A week later– graduation day.

All students that have completed their education at 17 would receive their certificates of basic education.

“Honor student Leticia, please come on stage to receive your award.”

Applause rang through the spectator seat in the auditorium.

Sparkling green hair, heterochromic eyes. The girl Leticia walked up stage to receive her certificate along with a bag of coins.

‘She’s rich.’

Sequencee who was in the crowd yawned.

The applause died down and the next few awards continued.

Though it may seem immoral to give money as a prize, it should be known that these students were going to have to leave for the real world. Money is a necessity to help them jump start their new lives.

“How much?” Sequencee asked when Leticia returned.

“20 silver one gold.”

‘That’s a lot..’

“It’s still not enough to pay for the school fee though..” Leticia mumbled.

“Better than nothing.”

After the award ceremony came the awaited closing speech by Director Mane, all graduating students came onto stage one last time. They looked onwards at the crowd– their juniors. An odd sense of loss washed upon them.

Long ago, it was they who sat at those seats, the ones to witness the leaving of their seniors. Back then, it felt so distant and far, as if their lives here would never end. Yet, today, they were the ones in the spotlight, the ones sitting there weren't them.

One final look at all the students, their futures undecided. In two years time, nobody knew what would happen– who would remain, who would die.

The ceremony closed with a speech from a student representative. A melancholic mood remained the rest of the day.

===

“Sequencee.”

“Hm? What is it Ro?”

“Are you going to Rika Nation with Leticia?”

Ro is a man with a fairly lean build for his age. As someone who aspires to become a swordsman, he dedicated most of his time in the home training the sword albeit the crude techniques.

“Yeah, and you want to join?”

“If you don’t mind,” Ro scratched his chin.

“Alright. Then we’ll divide the transportation cost among the three of us.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Sequencee shut his luggage and zipped it. Carrying it with one arm, he asked.

“By the way, why are you going to Rika Nation?”

“I want to try the appraisal for Riestallia Academy.”

“We’re in the same boat huh?”

“Since you were going, I thought maybe I should try my luck there too,” he said with a troubled grin, as if to say Sequencee was the leading daredevil here.

All graduated students were given a grace period of one week to leave. However, it wasn’t a respite Sequencee could enjoy as he and Leticia would need to rush to Rika Nation if he wanted to make it in time for the appraisal.

The trip from the current Earldom to Rika nation would take at least a week if there were no delays. And he had to make it to Rika Nation by two weeks time before the appraisal closed.

“You’re leaving now?” Ro asked.

“Yeah, today.”

“Wow.. o-okay. Sorry I didn’t know. Hold on, I’ll pack my bags in a giffy.”

“Remember to double check. I’ll wait for you at the gate.”

“I know!”

Ro rushed to his room, Sequencee looked around his dorm one last time.

“You’re going already?” one of the dorm mates lazing in the living room called out.

“Yeah.”

“See ya then, good luck.”

“You too.”

Many people have gone to try their hands on getting their 2nd grade mercenary license at the guild.

It was normal for kids at their sort of age to take this route. Despite all the warnings, these people just couldn’t be dissuaded.

Those who have 2nd grade licenses can only reach up till C-rank. If they wished to go further, they would need to take the enforcer examination to receive the 1st grade license.

That was the common advancement route for commoners that didn’t have the money to enter academies. For those that do, it was recommended that they acquire their enforcer title before facing the real world.

As a graduate of the enforcer course, many paths open up. Said person can become a mercenary, adventurer, explorer, knight, guards, soldiers, or private operators.

As a mercenary, enforcers received the privilege of instantly becoming a C-rank mercenary.

As a knight, enforcers get to rise up the ranks and work with nobility and royalty.

As a private operator, they become a part of a privatized organization that takes on large government duties similar to what individual mercenaries would do, but in a more organized fashion.

Of course, that is just the gist of it. Depending on the enforcer, he may branch out to become a priest, engineer, merchant, sage– anything basically.

