Chapter 180: Chapter 166 : PA Meeting

“Mason Doon’s the name. Nice to meet you, young man,” the blonde-haired middle-aged man said as he offered his large hand.

Ralf took it at once. “Ralf Fawkes, nice to meet you too,” he returned while flashing a friendly smile.

Mason shook his head. “Young man, you need no introductions, I’ve heard all about you.”

“Oh…” The handshake came undone and Ralf returned to his bedside. “...good things, I hope,” he mused as he plopped down.

The middle-aged man’s face cracked into many fissures at the words. “Absurd…is more like it.”

“Yep, that sounds about right,” Ralf nodded proudly. “So, how are we going about this? Are we going to conduct the meeting here?”

“If you want, we can do it here…though, I had something fancier in mind.” Mason moved to the balcony as he said, before glancing out and continuing. “Near the top of the mountain, there’s a certain 5-star restaurant that serves food and drinks fit for the Divines. I say we hold the meeting there, what do you think? My treat, of course.”

“Sold. Let’s go then.”

Following the exchange, the pair, much like most student/ Personal Advisor pairs, left Prime to have their first meeting.

Mason Doon, a Rank 5 Telekinetic, conjured a Psi vehicle and in it, the two cruised to the nearby train platform. The trains moved in regular intervals so it wasn’t long before the pair was in motion again.

The sleek white train slithered up the mountain and coughed up the pair when it neared the top. With only a hundred metres to cover, the two opted to walk. A few minutes and a small ‘detour’ later, the pair arrived at their destination, Enivid.

“There is no one size that fits all; individuals have individual needs, and that’s where Personal Advisors come in. Personal Advisors or PAs for short; every student is assigned one upon enrolling. A PA has many roles to fulfil, but essentially, the crux of the job is to ensure that their assigned student constantly progresses. They constantly assess their student’s data to find problematic areas or areas their assigned student needs improving on, and then present solutions backed up by proven research and statistics.”

“Mmm…”

Mason’s words didn’t slow at Ralf’s ‘response’, knowing it was purely superficial in nature.

“So, if say, you’re lacking in the physical department, the PA will focus on an exercise regimen. If you’re lacking in norin combat, your PA will arrange training sessions with norin combat experts. If you’re lacking in…well, you get the point.”

Ralf blinked slowly in response, too lazy to nod. Mason took it in stride and continued with his points.

“PAs set schedules and help their assigned student manage their free time to ensure that their Academy life runs as smoothly as possible. That said, we’re Advisors. Our words and designs are ultimately suggestions; they can be ignored. The Hunter Academy greatly values autonomy, so such actions are permissible. Though, it’s not recommended,” the PA shook his head as past examples came to mind. “If a student really has a problem with their PA, they can easily replace them with another, regardless of how light their reasoning is. However, everyone has to have one, that’s a must.”

“Mmm…”

Mason paused his words to wet his lips. Reaching for the glass stem, he looked at his opposite neighbour and couldn’t help but show a wry smile.

‘I wonder how much of that got through to him,’ he thought as captured his assigned student’s dazed look.

The PA’s gaze drifted past the array of now spotless plates to the cause of said look, Ralf's peculiar beverage. The wryness in Mason’s expression doubled at the sight.

Instead of alcohol as Mason and every other customer had opted for, the Transmigrator was sipping on a strawberry milkshake. The presence of the fast food drink was jarring in the classy setting and garnered Ralf no shortage of strange looks.

On the way to the restaurant, Ralf had spotted a milkshake in the hands of a third-year student passing by and immediately inquired about how to get one. The friendly student pointed him to a nearby building and Ralf, after thanking him, bolted into the establishment and bought five milkshakes with the few credits he had to his name.

Mason had praised the restaurant’s selection of wines to high heavens, but Ralf dismissed his recommendations, stating that the “real drink worthy of the Gods was already in his hands”.

The sight of Ralf’s face melting in pleasure caused bizarre expressions to break out on Mason’s and the observing crowd’s faces. The Transmigrator’s name, deeds and footage had made the rounds among the Academy staff and most people in the restaurant recognised him for who and what he was - at least, this is what they thought until capturing his current form.

‘Aha, to think this is the monster everyone is so shaken up by, it’s kind of ridiculous…and yet, these unassuming types are the scariest in a way - ah, come on Mason, focus.’

Seeing Ralf’s head tilting action at his prologued silence, Mason quickly broke himself out of his thoughts and moved to continue his exposition. Ralf had asked to be treated like any other student, and he would oblige, at least on this front.

“As you may have heard already, tomorrow, all students will undergo the Comprehensive Assessment Test or CAT for short. This several-hour-long test serves to accurately capture a student’s physical, mental and psionics abilities. The data gathered from these CATs are extremely valuable for us PAs. From it, we can easily identify problem areas and such. Ralf, you may not know this, but most students have to undergo a less extensive CAT when they apply to the Academy. The results from that test strongly determine whether one will be accepted or not. Students like yourself, who skipped doing the test, are the exception.”

