《The Rising Of The Anomaly》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    In the year 2020, following immense worldwide political instability due to a global pandemic, World War III was triggered, resulting in a five-year long conflict that ended in worldwide nuclear devastatation, putting humanity on the brink of extinction. By the end of 2025, several hundreds of millions had been killed in the explosions, and millions more died due to the resulting radiation in the aftermath.


    During 2022, in the mid-stages of WWIII, a special division under the name ''Salvation'' was formed in the UN, tasked with the creation of a massive airtight and radiation-resistant dome structure, located in Russia. This dome was a massive 200,000 square kilometers in size, and would later be dubbed the ''Sanctuary''. A water supply was acquired by tapping into several underwater springs, and thousands of plants were taken into it so that there would be an oxygen supply as well.


    And when the warring nations began launching the nukes in 2024, as many people as possible were taken into the Sanctuary, though some countries didn''t allow their citizens to be taken, while some people refused due to being in denial and stubbornly believing that the whole thing was a hoax. By 2025, the war was over as there was no one left to keep it going, and not a single human was alive outside of the Sanctuary, which housed around sixty million people and a few million animals. The war ended with no winners, the simple result was that all of humanity had lost.


    The layout of the Sanctuary was split into four equal quadrants, North, East, West and South, and the citizens evenly divided among the four sections.


    By 2045, the citizens had more or less settled into the Sanctuary, technological advancements resumed and the four quadrants had each been structured and layed-out differently. Technological advancements, discoveries and inventions were openly shared between all four quadrants in order to prevent any disruption of political balance between the four.


    The North Quadrant was split into different districts, namely the Residential District, Education District, Entertainment District, Research and Hospital District, Recreation District, Agricultural District and Shopping District. The districts were separated using walls with no openings or gates, so traveling from one district to another required the use of facilities called Teleportation Points, while traveling within a district would require the use of public transport buses.


    A citizen of the North Quadrant could own a personal vehicle if they wanted, but it wasn''t very cost-efficient since each district was physically separate from each other with no road or bridge connecting them, so if someone wanted to drive their vehicle to another district, they would have to teleport the vehicle using a Teleportation Point, and the fee for that was pretty steep, resulting in hardly anyone in the North Quadrant owning their own vehicles.


    The South Quadrant was structured like a normal city from before WWIII, with various different types of buildings mixed together, so owning a vehicle there was a lot more practical, though not necessary since Teleportation Points and public transport did exist, just like in the North Quadrant.


    The East was similar to the North in that it was split into districts, but you could travel between them using your own vehicles or public transport, the walls seperating the districts had gates with toll booths, which connected them to each other. Teleportation Points were available but weren''t necessarily the only option.


    And finally, the West was split into three different sections, based on wealth level, and each section was structured similarly to the South, with the quality of the buildings and facilities varying based on the section.


    Each of the four quadrants were run by their own government, and the four governments closely worked together to ensure that a good relationship was maintained between all four populations and minimize the threat of conflict, though they made a point not to interfere in each other''s domestic affairs so long as it didn''t negatively affect the other quadrants.


    In 2050, the scientists and researchers in the Sanctuary were able to gain access to some of the satellites that were still left in orbit, allowing them to observe some of the rest of the planet outside the Sanctuary. And it didn''t take them long to discover that the immense radiation all over the globe had given rise to powerful and dangerous new creatures.


    These creatures were likely evolved and mutated versions of animals that had managed to survive the aftermath of WWIII, and while most were about as dangerous as a wolf or wild dog, some were absolute monsters that made humans looks like insignificant bugs in comparison. There did not seem to be any danger of these creatures attacking the Sanctuary, but leaving them alone did not seem safe, since they were multiplying rapidly at an alarming rate, and the researchers estimated that it would only take a handful of decades for these creatures to overrun the planet.


    These creatures were named Mutants, and their existence was a definite threat to the weak flame of humanity''s survival. The creation and research of nuclear weapons and weapons of war had been outlawed, which meant that there was no means of defending ourselves against the Mutants, let alone eradicate them...


    Then, in 2065, the newly born children started showing signs of evolution, and researchers began studying them to find out exactly what it was.


    By 2075, they had mostly understood the specifics of the evolution. The new generation of humans, referred to as Paragons, were born with a special type of energy inside them, and this energy was labeled X-Factor Energy, or XFE for short. However, the Paragons couldn''t naturally harness the energy on their own, though it did give them a much higher resistance to radiation than regular humans had. And so, a certain procedure was developed.


    This procedure was called the Awakening Procedure. A Paragon would be locked inside a pod, a special chip would be implanted in their brain, and weak radiation at a specific frequency would be sent into their body, and this would stimulate the XFE inside them and form a network inside their body, called XFE Circuits, allowing them to freely manipulate and control their XFE.


    The majority of Paragons have a moderate amount of XFE, and could manifest it with the help of specially-crafted weapons known as X-Weapons, such as guns that could fire the XFE in the form of energy bullets, sword handles that could extend out XFE in the shape of a blade, armguards that could form XFE in the shape of a shield, and so on.


    Then, five percent of Paragons had more than a certain amount of XFE, simply known as the Threshold, and they could manifest their XFE without the use of any weapons, in a specific format, Primary Manifestation and Secondary Manifestation. The former was generally in the form of a weapon, while the latter was typically a support skill. The power and complexity of these manifestations depended on the amount of XFE inside the user, the more they had in them above the Threshold, the more destructive and versatile their manifestations would be. This five percent of the Paragons were known as Prodigies, and following the Awakening Procedure, their physical abilities would increase to about two hundred percent.


    And 0.05 percent of Paragons would develop different abilities after going through the Awakening Procedure, the amount of XFE they have would be below the Threshold, and like ordinary Paragons, they wouldn''t be able to manifest their XFE without an X-Weapon, but they''d develop a special power that''d be extremely powerful. This rare percentage of the new generation were known as Anomalies, and following the Awakening Procedure, their physical abilities would increase to about a hundred and fifty percent.


    After the Awakening Procedure, the researcher overseeing the procedure would be able to tell if the Paragon was a Prodigy or not using by using a special scanner, but there was no way to tell if they were an Anomaly, only they themselves would know, thanks to the brain chip. The chip would let the Paragon immediately and instinctively know whether or not their XFE exceeded the Threshold, and if so, what their abilities were and how to use them.


    The scanner would only indicate whether the Paragon''s XFE capacity was above or below the threshold, which meant that there was no way to differentiate between ordinary Paragons and Anomalies. In other words, an Anomaly could hide the fact that they were an Anomaly if they wanted to.


    A Paragon can undergo the Awakening Procedure when they''re fifteen years old, though they can opt not to if they aren''t interested in awakening their powers. And so, with these effectively super-powered humans on the rise, the residents of the Sanctuary finally had a way to combat the Mutant infestation that was now rapidly growing throughout the planet.


    In 2085, a neutral and independent area that wasn''t under the control of any of the four quadrants was build at the center of the Sanctuary, called the X-Warrior Zone, in order to train and develop Paragons into hunters capable of killing Mutants called X-Warriors. It had several buildings, the biggest being the X-Warrior Academy, where Paragons could apply when they turn twenty, and after a two year course, they would be granted the title of X-Warrior if they managed to graduate. Then there was the X-Warrior Guild, where X-Warriors could take on Missions to kill Mutants. There were also a bunch of training facilities in the X-Warrior Zone.


    The vast majority of X-Warriors were Prodigies. Paragons with XFE levels below the Threshold were sometimes referred to as Duds derogatorily, and were rarely even able to pass the Academy entrance exam, let alone become X-Warriors. As for Anomalies, there were hardly any in existence at all.


    My name is Kilzachs Floence, I''m a Paragon who was born on the 6th of September in the year 2095, to a family in the North Quadrant of the Sanctuary. My father was an important government official in the North Quadrant, his side of the family had been heavily involved in the governing of this Quadrant ever since it was set up. My mother was a doctor. I also had an older sister, who was about five years older than me.


    My father was a minister who oversaw any and all operations concerning X-Warriors and Paragons in the North Quadrant, and as a result, had developed an obsession with finding powerful Prodigies in the North Quadrant. There were unconfirmed theories that a Paragon is more likely to become a Prodigy upon going through the Awakening Procedure if they are in good physical condition leading up to it, so my father had my sister and I continuously train extensively, and excessively, in martial arts ever since we were old enough to do so.


    In 2105, when my sister turned fifteen and went through the Awakening Procedure, the result was that she turned out to be a Prodigy with incredible potential and extremely powerful abilities. This overjoyed my father, and subsequently put a lot of pressure on me to become a Prodigy as well, even though it was something that was out of my control.


    I didn''t have a great relationship with my father, I preferred reading, watching videos and gaming over physical training, and he didn''t like that one bit. I was a pretty introverted person, and didn''t have any real friends in school either, I tended to keep to myself most of the time.


    I was around ten years old at the time, five years away from being able to go through the Awakening Procedure myself. It was something I was both dreading and looking forward to. I certainly liked the idea of becoming an X-Warrior, since it was very high paying and allowed you to work whenever you felt like it, and I certainly didn''t like the idea of working a boring nine-to-five desk job. However, unless I turned out to be a Prodigy, it would be pretty tough to become an X-Warrior. If I didn''t turn out to be a Prodigy, I might still give it a shot, but realistically I wouldn''t stand much of a chance of making it.


    Anyway, I''ll save the rest of the details for later, and I''ll start my story at the age of ten...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTV P

 Chapter 2 - 1 - Introduction

    It was currently the year 2105, towards the end of October. My older sister had turned fifteen on the 5th of October, and today, my father had taken her to a facility known as the Awakening Lab in order for her to undergo the Awakening Procedure.


    Today was a Saturday, and I was in my room, playing an online MMORPG on my laptop. I had stayed up all night playing it, and before I knew it, it was suddenly afternoon time the next day...which is today.


    I had only realized it when I took a small break an hour ago, checked my messages and noticed a text from my sister saying that she had left for the Awakening Lab a little while ago. I then drew open the curtains, only to nearly be blinded by the sunlight. Let me clarify that that''s artificially generated sunlight, since no natural sunlight can make it through the enclosed dome of the Sanctuary.


    I decided to take on a few more quests in the game, before forcing myself to log out and go to sleep. I was filled with an ungodly amount of caffeine and sugar, my body was at its limit and so was my mind. As much as I disliked the excessive training my father made me go through four times a week, it did help with my late-night gaming stamina, I suppose.


    I went to the bathroom to wash my face, and nearly startled myself as I got a look at my face. My eyes were heavily bloodshot and there were heavy bags underneath them, my hair was a mess with my headphones having left a flat curve in the middle of my head, and my skin was all clammy. I splashed some cold water on my face and walked back to my room, flopping onto my bed with a tired yawn. Time to sleep...


    In the meantime, let me re-introduce myself.


    I''m Kilzachs Floence, son of Minister Kilrafhe Floence and Dr Zachsella Floence, and younger brother of Kilella Floence. I was born on the 6th of September in 2095, and I had turned ten years old over a month ago. I had a sort of combative relationship with my father, we didn''t really get along. As for my mother, she worked late hours and barely ever spoke to me, we lived in the same house but she was kinda like a stranger in a lot of ways. I was pretty close to my sister though, she was the one who mostly looked after me when I was too young to take care of myself.


    I liked to spend as much of my free time as possible with various forms of digital entertainment, though most of it went to the training sessions my father had me go through way too regularly.


    I had medium-length black hair with a couple of blonde streaks, one across the middle, and a lock of hair over my right ear which I grew down to my shoulder. I wore red rectangle-framed glasses over grayish-black eyes, I had a slightly dark complexion and agile build.


    I lived in the North Quadrant of the Sanctuary, in what was known as the Residential District, a section of the quadrant with houses, apartments and other living quarters. I studied in the Education District, which had a bunch of schools, colleges and universities. There were three schools, Regal Campus, Austere Institute of Education, and Prosaic Phrontistery. All three covered education from kindergarten level to high school level, the difference between the three was that Regal had a high quality of teaching, facilities and cost, Austere was moderate in those aspects, while Prosaic was cheaper to attend but the facilities and teaching weren''t great.


    I was currently enrolled in the Regal Campus elementary school, not surprising since my father was literally one of the most influential and wealthy people in not just this quadrant, but the entire Sanctuary as a whole. I''d be in middle school starting next year. My school had nice facilities and skilled teachers and whatnot, but because of the expensive fees, the majority of the students were spoilt rich kids. I can''t deny that I''m a rich kid myself, but I wouldn''t say that I''m spoilt. Anyway, what I''m trying to say is this...I have no friends, I don''t get along with any of my classmates.


    My training took place in the Recreation District, which had parks, libraries, pools, gyms, various training facilities, and other such places. I had been to the Research and Hospital District a few times, but I hadn''t been to the Entertainment, Agriculture and Shopping Districts yet. The Entertainment District had casinos, hotels, fancy restaurants, amusement parks, a red light district, bowling alleys, etc, the Agriculture District had farms for livestock, grains, and various other types of farms, and the Shopping District had various shops and stores, along with a few cheap restaurants as well.


    Technology had evolved a fair bit, teleportation was in widespread use across the Sanctuary, more energy-efficient electronics and vehicles were also in common use. When it came to digital devices, there were lightweight laptops and tablets, though cellphones were sort of obsolete. Instead, each citizen was given a special type of watch known as the Identification Watch, or I-Watch for short.


    An I-Watch worked as identification, payment and could also be used like a smartphone from before WWIII. You weren''t allowed to leave a district without your I-Watch, so losing it would be more than a little inconvenient, it held your personal details, sort of like ID Cards or passports from before WWIII. If you lost your I-Watch, the process to get a new one was long and complicated, not to mention expensive, so keeping it safe was pretty important.


    The I-Watch also held your bank account details, there was no physical currency anymore, instead there was a point system with each unit called a CredPoint. You could earn CredPoints by working, or someone could transfer them to you, which was currently the case for me, as in my monthly allowance from my parents. To pay for something, you simply let the cashier or store clerk scan your I-Watch, and if you have enough CredPoints to make the purchase, it''ll deduct the amount from your balance and complete the transaction, and if you don''t have enough CredPoints, it''ll decline and reject the transaction.


    I preferred to save as much money as possible though, I didn''t really have anything specific to spend it on besides new games. I enjoyed and preferred the TV shows, movies and anime from before WWIII to the stuff that was being made these days, and all those retro videos were legally available for access via online archives for free, so that was super convenient.


    As for how to use the I-Watch like a phone...


    The I-Watch is a sleek black wristwatch with a square screen that showed the time, tapping on the screen would project up a holographic screen, holo-screen for short, and you could interact with it, it could be used for social media, playing games, messaging people, checking your CredPoint balance, watching videos and so on.


    Well, that''s pretty much all you need to know for now, so I''ll be getting back to my sleep-...


    I was abruptly woken up as my room door suddenly swung open, and my older sister burst in...loudly.


    "Wake up, Zax! Come on, wake up!" She exclaimed, shaking me violently.


    Give me a break...


    "I''m up...please stop doing that, Ella," I sighed groggily, letting out a yawn as I sat up with a grumble.


    I glanced at my I-Watch...damn, I hadn''t even gotten an hour''s worth of rest, no wonder I felt so lethargic. Why was she so excited, anyway? Oh, that''s right, she went to the Awakening Lab today...huh, guess it went well.


    "Come on, let''s go up to the rooftop, you gotta see my new powers!"


    Well, that confirms it...


    "Oh, you''re a Prodigy, then? Cool, congrats...but can the ''big reveal'' or whatever wait for later, I''m really tired-."


    "Come on, you could at least pretend to be enthusiastic! And you can go to sleep after!"


    ...might as well get this over with, I don''t have the stamina to argue.


    I reluctantly let her drag me up to the rooftop, before she took her place in the middle of the space while I leaned against the wall and watched drowsily, stifling a yawn.


    My sister, Kilella Floence, was taller than I was, with the same complexion and eye color, we also had similar eyesight but she wore contacts instead of glasses. She had black hair tied up in a ponytail with the front falling over her forehead and eyebrows. She had two blonde spots on either side of the top of her head, and a blonde lock of hair over her ear like I did, but on the left instead of the right like mine was.


    She took a deep breath and opened her eyes...


    "


    !"


    She finally captured my attention, as her XFE began manifesting all around her, red in hue. Manifested XFE looked like glowing, colored glass, but there usually wasn''t this much of it in a single manifestation. XFE could Manifest in seven different hues/attributes; white/Light, black/Dark, red/Fire, blue/Water, yellow/Lightning, purple/Wind and green/Earth.


    To all regular Paragons and most Prodigies, the attribute didn''t really make any difference, but to those with especially high amounts of XFE, the attribute could manifest as an additional factor.


    Light Attribute could heal humans and was the most physically piercive against Mutants. Dark Attribute was like a fast-acting poison to Mutants and was also pretty harmful to humans in high doses, though not as deadly as it was to Mutants. These two attributes were very rarely found in regular Paragons and they were relatively uncommon in Prodigies too.


    Then there were the users of the Elemental Attributes Fire, Lightning, Wind and Water. They could possibly manifest those elements to varying extents depending on how much their XFE capacity exceeded the Threshold, while Earth Attribute would let the user manipulate the earth below or around them, again depending on by how much their XFE capacity exceeded the Threshold.


    Like I already mentioned, Prodigies with Light and Dark Attributes were rare, and of the others, those who could significantly manifest their Elemental Attribute were just as rare. And even then, it would mostly be like a small fireball or a slight electric charge or being able to levitate a small rock, though it very, very rare cases, it''d be more significant.


    It goes without saying that regular Paragons wouldn''t be able to manifest their Elemental Attributes at all, since they can''t even manifest their XFE without the help of an X-Weapon in the first place. As for the Light and Dark Attributes, regular Paragons with Light Attribute wouldn''t be able to heal anyone, but could still manifest their XFE using X-Weapons. But regular Paragons with Dark Attribute were a bit different, even a single strike with their manifested XFE using X-Weapons would cause poisonous-like effects on Mutants. But again, regular Paragons almost never had either of these two attributes.


    Since my sister''s XFE was red, her attribute was Fire. Anyway, back to the matter at hand...


    Her XFE wrapped around her limbs and torso like armor, before it took the shape of wide, sleek wings and a whip-like tail in the back, and around her eyes in the shape of a masquerade-like mask.


    Woah...


    For Prodigies, there were a couple of factors that affected what their Primary and Secondary Manifestations would be. First, was the amount of XFE they had in them. Those with higher capacities would manifest complex, powerful and versatile Manifestations, while those who just barely barely exceeded the Threshold would manifest simpler, though often still relatively powerful, Manifestations.


    The second factor was their own preference and taste, this one was a lot more vague and hard to predict. Let me give you an example, if a person was really into, say, spears and became a Prodigy following the Awakening Procedure, their Primary Manifestation had a high chance of being a spear of some form.


    Paragons who planned on undergoing the Awakening Procedure were advised to use their imaginations and really visualize what they wanted their Manifestations to look like. However, even if they did turn out to be Prodigies following the procedure, if they visualized a wildly complex and destructive Manifestation but they don''t have a high enough amount of XFE, it wouldn''t manifest the way they want.


    More often than not, a Prodigy''s Primary Manifestation would be a single weapon like a sword or axe or whatever...so seeing my sister manifesting full body armor, wings and a tail was pretty attention-grabbing and impressive.


    "Wow, father must''ve been absolutely ecstatic over this," I remarked with a stifled yawn.


    "Yeah, though...it was kinda unsettling how over-the-moon he was...so, anyway, what do you think?"


    "Uh, let''s see...it looks good for defense and evasion, as for offense...uh...I guess you could slap people with that tail-."


    "Jeez, I didn''t mean a technical analysis, I meant like your opinion!"


    "But...that was my opinion...? Ohh, that''s what you meant...uh, it looks cool, I guess," I shrugged indifferently.


    Fact was, I thought it looked super cool and badass, but I was still salty over being woken up, so I won''t give her the satisfaction.


    "Hey, what''s with that emotionless reaction? Oh, and you''re wrong, this ability isn''t lacking in offense in the slightest," She grinned, as balls of red XFE appeared in her hands, and she fired them straight up.


    They shot up rapidly, fading out before they crashed onto the high ceiling of the Sanctuary dome.


    ...okay, so, she can fly, has a powerful defense, and can fire off projectile bursts?


    "Well, can''t lie, your abilities are-," I began.


    "Absolutely brilliant, I could not be more proud, Kilella!" Came a triumphant voice next to me, startling me.


    I was going to say overpowered, but same difference...


    "Father? How long how you been there?" I asked in surprise.


    My father, Kilrafhe Floence, was the Minister of Internal Paragon Affairs, or something along those lines, in the North Quadrant. He was in his early-forties, tall and burly, with slightly graying black hair that was neatly combed back and a thick graying mustache. He glanced at me, a look of disdainful disapproval as he noticed my drowsiness.


    "Hmm, I see that you spent the night with those pointless hobbies of yours...well, even your disappointing attitude cannot ruin my mood today, this is a dream come true! I expect similar results from you in five years, Kilzachs," He replied.


    Huh? I really wish he was kidding, but I knew better than that, he just wasn''t the kidding type...


    "That''d be nice and all, but...what if I don''t even turn out to be a Prodigy?" I inquired, bringing up a very valid point.


    "Hm? Nonsense, that won''t happen! Siblings often have similar XFE levels, not to mention all the training I''ve paid for you to undergo...there is no doubt that you will be a Prodigy, you have to be. And now, there is no doubt that you too will achieve abilities just as powerful!"


    ...jeez, no pressure or anything.


    "Hey, Zax, check this out...<Secondary Manifestation: Flame Armor>!"


    Flames wrapped around her, her red energy armor evolving into an orangish-yellow flaming one, the air around her shimmering. No way...


    "I have never seen anyone who could manifest their Elemental Attribute so drastically...incredible, isn''t it?" Remarked my father.


    "Uh, yeah...actually, this is kinda excessively overpowered," I mumbled quietly, as she flew around the sky unsteadily.


    This was cool and all, but...can I go back to bed already?


    ...


    Not long after that, it was confirmed that my older sister''s abilities and potential were greater than anyone other Prodigy in the North Quadrant, and she could potentially become one of the strongest X-Warriors in the entire Sanctuary.


    And my father made it clear that he expected me to have similar results when I undergo my own Awakening Procedure when I turn fifteen...great, that''s what I have to live up to? Give me a break. I could only dread and wonder how my father would react if my results didn''t live up to his expectations...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 3 - 2 - Framed

    It was now November in the year 2107, about two years later. I was twelve now, today was a Tuesday and I was at school right now. My school life was pretty unenviable in general, but...today was the day that it went from unenviable to straight-up pure hell.


    Anyway, I was currently in my classroom during lunch break, and I was sitting in my usual seat at the back corner by the window. I was having my lunch and petting the class dog, Scruffy. I really liked animals, the homeroom teacher for this class kept her pet dog at school, and he usually stayed in the class.


    He was a lively and playful dog, and kinda ugly, he was old and had thinning fur, so most of the others in the class ignored him or found him gross, but I didn''t care about how he looked. Pretty much all my classmates were snobby, arrogant assholes who thought the world of themselves, they were all the children of rich and influential families just like I was, and they sure as hell acted like it.


    I didn''t have any friends in this class, everyone else was so outgoing and extroverted, not to mention annoyingly self-important, so I didn''t really fit in with anyone. My classmates generally ignored me, while some treated me like a weirdo since I kept to myself...well, I suppose I''m not exactly normal for my age, so fair enough. And besides, they were easy enough to ignore, so whatever.


    "What is with you, you only ever interact with that mangy mutt...isn''t your sister that super impressive Prodigy?"


    Huh, someone was talking to me? He must be really bored. I looked up to see who it was. Oh, it''s this guy.


    Tairo Najimi, he was basically like the leader of the class, the most popular guy in class. He was kinda arrogant though, I didn''t really like him. He had medium length black hair that he combed to the side, black eyes and a pale complexion.


    "...and? I don''t see any point to you coming over here just to say that," I replied with a shrug.


    "Tch, you''re a rude one, aren''t you?"


    Huh? No, that''s just how I talk. Putting on a faux friendly persona sounded way too exhausting. Oh, yeah, my sister did say that I have ''resting bitch face'', as in my natural expression looks rude, but what am I supposed to do about that...it''s just my face.


    "That wasn''t my intention, but feel free to interpret it that way."


    "Hey, don''t patronize me, you gloomy loner!"


    Wasn''t that kinda uncalled for? I''m just minding my own business here, and he''s the one that came up to me out of nowhere. Pfft, and he calls me the rude one.


    "If you have a problem with talking to me, then just...don''t. Simple as that," I retorted with a sigh.


    That comment didn''t go down too well with some of the others in the class, especially the girls...like I said, Tairo was the most popular guy in class.


    "What a loser, talking so high-and-mighty to Tairo like he''s better than him," Remarked one of the girls.


    "I know right, and after he went out of his way to talk to that weirdo," Agreed another.


    Hey, it''s not like I asked him to go ''out of his way''...what did I do to deserve this, anyway?


    ...


    About an hour later, it was time for PE. I was the last one to leave the class, mainly because I saw no reason to hurry. I changed into my PE uniform and began heading out, after petting Scruffy for a bit.


    "See ya later, buddy," I said with a small smile, rubbing his tummy.


    He licked my hand and barked, before letting out a yawn and scratching his ear. Animals are so cute, even the ugly ones. The only reason I didn''t have my own pet was because the idea of them dying was too heart-breaking for me to handle.


    I reached the school gym right on time, much to my relief. It was pretty boring, we had to do a bunch of exercises, run a couple of laps, pass volleyballs back and forth, and...that was about it, I guess. It wasn''t hard or anything, in fact it was a cinch compared to the intense training I went through on the regular, but it was still enough to make me sweat, which was annoying.


    About an hour later, the PE session ended. When we returned to class, there was a faint foul odor...where was it coming from?


    Suddenly, a few of the girls exclaimed angrily, the source of the odor located. The girls had left some paintings they''d made in art class to dry in the back of the class, and...the dog had peed all over them.


    "You filthy little mutt- ahh!" One of the girls snapped, reaching down for him, when he got spooked and bit her hand, inciting a pained yelp from her.


    Before I could stop myself, I let out a stifled snort of laughter, doing my best to pass it off as a cough, but not very well, a few of them glared at me furiously. Oops...oh, well, it''s not like I care what they think of me.


    Later, the homeroom teacher profusely apologized to the girls, but they were seriously pissed off, apparently they had used some really expensive fancy paint brand endorsed by a celebrity or something. And they were glaring at Scruffy pretty intensely. Yikes, if looks could kill.


    Oh, yeah, there were plenty of celebrities in the Sanctuary, singers, dancers, actors and so on, just like before WWIII. Well, except for sportsmen, professional sports weren''t a thing anymore, though a few popular sports like football, basketball, cricket, tennis and some others were still played casually.


    Anyway, the school day continued...


    ...


    The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, and time was going at an absolute snail''s pace. This is so boring...


    As a result, I fell asleep at my desk sometime during the last period, and woke up about an hour after school ended. Huh, looks like everyone''s gone already...no, wait, a few of the desks still had bags on them. Scruffy was asleep by my feet. I slowly got up without disturbing him after gently scratching his head, and headed for the restroom with a yawn. Looks like most of the students and staff had already left. I spotted some of the girls in my class hanging around outside the classroom, watching me as I headed out...huh, that was kinda weird.


    I entered the restroom, finished up my business, and headed back to the class after washing my hands and splashing some cold water on face. That took about twenty minutes, I should get back home now, I have one of those stupid training sessions in the Recreation District in the evening.


    As I neared the classroom, I could hear a thudding noise coming from inside it, and...a faint muffled whimper. What the...?


    My chest began pounding as I got a really bad feeling, and tried to open the door but it was locked. Before I could think it through, I kicked the door open and rushed in, my eyes widening in horror as I saw what was going on.


    The girls whose paintings were ruined were standing by my desk, four of them, one of them was holding my chair...and swinging it down at Scruffy. They had gagged him with a rag so that he couldn''t cry out loudly, and he was severely bleeding, his bones were broken, and he was just barely alive. The girl then lifted the chair high over her head and swung it down.


    "No, stop-!" I cried in desperation, dashing towards them, but I was too late, the chair slammed down onto the dog''s neck with a sickening crunch, the light in its eyes fading as a pool of blood poured out of its mouth.


    No...how could they...? There wasn''t a shred of remorse or regret on their faces...


    "Crap, he saw us! Oh, well, it doesn''t matter. Hey, weirdo, we''re totally gonna pin this on you, it''s not like anyone will believe you- argh!" One of them began with a sneer, when I interrupted her with a punch square on the middle her face, I swung as hard I could, breaking her nose and sending her crashing onto the wall.


    I wasn''t thinking, I was completely seeing red right now, blinded by rage and fury. One of the girls tried to run away, I tripped her before she couldn''t get away and stomped on the back of her head as she fell of her front, knocking her out. I slammed my fist across another one''s face, dislocating her jaw and knocking out a couple of her teeth, leaving her dazed. I then walked over to the one who had been swinging the chair, she was trapped between my desk and the back corner of the room. I pinned her against the wall before she could escape.


    "N-no, wait-!"


    I didn''t let her finish, rapidly slamming my fists onto her face over and over viciously. I stopped when she was on the verge of passing out, blood pouring down her nose and mouth, and turned my attention back to the other girls. One had managed to escape. That changes nothing.


    I began brutally kicking and punching the other two to the ground violently and relentlessly, my vision growing more blindingly red with every brutal strike...I don''t really remember much of what happened after that, but by the time I was done my fists were slick with blood, with plenty splattered on my clothes and face. Speaking of faces, the three girls were barely recognizable by the time I was done with them.


    Apparently, the girl who got away brought a teacher, and he forcibly stopped my violently brutal assault. The next day, I was brought to the principal along with my father, and I told them what happened and why I did what I did. Of course, my side of the story completely contradicted the girls'' side of the story. Since there was no proof, they didn''t pursue the issue of Scruffy''s death any further, but I was still in deep trouble for what I did to those girls.


    Ordinarily, I''d probably have been expelled, but thanks to my father''s influence, I was let off with a two week suspension, and the incident was covered up so that no one outside of my class would find out, since it might hurt my father''s reputation.


    Of course, it wasn''t as simple as all that for me. My father was furious, and beat the shit out of me when we got back home. He told me if I ever did something like this again, I''d be disowned...and I was pretty sure he was serious about that. It was in a lot of physical discomfort for a few days after that, my face was sore and swollen and I was bruised all over.


    My sister was the only one who believed my side of the story, so that was something at least. After my suspension was over and I returned to school, things were pretty unpleasant. Three of those girls had transferred out to schools in the other quadrants, leaving the North Quadrant. Only one was still here, the one that managed to get away and call a teacher. And, of course, she had told the others in the class that I was solely to blame for it.


    When I walked into the classroom for the first time following the suspension...


    "Seriously, you''re really waltzing back in here like everything''s normal?"


    "What a freak, I heard that his assault left those poor girls with disfigured faces."


    "Ugh, we seriously have to be in the same class as this monster?"


    ...yeah, I was bombarded with several disgusted remarks along those lines. With no other option, I ignored the comments and headed over to my desk, narrowly avoiding a couple of attempts to trip me as I walked past some of my classmates...as much as I hated to admit it, the hours and hours of martial arts training I go through definitely pays off sometimes. As I sat down and began to plug in my earphones...


    "Don''t you have anything to say for yourself!? Quit acting like you''re above all this, after what you did, you should be in prison or something!"


    "Yeah, totally! They should, like, bring back the death penalty just for you!"


    Ugh, wonder how long it''ll take before this blows over...


    "Hey...you aren''t even going to defend yourself? That''s basically like admitting your guilt, you piece of trash, and-!"


    I was starting to get really annoyed. Well, I don''t want anyone assuming my silence was an admission of guilt, so just once, I''ll speak up for myself...


    "There wouldn''t be any point in defending myself, it''s not like any of you would believe me anyway. But fine, I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to give you my side of the story. Did I kill the dog? No, I didn''t. Did I beat the living shit out of those four bitches who did kill the dog? Yeah, I did, though one of them didn''t get nearly as much as she deserved, the lucky cunt. And that''s the whole story, simple as that. I don''t give a damn about whether or not any of you believe me."


    A few uncertain whispers and murmurs began echoing through the classroom. Huh, might some of them actually believe me...?


    "Wh-what total bullshit! You''re just trying to make yourself look like a tragic hero or something. You said, uh...y-yeah, th-that''s right, when we saw you killing that poor dog, you said that you were going to pin the blame on us because we had a motive thanks to the dog ruining our paintings. But you made a mistake...normal people don''t freaking murder an innocent animal over something so trivial!" Cried the fourth girl, her expression enraged and her body shaking with anger...wow, that was some impressive acting, I''m not even being sarcastic...well, it looks like I''m screwed.


    And sure enough, her acting was more than convincing enough to eradicate any lingering doubts. I defended myself a bit more before giving up when it became clear that they had all already made up their minds.


    "Admit it, you killed the dog! That''s the least you can do after trying to pin the blame on someone else!"


    "You''re worse than scum, murdering a dog and assaulting girls for your own sick pleasure!"


    Uh...maybe phrase that differently, that makes it sound like I did something worse than simply beating them up. After several more minutes of their incessant griping, I finally snapped and said...


    "Fine, I admit it," I replied with a blank look, "I admit...that I didn''t kill the dog, but I did beat up the bitches that did. And I admit...that I fucking enjoyed it."


    Well, that sealed it. With that comment, my school life was turned into a living hell with no going back. From that point on, I would often find my desk and chair vandalized, my stuff would often go missing or turn up damaged beyond repair, I had to constantly check my back for any of those ''kick me''-type notes, people would attempt to trip me almost every time I stood up, even our homeroom teacher treated me with contempt, meaning that she believed that I was the one who killed her dog.


    Did it bother me? Yeah, of course it did. But eventually, I didn''t have a choice but to get used to it. I mean...what else could I do?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 4 - 3 - The Transfer Student

    It was now the start of the year 2110, the 1st of January. I was currently fourteen, and would be fifteen later this year, after which I''d be able to undergo the Awakening Procedure.


    Although, that was far from the main focus on my mind these days. At home, my father made me go through martial arts training almost every single day after school and on the weekends, while school was...well, you can probably imagine how it''s going. Not well, that''s for sure.


    I barely had any respite whatsoever, I was bullied at school, my free time was almost nonexistent thanks to the unreal amounts of training my father had signed me up for and I effectively had no time for my hobbies at all. To say that I was stressed out these days would be an understatement of some magnitude.


    Today was the start of a new school semester, specifically the start of my first year of high school. Do I have a new year''s resolution? No, I never bothered with that stuff, that crap doesn''t actually make a difference, not to me anyway.


    I had arrived early to nab the back corner seat by the window before anyone else could, as I did every single semester, any other spot would make it too difficult to get through the year. The rest of my classmates soon arrived, occupying the remaining seats. Looks like there were two unoccupied spots...the seat in front of me and the one next to me. Works for me.


    I put in my earphones as the others began chatting amongst themselves, tapping on my I-Watch to bring up the holo-screen. I opened my music app and shuffled my playlist before resting my head on my folded arms on the desk with a stifled yawn.


    Waking up early had it''s consequences, and I was definitely not a morning person...I suppose that emphasizes just how important it was to me that I get this particular seat in the classroom. My feet were on the ground, and...I could feel someone walking towards my desk. The faint thud of their footsteps, growing closer and closer...


    I got a really bad feeling and quickly got up, planting my feet and extending my legs to slide back on my chair. Woah, it''s a good thing I did that when I did.


    A cup of coffee was on my desk, having been dropped there by the person who had been walking over, Tairo Najimi. The hot liquid was all over my desk, and some had splashed down onto my legs, seeping through my trousers onto my skin. I took off my earphones and glared at him.


    "Oops, my bad...my hand slipped," Smirked Tairo, before holding out his hand, "That''s ten CredPoints for the drink, by the way."


    I see, he must''ve ''accidentally tripped'' or something while coincidentally walking by my desk, and spilt his hot drink. If I hadn''t slid back in time, the back of my head and neck would be burnt right now...I can ignore condescending remarks with no problem at all, I had long since gotten used to them, but this had me more than a little pissed off. Hm, the cup was lying on its side on my desk, and not all the coffee had spilt out of it...


    "Huh, that''s some expensive coffee...but I don''t think that''s necessary, look...," I gestured to the cup, before swiftly grabbing it and swinging it up at his face, "There''s still some left in the cup."


    He began to step back in alarm, but some of the coffee splashed onto his eyes, causing him to stumble back and fall down. Since so much of it had already spilt out, the bit that I splashed at him was barely lukewarm, so he was just fine.


    "You...you bastard-!"


    "Oops, my bad...my hand slipped," I remarked with a deadpan expression, before putting my earphones back in.


    Before he could do or say anything else, the homeroom teacher for this class showed up, instructing everyone to take their seats. He then introduced a new student, a girl named Bytra Lichood who had transferred here from a school in the West Quadrant. She had brown hair that grew past her eyebrows in front and down to her shoulders in the back, green eyes and a fair complexion. She looked fidgety and shy...well, not a strange reaction for someone in an unfamiliar environment.


    She was assigned the seat in front of me...great, can''t wait to see how the others in this class warn her about what a horrible person I am. After an uneventful first half of the day came to an end, it was lunch break.


    "Hi, um...nice to m-meet you, what''s y-your name?" Bytra asked with a friendly and slightly nervous smile, turning back to face me.


    Huh, she seemed like she was forcing herself to step out of her comfort zone, I don''t think she''s used to starting conversations, especially with strangers. Either way, I definitely wasn''t used to this, someone talking to me normally at school, it was kinda weird...


    "Oh, uh...It''s Kilzachs."


    "Kilzachs, huh...I h-hope we can, um, get along-," She began, sounding a bit robotic almost as if she''d rehearsed it or something, before being interrupted as my other classmates surrounded her and began talking to her.


    Guess that''s my cue to leave. I quietly got up, grabbing my food and heading up to the rooftop.


    People rarely ever came up here for some reason, as a result, it wasn''t that well-maintained so the floor wasn''t clean enough to sit on, but I was fine with standing while eating. Plus, the breeze up here and, of course, the lack of other people, were two factors that were just irresistible to me. The breeze was artificial, of course. Just like with the artificial sunlight, the Sanctuary had built-in weather generators, we even got fake rain at certain times during the year.


    I leaned against the fence and ate my food while watching some cat videos online on my holo-screen. I finished eating and glanced at the time...hm, still over five minutes left, and I''m in absolutely no rush whatsoever.


    "H-hi!"


    Huh?


    I glanced over, to see the new girl, Bytra, standing in front of me with a nervous smile, though she was trying to hide it.


    "Uh...hi?"


    What was she doing here? There''s no way that the others hadn''t already told her about what a monster I was or whatever. Huh, my awkward and somewhat uneasy response seemed to ease her nerves a bit...not sure how I feel about that.


    "What''s with that cautious look, I won''t bite," She said with a slight giggle while walking towards me.


    Maybe eased more than just a bit...


    "Oh, well I, uh...I guess I''m just not used to being spoken to normally. You just caught me off guard is all."


    "Hehe, sorry about that, didn''t mean to spook you! If you don''t mind me asking...why are you up here all by yourself?"


    Huh, she didn''t seem to be asking that out of spite or anything, it seemed like she was genuinely asking. And my awkwardness had definitely put her at ease, guess the whole thing about calming down when you see someone who''s worse off than you was true. My social skills were pretty terrible, far worse than hers, and her tensions definitely eased dramatically when she realized that.


    "Isn''t it obvious...I don''t have any friends," I shrugged indifferently.


    "W-wow, I''ve never heard anyone admit something like that so bluntly," She replied with an awkward smile.


    "It''s no big deal if you just think of it as stating a fact, if something seems troublesome, I just simplify it in my head."


    Okay, maybe I''m saying too much. It''s just...I hadn''t had a normal conversation with someone my age in so long that-...well, not that this is exactly a normal conversation.


    "Huh, that''s pretty deep."


    No, not really...


    I decided to ask her the burning question that had been on my mind the moment she showed up at the rooftop.


    "Hey...why are you here anyway, I have no doubt that you''ve already heard the rumors about me, yeah?"


    "O-oh, uh...well, yeah, I did. But, um...I''ve learnt to never judge a person based on what other people say about them, I prefer to get to know someone before making up my own mind about what kind of a person they are," She replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, before adding with a slightly dark look in her eyes, "And besides, you can''t always trust rumors."


    Huh...people like that really existed in real life? She was so...open-minded and understanding, no one else ever gave me so much as the benefit of the doubt even when I told them my side of the story, with the exception of my sister...well, that''s assuming that this girl was being genuine. It''d be nice if she was, but for now, I''ll remain skeptical.


    "I...see," I mumbled in response, unsure what else to say.


    "Do y-you, um, mind if I ask you about that...you don''t seem like, um, the type who would do something so cruel and brutal."


    Hm...I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to humor her, doesn''t make a difference if she doesn''t believe me, what''s one more person who disliked me?


    And so, I told her what happened, that I came across those girls beating down on the dog, and I responded by beating them down in return.


    "Maybe that wasn''t the best way to go about it, but...I don''t regret it, and if I find myself in a similar situation, there''s a good chance that I''d respond in a similar manner," I concluded with a shrug...go on, give me that look of disbelief that I''m so used to, it won''t surprise me, I''m ready for it.


    She was silent for a bit, and I was unable to read her expression...


    "Well...I don''t think you did anything wrong at all. It''s a shame that everyone thinks you''re lying, you deserve better than that."


    "You actually...believe me?"


    "Hey, now, no need to look so surprised, you might make me think that you were lying after all," She said with a teasing smile.


    "Sorry, I...I''m just not used to this. In fact, it''s kind of a first for me," I replied awkwardly, averting my gaze.


    "You''ve really had it tough, haven''t you...alright, I''ve decided! Let''s be friends!" She suggested eagerly.


    That kinda...came out of nowhere. Was she really that good a person? It was a little hard to believe...


    "Uh...I don''t know, you''ll probably ruin you reputation-."


    "No, I won''t, and even if I do...it''s no big deal! So, come on, let''s be friends!"


    I resisted a bit more, but she didn''t back down at all, and eventually...I gave in.


    "Fine, fine, I get it already...if you insist that much on friend-zoning me, I suppose that''s fine by me."


    She stared at me in surprise before bursting out in laughter.


    "Hey, now, your sense of humor isn''t bad...though your delivery and timing could use some work," She giggled, wiping away a tear.


    "Yeah, well-...oh, that''s the bell."


    "Sure is, let''s go back to class, ''kay?"


    "You go on ahead. Seriously, if you''re seen hanging out with me, you''ll probably be treated-."


    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it! In fact, maybe I can help convince the others that the rumors about you aren''t true, you never know. Stop being so paranoid, and let''s go, Kilzachs!" She encouraged me, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with her, ignoring my half-hearted protests.


    Hearing someone say my name at school was weird, I don''t think anyone has ever used it excluding homeroom teachers when taking attendance, not for a long time, anyway.


    This all happened so fast, and the simple fact of it was only just starting to sink in. No way, even if I was taking this whole situation with a grain of salt...did I just make a friend?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 5 - 4 - Deja Vu

    "Congrats, that''s awesome," I remarked with a nod.


    "...you could stand to be a lot more expressive, Kilzachs. Come on, this is a big deal, you could at least try to act surprised!" Bytra sighed in exasperation.


    "I am surprised, sure...but five percent is technically just one in every twenty people, which isn''t exactly that rare-...," I defended, trailing off sheepishly as she gave me a pouty glare.


    It was the 8th of January now, a week later. Bytra''s fifteenth birthday had been on the 5th, last Friday. She had undergone her Awakening Procedure yesterday, and...she turned out to be a Prodigy.


    "Fine, maybe this''ll get a reaction out of you...


    !"


    A long purple energy whip manifested in her right hand, it had several small spikes all over it. A Wind Attribute, huh. She was staring at me expectantly, waiting for my reaction.


    "O-oh, uh...cool, I guess?" I responded with an awkward thumbs up and smile.


    After seeing my sister''s abilities, it was going to be hard for anyone else to genuinely amaze me. Probably shouldn''t say that though.


    "Dude...well, knowing you, I guess I can''t expect too much more," She replied with a wistful smile.


    "Sorry, I''ve never really been the most expressive person...but I honestly do think it''s cool. So, what''s your Secondary Manifestation?"


    She perked up as I asked that.


    "Well, it''s nothing too grand, but let me show you...<Secondary Manifestation: Speed Boost>!"


    "Oh, nice, a self-buff?"


    "Yup. It doubles my speed for about five minutes and has a fifteen minute cooldown afterwards."


    "Hey, that''s a pretty handy ability, cool."


    "Thanks! But it is strange that this got a bigger reaction from you than my Primary Manifestation did," She laughed, deactivating her Manifestation.


    Ever since Monday last week, she had been joining me on the rooftop during lunch break every single day, and often spoke to me during class as well. She seemed to have become a lot more comfortable talking with me with every passing day, though every now and then she''d look off into the distance with a strange look in her eyes.


    This, despite the others in the class repeatedly advising her to stay away from me, and telling me to stop ''deceiving'' her. Something felt kinda off, though, I kinda expected there to be a lot more of an uproar. Guess I had kinda overestimated how much they all despised me, who knew.


    They certainly didn''t seem to be ostracizing her because she was friends with me, in fact they were all pretty friendly to her during class, though they still treated me with contempt, of course, no surprise there.


    "So, hey...I kinda wanna celebrate this, but I don''t want anything too dramatic like partying with a big group or something. So...wanna celebrate with me in the Entertainment District, just the two of us?"


    Uh, that was kinda...


    "...sounds tiring, so hard pass-."


    "Oh, come on, one day of fun won''t kill you! We can go to an amusement park or something. Please?"


    Mm...I didn''t like the idea of going out, but she was making it hard to say no...


    "...fine, I guess I''ll go. But I can''t promise you''ll have any fun."


    "I''ll take my chances!" She grinned.


    This really was strange to me, I had never ever hung out with anyone before, let alone a girl. It was a strange feeling, but...I didn''t dislike it.


    ...


    "Hey, Zax, welcome home! How was school, little bro?" Greeted Kilella, as I got back hike after school.


    "Oh, hey, sis...uh, school was fine, I guess. Well, I''m heading up to my room-."


    "Hold on! There''s something about your vibes lately...you seem happier than usual during these last few days," She remarked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Must be your imagination," I shrugged, walking up the stairs.


    "Nope, pretty sure it isn''t!" She smirked, grabbing my arm to stop me, "Did you make a friend or something?"


    Tch, she''s sharp, how annoying...


    "It doesn''t matter-."


    "Woah, did I hit the nail on the head? That''s great, I''m so happy for-!"


    "You''re too loud, sis...it''s no big deal."


    "If you say so...but it''s totally a big deal! Well, I won''t push you since you''re being all bashful, but I''ll get you to talk eventually!"


    "...I don''t get bashful."


    ...


    ...


    The next Saturday, I met up with Bytra at an amusement park in the Entertainment District. Ughh, there sure are a lot of people here. Well, at least the weather is okay. The Sanctuary''s weather generators were programmed to simulate various different weather conditions during each time of the year, it was really annoying and pointless, why not just maintain a nice, comfortable weather temperature the whole time?


    "Hey, over here, Kizachs! You''re pretty early," Bytra called out before walking over to me with a cheerful wave.


    "You''re too loud for this early in the morning," I replied with a sigh, as a few people glanced at us.


    "...it''s mid-day."


    "Yeah, on a weekend."


    She let out a laugh after a look of surprise, before grabbing my hand and leading me into the park.


    "Have you been to an amusement park before?"


    "Well, I apparently did with my family when I was three or four, but I don''t remember."


    "In that case, just follow my lead!"


    "Mhm, that''s the plan, this is all pretty alien to me."


    "Hehe, hope you can handle the bumpy rides, because we''re starting with those!"


    "I have no idea...guess I''ll find out," I replied with an indifferent shrug.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    About two hours later, we had gone on a bunch of bumpy and fast-paced rides, from ones that spin, to ones that drop, to the classics like roller-coasters and bumper cars. And...to my surprise, I was having a ton of fun. I found the thrill and rush of the fast-paced rides really enjoyable, I liked how they got my heart racing during the sudden jolts and bursts of speed.


    "Hey, let''s go on the roller-coaster again, that was-...!" I began, before trailing off as she shakily grabbed my arm.


    "S-slow down, Kilzachs...I feel like I''m about to throw up, I''m not so good with bumpy rides," She groaned, her face slightly pale, "Let''s sit down for a bit, ''kay?"


    "Oh, sorry, I kinda got caught up in the, um...excitement," I replied apologetically before checking my I-Watch, "Woah, it''s already been two hours...I''ll go get us something to drink."


    "Oh, thanks, I appreciate it," She replied with a weary smile, as she sat down on a bench.


    I got a couple of cold drinks from a vending machine and walked back to her, handing her one of the cans. She cracked it open and gulped it down, letting out a sigh of relief as the color returned to her face.


    "Feel better?"


    "Yeah, thanks. I have to say...it''s kinda surprising to see you have this much fun. You''re all smiley and upbeat, you really like thrill rides, don''t you?"


    Now that she mentioned it...I was honestly having a blast. I had expected it to be tedious and tiring, but as soon as I got on the first ride, I got totally swept up in the excitement and forgot all about my initial expectations.


    "O-oh, well, I...I guess so, they''re fun. I didn''t expect myself to enjoy the rides this much," I muttered sheepishly, wiping the smile off my face and averting my gaze before I could stop myself.


    "Woah, this is awesome...you''re usually so reserved, but today I''m getting to see what you look like when you''re having fun, and now your bashful side too," She grinned, poking my cheek.


    "Quit it...," I muttered awkwardly, taking a sip of my drink.


    "Hehe, no deal, this side of you is rare, so I''m going to make the most of it! Alright, I feel better now, what do you wanna go on next?"


    "Um...another go at the roller-coaster?"


    "A-actually...I really don''t like roller-coasters, I only went on it earlier because I didn''t want to look lame after I was the one who first suggested going on the bumpy rides," She said sheepishly, "But, you can go on it if you want, I''ll wait-."


    "Nah, it''s cool. I did agree to follow your lead...so, lead the way," I replied with a small smile.


    We went on a few more rides over the next hour or so, before finishing the outing with a ride on the ferris-wheel.


    "What a day, that was so much fun!" Exclaimed Bytra, with a contented sigh.


    "Yeah...it really was. So, what''s the big deal about ferris-wheels, anyway? They''re even slower than I expected," I remarked, after we got in one of the carriages.


    "I get what you mean, it''s definitely at a different pace to the other rides, but that''s kinda the point. After all the thrills and spills, you get to wind down with a slow, relaxing ride on this thing," She replied with a laugh.


    "Huh, I guess that makes sense."


    "Hey, um...thanks for agreeing to hang out today, I know you were against the idea, so-."


    "Nah, I should be thanking you...I had a blast, this was a great experience. So, uh, you know...thanks," I replied awkwardly.


    "O-oh, come on...i-it''s no big deal, you''re exaggerating," She replied, looking away a bit uncomfortably.


    "I don''t exaggerate. I, uh...thanks for, you know...being friends with me. I never thought I needed friends, but...I have to admit, it''s really nice. So, yeah...thanks, Bytra."


    Did I seriously just say all that and actually mean it? Talk about cheesy, I felt really embarrassed the moment the words left my mouth. She looked taken aback and averted her gaze for a moment, I couldn''t quite identify the emotion in her expression...it was only on her face for a brief moment though, she shook her head to compose herself before turning back to face me.


    "Hey, now...don''t get all sappy on me, it''s not like you," She grinned, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.


    When she put it that way, what I just said felt all the more embarrassing...


    "Y-you know, what...forget I said anything, let''s just pretend-!"


    "Nope, I won''t forget! But I suppose I can drop it for now...so, how are you liking the ride, isn''t it relaxing?"


    "Uh...honestly, not really? The seats are kinda uncomfortable," I replied with a sheepish smile.


    "...huh, you''re right. I didn''t really notice, but now that you mention it...my butt is kinda sore," She remarked, shifting around her seat uncomfortably.


    "Maybe this ride is especially meant for couples or something," I nodded to the ground, where a pair with their arms linked entered a carriage.


    "Oh, yeah, when it comes to amusement parks in movies and stuff, the ferris-wheel is almost always used during romantic scenes," She responded, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she glanced at me before averting her gaze.


    "H-hey, now, don''t overthink the issue! And b-besides, uh...oh, yeah, there''s the whole thing where you insisted on friend-zoning me, remember?" I replied jokingly, trying to ease the awkward tension.


    "Right...though, I never said anything about that, that was all you," She pointed out with a small laugh, before closing her eyes and slumping back in her seat with a relaxed sigh.


    "True, I guess..."


    "Hey, y-you gotta try this out...close your eyes and lean back in your seat, i-it''s really r-relaxing!" She suggested with a red face and slight stutter towards the end.


    Huh, she seemed kinda nervous and flushed...


    "Uh, okay...," I replied, closing my eyes and relaxing, slumping into the seat.


    This didn''t really make a difference, the seat was still pretty uncomfortable...


    "Now...don''t open your eyes, o-okay?"


    I felt the carriage move a bit, as she got up from her seat. What''s she doing? I felt her sitting next to me, really close...


    "H-hey, what''re you- mfph!?" I began, turning towards her and starting to open my eyes, before being cut off...as she kissed me.


    ...huh?


    She slowly pulled away after a few seconds, as I felt my face heating up.


    "D-don''t get the wrong idea...!...th-that was j-just a thank you for today," She muttered, her face turning red as she shrunk back while fidgeting.


    "R-right, okay...," I replied, as my heart began racing.


    A couple of minutes later, our turn on the ferris-wheel was over, and we headed back in awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say.


    "S-so, um...I guess I''ll see you at school on Monday..."


    "Yeah, I-I''ll see you then," I responded, unable to meet her gaze.


    With that, the day came to an end, and it certainly was a memorable one, to say the least. A whole bunch of new and unfamiliar experiences, and they had all been far from unpleasant...


    ...


    As it turned out, I came down with a cold the following night, and missed school on Monday. Ironic, considering that for the first time, a small part of me had actually been looking forward to school, at least a little bit.


    It wasn''t a long absence though, I returned to school on Tuesday, the cold was gone, but my throat was still a bit itchy so that was annoying. I ended up arriving kinda late since I ignored my alarm and overslept a bit, reaching school a few minutes after first period started. I made my way to my classroom, and as I entered...everyone turned to stare at me, some had looks of contempt, some of disgust and a couple of them had triumphant smirks on their faces...what''s going on?


    This wasn''t anything too unusual, but...it was a lot more intense than usual. I had a bad feeling forming in the pit of my stomach, this felt...this felt just like how things were when I returned to school following my two-week suspension, an unpleasantly familiar feeling of deja vu...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 6 - 5 - Framed Again

    I ignored the dirty looks all around me and headed for my seat, sitting down quietly while the anxiety in me slowly began to build as I wracked my brain to try and figure out what this was all about.


    I began to lean forward and ask Bytra what was going on, but decided against it since the first period was already underway, and...I was still kinda flustered over last Saturday.


    Seriously, though...what the fuck''s going on?


    After first period ended and the teacher left, I decided to ask her.


    "Hey, Bytra, did something-?" I began.


    Before I could even finish asking my question, my other classmates suddenly chimed in...


    "I can''t believe this freak..."


    "You really don''t have any trouble acting like everything''s fine no matter what you do, don''t you?"


    "Ugh, what a creep. How can you talk to her like normal after what you did?"


    "Wow, you''ve sure got some nerve, don''t you!?"


    Seriously...what the fuck is going on!?


    "What I did...? Go on, enlighten me," I remarked, with both frustration and curiosity.


    That only prompted more similar remarks, much to my chagrin, until...


    "Hold on now, everyone...he''s probably confused since he doesn''t think what he did is wrong," Tairo chimed in with a slight smirk.


    "...so, what did I apparently do, anyway?" I replied impatiently.


    "It''s what you did on Friday, of course! Remember, after school on the rooftop?" He said with a condescending smirk.


    Huh? I only go up to the rooftop during lunch, what was he talking about? Before I could say that, he continued...


    "You tried to ask Bytra out, but she rejected you, and then you lost it and started threatening her...who knows what would have happened if I hadn''t shown up when I did?" He stated with a shake of his head and condescending smirk.


    ...what?


    "Huh, I have no idea what you''re talking about! Bytra, tell them-!"


    "D-don''t talk to m-me, please!" She blurted out nervously, without even looking at me.


    Huh?


    "Wow, you traumatized her, she can''t even look at you, you creep."


    "And after she showed you so much undeserving kindness too!"


    There was a lot more, but I didn''t hear any of it. I was just...stunned. What...what is going on here?


    ...


    Seriously, what is this!? What, did I transfer over to a parallel world or something!? I was currently at the rooftop, it was lunch break. Just great, my desk was probably going to be a mess when I get back to class...


    "H-hey..."


    A familiar voice then snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked over in surprise, to see Bytra standing in front of me, her expression wracked with guilt and conflict.


    "Bytra! Hey, what''s going on-?"


    "I-I''m sorry, I know you''re probably really confused right now. Let me explain...when I first came to this school, the others all warned me about you. And then, Tairo and a couple of others approached me...they asked me to help them frame you for some reason, something about hot coffee or whatnot, and I...I agreed."


    I felt my chest tighten...


    "...why?"


    "Well, because...at first, I thought you really were an awful person, and also...back at my old school in the West Quadrant, I...I was like you, an outcast in my class and constantly bullied, that''s why I transferred here. So, when the most popular students in this class came up to me all at once, I saw it as an opportunity to avoid becoming an outcast here too, and so...I didn''t even hesitate to do as they asked."


    There were a lot of emotions welling up inside me right now, churning and building rapidly. It felt...stifling, like I couldn''t breathe.


    "Oh...so the last two weeks were...just an act-?"


    "No...! I mean...it started off that way since I honestly thought you were the horrible person I had heard about...but when I spoke to you, I felt certain that you were telling the truth. And I genuinely enjoyed spending time with you-."


    "Then why!?" I cried in anger and indignation, something inside me finally snapping.


    "I...I just didn''t want to be an outcast again, but I didn''t mean to hurt y-!"


    "But you did anyway, and it''s not like it was accidental, so there''s no point in saying that."


    "Y-yeah, you''re right..."


    "I honestly couldn''t care less about what the others in our class think of me, I''d long since gotten used to being treated like shit by them. But you''re so much worse...at least they were always honest about how they felt about me."


    "You''ve got it wrong, I...!...I really like you, Kilzachs, in fact...in fact, the original plan was to...frame you for attempting to sexually assault me, but I convinced Tairo and the others who were in on it to change it to-!"


    "Oh, wow, thank you so much, I feel so touched! Instead of framing me for a crime, you framed me to look like a creepy freak, what a great fucking deal, except you forgot about one detail...either way, I''m getting framed!" I remarked sarcastically.


    "I-I''m sorry..."


    "In this situation, an apology is about as hollow as you can get. Huh, now I get why the rest of the class weren''t as outspoken as I''d expected when we started talking to each other...its because those that were in on it must''ve held the others back, it was all part of the plan to trick me into getting close with you, in order to hurt me as much as possible when framing me. Am I right?"


    "Y-yeah, that''s right. According to Tairo, the idea was that if I continue to be friendly towards you while acting like I was ignoring all the warnings to stay away from you, you would...you would trust me faster."


    This hurt...this really hurt, as much as I wanted to deny and ignore it, I just couldn''t...this hurt so much. My chest felt tight, my breathing shallow, my head felt hot, my hands were trembling...the emotions swirling inside me, there were so many that I didn''t even know exactly what I was feeling...


    I forced them down and continued asking her about it...I wanted to leave absolutely no room for doubt. And there was something that didn''t add up...


    "How did the amusement park fit into this? What, was someone supposed to take a picture when you kissed me and pass that off as me forcing myself on you or something-?"


    "No, you''re wrong!...the amusement park...had nothing to do with this. In fact, the others don''t even know about it. I...I honestly wanted to hang out with you, at least once, before...before this happened. Like I said, I was an outcast in my old school, so...I had never hung out with a big group before, the idea was overwhelming. But the idea of hanging out with just you was...appealing to me. This much is true, I had a lot of fun that day, I honestly did...! So much so that I almost forgot about the whole framing thing-!"


    "But you went through with framing me anyway."


    "That''s-!...I-I was torn...I really liked spending time with you, but...being popular, having a lot of friends and not being an outcast...I had desperately longed for those things for so long, so I-...you know. That''s why, at the very least, I wanted to have as much fun as possible with you when we went to the amusement park, though I ended up having a lot more fun than I expected to..."


    I felt my anger rising further...


    "Oh, so that''s it...that day at the amusement park was just you taking pity on me. Well, it all makes sense now. You got this weird look on your face for a moment when we were in the ferris-wheel, when...when I thanked you for being my friend. I didn''t get it at the time, but I sure as hell do now."


    And not just then, there had been multiple times where she got a strange look in her eyes and couldn''t meet my gaze...I finally got what that emotion was, a mixture of pity and guilt.


    "No, it wasn''t just pity-!"


    "It was, and deep down, you know it. I''ve dealt with my fair share of cruelty over the past few years, but you know what the most cruel thing I''ve gone through is? Your half-assed kindness. The kinder you were to me, the crueler this whole thing became, and the amusement park was just the nail in the coffin...if all that never happened, this wouldn''t hurt nearly as much as it does."


    "I-I''m sorry-."


    "Just shut up...your apologies aren''t going to do anything for me. Are you going to go tell the whole class that this was all a set-up? No, I''m pretty sure you aren''t going to do that. And even if you did...I won''t forgive you. I''ll...I''ll never forgive you," I growled, my voice cracking.


    "H-hey, stop c-."


    "Just shut up, already! Why are you even still here!? Go suck up to your new friends or something, because congratulations, you just ensured that you won''t be an outcast here! Don''t you ever talk to me again, got it?"


    "I...I don''t want that-."


    "You can''t be fucking serious. Your plan worked perfectly...you hurt me more than anyone else ever has, and by quite a significant margin at that. Oh, but I suppose I deserve it, I am the guy who splashed coffee back at someone who ''accidentally'' almost dropped it on my head, after all."


    "Kilzachs, I-!"


    "Fuck off, already...I''ve wasted enough of my precious lunch break as it is. I expect you''ll eventually be giving me those condescending looks and remarks I get from the rest of the class...talk to you then."


    "I wouldn''t-...!" She began, trailing off as I plugged in my earphones with a cold look and turned away.


    She turned around and slowly dragged herself away, leaving the rooftop.


    As soon as she left, I slumped back against the fence weakly, trying to ignore the sharp pain in my chest to no avail. I looked down at the ground with a sigh...when suddenly a couple of droplets appeared on my glasses. Wait, was I...crying? Hold on, how long had I been crying? Did she see?


    ...based on the heavy streaks running down my face, and the small wet patch on the ground...yeah, she almost definitely had seen me crying.


    I took off my glasses and wiped my face, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling to try and slow down my heart rate. I...I won''t let this happen again. This humiliation...I won''t forget it, I''ll never forget it. I''ve had enough of going through crap that was in now way my fault. I swear, no one''s ever going to deceive me again...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 7 - 6 - Awakening(Part 1)

    "So, when do you wanna go?"


    "Uh...go where?"


    "Duh, the Awakening Lab!"


    "Oh, right...whenever is fine, I guess," I shrugged in reply.


    Today was the 6th of September in the year 2110, which happened to be my fifteenth birthday. To me, a birthday was just another day, but my sister insisted on making a big deal out of it. I was also old enough to go through my Awakening Procedure, but I wasn''t in any particular rush...going after a few days or going right away made no difference to me, so if I could procrastinate, I might as well do so.


    And besides, I was pretty sure the chances of me becoming an overpowered Prodigy like my sister were low, and my father was bound to blow a casket when I inadvertently failed to meet his expectations, so putting it off a few days was actually preferable.


    "You should be more enthusiastic and excited about this, Zax...most of your classmates turned out to be Prodigies, right?" She replied, handing me another slice of cake.


    I do think that celebrating birthdays is kinda stupid, I mean, with each birthday, you''re one year closer to death...that being said, I definitely don''t mind the cake aspect of the whole thing.


    "Yeah, out of twenty-three in my class, eighteen have gone through the procedure, and eleven of them turned out to be Prodigies," I replied with disinterest, before chomping into the slice of cake.


    Mm, it''s so soft and the chocolate cream inside was, well, creamy and had a slight crunch with sugar, and the dark chocolate frosting on top was heavenly...


    "That''s pretty rare, usually you just get like three or four Prodigies in a class of twenty to twenty-five. Hey, are you even listening?"


    No, I wasn''t...I could hear that she was talking, but I wasn''t actually listening to what she was saying.


    "Sure, uh...you were saying something about Prodigies?"


    "...you weren''t listening, were you? I know you don''t really have an opinion on birthdays, but it won''t kill to go out and celebrate with your friends or something you know," She replied with a sigh.


    "I don''t have friends."


    "Huh, didn''t you-...o-oh, never mind," She trailed off, as I averted my gaze.


    Tch, really didn''t want to be reminded of that...


    After that day, things at school got even worse than they had been before, naturally. I would often find my notes ruined, my desk trashed, my lunch thrown on the floor, and a variety of other petty pranks. As a countermeasure, I stopped bringing any belongings to school, using my I-Watch holo-screen to type out notes and buying lunch from the cafeteria.


    For a while, Bytra stayed out of it, but recently, just as I''d predicted, she started joining in as well. She got her wish, she had become one of the ''popular kids'' and avoided becoming an outcast, but to maintain that status, she had to fit in by joining the others in bullying me. For now, it was only condescending remarks with no eye contact, but it shouldn''t be long before she''s all in just like the others.


    Things weren''t great at home either. With my fifteenth birthday here and my sister''s twentieth birthday coming up, our father had increased our training workload even more than before, more so for my sister since she''d be applying to the X-Warrior Academy at the end of the year, and assuming she passed the entrance exam, would start the two-year course there at the start of next year.


    She had been pretty busy as a result, and was tired whenever she was at home, so we hadn''t spoken much lately. If we had, she probably would have figured that the whole ''friend'' thing I had was laughably short-lived.


    "So, uh, how''s it going with you, the whole training for the Academy entrance exam thing?" I inquired, changing the subject.


    "It''s not really a big deal, all this excessive training is just unnecessary," She replied with an exasperated sigh.


    "True, you''re way OP, so you''d probably ace the exam without even breaking a sweat," I remarked in agreement.


    "That''s not what I meant, I''m not that arrogant, Zax!" She laughed slightly, "I''m just saying...father is going way overkill with it, these days I''m at the training facility more than I''m at home, and I''m just so tired! Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince him to let me take a day off for your birthday today?"


    I could imagine...


    "Yeah, I know I have it bad with the training, but you''ve got it so much worse. I''m glad I''m not in your position."


    "...you could give me a more empathetic reaction, you know," She sighed wistfully.


    "My relief at not being in your position outweighs my sympathy," I replied honestly.


    "Bro...you''ve got issues."


    "Yeah, I know."


    I began to reach for another slice of cake, but it looks like I had eaten it all. Too bad, that was delicious.


    "You''ve really got a sweet tooth, don''t you? Don''t look so dismayed, I bought some eclairs too. Next year, I''ll get a bigger cake, so cheer up!"


    Huh, had my thoughts been that transparent? This is...embarrassing.


    "N-no, you''ve got it wrong. Sure, the cake was good, but I- mfph!" I began, before she interrupted me by stuffing an eclair into my mouth.


    ...mm, this was delicious too. The cream was the same as the cream used in the cake, and the dough was perfectly soft and fluffy...this is heaven. Not that I believe in God or the afterlife.


    Another-...before I could bite into a second one, my door swung open and my father poked his head in. He gave me a disapproving look as he saw me, my mouth stuffed with the rich, creamy chocolate while I held an eclair in each hand.


    "Quite a disgraceful sight as always, I see. Never mind that, let''s go."


    It took me a few seconds to finish chewing my mouthful, before I swallowed it and answered...


    "Actually...can I go tomorrow?"


    He didn''t take that well.


    "Huh!? Why would you even-!?"


    "W-wait, father, that was just a joke! He, uh...said he''d go with me in a couple of hours!" My sister quickly chimed in, giving me a look to play along.


    Seriously...? Guess I don''t have a choice...


    "Yeah, sorry, I think I''ve just had too much sugar and felt a bit restless. Just a joke, I''ll go with sis a bit later," I sighed reluctantly, playing along.


    "I do not appreciate your juvenile jokes, Kilzachs. Very well, make sure you go soon," He replied, calming down a bit, before leaving and slamming the door shut.


    "Fucking seriously?" I groaned, slumping onto my bed.


    "Hey, language, little brother...but you have my sympathies. Let''s go after you finish up these eclairs, ''kay?"


    It was a little past 1:30 PM right now...


    "...no, I''ll save them for afterwards, going out is going to be tiring," I replied after mulling it over for a bit, "Let''s just go now."


    ...


    We took a bus to the Teleportation Point and teleported to the Research and Hospital District. We then took another bus to the Awakening Lab and walked in, my sister informed the receptionist that I''d turned fifteen and was here for the Awakening Procedure. They scanned my I-Watch to confirm that, and then a researcher led us to a small room inside the building. My sister was made to wait outside, and I was taken inside.


    "Alright, young man, let me explain how the procedure will go. It is quite simple," Said the researcher, before explaining the process.


    First, I had to take off my clothes and get sterilized, which involved a quick, freezing cold shower using a sterilizing fluid mixed in with water. And then, I had to enter what was called an Awakening Pod, which closed shut after I entered and lay down in it. Restraints wrapped around my limbs and torso to keep my body in place, and I felt a slight stinging pain in the side of my head as the chip got inserted into my brain, before the pain faded as I felt a sudden sharp coldness against the side of my head, making it numb.


    Next, radiation began flowing into me, the frequency of the waves made me feel a bit queasy, but I could also feel something stir inside me, as the XFE Circuits began forming a network through which my XFE could flow...I see, so this is what it feels like to be able to manipulate the XFE inside you...


    I instinctively knew how to move the energy around inside my body, it didn''t feel like anything that was new to me. Guess that''s what the brain chip is for, it was kinda creepy how natural this felt. Suddenly, a voice began speaking inside my head, it sounded like my own voice, but more...robotic...


    .


    .


    .


    <XFE Successfully Stimulated, XFE Circuits Active>


    .


    .


    .


    <XFE Attribute: Dark>


    .


    .


    .


    <XFE Capacity: Below Threshold>


    .


    .


    .


    <...bzz..bzz...>


    The Awakening Pod then opened with a hiss, a chill running down my spine as I once again got exposed to the cold air in the room. I quickly got out of the pod and dried myself before putting my clothes back on, fumbling a few times before I put on my glasses. My eyesight isn''t exactly terrible, but it was kinda blurry without my glasses. Also, I kinda had a headache.


    So, it looks like my expectations had been met...I hadn''t exceeded the Threshold, and I was a normal Paragon, not a Prodigy. I wonder what the last bit of the Awakening Procedure was about, after the voice let me know about my XFE capacity, it seemed like there was something else, but it kinda sounded like static...which was weird since it was literally in my head. Hm, maybe it was just my imagination, I do feel a bit nauseated from the radiation.


    "Hm, looks like the procedure was successful. Did you hear a voice in your head?" Inquired the researcher, taking out a scanner and pointing it at me, "Ah, your XFE falls below the Threshold, I see. Any pains or issues, either physically or mentally?"


    "No, not really, nothing major. Yeah, I heard a voice, it said my XFE was successfully stimulated and stuff."


    "Hm, nothing out of the ordinary, then. Very well, you may leave, please contact us if you feel as though anything is wrong."


    For a moment, I considered informing him of my mild headache, slight nausea and that static-y thing at the end, but I decided not to, they''re probably no big deal, anyway.


    "Sure, thanks."


    With that, I headed out the room, my sister was waiting outside, seated on one of the sofas in the lobby.


    "Hey, little bro, how''d it go?" She greeted me as I walked over.


    "Normal, I''m below the Threshold. Let''s go home."


    Her expression paled a little, and a nervous look of dread appeared on her face.


    "Uh-oh...father isn''t gonna be happy about that. You should brace yourself, Zax, it could get nasty," She replied in a serious tone.


    "Why, though? This is something that''s completely out of my control, this outcome was a ninety-five percent possibility, those odds aren''t exactly in my favor, you know."


    "Yeah, but that''s only because you''re thinking logically, Zax...do you really think father is thinking about this logically? I''m not even kidding, he honestly expects you to have gotten similar results to mine."


    ...deep down, I already knew all this, but...I had deliberately overlooked and ignored it all since, well...I could only imagine how my father was going to react to this. My sister looked really restless as we headed back, her brows furrowed in thought and with worry.


    "Hey, chill out, Ella...there''s no changing the outcome, I''ll just have to brace myself like you said, and get through the storm," I tried assuring her, but the truth was, as we got closer and closer to home, my nerves and the sense of dread were only worsening.


    On top of that, my headache was getting worse...probably due to the stress of the situation. It was making this whole thing worse though, I''d never had a headache quite like this before...it felt kinda like when you''ve got the answer to something on the tip of your tongue but just can''t make it out, like that but a lot more painful.


    "Y-yeah, it''ll be okay...you might have to endure a lot of yelling, but I''m sure it''ll all blow over before too long," She replied with an unconvincing smile.


    She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than me, which only made me more nervous. A few minutes later, we reached the Teleport Point in the Research and Hospital District and teleported to the Residential District, taking a bus to the area our house was in, the both of us silent. This sucks, my head is killing me and I''m feeling way too much dread right now.


    It felt like an eternity had passed by the time we finally reached home. We got off the bus and headed for the front door, my sister hesitantly opening it and walking it. I followed in after her, gulping nervously as we came across our father, seated on the living room couch with an impatient yet excited look on his face.


    "Ah, you two are back. Let us go to the rooftop, I would like to see your abilities, Kilzachs!" He remarked, standing up eagerly.


    I hadn''t seen him like this since five years ago, when Kilella awakened her crazy strong abilities.


    "A-actually, father...it didn''t work out the way you hoped...he isn''t a Prodigy," Replied my sister, standing in front of me protectively.


    Ordinarily, I''d probably feel annoyed that she was treating me like a kid, but right now...I was too nervous to care, and besides, my headache had gotten even worse, it was kinda hard to think straight.


    "Hm, another of your jokes, I see...do not drag your sister into your childish pranks, Kilzachs, it is not-."


    "It''s not a joke...I really am just a normal Paragon, not a Prodigy. But, come on, think about it...statistically speaking-...," I began in an attempt to convince him using logic.


    I trailed off as an absolute death glare appeared on his face, a look that was a mixture of fury, disgust, confusion and disappointment. In that moment, the pain of my headache suddenly spiked, causing my vision to blur for an instant as my head began ringing, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground on my back, and my nose kinda hurt...


    "Father, no! Stop-...


    !"


    Wha-...?


    Oh, I see what happened. He must have punched me in the face while I was trying to shake off the ringing in my head, and before he could strike again, my sister stepped in with her ability.


    "Do not defy me, Kilella! This...this is an utter disgrace!" He snapped, his eyes bulging with rage, before he turned his attention to me, "And you...you have always been a rather worthless existence in this house...I tolerated it for one reason, my assumption that you would become a powerful Prodigy as well. But, now...it is clear that you are as worthless as I always thought. I won''t stand for this! I shall decide what to do with you later."


    With that, he stormed off and headed into his study, slamming the door shut so hard that the frame cracked a bit. I always knew he never had the best opinion when it came to me, but...even I didn''t expect such contempt and condescension. We may not have had the most friendly relationship, but he was still my father...his words hurt more than I expected.


    "Zax, are you okay?" My sister asked softly, wiping my bleeding nose with some tissues.


    My headache then grew even worse, feeling like I had something stabbing into my head...wh-what is this? It hurts...


    "I''ll be in the bathroom," I groaned, standing up and walking up the stairs, a bit shakily as I struggled to focus.


    I managed to make my way to the bathroom door and twisted the handle down, opening it and stumbling in, before shutting and locking the door.


    I was starting to sweat, my body felt like it was burning up, and my headache was so bad that my vision was starting to darken and narrow, it felt like everything was closing in on me, slowly crushing me.


    I took off my shirt and glasses, setting the latter on the mirror ledge over the sink, before I tried opening the tap, desperate to splash some water on my face in hopes that it would ease the pain at least a little...but I couldn''t muster the strength to turn the knob.


    Suddenly, an excruciating pain shot through my body, I felt like I was going to explode...and that''s when blood began running down my eyes, ears, nose and mouth, while my chest was in pure agony...wh-what''s happening to me!?


    The next time I knew, everything had suddenly gone black, my weak grip on consciousness fading as my body weakly slumped to the ground...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 8 - 7 - Awakening(Part 2)

    ...what''s going on? Everything''s dark, and I feel like I''m floating on nothing right now...


    <...bzz..bzz...>


    Static in my head...just like before. It kept getting louder and louder, soon sounding like a large swarm of insects inside my head, deafeningly loud...and then silence.


    .


    .


    .


    <X-Ability Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Type: Anomaly, Category: Five-Tiered Time and Space Manipulation>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier One: Save and Load, Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Two: Unknown, Locked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Three: Unknown, Locked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Four: Unknown, Locked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Five: Unknown, Locked>


    .


    .


    .


    I woke up with a gasp, coughing and sputtering as some blood had collected in my throat and nostrils...well, at least the bleeding seems to have stopped. Huh, my headache is completely gone, and so was the pain throughout my body...what in the world...? I definitely didn''t imagine it, there were fresh bloodstains and small puddles of blood all over the sink and the ground around it, and there were several streaks of blood down my face as well.


    More importantly...when I blacked out, I definitely heard the voice from the brain chip...it seemed so surreal though, I wasn''t sure that I didn''t just imagine the whole thing...well, guess there''s only one way to find out.


    I glanced at my I-Watch...it was just past 3 PM, 3:02 PM to be specific. Alright, then, let''s test this out.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I stated after taking a nervous deep breath.


    Hm, I didn''t feel anything happen...let''s keep going. I opened the small medicine cabinet in the bathroom and took out a shaving razor, breaking it and removing the blade. I then used the small blade to prick my fingertip, piercing the skin and drawing out some blood.


    I then waited till 3:05 PM...that should be enough time to be sure. Now, then...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load>".


    .


    .


    .


    The time was back to 3:02 PM, the razor was back inside the medicine cabinet, fully intact, and...my finger wasn''t bleeding.


    I had gone back in time.


    Wow, I''m an Anomaly...I had a lot of thoughts running through my head right now, but most of all...this felt, admittedly, really good. I had definitely expected to simply end up a normal Paragon like most, but I had held out a small bit of hope of becoming a Prodigy...however, I had never even considered the possibility of becoming an Anomaly.


    There were currently only four other known Anomalies in the world, making me the fifth...and the first of the North Quadrant. This is...pretty fucking cool.


    It wasn''t a weapon ability like the Manifestations of Prodigies, but a save-and-load time travel ability was definitely nothing to scoff at. What''s more, there were four more abilities to be unlocked...though I had no idea how to go about doing so. Forget that for now, who cares, I have an X-Ability!


    First things first, though...I should shower and clean up the bathroom a bit to wash away the blood. I felt slightly light-headed, unsurprising considering that I had lost a fair amount of blood earlier. My nose was pretty sore and still bleeding a bit, that wasn''t from the Anomaly manifesting, that was from my father''s punch. That old bastard...


    At least it wasn''t broken, I guess.


    I showered and washed away the blood on the sink and the floor, before drying myself off, getting dressed and leaving the bathroom, heading back into my room. My sister was in there, sitting on the edge of my bed with a worried look, standing up as I entered.


    "Zax, are you okay? Is your nose broken?"


    "Calm down, Ella, I''m fine...it''s not broken, and the bleeding''s stopped too, I guess. Jeez, what was with that overreaction, didn''t he even consider the possibility that things wouldn''t work out the way he wanted?" I sighed, flopping onto the bed.


    "Sorry, it''s because of my abilities that his expectations were so high for y-."


    "Don''t be stupid, how is it your fault in any way, idiot?" I cut her off with a raised eyebrow, "The results of the Awakening Procedure are completely out of the control of the subject, that''s a scientific fact. The whole thing about undergoing physical training increases your XFE capacity and being the sibling of a Prodigy automatically makes you a Prodigy too are myths that haven''t been scientifically proven, or disproven, but father just refuses to believe that."


    "Yeah, you''re right about that, but still..."


    "Look, let''s just wait this out and hope it blows over soon. I wanna sleep, I feel kinda drained...after I finish off the remaining eclairs, of course."


    ...


    After a short nap, I woke up around 7 PM, feeling a bit more refreshed. Hm, my body felt a bit stronger...I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. It''s not very visibly noticeable unless you look really closely, but there was no doubt about it...I felt a fair bit stronger. Prodigies'' physical abilities double after their Awakening Procedure, and with the four other existing Anomalies, their physical abilities apparently improved by around one and a half times following the procedure.


    Now...how should I go about treating this development? Should I tell my father? In all likelihood, it would almost definitely appease him, but given what my ability was...it might be in my best interest to keep it to myself, at least for now.


    I had always planned on attempting to enroll at the X-Warrior Academy, even if I''d ended up just a regular Paragon. Sure, I would have likely failed, but it wouldn''t have hurt to try. But now, with this ability, I was a lot more optimistic about my chances. If I messed up, I could always go back in time and try again. And I''d say that my martial arts skills were pretty exceptional too, all those endless training sessions my father had put me through weren''t for nothing, after all.


    And if it turns out that I''m not good enough to pass the entrance exam...I can easily just abuse the hell out of this power and make a ton of money by gambling.


    Hm, I''m kinda hungry...it''s just about dinner time, guess I''ll go downstairs. I could use some food, I was kinda craving something sweet again...man, that cake and those eclairs my sister got were incredibly delicious, I should definitely get the name of the shop she got them from.


    I got up and headed for the door, leaving my room and walking downstairs. Huh, everyone''s in the living room...my father was saying something, my mother had an unhappy look on her face but wasn''t saying anything, while my sister was arguing with him with an angry look.


    "...-fine, I shall agree to that much, but nothing more."


    "How can you even do this, it''s just cruel!" Exclaimed my sister furiously.


    "I do not see how that is the case...as far as I am concerned, this is no different from taking out the trash."


    Uh...what''s going on? I hadn''t a clue, but I had a really bad feeling about it. They noticed me as I reached the bottom of the stairs, my mother averting her gaze while my sister looked pretty upset. My mother was a doctor who spent most of her time in the Research and Hospital District, I wasn''t very close to her since we rarely ever even spoke to each other...actually, now that I think about it, I don''t remember ever having a regular conversation with her at all.


    "Right, then...I believe that concludes this discussion," Stated my father, standing up and walking past me without so much as a glance, roughly bumping against my shoulder, wiping off his shoulder with disdain as he headed up the stairs.


    What the heck was that about...


    "Uh...what''d I miss?" I inquired curiously, when my I-Watch suddenly got a notification, "Hold that thought-...w-wait, what is this?"


    I stared in disbelief at the e-mail I''d just received, a legal document that declared...that I''d just been disowned. N-no way, this has to be some dumb prank from my classmates or something, right? I quickly brought up my personal details on my holo-screen, and in the name section, it stated...


    Name: Kilzachs N/A[Please Legally Register a Surname Within 5 Working Days]


    I don''t believe it, it wasn''t a joke...I-I really had been disowned. I found myself turning back and heading up the stairs as the rage began swelling up inside me, to confront my father, when a hand grabbed my arm and stopped me...


    "Zax, wait-!"


    "...is this for real? I''m disowned? Just like that?"


    "It''s...yes, it''s true. I''m sorry, I tried my best to convince him against it, but-..."


    "Then I''ll go talk to him."


    "He...he isn''t going to change his mind, Zax, it''s no use-."


    "That''s not what I want to talk to him about," I interrupted, shaking her hand off my arm and continuing up the stairs.


    I reached his room and opened the door, my sister trailing behind me with a worried expression.


    "Hm? Oh, it''s you, Kilella. Can I help you?"


    I see, he''s pretending that I don''t even exist.


    "Hey, what''s this disownment thing about, don''t you think I at least deserve an explanation?" I spoke up.


    "Well, Kilella? Speak."


    "I-I, uh...," She trailed off uncertainly.


    "Hey, you old bastard, I''m talking to you! Don''t you fucking ignore me-!"


    "Oh, Kilella, it would appear that some trash has drifted into my room...kindly remove it. Or our deal is off."


    "Hey-!" I began to yell, before being interrupted as my sister placed a hand on my shoulder and shook her head.


    Her expression was begging me to leave with her, and something told me that I should do as she wanted. I hated this, being treated like I don''t even exist...but I can''t be too foolish and let my emotions get the better of me. That being said, bottling all these emotions was no easy task.


    I reluctantly left the room with her, slamming the door shut angrily.


    "Come on, I''ll explain everything," She remarked, walking into my room.


    I followed after her, trying to calm myself down. It wasn''t working, the emotions swirling around inside me were so intense that trying to calm down felt like trying to fight off a tidal wave with a broken mop.


    "What the heck is going on here?"


    She began explaining...after my father got over his rage, he made the decision to disown me after concluding that I was absolutely worthless to him since the results of my Awakening Procedure didn''t meet his expectations.


    "I then asked him if he''d have done the same if I had turned out to be an ordinary Paragon too...he said ''don''t ask stupid questions''," She sighed, frustration in her voice, "He...he sees us more as items than his children, he made that clear, if nothing else."


    My mother had been forbidden from ever talking to me again, and she never went against my father, though that didn''t make much of a difference since I hardly ever interacted with her to begin with, she had always been somewhat distant. My sister also had been forbidden from talking to me, but she refused and threatened to quit pursuing becoming an X-Warrior, giving my father cause to accept some degree of negotiation.


    Thanks to her, I wouldn''t be getting thrown out on the streets. Instead, she''d managed to get my father to set me up in an apartment, and pay for my education as well, though he only agreed to that so long as I transfer from Regal High to Prosaic High, the cheapest school in the North Quadrant. Beyond that, I was on my own. And after she helped me set up, she would have to stay away from me, that was part of the deal.


    "That''s...a lot to take in. Seriously, this is all happening way too fast...," I replied with a laugh.


    I mean, in a ridiculous situation like this, what else can I do but laugh?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 9 - 8 - Awakening(Part 3)

    Alright, I''m finished packing. It was still hard to believe that I was disowned and being kicked out of the house I''d grown up in...but there was no sense in letting it get me down, I might as well get over it.


    Okay, that was a lot easier said than done...I was seething with anger and confusion, I had never felt this frustrated before, and that was saying a lot.


    Damn it, that old bastard...I can''t believe he really disowned me just because I didn''t turn out to be a Prodigy. He would probably take it back if I revealed that I''m an Anomaly, but...if that''s all I''m worth to him, then screw him, I don''t want to be re-inherited.


    I''ll do just fine on my own, no I''ll do better than fine, I''ll train hard and pass the X-Warrior Academy in five years...that was a long way away though, and I''ll likely be pretty busy.


    I''ll have to study, train, and find a source of income...I''ll probably have to get a job-...no, wait, I could gamble. I could hit the casinos, I''m underage but anyone older than fifteen were allowed to use slot machines. There was no risk, if I lost money, I could just use my ability to go back in time and try again. Alright, that should save me a lot of time and effort.


    Well, I can work out the details later. Let''s see, I''ve packed my clothes and belongings, should I take anything else?


    I walked over to my desk and looked it over. Hm, I should take my stationery too, pens and stuff are pretty cheap, but it certainly won''t hurt to be frugal with my money. I packed my pens and other stationary, pausing as I picked up a scissor.


    It would be ridiculously easy to sneak up to my father and give him a few good stabs to get my anger out, and then use my ability to go back in time...nah, I probably shouldn''t-...my door then opened and...my father walked in, a disdainful look on his face.


    "Hm, this room is filled with trash...I certainly hope it is all gone by tomorrow. This waste of space can finally be put to good use," He remarked, acting like I wasn''t here.


    Did he...seriously just come here to provoke me?


    "Yeah, yeah...mind getting out, I want to sleep," I replied with a sigh, swallowing my hostility.


    Just play it smart and take the high road, all I need to do is not get provoked and he was bound to get bored and leave sooner or later.


    "There seems to be an irritating noise in this room...it better be gone by tomorrow."


    ...talk about petty.


    "I truly wonder how much money I could have saved if I had not invested in trash...," He muttered wistfully, kicking one of my packed bags.


    Alright, that''s it...screw the high road. I''m not letting him get away with treating me like this...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I murmured quietly, as he turned to leave the room.


    The moment he turned his back to me, I let all my rage and animosity boil over, leaping to my feet as sheer fury took control of my body, I grabbed the back of his collar to stop him from leaving, before driving the scissor into his back, eliciting a cry of pain from him.


    I twisted the blunt blade violently and pulled it out with a jerk, ducking as he swung his fist at me, his eyes bulging with anger. All those countless training sessions he forced me to go through...they were about to work against him.


    I stabbed the scissor into the middle of his chest, before nimbly slipping away as he tried to grab me, and then jumping up and slamming an airborne spin-kick at the back of the embedded scissor, forcing it deeper into his chest.


    "Gahh-...why, you little-!"


    "Oh, so you can see me now, huh? How interesting," I interrupted in a cold voice, slamming an uppercut onto his jaw after dodging another swing of his fists, "Too slow."


    "You piece of filth, if only you had never been born- arghh!" He began, before I dislocated his jaw by slamming a kick against the side of his face.


    I followed it up with a couple of swift punches to upper side of his mouth, knocking out a few of his front teeth. The physical boost of an Anomaly...I suppose I should thank him for letting me test it out.


    In spite of myself, I felt enjoyment and satisfaction as I took in his pained expression. I couldn''t stop my lips from curving up into a slight smirk. My frustrations had been piling up for years with no respite...and now, I was finally getting the opportunity to take it all out on something...and I couldn''t have asked for a more satisfying punching bag to take it out on.


    I grabbed the scissor handle and yanked it out with a vicious twist, blood pouring out of the wound as I did. I then slipped my ring and middle fingers of my right hand into the handle of the scissor, unleashing a series of punches at his torso while easily dodging his attempts to hit or grab me. Each punch from my right fist pierced his skin with the scissor, while I made sure to avoid landing a fatal hit.


    I had no proof, but I instinctively knew that if I killed him...going back on time wouldn''t undo it completely, his injuries would be undone but the death itself wouldn''t be, he''d be left in a catatonic state...like I said, I don''t know how I knew that, I just sort of instinctively knew.


    "Come on, what''s the matter, you can scream louder than that!" I found myself blurting out, a small chuckle escaping my lips as I drove the scissor through his left cheek, knocking in a couple of teeth and piercing his tongue.


    My heart was pounding and my body was trembling, I felt almost...giddy.


    "Arghhhh! Y-you bashtard, I shall make shure that you- gahhhh!!!" He slurred in anger, blood spewing out of his mouth, before I interrupted him by stabbing his right eye and twisting the scissor.


    "Shut up already, I''d rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than anything you have to say. Plus, you''re spraying blood all over the place," I sighed with a smirk, evading a swing of his fist before grabbing it and throwing him over my shoulder, dislocating it as his back slammed against the floor.


    Now, then...what should I do to him next?


    Before I could decide, my door swung open, my sister and mother standing in the doorway. My mother let out a gasp while Kilella looked pretty shocked herself, before shaking her head to compose herself and letting out a sharp exhale.


    "Zax...I can''t say that I exactly blame you, but don''t you think you''ve gone a little too far?" She said in an easing tone, trying to calm me down.


    She was mistaken though, I was perfectly calm.


    "No, I haven''t...not yet, anyway. Besides, I was just minding my own business when he barged in and provoked me, and I wasn''t about to take the high road and let him do as he pleased. I''ll let him go after a little more-...hey!" I exclaimed, as she swiftly got me in an armlock.


    Damn it, she had a firm grip on me, I couldn''t move...my strength boost was certainly significant, but it wasn''t enough against a Prodigy, I fall short in terms of sheer brute force. My martial arts skills were a bit better than hers, but since she had me restrained, it was too late to see if I could beat her in close combat. Then again, I really have no intention of fighting her, she''s the one person I have absolutely no animosity towards, after all.


    "Kill him! Kill this worthless piece of-!" Growled my father, struggling to stand up, looking like he was about to pass out.


    "You don''t seem to realize that you brought this on yourself! How...how could you disown your own son just because-!" Kilella retorted angrily.


    "I refuse to recognize this worthless-!"


    This is getting annoying, I suppose I''ve more or less had my fill anyway...


    "Enough, already. <Activate Anomaly, Tier One:....>..."


    "Wh-what-...?" Stuttered my father in shock.


    "Zax, what did you just-?"


    "<...Load>."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    My father turned his back to me and...walked out of the room, as I tossed the scissor into a pocket in one of my bags, letting out a slow exhale as he shut the door and left.


    This...this power is...freaking awesome! Oh, wow, just imagine...if I''d had this ability a few years ago, I could have-...! Well, I guess there''s no point in ifs or buts, I''ll just have to make full use of it from here on out.


    Heh, I felt a lot better now, I had vented my frustrations quite a bit and most of my anger had subsided thanks to that. Stabbing my father had been some pretty effective therapy, who''d have thought?


    Guess I should get some sleep now, I felt pretty tired now that I had gotten all of that out of my system. I took off my glasses and set them aside, before flopping onto my bed with a tired sigh...this''ll be the last time I fall asleep in this room, that fact wasn''t quite sinking in.


    How did it all come to this, anyway...?


    ...


    ...


    The next morning, I woke up early, around 5 AM. I checked my I-Watch holo-screen...looks like I''d gotten a few e-mails. I opened them one by one and read through them.


    A document confirming that I''d been transferred from the Regal Campus high school to the Prosaic Phrontistery high school, a legal document giving me ownership of an apartment room in a building that was well out of the way of this house...guess my father didn''t want to see me again even by accident.


    Fine by me, he can go die in a fire for all I care. Actually, I hope he does die in a fire, or something else super painful anyway.


    The rest of my mail was spam or irrelevant, so I shut off my holo-screen and got out of bed. I quietly walked out of my room and into the bathroom, washing my face and brushing my teeth before grabbing a quick shower.


    I then went back to my room and picked up my bags, five in total. A large trolley bag, two big duffel bags and two backpacks. I was just about able to manage carrying them thanks to my increased strength after becoming an Anomaly.


    I quietly headed down the stairs, spotting my sister asleep on the living room couch as I made my way down. The stairs creaked as I neared the bottom, the noise waking her up. She sat up groggily and yawned, looking a bit confused as to why she was in the living room. She then saw me and quickly stood up, nearly losing her balance with her legs still asleep.


    "Zax...I''m really sorry, I...I-I just wish there was something I could do-," She began with a miserable expression.


    "You''ve done enough, Ella, seriously...you''ve been my main source of emotional support for all these years, not sure what kind of state I''d be in right now if you hadn''t been around. So, uh...you know, you have no reason to be upset," I replied, in an awkward attempt to comfort her.


    "Of course I have reason to be upset, I''m losing my little brother over something so...so...!" She trailed off, her eyes glistening as a look of frustration appeared on her face.


    "For now, and it''s not like I''m dying or something. Just you wait, I''ll become an X-Warrior just like you definitely will, once that happens...," I began in a positive tone, trailing off as my voice cracked and I felt a lump in my throat, along with a prickly feeling welling up in my eyes.


    I never got along with my father, and my mother was always busy with work and rarely ever interacted with me unless necessary, so she was basically a stranger to me. But my sister was different, she was...she was my family, and I didn''t want to lose that. But I can''t be selfish, I''m not going to drag her down with me...instead, I''ll just have to climb up to her level.


    "Sorry, it''s just me here to see you off...mother already left for work," She smiled tearfully and apologetically.


    "I really don''t mind, it''s not like we were close or anything. I mean, I don''t dislike her like I do with father, but I wouldn''t say I like her either...guess I''m on the fence," I replied with a shrug and light smile.


    "We had a pretty messed up family, huh?"


    "Heh, that''s an understatement, sis...it wasn''t all bad though. If nothing else, I''m glad to have you as my older sister."


    "Zax..."


    "A-anyway, I should get going! If I miss the bus, it''ll be an hour before the next one, so-!"


    "Hold on, let me help you carry your bags-."


    "No, that''s okay...this might sound weird, but I think it''ll be easier for me to move on without looking back if I leave this house alone. So...goodbye, for now anyway, Kilella. And...thank you for everything."


    With that, as tears began running down her eyes, I turned around and headed for the front door, leaving the house that I''d grown up in for the first fifteen years of my life for the last time...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 10 - 9 - A Year Later

    It was currently the 6th of September in the year 2111, the day of my sixteenth birthday. It had been a year since I was disowned and kicked out by my own father, and as expected, I''d been pretty busy since then.


    Where to start?


    The apartment I''d moved into was a decent enough space, small but plenty spacious for one person. The front door opened into a bedroom, which had a single bed, a closet, desk, window and air-conditioner. There was a door on the left side of the room leading into a bathroom and a door on the right side leading into a kitchen with a small dining table.


    I didn''t have any trouble settling into my new place, in fact it was pretty cozy, and school was fine too. Unlike the Regal Campus high school, where most of the students were stuck-up rich kids, the students at the Prosaic Phrontistery high school were a lot more grounded and down to earth. Even so, I didn''t bother making any friends or getting particularly close to anyone, it just wasn''t worth the risk after everything that had happened at my old school. I did make a minimal effort to appear polite and civil to avoid any crap, small stuff like saying good morning or whatever.


    When it came to school work, I studied enough to make sure I''d be able to pass my exams with a reasonably safe margin, and spent the rest of my time training and making money.


    Just like I''d planned, my source of income was casino slot machines, I already had a fair amount of money saved up from my monthly allowances since I rarely bought stuff before, so I just multipled that bit by bit every month. I made sure not to go overboard, while also making sure to lose every now and then to avoid attracting any attention. The last thing I wanted was people taking notice of my unusually high success rate.


    As for training, I got memberships at a bunch of training gyms, for both combat training and training to use X-Weapons.


    For combat I opted for training in martial arts that emphasized kicks, namely capoeira, kick-boxing and taekwondo. I also extensively trained on my own, combining and modifying the moves I learnt from each style to form and suit my own unique style. For X-Weapons, I trained with handguns called X-Pistols, wrist-blasters called X-Blasters and sword type weapons called X-Blades, specifically two long daggers, about fifteen inches each in terms of length.


    Oh, and as for my last name, I didn''t want to mull over it too much, and simply decided to pick the name Light, after my favorite anime protagonist. So, yeah, my legal name is now Kilzachs Light.


    In order to enroll in the X-Warrior Academy, there were five requirements in total. First, you needed a high school diploma, you had to be older than twenty, you need to have gone through the Awakening Procedure and, finally, you''d have to pass the entrance exam. I''ll turn twenty in 2115, so I''ll be able to apply for the entrance exam in December of that year for the January 2116 intake of students.


    I''ve already gone through the Awakening Procedure and I shouldn''t have any trouble graduating high school. That leaves the entrance exam as my current biggest obstacle, so I should train hard. I may be able to do-over using my ability if I messed up, but using that power would be pointless if I was just too weak to pass.


    I also got a membership at a regular gym to strengthen my body, focusing primarily on flexibility and agility, and a more secondary focus on muscle strengthening. I decided that prioritizing speed over strength would be better, since I''d likely never be able to match most Prodigies in terms of raw strength, so I''ll just have to be faster and more agile that they are. And besides, raw strength on its own was pointless if you couldn''t hit your target.


    I had also gotten more familiar with my ability and it''s limits. I still hadn''t figured out how to unlock any of the locked tiers of my Anomaly X-Ability, but for now, the Save/Load ability was plenty. Okay, so I might be getting a bit impatient in my desire to unlock those abilities, but since I have no idea as to how to go about unlocking them, there was no point is stressing over them until I do. As for the limits of the Save/Load ability...


    The maximum amount of time I could go back in time was one week, any longer than that and my Save point would simply disappear. And whenever I created a Save point, any previous Save points would disappear, in other words I could only have one active Save point at a time.


    And I mentioned this before, but my ability can''t undo death, it''s not completely omnipotent. If I go back in time after someone had died, their body would be left in a vegetative state. It was entirely possible that somewhere in the Sanctuary, my ability had inadvertently left some people in such states if they''d died in between my Save point time and the time I used my Load ability.


    Using Save didn''t consume any of my XFE, but using Load did, about five percent each time. In other words, I could use it about twenty times in quick succession if I didn''t expend any XFE on anything else.


    Speaking of XFE consumption...


    Using the X-Pistols consumed about two percent of my total XFE per five shots fired, the X-Blasters consumed one percent per two shots fired and the X-Blades consume about one percent per minute each, though it would have been a fair bit more if I used longer X-Blades. Oh, the consumption of the X-Pistols and X-Blasters I''d mentioned were on their minimum output setting, the output setting on the handguns could be doubled at most and the output setting on the wrist-blasters could be increased to five times the minimum setting.


    My XFE capacity was pretty decent for a non-Prodigy, I had only fallen short of the Threshold by a small margin, and I should be able to fight freely at absolute full throttle for about half an hour before my XFE starts running low. And if I fight more conservatively and focus more on physical attacks, that amount of time expands significantly.


    In other words, I don''t have an unlimited amount of do-overs. Any physical injuries and even fatigue were undone when I went back in time, but any XFE I used up wouldn''t get restored. My XFE recovery rate was about one percent per every two minutes, in other words, if I used up all my XFE down to zero, it''d take around three hours and twenty minutes for it to fully replenish.


    These days, I didn''t have a whole lot of free time, but when I did, I usually spent it watching old anime and other digital entertainment. For food, I bought cheap yet nutritional options, though it was admittedly a bit hard to get used to at first, since my limited options mostly consisted of food that didn''t particularly taste good.


    I let myself have a sort of cheat day once every two weeks, which also worked as a day off from training in order to prevent myself from overworking my body. I treated myself to fast food and desserts during my fortnightly days off. With fast food, I opted for something different each time, be it pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc. As for desserts, I stuck to the place my sister had gotten the cake and eclairs for my fifteenth birthday from, a bakery known as Delectables. It was a little expensive, but totally worth the price, their sweets were to die for, I would literally kill for them...


    Since today was my sixteenth birthday, I decided to take a half day off. It was a Saturday, so I had no school, I got in some gym workouts in the morning and a few hours of X-Weapon training in the afternoon. After I was done with that, I headed to Delectables in the Shopping District and got myself a few choice desserts, before heading back to my apartment room.


    And now, here I was, stuffing my face with sweets while watching old episodes of Code Geass. Man, I love myself a ruthless protagonist, aren''t they just great? They''re so inspiring...


    I picked up a slice of brownie as my mouth began salivating, and slowly bit into it...it was so soft, my teeth cutting into it like a hot knife through butter, but it wasn''t so soft that it was falling apart, it had the perfect texture and amount of softness. The chocolatey goodness covered my tastebuds, it was warm and gooey with a slight sugary crunch, and had molten dark chocolate chips inside it. After the first bite, I uncontrollably wolfed it down and again reached into the box of treats I''d gotten myself.


    I had picked eight different desserts, and I''d already finished half of them. Next up was a fruit tart, it was tangy and sweet, and the crust was buttery and flaky, complementing the sweetened fruits perfectly. I still had a sugar-glazed cruller, an eclair and a slice of chocolate cake. Oh, man, this tart is incredible, it was an absolute bombshell of flavors, the different fruits, the glaze, the crust, they all combined to form an incredible symphony of flavor-...I''m getting a little carried away, no one cares that much about desserts besides me.


    Anyway, it gave me another reason to limit myself to once every two weeks...I''d get out of shape real quick if I let myself buy and eat sweets whenever I felt like it, because I always felt like eating sweets.


    This moment right here, is my personal bliss. Just kicking back and relaxing, re-watching a good series along with some incredible desserts...it doesn''t get much better than this, it wasn''t far off from my perfect ideal in terms of how to spend my free time.


    Tempting as it was though, I couldn''t let myself become overly indulgent. Not just for health reasons, but also financial reasons. I had set myself a limit on how much I should earn each time I gamble using the slot machines, if I go beyond that limit I was liable to attract unwanted attention. My ability meant that I could eliminate the risk of losing money, but that doesn''t mean that I could just go crazy with it-...


    ...hold on a second, what have I been...


    .


    .


    .


    The realization hit my like a bolt of lightning, and I sat up with a start, nearly dropping my dessert box as I did. How...how did I not think of this before?


    I could easily buy a ton of sweets and gorge myself on them whenever I felt like it...and then undo it using my ability. That way, I get to enjoy the experience to the absolute fullest, while saving all the time and money it would cost to do so! Heh...hehehe...I''m literally trembling with excitement over here.


    "Alright! <Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>!" I exclaimed giddily.


    Sweet, time to go back to that bakery and get as many sweets as I can possibly carry, return home and enjoy them, and once I''m done...I''ll use Load to come back to this point in time. Yes...yes...YE-!


    My internal celebration was interrupted as, for the first time since moving into this apartment...someone rang the bell.


    Huh...? That can''t be right.


    Hm, maybe I was just hearing things since I got so excited. Yeah, that''s probably-...nope, it just rang again.


    "Uh...who is it?" I called out, feeling annoyed that my door didn''t have a peephole so that I could see who it was.


    I should get one installed.


    "...it''s me."


    Wait, that voice...


    Before I could think, I found myself unlocking the door and opening it, my eyes widening with surprise as I saw who it was.


    "Huh? What are you doing here?"


    "Gosh, that''s a stupid question. I''m not going to completely miss my little brother''s birthday, Zax," She huffed, before smiling tenderly and pulling me into a tight hug.


    Well, this was a surprise...it was my sister.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism! Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 11 - 10 - Surprise Visit

    "Woah, wait a sec...what are you doing here, Ella? I thought you were supposed to stay away from-," I began, after breaking free from her embrace.


    "Yeah, but it''s not like father has any way of finding out! I''ve been staying at the student dorms in the X-Warrior Zone, so he doesn''t even know that I''m in the Residential District right now!"


    "Oh, I guess that means you''re enrolled in the X-Warrior Academy now, huh. Congrats, though it''s hardly unexpected."


    "Your lack of enthusiasm is as, uh...lacking as ever. Hey, wait a sec...," She replied, looking at my face closely.


    "Wh-what?"


    "You...you''ve been eating something sweet, haven''t you?" She remarked, picking out a small bit of chocolate cream from the side of my mouth using a finger.


    Huh? Crap, I had some cream on my face. Well, considering the way I was stuffing them into my mouth, that isn''t exactly surprising, I guess. Even so, it was pretty embarrassing.


    "So what if I did?" I muttered, eyeing her finger.


    The cream from the eclair, that stuff was seriously heavenly, and I thought I''d eaten it all, but...there was still a bit left, damn it. How do I get it from her finger though?


    "Mm, this tastes like...you went to Delectables, didn''t y-?"


    "No, wait-...!" I blurted out, trailing off as she licked off the cream on her finger.


    She looked at me with surprise as I realized what I''d just done and averted my gaze in embarrassment, before she let out a stifled laugh, trying to pass it off as a cough but not very convincingly.


    "A-anyway, you might as well come in, I guess. No sense talking in the doorway."


    "Sure, pardon the intrusion, little bro!" She grinned, skipping in and looking around, "Hey, you keep this place pretty tidy, I''m impressed."


    "It''s a small room, so cleaning is easy," I replied with a shrug, before my eyes lit up as I saw that she was carrying a bag.


    That bag...it was from Delectables! Okay, I should just play it cool and ignore the intense salivating in my mouth...I was definitely full in terms of hunger, but this wasn''t about that...after all, food goes to your stomach, but dessert isn''t just any mere food...dessert goes to the heart, which has no capacity limit!


    ...hm, I might be a little too enthusiastic about desserts. I should try to reign in it, just a little.


    "Hehe, I can see you staring at this," She grinned, holding the bag in front of me tantalizingly.


    I gulped and licked my lips before I could stop myself, earning a smirk from her.


    "Yeah, yeah...you caught me," I sighed, raising my hands in surrender.


    "You know, you''re probably gonna get diabetes by the age of thirty if you keep gorging yourself on sweets like this," She laughed, before handing the bag to me, "Well, happy birthday, little brother."


    "Thanks, sis...and FYI, it''s not like I eat sweets everyday or anything, just once every two weeks," I replied, taking the sweets from her casually.


    "Hehe, look at you trying to act chill about this, but you can''t fool me...I can see it in your eyes, you''re really excited aren''t you?"


    "...quit it," I muttered with a sigh, taking out the box in the bag and opening it.


    A chocolate cake, eclairs and brownies...don''t mind if I do.


    "I told you I''d get you a bigger cake this year, remember? So, um, speaking of which...how have you been doing for the past year?" She asked awkwardly, as I bit into a slice of cake with a contented sigh.


    "Hm? Oh, I''m fine-..."


    "Hey, don''t talk with your mouth full, little bro. Eat or talk, not both," She giggled, slapping me on the back.


    "In that case...eat it is."


    In between each bite of dessert, she asked me about how my life was now and stuff like that, I assured her that I was doing fine. Her excessive concern then started to get annoying, so I changed the subject by asking her how things were going with her.


    She had been attending the X-Warrior Academy for nine months now. Unlike schools and universities where you move on to a higher grade after a year, the X-Warrior Academy did so after every half-year. In other words, you move on to the next level of the course after six months, if you pass the exams of course.


    Graduating the X-Warrior Academy required passing a two-year course, which consisted of four levels, each six months long. Upon passing the entrance exam, you would start with Level J, then six months later if you managed to pass J, you would move up to Level Q. Passing the six months of Q would move you up to Level K, and finally, Level A. Of course, that also means that the new intake of students occurs every six months instead of every year, one in January and one in July.


    My sister was currently halfway through Level Q, at the top of her class, which wasn''t surprising at all.


    "You really are an overpowered powerhouse, aren''t you, sis? So, what''s the entrance exam like?" I inquired curiously.


    "Well, it''s different every time. For mine, there were about fifty applicants and we were all made to fight in a battle royale till there were only sixteen of us left. Oh, that''s right, they only take in sixteen students at each entrance exam, so it''ll probably be in an elimination format of some kind."


    Interesting, that was useful to know. I''ll certainly have to keep all that in mind. Anyway, she left not long after that, the student dorms in the X-Warrior Zone had a 12 PM curfew, and she didn''t want to risk getting late. I was admittedly a bit sad to see her go, but I wasn''t going to let her know that. And...seeing her again at all was good enough for now.


    "Aw, no need to look so sad, little bro...I''ll be visiting you more often from here on out," She grinned, ruffling my hair as I saw her out the door.


    "What are you talking about, I''m not sad or anything. And quit joking around, you probably shouldn''t risk it-."


    "Not joking! And you can''t change my mind, so don''t try! I''ll let you know when the next time I''m coming over will be, ''kay?"


    Arguing was just going to waste valuable energy...


    "...do what you want," I relented with a sigh, picking up another slice of cake.


    A few hours later, I fell fast asleep having absolutely stuffed myself with an ungodly amount of sugar...


    ...


    ...


    Following my sixteenth birthday, I got visited by my older sister at least a couple of times every month. While I was a bit uneasy about the risk of my father finding out and doing...something or other, I had to admit, it was nice to get to talk to someone every so often. I didn''t have anyone else in my life with whom I could have meaningful conversations with, so yeah.


    Additionally, I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted...of course, afterwards, I''d use my ability to restart the day and eat more conservatively. So technically, at least as far as anyone else is concerned, I haven''t eaten any sweets since my birthday. But in reality, I''ve been eating them pretty much every single day.


    After a few months of doing this, I realized that I should cut back on it...repeating almost every single day twice meant that it felt like time was going doubly slow for me.


    And so, I had to re-discipline myself. It wasn''t easy at all, but I didn''t have a choice but to do so, I was in danger of getting addicted. I went back to treating myself once every two weeks and shelved using my power to let myself go all out with food. And so, I got over that roadblock...a roadblock of my own creation.


    Despite that setback where food was concerned, the other aspects of my life were going relatively smoothly. I was quite pleased by my progress with training, both martial arts and X-Weapon training were going well, and I was satisfied with the rate that my body was developing at as well.


    My high school education was progressing well too, I had about a year and a half left, and I shouldn''t have any problems graduating. My financial state was fine too, I had kept my CredPoint balance above a certain amount using my slot machine winnings, while remaining cautious and avoiding getting too carried away with it, it didn''t seem like anyone had taken notice of me at the casinos yet.


    In all aspects of my life right now, I was tackling them with a methodical and careful approach, though in different ways depending on the aspect. For school and gambling, my efforts were more minimalistic, doing what I determined to be the bare minimum, with a safe enough margin, of course. As for training, my efforts had to push my limits without exceeding them, and that was quite a fine line to walk. On the one hand, I had to work hard or I''ll never be able to keep up with Prodigies, but on the other hand, I''ll burn myself out if I overdo it.


    Every step I take, every move I make...I can''t afford to have much of any wasted effort in them. My goal was to become a high-ranking X-Warrior, something that wasn''t going to be easy and certainly couldn''t be taken lightly. The path to my goal...I need to walk through it as efficiently as possible...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 12 - 11 - A Taste Of Heaven

    It was now August of the year 2115, a bit less than a month before my twentieth birthday. After my birthday, I''ll be able to apply for the next upcoming entrance exam at the X-Warrior Academy. It''ll take place at the end of December, and if I pass, I''ll be enrolled for the January intake of Level J students.


    If I fail, I''ll be able to try again for the July intake six months later, but...I''m not going to rely on that cushion, I''ll just have to make sure I pass my first attempt. My sister had graduated the X-Warrior Academy over three years ago at the end of 2112, and was already an Ace X-Warrior, the highest rank amongst all X-Warriors and of which there were only eleven others.


    Anyway, in preparation for the entrance exam, I had been keeping track of the most notable Prodigies in my age group in the Sanctuary. See, the X-Warrior Zone throws an annual inter-high fighting tournament for young Paragons to compete in, though it was rare to see a participant who wasn''t a Prodigy. I had already finished high school with no problems, and only kept track of the Prodigies who would be old enough to apply for the same entrance exam that I plan to apply for.


    Of course, it was limited to Prodigies who had participated in the inter-high tournaments, if there were any that were flying under the radar, I had no way of getting information on them.


    I couldn''t be sure until I directly faced them at the upcoming entrance exam, but...based on the tournament footage I''d studied, I think I should be able to beat them if the exam involves having to fight them, I was confident in my arsenal of skills, though I definitely can''t let my guard down.


    I was going to apply as a regular Paragon, not as an Anomaly. The power I have was most effective as a hidden weapon, so I saw no reason to reveal it. Who knows, I might be forced to reveal it if and when I gain access to the locked tiers of my ability, but for now, I had no intention of showing it off publicly.


    I had developed a reliable and solid fighting style, which emphasized unorthodoxy and flexibility. It mainly consisted of kicks, while I used my arms to wield my X-Weapons. I had X-Blasters that strapped on my wrists and extended halfway up my forearms, they could fire XFE-generated bullets and crossing them across each other would form a defensive barrier around myself, though if I moved my arms away from each other, the barrier would go down.


    As for my hands, I switched between a pair of X-Pistols and a pair of slightly longer than dagger-length X-Blades. You might be wondering whether there''s a point to having both X-Blasters and X-Pistols...well, there is. The former fired stronger but slightly slower shots, it was more suited for mid range. And the latter fired smaller but faster and more penetrative shots, and had a longer range.


    My current weapon models were X-Wr-0-2115, X-Pt-2-2112 and X-Bd-0-2114. I should explain how the model codes work. First, they all start with X. Second, is the type. Pt stands for pistol, Wr stands for wrist-blasters, Bd stands for blade(dagger), and there were also Bsw which stood for blade(sword), Bk which stood for blade(knife), Rf for rifle, and there were a whole bunch of other types too. Third was a number from 0 to 3, the lower the number the higher the quality. And the last one was the year that the model was introduced for public retail.


    The wrist-blasters and daggers were really important to my fighting style, so I got zero models of each pair, even though they were pretty damn expensive. The pistols weren''t as important, so I got quality level two models.


    My fighting style didn''t really incorporate punches, but just in case, I wore fingerless gloves with metal knuckles that tasered anyone who came into contact with them.


    I also bought myself a lightly armored outfit. I''d have preferred something more strongly armored, but any more than this would be too heavy and slow down my movements. My outfit consisted of black trousers and a sleeveless white undershirt with a hood under a long-sleeved dark blue jean jacket.


    Today was one of my fortnightly days off, and I was currently in the Shopping District, on my way to Delectables. They were having a limited time new dessert item available just for today, and I had no intention of missing it.


    I reached it soon enough, feeling a sense of giddiness and excitement as it came into sigh. There was a promotional banner by the entrance, advertising the limited edition item. Let''s see, it''s called...''Ultimate Chocolate Sandwich'', and it looked like chocolate cake and chocolate cream sandwiched between two slices of brownies that were themselves filled with dark chocolate chips...h-holy fuck, that sounds like heaven...


    I eagerly walked in and headed to the front counter, the cashier had her back turned to me, she was arranging some containers or something.


    "Uh, excuse me, about the limited edition item...I''ll take ten," I ordered, after ringing the bell on the front counter.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, sir. We only have eight left, and we''re only allowed to sell a maximum of two per customer," She replied apologetically, as she began to turn around.


    Her voice sounded kinda familiar, but that wasn''t important right now.


    "What if I pay double-...price," I began, before trailing off as she turned around.


    Of all the people to run into...


    "I-it''s you...," She stuttered in surprise, averting her gaze awkwardly.


    A familiar head of brown hair and green eyes...Bytra Lichood. This is annoying...tch, whatever, I''ll just pretend like I don''t know her.


    "I''ll take two of the limited item, please and thank you," I remarked blankly, holding up my I-Watch to pay for the order.


    She didn''t say a word, and silently got my order ready before handing it to me after scanning my I-Watch to take the payment. I took it from her and began to leave, when it occurred to me that she might have messed with it. I opened the bag and scanned the contents...hm, doesn''t look like anything has been done to them. Well, she is an employee here, so I don''t think she would, but still...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I mumbled quietly, before heading out of the shop.


    If she had messed with my order, I''ll just use my ability to return to this point in time and beat the crap out of her. Tampering with my sweets was unforgivable, I''ll straight up kill anyone who does...


    ...


    A few hours later, I was sprawled on my bed feeling satisfied and content, having finished the desserts I bought. Oh, wow, those had been fucking delicious...I really hope they bring back this limited item soon. They definitely hadn''t been tampered with, so that''s good.


    You might think that much chocolate would have been overwhelming, but no...the Ultimate Chocolate Sandwich truly was the, uh, ultimate chocolate sandwich! They achieved an incredible balance with a mix of light and dark chocolate, the brownies weren''t very sweet, but the cake and cream was richly sweet, and the chocolate chips in the brownies were bitter, which went perfectly with the sweetness of the middle of the sandwich. Each and every bite was pure bliss. So, yeah...that was the day I experienced the taste of heaven.


    ...


    ...


    A few months later, around late-November, I was getting ready for the entrance exam, which was a little over a month away, on the 28th of December. I had mailed in my application for the January intake pretty much immediately after my twenty-first birthday, but I got a call the next day asking if it was a mistake. That ticked me off a lot, but I remained calm and replied that no, it wasn''t a mistake.


    My sister was coming over tonight, so I pulled my gym schedule forward a couple of hours so that I''d be done early today, and I was currently at a martial arts training gym, specifically capoeira.


    I was working on my kicks, in an exercise that involved standing on my hands with my arms behind me and swinging my legs up repeatedly with weighted anklets around my ankles. I had initially opted to pay the fee to get the instructors here to train me, but these days I trained on my own, I had learnt all I could from them so I just had to repeatedly practice the basic exercises and moves, and then expand on that on my own, combining it with the techniques and moves from the other martial arts I was training in.


    After two hours at that gym, I headed off to a regular gym and did some light weight-lifting and flexibility exercises for a couple of hours, before deciding to call it a day and heading back home.


    I got back home, took a cold shower, got changed and lay down on the bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling as I put on some relaxing music. I let out a yawn and closed my eyes, dozing off before long...


    I woke up about an hour later to the sound of my door being pounded. Grr, and I''d just been having a great dream too. Well, whatever. I got up with a sigh and headed for the door, opening it with a stifled yawn.


    "Hey, bro, what''s up? Wait, were you sleeping just now?"


    More importantly...


    "...you didn''t bring any sweets," I remarked, looking at her empty hands.


    "Oh, uh...my bad? But I bet I''ve got something that''ll be even sweeter!" She replied with confident grin.


    "Ew, is that an innuendo?"


    "H-huh, of course not!"


    "Your grin looked kinda suggestive, guess I misunderstood," I shrugged, before letting her in.


    "You''re just half-asleep, so you''re not thinking straight, dummy," She sighed, flicking my forehead.


    "Ow," I responded, before tugging on her ponytail in retaliation.


    "No, no, no, don''t mess up my hair, I got the ponytail perfectly done today!" She exclaimed, pulling my hands off, "It''s always either too tight or too loose, but I got the perfect balance today, so hands off."


    "You started it," I muttered, heading into the kitchen and taking out a bottle of apple juice from the fridge and taking a couple of gulps.


    "Use a cup, Zax," She remarked, following me into the kitchen.


    "Nah. This is less effort...if I use a cup, I''ll have to wash the cup after I''m done. Plus it''s my place, I can do what I want," I argued, putting it back after offering her some but she shook her head.


    "I''ve got a bit of a cold, so no cool drinks for me, thanks anyway."


    "So, that thing you said earlier...if it wasn''t a badly executed dirty joke, then what did you mean by that?" I inquired, walking back to my room.


    "It wasn''t anything dirty, you little idiot-...! Well, it''s like this...I was delivering some requested weapons to the X-Warrior Academy from the Guild, and when I was about to leave, I overheard some of the Academy instructors talking, and I can give you a hint on what your entrance exam will be like."


    Oh?


    "Go on, I''m listening."


    "I think what I overheard was only about a part of the exam and not the whole thing, so keep that in mind. I heard them saying something about collecting J-Ranked Mutants and using a teleportation platform...so, yeah, part of the exam will probably involve fighting Mutants," She explained.


    "Huh, that''s pretty useful to know...hey, just how strong are J-Ranked Mutants, as in how much does it take to kill them?"


    "Hm, let''s see...I think you can one-shot them with your wrist-blasters or pistols if you can land a headshot or something equally lethal. They''re pretty weak."


    "Not sure how reliable your assessment is, to you pretty much anything would be weak," I replied with a shrug.


    "Hey, I''m not that powerful, you know!"


    "No, you definitely are."


    Just like X-Warriors were ranked from J, Q, K and Ace, Mutants were also ranked using the same letters. J-Ranked Mutants were the weakest types, and were small to medium sized creatures. There were hundreds if not thousands of Mutants that fell into the J-Ranked category, so they weren''t classified by individual species or type. Q-Ranked Mutants were a step above J, these creatures were typically human-sized or bigger, and there were about fifty classified species that fell into the Q-Ranked category so far.


    Next were the K-Ranked Mutants, these were large and powerful creatures that were typically two to three times the size of humans, and generally would require a team of X-Warriors to take down. There were eighteen such species discovered and classified so far.


    And finally, the Ace Mutants. There were only four types that were known so far, and they rarely appeared, but...they were unbelievably powerful and massive, and in theory would require dozens of X-Warriors to defeat. I say in theory because no one had ever taken down an Ace Mutant before. There had only been one attempt, against a massive eighty-meter tall Mutant that was called Bahamut, which resembled a dragon.


    It was a massive reptile that seemed to live in the ocean, and had only appeared once so far, about thirty kilometers away from the Sanctuary. In response, about thirty X-Warriors were sent to defeat it, since it could potentially have been strong enough to break the Sanctuary dome. The result...they managed to somehow drive it away, but not before it killed twenty-four of the thirty who were sent out to kill it. All the survivors had been Aces or K-Ranked X-Warriors, and of the six survivors, four had been in critical condition.


    The other Ace Mutants that had been discovered so far had only been observed via satellite, they were far away from the Sanctuary''s location right now and there was no reason to attack or provoke them if that remained the case.


    "So, hey...not that I''m complaining or anything, but are you sure an Ace X-Warrior like yourself should be giving away classified information like this?"


    "Wow, you make it sound like a much bigger deal than it actually is, it''s just an entrance exam. And you know I''ve always disliked goody two-shoes type characters."


    "Actually, no...I didn''t know that, but I can relate. Evil or cold-hearted protagonists are way more interesting," I agreed with a nod.


    "Hm, I dunno about evil..."


    Well, I had gotten a pretty useful bit of information from her, but...


    "This info is pretty sweet, but...it''s definitely not sweeter than-."


    "Alright, alright, jeez...I''ll bring you an extra amount of sweets next time, happy now?" She inquired with mock irritation, ruffling my hair with a smile, "You can still be such a little kid sometimes."


    "No, I''m not...," I mumbled while averting my gaze.


    She stayed over for a while longer before heading out, leaving me to return to my nap. Well, I had a lot to think about and work on, I only had a few weeks left before the entrance exam...but for now, I sleep.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 13 - 12 - Entrance Exam: Stage One

    Today was the day. The twenty-eighth of December, 2115. The day of my entrance exam. It was scheduled to start at 8 AM, but I had arrived at the X-Warrior Academy at 7:30 AM just to be safe. I had my X-Blasters strapped to my wrists, with my X-Pistols holstered on either side of my waist and my X-Blade handles were placed horizontally on my lower back under my jacket. I also latched on a strap to the frame of my glasses to keep them from falling off my face while moving fast.


    Once I showed the security guard my application, he let me in and informed me where to go. The X-Warrior Academy was a pretty large building with two floors, the ground floor had a large auditorium and a bunch of big training halls, the first floor had the classrooms, washrooms, cafeteria and locker rooms, and the second floor was mainly for the staff operations.


    The applicants for the entrance exam were to gather in the auditorium by 8 AM, so that''s where I was right now. Tch, how stingy, they didn''t have any chairs in here. What, were we supposed to stand the whole time? So not cool.


    I made my way over to the back wall and leaned back against it, as more applicants began streaming in. There sure are a lot of them, some of which looked a bit older than me. Well, not everyone applies as soon as they turn twenty, some waited till they felt they were better prepared, while others had already attempted and failed the exam previously.


    I''d gone to sleep really early last night since I''m not a morning person, so I felt fairly well awake, the last thing I want is to mess up due to sleepiness. The number of applicants in the auditorium was now more than fifty, it was just past 7:45 AM and more were still walking in. Ugh, too many people.


    "Well, well, would you look who it is? What an unpleasantly familiar face we have here," Suddenly remarked someone, walking over to me.


    Huh, was he talking to me? I glanced over to see who it was, and let out an internal groan as my expression morphed into a frown. Ugh, it''s this guy...totally slipped my mind that he''d likely be here today too. Tairo Najimi, one of the main reasons why my school life had been less than desirable. He wasn''t alone, I recognized a few more of my old classmates with him though I didn''t know their names, and another familiar face...Bytra.


    "Hey, didn''t you fail the Awakening Procedure? Are you seriously taking on this entrance exam as a Dud? How laughable," Snickered Tairo, with a look of amusement.


    Huh, I wonder how he knew that. After I went through the Awakening Procedure on my fifteenth birthday, I never went back to Regal High School for any reason after I transferred to Prosaic High School. Also, I didn''t ''fail'' the Awakening Procedure just because I didn''t become a Prodigy.


    "I have nothing to say to you, so get lost," I sighed irritably.


    Hm, guess even with extra sleep time, I''m still not a morning person.


    "You''re ever the rude bastard, aren''t you?" He replied with a cocky laugh.


    "Well, he is total scum, we all know that," Agreed one of the others with him.


    "Yeah, I hope he like, dies or something today," Laughed another.


    "Now, now, let''s not stoop down to his level, guys," Chuckled Tairo, with a slight smirk, "Hey, Bytra, I hope you''re doing alright, babe, seeing this freak must bring back some painful memories, huh?"


    ''Babe''? Heh, talk about a match made in hell.


    "Nah, I''m over it. If anything, I just feel sorry for him, he''s so pathetic and pitiful," She responded with a slight laugh.


    God, I hate this bitch.


    "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, huh," I replied with a yawn.


    "Huh, what did you just-!?"


    Thankfully, this pleasant interaction was cut short by the auditorium door swinging open and a small group of adults walked in, before closing it and heading for the front of the room. Nice timing, I was starting to get more than a little annoyed. The people who walked in stood in front on the platform at the head of the room, and one of them stepped forward to the podium, clearing his throat and tapping on the microphone to get everyone''s attention, the chatter in the auditorium slowly dying down into silence.


    He was a middle aged man, with a gray, balding head, black eyes, darkish skin, a neatly trimmed goatee and was wearing a suit.


    "Good morning, young applicants, I hope you are all doing well. I am the director of this Academy, Sree Singh, and I wish you all the best of luck with today''s entrance exam. Now, a word from the instructor in charge of said entrance exam," He greeted us, before turning the podium over to one of the others standing behind him.


    She stepped forward and took his place at the podium, clearing her throat. She was quite a sigh, her short hair was dyed a whole bunch of colors and spiked up, it kinda looked like a skittle puked on her head. She had a fair complexion, blue eyes and a strong build, wearing navy blue trousers and a white shirt under a navy blue coat. Must be a uniform for the instructors, the others standing behind her excluding the director were all wearing the same thing.


    "Alright, applicants, listen up! You can call me Instructor Annika Mikhailova, I''ll be in charge of your entrance exam today, so pay attention. This exam will consist of two stages, the first will have you each take on low level Mutants and the thirty-two of you that kill the most of them will progress to the second stage. I''ll give you the details on the second stage after the first stage is over," She instructed, keeping it brief and straightforward.


    She then explained how the first stage would be administered. There were seventy-three applicants in total and the Academy building had fifteen training halls, all of which were vacant. The applicants were evenly divided across the training halls, specifically thirteen groups of five and two groups of four.


    The training halls were massive spaces, and a teleportation platform had been placed by the back wall of each of the halls. Here''s how it would work, each of the applicants would be given five minutes, and in that time, they''d have to take on J-Ranked Mutants one by one. The teleportation platform would teleport one into the training hall, and would teleport in another one as soon as the first one''s vital signs ceased, and that would be repeated with every kill. The top thirty-two in terms of number of kills would move on to the second stage. Much to my dismay, I was sorted into a group of five that included Bytra and one other of my old classmates.


    Five minutes, huh? Hm, this might actually work in my favor, J-Ranked Mutants were supposed to be weak, so I could easily just spam kill them using my guns as soon as they teleported in. If my energy bullets aren''t strong enough to kill them with one shot each, I''ll have to increase the output setting, that''ll consume more XFE but it''ll subsequently increase the power of the fired shots.


    The assigned order was done at random, my turn would be fourth in the group I was in. Good, that''ll let me see three others go before me, which should give me some idea of how many Mutants I should aim to take out as a safe margin to pass the first stage of the exam.


    The first person who went managed to take out seventeen of them. His Manifestations were strong but he was too slow, the J-Ranked Mutants may be weak but they were all fast enough to evade him for while before he was able to kill them.


    The second person who went was Bytra, and she did a lot better, taking out forty-five of them in her five minutes using her manifested purple thorn whip. She started off really strong, but seemed to get tired towards the last three minutes or so after swinging that thing around ceaselessy. Seriously? That was some pretty low stamina for a Prodigy, but then again, I doubt everyone trained as hard as I did, so I might actually have more stamina than some of them did, even if my brute strength was inferior.


    Next up was the other former classmate who was in this group, er...never mind, I have no idea what his name is. Anyway, he took out twenty-eight of them. Cool, looks like it''s my turn now. Hm, I''ll use my handguns instead of my wrist-blasters, I''ll go for the option with the longer range and faster output speed. As I began heading to the middle of the training hall...


    "Heh, can''t wait to see how the Dud flops," Snickered the guy who went before me as he walked past me.


    I didn''t say anything...I''m not exactly the witty type who has a clever comeback for everything, so I''ll just have to let my actions do the talking. I took my place in the middle of the training area, drawing out my handguns and getting ready to fire as the countdown began, my sights locked onto the teleportation platform ahead of me. First things first...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    Just a few seconds left. Three...two...one!


    The instant a Mutant got teleported in, I swiftly took aim and fired with my right X-Pistol, nailing it right in the center of it''s head. It took a couple of seconds for the next one to arrive, and once again, I took it out with a headshot the moment it appeared.


