After she left, he began to sense the surging energy within himself, wondering how he could take flight. It was a strange feeling, controlling energy without releasing it, letting it lift his body.
Before long, Liam was bouncing off the walls of his room, even shattering an overhead LED light fixture with his head. It seemed he needed more control.
At the outdoor plaza of Eastern Academy, the new students were already seated, while the large stands on either side were filled with senior students. The noise was overwhelming; most of the senior students had only one goal in mind—scoping out potential girlfriends or boyfriends among the new students.
Technically, the ceremony should have started by now. Cain had been standing on the podium for some time but remained silent, letting the students chatter among themselves.
Currently, the conversation among the freshmen centered around Liam.
"Hey, did you hear? Our freshman chief this year is supposedly way stronger than any before. Rumor has it he's super amazing."
"Yeah, I heard during lunch. They say his E-rank mutation developed into an S-rank ability, that he can communicate with the heavens and knows everything."
"I also heard that all the direct-admit big shots are his followers, and many of them came to join him specifically."
"I heard he single-handedly fought off thousands of gods without losing ground!"
"I heard he's actually a god, the earthly projection of the sun."
"They say the Eastern Academy is actually his property..."
In short, all sorts of rumors were flying around. In just a few days, the gossip had reached absurd levels, with some even saying Liam was a thousand-year-old demon.
Of course, the academy wouldn't bother addressing such rumors.
As the ceremony's start time passed by over ten minutes, the murmurs gradually died down, with the students looking toward Dean Cain to see if he was getting upset.
Cain smiled at the many curious eyes on him and spoke loudly, "Ah, everyone, please be patient. There's a slight delay."
"Our freshman ceremony's chief... hasn't arrived yet."
The entire audience erupted in an uproar!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone