Chapter 33: Chapter 33: The Return
Chapter 33: The Return
Lynx appeared in a town he was unfamiliar with.
It was a trading district. Loud, busy, and full of life. Stalls lined the streets selling weapons, artifacts, runes, and armor that glowed under the sun. Merchants shouted prices. Rich humans walked around with bodyguards. Normal humans carried shopping bags and chatted on phones.
But the moment Lynx stepped out, everything shifted. "It’s good to be back".
People stared at him in dread. The aura he was emitting was thick with bloodlust. Something they hadn’t felt before. Not from any human. It felt like a Demon King had just walked into a marketplace.
Lynx noticed their fear, but he didn’t care at first. He was too busy looking around.
He walked further down the street and stopped in front of a massive showroom. Automobiles were on display behind glass.
Different types of models. Some looked like Bugatti from his old world. Some like Lamborghini, Ferrari. But all of them were more advanced. More fancy and sleeker.
Floating a few inches off the ground. Mana cores humming inside the engines. The paint shifted colors depending on the light.
"I haven’t really explored this world to my satisfaction," Lynx muttered, eyes wide as he admired everything. "Sometimes I forget it’s just like Earth, but more advanced."
People stared at him more. With fear and dread. He even heard whispers from the crowd.
"Is that man human?"
"He’s a Blessed. But I haven’t seen any blessed with this kind of aura."
He even heard some girls whispering behind him.
"He’s so handsome... but I’m afraid to approach him."
"What’s going on with me," Lynx frowned.
Nyx’s voice came through the necklace, clear in his head. She could see everything through his eyes. It was like she was in his body instead of the necklace. Which was partially true.
"It’s your bloodlust," she said softly. "After you kill, your bloodlust increases. And you spent a year in the Forbidden Zone. You killed thousands of beasts, thousands of demons, and even the Behemoth. Your aura and bloodlust is thick with death."
’System. Can’t you conceal my bloodlust?’ He asked mentally. He didn’t want to let Nyx know about the System.
[Yes. But your aura will still be very strong. It will only conceal your bloodlust.
5000 APS Points. It’s like a switch, which you can on an off]
"Okay. Do it. Turn it off."
[APS Points: 29000 — 24000]
The suffocating bloodlust disappeared instantly. The air felt lighter. But his aura was still there. Strong. Like a powerful king walking among commoners.
Lynx exhaled and continued walking. He admired the city for a while. There were food stalls selling grilled meat and glowing drinks.
Holo-screens played some academy tournament highlights... not a Blessed Academy though. Normal school students in different uniforms laughed and trained in public parks.
He wanted to have some fun. Eat something. Buy one of those cars. But then he remembered he was broke.
He knew as a Blessed he had privileges. He just had to go there and ask. But nahh. The thrill of spending his own cash was the best, and he had none currently. " I really need to visit aunt Isabel".
So he decided to head back.
He walked over to a lady standing near a weapon stall. She was organizing swords.
"Excuse me. Do you know the way to the AETHER Academy from here?"
The lady froze. The man in front of her was too handsome. His aura was like a king’s. She felt the sudden urge to bow. She observed that he was a Blessed and was even more stunned. To see a Blessed walking so casually around here was not common.
"Y-yes," she stuttered. "The academy is actually p-pretty close from here. Just head straight and at the second left turn, y-you will see the academy gates."
"Thanks, Miss," Lynx smiled.
"Are you from there?" the lady found herself asking, heart beating fast.
"Yes." Lynx wasn’t interested in her. She didn’t fit the category of girls he could be with or even a casual fling.
"Okay u-uhm coul..." she hadn’t even finished her words when the handsome Blessed guy flashed her a dashing smile that made her forget whatever she wanted to say.
Lynx bolted out of the place. He ran with full speed, almost flying. Everything was like a blur. "Shit, I got ten times faster. That girl wasn’t my type at all."
He reached the second turn and saw the academy in view. He passed by Velbroth Brothel and stopped in front of the academy. It took him 3 seconds.
Lynx smiled. He walked to the academy’s massive gates. White stone, 10 meters tall, with the AETHER crest carved in the middle. Two guards stood there in black armor.
They stopped him hesitantly. The aura he was emitting was too much even for them.
"Where’s your ID?" one of them asked, voice unsure.
"Can’t you see I’m a Blessed?" Lynx replied with a smile.
