Mystery Tales Under the Moonlight

Chapter 56: The World Is Too Cold for the Weak to be Happy (3).

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Seeing the students' glaring looks, Professor Ralph straightened himself up as he began to speak .

" After your talents have been extracted, it's not over, it's just the beginning. A person who awakens their talent is called an Ego Warrior. In the pursuit of an Ego Warrior, there are four main aspects that they must pay attention to. What are they ?"

After saying that, a small smile made its way to his lips, as he could see the hesitation on the students' faces, but he waited for his question to be answered .

A student raised his hand, and that student was Kevin .

" Help yourself "

" Talent ?"

" Correct," Master Ralph said, and continued, "Talent is the backbone of advancement, as talent includes four important points that determine a person's talent rank, willpower, mental state, magical energy, and physical ability ."

" Even within these aspects, they are as deep and vast as the sea, as some focus on developing the quantity and quality of their magical energy in a certain direction that matches their own inclinations and constitution. It must be kept in mind that talent is not everything ."

Talent, which is like a physical, spiritual and mental vessel to absorb all the knowledge and changes in the warrior's life, has an impact on the future and prospects of the person .

The more talented a person is, the larger the capacity of the vessel, as it can absorb more magical energy, faster, and replenish it faster .

His magical energy is purer, higher quality than the lesser ones .

Even increasing talent reduces physical abnormalities, corrects physical defects, and increases immunity. Of course, this applies if one takes a path that relies on using the body .

For example, someone who walks the path of fire has high endurance, and his body can withstand pressure and high temperatures. Someone who walks the path of the sword has balanced physical abilities, his flexibility and physical adaptation are high, and so on …

The mental and psychological side also becomes clearer the higher the person's talent .

But still… one's qualities do not increase when one's talent increases, one's talent only increases when one's qualities increase .

When he trained hard, when he learned more, when he adapted to magical energy more, when he controlled his impulses and desires more, only then, would his talent increase .

Not everyone can do this, because it requires sacrifice .

Because sacrifice is painful, because sacrifice causes loss, not everyone is willing to take it .

But talent, despite its importance, only makes up 25% of the entire sequence of an Ego Warrior's strength, as there are other things that make up for one's lack of it .

" Excuse me, Professor, does the other side have anything to do with ego ?"

After the teacher fell silent, the students understood that it was their turn. A student with black hair and golden eyes spoke .

" Well done, hey, this old lady really doesn't have eyes, there are a lot of factors that are not seen in people's value, but they are oblivious to looking for them ."

Ralph did not forget to complain against the teacher in charge .

" That's right, ego, one of the special aspects of the world, is like a weapon, ego is no less important than talent, as the types of ego are countless, but there are 3 main types "

" The ego creatures, which are related to the self side, the world ego, which is related to the nature side, and finally, the refined ego, which is that which is refined… and is called the life side ."

" Of the three types, which is the easiest to use ?"

Not answered immediately .

Spirits or ego creatures, they are the ones that are born from the self, the ego creature is like the spectral ghost that Woo Jin and Dio brought out in their fight .

An ego is formed and developed according to one's nature, path, type of magical energy, body structure, talent, and rank .

The world's ego [nature] exists in all types, has certain conditions for use, and the ways of using it are endless .

Some have a special awareness, where the person has to go through strange tests before they are approved .

For example, there is the wolf ego that makes a person learn the language of wolves and have some physical characteristics of wolves, where the person has to live as a wolf for a certain period of time before the ego accepts him .

Some require time to grow before they mature, like the little cave ego, some require a special type of food to be satisfied, some don't eat particularly well, but have multiple conditions ...

Finally, the refined ego [life], this type combines the other two, as it is concerned with how the ego is made and refined, whether in the aspect of the self or nature .

There are failed attempts and defective copies, such as magic tools, which give a weaker effect, not to mention that they do not even have names .

There have been many attempts to improve aspects of oneself, some people have tried to extract ego spirits in order to use them for themselves and increase the variety of their powers .

But all of this failed, as some experts said that the self means uniqueness, extracting the soul from the individual is no different from losing his identity, thus there will be no self, there will be no ego .

