CHAPTER 150: SEPARATE

Asher could be seen lying on the bed on his side, a small blanket draped lazily across his frame. The luxurious comfort of the room was a far cry from what he had been accustomed to within the Wargrave estate.

At the same time, it made perfect sense.

Why would the Star Academy expend vast amounts of funding on accommodations for individuals who had not even proven themselves worthy by passing the entrance examination?

It would have been a monumental waste of resources. Some of the candidates would only remain for a single day, and the moment they failed, they would be teleported away, leaving behind the fleeting taste of what they could never claim. For such people, the Academy had no reason to go beyond the bare minimum.

Some might not even spend another hour within this Separate Dimension once their failure was confirmed.

Suddenly, something stirred Asher’s consciousness from the endless abyss known as sleep.

[Host, wake up. It is already 6:30 a.m]

The mechanical yet clear chime of the system resonated within his mind, dragging him out of his slumber.

Asher’s eyelids fluttered open, and his striking purple eyes scanned the mildly familiar room.

A wide yawn escaped his lips as his body stretched, enjoying the satisfying sensation of muscles pulling and relaxing. For a brief moment, he simply lay there, one hand rubbing his eyes groggily as if he were trying to collect the scattered pieces of his consciousness and align them with reality.

’Should I have brought the bed from my room, like Lyra suggested before?’ he mused internally, a hint of amusement in his thought.

Eventually, he sat upright and rose from the bed. He had only thirty minutes to prepare and be downstairs. No, twenty minutes, by his standards. He preferred to arrive ten minutes earlier than instructed, anticipating that sudden, unforeseen changes might occur.

With light yet unsteady steps born of lingering drowsiness, Asher made his way toward the bathroom. Another wide yawn forced its way out of him as his gaze landed on the mirror.

For a few moments, he simply stared at his reflection, as though studying the faint traces of sleep still clinging to his face. Then, with a deliberate motion, he bent down toward the sink-like structure and splashed cool water against his skin.

Within minutes, he had brushed his teeth and moved toward the bathing structure, which resembled a refined version of a bathtub. Warm water cascaded over his body, washing away not only physical weariness but also the fog that clung stubbornly to his mind.

The sensation of water tracing down his skin was refreshing, almost invigorating, and by the time he was finished, his senses were sharper and clearer.

Minutes later, Asher stepped out of his room, his posture carrying a calm steadiness. A towel was wrapped securely around his waist, while another rested over his head as he dried his damp hair. With a casual wave of his hand, his luggage appeared before him, summoned directly from his system space. He sifted through its contents carefully, selecting appropriate clothes and shoes before returning the luggage to storage.

He chose not to wear anything extravagant or restrictive. There was a chance today’s exam might involve combat, and he had no intention of donning some stiff noble uniform that would hamper his movements or diminish his performance. Functionality outweighed appearances, at least for this occasion.

Taking a seat on the chair provided in the room, Asher pulled the table closer and retrieved a light meal. Bread, fried eggs, a glass of juice, and an apple, nothing more, nothing less. Simplicity had its own elegance, and besides, he didn’t need anything heavy weighing him down during the exam.

’System, what’s the time now?’ Asher asked mentally.

[...]

Asher raised an eyebrow at the string of ellipses the system projected.

’Is the system malfunctioning?’ he thought, puzzled.

[Host, there is a clock literally sitting in front of you. You do not even need to turn your head. All you have to do is look]

Asher stared at the words speechlessly. Yes, there was indeed a clock positioned directly in front of him, but that wasn’t the point.

He had a personal system that served as his very own timekeeper, a luxury no one else in all of Crymora possessed. Why should he rely on something as mundane as a wall clock?

’System, shouldn’t you feel honored? I don’t even look at other clocks. I only ever ask you,’ Asher replied in his mind, lips twitching with amusement.

[...]

[Host, I am a system, not a clock. Host should please take note of this distinction. The system does not possess emotions, and thus it cannot feel honored]

Asher chuckled softly, his smile widening as he countered, ’If you have no emotions, then why do you sound frustrated?’

[The time is 6:48 a.m., Host]

The system’s voice chimed again, this time carrying the faint undertone of resignation, as though it had finally accepted its fate as nothing more than an overly advanced timepiece.

’Thank you. That wasn’t so hard, was it?’ Asher teased mentally as he rose from his seat. He cleared away the plate and utensils he had used, an action that might have seemed unusual for a noble but perfectly sensible to him. He couldn’t bring himself to place dirty dishes into his system space simply because Lyra wasn’t here to do it for him.

After all, unlike other nobles, in his past life he had washed plates millions of times.

Once everything was in order, he turned and left his room. The moment he stepped into the hallway, he realized he wasn’t the only one awake. Others were emerging from their rooms as well, though that hardly surprised him.

Walking down the hallway with measured steps, Asher soon descended the staircase and found himself seated on a couch within the lobby.

He had half-expected at least one fight to break out despite the warnings they had been given. Human nature often led to conflict, and in a place brimming with prideful geniuses and peacocks... nobles, it wouldn’t have been surprising.

But, the atmosphere remained calm.

Apparently, the heavy punishments dealt out in the past had left a strong enough impression for most to restrain themselves.

Glancing around, Asher estimated the number of people present. Yesterday, there had been over three hundred students. Now, barely two hundred and eighty remained, the rest, clearly were still sleeping in their rooms.

Some students leaned against the staircase railing, while others stood directly on the steps, ignoring the specific instruction to wait in the lobby. Their impatience was written across their faces, though Asher himself remained perfectly composed.

His gaze shifted as he noticed someone missing. William had yet to appear, and only five minutes remained before the hour struck. Two minutes later, however, Asher caught sight of him descending the staircase, yawning openly.

"Good morning, Tenth Sun," William greeted casually as he dropped onto the couch beside Asher.

Asher gave a small nod before replying, "You do realize that if you’d been a few minutes later, you would’ve been left behind, right?"

William smirked and shrugged. "I’m sure there’s always a little time left on the clock. No need to come an hour early like you."

Asher said nothing further. Instead, he chose silence, waiting patiently as the final moments ticked away.

Then, suddenly his purple eyes sharpened as he felt a familiar energy stir beneath them. The Astra energy hidden underground roared faintly to life, he had sensed it the day before. The very air shifted, space trembling as though preparing to unravel.

’Another teleportation,’ Asher thought, bracing himself.

In the next heartbeat, a flash of blinding white light enveloped everyone within the lobby, and they vanished.

Those standing along the staircase and those leaning lazily against the railing stared in shock.

Their mouths hung open in disbelief as they realized they had not been taken with the others. Confusion swept across their faces, but before any words could form, another blinding flash erupted, swallowing them along with those who had still been sleeping in their rooms.

Two separate teleportations.

Two separate destinations.