Vampire's Blood Ascension-Chapter 25: Unexpected Turn of Events

Elena clapped once, and a holographic screen appeared on all the round tables.

"First of all, let’s talk about the five concepts that the path of life has: War, Battle, Life, Fortune, and Development."

Rudy looked at his table and thought, ’I wonder if they had done the same during the first program, or they have added it now because of how disastrous that one went.’

"As you can see on your screens, the concept of War isn’t just about taking part in them. It’s about leadership, strategy, and the ability to read the environment."

She stepped towards the table of Battle.

"Many consider the concept of Battle to be the easiest of the five, but it is not. To embody this concept, you have to battle beings stronger than yourself continuously — in the world or two worlds, such as ours — that is stupidity."

She reached the table of life.

"The concept of life is simply a code of life. You must create an ideal life in your mind and work towards it. This is considered the most difficult of the five because it doesn’t just affect you but also everything and everyone around you."

Her hand hovered above the table of fortune.

"I myself embody this concept. This concept can be the easiest or the most difficult, depending on your situation. In this, you have to steal, find, or unearth a fortune that is not yours, such as artifacts of the old realm or anything that the world gives value to."

Finally, she strode to the table of development and spoke while looking into Rudy’s eyes.

"We usually believe that the concept of Development is about developing the world around us — which is true — but that’s not all it is. This is a concept that is on par with Life because in this you don’t just invent, you develop people, places, and lastly and greatly your own self."

Sensing how she had been giving him more attention than he needed, Rudy felt a bad premonition. ’It’s not that she thinks that I am handsome, right? Nah, there’s no way she cares about anything except gold and other valuables...’

"That’s all you have to know about the concepts before you choose the one that you believe to suit you."

The divers nodded, and the few who had changed their minds moved to different tables.

The bare few that stood around the table of development moved to other tables, and Rudy was the only one remaining beside it.

After five minutes, Elena clapped, and all of their halobands buzzed.

[You have selected the concept of Development.]

Rudy read the notification and thought, ’That was much faster than what I had assumed.’

Elena walked to the center of the round tables, and a holographic screen appeared beside her.

She pointed at the screen and said, "I am not just going to help you embody a concept, but I am also going to teach you the following: swimming, tracking, rune reading, all of the discovered geography of the old realm, and other survival methods that would help my sweet little divers return."

’So that’s what the time of five months is for... I had learned most of it before I became irregular, but I think doing all this with this body would make it easier for me to get better control over it.’

"That’s all for today. You can either return to your dorms or go to the training grounds; it’s all up to you."

All the divers, including Rudy, left the ward of life, and Elena stared at him with a strange glint in her eyes; it wasn’t dark; instead, it seemed like obsession.

Rudy returned to the private arena and mumbled, "I just have five months to get as proficient or strong as I can."

’Would it have been different if I had gone back to the Moon Weavers?’ He asked, but just like always, he had nothing to say.

His sword’s swings split the air.

’I would’ve had to reveal my true identity to join them, and I don’t know if Aveline would’ve allowed me to do the things I am planning to do to that bastard...’

With a heavy exhale, he cleared his mind of all his thoughts.

He changed the arena’s mode to Golem and began his daily training instead.

Hours went by easily, and the haloband announced.

[Arena duration ended.]

[You may return after 12 hours to use it again.]

Rudy flicked his hair to the back and muttered with a tired expression, "Looks like the fatigue is finally catching up."

He quickly placed the sword back in its place, put on his shirt and jacket, and returned to his room.

’What the fuck?!’

However, just as he stepped inside his room, he found an unexpected guest sitting in his bed.

Rudy froze at the door and stared at the intruder with his jaw dropped so low it could hit the floor.

"Hello, my sweet little diver!" Elena waved at him.

His lips parted, and he stammered in shock, "E-Enforer Elena. Why are you in my room...?"

Elena smiled as she stepped down from his bed and mumbled while looking into his eyes, "Well, I watched the footage of how well you completed both of your missions, so I decided to take you in as my personal student."

’She did what? Why would she care about such things?’ Confused, Rudy stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.

She stepped closer and stood on tiptoes as she grabbed his face with her hands, which were much smaller in comparison to his.

"You do not have to worry, I’ll make sure to teach you everything... You won’t just survive, you will return as a force of nature. You are my most valuable tre— student after all."

’It can’t be because her concept is making her think of my body as a valuable artifact... right?’

His expression turned calm, and he mumbled with a faint smile, "Thank you, Enforc—"

"Master," she interjected.

He frowned and furrowed his brows. "What?"

She flicked his head. "Call me master, you ungrateful student."

’It can’t be, right...?’