Xane took a deep breath and asked Zayn,
Zayn took a moment to think before saying, [Dude, it's about control. Hex Masters are the nukes of this world. Do you think they would just let these nukes run around?]
Xane scratched his chin while looking at the stage. He saw the second elder walking ahead now. The elder started talking about family honor and power.
Ignoring it, he asked Zayn,
[Well, actually, big families are never part of this contract. Didn't you notice the big catch in the contract conditions?]
Contract conditions? Xane thought for a bit, then it hit him. His eyes widened as he said,
[Yup.]
Zayn smiled at Xane.
This was his first time meeting someone like Xane.
In his past life, people crumbled in the face of danger. Even the rare few who stayed calm had their limits the moment real consequences appeared; fear always won.
From the moment he opened his eyes, one threat after another loomed over their lives, and through it all, Xane always maintained this chill attitude.
'Xane is just like me… no, he is much better than I am. The world is a really big place.' For the first time in a long while, Zayn felt excited.
In his past life, people always called him special. Just because he didn't react like them, his family used it as a justification for all the atrocities they committed against him.
Well, now he knew he wasn't the only special one. There were plenty of freaks out there beyond him, and it was kind of fun interacting with others like him.
He stopped smiling and nodded at Xane. [Yup, it's just a false front. The year-end task is a way for these families to control not only their heirs but also all the commoners. Just wait until the academy—you'll understand the entire scheme.]
Xane raised his eyebrows and then sighed. From everything that had happened, he already knew where this was going, but he still asked,
Zayn remained silent. All his happiness drained away at that question. He just clicked his tongue. [We have, at most, one year.]
Xane didn't even react this time. Their situation was worse in every possible way. It was like the entire world wanted to mess with them.
At that moment, the second elder said, "Now, let me tell you about resource distribution."
This perked up many ears, including Xane's. He stopped thinking about all the hidden agendas. It was better to deal with those later in the academy. For now, he focused on the second elder's words.
The elder took a long pause. After making sure everyone was looking at him, he said, "The amount of resources given to you will be based on your performance inside the academy."
Many nodded their heads, as this was more or less what they had expected.
The elder added, "As for this year, we have already distributed your resources to your parents. It is based on the potential of your hex core."
Xane noticed those standing at the front smiling at this. He glanced around, and sure enough, a few stood there with pale faces.
Zayn cursed. [Shit, Xelami, with her daughter's obsession, will definitely give all our resources to Melina.]
Xane clicked his tongue. From everyone's reaction, he realized these resources were incredibly important in the academy.
The elder didn't stop there and continued, "But it's not fixed. You can all earn bonuses based on your performance in the Supreme Ten Competition. We will give these bonuses to you directly after the Supreme Selection competition."
Many eyes lit up at the mention of bonuses.
Zayn asked him, [You get the hidden message, right?]
Xane nodded.
[Yeah, these guys don't even bother to give us an equal opportunity.]
Xane just rolled his eyes.
He was starting to grasp the extent of favoritism in the family. He wasn't sure if it was just because they had low potential or if there were some other benefits attached to it.
The second elder coughed a bit and said, "Anyone who becomes a part of the Supreme Ten teams will receive a special reward from the family."
The moment those words left his mouth, Xane saw an instant reaction from others. Even those at the front had fire in their eyes at the mention of a special reward.
It told him this special reward was something significant. He asked Zayn,
Zayn said in an uncertain tone, [Nah, there's no mention of this in the novel. But I think I could guess. There are only so few resources that could act as special rewards.]
Xane raised an eyebrow. This was enough confirmation for him.
[Okk.]
After all their talking, he understood that Zayn knew more about the macro aspects and the things relevant to the protagonist.
It was just surface-level knowledge that could get them into trouble if they weren't careful. They needed to learn more nuance about this world.
The second elder wasn't done. He dropped another bombshell. "There's another thing—the top performer in the academy, aside from the candidate herself…" He glanced at Melina and said with a wide smile, "You will get a special seat on the family selection bench."
Silence.
Then, someone yelled, "What!? Is that even possible?"
Another one asked in shock, "Wait, the selection bench… Those are above the candidates, right?"
Others beside him nodded without realizing it. One even shouted as if he had just realized something. "Wait, weren't all the high elders from inner families part of this bench?"
That was just the beginning. For the first time, not only those at the back but even those at the front shared the same reaction.
The only exceptions were Melina and a few others wearing different-colored suits.
Xane noticed they were looking at each other; there was some competition going on between them.
The academy representative didn't give them much time to process, as he announced, "It's time for all of you to decide."
He pulled out a few contracts in front of him.
The second elder took out a dagger and said, "Come up one by one and sign the contract with your blood."