NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Basic Guide Training
Basic Guide Training was one of the most boring things anyone could imagine.
At least that was Lane's opinion.
But Lane has never been a studious type. If someone were to ask him what he thought about any of the subjects back when he was still at school, he would likely give the same answer.
If there was any difference, it was that at least this time he knew what the lecturer was talking about. Guides, Espers, dungeons, Gates, monsters, Mana… Wavelengths and compatibility… Dungeon raids… The importance of guiding… Lane already knew all of that and more.
Of course, that didn't change the fact that sitting behind the desk in the lecture hall was simply insufferable, but at least there was no need for him to listen. He could stare blankly at the slide show and daydream, while playing with his pen to keep himself busy.
Having gone through it several times, there was no way he wouldn't pass the exam at the end anyway.
Still, his patience when it came to sitting still in class was rather limited. Before long, his eyes started wandering around the classroom, looking his classmates up and down.
Aside from Lane, there were eleven other newbie Guides, seven girls and four guys, most ranging from late teens to early twenties, with the eldest being maybe around 25 years old. A slightly smaller group than Lane was used to.
Were there fewer people having their awakenings than usual? That seemed unlikely. Based on the research, being exposed to a high enough amount of Mana could provoke the awakening. And, since with the recent massive dungeon break there was plenty of Mana fluctuation in the city, the number of the new Awakened should rather increase.
Then perhaps due to the heightened need for Guides, the Association added more courses? That seemed far more plausible. Otherwise, wouldn't it be too good of luck for Lane to be able to sign up for one within a few days of his new possession? Typically, he would have to wait a week or two.
Either way, it was convenient for him, so Lane didn't complain.
He turned his eyes to his left, looking for someone to talk to to ease the boredom. He had already long abandoned his shy persona. It got just too boring after a little while. And it wasn't like anyone at the Association knew Noah, so there was no need to keep up the appearances. He could comfortably switch to something more fun.
But the girl sitting next to him seemed completely absorbed in the lecture, even going so far as taking notes. Even when Lane tried to catch her attention, she only threw him a cold glance, before turning back to the front.
So, he shifted his gaze to the right.
Luckily, judging by the dazed look on his face, the guy sitting there shared Lane's opinion regarding the class.
"It's so freaking boring, isn't it?" Lane whispered as soon as their eyes met. "I mean, isn't it all just common knowledge these days? Show us something interesting, or give us some practical training, if they really need us to have some formal qualifications…"
A burning gaze that seemed to want to drill a hole in him fell on the back of Lane's head, but he ignored it. He purposely made his voice loud enough for the girl to hear. Annoying her was part of the fun, after all.
"I know, right?" The guy next to him scoffed in response. "It's like they want to bore us to death… Maybe it's their way of brainwashing us, so that we would join the Association?"
Lane couldn't help but chuckle. He kind of agreed, as he also found the Association rather stiff and overall unpleasant… But he was curious, how the guy would react if he heard that Lane had already signed the contract?
Just as he was about to answer, though, there was a knock on the door, and a tall man entered.
Lane's eyes widened, his attention immediately stolen away.
Damien Lennox. It was already the second time he had run into the man, despite it not having even been a week since his new possession.
…Of course, Lane didn't mind. Any interruption of the tedious lecture was very much welcome, as well as having a handsome face - and sexy figure - to look at.
His eyes followed Damien as he walked over to the lecturer, exchanging a few words in a low voice.
"Do you think something happened? Think there is a chance of having the lecture canceled?" the guy next to him asked.
Lane shrugged his shoulders, taking a glance at his classmate. "Hmm… I don't know. Would be nice though…"
It was unlikely to be anything serious. There were no alarms going on, and Damien didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. Besides, their lecturer was merely an E-ranker. Even if there was an emergency, he wasn't good enough to be urgently needed…
Analyzing the situation, Lane's eyes unwillingly drifted back to the front, until he found himself staring straight into a pair of beautiful emerald eyes.
Damien Lennox was looking at him, his brows furrowed.
Lane was momentarily taken aback, but he didn't think much of it. Knowing Damien, he was probably disapproving of Lane talking in class. So, Lane just raised his brows in response. Acting as if he's done no wrong was the best solution.
And sure enough, after staring at Lane for a few more seconds, Damien looked away without a single word, turning to the rest of the class instead.
"Ahem! This is Team Leader Damien Lennox, an S-rank Esper working for our Awakened Association, here in the Headquarters," the lecturer introduced the man to the class. "We will be taking a little break now, as he has an announcement to all of you."
Damien nodded at the man, before taking a step forward. "Good morning everyone. First of all, congratulations on your awakening. I am sure that all of the changes you are going through might seem intimidating, but we at the Awakened Association are here to assist you in learning anything you might need to embark on your new path. As you are going through your training…" "You might…" "Career…"
Lane squinted his eyes, trying hard to stifle a yawn. The timbre of Damien's voice was truly pleasant, deep and mellow, but the monotone he was speaking in was simply sleep-inducing…
Still, he forced himself to listen. An interruption like that didn't normally happen during the training sessions, so who knew? Perhaps Damien did have something interesting to say.
And as it turned out, Lane's expectations were eventually fulfilled.
"…As a result of the staff shortages, we currently do not have enough active full-time Guides to support all of our teams. Therefore, we are looking for new recruits to join us for the routine dungeon inspections," Damien's tranquil voice continued. "I understand that you might not feel ready to enter the dungeons yet, considering it hasn't been long since you have awakened. However, if you were to become a part of my team, I can assure you-"
"Me, me!" Lane practically jumped up from his seat, lifting his hand high in the air. "I want to join! I want to do the inspections!"
Damien paused, his face immediately turning more stern, as his eyes fell on Lane once again.