Ace began working the next day.
With Julius, they went to the Admin building to sell what they acquired from the dungeon.
In total, he made about twenty thousand gold, which was about twenty thousand dollars if Ace was using the currencies back on Earth.
And imdiately, he used half of it to buy a piece of land in the Field Zone.
Although the Academy didn’t actually call it buying, he already had the authority to own land. What he was just paying for was a permit.
Ace knew otherwise.
The Academy treated the Houses as milk cows.
They gave them pasture to roam and free food, and in return, they took their milk. In a way, it was a win-win.
The next step was to look for builders to start building sothing on it.
Ace went for the cheapest, and they began to build what he knew was only a temporary House building, but he wanted sothing on the Field Zone to mark his presence.
Two days later, they stood in front of it.
"Well, not bad," Julius adjusted his glasses as he stared up at the house.
It was made of wood, just four walls with the inside divided into office-like space.
Ace pointed to the large land beside it. "Now we can train to our heart’s content."
Ethan snorted. "This is what you called us for, Julius? This? Well, I’m glad I’m not part of your House. I’ve seen stables better than this."
Derrick grimaced. "It’s not bad? I an, other Houses’ buildings are like castles, but they absolutely have a humbling beginning like this. Or not."
"Ah... well," Celia said.
Ace understood them. Even he had given it the sa look, but as Derrick said, it was a humbling beginning.
Inside had been furnished with the cheapest furniture he could buy.
"So why did you call us here?" Ethan asked.
They were sitting around a long table and chairs.
"We are here to talk about the dungeon," Julius said.
Ace nodded. "Derrick and Ethan, you guys are not officially part of my House, but you work for it, so I will treat you as part of the House."
’.....I will still have to force them to join sohow....’
"The dungeon is the first for this House, and I considered it a success. We got what we wanted—resources—and even now, people talk about the House na in the Academy. We were the only House to co out without a scratch."
"We were nearly done in, though," Celia pointed out, showing her healed hands.
"If not for that S-rank guy, we’d be dead," Ethan said solemnly. The near brush with death had humbled him sohow.
"And we’re not even in a better position. Those that were behind it might target us now," Julius said.
Derrick gritted his teeth and his eyes flashed. "We did a lot of work while you were conveniently away."
Ace frowned. Ti to dig into them, see how much Lucas affected them. "That’s because you guys were lacking in strength."
The room went still. Eyes sharpened and turned toward him.
Wait, what?
Even Julius—his eyes sharpened and glead.
But it was Derrick that responded. He exploded. He stood up from his place and pointed at Ace. "A weak guy like you is telling us how we are lacking in strength? Isn’t that just too ironic?"
Celia nodded, eyes flashing. "House leader, that’s too much. We are strong and you are weak. It’s not your place to tell us that we are lacking in strength."
Julius grimaced. "I’m sorry, Ace, but what you said is absolute bullshit. Lacking in strength? From you? That’s just—"
Ethan only gritted his teeth, but he didn’t say anything.
Ace let them.
He didn’t say anything and just let them rant.
Especially Derrick. He went on about how Ace was away during the dungeon raid instead of helping, and he ca back with only a bump on the head?
"Have you forgotten you are a weakling, Ace?"
Derrick looked like soone who was looking for a fight, his muscles flexing and his eyes bulging.
Julius looked at Ace sharply. "I’ll advise you to take your words back, House leader."
And then, when Ace didn’t reply, they fell into an uncomfortable, tension-filled silence, with most of them glaring at him.
Only Julius now looked at him with curiosity. He’d spent enough ti with Ace to know that he must have sothing planned with what he was saying, but he couldn’t figure it out.
"Why take back what is only the truth? I am weak, I accept. So, are you telling you guys are weaklings as well?"
Wait, what? The expression on all of them changed.
"I have never disagreed with anyone that called weak, but you guys—do you want to remain the way you are until soone cos to rescue you?"
They shifted. Who would have thought that Ace would make the conversation go that kind of way?
"You lack strength," Ace repeated again.
And now, since they couldn’t fault his logic and they knew it for themselves, they accepted, but it still didn’t sit well with them. Ace saw it in their eyes.
"As compensation for the dungeon, I have gifts for you guys."
Ace brought out four pieces of paper and then he gave the four of them each one.
"Celia, your offensive power is admirable, but you lack speed. There’s no use having such firepower if you can’t reach the enemy. I’ve written down so techniques for you to try out."
Celia scanned through it and her face lit up. "I’ve never really thought of this before. Thank you."
"Ethan, you are the strongest and yet the most predictable. Your attacks are too simple and avoidable if the opponent keeps their distance from you and attacks from afar."
Ethan’s brows knitted as he read his paper. "Is this really possible?"
"Yes. If you move your gravity power like that, you will be able to create gravity bullets."
Ethan’s hand tightened and his face hardened. "Well, is that all? Thank you. I have sowhere to be."
He stood up, but Ace called him back.
"I bought four spaces in the training center. It’s registered under the House. You can pick," Ace said casually.
Ethan didn’t say anything as he walked out.
"Derrick, you are too stiff. You need to be more flexible. Those are stretching techniques—putting weight and even tearing and healing so certain muscles..."
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