Chapter 64: Chapter 64- Overwhelming

“With that said, you can’t just lock yourself in the library to study Tier 1 medicinal plants and pill formulas for the monthly tests. Usually, the alchemy disciples dread studying and will do anything to avoid doing so, but here you are willingly doing just that. Hm?”

Yoon-Jae took a glance at the book Sol was reading to realize it wasn’t a book on alchemy.

“You’re reading about the Western Continent? Why? Are you one of those disciples that’s interested in going over there?”

Sol closed the book.

“I’m just curious.”

Hearing Sol’s simple answer, Yoon-Jae glanced at his expression and though it hadn’t changed, he could tell Sol didn’t want to continue the topic.

“Well, when you’re done, try and explore the academy. You’re new here so you should see what we have to offer. I bet you’ll be blown away.”

Yoon-Jae didn’t push for answers and after saying that, he patted Sol on the back and left.

When he did, the disciples that flee the area all returned.

They glanced at Sol curiously, wondering what relationship he had with that devil.

Though they didn’t have to speculate for long as they noticed Sol’s yellow robes that signified him as a disciple of the Alchemy Pavilion.

Sol didn’t mind the gazes and only continued to read his books. He had long come to realize that the fear he had seen from Mar-Dule and that white-robed youth wasn’t mainly due to the Alchemy Pavillion Disciples, but also Yoon-Jae himself.

Sometime later, Sol’s stomach released a loud growl. He raised his head and sniffed the air.

A wonderful scent tickled his nose making his stomach remind him he hadn’t eaten anything since he entered the library. He could satiate his hunger using the healing capabilities of his Innate Dharma, but it wasn’t a good substitute for food.

Sol got up and followed the smell, unable to resist his stomach’s plea for food.

Little Zeel, who was in his lap, was slightly stirred awake but had fallen back to sleep.

Sol carried him in his arms as he passed several bookshelves and turned corner after corner. As he was getting closer to the source of the smell, he realized that whatever this thing was must be way more delicious than anything he had ever eaten.

He hadn’t even tasted the thing yet!

Sol’s footsteps sped up and he finally turned the final corner where the smell was coming from.

It was a dead-end, but a boy dressed in red robes was seen hunched over on the ground reading a book. While he read, he was stuffing his face with food.

The food was not something Sol recognized, it was pieces of meat from some type of beast on a stick. The boy had already eaten half of what was on it and was ready to take another one.

However, the boy paused with his mouth open upon realizing someone had found him. He quickly looked up to see who it was. But upon seeing that it was Sol, the boy instantly scowled.

Sol immediately recognized this youth; he was the one he met while climbing the Heavenly Staircase.

Before any one of the two could say anything, Sol’s stomach suddenly growled again.

The boy hearing this glanced towards Sol’s stomach before looking at the food in his hand.

Instantly, the boy slid every piece of meat on the stick into his mouth without breaking eye contact with Sol.

Sol seeing this smile and said.

“It’s okay if you didn’t want to give me any, but can you tell me where you got it from?”

The boy forcefully swallowed the meat in his mouth before he said while wiping his lips.

“Why should I tell you? I should just beat the crap out of you for tricking me. It was because of you that I had to delay my Innate Dharma awakening for several weeks just so my injuries could recover. But even then–even after I awaken it…”

The boy couldn’t finish his sentence as he was clenching his teeth too hard.

Sol hearing this and seeing how the boy was glaring daggers at him, he was confused. He didn’t think this boy would hate him so much.

After thinking for a moment, Sol cupped his fist and apologized.

“Fellow disciple, I apologize for delaying your Innate Dharma awakening. Could you please tell me where you got-”

Snort!

Or at least Sol tried to apologize.

“Look here, you handsome bastard! Unless you can change my Innate Dharma then I’ll never forgive you!”

Sol was taken aback by that.

“Why should I have to change your Innate Dharma for you to accept my apology?”

This boy was not making any sense to Sol.

It looked like he just said that as an excuse not to accept his sincere apology. However, the boy could tell what Sol was thinking so while he continued to glare at him, he growled out.

“Do you know what kind of Innate Dharma I awakened after I recovered from my injuries? It was a staircase! A fucking Staircase!! All because of you, my fear of staircases has reached the point where it caused my Innate Dharma to become one! I-I can’t even use my Innate Dharma without feeling a deep sense of dread. You bastard, you have to take responsibility!”

After his angry rant, Sol blinked before looking at the boy with a strange expression. Never did he think something like this would happen. But how should he take responsibility for something like this?

After a moment of hesitation, Sol sighed and said.

“Didn’t the library rules state that one shouldn’t eat inside so as to not damage the books?”

The boy’s expression changed upon hearing that.

“If you tell me where you got that food then I won’t report you.”

“You-!”

The boy was so angry he almost coughed up blood.

As for Sol, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with this situation, so he decided to just blackmail the boy.

Sol waited for a while but was ready to leave when the boy only continued to glare at him.

“No, wait!”

The boy hurriedly jumped up to stop Sol.

If he was reported and it was found that he had indeed broken the rules, even if it was a minor one like eating in the library, he wouldn’t be let off easily.

After all, the Disciplinary Hall was notorious for being vicious to anyone who broke the Academy rules.

Along with getting imprisoned for several days up to several weeks, he might get punished by having the allowance he got from the academy reduced.

That would significantly impact his cultivation!

The boy gritted his teeth and could only tell Sol where he bought the food.

“The Central Mountain? What kind of place is that?”

“Huh? How do you not know about the Central Mountain? It’s named that because that’s where disciples from all the different Pavilions in the academy gather. I bought that food from the Culinary Pavilion Section. The other Pavilions also have-”

“Ah! There’s a Culinary Pavilion?”

Sol looked at the boy shocked. He didn’t think there would be such a Pavilion in the academy.

The boy couldn’t help but look at Sol strangely.

“Didn’t you receive a Disciple Token? Information about all the Pavilions is stored inside.”

“Really?”

Sol quickly tapped his new storage bag and took out his Disciple Token.

Sure enough, when he placed the Disciple Token against his forehead and looked through the information, there was a list of the different Pavilions.

Staring at the long list, Sol was extremely shocked. It seemed the Martial Alliance Academy didn’t just focus on teaching Martial Arts.

“Are you going to keep your promise and not report me?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah.”

Sol responded offhandedly as he turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, the boy went back to staring daggers at him while swearing to repay Sol back.

However, an old man in charge of the library suddenly bent the corner.

He was about to scold the boy for yelling; however, he suddenly took a whiff of the air.

The boy’s face went pale when he saw the Elder, but at the same time, he was cursing Sol using every profanity in his vocabulary.

Meanwhile, Sol hurriedly went back to his position to return all the books.

Afterward, he left the library and headed for the Teleportation Hall.

Right now, Sol’s mouth was watering just thinking about eating that unfamiliar food.

With a flash, the teleportation platform sent him to the Central Mountain.

However, upon reaching there, Sol became enamored with more than just the food sold there. He also came to realize why the boy had been shocked that he hadn’t been here before.

If he had to describe this place with one word, that word would be… overwhelming.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep