All the smoking climbers stood up straight as Sakura and Max walked past.

They entered the building through the spinning glass doors into a large lobby full of clerks, at the end of which, were multiple elevators and staircases.

Sakura approached one female clerk sitting at a desk behind a glass wall, as if she were a bank teller of some sort.

“Hello,” Sakura said with a smile. “I’d like to help this young man sign up to this year’s term at the climber academy.”

“Excellent,” said the clerk.

She reached to get a sign-up form and then paused. The clerk turned back to Sakura and said, “What about the preliminary test?”

Test!?

Max’s heart started to beat rapidly. He wasn’t prepared for any sort of examination right now.

Sakura shook her head. “I discussed it with the climber president. In this case, we’re waving the preliminary test.”

The clerk nodded then smiled. “Okay, then let me just get the—”

Max felt a foreboding presence suddenly appear behind him.

He turned around and looming over all of them was a tall man with long silver hair. He wore a black trench coat, adorned with a beautiful chiseled diamond pin badge. The letter A engraved into the badge signified his rank.

“And who might you be young man?”

“Uh—”

Max was momentarily lost for words, feeling sheer power emanate off the man.

This was the first climber he’d met who was a higher rank than Sakura and he could sense it in his power.

“Max Rainhart meet Samuel Archer,” said Sakura. “Samuel is the commander of the healer climbers in the tower-zone. He keeps all of us safe. Isn’t that right, Samuel?”

The man let out a haughty laugh. “I try my best, Sakura. It’s you who fights on the frontlines of the monster wave month after month who deserves such generous compliments.”

Max looked between them. They were complimenting each other, but he was sensing hostility beneath their words.

“May I ask what brings you two to the climber’s guild today?” said Samuel.

“I’m signing up for the climber academy,” Max said, excitedly.

The silver-haired man grinned and Max felt as if he’d accidentally stepped into a trap like a fly caught in a spider’s web.

“How very exciting,” mused the man. “I presume you’ll be doing the preliminary test today then as well?”

“The climber president waved the preliminary for the boy due to special circumstances,” said Sakura, hints of a growl in her voice.

“He did now, did he?” said Samuel. “He did no such thing for my son, Cyrus, nor any of the other pupils attending this year. I’ll be bringing this up with him at his earliest convenience—”

“Hold on now,” said Sakura, going red in the face, her hands clenching as if she was about to swing a fist at Samuel.

“STOP!”

The two adult climbers turned to Max.