Around the general area of Balreth Academy, Asher, Kylee, and Reese were slowly walking with each other. They had quickly shuffled out of the seas of students, preferring to be off on their own.

Though Asher didn't really have a problem at all with noisy crowds and talking among them. Reese and Kylee fell in the more with the reclusive camps of people, much more preferring the calmness of quieter areas.

As they slowly walked, they were chatting it up tomorrow and judging what life-changing decision they should take.

And Asher took up the role of trying to calm their nerves.

He was attempting to persuade them to join the competition year by hyping up the fantastic benefits of joining a Sect or Special Academy.

It is undeniable that Sects and Special Academies are harsh, cruel places where only the strong survive. But it is also true that nearly every youth dreams of gaining a strong Magical Power and climbing the ranks of Sects and Special Academy.

Climbing the ranks of Sects and Special Academies essentially gives someone a free luxurious life for however long their lifespan is. Furthermore, there's also the glorious fame that comes with becoming a strong talent of a Sect or Special Academy.

And, Asher could also tell it wasn't like Sects, or Special Academies didn't have numerous shortcuts or tricks to make one's life much easier.

He had tried explaining this in glorious details to Reese and Kylee.

However, no matter how persuasive he could be, his friends were a bit set in stone about their pessimistic attitudes about Sects and Special Academies.

They both still had slightly downtrodden expressions and were focusing on the negative aspects of these places.

"Maaan, forget even surviving a couple of days. Those guys will just chew me up and spit me back on the road in just a day." Reese said with his arms behind his head.

"Heh! You can only get chewed up if you even can make it in those places. And I highly doubt we do." Kylee also expressed the same disinterested sentiment.

Asher had to sigh in his mind. He had to admit that he really doesn't fully understand a self-defeatist mindset as it was impossible for him after everything he's been through.

But Asher believed that there should be some slight hope swirling just deep in their minds. Right when he was about to talk again, Yuk's melodic voice echoed in his mind.

'Hmm….yea, I don't get it. Why are you putting this amount of work in for them? Just because you're their friend?'

Seeing that Reese and Kylee were absorbed in their own conversation, Asher took a moment to reply to Yuki. 'I mean….I don't really need a reason to help out my friends. And I wouldn't say this is putting in work. I'm simply just talking to them.'

'Hoh? If you say so….' Yuki's voice gained an odd pitch.

Asher couldn't precisely describe what it was, but it felt like she was unconvinced. Shaking his head a bit, Asher was sure that Yuki would come around to see it his way.

Asher was about to turn his attention to his friends again, but he felt a ping sensation buzz in his mind right then.

Yuki's voice had once again talked to him, saying, "By the way, you need to go home soon after this little upcoming event."

Asher raised one of his eyebrows in slight puzzlement. He was about to question Yuki when his mind picked on two presences with hostile intentions coming straight at him and his friends.

It was strange, but Asher could legitimately tell something was coming towards them.

Focusing on this sense, Asher felt it was highly similar to the way he relied on his danger sensations when training in the Decrypted Woods.

Yet now, Asher had a precise sense of what was coming towards him.

And when he closed his eyes for a brief second, his mind had nearly visualized two phantom human figures walking towards him.

When Asher opened his eyes back up a split second later, he realized only now that not only did the Ceremony unlock his Ghost Lighting Powers. It also awakens an ability known as Aura Sense.

Aura Sense, along with System's Souls and Aura energy, is one of the basic fundamentals his teachers only barely taught them about.

Aura Senses specifically uses your mind as a Sensory radar to pick up on things far ahead of you.

Previously when Asher first awakened in his body, he wasn't sure if he had this ability yet. But he had the excuse of his mind being all jumbled and scrambled from all those excruciating events before.

Now, as Yuki pointed it out to him, Asher can tell that his Aura Sense had fully awakened.

It only took Asher a few seconds in real-time to process this information. When he came back to reality, he couldn't hear Reese nor Kylee's conversation anymore.

Looking over to them, both of them had stopped walking as their expressions dipped harder than ever.

Asher peered his gaze back forward and caught what his Aura Sense picked up and what was making his friend's expression fall.

Asher stopped walking as well as they were getting approached by two rough-looking boys. From miles away, anybody could tell these boys were trying to put on a fiercely intimidating appearance.

Both boys had imposing, towering height, with them both being six feet tall, standing slightly taller than Asher. They had a wild gangster-like haircut and even went so far as to wear black leather outfits to complete their gangster image.

"Ugh….why did it have to be them of all days…." Reese muttered his breath.

He and Kylee felt a bunch of nerves wracked their bodies as they got approached by these tough-looking boys.

More than anything, they wanted to avoid an encounter like this.

But they stayed rooted to their spots. Their eyes briefly glanced at Asher and expected that look on his face.

Asher, compared to Reese and Kylee's surging nerves, he remained entirely impassive.

It wasn't like Asher wanted to engage in an encounter like this. But he just knows these guys won't leave them alone if they try to simply ignore.

