Fenrir asked Ryuk, who shook his head in reply.
It was true that the Instructors could rip them apart. Their cultivation difference was no doubt higher than theirs, and even with Ryuk's own power, he still couldn't see the Instructor's true strength.
That meant the students and the Instructors were far from being on the same footing.
But then, did the Instructors see them as prey because of this difference?
"So in the end, why are the Instructors so strong and still take part of their important time to teach us?"
"It's because of the sense of potential. The true factor of it all," Fenrir explained, causing Ryuk to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, potential is truly what runs the world, even though strength is the true judge of it."
"We all might not be much to the Instructors. Some of them might be able to rip us apart by simply tapping their fingers on us, but they are also aware that there are some among us who have the power to become just as powerful as them one day."
"In essence, we of the top ten talents have the possibility of being as strong as each of the Instructors themselves, and that is why they think it is worthy to take part of their important time to teach us."
"And that's also why the Academy test exists in the first place."
"It is to weed away the talentless students who aren't worth their time and instead focus their attention on the students who have the potential to become just as strong as them."
"With more people at their power level, we have a better chance of fighting the invaders off our world and surviving."
"Even the Instructors themselves aren't strong enough to do that, so they instead find talented ones like us and raise them up to aid them, hoping we surpass them and do an even better job out there."
"That's really how the world works. It works on potential."
"You might be weaker than me, true. But then, that doesn't make you an automatic prey."
"Why? Because you have potential, perhaps one that might make you just as strong as me one day, just like the Instructors hope..." Fenrir explained lengthily, and Ryuk couldn't help but nod.
He had never really thought long about such topics, but it seemed Fenrir understood it perfectly—and now, he did too.
"So it's all based on potential in the end?"
"Yes. Because potential generates hope. None of us is beyond hope."
"We who are currently weak hope to one day be strong."
"The Instructors who are strong realize that an individual's strength is not enough, and a crowd of strength is better."
"So they sit us down and explain to us about power, also hoping we grow as strong as them and realize their goal of a crowd of strength—better than single strength."
"So somehow, we all still fall back on hope in the end..."
"Something seemingly so basic and mundane..." Fenrir said with a boisterous laugh.
'Friendship based on potential. I never really saw things that way...' Ryuk mused silently to himself.
For now, the spark between both of them had cooled a bit. But still, Ryuk didn't know whether he wanted a friendship with him.
He stil somehow could feel something was off.
[Host, making new friends is not a bad thing. If Host gathers strong enough friends, they might just be important in Host's future.]
[And this Werewolf is a little Alpha. He is really strong, and not only that, he has massive potential too as an Alpha wolf.]
The system notification suddenly flashed.
But then, Ryuk was awakened from his thoughts when he was asked by Fenrir.
"Why did you never go to the Gods' Arena and instead came to the training area? The majority of the students headed there instead."
"Feel like the fights won't be worth your time, or do you just not like violence?" Fenrir asked with a chuckle as Ryuk shook his head.
"No. I just preferred the training room. It's the one that seemed familiar to me..." he replied truthfully but then couldn't help but notice the weird flash in Fenrir's eyes.
Somehow, the red in his eyes was starting to flash brightly, forming a strange winged halo, but Ryuk ignored it and asked him instead,
"What about you? Why did you never go to the Gods' Arena and come here instead?"
"None of those cowards of students will dare challenge me, and there are only two people who are worth my serious all-out effort. Both of them, unfortunately, won't be leaving their rooms since they also view the Gods' Arena matches as useless."
"So I might as well check out the training room. And somehow, some of us top ten will choose to come here instead..." Fenrir said, as the elevator noise suddenly rang out.
Both of them turned their necks to the lone door, which slowly opened, and another young man stepped in.
"Well, talk of the devil..." Fenrir said with a beastly chuckle as Ryuk's eyebrows furrowed at the young man before them, who also raised an eyebrow at both of them before grinning.
'Just what is happening? I met an Alpha Werewolf, and now a Vampire?'
The person before them was none other than a man whose crimson eyes and crimson hair were enough to denote his race.
Standing around 1.96 meters, a little taller than Ryuk, with a lean but well-proportioned build.
His skin was naturally pale—not ghostly white, but smooth, almost flawless in complexion.
His face was sharp and symmetrical, with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a strong jawline. His fangs were currently visible as he was grinning uncontrollably.
He was dressed in a normal crimson shirt and trousers, but with a long dark-red crimson coat draped over his shoulders, held in place by them.
His presence wasn't overpowering like Fenrir's, but there was something about him that Ryuk couldn't help but notice—his unique aura of confidence.
When he moved, it was with the grace of a predator—solemn yet fluid, commanding attention with every step.
"Well, well, well. A Werewolf with a human?"
"Talk of an unusual assembly?"