Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2 : Quest Academy
Sal shielded his eyes with his hand as he got off the train.
Since the surrounding high-rise buildings were all covered in reflective glass, sunlight was reflecting from all directions.
It was hard to believe that this was a university campus.
It was even more so when looking at the giant turrets mounted on top of the buildings.
As Sal blinked a few times trying to get used to the light, Pietro spoke in an admiring voice.
“Isn’t it amazing, Sal? Look at those buildings.”
Pietro pointed to the five skyscrapers surrounding them.
Sofia and Sal nodded roughly at Pietro, who was endlessly excited and talking.
Just then, someone who appeared to be an Academy attendant arrived.
“Mr. Salvatore Argento? I will collect your luggage.”
Sofia stepped aside and pointed to Sal’s luggage.
“Yes, thank you… Do we need to provide a name or identification?”
The attendant shook his head and handed a card made of black metal to Sofia.
“This is the room assigned to Mr. Salvatore Argento. You will be guided through the subsequent procedures at the orientation held in the Central Plaza.”
He pointed beyond the high-rise buildings to indicate the direction they should go.
Pietro moved the small bag he was holding slightly away from the attendant and said.
“This is fine. I will carry it myself.”
After exchanging a few nods and smiles, the attendant loaded all of Sal’s luggage onto a cart and left.
“No turning back now.”
Pietro muttered as he playfully poked Sal’s side.
Sofia glared at her husband, then linked her arm with Sal’s.
“Come on, let’s go so we aren’t late. We need to get good seats.”
Sal followed his mother’s gaze and looked toward the train.
Countless students were still pouring out of the carriages.
Many of them were likely the first in their families to awaken an ability.
Quest Academy was the first step on the journey toward wealth and honor for them.
Some students stumbled, their faces clearly showing that the shock had not yet faded.
In some carriages, the turrets installed on top had been torn off entirely, and there were carriages where the metal exterior was largely ripped open because the defensive barrier hadn’t retracted properly.
Sal wondered how they would repair that before departing for the next station.
Instead of worrying longer, he followed his mother and moved his steps toward the plaza.
There were a few families who had used the train’s luxury cabins, but most of the wealthy class seemed to have arrived using private transportation.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?”
Pietro smiled, pointing at a luxurious private plane that was landing.
Several airships were floating in the sky above, waiting for their turn to land.
Most had similar designs, but a few boasted unique appearances as if they were custom-made.
Sal agreed with his father’s words.
Having the means to enjoy the conveniences of life was good, but wasting resources on luxury that could be used to help people was behavior too detached from reality.
Their family business, the Argento Auction House, took on a social role by donating a significant portion of its profits to provide housing for refugees in recovery zones.
Walking to the plaza, Pietro began to air his grievances again.
“Just one of those airships could settle dozens of families in the safe zone. And what about the essence consumption? How expensive must the cores needed for operation be?”
Sofia made a humming noise and shook her head.
“Then where do those cores come from? You have to hunt monsters and extract them yourself, so who would do that work? There is a reason those people are that rich. Even if they take a few cores, we need them to keep working.”
“Let’s ask the people directly. ‘Do you hope the defensive barrier protecting you from monsters is properly powered, or are you okay with the ultra-rich taking those cores for private use?’”
Sofia raised her hand and pointed at Pietro.
“I know. That the cores going into one private airship could run a train and help hundreds of people.”
Sofia’s tone was taking on an increasingly weary edge.
She added as if to finish the logic for both sides before Pietro could even speak.
“But you know, wouldn’t more people be able to ride if we just got rid of the four high-class carriages at the front of the train? How are we any different from them? Which side are we on?”
“Compared to those people, are we considered poor?”
Sofia pointed roughly at the luxurious airplane in front of them.
“Or, do we look excessively wealthy in those people’s eyes?”
This time, she waved her hand toward the group of people getting off at the very end of the train.
Pietro paused for a moment, then abruptly changed the subject toward Sal.
