The alarm rang heavily, and Reith instantly sat up straight. With that sudden movement, he felt his body go into some sort of seizure.
"I overdid it." Reith groaned, massaging his limbs as he came down from the bed.
According to his alarm bell, it was just twenty minutes till six in the morning, so he had enough time.
Moving towards the gate, he could already see Master Lu from afar, so he waved to him. However, the bulky man looked away, rubbing his thick beard.
"Good morning, Master Lu." Reith said, panting because he had been running.
Lu nodded before walking outside the gate, and Reith followed him in silence.
The academy gates shut behind them, and instantly, they were swallowed by the bustling atmosphere of the city.
Reith's hands found their way into his pockets as he followed after Lu, and they stepped into the busy main street.
The Regional Central City was a busy metropolis, and even though it was early in the day, everyone was up and ready to make their daily bread.
Cars moved past the main expressway with their shiny skin, and even the stall owners were starting to open up their produce.
Reith allowed his eyes to take in the environment. Above all other things, the appearance of the cultivators in such a place was the crème of the crop.
His eyes caught the scarce number of people who strolled like they owned the place with sigils known as clan or family names stitched to their clothing.
There were others who carried swords at their backs, and they spoke to the shop owners like it was a normal thing.
"Watch yourself." Lu said to Reith, without even bothering to look back. Yet his voice moved through the rowdy atmosphere, and Reith heard it.
He had seen Lu speak into a device, and he wondered what the man was doing.
Just then, Reith spotted a black car ahead of them, parked at the curb of the passenger walkway.
As they got closer to the car, the door slid open, and Lu turned to Reith.
"Get in and don't say a word." He spoke sharply.
Reith nodded and moved into the car.
The driver was clothed in black, and as he set the front mirror, his eyes met with Reith's.
Turning away, Reith focused his attention on the city.
Neon board signs and floating billboards displayed advertisements, and after reading them, Reith saw that they were related to the Alliance.
There were pictures of people, some dressed in armor and others in casual clothing, and they all received certain awards.
Reith smiled. The Alliance had to be a very big thing.
The car moved with speed, and Reith felt that this part of the city was a lot different.
It was quieter, clean, and even brighter. Even the people in this corner of the city looked way different than where he had come from.
Most of them were wearing armor, and the shops around sold things that would only be used by a cultivator, ranging from scrolls, weapons, potions, and other things.
The car slowed down, and Reith put his head out of the window.
The tall building finally came into view. It was the Alliance Spire.
Even from a distance, Reith could feel the oppressive aura emanating from the building. Drawing closer, it felt more stiffening.
The infrastructure looked like it could cut through the sky with its streamlined roof, and the tinted glass covering every part of the building added another pristine look.
The vehicle came to a stop, and Reith stepped out. "So this is the Alliance." He gaped. It was a lot larger in person.
"It's called the Alliance Spire. It's just a big business hub and nothing more." Lu looked at the boy. This place was dangerous, and he was now responsible for the boy's life. "Once again, stay close, Reith."
"Yes, Sir." Reith nodded and followed Lu into the building.
Just as they were about to enter the door, a lady rushed out, and she nearly bumped into Master Lu, but the man swiftly stepped out of the way.
Reith had gotten a small look at her face before she ran off.
"She's crying?" He said, partly to himself.
Lu stared ahead. "Must be the adventurer's exam. It's a tough thing, so most people fail it. Don't bother going for it until you have a Hana core."
It was a small piece of advice, but Lu had a feeling this teenager beside him was quite troublesome and there might be a plan in his head to go for it.
They walked into the main building and headed straight for the reception table.
Reith was never one to ignore exciting experiences or make light of them, so he allowed his eyes to feed.
On a massive board was a large list, and there were also various tasks under separate lists.
Digital mission tabs scrolled along.
/Escort; Rank C - Urgent./
/Exploration; Rank B - Northern Forest./
/Beast Taming; Rank A - B Grade Beast./
After reading the tabs, Reith turned to another direction. There he saw two people arguing.
"Three hundred gold coins? It's a D-Rank escort mission. You are overcharging!" A man yelled at a group of people.
Someone stepped out of the group with a hearty chuckle. "Then find someone else to watch your caravan. Haven't you heard of the mysterious deaths? Nobody is free at the moment. You should be glad we are letting out such a cheap price." The man replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
Reith wanted to see what would happen, but then he heard his name.
What mysterious death was happening? And why haven't they been informed in the academy?
"Don't get too caught up in what you hear. Just face your business. Remember you are here to learn." Lu said, collecting something that looked like a ticket from the receptionist.
The receptionist gave Reith a short, curious glance, but she didn't say anything.
It wasn't her first time seeing teenagers come here, and it was sad to say that most of them barely lasted a month as adventurers.
They either died or quit after losing a limb or two.
Being an adventurer was always dangerous work.
Reith didn't speak for a while until they entered into an elevator.
"They mentioned something about mysterious deaths." He commented, hoping Lu could provide an answer.
"There's always mysterious deaths in this place. Once I'm done with the meeting, I'd take you to the beast collection of my Unit Party, the Jade Crimson."