Hunters Academy (4)

Once Zen and his friends departed, the class quickly resumed their activities after casting a final glance in Alex's direction.

Ross noticed how awkward the class had become and suggested, "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed. That Zen fellow just ruined my good mood." Julia added with a scowl.

Alex sighed and shook his head, then made his way out of the classroom under the gaze of the remaining students, with Ross and Julia beside him. 

...…

"So, where do you guys have in mind?" Alex asked his friends.

The mood had been spoiled for everyone, and now, they were uncertain about where to go from here.

The orientation they had earlier today only introduced them to the learning facilities, among other things. However, the size of the academy was still something they needed to explore themselves.

Each year group had different spaces, and because of this, there was hardly a chance to encounter their seniors.

Of course, that was not to say there was no way to meet. The academy was connected to the Academic City to the East.

Through the teleportation hubs, students could venture into the city and mingle. And not just students, the city itself was home to many other hunters. 

There was everything a student could wish for in terms of entertainment and shops to shop from. It was the preferred area for all students of the academy when they had no classes.

"How about we explore Academic City?" Julia suggested, her smile returning, though not as wide as before.

Though she had been to the city before, she had never visited it with her friends. This offered the perfect opportunity to do so, and with three days free from classes, she wished to spend that time with them. 

"Academic City?" Ross asked, thinking more about food, so he was about to suggest they visit the eatery.

"Yeah. Do you have some other place in mind?" Julia asked, waiting for his response.

Alex merely stared at them. He had no idea what to do himself, so he was simply going to follow whatever they suggested.

"Well, it really wouldn't make a difference since I was thinking we could go get something to eat." Ross proposed.

"Oh… okay. And you?" Julia then turned to Alex, waiting for his input.

"Why not?" Alex shrugged. "We can do both simultaneously. We can eat, then explore."

"Then it's settled. Let's get going." She turned around and made her way forward, heading to the teleportation hub connected to Academic City.

Of course, there were other methods of reaching the city, such as taking the air train, but to save time, teleportation was the best option.

...

The trio quickly found something to eat and commenced their exploration of the city. Like them, there were other students present in the city, ranging from first years to fourth years.

The group first went to the arcades, the most popular spot for students in the city, where they tried their hand at the various games.

Next was the gaming virtual universe, also located in the same building.

The virtual world had various applications. Some were specifically designed for gaming, such as the ones Alex and his friends engaged with. Others were for learning, as they would soon experience once they began studies.

Those virtual worlds were utilised in combat simulations with an immersion rate of 99%. They could mimic the sensations of their users, including the pain experienced if they were injured.

Academies used them to teach combat to students as well as connect to the other academies in the empire.

From the arcades, Julia guided the group to a huge shop that sold various equipment made from void creatures.

From combat suits and weapons to shields, as well as the blood and fragments of void creature cores. Naturally, those cores and blood originated from low-level void creatures.

However, their uses could not be denied. The cores could be utilised in various applications, including the construction of weapons, armour, and technological equipment.

The 'blood' of void creatures could be utilised in making serums and potions that could enhance the abilities of hunters. Naturally, the attributes of the void creature and the hunter had to be similar to achieve that effect.

Unfortunately for Alex and his friends, the core and blood were not on display and could only be seen when one was an official hunter with the intention of buying.

As they explored various other places, the day soon drew to a close. It was time for them to return to the academy. Although there was no curfew or anything of the sort, their points were still at stake.

"We should be heading back now," Alex suggested, looking at the sun disappearing below the horizon.

The lights from the buildings and streets were already coming alive, giving the city a mesmerising glow. But to them, it was a regular sight.

.....

Once back on the academy grounds, the group moved to the dormitories. Julia had to bid them farewell when they reached the intersection of the boys' and girls' dormitories.

"Would you guys be out tomorrow?" Julia asked the two boys.

Ross turned to Alex. For him, there was truly nothing to do, as he had only Alex as a friend.

With the decision resting with him, Alex thought briefly before saying, "I plan on going to the combat systems to get my virtual pod and mana stage activated."

"Oh… I totally forgot about that. Then we all go tomorrow. What time are you thinking?" Julia asked.

By all accounts, it looked like the de facto leader of the group was Alexander, as Julia only came to know Ross through Alex and vice versa.

"What time is good for you?" He turned to Ross.

He didn't want to suggest a time that would interfere with whatever plans Ross might have, and since Julia was the one asking, he figured she would be free for most of the day tomorrow.

Ross pondered for a moment before saying, "Hmm… How about 10 in the morning? At that time, we would be pretty much done with whatever morning schedule we have."

Alex agreed, knowing that Ross was the sort of person who consistently trained in the mornings. This was a dedication he admired and had also embraced. He then turned to Julia for her opinion.

"Ten sounds good," she nodded. Once they got that out of the way, Julia bid farewell to Ross and Alex before leaving.

A couple of seconds later, Alex and Ross turned towards their dorms since they both shared the same building and floor.