Why Should I Stop Being a Villain

329 Edge

On the Ninth Floor of the Ranker's Dorm,

Kevin opened his eyes and looked around the room.

He had reached D+ Rank after spending weeks absorbing B Rank Mana Gems. His progress was abnormal for a typical First Year.

"It feels fine now," Kevin muttered, trying to create lightning around his body.

Unlike a spell, this was pure lightning.

Non-mage hunters didn't structure spells, but summoned the element according to their affinity. By merging it with their techniques, they utilized and incorporated that specific element.

A Mage had the freedom to manipulate elements at will and impose their imagination onto the spell. Merging elements was possible for a mage, but it was more challenging for an Aura user.

Kevin felt slightly slower in his casting of the lightning element, but after progressing from D- to D, he no longer felt that sluggish sensation.

Although Kevin had lost the rune that enhanced his affinity, its absence only affected potential future gains. It didn't influence Kevin's current capabilities.

Kevin stood up when he noticed multiple messages on his phone. Among them were messages from Elena and Eva.

Both had reached D Rank, and Elena was close to D+ Rank.

Kevin was the only one, except for Asher, in the entire first year to reach D+ Rank by the end of the First Year at World Academy.

A smile appeared on Kevin's face when he saw that Elena and Eva were both doing well.

However, that smile quickly faded. Kevin wasn't entirely satisfied with himself.

He had achieved commendable results, but they weren't sufficient.

He still wasn't ready to confront Asher, rumored to be at C- Rank.

What he didn't know was that Asher had already reached C Rank and could easily attain C+ Rank in a few weeks, had he not deliberately slowed his progress by feeding Rifir most of the monsters he hunted.

Among the messages Kevin had received so far, two stood out: one from Kamden Whiteheart and the other from his sister, Raelyn.

Both messages offered advice: to take things at his own pace and perform well in the tournament. Kamden's message was somewhat formal, while Raelyn was more effusive in cheering Kevin on.

There was also a message from Leonard Tarvian.

Kevin hadn't expected a message from Leonard, given the tensions between the Blood Faction and the Student Council, but he got one nonetheless.

It was an offer. Leonard was offering Kevin some C and even B Rank artifacts that might assist him.

Kevin didn't understand why Leonard chose to make this gesture, but Reece had also advised Kevin not to be overly concerned about Leonard.

This advice made Kevin more comfortable accepting Leonard's gifts.

B Rank artifacts weren't trivial; such artifacts could easily sway the outcome of a match.

"I'll read the rest later," Kevin thought, setting his phone aside. He wanted to bathe after sweating for several hours.

He needed to rest up for the tournament, ensuring his body acclimated to the mana flowing within him.

Unlike Asher, who had both a Rank A Mana Flow and Mana Circulation, others required time to adapt to the augmented mana levels in their bodies.

Outside the Rankers' Dorm,

Matthew was on his way to his room when he noticed Lishia Halcyon conversing with another girl who was slightly taller than her.

Instead of lingering, Matthew quickly entered the dorm, not wishing to interrupt their conversation.

After the Mid-Term Examinations, Matthew had limited interactions with Lishia. They had met a few times and even sparred together, but they weren't friends.

The Princess of Halcyon rarely mingled, even with others of her status.

Matthew simply assumed Lishia preferred her solitude.

Wishing to avoid unnecessary entanglements with high-

status individuals, he generally kept his distance from such people. The only exception seemed to be Sam, with whom Matthew surprisingly got along well.

Lishia briefly looked in Matthew's direction as he entered the building before refocusing on her companion.

"I assume he's the Rank 4 student, Matthew?" the taller girl inquired, to which Lishia nodded in agreement.

"He appears strong, but I've heard he's involved with Leonard Tarvian. It's wise for you to keep a distance from such individuals, Princess," the girl cautioned.

Lishia sighed, "Why must you be so formal with me?"

The girl in front of her was the Heir Candidate of the Everett Family, that was one of the Elite Family in Halcyon.

