The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 149 - 108: The Seed_2

Chapter 149: Chapter 108: The Seed_2

There was also Frank from Mushroom City, whom I had but a fleeting acquaintance with, the perpetually gorging "King of Gold" Marin, and "Sufferer" Rain Mountain looking sickly and frail.

There were more familiar faces than I had expected, and Rod went over to greet each one of them.

Most were surprised to see Rod there, seemingly having little to no special knowledge of his exploits.

This also allowed Rod to breathe a sigh of relief, as he really didn’t want his sewer nickname to be sung far and wide.

Later, Rod encountered another very unexpected person.

"Uh, Sister Mina, you’re here too."

Mina, dressed in the white uniform of a logistics staff member, looked at him with a resentful face, "Little Rod, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, to stand me up after promising to meet, I misjudged you."

Rod was somewhat embarrassed, "You can’t blame me for that, the teacher dragged me away directly, and there was nothing I could do."

Mina sighed softly.

"Forget it, just don’t embarrass me in the test later, my invitation is still open, it’s okay if you want to stay at the academy, just have a chat with the teacher about academic theories when you’re free."

Rod smiled, "Of course, there’s no problem, I’ll explain it to the teacher, Sister Mina’s little feet are very smooth, simply irresistible."

"Alright, alright, go hand in your report now."

Mina, quite disgusted, shooed Rod away.

Mina’s joy +21

Humanity +2

Heh, women truly are creatures of contradiction.

Rod was very satisfied, humanity accumulates just like that, bit by bit.

A small effort, why not do it?

On the other side of the hall, surrounded by many people, Rod saw another acquaintance—Monster class teacher, Blind Mo’er, who was collecting students’ data reports with another instructor and verifying their authenticity.

Teacher Mo’er’s classes were few, but every one of them had left a deep impression on Rod, and most of his understanding of the Black Fog and monsters came from him.

Rod handed over his report, Mo’er took it with his prosthetic hand, glanced at it with his prosthetic eye, then lifted his head, his wrinkled face revealing a chilling smile, "Ah, it’s Rod, I knew I would meet you here."

Rod said politely, "Hello, Teacher Mo’er."

Mo’er fanned his prosthetic nose, "What’s good about me? There’s nothing good, as long as I can’t see those arrogant Calier folks fall flat on their faces, I’ll never be well."

Rod didn’t know how to respond, so he could only offer an awkward smile.

At this moment, a large group of people walked into the hall.

Among the two leading the group, one was recognizable to Rod—he was the dean of the first branch, Vera.

The other was dressed in a rare black robe, his face sickly pale, with a peculiar emblem on his chest—

A huge black serpent, coiled in front of a gleaming Giant Sword, with flames burning at the tip of the sword.

Among the crowd following him, about half wore this emblem.

The other half were teachers from the academy.

Rod’s mind flickered with realization; these must be the people sent by "Calier’s Inhuman Voice," and the Giant Serpent Sword was their symbol.

They walked to the center of the hall, where Vera clapped her hands softly, a quiet sound that spread throughout the entire hall.

"Good day, students, teachers, I’m delighted that we could meet here. This is yet another brave step we take into the unknown, signifying that our methods of teaching and nurturing have become richer and more precise, fully realizing the potential of each student..."

Rod knew halfway through that there must be higher-up figures present at the event.

He looked around and quickly identified several distinct individuals among the crowd.

Their eyes were filled with admiration, continuously nodding slightly; sometimes they whispered to each other.

After Vera finished speaking, they politely offered applause and left without attracting attention.

Then, Vera’s speech suddenly changed.

"Students, you should know our mission and task. I only have one thing to say, and I hope you’ll remember it," she said.

"Survive. Do not speak lightly of sacrifice. Dead seeds will not take root and sprout again, but those who remain can blossom and flourish."

"That’s all I have to say. Now, may Lord Calier speak to you all."

Amidst the warm applause, the man in the black robe stepped forward.

An icy smile played across his pale face as his sharp, slightly hoarse voice instantly filled the hall.

"Fellow students, I am the contemporary Calier. To meet me here proves that you are the most excellent, the most mature, and the best suited for brutal combat. The gentle environment of the academy does not suit the growth of brave warriors like you. You crave battle, you crave slaughter, you crave explosive growth through life and death experiences. Cast aside those dull studies, the dry and useless knowledge, the lengthy and ineffective meditation, for I will bring you an unmatched experience. You will come to love this unbridled sensation."

The hall was deathly quiet; no one had ever heard such a speech before.

Calier, indifferent, continued, "Next, we will conduct combat tests to assess your actual combat abilities. Following that, we’ll commence specialized, efficient combat training. Note, I will not wait for your training to be complete before sending you out on missions. The monsters roaming in the Black Fog will not accommodate us. Jinworth’s covert branch has been entered into the official combat sequence, and the moment the General Military Department assigns a task, I will immediately select some of you to depart."

Once again, he revealed that icy, water-drenched smile.

"Prepare yourselves mentally; you are no longer the flowers in a greenhouse, but the bulwark protecting them," he stated.

Vera led the applause, and the hall was quickly engulfed by resounding claps.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Fight to protect the flame! We shall prevail! Trolian shall endure forever!"

The organized voices instantly filled the hall.

"We shall prevail! Trolian shall endure forever!"

Vera’s complexion turned somewhat pale, but Calier’s smile grew even larger.

—

Afterward, many teachers and logistics staff busied themselves, and with a thunderous rumble, the rooms around the hall sank downwards, transforming the space into a vast circular arena.

The rest and logistics rooms were moved underground, with personnel able to walk straight down through the entrance, the design extremely ingenious.

The students were divided into many small groups. They needed to demonstrate their abilities, combat techniques, destructive power, reaction to sudden attacks, and adaptability to team combat in front of the teachers and instructors.

The teachers and instructors would synthesize all aspects to give a combat rating score, determining the specific range of their actual combat capabilities.

Rod glanced around, estimating about three hundred students present, with only a small fraction being special students.

As a pilot initiative, this seemed quite reasonable.