Rise of the Crusader

46 Academy Culture

As the students left the Bass mansion, they didn’t return to the academy immediately, and instead, they appeared in the area where they were dropped off.

And a second after they arrived there, a vortex appeared. Once the students saw the vortex, they immediately rushed into it.

“Aiden quick a portal to the support division,” It wasn’t even up to five seconds after the students were back at the academy alley that Melinda’s loud voice rang out.

Aiden’s body shook and the hairs on his body stood erect when he saw the glares he was receiving from some of the students. He quickly stretched his hand forward, and a dark spiraling portal appeared before all of them.

“Let’s go!!!”

The students nodded their heads when they saw the portal and without wasting any more time they rushed into the portal as though their lives depended on it, with of course Ethan in front.

Perhaps if Alice had been harmed inside the academy then the students might not even give a crap about it, but when it was a casualty that happened outside of the academy, they were all in for a serious problem from the academy.

To the students in the academy, the academy’s culture and principles were really weird. As while the academy had no problem with the students butchering one another, they found it infuriating when the killing was done by someone who wasn’t from the academy.

During missions assigned out of the academy, if any of the students were to suffer at the hands of an outsider, the academy wouldn’t spare the other students. They would severely punish the other students, and this was why the students were on their best behavior with another, whenever they were on a mission.

.....

In the academy, they might loathe one another, and even go to the length of killing one another, but once there were out of the academy, the story was entirely different. They stood by one another, and even enemies became friends during that period.

“You’re not allowed into the building!!!!!” f𝗿e𝙚𝘸e𝐛𝚗𝐨𝙫𝚎𝙡.c𝒐𝐦

The research and support division possessed the same defense mechanism as the tech division, and so Aiden wasn’t able to breach into the building even if he wanted to.

As the students appeared in front of the forty-one-story skyscraper, they were met by a blonde, petite woman who was putting on the academy uniform.

“What do you mean, we are not allowed to enter the building!!! Are you blind or can’t you see that we have someone we need to take to the support division!!” Savannah exclaimed as the petite woman obstructed them from entering into the building.

It wasn’t only Savannah who was displeased by the woman’s action, the other students were. And if it hadn’t been for the figures they were seeing on her wristwatch, they would have blasted her away, but those numbers were simply so mighty that all they could do was express their discontent.

The petite woman shrugged her shoulder when she heard Melinda and then said, “I don’t care... You still can’t enter the building.” The woman said.

“Y-You...”

The frown which was on the student’s faces deepened when they heard the woman. “What will it take to have her inside the building?” Mason asked.

And in response to Mason, the woman folded her hands across her chest, “Five million points should do.” She responded with a rather amused smile on her face.

“Bi... Bitch!!” Xavier’s voice rang out, and a second after he spoke he was sent flying back to the petite woman who simply flicked a finger at him.

Xavier stood from the ground, wiping the blood which was around the corner of his lips, as he glared at the woman. As for the remaining students, they had a not-so-friendly smile on their faces.

The students could naturally tell that the petite woman was asking for that exorbitant price because she knew that they need to enter the building.

“Alright, fine, we will pay!!” As the students agreed between themselves, Ethan’s voice rang out.

While they had no idea what the academy’s punishment would be, from the stories they had about the academy’s retribution, paying the woman five million points was a decent thing to do.

However, a smirk appeared on the woman’s face, “You know what, I have changed my mind,” The woman paused, “Now I want ten million points.” The woman said, then let out demonic laughter afterward.

“H-How...” Before one of the students could complete those words, the petite woman waved her hand and said, “Knowing fully well she suffered those injuries outside of the academy, and with the academy principle involved, it would be ridiculous if I didn’t demand that price.

“It’s either ten million points or nothing... And that’s only the entry fee, I can’t say what the others will demand.” As the woman saw the expression the students had on, the smile on her face widened.

“I suggest you hurry up if you really want to save her because she isn’t looking all that good,” The woman said, “You know what, it’s none of my business, you can as well let her die all because you don’t want to pay that petty fee. And as for the academy punishment, that shouldn’t be of a problem with that.”

