Alex didn’t know if he should be happy or depressed, knowing the treasure that he was looking for was hidden in Frieden Academy.
He was happy because he didn’t need to travel far to look for the treasure.
But he was depressed because the treasure was located within one of the Forbidden Zones of the academy.
There were only three ways to enter that restricted area.
The first one was to gain enough academy merit points to exchange for a ticket to pass through it.
The second way was to wait for an event, exam, or exercise training, when students would be allowed to enter the Forbidden Zone for a brief period of time.
This was similar to the deserted island domain that Rowan had used as a testing ground for the trial takers who had wished to qualify for the academy’s scholarship.
The Paragon of Space, Rowan, could theoretically go anywhere in the world of Arcana in the blink of an eye.
This made him a very powerful—and dangerous—enemy. His target could run or hide all they wanted, but he could instantly arrive at their location if he wished to.
One of Rowan’s hobbies was to create portals connecting to forbidden zones, dungeons, and other unusual places that could be used to train the students of the academy.
Not many knew that Frieden Academy itself was built upon one of those forbidden zones, which Rowan had compressed into a dungeon.
Alex couldn’t help but grit his teeth in frustration. The treasure was so near yet so far from his reach!
"Dim Dim." The Dim Sum God patted Alex’s head comfortingly while telling him that there would be an opportunity in the near future to visit that place.
The young man agreed with his partner, so he handed the Eye of Kaleidos to Dim Dim, who would be able to keep it in a safe place.
Alex’s storage ring could be stolen or taken by someone by force.
On the other hand, Dim Dim’s dimensional storage was for it—and it alone—to access.
Clearly, the rainbow-colored gem was safer in Dim Dim’s hands than Alex’s.
"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded and kept the Eye of Kaleidos in its dimensional storage.
With the adrenaline rush gone, Alex sighed and lay down on his bed.
The image of Caspian’s arrogant face appeared inside his head.
Instead of being angry, Alex was in the mood to gloat and smirk. Although he couldn’t use the map right now, he still had something that far surpassed the gold coins that he had spent at the Velvet Vault.
’Still, Caspian will be a constant annoyance in the academy,’ Alex realized.
Caspian, being a year older than them, was their senior in the academy.
He was also part of the Elite Class, which was composed of children from high-ranking noble families.
Children of Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes were usually automatically added to the "Elite Group," which had been around for hundreds of years.
Technically, it was like joining a club.
A club for the elites, and it was called the Lionheart Society.
Just as Alex was thinking of ways to deal with Caspian, the door of his room opened, and Chuck entered with a smile.
"Alex, I found the one," Chuck said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Alex frowned.
Chuck tossed a folded pamphlet onto Alex’s bed.
The emblem on the front was simple but striking—a sleek black wolf etched in obsidian ink, head raised in a silent howl, set against a crescent moon.
Beneath it, the name, Obsidian Fang, was written in bold and powerful strokes.
"They’re one of the Twelve Crest Clubs," Chuck explained. "Not loud or flashy like Caspian’s circle, but don’t let that fool you. The Obsidian Fang is made up of tacticians, duelists, and elite dungeon scouts. People say their members graduate straight into guild command or royal recon squads."
Alex narrowed his eyes at the emblem. There was no golden flare, no ostentatious banner. Just quiet power.
"And they will take in a couple of scholarship kids?" Alex inquired.
Chuck smirked. "They don’t care about status. They care about potential. You pass their entrance test, and they’ll show you the door to power."
Alex’s gaze lingered on the wolf for a moment longer.
Beneath the emblem was their motto, "Silent is the Hunt, Certain is the Kill".
He liked that. It was direct with no misleading speeches.
"Alright," Alex muttered. "Let’s make them look our way."
Chuck grinned. "Thought you’d say that. Just don’t hold back."
Alex was familiar with the Twelve Crest Clubs of the academy. The Lionheart Society was one of them, and players could freely choose which one they wished to enter.
Each club had its own advantages, which would allow a player to gain benefits, connections, as well as protection from the other clubs, especially the Lionheart Society, whose members liked to bully loners and unaffiliated students.
Alex also liked the fact that the Obsidian Fang was an expedition club that could also be regarded as a treasure-hunting club.
Although there was a treasure hunting club in the academy called El Dorado, which was also part of the Twelve Crest Clubs, Alex wasn’t too keen on joining them.
He preferred flexibility, and the Obsidian Fang sounded like the perfect place for him.
"Any idea who is leading them this year?" Alex asked, glancing at Chuck.
Chuck shrugged. "They have a tradition of keeping their leader’s identity hidden. However, one of their executives is one of the top duelists in the second year. People call her the Radiant Valkyrie. Word is, she once took down a full party in a trial match... alone."
The smile on Alex’s face stiffened because he knew who the Radiant Valkyrie was.
She was none other than the Elven Princess, Aeris Sylarin, who belonged to Class A of the second year.
Aeris was the older sister of Lapiz, who was one of Alex’s four queens. Alex had played Aeris in Story Mode, and she was indeed the "perfect heroine".
She was often used as the banner girl of ELO, enticing many to play the game.
Beauty, boldness, and brains, she had it all.
However, Alex wasn’t able to relate to someone as perfect as her.
He preferred Aeris’ younger sister, Lapiz. Just like him, Lapiz had flaws, making her feel more human than her older sister.
Alex pondered. ’Right. She is an executive of Obsidian Fang. It’s quite unfortunate that Lapiz didn’t join her club because she didn’t want to be compared to her perfect older sister.’
After a brief pause, the young man finally made his decision.
"The Obsidian Fang sounds like an all-around club," Alex commented. "I like it."
"Exactly." Chuck leaned back against the door frame. "They’re the only club that mixes scouting, solo ops, and tactical fieldwork. It’s hands-on practical training. If you do well, you will rise. But if you fail to meet their expectations, you might as well fade from the group."
He had to choose well. Sense of belonging was one thing. The most important was to choose the training field that would sharpen him, allowing him to stay two steps ahead of people like Caspian.
"When will their entrance test begin?" Alex asked.
"One week from now," Chuck answered. "So, are you in or out?"
"Great!" Chuck patted his best friend’s shoulder. "Now, how about we invite your other friends to join? You know what they say! The more, the merrier."
Alex thought about it. It didn’t seem like a bad idea. With Chuck and Dim Dim in tow, he left the room and went to find their friends to tell them about the mysterious Obsidian Fang.