It took Luca quite some effort to finally shake off Kassna’s enthusiastic persistence.
“Girls these days are really passionate.” He shook his head with a wry smile as he walked into the academy.
Outside the gate, the young coachman was left utterly dumbfounded.
“A mentor? He’s actually a mentor?!” The coachman’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The young man appeared only a few years older than him. He had thought Luca was a student at Red Maple Academy, but it turned out Luca was actually a mentor there!
“A mentor at such a young age… Red Maple Academy truly produces extraordinary talents!” Watching Luca’s figure disappear into the distance, the coachman’s eyes shone with excitement and admiration. Even though he wasn’t a professional, he understood what it meant for someone so young to become a mentor at Red Maple Academy.
When he returned home, he would definitely boast about this encounter to all his friends!
Luca walked across the campus square.
Along the way, many people turned their gaze toward him.
Some shy girls even came up to offer small gifts.
Luca didn’t refuse. He accepted them with a smile, causing the female students’ affection for him to soar through the roof.
In contrast, the male students’ expressions were filled with hostility.
“When classes start, I’m definitely going to show him a thing or two.” Rogge, who was watching from a distance, gritted his teeth. He hadn’t forgotten the grudge he held, and he was determined to humiliate Luca during class.
Luca, however, paid no attention to the stares from the others.
He soon arrived outside the faculty building.
It was a towering Gothic structure with spires, exuding an aura of grandeur and solemnity. The spotless hallways were filled with mentors dressed in formal attire, casually chatting and exchanging smiles. The atmosphere felt relaxed and pleasant.
Seeing Luca approach, many mentors waved and greeted him.
They had all seen this newly appointed young mentor at the stadium before.
Luca returned their greetings with a smile and then approached an elderly, bald-headed mentor with graying hair. He inquired about the location of the principal’s office and headed straight to the top floor of the faculty building.
Before long, Luca found himself outside the principal’s office.
The office door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, he could see Orf and Melissa engaged in conversation.
Both of them noticed Luca’s arrival.
“Your schedule has already been arranged. Come in, let’s discuss,” Orf said with a smile.
Luca nodded and stepped into the principal’s office.
“Hello, Mr. Luca.” Melissa greeted him with a gentle smile, exuding a refined and graceful demeanor.
Melissa, who had personally witnessed Luca pass the 20th floor trial, couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about this young man’s background and how he had come to possess such strength. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the right time for idle chit-chat.
Luca smiled at her in greeting.
Then turned his attention to Orf. “Teacher, which class will I be teaching?” he asked.
Orf handed over a prepared set of teaching materials and a mentor’s uniform, smiling as he said, “Melissa will be promoted to Head of the First-Year Department this year, which leaves her previous position vacant. You’ll be taking over her former role, guiding the new students in their practical combat classes. If you have any questions, feel free to consult her.”
Red Maple Academy is divided into five main faculties, each managed by one of the five deputy deans. Each faculty has three year levels, with each level taught by a varying number of mentors and supervised by a head instructor.
The first-year curriculum primarily covers three categories: foundational knowledge, specialized skills, and practical combat training. All three are crucial and require significant effort to teach, regardless of the subject.
However, everyone had witnessed Luca’s performance in the trial combat. To put it bluntly, most of Red Maple Academy’s mentors felt inadequate compared to his display of strength.
While Luca’s teaching capabilities were still unknown, practical combat training progressed at a slower pace, making it easier to adjust courses in the early stages. This was why Orf had assigned him to teach the practical combat class.
“That’s fine,” Luca agreed readily. The practical combat classes for first-year students mainly involved overseeing their practice and drills, which wouldn’t take up too much of his time—just the arrangement he needed.
Melissa smiled and said, “Mentor Luca, if you encounter any issues down the road, you can always come to me for advice.”
Teaching ability and talent didn’t necessarily go hand in hand, and Luca’s young age meant that he might face some challenges along the way.
Luca appreciated her good intentions and nodded with a smile. “Thank you for your guidance.”
In truth, he didn’t need to seek anyone’s advice on how to teach. In his previous life, he hadn’t been without teaching experience. He had served as the Grand Instructor of the Human Race’s most elite army, the “Skyward Legion,” training over a hundred thousand soldiers in battlefield combat techniques.
Although the worsening war situation later forced him to the frontlines, where he focused solely on killing enemies, he still had plenty of experience in training others. But given Melissa’s genuine concern, he chose not to elaborate further.
Orf then went over the class schedules and credit system with Luca.
At Red Maple Academy, both mentors’ and students’ achievements are measured in terms of credits. These credits could also be used to purchase various equipment and items, essentially serving as the academy’s internal currency.
Mentors and students alike could earn credits by completing assigned assessments or by taking on external tasks. For instance, Fratis and his team’s trip to Riverfall City was part of a task arranged by their mentor, Fred. Upon completing such tasks, mentors could also earn credits, in addition to benefiting from their students’ advancement rates.
It’s worth mentioning that the promotion assessments at Red Maple Academy differ greatly from those in the real world. Students can only advance to the next year if they pass the assessment and earn a sufficient number of credits.
If a student fails to meet the criteria and advance within three years, the academy will recommend their withdrawal.
