Kay's chest burned as he and Ella stumbled back into the slums.
The ruins were far behind them.
But Karl's sneer still echoed in his ears.
His hand tightened around the energy crystal.
Weak.
I'm too weak.
The thought hammered at him, sharp and unforgiving.
He could barely defend himself.
He almost got Ella hurt.
He almost lost everything.
I need to get stronger.
Strong enough to protect what's mine.
Strong enough to make the nobles stop looking down on slum dogs like me.
Ella glanced at him, seeing the storm in his eyes.
Her voice was soft, but full of understanding.
"Kay, I know you can do it."
She paused, her expression turning bitter.
"But training here is so difficult without resources. No techniques, no potions, no guidance."
Kay nodded, his jaw tight.
His face was hard, like carved stone.
"I don't care."
"I'll find a way."
"I can't keep being pushed around by those nobles. I won't."
They reached his shabby hut.
The door creaked as they pushed it open.
Kay found his father, Kane, sitting on the worn wooden chair.
The old warrior's face was pale, his breathing shallow.
But his eyes were sharp.
He immediately noticed the change in his son.
"What happened, Kay?"
Kane's voice was rough, but gentle.
Kay took a deep breath.
He told him everything.
The ruins.
The drone.
The crystal.
Karl.
The fight.
The narrow escape.
And his decision to train harder than ever.
Kane listened quietly.
When Kay finished, a weak, warm smile spread across his face.
"Son, I'm proud of you."
His eyes glistened.
"But it won't be easy. The path to becoming a powerful warrior is full of thorns."
Kay clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"I'm ready, father."
"I'll face whatever comes my way."
Nothing would stop him.
Nothing.
In the days that followed, Kay threw himself into training.
Every dawn, before the slums even woke up, he was already moving.
He used broken walls as training props.
He ran up and down the uneven, rocky alleys until his legs burned.
Each step made him stronger.
Each breath made his will harder.
He practiced combat moves he'd seen from old holovideos.
He punched, kicked, and dodged until his body ached.
He didn't stop.
He couldn't.
One afternoon, he focused on his spatial talent.
He held up a small stone, trying to make it flicker, disappear, and reappear.
The effort felt like a knife stabbing into his brain.
Sharp, blinding pain.
Kay's vision blurred.
He almost fell.
But he gritted his teeth and held on.
I have to push myself.
If I stop, I'll stay weak forever.
He kept practicing.
Ella came by often.
She never disturbed him.
She just watched, quietly supportive.
Sometimes, she brought scraps of old mechanical parts.
She spent hours tinkering, building something for him.
One day, she held up a shaky, but functional device.
It would flicker and release small, harmless energy pulses.
"This might help you train your reaction speed," she said, smiling brightly.
Kay's heart warmed.
"Thanks, Ella."
"With your help, I'm one step closer to my goal."
Time passed.
Kay's body grew more muscular.
His movements became faster, sharper, cleaner.
His control over spatial energy improved.
He could make small objects flicker at will.
He could dodge faster than before.
But he still wasn't satisfied.
He knew he was still far from being able to truly fight Karl.
Far from being strong enough to enter the Federal Star Military Academy.
One evening, Kay climbed onto the roof of his hut.
He sat quietly, staring at the stars.
The Federal Core Star glowed far away, bright and untouchable.
He took a deep breath.
And made a silent vow.
I will enter the Federal Star Military Academy.
I will become strong.
I will make a name for myself.
I will change the fate of our family.
I will change this slum.
Just then, a shooting star streaked across the sky.
Bright.
Fast.
Full of light.
It felt like a sign.
Like the universe was answering his vow.
Kay stared at it, his eyes burning with determination.
He took one last deep breath.
Then jumped down from the roof.
Tomorrow, he would train even harder.
Nothing would hold him back.