Primordial Lust System

"Everything?" Sera breathed, eyeing Aurelian in puzzlement. Wasn't that basic information passed down through families and clans? Didn't he know any of it? She mused, her brows furrowing before smoothing almost instantly.

She'd expected to just brush over the surface of the academy selections, but maybe this was even better. It gave her more time to spend with him, and possibly form a bond. Nodding, her face lit up excitedly as her eyes locked with his before she began, her voice spreading softly through the carriage.

"Very well. In order to understand the academy selections, you'll need to understand everything. Let's start at the very beginning." She cleared her throat before continuing.

"You know why so many people are determined to enter academies rather than guilds? Resources!" she blurted. "What a normal adventurer in a guild would take ten to twenty years to achieve, advancing from E-rank to D-rank—those chosen by academies do in a year, or even months, depending on the rank of the academy they join." Her eyes glimmered faintly with memories of long-past dreams.

Aurelian breathed in deeply, absorbing every word before his brows arched. "Ranks?"

"Huh?" Sera blinked, clarity returning to her eyes as her lips twitched. Did he really know nothing about the academy selections?

Before she could respond, Eira, who'd been sitting quietly beside her—perked up, her face lighting up as her dark eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Yes! The academies are divided into five ranks!" Eira explained eagerly. "There are the Normal Academies for promising geniuses, though even those are at least ten times better than the best adventurer guilds."

Pausing to inhale sharply, she continued, "Then there are the Elite Academies. These are for the awakened with talents far above your average genius. They're the dream academies for most youths." Her tone lifted, full of passion. "After that come the Top-Tier Academies. They're reserved for overwhelming prodigies, only the best of the best ever make it in."

"And then..." she paused, her eyes glowing dreamily, "...then there are the Ancient Academies."

Her breath hitched just saying the name. "The geniuses selected for those far surpass ordinary prodigies like me. But you..." She hesitated, studying the being before her. "Maybe you could join one," she whispered, a giddy giggle slipping out at the thought of speaking to a potential Ancient Academy candidate.

"There are rumors of someone who got accepted into an Ancient Academy and broke through to D-rank in just weeks!" Eira said, sinking deeper into her fantasy before her thoughts drifted far from the topic.

"Enough, Eira!" Sera cut in, chiding softly before turning back to Aurelian with a warm smile. "She gets carried away when she's excited. Don't mind her," she said, shaking her head.

Eira blinked back to awareness, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm... sorry," she mumbled, eyes glued to the floor in embarrassment.

Satisfied, Sera continued. Her expression turned grave, eyes gleaming faintly as she spoke. "The final category... are the Supreme Academies," she said, a note of reverence in her voice.

"No one knows much about them, but their recruitment standards are far higher than even those of the Ancient Academies." She paused, clearly overwhelmed. "But what they all share—or rather, what makes them supreme—is that all of their deans have crossed into the legendary S-rank!"

She breathed the rank's name like a myth.

Aurelian's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued. He could only imagine the extent of power such beings wielded, but not for long. With his current rate of advancement, it was only a matter of time before he too attained that rank... and surpassed it.

He clenched his fists slightly in thought, before Sera's voice broke through his focus.

"There are even rumors that the Supreme Academies stand on equal footing with the Dark Star royal family," she murmured softly, a wary glint flickering in her gaze as if even saying those words bordered on treason.

"Hmm," Aurelian hummed. It was expected, great power often came with great privilege.

A decision began forming in the back of his mind. From what he'd heard, he already knew which academy suited him best: a Supreme Academy.

Partly for the resources and opportunities that would hasten his growth, but more importantly, for the challenge. With so many monstrous geniuses gathered there, he'd be surrounded by the kind of talent that could fuel his progress, and grant him blood-boiling battles.

All these reasons only reinforced his decision. He nodded slightly, a sense of excitement stirring within him before he finally spoke.

"Thanks. Can you tell me more about the event itself?" he asked eagerly.

"No need for appreciation," Sera said with a faint smile. "I'm just repaying you." Her tone shifted, a frown creasing her brow. "As for the event itself, I can't tell you much. It changes every time. What I can tell you about are the preliminaries, they remain constant." She paused, old memories flickering behind her eyes.

"The preliminaries are conducted inside a mystical dungeon artifact," Eira added instinctively. "It's also where ninety percent of the candidates fail..." Her voice grew quiet, a sour look crossing her face. "At least... that's where I was eliminated," she muttered under her breath.

Huh? A mystical dungeon artifact? Ninety percent chance of elimination?

Aurelian leaned forward, interest flaring in his gaze. "Tell me more about these preliminaries," he said.

How bad could it be?

"It's an advanced artifact spread across every city where the academy selections take place," Eira muttered, a thoughtful look stretching across her face. "Within it lies a world of its own, teeming with monsters ranging from F to even E ranks the deeper you venture. Rumors have it there are even D-rank monsters at the heart of its depths." She whispered the last part, the thought itself a little frightening.

"The objective is to gain ten thousand points within the span of three days. Each F-rank slain grants one point, an E-rank grants one hundred, and—if possible—ten thousand points for a D-rank monster." She paused, breathing slowly before clenching her fists in rage. "Maybe I would have made it past the preliminaries if those thieving bastards hadn't stolen my points..."

Aurelian nodded, the implications of her words sinking in. He could see why the preliminaries were a pain in the ass for most.

Some already struggled to kill F-rank monsters in regular combat, with a hundred being considered exemplary. But ten thousand? It was a pipe dream. Especially with such a short time limit. Still, those who emerged at the other end would have proven themselves true geniuses.