Night time at the Helmholtz Academy. While John Doe was applying the finishing touches to his Musical Palace, the notification billboards all over the Helmholtz Territory had sprung up crowds of students staring at a new notice written in large words, undersigned by the Dean himself.
Who was the Dean? To the students, he was the most powerful and enigmatic existence inside the university. Certainly there were ancestral elders and directors who might be more powerful than him, but he was the ultimate authority in power and administration in their eyes. The dean himself signing a notice sent to all billboards with such an explosive information was hardly something the students wouldn't learn about.
****
"Dear students, the new professor for musical arts has decided to select students for his elective based on a test. The location of the test is the newly constructed Musical Palace in the courtyard of the Eastern Fountain Park. From midnight tonight, until the next 10 days, students will have the opportunity to take the test.
The details of the test is as follows : The students must first be able to enter the Musical Palace to take the test. Once inside, the test will begin. On passing the test satisfactorily, the student will receive a gold tier equipment, be it defensive, offensive or otherwise as desired by the passing student. They would then receive the opportunity to attend the music elective with the teacher's blessings.
The test is not based on prior knowledge or power, but rather innate ability."
****
"Holy shit! Who is this music teacher? Gold tier equipment for every student who passes the test? Even my dad cannot spare that many golden tier equipment!" Exclaimed a guy known for being extremely rich.
"Not only has the teacher proposed a test to enter a music elective, he promises a gold tier equipment on passing. This test cannot possibly be simple."
"I was just told by my water magic tutor that I should go take up the challenge to test myself. Moreover I can win a gold tier equipment as well!"
"Where is Eastern Fountain Park? Let's go there right now!"
"I have already been there a few minutes back. The so called Musical Palace is under a powerful force barrier. I guess we have to wait till it's already midnight."
The cacophony was crazy and the enticing prize had turned the whole place into a frenzy. There weren't many who didn't hear about this surprising turn of events.
****
In a well off girls dorm, two girls sitting on a sofa were discussing about the same.
"What do you think Elena?"
"It's very interesting, indeed. This music teacher, I wonder who it is?"
"En. Given the prize, I don't think the test will be too easy. But a gold tier equipment doesn't hold a lot of weight for us."
"You're wrong Claire. This teacher is extremely sharp. The gold tier equipment is not what they set up to entice us. That was for the greedy fools who list for easy prizes. What they used to entice us was the promise of competition."
"Hmm, indeed, looking at it from that angle certainly sheds some light onto his thinking. They may be crafty, but what can we possibly learn in music, that needs them to eliminate students using a test?"
"If I'm not wrong, the test itself will be a demonstration of some things we would learn in the elective. Let's wait for a day before we try the test. After all, there are 10 days. Once we see the condition of the early birds we can perhaps get a better understanding of the test."
****
Inside the Lockhart Villa.
The five minions who had been sent by the Boss had returned tail tied. The Boss was enraged.
"You fools! Why did you abuse the teacher instead of teaching that bastard a lesson?"
"Boss, he was hiding behind the coattails of the new teachers. In the evening I met a student who told me that that Young Master was asking for directions of the Villa. I believe he will come here soon by himself!"
"Hmph! That moron thinks he can compete with me? With my influence he dare compete with me! Put a notice on the noticeboard asking him to come to the Villa by midnight if he dares. Gather all our best fighters inside the Villa. Today he will realise the gap between heaven and earth!"
Half an hour later, some minions had returned.
"Boss! We have done as you've ordered. If he doesn't appear here before midnight he won't have any face left."
Another minion then deemed it right to interrupt and explained the details of the music instructors test.
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"Gold tier equipment for everyone who passes the test? Hahaha! Very good, we will all go separately and ask for different equipments that form a set. Hahaha!"
The other members of the villa looked at each other, if they planned it accordingly, they might be able to get at least three sets of gold tier equipment.
Around 30 minutes before midnight.
The atmosphere inside the Lockhart Villa was tense. It was the pressure before the start of a battle. There was a gentle rap on the door of the Villa.
"Let that trash inside!" The Villa Boss screamed.
John Doe entered in the same outfit as he had worn all day. Without any courtesy he we walked straight in front of the Boss and plumped himself into the sofa on the opposite side. He propped his legs onto the glass table like the lord of the Villa and looked calmly at the Boss. Although the Boss couldn't see the musician's eyes because of the large sunglasses, he could imagine the arrogance that exuded out of him.
"You...! You dare display your arrogance in the Villa?"
"Huh? Didn't you invite me for dinner?"
"Dinner? Fuck! Are you blind? No worries, I just wonder if you will continue being as arrogant when we feed you your own rocky!"
"Haha! Keep dreaming fat ass! Why are you so obsessed over my genitalia? Do you swing the other way?"
