Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 292: New Top 10 [1]

Next day...

Today is a holiday for the cadets of Nova Academy.

Since practical exams were taken yesterday, Many students were exhausted or injured. So Nova Academy decided to give a day off to cadets.

So like any normal teenager, I also decided to take a day off.

I want to start training so badly but my body also needs some rest.

So instead of doing training, I have some pressing matters to attend to.

For example... Recruiting Elera.

But there are some problems regarding that issue.

In the novel, I mainly focused on Adrian, Emma, Isabella, Aric and Lyra. So I neglected other characters and one of those characters is Elera.

…In my defence, I was thinking of developing her character when the time she showed up to fight the demon army came…but, well, I died.

Didn't get to that part…

Thus, I was now facing a dilemma. What was Elera's past like, and what could I use to entice her to join me? Money? Fame? Strength?

I needed to know more…fortunately, I knew someone who could help me.

But for some reason, I couldn't contact that person.

The person I'm talking about is 'Jonathan'.

It's been over a month since I couldn't get hold d him.

'Did he die?'

Suddenly I started to feel a chill down my spine.

I hope nothing happens to him.

-Ring! -Ring! -Ring!

-Ring! -Ring! -Ring!

At that moment my phone started to ring, taking out my phone from my jeans pocket I looked at the person who called me.

My eyes widened as I saw the name of the person who was calling me.

It was Jonathan...

Without missing a moment, I quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello? Jonathan?"

-Haa, Yeah it's me. Jonathan.

"Where have you been? I couldn't contact you."

"Oh, Well. You see Hero police was after me as I was doing a background check on the kid you want to recruit, Ryen!"

An alarm bell started to ring inside my head as I heard the 'Hero Police' word. Doing illegal background checks is a risky job, I should be more careful.

"So did you get caught?"

I asked him if he had caught, everything that I worked for would be wasted.

-Haa, I can't get caught by those 'Hero Police' I'm Jonathan. I would never get caught by them.

Relief washed over me as Jonathan reassured me of his safety. Despite his cavalier attitude, I knew that he was skilled at evading capture and navigating the dangerous underworld of Nova City.

"So, did you replace anything useful about Ryen?" I inquired, eager to learn more about the enigmatic figure who had caught my attention.

-Hmm, not much because he is in the central jail of Novaclif City. He's a bit of a mystery, to be honest. No records of family or past affiliations.

Jonathan replied, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Do you know when he would be released from Jail?"

I asked him, I needed Ryen. I can't afford to lose him.

-In a few months, I don't know the exact date but I will let you know when I get that information.

I nodded, processing Jonathan's words. It seemed that my plans to recruit Ryen would have to be put on hold for the time being.

-Alright, keep me updated on any developments," I instructed, my mind already racing to come up with alternative strategies.

-Of course, kid. You know I've got your back.

Jonathan reassured me.

With Ryen out of the picture for the foreseeable future, I needed to focus on recruiting Elera. But first, I needed to gather more information about her and figure out what would appeal to her the most.

I decided to start by doing some research on Elera's background and past accomplishments. Although I hadn't paid much attention to her in the novel, I knew that she must have had some notable achievements to earn a place at Nova Academy.

-Also I'm going to recruit Paul, the other guy you talked about, from Night Mercenary.

Jonathan said after a moment of silence.

Paul? Yeah, I remember him.

I had given three files to Jonathan. The first one is about Ryen, the child genius.

The second was about Elera and the third one was about Paul, an experienced mercenary.

Since I was a newbie in this field and Jonathan used to be a gang leader I needed someone who was experienced in this field.

That's when Paul came to my mind.

An experienced mercenary who appears in the third volume of the book.

Although he wasn't necessarily outstanding in combat, he was a very competent leader and commander.

But that wasn't the only reason why I chose him.

He had another talent…

He was an extremely strong commander. During one of the arcs of the novel, Paul takes charge of a few troops to fight against villains, and thanks to his heroic deeds he can survive and complete the mission flawlessly.

