The following day, the atmosphere in class was unusually tense.
Carla Brown, the teacher whose face rarely showed tension, stood in front of the blackboard with a composed facade.
She placed her notebook on the podium, then looked deeply at her students before speaking in a low but firm tone:
— I have a very important announcement.
Silence fell.
Even the most unruly students, like Neil, stopped fidgeting. Krista stared attentively, and Adam, though lost in his own world, caught the next sentence with his ear:
A royal decree was issued this morning…
— Three years from now, the first open entrance exam will be held for all village residents to apply for the Royal High School in the capital.
A gasp was heard, followed by scattered whispers—
As if someone had thrown a stone into still water.
— This has never happened before, right? Krista asked in amazement.
Carla answered,
— Indeed… The commoners have not been allowed into that school for over a century. This decree is exceptional.
She added, her eyes hanging on their faces:
— This isn't a favor from the nobles, but compensation… for the massacres that befell our city… and for the bravery some of you showed… some of you who weren't even eight years old.
Her eyes involuntarily turned to Neil, who seemed, for a moment, like he wasn't listening.
But inside, a burst of energy ignited—one he had never felt before.
The Royal School…
That goal that once seemed farther than the sky was now before him, needing only three years of hell.
He gave a brief smile no one noticed, then whispered to himself:
— …The time is near.
That night…
Neil stood before the large rocks in the abandoned fields, wrapped in his old bandages, stretching his body in silence.
His wounds hadn't fully healed, but his heart had not known rest since Carla's announcement.
"I won't settle for staying here… I'll rise."
"I'll make the world remember me…"
He closed his eyes and raised his fist, a small lightning spark flickering around it—the one he had inherited from Denji without ever knowing him.
Then the training began—not as a hobbyist…
But as someone who knew that three years isn't long when your dream is clear,
And that this short time…
Would decide everything.
In the growing darkness of the old fields, silence thickened—broken only by the cold wind passing between rocks and dead branches.
Neil, busy raising his hand to direct threads of lightning around his fist, suddenly felt something strange—
A sense of being watched.
He turned quickly.
There, a few meters away, sat a shadow on a low rock.
His posture was odd:
Slightly slouched, hands resting on his knees, head tilted as if lost in a place beyond sight.
But his eyes… were steadily open.
Adam.
Neil froze for a moment.
He hadn't seen him in days, and never expected to find him here… or doing what he was doing.
At first, he thought Adam was just zoning out again as usual.
But as he focused more, something unsettled him:
Adam was meditating.
No… not normal meditation, but a deep concentration that preceded magical energy use.
His chest rose and fell slowly from intense focus, and beneath his feet, the cracked soil trembled faintly—as if breathing with him.
Neil couldn't help himself.
He took a few steps closer, until he was only two meters away.
In a low voice, he said:
— You… you're training?
Adam didn't raise his head right away.
He remained still, staring into the void, his lips pale, his face lifeless—like a miserable statue.
After a moment, he slowly moved his head, as if waking from a long dream, and looked at Neil with hollow eyes.
— …Why?
Neil asked instinctively, eyes fixed on the remnants of old wounds on Adam's hands:
— Why… are you training?
No immediate answer came.
Adam exhaled slowly, as if trying to explain something to himself first.
Then he whispered in a tone unlike anyone else's—no anger, no sadness… just hardened coldness:
— If I do nothing… I'll disappear.
He paused, then added in a hoarse voice:
— Even if I don't know what I want… even if I want to die… my body… doesn't want to stop.
Neil stood still, staring in strange awe.
This boy… had always been mysterious… but in that moment, he seemed more terrifying than Neil had ever imagined.
"He doesn't know why he lives… or why he trains…"
"And yet… he moves."
Neil felt a chill creep down his spine.
Then, without another word, he turned slightly and glanced up at the sky.
Perhaps, for the first time, he felt the path to the top… wouldn't be his alone.
Neil kept watching him for a few moments, until a strange glint appeared in his eyes—a mix of sarcasm and curiosity.
He said in a calm tone:
— Will you… spar with me? Just once?
Adam didn't even blink.
His voice came out low and rough:
— Maybe.
Neil added while watching dust scatter from his steps:
— Are you training… because of her death?
Adam went silent again, then finally raised his head.
— I will defeat you.
He didn't wait for any introduction.
In a moment, Adam lunged forward, his feet pounding the ground with a force Neil hadn't thought possible.
His eyes held no hesitation or fear.
But Neil… moved with an almost unimaginable grace.
He simply raised his palm.
No magic. Not even half his strength.
The moment Adam got close, Neil's hand landed lightly on his shoulder… yet it completely shattered his balance.
Then Neil spun with effortless motion, placed his foot gently on Adam's back, and gave a small push.
It wasn't a strike… just a simple redirection.
Still…
Adam hit the ground, gasping.
Dust rose around him.
His hand instinctively reached to shield his face, his breath catching like muffled sobs.
Neil didn't move another step.
He didn't smile, nor mock—he just stared steadily, then muttered as he exhaled:
— It's fine.
His voice was unusually calm:
— You didn't disappoint me.
He looked toward the horizon:
You've only been training for eight years…
Everything you're doing… is just the beginning.
Then he turned his back, adding in a low voice before walking away:
Next time… don't fall so quickly.
He left Adam alone, surrounded by dust and disappointment…
But this time, it wasn't Neil's disappointment.
It was the beginning of a new chapter.
The next day, after classes ended, Neil met with Krista in the school's back courtyard.
The sun was still hanging in the sky, casting long shadows on the ground.
Krista seemed more excited than ever. Her hands trembled from eagerness, and her eyes clung to Neil like he was a rare treasure.
Neil stood before her with his hands behind his back, voice dry and clear:
Before I begin… you should know training with me isn't for fun.
She nodded quickly, her hair bouncing with her head:
I know… I've been waiting since yesterday!
Neil raised an eyebrow slightly, then said calmly:
Alright. Today you'll learn the three basic pillars: depletion energy, offensive energy, and defensive energy.
He raised his right hand, and a faint aura emerged, flickering between pale blue and white shine:
This… is offensive energy. The fastest way to finish an opponent—but it drains a lot and opens your defenses.
Then he lowered his hand slightly and closed his fist. A new aura appeared, like sticky transparent threads:
Depletion energy… drains your opponent's resistance. It's slow, but kills willpower before the body.
Finally, he relaxed his fist and extended both hands forward. A glowing barrier formed, solid as rock:
And this… is defensive energy. It won't always save you, but it gives you time to think and regroup.
Krista gazed in wide-eyed wonder, her face lit with pure awe:
…This is amazing… I've never seen anything like it before…
Neil raised his eyes to her and said in his usual cold tone:
You have good talent, Krista. You could become… something worthy of respect if you work hard enough.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she clenched her fists with irrepressible enthusiasm:
Then… push me as hard as you need to! I want to learn everything… everything!
Neil didn't seem affected by her excitement, but gave a slow nod:
Don't worry… That's the plan.
He stepped closer until he was right in front of her, looking into her eyes steadily:
If you don't push yourself hard… you won't move forward.
Then he gestured with his hand slightly, like giving a command:
Now… raise your energy. Right now.
Krista swallowed and felt her heart pounding in her chest, but she lifted her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, and began gathering her energy, whispering softly:
…I'll prove… that I can…