Lishia had known her from a young age, and both of them could be considered friends but due to the 'etiquettes' that they learned, Lishia couldn't interact with her casually in public.

In terms of status, Lishia was a bit above her, but both needed to respect each other.

The girl replied with a smile, "Given our positions, I hardly have a choice, do I?"

"Regardless, please consider my advice about what we talked earlier. And take this," she added, extending a spatial ring towards Lishia.

"There are some B Rank artifacts inside this ring," she informed Lishia, who gratefully accepted the gift.

"What about you?" Lishia inquired, aware that B Rank Artifacts would be valuable even for someone of her status.

"I have sufficient artifacts for myself. As Fourth Years, we're only allowed three artifacts during the tournament, and I've already registered the ones I intend to use," she responded.

Their conversation was drawing to a close when they spotted a familiar figure approaching the Rankers' Dorm.

Both instantly recognized the distinct crimson-red eyes. It was Asher, returning from the Great Forest. His recent activities, involving constant combat with monsters, left a residual aura of killing intent around him that put the two on alert.

As Asher's indifferent gaze met the pair, the girl conversing with Lishia displayed a frown, disliking his demeanor.

'Kiara Everett,' Asher identified internally, recalling the girl beside Lishia.

Kiara Everett, the heir candidate for the Everett family, also held the title of Rank 3 among the Fourth Year students.

Tamping down his killing intent, Asher continued past them, only to be halted by Kiara's comment.

"You're rather rude for a First Year," she remarked, with Lishia subtly positioning herself behind her friend.

Asher paused, casting a backward glance at Kiara.

"You might want to learn some manners," Kiara retorted, her gaze fixed on Asher.

Although the rule prohibiting the use of mana against others remained in effect, preventing Kiara from leveraging her mana pressure to intimidate Asher, she felt compelled to vocalize her disapproval.

Raised within the esteemed Everett Family, Kiara had been instilled from a young age with the importance of upholding the family's dignity through proper behavior.

Seeing Asher's behavior towards her and the Princess of the Halcyon Family ruffled Kiara's feathers.

Unbeknownst to Kiara, a peculiar monster began to manifest just behind them.

'Stop,' Asher mentally commanded as Rifir immediately reverted to Asher's grasp.

Due to Rifir's impeccable concealment abilities, he was invisible to all except Asher, who could sense his presence.

At the moment, Rifir reacted based on Asher's recent activities in the Great Forest. To Rifir, there was no distinction between the monsters and the two girls before him.

Everything, with the exception of Asher, was either food or simply background noise to Rifir.

"Let it go, I don't mind it," Lishia intervened, preventing the situation from escalating.

She vividly recalled her father's admonition during the Representative Tournament: specifically, to steer clear of Asher Greville.

Asher was in the same category as Leonard Tarvian and Jayden Hargrave, whom Lishia was told to generally avoid.

So she advised Kiara to stop before they began arguing with each other.

Seeing Lishia's stern expression, Kiara just shook her head and decided to let it go.

Before she could turn, Asher had already turned his back to enter the Ranker's Dorm.

'What an arrogant guy,' Kiara thought, but she was well aware of Asher's standing.

Although she was raised in Halcyon and held it in high regard, she understood the power of other elite families.

"Sorry, Princess, I might have caused trouble for you," Kiara apologized, her emotions having gotten the better of her.

She is graduating this year, and Lishia will be on her own at the World Academy, so Kiara's actions could pose challenges for her.

She had also heard the rumors about the heir of the Greville Family and his violent nature, which made Kiara somewhat concerned about the future.

"Don't worry about it," Lishia said, observing Kiara's expression.

While Kiara remained silent, she felt slightly uneasy about her behavior, especially knowing the current issues within Halcyon involving its three elite families.

"If anything happens later on, let me know. I have a few juniors in the Third Year who can assist," Kiara offered. However, she recognized that Lishia was formidable in her own right and would likely be fine handling minor issues.