Chapter 9: The Art of Ballistics and Angry Metal
Three Days Later.
The Abandoned Training Grounds (Behind the Dungeon Block).
"Okay, listen closely," Valdorian said, holding Nihility up to his face. "We have a tactical issue. I can hit things close to me very hard. But if they run away, I have to chase them. Running is cardio. Cardio is the enemy of nap time."
The black sword vibrated in his hand. It gave off a feeling of confusion.
"So," Valdorian pointed at a massive granite boulder about five hundred meters away. "I need you to learn how to fly."
HUMMM? (Query: Magic?)
"No, I have no mana," Valdorian explained patiently. "Physics. If I throw you hard enough, you are technically flying. It's called ballistics."
The sword trembled. It radiated a wave of indignation. It was a Void-Born Artifact, a weapon capable of eating dimensions, and its master wanted to use it as a glorified javelin?
"Don't give me that attitude," Valdorian adjusted his grip. "Think of it as... aggressive travel. Ready?"
Valdorian stepped back. He didn't use a stance. He just leaned back, his body acting like a loaded whip.
[Physical Limit Release: Stage 1 (Active)]
[Target: That Boulder.]
[Force: Excessive.]
"Fetch!"
Valdorian snapped his arm forward.
BOOM.
The sound barrier shattered instantly. A white cone of condensed air exploded around Valdorian, flattening the grass for fifty meters.
Nihility vanished.
It didn't fly; it teleported via sheer velocity. It crossed the five hundred meters in 0.1 seconds.
CRASH.
It hit the boulder. But it didn't stop. It punched through the granite like it was wet tissue paper. It kept going. It tore through the forest behind the boulder, snapping century-old trees like matchsticks. It punched through a small hill.
Finally, it buried itself deep into the side of the Academy's outer defense wall, a mile away.
Valdorian shaded his eyes with his hand. "Hmm. A bit to the left."
He began the long walk to retrieve his weapon.
When he finally pulled the sword out of the crater in the wall, Nihility was vibrating violently. It wasn't humming. It was screaming in high-frequency rage.
DIGNITY. I HAVE DIGNITY.
"You have a hole in the wall," Valdorian patted the blade. "Good work. Next time, try to curve mid-air."
The sword burned his hand slightly, a petty act of rebellion.
The Assembly Hall.
09:00 Hours.
The atmosphere in the Great Hall was heavy. The Elite Class and the Class S students stood on opposite sides of the room. The Elites looked pristine in gold and white. Class S looked like a traveling circus of horrors.
Principal Thorne stood at the podium.
"Students," Thorne's voice echoed. "The Hidden Realm of Aethelgard has stabilized. This is a Pocket Dimension left behind by the Ancient Era. It contains herbs, ores, and inheritances lost to time."
He unrolled a scroll.
"Usually, we send only the Top 10 Rankers. However, due to recent... unique talents, I have expanded the list."
The students whispered. Everyone looked at Valdorian, who was currently balancing his dented frying pan on one finger.
"The team will be led by Prince Kaelen," Thorne announced.
Kaelen stepped forward, looking regal. He didn't even glance at Valdorian.
"Second in Command: Liya of House Frost."
"Members: Jerrick (recovered), Garret, Varek..."
Thorne paused.
"And from the Special Division: Drax, Medusa, and Valdorian Null."
The Elite students erupted.
"Class S? In the Hidden Realm?"
"They'll corrupt the mana inside!"
"Why is the Frying Pan Guy going? He has no magic to open the chests!"
"Silence!" Thorne slammed his staff. "The Realm is dangerous. Other Empires—the Beastkin Federation and the Elven Dominion—are sending their own geniuses. This is not a field trip. It is a war for resources. You leave in one hour."
The Departure Gate.
The portal to the Hidden Realm was a swirling vortex of blue energy located in the Academy's central plaza.
Valdorian stood by his backpack, checking his supplies.
"Bread, check. Water, check. Sharpening stone for the pan, check."
"You're taking the pan?" Liya appeared beside him. She was geared up in full combat armor, her silver hair tied back in a tactical ponytail.
"It's lucky," Valdorian tapped the handle. "Plus, if we find eggs inside, I'm ready."
"Val," Liya's voice dropped to a whisper. "Be careful inside. The Hidden Realm randomizes our spawn locations. I might not be near you. Kaelen and Varek... they will try to kill you when no one is watching."
"Let them try," Valdorian said, unbothered. "Hunting keeps the blood pumping."
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them.
Drax (Dragon-boy) and Medusa (Snake-girl) walked up. Drax looked uncomfortable.
"Hey. Boss," Drax mumbled, scratching his scales.
"Boss?" Valdorian blinked.
"You beat us," Drax grunted. "In Class S, the strong lead. We... uh... we agreed to follow you inside. Just don't make us carry your bag."
Valdorian looked at the terrifying dragon-human hybrid and the girl with snakes for hair.
"Minions," Valdorian mused. "I've never had minions before. Do you guys know how to cook?"
"I eat meat raw," Drax said proudly.
"I eat mice," Medusa hissed.
"We have a lot of work to do," Valdorian sighed.
"Move aside, trash."
Prince Kaelen walked past them toward the portal, flanked by his royal guards. He stopped for a second next to Valdorian.
"Enjoy the scenery inside," Kaelen whispered, his golden eyes cold. "It will be your grave. I have prepared a special 'welcome gift' for you near the Core Zone."
Kaelen stepped into the portal and vanished.
Valdorian watched him go.
"He really likes dramatic exits," Valdorian noted. "Okay, team. Plan A: Find loot. Plan B: Don't die. Plan C: If you see the Prince, punch him in the kidneys."
"I like Plan C," Drax grinned, his sharp teeth glistening.
Valdorian stepped into the vortex.
The world spun. Gravity dissolved.
[System Alert:]
[Entering Dimensional Fracture.]
[WARNING: High Concentration of Ancient Void Energy Detected.]
[Seal Resonance: Increasing.]
[Nihility Status: Excited.]
Valdorian felt a pull in his gut. This wasn't just a resource map. This place... it felt familiar. Like visiting an old house he hadn't seen in a thousand lifetimes.
Flash.
Inside the Hidden Realm.
Zone: The Whispering Jungle.
Valdorian hit the ground hard. He rolled and stood up instantly, hand on his sword.
He was alone. No Liya. No Drax.
He was in a jungle where the trees were made of purple crystal and the sky was a bruised orange color. The mana here was thick, wild, and chaotic.
Rustle.
Valdorian turned.
Standing behind him wasn't a student. It wasn't a beast.
It was a tall, slender figure with pointed ears and skin like moonlight. He held a bow made of living wood, aimed directly at Valdorian's heart.
An Elf. A genius from the Elven Dominion.
"Human," the Elf sneered in the ancient tongue. "You are unlucky. You spawned in my hunting ground."
Valdorian looked at the Elf. He tilted his head.
"Hunting ground?" Valdorian replied in perfect, archaic High Elven—a dialect that hadn't been spoken for ten thousand years. "Child, you are holding your bow wrong. Your elbow is too low."
The Elf froze, his eyes widening in shock. "You... how do you speak the Royal Tongue?"
Valdorian smiled, but his eyes were cold. The seal in his mind loosened just a fraction, leaking the aura of a King.
"I speak it," Valdorian stepped forward, "because I likely invented it."
The Elf's fingers trembled.