*ding!~*
『DOES THE MASTER WISH TO UNDERSTAND THE USE OF EVO POINTS AND FREE STAT POINTS?』
"Yes," Arian answered instantly.
『EVO POINTS:
Acquired through the consumption of a Corrupted Base Core obtained from a mutant or hybrid creature.
The system will purify and absorb the core.
Upon reaching the required absorption threshold, the Master may ascend to the next grade.』
『FREE STAT POINTS:
Occasionally acquired after slaying a mutant or hybrid creature.
Points may be freely allocated to enhance the Master's physical attributes.』
"Okay, that clarifies things" Arian said
He then returned his focus back to the book, turning to the next page, he saw it was titled "The Categories."
From reading the following pages, he understood that creatures were classified into six known tiers, compared to humans, who were classified by grades of their Base class.
Titans were the only exception to both classifications.
"Why are Titans an exception in all of this, yet still classified as creatures? this world is more complex than I thought." Arian thought to himself.
As he continued reading, he learned that a Grade 1 powerhouse could easily defeat Tier 1 mutants or hybrids and could sometimes be on par with, stronger than, or weaker than Tier 2 beasts, depending on the size and attributes of the creature. The same applied to higher grades, Grade 2 powerhouses could sometimes rival Tier 3 creatures, and so on.
After spending some time in the library, Yumi became hungry and asked Arian,
"Arian, aren't you hungry? Let's go eat."
Arian nodded. Yumi mentioning food triggered the hunger that had been suppressed while he was absorbed in the book's contents.
Yumi grabbed Arian's hand, and they left the library. While walking through the hallway toward the dining room, Arian asked,
"Big Sister Yumi, what were you reading earlier? You looked really absorbed."
Seeing the gleam in her eyes, he knew that if she started talking about the book, she wouldn't stop easily.
Before Yumi could answer, Arian quickly added,
"Never mind. I don't want to know anymore."
Yumi stopped walking and stared at him.
"Then why did you even ask?"
"I was just curious," Arian said casually.
"Then why stop me?" Yumi questioned.
"Because you don't know how to give short answers," Arian replied calmly.
"I do!" Yumi said, puffing her cheeks slightly as they entered the dining room.
At the table, their father, mother, and Arian's twin brother, Ater, were already seated. There were also two unfamiliar figures who appeared to be guests. Both were men—one seated and the other standing. It was clear the one standing was clearly the seated man's butler.
The man seated at the table appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties. He exuded an aura of power, pride, and elegance. He had a strong build, long brown hair, and black eyes, and looked strikingly handsome. He wore a striking blue outfit that complemented his commanding presence and added to his charm.
His butler, appearing to be in his mid-forties, had black hair and eyes and wore a traditional butler's outfit. He stood around five feet ten inches tall and carried a neutral expression, observing the room with quiet precision.
"Yumi, I told you to call Arian. Where have you been this whole time?" Benoth asked.
"Sorry, Dad. I went to look for him like you asked, but when I met him at the library where I found him, Arian begged me to open the library doors for him, and we read books until we got hungry," Yumi explained.
Listening to herself, she remembered what Arian had said on their way here. Looking at him now, she saw a mocking smile on his cute face. All she wanted to do was smack his head.
"Alright, I've heard you. Let me introduce you both. This is Mr. Rogers Kin, Principal of the Guadantam Tenth Annex Academy, and his butler, Tamson," Benoth said.
"Rogers, this is my eldest daughter, Yumi, and Arian, Ater's twin brother," he continued.
Yumi's eyes widened, and Arian was no exception. The man before them was no ordinary man; he was the principal of the Tenth Annex Academy.
In this world, once someone had their Base Stirring—the awakening of one's Base—at age six, they could attend school to learn about the complexity of the Base and gain a deeper understanding of ascension through cultivation. These schools were called Annexes or Annex Academies.
On the Human Continent, there were ten annex academies in every kingdom. The same applied to the Kingdom of Guadantam, where the Tenth Annex Academy ranked as the second most prestigious, after the First Annex.
Despite being the last to be founded, it rivaled, and even surpassed, many of the older annexes in terms of capability and reputation.
Each of the ten major annexes had several connected subdivisions. These subdivisions were designed for peasants or those seeking only basic knowledge about the Base. Their level of education was far below that of the main annexes. Only five of these subdivisions could be owned by a single annex within a kingdom, that is, each Annex Academy could oversee up to five subdivisions.
