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Chapter 17: The Sound of Young Hearts Breaking

The four boys discussed the topic for a long time.

Each offered his own opinion and shared the beauties he had seen that day.

When Ashura mentioned Instructor Ella as a beauty, Angelo said he knew her, adding that back in the day the line of suitors for her stretched from the academy all the way to Beasts Forest.

Yet Ella’s standards were sky-high and her grandfather, Grand Magister Aiwei, watched her strictly, so no one had ever succeeded.

Ashura casually asked, “Little Lo, how did you get all this information?”

Angelo answered with a smug look, “My fellow forging majors and I dug it up this morning, guaranteed first-hand exclusives!”

Ashura laughed, “That’s quite a skill, you could sell this intel for money… no, for Academy Points!”

“Sell it to those animals drooling over beauties and you can get rich without even taking missions!”

No sooner had he finished than he noticed Boss Jin Ze’s expression change; after pondering a moment, Jin Ze’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He slapped Ashura on the shoulder and said, “Third, that idea is brilliant; Fourth, you keep gathering intel, I’ll handle the sales!”

“We’ll trade for Academy Points, then split the points among us brothers!”

Ideas gushed forth as Jin Ze stood up, planted a foot on the chair, and mapped out his business plan like a general surveying the land.

Rubbing his shoulder, Ashura blankly watched his boss, who seemed to have turned into a different person.

Simple-minded Angelo instantly voiced support and promised to compile first-hand data for a top-10 beauty ranking as soon as possible.

Second brother Arthur grew anxious and said, “One of you gathers news, one sells it, one came up with the idea, so what about me?”

“I want a share of the points too, what can I do?”

Angelo thought for a moment and said, “Second Brother, I have the perfect job for you: our trade is a bit risky and you’re the strongest right now.”

“If the day comes when the beauties’ admirers beat us up, you have to charge in and protect us!”

A bead of cold sweat slid down Arthur’s usually cool face as he murmured, “I’m not sure I can hold them off.”

Boss Jin Ze patted Arthur’s shoulder and said, “We believe in your strength; we’re counting on you, Second!”

And so a group dedicated to collecting and selling gossip was born.

After they finished chatting and grabbed a bite, the four returned to their rooms to cultivate, while Jin Ze sat with Ashura in the first-floor parlor and explained basic magic theory for more than three hours.

He taught Ashura exactly as the elders of the Jin Ze clan had once taught him.

Finally, he taught Ashura the meditation technique he used himself, and Ashura immediately realized it was far superior to his own.

No extra words were needed; the brotherly bond among the four deepened considerably that day.

As dusk fell, Ashura returned to his room and reviewed the fundamentals Jin Ze had taught him, and even the basic magic concepts from the morning lectures now made sense.

He knew this gap could not be closed overnight.

But the boy dared not slack off; he sat on the bed and silently began to meditate with the new method.

He clearly sensed the magic elements in the air rushing into his body much faster than before.

What he did not know was that the technique he had just learned ranked among the top meditation methods on King’s Continent.

Late at night, Ashura maintained his posture; normally, when a magician’s storage limit was reached, meditation would end automatically.

Yet Ashura had meditated for four hours and by rights should have stopped.

However, the boy gritted his teeth and persisted, his body still absorbing magic elements like a bottomless pit.

The whole night passed, and only when dawn’s pale light appeared did Ashura exit the meditation state.

Exhaustion from excessive mental strain flooded his body, yet his magic level had risen overnight to Mage Apprentice Stage 3.

Ashura did not gloat, for he knew early-stage advancement was easy and later stages grew exponentially harder.

He also found it incredible that he had meditated the entire night and felt that something about his body was strange.

Yet he could not pinpoint the problem, and after thinking it over he decided not to tell anyone.

He did not want to end up as a lab rat dissected in an alchemy room.

Ashura steadied himself, left the bedroom, and washed up.

He had risen early, fetched four breakfasts from the cafeteria, and brought them back so the dorm mates could eat together; the first-floor meals were free.

The specialty dishes and invigorating beast meat on the second floor required Academy Points.

After a brief chat, the brothers headed to their respective classrooms.

Ashura entered Class 13, and the room was clearly livelier than the day before.

It even seemed that students from other classes had come to listen, but Ashura paid no mind.

He had just reached yesterday’s seat and was about to sit when an arm barred his way.

Looking up, he saw his class monitor Kyle, who said flatly, “Change seats, I’m sitting here.”

Ashura looked baffled, turned to the expressionless silver-haired girl beside the seat, and instantly understood.

Rolling his eyes, Ashura teased, “Why should I? I sat here yesterday, my notes are still on the desk.”

“You’re the class monitor; go sit up front and listen, why crowd the back?”

Kyle froze in anger, then snarled, “Black-haired brat, I looked into you; be smart and move or I’ll beat you up!”

As he spoke he reached for the ornate magic staff his family had given him.

Ashura chuckled and said, “So you fail to steal a seat and now you want to hit me? Go ahead, hit me; let’s see if the academy expels you for violence.”

With that, he thrust his chest forward.

Ashura’s shameless words caught Kyle off guard, and indeed Kyle could not strike him.

Left speechless by Ashura, Kyle fumed, while Clara, who had been eavesdropping, seemed pleased by his roguish stance and let the corners of her mouth lift slightly.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Ashura suddenly said, “The seat is mine, but since we’re classmates, you can sit here if you really want…”

Kyle blinked, then exclaimed in delight, “You’re willing to give it to me? You’re so kind…”

Before Kyle could finish rejoicing, Ashura cut him off, “Hold on, I never said free; such a prime spot demands a little compensation, right?”

“Tell you what, I’ll sell it to you for 200 points, how about that?”

Ashura’s words left Kyle rooted to the spot.

Every freshman badge contained 100 initial points, and yesterday Kyle had earned another 100 from Instructor Ella for becoming class monitor.

Yet this rascal wanted to take all 200 points just for a seat.

Seeing Kyle silent, Ashura said with feigned regret, “Seems the seat means nothing to you; 200 points rank higher in your heart.”

“In that case, forget it; I’ll see whether any other classmate wants to trade,” he said, moving to sit down.

But Kyle grabbed him and ground out, “200 it is… deal, no changes!”

Ashura jumped for joy, pulled out his badge, completed the point transfer with Kyle, and grinned foolishly at the 300-point balance.

He failed to notice the faint sparks crackling in the silver-haired girl’s hair behind him.

Kyle hurried to sit in Ashura’s former spot and tossed the fringe from his forehead.

Casting a charming side glance at the goddess of his heart, he instantly felt that 200 points were a bargain.

When Ashura regained his wits, he saw that nearly every desk was occupied.

He could not tell whether the visiting students were here for Ella or for Clara.

Scanning the room, Ashura found only one desk with space.

He fetched a stool from the back and, amid puzzled gazes, plopped down beside the silver-haired girl’s desk.

Sharing her desk outright, the boy flashed white teeth and drawled, “Beauty, mind making a little room?”

Clara looked at the grinning boy, said nothing, and simply shifted aside to give him more space.

She emitted a proud, soft “hmph.”

Yet louder than the girl’s little snort was the sound of countless boys’ hearts shattering inside the classroom.

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