The reaction of almost half of the group was a stark contrast to the others.
A clear division that Luca immediately told apart.
Half of them were commoners, kids who lacked the knowledge Nobles had concerning anything about the Institution, so most of the shock was from them.
Luca was no different. Though, he had begun to notice the patterns after the first task.
'The instructors know but turn a blind eye.
A kind of oppression without revealing itself.'
Power talks. That was one thing he learnt from the Nobles, and he wouldn't mind having it for himself.
"There are one three hundred and fifty Null Buds located on the other side of that Gate. Ranging from Mild to Severe.
You will find and kill at least five, and collect their cores.
Those who succeed will be allowed into the Institution and will be free to partake in whatever we have to offer, and those who fail… will remain here until they succeed."
Her instructions came like an iron will and every Cadet took it to heart.
There were no questions needed, just certainty.
The instructions couldn't have come any clearer– hunt and collect.
But Luca knew there was more to this than what met the eye so without bothering much about the others, he lifted his hand.
The Instructor turned to him with an amused smile. She nodded.
"Yes, Miss… Instructor?"
"My name does not concern you for the time being. Speak your thoughts."
Luca rolled his eyes. 'I only did it for courtesy reasons, anyway.'
"Are we allowed to take the cores from other Cadets?"
His question raised hushed whispers and stares that could kill.
Perhaps many had thought of asking but refused to ask for this very reason.
"Of course. You are free to engage in your combat prowess. Do not limit yourself and use your true abilities on the field.
Not only are you in danger from Null Buds, but your fellow cadets are as well.
This is the real world, nobody is here to save you."
Luca nodded as she ended her response.
'As expected. It's practically a free-for-all with a goal.'
But there were other questions… important ones.
"Miss Sariel?" A voice boomed in the air and the group turned to them in unison. Their shocked expressions were evident as they gawked.
Luca didn't bother with that. Instead, he listened.
'Is he trying to prove something by using her name?' A smirk spread across his face. 'Perhaps I should discipline some Nobles while I'm aiming for the top spot?'
"Yes, Cadet?" The instructor replied without batting an eye. Clearly, she was used to this kind of antics.
"What if we bring more than five? Say ten or even a high-ranked Null Bud like a Severe?"
"Wha– what, is he crazy?"
"Hush, that's one of the Ardents! Don't say that."
The whispers that followed were more talk than whispers. Everyone heard them, but Daryon had chosen to ignore them for now.
"You will be rewarded as such. The higher the number, the higher the resources.
And let it be known, the Institution is only willing to let down a hand for promising Egoists– the rest of you will have to forage your own methods of growing."
She glanced at Luca, a brief pause in her expression.
"Especially those of you with limited options."
Luca turned his gaze.
'She must be referring to Synchrony.'
His expression dimmed.
'Just why do they put so much importance on it? I know it's the amount of Ego and output I can produce… but I feel there's more to it.'
Just then, Instructor Sariel turned towards the field and walked forward. "Come with. Let us begin this in earnest."
The crowd moved like controlled bots.
One after the other, heading straight for their goal.
Luca kept himself busy with his thoughts the whole time.
Occasionally glancing at a few people who passed by. The faces of some looked familiar, a lot more, weren't.
But Luca almost felt certain that the air was tense… and their combat abilities fiercer.
Luca observed for a few seconds before he lost all interest.
By then, a solid thump and explosion of a brilliant white light occurred.
The world hummed and the wind dispersed throughout the field in slow waves.
The young boy gasped at the sight, just when he heard another explosion, but the distance– it was further.
Looking around, Luca was amazed by the scene.
With a garden-like forest in-between the fields, he spotted white rays blasting in the distance– six more to be exact.
The sight sent a beat of intrigue in his blood.
'It's almost like the Abyss beams?'
His thoughts froze when he heard the voice of the alluring Instructor.
"Alright, in groups of three to five, you will go through this portal.
You will be spawned in random locations, search the vicinity closest to you for the creatures, kill and capture as much as you can, and prepare yourselves for the re-summon."