    So, these things really are weak enough to be killed with a single solid hit. Let''s see, it takes about two seconds for the next Mutant to appear after the previous one is killed and it takes about a second from the moment I fire my gun and the energy bullet hits my target...so at most, I''d be able to kill a hundred of them if I keep up this intensity. A hundred shots with my X-Pistols would consume, let''s see...forty percent of my total XFE.


    Well, a hundred is kinda much though, I think I''ll just keep going at this without a fixed number in mind. A minute had gone by so far, and I''ve taken out eighteen of them already, two less than the maximum rate I''d calculated.


    On another note, the appearances of these Mutants was truly fascinating. One looked like a cross between a dog and a Goblin from fantasy games or series, another looked like a chicken with the head of a reptile, it was a plethora of creatures that looked like a bored ten year old had thought up by combining different animals and monsters.


    No animals existed outside the Sanctuary, at least not in any form resembling what they had been before WWIII. But there were plenty in the Sanctuary, farm animals, pets and even some strays here and there. There were also a couple of zoos in two of the other quadrants. Back to the matter at hand, three minutes were up and I''d taken down fifty-one, nine less than the maximum I''d calculated.


    My current rate is seventeen per minute, based on that, I should be able to get past eighty by the end of my five minutes pretty easily. Also, this was starting to get ridiculously boring. It was like the easiest game of whack-a-mole ever, the instant the Mutants popped into view, I popped a bullet into their heads and killed them instantly, then the next one appeared and the cycle continued.


    I suppose I should be glad that I''m doing so well, but still...I couldn''t help but feel bored out of my mind. Also, this was my first time killing a living creature...but I had no notable feelings about it. The Mutant corpses had begun to pile up on the teleportation platform, so the instructor in charge of the five in this training hall stepped in quickly to brush them off, using his X-Ability to do so, specifically his Primary Manifestation, a large pair of blue energy arms manifesting from his upper back, like from where you''d imagine wings growing from, but they were arms instead.


    He used them to push the corpses off the platform so that it wouldn''t break under the weight. That costed me a few seconds, but it was whatever. Alright, I''ve taken out seventy-six of them and there''s eleven seconds left...at most, I can take out four more at the most.


    A weird mongoose-bug combo Mutant showed up next, I blasted it between the eyes, the next one looked like a crow combined with a...uh...I''m not sure what that is? Two seconds left, looks like just I can only take out one more. The moment it appeared, I aimed both handguns at it and fired, blasting through both of its eyes and killing it.


    Whew, finally done. Seventy-nine, huh...not bad, but if it turned out to not be enough, I''ll have to use my ability to go back in time and try again. I turned around and headed back to the sidelines of the training hall where the other applicants were...and felt more than a little uncomfortable and awkward as I noticed that they were all staring at me in utter shock.


    Especially whatshisface from my old school and Bytra. What, had they put me down so much that, in their heads, I was a completely incompetent and useless person? Either way, I had to say...I was loving the looks on their faces right now...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 14 - 13 - Entrance Exam: Stage Two

    "Before we get into the second stage of this entrance exam, allow me to congratulate the thirty-two of you for getting through the first stage."


    So, yeah, stage one was over. The initial number of seventy-three applicants had been culled down to thirty-two, and those who made the cut were now back in the auditorium, where we were waiting for Instructor Annika Mikhailova to give us the details of the next stage.


    I made the cut too, and by quite a significant margin...my seventy-nine kills earned me the number four spot, only three people had more kills than me, and not by much. The person in first got eighty-one kills, and the two in second and third were tied with eighty each.


    Bytra had just about made the cut at the number twenty-four spot with her forty-five kills, Tairo had done a bit better and landed the number nineteen spot with fifty-two kills. All in all...I placed better than I''d expected, though I suppose the first stage was to my advantage since I''m strong with rapid and accurate long-range attacks. Not to say that I''m weak in close-range combat, but if I had to pick, I''d say I was a little bit better at long-range fighting.


    "Now, then, let''s not waste any time, I shall inform you of the details of the second stage. It is quite simple, really...you shall all be paired up and duel, the winners will pass. The pairings will be based on where you placed in the first stage, your opponent will be the mirrored number to where you ranked from the halfway point...in simpler terms, number one will duel number thirty-two, number two will duel number thirty-one, number three will duel number thirty, etcetera. And once again, you will all be divided between the fifteen training halls, fourteen of the halls will host one duel each, and the remaining one will host two duels. The details of whom you''re paired up against and in which hall you''ll be dueling them will be sent to your I-Watches shortly, head to your corresponding training hall once you receive the e-mail. That''s all I have to say because that''s all you need to know. The rules of the duel will be clarified by the instructor in charge of observing and refereeing in the training hall you will be in."


    Within a couple of minutes, we all received the details of our duels. The rules were simple, we would duel with no time limit with our weapons and Manifestations in Phantom Mode. Phantom Mode was a restricted form of our XFE Manifestations in which they wouldn''t cause lethal damage even if they struck you in a vital spot. Instead of taking physical damage, we would each wear a collar that would keep track of how many Phantom XFE strikes we got inflicted on us.


    The collars would assign us an HP value, which would get depleted with every strike inflicted on us. The collar would also restrict the Prodigies'' XFE Manifestations into Phantom Mode. To put my weapons in Phantom Mode, I just had to flip a switch in each of them, simple as that.


    I was fighting the person who placed twenty-ninth, a guy with a blonde afro, blue eyes, a fair complexion and a slight mustache. He was tall and muscular, maybe in his mid-twenties, with a confident look on his face. He looked strong but not that agile...still, looks could be deceiving, I should keep my guard up.


    "Hey, kid, you''re a Dud, right? I''ll give you props for placing fourth, but this is as far as you go," He taunted me, as we took our placed in the middle of the training hall.


    "Yeah, yeah, keep talking. Let''s get this over with," I replied with a shrug, before whispering inaudibly, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    "Heh, big words...but I doubt you can back them up."


    This guy''s annoying, I''m gonna enjoy beating him. As the countdown began, I readied my wrist-blasters and prepared myself. Ten seconds...five seconds...three, two...one!


    "


    !" Exclaimed my opponent, a large red energy hammer forming in his hands.


    I ran my XFE into my X-Blasters and fired a few shots at him, he blocking some of them using his hammer, but I managed to land two decent hits. His HP value dropped from a hundred to ninety-five...huh, so I''d have to land forty shots to get it all the way down to zero unless I increase the output setting, but that''d consume too much XFE...let''s switch things up, shall we?


    I reached behind my back and took out my X-Blades, running my XFE through them to activate them. They extended out in the form of black-hued energy, and I shot towards my opponent.


    "You''re finished!" He exclaimed triumphantly, swinging the hammer down at me.


    How painfully straightforward...I stepped off to the left to avoid it, as I simultaneously threw a rapid kick to his left wrist, destabilizing his Manifestation. I then slashed my blades at him, the left one whipping across his throat and the right one thrusting through his chest.


    I then swiftly sprang back to get some distance, and had a look at his HP. He had a little over eighty percent left, as he re-stabilized his Manifestation. Manifesting your XFE required concentration, for example, if I lost focus on maintaining the stability my XFE flow, my blades wouldn''t do any damage and would unstably flicker on and off like static. The same thing applied to Prodigies'' Manifestations as well, they had to maintain their XFE flow and concentrate, otherwise the Manifestation would destabilize and be rendered ineffective till they could get their concentration back under control.


    Inflicting pain was a good way to break that concentration, especially attacking the hands or wrists. Most Prodigies Manifestations appeared in their hands, though there were exceptions like my sister''s full-body armor, so inflicting pain to their hands was a no-brainer. This guy had a lot more brute strength that I did, but I was a lot faster and more agile, this shouldn''t be too difficult.


    I shot forward again, firing a couple of quick shots from my X-Blasters as I closed the gap. He lost his balance a bit as he narrowly evaded them, before I got in close and slashed both my blades upwards at his chest. His HP dropped to less than seventy percent, before he swung his hammer down at me with some serious force.


    I sprang back to avoid it, the edge of the hammer clipping my right foot. Huh, so that''s how a Phantom XFE strike feels...my foot felt a bit numb, but hadn''t taken on any physical damage. My HP had been depleted by nearly ten percent though...it had barely grazed me though, were Prodigy XFE Manifestations that much more powerful than my X-Weapons?


    It doesn''t matter, I won''t lose.


    This time, I let him come to me. He was charging in blindly, with a loud battle cry and his hammer raised high.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Flaming Hammer>!"


    Flames began sprouting around the end of his weapon, however...those flames were also in Phantom Mode, they may do more damage to my HP, but just like before, he wasn''t going to be inflicting any physical damage.


    He swung the hammer down with all his strength, I crouched and stepped forward at the last second to avoid it, positioned almost directly under him. I swiftly dropped my left blade, placed my left hand on the ground, and sprang up off of it like a jack-in-the-box with my right foot pointing straight up, slamming a rapid rising kick square onto the bottom of his jaw.


    He stumbled back with a dazed expression, his Manifestation completely disappearing. Unfortunately, physical attacks didn''t do anything to his HP...but no matter. I dropped my other blade as well, before increasing the output settings on my X-Blasters to maximum, springing up and landing on his shoulders. Before he could react, I fired a barrage of shots at his face from point-blank range, depleting his HP completely.


    The maximum output setting took five times the XFE and had five times the power that the minimum output did, and given that he had less than seventy percent of his HP left, I just needed six solid shots to finish him, but I ended up firing about double that amount instead, using up about a third of my XFE in that last attack alone.


    Well, the details were a moot point, bottom line was that I won, and pretty easily at that.


    Still, I used up close to half my XFE, I need to be more careful on how much I use in a fight. Hm, my physical attacks definitely did some damage, his chin looked bruised from my kick. I might be able to rely on my physical strength more than I''d initially thought, this guy had been strong in terms of brute strength, but my own strikes had undoubtedly done some damage, my kick to his wrist had also been pretty effective.


    It might have been an easy win, but nevertheless, I realized some pretty useful information about my own abilities, this was a valuable learning experience.


    "What do you know, looks like this is as far as YOU go, huh, Prodigy?" I remarked, as his shoulders slumped in defeat.


    He didn''t say anything in response, his expression one of frustration and disbelief. His initial underestimation of me only made my victory all the sweeter...


    ...


    So, these were the sixteen applicants who passed, huh? The winners of the sixteen duels of the second stage had passed the entrance exam and were all back in the auditorium, including myself, of course. From my former classmates, two had made the cut...Tairo and Bytra.


    Unsurprisingly, I was the only one of the sixteen who wasn''t a Prodigy. I had to say, the entrance exam went a lot smoother and much easier than I''d initially expected, I didn''t have to use my Save/Load ability even once.


    I noticed that Tairo was avoiding looking at me, he averted his gaze before he could stop himself when I happened to glance in his direction...what, had he been looking forward to gloating when I failed? I wouldn''t be surprised, I mean, this was the guy who had masterminded the whole thing with Bytra just because I retaliated when he tried to burn me with coffee by splashing it back at him. Ugh, now there''s a unpleasant memory.


    Instructor Annika Mikhailova then began addressing us...


    "Congratulations on making the cut, the sixteen of you are officially the next batch of Level J students. Your classes will start next Monday, which is, let''s see...the third of January. Make sure to arrive at 9 AM in the morning, don''t be late. Well, my job for today is done, so...you can all go home now."


    Blunt and straight to the point with no small talk, I like her style. Well, then...guess I''ll go home.


    And just like that, I''d passed the entrance exam. Well, that was easy. But it was just the first step, I still had a lot of work ahead of me before I reach my goal...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 15 - 14 - Orientation

    "Congratulations, Zax, I totally knew you''d do it!" Grinned my sister, pouring me a glass of champagne.


    "Yeah, right...you were definitely surprised when I told you I passed," I replied with a raised eyebrow.


    "N-no, I wasn''t! So, anyway...is this your first time drinking alcohol?"


    Hm, how to answer that...I had tried alcohol a couple of times, but it was kinda expensive, so after I finished drinking, I used my ability to go back in time. I didn''t like getting drunk very much, but I didn''t mind a little bit and getting a little buzzed.


    "Yeah, I''ve drank a couple of times before."


    "Ooh, nice, little bro. What did you try?"


    "Beer and vodka shots, and now champagne, I guess."


    We were currently in my room, a couple of days after the entrance exam, on the 30th of December. My sister had come over the night after that day and I''d told her that I passed, she tried to act like she''d expected it, but she was definitely surprised. She came over tonight to celebrate, with champagne and sweets galore. I had already treated myself to a ton of cakes and other sweets yesterday, but I definitely wasn''t complaining.


    "You know, it''s sort of a miracle that you aren''t morbidly obese...where does all that food go, anyway?"


    "I''ve told you before, it''s not like I eat sweets everyday, only once every two weeks and on special occasions. Anyway, what are the classes like for Level J?" I inquired, as I took a bite of chocolate cake.


    "Hm? Let''s see-...wait, no, now''s not the time for that, we''re celebrating! And besides, you''ll find out in a few days anyway, so no need to be so impatient," She replied with a laugh, flicking my forehead.


    "Ow...tch, talk about useless."


    "Hey!"


    Well, I suppose she had a point, I had no reason to rush. Fine, for now, I''ll just focus on enjoying these sweets...


    ...


    ...


    A few days later, on the 3rd of January, I was walking up the stairs to the entrance of the X-Warrior Academy, around 8:30 AM. I had gone through the entrance exam results of all of my new classmates, specifically their names and where they placed in the first stage. I just figured it wouldn''t be a bad idea to know who to be vary of ahead of time.


    I entered the building and headed up to the first floor, finding the Level J classroom without too much trouble. It was pretty small, the desk rows were sloped, as in the back rows were each a step higher than the row ahead. There were three rows of three on either side of the class with a small set of stairs down the middle, in other words, two columns of three rows each, for a total of eighteen seats. There weren''t individual desks, each row had a long desk with three seats behind it.


    A few people had already arrived, but fortunately for me, no one had claimed either of the back corner seats yet. Hm, I think I''ll go for the one on the left side of the classroom. Hope no one sits next to me, I''d love to have the entire row to myself.


    Bytra and Tairo were already here, sitting in the front row of the same column that I was in. Tairo was by the corner while Bytra was in the middle, the aisle seat in their row was still empty. Including myself, about ten people were currently in the classroom, so there were still six more to arrive.


    As the minutes passed by, I felt a sense of triumph as all the seats got filled, but no one took either of the vacant seats in the row I was in. By the time fifteen people had arrived, there were only three unoccupied spots, the middle and aisle seat in the back-left row where I was, and the middle seat of the front-right row. I just had to hope that the last person to arrive would pick the vacant seat in the front.


    Hm, from the look of things, it seemed like most of the others had opted to sit with those that they already knew. The door then opened and the last person walked in, taking a slow look around the classroom. His gaze settled on the vacant spot in the front, his brows furrowing with disdain. Crap, looks like he''s the type who hates sitting up front, just like me. If I remember right, his name was Kiran Sigdel, he''d placed eleventh in the first stage of the entrance exam.


    He glanced at my row, and as our gazes met, I made sure that my expression wasn''t a welcoming one, though I wasn''t being too aggressive about it...I had no intention of playing nice with anyone, but at the same time, I wasn''t going to antagonize people for no good reason either.


    After seeming to mull it over, he picked the aisle seat in the row I was in, leaving the middle seat vacant...good, at least he wasn''t sitting next to me. He had messy black hair, black eyes with heavy bags underneath them, he wore a black face-mask, dark blue hoodie and dark green trousers with black boots. He looked like he wasn''t the talkative type...I certainly hope that''s the case.


    A few minutes later, an instructor walked in, wearing the same uniform I''d seen the staff who''d been present during the entrance exam wearing, a white shirt under a dark blue coat and dark blue trousers, though he wore it rather messily, the shirt was untucked with a few of the top buttons undone, and he wore the coat over his shoulders without putting his arms into the sleeves. He looked like he was in his late twenties, with spiky black hair that had a few red streaks, orange eyes, he was tall and well-built, and had a heavy stubble.


    "Good morning or whatever, new students, uh...congrats on making it this far, I guess. So, normally, Academy days start at 10 AM, but the first day for new Level J students starts at 9 AM in order to deliver a quick orientation, which I''ve been assigned to do this time...kinda pointless if you ask me, you''ll all figure it out eventually anyway. Oh, yeah, you can call me Instructor Jin Satou. I''m supposed to spend this next hour explaining how your classes will go for the next six months in Level J, but that much time is unnecessary...so, I''ll wrap this up as soon as possible and you kids can just chill in the remaining time."


    No one seemed to know what to make of this instructor''s blunt greeting, so everyone just sort of sat back and watched. Instructor Jin Satou kept it brief and simple, which worked perfectly fine for me. I hate listening to people who drone on and on with pointless chatter. He informed us about our timetable for each day over the next six months.


    Each day, our classes would begin at 10 AM. The first session would go on till 12 AM, and following a fifteen minute break, the second session would begin and go on till 2:15 PM, after which we''d be given a forty-five minute lunch break, and the day would end with a third session that''d end at 5 PM. Huh, the lunch break was kinda late, if you ask me.


    We had three classes in Level J; theory, XFE training and teamwork training. Theory classes would take place in the classroom, and would be lessons on Mutant physiology, combat strategies and other knowledge deemed necessary for X-Warriors to know. XFE training was literally just training to get us more used to using our XFE Manifestations, and would often involve randomly pairing us up and having us spar against each other. Hm, that sounded like it''d be fairly effective training, regularly sparring against Prodigies was definitely a great opportunity.


    And finally, teamwork training, this one I didn''t like the sound of. Unfortunately, it was very necessary since X-Warriors weren''t allowed to take on Mutant-hunting Missions alone, not even Aces. I guess it made sense, but working with others really wasn''t my strong suit. The timetable would be the same every single day, the first session would be theory, the second session would be XFE training, and the final session of each day would be teamwork training.


    At the end of each month, we''d be administered exams for each of the three classes. In other words, we''d be taking six exams for each of the three subjects of Level J, a total of eighteen exams. Passing Level J and moving onto Level Q at the end of the six months wouldn''t require passing every single exam. Instead, it was a cumulatively-based scoring system. In other words, if you did badly in, say, January''s theory exam, you could make it up by earning a high score in February''s corresponding exam.


    Every exam would have a maximum score of ten points, meaning that all three Level J classes had a total possible score of sixty points. Passing Level J required a score of at least thirty-five out of sixty in all three classes with at least one of them being at least forty. You weren''t allowed a do-over if you failed, even if it was by a single point, you''d have to start over from the entrance exam all over again. That was only for Level J though, apparently that got a lot more lenient at the higher levels. And with that, Instructor Jin Satou wrapped up his explanation, within about twenty minutes.


    "Finally done...well, that''s about it, so, uh...any questions?"


    "I have a question, sir," Someone responded, raising their hand.


    A guy with red hair and blue eyes who was sitting up front in the same row as Tairo and Bytra...if I remember right, he''s the guy who placed first in the first stage of the entrance exam, with eighty-one kills. I think his name was Alex Jaice. On another note, the instructor didn''t look too happy about the fact that that someone actually had a question.


    "Yeah, what is it?" He sighed in reply.


    "Oh, uh...I was just wondering, will the timetable you mentioned start from today at 10 AM? It''s just, the way you were talking, it sounded like you were saying that classes will start tomorrow."


    "Hm? Oh, that''s right...today will end early. At 10 AM, we''ll all go down to one of the training halls, and I''ll be taking each of you on one by one, to find out about your strengths and weaknesses or whatever. It''s a pain, but it''s my job so I don''t have a choice."


    Wait, what? Might have been nice to be informed of that beforehand...well, it''s a good thing I had brought my X-Weapons with me and had my battle outfit on. Still, if I''d known this was going to happen, I''d have also brought a change of clothes since it was highly likely that I was going to sweat.


    Most of my new classmates then began whispering amongst themselves...from the little bits and pieces I could overhear, it sounded like they were all pretty caught off-guard by this sudden announcement. I don''t know what they''re all complaining about, unlike my weapons which I had to carry on me at all times, they could just pop out their X-Ability Manifestations when they felt like it.


    Anyway, forty minutes later, we were all down in one of the training halls.


    "Okay, uh...for the order in which you guys take me on, let''s see...let''s just go with whoever feels like volunteering," Shrugged the instructor, "So, then...who wants to go first?"


    No one said anything for a while, before...


    "Um, sir? I don''t mean any disrespect, but are you sure you can go through sixteen fights in a row?" Inquired one of the others.


    "Hm? Yeah, I''ll be fine. I''m a K-Ranked X-Warrior, so contrary to appearances, I''m totally swole," He replied, with a half-hearted peace sign, "So, any volunteers to go first?"


    Huh, his lack of enthusiasm aside, his confidence certainly didn''t seem to be unfounded. And everyone looked a lot more on edge the moment he mentioned that he was K-Ranked, the second highest possible rank that an X-Warrior could achieve, and of which there were less than fifty in the world. No one seemed to want to go first, until finally...


    "Interesting, I think I''ll go first," Someone volunteered confidently, with a familiar voice...it was Tairo.


    God, I hope he gets his ass kicked...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 16 - 15 - First Training Exercise(Part 1)

    "Alright, put on the restriction collar and activate your X-Abilities in Phantom Mode and come at me, I guess. I won''t be fully on the defensive, by the way, I''ll be holding back but I will attack and counter," Remarked Instructor Satou, putting on a collar himself, "


    ."


    Red Phantom XFE wrapped around his arms and extended out his lower back, forming in the shape of scorpion-like pincers around his arms and stinger from his lower back. After the entrance exam, we had all been given one of those restriction collars since we''d be using them regularly at the Academy. Tairo looked hesitant but stepped forward...


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Shield>."


    His Manifestations sure were generic and boring, but he was fairly skilled in terms of technique, I had watched him fight in one of the inter-high tournaments and I had to admit, he wasn''t half bad. Plus, he wouldn''t have passed the entrance exam if he wasn''t skilled. He was wearing a black undershirt under a dark blue sweater and dark gray trousers with black shoes, all of which was lightly armored.


    He shot forward towards the instructor with his sword and shield close to himself. As he neared him, he swung his sword up at his throat. The instructor didn''t move, the instant before the blade could whip across his neck, he deflected it with a flick of his stinger, before swinging it at Tairo, who managed to block it with his shield and parry it away.


    He then went low and drove his sword up at the instructor''s chest, who caught it with his right pincer and flung him away. Tairo went flying several meters away, attempting to use his shield to soften his fall, but that didn''t work too well since it was in Phantom Mode. The instructor was able to fling him away even though both their Manifestations were in Phantom Mode because if two Manifestations in Phantom Mode, they would make physical contact when struck against each other.


    He stood up with a groan and moved his shoulder tentatively, before he shot towards the instructor again, unleashing a barrage of slashes and thrusts at him. Instructor Satou effortlessly dodged, parried and blocked every single attack, before whipping his stinger at Tairo''s midsection. He managed to get his shield in the way, but got sent flying back again, crashing onto the ground on his back.


    "Alright, that''s enough. Who''s next?" Asked Instructor Satou, ending the bout.


    "Wait, I can still fight-!"


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m sure you can, but I have to do this sixteen times, so I can''t overdo any of these fights. This is just to get a rough estimation of what each of you are capable of, the win/lose factor doesn''t apply. So, who wants to go second?"


    Tairo reluctantly deactivated his X-Abilities and took off the restriction collar before returning to the sidelines where the rest of us were seated. I''ll volunteer towards the end, that way I can get a good idea of what the instructor is capable of, plus he was bound to be at least a little bit tired towards the end.


    "I''ll go next!" Someone finally volunteered, a guy with a confident grin.


    Jian Lee, I believe he''d placed somewhere between fifteenth and twentieth in the first stage of the entrance exam. He had long black hair that covered his left eye in front and was tied in a ponytail in the back, black eyes, a silver earring on his right earlobe and a curved birthmark on his chin. He wore a long sleeved t-shirt that was mostly white with black along the neckline, shoulders and sleeves. He had on black trousers with dark red shoes. He put on his restriction collar and stepped forward confidently.


    "Okay, make sure to go all out right away. Like I said, I''ll be keeping each of these bouts short, so don''t complain if I end your bout before you''re able to show me everything you''ve got," Advised the instructor.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice...


    !" He exclaimed with a grin, dashing forward as a large, green energy double-bit axe formed in his hands.


    He unfurled a swift horizontal slash at the instructor''s midsection, his attack missed but he smoothly transitioned into upward diagonal swing across at his head. The instructor stepped back to avoid it, before crossing his arms in front of himself to block a rapid straight thrust.


    Huh, this guy didn''t have much of a technique, but he sure swung that axe around rapidly, he had some pretty flexible wrists and shoulders. Tairo had a much more disciplined fighting technique, but his attacks were slower than Jian''s, which was why the latter was giving the instructor a harder time.


    That being said, the instructor was blocking and parrying his attacks without too much trouble, though he wasn''t able to dodge much. Jian then seemed to have made an opening, and rapidly jumped up and swung his axe straight down at his shoulder. He didn''t move, catching the axe with his left pincer and flinging him away.


    Did the instructor bait him into thinking that he had an opening? Well, he is a K-Ranked X-Warrior, so it wouldn''t surprise me. Jian shot towards him again, undeterred by his failed attack. He closed the gap and...did the same thing, sprang up and began to swing his axe straight down. Seriously, he was trying the exact same attack agai-...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Axe Expansion>!"


    I stand corrected...


    The end of his axe about tripled in size as he swung it down with all his might, Instructor Satou was just about able to get his stinger in the way to block the strike and knock him away, but the impact was heavy enough to force him down onto one knee.


    "Okay, that''s enough. Next, please," Declared the instructor, deactivating his Manifestation and adjusting his collar with a look of discomfort, as Jian got ready to charge in again.


    He looked disappointed that the bout was over, but made no fuss, deactivating his Manifestation and taking off his collar before rejoining the sidelines, as the next person stepped forward.


    It was a girl, I think her name was Zoya Sokolova, if I remember right, she''d placed sixteenth in the first stage of the entrance exam. She was on the tall side, with short straight blonde hair that stopped just above her shoulders in the back, dark blue eyes, a blue streak across the middle of her hair that she braided and grew past the front of her left ear. She wore a short-sleeved pink dress with a white collar, it stopped just above her knees, with a dark purple belt around her waist and black tights on her legs under the dress. She wore dark blue sandals on her feet and had purple fingerless gloves on her hands that went up to her forearms.


    "I''ll go next, unless someone else wishes to," She said amicably, before continuing onto the middle as no one else volunteered.


    Her way of talking was kinda...formal, I guess? I feel like I''d exhaust myself if I spoke like that. The instructor reactivated his Manifestation and got ready.


    "Okay, whenever you''re ready," He instructed, as his pincers and stinger formed again.


    "Yes, sir...


    ," She said, a long and narrow white blade forming in her right hand, before sprinting forward at an impressive speed.


    She''s pretty fast and nimble. She reached the instructor in a matter of seconds, unleashing a series of rapid thrusts at him. He wasn''t able to evade any of them, forced to stay rooted and block the strikes best he could. Then, in the blink of an eye...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Mini-Rapier>!"


    A second, shorter blade appeared in her left hand, and she thrust both blades at him, crashing against his pincers and slightly knocking him off-balance. And then, in an instant, she slipped behind him and drove her blades towards his back. He barely managed to block it using his stinger, and then sprang away as fast as he could, his Manifestation severely cracked...


    <Secondary Manifestation: Flaming Pincers>!" He exclaimed, flames forming in his pincers.


    He blasted out rapid fireballs from each of his hands as he backed away, she slashed away the first one by swinging both blades outwards, and attempted to dodge the second one, but got hit square on the right shoulder. Since the flames were also in Phantom Mode, it didn''t do any real damage.


    "Alright, that''s enough. Next," Said the instructor with a quiet sigh of relief.


    She had really kept him on his toes, even if he had been holding back. I don''t think he planned on using his Secondary Manifestation at all, he seemed lacking in motivation but I guess he still had enough pride as a K-Ranked X-Warrior to not want to lose to a Level J student.


    The next person to volunteer was Alex Jaice, he had placed first in the the first stage of the entrance exam, so I was interested in seeing him fight. He had medium length red hair, light blue eyes and pale skin, and wore an unbuttoned white short-sleeved shirt over a black undershirt and dark blue trousers with black boots and fingerless gloves.


    "Alright, I''ll go next!" He volunteered with a smile, walking up to the middle.


    "Actually...wait, let''s take a five minute break first," Replied the instructor, sitting down with a sigh.


    Alright, then, guess we were taking a break...


    ...


    "Okay, let''s continue," Said the instructor five minutes later, standing up and stretching his arms with a sigh.


    "In that case...here I come,


    !" Responded Alex, two red energy crossbows forming on top of both his forearms.


    "Jeez, no need to be in such a rush...


    ," Sighed the instructor.


    Alex then pointed his arms towards the instructor and...fired a rapid-fire barrage of arrows at him. The instructor was taken aback, before swiftly crossing his pincers over his chest and wrapping his stinger around his body, the arrows bouncing off.


    I see, so that''s how he got first place, he fired those arrows in even quicker succession than either my X-Pistols or X-Blasters could. But his arrows weren''t powerful enough to get through the instructor''s defense.


    "In that case...<Secondary Manifestation: Foot Rockets>!"


    Red energy wrapped around his feet in the shape of boots, and flames began sprouting out from below, and he started to fly up. He flew till he was above the instructor and hovered there, before raining down another barrage of arrows, this time with a bit more force since firing downwards meant that the momentum would only keep increasing.


    Cracks began to appear in the instructor''s defense, he responded by blasting out a large fireball and springing away, a couple of the arrows grazing his shoulders and chest as he let down his defense in order to counter. Alex dodged the fireball and continued launching his arrows, while the instructor was busy evading at top speed and countering with his fireballs.


    Instructor Satou was on the defensive, but wasn''t getting overwhelmed, thanks to his agile evasion and accurate fireball counterattacks. Meanwhile, Alex was in no danger of getting hit by the fireballs, having enough time to see them coming, but it looks like his accuracy decreases when he isn''t firing from a fixed position. In other words, this was a stalemate, and it didn''t take long for the instructor to realize that too...


    "Okay, that''s enough, I won''t waste time stuck in a stupid battle of attrition. Who wants to go next?" He inquired, as Alex hovered back down and deactivated his Manifestations as he reached the ground.


    The next person to volunteer stood up and stepped forward with a cocky and excited look on his face. Taayin Sharma, he placed thirtieth in the first stage of the entrance exam, I remember that because he was the only person who had placed below twenty-fifth in the first stage but still passed the second stage, beating the person who placed third in order to do so, the next lowest-ranked from the first stage to pass was Bytra, who placed twenty-fourth.


    This guy kinda gave me the creeps. He had medium-length dark blue hair with light pink eyes, his hair was parted from the middle of his forehead and wore a black headband. He had a darkish complexion and a vertical scar down his left eye. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves halfway ripped off around his biceps, with dark purple trousers and shoes. And his expression sent chills down my spine...he had that crazy-eyed look on his face.


    "Hey, instructor...do I have to use Phantom Mode? See, my Secondary Manifestation is useless in Phantom Mode, and more importantly...its just no fun that way," He remarked with a smirk, as he approached the instructor.


    "Wait, are you the kid whose restriction collar somehow malfunctioned during the second stage and you nearly ended up killing your opponent? Hm, I''m starting to think that the apparent malfunction was no accident...word to the wise, reign in that violent streak, kid."


    "Heh, I have no idea what you''re talking about. After all, there''s no evidence that I tampered with my collar back then, and you know what they say...innocent until proven guilty."


    "You sure are a messed up one, aren''t you? Well, truth be told, I couldn''t care less whether or not you did that deliberately...but I should warn you, if you try that against me...I''ll absolutely destroy you, understand?" Remarked the instructor, his voice turning serious and cold towards the end.


    "Like I said, sir...I have no idea what you''re talking about.


    !"


    Black energy extended out from his fingertips, curving slightly towards the end...it was like each of his fingers had sharp, six-inch claws growing out of them. What''s more, it was black in hue, meaning that he had the Dark Attribute, just like I did.


    "Alright, let''s get this over with...come at me," Sighed Instructor Satou, clicking his pincers a couple of times.


    A wide smirk spread out on Taayin''s lips, before he shot forward rapidly, sprinting towards the instructor. What''s with his movements...?


    He reached the instructor and unleashed a couple of slashes, then suddenly ducked and swiped at his knees, the instructor blocked his strikes with his pincers and swiftly backed away, but Taayin was right on his tail, giving him no room to get any distance.


    He was fast, but it wasn''t like his speed was greater than anyone else I''d seen so far, in fact I''d say that he was slower that Zoya was...but there was more to him, his fighting style was different to anything I''d ever seen before. He reflexes were insane, and his movements were animalistically unorthodox, he moved like a feral beast, almost purely on instinct. But that wasn''t all, he was also ridiculously good at premeditating and predicting his opponent''s movements, almost like he knew what they would do before they themselves did.


    He was the type who didn''t simply enjoy fighting, he absolutely lived for it. He swung his left claws at the instructor''s head, who blocked it using his right pincer, bringing his right forearm in front of the side of his head. In a swift, fluid motion, Taayin ran his claws down along the length of the pincer and slashed across the instructor''s side, who just about managed to spring away to the right and reduce the impact to simply getting grazed.


    The moment he sprang away, Taayin followed him with a rapid shuffle of his feet, pouncing on him while he was still off-balance and pinning him down. With a wide, sadistic grin, he balled his fists together and raised them, but before he could slam them down, the instructor wrapped his legs around his waist and flipped their positions over, swiftly grabbing hold of Taayin''s wrists and holding him down.


    "I think we''ll wrap this up now," The instructor sighed in relief, letting him go.


    "Ahh, I almost had you just then!" Laughed Taayin, jumping to his feet, showing no signs of frustration.


    He didn''t care about winning or losing, he just wanted the thrill of it...creepy. I should stay away from that guy.


    Before the next person could volunteer...


    "Let''s continue after another break, as for how long it is...well, let''s just say that I''ll decide when I feel like it," Yawned the instructor, sitting down with his back against the wall.


    It hadn''t been that long since the last break, if I had to guess, he was probably just trying to calm himself down after that last bout, he''d definitely been caught off-guard by Taayin''s dynamic and unpredictable fighting style. We were just under a third of the way done with this...five bouts so far, eleven more to go...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 17 - 16 - First Training Exercise(Part 2)

    "Okay, I think that''s enough of a rest. Who''s next?" Asked Instructor Satou, standing up with a stifled yawn and rubbing his eyes, nearly half an hour later.


    For a moment, I thought he''d completely forgotten about continuing the exercise, he''d sort of dozed off a couple of times there. At this rate, it''ll be a while before this would end, maybe I should volunteer earlier than I''d planned to...but if I went too early, then I might have to wait till everyone''s done before I can go home, in which case I''d be better off volunteering later.


    Might as well ask...


    "Hm, what is it, are you volunteering?" Inquired the instructor, as I raised my hand.


    "Oh, uh...not exactly. Just wanted to clarify something, if I was to volunteer to go next, can I go home after the fight is over?" I asked hopefully.


    "That''s a good question. And, I wish I had better news, but unfortunately I can''t let you guys go home till everyone has had a turn...sorry, kid, I don''t mean to crush your hopes or anything."


    "Er...no worries," I replied awkwardly.


    Wow, he was being genuinely apologetic. Was he putting himself in my situation? That would explain it, since he definitely seemed like the type who''d be in a hurry to get home in a situation like this, so maybe he assumed I felt the same way and felt bad about having to give me a negative answer. My feelings weren''t nearly as dramatic as all that, but I suppose I could appreciate his empathy...


    "Tch, guess I might as well volunteer last then," I heard someone mumble to my right.


    It was the guy who had picked the seat in the row I was in in the classroom, the one with the messy black hair and face-mask, Kiran Sigdel. Huh, guess I''ll volunteer fifteenth then, the one before last.


    The next person to step forward was Misaki Aki, she had placed somewhere in the top fifteen in the first stage of the entrance exam, I don''t remember exactly where but I think it was thirteenth. She had longish black hair that was pulled back and tied in a braid in the back, which she kept over her left shoulder. She had black eyes, slightly thick eyebrows and had an average complexion. She wore a yellowish-orange sleeveless top with dark red fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows, with black tights on her legs under a short black skirt and dark red boots.


    As she stood up and walked forward, I noticed Bytra looking uncomfortable as she stepped past her, averting her gaze nervously...huh, wonder what that''s about, I''ll file it away for later.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Vision Boost>!" She remarked, two yellow energy sai daggers forming in her hands before forming an eye mask around both her eyes, her pupils widening as it did.


    She shot towards the instructor with her daggers positioned in front of her. He blocked her strikes as she neared him and swung her daggers in his direction repeatedly. Unable to get through his defenses, she suddenly flicked her left wrist upwards, tossing the dagger straight up into the air, using her free hand to swiftly grab the instructor''s right wrist and drove the other dagger towards his chest.


    Before she could strike, he grabbed the dagger with his other pincer, stopping it before she struck. She responded by catching the dagger she flung up using her teeth, and thrust her head forward and across, slashing it towards his face. He just about managed to get the end of his stinger in front of his face and block it.


    "Alright, we''re done here, next!" He suddenly declared, surprising all of us.


    That bout had barely lasted ten seconds...


    "Wait, already?" Misaki asked in bafflement.


    "Yeah. Those few seconds were enough for me to see that you''re skilled, so I don''t see a need to keep going," He shrugged indifferently, waiting for the next person to volunteer.


    "Okay, then...," Muttered Misaki, walking back to the sidelines with a dumbfounded expression.


    I should clarify something about how the XFE manifested weapons work. They stay manifested when the user is in physical contact with them, however, if the user lets go of the Manifestation, it would disappear after ten seconds if the user didn''t regain physical contact with it. That''s why I could fire bullets, why Alex could fire arrows, and why Misaki had been able to fling her dagger up and catch it.


    The seventh person to volunteer was a girl named Suri Patel, I think she had placed fifth in the first stage of the entrance exam, just below me. She had short black hair with three purple-dyed streaks, two on either side by her ears and one on the top right side of her head, black eyes and darkish skin. She was a bit on the short side, wearing faint black lipstick and a small gold earring on her left ear. She wore a sleeveless and shoulderless dark blue top that strapped around her neck with a low back, tight black trousers with black boots and matching fingerless gloves, along with elbow braces. As she stood up and stepped forward, Misaki accidentally bumped against her shoulder.


    "Tch, watch where you''re going," She growled irritably, flashing her a glare.


    "What a bitch," I heard Misaki mumble venomously.


    Suri walked to the middle, stretching her arms up and tilting her neck, loosening up.


    "Okay, come at me whenever you''re ready," Said the instructor, stifling a yawn.


    Despite the yawn, he was definitely on alert...he''d had one too many close calls during this exercise, he definitely wanted to avoid another close bout.


    "Yeah, yeah...let''s get this over with," She replied bluntly, "<Secondary Manifestation: Shuriken>!"


    Starting with her Secondary Manifestation? Interesting, most Prodigies tended to attack with their Primary Manifestation first...


    Purple energy wrapped around her wrist and palm like a glove, a purple energy shuriken formed in her left hand, and she flung it at him, which he easily deflected using his stinger. She then flicked her wrist to form three more shurikens which she held between her fingers, and swung her arm towards him, throwing all three at him simultaneously.


    He deflected them easily again, as she shot forward towards him, leaping up as she neared him, twisting her body across diagonally and slamming her heel down at him. He swiftly crossed his arms above him to block her kick, and as her heel crashed onto his crossed arms...


    "I''ve got you now,


    ," She remarked in a cold, intimidating voice, as a long purple energy chainsaw formed out of her extended right hand.


    She slashed it down at his shoulder, he got his stinger in the way, but the rapidly spinning chain blade severely cracked the end of it.


    "Crap, <Secondary Manifestation: Flaming Pincers>!" Exclaimed the instructor, flames bursting out of his pincers and forcing her to get away from him, "Yeah, we''re done here. Next!"


    "Sounds good to me," Replied Suri, deactivating her Manifestations.


    Phantom Mode didn''t mean they were like holograms, just drastically restricted...in other words, just because they didn''t do any serious damage in Phantom Mode doesn''t mean that they do no damage at all, for instance, Phantom flames were still slightly warm and Phantom lightning had a weak electric charge.


    If you stabbed someone with a blade Manifestation in Phantom Mode, it wouldn''t hurt much and leaves no visible damage, but it does kill a small number of your cells, not a significant amount, but excessive exposure to XFE attacks even in Phantom Mode could be dangerous. Especially against Paragons who have the Dark Attribute like I do, since dark XFE attacks would leave lingering damage like poison or venom, it was more effective against Mutants but was still pretty toxic to humans too.


    Anyway, with that, the eighth person volunteered, a guy named Makoto Amano. He had medium-length black hair that framed his face, black eyes, pasty and pale skin, average height and he was a bit on the, uh, how to put this nicely...eh, I''ll be blunt, he was fat. He had a lollipop in his mouth, wore an orange-and-black striped long-sleeved t-shirt with dark brown cargo pants that went a little past his knees and black sandals.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Strength Boost>!"


    Two green energy hammers manifested in his hands, they had long handles and large blocks at the hammer ends. He then stretched his arms out and rapidly swung them in, slamming the hammers together and sending out a powerful shockwave towards the instructor, who skipped back to get out of its range.


    Given Makoto''s, er, build, he was unlikely to be very agile, so I was curious as to how he was able to pass the entrance exam...looks like he was good as using his ability.


    That shockwave attack he just used would work exactly the same regardless of whether his Manifestations were in Phantom Mode or not, and he was showing no intention of moving in closer to his opponent, so it must be his, or at least one of his, main attack options.


    The instructor was keeping his distance, and based on his expression, I''d guess that he was considering using his Secondary Manifestation again. Makoto then raised both hammers...and flung them at the instructor with all his might, who dodged them pretty easily.


    The instructor then shot towards him with his stinger raised, and as he neared him, Makoto re-manifested his hammers and slammed them together in front of him again, sending out another shockwave. The instructor sprang up as high as he could to avoid it and fired off a couple of fireballs, which Makoto was unable to avoid.


    "Next!"


    The ninth person to volunteer was a guy named Andre Phillips, he''d placed tenth in the first stage of the entrance exam. He looked a bit on the older side, maybe about a couple of years older than I was. He had a dark complexion, a bowl-cut hairstyle, dark gray eyes and was pretty tall. He wore a dark green baggy long sleeved turtleneck sweater that was loose around the neck, knee-length black shorts with a white stripe on either side over black full-length tights and dark blue boots.


    "Here I come...


    ," Remarked Andre, as blue XFE wrapped around his hands and forearms, forming a thick protective layer of energy around both his arms from below the elbow.


    He punched his fists together a couple of times, before sprinting forward with his arms close to his chest...hm, looks like a boxing stance.


    He reached the instructor and unleashed a series a rapid punches at him, which were all blocked, but he put some extra muscle into his last two punches to slightly knock away the instructor''s pincers and create a small opening. He swiftly pounced on that opening, swinging a heavy right uppercut at his chin, right as the instructor whipped his stinger towards him.


    Andre swiftly brought his left arm up to block the stinger, as the instructor ducked backwards to avoid his punch, the back of his fist brushing against the instructor''s chin and nose. That had been a good try, but he was now completely open for attack from the instructor''s pincers. He began to grab him using his pincers, when suddenly...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Armor Spikes>!"


    Short but sharp spikes appeared all across his Primary Manifestation, and he began to slam the back of his fist down at the instructor''s face. Before his attack could strike, the instructor rapidly tripped him and got him onto the ground on his back in the blink of an eye, in a swift and fluid motion. Whoa, what just happened...? I watched him do it, but I couldn''t quite understand how he did it...in an instant, he had Andre on his back, who had a confused look on his face.


    Let me think back to exactly what he did...right before the back of Andre''s fist could strike his face, he tripped him with a flick of his foot and knocked his balance off sideways, and then, with incredible flexibility, he evaded the downward backhand strike which ended up just grazing his shoulder. And then, he placed his foot inside the line of Andre''s ankle and swung his foot outwards in the opposite direction to the direction he had initially thrown him off balance in, as he grabbed his shoulder and pushed across, slammed him onto the ground on his back.


    And he''d done all that while being off balance himself...well, that last move made it clear that the instructor was holding back on us by a lot, only showing us glimpses of what he was actually capable of when we caught him off guard.


    "Oops, might''ve been a bit too rough there...sorry about that, hope I didn''t hurt you," He said apologetically, helping Andre up.


    "Oh, no worries, sir, I''m perfectly fine," Andre replied with an amicable smile, though I could see a hint of fear in his eyes...that last move had definitely startled him, right as he must have been thinking that he was about to land a hit, he suddenly found himself on his back a second later.


    "Okay, next! Let''s do one more and then take a break."


    The next person to step forward was...Bytra. I noticed Misaki staring at her with a ''where do I know you from?'' kinda expression. Earlier, Bytra had looked pretty nervous when Misaki walked past her. Did they know each other?


    Bytra stepped forward with a slightly nervous expression, taking deep breaths to compose herself. She hadn''t changed much in appearance since I first met her, besides having grown a bit taller and curvier. She had shoulder length brown hair that grew past her eyebrows in front, bright green eyes and wore a red hairclip on the front left side of her hair. She wore a loose short sleeved red dress that went down to her knees with her left shoulder exposed, a black belt around her waist and purple tights on her legs with red shoes.


    Tch, I wish she''d just failed the entrance exam. Or burnt up in a fire. Or something. Oh, well, you can''t always get what you want...but one of these days, I''ll pay her back for giving me one of the worst experiences in my life so far. But there''s no rush and no need to force an opportunity, so for now, I''m willing to be patient and wait for an opportunity to present itself.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Speed Boost>," She stated tentatively, looking like she was hesitant.


    Was she nervous because the instructor''s last move had scared her, or would she have been nervous either way? Doesn''t matter, either way, I was enjoying watching her sweat...


    "Uh, so...you gonna attack or what?" Inquired the instructor with a raised eyebrow.


    "H-huh? Oh, r-right, um...here I come," She replied timidly, sprinting forward rapidly and swinging her whip at him.


    He began trying to grab it, but before he could, she flicked her wrist like it was made of rubber, changing the trajectory of the whip. The instructor noticed and sprang back to avoid it. She shot forward after him and flicked her wrist with a spin, the whip zipping forward in a spiral path. The spinning trajectory threw the instructor off, but he still managed to block it at the very last second.


    Tch, she''s not bad at handling that whip...well, I already knew that from watching her during the entrance exam, but I''d been looking forward to seeing her struggle because of her nerves...how disappointing.


    "Eh, you know what, let''s wrap this up. I wanna take that break already," Suddenly declared the instructor, as Bytra began to rush forward again.


    Another abrupt end, but she looked pretty relieved that it was over. And this was bound to be another long break, the instructor certainly looked to be in no hurry whatsoever. I doubt he''s actually feeling any physical exhaustion, he was definitely a lot stronger than he''d initially let on. It wouldn''t be much longer before I planned to volunteer, and I had to admit, I was pretty excited to see how I''d do...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 18 - 17 - First Training Exercise(Part 3)

    "Uh...maybe one of us should go wake him?" Suggested Alex with a look of bemusement.


    "I agree, I don''t think he meant to fall asleep. We should definitely wake him up," Nodded Andre in agreement.


    "Tch, then go do it yourselves instead of standing around waiting for someone else to," Chimed in Suri, not mincing words.


    In case it wasn''t obvious, Instructor Jin Satou had fallen asleep during the break, and it had been nearly an hour now. No one had said anything for a while, till Alex spoke up. I kept out of it, as did some of the others, while those who were getting into in were starting to argue...and a couple of minutes later, the arguing woke the instructor up, so in the end, it didn''t matter.


    "Huh...what''s with the racket, keep it down. Can''t you see I''m trying to-...wait, this isn''t my room..."


    It took him a minute to gain his bearings, after which he rapidly got onto his feet like he''d been struck by a bolt of lightning, before trying to play it cool...


    "Ahem...break''s over, so, uh...who''s next?" He inquired, stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes sleepily.


    The next person to volunteer was a girl named Lin Yang, she''d placed eighth in the first stage of the entrance exam. She had long black hair tied in a low ponytail, with the front covering most of her forehead and slightly parted in the middle, black eyes, a pale complexion and big round glasses. She wore a sleeveless black undershirt with a purple shoulderless top above it, a long black skirt with a slit on the right side and tall black boots. She also had a backpack on her for some reason, and didn''t take it off when she volunteered for the next bout.


    Earlier, in the classroom, she''d been one of the loudest people, she had a sort of...hyper energy about her.


    "Alright, here goes...


    !"


    "Oh, wait...I don''t need to fight you, someone else volunteer," Interrupted the instructor, before she could bring forth her Manifestation.


    "Huh? Why not?" She asked in confusion.


    "I oversaw your fight in the second stage of the entrance exam, remember? So I already have a decent idea of what you''re capable of."


    "Oh...um, can I fight anyway?"


    "Nah, the less effort for me the better. Next!"


    She returned to the sidelines with a dejected expression, looking really disappointed. Wow, I almost felt bad for her, she looked like a little kid who had been shown a piece of chocolate cake and then had to watch while the cake was eaten in front of them without even getting to taste it...oh, man, that sounded horrible. Wait, what was I talking about?


    Anyway, the next person was a guy named Mitchell Jones, he''d placed sixth in the first stage of the entrance exam. He had medium-length blonde hair that he pushed back from his forehead, blue eyes, freckles and was pretty short. He wore a long sleeved white top with a loose turtleneck collar, black suspenders, black trousers and black sandals.


    "Aight, ready or not, here I come...


    !" He exclaimed with a grin, dashing forward as twelve purple energy long whip-like appendages extended out of his lower back.


    He leapt up and spun himself forward as he neared the instructor, whipping him with all twelve tails at once. The instructor blocked it by crossing his pincers above him, but the impact caused his legs to buckle and forced him down onto one knee.


    Mitchell then grabbed onto his pincers using four of his tails, keeping himself balanced above the instructor. He then rapidly whipped the remaining eight tails down at him repeatedly, the instructor responded by blocking them with his stinger, and before Mitchell could try and strike past it, he burst flames out of his pincers, forcing him to back away.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Wings>!"


    Purple energy wings sprouted out of his back and he flew up to get some distance. He then began spinning himself down, his tails zipping through the air as he rapidly spun down...


    "Okay, that''s enough. Next," Declared the instructor, dodging the attack and grabbing the back of his collar to keep him from crashing onto the ground, "Hey, did you forget that your Manifestations are in Phantom Mode?"


    "Huh? Oh, crap...normally, that move would just have me harmlessly bounce off the ground if I missed my target, it totally slipped my mind that wouldn''t work like that in Phantom Mode...," Realized Mitchell, with a sheepish expression.


    Phantom Mode XFE would just phase through physical objects, but like I said before, it wasn''t like they were holograms, or even completely intangible. I already mentioned that Phantom Mode XFE could make contact with other Phantom Mode XFE, but that wasn''t all. Despite being in Phantom Mode, Mitchell had been able to fly using his wings, and Alex had also flown with his foot rockets Manifestation.


    I didn''t understand the exact physics behind it, but apparently, it wasn''t something that could be explained by the known physics from before WWIII, so it was something that was still being studied. Well, it doesn''t matter much to me, I just need to know how it works in specific situations, I don''t care about why it works that way or the science behind it.


    Anyway, with that, the thirteenth person to volunteer stepped forward, a girl named Seila Khan, the person who had placed second in the first stage of the entrance exam. Though, you wouldn''t know it by looking at her, she was a total clumsy, nervous wreck. She only volunteered because none of the others who remained, including me, showed any signs of interest in volunteering. She wore an unzipped long-sleeved dark blue jacket with a black collar over a white undershirt, black trousers and dark blue boots.


    She nervously stepped forward onto the main training area, and the moment she stepped off the sidelines...she tripped and fell on her face. Did she just...trip on her own feet? She accidentally kicked the back of her heel while trying to take a step forward...how in the world did she pass the entrance exam anyway?


    She stood up with an expression that said ''I want to disappear'', the tips of her ears were red and so was her face.


    "Uh...take your time, whenever you''re ready," Instructor Satou tried easing her nerves awkwardly.


    She silently nodded and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling...and suddenly, it felt like the air in the room changed. She stopped shaking, all traces of her nerves were gone. There was an eerie calmness about her, cold and calculating...


    "


    ," She stated calmly, as two yellow energy swords formed in either hand.


    They were both about a meter long and pretty wide, sort of like cricket bats but flat. And did she say ''expansive''?


    She took a few steps forward and pointed the blade in her right hand towards the instructor...and in the blink of an eye, it extended out about twenty meters, straight towards the instructor, who narrowly evaded it after a slight look of alarm. Whoa, that was fast...


    He''d evaded to the left, and she then flicked her wrist across in that direction, whipping the blade at him. He ducked at the last second, before swiftly rolling away as she extended the second blade out as well.


    For the next few seconds, she seemed to completely have him on the ropes, using wristy flicks to swing both blades at him rapidly, giving him no openings to escape or counter. Meanwhile, he was dodging the two whizzing blades by the skin of his teeth, narrowly avoiding them-...well, actually, for all I knew, he may have gotten grazed a bunch of times, I was having a little trouble following every single movement with my eyes.


    Seila seemed to get frustrated that she wasn''t landing any significant blows, and swung both blades horizontally inwards at him from either side...before they could slash through him, he caught them with his pincers and shot forward while running his pincers across the length of the blades, keeping a grip on them to prevent her from moving them. He raised his stinger as he neared her, when she suddenly let go of both blades and sprinted forward with her arms raised...


    <Secondary Manifestation: Lightning Arms>," She remarked, her fists and arms sparking and crackling with electricity.


    She caught him off guard by dashing towards him, and as she closed in, she went low and unleashed a barrage of punches at his abdomen, most of them getting blocked, but she landed a solid hit to the right side of his midsection. She began going in to continue her attack, but before she could, her arms were locked behind her, the instructor had her in a lock, gripping her right arm behind her lower back and left arm behind her head.


    ...okay, this time, I had zero idea on how he did that. How did he get behind her? Based on her expression, she had no clue either. He was well-versed at using his Manifestations, his evasion, blocking and reaction time were incredible, but what was most impressive from what I''d seen so far, were his grappling and lock techniques.


    Well, anyway...with that, there were only three people left to go. The fourteenth person to volunteer was a girl named Katie Cummins, she''d placed seventh in the first stage of the entrance exam. She had shortish blonde hair that was tied in a low and short ponytail, red eyes and her expression didn''t give away any emotions. She was on the short side, I''d say barely five feet tall. She wore a light blue sleeveless top with a black collar, black shorts with thigh-high black stockings and black boots, with narrow red wristbands on both wrists.


    "Oh, great...looks like we''re almost done," Remarked Instructor Sato, with a sigh of relief, before adding enthusiastically, "Hurry up, let''s finish this off already!"


    Well, I had to hand it to him, he definitely wore his emotions on his sleeve, I could respect that. Katie nodded and stepped forward, her expression blank and hard to read.


    "


    ," She stated in a monotone voice.


    Yellow energy formed out of her lower back, manifesting in the shape of a long and thick tail...with what looked like a dragon''s head at the end of it. It was about twenty-five meters in length, she looked tiny in comparison. Without moving a muscle, the dragon head shot towards the instructor rapidly, swiftly surrounding him before he could get out of its range.


    The dragon head then opened its mouth and zipped towards him, slamming its jaws shut as it reached him, right as he planted his pincers on the top of the dragon head and jumped over it using his arms, firing a barrage of fireballs at it before backing away and charging up a large ball of flames between his pincers.


    Woah, her Manifestation was seriously impressive...and her control over it was incredible, it moved so fluidly that it almost seemed like it had a mind of its own, she hadn''t moved from her spot even once since this bout began. And as a result, the instructor was getting ready to fire off the most intense attack we''d seen so far. Even in Phantom Mode, that much flames would probably sting a bit. She still showed no signs of moving, instead...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    The dragon head opened its mouth again, lightning beginning to build up in its open mouth, crackling violently. She fired it as soon as the instructor blasted his flames at her, the two attacks clashing and canceling each other out...the air felt all static-y and warm, and when they clashed, it had been LOUD. That would have been seriously destructive if their attacks hadn''t been in Phantom Mode.


    "Okay, so that happened...this fight is over, so, uh...next, please," Sighed the instructor.


    Just two people left. And the next person to volunteer...was me...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 19 - 18 - First Training Exercise(Part 4)

    Alright, it''s my turn now. As I stood up from my spot...


    "Heh, so the Dud finally worked up the courage to go for it, this should be good," Laughed Tairo condescendingly.


    "Wait, so a Dud really did pass the entrance exam? I thought that was just a rumor," Exclaimed Misaki in surprise.


    "Haha, that''s hilarious," Chuckled Makoto with a smirk.


    Tch, how annoying. To my surprise, a few of the others looked at those three disapprovingly, while some looked indifferent. At any rate, no one else joined in, guess not all Prodigies were arrogant assholes. I suppose I should have figured, my sister was also a Prodigy, after all.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I mumbled inaudibly under my breath.


    I decided to ignore the comments and stepped forward, heading for the middle, but as I reached the edge of the sidelines, I felt myself losing my balance and falling forward, I quickly put my palms out in front of me to keep my face from hitting the ground.


    "How pathetic, the little Dud couldn''t even avoid being tripped, so sad!" Laughed Tairo, who had stuck his leg out in my path.


    "Hey, that was kinda uncalled for...," Alex spoke up with a frown.


    "Yeah, that wasn''t cool, man," Agreed Andre with a look of disdain.


    Tch, I''d been too busy focusing on ignoring them to pay attention. Whatever, this never happened...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load>," I grumbled, returning back to a few seconds ago.


    Alright, this time, I''ll get the last laugh. I stood up and walked towards the training area, acting the same way I did before, showing no signs that I was expecting to get tripped. Wait for it...


    In my peripheral, I saw Tairo start to move...almost there...now!


    I swiftly turned my gaze downwards, his outstretched leg inches in front of me. I could step over it and resolve this peacefully, but fuck that. As I took a step forward, I raised my foot over his leg and...stomped down on it as hard as I could without making it obvious that I did it deliberately.


    "Aaargghhhhh!!!" He yelled in pain, as I pretended to stumble with a surprised look on my face.


    "Oh, my bad...your annoying chatter was so distracting that I wasn''t watching where I was going. But what''s wrong, did a frail little Dud really hurt a mighty Prodigy like yourself?" I inquired in an innocent tone.


    One of the others stifled a laugh and tried to pass it off as a cough, while a few others snickered quietly.


    "Y-you bastard, you did that on purpose, didn''t you!?"


    "Hm? I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    I stopped myself from smirking by biting the inside of my lower lip and continued walking towards the instructor, switching my weapons'' output settings into Phantom Mode, while also increasing the output setting on my X-Blasters to the maximum.


    "Okay, whenever you''re ready," Said the instructor, clicking his pincers a couple of times.


    Here goes...


    I sprinted towards him rapidly, taking out one of my X-Blades with my left hand. I flung it straight at him, he responded by deflecting it up into the air using his stinger. I then fired a few shots from my X-Blasters at him, as he brought his pincers in front of himself to block my Phantom energy bullets. Since I had increased the output to the maximum, the force upon impact made him stumble back a bit.


    I put on a burst of speed and shot towards him, springing up as high as I could as I neared him. The X-Blade he''d deflected up earlier was falling back down, it still had about five seconds before it would disappear, and the base of his balance wasn''t stable...as the X-Blade dropped within my reach, I spun my body across in mid-air and slammed my foot against the back of the handle, kicking it down at him while simultaneously firing a barrage of shots.


    The blade pierced into his left pincer, cracking it out from the point of impact and staying embedded, though the blade wouldn''t stay manifested for more than another couple of seconds. The shots I fired forced him down onto one knee, and I shifted my weight across while still in mid-air, slamming my foot down at him. He began to whip his stinger towards me, but I was expecting that, and deflected it away with two well-aimed shots at the end of it, my right foot slamming down onto his left shoulder uninterrupted.


    I then quickly sprang away and got some distance, as my X-Blade dissipated and the handle fell off his pincer. He fixed the cracks in his Manifestation and shot towards me, leaping up and swinging his stinger down at me as he closed the gap, I evaded it by swiftly rolling forward till I was positioned under him, and fired a barrage of shots straight up at near point blank range.


    He was unable to avoid it since he was in mid-air, keeping his legs from getting hit by positioning his stinger below him, taking the brunt of my attack, severely cracking the Manifestation...but despite the damage, I wasn''t able to destabilize it, his level of concentration was deceptively strong.


    I backed away and fired a few shots at his back as he landed, he swiftly spun around with a quick shuffle of his feet and blocked my attacks using his pincers, before countering with a couple of fireballs. I ducked backwards under them, using the momentum to flip back while firing another handful of shots, which he blocked again using his pincers. My shots cracked them all over again, which he was quick to fix.


    Repairing damage to his Manifestations had to consume some extra XFE, in which case, I''ll move in close and see how I do against his grappling techniques, I was curious to see if I could counter those...I''ll create a Save point now and if he gets me in a lock or tackle, I''ll use Load to go back and-.


    "Okay, that''s enough. Next!"


    ...never mind, I guess.


    I walked over and picked up my X-Blade that had fallen earlier...hm, the handle was slightly cracked but I don''t think it was broken or anything. Kicking it down had been a bit reckless, I hadn''t planned to do that and only did it because he deflected it upwards, it probably wouldn''t have even crossed my mind if he''d deflected it down or off to the side.


    Anyway, I headed back to the sidelines, noticing that more than few pairs of eyes were on me. I ignored the attention and sat back down, as the final person stood up and stepped forward. Kiran Sigdel, the guy who had picked a spot in the classroom next to me, with the black face-mask and dark blue hoodie.


    "Alright, last one! Let''s wrap this up," The instructor declared, with a look of relief.


    "Yeah, let''s get this over with," Kiran muttered while scratching the back of his head with a yawn, "


    ."


    A green energy swatter appeared in his hand, I''d say bigger than a tennis racket...seriously, his Primary Manifestation was an oversized fly swatter? He''d placed eleventh in the first stage of the entrance exam, and obviously won his second stage duel, which meant that he had to have some degree of skill...but a swatter, really?


    He walked towards the instructor with no visible intent or aggression, he was absolutely oozing lethargy...he raised his swatter, and it rapidly began extending and expanding, with each side of the flat square end of it about twenty-five meters long...in other words, it was massive.


    The instructor''s eyes widened in alarm and he begun to spring away...but it was no use, Kiran slammed the swatter down with a whip of his wrist, pressing the instructor''s arms down to the ground...till he deactivated his Manifestation and broke free, since the Phantom Mode swatter only pinned down his Phantom Mode XFE Manifestations, not his physical body.


    "Well...that was embarrassing. But at least it''s over. You can all go home now," Declared the instructor, letting out a dramatic sigh of relief.


    Sweet, glad that''s over. I stood up and headed for the exit, after the instructor wasted no time in leaving the training hall. I guess today had been a sort of follow-up to the entrance exam, in order to gauge what each of us were capable of. I''m assuming that the data they gather on us from the entrance exam was inadequate, since luck played a huge role in passing it...those with long-range and rapid-fire attack options at their disposal had the advantage in the first stage, and in the second stage, the right match-up could result in an easy win.


    But today''s exercise was different, all sixteen of us were made to fight an opponent who was stronger than us, which was arguably the best way to accurately gauge our capabilities. After all, even with Instructor Satou holding back, none of us actually landed a real, solid hit...well, except for Kiran at the end there. Sure, he was caught off-guard plenty of times, but his incredible reaction time and reflexes meant that he was always prepared to evade or counter at a split second.


    Is that even humanly possible, I can''t imagine my own reaction time getting that good no matter how hard I train. Oh, well, no sense in worrying about what I''m not capable of, I''ll just focus and improve on what I am capable of. I had to say, I was looking forward to classes starting...seeing all those X-Abilities on display today got my blood pumping, I wanted to get stronger than all of them, while letting them believe that I''m nothing more than a Dud the whole time.


    In the past, my life had put me through hardships thanks to factors that were completely out of my control, but things were different now, I''m much stronger than I used to be, and I had my X-Ability as well. I''ll use both it and my natural abilities to slowly but surely get stronger and stronger, till I''m strong enough to achieve my goals. In the past, my life had constantly been thrown into disarray by factors entirely out of my control, and I planned to use my ability to make sure that won''t happen again...the thing I wanted more than anything, even more than revenge...was control...control over everything...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 20 - 19 - Breaking Point

    Two weeks had passed since I''d started classes at the X-Warrior Academy. And ever since that first day, things had been...pretty uneventful, all things considered. I had initially prepared myself to face a whole lot of condescension from my Prodigy classmates, but to my surprise, it wasn''t nearly that bad.


    Of the fifteen Prodigies in my class, only four of them were openly and spitefully condescending towards me. Namely, Tairo Najimi, Bytra Lichood, Makoto Amano and Misaki Aki. Of the others, Taayin Sharma and Jian Lee clearly underestimated me and didn''t think much of me, but they weren''t all that condescending about it, they just treated me like I was weak. I could deal with that no problem.


    The rest of the class was either indifferent or politely friendly towards me, though I didn''t get particularly close to anyone, I just acted polite and returned greetings and stuff. Basically, I did just enough to avoid the ''loner'' label, but I wouldn''t call any of my classmates my friends, at most I''d say they were acquaintances.


    Classes had been going well, the theory classes were boring but the topics we were made to study were pretty simple so far, passing the written exam shouldn''t require anything more than a basic memorization effort. As for XFE training, for now we were just made to fight robotic practice dummies using XFE in Phantom Mode. And finally, teamwork training...actually, the classes for this hadn''t started yet. Apparently, the instructor who was supposed to be in charge of it was tied up elsewhere, but he was supposed to show up for the first time today.


    Instructor Jin Satou was in charge of the XFE training classes, and he''d been given temporary responsibility over the teamwork training classes too. He made it clear that he wasn''t happy about it, accidentally letting it slip in his frustration that he wasn''t getting paid for the extra workload, and as a result...he had made us all pair up and play badminton using Phantom Mode rackets and shuttlecock during every teamwork training session, with the goal of keeping a single rally going for an long as possible. It was stupid and unproductive, to say the least.


    The instructor in charge of theory classes was a woman named Joan Anderson, she was a regular Paragon in her early-thirties. She had light blonde hair tied up in a bun, green-framed glasses over dark blue eyes, and a slender, tall build. She was nice enough though seemed kinda on the timid side, and her teaching style was good enough, if not a bit dull.


    The best part about her classes was that Tairo and the others kept quiet regarding the whole Dud stuff, since they couldn''t exactly insult me for being a regular Paragon without offending her since she was a regular Paragon ''too''. Today was a Monday and I was currently in one of the training halls along with the rest of my classmates, towards the end of the second session of the day.


    We were evenly split up across four training halls, and each of the four halls were segmented into four equal quarters using high-tech barrier technology, for a total of sixteen quarters. We were each placed in one quarter with a handful of robotic training dummies and had to fight them in Phantom Mode. It was relatively productive, but there was only so much you could learn from fighting machines that attacked in set patterns. They were just like video games, once you figure out the pattern, fighting them becomes child''s play.


    Instructor Satou was supposed to be monitoring all of us from a seperate room, and send us directions and advice and whatnot to our I-Watches, but I highly doubted he was actually paying attention. For one thing, keeping track of sixteen people simultaneously was no easy feat, and knowing that unmotivated sack of laziness, he wasn''t going to expend that much energy willingly.


    Well, I''m not going to judge his teaching style, I couldn''t care less about whether he was good at his job or not. If he has nothing useful to teach me then I''ll just teach myself, as I had been doing for the past few years. I sighed and fired a couple of shots at the training dummy as it got up after I had knocked it down a couple of minutes ago, knocking it down again. This was really boring.


    My I-Watch then received a notification, as the training dummy powered down. I brought up my holo-screen and opened the message. It was from Instructor Satou...


    ''I''m ending the session early, go gather in Training Hall 11 for the next session after your lunch break, which, finally, I won''t be in charge of! You''ll meet your new instructor for the teamwork training session there. That''s all I need to inform you all of, so I''m done here.''


    He must have sent this to everyone. Great, guess I''m done here. I turned off my weapons and headed out the training hall. Sweet, I had an extra fifteen minutes of lunch break thanks to the day''s second session ending early, which means that there''ll be less of a crowd in the cafeteria right now. I made my way up to the first floor and to the cafeteria, where I was the first to arrive. In other words, I didn''t have to stand in line.


    I got myself a chocolate cream bun, chocolate milk and a donut for dessert. As I picked a table to sit at, some of my classmates began streaming into the cafeteria. I sat at the table by the back corner, it was nice and cool over here. Usually, by the time I got to the cafeteria, this spot was already occupied. It was right under a vent, so it was a lot cooler than pretty much any other spot in the cafeteria, it was really comfortable and chill, no wonder it was so hard to claim. Hopefully, no one will try to sit on any of the empty seats in this table, at least not until I finish eating.


    I took out my earphones and connected them to my I-Watch, before plugging them into my ears and played some music. I then picked up the cream bun and bit into it...hm, could be better, but not bad. Today was the first time I was ordering something sweet from the cafeteria, I was curious to see how they tasted...yeah, these are okay at best, I''ll stick to sweets from Delectables.


    I then noticed someone approaching me through the corner of my eye. I glanced in that direction to see who it was. It was Suri Patel, one of my classmates. She wasn''t the most social person, generally keeping to herself and seeming to have a permanent frown for an expression. Huh, come to think of it, I saw her seated at this table pretty often during lunch breaks...in fact, in the very seat that I had claimed today.


    She stopped and stood by the seat directly across me, a slight frown on her face. It didn''t take a genius to figure out that she wasn''t happy about her usual spot being taken by someone else, but if she asked me to move or something, I definitely won''t, even if she asks nicely. After seeming to mull it over for a bit, she sat down across me.


    "Mind if I sit here?" She asked, though she said it more like a statement than a question.


    Tch, clever...asking that after sitting down makes it awkward for me to say no, well played.


    "You don''t need my permission," I replied with a shrug.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen anyone have a meal made up almost entirely of chocolate," She remarked, as she took a bite of her lunch, a chicken sandwich and ice tea.


    Grr, don''t bother me when I''m eating...I hate being interrupted during a meal, the best way to enjoy eating is to do so in silence and relaxation. Well, I suppose I shouldn''t be antagonistic towards her, it''s not like she was deliberately doing this to piss me off...


    "To each their own and whatnot," I responded half-heartedly, taking a sip of my chocolate milk.


    She didn''t respond, and a peaceful silence ensued for a couple of minutes. And then...


    "So, uh...are those any good?" She asked, a bit awkwardly.


    Huh, was she trying to make small talk? No, she seemed like she genuinely wanted to know...she didn''t seem like the type who''d be super into sweets, but then again, I doubt I looked that way either.


    "Oh, well, uh...they''re not bad, I guess. Certainly nothing compared to Delectables-...oh, uh, that''s a bakery in-."


    "I love Delectables, they''ve got the best sweets ever-...!" She exclaimed, before trailing off as nearly everyone in the cafeteria turned their heads in our direction, her face red with embarrassment, "A-ahem, sorry about that...I just really like that place is all."


    Oh? Now, that, I could greatly respect.


    "Yeah, me too."


    "Cool...so, when you say ''not bad'', is that closer to bad or good?"


    If she was a fan of Delectables, then it was only natural that she''d be curious about the sweets here...and I don''t mind helping out a fellow sweets-lover.


    "Well, let''s see...the chocolate cream bun could be sweeter, and the bun''s kinda dry, the chocolate milk tastes fine but is a bit on the watery side, and as for donut...," I trailed off, picking up my uneaten donut and taking a bite, "...pretty good, actually, the glazed cream''s a bit bitter but it''s all nice and rich, the dough is lightly sweet and soft, and the caramel on the inside is gooey with a sugary crunch to it...not bad at all."


    Oh, crap, I got way too into that, she''s probably weirded out by-...huh, actually, she seems to be drooling.


    "...I have got to try that," She stood up with a look of determination, heading for the front of the cafeteria.


    Well, I''m just about done with my lunch, so I''m gonna go to the classroom, which should be empty right about now. There was over forty minutes left before the next session would begin, so I might as well relax till the time''s up. I definitely can''t relax here, it was starting to get pretty crowded and it probably wouldn''t be long before some strangers decided to sit at this table...and that''d make me super uncomfortable.


    I made my way back to the classroom and opened the door...it was empty except for one person, Kiran Sigdel. Unfortunately, that meant that the path to my usual seat was blocked. Asking him to move for a bit wasn''t a real option, because he was asleep...and I would never do something as awful as waking someone up when they were trying to get some rest. And besides, he was grumpy and anti-social, I don''t think I''d ever seen him talking to anyone in class. Even when greeted ''good morning'' or whatever, at most he''d just grunt in reply.


    Well, since directly interacting with him is off the table...I''ll just jump over him. I bent my knees and sprang up, flipping myself forward to land on my feet, on the chair in the middle of the row. I then got off the chair and sat down in my usual corner spot. Alright, let me just set an alarm for 3 PM...cool, that''s done. Time for a quick nap...


    ...


    ...


    I stifled a yawn as we waited for the new instructor to show up. It was a few minutes past 3 PM, and we were all in Training Hall 11. I was leaning against the wall, feeling a bit drowsy and half-asleep. Maybe I''ll just doze off for a little bit...I opened my eyes with a start as I felt a pressure push down on my right foot. Ow, what the-...oh, of course.


    "Oops, didn''t see you there, Dud...scary death glare you''ve got there, chill, it was just an accident!" Sneered Tairo, walking past me.


    He''d had a few failed attempts to trip me and stuff over the past two weeks, but I managed to evade each time. Tch, my foot hurts, nothing was broken but still...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    Okay, I was pretty pissed off, this should alleviate that...


    "Alright, that''s it...I''ve reached my breaking point, I''ve had it with you. Fucking die, you piece of shit," I growled, swiftly pulling out my pistols and firing a barrage of energy bullets at his back.


    My shots hit their mark with pinpoint precision, riddling his back full of holes, blood oozing out and deeply staining his clothes red.


    "Wh-wha...y-you bastard, you shot me...!"


    Everyone else was stunned silent, staring at me with wide eyes. Doesn''t matter, none of them will remember any of this anyway...


    Now, then...I was really tempted to go for a headshot, but I better not. That didn''t mean I wasn''t going to enjoy this as much I could though, plus it looks like he was in too much pain to bring forth his Primary Manifestation...


    "I''ve had it with you...," I remarked with a blank glare, firing a shot at his right knee and eliciting a satisfying cry of pain from him, "You made most of my school life hell, just for the sake of it, I''ll be damned if I let you walk all over me ever again," I added, before firing at his other knee, forcing him to slump onto the ground, "You deserve to die a hundred times over, and it still wouldn''t be enough, you''re nothing but a spiteful, narrow-minded piece of trash who gets off on childish bullying, you make me sick."


    "P-please, no more- arghh!" He began, trembling with tears in his eyes, before I cut him off with a shot fired at his crotch.


    "After everything you''ve put me through, do you really think I''d ever feel sorry for you?" I inquired coldly, viciously stomping down on his bloody crotch, slowly turning my foot as he screamed in pain.


    "H-hey, you should stop this-," Began Alex, before flinching and stumbling back as I glared at him.


    Oops, didn''t mean to do that, my expression had been stuck in a glare and I forgot to change it when I automatically turned in his direction when he spoke. Everyone was looking at me with fear and indecision...if anyone was thinking about intervening, they knew that they couldn''t stop me with Phantom Mode attacks, they''d have to fight for real...and that was making them hesitate. Additionally, they might be in too much shock to concentrate hard enough to maintain their Manifestations.


    "E-enough of this! Hey, Kilzachs, I totally get that you''re pissed, man, it sounds like you have good reason to be...but don''t you think you''re going a bit too far?" Andre chimed in, speaking to me in a calming tone to try and reason with me.


    "Don''t patronize me. And no, I wouldn''t say I''ve gone too far...I mean, he''s still breathing, isn''t he? That''s still too good for him," I replied, firing at Tairo''s shoulder.


    "I-if you don''t stop, I''ll have to...," Andre began, a bit shakily, putting up his arms, "


    !"


    "What is going on here!?" A loud voice cut him off before he could activate his X-Ability.


    Everyone turned their attention to the direction of the voice, including me. A look of surprise crossed my face as I saw the person who''d just spoken...what the...? It was a kid.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 21 - 20 - New Instructor

    "Well, this is an unpleasant sight...you there, tell me why you''re all just watching while there''s a literal murder scene taking place right in front of you?" Inquired the kid, with a frown.


    Haughty little brat, isn''t he. Wait, hold on a sec, his face looked kinda familiar, where did I know it from...anyway, the person he''d picked to question was Seila Khan, who flinched when he spoke to her.


    " U-um, well, I...this is, uh...," She stuttered nervously, unsure of what to say.


    "Oh, forget it. Hey, you with the red glasses, what do you think you''re doing?" The kid demanded, marching towards me.


    I''ll see where this goes before using my ability, this was getting kinda amusing.


    "Hey there, little guy...don''t you know that you should talk to your elders with respect?" I replied patronizingly, and admittedly, hypocritically.


    I mean, I don''t respect my elders unless they''ve earned it, and in my experience, there were more than didn''t deserve it than those that did.


    "Hm, right back at you...brat," He responded, emphasizing the last part.


    Okay, now that I was looking at him closer, I could say for certain that I had seen his face somewhere...


    "Hey, timeout for a sec...do I know you, little guy?"


    "Don''t think you can distract me-...wait, your hair...," He suddenly trailed off, staring at my hair with a frown, particularly the long blonde streak by my ear, before his eyes widened, "That reminds me of...Kilella..."


    Wait, what did he just-...hold on, I do know who this midget is, not personally, but I knew of him...


    "Crap, you''re-...! Yeah, I think I''ve pushed my luck just about far enough...<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load>."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Tch, I forgot that my foot had felt a bit sore when I set my last Save point. Whew, that was a close one. Wait, was he supposed to be our teamwork training instructor...? Well, this should be interesting. He should be arriving a couple of minutes from now, except this time, he wasn''t going to walk in to the sight of a guy with his balls blown off. Well, I was pretty satisfied with letting off steam against Tairo, so ignoring him this time around was simple.


    "Heh, pussy," I heard him mumble condescendingly, as he walked away.


    ...I kinda wanted to blast him again. But let''s not, I''d have to use my Load ability to go back again, and I don''t want to do that too much. Guess it doesn''t hurt to take the high road every now and then, I suppose. And besides, I already got my fill of satisfaction.


    Anyway, a few minutes later, the little guy arrived, entering the training hall and shutting the door behind him. This should be amusing. As he began approaching us, confused murmurs began echoing around the room.


    "Uh, hey, little guy...are you lost? How did you get here?" Alex asked in a gentle tone, squatting in front of him with a friendly smile.


    "Huh, excuse me-?" He began to reply in indignation.


    "This is no place for a kid, it''s dangerous here. Why don''t we get you to the staff room, I''m sure someone there can get you home," Andre chimed in, walking over and patting him on the head.


    "Why you-!" He snapped, slapping away his hand, "Stop calling me a kid, you brats! I''m-!"


    "Quite a character, this little guy...hey, you''ve got a big attitude for a half-pint, maybe you need to be taught a lesson," Smirked Tairo, cracking his knuckles while walking over to him.


    Should have expected him to jump in, he was a bully by nature, so a situation like this had to be irresistible to him.


    "Well, aren''t you an unpleasant piece of work," He responded with a look of disdain.


    Hm, looking around...I don''t think anyone else knows who this guy is. Well, I guess it was understandable, he was more known by name than by face, but still, it''s not like there weren''t any photos of him available. I should explain, the short guy with the childish appearance was named Kumar Silva, an Ace X-Warrior...and he was about six years older than me.


    He had longish straight black emo hair that covered his right eye, his eyes were purple, I''d say he was just barely five feet tall, and he had a light brown complexion. I''d looked up the details available to the puplic regarding the Ace X-Warriors, that''s why he looked familiar. Most of the Aces were very well known, they were practically celebrities, including my sister, but this guy preferred to fly under the radar, he hated doing interviews and making public appearances, so he was probably the least well-known Ace in the entire Sanctuary.


    My sister had mentioned him a few times, they knew each other pretty well apparently, he was extremely self-conscious about his height and appearance, and it didn''t take much to piss him off. And she''d also mentioned another thing, that his-...


    "Enough! I won''t stand for this disrespect, you ungrateful little shits...I guess I''ll have to put you all in your places, show you who''s boss, so to speak...


    !"


    Right, the other thing that my sister mentioned was about his X-Ability...


    A mass of yellow XFE surrounded and wrapped around him, before rapidly expanding with him in the center, taking the shape of a humanoid figure with long, sharp fingers. It was a good fifty feet tall, and barely fit in the training hall despite the massively tall ceiling.And with that, he silenced the entire room, no one saying a word. Right, so back to what my sister said about his ability...whenever he uses it, his personality changes, like so...


    "Who''s the half-pint now, you tiny little shit!? I can barely even see you down there! Hope I don''t accidentally step on you!"


    Of course, he was specifically addressing Tairo, but that didn''t mean that the others were any less terrified. And I''d be lying if I said I didn''t feel kinda intimidated myself. I mean, I was confident in my skills, but I don''t stand a chance against this literal mass of power...


    "Tch, you''d think a little recognition wouldn''t be too much to ask for...hey, you little midgets down there, I''ll give you a choice...say who I am and I''ll forgive the disrespect you all showed me, but if you don''t know who I am, then I''ll stomp on you all!"


    He was just trying to scare us, I''m pretty sure that was just an empty threat, but the others definitely looked plenty scared. They all began muttering amongst each other, but no one seemed to know who he was...seriously? You''d think Prodigies aspiring to be X-Warriors would be aware of the identities of the highest ranked X-Warriors. I should probably chime in since I knew, I was ninety-nine percent sure that he was just bluffing to try and scare us, but it wasn''t worth risking the one percent alternative...


    "Hey, over here! I know who you are!"


    "Huh!? Did you say something!? Speak up!"


    ...you''ve gotta be kidding me, he''s too far to hear me. That''s as loud as I get. Oh, I have an idea. I walked over to Alex and tapped his shoulder.


    "Hey, could you fly me up there? I can''t shout any louder than I already did."


    I didn''t really like asking people for help, but this situation was getting out of control.


    "Huh? Oh, uh...sure, I can do that," He replied, after initially looking a bit dazed, "<Secondary Manifestation: Foot Rockets>."


    Most of the others seemed to be in a daze too, guess they felt overwhelmed by the situation. Rex grabbed hold of my shoulder and began hovering upwards, at a really slow pace, he was probably worried about giving Kumar the wrong idea. Once we got to a height that was close to where he was positioned in his Manifestation, I cleared my throat and addressed him.


    "I''m assuming that you know who I am, considering you took the trouble to approach me like this, you little ants," He remarked with a smirk.


    Man, he sure had it bad with his size-complex.


    "Yeah, I do. You''re Kumar Silva, one of the Ace X-Warriors, right?"


    "Oh, uh...good, looks like at least one of you knows who I am. Fine, I guess I''ll switch this off," He replied with a sigh.


    Huh, he seemed disappointed...he must have been looking forward to scaring us some more. That was annoying and stressful, but I guess I''m glad I did it.


    "Crap, he''s an Ace? How old is he?" Whispered Alex, as he hovered back down.


    "He became an X-Warrior six years ago, so...," I answered.


    "Seriously!? I thought he was like, twelve or thirteen at most."


    Anyway, Kumar deactivated his Manifestation and got back down to the ground, as everyone stepped back and got some distance from him. Alex quickly spread the word of who he was, so everyone was quiet now.


    "Alright, well that was anticlimactic...though I suppose it wouldn''t do to kill a student on day one. Moving on! Let''s begin the teamwork training session. I''ll randomly divide you all into groups of four and each group will take turns fighting me for twenty-five minutes. Now, then, how to divide you all up..."


    "Huh!?"


    "Wait, what-?"


    "Hold on...!"


    He ignored the cries of protest as he began dividing us up into four teams, while struggling to keep himself from smirking gleefully...I could clearly see his lower lip quivering while he bit down on it to keep a straight face. This guy''s a total sadist. Well...this should be fun...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 22 - 21 - Only Fair

    Well, this sucks. I was currently in an empty training hall with the group I''d been sorted into, while our new instructor terrorized the first group of four. After forming the groups, he made us draw lots to decide the order in which each group will take him on. He had also insisted on the other three groups waiting their turn in empty training halls instead of watching, in other words, only one group was allowed inside the training hall he was using at a time.


    The group I was in was to go last, so that was good, but I wasn''t exactly stoked about my teammates...I had ended up in a group that included Bytra and Misaki. The other member was Kiran, which wasn''t so bad, I guess.


    "Just my luck, stuck with the Dud," Sighed Misaki with a look of disappointment.


    "Just my luck, stuck with a bitch," I responded, imitating her tone and sigh.


    "What did you just-!?"


    "Knock it off...you''re too loud," Grumbled Kiran, who''d been dozing off while leaning against the wall.


    "Hmph, whatever."


    Tch, why''s she acting like she''s been wronged here, she started it. The group that had gone in first and was currently engaging the instructor included Tairo, and with him not around, Bytra was quieter than usual. That, and she seemed to be wary of Misaki. Hm, let''s think this through...Bytra was originally from the West Quadrant, before moving to the North Quadrant where she fucked me over. And she claimed to have been an outcast there, which means there was a good chance that she''d been bullied...huh, could it be...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I mumbled under my breath inaudibly, before speaking up, "Hey, bitch, which Quadrant are you from?"


    "Excuse you? Why in the world should I answer that-?"


    "Jeez, bitch, stop being a bitch and answer the question," I cut her off with a shrug.


    I''ll probably undo this once I''ve had my fun, so no need to be subtle. From the look on Bytra''s face, it looks like I might have hit the nail on the head...Misaki was likely one of her bullies from before she moved to the North Quadrant. But it didn''t seem like Misaki had recognized her yet. I should fix that.


    "You fucking Dud, how dare you speak to me like that!?"


    "Wow, a great Prodigy like you can''t even answer a simple question, guess not all Prodigies are hot shit, huh," I responded with an innocent look.


    I didn''t know much about her or if she was easily manipulated, but it definitely wouldn''t hurt to bring her pride into question.


    "Tch, don''t think you can manipulate me, you fucking Dud...I don''t know why you care, but I''m from the West...now, why did you-?"


    Huh, it actually worked. Now, then, time to divert her attention...


    "Oh, what a coincidence! Aren''t you from the West Quadrant too...Bytra?" I inquired, a look of panic appearing on her face as I glanced at her coldly and added, "Do you two know each other? You seem to keep looking at her restlessly, like you want to say something, so I was just curious..."


    "Huh? No, we don''t-...actually, now that you mention it, she does look a bit familiar...your face is ringing some bells but I can''t quite put my finger on it," Frowned Misaki, staring at Bytra closely, who shriveled back nervously.


    "Y-you must be mistaken...I''ve never seen you before in my life," She replied shakily, and not very convincingly.


    "Hold on, I know that meek mumble...," Her eyes began to widen with recognition, before it clicked and she exclaimed, "Oh, that''s right, Loner Tramp!"


    Bytra flinched and averted her gaze, trembling slightly as Misaki said that name. Not the most creative nickname, but I liked how simple and straightforward it was. And fitting too.


    "D-don''t call me that...," She stuttered, a miserable look crossing her face.


    "Haha, holy crap, it really is you! To think that a slutty bitch like you actually turned out to be a Prodigy, what a joke!"


    Let''s see if I can add a little fuel to the fire...


    "Oh, so you do know each other. How nice, a reunion between old school friends," I chimed in with an innocent tone.


    "Friends? Hah, don''t make me laugh, Dud! This bitch was a total freak and nobody liked her, acting like she was better than us just because she''s cute and attractive."


    "I didn''t-," Bytra began to defend herself weakly, but Misaki didn''t let her finish.


    "And then, just because the rest of us didn''t treat her like a queen like she wanted, she got all pissed off, and in retaliation, she fucked three of our classmates'' boyfriends, coldly ruining their relationships for no apparent reason. And then she just up and left, having done the damage," Sighed Misaki with a dramatic sigh.


    It was so obvious that she was lying, the way she said all that reminded me of Tairo...


    "I never did any of that...that was...that was you-!"


    "Sorry, you need to speak up, Loner Tramp, I can''t hear you! But I''m sure you weren''t about to just blame me for something you did, with no evidence, no less?"


    "N-no, I was just...never mind," She trailed off miserably.


    "Yeah, that''s what I thought, wimp," Laughed Misaki condescendingly.


    I think I won''t use my ability to undo this after all, this was great!


    "You did all that on purpose, didn''t you...man, you''re awful," Remarked Kiran in a deadpan tone, as Misaki continued taunting Bytra.


    "Oh, I know."


    "Still, that was some impressive manipulation..remind me not to get on your bad side," He replied with a stifled yawn.


    No, it wasn''t that I was good at being manipulative, it was just that Misaki had been ridiculously easy to manipulate.


    "Well, all that aside...we should probably come up with some kind of plan for our turn," I suggested, as we got the notification that the first group was done.


    It had only been twenty minutes, but I''m guessing they either gave up or got knocked out. Possibly even killed, though that was a lot less likely. Not impossible though.


    "Oh, please, like I could actually get any worthwhile help from a Dud and Loner Tramp here. And this guy''s eyes are gross, talk about bad luck, I got stuck with such a shitty group," Groaned Misaki disdainfully.


    What a...bitch.


    "...that was uncalled for," Muttered Kiran, his dark, sleep-deprived eyes glaring at her.


    "We''re hitting uncharted bitchiness levels here, bitchiness is currently...over nine thousand!" I gasped dramatically, tapping the side of my glasses like a scouter while looking at her.


    "Tch, you''ve got some nerve, Dud."


    "Talk about a retro reference," Remarked Kiran, seeming to be slightly amused, though it was hard to say with that mask covering the lower half of his face.


    "Anyway, back to the matter at hand...I think it''s safe to say that we can interpret your words to mean that you plan on fighting the instructor by yourself, with no help from us, right? Since you''re clearly sooo much better than us, we''ll agree to that, and take on the roles of your cheerleaders, from the sidelines of course. Agreed? Agreed!"


    "Then it''s settled," Nodded Kiran, playing along with no hesitation.


    Bytra stayed quiet, unable to even look directly at Misaki. Pathetic, I can''t believe I let this wimp deceive me.


    "I never said anything like that, you-!"


    "Oh, I was mistaken? Then you want our help after all? Sure, I don''t mind. Well, go ahead, ask us to help you...or maybe I was mistaken about being mistaken?" I inquired with an innocent tilt of my head.


    "Why...you...conniving...little...," She growled angrily, her eyebrow twitching with irritation.


    Hm, I don''t have any grudge in particular against this girl, sure I didn''t exactly like her since she called me a Dud and stuff, but that much I could usually ignore without a problem...no, I''m not messing with her because I especially hate her or anything like that, I''m messing with her because it''s fun.


    "Well, guess that settles it. You''re gonna solo this fight, and you can rely on our moral support," I concluded, even though I had no intention of actually cheering or anything...no, I''ll hang back and wait for her or one of the other two to give me an opening.


    Anyway, the conversation died down after that, and the four of us waited in silence for our turn. Some might consider it an awkward silence, but I felt perfectly comfortable. Still, it was a pretty long wait before it was finally our turn.


    "It''s about time," Muttered Misaki irritably, standing up as we received the notification that it was our group''s turn.


    She stormed off by herself with a huff, before the rest of us even got back on our feet.


    "Let''s get this over with so that we can go home," Yawned Kiran, following after her.


    Right, let''s do this. As I stood up and stretched, I felt a grab on my sleeve before I could head after them.


    "Tch, what do you want?" I growled, pulling my arm away.


    "Why...wh-why did you-...?" Bytra trailed off, staring at the ground.


    "You really are pathetic, aren''t you? And you seriously have the nerve to ask me why? It''s simple, I saw that you didn''t want her to recognize you, so I made sure that she did, nothing more, nothing less. After all, you played a big part in making my school life miserable, so this is only fair, wouldn''t you agree?"


    "I..."


    "And don''t think I''m done with you yet...I won''t stop till I''m satisfied in that I''ve made you suffer just as much as you made me suffer. Now, then...we should get going!" I remarked cheerfully, walking towards the door without giving her a chance to reply.


    She can act meek and miserable all she wants, she won''t be getting my sympathies...no matter what happens, I have no reason to feel sorry for her. After all, she brought this all on herself...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 23 - 22 - Fighting An Ace

    "Oh, we''re already down to the last group? Well, that''s a shame. Okay, I''ll tell you exactly what I told the other three groups...I''ll hold back on the scale of my Primary Manifestation, but that''s all I''ll be holding back. So feel free to throw everything you''ve got at me. Oh, and we won''t be using Phantom Mode. So hurry up and come at me already...


    !"


    As his Manifestation wrapped around his body, it didn''t expand much this time, just enough so that it was a little bit bigger than the average person.


    "Well, that''s your cue...unless you''re scared?" I taunted Misaki, as she nervously took a step back.


    "I swear, one of these days I''ll...! Grr, whatever, I don''t care anymore...


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Vision Boost>!" She exclaimed, before gritting her teeth and rushing forward towards Instructor Silva all by herself.


    "Oh, wow, I can''t believe she''s actually doing it...what a prideful idiot," I remarked with a laugh.


    "...you''re pure evil, man," MumbledKiran, as Misaki got in close and began swinging her manifested daggers at her opponent.


    "Only to those who deserve it."


    The instructor dodged her swipes and slashes with ease, evading all of them without the need to block or deflect at all. Just like with Instructor Jin Satou, there was more to him that just his X-Ability...his natural physical skills and reaction time were incredible, such was the ease with which he was avoiding her attacks.


    "What, are you guys trying to take me on one-on-one? Well, fine by me, I get to savor the fun!" Exclaimed the instructor with glee, as he stopped evading and swung his right arm across, knocking one of her daggers away, before grabbing her other wrist and tightening his grip, forcing her to drop the other one.


    He then drew his right arm back, closed his hand into a fist and drove it forward, slamming it onto her with some serious force. She went flying back and crashed onto a section of the wall of the training hall, knocked out in an instant.


    "Crap, he calls that holding back?" Muttered Kiran, as Misaki slumped to the ground with a bloody nose.


    "Oops...my bad, got a little carried away there, heat of the moment and whatnot. Oh, well, no point crying over spilt milk, amiright? Besides, I''m sure she''s fine...maybe. Moving on...who''s next?"


    Hm, I liked his style.


    "Not it," Kiran called out immediately.


    "Not it!" I swiftly jumped on the bandwagon.


    Bytra hesitantly stepped forward, her knees shaking slightly.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Speed Boost>."


    She tentatively moved in closer till he was within the range of her whip and then lashed it out at him with a swift flick of her wrist. He evaded it, but she wasn''t done, as she rapidly flicked her wrist in the opposite direction, whipping her weapon across towards him. He sprang forward to try and get inside the line of her attack, but as soon as he did, she responded by swiftly backing away and pulling the whip back with her, the flexibility of her wrist making it look easy.


    The whiplash from the sudden pulling force caused the whip to rapidly zip back, the thorns grazing the side of the instructor''s right arm. She kept moving as he started chasing her, using another fluid flick of her wrist to bring the whip closer to her, before swinging it down with all her might as he began to close it, the whip whistling through the air as it cut down towards him.


    Right before it could strike him, he swung his hand up at it, the claw-like shape of the fingers of his Manifestation deflecting the whip back, and sent her stumbling back a bit. He put a lot of power into that deflection, which forced his stance and guard open. An opening!


    I swiftly shot forward without wasting so much as a second, and as I passed Bytra, I kicked her shin to further upset her balance, before grabbing the end of her whip with both hands and swinging it straight towards the instructor with all the strength I could muster. Just as I''d hoped, Bytra was still holding on to the whip, so I ended up pulling her up and through the air as she let out a yelp of surprise, before swinging her straight down at the instructor, who looked taken aback and unsure as to how to respond, before attempting to catch her and break her fall.


    The moment he took his eyes off me, I shot across to the left, aiming to slip behind him, as I increased the output on my X-Blasters to maximum and took my X-Blade handles into my hands, wincing slightly since I''d hurt my palms when I grabbed the thorn whip. The instructor caught Bytra, and then quickly dropped her, his eyes rapidly darting around as he frantically looked for me.


    I was already behind him. I took aim and fired a couple of shots from each of my X-Blasters, right as he turned around. He crossed his arms in front of himself as I fired, I swiftly shot around and across towards his side, as he was preoccupied with blocking my XFE bullets, his vision focused on them and unable to follow me.


    My shots struck his arms and chest, the XFE around the impacted spots fading and leaving his body exposed in those areas. But within a couple of seconds, it was back to being intact, his body once again fully protected.


    Okay, I''ve used up the element of surprise, but this isn''t over yet, I can still do some damage...he doesn''t know how agile I am or anything about my fighting style at all for that matter, I''ll use that to my advantage by pushing my body''s flexibility to its limit.


    I ran my XFE through my blade handles, extending them out as my XFE took shape in the form of sharp black energy blades. I shot towards him and swung the right blade straight down at him.


    "A frontal attack? Don''t underestimate me!" Exclaimed the instructor, swinging his left arm up towards my blade.


    Right before his XFE claws could knock my weapon away, I adjusted and loosened my grip on the handle so that it would deflect straight upwards. The instant he knocked the blade straight up into the air, I got in close and drove my left blade towards his right arm, while simultaneously firing a blast from my right X-Blaster at his left shoulder, blowing away the XFE around it.


    He managed to deflect the thrust of my left blade, knocking it away. Now''s my chance, before he gets his guard back up. I took a swift step back and sprang up as high as I could, right as the blade he deflected up reach the peak of its rise and began to drop back down. Good, the XFE hadn''t dissipated yet, and his left shoulder was still exposed...gotta time this perfectly or I''m just going to look stupid.


    As the blade plummeted back down, I braced myself in mid-air, my eyes focused on the back of the blade handle...wait for it...now! The instant it dropped down to the ideal height, I shifted my center of gravity and twisted my body across while airborne as hard as I could, swinging my right foot with the momentum. My heel slammed onto the back of the blade handle, kicking it straight down at his exposed shoulder.


    He managed to react at the last second and spring off to his right, but he wasn''t fast enough, the blade slashing past his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. The XFE from my X-Blade then dissipated and the handle fell to the ground and skidded away a few feet.


    "Gahhh-...! Why you little...!" He growled, the XFE around his right arm expanding and shooting towards me, trying to grab me before I could land.


    I fired a couple of shots from my X-Blasters to blast off a couple of the claws off of his Manifestation, planted my feet on it and kicked off it to get back to the ground quickly. My back slammed against the floor a bit painfully, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it, getting back on my feet as quickly as possible and sprinting towards him as fast as I could, before he could shrink the right arm of his Manifestation back.


    As I got in close, he stepped back and drove his left arm towards my head, wincing in pain due to the bloody wound on his shoulder, I ducked backed to avoid it at the last second and grabbed onto it, wrapping my arms and legs around the arm, slamming my heel against his injury, before firing both X-Blasters at his wrist, wiping out the XFE covering it and doing a bit of damage to the wrist itself. Before I could fire again, he managed to shrink the XFE around his right arm and swung it at me with a look of fury.


    Uh-oh.


    I quickly let go of his left arm and crossed my arms, positioning my X-Blasters across each other and forming a protective barrier around me. The instructor struck my barrier with his claws, cracking it slightly, before rapidly expanding it and grabbing the barrier within the palm of his Manifestation, before raising his arm and swinging it down, slamming me onto the ground and shattering my barrier. I let out a stifled gasp on pain as my back hit the ground hard, though I don''t think anything was broken, the barrier had absorbed just enough of the impact to prevent any injury...still, that''s gonna hurt tomorrow.


    I raised my right hand to wipe off a bead of sweat off my forehead, when I realized that my hand was trembling. Huh, now that I think about it, I feel kinda...giddy. A slight smirk crossed my lips as I firmly closed my trembling hand into a fist, as the last few minutes sunk in...even if he''d been holding back, I''d made an Ace bleed...a quiet chuckle escaped my lips as I got back on my feet...what a valuable learning experience that was, I finally got to really put my skills to the test, and the results were more than satisfactory.


    "''Kay, I''m done here," I declared with a sigh, stretching my arms up and heading back towards the sidelines after picking up my blade handles.


    Crap, the one I''d kicked was kinda busted up. I should get a shockproof cover for it. I noticed that the instructor had his eye on me as I stepped onto the sidelines, where Bytra was seated and Misaki was layed down and still unconscious. Kiran was stepping forward onto the training area, rubbing the back of his head lazily.


    "Last one, huh...alright, let''s get this over with," Said the instructor, without nearly as much enthusiasm as he''d had before.


    He had torn off his left sleeve and tied some of the scraps around his bleeding shoulder and damaged wrist. Despite the damage, there wasn''t so much as a hint of instability in his Manifestation...I had hoped to destabilize it when I shot his wrist, but even with that much pain he''d had no trouble maintaining the stability of his Manifestation.


    Oww, my palms and back hurt so bad...both my palms were bleeding from when I grabbed Bytra''s whip, and my back felt sore and almost definitely bruised. Well, nothing a visit to the infirmary on the first floor can''t fix...for now, I''ll watch how Kiran fights. Come to think of it, he never used his Secondary Manifestation in the training exercise with Instructor Sato.


    "Okay...here I come," Sighed Kiran half-heartedly, "<Secondary Manifestation:...>..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 24 - 23 - Worlds Colliding

    "<Secondary Manifestation: Relaxation Pedestal>."


    ...huh? A mass of green energy began appearing underneath Kiran as he activated his Secondary Manifestation, lifting him up about twenty...no, twenty-five meters, in the shape of a pillar with a comfortable looking seat at the top, it sort of looked like a giant beanbag...I didn''t even know that XFE could be manifested in a soft and elastic form.


    "What in the...?" Muttered Instructor Silva with a look of bemusement.


    As I watched from the sidelines, Misaki woke up with a dazed groan and glassy look in her eyes.


    "Wha-...? Where am I...?" She mumbled dizzily, standing up and stumbling a bit as her knees wobbled.


    "Oh, look who''s finally awake...congrats, you lasted like five seconds before you got knocked out. I''m in awe of your power, o''great Prodigy," I greeted her with a mock tone of admiration.


    "Huh...? Wait, you...tch, I''ll rip out your tongue one of these days, you cocky Dud."


    Anyway, back to the fight.


    "


    ."


    His green energy oversized swatter formed in his hand and rapidly expanded, before he swiftly flicked it down, attempting to slam it down towards the instructor. Right before it crashed down on him, the instructor quickly expanded his own Manifestation to counter, raising both his arms above himself defensively, both manifested arms cracking severely, before he grew to his full size of fifty meters, towering over Kiran.


    "I''m over this, you guys can leave now."


    With that, he dissipated his Manifestation and let out an irritated sigh, wincing as he moved his left arm.


    "Cool, I''m going home," Said Kiran, letting out a sigh of relief and heading for the exit.


    "Oh, you with the glasses, you stay back. I need to have a word with you about slashing my shoulder and busting up my wrist, you little shit," Remarked the instructor, flashing a glare at me.


    "Uh...sure," I replied with a sigh.


    "Wait, what did he say? You...you hurt him?" Stuttered Misaki in disbelief.


    "Oh, I''m sure it was just a fluke, after all, there''s no way a lowly Dud outperformed a Prodigy like you, amiright?" I inquired innocently, before sticking out my tongue at her tauntingly.


    She let out a threatening growl but didn''t say anything as she turned around and headed for the exit, still looking a bit dazed. Bytra left too, which left me alone with the instructor. This should be fun, sarcastically, of course.


    "Grr, this is the worst, I can''t believe a Level J student hurt me this bad, even if I was holding back," He frowned, walking towards me with a grimace.


    "Uhh...sorry? To be fair, you did tell us to throw everything we had at you," I pointed out objectively.


    "On top of all that, you''re a normal Paragon, not a Prodigy...on paper, several of your classmates are stronger than you, but none of them can match your crazy intensity...well, except for that one guy who fought like an actual animal...seriously, you seemed to be fighting on pure instinct at first glance, but it was clear that every single one of your moves were carefully thought out," He sighed, rubbing his shoulder tentatively.


    "Well, yeah, it''s not like I was rushing at you blind...so, uh...why exactly did you want me to stay behind?"


    "I''m getting to that, but first...get on your knees, I don''t like being looked down on!" He snapped, pointing to the ground.


    I wasn''t all that tall, about five feet and eight inches, but I was still tall enough to tower over him, who was maybe just barely five feet tall...man, what a pain.


    "If it''s all the same to you, can I just sit in that case?"


    "Doesn''t matter so long as you''re below my eye line."


    ...seriously, how was this guy older than me?


    "I''ll be blunt...I don''t like that you managed to injure me, so I''d like to punch you in the face a couple of times."


    "...uh, how about no?"


    "I''m an Ace, so I can override your ''no''!"


    "So...you''re gonna assault me without my consent?"


    "Exactl-...! Wait, no...hey, don''t put words in my mouth! Why, you little-...!" He growled, glaring at me, before furrowing his eyebrows and staring at my face, "Hold on...there''s something familiar about you. Hey, have we met before or something?"


    "Why, does that matter?"


    "It''s annoying me...I feel like I''ve got the answer on the tip of my tongue, I won''t be satisfied till I figure it out," He frowned, staring at me closely.


    Right, he knew my sister...well, if he figures it out, fine, but if he doesn''t, I''m not going to tell him. I wouldn''t say that I''m hiding the fact that Kilella is my sister, more like I''m letting that fact fly under the radar. If someone found out, I wouldn''t bother hiding it, but if no one did, then I had no intention of informing anyone about it. Tairo knew about it, and Bytra probably did too.


    "Figured it out yet?" I inquired a bit uncomfortably, as he continued inspecting my face.


    "Hold on, that blonde streak by your ear and your eye color, where have I seen those before...oh, that''s right, Kilella!" He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he figured it out, before his expression darkened and he warily asked me, "Hey, what''s your name?"


    "It''s Kilzachs."


    "And your last name?"


    "Light...though that''s not the last name I was born with, changed it about five years ago."


    I mean, I might as well throw him a hint, right? Besides, when it comes down to it, I don''t mind all that much if people know who my sister is or not, I just figured I''d keep that detail to myself to avoid being put in her shadow. At the end of the day, I couldn''t care less what other people think about me, so either way, it doesn''t matter that much.


    "Do you know someone named Kilella Floence?"


    We''re still doing this?


    "Yeah, she''s an Ace, right?"


    "No, I mean...do you know her personally?"


    "Hm, I don''t know...I guess if being her younger brother counts as ''personally'', then...yes?" I replied with a shrug.


    "You''re her brother!? No way-...no, now that you said it, I can definitely see the resemblance...so, uh, the stuff I said about punching you in the face, I was just kidding, h-hope I didn''t scare ya! Well, anyway, I should get going, gotta, uh, report how today''s session went in the staff room, so...bye!"


    ...talk about a change in tune.


    "What did you do to that guy, big sis?" I muttered to myself, as he rushed out the door.


    Oh, well, doesn''t matter...time to go home...


    ...


    ...


    The next day, while I was in the classroom waiting for the first session to start...


    "Hey, Loner Tramp!" Greeted Misaki, as Bytra walked in.


    She practically yelled that, getting everyone''s attention as she did...if I had to guess, she wanted Bytra to be at the bottom of the food chain again. After all, she had a lot of pride, and probably couldn''t stand seeing someone she''d bullied in the past being treated like an equal.


    "Morning entertainment, huh? What a treat," I smirked to myself.


    "You''re the type who''d watch and laugh as the world burns, aren''t you?" Remarked Kiran from my left.


    "Oh, definitely, I''d be watching with a bowl of popcorn, so long as I''m not burning along with it, of course."


    Ooh, looks like Bytra is about to respond...I hope she cries or something.


    "Hm? Oh, I remember you, you''re the girl from my old school, right!" Exclaimed Bytra with a smile.


    Huh? Well, that''s disappointing...looks like she was fighting back. Boring.


    "Huh, what is this, what are you-?" Misaki responded uncertainly.


    "That''s right, you were the girl who lost your self control and fucked like five boyfriends of our classmates at the time, only to blame it on me...right?" She inquired with an innocent smile.


    ...is she copying my mock innocent act? That bitch! Though I had to admit, Misaki''s expression was hilarious. Fine, I''ll let it slide.


    "Wha-!? It was three, not fiv-...no, I mean, that was you, not me! Y-you bitch!"


    Wow, that could not have been more unconvincing if she tried. As much as I hated Bytra, I had to say...well played. She expected Misaki to do this, and to counter, she decided to strike back hard and catch her off guard. Bytra wasn''t a naturally confident person, but she must have picked up a few tricks after spending over five years with Tairo. No, confidence wasn''t quite the right word, it was more like arrogance. Arrogance to match Misaki''s own overflowing reserves of arrogance, in other words, fighting fire with fire.


    Yesterday, it was clear that Bytra was afraid of, or at least intimidated by Misaki, so this had to be pretty nerve-wracking...I guess that emphasizes just how desperate she is to protect her ''popular'' status, which was the whole reason she''d fucked me over five years ago in the first place. Before the argument, if that''s the right word, could escalate further, the door opened and Instructor Joan Anderson walked in.


    "Please take your seats, students...um, we''ll continue from where we left off yesterday, so please go to the page we stopped at yesterday," She instructed a bit shakily, as she headed for the front of the room.


    She was kinda timid and soft-spoken, and her lessons were a bit boring, but she taught well enough, so I had no real complaints about her teaching.


    Anyway...that was the only notable event during the day, the first and second sessions both went uneventfully, and the third session was canceled since Instructor Silva was busy with a personal matter. Wow, absent on his second day on the job, after he''d missed the first couple of weeks no less...I had to wonder, what the heck would the teamwork exam for the end of January even look like?


    That was a concern for later though...


    ...


    ...


    A few hours later, I got a message from my sister, saying that she was coming over. It was just past 8:00 PM, and I was currently in bed, resting after having finished a few hours training at the gym. Huh, weird, she usually only came over on weekends, wonder if something''s up. Well, no sense in speculating, especially since she''ll be here in less than half an hour.


    As it turned out, a lot less than half an hour, my doorbell ringing about ten minutes later. I like to go to sleep extra early on days which I have classes the next day, since I''m not a morning person. So, this had better be worth it...in other words, she''d have better brought some sweets with her. I stood up with a sigh and headed for the door, opening it as I let out a stifled yawn.


    "Hey, little bro, how''s it hanging?" She greeted me cheerfully.


    "Fine, I guess. What''s this about, sis? And did you bring any sweets...?" I inquired, looking down at her hands, when I saw for the first time that she wasn''t alone...Kumar Silva was with her...nah, probably just my imagination, "So...no sweets?"


    "Hey, don''t ignore me, you little-...I-I mean, uh...never mind," He began to yell, before backtracking as my sister glanced at him.


    Just what did she do to him to get him this afraid of her?


    "So, mind letting us in, Zax?" She grinned expectantly.


    "Fine, whatever...but you can''t stay for long, and you owe me double the usual amount of sweets next time, Ella."


    "You got it, little bro!"


    "Why am I even here?" Muttered the instructor, as my sister dragged him in.


    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.


    "What''s this about, sis? You don''t usually show up on weekdays."


    "Hehe, well...I just found out that Kumar here is gonna be teaching you during your Level J classes, and I kinda got excited, you know, worlds colliding and stuff...it''s a small world, huh?" She replied with an easy-going laugh.


    "Yeah, it literally is a small world, considering the Sanctuary to planet ratio in terms of size-," I started to reply.


    "Jeez, you can be such a little buzzkill sometimes, Zax! Let me have this, it''s a cool coincidence nonetheless!"


    "Uh...you''re weird, Ella. So, wait, that''s why you''re here, because you thought it was a ''cool coincidence'' that two people you know happened to meet?"


    "Well, I...yup, pretty much!"


    "Are you kidding me, Kilella, that''s why you made me call in absent on my second day!? When you said it was an emergency, I thought it had something to do with what I did yester-...! I-I mean, tch, this is s-stupid, can I go?" He began angrily, before stuttering as he not-so-subtly changed the subject.


    Ah, so that''s why he seemed a bit on edge. He was overthinking it though, even if my sister knew about his, uh, training exercise yesterday, I doubt she''d care too much.


    "Hm, yesterday? Did something happen?" She asked curiously.


    "N-nothing!" He stammered, averting his gaze.


    "Okay, so something definitely did happen...Zax, do you know? Come on, tell me!" She shook my shoulders eagerly.


    She had the curiosity of a cat, and once she wanted to know something, she''d get all restless and impatient till she found out.


    "Nothing much, really...the instructor here just-."


    "Just call him Kumar, no need for any formalities. Right, Kumar?" Interrupted my sister, glancing at him.


    "Uh...right, sure," He replied with a sigh.


    "Okay...well, as I was saying, Kumar gave us a sort of...training exercise, I guess you could call it," I said briefly.


    It might be fun to watch Kumar squirm a bit, but maybe better not risk it, he is going to be one of my instructors for the next five and a half or so months.


    "Hm, you''re not lying, I don''t think, but...there''s something that happened that you don''t want me to know, huh, Kumar?" She inquired, turning her gaze towards him and staring down at him intensely.


    "W-well, I..."


    Ten minutes later, she managed to wring it out of him with a minimal application of pressure. Huh, I''d never seen this intimidating side of my sister...no wonder he was so afraid.


    "So, what you''re saying is...you let your stupid size complex get your emotions riled up, over a perfectly reasonable misunderstanding about your age, and you then went on to unleash the full extent of your Primary Manifestation upon a class of Level J students? And after that, you split them up into groups of four and tormented each group one by one?"


    "W-well, tormented is a strong word, Kilella-."


    "Don''t make excuses, you temperamental man-child!"


    "Y-yes, ma''am!"


    She was younger than him, twenty-five years old to his twenty-nine, but this scenario right here looked like an adult scolding a little kid...it was kinda funny.


    "Zax, you didn''t get hurt, did you?" She asked, concern in her voice, before her tone turned colder as she turned to Kumar, "You didn''t hurt my little brother, did you?"


    "Come on, Ella, you''re being overprotective. I''m fine, nothing a quick trip to the infirmary couldn''t fix," I replied with a shrug.


    The Academy''s infirmary had all the basic first-aid items, along with Healing Pods. They were special pods that you get into for about fifteen minutes, what it does is stimulate and consequently increase your body''s healing processes drastically, thought doing so drains your stamina in proportion to the increased self-repair. But since my injuries were minor, they healed up within fifteen or so minutes and didn''t cost any significant amounts of stamina.


    "In other words...you were hurt," She remarked coldly, flashing a death glare at Kumar, "So, you bullied my baby brother, did you?"


    ...I really didn''t like being called ''baby brother''.


    "N-no, wait...sure, I suppose you could say I bullied the other Level J students, but one of your brother''s injuries was self-inflicted, and the other was done in self-defense! He left a deep cut on my shoulder and busted my wrist, so I kinda panicked and struck out because I thought he was about to blast my wrist off!"


    "Well...yeah, I was planning on firing again, sorta got caught up in the heat of the moment," I replied sheepishly.


    "Is that true...?" Remarked my sister with a look of surprise, before breaking out into a wide smile and pulling me close, hugging me and ruffling my hair, "Way to go, Zax, I''m so proud of you! I can''t believe you held your own against an Ace, that''s so awesome!"


    "I mean, he was holding back, so it''s really not that big of a deal," I replied with a shrug.


    "Still, you nearly crippled him for life, that''s so cool!" She grinned with a thumbs up.


    "Hey, that''s not very nice-...whatever, I''m leaving, so-," Began Kumar, standing up.


    "Not so fast...you still need to apologize to Zax for hurting him. Oh, right, what were your injuries, little bro?"


    "Nothing major. The first was a few punctures on my palms from when I threw one of my classmates at him by grabbing her Primary Manifestation, a thorny whip, and swinging it towards him. And the second was when he flung me away before I could blast his wrist, I got a few bruises on my back. Like I said, nothing major, and I''m all healed up now."


    "Oh, that really is nothing major...but wait, you seriously threw your classmate? That''s pretty resourceful! Also, I kinda got nervous for a sec there when you said ''by grabbing her...'', hehe," She replied with a suggestive smirk.


    "What are you, thirteen?" Inquired Kumar with an exasperated sigh.


    "Shut up, or I''ll duel you again," She growled threateningly.


    "No way, I''m never dueling you again."


    "Oh, you beat him, Ella?"


    "Yup! His X-Abilities are strong and all, but I''m like way faster, so I blasted his Manifestation around the center, yanked him out of it, and then got caught up in the rush and ended up slamming him down to the ground. No permanent damage done though, so all''s well that ends well."


    "No, not ''all''s well that ends well'', I was in the hospital for a week!"


    As they began snipping at each other, I patiently waited for them to leave, dropping several hints like glancing at my watch and gasping at the time, I even said ''it''s getting pretty late, I need to get some sleep'' multiple times, but...as it turned out, they didn''t leave till a whole two hours had passed, only leaving when my patience ran out and I bluntly asked them to get out. It''s almost 10:30 PM, I just wanted to sleep early, I''m going to be so tired during class tomorrow...next time my sister comes over, she better bring me a generous amount of sweets to make up for this...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 25 - 24 - XFE Combat Exam(Part 1)

    It was now the end of January, which meant that it was time for our first round of exams. The written exam had been yesterday, and I think I did well enough on it. Today we had the XFE combat exam and tomorrow would be the teamwork exam...the former should be fine, but the latter was going to be a problem, I really wasn''t looking forward to working with others.


    So far, all our teamwork training sessions had consisted of us being randomly grouped into teams of two, three or four, and taking turns sparring against Instructor Silva...in other words, we weren''t actually being taught anything, he didn''t even give us any constructive feedback or criticism afterwards, so we had no idea if we were doing anything wrong.


    And we had absolutely no idea what the exam would even look like, without any clue on what to expect. Oh, well, guess I don''t have a choice but to wait for tomorrow and see, for now I''ll just worry about the XFE combat exam today. We had been informed that it''d involve us fighting Mutants, but hadn''t received any details beyond that, though I wasn''t too worried about it.


    We didn''t have classes on exam days and the exams were held in the afternoon, so I didn''t have to force myself to wake up early, which was great. I had just arrived at the X-Warrior Academy, a little past 12:30 PM, we had been asked to be here by 1 PM at the latest. I made my way to the training hall where we were supposed to gather in and entered, seeing that a few of my classmates were already here.


    Instructor Jin Satou was asleep on a bench in the sidelines of the hall, and had put a sign next to the bench that read ''don''t wake me up till everyone gets here''. Besides me, eight others were here, so we were waiting on seven more to arrive. As I found a spot to sit down at the sidelines, I was approached by a group oozing unpleasantness...


    "I can''t wait to see you fail, Dud," Sneered Tairo, with a look of condescension, "Hope you aren''t feeling cocky about having made it this far to begin with, it was just dumb luck, no doubt about that!"


    "I second that," Laughed Misaki in agreement.


    "Yeah, you should fail alongside him, that would be ideal," Chimed in Bytra, earning a glare from Misaki.


    "Tch, nobody asked you, Loner Tramp!"


    Despite the fact that these two were constantly at each other''s throats, Misaki was now regularly hanging out with Tairo and Bytra. Hm, how do I get them to leave me alon-?


    "Don''t you guys have anything better to do?" Frowned Alex, walking over disapprovingly, "You''re acting like immature high-school bullies."


    Alex Jaice, a stereotypical ''nice guy'', he often interjected whenever these assholes got bored and decides to pick on me. Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I found it unnecessary and a little annoying, I can ignore them just fine and I didn''t like being treated like someone who needed to be saved or whatever. He wasn''t the only one, Andre Phillips also butted in at times, but right now, he wasn''t here yet.


    "You need to stop being so uptight, man. What''s the harm in putting a Dud in his place?" Shrugged Tairo, giving me a look of disdain.


    "Well, you need to stop being so arrogant, it''s not cool," Frowned Alex disapprovingly.


    "Hey I appreciate what you''re trying to do, but you really don''t need to trouble yourself...after all, when you hear a fly buzzing around you or a dog barking, the best approach is to just ignore the noise, wouldn''t you agree?" I chimed in with a look of disinterest.


    "Tch, you think you''re so smart, don''t you? You''re all talk, Dud, I can''t wait to see you flunk!" Chuckled Tairo, walking away with Bytra and Misaki on his heels.


    I let out an internal sigh of relief as they left...just because I can ignore them doesn''t mean that I don''t get at least a little bit annoyed.


    "Sorry you have to put up with that, man," Said Alex sympathetically.


    I found his sympathy annoying, but he was technically being nice, so I won''t antagonize him.


    "What are you apologizing for? Don''t make a big deal out of it, I''m used to it," I replied with indifference.


    By this point, all sixteen of us had arrived, so one of the others woke up the instructor, who awoke with a sleepy glare, grouchy at the fact that his nap had been interrupted. I could empathize, but he had a job to do right now, so he shouldn''t have chosen to sleep when he did to begin with.


    "Grr, what a pain...okay, I''m going to explain what your first monthly XFE combat exam will consist of. Pay attention, because I won''t repeat myself and I probably won''t be taking any questions either, got it?"


    At this point, we were used to the way he did things, so there was no sense in complaining. He then began explaining what the exam would consist of...


    "Like the entrance exam, this exam will be administered in two stages...first, you''ll each be fighting two Q-Ranked Mutants. And after that, you''ll all be randomly paired up with three others and duel them. If you fail to take out both Mutants, you''ll fail this exam. On the other hand, even if you lose all three of your assigned duels, you won''t necessarily fail, which also means that winning all three duels won''t guarantee a pass. The rules are simple, only use XFE attacks, you''ll lose points for any physical attacks used. Now, let''s get this over with quickly...we''ll be making use of all fifteen training halls so that we can get the first stage done with ASAP."


    After a few more minor clarifications, he sent us all off to the training halls, each of us would take the first stage of the exam at the same time, except for one, since there were sixteen of us and only fifteen training halls. I wasn''t too worried about having to face Q-Ranked Mutants, but I was a little miffed at the ''no physical attacks'' rule, which meant that I''d be limited to only being able to use my X-Weapons. Oh, well, fighting with a handicap served as good training, so I won''t complain.


    I entered the hall that I was assigned to and stepped in. It was empty except for a teleportation platform towards the back. According the instructor, the exam would begin as soon as we stepped onto the middle of the training area...well, no sense in waiting around, might as well get started with this.


    I readied my weapons and stepped forward after setting a Save point. I know that I''d probably be better served if I set my Save points a lot further back, which would give me plenty of time to recover any XFE I expended, but the problem with that was the waiting time. Let''s say I set a Save point two hours prior to whatever it was that I was taking the precaution against, I would then have to wait a whole two hours all over again if I had to use Load...besides, so long as I didn''t completely use up my XFE, the way I did things shouldn''t pose any problem.


    Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand, I had just stepped onto the middle of the training hall, and as I did, a holographic countdown appeared above the teleportation platform. I took out my X-Blade handles and increased the output settings on my X-Blasters to about three times the minimum, as the countdown reached five...four...three...two...aaand...one!


    As the countdown ended, I activated my blades and shot forward, right as two Mutants appeared. So, these were Q-Ranked Mutants, huh? I had studied up on the Mutant species that had been named and classified, and I recognized these two types. One was a large dog-looking creature with jet black fur and menacing red eyes, it''s height while on all fours was about the same as mine, which meant that it was taller if it stood up on its hind legs. As for what it was called, and I''m not even kidding here, it was named Doggo.


    Oh, and that''s also their scientific name. Yeah, gone are the days where creatures are given fancy species names anymore, most of the Mutant species were classified under dumb names like this one. As for the other Mutant that had gotten teleported in, it was called a Monke. It was a monkey-looking Mutant that was a few inches taller than me, with long fangs and claws, and wild dark brown fur.


    Both Mutants growled hungrily as they looked at me, their eyes staring at me ravenously. Apparently, Mutants didn''t eat other Mutants, that''s apparently the main reason why they were all classified under the common label of ''Mutants''. Mutants grew up at a rapid rate, and also procreated rapidly, but since they had almost nothing to eat, they tended to die off without living for too long. Their death rate was high, but unfortunately, their rate of procreation was higher, so their numbers only continued to grow.


    Some Mutants ate plants, but most were carnivores, they ate humans and animals, which scientists had discovered by feeding various captured Mutants with a variety of different options. They would eat pretty much any animal meat, clearly had a hunger for human meat as well, and some ate plants. And while there are plants outside the Sanctuary, most of them are evolved due to the radiation following WWIII...to put it simply, most of the plants outside the Sanctuary are Mutants too.


    Anyway, none of the species that were captured and observed showed any interest in the meat of fellow Mutants, even if they were literally starving to death. Basically, what I''m trying to get at is this...these two Mutants were probably incredibly hungry, and I was probably looking like a slice of cake to them.


    The Doggo sprinted towards me with its teeth bared, growling and drooling violently, before pouncing as it neared me. I ducked and rolled swiftly, slashing its underside with one of my blades. I then quickly got to me feet and sprang off to the left while firing a couple of blasts as the Monke screeched and swung its claws at me. It dodged my first shot, the second striking its right shoulder and injuring it.


    Okay, these things are definitely a huge step up from the J-Ranked Mutants that I''d fought during the entrance exam. My slash had been too shallow, and the blast onto the Monke had hurt its shoulder but it looked like it could still move its arm just fine. Still, my XFE Attribute was Dark, which was like poison to these things, so a drawn out fight worked just fine for me.


    Both Mutants then charged at me at the same time, though ended up halting and snapping at each other with threatening growls as they ended up getting in each other''s way. Hm, so they won''t eat each other, but they won''t work together either...I see, they were both so hungry that they each wanted my flesh all to themselves.


    "Come on, now, you freaks...you don''t have to fight over me, you''re gonna make me blush!" I called out tauntingly, to see how they would react.


    How smart or dumb are these things? Can they be provoked? You might argue that this isn''t the time to test stuff like that out, but I''d argue that this was the perfect time. It was definitely safer than experimenting while actually out on the field, that''s for sure.


    Oh, and the answer is yes, they could be provoked. They may not understand my words, but they could understand that I was taunting them. Both Mutants blindly charged at me after I yelled at them, the Monke sprang towards me and tried to bite my head off, swinging its claws at my shoulders. I crossed my arms across each other to form my barrier, its claws deflected off but left a few cracks in my barrier.


    I dropped my arms and sprang back while firing a barrage of six consecutive shots, the Monke was too close to evade them, it began to leap away, but only one of my shots missed, the rest striking it in the chest and abdomen, though they only left shallow wounds.


    Before I could land after springing back, the Doggo leapt at me from behind, its fangs bared and claws raised. I quickly formed my barrier, the Mutant bounced off, shattering the barrier as it fell away. It let out a snarl as it shook itself and got back on its feet, then pounced at me as I landed, I swiftly swung myself around and dashed forward, avoiding its claws before slashing off its lower jaw with one of my blades and blasting its left side with four shots from my wrist-blasters as I shot past it.


    I then quickly got some distance, but it looked like I had done enough damage. Both Mutants were on the ground, struggling to move as blood began spewing out of their mouths and eyes. Looks like I had struck them with enough of my Dark Attribute XFE to incapacitate them. Now I just need to finish them off. I increased the output on my X-Blasters to the maximum and walked over to the Doggo, which was writhing on the ground in agony.


    I pointed both my X-Blasters towards its head at near point-blank range and blasted it till its head was blown apart into tiny chunks. I then headed towards the Monke and gave it the same treatment, blowing its head apart. I then slowly exhaled and stretched my arms up with a sigh of relief. There, I''m done. The first stage of this exam was cleared.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 26 - 25 - XFE Combat Exam(Part 2)

    "Tch, you''re still here?" Sneered Tairo, as everyone gathered after the completion of the first stage.


    It was a little while after I had finished my fight against the Mutants, and I had received a notification from Instructor Satou which confirmed that I had successfully completed the first stage of the exam and informed me to go to one of the other training halls, where everyone was to gather after finishing their fights.


    Tairo had just gotten back, about five minutes after I got here, and he had numerous scrapes and scratches on his arms and torso. And of course, the moment he saw me, he couldn''t resist walking over to snark at me.


    "Oh, no need to look so salty just because you''re all scratched up while I''m practically unscathed," I replied in an innocent tone.


    "Why you-...! Hmph, whatever, you won''t pass the second stage, that''s for sure!" He declared, walking off with a huff.


    Man, what a dick.


    "You sure are good at pushing people''s buttons, huh?" Remarked a groggy voice to my left.


    "Am I? Well, I do it purely in self-defense, so-," I began to reply.


    "Oh, I''m not criticizing you, no need to get defensive...just pointing out a fact," He clarified with a stifled yawn.


    Kiran Sigdel, he wasn''t the most energetic person, and that''s putting it lightly, but somehow, he was the classmate that I spoke to the most. The fact that he sat in the same row as me in class may be a part of that, but honestly, I''m not sure how it happened. We sometimes exchanged words every now and then, and at some point it just became the norm, and before I knew it, I was regularly conversing with him.


    "So, how''d your first stage go?"


    "Fine, I guess. I just got out of their reach and smacked them till they died," He replied with a shrug, "How was yours?"


    "Not bad, managed to get through it unscathed, so no complaints," I responded, brushing off my shoulders.


    As more of my classmates began streaming into the hall, the instructor walked in while carrying a box, looking around to see if all of us were here...we were still missing two people, probably the two that had to share a training hall. It didn''t take long for them to show up, after which Instructor Satou began relaying to us the details of the second stage...


    "You should all be grateful, do you have any idea how difficult it was to pair you all up so that all sixteen of you would be assigned exactly three duels each? Well, do you? No, I didn''t think so. So, yeah, pay attention because I won''t repeat myself or take any questions..."


    I don''t think it was that hard, was it...? Since there were sixteen of us, if he divided us into groups of four and had each person duel the others in their group, that''d do it. Wait, had he manually done it instead? I''m pretty sure there''s plenty of apps or software that can take care of that.


    Talk about a waste of effort, but I wasn''t going to bring it up or anything, because A, that''s not my style, and B, it would probably devastate him if he realized he had expended more effort than he needed to, and I wasn''t that heartless.


    "Okay, I''ve sent you all a message that includes whom you''ll be fighting and in which training hall each fight will be taking place. The rules are simple, the duels will be five-minute bouts, and you can use any weapons at your disposal, including physical attacks this time, though I would recommend using XFE attacks as much as possible, since, you know...this is an XFE combat exam. And like I said earlier, winning or losing won''t guarantee a pass or fail, it''s how you fight that''ll actually be taken into consideration...in other words, you could win a duel, but depending on how the fight went, the person you defeated could end up gaining more points that you did. Ah, crap, I just repeated myself, didn''t I...tch, forget I said that!"


    ...this guy has issues.


    "Ahem, getting back to my explanation...there are three ways to win your duels, make your opponent admit defeat, knock them out, or force the high tech barrier to teleport them out...hm, I guess I should explain that last one. All the duels will be taking place inside a barrier that''s been recently developed for the purpose of allowing X-Warriors to duel safely, called the Duel Field, and they just got approved for use here at the Academy. Basically, you''ll each put on these collars, which are high tech sensors that''ll react when the wearer is about to receive a strike that''ll leave permanent or lethal damage. When the sensor reacts, the Duel Fueld''s key function will kick in, that is, to instantly teleport out the person who''s about to get injured. Just so we''re clear, you will not be fighting these duels in Phantom Mode," He concluded his explanation, before heading out of the training hall with a sigh of relief, "Oh, I''ll be watching the duels through the security cams, just FYI. Put on the collars in the box I brought in and then start."


    Well, now, this could be pretty interesting. I walked over to the box he''d left behind and picked up one of the collars inside it. It looked different to the Phantom Mode restriction collars we''d used before. I fastened it around my neck and brought up my holo-screen, opening up the message sent by Instructor Satou. Okay, it looks like I''ll be fighting...Jian Lee, Makoto Amano and Seila Khan, in that order. Aw, I''d have liked to be paired up with at least one of Bytra, Tairo or Misaki, the looks on their faces after I beat them would''ve been fucking cathartic...oh, well, hopefully next time.


    "Seriously, I''m fighting the Dud first? Talk about unlucky, I wanted some good, challenging fights!" Remarked Jian, as he walked past me without even seeming to notice me.


    He wasn''t as bad as Tairo and the others were, as in he didn''t come over to fuck with me whenever he was bored like they did, but he made it clear that he didn''t consider me a threat whatsoever, despite having seen me fight during Instructor Satou''s training exercise...well, he probably hadn''t been watching. Well, I didn''t despise this guy as much as I did Tairo, but I was very much looking forward to proving him wrong.


