As soon as the pair left the room, Arin immediately made them pay attention.

“What do you want?” Patrick was still terrified of Arin yet overtly so like last time. He had grown a bit more since he had met him.

“There’s going to be an ultimatum at some point. I just need you to keep it in mind.” Arin was preparing for something that would undeniably occur. He explained what would happen and he wanted them to act in a certain way.

Patrick looked at Robert’s direction, waiting for his input. Robert couldn’t help but go along with it. As much as they wanted to get out, this seemed to be their only choice.

Inside Seal Academy where the strong preyed on the weak, it would’ve been really easy for their lives to be a living hell if Arin decided so. Instead of going against someone like him, it was better to keep him satisfied.

As they listened in, Robert was inclined to say something but seeing that Arin was speaking, he didn’t dare say his opinion. Arin noticed this.

“Speak up.”

“If that’s what you want then why us? There are other people who will go and follow your orders to perfection.” Robert felt confused as to why Arin was ignoring such a fact. “You may be insane but people like those still exist.”

“They’re too weak to be useful.” Arin blatantly said what he firmly believed. “You two are perfect. Easily controlled and strong enough to fight back.”

Hearing this, the two couldn’t say anything at all. Fear had already gripped their hearts yet it hadn’t fully enveloped it. There were still signs of resistance, giving them their free will. Yet if Arin ever so desired then that pressing fear would turn into a trauma.

“And we just do that?” Robert felt as if the task that was given to him was a little far off from what he usually does.

“You could betray me either. The choice is yours.” Arin’s threatening tone wasn’t concealed at all.

“Tch, I got it.” Robert was scratching the back of his head as he was annoyed that they were given a task that they had no expertise in. If Arin wanted them to beat someone up then they would happily oblige but to do this was even more difficult.

Fortunately, Arin didn’t care about the specifics, only focusing on the general outlook.

“Any questions?” After hearing nothing come up after a few moments, Arin looked away and walked off. “I’ll come find you if I need anything done.”

Before Arin could leave, Patrick shouted from behind him, “Aren’t you going to train us?”

“Train you in what?” Arin looked over his shoulder. “If you want a stronger body then train your body. If you want to have a better battle sense then go fight. You won’t learn anything if I just tell you what to do. You’re in Seal Academy, go wild.”

Saying so Arin finished up this discussion. He finished everything he needed to do for the day so it was time for him to head back home. At least that was what he had wanted to do before a familiar face came to block him.

Her long flowing white hair blocked his vision, completely enshrouding it in her presence. She also wore a uniform but there was a particular design choice that showed that she was in her second year.

She seemed both exhausted and cheerful. Her body slightly radiated with an aura of hope that seemed to push everyone who was with her to believe in her goals. Her smile was genuine yet the tired eyes she gave didn’t lie.

“What do you want?” Arin stared at the undisputed strongest prodigy in the entire city. After going through his second Trial, he could finally see just how monstrous Fiona’s achievements truly were. She could achieve a Perfect Clear in Bind-level Trials, the very next level after the Maze-level Trials.

Fiona was so unbelievably skilled that she could already tackle Seal-level Trials without taking so much as a scratch. This showed off her pure talent which could not be defined by common sense. If not for her kind and optimistic nature, countless organizations would do everything in their power to recruit her.

“I want to talk.” Fiona showed off her calm facade towards Arin. This was their second encounter after the orientation assembly. Ever since then, she had seen just what kind of chaos he had created in his path. She needed to intervene before something even more unruly happened.

Right behind her were five students, two girls and three boys. They were all first-years that Fiona had personally recruited due to their outstanding abilities. As for their strength, they could all hold up their own if needed.

“Then talk.” Arin walked past her. He didn’t even care about giving her respect. She wasn’t worth dealing with right now. He acknowledged her strength but she didn’t have the mentality to back it up.

“Wait, where are you going?” Arin’s mannerisms made it really difficult for Fiona to handle him. He just seemed as if he was the very embodiment of Seal Academy, the very thing that she was trying to change.

“Leaving the school.”

“Don’t you still have classes-” Fiona had no other choice but to walk alongside him. This scene caused quite a few spectators to follow them by the side.

“We were dismissed early.” Seeing people start to crowd them, he was showing a menacing glance to everyone around him. “You still have your henchmen around right? Make them clear those up.”

“Henchmen? They’re my friends. Even then, I will not force them to do things they don’t want to do.” Fiona spoke with an air of innocence. It made it seem as if she hadn’t seen the cruelty of the world yet.

Those five all gave odd looks at each other. Although they were quite talented in their own right, compared to a freak like Arin, they couldn’t even hold a candle.

“Well then… ask your ‘friends’ if they want to clear up the way. If they don’t then I’ll do it myself.” With his words alone, Fiona’s people didn’t even need to do anything at all since everyone scattered by themselves. Despite having Fiona right there, they didn’t like the small chance that they would be implicated.

“This! This is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about!” Fiona raised her voice, she wanted to try and start convincing Arin of what the right thing to do was. “You have so much talent so why not help people instead? As you can see there- Hey! Don’t leave!”

