Read Novel Full Chapter 903: Going Home
Chapter 903: Going Home
Michael remained silent for a moment after Arven finished speaking. Then he nodded.
"...I understand."
After a brief pause, Michael spoke again. "...Then, is it okay for me to leave the academy grounds now?"
That drew all five of their attention back to him.
Michael scratched his cheek lightly. "I want to go home for a bit. To see my family."
One of the elders spoke first. "...Family, huh."
Another gave a small nod. "That’s fine."
The quiet elder added calmly, "In fact, it’s probably better if you leave sooner rather than later."
Michael looked at him.
The elder continued. "The longer you stay after awakening, the harder it becomes to move without attention. There are students and teachers here, us included, that the moment we step outside this place, multiple groups are already aware of our movements. You probably had attention on you before, but it is different now. A Rank 3 nineteen-year-old awakener with your prospects is a very different matter from a Rank 2 one."
Michael understood immediately.
Director Lin spoke next. "You’ve already drawn enough attention as it is. If you do go outside, try not to add more to it."
Michael nodded. "...Got it."
One of the elders added, almost as an afterthought, "And don’t stay away too long."
Michael paused. "...Why?"
He had several guesses already forming, but the question came out instinctively before he could stop it.
Arven answered. "The academy has things for you to do."
Michael’s brows furrowed slightly.
Arven smiled faintly. "You didn’t think reaching Rank 3 would make you less busy, did you?"
Another elder snorted. "If anything, it makes you more useful."
Michael was not surprised by that. Perhaps only during the first year could a student remain within the academy, quietly focusing on studying and leveling up. But from the second year onward, even if one had no intention of going out to seek resources, the academy itself would not allow such passivity.
Those who failed to prove their usefulness would eventually be removed if they could not be ignored.
That was simply how things worked.
With his current strength, Michael would have been far more surprised if they allowed him to continue living like an ordinary first-year student.
He let out a small breath. "...I see."
Michael did not react much to being assigned to a mission. It was fair. Nothing in this world came without a cost. The knowledge he had accumulated, which had contributed so significantly to his overall growth, would not have been possible without the academy behind him.
Arven continued calmly. "You are no longer at a stage where you can grow slowly in isolation. Your foundation is already set and any growth now could take years. What you need now is refinement."
Michael nodded slowly. "...Then can I know what the academy has planned for me?"
That drew a brief exchange of glances between the five of them. Arven was the one who answered.
"That should be fine." He paused briefly. "When you were unconscious, we made a decision regarding your next stage of development. You will be assigned to an external mission."
Michael’s brows drew together slightly. "...External?"
He could guess what that meant, but something about the way Arven said it made him ask anyway. "...What exactly does that mean?"
Arven looked at him directly. "It means outside Aurora."
Michael stilled. "...Outside. As in another realm?"
Arven gave a small nod. "For years now, the Federation has been working to establish stronger ties with other realms."
Another elder added, "Power is not only measured by individual strength. Alliances matter."
Arven continued smoothly. "And earlier this year, a decision was made to move beyond simple contact. An exchange."
Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Exchange?"
"For a set period of time, Aurora and several cooperating realms will exchange individuals. The exact classification depends on the situation."
Michael understood immediately. "...So I’ll be sent there."
"Possibly. Yes."
A brief silence followed before Arven added, "You won’t be the only one. But your situation is somewhat unique."
"...Unique how?"
"Sending you out serves two purposes." Arven raised a finger. "First, experience." A second finger followed. "Second, distance. You’ve drawn too much attention recently. If you leave Aurora, your presence becomes obscured."
Michael understood. "...So it’s also a way to let things cool down."
Arven inclined his head slightly. "Exactly. By the time you return, the initial surge of attention will have settled. Or at the very least, become more manageable."
Michael let out a slow breath. That made sense.
He was quiet for a moment longer, then asked, "Do you already know which realm I’ll be going to?"
That drew another brief exchange of glances between the five. One of the elders answered first.
"Not yet. You don’t need to worry about that part. We’ll make sure the choice is a relatively safe one for you."
Michael’s brows lifted slightly. "Relatively?"