    He had already headed out to the training hall where I was supposed to duel him, guess I''ll make my way there too. I had used just under half my XFE during the first stage, though about forty percent of what I used up had been during those last shots I fired to blast the Mutants'' heads into paste. Anyway, it had been a bit over twenty minutes since then, so I had recovered about ten percent, and currently had a little over sixty percent of my full capacity intact.


    Hm, looking at the match-ups that Instructor Satou had sent us, it looks like there would be a break of at least half an hour between each duel, in other words, no one would be fighting two duels within the same half hour. Anyway, I made it to the training hall and walked in. Jian was already there, and there was also a drone floating above, hovering near the ceiling of the hall.


    "It''s about time, I thought maybe you got scared and ran away, not that I could blame you, haha!" He called out as I walked in.


    Oh, come on, he couldn''t have been waiting for more than two or three minutes. And his tone was throwing me off, it was cocky and confident, but not condescending. I really couldn''t figure him out at all. Well, whatever, I don''t need to understand him to defeat him.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting or whatever, I guess," I replied patronizingly, as I stepped onto the training area.


    The drone then began forming a semi-transparent barrier around us, occupying nearly the entire space excluding the sidelines. So, this is the Duel Field, huh? I gave it a tap out of curiosity to see what it felt like...weird, it felt solid, like I was tapping on a wall.


    The drone then manifested a holographic countdown, as I readied my weapons, setting my X-Blasters to maximum output and taking out my X-Blades and manifesting the blades by running a steady stream of XFE through them.


    "Now, that''s more like it!


    !" He exclaimed enthusiastically, forming his green energy axe.


    Five...four...three...two...


    ...ONE!


    I fired a couple of shots from my wrist-blasters, which he deflected with a swing of his axe, right as I swiftly shot across to his left with my blades poised. He chased after me with his axe raised, springing towards me and swinging it down at me with all his might.


    I quickly side-stepped to avoid it before closing in on him, slashing one of my blades towards his side. He dodged at the last minute, my blade nicking his t-shirt and leaving a small cut. Just like my outfit, his looked like normal clothes but were actually lightly armored. Actually, his felt more thickly armored than mine, which meant that it was also heavier.


    "Oh, close one! Maybe I misjudged you, Dud," He grinned, letting out a laugh as he spun around and swung the axe down at me.


    I quickly crossed my arms to form my barrier, his axe shattered it but bounced off slightly, giving me a small opening. I swiftly shot forward and swung my left blade up at his face while firing a couple of shots from my right wrist-blaster at his chest.


    He let go of his axe and caught my left hand before my blade could reach, letting out a grimace as my fired shots struck his chest. He began to tighten his grip on my wrist, but I quickly fired a shot at his hand, forcing him to let go. I backed away while firing a couple of shots to keep him at bay.


    He swings that axe around with minimal effort, and he was quick on his feet too. And I can''t rely on him weakening like the Mutants did, Dark Attribute XFE was toxic to humans as well, but not nearly as much as they were to Mutants. Since this bout was only going to last five minutes, any deterioration in his physical state by my XFE would be minimal at best. He dashed at me again, his eyes alight and a wide grin on his face.


    "Hey, now, you''re pretty good! <Secondary Manifestation: Axe Expansion>!"


    A compliment? Man, this guy really throws me off. Whatever, it doesn''t matter. He sprang up and swung his axe down at me again. His attacks were straightforward, but they were so fast that I didn''t have time to dodge, even though I knew they were coming.


    I formed my barrier again, which had the same result as last time, shattering and slightly deflecting his axe. Now''s my chance! As I began to step forward towards him with my blades poised, a triumphant grin spread out on his face.


    "Did you really think that the same move would work on me again? I win!" He declared, starting to flick his wrist to whip the axe down towards my back.


    Perfect, that''s just what I wanted him to do...because this wasn''t the same move as before. With a swift flick of my fingers, I flung both my blades at him, one aimed at his throat and the other at his left eye, right as his axe began nearing my back. At the last moment, he began to tilt his head to the right with a look of alarm, but I had flung my blades from less than a meter, effectively point-blank, so even with his impressive agility, there was no way he was dodging this.


    I felt his axe start to press onto my back right as the tip of my blades made contact with his neck and the corner of his eye...and the next thing I knew, I was on the sidelines, and so was he. The barrier then faded, and the drone projected a hologram that read ''Result: Draw''. So, his axe reached me at the exact same time that my blades reached him. Damn it, I should''ve been faster, I''d be dead or at least badly injured if it hadn''t been for the barrier.


    Looks like the axe has left a cut in my jacket, but my undershirt was fine. Well, it''s a good thing I had a bunch of spares of this outfit. I glanced over at Jian...he had two pin pricks of blood trickling down, one on his neck and the other on the side of his neck. It was like he had been pricked by needles in those spots...which meant that he had been teleported out right after the tips of my blades nicked his skin.


    In other words, the teleport function of the Duel Field wasn''t exactly instantaneous. Well, I guess it was fast enough, a little rip in my jacket was way better than the alternative.


    "A draw, huh? Well, that''s a shock...man, I really underestimated you! You''re really fast and your moves are super annoying and hard to deal with!"


    Seriously, what''s with this guy?


    "Uh...thanks, I guess."


    "Man, I did not expect a Dud to be so strong, I was under the impressions that Prodigies were just way stronger than everyone else!"


    "Okay, seriously, how do you keep saying a derogatory term with seemingly no malice, it''s really weird."


    "A derogatory term? Huh?"


    "Huh?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Wait, what do you mean?" He inquired with a look of genuine confusion.


    "You''re kidding, right? ''Dud'' is a derogatory term that some Prodigies use to insult regular Paragons who failed to become Prodigies, since they consider themselves to be superior humans. Personally, I''ve gotten used it, but the way you use it without any condescension is kinda unsettling. I mean, you do know what the word dud literally means, right?" I informed him with a raised eyebrow.


    He was silent for a while after I finished, his eyes wide and his expression blank. Okay, fucking seriously, what was with this guy?


    "Yo...shit, man. I always thought it just meant ''normal person'', with no negative connotations. But now that you mention it, a lot of things are making sense...damn, I gotta lotta people to apologize to. You too, man, my bad...er, sorry, what was your name again? I know there''s a K and a Z, but I haven''t actually read it properly," He remarked sheepishly.


    "It''s Kilzachs. And no worries, I guess...if you didn''t know, then no harm, no foul. But seriously, how could you not know?"


    "Well, back during high school, most of my Prodigy friends used it so normally, plus it was a lot easier to say than ''regular person'' or ''normal Paragon'', so I just said it too. But now that I think about it, my Dud-...I mean, my non-Prodigy friends did seem kinda miffed whenever I used the word Dud. And the way that Tairo guy says Dud does sound pretty insulting, I should have realized it sooner...damn, I''m stupid. Well, thanks for enlightening me, Kilzachs! "He grinned, slapping my back.


    Ow, that hurt...well, I won''t complain, I had one less person antagonizing me now that this dumb misunderstanding was cleared up. Anyway, my first duel out of three of this exam had ended in a draw, a decent enough result, I suppose. But I''ll win the next one...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 27 - 26 - XFE Combat Exam(Part 3)

    Alright, that last fight had only taken around twenty percent of my XFE, and I had about forty-five minutes before my next duel, so by then, I''ll have more XFE than I did at the start of the last duel. I was currently in the cafeteria, I''d just ordered three donuts, gotta replenish my energy and whatnot. Sugar was good for that, so yeah. The best part was that I had the entire cafeteria to myself, so it was nice and quiet.


    That duel had taken only a little over two minutes, but I had been constantly on the move, plus the fight against the Mutants in the first stage had also taken a bit of stamina. I wasn''t particularly tired since I had built up my stamina quite a bit during my training, but better safe than sorry. Also, I was kinda craving something sweet, but that''s, uh, only a minor reason for this...


    Anyway, I was pretty confident about winning my second duel, though I was a little worried about the third one...but I''ll focus on the more immediate fight for now. I had to say, I wasn''t liking how long this exam was taking, was it going to be like this during all the monthly exams?


    "Hey, how''s it going, Zax? You really need to lay off the sweets, kid," Remarked a familiar voice, walking up to me.


    Huh, I thought I was only person here. But then, this guy was pretty easy to miss, since he was, you know, really short, though I definitely shouldn''t say that out loud. Oh, and he''d started calling me Zax like my sister did, which was weird at first since till that point, she was the only one who ever used that nickname, but I guess that, eventually, I got used to it.


    "Oh, hey, Kumar. What''s up? And on the contrary, I think my level of sweets consumption is moderate," I argued as I took another bite.


    "Whatever, it''s not I particularly care...oh, and call me Instructor Silva here, I''d hate it if the other students started calling me by my first name too. You get a pass because of Kilella, and also because I have to acknowledge that you''ve got decent skills."


    "Jeez, if it bothers you that much, I''ll just call you instructor, it makes no difference to me," I replied with a shrug, "And I appreciate your acknowledgment or whatever, I guess."


    "Like I said, I don''t mind you calling me by my first name, just don''t do it in front of other students...but, just so you know, it makes no difference to me either way, got that?"


    I''ve always wanted to see a tsundere reaction, but not like this...


    "Yeah, sure. So, uh...was there something you needed, or what?"


    "Just some advice for tomorrow''s exam...you''ll definitely fail if you use your teammates the way you threw that girl at me when we dueled. The exam will mainly evaluate your aptitude with teamwork, but using your teammates like tools is a big no-no...that''s actually a bit part of why I''m suspended for a year and am taking this teaching job, I''m not great at working with others either. If you can''t work together with whoever you get teamed up with, then at the very least, try to go about the exam without getting in each other''s way, that''s the absolute minimum you''d need to do to pass."


    Most of that was just stating the obvious, I already knew that I couldn''t very well do things the way I usually did for the teamwork exam, or I''d fail. That''s why it was the exam that I was the most concerned about. You''d think he could give me something more useful though...


    "Hey, anything you can tell me about the details of the exam?" I inquired hopefully.


    "Hmph, no way, unlike your sister, I still have my integrity," He immediately declined with a huff.


    "Tch, goody-two-shoes."


    "Wha-!? That is the last thing that I am!"


    "Oh, yeah? Then prove it, what''s the exam gonna consist of?"


    "Real subtle...I''m not going to be that easy to manipulate, you know."


    "Eh, worth a shot. Well, then, how about the teams, you could at least clue me in on who I''ll be stuck with. Come on, throw me a bone, Kumar," I requested with a sigh.


    If I get stuck in the same team as Tairo or Bytra, I''d almost definitely fail.


    "Actually, I haven''t even grouped the teams yet, though I guess there''s no harm in telling you that it''ll be teams of four," He replied after a brief pause.


    "Okay, fine, but can I at least make one request...there are three people in particular that I absolutely do not want to be teamed up with, so maybe you could keep that in mind when forming the teams?" I asked hopefully.


    "Hm...I really shouldn''t, since this is supposed to be done on a random basis...but okay, I guess that''s not too big a deal," He relented after considering it, before bringing up a list on his holo-screen, "Okay, so which ones don''t you want to be teamed with?"


    "Tairo Najimi, Bytra Lichood and Misaki Aki...oh, actually one more, Makoto Amano too. There was another, but that turned out to be a dumb-ass misunderstanding due to ignorance, so yeah...so long as I''m not teamed up with any of these four, I can at least try to work with whoever else."


    "Right, okay, I''ll make a note of that and make sure you aren''t teamed up with any of these four...now, then, I better leave before you rope me into giving you a further advantage, both you siblings have a sneaky nature that I find unpleasant," He remarked warily.


    "Yeah, well, I probably wouldn''t have made it this far if I was all straight-laced and valued integrity or whatever," I shrugged, finishing off the last of my donuts as he headed off.


    My sister tended to bring him along almost everytime she came over to my place since the first time he visited, so I had gotten used to talking to him pretty casually. And as a result, even knowing how powerful he was, I didn''t feel intimidated by him anymore. He had a pretty big ego though, so I wasn''t going to bring that up. Huh, I could probably use my X-Ability to tell him that and see how he reacts and then undo it. I''ll keep that in mind for later, maybe for when after the exams are over...


    ...


    A little over twenty minutes after I finished my donuts, it was time for my second duel of this exam. I had a decent amount of XFE restored, my stamina was pretty much full, and I felt plenty confident too. Which means that it''d suck to lose this fight, so if I do happen to lose, I''ll make sure to undo it and try again. Well, that''s nothing new, I''d always planned to keep a Save point ready anyway.


    I was currently in the training hall where this duel was supposed to take place at, waiting for my opponent to show up. Makoto Amano, the guy was kinda a huge sleazeball. I found him repulsive, he often joined in when Tairo and those two bitches gave me crap, though even they didn''t seem to like him very much, I guess Tairo only put up with him because there was no one else in the class interested in joining him in his bullying, though the girls made no efforts to hide their dislike, since he tended to make some pretty crude remarks at them. I think that was his idea of flirting.


    Plus, the guy was always eating, he seemed to constantly have a lollipop or jawbreaker or some form of hard candy in his mouth, it was especially noticeable in class, the sound of his saliva echoed through the classroom everyday. It was super off-putting and distracting, but he either had no self-awareness or he just didn''t care. Anyway, bottom line, the guy was disgusting.


    The door then opened and he walked in, sucking on a lollipop. As he strolled onto the training area and the drone formed the Duel Field around us, he gave me a condescending smirk and cracked his knuckles. What, was that supposed to be threatening? Talk about cliche. I readied my weapons as the countdown began, the two of us taking out places.


    "Hope you''re ready for me to beat your scrawny ass, Dud!" He remarked with a cocky chuckle.


    I had never actually retorted against this guy before, so this''ll be the first time I speak to him...hm, what should I say in reply...oh, how about something like...


    "I''d like to see you try, fatass, I bet you won''t even be able to touch me," I replied with a smirk.


    "You little shit...!" He growled, his expression darkening, "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Strength Boost>!"


    The timer was almost done ticking down. Three...two...one!


    He shot towards me and swung both hammers down at me, I swiftly sprang back to avoid it, his weapons slamming into the floor and leaving a deep dent upon impact. He has a lot of strength, but he wasn''t all that quick on his feet. I can run circles around this guy.


    I fired a couple of shots at his head, he began to spring off to the right to evade them, dodging one of them but the other struck the left side of his head, as he let out a groan of pain. Blood trickled down the left side of his face, his slightly dazed expression turning into a look of fury as he charged at me with both hammers raised. Wow, he''s completely stopped thinking, his rage had completely taken over and he was rushing in blindly...


    I fired a barrage of six shots at him while keeping my distance, he blocked them with his hammers, before throwing one of them at me with a yell. Seriously? I could dodge that in my sleep. I jumped out of the way to avoid it and shot towards him while firing eight shots at him. He tried to block them, but could only deflect half of them, getting struck on the right shoulder, right knee, abdomen and left wrist, his Primary Manifestation destabilizing.


    This fight is over, time to finish this. I sprinted towards him as he desperately tried to stabilize his remaining hammer, the one he threw at me had already disappeared, and he wouldn''t be able to re-manifest it unless he dispelled the current Manifestation completely. And he had nowhere near enough time to do that before I''d reach him.


    He stumbled back in alarm as I neared him, I got low and fired another shot at his wrist, before driving one of my blades towards his neck. He began to tilt his head away, my blade striking the side of his collar...and slashing through it, leaving a gash in the left side of his neck, blood pouring out profusely, as he let out an agonizing scream of pain. Huh, he didn''t get teleported out? I don''t think that''s my fault, so...it should be fine if I keep fighting, right? Maybe I''ll be nice and do him a favor by slicing off some of that excess fat...


    Before I could make another move, the barrier began glowing red as an alarm began blaring from the drone. A voice then rang out from the drone, it sounded like Instructor Satou...


    "Stop, stop, stop! This duel is over, Kilzachs wins! Makoto, get to the infirmary, you''re losing a lot of blood!"


    "D-damn it, this hurts...! I-I''ll get you for this!" He stuttered with a dazed look in his eyes as he shakily stood up, before rushing off while pressing on his neck to stem the bleeding.


    "Big talk from someone who couldn''t even lay a finger on me!" I called out with a laugh, as he headed out the door.


    Heh, that felt pretty good, I totally dominated that fight, I don''t think he''ll be bugging me and calling me a Dud anytime soon...probably...no, actually, I doubt this changed him, if anything, he''ll have it out for me even more now. Well, whatever, I can deal with him no problem if he tries anything. Alright, then, I was almost done with this exam, two duels down...one more to go...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 28 - 27 - XFE Combat Exam(Part 4)

    I have about thirty minutes before my third and final duel of this exam, and I was currently in the classroom, leaning back on my chair. That last duel had taken nearly forty-five percent of my XFE, I sorta fired more shots from my X-Blasters than I needed to. I had planned on being more frugal, but I really wanted to inflict some pain on that guy, in case I hadn''t mentioned it before, I found him repulsive as hell.


    Unfortunately, by the end of the fight, I had just about twenty percent of my total XFE intact, and by the time the next duel starts, I''ll only have about thirty-five percent...that wasn''t going to be nearly enough, so I had no choice but to extend my break. And by that, I mean I''ll use my X-Ability to delay the fight till I have an adequate amount of XFE recovered.


    Using Load takes five percent of my XFE, and a half an hour break gives me enough time to replenish about fifteen percent...I currently had about twenty percent, so if I lived out this half-hour break three times, I could recover upto fifty percent of my XFE. I could do more just to be safe, but waiting for even an hour and a half was going to be boring as hell, any longer would be unbearable. Fifty percent should be enough if I''m careful about how I use it.


    Alternatively, I could just surrender the duel, wait a few hours, and then use Load once my XFE is fully recharged, but...waiting around for that long would likely be tedious as hell, plus the idea of surrendering, even if it was something that would be undone, wasn''t very appealing.


    I had to say, though, Prodigies had pretty tough bodies...even on the maximum output setting, my X-Blasters couldn''t inflict lethal damage on them, at most, each shot blew away a shallow chunk of flesh and skin, maybe about an inch or so, and it probably hurt like crazy, but the damage was nothing that couldn''t be fixed by a short dip in a Healing Pod. And when I slashed the side of Makoto''s neck in that last duel, I had to really put my shoulder into it, his skin was tough, and probably played a big part in preventing my slash from being a fatal one.


    Speaking of which, it looks like the teleport function of the Duel Field won''t work if you destroy the collar, that''s a pretty shitty design flaw, one that had almost resulted in me killing someone...I didn''t like that, if I was going to kill someone, I''d want it to he intentional, accidentally killing someone didn''t appeal to me at all.


    And another surprise, the fact that Instructor Sato had intervened almost immediately meant that he really had been watching the duels this whole time...I''d just figured that he''d gone off to sleep somewhere. I had to say, when my blade cut into Makoto''s neck, that felt pretty good, it reminded me of the time I stabbed my asshole father with those scissors.


    Well, let''s set all that aside for now and focus on the upcoming duel...though I first need to get through ninety minutes of waiting, or rather, the same thirty minutes three times, in order to recover my XFE. This is so gonna suck...


    ...


    An hour and a half later, thirty minutes in real time, I was at the assigned training hall for my final duel. I had a little over fifty percent of my XFE, so I should be good. My opponent, Seila Khan, was already here, and I''d already stepped onto the fighting area, so the duel was seconds away from starting. I stopped a few meters away from her and took out my X-Blade handles, after setting my X-Blasters to their maximum output.


    She was busy adjusting her collar, but ended up fumbling and somehow undid the clasp, the collar falling onto the ground and skidding forward towards me. How did she even do that...? In a way, it was almost impressive.


    "O-oh, no...m-my collar...," She stuttered, stumbling forward clumsily.


    I sighed and walked over to the collar since it was closer to me. I bent down to pick it up, lifting it and holding it out towards her.


    "Here you go."


    "Th-thanks, that''s very nice of y-...w-woah!" She began, before tripping over her own feet as she reached for it, falling onto me and knocking me over.


    You have got to be kidding me...


    "Ow...," I groaned, rubbing the back of my head.


    "I-I''m so sorry-! Ack!" She began to apologize, before bumping her forehead onto mine...hard.


    Not gonna lie, that kinda hurt.


    "It''s fine, but just...get off me, please."


    Her body was very...soft, it was kinda, no, VERY distracting. And her clumsy attempts at getting up was resulting in her rubbing up against me...a lot. Eventually, she managed to get back on her feet, apologizing profusely. I quickly stood up and stepped back, getting some distance. Okay, so...that was, uh...actually kinda nice.


    "I''m really, really sorry-!"


    "No worries, it was an accident, so no harm done..."


    The timer then reached zero, signaling the start of the fight.


    "H-huh, it''s already s-starting...? W-wait, I need to-!" She exclaimed in dismay, fumbling with the collar.


    This is painful to watch, how can one person be so clumsy?


    "Sheesh, chill out...I won''t attack while you''re not ready," I called out assuringly, the tension in her expression easing a bit.


    After all, I might lose points in the final score for the exam if I attacked her before she was ready.


    "Th-thanks, I appreciate i-it, um, Mr Light."


    ...I know I picked my own last name, but being called ''Mr'' felt really weird...


    "Uh...just call me Kilzachs."


    "O-oh, okay...then you can call me Seila."


    Whatever, can we just start already? Time''s a-tickin''. Somehow, eventually, she managed to get her act together, with a little over a minute of the bout idly used up.


    "You ready?" I inquired, as I ran my XFE through my blade handles, activating them.


    A chill ran down my spine as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, her body relaxing and her expression calm and calculated, as she nodded in response and held out her hands, right as I shot forward towards her.


    "


    ."


    As her yellow XFE weapons manifested, I fired a couple of shots from my X-Blasters, which she easily blocked. I then ran across to her left, before swiftly ducking backwards as she pointed and expanded one of her blades at me. I quickly let go of my blade handles and used my backward momentum to fall, landing on my palms and swinging my legs away as she swung the expanded blade straight down at me.


    I then flipped and sprang away, grabbing my blade handles as I did. That was a close one. She then expanded and whipped both blades towards me rapidly and repeatedly. I narrowly managed to evade her blindingly fast swings while slowly putting some distance between us and trying to get out of her range. Her attacks were so fast that all my focus was on evasion, I didn''t even have time to think about countering...and my barrier wasn''t a real option since she''d probably shatter it with a single strike.


    Ordinarily, I''d just wait till she tires out, but there were two reasons why I couldn''t do that...one, she wasn''t using much stamina or effort, she was generating that speed and power into her slashes using mostly her wrists, instead of her arms and shoulders...and two, we only had like, a little over three minutes left in this duel, I highly doubt there''s a realistic way for me to make her use up her stamina in just three minutes.


    I need to do more than just dodge...hm, it looks like she was getting a bit frustrated at failing to hit me. She shouldn''t be though, because, going back to my point about stamina, she may not be using much, but I sure as hell was. I had to watch both blades closely and react almost instantly...and that was far from an easy task. And she was slowly taking steps forward whenever I got close to getting out of her range...she''s really good. Suddenly, the blades disappeared from my sight.


    In the fraction of a second for which I was confused, the blades rapidly expanded towards me again, I quickly sprang back and formed my barrier, which shattered almost as soon as the blades struck it, after which I swiftly cross my blades in front of me, blocking her blades and keeping them from striking my midsection. The impact send me flying back towards the boundary of the Duel Field, I quickly activated my barrier again to prevent my back from slamming onto it.


    As I landed, she shot towards me, expanded one of her blades...and flung it towards me like a boomerang. Guess she was tired of the deadlock. I sprang up to avoid it, my feet landing on the face of the blade, before I leapt straight off it and zipped towards her at top speed, as she swung her remaining blade down at me with some serious force. I braced my shoulders for impact as I blocker her strike with my X-Blades and used all my strength to parry her downward swing onto the ground.


    The force knocked me slightly off balance, but instead of trying to stabilize myself, I used to momentum to pivot on my foot and spin around, flinging both my X-Blades at her with as much speed as I could generate. She swiftly retracted her blade and blocked my blades, which deflected off and fell to the ground. I fired a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters to keep her on the defensive and prevent her from expanding her blade at me.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Lightning Arms>!"


    Using her blade as a shield, she shot towards me with electricity crackling around her right arm...and presumably her left arm too, but I couldn''t see it since it was behind the blade. I balled my hands into fists and ran XFE into my gloves, charging up the taser-knuckles on it. At most, they could stun a person for a few seconds, but they weren''t strong enough to knock someone out, unless they were like, really fucking weak.


    In other words, pitting my tasers'' electricity against her manifested electricity probably wasn''t a good idea, but a part of me wanted to know exactly how much of a difference there was...nothing ventured, nothing gained!


    As we closed to gap, I stopped firing and drew back my left fist, driving it forward with all my strength just as she began to throw her own electrifying punch. Upon impact, I felt a stunning shock run through my right arm and numbing my entire body, before the force knocked my arm back, causing me to stumble. I could barely feel my right arm at all, my glove had been completely blown off, my hand was badly electrocuted and I couldn''t move my arm. My right X-Blaster was fried too, it was crackling violently...okay, that was a terrible idea and I''m never doing that again.


    I swiftly sprang back a few paces and took it off, tossing it onto the ground with a wince of pain. I can still use my left arm just fine, though my barrier was off the table since I needed both X-Blasters to activate it. Meanwhile, my opponent was doing a lot better than I was, but she wasn''t completely unscathed. Her left hand looked like it had taken a bit of damage, her pained expression confirming that.


    I was around the spot where she had deflected my blades after I threw them at her, but I don''t think she''s noticed. She seemed to have lost control over her Primary Manifestation, both blades were gone, though her arms were still crackling with lightning, so her Secondary Manifestation was still active. There was just about a minute left in this duel.


    "


    ," She remarked, reforming her blades.


    The instant she began to point them towards me, I swiftly stomped on the back edge of one of my blades handles, kicking it up to me. As it shot up past my face, I brushed it with my finger, running some XFE into it and forming the blade. I then sprang up as her blades expanded towards me, they grazed the soles of my shoes, before I twisted my body in mid-air and spun across, slamming my foot onto the back of the blade I kicked up, sending it shooting towards her face.


    At the last second, she tilted her head out of the way with a slight look of alarm, the blade scratching the side of her face before dissipating and falling to the ground. Oh, crap...I had used all my momentum to twist myself while airborne and kick the blade towards her...I had no way to dodge this. She swung her bladed up at me, I tried firing a couple of shots from my remaining X-Blaster to deflect them, but my shots were too weak.


    Before the blades could slice through me, the Duel Field''s teleportation effect came into play, warping me out just in time, falling onto the sidelines on my back. Well...I lost. But I suppose it technically doesn''t matter so long as I pass. Okay, that was a lie, I was pretty salty over losing. Fuck, she''s strong...how the hell was she so clumsy when she wasn''t fighting? As the Duel Field shut off and I got back on my feel, Seila jogged over to me, holding my blade handles and X-Blaster.


    "U-um, you dropped these...h-here," She stuttered, holding them out towards me.


    Jeez, at least act triumphant or something...I don''t know why, but the fact that was back to acting all meek after beating me pretty convincingly was really ticking me off for some reason.


    "Oh, uh...thanks. And congrats or whatever."


    "Th-thank you! B-but i-it was really close...you''re really strong," She replied, as I took my weapons from her.


    I really don''t like being sympathized, spare me.


    "...you don''t need to console me or anything."


    "N-no, that''s not it at all! I really mean it...when y-you kicked your weapon towards me, I-I freaked out for a second, I thought I was going to die," She said with a quiet sigh, a slight look of dissatisfaction on her face as she touched the small cut on her cheek.


    She may be timid as all hell, but she took pride in her abilities...she didn''t like the fact that she didn''t beat me flawlessly. Was that because I wasn''t a Prodigy, or would she have felt the same way regardless? I don''t feel any malice or condescension from her, so probably the latter...


    "I should get going. See you later, I guess," I remarked awkwardly...I wasn''t too used to social interactions, I probably should have just nodded politely and walked away.


    Whatever, same difference. I''m going home.


    "O-okay, see you later- woah!" She began with an awkward wave, before somehow tripping forward...while standing still.


    And she fell towards me, I decided not to fight it, and just accept this fate. Hm, maybe I should at least pretend that I''m alarmed or something, otherwise she might figure out that I was welcoming this...oh nooo, she''s falling on me, I can''t get out of the way or stop her, nooo, what do I do...?


    As she fell onto me and knocked me onto the ground for the second time in less than ten minutes, I couldn''t help but think...a time freezing ability, or at least an ability to slow down time, would be super convenient right now...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 29 - 28 - Teamwork Exam(Part 1)

    "Quiet, you brats! I''m about to announce the four teams and the content of your teamwork exam. Don''t come crying to me if you missed something because you weren''t paying attention while I was talking!"


    It was the next day, and I was back at the Academy for the third and final exam...of the first month. Kumar was going to take fifteen minutes to give us the rundown on what this exam was going to entail, after which we''d be given an hour to familiarize ourselves with our assigned teammates, and discuss stuff like how we could work in tandem, in order to score points in the exam. Also, Kumar had activated his Primary Manifestation, though at a height of five meters instead of the maximum of fifty.


    I was tempted to bring it up, but it wasn''t my style to speak up when so many people were around, I was nowhere near that extroverted. I''ll mention it the next time he and my sister come over to my pl-...huh, they''d been coming over so regularly that in my head, it felt like a routine thing without me even realizing it. Anyway, he then began breaking down the teams for the exam. He''d better have not grouped me with any of the people I specifically asked him not to.


    As it turned out, the three people who I''d be teamed up with were Suri Patel, Zoya Sokolova and Taayin Sharma. Of the three, Zoya was the only one who I''d describe as unproblematic...Suri was the type who was perpetually stuck in a bad mood, and Taayin had those crazy eyes that made me super nervous and uncomfortable. Maybe I should have just given Kumar a specific list of the people I''d be okay with teaming up with...well, ideally, I''d team up with none, but that wasn''t really an option in this exam.


    And then he got to the exact details of the exam. Each team would head out to a different Teleportation Point, which would teleport them to a spot outside the Sanctuary, into sort of underground bunkers that opened up to the outside, where we''d roam around and fight Mutants. Accompanying each team would be an instructor, to observe, and step in if things got too dangerous or out of hand.


    Huh, I...really didn''t expect this, I didn''t think I''d get to go outside the Sanctuary till I was an X-Warrior. Oh, and each team would be assigned a leader, based on how they scored in the XFE combat exam. I''d passed it with a pretty decent score, but each person only knew their own scores, so I had no idea where I''d placed. After a few more minor details and clarifications, he revealed who the team leaders would be...


    "Okay, this team''s leader is...huh...actually, two of you got the exact same score in yesterday''s exam...Zoya Sokolova and...Kilzachs Light. Uh...they didn''t tell me what to do if this happened. In which case, there''s only one option, one way to do this fairly...you two will battle it out in rock-paper-scissors to decide who the leader will b-."


    Oh, hell no.


    "Wait! Can I just defer the role to her by default?" I interrupted immediately in protest..


    Come on, help me out here...


    "Any specific reason?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    Well, duh.


    "Of course I have a reason...I really don''t wanna."


    ...maybe I shouldn''t have been so blunt.


    "You know...if you''d been able to come up with a half-decent excuse, I might have able to do that for you, but honestly isn''t always the best policy, Zax," He remarked with a sigh, "Rock-paper-scissors it is."


    Well, whatever...if I lose, I''ll just try again.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    It took five tries, but eventually, I won. What the hell...she didn''t throw out the same sign each time, first she put out rock, then on my first do-over, she put out scissors, then rock again, then paper, and finally, scissors in this last round, when I finally won. Okay, so I learnt something new...when I use Load, it doesn''t guarantee that the events I already went through would repeat exactly as they did previously...guess that means stuff like fate and destiny are totally bullshit.


    Man, what a waste of twenty percent of my XFE. Anyway, each team was seperated into a training hall, where we''d be given an hour to discuss strategy and whatnot. And I had to play nice and genuinely try to work with these people if I wanted to pass this exam...what a fucking pain in the ass. Thank fuck I''m not the leader of this team, that''d make the situation even worse.


    I decided to set a new Save point now, so that if the exam went badly and I ended up using a significant amount of XFE, I''d have time to recover it...not to mention that I''d be able to discuss a better strategy based on my experience of the previous attempt...I can''t forget that the outcome isn''t set in stone though, the second and subsequent attempts could be a lot different to the first.


    "Let''s discuss how we should proceed once the exam begins. First, let''s all introduce ourselves, along with a rundown of our abilities so that we''re all aware of what each other can do...is that okay with everyone?" Inquired Zoya, looking around the group.


    "Yeah, whatever," Suri replied with a shrug.


    "If I must," Remarked Taayin, a look of disinterest on his face.


    "Uh...what they said," I added awkwardly.


    She looked a bit miffed at the less-than-enthusiastic responses.


    "...I suppose I''ll go first. I''m Zoya Sokolova, and I fight using rapiers that I form using my X-Abilities, I''m at my strongest and most effective at close range. I have the Light Attribute, and I can heal minor injuries like cuts, bruises, scrapes and fractures at a fairly fast pace using my palms or the bottoms of my manifested rapiers, though I can''t heal major injuries like broken bones or deep stab wounds. That''s about it, I think...who wants to go next?"


    No one responded for a few seconds, until Taayin spoke up with a sigh.


    "First off, loving the enthusiasm levels we got going on here...anyway, I''m Taayin Sharma, my X-Abilities let me tear apart my targets with my PM, and my SM lets me restrain my target for five minutes if I touch their skin directly. Oh, and I got the Dark Attribute."


    "Your Secondary Manifestation sounds like it could be very useful, thank you for that detailed introduction, Taayin...okay, then, who''s next?" Asked Zoya, staring between Suri and I.


    I decided to go next, since Suri looked like she''d already made up her mind to go last, and it''d be more awkward if neither of us spoke up, so I bit the bullet and went next.


    "Uh...hi, I''m Kilzachs Light. I can fight at any range, though I''d say I''m probably strongest at long-range, I''m pretty confident in my accuracy, if nothing else. Uh, what else...I have the Dark Attribute and...that''s about it, I guess."


    Real smooth. Anyway, I managed to get through it, that left Suri...


    "Suri Patel...my Primary Manifestation is a chainsaw and my Secondary lets me fling out shuriken. Either close range or mid range works for me. And I have the Wind Attribute."


    With that, introductions were done, but now there was a bit of an awkward silence. Zoya looked like she was trying to think of something to say, but wasn''t having any luck with that. Seriously? What''s she so confused about, I mean, just jump straight to the point...okay, this isn''t going anywhere, I''ll see if I can jumpstart this thing by prompting her.


    "So, uh...we should discuss our battle formation or whatever, if we each know what our role is and stick to it, things should go smoothly," I spoke up uncomfortably.


    "Oh, yes...right, let''s begin!" Exclaimed Zoya, clapping her hands loudly, after giving me a grateful look, "Hm, all of us can fight at close-range, but it would obviously be a waste, not to mention unproductive, to have everyone fight up front...and we would probably get in each other''s way too. At most, two of us should be up at close-range, and of the two others, one at mid-range, and the other at long-range. How about this, Taayin and I fight in close-range, Suri at mid-range with her shurikens, and Kilzachs at long-range?"


    "Actually, can I be at close-range?" Suri requested, looking displeased.


    "W-well, the problem is that Taayin and I don''t have any ranged attacks, so-."


    "I don''t care what we do, I''m happy so long as I''m at close-range, the rest of you can do whatever you want," Chimed in Taayin.


    A few seconds later, the three of them were in a full-blown argument...well, technically, Taayin and Suri were arguing over which of them should be fighting at close-range, while Zoya was desperately trying to calm them down. Well, until she snapped.


    "Fine! You two idiots can fight up front if you want it so bad, but don''t expect me to be of any help at mid-range!"


    ...the longer this discussion went on, the worse the strategy became...I really didn''t want to do much talking, but at this rate, they were going to drag me down with them and I''d fail this exam. Let''s see, given their unreasonable demands regarding positions in the formation, I only saw one solution that didn''t involve spending energy trying to convince them to change their minds...


    "Why don''t all three of you fight at close-range?" I interrupted them.


    The finally stopped yelling and turned their attention to me...okay, this is very uncomfortable.


    "I don''t know...isn''t that too risky, we might end up getting in each other''s way, and won''t it be too difficult for to cover all three of us from long-range?" Replied Zoya skeptically.


    "I really don''t care so long as I''m up front," Added Taayin with a creepy gleam in his eyes.


    "Yeah, what he said," Agreed Suri.


    Okay, let me think...I had seen each of them fight, during the training exercise against Instructor Satou, and based on what I''d seen, what would be the best way to utilize each of us?


    "I got it...Zoya and Suri, try working together, Zoya can attack fast and aggravate the Mutants and draw them in, back away, and then, Suri can finish them off with her chainsaw. As for Taayin...I think you should just fight as you please. If we assign you a restrictive role, you''ll almost definitely not stick to it, so we might as well account for that right away. Also, fight well away from the other two, that''s the only thing you need to keep in mind...that aside, feel free to cut loose. Since you two will be fighting in tandem as a pair, and he''ll be fighting off on his own, it''ll feel like I''m covering two people instead of three. The main issue is...will you two girls be able to work together effectively?"


    Finally done, that was way too much talking for my liking, they better not ask me to repeat anything.


    "Wow, you''re really blunt, and you''ve got me totally figured out, it''s kinda spooky...heh, you''ve got balls for a Dud, man!" Laughed Taayin with a look of amusement, smacking my back.


    Ow...


    "You shouldn''t use that term," Frowned Zoya disapprovingly, before adding, "Hm, on paper, that''s a pretty solid plan, all things considered...but unless all of us perform our roles near-perfectly, it could fall apart."


    "Personally, I''m not worried about covering you guys, I''m perfectly confident in my aim. But I totally get it if you''re unwilling to take my word for it...how about we go through a few basic moves? You two try fighting the training dummies in tandem, and I''ll back you up from the other end of the training hall...I''ll use Phantom Mode if you want. If this goes well, we should be able to trust each other during the actual exam," I suggested.


    Talk about incompetent, forcing me to speak so much just to avoid failing. Anyway, they agreed to my suggestion. Oh, yeah, I got myself a replacement X-Blaster for the one I busted in my duel against Seila yesterday. I got the same model, X-Wr-0-2115, since I figured it''d be too risky to get something I''m not used to. Though it doesn''t matter too much since I''d be relying on my X-Pistols this time, since they had a longer range and higher penetrative power.


    As it turned out, I didn''t have any problem backing them up, I just needed to predict their movements in the split second it takes for me to fire my X-Pistols and for the shot to reach my target, and avoiding hitting either of them became a cinch. Of course, that meant that I could only fire when I had a clear shot, I''d have to hold when they were in my line of fire.


    Kumar had given all the teams wireless communicators that latched onto our ears, which let out communicate even when we were too far to clearly hear each other. They were pretty useful, especially since I could let the girls know when I couldn''t cover them, or I could even tell them to do something like ''duck on my signal'' and use that opening to take out the target.


    "I think that''s enough, we shouldn''t waste too much XFE," I called out, after using up about eight percent.


    At the minimum output setting, my X-Pistols consumed two percent of my XFE per every five shots fired, and at the maximum output setting, they consumed four percent per every five shots fired.


    "Huh...I thought you were being a little arrogant earlier, but your confidence in your shooting is totally justified...," Remarked Taayin, letting out a whistle.


    "Oh, uh...thanks, I guess."


    I have no idea how to respond to compliments. We still had about ten minutes left before we''d have to head out, and we were using that time to rest up a bit, seated at the sidelines.


    "Hey, I''ve been wondering about something ever since the team leaders were announced...do you know Instructor Silva, outside of the Academy, I mean?" Asked Zoya curiously.


    How did she...?


    "Well, I...uh, what makes you say that?"


    "When you told him that you didn''t want to be leader...he called you Zax. He doesn''t seem like the type to call someone he doesn''t know well by a nickname, so...," She pointed out.


    Crap, did he? I can''t remember...


    "Yeah, I guess we kinda know each other, uh...he''s a classmate of my older sister''s, I found that out after the first day he showed up," I replied honestly, though I left out the little detail of who my sister was.


    "Oh, that makes sense, I guess...if you don''t mind me asking, why didn''t you want to lead? You clearly have a knack for analysis and problem-solving, even if you are a bit awkward when it comes to talking."


    I feel attacked...


    "There''s a lot of reasons, I guess...I''m not used to talking to people normally, I don''t like getting too much attention, and maybe I am good an analyzing, but I''m definitely not good at leading people. I couldn''t give an inspirational speech to save my life."


    "You''re kind of a pessimist, aren''t you?"


    Stop asking me questions, I mean, I literally just said that I''m not used to talking to people and that I don''t like attention.


    "Not really, I wouldn''t strictly label myself as such."


    Seriously though, what''s with the interrogation? I mean, she''d only asked two questions, but I felt like I was being grilled...


    "Hey, I have a question! Would you kill someone?" Inquired Taayin with a look of interest.


    "What kind of question is that?" Sighed Zoya with a disapproving look.


    "The type of question that can really give you a clear idea of what a person''s like."


    Huh, that actually was a good question...would I kill someone if I had the chance?


    "Depends on the situation, I guess...like, for example, if I came across a child molester about to molest a child, yeah, I probably wouldn''t have any qualms about killing him."


    "...maybe you should picked a darker example," Remarked Suri sarcastically.


    Yeah, I regretted it as soon as I said it, my bad.


    "Okay, I guess my question was kinda vague...lemme be more specific, if there was someone you hated, and I mean REALLY hated, and this person isn''t a criminal or anything, but you happen to get the chance to kill this person and get away with it...would you do it?" Rephrased Taayin, waiting for my answer with an expectant look.


    The instant he said the word ''hated'', Tairo''s face popped into my head...hm, if I was in a situation where I could kill that bastard and get away with it, I...


    "...I''d kill him without a second thought," I blurted, thinking out loud before I could stop myself.


    "H-hey, your face kinda got scary for a second there," Said Zoya with a slightly nervous look.


    "Hell, yeah, that''s what I''m talking about! You totally get it, man...heh, I didn''t know Duds could be so cool!"


    "Prodigies or not, we''re all humans, there''s no difference," Retorted Zoya with a frown.


    "Whatever, miss goody two-shoes, get that stick out of your ass. Besides, look, he doesn''t seem to mind!"


    "I mean...I''m used to it, but I''d still prefer to not be called a Dud...either way, it''s not like the world will end, so I guess it doesn''t really matter."


    "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not particularly trying to demean you or whatever, I just like saying it cuz we''re not supposed to say it, it''s kinda like our generation''s n-word, you know?" Laughed Taayin light-heartedly.


    I...sort of understood that, weirdly enough.


    "...you''re awful," Sighed Zoya, glaring at him.


    "Hey, dumbasses...," Suri suddenly spoke up.


    "Oh, uh...what?" Responded Zoya.


    "You responded to ''dumbass'', huh, that''s like admitting that you really are a dumbass...anyway, look at the time."


    "You little-...!" Growled Zoya, her eyebrow twitching in irritation, before trailing off with a frown.


    "Oh, looks like the hour''s up. We should get outside," I remarked, checking the time.


    "Huh? Yeah, you''re right...let''s hurry!"


    I''ll fast-forward a bit, we left the training hall, exited the Academy, got into a shuttle bus along with an instructor, which took us to an X-Warrior facility. Once we were there, we were made to step onto a teleportation platform, which would teleport us to the underground bunker.


    Apparently, there were dozens of these bunkers outside the Sanctuary, and they were used as bases from which X-Warriors could hunt Mutants from. Each of the four teams that our class had been split into were assigned to different bunkers, all four were in areas that were mostly occupied by J and Q-Ranked Mutants.


    We teleported to an underground bunker a little ways east of the Sanctuary, the bunker turned out to be a medium-sized facility made of reinforced metal. It had food reserves, running water, a room filled X-Weapons, and about twenty-five rooms with simple beds and bathrooms. It also had a couple of training halls, an infirmary with a row of ten Healing Pods, first-aid kits and other medical stuff. Guess X-Warriors sometimes spend multiple days in these bunkers. As for how we''d get above ground, there was a large platform that went up, effectively an elevator.


    It was wide enough for about fifteen to twenty people to comfortably fit on it. Only X-Warriors were authorized to activate it though, which is why the instructor in charge of our team was also an X-Warrior. Instructor Alyssa Reed, she was an instructor for Level K students. She had long blonde hair that went down to her waist, blue eyes, and a polite but strict expression.


    "It''s time to get moving, students, hop onto the platform," She instructed, moving her I-Watch towards the platform''s scanner after we all got on.


    As she did, it began moving, rising up at a rhythmic pace. We were heading straight for the dark ceiling though...as we neared the top, a narrow red light beamed down from the ceiling, Instructor Reed moved the face of her I-Watch towards the light. The ceiling then let out a hiss, and began parting down the middle, slowly opening up.


    A yellowish light hit my eyes, causing me to blink a couple of times and rub my eyelids, as the light got brighter and brighter...and then, we were outside. Woah...so that''s the sky, the real sky...and those are clouds...and this breeze, it felt different to the artificially generated winds inside the Sanctuary...and this radiating heat beating down on me, it was so pleasantly warm...I was in absolute awe, as for the first time in my life, I witnessed and experienced real sunlight...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 30 - 29 - Teamwork Exam(Part 2)

    "Stop gawking, students, it''s time to move. You won''t gain any points for the exam if you just stand still. Your exam is simple, head east for about five kilometers and then head back, and deal with any Mutants you come across. I''ll follow behind and observe," Explained the instructor, snapping us out of our dazes.


    Once we got off the platform and stepped onto the ground outside, it went back down, and the opening closed up. It was marked by a big red X, because otherwise, finding this spot again would be more than a little tricky. Apparently, an X-Warrior has to press the face of their I-Watch onto the center of the X, step back, and it would open again.


    Once it opened, they''d have to wait for the platform to rise up again, and then use it to get back down. The area was littered with Mutant skeletons, X-Warriors apparently dragged the corpses here because it seemed to repel Mutants from the area. Mutant flesh doesn''t rot like animals do, it decays into dust within a couple of days after death, so there was no harm.


    "R-right...let''s go, everyone, just as we discussed," Commanded Zoya, more than a little nervously.


    The three of them went on ahead, Zoya and Suri paired up to the left, and Taayin to the right, with about ten meters between them. I followed after them once they were about thirty meters ahead, the instructor looking at our formation curiously. With my X-Pistols, I was confidence in my accuracy upto eighty meters, but there''s no need to put that much distance between myself and the others.


    "Is this the best possible formation your team decided on?" She inquired, walking a couple of meters behind me.


    I really didn''t like showing my back to someone, I mean, I highly doubt she''d attack me or something, but I still felt uncomfortable.


    "Oh, uh...yeah. It has some weaknesses, but given the skillsets of this team, this is the best formation...no point trying to form a formation for which you don''t have the right tools," I replied, while slowly scanning the surrounding area for any movement.


    Crap, maybe I shouldn''t have said ''tools'', that wasn''t a very teamwork-y term.


    "Interesting, would you mind explaining the formation? If that would make you lose focus on your task at hand, I''ll rescind my query."


    Hm, answering her question might net me more points in the exam...and multi-tasking was definitely a skill worth polishing.


    "Nah, it''s fine, I can keep watch and talk at the same time. So, basically..."


    I explained each of our roles to her, making my explanations detailed while keeping them as brief as possible...hitting someone with a ton of info usually meant that they''d miss a lot of points, so the best thing to do was keep it informative yet concise.


    "I see, not a bad deployment at all...but doesn''t this formation rely on you too heavily, or rather, doesn''t it put too much pressure on you?"


    Hey, if that meant I get more opportunities to rack up points in the final score for the exam, then bring on the pressure.


    "Maybe, but I''m not too worried about it...well, I''m sure you''ll see soon enough whether our formation is effective or not."


    For the first kilometer or so, we didn''t run into anything, it was nothing but desolate wasteland. There were some plants growing here and there, and while they did provide oxygen, they weren''t plants that had existed before WWIII. They hadn''t been studied all that much, so we had no idea if they were dangerous or not, so we were told to stay away from any plants we came across outside of the Sanctuary.


    And then, after we passed a kilometer, we finally ran into some Mutants, a group of about fifteen J-Ranked and four Q-Ranked Mutants.


    "Huh, are they all working together? No, that doesn''t make sense, they''re all different speci-...oh, right, they aren''t working together, they''re all here because they caught whiff of us and want to eat us," I realized, before relaying that info to the others.


    The others activated their Primary Manifestations, with Zoya activating her Secondary Manifestation as well. She shot forward and drove a barrage of rapid thrusts at some of the J-Ranked Mutants, killing them swiftly. Suri was a couple of meters to her right, shredding the J-Ranks with her chainsaw. I drew out my X-Pistols, which were on the maximum output setting and fired a shot as one of the creatures, a Mutant Snake, slipped behind them and began to leap at Zoya. I struck it straight on the head, killing it instantly.


    Meanwhile, Taayin was wildly tearing the Mutants apart, rushing around like a feral beast, his eyes bulging and a wide smirk on his face. That guy should probably go to therapy, he has issues. He then turned his attention to one of the Q-Ranked Mutants, a mutated duck-like creature with razor sharp teeth and taller than a human, called a Quack.


    There were still four J-Ranks left, and two of them were about to spring at him from behind. I swiftly fired a couple of shots, hitting one of them right in the head and the other at the back of the neck, killing them instantly. Tch, I missed my mark a bit with that second one, I had been aiming for two head shots.


    "Right, I''ll need to put in some extra training for my left hand aiming with a pistol," I muttered to myself, before firing three more shots to finish off the remaining J-Ranked Mutants.


    Taayin was slashing the Quack brutally, slipping into its blind spots and ripping it to shreds bit by bit using his finger-blades, before eventually slashing its throat and killing it. He then turned his attention to one of the other three remaining Q-Ranks.


    Zoya was fighting a horse-like Mutant, which was called a Horsie...yeah, I know how fucking stupid the Mutant species names are, but it is what it is, and it''s not like I''m the one naming them. Anyway, it was about three meters tall, with sharp teeth and pointy hooves.


    She evaded it as it tried to chomp her head off, before getting in close under its neck and piercing its neck full of holes with her rapiers, killing it. As it began to collapse onto the ground, a Monke sprang up from behind it, it''s fangs and claws bared. I swiftly fired a couple shots at it, one striking near it''s left eye and the other blowing off its right eye, but it didn''t die.


    Suri then leapt up to the Mutant''s right and slashed its head off with her chainsaw, which left one more Mutant to go, a Q-Rank, it was an insect type. A grasshopper...no, it looked more like a mantis, and on top of that, it was nearly four meters tall. If I remember right, it was simply called a Mantis, no dumb name for this one. It was seriously big though, Taayin, who was fighting it, was less than half as tall as it was.


    And it was fighting a lot better than the other Mutants we just killed. Not only was it reacting to and deflecting his slashes, but it''s exterior was super tough, he couldn''t break through it at all.


    "Hey, should we go help him?" Inquired Zoya, talking through the communicator.


    Why was she asking me, she''s the leader...guess this isn''t the time to complain about that though...


    "No, you two hang back. I''ll get a bit closer and provide more cover," I replied, walking forward about eight meters and switching from my pistols to my wrist-blasters, "Taayin, it''s exoskeleton is like armor, so attack the joints and eyes, those should be weak spots."


    He didn''t reply, but shot towards one of its legs, slashing it off halfway by cutting through the joint. There was no such thing as impenetrable armor, because without gaps at certain spots, moving would be impossible. I took aim and fired my X-Blasters at full power, blasting its eyes and blinding it. It let out a screech, but it was still reacting to Taayin''s attacks, though not as swiftly as before.


    Oh, I get it...I took aim again and fired, my sights locked onto the base of its antennae...and blasted them off, completely nullifying its sensory capabilities. Taayin finished slicing off all of its legs, before plunging his finger-blades into its busted eyes, killing it. And that took care of that. Looks like everyone was unscathed.


    "Okay, good work, everyone. Is anyone hurt? If not, let''s keep going," Remarked Zoya, talking into the communicator.


    "Actually, uh...if it''s not a problem, I''d like to discuss a couple of things I noticed...," I said awkwardly.


    I really don''t want to do this, but this is an exam, I can''t half-ass it and hope to pass just like that, so I don''t have a choice but to step out of my comfort zone.


    "Sure, that''s fine, let''s take a five minute break then," Replied Zoya, walking over to the instructor and I, Suri and Taayin behind her.


    After we all gathered, I let them know what was on my mind.


    "First off, I think that went pretty well. But it could have gone a bit better. Suri, you were kinda just standing around after the J-Ranks were defeated, I wouldn''t say you did anything wrong, but uh, maybe you could be a bit more...proactive, I guess? And Taayin, I was wondering why you didn''t use your Secondary Manifestation against the Mantis? You did say it can immobilize a target just by touching them, right?"


    "I hate to admit it...but you have a point, I wasn''t sure if I should go after the Monke or help Blue-Braid Blondie with the Horsie...and I sort of ended up rooted while thinking about it," Suri admitted grumblingly, averting her gaze with a frown.


    Man, those Mutant names are seriously cringy...


    "Hey, what did you call me?" Inquired Zoya with an indignant expression.


    "Hm...in that situation, help Zoya, since that is the formation we agreed on," I quickly responded to Suri, before they could start arguing.


    "I didn''t use my SM because using it on a large target takes a lot more XFE...though I was thinking of using it before you told me to attack the joints. Thanks for that, by the way, I was getting super frustrated with my finger-blades bouncing off each time I struck it, it felt super good when I finally sliced through it!" Exclaimed Taayin with a grin, his face slightly flushed as he licked his lips.


    "Right, uh, good to know...well, uh...thats all I wanted to say, so...yeah," I concluded awkwardly with a sigh.


    This was working out better than I expected, and this teamwork thing isn''t as bad as I''d prepared myself for...but I was doing way too much talking for my own liking. I felt like I was just pointing out basic observations, so why wasn''t anyone else taking the initiative? Especially Zoya, since she''s supposed to be the leader here...


    I couldn''t just keep quiet since if I did, they may make mistakes that could have been avoided, which could result in me failing the exam.


    "I have a suggestion...if you notice something we can do better during a fight, let us know through the communicators...I said this before, but you seem really good at analyzing situations calmly, it''s really impressive," Remarked Zoya.


    Was that a...compliment? How do I respond...I''m really not used to receiving compliments.


    "I, uh...okay, I guess I can do that, but you''re overestimating me, so don''t expect much," I replied awkwardly, averting my gaze before I could stop myself.


    Huh, what do you know, people are actually relying on me...not sure how to feel about that, I don''t think I''ve ever experienced it before. Anyway, after a few minutes break, we continued heading east, getting back into formation.


    "Earlier, when you said ''I''m sure you''ll see soon enough'', I was ready to dock some points on the basis of overconfidence...but I suppose you backed up your words," Stated Instructor Reed, as we walked on.


    "H-huh? I wasn''t trying to sound overconfident, it was just a bad choice of words, I guess..."


    "I have to say, that was very impressive...you told your team not to overestimate you, but you seem to underestimate yourself. Your accuracy with your guns is incredible on its own and you covered your teammates perfectly, but more than that, you''re extremely sharp, analytical and you''ve got good decision-making skills...I''m only here to observe, not to help or advise you, but I will say this much...keep doing what you''re doing, you can afford to have more confidence in yourself."


    I wasn''t sure why, but the last part of what she said hit me hard...no one had ever said anything like that to me before, and while I''d developed confidence in my shooting skills, I didn''t really have much confidence in anything else about me. If I''m analytical, it''s only because I figured I need to work and think a lot harder than the Prodigies since I''d be starting at a disadvantage...if they''re stronger than me, I''ll have to fight faster and smarter, that''s what I decided.


    And her words just now, they made me feel like my efforts in those regards had been worth it...and that meant a lot to me, more than I ever expected. Okay, I can get emotional over this later, the exam is still going on, so I need to focus.


    About eight hundred meters later, we ran into another group of Mutants, nine of them, and this time, they were of the same type...and this particular species was called Hellspawn, and they were Q-Ranked. They were effectively giant cockroaches, about two meters in length and one meter in height.


    "U-um...I don''t know if I can do this," Zoya stuttered shakily through the communicator, stumbling back.


    "I''m not feeling too confident either," Mumbled Suri, a hint of panic in her voice.


    Seriously...?


    "Alright, then, we don''t have a choice...change formation, I''m moving up front, Zoya stand back, Suri provide mid-range backup, make sure to only fire when you have a clear shot," I instructed, sprinting forward as the Hellspawn ran towards them, "Taayin, I''m pretty sure these things can move even after losing their heads, so be thorough in killing them."


    Zoya retreated to the back near the instructor, and Suri backed away about fifteen meters, while Taayin was unfazed, tearing the Mutants apart and focusing on cutting off their legs. I took out my X-Blade handles and sprang over one of the Hellspawn as it chomped at me.


    I then plunged one of my blades into the back of its head and ran straight down it''s back, splitting it open. I then put my right blade handle between my teeth and drove my right arm into the opening, firing two shots from my X-Blasters and destroying its insides, it''s body collapsing onto the ground. Okay, I killed it, but ughhhh, that felt so fucking gross...!


    Even if it''s not dead, firing that much Dark Attribute directly into its body should keep it from getting back up. One of the other Hellspawn sprang at me, with a flicker of its wings, before a purple XFE shuriken struck its face. Nice timing.


    I pointed my left arm at it and fired, blasting off its head. Just as I thought, that''s not enough to kill it. It was still moving, but it didn''t seem to know where it was going. I shot forward and sliced off its left legs, right as another one crawled at me from the right.


    It swiped one of its legs at me, I ducked and slipped under it, slamming my taser-knuckles onto its underside to paralyze it for a bit, before blasting it four times with my X-Blasters. I then rolled away as it collapsed onto the ground. Six down, three to go...


    I ended up killing one more, while Taayin killed the remaining two. They weren''t all that strong, and were probably among the weaker Q-Ranked Mutant species, but killing them felt super disgusting, their insides were so gross.


    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t help at all," Apologized Zoya through the communicator, with a crestfallen expression.


    "Tch, I was basically useless too," Growled Suri, looking annoyed at herself.


    They both weren''t any help this time, but I don''t think there''s anything for me to discuss that they don''t already know, so we should get back into formation and carry on. I started walking back towards them, Taayin following suit.


    "Don''t worry about it, just make up for it against the next set of Mutants we run into, let''s get back into formatio-...," I began, before trailing off as I heard, and felt, a slight rumbling.


    The others were hearing it too, looking around with nervous expressions...where was it coming from? I closed my eyes and focused on the sound and the vibrations...


    "It''s coming from behind!" I yelled out at the instructor and Zoya, the rumbling coming from behind them and rapidly nearing them.


    But my warning came a bit too late, as the ground beneath them began cracking rapidly. The instructor quickly pushed Zoya out of the way, right as the ground burst open and a large Mutant popped out...uh-oh, this is really bad...


    That''s a K-Ranked Mutant, and one of the strongest species in that category, a Two-Headed Serpent. Both heads locked their gazes onto Instructor Reed...


    "


    ," She began, but was too slow, as the Mutant attacked her.


    The right one bit down onto her head, while the left chomped down onto her legs. The two heads fought over their prey, pulling violently...until her head and legs got torn off, her torso plummeting onto the ground and blood pooling around it...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 31 - 30 - Tier Two

    Two-Headed Serpents...they grew upto fifteen to twenty meters in length, and when fully open, their mouths were wide enough for a human child to crawl through. And this one just ate Instructor Reed. As for the four of us that were still alive, we were all frozen in fear, unable to even scream out, as the Mutant stared down at us hungrily.


    Damn it, no, I need to calm down! I bit my lower lip, drawing blood, the pain helping me regain my composure a bit. Okay, let''s analyze the situation...I should use my ability and go back...doing so wouldn''t bring the instructor back to life though, her body would be alive but her head would be empty, but there was nothing I could do about that. Crap, the Serpent was getting ready to strike again, I need to use my-...wait, on second thought, it might be worth fighting this thing a bit before using my ability.


    I could get an idea of just how effective I was against a K-Ranked Mutant, and if we managed to kill it, then it wouldn''t attack us again after I use my ability. I''ll fight it till I''m down to fifty percent of my XFE, I currently had a little over eighty percent, and then I''m using Load...


    "Everyone, spread out quickly!" I yelled out, snapping the others out of it.


    Both the heads struck out towards Zoya, I swiftly fired four shots from my X-Blasters, aimed at their eyes. I managed to strike one eye on each head, and while my remaining two shots made solid impact, they narrowly missed the eyes. Taayin then shot straight towards the Mutant with his finger-blades manifested. Suri and Zoya were rushing in from either side...looks like destroying a couple of its eyes had given the others some confidence.


    The Serpent was still halfway underground, it''s head and about nine meters of its body were outside where we could see it, but the rest of it was still underground...good, that should restrict its mobility. I fired another couple of shots at its remaining eyes as the others closed in on it, but it was keeping an eye on me, and turned both its heads the instant I fired, my shots striking the sides of its faces. Some higher ranked Mutants had higher levels of intelligence...how troublesome.


    It looks like my shots were doing some damage, the last ones I fired blasted off some of its scales and about an inch of its flesh underneath. Hm, given its size, it''ll probably take a lot of my XFE to hit it enough times for it to succumb to the poisonous effects of my Dark Attribute...and while my shots were doing damage, the wounds I inflicted were pretty shallow, probably little more than scrapes and scratches to the Mutant.


    Taayin was the first to reach the Serpent, swinging his claws at it, but unable to pierce through. Suri was flinging shurikens at it, but they were bouncing off harmlessly. The Serpent''s attention was on Zoya to its left and on me about twenty meters in front of it. It was watching me warily, while the other head looked ready to strike at Zoya. Each head had about seven meters of length to themselves, after which their necks merged into a single body, so it would probably attack as soon as she got within seven meters...


    Taayin then let out a feral roar and drove his finger-blades straight at the Mutant, the tips piercing through...he then strained himself and pushed with all his strength, his blades slowly but surely going into the Serpent''s hide. It let out a loud hiss and took its left head''s eyes off Zoya, turning its attention to Taayin. The other one was still focused on me. The left head opened its mouth, it''s fangs pointed down towards Taayin...and a clear liquid shot out towards him rapidly from its mouth.


    "Get back!" I exclaimed, before firing a couple of blasts at the venom, vaporizing most of it, but a few drops struck Taayin as he backed away.


    "Arghhhh! Damn it...fuck, my skin is melting...!" He yelled out in pain, as bloody patches appeared on his right arm and chest.


    Zoya and Suri had quickly gotten some distance too, after seeing that last attack. Getting close to it was way to risky. Should I use my ability now? No, wait, let me see if I can escape it along with the others...I still wasn''t so sure that I had what it takes to lead or whatever, but on the off chance that I did, this was a good opportunity to test it out.


    "We can''t win this...we need to get back to the bunker," I remarked into the communicator.


    "That sounds fucking great...so how are we gonna pull that off, genius?" Inquired Suri, clear panic in her voice.


    "Taayin, think you could immobilize it with your Secondary Manifestation?" I inquired hopefully.


    "Well, I can try...given it''s size, I might have just enough XFE left to make it work, but it''ll probably drain me completely."


    "Give it a try, we''ll carry you back if you can''t move afterwards, it shouldn''t be a problem if this thing is immobilized in the meantime," I suggested, as I fired another couple of shots, but the Serpent turned its heads again, my shots striking the sides of its faces.


    "Do or die, huh...now that''s what I''m talking about!"


    Alright, this can work, we just need to stay calm and avoid panicking...


    "The rest of us will distract it, use that opportunity to-...woah!" I began, before exclaiming as the ground began shaking violently...and another Two-Headed Serpent appeared from the opposite direction, bursting up through the ground...this is bad, we were caught between them in a pincer.


    Before I could analyze, let alone relay our next move, the ground burst open again as the first Serpent''s tail broke through it, whipping out towards us. We were all sent flying back as debris exploded out and a massive dust cloud got kicked up, my back slammed onto the ground, before a medium-sized chunk of debris crashed down onto my right arm, fracturing my forearm badly as I let out a cry of pain. A small rock came flying out and hit the side of my head, dazing me.


    As I struggled to re-orient myself, I could feel it...both Serpents were approaching me. If I had to guess, these things didn''t fully emerge from the ground before in order to leave themselves a quick escape option open, and they had emerged now because they had incapacitated their prey and had decided that we were no longer threats.


    The second Serpent turned its attention elsewhere for a sec, but the first one hissed at it, and as it did, the second one turned its attention back to me. My vision was blurry, but I could just about see them ahead of me, as the dust began to clear. The first one was still looking at me warily with both heads...


    My head was spinning and I felt nauseous, I couldn''t think straight, I felt like I wanted to close my eyes and lie down for a bit...but even in my dazed state, I knew I couldn''t do that. I bit my lip and raised my left hand, slapping myself as hard as I could, snapping myself out of it. Crap, they''re right on top of me, I don''t have any time...!


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier-...>!" I began, but I was too late, as the Serpents struck out at me like whips, and before I could stop myself, I shut my eyes in terror as their fangs got within inches in front of my face...


    .


    .


    .


    Huh? I''m not dead?


    I slowly opened my eyes, before stiffening as a familiar pain burst through my body, and blood began pouring out of my eyes, mouth, nostrils and ears, everything going black...


    .


    .


    .


    <...bzz..bzz...>


    .


    .


    .


    Static, huh...and then, silence...


    .


    .


    .


    <Unlock Conditions Met: Failure to Use Tier One to Prevent Unavoidable Death>


    .


    .


    .


    <Additional Tier Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause and Play, Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    What...what was with that Unlock Condition, what the fuck!? Seriously, I had to have a near-death experience after failing to use Tier One in order to unlock Tier Two? I can only imagine what the Unlock Conditions for the other Tiers were...


    As I came to and wiped the blood of my face, I looked around at my surroundings...two Serpent heads were inches away from my face, dust and small bits of earth were floating in the air, perfectly still...woah...


    I stood up and stepped back, getting some distance away from the Serpent. Incredible, everything was frozen in place except for me. I poked at a stone that was in mid-air, it moved like it was weightless, but only moved as much as I pushed it. I picked up a chunk of earth and attempted to throw it...and the instant I let go of it, it was frozen in place, not even moving an inch past the point where I let go of it.


    So, I can move something around so long as I''m touching it, but the instant I stop touching it, any momentum or force I tried to exert onto it would be nullified. And on top of that, anything I touch or pick up felt completely weightless. I walked over to the Serpents and pushed on one of them...it slid backwards effortlessly, it felt easier than pushing open a door.


    Okay, I think I know enough about this ability for now, I need to get going. It felt like this was consuming one percent of my XFE per every six seconds, and I''d had a bit over sixty percent when I unlocked it, which was down to about fifty-five percent, which meant that I had a little over five minutes before I''d run out of XFE. We were about two kilometers from the bunker, so I need to hurry.


    I swiftly scaled up the body of one of the Serpents and looked around...the others were sprawled around the area, unconscious and injured. I rushed over and gathered them...I couldn''t tell whether or not they were alive since their bodies were frozen in time, but they all still felt warm. Just like everything else frozen, they were completely weightless.


    Taayin had missing patches of skin all over his right arm and the right side of his chest, and a few grazes and scratches that were probably from the debris. No major injuries as far as I could see, so he''s almost definitely alive. Zoya''s right forearm was badly broken, a chunk of earth having landed on top of it, her left knee looked dislocated, and she had a bunch of bruises and scratches. Suri''s head had taken a hit, her skull was probably fractured, and her right foot was pointing backwards.


    I linked their arms together to form a chain so that I could pull all three of them along at the same time, I had to be careful when bending their arms though, it felt like I could snap their bones like twigs if I felt like it. I paused as I walked by what was left of Instructor Alyssa Reed, considering what to do.


    I took off my jacket and tore it up a bit, before using it to wrap up her corpse and taking it with me...I only knew her for just about an hour, but I''ll admit, her death made me feel a bit sad, especially after her words earlier impacted me. That, and I needed her I-Watch to get into the bunker.


    I considered killing the Serpents before going, but I don''t have any time to waste, and given their sizes, killing them would definitely take a bit of time. With the others latched onto me and the instructor''s remains under my arm, I raced back in the direction we came from as fast as I could, while keeping track of my XFE levels. My fractured right forearm hurt pretty bad, but it was bearable.


    It took me around two and a half minutes to race back to the marked X, I was able to run at top speed thanks to the weightlessness of the others. I then unwrapped the instructor''s torso and took out her right arm, pointing the face of the watch at the center of the X...but it didn''t work. Hm, maybe the scanning mechanism is frozen in time, guess I need to release my ability. I then slowly set the others down and...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    I let the flow of time continue, and tried again...this time it worked, and I quickly stepped off the X as it began to open up, the platform rising up as it did. Suri''s head was bleeding again, along with the others'' injuries. I dragged them onto the platform slowly, before using the instructor''s I-Watch to make the platform descend back down.


    After we reached the bottom and the ceiling closed up again, I re-activated my new ability...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    I then took the others to the infirmary and popped them into the Healing Pods, before releasing my ability in order to activate the pods. I was down to less than a fifth of my total XFE, and I felt really tired...I don''t think it''s an issue of stamina, I''ve already experienced this tiredness...it was from the blood loss I suffered when unlocking Tier Two.


    I might be better off using Tier One to go back in time, but if I did that, the instructor would be in a vegetative state...normally, I wouldn''t care, but I really was grateful for her words, they had given me some confidence, so I''ll let her stay dead instead of being stuck in a vegetative state. And besides...I''d rather not go through all that again, especially since things weren''t guaranteed to go the same...I might end up facing off against even worse odds.


    I got in a Healing Pod myself in order to heal my fractured forearm, which took about fifteen minutes, after which I got out of the pod. I could have spent longer in it to fully heal up all my scratches and bruises too, but they weren''t a big deal. The others were unconscious, so the pods they were in would automatically open up after they''re fully healed, which would likely drain their stamina.


    There were a few beds in the infirmary, I flopped onto one of them with a tired sigh, taking off my glasses and rubbing my eyes with a stifled yawn. If I spent too long in a Healing Pod, it''d eat up my stamina, and at least one of us should be awake in case someone tries to contact us or something. Although, I can''t deny that I am pretty tired...maybe I''ll just close my eyes for a bit and...


    ...


    ...


    "...-wake up! Hey, wake up!"


    Huh...where am I...? I opened my eyes groggily and blinked a few times...oh, that''s right, we were in the bunker. How long had I been asleep?


    I sat up and glanced at my I-Watch...crap, it''d been over five hours, I might as well have slept in a Healing P-...eh, whatever, I still felt tired, and couldn''t really bring myself to care. Wait, who just woke me up?


    "Oh, Taayin...guess you''re all recovered, huh," I remarked, my voice a bit hoarse.


    I could use some water.


    "Yeah, I''m good, kinda drowsy though...so, hey, I''m guessing you brought us back?"


    "Hm? Yeah, I guess...," I replied with a shrug, as I filled a glass with water and gulped it down with a sigh of relief.


    I then noticed that the other two Healing Pods were also open, meaning that the two girls had woken up too.


    "Heh, I kinda freaked out when I woke up in total darkness, thought I was dead or something...took me a while to realize that I was in a Healing Pod. The other two woke up a little while after I got up...that was like, half an hour ago."


    "I see...so where are they, anyway?"


    "Dunno, I think they''re just roaming around. The blondie was kinda in shock," He responded.


    "Okay...for now, let''s all regroup."


    A few minutes later, the four of us gathered in the dining hall of the bunker, opening up some canned food and water.


    "Hey, Four-Eyes...how''d you manage to escape those snakes AND drag us back here?" Inquired Suri curiously with her mouth full, wolfing down some food hungrily.


    I definitely can''t reveal how I did that...


    "First off, don''t call me Four-Eyes. And as for how I got you guys here, I...I don''t know, it''s all kind of a blur...I think I panicked and unloaded a barrage of shots from my guns when the Serpents moved in to attack them...that must have blinded them, which made them shrink back in caution, and I was probably running on pure adrenaline while dragging everyone back here...my arms and back are really sore," I lied, making it up as I went along.


    "Yo...that''s pretty wild, color me impressed," Remarked Taayin with a wide-eyed expression.


    "You saved us...if it wasn''t for you, we''d have all been eaten," Added Zoya, her expression looked like she was still in shock.


    "W-well, like I said, it''s kind of a blur...I wasn''t really thinking, I just sort of reacted."


    "My head is kinda fuzzy and I don''t remember exactly what happened too clearly...where''s the instructor?" Asked Suri, rubbing her head.


    Her injuries had been healed, but she had taken a pretty heavy hit to the head.


    "You really forgot? She got eaten when that snake first showed up, remember?" Answered Taayin, as he took a sip of water.


    "Oh...oh, that''s right..."


    Talk about a heavy mood...


    "We should be thanking you, Kilzachs...we''d all be dead for sure if you hadn''t saved us...you''d have had a better chance of survival if you had escaped on your own...I might have done that if I was in your position," Said Zoya, bowing her head gratefully.


    "Yeah, I owe you big time, man," Added Taayin in agreement.


    "...what they said," Nodded Suri, averting her gaze.


    "You''re making a big deal out of it, it''s really not worth making a fuss over," I replied awkwardly.


    Of course I saved them...after all, if I had been the only one to return alive, I might have failed the exam...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 32 - 31 - Parental Support

    "God damn it, what the fuck is going on!? How does this keep happening!?"


    Ahh, music to my ears...??


    The angry yell came from Tairo, who had just fallen on his face for the seventh time today. And all seven times, it was because his shoelaces were tied together. Yeah, I''d been using my Tier Two ability to freeze time and tie his shoelaces together every time he stood up or walked around...juvenile, I know, but damn, was it satisfying! The sheer enraged confusion on his face was indescribably beautiful, it almost brought a tear to my eye...I wonder, is this what they call art?


    It was a few days into February, and over a week had passed since the first round of monthly exams ended. Things had been a little hectic for a couple of days after the teamwork exam, but they had returned to normal before too long. Oh, and I passed that exam, along with the three who''d been teamed up with me...as it turned out, Instructor Reed had been taking notes on how we were doing during the exam on her I-Watch, so the Academy was able to properly score our performances since I brought her corpse back with me.


    X-Warriors dying was pretty common, so her death wasn''t treated as a big deal. The four of us were advised to go get some counseling or therapy, but I didn''t bother with that, it was just a waste of money, and I didn''t really feel traumatized or anything like that...speaking of money, I was saving up to buy a more destructive weapon.


    My current weapons weren''t exactly bad, but they were only significantly effective against J and Q-Ranked Mutants, I needed a weapon that could guarantee a kill against a K-Rank with, at most, a couple of shots. Something like that would probably consume a ton of XFE, but it was totally worth it, I could really use some more destructive options in my arsenal.


    Back to the subject of the exam, after everyone woke up and we ate and talked in the bunker dining hall, some of the instructors teleported in, since it had been a few hours past the time we were supposed to return to the Sanctuary. They then took us back in and we were thoroughly questioned for the next couple of days, which was super annoying.


    On the bright side, I came out of the whole situation looking really good. I mean, a non-Prodigy managed to escape two Two-Headed Serpents while carrying three unconscious people and half a corpse. Additionally, I had scored a lot of points in Instructor Reed''s observational notes.


    As a result, I got a near-perfect score on the teamwork exam, the exam I''d been most worried about. My teammates got decent scores too. As for the other three teams...well, no one failed, but all of them just barely scraped by. I shouldn''t let myself get too overconfident, but looking at the facts, I can''t deny that my analysis and instructions to the others was what made the difference between the team I was in and the other teams. I was pretty surprised at that myself, but I should use this...if I can develop a reputation as a skilled leader, that would open up a lot of possibilities...


    Now that I think about it, the role of a strategist appealed to me...I enjoyed controlling people and situations. I also liked the idea of being skilled at manipulation...of both people and situations. I''m no genius, I definitely can''t think several moves ahead like those crazy smart anime characters, but within the limitations of my intelligence, I think I managed my brainpower pretty efficiently.


    But I also liked being involved in the fighting, and while I do prefer long-range, I enjoyed fighting at close-range quite a bit too.


    Looking back on the events of the exam, I definitely made the right call in not using Tier One when the Serpent first showed up...not only would that have prevented me from unlocking Tier Two, but I also ended up gaining a significant amount of insight into my own abilities, not to mention that the events of the exam resulted in me getting the top-score in my class. But that''s all in hindsight, I had to face the fact that if not for the Unlock Condition for Tier Two of my Anomaly X-Ability, I would have definitely died back there.


    Well, anyway...there was an especially interesting event today, an important figure would be coming to give this Level J class an inspirational speech or something along those lines. And that important figure was none other than the Minister of Internal Paragon Affairs of the North Quadrant...yup, the asshole with whom I regrettably share genetics with, my biological father, Kilrafhe Floence.


    The reason for this speech thingy was a reactionary measure taken in response to the ''trauma'' we''d all suffered during the teamwork exam...yeah, my team easily had it the worst, but the other teams apparently had some rough moments too, though none of them ran into any K-Ranked Mutants.


    "Hey, man, let''s skip this crap and duel, I wanna fight you!" Remarked an exasperating voice, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    "Yeah, no, I''m good. Maybe another time, Taayin," I replied with a sigh, pushing him away.


    Ever since the exam, he''d been interacting with me way too much, constantly challenging me to duels. It was really annoying.


    "Aw, you''re no fun...I''ll ask again later!"


    "Please don''t-...," I began, but his attention had already shifted elsewhere.


    "New friend?" Inquired Kiran, yawning under his face mask.


    "Yeah, no."


    "Hm...could''ve fooled me," He replied with a shrug.


    "Then I guess you''re a fool," I retorted, starting to get a bit irritated.


    I''ll make this clear, no one in this class was my friend. There are some I tolerate more than others, sure, but at best, they were friendly acquaintances, and even that was kinda pushing it. I knew from experience that no matter how genuine or nice someone seemed on the outside, they could be the complete opposite on the inside. Speaking on two-faced bitches, Bytra was unfortunately wearing shoes that didn''t have laces, so I couldn''t trip her up that way...oh, well, for now I''ll just enjoy tripping up Tairo, because you know, fuck that guy.


    The door to the classroom then opened, and in walked Kilrafhe Floence, whom I was seeing for the first time in over five years. He looked pretty much the same as I remembered, except for a bit more gray in his black hair, which was neatly combed back. He was wearing a black expensive looking suit, and he still had that fat, ugly mustache.


    Kumar was with him, probably his escort. The old bastard didn''t notice me, but to be fair, I was tucked away in the back corner of the classroom, so I wasn''t the easiest to spot. Oh, what do you know, dear ol'' dad is wearing shoes with laces...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    I stood up and walked over to him, he was almost at the bottom of the stairs, it was the perfect spot to stage an ''accidental'' fall. I bent down and undid his shoelaces, before tying them together in a way that they''d come undone once he tripped and fell. I had tied Tairo''s laces together the same way.


    With the way I''ve tied his laces together, after he falls it''ll simply look like he hadn''t tied them tightly enough and they''d come undone on their own, which caused him to trip...it was a simple, yet perfect, plan. After I finished tying it up, I made my way back to my seat and sat down.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    A satisfying crash echoed out as the old bastard fell forward onto his face with a yell, startling some of my classmates. I was really struggling to keep myself from grinning widely right now. Kumar helped him back on his feet, while the old bastard tentatively rubbed his jaw with a grimace. The two of them went up to the front of the class, before Kumar addressed us...


    "Attention, brat-...er, I mean, students, we have a special guest here today, one of the most influential people when it comes to matters concerning X-Warriors, the Minister of Internal Paragon Affairs of the North Quadrant, Minister Kilrafhe Floence. He''ll address you now," Introduced Kumar, before stepping aside.


    The old bastard then began talking, his annoying-ass voice echoing through the classroom. I wasn''t even sure what he was talking about, something along the lines of ''yeah, things went wrong during your last exam, but don''t let that get you down'' kinda bullshit. I then received a notification on my I-Watch, I moved my arm under the desk and opened the notification...it was a message from Kumar.


    ''Don''t look so bored, Zax, I''ve arranged a little treat for you...well, technically, Kilella asked, or more like ordered, me to do this. Won''t ruin the surprise, you''ll see soon enough.''


    Oh? Alright, half-pint, you''ve got my attention...let me see what you''ve got up your sleeve...


    ...


    Half an hour later, the old cunt finally wrapped up his speech, my classmates giving him some polite applause as he finished.


    "An excellent speech, sir. Now, then, all that''s left is to personally congratulate the student who top-scored on their teamwork exam."


    Ohh, so that''s what he was upto...heh, well played.


    "Ah, yes. I did not hear the specifics of what this student accomplished, but I believe it was quite remarkable, yes?"


    "Right. The late instructor who observed his team noted down that he displayed excellent analytical, tactical and strategic skills, and after the team was attacked by a pair of Two-Headed Serpents and killed the instructor, he managed to escape the Mutants while carrying all three of his unconscious teammates back. And all while not even being a Prodigy."


    "I see-...wait, what was that last part again?"


    "Oh, we shouldn''t talk about him like he isn''t here, let me call him down here...hey, Kilzachs, get over here!" Called out Kumar, a stifled smirk on his face.


    I stood up while maintaining an innocent expression on my face, struggling to keep myself from smiling smugly at that old bastard. Oh, man, the look on his face was pure gold, he was struggling to keep his shock and disbelief from showing. Gotta hand it to Kumar, I owe him big time for this.


    "It''s very nice to meet you...sir," I greeted him in an overly polite tone, with an innocent smile.


    "Wha-...er, I...ahem, y-yes, nice to meet you," He replied, trying to play it cool, but I could see him sweating.


    "Oh, are you alright, sir? You look a bit pale and pathetic," I inquired with a polite tone.


    "Er, no, it must be your imagination. W-well, then, let us get to it...congratulations on your performance, keep it up and I am certain you will continue to excel," He remarked with a strained smile, congratulating me through gritted teeth...after all, everything he just said contradicted everything he''d said five years ago.


    That sad part is that this fake congratulations and disingenuous encouragement is the closest I''ll ever get to getting parental support from this piece of shit...


    "Ah, I appreciate you saying that, sir...see, in the past, I was told that I''m worthless...so I decided to prove those words wrong," I replied with a slight smirk.


    And with that, he left in a hurry, Kumar following after him as he exited the classroom. I quietly returned to my seat, fighting back the urge to grin widely and gleefully...that was fucking great. I had really wanted to tear into him, but I couldn''t exactly do that with an audience.


    "It''s finally over, goddamn, that was boring! That took more than half an hour, what a waste of time!" Groaned Taayin loudly, before letting out a dramatic sigh of relief.


    I noticed Tairo looking at me curiously...oh, right, I almost forgot that he knew who my father was, and he almost definitely didn''t know about what went down on my fifteenth birthday...I mean, I guess he could''ve figured out that I''d been disowned since my last name was now different from when I was at the same school as he was. Hope he doesn''t bring it up, but it wouldn''t be the end of the world if he did.


    "Congrats and stuff," Yawned Kiran, as I returned to my seat.


    "Oh, uh...thanks, I guess."


    We were five minutes away from classes starting for the day, and I was in a great mood after what happened.


    "Hey, was it just me, or did that minister guy seem really uncomfortable after he saw you?" Suddenly came a curious voice from in front of me.


    Suri, she sat right in front of me, but had never spoken to me before the teamwork exam. Since then, though, she occasionally addressed me from time to time. Zoya regularly greeted me and stuff too. It was a little strange, but I guess it wasn''t a bad thing. While I had no intention of making friends, the ''loner'' tag was something I was better off avoiding getting labeled with.


    "Probably just you," I replied with a shrug.


    "Do you know him or something?" She asked curiously.


    "Or something."


    "Tch, your attitude pisses me off."


    Yeah, yeah, whatever, it''s because I don''t want to talk about it. Come on, take a hint and drop it.


    "Huh, come to think of it, that old dude did seem pretty weird when Instructor Silva called you up," Added Jian, who was in the middle seat of the row in front of me, to Suri''s right.


    The third person in their row was Misaki, who thankfully showed no intention of joining in.


    "What makes you think I know anything about that?" I responded with a shrug.


    All things considered, I think I might prefer being a loner at times, talking to other people could get pretty annoying sometimes. Thankfully, with my brief replies, the conversation around this topic was starting to die down, the others slowly losing interest...


    "Hey, Dud...that was your father, wasn''t it?" Suddenly chimed in another curious voice, from right in front of Suri.


    Tairo, he sat at the corner seat of the front row of the left column, and had probably been listening it...well, it''s not like Suri and Jian had made particular efforts to keep their voices down. And Tairo had just gotten nearly the entire class''s attention with what he just said. His tone indicated genuine curiosity, so this time, he was inconveniencing me unintentionally. With nearly everyone''s eyes on me, I felt a growing sense of irritation and annoyance, before replying...


    "You''re wrong, that man is not my father," I remarked in an icy cold tone, my expression blank as I added, "Now drop it."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 33 - 32 - Are You An...?

    Today was the 10th of February, 2116. And I was currently in the Shopping District, heading for Delectables...today was my two-weekly cheat day, and on top of that, they were serving a new, limited edition item...I could barely contain myself! No matter what happens, I don''t think I''ll ever not be all giddy and stuff when I go to Delectables. I''ve definitely got a sweet tooth.


    Bytra seems to work there part-time, though I''d only run into her that one time, but even if she was working today, I won''t let her ruin this for me. Ah, there it is, the entrance just came into view...it''s so beautiful. As I walked up to the door and began to open it, my hand bumped into someone else''s, as they reached for it at the same time as I did.??


    "Hey, watch it-...oh, it''s you," Remarked a familiar voice, sounding a bit surprised.


    "Hm? Oh, Suri, fancy meeting you here."


    She always gave off this pricky, unapproachable vibe, but after the teamwork exam, she was comparatively amicable around me...well, I did save her life, even if it was for my own benefit, namely ensuring that I passed the exam. I had no interest in making friends, but occasional interactions with some of my more tolerable classmates would help me avoid getting labeled with the ''loner'' tag like I had been in middle-school and early highschool.


    Anyway, I opened the door and we both stepped in, before heading for the counter. There were three people in line already, I got in behind them and Suri lined up behind me.


    "Not that I particularly mind, but haven''t you ever heard of ''ladies first''?" Remarked Suri pointedly, since I was in front of her.


    "Isn''t that phrase from before WWIII, I didn''t know people still used it. And wasn''t it just an excuse guys used to stare at a woman''s ass?" I responded with a shrug.


    "Was it? Huh, that actually makes more sense than going out of your way to be polite to a woman for no real reason."


    With that, a pleasant silence followed till I got to the front of the line...and of course it''s Bytra''s shift right now. What, does she only work when there''s a limited item for sale?


    "Welcome, uh-...ahem, w-welcome to Delectables, how m-many-...er, I mean, how may I help you, sir?"


    She sure was spineless without Tairo around. That, and she probably had that whole thing with Misaki still in her mind, which I was responsible for. Ah, now there''s a good memory.


    "I don''t want to have to talk to you more than I have to, so just give me as many of the ''Delectables Super Choc Delight Explosion'' as you''re allowed to give per person," I ordered bluntly, holding up my I-Watch to pay.


    "Y-yes, sir, we allow three per customer, that''ll be, um, let me see...," She replied, fumbling as she placed the order and calculating the total, before scanning my I-Watch to make the payment.


    "You should really be nicer to public workers-...wait, isn''t she in our class?"


    "Yup. You just noticed? And don''t get me wrong, I''m not an indiscriminate dick, only to people who deserve it," I responded with a shrug.


    "If I remember right, she''s dating that pale guy who''s always sneering at you and calling you a Dud, right?"


    "Looks like it."


    "You knew them from before the X-Warrior Academy?" She asked curiously.


    I didn''t like being questioned like this, but while I did prefer to keep my classmates at arms'' length, I didn''t want to unnecessarily antagonize the ones that I had amicable acquaintanceships with...wait, is ''acquaintanceships'' a word? As in the acquaintance equivalent of ''friendship''? Eh, either way, who cares?


    "Yeah, sort of...well, let''s just say that if they were in a burning building and I had the chance to save them, I''d probably throw gasoline onto the flames and then celebrate."


    "That''s...awfully specific. You''ve thought about it a lot, huh?"


    "No, not this specific scenario, just thought it up off the top of my head."


    Huh, maybe holding a conversation wasn''t so bad after all, I actually wasn''t minding this as much as I thought. Oh, looks like my order is ready. Bytra was looking even more nervous than before...guess she heard me talking about my burning building fantasy. I picked up the large paper bag and looked into it...three boxes, I can''t wait to dig into them! As I began heading out...


    "What!? Wh-what do you mean they''re sold out!?" Exclaimed Suri in dismay, slamming her fist on the counter.


    "Um, I apologize, ma''am, but we just sold the last three of the limited item."


    "Seriously...will you have another batch tomorrow?" She asked with desperate hope in her eyes.


    "I-I''m afraid not, it''s only for today."


    "Grr...," Suri growled irritably, before turning her attention to me and walking over, "H-hey, if you don''t mind, um..."


    I really didn''t want to part with one of these boxes...but...if I was in her position...I can''t imagine how much despair I''d be in right now. Fine, I guess...


    "Alright, I''ll sell you one for double the price, take it or leav-."


    "Done!" She agreed immediately, without a shred of hesitation, and I gave her one of my three boxes after she transferred the CredPoints to me.


    Right now, she looked more grateful than she did after I saved her life...mhm, I totally understand. I see, this must be what a ''kindred spirit'' is. Still, this means I''ll have less dessert than I could have had. Well, it''s fine, once I get home, I''ll use Save and Load so that once I finish eating, I can go back in time and enjoy it again. Anyway, with that, I left the Shopping District and headed back to my apartment.


    My sister was coming over later, probably with Kumar as usual. It had been about a couple of weeks since the teamwork exam ended, but she''d been away on a Mission at the time, which had ended a few days ago, after which she''d been busy reporting on how it went and other stuff. She was finally free today, so she was coming over. She''d apologized a ton about not being able to visit sooner after what happened during my exam, but from my perspective, there was no reason to apologize.


    Well, whatever, for now, I''ll just focus on the mouthwatering desserts I''d just bought myself. I was back home, and was opening one of the two boxes with a growing sense of anticipation. The box was about the size that''s used for small cakes, too bad it wasn''t bigger. My eyes widened as I opened it and took in the sight of what was inside...I had already seen what it looks like from the promotional poster, but seeing it in real life was so much better...


    This is why I love Delectables so much, in most other restaurants, the food never looks as good as the pictures of the food, but that was never an issue with this place. That, and the fact that their desserts are absolutely unrivaled. I had tried desserts from a few other bakeries and sweet shops, but none had compared to Delectables, so I used Load to go back and save my money after trying the sweets in those places.


    Anyway, back to my dessert...the limited item, the Delectables Super Choc Delight Explosion...it was a very complex dessert, I didn''t even know where to start. The outside was shaped like a volcano, made of brownie with hidden dark chocolate chips embedded throughout it. Inside the volcano, was rich chocolate lava with bits of red velvet cake in it, along with a red velvet base. There were crunchy chocolate chunks around the outside of the volcano, inside of which were pockets of thick caramel syrup. And to top it off, pop rocks and powdered sugar were sprinkled all over the volcano.


    "O-okay, first things first...<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    It''s beautiful...so beautiful that I almost don''t want to ruin it by digging in...but at the same time, I couldn''t wait to dig in. Wh-where do I start? I''ll try to get a bit of everything...I dug my spoon into the side of the top of the volcano, getting some of the chocolate lava and a piece of red velvet in it, some of the lava slowly flowing down the volcano through the gap I''d just made. I topped off my spoonful with one of the crunchy chocolate chunks and gulped as my mouth was nearly overflowing with saliva, before shoving the spoon into my mouth...


    .


    .


    .


    An explosion of pure dessert bliss burst across my tastebuds as I began chewing, it had a devastatingly powerful impact, but it wasn''t overwhelming, it was a strong but beautiful harmony...the delightfully soft and chewy texture of the brownie, the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate chips, the heavenly richness of the chocolate lava, the silky red velvet, all accentuated by the chocolatey crunch of the choc chunks, and finally, the deliciously sticky caramel...fuck me dead, this is the best thing I''ve ever put in my mouth.


    I...I don''t know if I can ever enjoy other, lesser desserts after this, but I couldn''t bring myself to care about anything right now, I was completely fixated on the godly dessert in front of me. Time to dig in...


    ...


    ...


    A few hours later, I was on my bed, laying down with a sense of satisfaction...I ended up using Load three times, so it was like I ate eight of those desserts instead of just two...fuck, that was amazing. My sister would be here in about half an hour, and I was currently working on improving my inaudible chanting speed. And by that, I mean how long it takes me to activate my Anomaly X-Abilities. Activating X-Abilities required voice activation, you couldn''t activate them just by repeating the activation phrases in your head, you actually had to say them out loud.


    I had managed to learn how to chant inaudibly, since I can''t let anyone hear me, but I could stand to improve how fast I chant. Right now, I could consistently chant within one second, and I was working on doing so in half a second, but it was tough to do without stuttering or biting my tongue.


    Well, anyway, it didn''t take long after that for my sister to arrive, my doorbell ringing a couple of times. I got up with a lazy stretch of my arms and walked towards the door, unlocking it and opening it. The instant I did, a blur rushed towards me, and the next thing I knew...


    "Zax! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you have any trauma or-?" My sister rattled off, as she scanned me with a look of concern with her hands firmly on my shoulders.


    "It''s been like two weeks, sis, chill out, I''m fine," I replied with a sigh, "Why don''t you come in?"


    "Yeah, okay...but are you sure that you''re-?"


    "Just come in," I groaned, pulling her by the arm and beginning to shut the door, when it hit something.


    "Ow, hey!" Exclaimed Kumar, shaking his right foot gingerly.


    "Oh, uh...sorry, didn''t see you down there," I replied apologetically.


    "...was the ''down there'' part really necessary?"


    "Heh, slip of the tongue, my bad," I apologized with a sheepish grin, though it was totally intentional on my part.


    I let them both in before shutting the door. Since they come over so often and I don''t have chairs or anything in the room except for the one by my desk, I''d bought a couple of beanbags...though I made my sister pay for them. I sat on my bed as Kumar flopped onto one of the beanbags, while Kilella was still looking at me with concern.


    "Hey, Zax, are you sure you''re okay-?"


    "Yeah, I''m sure I am. I didn''t get any notable injuries to begin with, and I spent some time in a Healing Pod just to be safe," I replied with a shrug.


    "What about counseling, did you get any?"


    Uh-oh...everyone I was teamed up with and I were recommended to get some counseling, but I wasn''t particularly traumatized or anything, so I didn''t bother.


    "Y-yeah, I totally did."


    "Hm...you''re lying," She responded immediately.


    "...okay, I didn''t, but only because I didn''t feel the need to, no mental scars to speak of or anything," I shrugged.


    "Well, if you say so...but just to be safe, maybe you should-."


    "Come on, Ella, drop it already."


    She didn''t press the issue any further, but still looked pretty concerned. It was a little annoying, but I guess I''d be lying if I said I didn''t appreciate it.


    "Well, I am glad to see that you''re doing alright, and I''m really sorry that I couldn''t come over sooner."


    "That''s really not something you need to apologize for...why don''t we talk about something else, Kumar looks like he''s feeling left out," I remarked, nodding at Kumar, who was fidgeting awkwardly.


    "Oh, you''re right, he does look kinda lonely."


    "H-hey, you''re making me feel even more awkward, knock it off," He muttered uncomfortably.


    "So, I''ve been wondering, you two seem to spend a lot of time together and know each other really well...are you going out?" I inquired curiously.


    "Absolutely not," Responded Kumar instantly, without a shred of reluctance.


    "Ew, definitely not," Answered Kilella simultaneously.


    "Wow, no hesitation at all, huh?"


    The conversation kinda petered out after that, none of us had anything in particular that we wanted to talk about. Oh, right, I should thank Kumar...


    "Hey, man, thanks for setting up the thing with that old bastard, that was awesome!"


    "Oh, don''t worry about it...I don''t really like him either, so I enjoyed it too."


    "Huh, what are you guys talking about?" Kilella inquired curiously.


    "Exactly what you told me to do. Your father was definitely taken by surprise, he certainly didn''t expect to be congratulating the son he''d disowned. He was pretty baffled afterwards, he looked like he wanted to say something to me and was looking at me kinda suspiciously, but since he had no way of knowing whether or not I know that you two are related, he didn''t want to reveal that fact, so he kept quiet."


    "Ohh, I totally forgot about that...right, his speech thingy! Hehe, so that''s why he''s been in a bad mood lately, that''s awesome! Nice work, Kumar, I knew you could pull it off!" Grinned my sister.


    The three of us spent the next fifteen minutes talking shit about my piece-of-trash father, which was really nice and pleasant. And then, about ten minutes before the both of them were planning to leave...


    "Hey, something''s been bugging me, and I really have to ask. You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to, it''s regarding the teamwork exam," Said Kumar, looking at me with curiosity in his eyes.


    "Hm? Sure, I don''t mind."


    "Are you really sure, little bro, you don''t have to answer if it''s traumatic or anything."


    "Yeah, it''s cool, I really don''t mind at all."


    "Well, in that case...," Remarked Kumar, before continuing, "I''ve been thinking about what happened, and I read the reports on what apparently happened, including your side of it...and it just doesn''t add up."


    ...uh-oh.


    "I''ve fought plenty of Two-Headed Serpents before, they''re among the smarter species of Mutants, and they can be tricky to deal with when there are multiple of them, even with my X-Abilites. First off, running while carrying three people, plus half a corpse, would be ridiculously difficult even under normal circumstances. But to do so while fighting two Two-Headed Serpents is just...impossible. Everyone who read the report seems to have written it off as a ''mother lifting a car to save her baby'' kinda moment, which would make sense since the ensuing muscle damage would be easily repaired by Healing Pods. But since most of them don''t know you personally, they overlooked an important detail...in order to break past your body''s naturally self-imposed limits like that, you''d need an insane level of desperation and determination. Don''t take this the wrong way, but you just don''t seem empathetic enough to want to save other people that badly. I''ve thought about it from several angles, and no matter how I look at it, I can only draw one conclusion..."


    Oh, fuck...


    "...are you an...Anomaly?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 34 - 33 - Fraudulent Revelation

    Shit...what do I do? Use Load? No, that wouldn''t eliminate his suspicion, there was no point in doing so. Maybe I should play dumb and just deny it? No, he''d still be suspicious unless I gave him a believable explanation. I don''t think I have a choice but to reveal it...hopefully, they''ll both agree to keep it a secret if I reveal it. Hm, but I don''t need to reveal exactly what my Anomaly X-Abilities are...


    "Huh? No way, if he was an Anomaly, he''d have totally told me already! Right, Zax?" Remarked Kilella with a laugh.??


    Jeez, way to guilt-trip a guy, sis...


    "Well, uh...," I trailed off, averting my gaze as I had no idea what to say.


    "I knew it...!...but I''m still having trouble believing it. So, then, you''re...you''re really an Anomaly?" Inquired Kumar with wide eyes.


    Well, no point denying it at this stage. This is going to be a pain to get through.


    "...yeah, I am."


    "What!? Why didn''t you tell me!? How long have you been an Anomaly!? Wait, are you just kidding? No, your expression is-...wow, you''re being serious. You''ve been hiding it from me this whole time, but wh-!?" Kilella immediately blurted out so fast that it almost sounded like she was rapping, or maybe I was hearing it like that because she had grabbed my shoulders and was shaking me kinda violently.


    "S-slow down! I guess I''ll explain everything...," I sighed reluctantly, "That day, after I went through the Awakening Procedure, I had a really bad headache that kept getting worse and worse...remember I headed to the bathroom after that sack of shit berated me for not turning out to be a Prodigy?"


    "Yeah...come to think of it, you did look like you were in some pain, I thought you were just hurt and shocked..."


    I then explained that my Anomaly X-Ability awakened after that, and how I decided to keep it a secret and pretend to be a regular Paragon instead of revealing that I''m an Anomaly. My sister was still pretty ticked off that I hadn''t told her either, even though I tried to explain that I was just trying to make sure that it was impossible for anyone else to find out, and that at times, she wasn''t very good at keeping her mouth shut. When she really gets into a conversation, she has a tendency to blurt stuff out without really thinking, so yeah.


    "Well, that about covers it, I think," I concluded with a sigh.


    "Wait, you didn''t tell us what your X-Ability does, have you been using it this whole time?" Inquired Kumar with intrigue and curiosity in his eyes.


    I could tell them what I could actually do, but...putting myself in their shoes, I wouldn''t be too thrilled if I learnt that someone could both go back in time and stop it as well. So, instead...


    "Let me show you...," I replied, standing up and mumbling inaudibly, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    There, time is frozen. Next, I''ll go behind him. Okay, hope they believe this is all I can do...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "Okay-...huh, what the-...? He vanished. Ahhh!" Kumar began in confusion, before jumping in surprise as I tapped his shoulder from behind.


    "Didn''t vanish, just teleported is all...I can teleport anywhere within a hundred meter radius. I think there''s more I could do, but those powers seem to be locked and I don''t know how to unlock them," I fraudulently explained, "So, yeah, that''s how I actually saved my teammates. And you were right, I''m not so empathetic that I''d save people out of the goodness of my heart, I just saved them cuz I figured I''d get a better score on the exam if I did."


    That last part was true, if nothing else. Looks like they bought it, neither showed any signs of skepticism. Good, they may know that I''m an Anomaly now, but their idea of what I was capable of was a lot simpler than what it was in reality.


    "Wow, you''re really determined to keep your X-Ability a secret, aren''t you? I mean, teleporting would be really, really useful in a fight, but you''ve obviously never used it before, because it''d be impossible to use without being noticed," Said Kumar with a thoughtful look on his face.


    "Well, the whole point is to prove that I don''t need to be a Prodigy to become an X-Warrior...and I''ll be able to get that point across a lot more resoundingly if I pretended to be a normal Paragon instead of revealing that I''m an Anomaly. And besides, since I never use it in a fight, it''s almost like I really am just a regular Paragon, well, except for the fifty percent increase in my physical abilities, I guess. Additionally, I''d like to fully master this power before revealing it, right now I can only teleport within a hundred meters at the same elevation as my initial position...in other words, I can''t teleport upwards or downwards."


    Might as well give my ''ability'' a weakness, right?


    "Why would you ever need to teleport downwards though?" Inquired Kilella with a confused expression.


    "What if I''m trapped on the rooftop of a tall, burning building? Unless there''s another building of the same or similar height within a hundred meters, I''ll be screwed."


    "Ohh, yeah, that makes sense...sorry, I''m still having trouble wrapping my head around this whole thing...I can''t believe you lied to me for six years, Zax!" She exclaimed dramatically.


    "I never lied, I just kept quiet is all."


    "W-well, yeah, but...same difference!"


    Sometimes, I can''t believe she''s older than me.


    "Hey, so this should go without saying, but, uh...keep this to yourselves, ''kay?" I said to the both of them.


    "If you''re that determined to keep it hidden, I''m certainly not going to ruin it for you, my lips are sealed, baby bro!"


    "...don''t call me that."


    "I won''t tell anyone either, it''s not like you''re doing anything wrong, after all. Hiding your X-Ability isn''t a crime as far as I know, in fact, many X-Warriors try to keep their X-Abilities a secret for strategic reasons, that includes me to an extent, though plenty enjoy showing off what they''re capable of...case in point," Remarked Kumar, nodding at Kilella.


    "Wh-who, me? I don''t show off-!"


    "Actually, I watched your matches when you participated in one of those inter-high tournaments, remember...you were pretty flashy, unnecessarily so, you toyed with a lot of your opponents before actually defeating them, and-," I recalled with a raised eyebrow.


    "F-fine, I admit it, I like playing around when I use my X-Abilities, is that so wrong? It''s not like I torture my opponents or anything, I just like frustrating them before defeating them, that''s all!"


    Ooh, she''s flustered, and opportunities to tease her are very rare...and by the glint in Kumar''s eyes, he was thinking the same thing. And so, we teased her as much as we could, until we ran out of material and our jokes began getting stale...but it was fun while it lasted.


    "Now, this is a night to remember. Oh, crap, it''s late, I need to get going already!" Kumar suddenly exclaimed, as he glanced at his watch.


    "Yeah, me too, I didn''t realize it got so late already. Also, you guys suck, hmph!" She huffed dramatically, before turning to me, "Well, I''ll see you later, Zax, I''ll let you know when I''m next coming over!"


    "Sure...oh, actually, I almost forgot, I wanted to ask a favor from one of you two," I suddenly recalled, having a request to make.


    "Yeah? What is it?" Asked Kilella curiously, as Kumar also stopped and looked at me inquiringly.


    This was awkward, I''ve never really asked anyone for a favor like this before, but it was really important...


    "Well, it''s like this. When I was facing those Two-Headed Serpents, I realized that without my X-Ability, I had absolutely no way of dealing any serious damage to them, even my strongest attacks with my current weapons only left skin wounds at best," I explained with a sigh.


    "Hm, actually there are a number of X-Warriors that cannot handle K-Ranked Mutants with their X-Abilities by themselves, that is the main reason why X-Warriors are not allowed to take solo Missions, even Aces have to be in at least a team of two," Pointed out Kumar objectively.


    "Well, yeah, but I want to have the means to be able to take down a K-Ranked Mutant by myself, so I want to get some new weapons. But when it comes to the mass-produced options, I''ve already got the best or close to the best options that suit my fighting style...and that''s why I want to get in touch with a custom X-Weapon designer, but it''s not like I have any connections...except for you two. I don''t suppose you know anyone who fits the bill?" I asked hopefully.


    "Sorry, I don''t know anyone, it''s mostly J-Ranked and Q-Ranked X-Warriors that use X-Weapons, and not many of them go to custom X-Weapon designers, most just use the mass-produced options," Replied Kumar with a shrug.


    Let me explain, when it came to X-Weapons, there were several different types that were mass-produced that you could purchase at a store, but there were also a few individuals that made original custom weapons privately, some did it as a hobby while others sold their creations or took customized requests from X-Warriors.


    However, private creators weren''t allowed to publicly advertise themselves, since the X-Weapons industry wasn''t all that profitable to begin with. So for the ones that don''t have regular buyers, they had to usually sell or auction their creations online anonymously. Since that was the case, finding a reliable creator through the internet would require a lot of trial and error.


    "What about you, big sis, know anyone?"


    She had a hesitant look on her face, before replying...


    "Well...there is this old classmate of mine, she made me a couple of X-Weapons when I was starting out as an X-Warrior, but since I only got them since I thought it''d be cool to have some weapons, and while they were pretty cool and effective, I didn''t actually need them, so I didn''t use them for long, they''re just collecting dust in my room now. I haven''t been in contact with her for a while, but if you really want to, I guess I could introduce-."


    "For real? That''s awesome, thanks a lot, Ella!" I exclaimed enthusiastically, putting on an excited, innocent expression to try and convince her.


    "...that just made it impossible for me to say no. Fine, I''ll let you know when I can hook you up," She replied with a hint of reluctance.


    Alright, it worked! Her apprehension was a bit concerning though...


    "Uh...is something wrong?" I inquired curiously.


    "No, not exactly...it''s just that, this old classmate of mine is kinda...eccentric, to put it lightly," She sighed.


    Oh, is that all?


    "So long as she can get the job done, I don''t really mind what she''s like," I shrugged in reply.


    "If you say so...well, I''ll see you later, Zax."


    "See ya at the Academy," Added Kumar, before the two of them headed out.


    "Yeah, later," I responded, before shutting my door as they left.


    Well, that happened. I had ended up revealing that I''m an Anomaly. And I wasn''t happy about it. Even if my revelation had been a fraudulent one, I would have preferred to keep the fact that I''m an Anomaly a secret for as long as possible, certainly longer than this...oh, well, there''s no point in fussing over what''s already done. I''ll just have to make sure no one else finds out...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 35 - 34 - The Genius Inventor

    "Ready to go?" Inquired Kilella.


    "Yup, ready!" I replied enthusiastically.??


    It was a week later, the 17th of February. Three days ago was Valentine''s Day, and while usually that meant nothing to me, Delectables had done a fifty percent-off offer on all menu items for the day, so naturally, I paid them a visit. I''d have preferred another mind-blowing limited item, but that deal was still something I wasn''t going to miss even if the world was ending.


    Anyway, today was a Saturday, and my sister had come over to take me to meet her old classmate, the one who made X-Weapons. I couldn''t care less about what kind of a person she is, so long as she was good at making X-Weapons, that''s all that really mattered to me. That said, I can''t deny that I am kinda curious, especially since my sister seemed a bit apprehensive about seeing this person.


    "Hey, Zax, teleport me to the outside of the door, I wanna know what it feels like!" She suddenly requested, right as we began heading for the door.


    Hm, what should I do? I obviously couldn''t say that I can only teleport myself, that''d contradict my ''explanation'' regarding how I saved my teammates during that exam. Guess I might as well, it won''t cost me much XFE anyway, so whatever. If my XFE was at a hundred percent, I could freeze time for a maximum of six hundred seconds, or ten minutes.


    Well, technically it was a little bit more than ten minutes since I would recover about five percent XFE in those ten minutes, my XFE recovery rate is one percent per two minutes. Anyway, freezing time for six seconds takes one percent of my XFE, so this shouldn''t take me more than two percent of my XFE. Not that it matters, today''s a weekend and a day off, so it''s not like I need to spend any XFE on anything today, so I don''t need to be too frugal.


    "Sure, I don''t mind, but it really doesn''t feel particularly remarkable. Well, here goes...," I replied, placing a hand on her shoulder for show, before inaudibly mumbling, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Okay, let''s make this quick. I may not have a reason to conserve my XFE today, but better safe than sorry. I grabbed my sister''s arm and pulled her with me as I headed for the door, opening it and walking out before shutting it. Better just make sure that no one''s around right now...yup, the coast is clear.


    I then turned around to lock the door, before stopping myself just in time. That was close, I almost locked it out of habit, but I can''t do that until I unfreeze time, it wouldn''t make sense for an unlocked door to suddenly be locked because of a teleportation ability.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "Wha-...woah, that happened really fast! Like instantly, but even faster...what''s the right word, um..."


    "You had it right with ''instantly'', that''s literally the fastest you can get. Now, come on, let''s go," I replied, tugging on her sleeve with a bit of impatience.


    If this old classmate of hers had any real skill, then I can''t wait to meet then, and if they were incompetent, then I might as well get this over quickly and save some time. Well, I doubt it''s the latter, considering the fact that she made satisfactory X-Weapons for my overpowered sister, she had to have some degree of skill in creating.


    "Jeez, chill out, little bro. It''s not that far from here, only about a twenty minute ride on a shuttle bus."


    The person we were going to meet worked on her creations right here in the Residential District of the North Quadrant, which meant that we had to use public transport to get there. Fortunately, there was a bus stop just in front of the apartment building I lived in. A couple of minutes later, we were in a bus, occupying one of back rows.


    "So, what''s this old classmate of yours like, big sis? You seem...less than thrilled about this whole thing. You didn''t have to force this meeting if you don''t get along with her or something, though I do appreciate that you did."


    "Hm? No, it''s not that I don''t get along with her, it''s more like...uh...w-well, you''ll see soon enough," She muttered, averting her gaze.


    Okay, now I''m even more curious than I already was. Just what kind of person was I about to meet...?


    ...


    ...


    About half an hour later, a bit more time than I was initially told to expect, we arrived at the location. It was a large apartment building, looked like a slightly higher-class place to where I was staying.


    "I can''t believe you got grumpy just because it took about ten minutes longer to get here than I thought it would...the GPS said twenty minutes, so either blame it or the bus, not me!" Huffed Kilella, ruffling my hair with a pout.


    "Hey, cut it out! And I never said I blamed you!"


    "Yeah, but you thought it, didn''t you?"


    "Well, I-...so what if I did?"


    After about a minute of this annoying back-and-forth, we finally got back on track and headed into the building, going up to the third floor.


    "Let''s see...third floor, door number three-zero-nine...ah, here it is," Said my sister, as we found the place.


    "Great...so, uh, you gonna ring the bell, or...?"


    "Right, I guess I should," She sighed reluctantly, before hesitantly reaching for the doorbell and pressing it.


    Before the bell even finished ringing, the door swung open swiftly and a blur of red and black shot out towards my sister.


    "Kilella! It''s been too long, I missed you!"


    "H-hey, Ruby, how''s it going?" My sister replied awkwardly, as the person who burst out the door embraced her tightly.


    So, this is her, huh...she certainly seemed energetic. She was on the short side, and while she probably was the same age as my sister since they were classmates, she kinda looked closer to my age than my sister''s age. She had medium-length red hair that was slightly parted to the left in front and the back was tied in two tails that were both in front of her shoulders. She had bright yellow eyes with dark bags underneath them, a silver ring around the top of her left ear and wore a baggy black hoodie that went down to halfway down her thighs...she was probably wearing shorts under them...I think.


    "Hehe, you still have the same scent as before...and your body feels more toned, have you been working out?" Inquired the girl, squeezing my sister''s side with a glint in her eyes.


    Huh, now her reluctance earlier make a lot more sense.


    "C-cut it out! Well, a-anyway, let me introduce you," Kilella said with a clearing of her throat as she seperated herself from the girl, "This is my younger brother, Kilzachs. Zax, this is my old classmate, Ruby O''Sullivan."


    "Uh, hi, nice to meet you," I nodded at her with awkward politeness, as she scanned me up and down with narrowed eyes.


    "Mm...wow, you''re like a guy version of Kilella, this is amazing, you''re pretty much the same height and build too," She muttered with a gulp, looking back and forth between my sister and I with a glint in her eyes.


    What''s her deal? And is that...a hint of drool on the side of her mouth? Nah, I must be imagining things...right?


    "Snap out of it, Ruby...you haven''t changed at all, have you?" Sighed Kilella, flicking her forehead.


    "Ow! Oops, hehe...sorry, maybe I got a bit carried away, hope I didn''t freak you out, Kilzachs," She remarked with a grin, holding her hand out.


    I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t at least a little bit caught off-guard by this, but I''ll play it cool.


    "No worries, you''re good," I replied in a friendly tone, shaking her hand.


    "Well, what''re you waiting for, come on in, both of you," She invited, gesturing to the open doorway.


    We entered after taking our shoes off, I looked around as I did...it was slightly bigger that my place, but the layout seemed kinda the same, the front door opened into a bedroom, with doors on either side of it, presumably leading into a kitchen and bathroom. The main difference between my place and this one was that...this place was really messy.


    And I don''t say that lightly. Sure, I prefer to keep my place neat and tidy, but a little mess doesn''t bother me at all...this was a lot more than a little mess though. Clothes, empty food containers, junk food wrappers, and a whole bunch of other litter were strewn all over the room. The bed was the only spot that was clear, the rest of the room was a huge mess.


    Huh, there was a refrigerator and a water dispenser in here, no wonder it felt cramped despite being bigger than my room...why didn''t she just keep them in the kitchen? This was a pretty overwhelming mess, is she even comfortable living like this? I mean, seriously...


    "Wow, you really haven''t changed...messy as ever, I see," Kilella said with an exasperated tone.


    You mean she''s been living like this for years?


    "Well, I did tidy up a bit since you were coming," Replied Ruby, nodding at the bed.


    ...so then, her bed was usually just as messy as the rest of the room was?


    "R-right, I-I see," My sister stuttered, averting her gaze.


    Huh, what was that about?


    "You okay, sis?" I inquired curiously.


    "Y-yeah, totally f-fine! So, a-anyway...why don''t we get down to business?" She suggested a bit forcefully...what is she hiding?


    "Sure, let''s talk in my workspace," Responded Ruby, opening the door on the right side of the room and gesturing for us to follow after her.


    Woah...this was kinda cool. And now I get why she had her fridge and water dispenser in her bedroom...she''d converted the kitchen into a workspace. There were several tools and parts all over the place, a large desk, mapping paper to draw up blueprints...looking at all this, I could tell that she knew what she was doing.


    "Wow, this is way more organized than your room," Remarked Kilella with a look of surprise.


    "Is it? I can''t really say, they both seem equally tidy to me," She shrugged as she took a seat on a computer chair by the desk at the back of the space, before turning to me curiously and asking, "So, what''s this about, Kilella told me there''s something you want to talk to me about?"


    "Yeah, I do. It''s like this, I''m currently a student at the X-Warrior Academy, and I''m not a Prodigy, so-."


    "Woah, hold the phone, you passed the entrance exam as a regular Paragon? That''s awesome!" She exclaimed with a spark in her eyes, "I''d expect nothing less from Kilella''s brother. I tried to get in a few years ago, but I failed the entrance exam pretty hopelessly, so that was that. Oh, sorry for interrupting, I was just surprised and couldn''t help myself."


    "No worries, I don''t mind. Well, as I was saying, I''m not a Prodigy, so there''s a limit to what I can do. But with the right weapons, I believe that I can push those limits. Unfortunately, the options available for public retail aren''t quite enough to cut it, the ones that are powerful consume too much XFE, and the ones with more reasonable XFE consumption rates aren''t powerful enough...I have a few ideas on how to better balance power and XFE consumption, but I don''t have the know-how when it comes to tinkering with or creating X-Weapons, so I was hoping that you take customized requests...I''m willing to pay for your trouble, of course-."


    "Hm, I think I get the gist of it...and I can appreciate that you have your own ideas instead of leaving everything to me with nothing but a vague specification of what you want. I think we can definitely work something out, Kilzachs," She stated with a smile, "Tell me what you need and I''ll whip ''em up as soon as possible!"


    "I appreciate that, but you can work at your own pace, there''s no need to rush," I replied politely...this is going pretty well, and considering that I might form a working relationship with this woman, since I''d need maintenance and upgrades on any weapons I commission from her, I may as well make it a friendly and amicable relationship, things were bound to go a lot more smoothly that way.


    "Yeah, don''t you have that job at the-," Began Kilella.


    "Nah, I quit that over a year ago. These days, I come up with useful inventions and sell them on this auction site whenever I''m low on my savings. I may not be allowed to advertise that I make X-Weapons and XFE gadgets, but I do pretty well for myself by auctioning my creations online! I''ve currently made enough money off that auction site to keep me going for the next ten years, so I don''t ever need to have a regular job again!" She exclaimed triumphantly.


    "That''s pretty cool...what kind of things did you auction off?" I inquired curiously.


    "Well, let''s see...there''s the Taster, a helmet you put on your head, and once activated, it''ll modify the signals your tastebuds send to your brain based on your specification...basically, it''ll make absolutely anything taste like something you specify. For example, if you specify that you want to taste pizza, and eat broccoli or bread or anything really, they''ll taste exactly like pizza. Of course, the texture of what you''re eating won''t change, but with the taste modified, you can eat healthy food you don''t like a lot easier. Also, it can only modify the taste into something you''ve actually tasted before, as in you can''t specify pizza if you''ve never tasted pizza before. I auctioned that off about a three months ago, and I''m thinking of making another one since it sold for so much!"


    What the heck...that was an incredible invention! Wow, the law against private creators advertising their creations was a pretty stupid rule, it was only keeping potentially ground-breaking inventions from thriving. Okay, that settles it, she''s an absolute genius and I must have her as my weapon designer.


    "Ooh, and there was this other creation I was super proud of, I called them Cheat Glasses. It''s extremely useful during exams that have calculations like math and physics, you just have to look at the question and let the glasses scan it, and a few seconds later, the answer will pop up on the glasses, which only the user will be able to see. The glasses scan the user''s DNA signature, so to anyone else who isn''t the user, they just appear as a regular pair of glasses...pretty neat, huh?"


    Are you kidding, that was more than just ''pretty neat'', holy crap! She carried on for a while, listing off several of her inventions, and I was way too fascinated to interrupt, talking about my X-Weapons can wait...still, how interesting, the Sanctuary''s laws made it difficult for private inventors to prosper, but after hearing all this, it''s obvious to me that these laws are detrimental to the Sanctuary. Well, in that case, the Sanctuary''s loss was my gain, I had just found myself a genius inventor to work with...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 36 - 35 - Payment Method

    "Wow, these are some pretty creative ideas," Whistled Ruby with an impressed look, "Especially the way you want these X-Blades to be made, I think I''m going to enjoy working on these."


    "I take it that means you can do it?" I inquired hopefully.


    "Hell, yeah, piece of cake!"


    "Glad to hear it," I replied with a grin.


    I had just finished telling her about the specifications of the X-Weapons I wanted. Most of them were just improved versions of the X-Weapons currently in my arsenal, but I also requested a few additions on top of those. That left one more matter to discuss...payment. The less I had to pay, the better, simple as that. Bringing up that subject felt kinda awkward though, hopefully she''ll mention it first.


    "By the way, you''ve been really quiet, Kilella, you okay?" Inquired Ruby, looking at her closely.


    "Huh? Y-yeah, I''m fine, just seemed like shouldn''t interrupt, that''s all," She responded awkwardly.


    "Aw, sorry, didn''t mean to make you feel left out. Let me make it up to you...," Said Ruby in a low tone, that was kinda...seductive.


    "Wha-...no, m-maybe later, um...oh, yeah, you two should like, uh, form a contract or something, right?"


    What am I missing here? I''ve never seen my sister like this before.


    "Nah, I find formalities annoying, contracts are stupid. At best, they state the obvious, and at worst, annoying clients could use it against me...I''m not very good with law."


    I couldn''t really tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing...


    "I''m fine either way...so, uh, regarding payment for the weapons...," I brought up awkwardly.


    "Yeah, he requested a bunch of stuff, won''t that be expensive?" Inquired my sister with a look of concern.


    "Actually, I don''t really need to make any money right now, plus these look like they''d be fun to make, so...it doesn''t have to be money."


    Was I hearing things? That sounded way too good to be true. But wait, if it wasn''t money, it had to be something else, even I''d feel awkward about accepting them for free...


    "So, then...how should I compensate you for your work?" I asked curiously.


    "Hm...I do have a suggestion," She replied, before a slight smirk spread across her lips and she reached over and ran a finger across my collarbone slowly and seductively, "When I''m done working on your requests and you come to pick them up...maybe you could let me play with you a bit...or a lot..."


    Say what now?


    "W-w-wait a sec, what!? A-are you b-b-being serious, Ruby!?" Exclaimed Kilella, standing up with a start, her face bright red in surprise and disbelief.


    Not gonna lie, that really caught me off guard too.


    "Aw, what''s the matter, Kilella, don''t tell me...you''re jealous? You''re totally welcome to come over anytime...after all, it has been a while since we hooked-."


    "Ahhhh! Don''t say another word!" She blurted out, covering Ruby''s mouth with her hands before she could finish her sentence.


    ...they say you learn something new everyday, but if you ask me, there are some things that you''d be better off never learning.


    "Huh, didn''t know that you were into girls, sis," I remarked incredulously, saying the first thing that came to mind.


    "I''m not-...well, I guess I am, but not exclusively just girls-...wait, what am I saying, y-you don''t need to know anything about this aspect of me!"


    "FYI, I swing both ways too, so we''ve got something in common, Kilella!" Chimed in Ruby with a grin, holding up her hand for a high five.


    Well, that explains her reaction when she first saw me.


    "Please stop talking, this is too much for my brain to process," Groaned Kilella, slumping with a defeated expression, ignoring her hand.


    "That''s cold, you left me hanging," Sighed Ruby with mock hurt in her voice, lowering her hand.


    "Don''t you think you''re overreacting a bit, sis? Sure, this is kinda awkward, but it''s no big deal," I said in an assuring tone, patting her back, "Seriously, I couldn''t care less about what you do-...or rather, who you do."


    "H-hey, don''t s-say it like that! Hold on, this isn''t about me! Let''s stop talking about me, please! Ruby, you can''t be serious about the, uh, p-payment method, are you?"


    "Huh? Of course I''m serious, why wouldn''t I be?" She replied with a tilt of her head.


    I''d almost forgotten about that...I mean, as a guy, this kind of deal was something you wouldn''t think happened in real life, only in fantasy...and porn.


    "...no, really, why would you be?" Asked Kilella, sounding like unable to wrap her head around the current proceedings.


    Can''t lie, this was kinda surreal for me too.


    "Well, think about it...like I said, I swing both ways, and you''re basically my perfect type, and your brother is like a guy version of you...why wouldn''t I want a piece of that?"


    Okay, when she put it that way, it was kinda messed up, but hey, I wasn''t complaining...much. That, and seeing my sister this flustered was kinda fun.


    "But you-...but he''s...I, uh...wha...," Stuttered my sister, unable to form a coherent sentence following Ruby''s blunt remark.


    "It''s just a suggestion, and it''s not my decision to make...it''s yours, Kilzachs. So, what do you say, big boy?" She inquired in a husky, low voice, leaning forward towards me.


    Remember when I mentioned that she was wearing a baggy hoodie...well, it was so baggy that when she leaned forward like she was currently doing...I could see pretty much everything...and she wasn''t wearing anything under the hoodie.


    "Uh, well...I say, I look forward to doing, uh, business with you," I responded almost in a daze, unable to avert my gaze.


    "Zax, what''re you...!?"


    "I-I mean...it''s a good deal, and I''ll almost definitely regret it if I turn it down, so in the interest of not disappointing my future self...," I trailed off sheepishly, "Are you against it, sis?"


    "...you''re old enough to make your own decisions," She replied with a sigh, after a brief pause, taking a drink of water as she calmed down.


    "Great, glad we could come to an agreement!" Exclaimed Ruby enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming and...yup, she was drooling, it hadn''t just been my imagination earlier, "I can''t wait to play with you...mm, but not yet, I''ll save it as a reward for when I finish the job...the wait will make it all the more tantalizing. So, tell me, Kilzachs...are you a virgin?"


    My sister choked on her water and sputtered, taken aback by the abrupt question.


    "No, I''ve been to the red-light district a couple of times," I replied, not very honestly...I actually went there about once a month, sometimes twice a month...well, technically speaking, I had never gone since I always used Load to go back after I was done, because, you know...prostitutes are kinda expensive.


    ...what? I''m a guy just out of his teens, I get horny sometimes, it''s perfectly natural! And I don''t believe in the whole ''your first time should be special'' bullcrap, so I just got it over with not long after I turned eighteen...specifically, the very next day after my eighteenth birthday. And I''m glad I did, those girls in the red-light district REALLY know what they''re doing. I regret nothing. But of course, I couldn''t say all that.


    "Wait, you''ve been doing what!?" Kilella exclaimed hoarsely, yet to recover from choking on her water.


    "...yeah, I should have just said that I''m a virgin."


    It took a while for things to calm down, and once they did, my sister wasted no time in leaving, dragging me along with her.


    "Thanks for the hospitality, Ruby, but we really shouldn''t impose on you any further, so, uh...I''ll see you later!"


    "Aw, you guys are leaving already? Hey, Kilella, you should contact me more often, before this the last time I saw you was like two years ago, when we spent all night fu- mpfh!"


    "TMI, and especially in front of my brother! And...fine, I''ll keep in touch," She sighed, after hurriedly shutting Ruby up by covering her mouth with her hand.


    "Yay! And Kilzachs...I''ll see you soon, ''kay? It shouldn''t take me too long to get this done."


    "Awesome, thanks a lot!"


    "Ooh, I just got an incredible idea!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up and her face turning red as a wide, and kinda lecherous, smirk spread out on her lips, "Why don''t both of you come over to pick up the weapons when I''m done, we can have a threesom-!"


    "Absolutely not," My sister and I both shot her down in unison...some lines I just won''t cross...


    ...


    ...


    Three days later, while I was at the Academy, about an hour from the end of the final session of the day, I got a text from Ruby...


    ''I''ve finished working on your requests, come by after your done with classes''


    Wow, that was fast, I''d expected it to at least take a week or two. I should reply...


    ''Sure, I''ll be there by around 6. Also, *you''re.''


    ...yeah, I''m kind of a grammar nazi, so what? Anyway, an hour later, I left the Academy in a hurry, impatiently excited to see the results of Ruby''s work on my requests. Usually, I waited a few minutes before leaving, since I didn''t want to leave along with some of the others who live in the North Quadrant...namely Tairo and Bytra, so generally, I wait till they leave before leaving myself.


    But today, I just couldn''t care less about that. There was one other person in my class who was from the North Quadrant, and that was Suri. And as I made my way to the Teleportation Point in the X-Warrior Zone, she was walking a few meters ahead of me. Thankfully, those other two hadn''t left the Academy yet, so I didn''t have to worry about running into them.


    I teleported back to the North Quadrant and got into a bus that would take me to the area Ruby''s apartment was in. Suri got on the same bus, and to my surprise, sat next to me. Okay, I know she''s been relatively friendlier towards me lately, but this seems a bit much...I mean, I don''t really mind or anything, but it is kinda awkward...I wasn''t used to stuff like people deliberately sitting next to me.


    "Do you live around here? I''ve never seen you take this bus before," She suddenly inquired, as the silence began to feel awkward.


    "Huh? Oh, uh...no, I don''t, I''m just paying someone a visit," I replied, a bit caught off-guard.


    "...why do you look wary, like I''m about to bite your head off or something?"


    Sheesh, she''s pretty blunt, huh. Not that I could talk.


    "Well, don''t take this the wrong way, but you do kinda give off a sort of unapproachable vibe...I thought you were doing it intentionally," I answered sheepishly.


    "I...guess that''s true, I don''t usually like people talking to me, but...I''m not so cold that I''d treat someone who saved my life in that way," She muttered awkwardly.


    "That''s, uh...really not a big deal or anything," I responded, just as awkwardly...I felt weird about accepting gratitude for something I wouldn''t have done if it hadn''t benefited me.


    The conversation petered out on that note, which made for a pretty uncomfortable ride from that point on. I almost let out a huge sigh of relief when I finally reached my stop. The moment I got up from my seat, so did she...and exited the bus along with me. Okay, this isn''t exactly strange, this section of the Residential District had a bunch of affordable places for rent, so naturally a lot of people lived here.


    Huh, she''s walking in the same direction as Ruby''s place...well, there were a few other apartment buildings next to the one I was heading to, so maybe...


    "Oh, you''re visiting someone here? I live in this building too," Remarked Suri with a look of surprise.


    Well, yeah, I was more than a little surprised too.


    "Huh, talk about a coincidence."


    "Which apartment number are you visiting?" She asked, as we entered through the sliding door.


    "Number 309. Which one to you live in?"


    "Believe it or not, number 420."


    "Woah, for real? That''s awesome! Do you live here with your family?" I inquired, following her into the elevator.


    "Yeah, though it''s just my mom and I, I don''t have any siblings, and my asshole dad ran out on us when I was a kid."


    Yikes, maybe I shouldn''t have asked that, I was just trying to keep a polite conversation going, but I might''ve stepped on a sensitive topic. I''d decided to put a bit more effort into socializing, since I realized that keeping people at too great a distance would only make things harder for me in the future. What made me realize it was my lack of connections, if it wasn''t for my sister, I''d probably have never gotten in touch with Ruby and would still be looking for better weapons.


    Therefore, I''ll create friendly relationships with people who I can tolerate, I''ll still have to be mindful about letting anyone get too close, but I could definitely stand to ease up on the distance I kept people at, even just a bit. And I could definitely tolerate Suri, in fact, I respected her, due to her taste in sweets.


    "Sorry, I shouldn''t have asked that...but I can relate, I despise my father too...actually, even referring to him as my father ticks me off," I sighed, grimacing as I thought of that old douchebag.


    Relatability, having something in common with someone was a good way to earn their trust.


    "I''m not particularly torn up about it or anything, so no worries. Oh, I almost forgot...I should really thank you for selling me one of those limited item desserts the other day, it meant a lot to me, so thanks!"


    I mean, she paid me double price for it, so there was really no need to thank me...


    "It''s cool, I was pretty stuffed after two anyway, not sure I''d have been able to eat a third one...but man, that was probably the best dessert I''ve ever had."


    "I know, right!? The soft, gooey-ness of the brownie..."


    "The rich chocolate lava and the red velvet chunks soaked in it..."


    "Ohh, and the crunchy chocolate chunks were amazing..."


    "Mhm, and the impact of the pop rocks worked really well somehow, not to mention the light sweetness of the powdered sugar-...oh, we''re at the third floor, I get off here," I hopped off, as the elevator opened.


    Woah, what was that right then...I felt in perfect sync with her. That was weird, but not in an unpleasant way. In fact, that was kinda nice.


    "Oh, okay...see you tomorrow, then...hey, we should-...," She began, before trailing off as I looked at her inquiringly, "Never mind, um...see ya later."


    "Sure, uh...see ya later."


    Huh, I wonder what that was about...eh, I''ll think about later. Because right now, I had something else on my mind...