Of course, it wasn't a complete failure, and there were some results .

Most efforts have been focused on the side of nature, where new types of ego have been refined and produced, such as the afterthought ego, which locks up thoughts for a later time and increases their quantity at the expense of the present moment .

Afterthought Ego can be used as a complement to the Tears of Gloomy Rain Ego which requires a large amount of gloomy emotion to be put into it, and it generates a large amount of tears that dampen the enemy's morale and scatter his thoughts .

In this world, there were many homogeneous and contradictory uses of ego .

" Is it the self aspect ?"

After listening to the professor's explanation, one of the students said with some hesitation, "This seemed the easiest to explain ."

" Idiot, everyone who thinks that there is a side more important than the rest is also an idiot, can't you use your shit brains ?"

Before Professor Ralph could answer, the students heard a sleepy voice from behind them .

A student sitting near the window was rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up, that was Leon .

Leon ignored the student's unpleasant looks and spoke to the teacher, "What a cruel way to ask such a question… especially when there is no correct answer ."

" Oh? What do you mean, student?" Teacher Ralph smiled instead of getting angry, and was curious about this young boy .

" The three aspects have their own depth, each aspect has yet to be fully explored, not to mention the influence of the other aspects on the use of ego in particular, comparing them like this, are you measuring the mindsets of these little ones ?"

"… Leon, you're the same age as them ."

" Hey, as if I care ."

The students' looks towards Leon were surprised, as words like that were strange to come out of his mouth …

You know, barbarian ?

" What ? "

" Nothing… you're a little right, anyway, there are two aspects left that we haven't touched on ."

Seeing Leon's rude face as if he was offended by his reaction, Teacher Ralph ignored him and continued saying .

" This time, I'll be the one to explain the rest ."

" Now, the rank, or the Eight Moons as most people in the world refer to it, there are 8 levels of Ego Warrior, divided from lowest to highest, they are: Grey Moon, Blue Moon, Orange Moon, Green Moon, Purple Moon, White Moon, Black Moon, Red Moon. "

" The first and second moons are considered major powers in battles, the third and fourth are the pinnacle of what most people in the world can reach, as the third moon is enough for a person to become a mid-ranking clan leader or a viscount of a noble family ."

" The Fourth Moon is considered the leader of a large clan, in a noble family, he can change his affiliation and become a duke by marrying into the royal family, he can even build his own clan or sect, and if he has an interest, he can become the head of one of the magic towers ."

" The Fifth Moon, can be considered a state ruler at the very least, they are the peak of warriors and the least numerous, above that level, it is simply beyond our comprehension ."

There are sub-worlds of moons, which are five stars, there are no big differences between the moons at this point .

But of course, there are qualitative changes that happen to the person when the third moon is reached, after that comes the biggest change in the fifth moon, what comes after that, is unknown .

" Since you are students, from now until graduation, you must cultivate your rank and talent, advance your path, and carefully choose your egos until you reach at least the second moon ."

"… Teacher, why only the second moon ?"

Teacher Ralph calmly answered one of the students' question .

" In the history of the academy, no one has ever reached the third moon at the end of their studies, but the highest advancement was reaching the fifth star of the second moon, and that level was genius, he is now the headmaster of the academy ."

" Woah, is this that hard ?"

" Of course, it's not easy at all, there is a way to increase strength quickly but …"

" The risks are simply too high ."

The person who answered was none other than Leon .

"… True, in order to increase your level quickly, you have to risk your life with little chance of success, and for this reason, it is better to develop yourselves steadily, and the results will come in due time ."

Hearing his serious tone, most of the students nodded in understanding .

" That leaves us with one final aspect, the Path. This aspect is the most mysterious and diverse, as there are many interconnected approaches in the world that make up the Path. The Warrior's approach is the most important in terms of potential and future. "

Teacher Ralph's voice was more serious as he continued .

There are things to consider, such as techniques, which are divided into two types, normal techniques, which can be accessed with luck and sufficient resources .

