Axel made it back to campus just before nightfall. The dorm buildings glowed faintly under the soft blue shimmer of enchanted lanterns, their gentle hum filling the walkways with a subtle warmth. He walked side-by-side with Selene until they reached the front steps of their building. A quiet "See you tomorrow" passed between them before they split paths.
He climbed the stairs, keyed into his room, and let the door shut behind him with a soft click. The moment he dropped his bag, his phone buzzed from across the room. Still lit from where it had landed face-up on the bed, the screen displayed a new message.
Selene: |Today was a blast! 😊|
Axel: |It was. See you tomorrow in class.|
Selene: |Yep! Can't wait. Goodnight!|
Axel: |Night.|
He stared at the screen a second longer. Then, with a thoughtful flick, he tapped on her contact name.
NPC 2 → Selene
A small step. But still, a step forward.
…
Two weeks passed.
The days blurred together in a haze of early classes, late-night training, and solo dungeon runs. Nothing dramatic had happened. Axel kept a low profile, only interacting with the major characters when necessary and slipping back into the background when their attention turned elsewhere.
He'd earned roughly 50,000 G by now, selling monster parts from his dungeon raids. Hide, leather, venom sacs, whatever the vendors would take. Not a fortune, but enough to keep himself stocked and prepped.
But today was different.
Today was the Club Fair.
Loud and crowded.
And unfortunately, necessary.
Clubs weren't just for extracurriculars at Atherion. They were tied to graduation credits, access to specialized resources, and in some cases, connections to real-world guilds and sponsors. Skipping out wasn't an option. More than that, it was one of the few sanctioned opportunities for first years to interact with upperclassmen.
In the book, Axel had joined the Sword Enthusiast Club during his first year. Kai had done the same… though his time there had been short-lived for obvious reasons.
Classes were canceled for the day, giving the entire student body time to focus on the fair. The whole academy buzzed with life. Flyers floating midair, magical signs shifting colors, and recruiters shouting over each other for attention.
Selene had messaged him earlier, asking if he wanted to explore the fair together.
Landon did too.
Axel declined both.
He had his own plans. His own checklist. Less noise, less attention.
Throwing on a plain black hoodie over his uniform shirt, Axel made his way out the dorm and toward the central courtyard.
The courtyard was already packed.
Stalls lined every inch of the open space. Some were elegant with gold-trimmed banners, polished marble displays, booths practically screaming rich-people funding. Others were loud, crowded messes of flyers, confetti spells, and illusion magic. One booth had a floating sword doing backflips over a banner that read:
⚔️🪄 JOIN THE BATTLE ARTS SOCIETY ⚔️🪄
Because muscles are magic, too.
Another advertised free samples of enchanted snacks courtesy of the Culinary Sorcery Club, while one group of mages was currently trying (and failing) to summon a cat familiar without setting something on fire.
Axel stuck to the edges.
He wasn't here to window-shop.
He was looking for two clubs, specifically.
Two figures stood near the far end of the courtyard, where the noise of the fair thinned out and there was a lot more open space. It wasn't that their booth was isolated, if anything, it drew more attention than most, but the space around them was kept deliberately clear. A broad, roped-off area stretched out in front of their stall, the grass inside already worn down by repeated scuffles.
The first person Axel spotted was a broad-shouldered man, his frame sturdy and well-built beneath a sleeveless black tunic. His arms were lean with muscle, marked faintly with a few old scars. His skin held the tanned tone of someone who spent more time outdoors than in classrooms. His dark-brown hair was cut short and messy. Calm and confident, he casually spun a longsword in one hand, flipping it once before catching it again with practiced ease, his focus more on the crowd than the weapon.
Next to him stood a striking woman, tall and muscular, with a sharp jawline and confident posture. Her platinum-blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail that swayed with every breath. She wore a sleeveless crimson vest that showed off arms that looked like they could punch through a tree. She held up a heavy, wooden sign with a single pinky, effortless.
Join the Swords Enthusiast Club If You're Up For A Challenge And Love Stabbing Shit. Must Pass Initiation To Join ⚔️⚔️⚔️
To join, all you had to do was land a single hit.
Easy, right?
Except your target was either of them.
The guy—Third-Year Rank #46.
The woman—Third-Year Rank #25.
In theory, it was a test of skill.
In reality, it was a cruel joke.
The crowd around the booth confirmed it. First-years gathered with hopeful eyes, only to be effortlessly deflected or dropped within seconds. One kid lunged at the woman with an impressive speed, but found himself pinned face-first to the dirt before his sword left its sheath.
Axel rubbed the back of his neck.
In the book, neither he nor Kai ever managed to land a hit either. They only got in because the upperclassmen saw "potential." Plot armor, basically.
Axel was pretty confident that he'll be able to land a single hit in this life.