Chapter 701: Trust, Greed & Naivety

After the friends talked for a while, Zeke mentioned something Michael had totally forgotten about.

"By the way, I noticed that you haven't submitted your final exams yet. Are you planning to leave the academy, or did you forget to apply for exam exemption?"

Michael tilted his head in confusion.

"You...have no idea what I'm talking about, right?" Zeke figured.

"No. Well, yes. It's just that I forgot that I'm still a student at the academy. I don't know why, but I feel like I graduated already," Michael said in all honesty. He thought deeply, "How do I apply for exam exemption?"

It was a hassle, but it was better to apply for an exam exemption than leave the Saphirelake Military Academy. He didn't care much about studying there anymore, but he figured that it was good to stay since it was the first place where Berserkers, Warlock Centaurs, and Humans were taught together.

It was a great place to find suitable Awakened for his territory. His friends were also at the Saphirelake Military Academy. He didn't really want to leave. However, Michael was not willing to continue studying either.

"Most Descendants apply for study and exam exemption after their second year in most academies. They learned enough in their youth to graduate, but instead of graduating immediately, they socialize with others and focus on their territory development. Most Descendants will improve their understanding of their Inheritance techniques and Legacy Arts after their second year at the Saphirelake Military Academy. That's also why most families consider their children's growth until they turn 20 as the establishing of their foundation," Zeke explained.

"It's still important that we're not slower than our peers, but our parents think that it is more important to establish a proper foundation in the first two years of our awakening. Two years, or four years in the Origin Expanse, are supposed to be more than enough to solve all issues with your territory's environment if there are any, and to create the perfect foundation to start expanding aggressively after that," Lincoln added, taking Michael by surprise.

"So, you're saying that you guys didn't even start expanding aggressively yet?" Michael asked. He was certain their families had supported his friends so much to ensure they could expand aggressively, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Well, I didn't have many enemies to fight in my territory, so I have already begun expanding aggressively. I have four settlements, and the land I've claimed is large enough to build a few more settlements if necessary. But by expanding my territory, I found more enemies. I have yet to deal with a few monster habitats, and my scouts found more Lords, who may turn into problems."

Kaleb's words seemed to trigger Lincoln and Zeke. They looked at each other with a sense of urgency.

'Is that important?'

[Of course, it is important. Kaleb has a considerable advantage. He has already secured four settlements. As long as he can solidify his defenses, he can create a few more settlements to expand the population in his territory even further. According to his words, his land is ample as well. As long as his land is not dead, he will find deposits of precious resources. He can gain a fortune from his territory using his advantageous starting point.]

[Combined with the resources provided by his family, Kaleb will be able to expand much faster than his peers. He is also a Tier-3 Lord with a 7-Star Soultrait at a young age. As long as he doesn't make any big mistakes, he will grow faster than most Lords. Once he ascends to a Higher Lifeform, he will be stronger and more influential than most families. He will become one of mankind's pillars of support. Staying close to him will be very beneficial for Lincoln and Zeke. HOWEVER, at the same time, they will be pressured to grow faster to not fall behind Kaleb. Their families will push them to expand, ensuring that Kaleb won't abandon them. After all, Kaleb could consider their friendship useless if they don't have any assets to use.]

'That is weird. Why would Kaleb care whether Lincoln and Zeke are useful to him? We're friends.'

[I noticed that everyone considered each other friends as well, but don't you dare to be foolish enough to trust that friendship prevails over all adversaries. I trusted my Subordinates with my life as well. They backstabbed me the moment I turned into a 'threat'. I wasn't even a threat. It was just that someone else gave them enough benefits to deceive me just like that.]

'It won't be-...'

[It won't be like that with your friends? Don't be foolish. You never know what happens. What if the Supreme Human Alliance offers them your Extraction Soultrait in exchange for betraying you? They might have the means to rip your Soultraits out of your body. The person who betrayed me, or one of them, had a duplication-like Soultrait. What if someone duplicates Extraction, kills you, and extracts your Soultraits? They will get their hands on Extraction that way.]

It was rare to see Danny this serious. His words were painful, but there was a trace of truth in them.

[No matter how much you care about them...you don't know how they'll think about you in the future. You have no clue how influential greed is.]

'But...'

[You don't have to be suspicious of your friends, but never say that they would never deceive you. You don't know that. The only ones who won't betray you are Tiara, Frederik, the Berserkers, and Warlock Centaurs who underwent the rite of the War Goddess. The True Links of Loyalty and the Oath of Loyalty aren't things that come into existence if they're not 100% loyal to you.]

The others didn't notice that Michael spoke to Danny. They were busy talking to each other about their territories, their businesses, and the like.

Michael was a little uncomfortable as Danny's words resounded in his mind, but it was not like his brother was wrong. He knew he had been foolish to trust his friends would never deceive him. It was just that Michael didn't want to acknowledge the possibility.

Michael was aware that his friends were jealous of his Soultraits. He also knew that they were happy for him. Deep in their hearts, they couldn't help but think that it was unfair that Michael was so fortunate to awaken Extraction. They didn't even know half of what Michael had to endure to fuse so many Soultraits. Most people would have died long before they procured their third Soultraits, yet Michael prevailed. He survived. He defeated everyone who obstructed his path.

He learned to be ruthless in the face of those who wanted to harm him.

Michael sighed deeply. He didn't know how their discussion about the exam exemption turned into this.

"Why are politics such a mess?" Michael mumbled, but everyone could hear him.

Lincoln and Zeke stared at them with a tinge of guilt and surprise in their eyes while Maria looked at him a little sad. It was not hard to tell that Michael understood only a portion of what was going on in front of him now.

Michael was still relatively new to the political world and hated it.