    I walked up to Ruby''s apartment door and rang the bell, stepping back as I waited for her to open it. It didn''t take longer than a few seconds for the door to swing wide open, a hand shooting out from inside, grabbing my collar and pulling me in before I could even blink...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 37 - 36 - New Weapons

    "It''s about time you got here, what took you so long!?" Exclaimed Ruby, as she pulled me in and shut the door.


    Ow, my neck...did she have to grab my collar so hard? I glanced at my I-Watch...it was a couple of minutes past 6 PM...??


    "Well, I didn''t say I''d be here precisely at six, I''m pretty sure I wrote ''around 6'', which usually entails a margin of five to ten minutes," I replied with a shrug, as I rubbed the back of my neck.


    "...okay, maybe I kinda overreacted, it''s just that I finished up this morning, so I''ve been kinda...impatient," She laughed sheepishly, before linking her arm with mine and leading me to her workspace, "First things first, though, let me show you the fruits of my labor! After that...well, you know, we''ll hash out your payment."


    I had to admit...I was kinda flattered. Also, she''s really close right now...she was distractingly soft, and her scent was really pleasant too. It was hard to tell by looking since she was wearing that baggy black hoodie, but she had some rather...ample curves.


    "Your, uh, fashion sense is pretty minimalistic, huh?"


    "Hm? Oh, I only dress like this at home...not that I leave this place much, I usually just order whatever I need, be it food or parts for my inventions. Wait, don''t get the wrong idea, I don''t wear the same hoodie everyday, I have eleven pairs of this hoodie, so yeah. It''s super comfy and I like dark colors, and I liked it so much when I first bought it that I went back and got ten more."


    I wasn''t really sure what to say...I had several sets of the battle outfit I used for when I go to the Academy, but that wasn''t quite the same thing, it was because it was inevitable that they might get torn up, so I needed spares. I didn''t have multiple sets of any of my regular clothes though.


    "Oh, uh...that makes sense," I replied, nothing else coming to mind.


    "I may be untidy, but I''m not unclean, there''s a big difference!" She huffed, before laughing playfully and pulling my arm closer towards her, my bicep on her chest...okay, this is pretty nice. She then led me to the front of her workspace, to the desk, where several sleek gadgets were spread out...


    "Are these the weapons I requested?"


    "Yup, feel free to give them a try...well, except for the wrist-blasters, I don''t want any holes in my walls. Try out the blades, I made them just how you asked, it was kinda tricky to figure out initially, but once I did, everything else went super smoothly!" She declared with a proud look on her face.


    "Alright, let''s have a look," I remarked, picking up one of the handles.


    Pretty cool design, way better than the bland, simplistic designs of the X-Blades found in retail...these handles were black with a red streak vertically down the length, and the bottom of the handle was slightly curved. Now, then, for the important part...


    I ran my XFE through it, activating it and forming the energy blade from the top end of the handle. Wow, she made it perfectly to my specifications, maybe even better than I''d hoped. I had asked her to make me blades that would give me a longer reach than my current X-Blade models, but without consuming XFE at a greater rate.


    I''d initially thought of two ways to do that, the first would be to make the energy blade manifest a lot narrower, but I decided against that. So, instead, I went for the second method I thought of...thinning out the middle of the blade. Basically, the tip and sides of the blade would form normally, while everything within the edges of the blade would be in a honeycomb pattern. It was like a net, with only the sides and tip fully formed.


    In other words, it spread out a small amount of XFE in a web instead of using more XFE and filling out the entire shape of the blade, giving me a longer reach while consuming less XFE. I mean, it''s not like I need the flat sides of my blades to be fully formed, I just need the sides and tip to slash and thrust. I swung the blade a couple of times to get a feel for it...yeah, this should cut nicely, it sliced through the air really smoothly.


    "You like it? It consumes XFE at half the rate your current models do, and I made it so that the edges and tip are super narrow and incredibly sharp, you could even split a sheet of paper into two, assuming you have the skill to do so, of course!"


    Woah, no kidding, half the XFE consumption rate!?


    "Not gonna lie, I''m kinda geeking out over here, these have longer reaches than what I''m currently using, and they''re twice as XFE-efficient? You''re amazing, Ruby!"


    I wasn''t just trying to patronize her, I was genuinely impressed...this is fucking awesome. The length of the blades were about the same as the length from my elbow to the tip of my middle finger when I stretched out my fingers.


    "Hehe, thanks! Now, onto the next one, the wrist-blasters...like I said earlier, you can''t test them out in here, but I''ll explain what it can do," She replied, before starting her explanation.


    These wrist-blasters were a lot sleeker and lighter than the models I was using, I could barely feel their weight at all, and they were pretty sturdy too. They had four settings in total...first, was short-range mode, which shot out wide blasts that weren''t very penetrative or fast, but would do some substantial external damage, good for using in duels where I don''t need to kill my opponent, so long as I kept the output low.


    Second, was mid-range mode, which narrowed the shots and increased their speed, but were still fairly wide and not all that penetrative. Third, was long-range mode, which fired narrow and highly piercing shots, with an effective range of upto a hundred meters.


    And finally, fourth was sniping mode, which was for when the target was just barely within sight. It worked in tandem with an addition she had come up with, she stuck what looked like a transparent screen-protector onto the right lens of my glasses, and when I switched the wrist-blasters into sniping mode, my right lens would light up like a scope, letting my aim and magnify my line of sight by about five times.


    Oh, and as for the shots fired in this mode, they were in the form of a spiral shape that spun rapidly as they were fired, meaning that for within a certain range, their speed and penetrative power would keep increasing.


    I had only asked for the first three settings, sniping mode was something she came up with on her own. Oh, and regardless of which mode the output was set to, every shot would consume half a percent of my XFE on the minimum output setting.


    The maximum output setting was five times the minimum, so any shot fired with the output set to max would take two and a half percent XFE per shot. And at the maximum output, I could deal significant damage to even K-Ranked Mutants at any range settkng.


    Close-range mode was ideal for distance within ten meters, while mid-range mode would be best suited for within fifty meters, long-range within a hundred meters and for sniping mode, I could theoretically hit a target from five hundred meters away, though I wouldn''t know whether or not I could actually do that until I practiced with it.


    "Wow, I don''t know what to say...this is way better than I asked for."


    "Don''t mention it, I had a blast making them...oh, try these next," She said, handing me a couple of bracelets.


    I clipped them around my wrists and looked at her inquiringly.


    "Cross your forearms across each other, first with your right arm in front of your left, and after that, try it the other way around."


    "Alright, here goes..."


    I crossed my forearms with the right one in front...and a barrier formed around me.


    "This is about twice as sturdy as the barrier you''re used to, but it also consumes double the XFE. I could have built it into the wrist-blasters, but then, if one of them breaks, you won''t be able to use the barrier at all, so I figured I should seperate that function. Hope you don''t mind."


    "Of course I don''t mind, and I certainly won''t argue with the expert...alright, let me try crossing my arms the other way now..."


    I shifted the positions of my arms so that my left arm was in front...the moment I did, the walls of the barrier turned into a honeycomb pattern.


    "This mode consumes just a third of the amount of XFE your previous barrier does...of course, if you''re facing an attack like, say, a Mutant spitting out a wave of acid or venom at you or something like that, then you shouldn''t use this barrier, since it''ll just rain down on you through the gaps. But against an attack like someone swinging a large weapon down at you, this mode is the better option, it''s just as sturdy as the gapless barrier, and consumed only a sixth of the amount of XFE."


    ...man, was I grateful to have gotten in contact with her, she''s insanely talented.


    "Heh, I''ll probably never go to an X-Weapon store ever again."


    "As an inventor, that''s one of the highest compliments to get, I''m kinda embarrassed," She grinned, her face slightly red.


    "Seriously, though, I''m beyond grateful...well, that leaves one more thing that I requested, right?"


    "Yup, this right here!" She exclaimed, holding out what looked like a metal square with a handle on top.


    It looked almost like a small, narrow metal briefcase. The handle had a red trigger along the inside, around where my index finger would be when I took hold of it. As for the metal square the handle was attached to, it was about ten inches long on each side, and about three inches thick...despite that, it was surprisingly light. It also had a long, narrow display just below the handle, you know, like the gauge-type bars you see in video games.


    "Okay...so, uh, how does this work?" I inquired curiously.


    "It''s pretty simple...you requested a weapon that you could fill with XFE ahead of time, which would allow you to fire off powerful blasts during a fight without using so much as a drop of the XFE that''s inside your body. To fill this weapon with XFE, place your hand on that bar below the handle and run XFE into it...the bar will start turning green bit by bit as you fill it up, like the loading bars in games and stuff. The amount of XFE it can hold is about two times the amount of XFE in your body and has three output settings, the minimum lets you fire twenty shots if you''ve fully filled it, the mid setting lets you fire eight shots, and the maximum setting lets you fire four shots, which are insanely destructive, by the way. Oh, and when you want to use this weapon, run your XFE through the handle. Since it''s currently totally empty, you can try that now, hold onto the handle and run your XFE into it, just a tiny bit will do."


    Can''t say I''m not intrigued, let''s give it a try...


    I ran my XFE into the handle, and the instant I did, the metal square extended out into a rectangle shape, with a slit along the end of it. Oh, I see, I probably had to press the red trigger on the handle, and it''d fire out the slit.


    "Nice, it''d be kinda bulky to carry it at full length, but it''s a lot more compact in the square form...wait, how do I retract it?"


    "Oh, just run some XFE through the handle again. I call the square form hibernation mode, and when it extends to the rectangle shape, I call it active mode. Though you don''t have to use those terms if you don''t want to."


    "Nah, I like them, nice and simple. Gotta say, I''m really blown away by all of these, you''ve way surpassed my expectations-."


    "Hold on, I''m not done yet, there''s one more thing I made for you...hehe, check these out," She remarked with a grin, opening up a box filled with metal spheres a bit bigger than marbles.


    Each sphere had an oval shaped glass spot on them.


    "Cool...so, uh, what are these?" I inquired curiously.


    "Bombs! You fill them with XFE ahead of time, I''d say each one would take about three percent of your XFE. The glass spots are fingerprint scanners, you press any of your fingers against it, and the moment it starts blinking, you throw it at your target, and it''ll explode in five seconds after it starts blinking. But it''s not an explosive bomb, it''s a smoke bomb...each ball is filled with a fine powder that''ll absorb the XFE you transfer into it, this powder enhances the toxic element of your Dark Attribute, so when it explodes, it''ll burst out a cloud of black smoke that''s highly toxic to Mutants, it''ll instantly kill any J-Ranks, Q-Ranks will probably take about ten seconds to succumb to it, and K-Ranks about a minute."


    Woah, for real?


    "Of course, using multiple bombs will speed up that time. Oh, and you should be totally immune to the smoke, it''ll have no effect on you. You''re the only one who can activate the bombs by the way, and the same goes for all the other X-Weapons I made, they''ll only respond to your DNA signature, no one else can use them."


    "...are you a goddess?"


    "Wha-!? Wh-where''d that come from?" She stuttered, her face turning red.


    "Well, it''s just...these are all incredible, once I get some practice in with them I''ll be able to deal way more damage than I could before. I would totally pay a small fortune for these!" I replied with a grin.


    Just thinking about what I could pull off using these weapons got me all giddy, this was like a dream come true.


    "Hehe, you really know how to flatter a girl, don''t you...mm, and speaking of payment...," She whispered seductively, placing her hand on my chest and blowing into my ear softly, sending shivers down my spine, "Let''s take this to the bed."


    ...I definitely wasn''t going to turn that down. Impressive, I was so giddy over these weapons, and she took my mind off them in an instant. She pulled me along into the bedroom and pushed me onto the bed, before pouncing onto me with a glint in her eyes and a lick of her lips, pulling off my jacket and undershirt with a look of desire.


    "You''re, uh, pretty aggressive, aren''t you?" I inquired with a smirk.


    "Hehe, maybe...and lemme tell you, I''m really good with my hands, and I''m also pretty good with my tongue...see for yourself..."


    She then lowered her head towards mine and pressed her lips onto mine, kissing me fervently while her hands hungrily ran over my torso...wow, she''s really going at it with her tongue, she wasn''t kidding about being good with it. She pulled away to catch her breath, a trail of saliva between our lips as she did, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.


    Before she could finish catching her breath, I wrapped my legs around her waist and swiftly flipped us over so that I was on top. I nibbled on her ear as I unzipped her hoodie, slowly tracing my fingertips across her chest, before cupping her boobs in my hands and massaging them as she let out a stifled moan and arched her back up, while placing a hand on my chest and slowly moving it down.


    "You''re pretty aggressive yourself, huh...mm, now then, let me show you how good my hands are, m''kay?"


    "Be my guest, I sure as hell won''t be stopping you," I replied without a shred of hesitation, as I kissed her neck lower and lower.


    Well...this brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ''a pleasure doing business with you''...emphasis on ''pleasure'' and ''doing''...I didn''t leave her place until more than two hours later...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 38 - 37 - Sibling Sparring Session

    "Of all the days to overlap with, why tomorrow?" I sighed ruefully.


    "I know, right?" Agreed Suri, with a despondent expression.??


    Today was the 25th of February, 2116, and tomorrow was a really, really important day...Delectables was having another limited item, because apparently one of their regular customers was sick with some deadly disease and they''re doing this to raise funds for her treatment or something...personally, I couldn''t care less about that, I just wanted to get my hands on that limited item...but something else was happening tomorrow, which would overlap with the sale...the second round of monthly exams.


    The teamwork exam was first this time, though it was going to be a lot simpler and wouldn''t involve us leaving the Sanctuary since, you know, last time went so well. And the written exam was also going to be tomorrow, so by the time we''d be done, the limited item would almost definitely be sold out. A real tragedy. Damn it, why couldn''t that customer get sick with whatever deadly disease, like, a week later?


    I am fully aware of how insensitive that is of me, but in my defense, I just don''t care. I''d say that''s better than pretending to care about something or someone just to make yourself look better. Whatever, I''m getting off topic...my point is this, I''m pissed off because the timing of the exams couldn''t be worse.


    No, wait, the exams are pre-set to be given to us at the end of every month...so then the bad timing was on the part of Delectables. Well, as a last resort, I could go try the limited item tomorrow morning, and after I''m done, I''ll use Load to go back in time and come here to take the exams. There was something unsatisfactory about going for that option though, but it was hard to explain.


    I was currently in the cafeteria, half-heartedly eating some donuts. Suri was sitting at the same table, along with Kiran, who often sat with me since I wasn''t the type to make small talk, and that let him enjoy his meal without being interrupted. I usually hated being spoken to while eating too, or at least I thought I did, but as it turns out, I don''t mind if it''s something worth talking about.


    "You two really like sweets, huh?" Mumbled Kiran, as he dug into his bowl of chilli.


    "And you''re always eating spicy stuff, what, do you enjoy hurting yourself...you a masochist?" I inquired, as I took a bite out of a donut.


    "No, but you sure as hell are a sadist."


    "Yeah, I suppose so...at the very least, I''d prefer that over being a masochist though."


    Suri was texting someone on her I-Watch, and her eyes suddenly lit up as she received a message.


    "Yes! My mom said that she can pick up the sweets for me!" She exclaimed with a smile.


    Huh, I think that''s the first time I''ve seen her smile, she usually had a kinda grouchy expression on her face. But more importantly...


    "Hey, could you ask her to get an extra one, or two if possible, I''ll pay you tripl-...double for it!" I requested hopefully.


    For a limited edition dessert, I would gladly cast aside my pride. But paying triple was a bit much, I can''t spend more than I can afford.


    "Hm? Sure, that''s fine...actually, you can just pay me the normal amount, it''s no big deal."


    Woah...I wouldn''t even have to think about using Save and Load in that case...


    "...are you a Goddess?"


    "D-don''t be stupid!" She snapped with a huff.


    Oops, didn''t mean to say that out loud, just sort of blurted it out. Well, anyway, now that that was settled, I could take on tomorrow''s exam with lot less of a weight on my shoulders. I was finally going to unveil my new weapons, I had more or less gotten used to them, having trained with them for the last four days.


    Of course, I couldn''t use them in a normal gym or training facility, since they were too powerful unless I switched them into Phantom Mode, but I wanted to train with them in their default modes. It was slight, but Phantom Mode does feel a bit different to using the weapons normally.


    However, the training facilities in the X-Warrior Zone were different, they were made to withstand plenty of force. The problem was that only official X-Warriors were typically allowed to use them, students at the X-Warrior Academy weren''t allowed to use them...unless they were being trained by an X-Warrior.


    The condition was that the X-Warrior would have to be present in the booked training room with the student the whole time. So that''s what I did. I have one final training session with my new weapons tonight, after this I should be fine with training with them in Phantom Mode. For right now, though, I''ll focus on enjoying these donuts, they may be second-rate compared to Delectables, but it''d still be a shame to let them go to waste...


    ...


    ...


    That evening, after classes ended for the day, I took a bus to the training facility I''d been using for the last few days. It was a pretty high-end place, and even a single hour-long session would usually be way out of my price range, but thanks to the X-Warrior who was helping me out, I got to use it for about two hours each day...for free.


    Oh, and it should be pretty obvious, but the person training me was my sister. The only other X-Warrior I knew personally was Kumar, but he was busy setting up the teamwork exam so he didn''t have time, and even if he did, I wouldn''t want to train with him, his X-Abilities aren''t really suited for regular sparring. Fortunately, my sister was free this week, so I borrowed a couple of hours of her time each day for the last five days, including today.


    I walked into the facility after getting off the bus, heading for the receptionist. The staff here had definitely noticed that I was training with my sister, one of the few Aces of the Sanctuary, and they had probably figured out that I was her brother. I had initially been worried that the news might spread and I''d be on the receiving end of an annoying amount of attention, but my sister took care of that.


    She indirectly, though not very subtly, threatened the staff here to keep this a secret, by implying that she would make sure that this place got no business at all in the future if they messed this up. That happened when she and I first came here, and a bunch of the staff were staring and whispering as they recognized her.


    There hadn''t been any other customers, so that was lucky. She was quick to notice the attention we were getting, and addressed the receptionist in a loud voice, making sure the rest of the staff could hear her. If I remember right, she said something like...


    "This is a really nice place, and so professional too! I was reading up on your customer privacy policies, and I sure was pleased to see that you prioritize our privacy! I sure won''t have to worry about anyone spreading rumors about me or anyone who I may or may not train with! Because if I do, well, I doubt a company that lies about its privacy policy will ever thrive, in fact, it just might end up shut down...oh, sorry, I tend to blabber a bit sometimes, hope I didn''t bore you!"


    Yeah...a not-so veiled threat. But it sure seemed to work. After that, it felt like the staff were going out of their way to get on her good side, and they were uncomfortably polite to me too. Just watch...


    "Hi, I booked one of the training rooms for today-."


    "O-oh, welcome, sir! I hope this day finds you well, please do not hesitate to ask us if there is anything we can do for you! Yes, your booking...I shall guide you to the corresponding training room immediately!" Responded the receptionist, trying to hide her nervousness as she blurted out before I could even finish my sentence.


    I thought about telling her to chill out, but today was going to be the last time I come here for a while, my sister was going on another Mission tomorrow and I won''t be able to come here by myself. The receptionist led me to the training room and left after more overly polite flattery. I guess the special treatment was nice, in a way...but it mostly made me uncomfortable, I just wasn''t used to it.


    "Hey, little bro! You finally made it!" Greeted Kilella, walking over to me as I entered the training room.


    "You make it sound like I''m late, but I''m actually a couple of minutes early. Hey, where are the training bots?" I inquired, as I put on my X-Blasters.


    I''d been testing out my new X-Weapons against the training robot dummies in this place, and after I used up most of my XFE, I''d switch to hand to hand combat with my sister till my stamina was used up.


    "Oh, I didn''t want to just sit back and watch today, since it''s the last day I''ll be able to get you into this place, let''s do something a bit different...watching you over the last few days gave me a good idea of how strong you are, but to narrow down the accuracy of my estimate further, let''s spar today, and not just regular hand to hand combat, but with XFE attacks too!"


    Huh?


    "Yeah, I don''t think so...you''re way overpowered, big sis, and I''ve heard about how you fight from Kumar, I doubt I''d survive-."


    "Well, obviously I won''t fight you the way I fought him, you''re my little brother, I plan to go easy on you. For starters, I won''t fly, and I won''t use my Secondary Manifestation. Come on, what do you say?"


    If I''m being honest, it was a pretty rare opportunity, fighting against an Ace would be really beneficial...but if I get injured, it''d compromise me during the exam tomorrow. Wait, who am I kidding, if that happens I can just go back in time!


    "Sure, why not?" I replied with a smirk, before muttering under my breath, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    "Sweet! Let''s get nice and warmed up first, Zax, make sure to stretch or you''ll-."


    "That much I can do without you telling me, Ella."


    We took about fifteen minutes to stretch and loosen up, another fifteen to do some basic training drills, and having worked up a bit of a sweat, she declared that we should start the first bout of sparring between us.


    "Alright,


    ," She stated, her red XFE wrapping around her, though her wings didn''t appear, "I said I wouldn''t fly, but if I manifested my wings, I might end up doing it instinctively in the middle of sparring."


    She could control her Manifestation to that extent, huh? Guess I shouldn''t be too surprised. I took out my X-Blade handles and set my X-Blasters to maximum output and short-range mode. I also had my Barrier Bracelets and taser-knuckled gloves on, but that was it.


    I wasn''t using my smoke bombs, mainly because I had a limited supply and would have to commission more from Ruby when I ran out so I didn''t want to be wasteful with them, and I also wasn''t using the Square Blaster, more as a self-imposed handicap than anything else. That thing could do some serious damage.


    "Ready or not, here I come!"


    I braced myself as she shot forward towards me, firing a blast of red XFE from her palm at me, which I evaded right after firing a shot at it from my X-Blasters, to see if I could cancel it out, while dodging in case I couldn''t. Her blast canceled out mine and shot forward, weakened but still intact. And I doubt that''s the limit of how powerful her blasts can be.


    She then closed in and swung a punch at my head, which I dodged and countered with another blast. She swiftly shifted her position, but I was able to take out a bit of her XFE armor around her left shoulder. She winced a bit, before rapidly spinning around on one foot and whipping her manifested tail towards me. I blocked it with one of my blades, but her impact was immense, knocking me off-balance.


    She''s really fast, and this is her holding back...I was slightly better than her in a regular hand to hand combat bout, but when she used her Primary Manifestation, her strength, speed and reaction time were all improved significantly. If she got an opening, I''d be screwed, and I was definitely screwed right now...


    The instant she upset my balance, she sprang up and charged up blasts in each of her hands...there''s no way I can regain my balance before she fires, I probably don''t have enough time to cross my arms and form my barrier either. I swiftly flicked my left blade up as hard as I could, sending it rapidly spinning up straight at her.


    I caught her off-guard but she''s still quick to react, quickly dissipating the blasts and crossing her forearms together, the XFE around them growing thicker. My blade slashed them and left deep cuts, but it didn''t reach her skin, only the XFE got cut, and it repaired itself in no time.


    She then caught the handle, and the instant she did, the XFE blade changed from black from red. She then swung it straight down at me, I responded by forming my barrier around me, which cracked badly as she struck it, but didn''t shatter.


    As the blade got deflected, I swiftly took down the barrier and swung my other blade up and across, knocking the handle out of her grasp and sending it skidding away along the floor. Now''s my chance, before she lands! I pointed both X-Blasters at her, but before I could fire, my eyes widened as I noticed blasts charged up and ready to be fired from her feet and tail...not good!


    I sprang back and formed my full barrier around me as quickly as I could, right as she fired the blasts at me...crap...no way was my barrier going to be able to withstand three of her blasts! No other choice then...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>!" I mumbled inaudibly as fast as I could...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Holy crap, that was close. I mean, really close, my barrier was just about to shatter when I froze time, and the blasts were inches in front of me. Wait a sec, I moved my arms away from each other but the barrier is still intact. Uh...how do I get away?


    Wait, the cracks in the barrier are pretty severe, it''s like broken glass shards...maybe I can move them. I pushed on a section of the barrier a little away from the spot where the blasts were colliding onto it, aaannd...yes, it worked! Okay, if I shift the broken pieces of my barrier away, I can make an opening for myself to get out of. Better hurry, I lose one percent of my XFE every three seconds while time is frozen.


    I got out of the barrier in about fifteen seconds, before jogging over to my sister and stepping behind her. I looked around the training room quickly but thoroughly...good, it doesn''t look like there are any security cameras in here. I then held my blade in front of my sister''s neck...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>....so, do I win?" I inquired, as her blasts struck the spot where I''d been when I used Pause.


    "Huh? Wha-...? Oh, you used your Anomaly X-Ability, I almost forgot about that...," She replied, letting out a sigh after initially freaking out a bit.


    "Well, I hadn''t planned on using it, but I was pretty sure that last attack of yours would have done some serious damage if I didn''t use it."


    "Oh, crap...you''re right, I got kinda carried away, my bad, little bro. But you''re pretty good, Zax, you sure kept me on my toes...I think we should train together more often, and next time, you can take me while I go all out, and you use your X-Ability too, ''kay?"


    "Uh...we''ll see. There''s still plenty of time, you won''t be free for a while due to your Missions right? So let''s just focus on making the most of this training session."


    "Yeah, you''re right! Alright, ready for round two!?"


    "...maybe you should simmer down a bit. But yeah, I''m ready when you are. Oh, wait, first there''s something I want to try. When you grabbed my X-Blade handle earlier, did you run your XFE through it?"


    "Hm? Oh, yeah, I think so...I probably didn''t need to, but I think in the back of my head, I was afraid of your Dark Attribute poisoning me, so I ended up overriding it with my XFE instead...seriously, Dark Attribute poisoning is the worst, definitely my least favorite type of XFE to fight against."


    Overriding it, huh...I wonder...


    "Interesting...hey, when you activate your Manifestations, does the XFE initially manifest from a specific point, or how does it work?"


    With my X-Blades, the XFE manifests from the handle, so that raises the question...do Prodigies have an initial point of manifestation when activating their X-Abilities?


    "Huh, I''ve never really thought about it, but...I do get a kinda tingly feeling on my back, the spot between my shoulder blades and a little below the base of my neck."


    "I see. Hm, if this works, then...hey, sis, before we start the next round of sparring, there''s something I want to test out..."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    It worked...it actually worked! Holy crap, no way...and based on her expression, my sister was just as surprised as I was.


    "Zax, what...what did you just do...?"


    "Honestly, I wasn''t actually expecting it to work, this is incredible," I responded with a wide grin of disbelief, "Well, anyway, that''s all I wanted to test out, so let''s get back to sparring!"


    "Sure, just give me a sec to process what just happened...I don''t feel so good..."


    After a few minutes break, we continued training. Following that first close bout, the next few rounds of sparring were pretty one-sided, my sister fighting a bit more seriously. I didn''t use my powers again, but mainly because she was attacking too fast for me to recite the activation chant.


    She was mindful to hold back on her blasts though, so even though I was losing badly, I wasn''t getting particularly hurt, physically speaking. My ego was pretty bruised though. Oh, well, it''s gonna be worth it...no better way to get stronger than by fighting someone stronger than I am...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 39 - 38 - An Unpleasant Team-Up

    "Really sorry, Zax, but it was out of my hands this time...the teams were formed randomly using a program and it''s not like I know how to rig that, not that I would even if I could, so...I guess you''ll just have to figure out a way to deal with it," Sighed Kumar apologetically.


    "Come on, you have got to be kidding me, there is absolutely no way I can work with him! I mean, this is the guy who''s been tormenting me since I was barely ten, I can''t do it!" I protested in dismay.??


    "Like I said, it was out of my hands, kid...well, I should go, don''t want people to get the wrong idea, a student meeting with the instructor in charge of the exam he''s about to be taking in less than an hour isn''t a great look for either of us. Good luck, Zax."


    God...fucking...damnit. This can''t be happening!


    Let me explain. So I came to the Academy this morning, everything was perfectly fine, and after I got to class, we were given the written exam, which I totally aced...so, yeah, till that point, it''d been a fairly decent day. And then it happened...we received the list of teams for the teamwork exam, once again it was groups of four per team.


    I got matched up with Alex Jaice, Katie Cummins and...Tairo Najimi. Before I could even give it a second thought, I used Load...which took me back to about half an hour before the written exam began. I powered through the written exam for the second time, aced it a second time, and...the teams were the same again.


    Alex was assigned team leader both times as well. I already knew that future outcomes weren''t set in stone, which could only mean one thing...the teams had already been decided before my last Save point.


    And so, I looked for Kumar, confronting him about why the one person I wanted to team up with the least was in the same team as I was...and you know the rest. I let out a defeated sigh and headed for the training hall where the other three had gathered while I''d stormed off to look for Kumar.


    This is the worst, but I certainly don''t want to fail, so I''ll have to find a way to...ugh...work with...Tairo...oh, God, I think I''m going to be sick...! No, I''m not being dramatic, if anything I''m understating how I feel right now! I entered the training hall with a sigh, walking towards the other three, who were already in discussion.


    "The Dud finally shows up, are you planning on holding us back, you pathetic weakling?" Greeted Tairo , as I approached them.


    "Hey, keep that up and we won''t pass the exam. And besides, you heard what he did during the last exam, how can you possibly call him weak?" Defended Alex with a frown.


    "Huh? You actually believe that crap!? Wow, you''re dumb!"


    ...yeah, this was going about as well as I expected.


    "We should continue strategizing," Spoke up Katie, "Don''t want to fail."


    She was hard to read, her expression was kinda blank and she didn''t show much emotion.


    "Hmph, I suppose you have a point," Grumbled Tairo, with a look of disdain.


    "So, what have you guys decided on so far?" I asked Alex.


    "Well, we''re still discussing positions in formation. We don''t know exactly what the exam will entail, but we''ll probably have to fight Mutants, so we need to decide on an a formation that makes best use of each of our abilities," He replied with a sigh.


    "I can operate at any range, but I''m probably the most effective at long-range out of the four of us," I informed him.


    "Hah, how cowardly!" Scoffed Tairo with a laugh.


    "Yeah, well, your abilities are completely useless at long range, asshole...huh, you know what, from now on I''ll be addressing you as Asshole...hope you don''t mind, Asshole."


    "How dare you-!?"


    "Right, then you''ll back us up from behind, Kilzachs," Interrupted Alex, before adding, "And you take the front, Tairo, since you can only fight at close range."


    "Tch, whatever."


    Seriously, how''d he get to be such a spiteful little shit?


    "Okay, that leaves myself and Katie," Said Alex, before looking inquiringly at her.


    "Mid-range."


    "Alright, we have one person at each range...I can work at either mid or long-range, while I''m about average at close-range...," Remarked Alex with a frown, trying to figure out where he''d be best utilized.


    "You can fly, right? Why don''t you try something like this, hover above the close-range spot and fire straight down at the Mutants we fight...when we had that training exercise against Instructor Satou on day one, I remember that your arrows did more damage when fired down from above," I suggested, after a few seconds of silence passed.


    "Hey, I like that, it''s unorthodox and creative! Yeah, let''s go with that!"


    With that, the formation was settled upon, though it ended up with Asshole as the main focus with the other three of us essentially backing him up...I didn''t like it, but given the skillsets of this group, this was probably the best formation. Hm, there was that thing I tried out yesterday with my sister, but I don''t think I need to reveal that here...might as well keep my cards hidden if it wasn''t imperative that I reveal them.


    When it was down to five minutes left before the start of the exam, we each received a message informing us to head for one of the other training halls, where preparations for the exam had been set up. The four of us headed for the designated training hall and walked it, I looked around as we did. Hm, nothing fancy, just a teleportation platform at the back of the hall and a drone hovering above.


    As we walked onto the training area, the drone formed a Duel Field around us, while a holographic display appeared above the teleportation platform, along with a countdown. Looks like that display was a rundown of what this exam would consist of. Let''s see here...


    ''This exam will consist of five rounds. Each round will have a different type of Mutant teleported in, and once that type is defeated, the next round will begin. With each subsequent round, the type of Mutant you will face will be stronger than the last. For your safety, a Duel Field will be active, and if you are teleported out, you cannot return till the ongoing round is over.''


    "Is that it? What a joke, this will be child''s play!" Laughed Asshole confidently.


    Does he really think so? There were no details regarding which rank the Mutants were going to be, and while I imagine they''d all be Q-Ranked at most, I couldn''t write off the possibility that we might also have to fight a K-Rank, at least a weakened or not fully grown one. An Ace Mutant was definitely not going to happen, not least because this training hall wasn''t big enough to hold one, that, and the fact that an Ace-Ranked Mutant had never been captured yet.


    "I highly doubt it''s going to be as easy as you think, though I suppose it''s not a bad thing to be confident," Sighed Alex, before glancing at the countdown and adding, "Well, there''s less than a minute left, let''s take our places.


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Foot Rockets>."


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Shield>."


    "


    ."


    I hung back by the edge of the Duel Field barrier, in the opposite position of where the teleportation platform was. Asshole was about five meters ahead of the platform, Katie about twenty meters behind him, and Alex directly above him, near the ceiling of the barrier.


    I readied my X-Blasters and waited for the countdown to hit zero...thanks to the various ranged output settings Ruby had implemented on these custom models, I no longer needed to carry pistols, since these could do the same thing but better. I set the output to long-range and to three times the minimum, or sixty percent, which would take one point five percent of XFE per shot. If this much wasn''t enough, I could always turn it up later.


    I probably won''t be needing any of my other weapons, my X-Blades weren''t any use at this range, I''m unlikely to need my barrier, using the poison smoke bombs would probably make me lose points since the others would likely get caught up in it, and as for the Square Blaster...well, I might have to use it if a K-Ranked Mutant shows up, but if not, I''m more than happy to keep it under wraps, it is my most destructive weapon, after all.


    The countdown was almost over now...three...two...one!


    The instant the timer hit zero, the teleportation platform activated, and the first type of Mutant appeared, a Q-Ranked Mutant that looked like a monster cat, known as Catto...well, there were six of them, so Cattos. Unlike Doggos which all had black fur and red eyes, Cattos had various different fur patterns and colors, but they were just as big, around human height while on all fours.


    "Wh-what is this, I thought we were only supposed to face one at a time!?" Exclaimed Asshole, stumbling back as they surrounded him.


    Ohh, so that''s why he seemed so confident...he totally misunderstood what had been written on that display. It said that we''d face one TYPE of Mutant at a time, he must have interpreted it as just one, individual Mutant at a time. Wow, he isn''t even maintaining the stability of his Manifestations right now, he can''t defend himself...nice.


    "Hey, snap out of it!" Yelled Alex from above, but he was too slow, as one of the Cattos leapt at Asshole.


    Aw, man, as much I''d love to let that Mutant tear him apart...I don''t want to fail. And it doesn''t look like the other two can intervene in time. Guess I don''t have a choice, though I really, really don''t want to. Before the Catto could take a bite out of him, I fired a shot from my right X-Blaster, hitting it right between the eyes and killing it instantly.


    The other five looked a bit more wary and cautious now, but weren''t backing away. Tch, looks like Asshole has somewhat regained his composure. He shot towards the one in the middle, while Rex and Katie kept the two that were closest to him at bay, the former firing his arrows down at the one to the right, while the latter''s dragon-head-tail Manifestation thingy struck out at the one to the left. The range of her Manifestation was impressive, she could extend it upto about twenty-five meters, allowing her to attack from an ideal mid-range distance.


    Tairo swung his sword straight down at the Catto he was targeting, the creature evaded his strike narrowly and swung its claws up at him, which he blocked with his shield but got sent stumbling back, his shield cracking severely. Meanwhile, Alex had killed the one he was firing at, having struck it several times but only leaving shallow gashes as it evaded, he finally hit it in a vital spot, piercing it through the heart from above.


    Katie had the Catto she was fighting on the defensive, but it was avoiding the attempted chomps from the jaws of her Manifestation. So, she tried something else...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    The jaws opened wide as lightning crackled in them, before firing out in a powerful electric blast at the Catto, which was unable to dodge, and was killed in a flash, pun intended. While Asshole continued struggling against the one he was fighting, I fired another couple of shots from my X-Blasters as the remaining two, as they took their attention off me.


    After my first kill, I''d noticed that they''d been eyeing me warily...but as soon as Alex and Katie landed kills of their own, their attention shifted, giving me an opening.


    Oh, and I also had the last one in my sights, but I think I''ll let Asshole continue to struggle, this is nice...though I should step in if it looks like he''s going to die, Katie didn''t have the accuracy with her lightning attack to back him up without zapping him in the process, which would be funny but not the best move in terms of the exam.


    And Alex had a relatively decent aim, but it was far from perfect, especially with a moving target, it took him about six or seven arrows before he finally struck the vital spot of the Catto he''d been fighting. Both of them were looking for an opening to help him, but were starting to look antsy...at this rate, they might attack without a proper opening. And I might lose points for that if the instructors notice that I could have helped him in the meantime.


    I reluctantly took aim as Asshole lost his balance and stumbled back as the Catto swung its claws at him. The instant it sprang at him, it''s sharp teeth bared, I fired, my shot going straight into its open mouth and bursting out the back of its head.


    Not bad, I took down two thirds of the first wave at a cost of just six percent of my XFE. The countdown began again, looks like a two minute break before the next wave. Alex signaled to us to gather, so I jogged over to the front of the hall, looking at him inquiringly.


    "Okay, so that didn''t go perfectly, but, uh...it could have been worse, I guess. Tairo, you clearly misunderstood the rundown of the exam, and I think that threw the rest of us off a bit, I know I was certainly frazzled when you started panicking."


    "Tch, I was not panick-...you would think they''d word it more clearly," He muttered irritably.


    "It was clear enough. Only you got it wrong," Said Katie, her tone hard to read as ever, but her words were pretty cutting.


    "Let''s not fight amongst ourselves, everyone makes mistakes. Have to say, that was some shooting, Kilzachs, you got four headshots, that''s amazing!" Grinned Alex, patting me on the back as Katie nodded in agreement.


    Asshole just scoffed quietly to himself, though he couldn''t be too much of a dick about it considering how badly he screwed up.


    "Oh, uh...thanks I guess."


    "Hm, though it''s not great that two thirds of the kills so far were by one of the four of us...I don''t think we need to change our strategy, we just need to execute better. Oops, better get back in position, less than thirty seconds left."


    We all hurried back into position, as the countdown ticked away. I kept the same output settings on my X-Blasters, preparing myself as it went below ten seconds remaining...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 40 - 39 - XFE Takeover

    Damn, these things are pretty nimble! I sprang away as one shot towards me, firing a couple of shots at it as I did. The second wave of Mutants had been six Doggos, which we dealt with a lot more smoothly than the first wave. I got two kills in that round, so I''d say I''m doing pretty well so far. The third round was currently in progress, and it was going...not so smoothly.


    The type of Mutant species for the third round were called Spikys, which were monster lizard-looking things. They were each about two meters in length, had tough dark brown scales and spikes all over their backs, long claws on their fingers and a sharp, whip-like tail. They were a lot more agile than the previous two types we''d fought, and Asshole failed to hold them all back, which meant that our formation was immediately thrown out of whack.??


    I wasn''t too concerned though...these things may be fast, but I can kill them no problem. My output at sixty percent had dealt some decent damage but not enough, these things had pretty tough skin and hides, so I turned it up to the maximum, meaning that each shot would consume two point five percent of my XFE. Which was totally worth it, since a well-aimed shot resulted in instant death.


    The one that was currently chasing me had a deep wound in its chest from one on my sixty percent shots, and the shot I just fired was aimed at its head, but it had really sharp vision and darted its head off to the side, but my shot still managed to blast its right eye off, along with a chunk of the right side of its neck and shoulder...it wasn''t bleeding much, looks like their wounds stiffen up to slow down blood loss. It stumbled back with a hiss, a cautious look in its eye.


    I swiftly took out my X-Blade handles and ran my XFE through them, forming the blades and dashing towards the Spiky. The Mutant shrunk back and swung its claws at me defensively, I evaded and slashed off its left arm with my right blade, before getting in close and slicing off its head with my left blade.


    Asshole and Alex had each killed one too, and Katie was currently about to kill her second one, she had caught it between the jaws of her Primary Manifestation and was repeatedly chomping down on it, blood dripping down onto the floor, and...she just hit it with her lightning attack, it''s dead as fuck. Alex was firing his arrows down at the last remaining one, which was evading but not completely, and had taken a fair bit of damage so far.


    He eventually killed it, hitting a couple of vital spots. Given the speed at which he fired those arrows, it was actually pretty impressive that the Mutant had been able to dodge for as long as it did, those things sure were nimble on their feet. Looks like we get a five minute break this time. Two more rounds to go. Alex signaled for us to gather again. Not surprising, since we couldn''t even maintain our formation in that last round.


    "What do you guys think, should we shuffle up our formation?" He inquired, looking around at us.


    No one seemed sure about how to answer, which wasn''t surprising considering the fact that we were all each currently in the positions that suited us best.


    "I think we should just keep it as is, while preparing ourselves to react to things not going according to plan," I suggested, sort of stating the obvious.


    But since no one had a better suggestion, we just went with that. I got back in position as we waited for the countdown to run out. Wonder what Mutant species we''ll be fighting next...I was seconds away from finding out. Three...two...one!


    I readied myself as the timer reached zero and the next wave of Mutants got teleported in...a group of six Birdflyn''ts...a Birdflyn''t is basically a monster ostrich Mutant, they grew up to about three meters tall and were extremely vicious. They fought using kicks and bites, they had sharp fangs and a long, sharp claw on each foot.


    All six surrounded and jumped towards Asshole, who stumbled back as he swung his sword about in a panic. I reluctantly fired a shot at one that was about to bite a chunk off his shoulder, striking it through the neck and killing it, while Alex managed to get three of them to back away with a barrage of arrows, while Katie drew the attention of one of them towards her by zapping it with lightning.


    That still left two of them, Asshole was still swinging his sword about wildly while clutching his shield close to his body...he had decent skills at his disposal, but only used them properly when he was calm...catch him off-guard, even a little, and this happens...it''d be hilarious if he wasn''t a part of the same team as I was.


    The two Birdflyn''ts that he was fighting were keeping their heads low and making sure that he was in the way of my aim...they''re using him as a meat-shield. How tragic, I won''t be able to help poor widdle Tairo like this...oh, well, what can you do...


    I shifted my focus to the three that Alex was keeping away from Asshole. Only one of them was injured, it looks like the other two were making it take the brunt of Alex''s attacks while they hung back with their heads low. Good, they aren''t paying any attention to me. I pointed both my arms at the two that were hanging back, took aim and fired out of both my X-Blasters at the same time.


    I successfully landed the double headshot, killing them both, before Alex focused his arrows entirely on the remaining one and killed it with a rapid barrage. Katie had fried the one she was fighting too, so that just left the two that-...before I could finish that though, Asshole let out a delightfully agonizing scream of pain, as he failed to get his shield in the way of one the Birdflyn''t''s kicks, the claw leaving a shallow gash on the right side of his chest.


    The two Mutants had been keeping close to him, which prevented Alex from attacking since he might accidentally hit Asshole, and Katie would have trouble helping without him getting caught up in her attack too. And they made sure to position themselves in a way that kept Asshole in the line of my fire...but that last attack caused him to stumble and fall back, giving me an opening.


    These things are pretty clever, the moment he fell, they began to lower themselves even further, but unfortunately for them...I had already fired my shots, blasting off their heads before they could hide behind him or evade. Oh, looks like one of my shots trimmed the top of Asshole''s hair a bit, nice.


    Four rounds complete, one more to go. And it was a ten minute break this time. Alex looked like he was about to signal another discussion, but then seemed to change his mind. If I had to guess, he decided against it because he had no idea what to actually discuss, just like during the previous break.


    Well, it''s not like I had anything of value to add either, so I can''t exactly criticize that. On the bright side, I was pretty pleased at how little XFE I had expended so far, once this current ten-minute break is over, I''ll have a little over eighty-five percent of my total XFE intact.


    So far, each round had been increasingly difficult, Birdflyn''ts are among the strongest species of Q-Ranked Mutants, and it was more than likely that this final round would be even more challenging. I should prepare to use my Square Blaster, just in case...


    Ten minutes passed by in the blink of an eye, the countdown nearing zero. Even though they were several meters ahead of me, I could see that the others were pretty nervous, especially Asshole...I''d noticed that he''d been slowly taking a step back every so often during this break, and was currently about two to three meters behind where he''d started at. Katie and Alex had noticed that too, because they''d adjusted their positions to his everytime he stepped back, but neither had said anything.


    Alright, the countdown is almost done...three...two...one! Now, then, let''s see which type of Mutant we were going to-...huh? No way...you have got to be kidding me. Seriously!? It was a Two-Headed Serpent, and while it wasn''t a fully grown one, it was still about twelve meters long, towering over us, as Alex hurriedly flew up as high as the Duel Field would let him. I swiftly fired a couple of shots at its heads, but my shots didn''t fully pierce through, one hitting its mark and the other missing slightly and taking out the left head''s right eye.


    These shots did a significantly greater amount of damage than my old X-Blasters did during the last exam, the first shot leaving a deep wound in the middle of the right head but not enough to kill it...I''d probably kill it if I hit that same spot again, but now that it''s remaining three eyes were keeping me in their peripheral, it wasn''t going to be easy to hit the exact spots I aim at.


    Well, Asshole''s X-Abilities are pretty useless against a Mutant of this size and durability, and even if they weren''t, he was frozen in fear and unable to move, as it opened its mouths with a hiss, venom dripping off its fangs. Looks like the other two haven''t snapped out of it yet either. Do I really have to do this again...?


    "Hey, snap out of it! Asshole, get back, and you two, attack it with your arrows and lightning!" I yelled out, as I shot towards the Mutant.


    I''ll have to use my Square Blaster, but since I hadn''t tested it out yet at all, I''ll need to fire it from mid-range to avoid the others getting caught up in the blast. Katie blasted it with lightning while Alex fired arrows down at it. The lightning did some damage, but the arrows weren''t doing much, the Serpent''s scales were deflecting most of them, and at best, a few of them were leaving shallow wounds that didn''t even seem to phase the Mutant.


    Katie had backed away after firing and was hanging back defensively...looks like she can''t fire that lightning in quick succession, or maybe it takes a significant amount of XFE and she didn''t want to waste it, instead waiting for an opening that''d guarantee significant damage. The Serpent looked like it was being cautious, shifting its attention to us one by one, though it was keeping me in sight with at least one of its eyes at all times.


    And then, it suddenly sprung into action, opening both its mouths with a fierce hiss. The left one was aimed at me and the other was aimed at asshole, and in the next split second, blasts of venom burst out of its mouths, I sprang away to evade the venom spewed at me, the right shoulder of my jacket melting off with a sizzle as a bit of the venom splashed onto it.


    As for Asshole...he''d been teleported out, failing to evade the venom. Katie looked like she was gearing up to fire her lightning straight into one of its open mouths, when it suddenly crouched low and leapt up like a coiled spring, shooting straight up to Alex like an arrow...hold on, these things can jump!? I didn''t see that coming, and from the look of it, neither did Alex...the Serpent snapped its fangs at him, the Duel Field teleporting him out before he could even react.


    It then twisted itself in mid-air rapidly, slamming its tail down onto the ground as it landed, sending out a powerful shockwave that sent Katie and I flying back and crashing onto the wall of the barrier, I formed my own barrier at the last second to bounce off the wall and avoid getting hurt, but Katie got the wind knocked out of her, letting out a sharp gasp, though it didn''t look like she had broken anything.


    The Two-Headed Serpent was rapidly slithering towards us, it''s mouths wide open. Now''s my chance! I took out my Square Blaster, setting the output to maximum and activating it, as it expanded out into Active Mode, the scope in my right lens activating. The Serpent''s right head had both eyes intact, so I''ll take it out first...I''m not sure where a snake''s heart is, so I won''t risk trying to take both of them out only to fail. As I got it''s head in my sights, the scope locked onto it...well, not that I need it, but that sure is convenient. Now, then, aim and...fire!


    As I pulled the trigger, my eyes widened as it fired...several rapid streaks of my Dark Attribute XFE burst out of the nozzle, like hundreds upon hundreds of tiny missiles, all converging onto the target...and hitting it with a loud bang.


    I see, instead of a single, straight beam, it split the XFE into several hundreds of streaks, which spread out when initially fired before all converging onto the target, which not only makes it harder to evade, but it also limits and minimizes any potential collateral damage...and now I see why the scope activated, even if I''d missed, the countless streaks would have converged onto the same point since it locked onto the target before I fired.


    As the smoke cleared, I could see that the right head was completely blown off, along with some of the body below it, and the left head had taken some damage on the right half of its face too. Alright now for the left-...and there''s a timer on the gauge display, counting down from five minutes...a cooldown time, seriously? Though with such a powerful blast, I guess it couldn''t be helped...still, I''d have been nice if Ruby had told me ahead of time.


    "Wow, that was impressive...but now what?" Inquired Katie, as the Serpent warily slithered towards us, its one remaining eye locked onto me.


    "Can you move you dragon-head-tail thingy up towards its head and then blast it with lightning straight down the throat of the head I blew off?"


    "Yes, but...I don''t know if that will be enough to kill it, and I won''t be able to fire again for a little bit."


    If only I could blast a ton of my Dark Attribute XFE down it''s throat, that should kill it in no time given its weakened state, but my Square Blaster is on cooldown, my X-Blasters don''t have the firepower to do enough damage, and the smoke bombs are still off the table since Katie was here-...wait, I can use that...


    "Okay, there''s something we can use, but there''s no time to explain...sorry about this!" I exclaimed, before stretching out my index and middle fingers on my right hand, pressing them onto her back, right between her shoulder blades and below the base of her neck, running my XFE through that spot...


    This is what I''d tried out with my sister, and it was effectively an undiscovered technique, which was why I didn''t want to reveal it unless necessary. Let me explain, when a Prodigy activates their Manifestations, regardless of the type, the initial point of activation is in the upper back, the spot where I just poked Katie.


    Well, at least I think so, this was something that I had discovered myself, no one had given any real thought to or studied how a Prodigy activates their Manifestations, so this little detail was overlooked. I got the idea when my sister overwrote the XFE I had charged into my X-Blade with her own...so I tried running my XFE through that point in her back...and when I did...


    When I did, I took over her X-Abilities. Specifically, her red armor changed to black, and I could control her movements completely. The main drawback was that it drains my XFE at a rapid rate, and my control cannot exceed a radius of twenty meters. But, right now, I don''t need to use it for long, and the limit of my range doesn''t apply at all...because the Serpent was within twenty meters of us.


    "Wha-...," Gasped Katie, as her Manifestation turned black and was no longer in her control...her body was also in my control, so she couldn''t move.


    I drew back my hand slowly, focusing on maintaining the stability of my control...I didn''t have to keep my fingers pressed onto her back, I could cede physical contact so long as I kept a steady, consistent stream of XFE, like a thread, connected between my fingertips and her upper back. The instant I establish control, I instinctively know how to use the Prodigy''s X-Abilities, though I immediately forget after I release them from my control.


    Crap, her Primary Manifestation is taking a lot of XFE, better make this quick...I focused my control, and made her Manifestation shoot up towards the Serpent, snapping it''s jaws at the remaining head, the Mutant shrank back slightly, but wasn''t retreating, hissing threateningly. Now, then...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>," I remarked, wincing a bit as a chunk of my XFE got eaten up in an instant and a wave a slight dizziness hit me.


    The dragon head opened its mouth wide, black lightning forming in its jaws, before blasting into the stump where the other Serpent head had been. The remaining head let out a loud hiss, as it''s body began spasming violently and dropped onto the ground with a thud, blood pouring out of its mouth.


    Damn, I can''t believe how much XFE that took...when I take over someone like that, I bear half the XFE cost that it usually takes for them to use their Manifestations, which is why I can''t use this technique for too long or it''ll completely drain me.


    When I fired her Secondary Manifestation, it was in the form of black lightning, essentially her lightning attack combined with my Dark Attribute...in other words, while I''m controlling someone, the XFE consumption of their Manifestations is evenly split between myself and the person I''m controlling.


    "What...was that?" Groaned Katie, her eyes glossing over a bit and her face pale.


    Oh, and as a side effect, since I do have the Dark Attribute, the person I control gets a bit...poisoned. Since I only controlled her for a few seconds, it shouldn''t be too bad, but she probably wasn''t feeling great nonetheless. My sister had been struggling not to throw up after I controlled her for about a minute, which drained over seventy percent of my XFE.


    "Sorry I had to do that without warning you...I just took control of your XFE flow from its point of origin...and uh...you probably have some minor Dark Attribute poisoning, my bad."


    Huh, her expression hadn''t changed much, a hint of surprise on her face...I guess she was so shocked by the fact that I took control of her body and XFE that she overlooked the poisoning part. Well, at least it''s finally over, though I have to say...the teamwork exam sure does have a habit of keeping me on my toes.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 41 - 40 - Dessert

    I really didn''t think it''d be that big a deal. But in hindsight, I should have figured. After defeating that Two-Headed Serpent, I was swiftly whisked away by Kumar to the second floor, where a bunch of the other instructors and the headmaster were waiting for me.


    I was then thoroughly interrogated on the technique I used, a technique that none of them had seen before. I explained that I accidentally figured it out while training with someone, while avoiding mentioning who it was, of course, and that I used it today since I had no other options.


    I told them that anyone could probably do it, so they tried it out...but that turned out to not be the case. I was afraid that they might figure out that I''m an Anomaly, through this unrelated clue, so I wracked my brain to appease their skepticism...and suggested that maybe only people with the Dark Attribute can do it. Fortunately, Instructor Joan Anderson, the theory teacher for my class, had the Dark Attribute.


    And while her control was kinda unstable since she''s a regular Paragon who never uses her XFE, she did manage to establish a shaky control over Kumar...and with that, I was allowed to go home. Before I left, they informed me that they''ll probably go public with this newly discovered technique, and asked me if I wanted to be mentioned as the person who discovered it and take the credit or if I wanted to stay anonymous.


    I considered it carefully...I don''t want too much attention drawn to me, but this might be worth putting my name on...because, let''s face it, if someone else took credit for it later on, I''d be pretty pissed, and I wouldn''t be able to definitively prove it. And so...I gave them the okay. With that settled, I rushed out, since I had a more pressing matter to attend to...


    "Really sorry to keep you waiting!" I apologized, as I caught up.


    "No worries, I heard what happened. Did you really take control of that blonde chick''s body?"


    "Uh, well...yeah, something like that."


    Right, so the pressing matter I was talking about...I was going over to Suri''s place to pick up the sweets I asked her to have her mother get from Delectables. All day, it had been on the back of my mind, consuming my thoughts...it won''t be much longer now before I''ll be able to consume those sweets instead...


    We took a bus to the Teleportation Point and teleported to the North Quadrant, after which we teleported to the Residential District. There, we got on another bus, which would take us to the area she lived in. I could hardly wait...!


    "Chill out, dude, you look like you''re gonna pop a blood vessel," Remarked Suri, snapping me out of it.


    "Huh? Oh, sorry...I''m just having trouble containing myself is all," I replied sheepishly.


    "Well, I kinda get it. I''d have never guess you like sweets so much."


    "I suppose, but hey, right back at you," I retorted teasingly.


    "...you''re the type that''s usually quiet but can be kind of a dick when you get used to talking to someone, huh?"


    Was I?


    "Uh...I can''t say for sure, I mean, I can definitely count the people who I currently talk to regularly on one hand, so it''s not like I have an especially big sample size," I replied with a shrug.


    "On one h-...wait, you mean there''s currently less than five people in your life that you talk to on a regular basis? That''s kinda, uh..."


    Sad? Yeah, I guess that''s fair. Let''s see, there was my sister and Kumar, for starters...Ruby too, I planned to make an effort to keep in regular touch with her since I wanted to have a good relationship with the person who makes my weapons...hm, who else...I guess Kiran counts too...and Suri...and...uh...nope, I don''t speak to anyone else frequently enough to be called regular.


    I did sometimes greet and return greetings to classmates like Alex, Seila, Jian, Taayin and Zoya, along with a couple of others, but I never really had full-on conversations with them, let alone on a regular basis.


    "I don''t really see a problem with it, actually, I kinda prefer it that way, I guess you could say I kinda have trust issues. What about you? I don''t see you talking to people much either," I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, you got me there...I do want to talk to people sometimes, but I''m not good at initiating conversations...and I like spending quiet time alone, there''s that too," She admitted with a sigh, "Now that I think about it, I could probably count the number of people I talk to on a regular basis on one hand too."


    Huh, at the Academy, I don''t think I''ve seen her speak to anyone besides me, she sometimes made remarks to Kiran if he happened to be there too, but I''d never seen her talk to him if I wasn''t around, and besides that, she barely spoke to any of our other classmates unless spoken to.


    Anyway, we soon reached the area she lived in, and walked over to her building. Hm, should I visit Ruby afterwards, since she''s in the same building too? Nah, maybe another time, I probably shouldn''t drop by on such short notice, I''d hate it if someone did that to me. Even my sister had to always text me at least a couple of hours ahead of time if she planned to come over, otherwise I just wouldn''t let her in.


    "Hey, uh...everything okay, you look kinda worried," I remarked, as we got in the elevator.


    "It''s nothing, really...well, maybe not nothing, per say...um...I just hope my mom isn''t home right now."


    Huh? That sounded like she was saying-...no, wait, if I jump to the wrong conclusion, I could end up looking like a total asshole...gotta make sure we''re on the same page...


    "Oh, I see...any particular reason?" I asked, in a casual tone.


    Not very subtle on my part, but whatever...


    "She''s just, uh...kinda...very intense. I don''t want to get into it. So, yeah, it''ll be better if she''s not-...," She began replying, before her eyes widened and her face turned red, "W-wait, don''t get the wrong i-idea, I didn''t say that because I was trying to imply that we''d be alone or anything, I mean, y-yeah, we''d be alone, b-but don''t get any ideas!"


    ...thank God I didn''t just jump to the seemingly obvious conclusion. Huh, wait, I could''ve just used my Tier One ability...oh, well, whatever.


    "Er, right...I figured you just worded it poorly unintentionally, so don''t worry, I wasn''t assuming anything," I said, as the air around us felt awkward.


    "R-right, that was my bad," She apologized sheepishly, her face still a bit flushed.


    We got off the elevator and headed for her place, she unlocked the door and let me in...and no one else is here.


    "Guess your mom''s not here, huh."


    "Yeah, thank goodness. Come on, the sweets should be in the kitchen," She remarked, gesturing to me to follow after her.


    I gulped in anticipation as she led me into the kitchen, and sure enough, there were two bags from Delectables in here. Today''s limited item was pretty intriguing...they were sphere-shaped, with a shell of smooth, rich chocolate on the outside, inside of which was a layer of combined brownie, chocolate cake and red velvet cake, along with dark chocolate chips, followed by warm chocolate lava with melted marshmallows, and at the very center, was a gooey core made of soft toffee mixed with caramel and butterscotch.


    They were called Choc Mouth Bombs, and were bite-sized, coming in boxes of eight bites apiece. Suri''s mother had gotten three boxes, since that was the limit of how many one customer could order. Well, I''d have liked two, but if it wasn''t for her, I wouldn''t even be getting one, so I was definitely not going to complain.


    "Give your mom my thanks, this genuinely means a lot to me," I remarked, as she handed over one of the boxes to me.


    "Sure, no prob. So, hey...if you''re not in a hurry or anything..."


    Actually, I was kind of in a hurry, I REALLY wanted to get home and try these, but...even I wasn''t going to be rude after she''d gotten this for me...


    "No, I''m not especially in any particular hurry...what''s up?"


    "Well...I was thinking, maybe we could share one of my boxes? I definitely plan on eating one completely by myself, but two might be a bit much, so...wanna stay for a bit and eat it with me?"


    "...are you a Goddess?"


    "H-hey, quit it with that! So, um...I take it that''s a yes?"


    "I mean...hell yeah, it is."


    Well, talk about an unexpected bonus. I then followed her into her room, which was...pretty normal. A bed, a desk and chair with a laptop, bookshelf, closet and a beanbag.


    "Yeah, I know I don''t exactly have a lot in here, but I want it like this, it''s so much easier to clean when there aren''t too many things, you know?"


    "Totally agree with you on that. I don''t have much more than the bare minimum at my place too."


    "So, hey...how do you take control of a person''s body? Can you do it to me, I''m kinda curious to see what it feels like," She asked with a look of intrigue.


    "Nah, not a good idea...since I have the Dark Attribute, it''ll poison you if I take control of your XFE."


    "Oh, I see...never mind then."


    She then pulled the beanbag towards her bed, sat down on the bed, and gestured for me to sit on the beanbag. As I sat on it, I felt myself sinking into it...I have a beanbag at my place too, but hers feels more comfy...I think it''s bigger.


    And then, we began digging in...just as always, Delectables didn''t fail to disappoint. The outer chocolate shell was sweet and silky smooth, and the brownie and cake inside had absorbed the chocolate lava inside it, which made for a deliciously moist and warm mouthful. And the core on the inside was nice and chewy. The only problem was that when you bit into it, it was hard to keep the chocolate lava from dripping out, but taste-wise, it was another hit.


    "That was so good," Suri let out a satisfied sigh a few minutes later, flopping back onto the bed.


    "You said it," I agreed contentedly, letting myself sink further into the beanbag, before reluctantly getting up, "Well, I should probably get going, I don''t want to overstay my welcome or anything."


    "Not really, I don''t mind if you stay over a bit longer if you want," She responded, starting to stand up.


    As she stood up a bit shakily, her knees wobbled and she lost her balance. She automatically grabbed me to steady herself, but I ended up losing my balance too, and she ended up pulling me with me, as she fell back onto the bed and I landed on top of her, my forehead bumping onto hers.


    "Ow...," I muttered quietly, before opening my eyes to see that her face was just inches in front of mine.


    "S-sorry about that, are you oka-...," She began, before stiffening and trailing off as her gaze met mine.


    My body was pressing down on her, and it was making me notice how soft her body was and how smooth her skin was. Huh, she usually had a frowny expression on her face, but right now, with her face all red, she looked pretty cute...crap, I''m getting really distracted, I need to hurry up and get up before-...


    And then...she closed her eyes, her lips parting slightly...woah...yeah, there''s no way I can resist that...I wasn''t expecting this, but I sure wasn''t complaining about it...I tilted my head down lower and kissed her softly, caressing her lips with mine. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as a slight moan escaped her lips. We then pulled apart for a bit to catch our breath, as her hands ran through my hair on the back of my head.


    "You...taste like chocolate," She whispered, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.


    Woah, pretty sure that was unintentional, but it was really seductive...


    "So do you," I replied, my gaze trailing down to her lips.


    "I...I want another taste," She whispered, leaning up and kissing me again, sending shivers down my spine and making my heart race.


    That caught me by surprise-...and suddenly, I got taken by surprise again as she kissed me more aggressively and pushed her tongue between my lips, wrapping her legs around my waist. She really isn''t holding back, and at this rate, I won''t be able to either. As she reached for my jacket and began to take it off, the sound of the front door being unlocked echoed through the apartment. Suri sat up as if she''d been electrocuted, her forehead hitting mine again.


    "Ow..."


    "Crap, my mom''s home...oh, sorry, you okay? Anyway, you better go, trust me on this, she''s very overwhelming," she remarked with a look of urgency.


    Something told me she wasn''t kidding around, though I couldn''t deny that I wasn''t curious...well, the second hit to my forehead got me out of the mood anyway, so I guess I might as well leave. I got up and picked up my box of sweets, before she grabbed my wrist and pulled me along with her into the living room and towards the front door, which opened and a woman walked in...her mom, huh, she looks just like her, except older and with longer hair.


    "Oh, hello...are you one of Suri''s friends from-?" She began with a friendly smile.


    "He has to go somewhere, mom, no time for introductions!" Interrupted Suri, pulling me out through the doorway and shutting the door behind us, "W-well, um...I''ll see you tomorrow, Kilzachs."


    "Yeah, sure...see ya later, Suri," I replied, a bit awkwardly.


    She waved as I headed for the elevator, her face red, before going back into her apartment, pushing her mother''s head back inside as she peered out when she opened the door. Well...that was an unexpected surprise...but definitely not a bad one...after all, I ended up getting more dessert than I expected...


    ...


    ...


    As it turned out, I passed all three of this month''s exams safely. After that, things were pretty uneventful for a while, there were no major changes to speak of. I continued to pass the exams with relative ease, and before I knew it, it was the final month of my Level J classes, and I had already accumulated enough points in the exams of the first five months to make it through to Level Q even if I failed all three of the June exams.


    Things had sort of remained the same with Suri, she seemed too embarrassed to talk about what happened, so I didn''t bring it up, and eventually, I sort of forgot about it. And nothing much happened since then either, we did make out a few times after that but nothing beyond that. We do talk pretty often these days, more than before. I suppose I''d tentatively call her a friend.


    Like I said, things had been uneventful for a while, but towards the end of June, some strange reports starting coming in from X-Warriors, while their death rate was starting to increase as well. A lot more X-Warriors were dying out now, and as for the strange reports...they came from X-Warriors who had survived attacks from what they described as...humanoid intelligent creatures.


    They apparently had tough reptile-like skin, along with appendages like tails and wings, but otherwise looked almost human, and could speak. They were really powerful too, and capable of using XFE attacks. That was pretty concerning news, but hopefully, I won''t get caught up in it. Hope I didn''t just set off a flag...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 42 - 41 - Turning Point

    It was currently the 25th of June, 2116, four months later. As I''d mentioned, things had been pretty uneventful, which worked perfectly for me...I don''t like having too many unforseen variables come into play, I prefer it when things are going smoothly and predictably, makes it easier to stay in control. Which is why the reports of humanoid creatures outside the Sanctuary were rather concerning.


    And the information contained in the reports weren''t all that informative, though it is possible that certain details are being withheld from the public. They couldn''t keep it a secret entirely since the rate of X-Warrior deaths had almost tripled in the last month, but I''m willing to bet that they aren''t sharing all the information they have.??


    What mainly tipped me off was the fact that neither my sister nor Kumar said a word about it to me no matter how much I pressed them for details, they had clearly been ordered to keep quiet about it...and the fact that Kilella was following the rules meant that it had to be pretty serious, something that could potentially cause panic and unrest throughout the Sanctuary.


    Well, regardless, it wasn''t my immediate concern...I was currently in the final week of my Level J classes, and it was time for the final exams of this level before I''d move up to Level Q. I already said that I had accumulated enough points to pass through to Level Q, so I was letting myself take it a bit easy this month. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not slacking off, I''m still training regularly and stuff, but I''ve cut down on the number of hours by about a quarter of what I used to.


    I just felt like it was a good opportunity to ensure I don''t overwork myself, since that''d only set me back. Though as a result, I immediately ended up with a lot more free time and no real way to spend it. And so, I ended up getting back into gaming, and also watched more old anime and movies.


    I managed the time carefully to prevent myself from getting addicted, but even if I do get addicted, I can just make more time for myself with Save and Load, I can spend a day gaming and watching stuff, and once I''ve had my fill, start the day over and spend it more productively. I mean, if I could do it, then I might as well, right?


    Anyway, it was currently the end of the day, but instead of heading home, I was in the classroom along with the rest of my classmates, since we''d all been asked to stay back after classes were done for the day for some announcement or something.


    "What''s taking so long? I wanna go home already," I muttered, tapping my foot impatiently.


    "Agreed, couldn''t this wait till tomorrow morning?" Sighed Kiran, pulling down his face-mask and fanning himself with a piece of paper.


    The AC had broken down, and we had just finished our two-hour teamwork training classes, so this was horrible...it''s like a sauna in here, it doesn''t help that this classroom is somewhere in the middle of the building and therefore doesn''t have any windows.


    "You two sure complain a lot, huh...though in this case, I can hardly blame you," Chimed in Suri from in front of me, her expression irritable as a bead of sweat ran down her face.


    "Tch, would you losers all please shut up? This heat is giving me a headache," Groaned Misaki, who sat in front of Kiran.


    Well, now I had an incentive not to stop talking.


    "You guys all need to chill, it''s not the end of the world...speaking of which, did you guys hear the news? Another X-Warrior survived an attack from those humanoid creatures that have been all over the news, look, check it out," Jian, who sat between Suri and Misaki, cheerfully joined in on the conversation.


    He made his I-Watch screen visible to us and showed us his newsfeed...yeah, he''s right, looks like this had happened earlier today.


    "Mind if I scroll through it?" I inquired, before tapping on the screen as he nodded in reply, "Huh, this one was from the east of the Sanctuary too...all the reported incidents, the ones made public anyway, have been from X-Warriors who went either east, south or southeast of the Sanctuary."


    "Really? You''ve been paying attention to these reports, huh?" Remarked Suri in surprise.


    What, had I given off the impression that I don''t care about news? That most certainly was not the case...


    "Well, yeah, they''re pretty interesting...this might be the biggest bit of news since Ace Mutants were first sighted. Not to mention concerning and worrying...Mutants are dangerous, sure, but they''re basically just souped-up mindless wild animals...on the other hand, creatures with real intelligence are a lot more of a concern in that regard."


    The conversation was then cut short as Instructor Satou walked in with a dramatic sigh, a tired look in his eyes. He walked to the front of the class and tapped on the whiteboard a couple of times to get everyone''s attention, before clearing his throat and addressing us...


    "I''m not getting paid for this, so I won''t repeat myself no matter what. Feel free to record what I say if that''s gonna be a problem," He remarked, before muttering to himself, loudly enough for us to hear him, "Why me, damn it? I have better things to do."


    I decided to take his suggestion, and tapped on my I-Watch, scrolling through the screen and opening the voice recorder. He then continued...


    "Okay, so usually, the final month''s exams for Level J consist of the three exams just like the previous months, and then a sort of bonus exam, which failing students can take to try and make up the points they need to pass. But with you guys, there''s kinda no point...nearly all sixteen of you have already accumulated enough points that you could all skip this month''s exams and still pass, and even the few exceptions would only need to score a handful of points to pass. And so, we''re doing things differently this time."


    Hm...I don''t like that, I''d have preferred if they just stuck to the status quo. Hopefully, it''s no big deal, but I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.


    "First off, instead of having the usual three exams, we''ll have one big exam, which will be held on the day after tomorrow at 12 PM. First, you''ll all be divided into three teams, two teams of five, and one team of six, the teams will be finalized tonight, and you will all receive those details tomorrow morning. The team of six will consist of the six of you who are at the bottom of the class in terms of overall score. Each team will be led by an Ace X-Warrior. And each team will venture outside the Sanctuary for two hours."


    ...because that went so well last time, right? Yeah, no...even with Ace X-Warriors as bodyguards, this seems like a stupid idea, especially with those reports. Could it be possible that we''re being used as bait to lure out the creatures in the reports...?


    "To alleviate any concerns regarding the attacks we''ve been receiving reports about, rest easy...the exam will take place between the north and west of the Sanctuary, and so far, the attacks have only been reported to the south and east. Hm, I think that about covers everything I was supposed to say. Well, it doesn''t really matter, it''s not like I''m getting paid to do this, so who cares? You guys can go home now."


    And with that, he left eagerly, before any of us could even ask him a question...no doubt that was deliberate. I really don''t like this...


    "I think I''d have rather had the three regular exams," Grumbled Kiran, as everyone began talking at once.


    Yeah, I second that, I really don''t want to go outside the Sanctuary right now...if these incidents hadn''t been reported, I might have been fine with it thanks to my new weapons, but the creatures in these reports, they were completely unknown variables...I really hate uncertainties like that...


    "Well, he did say it''s just for a couple of hours, so what''s the worst that could happen? And each team will be guided by an Ace, so...it should be okay," Remarked Suri, though she looked pretty skeptical and uncertain.


    "I think it''s gonna be fun!" Chimed in Jian with a look of intrigue.


    "You know, one of the Aces is probably gonna be Ku-...Instructor Silva, wonder who the other two will be," I added curiously.


    There are currently twelve active Ace X-Warriors, it was pretty likely that I''d be meeting one I hadn''t met before...I mean, it''s a statistical probability, considering that I''ve only met two so far. Oh, and two of the other ten Aces were Anomalies. There was another Anomaly who was currently a K-Ranked X-Warrior, and one more who was a Level K student at the Academy.


    And I was the fifth, though as far as the rest of the Sanctuary was concerned, there were only four. Hm, in reality, there might even be more than five, I might not be the only one hiding my powers, after all. The X-Abilities of the other Anomalies were unknown, and though there were speculations and rumors, all four of the others hadn''t publicly revealed what they could do.


    Guess they must have learnt to inaudibly recite the activation chants just like I had, which meant that, like me, their powers were also more potent if the specifics were unknown. And depending on what their X-Abilities were, they could easily lie and say it was actually something else, just like how I''d lied that my time-stopping ability is a teleportation ability.


    I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t interested in meeting another Anomaly, but I had a feeling that I might be better off avoiding that. Well, it''s out of my control anyway, there were twelve Aces, so there were that many possibilities. Regardless of who it is, it doesn''t really make a difference to me, I''ll just do what I need to do in order to pass and further drive forward my own position, getting closer and closer to my goal one step at a time.


    I have two days till the exam, I''ll use tomorrow to ensure that I''m both fully prepared and well rested. However, I had absolutely no idea that, in two days time, things weren''t exactly going to go according to plan, and it would be the start of a major turning point...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 43 - 42 - Level J Final Exam Begins

    Today was the 27th of June, 2116, the day of the big exam. And I had a kinda bad feeling about it. I was on my way to the Academy right now, I had just arrived in the X-Warrior Zone and was in a bus heading for the Academy. I was in one of the two teams of five, the four that I was teamed up with were Seila Khan, Mitchell Jones, Lin Yang and Katie Cummins.


    I didn''t know who the Ace in charge of us was yet though. I had tried contacting my sister to see if she knew about it, but I got no reply, so she was probably out on a Mission. I got off the bus as it arrived at the Academy and headed inside, before making my way to Training Hall 06. As I entered and shut the door behind me, I saw that everyone else was already here.??


    It was currently a few minutes to 10 AM, which was the time we were supposed to arrive at, so I wasn''t late. I actually preferred this, since arriving just before the specified time meant that I wouldn''t have to wait much. The Ace X-Warrior who would be leading us would meet us here and then head for one of the Teleportation Points that would take us to an underground bunker outside of the Sanctuary.


    My group would be heading north of the Sanctuary, while the other two groups would be heading northwest and west, respectively. Regarding the four I was grouped with...my opinion was pretty much neutral. Of the four, I''d interacted the most with Seila, but that''s not saying much, I just greeted her for time to time and we got occasionally paired up during sparring and teamwork exercises in classes.


    Katie didn''t speak much in general, and besides the time when I used XFE Takeover on her, I hadn''t had any significant interactions with her. And as for Mitchell and Lin, they both seemed nice enough, but I had barely spoken to either of them at all. I had gotten paired up with them a few times during classes, but we didn''t exactly do much talking. Guess I''ll have to converse with them today though...


    "Oh, looks like we''re all here now," Remarked Mitchell, as I approached the rest of them.


    He was on the short side, with medium-length blonde hair pushed back from his forehead, blue eyes and a heavily freckled face. Like I said, he seemed nice enough, but I couldn''t say for sure since I barely knew him at all.


    "Do any of you know who the Ace in charge of our group is?" I inquired curiously.


    "Ooh, I''ve been wondering the same thing! I wonder who could it be!?" Exclaimed Lin with a look of anticipation and intrigue.


    She had long black hair that was parted down the middle with the back tied in a low ponytail, wore big round glasses, and was the overly friendly, hyper type. She had way too much energy, sometimes I felt tired just watching her talk in class, she was loud and spoke really fast, I don''t know how she wasn''t exhausted half the time.


    "Hey," Katie spoke up, tugging my sleeve, her expression as hard to read as ever, "Don''t control me without asking, okay?"


    Yeah, every time we got paired up during classes after that, she made a point of saying this to me...I guess she really didn''t like it when I took control of her XFE. I hadn''t done it to her since then, though I had used it a couple of times during XFE combat exams, my victims were Makoto and Alex those times.


    With the former, I kept him under my control for a while to really get my Dark Attribute poison flowing, since he''s a sleazy asshole and I don''t like him, but with the latter, I just controlled him for a few seconds to keep him still and then got the Duel Field''s teleport function to kick in by slashing at him, since he was usually pretty nice to me. He still got a bit poisoned though, but there was no helping that.


    Speaking of that technique, it was now officially called XFE Takeover, and for a couple of weeks after it became public knowledge, I was kinda getting a lot of attention. Fortunately, the hype died down after that, probably because it''s a technique that not everyone can use.


    Only those with the Dark Attribute can use it, and they need to have a steady control of their XFE to be able to maintain it. Oh, and it wouldn''t work on other Dark Attribute users, and those with the Light Attribute were highly resistant to the technique. I tried it out on Mutants, but they don''t have XFE in them so it didn''t work.


    After I used it in those instances that I mentioned, it became hard to use it again because everyone was wary of it...especially because Taayin, who also has the Dark Attribute, attempted to use it at every chance he got, so whenever anyone in my class was sparring against a Dark Attribute user, namely either myself or Taayin, they were very much on guard against the XFE Takeover technique.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t...well, unless it''s an emergency, like a life-threatening situation or something," I replied half-jokingly.


    "Hm...even then, ask first...okay?"


    I really couldn''t tell what she was thinking, or even whether she was mad about it or not...


    "Oh, uh...yeah, okay."


    Her expression gave nothing away, I couldn''t see any emotion or change when she spoke...I didn''t like it, I have no idea what''s going on in her head, and that kinda throws me off. Usually, I can guess what a person''s thinking by looking at their expression, to an extent of course, I''m not a mind-reader, but I like to think that I''m fairly good at reading people from their body language and facial expressions.


    "Hey, Seila, why so quiet? And why are you sitting so far away?" Inquired Lin, turning her attention to the clumsy twin-tailed girl sitting a few meters away from the rest of us.


    "O-oh, well, I...I don''t w-want to cause any t-trouble, so..."


    She did tend to trip and fall a lot, and anyone who was close by would also end up getting dragged down with her.


    "Come on, don''t be like that! We''re all supposed to be a team for today, so you shouldn''t keep your distance!" Declared Lin, walking over to her and pulling her up, before leading her towards us.


    I subtly shifted my position so that I was to Lin''s left, since she was pulling Seila with her right hand...I''d rather not get caught up in one of her clumsy ''accidents'', especially not with an audience present.


    "H-hey, wait a s-sec-...woah!" Seila began to protest weakly, before stumbling and tripping as she accidentally kicked the back of her left heel.


    She fell forward and across to her left, towards Lin, who was caught off-guard and lost her balance as well, and started to fall...in my direction. You have got to be kidding me...I sprang back but it was already too late, as Lin''s arms shot up in an instinctive attempt to grab onto something and stop herself from falling, she grabbed onto my jacket right as her chin slammed onto my left hip.


    And since I was in the middle of an attempt to back away, I wasn''t in a stable position, and as a result...I couldn''t maintain my balance, and fell on my back. Lin fell onto me, her chin painfully digging into a spot on my thigh. Ow, that''s gonna leave a mark...and on a more terrifying note, a few centimeters to the right and she''d have crushed my ba-...n-no, I''m not gonna think about that, I should just be thankful that they''re still intact...


    "I-I''m so sorry!" Cried Seila, apologizing profusely after we all got back on our feet.


    "No, that was my bad, guess I pulled you too fast, huh?" Replied Lin sheepishly, "And besides, no one got hurt, so it''s all good!"


    Not so sure about that, the spot where her chin slammed onto was definitely bruised...but I won''t say anything about it.


    "No offense, but that was kinda funny...," Said Mitchell, struggling to keep himself from smiling, before turning to me, "Your expression when you realized you couldn''t escape getting dragged down with them...heh, that was freaking priceless."


    ...okay, I''ve decided...this guy is annoying.


    "Anyway...it''s past 10 AM already, shouldn''t the Ace be here already?" I inquired, changing the subject after glancing at my I-Watch.


    "Oh, right, about that! I almost forgot, I bumped into Instructor Satou when I arrived today, and he said that it''ll actually be two Aces per team! How cool is that!?" Exclaimed Lin, her eyes lighting up as she recalled that little detail.


    "So, uh...how exactly did you forget to mention that till now? We brought up the subject of the Ace multiple times," Pointed out Mitchell with a raised eyebrow.


    "I dunno...sonetimes I just forget stuff, you know?" She replied, after mulling it over.


    "Right...," He responded with a bemused look.


    Still, two Aces per team, huh? That means six out of the twelve Aces would be occupied by this. The fact that half the Aces were assigned to be a part of what was essentially a glorified training exercise in the guise of an exam for Level J students, just went on to emphasize how uncertain the situation outside the Sanctuary was right now.


    The door to the training hall then opened, all five of us immediately turned our attention to the two figures that walked in through the doorway, seized by curiosity and anticipation. I recognized the one on the left...Johan Grantz, he''s...he''s one of the two Ace Anomalies. The exact details of his Anomaly were unknown, but a lot of the rumors mentioned that he could put a target to sleep without even touching them, and I''d also heard that he could form and control XFE puppets to fight for him.


    He had albinism, with really pale skin and white hair, which was about medium-long and spiked up with a undercut. His eyes were dark red and he was on the tall side. He wore a dark green t-shirt under a black jacket with the collar turned up, dark blue trousers and black shoes. He had some X-Weapons on him, I spotted a blade handle and a couple of pistols, looks like they were all standard issue stuff. He also had an umbrella strapped to his back...maybe a counter against the sun? People with albinism generally had sensitive skin.


    "Woah, that''s one of the Anomalies...so cool, this is the first time I''m seeing one!" Exclaimed Lin excitedly.


    Well, that''s not exactly true, but I definitely wasn''t going to correct her...in fact, I think I''ll play along.


    "Yeah, me too," I added, putting on a tone of awe...well, it wasn''t completely fake, I was genuinely intrigued by seeing another Anomaly.


    "Huh, is it just me or did you sound kinda sarcastic just then...?" Muttered Mitchell, giving me slight cause for alarm, before he seemed to lose interest, "So that guy''s one of the Anomalies, huh? I wonder what he''s capable of. Hey, I recognize the other one...isn''t she...?"


    Yeah, as for the other Ace, I recognized that one too...to be precise, I recognized her too well for my liking. It was my sister. This is bad, she and I look a lot alike, which is especially noticeable when we''re in the same room, there''s no way no one''s going to notice the resemblance-...wait, calm down, if she and I act like we''re just meeting for the first time, the others will have to assume it''s just a coincidence that we kinda look alike.


    "Ohh, that''s Kilella Floence, she''s the youngest Ace at the moment, but also one of the most powerful!" Said Lin, her eyes widening in awe.


    Even knowing what a big deal my sister is, stuff like this still weirds me out. It''s kinda hard to explain...


    "Mhm, I''ve heard of her too," Chimed in Katie, a slight hint of admiration in her usually-blank expression.


    "Yeah, she''s r-really famous, it''s m-making me pretty n-nervous," Stuttered Seila, though she looked the same as usual.


    Hm, what should I say? I should probably say something nondescript, pretending that I don''t know who she is might backfire since she is pretty famous...


    "Hey, you don''t seem all that awestruck...don''t you know who she is?" Asked Mitchell, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.


    Tch, he''s pretty sharp.


    "No, I have no idea who-," I began in an innocent, calm tone, when suddenly...


    "Hey, little bro, I bet you''re surprised to see me, huh!?" Came a loud and cheerful voice.


    ...god...fucking...dammit...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 44 - 43 - Another Anomaly

    What. Is. She. Doing!?


    "Wait did she just say-?" Began Mitchell, his eyes starting to widen as he glanced at me.


    "Nothing, she said absolutely nothing," I interrupted before I could stop myself...well, there''s no talking my way out of this now.


    Should I go back in time? No, I hadn''t been able to contact my sister when I tried yesterday, she must have deliberately turned off her ringer so that she could surprise me, this had been planned ahead of time...to be fair, I hadn''t explicitly told her not to reveal that I''m her brother, but come on, she had to know that this was the last thing I''d want...right?


    Actually, looking at her expression right now, in response to the absolute death glare I was giving her...it looks like she had only just realized that fact. The main reason I didn''t want people to know that we were related was because I didn''t want to get stuck in her shadow, but I never told her that because it might upset her, and regardless of how blunt I generally am, I''m not completely cold and heartless...and right now, I was regretting that.


    "O-oh, uh...n-never mind, I mistook you for someone else, Zax-...I-I mean, uh-...!"


    "Give it a rest, stupid sister, the damage is done," I sighed in exasperation, "Now go away."


    "Hey, don''t be so mean, I haven''t seen you in like a month! Come on, give you big sister a hug!"


    "Absolutely not."


    Man, this sucks...I need to have a word with her. I walked towards her with a frown and grabbed her arm, dragging her towards a corner of the room as the others all began whispering and staring. I hate this.


    "Take it easy, you seem kinda pissed, Zax-."


    "Yeah, I''m pissed! You do realize that I''ve been trying to keep a low profile here, right? What''s this all about, anyway?" I snapped in exasperation.


    "Well, I just...I heard the Academy''s request for Aces to guard teams of Level J students, so I volunteered...and then I saw your name in one of the teams and I got excited and requested to be in the charge of your team...but I guess I shouldn''t have, huh...I''m sorry, little bro."


    "What''s done is done, I guess," I sighed, before adding, "You could''ve at least told me ahead of time, you know."


    "But...I wanted to surprise you."


    Well, I guess I couldn''t hide it forever anyway, so this wasn''t the end of the world. Fine, whatever, I''ll let this slide...I then walked back to the others with a sigh, my sister following after me. Great, everyone''s staring...not that I could blame them, who wouldn''t stare in this situation?


    "So...you''re the sibling of an Ace?" Inquired Mitchell, saying it more like a statement than a question.


    This bit of info would probably spread pretty quickly, there was going to be no stopping that, but I might as well do some damage control and make sure that there''s at least a short delay before that happens...


    "Tell anyone and I''ll make you regret it," I responded in a cold, icy tone.


    "R-right-...that, uh, almost sounds like a threat-," Replied Mitchell with a nervous laugh.


    "Well, yeah, it is a threat."


    "...sure, I won''t tell anyone."


    I then glanced at the others with the same expression, which caused Seila to flinch, which subsequently resulted in her losing her balance and falling back onto her butt. Uh...was that my fault? As she got back on her feet with an embarrassed look on her face, the other Ace, Johan Grantz, cleared his throat to get our attention, a slightly irritated look on his face.


    "Perhaps we should get started. We''ll be leaving for the Teleportation Point in an hour, and we''ll be using that time to discuss how to proceed once we''re outside the Sanctuary. We will be teleported to a vacant underground bunker to the north of the Sanctuary, and from there, we''ll head north for five kilometers and then turn back. It goes without saying that you students will be doing the fighting while the two of us Aces will be mostly observing, and we''ll only step in if necessary. The five of you should now discuss how you plan to set your formation once the exam begins. We won''t have any input here, so we''ll be over there," He explained, before walking over to the sidelines along with my sister, who gave me a small wave as she bounded after him.


    So...it was pretty much the same as the first teamwork exam, huh? I knew most of the other''s X-Abilities already, so it shouldn''t be too hard to figure out how to arrange an effective and efficient formation for the five of us to move in. At least, it would be if I didn''t feel so awkward right now...all four of the others were staring at me intently. Okay, if I start talking about the exam, then hopefully they''ll forget about this for a bit and stop staring...


    "I, uh, guess we should get started with discussing our formation, huh? How about we each take turns briefly describing what we can do, and at which range we operate best at?" I suggested, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as they nodded in reply and stopped staring at me with those curious expressions, "I''ll go first, I guess..."


    We did as I suggested, taking turns in introducing our capabilities. Once that was done, we debated how best to deploy ourselves into a formation. Naturally, I would be hanging around the back and providing mid to long-range support from about fifty meters away. As for the others, they''d be pairing up, Mitchell with Seila and Katie with Lin. It took a while to figure out how to best pair them up, it was important that we didn''t pair up any two that''d be too incompatible to fight as a duo.


    Like last time, we had earpiece communicators available, and agreed on simple ways to quickly address each other. If I needed to warn one of the others, I''d say the first letter of their names and the direction of whatever I was warning them about...for instance, if a Mutant snuck up on Lin to her left, I''d go ''L, left''. Oh, and since both Katie and my names started with K, I suggested that they address me as Z.


    After hashing out a few more minor details, we were set. Huh, that took a fair bit of time, we''d nearly used up the entire hour we had before we''d be leaving and heading for the Teleportation Point. Johan and my sister walked over to us after they saw that we had wrapped up our discussion.


    "Hey, everyone! I hope the strategizing went well," Said Kilella with a friendly smile, receiving affirmative replies from the others.


    They all seemed pretty awestruck by her, though they were paying less attention to Johan...it was the opposite for me, I was super curious about what his X-Ability was. Not to mention that this is the first time I''m seeing another Anomaly. How does his X-Ability compare to mine? Is it more powerful? That''s a scary thought...


    "So, um...are you really Kilzachs'' sister? I mean, you really look a lot alike and all, but it''s a bit hard to wrap my head around...I can''t believe I''m the classmate of an Ace''s sibling!" Exclaimed Lin giddily.


    "Yeah, he''s my brother...a-and thanks, I''m flattered!" She replied with a goofy grin...she''s loving the attention, isn''t she?


    "If y-you''ve trained with a-an Ace, then I-I feel a bit better about that d-duel we had," Seila said to me.


    She probably didn''t mean any harm, but what she said basically implied that I was only strong because an Ace had trained me, and that there''s no way that I could have pushed her that far in that fight if I hadn''t gotten such training...but I really hadn''t though, I had only trained with my sister a handful a times, and all of those instances was after my duel with Seila, the training sessions I spent getting used to using my new weapons. And besides...


    "What do you mean, didn''t you win that duel?" I replied innocently.


    Normally, I might have had something to say, but given how timid she is, I''d probably look like a total dick if I did that...and besides, I''ve spent years ignoring way harsh insults, so an unintentional, and pretty minor, insult was no big deal to me. Okay, fine, maybe I was a little annoyed, but it''s whatever.


    "Well, y-yeah...but i-it was really close."


    "Oh, what''s it like, getting trained by an Ace? Bet there aren''t many people who can say they''ve experienced that!" Remarked Mitchell, with a look of intrigue.


    "Actually, until a few months ago, we''ve never trained together at all," Chimed in Kilella.


    "Really? Why not?" Asked Lin curiously.


    I feel like their questions are starting to get a bit too personal...


    "Well, uh...I was, uh, really busy after Zax went through his Awakening Procedure, so I, you know, didn''t have any time to train with him or anything," She replied, making it pretty obvious that she was hiding something.


    "Hey, I just realized...you two have different last names," Pointed out Mitchell.


    Yup, definitely getting way too personal...


    "H-huh, how a-about that? Weird...," My sister deflected...not very convincingly, as she averted her gaze.


    "You guys should stop," Katie spoke up, tapping Lin and Mitchell.


    "Oh, r-right...sorry," Apologized Lin, her eyes widening in realization as she glanced at me...huh, guess my expression right now gave away what I was thinking.


    "Yeah, my bad, that''s none of my business, guess I got kinda carried away," Added Mitchell with a slightly guilty look on his face.


    Okay, on the bright side, they had FINALLY stopped asking those increasingly personal questions...but on the other hand, the vibe right now was super fucking awkward.


    "We should go now, it''s time," Spoke up Johan, breaking the silence and easing the awkward tension a bit.


    So, with that, we began heading out of the training hall...when Seila, who was at the back of the group, tripped on her own foot and fell forward, knocking onto Katie, who also lost her balance and ended up crashing onto Lin, who was in front of her...wow, they''re going down like dominoes.


    I won''t let myself get caught in the tumble this time! I swiftly got out of the way, ensuring that I was safe from-...oh, crap, I was so preoccupied with trying to avoid getting dragged into the collapse that I was about to crash onto Johan.


    I got out of the way just in time, but in my rush, ended up losing my balance and falling onto my back...goddammit, I avoided the group tumble, but I still ended up falling...this sucks...


    "Are you alright?" Inquired Johan, offering me his hand to help pull me up.


    "Yeah, no harm done, except to my ego," I replied with a sigh, accepting his hand and grasping onto it, and as he began to pull me up...


    Suddenly, I could hear a familiar static sound in my head...wait, what''s going o-...


    <Anomaly Recognized, Category: Fairy Tale Authority>


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    H-huh...? What...what just happened...? I then froze as Johan spoke up...


    "Time and Space Manipulation...? Then you''re an..."


    ...uh-oh.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 45 - 44 - Timeless Conversation

    "Man, that was hilarious, you totally thought that you got away successfully, and you did, but then you fell down anyway!" Chuckled Mitchell, before averting his gaze with a sheepish grin as I glared at him.


    "You like being annoying, huh?" I replied with a hint of exasperation.


    "Not at all! I do, admittedly, enjoy seeing the different reactions people give in certain situations, though."


    "...and you put them in those situations by annoying them?"


    "Well, yeah...but I don''t particularly enjoy that part, it''s just a means to an end, the reaction is what I''m really after! Oh, right now, I bet you''re thinking that I''ll leave you alone if you don''t react to me at all, am I right?" He said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "But in fact, I enjoy that the most, seeing people doing their best to pretend like I''m not bothering them is hilarious!"


    I don''t think I like this guy...


    "I-I''m sorry, it''s all my fault," Apologized Seila with a rueful expression on her face.


    When she fell, she ended up talking down Katie, Lin, Mitchell and Kilella down with her, and she''d been pretty distressed about it ever since. We were currently on the bus, on the way to the Teleportation Point.


    "It was an accident, so there''s no need to apologize! You all need to work together as a team, that means you need to get along, and that won''t happen if one of you is downcast, you know?" Said my sister positively.


    "Yeah, that''s true!" Responded Mitchell, a little too quickly, he was clearly starstruck.


    "Hey, by the way, what''s with that backpack?" Kilella asked Lin curiously, "It looks kinda heavy."


    Right, Lin''s Secondary Manifestation was pretty much the only X-Ability in my class that I hadn''t yet seen. She''d explained what it was earlier while we were discussing strategy and formation, and that backpack was crucial for the use of her Secondary Manifestation. As she explained to Kilella what it was for, I noticed Johan glancing at me from a few seats ahead. After that weird bit of static, what happened was this...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    "Time and Space Manipulation...? Then you''re an..."


    The instant he said that, I kinda panicked...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>," I mumbled inaudibly, before muttering to myself as I began pacing around, "Crap, now what? Maybe I should use Tier One, after all? And what was with that static? Also, ''Fairy Tale Authority'', what even is th-?"


    "Are you...talking to yourself?"


    "So what if I-...," I began to reply, before freezing as I realized that shouldn''t be possible, turning around to see that Johan wasn''t frozen in time, "No way...how are you able to move right now?"


    "Hm? What are you-...?" He started to say, trailing off as he looked around and saw that everyone else wasn''t moving, "Is this...your doing?"


    This shouldn''t be possible...don''t tell me Anomalies are immune to the X-Abilities of other Anomalies? No, if that''s the case..


    .


    "Hey, tell me...over the past five months or so, has time ever frozen like this for you?" I asked cautiously.


    "What? Of course not, I would have definitely noticed if so. More importantly...you''re an Anomaly?"


    Hm, in that case...maybe an Anomaly is only immune to another Anomaly''s X-Ability when they''re in close proximity, close enough that they might be in danger of said X-Ability.


    "I suppose there''s no point in hiding it...yeah, I''m an Anomaly too. Mind if I ask you a few questions about Anomalies? It literally won''t take any time at all."


    "I can see that," He remarked, tapping on his I-Watch, and nothing happened, "Fine, ask away. I have a lot of questions for you, as well."


    "First, are Anomalies immune to each other''s X-Abilities?"


    "Yes, I have dueled against two of the other Anomalies, and our X-Abilities cannot directly affect one another. Hm, but if you have been using this time-stopping power frequently, one of the others as well as myself would have definitely noticed. Hm, then perhaps it''s a matter of distance...?"


    He trailed off with a frown, as he mulled it over, before continuing...


    "Maybe...if you use your power while the other Anomalies are far away from you, then perhaps they will not be immune to it. Oh, actually I doubt it needs to be that far away, instead, it may only be when the other Anomaly is aware of the presence of the one using their X-Ability...I say that because there is another Anomaly in the Academy."


    He''s pretty smart. Yeah, I''d used my powers plenty of times while inside the Academy, the Level K student Anomaly would have definitely noticed time literally stopping if they were immune to it just by being within close proximity. Oh, I almost forgot...


    "Wait, what about that static thing earlier? What was that about?"


    "Well, firstly, rest easy, I do not think it plays a factor in the immunity effect. You see, the first time I dueled the other Ace Anomaly, I was immune to his powers, after the fight, we shook hands, and we both experienced that static and heard what each other''s Anomaly types were. It appears that is triggered upon initial physical contact between two Anomalies. And with that Anomaly, I felt that static after the duel was over, and since I''d been immune to his X-Ability during the duel, we can rule out the possibility that the static is the trigger to the immunity."


    "I see, that''s good. You don''t have to answer this if you don''t want to, but I''m kinda curious about your X-Ability...mind telling me what your Fairy Tale Authority Anomaly can do, vaguely at least?" I inquired hopefully.


    "Hm...I suppose it won''t hurt so long as I don''t tell you the details. You probably know that Anomaly X-Abilities come with multiple powers, right? Mine are, uh, how to put this...fairy tale-themed. I''ll reveal one of my powers, since this particular one would be useless against you and it''s also my weakest power. You might have heard that I can put people to sleep...that power is called Sleeping Beauty. Well, I shared mine, mind sharing yours?"


    That''s his weakest power? Hm, I don''t want to reveal my powers, so....I''ll just lie...


    "Well, this time stopping power was already unlocked when I awakened my X-Ability, but I have no idea how to unlock my other powers."


    "Yes, the Unlock Conditions are unknown, that it a common factor among all Anomalies. All the powers I unlocked were through pure coincidence and luck. And since that is the case...I''m afraid I don''t have any advice to give you on how to unlock the locked powers of your X-Ability. Does anyone else know that you are an Anomaly?"


    "Yeah, my sister does, and Kumar Silva too. Though I, uh, told them that my power was teleportation, not time stopping. I just figured that it''d be way unsettling to know that someone else can freeze time, you know? Plus, with this power, it''s pretty easy to make it look like I''m teleporting. So, this goes without saying, but...don''t tell anyone about me, okay? I''m trying to keep the fact that I''m an Anomaly as a secret. It''s a long story, so I won''t bore you with the details, but two major reasons are, one, because I''d rather that people didn''t know that I can literally stop time, and two, because if I am going to reveal that I''m an Anomaly, it won''t be until I''ve unlocked at least two of my other powers."


    "Hm, I don''t know if you''ve realized this, but your time stopping power may easily be the most powerful X-Ability in existence right now, you could use it to defeat almost anyone or anything," He pointed out.


    "Yeah, I''m well aware of what I can do with this power...but it''s no fun if I just spam it the whole time, and besides, I don''t want to become overly reliant on it. So it''s kind of a last resort, I''d like to fly under the radar for as long as I possibly can," I explained with a shrug.


    "About that...you are actually talked about a fair bit amongst X-Warriors, due to the XFE Takeover technique you discovered. I was actually quite curious to meet you as well, it''s not often that a student makes such a discovery. But to think that you''re Kilella''s younger brother and an Anomaly on top of that...you''re quite impressive."


    "Heh, that''s pretty flattering coming from an Ace and senior Anomaly, but...being her brother and an Anomaly, those were both things that were out of my control, so I can''t exactly take credit for this like I can with the XFE Takeover technique."


    "Hm...when you say ''senior'', you better not be calling me old...," He responded, narrowing his eyes at me.


    "No, I meant it in the ''more experienced'' way, as in I''m the junior Anomaly when compared to you. Okay, one more question...I''ve been thinking about this whole exam thing, and I can''t help wondering...are we being used as bait to draw out the intelligent creatures that have been attacking and killing X-Warriors? I mean, no matter how you slice it, two Aces guarding a team of Level J students is definitely pretty strange."


    "If that really is true, then I was not informed of it...but I can see how you came to that conclusion, there might even be some degree of truth to it."


    If he doesn''t know anything about it, then there''s no point in questioning him further. Time to wrap this up...


    "Well, anyway, I think it''s time to wrap up our literally timeless conversation. I''m going to unfreeze time now...I don''t want to use up too much XFE."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    And now, back to the present.


    We arrived at the Teleportation Point and walked into the building after getting off the bus, before we were Teleported out to one of the underground bunkers to the north of the Sanctuary. It looked more or less the exact same as the bunker we used during the first teamwork exam.


    "We still have about ten minutes before 12 PM, so use that time to mentally prepare yourselves," Advised Johan, as we all gathered by the platform elevator.


    "Yeah, what he said! You have no reason to be nervous, the chances of anything going wrong are low, and even if something does happen, we''re here to keep you guys safe!" Declared Kilella with a grin.


    Ever the optimist, my older sister. Well, I guess she had a point, all things considered, the chances of something going wrong were low...or at least, I could hope that was going to be the case...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 46 - 45 - Encounter

    Something''s not right here...it had been close to an hour since we set out from the bunker, and so far, we hadn''t run into a single Mutant. We had already covered more than four kilometers, so it wouldn''t be too much farther before we turn back. I switched my X-Blasters to sniping mode, and as my right lens on my glasses lit up and magnified my vision, I scanned ahead to see if I could spot anything...nope, nothing but dirt.


    I was about fifty meters behind the other four, who had paired up as planned. There was about a ten meter gap between the two pairs, and I was more or less in the middle of that gap, so that I could evenly assist either pair...not that there had been anything to assist them with so far, though.


    "Well, this sure has been productive, huh?" Sighed Mitchell sarcastically into the communicator, sounding bored and a bit relieved at the same time.


    "Yeah, the coast has been clear and we''re almost at the five kilometer mark," Remarked Seila, who switched from clumsy mode to serious mode the moment we left the bunker...I don''t know her well enough to ask her why she doesn''t just stay in her serious mode, but I was really curious to do so.


    "We''ve got about seven hundred meters left to go, and I can more or less guarantee that there''s nothing out there for the next five hundred meters...although, if there''s something underground, then I have no way of knowing whether or not they''re there," I informed them, as I scanned ahead with my lens.


    "This is boring...but I guess it''s not a bad thing that nothing''s happened, huh?" Sighed Lin dejectedly, who looked pretty demotivated.


    "Yeah, well, stay alert anyway, better safe than sorry," I replied, continuing to scan ahead.


    "Agreed, we should keep our guard up until we''re back in the bunker," Added Katie, her tone as emotionless as ever.


    Seriously, though, what''s going on here? I muted my communicator and glanced back at Kilella and Johan. The latter was shrouding himself with an umbrella to combat the sunlight, so I couldn''t see his expression, but my sister definitely looked concerned, a worried frown on her face.


    "Hey, is this normal? We haven''t run into even a single Mutant yet. This is only the second time I''ve gone outside the Sanctuary, so I''m not exactly an expert on how things work out here, but...this can''t be normal, right?" I inquired, while keeping one eye ahead in case something appeared.


    "Right, this is really weird...it''s practically unheard of to not run into any Mutants after you''ve gone about two kilometers ahead of a bunker, and to not run into any for over four kilometers is...," Replied Kilella, biting her thumbnail with a worried look.


    "I''m getting a bad feeling as well, maybe we should turn back," Suggested Johan with a look of concern.


    "It''s only about five hundred meters left, so there''s no harm in covering the full distance, is there?" Argued my sister, though she looked pretty uncertain herself.


    I looked ahead with my lens again, scanning the area ahead, when some shapes came into sight...wait, what''s that-...oh, never mind, it''s just a bunch of rocks. Really large rocks, randomly scattered about. Huh...hold on a second...


    "Hey, I see some rocks and boulders up ahead, but...the way they''re positioned, it''s almost like someone put them there. It''s easy to miss at first glance from this distance, but when I took a closer look...well, they''re clearly arranged in a U-shape, with the open end pointing in our direction. The space within the U-shape looks pretty big, a width of around fifty meters, maybe? And a length of about a hundred meters, though that''s a bit hard to judge from this angle. This doesn''t exactly seem like the work of a Mutant," I remarked, as I carefully scanned the area.


    "Yes, I agree...tell the others to get back, the exam is on hold until we determine what''s going on up ahead," Instructed Johan, after mulling it over for a second.


    "Right, got it," I replied affirmatively, before unmuting my communicator and letting the others know what was going on.


    We then stopped and the five of us students gathered around the two Aces, looking at them expectantly. The others could all see the rocks now too, we were about two hundred meters away from there. Looking at the size of the rocks, they were definitely big enough for someone to be hiding behind, possibly those intelligent creatures that have been attacking X-Warriors lately...but that idea was ridiculous, they have no way of knowing that we''d be here in this exact location at this exact time...right?


    "We have two options...go back, or investigate. Either one is a valid option, so...let''s put it to a vote," Suggested Kilella, after considering it for a bit.


    "I''m not sure that''s the best way to settle this, but I don''t have any better ideas, so I won''t protest," Sighed Johan, though he didn''t look too happy about it.


    We began voting one by one, with me ending up as the last person to vote...with a tie in place, three votes for each of the two options. I''m the deciding vote, huh? Not sure which is the right option, so...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>."


    Okay, now that I''ve given myself a safety net, let''s go with the more dangerous option...and so, I voted for investigating the mysteriously placed rocks. We then cautiously made our way forward, in a tight formation, with my sister up front, the four students besides me were about a couple of meters behind her, and about a meter spacing between each other. And Johan and I brought up the rear.


    "If there''s any sign of danger, I suggest we retreat immediately. In fact, it might be better if we head back right away and report this first, before sending out a team of X-Warriors to investigate," Said Johan, who had voted for going back.


    "No, things have been really weird since we left the bunker, we should try and find some answers. Those rocks might have something to do with the lack of Mutants in the area," Responded Kilella, as she kept her eyes focused on the rocks.


    We were about fifty meters ahead of the rocks now...and now that we were this close, I think it''d be more accurate to call them boulders...each one was about five to seven meters tall, and three to four meters wide. I activated my right lens again and carefully scanned the boulders as we neared them...huh, that''s strange...


    "Hey, those boulders...they''re not very dusty. There''s a stiff breeze blowing and plenty of dust in the air, just look at these plants," I remarked, getting everyone''s attention and nodding at a few mutated plants off to the side, that were covered in dust, "That confirms it...these boulders haven''t been in this spot for too long. And not just that, their surfaces look almost...too smooth. Like artificial, maybe?"


    "Seriously?" Inquired Johan with a look of surprise, taking out a pair of binoculars and looking through them, "Yes, you''re right, the surfaces of those rocks look smooth and unnatural, not to mention significantly less dusty than the rest of the surroundings. I can''t believe you spotted that, very impressive."


    "More importantly, now that we know someone or something moved these here recently, what does that m-...wait, what''s that?" I said with a frown, narrowing my eyes as for an instant, I thought I saw a glint on the boulder farthest away from us, "Hey, I think there''s something on that boulder over there."


    "Let me see...," Said Johan, adjusting his binoculars and looking through it at the boulder, "I think you''re right, there''s a slight gleam around the middle of the boulder...there''s something reflective on it."


    "Yeah, that gleam is making it hard to see exactly what it is. Maybe if I can get a better angle...," I muttered with a frown, trying to see exactly what was gleaming, before the glare reduced as I stepped off to the left a bit, "Is that a...? So, uh, I could be wrong, but...that kinda looks like a telescope or binocular lens, maybe even a camera lens...I think someone''s watching us right now."


    We had all stopped moving, about fifteen meters from the boulders, with uncertainty and caution in the air around us. No one said it out loud, but I''m pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing...if we walk onto the space surrounded by the boulders, we would likely be walking into a trap.


    "A lens, huh...yeah, that could be it. But we can''t be certain from this distance...that said, getting closer would be too risky," Surmised Johan with a grimace.


    "Maybe our best option is to head back, there''s almost no doubt that these boulders were placed here deliberately, it''s obviously a trap," Added Seila with furrowed eyebrows, her hand on her chin while looking deep in thought.


    "Yeah, I think I''m gonna second that...I''m getting a kinda unsettling feeling right now, it''s hard to explain," Chimed in Mitchell, looking uneasy.


    He was right, something felt off, but I couldn''t quite put it into words...


    "It feels like...we''re being watched," Katie suddenly remarked, and as she said that, it clicked...that''s exactly what it was, which meant that the glint we were seeing was almost definitely some kind of lens, just as I thought...


    The way this was going, it looks like we''re going to be turning around and heading back...well, I couldn''t really argue with that, I was definitely of the mindset that getting any closer to the boulders was way too big a risk. Wait, hold on...maybe the tension is just making us overthink things, but...yeah, that might work...


    "Hey, Ella, I''ve got an idea...why don''t you fly up a bit and see if anyone''s hiding behind the boulders? If there is someone, blast them...and if there''s not...blast the boulders," I suggested, after thinking it through a couple of times.


    Following a brief moment where everyone stared at me as they processed my idea, she replied...


    "Hey, that''s not bad, Zax...yeah, nice thinking, little bro!


    !"


    She put on one of the earpiece communicators, as did Johan, and spread her wings open. The rest of us stepped back a bit as she zipped up into the air, getting some height before flying forward and above the boulders.


    "Well, Kilella? Do you see anything?" Inquired Johan, as she hovered around the area.


    "No, it doesn''t look like anyone''s here...okay, which boulder should I blast first?"


    "Does it really matter?" Inquired Mitchell with a shrug.


    "Kinda, yeah...sis, you can blast any of them excluding the one with the gleam," I suggested, as her hands began glowing.


    "Got it!" She replied affirmatively through the communicator.


    She charged up a red blast of XFE between her hands, before aiming it at one of the boulders that was three to the left of the one with the gleam, and fired...the blast shot towards the boulder, struck it...and sent it flying away, skidding along the ground and breaking apart...what the...?


    Either my sister''s powers had gotten way, way stronger, or that was one extremely light boulder. I quickly looked through my right lens in that direction at the remains of the boulder...my eyes widening in surprise and disbelief...


    "Hey, are you seeing what I''m seeing?" Asked Johan incredulously, staring in the same direction through his binoculars.


    "Yeah...these are...these are definitely not boulders!"


    "Hey, quit keeping the rest of us in suspense, you gonna tell us what''s going on or what?" Inquired Mitchell impatiently, the other three also looking anxious to know what we were looking at.


    The ''boulder'' was hollow...and the inside of it was...unexpected, to say the least. It kinda looked like a cockpit, with a seat and steering wheel. And now that it had toppled over, I could see that it had retractable wheels at the bottom...it was some kind of vehicle, with the outside disguised as a boulder. There was something else too, hanging out of it, it looked like...a walkie-talkie?


    And most notably, there was also blood...it was a darker shade of red than human blood, but it was definitely blood...and what was bleeding definitely did not look human. It was human in shape, but it''s skin looked tough and leathery, it had a long whip-like tail and sharp claws on its fingers...but other than that, it had a humanoid torso and limbs, and hair on its head...and especially notably, it was wearing clothes.


    "Sis, quick, blast them all!" I exclaimed, as I took out my Square Blaster and activated it.


    Before either of us could attack, the rest of the boulders suddenly split horizontally across the middle, the top opening up, to reveal...more of the same. The one at the far back, as it opened up, revealed the source of the gleam...sure enough, it was a telescope.


    So, that one had been keeping a watch out and communicating to the others with those walkie-talkies. No doubt about it, these things are intelligent. There were a fair number of them too...specifically, in total, there were twenty-two of them, excluding the one that my sister had blasted. What...are these creatures...?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 47 - 46 - Wights

    Kilella flew back down and rejoined us, as the humanoid creatures watched us cautiously. We were outnumbered, but if things look like they''re taking a turn for the worse, I''ll just freeze time and kill them all, should be easy enough. One of them then stepped forward towards us, while the rest hung back. They all had weapons...the kind of weapons that didn''t exist in the Sanctuary. Metal swords, guns, axes, spears...


    "Are you the ones who''ve been attacking us for the last couple of months? Who are you?" Inquired Kilella loudly, pointing an XFE blast at the one who was stepping forward, warning him to not get any closer.


    "Why don''t you calm down, lady? And as far as I''m concerned, I don''t have to tell you people a damn thing," He replied with a smirk.


    He was tall, had leathery grayish-green skin, sharp yellow eyes, wings on his back and sharp claws on his hands. He had medium-long spiky black hair, wore a dark blue hoodie with the sleeves torn off and slightly worn-out black jeans. Besides the wings and skin, he looked like a regular guy in his mid to late twenties.


    "Oh, is that so? Then die," Remarked Kilella, firing the blast at him.


    He swiftly stepped back, moved his hands in front of himself...and formed a dense-looking green XFE barrier around himself. The blast struck his barrier, which absorbed most of the impact before shattering, his hands taking some damage, as he winced in pain and stumbled back.


    "Ow...well, how about that, some of you sheltered humans aren''t actually half-bad...kill them all, but capture that one," He instructed the others behind him, who swiftly charged at us with their weapons brandished.


    Eight of them were carrying guns, looks like assault rifles...they looked pretty old, but that doesn''t matter, we were in trouble if those weapons still work. As the ones that were charging at us began to close in, the eight with guns took aim. Crap, this is bad!


    "Stand back, everyone, I''ll handle this," Instructed Kilella, before firing an XFE blast at the ground, kicking up a dense and large dust cloud in front of us.


    Before they could figure out what was going on, she swiftly zipped up into the air and charged up massive blasts of red XFE, took aim, and fired them down in a rapid, powerful barrage at the gunmen, killing them all without giving them a chance to use their guns.


    She then shot back down towards the group that had rushed forward, as the dust cloud began to clear, closing in on one of them and slamming her fist onto his face, the force smashing his face in and twisting his head all the way around, killing him.


    One of them then fired a blue XFE blast at her, which she deflected away with a flick of her hand. Another one then sprang up behind her and swung his sword straight down at her, she shattered the blade by whipping her tail up at it, before blasting a hole through his chest. A few of them were heading our way instead of all ganging up on my sister. Two shot towards Seila, who stayed calm and...


    "


    ."


    The instant her blades formed, she flicked her wrists and swung both blades outwards while simultaneously expanding them rapidly, slicing both the humanoid who were leaping at her in half, before they could even react. The other two had also formed their Primary Manifestations, Mitchell''s Dozen Tails, twelve purple five meter-long tails, and Lin''s Shovel, which was...just a green XFE shovel.


    Lin evades an XFE blast and then slammed her shovel onto the side of the head of the humanoid who fired it at her, dazing him before swiftly driving the edge of the shovel straight at his throat, piercing it and killing it. Mitchell grabbed two of the humanoids using his tails, getting struck on the shoulder as one of them fired a red XFE blast at him. He winced in pain, before gritting his teeth and breaking their necks with his tails.


    Three of the humanoids were heading for Johan and I. Two of them fired XFE blasts at us, I canceled them out with pinpoint shots from my X-Blasters at maximum output, before nailing them with headshots and killing them. Johan then muttered something, it was extremely quiet, but not completely inaudible like my chants were, and I was close enough to hear him, though just barely...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Fairy Tale: Sleeping Beauty>."


    In an instant, the humanoid he was targetting lost consciousness, falling onto the ground...and breaking his neck as his jaw struck a rock jutting out from the ground...he was dead.


    "Tch, I was hoping to capture one," Remarked Johan with a frown.


    "My sister''s still fighting some of them, they''re not all dead yet," I pointed out.


    "If she''s the one fighting them...then they''ll all be dead soon."


    Yeah, she wasn''t holding back, she had already cut down their numbers to about six left. Three of them then leapt at her simultaneously, their weapons raised. She swung her arms out, slamming her fists onto the necks of two of them and breaking them, while simultaneously driving her left foot out behind her, slamming it onto the midsection of the third.


    She was rapidly cutting them down, they were using their weapons as well as XFE attacks, but it was no use, they couldn''t lay so much as a finger on her. I then noticed the one who''d seemed to be the leader trying to slip away before she could finish off his subordinates and turn her attention to him.


    He''s pretty fast, he''s rapidly increasing the gap...but he''s still well within my range. I switched my X-Blasters to sniping mode, took aim, and fired two shots aimed at his heels, nailing my targets perfectly, as he fell to the ground, unable to stand up. Oh, looks like Kilella was done killing the ones she was fighting...and yup, she didn''t spare a single one.


    "Kilella, why did you kill them all!? You know how much HQ has been wanting to capture one of these things for interrogation!" Snapped Johan in exasperation.


    Huh, guess he didn''t notice me shooting the l leader guy. And it looks like the others hadn''t noticed either. Well, to be fair, unlike the old-school guns that these humanoids were using, XFE firearms didn''t make any sound.


    "Oops, my bad...I kinda got too into it," She apologized sheepishly.


    "Uh, guys...there is one still alive," I spoke up, pointing at the one whose heels I blasted.


    "Oh...good work, Kilzachs," Remarked Johan, letting out a sigh of relief, before his eyes widened as if he''d realized something, "Quick, we need to restrain him, all the previous attempts to capture them resulted in either them committing suicide or getting killed by their comrades!"


    "I''m on it!" Responded Kilella, rapidly flying towards the humanoid, who was desperately crawling away.


    She reached him and grabbed the back of his neck, picking him up and flying back towards us. She tossed him onto the ground, and Johan quickly tied up his hands and feet, restraining him.


    "Tch, you might have been able to capture me, but I won''t tell you a thing!" He snapped defiantly.


    Hm, if these humanoids really have the resolve to commit suicide, then he might be a tough nut to crack. Then again, he had seemed pretty desperate to get away, so it might be worth applying some pressure on him...


    "Oh, is that so? You won''t even talk under torture? Like, for example, I could shoot your feet and hands like I did to your heels. And let''s not forget your tail, I could blast it full of holes, it probably won''t be lethal anyw-," I began, pointing my X-Blasters at his feet.


    "A-alright, fine, I''ll talk! Just don''t shoot!"


    ...huh, well, that was easy. Johan took over and did the questioning, making notes of what our captive said on his I-Watch.


    "Let''s start simple, just what are you?" Inquired Johan with narrowed eyes.


    "I''m a human," Came the reply.


    "Be more descriptive, unless you want to be tortured after all-."


    "Tch, fine! You can refer to us as Wights, we''re also humans that survived after WWIII...though unlike you sheltered humans with your fancy Sanctuary, we had to make do with filthy underground bunkers for decades, but that wasn''t enough to stave off the radiation, many of us died, and the rest mutated so much that we barely resemble humans at all anymore...there are plenty of us that are so freakishly and grotesquely mutated that just looking at them would make you physically sick."


    So that means not all humans outside the Sanctuary were wiped out by the radiation following WWIII...this is a massive revelation.


    "I...see. Let''s go back to the bunker...you, tell us the whole story in detail as we head back," Replied Johan, continuing to question him as we turned back and made our way to the bunker.


    According to the Wight, who was named Hebi Fujimoto, a surprisingly normal name, during WWIII while the Sanctuary took in as many people as possible, there was no way that it could save everyone. Setting aside the countries that had refused to cooperate with Project Noah''s Sanctuary, as well as the ignorant people who had dismissed the whole thing as a conspiracy, there were still hundreds of millions of people that needed saving.


    Unfortunately, the Sanctuary wasn''t big enough for everyone, and at that point, it was too late to construct another one. And so, many, many people were left to helplessly wait for their deaths, either by bombing or by the intense radiation that was rapidly engulfing the planet.


    But not all of them died. Around the same time that the Sanctuary had been midway through construction, Japan followed suit and covertly constructed several massive bunkers deep underground, as they anticipated the worst-case scenario which eventually came to pass.


    After the Sanctuary closed its metaphorical doors and stopped taking more people in, Japan took in as many people as possible into the bunkers they constructed, the exact number was unknown, but it was almost certainly over a hundred million.


    The majority of those were Japanese, naturally, along with a percentage of southeast Asians and some from the neighboring countries. The Sanctuary had only taken in about sixty million, and even now, ninety plus years later, only had about eighty to ninety million people in total.


    However, with the Japanese bunkers, there were so many people crammed into an inadequate amount of space that the few decades or so were an absolute nightmare. Many succumbed to the radiation, there were neverending conflicts as everyone was on edge, it was unsanitary, and so on...eventually, after several had died and the numbers became a bit more manageable, they began to be more organized.


    Their numbers were cut down by nearly half, until finally, the death rate slowed down. After the deaths and mutations due to radiation began to slow down as they developed resistance to it, they started putting in more effort into maintaining the bunkers and establishing order amongst themselves. As they somewhat settled into a routine, some of them began reproducing, and their next generation showed signs of even greater resistance to the radiation.


    Efforts were put in to educate and train the children, as the Mutants began appearing. They were given basic levels of education in subjects like math and science, and were all primarily taught both Japanese and English, as well as a few other Asian languages. Several pieces of technology had also been stored down in those bunkers, though many of those had gotten damaged or deteriorated with age.


    And then, about forty years ago from today, when the Wights evolved and gained a high level of resistance to the radiation, they left the bunkers. Russia, China and North Korea were the only Asian countries that got involved in WWIII, so even though the people had succumbed to the radiation, along with the plants and animals except for the ones that got mutated, there were plenty of buildings that were relatively intact in Japan, though they were overgrown with plants and heavy with dust.


    Stuff like vehicles and ships had taken a lot of damage, but some of them weren''t beyond repair, and after they had set up a proper base in Japan, they used the repaired ships to travel to South Korea and set up a base there as well.


    From there, they moved up to North Korea, then China, followed by Mongolia, and about five years ago, they made it to the border of Russia. They had been somewhere to the south-southeast of the Sanctuary, and had to build a base there from scratch.


    That was because Russia had been hit with nukes during WWIII, the Sanctuary had been just a handful of kilometers out of danger, just barely safe. That''s why most of the area outside the Sanctuary is a wasteland, the radiation was extremely heavy following the bombings.


    After setting up their base and bringing over some vehicles, they began making their way to the Sanctuary. As for the vehicles that they''d modified to look like fake boulders, they were purely mechanical with no fuel, and were operated using pedals...essentially bicycle pedals that were connected to four wheels instead of two.


    Anyway, they had intended to make contact with the Sanctuary and establish a relationship with us, but things didn''t quite go as planned. Basically, the first time they encountered X-Warriors, the X-Warriors they ran into were terrified, yelled in panic and called them freaks, and ended up killing some of them.


    But the X-Warriors were outnumbered and as a result, were killed in retaliation. After that, the Wights were furious, since from their perspective, the people of the Sanctuary had abandoned them in the aftermath of WWIII and now, this happened. And so, they were now planning to kill the humans in the Sanctuary and take over the place.


    "That seems like an overreaction," Remarked Mitchell with a raised eyebrow.


    We were now back in the bunker, and Johan was still interrogating Hebi, who was cooperating nicely, answering every question without much resistance.


    "Admittedly, I kinda agree. But a lot of us wanted to kill you people right from the beginning, and that messy first encounter triggered those suggestions into demands...see, we were taught as kids, or technically brainwashed, that the people of the Sanctuary abandoned us, and it''s their fault why we''re living in such hardship. I sort of get it, we needed someone to direct our anger at, and blaming it on people who are still alive was just more effective than blaming it on the people who instigated and died in WWIII. A lot of others get that too, but I''d say that for the majority, the hatred has only continued to grow with every hardship we experience."


    Johan then asked him about how they obtained food, water and fuel for their ships and vehicles. The fuel wasn''t much of a problem, they dug up the ground around spots that used to be gas stations to obtain fuel, and as for food, they''d had a massive stockpile of canned foods down at the underground bunkers, but once that ran out, they began eating Mutants and mutated plants.


    Scientists in the Sanctuary had cofirmed that Mutant flesh was toxic to us and inedible, same went for the plants. But the Wights were different, they had been exposed to several times more radiation than we had, since the outside of the Sanctuary repelled effectively ninety-nine point nine percent of the radiation. And as a result, they were a lot more resistant to it than we were.


    "Hey, I just realized something...they can use XFE attacks, but they almost definitely don''t have Awakening Pods," I pointed out.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s true...mind explaining that to us?" Johan inquired at Hebi.


    "XFE? Oh, you mean the energy blasts? We officially call it Chikara, though most of us just say energy."


    "Huh, I feel like I''ve heard that word before...," Remarked Kilella with a frown.


    It then clicked...


    "Oh, I think that means power in Japanese, right? Pretty sure I''ve heard it in a lot of anime," I said.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Wait, you people have anime? We haven''t been able to find any working digital entertainment, the best options we''ve got are slightly-rotted manga...we''ve only been able to get a basic level of electricity working, using windmills and waterwheels. So even if I did find a working electronic device, we wouldn''t have a way to charge it. Most of us have never experienced digital technology."


    If I remember right, the Sanctuary ran on solar power and renewable energy for the most part. Anyway, the interrogation continued. About a third of the current generation of Wights could fire out their XFE, or Chikara, in attacks, but only a few were significantly powerful, not unlike the situation in the Sanctuary in that regard. And sure enough, they didn''t use any awakening process.


    Instead, they train to get a feel for the energy and use it as a weapon, they don''t instinctively know what it is like the Sanctuary''s Prodigies do...well, it is an instinctiveness that''s artificial generated by the chip that''s implanted during the Awakening Procedure, so that makes sense. He claimed that while he''d never seen anyone quite as strong as Kilella, there were a few Wights that could apparently keep up with her, though he couldn''t say for sure.


    Johan then got to the elephant in the room...how did they know to lie in wait for us and try to ambush us? The answer to that was...they had captured some X-Warriors and tortured them for info, and one of the captured X-Warriors knew about this exam thing...ambushes had been set up in wait for the other two groups as well.


    Each of the three ambush groups had been dropped off by vans or buses and were to attack the three Level J student groups, capture one or two from each group, and then head for a rendezvous point where they''d meet up with the van drivers and head back to their base. And if they failed, they were all instructed to kill themselves to prevent us in the Sanctuary from interrogating them in return...


    "...yeah, I was supposed to kill myself, but screw that! I''m not like most of those other lunatics, I don''t really have a burning hatred towards you people like most of the others who volunteered as soldiers...I was forced to join just because I had good combat abilities and decent control over my energy. But I don''t want to die!"


    Yeah, that much was obvious. Still, I couldn''t fault that, it''s only natural to want to live.


    "What was with that ''ambush'' though, it was so obvious!" Remarked Kilella with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, I know..."


    He explained that their thinking was that since the Sanctuary had been isolated for decades and never made contact with any intelligent life at all, even the presence of a trap would be cause for concern and worth investigating. Well, they were right about that...after all, we decided to investigate those ''rocks'' instead of heading back.


    As for what those were, they were a combination of chairs, a metal frame, and four retractable wheels. The chair went inside the metal frame, which was coated in an exterior that made it look like a large rock. And the bottom had four slots in which they could extend out or retract bicycle-like wheels, which were connected to pedals in front of the chair in the metal frame.


    As for the lens I spotted, that was a telescope, and they''d been keeping contact using walkie-talkies. Pretty simple yet creative. They communicated using battery-operated walkie-talkies, but those had a pretty limited range of about ten to fifteen miles at most.


    And finally, as for why we hadn''t seen any Mutants...apparently, their allies had lured them all away so that their ambush wouldn''t be attacked by any. That about covered everything we needed to immediately ask him. And so, with that, the interrogation was over.


    "Let''s head back to the Sanctuary now," Suggested Johan, before turning to Hebi, "You''re coming with us."


    "W-wait, what will you do with me?" He inquired nervously.


    "Hm, what indeed...for now, we''ll take you back to the Sanctuary, the higher ups can decide that," Replied Johan with a shrug.


    "So, uh, since no one else has brought it up...what about the exam?" Inquired Mitchell curiously.


    "Well, none of you did anything that would make you fail, and it''s not your fault that we didn''t run into any Mutants, so don''t worry about it," My sister assured him.


    "Oh, nice...though, that was pretty boring until the end there," Sighed Mitchell in reply.


    "Boring is safe," Remarked Katie objectively.


    "Y-yeah, it could have gone a lot worse than it actually did," Added Seila in agreement.


    "I guess...hey, what about you, what do you think of this whole thing?" He asked me.


    "Well, let me think...yeah, I don''t like this," I replied with a frown, after mulling it over.


    "Oh, uh...why not?"


    "Because it''s brought in too many uncertain variables, there''s no telling what could happen...I don''t like it when things are unpredictable," I explained with a frown.


    Yeah, I prefer it when things are easy to predict and certain, that makes things around me easier to control...but with these unexpected revelations, nothing was certain anymore...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 48 - 47 - I Hate Surprises

    "So, what happened with that whole thing?" I inquired curiously.


    "Well, we were kinda given a gag order...but since you won''t tell anyone, I guess I can tell you," Replied Kilella after mulling it over.


    "What? No, you absolutely cannot do that!" Protested Kumar immediately.


    "I have to agree with Kumar, you shouldn''t leak classified information," Sighed Johan, who was also here.


    We were currently at my place, a couple of days after we encountered those Wights during the final exam for Level J. Naturally, it had turned out to be a pretty big deal. The decision to send Level J students outside the Sanctuary while these attacks by the Wights had been taking place was heavily criticized, especially since there had been some casualties.


    The group I was in was intact, of course, but from the other two groups, there were three deaths. Jian Lee, Alex Jaice and Misaki Aki. And plenty of the others had been injured as well, though nothing permanent. Apparently, the ambushes that they ran into were more well-hidden than the one we encountered. While there had been no public announcement regarding the deaths, rumors about it were starting to spread throughout the Sanctuary in all four quadrants.


    "I doubt it''ll remain classified for long, given the way the rumors are spreading, things will get out of hand if an explanation isn''t issued to the public soon," I argued, too curious to know about what was going on.


    "What do you mean?" Inquired Kumar with a raised eyebtow.


    "As in, the snowball effect...the more a rumor spreads, the more exaggerated it gets, and when it becomes really drastic, people will start wondering why the X-Warrior Zone HQ hasn''t given them any explanation. That could lead to conspiracy theories, protests and stuff like that," I explained.


    "That seems like a situation with a lot of ifs," Remarked Johan skeptically.


    "Actually, he''s onto something here. Stuff like that was really common before WWIII, the more secretive governments were, the more people started spreading ignorant and far-fetched conspiracy theories and protesting in massive groups on the streets...heck, there were literally MILLIONS of people who thought WWIII was a hoax WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING, so there''s definitely some merit in governing bodies being open with the citizens," Pointed out my sister, arguing in my favor.


    "But the X-Warrior Zone HQ isn''t a governing body, its only task is to handle all things X-Warrior related," Argued Kumar objectively.


    "Technically true, but since the people are completely clueless as to anything about the outside of the Sanctuary, they''re bound to feel afraid if there''s rumors of something going wrong out there...after all, the vast majority of the planet is an almost-completely unknown variable, and people fear the unknown...that''s enough reason to justify the claim that the rumors will get more and more exaggerated with each passing day unless HQ addresses them. I''ll tell them as much when I drop by there later today," Said Johan, after mulling it over with a frown.


    "That''s great...so, what happened with the whole thing?" I inquired again.


    "The Wight we captured told us where the location of their base in Russia is, so HQ is considering creating bombs to attack them with," Kilella informed me in reply.


    "Hey!" Snapped Kumar with a look of exasperation.


    "Well, he is the one who technically captured that Wight, so I guess it''s fine," Shrugged Johan, letting out a sigh as he glared at my sister.


    "Relax, guys, my little bro barely talks to people at all, so he won''t tell a soul!" Insisted my sister, patting me on the shoulder with a grin.


    "Yeah, that''s true enough," Nodded Kumar in agreement.


    ...I feel like they aren''t complimenting me right now.


    "Anyway, do you know when the Level Q classes will start, Kumar?" I inquired, "Normally, it''d be two weeks after the final exam of Level J, but they haven''t even announced the exam results yet."


    "Well, yeah, they can''t exactly go about business as usual since three students died, they''ll probably announce the exam results after things settle down again. But if I had to guess, it shouldn''t take more than a week''s delay, so around the final week of July, probably. I don''t know for sure though," He replied with a shrug.


    "I see...so, uh, you wouldn''t happen to know the exam results, would you?" I asked him pointedly.


    "I don''t know everyone''s individual results, but I do know that no one failed, so everyone in your class will move on to Level Q."


    Great, I didn''t care much about my exact results, so long as I passed...


    "Yeah, except for the ones who died," I said with a nod.


    "That''s kinda cold, and a bit dark, the way you said that," Remarked Johan with a shake of his head.


    "I guess you weren''t close to the classmates who died?" Inquired my sister curiously.


    "Well, two of them were nice enough, I guess, while I wasn''t close to them, I can''t say I disliked them. The other one was a total bitch though, if you want my honest opinion, I''m glad she''s dead."


    "...damn, that''s brutally honest," Responded Kumar with a bemused look.


    "Yeah, you should be careful not to be so blunt," Agreed Johan.


