The sun climbed higher, casting its golden rays over the imposing architecture of the Chaotic Star-War Academy. But its warmth did little to dispel the thick, palpable tension that clung to the air. The morning was charged with a nervous energy, a mixture of fear, anticipation, and ambition that vibrated in the chests of thousands of recruits.
By 7:30 AM, the massive stadium that had hosted the awakening ceremony was already bustling. Students gathered in anxious clusters, their voices a low murmur that filled the colossal space. They were no longer just recruits; they were awakened, beings who had touched the power of the cosmos. Yet, the upcoming life-or-death battle against a level 3 primitive dimensional beast weighed heavily on them, stripping away much of their newfound arrogance.
Suddenly, a wave of whispers rippled through a section of the crowd, drawing all eyes towards one of the main entrances.
"Isn't that… Gerald Jackson?" a student breathed, his voice filled with awe.
"It is! The one who awakened the B-grade Astra Soul, the Inferno Winged-Tiger!" another chimed in, craning his neck to get a better view.
A young man, no older than sixteen, strode into the stadium with an aura of unshakeable confidence.
He had sharp, handsome features and a proud set to his jaw. But it was the phenomenon surrounding him that captivated the crowd.
With every step he took, faint, illusory golden flames manifested beneath the soles of his boots, licking at the ground for a fleeting moment before vanishing. The air around him shimmered with a scorching heat, a tangible pressure that could be felt even ten meters away.
It was a passive display of overwhelming power, a sign that he was already achieving a remarkable level of harmony with his Astra Soul.
The students stared, their faces a mixture of envy, admiration, and a touch of fear. This was the pinnacle of their generation, a true genius destined for greatness.
"He's undoubtedly going to win first place in this entrance examination!" someone declared with certainty.
A scornful laugh cut through the chatter. "Hahaha, don't be so hasty. Have you forgotten? Rosè Bellwether is here!"
As if summoned by the name, another entrance to the stadium experienced a dramatic shift in atmosphere.
A creeping layer of crystalline frost began to spread across the ground, racing along the stone pathways like a living thing. The temperature in the vicinity plummeted.
A beautiful young woman with long, jet-black hair and eyes the color of a winter sky walked in.
Her expression was as icy as the aura she projected, her beauty cold and unapproachable.
This was Rosè, the wielder of the C-rank Ice FrostHawk. The fact that her astral talent was manifesting so powerfully outside of active combat was a testament to the incredible progress she had made in a single day. Her control was exquisite, her power undeniable.
As the time grew closer more and more students entered the stadium and stood in an oedlet fashion.
The crowd was split, their hushed arguments debating who was stronger. These were the titans of their cohort, the stars around which everyone else orbited.
But as these future powerhouses took center stage, a far more personal and brutal event was unfolding in the shadows, just a short distance away in a secluded alley near the stadium.
…
Dravin stood calmly, not moving.
The narrow alleyway, sandwiched between two towering walla and was a dead end in both directions.
In front of him stood Klein Reddington, flanked by two sneering lackeys. Behind him, two more blocked his retreat. They had boxed him in perfectly.
"What are you doing here?" Dravin asked, his voice even. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it.
"You actually dare to question Boss Klein?" one of the lackeys in front snarled, pointing an accusatory finger. He was a burly youth with a brutish face. "Looks like you don't understand your own predicament."
Dravin ignored the underling, his gaze fixed solely on Klein. He could feel the fluctuations of energy coming from his rival.
It was stronger than the day before, more potent. Klein had clearly used the past day to stabilize his newfound power and had even made some progress. 'Peak of Rank 3, maybe even touching the barrier of Rank 4,' Dravin assessed internally. 'Impressive, for him.'
"Hehehe! Cornered like a rat and you still refuse to beg?" the second lackey, a leaner, more weaselly-looking boy, taunted. "You've truly lost your mind."
The nonchalance Dravin projected was clearly grating on them, a deep insult to their perceived superiority.
This finally made Klein's eyes narrow. He stared intently at Dravin, trying to sense his energy level, to find the source of this baffling confidence. But he felt nothing. Dravin's aura was completely placid, like a calm lake, revealing no ripples of power. Klein dismissed the strange feeling in his gut as a trick of the mind. How could an F-rank talent, even if he was Rank 1, pose any threat?
A cold, cruel smirk spread across Klein's face. "I finally have the chance to teach you a lesson, Dravin. Did you really think I'd just let your disrespect slide?"
He took a step forward, his own energy beginning to flare. "I would have dealt with you yesterday, right after the ceremony. But my older brother insisted I spend the day attuning to my Blazing Sabre. He said it was a waste of time to deal with trash like you. Otherwise, you'd be crippled and lying in a hospital bed right now, not standing here."
"Oh, so you wanted to cripple me?" Dravin repeated, his voice dropping slightly. A dangerous light flickered in his eyes. "Looks like I'll have to return the favor, then."
He then tilted his head, a look of genuine curiosity on his face. "But I have to ask, why here? Why not wait until the examination starts? You could have hunted me down in the dimensional zone."
Klein sneered, enjoying the feeling of being in complete control. "The dimensional training zone is massive. What if a coward like you decided to find a hole to hide in for the entire duration of the exam? How would I find you then? No, it's much better to deal with you now. Break your limbs, crush your spirit. That way, even if you crawl to the starting line, you'll be in no condition to even face a Rank 1 monster, let alone a Rank 3."
"Oh! That makes sense," Dravin nodded slowly, as if genuinely appreciating the logic.
Klein frowned. Dravin's calm acceptance, his conversational tone, was deeply unsettling. He wasn't reacting the way prey should. That strange, warning feeling in his gut intensified. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
"Enough talk!" Klein snapped , his patience thin. "We don't have much time left. Take him down and break his bones!"
"BOOM!"
In an instant, the confined space of the alleyway erupted violently wutn void energy.
The four lackeys roared as their Astra Souls manifested. Above one's head was a silver gauntlet which instantly turned his arms golden.
Above another's head was a massive sledgehammer that glowed intensely.
Behind Dravin, one manifested a massive beast with sharp bone spurs around his body and as the projection entered into him, he grew a set of sharp, bony spurs from forearm, while the other manifest a large butterfly projection body that covered his body in green crackling energy.
Surges of dimensional power blasted outwards, causing the very air to ripple and the wind to explode in a chaotic vortex.
They were all level 2 Super Soldiers, a formidable force against even a level 4 Supersoldier!
And at their center, Klein's own power surged, a blistering heat beginning to radiate from his body as the projection of his Blazing Sabre started to form above his head!
He grinned evilly and licked his lips as he locked his gaze in Dravin eager to hear and see the sound of Dravin bones breaking.