Chapter 270: Convincing The Team
The moment his consciousness entered the jade, the entire world changed. He felt himself standing in a world full of fog, where a giant stele stood erect without anything else there except for it.
And the moment he arrived there, he stood just tens of meters away from it. He was barely able to see the entire stele from such a distance.
Then words started to flash in crimson red color on its surface.
"The king's first mission: There are many ordeals in this world. However with the presence of the new king, nothing shall stop him. Justice is asked against those who attack the academy. The rebellion camp marked in this location must be exterminated by the king's own powers in less than two days.
Mission conditions: the king must go alone. No aid should be given from the academy. No master, no disciple, and even no slave should come to his aid. The king should show his domineering act and fight with his own powers and relies only on himself to crush his enemies.
Breaking these conditions means the king failed even if he succeeded in the mission.
Punishment: the king will be deprived from his right and the second in line will inherit his place.
Reward: The king can submit any number of rebels from that camp and add them to his own forces. Yet he needs first to dominate them with force and enforce his own power over them to make them submit. Those who submit won't be able to enter the academy and will only be left outside waiting for his next mission to help. The king can use them in any activities outside the walls of the academy as he likes.``
Jim glanced at the words while feeling some surprise from this mission. Before he knew it, he laughed at what he read.
"Is this what you chose to stop me?" he couldn't help but sneer, "alright, I accept your challenge."
He turned his body and was about to walk away before he felt a gush of wind pushing him outside the jade. His mind returned to his body before he opened his eyes slowly.
"What is this all about?" Deno was the first to ask but all of the team around him carried the same question and worry over their faces.
"It's nothing," Jim didn't want to worry them.
"Of course it's not," Hector was the one to demand for more, "what's inside that piece of jade?"
"The first mission," Jim casually stored the jade inside his ring so no one would be able to see what was inside.
"Then tell us," Ashley stepped forward, "not telling us anything won't help, instead it will make us all worried."
Jim took a deep breath before pointing to another room, "let's go there."
He moved his eyes around and everyone realized they weren't alone. Many masters stayed behind for their security, and also to keep an eye on their moves.
So they followed him towards the only place no one could follow them at, his secret room.
"Oh, you changed it a lot," the team was shocked the moment they passed through the door he opened. Just as everyone got inside, Jim made sure no one else would follow from masters stationed inside or outside the mansion.
So he closed the door as soon as everyone got inside.
"I just felt it would make it more comfortable for us," Jim said before walking towards the middle of the vast hall, "here we will train, get stronger, and change for the better... together."
"Can I bring my boys here as well?" Hector suddenly asked and that request startled Jim for a brief second.
"If you trust them then sure," Jim thought about it for a second, "but we need to put some regulations first."
"Like what?" Hector crossed his arms while getting interested in what Jim was about to say.
"No one speaks about anything going on here," Jim started to say on his own terms. "If anyone broke this rule then we together will handle him."
"Or her," Hector calmly smiled, "don't worry, my group is trusted."
"The moment they come here, they need to stay a couple of days to train and not go out."
"Oh," Hector was surprised by that condition, "why is that?"
"A large group of people going in and out from the mansion will attract attention and might cause unneeded people to get pissed off."
"They are already pissed off," Hector laughed, "but it's fine. We all are in the final year of the academy. We got our share from lessons and studying anyway. We know the real world out there isn't merciful to any of us. It's best if we use every second to get stronger."
"Fine by me," Jim nodded, "now it's time to tell you what the mission is all about."
He took out his jade and threw it to Hector. The moment Hector checked it, his face changed.
"So they are trying to ambush you," he muttered, "we don't care about staying here. Let my boys come and help you out."
"Give me that," Jenny grabbed the jade from his hands and started to scan it before she passed it to others.
No one saw what was inside and wasn't shocked by its content.
"That won't do," Jim calmly rejected the offer to help, "I need to do this alone."
"But..." Ashley was on the verge of crying here, yet Jim's eyes made her stop in her words.
"I said I can do it," Jim slowly said, "have more trust in me, in your leader, in your friend... please."
He wanted to change this annoying over caring nature of them. They worried over anything even if it was so weak and useless.
He wanted to change that.
He wanted them to be like Hector's team, cold towards anything and ready for any challenge.
"I can do this and I won't need any help," Jim repeated his own decision, "as for you, you'll stay here and start training."
"You have a limited window of time to act," Hector sighed, "there is a teleportation attached to that jade. Once activated you can be there at no time."
Jim nodded in understanding but his team wasn't accepting his decision yet.
"We should go with you," Rick said before turning to everyone, "aren't you feeling the same?"
"It's a trap," Deno said, "we can't let you go on alone to such a trap without help."
"If you helped," Jim slowly said, "if anyone tried to help me," he turned to Hector as he added, "then succeeding this mission won't matter. I bet their real plan is to force others to help me and that would deprive me of my title instantly."
"Betting your life on such a worthless thing isn't wise," Hector tried to persuade him.
"I know what I'm doing," yet Jim was persistent, "I won't let anyone help and I won't fail."
"Then what do you want us to do here?" Roo asked while glancing around, "do you expect us to train and forget everything about your risky challenge?"
"That's stupid!" Ashley couldn't help but cry, "we should go out and help you!"
"This academy..." Jenny was furious about this test, "it's really toxic to live in."
"This is the nature of the academy," Hector slowly said, "you need to adapt to its injustice as long as you aren't part of the core campus."
"I want to go now and burn that damned campus to the ground!" Deno's body trembled in rage, yet Jim didn't like how his team members were thinking about this matter.
"Just have faith in me," he slowly said, "I faced much harder situations and lived. Can't I face this one and triumph as well?"
He started to walk in circles around the place, "I did many things that seemed impossible, faced my enemies and monsters who were all above my strength and even comprehension... and I won them all and survived so far."
"You got lucky," Hector had to stop him there, "don't get cocky because of a few lucky encounters."
"I'm not," Jim calmly shook his head, "I know exactly how powerful I'm and what are my odds. If for a brief second I wasn't sure of my victory, I wouldn't even consider accepting this mission and would rather ditch that title away."
"Then do it!" Ashley was already breaking down, "we... I don't want to see you wounded or... dead."
Jim smiled warmly to her, to everyone. "Believe in me," he said, "I know what I'm doing. All that I ask is just to have faith in me. Can you do me this favor?"
His words landed and everyone went into deep silence. They wanted to argue but they realized no matter how hard they tried, their leader wouldn't listen.
"We'll pray for your success then," the all silent Saga finally spoke, "I trust in your words. Please don't disappoint us."
"Thanks," Jim said before taking the jade from her before he pressed on it hard.
Yet nothing happened.
'Just insert your consciousness in it,' the old man said, 'and think of going to that location marked on that stele.'
'What about my warriors?'
Jim built his entire plan on his newly gathered army of warriors. He knew they were so strong, and this was his chance to see them fight in the real world and assess their real strength.
'They are bound to your blood,' the old man said, 'only one thought and they can show up wherever you are whenever you want them regardless of any limitations of time, space, and even arrays and spells.'
'That's great,' Jim slowly said before closing up his eyes. "Wish me luck," he only said that before he let his consciousness enter the jade and select to teleport.
Then his body instantly vanished from the secret room, leaving everyone in deep worry about him.