“Exceptional I am, I see,” Ralf deigned to utter before regluing his lips to his straw.

Mason nodded. “Exceptional indeed. That said, while you didn’t take the test, I have more than enough data to work with. Though, after attempting to plot them on my charts, I quickly realised I needed bigger charts. Haa, you’re really something, young man.”

The PA took a quick sip before continuing.

“It’s ridiculous. I’m not joking when I say this, but you’re beyond teaching at this point…at least by me and my fellow staff. Norin combat, Psi combat, real combat experience…you’ve already got it all. Forget being a student, you could be a teacher.”

‘Mmm, now that’s an idea,’ Ralf thought in-between Mason’s words.

“Skill-wise, you’re already in the upper echelon of Hunters, your Psi Rank just needs to catch up. When I was assigned you, my colleagues congratulated me, saying that I was given a three-year-long vacation. At the time, I didn’t know what they were talking about…but after watching the many videos of you and learning all there was to know, I can’t help but agree. The next three years of my life will be smooth sailing.”

Mason’s gaze shifted from Ralf to the crimson whirlpool that was his alcohol.

“Where most students arrive as diamonds in the rough, needing some cutting and polishing, you’ve come as a complete one, perfectly cut and dazzling enough to blind on sight,” the PA said, his own eyes dazzling like illuminated diamonds.

Ralf smiled at the genuine praise. “Many thanks, your words are…truthful,” he said, causing Mason to break into a hearty chuckle.

“Ahaha, yes, exactly as I’ve heard. Well, your arrogance is earned. And so is your free time.”

“Hm?”

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“Yes, you heard me right. Compared to your fellow students, you’ll have way more free time - at least when it comes to PA-scheduled activities. The ball will be in your court on this. I’ll follow your lead. Clearly, the Silver Path’s training methods have served you well. I’ll continue to monitor you and do tests like normal, but I doubt you’ll fall off…then again, you’re so high up, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell even if you did.”

After letting off a humorous sigh, Mason continued.

“Anyways, Ralf, while I don’t think I can do much to improve your combat-related abilities, I’m not totally useless to you. PAs are responsible for many things. If you have queries that need answering or want to book a session in a training facility or require certain Assistants or potions, you can count on me to handle it. I’ll arrange everything to the best of my ability,” Mason said seriously, even tapping his chest with his fist.

“I see, will do then,” Ralf said, reassured.

“Good, now let’s move on. I’ll go over some of the basics.”

Saying this, Mason did just that.

Everything he spoke about next were things covered in the Student Guidebook Ralf had been given, in other words, things Ralf was already aware of. The Transmigrator didn’t interrupt though - he couldn’t. The next round of plates had arrived and he would have his hands and mouth full dealing with them. Mason hadn’t lied or exaggerated, the food the restaurant served was indeed fit for the Divines.

“Rules and regulations; other than the seemingly random flying restrictions, everything else is pretty much common sense. No excessive use of Psi, no damaging property, no harming your fellow students or staff…also, no shows of external power are allowed. Using one’s status to intimidate or coerce others into doing one’s bidding, win events or cheat the system….all attempts will be met with harsh punishment.”

“....Given that students come from all parts of Inis, a common problem we encounter at the Academy is proxy wars between students from rivalling/ antagonist factions, nations, regions, ideologies…you name it. We curb this behaviour as much as possible, but it still happens. It’s inevitable. Most of the time these things take the form of pissing contests and name-calling, which is fine, but on a few occasions, it has devolved into something serious. The Silver Path is an unknown, with no known enemies. But mystery invites eyes and eyes invite the rest of the body, fists included. Knowing how capable you are, I can’t say I’m too worried, still, keep your wits about you...”

“The credits system. Simply put, everything is paid for with credits, all items and services, from basics like food and other necessities to luxuries like booking hotel rooms. They are technically called Ren credits, but most people shorten it to just credits. Either way, outside currencies have no value here, only credits. Not just at the Academy, the Psionic Association at large makes use of the credits system…”

“So, how can you acquire them? As you must have noticed, you already have credits to your name. This is because the Academy has a UBI system in place for students. Every month, a student is provided with enough credits to keep them from starving and the like, so the basic necessities. This is the first way a student earns credits and is the only passive way. Everything else is active. The great thing is that there are many many ways to earn credits.”

“Doing well on tests, doing well in events, hell, even attending classes will earn you some credits. The Hunter Academy is a meritocracy. The better you do, the better your quality of life can be. Given your abilities, I’m sure you’ll be sitting atop a mountain of credits pretty soon. Anyway…”

Mason moved on to the matter of the curriculum.

