"Looks like the training is doing a number on them," Neo muttered.
Neo had access to his Intent Clone at all times.
He could monitor how others fared against it.
There were points in time when Neo couldn't divide his focus between his physical body and the Clone—like during his intense battle with Bael.
In such cases, he used his Mind Invasion skill to access the Clone's memories afterward.
Neo's mind was powerful, capable of sustaining the burden of the skill, something barely anyone could do.
He walked through the academy.
Just as he was considering how to arrange a meeting with Sphinx, a portal materialized before him.
It silver surface distorted like ripples in water.
"Please come inside," said one of the principal's puppets, standing on the other side.
Neo gave a curt nod, stepping into the silvery portal.
He felt a shift, and in the next moment, he found himself standing outside the principal's office.
"Please enter the room. The principal is waiting for you," the doll said.
The doors of the office creaked open on their own.
The principal's desk stood at the center of the room.
Charlotte sat behind it.
A frown adorned her face.
"Neo Hargraves, the academy has started weeks ago. I do not recall giving you the permission to…"
The principal's stern voice trailed off abruptly when an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted within the office.
The air seemed to grow heavy.
Veldora's piercing gaze bore into her.
"Talk politely, demi-human. You are in the presence of the prince of the Underworld," Veldora said.
Charlotte clenched her jaw, as she resisted the crushing force of his aura.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but her eyes remained firm.
She refused to show weakness, even as the pressure made her heart pound violently.
Her pride as the academy's principal would not allow it.
She released her own aura.
The walls groaned under the strain, and thin cracks began to spread across the ceiling like veins.
The clash of their auras created an almost tangible tension in the room.
Books toppled from their shelves, and the once-orderly office descended into chaos.
They were locked in a fierce impasse.
Neo, seated calmly in a chair as if the chaos didn't exist, finally intervened.
His voice, though soft, cut through the oppressive atmosphere like a blade.
Veldora's aura flickered before withdrawing, albeit reluctantly.
"…Understood, Prince," Veldora said.
Charlotte, frowning and still tense, also retracted her aura.
The office gradually returned to silence.
"I apologize for my friend's outburst, Principal," Neo said.
Charlotte's lips were pressed in thin line, clearly displeased.
"Prince, why are you—"
Neo's voice was sharp.
Veldora's expression hardened, but he silenced himself immediately upon hearing Neo's tone.
"We aren't thugs," Neo said. "Let's listen to her first."
"…Yes, Prince," Veldora replied.
Neo turned to Charlotte.
"Why did you call me, Principal?" he asked.
Charlotte's eyes darted between Neo and Veldora before she finally answered.
"You haven't attended any classes during the past week. Students who take extended leaves can be subjected to expulsion," she said.
"I'm sure my brother must have given a reason for my absence?" Neo replied.
"He did, but second-semester students are not allowed to leave the academy unless it's for a mission," Charlotte said firmly.
"I see." Neo nodded thoughtfully. "So I'm not allowed to leave the academy?"
"Then, I'll voluntarily withdraw the academy."
Charlotte's eyes widened in shock.
"My reason for attending the academy was to use other students as a whetstone for my growth and to become a Templar.
"But I've already surpassed the students.
"I learned all of the curriculum during the time I was regressing while awakening my time element, and…"
Neo pursed his lips before adding.
"I don't need the Junior Templar certification.
"As the clan leader of the Great Clan of Death, which is one of the three Great Clans, I already am a Junior Templar."
"You need to attend the college if you want the right to challenge a Senior Templar for their position," Charlotte countered.
"As I said, as the clan leader of the Great Clan of Death, I already have that right," Neo responded.
Charlotte sighed deeply.
She leaned back in her chair.
Neo was born with a diamond spoon.
The phrase crossed her mind bitterly.
His lineage, privilege, and innate talent made him untouchable.
If he wanted to leave, she couldn't stop him, and she knew it.
"How about becoming an Honorary student? That way, your record will stay flawless, and you can go outside the academy while still being an academy student." the principal offered.
"What's an Honorary student?" Neo asked.
"You will be a student in name only, and you will have all the freedom you want," Charlotte explained.
"So I don't need to attend the classes?"
"What about the exams?"
"You don't need to give them either."
Neo tilted his head slightly.
"That's quite an offer you are making. What's the reason behind it?"
Charlotte's lips curved into a bitter smile as she leaned forward.
Her fingers interlaced atop the desk.
"Image," she said. "Demigod Academy's image will take a huge hit if the 'Clan leader of a Great Clan' leaves in the middle of his academic tenure.
"It will make people question our capabilities.
"They will say, 'We heard the Demigod Academy is the best academy on Luminera, but if it's the best, why did a genius like Neo Hargraves leave?'"
Charlotte's piercing gaze met Neo's.
"Especially now that your fame is at an all-time high, your withdrawal will affect us a lot," she said.
Neo had become a household name.
The supernova who defeated the genius of the Zeus clan during the Academy Entrancement Tournament.
The one who singlehandedly became the reason for an S-rank mission's completion.
The Immortal Slayer who took down the legendary Minotaur with a single hit.
The swordsman who solo-conquered a Tiger-ranked Window.
The one who inherited the blood of Hades.
The owner of a True Soul Weapon.
The returner who completed a Shadow Trial.
It was harder to find someone who did not know Neo than to find someone who did.
"So that's why you want me to become an Honorary student," Neo said.
"Yes," Charlotte replied. "The position will give you the freedom you want, while we can save our image at the same time."
"What's in it for me?"
Charlotte looked at him with an exasperated expression.