Read Novel Full Chapter 573: New Generation
Chapter 573: New Generation
Only matters relating to Rank 3 and above were worth Michael’s attention now. Anything less felt less.
Yet, Michael wasn’t arrogant enough to ignore the truth. No matter how much potential or power he had now, the current him couldn’t compare to a Rank 5 Awakener.
Hell, even some Rank 3s could probably suppress him.
The fact that someone of that caliber wanted to see him made his skin prickle with unease.
Saelen seemed to catch the flicker of confusion in his eyes, though not the storm of his thoughts. His voice gentled.
"Don’t read too deeply into it. I too don’t know the principal’s exact reason for summoning you early." He paused, studying Michael. "I have my suspicions, but I wouldn’t dare claim certainty. The principal’s mind..." Saelen shook his head faintly. "...isn’t something even we, his instructors, presume to guess."
Michael inhaled slowly, forcing the tension from his shoulders. "I understand."
"Good." Saelen’s tone eased again. "Exercise patience. You’ll have your answers soon enough. Until then, prepare. I hope to see you in real life soon."
Michael gave a respectful nod, though inside his thoughts churned.
Saelen wasn’t finished. His eyes lingered on Michael with a faint glimmer of intent before he added, "One more thing. Though it won’t be immediate, in due time your access level in the Supers Forum will be raised by one."
Michael blinked. "Access level?"
"Yes," Saelen confirmed with a small nod. "Not your member level—don’t mistake the two. Your membership level will still rise the usual way, through rank. What this does is grant you broader access to information"
That caught him off guard.
Michael had always assumed the only way to climb in the forum was through raw progression—his Awakener rank dictating what information the system allowed him to see.
That the academy could adjust this directly... that was new.
Michael didn’t bother hiding the flicker of surprise across his face. Saelen seemed to have expected it.
"This is one of the benefits of joining an academy, Michael. Be it an Awakener Academy or a Cultivation Academy."
Michael nodded faintly, but inwardly his thoughts wandered. Cultivation academies he could understand. Cultivators had techniques, methods—things naturally suited to institutions of learning.
But Awakeners? They weren’t bound to manual traditions. Their growth came from things like system quests and experience points.
What need did they have for classrooms?
That was why, from the start, Michael had suspected the term "academy" was misleading.
For Awakeners, this place might function less like a school and more like an organization. A gathering point of power, resources, and connections—its true purpose veiled by the name.
Maybe, with his forum access soon to rise, he’d finally glimpse the truth behind the academies.
Michael inclined his head once more. "Understood."
Saelen gave a nod, but then his eyes sharpened as if he’d remembered something.
"One last matter," he said. "I am aware of the loss of your undead in the trial."
Michael’s expression didn’t shift, though a small weight stirred inside his chest.
Saelen’s tone lightened, almost casual. "Don’t trouble yourself over it. The academy will see to compensation. That is the norm. And in your case... given the performance you displayed, I imagine the package will be considerably more generous than usual."
Michael’s gaze flicked to him, caught between curiosity and caution.
"In fact," Saelen went on, his lips curving in the faintest tease, "if you tally the academy points you earned today and add them to whatever resources come as compensation, you may find this ’loss’ becomes a hidden opportunity."
Michael didn’t rise to the tease. He let the words pass with a neutral look, pretending not to catch the undertone, though his mind was already turning.
Saelen’s voice lowered slightly, a thread of warning beneath the mildness. "A word of advice—be careful with your academy points. They are not currency to be squandered. Their value runs deeper than you might yet understand."
Michael inclined his head, masking his interest. Outwardly, he was calm; inwardly, the information both surprised and delighted him. He hadn’t known the academies handled such matters directly, much less with this level of investment.
He didn’t know yet what form the compensation would take, but he had expectations. This was a First-Rank organization. Whatever they provided, it wouldn’t be something shady or useless.
"I’ll keep that in mind," Michael said finally, his voice even but respectful. "Thank you."
Saelen gave one final nod. "Good. Then be on your way, Michael. Hopefully, we’ll see one another in a few days."
Michael straightened, meeting the man’s gaze squarely. "I’ll make sure of it."
That earned him a genuine smile from the instructor. Saelen kept his eyes on Michael as his body blurred into radiance, then dissolved into strands of light that slipped out of the plaza.
For a moment, Saelen stood alone in silence, the smile still lingering.
Then it faded.
His brows furrowed, and the weight of unspoken thoughts pressed across his face. "If every supernatural were as strong—or even close to Michael Norman—then the Thousand Race War wouldn’t corner Aurora."
The idea made his chest tighten. Aurora’s survival strategy had always been defense, the great turtle shrinking into its shell, waiting for storms to pass. But with too many outliers like Michael rising, the tide could shift entirely—opportunity and danger merging into the same blade.
He exhaled through his nose, the frown easing into resignation. "No... rather than worrying, it’s better to focus on my own strength. If the sky falls, there are stronger ones than me to hold it up."
Yet even as he said it, his mind drifted.
He thought of some special beings.
Not all on Michael’s level, perhaps, but not inferior in every aspect either. A few might even surpass him in certain paths.
Saelen’s lips moved, voice low, more to himself than to the empty plaza. "If the older generation cannot endure, then the new must surpass them."
The words lingered in the air like a quiet oath, before the Rank 3 instructor finally turned and walked away