The supply issue point was bustling with multiple students of various sizes and looks. Each was a part of a team, and they all had one goal at that moment:
Gear up, and leave in an Armored Combat Vehicle(ACV).
Jayden and the rest of his teammates did things differently though. They would leave Jayden behind and head towards the target, where he would rendezvous with them to complete the mission.
Whatever it is that he always did was unknown to them, but they didn't care, so long as he didn't dip and run when needed.
Jayden was the ace of their team after all.
Even though his physical capabilities were lackluster compared to his teammates, who were all Grade 2 Evolvers, he was still on par with them when it came to martial prowess. And that wasn't even what made him respected.
Jayden picked a handheld Rail Gun from a display table alongside a heavy metal box with glowing energy lines running through it. He stored them in his Dimensional Inventory and left soon after.
A few meters to his right, a familiar pair of eyes tracked Jayden's back as he headed for the gates, monitoring his movements like a seasoned assassin.
"What are you up to," Samantha mused to herself, a ring of silver lighting up around her pupils, enhancing her sight.
She tailed Jayden from a distance, following him as he exited the gate and headed into the expanse of dry land ahead.
The Godspawns were creatures possessing powers of immense destruction. They terraformed any piece of land they set their paws on, bringing with them natural disasters of great magnitude.
The Godspawns that laid claim to the land close to the Star Spire Academy had powers related to heat and temperature.
The ground was dry and cracked, with few adaptive plants barely surviving with the little nutrient in the soil.
The atmosphere was dusty and oxygen was lacking. The students had to use oxygen filtration masks, a special set of goggles and armors with cooling system before leaving, lest they fall victim to heatstroke.
Heatwaves could be clearly seen radiating off the ground and vehicles as they moved, their only means of navigation being the GPS in their ACV as seeing beyond ten meters was nearly impossible for most.
Jayden, without his oxygen filtration mask and goggles, could see and breathe properly.
Alchemy wasn't limited to brewing or concocting medicines and elixirs. It was broader than most could imagine, tapping into aspects of other professions even.
Jayden had—in his father's book—learnt of Inscriptions and Array formation. It wasn't Alchemy related, but was just something Alchemists used from time to time if a method or procedure of making an elixir proved to be ineffective.
In the process, he discovered a secret hidden in plain sight.
He hadn't been doing anything wrong, but when he discovered 'that' method, he felt that it was far better than any other method.
And then he found its flaws…
A simple mistake could cost him his life. But if he was able to salvage it, he would be losing anything else from his being that wasn't his life.
That method had no name—at least one he didn't know of. He was sure he wasn't the first to discover it, so he couldn't claim to be the first to have discovered something so grand and named it. So he termed it Dark Alchemy for the time being.
However, he didn't back down when realising that his life would be on the line if he made just one mistake.
Greed was a terrible sin, and pride… even worse—at least for him.
One might say giving hierarchy to sin was meaningless, as a thief was just as guilty as a murderer—no matter what anyone believed. But Jayden knew himself well.
He prided himself in his alchemical skills, and he surfacely believed that he was good enough to use the method.
But deep down inside of himself, he knew he was nowhere near alchemical mastery. He was still learning the basics—merely a baby gulping down milk.
His greed could trigger his pride, and his downfall wouldn't be surprising to anyone who knew the details of it.
So Jayden reined it in.
Luckily, he was able to find purchase in something else, and he developed an elixir which he named:
The Seven Senses Pearl.
The elixir's effects lasted twelve hours, boosting his five human senses and two extra he had added.
His sense for Energy and Seismic activity.
Godspawns came in different sizes, shapes and forms. You never could tell where they might come from.
Jayden continued into the distance on foot, some ACVs passing by him.
One particular ACV slowed down as it reached him, and the students within threw him ridiculing looks. They spat out insults, trying their possible best to get a reaction.
Alas, Jayden ignored their existence.
They could say all they wanted, but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of a fight—unless they attacked first.
He had read the rulebook of the academy. He knew it like the back of his palm.
Jayden had exploited its loopholes time and time again, and he had taken his sweet time to deal with whoever was dumb enough to get on his bad side.
Those students in the ACV were no exception. They should be expecting a visit from him soon enough.
"I should be quick."
"My Essence management isn't good enough."
Jayden accessed his Dimensional Inventory and took out a pair of shoe pads.
Without further ado, he dropped them to the ground and stepped on it. The shoe pads blinked twice, then unfolded, Nano particles spreading across his shoes and up his legs like a symbiotic creature.
The silver nano particles then entered his shoes, spread over his feet and covered his legs up to his knees, sticking to it like a second layer of metallic skin.
His military trousers and shoes hid them well, and no one would even know he was wearing something like that.
[Velocity Boots Equipped]
Jayden's personal AI announced in his ears.
"Alright, let's test these guys out," Jayden voiced out as he took a step forward.
And then he flashed forward, accelerating swiftly and vanishing into the distance, leaving behind a whirl of dust in his wake.