Chapter 2: Iced Coffee
Marcus made his way toward Block-A Campus. The prestigious section of the academy, where only the best and most promising mages were permitted to remain and enjoy the many benefits it offered.
In theory, he could have applied to become part of it since he had sufficient credits saved up during his three years of studying here.
But he didn't see much worth in it since holling up in one building wasn't for him. After awakening and becoming a First Rank mage. He had been thinking about becoming an adventurer and finally stepping out of the confines of this city.
The world outside was filled with danger. Although much less threatening than those beyond the borders of the kingdom.
Throughout the kingdom's entire border, a magical array tracked powerful and dangerous beings.
The moment they set foot past the array, a special task force would be deployed based on their threat level.
Becoming a Border Officer was perhaps the most prestigious occupation in the eyes of the common people since it ensured the safety of thousands.
The structure of the kingdom consisted of five rings that formed the Solaris Grand Array. Naturally, the core ring, or what people liked to call the Royal Ring, was the most protected and had the most resources.
Even entering the Royal Ring for one day would cost a fortune and those who overstayed their welcome would be either thrown into dungeons to rot or be executed.
Naturally, only high-ranking nobles could afford to live in the Royal Ring and only the Royal Family could reside in the Royal City.
Marcus wasn't of high standing, as he was the son of a merchant family that lived in the fifth ring. Moreover, as if life wanted to play an unfunny joke, he was the fifth son in the family.
Because of his late birth, he didn't have any hope of inheriting the family business or being given a big share of it. Only the most experienced and suitable would be picked out by his father.
If not for his interest in his family's magical history and subsequent meeting with Professor Maroon, his father would not have invested even a single copper coin in his education at Sky Pillar Academy.
But he wondered, now that he picked Earth Element after all those years of overachieving and money spending, would his father be angry or happy?
He would find it out soon.
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Marcus arrived at Block-A Campus. The moment he stepped onto its premises, he could feel the eyes of those arrogant pricks. They wore bright purple uniforms, signifying their affiliation with the highest echelon of this academy.
But he didn't mind these stares. Most of them would probably end up dead on their first mission outside the tall city walls.
He approached the building as a transparent screen appeared on the reception desk. He confirmed the order as a man wearing a standard staff uniform emotionlessly handed him a small, luxuriously decorated chest.
"I hope you aren't going to resell them on a black market. If Golden Sky Faction finds out, you will be deader than dead." the clerk recited monotonously, assuming that Marcus wanted to make a quick buck out of so many Earth Elemental Seeds.
Marcus didn't bother to correct him, as he simply left with the chest in his hands and made his way over to the dorms.
Officially, their last academic year as mortals was over and many would attempt at becoming a mage. Of course, there were those who might fail to do so, ending up crippled or dead.
No one in their right mind would be attempting it today since one needed several days of mental preparation to do so.
But Marcus had no such need since he had spent plenty of time learning to free his mind of any thoughts, achieving the perfect mental state for awakening.
He also checked out the other two requirements: an optimal body and an Elemental Seed.
Many of his peers would choose to relax today and get themselves drunk, but he decided to become a mage first and establish himself in the city before thinking about any kind of rest.
Plus, he would likely be disowned the moment his father heard the news. If he wanted to avoid this, he would either need to express his wish to become a Crafter and a member of the Everlasting Crafting Faction or get showered with curses.
His father would probably become confused and happy about such a choice. Confused about why he didn't practice forging normal weapons and happy for the immense wealth and status that came with becoming a Crafter.
Crafter was a specialty that created magical items ranging from magically enhanced weapons to refining raw mana crystal into mana coins, the strongest currency of the kingdom. Naturally, many crafters lacked the proper ability to battle after spending the majority of their lives doing nothing but creating stuff.
Moreover, Everlasting Crafting Faction was closely associated with Unshakable Earth Faction and used Golden Sky Faction as a marketplace to sell all of their products.
The Golden Sky Faction played a vital role in managing the economy of the kingdom, as they had a total monopoly over the business side of the nation.
One might wonder: wouldn't it be detrimental for the Solaris Royal Family when such power went unchecked? Well, not if the faction leader was Prince Gustavo, the third brother of the king.
The royal family managed five founding guilds out of ten of the whole United Guild.
The United Guild consisted of:
Perpetual Darkness FactionInfinite Light FactionRushing Tempest FactionUnstoppable Inferno Faction Smooth Flow FactionBeast Taming FactionUnshakable Earth Faction
Categorized by power, influence, manpower and wealth.
The Perpetual Darkness Faction was the most powerful, with the least number of members, while Unshakable Earth Faction was the weakest, with the most number of members.
The other three factions: Golden Sky Faction, Everlasting Crafting Faction and Regulatory Force Faction were outside the ranking since there was no reason to include them because of their incredibly close ties with the royal family.
The Regulatory Force Faction was the one that managed the border safety of the kingdom and was the first responder to any critical situation.
The last two factions that were under their control: Perpetual Darkness Faction and Infinite Light Faction, didn't have the active support of the royal family, even though they were both run by the brothers of the king, thus being allowed to participate in this ranking listing.
It was kind of odd from the perspective of the masses. Wouldn't Infinite Light Faction always be the first since the element of the majority of the royal family was Light? And why was Darkness in the first place when it was run by the last acknowledged brother of the king?
It was a mess that common people couldn't fathom or understand. Many suspected that it was to stimulate the rise of Darkness Mages and balance them with Light Mages.
Others suspected that it was all just a ploy to confuse their enemies and appear as if the power of the royal family was declining. No one knew except the close circle of the king.
Marcus made his way towards the personal quarters of the professors. There were all kinds of houses: some were decorated extravagantly, while others kept it simple and at the bare minimum.
He approached one of the houses and knocked.
Professor Maroon opened the door with a bright smile on his face.
"Come in." he welcomed Marcus into his humble two-story house.
The place wasn't lavish nor extravagant, rather it had a sense of comfort pervading it.
Aromatic candles blew over the fireplace as the scent of freshly brewed coffee pervaded the air.
"Professor, you stayed up all night again." Marcus said as he took a seat and sprawled on a comfy armchair.
"Indeed. Golden Sky Faction had commissioned some new spells to increase the efficiency of erecting temporary forts using Earth Element." Maroon poured the coffee into two big cups and then placed them on the table, taking a seat in front of Marcus.
"Haaa...when will they stop making Earth Mages work as glorified construction workers?" Marcus said with a heavy sigh.
"Not soon, there aren't many people who can use Earth Element to battle. Most are just good at building new infrastructure and enhancing the economy of the kingdom." Maroon commented while sipping the hot coffee.
Marcus stared at the ceiling for a while, pondering his next steps.
"Oh, I forgot. You like iced coffee, right?" Maroon asked.
"Yeah, would be much appreciated." Marcus nodded, as with a wave of a hand, Maroon materialized ice cubes that plopped into the cup.
Marcus watched the scene with a focused gaze, amazed by the fluidity of the process.
"Haha, no need to be so amazed, it is just a Tier Zero spell. I simply gathered the water vapor in the air and condensed it into crystals." Maroon said with a laugh.
"Still, it never ceases to amaze me how easy you make it look." Marcus praised.
"It isn't hard, just a couple of weeks of diligent training and you will be able to do this after becoming a mage." Maroon simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand and kept sipping his coffee.
"You expect too much from me." Marcus smiled as he reached out to his cold coffee, drinking it in one gulp and enjoying the sensation of the coldness spreading through his body.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ken_da_writer
Ken_da_writer Give me some power stones!!!
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