"Who's your Master?"
Elric hesitated. Then, for the first time since the conversation began, his confidence visibly increased. He straightened his posture.
"My Master is Mythical Lord Dante. A half-elf."
The young man's expression immediately changed, his relaxed eyes widening slightly.
"Oh? You're that guy's subordinate?"
Elric nodded.
"Yes."
The young man quietly stared at him. Then understanding appeared in his eyes.
"I see..."
He placed another snack inside his mouth.
Dante. Now what do I do?
Bullshar silently considered his options.
Should I continue following Luna? Or should I investigate Dante?
His eyes narrowed.
No. Too risky. Qwarian already said he saw Luna and Dante speaking. If they reached some kind of agreement, and I reveal myself as an enemy to either of them, that could become troublesome.
He quietly sighed. For now, avoiding unnecessary conflict was the safest option.
Bullshar nodded toward Elric.
"Okay. Nice meeting you, kid."
He snapped his fingers. A large couch suddenly appeared several meters away. No — Elric looked closer — the couch wasn't resting on the ground. It was floating. The strange piece of furniture slowly flew toward Bullshar before stopping beside him. The young man casually jumped onto it, and then the couch accelerated into the distance.
Elric remained completely still, watching until Bullshar disappeared between the ruined buildings. Only then did he release a quiet breath.
"That was... strange."
He glanced at the empty sky. The man's method of transportation had been impressive, but that wasn't what surprised Elric the most — the moment Bullshar learned his Master's identity, his attitude changed. He had immediately lost interest in questioning him. Elric couldn't help feeling slightly impressed.
Master's name really is useful.
He raised his bracelet. The interface updated.
Meet Students — Required Points: 70 / 1,200, Extra Points: +70
Elric blinked.
"Extra points?"
He stared at the new information.
"So meeting Bullshar doesn't contribute toward the required objective, but I still receive points for encountering him."
He nodded.
"That makes sense."
The Academy had already selected specific students who counted toward the required points; everyone else could still contribute toward a candidate's overall ranking.
Elric smiled.
"Seventy points for meeting a Mythical Being. That's not bad."
He looked toward the city.
"Now, let's find the next objective."
His body slowly fell backward, and the moment his feet touched the shadow beneath him, he disappeared.
Elric emerged from another shadow several hundred meters away. Then another. And another. Each time his body disappeared into darkness before emerging from the shadow cast by a distant building. The ruined city continued endlessly — broken towers stretched toward the sky, massive roads divided entire districts, some buildings remained almost completely intact while others had collapsed long ago.
Several hours passed. Yet Elric still found himself within the city. Eventually he emerged atop one of the tallest remaining buildings, the wind gently moving through his neatly arranged hair. He looked down toward the academy bracelet around his wrist, and a holographic map appeared. One of the designated Academy Towers was supposed to be nearby.
Elric followed the direction indicated by the map. Then he froze. His eyes slowly lifted. A massive creature stood before the building — a Great Ape. Unlike the King Ape Luna had defeated, this creature was smaller, though its enormous body still stood nearly four stories tall, powerful arms resting against the ground while its dark eyes watched everything surrounding the tower.
The creature hadn't noticed Elric. Yet. He carefully examined its body — the muscles beneath its fur were dense, and its presence alone caused the surrounding mana to feel heavier. This wasn't a monster he could casually defeat.
"Is this another ape?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"This one feels... a little too strong for me."
He glanced toward the Academy Tower.
"Now, how exactly am I supposed to get inside?"
A voice suddenly appeared beside him.
"Greetings, friend."
Elric didn't react — he had already noticed someone approaching. The young man continued.
"My name is Luke. What's yours?"
Elric turned. A human stood several meters away, appearing to be around Elric's age, his clothing simple though several pieces of light armor protected his body.
Elric quietly examined him. A Sage... decent.
He gave a polite nod.
"My name is Elric. Nice to meet you."
Luke smiled.
"Likewise."
His eyes moved toward the Great Ape.
"I'm going to assume you're trying to enter the tower?"
Elric nodded.
"Indeed. I haven't earned any Exploration Points yet, so I decided to begin with what appeared to be the easiest objective." His gaze returned to the Great Ape. "Unfortunately, that creature is blocking the entrance."
Luke sighed.
"We're in a very similar situation."
Elric glanced around.
"You're alone? No faction members? No allies?"
Luke shook his head.
"I saw several students attempt to fight it. Some nearly died. Others realized the battle wasn't worth the risk." He pointed toward the distant streets. "Most decided to pursue different objectives. Some are searching for potential faction members. Others are attempting to gather temporary alliances before returning."
Elric nodded.
"That explains why you're here alone."
Luke smiled.
"Exactly."
Silence followed. Both men looked toward the Great Ape. Then Elric spoke.
"A temporary alliance?"
Luke's smile widened.
"You read my mind."
Elric extended his hand.
"Then let's work together."
Luke accepted the handshake.
"Agreed."
Neither of them noticed the Great Ape's eyes slowly opening. The monster turned its enormous head, its gaze settling directly upon them. Elric's expression became serious.
"...I believe it noticed us."
Luke glanced toward the creature. The Great Ape slowly rose to its full height, and the surrounding buildings trembled. Luke sighed.
"Looks like introductions are over."
Elric quietly stepped backward, his shadow stretching beneath his feet.
"Then let's see whether this alliance was a good idea."