    "Oh, uh...sure, I''ll keep that in mind," I replied sheepishly...yeah, I guess there is such a thing as ''too honest''.


    Wait a sec, why were they here right now, anyway? About an hour and a half ago, my sister had called and said that she was coming over with the two of them, and while I had been annoyed by the last minute notice, I was really curious to ask them about what had happened with the Wight situation, so I didn''t question it. Knowing my sister, they hadn''t come over for anything specific, in which case...how do I get them to leav-?


    "Crap, look at the time!" Johan suddenly exclaimed in alarm, before turning to Kilella, "Hey, we''re supposed to head to HQ today, remember!? You''re the one who insisted on stopping by here to kill a bit of time before going, so I was expecting you to keep track of the time! We''ll be late at this rate!"


    "Huh, but why would you do that? You''re a pretty organized person, so I left that up to you," She replied innocently.


    "You-...! Whatever, we don''t have time to point fingers, let''s just go!" He sighed in exasperation, "Pardon the intrusion, Kilzachs, this was all pretty last minute."


    "Yeah, you got that right, I''ve specifically told my sister to tell me well ahead of time if she''s coming over," I responded with a frown.


    "This is exactly what we mean when we say you''re too blunt," Said Kumar, lightly punching my shoulder.


    "Oh...I mean, I totally don''t mind it when people come over unexpectedly...it''s like, who doesn''t like surprises, am I right?" I replied dryly.


    "Sarcasm isn''t any better."


    "...I wasn''t trying to be sarcastic, though," I remarked sarcastically.


    "Don''t respond to being called out for sarcasm with more sarcasm. Seriously, your social skills need work, Zax."


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever."


    "Well, uh...we''re off, then," Johan interrupted, as he and my sister headed out.


    "Later, little bro!"


    And with that, they left, which left me alone with Kumar...how do I kick him out? Eh, I''ll just say it bluntly and-.


    "I think I''ll go too, I plan to really make full use of this break before classes start up again," He stood up and stretched his arms up before I could say anything.


    Well, that was a freebie.


    "Oh, I see...yeah, maybe taking it easy for a bit won''t be a bad idea, I should take at least two consecutive days off, it''s been a few years since I spent more than just a single day doing nothing and relaxing," I realized.


    I usually only took days off once every two weeks, and it was never more than a day at a time, I just start feeling uneasy and restless since I feel like staying idle for too long might dull my skills. Sure, there have been times where I decreased my workload a bit when it felt like I might have overworked my body, especially on days when I have classes, but at the very least, I would still exercise and do some basic drills.


    "I''m guessing you practice shooting a lot?" Kumar inquired, as he got ready to leave.


    "Hm? Yeah, I suppose I do...I try to practice each aspect of my fighting style evenly, but I do end up putting in a little bit of extra effort when it comes to using my wrist-blasters than I do with my hand to hand combat and blade skills. Why do you ask?"


    "I don''t know if you''ve realized this or not, but I''m pretty sure there''s no one in the Sanctuary who can aim as accurately and consistently as you can."


    Wait, really? Huh, that was a nice stroke to my ego...


    "That''s not saying much though, is it? I mean, how many people besides me actually use XFE guns in the Sanctuary?" I pointed out.


    "Fair enough, most X-Warriors don''t use them, and civilians certainly don''t. But I''m also counting X-Warriors with long-ranged Manifestations, your accuracy is better than anyone I know. Well, anyway, I''m off. See you later, Zax."


    "Yeah, sure. See ya later."


    ...


    ...


    As it turned out, my sister came over again the next day, and once again with last-minute notice. If there was one silver lining, it was that she came over by herself this time, so my place wasn''t cramped with too many people, but still...she came over right before I was about to head to the gym. She said she had a surprise for me, and of course, refused to tell me what it was until she came over...I have a pretty short fuse when it comes to my patience, and she was really wearing it down right now...


    "You alright, Zax? You look kinda irritated, little brother."


    "Do I? Huh, I wonder whose fault that could possibly be...," I responded, struggling to keep myself from snapping at her.


    "Oh, I know! Let me guess, did you have a bad dream but you can''t remember any of the details?" She inquired, after looking like she was deep in thought.


    "...just tell me why you''re here, sis."


    "Hey, what''s with the attitude? Ohh, I know, you''re excited to hear what the surprise is, aren''t you?" She remarked with a teasing smirk.


    If I''m being honest, I hate surprises...like I said before, I don''t like unknown variables, I prefer it when things are predictable because that makes them easier to control. That said, I was curious about what she''s got to say...


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m super excited...so, what is it?"


    "Fine, I guess I''ve kept you in suspense long enough. It''s like this, yesterday when Johan and I went to HQ, we reported in detail what happened when we ran into the Wights. Naturally, that meant mentioning that you were the one who actually incapacitated Hebi, the Wight we captured. And since you''d also been involved in that incident where the Level J teamwork exam went wrong, some of the higher ups got curious about you. I couldn''t resist telling them that you''re my brother, and Johan mentioned that you''re the best marksman he''s ever met, so...they want me to bring you over to HQ later today!"


    ...huh!? Yeah...I really do hate surprises...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 49 - 48 - Attention

    "Isn''t this great, Zax? You''re totally going to get recognized as someone skilled!" Exclaimed my sister with a grin.


    Yeah, ordinarily, that would be great, but...I didn''t have a good feeling about this, who knows what''ll happen if they find out that I''m an Anomaly? While it wasn''t something I''d planned on hiding forever, I wanted to at least wait until I''d unlocked one or two more tiers before revealing it. If they question me about the Two-Headed Serpent incident, they might get suspicious if my answers don''t add up.


    "Hey, sis, you didn''t tell them that I''m an Anomaly, did you?" I inquired warily.


    "Of course not, give me some credit, I wouldn''t betray my baby brother''s trust like that! Only Kumar and I know, I haven''t told a soul!" She insisted indignantly.


    Good, it sounds like she didn''t know that Johan knew.


    "So, what time are we supposed to go there anyway?" I asked her, glancing at my I-Watch.


    "In about two hours, so let''s leave for the X-Warrior Zone in an hour, ''kay?" She suggested, after checking the time.


    "Yeah, I guess that''s fine by me."


    I was kinda dreading this, but it wasn''t all that surprising...all the current X-Warriors were either Prodigies or Anomalies, and since I''d hidden the fact that I''m an Anomaly, I was currently the only regular Paragon who could potentially become an X-Warrior, on paper anyway. And given that I''d been involved in two major incidents in the past few months, it was only natural that I''d attract some attention.


    "You look worried...I thought you''d be all excited about this. You okay?" Asked Kilella with a look of concern.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine. I just don''t want to reveal that I''m actually an Anomaly, that''s all."


    "Hey, it''s not like you''re obligated to answer all their questions, you know. I mean, you''re not in any trouble or anything, this is something that happens pretty often actually, whenever students with promising potential reveal themselves, they get called in for a sort of interview. See, HQ doesn''t want to let any talented students go to waste, so they put in effort into motivating and grooming such students to ensure that they live up to their potential and have a smooth transition into becoming an X-Warrior when they graduate," She explained assuringly.


    Huh, if this whole thing was just a formality, that might be the best case scenario. I really don''t want to get too much attention until I''m a lot stronger...


    ...


    ...


    About an hour and a half later, we were in the X-Warrior Zone, taking a bus to the X-Warrior headquarters. It was a large building that also served as the point for X-Warriors to take on Missions and then later report back regarding the result of the Mission, sort of like a guild in fantasy worlds.


    And in addition to that, any and all other matters regarding X-Warriors were primarily conducted here. We soon arrived outside the building and got off the bus, and immediately, my sister started getting a lot of attention. Many of the X-Warriors outside the building were staring at her and whispering...I think I''m invisible to them right now.


    Well, she is widely regarded as one of the strongest, if not the strongest, X-Warrior in the Sanctuary, so this is hardly surprising. Fortunately, no one mobbed her or anything, so we were able to make our way through the building''s sliding doors and into the elevator without a problem.


    "I was kinda expecting a bunch of people to crowd you, the way they were all staring at you it''s kinda surprising that they didn''t," I remarked, as the elevator went up.


    "Oh, well they used to...but it started to annoy me and I began attacking anyone who tried to mob me, one time I even left fifteen or so X-Warriors in pretty bad condition...to be fair, I was having a rough day," She explained sheepishly, "I was then asked to stop attacking people after one of the higher-ups tapped my shoulder to greet me but I flipped him over my shoulder out of reflex...he was like, sixty, I ended up breaking his back, poor guy."


    ...as I kid, I always preferred playing video games and watching stuff over going outside and playing, while my sister enjoyed both digital entertainment and playing outside, and she often called me to join her whenever she went outside, but I almost never did...I think I might have dodged a real bullet by choosing to stay indoors...


    "If you weren''t so powerful and valuable, you''d have probably gotten into a lot of trouble for that."


    "Yeah, well, I''m valuable because I''m powerful, and due to being powerful, I''m also kinda famous, and that''s why they mobbed me in the first place...in other words, if I hadn''t been valuable, I wouldn''t have had to deal with getting crowded by fanboys to begin with!" She declared in exasperation.


    "That''s...true, I suppose."


    We then reached the top floor and got off the elevator, heading for a doorway at the end of the hallway. She knocked on the door and entered, the door opened into a large office, where a bunch of people were waiting inside. Seated at a desk at the back of the room was a woman who looked like she was in her early thirties, with long raven black hair tied in a ponytail, purple eyes and wore a fancy-looking suit.


    "Hey, Director Silva, how''s it going?" Greeted my sister with a grin.


    Wait, Silva? Huh, now that I take another look, her hair and eye color resembled Kumar''s...


    "Good afternoon, Kilella, you''re in high spirits as always, I see," She replied with a smile.


    I looked around at the rest of the people in the room...two random old men and...my biological shithead of a father. And he had a pretty sour look on his face. Nice.


    "This is my brother, Kilzachs, you asked me to bring him in," She introduced me, patting my shoulder.


    "Uh, hi...nice to meet you," I greeted her awkwardly.


    I''m not good at this kind of thing...


    "Yes, nice to meet you, Kilzachs. I''m the director of the X-Warrior Zone, my name is Ziva Silva. Now, then, let''s get straight to business, shall we?" She responded in a polite tone.


    "Sure, that''s fine by me," I replied with a nod.


    "We took the liberty of investigating you since we prefer to know what we''re dealing with, I hope you don''t mind. You had a pretty uneventful, if not somewhat lonesome, childhood till middle school, where you were accused of killing a dog and then nearly beating a group of girls to death...you''ve maintained your innocence though. I''d like to hear your side of this story."


    How does she know about that? I thought it got covered up. Well, guess it doesn''t matter how...


    "Yeah, sure, I don''t mind. I wasn''t friends with any of my classmates back then, the only one I interacted with was that dog. On that day, he messed up those girls'' paintings or something like that, I don''t really remember, and after school, they beat him to death, with the intention of putting the blame on me, since they knew that no one would stick up for me. I walked in on them right as they finished killing the dog, and they told me their plan...and then I lost it and beat the crap out of them. That''s my side of the story, but it doesn''t matter if you don''t believe me, not many people did."


    Crap, got a bit heated towards the end there...that memory was one that infuriated me to this day. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath to calm myself.


    "Wow, you should see the look in your eyes right now, that''s a lot of hatred and rage, but more importantly...that''s not the look of a liar. If you ask me, your actions were completely justified, and it''s good to know that you aren''t an indiscriminately violent psychopath. Now, then, let''s get back to the findings of the investigation...after that, things were uneventful again till the day of your Awakening Procedure, your fifteenth birthday."


    That''s a relief, she doesn''t know about what happened with Bytra...good, that''s definitely a memory I don''t want to recall.


    "You didn''t turn out to be a Prodigy, and a few hours later, you were disowned. You were transferred to another school, moved out to an apartment and changed your last name from Floence to Light. If you don''t mind me asking...why exactly were you disowned?" She inquired, after a quick glance at my cunt of a father, who averted his gaze.


    "Sorry, but I thought that was obvious?" I responded in an innocent tone.


    "Maybe so, but I don''t know for sure, so I''d like to hear it straight from the source."


    "Well...since I wasn''t a Prodigy, I was told that I was worthless and trash, and to leave the house."


    "And the person who told you this...was your father?"


    "Hm, that''s a tough question to answer...see, as far as I''m concerned, I don''t have a father."


    "I see, that answers my question perfectly. Minister Floence, we''ll have a talk later," She remarked with a cold glance at the asshole, before turning back to me, "After that, you sort of flew under the radar for a while, so to find out more, we checked the logs on your I-Watch."


    ...in other words, an invasion of privacy. Well, whatever, I had nothing to hide, it''s not like I''ve done anything illegal, and there''s absolutely nothing incriminating in my I-Watch.


    "Huh, that''s not the most encouraging thing to hear," I frowned, acting a bit more annoyed than I actually was.


    "Yes, I suppose this would anger anyone. Still, I have to say, your logs are a bit...strange."


    Huh? What''s she talking about?


    "Strange how?"


    "Tell me, what''s your training schedule like on a normal day?"


    My training schedule? What''s so strange about it? I told her how many hours I usually spend training in each aspect of my fighting style, along with taking a day off every couple of weeks.


    "Then the logs were correct, I thought there might have been some kind of mistake...you spend an abnormal amount of time training, it''s almost scary...even after reducing the workload on weekdays when your classes at the Academy began, this is still-...how are you not overworked!?"


    I did not expect for this aspect of my life to get so scrutinized...


    "Uh...not sure what to say about that...but whenever it feels like I''m overdoing it, I stop even if I haven''t fully used up the hours I planned to. Though I haven''t had to do that for a while, sometimes I can even go an hour or so longer, until I start to feel like I''m too fatigued to continue."


    "So that means you push yourself right to your limits every time you train? The level of discipline it would take to work that hard on a near daily basis is incredible...what motivates you?" She inquired curiously.


    "Well, in the start, I was just determined to prove those words wrong, that I''m nothing but worthless trash...but lately, I find myself enjoying sharpening my skills, and I want to keep getting stronger...that said, my original objective is still very much intact."


    "I see, a simple yet effective driving force. Getting back to it...you applied for the X-Warrior Academy shortly after your twentieth birthday, passed the entrance exam quite comprehensively, and have consistently been among the top of your Level J class in all three subjects. You were involved in an impressive feat during your first teamwork exam, where you successfully escaped from two Two-Headed Serpents while literally carrying the rest of your team, and more recently, you were the reason why we were able to capture one of the Wights. And let''s not forget the XFE Takeover technique that you discovered."


    Okay, it doesn''t look like she''s planning on questioning me about the teamwork exam incident, that''s a relief.


    "When you put it that way, you make it sound like I''ve done more than I actually have," I replied, a bit awkwardly.


    "No need to be modest. After all, now that we''ve investigated you, I think you''re exactly what we need. Regarding the Wights, nothing has been confirmed yet, but it''s highly likely that we''ll be attacking the base they set up here in Russia, several miles to the south southeast of the Sanctuary. Currently, drones are being manufactured in order to confirm their exact location, after which, the best option is to strike them with an aerial assault."


    "How, exactly? As far as I know, there aren''t any aircrafts in the Sanctuary," I pointed out skeptically.


    "Right, hence the drones being created. That said, we do have about half a dozen prototype jets that are being made, they should be ready by the time we decide to attack. Manufacturing any more aircrafts that those would take too long too, so we need to explore other options."


    Huh, she seems pretty competent, she''s clearly thought this through a fair bit...


    "From what I''ve heard, you have excellent marksmanship. That particular skill is far more scarce than you might think. We''ve been considering making drones that double as sort of jetpacks or hovercrafts that can be ridden, and we''ve tested that out with a few prototype drones, but of all the X-Warriors who''ve done simulations using these drone-jetpacks, the best we got was a seventy percent accuracy rate with long-ranged attacks."


    They already had prototypes ready? It had only been two days since we captured that Wight, there''s no way they could have made that so quickly, especially since drones big enough to hold a person weren''t a thing in the Sanctuary, the only drones I''d seen were small ones that projected out advertisements and virtual billboards in the Entertainment District, and the drones used to create the Duel Field. Which means that she must have had them start manufacturing these drones shortly after the intital reports of Wight attacks...


    "Okay? I''m not sure I see where you''re going with this."


    "Well, it''s quite simple, really. Once the drones that double as flight gear are made, we have two options in how to use them...first, to strap X-Warriors onto them and have them ambush the campsite and shoot down the Wights, or second, to drop bombs on them...making bombs that use XFE for fuel is certainly possible, but very expensive, especially for objects that are single-use, and we can''t know for sure how effective XFE explosives would be in the first place."


    Fair enough...


    "Therefore, if your aim and accuracy is as good as I''ve heard, I just might ask you to spearhead the operation. Any objections to that? If you''re against killing or have any other moral issues, you''re free to refuse. After all, you''re not an X-Warrior yet, just a student."


    Were my shooting skills really that much above what anyone else was capable of?


    "No, I don''t have any particular objections, and I have no qualms about killing people, especially if I can gain something out of it...I will get paid, right?" I responded with a slight smile, after mulling it over.


    "Why, you cocky little-...!" Began one of the men seated next to Director Silva, before trailing off as she gestured for him to be quiet.


    "You''re an interesting one, aren''t you? And yes, we''ll compensate you depending on your performance. Well, let''s not get too ahead of ourselves, none of this is set in stone yet. Instead, how about this...I''d like to see firsthand just how good your accuracy is. Would you mind demonstrating?" She inquired with a gleam in her eyes.


    "No, I don''t mind at all."


    "Good...then let''s take this to a more suitable location, shall we?" She suggested, standing up and nodding at a Teleportation platform in the corner of the room.


    I had to say, I was intrigued and curious to see how this would go, so...


    "Sure, I don''t see why not."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 50 - 49 - Killing

    Huh, this place is pretty fancy...we''d teleported to some facility, where Director Ziva Silva wanted to test out my shooting skills. I was going to be fitted with the prototype drone that doubled as a jetpack, and then I''d be made to do some target practice. We were currently walking down a long, winding corridor, and this place looked really state-of-the-art. It was just Director Silva, myself and my sister.


    "Tell me, Kilzachs, have you ever shot a human before?" Inquired Director Silva curiously.


    "Hm? I guess so, I''ve shot at my classmates during duels, if that counts. I also shot some Wights, they do count as human, after all," I responded after thinking it over.


    "That''s a good point you bring up...what should we consider the Wights as? Humans like us? Or something different? What do you think?" She asked me with a look of interest.


    I don''t really like getting philosophical, but it looks like that''s what she''s looking for...


    "Honestly? I don''t care. If you put both a human from the Sanctuary and a Wight in front of me and tell me to kill them both for, say, a certain amount of CredPoints, I''d probably kill them both."


    "...that was an interesting example you picked," She remarked with a glint in her eyes,"If you really mean that, then this test should be quite a breeze for you."


    "You, uh, kinda scare me sometimes, Zax," Laughed my sister, a bit nervously.


    "You''re one to talk, you were pretty brutal when you fought the Wights," I pointed out.


    "Huh? No I wasn''t! I''m pretty sure I killed all of them with one strike each!" She protested indignantly.


    "Exactly, brutal...they never even stood a chance."


    "Hey, it''s not my fault that they weren''t in my league!" She argued with a huff.


    "Pretty much no one''s in your league though."


    Director Silva then cleared her throat to get our attention, as we reached a large door.


    "It''s right through here, Kilzachs. Let''s determine just how much of an asset you can be for us, shall we?"


    With that, she pushed the door open and gestured for us to head in. We complied and walked in through the doorway, my eyes widening in surprise.


    "Woah! This place is massive! Hey, how big is this place, director?" Inquired my sister in awe.


    "It''s about six hundred meters on all sides."


    Seriously?


    Like my sister said, it was a massive space. The door opened up to a viewing platform with a railing, a sort of balcony that was about fifty meters above the floor. I walked over to the railing and peered down...it was an empty space, with a couple of closed gates on either side.


    "Hey, where are we anyway? There aren''t any buildings in the X-Warrior Zone that are big enough to house such a large room, not as far as I know anyway," Remarked Kilella with a confused look.


    "We''re probably underground," I replied, looking around, "I haven''t seen any windows since we teleported here."


    "That''s right, we''re underground, but you don''t need to know specifically where. Now, then, Kilzachs...are you ready? I''m about to tell you what you''re about to do."


    "Sure, lay it on me."


    She then tapped on her I-Watch and made a couple of clicks on her holo-screen, and as she did, the gates on either side of the space below us opened, and some robots came out...each of them with a restrained human in tow. The robots then dropped the humans onto the floor and took off their restraints, as the gates closed.


    "See those twenty people down there? They''re all criminals, and you get the honor of executing them. Don''t worry, none of them are small-time criminals, they''ve all committed heinous crimes such as rape, murder, animal cruelty, kidnapping, torturing, and even cannibalism."


    For real?


    "Wait, what? I''ve only ever seen minor crimes reported in the Sanctuary, like small robberies and vandalism and stuff," I replied in surprise.


    "Severe crimes are typically kept under wraps, so that we can maintain the status quo," Kilella informed me.


    "That''s right, especially since some of these pieces of trash did their crimes specifically for the sake of gaining infamy. We should learn from the past, there were often times where after a crime is broadcast and the criminal exposed, copycats were inspired. By keeping major crimes and the identities of the criminals out of the public eye, we minimize future potential crimes. At least, that''s the logic we follow," Explained Director Silva.


    "Yeah, I can definitely see where you''re coming from. So, you want me to kill these people? If they''ve really committed the crimes you mentioned, then I''m totally fine with that," I remarked affirmatively.


    "You sure, Zax?" Asked Kilella with a worried look.


    "Yeah, I don''t have any qualms with killing these people. I mean, they are the type of people that''d be better of dead...right?" I responded with a shrug.


    "Yes, that''s right. It''s not true that everyone deserves second chances, some people are beyond forgiveness," Nodded Director Silva approvingly.


    With that, I equipped the drone-jetpack and put my X-Blasters on long-range mode at twice the minimum output.


    "Wait, how do I fly this thing?"


    "Oh, right...that might have slipped my mind. Well, it takes some getting used to actually," She replied sheepishly, "In that case, I''ll control the drone this time, so you focus solely on your shooting. Is that alright?"


    "Well, uh...do you know how to control the drone?" I responded warily.


    "Yes, I do, I''ve practiced with it...admittedly, a little bit out of boredom, but as a result, I''m fairly confident in my remote control skills."


    "...not gonna lie, I''m a bit skeptical, but fine, I guess."


    After I finished strapping on the drone and put on a wireless communicator on my ear, she brought up remote control access linked to the drone on her I-Watch, and began tapping away. I then found myself floating upwards, before hovering forward and above the criminals, who were all staring up at me hungrily...ugh, they''re making my skin crawl.


    "Hey, why don''t you come down here, young man? I''ll show you a good time!"


    "No need to be afraid, we ain''t gonna hurt you!"


    "Yeah, come on down, we-!"


    Before the last one could finish his sentence, I fired straight down at his open mouth, which burst through the back of his neck, killing him.


    "The next person to talk will be the next person to die. So, any of you lowlives got anything to say?" I inquired coldly.


    "Were you...aiming for his mouth?" Director Silva inquired into the earpiece.


    "Yeah, specifically, I was trying to blast his tongue off. He fell facedown though, so I don''t know if I hit my mark."


    "I-I see...now, then, I''ll instruct you on which ones to target and where to strike them. First, make them panic and run around, moving targets will make for a more informative display."


    "Sure, that''s easy enough," I replied, before turning my attention back down to the criminals, "Hey, I''m gonna start blasting you pieces of crap now, but guess what, if you manage to dodge when I target you, you''ll be spared! So, go on...start running!"


    Panic spread through the remaining nineteen of them like wildfire, as they desperately began to get away, running as far away from me as possible...this was a large space, but...if I hovered around the middle, then the entire space would be well within my range.


    "Do you see the woman with long blonde hair? She was found kidnapping children and torturing them, skinning them alive bit by bit...shoot her hands off."


    Let''s see, long blonde hair...ah, there we go. I locked my sights onto her hands, took aim, and fired...she let out a scream of pain as I hit my marks, her fingers getting blown off and blood pouring out of her mangled hands.


    "Now, shoot her in the head."


    I fired a shot at her head, as it pierced through the back of her head and burst out of her face, her screams fading as she collapsed onto the ground, blood pooling around her head rapidly. The panic amongst the rest of the criminals was starting to grow, as they stared in horror at the puddle of blood.


    "Next, the bald man with the scar on his neck...he''s a serial rapist, so shoot his crotch."


    I spotted the person she was referring to, he was running away with his back turned to me...I took aim and fired down, my sights locked at the base of his spine. My shot went through his lower back and burst out his front from below the waist, blood spraying out everywhere. He instantly collapsed forward, limp and unmoving.


    "Did he just die of shock from his dick getting blow off?" I inquired, as he showed no signs of movement.


    "E-er, perhaps...but just to be safe, shoot him through the heart."


    I complied, blasting his heart through his back.


    "Alright, which one next?"


    I have to admit...this is kinda fun. I could feel my heart rate increasing, adrenaline pumping through my veins...


    "Let''s change things up a bit. I''m going to start moving you around randomly, and while I''m doing that, you kill all the remaining criminals with headshots as quickly as possible."


    "Got it, no problem."


    My drone-jetpack started darting me around sharply, but it didn''t take me long to get the hang of it...she said she''d be moving me around randomly, but after a few seconds, I started to get a feel for the pattern she was moving me around in...she probably didn''t even realize that she wasn''t exactly moving me around randomly.


    I then switched to sniping mode since some of the criminals were now well over a hundred meters away, and began blasting them one by one rapidly, the screams of terror slowly growing quieter and quieter as I shot through their heads and dropped them like flies.


    Including the few seconds I took to get used to being moved around by someone else, it took me just over twenty seconds to kill them. That was pretty easy. The smell of blood was in the air, as the several corpses laying on the ground below bled out rapidly. The drone then flew me back to the balcony, and I took it off after it landed me.


    Like I''d said before, I have no qualms with killing people...but I wasn''t as unaffected as I thought I''d be. I expected to feel completely indifferent by this, but...I...I really enjoyed it. Seeing them desperately trying to get away in vain, as they never stood a chance of surviving against me...I enjoyed that more than I thought I would. I felt powerful in that moment...their lives were in my hands, I had complete control over whether they lived or died...and I savored that feeling...


    "That was...even better than I expected," Remarked Director Silva, walking up to me, "I''m confident that we''ll be contacting you soon, Kilzachs. Oh, and this goes without saying, but...keep all this to yourself. If word gets around that we''re potentially planning a massacre of, what are essentially, mutated humans, there are bound to be some ''ethical'' voices of opposition from our civilians, and the last thing we need right now is internal conflict. From my point of view, it''s quite simple...we eliminate any threat to the Sanctuary by any means necessary."


    This whole time, she''d maintained that they were only considering attacking the Wight campsite, but...something told me that they were already moving forward with that plan.


    "Sure, mum''s the word, or whatever."


    "From what we''ve learnt from interrogating Hebi, the Wight that was captured, their ammunition as far as firearms are concerns is very limited. They''ve managed to manufacture a supply of more primitive explosives, gunpowder and dynamite, so that''s a concern, but they accomplished that very recently, so it''s not an immediate problem," She informed me, "As for XFE, I believe we have the upper hand...they do apparently have a few powerful XFE users, but their power levels overall fluctuate drastically. After all, their XFE isn''t modulated like we do using the chip that''s installed during the Awakening Procedure."


    "Yeah, come to think of it, the ones we fought had some pretty weak XFE capabilities, right, sis?" I remarked, recalling the battle.


    "Yeah, that''s true, they weren''t a challenge at all."


    "Oh, wait...actually, they might have been strong, but since you''re so overpowered and took them out in a matter of seconds, they didn''t have the chance to display their abilities...yeah, that''s more likely if you ask me," I said half-jokingly.


    "Hey!"


    "Kilella, you and the other Aces will also be a part of this, of course. Originally, the plan was to bomb them and take out as many as possible, using the XFE bombs that were proposed to be manufactured, and after that, the best of our X-Warriors would swarm the survivors and kill them. But now, we can scrap the making of the bombs, and instead bombard them with an aerial assault using X-Warriors who can fly, that includes you, of course. And as for you, Kilzachs, after that display just now, you will likely be selected to lead the aerial assault."


    ...cool, thanks for the casual bombshell. I''m gonna unpack that later. Also...


    "I thought you said that this attack plan was only a possibility...but you''re talking as if it''s a certainty," I remarked with a smirk.


    "You''re sharp. I suppose there''s no need to be vague about it...yes, it''s true, we plan to go ahead with this, probably within the next thirty days, if all goes according to plan. Now, then, let''s head back, shall we?"


    As she walked on ahead, my sister stepped up next to me with a slightly concerned expression.


    "What''s up, Ella, something on your mind?"


    "Well...I don''t know, it''s just, that massacre earlier...yeah, I know they were all criminals, but something about it just left a bad taste in my mouth is all, you know?"


    "I kinda get what you''re saying, but-."


    "Oh, by the way, Kilzachs...I''d like you to move to the X-Warrior Zone, on a temporary basis, of course. For two reasons, first, because that''d make it easier to contact you, and second...because I think you should be the one to keep guard over that Wight...you are the one who stopped him from getting away, after all. Don''t worry, he''s quite cooperative, so it''ll probably feel more like having a roommate than guard duty."


    "...wait, what?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 51 - 50 - Level Q

    Today was the 24th of July, and it was the first day of my Level Q classes. Just as Johan had predicted, it hadn''t taken much more than a week''s delay for the classes to start. Like with the six months of Level J, Level Q also had the same three subjects, though XFE combat would now also include hand to hand combat.


    I''d been kept in the loop regarding the upcoming attack on the Wight campsite...bug-sized drones had been created to go spy on that area and keep track of their movements, they seemed to be preparing to move towards the Sanctuary within three weeks. And so, we''d strike first. Specifically, by heading out next weekend.


    Not sure of the specifics yet, but I highly doubt we''d be walking...after all, Russia is nothing short of massive, and it''s not like the terrain being reduced to a wasteland had made the country any smaller. It could upto two whole weeks to get there on foot, maybe longer. But in a vehicle, it''d take more or less a day or so, depending on the speed.


    It still hadn''t quite sunk in, just how big a role I was supposed to play in this upcoming battle...and Director Silva hadn''t been kidding, I really was the best marksman in the Sanctuary...some of the X-Warriors had been skeptical about letting a student tag along, let alone play a more important role than they would...so I was made to blast down at another group of criminals to prove what I was capable of.


    After I finished, some of the X-Warriors, the ones considered to be the most accurate with long-range attacks, were made to do the same thing...and boy, did most of them suck. At best, a few had accuracy rates of eighty to eighty-five percent, my sister among those...but that percentage was under the assumptions that both they and the targets were still. When it came to moving targets, their accuracy dropped quite a bit, and when aiming at moving target while also being on the move, most of them were pretty much firing blindly.


    My sister was okay at aiming while on the move, since she''s pretty skilled at flying around using her Primary Manifestation, and in her case, her full-power blasts were powerful enough that she could possibly kill a target even if she missed hitting them full-on.


    I figured that the lack of good shooters in the Sanctuary was due to the lack of intelligent enemies till now...think about it, the only threats till now were effectively mindless monsters, most of them attack wildly and leave themselves wide open as a result...the main reason for long-range weapons is for when the target is too dangerous to engage in close-range, but in most cases, X-Warriors can overpower Mutants with their natural power, so why would they bother working on tedious skills like marksmanship, right?


    And when I compared training routines and schedules with some of those X-Warriors...well, as it turns out, I might be, kinda, maybe, sort of a workaholic when it comes to training. Honestly, I was pretty shocked at the lack of time most of the X-Warriors dedicate to training.


    Anyway, I was currently in class, in the middle of a theory lecture...for Level J, the instructor in charge of this subject had been Instructor Joan Anderson, but now, for Level Q...it was Kumar. And he was, uh...kinda boring at it. Instructor Anderson had been pretty boring too, but with Kumar, he was clearly half-assing it, and since he looked dreadfully bored himself, those vibes ended up being transferred to us, as well.


    There were now thirteen students in this class, following the three deaths during the final exam of Level J, Jian Lee, Alex Jaice and Misaki Aki. Personally, I felt...indifferent. Well, except for Misaki, I''m glad she''s dead. Anyway, just like during Level J, I managed to snag myself the corner seat. Kiran once again sat one seat over in the same row, but this time, the seat between us wasn''t empty...Suri picked that spot.


    "Hey, Kilzachs, quit nodding off!" Kumar called out, "Pay attention!"


    Seriously, he singled me out? I wasn''t the only one who was looking bored here, you know. Plus I didn''t get enough sleep last night, so it''s not my fault! And unfortunately, in my half-asleep state, I didn''t mince words...


    "Shut up, half-pint...your sister kept me up all night so I''m tired, and this class is boring, so excuse me for-...huh, maybe I said too much...uh...just kidding?" I said sheepishly with a stifled yawn.


    The entire class went silent, while Kumar struggled not to let his irritation show.


    "Why, you little...I hope, for your sake, that you didn''t intentionally word that the way you did."


    "Uh...word what?"


    "Grr, the part about my sister!" He snapped, barely containing himself.


    Oh...crap, I did word that pretty poorly...


    "Uh...my bad?"


    "You know what...forget it, whatever," He sighed, before continuing with the lecture even more half-heartedly than before.


    Phew, I managed to get away with that...I''m pretty blunt even on my best days, but when I''m drowsy, my filter just completely shuts off. Best not to talk while I''m in this state.


    "That was way too tense, what were you thinking!?" Whispered Suri incredulously.


    "I''m just tired, leave me alone...I physically can''t mince words when I''m like this."


    "Well, at least you''re self-aware," Chimed in Kiran with a yawn.


    I wasn''t really paying attention to what he was saying...I was really grouchy over my lack of sleep. Director Silva called me last night right as I was about to go to sleep, to discuss the upcoming attack, and didn''t hang up until three hours later...yeah, I lost a full THREE HOURS of sleep last night. I''ll have to try and get in a couple of extra hours of shut eye tonight.


    I couldn''t help dozing off during the rest of the session, failing to pay attention to anything that was taught by Kumar. Well, whatever, I''d set my I-Watch to record this session, so I can just review it later. Anyway, I eventually woke up and kept myself from nodding off again, by which there were only a few minutes left for the session to end.


    "Alright, let''s wrap it up here for today, shall we? I have an important announcement that I''m supposed to inform you brats about, so pay attention," Remarked Kumar with a clap of his hands, getting everyone''s attention.


    Huh, I wonder what it could be. He''d come over to my new place in the X-Warrior Zone yesterday, but hadn''t mentioned anything about this.


    "So, I''m sure you all know that X-Warriors aren''t allowed to take on Missions alone, they have to do so in a group, the size depending on their rank. However, going with a different group every time is counterproductive, after all, it''s takes a lot of practice to work in tandem with someone. If you aren''t familiar with the abilities of those that you''re teamed up with, you''re just going to get in each other''s way. With that said, here''s what has been proposed by the higher ups...form the students into permanent groups or teams, and they''ll have to stick with those teams even after becoming X-Warriors."


    Wait, what!? If that''s true, then...if I end up in a team of people I don''t like working with, I''m stuck with them indefinitely!? Hell no!


    "All the X-Warriors are currently being sorted into teams of four or five, except for the Aces, who are grouped in teams of two or three. That should emphasize the fact that this isn''t optional, going forward, this will be the new way in which X-Warriors are to operate. Now, X-Warriors from different teams are allowed to team up, but only if at least one other of their teammates is also with them. In other words, if X-Warriors from two different teams want to form a temporary team for a Mission, then there would need to be at least two from each team, so a minimum of four. Well, you guys can read up on the rules later, I''m not going to go through them all right now."


    I really didn''t like this...but if I am going to be stuck in a team, then I might as well


    "So, uh, do we get to pick our teams or are you going to be the one to decide that?" I inquired warily.


    "I, or rather, all the instructors who''ve taught you will decide that. Don''t worry, factors like how well certain students get along with each other will definitely be taken into account."


    Huh, he was looking a bit frowny and kinda glaring at me...guess he was still mad about my drowsy retort. That''s fair.


    "Excuse me, sir, how will we be divided?" Asked Andre curiously, raising his hand.


    "Oh, right...you''ll be divided into three teams, two teams of four and one team of five. We have decided that Kilzachs will be a part of the five-person team, though."


    Huh?


    "Hah, because he''s a Dud and needs more people to protect him?" Laughed Asshole with an amused and condescending look on his face.


    I''m stronger that you, fuckface...


    "No, because he''s the only one in this class who''s capable of backing up that many people."


    Wait...was that a compliment? So then the reason I was getting stuck with more teammates was because of my mad skillz? Damn, it ain''t easy being this good-...alright, kidding aside, I was kinda flattered but also exasperated by this.


    "I''ll say! Hey, instructor, put me on the five-person team too, I was able to REALLY cut loose during the first teamwork exam with Kilzachs backing me up!" Exclaimed Taayin eagerly.


    Uh-oh, I don''t like that...I mean, I guess I don''t dislike the guy, but his weird combination of violent and hyperactive were too much for me to deal with, I''d have my hands full if I was stuck having to back him up.


    "That''s going to be unlikely...you ''cutting loose'' instead of fighting sensibly is a bad habit, so putting you with a teammate whose abilities enable that bad habit isn''t a very productive move. Well, time''s up, so I''m out."


    With that, he abruptly left, before Taayin could argue or anyone else could even begin to ask him another question.


    "Permanent teams, huh? Well, I guess it is better than teaming up with different people each time," I sighed wistfully, "I just hope I don''t get anyone who''d be a pain to work with."


    "Agreed, just one awful teammate and you''re stuck with them for life," Nodded Kiran in agreement.


    At the very least, I didn''t want to be in the same team as Asshole, Bytra or Makoto. Of the rest of my classmates, I could manage, at least somewhat. Anyway, it was time to head down to one of the training halls for the next session...combat training...


    ...


    "Good afternoon, students, I''m Instructor Annika Mikhailova, and I''m in charge of combat training for you Level Q students. And for your first lesson...we''ll be doing something a bit unorthodox."


    "Ooh, a battle royale, maybe? I''d love to fight everyone all at once," Remarked Taayin with a smirk.


    That sounds like it''d be messy and chaotic...


    "What? No, of course not," Responded the instructor with a bemused look, "You need to learn how to deal with unusual opponents, you''ve all experienced how different it is to get attacked by intelligent enemies instead of mindless and feral Mutants, haven''t you? So, for today, I won''t be the one administering this session, I''ll instead leave that task to one of our best Level A students."


    The door then swung open and someone walked in. A girl, she looked somewhere around our age or a year older, with medium-length light pinkish-blonde hair that covered her forehead with straight bangs and stopped just above the base of her neck in the back. She had bright yellow eyes, wore a red t-shirt under a black unzipped leather jacket, a black skirt over dark purple leggings and metal-knuckled gloves.


    "Hi, everyone, it''s nice to meet you all!" She greeted us in a friendly tone, "I''m Sakura, and I''m...an Anomaly."


    Huh...I did not see this coming, but I have to admit...I''m intrigued to see what happens next...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 52 - 51 - The Other Student Anomaly

    So, this is the other student Anomaly, huh? The others were all staring at her with expressions that ranged from awestruck to intrigued to curious.


    "I''m sure this is the first time that most of you are seeing an Anomaly in the flesh, but stop staring so intently, it''s rude," Sighed Instructor Mikhailova.


    Heh, she has no idea...


    "It''s cool, I don''t mind!" Responded Sakura with a smile, before turning to us, "Feel free to ask me any questions, I won''t bite!"


    For a few seconds, no one said anything, until eventually, Tairo spoke up nervously...


    "C-can I...shake your hand?"


    Huh?


    "Oh, uh...sure, I don''t mind at all, but it''s not like I''m a celebrity or something, you know?" She replied with an awkward grin, holding out her hand.


    "I-it''s an honor, you are the first Anomaly I have met in person, I am in awe...," He replied with a giddy expression, shaking her hand.


    So, he''s an Anomaly fanboy, is he? Hehe, if only he knew...


    "Anyone else have anything they wanna ask me?" She asked in a friendly tone.


    Hm, actually, I''m curious about something...


    "Yeah, I''ve got a question."


    "Sure, go ahead!" She responded, before adding warily, "You don''t wanna shake my hand too, do you?"


    "No, I don''t. I was just wondering...is Sakura your real name? Seems way too much of a coincidence with that hair color of yours," I asked curiously.


    Her expression turned into one of surprise, before laughing cheerfully...


    "What, is that all you wanted to know? Well, it''s not the name I was born with, but I legally changed it after I turned eighteen...it was a lot of work, but I managed to legally change my name to just ''Sakura'', no last name!"


    "Huh...seems like wasted effort, but to each their own," I replied with a shrug.


    "Right, uh...anyone else?"


    No one really seemed to know what to ask her, so the instructor stepped in...


    "An Anomaly gives you the chance to question her and that''s all you guys can come up with? Sakura, let''s move onto the exercise, shall we?" She suggested with a sigh.


    "Sure, if you say so, instructor! Alright, everyone, pay attention. I want you to all form groups of three or four, and then take turns fighting me. I''ll give you five minutes to form your teams!" She explained, getting straight to the point.


    "Make it three minutes," Chimed in Instructor Mikhailova sternly.


    "Oh, uh...sure. You have three minutes to form your teams!"


    This isn''t good...fighting another Anomaly is risky, if I happen to make direct physical contact with her, then she''d know that I''m an Anomaly too. And unlike the other three Anomalies, she''s a student like me, and she hadn''t participated in any tournaments or anything, so her X-Ability was pretty much unknown.


    Also, I have to form a team right now? This is way too sudden, I don''t know who I''d want to work with...or more accurately, who I''d least NOT want to work with.


    "Hey, wanna team up?" Suri interrupted my thoughts, tapping on my shoulder from behind.


    Her, huh? Yeah, why not, I mean...she''s probably my favorite person in my class, so I had absolutely no reason to turn her down.


    "Sure, let''s do it. Okay, so we need one more person then."


    "How about him?" She suggested, pointing at Kiran, who was staring up at the ceiling absent-mindedly.


    Hm, he''s like my second-favorite classmate, so yeah, I can work with that...


    "Works for me," I replied, walking over to Kiran and tapping his shoulder, "Hey, wanna team up?"


    "Hm? Oh, okay, why not?" He agreed with a shrug.


    And so, I had formed my team. The other three teams had also been formed. Tairo, Bytra and Makoto. Andre, Lin, Taayin and Mitchell. And Seila, Katie and Zoya. Anyway, Asshole''s team went first. The instructor formed the Duel Field around them and Sakura, and a countdown began ticking.


    "Alright, let''s see what you guys are capable of," Grinned Sakura, cracking her knuckles.


    The three of them didn''t reply, they were just standing still nervously, as the countdown ticked below ten seconds.


    "


    !" Makoto activated his X-Ability first, as it went down to five seconds.


    "


    !"


    "


    !"


    As the countdown reached zero...


    "Well, what''re you waiting for? Come at me!" Exclaimed Sakura, standing still with a confident look on her face.


    Upon her cue, Bytra shot forward and swung her whip across towards Sakura''s left, who didn''t move. Right before it could strike her, she raised her left hand and suddenly, a purple wall of XFE appeared, the whip deflecting off harmlessly. Hm, so her X-Ability lets her manifest her XFE, huh? It''s hard to tell what it might be from just this though.


    I was watching her closely using the scope in my right lens...I''d asked Ruby to modify it so that I could activate it at any time, without having to switch my X-Blasters to sniping mode. And I was using it right now to watch my fellow Anomaly as she fought...right before she formed that wall of XFE, her throat moved slightly, but her lips didn''t so much as quiver...she might be better at inaudible chants than I am, faster too.


    Makoto then sprang up in front of her and swung his hammers down at her, she countered by pointing her hand at him and rapidly forming a large, long arm of XFE extending out from her actual arm. The XFE arm grabbed Makoto before he could finish his swing and then flung him away with immense force, he crashed onto the wall of the Duel Field and passed out.


    Asshole then sprang up behind her as Bytra swung her whip at her again, the two of them attacking her simultaneously. Unfazed, she pointed each of her hands at either of them, and formed those large XFE arms again, grabbing them, lifting them up and flinging them straight down at the ground. The Duel Field teleported them out before they could slam down and break a ton of bones...too bad.


    She''s pretty good...I have no idea what her X-Ability might be, and after my last experience with trying to guess what another Anomaly''s X-Ability was, I knew that there wasn''t much point in speculation. After all, it doesn''t get more random than ''fairy tale Anomaly''.


    Anyway, the next group to go was the group of four, Andre, Lin, Taayin and Mitchell. As the countdown began ticking after they entered the Duel Field and surrounded Sakura, they looked a lot more proactive that Asshole''s team did.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Wings>!"


    "


    !"


    "


    !"


    "


    !"


    As the countdown reached zero, Andre, Zoya and Taayin shot towards her simultaneously, while Mitchell flew straight up. Andre zipped across to her right, she reacted by forming a wall of XFE between them, as he unleashed a barrage of rapid consecutive punches at it. She formed a long, curved sword in her left hand, as Zoya sprang up behind her and Taayin leapt at her right from the front.


    As Zoya drove her blade towards her back and Taayin swung his finger-blades at her neck, both attacks suddenly got deflected away, as Sakura surrounded herself with a square XFE barrier. It quickly faded though, and she sprang away with a slight, barely-noticeable grimace. Had she used up a significant amount of XFE or something?


    I don''t think anyone else noticed though, I only did thanks to my magnified vision. Mitchell then swiftly swooped down at her and spun himself forward rapidly, whipping his tails down at a blinding speed. She formed those large arms again, blocking his strike, but the force knocked her down to one knee, and her manifestation was severely cracked.


    Unfortunately, Mitchell had no momentum left, and was a sitting duck in mid-air, he didn''t have enough time to reorient himself and fly back up...because before he could even try, Sakura grabbed him with both XFE arm and squeezed, the Duel Field teleporting him out before he was literally crushed to death. Interesting, she grimaced again, she''s definitely starting to run low on XFE...


    "Oh, man, pretty sure I felt my ribs start to bend...not a pleasant feeling," He remarked with a shudder, as he reappeared outside the barrier.


    Zoya and Andre were looking a bit apprehensive after what just happened. Undettered, Taayin zipped towards her with a wild smirk on his face, leaping at her and swinging his finger-blades at her midsection, which she narrowly evaded. Taayin then reached out and grabbed her wrist, his smirk widening...


    "Now I''ve got you, <Secondary Manifestation: Torture Chamber>!" He exclaimed with a wide smirk.


    Say what?


    His Dark Attribute XFE burst out and surrounded her, restraining her wrists, ankles, neck and midsection, while a variety of torture tools manifested on either side of him...woah, talk about an elaborate X-Ability...by the look on his face, that move costs a lot of XFE, which he''d mentioned during the first teamwork exam...hm, from what I''d seen so far, she should have been able to avoid that though, guess forming so many Manifestations without the XFE capacity of a Prodigy takes its toll.


    "Now''s our chance!" Exclaimed Zoya with a determined look, before sprinting rapidly towards her, "<Secondary Manifestation: Mini-Rapier>!"


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Armor Spikes>!" Joined in Andre, following her lead, as Taayin picked up some of his XFE-manifested torture tools and pointed them at her.


    Zoya sprang up to her left, her blades poised to pierce through Sakura''s throat and heart, while Andre appeared behind her and leapt up with his fists balled together, aiming to bring them down on her head, while Taayin was driving a scalpel and something else towards her abdomen.


    Not bad, looks like it''s their win-...suddenly, a bright purple flash burst out, before a couple of explosions echoed out from inside the barrier, and in the next instant...all three of them were outside the barrier. Huh? What just happened?


    I swiftly tapped on my I-Watch to bring up an app that Ruby had created, one that was linked to the scope in the right lens of my glasses. Alright, let''s replay that last attack in slow-motion...hm, no good, it''s too bright...okay, reduce brightness and increase clarity, and try again...I can almost see something now...I''m on the right track, just a bit more...


    Wait, that can''t be...no way...first off, that bright flash shone out of her eyes, but that wasn''t what had caught my attention, no, it was what she did right after that...XFE manifested all around her like armor, including wings and a tail, what''s more, she fired out purple XFE blasts from her palms immediately afterwards...that was...my sister''s Primary Manifestation, no doubt about it, the only difference was that it was purple instead of red.


    Hm, let me review that footage again...incidently, the scope in my right lens was synced to my DNA signature, which means that I''m the only one who can see its display, even my iris doesn''t reflect what I see, so no one else can see what I can. I don''t understand the science behind it, except that it''s super cool and convenient.


    Well, now, this is interesting...her expression looked especially strained during that last attack...hey, I think I might be on the track to figuring out what her X-Ability is. At least, one part of it...like my tiers and Johan''s fairy tales, it''s highly likely that there''s more than one power to her Anomaly X-Ability...


    "Woah, that was a close one! You guys are pretty good, you had me pretty nervous for a moment there," She remarked with a carefree laugh, "Let''s take a short break before the next bout, I used up a fair bit of XFE in that last fight."


    She''s sweating and averting her gaze a bit...that must have drained her more than she wants to let on. Well, no matter, after that last fight, I''d say that my chances were pretty good...I can beat her...and the next fight was going to be my team against her...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 53 - 52 - Replication And Modification

    Hm, should I use Save to give me the option of a do-over? No, I''ll avoid using my Anomaly powers, if she''s dragged back in time along with me, she''d be confused and suspicious, I still don''t fully know exactly how it works when two Anomaly''s clash with their X-Abilities...therefore, I''ll just have to use my own natural abilities and weapons.


    It doesn''t look like she plans to rest for any less than fifteen to twenty minutes, so let''s analyze what we know so far...she''s created multiple different manifestations, and one of them closely resembled Kilella''s X-Ability...assuming her Anomaly isn''t something weird like Johan''s is, then I can draw one of two conclusions...she can either create any manifestations that she can imagine, or...she can copy manifestations.


    And either way, the stronger the manifestation, the greater the toll it takes on her. Hm, since she''s an Anomaly like me, her XFE capacity is below the Threshold, which means that she has less XFE than Prodigies do. Taking that into consideration, it makes sense that she dissipated the manifestations as soon as they served their purpose, she didn''t maintain them for more than a few seconds at a time.


    "Hey, did you think of something? You''ve been staring at her really intensely," Remarked Suri, nudging me and getting my attention.


    "Yeah, maybe...," I replied, before standing up, "I think I''ll go see if I can confirm something."


    I walked over to Sakura with an innocent smile...I almost forgot that this is a class, so asking questions, no matter how direct, shouldn''t be a problem, right?


    "Oh, hi, you''re the guy who asked me about my name. What''s up?" She greeted me in a friendly tone.


    "Well, my team''s up next, so I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about what you''re capable of...you can be vague or refuse if I ask something you don''t want to answer."


    "I appreciate that, I definitely would prefer to keep certain ascepts of my powers to myself. But go ahead, ask away, uh..."


    "It''s Kilzachs."


    "Right, Kilz-...wait, you''re the guy who discovered the XFE Takeover technique, right!? That''s so cool, it''s not everyday you meet someone who''s done something like that! Can I shake your hand?" She requested eagerly...huh, that''s an unexpected reaction.


    Also, that''s not-...wait, she''s wearing gloves that cover her entire hands, so it won''t be direct physical contact.


    "Uh...I guess I don''t mind, but I''m really not someone worth shaking hands with," I replied with an awkward smile, as I shook her hand, "It''s really no big deal, just something I happened to come across by chance."


    "Heh, you don''t need to be modest! You''re also the younger brother of the Ace, Kilella Floence, right?" She continued with a grin.


    "Mhm, that''s right...speaking of her, one of the questions I had for you actually concerns her...tell me, have you ever seen her X-Ability in action?" I inquired with a faint smirk, narrowing my eyes at her slightly.


    As I asked that, just for an instant, she stiffened slightly. Well, now, I just might have hit the nail on the head.


    "Y-yeah, in one of those inter-high tournaments, I think. Why do you ask?"


    She''s trying to play it cool...


    "Oh, no reason...I was just thinking, when I used the XFE Takeover on her, that Primary Manifestation sure was draining! I bet if someone could, say, copy it, it''d take a pretty heavy toll on them, wouldn''t you agree?" I remarked in a light-hearted tone, while watching her face closely to spot any changes in expression.


    "How do you-...you saw?" She asked with a gulp.


    "Hm? Saw what?" I inquired with an innocent tilt of my head.


    "You''re way too sharp...I don''t know how you saw that manifestation in that split second, but thanks to that, it looks like you''ve figured out my ability..."


    Guess I don''t need to play dumb anymore.


    "What can I say, I''ve got really good glasses. And yeah, I figured out...one of your powers. Well, that''s all I wanted to ask you, so I''ll be off...thanks for sparing some of your time!" I said in a cheerful tone.


    "S-sure, no problem..."


    Hm...I think I handled that really well. I walked back over to the others, who looked up at me expectantly.


    "Well? Did you find out whatever it is you wanted to confirm?" Inquired Suri curiously.


    "Yeah, I did. And I''ve got a plan for how we might be able to beat her...," I replied, before explaining what I had in mind.


    "That sounds like a lot of work," Sighed Kiran, though he didn''t object.


    "Well, yeah, we''re up against an Anomaly, one of only four in the world, of course beating her won''t be easy," Remarked Suri objectively.


    "Fair enough," He relented half-heartedly.


    The break ended soon after that, and the three of us headed into the Duel Field along with Sakura. She averted her gaze as I glanced at her...good, looks like I got to her earlier. Even if all it did was slightly shake her confidence, every little factor in our favor was worth its weight in gold.


    We took our positions as the countdown started ticking down, the other two were about ten meters away from her on either side, while I was about thirty-five meters in front of her. I switched my X-Blasters to maximum output at long-range, I may be within mid-range of her, but I decided to go for the more penetrative option.


    My Square Blaster is fully charged, and a key part of my plan, so timing will be important, since it has a fairly lengthy cooldown time. And if she closes the distance between us, I''ll switch to my X-Blades...XFE Takeover is another option up my sleeve, and it should work on her...after all, it isn''t a power from my Anomaly X-Ability, so she shouldn''t be immune to it.


    Wait, crap, I''ve overlooked something...if she attacks me with an XFE attack, it won''t hurt me...an Anomaly''s X-Ability can''t directly affect another Anomaly...like if she used it to pick up and throw something at me, yeah, I wouldn''t be immune to that...but if she tried to hit me using her XFE manifestations...well, I''m not sure exactly what would happen, but one way or another, it just wouldn''t work.


    I''ll have to be careful not to let her get too close, it''s too risky. Already too many people know about me, I don''t want anyone else to know that I''m an Anomaly. Now, then...ten seconds left, time to get this started. I raised my arms and aimed them at Sakura, lining my X-Blasters to her head and chest.


    "


    !"


    ."


    Sakura formed those large XFE arms and braced herself...as the countdown reached zero. In the blink of an eye, I fired a couple of shots at her, she brought up her arms defensively in response, forming a shield as well. My shots pierced through the shield and through the manifested arms, she let out a hiss of pain as they reached her skin.


    Her XFE absorbed most of the impact though, I had inflicted little more than a couple of scratches on her forearms. But that''s fine. Kiran then rapidly expanded his swatter and swung it straight down at her left, she quickly crossed her arms above herself to block it, her knees buckling slightly as it slammed down onto her defense, cracking the XFE severely.


    He then shrunk it to slip it past her defense and swing it down further, before expanding it and swinging it up again with a rapid flick of his wrist. She quickly leapt back to narrowly avoid it, right as Suri sprang up to her right and swung her chainsaw at Sakura''s neck.


    Before she could connect, XFE manifested out the bottom of Sakura''s feet, like a pair of stilts, narrowly avoiding the spinning blade, as one of her stilts got slashed in half instead. As she began plummet, I quickly fired off a barrage of six shots at her, when suddenly, she formed my sister''s armor and fired out blasts of XFE from either hand and the tip of her tail, at the others and me.


    Suri jumped back and blocked the blast with her chainsaw, but it wasn''t enough...the chainsaw shattered and she got teleported out before the blast could strike her. Meanwhile, Kiran had evaded by forming his Secondary Manifestation and getting some upward height. The blast struck the middle of his pedestal, he quickly jumped off and used his swatter as a sort of spring to soften his landing.


    Sakura''s copy of my sister''s manifestation then faded, and she winced as she leapt away to get some distance, her eyes glossing slightly. Now''s my chance, I''ve got her! I shot forward at top speed as I took out my Square Blaster, activated it and pointed it at her, with the output set to maximum...with the recoil of using a manifestation as powerful as my sister''s, there''s no way she can conjure up a manifestation strong enough to block this...


    The instant my scope locked onto her, I pulled the trigger, firing out the hundreds upon hundreds of black XFE streaks, all blasting out of my weapon and converging onto her position rapidly. She began to jump away but was too slow, as XFE faintly coated her arms but failed to fully manifest, my attack reaching her before she could get away...or so I thought.


    At the last possible second, she formed an XFE stilt from the bottom of her foot at an angle, swiftly pushing herself away to the right and narrowly evading getting caught up in my blast, the bottom of her left foot taking a bit of damage.


    She then got back on her feet with a wince of pain, her foot was badly hurt but not out of commission, and she shot towards Kiran, making sure that he was between me and her so that I couldn''t shoot...she''s a fair bit slower with that damaged foot, but still fairly quick. He got his swatter ready to counter her, when suddenly, she formed a new manifestation...a thorn whip with a chainsaw at the end of it? Huh?


    It swung across towards Kiran, who was unable to block in time, getting teleported out before he could get slashed in half. What was that...it looked like a mix of Bytra''s whip and Suri''s chainsaw. Can she...also combine her copied manifestations?


    "I''ll admit, you really had me scared there for a moment. But it''s over now," She remarked, letting out a sigh of relief as she walked towards me with a thick XFE wall manifested in front of her.


    Yeah, she''s right, this is over now...since the other two were teleported out...I no longer have to worry about using a particular weapon of mine...


    "I agree, it''s over...I win," I remarked with a smirk, before triggering and flinging three of my smoke bombs at her.


    The instant they struck her XFE wall, they exploded and the smoke burst out in a thick cloud that rapidly expanded.


    "What the-!?" She exclaimed in alarm.


    "I wouldn''t inhale that if I were you...not that you can avoid it, it''s filling up the Duel Field pretty quickly."


    As the smoke began to close in on her, she started to form another manifestation, but before she could, she got teleported out. Huh, I didn''t expect that. Then again, this smoke was pretty potent poison, and I''d just used three against one person...yeah, she''d have died in a matter of a couple of minutes, maybe even less, if she''d inhaled a significant amount of it.


    Well, that''s that...the Duel Field drone suddenly activated a powerful vacuum, sucking up the dark smoke rapidly, before the barrier faded and I was able to exit. Huh, that''s pretty convenient, I might have been stuck in the barrier for a while if there hadn''t been a way to clear the smoke quickly.


    "Nice work, you did it," Remarked Suri, as I walked out and rejoined them.


    "I''m not just saying this, but I couldn''t have done it without you two," I replied honestly.


    "You could have, if you''d just used those bombs right away," Pointed out Kiran with a yawn.


    "Oh...huh, you''re right, I guess I could have done it alone."


    Sakura took another break before the final bout, she''d definitely used up a fair bit of XFE against us. She looked like she was deep in thought.


    "That was pretty awesome, Kilzachs, I wanna duel you after watching that!" Exclaimed Taayin, walking over with a grin as he smacked my shoulder.


    Yeah, no thanks, I don''t want to deal with crazy...


    "Uh...yeah, maybe some other time."


    Oh, looks like I need to go to the bathroom. I excused myself and began heading for the door, thinking over that fight...could I have actually beaten her in a one on one fight if I''d used my bombs? Does she have a manifestation that can blow away or protect her from the smoke? I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn''t hear her calling me and chasing after me...until it was too late...


    "Hey, earth to Kilzachs, can you hear m-...?" She remarked as she caught up with me, and grabbed my wrist...with her glove removed.


    Static burst into my head, and then...


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly Recognized, Category: Manifestation Replication and Modification >


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Uh-oh. Damn it, here we go again...


    " <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 54 - 53 - Deja Vu

    "H-huh!? What''s going on!?" Exclaimed Sakura, looking around in confusion.


    I''m getting deja vu here, didn''t I just go through this...


    "Would you be willing to believe that this is all just a dream?" I replied with a sigh.


    Well, this is just great...I really wanted to avoid this. Damn it, I let down my guard. I could try using Load later, but if her memories don''t get reset, then she might realize that I can go back in time, not just freeze it.


    "So, wait...you''re an Anomaly too!? And...Time and Space Manipulation!? There''s no way that''s-...well, everyone else is literally frozen right now, so I can''t exactly deny it. This is a lot to try and wrap my head around...are you keeping the fact that you''re an Anomaly a secret? Why?" She inquired in bemusement.


    "Well, it''s not like no one knows, but if I had my way, then definitely no one would know...including you, that''s four people. Now, then...I have my reasons for keeping this to myself, so..."


    "Oh, you want me to not say anything about it to anyone, right?" She guessed.


    "Right. Will that be a problem?" I responded with narrowed eyes.


    "No, I won''t say a word...I get the feeling that I''d regret pissing you off," She replied with a wary smile.


    "That''s a good answer...I''ll unfreeze time now, go ahead with the final round like you would have when I do. Get back to the position you were in when I froze time," I instructed, turning my back to her and slightly moving my left arm back, since it had gotten pulled back when she grabbed my wrist.


    "Oh, uh...sure. I think I was right about here..."


    "No, you grabbed my wrist with your other hand...and your feet are a bit too far apart...also, your head was leaning a bit more forward when-."


    "H-hold on, did you memorize my exact position when you froze time?" She stuttered in disbelief.


    "Hm? Well, duh, I have to, if I''m in a different position when I resume the flow of time then it won''t be long before people figure out that I''m not just a regular Paragon. Here, let me adjust your position...do you mind?" I inquired, turning around.


    "Um, no, I don''t mind, go ahead."


    After I made sure she was as close to the position she''d been in when I froze time, I also got into position, and then...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>," I muttered inaudibly, before turning around with an innocent look on my face, "Yeah, what is it? Did you need something?"


    "O-oh, nothing really, just wanted to say that you were impressive back thete," She replied, trying to play it cool as she let go of my wrist.


    "Oh, well, thanks," I responded with a smile.


    Right, now that that was over...I really need to go to the bathroom...!


    ...


    Phew, made it just in time. And now that I''m back, it looks like the final round was about to begin. Sakura would be facing the fourth and final team of Seila, Katie and Zoya. All three of them are pretty strong, so I''d say that they have a decent chance of winning this. But I doubt it''ll be easy, Sakura looked like she was desperate to avoid losing two out of four rounds.


    As the Duel Field barrier activated and the countdown began, the three of them got in position with their Manifestations active, watching her warily. Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself, slowly opening them as she exhaled, her expression calming down. The countdown then reached three...two...one!


    Seila immediately expanded her blades towards Sakura, who narrowly avoided them by ducking and then rolling out of the way as Seila flicked her wrists downwards, grazing her shoulder as she just barely dodged. She then swiftly formed an XFE shield as Katie fired out lightning at her, the shield absorbed most of the impact before shattering, Sakura letting out a slight gasp as she got zapped slightly.


    Zoya then shot towards her and unleashed a barrage of slashes and thrusts with her XFE rapiers, grazing her several times but unable to land a direct hit. She then suddenly ceased her assault and sprang back, right as Seila extended one of her blades straight at Sakura from behind while swinging the other one, which was already fully extended, straight down at her.


    Sakura formed those large XFE arms and positioned one behind herself and the other above herself, the blade that was swung down reached first, her knees buckling as her Manifestation cracked severely, before the other one struck her other manifested arm with immense force, sending her flying back.


    Before she could crash onto the ground, she managed to stabilize herself in mid-air and land on her feet, right as all three of them charged at her simultaneously. Katie''s dragon Manifestation had lightning charged up between its jaws, Zoya had both her rapiers pointed at her, and Seila was preparing to expand her blades again...


    Suddenly, XFE burst out from underneath Sakura and she shot straight up before they could converge on her, as she towered over them on a familiar looking Manifestation...


    "Hey, that looks like...," Began Suri, her eyes widening.


    "...my Relaxation Pedastal," Completed Kiran with a frown.


    Sakura then swiftly manifestated XFE, extending from her hands...in the shape of a chainsaw on each hand. They looked like Suri''s chainsaw Manifestation, except...


    "Hey, you can only manifest one chainsaw, right?" I asked Suri.


    "...yeah," She grumbled, not looking very pleased.


    Katie began to fire her lightning while Seila started to point her blades up and expand them, but they were two slow...Sakura suddenly rapidly expanded the chainsaws downwards till they were massive, and then swiftly spun herself around, the chainsaws slicing through the air as she did...and teleporting all three of them out before they could get torn in half.


    Manifestation Replication and Modification, huh...from what I''ve seen, at the very least, she can copy Manifestations, and she can combine those copied Manifestations to make something new...she''d combined Suri''s chainsaw with Seila''s Expansive Twin Blades...and the result was a twin expansive chainsaw Manifestation.


    If I had to guess, she probably can''t copy my ability...first off, Anomaly X-Abilities don''t directly work on another Anomaly, and more than that, her X-Ability is MANIFESTATION Replication and Modification, but the powers of my X-Ability aren''t Manifestations at all. Good, it''d be highly problematic if she could copy my powers...still, that''s one powerful X-Ability she''s got.


    True, it can''t directly work on me, her Manifestations would probably dissipate or destabilize or something if they touched me, but she could still use them to throw stuff at me or mess up the ground to upset my footing and stuff like that...meanwhile, my X-Ability is useless against her, and that goes for the other Anomalies too. I''ll need to work harder on my regular skills...


    ...


    ...


    A few hours later, I was back home...well, my current residence in the X-Warrior Zone, that is. My apartment in the Residential District of the North Quadrant was just collecting dust now, I hadn''t been in there for weeks. No, instead, I''d been stuck babysitting the Wight that we captured, Hebi.


    He wasn''t that much trouble to be honest, he spent most of his time watching anime and movies, but whenever I did interact with him...I found him annoying, he had way too much energy. He seemed to have forgotten that he was a captive, and he''s the type who enjoys staying indoors all day everyday, so I don''t think he even feels imprisoned at all anymore.


    They''d put a collar on him that prevents him from leaving the building I was staying in, it would electrocute him with a powerful charge if he stepped out of bounds, tries to take it off or shows any sign of hostility. I hate this, I much prefer living alone to having a roommate.


    "Yo, welcome back, Kil! What''s for dinner tonight?" He inquired as I opened the door and stepped inside, while his eyes were glued to the large screen in the living room.


    This place was way bigger than my apartment in the Residential District, but I was a lot more comfortable there than here. It was a large apartment building, and the apartment that I was posted in opened into a large living room, had two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a spacious kitchen and a wide balcony.


    This building was one of few apartments in the X-Warrior Zone and were usually reserved for the high-ranking X-Warriors, my sister had a room in one too. So for me, a student X-Warrior whom most think is a regular Paragon, to stay here was kinda...not well received. I got dirty looks from the other X-Warriors who lived in this building whenever I passed them, and even more from X-Warriors who didn''t live here...apparently, it''s a big honor or something, so they were jealous.


    But if they really think that petty glares will intimidate me, they''re sorely mistaken...I''ve been on the receiving end of far worse, so their dirty looks were like water off a duck''s back...is that how that saying goes? Eh, whatever, it doesn''t matter.


    "Heyy, I''m talking to you, Kil! What''s for dinner!?"


    So annoying...


    "I don''t know, find something in the kitchen. There should still be plenty of cup noodles left," I replied with a shrug.


    "I''m sick of those, I want some real food! Come on, Kil, have a heart!" He pleaded, putting on a sorrowful expression.


    "Okay, first off...stop calling me that. And second...fine, I''ll get some takeaway tomorrow, so for now, eat the noodles!" I snapped, groaning internally.


    He''s the type that won''t back down in an argument when he wants something, so the best thing to do was end the argument as quickly as possible, even if that means losing the argument...he really is the worst. Well, that''s an exaggeration I guess, Asshole is way worse. Like, WAY worse.


    "Hey, I smell chocolate...did you have sweets before coming here!?"


    He''s also got an annoyingly sharp sense of smell. And yup, I went to Delectables before returning here...


    "Nope, must be your imagination."


    "You''re so mean."


    "Yeah, yeah. I''m tired, so don''t bother me," I replied, as I headed into my room.


    "Don''t forget, tomorrow you''ll bring me real food for dinner!"


    "Yeah, that''s tomorrow, so why tell me now? I definitely won''t remember. Just remind me before I go to the Academy tomorrow."


    "Can''t you set a reminder on your watch thingy, I won''t be awake that early in the morning!" He protested indignantly.


    "Then, tough luck."


    With that, I shut the door to my room with a sigh, before flopping onto the bed. In just a few days time, I was going to be a part of an operation that could essentially be a one-sided massacre...I don''t really have any qualms with killing, but even I was going to stress out over something like this...I''d been in life or death situations before, sure, but this was way larger in scale than any of those previous times.


    Well, guess I''ll go to sleep, I was pretty full from the desserts I had, so I don''t need to eat any dinner. I changed out of my clothes and got into bed with a yawn, switching off the lights. Another person found out that I''m an Anomaly...if too many more people find out, it''ll be hard to keep it a secret for much longer at this rate. Before that happens, I need to figure out how to unlock the rest of my powers somehow.


    Suddenly, I got a notification in my I-Watch, I picked it up off the bedside table and tapped on the screen to see what it was. Oh, it''s from the X-Warrior Academy. I opened the message and looked through it...it''s the details of the team I was going to be a part of. I quickly sat up and scrolled through the message, my heart pounding in dread as I looked to see if any unpleasantly familiar names were there...


    There weren''t. I let out a sigh of relief as I didn''t see any of Tairo, Bytra or Makoto''s names. Yay. Okay, let''s see who I am teamed up with...hey, this isn''t bad at all. My four teammates were...Suri, Katie, Mitchell and Seila. I have no trouble tolerating any of those four, though Seila''s clumsiness was a recipe for disaster...I''ll need to keep my Save and Load ability at hand to counter that, just in case.


    And on top of the fact that I can get along fairly well with these four, they''re all pretty strong too. It wasn''t exactly my absolute ideal team...if I had one more girl instead of Mitchell, it''d be like my own harem. Just kidding, that kind of situation sounds nice on paper and all, but in reality, would probably be really messy. Still, I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t happy about the fact that my team was mostly girls.


    Hm, if I was given the option of making changes to this team, let''s see...I''d probably trade in Mitchell and Seila for Kiran and Zoya...I don''t dislike Mitchell, but his playful nature and teasing sarcasm can be kinda annoying, and I probably get along with Kiran better than I do with anyone in my class besides Suri.


    And as for Seila, I already mentioned why, her physics-defying clumsiness was honestly terrifying...and I''d trade her for Zoya simply because of the rest of my classmates excluding the ones already mentioned, she was probably the easiest to get along with.


    But it''s a moot point, I don''t really have a say in this, and even if I did, I can''t deny that these are pretty weak reasons for wanting a change. My I-Watch then buzzed as I got another notification...oh, it''s a message from Suri. Let''s see here...


    ''Looks like we''re on the same team, and um...I''m glad''


    ...okay, that''s kinda cute. I should write back...


    ''Yeah, me too, looking forward to working with you''


    Hm, that kinda sounds like something you''d say to a new coworker, but this is sort of the same thing...right? Eh, it''s fine, it works well enough...


    I sent the message and continued scrolling through the email I got from the Academy...oh, the other two teams have also been included. Let''s see...Asshole, Bytra, Makoto and Andre. Huh, so they stuck all three scumbags in one team, along with one of the only people nice enough to put up with them. Andre had the patience of a Saint, it was almost inhuman. I felt bad for him, he probably wouldn''t have been stuck with them if Misaki hadn''t died during the Level J final exam.


    As for the final team, it was made up of Lin, Taayin, Zoya and Kiran. Looking at this, it was pretty clear that my team was the strongest...setting aside my Anomaly powers, Seila and Katie had arguably the most powerful Manifestations in our class, and after Alex died during the Level J final exam, Mitchell was the only person was a Manifestation that could fly.


    Did Director Silva have a say in this? She''s made no secret of the fact that she considers me valuable due to my mad skillz-...yeah, that was awful, I''m never saying ''mad skillz'' again. Anyway, if she had any influence over this, then it made sense...well, whatever, I''ll ask her about it later I guess. For now...I sleep...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 55 - 54 - Getting Philosophical

    Huh...? What time is it...? I got up with a groan and picked up my I-Watch, which was getting a call...it''s 3 AM in the fucking morning, what the fuck, who''s calling me!? I tapped on the screen to bring up the caller ID...Director Silva. Grr...


    "Yeah, what''d''you want!?" I grumbled, as I answered it.


    "Sorry, I normally wouldn''t call you like this, but...this is an emergency. We were just attacked by the Wights."


    Huh?


    "Wait, what? Attacked where?" I inquired groggily.


    "Right here, inside the Sanctuary!" She exclaimed in reply.


    Okay, I''m awake now. She quickly explained what had happened...so, apparently, the Wights had used an X-Warrior that they''d captured to teleport themselves into the X-Warrior Zone from one of the underground bunkers outside the Sanctuary.


    They''d attacked the headquarters, killing a handful of lower-ranked X-Warriors along with some officials, and they''d taken some of them hostage as they retreated before reinforcements could arrive. All told, twenty-six people had been killed and seven had been taken hostage, but none of the Wights were captured or killed in the attack.


    Right now, HQ was scrambling to ensure that none of the other bunkers could be used to infiltrate the Sanctuary again, as well as searching to make sure that none had stayed behind without retreating. The X-Warrior they used to teleport in here was also used to teleport them out...and as for the new batch of hostages they took with them as they left, one of the captives was...Kilrafhe Floence.


    "Oh, I see...," I replied after she informed me of that, "Well, I guess there''s a silver lining in every dark cloud, huh?"


    "Right, I should have figured that''s how you would react. Your sister wasn''t exactly torn up either, when she found out that he''d been taken. Anyway, this changes nothing...the attack on their campsite will be carried out as planned."


    "Still, how did this even happen?" I inquired curiously, "Didn''t you say that you sent a bunch of tiny drones to spy on them?"


    "Yes, but we don''t have as many of those active as we''d like. Right now, there''s only about ten of those drones spying on the campsite. It''s a pretty big place, and with only that many drones, there''s plenty of blind spots. We''re now ramping up production of the drones, not just to spy on their camp but also to surveil the outside of the Sanctuary to prevent this from happening again...if we see an attack coming before it does, it''ll make a huge difference in preventing something like this from happening again."


    You might recall that researchers were able to link up with abandoned sattelites a few decades ago, which was how Mutants were first discovered...the reason why we weren''t using those sattelites to track was because the areas to the east and southeast of the Sanctuary weren''t within range of them, the areas they could watch using the sattelites were the east of Russia, most of Europe and some of Africa.


    "Alright, now that I''ve been updated on the situation, uh...why exactly couldn''t this wait till I woke up?" I inquired sleepily.


    "Oh...now that you mention it, I probably could''ve waited to inform you. To be fair, I was somewhat caught off-guard by-."


    "Goodnight," I interrupted, before hanging up with a sigh.


    Is it really that hard to not interrupt my sleep if you don''t have to!? Goddammit!


    ...


    ...


    Over the next few days, the Sanctuary was in an uproar...since so many people had been killed with plenty of witnesses present, it was impossible to cover up and keep what had happened from the public, and once the news started to spread, it spread like wildfire, and in less than twelve hours after the attack ended, pretty much every single person in the Sanctuary had heard about it.


    As a result of the public backlash, Academy classes were canceled for the week, as X-Warrior HQ ran around putting out the public conspiracy wildfires, eventually revealing most of the truth to keep the dangerous conspiracy theories from gaining too much traction. While they dealt with the PR nightmare, I decided to spend my extra time training.


    I had Director Silva pull some strings to let me use the training facilities in the X-Warrior Zone, because hey, if I have the connections, I might as well use ''em, right? I was kinda gaining a bad rap with some of the X-Warriors, but I really couldn''t care less about that. Though it can get kinda annoying, especially at times like this...


    "You must think you''re hot stuff, kid, but you better not get too ahead of yourself!"


    So, let me back up a few minutes...I''d booked a time slot for a training room today, and I''d just arrived at the room, a couple of minutes earlier than the scheduled time. There were a couple of X-Warriors in the room, who had booked the time slot before the one I''d booked, and when I walked in, they both gave me dirty looks and walked over. And then they started ''intimidating'' me. My first reaction was to try and ignore them...but that was easier said than done...


    "Hey, you look at me when I talk to you, you little-!" Began one of them with a glare, reaching for my shoulder.


    "I''ll warn you once...don''t touch me," I remarked coldly, smacking his hand away, "Now, then, the time slot you booked is up, so why don''t you leave?"


    "Cocky little prick, how about we teach you a lesson!?" He snapped, swinging his fist at me.


    Wow...what a lousy punch. I ducked under it and slammed a twisting palm strike straight up at the middle of his forearm. He let out a shriek of pain as I fractured the bone severely, stumbling back while clutching his arm with a pained expression.


    "Why, you-...you''ll pay for that!" Yelled the other one, driving his foot up towards my head.


    I evaded his kick, grabbed his ankle and swung him over my shoulder with all my strength. He let out a cry of pain as I slammed him down onto his shoulder, dislocating it, before stomping down on his knee and breaking it, eliciting an excruciating scream of agony from him.


    "Leave now, and I''ll ignore the fact that you''ve made me waste a minute of my training time, assholes," I warned them threateningly.


    They didn''t move, glaring up at me spitefully.


    "Fuck you, you little shit!"


    "We''re not gonna listen to y-!"


    "Fine, then I''ll kick you out," I interrupted, slamming my foot onto the bottom his jaw and sending him painfully skidding out the open doorway.


    The other one, whose forearm I fractured, began to stand up with a snarl, I swiftly unleashed a low sweepkick to knock him off his feet again, and then slammed my foot onto his torso before he hit the ground, sending him flying out the doorway.


    I then shut the door with a sigh of relief...well, that was a collosal waste of my time. Well, glad it''s over, now I can finally get to training. Unfortunately, little did I know, it wasn''t over, and later in the day, I was gonna have to go through a really annoying process as a result of this altercation...but for now, I train...


    ...


    ...


    The following evening, around 6 PM, I got a call from Director Silva. Huh, wonder what she wants...maybe something about the upcoming attack? I answered the call and spoke...


    "Hey, what''s up-," I began to greet her.


    "Don''t ''what''s up'' me, right now...what were you thinking!?"


    Hm...I can''t be certain, but from her tone, I''m guessing she''s mad about something.


    "Er...what was I thinking when?" I inquired curiously.


    "Don''t play dumb, you know what this is about, Kilzachs!" She snapped, definitely sounding pissed.


    But...I really don''t, though.


    "Uh, right, sure I do...but just to make sure we''re on the same page here...what exactly are we talking about here?" I asked, starting to get confused.


    "Wha-...you really don''t know? Hm...come to HQ in half an hour, I think it''d be best to discuss this matter in person. I''ll see you then."


    "Wait, I-...aaand she hung up. What the heck was that about?" I muttered in bemusement.


    "Ooh, you in trouble, Kil?" Inquired Hebi inquisitively.


    He''s got good hearing, and I''d answered that call in the living room...tch, I should have gone to room before answering it.


    "None of your business."


    "Man, why you gotta be so mean all the time? Oh, I know, it''s cuz of how I look, isn''t it?" He remarked, dramatically pretending to be offended.


    "No, not really...I don''t like most people, and that just happens to include you, I don''t care that you''re a person from outside the Sanctuary, all that concerns me is that you''re annoying," I replied bluntly, "Well, whatever, I''m heading out."


    "Huh, wow...that''s kinda unexpected. You''re super insulting and stuff, but you''re pretty open-minded...you really don''t think the Wights are any different to the humans in this place, do you?" He inquired with a look of surprise.


    "Hm? Dunno, haven''t really thought about it....no, it''d be dumb to say that you aren''t any different. I mean, you''ve got wings, for crying out loud. But then, everyone''s different in some way...before WWIII, people would say stuff like ''women and men are the same'' and ''I don''t see race''...but that''s bullshit."


    "Uh...what do you mean?"


    "Well...sure, men and women should have equal rights, which is the case here in the Sanctuary, but that doesn''t mean they should be treated as the same...for instance, women have maternity leaves, which is obviously something necessary...but if men and women are equal, shouldn''t men also have some kind of similar break? No, that''s dumb, because men don''t get pregnant...and that''s why I say it''s bullshit. Treat all genders equally in terms of rights, but acknowledge their differences too."


    "Ohh, I see what you''re getting at..."


    "As for race, it''s the same thing...I haven''t experienced it myself, but I have read reports on minor cases of racism in some of the other Quadrants. Everyone in the Sanctuary is of mixed race by now, but in different proportions obviously, which means that there''s still plenty of physical differences like skin tone and eye color. The phrase ''I don''t see race'' is actually kinda racist...all people should be treated equally, yes, but doing so by ignoring their cultural and ethnicity isn''t the way to do it. Well, I suppose it doesn''t really apply anymore, there isn''t a variety of cultures and ethnicities anymore. And over the next few decades, that''ll only be all the more true, the world will probably never go back to the way it used to be."


    Huh...I kinda went off on a tangent there. I''d been pretty interested in the historical racial issues the world had gone through, I found it fascinating and thought-provoking...like I said, racial issues were pretty rare in the Sanctuary, the rare instances that there were such incidents were absolute outliers.


    But still, the irrationality of the past intrigued me...and the more I found out, the more I realized, that human history is a truly ugly place. And yet, that ugliness was perfectly commonplace in those times. What was most intriguing to me was how much it just didn''t make sense...why would a person be so infuriated by the existence of people different to themselves?


    Anyway, all that said, that''s just my perspective on the matter, I don''t actually care what the reality is, I''d likely feel equally indifferent about either the death of a human from the Sanctuary or a Wight. I have no problem admitting that I''m selfish and primarily care about myself, and will always prioritize myself over anyone else.


    "Damn, that''s all pretty deep...but also kinda confusing, do you think everyone should be treated equally or not?" He asked, looking fascinated.


    "Hm...I think the term ''equal'' is easily misunderstood. I think ''fair'' is a more accurate term to be used...I mean, would you treat a regular citizen the same as a criminal? Would you treat a rude adult the same as a polite and respectful one?"


    "Huh, that''s not a bad way of looking at things, man..."


    Wait, how did this conversation even happen? Wasn''t I supposed to do something right now?


    "Oh, crap, I don''t have time to be getting all philosophical here, I gotta get to HQ!" I suddenly realized, as I caught a glimpse of the time...I''m definitely gonna be late.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 56 - 55 - False Accusation

    "You''re late, Kilzachs."


    "Yeah...my bad."


    "...no explanation as to why you''re late?"


    Hm, ''I was stuck in traffic''...probably wouldn''t work.


    "Well...would you believe that I lost track or time while dabbling in some philosophy?" I replied sheepishly.


    "What does that even m-...you know what, never mind. Let''s get to the matter at hand," Sighed Director Silva, relenting.


    Sweet, I got away with being late. I''d just arrived at her office, and she wasn''t alone...a few X-Warriors were in here, including the two that I''d ran into today. Okay, now I know why I''m here...might as well play dumb though...after all, I haven''t done anything wrong...


    "Right, so what is the matter at hand?" I inquired curiously.


    "Do you recognize these two men?" She responded, nodding at the two, whose injuries were all wrapped up in bandages.


    "Hm? They do look familiar...ohh, yeah, I ran into them at a training facility today, real nice guys, I gotta say!" I answered with a fake smile.


    "Don''t get smart with me."


    "Heh, sorry."


    "Anyway...they''ve claimed that you provoked, and then attacked, them. What do you have to say to defend yourself?" She inquired with a frown.


    "Oh...well, how to put this...that''s a total sack of bullshit."


    "...so you''re saying it''s a lie? Be more specific, I''d like you to elaborate."


    "Sure, but first...out of curiosity, what do you think happened, Director Silva? Do you think I''m guilty?" I asked, with genuine curiosity.


    "Well, if I''m being honest, the evidence doesn''t exactly make you look good...," She replied with a grimace.


    Huh?


    "What evidence?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "First, the fact that they''ve suffered severe injuries while you''re perfectly fine. And second, this..."


    She clicked on her I-Watch a couple of times, and a couple seconds later, a projector descended from the ceiling, projecting a screen onto the wall and playing a video...it looked like security cam footage. Oh, it''s of my altercation with those two douchebags...wait, what...okay, that''s definitely been edited to make it look like I''m the aggressor...


    "I think we''ve seen and heard enough, Director!" Snapped one of the other X-Warriors, "This student has clearly let your favoritism towards him go to his head! This kind of violent behavior is completely unacceptable!"


    "Yes, that''s right, a mere student ought to be showing full-fledged X-Warriors a lot more respect than this!" Agreed another.


    "Quiet, all of you! Well, Kilzachs...what do you have to say for yourself?" She inquired, looking at me expectantly.


    Hm, given the ''evidence'' against me, I definitely looked guilty...but I wasn''t really all that worried...


    "I can say this much with absolute certainty...that footage has been tampered with," I replied confidently.


    "Oh? That''s a bold accusation...the staff at the facility verified the footage when they sent it to me. If that''s a baseless accusation, then you-," She began to reply.


    "But it''s not baseless at all. I have proof," I interrupted her with a slight smirk.


    As I made my sudden proclamation, the entire room when silent for a moment, several skeptical looks being thrown my way.


    "Go on...what''s your proof?" Inquired Director Silva with a raised eyebrow.


    "Before that...," I replied, turning to the two assholes I injured, "Sure you don''t want to admit that you guys had that footage altered? You''re gonna look pretty dumb in a moment if you don''t."


    "Hah, why would we lie like that? What an idiotic bluff!" Scoffed one of them.


    "Yeah, you won''t get away with this, you arrogant brat!" Declared the other.


    Well, I was nice enough to give them a chance...


    "Alright then," I remarked, tapping on my I-Watch and sending Director Silva a file, "Go ahead and play that on the projector."


    "A video file?" She replied, as she tapped on her I-Watch, "What is this?"


    "Oh, nothing much...just that the right lens in my glasses is highly modified and can record video, which is what I did."


    Ruby''s handiwork, of course. She''d made several upgrades to my lens, it was pretty awesome. I''d started recording the instant that I was approached. The two who''d accused me were looking a little shaken up, and Director Silva had noticed, narrowing her eyes at them.


    Without another word, she tapped on her I-Watch, and the video started playing. And just like that, my name was cleared, as it became clear from the footage I recorded that I was the one who was harassed, and then acted in self-defense.


    "Well, the truth is clear now...you two handed in doctored evidence in an attempt to frame a student...I''ll decide on a punishment later, and I can assure you, it will be severe. I''ll also need to have a word with the staff of that training facility," Remarked Director Silva with a frown, before turning to me, "As for you, Kilzachs...while you are innocent in this case, you can''t deny that you used excessive force."


    "In my defense, they''re full-fledged X-Warriors, and if I may be frank...I thought they''d be, you know, stronger. So I didn''t hold back," I replied with an innocent shrug.


    "Why you cocky little-!" Began one of them furiously.


    "Silence!" Snapped Director Silva, before turning to me, clearing her throat and adding, "I apologize for you having to go through this, Kilzachs, I''m sure it wasn''t a pleasant experience. Is there anything I can do to compensate for this?"


    There''s nothing in particular that I want, but I suppose I might as well get something for this inconvenience...


    "Let''s just go with money, you decide how much," I answered with a shrug.


    "Show some respect, you brat!" Yelled one of the other X-Warriors, "Didn''t your parents teach you to respect your elders and superiors!?"


    No, they really didn''t. And even if they did, why would I take the advice of people I have zero respect for?


    "I''m not gonna respect you just because you''ve lived a few years more than I have. I respect those who I think deserve respect, like the Director here, she''s actually competent."


    "Grr, what are you trying to imply, you little shit?" He growled, standing up threateningly.


    What, is that suppose to scare me?


    "Hm? I thought that was more than just implying? I mean, I wasn''t exactly being subtle," I replied with a smirk.


    "What was that!?"


    "I mean, why are you even here? Were you really looking forward to seeing a student get humiliated that much? As far as I can tell, the only people that needed to be here are me, these two and the Director. So why are there five other random X-Warriors here? Seriously, isn''t this kinda pathetic? First off, these two should be ashamed for picking on a student, but more than that, they should be ashamed for not being able to back up their arrogance. All bark and no bite, just...pitifully weak."


    "Hey, watch it, don''t push your luck!" Warned one of the other X-Warriors.


    "What do you mean? I''m the victim here, I was framed and falsely accused for an act of self defense...I''ve done absolutely nothing wrong," I replied in an innocent tone.


    "You need to shut your damn mouth, boy-!"


    "And why should I? This is more than just pathetic, it''s sad, full-fledged X-Warriors making such a big deal over such a minor issue...all because they''re jealous that a student is getting some attention. Or maybe it''s because I''m not a Prodigy? Either way, it''s just plain sad. And looking around, it looks like none of you are K-Ranks or Aces."


    "That''s right, but how do you know?" Asked Director Silva curiously.


    "Just a guess, they give off a kinda...second-rate vibe...at best."


    "You little bastard-!"


    "Quiet! That''s enough from you too, Kilzachs, I''m sure you''ve vented enough. Granted, you didn''t exactly say anything that wasn''t true, but you''re a bit too blunt, you don''t want to say too much, so quit while you''re ahead," Adviced Director Silva, letting out a tired sigh.


    "Yeah, I think I''m satisfied...can I go now?"


    "Yes, you can leave."


    What a waste of my time...that said, it was pretty satisfying. My reputation among the X-Warriors was probably going to get worse now, but hopefully, this''ll deter them from fucking with me.


    "Oh, one more thing before you go, Kilzachs...I''ll leave this decision to you, regarding this whole incident, would you like it to be kept quiet, or do you want it made public?" She asked, as I began to twist the door handle.


    Good question, what should I go with...?


    "Hm, let''s see...make it public, including both the altered footage and my footage."


    "Are you sure about that?"


    "Mhm...yes, I am."


    ...


    ...


    Okay, I didn''t expect this...it was a day later, and I had just been caught off-guard by a story included in the X-Warrior Zone news channel report. When I told Director Silva that she could make that incident public, I didn''t think she''d have it reported on the news...well, whatever, it''s being reported in a way that makes me look good, so I guess that I don''t mind.


    "Woah, you''re on the news, dude!" Exclaimed Hebi, as they began playing my video recording, "Oh...wow, you shattered that guy''s knee...damn, that''s gotta hurt..."


    "Yeah, well, I''m not gonna sit back quietly if someone''s rude to me," I replied with a shrug, turning it off.


    "Hey, I wanted to watch that!"


    "You can probably find it online-."


    "But catching it live is more exciting!" He protested, grabbing the remote from me and switching it back on.


    The video was still playin-...wait, that''s...


    "Huh...she was recording that whole thing?" I muttered to myself in surprise.


    Footage of me in her office with those X-Warriors yesterday...and the broadcaster was currently playing the part where I was tearing into them...


    "...-more than just pathetic, it''s sad, full-fledged X-Warriors making such a big deal over such a minor issue...all because they''re jealous that a student is getting some attention. Or maybe it''s because I''m not a Prodigy? Either way, it''s just plain sad. And looking around, it looks like none of you are K-Ranks or Aces."


    "That''s right, how do you know?"


    "Just a guess, they give off a kinda...second-rate vibe...at best."


    "You little bastard-!"


    I grabbed the remote back and switched it off again.


    "Hey, what''d you do that for, it was getting really good!" Protested Hebi in dismay, as I kept the remote out of his reach.


    "Watch it online," I replied, as I headed back to my room.


    I didn''t want to watch that...I don''t know exactly why, but...it''s kinda embarrassing watching myself get all heated and talkative like that...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 57 - 56 - Less Than Forty-Eight Hours

    I could do without all this attention. I mean, seriously...most of my classmates had messaged me one after the other, following that news report about my altercation with those X-Warriors. I''d managed to reply to all of them, but most of them were still keeping the conversation going...this is completely new to me, I''ve never texted this many people all at once, it''s kinda weird.


    It was currently two days before we''d move out towards the Wight campsite, and hundreds of the bug-sized drones had already been scattered towards the place. The coast outside was clear, though from the drones that were hovering around the campsite, it was clear that the Wights were gearing up to launch a large scale assault on us, there were about ten thousand of them located there.


    Meanwhile, we were launching our attack with a number of only about five hundred. Six of the twelve Aces and forty-five K-Ranks, the rest were all Q and J-Ranks. There were currently eighty-nine active K-Ranked X-Warriors, so just about half of them, and about a third of the Q and J-Ranked X-Warriors...yeah, this was a huge chunk of the Sanctuary''s overall manpower in terms of combatants.


    Ten thousand to five hundred...on average, that''s twenty Wights per X-Warrior. In other words, if things didn''t go according to plan, we''d probably lose...specifically, we''d be massacred. And if that happens, I won''t hesitate to escape using my Pause power.


    Still, I had reason to be optimistic...Director Silva had done most of the planning, and she knows what she''s doing, so I doubt she''ll end up sending five hundred X-Warriors to their deaths...I still didn''t have the full picture as far as the plan and strategy were concerned, but from what I did know, I had no issues with any of her ideas.


    Starting from tomorrow, those assigned to this operation would teleport out to the underground bunkers, along with the equipment that was to be used. For transport, they''d made these ugly but sturdy vehicles, wide and rectangle-shaped, with reinforced armor, it kinda looked like a powered up bus...the shape made it really difficult to flip or knock over, and instead of regular wheels, it had the same things that tanks used to move.


    Those weren''t all though, they had also made some jets, though they''d only had enough time to fully manufacture five. After all, no one alive today had ever worked on building an aircraft before...the knowledge was there, sure, but there was no technical skill or experience with that, so it took a while, even with the Sanctuary''s advanced technology.


    Each jet was big enough to carry ten people, so fifty people, which included me, along with my sister, would be riding in them as a part of the aerial assault team...the jets themselves didn''t have any weapons attached, so I''d have to equip the jetpack-drones and jump out, the others were all X-Warriors with Manifestations that allowed them to fly.


    I''d start by bombing them with my Dark Attribute smoke bombs, though those weren''t going to be as effective as I''d like, since Wights had way higher resistance to radiation than the humans of the Sanctuary did...we''d confirmed that with Hebi, by me ''accidentally'' setting off a smoke bomb when I was with him, and as it turned out, he felt nauseated and dizzy, but when they scanned his body while he was in a Healing Pod, it was clear that it''d have taken a LOT more smoke to kill him.


    Specifically, a fatal dose would require about ten smoke bombs per Wight...there''s no way I could ask Ruby to make me a hundred thousand smoke bombs. I did tell Director Silva about her off the record, though I avoided mentioning her name. Unfortunately, the Director said that, as a official of the Sanctuary, contracting a private creator would be a huge legal no-no, though was pushing to abolish that law.


    She agreed with my notion that it was a law that worked against the Sanctuary, but there was little she could do about it, she didn''t have a lot of influence in that area. While each Quadrant had its own set of laws, rules and regulations, those were mostly regarding minor issues...when it came to more major issues, common laws were applied to all four Quadrants, as well as the X-Warrior Zone.


    And changing those particular laws weren''t easy...one of the five bodies would have to raise an opposition against the law they want to remove or change, and then...it''s simply just put to a vote. Each of the four Quadrants and the X-Warrior Zone would vote, and a minimum of three votes would be required to make the change...if three or more voted in favor of maintaining the status quo, then that''s that.


    In terms of tax profitability, the law prohibiting private creators from publicly advertising their inventions worked in favor of the governments and major corporations, I didn''t fully understand the economics of it, but the point is...even if Director Silva was to file an opposition to change this law, in all likelihood, all four of the Quadrants would vote against it.


    Like it or not, there''s stability in monotony, and I suppose wanting to maintain that isn''t exactly a bad thing, for instance, if they did change the law and say, an invention that makes stealing easier is invented, that''d be a huge problem...that said, wouldn''t it be better to know what''s happening when and if such a thing happens?


    For instance, if that same invention was created, while the law remains unchanged, and then is auctioned off anonymously online...there''s a chance that it''d never be found out. Well, anyway, it doesn''t matter all that much to me, Ruby can make just about anything I throw at her, so I don''t care about that law.


    And as for this operation, I was fairly confident in my own survival. The Wights didn''t have any real long-range weapons, no sniper rifles or anything like that...and the guns they did have, which were pistols and assault rifles, only had a limited supply of ammo. They had apparently begun making their own gunpowder and stuff, but it was still on a very small scale, so not an immediate concern.


    The Wights in total numbered more than the humans of the Sanctuary did, but their technology was several times more primitive...the technology in the Sanctuary far exceeded the technology that had been around during WWIII, while the technology in possession of the Wights were technology that had already existed at the time.


    The underground bunkers that Japan constructed had spaces set aside for growing plants, fruits and vegetables, and they also had tapped into underground streams for water supplies...most of the water wasn''t free of radiation contamination, but they''d managed to find ways to filter the water. It still wasn''t exactly radiation-free, but it was safe enough for them, with their high tolerance for radiation.


    With food and water secured, bodies that could survive in the toxic environment the world was in, and a growing desire to leave the underground bunkers, they emerged back to the surface. A surface where Mutants ran rampant all over the place, buildings were severely damaged, with crumbling walls and overgrown weeds.


    Thanks to their evolved bodies, which according to Hebi, varied greatly, some had more than two arms, others had multiple tails, long jaws like crocodiles and so on...and that gave them a way to fight and fend off the Mutants.


    They also restored buildings as much as they could, at least enough for them to be liveable in, they used all the broken down vehicle parts to make patchwork vehicles, managed to extract a fuel source by digging up old gas stations, and with that, transport was revived.


    The underground bunkers had been constructed in the areas that used to be known as Hiroshima, Shimane and Okayama. Once they emerged from the bunkers, they managed to set up radio communication using parts of the broken down remains of technological devices in the surface, and then split up into two teams, one that would go northeast and occupy more of Japan, and the other would head southwest towards Fukuoka.


    Despite splitting up, the two groups had remained in constant contact, and apparently, the majority were in agreement that the humans of the Sanctuary need to go. Initially, they had grudgingly decided to attempt peaceful coexistance with us by making contact with us, after some of them voiced opposition to going to war with us.


    That''s why they sailed over to South Korea, went through North Korea and Mongolia, till they arrived at where their current campsite was. And then, first contact happened...a team of them ran into a team of X-Warriors, who panicked and killed some of them, but were then killed themselves in retaliation, since the Wights outnumbered them.


    They started calling themselves Wights after that, since apparently, those X-Warriors were screaming stuff like ''monsters!'' during that incident. And then, they began ambushing teams of X-Warriors, killing them and taking some captive...once the Sanctuary learned about what was going on, the decision that was made...was to wipe out the Wights, starting with their base camp to the southeast of the Sanctuary.


    And that about sums up the whole cause of this upcoming battle. What a mess...this attack on their campsite, it was going to be a massacre, and I''m fairly confident that it''ll work, but...even if we wipe out all ten thousand of them without a single casualty on our side, which is basically impossible, that won''t be the end of it...truth be told, ten thousand was barely a fraction of their entire number.


    Over a hundred million humans had been evacuated into the bunkers during WWIII, after that many died, an exact number is unknown but according to Hebi, it was at least thirty million, and could have been upto double that amount. After the survivors mutated and evolved, one especially notable biological change was noted...they only needed four to five months to make babies, instead of nine like the humans in the Sanctuary.


    On top of that, the babies reached adolescence about twice as fast as we did, after which they''d age at a rate similar to us...that''s how I found out that Hebi was actually just fifteen years old. He''d matured physically about five years ago, which meant that he physically reached a similar state that humans in the Sanctuary take eighteen to twenty-one years to reach.


    So while he''d seemed like he might be a few years older than me, he was actually about five years younger. His personality made a lot more sense though, he definitely was on the immature side. Anyway, to get back to my point...the quick birth and maturity rate of the Wights meant that their population swiftly rose up again, and was currently over a hundred million again.


    Which means that even if we managed to kill every single one of the Wights at the campsite, it wouldn''t even so much as dent their overall numbers. And those numbers will only be further agitated with ten thousand of their people killed...this could be the start of a long and ugly war. That would suck, to put it lightly.


    But hey, it''s not like I have the power to change all that...I simply didn''t have the influence to pull off something like that. And it''s too late anyway...we move out in less than forty-eight hours...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 58 - 57 - Departure For The Attack

    "You have my sympathy, Zax, this is a pretty rough first Mission," Remarked Kumar, patting my shoulder as we got ready to leave, "Well, not that you look particularly nervous or anything."


    "Well, there''s no point in being nervous, that''d only make me do worse," I replied with a shrug.


    That wasn''t totally true though, I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t at least a little bit nervous. I mean, how could I not be, right? It was 5 AM on the 4th of August, 2116, and I was currently in one of the underground bunkers, waiting for us to start heading out towards the Wight campsite. Some of the other X-Warriors were setting up Teleportation platforms outside so that they could teleport the vehicles we were going to be using.


    There were the several large bus-like vehicles that were heavily fortified and could hold upto fifty people each, along with jets that could carry ten people each. Ten buses and five jets, for a total of somewhere between five hundred and five hundred and fifty X-Warriors. Those with mid or close-range X-Abilities were given XFE guns, while those who had both long-range attacks and the ability to fly made up those that would be in the jets.


    Kumar was also going to be in a jet, as was I. I''d be using the drone-jetpack and my own custom weapons to lead the aerial assault, which my sister was also going to be a part of. Kumar was included so that he could skydive towards the campsite while forming his Primary Manifestation and then stomp around, after we wipe out as many of them as possible with long-ranged attacks, both from above and below.


    Kumar entering the fray would be the cue for the X-Warriors to cease their long-ranged assault and attack the remaining Wights up close. I was then to stay up in the air and make sure that the jets weren''t attacked, along with the rest of aerial troops, as well as to back up those on the ground where possible.


    I hadn''t made any changes to my X-Blasters, they were more or less perfect as far as I was concerned anyway. My Barrier Bracelets had been upgraded so that the barrier would be stronger, while my Square Blaster was also unchanged. My glasses'' lens had been upgraded too, it even had night vision now...which was crucial, since we''d likely arrive at and attack the campsite when it''s dark.


    My most significant upgrades were to my X-Blades, Ruby had adjusted the handles so that they could be combined and connected like puzzle pieces, which would change the size and shape of the manifested blade, depending on how I link the handles. There weren''t any other Anomalies who were going to be a part of this Mission, because they were rare and therefore valuable, so I was free to use my X-Abilities if need be.


    Oh, and I''d been working on flying using the drone-jetpack thingy, and I''d tried using Pause while in midair, and...it worked, I didn''t fall or anything, but I couldn''t fly around while time was frozen, I could move my limbs and body just fine, but only in the same spot where I activated Pause, I was just kinda suspended in mid-air.


    I''ll have to be careful about using Pause, I shouldn''t be too hasty with it. But I don''t need to worry about that now, I still have plenty of time before we get there.


    Speaking of which, looks like it was time to leave now. I headed up the elevator platform to the opening leading to the outside, along with the other X-Warriors that were in the underground bunker that I was in. I had received a message on my I-Watch, detailing my role and which vehicle I''d be in, which was one of the jets.


    "Hey, Zax, which one are you in?" Greeted Kilella, as we reached the surface.


    The jets were labeled from A to E.


    "B, according to this," I replied, showing her my holoscreen.


    "Aw, too bad, I''m in A," She sighed with a look of disappointment, before glancing at Kumar, "What about you?"


    "C."


    Great, that means that I''ll be stuck with a bunch of strangers. Well, whatever, this isn''t exactly a field trip or something, so I''ll just have to deal with it.


    "Alright, looks like we''re ready to head out. Here I go," Sighed Kumar, picking up a loudspeaker and heading for the front.


    Director Silva or any of the other officials weren''t going to be tagging along, since they aren''t Paragons and wouldn''t be able to survive the radiation for long. And so, Kumar had been put in charge of this Mission. There were four other Aces on this Mission besides him and my sister, wonder why the Director didn''t opt for one of the more experienced Aces to lead.


    "Hey, sis, how much do you bet that he''ll activate his Primary Manifestation now, so that he''ll be taller than everyone else?" I inquired with a smirk, as he climbed onto one of the buses.


    "Well...I don''t think he''ll do it here, I mean, this is a serious Mission, so-."


    "


    !"


    "...you were saying?" I remarked with a slight smile, nudging her.


    "...I stand corrected. That overly self-conscious idiot..."


    This should be entertaining, if nothing else...


    "Ahem...alright, listen up, everyone! HQ sent all of you the precise details of what your role will be in this attack, follow that to the letter!" He exclaimed into the loudspeaker, as he towered over everyone with his Manifestation at full height, "Keep this in mind, we''re outnumbered pretty much twenty to one, so if we fail to execute the plan, we''re screwed! That''s all I have to say, and I won''t take any questions...now, then, let''s move out!"


    Huh, that actually wasn''t too bad...


    "I thought he''d be more...well, I don''t really know how to put it, but I wasn''t expecting him to be so sensible, if not a little blunt," Said Kilella with a laugh.


    "Same, definitely surprised me too."


    Anyway, not long after that, we began to depart. It was actually kinda surreal, considering the fact that this was the first time I was flying in an aircraft...pretty sure that applies to everyone else here as well. But while the experience of flying in an aircraft for the first time was indeed a pleasant one, the same couldn''t be said of the experience of flying with nine other people who were all glaring at me.


    After the whole framing incident went public, I had less unpleasant encounters with other X-Warriors, but the dirty looks remained, if anything, they''ve gotten even worse for some reason...talk about petty, even on what was arguably the most important X-Warrior Mission yet, they couldn''t set aside their dislike against me...it''s kinda sad honestly, grown adults acting this way.


    "Hey, you, student...you''d better wipe that look off your face, you think you''re better than us, don''t you?" Remarked one of them, walking over to me.


    Do I really have to put up with this shit...


    "I don''t know, you tell me...I mean, you''re a full-fledged X-Warrior trying to intimidate a student, and yeah...I''d say I''m better than that, at the very least," I replied with a sigh, before looking up to see a fierce glare directed at me, "Huh, you look kinda familiar..."


    Ohh, if I''m not mistaken, she''s another Ace...if I remember right, her name''s Zarina Serik, she was one of the few X-Warriors to have undergone the Awakening Procedure before the X-Warrior Zone was built, and the only Ace with that distinction...in other words, she was the oldest of the Aces, at thirty-three years old.


    She was of the generation in which possessing XFE was about fifty-fifty...Director Silva was about the same age, but she wasn''t even a Paragon at all, she didn''t have any XFE in her, and thus didn''t have the heightened resistance to radiation, which was why she wasn''t a part of this Mission.


    "What did you say to me!?" She growled threateningly, grabbing my collar.


    "Hey, here''s a fun fact for ya...people with fewer braincells are more likely to turn to violence, because, you know...they''re not smart enough to use their words. Mind letting go?" I inquired, remaining calm and unflinching.


    I''ve been dealing with people who look down on me pretty much all my life, and she''s no different...


    "You think you can tell me what to do!? I''m the most experienced of the Aces, you''re just a student, and a Dud, at that!" She sneered spitefully.


    "Indeed I am, do you have a problem with that? Well, oldest of the Aces?"


    "Why you little-...!" She snarled, as some of the others chuckled quietly.


    She was known as someone who was hard to get along with, because of her attitude. I can see clearly now that that''s no exaggeration, she''s pretty awful. I bet the other eight X-Warriors in here are loving this...a clash between two of the least popular people among all X-Warriors right now. This is gonna be a long, annoying flight...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 59 - 58 - Self-Defense

    It had been about fifteen minutes since we set off from the Sanctuary...and it had been a full five minutes since Zarina grabbed my collar...and she still hadn''t let go. The other X-Warriors had shown no signs of getting involved, they seemed content to just watch and enjoy this.


    Well, this is fine, my lens is recording everything and uploading the footage to my cloud drive, I started recording the moment she stood up and walked over. So if she pisses me off enough, I''ll be able to expose her in a heartbeat.


    I mean, seriously, I don''t have to put up with this...I was just sitting and minding my own business when she suddenly came up to me because she didn''t like the look on my face or something...yeah, fuck that.


    "Seriously, could you please let go already? Do you really have nothing better to do right now?" I inquired with an exasperated sigh, looking at her disdainfully.


    "Watch your tone, you little bastard!" She snapped angrily.


    Yeah, I''m not putting up with this.


    "Watch yours, bitch. I''ll ask one more time...let me go."


    Not gonna lie, I had just about reached the end of the rope of my patience.


    "Wha-!? You little...!" She snapped, tightening her grip on my collar as she drew back her other fist with rage in her eyes.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Alright...what should I do now? Dodge, obviously, that goes without saying, but what else? If I just evade, she might try again, but if I counter, she''ll probably try to full-on fight me...that''d be a pain, and not exactly safe, considering the fact that we''re in a jet.


    I could grab her wrist and break it or her forearm...no, considering what her Primary Manifestation is, that''d make her useless once we get to the campsite. What if I dodge, then slip behind her and use XFE Takeover? No, I probably shouldn''t poison her either. I really wanted to hurt her though...tch, fine, I guess I''ll just evade and then grab her arm, slip behind her and pin her down.


    I simulated what to do a couple of times in my head, as well as how to respond if she was able to react to it...alright, I think that should do it, I''m perfectly prepared to pull this off. I made sure to return to the exact position I''d been in when I activated Pause, especially the position of my head, since I was actively recording, I can''t afford to have the footage look rough or choppy at all. Well, here goes...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    As her fist drove towards my face, I deflected it out of the way with my palm while simultaneously evading, before grabbing her wrist and swiftly getting out of my seat and slipping behind her, twisting her arm around to her back as I did. She let out a growl and clenched her other fist, but before she could try anything, I tripped her forward by kicking her shin, causing her to lose balance.


    She fell onto her front, her face hitting the ground with a thump as I pinned her arm down to her back, holding down her other arm by the wrist while my knee pressed down on her lower back. She''s apparently regarded as the X-Warrior with the best long-ranged skills, which is why she''s an Ace.


    She''s also said to have decent hand to hand combat skills...well, if nothing else, my combat skills were definitely better than hers, the way she moved wasn''t bad, but it could be a lot better, I was way faster, more agile and my movements were a lot more efficient, while she had a fair bit of wastefulness in her movements.


    "Are you done yet?" I sighed, as she let out a slight groan.


    "What just-...hey, let me go!" She exclaimed, trying to break free, before stopping as I twisted her arm close to the point where it''d break if she moved any further.


    "Funny, I remember saying the same thing to you not too long ago, I''ll follow your example in responding to it..."


    "Don''t get smart with me, you little shit, let go of me right now, or I''ll-!" She threatened furiously.


    "You''ll what?" I inquired coldly.


    "I swear, you''re dead, you hear me!? I''ll fucking kill you if you don''t let go right now!"


    "Yeah, yeah. Don''t worry, I''ll let go after about five minutes...that''s more or less how long you grabbed me, so it''s fair, wouldn''t you agree? Oh, and if you keep screaming at me...I''ll do this," I remarked, twisting her arm the wrong way again slightly.


    "S-stop, you''ll break it, stop-!" She cried in alarm.


    "Then shut up."


    "You fucking-!"


    "I said...shut...up," I interrupted her in a cold tone, applying further pressure, as she let out a hiss of pain.


    I eased up as she finally quietened down. Hm...am I overdoing it? Maybe so, but...it''s not like anyone''s stopping me, in fact, it looks like most of them are just enjoying the show...at any rate, it''s too late to stop now.


    Well, whatever, I''ve recorded this whole encounter, this has, for the most part, been self-defense. To be honest, though, it was kinda boring, just holding her down like this. The five minutes took longer to tick over that I thought it would.


    "Alright, I''m letting you go now...I''m only gonna say this, restrain yourself," I warned her, before slowly letting go and standing up.


    She muttered something under her breath as she got back on her feet, trembling with anger...when suddenly, she spun around with a look of fury and swung another punch at me. Woah, she''s...really, really predictable, isn''t she?


    I evaded her punch, swiftly drew back my fist while running XFE into my glove, before driving it forward towards her face as fast as I could with as much force as I could generate, slamming it onto her face square in the middle, before she let out a scream as the taser knuckles on my glove electrocuted her. Her scream then faded as she lost consciousness, I let out a sigh of relief as she slumped down.


    I then bound her wrists and ankles together to make sure she wouldn''t attack me again once she regained consciousness, which probably wouldn''t take long, since she is a Prodigy. Her nose was bleeding, but she deserves it. I''ll untie her once we get there. Finally, I can just sit back and relax.


    I glanced around at the other X-Warriors, flashing them a cold smile, daring them to fuck with me at their own peril. I think they got the message. It''s not even been a full twenty minutes since we took off, really hope the rest of the flight is more peaceful.


    I mean, I''m pretty stoked that I was able to knock an Ace out cold, but I really don''t want to have to deal with her anymore. Maybe I should gag her in addition to her bound limbs...nah, I''ll opt for that if she''s too loud after she regains consciousness. For now, I think I''ll take a nap...


    ...


    ...


    "So, um...what exactly happened?" Inquired Kilella with a bemused look on her face.


    We had stopped, about ten kilometers ahead of the Wight campsite, to ensure that everyone was on the same page once the attack was launched. The jets landed too, and I''d been asleep, so I didn''t have time to untie Zarina. I''d gagged her like fifteen minutes after knocking her out, because she started yelling and screaming as soon as she regained consciousness.


    "It was totally self-defense on my part," I replied with a shrug.


    "Are you fucking kidding me, what part of that was self-defense!?" Snapped Zarina, struggling to restrain herself from attacking me.


    "I''ve got the whole thing recorded," I responded, tapping the side of my glasses.


    "We don''t have time for this crap, dumbasses, we''ll deal with this once we get back, focus on the Mission for right now," Sighed Kumar with an exasperated shake of his head.


    "Agreed, and knowing you, Zarina, this is probably your fault," Remarked one of the other Aces with a shake of his head.


    "What was that!?"


    "Let''s all just calm down, everyone, we''re literally minutes away from a large-scale battle, after all," Reasoned Kilella, attempting to ease the tensions.


    "Everyone''s calm except for her, sis," I responded, nodding at Zarina.


    "You little-!"


    "You''re just proving his point, Zarina," Interrupted Kumar, who was struggling to keep his cool and hide his frustration, guess he''s stressed since he''s leading this Mission, "Enough of this already, it''s time to set up the attack, make sure you all have your night vision goggles on, there''s a bit of moonlight out tonight, so it isn''t exactly pitch-dark, but it''s still around midnight right now, so these will definitely give us an advantage."


    Huh, he seems to carry a fair bit of weight and influence here, no one''s arguing or anything...looks like he''s actually pretty respected. Zarina grumbled and muttered something under her breath as she headed back to the jet, grinding her teeth in irritation.


    "Hey, can I get on a different jet than her? Just to make sure the aerial assault goes smoothly, you know?" I requested to Kumar hopefully.


    "Yeah, I was just about to suggest the same...seriously, I can''t believe that you knocked out and then tied up the most experienced of the Aces," He sighed with a shake of his head, "Alright, then, Zax...I''m counting on you to lead the aerial assault."


    "Right, I''ll do my part, no need to worry about that."


    It wasn''t long before we were back on track to launch the attack, I made sure that all my weapons were ready to go as we covered the last bit of remaining distance to the Wight campsite, which soon came into view. Time to begin...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 60 - 59 - Attack On The Wights(Part 1)

    "Alright, I''m assuming that everyone had put on their earpiece communicators...we begin now, launch the aerial assault!" Commanded Kumar, as we got into place.


    Here we go, then...


    Both the jets and the buses had cloaking barriers built-in, but they weren''t perfect, it''s not like they eliminate sound, and they kinda shimmered at times too. Therefore, the jets would arrive first, and the buses after the aerial assault was launched. Everyone on the Mission was connected using wireless earpieces, though only Kumar would be talking into them, since there were so many of us.


    After all, if everyone could talk into the communicators whenever they felt like it, we''d likely be hearing them in our ears for the entire time. Therefore, we were only allowed to talk into the communicators if we had something urgent to report. Anyway, the jet I was in, along with one of the other jets, were currently hovering over the Wight campsite, with the cloaking barriers still active.


    "Aerial assault, launching now," I responded, as I strapped the drone-jetpack onto my back and flew up through an open hatch, the X-Warriors in other the jets also exiting using their flight Manifestations.


    There were about twenty in total, since the other three jets were...well, let''s just say that they had a different assignment. Now, then...I activated the scope in my lens and scanned the campsite...there were several Wights roaming around, several large tents, some vehicles and a large shed...that''s probably their food and water storage area.


    Hm, I think I''ll record this battle, might be useful for future reference...I activated the recording feature in my right lens to start it. The wind is pretty strong, and it''s blowing through the campsite...perfect. I triggered and tossed down several of my poison smoke bombs down at the Wights, before then reaching behind me and pulling out my Square Blaster, activating it.


    Where should I target for the opening attack...the supply shed? No, I don''t think so...the tent at the center of the campsite was much larger than the rest, it looked pretty important, and what''s more, there were large gas canisters next to it, those were likely fuel for their vehicles...looks like I''ve got my target.


    As my bombs exploded and the smoke began spreading throughout the campsite, I took aim with my Square Blaster, locked onto the target...and fired.


    Hundreds of streaks of black XFE burst out of the slot-like nozzle, spreading out as they rained down towards the ground, rapidly converging as they closed in on the tent...in the next instant, a large shockwave burst throughout the campsite as a massive dust cloud rose up from the center, followed by a powerful explosion as the canisters went in fiery explosions.


    As the shockwaves settles down and the smoke cleared, some blood spatter and body parts were laying around where the tent had been.


    The moment my blast made impact, the others got in on the action, Kilella had been in the other jet, so she was here too, along with Zarina. They, and some of the others were currently zipping around while firing powerful XFE blasts down at the campsite, screams of pain beginning to ring out and echo around.


    My Square Blaster on full power can one-shot a K-Ranked Mutant, the only problem is that the cooldown time is five minutes...no matter, I have plenty more options up my sleeve. I put away my Square Blaster and switched my X-Blasters to long-range mode, as several Wights began flying up towards us...some had wings, while others used XFE to fly.


    And wow, Hebi hadn''t been exaggerating...some of them really were grotesquely mutated. But in the end, it doesn''t really matter...they''re all going to die. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, before taking aim and firing at the Wights who were flying up towards us, nailing several with headshots and killing them, though some were able to evade or block using their XFE.


    Hey, now...I think I''m actually enjoying this. The other X-Warriors who in the sky with me were also joining in now, firing down at the Wights that were flying up. There''s dozens of them, possibly over a couple hundred or so...well, we expected this, we knew from the start that we would be outnumbered by about twenty to one, so if this is all of them that can fly, that''s actually better than expected.


    Woah, not bad, some of them are using the corpses of the ones who were dead as shields in order to continue ascending. I''ve already killed fourteen of them with my X-Blasters, my sister was blasting their campsite relentlessly with powerful XFE blasts along with some of the others who had strong attacks at their disposal.


    Alright, it''s almost time...I''ll soon be switching my focus from offense to defense, specifically, defending the jets and making sure they don''t get taken down. Because the responsibility of the offense was about to shift elsewhere...ah, speak of the devil...the buses had arrived.


    As the smoke from my bombs began to clear, X-Warriors rushed in towards the campsite from either side, from the front and from behind, right as three more jets appeared, from either side and from behind.


    When we stopped earlier, the other three jets went around so that they could pincer the Wights from every direction, along with six of the buses, two from every direction except the front, from which we had four buses...the Wights were in utter panic and chaos, running around like headless chickens. Hm, but it won''t last long, they''ll start fighting back soon...


    Suddenly, from the jet that approached the campsite from behind, a massive amount of yellow XFE, the Lightning Attribute, manifested below the jet...Kumar had jumped out and activated his Primary Manifestation, Colossus, at its full height of fifty meters. He then formed his Secondary Manifestation, Lightning Spear, to slash at and stomp around the back of the campsite, wiping out the Wights situated there.


    Tch, more of them are flying up...but now that the other jets had arrived, it should be manageable, we had plenty of aerial troops, and since the Wights were ascending up towards us, we had the height advantage. Huh, looks like my sister was fighting a couple of Wights that were actually challenging her-...no, never mind, she was just toying with them.


    The other Aces were going pretty well too...but we can''t rely just on them, we''re so outnumbered than everyone needs to pull their weight and land multiple kills.


    We''ve gotten all that we can out of the element of surprise, and from the look of it, we''ve taken out about half of their forces so far...which isn''t bad, five thousand isn''t a small number, but we were still outnumbered more than ten to one...I don''t think any of our aerial troops had been killed, but a few of the ground troops were already dead.


    The panic among the Wights was starting to fade and get replaced by rage...this is bad, they''re starting to fight back, and pretty effectively at that. On average, at least, they''re individually stronger that us...well, this was never going to be easy, they aren''t like the mindless Mutants we''ve fought till now, they''re as intelligent as we are, and a lot more resilient.


    The flying Wights had almost reached us...I''d taken out thirty-two of them already, at a cost of eighty percent of my XFE. I took out a vial of a certain serum and swiftly chugged it down...it was called XFE Recovery, and was usually forbidden from use since it had a few negative side effects, but it could instantly recover XFE, I had three vials on me, because drinking any more than that would put my life in danger.


    My XFE was now a bit over ninety percent...and I won''t have to worry about the side effects until about two hours from now, so right now, I''m more or less as good as new, with barely any stamina used up. As the Wights began to close in, I pulled out my X-Blade handles and activated them, forming the energy blades.


    It''s a good thing I practiced flying with this drone-jetpack for the past week or so, I could move around fairly well in the air with it...it was controlled using my toes, which was kinda hard to get the hang of, so it was a good thing I''d managed to figure it out. I evaded as a pair of Wights flew up on either side of me and swung their XFE weapons at me.


    I slashed off one of their arms, eliciting a scream of pain from him, before swiftly descending a couple of meters as the other one swung her weapon at me, and then rapidly ascending straight towards her and slashed one of my X-Blades upwards, slicing her in half vertically.


    The other one then let out a furious yell and swung his weapon towards me, I swiftly countered by swinging one of my blades to deflect it away, though the force knocked my arm back...these Wights are pretty physically strong, I''ll be screwed if I take a direct hit. Their speed was more than manageable though, this drone-jetpack is really fast.


    I swung my foot up, connecting with the bottom of his jaw and knocking his head up, dazing him slightly. Now''s my chance! Before he could recover, I swiftly swung my blade across at his neck, slashing his head off. As his body began to plummet, three more Wights surrounded me. I swiftly connected the bottoms of my X-Blade handles and twisted, locking them together.


    The instant I did, the energy blades grew narrower and longer, forming a two-sided spear. I held it horizontally and rapidly spun myself around as they closed in, slashing them in half across their midsections. Another Wight came zipping up towards me, I split the handles and reconnected them along their sides, reforming the energy blades into a single wide and long blade.


    I then spun myself across downwards and swung the blade straight down, ripping him vertically in half before he could react. Hey, not bad, if I do say so myself. Still, there''s still a ton of them left. I can''t afford to take it easy, I''ve got a lot more work to do...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 61 - 60 - Attack On The Wights(Part 2)

    And...I''m surrounded again. There''s really a lot of them, and they sure are persistent. However, while they are really strong, my combats skills were far better. My training schedule had been called excessive by many, but it sure was paying off now. Most people tend to work primarily on their XFE Manifestations and neglect their basic combat training, looks like that goes for Wights as well.


    I evaded as one drove a red energy spear towards me and then countered with a downward swing of one of my blades, slashing through his left shoulder and into his heart. I then rapidly descended as another one swung a two meter long metal blade horizontally across from behind the one I killed, slicing through the corpse and nearly taking the top of my head off.


    I fired a shot up at him from my X-Blaster, which pierced into his chin and burst out through the back of his head. Two more sprang up on either side of me, I swiftly connected my blade handles to form the two-sided spear, I angled them so that they pierced both of them through their hearts the instant they formed, killing them before they could react.


    Suddenly, another one sprang up right in front of me, with two massive XFE hammers raised...crap, I don''t think I can''t dodge those...! But it''s not like I don''t have another option...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>!"


    Alright, he''s just within the reach of my spear...I looked around to make sure no one was looking this way...he''s the last of this current group that had surrounded me, and no one else is around, everyone had ended up spreading out a fair bit once the fighting started, not to mention that it was the middle of the night. Good, no witnesses.


    I reached up and pierced his neck slowly...the way things work during Pause, if I push too hard then he''d just get pushed back, out of my reach. Alright, I''ve fully pierced his throat...I then twisted the blade a bit and pulled it down slowly, dragging him down towards me. I then grabbed his shoulder to keep him steady and swung the blade out, decapitating him. Then I moved his body and head below me, before...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    I glanced down as the corpse plummeted below me...looks like the Wight numbers were down to about three thousand, maybe...the Aces were doing really well, Kumar was easily the most effective, Kilella was killing them off pretty rapidly too, and the other Aces were progressing nicely as well. As for the rest, it looks like about two hundred X-Warriors have been killed, including a number of the aerial troops.


    But it also looks like most of the Wights who had flown up were dead now, there looked to be less that thirty left. Suddenly, as I continued to survey the battlefield, Kumar''s Primary Manifestation disappeared, and he began to plummet down, right as a Wight shot past him and zipped straight up towards...me? Huh? I don''t like this...what does that Wight want with me...? Before he could hit the ground, Kumar swiftly reformed his Manifestation and continued stomping around.


    Why''s that Wight making a beeline towards me? Well, I guess it doesn''t matter, I''ll just have to kill him. I took aim and fired a barrage of black XFE bullets at him from my X-Blasters, and right as they reached him-...huh, what''s going on!? My shots all disappeared the moment they got close to him...what just happened? Did he maybe counter with perfectly accurate XFE shots of his own? Seems unlikely, but not impossible...


    He was holding a pair of metal hooked swords, and was flying using his wings, of which he had four on his back. Looks like he''s unlikely to use any XFE attacks...I''ll finish him off at close-range then. I combined my X-Blades to form the XFE into the long and wide energy blade form and shot down towards him as he rapidly approached me.


    As I began to close in on him, I swung my blade straight down towards him...but the instant that it got within a meter of him, it dissipated immediately. What!? I swiftly ascended and backed away from him while firing a clip of XFE bullets at him, which all disappeared as they neared him...I see, he can negate XFE within about a radius of a meter.


    How troublesome...but more importantly, that''s not a Manifestation...which means that that nullification ability is likely...an Anomaly power. Interesting, so there are Anomalies among the Wights too...and that explains why he''s here, Pause wouldn''t have affected him, and he must have seen me moving in the air...now, then, how do I defeat him?


    "Hey, you...were you the one who froze time earlier?" He inquired bluntly, a wary gleam in his eyes.


    I have no reason to tell him anything.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" I inquired, putting on a confused expression.


    "Don''t play dumb with me...tch, that power can''t be allowed to exist, I must kill you right here and now!" He declared, zipping towards me with his hooked swords raised.


    I quickly flew away, keeping my distance from him...if I get within a meter of him, my drone-jetpack, which runs on XFE, would probably stop working...so, then, how do I kill him? Hm, wait, is killing him my best option? Maybe I should try capturing him instead, he is an Anomaly, after all...


    Yeah, let''s give it a shot. I put away my blade handles as I continued to stay out of his range and evade his slashes...let''s see, how should I go about doing this? XFE weapons aren''t going to work on him...maybe I could try to get him in a lock and then knock him out...no, that''s gonna be hard to pull off, and if I fail, I''ll be wide open for him to strike back.


    I then noticed that he had a metal short-sword on his lower back...hm, what if I...yeah...that should work. I reached behind me and pulled out a couple of Dark Poison Smoke Bombs, running my XFE into them as I did. I then flung them both forward, to either side of the Wight, before firing at them with my X-Blasters...normally, these bombs need to make contact to explode, but since they probably won''t detonate if they struck him directly, I''ll detonate them this way instead...


    The instant my shots connected, the bombs detonated, thick black smoke bursting out on either side of him. His ability might negate the poisonous effect of the smoke, but...I''m after the smoke screen, not the poison. I swiftly activated the heat vision feature in my glasses'' lens, spotting his position inside the smoke...good, he''s not moving, I better put my plan into action quickly.


    I swiftly flew up and above the smoke cloud, till I was directly above the Wight...now! I turned off my drone-jetpack and let myself plummet straight down towards him, grabbing his shoulder with my right hand and drawing out his short-sword with my left. His grips on his swords tightened as he stiffened in alarm and began to react, but he was too slow.


    With a swift flick of my wrist, I slashed off all four of his wings, eliciting an excruciating cry of pain from him, as dark red blood burst out from his back. Woah, so this is what it feels like to cut with a metal blade...compared to energy blades, it''s more...satisfying. And just as I hoped, the instant I slashed off his wings, his nullification ability got, well, nullified.


    I''ve got you now...I swiftly reactivated my drone-jetpack, let go of the short-sword and ran XFE into my right glove, before driving it forward towards the back of his neck, slamming my fist onto it and electrocuting him with a powerful charge, as he let out an anguished scream of pain before losing consciousness. Alright, it worked, perfectly according to plan! I tapped my earpiece and remarked...


    "I just knocked out and captured a Wight that appears to be an Anomaly...should I kill him or restrain him in one of the jets?" I inquired into the communicator.


    After a few seconds passed, Kumar responded...


    "An Anomaly? Are you sure?"


    "Yeah, he''s the one responsible for dissipating your Primary Manifestation earlier, he has the power to nullify XFE within a meter of himself. So, capture or kill?"


    "Hm...since you''ve already knocked him out, go with capture, restrain him in one of the jets. Once you''re done with that, go around and help anyone who needs it," He instructed after thinking it over for a moment.


    "Got it."


    I located one of the jets using my heat vision, since they were all hovering around with the cloaking barriers active, to prevent the Wights from easily finding and destroying them. I flew above it, the hatch was still open, so I swooped down into it. An X-Warrior was inside, piloting the jet.


    I swiftly bound the Wight''s limbs together, stopped the bleeding from where his wings used to be, and gagged him to prevent him from biting his tongue off, in case he was the type to commit suicide in order to prevent us from extracting his intel. I injected him with a tranquilizer to keep him asleep, since the jet might plummet if he activates his nullification power.


    "Hey, if it looks like he''s going to wake up, pump him with more tranquilizer," I instructed the pilot, as I headed for the hatch.


    "Huh? Oh, uh...yes, understood."


    Huh, a respectfully affirmative reply, didn''t expect that. Guess not all the X-Warriors have it out for me. Well, whatever, time to wrap this up. I flew up through the hatch and used the zooming feature of my lens to rapidly scan the battlefield...some of the X-Warriors were being massacred by the Wights, but in the meantime, several Wights were being massacred by the Aces and other high ranking X-Warriors, at a much faster rate.


    If it wasn''t for the element of surprise, we''d have never stood a chance in this battle. The initial panic we set off through the Wight campsite was a huge factor, which we were able to capitalize on thanks to the Aces, especially Kumar. What worked in our favor was that the strongest Wights seemed to have been the first to respond once we launched the attack, and with them dead, the remaining Wights were all comparable to J and Q-Ranked X-Warriors, at best.


    I then drew out my Square Blaster again, the cooldown time having already ticked over a while ago. I spotted several Wights gathered in one area, they had cornered a group of five X-Warriors, who were all looking in bad shape...well, now, what a convenient way to take out a ton of them in one go. I swiftly took aim and fired before they could finish off the X-Warriors, changing the trajectories of the blast so that the hundreds of streaks didn''t converge onto one spot, instead raining down on the Wights in a wide barrage.


    Their screams echoed out as my attack connected, a slight mist of blood mixed with a dust cloud rising up. That was easy. As I put away my Square Blaster, I scanned the area again...I then spotted Zarina, who was in the air, rapidly zipping around and firing at the remaining Wights in the air...looks like all the rest of our aerial troops had either descended to the ground or were killed...since they were all flying using their Manifestations, the ones that hadn''t been killed likely descended in order to conserve XFE once the majority of the Wights'' aerial troops were killed.


    Zarina''s Primary Manifestation consisted of a pair of blue XFE wings and a large bow, which let her fire upto five arrows at a time, which could be either blue XFE arrows or water arrows, the latter of which consumed more XFE. Anyway, she was flying around and firing her arrows at the remaining Wights, but it looks like she was rushing too much...


