Chapter 290: Participation
Auric crossed his arms. "I understand. I’ll join, but is there any training for evolution masters?"
"Definitely. In fact, a country will send around ten people as evolution masters. If you are selected, you might get included, but you’re also a fighter, so beat them all."
"Oh." Auric nodded. "I don’t intend to lose, but I’m sorry in advance if I do."
"Sure, at least you can joke about it." Maya chuckled. "Anyway, that’s the plan right now. Do you have anything you want to ask?"
"Nope."
"By the way, is this mandatory? I think at least Ellia and Eric have the potential."
"No. Anyone who is affiliated with schools can register. If not, like mercenaries or soldiers, they can apply to the nearest schools. From what I’ve heard, people are making a fuss that Tommi doesn’t intend to join this event."
"Why?"
"You don’t know about it? Aren’t you his friend?"
"I haven’t heard anything. For some reason, he’s been talking to Eric a lot more as though they’re scheming something."
"Is that so?" Auric nodded. "I will ask him about it."
"Anyway, people are going to register soon. I will fill in your registration form. Though this might also be a chance for people to know the geniuses from other countries and try to snatch them. You need to be careful."
"Don’t worry. I have no intention of leaving for the time being, unless the country gives me that reason." Auric waved his hand, reassuring her.
Maya didn’t mind him leaving, but she just disliked him being poached. It felt like he was stolen rather than leaving after all.
"By the way, what is the movement on the front line?"
"You do know that there are rank 7 beasts looming around the front lines, right?"
"Yes. I do know that much. That’s why having a rank 7 human in the country just gives so much stability. When these rank 7 beasts attack us, there will at least be someone who can fight against them."
"Right now, the movement of the beasts has become irregular. The only way for them to move this way is either at random or under the control of a certain entity. There might be a rank 7 beast that is currently preparing for something."
"Shouldn’t that kind of information be sealed? I mean, military secrets?"
"There’s a leak."
"A leak, of course." Auric sighed.
"In any case, the situation doesn’t look good. If a rank 7 beast is coming, there’s a high chance that a lot of people will be conscripted. You remember the Windfall Tragedy, right?"
"Yeah. In Europe, there used to be six countries. The sixth country was swallowed by a beast outbreak led directly by a rank 7 beast."
"Things might lead to that, but hopefully, we’re wrong. At least for now, there are more rank 7 humans than ever."
Auric nodded with a serious expression. "I understand. I’ll prepare for the test then. Oh, by the way, where is this training located?"
"Granda."
"Oh!" Auric waved his hand. "In that case, I shall prepare."
"Mhmm." Maya smiled before registering Auric.
Before going home, Auric couldn’t help but take a peek at the spot where Eric was usually practicing. As he expected, he was still there.
"You haven’t gone home yet?"
"Why are you here? Do you want me to punch you again?"
"I’m not here to tease you this time." Auric waved his hands, calming Eric. "I’m sorry for that."
Eric looked at Auric for a few seconds before sighing. "Okay, what’s going on?"
"Have you heard about the Europe Training Program?"
"ETP? Yeah, for two weeks now."
"Two weeks ago?"
"You’re probably the only one who doesn’t know about it. Read the news." Eric shrugged.
"You have probably just been training all this time. When do you even have time to read the news?" Auric protested.
Eric simply tossed his earphone to him. When Auric put it close to his ear, he realized he wasn’t listening to music. It was an audiobook.
"I don’t particularly like music, so I have been listening to lectures or news. I’m not like you." Eric snorted.
"Okay..." Auric tossed it back. "Do you want to join?"
"No." Eric answered without hesitation.
"No?" Auric was a bit surprised. He thought Eric would want to come, considering the importance of the event.
"Yeah. I and Tommi have agreed to get real experience. We’re planning to temporarily join a military group to get some experience."
"Tommi is with you as well?"
"We’ve been planning it. Our path is different from yours. You have the Relesha family supporting you, but Tommi and I plan to build our lives steadily."
"Then, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity? If you’re selected and do well there, you will probably attract even bigger sponsors.
Eric shook his head. "Nope. I don’t plan to become someone’s dog. In fact, Tommi and I are planning to create a mercenary group in the future. You can join if you want, but as an investor."
"I feel like you’ve been hiding a lot from me."
"Well, yeah. You’re not my girlfriend. What do you expect?"
Auric just put his hands on his hips. "Okay. If you want some investment, I can do that."
"It’s not now. We’re planning to get experience first and create the group before we advance to the second year. We originally wanted to reveal that after we had a proposal ready." Eric sighed.