There is the other type, the memory fragment, which is more difficult to understand and more dangerous, since the name itself tells little about what it means .

It should also be noted that the path has levels as well, which are called stars, and the maximum for a path usually reaches 8 stars. The path has dissonance and convergence, each path is unique, and no one can take the same path in the same way .

There are many strange aspects and theories, such as that the ability of the bloodline is closely related to the approach, as everyone has a hidden bloodline ability, some awaken their ability since childhood, some do not awaken until after certain situations .

The path has countless branches, take the path of fire for example, even within the path itself, there are different aspects in which a person can specialize .

There are aspects such as: attack, defense, movement, healing, storage, refinement, detection, and an aspect related to the evolution itself .

, etc.

The path of the warrior is infinitely deep .

If a warrior specializes in healing, it doesn't mean he can't use attacking techniques, but random mixing will reduce his abilities .

When a person chooses his path and specialization, he needs to carefully consider several things .

He must understand the quality of his own talent and inclinations, his physical build and the ability of his bloodline, do they fit the path he is taking ?

He must carefully measure the types and numbers of egos he uses, more does not necessarily mean better, as ego needs magical energy and a will to live, which naturally means a need for ego stones .

The things that affect the warrior's path are resources, luck, intelligence and external factors, which is why many warriors prefer to rely on clans that monopolize resources .

This is also why there are quite a few members of the Demonic Faction .

They were struggling to develop themselves, so they chose killing and looting as it was easier than investigating the mysteries and dangers of the world .

United clans are stronger than scattered individual demons, precisely because of this, a demon warrior's worst enemy is none other than someone from the same faction as him .

The world has not been kind to the weak .

A person can rely on one aspect to advance, but their full potential will only emerge when they are brought together .

" These are the four turns that separate and connect in a warrior's life, now, I will reluctantly explain the boring stuff like laws and so on …"

Even though the teacher was explaining, the words were simply getting lost in the students' minds like someone lost in a maze .

Their minds were trying to process the many pieces of information that were weighing on their minds .

Teacher Ralph didn't continue explaining, he understood their mentality, and strangely enough, unlike previous years, this generation's students were more disciplined .

" Hey, I wonder a little, how do people here train themselves ?"

Leon mumbled slightly as he stared at the clear sky outside .

The time Leon extracted his talent… No, the time his talent was extracted was at a very young age .

Was he six or five ?

As far as he can remember, it was sometime between six and five .

The blood and corpses of failed children were scattered in the hundreds at least, not many survived that day .

In fact, instead of saying that not many survived, it is said that no one survived .

Leon was the only survivor of the group of children who were with him, the rest died miserable deaths .

Even the number of children with B and A- grade talents who were killed was no joke .

Success or death, failure was never an option .

No time to rest, no time to understand, your body has to move the moment you hear the commands .

Potential talents? People who hold the future of the world? Grade (A) talent?

Where Leon came from, there was nothing like that .

Win or die, it's that simple !

Because of the nature of his birth in that place, he didn't understand exactly how normal people could train with such laziness and security, relying on others more than themselves .

Even with his specialization in extracting memories through nightmares, he didn't understand their mentality .

The barrier that prevented Leon from understanding other people was called emotion .

It was only a few years ago that Leon tasted basic emotions, there was still a long way to go .

His daily struggle not to die in the face of unconscionable circumstances was simply …

Aaaah~ Those were beautiful days .

" Since I'm in this class anyway, I guess I should play a little ?"

Explain about the aspects of the warrior ?

Hahaha, as someone who killed countless people and took away many memories and experiences .

As someone who was taught everything about fighting and killing since infancy, as someone who cultivated his own path instead of following in the footsteps of others, how could Leon not understand those aspects deeply ?

It could even be said that his deep understanding of all the physical and psychological aspects of the Four Turns is unprecedented !

Teacher Ralph was silent for a moment, before opening his mouth to give orders .

" Now is the time for you to know your level and the degree of your talent ."

Hearing his words, the students' previous absent-mindedness instantly disappeared .

" Okay, I'll call you by name... Kevin Atreus, step forward ."