Arven smiled faintly. "You’re going outside Aurora, not to a vacation estate."
That was fair. Michael accepted it with a nod.
To be honest, if he was still too afraid to take that kind of step now, after everything he had survived and with everything he currently possessed, then there might come a point in the future where even his talent would not be enough to carry him forward.
"...Alright," he said at last.
One of the elders seemed faintly satisfied by that response. "Good."
Then another spoke. "Since you’ll likely be leaving Aurora for a while, you should take this chance to move your family closer to the academy."
Michael blinked.
The elder continued. "If your heart is unsettled, your mind won’t be either. It’s better to place them somewhere closer to protection and closer to you."
Director Lin nodded once. "That would be wise."
Arven added, "If you’re going to be away, knowing they’re near the academy would make many things easier for you."
Michael’s expression shifted. That had already been part of his plan for going home. Hearing them say it directly only made him more certain.
"...I was already thinking about that," he admitted.
One of the elders gave a small nod. "Then do it. Don’t wait too long. Once the assignment is settled, your time may not fully belong to you."
"Yes sir."
Now Michael only wanted to go home. If he could settle his family somewhere safer before leaving, one of the biggest weights on his mind would ease considerably.
"Then I’ll head home, settle things there, and return as quickly as I can."
Director Lin replied as she looked at him. "See that you do. And try not to cause too much trouble on the way."
"...I’ll be careful."
"Good."
Meanwhile in Brightgate City, two teenagers could be seen in a room about to enter what looked like a pair of game pods.
"What game are we playing today?" Lily asked as Jester settled into his pod and reached for the cover.
Jester didn’t pause at the question. Whatever the stream decides, he said.
Thanks to looking almost exactly like Michael at the peak of his popularity in Aurora, except younger, Jester had managed to gather a significant following after being caught live on other streamers’ broadcasts. Lily was not left out, though her following, while real, hadn’t grown to the same scale as his.
Jester closed the lid of the pod.
The world went dark for a fraction of a second. Then light returned. A familiar interface spread out before him as his consciousness settled into the game space, a vast digital horizon stretching endlessly in all directions.
Beside him, Lily appeared moments later, her form stabilizing with a faint shimmer.
"...Still feels weird," she muttered, flexing her fingers as if testing whether they were real.
Jester rolled his shoulders once, already accustomed. "You’ll get used to it. Your senses are just too sensitive from your training."
Without wasting time he flicked his hand. A translucent panel opened in front of him.
[Stream Interface]
[Status: Offline]
[Viewers: 0]
He tapped it. "Let’s start."
[Stream Status: LIVE]
For a split second nothing happened. Then the number jumped.
10. 53. 120. 500.
It kept climbing. Within seconds the viewer count surged past a thousand. Then five. Then ten. Jester watched it calmly as it continued to rise until it stabilized somewhere above twenty thousand.
It was the weekend. Peak hours. Not surprising.
A faint smile formed on his lips. "Hey."
His voice carried easily through the stream. "Miss me?"
The chat exploded instantly.
— HE’S LIVE
— JESTER LET’S GO
— I KNEW IT
— WHY ARE YOU SO HANDSOME???
— marry me pls
— WHERE’S LILY
— LILY BEST GIRL
— STREAM STARTED JUST NOW???
— bro came out of nowhere again
— I skipped lunch for this
Messages flooded in so quickly they became a blur.
Jester leaned back slightly, clearly used to it. "Relax. One at a time."
That only made it worse.
— HE SPOKE
— SAY MY NAME
— I LOVE YOU
— pick a game pls
— let chat decide
— he said relax omg
— I’M NOT RELAXING
Lily appeared beside him on screen a moment later, looking around at the scrolling chaos with a blank expression.
"...Why are they like this every time?"
Jester glanced at her. "They’re excited."
"That’s not excitement," Lily said flatly. "That’s a problem."
The chat immediately shifted.
— LILY
— LILY IS HERE
— QUEEN
— she’s so pretty
— step on me
— LILY NOTICE ME
Lily’s expression did not change. "...I regret coming."
Jester chuckled. "You say that every time."