"We can see that. Not all Blessed come to this Academy," the second guard replied, trying to sound firm.
"Fair enough. Here it is." Lynx flashed his academy badge. They didn’t even see it clearly before they stepped aside and let him pass.
Lynx chuckled as he walked inside. "It feels good."
He continued walking inside the academy. The grounds were huge. Advanced buildings, training domes. Students moved everywhere. Almost all classes he saw were empty. "I guess it’s because of the big tournament"
He and Nyx chatted casually in his head about how the Human side was great and all the other things.
’This is different,’ Nyx said. ’It’s brighter than I remember. It’s starting to look like the Dwarves Kingdom.’
"Yeah... wait Dwarves?"
"Yeah, they’ve got these advanced stuffs. I don’t know how they made it. And now the humans is becoming like them".
"Well, Wait till you see the tournament."
"Tournament?"
"Apparently it’s near. The biggest Academy Blessed Tournament of the Four Human Empires"
He stopped a passing Junior Blessed student. "Hey. Where is everyone training right now?"
The student looked up and nearly dropped his tablet. "U-uhm... the main training hall, sir. All students are there for tournament preparations."
"Thanks."
Lynx walked toward the main training hall. The doors were massive. As he pushed them open, the noise inside died instantly.
Silence.
Hundreds of students were inside. Each at their affinity training ground. Some practicing fire, some ice, some wind. But now every single one of them turned to look at him.
Whispers started.
"Isn’t that the missing guy?"
"Isn’t that Lynx?"
"Isn’t that the guy with four affinities?"
"Damn... how’s it possible he got more hotter than how he was "
"He’s so handsome."
Lynx face didn’t show any expression but inwardly he was grinning like a maniac. He walked in like he owned the place. His black and white uniform made him stand out. His presence made the air heavier.
Even the teachers at the front paused. One of them, Instructor Marlow, narrowed his eyes. He could feel it. This wasn’t the same Lynx he saw at the registration hall a month ago.
Lynx scanned the large hall with his primordial vision. He looked for the Second Year Area. And then he saw her.
Kira. Standing at the fire affinity area, second year, flames dancing around her hands. Her hair was tied up. She looked stronger.
Lynx walked straight to her.
The Second Year Fire Affinity Students parted to let him pass, it wasn’t fear. It was more like instincts.
Kira turned, and her eyes widened. The flames in her hands flickered out.
"Lynx?" she said quietly.
"Hey," he replied.
Instructor Marlow cleared his throat. "Lynx Azarion. You’ve been absent for one month. No reports or contact. Care to explain?"
Lynx met his eyes. "Personal Training for the Tournament"
A few student frowned. What the hell was that lame excuse.
"How can you prove it," Marlow said, but his voice wasn’t as strict anymore. Because he could feel it too. The pressure coming off Lynx was unreal.
Lynx just shrugged. "You’ll see soon enough"
He smiled faintly and looked at Kira. "We doing tournament preparations?"
Kira nodded slowly, still processing. "Y-yeah. Matches start next week."
"Good," Lynx said. "I’m in. By the way, I can’t see Teacher Rose."
"She isn’t training us today. Called everyone here weak because they couldn’t stand her training regimen for a day. She said we are losing the tournament again."
"Well it’s a good thing I’m back. We are not losing again. Not this year, or as long as I’m in this academy." Lynx replied confidently.
"You sure got more cocky. But your aura is really strong now," Kira muttered.
"You’ll see. Don’t worry."
Other Blessed Students whispered.
’His aura... I can’t breathe right.’
’He’s different. Completely different.’
’What kind of training did he do’
Even some senior students are looking at him with curious eyes. The girls actually, the boys were mostly jealous with all the attention their junior is getting.
Nyx whispered in his head, amused. ’So this is the Human Empire. Everyone’s so loud.’
Lynx kept his smile. "Get used to it."
They heard a loud voice. It was a wind affinity teacher. He used the wind to make sure his words reached everyone ears.
"Alright everyone, listen up. The preparations for the tournament are next week. The real training begins. Only ten strongest students from each affinity class get chosen to represent AETHER Academy.
Seniors or not. Ten Strongest Students from each affinity classes will be the ones representing this Academy.
If you want to be one of them, prove it starting next week."
A/N: Lynx and Kira are in Year 2. Kira attends fire and wind affinity classes. Lynx is with four affinities that’s why he was promoted to year 2 instantly.
