Chapter 142: What the Champion Was Up To

Words : 1041 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 142: What the Champion Was Up To’Phew... calm down... you’ve been through worse...’ In front of a vast indoor dirt field, Hal’s heart raced—almost as much as when he had faced deadly situations in the Luminous Runeforest. He moved to Rovindor City, which was two days away from Gaora, to obtain a driving license for Manatech Hoverboards and Manatech Motorcycles. They were somewhat within the range of his finances now, after all. Both were also great investments. ’Remember your vision, Hal...you’ll pass this simple test...’ Hal closed his eyes, recalling the dream he had last night of him pulling up at Poporo Village on a handsome Manatech Motorcycle. His gaze then turned sharp and resolute after he opened them again. He had been diligently studying how to operate the two transports in the past five days, and now, it was time for his first attempt at obtaining a license for both. "Go," the stern middle-aged instructor urged. Hal, now back to his normal appearance, swallowed and powered on the worn-out Manatech hoverboard, causing it to hover about a foot and a half off the ground. He then stepped on it, using the technique taught to him by the instructor to keep the board balanced as he boarded. The most basic of Manatech transports swayed a bit, but Hal was ultimately able to ride it without any problems. He glanced at the board, which had eight main control runes engraved along the edges and two speed regulator sub-runes. He just has to step on the frontmost one to move forward, the one at the back close to where the processed mana core was to brake, and the six engraved on the sides to turn. ’You’ve practiced eight hours a day for the past few days... just calm down, and this should be easy peasy.’ Hal pep-talked himself once more. Taking one deep breath, he used his left foot to step on the frontmost rune, controlling the hoverboard to move forward slowly. The old training transport was a five-speed vehicle, so he could step on the small rune located on the left side of the frontmost rune up to four more times to increase his speed, and on the one on the right side to reduce it. However, Hal didn’t plan on going too fast for this licensure test. Passing was more important, and doing so was easier using only the first two gears. Hal arrived at the obstacle course before long. There were ten cones, and he had to turn right and left at each of them to clear the first stage. His first few turns were quite shaky, but after the third, he gained confidence and easily completed the remaining ones. After that, he cleared a few terrains of increasing difficulty, followed the signs, and made sure not to break any rules. Before Hal realized it, he was heading for the finish line, right next to the instructor, in third gear. The stern, middle-aged instructor let out a subtle smile at his progress. Who knew the shittiest student he had ever taught could pass his Manatech Hoverboard Licensure Examination on the first try? Hard work truly does pay off. Loki barked happily just behind the instructor, understanding that his master had passed. ’That said...’ the instructor mused, following the approaching Hal with his gaze. ’This guy is the champion of the Arcana Primis Cup, huh?’ Initially, Burns had been annoyed at management for indulging yet another young master from a wizardry clan with a private lesson, but when he heard it was the Grand Magic Academy’s Headmistress who had made the request, his brows rose. The academy had never requested such a thing before... Furthermore, why would they care about a student’s licensure exam? Only when he was informed that the client was the champion of the renowned Arcana Primis Cup, and a commoner like himself, did he understand why, and he agreed. Those filthy aristocrats couldn’t be allowed to know the young man’s location, or they would certainly try to make contact with him, perhaps even poach him. ’But why the hell would this idiot apply for driving lessons right after his victory at a major rookie tournament?!’ That was the one question Burns still had no answer to. Nonetheless, the private lesson week was over, and he was glad and a bit proud to have been part of the journey of a future pillar of the empire. "Instructor Burns!" Hal called out with excitement as he jumped off the Manatech Hoverboard, sprinting towards the middle-aged instructor with a wide smile. "Did I pass?" "Yeah," Burns confirmed, a smile inevitably appearing on his usually stern face. "But only for the hoverboard. I shall give you no exceptions. If you also want to obtain a driving license for a Manatech Motorcycle, then you shall take the exam." "Of course! Please allow me!" The instructor then led the way to a different testing area. Around a dozen minutes later... "As expected..." Burns shook his head with a smile. There had been a chance for Hal to fail the hoverboard licensure exam, but the one for Manatech Motorcycles had indeed been in the bag for a while. The young man had practiced far more with both the two-wheeled and three-wheeled versions of the vehicle, clearly preferring that type of transport over the floating boards. Arriving beside Burns, Hal quickly removed his helmet and looked at his instructor with an eager gaze, prompting the middle-aged man to sigh with a helpless smile. "Fine, come with me. I shall issue your license." Half an hour later, Hal bid the instructor goodbye, admiring the durable yet flexible license card in his slightly shaking hands. It had his name, his picture, and the codes MTH and MTM. Hal hadn’t expected to achieve one of his dreams so soon. Now he could drive a motorcycle and look even more handsome than he already was. The only thing stopping him from doing so... Was that he didn’t have a motorcycle. "Time to purchase one, then!" With a smile that wouldn’t last long, he left the learning facility and headed to Third Street, where his dream vehicles awaited their new owners.

Chapter 142: What the Champion Was Up To

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