Chapter 53 | Being A Pawn & 1,000,000
Chapter 53: 53 | Being A Pawn & 1,000,000
"If Andrew survives the tournament... he and the top 10 students will be allowed to enter that secret dimension."
Principal Constant continued calmly. "Once he enters... he is no longer under my protection. You may pursue him inside. If you can kill him there... that is your ability."
The three patriarch’s glanced ar each other. This proposal was far more acceptable but also vicious. It was like a blackmail. In fact, it was true blue blackmail.
But they throught it was reasonable. They would do the same too and try to maximize Andrew’s value to the fullest before discarding him.
Andrew would be in their territory, in a dimension they knew far better than he did, surrounded by their people and their resources. The odds would be overwhelmingly in their favor.
"Oh. One more thing, If Andrew dies inside... so be it. But if he survives... the feud ends. No more assassins, revenge, or more conflict."
The three family heads fell silent. This was the real catch. If Andrew somehow survived, then they would have to let the grudge go. They would have to accept that their children’s deaths would go unavenged, that the son of a traitor had bested their children.
Although reluctant to expose part of their family’s greatest secret, they believed Andrew had virtually no chance of surviving.
The tournament would be brutal, and even if he made it through that, the secret dimension would finish him off. They were essentially being asked to trade a small risk for a guaranteed kill.
Eventually...
"...Very well. We accept."
The agreement was made.
---
Back inside the academy’s medical bay...
Andrew slowly sat upright on the bed. The wound on his chest had completely healed, leaving only a faint scar, but the internal damage took longer to repair.
However... His left eye was gone.
Bloodline Ignition had permanently sacrificed it.
Unless he transformed into his Titan Form and used its regenerative abilities, the missing eye would remain exactly as it was. The Titan bloodline had incredible regenerative properties, given enough time and energy, it could regrow lost limbs, repair damaged organs, even restore destroyed tissue.
But transforming inside the academy hospital was the last thing he wanted to do. The transformation was impossible to hide. If he did it here, the destructive thunder might destroy the medic bay.
So he could managed to live with one eye for now.
Beside him, Monica smiled in relief when she saw him sitting up. "You finally woke up."
"I’m fine," Andrew replied.
"How long has it been?"
"You’ve been asleep for about 4 hours I think." Monica then rose as she quietly snuggled and hugged his chest.
Andrew smiled awkwardly as her plump breasts pressed softly agaisnt his chest.
The tow said nothing and just played in each other’s embrace. They just wanted to pretend, for a few minutes, that everything was normal.
Before they could continue much longer, the door suddenly opened.
Principal Constant entered alongside two teachers. He moved with the same calm, flow that Andrew had witnessed in the stadium
"I need to speak with Andrew alone," he said, his eyes flicking to Monica.
Monica hesitated, her gaze moving to Andrew as if seeking permission. Andrew nodded slightly, and she reluctantly stood, allowing the teachers to escort her outside. She cast one last look back at Andrew before the door closed behind her.
Leaving only Andrew and the Principal inside the room.
The silence lasted only a second.
Then—
"Hahaha!"
Principal Constant suddenly burst into loud laughter. It was so unexpected, that Andrew actually flinched slightly. The Principal laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, his head thrown back, his shoulders shaking.
He even clapped his hands together, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
"You really are one interesting brat!" he said, still chuckling. "I like you. I really like you."
Andrew blinked, unsure of how to respond. This was not the reaction he had expected. He had expected anger, or disappointment, or cold calculation. He had not expected... amusement.
The Principal grinned. "You really take after your father."
Andrew froze.
"...You knew my father?"
"I did." The Principal nodded, his expression softening slightly. "But that story can wait. There are more important matters."
Andrew clenched his fists. Ever since his father’s name had been branded as that of a traitor... He had searched endlessly for the truth. He had asked questions, pried into records, tried to find anyone who had known Alistar Daeth before the betrayal. Yet nobody had ever been willing to tell him anything. They would clam up, change the subject, or simply walk away.
