The Next Day
Location: Nexus Middle-Class Cadet Training Facility
Huff! Huff! Huff!! Haa…
Sweat poured down Damon Reid's body as he trained furiously under the gravity chamber, his muscles straining, fists pounding into the reinforced dummy in front of him. Each punch shook the air, echoing with frustration and pride.
In the adjacent training area, Elric Vales glanced over with a bewildered look on his face. He stopped his set of magic drills and walked toward Damon, holding out a bottle of cold water.
"You're going hard today," Elric said casually. "Something bothering you?"
Damon grabbed the bottle without hesitation. "Thanks. Well… Isn't it a good thing to work hard?" he muttered.
Elric raised an eyebrow. "Sure. But why do I feel like this isn't just your usual 'hard work' day?"
Damon paused. He stared into space for a moment before blurting, "What do you think Kael Vi-rel do, huh?"
Elric blinked. "Huh?"
Damon's expression twisted. "I mean, did you see his face when he left that room after the exam?"
Elric rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest… I didn't pay much attention. I was pretty drained myself."
Damon leaned back, breathing heavily. "His eyes. I saw them. They reminded me of someone…"
"Who?" Elric asked.
"…My brother. No I think my dad."
Elric stopped, confused. "What the hell are you talking about now?"
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. Damon finished the bottle and crushed it in one hand. "It's like his eyes were talking. Like he was silently saying, 'Is that it? That's all you've got? You guys are too weak.'"
"…You got all that from a look?"
Damon nodded solemnly. "There was something about him. An aura. Calm… but intense."
Elric chuckled. "I think you're reading too deep into it.
He didn't even seem to acknowledge us especially not Lucian Crowe. You're the one treating Lucian like a rival."
Elric frowned. "What? He's your rival too."
Damon laughed. "Lucian? He's just another cadet. Honestly, I think we're all too caught up in rivalries. We're classmates, not enemies. We see each other every day, go to the same school… it's not that deep."
Elric rolled his eyes. "You're too soft,
Elric. One day, you'll meet someone who smiles at you while stabbing you in the back."
Damon oh come one aren't we are supposed to be friends and he doesn't look like a bad guy either.
"Oh wow. Look at you Mr. Reid the philosopher," Elric said with a smirk. "How many people have you labeled 'bad' already in this world? You sure your judgment is sharp enough not to get played?"
Damon scoffed. "Whatever. I'm going for another gravity session."
"What? You've been here three and a half hours already!"
"I know," Damon said without stopping. "But I can't afford to lose to him."
Elric sighed well I train my skills more I can't lose to you or kael Vi-rel too.
That's the spirit Damon laughed out.
Elric watched his friend walk away. A moment passed before he sighed and pulled out his smartwatch, stepping toward the quieter side of the training hall.
He tapped a contact and waited for the call to connect.
"Team Leader Lin," he said when the line picked up, "I have someone I'd like you to investigate for me."
"Name?"
"Kael Vi-rel. Quiet guy. Weird vibe. Unpredictable."
"I see. Do you suspect anything?"
"…No. Not yet. Just… get me any information about him. Let me know if he ever starts heading down the wrong path."
"And if he does?"
Elric's voice dropped a tone. "Then I'll deal with it personally.
I don't want to kill him but if he becomes corrupted, I won't hesitate."
The line went quiet, then: "Understood."
Elric ended the call.
Let's just hope he's not the kind of person I think he might be.
First School Day – Nexus Academy Lecture Hall
Today began the first day Student are attending class so everyone one was looking forward to it.
Chatter filled the massive lecture room as students poured in for their first formal class. Some were still recovering from the brutal exam, others were excited to begin their academy life. But no one was quiet not until he walked in.
"Hey, hey! Look it's Kael Vi-rel!" the top student of the practical exam.
"God, he still looks like a goblin. Ugh. I can't look at him for more than a second."
"I heard Damon Reid, Elric Vales, Lucian Crowe, and even Selene Whitmore are keeping tabs and they are wary of him."
"No way! Why would someone ranked 500th plus get that kind of attention?"
" Well, what do your expect didn't he finished as the top student in the practical exam and he basically mocked the others when he walked out of the hall that day"
"But where the hell did he come from."
"How would I know".
"The two boys look at one another and said who the hell are you again".
Two students began chatting with each other and they began quarreling.
Vi-rel heard it all, even the whispers meant to stay hidden. But he didn't flinch. He walked straight through the aisle and found a seat near the back.
I'm sorry, but I have a drone flying around the class. It's invisible to everyone except me or people I authorize. Even if you whisper, I'll still hear you.
He leaned back casually in his seat.
But hey, thanks to that, I'm farming Game point every second.
> Ding! Ding!
You have received attention from some characters.
Your reputation has increased.
Your have gained Game Points: +13
Nice. I can now afford another random box card soon. The low-grade ones go for 100 points, right?
His eyes flicked across the classroom. Lucian Crowe sat near the front, as cold as ever. Selene Whitmore hadn't arrived yet, but he could already feel the tension building around her seat. Damon Reid and Elric Vales were seated on opposite ends, but both occasionally glanced in his direction.
Vi-rel didn't mind. He expected this.
I'm not here to be liked.
I'm here to survive.