    Some of her arrows failed to land fatal strikes, while some missed entirely...her arrows are powerful, and she has massive XFE reserves, but...her accuracy was said to be about eighty percent, but from what I was seeing, it looks more like seventy percent, seventy-five at best. And the Wights she failed to kill were now all chasing after her. Tch...I guess I should go help her, she''s a bitch but she is an Ace, and therefore an useful asset.


    If I can make it in time...they''re gaining on her at a fairly quick rate, a rate at which they''d reach her before I could. They were almost upon her, panic on her face as they began to overwhelm her, barely five meters away from reaching her...yeah, I''m not gonna make it to her in time...I mean, I could use Pause and figure something out, but...I don''t want to...oh, well, whatev-...


    "You damned freaks...get away from me!" She exclaimed, forming a water arrow as a look of sheer desperation appeared on her face...when suddenly, her eyes widened and the look on her face calmed down, sending chills down my spine, as the water arrow she formed rapidly grew in size and spiraled violently..., "<Manifestation Overdrive: Torrential Arrow>!"


    Huh? What just...? In the blink of an eye, all the Wights that were on her tail, about thirty of them, were reduced to a pile of torn up limbs and body parts...she shredded them all to pieces in an instant, with a single attack. What did she just do? From the confused and baffled look on her face, she didn''t know either...


    Well, I''ll worry about that later...looks like this battle will end soon, from what I could see, there were now less Wights alive than X-Warriors...something wasn''t right here...sure, more than half the X-Warriors who''d come here had been killed, but...this seemed too easy. Something isn''t right. The Wights here seemed to be almost...too weak.


    Suddenly, the ground began to rumble ominously...what now? The rumbling was getting louder and louder, from right below...an earthquake, maybe? Or...could it be...? I gulped and activated my heat vision, a slight gasp escaping my lips as I spotted a massive heat signature rising up towards the surface at an alarming speed...


    "Get out of the way, everyone, it''s a-!" I began to yell into the communicator, but I was too late.


    The ground burst open, the campsite caving in as a massive creature appeared from underground...screams rang out as both Wights and X-Warriors plummeted into the open ground, while several others got crushed to death by the creature, which let out a devastating, deafening roar that rattled my bones...


    No fucking way...it''s an Ace Mutant.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 62 - 61 - Ace Mutant

    Pure chaos...that''s what I was looking at right now. Most of the surviving Wights were retreating, but none of the X-Warriors were even trying to stop them...because they were too busy scrambling and trying to stay alive. An Ace Mutant...X-Warriors were explicitly told that if they were to ever encounter one, they must flee on sight...and that goes for even Ace X-Warriors.


    This Ace Mutant...it''s a type that hasn''t been seen before, only four such Mutants had seen so far, this was the fifth. It''s head looked like a crocodile or an alligator, while it had the body of a snake, as well as two arms, and most notably...two wings on its back. They were currently folded in, but if this thing starts to fly, we''re screwed.


    "Everyone, I''ll hold this thing off...those who can fly and have powerful long ranged attacks, back me up, the rest of you, get back to the buses as fast as possible and leave immediately, as for those piloting the jets, hover out of the reach of the Mutant, the rest of us will leave using the jets once the buses are at a safe distance away from here!" Suddenly yelled Kumar into the communicator, as he formed both his Manifestations.


    Those who can fly and have powerful long ranged attacks, huh...does that include me? Yeah, I don''t think I have anything in my arsenal that can hurt this thing, even my Square Blaster probably won''t do much damage. And given it''s size, even if I tossed all my smoke bombs down it''s throat, it won''t be enough to poison it enough to kill it.


    The Mutant then let out a loud hiss and growl as the mass of Lightning Attribute XFE approached it with its lightning spear raised, as a bunch of X-Warriors who could fly surrounded it and began firing XFE attacks at it, which only seemed to annoy it. It suddenly swung its arms out and swatted them dead like flies, crushing them in its fists and pouring their bloody entrails down its throat, before swinging its claws at Kumar''s Manifestation with a roar as he closed in.


    This thing is way too fast for something that big, holy shit. No one was surrounding it anymore, they had all run away after it swatted and ate a bunch of them...only my sister, Zarina, myself and a handful of others were still in the air. Kumar narrowly blocked the strike with the arm of his Colossus, before swiftly driving his spear towards its throat, yellow lightning violently crackling all around it.


    But before it could pierce through, the Mutant swiftly grabbed the end of the XFE spear between its jaws, getting electrocuted as a result but that didn''t seem to affect it much...it then drew back it''s fists and drove them forward at a blinding speed, slamming onto the midsection of Kumar''s Primary Manifestation...and sending it flying back, screeching through the air as large cracks burst out from the impact point.


    It then crashed onto the ground a few hundred meters away, kicking up a massive dust cloud before dissipating. The Mutant then slithered out, dragging its entire body outside from underground...woah, it''s gotta be at least sixty meters long...


    As it fully emerged, Kilella fired a barrage of powerful red XFE blasts at the Mutant, eliciting a roar of pain from it...but the damage was too shallow, it was barely even bleeding from that. Some of the other flying X-Warriors that hadn''t run away then flew up behind it and fired out a barrage of XFE attacks, while keeping an eye on its arms.


    But it''s arms didn''t move...instead, it''s tail suddenly whipped up towards the X-Warriors so fast that it sliced through the air, a sonic boom erupting as blood burst out and rained down behind the Mutant, a red mist forming. It didn''t just smack them away, it straight up popped them like little packs of ketchup...incredible, what sheer power, I''ve never felt this powerless before...


    I mean, there''s basically nothing I can do here...even if I freeze time, then what? Maybe I could crawl down its throat and tear up its insides, but it''s massive, I''ll probably never be able to inflict fatal damage before my XFE runs out and I''m forced to resume the flow of time. The only other thing that might work is my Square Blaster, but at best, I could probably blast a couple of it''s fingers off.


    And then there''s the cooldown, if I fire once, that''s it, I can''t fire again till five minutes later. This Mutant is very fast to react though, so unless I get a decent opening, it would likely evade. Right now, no one was attacking it...where are the other Aces?


    Looks like Kumar has gotten up and is re-manifesting his Colossus, my sister was still attacking it too. Zarina was also still airborne, not far from where I was. I don''t see anyone else...and it looks like the buses are already out of sight. I don''t see any Wights...I don''t think there''s any sense in staying here any longer.


    "Kumar, the buses are already far enough that I can''t see them even with my magnified vision, we need to go now too, fighting this thing is futile!" I remarked into the communicator, "Knock this thing down, get in one of the jets and then bolt!"


    "Right, got it...jet pilots, switch off the cloaking barrier so that we can see you, but continue to stay out of the reach of this thing! Kilella, distract it for me, I''ll rush over and pin it down once its attention is on you. Everyone else, go!"


    All five jets then shimmered into view, as the pilots switched off the cloaking barriers that hid them. Besides myself, Kumar, Kilella and Zarina...only about five or six others were still around in the air. The rest were all laying in torn-apart pieces on the ground, in deep pools of their own blood.


    I flew over to Zarina, who was just sort of hovering in mid-air and watching wide-eyed. Is she really the most experienced Ace? And where are the others anyway? Six Aces were on this Mission, where the three others besides Zarina, Kilella and Kumar? Don''t tell me they''re all dead...it''s possible, a lot of those on the ground were blindsided when the Mutant suddenly popped up out of nowhere.


    "Hey, do that thing you did before, it might be effective against that Mutant," I called out.


    "Tch, it''s you. Don''t talk to me," She growled in reply, before adding, "What thing?"


    "That Manifestation Overdrive or whatever."


    "Oh, you saw that...tch, well, I can''t. I''m too low on XFE, and I''ve already drank all of my XFE Recovery vials. I''m heading for a jet...make sure that you don''t get in the same one that I do. Or even better, die," She replied snarkily.


    I let out a sigh as she flew off towards one of the jets...what a piece of work she is. I then looked back towards the Mutant...Kilella was continued to zip around and blast it with her attacks, but she was just angering it without hurting it much, while Kumar had almost reached it.


    Kilella then flew straight up rapidly while forming a massive XFE blast, as Kumar began to close in. Kilella then fired the blast down at the Mutant, which responded by rapidly whipping its tail up and across, aiming to deflect the blast away. Instead, it burst upon impact, the Mutant letting out a roar of pain as the tip of its tail got blown off, right as Kumar closed in and drove his hands forward, aiming to grab the Mutant''s throat.


    Suddenly, in an instant, before he could grab it, the Mutant twisted and slithered at a blinding speed, wrapping itself around Kumar''s Colossus in an instant. It grabbed the top of the head and throat of the Manifestation with both its hands, opening its mouth ravenously, its saliva drooling down, thick and tinged red with the blood of the X-Warriors that it''d eaten.


    Both its body and arms are occupied right now...this is my chance! I swiftly zipped forward while staying out of its line of sight, taking aim with my Square Blaster...and...fire! The hundreds of streaks of black XFE burst out and shot towards the Mutant''s right eye, striking it before the massive creature could react.


    It let out a screech of agony as I blasted through its right eye, its hands going up and clutching the right side of its face. The skin on its jaws and most of the right side of its face was gone, glimpses of its bone were visible. A direct hit to the face with my strongest attack, and a surprise attack at that, wasn''t enough to kill it, I was only able to blind one eye and blast off some of the skin on its face...yeah, this thing is way out of my league.


    "Kumar, now''s our chance to get away!" I yelled, flying up towards a jet.


    He swiftly shrunk his Manifestation to get out of the Mutant''s clutches, and then rapidly expanded again, jumping straight up into the air and dissipating his Colossus, as Kilella swooped in and grabbed his shoulders, before zipping up towards a jet.


    I followed after them, flying above the jet and descending into the open hatch...and the whole time as I flew back, I noticed the Mutant watching me closely, it''s eye piercing into me, sending chills down my spine. I just hope that I never run into that thing again...it looks like it''s not going to follow us. Its wings remain folded.


    "Hey, Zax, nice work with that last blast, little bro!" Remarked Kilella with a grin, slapping my shoulder as I took the drone-jetpack off.


    "Ow..."


    "Yeah, that was nicely timed," Added Kumar with a sigh, "I guess, technically speaking, Mission complete. But it feels hollow, I really don''t want to find out how many of us died."


    Eh, I''m just glad that I''m still alive. And him and my sister too, I guess. I felt completely worn out and drained...I should still have plenty of stamina, but it sure didn''t feel like it...must be the side effect of XFE Recovery serum. I think I''ll just shut my eyes for a little while...


    As it turned out, only ninety-seven X-Warriors survived, of the more than four hundred and fifty casualities, two Aces died, and that aside, one of the other Aces was badly injured. We had taken out the Wight campsite, but had suffered a pretty substantial blow to our own forces...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 63 - 62 - Satisfaction

    "It''s too late for them...they''re beyond saving," Remarked one of the X-Warriors with a shake of his head.


    We had made it back to the underground bunker outside the Sanctuary, and during the fight, the captured X-Warriors were found, but they were all tortured badly, and so severely injured that the Healing Pods couldn''t do anything for them. Oh, and some of the kidnapped officials and my shithole ''father'' were here too...and they had suffered too much radiation damage to survive. They were all going to die.


    "K-kill me..."


    "Please, i-it hurts so much, kill me..."


    Damn, they must be in some serious pain...and him, Kilrafhe Floence, he''s going through the same pain...


    "We should put them out of their misery," I remarked, before adding in an overly sorrowful tone, "Oh, and as much as it pains my heart to do so, I''ll shoulder the responsibility of ending my dear father''s suffering."


    "N-no...!" He protested weakly in desperation, coughing out blood, "Y-you must save me, I...do not...want to die!"


    "How heartbreaking...all that radiation must have made you lose your mind, you don''t know what you''re talking about, father...don''t worry, I''m right here, you''re in my hands...so rest easy," I replied in an overly sensitive tone.


    "Hey, you can''t just decide that, we might still be able to save them!" Declared one of the other X-Warriors.


    "No, we can''t," Responded the X-Warrior who had earlier said that they''re beyond saving, "He''s right, we have to put them out of their misery. Otherwise, they''ll just suffer increasingly excruciating and agonizing pain and die tortured deaths. The sooner we end their suffering, the better."


    "In that case...those who can finish them painlessly and have the resolve to do so, step forward and do it," Commanded Kumar, after closing his eyes and thinking it over.


    "You sure about this, Zax?" Kilella asked me, placing her hand on my shoulder and stopping me with a look of concern.


    "Yeah, I am...in fact, I''m certain...I have to be the one to do this, it''s pointless if someone else gets to do it," I responded evenly.


    I then stepped towards Kilrafhe, setting my right X-Blaster to sniping mode, for maximum penetrative power, as a few other X-Warriors stepped forward as well. One by one, the radiation-affected victims were put out of their misery, most with decapitation.


    "N-no, stop-...," Pleaded Kilrafhe, as I took aim, "K-Kilella, h-help me...!"


    She didn''t say a word to him, instead averting her gaze, as despair filled his eyes. I then fired...striking his shoulder and eliciting an excruciating scream of pain from him.


    "Oh, no...this is so heartbreaking that my hand trembled as I fired...forgive me, father, I''ll get it right next time," I apologized in a remorseful tone, before firing again, striking his other shoulder this time, eliciting another tortured cry of agony.


    I fired again, striking his midsection, his blood oozing out like a paste...how utterly disgusting.


    "Kilzachs, that''s enough...!" Yelled Kumar, interrupting my fun...fine, I guess I''ll end him now.


    "Well, goodbye father, rest in peace...," I remarked, taking aim at his head while putting on that overful sorrowful tone, before reverting to my normal tone with a smirk and adding, "Nah, just kidding...you can go straight to hell, you rotten bastard...ugh, emphasis on rotten."


    With that, I fired, my shot pierced through his head and killing him...which send chills down my spine, a cathartic sense of euphoria washing over me...I don''t think I''ve ever felt satisfaction quite like this before. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, my heart beating like a drum...I don''t think anything I ever experience in the future is going to top this.


    "Hey, I know he''s put you through a lot, but you didn''t have to be so-!" Kumar began, grabbing my forearm.


    All the X-Warriors who were in this bunker with us were staring at me warily, while my sister was looking at me with concern.


    "Oh, it was a just a joke...since I''m an atheist, I don''t believe in heaven or hell, so that was just a bit of light dark humor...heh, get it, ''light dark''-."


    "That''s not what I''m talking about...you should have just killed him with a single shot!" He interrupted with a frown.


    "But if I did that...I''d never be able to forgive myself," I replied coldly, before adding in my normal tone, "Well, anyway, we should teleport back into the Sanctuary and report what happened. I know it''s only been a couple of days, but it''s good to be back, you know?"


    "...I''ve still got a lot to say about what you just did...but that''d clearly be a waste of breath. Yeah, let''s go back..."


    ...


    ...


    "Hm...I see, that''s unfortunate. We''ll be needing to make a lot of changes from now on," Remarked Director Silva with a frown, "Is that everything, Kumar?"


    "Yeah, that about sums up everything that happened, big sis-...I mean, director."


    It was a couple of hours later, and Kumar had just finished relaying the events following the launch of the attack on the Wight campsite to Director Silva and some other stuffy-looking officials. Six of us were here, besides myself and Kumar, my sister, Zarina and two other X-Warriors, the ones that had located the captives, were also here.


    The Ace who got injured was recovering in Healing Pods, and I think most of the others were traumatized. Less than half of the survivors had returned without incurring any significant damage, the rest all had some pretty bad injuries, some with permanent damage.


    "We''ve lost a large number of our fighting force, we need to make up for it quickly," Remarked one of the other officials.


    "Yes, I agree, over four hundred X-Warriors dead is a huge problem, our X-Warrior count dropped from over eleven hundred to a little over seven hundred. The casualties included two Aces, which is a huge blow, along with over twenty K-Ranked X-Warriors. The appearance of the Ace Mutant was unfortunate, the Mission to destroy the Wight base camp to the southeast of the Sanctuary was a success...but our own losses are heavily significant, so it''s a bittersweet achievement at best. We have to make up for our lost fighting strength as soon as possible. Any suggestions?" Inquired Director Silva with a serious grimace.


    Way to put us on the spot right after we return from a tough battle...


    "What if we dig a deep trench all around the outside of the Sanctuary and fill it with, like, acid or something?" Replied Kilella, after a few seconds of awkward silence, no one able to come up with a suggestion.


    "That''s, uh...not very practical, and would take far too long."


    "What about robots?" I chimed in, "You could repurpose those robotic training dummies for battle, equip them with a bunch of hidden weapons and stuff, have their AI''s improved to make them more suited for real combat, and have them run on XFE instead of electricity, so that any Paragon could recharge them...well, I don''t know if that''s actually possible, to be honest, but..."


    "Hm...not bad," Responded Director Silva with a nod, "Not bad at all, I think we can definitely use that. Keep the ideas coming...we were unable to keep the fact that nearly half our X-Warriors had left the Sanctuary to attack the Wights from leaking, and after that, we were forced to publicize information about the Wights, since a lot of inaccurate and dangerous conspiracies were starting to gain traction. Of course, even after we revealed the truth, the public was very critical of our actions...and no matter how hard we can''t fully cover up the result of this battle...so we might as well reveal it, at least to an extent. And we''re inevitably bound to get criticized even further by the public...so I want to be armed with solutions and fixes, even a little damage control could make a huge difference. Any other suggestions?"


    "What if we fortify the outside of the Sanctuary with stuff like blast shields and security cameras that have guns attached?" Chimed in Kumar.


    "We''re already working on that, after the Wights infiltrated the X-Warrior Zone."


    A few more suggestions were given, but...they all sucked, to put it simply.


    "Oh, I almost forgot, I recorded the entire battle," I suddenly remembered, tapping on my I-Watch, "Crap, it''s still recording, I forgot to stop it!"


    "You recorded the whole thing!? Why didn''t we think of that...we had all the bug-sized drones evacuated when the attack began so that they wouldn''t get damaged, we didn''t think about using a few of them to record the battle...that footage could prove to be invaluable. Send it to me, Kilzachs," Replied the director, her eyes lighting up.


    "Right...but it''s gonna take a while, this is nearly twenty-eight hours long. Huh, I recorded something else before that, what is-...ohhhh, right. I''ll send this too, no harm in that, so why not?" I remarked, sending both recordings.


    I almost forgot, I started recording when Zarina got all bitchy with me on the way there.


    "Alright, then, I''ll go through the footage after I receive the files."


    "If I may make a suggestion, I''d like to have Hebi, our Wight captive to also look through the footage...my reason is simple, something felt off about that battle. Honestly, considering how outnumbered we were, even with the surprise attack and all that, if they had any on their side who could match our Aces, we''d have definitely been wiped out. The Aces each took out a few hundred of them each, but none of the Wights were single-handedly able to take out too many of us."


    "What are you getting at, Kilzachs?" She asked curiously, narrowing her eyes.


    "I''m not quite sure yet...but I have a feeling that the Wights we attacked and killed weren''t their main fighting force, a lot of them had really weak XFE powers, and the strongest-...oh, I almost forgot, I captured a Wight Anomaly. He was in one of the jets," I suddenly recalled.


    "Don''t worry, I made sure that he was properly restrained and held captive before we came to make our report here," Responded Kumar.


    "Get back to what you were saying, Kilzachs."


    "Right, as I was saying, they just seemed too weak, it was almost too easy...it''s possible that I''d just overestimated them, but..."


    "...but if you''re not, then it''s possible that we only eliminated a second-string army," She finished grimly.


    "Yeah, exactly. That''s why I want Hebi to watch the footage I recorded, to identify the Wights we fought...if he recognizes some as the strongest Wights he knew, then my suspicions will be proven false...but if he doesn''t recognize them as strong Wights, then my suspicion may be accurate. It''s too late now, but in hindsight, having him spar with some of us might have been useful, to give us an idea of exactly what to expect when we fight the other Wights."


    "Hm...very well, after I''ve fully reviewed the footage, I''ll let you know whether or not you can show it to him as well. Okay, then, if there''s nothing else, then you''re all dismissed."


    I began to turn around and leave, when I recalled another little detail from that battle...


    "Oh, I just remembered!" I exclaimed, before nodding at Zarina, "It turns out that Prodigies aren''t limited to just Primary Manifestations and Secondary Manifestations."


    "Huh? What does he mean?" Inquired Director Silva curiously, looking at Zarina inquiringly.


    "It''s, uh...a bit hard to explain," She responded awkwardly.


    "I think it''ll be easier to show you rather than try and explain," I chimed in, before remotely connected my I-Watch to the projector, Director Silva had given me the password for that.


    I then opened my cloud drive and clicked on the recording, skimming through the first hour of the footage until I found what I was looking for...Zarina getting overwhelmed by several Wights, close to being killed, when suddenly, it looked like something clicks in her expression, before she fired out that Manifestation Overdrive technique.


    "Woah...," Muttered Kilella with a wide-eyed look.


    "That''s some serious power...how exactly did you do that?" Inquired Kumar with a look of intrigue.


    "I don''t really know...I just felt like my regular arrows weren''t going to be enough to save me here, and I began desperately wishing that they were more powerful, I guess...honestly, I don''t even know if I can do it again, I kind of understand how I did it, but at the same time, I don''t...its not like my Primary and Secondary Manifestations, which I instinctively knew how to use...this feels more like I need to work on to get the hang of."


    Huh, interesting...the chip that gets implanted during the Awakening Procedure is an AI that regulates the flow of XFE, and in the case of Prodigies, diverts the XFE into two different forms of output, the Primary and Secondary Manifestations, which is often influenced by the person in question''s imagination and preferences.


    And since Prodigies instinctively know how to trigger both those outputs, they probably never try to manifest their XFE in any other way. Huh, that raises questions about Anomalies too, is the Awakening Chip holding back Anomalies too? Then again, the Paragons in the Sanctuary can''t use their XFE at all without the Awakening Procedure, since we hadn''t evolved as much as the Wights had.


    I have no way to prove that hypothesis though, I might be completely off-base here...so I won''t bring it up for now, I''m sure they''ll figure it out on their own soon enough. Anyway, with that, there was nothing more to discuss, so we were dismissed.


    I got back from a super difficult and important Mission relatively unscathed, but...I have a strong feeling that the Sanctuary''s conflict with the Wights was only getting started...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 64 - 63 - Revealed Again

    "Yeah, no doubt about it...heck, I''m stronger than most of these guys."


    "I see...in which case...thanks for the input, Hebi," I replied with a sigh.


    "Uh...you okay? I don''t think you''ve ever thanked me before."


    "Hm? Well, yeah, because you''ve never given me a reason to before."


    It was a few days later, and while the Sanctuary was in a sort of uproar right now, thanks to the X-Warrior Zone deciding to go public with the battle that just occurred. Director Silva and co were being hit with some pretty severe criticism, though the solutions they presented, my robot idea and fortification of the Sanctuary, were reasonably well-received, and kept the outrage from getting too out of hand.


    Yesterday, Director Silva had contacted me and given me the okay to show Hebi the footage and to come meet her after I get his thoughts regarding the suspicion I had...and he''d just confirmed it. The strongest of the Wights...hadn''t been at the campsite. He did say a few of them that he saw in my recording were kinda strong, but none that were seen in my footage were among the strongest.


    "You know, now that I think about it...I vaguely recall our leaders saying something about provoking the Sanctuary to attack us, and let them kill some of us since that''ll give us a valid reason to attack the Sanctuary. See, like me, there are lot of Wights who would prefer a peaceful approach and aren''t hateful suicidal maniacs. I''m guessing they posted ten thousand Wights at our base camp here in order to deal as heavy a blow to the Sanctuary as possible, and also to maintain the cover of the plan...if there were only, like, a few hundred of them, the Sanctuary might have figured out what they''re upto. At least, that''s my assumption."


    "What do you mean ''vaguely recall'', why didn''t you tell me this before!? Well, whatever, what''s done is done, I guess," I sighed in exasperation...my current Save point was set about two hours before we arrived at the campsite and launched the attack, but I can''t be bothered with going through all that again...


    "Woah, what just happened!?" Suddenly exclaimed Hebi, pointing at the screen, where the footage I''d recorded was playing.


    I looked over to see...oh, crap. Shit...fuck...oh, no...it was the part where I killed the Wight with the XFE hammers...by freezing time. Of course, in the video, it just looked like he was above me one second and then suddenly below me in the next frame.


    Uh-oh...next up is the part where I run into the Wight Anomaly and he asked me if I was the one who froze time...fuck. Damn it, damn it, damn it...this must be why Director Silva asked me to come see her after I''m done with showing Hebi the footage.


    How...how the hell did I forget about that part!? Damn it, I''m such an idiot, that was something that I absolutely could not have afforded to overlook...shit, this is really fucking bad...


    "I, uh...I gotta go," I remarked with a gulp, before rushing out through the door.


    This is seriously bad news for me, how many people saw that footage? Should I use Load after all? No, let''s not be so hasty...because I really don''t want to go through that battle again. Tch, I should have set a new Save point after we got away. Well, whatever, I''ll just deal with this and see how it goes, if my abilities end up getting publicly revealed or something equally bad happens, then I''ll have no choice but to go back in time...


    I reached HQ before long, a growing sense of anxiety around me as I made my way to Director Silva''s office and knocked on the door, before reluctantly entering. Here goes...


    "Oh, it''s you, Kilzachs. You''re here earlier than I thought you''d be."


    "Uh, yeah...so, what did you wanna talk about?" I inquired, maintaining an even tone.


    "Well, I was watching the footage you sent me, and one part was a bit strange...a Wight attacked you, and then, all of a sudden, it vanished and was below you, with its head decapitated."


    Shit...


    "Huh...you don''t say," I replied, struggling not to avert my gaze.


    "And after that, when you fought and captured the Wight Anomaly, it asked you if you were the one who ''froze time''...naturally, I was wondering about that."


    Fuck.


    "Y-yeah, I thought that was weird...I mean, no one can freeze time, you know? And the other thing was probably a glitch or something, uh...the radiation, you know?" I responded with a shrug.


    "There weren''t any other ''glitches'' though," She pointed out with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, that Wight used really large XFE hammers, so the radiation must have gotten concentrated right then."


    "Are you...making all this up on the spot?" She remarked with a slight laugh, "That''s...actually kind of impressive."


    I''m not convincing her, damn it...


    "I don''t know what you mean..."


    "As you know, this room is soundproofed to prevent eavesdropping, and I can also assure you that there aren''t any recording devices in here, so you can talk freely. This will all be off the record, so to speak. Therefore...cut the crap, Kilzachs."


    I''m obviously not going to convince her, so there''s no point in playing innocent any longer...


    "...yes, ma''am."


    "So, then...are you an Anomaly?"


    "...yeah."


    "And...your power is to freeze time?"


    Let''s try one more lie...


    "No, it''s teleportation...I teleported above the Wight and then decapitated him-."


    "I thought of that, but the footage doesn''t quite match up. Is your power the ability to freeze time?"


    "...yes."


    "Any other powers?"


    "Nope."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yup. So, uh...did you send that footage to anyone else?" I inquired warily.


    "No, I''m the only who''s seen it, so far anyway. The way you asked that, you''d prefer if it remained that way, correct?" She stated with narrowed eyes.


    "Yeah...correct."


    She then let out a long sigh and slumped back into her seat, before shifting her gaze back towards me.


    "I can''t deny that I understand why you would want to keep such an ability hidden, but it would have be useful to know about this...I thought that maybe your incredible accuracy with shooting was because you freeze time, take aim and then shoot, but that''s highly unlikely...you''d look like your body was glitching, especially your arms."


    "Yeah, and the way my ability works, it''d be harder to shoot someone while it''s active, stuff like momentum is negated while time is frozen. I haven''t really used it that often, I haven''t needed to much," I responded with a shrug.


    "Hope you haven''t been misusing that ability," She said half-jokingly, before adding in a more serious tone, "I have to admit...honestly, it''s a little terrifying to know that someone can freeze time like you can."


    "It''s not like it''s foolproof, you know...other Anomalies don''t get frozen in time when I use it. Anyway, could you keep this to yourself?" I requested sheepishly, "I really don''t want too many people finding out."


    "Hm...very well, I''ll agree to that...for now, anyway. Does anyone else know?"


    "Only Johan and Sakura, the other student Anomaly, really know, though it wasn''t my intention to let them know, it was that annoying Anomaly resonance upon physical contact thing...my sister and Kumar know that I''m an Anomaly, Kumar found the incident where I saved my classmates during my first teamwork exam kinda fishy and grilled me about it...but I told them that my ability was teleportation, which fit pretty well as an explanation as to how I saved them."


    "Very clever...and considering the fact that you even tried to keep it from your sister, whom you''re clearly very close to, then you''re pretty serious about keeping it to yourself. If you don''t mind me asking, did Minister Floence disown you before or after you awakened as an Anomaly? From what I''ve heard from the other Anomalies, they didn''t awaken immediately like Prodigies do."


    "Well...at first, I thought I was just a regular Paragon, and that old bastard was furious when I told him. I had a really bad headache that kept getting worse, so I went to the bathroom to wash my face, blacked out, and woke up as an Anomaly. I decided to first find out what he really thinks of me before revealing that I was an Anomaly...but after I found out how he felt, I decided against it...proving him wrong had been my main reason, I was looking forward to seeing the look on his face after I rose to the top as a ''Dud''...that said, killing him was more than a little satisfying, I have to say."


    "You, uh...probably shouldn''t tell me that, you know."


    "I thought you said that this is all off the record."


    "Well, yeah, that''s true, but...never mind, it''s fine. You certainly can be very, very blunt sometimes, but I suppose that isn''t a bad thing. Now, then, I agreed to keep the fact that you''re an Anomaly a secret, I''ll even trim out the footage that proves that fact too...but, on the condition that..."


    This is technically blackmail, right?


    "...on the condition that...?" I prompted with a wry smile.


    "Well, as you already know, we cover up a lot of the crimes in the Sanctuary. And after all the deaths we suffered, we''re quite significantly understaffed...your ability makes you perfect for this. I''d like you to investigate and resolve crimes in the North Quadrant. This will likely involve you having to get your hands dirty, we''ve recently discovered signs of organized crime, you see. At worst, you may be asked to kill people. It likely won''t be very often...crime may not be as non-existent as we have the public believe, but it is still pretty rare for major crimes to pop up."


    Oh, is that all?


    "So, I''ll be like your own personal assassin or something? I''m not against that, but how busy will that keep me? Just so you know, I can only continuously freeze time for a few minutes at a time," I remarked in reply.


    "Don''t worry, you are still a student X-Warrior, so I''ll make sure that it won''t compromise your Academy work much."


    Much?


    "Fine, I agree," I relented reluctantly.


    "Glad to hear it, and you needn''t worry, your secret is safe with me. I see merit in keeping an ability like yours hidden," She assured me with a smile, "Well, that''s all I wanted to talk to you about, so unless there''s something more that you want to discuss...?"


    "Nah, I''m good. I should get going anyway, classes start up again tomorrow, so I want to do everything I need to do for the day so that I can finish early and go to sleep."


    "You really aren''t much of a night owl, are you?"


    "It''s not that, it''s more that I''m really, and I mean REALLY, not a morning person, so I go to sleep extra early whenever I have classes the next day. Well, anyway, I''ll be taking my leave, if there''s nothing else."


    "Wait...could you show me your ability? I''m rather curious to see it..."


    I really don''t feel like putting on a show for her right now...


    "Uh...maybe next time?"


    "Fine...but I''m holding you to that."


    "Sure, go ahead. Well, see ya later, Director."


    "Alright, then, I''ll contact you later with more details regarding the deal we made."


    You mean when you blackmailed me?


    Anyway, with that, I left. So, then, that makes five people who know about my ability...so far, I''ve managed to keep my time traveling ability hidden, but three people now know about my time stopping ability...how much longer will I be able to keep the fact that I''m an Anomaly a secret...?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 65 - 64 - Satisfaction(Part 2)

    Today was the 15th of August, 2116, and I was currently in class. Over a week had passed since the battle, and it''d been a couple of days since Director Silva found out that I was an Anomaly. Classes had resumed yesterday, and...well, that was it really, nothing else notable to speak of. No crimes to investigate or whatever, not yet anyway.


    Director Silva had said that I don''t need to hide the fact that I was a part of that Mission, but I''m not really interested in glory or attention, in fact, it''d probably annoy me. So, I won''t say anything, if my classmates find out on their own, then so be it. Because otherwise, I''m fine with no one knowing about it.


    "Pay attention, students, I''ve got an important topic to discuss," Remarked Kumar, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    It was the first session of the day, theory class, and I hadn''t gotten enough sleep last night...so I was kinda dozing off.


    "Wonder what this is about," Said Suri in response.


    "Who knows, probably something that isn''t actually all that important," I muttered in reply.


    "You''ve really got that ''wet blanket'' vibe to you, man," Chimed in Mitchell, who was sitting in front of me.


    "Shut up...," I grumbled in reply, as Kumar began to talk.


    "Okay, what we''re discussing today is the new ability that we''ve discovered Prodigies are capable of, which was seen during the recent battle by the Ace, Zarina Serik, and directly witnessed and recorded by your own classmate," He explained, nodding at me.


    Oh, come on...


    "Wait, what exactly do you mean, instructor?" Inquired Suri with a confused look, as the rest of the class turned to stare at me with baffled expressions, "Are you saying that Kilzachs was a part of that battle?"


    "Oh...of course he didn''t tell you. Yup, he was one of our key players, actually."


    That''s kind of an exaggeration, I wasn''t that important...


    "No way, quit kidding around, instructor, there''s no way that this Dud could have been a part of such a high level Mission and come back alive!" Laughed Asshole in disbelief.


    "Well, as it happens, regarding the newly discovered Prodigy ability, I''m to show you a clip of the footage Kilzachs recorded of it," He replied, as a projector descended from the ceiling and projected onto the whiteboard.


    It then began playing the part where I saw Zarina use Manifestation Overdrive, my classmates watching with awe and shock.


    "Woah, there''s another technique we can unlock? That''s so awesome!" Exclaimed Lin with a grin.


    "Yeah, this is pretty cool," Agreed Andre, looking intrigued.


    "It''s probably going to be crazy hard to figure out though, I mean, after all this time, only one Prodigy has discovered it, and she''s as Ace at that," Pointed out Mitchell objectively.


    "Hah, I knew it, the Dud can''t fly, so that can''t be him recording!" Scoffed Asshole triumphantly.


    "He was using a jetpack. Here''s more footage, you can see that it''s his weapons and fighting style," Responded Kumar with a frown, playing a few more clips.


    Not that I don''t appreciate it, but it''s kinda embarrassing that he''s getting all defensive on my behalf.


    "No, this has to be fake...," Muttered Asshole skeptically.


    "You''re an idiot, aren''t you?" Sighed Kumar with a look of disbelief.


    "I agree, you''re acting like accepting the fact that Kilzachs was a part of that Mission would kill you or something," Remarked Mitchell disdainfully.


    "No, I refuse to believe it, that would be like admitting that he''s better than us!" He exclaimed with a frown.


    "No, it really wouldn''t, but at the very least, I know that I''m better than you, Asshole," I chimed in condescendingly.


    "What was that!? You fucking Dud, don''t get so ahead of yourself! I challenge you to a duel!" He declared, standing up and turning around to glare at me.


    You know what, that sounds great, actually...


    "Bring it, I''ll break your fucking face, dipshit."


    "You''re asking for it, I''ll crush you with everything I''ve got!" He snarled viciously.


    "Yeah, I''d like to see you try," I scoffed, in an attempt to provoke him further.


    After a couple of seconds of silence, Kumar spoke up...


    "You know what, I''m supposed to discuss the Manifestation Overdrive thing with you guys, but let''s put that on hold. Let''s go down to one of the training halls and settle this."


    Woah, I think he actually wants to see me humiliate Asshole...so this is what it''s like to be on the positive end of favoritism, huh, I was always at the other end of it when I was in school...well, I''m much obliged...


    ...


    About ten minutes later, I was inside a Duel Field with Asshole, the countdown ticking over to the start of the fight...is this really happening? I got to kill Kilrafhe Floence a few days ago, and now I get to beat the crap out of the person I hate the most after him...heh, what''d I do to deserve such good fucking luck?


    "Fair warning, Dud, give up now, before I embarrass you in front of everyone!" He snickered arrogantly.


    Oh, I''m so going to enjoy this...


    "Give up? Why though, you''re like, the weakest person in the class," I remarked, putting on a confused expression.


    "Why, you-...! Grr, I''ll make you eat those words, you fucking worm...!" He growled, before activating his X-Abilities, "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Shield>!"


    I drew out my X-Blade handles and activated them, as the countdown ticked below ten seconds. I won''t use my X-Blasters, I don''t need to against him, that''d make it too easy...and too boring.


    It''s almost time...three...two...one!


    I shot forwards towards him at top speed, springing up as he swung his sword horizontally across at me as I closed in. He then raised his shield defensively, I used it as a springboard to leap up and over him, combining my blade handles along their lengths to reform the blades into a single wide and long blade, swiftly slashing it straight up at him as I landed behind him, teleporting him out before he could react.


    Woah...he''s so slow. I mean, I expected this to be easy, but holy shit...that was just pathetic. That was so anticlimactic and unsatisfying. I didn''t even get to inflict any pain on him, no fair! This won''t do, I can''t leave this the way it is...


    "I demand a rematch!" I called out with a look of disappointment, "I mean, that...that was just sad."


    "I-I wasn''t fully ready, don''t let that fluke get to your head, Dud!" He exclaimed in reply, re-entering the Duel Field.


    This is way beyond just being in denial...what is wrong with him? Well, then it''s settled...I''m going to hammer into him the fact that it wasn''t a fluke...I''ll leave no doubts in his mind about which of us is stronger...I''ll shatter his ego into a million pieces. That brief exchange just now was enough for me to confirm that he''s way slower than me, and that my technique is several times sharper than his is.


    I''ll destroy him, crush his confidence and break every last one of his bones. The countdown began again, this time starting at ten seconds, as he re-formed his Manifestations with gritted teeth, a deep grimace on his face.


    Oh, I''m going to enjoy this, here we go again...three...two...one!


    This time, he made the first move, rushing towards me with his sword poised and his shield protectively in front of his torso.


    Woah...he''s got so many openings that I don''t know which one to use...I don''t think I even need to use any of my weapons to defeat him...I''ve worked extensively on every aspect of my fighting style when training, from shooting to swordplay to bare handed combat...and against an opponent like this, I was confident that just a single one of those attacks would be more than enough to defeat him...so I''ll go with regular old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat.


    "Since I''m too strong for you with my weapons, this time I''ll crush you with my bare fists!" I remarked with a cold smirk, "You''re welcome!"


    "You fucking Dud...!"


    He closed in and let out a fierce yell as he swung his sword at my neck, I responded by swiftly dropping to the ground, his blade slicing through the air. I then swiftly planted my hands on the ground and drove my foot straight up at him, my rising kick slamming onto the bottom of his jaw and sending him flying back with a dazed gasp of pain.


    I then shot forward, and right before he could crash onto the ground, I unleashed a swift front-flip kick, my heel crashing onto the middle of his chest with a resounding impact, he coughed out blood as his back slammed onto the ground, as I felt a rib crack.


    No doubt about it, the more I train, the more I bridge the gap between the physical strength levels between myself and Prodigies...of course, I''ll never be able to match the ones that actively work on their physical strength, but against someone like Asshole, who primarily works mostly on his skills with using his Manifestations, I can definitely narrow down that gap.


    As he shakily got back on his feet, he quickly raised his shield in alarm as I closed in again, I swiftly spun myself across with a shuffle of my feet so that I was to his right, and then drove my fist towards his side, my knuckles slamming onto his left side, just below his ribcage. He let out a gasp of pain as his shield Manifestation got destabilized and disappeared, before shakily swinging his sword down at me with a yell.


    I struck his wrist with my palm to deflect his strike, dissipating his sword Manifestation, and slammed my knee onto his solar plexus, his torso fully exposed now that his shield was gone...he''s so full of openings that this is ridiculously easy. I then drew back my leg slightly, but instead of lowering it, I rapidly extended it, swinging my foot straight up and across, which struck the side of his face, knocking out a tooth as he stumbled back.


    As the tooth skidded away along the ground, I swiftly closed in again, not giving him a chance to recover. I then ran a little bit of XFE into my gloves and struck his torso with a couple of swift punches, the electric charge deliberately not strong enough to knock him out, just enough to daze him a bit. His knees wobbled a bit and he stumbled back...now to really have some fun, I won''t even give you a chance to breathe...


    I swung a punch at the side of his face, blood splattering on ground as I struck him, followed by a twisting palm strike to the throat, eliciting a pained cough from him, blood running down the sides of his mouth. I then swiftly leapt up and unleashed a rapid triple kick at him, striking his abdomen, chest and chin in quick succession.


    I then used the upward momentum on my foot to raise it up as high as possible, before swinging it down with as much force as I could generate, the bottom of my heel slamming onto his forehead, as I felt his skull crack slightly. He stumbled back while wheezing with pain, his forehead bleeding and his eyes glossing over.


    Good, he''s still conscious and standing, though just barely...


    As I drove another punch towards him, the memory of the time he almost burnt me with hot coffee back in middle school flashed through my head, my left fist striking his chest with a crushing impact, before I twisted across and drove my right elbow straight towards his neck, striking his throat and eliciting a strangled gasp of pain from him, blood spraying out his mouth.


    I then spun around behind him, grabbed his wrists firmly, pulled his arms back and jumped up, bending my knees as I aimed the bottom of my feet at his back, the memory of the incident with Bytra went through my mind, which he had masterminded...I let go of his wrists right as my feet slammed onto his back, as he crashed onto the ground on his front, both arms dislocated at the shoulders.


    Oh, he''s getting up again...he''s barely even conscious anymore, but he''s still that desperate not to lose to me? I shot forward and leapt towards him as he stood back up, slamming my knee onto his chest, cracking another rib, as the memories of him calling me a Dud and insulting me for no apparent reason went through my mind...


    I grabbed the top of his hair and lifted him back up as he fell onto the ground again, pulling him onto his feet, his eyes looking glassy and lifeless...not long before he loses consciousness now. I''ve been careful not to inflict any damage that''ll activate the Duel Field''s teleportation function, it only reacts to fatal blows and attacks that leave permanent damage, like cutting off a limb or something.


    I then unleashed an absolute barrage of punches and kicks at him, pushing him back bit by bit, till his back struck the wall of the barrier...I drew back my right fist, rapidly running XFE into my right glove and building up an electric charge.


    "S-stop...," He uttered weakly, but that only encouraged me, sending a chill of satisfaction down my spine.


    I drove my fist forward towards his face, and right as it began to strike his face...he got teleported out, my fist instead going forward and hitting the wall of the Duel Field, the electric charge dispersing throughout the barrier upon impact, which cracked slightly. Looks like I failed to land the money shot...but regardless, that was still supremely satisfying...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 66 - 65 - Hanging Out(Part 1)

    "No way...the Dud actually beat Tairo," Remarked Makoto in disbelief.


    Oh, that''s right...this fat fuck is the same as Asshole.


    "What, you wanna challenge me too?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "Hah, I-I''ve got better things to do than humor you, Dud."


    "Y''know, I was expecting that to be one-sided, but not by that much, holy shit...also, you were enjoying yourself way too much, dude, you should''ve seen the look on your face...in fact, you can see it...here, I took a picture," Said Mitchell, showing me his I-Watch holoscreen.


    Woah...that smile looks kinda evil...did I really look like that while I was fighting? Hm, I should be more self-aware.


    "Well, what can I say, I''ve been waiting to do that for a really long time," I replied with a sheepish smirk, before stopping by Bytra and adding, "Hey, I''d absolutely love it if you challenged me to a fight too...in fact, I encourage it."


    "N-no, thanks," She responded, shrinking back.


    "Alright, alright, cut it out, Zax, don''t push it," Sighed Kumar, "I made an exception here because, frankly, he was getting on my nerves too, and I was confident that you could shut him up. Still, I wasn''t expecting you to beat him up so much, I''m probably gonna get in trouble for okaying this...no regrets though, that was great."


    "Heh, favoritism much, instructor?" Inquired Lin with a laugh.


    "If you''re asking me if I like some students more than others, then yes, guilty as charged. Someone take Tairo to a Healing Pod, try not to be seen by another instructor if possible. Everyone else...let''s get back to class. And if anyone asks...I don''t know, just make up something convincing," He instructed with a shrug.


    ...at this rate, he''ll lose this job...well, not that it matters, since he''s literally an Ace X-Warrior. As I headed back to the classroom with the rest of my classmates, much to my chagrin, a few of them walked up to me to talk...


    "Dude, you''ve got, like, a real violent streak, I can relate," Grinned Taayin, smacking my shoulder.


    ...I don''t want to relate to you, though. I''m not that violent...am I? Wait, am I?


    "You look like you''re just realizing that," Observed Zoya with a smile.


    "Uh...I mean, it''s not like I''m indiscriminately violent, just against people I hate," I replied with a sheepish shrug, "And besides, I wasn''t all that violent, was I?"


    "You hit him in the face so hard that a tooth got knocked out," Pointed out Katie, in her usual emotionless tone.


    "Oh, so I did...guess maybe you guys have a point..."


    ...


    ...


    "Hey, you guys free after this?" Inquired Mitchell, turning around and asking me and the other two in the back row with me.


    "Why do you ask?" I responded curiously.


    "A few of us are planning on hanging out at the Entertainment District in the North Quadrant, so if you guys are free, the more the merrier, I''m asking whoever''s not busy."


    Hm...I''m not all that interested, but I guess I could give it a shot...I''ve never hung out with a group of people before, it won''t hurt to experience it at least once, I suppose.


    "Sure, why not?" I replied with a shrug.


    "Yeah, I''m free too," Added Suri, after mulling it over.


    "I''m out, I''ve got something to do today," Kiran turned him down.


    "Aw, that''s too bad. Well, I''m gonna go ask the rest of the class," Responded Mitchell, standing up and walking by each desk one by one.


    Wow, I could never do that...watching an extrovert in action is quite fascinating, where do they get the courage to just walk up and initiate a conversation so casually?


    As it turned out, eight people accepted the invitation, for a total of nine, namely, Andre, Seila, Lin, Zoya, Mitchell, Katie, Suri, myself...and Bytra. Great. All but four of my classmates...Asshole was in the infirmary, Taayin and Kiran were busy, and Makoto had already left.


    "I''m surprised that you''re tagging along, you usually only hang out with the douchebag and that sleazy fat guy," Suri said to Bytra.


    "W-well, I..."


    "She just wants to be in with the popular crowd, and she''d gladly cut off someone she''s close to if that''ll ensure that," I remarked icily.


    "Huh, is it just me, or does it sound like you''re speaking from personal experience?" Inquired Mitchell with an intrigued look of curiosity.


    "It doesn''t concern you," I responded bluntly.


    "Come on now, play nice, everyone. We''ve been classmates for over half a year now, we should all try and get along," Interjected Andre amicably.


    "I agree, we shouldn''t have any conflicts amongst ourselves," Added Zoya with a nod.


    "No need to be so uptight, it''s boring without a little drama every now and then!" Argued Lin with a laugh.


    "So, um, what are we going to do in the Entertainment District?" Seila asked Mitchell.


    "Heh, just leave it to me, I''ve got it all planned out!" He replied with a grin.


    "Well, no time like the present...why don''t we get going?" Suggested Andre.


    With that, we headed out, taking a shuttle bus to the Teleportation Point that''s connected to the North Quadrant, and from there, teleported straight to the Entertainment District. Every time I''ve come here, it''s usually been by myself...I''ve been here a few times with my sister when I was younger, and there was THAT time at that amusement park.


    Never expected to come here with classmates. For most people, the term ''classmates'' is probably associated with friends or at least friendly acquaintances. However, for me, it was the opposite. It''s a lot better now, at the X-Warrior Academy, most of my classmates were far from unpleasant.


    But that was most certainly not the case in the past...at best, I was ignored and left alone, and at worst, I was treated like shit for something that I didn''t even do. So, naturally, I never had a group of friends to hang out with or whatever. It''s probably something that''s perfectly normal to most people, but I''ve never actually experienced it.


    I mean, don''t get me wrong, it doesn''t bother me or anything like that, but there are times where I find myself wondering what it would be like if I''d had people that I could get along with when I was growing up. The only person I could lean on was my sister, my father was, well, you know, and my mother was indifferent at best.


    I''m not really sure what exactly I''m trying to get at, this is just a situation that I''m not used to, it''s a total first for me. A part of me was hoping that I wouldn''t enjoy this, because that would mean that I didn''t miss out on anything growing up...but if I enjoyed myself, then it''d mean that while most people experienced this on a regular basis, I missed out on it.


    ...what? I may be pretty heavily pessimistic and cynical about life in general, and I''m probably on the cold and blunt side too, but it''s not like I''m a robot, you know. As cliche as it sounds, I have feelings too.


    I guess I''m thinking about this so much because, well...I''m realizing for the first time that I''m not an outcast amongst my current classmates...I may not be especially close with many of them, but I''m a hell of a lot closer than I''d ever been with any of my classmates from my school days.


    "You good? You look kinda spaced out," Remarked Suri, stepping up beside me near the back of the group, as Mitchell led the way.


    "Hm? Oh, yeah, I''m fine...nothing to worry about," I replied, snapping out of it.


    "You sure? Well, if you say so."


    Anyway, I wonder where Mitchell is taking us...wait a sec, I know this route...


    "Hey, I was wondering, are we going to the area where all the casinos are?" I asked Mitchell, tapping his shoulder.


    "Wha-...not cool, man, you ruined the surprise. And how did you know?"


    "I''ve just been down this route a few times, so it seemed familiar," I replied with a shrug.


    I got paid pretty well for that last Mission, so I won''t need to visit the casinos for a while, but I still can''t exactly say that I''ve been relying on the casino slot machines to get myself a source of income for the past six years or so.


    "Huh, really? You come here often?" He asked curiously.


    "No, not really."


    "Man, you''re so hard to read...you should be more transparent, you know, since we''re going to be in the same team and all."


    Oh, right, I almost forgot...I''m in a team with this guy, Suri, Seila and Katie.


    "I''m not trying to be difficult to read, maybe you''re just illiterate," I responded with a huff.


    "...we''re gonna have some annoying friction between us, aren''t we?" He remarked with a wry smile, "Well, I''m not gonna complain, it could be a lot worse."


    "Funny, I could say the same thing in regard to you...but no, if there''s someone who can justifiably complain about his teammates...it''s this guy," I remarked, nodding at Andre.


    "Huh, me? What makes you say that?" He responded in bemusement.


    "What, are you kidding me?" I replied incredulously, "Your team is literally the three worst people in the class put together, plus you, the person who''s most likely to be able to tolerate them."


    "Damn, that''s pretty harsh...so far, I haven''t had any issues though."


    "Yeah, well, it''s only been a few days, give it time," I assured him.


    "...your confidence unsettles me," He sighed with a wary grin, "Uh, also...you do realize that one of my teammates is here, right?"


    Yeah, I know, her presence almost made me reconsider tagging along for this.


    "So, what? If I have something to say about someone, I''ll say it regardless of whether they''re within earshot or not. But I guess you have a point, it''s bad to hurt people''s feelings or whatever," I remarked in an exaggeratedly serious tone, before turning to Bytra and adding as she flinched, "I totally meant everything I said, but...no offense. Also, I don''t mean that, I very much meant offense...but, you know, no offense."


    "I-I, um...," She began, before trailing off and averting her gaze.


    "Okay, I''m very curious about the beef between you two, but let''s hold that thought...we''re here!" Grinned Mitchell, as we arrived at a casino.


    Huh, I''ve never been in this one before, I avoided it because it looked too swanky and intimidating to approach. Well, guess there''s a first time for everything. Alright, then, let''s see how this goes...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 67 - 66 - Hanging Out(Part 2)

    "We came all the way here to play cards?" Inquired Katie, as she raised.


    So, yeah, we were playing poker. I knew the rules since I used to play it online a few times, but it''s a mostly luck-based game, as most card games are, so I lost interest stopped playing it before long. I could win every round if I used Save and Load, but...I''m not gonna waste my powers on a game that I really couldn''t care less about winning or losing. In other words, if it looks like I''m going to lose money, I''ll fold right away.


    "You know, it''s hard to tell if you''re just asking or being sarcastic, your tone and expression give nothing away," Remarked Mitchell with a wry smilr.


    "Hm, what do you mean?" She replied with a slight tilt of her head.


    "Exactly."


    He''s got a point, I can never tell whether she''s being serious or sarcastic either.


    "Aw, man...I fold, I keep getting awful cards," Sighed Andre, placing his cards on the table, "I''m almost out of chips too."


    "Hey, I have an idea, whoever ends up in last place should have to do a penalty," Suggested Lin with a grin.


    "Ooh, I like that, how should we decide what the penalty is?" Asked Mitchell, instantly sold on the idea.


    "How about whoever finishes in first place decides?" Replied Lin, after thinking it over.


    "Yup, sounds good to me!"


    "Hold on a sec, I''m against that!" Protested Andre, who was sure to finish in last place, "The loser already loses the most money, so there''s no need!"


    "I agree, and besides, we''re in public, we''ll probably get kicked out of this place if we do any stupid dares or whatever," I added objectively.


    "In that case...let''s put it to a vote!" Declared Mitchell, "So far, it''s two for and two against. There''s nine of us total, so it won''t be a tie."


    "Sure, if the majority agrees, then I won''t say anything," I replied...depending on how the vote goes, I might use Save and Load, after all.


    "Alright, then...what do the rest of you guys say?"


    "Against," Responded Katie immediately.


    "Hm...I guess it could be fun, so long as the penalties aren''t too extreme, so I''m not against it," Said Zoya, voting for.


    "Um, I''m against it," Chimed in Seila timidly.


    That''s four against and three for. Looking good so far.


    "I''ll, uh, vote for," Mumbled Bytra awkwardly...she''d been pretty quiet this whole time, she''d barely spoken to anyone.


    And for the tiebreaker...


    "I''m voting against," Added Suri with a frown.


    Yes!


    "Aw, man...you guys suck," Sighed Mitchell with a look of disappointment, "Alright, after we finish this game, let''s move on to the next stop!"


    Huh, guess he lost interest in this place since the votes didn''t work out the way he''d hoped. Well, I don''t mind, card games aren''t really my thing. As I glanced around, I noticed that some of the staff were setting up dominoes in a pattern. Some of the others had noticed too.


    "Hey, what''s going on over there?" Andre inquired curiously, asking a passing staff member.


    "Hm? Oh, some customers booked the entire casino for a birthday party later this evening, and they requested that we set this up, so that when the dominoes are knocked down, it spells out a birthday message," He explained, before nodding politely and carrying on.


    "Guess it''s a good thing we decided to leave after this current game, huh?" Remarked Zoya with a wry smile.


    "I kinda wanna see the dominoes fall though," Sighed Mitchell wistfully...it was his idea to leave soon in the first place, he sure changes his tune easily.


    "Word, that stuff is so satisfying to watch," Agreed Andre.


    Anyway, we soon wrapped up the game and left...or at least, we began to leave. See, the area in which they were setting up the dominoes was between where we were and the exit. I''m assuming they were placing it there so that when the customers who booked the whole place show up, the domino message will be the first thing they see.


    There was plenty of space for us to go around the set-up dominoes, of course, but I overlooked one important fact...we''ve got someone here who''s so clumsy that even physics has no say in her falls and tumbles, to the extent that harem protagonists are put to shame.


    Yeah, someone should have figured that this would happen...okay, so maybe I kinda saw it coming, but I didn''t say anything because, A, I didn''t think that it would actually happen, and B, because if it did happen, it''d be fun to watch...that said, my expectations were still exceeded...and then some.


    Right as a waiter carrying a half-empty glass on a tray walked past us, she tripped over her own feet, desperately attempted to maintain her balance, before falling to her left...and bumping into the waiter, right as Zoya grabbed her right arm and stopped her from falling.


    The waiter stumbled off to his right with an alarmed yell, the glass starting to fly off the tray, before he quickly reached out for it with his other hand and grabbed it in mid-air...wow, that was kinda impressive.


    But, the chain reaction had only just begun, and my classmates and I watched it unfold with near-disbelief...some of the liquid in the glass splashed out before he grabbed it, falling onto the floor...right behind where one of the other staff members was setting up one section of the dominoes.


    And then, another employee walked past from behind him, but didn''t see the liquid on the floor and slipped on it, letting out a startled yell, as he reached out to grab hold of something...and ended up grasping the belt of the guy setting up the dominoes.


    Naturally, they both fell down...and the guy who got dragged down, his knee brushed against the last domino he''d set up...and knocked it down. Which knocked down another one, followed by another one, and another-...you know how dominoes work, I don''t need to explain the entire process.


    As the dominoes continued to tumble, the staff desperately tried to stop them, but in their rush, they only ended up making things worse and knocking down the other sections of the set-up.


    "Uh, guys...we better go before they figure out what happened," Mumbled Mitchell, heading for the exit.


    "Yeah, good call," Responded Suri, as we all speedwalked towards the exit, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone.


    Well, that was...chaotic. The casino is silent right now, the staff are probably in shock and disbelief over what just happened, all that effort, just gone. Heh, too bad they can''t go back time...


    ...


    ...


    "Here''s our next stop! Well, incidentally, it''s also our final stop, but only because there''s a lot to do in this place!" Grinned Mitchell, as we arrived at...a Marijuana cafe.


    Huh...I''ve never tried weed before. Besides alcohol a few times, I haven''t had anything else that''d make me, you know, not sober. I better set a Save point here, just in case.


    "Cool, it''s been a while since I got stoned," Added Andre with a look of excitement.


    "Yeah, me too," Chimed in Katie, though I don''t have a clue whether or not she''s excited.


    "Oh, you two smoke up? Nice! What about the rest of you guys?" Asked Mitchell, looking around, "No one''s against this, right?"


    "I''ve never tried it, but I''m all for new first experiences!" Exclaimed Lin enthusiastically.


    Dial it down, too much energy...


    "Um, I''ve tried it a few times, and I''m okay with it," Added Seila, as Mitchell turned to her inquiringly.


    "I''ve smoked weed once before, it was alright, I guess. And sure, I''m not particularly against this," Shrugged Suri.


    "I have not tried it, but I''m open to it," Said Zoya.


    "Yeah, um...me too," Chimed in Bytra.


    And that just left me. First...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save>," I mumbled inaudibly, before adding, "Haven''t tried it, but I''m game to give it a shot."


    "Sweet, we''re all in agreement! Let''s go!"


    Right as we began to head for the entrance...


    "Zax? Oh, it really is you, hey!" Someone called out.


    That voice...


    "Ruby?" I responded, turning towards her.


    "Fancy seeing you here! Talk about unexpected. What are you doing here?" She greeted me with a smile, throwing an arm around me.


    "Uh...just hanging out with some classmates."


    That felt so weird to say...


    "No way....since when do you socialize?" She inquired with a teasing grin, poking my cheek.


    Ugh, I can feel the stares from my classmates, how annoying...


    "Yeah, well...since when do you go outside?" I countered dryly.


    "...touche, you got me there. Well, I''m gonna go, I just came out to get some parts, I''ll see ya later, Zax!" She remarked, letting go of me and starting to walk away...before first planting a quick kiss on my cheek as she did.


    Crap...why in front of the others...she did that on purpose, didn''t she? Grr...next time I go to her for weapon maintenance or whatever, I''m gonna be rough with her when it comes to ''payment''...


    "So...someone you know?" Inquired Mitchell with a mischievous smirk, poking my shoulder.


    Ugh...kill me, now...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

 Chapter 68 - 67 - Hanging Out(Part 3)

    "Yeah, we''ll take...three of these...ooh, and five of these...nine of these and, let''s see...this!" Grinned Mitchell, as he gave the waiter our order.


    He''d booked a private room for us, which was really spacious, with couches and beanbags, a karaoke machine, projector, gaming console and the artwork on the walls was really cool, with murals of people from before WWIII who were into weed, like Snoop Dogg and...well, I don''t really recognize anyone else.


    Some parts of the artwork were in crazy, trippy spiral patterns, it was kinda cool. This place is nice, I feel like I can relax here, the temperature was a pleasant cool and the lights were slightly dim, I let out a contented sigh as I sunk into a beanbag...or at least, I would have, if I wasn''t being interrogated right now.


    "Drop it."


    "Come on, man, spill! Who was that redhead, she seemed to really like you!" Remarked Mitchell, looking like he was about to burst with curiosity.


    "I doubt anyone else cares about-."


    "You think so? Well, guys? Anyone else curious?" He inquired with a grin.


    "Can''t lie, that caught my curiosity for sure," Laughed Andre.


    "Yeah...I wanna know too," Agreed Suri, who was kinda glaring at me...awkward.


    I sighed and gave in...


    "She''s an old classmate of my sister''s, and she makes my weapons," I replied reluctantly.


    "What, that''s it? Since you were being so stubborn, I thought it''d be something more interesting," Sighed Mitchell, sounding disappointed.


    Yeah, well, it''s not like I''m going to tell them about the payment agreement I have with her...some things I''d rather keep to myself even if hell froze over. Thankfully, they dropped the subject after that, and began chatting about random topics. And soon enough, the waiter returned with our order.


    Three large bowls of French fries...five pitchers of beer...ooh, a large platter with a literal mountain of sweets, I see brownies, donuts and a lot more...and finally, nine pre-rolled large joints...I don''t know enough about weed to be sure, but this seemed kinda excessive.


    "Yo, man, isn''t this kinda much?" Inquired Andre skeptically, voicing my thoughts.


    "No worries, I''ve got, like, a super high tolerance, I''ll finish up if you guys tap out early!" Replied Mitchell with an excited gleam in his eyes.


    "That...doesn''t seem healthy," Remarked Zoya.


    "What''s that thing people used to say before WWIII...YOLO!"


    "What does that mean?" Asked Andre.


    "Huh? You don''t know?" Responded Mitchell incredulously.


    "Um...I don''t know what it means either," Chimed in Seila.


    "Same."


    "Ditto."


    "Yeah, I''ve never heard that word before either."


    "So, wait...do none of you guys know what it means!?" Exclaimed Mitchell in disbelief, before adding as he lit up a joint, "Well, then, allow me to enlighten you...it stands for Yes, Ostriches Love Obama-."


    "It stands for You Only Live Once," I interrupted with a raised eyebrow.


    "Aw, man, why''d you have to ruin it?"


    "Even if he didn''t, none of us would have believed what you said," Interjected Suri with a sigh.


    "Mhm, that was stupid," Agreed Katie with a nod.


    Honestly...I thought it was kinda funny, the sheer randomness of it.


    "W-well, anyway...puff, puff, pass, bitches!" He exclaimed, passing the joint to Andre, "Oh, yeah, the rooms here are totes soundproof, so we can be loud!"


    Huh, somehow, I don''t think his tolerance is as strong as he claimed it to be. But I digress. The joint then reached me, Suri passing it to me, while stifling a cough. I brought it up to my mouth and took a puff...huh, it''s kinda sour and slightly burns the back of my throat...well, it is my first time smoking anything...I felt a cough coming, but swallowed a couple of times to push it down. I don''t feel anything so far...well, I''ve only taken a single puff, so that''s to be expected. I took another puff and passed it on.


    "Not bad, bro, first-timers usually cough a lot when they take a puff," Grinned Andre, "I can tell that you''ve never smoked, or at least, you rarely smoke or haven''t smoked in a very long time."


    "Oh, yeah? How can you tell?" I asked curiously.


    "Simple, your lips!"


    "Uh...what?"


    "Smokers usually have darkened lips...heh, well you can''t tell with me, but look at Mitch over here, check out his lips, they''re a bit darkened from regularly smoking."


    "Hey, you''re making it weird!" Protested Mitchell, covering his mouth with a self-conscious expression.


    ...what is happening?


    "Kilzachs...you sure like sweets, huh?" Remarked Zoya with a chuckle.


    Hm? What brought that up-...oh. I was munching on a donut...but when did I pick it up? Hold on a sec...I can also taste traces of brownie in the corners of my mouth...


    "Wait, when did I start eating these?" I muttered in surprise.


    "Wow, you didn''t even notice? Somehow, that doesn''t surprise me," Chimed in Suri with a slight smile, before seeming to recall something and turning to Bytra, who had so far been mostly excluded from the conversations, "Hey, you work at Delectables, right?"


    "Huh? O-oh, yes, I do, just part-time."


    "Lucky," She sighed wistfully.


    I disagree, being surrounded by all those sweets all day only to watch as other people buy and eat them...that''d be torture. Anyway, we continued smoking, drinking and snacking, the conversations getting dumber and dumber with every joint.


    I didn''t drink that much though, I''m not a big fan of alcohol. And as for the weed high...it was actually kinda nice. I feel so...relaxed. And I was finding the stupidest jokes funny.


    "Alrighty, now that we''re all nice and not-sober, let''s play truth or dare!" Suggested Mitchell with a goofy grin, his eyes red.


    "What are you, twelve?" Mumbled Suri in reply.


    "I think it sounds like fun!" Protested Lin.


    "Then, it''s decided!" Declared Mitchell, before looking around and settling his gaze on me, "You can start us off, Kilzachs!"


    What''s decided? Tch, it doesn''t look like anyone''s gonna put any energy into protesting too much.


    "Fine, in that case...I dare me to eat a donut," I replied dryly, picking up a donut and taking a big bite...somehow, eating feels a lot more satisfying while stoned.


    "Hahaha, nice!" Laughed Andre, as some of the others chuckled too.


    "Hey, that''s not the way the wame gorks...no, wait, I mean...that''s not the way the game works!" Exclaimed Mitchell, his face turning red after getting tongue-tied.


    Wame gorks? I better be careful not to misspeak like that too...


    "It''s not my fault, you didn''t explain the rules," I replied with shrug.


    "Heh...it sounded like you just said ''snot my fault''," Grinned Mitchell, earning a few giggles and chuckles from the others...I feel annoyed.


    "...the rules?" I sighed inquiringly.


    "Oh, right...pick someone, ask them ''truth or dare'', and once they reply, come up with a question to ask or dare to give them, depending on what they replied!"


    "That''s...a lot of work."


    "It''s not work, it''s fun!"


    I really doubt that...


    "But I suppose I''ll humor you...," I said reluctantly, before looking around at the others and settling my gaze on Suri, "Which do you pick?"


    "Oh, uh...truth, I guess."


    Great, now I have to come up with a question? I just wanna relax right now...


    "Let''s see...if you had to kill one person in this group, who would you pick?"


    "Wow, seriously?" Laughed Zoya.


    "Uh...I dunno. Hm,let''s see...I think I''ll go with...him, cuz he''s the loudest and most annoying right now," She replied, pointing at Mitchell after looking around at everyone one by one.


    "Not the most encouraging thing to hear from someone whom I''m teammates with," He responded with a nervous smile, before adding, "Well, anyway, let''s keep going! The person who was asked ''truth or dare'' will go next, and they can choose anyone besides the person who asked them!"


    "Do I have to?" Groaned Suri, before relenting and asking Mitchell, "I''ll go with you, truth or dare?"


    "Dare!"


    "Hm...okay, heh, I dare you to text a flirty message to one of our classmates who isn''t here," She replied with a slight chuckle...she looked kinda funny with her eyes all red and narrowed.


    Oh, nice one...also, no matter how many turns I get, I won''t be choosing dare even once. Anyway, now Mitchell had to pick one of Asshole, Taayin, Makoto or Kiran.


    "Hah, sure, no prob-...wait, all the girls are here, so all our classmates who aren''t here right now...are guys. What if they respond positively to it!? I''m only into girls, so that''d put me in an awkward position!"


    "Um, you could just tell them afterwards that it was a dare," Suggested Seila, stifling a giggle.


    "And you''re the one who suggested this game in the first place," Pointed out Katie, whose face was as hard to read as ever, though her eyes were pretty red, and her face a bit flushed from the alcohol.


    "F-fine, I guess I have no choice...," He grumbled, reluctantly bringing up his I-Watch holoscreen and making it visible to us.


    He then opened his contact list and went through it...looks like he doesn''t have Makoto''s and Asshole''s contact info, he had Taayin''s and Kiran''s though.


    "Hurry it up," Prompted Suri with a frown, as she took a swig of beer and set the mug down.


    "So, like, I can pick which one to message, right?"


    "Hm...actually, message Taayin, and include something like ''I want you to tie me up''. He''s probably into that, considering his Mecondary Sanifestation...no, wait, I mean Secondary Manifestation," Remarked Suri with a smug look on her face.


    "Ooh, that''s a good one!" Laughed Andre, letting out a hiccup.


    Mitchell reluctantly typed out the message for all of us to see...''hey, hot stuff, I want you to tie me up and do whatever you want to me''...a bit half-hearted, but no one was going to nitpick. He then hesitated, before pressing send with a tortured groan.


    "I''m, uh...gotta turn off my notifications for a while," He mumbled, sighing as he switched off the screen.


    Not gonna lie, his downcast expression was kinda funny.


    "You could, um, always look on the bright side," Said Seila, her lips quivering as she tried to keep a straight face.


    "Huh? What bright side?" He inquired indignantly.


    "It''s your turn to choose and ask someone," Chimed in Zoya.


    "Oh, that''s right...in that case, I''ll ask you!" He declared, pointing an Bytra, who looked taken aback...she''d been basically in the background looking awkward this whole time, bet she''s wishing that she didn''t tag along, "Truth or dare?"


    "M-me? O-okay, I pick truth."


    "In that case, I just gotta know...why does Kilzachs seem to hate you so much?" He inquired curiously.


    ...really?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 69 - 68 - Hanging Out(Part 4)

    This is less than ideal...I mean, I get it, if I was in his position, I''d be curious too, but not the point where I''d do this! Tch, fucking extrovert.


    "H-huh?" She responded, looking uneasy.


    "Come on, spill the beans! You don''t mind, do ya, Kilzachs?" Inquired Mitchell with a look of curiosity.


    If I say that I do mind, it might become an even bigger deal...might as well just rip off the band-aid...


    "Hmph, whatever."


    "I''ll take that as an ''I don''t mind''. Well, come on, answer the question...uh...sorry, what was your name again?" Asked Mitchell, his expression blanking as he tried to recall her name.


    "It''s, um, Bytra. And, well...," She replied uncertainly, her gaze shifting to me as she fidgeted.


    "What the hell are you looking at me for?" I inquired coldly.


    "N-no, nothing..."


    "Brr, that was cold, man," Remarked Andre, fake-shivering.


    "Come on, come on, let''s hear it!" Urged Mitchell, starting to get impatient...which was unintentionally putting more pressure on her.


    She let out a sharp exhale, before draining her beer mug and lighting up a joint, taking a deep puff, and then passing it as she stifled a cough.


    "Well...it was, um, about five and a half to six years ago...," She began hesitantly, though the inebriation was keeping her going.


    Looks like she''s going for it...I sat through her recollection of our brief ''friendship''. And wow, she was going into it in detail...like really, she was leaving nothing out at all. So, of course, it took a while before she was done. And I was feeling a lot more irritated that I thought I would...I''d blocked out a lot of those memories, but her retelling them in such detail was making them resurface.


    "Yo...that''s fucked up," Spoke up Andre, following a brief silence after she finished.


    "Are you serious!? You messed with someone''s emotions so heartlessly just to get in with the so-called ''popular kids''? You''re disgusting," Growled Suri, an absolute death glare in her eyes.


    Bytra''s expression was unreadable, she was staring at the table silently.


    "Wow, no wonder Kilzachs is so openly hostile towards you and Tairo, especially the latter," Remarked Mitchell with a wide-eyed look on his face, "That was a lot to process...we''ve still got four joints left, I think I could use one right now."


    I stood up as he lit it and took a puff, heading for the door.


    "Where are you going?" Called out Zoya.


    I could feel the others staring at me too...sheesh, chill out, I''m not storming off or whatever...


    "Bathroom."


    "Oh...," She replied awkwardly...yeah, she''d definitely assumed that I was storming off, and most of the others probably had too.


    But no, I''ll stick around till this is over...this last part aside, I was actually kinda enjoying myself, and believe me, no one''s as surprised about that as I am. I left the room and shut the door behind me, my knees wobbling slightly...my senses felt a bit dull, and I had the urge to go back and let myself sink into a beanbag again...also, I want to eat more sweets, like really craving them to the point where my mouth was watering like crazy...


    But first, I really do have to go to the bathroom, so let''s take care of that first. Fortunately, it was pretty close to the room that I''d come out of, so I don''t have to go searching for it. I dragged my feet over to the bathroom and entered, quickly taking care of my business, washing my hands and exiting with a sigh.


    "Hey."


    Wha-...!? Woah, that startled me, my senses are definitely a lot duller than usual.


    "Oh, it''s just you, Suri...what''s up?" I replied, letting out a slow exhale.


    "Just, um...I was wondering if you''re okay?" She asked with a look of concern.


    "Hm? Yeah, this is nothing, I''m fine."


    "I can''t believe you went through all that...I was always curious about your bad blood with those two, but I was afraid to ask, since it isn''t really any of my business. After you left, things got kinda awkward in there...I might have torn into that bitch a little bit," She remarked sheepishly.


    "Oh? What did you do, exactly?" I inquired curiously.


    "Well, I asked her if she regrets what she did and when she said yes, I called her a shallow weakwilled bitch. And then called her a bitch a few more times."


    "Nice, wish I''d been there to see it."


    "I recorded it with my I-Watch, I don''t think anyone noticed...I''ll send it to you later. Hey, are you sure you''re okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m good, I got over what happened a long time ago. Though I''d be lying if I said that the memory doesn''t still piss me off," I sighed, frowning without meaning to.


    "I see...hey, um...if you''re not busy after this, do you wanna maybe come over to my place? My mom''s away on a business trip to the West Quadrant, so, you know...," She muttered, the tips of her ears turning red as she gave me a slow, suggestive blink.


    "That...sounds nice," I replied with a gulp, before she beamed and stood up on her tiptoes, kissing me softly.


    "Then it''s a plan...hey, by the way...that redhead earlier, is she really just your weapon, uh...person, or...?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes at me.


    "Y-yeah, she makes and does maintainence on my weapons, she lives in the same building you do, pretty sure I mentioned that at some point...I think."


    "Huh...now that you mention it, it does sound kinda familiar. So, is taking care of your weapon needs all she does?"


    "Uh...no comment," I replied, averting my gaze sheepishly.


    "Hmmmm....," She stared at me closely with a frown, before grinning and kissing my cheek, "I''m just messing with you, but you just looked so nervous that I couldn''t help it! Relax, I''m not going to pry into every detail of your life. Anyway, you should head back to the room with the others, ''kay?"


    She just keeps getting nicer and nicer to me...and I have to admit, that I definitely don''t dislike that fact. I took a deep breathe and exhaled slowly, before heading back to the room, opening the door and entering it, before closing it as I got inside.


    "Ayy, you''re back! You missed a couple of great rounds of T or D!" Greeted Mitchell, as he took a deep puff and handed me the joint, "Wanna try this group competition dare we''re doing?"


    "Group what?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "It''s pretty simple, you inhale as much as possible in a single drag of the joint. You keep pulling until you either reach your limit or cough," Explained Andre, as I sat back down, "You game?"


    "Sure, why not?" I replied with a shrug.


    I then put the joint up to my lips and began inhaling, the end of it burning steadily along the length of the joint, Katie quickly held the ashtray under it to keep the ash from falling onto my clothes. Nice, I appreciate that. I think I''ve got pretty good lungs, whenever I take a bath, I sometimes dunk my head underwater and hold my breath, just to see how long I can do so.


    And at best, I push the three minute mark, even reached it a couple of times, but going beyond that is, well, beyond me. Hm, my throat kinda burns, but other than that, this is pretty easy...so long as I inhale slowly and steadily, this won''t make me cough.


    "H-hey, man, it''s been over a minute already, you can stop now! None of the rest of us made it past even forty seconds!" Exclaimed Mitchell, as I continued to inhale.


    I then stopped and passed the joint, slowly exhaling the smoke, a whole lot of it at that. I felt like my mouth was overflowing with saliva for some reason. Oh, wow, I think I''m really high now...my head feels really light, my body felt like it was spinning somehow, it was hard to explain...I sunk into a beanbag and sighed, closing my eyes as my vision began spiraling.


    "You good, bro?" Inquired Andre, tapping my shoulder, as I heard the door open and close...must be Suri.


    "Yeah, I''m fine, everything''s just kinda spinny," I replied, my eyes still closed.


    "Well, now that everyone''s here again, let''s get back to the game!" Suggested Lin, slurring her words slightly.


    "I second that!" Agreed Mitchell with a grin, "And it''s only dares from now on!"


    "No way," Protested Suri immediately.


    "I don''t like the sound of that either," Added Seila in agreement.


    "Me too," Chimed in Katie.


    "But-!" Mitchell began to argue in dismay, when Lin swiftly interjected.


    "Then how about this...," She suggested, making her I-Watch holoscreen visible to us and opening a writing pad app, "You guys each text me one dare, I''ll compile them all in this app and label them with numbers, and each person has to choose a number, and will then have to do the corresponding dare. One of you can pick for me, since I''ll be the only one who knows all the dares and how they''re numbered."


    "That''s not a bad suggestion, I don''t mind going for it," Responded Zoya, after she finished explaining.


    "Yeah, I guess that works," Added Mitchell.


    "I''m game too," Agreed Andre.


    "Everyone else?" Inquired Lin, looking around at each of us hopefully.


    "Fine, whatever," Shrugged Suri, though she seemed reluctant, probably didn''t want to go against the majority and seem like a party pooper...which is how I felt.


    "Sure, go for it," I replied, going with the majority too.


    "I''m okay with it too," Said Seila timidly, as Katie hesitated for a moment, before nodding.


    "And you?" Lin asked Bytra.


    "Huh? Oh, um...I have no objections."


    She''s still here, huh? Why? She''s barely spoken or been spoken to at all, while everyone else had been regularly chatting with at least one other person, even Seila and Katie, who were usually pretty quiet. This isn''t really that surprising, to be honest, she pretty much exclusively hung out with Tairo and Makoto, and good ol''Asshole wasn''t the most sociable with the rest of the class.


    He''d tried multiple times to turn some of my other classmates against me and join him in calling me a Dud and belittling me, but no one really showed any interest and ignored him, so he stopped talking to them for the most part. Basically, he''s currently more of an outcast right now than I am...which is likely a big reason in why she decided to tag along today.


    Excluding Asshole, Makoto and Bytra, most of the rest of the class were fairly friendly with each other, so even though I wasn''t close with any of them, except maybe Suri, this outing hasn''t felt all that uncomfortable at all...but looking at her right now, having barely spoken to any of these people at all over the past six months, she looks like a fish out of water.


    I''m not extroverted or all that sociable, that''s no secret, but I''ve made an effort to, at the very least, greet and return greetings from classmates, just to maintain an amicable acquaintanceship if nothing else...and that was paying off, I may not be particularly tight-knit or whatever, but I''d interacted with them enough to not be considered a stranger.


    Bytra on the other hand, was a lot more of a stranger. And I was enjoying watching her squirm, it''ll be a nice end to the night if she gets an embarrassing dare...hm, speaking of which, what should I write? Oh, how about...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 70 - 69 - Hanging Out(Part 5)

    "Wow, some of these are-...heh, this should be fun!" Remarked Lin with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, which were pretty red at this point, as everyone finished sending in their dares, "Okay, I''ve labeled them from one to nine, so pick a number within that range...who wants to go first?"


    "I''ll take the first crack at this, if no one else minds," Volunteered Andre with a stoned grin, "I''ll pick...lucky number seven."


    "Seven is...hehe, you gotta wear heavy makeup from now till you go home."


    Glad I didn''t get that one...


    "Whaaat, that''s an easy one," Scoffed Mitchell with a shake of his head.


    "Easy for you to say...so, how heavy is ''heavy makeup''?" Asked Andre reluctantly.


    "Hm...ooh, I know, let''s let whoever came up with this dare decide, and they''ll also get to put the makeup on you!" Suggested Lin eagerly...she''s way too into this...though to be fair, most of the others seemed to be enjoying this too...I suppose I might as well relax and try to enjoy myself as well...


    "Um...that was my dare," Seila spoke up, "But I, um, I don''t have any make-up on me."


    "I''ve got some pink lipstick," Chimed in Zoya.


    "I have black lipstick, if that works," Added Suri, looking amused.


    "We can''t do much with just lipstick though," Replied Lin with a frown.


    "Nonsense, this is plenty! Just leave it to me!" Grinned Mitchell, a devious look on his face.


    "If you say so, I guess," Responded Lin after thinking it over for a sec, and then handing him the two lipstick tubes.


    "Uh...I''ve got a bad feeling about this," Mumbled Andre reluctantly, as Mitchell began...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Five minutes later, he was done...specifically, he''d used the lipsticks to draw a bunch of dicks all over Andre''s face. He used the black lipstick to draw them and the red lipstick to add, uh...


    "What''s with all the red streaks?" Inquired Lin curiously.


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious? I used the black lipstick to draw the cocks and the red to draw the discharge...they''re a bunch of STD-infested cocks!" He declared with a proud smirk.


    "That''s disgusting," Sighed Zoya with a look of disdain, smacking the back of his head.


    "Ow, that hurt! Well, not really, but it startled me!"


    "Do I really gotta home like this?" Groaned Andre, as he looked at himself in his I-Watch camera.


    "Ah, don''t worry, dude, the black lipstick is barely even visible...and the red lipstick looks like bad acne from a distance!" He shrugged in reply.


    "Huh...isn''t that kinda racist?" Responded Andre with a frown.


    "What, because I said that the black lipstick is barely visible? Why? I mean, it''s a fact that your complexion makes the black lipstick barely visible, I was just stating that fact," Argued Mitchell with a nervous look on his face.


    "...I was just kidding around, no need to get so defensive," Laughed Andre, before adding with a look of concern, "No, but seriously, do I have to go home like this?"


    "''fraid so!" Replied Mitchell with a grin.


    "Now, then, who wants to go next?" Inquired Lin, looking around.


    "I''ll go, I''d rather get it over with quickly," Said Suri, raising her hand with a sigh, "I pick number four, I guess."


    "You need to show some more enthusiasm, girl!" Replied Lin, before reading out the dare, "So your dare is...to get spanked by anyone in the group of your choosing...this is a really good one!"


    "Wha-...n-no way, absolutely not!" She protested in horror immediately.


    "Aw, come on, don''t be a spoilsport, whatever happens here stays between us!" Said Lin, attempting to persuade her.


    "I''m not so sure about that...," Suri responded with a frown, looking not-so-subtly at Bytra.


    "N-no, I...," She began to reply, before averting her gaze as Suri glared at her...seriously, why are you even here?


    "Now, now, let''s all just chill out! I don''t think you need to worry about that, I bet all the dares are embarrassing in some way or another, so no one''s gonna talk!" Assured Mitchell, though his argument was based on speculation.


    "Well? Are all the dares embarrassing?" I asked Lin.


    "Hm...yeah, I guess so...I mean, I wouldn''t willingly do any of these nine dares if they weren''t dares," She replied with a shrug, after looking at her screen for a bit.


    "And there you have it," Grinned Mitchell, turning to Suri, "So, who you gonna pick?"


    "I can''t believe I''m agreeing to this...," Groaned Suri with a reluctant expression, before her face turned slightly red as she pointed at me.


    Seriously? Doing this in front of an audience was kinda...why didn''t she pick one of the other girls, that''d''ve been way less awkward.


    "Interesting choice," Remarked Zoya with a raised eyebrow.


    "I''ll say! I thought for sure that you''d pick a chic," Added Mitchell with a grin.


    "Shut up," She growled in reply, before standing up, walking towards me and turning around, "C-come on, get this over with already."


    Yeah, good call, I''d rather not drag this out either...


    "No light smacks, by the way, make it LOUD!" Laughed Mitchell, earning a glare from Suri.


    Here goes...I raised my hand and swung it towards her butt with a moderate amount of force, striking it with my palm and causing it to shake a bit.


    "Nice jiggle," I blurted out before I could stop myself...I think that''s enough weed and alcohol for me tonight...fortunately, only she heard my comment, as she glanced back at me with a red-faced pout and glare, before sitting back down and taking a sip of her beer.


    "I feel like that wasn''t hard enough, but I''ll let it slide!" Declared Mitchell, before turning to Lin, "Me next, I''ll pick number two! Oh, by the way, who wrote the previous dare anyway?"


    "That was mine," Replied Andre sheepishly.


    "For real? Nice!"


    "You said number two, right? Let''s see...you gotta remain completely topless for the rest of the game!" Chimed in Lin, stifling a laugh.


    "Is that actually one of the dares?" Inquired Katie with a slight sense of apprehension.


    "Yup, it is," Came the reply.


    "Aw, man...I got my own dare," Sighed Mitchell in disappointment, earning glares from all the girls, even Seila and Katie...it was barely noticeable with the latter, but her expression was slightly more strained than usual, "Well, guess I should strip."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "O-okay, why''s everyone staring so intently, you''re making me feel unconscious!" He exclaimed, as the glares didn''t stop even after he took his shirt off.


    "Well, anyway...who''s going next?" Inquired Andre with a wry smile, changing the subject.


    "Me...I, uh, have to go now, so I''ll take my turn, um...I''ll pick number eight," Spoke up Bytra awkwardly.


    Pretty sure that''s a lie, the more likely explanation is that she can''t stand being the outcast in this group...despite the fact that Katie, Seila, Suri and I were all quiet and untalkative types, Bytra was definitely the person who had spoken the least during this whole thing, and also the person who was spoken to the least...I hadn''t said a word to her, and most of the others hadn''t either.


    "Oh, er, sure!" Replied Lin, before reading out the dare, "Get roasted by each person in the group."


    "O-okay, sure," Said Bytra, fidgeting awkwardly.


    Oh, that''s my dare...I figured it was innocuous enough without being boring, that''s why I picked it. And it went to the perfect person.


    "I wrote that dare, so I''ll go first...you''re a bitch, glad you''re leaving," I remarked with a sweet smile.


    "Holy crap, that was cold," Said Mitchell, letting out a whistle.


    "So, uh...I don''t know if I can roast her, I feel like that''s something that''s possible with people you know well, but it''s kinda awkward with someone you don''t know that well," Spoke up Andre.


    "Aren''t you in the same team?" I pointed out.


    "Well, yeah, I guess, but...," He replied in an uncertain tone.


    "I-I''ll just go, I-I have to be somewhere," Stuttered Bytra, her expression downcast as she slipped out of the room without waiting for anyone to respond.


    Good riddance.


    "You know, I kinda feel bad...she was super awkward all night, maybe we should have made a better effort to talk to her," Said Zoya with a look of concern.


    "I don''t know about that, you heard about what she did to Kilzachs, her quiet demeanor doesn''t fool me," Frowned Suri with a huff.


    "I''m kinda with Zoya. Even if she has some negative characteristics, that must have been rough," Chimed in Andre.


    "I''m on the fence, what she did in the past wasn''t cool, but she might have changed since then, but since I don''t know her that well, I don''t really care either way," Remarked Mitchell bluntly.


    "Um, I feel the same, though I wouldn''t say it so harshly," Added Seila.


    Wait, is everyone supposed to give their opinion on this situation? How did this happen? When did it start?


    "I agree, what she said," Nodded Katie, after Seila finished.


    "So, what about you, Kilzachs?" Inquired Mitchell curiously.


    "First off, why exactly are we talking about this? And second, to answer your question, I hate her with a passion, and that''s regardless of whether or not she''s changed, I don''t care, I''m holding onto that grudge...I don''t really know what else I''m suppose to say."


    "Huh, you''re right...why are we talking about this? I...don''t really care," Replied Mitchell with a bemused look.


    "Forget her, she''s gone and good riddance," Remarked Suri with a slight smirk.


    "Yeah, more importantly...let''s get back to the dares!" Grinned Lin, lifting the slight awkward tension with a loud clap of her hands, "Now, then...who wants to go next?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 71 - 70 - Hanging Out(Part 6)

    "Um, I guess I''ll go next," Volunteered Seila with a nervous smile, "I pick number five."


    "Alrighty, let''s see...dare number five is to sniff either the armpits or feet of any three people here," Read Lin sheepishly.


    "H-huh...? But that''s..."


    "Damn, that one''s kinda nasty! Who wrote it?" Inquired Mitchell with a curious laugh.


    "Me," Responsed Katie, raising her hand, before adding, "And the one you wrote was nastier."


    "I strongly disagree," He argued with a huff.


    Anyway, Seila ended up doing the dare, opting to sniff the armpits of Zoya, Katie and Lin. Her face was red with embarrassment after the first two, and as she stepped towards Lin...she tripped on her own feet.


    "Woah!" She exclaimed in alarm, falling onto Lin and as she reached out to grab onto something, she ended up grabbing Lin''s boobs, her face hitting Lin''s waist with a thud.


    Lin then fell onto Mitchell, who was next to her, the back of her head crashing onto his crotch and eliciting a winded gasp of pain from Mitchell, his face twisting in pain as he groaned in agony...ouch, that''s brutal...I''ve never been hit in the balls so far, and I hope it stays that way, that looks horrible...


    "I-I''m so sorry!" Exclaimed Seila with an alarmed look on her face, before hurriedly trying to get up but slipping and landing face-first onto the middle of Lin''s boobs, "Mmfph!"


    Before I could stop myself, I let out a snort of laughter, stifling it and trying to pass it off as a cough too late. Damn it, I''m still a bit stoned and buzzed from the weed and alcohol, it''s harder to keep a straight face than usual.


    After a couple of seconds of silence, the others started laughing too, as Seila finally got back up and apologized profusely to Lin, who awkwardly told her not to worry about it.


    "W-well, anyway, let''s keep going, we''ve still got four more dares!" Spoke up Lin, keeping things moving as she looked around, "Who wants to go next?"


    "I''ll go," Responded Zoya, before adding, "I pick number one."


    "Okay, let''s see...oh, this is an easy one, you just need to spin a bottle and then sit on the lap of whoever it lands on for the rest of the game," Explained Lin, as she read the dare.


    "Oh...yes, I suppose that isn''t so bad, it could be worse," Replied Zoya with a wry smile, "Who wrote this one?"


    "That one''s mine...sorry, I''ve never done this before, so I don''t know if it''s good or not," Suri responded sheepishly.


    "No, I''m actually glad that I got one that''s relatively innocuous...do we have a bottle to spin though?"


    "Eh, just use whatever...here, use this," Chimed in Mitchell, picking up the last joint and spinning it, "Whoever the top end lands on is the lap you gotta grind!"


    "I''m only gonna sit, that''s all the dare entails, anyway," Retorted Zoya with a frown.


    "Yeah, but why limit yourself? Take it to the next level-...oh, it landed on Kilzachs," He remarked, as the joint slowed down and stopped spinning.


    Damn it, I should have set up a Save point before he started spinning it. I mean, normally I''d be all for this, but not in front of an audience...


    "Um, here goes, I guess," She mumbled awkwardly, as she walked over to me and sat on my lap.


    Okay, this is no big deal...just think about anything to keep the blood from rushing down...keep a straight face...


    "Does she have to stay there the whole time, it doesn''t really make a difference, does it?" Protested Suri, as Lin began to ask who was next.


    "I mean, I got dicks drawn all over my face like five turns ago, and I can''t wash them off even after the game ends," Pointed out Andre with a shrug.


    "Yeah, and I''m like, really cold, I''ve been shirtless for the last three turns," Added Mitchell, though it was harder to take him seriously since he''d gotten his own dare and brought this on himself.


    "But...," Began Suri, before trailing off as she couldn''t think of a counter argument.


    "Hehe, let me guess, I bet you''re wishing you were in her place right now," Teased Mitchell with a laugh.


    "Wha-...n-no way, th-that''s ridiculous!" She huffed, her face turning red.


    "Er, why don''t we keep the game going, it''s just three more left, right?" Chimed in Zoya, shifting around a bit...crap, not good!


    "Hey, uh...could you keep still till this is over? Or at least, try not to move around too much, it''s kinda...you know, distracting," I whispered quietly.


    "O-oh, right...sorry," She whispered back sheepishly.


    "Three more left, right? Who''s yet to go?" Inquired Mitchell, looking around.


    Lin raised her hand, before Katie and I followed suit and raised our hands too.


    "I guess I''ll go last, since I know all the dares and how they''re numbered," Said Lin, before glancing between Katie and I, "So, which of you wants to go next?"


    "I''ll go second to last, if that''s okay with you," I said to Katie, who nodded after a brief pause.


    "Which numbers are left?" She asked Lin.


    "Three, six and nine...hey, that''s neat, all the multiples of three made it to the end!"


    "It''s just a coincidence," Katie replied objectively, "I''ll go with six."


    "Six is to...text a love confession to any of our classmates who isn''t here right now," Informed Lin, reading it out.


    "Didn''t we already do something similar to that dare?" Inquired Seila, scrunching up her eyebrows, trying to recall.


    "Yup, I had to text a flirty message to someone...eh, it''s different enough, I think," Replied Mitchell with a shrug.


    Let''s see...her options were Taayin, Makoto, Asshole and Kiran...oh, wait, technically there was also...


    "Done," Declared Katie, making her holoscreen visible to us...she''d sent the message to Bytra.


    Nicely done, since that bitch had been here till a little while ago, she should guess that this was just a dare.


    "Aw, man, I forgot about her...that was smart," Sighed Lin wistfully, "And yeah, that''s the dare I wrote. That leaves two more to go!"


    Guess it''s my turn now, huh.


    "I''ll pick number three," I remarked with a shrug.


    "Alright, you gotta show us the last picture you took on your I-Watch! Make your holoscreen visible to us and open your gallery so that you can''t cheat!"


    "Yikes, that''s brutal! I''m really glad I didn''t get that one," Said Mitchell with a nervous laugh.


    I don''t really see the big deal...


    "You''re exaggerating...though I''ll admit that I wouldn''t want to do this either," Agreed Andre with a wry smile, before adding, "And that''s why I thought it''d be a pretty good dare to write down...plus, earlier today, I happened to clean up my gallery in order to free up some space, so if I got that dare, I''d be fine."


    "Damn, that''s pretty devious, and here I thought that you were the super ''generic nice guy'' type," Laughed Mitchell, smacking his shoulder.


    "More importantly...," I chimed in, "You needed to free up space on your I-Watch? I thought it was it was pretty much impossible to get to that point, these things have like five hundred terabytes of space each."


    "Hey, that''s a good point...how much porn you got on there, Andre?" Inquired Mitchell with a grin.


    "It''s not-...none of your business," Came the reply, "Anyway, get to the dare!"


    Not the most subtle changing of topic, but whatever.


    "Okay, making my screen visible," I remarked, tapping on my I-Watch and then navigating the holoscreen.


    I don''t really take pictures...I-Watches come with built-in cameras, just like smartphones did, but I just never had any interest in using it. I think I''ve taken a few selfies with my sister and Kumar, but only because Kilella insisted that I do, she said it was sad that I don''t have any pictures with anyone...not gonna lie, that annoyed me. But I didn''t feel like arguing, so I did it to get it over with and satisfy her.


    Other than that, I''ve taken pictures of stuff like posters for upcoming sales or whatever, just as reminders for when I''d be able to save some money, but half the time I''d just write it down in my notepad app instead, so yeah...I don''t really take that many pictures. Which is why this dare doesn''t really faze me at all. I can''t even remember the last picture I took. I don''t take pictures of my desserts since just looking at them without being able to taste them would be torture.


    "Wait...what is that?" Inquired Mitchell curiously.


    Hm? As I opened my gallery and tapped on the most recent picture...no, really, what is that? It looks like skin that was bleeding, but below that looked like...


    "Is that a butt?" Asked Andre with a confused tilt of his head.


    "No, it''s too flat...it doesn''t look like a bent elbow though," Frowned Zoya, narrowing her eyes.


    And then it clicked...


    "Oh, it''s the back of my shoulder! I accidentally nicked myself there while training, and I couldn''t really see the damage properly, so I took a picture to get a better look," I suddenly recalled.


    "Hey, check out the time stamp, this was taken like a week ago...how often do you take pics anyway?" Asked Mitchell with wide eyes.


    "Hardly ever...I don''t see the big deal."


    "You don''t even take pictures of really good looking sweets?" Chimed in Suri with a look of surprise.


    "Absolutely not. That''s a terrible idea, looking at pictures of sweets will just make me crave more sweets," I replied objectively.


    "Man, what are you, a robot?" Laughed Mitchell, as he lit up the final joint.


    "Alright, it''s time for the final dare...it''s me and number nine, which is...to lick any one person''s foot. I knew I''d be getting this dare as soon as Kilzachs picked number three...but saying it out loud makes it so much worse," She groaned, her expression all scrunched up.


    "Who wrote that one?" Asked Seila curiously.


    "The only one left is Bytra," Chimed in Katie.


    "Yup, she wrote this one. I have no idea who to pick, because regardless of who it is, a foot is a foot...in which case, I''ll go with whoever volunteers," She sighed despondently.


    "Ooh, me!" Mitchell raised his hand almost immediately.


    "...on second thought, anyone besides him."


    In the end, she wound up licking Seila''s foot, who volunteered out of guilt because of the whole falling on top of her thing. By then, we had finished up all the weed, alcohol and food, so after splitting the bill, we left the establishment and headed for the nearest Teleportation Point.


    "Man, that was fun!" Grinned Mitchell, stretching his arms up, "I should have thought of this ages ago!"


    When he''s sober, he''s more dryly sarcastic and teasing, but when he''s drunk or high, he''s louder, more annoying and his sense of humor is a lot less subtle, or in other words, his jokes are dumb...some traces of his usual sarcasm is still there, but not as much as usual.


    "Yeah, I agree, I had fun too," Added Lin, as the others voiced their agreement too.


    It wasn''t long before we reached the Teleportation Point, the others would be heading back to their respective quadrants, while Suri and I would be going to the Residential District of the North Quadrant.


    "Well, see you guys at the Academy!" Exclaimed Mitchell, as he got ready to teleport to the East Quadrant, along with Andre and Katie who were also from there, before turning to me, "So, Mr Icy Demeanor, did you have fun?"


    Ice Demeanor? I thought I came off as more indifferent than cold...


    "...yeah, I guess."


    "Come on, louder, I can''t hear you!"


    Fuck, that''s annoying...


    "I said yeah, I had fun...now get going, you idiot," I sighed, rolling my eyes.


    "Hey, that''s more like it! But, uh...maybe don''t call me an idiot," He replied with a sheepish grin, "Would you be up for a next time?"


    What''s with the interrogation?


    "I suppose so."


    "Great, then let''s come back here soon!"


    "Uh, sure...or, well-."


    "Hm? You got another suggestion?"


    "No, I-...well, I was just thinking, maybe a different Quadrant...I''ve never been to any of the other three Quadrants."


    Wait, why am I telling him that, I usually don''t talk about trivial stuff that doesn''t really matter like this...is it the alcohol or the weed? Or both?


    "Let''s do something in the East Quadrant next time, it ain''t as grand as the Entertainment District here, but we''ve got some good options to have fun there too," Added Andre with a grin.


    "Sure...sounds good."


    "Alright, then it''s settled! Well, see ya guys later!" Mitchell exclaimed with a grin, before giving the impatient-looking attendant the go-ahead to activate the teleportation.


    "Bye, everyone," Said Katie with a slight nod, as the three of them got teleported away.


    Yeah, I can''t deny it...I enjoyed today a lot more than I ever thought I would, I genuinely had fun hanging out with them...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 72 - 71 - A New Team Training Exercise

    "Later, everyone," Waved Zoya, as she left next, teleporting to the West Quadrant.


    "Guess we''ll head off next," Said Lin, as she and Seila stepped onto the platform.


    She instructed the attendant to teleport them to the South Quadrant.


    "Um, see you two in class," Remarked Seila with a shy smile and wave...okay, wow, that''s pretty cute.


    "Mhm, see you later, take care," Replied Suri, putting in a bit of effort to appear polite...now that''s pretty cute too.


    "Yeah, sure, bye...oh, and try not to trip over on the way home," I joked, almost instantly regretting it...crap, should I have done that?


    It must have come off as lame and cringy...I bet my delivery was awful, what was I thinking, I''ve never told a joke before, what made me think that it was a good idea to start now, huh? I''m such an id-!


    "Heh, nice one! And also, good point...but don''t worry, I''ll make sure she gets home safe," Grinned Lin, ruffling Seila''s hair playfully, right before they both got teleported away.


    Huh, guess I was just overthinking it...I think I might have had a bit too much to drink and smoke...


    With that, the only ones left here were myself and Suri. We then teleported to the Residential District and got onto a bus that''d go by her place.


    "So, um...you sure you''re okay with coming over?" She asked, as she awkwardly fidgeted.


    "Shouldn''t that be the other way around? Like, as in I should be the one asking you if you''re okay with me coming over."


    "Yeah, of course! I, um, want you to come over," She replied, turning away as her face turned a bit red.


    Okay, that''s just unfair...with a reaction like that, it''s impossible for me to stay calm. I haven''t been over at her place ever since that first time, and we''d hung out a few times here and there over the recent past, but we never went any further than kissing...but the fact that she''s inviting me over when her mother isn''t home means that...


    "S-so, uh...did you have fun today?" I asked, trying to occupy my thoughts and keep my blood from rushing down.


    "Huh? Oh, yeah...I did, I was actually pleasantly surprised since I''ve never hung out with a big crowd before, I think the biggest group I''ve gone out with before this was maybe like three or at most, four people, and that was way back in middle school...maybe even elementary school. So yeah, this was a first for me...and it was unexpectedly enjoyable."


    "Yeah, I thought so too...I really didn''t expect to enjoy myself as much as I did. I mean, logically it makes sense, just because I''ve had mostly negative experiences with other people doesn''t mean that there aren''t people out there with whom I can have positive experiences...I doubt I''ll stop being cautious when it comes to people, but I might be willing to be more open-minded, I suppose," I summed up with a sigh.


    "Exactly, that explains it perfectly!"


    "Oh, and weed is pretty nice too."


    "Definitely. Maybe we could go back there sometime, just the two of us," She mumbled quietly.


    "Yeah...sure, why not?" I replied, averting my gaze before I could stop myself.


    "Huh? W-wait, did I just say that out loud!?" She exclaimed, her eyes widening as she turned red.


    "Sure did."


    Anyway, we soon reached her place, got off the bus and headed into the building. Not gonna lie, I was feeling a little nervous. We got onto the elevator, an awkward silence around us as we ascended. She then grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her as we reached the floor her place was on and the elevator doors opened.


    She took out a key and unlocked the door, taking me inside before shutting and locking the front door, leaving the key in the lock, as she then dragged me towards her bedroom...the tension was heavy, I almost felt too nervous to breathe.


    "S-so, you-," I began awkwardly in an attempt to break the silence, but she immediately cut me off with a sudden kiss, pushing me down onto her bed and falling on top of me.


    "Spend the night, ''kay?" She whispered into my ear in a seductive, and slightly nervous, tone, sending chills down my spine.


    I wrapped my leg around her waist and flipped her over so that I was on top, grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head with one hand while my other hand stroked her inner thigh slowly, causing her to arch her back with a slight shiver as I kissed her neck.


    "Oh, I''m not going anywhere," I whispered back, as I nibbled on her earlobe.


    "S-stop teasing me...I can''t take it anymore...," She moaned, meeting my gaze with a slow blink and adding, "I want you..."


    Woah, my heart definitely just skipped a beat...that was so damn sexy, especially because it was unintentionally so...I gulped and then kissed her passionately while my free hand undid the buttons on her jeans and then slipped in, my fingers slowly trailing lower and lower...


    She bit my lower lip with a stifled moan as my hand went between her legs, she then squirmed and broke free of my grasp, her hands going under my top and running all over my torso hungrily, before impatiently tugging at my top to try and pull it off.


    "Someone''s eager, huh?" I remarked with a smirk, as I twirled my fingers around.


    "Mm...sh-shut up, just...mm...just take your clothes off already!"


    I usually don''t like being told what to do, but there''s no way I''m disobeying that. As she pulled off my jacket and undershirt, I took off her top as well, while she unbuckled my belt while kissing me, her lips ravenously caressing mine as we tossed our clothes aside and she pulled me on top of her, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as she gazed up at me seductively, lit up by the dim artificial moonlight streaming in through the window.


    This is gonna be a long, long night, no doubt about that...


    ...


    ...


    It was the 18th of August, the Monday following the outing with my classmates and my night at Suri''s place...yeah, all in all, I had an incredible time a couple of days ago. Anyway, I was at the Academy, and today, we had some special training assignment that we were yet to get the details of.


    I was in the classroom, along with most of the others as well...Suri was going to be absent, she''d messaged me earlier and said that she had caught a cold...it was flu season in the North Quadrant, people tended to get sick this time of the year...


    Yup, even with the majority of the world getting wiped out during WWIII, the flu virus managed to survive and continue to thrive. I''d only gotten sick a handful of times, I had a pretty good immune system so I don''t get sick that easily.


    The door to the classroom then opened and Instructor Jin Satou walked in with a stifled yawn, heading for the front of the class and turning around with a sigh, leaning his back on the whiteboard as he tapped his I-Watch a couple of times before turning his gaze towards us...


    "Looks like one person''s absent, huh...well, whatever. Right, so I''m supposed to tell you guys what today''s training assignment is going to entail...what a pain in my ass. Listen up, because I won''t repeat a word...this will be the first training exercise with your permanent teammates, and will consist of mock battles between each of the other two teams in this class."


    Yeah, that''s pretty necessary, we''ve been working together during combat and teamwork classes, but we haven''t actually tested out our combo plays in a fight. I''d still rather work alone, of course, but since I don''t really have a choice in the matter, this is gonna be pretty important. Suri''s not here, so my team''s gonna be incomplete, but since we have one member more than the other two teams, it evens out I guess. Instructor Satou then continued...


    "The X-Warrior Zone has finished construction on underground mazes that will be used for training, though the exact locations of the mazes are classified...the mazes are enveloped in Duel Fields that''ll teleport anyone out before they can receive fatal damage, so there''s no need to hold back. The walls of the maze are also soundproofed, to make it more challenging to navigate. Whichever two teams that are assigned to fight will be teleported into the maze along with a map of the layout."


    A maze, huh...that''ll work pretty well for me, my abilities are probably better suited to a space like that instead of in wide open areas like the outside of the Sanctuary. Still, given the state of the world outside the Sanctuary, we''re unlikely to encounter any maze-like areas, it''s all vast, open space out there...


    "After being teleported, you''re not allowed to leave your position for fifteen minutes, you''re supposed to use that time to strategize, and after that time is up, hunt down and eliminate the other team''s members...the time limit is thirty minutes, if neither team is fully eliminated by then, the winner will be whoever has more members left in play. And of course, if both sides are even when the time limit is reached, it''s a draw. Okay, my explanation is done. Go down to Training Hall 2, there''s a Teleportation platform there for you to use for this."


    This...should be interesting...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 73 - 72 - Team Battle(Part 1)

    Author''s Note: Starting from this chapter onwards, I will start using other characters'' perspectives when necessary


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "So, what''s the plan, captain?" Inquired Mitchell expectantly.


    "First off, don''t call me that. And second...well, I''ve got some rough drafts of ideas in my mind, but I think I can visualize them better if we all discuss how to go about this...X heads are better than one, or whatever," I replied, before letting out a slow exhale and looking around, "Alright, for starters, what do we know about the other team?"


    "Um...they don''t have any long-range fighters?" Answered Seila, raising her hand.


    "You don''t need to raise your hand to speak, you know...but yup, that''s exactly right. Andre, Makoto and Asshole are all close-range fighters, and Bytra is mid-range...meanwhile, we''ve got a lot more flexibility and options on our side."


    So, yeah, we''d been teleported to the underground maze that Instructor Satou had mentioned, and were currently fifteen minutes from the start of the first team duel. The place was pretty dimly lit, but it was bright enough once my eyes adjusted.


    "We shouldn''t underestimate them," Chimed in Katie.


    Hm, she''s got a point, I''m pretty confident that we can win this, but it certainly won''t hurt to err on the side of caution. I made my holoscreen visible to them and opened up the layout map of the maze we were in...it wasn''t very big, but still fairly spacious, certainly big enough that navigating it without a map would be a fair challenge.


    "It''s too bad we can''t, like, hack into the security cams so that we can see how the other team moves...but I guess the blind aspect in that regard is kinda the point, huh?" Sighed Mitchell wistfully.


    "Actually, we can watch them, I was going to bring it up...I''ve got a couple of drones we can use," I replied, as I scanned the layout of the maze.


    "Wait, what?" Responded Mitchell incredulously.


    "Where?" Asked Katie, looking at me up and down.


    "Um, was that a joke?" Added Seila uncertainly.


    "One at a time! The first question...is not worth answering. The second question...right here, on the frame of my glasses, I''ve got six detachable drones, three on either side of the frame. And finally, no, it wasn''t a joke...see," I answered, as I tapped my holoscreen a couple of times and activated four of the drones.


    I''d requested a few of those bug-sized drones from Director Silva, and she gave me a whole bunch. I then took them to Ruby and she modded them to my customized specifications.


    "Woah, those are really well hidden...and even after you activate them, they''re barely noticeable, they look like little bugs," Remarked Mitchell with wide eyes.


    "Mhm, we''ll use these to keep track of the other team...once I find them, it''ll just be a matter of execution...with that said, here''s how we can go about doing this..."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    "...got it?"


    The others nodded in reply, after I finished explaining my plan. Oh, it''s not some genius mind-blowingly amazing plan, it''s just a typical, simple yet efficient plan. Basically, I uploaded the layout map of the maze into the app that I use to control the drones, allowing me to see exactly where in the maze they were, and when they find the other team, I''d know their exact position.


    The moment we''re allowed to start, we''ll stay put right here while I send out the drones to find the other team...after that, depending on their positions, I''d layed out responses to several possibilities, so that we''d be able to move out immediately as soon as we confirmed their positions.


    "One minute left," Remarked Katie, checking the time.


    "Um, so I was wondering...we were told that we''re not allowed to leave the starting point till fifteen minutes after we''re teleported in...but even if we send the drones out now, it should be fine since we''re not actually leaving the starting point ourselves, right?" Inquired Seila curiously.


    ...holy crap, she''s right. How the hell did I overlook that!?


    "Damn it, I messed up," I said with a grimace, before swiftly activating four drones and sending them out, "What a waste, we could have gotten much more of a head start if I''d figured that out sooner!"


    "You''re being way too hard on yourself, we didn''t think of it either," Pointed out Mitchell.


    "Well, yeah, but strategizing is supposed to be one of my main roles, so I can''t afford to overlook any details," I replied with a frown.


    "I agree with Mitchell, you''re being too hard on yourself," Chimed in Seila.


    "I agree too," Added Katie with a nod.


    "Right...anyway, we might as well get ready now, no point dwelling on what can''t be changed," I sighed...yeah, I guess that I could go back in time, but it''s fine, I''ll handle this situation as-is, "Just ten seconds left."


    The drones were all about a quarter to a third of a way through the maze, which means that they''ll reach the other end within three to four minutes...or more likely, encounter one of more of the other team before then. These drones have a thermal sensory feature installed, and I''d adjusted the program to make sure that no two of them would track the same thermal signature.


    "The fifteen minutes are up...shouldn''t be long before we find them now," Observed Mitchell, as the three of them looked over my shoulders to watch the camera feeds of the four drones on my holoscreen.


    It didn''t take long at all...in less than two minutes, we had found all four of them. And it looks like they had all split up fairly evenly throughout the maze...perfect.


    "Alright, let''s move as planned...remember, we know where they are while they have no clue where we are, let''s use that to our advantage and take them out before they can even see us coming...after that, you know what to do."


    In the event where the other team fully split themselves up, which turned out to be the case, we''d also split up and go after them, and after that...


    "Yeah, yeah, we got it," Replied Mitchell with a grin, a look of anticipation on his face as we all stood up.


    "Let me emphasize again that you need to take out your target as soon as you get within striking distance, don''t forget that like us, they''ll also be linked up to each other with their earpiece communicators, don''t give them any time to alert the others, take them out before they can tap on the earpiece and talk into it...now, then, let''s move out, shall we?" I suggested with a slight smirk.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Mitchell Jones


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Okay, let''s do this...gotta say, having Kilzachs on your side is pretty reassuring. The guy''s kind of a cynic, but he knows what he''s doing and takes it seriously...he was clearly ticked off at himself earlier when he overlooked the fact that the fifteen minutes pre-starting time didn''t specify using equipment during that time, even though it really wasn''t a big deal.


    We''d split up into three, Kilzachs and Seila by themselves, while Katie and I were partnered up. Why hadn''t we fully split up into four? Because that was a part of Kilzachs'' sadistic strategy...and so long as the rest of us keep track of where each of the other team''s members are, there''s no way his plan will fail.


    This app is really cool...once his drones had located the other team, they latched onto each of them without them noticing, and my holoscreen was currently displaying each of their locations on the layout map, indicated by red blips.


    Additionally, if you had someone''s contact info and they had yours, you could use this app to see where they are...in other words, it wasn''t just the enemy''s positions that we could see, we could also see where each other were, indicated by blue blips.


    Gotta say, this app could easily be used for stalking, but it''s also extremely useful in this situation...after all, this maze is covered in a Duel Field barrier, which means that when someone is about to receive a fatal hit, they get teleported out, and when that happens, the blip indicating their position will inevitably disappear from this map, allowing us to keep track of which team has the upper hand.


    "We''re close," Stated Katie quietly, as we neared our target.


    The two of us were assigned to target Andre, who Kilzachs seemed to consider the strongest of the other team...I mean, I''m of the same opinion, but I can''t help but wonder if his opinion is a bit biased, considering the fact that he absolutely despises the other three members of the opposing team.


    According to the map, Andre was just around the next left turn, and it looks like we''re the first of our team to encounter one of the other team members.


    "Ready to do this?" I inquired in a whisper, as we neared the corner.


    "Yeah," She replied briefly and affirmatively.


    "Alright, then...let''s give our team a strong start."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 74 - 73 - Team Battle(Part 2)

    Point-of-View: Mitchell Jones


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Wings>!" I exclaimed, activating my Manifestations and leaping around the corner, startling Andre, who quickly sprang back and activated his own Manifestations.


    "


    !"


    I then flew up and raised my tails as if to whip them straight down at him, he responded by crossing his arms above himself defensively...just as planned.


    "You lose," I remarked with a smirk.


    "Huh? What are you-...," He began, before trailing off as he realized what I meant, but it was too late.


    When I activated my Manifestations, I deliberately did so in a loud voice, to mask the sound of Katie reciting her activation chant, and the moment I had his full attention, I was supposed to signal her by saying something...it didn''t matter what I said, just that I said something.


    And the moment I did, it was her turn to shine.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    A blast of yellow lightning burst out towards Andre, he noticed it far too late, a look of alarm on his face as it reached him, the Duel Field teleporting him out before he could get electrocuted to death.


    "Nice, it went just at planned," I remarked with a grin, descending back down to the ground and dissipating my Manifestations.


    "Why do you sound so smug? It wasn''t your plan," She replied, walking over.


    Man, her blank tone can sometimes feel pretty brutal. I mean, sure, she was right, it was Kilzachs'' plan, but she didn''t have to put it that way.


    "Yeah, well, I executed it!" I argued indignantly.


    "I executed the more important part."


    Is she...deliberately trying to piss me off?


    "I''d appreciate it if you''d stop messing with m-," I began with a sigh.


    "We don''t have time for this. Let''s go."


    ...I hate her.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Seila Khan


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Okay, stay focused...my target is Makoto, and taking him out should be pretty simple, especially since I''m keeping track of his exact location while I hunt him down. The moment I find him, I''ll form my expansive blades and extend them towards him before he can react and finish him off.


    That was the plan that Kilzachs had come up for me, though he did say that the plans he came up with for each of us were just suggestions and that if we had better ideas, we were free to act as we pleased.


    It was a good enough suggestion, though, and should be pretty easy to execute, not to mention efficient, so I''ll go with it. Hm, at the speed that he''s moving, I should encounter him soon...he''s straight ahead of me, and he hasn''t taken any turns for a while...if he takes a turn before I get to him, it''ll give me the chance to attack him from behind, but even if he doesn''t, it''s not a problem.


    I''m just a matter of seconds away from before he comes into sight, better get ready to activate my Primary Manifestation the moment he does...inevitably, when I see him, he''ll see me too, but that''s fine...he''s a close-range fighter with average agility at best, so I''m a bad match for him...I wonder if Kilzachs took that into account when assigning each of our targets.


    "Oh, it''s the clumsy chick," Came a sneer, as I finally caught sight of him, a smirk appearing on his face as he looked at me up and down, making my skin crawl, "Tell you what, I''ll give you the win if you ''accidentally'' fall on me, what do you say?"


    ...ew. On second thought, he deserves worse than a swift defeat from a distance, I''m not going to use my expansive blades, no, that would be too easy...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Lightning Arms>," I remarked, as yellow lightning crackled around my arms and I shot towards him at top speed.


    "Woah,


    ...oof!" He began in alarm, before I cut his chant short with a swift punch to the solar plexus.


    He let out a strained gasp and stumbled back, clutching his midsection with a pained look on his face, which was pale and sweating profusely. I closed in again as he stumbled back and unleashed a triple strike with the back of my right fist, on his throat, mouth and finally square onto the middle of his nose, breaking it.


    "D-damn it, you bitch-!" He exclaimed as he let out a choked gasp of pain.


    I should end this now.


    "


    ," I chanted, before teleporting him away with a slash aimed at his head.


    That was about as easy as I expected, even if I took more time than I needed to. I checked the map to see where everyone else was...looks like our side is still intact, while two of the other team had already been defeated. And it looks like Kilzachs is about to encounter the third one...I should get into position to execute the next part of the plan...


    But first, I think I''ll take a quick breather. I let out a slow exhale and let myself relax, after double-checking to make sure that there was no one anywhere near me. I took a step towards the wall to sit down against...and tripped and fell on my face.


    Ow...maybe letting myself relax was a bad idea. I''ve been clumsy all my life and I''ve fallen more times that I can count...and then, in middle school, a friend suggested a mind over matter approach, to pretend that I''m someone who isn''t clumsy. And, to my immense surprise and disbelief...it actually worked.


    It almost felt like I was getting in character and acting, I would convince myself that I''m someone who''s cool and collected, and most importantly, not clumsy...and whenever I did so, it was like I became a different person.


    But on the flipside, doing so was pretty mentally exhausting, and I definitely couldn''t keep it up indefinitely, only when I''m in a fight or training or in any serious situation, really, like a funeral or something.


    Anyway, I should get going now, it looks like Kilzachs has encountered his target, so it shouldn''t be too long before the next stage of his plan is put into motion...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    So, if you asked me whether the plan I concocted for this exercise was the most efficient plan I could have come up with...the answer to that would be no, I deliberately made a couple of decisions that would make the plan less efficient than it could have been, for the sake of my own personal bias...but hey, it should still be a pretty effective plan, so whatever.


    And I''ve just come across my target, whom I''d picked for myself for no other reason that the chance to gain some personal satisfaction. Oh, I''m going to enjoy this, I''ve been waiting for this for quite a long time...


    "Strategically speaking, I probably shouldn''t waste too much time with you...but that''s going to be tough, I''ve got a lot of pent-up resentment to let out, after all," I remarked coldly.


    "I-I...


    ," She began to reply, before trailing off and activating her Manifestation instead.


    "What, got nothing to say for yourself? Well, that''s fine, it doesn''t really matter...so long as I get to inflict some serious pain right here and now."


    "Y-you...you should get over it," She suddenly retorted, a nervous expression on her face, before blurting out, "Th-that was all more than five years ago!"


    Huh...I just realized, that''s probably the longest sentence she''s said to me since before that whole thing in school...ever since I wound up in the same class as her at the X-Warrior Academy, she''d hardly said a word to me at all.


    Whenever Asshole would talk down to me, she''d join in, but she''d avoid looking at me and it kinda felt like she was just saying all that stuff to appease him and stay on his good side. She never taunted me if he wasn''t around...and come to think of it, even that time when I caused a bit of conflict between her and Misaki, RIP to that bitch, even then she didn''t say much to me, she just mumbled something.


    She really is pathetic, fucking me over when we were classmates in school in order to get in with the popular crowd, and now, the person whom she''d most tried to impress back then was one of the least popular in the class, and she clearly didn''t have the nerve to screw him over the way she did to me.


    She''s the most weak-willed person I''ve ever met, and I seriously hate her guts...so for someone like that to talk down to me and tell me to get over something that she caused, something that really fucked me up for quite a while, it kinda ticked me off...


    "I should get over it, huh?" I inquired icily, before adding viciously, "Yeah, that''s great, piss me off even more than I already am...and you know what, I think I''ll feed you that exact line...yeah, I''ll tell you to ''get over it'', after I beat the fucking shit out of you."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 75 - 74 - Team Battle(Part 3)

    I shot towards Bytra, activating my X-Blades as I did. She responded by flicking her wrist across and swinging her whip towards me, which I evaded and countered with a shot from one of my X-Blasters, aiming for her right shoulder...I don''t want to teleport her out too quickly, after all.


    She let out a cry of pain as it struck her, before gritting her teeth and pulling her arm back, the whip zipping back towards her. I sidestepped out of the way as I continued towards her, one of the thorns grazing my cheek as it whizzed past me...that''s the first and only hit she''ll land on me, I''m going to go all out now.


    I put on a burst of speed and swiftly closed the gap, pretending to aim a shot at her knees, before leaping forward as I closed in on her and slammed my knee onto her face before she could react to my feint, a gasp of pain escaping her lips as blood poured out of her nostrils and she stumbled back unsteadily, falling onto her back with a groan, her Manifestation dissipating.


    As I landed, I walked over and slammed my foot down onto the middle of her chest and eliciting a cry of pain from her, my years'' worth of hatred for her starting to all rise up at once. I reached down and grabbed hold of her hair, lifting her up by it. She flinched as her gaze met mine, fear appearing in her eyes.


    "P-please...stop i-it, j-just teleport m-me out already...," She pleaded weakly, tears welling up in her eyes as I scoffed at her begging, "Wh-why...are y-you doing th-?"


    My rage peaked before she could even finish her question...


    "Huh? Are you seriously asking me that? You...you have no idea how deeply I despise you, do you? I hate you, Bytra...I hate you so goddamn much, you deplorable fucking bitch. What you did to me...it may not have been that big a deal for you, but the sheer humiliation and despair I felt is still clearly etched in my memory, I''ve never even for a second forgotten about it," I remarked coldly, my voice trembling with rage, before I added with a slight, malicious smirk, "So, yeah...that''s why I''m doing this."


    I set my X-Blasters to short-range mode for minimum penetrative power and fired a shot at her midsection, as she screamed in pain and clutched her stomach, blood trickling out of her mouth as she went pale. It''s not enough...I''m still not satisfied.


    I wanted to inflict so much pain onto her that I was seeing red, all I could focus on was her. My body felt warm and I was sweating, the desire to inflict pain on her growing stronger and stronger...


    I tossed her up and caught her ankle, before slamming her down onto the ground on her back, causing her to let out a hollow gasp of pain and cough out blood. I slammed my foot down on her chest and face a couple of times, leaving her on the verge of losing consciousness.


    "I''ve had enough of you...," I remarked in an icy tone, combining my X-Blades to form the long and wide blade mode and raised it with the edge pointing straight down at her throat, before plunging it down towards her, "Now, die."


    Before I could cut through her neck, she got teleported out, my blade piercing into the floor deeply...


    I took a moment to catch my breath and calm down, before deactivating my X-Blades and putting the handles away, staring down at the small opening in the ground I''d created...for a moment there, I forgot that I was in a training exercise, I...I genuinely thought that I was going to kill her just then, and I only snapped out of it when she got teleported away.


    That was-...I''ve...I''ve never lost self-control like that before-...actually, no, wait, it has happened once before...that time when I beat up those girls after they killed the class dog. If this had gone on any longer, I might have once again reached the point where my rage blinds me so much so that I don''t even remember all the details of what I did.


    I slapped the sides of my face to compose myself, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. I felt...a lot lighter, somehow. It was like I''d taken a weight off my shoulders, it reminded me of how I felt when I got to kill my father, and also the time I beat the shit out of Asshole...I just feel so much better.


    "Hey, you''ve been rooted to one spot for a while, you good?" Suddenly came Mitchell''s voice in my ear, startling me.


    "Yeah, I''m fine, just...savoring this feeling of satisfaction and lost track of time, I guess," I replied with a quiet, wistful sigh, "I''ll be on my way over in a second."


    "...right."


    I then tapped on my I-Watch and brought up the map...only one red blip left, and the three blue blips had it surrounded, while keeping their distance...time for me to fill the gap. So, yeah, my plan was to first split up and take out Andre, Makoto and Bytra, and then have all of us regroup and surround Asshole to really rub it in his face that his team was soundly and one-sidedly defeated by my team.


    Yeah, strategically speaking, it wasn''t the most efficient approach, I definitely let my personal feelings influence my decision-making, but hey, the others agreed to go with it, so it''s all good. Well, anyway, I should get going already...I should be able to get into position within a couple of minutes...let''s go do this, shall we?


    ...


    It didn''t take me very long at all to get in position, so that we had Asshole surrounded on all sides...the question now is, when do we jump him? I checked the map and scanned the area...oh, he''s headed for a spot where four paths intersect, perfect!


    "Time to get closer, everyone...see the spot up ahead in the direction he''s going in, each of you needs to go through one of the four paths that lead to that spot...Seila, you''re right behind him, so you just keep following him along the same path. Mitchell, you''re the closest to the left path, so that''s yours. Katie, take the right. I''ll take the path that''s right ahead of him," I suggested, as I began making my way to intercept him.


    "Okay, I got it," Replied Seila affirmatively.


    "Me too," Added Katie.


    "Ditto. Gotta say, you sure are putting some effort into handing Tairo a humiliating defeat," Remarked Mitchell dryly.


    "Why just look to do the bare minimum in defeating the enemy when you can inflict some psychological damage with just a little bit of extra effort, making our victory all the more comprehensive?" I replied with a shrug.


    "That''s not a bad explanation, but I don''t buy it."


    "Oh...well, I don''t care."


    "Rude."


    "Well, to be fair, I probably wouldn''t have used this strategy against the other team," I admitted sheepishly, before adding as I glanced at the map again, "Alright, time to get in place, and after that, we''ll move in to corner him on my signal."


    I then continued on to get in place to intercept Asshole, taking one of my X-Blade handles in my hand and adjusting my X-Blasters as I made my way along the maze. Okay, I''m almost there, and the others were already in good positions, each of them about a hundred meters away from him.


    At the rate that Asshole is moving, he''ll be at the spot where the four paths intersect in about a minute or so, I''d estimate...it''s now or never, time to set this up and take him down.


    "Mitchell, Katie, time for you two to move in closer, Seila, you get closer too but make sure to keep enough distance so that he doesn''t notice you."


    All three replied affirmatively, and the blips indicating their positions began moving faster, the one behind Asshole slowing down after a short burst of speed, maintaining a distance. I reached the spot where the route I was using opened up into a four-way cross path and hid along the shadow of the wall.


    I glanced at my holoscreen one more time before turning it off...Katie and Mitchell are almost in position, and Asshole should come into view within a few seconds now. This''ll be a nice follow-up to the beatdown I gave him not too long ago. Okay, I think I see him in the distance, my eyes had gotten pretty accustomed to these dimly lit surroundings...though the way these walls absorbed all sound was more than a little disconcerting, I couldn''t hear his footsteps at all.


    A few seconds later, I finally caught sight of him, as he stepped out of the path directly across the one I''d used and into the intersection, tapping his earpiece communicator with a frown. Heh, try all you like, you''re not going to get any reply from the other end, I can assure you of that much.


    "Time to move in," I remarked with a smirk, tapping on my communicator to inform the others as I stepped out of the shadows.


    "It''s about time I ran into someone...tch, but it''s just the fucking Dud, this should be an easy win," He sneered condescendingly.


    "Are you retarded or something? What, did I hit you so hard last time that you forgot that I beat the crap out of you with total domination? Eh, whatever, I''ll just be nice and remind you. Oh, and it''s not just me...look around, Asshole," I replied in an equally condescending tone.


    The other three then stepped out from either side of and behind him, activating their Manifestations as they did...


    "


    !"


    "


    ."


    "


    ."


    "Wha-...damn it, what are the others doing!? Fucking useless," He growled, as he looked around with an expression of growing panic.


    "Blaming your teammates is such a beta-male move," Remarked Mitchell with a wry smile.


    "Can we attack him now?" Inquired Katie with her usual lack of emotion.


    "Yeah, I suppose we should," I replied with a smirk, "Alright, then, guys...let''s crush this son of a bitch."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 76 - 75 - Team Battle(Part 4)

    Okay, so that wasn''t as satisfying as I''d hoped it''d be...I managed to land a couple of solid punches on his face and break his nose, but before I could do much more damage, Seila teleported him out using her expansive blades.


    "Hey, just so you know, your face is super easy to read right now," Remarked Mitchell with a wry smile, "You''ve got a serious violent streak, man."


    "Mhm, you looked really happy when you broke his nose," Added Katie from behind me.


    "Um, I thought it''d be better to save our energy for the next match, so when I saw an opening, I took it, sorry," Chimed in Seila in an apologetic tone, who was no longer in what I called her ''serious mode''.


    "Nah, it''s fine, I was acting out of personal interest, after all. The ideal approach is to take them out as soon as possible, I only chose a different approach for my own satisfaction, not because it was a better approach," I replied sheepishly.


    "So, uh...how do we get out of...," Mitchell began to ask, before trailing off as we suddenly found ourselves in the Academy training hall, "...here? Never mind."


    We were probably teleported back using the collars and the Duel Field''s teleportation function.


    "Okay, team Tairo vs team Kilzachs, the winner is team Kilzachs," Announced Instructor Satou, before adding, "Although...Kilzachs, I have to give you a warning for going overboard. Pull something like that again and...you''ll be in trouble or whatever, I guess."


    "Uh, sure...I''ll keep that in mind or whatever, I guess," I replied, keeping a straight face.


    "Don''t get cute with me," He sighed with frown, "Anyway, next is team Zoya vs team Tairo...but since the latter is missing a member, who is currently recovering in the infirmary, team Zoya will have to have one of their members sit out. It''ll start in ten minutes."


    I''ll just cut to the chase...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Zoya''s team won pretty easily, it was her, Taayin and Lin, with Kiran sitting out. The tactic that they opted for was to stick together and take out Asshole''s team one by one as a group, and while it was a rather slow process, it was an effective one. There were hidden cameras in the walls of the maze, so we could see them, though we couldn''t hear anything...


    There''s a good chance that, during the first match, Zoya''s team would''ve seen us using my drones...well, not that it matters, knowing about them won''t stop me from using them. Anyway, Asshole stormed out of the training hall with a downcast expression the moment he got teleported back, slamming the door shut as he left.


    And so, I couldn''t help but congratulate the other team when they returned, much to their bemusement.


    "Uh...thanks?" Replied Zoya with a bemused look.


    "Ignore him, he''s just happy that Tairo got humiliated," Sighed Mitchell, rolling his eyes.


    "What, is there something wrong with me being happy?" I inquired dryly.


    "No, it''s more like what makes you happy that''s concerning," He replied with a wry smile.


    "The blood of my enemies?"


    "...it''s even more concerning when you put it that way."


    "Chill out, I''m just k-," I began to reply.


    "This guy totally gets it!" Grinned Taayin, interrupting me, "Nothing like seeing someone you hate bleeding, am I right?"


    Admittedly, I can agree with that notion...


    "I was...half-kidding," I remarked, avoiding answering the question.


    "Just half?" Inquired Zoya with a raised eyebrow.


    "Hey, relax, all the grudges I have in this class are in one team, I''m not interested in seeing any of you guys beaten to a bloody pulp," I assured her.


    "That''s the most violent thing I''ve ever heard in such a reassuring tone," Chimed in Seila.


    "You''re totally the type who would threaten someone while giving them a friendly smile," Chuckled Lin with amusement.


    Am I? Well, to be fair...


    "...I did laugh after I killed my father," I blurted out loud without meaning to.


    "Wait, what?"


    "Nothing, just a joke."


    Fortunately, they seemed to buy that...I need to be more careful, I''m starting to let my guard down around these people when talking to them. They all seem nice enough, but there''s no telling whether some of them are just putting on an act or hiding their true colors...I made that mistake with Bytra over five years ago, I''ll never make that mistake again.


    Still, it''s definitely not a bad thing for me to become more socially adept, so I won''t do anything to compromise my friendly interactions with them. I do need to be more careful about what I say though.


    "Alright, time for the last match," Remarked Instructor Satou with a sigh of relief, "Go on, hurry up and get this over with so that we can all go home."


    As always, gotta appreciate his blunt honesty. Anyway, with that, both teams were teleported into the maze, and the fifteen minute countdown began.