Arin’s mood was getting worse, this was exactly the type of nonsensical drivel that he expected from her. There was no point in having a conversation with her.

“Ah! I know, you must have some kind of desire right? If I fulfill it for you then will you try to change your mind? Like money… or power…” Fiona had used this tactic before which worked really well. This was how she managed to convince some of her current subordinates to follow her.

“I want you to leave me alone. Or wait until I can break your limbs.” Arin threatened Fiona. He was genuine in his threats, even as strong as Fiona was, he firmly believed that he stood a chance.

“If I leave you alone, will you change your ways? No, right?” Fiona stated as a matter of fact. “That’s why I’m going to try to mend your ways. There is no need for you to be so aggressive when there’s a better alternative.”

Arin felt that it was hopeless. There was no getting through to her. He could quite easily start a fight but seeing from her past achievements, he wouldn’t even be able to land a clean hit. He still needed to bide his time until he grew.

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Fiona continued, “Arin, if I may ask, why do you feel the need to be so inhumane? Spreading fear and chaos everywhere you go?”

What else is there but to grow? People aren’t just handed power, they reach out for it. However, that’s something a natural genius wouldn’t be able to understand. Behind Arin’s strength lies a sea of corpses, he wasn’t a born monster, he grew up to be a monster.

Seeing that Arin’s expression slightly changed, Fiona felt like she was making some progress. “If you ask me, I think it is because you think that is how the world is supposed to be. But that’s not the case, I believe there can be a world where everyone could live happily. I’m trying to change this city’s view by starting in the cruelest place in it, Seal Academy.”

“I haven’t made much progress at all and I’ve been called stupid and naive too many times to count. Even so, I’ll keep trying to make a change a little bit at a time.” Fiona slightly smiled. This was one of the few moments that she tried to reach out to someone without blatantly insulting her. There was a threat yes but it was much better than being mocked. “I know that it’s too hard to do alone but I think if everyone can work together then there’ll be a way to find peace.”

Arin stopped walking and faced her. Fiona felt like her words managed to reach out to Arin.

“Do you know what my Completion Rate was in my earlier?”

“I don’t…” Fiona didn’t understand where this was going. Was Arin just going to flex or will he have a point?

“It was a Perfect Clear.” Arin’s expression didn’t change. “Do you know how I got it?”

“You used others to get where you are.” Fiona shook her head. “But don’t you think that there was a better way? There are so many ways to get a Perfect Clear that a path that everyone could walk where everyone gets a Perfect Clear should be possible. Wouldn’t that be far better than just using corpses to get to where you are?”

“Correct, I killed and clawed my way through countless people. I stole someone else’s role so that I could succeed. Everything I’ve done was on top of countless sacrifices. And if I was asked if I would do it again then without hesitation I’ll answer yes.”

Arin continued, “I don’t know what kind of fairytale you’re living in but you can’t push forward without sacrifices. Want me to change my mind? Prove it. A Perfect Clear where everyone lives and gets their happy ending. Do that and I’ll start thinking about it.”

Fiona clenched her fists, she started racing a little bit. This was completely contrary to her expectation of being shunned. Instead of something material, Arin wanted something that only she could do. “I’ll do it. If I can prove that a possibility exists then… you’ll think about it?”

Her excitement was outweighing the sheer difficulty of such a herculean task. “I’ll prove it! I’ll show you that it exists! I’ll… do it.” She firmly believed that this was the first genuine start of her path towards her ideal world.

With her mood in such high spirits, she could barely wait to finally start doing it. Reaching the starting point of her beliefs, she excitedly conversed with her ‘friends’ who only gave awkward smiles and congratulations.

“You have until they give out the Combat Techniques.” Arin scoffed and left. “Maybe you’ll finally realize just how hopeless you are after you realize just how impossible this task is.” His later words were drowned out by Fiona celebrating. Arin took his leave and left the school, training with his father to learn more about Malum.

Little did Arin expect that such a naive girl would actually pull some strings to do that very thing. It was crazy what people in power could do if they really wanted to.

As for Fiona, she couldn’t help but go to Dean Alabaster’s office to share the great news. While he was busy consulting with his affairs, a very sweet yet annoying girl showed up. His afternoon tea was being interrupted by this very energetic girl.

“A task.. You say?” Dean Alabaster took a sip from his tea and smiled. This wasn’t a polite smile nor was it an empty smile, it was the type that shows up when one thinks of something that could completely solve a problem. “Yes, I think it’s a good idea. I’ll tell you what, I’ll even send you to Arin’s class where you can show him that you could do it by yourself.”

“T-Thank you, Dean Alabaster!” Fiona was completely joyful that she was finally getting some genuine support instead of being ignored and contradicted. She fully knew well that he wanted her to be more proactive in controlling the school yet she was far too soft for it. Although there was some kind of malicious motive behind it, all she needed to do was prove her worth.

