"Again!"
On a wooden stage at the front of the classroom, two male students dressed in skin-tight red combat suits prepared to duel once more. They were nothing special, just your run-of-the-mill, Silver Stage 2 Helios Scions.
As they fought, the surrounding students seated at long tables watched intently. Along with one's stage and rank, combat training results were the most important factor in overall academy ranking.
Your graduation from the academy determined how the Helios government would place you when it came time to apply for jobs. The less proficient you were in combat, the more likely you'd end up working behind the scenes in some capacity.
Which is why, even when it wasn't their turn, students watched closely, hoping to glean some insight from others.
Only one student sat bored at the back of the classroom, paying attention to nothing but the clock.
This was all kind of pointless for him. As a dual prince, he would be directly issued to the military after completing the academy.
Lucius sighed.
I don't have a choice but to follow Lord Helios like a good little sheep. It doesn't matter if the god orders me to slaughter an innocent family—by law, I'd be forced to do it…
He gritted his teeth.
This world sucks.
Lucius had always hated the world he was born into. There was nothing but endless wars between the six gods and countless human deaths. Madness, that's all it was. And it seemed like he was the only one who saw it that way.
"Agh!"
Finally, after an uppercut, one of the dueling Scions fell unconscious. The combat Instructor walked onto the stage and used his Stage 4 ability, Purifying Aura, to heal the boy's injuries. Within seconds, the student stirred awake and returned to his seat.
Annoyed, Lucius turned his focus back to the clock.
I wish I knew more about the other Pathways.
Since he had been born in the Helios kingdom, he knew the abilities of the Helios Pathway up through Stage 9, even without unlocking them himself. The highest-ranking Helios Scion ever recorded had reached Silver Stage 8, which meant every Helios Scion understood the abilities up through Stage 9—each could see one stage higher than their own.
However, as a prince, Lucius technically had access to all pathways. The problem was that his information on them was scarce.
Especially the Gaia Pathway and the Phorcys Pathway.
Information about other pathways was usually derived through wars, educated guesses, and princes. But since Helios had never gone to war with Gaia or Phorcys, almost nothing was known about them. The princes before him were no help either, having been instructed to avoid those pathways until absolutely necessary. Every one of them died before they could unlock them.
All I know is that Gaia's Stage 1 lets you sense people's presence… and Phorcys lets you breathe underwater through adaptations.
To unlock these Stage 1 abilities, he would need to pour a minuscule amount of resources into the pathways. For now, they would remain locked.
Lucius kept his eyes on the clock as more of his classmates battled on stage. He only stirred when he felt a nudge on his shoulder. Beside him, a girl named Acilla pointed toward the combat instructor.
"Lovely. It seems the prince is with us today. I wasn't sure, considering how long I've been calling your name."
The combat instructor sneered. He was a cocky man who took every chance possible to feel superior to his students.
When Lucius gave no reply, the instructor's teeth clenched, though his playful smile never left.
"How about it? Will the prince grace us with his presence on the stage?"
Standing from his seat, Lucius walked down the steps and onto the stage.
The crowd whispered insults, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Shitty prince."
"My father says Helios is doomed with him as our prince."
"Not even a Silver rank! With all of his resources!"
Lucius only laughed silently.
Ah, gotta love hometown hospitality.
Still, he did not blame his classmates. He was supposed to become the strongest Scion in the Helios kingdom, or at least as strong as the Princes of other kingdoms. If he failed, the Helios kingdom would fall. Naturally, people worried about their safety with such a shitty prince.
Already on stage, standing with absolute confidence, was a short, blonde-haired boy. Lucius recognized him immediately as the highest-ranked Scion in their graduating class, Maximus.
This was his opponent.
Between them, the combat instructor smirked and began to recite the duel's rules.
"This is not a battle to the death. Fight only using martial arts, not your abilities, and try to avoid any serious blows… Now bow."
After the two boys bowed, the instructor shouted, "Make Lord Helios proud. Begin!" and walked down the stage steps.
The two sized each other up as they circled. Then, with exaggerated confidence, Maximus straightened, crossing his arms.
"Hey, shitty prince. Do you know what stage and rank I am?"
Lucius blinked, irritated.
"Probably higher than mine."
"That's right. I'm the only one in our class to reach Bronze Stage 3. Do you really think you have a chance against me?"
"No, probably not," Lucius said flatly, but inside, his irritation boiled.
This is so annoying. I'm stronger than this guy by a mile, but I can't win.
Lucius was secretly a Gold Stage 3 Loki Scion. On top of that, he was also a Bronze Stage 2 Helios Scion, making him far stronger than Maximus. But if he revealed his true power, suspicion would follow. Someone would ask questions. And eventually, the truth would come out that Lucius had leveled another pathway before Helios.
Sighing, Lucius rushed forward.
That doesn't mean I can't toy with him first.
Toy with him, he did. Every punch the cocky youth threw was narrowly avoided in some inexplicable way. At first, Lucius pretended to stumble over his own feet to slip past Maximus's strikes. Then he began tripping over Maximus's feet instead, and yet somehow, he dodged every blow.
The exchange dragged on, and with each miss, Maximus's face contorted further with rage. Meanwhile, the crowd erupted in laughter, entertained by the bizarre spectacle.
Lucius relished every second of it. But to avoid drawing suspicion, he eventually allowed Maximus to land a solid hit and strike him down.
The difference in their power was overwhelming. Even if Lucius were only a Gold Stage 3, the gap would still be immense. Advancing from Bronze to Silver, and from Silver to Gold, was like climbing a massive hill. And once you reached the top, every aspect of a Scion's strength, speed, magic, and mana potency doubled.
Stacking his Gold Stage 3 Loki with his Bronze Stage 2 Helios should have been an unfair advantage. Right now, he's more comparable to a Bronze stage 4 Scion, meaning he was multiple times stronger than a Bronze stage 3 Scion.
So why does it feel like a handicap?!
Lucius screamed inwardly as he lay sprawled across the wooden stage.
Suddenly, a loud bell rang through the room, signaling the end of class. Students filed out toward their next lesson, while a wave of panic surged in Lucius's chest.
Shit…I forgot to do my assignment!