It’s like a college degree, but better.

“You’re early.” Sequencee noticed Leticia with her luggage at the entrance.

“Wait, I have a friend who’s joining us,” Leticia said.

“Oh really? I have one too.”

“Seriously?”

“It’s Ro.”

“Oh, him. Lilian said she wanted to try for the appraisal too.”

“Lilian huh?”

Sequencee didn’t know how much preparation they had done in anticipation for this, but one thing he knew for sure was that it definitely wouldn’t be easy.

“System.”

{ACQUIRED GIFTS:

1. [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]; (1st UP: 40)

2. [Passive Trait: Growth Multiplier]^; (2nd UP: 180)

3. [Activated Trait: Focus]; (1st UP: 20)

}

/

{SOULS AVAILABLE: 13.8}

/

{BOOKMARKED GIFTS:

1. [Passive Trait: Observative Elucidation]; (Acquisition: 5)

2. [Passive Trait: Skill Mastery Acceleration]; (Acquisition: 30)

3. [Unique Skill: Soul Nicking]; (Acquisition: 20)

}

/

{GIFTS CATALOG:

=Refreshes in 4 days=

1. [Unique Trait: Moonlight Exponential]; (Acquisition: 15)

2. [Active Skill: Roar]; (Acquisition: 2.5)

3. [Passive Trait: Glib Mouth]; (Acquisition: 10)

4. [Passive Trait: Fast Eating]; (Acquisition: 5)

5. [Active Skill: Magic Amplification]; (Acquisition: 10)

}

“Leticia, how many points do you have now?”

“Me? System. About.. wow, it’s up to 1205.”

Unlike Sequencee, Leticia’s method of acquiring points was: Idiopathy.

Which means unknown.

However, the knack of it which Leticia had found was that more points would be procured if she had encountered a new experience in her life.

Though it could be said as an incredibly random and efficient system to rack up points, the offset to it was that the gifts in her catalog can sometimes cost up to a few thousands of points.

“I’m still a little ways from acquiring [Passive Trait: Experience Multiplier].”

Sequencee’s principle was to acquire as many ‘multiplier’ gifts as possible. While it was great to have something like [Unique Trait: Moonlight Exponential], which boosts his fighting prowess at night, he'd rather invest in the long run and reap the rewards later.

The gift he was saving up for was [Unique Skill: Soul Nicking] was the ability to sever a small portion of a person’s soul to add to points. That way, he wouldn't need to keep killing people.

Souls were incredibly difficult to acquire. Just because someone was killed doesn't mean that Sequencee would earn a point. He would have to absorb it. Souls would flee if he didn’t act fast.

Like a sneaky butterfly, the ectoplasm only he could see released from a dead person would drift in at random.

Till now, Sequencee wasn’t sure where exactly these souls would go. They just somehow vanish if he left it there long enough.

The only reason why Sequencee acquired so many points to acquire the current gifts he had was because of one: his adventures with his mother; and two: the disaster that struck his home town three years ago. Most people by his age barely had two gifts in their arsenal.

Of course, there could be exceptions among them he just didn’t know about. Like Leticia.

Seuqenecee turned to look at the blue sky.

The moment they move to a different region, this sky will no longer look the same.

“Ah! Sequencee, you’re with Leticia again,” a voice boom from behind them.

A girl wearing round rimmed glasses, gray blue eyes and lavender hair tied in a loosely flowing braid.

“Lilian, welcome.” Sequencee greeted.

“Thank you for having me,” she gave a quick bow. Then she struggled to lift the luggage with her two thin arms.

‘What in the world is she bringing?’

It was humongous, almost the size of Leticia and Sequencee’s luggage combined.

“Actually, are we waiting for someone?” Lilian asked.

“We’re waiting for Ro,” Leticia replied.

“That gorilla.”

It was the first time hearing that nickname for Ro. Anyhow..