"The Core Tower is an Academy!?"
Everlearn asked in shock, and The Boss nodded.
"It is."
"X Guard Academy is officially the number two most high-ranking Corer Academy in the world."
"I'm surprised you're not aware of that," he said, looking at Everlearn, who scratched the back of his head.
"Ever since my Affinity Potential test, I no longer pay attention to Corer-related stuff," he said, and The Boss chuckled understandably.
"This Academy has produced 90% of the X-Guardians in the world today and some of the most powerful Corers on Nvidian."
"In fact, three of the current top ten strongest Corers on Nvidia graduated out of X Guard Academy," he said.
That made Everlearn finally recognize just what was before him.
"If you wish to be a full-fledged X Guardian worthy of the mark on your neck, then you must attend."
"I... I don't have any money on me, though," Everlearn said, making The Boss chuckle.
"You being an X recruit is already part of the advantage of being an X-Guardian."
"Just think of yourself as attending the school on a scholarship program."
"But..." Everlearn mused, his eyebrows creasing.
"My potential is FFF. Am I even worthy of going through that door?" he muttered.
"That's what surprises me, too," The Boss said, and Everlearn turned to him.
"Ash knew about the academy and its requirements for entrance."
"Yet, she recommended you, knowing full well you'd be joining an academy where even C-grade potentials sometimes fail to make the mark," he said.
"Even if you don't wish to be a Corer and only a Mech designer, you still need to have a C-grade potential to be guaranteed entrance," he continued.
"I don't know what Ash was thinking when she recommended you, but..." Here, he paused.
"I know Ash," he said.
"If she believed you could be an X-Guardian, then you could be a Guardian."
"Hmmm,"
"See, Everlearn, I'm not sending you here knowing you're worthy."
"Strictly speaking, you're far from being worthy at all," he said, looking right at him, and Everlearn couldn't argue with that at all.
"I'm sending you here because I believe in Ash's judgment in you, no matter how crazy it may seem."
"If you wish to survive and achieve your wish, then it's time you find out what Ash saw in you and begin believing it too,"
The Boss said, his hoverboard lowering.
Everlearn followed as both of them soon arrived before the revolving glass doors.
"The training will take years, four at least," he said to Everlearn.
"But you're not an ordinary recruit."
"You're already officially a Guardian, so at any time, you could be called out to perform missions as a Guardian."
"The world is vast, Everlearn, and there are many things you are yet to be aware of," The Boss said, falling on one knee, but even then, he was still at Everlearn's eye level.
"While your potential for greatness is really low, the view you hold on the world, the uniqueness of that view, is something I have never seen before," he said, and truly, The Boss meant it.
Ryuk's words back in the vehicle had been really deep, and that unique realization he had wasn't some random statement.
The way he said it was like he had truly lived it and come to his own conclusions.
That was something truly unique.
"If you wish to be great, just like you said..." he said, and from his coat, he slipped out a blue card with a sign, sliding it into Everlearn's hands.
"This card is the pass, and that glass over there..." he said, pointing to the entrance of the Core Tower.
"That is the starting line to your greatest wish," he said.
Everlearn looked silently at the glass before turning to The Boss, who rose to his feet.
The hoverboard beneath his feet merged to become one, and he stood on top of it, slowly flying into the sky.
"We'll meet again, Everlearn Snowfall."
The second the words were completed, The Boss glitched out of existence, disappearing, only for a storm of air to rage in the air, throwing Everlearn's hair around his head, though his gaze remained on the card in his grip.
He turned from it to look at the glass that silently stood there, seemingly waiting for him.
There was nobody around, nor any gaze looking at him.
It gave him the chance to really think, and right now, Everlearn had a single thought.
Should he step in?
A place where even C-grades struggled to get into?
His chance of surviving in that environment wasn't up to 1%. It was full nil.
And him crumbling under pressure or just getting himself killed? That was 100%.
But at the same time, this was it, the second-best academy in the world.
This was the best opportunity he had ever had.
Would he just let that fly past him?
"I..." Everlearn said, backing off the glass.
"I just need more time to think about it," he said, but he had yet to fully turn when the notification flashed.
║Epic Quest Activated: Join The X Guard Academy!║
║Rewards: ???║
║Punishment: Level Up Cards Will Cease To Exist For the Host║
"What!?"
Ryuk screamed out, but he was silenced when the panel flashed.
[Time limit left: 9 seconds...]
"Hey, what do you mean by punishment!?"
[7 seconds left.]
"Hey, stop counting the time down! I'm asking—"
[4 seconds.]
Everlearn gritted his teeth and, in the next moment, he bolted forward through the glass door.
Right in the sky, unknown to Everlearn, was The Boss looking down at him, watching even as he bolted through the door.
And he wasn't alone.
Just beside him was a woman who wasn't floating with a hoverboard but standing in the air with no visible support, a crimson coat draped over her shoulder.
"Oh, he really took the step in." She said with a light giggle.
"Impressive courage, but..." the woman said before turning to The Boss.
"Without a Core in him, he will be dead in a week at most," the woman said, chuckling to herself as The Boss narrowed his eyes.
"Ash recommended him," he said, making the woman's giggling halt, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Is she trying to get rid of him?"
"No." The Boss responded.
"If she were, she wouldn't go through the trouble of researching his background and sending his files to me."
"She's serious about this."
"Are you trying to ask me to interfere?" she asked, and The Boss shook his head.
"No. The only thing I ask you to do is to make sure he doesn't die."
"I'm uncertain how his death will impact Ash, and need more time to fully understand their relationship."
"So for now, simply make sure he lives. Anything else, leave it to his fate."