He meets Adrian on multiple occasions in the novel, and although Adrian has a good impression of him, he never manages to really enter Adrian's party, which in all honesty would've benefited a lot if they had someone as experienced as him helping them.

"Ah…alright. Do you think you could do a background search on someone for me?"

—A background search? Hmmm, it depends on who

"Elara Frostwind, the profile I had previously mentioned I wanted to recruit"

Pausing for a second, a loud sigh could be heard from the other side of the phone. Soon after, Jonathan responded

—…Sigh, Fine. I'll do the background check on her.

With Jonathan agreeing to conduct a background check on Elera, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Having someone as skilled and resourceful as Jonathan on my side gave me confidence that I would soon have the information I needed to approach Elera with a convincing offer.

"Thanks, Jonathan. I appreciate it," I said, genuinely grateful for his assistance.

—Don't mention it, kid. Just make sure to be careful with this one. Elera Frostwind isn't someone to be taken lightly.

His words carried a note of warning, reminding me of the importance of proceeding with caution when dealing with someone as formidable as Elera.

"I'll keep that in mind. Let me know as soon as you replace anything," I replied, determined to make the most of this opportunity.

-I will do. Talk to you later, kid.

With that, Jonathan ended the call, leaving me to ponder my next move. As I waited for his update.

***

Next week, Monday, Class [1-Hero-1]

Sitting in my usual seat, I nervously looked towards the front of the classroom. For the past few days, nothing much has happened. I mostly spent most of my time training the sword of Madness.

Anyhow, that aside, today was the day that the results would come back.

"Okay, everyone, please quiet down"

Standing at the podium of the classroom, wearing a nice black suit that perfectly emphasized the outline of her body, Lillian raised her hand to get everyone to quiet down.

Her hair was currently tied in a ponytail, and as soon as she raised her hand, her violet eyes showed slightly, immediately causing everyone to shut up.

Seeing that everyone was finally quiet, Lillian continued.

"Though there was an unfortunate event in the examination, it all went without a hitch."

Taking out her tablet, Lillian scrolled through it. After a couple of seconds, pressing on her screen, she looked at us and said.

"I have just sent you the results of the practical and theoretical exams. Soon, If you take out your phones, you should be receiving a message with the details of your exam and your scores…"

Glancing at her tablet, frowning slightly, Lillian continued speaking

"Because of past complaints, we will not announce your results out loud. We will, however, not hide your new overall rank, so if you guys are curious about your friend's ranking, you can see it in the class register"

It was to be expected.

After all, rank meant a lot in this academy.

"Another reminder, please don't shout when you get your results back. Please keep calm and quie—"

-Ding! -Ding! -Ding!

Just as Donna was about to finish speaking, right on cue, multiple phone notifications resounded across the class.

Without pause, like everyone else in the class, I took out my phone and quickly opened my exam scores.

=====================

[Exam result]

Student : Lucas Darkheart

Theoretical exam rank: 1/2000

Physical exam rank: 3/200

Overall rank adjustment: 3/2000

Previous Overall rank: 1001/2000

=====================

"…"

'Fuck.'

I couldn't believe it, I was in the top 10. My goal was just to enter the top 100 but I'm in top-10.

As the realization sank in, a mix of shock and pride washed over me. I had surpassed my own expectations and achieved a level of success that I had never imagined possible. It was a testament to my hard work and dedication, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead.

Glancing around the classroom, I noticed that I wasn't the only one who had received their results. Some students looked pleased with their rankings, while others appeared disappointed or frustrated. It was a reminder of the fierce competition that existed within Nova Academy, where every student strived to climb the ranks and prove themselves as the best of the best.

Turning my attention back to my phone, I scrolled through the details of my exam scores once more, still unable to fully comprehend the magnitude of my achievement. It was a moment that I would treasure and remember for years to come, a testament to my determination and perseverance in the face of adversity.