She glanced at the first group that had prepared to walk through the Arch.
"You have thirty minutes. Go."
The first walked through, then another, and soon… a long line began to vanish in the tranquil white light of the Arch.
Luca had waited for a bit at the back until the Arch came face-to-face with him.
Looking around, he found four similar looking red hairs walk up to him.
'Oh, Ardenthals?'
"Hey, wanna come with us?" One asked as he swerved his pony tail back.
Luca nodded in response.
They were the Instructor's words after all.
The red-haired smiled and stretched his hand out. "I'm Daryon Van Ardenthal."
"Lucamir Elaric." Luca shook and they headed towards the gate.
"Nice to meet you." The boy said with a wide smile as the white light in the midsection of the Arch swallowed them whole.
As soon as Luca disappeared, he felt the world distort in colours and shapes.
Bending asymmetrically until finally, his vision snapped and the world recorded itself in real time to his brain.
'Wow.' He thought as he looked around.
Since the Trance, Luca's image of the Abyss and anything related had taken a wrong turn.
But if what he saw now was half of how the Abyss looked, Luca wouldn't mind spending the rest of his time there.
Around and beyond was a vast and lush scenery of green and brown oakwood.
This was beyond the normal flora found on earth, but a bizarre, eye-catching one, never seen before.
Tall trees stretched for meters on end into the air, never truly stopping entirely.
Its trunk and branches were a bright light brown. The kind of colour that made you appreciate nature for what it was.
Its leaves extended like living armament, but due to the wide spacing between these trees, there were still some parts touched by the sun rays.
At those parts, colourful Mushrooms, the size of houses sprang at every corner, with tall stalks of flowers that blossomed with a regality under the warm hue.
The sky was high– impossibly so and the clouds scattered across in artistic slides.
Shifting with such melodic timbre that the world screamed alive.
Luca took on the view with a gasp of short air.
Exhilarated by the sight he witnessed.
For some reason, he couldn't explain it, but he felt invigorated. Like he had arrived home for the first time in a long while.
The thought startled him, but he quickly dusted it off.
'No time for sightseeing. Thirty minutes and a large area to find these creatures.'
He looked around slowly, then raised his head at one of the large flowers.
He smirked as he kicked the floor with a solid thump. The earth shattered as he blasted upwards and onto the flower.
As he landed, he lifted his arm and summoned his sword.
'Now that I think about it, don't Archetypes usually get different weapons?'
It had been a cause for concern at first, but when he thought about it, a sword was practical for all cases.
Even spellcasters and Harmonics could use a sword to channel their spells if they wished to.
'Then again, I can use any weapon I want, so perhaps I should add finding Ego weapons other than a sword into my list of growing needs.'
Other than weapons, Luca had come to realise that he needed one specific thing the most– experience percentage, and that, unfortunately, was as a result of a title.
Though, the reason for his newfound confidence was also because of said title.
Of course, that title was none other than Seven Sins.
'It's a ridiculous trade-off, but it's still my best arsenal. And more than that… no one can read your titles, not even the World's Greatest AI.'
He glanced at his Interface, an awkward smile on his face as he read.
Seven Sin (Celestial)
Description: Seven demons. Seven tribulations.
With the strength of Seven to all, you grow Seven times less than.
Luca couldn't help but wonder how and where this title came from.
He had a suspicion since he seemed to have a connection with a certain god, but until he found him… he would keep his suspicions to himself.
Until then, this title will serve as his boost until he gains that much strength, later on.
He dismissed his interface and glanced around. Carefully watching for a sign, any.
Soon, it came. Movements spurred a distance away. At least half a kilometre, and the way the petals of one of the flowers shook, he had a feeling it would be an interesting creature.
His lips curled into a tight grin as he lunged into the air. Gravity eluded him in that second, and a freedom he had never felt descended on him.
Luca revelled in it, then in a flash, blasted towards the target.
The air rippled, and a loud sonic boom exploded in his wake.
The hunt had begun.