Three days’ time passes in the blink of an eye for those plagued by worry.
Outside the grand gates of Starshine Academy, Luke could already spot Ize from afar, squatting by the roadside, shoulders slumped, his whole posture radiating utter despair.
“Senior!” Luke, on the other hand, was brimming with energy. He shot forward like an arrow, voice ringing loud and clear, full of excitement for his first official mission with Ize.
Ize slowly lifted his head, revealing a pair of deep, dark circles under his eyes, looking as if some shadowy monster had drained his very life force.
These past days, to prepare for the impending “Main Storyline,” he had exhausted all his wits and energy, locking himself away in his dorm to “prepare for battle,” crafting all sorts of bizarre survival tools and potions.
Yet on the last night before departure, overwhelming anxiety seized him like a nightmare—gathering all the major game characters, facing unknown dangers, and, to top it off, that S-rank option he’d foolishly triggered a few days ago: [Save Swan]… The combination of these factors let him experience a truly sleepless night.
Thus, his only goal for this trip was clear and unwavering: come back alive!
Ize glanced at Luke weakly, only to find that Luke had, for once, shed his usual flashy red-and-black noble attire in favor of a set of plain gray coarse cloth, looking just like an ordinary adventurer’s apprentice.
“Senior, how do I look? Low-profile enough? Totally fits the ‘Path of Cautious Survival’ spirit!” Luke spun around in front of Ize, clearly eager for praise, having taken Ize’s teachings to heart.
A rare hint of approval flickered on Ize’s face, and he nodded slightly.
He retrieved from his storage ring a pair of gloves—seemingly ordinary, yet with deeper, intricate patterns—and handed them over: “I made a few tweaks to your [Magic Amplification Gloves], optimized the energy circuit. You should be able to control fire elements more precisely now, with less unnecessary mana leakage.”
Luke took them with delight, immediately putting them on.
The moment the gloves fit his hands, he felt a gentle, tamed power flowing to his fingertips, resonating more deeply with his own fire-elemental magic.
“Thank you, Senior! I feel… I feel like I can gather fire magic half a second faster, and it’s much more stable now!” He waved his hands excitedly, leaving faint traces of sparks in the air like a child with a new favorite toy.
“Still so… childish at heart.” Watching his excitement, Ize couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the youth’s simplicity.
But his sigh barely lasted two seconds before his gaze flicked toward the academy gates and froze, his pupils shrinking in sudden alarm!
In the distance, Third Senior Sister Emma was stumbling toward them.
She, too, wasn’t wearing the Starshine Academy uniform but had donned an extraordinarily ornate, light-purple noble travel dress—already enough to draw all eyes.
Even more alarming, she was surrounded by luggage: floating behind, carried in hand, slung over her shoulder… no fewer than seven or eight bulging trunks and bags! Various magical tools, pouches of alchemy ingredients, and portable brewing equipment sparkled around her, forming a mini “luggage barrier” that jingled and clattered as she walked!
“Ize, Luke, sorry to keep you waiting.” Emma arrived, slightly out of breath, obviously weighed down by her “gear.”
Ize felt his breath catch, pointing a trembling finger at the pile of luggage: “E…Emma, Senior… all these… what are they?”
Emma wiped her nonexistent sweat and explained as if it was only natural: “Oh, these? Just some rare alchemy samples, spare coins, a few changes of dresses, portable brewing tools, and a couple of defensive and detection-type magic items. The journey’s long, so it’s best to be prepared.”
Ize was rendered speechless. This getup, with all that luggage, was basically announcing to every thief and bandit in the world: “I’m rich! Come rob me!”
He stared at Emma’s oblivious face, his own expression turning grim.
Emma misunderstood his look, thinking her “luxurious” equipment had made the common-born Ize feel inferior.
A trace of pity rose in her heart, and she comforted him gently: “Ize, don’t mind these material things. We’re representing Starshine Academy on this trip; we’ll meet elites and nobles from other schools. Once we reach the next town, Senior will buy you some proper clothes so no one will look down on you.”
She then turned, confused, to the plainly dressed Luke: “Luke, your family isn’t exactly poor. Why are you dressed like that?”
At that very moment, the system’s prompt sounded, as if on cue:
[The God-level Choice System is at your service. Please make an appropriate selection as soon as possible.]