" Yes ! "

The boy who was answering and objecting to the words of the responsible teacher despite the pressure she issued towards the class, the young boy stood up and headed towards the teacher Ralph in front of the students' looks .

" The student with the second highest grade in the class, and the most talent… Huh, I'm curious about your level ."

" Anyway, put your hand on this ball, think of the word talent, level, and they will appear ."

"… present "

As if slightly dissatisfied with the teacher's words, Kevin's lips trembled, but he stepped forward anyway .

He placed his hand on a strange black ball, inside the ball, there was a red sphere rotating with each other as if it was filled with stardust .

The ball felt strangely warm to the touch, in contrast to the coldness surrounding the atmosphere. Kevin closed his eyes, trying to empty his mind, with only two thoughts .

Talent, level .

As thoughts formed in his mind, the red ball began to shine with a bright light .

" Don't open your eyes, don't distract your brain until the light goes out ."

When Teacher Ralph noticed that Kevin was about to open his eyes, he reminded him from the side .

Bright light was shining around, but instead of dispersing into space, an unnatural phenomenon occurred .

Bright red light was gathering above the head of student Kevin Atreus, indistinct words slowly forming .

Talent Grade (B): [ Low Class ]

Level 1, Grey Moon: [First Star ]

The words left people a little shocked… A highly talented person, but he is still in the number one star? Simply unbelievable !

Kevin was a little disgruntled, and promised himself to train harder after class today .

He was a bit disappointed, but not discouraged, higher talent meant faster promotion through the ranks .

Seeing their reactions, Teacher Ralph smiled lightly .

He had chosen Kevin deliberately, in order to create the impression he wanted to convey, and at the same time break their naive imagination towards talent .

Of course, it's not easy but... they can be changed over time .

The words in the air shone brighter and brighter and the light began to diminish .

When the light disappeared, a small board was formed, on which Kevin's information, level, class and other details were written .

The card was floating in front of Kevin, when he opened his eyes, he felt a strange connection between him and the painting, when he reached out to grab it, the card turned into light and entered his body .

"… what?" Kevin was stunned .

" This is your academy ID card, and a clear acknowledgement that you have taken your first steps as an Ego Warrior. The card contains your individual rank. The number of points you have is based on your achievements. You can show them by thinking about the card itself, and vice versa ."

Points, they were the only means of exchange in the academy, as points are the only valid currency to spend here .

Students are not allowed to exchange their foreign money for anything, and must earn points by merit only .

Of course, they can trade their magic items and ego for points .

What are you saying this is stupid ?

Hehe, let's just say, despair makes even geniuses into brainless fools .

This was a way to make everyone equal in the environment, and it would give the students mental pressure to not slack off or fall behind in ranks .

Even teachers were not exempt from the rule, as the fate of teacher and student was in the same boat, that was the class struggle, the struggle of Moonlight Academy .

The only spendable currency other than points is Ego Stones .

But honestly... it's foolish to dismiss them as meaningless from the start .

The students will understand this in time, but for now, it is better to let them live in luxury and extravagance .

Points are currently divided for all students according to their positions, last place, 100 points, first place, 10,000 points .

The difference between first and second place was a thousand points, while the difference between last and penultimate place was a full 200 points .

This is a kind of preferential treatment for the successful and suppression for the loser .

With thoughts racing through his mind like lightning, Teacher Ralph was planning his next moves, as the class battle began today .

He had just said his words when his train of thought ended, and he called out to the next student .

" Student Stella Heron, rank 256, apply here ."

The students' eyes were glowing, since the teacher in charge said that the most talented person in the class was Kevin… Did Stella surpass him even though her talent was less ?

The young girl stepped forward as her mind was focused on the pressure Leon had applied earlier .

The feeling of fear that Leon could so easily provoke was overwhelming, he had said before that he might fight her again… so maybe she could ask for it …

She reached in front of the ball when she emptied her mind, the same previous incident can be seen .

Talent Class (C): [ Top Category ]

Level 1, Grey Moon: [Second Star ]

Screaming broke out, as the students were surprised .