“From what I’ve heard, there are a few students who have survived it, who knows you all can be part of them... It should be your grades that you should be worried about because this is going to be an F.”

The students glared at the woman with rage written all over their faces, as they turned towards Alice who was in Ethan’s hands, they couldn’t help but clench their hands into a tight fist.

Even though Alice had stopped breathing, and Savannah who had the power to restore anything wasn’t able to bring Alice, the students had complete faith in the support division.

Meanwhile, the person who experienced the most change was perhaps Raphael. Raphael hadn’t really been fazed by the academy punishment, but when he heard those comments about the grades, his eyes twitched.

Raphael moved toward Aiden and said, “What did she mean by ‘This is going to be an F’ and what grade is she talking about?” Raphael asked curiously.

“Oh, you didn’t know,” Aiden said, and seeing that dumbfounded look on Raphael’s face, he raised an eyebrow before saying, “Those classes, training, missions, everything are accessed and are graded by the academy.”

“I thought you knew... This is more or less like any other institute, and our cumulative grade point average is used to evaluate our academic performance, both on and off campus. It also determines our overall, and type of metahuman we are likely to become.”

“If god forbid anything is to happen to Alice apart from the academy punishment, we would also be getting an f in this assessment.” Aiden heaved a deep breath.

Raphael took a step back, “F” Raphael uttered that word in a low voice.

While he kept a neutral expression on his face, a sinking feeling arose in his chest. Raphael began to feel irritated and depressed as he thought about that sort of grade being recorded in his result.

As the thought continued to linger in his mind, a deep frown naturally appeared on Raphael’s face. Raphael bit his lips hard and clenched his hand into a tight fist.

“So, what is it going to...” Before the petite woman could complete her word, a voice rang out. “We will pay it!”

A dumbfounded look appeared on the faces of the students when they heard Raphael, they stared at him wondering if they had been mistaking him, and he just didn’t say those words.

“I’m going to hand over five million points, the remaining five million shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?!” Raphael said with a sneer on his face.

The students were still very much startled from what had just transpired, and it was only after a few seconds that a couple of them were able to regain comparison. “Sure, we will take care of the rest.” It was Mason that spoke.

Raphael then nodded his head and stared at the skyscraper in front of him.

“Th-Thank... Thank you so much, Raphael, I’m forever indebted to you.” Savannah wiped the tears on her face, as she stared at Raphael.

Savannah really found it hard to believe that Raphael was willing to drop that amount for someone whom he had never had a second of interaction with.

“Yes, Raphael, thanks a lot”

Raphael’s lips curved slightly when he heard Savannah. He, however, kept a straight face and once the transfer was made, Raphael placed both hands into his pocket.

“Not bad, kid!”

There was an expression full of mockery on the faces of the students when they heard the petite woman, and as for Raphael, he completely ignored her.

“I couldn’t care less... Hand the girl over, I will take her inside.”

“As I said, you still aren’t allowed inside,” The woman said, “You know what, one of you can follow me in, just one person.” Seeing the unpleasant look the students had on, the woman spoke.

As Savannah leaped forward, she and the petite woman walked into the building.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Raphael?” Aiden asked.

Raphael, however, shook his head, “I would have been disturbed,” Raphael responded.

There was a bewildered look on Aiden and Bane when they heard Raphael, but the two of them chose not to ask anything further, and instead remained quiet.

Aiden and Bane had processed those words spoken by Raphael differently, assuming they had a deeper meaning, whereas, Raphael’s reply was in fact what he meant.

For someone who was slightly obsessed and hyper-focused on his performances, as well as achievements, there’s no way that getting an F on his assessment wouldn’t bother him.

A few minutes passed briefly, and suddenly two figures appeared in front of the students. The two of them were also putting on the academy uniform, but they had a gold-plated label on their blazers with the words student council written on it.

“Oh, oh! This is bad!!!!”