CLEAVER OF SIN - Chapter 286

Chapter 286: Academy Mission
Asher sat in silence, lost deep in thought, while a few students were being bullied across the room. His gaze was distant, his expression unreadable. And where exactly were his thoughts wandering? It was simple, he was contemplating how to end the plague that had recently infested his life: being broke.

Though he still had seven hundred points to his name, the amount was laughably insignificant to him. Those seven hundred points could barely sustain him for thirty minutes inside any training chamber before they vanished right before his eyes. And if there was something Asher despised almost as much as stupidity, the number one on his list, it was short training sessions. He loved to immerse himself for hours, pushing his body and mind to the brink of exhaustion. Anything less felt like a waste of time.

‘Should I just bully the top ten?’ Asher wondered silently, his eyes shifting lazily toward the ongoing bullying session ahead. The corner of his lips twitched slightly, half in amusement, half in thought.

‘Or perhaps I should challenge some second-year students? I’m not sure how strong the third-years are, but I’m confident I could at least put up a decent fight against the second years,’ he mused internally. There was no rule in the Academy that prohibited a lower-ranked student from challenging someone of a higher year, after all.

Though the idea was tempting, Asher wasn’t arrogant enough to skip straight to the top ten of the second-year class. He understood better than anyone that knowledge was power, and blind arrogance led only to disaster. He had no clear understanding of the second-year students’ strength or abilities. Of course, that uncertainty was part of what defined a real battlefield, the unknown variables that separated life from death, but that didn’t mean he would recklessly charge into something he couldn’t assess.

Soon, the instructor entered the room, and with his arrival, the chaos subsided almost instantly. The noise faded, the bullies retreated to their seats, and silence enveloped the room as everyone straightened up. Hours blurred into monotony as the class proceeded. The instructor’s voice droned endlessly, his words flowing like a river of information. Students scribbled furiously, some taking notes while others used their recording orbs to capture every sentence for later review.

This was one of the few theoretical classes in Star Academy, tedious but necessary. Asher, however, didn’t bother writing or recording anything. He simply sat back and listened, his attention sharp and focused. With his extraordinary intelligence, he didn’t need notes or recordings. Every word spoken by the instructor, every whispered comment exchanged among students, he remembered it all with perfect clarity.

He saw no reason to waste energy writing or to spend points on unnecessary tools.

Of course, this behavior had led to a few amusing misconceptions. Some students assumed that Asher, the Tenth Sun himself, wasn’t particularly intelligent. They believed his silence and refusal to take notes reflected a lack of academic aptitude. To them, his strength was the only thing remarkable about him. They assumed he had simply accepted his supposed intellectual limitations and resigned himself to focusing solely on combat.

Asher remained blissfully unaware of such assumptions, or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

When the class finally ended, the instructor left without a single farewell, as though teaching were some sort of punishment imposed upon him. The students began to rise and chatter again. Asher, however, remained seated. He preferred to wait until those at the front exited before leaving. He wasn’t fond of crowds.

Just then, a calm but commanding voice echoed across the classroom.

“I have an announcement to make,” came the voice of Vaelric Lux Vanthelmor, the Imperial Prince of the Empire.

The effect was immediate. Every sound in the room died. Students who had been packing up froze mid-motion, while others turned their heads with curiosity. It was not every day that the Imperial Prince spoke in class. Whether he was destined to become the future Emperor or if his twin sister ascended the throne instead, no one wanted to offend the royal heir, or the brother of the future Empress.

Vaelric stood gracefully, his presence radiating quiet authority as he stepped to the front of the room, mounting the same platform where the instructors lectured. His eyes swept across the students with imperial calm.

“From this point onward,” he declared, his voice ringing through the air like steel, “all forms of bullying end here.”

The firmness in his tone left no room for debate. A ripple of confusion passed through the room, why now? Vaelric had ignored the bullying for weeks. He had even witnessed some of it firsthand, including one such incident earlier that morning. What had changed? Why interfere now?

Some students shifted uneasily. Others frowned. They knew that, by making such a declaration, Vaelric was effectively clashing with several of the stronger students who benefited from these bullying sessions. Yet none of them dared interrupt. His voice carried weight, and his name alone silenced opposition.

“I’ve ignored the bullying until now because there was no other reliable way to earn points,” Vaelric continued, his expression cold but composed. “But that has changed. Information reached me earlier, before this class began, the Academy has officially opened access to missions.”

The moment he said that, murmurs spread across the room.

Academy Missions.

Everyone knew what that meant. Missions were the most common and rewarding method for students to earn points, ranging from subjugation tasks and resource collection to exploration and defense assignments. Until now, the first-years hadn’t been eligible to take any, the rule stating they could only begin a month after admission.

Excitement rippled through the students like electricity. Finally, a legitimate means to gain points without resorting to extortion or humiliation.

“So,” Vaelric said firmly, cutting through the murmurs, “from now on, if you desire points, take a mission, or challenge a student ranked above you. I trust I’ve made myself clear.”

With that, he turned and walked off the stage, his cloak swaying lightly as he left the room, not waiting for any response.

But who would dare question him?

The top ten ranked students? Certainly not, they were not among the bullies. And the bullies themselves? They wouldn’t dare defy the Imperial Prince. Vaelric was, after all, the third-ranked student in the class. His twin sister held the second rank, and the first rank belonged to none other than Asher.

Although Vaelric lacked the political authority to enforce such a decree within the Academy, his overwhelming strength gave him the ability to do so through sheer force. In a sense, this was his own version of bullying, the enforcement of his will through power.

Still, many students silently praised him. His announcement meant they would no longer have to live in fear of losing their meager points to the stronger students. Relief and gratitude rippled subtly through the ranks.

Asher listened quietly, an amused smile curving his lips. He had just been contemplating whether to challenge an upperclassman, and now the opportunity to earn points had conveniently presented itself.

‘I’m surprised he hasn’t challenged me yet,’ Asher thought to himself.

He wasn’t a fool. From the very first day he had encountered the Imperial Prince, he could tell that Vaelric was the kind of man who thrived on dominance, the type who desired to stand above everyone else. Asher had expected him to issue a challenge within the first week.

‘It seems he’s not as foolish as I thought,’ Asher mused, his smile widening faintly.

Vaelric might have been ambitious, even arrogant, but he wasn’t blind. He knew the gap that existed between them. He had witnessed Asher’s feats in both practical and theoretical sessions, displays of strength that defied common sense. The Imperial Prince was many things, but he wasn’t delusional.

To challenge Asher now would only end in humiliation. Until he was certain he could win, Vaelric would hold his ground and bide his time. He had an entire year ahead of him, plenty of time to close the distance.

“Well then,” Asher said softly to himself as he rose from his seat, brushing the non-existing dust from his clothes. His expression hardened slightly, determination glinting in his eyes. “It seems it’s time to take a mission.”

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the classroom, his footsteps echoing faintly behind him.