Being the principal of such a school spoke volumes about this man's strength.
"Hello, Yumi. Hello, Arian." Rogers greeted warmly.
"Hello," they responded together.
"Rogers is an old friend of mine. We've known each other for a long time and were just catching up," Benoth added.
"Tamson, the card." Rogers said. After receiving the card from his butler, he stood up and walked over to Yumi, which surprised the whole family.
"The Tenth Annex Academy personally invites Miss Yumi to study with us next year, after her Base Stirring," Rogers said.
"Rogers, you didn't have to do this. We could have come to the academy ourselves to register her," Benoth said.
"Stop trying to be humble, Benoth. Besides, I'm not doing this for you. I missed her birthday last month, so consider this a belated birthday gift," Rogers stated.
"With this card, you'll have access to the academy and receive top-class treatment. However, breaking the academy's rules and regulations will result in punishment. So, what do you say, Yumi?" Rogers continued.
Barely able to contain her excitement, Yumi nodded vigorously. After taking a few seconds to calm herself, she spoke clearly,
"I, Yumi Marak, daughter of the Second Duke Benoth Marak of the Kingdom of Guadantam, gladly accept your invitation. It would be an honor to study at the Tenth Annex Academy."
She bowed politely and accepted the card. Rogers was pleased and satisfied by her display.
'Can't she ever give a short reply?' Arian thought.
Everyone then settled into their seats as the maids brought out the food.
"Tamson, come join us." Rogers said.
"That would be disrespectful, sire." Tamson replied.
"Don't worry about it. Come, take a seat." Benoth encouraged.
"Thank you for the meal," they all said, picking up their spoons and forks as they began to eat.
"Benoth, did you hear? The son of Duke Deling from the Kingdom of Asuta has been killed," Rogers asked.
"Yes… and that's why other neighboring kingdoms are on constant alert," Benoth said.
"it seems the years ahead won't be as peaceful as now," Rogers added.
"I agree." Benoth said, as he ate his food.
"Ahem. No talking while eating. What are two grown men teaching these children?" Socula said before they could continue with their discussion.
While Arian was eating, he kept wondering. 'Mr Rogers should be at Grade Two or Three.'
He wanted to use his [Identify] skill but knew it would be rude, as Mr. Rogers was his father's guest.
'I can just take a quick peek. He wouldn't mind,' Arian thought mischievously.
'Identify'
*ding!~*
『ACTIVE SKILL: IDENTIFY ACTIVATED
Scanning target…
Identification complete.
INFO:
Name — Rogers Sul Kin
Race — Human
Base State — Active
OTHER INFORMATION IS RESTRICTED. TARGET IS OF A MUCH HIGHER GRADE THAN MASTER.』
Looking at the information displayed on the system's translucent screen, he was able to understand what it was doing.
'It seems the system doesn't want me to be lazy… It's using its own way to tell me that if I want information, I'll have to earn it,' Arian thought.
He was right, because if the system gave him all the information upfront, he could play it safe, avoid danger, exploit weaknesses, and grow without ever taking real risks.
While Arian was focused on the translucent screen only he could see, to others it seemed as though he was staring at Mr. Rogers.
Rogers noticed his gaze and chuckled lightly.
"Is something the matter, young man?" he asked.
Arian stiffened slightly, "No. Nothing at all."
Rogers nodded and returned to his meal.
After the meal, Benoth and his wife, Socula, saw Rogers and his butler Tamson off.
Arian then made his way back to the library. The library door was half open, as he had told Yumi to keep it that way since he planned to return.
Arian realized he'd never taken a proper look at the library earlier. A few hours ago, he had been too focused on finding books about this world. Now, as he looked around, he noticed the library was divided into three parts: the outer, inner, and upper sections.
After looking around briefly, he decided to head toward the upper section.
As he walked through that part of the library, something caught his attention, and he approached it. It was a box near the edge of the wall, it had strange engravings carved into its surface.
His curiosity piqued, he decided to open it. Inside lay a black hooded cloak. He immediately fell in love with it, but as he took it out and tried it on, it was too big. Still, it didn't dampen his spirits.
He folded the cloak neatly, closed the box, and carried the hooded cloak back to his room.