Chapter 400 Life is short and filled with endless sorrows
Without eating, William simply took one look and knew that the ingredients and cooking methods Maria used for the food were all fine.
Seeing Erebus and Luna wolfing down their food indicated that the taste was undoubtedly good as well.
With Alice currently at the bottom of the cliff absorbing the energy of the dragon pearl and unable to come up for a while, the responsibility of running the restaurant naturally fell entirely to Maria.
Today, as the Soulmancer school was recruiting apprentices, William took the two kids to the school.
At that time, the school's playground was equipped with a dozen instruments, and a clerical staff member from the 13th Bureau was seated nearby, monitoring the values on the computer.
These devices could only test whether individuals could mobilize the energy within their bodies, the extent of this energy mobilization, and their mental strength.
Testing each person took about three minutes. Those who could mobilize energy were registered first, and whether they could enter the Soulmancer school would depend on their rankings in a few days.
Those with strong mental powers, even if not admitted to the Soulmancer school, would definitely be noted by the 13th Bureau.
As for those who showed potential but couldn't enter the Soulmancer school, the 13th Bureau would definitely communicate with them.
If the test data was exceptional, indicating great potential, the 13th Bureau might register them without reporting and retain them for themselves.
Selecting potential human candidates to become Soulmancers, a task of great importance, was mainly managed by the 13th Bureau.
After all, due to their advanced technology and resource advantages, they are able to quickly identify and attract those geniuses with immense potential as Soulmancers.
Moreover, the 13th Bureau possesses abundant training resources and advanced facilities, which enable effective cultivation of these talents.
Without such technological and informational advantages, investing substantial resources and effort in searching for and nurturing Soulmancers would not be significantly meaningful.
William, of course, didn't need to be tested and, because of Steven and others, he ended up being the overall person in charge of this recruitment.
In the work group chat, there was a notification, and William's photo and contact number were shared by Zoey.
Unfortunately, after receiving one call, William switched his phone to silent mode and didn't answer calls from unsaved numbers.
"Hey! William! You actually came to the school?"
As soon as William reached the playground, he was spotted by Edward.
"Hmm?" William certainly remembered this young man. On his first day at the school, William encountered Edward proposing to Lila, and later at the bar, he met Piper, who turned out to be Edward's mother.
This young man had repeatedly faced setbacks with William, and now he dared to approach William again?
Are you out of your mind?
Edward flashed a confident grin and proclaimed, "I know you're a Soulmancer, I just got tested, and I'm S-rank! Do you understand what that means?"
His cronies joined in with derisive laughter, exuding arrogance.
"Do you know what S-rank means?" Edward continued smugly, "S-rank implies that both my mental strength and perception are top-notch. I will definitely become the strongest man on Earth in the future, and then you'll be groveling at my feet."
Edward's cronies chimed in with their mockery.
"That's right! Edward's potential is limitless, he might even become the leader of a renowned Soulmancer organization someday."
"William, if you kneel and beg for mercy now, maybe Edward will spare your life."
"He's so magnanimous, he surely won't hold a grudge if you apologize now."
The group was noisy and mocking, but no one dared to physically confront William.
William found the scene amusing.
S-rank, huh!
"Not bad, not bad at all! You're very impressive!" William nodded and continued walking forward with Luna and Erebus.
Engaging in an argument with Edward or even beating him up might give Edward a sense of accomplishment.
Or he could shout something like "You just wait, one day I'll defeat you" at William's retreating figure.
Edward felt extremely frustrated because William completely ignored him.
"Hey, stop right there!" Edward shouted angrily behind William, "Are you looking down on me?"
William didn't even pause in his stride and advised Luna and Erebus, "Remember, unless I tell you to, don't fight with anyone. Be polite, and don't make noise in public places. It's uncouth."
His words weren't meant as a dig at Edward, but simply as a lesson for the two kids after witnessing Edward's behavior.
William was even considering in his mind, if he trained Luna and Erebus to be his capable assistants, would that thing expelled from his body feel sad and cry when it descended upon this world?
However, he thought, being something expelled from his body, it probably wouldn't be so fragile as to cry.
William himself also felt that he seemed to particularly enjoy doing such things.
"William! What do you mean by that? Are you calling me uncouth?" Edward, hearing William's words, immediately began cursing loudly.
When people curse, they often involve the other person's family members, especially female relatives.
However, for William, there really aren't any immediate family members, so Edward's curses seemed somewhat futile.
Just then, a stern voice chimed in, "Edward! That's really impolite, how could you treat William like that? Apologize right now!"
Oh, it was Piper.
William had noticed her earlier but chose to ignore her on purpose.
He knew that Piper might still harbor old feelings for him. They did have some flirtatious moments back when he worked at the bar, but that was all in the past.
Now that William no longer worked there and considering the general practice of monogamy in society, he obviously couldn't involve himself with other women anymore.
Edward immediately lost his earlier swagger and said with his head lowered, "Mom, why are you here?"
Frowning, Piper replied discontentedly, "What do you mean why? Can't I come? If I didn't, would you have started a fight with William?"
"It's not like that!" Edward seemed quite dejected, "Mom, this is between him and me. Can you please not interfere?"
Piper retorted angrily, "How can I not interfere? I regret not getting involved more over the years. Look at you now, acting like a little thug! If only you were half as steady and mature as William, I would be relieved."
Edward might act tough in public, but in front of his mother, he dared not be reckless and could only silently hang his head.
Piper then turned towards Edward's cronies, her expression growing even more severe, "And what about you all? Trying to form a little gang? Don't you know the government is currently cracking down hard on these illegal group activities?"
These words silenced Edward's cronies. They could only lower their heads, not daring to retort. After all, this was Edward's mother, and they certainly wouldn't dare to utter a word against her.
After scolding Edward, Piper had wanted to chat with William for a bit, but when she turned around, she found that William had already walked far away.
Watching William's receding figure, Piper let out a soft sigh.
Piper gazed at William's departing back, filled with admiration. Such a person as William was truly rare: untempted by materialism, composed in conduct, and even in the face of her son's provocation, he maintained his silence.
Compared to William, her son Edward seemed utterly lacking.
Piper turned to look at Edward and, thinking of William, became increasingly angry. She couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Look at you, all downcast! I really don't know who you take after!"
Edward looked dejected and replied in a low voice, "Mom, you're my birth mother, of course I take after you."
Feeling insulted, Piper angrily said, "Hmph!" and then sternly warned, "Edward, I'm telling you again, stop provoking William, or I'll make you regret it!"
The young man had thought he finally had a chance to show off and properly teach William a lesson. But now, he didn't even get the chance to strike, and even his own mother was siding with William.
He thought to himself, life is short and filled with endless sorrows.
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