Chapter 79: A Different Path

Getting a Rank Three skill was the true reward every student of Golden Radiance Academy received.

It would have been a complete lie to say Jackson wasn’t excited about it.

Just yesterday, he had browsed through the academy’s skill section and checked the prices of several Rank Three skills. The numbers had been enough to make even him feel a little numb.

Hundreds of thousands of contribution points.

That was an astronomical amount for a newly admitted student.

Golden Radiance Academy didn’t use mana stones as its primary currency. That was only natural. Most of the students who entered the academy came from wealthy families with enormous resources. If mana stones could be used directly to purchase academy treasures, the wealthiest students would be able to buy anything they wanted simply by throwing money at the academy.

That would completely undermine the purpose of the academy’s resource system.

Instead, Golden Radiance Academy used contribution points.

Students had to earn them.

They could obtain contribution points by completing academy missions, participating in competitions, contributing valuable information, assisting with research, or completing various other tasks.

In other words, money could no longer solve everything.

Even a wealthy heir had to prove their own value before gaining access to the academy’s most precious resources.

Thinking about the Rank Three skill waiting for him, Jackson couldn’t help feeling a trace of anticipation.

He quickly walked downstairs.

Soon, he spotted Jonathan standing near the entrance of the villa.

The other two were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed Jackal and Angela had already left.

Jonathan noticed the direction of Jackson’s gaze and immediately understood what he was thinking.

"Don’t worry about them," he said casually. "Those two come from powerful backgrounds, so they’re a little arrogant."

Jackson simply shook his head.

He wasn’t narrow-minded enough to care about something so trivial.

Jackal and Angela had no reason to wait for him.

They had only known each other for a single day, and everyone had their own business to attend to.

The same was true for Jonathan.

Yet when Jackson glanced at the young man beside him, the corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.

He couldn’t help wondering what exactly Jonathan was thinking.

The guy had gone out of his way to wait for him.

Was it simply because he wanted a companion, or was there some other reason?

Jackson didn’t ask.

He preferred to observe people rather than expose his own thoughts unnecessarily.

The two soon left the villa together and headed toward the Grand Library.

The moment they stepped outside, Jackson noticed something unusual.

A large number of young Awakened were rushing in the same direction.

Some were running at full speed, while others moved through the air using various movement techniques.

Their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.

Clearly, almost everyone had the same destination.

The Grand Library.

Jackson and Jonathan followed the crowd at a leisurely pace.

There was no need to rush.

After all, the academy had enough Rank Three skills to accommodate every newly admitted student.

As they walked, Jonathan suddenly broke the silence.

"So, what’s your plan for the future?"

Jackson’s footsteps didn’t stop, but the question instantly silenced his thoughts.

His plan for the future?

For a moment, he didn’t answer.

Other than dealing with the Silver-Rank elder brother of the Desolate Troop leader, his primary goal had always been simple.

Undergo the First Life Transformation.

Reach the Fourth Sequence.

Only after reaching that level would he have the strength to stand firmly among humanity’s true experts.

More importantly, Jackson had a feeling that once he reached the Fourth Sequence, he might finally have a way to deal with the corruption on Aella’s arm.

That thought alone was enough to make his determination burn brighter.

Without slowing down, Jackson glanced at Jonathan.

"Isn’t it already obvious?"

Jonathan immediately fell silent.

Of course.

Everyone who entered Golden Radiance Academy had the same ultimate objective.

The First Life Transformation.

But knowing the goal and accomplishing it were two entirely different matters.

The First Life Transformation was an enormous threshold.

It wasn’t something that could be crossed simply by accumulating enough magical power.

The transformation involved reshaping the very foundation of an Awakened’s existence.

One mistake could result in catastrophic consequences.

From what Jackson knew, even the current highest-ranked student in the academy was already twenty years old.

He had studied at Golden Radiance Academy for four full years.

Yet despite possessing talent that placed him at the very top of the academy, he still hadn’t dared to take that final step.

Because failure was simply too costly.

At the very least, a failed First Life Transformation could leave an Awakened severely crippled.

In worse cases, there was a possibility of death.

For the geniuses of Golden Radiance Academy, who had been praised as the future pillars of humanity since childhood, such an outcome was almost impossible to accept.

Their talent gave them enormous potential.

It also gave them something else.

Time.

As long as they continued accumulating resources, refining their foundations, and improving their understanding, they could keep increasing their chances of success.

There was no reason to gamble everything before they were ready.

That was why many students remained at the academy for years, steadily accumulating strength until they were confident enough to attempt the transformation.

Jackson understood this perfectly.

In fact, he could already guess what Jonathan was thinking.

The young man was probably considering forming teams, exploring dangerous regions, completing missions, and competing with other students for the academy’s limited resources.

That was the normal path.

Gather resources.

Strengthen yourself.

Build connections.

Accumulate contribution points.

Then, when the time was right, attempt the First Life Transformation.

However, Jackson’s plans were completely different.

He wasn’t planning to follow the ordinary path.

He was going to break the norm and undergo the First Life Transformation as quickly as possible.

There was a reason for his urgency.

Although the corruption on Aella’s arm had shown no obvious signs of advancing, Jackson couldn’t guarantee that it would remain stable forever.

What if something changed?