Archmage Arlen glanced at Max while seated in front of his table with sparkling eyes.
Max was staring at him with an ambiguous expression, and Archmage Arlen said in an upbeat tone, "You really are a genius. This is already a perfect score if it's only recorded."
Max was pleasantly surprised. Staring at the young Archmage Arlen, whose face was enough to charm every woman in the village without casting a spell, he bowed deeply.
He said, "It's because your teaching is effective, Archmage Arlen."
Max had to admit that the Archmage in the Greyfen Village was way better than the Archmage in the Frostmere Village.
Aside from their age difference, with Archmage Arlen being young and most talented, his teaching method was engaging even though it was quite boring.
It was boring in a way that he taught non-stop but it was engaging when he expressed the contents from the book as interested as he was in teaching them.
There was no more charming and highly engaging than a teacher who was passionate in his job.
After hearing Max's response, Archmage Arlen exploded into a hoot of laughter.
He said, "You can sit now. You're already more than ready for your class advancement. Later, I will tell you what to do."
Max's eyes widened. He bowed deeply and returned to his seat.
Along the way, he frowned when he noticed how intense the other player's gaze directed at him.
Archmage Arlen was forced to reprimand them.
"Focus on your work!"
All the players gritted their teeth and focused on their drawing.
Since Max had nothing to do, he scrutinized every player's face. Suddenly, he noticed a player, who was struggling on his first paper, seemed to be familiar.
His eyes widened. After he confirmed that the player's identity was similar to from what he remembered, he gritted his teeth until veins began to manifest on his jaws.
He left his gaze from him, knowing that his intense hostile gaze would draw his attention.
Julian Lewis!
Max was aware of Julian Lewis, he was one of the mages he looked up to. When the apocalypse descended, he was only a Tier 3 Archmage, but under his leadership, as he competed with his brother, Spencer Lewis, once for the guild master's position, he became the guild vice master of the Lewis Guild.
Although it was unknown if Julian Lewis was involved in his and Enzo's death, he was confident that Julian Lewis was no more different than his brother.
Max closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled for quite a long time.
You must maintain your composure, Maximus. You can't allow your enemy to know your intention. Destroy them without letting them know.
Max already swore to take down the Lewis Guild even before he died. Now that he was given a chance by the hidden legacy class, he wouldn't certainly waste it.
He opened his eyes and was now sharper than before. He was desperate now, to become stronger and stopped the rise of the Lewis Guild.
…
Guild creation was only possible after a player reached Tier 2. They would have to travel to the capital city in each region of the Empire to register their guild in the Adventurer's Guild.
Max could barely remember, but when he was at the Frostmere Village, the Lewis group, created by Lewis' family or the player they had a contract to, had already made their presence, recruiting others before the Lewis Guild was established.
Max was even recruited by them, but he politely refused, knowing that the players focused on the guild while he wanted to focus on himself and his brother.
He couldn't earn money if he was in the guild—at least, based on his knowledge.
He might be able to earn if he earned a respectable position in the guild, but he lacked the resources for it.
That was how Max chose the path of solo player.
He then also recalled that the Tier 5 mage in the past, who completed the quest in the Greyfen Village, was a member of the Lewis group, under Julian Lewis.
However, he also revealed in his video that he did not tell Julian Lewis about the main quest after discovering it.
After he betrayed Julian Lewis, he disappeared and became a Tier 5 Mage, creating his own guild, rivaling the Lewis Guild.
Max could recognize him now inside the Instruction Hall. In fact, he was already on his third paper. If Max did not disturb him earlier, he would already be finished.
Max gazed at him for a while and ruminated. As much as I would like to recruit him, he betrayed Julian, so I can't say he wouldn't betray me.
Whatever, I'd prefer to go solo anyway.
It would be undeniable that Max wanted to create a guild that would rival the Lewis Guild.
However, unlike the Lewis Guild, and the player who betrayed Julian, they already had the resources and power to create a guild.
Creating a guild inside the game required an enormous amount of money to be burned in real life.
Max, on the other hand, was poor—very much so.
In the end, Max decided to focus on investing in himself and focused on destroying the Lewis Guild one at a time.
The beginner spell diagram exercise continued for half an hour until Archmage Arlen forced his students, finished or not, to pass their paper one by one.
During this hour, Max meditated, causing Archmage Arlen to be amused.
He thought. He doesn't like to waste time, huh? He sure is a mage.
Archmage Arlen spent five minutes each for students who passed their paper and consulted their result.
Archmage Arlen patiently taught them what they must improve on.
Once they were finished, he dismissed the class and asked Max to follow him to his quarter.
…
Archmage Arlen's private quarters was also his personal research workspace.
It has a personal arcane library, spell research desk, mana calibration instruments, and locked storage for restricted scrolls and reagents.
Access was restricted, it was the most guarded and locked place in the Arcane Cottage.
There was not a mage trainee in a hundred meters around his private quarter, as the private quarter has magic traps that would activate once someone invaded without his permission.