“So… what classes are you thinking of taking?”
Sal burst into laughter and moved his steps toward the plaza with his parents.
The area around the train station was truly spectacular.
The platform was an artificial structure connected across several high-rise buildings, giving the impression of an aerial stadium floating between towers.
Above it, private gardens, practical training grounds, and landing pads extended in multiple layers.
Sal clearly saw an airship landing on a platform atop one of the skyscrapers.
All of this was impressive, but nothing could dare match the view looking down over the entire city.
The only structures more conspicuous than Quest Academy were the Guild Towers visible in the distance.
They soared as if piercing the sky in varying architectural styles, and all those towers formed a circle, surrounding and protecting the Academy.
“Wow…”
Pietro exclaimed as if exhaling the moment he first saw the Academy Plaza.
The plaza was in the form of an amphitheater, with thousands of seats surrounding a massive stage in a circle.
It wasn’t a structure that rose upward, but one that curved downward into the ground, and the stage was located at the very bottom of that curve.
Sal followed the stairs down and found a seat.
The wind was blocked thanks to a barrier, and small orange spheres floating between the seats were spreading warmth.
Many seats were already filled with people, and Sofia waved her hand upon seeing familiar faces.
Pietro continued to look around here and there, shaking his head, unable to keep his gaze still for even a moment as if not wanting to miss anything.
Sal’s eyes swept the surroundings incessantly as if overloaded.
It was his first time in his life seeing a scene where so many strong individuals were gathered in one place.
He couldn’t know what skills they had or what abilities they used, but the streams of light flowing within their bodies were incomparable to anything he had seen until now.
One of them had a light so intense that it practically covered his entire field of vision.
Sal forced his gaze away from the streams and tried to calm the anxiety rising in his chest.
It was one of many side effects of his ability, but he was used to handling it.
After composing himself, Sal nudged his father sitting next to him and carefully asked who the person he just saw was.
Pietro glanced in that direction and a smile quickly spread across his face.
“It was dazzling like the sun, right? Right?”
Sal took a slow breath and nodded.
Then Pietro gestured toward Sofia this time and continued.
“He says he just scanned Neuro with his eyes. Can you imagine what it was like?”
Sofia gave Sal a comforting smile and rubbed his shoulder affectionately.
“He’s the strongest Telepath in the world. But you know, there’s a rumor that his daughter is stronger. They say she’s a mind controller!”
She looked around for a moment, frowned slightly, then rummaged through her bag and took out a small black case.
“Wear this.”
As the case was pressed into his hand, Sal sighed inwardly.
“I’m fine. I can control it… I just won’t look at people.”
Sofia silently closed the bag and placed it at her feet.
The case was still clutched in Sal’s hand.
Pietro nudged Sal lightly, sending a look that said he should wear it.
Whether it was for himself or a show of solidarity, Pietro took his own sunglasses out of his jacket pocket and put them on, smiling at his son.
Only then did Sal feel a little less embarrassed, and upon putting on the sunglasses, he definitely felt much more at ease.
“…Thank you, Mother.”
At that quietly murmured remark, the corners of Sofia’s mouth turned up slightly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, heroes, and everyone dreaming of becoming a hero! Welcome to Quest Academy!”
“The orientation event will begin shortly, so please take your seats. Our staff are wearing white uniforms, and refreshments will be provided in a moment.”
“Since sensitive content is included, please refrain from recording during the event. Thank you.”
Several drones floated above their heads, emitting a faint light.
They seemed to be verifying attendee information by scanning the audience one by one.
At the same time, a small compartment smoothly opened from under the seat, revealing a portable device.
The one who reacted fastest among the three was Pietro.
He quickly picked up the device, scanned the document, and nodded as he spoke.
“It’s a non-disclosure agreement. It’s a common format, so don’t worry.”
Sofia and Sal also agreed immediately as if no further explanation was needed, and the screen soon blinked, displaying the full schedule and information to be covered in the orientation.