Seeing Andrew’s disappointment, Principal Constant sighed. "I promise. When the time comes... I’ll tell you everything. But not today."
His expression suddenly became serious. "You currently have two choices. The first... You die."
Andrew remained silent. It wasn’t really a choice, and they both knew it.
"The second... You listen carefully to every word I’m about to say."
Andrew nodded. "I’m listening."
The Principal crossed his arms. "From today onward, you cannot casually leave the academy. The three families cannot openly attack you here—they made that agreement, and they’ll honor it, at least for now. But the moment you step outside... They will send assassins. They won’t stop. They’ll hunt you until you’re dead."
Andrew frowned. "They can’t arrest me?"
Principal Constant shook his head. "No. What happened inside the Beginner Village happened inside another world. The laws of Earth do not apply there. You will never be convicted for killing them. But..." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Their families don’t care about the law. They only want revenge."
Andrew frowned. "They can’t arrest me?"
Principal Constant shook his head. "No. What happened inside the Beginner Village happened inside another world. The laws of Earth do not apply there. You will never be convicted for killing them. But..." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Their families don’t care about the law. They only want revenge."
Andrew nodded silently. It made sense, in a twisted way. The law was supposed to protect people, to provide justice, to ensure that crimes didn’t go unpunished. But the law was also slow, cumbersome, and full of loopholes. For families as powerful as the Crimsons and their allies, the law was more of an inconvenience than a barrier.
"The second matter. The Monthly Tournament begins in one week. You need to become much stronger before then. The descendants they’ll send against you are all students of the Elite and some Supernal Class. They’ve trained with mana since childhood. They’re elite among elites. They’ll do everything possible to kill you."
Andrew simply nodded. He had expected as much. The tournament wouldn’t be a fair fight—it would be a slaughter, designed to end his life in a way that was technically legal.
"And finally... The secret dimension." Principal Constant’s expression softened slightly. "If you somehow survive the tournament... You’ll enter the secret dimension. It is overflowing with treasures. Ancient inheritances. Rare herbs. Powerful artifacts. Unknown opportunities. But it’s also incredibly dangerous. The three families know that world far better than you. They’ll undoubtedly attempt to eliminate you there."
Andrew frowned. "So I’ll be walking straight into their territory."
"Exactly. But I won’t send you alone. I’ll dispatch several senior academy students into the dimension. They won’t openly protect you—they can’t, without breaking the agreement. But if the opportunity arises... They’ll lend you a hand."
Andrew remained thoughtful before finally asking, "...What’s in it for you?"
Principal Constant laughed. "Straight to the point." He looked out the window, his gaze going distant. "Years ago... Your father saved my life. Twice. I owed him a debt I could never repay."
His gaze returned to Andrew. "So now... I’m repaying that debt."
Andrew slowly lowered his head. He didn’t know what to say. The revelation that his father had saved the Principal’s life—twice—added another piece to the puzzle of who Alistar Daeth had really been. It was more evidence that the official story of betrayal was incomplete at best, outright false at worst.
"I understand."
"Good." The Principal stood. "One last thing. You’ve officially awakened as an Ultra. You need to register with the Ultra Association and receive your identity card, hunter license, and access to treasures and dimensional missions."
Andrew immediately thought of the assassins. "What about the families?"
Principal Constant smiled. "They’ll be waiting. So... I’ll personally escort you to the Ultra Association. Let’s see who dares attack you while you’re walking beside me. We leave at first light tomorrow. Hahahaha!" He laughed as he left.
---
After Principal Constant left, silence once again filled the medical ward.
Andrew leaned back against the hospital bed and let out a long sigh.
The conversation had been a lot to process—
It felt like his life had become a complicated game of chess, with him as the pawn that everyone wanted to capture.
"So this is what power feels like..." he muttered to himself.
He slowly took out his phone from his pocket.
Balance: $1,000,000.00