Arin Theo… hahahaha! Kian really raised a good one. I should reward him after this is all over. Everyone getting a Perfect Clear with a psychopath like Arin around? That’s impossible. She’ll finally start to see how foolish her ideas are and see how the world really works. Dean Alabaster’s wicked intentions were kept deep inside him.

“If you manage to do so as well then I don’t mind… supporting you more. After all, you’re this academy’s shining star. I believe you’ll bring pride to our academy.” Dean Alabaster raised the stakes even higher.

“I see, Dean Alabaster. What’s the catch?” Fiona knew just how important connections were for him. Even with her current status, there was still something much more desirable than her. He surely desires one thing above all else…

He wants to meet my father.

“How’s your father been doing? I’m really curious as to what he’s been up to. With such a person being almost impossible to meet, I’d like your help to arrange this meeting.” Dean Alabaster couldn’t wait to finally face this mysterious Solver. Although he was publicly a Seal Solver, he knew for a fact that he was much stronger than that.

For a person to have a child like Fiona appearing out of nowhere meant that he was very likely a person of high status. Being acquainted with such a person was definitely beneficial for him.

Fiona nodded in agreement. This was the kind of deal that worked extremely well in her favor. Losing this might mean that Dean Alabaster will no longer provide more support and changing Arin’s mind would be even more difficult. On the other hand, succeeding in this task was just far too valuable for her in realizing her dream.

“A chance…” Fiona muttered quietly as she left the dean’s office. Multiple motives were at play and the only thing Fiona needed to do was prove herself.

Dean Alabaster took another sip of his tea which had slightly gone cold. “Lukewarm.” He poured his tea out on the potted plant in the corner of his room and returned to sorting his affairs.

Fiona’s great mood was slightly worsened when she came to meet up with the rest of the executives of the Student Body Committee. After hearing Elliot’s performance during the trial, she finally realized what kind of Trial she was about to undergo.

“How nostalgic…” Fiona recalled back when she also achieved a Perfect Clear on her first try. She immediately etched the symbol of a moon on her hand and proceeded to defeat every creature systematically. The golem gave her a little bit of trouble but after a series of exchanges, she grabbed ahold of its core and finished it.

Elliot was completely confused as to why Fiona was in such a great mood despite most of the academy doing so badly. The rest were also confused, these past few days, Fiona had quite the solemn aura around her as everything was proceeding to turn chaotic.

“I made a deal with Arin. He might change his mind if I manage to show him that I can do it.” Fiona expressed the exact details of their deal. Despite her acting quite childish, such an opportunity wasn’t something she had in such a long time.

Hearing this, Elliot couldn’t help but explain one key flaw in it, “Can’t Arin just ruin everything? All he needs to do is break something and everything falls apart.”

Fiona recalled Arin’s posture and mannerisms. As far as she could tell, Arin was the very essence of what it means to be in Seal Academy. Taking from others and using it to empower yourself. “I expected nothing less. I believe he’ll want to see me despair at seeing how futile it is just like everyone else…”

“So why? I’ll try to restrain him, if both Barlot and Sefi could pin him down then there’s a possibility that-” Elliot was already wracking his brains in trying to figure out how to help Fiona out.

“I’ll try to reach out to him on my own. If I need your help then I’ll ask. You’ve already done a lot despite being in power for only a few days.” Fiona recalled just how stable her command had been despite having done nothing major yet. “I don’t want to burden you more than you already are.”

Elliot sighed, “Then…”

Fiona leaned in closer, aiming to divulge important information to him.

Fiona whispered to Elliot, “I know that there are countless spies here. I also know that you’re having great difficulty in trying to move due to their disruptions. It’s just that I needed their help to keep greater dangers at bay. But… maybe sooner or later, I’ll be able to revitalize everything anew. And I believe that it all starts with this.”

As Elliot had expected, Fiona wasn’t as naive as she looked. Her Rating of 563 was just far too monstrous. She knew everything that was happening but could do nothing against them since it went against her core beliefs. Even worse was that she needed their help to stabilize her dream.

She knew what actions would let her control everything yet her moral compass prevented her from acting. For no reason that anyone else found understandable, she willingly shackled herself. What was worse was that due to her unrivaled power, no one could knock any sense into her.

He knew just how valuable this chance was for her. To be able to have someone like Arin by her side to act as proof of her beliefs was the chance of a lifetime. She hadn’t been this excited ever since she managed to gain the position of Student Body President.

The once prestigious organization known as the King’s Valley the Student Body Committee had taken over, used to have an iron rule on the entire school was rendered to waste after she took control. Being used by other Syndicates to further their own agendas. Her entire first year was filled with mockery and disdain. Now that she was a second-year student, she could finally make up for what she had lacked.

Fiona grabbed her pendant and clenched it tightly, it emitted an undiscernible glow that even she didn’t notice. “I won’t mess this up again. This is it, I’ll show everyone that I can do it.”

“And it all… starts with this!” Fiona had been burdened with far too many things. As odd as it was, the person who gave her the opportunity was the unlikeliest person to do so.