"So what was it that couldn't be said yesterday that you called another meeting today, Elder Wong?"
Elder Hinobi asked. She went on and added,
"Has the Elder Council become that much of a joke that anyone can summon us without even giving a proper reason?"
"There is a reason, Elder Hinobi, and I will reveal it when everyone is gathered."
Out of thirteen seats, only ten were filled.
It was Elder Kim who interjected.
"They won't be coming today. Following Elder Ameer's suspicions, we found half-breeds hiding in this batch of students.
Elder Lee, Elder Choi, and Elder Gu have gone outside the realm to investigate. They won't be attending today. You may continue."
"Very well, Elder Kim.
Yesterday, we received a telegram requesting aid on the frontlines. The telegram stated that John Raithe has sided with the vampires, resulting in increased pressure on the frontlines."
"They called in John? Wasn't he exiled due to a vampire internal dispute?"
"John Raithe? the same guy who killed thirteen people while being countered by anti-vampire gifts? The one they named the Crimson Calamity? That John?" Elder Zephyr did a jog down his memory lane
"Yes, that John.", Elder Ameer clarified
"So they are so desperate that they would set aside their internal strife just to have a piece of us?" Zephyr asked rhetorically.
"I don't get what's the big deal. Am I missing something?"
"Yes, you indeed are, Elder Mike.
The vampires, known for their strict hierarchy and high regard for bloodlines, willingly asked John Raithe, a nobody who crawled up from the very bottom of vampire society, who does not have any connection to ancient houses for help.
Just shows how desperate they are."
"Now they are asking for aid. I suggest we send four Elders, in case werewolves and beastkin also bring their old monsters out."
Elder Wong dragged the conversation back to topic
"Valid."
"Fine."
One by one, all agreed. Then choosing who would go began.
***
After being beheaded, Rowayne was ejected out of the pod, but it took six more hours for the test to officially end.
After the top 1000 were revealed, all of them were given the location of where their means of transport should be through notifications.
Rowayne received one such notification along with his (male form) rank 540.
Academy phones were custom-made with custom features; the notification system was one of them, acting as a credit card was another.
Rowayne packed his stuff—not everything, just a few clothes, canned food just in case, and the bloodied diary of his past self (as was shown in the elevator).
The diary was a self-journal, but it also contained information.
It was through this diary that Rowayne knew how assimilation worked.
Assimilation worked through three mediums:
Ingestion
Blood
And shadow
The first medium, ingestion, required Rowayne to ingest the item/being he was trying to assimilate, then activate his gift.
The second medium, blood, used his blood as the medium for assimilation; anything soaked in his blood would be slowly assimilated.
The last medium, shadow, used his shadow as a medium; anything assimilable that his shadow touched would be touched.
Among all mediums, ingestion was the fastest, blood was slow but versatile, while shadow was slow and easily disrupted
But that was for later. He, like everyone else, was prohibited from actively using gifts for the next three years, courtesy of international laws.
So he moved out and arrived in front of the bus.
A staff member was standing there, to whom he handed his ID.
The staff member ran it through the database
and then took out a metal sheet and a laser printer,
and laser-printed his rank on the sheet,
then cut it, and somehow turned it into a brooch and handed it to Rowayne.
Anyway, Rowayne entered.
There were twenty seats for students in the small bus.
Three joined seats on each side and a long joined seat at the very back.
He spotted a familiar face and went towards him.
"Yo, Shen."
Shen Anxiao didn't react.
"Why take the window seat? It's not like you can see the scenery."
"I like the wind," Shin replied.
"Umm, fair. OK, mind if I sit here?"
And Rowayne sat there without waiting for an answer.
The seats gradually filled up until only one was left—
the one beside Rowayne and Shen.
There was only one reason: after the two consecutive exams, others wanted peace, and Rowayne was loud.
Two minutes later, a girl arrived, panting heavily, and hurriedly looked around.
Then she joined Rowayne and Shen because that was the only free seat.
"Name? Mine's Rowayne, and that's my best friend Shen."
"When did I become your best friend?"
"Just now."
"Ariel," the girl replied. She had silver-blonde hair and emerald eyes.
And a few minutes later, the bus started.
(A/N ~ So the exam ends now. Prepare for the Academy Arc.
P.S. — Will lock chaps at or after 60.)