Each item was interactive, and Sal began exploring the available classes with interest.
Sal looked down at his device, scrolling slowly, and was surprised by the curriculum that was completely different from before.
He had investigated the classes before admission, but the list shown now was entirely new.
Sal pressed one of the Master Classes that had a solemn hero image on the icon.
Then, a list of required prerequisite classes and grades appeared at the top of the screen, and each item was also packed with conditions.
Pietro glanced at Sal’s screen and raised an eyebrow.
“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”
At that moment, without any warning, a massive circular screen turned on above the central stage.
It was a structure designed to be clearly visible from anywhere in the theater-style seating.
A moment later, names began to appear one by one on the screen, automatically arranged and displayed according to the seating position.
Sal’s name appeared on the screen, but his parents’ names were not registered.
The name displayed in the closest seat was a person named ‘Christopher Gage’, who was two seats away from Sal’s spot.
Sal leaned past his father and looked back, and there, Christopher was looking straight at him.
Sal nodded with an awkward smile, but Christopher responded with a slightly puzzled expression.
Only then did Sal recall the fact that he was wearing sunglasses in a dark space.
Turning his gaze back to the screen, hundreds of names were quickly filling the spots.
Meanwhile, Sofia was still manipulating the device, examining the class items.
“This is really too much.”
She said looking at Pietro.
“It looks more like a military training camp curriculum than university classes?”
“Of course it is! We are at war with monsters, didn’t you know?”
The voice came from right behind Sofia.
Sal looked back and saw an older man with a deep scar holding his son’s shoulder as he stood there.
Despite wearing sunglasses, Sal could tell that the man had absolutely no magical essence.
However, a clear aura was felt from his son.
Sofia nodded slowly, sending a somber look to Sal.
“I just hoped our children wouldn’t repeat the pain we suffered. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She nodded to the man with a compassionate smile and turned her gaze back toward the screen.
Here and there in the plaza, people would recognize Pietro and Sofia and wave.
Sal was now hoping the event would start quickly.
At that moment, as if responding to his wish, magnificent classical music filled the theater, burying all the chatter.
Amidst the melody that sounded like a school anthem, a man soon appeared on the podium.
A middle-aged man with a slender build and fading blond hair looked at all the attendees with a warm smile.
“Thank you for waiting. I wanted to give you time to settle in and examine the curriculum sufficiently.”
“As you may have noticed, we are going to do things properly without holding back this year. To explain the reason, I think I need to tell a little bit of my story first.”
“I know many of you here well, but I am very glad to see so many new faces here today.”
“The rate of awakening is getting higher and higher, and the potential of the next generation cannot be compared to any generation we have experienced.”
“Thank you for entrusting such a generation to our Quest Academy. My name is… well, you can just call me ‘Quest’.”
Quest’s tone was friendly, and judging by the smiles bursting out here and there in the audience, he was clearly quite a well-known figure among the previous generations.
“When I first discovered my ability, I honestly thought it was useless.”
“‘Identifying Essence Signatures.’ What on earth does that mean? In my head… well, it was like ‘laws’.”
“Just by looking at the essence composition of a monster, I could know how strong it was, and since my colleagues also used essence, I could judge what level they were at too.”
“As I continued to hone my ability, I began to see more and more things, and I was even able to observe how skills grow.”
“So, I decided to create a structure that anyone could understand. That is exactly the System you know well.”
“I assigned rules to what I saw and organized it into terms people could understand.”
“For example, let’s say I speak like this. ‘The Essence Signature of one Prowler was in this shape.’ …Then it would mean nothing to you.”
Everyone sitting in the audience raised their heads simultaneously.
Above them, an image of intricately tangled pulsating threads was unfolding.
“This is…!”
It was a form extremely familiar to Sal.
Sal was speechless and took off his sunglasses, trying to see it in more detail.
It was the first time what he encountered every time he looked at people was reproduced so accurately.
