Ardan Flameborn

However, at the next moment, Damien Bloodbane instantly extinguished his Death Bombs, killing intent and even halted his forward movement.

Varis Vanderbilt had also leapt several meters backwards warily.

A swirl of red mana had suddenly formed in between them and it was growing rapidly.

WHOOSH!!

A towering wall of crimson flame roared into existence for a split second, its searing heat barely registering on Damien Bloodbane's skin, before the fire element mana was retracted and caused it to disappear as quickly as it appeared.

It was an incredible display of mana control and destructive power, no less impressive than Varis Vanderbilt's.

"Hahahaha! Varis you old dog. You actually made a move against a junior! You bastard sons truly have no shame. No wonder your parents threw you away when you were born! They must have seen your shameless face and said "holy shit! This is the ugliest baby I have ever seen! Let's throw it away! Yes! Good idea! Throw this shameless dog away and make another one!" Hahahahaha!" 

"Ardan Flameborn." Varis Vanderbilt's expression darkened instantly as he spat out the name with barely contained fury. "If I don't kill you today, my name is not Vanderbilt!"

"Hahahahaha! Of course your name isn't Vanderbilt. It's just something Jeremy Aquafrost casually gave you because he didn't know your real name. Do you know why he didn't know your real name? That's right! Because he found you in the trash heap where your real parents threw you away! Hahahahaha!"

As the mocking words echoed through the air, a tall, imposing middle-aged man with fiery red hair appeared in front of Damien Bloodbane, carried by a gust of searing hot wind.

The man's appearance was nothing short of striking.

A massive scar ran diagonally from beneath his right eye to his left jaw, giving his already sharp features a brutal edge. His maroon eyes glinted with defiant energy, and he wore a set of light leather armor that matched the deep crimson of his gaze.

Everything about him screamed "Fire!"

"Varis Vanderbilt, you Aquafrost dog. Come at me!" Ardan Flameborn roared, spreading his arms wide in challenge. "Use your clan's secret thingy while you're at it. What was its name again? Frozen Storm? Ha! What an arrogant name. Watch this daddy turn your Frozen Storm into a Fire Storm! Hahahaha!"

But instead of charging at Ardan, Varis Vanderbilt's rage suddenly evaporated.

It was as if the mere mention of "Frozen Storm" had cooled his fury, forcing him into a calculated calm.

"Ardan Flameborn. Your time will come very soon. Just wait for your death patiently," Varis sneered, his voice laced with venom before he turned away.

And then he was gone.

He moved so fast, it was as if he had simply vanished.

With his disappearance, the rest of the Aquafrost youths also beat a hasty retreat. They wanted nothing to do with the blusterous Ardan Flameborn!

Damien Bloodbane eyed the rapidly disappearing forms of the Aquafrost youths quietly.

He was no saint. 

His willingness to walk away after being insulted earlier was purely for the sake of pragmatism - lying low until he was well and ready to ascend to the heavens.

But in his mind, the youths were marked.

The time will definitely come when he would visit their clan and demand payment for all the slights he had received from them.

But that is for the future.

For now… 

He had to deal with Ardan Flameborn.

The towering figure approached Damien Bloodbane, his fiery aura dimming significantly now that there was no more who could threaten him.

"Boy. You're a very good fighter. I want to recruit you to join my Pearl Institute. What do you say?" Ardan Flameborn was a direct man.

Whatever he thinks, he speaks.

And for once, Damien Bloodbane was pleasantly surprised.

He had no idea what to expect from the interaction with Ardan Flameborn earlier. 

The worst case scenario he could think of was that Ardan Flameborn had noticed his Death Bomb earlier, and demanded an explanation, or worse, a demonstration.

In that case, Damien Bloodbane could only attempt to escape.

There was no bloody way that he would allow himself to be anybody's guinea pig.

Instead, Ardan Flameborn had offered him the very thing that he had been trying to do for the past few months.

Entrance to a Military College!

Pearl Institute was one of the Twin Pillars of the country's Military Education System, the other one being War God College.

War God College trained tech-based warriors—mecha pilots, air force specialists, and hybrid fighters—focused on precision, discipline, and large-scale warfare. 

It was the nation's spearhead in mechanized combat.

Pearl Institute, on the other hand, nurtured the mana-awakened forces of the country.

From elemental knights to battle mages and assassins, they were literally the backbone of the country. 

There were other Military Colleges, of course, such as the Northern Cloud College. 

And some were even possibly as good as the Twin Pillars in certain areas.

But none could compare to the Twin Pillars' sheer coverage of course offerings. It was to be expected, of course as they both operate on the National Budget.

Additionally, most other colleges were privately owned by large clans, and entrance into those colleges were usually by invitation only.

Their graduates would usually serve as Elders within the college, like Varis Vanderbilt. In fact, they were more like the private barracks for the large clans.

And as such, they could not be considered as viable options for the common masses such as Damien Bloodbane.

From the beginning, his only real target was entrance into War God College, or as a final resort, Pearl Institute. 

And now, he had a recruitment offer from Pearl Institute.

Although it was not War God College, it was still a perfectly awesome school.

"I might even be able to ace it, now that I have my death energy." Damien Bloodbane muttered to himself in his mind. "Darn it. Now that I am trained in combat, I thought I would be able to depend less on my Necromancy." 

But beggars can't be choosers. 

Pearl Institute as a pathway into the military was better than no pathway at all.

"I accept." Damien Bloodbane said calmly without hesitation. His voice was level without a tinge of nervousness, even when making such a big decision.

"You are a Bloodbane indeed. Your composure is worthy of respect." Ardan Flameborn nodded in approval. 

Most of the youth who had to face him were either too nervous to even think properly or too in awe.

In light of such a twist of event and a generous offer, Ardan Flameborn was expecting at least hesitation, if not outright shock and disbelief.

But this young man before him was calm, collected and still absolutely in control of himself.

It was as though he was facing something minor and unimpressive.