    "So, we sending out the drones right away this time, right?" Inquired Mitchell, as I brought up my holoscreen.


    "Way ahead of you, already working on it," I replied, as four of the drones on my glasses'' frame activated and flew off.


    "Um, won''t they see this coming?" Spoke up Seila with a skeptical look on her face.


    "Oh, yeah, they definitely will," I answered with a nod, "They''ll know that we''ll be watching them, but that''s fine...we''ll still be able to see them while they can''t see us, so we''ll have the advantage either way."


    "Wonder what kind of an approach they''ll opt for this time," Mulled Mitchell, as we watched the drones travel through the map of the maze.


    "It''s obvious," Responded Katie with a shrug.


    Yup.


    "Huh? No, it''s not! You guys don''t think it''s obvious either, right?" Inquired Mitchell, turning to stare and Seila and me.


    "Um...I don''t know, I don''t think so," Said Seila awkwardly.


    "Kilzachs?"


    "Well, I don''t know if it''s obvious or not, but I have a pretty good idea of how they might choose to approach this...," I replied, before explaining, "Since they know that we''ll be aware of their positions, they''re highly unlikely to split up...so they''ll opt for the same approach as the previous match, to stick together. Which means that we''ll have no choice but to do the same. Anyway, my drones should reach their location soon, so we''ll be able to confirm it shortly."


    "Oh...okay, yeah, that makes sense, it''d be suicide for them to split up since that''d let us pick them off one by one...is that the same explanation as what you claimed is obvious?" Mitchell asked Katie, who nodded in reply, as one of my drones came across the other team.


    "Alright, found them...we''ll watch them with one drone while the rest are on standby a few meters away...it''s easier for me to stay in their blind spots if it''s just one drone to control instead of multiple drones."


    "Nice, we totally got this in the b-!" Mitchell began to declare, when suddenly, the dim lights on our Duel Field collars switched off and we felt a slight rumble all around us.


    Huh? What just happened?


    "Did the Duel Field malfunction or something?" Wondered Seila with a worried look on her face.


    "If that''s the case, we can''t fight, it''s too risky," Replied Katie, a slight crease of concern on her forehead.


    "I''m on it," I responded, activating the speaker function on the drone that I had spying on the other team and speaking into my I-Watch, "Hey, you guys, looks like something''s going on with the Duel Field, we better call this off for now and group up for safety."


    They looked startled for a moment, before Zoya stood up and nodded after spotting the drone...


    "Yeah, we noticed the collars turning off too, we can''t fight if the teleportation function isn''t working. Let''s regroup at the middle of the map, the four-way intersection right here," She said, bringing up her holoscreen, making it visible and pointing to the spot.


    "Alright, sounds good, we''ll meet you there," I replied, before switching off the I-Watch and turning to the others, "Let''s go, guys."


    ...


    It took just a few minutes for us to join up with the other team, before we began discussing what to do now...


    "I don''t understand why we can''t just fight anyway?" Sighed Taayin with a look of disappointment.


    "Well, duh, it''s because-...," Zoya began to reply with a look of exasperation, before being interrupted by the faint sound of a sudden explosion, followed by the sound of rubble crumbling, the maze shaking slightly again.


    No way, that was so loud that even the soundproofed walls of the maze didn''t fully muffle it, and the impact was so powerful that we could feel it even though we were all the way in the middle of the maze.


    "What...the hell was that?" Remarked Mitchell with a frown.


    "That sounded like...an explosion was set off by one of the walls," I replied, taking out my X-Blade handles.


    I''ve got a bad feeling about this...


    "What should we do?" Asked Seila with a worried look on her face.


    "Let''s hide...the explosion sounded like it came from that direction," I said, pointing at the path that was in direction the sound had come from, before continuing as I nodded to the path that was to the left of it, "So let''s hide around the corner, I''ll use my drones to see what''s going on."


    The others agreed to my suggestion and we hid along the wall of the path, as I activated all six of my drones and sent them out towards the areas close to where the explosion had come from.


    "See anything yet?" Inquired Lin nervously.


    "No, not yet, I-...," I started to reply, before trailing off as one of my drones came across a small group of-...


    "No way, they made it inside the Sanctuary? But...how!?" Exclaimed Mitchell in a sharp whisper, as my eyes widened in surprise.


    This is bad, really, really bad...it was a group of five Wights...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 77 - 76 - Infiltration(Part 1)

    Point-of-View: Kilella Floence


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Hey, director, what''s up?" I greeted as I entered her office.


    "Hey, Kilella, thank you for coming in. I''ll cut to the chase, I''m having some of the Aces run a training program for lower-ranked X-Warriors, and I''d like you to be a part of it too."


    That sounds like a pain...


    "I''d rather not, if that''s possible," I replied sheepishly.


    "You do realize how urgent things are right now, don''t you? We lost over thirty percent of our X-Warriors during the attack on the Wight base camp, including several of our best...we need an increase in both quality and quantity alike," She sighed, looking stressed out and tired, dark circles under her eyes.


    "Fine, if I have to...," I gave in reluctantly, "But I''d like to be involved with the least amount of work possible."


    "...if an assignment doesn''t catch your interest, you really have no motivation, huh? Well, this is important, so-," She began, stifling a yawn, before trailing off as she got a notification on her laptop, a deep frown appearing as she read the message and her eyes widened, "What the-...this can''t be right, there are several reports of Wight attacks coming from the South Quadrant!"


    What?


    "Huh? But how? With all the cameras and sensors on the outside of the Sanctuary...," I remarked with a frown.


    "Well, we haven''t finished it yet...the fortification is complete, specifically, we''ve covered the exterior with blast shields and installed weapons, and most of the cameras are up too, there are few blind spots in the north but the rest is well equipped...we haven''t yet completed manufacturing the battle androids and drones, but if these Wights snuck in from the south somehow, they should have been spotted, we even have underground sensors," Frowned Director Silva, typing furiously on her keyboard, "Okay, I''ve sent out an emergency notice to the I-Watches of all X-Warriors, so-...damn it, now what!?"


    She''d just gotten another notification, and her expression said that it wasn''t anything good...


    "I''m gonna go head for the South Quadrant, so-," I began to turn around.


    "Wait...one of the operators of the underground training maze in the South Quadrant sent a message...it just says ''help''...I don''t like this. I''m accessing the operating system of the maze," She muttered, her eyebrows furrowed together.


    Oh, yeah, I think I remember some X-Warriors talking about some new underground training facilities, large mazes that were to be used to simulate team battles. They were apparently located in the South Quadrant instead of the X-Warrior Zone.


    "Um...what is it?" I inquired, as her eyes widened.


    "This is...damn it, what shitty timing, some of the Level Q students are currently in the maze...the Duel Field is inactive, and the cameras in the control room aren''t working, so I can''t see what''s going on with the operators...but it looks some of the hidden cameras are still active. Let''s see...okay, looks like the students are sticking together, Kilzachs is there too," She muttered, I walked over behind the desk and next to her to see as well, as she shuffled through the camera feeds, "Oh, no, this is bad...Wights."


    A group of five Wights...heading straight for where the students where.


    "Hey, is it just me, or does it seem like they''re looking for the students specifically?" I inquired with a frown, "They''re heading right for them."


    "Don''t tell me they''re after-...!" She suddenly exclaimed, standing up with a start, "But how-...no, if my hunch is right, then the how or why doesn''t matter, we can''t afford to let them succeed. Kilella, go to the maze, NOW! Use the teleportation platform downstairs to go straight into the maze and then find the students as soon as possible, the Wights are almost upon them, hurry!"


    I don''t think I''ve ever heard her sound so urgent...


    "You don''t need to tell me twice, I''d have done so even if you had forbidden me from doing so...Zax is there, so I can''t ignore it," I remarked, before racing out of her office at top speed.


    Damn it, I need to hurry...just hold on for a while longer, little brother, I''m on my way...!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Target located...do with the rest as you please."


    The Wights had found us...we''d moved around a few times when they started to get close, but they immediately changed course each time...no doubt about it, they were following our movements too. So, we decided to wait and confront them instead.


    We had them outnumbered, but it was going to be hard to fight in these narrow spaces, this is far from an ideal situation. They were warily keeping their distance for now, but it won''t be long before they move in. And what did the one in the middle mean by ''target located''?


    "Hey, do you think you can slice them all in half with your expansive blades?" I quietly whispered to Seila.


    "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," She whispered back.


    "Alright, do it as soon as you feel like you have an ideal opening," I replied, before turning to the Wights, "So, what do you want?"


    "Our target is you," Responded the one in the middle, "That is the main objective of our mission...if you''re willing to give yourself up, we''ll let the others go, what do you say?"


    He looked a bit different to the other Wights I''d seen before...the bottom right part of his face, including half of his mouth and a part of his right nostril, looked like a regular human, while the rest of his face and body had the dark, leathery reptile-like skin. He had long back hair tied in a low ponytail and piercing orange eyes.


    Also, wait, back up a sec...they''re after me?


    "You''re after me? Why?" I inquired curiously.


    "Huh? Isn''t it obvious? We can''t very let an enemy with your capabilities live, you''re far too big a threat," He replied, drawing out a sword, "A time-stopper is far too dangerous to be allowed to exist, so-."


    "


    !" Seila suddenly exclaimed, forming and expanding her blades towards them rapidly...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    What? Her blades went right through them. I don''t mean that she pierced them, no, I mean they literally passed through the Wights as if they were holograms. No, wait...the one in front, who just spoke, had a wide cut on his torso...ohh, I see...


    "You can make yourself, as well as others, intangible...you''re an Anomaly," I surmised, as Seila drew back her blades cautiously.


    "Anomaly? Oh, you sheltered humans have a name for those who develop aberrant powers," He remarked, before adding with a smirk, "Actually, that''s a pretty good name for it...your powers are certainly an anomaly."


    "Powers? Me?" I inquired, with an innocent tilt of my head.


    I could feel the gazes of the others behind me...I hate this...fuck, I''d love to go back in time right now, but I can''t use my powers with another Anomaly present...I still have no idea what''ll happen if I try to go back in time while another Anomaly is in close proximity, and this doesn''t seem like the right time to try it out.


    "Tch, don''t play innocent, I can sense other ''Anomalies'', and I can vaguely tell what the nature of their powers are...though it is rather confusing, one of the other Anomalies I''m sensing feels like their power has something to do with...children''s stories? I''m not sure I''m reading that right...but you, I have no doubt that your power is time-related," He declared, pointing his blade at me, "Therefore, you have to die. I see that you''re confused, let me explain how we''re aware of you...do you remember fighting one of us who could negate Chikara, or XPE, or whatever you call it? Well, he wasn''t the only Anomaly who was there...there was another, he snuck away to inform the rest of your existence, while the one you fought distracted you and kept you from noticing. Oh, and the one that snuck away...that was me."


    ...well, shit...


    "Goddammit, fuck me dead," I sighed, before pointing my X-Blasters at him, "Well, whatever, I''ll just kill you here and now...your power is a pretty major threat too, especially if turning intangible isn''t all that you can do."


    "Hah, you''re a sharp one, aren''t you? But no, you''ll be the one who dies here."


    "This is a lot to process...dude, you''re an Anom-!?" Mitchell began to exclaim incredulously, as the others stared at me in surprise too.


    "...yeah, I am. Can we talk about this lat-?" I began in exasperation, when suddenly, I felt a familiar headache...


    Oh, for the love of fuck, no, please not right now...


    I stumbled back with a groan as blood poured out of my nose, eyes, mouth and ears, my vision starting to blur.


    "Kilzachs?"


    "Hey, you okay, dude?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    The others were talking, but I could barely comprehend what they were saying, it''s no use, I''m blacking out...


    "Damn it, why fucking now!? Guys...buy me...some...time...," I muttered in a pained tone, before everything went black...


    .


    .


    .


    <...bzz..bzz...>


    .


    .


    .


    Been a while since I heard that static, but come on, could the timing have possibly been any worse...


    .


    .


    .


    <Unlock Conditions Met: Successfully Revealed Existence as Anomaly to More Than Five People Simultaneously>


    .


    .


    .


    ...are you fucking kidding me with that shit!? What the fuck, man!?


    .


    .


    .


    <Additional Tier Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    <Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut, Copy and Paste, Unlocked>


    .


    .


    .


    Well, alright, then...the timing was awful, but I can''t say I''m not intrigued to see what this new tier can do. Let''s find out, shall we?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 78 - 77 - Infiltration(Part 2)

    Point-of-View: Mitchell Jones


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Damn it, why fucking now!? Guys...buy me...some...time...," Trailed off Kilzachs, losing consciousness as blood ran down his face.


    I caught him before he could hit the ground and propped him up against one of the walls. What just happened?


    "Sir, we have to kill him now, he''s awakening a new power!" Exclaimed one of the Wights in alarm.


    "Don''t you think I know that!?" Snapped the one in the middle, "We can''t let him wake up, there''s no telling what kind of power he''ll gain!"


    I''m still pretty confused and overwhelmed by this situation, but one thing was clear...we can''t let them do as they please...there''s seven of us excluding Kilzachs and only five of them, so we have the numbers advantage.


    "Alright, guys, I don''t usually like being told what to do, but Kilzachs isn''t the type to ask for favors, so I''ll comply for once...that, and the fact that it seems like he''s unlocking a new power, according to those Wights...let''s buy him some time," I remarked, before adding with a smirk, "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Wings>!"


    "Stand back, the rest of you...I''ll take out these weaklings," Declared the Wight in the middle, stepping forward with his sword...and then suddenly vanished from our sight.


    Where''d he-!?


    "Mine!" Exclaimed Taayin, zipping forward at top speed with a wide grin, "Now,


    !"


    He swung his claws at seemingly thin air a few times...when suddenly, a cut appeared on his left bicep, tearing through his sleeve...now I get it, the Wight didn''t vanish, he turned invisible. How are we supposed to fight that!?


    Cuts were appearing all over Taayin''s body, who seemed to be dodging them...how does he know where the attacks are coming from? He looked like...he was focused, concentrating hard, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression almost blank...huh, so he can fight without acting like a deranged maniac. Suddenly, a slight smirk appeared on his lips...


    "I gotcha now!" He yelled, spinning around and swinging his finger blades across, before swiftly clamping his teeth down, a clang echoing out as he did...and the Wight came into view.


    The blade of his sword was between Taayin''s teeth, and his right shoulder was pierced by the finger-blades. Suddenly, the blade shattered as Taayin applied more force into his jaws, his mouth bleeding as he smirked widely...the sides of his mouth had been cut into about an inch, and some of his front teeth were a bit cracked...and yet, it was the Wight who had fear in his eyes.


    He quickly sprang back warily and tossed his blade handle away with a frown, keeping an eye on Taayin cautiously. Wow, I''m glad we''re on the same side, because that guy is terrifying.


    "Tch, I underestimated you...enough, we can''t waste any more time, we don''t need to kill all of you, just the time-stopper...get out of my way!" Snarled the Wight Anomaly, who seemed to be in charge, having the other Wights stand down before sprinting towards Taayin rapidly and driving his fist towards his face.


    Taayin responded by tilting his head out of the way and slashing at the Wight with his claws, but they phased right through him as the Wight turned intangible, before Taayin let out a gasp of pain and coughed out blood as the Wight slammed his knee onto his midsection with a crushing force, knocking him out with one strike. This is bad...


    "Come on, guys, let''s take this guy down before the others join in!" I exclaimed, as I flew up and swooped down towards him, the edges of my tails pointing at him, while the others shot forward as well.


    "You fools...you have no idea how to fight in a real battle, do you?" Remarked the Wight with a scoff, as he leapt up towards me, phased past me as I whipped my tails up at him, before grabbing the back of my collar and throwing me over his shoulder, as I crashed onto the ground with a devastating impact, my manifestations fading as my vision blurred, pain erupting throughout my body...ow...I definitely broke more than a couple of bones just now...


    Seila closed in on him as Lin slipped behind him, the former swinging her blades at him rapidly, which he either evaded or phased through, as the latter attacked from behind...but something was off about their attacks. They seem...stiffer than usual.


    "How amateurish...you''re only restraining yourselves by grouping up in such a narrow space!" Remarked the Wight, seeming to drop his guard.


    Both of them reacted immediately, drawing their weapons back and aiming to drive them straight towards him, before he swiftly got low and grabbed both their wrists in a single, fluid motion and pulling them inwards, their weapons poised to pierce into each other. They both deactivated their manifestations in alarm, and in the next instant, he sprang and unleashed a powerful split-kick, striking both of their heads and knocking them out.


    He then leapt and rolled forward as Kiran swung his swatter at him, before zipping towards him rapidly. Kiran hurriedly shrunk his swatter back in, but the Wight was too fast, knocking him out with a powerful strike to the torso. That just left Zoya and-...wait, where''s Katie?


    Zoya stood in front of Kilzachs defensively, her rapiers poised to strike. As the Wight closed in on her, she unleashed a barrage of blindingly rapid thrusts, but the Wight simply turned intangible and slipped past her, before slamming his elbow onto the back of her neck, knocking her out.


    "That takes care of that," Remarked the Wight with a sigh.


    "What do we do with the rest?" Inquired one of the other Wights.


    "Doesn''t matter, kill them," He replied indifferently.


    Damn it, I can''t move-...suddenly, the Wight halted before he reached Kilzachs, as a familiar, emotionless voice spoke out from the shadows...


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    A bright flash of yellow burst out from further inside the path, as a large yellow XFE dragon crackling with streaks of lighting appeared, the Wight quickly sprang back in alarm, rushing to try and get some distance...looks like an instinctive reaction out of fear...if he was thinking logically, he''d have stood his ground and used his intangibility.


    The dragon then rose up and charged up a massive amount of yellow lightning in its mouth, crackling violently and blindingly bright...holy crap, that looks like it''s going to pack one hell of a punch.


    It then opened its jaws wide, before firing it out towards the Wight with incredible power and intensity, a massive boom echoing out upon impact and kicking up a dust cloud, the walls around the impact spot cracking and crumbling down.


    The dragon then dissipated and Katie collapsed onto one knee, looking drained. She must be low on XFE after that attack. Crap, we''re all down...if that last attack didn''t take all of them out, we''re screwed...


    As the dust cleared, I strained to look, wincing as twinges of pain shot through my body. My eyes then widened in despair as the dust cleared...to reveal that three of the Wights were unscathed, including the Anomaly...the other two were dead. Looks like he can use his power on others too, but he failed to cast it on all of them in time. This is bad...I''m starting to lose consciousness, I''m gonna pass out any second now...


    "Damn it, that was close...enough is enough, you two, go kill them all," Growled the Wight Anomaly.


    The other two Wights nodded and stepped forward, forming XFE weapons as they walked towards us. Shit, shit, shit, this is really fucking bad-!


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    Suddenly, one of the Wights'' head disappeared, blood bursting out of his neck as his body collapsed onto the ground.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    The sound of flesh tearing and bone cracking echoed out as the first Wights'' head reappeared inside the middle of the head of the second one, causing it to crack open like an egg...a bloody, gorey egg.


    I turned my head to see...Kilzachs standing up, a dark, ominous, terrifying look in his eyes, an icy rage burning in them, and his expression...it was blank yet furious, sending chills down my spine. He then shifted his gaze to the Wight Anomaly, the only one still left alive.


    "One more to go."


    I''ll leave it to him then...I don''t think I can stay conscious any longer...my vision was starting to darken...I closed my eyes as my senses began to fade, losing consciousness...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Well, what an interesting new power...I opened my eyes and stood up, looking around. I''d surprised myself when I asked the others to buy me time...and I''m even more surprised that they actually did it. They were all knocked down or unconscious...but it looks like they''re all alive. Huh...I actually feel relieved. And really, really pissed off.


    Two of the Wights were walking forward, XFE weapons in their hands...time to blow off some steam, let''s test out my new power, shall we? I locked my gaze onto the head of one of them, ''selecting'' it, before...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    Instantly, his head vanished, blood bursting out like a fountain from the stump of his neck, as a sense of murderous satisfaction washed over me...that was so easy, it felt like I literally killed him with a thought. I probably should have inaudibly chanted the activation...but I was too pissed off to care right now.


    I then locked my gaze onto the middle of the other Wight''s face...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    In the blink of an eye, the head of the first one I killed appeared in the head of the one that my gaze was currently locked onto, bursting through as his head got torn open, gore and chunks of bone and brain spraying out onto the ground and surrounding walls.


    My gaze then shifted to the Wight Anomaly, who flinched and stumbled back with a look of fear in his eyes, as I remarked in a cold voice...


    "One more to go."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 79 - 78 - Infiltration(Part 3)

    "I-I am not afraid of you, your powers can''t affect me!" Exclaimed the Wight Anomaly, picking up a sword and trying to appear calm.


    "And who said I need them in order to kill you?" I inquired maliciously, as I walked forward, taking out one of my X-Blade handles.


    "Don''t get cocky!" He snarled, racing towards me and swinging his blade at my head.


    I easily ducked underneath it and swung my X-Blade up at him, which pierced into and vertically slashed up through his right side, eliciting a cry of pain from him as he stumbled back, blood pouring out of his wound.


    "Like I said, I don''t need my powers in order to kill you," I smirked, taking a step forward, "But just so you know, my powers would totally work on you."


    "That''s impossible! You can''t affect-!" He began, before quickly jumping away in alarm as a chunk of rubble appeared above him and fell down, narrowly avoiding getting squashed.


    Yeah, I used my new Tier Three powers with inaudible chanting to take him by surprise, I used Cut on a random chunk of rubble from the broken walls and the Paste to make it reappear above him.


    "Tch...you have to admit, I almost had you just then," I remarked with a condescending look on my face, in order to provoke him and hide my frustration at my attack failing to hit.


    As he stood back up, he glanced around a bit, his eyes darting left and right, scanning the surroundings...his gaze lingered for a second on the crumbled part of the walls, as he tore off a strip of clothing and pressed it against his slash wound, soaking up the blood and slowing the bleeding...I see, he''s looking for an opening to escape. Killing him would be a waste, I should try to capture him instead...maybe cutting off a leg or two would work?


    I then stiffened as I heard a faint sound coming from behind me, deeper in the path...a voice? I glanced back while keeping the Wight in my peripheral, to see a faint red flash rapidly growing bigger and brighter, approaching from behind. Is that...?


    "Zax, I found you! Woah, did you do this?" She exclaimed as she closed in, noticing the Wight corpses, before seeing my unconscious classmates and landing, letting out a sigh of relief as she gave them each a quick glance, "Looks like everyone''s alive, that''s good. So, one Wight left, huh?"


    "Yeah, and he''s an Anomaly, so try to capture him without killing him if you can," I replied, as she walked up next to me.


    The Wight took a wary step back, reaching into his pocket as he narrowed his eyes at Kilella.


    "I remember you...you were at the attack on our base camp, there''s no point in me fighting a losing battle," He remarked cautiously, before pulling something out of his pocket and throwing it down, a smoke screen bursting out as it hit the ground.


    Damn it, a smoke bomb!


    "He''s not getting away from m- oof!" Began Kilella, starting to fly after him, before hitting the ground face-first as I grabbed her ankle to stop her, "Ow, my nose..."


    "Sorry ''bout that, sis...but he can turn himself both invisible and intangible, plus he may have other powers too...it''s too risky," I remarked with a reluctant sigh.


    I don''t want to let him get away, but we don''t have a way to chase someone who''s both invisible and intangible, we''d just be giving him a golden opportunity to turn the tables.


    "Zax...aw, that''s so sweet, little bro, you''re worried about me!" She exclaimed, hugging me tight.


    "...cut it out, sis."


    ...


    About an hour later, the attack was over, all the Wights had been hunted down and the X-Warrior Zone HQ was scrambling to deal with the aftermath of the whole situation. Including the Wight Anomaly that had gotten away, there had been a little over fifty of them in total...and the fact that they all snuck in unnoticed means that the Wight Anomaly was able to cast both his invisibility and intangibility powers on more than fifty others.


    Most of the Wights had been killed, and four had been captured, though they had all tried to commit suicide, so I doubt they''d talk easily.


    The South Quadrant had sustained some pretty heavy damage in many of its areas, the structural damage aside, more than four hundred people had been killed. And it wasn''t just the South Quadrant. Some of the Wights had found the Teleportation Points and forced the attendants to teleport them to the other Quadrants.


    However, none had suffered as much damage as the South Quadrant did, the other three Quadrants and the X-Warrior Zone combined only had fifty-three deaths in total and minimal structural damage. And of course, all that death and devastatation had only been a diversion from their main goal...killing me.


    Which is, not gonna lie, kinda flattering, but also very, very unsettling. Especially since that Wight Anomaly has the ability to sense the presences of other Anomalies and even the nature of their powers, to an extent. I survived this time, but it''s very likely that they''ll try again. Well, it''s not all bad, I suppose...I finally unlocked another Tier of my Anomaly powers.


    But...seriously, these unlock conditions fucking suck.


    Anyway, for now, it was over. The captured Wights were being held to be interrogated later, while X-Warriors were sweeping through the South Quadrant to make sure that there weren''t any more Wights hiding somewhere. Meanwhile, I was at the X-Warrior Zone HQ, in Director Silva''s office.


    The others who''d been there in the maze with me were currently recovering in Healing Pods in another room, none of them had suffered any serious injuries thankfully, so they should all be just fine. My sister was out helping with the search and rescue efforts in the South Quadrant.


    Which left me alone with Director Silva in her office, which was kinda awkward because she was really stressed out and restless. Not that I can blame her in this situation, I suppose.


    "So, their target really was you?" She inquired, a frown on her face and she typed something on her laptop, probably responding to damage reports or something.


    "Yeah, that''s what they said...remember the part of my recording during our attack on the Wights, where the Wight Anomaly we previously captured approached me? That was apparently a distraction, while the other Wight Anomaly who was present, the one that attacked today, escaped to report my existence to the rest of the Wights. Though I''m not sure why he needed a distraction, since he can turn invisible and intangible at the same time."


    "I don''t like it...a power like that is a huge threat, even though our fortifications of the outside of the Sanctuary aren''t complete yet, his power would have worked even if they had been complete. I can''t think of a way to counter it," She remarked with a grimace, "And I''m assuming that''s how the Wights feel about you."


    "Huh, maybe so...hey, I''ve got an idea, what if you add a vacuum layer inside the outer dome of the Sanctuary? You know, like a hollow, airtight space with no oxygen...oh, and spikes on the ground too! I bet his intangibility doesn''t apply to the bottom of his feet, since otherwise he''d just fall right through the ground," I suggested, as the idea came into mind, "Motion and heat sensors might work too."


    "That...actually sounds pretty great, though I don''t know if it''s realistic to add a vacuum layer to the entire dome. I''ll have to consult the specialists and find out, I guess. The sensors are a definite option worth considering though. What a mess this is, it''s starting to look like an all-out war is inevitable," Sighed Director Silva, spinning around in her chair while staring up at the ceiling.


    I''ve never seen her so fed-up and exasperated. Well, there have been a lot of things going wrong lately, so it''s not unjustified, I suppose.


    "Yeah, that would suck...if you want my opinion, if there really is no alternative, we should go for a preemptive strike, be proactive instead of reactive, you know?" I suggested objectively.


    "You may very well be right about that...but that decision is probably still a long way off, even if we do decide to do so, we''ll need time to prepare...you know what, that''s enough talk on this matter, I need a mental break for a bit...things are going to get pretty hectic over the next few days."


    "I can imagine...well, I wouldn''t want to be you, but good luck-."


    "You''re talking like this doesn''t involve you...because it does. Or at least, it probably will. We''re likely going to see an uptick in crime in the South Quadrant...if and when that happens, I''ll be counting on your assistance, Kilzachs. Understood?" She remarked, staring at me with narrowed eyes.


    "...I mean, I''d rather not, but since you do have blackmail material against me, I don''t really have a choice, do I?" I sighed wistfully.


    "Don''t get smart with me. And speaking of that...for now, the official statement was that this was a kamikaze attack to throw the Sanctuary into chaos, I won''t mention their real objective. But that''s only because I think that it''s more advantageous to keep it under wraps for a while yet...that said, I can''t promise you that it''ll remain that way forever."


    "Yeah, I figured as much while in the maze...more than half my classmates now know about it now, so there''s that," I added with a sigh, "They even know that I can stop time...because that Wight called me ''time stopper''."


    "I see...once they''re done recuperating, we''ll have a talk with them. I''m curious about something, by the way...did you awaken a new power? After all the hidden cameras were initially deactivated, I was able to restore power to some of them, so I saw a bit of the fight...but then, the hidden cameras in the area where you encountered the Wights all got cut off just after it seemed like all of you had been defeated, and then came a bright yellow flash and the cameras went dead."


    I suppose that I could lie, but she probably knows about the side effects that occur right before an Anomaly power is awakened, so...


    "Yeah, I did. Mind if I keep the specifics to myself?" I inquired with a wry smile.


    "Hm...that''s fine for now, I guess," She relented hesitantly, before adding as she got a notification on her laptop, "Oh, it looks like your classmates have finished their treatment. You should probably tell them to keep your powers a secret, don''t you agree? Let''s head to the infirmary, shall we?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 80 - 79 - Secret

    "So...you want us to not say anything about the fact that you''re an Anomaly to anyone?" Surmised Taayin, after Director Silva and I explained the situation to my classmates that had been in the maze with me.


    "Yup...that''d be great," I replied sheepishly.


    "Just out of curiosity...what would you do if we did tell someone?" Asked Mitchell curiously.


    Definitely shouldn''t threaten them, let''s try a nicer approach...


    "Uh...nothing, I guess...I mean, I''d be dead if you guys hadn''t bought me some time back there, so I do owe you," I answered with a shrug, before adding, "That said, I''d really appreciate it if you wouldn''t tell anyone."


    "Sure, fine by me," Responded Kiran with a yawn.


    "Yeah, if you want to keep it a secret, I certainly won''t ruin it for you," Added Zoya.


    "Gossip ain''t my thing, you don''t gotta worry about me," Chimed in Taayin, giving me a thumbs up, as the others voiced their agreement to keep it a secret as well.


    Of course, some of them might be lying, but there''s nothing I can do about that, and since I don''t have any way of proving it, I''ll play it safe and leave it at that.


    "Um, if you don''t mind, can we ask you questions about it?" Requested Seila with a curious and intrigued look on her face.


    "Yeah, go ahead, though I won''t get into the specifics of how it works or anything," I responded after mulling it over.


    "Hey, come to think of it...I remember one of the Wights'' heads disappearing and then reappearing inside the head of another one...pretty sure I heard an activation chant too, though I can''t remember the words...and then I saw you stand up and...I think I passed out at that point," Muttered Mitchell with a frown, trying to recall the details.


    Oh, crap, that''s right, I did recite the activation chant out loud...was no one conscious to hear it, really? I sure hope so.


    "So, um, have you-?" Seila began to ask with a look of intrigue.


    "Oh, I just remembered! Katie used that Manifestation Overdrive thingy a little before Kilzachs woke up!" Interrupted Mitchell, standing up with a start, as if he''d been struck by lightning.


    "...no, I didn''t," Responded Katie, averting her gaze after a moment of silence as everyone stared at her.


    Definitely lying...but I can sympathize, bet she worked hard on it and wanted to keep it under wraps for as long as possible...oh, well, at least everyone''s attention is on her now, instead of me. I really don''t like the spotlight.


    "Wait, really!?" Exclaimed Director Silva, walking over and grabbing Katie''s shoulders, startling her, "Can you really use Manifestation Overdrive!? Ever since it was first used, no one else has been able to pull it off yet, even Zarina herself can''t do it consistently yet...how''d you do it!?"


    Katie looked uncomfortable and hesitant for a moment, before letting out a sigh of defeat. Wow, that''s the most emotion I''ve ever seen her display...


    "I actually got the idea from the XFE Takeover technique," She began explaining reluctantly, "I just try to overflow the spot on my back between my shoulder-blades, it almost feels like I''m deliberately panicking...it''s harder to pull off if I try to keep myself calm."


    "It''s that simple? Great, thanks! Well, I''m going to go back to my office, there''s a lot to take care of after the Wight attack," Sighed Director Silva, before leaving with her shoulders slumped, the brief flash of excitement fading quickly as she remembered the mountain of work waiting for her.


    "Whew, that was so nerve-wracking! I think that was the most important person I''ve been in the same room with!" Spoke up Lin, as the director shut the door and left.


    Yeah, I''d thought she was being uncharacteristically and strangely quiet, now I know why.


    Hm...I still feel a bit uneasy about revealing my powers...should I say something?


    "Anyway, uh...just to confirm where we stand on the matter of my powers, um...," I remarked tentatively.


    I regretted speaking almost immediately...not good, now they''re gonna think that I don''t trust them, which I don''t, and that might make them more likely to spill the beans, and if that happens, then-.


    "Chill out, dude, we ain''t gonna snitch on ya," Assured Mitchell with a shrug, slapping my shoulder.


    ...why''s he talking like that?


    "He''s right, if you really want to keep it a secret, we won''t tell anyone," Added Zoya with a smile, "After all, you saved us."


    Huh, maybe I was just being pessimistic...


    "No, not really...I mean, first off, the Wights were after me, so if I hadn''t been there, they wouldn''t have shown up in the first place. And the only reason that I even got a chance to kill them at all was because you guys held them off," I responded with a shake of my head.


    "You sure are humble, aren''t you?" Remarked Mitchell with a grin.


    "No, I doubt that. In fact, I''d say that I have a pretty high opinion of myself these days. That said, I don''t like taking credit for something that I wasn''t fully in control of," I replied with a frown.


    "I can appreciate that, you''re proud but not to the point of arrogance," Said Zoya with a nod.


    Uh...thanks, I guess?


    "Hey, speaking of that whole thing...what happened back there anyway, you just started bleeding like crazy out of nowhere," Spoke up Lin curiously.


    "Oh, that...that''s just what happens when an Anomaly awakens a new power. I happened to have inadvertently met an unlock condition right then...FYI, I have no idea what the unlock conditions are until they''re met," I explained.


    "That sounds inconvenient," Remarked Kiran with a frown.


    "You have no idea," I replied with a wry smile.


    Huh, come to think of it, so far, I''ve unlocked them in order, first Tier One, then Two and now Three. Wait, does that mean that even if I meet the unlock conditions for a higher Tier, nothing will happen unless I''ve already awakened all the previous Tiers?


    If that''s the case...then for all I know, I might have previously already met the unlock conditions for Tier Four and Five...yeah, I''m not gonna think about it, I''ve never had any real control over unlocking my Anomaly Tiers, so there''s no point in worrying over it.


    "Damn, for real? That''s gotta be rough," Remarked Mitchell with a shudder.


    "Yeah, and the timing was really crap this time around," I sighed wistfully.


    "Um, can you really stop time?" Inquired Seila curiously.


    "...yes. That''s...one of my powers," I replied reluctantly.


    "Have you ever used it in a fight?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.


    "No, I haven''t-...oh wait, there was that time when I used it once during the attack on the Wight campsite," I recalled.


    "Oh...what about during duels?" She pressed me further, her eyebrows scrunching up...ah, I see what she wants to know...


    "...no, I didn''t use it when I fought you," I answered with a sly smile.


    "H-huh, that''s not what I was-...sorry," She replied sheepishly, averting her gaze.


    "No worries, it''s a fair concern. But no, I never used my powers in a duel, for two reasons...the first being that I was making an active effort to hide my powers, and if I''d ever used my time-stopping power, it''d be very obvious that something was off...plus it''s not very practical, the way physics works when I freeze time is kinda annoying. Actually, forget I said that last part. As for the second reason, it''s because I work hard on my practical skills, so I have confidence in them and prefer to rely on them over the powers that I only got by chance," I explained, before adding as everyone stared at me, "...stop staring at me, I''m not used to talking this much, and I''m definitely not used to this much attention."


    "I mean, it''s rude to not look at you while you''re talking, so...," Countered Mitchell.


    "Fair point," I relented with a sigh.


    "Um, could you use your time stopping power?" Requested Seila hopefully, "I''d like to see it, if you don''t mind."


    "I...sure, I suppose that''s fine," I replied after mulling it over for a bit and chanting inaudibly, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Okay, what should I do to prove that I froze time? I could just walk to a different spot in the room and then resume the time flow, but that''s kinda boring. Oh, how about if I do something to one of them, like mess up their hair or something?


    I then walked over to Seila, since it was her request...and tied her twintails together around the front of her face, over her nose. There, that should do. I''ll back up a bit before activating Play, the surprise might make her trip and fall...with her, that''s a highly likely possibility. And if that happens, I''d prefer to stay far away enough that I don''t get dragged down with her.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "Wha-...hey, that was mean," Pouted Seila, untying the knot.


    "Wow...so if you''re totally serious in a fight, no one would stand a chance against you," Remarked Taayin with wide eyes, "You''d be able to like, stab someone and they wouldn''t be able to do a thing about it!"


    "I can think of some other uses too," Grinned Mitchell, before averting his gaze sheepishly as the girls glared at him, since it was obvious what he was insinuating, "What? Come on, surely you''ve abused your powers at least once!"


    Well, does splurging on expensive desserts and then redoing the day after I''m done count as abusing my powers? Not that I can say that, because my ability to go back in time is the one thing I never want anyone to find out about.


    Of course, I''d want to keep all my powers unknown if possible, but of my current three unlocked Tiers, Tier One is definitely the one I most prioritize in terms of keeping it a secret.


    "No, I haven''t...at least, not with my time stopping power," I replied with a shrug, "And that''s all I''m gonna say on that matter."


    "From what I know, all Anomalies have a tendency to keep the specifics of their powers a secret, right? With your powers though, even if your opponent knows what you can do, they can''t really do anything to counter it, can they?" Inquired Lin curiously.


    "I guess not...though Anomaly powers don''t affect other Anomalies, so there''s that...well, not directly, anyway. For example, let''s say there''s an Anomaly with telekinesis, they wouldn''t be able to use it on another Anomaly, but they can, say, use it to throw a big rock at the other Anomaly or something like that. You know, pretty sure this information is available for public use, it''s not like I''m the first Anomaly or something," I shrugged with a raised eyebrow.


    "Actually, information on Anomalies is pretty limited, since there are only a few in existence...unless there are more like you who''ve been keeping their powers hidden. Though, yeah, I''ve read some of what you said online," Replied Seila.


    She''s pretty fascinated by this whole thing, isn''t she?


    "Hey, I just realized...during that first teamwork exam, you used your powers, didn''t you? I always did think it was a big strange that you were able to get away from a Two-Headed Serpent while carrying three people," Remarked Zoya, her eyes widening in realization.


    "Yup, guilty as ch-," I began to admit.


    "Three and a half," Interrupted Taayin, correcting Zoya.


    Huh, I was thinking it and he actually said it. And based on Zoya''s expression, I made the right call in not saying it myself...


    "Dude...way too soon."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 81 - 80 - Investigations

    "Hey, you over there, with the machete...question, are you responsible for the killings that''ve been reported in this area?" I inquired with a yawn.


    Today was the 25th of August, a week after the Wights attacked the Sanctuary, particularly the South Quadrant. And since then, Director Silva had been giving me investigative missions to carry out. I''d caught two criminals so far, a thief and...another thief, so yeah, two thieves to start with.


    The annoying part was that I couldn''t just kill them...no, I needed to find them, get proof that they''re the criminals, and then bring them into X-Warrior HQ to Director Silva. After that, it was out of my hands.


    I completed both my first two assignments within the same day that I was issued them...how, you ask? Simple, by setting a Save point at the start of the night and then doing it over and over until I got it right. I had to use Load three times for the first one, and twice for the second one.


    The South Quadrant is pretty different to the North Quadrant where I''m from, which is split into several districts, each specializing in a different aspect. But the South Quadrant was like a regular city from before WWIII, with all kinds of buildings and stores randomly mixed together.


    Maybe it''s because I''m more used to the way the North Quadrant is structured, but I prefer the organized layout compared to the way things are structured here in the South Quadrant.


    Well, anyway...my third investigation was of a serial killer, young women had been found raped and brutally murdered in alleys in a certain area in the South Quadrant. So I arrived here, set a Save point like I did with the previous two assignments, and then began searching through about half the alleyways in the area.


    In my first attempt, I didn''t find anything, so I went back to my save point and searched the remaining alleyways...and I found a dead body, which appeared to have been killed fairly recently...so I went back in time for a third attempt and made my way to that alley...but of course, the woman didn''t show up, since while her body is still alive, she''s now a vegetable on the inside, thanks to me going back in time after she died.


    However, just as I''d hoped, the killer did show up. I was hiding behind a dumpster when I heard footsteps approaching, and I peeked out to see a guy impatiently tapping on his I-Watch...it didn''t take me long to figure it all out.


    The guy was tall, well-built and had attractive features...I''m guessing he seduces young woman online and then asks them to meet up with him, before butchering them...he had a machete on his back, and the way his eyes were restlessly darting around made it clear that he didn''t want to be seen.


    Should I set myself a new Save point? Nah, no need, I''ll play it safe, just in case. Because I''m going to go for a very unsafe approach in confronting him...


    "Hey, you over there, with the machete...question, are you responsible for the killings that''ve been reported in this area?" I inquired, as I started recording with my glasses lens.


    He jumped with a startled look on his face, taking a couple of wary steps back and glancing towards the street.


    "I wouldn''t run away, if I were you...see, I took your picture just now, so why don''t you and I have a little chat?" I suggested with a smirk, stepping forward.


    "Who are you? Did Jen send you? Is this like a prank or something?" He replied, acting innocent.


    But it was obvious that he was lying, his gaze kept shifting about and he was starting to sweat, even though it was a pretty cold night tonight.


    "You never answered my initial question, my guy, so I''ll answer your questions after you answer mine. Tell me...are you the one who''s been killing young women in this area?" I inquired with an icy smile.


    "Haha, v-very funny," He replied, rolling his eyes unconvincingly.


    "Yeah, hilarious. Oh, you know what else is funny? The fact that you''re carrying a machete, care to explain?" I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.


    "Th-this is, uh, for protection."


    "You don''t say. Well, I''m convinced, you''re definitely innocent! But, just in case, I''m gonna send your picture to the police, I''m sure you won''t mind, since you''re obviously not the killer...oh, can I have your name and address too?" I asked with a smile.


    "Tch...fuck it, killing guys is a real turn off, but I can''t let you live, you inquisitive cockblocker!" He growled, drawing out his machete.


    Okay, that''s a confession...I''ll just make doubly sure and then capture him...


    "So, I take it you prefer to kill girls?" I asked in an innocent tone.


    "No shit, Sherlock! They react way better than guys, and on top of that, they''ve got pussies to fuck! I can''t get hard over a guy, I just don''t swing that way, and besides, asses are for shitting not for fucking," He replied with a shake of his head.


    I''ve heard enough, this guy is pure scum. As he shot towards me with his machete raised...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted inaudibly, ''selecting'' his entire body.


    As soon as I activated it, he instantly vanished. He''s not dead though, he''ll reappear just fine when I activate Paste. Though I was pretty tempted to kill him anyway. Okay, that makes three in three, not a bad start for someone who''s a total amateur at this. Guess I should head back to the X-Warrior Zone now...


    ...


    "That was really fast...it''s barely been two hours since you left for the South Quadrant," Greeted Director Silva with a slight look of surprise, as I knocked and entered her office, "So, did you succeed?"


    "Well, yeah, I wouldn''t be here otherwise. And it may have been two hours for you, but it was about three times longer for me," I replied with a tired sigh, "Anyway, just like with the last two, I can bring this one out whenever I feel like it."


    During the first assignment, I quickly realized that using Tier Three would make capturing my targets so much easier, so I was kinda forced to reveal that power to Director Silva. Though I told her that it was a power that let me store and remove anything in an alternate space instead. I mean, it''s close enough.


    And besides, this way, I still get to hide the Copy power. Using Cut and then Paste first removes the ''selection'' and then makes it reappear in the specified location, while using Copy and then Paste doesn''t affect the ''selection'', it simply makes a duplicate of them...though I can''t duplicate organic matter.


    Of course, there are some limits to what my Tier Three powers are capable of...I can''t make a duplicate of a building, for example. I still don''t know what the exact limit is, the biggest item I made a duplicate of is my bed...which I regret, because I now have two beds, which I pushed together to make into one, but my room feels really cramped now.


    I can''t undo a duplicate even if I want to. And if I try to use Cut twice without using Paste, nothing will happen, I can''t Cut something without first Pasting whatever I previously Cut. Anyway, the approach I used today, I''d used against the previous two as well...though in both those cases, I pretended to be a fellow thief that wanted to team up.


    With the first one, he was all for it, while the second one was the opposite, and tried to attack me to teach me a lesson for ''intruding on his territory''. So far, all three assignments had been resolved without violence...which definitely wouldn''t have been the case if it wasn''t for Tier Three. It just might be my most useful Tier yet, and that''s saying a lot when the other two tiers are going back in time and stopping time.


    "Nicely done, Kilzachs, you''re doing much better than I expected...that is, in terms of speed, not in terms of success. I was quite confident that you would be capable of successfully pulling this off, I just didn''t expect you to resolve these issues so quickly," Remarked Director Silva with a smile.


    "I mean, I can''t really take credit for that, I definitely would have taken a lot longer if I didn''t have my Anomaly powers, I''d have been forced to approach things differently too," I replied with a shrug.


    "Well, I still have to acknowledge the fact that you''ve been resolving the assignments I give you in record time, none of the other X-Warriors that I have investigating have even completed two assignments yet, let alone three. The main reason is evidence, gathering solid proof is proving to be a challenge for many of them...meanwhile, you manipulated and provoked your suspects into confessing by directly approaching them...that''s definitely a high-risk approach, but since you''ve used it successfully twice already, I can''t really say anything...did you do the same with this one?" She inquired curiously.


    "Yup, I got the confession recorded. Gotta say though, unlike the previous two, I was really tempted to rough this one up a bit...you''ll understand what I mean when you watch his confession," I replied with a frown.


    "Well, considering the states his victims were left in, that''s hardly surprising. Alright, then, let''s go drop him off, shall we?" She suggested, standing up with a sigh, before adding, "Hey, I''m curious...why do you go for such a risky approach? It seems like it''s now worked three times in a row, but...what if you get it wrong?"


    "Actually...it''s not risky at all, not in the slightest. And no, I''m not going to elaborate," I remarked with a slight smile, before adding as I held up two fingers, "I will say this much though...I have more than just two powers."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 82 - 81 - Interrogation

    "Okay, put him in here," Said Director Silva, nodding at an empty cell.


    We were in that place where she''d first tested my shooting skills, the thieves I''d captured were in a different place though...guess this is where they held criminals that they had no intention of pardoning.


    "Sure, but he has a machete, is that okay?" I inquired.


    "Hm? Oh, yeah, that should be fine, these bars are made of tungsten, so a machete will be about as effective as a toothpick," She replied with a shrug.


    "Alright, then...," I replied, before focusing on the area inside the bars of the cell and then reciting the activation chant inaudibly, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    "Wha-...h-huh, where the hell am I!?" Exclaimed the killer in confusion.


    "In prison, douchebag," I called out, giving him the finger.


    We walked away as he began yelling and panicking, striking the bars with his machete.


    "I have to say, I didn''t expect you to have such strong feelings against criminals like this one," Remarked Director Silva, as she led me through the area.


    "Well, it''s not like I care about the victims or anything, I didn''t know any of them, after all. I''m not feeling any righteous indignation or anything like that, I just feel...disgusted, I guess," I replied with a shrug, after mulling it over for a bit.


    "And that''s exactly why I wanted your assistance in these matters...you''re not the type who gets easily emotionally-invested, so I can count on cold, hard logic from you. That said, you''re not completely emotionless either, hence the disgust you mentioned...logic can easily be overwhelmed by emotion and sometimes it seems like you have to choose one or the other to avoid getting muddled and indecisive...but you''re able to separate logic and emotion without putting one aside, and the key to that is that you don''t get as emotional as most people d-."


    "Okay, could you maybe stop with the psychoanalysis? It''s kinda creeping me out," I remarked with a wry smile.


    "Oh, uh, right...guess I got a bit carried away," She responded with a chuckle, "Now, then, before we go back, I have something I want you to do here."


    "Another mass execution? Sure, why not, I could use an opportunity to blow off some ste-."


    "No, not that...well, not today, anyway. What I want you to do is this...remember the Wight Anomaly you captured? Well, we''ve been unable to get a word out of him, all that we''ve been able to do is keep him from killing himself," She sighed wistfully, "So, what I''d like you to do is to try your hand at getting information out of him. I''m not expecting much, but it''s worth a shot."


    "I mean...I guess I don''t mind trying, it''s not like I''ve got anything to lose, though I can''t guarantee that I''ll be successful," I replied with a shrug.


    "Great! That''s good enough for me. Come on, let''s go."


    ...


    About ten minutes later, having gone down a hidden flight of stairs into a secret basement area, we were in front of a cell where the Wight I''d captured was being held. He was restrained with chains and had several tubes connected to his body, presumably to keep him alive. As he heard us approaching, he looked up with a fierce glare, gritting his teeth.


    "Uh...what''s that blue stuff on his teeth?" I inquired curiously.


    "It''s a material that has the properties of rubber and foam, it''s to keep him from biting his tongue off," She explained.


    "So kinda like Bungee Gum?"


    "Huh?"


    "Oh, uh...never mind. Alright, guess I''ll give this a shot," I remarked, as she unlocked the cell and let me in, after I set myself a Save point.


    "You again...hello, timestopper," He greeted me with a growl.


    In a way, I guess I should be glad that he''s been tight-lipped...if not, he might have revealed that I could stop time to whoever else had interrogated him.


    "Sup? I''ve got some questions, mind giving me some answers?" I said with a smile.


    "I refuse."


    That was fast.


    "Yeah, I thought you would...just like the other guy did, he had a really cool power, he could turn invisible and intangible, and he can sense other Anomalies too," I remarked in an innocent tone, carefully watching his expression, "He kept his mouth shut for a while, but I eventually got it open...though technically, that was because he was screaming in agony, not because he was talking. Shall I show you what he went through?"


    He definitely reacted, though he tried to act nonchalant...it''s small, but I''ve got an opening...


    "I don''t fear you, do whatever you want," He scoffed, putting on a brave front, "I won''t give you so much as a single answer!"


    "Are you sure about that?" I inquired in a slightly threatening tone, while maintaining my smile, "You could give me some trivial, basic information and save yourself some pain for a while yet...or you could remain foolishly stubborn and suffer in agony till you''re begging for death...just like that other Wight did. See, he snuck into the Sanctuary to kill me...but guess which of us ended up dead? It''s obviously not me, since I''m standing right here in front of you. Hey, I know, maybe I''ll bring his head here...it''s kinda smashed a bit, but you can still kinda tell that it''s a head...you must be lonely in here, that might help, wouldn''t you agree?"


    "Y-you''re insane...b-but you''re bluffing, ''Anomaly'' powers, as you call them, don''t work on other Anomalies!" He stuttered, a nervous look on his face.


    Looks like mentioning that other Wight Anomaly was the right move, he''s definitely rattled...


    "Oh, you really think so?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow, before focusing my gaze on a brick on the wall, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    "What did you just-?" He began to ask warily, before I dramatically turned my gaze to above his head, he inadvertently followed my gaze and looked up, just as I hoped he would...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    The brick reappeared above him and plummeted down towards his face, his eyes widening in alarm, and right before it could crash down onto his head, I calmly reached up and caught it, meeting his gaze as I did, causing him to flinch before he could stop himself.


    "See? I can hurt you badly without even lifting a finger. How about this for now, answer three of my questions and I''ll leave you unscathed today. Oh, and if you refuse, I won''t kill you...but by the time I''m done with you, you''ll be so broken that-."


    "What...what do you want to know?" He growled, his shoulders slumping slightly as he gritted his teeth.


    There''s a lot I want to know, but...I need to keep it simple, I''ll refrain from asking anything that would likely give us a significant advantage over the Wights, instead I''ll ask more trivial questions for now...


    "That''s more like it...first question, how many Wight Anomalies are there?" I inquired.


    "...about twenty."


    Not exactly specific, but I better not push it...


    "Alright...next question, how many of the Wights are combatants?"


    "Hmph, almost all of us."


    I really want to ask for more specifics, but no, I need to stay in control here. And to do that...I need to be a completely unpredictable entity to him, give him the impression that I''m unreadable. Because it''s easy to fear something you don''t understand, and I need to feed on that. So, for my last question...


    "And finally...tell me, what''s your name?"


    "Huh? Why do you want to know that?" He asked warily.


    "So then are you not going to answer it? What a shame, you got through the first two so well, and what I assumed would be the easiest question to answer is the one that you-."


    "I-I didn''t say that I wouldn''t answer it!" He quickly interrupted...got him, I can definitely break him down bit by bit...but for today, I''m done...I won''t risk pushing too hard too soon...


    "Alright, then...your name?" I prompted, with a faint, cold smile.


    "I-it''s Ro Zenitsu...though I was called Ze-Ro for short, because of my power."


    Perfect, he told me more than I asked...this is a good note to end on. I''d say that I''m good at reading body language, but it''s not like I''m an experienced interrogator or anything, so I shouldn''t push my luck more than I already have. Even with the Save point, there''s no guarantee that a second attempt will go as well as this first attempt did...


    "Ze-Ro, huh...well, you answered all my questions, so as promised, I''m not gonna lay so much as a finger on you. I''ll be back one of these days...see you later, Ze-Ro," I remarked, putting on a friendly tone as I turned my back and headed out of the cell, before pausing and glancing back with a slight smirk, "I look forward to next time."


    And with that I left, subtly signaling Director Silva to walk with me...if we linger around here, it could ruin the note I''d left things on. I''ll be honest, most of what had happened back there was luck on my part, I genuinely didn''t expect it to go as well as it did, but...I have to admit, I really enjoyed it...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 83 - 82 - The Tournament

    Today is the 5th of September, about a week and a half after I''d interrogated Ze-Ro. Since then, I''d gone down there three times to gather more information from him, and while he was becoming more and more pliable...it was a slow process, and I can''t afford to get impatient or try to rush it, or else all the effort I''ve put in till now will be wasted. So I hadn''t been able to get anything substantial out of him just yet, but I was getting there.


    I''d also captured two more criminals, though their crimes were pretty petty, vandalism and flashing, respectively. Okay, so the latter is pretty messed up, but the guy flashed his victims and then ran away without even getting near them, so he''s not exactly dangerous. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of crimes being reported, so it looks like I''ll be busy with that for a while yet. Yay.


    I mean, I guess it can be fun, but most of the time, it''s kinda tedious and boring, so yeah. Other than that, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Oh, and it looks like I''ll be able to go back to my place in the North Quadrant soon, since it was becoming clear that Hebi was no real threat.


    He''s reasonably strong and has decent XFE capabilities, but that''s not what I mean...he''s kinda gotten addicted to digital entertainment and good food, he has little interest in anything else. He even said that the life of a NEET is really, really appealing to him.


    So, yeah, I no longer need to babysit him. He was perfectly happy with never leaving the apartment, he hadn''t left even once since I first started living with him, and he was all for keeping it that way.


    Director Silva suggested allowing him to live in comfort as he wants, and in exchange, he has to join the ranks of our X-Warriors. I didn''t see the merit in that at all...I mean, look at how the X-Warriors reacted to me, just imagine how they''d react to this if it really happened. I then pointed out to her that he''s not remarkably strong or anything, so it''s not really worth it.


    She then got the idea of creating something similar to the chip that gets implanted in us when we undergo the Awakening Procedure, to regulate and stabilize his XFE and the way it manifests. After all, Wights have evolved a lot more than we have, since they were exposed to several more times radiation than we were.


    We can''t use our XFE until we undergo the Awakening Procedure and even then, more often than not, it''s an insignificant amount. But with Wights, they can naturally use their XFE in significant amounts...so, what if they went through something similar to the Awakening Procedure? The result would most likely be a huge increase in power.


    I can''t lie, she definitely managed to intrigue me with that...but then, it''s not like I have much of a say in the X-Warrior Zone HQ decision-making process, not directly anyway, so I''ll just sit back and see where that idea goes.


    Anyway, I was currently in class, chatting with some of my classmates and eating a small box of mini-donuts. Kumar was running late, and I figured I''d eat my lunch for a second breakfast. And as for lunch, I can just buy something from the cafeteria.


    "You know, we should do something fun tomorrow," Suggested Mitchell with a grin.


    "What for?" Inquired Kiran with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, duh...tomorrow''s sixty-nine! As in, the 6th of September, the ninth month of the year!"


    Huh...so it is...and it also happens to be my birthday. It totally slipped my mind, since I don''t usually do anything on my birthdays. I''m definitely not going to bring it up, waste of time.


    "Sounds pointless...I mean, yeah, sixty-nine, nice and whatnot...but it comes around every single year, so it''s about as special an occasion as a birthday," I chimed in, as I munched on another donut.


    "Wow, I have never heard anyone say the word ''birthday'' with such lack of joy. And on another note, seriously, how are you not fat as hell, with the amount of sugar you consume, you shouldn''t even be able to fit through a doorway," Remarked Mitchell with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, well, I train more than I eat sweets, so it evens out," I replied with a shrug.


    "I always used to think that I ate too many sweets, but looking at you, I feel a bit better about my dessert-eating habits," Said Suri with a wry smile.


    "Get off my back," I grumbled, as I stood up and headed for the trashcan, I had one donut left and I figured I''d enjoy it more if I threw away the box now...otherwise, my enjoyment of the last donut might be impeded by the sense of lazy dread of having to throw the box afterwards.


    As I threw it into the trashcan and began to head back to my seat, my sense of anticipation rising as I focused on the donut between my fingers, a hand suddenly swung out and struck at it...knocking it to the ground.


    "Oops, didn''t see you there, Dud," Sneered Asshole...because who else?


    Un...unforgivable...I could feel the fury rising up inside me, and as he began to walk away with a laugh, I snapped and grabbed his throat, tightening my grip before slamming him against the wall, seized by pure rage. You don''t fuck with my sweets...


    "You can call me Dud or whatever else you want, I don''t care...but get between me and my sweets and I''ll fucking kill you," I remarked icily, my voice trembling with rage as he let out a choked gasp.


    He raised his fist in desperation, I quickly grabbed his wrist and the pulled as hard as I could in the wrong direction, breaking his elbow with a loud crunch, eliciting a strangled scream of pain from him, as I tightened my grip around his throat.


    "Aw, did that hurt? Let me make it up to you, I''ll make that painful arm disappear, <Act-," I began, my anger starting to blind me.


    "


    ! Hey! Chill out, dude, I think he gets the message," Intervened Mitchell, grabbing my wrists and waist with his XFE tails and pulling me away from Asshole, as I slowly calmed down.


    Kiran''s swatter then appeared in front of me, blocking my view of the piece of shit who ruined the last bite of my dessert.


    "Overreaction much?" Inquired Kiran with a raised eyebrow, as Asshole writhed on the ground, moaning and groaning in pain.


    Oh...okay, maybe I did lose it for a sec there. But...


    "If that happened again, I''d probably react in the same way...I regret nothing," I replied with a huff, as I headed back to my seat and sat down.


    "I''ll, uh, go take him to the infirmary," Sighed Andre, walking over and helping Asshole up.


    "I-it hurts, I-...!" He wailed, before his annoying voice faded as Andre opened the door and helped him out.


    "Um, I think you overreacted too, but...what''s wrong with that guy, you''ve beaten him comprehensively twice now, but he still acts like he''s better than you," Remarked Seila, a hint of disdain on her face.


    "Yeah, that''s some seriously bloated arrogance," Agreed Suri with a frown.


    "And I had to deal with that for pretty much my entire middle school experience," I sighed wistfully.


    "Sounds like you''ve been releasing years of pent-up rage when it comes to him," Mused Mitchell, "Like, you''re pretty calm and efficient in fights usually, but against him, you get all vicious and sadistic."


    Well, not just him...after that team battle in the maze, Asshole seemed to be pretending that it never happened...his attitude towards me still hadn''t changed, as was apparent just a few minutes ago. As for Bytra, she''d been actively staying away from me since then. She flinched whenever I so much as even glanced in her direction, it was awesome.


    Anyway, a few minutes later, the door opened and Kumar walked in, so everyone got to their seats and settled down as he headed for the front of the classroom and glanced around.


    "Two absent today?" He observed, though he was off the mark...and right on cue, the door opened and Andre walked in, prompting Kumar to say, "You''re late...are you just arriving now?"


    "Oh, no, sir...I arrived a while ago, see, my backpack is on my seat," He replied, nodding to his spot, "I just had to, uh, take Tairo to the infirmary, and I was in the bathroom after that."


    "Okay, whatever, take your seat," Waved Kumar, losing interest as he took out his laptop and connected it to the projector.


    "You ain''t gonna ask why Tairo had to be taken to the infirmary, instructor?" Inquired Taayin curiously.


    "I don''t care...he probably brought it on himself, anyway," Shrugged Kumar in reply, before looking up from his latop, "Alright, so before we begin, I have a small announcement."


    "Ooh, is it something good or bad?" Inquired Lin, before he could continue.


    "...as I was saying, I have an announcement," He said, ignoring her after glaring at her for interrupting, before continuing, "You''ve all heard of the X-Warrior Championship, right?"


    Pretty much everyone replied affirmatively, because you''d have to be living under a rock to not have heard of it. There are a lot of different fighting tournaments in the Sanctuary, from interschool to local within a Quadrant to inter-Quadrant, and so on...and of all the tournaments that were held, the most prestigious and significant one was the annually-held X-Warrior Championship.


    It was a full knockout format, with a total of sixty-four participants. Aces aren''t allowed to apply, though one Ace will be selected to fight the winner of the final round as a sort of bonus match. That said, if they do well in the bonus match against the selected Ace, it''s a great way for the winner to stake their claim to be promoted to Ace rank themselves.


    Oh, and six of the participants are usually students, though only Level K and A...the farthest that a student has gone in the tournament is the final eight, which had happened six times, but never more than once per tournament...one of those instances included my sister, a few years ago.


    Anyway, of the rest of the participants, most are K-Ranked and Q-Ranked X-Warriors. To enter the tournament requires an application, and once all the the slots are all filled up, they stop taking applications, so it''s sort of a first-come first-served basis.


    J-Ranked X-Warriors aren''t very common in this tournament, since it''s televised right throughout the Sanctuary and can be pretty humiliating if you suffer an embarrassing loss. Those who finish strong in the tournament basically become celebrities in the Sanctuary for a while, and can even get sponsorship offers and stuff like that, so there''s definitely incentive.


    Anyway, I wonder what this is about...maybe a class field trip to the arena to watch the tournament? Heh, that''s pretty unlikely-.


    "Let me get straight to the point...as you know, it''s standard to have four Level A students and two Level K students participate in the tournament. Well, this year, it''s gonna be a bit different...it''s still going to be six students, but...it''s going to be two each from Level A, Level K...as well as Level Q...which is you guys."


    Okay...that, I did not see coming...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 84 - 83 - Birthday

    "Woah, for real!?" Exclaimed Taayin, standing up suddenly as Kumar made the announcement.


    "Yes, for real...though I should tell you that the two from this Level Q class have already been picked, so don''t get too excited," Replied Kumar with a sigh.


    Oh?


    "Well, don''t keep us in suspense, instructor," Chimed in Mitchell impatiently, "Who''s it gonna be?"


    "Fine, I''ll tell you, but before I do that...if anyone''s unhappy that they were picked, don''t take it up with me, my sis-...I mean, the director of the X-Warrior Zone picked them, so complain to her if you don''t like it," He remarked, before answering, "So, yeah, the two that were picked are...Kilzachs Light and Katie Cummins."


    She picked me, huh? Wish I could say I was surprised, but I''m definitely not. I just hope she isn''t expecting me to use my Anomaly powers, because I won''t...probably. And I''m guessing she picked Katie because of her Manifestation Overdrive, which as far as I know, no one else has been able to consistently pull off yet.


    "Me?" Responded Katie with a hint of skepticism in her typically-blank voice and expression.


    "You''re both free to refuse, of course, in which case I''ll have to find replacements...which would be a waste of my time and effort, so you better not refuse," Replied Kumar with narrowed eyes.


    "Congrats, guys, this is pretty cool," Said Mitchell, leaning back and reaching over to pat my shoulder, which I dodged.


    "Uh...thanks, I guess."


    "What he said," Added Katie, who seemed unsure of what to do.


    "Anyway, you don''t have to decide right away, you have till the end of the day...but again, I''d rather you didn''t refuse," Stated Kumar with a frown, "Well, anyway...let''s get started with today''s class now, shall we?"


    ...


    ...


    "What are you going to do?" Asked Katie, as we headed for the staff room.


    It was the end of the day now, and we were going to the staff room to give Kumar our final decisions regarding our nominations for the X-Warrior Championship.


    "Oh, I decided to just go for it...I don''t have a great reputation among the X-Warriors, so if I can finish the tournament in a strong position...well, that''ll really rub their faces in it, you know?" I answered.


    "You''re quite harsh on people who get on your bad side, aren''t you?" She inquired.


    "Am I? I don''t really think of it that way, I treat people the way they treat me...if someone''s nice to me, I''ll be civil and polite, but if someone''s a dick to me, I won''t mince words, and if push comes to shove, I won''t hesitate to shove," I replied with a shrug.


    "I think strangling and breaking an arm are a bit more extreme than shoving," She responded pointedly.


    "Huh, I can''t tell if you''re saying that in a joking way or in a more serious way...you''d be an amazing poker player," I remarked.


    "Thanks...I think?" She replied uncertainly.


    "You know, you should talk more often like this...well, not that I''m one to talk, I guess."


    "You used to be quiet, but you''re fairly talkative now, at least compared to how you were before," She responded, glancing at me.


    Wait, really? I am?


    "Maybe...but I don''t think that''s entirely the case. Yeah, I suppose that I am speaking more now than I used to, but a big part of that is the fact that I''m spoken to a lot more than before...I don''t really initiate that many conversations myself though," I pointed out, after thinking about it for a moment.


    "Hm...you may be right," She replied, as we reached the staff room and knocked on the door, before walking in.


    Kumar looked up as we approached him...


    "Oh, it''s you two...so, have you decided?"


    "Yeah, I''m in," I replied with a thumbs up.


    "I''ll participate too," Said Katie affirmatively.


    "Great, I''m locking that in...which means after this, it''ll be too late to change your minds, so don''t bother, ''kay? Alright, I''ve sent the confirmed to the director, you''ll both recieve details about it later. You can go now."


    Alright, there''s no going back now...this should be interesting...


    ...


    ...


    It was the next day, and I was currently at the Marijuana cafe in the entertainment district with some of my classmates, specifically, Mitchell, Suri, Seila, Kiran, Taayin and Lin. Everyone else was either busy or not invited. And who''s in the latter category should be obvious.


    So, why were we here? To celebrate 6/9. Normally, I''d have taken a raincheck, but my sister had been at my place yesterday when Mitchell messaged me to see if I could go...and my sister insisted that I should go, or else, she''d tell everyone that today''s my birthday. I really didn''t like the sound of that, so I messaged back and said that I could go. And now, here I am.


    "So, guys, how about we play-?" Mitchell began to suggest with a stoned grin.


    "How about we don''t? I''d prefer to just chill," I interrupted in objection.


    Suri, Kiran and Seila voiced their agreements, while the rest seemed indifferent either way.


    "Aw, man, you''re no fun sometimes," He grumbled, as he took a deep puff and exhaled slowly, "You know, we should decide which days we want to celebrate, that way, everyone will be able to make sure they''re free on those days ahead of time!"


    He says that like it''s a given that we''ll all continue to be in touch indefinitely...well, I guess I don''t have a reason to burst his bubble, so I won''t mention that...


    "When you say everyone...if you mean ''everyone'' everyone, then I''m definitely out," I replied, as he passed the joint to me.


    "I second that," Chimed in Suri in agreement.


    "Uh, right...anyway, I think we should definitely celebrate today! Oh, and also the 20th of April, as in 4/20!" He suggested.


    "That''s inconsistent," I pointed out, "Today is 6/9 in a day-month format, while the 20th of April is 4/20 in a month-day format...an easy fix would be to consider the 9th of June as 6/9-."


    "Don''t sweat the details! Okay, so we''ve got the 20th of April and the 6th of September...what else? Oh, I know, what about birthdays?" He suddenly suggested, "Mine''s the 1st of December, what about you guys?"


    Somehow, he managed to bring up the one subject that I''d have liked to avoid...since, you know, today''s my birthday.


    "Um, 7th of March," Answered Seila, raising her hand slightly.


    "Mine''s on the 2nd of April...I literally missed being born on April''s Fools days by like, three hours," Sighed Lin wistfully.


    "14th of June," Replied Suri, taking a puff.


    "30th of November," Said Kiran, his eyes closed as he sunk himself into a beanbag with a contented look on his face.


    Mitchell was taking down each date with a nod...hopefully, if I just keep quiet, he''ll overlook the fact that I didn''t mention my birthday. Yeah, that''s not imposs-.


    "What about you, Kilzachs?" He asked, turning his attention to me.


    ...never mind.


    Okay, now what? Lying about something like this is stupid, but telling the truth means revealing that today''s my birthday. Ugh, fine, guess I''ll just rip off the band-aid...


    "...6th of September," I replied with a reluctant sigh.


    "Alright, I''ve got all your birth dates, so-...wait, hold on...what!? Today''s your birthday!? Your birthday is sixty-nine!? Dude, you''re so lucky, that''s like-...wait, why didn''t you tell us?"


    ...which question do I answer first? Wait, if I just answer the last question, he might forget about the previous questions...but the last question is the hardest one! Well, then again, I suppose that it is better than answering all of them. Hm, now then, how should I answer...?


    "You didn''t ask," I responded with a shrug.


    "Man, I''m so jealous...my birth date is so innocuous, but yours is sixty-nine...first off, nice. Second, if I were you, I''d be constantly going on about the fact that my birthday is sixty-nine!" Exclaimed Mitchell with a frown, as he took a swig of beer, "Seriously, it''s wasted on you. Oh, and uh...happy birthday, man."


    "Thanks, I guess...," I replied awkwardly...I''m not used to people saying that to me besides my sister.


    The others then wished me happy birthday too, to which I responded with the same level of awkwardness.


    "Hey, I''ve got an idea! This place has a wide selection of sweets on the menu...including cakes. Let''s order one and then, like, sing happy birthday and stuff!" Suggested Lin with a clap, after skimming through the menu.


    "Now there''s a good idea! Let''s do it!" Agreed Mitchell, as the others voiced their approval too.


    Okay, this is half-horrifying...oh, only half because of the cake part, that part I like...the singing, on the other hand, I could do without. I mean, what am I supposed to do while they sing? Just sit and stare at them? That sounds awkward as hell. Yeah, maybe I can convince them to not do this...


    "Hey, uh, you guys really don''t have to-," I began.


    "Nah, this is happening, it''s too late to back out now!" Interrupted Lin with a grin, as Mitchell high-fived her.


    ...fine, I relent. I suppose something like this isn''t bad once in a while. Well, if there''s no way out of it, I guess that I might as well play along...


    "Alright, fine," I sighed, giving in, before adding with a slight smile, "But only if I get to pick the cake, and only if you''re paying."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 85 - 84 - Team Mission(Part 1)

    Today is the 10th of September, the following weekend on Saturday. The X-Warrior Championship will be held over two days, on the 17th and 18th, which is Saturday and Sunday next weekend. And I was currently busy training, putting in more time than I usually do.


    So far, most of the X-Warriors I''ve met are loudmouths that are all talk and no skill. But that definitely doesn''t mean that all of them are like that...so I need to be in top form by next weekend, because I definitely will have a target on my back.


    Oh, and this coming Monday, each of the Level Q student teams would be given Missions to embark on. The outside of the Sanctuary was almost fully fortified now, equipped with motion-sensor cameras, combat androids and drones, blast shields, heat sensors, infra-red sensors, a bunch of other sensors that I hadn''t ever heard of before, including one that senses XFE.


    Hopefully, those will be enough to prevent another group of Wights sneaking in like before, the vacuum idea I''d suggested hadn''t been implemented, though it hadn''t been scrapped either, they were currently trying to figure out how they might be able to do so...oh, and a few thousand bug-sized drones were scattered across about twenty miles in every direction. So, yeah, it should be pretty safe this time around, and we''d be accompanied by an Ace X-Warrior just in case.


    Part of this was training, but more than that, it was because the X-Warriors were swamped right now. Crimes were still very much on the rise in the South Quadrant, and not to mention the fact that about a third of the total number of X-Warriors were killed in the battle at the Wight base camp.


    Therefore, students were being sent out to areas where lower-ranked Mutants were seen getting closer. See, when Mutants are killed in a certain area, Mutants of similar strength levels will then avoid that area for a while, but not forever. In other words, if an area outside the Sanctuary is left unattended for long, Mutants will start creeping in closer and closer.


    Of course, Ace Mutants won''t be deterred by such a simple method...but so far the closest we''ve ever seen an Ace Mutant to the Sanctuary was the Crocsnek...oh, that''s the Ace Mutant that showed up at the end of the battle at the Wight base camp. It was named that because, duh, it has the head of a crocodile and the body of a snake.


    So, yeah, no Ace Mutant had ever come close enough to the Sanctuary to threaten it...but if one ever does, we''d probably be screwed. Well, no sense in worrying over hypotheticals right now, so I guess I''ll just get back to training. Fame and glory don''t really interest me all that much, but that doesn''t mean that I don''t want to do well in the tournament...


    ...


    ...


    "Hey, so what kind of Mutants are gonna be in the area we''re headed to?" Inquired Mitchell curiously.


    "Well, from the info we''ve been given, it looks like we''re going to be heading East from the Sanctuary...there''s a toxic lake a few kilometers out, some J and Q-Ranked Mutants have started to proliferate there, so we have to go take them out," I replied, going through the details on my holoscreen.


    Today was the 12th of September, Monday, and I was at one of the Teleportation Points in the X-Warrior Zone along with the rest of my team and the Ace X-Warrior who was going to supervise us...which was my sister. Again.


    "Time to teleport to the bunker, everyone, let''s go!" Called out Kilella, waving us over.


    We hopped onto the teleportation platform, as the attendant adjusted the coordinates and activated it...teleporting us to the inside of a bunker.


    "How long do we have to discuss strategy and stuff?" Asked Mitchell.


    "I don''t really know...ten minutes, maybe? You know what, just take the time you need, I don''t think we need to rush or anything," Shrugged Kilella in reply.


    "We don''t need that long. We just need to decide on the ideal formation and then each focus on executing our roles as efficiently and effectively as possible," I surmised objectively.


    "I agree, there''s no need to complicate things, we should just keep it simple," Agreed Seila with a nod...looks like she''s in serious mode.


    "Okay, so then what''s the plan?" Inquired Suri.


    "Hm, let me think...alright, Mitchell, I want you to go aerial, manifest your wings and keep an eye out from above...sort of like a scout, but stay within sight of us, there''s no need to go on ahead so don''t. Think you can do that?" I asked him.


    "Cool, yeah, I can work with that," He replied affirmatively.


    "Next, up front will be...Suri and Seila. Suri, you''re most effective at close-range, and Seila...you''re good at mid-range combat, but...your movements with your expanded blades become kinda rigid when there''s an ally in front of you, so you''ll be up front," I instructed.


    "I know, I''m working on it," Sighed Seila, looking a bit frustrated with herself.


    "Katie, you''ll be at mid-range, about ten to fifteen meters behind them. And I''ll be behind you, about twenty-five to thirty meters from the front."


    "Okay...but won''t I be blocking your view?" She inquired skeptically.


    "No worries there, I''ll use this to raise my line of sight," I replied, pointing at my back.


    "Yeah, I''ve been meaning to ask...what is that, some sort of fancy backpack?" Asked Mitchell curiously.


    "Sort of...primarily though, it''s a jetpack."


    "For real?" He responded skeptically.


    "Yup. I''ll be walking most of the time, except for when we''re about to encounter Mutants...we''ll be counting on you for that, keep a sharp eye out and alert us as soon as you stop any, I''ll respond and activate the jetpack to get into position," I explained.


    "Alright, I got it."


    That wasn''t all that this jetpack could do though...it could also store stuff, like a backpack, which made it easier to carry around my Square Blaster, Poison Smoke Bombs and X-Blades. Oh, and it could also extend out into armor for my arms and chest...though that feature was a little bit rigid still, so I won''t be using it today, since despite providing a solid defense, it slows me down a fair bit.


    Ruby was working on making it more flexible and easier to move around in, because as it was right now, activating the armor feature only inhibits my movements...and besides, since I''ll be at the rear, I don''t really need armor. I would like to have it as an option for the tournament though...weapons are permitted, so yeah.


    Anyway, I still have a few days before then, so for now, I''ll just focus on the task at hand...this Mission should be a simple one, but I''m not letting my guard down...because things have pretty much gone wrong every time I''ve gone outside the Sanctuary.


    That time with the Two-Headed Serpents, then that time with the Wight ambush, and then the appearance of the Crocsnek Ace Mutant during the attack on the Wight base camp...yeah, my historic record with going outside of the Sanctuary hasn''t been great.


    "Alright, is everyone clear on their roles?" I asked, looking around inquiringly at each of them.


    "Crystal clear," Replied Mitchell with a thumbs up.


    "Yeah, I got it," Added Suri.


    "Me too, I''m good to go," Said Seila with a nod.


    "Same here," Chimed in Katie.


    "Then let''s head out, shall we?"


    ...


    "Hey, really nice work, little bro! Your people skills have improved so much," Remarked Kilella, poking me with a grin.


    "Could you not?" I sighed in exasperation.


    It was about ten minutes later, we had left the bunker and were currently headed east...or more accurately, at a slight north-east direction. At this pace, we should get there in forty-five minutes at the soonest, though it shouldn''t take more than an hour at most.


    We had deployed in the agreed-upon formation, and my sister was hanging around the back with me, which was kinda annoying because she made it hard to focus...I mean, yeah, I might be being a bit overly cautious, but still, better safe than sorry, right?


    "Hey, do we know which Mutant species we''ll be fighting when we get there?" Mitchell asked into the communicator, sounding bored, "Oh, and it''s all clear as far as I can see, no Mutants in sight at the moment."


    "Alright, keep looking out...and as for the Mutants, four species of Q-Ranked Mutants have been seen in the specified area, and a few J-Ranked Mutants too. The Q-Ranked types are, uh...Fishsnakes, Biteys, Fancy Clack-Clacks and Lubes," I replied, cringing slightly as I said the species'' names out loud.


    I guess I should explain what each of those Mutants are...Fishsnakes are vicious aquatic eel-like creatures, Biteys are piranha-like Mutants...individually, they''re pretty weak, but they usually move in large groups and are rarely ever seen alone or in small groups. They aren''t much of a threat so long as you''re on land, but if you fall into a body of water in which a large pack of them are in, you''ll be eaten alive in a matter of seconds, right down to the bone.


    Ugh...Fancy Clack-Clacks are lobster-like Mutants...I should also mention that regular Clack-Clacks are crab-like Mutants...and Venom Clack-Clacks are scorpion-like Mutants, and unlike the other two which were both Q-Ranked, it was K-Ranked and a lot more dangerous.


    And finally, Lubes are...


    "Oh, God...are you serious?" Groaned Suri in dismay.


    "I think I''d rather fight a K-Ranked Mutant than a Lube," Sighed Seila in agreement.


    So, yeah...Lubes are slime Mutants...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 86 - 85 - Team Mission(Part 2)

    "Wait, did you say Lube? I mean, I know the species names of the Mutants are dumb as hell, but it''s kinda hard to believe that there''s a Mutant type called Lube," Remarked Mitchell skeptically.


    Can''t say I blame him...


    "Yeah, well, Lubes are a very real Mutant species. They''re actually not all that dangerous, they aren''t aggressive and have no way to inflict pain or damage on a human. They look like colored blobs of jelly, and they have one of the fastest proliferation rates of all Mutants...they reproduce asexually, they multiply in the same way bacteria does...they''re more like pests, really," I explained, as we continued making our way forward.


    "You forgot the part where they''re supposed to be super slimy and gross," Chimed in Suri with a tone of disgust.


    "Wait, that''s it? They don''t sound like they warrant a Q-Rank," Responded Mitchell doubtfully.


    "They''re supposed to be difficult to kill," Replied Katie.


    "Yeah, I''ll probably have to take them on myself since they''re most vulnerable against Dark Attribute XFE. They have a thin membrane that holds them together, kinda like a water balloon...except that it''s super flexible and gelatinous. Piercing it kills them, but it''s extremely difficult to do so. At least, that''s what I''ve read about it," I informed him.


    "Okay, that makes a bit more sense, I guess...but do these things really not have any attacks or anything? If they''re so harmless, shouldn''t they be J-Ranked, regardless of durability?" He asked doubtfully.


    "Well, first off, I disagree with that last part, their proliferation rate makes them a threat, if their numbers aren''t constantly kept in check, who knows how much they could multiply," I pointed out objectively "And second, some of them do develop a mild acidity or electric charge on their membrane, but that''s hardly a concern, of all the recorded encounters against Lubes, the ones that develop acidity or electric charges have never been strong enough to harm a human."


    "You sure seem to know a lot about these things, don''t you?" Inquired Seila suspiciously.


    "Well, yeah, I read up on all discovered and classified Mutants...oh, I mean classified as in classification of information, not classified as in secret information. I have a decent amount of knowledge about most Mutants," I replied with a shrug, not that she could see that since I was at the back, "Also, let me remind you guys that Lubes aren''t the only Mutant type we''re going to be facing, don''t get fixated on the least threatening one."


    "Yeah, good point, I guess...alright, then give us the rundowns on the rest of the Mutants we''ll be encountering," Requested Mitchell.


    "...do I have to?" I sighed reluctantly.


    "I think it could be useful too," Chimed in Seila.


    "Fine...but make sure to keep an eye out while listening, there''s no point if you can''t do both," I replied, before letting out a sigh as I started explaining what I knew...


    ...


    "Hey, I think I see something...yeah, it''s the lake! And wow...that''s a lot of Mutants, some in the lake and the rest around it," Remarked Mitchell, after about fifty minutes had passed since we set off from the bunker.


    "Alright, it''s about time...okay, Suri and Seila, once it comes into sight, you two clear a path to the lake for Katie...Katie, you then use your lightning on the lake, that should take care of the Biteys and Fishsnakes...ugh, I can''t take myself seriously with those dumb names. Anyway, where was I...right, once Katie starts electrifying the water, Mitchell, swoop down above her and manifest your tails, defend her while she does her thing. Meanwhile, Suri, Seila and I will take care of the Mutants around the lake, you two join in once you''re sure that all the Mutants inside the lake are dead. Got it?" I instructed.


    As they all replied affirmatively, I took a deep breath to compose myself and got ready, taking out my X-Blade handles. It wasn''t long before the lake area came into sight, and Mitchell was right, there were a lot of Mutants.


    "Hey, Mitchell, do you see the Lubes?" Inquired Seila warily.


    "Hm...oh, yeah, I think I do! Behind the lake, as in the opposite end from the direction we''re approaching from, there''s a whole cluster of colorful, slithering globs."


    "Hey, Kilzachs, Seila and I will fan out to the left and right after clearing a path for Katie, so could you-?" Suri began to request.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''ll take care of the Lubes," I replied with a sigh.


    "You know, I''m supposed to just observe and only intervene if necessary, but I gotta say...you''re doing great, little bro, you''ve got that leadership spark to you!" Grinned Kilella, smacking my shoulder playfully.


    "Hey, I have an idea, why don''t you fly up so that you can get a better view? Yeah, you should definitely do that," I replied dryly.


    "You''re so mean sometimes," She sighed with an exaggerated pout.


    "...seriously, could you not right now?"


    "Fine, I''ll go up," She huffed, lightly smacking the back of my head before reciting her activation chant and flying up with a bored look on her face.


    Tch, next time I''ll make sure that she isn''t assigned as observer for my team. Alright, then, we''re almost at the lake, the Mutants had noticed our approach by now and were growling with ravenous looks on their faces, drool dripping down their jaws.


    I activated my jetpack as Suri and Seila shot forward towards the lake, Katie not far behind them, and Mitchell starting to swoop down. Okay, let''s do this...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Mitchell Jones


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Alright, then, here goes...<Secondary Manifestation: Dozen Tails>," I chanted, before swooping down as Suri and Seila rapidly and swiftly cut down the Mutants that were straight ahead of them, before splitting up as they reached the shore of the lake, Suri going right and Seila going left.


    Katie then activated her Primary Manifestation as she closed in on the shore bank, and as she neared it, a couple of Fishsnakes shot out of the murky water with their mouths open, their sharp fangs visible. Katie''s dragon head thingy swiftly chomped on them before they could chomp on her.


    She then took a few cautious steps back away from the lake and tossed away the two Mutants she''d killed, before starting to charge up lightning in the mouth of her dragon head.


    As I swooped down towards her, I swiftly opened my wings wide to halt above her, right as Mutants closed in on her from multiple directions. A few Fishsnakes slithered out of the lake, as a handful of Fancy Clack-Clacks-...you know what, I''m just gonna say eel monsters and lobster monsters, because I can''t with these stupid names, even thinking them is embarrassing, I don''t know how Kilzachs was able to say them out loud in a straight voice like he did.


    The eel monsters were about three to four meters long and the lobster monsters were about two and a half to three meters long and about a meter tall, but they weren''t all that fast. As one of the lobsters shot towards Katie, I grabbed it with one of my tails and slammed it onto the eels, killing them, before grabbing the lobster with another tail and pulling, tearing it in half and tossing it away.


    Two more lobsters then sprang up on either side of her, I swiftly spun two of my tails down at them like drills, striking both of their backs, ripping through their exoskeletons and bursting holes through them, before I slammed one of my tails onto the ground with as much force as I could generate, as a few eels began to wriggle out from the lake, my tail crushing their heads flat.


    The lightning around Katie''s dragon manifestation was starting to crackle violently, looks like she''s almost good to go...and there''s still three lobster monsters around her. Not a problem.


    I whipped two of my tails at one of them, cracking its exoskeleton and sending it flying through the air and falling into the lake, before grabbing the last two with three tails each for extra grip before slamming their heads together as hard as I could, both crushing upon impact...and some of the blood that burst out as a result ended up splashing Katie a bit. Oops, my bad.


    She flinched a bit when it splashed on her, but it didn''t upset her focus on charging up her lightning, thankfully...because if it had, it''d have totally been my fault.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>," She then chanted, blasting out a blindingly powerful and crackling burst of yellow lightning at the water, I quickly flew up to avoid getting splashed as it struck the water surface.


    It crackled and sparked in a bright yellow burst of light, I could feel the static in the air, as water splashed and burst up, a small rainbow forming briefly as the water settled down. I then descended down towards Katie as she let out a quiet sigh and looked down at her clothes, which had Mutant blood splatter on them.


    "Hey, nice work, that was-," I began, approaching her with my hand raised for a high five.


    She glanced at me, before her forehead creased slightly, almost like she was frowning...she then swung her palm towards mine...and missed, instead hitting my face...oh, and her hand was covered in Mutant blood. She definitely did that on purpose.


    "Hey, I got blood on you by accident, not cool!" I protested with a frown.


    "This was an accident too," She replied icily, before turning away and walking towards the others.


    Ugh...this blood smells horrible.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 87 - 86 - Team Mission(Part 3)

    I flew over the lake with my jetpack, as Mitchell swooped down and began to defend Katie from the incoming Mutants, while Suri and Seila were cutting down Mutants on either side of the lake, though they seemed to be going at a deliberately slower pace that they were capable of...oh, I get it, they want to delay converging upon the back end of the lake so that they don''t have to deal with the Lubes.


    Well, whatever, it''s not a big deal to me...and I''m not particularly grossed out or anything either. I mean, it''s not like I''m going to be directly touching them. To start with...I''ll try slashing with my X-Blades. As I began to close in on the shore of the lake, I activated my X-Blades and spun myself down and across as I neared one of the Lubes, slashing at it as swiftly as I could.


    My blade struck it...and slipped across it, failing to pierce it. I quickly flew back up with a frown...okay, I didn''t like how that felt. That was so...unsatisfying. You know that feeling when you''re cutting paper and the scissor just glides through? Imagine the opposite of that...but even worse. There''s seventeen of them in total...and it looks like a lot of them are about to multiply again.


    Okay, I definitely can''t slash them...in that case, let''s try shooting. I put away my blade handles and activated my X-Blasters, setting them to maximum output on sniping mode, before taking aim and firing...alright, this is working! My shots pierced through their membranes and burst through, killing them...and when that happens, they just turn into colorful puddles of sludgy liquid that take about twice as long as water to evaporate.


    Alright, I was a little worried when I couldn''t slash through them, but this is working great...these things don''t move very fast so they''re basically sitting ducks for me. Aaand...done! Below me was a huge multi-colored liquid puddle, all the blobs had been killed. I let out a quiet sigh and landed on the ground, just outside the puddle.


    As I powered down my jetpack, Suri and Seila reached me, right as Mitchell flew over while holding Katie''s shoulders with his tails to carry her along too. My sister swooped down as well, as we all regrouped and gathered. Well, that barely took a few minutes to finish, I think it''s safe to say that it went pretty well.


    "Wow, that was efficiently done, I''m impressed," Remarked Kilella, looking around at everyone with a grin.


    "Oh, uh, you really think so?" Responded Mitchell with an awkward, goofy look on his face.


    Well, I guess that''s a normal reaction for someone getting praised by an Ace. The others were looking kinda bashful too...well, I couldn''t really tell with Katie, but I think she was embarrassed too.


    "Yeah, totally! Electrifying the water was a great move...though I should admit, I was kinda hoping to see your Manifestation Overdrive in action," She said to Katie with a sheepish smile.


    "It uses a lot of XFE, so I don''t use it much," Katie replied, averting her gaze a bit.


    "Well, anyway, I guess that completes the Mission, doesn''t it?" I chimed in.


    "It''s almost boring how easy that was," Responded Mitchell with a sigh.


    "Yeah, well, I think that boring is better than things going wrong," Argued Suri warily.


    "Um, I agree, it''s nice that it went so smoothly," Agreed Seila.


    "I''m not saying that, like, an Ace Mutant should have showed up or something like that...but I''d have liked it if things had been a bit more challenging, you know?" Said Mitchell wistfully.


    "I can see some merit in that, I suppose," Katie reluctantly agreed with him.


    "How about you, Kilzachs?" Inquired Suri curiously.


    "The less problems, the better. Easier to stay in control that way," I replied objectively.


    I don''t like it when things are chaotic and I''m unable to stay in control of a situation.


    "I mean, I guess you have a point there, but still...," Trailed off Mitchell.


    "You know, since you guys finished your Mission so swiftly, I have an idea...how about a little sparring session? The five of you vs me," Suggested Kilella with a smirk.


    Hm, that''s not a bad idea...it''d be useful to see how this team works together against a strong opponent.


    "C-can we really?" Asked Seila with a look of excitement.


    "Sure, why not? And besides...just staying on the sidelines and watching has made me restless...also, I kinda saw this coming, so I brought a Duel Field projector drone with me...so, are you all on-board?" Inquired Kilella, looking around expectantly.


    The others were all quick to voice their agreement, after which she turned to me with an inquiringly raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, sure, why not?" I replied with a shrug.


    "Alright, great! Let''s move away from this slimy puddle first though," She responded, the other girls immediately agreeing to that, and we moved a couple dozen meters away from it, "Okay, take a minute to strategize and stuff, and then come at me with everything you''ve got!"


    Hm, should I use my Anomaly powers? Oh, wait, no...Suri wasn''t there when the Wights appeared in that training maze, so she doesn''t know that I''m an Anomaly. I kinda feel a little bad that she''s the only one in the team who doesn''t know, but-.


    "Hey, dude, you should totally use your Anomaly abilities for this. Everyone here knows about it, right?" Said Mitchell, as we gathered.


    "Wait, what?" Inquired Suri incredulously.


    "Hm? I''m talking about-...ohh, crap, you weren''t there in the maze," Realized Mitchell, his eyes widening.


    "Huh? What are you talking about? I''m totally lost," She remarked with a confused expression.


    Well, shit. This isn''t ideal. I don''t have any recent Save points, I think my last one was sometime yesterday...fuck it, one more person won''t hurt, I guess. I let out a sigh before turning my gaze to Suri...


    "He''s talking about the fact that I''m...an Anomaly," I remarked, before placing a hand on her shoulder and chanting inaudibly, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    "Is this a joke or someth-...," She began, before trailing off as she realized that time was frozen.


    "Don''t move, if I stop touching you, you''ll get frozen in time too. So, uh, yeah...," I replied awkwardly, not sure of what to say.


    "...you can freeze time!?"


    "Yeah...remember the first teamwork exam? Sorry, but I didn''t actually outrun two Two-Headed Serpents while carrying three people," I answered sheepishly.


    "That...makes a lot of sense, actually...dude, if you''d used this power more, you''d be unstoppable," She remarked with wide eyes.


    "I suppose so, but...at first, it was just that I wanted to rise to the top while pretending to be a regular Paragon, but now it''s more than that...I value the abilities that I worked hard to gain more than the abilities I gained by random chance and didn''t earn myself. Unfortunately, lately more and more people have been finding out, I think like, thirteen people know now, including you."


    "I...wow. I kinda don''t know what to say. First off, I totally get why you''d hide it, if I could freeze time I''d probably also keep it to myself."


    "Yeah, I can only imagine how easy it''d be to frame me...doctor a crime with no evidence trail and claim that I must have frozen time and committed the crime, so that there wouldn''t be any evidence...or something like that, I guess. Or maybe that''s a paranoid assessment on my part," I shrugged wryly, "Anyway, this costs a fair bit of XFE, so I''m gonna unfreeze time now."


    "Oh, alright."


    I took my hand off her shoulder and resumed the flow of time...I''ve got about sixty percent of my XFE left now, maybe I shouldn''t have shot the Lubes at maximum output...eh, no point crying over spilt milk, I guess.


    "Okay, everyone, instead of coming up with elaborate plans, let''s just see how we instinctively fight as a group...we''ve worked on combos and stuff in training classes, but the only thing that each of us really need to keep in mind...is to avoid inadvertently striking each other with our attacks. We''ll also avoid using the comms. In a real fight, we probably won''t have time to strategize, and talking to each other in a fight can be distracting and fatal, so let''s not use the earpiece communicators, in order to simulate that kind of situation," I relayed, looking around at the others, who had bemused looks on their faces.


    "Wait, hold on a sec, you''re just abruptly jumping straight to it?" Interjected Mitchell, glancing at Suri.


    "It''s only abrupt for you because you were frozen in time," I replied with a shrug, "Anyway...if everyone''s okay with that plan, shall we get started? I''ll attack first, and you guys follow up at your own discretion, cool?"


    The others still looked a bit confused but agreed to my suggestion, and we surrounded my sister, as she activated her Primary Manifestation with a grin and activated the drone to project the Duel Field barrier around us. I decided against using my jetpack...the more handicaps, the more effective this is going to be as training.


    "Alright, ready when you guys are, make the first move!" She exclaimed, keeping a wary eye out on each of us.


    Time to try out a couple of the new tricks that I can do thanks to Tier Three...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Copy>," I chanted inaudibly, selecting myself as I pretended to adjust my X-Blasters, before selecting the area to her direct left with a smirk, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    Suddenly, as I finished my chant, a copy of me appeared to my sister''s left, driving it''s fist towards her as a look of alarm appeared on her face and I fired a couple of shots at her, taking advantage of her confusion and...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted as I selected myself again, and then focusing on the area to her right and slightly upwards, as she began to fly up to avoid my clone and my fired shots, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    Right as she flew and evaded my clone and XFE bullets, I vanished and reappeared to her right, in the air...


    "Wha-...," She blurted out in surprise and alarm, as I pulled out my Square Blaster and took aim.


    "Gotcha," I remarked with a triumphant smirk, as I pulled the trigger...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 88 - 87 - Team Mission(Part 4)

    Right as I pulled the trigger and fired, Kilella quickly began to fly away, forming an XFE blast in her hand. She then expanded her blast as hundreds of streaks of black XFE burst out of my Square Blaster, the force upon impact resulting in a shockwave that sent me flying back down towards the ground, before my body suddenly halted abruptly right before I could crash onto the ground.


    Ow, my neck, that was some intense whiplash, thought my neck was going to break for a second...oh, I see what happened, Mitchell grabbed me with one of his tails right before I could crash down...and he grabbed my torso, meaning that my head and legs suffered a fair bit of whiplash. I then glanced up towards my sister...the XFE armor around her right arm had been blown off, and her arm had taken a bit of damage too, a stifled look of pain on her face.


    My Square Blaster had been on the minimum output setting, but that was still too much for her to fully cancel out in that split second. Tier Three gives me some really great options to work with, that was a good little test. I then got on my feet as Mitchell let me go, right as my sister re-formed her XFE armor, her expression looking like she was going to take this more seriously.


    Mitchell then zipped up towards her while whipping his tails up in her direction, which she evaded pretty easily before firing out a couple of XFE blasts at him, forcing him to back away. The moment he flew away, Seila swiftly expanded her blades and rapidly swung them up at Kilella, who narrowly dodged her swings, getting grazed a few times but avoiding taking any major hits.


    Seila was making sure her swings kept Kilella from using her arms to fire any blasts...when suddenly, she fired out a barrage of blasts from the bottoms of her feet and from her tail, Seila quickly responded by shrinking her blades and using them to bat the blasts away before they could hit her, and the brief moment it took her to do so was all Kilella needed to swoop down and close in on her.


    She hurriedly began to block in alarm by crossing her blades in front of herself, but she was too slow, as my sister reached her and fired out a powerful red blast at her, the Duel Field teleporting Seila out.


    Tch, I couldn''t find any openings to use my X-Blasters, Kilella is too fast, despite being slowed down by the Dark Attribute poisoning from my blast earlier.


    Teamwork isn''t going to be enough to beat her either...we do have a few team combination moves, but against someone with the skill and power of my sister, they''re at far too simple a level to work against her...and as a result, we aren''t able to make much use of our numbers advantage.


    I fired out a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters at her as soon as Seila was teleported out, my sister swiftly countered with a red blast, canceling out my XFE bullets right as Suri leapt up behind her silently and swung her chainsaw across at her. Kilella reacted just in time, spinning around and leaping away, the chainsaw grazing the shoulder of her armor but failing to strike her directly.


    Suri rushed after her, swinging her chainsaw rapidly in quick succession, but to no avail, my sister was evading her easily, while making sure to keep me in her peripheral...I was moving around trying to get in position where her back would be facing me, and it looks like she''s caught on to that.


    Suri doesn''t seem to have realized it, but my sister was leading her around in a way that had her blocking my aim...with this positioning, even for me, it''d be hard to not hit Suri if I tried to shoot at my sister. Mitchell was in the air, but was looking unsure of what to do...he''s likely not confident that he can attack Kilella with his tails without hitting Suri by accident either.


    Katie looked stuck too...her dragon manifestation was a bit too big to attack an opponent while an ally is nearby, and as for her lightning attack, it was almost guaranteed to hit Suri too if she fired it. My clone had already dissipated, creating one by Copy-Pasting myself costs about five percent of my XFE and it lasts about a minute, more or less.


    As for teleporting, Cut-Pasting myself costs about one percent of my XFE, so that''s an option I can use more freely...but it''s risky to teleport in close without a proper opening. And teleporting behind her is gonna be tough too, since I need to be able to clearly see and focus on the spot I want to teleport to.


    Yeah, I guess I could try throwing her off by teleporting around multiple times all over the place to try and create an opening...but that might confuse my teammates too, and that''s too risky with our teamwork at such a basic level...well, if nothing else, this is turning out to be quite informative.


    Suri then sprang back with a look of frustration, having failed to land any decent hits, and as she quickly backed away and got some distance, Mitchell swiftly swooped down towards Kilella, who responded by zipping towards Suri rapidly, slipping behind her and grabbing her wrist, before swinging her around and flinging her up towards Mitchell, who halted in alarm and began to try to fly away.


    But he was too slow, and Suri narrowly managed to deactivate her chainsaw manifestation before crashing onto Mitchell, nearly knocking him down to the ground. I then quickly used Cut on myself and shot towards Kilella with my X-Blades active, as she fired out a barrage of XFE blasts up at them, before they could untangle themselves from each other and regain their bearings, teleporting them out.


    Her attention then began to shift towards me, to her right, before I focused on the spot to her left and activated Paste, teleporting myself there and swinging my blades at her neck, which she swiftly countered by whipping her tail up and deflecting my slashes, without even looking at me. I then sprang back as Katie''s dragon head tail thingy opened its jaws and plunged down towards Kilella.


    She responded by firing out two powerful blasts, one towards me and one at Katie''s manifestation. I quickly used Cut and Paste on myself to just barely teleport out of the way, as her attack struck the ground and kicked up a thick dust cloud, the other blast destroying the head of Katie''s manifestation.


    I actually thought that was a good move, Katie sent her manifestation plunging in from a spot where I''d be able to see it coming, which gave me enough time to see it coming and then get out of the way...but it still wasn''t fast enough. I could win easily if I used Tier Two and froze time, but opting for that feels the same as admitting defeat.


    Kilella then zipped after Katie as she began to re-form her manifestation, I swiftly teleported above her high in the air and fired down a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters, which she countered by firing a powerful XFE blast up at me, before continuing to zip towards Katie. Just what I wanted...


    Her blast then swallowed up my bullets and continued shooting up towards me...before disappearing as I used Cut on it. As I started to plummet back down, I focused my vision on the spot between my sister and Katie, adjusted the line...and then used Paste to bring back the blast, having it barrel straight towards Kilella.


    She quickly halted and sprang back while firing out another blast to cancel out the first one, right as I landed on the ground on all fours to spread out the impact and avoid breaking my legs...ow, my limbs all feel numb now...


    I then swiftly got back onto my feet and got out of the way, because right as Kilella canceled out the blast, Katie''s manifestation changed, enveloping her entire body in the form of a large dragon.


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    The air around the manifestation was crackling violently, as age rapidly charged up a massive amount of lightning in the jaws of the manifestation, before firing it out at Kilella in a massive, blinding blast of powerful lightning, which shot towards her rapidly, closing in on her before she could get out of the way.


    Right as it struck her, a bright red glow burst out, before a loud crackle erupted and kicked up a dust cloud. From what I know, Katie can''t maintain this form for long, but I''m pretty sure she can fire out more powerful lightning...she must have used a smaller blast to prolong the time limit of the form.


    As the dust cleared to reveal Kilella, it looked like she had taken some damage, but not enough to defeat her. That red flash just before the lightning struck her...she must have burst out her XFE to weaken the lightning as much as possible. Had Katie had enough time to properly charge up her blast, we might have won.


    "Hey, that was pretty good...now it''s my turn," Smirked Kilella, before reciting her activation chants, "<Secondary Manifestation: Flaming Armor>...and now, you should feel honored, this is the first time I''m testing this out against someone else...take this, <Manifestation Overdrive: Blazing Inferno>!"


    In the next instant, I felt a stifling wave of heat hit me, followed by a bright, scorching orange light...and the next thing I knew, I was outside the Duel Field...which was completely filled with flames, it looked like a massive, transparent, dome-shaped container of fire.


    The barrier then cracked, the cracks rapidly spreading out and widening as the orange glow inside grew brighter and more intense by the second, when suddenly, the barrier shattered, a massive wave of heat bursting out in a stifling explosion of heat and hitting us as it did, causing me to stumble back while struggling to catch my breath.


    "Oh, wow, I think I almost suffocated for a moment there!" Exclaimed my sister, as the heat faded and the dust cleared.


    "Her fire attack is faster than my lightning," Mumbled Katie, sounding a bit displeased.


    The other three were looking kinda glum too...well, for the most part, it was a pretty one-sided defeat. I could see the bright side though...if we can figure out how to properly fight as a team with real combos and stuff, we''d be a force to reckon with. After this fight though, that seems like a big if right now...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 89 - 88 - Team Mission(Part 5)

    "That was fun, you guys aren''t half-bad," Remarked Kilella with a grin, "I might have even lost if your teamwork was sharper...but that''s not something that can be improved on overnight, most X-Warrior teams aren''t much better than you guys when it comes to teamwork."


    "Right, thanks!" Exclaimed Mitchell with an awkward smile.


    "Yeah, that was a bit frustrating, but it gave us a good idea of where we can improve on," Added Seila, with a polite bow.


    "So, when did you figure out how to use Manifestation Overdrive?" I inquired curiously.


    "Well, I actually haven''t fully mastered it yet, but I figured this was a good opportunity to try it out and see how practical it is in a fight...and it''s probably not a good option to use if there are any allies close by," She replied with a sheepish grin.


    "How do you make the flames burst out so fast?" Asked Katie, her eyebrows slightly scrunched...looks like she''s pretty unhappy about a fire attack being faster than her lightning.


    "Hm? Oh, I think I get what you mean...I don''t just fire it out, it''s more like I force it out. Let''s see, how to better explain it...oh, I know, have you ever tried holding your breath? You know that feeling where you really want to exhale and breathe in again, but you try to push it for as long as possible and it kinda feels like you''re about to burst? It''s like that...so basically, put more pressure onto the output, if that makes sense," Explained Kilella in response.


    "I think I understand...," Mumbled Katie, "Thanks."


    "Sure, no problem! Well, anyway...how about we take a few minutes to rest and then head back?" She suggested stretching her arms up with a slight wince...she''d definitely taken a bit of damage in that fight, and I''m sure that the Dark Attribute poisoning is pretty unpleasant, though at the very least, it should be far from lethal.


    The others all voiced their agreements to her suggestion, so we decided to take it easy for a bit before going back. I then strolled over to the large puddle of Lube guts or whatever...it really was just one big, colorful liquid puddle, it didn''t have a smell or anything. As I reached the edge of the puddle, I tapped it with my foot...it feels all slimy and thick, kinda gooey like...shampoo, I guess?


    I don''t know, I haven''t exactly felt that many slimy things in my life, so shampoo was the closest thing I could compare this too, based purely on how it feels. Though I can say that this feels a lot slimier than shampoo.


    "Hey, um, does this stuff evaporate or will it stick around?" Inquired Seila curiously, walking up next to me.


    "Well, from what I''ve read, it evaporates a bit slower than water does-...," I began, before trailing off in horror as I realized who was next to me...but I was too late.


    "Woah!" She exclaimed in alarm, as she took a step forward...and tripped on nothing, grabbing my shoulder and dragging me down with her as she fell backwards onto the puddle with a splat, and I fell face first onto it...ughhh, this feels horrible!


    "This is so gross...," I groaned, as I turned around and desperately began to try and get up...I need to get away from her before-!


    "I''m so sorry, I-...!" She exclaimed apologetically, scrambling to try and get up...but slipping and landing on top of me instead...I failed to get away in time.


    "H-hey, what are you two doing!?" Exclaimed Suri, the others noticing what had just happened.


    "I-it''s m-my fault, I-I''ll get up now-...woah!" Began Seila, before falling onto me again, making it hard for me not to notice her boobs pressing onto my chest.


    This stuff is way too slippery, that paired with her clumsiness and curvy body was a terrifying combination. I need to get out of this ASAP!


    "Trying to get up won''t work, try rolling off-...," I started to suggest, before being interrupted as her thigh pressed onto my crotch, "A-anyway, just get off of me quickly, please!"


    "I-I''m trying!" She exclaimed, continued to try and fail to get off me.


    "Oh, man, this never gets old," Chuckled Mitchell in amusement, as the others watched with bemused looks on their faces.


    "This, uh, happens often?" Inquired Kilella with a look of bewilderment.


    "It happens often enough," Sighed Suri, sounding irritated.


    "I''m so sorry!" Cried Seila, her face red with effort and embarrassment as she frantically tried to roll off me but kept slipping and falling onto me.


    Crap, each time she falls back down, her body slams onto mine, which is...distracting, to say the least. And the more she struggles, the more she rubs up on me...this is bad...


    "Hey, maybe I should record this, this is some great content," Remarked Mitchell with a grin.


    Oh, that''s how you wanna be? Fine, in that case, I won''t feel bad for doing this...


    I focused my vision on and ''selected'' him, along with myself simultaneously, quietly reciting the activation chant for Cut, and then reversing the ''selections'', before activating Paste...and instantly swapping places with Mitchell. Huh, I wasn''t sure if that would work...I''m really glad that it did.


    "Free at last," I let out a sigh of relief.


    "Huh? H-hey, what just-...not cool, man!" Exclaimed Mitchell in disbelief.


    Whenever I activate Cut, I have to ''select'' my target...how to explain it...my eyes kinda work differently after I unlocked Tier Three, I can focus on objects or people or whatever better and ''select'' them, which is kinda like cropping a picture in an editing app. Normally, I can only ''select'' something that''s in my sight...the exception to that is myself.


    I can ''select'' and Cut myself even with my eyes closed, though there''s not much point to that, since I need to see where I want to teleport to when I activate Paste. Anyway, I can also ''select'' myself and something in my sight simultaneously, though I can''t ''select'' two things if one of them isn''t me.


    Normally, if I ''select'' and Cut someone, they disappear until I use Paste, as I''d found out while hunting down those criminals. But if I ''select'' someone while also ''selecting'' myself, they don''t disappear when I use Cut, and then, if I switch the ''selections'' and activate Paste...I swap places with the person or object I ''selected''.


    I''d tested it out with random objects at my place, but this was the first time I tried it with another person. Though my main concern had been whether or not Seila would also get teleported with me since she was in physical contact with me. But no, it looks like if I select something and Cut it, that won''t affect anything that''s in contact with what I Cut.


    So, yeah, bottom line...switched places with Mitchell and freed myself. I was now standing by the others, well away from the puddle, while he was now where I was, under Seila and struggling to get up.


    "Why didn''t you just do that right away?" Inquired Suri with a frown.


    "Well, two reasons. First, because I wasn''t sure if it would work, since this is a newly unlocked ability. And second, because I''d have to screw over someone else in order to do so...so I needed to not care about screwing someone over before I could use it," I replied with a shrug.


    "You can end this if you teleport Seila out of the puddle," Pointed out Katie.


    Oh, right, good point...


    I used Cut and Paste on Seila to get her out of the puddle of sludge, as Mitchell crawled out of the puddle with a groan and stood up with a look of disgust, covered in slime.


    "Wow, that was, uh...," Began Kilella, before trailing off as she couldn''t think of any adjectives that fit the description of what just happened.


    "I''m so, so sorry!" Apologized Seila profusely, keeping her distance.


    "Well, it''s not like you''re clumsy on purpose, so it''s fine," I sighed in reply, "Anyway, how about we all head back now? I don''t feel like hanging around here any longer."


    "Yeah, I second that...I so need a shower," Grumbled Mitchell, trying to wipe the sludge off of himself.


    The others all voiced their agreement to leave now, so we headed back. It was pretty smooth sailing, we didn''t run into any Mutants or anything. And I had to admit...this slimy stuff worked great as sunscreen, I couldn''t even feel the heat from the sun, in fact, I felt nice and cool. I mean, yeah, it feels gross as hell, but it doesn''t have an odor, so it''s bearable.


    And from the looks of it, Seila and Mitchell were also feeling the same way, which the others looked a bit sweaty and tired. Well, I guess something good came of this whole situation, though I definitely do not want to ever go through that again.


    Like, okay, it was kinda hot, but it was super awkward and uncomfortable with everyone watching. Not to mention the fact that all that sludge was basically the insides of a Mutant, which was really gross and kind of a turn off.


    Well, anyway, it didn''t take too long for us to get back to the underground bunker that we set out from, and as we entered it, Mitchell, Seila and I hurried for the bathrooms...fortunately, there were several bathrooms here, so we didn''t have to fight for it.


    X-Warriors on long-term Missions sometimes stay in the bunkers for extended periods of time, so each of the several bunkers outside the Sanctuary had about twenty rooms with beds and stuff, and each room had its own attached bathroom.


    Twenty minutes later, I was back with the others, having showered and changed. The rooms also came equipped with some basic, simple combat outfits. Not exactly stylish, but I couldn''t care less about that, I just wanted to wear something dry and, more importantly, not slimy.


    "Alright, then, shall we head back to the Sanctuary?" Inquired Kilella, as all three of us who''d gotten slimed up finished cleaning ourselves up.


    I voiced my agreement along with the others, letting out a quiet sigh of relief...Mission complete, though it definitely got messier than I''d anticipated, very literally. Well, at least it''s over...and next, I have the upcoming tournament to look forward to, just a few days from now...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 90 - 89 - The Tournament Begins

    Today was the 16th of September, the day before the X-Warrior Championship tournament begins, and I was currently training by myself in one of the facilities in the X-Warrior Zone. And I was kinda torn...if I use my Anomaly powers in the tournament, I think I could get close to winning the whole thing...actually, if I use Tier Two, I''m guaranteed to win every round so long as my opponent isn''t an Anomaly too.


    But do I really want to reveal my powers? No, I don''t...however, it''s inevitable that I''ll eventually have to do so...in which case, I''ll try to avoid using them if possible, but I''m not going to rule out using them. However, Tier Two is off limits...it''s my trump card, so from here on, I''m going to save it as a last resort.


    Especially because Tier Three gives me so many options to work with...teleportation, switching positions with something or someone, cloning, instant crippling or decapitation, creating copies of objects or attacks, and so on. But it also has a few weaknesses that I really need to work on.


    First off, it takes accurate concentration and focus to ''select'' something, especially on a moving target. And once I''ve ''selected'' something, it only stays ''selected'' so long as it''s in my sight. For example, if I ''select'' a person and they manage to run to the side and leave my field of vision even for an instant before I can recite the activation chant, they''ll be out of danger as far as my Tier Three powers are concerned.


    Switching places with something is also kinda difficult...''selecting'' two things, myself and a separate target, takes a really steady level of focus, so it takes a couple of seconds to activate...that''s why I didn''t use it during my team duel against Kilella, it was too difficult to pull off on a moving target.


    Hopefully, I should be able to do it well enough by the end of this training session, I''ll keep going at it for a couple more hours and then rest up for the remainder of the day.


    And then there''s the clones I can create by Copy-Pasting myself...creating one costs a full five percent of my XFE, but that''s not the main problem...no, the clones I create are just empty shells, so I need to control their movements in addition to my own.


    In other words, just by creating one clone, that''s two lines of sight and hearing that I need to keep track of, two sets of movements I need to control and it only gets more complicated with the more number of clones I create. I was currently training with five clones, so I was controlling six bodies including mine. This is insanely confusing and complicated, but if I can get the hang of it, it''ll be a pretty big game changer.


    For now, I can confidently control upto two clones, and I doubt that I can increase that amount by tomorrow, so I''ll have to limit myself to a maximum of two clones if I do opt to use my powers in the tournament. And well, if I am giving myself the option to use my powers...then I might as well aim to win the tournament, right?


    Also, I had to say, sparring with my clones was really effective...it let me see where I could improve my technique on and gave me a lot more insight into my own fighting style...understanding how my attacks could be countered is a good way to avoid being countered or to know how to react when I am countered.


    I''ve only come this far thanks to the regular training I''ve been doing, without it I''d have never made it to this point...just because I''ve got more Anomaly tricks up my sleeve now doesn''t mean that I''m going to slack off on my training...and tomorrow, I''ll find out if my efforts have paid off or not...


    ...


    ...


    It was a few minutes to 10 AM in the morning, the next day, the X-Warrior Championship moments away from commencing...


    "Hey, you look kinda nervous...you good?" I asked Katie.


    We were currently in a room in the stadium with the other four students that were selected for this tournament. The only one I really recognized was Sakura, I think I''d seen the other three in some of the interschool tournaments from a few years ago, but I don''t really remember much of anything about them beyond that.


    "I''m fine," Replied Katie, though it wasn''t very convincing.


    The tournament line-up was already settled, so we knew who we''d be facing and stuff. The first two rounds were going to be held today, and the remaining four rounds, including the final, would be tomorrow.


    "I still can''t believe that they''re letting Level Q students participate in the X-Warrior Championship," Scoffed one of the Level A students, a tall guy with short curly black hair and a bad-tempered looking face.


    The two Level K students voiced their agreement with looks of disapproval directed at Katie and I.


    "Hey, now, come on, we''re all fellow students here, no need to be so hostile," Remarked Sakura, trying to ease the tensions, but they just ignored her.


    "Selecting Level Q students is one thing, but I still can''t believe that they actually selected a freaking Dud for this tournament, what a joke," Scoffed one of the Level K students, a girl with short blonde hair and pale skin.


    Well, whatever, I''ll just prove them all wrong by finishing in a higher position in the tournament, should be easy. Also, did they not see the whole thing where I proved that those asshole X-Warriors tried to frame me and stuff? Pretty sure that was trending for a while.


    "Heh, my second round fight might be against him, assuming the little Dud can make it past the first round," Chimed in the other Level K student, a girl with brown hair tied in shortish ringlets and a blue tattoo of a teardrop below her left eye.


    "And that''s assuming that YOU can make it past the first round yourself," I replied dryly.


    "Huh, excuse me? Big words from a Dud...you have no idea who you''re talking to, do you? I''m widely regarded as the most talented Prodigy in the Academy right now, you don''t stand a chance against me," She laughed confidently.


    "Oh...never heard of you...whatever your name is," I responded in a mockingly polite tone.


    "You little shit...," She growled angrily.


    Well, guess I might as well check what her name is...not that I care, but I suppose I''m curious enough to give it a quick look...I opened the copy of the tournament brackets I''d received and looked at the first round match-ups. She said that I''d be facing her if I made it past the first round, so let''s see...


    Okay, my match is the seventeenth of round one...and if I win that, in the second round I''ll be fighting whoever wins the eighteenth match of round one. Ah, here it is...


    "Sorry if I offended you, Miss...Donald Wilson."


    "Wha-...that''s obviously a guy''s name, you fucking idiot, that''s not my name!" She snapped, as Sakura stifled a laugh and covered it up with a cough.


    "Hey, come on, Jane, don''t let the Dud provoke you, it makes you look easy to bait," Muttered the other Level K girl, calming her down.


    Right, so her real name is Jane Blairs, I didn''t think that such a dumb joke would trigger her so much. I hope I do get to fight her in the second round, she seems like she''d be fun to toy with, the type that gets angrier and angrier the longer the fight goes on.


    You know, since most of my classmates are relatively nice to me and treat me normally, I might have kinda forgotten about the fact that most Prodigies are high and mighty jerks. Man, I really lucked out and got a good batch of classmates...it''d have been a pain if more people had sided with Asshole than just Makoto, Bytra and the now-dead Misaki.


    "By the way, do you know why we''re in a separate waiting room to the full-fledged X-Warriors?" The other Level A student asked Sakura, "Isn''t it usually all in the same room?"


    "Uh...I don''t know, maybe?" She replied uncertainly.


    Yeah, that was my doing...I requested to Director Silva to have the students in a different waiting room, because I''d rather not have to put up with verbal abuse from every direction. I mean, there''s just six people here, and half of them have been irritating me this whole time, it''d definitely be much worse in a room full of over sixty people, with nearly all of them being Prodigies.


    Anyway, we were now about five minutes from the start of the tournament and it was going to be a while before my first match, but that wasn''t true for all of the others...


    "Hey, you sure you''re okay? You''re looking kinda pale," I said to Katie, nudging her side.


    "I said I''m fine," She replied defiantly.


    "Remind me when your match is?" I inquired slyly.


    "...shut up."


    Yeah, so she was going to be fighting in the very second match of the tournament...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 91 - 90 - Tournament(Part 1)

    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Why can''t I calm down? I feel so anxious and nervous...I haven''t felt this way in a long time, not since I was a little kid.


    "Hey, you sure you''re okay? You''re looking kinda pale," Whispered Kilzachs, nudging me.


    Is it that obvious? I''m apparently hard to read, but it sure doesn''t feel that way right now


    "I said I''m fine," I replied, more trying to convince myself than him.


    "Remind me when your match is?" He inquired slyly.


    He''s annoyingly sharp...


    "...shut up."


    I''ve been called emotionless and robotic many times, but this is the first time I''ve actually wished that was true. When I was in elementary school, I was the type of kid that cried a lot and was very loud...and I got teased a lot for that. I wouldn''t exactly call it bullying, I was just nicknamed stuff like crybaby and chatterbox.


    Though as a kid, it definitely had an impact on me and made me really self-conscious. I then happened to see a bit of a live professional poker match that my parents were watching, and one of the players was being praised by the commentators for having a flawless poker face or something along those lines.


    And my seven or eight year old self thought that was amazing, and I had the bright idea that if I have a constant poker face, the teasing will stop. As it turned out, I was wrong, and the teasing simply changed to calling me emotionless and whatnot.


    But...keeping a straight face and giving away nothing in the tone of my voice...I kinda enjoyed it, so I kept at it. And at some point, it just sort of became natural to me. Plus, I like it when people say I''m hard to read and stuff...to put it simply, it makes me feel cool, and I know that''s kinda dorky, but I don''t care.


    And besides, I''ve gotten way too used to and comfortable with this demeanor to go back on it now, it doesn''t feel like I''m putting on an act or forcing it, it''s been my new normal for years now. The other day I tried smiling and frowning in front of the mirror, and it just felt...wrong.


    "Looks like the first match is starting," Remarked one of the Level K students, the girl with ringlets, as the large monitor screen in the waiting room switched on, showing a live feed of the stadium arena, where two X-Warriors were making their way out onto the middle.


    "The winner of this will be your second opponent, huh," Remarked Kilzachs, as the match began.


    "Assuming that I win my first match," I replied with a quiet sigh.


    "Your first opponent may be a K-Ranked X-Warrior, but you managed to inflict a fair bit of damage on my sister, an Ace, so I think that''s a fair assumption," He said with a shrug, while absent-mindedly scrolling through his holoscreen.


    He...didn''t seem like he was trying to encourage me or make me feel better or anything like that, it just sounded like he was making an objective assessment. Which...actually makes me feel better, more than baseless encouragement would have.


    Anyway, it didn''t take too long for the first match to end, it was a somewhat one-sided fight. The two combatants were a K-Ranked and Q-Ranked X-Warrior, the former winning pretty comprehensively. And now...it''s my turn. I stood up and exhaled slowly as the announcer called up the participants for the second match.


    "Good luck out there!" Called out Sakura, as I headed out.


    I glanced back with a nod, as Kilzachs gave me a slight thumbs up, before returning his focus to his holoscreen. I turned back around and headed out of the waiting room, making my way through the corridor that led to the arena.


    The rules are simple, a Duel Field is placed around the arena once both participants are in, and then a ten second countdown begins. You''re not allowed to move while the countdown is ticking, but you are allowed to activate your manifestations. There''s no time limit, but beating your opponent once isn''t enough.


    There''s two ways to win...knock your opponent unconscious or have them surrender, or win two rounds. And by the latter, I mean having your opponent get teleported out by the Duel Field twice. In other words, even if your opponent defeats you once, you still have a chance to come back and win the match.


    As I stepped onto the arena along with my first opponent, a K-Ranked X-Warrior, the Duel Field activated around us as the announcer began to declare the start of the countdown, introducing me and my opponent.


    "The second match is about to begin, we have the K-Ranked Sofia Lopez vs the Level Q student Katie Cummins!"


    A murmur went through the crowd as he mentioned that I''m a Level Q student, my opponent smirking as the countdown began.


    "Give up now, kid, or you''ll get hurt," She remarked cockily, "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Wind Blade>!"


    Kid? She only looked about a couple of years older than me...she was on the short side, with medium-length black hair that was tied in a single tail on the left side of her head, thick eyebrows and sharp black eyes. As she recited her activation chants, a purple XFE spear formed in her hands, with the blade at the end being unusually long, wind violently swirling around it as she activitated her Secondary Manifestation. Alright, then, my turn...


    "


    ," I chanted as the countdown reached five seconds, electric yellow XFE manifesting from my lower back and extending out in a thick, long energy tail, before the end took the shape of a dragon head.


    I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to keep myself calm...damn it, I still feel nervous...I need to snap out of it or I''m bound to be stiffer than I would otherwise be. The countdown is almost done...two...one...zero.


    My opponent then shot towards as the countdown ended, I quickly responded by having my dragon tail zip forward with its jaws open and snap at her as it closed in...but she easily jumped over it without a problem. Damn it, no, I was a bit too early, that gave her an extra split second to react to my attack...come on, focus!


    The dragon head then twisted around while she was still in the air, but before it could move back towards her, she swiftly swung her weapon across towards it as I opened its jaws. Upon swinging her weapon, she fired out a slash of wind and cut off the upper jaw of my manifestation.


    She then raced along the length of my manifestation rapidly, closing in on me before I could shake her off of it. I sprang back as she leapt forward, re-forming my dragon head as I had the manifestation zip back towards me, right as she swung her spear down towards me.


    That blade may be long, but I reacted fast enough to avoid it-...no, I spoke too soon...the length of the blade suddenly extended significantly, nearly doubling in length with wind...I can''t block or dodge this...damn it, I''m gonna lose...!


    "Round one of match two goes to Sofia Lopez!"


    Sure enough, the next thing I knew, I was outside the Duel Field, having lost the first round of my fight...I felt a rising sense of frustration, but pushed it down...there''s no sense in me getting agitated. I need to calm down, or I''ll-...


    "Is that all you''ve got? Well, that''s about what I expected from a Level Q student, you''re way out of your league, kid...come on, why don''t you just save yourself some pain and give up already?" Inquired Sofia with a smirk.


    Bitch...alright, that''s it, I refuse to lose to her...


    "Say that again after I beat you," I replied, meeting her gaze defiantly.


    "Ugh, you sound so emotionless. Like, that''s so creepy, what are you, a robot or something?" She scoffed, as I re-entered the arena and the countdown for round two began.


    That''s it, keep riling me up...it makes this a lot easier. And I mean that literally, the less calm I am, the easier this technique is. I''d have preferred to keep it under wraps for a bit longer in the tournament, but...I''m far too annoyed to care right now.


    I focused my XFE into the spot between my shoulder blades, while letting my emotions run wild...activating this makes it feel like adrenaline is violently pumping through me, and as it turns out, it was a good thing that I hardly used any XFE in round one of this match, because just activating this takes about a fifth of my XFE, maintaining it takes about one percent per two seconds, and using the finishing attack takes about another fifth...but it''s going to be worth it...


    "What''s the matter, so scared that you forgot to activate your manifestations?" Inquired Sofia with a laugh, as the countdown reached three.


    I''m going to wipe that cocky look of her face in less than a second...


    "You''re the one who should be afraid...<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    As my yellow XFE rapidly enveloped me and took the form of a dragon, with a long body, four short but strong limbs, a long row of spikes along the back and a head with horns and jaws with sharp fangs, it was a lot bigger than my Primary Manifestation, my own body wasn''t visible in this form, I was inside the manifestation.


    In other words, not only is my offensive power maxed out, but my defense is extremely high too. The lightning crackling through the manifestation was linked to my senses, so I could easily move it around and see through its eyes.


    "Tch, d-don''t get cocky!" She exclaimed, as the countdown reached zero and she sprinted towards me with her spear poised.


    Right back at you...


    "Time to even this out," I remarked, the jaws of my manifestation, a massive amount of lightning charged up.


    Her eyes widened and she began to try and get some distance with a look of alarm, but it was no use...the range of this blast is wide enough that in her current position, she had no chance of escaping, I don''t even need to charge it up much more. Now, take this...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    A blindingly bright, violently crackling blast of lightning burst forth from the jaws of my manifestation, striking forward and hitting the Duel Field, the impact traveling throughout the barrier as heavy streaks of lightning sparked and crackled around it, and as the dust cleared, to reveal that I was the only one still standing inside the ring.


    "Round two of match two, goes to...Katie Cummins!"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 92 - 91 - Tournament(Part 2)

    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The crowd was stunned into silence, before eventually breaking out into belated applause, as Sofia re-entered the arena with a wary frown, watching me with narrowed eyes...from the looks of it, she''s taking me more seriously now. Okay, how should I approach this round?


    She''s quite skilled, and I don''t know if I''m capable of defeating her without using Manifestation Overdrive...I''m down to just under half my XFE, so I have to make a decision...if I opt not to use Manifestation Overdrive but then it becomes apparent during the fight that I can''t win without it, I''ll be in trouble.


    Because I''ve only got enough XFE to use it for a short while longer, assuming that I use my Secondary Manifestation again...when paired with my Manifestation Overdrive, it''s a lot more powerful, but consumes about four times the amount of XFE that it does when paired with my Primary Manifestation.


    I have been working on controlling the amount of output discharged with Dragon Lightning, but I''m far from mastering it just yet...so for now, it''s all or nothing. And I''m going to take that risk...I''m going all out.


    Sofia positioned herself right at the boundary of the Duel Field, keeping as much of as distance as possible as she activated her manifestations again and eyed me cautiously. Guess it''s my turn...as the countdown ticked below five seconds...


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    When we fought Kilella Floence, I was able to double the output of my Secondary Manifestation while in this state by charging it up...but I don''t have enough XFE to pull that off again, and besides, it''s kinda overkill since it''s nearly impossible to dodge such a massive blasy in this enclosed barrier space.


    Two seconds left...she''s probably going to look to keep her distance and try to buy time till I''m out of XFE...in which case, I''ll have to go on the offensive.


    The instant the countdown ended, I raced forward at top speed, she swiftly responded by sprinting across to the left...she''s fast, and she''s trying to stay facing the side of my dragon head and avoid the line of my lightning attack...damn it, I can''t line her up within my range, she''s zipping around way too quickly...this form of mine is by no means slow, but she''s just a bit faster than I am.


    I''m running out of XFE, I can''t maintain this form for much longer...I need to hurry and end this already.


    I swung out one of my manifestation''s arms towards her, she nimbly leapt over it, landed on the back of its hand and raced along the arm. As I swung the other arm towards her, aiming to slash at her with the claws, she sliced off the hand with a quick slash of her spear, as I swung my claws in towards her.


    She''s going to land to my right, this is my chance! I quickly turned the head of my manifestation to my right and opened its jaws, taking aim and firing out the lightning, right as she plunged her spear straight down towards the ground...and suddenly blasted herself straight up into the air with a windy slash aimed at the ground, my lightning narrowly missing her and blasting onto the floor and barrier with a devastating impact, sparks violently crackling through the air.


    She dodged it...I think I partially got her legs with my attack, but she avoided taking it head on...but how? It looked like she suddenly propelled herself straight up...a compressed blast of wind, maybe?


    Damn it, it doesn''t matter, I need to focus...I''m effectively out of XFE, I don''t even have enough to form my Primary Manifestation...which leaves me with one last option...an option that I never thought I''d ever use, and an option that I definitely never wanted to ever use, but after having put in this much into this fight...I don''t want to lose.


    My manifestation then dissipated, as my XFE nearly completely drained. I quickly backed away with a wince of pain and got some distance as Sofia landed back down onto the ground and shot towards me, raising her spear as she closed in with a triumphant look on her face.


    Aghh, this really hurts...but I just need to bear it for a few seconds and time this right...otherwise, I will lose, no doubt about that. Sofia began to swing her spear down as she neared me, my back hitting the wall of the Duel Field barrier...no doubt she thinks that she has me cornered now.


    I then gritted my teeth, focused...and zipped forward, closing in on her in the blink of an eye, a look of alarm and shock appearing in her eyes as I met her gaze from just inches away. I bit the inside of my cheek to bear the screaming pain in my legs, bracing myself.


    Now to end this...before she could react, I swung my fist up in a rapid, crackling uppercut, an agonizing wave of pain bursting through my arm, but I ignored it as best I could, putting all the strength I could muster into my fist as it shot up towards her chin.


    Right before my fist could connect with her face, she vanished from my sight, the Duel Field teleporting her out. Her mouth opened when she reacted in alarm, if my punch had landed, she''d have probably bitten her tongue off...lucky me, otherwise, I doubt that a punch would be enough to trigger the teleportation function.


    "The winner of the first match...Katie Cummins!"


    I then collapsed onto my knees in pain as the crowd began cheering, my legs and right arm trembling in agony...this hurts a lot, I can barely move anymore. Just like how Seila''s Secondary Manifestation lets her run lightning through her arms and electrify and speed up her punches, I split my remaining XFE into three pieces and then divided those between my legs and right arm.


    However, there''s a reason why most Prodigies can''t manifest the element of their XFE Attribute, it''s because their bodies literally can''t handle it. After I figured out how to manipulate my XFE better while working on my Manifestation Overdrive, I got a better understanding of my own energy and also figured out how to transform it from pure energy to lightning, by focusing on and manually imitating the flow of my XFE when I use Dragon Lightning.


    Unfortunately, figuring that out didn''t do me much good, because unlike forming lightning in the jaws of my manifestation, forming lightning directly from my body results in me damaging and electrocuting myself. So my legs and right arm are sort of fried right now. I can barely move them at all...but I did it...I won...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Huh...I might have underestimated the full-fledged X-Warriors. But I mean, considering all my encounters with them till now, can you really blame me? So many of the X-Warriors I''ve come across have been all bark and barely any bite, to the point where it''s easy to forget that probably not all of them are so incompetent.


