Chapter 144: More Handsome?
"My body is comparable to that of a mid-tier one wizard, huh…" Aur thought with excitement. Not only has Aur broken through to the peak of the wizard apprentice with the mana, but he has also made a breakthrough with his body.
"Now I should be ready for the year-end competition and win."
Aur was determined to win this competition no matter what, even if he had to use his full strength because the top one would be allowed to enter the treasury of the village and choose a spell.
This was the same treatment given to a tier-two wizard, an elder.
"Until then, I should train my body even more." A small smirk appeared on Aur's face as he increased the weight of the bracers on his arms and legs from 300 kgs to a whole 500 kgs.
"I wonder when I will reach the limit of the weight that these bracers have." Aur mused to himself.
And positioned himself directly on the ground.
"I will train the entire day."
…
With Aur engrossed in his training, time swiftly passed, eventually giving way to night. The dim sunlight touched the village as roosters echoed with their unmistakable "cuckoo" sounds, signalling the arrival of morning.
In contrast to the usual winter scenes, where the streets were scarcely populated and children played amid the snow, the village now buzzed with activity. Almost every student from the academy emerged from their seclusion, their eyes gleaming with a peculiar light.
It was a golden opportunity for them to catch the attention of the elders and potentially secure a place among their fractions. Among the crowd, Aur silently navigated through the students. Despite his bulky physique making him stand out, his quiet demeanour minimised his presence.
He was clad in a simple black robe, reminiscent of the one Aur had torn in the cave. However, this was a new garment, symbolising the changes he underwent during both his training and personal growth.
Aur had purchased a new tier one wizard robe after the previous one was torn. Although it was disheartening for him to spend around fifty middle-grade mana crystals on it, he understood the quality of these robes.
They offered some level of defence against even tier one spells, complementing his robust physique. The investment was substantial, but it was a necessary one.
At least, it was better than having nothing!
Despite the expense, acquiring the robes wasn't overly challenging for Aur because he was rich.
"Young master," Lucy called out with a smile on her face. She was dressed in the attire she had showcased the previous day and was enjoying octopus balls, or as some might call them, takoyaki.
Although the name in this world was octopus balls, in Aur's previous world, it was a famous snack worldwide, and even though he liked it sometimes.
"Yes, Lucy," Aur gently said with a smile on his face.
"Would you like some?" She handed him another stick.
"No," Aur shook his head.
Lucy nodded in understanding as she silently kept it to herself, eating the octopus balls with glee.
Soon, they reached the academy's main building and entered.
"The crowd here is even larger," Aur frowned.
Since the annual competition wasn't only for them but also for the other higher-aged students, basically for those who have not been taken into any faction to show their strength in the hopes of getting into a faction.
There were countless benefits to being in a faction, with the consequences of offending the other factions. However, most of the time, only one faction would choose a student. Still, when a slightly above-average student showed up, it would be a problem in itself.
Aur slowly walked to the backyard of the academy with an impassive expression on his face.
The students hurriedly made way for him, seeing the bulky body of Aur.
"Look, is that the training monster?" one of the girls pointed at Aur.
"Shut up," her friend said, stopping her from uttering another word.
Aur looked at them with his crimson eyes in amusement.
The moment he looked at them, the two girls started to sweat for no reason. Although Aur didn't release his aura or even his presence, just his muscles generated a certain amount of intimidation that could shake the weak-hearted with just his gaze.
Aur walked up to them with a smile on his face. "Are you two fine?"
"Ye… yes," the girl replied, still staring vacantly at Aur. Her cheeks started to blush, and her friend wasn't different.
Seeing this, Aur raised his eyebrows with a little puzzlement. "What were the two of you talking about, the training monster?" Aur suddenly asked, causing the two of them to snap out.
"This…" She looked at Aur again, causing a small blush to appear on her face once more.
Aur shook his head and walked away with a sigh. "Why did those two girls blush so uncontrollably just seeing me?" he thought with his eyes narrowed as he walked away.
"Hey Lucy."
"Yes, young master." Lucy said, startled.
"Do I look different now?" Aur said with a smile on his face.
Lucy gazed deeply at Aur, and instantly, her eyes started to look vacantly at him, with a slight pink shading in her cheeks.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as she shook her head.
"Ye… yes," Lucy said while swaying her head uncontrollably.
Aur raised his brows seeing this. There was no need for any explanation now.
"I have become more handsome?" he thought with some amusement.
If a trained spy almost fell into a trance after seeing his face deeply, which she had looked at hundreds of times, there was only one explanation.
Either way, Aur just shrugged as they finally reached the platform.
There, almost every student was gathered in a line.
A servant swiftly came and guided Aur.
"This way, young master," a young servant guided Aur to his respective area and bowed respectfully.
"May I leave, young lord?"
Aur just nodded his head, and the servant left.