Shoutout to Artimara and Shant Boles for supporting me in my patron. Thanks a lot for all the support! 

*** 

If Nik's intention was to incite the fatty behind him and take advantage of the situation to demonstrate his physical prowess, it was Nik's turn to be surprised as the fatty smiled wryly and scratched the back of his wrinkly head, "No worries. We all were kids back then. Even now, many of us worry for you, Nik. And to think that someone named Faran sacrificed his own life... sigh," The youth sighed deeply and spoke with a remorseful expression, "I will personally ask the patriarch to set things right. Even our alcohol addled brains can differentiate between formality and kindness. This Faran person must have been a kindred spirit with an extraordinary heart."

Since Nik couldn't incite the youth, he dropped the intentions and the speech he had prepared in case a fight occurred and nodded, "Faran was a good person."

'Also a nonexistent one at that,' He added internally. The rest of the time, the youth did not engage Nik with a conversation but kept Nik under his sad gaze. Apparently, aside from being traditional, a better half of the population was quite sentimental, too.

"Next. Nik Faran, step forward and place your palm on the Soul Measuring Rock."

The gruff-faced, bearded, middle-aged man spoke with the parchment in his palms replaced for the umpteenth time. Besides the rock, Nik could observe three refined gentlemen observing the recruitment process. Two of them were considerably old while the third one stood a foot's distance behind with short brown hair and parted mustache.

Taking a step forward, Nik gingerly tapped the large crystal boulder. A thin strand of energy slipped into Nik's body and quickly made a round trip into his body before coursing into the crystal boulder.

A small part of the crystal boulder illuminated in blue light. The illuminated area was almost 10% of the entire crystal. The result made the surrounding examinees sneer, but many held back after learning Nik's supposedly hidden origin.

"Rank 10, Spirit Scholar. Identify your Spirit."

Nik nodded and, amidst the rare few who openly jeered and hurled insults at him, his body flashed crimson. For a moment, everyone in the open field flinched when they felt the untame eldritch forces unfurling into the surroundings with Nik as the center. In front of the narrowed eyes of the spectators, an unsheathed broadsword emerged from Nik's chest as it floated midair until Nik grasped the black hilt formed from the pitch-black bone. A small, humanoid skull, black in color, decorated the lower edge of the hilt.

"This is my tool spirit, Lilith."

Nik smiled as the sharp chime of the sword finally broke the surrounding examinees out of their stupor.

"Isn't the Gin Family supposed to have a lineage of... tool spirit cauldrons? Since when did they have members with cauldrons shaped as a broadsword?"

A lone examinee inquired. Of course, his foolish remark went completely unnoticed as one of the three gentlemen, the one with untied grey hair whispered something into the ears of the old man with his hair tied up into a bun. The middle-aged examiner, on the other hand, quickly recovered his wits and nodded.

"Nik Faran. Rank 10 Spirit Scholar. No spirit rings."

The finality of Nik's status made a better half of examinees sigh in relief. But Nik had arrived here with the intention of raising hell. So, with a smile, he looked at the three people who probably called the shots here.

"I am here to teach kids about the art of combat."

"Alright, then. Wait for the results of this preliminary—"

"Look here, everyone!"

Nik roared instantly. Seeing that his words were misunderstood to be directed for the examiner himself, Nik decided to raise a commotion that even Ray couldn't have managed to. Of course, it wasn't a competition... but if it were, Nik would probably win.

"This is my index finger."

Nik spoke somberly and raised his index. Everyone couldn't help but get attracted to his movements. From the moment he arrived, Nik's existence has remained somewhat of a mystery to everyone. Hailing from a noble lineage known for their Cauldron tool spirits, Nik exposed a broadsword that even terrified the elders out of their wits. The greater the person was in the art of manipulating energy, the better they could feel the unadulterated need for blood and agony that Nik's broadsword chimed for.

"And this is the spirit crystal."

Nik tapped his index onto the Crystal Boulder while mobilizing forty strands of gravity and condensed the invisible strands into a tough ball. His past practices allowed Nik to hold the gravitational potential of the condensed mass of gravitational force before he let it rotate right on his fingertip to increase the momentum.

Finally, Nik took his finger away and let the rotating mass of gravitational pull in the immediate contact with the Spirit Boulder. Not to mention the fact that the pull was greater than the natural gravitational pull by 100%!

The boulder instantly crackled as everyone present could feel a strange force sucking them into the fingertip-sized hold that formed over the crystal boulder.

Alarmed, everyone within the scene mobilized their spirits. Eagles, Apes, Lions, Trees, and Weapons of all sorts of varieties with multiple colored rings floating around each body erupted while Nik eyes the slowly crackling crystal boulder with keen observation.

It was only after the strange pressure dispersed and the boulder was in the pieces that Nik looked around and smiled widely.

"Isn't this an honor? To be able to terrify the spirit masters without the use of spirit! That is my martial path. A teacher's job is to impart knowledge to the children. Our future, if I may be so bold to proclaim, lie in the hands of the kids that this institute teaches. And if I have something to offer, I will!

I am not here for the money," Nik turned his head and nailed the elders down with his gaze, "Neither am I here for the reputation. I am here to secure my future. The cultivation of spirit can never achieve this effect," Nik gestured towards the broken crystal boulder, "With a mere index. And yet, my body did. Won't you feel proud of the younger generation of the Glory City if they can threaten the enemy Spirit Masters belonging to the Dark Guild without any use of spirit?

I know, I will!"

Nik grinned. He was satisfied. Everything he had committed was for this particular moment. Instantly, his dormant Pheromones activated and stealthily guided the intentions of the decision-makers. Since they were already dazzled by his performance, this was the best moment to tilt their decisions in his favor and even if the intended reply never came to him and he was asked to return to the group, the changes in his quest panel made him smile internally.

[Main Quest— 2

Changing Patterns:

Use your current footing in the Holy Orchid Institute to disrupt the current pattern of treating commoners with contempt. Use your position as a teacher to good use.

Quest Requirements— To personally assist a total of five students of your class to become Rank 31 Spirit Grandmaster. Three of them must be commoners without any connection with the aristocrats.

Quest Completed: 0/5

Time Period: 2 Years

Rewards: 15 Stat Points, 13 Skill Points, 55000 SO, Skill Scroll (Purple)×1

Penalty: Death

Note: Should the host become unable to maintain the current position that allows him to complete the quest, it would be deemed as a failure and the appropriate penalty will be executed.]

Of course, after he saw the contents, Nik wished to curse. After all, this is what teachers deserved, right? Death, if they failed to make their students a walking animal killing machine. Nik sighed internally. Meanwhile, the area around him was emptied. Nobody wished to get close to him, even the previous fatty. Who knew if Nik still retained his violent tendencies and instead of demonstrating it on a crystal boulder decided to turn his attention to a human one. Who would the fatty cry to then?

Forget about putting a good word for Nik in front of the patriarch, it would be hard enough to conceal the news!

To destroy a crystal boulder with an index finger was something that only the Rank 50 Spirit Ancestors are capable of. It was also due to the accumulated spirit energy slowly refining their physique over the period of time. After all, they were humans! They wielded spirits to fight off against spirit beasts with greater physical strength. But Nik here did the opposite.

He was a human beast!