Auric smiled. He knew their abilities. Tommi might look like a careless person, but his eyes were sharp. He was also decisive. On the other hand, Eric was a careful person. If they combined their strengths, they should be able to run the mercenary group to quite a high level.
Besides, he had a lot of capital. He hadn’t received the money for the artifacts, but he would probably get his first billion soon. And his Moon Store was about to take off.
Money wasn’t exactly a problem for him.
"So, you two aren’t joining..." Auric crossed his arms. "I might end up going alone this time."
"Have you asked Ellia, Arina, and Milinda?"
"I plan to ask them tomorrow."
Eric shrugged. "In any case, Tommi and I don’t plan to join. Some people are making a fuss about it because they want to showcase Tommi’s ability, but it’s fine. If it’s about lessons, we can get it through another way. Besides, hiding our abilities will do us good."
"Fair point. Some people might say you’re scared of them."
"Do you think we’re people who care about that?"
"Of course not." Auric chuckled. If they did, Tommi would be the first one to join, dragging Eric with him.
"Besides, you are there. You will probably beat them, right?"
"What? You expect me to do something? I’m nobody compared to them? I can’t even beat Katarina, so I won’t make that big of a wave."
"Bullshit. I know you. Let me guess, even if you can’t do anything as a fighter, you are probably planning to become a gold-grade evolution master before the training program begins, right?"
"..." Auric scratched the back of his head. "You know me well."
"They say your enemy knows you better than you know yourself. I have been your enemy for three and a half years, so of course."
"But you’re not my enemy."
"I am. I will be the first person to laugh at your grave in the future." Eric harrumphed.
Auric couldn’t help but laugh. "Fine, fine. When your proposal is ready, send it to me."
"Will do." Eric nodded. For Eric and Tommi, they didn’t need to see the other geniuses from other countries. They already had a monster they needed to surpass so close to them, so the training wasn’t as exciting anymore.
Meanwhile, Auric sent Katarina a message.
[Katarina, do you plan to join the Europe Training Program?]
[!!!]
[What?]
Auric was confused by her reaction.
[You actually know something like that? Let me guess, someone told you about it?]
Auric was speechless. Was he really that clueless? It felt like it had become a trademark.
Auric hurriedly replied.
[In that case, I should ask you to give me a daily report or something for every big thing that is happening in this country or in the world, right?]
[Sure. Rather than a daily report, I will just forward the news or something.]
Auric sighed. He wondered if he should just search for the news himself, but he would rather spend that time writing some more techniques.
[So, are you going to join or not?]
[Of course. This training program is a god-sent to me. If I join and do well, I will become the first third-year student to be Kallarnos University’s student council president in history. There’s no way I’m going to pass up this chance. You will be joining too?]
[Yeah.]
[It looks like we’re going to meet again soon. I’m pretty curious about the people from other countries.]
[Me as well. But I heard Tommi won’t be joining.]
[Yes, he intends to learn the ropes from a mercenary group, so he won’t be joining.]
[You already know the reason? Aren’t people still confused about it?]
[Tommi told me directly about it. He asked me that since I plan to participate, he wants me to share the training materials with him after I return.]
Auric remembered Eric mentioning that they had a way to learn from the training program. It turned out Katarina was the one he was talking about.
[In that case, what kind of goal do you have in mind?]
[Why?]
[So I can find information about your competitors and send that information to you.]
[I don’t particularly have much interest in the fighters, but I’m not going to reject anyone who wants to challenge me.]
[No doubt there will be plenty of challengers. With your face, I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to be jealous. We’re talking about the proud geniuses, who usually get everything they want after all.]
[Anyway, that’s the goal. But if you want to know my specific goal, then I do plan to become a gold-grade dark evolution master before the training program starts.]
[Got it. I will send the information to you in a week or so.]
Auric didn’t forget to ask the others whether they intended to participate or not.
Unfortunately, Arina didn’t plan to participate or prepare for it. She was still managing Ellia’s company. She claimed that she wasn’t talented enough to compete with those geniuses, so she passed up this chance.
Milinda claimed the same thing. She didn’t join the hunting event before, so she was still rank 2.
Ellia, on the other hand, made a rather bold claim.
"I plan to join. At least, I want to beat all the people with the same rank as me. I want to show them that I am also capable enough to compete with them. It’s true that I have a unique element, but people still believe I’ve come this far because of artifacts. So, I want to at least prove myself while they think that way, so that when the truth is revealed, I can just stick my tongue out at them."