However, the Headmaster was not finished yet.
He turned his body stylishly and gestured, and the screen immediately switched to another image.
This time, it was a scale indicating threat levels.
“But what if I say this? ‘That is a Grade 6.’ Then we finally know our opponent accurately. A clear reference point has been created.”
“Then let’s think about this again. If I can capture the Essence Signature just before a portal opens? Wouldn’t I be able to calculate when that portal will disappear?”
“These concepts are exactly what I have studied for years and established as the ‘System’.”
“As I did not stop my quest for knowledge, people began calling me ‘Quest’.”
“My mission was to build a system that everyone could understand. And I believed that it would bring us absolute superiority in facing the army of monsters. Countless strong individuals joined my cause, and we established this educational institution.”
“All current guilds follow the ‘System’. In this war, we are all on the same side.”
Quest paused for a moment, maintaining silence as if carefully choosing his next words.
He looked up at the screen again. The screen that was displaying the list of names switched to an empty ranking board with a single snap of his fingers.
The audience held their breath and focused on his every word.
“We have now developed a new technology that could completely change this world. But to operate that technology, enormous funds and resources are needed.”
“Speaking honestly, we do not have that amount of funds. Even if we did, we would have to be very careful about how to utilize this opportunity.”
“During my research on Essence Signatures, we discovered one possibility. The method of inscribing that signature into an internal core.”
Quest’s face was full of excitement, and that heat was strong enough to be contagious to the listeners.
However, the audience’s reaction was mixed.
Some burst into cheers, and that sound soon spread into thunderous applause.
Even the confused audience members were swept up in the atmosphere and added their applause, and eventually, the circular auditorium vibrated like one giant festival.
“Thank you. But as I said, I want everyone to understand, so I will explain it more simply.”
“This new technology makes it possible to artificially implant an ability into a student who has an aptitude for a specific ability.”
The lukewarm applause soon turned into massive shouts and enthusiasm.
It was the most surprising news heard in recent years, and at this, many people smiled and shed tears.
Sal could accurately understand the impact of this technology.
The biggest limitation humanity faced in the fight against monsters was that abilities were granted randomly.
Eliminating that limitation meant they could give the most powerful abilities to the most suitable students.
“Then why does our curriculum feel like a military training program?”
“That is precisely to create ‘aptitude’ for your children.”
“We will maximize their knowledge and capabilities, growing them into ability users who can create real change in this war.”
“Furthermore, this technology has already finished testing, and verification is also complete.”
“Because the ability we implant settles at the level of an innate ability, students will feel as if they possessed that ability from birth. This is the stage of completed mastery we have longed for over the years, and now we have achieved it.”
“However, unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier… this opportunity comes with a great price. We do not have enough resources to help every student.”
“So we created a new system for the freshmen.”
“The first semester at Quest Academy will be painfully difficult. Everything you achieve depends solely on your own efforts.”
Quest’s words thrilled everyone here, but what shook Sal was the symbol Quest showed.
That appearance of unfolding the vision he used to see right before his eyes.
Sal thought he might have a similar or the same ability as him.
Even if that wasn’t the case, if it was Quest, if it was Quest Academy, they would likely know how to control the ability.
“Woah…….”
Sal, turning his head at someone’s low exclamation, realized that everyone was harboring overwhelming emotions.
‘Maybe beyond control, I too… could become a hero?’
“There is certainly a way to rise to an advantageous position here, but nothing can be obtained without your ability and resolve.”
“The status you currently hold inside this tower is meaningless. Family influence, wealth, none of it has any meaning here.”
“All your progress will be closely observed by our faculty, and a final grade and class will be assigned at the end of the first semester.”
“Heroes are not simply those who fight on the front lines. Defenders who protect the territory, Controllers who dominate the battlefield, Supporters who protect people, all of them are heroes. And when the classes and grades are decided, the Top 10% of students will be permanently granted a new ability.”
“Once again, welcome to Quest Academy.”