Hitachi stared at the awakening stones resting on Hayatobi's palm. They pulsed with a rhythmic light, humming with enough concentrated mana to crush a lesser being. He nodded, the movement stiff but resolute.
'I must get stronger. I don't care how I achieve it, but I must get stronger,' he thought, the memory of his helplessness in the dungeon burning in his mind. He reached out and took the stones, his fingers curling around the cold, vibrating crystals.
Zoginoi and Mirabella watched as Hayatobi returned to their side. They stood at the entrance of the training hall, silhouettes against the harsh mana lights, watching the young heir of the Azul clan.
'Here goes everything,' Hitachi thought. He sat cross-legged on the fractured ground, placing the stones on his knees. He took a deep breath, centering his chaotic energy.
'I must pass Lv70!'
As the energy around Hitachi began to swirl, thickening the air, Mirabella turned her head slightly.
"Is this where you want to take me?" Mirabella asked in a bored tone, crossing her arms on her chest. Her aura was completely retracted, making her seem like a normal civilian, yet her presence was undeniable.
"Are you complaining? You asked to come along," Hayatobi said with a raised eyebrow, amused by her indifference to a fellow student's critical moment.
"Yeah, yeah." Mirabella sighed, and rested her back on the reinforced wall, closing her eyes as if napping.
'What a trouble girl... It seems Lord Hayatobi got his hand full of these two,' Zoginoi thought, glancing between the intense Hitachi and the lethargic Mirabella.
Hayatobi stared at Mirabella, studying her profile. 'I kind of feel these two are alike. One burns with the desire to reach the top, and the other stands there looking down, wondering why it took everyone else so long.'
____
[Some Moments Ago.]
[Dragon Academy Elite Garden.]
The air in the Elite Garden was different from the rest of the academy. It was heavy, sweet, and vibrated with a density that made breathing feel like drinking pure energy. Bioluminescent flora cast soft, shifting shadows over the stone pathways.
"So why did you call us here, Big sister?!" Carl asked with a smile, though he looked around nervously at the opulence surrounding them.
"Do you know where we are?" Mirabella asked, sitting down on a marble bench carved with dragon motifs. She stared at them with an unreadable expression. Cupcake sat beside her, grooming her white fur, while Elizabeth stood behind the bench like a silent sentinel.
"Well, we are in the elite garden, only elite students are allowed here," Grace answered, her voice dropping to a reverent whisper. "Mainly because it has more spirit energy than any other place. If a student trains their will power here, they will have huge progress..."
She looked up at Mirabella, seeking confirmation. "Is that why we are here, Senior?"
"It seems you did your homework," Mirabella stated.
She snapped her fingers. Instantly, the pouch containing the high-grade awakening stones—the reward Hayatobi had just given her and Hitachi—appeared before them, hovering in the air.
"Huh?"
Carl and Grace were dumbfounded, staring at the fortune floating before their noses.
"These stones are useless to me. Both of you aren't even awaken fighters, let alone god rank..." She sighed, closing her eyes. To a level 170 entity, these stones were merely pretty pebbles.
'These two are too weak. They are both still Lv29 players.' Cupcake said telepathically, licking her paws.
'Yeah, and I need to change that... If my guess is correct, the Glory Flag competition will start in a week... They need to at least become awakened players. They will need the strength as leaders,' Mirabella thought, and opened her eyes, her blue irises glowing faintly.
Her mind drifted for a split second to a loose end. 'I haven't gotten anything on Bella... She must be in the Sword empire.'
She refocused on the duo. "Do you both understand what I am saying?" She asked again, staring at the two before her.
"Yes!!" The two nodded frantically.
"Good. You can take the awakening stones and divide it equally." She raised her hand and pointed two fingers at them, her voice dropping to a chilling register.
"Both of you better enter Lv30 by tomorrow... If you fail this simple task, You will answer to me." She said with a serious expression that made the two swallow hard. Failure, they sensed, was not an option.
"We won't fail!!" They yelled in unison, and Carl grabbed the pouch with trembling hands.
"Oh, and Grace... If you need Monster cards, ask Carl. He has more than enough."
"Thank you, Senior!" Grace said with a deep bow.
"No worries... Both of you can get going now." Mirabella waved her hand dismissively.
The two nodded and turned to leave, walking fast.
"Wait." Carl stopped, and turned around, looking at Mirabella's back. A thought had occurred to him.
"Grace said this place has more spirit energy, shouldn't we train here?" He asked.
"Good question. It seems you're getting smarter, Carl." Mirabella looked over her shoulder at him, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"This place is indeed filled with spirit energy, but it's for training will power, not leveling up. So it won't have any effect if you stay here and cultivate. You need combat experience and raw absorption, not meditation."
"Ok, I will get going." Carl said, understanding now. He walked out of the garden with Grace, leaving Mirabella in the quiet sanctuary.
Elizabeth stood calmly, just observing everything. After Hayatobi went out of his office, she had rushed over to stay beside her lady, and now, she was witnessing her lady asking two newbies to break through to the Awakened rank in one day—a feat that usually took weeks.
'They will need a lot of monster cards, how many does that kid have?' She thought, and exhaled softly.
'Maybe he has enough... But what is the lady's plan training these two? Or she is helping because they're all from Earth? No, with her personality, I don't think that's it.' She sighed internally.
'I should stop thinking so much, it's not my style... Whatever her plan is, I will see it manifest.'
"Wow, truly fascinating."
A voice sounded from the sky, smooth and amused, drawing the two women's attention instantly.
"Huh?" They were confused, looking up. Neither of them had sensed an approach.