Chapter 104: The Calm Before the Storm.
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The next morning, Dabi woke up to a peaceful dawn in Darkwood City.
It had been a long time since he'd last been in his childhood home, and the familiarity brought a sense of nostalgia.
After a quick breakfast, Dabi helped his siblings get ready for their first day back at their neighbourhood.
Eli and Mira were eager to explore the city again, and their excitement was contagious.
Fen and Whity and Nyx, Dabi's three spirit pets, were also up early, their bright eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Nafo, ever the silent guardian, trailed behind them, keeping a close eye on the two younger siblings.
His siblings will visit their old school to meet with the friends with fen and whity.
As Dabi saw them off, he reminded Nafo to stay close but not interfere. Nafo nodded, his expression serious. "Don't worry, Dabi. I'll keep them safe from a distance."
With everything set for his siblings, Dabi turned his attention to his own tasks for the day. He received a call from Zen, who sounded excited on the other end. "Dabi! I'll be at the town square in an hour. Meet me there?"
Dabi agreed, making his way through the bustling streets of Darkwood City.
The academy entrance exams were scheduled to take place at the town square, and the atmosphere was lively.
The square was filled with students and their families, all eager for a chance to prove themselves.
As Dabi neared the square, he saw the large stage where the exams would be held. His heart quickened at the sight of it.
The last time he had been here, he was a year, low-level student. Now, he returned as a top recruiter for Astral Heaven Academy.
At the square, Dabi met with Farak Ferrin, one of the teachers from Astral Heaven. Farak, a man with sharp eyes and an imposing presence, greeted Dabi with a nod.
"Glad you made it, Dabi. I'll be monitoring the exams closely, but I want you to assist in selecting the best candidates. Dabi think he will use his insight skills to see what others can't."
Dabi nodded. "I understand, Teacher Farak. I'll do my best to choose wisely."
Just then, Zen arrived, looking more energetic than usual. Beside him was a young girl with long silver hair and sharp features. Dabi recognized her immediately Zen's sister, Jeni.
She had grown a lot since Dabi last saw her, and he could sense a strong mana aura radiating from her.
However, what surprised Dabi was the way Jeni stared at him. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked at him in disbelief.
"Is that really Dabi?" Jeni whispered to Zen, her voice filled with surprise. The last time she had seen Dabi, he had been weak and frail.
Now, he stood tall, muscular, and undeniably handsome. She struggled to reconcile the image in her mind of the boy she remembered with the man standing before her now.
Zen chuckled. "Yep, that's him. Hard to believe, right?"
Jeni blushed but quickly composed herself as Dabi approached. He smiled warmly at her. "You've grown a lot, Jeni. I hear you've awakened a unique ice attribute. That's impressive."
Jeni nodded, still a bit dazed by the change in Dabi. "Thank you, Dabi."
Farak Ferrin, who had been observing the exchange, stepped forward. "Let's see if you can show us what that ice talent of yours can do in the exam. Give it your best."
Jeni nodded again, her resolve returning. "I won't disappoint you."
As Jeni left to join the other examinees, Dabi turned his attention back to the crowd. He activated his insight skill, carefully scanning the students for hidden talents that might not be obvious on the surface.
Most students with legendary or rare classes had promising potential, but Dabi knew that many of them would likely choose to attend the top five academies.
Astral Heaven, once a renowned academy, had fallen in reputation in recent years, and it wasn't easy to compete with the likes of Celestia Academy, the current number one.
Despite this, Dabi found three students with rare talents that could benefit Astral Heaven.
They had uncommon abilities that, with the right training, could make them formidable warriors.
However, what really caught Dabi's attention was a student named Kiba. On the surface, Kiba's results were unimpressive.
His exam scores placed him in the last tier, and many had already dismissed him as a low-potential recruit.
But Dabi's insight revealed something incredible: Kiba had a hidden "super growth" talent, one that could allow him to surpass even the most gifted students if nurtured in the right environment.
"This one is special," Dabi thought to himself. "He might look weak now, but with the right training, he could become one of the strongest."
By the time the exams ended, Dabi had made his final selections. Along with Kiba, he had chosen three others with rare talents.
Satisfied with his choices, he rejoined Farak Ferrin and the other teachers in the hall where the final decisions would be made.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense, mostly due to the presence of teachers from Celestia Academy.
Dabi's eyes narrowed as he spotted Vladimir, the senior teacher of Celestia Academy, sitting at the center of the room with an air of arrogance.
Beside him stood Reniel Vantore, a student Dabi was all too familiar with. Reniel noticed Dabi's arrival and immediately began mocking him.
"Well, if it isn't the 'fallen' students of Astral Heaven," Reniel sneered. "I thought your academy would have closed down by now. What's it like recruiting students from the bottom of the barrel?"
Dabi clenched his fists but chose not to engage. He had promised himself not to rise to Reniel's provocations. However, Reniel wasn't finished.
"Did I say you could walk away, commoner?" Reniel grabbed Dabi's shoulder, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You think you can ignore me? You're just a lowly nobody. I'm a noble, and you should learn your place."
Reniel launched an attack, aiming a mana-infused strike at Dabi.
With lightning reflexes, Dabi blocked the attack and countered with a swift space manipulation move, kicking Reniel hard in the stomach.
Reniel flew back, crashing into the wall with a loud thud.
Before Dabi could react, Vladimir stood up, enraged. "How dare you attack my student, you lowly commoner!" He charged at Dabi, his hand glowing with mana as he aimed a blast at him.
Just as the attack was about to land, Farak Ferrin appeared in front of Dabi, effortlessly blocking Vladimir's mana blast. "Attacking a student, Vladimir? Have you no shame?"
Vladimir scoffed. "Shame? You, of all people, talk about shame? Your academy is nothing but a shadow of what it once was. Astral Heaven is finished, Farak, and you know it.
I heard you will be taking part this this year's national raking. We'll crush you in the national rankings. In fact, I'm willing to bet on it."
Farak's eyes narrowed. "If you're so confident, let's make this interesting. A public apology and 10 million gold coins if you lose."
Vladimir laughed mockingly. "10 million gold? Do you even know what that looks like?"
Dabi think this guy Vladimir is mocking Astral heaven academy and Professor Farek about money. I still have the black bank card which Headmaster gave me. Let show him it's the highest rank card a bank can issue.
Without a word, Dabi stepped forward, holding out a black bank card, the kind only issued to accounts holding over 1 billion gold. "What do you say now?"
Vladimir's laughter faltered, he is in shock think how a low level academy have this bank card.
He thinks I can't show any expression, he maintained his arrogance. "Fine. You've got a deal." They signed a contract, sealing the wager.
As the tension in the room settled, Farak turned to Dabi. "You've done well today, Dabi.
(Note:Farak knows about the bank card he his headmaster son, Of course he will know.)
But when we return to the academy, I'll be putting you and the other top students through intense combat training. We'll need it if we're going to win that tournament."
Zen, who had been gathering the chosen students, arrived just in time, unaware of what had just transpired. "Everything's set, Dabi. We've gathered the students who will receive offers."
Dabi nodded, still feeling the weight of the confrontation with Reniel and Vladimir. This was just the beginning, and the real challenge lay ahead.
Zen bought 20 students in total. Farak tells you all are welcome to join our astral heaven academy.
Those who have money problem can revive scholarship. If you want to join just fill the form submit it with in next 3 days. We will be leaving after 3 days.
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