[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Hallway Entrance To SSS1]
The weight of Morwen''s unexpected presence at Pinnacle sent shivers down Derrick''s spine. Everyone in Quadra had been strictly ordered to steer clear of the Academy during the tournament, a precaution to avoid drawing unwanted scrutiny to their operations.
So, what was Morwen doing here? Was this a rogue move, or did dimir Bane himself n this risky scheme?
Derrick''s mind raced. Could Morwen be nning some bold strike against the Academy? The thought seemed insane. The Scouting Invitational was a global event, the eyes of the world fixed upon Pinnacle, dozens of powerful guild leaders in attendance. Any open attack would be suicidal, even for the Demon''s Cult.
He hadn''t received any news from within the cult''swork of informants either and As a member of the Demonic Cult they were always first to reach the news of anything crucial towards the ns of ''changing the world''.
Derrick felt frustrated not knowing why his superior was here, he prided himself on his awareness, But this? This was a mystery for all he knew, a move only Morwen could understand.
Hoping for rity, Derrick checked the vial. Had this been Morwen''s purpose here? To bestow this ''gift'', a tool for Derrick to deploy as he saw fit?
The thought sent a wave of both excitement and unease through him.
DD-HV1 (Demonified Drug- Human Variation One). That''s what they called it within the cult. A serum rumoured to give monstrous strength while somehow staying off theplete transformation into a demonic human. Was it truly possible?
His loyalty to Bane was absolute. But It gave the idea to Derrick that he could give it to one of theckeys. A test subject, expendable but close enough to observe the results.
The importance made him dizzy, he could present both a powerful tool and a detailed case study to Morwen. The promotion he craved practically shed before his eyes.
...
...
[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Student Section Stands (2nd Years Only)
As Derrick reached the second-year student section, the roar of the crowd washed over him. The first match was going to start in 15 minutes Louise Villerion versus Jan Ates.
Both students, ording to the data statistics, were achieving record-breaking victory times. That surpassed his own from a year ago, Of course, Jan and Louise were special. The two even earned high praises from Quadra during the Little Heroes Incidient and were supposedly marked, ''vessels'' with the potential to house a true presence of the devil...
Derrick slid into the saved seat beside hisckeys, breathing a sigh of relief. The energy in the student section was exploding with the highest excitement of this fight.
"There you are!" chirped a voice to his left. Thomas Wirtz, anky boy with always tousled hair leaned towards him. "So, what was that all about with the reporter? Know him from back home or something?"
Beside Thomas, Ben Rover, a burly youth with a shaved head and a permanent scowl, fixed Derrick with a suspicious stare.
Peter Junior, the youngest and quietest of the bunch, fidgeted in his seat, ying on his watch to pass the time.
Derrick forced a casual shrug. "Nah, just a guy I''ve bumped into a few times. We were catching up, that''s all." He subtly changed the subject. "So, ready for this match? Think Louise will take it, or will pretty boy Jan pose a challenge?"
The topic worked like a charm. Hisckeys immediatelyunched into a heated debate, dissecting fighting styles and specting on rumoured hidden abilities. Derrick leaned back, momentarily content to let the conversation wash over him.
As a lull settled over the group, he cleared his throat. "Hey, listen," he began, a note of excitement creeping into his voice. "Anyone interested in a little dungeon hunting after midterms? I''ve been itching to clear a few for a while."
Thomas immediately perked up. "Hell yeah! What ss are you thinking?"
"Something manageable," Derrick replied. "Maybe a B-ss Dungeon. Nothing too crazy, just a chance to unwind and get stronger."
Ben grunted his approval, and even Peter Junior nodded enthusiastically. The prospect of an adventure, a break from the redundancy of sses, and the chance to prove themselves to their leader clearly appealed to them.
Derrick smiled deviously. His ns were falling into ce. Not only was he securing loyalty through a shared experience, but he also had the perfect opportunity to test out his little gift from Morwen – all under the cover of strengthening his team.
***
{Rel''s POV}
[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Male Bathrooms]
[15 minutes until the first match of the semi-final...]
My knees ached from where they were pressed against the cold bathroom tile. The toilet stall became my prison, the only sanctuary from the dread grinding at my insides.
"I''m screwed... I''m screwed... I''m really screwed..." The words fell out of my lips in a silent litany of despair. It was embarrassing, pathetic even, but the crushing weight of my battle was required toplete a live quest.
Valencia... The name echoed in my head, each time I thought of her name all I could think about was my ass getting beat into the ground.
I should have spent those precious PPP on securing Jan. At least he would''ve given me a quick loss, and a less humiliating one... But noooo, I got that stupid egotistical ice queen.
If I didn''t get her I could have slipped back into the normal world as a regr human being. But the gamble was what led me down this self-destructive path.
And now? The fallout was immeasurable. Even if I didn''t fight, my reputation with Valencia was already bad. Forfeiting wouldn''t simply be admitting defeat– it would be an insult to her pride, both as a student and as a hero.
So, was I even bothered to fight?
>No.
Should I walk out onto that stage only to be obliterated in seconds?
>Maybe.
Could I fake an injury?
>Probably.
Or could I disappear iming I''d overslept?
>Good option...
But thinking about this I realised it was any less cowardly than the pathetic disy I was bound to deliver.
haha...
A bitterugh escaped my lips. What a mess. My carefully crafted ns, my hopes of handling through this tournament with a sense of control... it was all a damn illusion. And here I was, huddled in a bathroom, contemting my escape like the pathetic, desperate little rat that I was.
FWANG!
[It seems you''re struggling with your feelings towards this situation, Mr Axel...]
Seeing the system pop up before my eyes, I looked at the message window seeing the almost clear reflection of my misery.
"What about it then system?" I asked seeing that there was simply nothing I could do.
[I''vee up with a simple decision to fix the situation of course!]
Looking at the message, I knew nothing came good when a system had a good idea. But it probably won''t be as bad as I think. So what could go wrong?
"Sure... I''m all ears I guess."
[Good to hear that Mr Axel! ???? ˉ???ˉ?? )?]
[This idea will be sure to fix your resolve in this current ''situation'']
[Loading... 25%... 50%... 90%... Loading Complete!]
FWANG!
[Special Conditions Quest: Can''t Fear Your Own Novel! - Win the battle against Valencia Freya.]
[Rewards: 5,000 BP, 5 Base Stat Points, 1 Standard Ability Upgrade, 1 Special Ability Upgrade,]
"Huh? What...?" I blinked, rereading the quest. Was I hallucinating? The system''s malfunctioning, right? Beat Valencia? A bitter chuckle escaped me.
This doesn''t make my situation any better...
But... It was a quest, after all, and to think of this bizarre system''s faith in me.
It sounded pathetic, maybe, but... at least it wasn''t defeat before I even stepped onto the stage right.
"If I win... Will I be able to im that quest reward straight away?"
[Definitely Mr Axel!]
Not the answer I expected, but... those upgrades were a lifeline. Hope, as pathetic as it felt I had to try.
I stood, leaving the stall. Enough hiding. Enough despair. This motivation probably won''tst, even if the fight was doomed from the start.
haah...
I knew my limits but there was one definite answer to all of this.
"I''m done dreaming."
________________
Authors Notes:
- No Authors Notes Today D: