After another round of identification checks and mana verification, his uniform's embedded sigil helped confirm his academy status, and they finally allowed him inside.
The main courtyard of the academy was eerily quiet this late at night.
Towering spires of multiple buildings pierced the sky.
Elion walked quietly, though his mind was already elsewhere.
The faculty chamber doors opened to him with a soft hum.
Three instructors sat behind a curved desk, each wearing the silver mantle of the academy's staff.
One of them, a tall elven woman with hair like frost, regarded him coldly.
"What were you doing outside the academy after curfew, young man?" She asked.
He couldn't help but be drawn towards the elf lady, her full red lips curled into a disapproving smile as she spoke to him.
Her eyes seemed to bore into his very soul, and her smooth voice sent shivers down his spine.
Her body was a sight to behold, even while seated, a figure that all men craved for.
Her breasts were well endowed, very big, round, and full, the kind that made a man's heart skip a beat.
Her hips swelled out from her waist, creating a tantalizing curve that begged to be touched.
Her long, white hair cascaded down her back, framing her face with its silky, luscious tangles.
"I just returned from the dungeon. I got separated from my class earlier today."
Despite her cold demeanor, there was a certain allure to her that was hard to ignore.
A deep red color accentuated the fullness of her lips, making them look inviting, almost edible.
The way they curled up as she spoke was enough to make his pulse race.
"Oh? You must be Elion Nova," she began, her tone sharp but not unkind. "You were reported dead during your class's dungeon exploration. Care to explain what happened?"
Elion hesitated. Should I tell them William pushed me?
The memory flashed in his mind, William's smug face, that false look of surprise as Elion fell.
His fists clenched, his knuckles whitening.
But reason quickly overrode anger. They wouldn't believe me. William's father is a Duke… and I'm just the peasant who barely qualified to be here.
Even worse, he suspected they might "silence" him quietly if he accused a noble heir without proof.
The academy had its reputation to maintain.
"I fell," he said finally, lowering his eyes. "The terrain gave way under my feet. I fell into the lower floors and got separated from the group."
The elf's expression softened slightly, and one of the other instructors, a broad-shouldered dwarf, grunted.
"You're lucky to be alive, lad. Next time, pay attention to your footing. We'll file your survival report. You must be tired. If you are hungry, go to the kitchens. You are dismissed."
A few more verification procedures followed, mana testing, injury check, and a brief lecture about "student accountability."
When it was all done, they finally let him go.
As he stepped out of the faculty wing, exhaustion settled in.
He had walked a long way, but it was still better than his condition after the trip to the dungeon.
His stamina had improved somewhat, but it had only become that of an average human mage.
Back to the dorm, he thought.
At this time of day, they would be having a personal Physical training session, but there were no classes for him today; the dungeon exploration had been the main highlight for his class.
The other classes were probably still at it, and his classmates were probably already bragging to each other about their performance or doing personal training like the other classes, for those who were truly serious.
He didn't care.
He just wanted to lie down and think.
He walked through the quiet dormitory corridor, faint voices echoed from nearby rooms, students laughing, mana crackling.
He did run into a few students coming from the training facilities, or maybe visiting their boyfriends and girlfriends for some nighttime activities.
The academy placed no restrictions on romantic relationships between students.
Most of them here were young adults, so they had needs, needs that had to be taken care of, so students were pretty much open about their nighttime activities.
The only thing the academy drew the line at was pregnancy. This led to immediate expulsion when found out.
Of course, the stronger guys got all the girls. The benefits of being strong.
A class had somewhere between forty and fifty students, and it was sufficient to say that at least half of the students in each class were in some form of a relationship.
Elion reached his door, turned the handle, and stepped into the small, dim room that smelled faintly of ink.
He dropped onto his queen-size bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"System," he whispered.
The air shimmered faintly.
[Yes, Host.]
A tired smile crept across his face. "How do I get stronger, fast?"
[Host needs to build a big harem and farm points. Points can be obtained primarily through intimate contact with women.]
[The number of points gained for each action depends on the strength of the woman in relation to the host and the severity and extent of the action.]
[Host can use points for multiple things.]
[1. Converting System points to experience points to advance levels.]
[2. Advancing the host's class]
[3. Increasing the value of a selected stat]
[4. Raising the host's talent]
[5. Buying skills, or items from the system store, to aid the host in getting stronger.]
"Wait? System store? What is the system store?"
[Host needs to be level 20 to access the system store.]
"Oh, that's unfortunate. It seems I need to find a target to farm points sooner rather than later." His life was riding on him obtaining these system points, and he had to do it soon.
For one, Elion was already dreading class tomorrow.
Elion was under no delusion that William would stop bullying him just because of what had happened in the dungeon.
The guy was willing to go as far as killing him, and for what?
Elion had never done anything to provoke the guy. Wait, actually, maybe I have? A memory from last week flashed into his mind.