Of course, these students can apply to retake the assessment once each year. If they pass, they can re-enter Red Maple Academy for further studies until they exceed the academy’s maximum age limit for enrollment.
Regarding his teaching schedule, Luca shared his thoughts on adjustments he wanted to make.
The timing for practical combat classes differs from foundational and specialized courses; they’re typically all-day sessions, making scheduling relatively flexible. After considering for a moment, Melissa arranged his classes for Wednesdays and Fridays. Today was Sunday, which meant Luca would be free on Monday and Tuesday.
Luca had no objections. This left him time to visit the small town and check out the situation there.
After Melissa left, Orf seemed to remember something. He took out a piece of green jade and handed it to Luca.
With a gentle stroke of his beard, Orf smiled and said, “This month, you still have one opportunity to enter the Celestial Pool Secret Realm. This secret realm is one of the foundational elements of Red Maple Academy, capable of helping professionals stabilize their mental state and energy foundation. It even has a chance to improve one’s aptitude—though the probability is quite low.
Given that you’ve just advanced to Gold Grade and your energy is still somewhat unstable, it might be worth a visit to see how it works for you.”
“Improve aptitude?” Luca was taken aback.
In Eternal World, secret realms and treasures that could enhance one’s aptitude were exceedingly rare, like a needle in a haystack. He hadn’t expected that Red Maple Academy’s Celestial Pool Secret Realm would possess such a transcendent effect.
He wondered if his maxed-out aptitude stats could be further improved by entering the Celestial Pool Secret Realm.
The thought made Luca’s heart stir with excitement. In his previous life, even after reaching the Transcendent rank for so many years, he’d never heard of anyone being able to break through the limits of their innate aptitude. He might be able to give it a try himself!
“Thank you, Teacher,” Luca said, accepting the special green jade from Orf. As he did, a system prompt appeared before his eyes, providing information on the item.
[Celestial Pool Jade: Special item. Use to enter Red Maple Academy’s Celestial Pool Secret Realm for cultivation. Cooldown time: 24 hours.]
This jade was similar to the admission tickets for the Trial Tower—both were special items, with their sole purpose being to grant access to their respective secret realms.
story-source-MvLeMpYr
Feeling an eagerness building up within him, Luca bid farewell to Orf and left the teaching building. He then headed straight to the entrance of the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, located at the rear of Red Maple Academy.
The Celestial Pool Secret Realm was a sacred place at Red Maple Academy. A massive grand hall had been specially constructed around it. However, there were no guards stationed at the entrance. The only person present was an ordinary-looking blind old man.
At this moment, the elder was leisurely reading a book and sipping tea, making one wonder—how could a blind man read?
As Luca entered the Celestial Pool Hall, the old man didn’t even bother to lift his head. He simply pointed lazily at the stone platform behind him and said, “Place the jade in the slot on the platform. You’ll have three hours for cultivation. Make sure to wear your clothes beforehand, or don’t blame me for not reminding you later.”
Luca nodded and stepped forward, placing the green jade into the slot.
Buzz!
The jade activated, emitting a soft, glowing light.
Immediately, a green ripple spread out from the center of the stone platform.
Suddenly, Luca felt the ground beneath his feet give way, his body losing balance and plummeting downward.
The unexpected shift startled him—he hadn’t anticipated that the entrance to the Celestial Pool Secret Realm would be directly beneath him!
However, he quickly regained his composure, a flash of azure light flickering in his eyes.
The surrounding wind elements rapidly converged, forming a pair of elegant turquoise wings on his back.
Advanced Skill—Wings of the Wind!
The wind wings flapped, whipping up a powerful gust, stabilizing Luca’s falling body in no time.
In the hall above, the blind old man, who had been casually reading, let out a soft “Hmm?”
He turned his head slightly in the direction where Luca had disappeared and squinted his empty eye sockets. “A Gold Grade Demonic Rune Mage who can use an advanced skill like Wings of the Wind? Orf, it seems like you’ve truly picked yourself a remarkable student!”
“Hahaha, Medel, what did I tell you? This kid’s talent is beyond what you can imagine!” A flash of light swept through the hall, and in the blink of an eye, Orf appeared beside the old man.
His face was brimming with pride. If an outsider saw him like this, they’d be hard-pressed to believe this was the esteemed and dignified Principal of Red Maple Academy.
The blind old man, Medel, sneered sarcastically, “And wasn’t it you who swore just a while ago that you’d never take on another student in this lifetime? Now, as soon as a good seedling shows up, you’re quick to snatch him up! Orf, you shameless old fool! This kid will learn nothing good from you. He’d be better off apprenticing under me!”
Orf’s expression turned disgruntled as he retorted, “With your pitiful bag of tricks, you have the nerve to say that? You think if I can’t teach him, you can do better?”
Medel’s eyeless sockets widened, and he slammed the table in fury. “You’re a Superclass, and so am I! If you can do it, why can’t I? If you’re not convinced, we’ll have a duel! Whoever wins gets to teach the boy!”
“Old fox, I’m not falling for that,” Orf said, leisurely sipping his tea.
Now that Luca was officially his student, there was no way he’d let Medel trick him into a fight.