Solomon approached the stone steps where the pavilion administration stood. He hoisted his greatsword onto his shoulder and looked directly at the grandmaster.
"I need my official mission," Solomon stated. "You mentioned I have to earn my academy star your way. Just tell me what I need to subjugate or destroy."
Master Wu stroked his long white beard and smiled. "You defended the dormitory and eliminated the cultist commander. You neutralized a massive threat to our disciples before we could even deploy our full forces. You have already done more than enough. I will award you the academy star without any further trials."
Pavilion Leader Jin widened his eyes and turned his head. "Master Wu, waiving a pavilion trial is unprecedented in the entire history of the Azure Dragon Sect."
Solomon gripped his pristine steel hilt and immediately shook his head. "I refuse to accept that. Give me a real mission."
Jin and Xian Xue stared at the silver-haired boy in sheer confusion. Students usually begged for easy evaluations. Rejecting a free pass defied common sense.
Solomon kept his posture rigid. ’I know exactly how the world works. People hand out free favors right before they expect you to bleed for them. I will never accept something I have not earned.’
He remembered his fifteenth birthday vividly. He awakened the SSS-rank Convergence talent and became the most sought-after person on the planet. Global guilds, elite corporations, and the government threw luxurious contracts, high-end gear, and free money at his feet. They pampered him like a king.
A year later, the reality set in. He could not figure out how to activate or control his dormant power. The very same organizations that praised his potential instantly kicked him to the curb. They mocked him, sued him for fraud, and labeled him the ’Strongest Loser’ for three agonizing years.
They stripped away every single unearned favor and left his family drowning in debt. Solomon had promised himself on the streets that he would carve out his own worth with his bare hands.
"I do not want your charity," Solomon said. "Just give me a task."
Master Wu looked at the boy and smiled wider.
The grandmaster saw the unyielding fire and passion burning inside the teenager’s eyes. ’It has been ages since I witnessed a warrior possessing such vigor and hunger for true strength. The ancient prophecies speak of a crownless king who yearns for greatness through endless tribulations. This boy embodies that exact spirit.’
"Very well," Master Wu agreed, clasping his hands behind his back. The grandmaster pondered for a brief second before nodding. "Your mission is to teach the Azure Crane Blade. You will select any four students from the Sword Pavilion. You must train them until they master all thirteen steps of the sequence. You have exactly two weeks to complete this task. If they fail to execute the forms flawlessly, you will not receive your star."
Solomon felt the color drain from his face.
He stared at the grandmaster. He fully expected an order to slay a mutated beast, clear out a dangerous dungeon, or duel a senior instructor. The prospect of fighting a dragon sounded far easier than acting as a teacher. He lacked patience and possessed terrible social skills.
"I want a different mission," Solomon protested immediately. "Tell me to fight someone instead."
Master Wu chuckled and waved his sleeve. "I need some time to think about an alternative task. I have to attend a discussion meeting with the pavilion leaders right now. Visit me inside the hall after five minutes."
The grandmaster turned around and walked into the main building alongside Jin and Xian Xue.
Solomon stood on the cobblestones. He decided to wait right outside the doors rather than walking all the way to the dining hall and coming back. He crossed his arms and counted the seconds in his head.
[1Fizzy: bro got assigned a babysitting quest lmao.]
[Chi_Master: teaching four students? Solo Man is going to lose his mind.]
[Fatal_Beauty: Master Wu knows exactly what his weakness is.]
[James_hayes: bro can cut a mountain but cannot talk to people.]
[Berrel: worst mission possible for him.]
Five minutes passed slowly. Solomon pushed the wooden doors open and entered the meeting hall. He found Master Wu sitting at a large oak table with the other instructors.
"Are you ready to give me a combat mission?" Solomon asked.
Master Wu looked up and laughed aloud. "I completely forgot to think about your request. We are discussing the dormitory repairs. I need more time to consider a proper alternative. Come back and see me after half an hour."
Solomon clamped his jaw shut. He turned around and walked out of the hall. He headed toward the Iron Hearth Dining Hall to grab his morning meal.
"Set a timer for exactly thirty minutes," Solomon told the floating bronze owl. "Let me know the second the time runs out."
[Mezz_3863: we got you Solo Man.]
[Grim: timer started.]
[Austin: he is totally stalling you.]
[Foodball: bro is getting played.]
"Hey hey, he is the pavilion master. Respect him," Solomon instructed them. "He isn’t like the teachers from our world, you know. Learn some manners, chat."
Solomon entered the bustling dining hall and grabbed a tray of roasted beast meat. He spotted Arthur, Marco, and Maximus sitting at their usual oak table. He dropped into an empty wooden chair and started eating his food.
"Did you get your assignment from the pavilion master?" Arthur asked, pushing his thick spectacles up his nose.
"He told me to teach four students the Azure Crane Blade," Solomon muttered between bites. "I told him to change it. I am waiting for his final decision right now."
Marco stopped chewing his vegetables. "Teaching the Azure Crane Blade takes months. Doing that in two weeks is a nightmare. But hey, you helped me learn it, so maybe it’s possible."
The thirty minutes eventually passed. The translucent blue interface lit up with notifications.
[Stephen-Wood: TIME IS UP!]
[Dark_Skies: thirty minutes have passed!]
[Yazukoto: go get your combat quest!]
[Last_Fables: timer is done bro.]
Solomon swallowed his food and stood up from the table. He left the dining hall and marched straight back to the main assembly building. He pushed the doors open and approached the grandmaster again.
"Have you thought about my new mission?" Solomon asked.
Master Wu kept the exact same smile on his face. "I have considered your request thoroughly. I refuse to change the mission. You will teach four students the Azure Crane Blade within two weeks."
Solomon froze. He stared at the smiling old man. ’Why did you ask me to wait thirty minutes if you were just going to say no anyway?! You literally just wasted my time on purpose!’
He cursed the grandmaster in his mind and turned around to storm out of the room.
The chat interface hovering near his shoulder exploded with laughing emojis and mocking comments.
[1Fizzy: HE GOT RAGEBAITED AHAHAHA!]
[Mezz_3863: bro asked us to trust the master and got ragebaited in return.]
[James_hayes: Master Wu just trolled you so hard!]
[Fatal_Beauty: bro waited 35 minutes just to get rejected.]
[M00N: the grandmaster is a menace.]
[IceWaterKat: you got played like a fiddle Solo Man.]
[GoonLord: MASTER WU 1, SOLO MAN 0.]
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