"Miss Amanda, where are we going?" Victor asked with a frown as they headed to the back of the Academy.
"We're going to directly use the Academy teleporter to go straight to the Technique and Spell Association on this floor," Amanda said neutrally, which caused Victor's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Huh, the Academy has its own teleporter? Aren't they ridiculously expensive?" Victor was a bit speechless. He had seen teleporters before coming to the Light Academy, and even in his previous world before his transmigration. Only the top cities could afford to install them, as they cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
"The Academy is rich," Amanda said plainly, which caused Victor to shut his mouth.
'Hah, simple answer, but makes sense,' Victor thought as they walked toward a huge circular platform made of special metal with glowing lines inscribed on it. He sensed many high-tier rankers guarding the place. One of the men, who seemed to be an attendant, hurriedly walked toward them when he saw Amanda.
"Miss Amanda, where would you like to go?" he asked politely.
"Technique and Spell Association," Amanda said calmly as the man nodded before glancing at Victor.
"Miss Amanda, doesn't the Academy charge anything to use it?" Victor asked curiously. He knew most people would rather walk to towns than use a teleporter daily, as the cost could take up a large part of a person's budget.
"For teachers and students who have become rankers, it's free. But for normal students, you still need to pay. You're with me, so that's the reason they didn't ask for anything," Amanda replied before they stepped onto the platform.
The attendant went to an adjacent large futuristic computer, typed on the keyboard, and input the coordinates. The platform lit up as large amounts of mana started to converge.
Buzz
Soon, a beam of yellow light illuminated both of their bodies, and they vanished from the place.
---
Technique and Spell Association
"Hey there, I got a request for two people teleporting from the Light Academy," one of the attendants shouted as she typed something on the keyboard to receive them.
Woosh
Suddenly, two figures appeared on top of the Association's teleporter. As soon as Victor and Amanda arrived, Victor's face turned green. Feeling dizzy, he rushed to the corner and grabbed a trash bin.
Blergh
Victor immediately emptied his stomach into the bin. The others who saw this ignored him, as it was a daily occurrence for newcomers.
"Damn, I forgot how teleporting felt the first time I tried," Victor muttered. In his original world, during the early days, he would feel sick and vomit multiple times when he first started using teleportation after Rankers invented it.
"Here, catch." Amanda tossed him a bottle of water, which he used to clean himself before walking alongside her toward the receptionist.
Victor looked around curiously as the entire place bustled with Rankers. He saw many counters where Rankers were selling their techniques and spells. Amanda led him toward a separate section and into the VIP area after showing her ID.
"Excuse me, I had a registration to visit the Artifact Tomb," Amanda said, which caught the receptionist's attention. His eyes widened when she recognized who it was.
'Artifact Tomb? What a weird name,' Victor thought to himself.
"Miss Amanda, please give me a minute, let me check," the receptionist hurriedly said. He frowned when he looked at the records.
"Miss Amanda, it says you booked it for someone named Victor," the man asked with a frown.
"Yes, it's for him, my student," Amanda said, pointing at Victor.
'There was another person? And damn, this bastard is handsome,' the receptionist thought. He had been too mesmerized by Amanda's beauty to notice Victor. When he finally turned her head toward him, Victor gave her an awkward smile. He clicked his tongue before handing them a token.
"Miss Amanda, here, take this. You'll be able to enter with him. I don't need to remind someone like you, but still, as part of my duty, I'll say this: only he is allowed to learn the techniques. He can learn any number of techniques within a week's time. If, after a week, he hasn't learned them, you'll need to pay more to extend the duration," the receptionist reminded. Amanda simply nodded and led Victor inside.
"This is the Artifact Graveyard. You see all these artifacts? They all once belonged to famous Rankers. When Rankers die, their artifacts are left behind, and people who stumble upon them often sell them to the Technique and Spell Association for a fortune. The organization then places them here for others to pay and come to comprehend the techniques hidden within the weapons," Amanda explained.
"The comprehension is very difficult, and only powerful Rankers or people with heaven-defying talent can grasp them before becoming Rankers," she added.
"I see," Victor mumbled.
"Another thing—stay close. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes. This place is lawless since it's essentially a dungeon, and many people kill each other for petty reasons," Amanda warned, causing Victor to stick close to her.
As Victor looked around, he suddenly heard a commotion not far away, which caught his attention. Even Amanda turned her gaze in that direction with a frown on her face.
"Get out of my spot, you bitch!"
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Since when did this become your spot? We came here first!"
"So what? I'm a higher ranker, and you brats just became Rankers. I want to try first. You should respect your seniors!"
Amanda raised an eyebrow upon hearing this familiar voice. She noticed Jasmine arguing with a woman who seemed to be a high ranker, while Olivia—Victor's ex—stood beside Jasmine, frowning at the arrogant woman.
"You....., Olivia and we came here first, and she has better potential than you," Jasmine retorted.
"So what? A weak bitch like you should be grateful you even got to study for a minute. I won't ask you again. Move, or I'll have my darling teach you a lesson!" the female ranker shouted arrogantly, pointing at the burly man behind her. Olivia, Kevin, and the others all frowned at the provocation.
Not far from them, another group from the Light Academy was watching the show with interest.
"Hey, Ruby, shouldn't we help them?" a girl asked the red-haired beauty with an hourglass figure.
"Nah, forget it. She can handle it herself," Ruby replied with a smile.