Game Transcendence

13: Shade Academy

13: Shade Academy
Date Created: Feb.2,2017

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A huge cube like barrier stretched as long as a dozen kilometers in all directions. Inside the barrier, buildings that came straight out of a fantasy were erected. Some were floating while the others released bursts of magical power.

This place was the campus grounds of the ever mysterious Shade Academy.

Kian couldn't help but sigh after he stepped into the transparent barrier and arrived inside the academy. The place was definitely huge. Moreover, seeing a magic academy for the first time was also mesmerizing.

There were a lot of students in the place. Some were even flying  around.

"Flying? Is that a skill?" he couldn't help but stare at the flying players for a second.

There was no doubt that he too wanted to fly. It was man's dream to fly after all, and without a glider but true flight.

However, since he still doesn't know anyone here and still have important things to deal with, he decided to put the matter of flying to the back of his mind first.

He didn't head straight towards the main building where the enrollment occurs. Instead, he headed for the market to sell his gains from the journey.

The market was a huge rectangular building. It was divided into three floors for the Acolyte, Warlock, and Grand Warlock ranked Magi. Of course, Kian could only enter the first floor.

Although it was just the third floor, the items being sold far surpassed that of the things sold at Gloomy Village. Each of the things here were priccled from a hunded Rune Stones up to thousands.

A simple window shopping inside made him aware how deep a player's pocket should be if he wanted to become stronger.

Finally, he decided to choose a small stall that accepted buy and sell and sold away the metal spoons, essence leaves, and a few more items. He got quite a huge sum of money from them which was two hundred Rune Stones. Coupled with the other Rune Stones he got from automatic loootin, he got more than three hundtrd rune Stones.

"I need to become rich and fast!" he said to himself after that round of shopping.

When he was done with all the miscellaneous tasks, he finally decided to go the main building.

On a certainly room, players that didn't wore the Academy's uniforms stood in a line outside. Thanks to the sign outside of the room, Kian was able to identify this place as the venue for the enrollment.

There weren't that many players in line but Kian quickly got restless due to the silent and depressed atmosphere from the guys in front.

He couldn't help but laugh inwardly at their criminal-like faces and thought that they really fitted the word 'Gloom Magi'.

A few minutes later, it was finally his turn.

A frowning old lady in black long robes sat at the center of the room while arranging a stack of papers on a table.

She sent him a glance before she tended back to her work.

"Fill in the form and pay them you get out" she said without looking at him.

Kian felt quite annoyed at this behavior but didn't made a comment. Instead, he approached the form and pen laid out at the table.

After a minute of filling up the form, he pushed it back to the old lady who then took it with an ugly face. She then handed another paper.

"Choose a course and then pay up for the entrance and course fee" she said without giving him another glance.

The list had dozens of courses available. Unlike in the real world, it is not paid in whole for the whole semester but per meeting. However, once you signed up for a course, you had to attend everytime and pay. Lian thought that this rule must be to let players who don't have enough money to save up an enough amount for their tuition fees.

There were a lot of courses that caught his eye but none of them were really suitable for him.

Finally, two courses matched what he had in mind. Dark Element Application and Enchantments Class. The first one was the reason why he entered Shade Academy. The second was to support him in battles especially in emergency situations.

Currently, he had more than eight hundred Rune Stones on his budget. The enrollment fee almost took away all of them. Thankfully, he still had a few hundred more to spend on the courses.

A few minutes later, Kian left the room with a metallic card on his hand. He had a picture on the side with his details as a player. Above was the logo of Shade Academy. This was his identification card.

"I should use this free time to take my first class" he decided and headed to the designated area for Dark Element Application classes.

There were a lot of students whenever he passed by. Just like in the real world, they had different personalities. What surprised him the most was that they ranged from kids younger than him by a few years to even old folks.

"There sure are a lot of players here" he couldn't help but praise the game's ability to attract people.

It took him quite long trying to finding the place. The main building was so huge and had different floors. Whenever he tried to ask other people, they would either ignore him or push him away. This made him quite pisses off.

Finally, he saw a classroom with a placard with written words 'Dark Element Application'.

"Found it!" he sighed as he stood at the entrance.

His eyebrows suddenly furrowed. He felt this room was a bit familiar.

"I already paased by this place at least twice. Ugh!" He groaned before he knocked on the door.

"Come in" an quite hoarse vvoice replied.

Kian entered the room to see the environment change.

Instead of a classroom, what he saw when he entered was a forest filled beautiful plants and animals.

There was an old man wearing elegant green robes drinking tea on the chair.

"A new student I presume?"

He raised an eyebrow at Kian.

"Yes. My name's Silent  Professor Perch"

He replied respectfully.

"Oh such a shame that classes are done. You don't get to meet your seniors. Come back tomorrow and we'll start our lessons"

Professor Perch waved his finger and some letters that he didn't understood appeared on mid-air and then shot a small dark ray at the badge at his robes.

The badge then shot a dark ray of light towards a ring on Professor Perch's ring with an insignia of the Shade Academy.

Kian realized that the spell was an advanced version of what the old woman in the Registrar's office did.

"Then,I'll come tomorrow evening Professor Perch. Goodbye"

He is his goodbyes and quickly logged out s he realized,there were still classes tomorrow in real life.

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What do you think about the Shade Academy guys? Does it fit its title as a Dark Academy?