Edited by: Lumosz LMZ

'Tring Tring.." I woke up to the sound of my Holowatch ringing, someone is calling me. I woke up groggily and received the call without even checking the caller's ID.

"Micheal! Were you sleeping?" asked a high-pitched voice. I hadn't heard that voice in a week.

"Yes, I just woke because of your call," I said in a groggy voice, yesterday's hunting trip really tired me out.

The one who is calling me is my good friend Ellen, she had been selected by Crystal Knights and sent Carol city for training.

''So, how's Carol city?" she asked, now that I could clearly see her projection on my holowatch. She was wearing a form-fit training suit and had cut her hair into a stylish bob.

Whenever I see a bob, I remember one of the most embarrassing memories in my brain. I think it was six months ago,

I had to do some homework that I hadn't finished the previous day for some reason. So during the break, I went to one of the abandoned rooms in the school to do my homework in peace. But when I opened the door, I found myself seeing two naked girls kissing each other in a passionate frenzy. And you guessed it, one of the two girls was Ellen and other was some cute girl with a short bob. I closed the door slowly, took a step, sighed and ran away fast as I can. So for a few days, things got awkward between us, and we soon forget about it. The worst thing is that I saw Ellen take another girl to the abandoned room. And here I was, I who hadn't been able to get past first base with my ex-girlfriend.

''What are you thinking about?" She asked seeing me zoned out.

"Your haircut," I replied without thinking.

"What about my haircut? Doesn't it look good?" Ellen asked, thankfully not understanding my reference.

''It really suits you," I said with a pleasing smile and continued, "How is Mayfield city treating you?"

Seeing that she is wearing her training suit, she must be going to train.

''It is really fun but also a little tense" she said in an excited tone, she seemed to have a good time in the Mayfield.

"Three days ago, Stella leveled up to Lv. 2 Private stage. And yesterday, I was to fight against a Specialist stage monster in the facility... I got beaten so badly that I was barely able to walk." She said, if one carefully looked at her face, you could see a little faint red mark on her face.

''Enough about me! How is Carol city?" she asked me.

I lied to my friends and family about coming to Westblood to train. I told them that I was going to Carol city which is famous amongst low-level adventurers and is way less dangerous compared to the Westblood city.

"It's not as interesting as yours," I said to dodge the question, she also didn't also press the issue.

"Chu chu.." Ashlyn chirped as she flew onto my shoulder calling out my lie. It's not like I don't want to tell her the truth, it's just that I've also leveled up it and I don't want to be discouraged and all.

''Ashlyn look at you, you have become even more chubby" Ellen said looking at Ashlyn. Of course, she had become chubby, she ate like a glutton.

"Chu!" she chirped happily, taking it as a compliment.

Suddenly, I remembered about the combat styles and decided to ask her, "Ellen, are you studying advanced combat styles."

I wanted to know if she had been learning advanced combat style, I also decided to earn enough money from monster hunting to study a good combat style.

"Yes, they have been teaching it to us from the first day of training," she said.

I nodded, thinking 'so it's true.' I have heard from the most adventurers here that one of the first things an organization teaches to their members are their advance combat styles. Their training lasts a year and after that, they get sent to different branches across the republic and sometimes outside of it too.

"Which grade did they put you in?" I asked cautiously.

I have many questions regarding organizations that I can't ask anyone, not even as we weren't that good of friends and now I can finally ask Ellen without hesitation. But hearing my question, her face fell then became bright and resolute.

"All the youths who were selected from small towns are automatically placed in the 'D' group but you can give a three days exam to upgrade in 'C'" she said.

I know that the organization's trainees are divided into four categories which A, B, C, and D, with being the highest and D being the lowest. The higher level class there are in training, the more advanced training methods and resources they will receive.

Madeline from a few days ago also got accepted in Crystal Knights but she directly selected at class B. I obviously will not tell Ellen that tho.

"I've given the advancement exam and passed, I am now a level "C" trainee but my aim is to enter at Class A.," she said while determination flooded her eyes.

I know that she will try her best and work very hard to enter class 'A' and she may just succeed who knows.

"Ellen let's go!" I heard another voice from the background of her call.

Hearing some of her college calling her, "I have to go, Micheal, we will talk later." Ellen said.

"I'll call you later."

I sighed after seeing her progress, I leveled up because I had to experience a life and death situation but she caught up to me with just a little training. This is the main difference between the strain of the monsters, Ellen's monster's talent may be low but its strain is high. And her Glass Spider's ancestor is a higher strain monster and by coincidence her monster is able to inherit the strain of the ancestor, making her progress even faster.

Compared to her, my progress will be slow as a snail. I might be able to keep up with her till Specialist stage but after that, I don't know what I will do.

Ashlyn has class 2 strain from which she could level up to the specialist stage but after that, to promote further, she has to tap the most of her potential in her body. If she is able to do that, she will have no problem until she reaches her bloodline limit.

Thinking there is no use going over it now, I decided to freshen up and head to the training facility after eating.