Chapter 4: Journey
The first thing Ryu Sei saw as he walked through the door was a row of twenty seats, each with one person. Those were the representatives of every academy, their ages varying from young to old, there are men and women, and the robes they were using have different styles and colors.
Ryu Sei's heart starts to beat rapidly, while his breathing became heavy and cold sweat rolled all over his body, it was different from the previous symptoms of anxiety state that he felt earlier. It was a feeling that came from his human instincts, warning him that all these people were not regular and he was in danger, the instinct of an animal that comes face to face with its predator.
Call these people humans doesn't describe them with precision. They are monsters, heavenly beings living among humans, peak cultivators capable of unfathomable feats.
And they were looking at him, seeing deep within his very soul, judging him to decide if he is acceptable or not.
Collecting his guts, Ryu Sei looked back at them and saw in the middle: three distinguished figures an old man, his semblance is about 80 years old wearing plain white robes, his eyes give a vibe of warmth and wisdom;
a middle-aged woman, who looks to be in her 40's, using a red robe clinging to her body, revealing her voluptuous curves, she has a pretty face, and her black hair tied, draw attention to her eyes which give a vibe of viciousness that would make a man have masochists thoughts;
and a young man, looking in his early 30's using fancy decorated yellow robes, his eyes reveal nothing but his boredom to be here.
These three are the representatives of the three largest academies.
As if approving his courage to maintain his posture, the pressure on Ryu Sei is suddenly released. With a sensation triumph, he collected his gaze and went directly to the pillar, placing his hands on top of it.
A brief moment and a brown light lit up under his hand, framed as a confidant, Ryu looked at the line of overseers waiting for his answer, it's his turn to shine as foretold, reveal his surprising talent, and get the attention of all the overseers.
The examiner next to him declared loud so that everyone could hear him
"Brown, intensity 25".
Ryu Sei's heart stopped for a moment when he heard the grades, a moment that in his mind was like an eternity. With his body frozen in place, supported only by the pillar, his vision started to get blur while he looked at the three major figures in front of him, almost bursting into tears, waiting for a response that he knew would never come.
Not only the three majors didn't move, but in his peripheral vision, he caught nothing, no movement at all. All the overseers were immobile on their spot, looking at him as if he was a marble statue in a park that people pass and see without a hint of interest.
Ryu Sei mind went into turmoil reviewing his plan: Today, he would get the exam surprising all the overseers with his talent, choose somersault academy and get the best-known system, evolve quickly within the academy attracting the senior's attention to get more benefits and evolve even further, become high-level cultivator and a beast hunter, admired by everyone.
As the son of two strong cultivators, it was sure that he would be born with a good talent for cultivation, so he had always done exalted plans fail was not even an option. Even though things went wrong and he couldn't get into the somersault academy, he still dreamed of getting into one of the best.
It was a guaranteed success. What could possibly go wrong?
However, here he is, frozen in front of everyone, facing the ultimate failure. Without an academy, he would not get a system, and without a system, he would not be able to cultivate, and without cultivating, he would be just a mortal man with a short lifespan struggling to live in a land of godly cultivators and ferocious mythical beasts.
Ryu Sei, lost in his introspection, revolving in depressing thoughts of his present situation. His dreamed future fading before his blurry vision and his incoming new future tormenting him, until he suddenly woke up from his trance state, the examiner next to him pushed his shoulder and said
"Hey, did you hear me?"
"Hhaaann? What?" Ryu Sei asked, confused, looking at the examiner with a stupid expression.
"You got an invitation from Earthly Transitions Academy. Will you accept their offer or not?"
Still processing this new information in his mind, 'I got an offer?' Ryu Sei forced his memory to collect every piece of information he has about the Earthly Transitions Academy.
Nothing. Absolutely Nothing.
He knew that it is impossible for it to be a new academy, for there are 20 representatives here, and this number matches exactly with the number of academies known. The problem is not that the academy is a reclusive one either since all the academies here should have a background.
The explanation for this lack of knowledge has other reasons. Ryu Sei has researched the academies for their systems, so there is only one reason for he does not know anything about this academy,
'This academy is terrible.'.
If their system has one good quality, Ryu Sei would have known them, or if they have any other quality at all, he would have heard about it, so there is no way to be any information about them. This academy is just simply so bad that the candidates only hear about it here when they barely fail the test.
This left him unsure to make a decision, Ryu might reject their offer, but he wouldn't be able to cultivate in the future, on the other hand, he would have to go to a place that so far he hasn't even heard. Putting his worries on simple words, every decision he could make lead to unknown, and he would have to decide now with nothing to base.
'NO.' his inner voice harshly reprimanded him, 'this is my only chance to achieve my dreams and become a cultivator. There is nothing to think about; I will just accept it.'.
"I accept their offer." Ryu Sei said with a firm voice that did not translate his confidence.
"Okay, this guy will conduct you to where the others from your academy are waiting." The examiner said, pointing to another person who leads him out of the room.
Thus Ryu Sei's journey began.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone