The Ancient Genes

Arcane Division, Orca Academy, Capital.

Max arrived at the Academy to meet the headmaster. The Academy wasn't quite like in the past. There were a lot of people running around, the preparation for the opening ceremony was at full pace.

Max could even see a few young people who didn't seem to be workers. If he was not wrong, they were most likely students from other Academies who had arrived.

Within a few minutes, Max arrived at the headmaster's cabin after he got permission from the lady at reception.

He opened the door, thinking how to deal with the situation. He had clearly lied yesterday about not knowing anything about the auction items.

"Good afternoon, Head-"

Max stopped mid way as he sensed a heavy atmosphere.

He saw two familiar figures badly battered up in the room.

Axel and Kevin were standing in the room while the headmaster sat on his chair with an extremely ugly look on his face. He was practically seething in anger.

'I should come later….' Max slightly took a step back and began to close the door.

"Where are you going?"  Headmaster's voice rang in the room.

Max sighed when he was noticed. "I will come later, you look busy…"

Axel and Kevin realised that Max was here and shot him a pleading gaze.

Max looked at the duo. He didn't know what they had done but he surely wouldn't want to mess with the headmaster in this situation...

"Come in….that thing is much more important than the mess these idiots made…"  Headmaster said as he beckoned Max to come in.

Max walked into the room and took out the scroll before handing it over to him.

''What did you two do?'' Max asked in a low voice.

"It wasn't us….those two b*stards destroyed the dorms…." Axel gritted his teeth in anger. 

"One is Wilson..who is the other one?" Max asked, Wilson was strong and there shouldn't have been anyone who could have fought him in their circle unless Bahamut or Mr. Cool paid him a visit.

"It's August….he has returned…" Kevin replied timidly. He had once again taken a beating. He just came out of the room hearing loud bangs and then the next thing he knew was getting beaten up. 

"Damn it!! They destroyed all my action figures….burned my posters….even my hugging pillows were ripped off. " Axel clenched his fist, his eyes were blazing with the thirst for revenge.

Max was surprised and eventually a smile appeared on his face as he heard about August's return, he totally ignored Axel who was burning rage.

"Where are those two?" Max asked as he couldn't see the two of them around.

"Seeing that the dorm was destroyed, they decide to fight somewhere else to prevent any further damage….in the end we were the one found on sight...since I had activated the formation in the room to fight them back...the guards thought it was me and I got caught...not to mention it is against the rules to lay formations in the room…." Axel was on the verge of tearing up. The loss of action figures had dealt a critical bow to him.

Max patted his back. It was the most he could do.

At this moment, the headmaster was done looking at the scroll. His face had turned even more ugly. Max could see black line on his face. 

He folded the scroll and kept it with him in the storage artifact. He then looked at Axel and Kevin and asked them to wait outside before turning to look at Max.

"I remember hearing something else yesterday….it must be easy to fool people…" the headmaster said with a soft laugh as the duo left.

Max felt a chill on hearing his laugh. 

The next instant, the headmaster released his aura which could make a normal person suffocate to death.

Max's eyes widened for a second. From what he had heard, the headmaster was at Master Tier Mage….but this….

He clearly was giving a pressure equivalent to that of a Grandmaster Tier Mage. This was definitely not the aura of a Master Tier mage…

It seemed he had a breakthrough..

Max initially thought he had the strength to run away. After all, as long as he went out of the window. He was sure that the headmaster would not lower himself to give him a chase. 

But now, it didn't seem he had the capability to do so. He had to give a proper explanation…

"You can really lie with a straight face….it seemed I didn't teach my student well.." The headmaster said with a smile.

"How could that be headmaster? I just hadn't received confirmation from my Master….I never do anything without his approval…"

Headmaster's aura dispersed a little on hearing Max's words. He gave him a stern look.

Max was obviously good at lying, he didn't let a single slip.

"As soon as I got his approval, the first thing I did was visit you…" He further said with a rightful tone.

"Is this all you obtained? I heard there were three items?" Headmaster asked as he looked at Max.

"Yes, this was all I could get...after all it was too dangerous to stay around when such powerful people are fighting….I really wanted to do more...but I couldn't..." Max said as if he regretted not being able to retrieve the other two items.

Headmaster's look softened a little seeing Max blaming himself. He retraced his aura and sighed.

"You don't need to be upset, you already did a good job retrieving this…." The headmaster didn't blame him for it and consoles him without realising that Max had stolen all the three items.

A few minutes later, Max successfully walked out of the room without any scratch.

"He is calling you two…" Max said as he looked at the two awkwardly.

Axel sighed as he looked at Max, "I had a plan to watch a movie with Beli a bit later….but I can't go anymore...I don't know when the headmaster will leave me...and I have to go shopping for the stuff that got destroyed too."

"Just tell her, you aren't coming...is there any problem?" Max asked as he looked at him in confusion.

"My phone broke....you have her number, right? Tell her, I won't be coming…". Axel said as he looked at him.

"Sure…" Max nodded.

"And here take this….you don't have to carry stuff around anymore…" Max said as he passed one of the storage devices that he had emptied out.

"Where did you get it?" Axel asked in surprise.

"Last night….." Max said before warning him, "Don't show it to anyone. If someone recognises it, it might get you in trouble…"

Axel nodded and kept it. 

….

Max left the place and gave Beli a call. But she wasn't picking up. In the end, he left a text message.

'They were going to watch a movie too….nah…' Max shook his head.

There were many halls in the city, it was quite unlikely that they were going to the same hall and watch the same movie with the same timing.

Even if they did, the chances of bumping into each other were not that high...

'How can there be so many coincidences? If it really happened then Max could only say that it was either fated or planned….'

Max looked at the time and headed towards the hall and sure enough….

He bumped into her at the entrance.

"You are here to watch a movie too?" Bell asked as she looked at Max a bit surprised.

Max nodded his head awkwardly while he looked at her reaction. It didn't seem fake.

"I know you are waiting for Axel but he isn't coming. He got called by the Headmaster for some urgent work at the last moment…..he asked me to deliver the message since his phone broke earlier…" Max said as he looked at her.

"Why aren't you picking your phone by the way?" He further asked.

"I actually….left my phone at home…" Beli replied awkwardly.

'Andirel...can you look through her?' Max asked inwardly.

'Hmmn….I don't think there is anything wrong with her…' Andriel replied after a bit.

Max felt even more confused. Why did he keep having a feeling that something was odd? 

"Who is she?" 

Max heard Lisa's voice behind him but when he turned around, his face twitched.