" It's actually higher than him !"

" Humph, I'm Ed Velde-sama, I'll commend you, commoner ."

" Nando, I think we have a competition in class, maybe that wouldn't be boring ?"

" Maybe, Logan… but seriously, stop calling me that ."

The students discussed enthusiastically among themselves .

She was the one with the least talent… higher than Kevin !

Stella wasn't surprised, on the contrary, she was a little frowning .

In order to further her talent...it seems she has to struggle a lot .

The talent barrier would become more annoying as she progressed and more difficult to increase, so she wanted to improve it as soon as possible while it was still weak .

But unfortunately, she didn't know how to do it .

After taking her student ID, she went to her seat, seriously considering asking Leon to fight .

Maybe she'll understand something when she fights the strongest person here ?

Teacher Ralph was looking at Stella with some admiration .

Reaching the second star at such an age... Despite her talent, she is considered overall better than some of the students in class (C) even .

It was strange that this student was in this class, but that didn't matter much .

Why did her level increase unlike Kevin ?

When students have extracted their talents, after the tests are over, they are given Ego Stones according to their rank, and are ordered to absorb the stones and refine them .

Talent extraction was potential extraction, when the Ego Stones were combined with it, the magic energy would be exploded and the capacity of the core would increase, making the refinement temporarily speed up to a certain extent .

Stella's experiences were more dangerous than Kevin's, as Kevin's family was a little more well-off, but Stella lived while trying to earn her own food and not starve to death .

Those painful experiences piled up, putting the young girl in a better position as she refined and leveled up, making her reach the second star before Kevin, the more talented one .

" Ed Velde… Logan Hermes… Fernando Nicolas… Chae Nayeon… Selina Arthur …"

The students started to leave one by one .

Fernando's talent was in the middle class of the (C) class, while Logan's was in the upper class .

Of course, Leon helped Logan reduce his natural talent, both in the first star .

The rest of the group were in the middle class, only Selena was in the top class .

D- grade talents , but there were no students in the low category, the lowest category was the average category .

The number of students with grade C talent was quite good .

No student reached the second star, and Stella was the only one in the lead .

That was until Leon's turn came .

" Student Leon Evenius, 340th place…go forward "

The teacher's words were said with a tone of unease, as it was no secret to anyone that Leon was recognized as the strongest student in the first year !

The students couldn't believe he was in last place .

" Is…is this a joke ?"

" He's playing, of course he's playing !"

" Don't forget... he was severely punished, as half of his marks were deducted from the tests ."

"… that's true but "

The Leon Center made the students feel uncomfortable, more than gloating, because his power was known to everyone, so that a feeling of inferiority was unconsciously arising .

" Coming "

Leon was yawning, he didn't bother to walk, he was tired, so he used his own powers, making him float towards the teacher instead .

A young boy with black hair and bloodshot red eyes was floating forward above the students .

He arrived in front of a black glass ball with red stardust inside it .

He put his hands into the ball, not even closing his eyes, instantly and without hindrance the red starlight spread out .

This situation made even Teacher Ralph look at Leon a little .

As the light gathered, the words appeared .

Talent Grade (D): [ Low Class ]

Level 1, Grey Moon: [First Star ]

The words that followed left everyone speechless .

"… You, no kidding, since when was your talent low ?"

The teachers were carrying their students' information, and it was known that Leon was a C-level talent.

It is impossible for his talent to simply reach rock bottom !

Leon laughed lightly, as he replied, "From now on ."

His brain focused, and the light was forcibly drawn into his body .

He didn't say anything else, just walked away and returned to his seat, leaving the others in a state of silence and shock .

That glass ball was the warrior's ego, a detection-type ego, whose function was to reveal a person's rank and talent .

Leon didn't need to put in any effort, in order to easily extract and manipulate his information, as this ego was only at the first level .

But most likely there is a backup in the glass ball, and he will only cause trouble if he changes the information on the card .

" After this, I think I should take the thugs to a nearby cliff and train them ."

Leon was not worried about the money, as the bet he won had brought him a lot of money, which would not make him worry for a short time .