[Choice 1: Praise Senior Emma’s kindness and generosity, gladly accept her offer, and change into fancy attire to uphold the Academy’s “image.” Difficulty: C. Reward: Protagonist Value +10]
[Choice 2: Sneer at Emma and sarcastically say, “No way, no way, is there really someone who thinks dressing up so flamboyantly will make Professor Isa notice her again? That’s so pathetic!” Difficulty: C. Reward: Villain Value +10]
[Choice 3: Subtly decrease Emma and her luggage’s visibility. Difficulty: E. Reward: NPC Value +10]
E-rank! Safe!
Ize’s heart settled. He drew a deep breath, forcing a sincere (yet slightly troubled) smile and said, “Emma, Senior, you misunderstood. We’re going to investigate a dangerous monster incident, not to attend a noble ball. Bringing so many… uh… research tools and valuables is a heavy burden on the road, could slow us down, and… it’s too eye-catching. It could attract trouble.”
Emma looked at her luggage, then at the lightly packed Ize and Luke, nodding thoughtfully: “It does… make some sense.”
A trace of struggle crossed her face, but responsibility for the mission won out. With some reluctance, she sent most of her luggage—especially the conspicuous alchemy kits and ingredients—back to the academy’s research room.
While she was off stashing her bags, Ize quickly fished out a vial of colorless, tasteless [Presence-Reducing Potion] from his ring and, in a flash, dropped a few drops into the water bottle before shaking it.
When Emma returned, now lightly packed (though still in her fancy dress), Ize greeted her warmly and offered the water bottle: “Senior, you’ve worked hard running back and forth. Have some water and take a break.”
Emma was indeed a little thirsty after all that. She took the water bottle, a hint of surprise and gratitude in her eyes: “You’re… quite considerate.”
Her impression of Ize rose a few points—she found this rather average junior at least more thoughtful than most of the high-and-mighty nobles.
After a few sips, Emma patted Ize’s shoulder, speaking with a senior’s responsibility: “Don’t worry. As long as you two follow my instructions, I, Emma, guarantee you’ll complete the teacher’s mission smoothly!”
The corner of Ize’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. Inwardly, he thought: As long as you don’t get any wild ideas and drag us into more trouble, I’ll thank the heavens!
He had never placed his hopes of a smooth mission on this Senior’s shoulders.
Starshine Academy was far from the Raymond Territory, with no direct large-scale magic teleportation array between the two.
They needed to head to several key transport hubs first, using the big arrays there for multiple transfers.
While much faster than a carriage, the journey would still take considerable time.
Their first stop was Silent Moon Wharf—a bustling trade hub in the empire’s heart, connecting major cities and equipped with official large-scale teleportation arrays.
According to the plan, they would meet Sara, who’d just completed her advanced magic exam, at the wharf.
After traveling for most of the day, Emma started to sense something was off.
She had passed through several towns and relay stations.
Usually, as a Starshine Academy top student with outstanding looks, she drew all kinds of adoring, admiring, or envious stares wherever she went.
But today, despite dressing up in her favorite gown, most passersby simply hurried past, not even sparing her a glance—as if she were just another ordinary face in the crowd.
Why? Emma’s heart was full of questions and a subtle, hard-to-notice sense of loss.
She even deliberately lifted her chin and walked more elegantly to attract attention—yet still, no one cared.
She wanted to ask Ize and Luke if something was wrong with her today, but swallowed the words.
If she asked, wouldn’t that make her seem obsessed with others’ opinions… and, well, vain?
“Senior Emma, is there something you want to say?” Luke noticed her searching glances and kindly asked.
Ize also turned, wearing an innocent, harmless smile, his eyes seemingly saying, “Senior, if you need anything, just ask.”
Seeing their “sincere” expressions only made Emma feel stranger, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The suffocating feeling made her rather irritable.
She maintained her cold and aloof facade, shaking her head: “It’s nothing. Let’s pick up the pace and try to reach Silent Moon Wharf to meet Senior Sara before dark.”
In stark contrast to Emma’s frustration, Ize was in high spirits.
He leisurely plucked a wild foxtail from the roadside and stuck it between his teeth, even humming an off-tune ditty as he strode along, clearly very pleased with the effects of his potion.
After a while, they arrived at a crossroads where a weather-beaten wooden sign stood in the center, the arrow pointing clearly ahead:
[Straight ahead – Silent Moon Wharf]
Their destination was finally in sight, but Ize’s light steps suddenly halted, and the foxtail grass fell from his lips.
The leisure vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by a strange mix of wariness and disbelief.
Damn system prompt, striking again right at this crucial moment—without warning!
……