“To create formidable fighters, knowledge and wisdom are a must. The Academies were founded on this notion. As such, every student is required to complete several mandatory courses. There are seven, namely: History, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Basic Psi Combat, Basic Armaments, and Biology. Of course, the Hunter Academy won’t fill students’ minds with useless fluff as many other academies do. While these subjects are taught, the content is focused on real-world situations. The Biology class, for instance, serves as a basic medical course while the Science class teaches students how to build bombs and make chemical weapons.”

Mason floated a page to Ralf’s side. The Transmigrator continued stuffing his face as he took in the list of items. He recognised it, having seen a copy of it in the handbook.

The Rank 5 Telekinetic continued.

“Besides the mandatory subjects, students can also choose from a number of electives. You can take as many electives as you can manage. As you can see, there are quite a lot. They’re all expounded on in the Student Guidebook but if you have any questions, I’ll clear up any confusion, and even organise a shadowing session if you wish. The Hunter Academy fields a strong presence of Society of Learning scholars and experts from various domains. Mathematics, Astronomy, Economics, Starstone Research, Archaeology, Old Languages…the number of subjects and courses one can take numbers in the dozens.”

Ralf’s gaze drifted over the page, the light of interest brightening and dimming in his eyes in the passing seconds.

“Officially, you’ll have to choose your electives before next Monday, but since most electives only begin in the third week, you can give me your answer before then. Well, any elective catch your eye?”

“Mmm, a few. I’ll think over my options for now,” Ralf said, intending to consult his other self before settling on anything.

“A wise decision. Now, let’s move on to the subject of events or Challenges as they are often called.”

Mason brought out the Year 1 calendar.

“Events are the bread and butter of Academy life. Students will experience dozens of them before they leave the Academy. There are two broad types, as you can see on the calendar. The Comprehensive Assessment Test on the second day, the First Year Tournament in June, and the Monogolly Festival in October; these events are examples of the first type and are fixed to certain dates.”

Ralf nodded, confirming the other’s words with his own eyes. He was especially excited about the Psi combat tournament in June. He couldn’t wait to face off against his classmates, especially the three Mimics. Though, he hoped he’d gain a couple of levels before then - he’d probably need them.

Mason continued.

“The events you see listed on the side here are the second type,” the PA pointed at them with his meaty finger. “The Pair’s Maze, The Hunted, Terror Tunnel…these events can take place anytime during the year. It all depends on the conditions at the time and the discretion of the staff. From a student’s perspective, it’s pretty random, so there’s no predicting it. Still, every event listed will happen without fail. Also, there’s a possibility of new events happening as well. The Hunter Academy, especially this one, is quite creative. And with this new batch of students being what it is, I’m sure we’ll see a few brand new events this year.”

Ralf smiled, eager at the prospect of something new. “I look forward to it, hopefully, it’ll be something challenging.”

“Yeah, hopefully…” Mason replied, though he felt otherwise. ‘- not. If we designed something you’d find challenging…if that was even possible, then it’d be impossible for the rest of the students to clear. Best not, young man. I’d rather have you bored than others slitting their wrists.’

Keeping these thoughts to himself, the PA continued.

The meeting lasted thirty minutes more before Ralf had his fill. Thanking the other and bidding farewell, the Transmigrator returned to the student hotel. From the lacking Psi signatures, Ralf guessed that his meeting ended earlier than most others.

He paid a visit to Lane’s room but the other wasn’t present either. Lingering a minute or so in the corridors for any passing students and finding none, he decided to call it a night. He returned to his room, got settled in, headed to the Mental Space and informed Ray of the meeting’s contents.

Following a discussion, the duo did battle. It had been a long time since they could, given their travelling and sleeping arrangement, and so they let loose on each other.

Three hours later, Ralf called it quits, of course, making sure to leave while ahead and on a winning note. Ray wasn’t pleased; they were scheduled to go another three hundred bouts, in other words, more than enough time to catch up.

Ralf had the perfect excuse though. He had a lot to do in preparation for the ‘party’ tomorrow, from game creation and adjustment to polishing up Babel’s interface to make it more user-friendly. Explaining this to his other self, he watched as Ray grumbled in defeat and then acceptance.

With victorious steps, Ralf set off to his private dome. He ran Altered Time on maximum settings and proceeded to accomplish his many goals. A day into the lengthy endeavour, he met with a surprise.

Ray paid him a visit and offered to help him out. Ralf accepted the offer at once, and with a great smile. Ray’s aid would both speed things up as well as up the overall quality.

These benefits were causes for delight, of course, but what really tugged Ralf’s lips skyward was Ray’s presence itself. Anything that involved his other self was always better than anything without him.

And so, the duo, alone in their own world toiled away, trading words and ideas for hours unknown till the next day arrived.

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