His presence alone was enough to stifle any conversations in the area. There were varying expressions among the audience, but the Imperial n.o.bles especially had varying degrees of trepidation and shock. After two years of absence, he had firmly re-established his fame as the Imperial Freak, and once again shattered the pride of the junior mages from the Imperial n.o.ble families.

Kaleb, one of the top senior mages in the academy, let out a breath he"d been holding. No one could see his expression or tell what he was thinking. He was Clyde"s older brother, another member of an Imperial n.o.ble family.

The Imperial n.o.bles considered themselves the true rulers of the Djage Empire, primarily because the most powerful mages of this generation came exclusively from Imperial n.o.ble families.

The top mage of both the senior and junior divisions were both Imperial n.o.bles, but with Shad"s return and subsequent defeat of Clyde, it was a huge blow to the strength of the Imperial n.o.bles. It could be said they lost a lot of face after this battle.

As Shad sat down, he casually looked at the students around him. Their att.i.tudes had quickly changed after his fight with Clyde. All of them lowered their heads before Shad"s cold eyes.

In reality, he was not a very cold person, but he was always distant towards his peers because of the older soul that resided in his body.

The purple lightning seed influenced Shad"s att.i.tude without him even noticing as well. Not only that, but there were small physical manifestations as well.

His body would give off an air of destruction from time to time, and when in battle his eyes had this slight electric current that occurred every time he blinked. Both responses were automatic, and he currently couldn"t control them.

Even without the changes granted by the purple lightning seed, Shad was an extremely focused individual. He was always strove to improve his strength, and constantly sought answers for his reincarnation. He needed the strength to both control his destiny and protect his family. All these factors helped to separate him from his peers.

Eventually, the magic battle a.s.sessment finally came to a close. The Vice Dean, who was presiding over the a.s.sessment, went on stage.

Normally, he would not take this much interest in a junior mage"s graduation a.s.sessment, but the performances from Clyde and Shad were exemplary. Normally, these types of performances were only seen in the senior mage graduation a.s.sessment, which was considered one of the major events of the academy.

"As of now, the second portion of the junior mages graduation has concluded. Some of you have already pa.s.sed, but there is still hope for those who have not. You may try your luck in the monster hunt exam, which will take place in two days. That is all for today."

With that announcement, the Vice Dean quickly exited the stage, shooting a quick glance at Shad before leaving. He was being avoided by the other junior mages, as if he was one of the ancient beasts living in the Dark Forest.

The entire audience headed towards the exits, Shad among them. Before he could make his escape, he was stopped by the Dean of the academy, his great-grandfather. The swordsman followed behind him as usual, acting as his bodyguard.

"Little brat, you really surprised me. I don"t even regret leaving my lab anymore," said the old man with a crafty smile on his face. He didn"t even attempt to hide the look he was giving Shad, sizing him up from top to bottom.

"Old man, you are creeping me out with that look. I"m not some merchandise you"re trying to purchase, so stop looking at me like a new toy," answered Shad scathingly.

"Hehe, it appears your strength isn"t the only thing that has increased. Your tongue has gotten sharper as well," said the old man with a playful smile on his face. "I don"t know how you managed to do it, but your physical prowess is astounding. You have strength similar to a 3rd rank warrior, but I can"t sense any battle qi from you," he continued. He continued to study Shad, eyes searching for some hidden secret.

Shad was a little caught off guard by this remark and hurriedly tried to come up with an explanation. "You must have seen wrong. You already know that battle qi and mana cannot coexist within the same body. Maybe my body is that strong because of the abundance of mana I have."

While it was true that he was on the same level as a 3rd rank warrior, it was because of the purple lightning seed that resided within his soul. For two years, he focused on tempering his internal organs, bones, and even his skin with the lightning.

This gradually forged his body into a weapon on par with a 3rd rank warrior. However, this was his biggest secret, and he planned on carrying this with him to the grave.

The Dean was not a fool; he clearly knew that Shad was lying. The two energies were similar, but battle qi is a completely different type of energy from mana, and having large amounts of mana does not necessarily make you physically stronger.

Battle qi directly affected a person"s body by strengthening their muscles, fortifying their organs and bones, and gifting them with increased stamina. It was stored in a fist-sized location directly beneath the navel, which is also where the mana pool of a mage was located. This is why the two energies could not simultaneously exist inside a single person.

"Haha, you don"t have to be on guard around me, little brat. While it"s true that I haven"t spent as much time with you as I should, we are still family. I will not pry into your secrets without your consent. However, the Vice Dean noticed your physical capabilities, which could cause a problem, considering the history between our families. In the meantime, I will spread the rumor that I gave you a mystical strengthening potion that I found within the Great Tower to boost your physical strength. This should serve as a cover until you are strong enough to protect your own secret," the old man comfortingly.

He even went as far as to pat Shad on the head as though he were still a child. Even though Shad had the soul of an adult, he felt a little warm inside from the Dean"s actions and words. This was the kind of familial protection he searched for on Earth, to no avail.

"Anyway, take this magic pouch. Inside, you"ll find a copy of a book that contains 4th and 5th tier lightning magic spells. With your current speed, these techniques should last you four to five years. I will see you again in a week for your coming of age ceremony," said the old man before leaving with his bodyguard.

Shad was in too much of a daze to properly respond before his great-grandfather left. Even though they never had a lot of contact with each other, Shad could tell that the old man cared a lot about him. He was the pillar of the Imperial Family, and the only 9th cla.s.s fire mage throughout the Empire, known as the Fire Monarch.

"Thank you, great-grandfather," murmured Shad before leaving the academy. Out of all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Shad was the only one that called him old man instead of grandfather. If the old man were still nearby to hear Shad call him that, he would have been overjoyed.