Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 465: Generous Clients

Asher, Finch, and William appeared within the Logistics and Missions Operation Hall. The moment they materialized, a wave of chatter, overlapping conversations, and ambient noise crashed into them from all directions. Without missing a beat, Asher calmly walked forward toward the Facilitator who had assigned them their mission. As usual, the man could be seen sitting in a relaxed and almost disrespectful posture, his legs casually balanced atop his desk as if the bustling hall around him did not exist.

The Facilitator’s sharp black eyes shifted toward Asher, William, and Finch as he noticed their approach. A faint, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

”It seems your team likes using every single minute and day assigned to a mission,” the Facilitator spoke lazily. ”Well, not like you’re the first ones to do that.”

As he finished speaking, he removed his legs from the table and sat upright, his demeanor subtly shifting from careless to professional. Without giving them the opportunity to respond, or perhaps simply not caring enough to wait, he placed a hand on the surface of his desk and immediately got to work. Asher and the others didn’t mind in the slightest. In truth, none of them had any intention of replying anyway.

”Would you look at that,” the Facilitator muttered, his fingers moving swiftly as information flickered across the surface of the desk. ”Your point reward has doubled again. From nine thousand points to twenty thousand. You seem to be meeting quite generous clients lately.”

He spoke without once lifting his gaze to look at them, his attention fully focused on the data in front of him.

”It seems the clients are more generous than the Star Academy gives them credit for,” Finch replied from the side, a calm smile resting on his face.

Asher and William remained silent. There was, quite literally, nothing else to say. Asher stepped forward and handed over the mission permit scroll. The moment it was received and processed, the twenty thousand point reward was transferred directly to him. Asher didn’t bother waiting until he returned to his room, without hesitation, he transferred five thousand points each to Finch and William, keeping ten thousand points for himself.

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Name: Asher Wargrave

Class: ★

Rank: Rank 1

Point Balance: 40,700

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Asher stared at his point balance for a moment before nodding in quiet satisfaction. Personally, he had never possessed this amount of points before. However, he was under no illusion that it would last long. Experience had taught him that the moment he returned to the Training Facilities Building, those points would vanish at an alarming rate, leaving him broke once more.

He let out a slow sigh as he exited the building, Finch and William following closely behind him. Although none of them spoke, they all knew exactly what they planned to do with their newly acquired points.

Without warning, Finch placed a hand on both William’s and Asher’s shoulders. In a blur of distorted space, the world around them twisted and collapsed inward, and in the next instant, they vanished as Finch activated his teleportation ring.

They reappeared inside William’s bedroom. Without missing a beat, Finch jumped onto William’s bed, sprawling across it as though completely exhausted. At nearly the same moment, Lori appeared in a flash of light beside Finch, instantly assuming a human form. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the window, peering outside with unrestrained curiosity, eager to see what this so-called Star Academy truly looked like from above.

”It’s been a while since we attended class,” William stated calmly as he let out a quiet sigh and took a seat on a nearby chair. ”Over two weeks now.”

It had indeed been more than two weeks since they last attended classes. Their first mission alone had lasted an entire week. After that, they rested for a single day before accepting a second mission that lasted a total of ten days. Altogether, they had spent eighteen days away from classes.

The Star Academy didn’t particularly care about this, as long as students were officially registered as being on a mission. However, that did not mean classes were halted just because some students were absent.

Classes continued as usual, with or without anyone’s presence. The Astra Control class carried on. The combat classes continued without pause. Theory classes proceeded exactly as scheduled. The only thing the Star Academy truly cared about was results. On the day of an exam, students were expected to pass, regardless of how they had chosen to spend their time beforehand.

”Does it really matter?” Finch commented lazily from the side, his tone relaxed. ”With the difficulty of the missions we’ve been on, our combat efficiency and experience have increased drastically. Even my Astra control has skyrocketed due to the sheer number of battles.” He shifted slightly on the bed before continuing, his voice thoughtful despite his casual posture. ”Like they say, you only need to fight and face death a few times. After that, your progress soars through the roof at a speed normal training could never replicate.”

William nodded in agreement. Although he hadn’t openly spoken about it, he could feel the changes within himself. After only two missions, he had improved in almost every conceivable way. He wasn’t naive enough to believe that every student would progress at the same rate. The reason he, Finch, and Asher were improving so quickly was due to the nature of the missions they accepted.

Their first mission had required them to battle continuously for hours without rest. It challenged their Astra control, weapon mastery, stamina, battle experience, and combat efficiency, almost every fundamental aspect of combat. The second mission had demanded even more, as assassins had been sent after them, forcing them into constant high-stakes engagements.

The missions they chose were fundamentally different from the ones many other students accepted. There was no comparison. Of course, talent also played a role in their rapid growth.

Still, William knew that he, Finch, and Asher were not the only ones undertaking dangerous missions. The top thirty, or even top fifty, students of their class were doing the same. By taking increasingly difficult missions, they were rapidly boosting their own progress, leaving behind those who preferred to play it safe by choosing easier missions.

With this level of growth, it was only natural that many students reduced the amount of time they spent attending classes. That said, they still attended certain ones. After all, their instructor was Jane, someone overwhelmingly powerful, capable of teaching lessons even the battlefield could not provide. Even Instructor Melissa thought Astra manipulation that could hardly be learned on a battlefield without dying.

Within the Star Academy, students didn’t spend their points solely at the Training Facilities Building or on miscellaneous items. Many also spent points purchasing techniques. Everyone understood just how difficult it was to create even a single technique, let alone multiple ones. Not everyone was a Wargrave, blessed with absurd standards and expectations.

For those whose families couldn’t afford techniques, or who couldn’t find one suitable to their abilities, the Star Academy provided an alternative. As long as a student could afford it, they could purchase techniques directly. After all, anything that increased combat strength was worth the cost.