"Well, well, look at what we have here. The very person we, unfortunately, have to get." One of the gangster-looking boys spoke, practically spatting out at Asher.

Both boys stopped within six feet from Asher's group.

Their expression was about to jeer until Asher immediately spoke up first, cutting directly to the chase.

"Devon and Mack. The two goons of the Academy, what could you possibly want with us for today?" Asher's voice was completely even.

He showed no trace of nervousness, tension, or even aggression. His indifferent calm attitude was as if he was genuinely talking to a bunch of nobodies.

And this kind attitude sickens Devon and Mack to no end.

As Devon and Mack's expressions quickly turned fierce, Reese and Kylee certainly couldn't stay calm.

'Here we go again….' They both thought to themselves.

Both Reese and Kylee swear that the brave attitude of Asher's will one day get him into actual serious trouble. But for now, they kept their mouths shut, letting Asher do all the talking as he usually does.

Devon and Mack's faces heavily contorted into immense disdain against Asher. Neither of them even bother to notice Reese and Kylee.

The boy on the right, who was Devon, spat at Asher, telling him, "Tch. Already so fucking cocky despite having some meh above-average powers, huh?"

Before Devon continued on, his expression suddenly changed. It turned into a mocking one as if it was looking at a real clown.

"But you know what? You can get off scot-free today. I guess you can almost count this as a lucky day for you. Despite having meh powers, the boss actually wants to see you right now."

When hearing 'the boss,' Reese and Kylee clenched their fist. That person, to them, is one of the few legitimately terrifying students throughout the whole school.

But Asher still didn't change his impassive face. He only gave Devon a slight roll of his eyes.

To Asher, where Devon and Mack hail from, they are all just wannabe tough gangsters. There were only a few powerful Spirit Tier 1 in their whole group that can make Asher feel a real sense of danger.

However, now that he is also an awakened Spirit Tier 1, Asher had the assurance to effectively deal with the goons without much hassle.

And even as he couldn't beat the powerful people in their group, Asher will still dare to go against them.

"How about instead of me coming to meet your boss. How about you two scram out of our faces like the dogs you are and tell your hermit boss he can come to me himself if really wants to talk to me." Asher stated without a care in a world.

"Asher!" Kylee exclaimed as worry filled her tone.

She was hoping the situation wouldn't dissolve to this point. In the past, all three of them were protected by the rules of the Academy. They couldn't directly be challenged by already awakened Spirit Tier 1 students.

However, now, all of those rules mean nothing. That Ceremony fundamentally changed everything for everyone in the Academy.

Their System's soul may have given them power but also opened up a lot more dangerous doors.

Kylee always had confidence in Asher's strength when just dealing with the average thugs and goons who didn't have their System's soul awakened.

But now, her worry shot up to a new level.

Reese as well understood the danger of carelessly provoking people. Yet, he didn't outwardly express his concerns like Kylee. He had clenched his fist and tensed his body, ready for any first sign of action.

After Asher's bold and cold-cutting words, an enraged expression quickly morphed onto Devon and Mack's faces. They balled up their fist, tensed their bodies as if they were ready to strike at any second.

But abruptly, they stopped entirely.

Devon and Mack took a slight breath, calming their rising rage and unraveling their hands. Afterward, they both put on arrogant, superior expressions.

Their eyes glowered down at Asher, doing their best at trying to frighten him. When they saw Asher keep his annoyingly impassive face, Mack had snorted this time.

"Hmph! Be grateful you get to keep that shit-eating face for now. But this time….you'll severely regret everything you did against us."

Once Mack had finished threatening Asher, he and Devon briskly turned around and walked off, not even giving Asher a chance to respond back.

"Asher…." Kylee's worried voice got Asher to finally gaze over to her.

She felt a pang of annoyance rise when Asher still seemed unfazed about that whole encounter. "Must you always be so confrontational with them? Now, it's not like anything in the past. We all have our System's soul awakened, you know! Now the Kane gang can be much fiercer than what they already are."

"I know you all for challenges and self-improvement. But man….you know just how vicious these guys can be. And now their viciousness will only multiply from here on out." Reese had also voiced his concerns.

Asher simply looked at both Reese and Kylee. He didn't respond at first but gave them a calm, soothing smile, hoping to ease their tension.

He said in a completely relaxed tone of voice, "Relax. No matter what they try, I won't lose to some pushovers. Now let's go get something to eat already, eh? I haven't eaten anything at all today."

Reese and Kylee looked like they wanted to say something more.

But they both quickly relented, knowing that Asher was stubborn as a mule sometimes and nothing could break that determined mind of his.

"Haaah….alright. Let's go. But please, don't do something stupid, Asher." Kylee lightly pleaded to Asher.

Reese had to wryly shrug instead. "Knowing this guy? He'll more than likely get into trouble. But we'll be there to back up whatever stupid mistakes. Let's just chow down already and take our minds off from all of this."

"Now we're talking." Asher lightly smiled at his friends. Although, he did file this event as one to take note of in his mind.