"Bastard! I will kill you! Chop off his Weiner right now! Kill!" He motioned at his men. Who pounced in unison at the calm silver haired young man.
Seeing the unmoved young man, the Villa members internally trembled. Why isn't he moving? But when they finally reached his body they realised the reason. He was intangible!
"Pfft. You fools thought I would actually come here? I got a strong dude to perform an astral projection spell on me. However, to the outside world I've come into your territory unarmed and left without a shed of pain. I wonder where you'll dig your face from after that!"
The Villa members were flabbergasted! Who the fuck is this guy? He got someone to perform an astral projection spell? Don't tell me he brought his protector along to the university as well, a shameless young master to the core! This silver haired shameless brat remained unfazed. He extinguished the rolled leaf that he was smoking onto the table, and then began speaking.
"I don't have time to waste on you guys. If I wanted it, you would already be in the hospital ward. You don't want to mess with my protector. Neither do you want to mess with the Kingdom of Providence...right?"
"P-p-p-providence?" The Boss was now sweating buckets. A protector who can cast astral projection, a young master from Kingdom Providence, the continental superpower! This was not someone who he could compete against! And the worst part about it was the instigator had completely been him.
"Uh huh. Providence. Now that I have come here, I need to do something interesting, or it wouldn't really be fun now, would it? I'll give you guys a chance to save your faces. Sign this contract."
The Boss slowly took the contract in his hands and began reading, his eyes now glowing with hope to save the reputation of his camp.
"If a single member in this room, can open the door to the Musical Palace, I will leave you free. However, if you fail, you must change the name of the camp to Cinderella's Villa."
"Just the door? Not even the test?"
"Yup, just the door. Get past the door and I'll let bygones be bygones. Fail and you change your Villa's name."
The intimidated fat student who self styled himself as Boss, quickly signed the contract. Immediately the contract appeared on every noticeboard in the academy.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, this was a challenge contract. The moment you signed it, it appeared on every university noticeboard. So don't back out now.
Oh and better not let out my identity. If I hear the word Providence from anyone on campus, I ensure you I will tear all your hearts out. Alright I'll be off!"
After saying that, John Doe walked out the door and disappeared.
The Boss remained seated in shock. He suddenly got up and spoke.
"You! Check if what he said is true! If this is really a challenge contract, we must complete it at all costs!"
A few moments later, his worst fears had been realised.
"Boss.." Spoke another member in doubt, "seeing how confident that Young Master was I have a feeling that it won't be easy to get golden tier equipment."
"Fool! We can think about the golden tier equipment later! Do you want to be called a member of Cinderella's Villa? People reading the challenge notices would already be laughing on our faces! Who was the bastard that instigated me against this powerful enemy! We need to go immediately. The earlier we complete the challenge, the quicker the notice disappears!"
****
The music teacher couldn't suppress his laughter anymore. He had pranked this Lockhart Villa big time. In return, he was also able to generate some interesting publicity for his elective. He truly had a satisfying day.
Right at that moment, a gong sounded from the Musical Palace. However, it sounded unlike any gong heard before. The gong didn't create any auditory sound, but whoever was thinking about the Musical Palace could hear it in their minds. Curiously, a large crowd had already gathered around the musical palace barrier before midnight. With the absurd challenge of the Lockhart Villa and the urging of the Dean and their tutors, interest in this test was high. The first people standing in queue to attempt the test were all Lockhart Villa members.
At that moment, midnight struck and the barrier shattered into billions of glittering particles, the shattering made the sound of a xylophone note and the individual projectiles echoed the note. The sound filled the large audience with energy that calmed them and put them into a trance like state. A few minutes passed in complete silence, before everyone opened their eyes. They felt their cultivation foundations were now much more stronger than before.
"If just listening to the barrier shatter made our foundations more stable, what will attending this elective bring?"
A voice in the crowd wondered.
"This is no ordinary music course. No wonder it needs a test to eliminate students." Spoke another.
Not far away, the two girls, Elena and Claire had awoken from their trance as well. They looked at each other surprised.
"Claire, we definitely must get accepted into this course."
"Yes, this was no simple magic! We can only imagine how powerful the professor must be!"
"The Lockhart Villa, their attempt at defaming this music instructor are laughable. I feel like they are going to pay dearly for their arrogance."
"I'm surprised you kept a note of their activities Elena, I didn't think you thought highly of them."
"They are trash, why would I think highly of those scum? I am simply interested in news regarding the music teacher. Did you find out who the teacher is?"
"Surprisingly, I did not. The other five elective teachers are evident. However, instead of the music teacher, there was reportedly a new student who also appears to be some kind of young master of a prestigious family. He had a confrontation with the Villa twice today and gained the upper hand in both. Each time he was alone."
"A young master...student? Who is he?"
"No clue. No one knows his name."