    I was honestly expecting Katie to dominate her first match, and yeah, she messed up her first round, probably due to nerves...but that X-Warrior she fought was strong, and I''m not talking about her manifestations...in fact, they''re pretty average, she''s just extremely good as using them.


    If they were to fight again, Katie would probably lose, since the element of surprise is no longer there to fall back on...well, unless she has more tricks up her sleeve. That last move that Katie used was really interesting, she manually controlled her XFE without using any activation chants...though from the looks of it, it was kind of a double-edged sword.


    It looked like she could barely stand up, some of the event staff were helping her off the arena...she''ll probably be in a Healing Pod for a while. And I''ve still got a ton of time left before my first match...guess there''s nothing to do but wait...


    ...


    ...


    After what felt like ages upon ages, it was finally, FINALLY time for my first match! Alright, it''s about time, I was starting to get kinda restless. A time fast-forwarding power would really be nice at times like this...


    "Hey, good luck!" Said Sakura, giving me a wave as I began to head out.


    She''d won her first match pretty comprehensively, a one-sided victory. And now, finally...it''s my turn...


    "This should be good," Snickered the other Level A student.


    I''m not gonna say anything...I''ll let my actions do the talking and shut these assholes up. I made my way out to the arena with a quiet confidence...my first opponent was a Q-Ranked X-Warrior, but that wasn''t why I felt confident...it''s hard to explain, but I just felt really good right now.


    As I stepped onto the arena, my opponent greeted me with an arrogant scoff, the announcer declaring the start of the countdown and introducing my opponent and I...well, I wasn''t really listening, I felt like I was in the zone and...I wanted to stay there, I wanted to maintain this clear, sharp focus.


    "Ohh, I know you, you''re that Dud, aren''t you?" Laughed my opponent, "Talk about lucky, this is gonna be an easy win...


    !"


    A long, wide blue energy blade with a deeply jagged edge formed in his hands, as the countdown reached three and continued ticking down...I could end this in a single round if I poison him with my smoke bombs or freeze time and knock him out...but those options are way too boring and feel like easy-way-outs, I''ll save those as last resorts.


    I then activated one of my X-Blades as the countdown reached zero and my opponent shot towards me. Alright, let''s see how he attacks-...wait, is he just...charging straight at me? Either that''s the world''s most obvious feint or it''s just a blatantly straightforward attack...doesn''t matter, either way, such a crude approach is going to fail miserably against me.


    "I got you now!" He exclaimed, leaping forward as he closed in and swinging the blade straight down at me.


    Oh...oh, wow, it wasn''t a feint...he really thinks a wild slash is enough to defeat me? What a joke...get lost.


    I evaded his slash with ridiculous ease, slipped behind him...and pressed my middle and index fingers onto the spot on his back between his shoulder blades, activating XFE Takeover.


    "Who''s got who now?" I inquired icily, before forcing him to swing his blade straight at his own neck.


    Right before he could decapitate himself, he got teleported out...and a second later, a loud scream of pain echoed out from outside the barrier. I glanced over, before my eyes widened with realization...ohh, right, my control over his body may have gotten cut off when he got teleported out...but the momentum of the swing of his blade wasn''t negated, so right now, he had sort of sliced into his neck, about an inch deep...medics were rushing over, applying pressure to the wound as he let out panicked screams of hysteria.


    Oops, my bad-...nah, who am I kidding lol, I don''t give a shit about some random asshole, and more importantly...I win.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 93 - 92 - Tournament(Part 3)

    "Well, that was easy," I remarked with a sigh, as I returned to the waiting room.


    Katie was back too, looks like she was done healing.


    "Way to go, that was nicely done," Greeted Sakura, as I walked in and sat down.


    "Thanks," I replied.


    "Oh, please, that proves nothing," Scoffed Jane condescendingly, "Your opponent was an idiot, I mean, who underestimates their opponent that drastically, even if they are a Dud? Even a child would have been able to counter such an obvious move."


    She then stood up and headed out as they called out the participants for the next match...I really hope she wins, that way I''ll get to fight her in the next round, and I plan to destroy her.


    Anyway, my first fight ended with a single round victory...my opponent may have still been conscious, but the cut in his neck was near-fatally deep, so he had to be rushed to the infirmary immediately and I was awarded a one-round knockout victory...though I was then warned not to use that move again, I''d be disqualified if I did.


    And that''s fine, XFE Takeover isn''t a technique I use often, I just happened to get the ideal opportunity to use it in that last fight. I''ve got plenty more tricks up my sleeve, so shelving an option that I don''t use much to begin with isn''t going to affect me in the slightest.


    Now, then, let''s see how this next match goes, and if Jane is just all talk or if she can actually put her money where her mouth is...


    "Hey, you good?" I asked Katie, as I sat beside her.


    "Yes, I''m fine. Because I won."


    "Can''t argue with that logic."


    The countdown then began, as both participants took their places inside the Duel Field and activated their manifestations. Huh, that''s an interesting manifestation...Jane had formed a pair of purple XFE scythe-like manifestations in her hands, while her opponent manifested a wide, long blue XFE sword that had a curved edge.


    As the countdown reached zero, her opponent shot towards her and swung his blade across at her as he closed in, she swiftly sprang back to avoid it, he responded by leaping forward and driving it straight towards her before she could land.


    Right before the blade could strike her, she swung both her scythes down at the blade, the edges of her weapons hitting the flat end of her opponent''s energy sword. She then quickly raised herself up by her arms, balancing up on her scythe handles and then swinging one of them at her opponent''s head while the other scythe kept her balanced on his sword.


    He swiftly sprang back, narrowly avoiding getting cut and quickly getting some distance. But before he could get too far, Jane flung one of her scythes right at him with a flick of her wrist, sending it rapidly spinning towards him, which he just barely dodged.


    She then dashed in his direction swiftly and swung her remaining scythe across...and fired a wind slash out towards him, teleporting him out before he could react. Okay, so she''s actually pretty skilled...not bad at all.


    She won the match pretty easily, round two ended pretty quickly, as she fired out a barrage of wind slashes at her opponent, who wasn''t able to dodge them for long and ended up getting teleported out while stuck on the defensive. That really was quite masterfully done, looks like she''s definitely not all talk, after all.


    She returned to the waiting room after a couple of minutes, meeting my gaze for a moment and giving me a smirk as she walked past me. She''s strong, no doubt about that...but she''s still a bitch.


    The rest of the matches for the first round of the tournament wrapped up pretty quickly, though to me, if felt like it was taking forever, I was really bored...most of the matches were pretty unremarkable, to be blunt.


    Sakura won her first round match pretty easily too, and I also took note of a couple of K-Ranked X-Warriors...one of which was an Anomaly, he was one of the two Anomalies that I wasn''t acquainted with.


    Of the six students, four of us had made it through to the next round, myself, Katie, Sakura and Jane. It''d be impossible for all of us to make it past the next round though, since my next opponent is Jane, so at most, only three of us can make it to round three. The initial number of sixty-four participants had been halved to thirty-two, for a total of sixteen matches in the second round.


    Speaking of which, the second round of the tournament was going to begin in just a few minutes, and Katie was going to be fighting in the first match. Unlike in the first round though, she looked a lot calmer and more confident, all traces of the nerves she showed before were gone now.


    My next match was going to be the ninth of the second round, so once again, I was gonna have to wait for a while before it''d be my turn to fight. I recovered the XFE that I used up in my previous match ages ago, since I barely used any at all during that fight. And I''d used up even less stamina...so I was ready and raring to go, but I was forced to wait instead.


    "Oh, looks like the second round is starting," I remarked, tapping Katie''s shoulder.


    She''d dozed off at some point, I hadn''t even noticed till just now.


    "Hm? Oh, okay...," She replied with a stifled yawn, standing up and rubbing her eyes.


    "Good luck out there," I said as she headed for the arena.


    Alright, then, let''s see how this goes...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "The first match of the second round of the X-Warrior Championship is about to begin, we have the K-Ranked John Tye vs the Level Q student Katie Cummins!" Exclaimed the announcer, as the countdown began ticking down.


    Unlike in my first match, my opponent didn''t talk down to me this time, instead he was watching me warily, as he activated his manifestations...


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Strength Boost>!" He exclaimed, a large Dark Attribute club forming in his right hand.


    "


    ," I remarked, as the countdown went below five.


    Right as it ticked down to zero, he shot towards me, as I braced myself and exhaled slowly. I whipped my manifestation towards him as he entered my range, which he narrowly evaded by leaping over it. I swiftly chased after him, opening the jaws of my dragon head.


    Before it could chomp down on him, he knocked it away with his club, my manifestation hitting the ground and not moving, as he landed on the ground and then zipped towards me rapidly...I win.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    I jumped off to the left as I recited the activation chant and fired out lightning straight at my opponent''s back, teleporting him out and just barely avoiding striking myself with my lightning attack. I had my manifestation go limp when he struck it to make it seem like he destabilized my manifestation and left me vulnerable, and once he ran past it and towards me, I fired my lightning out at him from behind.


    The only difficult part was making sure that I don''t get caught up in the blast and get teleported out too, I would have still won since my opponent was teleported out first, but it would have been embarrassing. That, and the fact that in a real fight, it''d be a suicide attack.


    Okay, now that I''ve confirmed that I can beat this opponent without Manifestation Overdrive, I''ll ensure my victory without pushing the match into a third round. My opponent then returned into the Duel Field with a grimace and took his place as the countdown began ticking again.


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    I transformed as soon as the countdown began, my XFE manifesting and enveloping me rapidly, as I channeled my XFE into it...he''ll see this coming for sure, but it won''t matter...this blast is going to be so large that he won''t stand a chance of evading it...


    As the air around me began violently crackling and sparking, he took a nervous step back, the countdown halfway over already. This match is already over, and it''s my victory. I prepared myself to fire out the lightning as the countdown reached three...two...and...one!


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    In the very next instant, my sight was flooded by nothing but pure, blindingly bright electric light, which blasted forward, filling the Duel Field...and then, shattering the barrier like glass, my blast shooting forward towards the audience...oh, no-...right as a sense of alarm went off in me, the lightning blast halted as it hit something...I see, a protective barrier to keep the audience safe.


    It absorbed the impact of my blast, my lightning crackling and spreading out throughout the barrier, as gasps and whispers echoed out from the crowd.nI have to admit, I didn''t think it would be that powerful...but I''m definitely not complaining...I win again...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 94 - 93 - Tournament(Part 4)

    "Woah, that was...incredible," Remarked Sakura in amazement.


    "Yeah, I''d definitely lose if she used that again me," Added Jane with a frown.


    Holy crap...I don''t think I have a counter for an attack that powerful. Though, from the looks of it, Katie just wiped out nearly all her remaining XFE, she was stumbling back to the waiting room looking absolutely drained. Normally, a move that consumes all your XFE would be a risky ploy, but the range and power of that blast is nearly impossible to dodge or counter.


    Maybe if I use Cut to delete as much of the lightning as possible and then counter the rest with a full power blast from my Square Blaster...and even that might not be enough. Frankly, I''m willing to bet that that attack is strong enough to do some serious damage to an Ace Mutant.


    The door to the waiting room then opened and Katie walked in with a tired sigh...that''s the most emotion I''ve ever seen on her face. She walked over and plopped down next to me, her shoulders slumping as she sunk into her seat, her eyelids fluttering a bit.


    "Hey, that was so amazing, I don''t think I''ve ever seen an attack that powerful!" Exclaimed Sakura, walking over to Katie.


    I have...my sister''s Manifestation Overdrive was a bit more powerful, I''d say, and if she put more XFE into it like Katie just did, it''d probably be even more destructive.


    "Thanks," Came the reply, though she was looking like she was barely listening and on the verge of passing out.


    "It certainly was impressive, but a bit reckless, you''re clearly out of XFE and you''re hardly even conscious anymore!" Chimed in Jane...but her words fell on deaf ears, Katie had dozed off already...and her head had fallen onto my shoulder.


    It was a little bit uncomfortable and I wanted to push her off, but at the same time, she kinda smells nice, and I''m sorta maybe enjoying this...so I''ll let it slide. Besides, she''s exhausted and I do owe her one for buying me time when I unlocked Tier Three, so yeah, I guess I''ll put up with this till it''s time for my match...


    ...


    "Hey, wake up," I remarked as I poked Katie''s shoulder, about forty minutes later, the eighth match was about to end, after which it''d be me vs Jane.


    "Hm...? Where am I...?" She mumbled groggily, her eyes struggling to stay open.


    "Sorry to interrupt your nap, but I kinda need to get up, so...," I replied sheepishly.


    "Huh, what do you-...," She began with a stifled yawn, before coming to her senses and rapidly taking her head off my shoulder as if she''d been struck by lightning, a slight tinge of red appearing in her cheeks, "Sorry about that."


    She''s usually so monotone and expressionless, but from the looks of it, that''s not so much the case when she''s tired...and I have to admit, she was super cute just now. I mean, when you''re so used to someone being so unreadable, even the tiniest hint of emotion seems like a big deal, and this was more than just a hint of emotion.


    "Oh, uh...no problem," I replied, a bit awkwardly as I stood up and stretched.


    The eighth match of the second round then ended, and the participants for the ninth match were called up...namely, Jane and I.


    "Good luck," Muttered Katie in a tired voice.


    "Thanks, I-...," I began to reply as I turned around...but she was already asleep again.


    Huh, that was fast.


    "Hmph, if you''re done flirting, hurry up so that I can crush you, Dud," Scoffed Jane, as she headed out ahead of me.


    "You know, you have the ability to win every one of your fights in a literal instant, barely anyone knows just how much you''re holding back, after all," Remarked Sakura with a wry smile, as I began heading for the exit.


    "Heh...well, if someone does prove to be enough of a challenge, I just might consider going all out," I replied with a smirk, as I walked out and closed the door behind me.


    Not that I plan on using Tier Two at all during this tournament, it''s just too easy. And as for Tier One, I''ve been setting Save points before each of my matches, just in case I mess up badly or something. It feels like it''s been ages since I really used Load though...oh, wait, I used it a lot when investigating those crimes. But other than that, I haven''t used it in quite a while.


    As I stepped out onto the arena and took my place, a silence falling over the crowd as the Duel Field activated around us and the announcer declared the start of the match, the countdown beginning to tick.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Perception Enhancement>!" Exclaimed Jane, reciting her activation chants.


    She manifested her twin scythes with a confident look on her face, swinging them around as I drew out my X-Blade handles and activated them, preparing myself as the countdown reached three...two...one!


    The moment the countdown hit zero, she and I both shot towards each other, I fired out a barrage of Dark Attribute XFE bullets at her from my X-Blasters, she swiftly responded by defensively spinning her scythes in front of herself but continued charging forward, despite failing to deflect all my shots, a few grazing her arms and sides.


    As we began to close in on each other, I dropped my arms low and swiftly connected my X-Blade handles vertically along each other, re-forming the XFE manifested as twin medium-length blades into a single, longer and wider form, before rapidly swinging it up at her.


    Right as I swung my energy blade up, she halted and tilted herself backwards, just in time to avoid getting slashed, my blade leaving a small vertical cut on her right cheek instead. She then quickly bent forward and regained her balance, as I swung the blade straight down at her, which she just barely blocked by crossing her scythes above herself.


    I then quickly removed my left hand from gripping my combined X-Blade handles and fired at her midsection...right before my shot could pierce her, she shifted herself across to her left to narrowly avoid a major hit, my bullet instead grazing her right side as she let out a sharp gasp of pain.


    I began to fire a barrage of bullets at her, but she quickly reacted by letting go of her scythes and springing back, before rapidly backflipping away as I fired at her...she''s really agile and fast, even with my accuracy I''m not able to land a finishing blow...but several of my shots are grazing her, and that''s good enough...slowly but surely, my Dark Attribute will poison her, I just need to keep her on the defensive in a battle of attrition-...


    Suddenly, she leapt straight up into the air, leaving herself wide open and unable to dodge. It''s over, I win. I fired out a couple of shots at her chest and neck, as she crossed her arms in front of herself...and yelled out her activation chant.


    "


    !" She exclaimed, before wincing in pain as my bullets struck her right shoulder and left forearm.


    She partially deflected them both and avoided fatal hits, but...even if she does win this round, she won''t stand a chance in the next round, she''ll be far too weakened by my Dark Attribute. Time to end this.


    As I began to take aim, she let out a determined roar before firing out a barrage of wind slashes at me, her eyelids starting to droop and she was sweating a lot.


    She definitely won''t stay conscious for even another couple of minutes, let alone till the next round. This is futile, and her aim is slowly but surely getting worse and worse, I''m having no trouble dodging at all. Her barrage initially kept me from firing at her, but now that her aim was all over the place, that''s not a problem anymore.


    I then began firing out a clip of bullets from my X-Blasters, she leapt out of the way, a look of desperation on her face...impressive, she still hasn''t given up on beating me...but at this point, that''s nothing more than a delusion.


    As she narrowly evaded my shots, she then flung one of her scythes towards me, which I dodged easily and took aim again. And then, right as I fired...her eyes widened, her expression familiar...and that''s when it hit me, it was the same expression that Zarina had on her face right before...right before she unleashed her Manifestation Overdrive for the first time. This is bad...!


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Giant Scythe Windmill>!" She exclaimed, flinging her remaining scythe at me, which was swirling with intense, powerful wind, which rapidly expanded in a massive, spinning disc of wind, right as I fired a couple of shots aimed at her head.


    The moment she flung her weapon at me, my shots reached her, and before they could drill holes through her head, the Duel Field teleported her out. I began to jump out of the way of the spinning scythe, but it was too big and too fast, and right before it could slice off my right arm and leg, I got teleported out too.


    Okay, note to self, avoid backing Prodigies into a corner. That...was way too close...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 95 - 94 - Tournament(Part 5)

    If this had been a real fight, I''d have been sliced on half...then again, if this really had been a real fight, I''d have probably used my Anomaly powers and teleported out of the way...so I''m, uh, not gonna worry about it. The point is, I won, and let''s leave it at that.


    And from the look of it, I''d poisoned her enough with my Dark Attribute to keep her from fighting anymore, she shouldn''t be able to get up for the next round. That aside, that last attack probably drained most of her XFE. The use of XFE Recovery serums are banned in this tournament, and it takes a while to recover from the Dark Attribute damage in a Healing Pod, and that kind of delay counts as a knockout win.


    She then met my gaze, a look of frustration on her face as she desperately tried to get back on her feet, her eyelids drooping and sweat pouring down her face...before her eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed onto the floor, right as a few medics showed up and whisked her away on a stretcher and the announcer declared my victory.


    I let out a quiet sigh and headed back to the waiting room...alright, then, I made it to the top sixteen, not bad...and I''m done for the day, today''s leg of the tournament would end once the remaining matches of round two are completed, and the remaining rounds upto the final will be held tomorrow.


    As I headed back into the corridor leading to the waiting room, I heard some applause breaking out from the audience, much to my surprise. Hmph, well whatever, I don''t need their validation...though I can''t deny that it''s kinda nice.


    "Hey! That was as awesome fight!" Greeted Sakura, as I entered the waiting room.


    Katie was fast asleep, slumped in her seat.


    "Thanks, I guess...can''t deny that was more challenging that I thought it''d be...in my experience, people like her are usually just all talk, but she actually had some decent skill to back it up," I admitted, as I sat back down.


    Her manifestations weren''t especially formidable, she was just highly skilled at using them...she wielded those twin scythes expertly, and those wind slashes looked hard to control...yeah, her Secondary Manifestation sounded like a vision boosting power, but it still takes practice to master it.


    It''s assumed by some that Prodigies that barely exceed the Threshold-...the necessary amount of XFE required to qualify as a Prodigy...-end up developing intangible Secondary Manifestations.


    Stuff like strength or speed boosts and whatnot...according to that assumption, Prodigies that exceed the Threshold by a reasonable margin gain Secondary Manifestations that are extensions of their Primary Manifestation, like Asshole''s shield manifestation.


    To extend it even further, this theory also suggests that those who exceed the Threshold by a huge amount end up developing Secondary Manifestations that manifest their XFE Attribute itself...like my sister''s flames or Katie and Seila''s lightning attacks.


    There is some basis to this theory, but it''s still mostly unproven, and there are some cases that contradict it. Anyway, getting to the point...following that theory, Jane is likely a Prodigy that just barely exceeded the Threshold...and despite that, excluding the Aces, she''s one of the tougher opponents I''ve fought. She''s a total bitch and all, sure, but I can''t deny that she''s got skill.


    Now, then, let''s see who''s left in the tournament that I need to be wary of...Katie is a definite threat with her Manifestation Overdrive, I''ll definitely have to use my Anomaly powers if I get matched against her...but it looks like if I do encounter her in the tournament, it won''t be until and unless she and I both make it to the final.


    Sakura still hasn''t had her second round match, but it''s pretty likely that she''ll make it to the third round...from what I saw in the first round, she''s improved since that time she sparred with my class. If I''m to encounter her in the tournament, it''ll be only if we both make it to the semi-final round...


    Of the rest, all of them were K-Ranked X-Warriors, all the Q and J-Ranks were already eliminated from the tournament, so yeah. All the remaining competitors had shown decent levels of skill so far, but the one that I was most concerned about was the K-Ranked X-Warrior Anomaly, Yugi Suzuki...I''m reasonably certain about what his powers are, and while I don''t have to worry about those since they can''t affect me to begin with, I do have cause for concern.


    He uses X-Blades like I do, though not custom models, his had longer reaches than mine did in their default mode. His close-range skills are impressive, possibly better than mine...I won''t back down from a challenge though, and unlike me, he doesn''t use X-Blasters or any other ranged weapon.


    Whenever he seemed to use his powers, his opponents start acting strangely, allowing him to finish them off pretty easily while making them look pretty stupid...some of them have snapped out of it though, although by then, it''s already too late.


    I''ve also seen him mentally break his opponents simply by touching them...the most likely explanation is that his Anomaly powers have something to do with illusions. Of course, since I''m an Anomaly too, regardless of what his powers are, they''re useless against me.


    As for why I''m concerned by a power than can''t affect me...well, just like my Tier Three powers, his powers are an intangible activation...in other words, I can''t dodge something that I can''t see coming, so if and when he tried to hit me with his power...it won''t work, and he''ll probably realize that I''m an Anomaly too. And if he touches me, then he''ll know for sure...


    Though it''s not an immediate concern since I won''t have to worry about him until the final, and if he makes it to the end, he''ll have to defeat Katie, who''ll probably go all out from the start to keep him from using his powers against her.


    Huh, so if I make it to the final, it''s possible that both the semi-final and final itself will pit me up against Anomalies...of course, anything can happen in a tournament like this, for all I know, both Sakura and Yugi could get knocked out of the tournament in their very next matches.


    However, that''s unlikely...particularly with Yugi, he''s considered to be on the verge of being promoted to Ace rank, among the best of best when it comes to the current crop of K-Ranked X-Warriors.


    But I''m getting ahead of myself, there''s really no point in thinking about the final when I have yet to get through the third and fourth rounds, and then the semi-final...I mean, yeah, I can just set a Save point before each fight, and if I lose, I can easily just use Load later once I recover my XFE and stamina.


    Though while I may have the option of unlimited do-overs, it always feels like opting for that chips away at my pride a bit...sure, if I suffer a humiliating defeat or something, I''ll definitely use that option, but my point is, that I''d prefer not to.


    Well, anyway, since I''m still in the tournament, I''m not allowed to leave until all the matches scheduled for today are done and dusted with. Everyone who got eliminated from the tournament are allowed to leave, because it''d just be plain cruel to force them to stay and watch after losing.


    Two matches after my last one had finished, which still left five more to go...ughhhh, why are the fights on a best-of-three basis instead of just the one round!? What is this, Tekken!?


    If each match had just been the one round and whoever wins wins, then we''d probably be long done already with the first two rounds. I''m so bored...I am watching all the fights so that no matter who I end up fighting, I''ll know what to expect, but still...knowing that I have no more fights left in the day is kinda...demotivating.


    It''s like, I don''t have anything to do, so can I just go home? The answer to that, of course, is a big, fat, resounding NO. There''s so much else I could do right now...like go to Delectables to celebrate me getting through the first two rounds. Ah, crap, and now I''m thinking about sweets! This is the worst.


    "Hm...? Why do you look so grumpy?" Suddenly mumbled a groggy voice to my left, before letting out a yawn.


    Katie finally woke up, huh? Side note, her yawn was kinda adorable. Yeah, I''ll keep that to myself.


    "Oh, you''re awake. And it''s more that I''m bored, not grumpy," I replied sheepishly.


    "No...you definitely looked kinda annoyed right then," She countered, rubbing her eyes as she stifled another yawn.


    Okay, so if there''s one unexpected positive from today, it''s getting to see Katie in a slightly different mode to her usual monotone...first, the nervousness before the start of her first match, then her tired face after using up all her XFE and now this...not bad at all.


    "You won?" She inquired, as she stretched her arms up.


    "Yup, sure did. And now...I''m bored," I groaned with a dramatic sigh.


    "You''ve gotten better at talking," She said, back to usual expressionless monotone...well, it was nice while it lasted.


    Also, I guess she''s got a point...now that I think about it, I''ve spoken to her today a fair bit, and plenty of times unprompted...when did I start initiating conversations? I mean, for most of my life, I hardly had any conversations with anyone at all, let alone start a conversation myself.


    "Not really sure how to respond to that," I replied with a wry smile.


    "Get a room, you two," Spoke up Sakura teasingly.


    "Shut up," Katie and I both responded in unison, surprising her before she let out a bemused chuckle.


    "Great minds think alike, or whatever, I guess," I remarked with a grin, holding my fist out towards Katie.


    Wait, what am I doing? This is way too out of character, I don''t do fist-bumps, I''m not-!


    "Yeah...I suppose so," She replied, before bumping her fist onto mine...with a slight smile.


    Huh? Did my eyes just deceive me? Not gonna lie, I think my heart might have just skipped a beat...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 96 - 95 - Tournament(Part 6)

    "Hey, Zax, that was so awesome, you did really great in the tournament today!"


    "You could have just texted, you know," I replied with a sigh, though I can''t lie, I was kinda happy.


    I''d just gotten back home, in my place in the Residential District of the North Quadrant, where I''d moved back into a few days ago, and my sister had just called me to congratulate me on getting through the first two rounds of the X-Warrior Championship.


    "No way, this is the least I can do! Hey, I bet you could win the entire thing, especially if you use your Anomaly powers. But I''m guessing you plan to continue to keep those under wraps, huh?"


    "Well, actually...I think I just might use some of my powers if it looks like I''m about to hopelessly lose a fight or something...the idea of winning the tournament is appealing to me, I like the thought of rendering everyone who looked down on me speechless," I responded with a wistful sigh.


    "...huh, you seem really casual about it. Are you being serious?" She inquired skeptically.


    "I mean, a bunch of people know about it already, so it''s not much of a secret anymore to begin with."


    "That''s-...I thought it was just, like, ten people who know about your powers?"


    "Exactly, that''s ten too many...actually, I think it''s a bit more than ten...and that''s not counting the Wights."


    "Oh, right, forgot about that...yeah, it really doesn''t make sense for your enemies to know more about your powers than your allies do."


    "Right...though I won''t use my powers if I don''t need to, I''d still prefer to win with my natural skills that I actually worked to gain, instead of the powers I gained by chance, you know?" I remarked.


    "...well, if nothing else, I''ll probably never have to worry about you getting overconfident, it''s almost scary how well you know your own capabilities, you''re always so objective and calculating instead of emotional when it comes to fighting."


    "That''s, uh...not entirely true. There have been times where my emotion drowned out my logic...like the time I killed that old bastard, that was so emotionally pleasing," I replied with a happy sigh.


    "Oh, you''re talking about-...yeah, you, uh, enjoyed that way too much," She remarked with a nervous laugh.


    "I mean, it was one of the best, most cathartic moments of my life, so of course I enjoyed it."


    "Right...well, anyway, little bro, I gotta go now. Talk to you later, ''kay? And good luck tomorrow, I''ll be rooting for you! Bye, Zax!"


    "Sure, yeah, talk to you later, Ella."


    And with that, she hung up, as I let out a sigh and flopped onto the bed with a stifled yawn...it''s not that late, but I feel pretty drained. Looks like most of my classmates had sent me congratulatory messages too...guess I should reply to them, huh. And after that, I think I''ll go to sleep. It''s only 8 PM, but hey, no harm in getting some extra sleep, might as well rest up as much as possible before the tournament continues tomorrow...


    ...


    ...


    I woke up the next morning at around 7 AM, feeling well rested and nicely refreshed. That was a really good sleep, I had sleep lines on my arms and the right side of my face, I feel great.


    The ideal way to start a day, waking up fully rested. Whenever I wake up still tired, it just ruins the rest of the day for me. Now, then, I should get out of bed and get ready to head out to the stadium for the remainder of the tournament.


    I got up and stretched my arms up with a relaxed sigh, before heading for the bathroom and grabbing a quick shower. Once I was done, I headed back to my room and got dressed, equipping my weapons onto myself.


    I then headed into the kitchen and made myself some breakfast, a Nutella toasted sandwich, chocolate-flavored cereal with chocolate milk and chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with rich chocolate syrup.


    ...what? I need to fuel up, can''t fight on an empty stomach or whatever. The fact that my entire breakfast is sweet in taste is a total coincidence. Well, whatever, I have no reason to justify my eating habits to anyone, I''ll do what I want because I can, simple as that.


    I let out a satisfied sigh as I finished my food, clearing up the table and washing the dishes once I was done. Alright, then, looks like it''s about time for me to head for the stadium...let''s get going...


    ...


    About an hour later, I was back in the waiting room in the stadium along with Sakura and Katie, who''d both arrived before me. It was now down to the final sixteen, and we were about five minutes away from the start of the first match, in which Katie would be fighting.


    The third round was going to have eight matches, I''ll be in match number five, fighting some random K-Rank. Should be an easy win, but I''ll set a Save point before it starts, just in case. At least I won''t have to wait around for as long as I had to yesterday, it should go a lot faster today.


    Sakura was going to be fighting in the eight and final match of the round, and as for the other Anomaly, Yugi, he''d be fighting in the third match.


    "You sure look confident, don''t you?" I said to Katie, who looked a lot calmed than she did at the start of yesterday.


    "No, I think I''m just not nervous," She replied with a shrug.


    "Hey, it''s possible for all three of us to make it to the semi-final round, how cool would that be? For students to take up three of the last four spots would be awesome," Said Sakura with a grin.


    "FYI, it''s also possible that none of us make it to that far," I pointed out objectively.


    "Hey, don''t jinx it!"


    "That''s not how that works...if I''d said ''we''ll all definitely be making it to the semi-final round'', then that would be jinxing it," I corrected her.


    "Wow, you''re such a know-it-all," She laughed.


    "That''s pretty basic knowledge though," Chimed in Katie.


    "Huh, really? Guess that makes me the opposite of a know-it-all, which would be...a know-nothing? A know-nothing-at-all? Or maybe-?"


    "An idiot?" I suggested with a raised eyebrow.


    "Rude...but fair enough, I guess."


    The conversation was then cut short as the announcer declared the start of today''s leg of the tournament, the cheers from the audience echoing out as he did. After a couple of minutes of warming up the crowd and stuff, the announcer moved on to declaring the start of the first match for today, calling out the participants.


    "Break a leg and stuff," I said to Katie, as she headed out.


    "Sure...thanks."


    She entered the arena along with her opponent and the Duel Field activated around them, and as the countdown began ticking, she showed no signs of using her Manifestation Overdrive. Looks like she''s trying for a win in the first round without using her trump card, so that she can unleash a blast that''s too big to dodge in the second round.


    Right before the countdown ended, she activated her Primary Manifestation and the instant it hit zero, she shot towards her opponent. Her opponent had some decent skill, but she had the upper hand...and it didn''t take more than a minute before she broke through her opponent''s defenses and got him teleported out.


    And with that, the match was as good as hers...round two of the fight ended in an instant, as she used her trump card to minimize her opponent''s chances of even evading, let alone counter. Once again, she looked pretty drained after using that attack, but it looks like she held back some...she isn''t completely exhausted, which means that she didn''t fully use up all her XFE.


    Cheers and applause rang out from the crowd as she headed back from the arena. The door to the waiting area then opened as she walked back in and shut the door, letting out a sigh. She sat down beside me and sunk into her seat, letting out another sigh. From what I''ve gathered, the more tired she is, the less she conceals her emotions.


    Or maybe that''s not quite accurate, it''s not like she deliberately conceals her emotions...at least, I''m fairly sure that she doesn''t. It''s more accurate to say that her emotions are more visibly apparent the more tired she is.


    "I''m so sleepy," She grumbled with a stifled yawn.


    Her usual lack of visible emotion really adds emphasis to the contrast of her current state...have to admit, I find it pretty adorable...not that I''d ever say that out loud, of course...


    "You know, I gotta say, you''re usually so hard to read that it''s super cute when you''re tired like this and your emotions start to show!" Remarked Sakura with a grin.


    "I know, right?" I blurted out in agreement.


    Wait, did I just say that out loud? Crap.


    "Ooh, now that''s pretty bold," Smirked Sakura, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, "Not often a guy will come out and so casually tell a girl that he thinks they''re cute."


    "I didn''t-...I mean, you''re the one who actually said it, I was just agreeing without really listening-," I began to counter.


    "Ah, so then you blurted out what you were thinking without meaning to? That''s pretty adorable-."


    "Never call me adorable again, or else I''ll-."


    "Oh my God, both of you, please shut up," Interrupted Katie, sounding like she wanted to die of embarrassment, averting her gaze slightly as I glanced at her, her cheeks slightly red.


    "Cute," Sakura and I blurted out at the same time, before we could stop ourselves.


    "...I said shut up."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 97 - 96 - Tournament(Part 7)

    "Alright, my turn at last," I remarked, standing up and stretching a bit, before heading out.


    "Good luck, dude!" Called out Sakura as I left.


    Katie gave me a thumbs up as I glanced back, though it was kinda funny since her face was back to blank, having regained some of her energy. I nodded in reply, as I left the waiting room and headed for the arena.


    My opponent arrived as I did, he and I entering the arena and taking our places, the announcer being too loud as always, before the Duel Field barrier activated around us and the countdown began.


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Butcher Knife>," Chanted my opponent, manifesting two red XFE weapons in his hands, before turning his gaze to me with a smirk, "Gotta say, kid, mad props on making it this far, but the road ends here for ya!"


    Oh? No snarky comments about me not being a Prodigy? I can respect that...though I gotta say, what''s with his manifestations, those weapons give off some serious serial killer vibes. I mean, his Primary Manifestation is a cleaver, seriously? Higurashi, anyone?


    Well, whatever, from what I''ve seen of him in his previous matches, he''s got some decent skill, so I shouldn''t underestimate him. That said, I highly doubt that he''d be able to actually defeat me, so yeah...


    "Bring it," I replied, as I drew out my X-Blade handles and activated them.


    The moment the countdown reached zero, I swiftly took aim and fired a shot from one of my X-Blasters, targeting his head. And a second later, he was outside the Duel Field barrier, a confused and bewildered look on his face, which quickly turned to shocked anger, as the crowd began cheering and he realized what just happened.


    Prodigies have way better reaction time than regular people do, dodging a bullet is likely about the same level of difficulty as dodgeball is for normal humans...but my custom made X-Blasters'' output was set to sniping mode, which is way faster than what any standard issue gun can manage, so the bullet reached him before he could even react.


    But it''s not gonna be that easy again..this time he''ll know what to expect, and that makes a huge difference, the element of surprise is all used up, so I doubt it''ll be that easy to hit him again. After all, a target that knows that they''re being targeted is a lot harder to hit than a target that doesn''t know that they''re being targeted. Especially if that target can see where they''re being targeted from and see it coming.


    No matter, this should still be an easy win for me. As he re-entered the barrier and took his place, I tauntingly took aim as soon as the countdown began, earning a spiteful scowl from him, as he positioned his manifested weapons in front of himself...looks like he intends to deflect my shots. That''s probably not impossible, but I''m willing to bet that it''s insanely hard.


    I''ll give him props for having the balls to even consider that option...but I highly doubt that he can pull it off. The countdown then reached three...two...one!


    The second it hit zero, I fired out a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters at him, he responded by sprinting straight towards me and deflecting my bullets with his cleaver and knife manifestations, while also moving in zig zag and random patterns.


    His agility is pretty good, and he''s deflecting my shots quite well, I''m impressed...but since my output is currently set to sniping mode, right now, it''s set at its fastest and most penetrative setting. So while he was managing to deflect the bullets that were aimed straight at him, as well as evade some of the bullets that he couldn''t deflect, any that do strike him will do some serious damage.


    So far, I''ve only managed to graze him, but the closer he gets to me, the harder it''s going to get for him to keep dodging my attacks, and with each one of my shots that land, his movements and focus are going to get sloppier and sloppier until he drops from the poisoning caused by my Dark Attribute.


    Anyone who doesn''t have a proper defense against my shooting is no threat to me whatsoever...and on cue, right as my opponent reached me, having been grazed by several of my shots, with a couple having pierced his right shoulder and left elbow, his eyes glossed over and he fell forward with a weak groan.


    I stepped off to the left to avoid him falling onto me, as he collapsed on his front onto the ground, having failed to so much as lay a finger on me. He struggled hard just to get close to me...and by the time he managed that, I''d already inflicted enough cumulative minor damage to rack up my third win and move on to the quarter final round.


    As I headed back from the arena, the crowd applauded again...though I''d noticed that whenever I won, the cheers from the crowd were a bit more scattered than with all the other fights. I''m guessing that some people, probably Prodigies, are unwilling to cheer for someone whom they think is a regular Paragon since that''d hurt their pride.


    Well, whatever, I''ve never cared about public opinion and I doubt that I ever will. I mean, sure, I guess having fans or whatever might be cool and kinda flattering, but at the same time, not having them doesn''t bother me in the slightest or anything, so yeah.


    I returned to the waiting room and opened the door, before walking in and shutting the door behind me. Alright, I''ve officially made it into the final eight, things are going pretty well so far, if I do say so myself.


    "That was so comprehensive, I kinda feel bad for that guy, he didn''t stop trying till he literally passed out," Remarked Sakura, as I say back down.


    "I''d feel really bad if I put in that much effort and lost so one-sidedly," Agreed Katie.


    I mean, if I really wanted to, I could have won that fight in an even more one-sided manner...could''ve used my Square Blaster, or frozen time, or used Cut on his head-...actually, no, scratch that last one.


    I don''t know whether the Duel Field can respond to that and teleport my opponent out before they lose their head...in fact, I highly doubt that it would respond at all. Because even if it did, once I''ve recited the activation chant, there''s no stopping the effect.


    Ohh, I could have formed a couple of clones and had all of them fire along with me...though they don''t last long if I have them use their XFE, since they only have the same amount that I use to create them, which is about five percent of my total XFE capacity. They also disappear if they sustain a certain amount of damage, or if I simply undo them, which restores any leftover XFE that was fueling the clones.


    But so far, none of the opponents I''ve gone up against in the first three rounds were strong enough to force me to resort to my Anomaly powers,


    "Well, anyway, that just leaves you, Sakura...you''re the only one of us who hasn''t yet made it to the quarter-final round. Think you''re up for it?" I inquired with a smirk.


    "Hmph, of course I am! You know what I can do, if my opponent has a more powerful manifestation, I''ll just copy and improve it by fusing it with another manifestation I''ve copied and boom, I win," She declared confidently.


    "What if it''s a manifestation that costs more XFE than you can handle?" I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, uh..."


    "Can you copy Manifestation Overdrives?" Inquired Katie curiously.


    "I don''t know, but assuming I could, I doubt I can handle the amount of XFE it takes...I mean, you''re a Prodigy and even you were completely and utterly drained after using it for just a handful of seconds," Pointed out Sakura.


    "What if you-?" I began to ask.


    "Not taking any more questions, at this rate I might end up giving away details about my powers that I''d rather keep to myself, you know?" She interrupted slyly.


    Tch, that''s exactly what I was going for, I was probing to see if she''d unlocked any new powers like I had...but guess she''s smarter than that, huh. Oh, well, it was worth a try, I suppose.


    "Hey, if we both make it to the final, do you think you would use your Anomaly powers against me?" Katie asked me, watching me closely as she waited for me to answer.


    "If you use your Manifestation Overdrive, then yeah, I''d have no choice," I replied honestly.


    "Hm...yeah, I guess that''s true."


    Well, doesn''t matter right now, I don''t have to worry about the final till I get through the quarter and semi-final rounds...which I fully intend to do...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 98 - 97 - Tournament(Part 8)

    "This is pretty cool, huh, it''s the first time that three students have all made it to the quarter-final round of the X-Warrior Championship, two of which are Level Q students. Before this, only six students had ever made it this far, and never more than one per tournament. I mean, to be fair, there''s a definite drop in overall quality of the participants this year, and a big part of that drop in quality is the fact that a lot of the best K-Ranks were killed during the attack on the Wights," Pointed out Sakura.


    It was a little while after the third round had ended, and Sakura had won her match as well. With that, it was down to the final eight.


    "So you''re saying that the X-Warriors participating in this edition of the tournament are all talk and no bite, am I right?" I replied with a slight smirk.


    "Well...to an extent, yes, but not all of them. And it''s not like you don''t know that."


    "What about the remaining X-Warriors, do you know which of them are strong?" Inquired Katie curiously.


    "Let''s see...I don''t know much about your next opponent, though from what I saw of his previous matches, you''re a bad match up for him. I''m confident that I can beat my next opponent too. Oh, but Kilzachs...your next opponent is a real tough one, I don''t know if your regular skills will be enough against him," Remarked Sakura with a frown.


    "I''m aware," I replied wryly.


    Yeah, I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t concerned. My next opponent was a guy named Nikolai Ivanov, a highly rated and very experienced Prodigy who''d been an X-Warrior for more than ten years, and was ridiculously good at using his manifestations.


    His Primary Manifestation formed cannon-like blasters around his forearms, which were capable of firing out powerful blasts of wind, and his Secondary Manifestation formed a sphere of swirling wind around him, which shredded anything that came into contact with it, though he hardly ever uses it, which likely means that it consumes a lot of XFE.


    Anyway, bottom line, he''s no weakling, he knows what he''s doing. He''s not quite at the level of an Ace, but he''s not too far behind...he''ll likely be my toughest opponent in the tournament yet, he''s certainly one of the top contenders of the final eight.


    "Oh, it''s my turn," Said Katie, before standing up and walking towards the door, as the participants of the first quarter-final match were called up.


    "So, what do you think her chances are?" Sakura asked me, as Katie walked out the door.


    "Hm? Why are you asking me?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, because she''s your classmate, as well as your teammate, and...you two seem reasonably close," She responded with a suggestive smile.


    "No, not really...honestly, we''ve probably spoken more in just the last two days than we have in the past six months or so combined," I replied honestly with a shrug.


    "That seems hard to believe, but okay, I''ll take your word for it...but come on, you should have some idea of how this next fight is going to go," She pressed me curiously.


    "Sure I do, since she''s my teammate, I do try to have a reasonable understanding of what she''s capable of...and from what I''ve seen of her opponent so far in the tournament...this should be an easy win for her," I surmised, as the first quarter-final began.


    "You think so? Well, then, let''s find out if you''re right..."


    ...


    "Looks like I was right," I remarked, as Katie wrapped up her victory with another blast of her most powerful attack.


    "You know, I have to say...she''s getting kinda predictable with that finishing move," Said Sakura, as Katie began heading back towards the waiting room.


    "Yeah, you make a good point...but if it ain''t broke, don''t fix it. Plus it''s her only option, since she''s not the best at close range combat, and at this level, most, if not all, of her opponents are going to be agile enough to move faster than her Primary Manifestation does," I agreed, "For now, it''s the only move she can rely on against opponents of this level."


    The door then opened and Katie walked back in with a sigh. Sweet, looks like she''s tired again, which means her emotions are gonna be more visible than usual.


    "Hey, nice going...you''re now officially the first ever student to make it to the semi-finals of the X-Warrior Championship," I greeted her, as she sat back down beside me.


    "Thanks...though I wish I had more options than to just keep spamming the same attack over and over," She sighed in reply, sounding frustrated.


    So, she''s realized her weakness too, that without her Manifestation Overdrive, she''d have never made it this far in the tournament.


    "I think it''s good enough for now, I''d say. And besides, the more brightly your strengths shine, the darker the shadows of your weaknesses are...in other words, I''m betting that your Manifestation Overdrive has helped you better understand your weaknesses or areas you can improve in," I responded, as the participants for the second quarter-final were called up.


    It was Yugi Suzuki, the other Anomaly that was participating in the tournament, against some random K-Rank whom I don''t know much about and hadn''t made any impression on me in her previous matches.


    So far, Yugi had won all his matches without suffering so much as a scratch, his opponents just start acting crazy and he calmly walks up to them and slashes at them with his X-Blades. Let''s see if this match will be any different...


    "Hey, you''re good at analyzing stuff...which aspects of my fighting style do you think I can and should improve on the most?" Inquired Katie, sitting up and fixing her gaze on me.


    She''s asking me? Hm, let me think...


    "Well, for starters, your close-range hand-to-hand combat could use a lot of work, you could try training to move your Primary Manifestation around faster and more sharply, you tend to lose a lot of momentum turning the manifestation around if and when your opponent evades it. What else...maybe you could try figuring out how to fire out your lightning in smaller bursts? Like, what if you concentrated it like a laser beam and fired it out, that should make it really fast," I suggested, as I mulled it over while keeping an eye on the match, "Let''s see, what else-."


    "O-okay, I think that''s enough," She interrupted me, before adding, "It''s almost like you know my abilities better than I do."


    "That''s unlikely, it''s just that I see things from a more objective and logical perspective...you probably knew all these things, at least vaguely, but you''ve thought about it in an analytical sense. So when I put it into words, it made sense to you because you already had an idea of all this," I replied objectively.


    "Jesus Christ, dude, what are you, a robot or something?" Inquired Sakura with a bemused look on her face.


    "Do you think about your own abilities in such an analytical way?" Asked Katie, looking intrigued.


    "Oh, yeah, I definitely do. I''ve got a lot of tricks up my sleeve, but it''d be pointless unless I know each and every one of them inside out. The problem with having so many options is that you can sometimes freeze up and your mind goes blank because you can''t decide which option is best for a particular situation. That''s why I do my best to fully understand the limits and applications of each and every one of my skills and powers, so when it comes to those split-second decisions, I don''t freeze up," I explained, before realizing that I was talking way too much, "Well, uh, anyway, I''m not gonna bore you with the details, you get the idea."


    "...those weren''t the details?" Responded Katie.


    "Well, no...like, I didn''t get into the specifics of how I analyze each skill and how I organize them in my mind so that I can access any of them in an instant if I need to-," I began sheepishly.


    "Okay, seriously, again...are you a robot or something, dude? That''s just...insane," Said Sakura with a slight laugh.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I replied, rolling my eyes, before taking a deep breath to compose myself.


    The second quarter-final is over, which means that it''s time for my next match. The second quarter-final ended just as I''d predicted, with the Anomaly winning easily...his opponent was just punching and kicking at the air frantically, which gave the Anomaly the opportunity to casually walk up to him and slash at him. That''s how both rounds of the fight ended.


    And now, finally, it''s my turn again. I have to admit, I''ve enjoyed myself in this tournament so far...I''m looking forward to this...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 99 - 98 - Tournament(Part 9)

    "This should be a good fight...may the best man win," Remarked my opponent, as we stepped into the Duel Field.


    "Oh, uh...thanks," I replied uncertainly.


    "Hm? What''s that look for?" He inquired, as the countdown began ticking.


    "Well, it''s just that...I''m surprised at your attitude, usually I''d be expecting some condescending remarks or arrogant scoffs," I responded with a wry smile, taking out my X-Blade handles and activating them.


    "I''d be a fool to take you lightly, having seen what you''re capable of," Came the reply, before chanting, "


    !"


    Purple XFE manifested around his forearms and wrapping around them, forming in the shape of cannons. Five seconds left...


    My opponent, Nikolai Ivanov, was in his early-thirties, with spiked-up medium-length light blonde hair that had red streaks dyed across it, a tall and strong build, an average complexion and a heavy amount of stubble on his face. He also had heterochromia, his right eye was dark green and his left eye was dark red.


    And more significantly, he''s also one of the most highly rated K-Ranked X-Warriors, with a Mission record and success rate that was on par with the Aces. He''s the real deal, this is gonna be a tough fight...but I can beat him.


    I braced myself as the countdown ticked down, and the instant it reached zero, I swiftly took aim and fired a couple of shots from my X-Blasters at him. He immediately responded by pointing his arms down and firing out wind blasts from his cannons, propelling himself straight up into the air and evading my bullets.


    I readjusted my aim without skipping a beat and fired at him again, he swiftly angled his arms behind himself at a downward angle and fired out another couple of wind blasts, rapidly zipping up further and forward to evade, before blasting himself down towards me, closing in on me in the blink of an eye.


    I swiftly combined my X-Blade handles to form the long and wide mode and swung it up at him as he neared me. Right before my energy blade could slash him, he blasted himself up forward and then down, in an instant, and before I could even halt my upward slash, he was already behind me.


    Right as he fired out a wind blast aimed at my back, I rapidly spun across and around to my left, his blast clipping my right hip as I narrowly evaded it at point-blank range, splitting my X-Blade handles back into their default mode and swinging my right energy blade towards his neck as I spun around, using the momentum to swing it across in his direction.


    He swiftly brought up his left arm defensively, my blade striking his left cannon, cracking it but unable to break through...tch, the manifested energy is too thick, I can''t slice through.


    He then quickly pointed his right cannon at my head and fired, I swiftly shuffled across to the side to dodge it, feeling the blast whiz past my left ear and brushing past my hair, just barely avoiding it clipping the side of my head.


    I then rapidly drove my knee up towards his abdomen, to which he quickly responded by springing back and pointing his cannons down at the ground to blast off. I don''t think so!


    I swiftly extended my leg up like a catapult as he sprang back, my foot grazing his chin as he just barely dodged me landing a solid blow, as he blasted off just in time, the force of his wind causing me to stumble back on one leg, with my right foot raised from the kick.


    He noticed that I was off balance and began to take aim at me, I quickly responded by rapidly flicking my wrist up at him like a rubber band, flinging one of my X-Blades up at him, sending it spinning like a boomerang at a breakneck speed.


    He swiftly crossed his arms defensively as my blade zipped towards him and closed in on him too quickly to dodge with his wind blasts. My blade struck his left cannon and pierced through it a bit, getting wedged in it. When I''m not holding these blade handles, the manifested energy only lasts for about ten seconds, but that''s more than enough.


    Nikolai fired a wind blast down from his right cannon to keep from plummeting, before deactivating it and reaching to try and pull my blade out of his left cannon...big mistake. The moment he touched it, he let out a sharp cry of pain as he got electrocuted, his manifestation destabilizing as he plummeted back down towards the ground with a dazed look.


    I swiftly fired out a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters, all aimed at vital spots as he fell...and teleported him out before he could regain his bearings.


    That...was the most satisfying win for me in the tournament so far...for the first time in this tournament, it genuinely felt like I had to work for the win.


    That could have gone either way, this guy''s strong...just for a brief moment, I was locked in one of the most high-paced battle encounters I''ve ever experienced, had I made even a single, minor misstep, I''d have lost.


    I glanced his way as he re-entered the Duel Field...he looks calm and collected, no sign of frustration or anger...and that alone sets him apart from most of the other X-Warriors. He isn''t flying into a blind rage just because I defeated him, like most X-Warriors I''ve met would...instead, he''s sharpening his focus and concentrating on winning the next round.


    I have a feeling that this fight is only going to get harder the longer it goes on...which means that I need to finish this off this round, I can''t afford to let this go on to a third round.


    I did set myself a Save point as I left the waiting room, but...I almost don''t want to use it. It feels like it''d be an insult to an opponent that I can definitely respect...he''s clearly put in a lot of training into using his powers, his Primary Manifestation may be powerful, but the way he blasts himself so precisely through the air with it, that''s not something you can do so accurately without a crazy amount of practice.


    Those wind blasts have some serious force and pressure, most wouldn''t even think about trying to control them to this extent. I respect hard work more than I''d ever respect talent or powers gained by chance, skills gained through hard work are earned, while the latter aren''t. Also, he''s not a condescending ass like most Prodigies are, so yeah, there''s that too.


    As the countdown began, there were no words exchanged this time, instead, a look of absolute focus appeared on his face, as he slowly exhaled and fixed his gaze onto me, sending chills down my spine.


    The moment the countdown ended, he blasted himself straight towards me, closing in in an instant. Crap, he''s fast! I quickly swung my left blade horizontally across at him as he closed in, to which he responded by swiftly dropping his arms and blasting himself up and forward...he''s trying to slip behind me again, I don''t think so!


    I swiftly spun around, ready to swing my blade...when suddenly, he blasted himself back and down, landing in the direction I''d just been facing...which means that he was behind me, I was totally fooled by that feint...


    Not good-! I began to spin around but was too late, as he fired out a blast of wind at me, striking my side and send my flying off to my right and crashing onto the Duel Field barrier, letting out a stifled cry of pain as my right shoulder got dislocated upon impact, losing grip of my right X-Blade, as it dropped to the ground. Damn it, I think that might have fractured the ribs on the lower end of my left side.


    I then quickly sprang out of the way as he blasted himself towards me again, wincing in pain as I did. He shot straight up as I took aim with my left arm and fired out a barrage of shots from my X-Blaster, before zipping around in the air to evade my bullets.


    I can''t keep this up, if I run out of XFE, I''m done. I ceased my firing and got on the move, keeping a wary distance from him...let''s see if I can analyze what he''s capable of and-...my line was cut off as he blasted down straight towards me, firing out a wind blast at me as he closed in, which I evaded by leaping forward and rolling out of the way.


    Unfortunately, that sent waves of pain emanating out from my dislocated shoulder, I did my best to ignore it and gritted my teeth as my vision blurred from the pain, before quickly getting on my feet and zipping towards him, jumping up as he fired another wind blast at me.


    I then swiftly extended both feet towards him, which he defended by crossing his arms in front of himself. As my feet slammed onto his manifested cannons, I backflipped off of them, and the instant I landed, I shot forward and unleashed a barrage of slashes with my left X-Blade, pushing him back little by little.


    He began to raise one of his cannons, I quickly responded by suddenly swinging myself across to my left, whipping my dislocated arm towards him, causing him to halt his arm and take a quick step back to evade...even if he hadn''t, this wouldn''t even have hurt, but in the high paced nature of this fight, that doesn''t matter, I just needed to break his concentration for a moment, and I did that by catching him off-guard and bringing my right arm back into play.


    That said...holy fucking hell, that hurt like a bitch!


    I gasped in pain as a blinding agony burst out from my shoulder as I swung it at him, but I fought through the pain and let out a roar of determination as I drove my blade straight towards him, which he just barely avoided by springing back...but his back hit the wall of the barrier, I had him cornered.


    Time to end this. I swiftly closed in and began to fire out of my left X-Blaster at him from close range...there''s absolutely no dodging this, his arms are out of position to blast off and evade this, or even block it...I win-.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Shredding Wind Dome>!" He suddenly exclaimed, a hint of desperation and alarm in his voice.


    Right as I fired, a sudden and powerful shockwave of wind burst out from him, which then swirled around him and spun rapidly, a couple of cuts appearing on my face, and the next thing I knew, I was outside the barrier...and so was my opponent.


    The crowd was stunned silent, as was the announcer, before he cleared his throat and spoke up, sounding a bit taken aback as he listened into his earpiece.


    "I''m, er, getting confirmation...the winner of round two of the third quarter-final is...Nikolai Ivanov! Kilzachs Light was teleported out approximately two-fifths of a second before Nikolai Ivanov was, therefore, as each contestant has won one round each, the third and deciding round of the match will now commence!" He declared, and as the crowd began cheering, he turned to me and inquired, "Are you able to keep fighting?"


    Like I''m gonna drop out after coming this far. And besides, I want to settle this fight, I want to win. I looked the announcer in the eye as I grabbed my right shoulder, and with a grimace, pushed it back into place, a sharp, stifled yell escaping my lips as a twinge of pain burst out from my shoulder, as I responded...


    "Yeah...I can keep going."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 100 - 99 - Tournament(Part 10)

    "What a match this is turning out to be, ladies and gentlemen! It now comes down to the final round of the match, winner takes all! The countdown begins...now!" Exclaimed the announcer, as Nikolai and I re-entered the Duel Field and took our places.


    The crowd was cheering enthusiastically, pumped up by the close contest. But I could barely hear them, I was focusing on the opponent in front of my, considering my options.


    I then took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, easing my nerves and calming myself down, as I focused my concentration...I''ve used up more than half my XFE already, maybe I should have let him defeat me in the second round the moment my shoulder got dislocated, I still had more than sixty percent at that point-...no, that''s not the line of thinking I need to adopt.


    Fact is, my opponent''s a highly skilled fighter, and he''s got a significantly greater amount of experience than I do, there''s certainly no denying that...and my shoulder still feels kinda off, even after pushing it back into place, not to mention that each time I move, my crackled ribs send waves of pain through my torso, it hurts like crazy.


    Meanwhile, my opponent has hardly suffered any damage at all, certainly nothing major, his current state is a lot better than mine...yeah, I probably can''t defeat this guy in my current state, he''d be a challenge even if I was at my best...that is, if I''m only using my normal skills...


    I picked up the X-Blade handle I''d dropped during the last round, before activating them and bracing myself, the countdown ticking down to three...two...one!


    As soon as the countdown ended, Nikolai shot towards me with his wind blasts, rapidly closing the gap. I didn''t move, until the moment he got within my reach, I then swiftly swung both my blades outwards, which he evaded by blasting himself up...this trick again, is he gonna land in front of me...or behind me?


    Doesn''t matter. Because I was waiting for this move...and the instant he evaded my double outward slashes, I swiftly changed my grip and drove my blades straight up above me, to which he quickly reacted by blasting himself further up, my blades grazing his shoulders as he shot straight up.


    He''s been firing off those wind blasts non-stop for all three rounds now, just how much XFE does this guy have, anyway!?


    I fired a couple of shots at him from my X-Blasters, which he continued to evade expertly...if this comes down to a battle of attrition, that''ll work in his favor, he definitely has a lot more XFE than I do, and that aside, as much as I hate to admit it...his movements and reaction time are sharper than mine are, and I''m currently not at a hundred percent...there''s only one way I can defeat him.


    I sprang back as he fired a couple of wind blasts down at me, narrowly evading them as I mulled over the option I was considering...am I really going to do it right here and now?


    You know what, yeah...yeah, I am. And you know what else...against an opponent like this, I think I''m fine with it...yeah, I''m going to remember this fight for a long time.


    I then selected myself and my left X-Blade, activating Cut as I continued evading his wind blasts. The moment I evaded his next blast, I cocked my left wrist back and then flicked it in his direction, sending the blade spinning towards him...but missing and whizzing past his right. Now, then...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    The instant I finished the activation chant...I swapped places with the blade I flung at him, finding myself in the air, behind him.


    "What!?" He exclaimed in surprise, his gaze shifting towards me.


    "You should feel honored, you''re the first person to force me to use my powers!" I remarked, as I fired a couple of shots at him.


    He quickly blasted himself away with his wind blasts, one of my bullets grazing his neck as he evaded taking any direct hits. He was able to react to that? I was right to choose to use my Anomaly powers...


    I quickly selected myself again, this time activating Copy, before activating Paste to form a clone, as I began to plummet. The instant the clone formed, I made it grab my wrist, twist itself and spin around to generate momentum, and then throw me right towards my opponent.


    I then undid the clone to restore the XFE it cost to create it, but before I reached my opponent, he blasted himself away...just as I expected. The instant he fired out a wind blast to zip off to the side, I reacted to his movements and swiftly took aim and fired.


    He began to cross his arms defensively, but this time, he was too slow, having had no time to react at all. The fact that he even started to raise his defense was seriously impressive...but it''s not enough.


    The bullet reached his throat before he could get his arm cannons in the way, and he got teleported out. As I began to fall back down, I quickly locked my sights on the X-Blade handle that was on the ground, the one I''d swapped places with earlier to slip behind Nikolai while he was airborne.


    I then selected it and myself, and then activated Cut and Paste as quickly as possible, switching right as I was about five meters away from the ground. My X-Blade handle, which had taken my place, then fell onto the ground and skidded away.


    As I walked over to pick it up, what I''d just done began to sink in...huh, that''s it, just like that, my powers are no longer a secret. But of all the ways I could have chosen to reveal them...I think this one was pretty good. Also, both the audience and the announcer were completely stunned silent right now.


    Well, uh...this is awkward. I picked up my X-Blade handle and put it away, before taking a deep breath and heading out of the Duel Field, keeping my gaze lowered...seriously, this is so fucking awkward, it''s way too silent.


    "Er, the winner of the third quarter-final is...Kilzachs Light!" Declared the announcer, though there was a hint of bewilderment in his tone.


    I entered the corridor leading to the waiting room, as confused, scattered applause and murmurs began to echo out from the audience. I then reached and opened the door of the waiting room, walking in and shutting it behind me.


    "Dude, you really did it! You finally revealed your true powers!" Exclaimed Sakura with a grin.


    "That was cool," Chimed in Katie, her expression blank as usual.


    "Oh, uh...thanks."


    "Also, how''d you get up in the air like that? Can you walk on air when you freeze time or something?" Inquired Sakura curiously.


    Huh? Oh, she''s assuming that I used Tier Two. But I didn''t, of course, and she should know that...after all, if I had frozen time, she wouldn''t have been affected, and she''d have seen me ''walk on air'' or whatever she''s imagining I did. Also, speaking of Tiers...I just revealed my powers in front of a huge crowd, and yet, I didn''t unlock a new power. The Unlock Conditions for my powers really are bullshit.


    "Good question, who knows, am I right?" I replied dryly.


    "You don''t gotta be a dick about it, you know," She huffed indignantly.


    "Well, if there''s one thing you should know about me, is that I don''t like revealing too much about myself, and that goes double for my powers," I pointed out with a shrug.


    "Fair enough, I guess," She relented with a wry smile, before adding with a frown as she glanced at the screen, "Also, what''s taking so long, it''s my turn, hurry up and call me up already!"


    "Guess they''re having trouble processing what they just saw," I remarked, putting on a jokingly arrogant tone, "And why wouldn''t they, am I right?"


    "Your voice sort of sounds like that Tairo guy," Said Katie.


    "Well, yeah, where do you think I got the inspiration from?" I replied with a grin, as the announcer finally snapped out of it and called out the participants of the fourth quarter-final.


    "It''s about time! Alright, time to make history and ensure that three of top four spots are gonna be taken by us students!" Declared Sakura confidently, as she headed out the waiting room, looking pumped up.


    "She sure is enthusiastic, huh?" I remarked with a raised eyebrow.


    "I think it''s because of your fight. She looked really motivated after you won," Replied Katie.


    "Oh...well, glad to be such an inspiration," I remarked in that mock arrogant voice again.


    "...are you going to keep doing that?" She inquired, her forehead creasing slightly.


    "...no, sorry, I''ll stop now," I replied sheepishly.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 101 - 100 - Tournament(Part 11)

    Point-of-View: Sakura


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Alright, two of my underclassmen both made it through to the semi-finals, I have no intention of being outdone by them...also, wow, this is one bewildered crowd. Looks like they''re still processing what they saw in the last match.


    Well, not that I can blame them, I suppose. But come on, pay some attention to me, I''m an Anomaly too! Hmph, whatever, let''s just get this over with.


    I stepped onto the arena along with my opponent, but nothing happened...seriously? I cleared my throat to get the announcer''s attention...he then snapped out of it and quickly activated the Duel Field, before declaring the start of the countdown and introducing my opponent and I.


    Even the announcer is all stunned after that last fight...my opponent looks kinda annoyed too, he had a frown on his face, looking at the audience with disdain. Well, the countdown is ticking, might as well get ready, they''re sure to pay attention once the fight starts.


    I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as my opponent activated his powers...his Primary Manifestation was a curved green XFE sword, and his Secondary Manifestation was a similarly shaped dagger.


    Now, then...how should I approach this? Most opponents get thrown off when I copy their own manifestations, so I''ll open with that, and then switch to a different option.


    "Here goes...<Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Plagiarism>," I chanted quietly, copying both his manifestations, before chanting again, "<Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Replication>."


    Pretty self-explanatory, Manifestation Plagiarism is what scans and copies a targeted manifestation, and Manifestation Replication physically replicates the specified copied manifestation. Though I can only copy tangible manifestations, I can''t copy stuff like strength and speed boosts or vision boosts.


    As for how I select which of my copied manifestations to manifest, I just have to picture the manifestation...of course, I sometimes forget about some of my copied manifestations, and if I can''t picture them, then I can''t replicate them. Though in that case, I can just copy them again if I encounter the person who it belongs to.


    My opponent grimaced as I formed both of his manifestations in my hands...alright, just as I''d hoped, he wasn''t liking this...let''s see how that affects his fighting style, shall we? As the countdown ended, I swiftly flung the dagger at him, which he deflected away with a frown and then shot towards me.


    That''s right, big boy, take the bait, come at me with everything you''ve got...as he began to close in, a triumphant smirk appeared on my lips before I could stop myself as I quietly chanted...


    "I win, <Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Fusion>."


    A long whip-like appendage manifested from my left hand, extending to thirty meters, as a jagged blade formed at the end of it. My opponent halted and began to spring back in alarm, but it was too late, as I swung it at him, the blade whizzing towards his neck before he could react, getting teleported out.


    Manifestation Fusion, also pretty self-explanatory...it fuses the specified copied manifestations and forms something new. I have to picture the manifestations that I want to fuse, as well as what I want the end result to look like. Of course, I have to picture something realistic for the end result, otherwise nothing will happen.


    In this case, I fused a whip manifestation that I''d copied off an A-Rank X-Warrior who was killed during the attack on the Wight base camp, with a random blade manifestation I''d copied, can''t quite remember who I copied it off of, blade manifestations are like the most common type of manifestation.


    Anyway, to clarify what I mean by picturing a realistic end result...the whip manifestation had a maximum length of thirty meters, so if I''d pictured it to be, say, fifty meters when I was fusing it with the blade manifestation, nothing would have happened.


    Yeah, my powers were a real pain to get the hang of, it took a lot of mental working out before I could consistently activate my Anomaly abilities, but it was totally worth it.


    Now, then...time for round two. My opponent re-entered the Duel Field with a frown and took his place, activating his manifestations again as the countdown began ticking. Hm, what should I go with for this round? I''ve got so many options that it''s sometimes hard to decide and pick between them...


    "Alright, here goes...<Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Replication>," I muttered quietly, forming two large XFE arms around my own.


    This was one of the first manifestations I ever copied, and one of the ones I''m most comfortable with using.


    As the countdown ended, my opponent shot towards me at top speed, his guard tight. I swiftly clapped my hands together in his direction, sending out a shockwave towards him, which he narrowly evaded and continued dashing towards me.


    "<Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Replication>."


    I then dissipated the arms and formed a stilt-like manifestation out of the bottom of my feet, shooting myself straight up into the air as he began to close in on me. He halted in surprise for a moment, before starting to slash at my stilt manifestation, trying to knock me off balance.


    Before he could, I quickly dissipated the manifestation, and as I began to plummet back down, I balled my fists together and re-formed the large arms manifestation, raising my arms as I dropped down towards the ground.


    He sprang back in alarm as I closed in and slammed my fists down, which struck the ground with a powerful impact, cracking it and sending out an intense shockwave, knocking my opponent off balance. Now''s my chance!


    "<Activate Anomaly: Manifestation Replication>."


    I swiftly changed my arms manifestation into the wind cannon manifestation that I copied off Nikolai Ivanov during the previous match...when it comes to XFE manifestations that generate and manifest their attributes, I can only copy them if I have the same attribute.


    For instance, I can copy Kilella Floence''s Primary Manifestation, and I have, but I can''t copy her Secondary Manifestation since she has the Fire Attribute and I have the Wind Attribute...and these wind cannons are, of course, a manifestation of the Wind Attribute.


    I swiftly took aim and fired out a couple of wind blasts at my opponent, the force nearly knocking me off my feet and eating up a huge chunk of my XFE.


    Before he could evade, the blasts reached him, the first striking his chest and eliciting a gasp of pain from him, as the second blast closed in on his face...and right before it could strike his head, he was teleported out of the barrier.


    He slammed his fist against the ground in frustration as he reappeared, gritting his teeth. Applause and cheers broke out in the crowd as the announcer declared me the winner and the end of the quarter-final round.


    Nice, looks like the crowd is finally over Kilzachs'' unexpected display in the last match. I soaked in the applause as I headed back to the waiting room, a sense of determination taking over me...now that I''ve made it this far, all the way to the top four...it''s no longer about seeing how far I can go in this tournament.


    No, now it''s about winning it. After coming this far, beating out several more-highly favored competitors, it''s only natural that I aim for the win. Initially, I''d started the tournament with the goal of at least making it to the top eight, but now that I''ve gone beyond that, it''s no longer enough to satisfy me.


    Of course, I can''t get too ahead of myself, before I can win the tournament, I first need to make it to the final...and to that...I need to beat Kilzachs in the semi-final...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    So, my next opponent is decided, huh? Can''t say I''m surprised...in fact, I''d have been surprised if Sakura had lost. Considering what she''s capable of, she''s likely to be ranked as an Ace pretty soon once she graduates from the X-Warrior Academy.


    But that''s all irrelevant in the grand scheme of things...because I plan to win the next match. Short of freezing time, I plan on going all out with everything I''ve got in my arsenal, so not to sound arrogant, but it''ll take a lot to defeat me.


    The door to the waiting room then opened and Sakura walked back in, though instead of her usual carefree expression, she had a more serious, determined look on her face. Well, then, it looks like I''ve got quite the challenge coming up in the semi-final round...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 102 - 101 - Tournament(Part 12)

    "Alright, we did it! All three of us made it to the semis!" Exclaimed Sakura with a grin.


    "It''s not a big deal," Responded Katie, her voice as blank as ever.


    "What? Of course it''s a big deal, I mean, we just made history!" Argued Sakura indignantly.


    We were currently in the middle of an hour long break before the start of the the semi-final round, I was staying relaxed and calm to make sure both my stamina and XFE are fully replenished by the start of the next round. Technically speaking, I guess you could say I''m meditating, in the literal definition of the word.


    After Sakura''s match ended, I decided to go to the infirmary and hop into a Healing Pod for a bit, since I had taken some damage during my last match. I healed for about half an hour and then returned to the waiting room after that. I wasn''t fully healed, there was still some soreness left, but the fractures and actual damage had been healed.


    I could have stayed a while longer and healed up all the way, but I might have been too tired afterwards, so I decided against it. Healing Pods use a person''s stamina to heal them, and the greater the injuries, the greater the amount of stamina used.


    I think I made the right call, because even without healing all the way, it still feels like I lost a bit more stamina that I''d have liked. And since I train so intensively, I''m used to moving around while sore and fatigued, so I shouldn''t be too far from my best.


    I''m sore, but I''m not in pain, my stamina''s not at full capacity, but I''m far from tired. And hey, maybe it''s not so bad...after all, in real fights, your opponent isn''t going to care about whether or not you''re at a hundred percent or if you''re having an off day or whatever. So-.


    "Hey, what do you think, Kilzachs?" Inquired Sakura, interrupting my meditation.


    "I think you should shut up and stop bothering m-."


    "It''s cool that we just made history by all making it to the semi-final round, right?" She cut me off again, ignoring me.


    "Who cares?" I grumbled in reply.


    "Wow, you''re both such wet blankets," She sighed in exasperation.


    Shut up and leave me alone, I need to regain as much of my stamina as possible so that I can crush you in the second semi-final.


    "You''re too cheerful," Countered Katie, sounding disinterested-...oh, wait, that''s how she always sounds.


    "You say that like it''s a bad thing," Remarked Sakura with a laugh.


    "It is."


    "No, it''s not! I''ll have you know that thanks to my personality, I''m super popular!" Sakura argued indignantly.


    "That''s boastful and narcissistic."


    "I wasn''t-!"


    "Jesus fucking Christ, I can''t believe you''re letting this rile you up," I spoke up with a frown.


    "...huh, you''re right, why am I getting so worked up?" Wondered Sakura, calming down a bit.


    "Because you think you''re going to lose your next match and you''re nervous?" Answered Katie...okay, she''s definitely messing with Sakura deliberately.


    "We''ll see about that. I don''t doubt that Kilzachs is seriously formidable, but then, so am I," She responded with a huff.


    "Your copied manifestations won''t work on another Anomaly though," Pointed out Katie objectively.


    "You don''t think I know that already? In case you forget, his Anomaly powers aren''t gonna work on me either," Countered Sakura objectively.


    "You know, I''ve been wondering what exactly would happen if you tried to hit me with one of your copied manifestations...try taking a swipe at me with one of those big-ass arm manifestations," I chimed in.


    "Now that you mention it, I''m kinda curious too. And knowing would benefit me, so...," She remarked in agreement, standing up and walking towards me.


    She then activated the manifestation and moved the fist of it towards my chest...the instant right before it could come into contact with me, it dissipated in the blink of an eye.


    Good, I''d been afraid that it might only dissipate after making contact, but it looks like I really don''t have to worry about taking any direct hits from her during our fight.


    Another concern I''d had was that maybe attacks from her copied manifestations wouldn''t count as direct Anomaly powers, just like how my X-Blasters and X-Blades work perfectly fine against other Anomalies.


    But it looks like I won''t have to worry about that either...


    "Thanks...I now have a clearer picture of what to expect in the next match," I remarked, satisfied.


    "Sure, you''re welc-...oh, crap, I shouldn''t have done that," She realized with a grimace.


    "Yeah, you really shouldn''t have," I replied with a smirk.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Looks like it''s almost time for my next match...and so far, my opponent has effortlessly won each and every one of his matches, without so much as taking a scratch or even breaking a sweat.


    "Hey, do you know anything about the powers of my next opponent?" I reluctantly asked Kilzachs...I would have preferred to win without any help or advice, but I''d rather not lose without even knowing what happened.


    "Hm? Oh...well, yeah, I think it''s pretty obvious that his powers probably have something to do with illusions," He replied, after mulling it over for a second.


    "Yes, I thought so...how can I avoid it?"


    "Honestly, you probably can''t," He said after mulling it over for a moment, before adding, "If he can activate it on his target from a distance, then you''re screwed. You''re not allowed to move from your starting point during the countdown, and I''m guessing he''ll probably activate it then."


    "Yeah, that sounds about right, from what we''ve seen of him in the tournament till now," Agreed Sakura, chiming in.


    If they''re right about that, I have cause for concern...


    "Isn''t there a way to defend myself from being inflicted by his ability?" I asked.


    "Let''s see...well, in my case, if I lock onto someone with the intention of activating one of my powers, they can''t escape it unless they manage to literally escape my sight before I finish the activation chant...and like I just mentioned, since you can''t move during the countdown before the start of the match, you''ll basically be a sitting duck," Explained Kilzachs.


    "Yeah, that''s how it works for me when I try to copy someone''s manifestation, if they leave my sight before I finish the activation chant, I fail to copy their power," Added Sakura.


    "And there''s really no other way to avoid it?" I asked, disheartened as I felt a sinking feeling in me.


    "Not as far as I know, sorry," Replied Sakura apologetically.


    "I don''t know either...though even if I did, I''m not sure I''d tell you," Said Kilzachs with a shrug.


    Blunt, but I suppose I appreciate the honesty. Not that it helps me right now, I need some kind of strategy before the fight...do I just blast him with lightning the moment the fight begins? That does seem to be my only option...


    ...


    A few minutes later, it was time for the semi-final round to begin, and I still hadn''t come up with any decent plans to counter my opponent''s powers...which only left me with one option.


    "Good luck out there," Said Sakura, as I stood up and headed for the door.


    "Yeah, I wouldn''t mind duking it out with you in the final," Added Kilzachs.


    "Hey, you gotta beat me first!" Exclaimed Sakura, sounding annoyed.


    I didn''t quite hear his reply as I headed out the waiting room and shut the door behind me, before heading for the arena with a deep breath and letting out a slow exhale.


    My opponent arrived as I did, a slight smirk on his face. He had longish black hair that had purple streaks dyed across it, which framed his face and fell over his forehead, covering his eyebrows, the back of his hair going down to his shoulders. He had orange eyes, was tall and slender, and looked irritatingly confident.


    He seems absolutely certain that he''ll win...and maybe he will, but I refuse to make it easy for him. The moment the countdown ends, I''ll blast him with my Manifestation Overdrive, let''s see if he can dodge it.


    As the announcer declared the start of the countdown, he didn''t so much as budge, standing nonchantly with a carefree expression, his eyes looking down on me condescendingly...he''s mocking me.


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>," I chanted, as my XFE enveloped and formed around me, streaks of lightning crackling around it as it formed, "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    I began charging up lightning inside the jaws of my manifestation, putting a full forty percent of my XFE into it, as the countdown continued to tick...


    Should be five seconds left, so-...my eyes widened in surprise, as I glanced at the countdown to see that it was already at two seconds...what? Am I so nervous that I''m losing track of time this easily!?


    No matter, I''ll still fire this the instant that the countdown hits zero, which is...right now!


    I swiftly opened the jaws of my manifestation and fired out the lightning straight at my opponent, in a massive, blinding blast towards my opponent...sure enough, he can''t dodge this.


    He didn''t even budge as the blast closed in on him, getting teleported out in the blink of an eye as my lightning struck the wall of the Duel Field, the impact traveling throughout the barrier in a bright, electric glow of an explosion.


    I did it...I won the first round, and I''ve got enough XFE to repeat the dosag-.


    "Due to his opponent attacking three full seconds before the countdown was complete, round one goes to Yugi Suzuki by default!"


    Huh?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 103 - 102 - Tournament(Part 13)

    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    What...what just happened? I know for sure that I attacked after the countdown hit zero...but the announcer just said that I attacked early by three seconds...that can''t be right.


    Or rather, I didn''t want to accept it...I didn''t want to accept the fact that I''d lost due to such a trivial detail. Damn it...when did he even inflict me with his illusion? Right from the start?


    When I glanced at the countdown after I finished charging up my lightning blast, I had expected it to be at five seconds, but it had instead been at two seconds, looks like I hadn''t been mistaken after all...which means that he definitely activated his illusion before that.


    I took a deep breath to compose myself, as he returned into the Duel Field, his carefree, confident expression now changed to one of cocky, condescending arrogance.


    I really want to wipe that look off of his face...but getting riled up won''t do me any good. I need to stay calm and consider my options...I''ve got less than sixty percent of my XFE left.


    And anything less than forty percent wouldn''t be enough to guarantee a win...so even if I win this round, I won''t stand a chance in the next round, with less than twenty percent of my total XFE remaining.


    But I don''t have any time to think this through, I have to act...and the only option up my sleeve is a repeat of what I tried in round one. I just need to make sure that I don''t get fooled by an illusion again. I won''t look at the countdown timer, the moment it begins, I''ll count it down mentally.


    As my opponent and I took our places in the arena for round two, the announcer declared the start of the countdown, which then began ticking down. I need to make sure I time this perfectly...


    Ten...nine...


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Dragon>."


    ...eight...


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>."


    ...seven...six...five...four...three...


    Okay, fully charged, two seconds to go...I locked my sights onto my opponent, who didn''t like quite as casual as he had been in the previous round...looks like he plans to move out of the way this time.


    ...two...one...zero!


    The instant the countdown ended, he shot across to his left at top speed, right as I began to fire...in that split second, I almost shifted my aim to my right, when a realization hit me...this has to be an illusion. Standing still would be too risky, which means that he''s most likely moving to his right...so I''ll shift my aim to the left instead.


    I then fired out the charged out lightning in a powerful, fierce blast, as I shifted my aim to my left, the lightning bursting out of the jaws of my manifestation. And suddenly, what I had assumed was the illusion of my opponent that had run in the opposite direction to the direction in which I fired out my lightning...vanished.


    Yes, I was right!


    And as confirmation, the announcer declared me as the winner of round two a few seconds later, as I spotted my opponent outside the Duel Field, an annoyed look on his face, which gave me immense satisfaction.


    I felt really good right now...I had to make a split second decision right then, and it looks like I made the right decision. But that triumphant feeling was short-lived...because it was now down to the third and final round of the first semi-final, and I didn''t have a game plan for myself.


    I''ve got just a little over fifteen percent of my XFE remaining, not nearly enough to fire a blast that''s big enough to be highly unlikely to be dodged. What do I do!? I have no idea what kind of illusions he uses or how many different variations he has in his arsenal...and I won''t be able to block or counter, or even see his Anomaly attacks coming.


    Well, there''s no point worrying about it, I suppose, I highly doubt that I can come up with a solution in the few seconds before the final round of this match begins. All I can do is try as hard as I can, and if that''s not enough, then so be it.


    As my opponent re-entered the Duel Field, I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, keeping my eyes shut as the announcer declared the start of the countdown.


    From what I''ve seen of my opponent in his previous matches during this tournament, his illusions seem to only affect his target''s vision...so I''ll keep my eyes shut till the countdown is over. It''s probably a pointless act, but I may as well try something, right?


    "


    ," I chanted, forming my manifestation as the countdown went below five.


    Is this really as far as I go? I know that I''ve got a lot of weaknesses and that even making it this far in the tournament is a huge accomplishment...even so, facing the prospect of defeat is...really frustrating. Fine, if I''m going down, I''m not going down without a fight.


    As the countdown ended, I opened my eyes and began to dash forward...before halting in confusion as I took in the baffling sight in front of me. My opponent looked like he was all over the place, it looked like a buggy, glitchy video or special effect gone wrong...just really, really bizarre.


    This is...definitely an illusion. No doubt about that, obviously. It looks like this illusion makes the target see the caster glitching all over the place while having no idea where the caster actually is. I quickly began whipping my manifestation all around me, to keep him from getting too close.


    But I can''t keep this up forever...I''m low on XFE as it is, and as much as I hate to admit it...all I''m doing right now is delaying the inevitable, simple as that. I felt a rising sense of frustration as my XFE levels went below ten percent, only a matter of time before he gets me now.


    As my frustration bubbled over, I stomped my heel against the ground, accidentally leaking out a small amount of my XFE in a sharp burst as a result, as I lost control of my XFE flow for just an instant...an instant that changed everything.


    Because the next thing I knew, my opponent had stopped glitching all over the place...instead, he was standing still, just outside the range of my manifestation that I was whipping around like a madwoman, with an amused, condescending smirk on his face.


    I...I did it...I broke out of his illusion. I don''t know how exactly, but...unfortunately, with the amount of XFE I''ve got left, I won''t be able to attack for long, and that aside, it''s all over if he activates another illusion...I need to finish this in one shot, before he realizes that I''m no longer ensnared in his illusion.


    "Take this...," I growled, locking my gaze onto him, a look of alarm appearing in his eyes as he realized what just happened, "<Secondary Manifestation: Dragon Lightning>!"


    He quickly pulled out an X-Blade and sprang away as I fired my lightning at him, putting all my remaining XFE into it...it wasn''t the most powerful blast I could muster, but it should be strong enough to-...right as the blast closed in on him, he quickly blocked it with his X-Blade as he jumped off to his left, before letting out an agonizing scream of pain as my lightning struck his right arm and zapped him hard.


    I...I can''t fight anymore. I''m...out of...XFE...so I...I feel completely...exhausted. I can barely even...move anymore...let alone...maintain my manifestation. I hate to admit it, but there''s no point being stubborn about it...this is as far as I go in this tournament, my last attack failed to teleport my opponent out...and I''ve got absolutely nothing left in the tank.


    I raised my hand as I collapsed onto one knee and my vision blurred a bit...time to end this...


    "I give-," I began to surrender.


    "Damn it...you little...you little bitch!" Exclaimed my opponent furiously, his eyes bulging with rage as he clutched onto his right arm with a look of agony in his eyes, "I...I''m gonna destroy you, take this, <Activate Anomaly: Nightmare Hellscape>!"


    The next thing I knew...I was in hell. That was the only word that came to mind in describing my surroundings...dead, rotting bodies everywhere, huge insects, monsters, what looked like devils...they were all over the place, as far as the eye could see. And they were drawing closer and closer towards me with every passing second.


    It felt like my feet were on fire...I let out a sharp gasp as I turned my gaze downwards, my feet sinking into a puddle of lava, as the monsters all began to surround me-...


    No, I need to snap out of it! Th-this is just an illusion...y-yeah, it''s...i-it''s just an i-illusion...j-just an-...it''s...it''s just-...


    ...s-someone, please...help me!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 104 - 103 - Tournament(Part 14)

    What the...? It looked like Katie was about to give up, when suddenly, her opponent, Yugi, began yelling something furiously, and the next moment, Katie was frozen in place, as if she was in a trance.


    And then, a few seconds later, she let out a tortured, blood-curdling scream, which sent chills down my spine, as she lay writhing on the ground with a look of excruciating terror on her face. He then walked over to her, slamming a vicious kick onto her midsection, before slashing at her neck with one of his X-Blades, teleporting her out.


    That guy...he must have shown her a truly horrifying illusion, before literally kicking her while she was down, to get back at her for zapping him with her lightning. What a dick, his opponent had all but run out of steam, she was no longer a threat to him...and just because she landed an attack on him, he responded in such a...spiteful, petty manner.


    I mean, okay, when it comes to being spiteful and petty, I''m not really one to talk, considering how I hold onto grudges and derive pleasure in the misfortune of those that I hate...but if nothing else, I''m only spiteful and petty to those that deserve it, I''m not a dick to anyone and everyone.


    Katie then stopped writhing and screaming as the announcer grabbed her opponent''s arm before he could leave and said something to him with a grimaced, urgent look on his face, to which Yugi scoffed, before sighing and snapping his fingers.


    Looks like he broke the illusion. But Katie was still unconscious, and I don''t think she''ll be waking up for a while...she''d likely completely drained her XFE, which can be pretty exhausting, and on top of that, she''d probably taken a significant amount of psychological damage from whatever that last illusion was.


    Also, was it just my imagination, or did Yugi''s expression look a bit strained just now? Huh...that last illusion was likely a powerful one...maybe it took something of a toll on him when used? Well, not that it matters to me...either way, his illusions are useless against me.


    Which is good...because I''m kinda, sorta, maybe feeling a desire to beat that guy within an inch of his life. Like, it wasn''t as intense as how I feel with Asshole, but it was still at least half as intense...which is saying a lot, considering how much I passionately and utterly DESPISE Asshole.


    "Hey, Kilzachs...let''s make a deal," Suddenly suggested Sakura in a serious tone, as the announcer called us out for the second semi-final, "Whichever of us wins this match, will have to shoulder the responsibility of reducing that douchebag to a bloody pile of steaming meat."


    "Kinda gross, but yes...I agree with the sentiment," I responded, standing up and shaking her hand, before we both headed out of the waiting room and towards the arena.


    The audience sounded pretty lively as we walked onto the arena, though I could also hear murmurs and whispers...guess they still weren''t over my display in the last match. The arena was looking pretty battered at this point, with deep, heavy cracks spreading out all across it.


    As we took our places inside the Duel Field, the announcer declared the start of the countdown, and I took out my X-Blades in preparation...her Anomaly powers may not directly work against me, but that doesn''t mean I can underestimate her.


    That said, if it comes down to close range combat, I''m confident that I''ll have the advantage. Let''s see how she plans to approach this fight...


    I activated my X-Blades as the countdown went below three, while Sakura manifested a wind cannon on her left arm, a look of focus and determination on her face...looks like I definitely can''t take this lightly, she isn''t going to hold anything back...


    I braced myself the instant the countdown ended, as she swiftly took aim and fired a wind blast straight at me...I stayed still, selecting myself and activating Cut, before getting ready to use Paste in order to teleport myself away...


    But just as expected, the wind blast dissipated right before it struck me, though some of the momentum it had generated through the air hit me and caused me to stumble back a bit...the mass of wind in that blast that was generated by her XFE dissipated, but not the additional wind that was generated by the momentum of the initial blast.


    Since my X-Weapons work against other Anomalies, I was a little worried that her wind blast might have hit me, but it looks like none of her attacks with copied manifestations will work against me. That makes things a whole lot easier.


    She then fired another wind blast at me-...no, this one was aimed at the ground right in front of me. I quickly sprang back, and as the blast of wind struck the floor and kicked up some of the bits of crumbled rubble, wear and tear from the previous matches...good thing I wear glasses, I can avoid closing my eyes.


    As some of the bits of rubble struck me, I took aim and fired out a couple of shots at Sakura, as she dissipated her wind cannon manifestation and switched to those large arms manifestation, using the left arm to block my shots.


    And then, with her right arm, she swiftly reached down to the ground and tore up a piece of the arena floor, before powerfully flinging it towards me with a spin, like a rapid frisbee. I quickly selected the spot right behind her and activated Paste, teleporting myself behind her and evading the projectile.


    She quickly spun around and swung one of her arms towards me, aiming to strike my face with the back of her fist. I swiftly tilted my head back instinctively, as the fist of the manifestation dissipated and one of her knuckles brushed against my nose.


    I responded by countering with an upward slash from one of my X-Blades, which she quickly sprang back to avoid, the tip of the energy blade grazing the left side of her face and leaving a small cut there.


    I then fired out a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters at her as her arms dissipated, before a wall of XFE manifested in front of her, cracks appearing in it as my bullets struck it.


    I then quickly used Cut and Paste to teleport myself into the air, right above Sakura. A look of alarm appeared in her eyes as I fired down at her, forming the arms manifestation again and raising them above herself defensively as she quickly backed away, though right before she got them up, one of the bullets snuck through her defenses and grazed her right shoulder.


    I used Paste again to teleport myself behind her and began to slash at her back, as she swiftly responded by forming stilts under her feet and shooting straight up into the air, my energy blade striking one of the stilts, but she managed to maintain her balance...in which case, what if I do...this?


    I swiftly pinned my X-Blades into the ground and reached out to grab both the stilts, dissipating them right before I could grasp onto them. Sakura began to plummet down, her mouth starting to move, likely trying to recite an activation chant...I don''t think so!


    I swiftly fired a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters up at her, aimed at multiple vital spots, right as a wall of XFE formed below her and blocked my shots...just as I expected.


    The instant it formed, I grabbed my X-Blade handles and flung them upwards with wristy flicks, spinning them rapidly as they zipped around Sakura''s defensive wall and then curved in towards her from either side like boomerangs as they got past the wall of XFE.


    She began to react in alarm, forming shield manifestations on each arm and blocking both blades, which struck her shields and ricocheted off of it, leaving heavy cracks on them. I then used Cut and Paste to teleport myself above her again, while she was still reeling from the double impact of my blades striking her shields.


    As I took aim and fired down at her from my right X-Blaster, she quickly raised her arms above herself, bringing her shields up and blocking my bullets...but I was prepared for her to do that.


    As I fired from my right hand, I reached behind my back with my left hand and pulled out my Square Blaster, which was fully charged and set to maximum output.


    Let''s see her block this...as I began to plummet down towards her, I ceased my attack with my X-Blaster and took aim with the Square Blaster, before pulling the trigger and firing out the thousands of streaks of my Dark Attribute XFE down at her, like a mini black meteor shower.


    She began to form her arms manifestation, but it was no use. She got teleported out before my attack could blast her full of holes, instead raining down onto the floor of the arena and tearing it apart, the already-heavy cracks deepening further and bits of rubble breaking apart and getting kicked up by the force upon impact.


    I then teleported myself back down before I could fall all the way down. Ah, crap, looks like one of my X-Blade handles got too badly damaged, it''s not activating anymore. The other one''s still working fine though, so that''s something, at least.


    Still, this isn''t ideal, I''ve just lost one of my most heavily relied upon options that I''ve got up my sleeve, and while I may not have taken on any damage in round one, I did use up over thirty-five, nearly forty, percent of my XFE.


    Sakura then returned to the Duel Field with a frown, looking even more determined than before. Well, then, it looks like this fight is just getting started...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 105 - 104 - Tournament(Part 15)

    Alright, here we go, round two...I need to try and win this fight without letting it go to a third round...I''ve got a bit over sixty percent of my XFE left, so I can''t afford to let this match drag on for too long.


    However, the same goes for her...her XFE capacity is likely to be similar to mine, so if I can force her to use her copied manifestations more than she''d prefer to, that''d make a huge difference.


    That said, I''d rather not let this become a contest of endurance as far as XFE is concerned, I''d definitely prefer to win this fight right here in the second round of the match.


    Too bad I''m down to one X-Blade, but whatever, I''ll make do with it. My Square Blaster is still on cooldown, which is about five minutes, so I probably won''t be able to use it this round.


    I then drew out my remaining X-Blade handle as the countdown began, while Sakura watched me like a hawk...huh, I think she''s especially staring at my mouth. Oh, I get it, she''s looking for any movements in my lips to predict when I''ll activate my Anomaly powers.


    But it''s no use, that''s a pointless exercise...because I can now chant inaudibly with barely any movement in my lips or throat. It''s not perfect yet, but it''s more than good enough to be undetectable from a distance. She''s just wasting her time.


    I activated my X-Blade and prepared to attack as the countdown reached three...two...one! I shot forward at top speed the instant it ended, as Sakura activated her arms manifestation and broke up a couple of chunks of the floor and flung them at me with rapid spins, which I evaded and countered with a couple of shots fired from my X-Blasters, which she blocked with one of her energy arms.


    Tch, the XFE of that manifestation is too thick for my bullets to penetrate, and her reaction time is pretty good, she''s using those arms and blocking my energy bullets fairly well. She then tore up another chunk of the arena and flung it with immense force and spin, sending it rapidly whirling towards me like a frisbee...a deadly, killer frisbee.


    But I didn''t change my course or slow down, instead focusing on it and activating Cut just in time, the chunk of concrete vanishing right before it could crush me. I then focused a few meters above Sakura and activated Paste, adjusting it so that the momentum that had carried the chunk of concrete forward towards me was now pointing downwards, straight at her.


    Right as it reappeared, she realized what was happening with a look of alarm in her eyes and reacted just in time, as she crossed her arms above herself and manifested energy shields above the already-manifested arms, and a square energy wall above those.


    The large chunk struck and broke through the top of her defenses, shattering the wall and shields and heavily cracking the arms, before she gritted her teeth and let out a determined yell as she swung her arms out with all her strength, managing to knock it away, before her eyes widened in alarm...because I was right above her.


    The moment I made the chunk of floor reappear above her, I teleported myself above it, so that if she dodged or deflected it, I''d have a clear opening to strike.


    As I dropped down towards her, I swung my blade down at her, which she quickly responded hastily by springing back and trying to get out of the way, but she couldn''t fully evade it, as the tip of my energy blade hit her shoulder and cut through, leaving a shallow yet long slash straight down from her right shoulder, as she let out a sharp cry of pain.


    I took a quick step back as she swung her foot up at me, evading her kick-...or not, because suddenly, I was being sent flying back with a heavy impact on my midsection, crashing onto the ground and skidding away painfully...ow. How did she-...?


    Oh, now I see...she must have loosened her shoe when she swung her foot up at me, so that when she formed her stilt manifestation from the bottom of her foot, it wouldn''t strike me directly and would instead hit me with her shoe in between, meaning that it wouldn''t dissipate since it wasn''t making direct contact with me.


    Damn...I have to admit, that was well played. And also, really hurt, I feel like I need to hurl right now, that was some impact. I got back on my face with a grimace, pondering my next move...when she suddenly formed the wind cannons manifestation and fired out a couple of wind blasts at the ground near me.


    I evaded by using Cut and Paste to teleport myself out of the way, before zipping towards her at top speed, firing out a couple of shots from my X-Blasters as I did, which she blocked with the wind cannons.


    She then dissipated the manifestation and replaced it with...one arm manifestation on her right arm and a wind cannon manifestation on her left arm. What''s she planning? Doesn''t matter, it won''t change the final outcome...I refuse to lose.


    I teleported myself again, reappearing behind her. As I drove my X-Blade towards her back, she quickly spun around and just about managed to get her energy arm in the way and block my thrust, before firing a wind blast straight down at the ground, kicking up a dust cloud and blinding me.


    Crap, not good, I''ve lost sight of her! I shot across to the left to get out of smokescreen, and the instant I emerged from the cloud, she was waiting for me, hovering right above the plume of dust with wings manifested on her back.


    In her arm manifestation was a bunch of small chunks of debris...and her other arm, the wind cannon, was pointed at the palmful of debris...which was pointed at me. Uh-oh.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three:...->!" I began, but I was too slow...right before I began the activation chant, she''d already fired the wind blast, propelling the debris in her other hand straight at me like a barrage of rapid bullets, which reached me before I could react, and the next thing I knew, I was outside the Duel Field...damn it, it''s going to go down to the third round, after all.


    Still...towards the end, she maintained her manifestations for longer than she usually does, normally she always dissipates them after a couple of seconds, probably to avoid burning through XFE too quickly. And the look on her face confirms it, she was looking a bit worn out...she''s running low on XFE.


    Meanwhile, I hadn''t used that much of my own XFE in that round, just a bit over fifteen percent, so I''ve still got a good forty percent or so left. Still...I definitely can''t afford to take her lightly in the deciding round of this match, regardless of what her current XFE levels are at, I fully expect her to put up one hell of a fight in round three...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Yugi Suzuki


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hm, I think that should be enough healing for now. I exited the Healing Pod with a sigh, glancing at the screen in the infirmary, which was showing the ongoing match.


    Tch, I went the whole tournament without needing to be healed even once, to think that a student would be able to deal so much damage to me...I''d understand if it were another Anomaly, but not a damned Prodigy. My right arm feels more or less back to normal now, I could barely even lift it after her lightning struck it, that little bitch.


    But that wasn''t the main reason why I needed healing...the stronger my illusions are, the greater the toll it takes on me. And that last illusion I used took a lot out of me...I never thought I''d actually have to resort to it in this tournament.


    It''s not something I can use more than once a day...well, technically speaking, I can, but it''s just ridiculously painful to do so. I''d have preferred to have at least saved it for the final-...oh, wait, never mind.


    Even if I hadn''t used it in the semi-final, it wouldn''t have been an option in the final...because no matter what happens in the second semi-final, it won''t change the fact that my opponent will also be an Anomaly, so my powers are going to be useless in the next match.


    If I had to pick, I''d rather face the girl...her hand to hand combat is fairly average, while the guy with the glasses is, admittedly, quite skilled in that regard. On top of that, his accuracy with those X-Blasters is ridiculously good...I''d say I''m better at wielding X-Blades than he is, but other than that, I can''t deny that his physical skills are better than or at least on par with my own.


    If that wasn''t enough, I have no idea what his Anomaly powers are exactly, but that teleporting ability looks like it''s going to be a huge pain...since it''s not an ability that targets the user''s opponent, it''s an option that can be used against other Anomalies, which is what''s happening in this semi-final match.


    Oh, well, it doesn''t matter...at the end of the day, I''ll be the one to win, I plan to make sure of that. Now, then...looks like they''ve each won one round of the semi-final, and it''s down to the third round for the tiebreaker...let''s see who my next opponent is, shall we?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 106 - 105 - Tournament(Part 16)

    Should I set myself a Save point? Logically, it was a no-brainer...if I set a Save point right here, before the start of the third round of this semi-final match, then even if I lose, I can come back to it once my XFE is fully recharged.


    But...my pride wouldn''t allow it. I just couldn''t bring myself to resort to that...whatever the final result ends up being, I''m prepared to accept it. I know that isn''t logical, but I''ve made up my mind and I''m not going back on it.


    Now, then...the countdown has begun, better put my guard up. I activated my X-Blade and braced myself as the countdown reached five, keeping a close eye on my opponent, who was looking both wary and weary.


    She''s waiting till the last second before activating her manifestations, no doubt about it, she''s running low on XFE. Alright, then, here we go...three...two...one!


    The instant the countdown ended, I fired out a couple of shots from my X-Blasters, which she countered by quickly manifesting an energy wall in front of herself. I then swiftly flung my X-Blade at her with a flick of my wrist for extra spin, which caused it to curve to the left, as it spun around the right side of the energy wall.


    As it curved in towards Sakura, she ducked in alarm, narrowly evading the spinning energy blade, which sliced off a couple of strands of her hair, and right as she ducked under it, I teleported myself behind her and caught the handle of the flung X-Blade, before slashing it across at her, right as she formed a shield with her left hand to block it, just in the nick of time.


    And then, she formed a wind cannon with her right hand and fired a blast of wind straight down, shooting herself straight up into the air, the force upon impact causing me stumble back a bit.


    I quickly took aim and fired out a barrage of shots of her from my X-Blasters, she blocked a couple of them with her wind cannon, but wincing in pain as several shots grazed her. She then fired a wind blast up to shoot herself back down towards the ground, followed by a second blast straight down to soften her fall.


    She then formed the arms manifestation and tore up more of the arena, tossing the broken chunks at me with a sense of desperation...she must be starting to run low on XFE, but just because this attack is desperate, doesn''t mean that it isn''t effective.


    I was just barely avoiding the blocks of rubble she was tossing my way, and using Cut was proving to be difficult since she was tossing two at a time, so if I stop to focus on and then select and use Cut on one chunk of rubble, the other one is bound to hit me.


    She then switched her manifestation to one arm and one wind cannon, using the latter to increase the velocity of her tosses. A few small chunks brushed past and grazed me, but I was able to evade taking on any direct hits, and now, it was starting to get easier...not because I was getting used to it or anything, but because her tosses were getting weaker and sloppier.


    And that''s when it happened...her manifestations ceased altogether and she stumbled back, a worn out look on her face as she struggled to catch her breath, barely able to stay on her feet anymore.


    It''s over...kind of a pity it had to end like this, but a win''s a win. I used Cut and Paste on myself to teleport in front of her, she began to respond by forming an unstable manifestation around her right arm and flinging a punch at me, which dissipated as it closed in on me, and I blocked and caught her fist with my hand.


    "Heh, out of XFE...talk about a frustrating way to lose, huh?" She remarked with a wry smile.


    "Yeah, I bet...still, that was quite the challenge. I doubt this''ll be our last duel, and I look forward to next time," I responded, before teleporting her out as I slashed at her with my X-Blade.


    "The winner of the second semi-final is...Kilzachs Light! The final match of this year''s edition of the X-Warrior Championship will be Yugi Suzuki vs Kilzachs Light!" Exclaimed the announcer, prompting the audience to cheer and applaud, following a brief, stunned silence, "The final will began in exactly one hour from now, so don''t go anywhere!"


    Cool, I think I''ll use that time to eat something and maybe spend a few minutes in a Healing Pod to make sure I''m as close to a hundred percent as possible.


    "Hey, congrats, dude," Remarked Sakura, walking up to me with a tired smile and holding up her fist.


    "Thanks, that was a great match," I replied, as I bumped her fist with mine.


    "You better win the final, otherwise I''ll look bad," She said jokingly, before adding with a stifled yawn, "Now, if you''ll excuse me...I''m going to go find a place to pass out for a good ten hours or so."


    "Right...good luck with that."


    ...


    About half an hour later, I was on my way to the infirmary...I hadn''t yet decided if I should use a Healing Pod, because I feel more or less fine, a bit bruised and stuff, but no real injuries.


    My bigger concern is my XFE...at best, I''ll have about fifty percent of my XFE recovered by the time the final begins, while my opponent will have a fair bit more since he''s had a bit more time to recover than I have.


    I then reached the infirmary and opened the door, walking in with a sigh. Katie was sitting on one of the beds, looking up as I shut the door. One of the Healing Pods was active, must be Sakura inside it.


    "Hey, you good?" I inquired, walking over to Katie.


    "I...think so," She replied, her voice sounding kinda weak, "I just feel really...unsettled and anxious."


    "That guy, did he use some kind of powerful illusion on you?"


    "Yeah...it was like a terrifying nightmare, except that I remember all the details clearly," She said, her eyebrows furrowed.


    "Man, that guy''s such a dick. I think I''ll enjoy beating him up in the final," I remarked with a frown.


    "Oh, congratulations...sorry, I didn''t see your match, I only got out of the Healing Pod a couple of minutes before you showed up."


    "No worries, I mean, you couldn''t help it. Just make sure to watch the final, because I''ll make sure that guy gets what''s coming to him," I stated with a smirk, holding out my fist towards her.


    "I look forward to it," She responded with a slight smile, as she tapped her fist onto mine.


    The door to the infirmary then opened...and Yugi Suzuki stepped in, a cocky look on his face.


    "I''ll get what''s coming to me, huh? Big words, kid, I''m not afraid of you. If anything, you should be afraid of me," He scoffed, before walking over to one of the beds and picking up a small pouch.


    "And why would I be afraid of a guy who''s so insecure that he went way overkill on an opponent that had run out of steam, just because said opponent happened to land a hit on him?" I countered with a glare.


    "Excuse me, you little shit? Don''t get cocky just because my powers won''t work on you, by the time I''m done with you, you''ll be in an even worse state that the little bitch next to you," He laughed, scoffing at Katie, who clenched her fist in frustration.


    "You don''t even feel bad about what you did, do you?" I inquired coldly.


    "Huh? And why would I feel bad? I fucking won, I feel great! And you know what? I think I''ll feel even better after I beat you into submission and win the final! Get ready to be humiliated, you little shit," He chuckled spitefully, before leaving with a condescending smirk.


    Wow...he''s an even bigger dick than I thought he was. Seriously, fuck that guy.


    "Losing to horrible people is really frustrating," Sighed Katie, gripping the sheets of the bed she was sitting on with a frown.


    Yeah, I''d be pretty pissed off if that guy beat me...actually, I''m pretty damn pissed off as it is right now. I have no intention of losing to him, in fact, right now I''m very highly motivated to make him eat him words, and then some...


    "You know what, I don''t think just defeating him is going to be enough to satisfy me. He told me to get ready to be humiliated...but I think I''ll humiliate him instead. I''ll crush his confidence, shatter his ego and break every single bone in his body, I won''t even give him a chance to fight back, I''ll have him begging for mercy," I declared, as I cracked my knuckles.


    Oh, crap, I got kinda carried away...maybe I should have kept some of that to myself and-.


    "Well...," Began Katie, before continuing with a faint smile, "You certainly have my support in all that."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 107 - 106 - Tournament Final

    Just a minute to go before the final, I was currently making my way out to the arena, determined to hand Yugi a crushing defeat and have him suffer lasting humiliation.


    As I stepped out onto the arena and entered the Duel Field, Yugi walked in as well, a smug look on his face...he''s totally underestimating me, isn''t he? Well, that''s fine, I''ll just have to make sure he regrets that.


    "Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you''ve all been waiting for, the final match of the X-Warrior Championship 2116...Yugi Suzuki vs Kilzachs Light! Let the countdown begin!" Exclaimed the announcer enthusiastically, pumping up the excitement in the crowd, prompting loud cheers.


    Naturally, the arena''s still all torn up from the last match...considering how much Sakura tore it up with her energy arms, there was no way an hour would be even nearly enough to repair so much as a fraction of the damage.


    And that works out great for me. Excluding Katie, Yugi beat every one of his opponents in a matter of seconds...it''s time to give him a taste of his own medicine. Let''s have a look here...ah, that one should do nicely...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    Now I just need to wait out the countdown, which is almost done...three...two...one...zero!


    "I''m gonna des-!" Yugi began to exclaim.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    "-troy you!" He finished...from outside the Duel Field, right as a loud crash echoed out from the spot where he''d been standing a second ago.


    And just like that, I win round one.


    During the countdown, I focused on the biggest chunk of torn up floor that I could find and used Cut on it, which, luckily for me, was in my opponent''s blind spot, so he didn''t even notice when it suddenly vanished.


    And then, the instant the countdown ended, I used Paste to make the block of concrete I Cut reappear about a meter above his head, which plummeted down and got him teleported out before he could get crushed like a pancake. So, yeah, I beat him before he even realized it.


    I think that''s some decent humiliation to start with...but it''s hardly enough, I''ll get serious this next round.


    "You little shit, that was a dirty trick," Growled Yugi, as he re-entered the Duel Field.


    "Hm? Considering how you made it this far in the tournament, that''s awfully hypocritical...face it, you''re nothing without your powers," I scoffed in response, as the countdown began for round two.


    "H-huh!? That''s it, no one talks to me that way...I''m gonna crush you, you little shit!" He declared, drawing out his X-Blade handles and activating them, black energy forming in the shape of swords, as I did the same with my X-Blade.


    Hmph, I''d like to see him try. Here goes...the moment the countdown ended, I fired off a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters, which he narrowly evaded and deflected with his energy blades, before zipping towards me at top speed, a look of fury in his eyes.


    I swiftly increased the output on my X-Blasters to maximum and fired again, he began to deflect my shot with one of his blades, but he wasn''t prepared for the increase in power, only partially deflecting it, wincing in pain as it deeply grazed his right arm.


    I fired out a couple more shots, he managed to narrowly evade one, which just barely whizzed past the side of his head, before trying to deflect the second shot but again, failing to fully knock it away, partially deflecting it to the left, letting out a hiss of pain as it struck his left hip.


    He then gritted his teeth and let out an enraged roar as he closed in on me, raising his blades. I''d like to fire out a few more shots from my X-Blasters, but at my current XFE level, the maximum output setting would drain me too quickly, better switch to my X-Blade.


    As he swung his blades down at me, I swiftly blocked them with mine, before quickly moving my blade and blocking as he slashed at my left with his right blade, and then springing back as he drove his left blade straight at me, narrowly avoiding getting pierced.


    Have to admit, he''s better than I thought, he''s quite skilled with dual wielding...but all I need is one opening, that''s all I need to finish him off. I parried his right blade off the left as he slashed at me with it, before ducking as he swung his left blade at me, swiftly planting my palm on the ground and rapidly lifting myself up in a rising kick.


    He quickly jumped back, my foot clipping his chin as he backed away, before I got back on my feet as he leapt forward towards me, swinging both blades down at me, which I sprang back to evade, narrowly avoiding them.


    Before I could get any distance, he swiftly closed the gap and closed in on me, unleashing a barrage of slashes and thrusts at me with his energy blades, which I was just barely able to block, evade or deflect with my own energy blade, as he pushed me back towards the wall of the Duel Field barrier.


    I was able to avoid taking any hits, but I was a hundred percent on the defensive right now...and that''s when my back hit the barrier wall, leaving me with nowhere to go.


    Yugi slashed straight down at me with his right blade, which I blocked with my blade, as a wide smirk spread out on his face.


    "I''ve got you now!" He exclaimed triumphantly, as he swung his left blade at my neck.


    I can''t move my X-Blade...if I do, then his right blade will slash me. And if I do nothing, his left blade will do the job instead. This is...this is...exactly the opening I was looking for.


    I swiftly raised my right hand and fired a shot out at his left hand, striking it and knocking away his X-Blade as he let out a cry of pain, and as his grip weakened, I knocked away his other X-Blade with a quick flick of my wrist.


    Since my XFE had begun to run low, I decided to let him get in close. I knew that he''d have a slight advantage in a close range swordplay bout, but I was confident that I''d be able to fend him off if I focus on defense and simply wait for an opening.


    Most people leave themselves open when going in for the finishing attack against their opponent...and that''s exactly what he did. Of course, if he''d genuinely been overwhelming me, then I wouldn''t have been able to react fast enough to seize the opportunity.


    But as it turned out, it was an opportunity that I was waiting for, so all he did was play right into my hands. And now that I''ve disarmed him, the small advantage he had over me is gone.


    Now, then...my turn to attack. I swiftly deactivated my X-Blade and evaded as he flung a punch at me with his right hand, before countering with a swift knee to his left side, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from him.


    He then let out a furious growl and tried to grab me with his right arm, which I ducked under and slammed my fist onto his midsection, and as he stumbled back with a strained wheeze, I swiftly closed in and struck him with a rapid triple kick, first striking the same spot I just punched, followed by his chest and finished with a high kick to his jaw, sending him stumbling back with a dazed groan, blood pouring out of his mouth.


    "What, is that all you''ve got?" I inquired condescendingly, in an attempt to provoke him.


    "Wh-why, you...!?" He screamed in fury, charging towards me and throwing a wild punch at my face, which I dodged effortlessly and countered by slamming my knee onto his midsection, eliciting a gasp of pain from him.


    As he began to collapse forward onto his knees, I swiftly raised my knee again, striking him square on the chin and knocking out a tooth, which fell onto the ground and skidded away. He stumbled back with a weak cry of pain, as I closed in on him and unleashed a barrage of punches onto his torso, striking him several times and knocking him flat onto his back.


    I then leapt up and forward towards him in a swift spin, raising my foot and swiftly bringing it down, slamming my heel onto his chest with a devastating impact, flecks of blood spraying out of his mouth as he let out a hollow gasp and I felt his ribs crack under my heel.


    Huh, he''s still conscious after all that...I then stood up above him and raised my foot up as high as possible, smirking down at him.


    "I''m going to smash your face in now...go ahead and try to dodge...if you can," I taunted, before swinging my foot down with as much force as I could generate.


    Right as my heel touched his face...he got teleported out, my heel striking the ground instead, small cracks spreading out from the point of impact...aw, man, that would have been really satisfying, too bad the Duel Field teleportation function kicked in.


    Not the most satisfying ending to that fight, but hey, I think I got some good hits in before that. And more importantly...


    "Er...ladies and gentlemen, we have a victor!" Exclaimed the announcer, after snapping out of it following a brief moment of shocked silence, "The winner of the 2116 X-Warrior Championship is...Kilzachs Light!"


    Hell yeah, it is!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 108 - 107 - Viral

    Huh, I''m hearing a fair number of boos amongst the cheers in the audience. Probably people who hate me with a passion as well as people who''d likely been strongly supporting Yugi...whom I just beat the absolute shit out of. Ahh...I feel pretty good right now.


    "And that concludes this year''s edition of the X-Warrior Championship, Kilzachs Light is the 2116 champion, the first student X-Warrior to ever win the tournament!" Exclaimed the announcer, "We will be back tomorrow for the bonus match of the champion vs an Ace, who is yet to be revealed! The awards ceremony and competitor interviews will also take place tomorrow!"


    Uptil around a couple of years ago, they held the awards ceremony and interview the competitors after the final, but more often than not, the finalists were too worn out to give any comprehensible answers, so they changed it up a couple of years ago.


    Now, the competitors are allowed to leave and rest after the final and then return the next day for the tournament wrap up, and the bonus match for the winner.


    I headed back to the waiting room to get my stuff and leave, as some of the medics rushed onto the arena and carried Yugi off on a stretcher. I have a feeling that he''s going to try and cause problems for me in the future...but for now, he''s not a concern, I suppose.


    I then entered the waiting room and picked up my stuff, before heading out and beginning to head for the exit...but I then stopped and decided to first head to the infirmary instead.


    I mean, since I''ve apparently become more socially adept lately, I might as well keep working on it, right? I reached and entered the infirmary, shutting the door behind me as I walked in.


    "Hey, that was so awesome! I just saw the last bit of it since I was in a Healing Pod up until a few minutes ago, but that was pretty satisfying...also, kinda brutal, but he totally deserved it," Greeted Sakura with a grin.


    She was seated opposite to Katie, who was looking less pale than before. One of the Healing Pods was active, must be Yugi...yup, the stretcher that they''d carried him off in was next to the Healing Pod.


    "Yeah, that was pretty cool," Added Katie, though her expression was blank...that''s a good sign, I think, it probably means that she''s more or less gotten over whatever Yugi hit her with.


    "Honestly, it was kinda disappointing that my last attack triggered the teleportation function, I really wanted that to land," I sighed wistfully, "So, you two heading out now?"


    "In a bit, I''m waiting a few more minutes to recover some more," Replied Katie, stifling a yawn.


    "I''m in no real rush, I can leave whenever," Shrugged Sakura, before her eyes lit up, "Hey, I know! How about we all stop by a caf¨¦ or something...you know, to celebrate that we all made it to the top four, and that you freaking won the whole shebang, dude!"


    "Huh...I think that might be the first time I''ve heard someone use the word shebang in real life," I responded in bemusement.


    "Yeah...I felt weird the moment I said it. Anyway, what do you guys say?" She inquired expectantly.


    "Uh...," Began Katie, looking like she was trying to think of something, before letting out a reluctant sigh, "Fine, I guess."


    Wow, was she trying to think of an excuse to say no but ended up blanking out? That''s gotta be rough.


    "What about you, Kilzachs?"


    "Huh? Oh, uh...," I trailed off, as my mind blanked...crap, why didn''t I stay focused, I should have thought up an excuse the moment she brought up the suggestion!


    Looks like the fatigue of the tournament is catching up with me, tch, how inconvenient...


    "Well? Hello, you in there?" She asked, waving a hand in front of my face.


    "Yeah, okay...fine, I can''t think of a reason to say no," I relented, sighing internally.


    "Alright, then, let''s get going!" She declared with a grin, standing up and stretching her arms.


    Wait a sec, if I''m doing this, I might as well enjoy it, right?


    "Mind if I make a suggestion as to where to go?" I asked, as Sakura stood up and stretched her arms up.


    "Hm? Yeah, sure, go ahead," She replied with a thumbs up.


    "Okay, in that case...I suggest we go to Delectables."


    ...


    About half an hour later, we were in the Shopping District in the North Quadrant, heading for Delectables. I can''t wait to get there, ever since I made the suggestion, my mouth has been watering like crazy.


    It''s been ages since I last went to Delectables, the last time was like...two weeks ago, I think? Okay, I know that doesn''t sound like much, but it''s an absolutely astronomical amount of time...at least, it sure feels that way to me.


    I''m gonna really treat myself today, I think I''ve earned it after beating the shit out of that dickwad...also for winning the tournament, but mainly for beating the shit out of that cunthole.


    Anyway, on another note...


    "Hey, is it just me...or are we getting stared at, like, a lot?" I inquired with a frown.


    "It''s not just you, I noticed it too...we''re definitely getting a fair bit of attention," Replied Sakura, before adding with a wry smile, "Not that you can blame them, we''re three of the top four in this year''s X-Warrior Championship, after all."


    "Fair point, but it''s still very uncomfortable," Chimed in Katie, a hint of unease in her voice.


    "Yeah, I second that," I agreed with a sigh, before perking up as heaven came into sight, "Hey, there it is, we''re here!"


    "Wow, I don''t think I''ve ever seen a happier face that this," Laughed Sakura.


    "I don''t care," I responded, resisting the temptation to run to it, barely able to contain my excitement.


    "You look like you''re about to burst with joy," Remarked Katie, staring at my face intently.


    "Sure feels that way," I replied, no longer able to keep from grinning.


    "Damn, you''re usually so serious and stuff that this is some contrast...actually, the childlike excitement is kinda adorable, you''ve got an almost naive innocence about you," Said Sakura with a slight giggle.


    "Okay, don''t push it," I rolled my eyes, but the excitement only kept growing.


    Heaven, here I come-!


    "Ah, crap...," Muttered Sakura with a frown, as she received a notification and tapped on her I-Watch to see what it was.


    "What is it?" I inquired impatiently.


    "Sorry, you two, I gotta bail, family emergency," She replied with a grimace, a look of exasperation and frustration on her face.


    And just like that, without so much as an explanation, she took off with that grim look on her face. Family problems, huh? Been there, done that, and that shit freaking sucks.


    "Well, I''m still going in, I''d never forgive myself if I walked away now. You?" I asked Katie.


    "I came this far, so I might as well give it a try," She replied after mulling it over.


    "Wait a sec...you mean you''ve never tried desserts from Delectables before?" I asked incredulously.


    "Well, no...they don''t have a branch in the East Quadrant."


    "...alright, buckle up, cuz your whole world is about to change."


    ...


    "All this time, I thought you were just overhyping it...but this really is amazing," Remarked Katie, as she bit into a brownie.


    "Oh, please, I couldn''t overhype this place if I tried, that''s how good it is," I replied with a smirk, as I took a bite of one of the things I ordered, called Death Chocolate Pizza.


    It was made using chocolate cookie dough with dark chocolate chips, topped with a layer of smooth chocolate sauce, on top of which were little brownie and red velvet cake chunks, and a light dusting of powdered sugar over the whole thing.


    "That looks like chocolate overkill, how can you eat that?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "Sorry, I don''t understand the question. Here, take a bite and you''ll see exactly how I can eat this," I responded, holding out a slice of the heavenly pizza-shaped dessert.


    She accepted my offer and took a bite, and the moment she did, her eyes widened, just for a split second.


    "Amazing...," She muttered, licking her lips.


    "Heh, I know, right? You know what, I think I just might order another one," I considered, having finished half the chocolate pizza.


    "...how do you not have diabetes?"


    "Don''t know, but even if I did have it, it wouldn''t stop me."


    "Wouldn''t that kill you?"


    "If the alternative is a life without sweets...then I''m fine with that."


    ...


    ...


    A couple of hours later, I was back at my place, laying on my bed with a tired sigh. That was incredible...I mean, yeah, I''m very close to hurling and I can barely move at all, it''s a miracle that I even managed to get back home without puking my guts out, but you know what...it was all worth it.


    It''s pretty early, but I think I''ll turn in now and let myself succumb to this inevitable food coma. I don''t have to go to the arena until 10 AM tomorrow, so I''ve got plenty of time till then. I''d already sent a message to Ruby, asking her if she could get me a replacement X-Blade for the one I lost in the tournament today.


    She replied that she''d be able to get it ready by tomorrow morning, so I could drop by before I leave for the arena again...she does great work and on such short notice too...to thank her, I should pay her extra well tomorrow, if you know what I mean.


    I then tapped on my I-Watch, deciding to scroll aimlessly for a few minutes before going to sleep-...and, uh...what is all this? My face, it''s...it''s everywhere.


    Am I...going viral? I don''t like it...but I guess I can''t be surprised, considering that I''m the first student to ever win the X-Warrior Championship-...wait, what''s this?


    A picture of me...with Katie in Delectables...particularly, when I was giving her a bite of my chocolate pizza. And in the comments...wild speculation. Great. Wow, a lot of people seem convinced that Katie and I are dating, and that''s why I beat up Yugi so badly, because I was pissed off that he hurt my ''girl''.


    Oh my God-that-I-don''t-believe-in, this is the worst. Who the hell are these people to speculate about my life like this!? No, I need to calm down, I should get offline, I can''t get pissed off by what I can''t see, after all.


    Huh, you know what''s strange, usually I''d have to worry about a barrage of messages from my sister, but-...and that''s when I remembered, the realization hitting me like a bolt of lightning as I quickly sat up...and almost puked my guts out from the sudden, abrupt motion.


    My sister had been messaging me so much during the first day of the tournament that I muted all my text notifications at the start of the second day, this morning...uh-oh, I almost don''t want to open my inbox, there''s a sense of dread about it...


    After a few hesitant seconds, I reluctantly opened my message inbox, my eyes widening in horror as I saw it...the number of unread messages I''d received...it was...it was over 9000!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 109 - 108 - A Horrifying Message

    Okay, first off, that was a lie...it''s actually just over three hundred messages, still a huge amount for me, but I just wanted to use that classic line, because why not?


    Alright, let''s get through all this crap...a ton of messages from my sister, a bunch of congratulatory messages from some of my classmates and instructors...is there a way to send ''thank you'' to everyone in one go?


    Ugh...I don''t text very often, so I''m not very good at it. Eh, fuck it, I can reply to all of them in person whenever I see them next...huh, this is kinda strange. A ton of messages had come from my sister, but they were all sent yesterday, she hadn''t sent even a single message today.


    Huh, maybe getting no reply upset her? Nah, can''t be, I ignore her messages all the time, and it doesn''t really bother her since she knows exactly what I''m like. Guess I''ll just reply to her at the very least...there, done.


    And now...I sleep...


    ...


    ...


    The next morning, I woke up around 6 AM, which is about as early as it gets for me...guess going to sleep a good three to four hours before my usual sleeping time made a difference, huh?


    Also, I feel absolutely great right now, nothing like a good night''s sleep. I''ve got about four hours before I have to be at the stadium, so that''s plenty of time. I got out of bed and stretched my arms up with a relaxed sigh. This is definitely the most well-rested I''ve ever been this early in the day...cuz, you know, I''m usually asleep at this time.


    I then headed for the bathroom and grabbed a quick shower, before getting dressed and going to the kitchen for some breakfast. I usually don''t have much of an appetite after waking up, I tend to eat more heavily for lunch, while breakfast and dinner are typically on the lighter side, except on days like yesterday, the whole ''can''t fight on an empty stomach thing''.


    Aw, man, I''m out of Nutella, that''s too bad...well, guess I''ll have to make do with something else. I made myself a strawberry jam sandwich with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar, poured myself a glass of chocolate milk and took an apple out of the fridge.


    I know what you''re thinking, and no, not every meal I eat consists of purely sweet food...or maybe it is, but you know what, I have no problem with that, and my dietary habits are no one else''s business as far as I''m concerned.


    After I finished eating, I strapped on my equipment and got ready to leave. Alright, that was a good breakfast, and I''m just about fully prepared, so...time to head out...


    ...


    About an hour later, I was at Ruby''s place, picking up my replacement X-Blade handle.


    "I''ve been working on the flexibility of armor mode of your jetpack backpack, but it''s still a ways away before I can get it to the level you want it at...but I''ll get it done, I relish the challenge! On a more immediate note, I have to say, Zax, watching you in the tournament was really stressful, you''re so reckless with my creations...why would you throw your X-Blades at your opponent when you could just shoot them instead?" Sighed Ruby, as she handed it to me.


    "Cool, just let me know when you''re done tweaking the jetpack. And as for throwing the X-Blades, well, uh...element of surprise?" I replied with a sheepish grin.


    "Hmph...you''re lucky you''re so cute, otherwise I''d be complaining a lot more," She remarked as she ruffled my hair, bending forward deliberately and giving me an eyeful of her cleavage.


    "Right...s-so, uh, about the payment...," I prompted, as I felt my body temperature rising, along with something else...


    "Ooh, someone''s enthusiastic, aren''t they?" She responded in a flirty, seductive tone, "Well, what are you waiting for...pay me."


    I definitely don''t need a second invitation. I wrapped my arm around her waist and swiftly pulled her in close to me, giving her sides a squeeze before kissing her, wildly caressing her lips with mine, shivers running down spine as she ran her hands all over me.


    I pulled off her hoodie and let my hands explore her bare skin, before cupping her boobs in my palms and massaging them hard, as a stifled moan escaped her lips and she pushed her leg between mine, her supple thigh pressing onto me as she ran a hand through my hair.


    I nibbled on her earlobe softly, causing her to shudder and wrap herself around me even tighter. I then kissed her again, before pushing her down onto the bed and pinning her down, as she batted her eyelashes at me invitingly...why do I still have my clothes on? In this situation, they''re totally unnecessary...


    ...


    "Whew...that was incredible," Gasped Ruby, as she caught her breathe, "You...sure you''re not...too worn out for...the tournament wrap up...and exhibition match?"


    "Yeah, I...I''ve got pretty high...stamina reserves," I responded, pretty out of breath myself, as I got dressed again.


    Alright, it''s a little past 8 AM now...I''ve still got two hours, but since I''ve got nothing else to do, I suppose I might as well head to the stadium a bit early. I can take a longer route with the shuttle busses to the Teleportation Point to kill some time.


    I thanked Ruby for the replacement weapon, as well as everything else, and reluctantly left her place. I headed for the elevator and pushed the button, waiting for it to open...as the lift arrived at the floor I was on, the doors opened and I began to enter...when I was surprised by a familiar face.


    "Kilzachs? What are you doing here?"


    Oh, right...I almost forgot that she lives in this building too...


    "Oh, hey, Suri. I was just paying my weapons'' technician a visit, one of my X-Blades got busted during the tournament," I replied, as I stepped into the elevator and closed the doors, "So, where are you headed?"


    "Just going out to get some shopping done is all," She responded, a slight frown on her face.


    Huh, she seems kind of in a bad mood. Well, it''s none of my business, so-.


    "Congrats on winning the X-Warrior Championship, by the way," She spoke up, a little icily.


    Wait, is she mad that I didn''t reply to her text? If that''s the case, I should handle this carefully...


    "Thanks. I saw that you messaged me yesterday, sorry I didn''t respond...I got literally hundreds of messages yesterday, it was kinda overwhelming, so I decided to just ignore it," I remarked in an even, nonchalant tone.


    "Oh...I see, that makes sense," She said, her tone warming up a bit, "So you didn''t reply to anyone''s messages?"


    "Well, no, I did reply to my sister, but only because nearly a full hundred of the messages in my inbox were from her," I replied honestly, as the elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened up.


    "Huh...so, by the way, like...what''s going on with, uh, you and Katie? Your ''date'' went kind of viral, huh?" She inquired, averting her gaze as she tried to keep her tone casual and nonchalant.


    Wow...talk about subtle, I say sarcastically. Is that what she''s actually mad about? Okay, if I don''t handle this carefully, it could get real messy...


    "Yeah, that was really annoying," I responded, letting out an irritated sigh, "Sakura, Katie and I were going to celebrate all three of us making it to the top four and me winning, so I suggested Delectables. But Sakura had to leave for some family emergency or something, and I sure as hell wasn''t going home when Delectables was literally within my sights. You can imagine the rest."


    "Oh, so that''s all it was?" She asked, sounding kinda relieved.


    Yeesh, this really could get messy further down the line...I definitely like Suri and enjoy hanging out with her, but right now, I have no interest whatsoever in getting into a romantic relationship with anyone...and if I''m reading this right, she definitely was very much interested...maybe...I think.


    Yeah, so just in case I''m wrong, I''m not going to say anything, because holy crap, would that be humiliating. Yeah, I know I could just go back in time, but I feel like even that wouldn''t be enough to wipe out the embarrassment.


    It''s like when you play a visual novel or games where you have choices in the dialogue of the main character, sometimes you get choices that are mean and hurtful to the NPC, and picking those choices makes you feel like a horrible person.


    I haven''t played many of those types of games, precisely for that reason, I found in very conflicting. Like, I have no problem being a dick to people who deserve it in real life, but when it comes to those games, I become a lot more emotionally sensitive for some reason.


    "Hey, you said all our classmates messaged you...including Tairo, Bytra and Makoto?" Inquired Suri curiously, as we walked out the building.


    "No...no way they did. I mean, I didn''t look at all the names, since I had messages from more than fifteen people...hold on, let me check," I replied with a frown, tapping on my I-Watch to bring up my holoscreen and opening up my inbox.


    "Mind if I see?" Asked Suri, before peering over my shoulder as I made it visible to her.


    "I don''t have any of their contact info saved, so in the unlikely event that one of those three did message me, it''ll be from an unknown sender for me...oh, what do you know, there''s one, let''s see here...''dear Kilzachs, I apologize for everything I''ve done. Oh, this is-''...," I began to read, before trailing off in horror as I got a look at the profile picture of the sender.


    "Wh-wha-...oh my God, what the fuck!?" Exclaimed Suri in shock.


    "I...I think I''m gonna be sick...," I gasped, my body breaking out into a cold sweat...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 110 - 109 - Tournament Wrap Up Begins

    This can''t be real...there''s no way that this message is for real. Right? You know what, forget it, I-I''m just gonna pretend that I never saw it, I''m not emotionally-equipped well enough to deal with this crap.


    I was currently on a shuttle bus, on the way to a Teleportation Point to get to the stadium...and people keep staring at me. I mean, I get it, I won the X-Warrior Championship, that''s a really big deal in the Sanctuary, it''s literally the most popular event we''ve got.


    It''s more popular in the Sanctuary than the Olympics were in the world before WWIII, to put it into perspective. And yeah, while there are sports tournaments and stuff too, they''re not all that popular since regular sports have kinda lost their appeal to the masses since literal super powers are a thing now.


    "Um...excuse me."


    Hm? Is someone talking to me?


    I looked up from my seat, to see a little kid standing by my seat, a small boy...I think. Sometimes it''s hard to tell the gender of little kids. I''m not used to dealing with kids...


    "Oh, uh...can I help you?" I replied uncertainly.


    "Um, yeah, if you don''t mind...could I take a selfie with you, please!?"


    Huh? I''d really rather not...but I respect that this kid gathered up the courage to come talk to a stranger despite obviously being on the timid side. Especially since my own social skills were basically garbage until recently, I suppose I can give in just this once.


    "Sure, that''s fine, I guess," I relented with a quiet sigh.


    Oh, yeah, since I-Watches are used instead of smartphones now, they also have built-in cameras, so you kinda have to point the top of your wrist at yourself to take a selfie, so most people tend to just remove it when they want to take a picture of themselves.


    Wait, what kind of expression should I have? To say I''m not used to taking or being in selfies is an understatement. As the kid began to take the picture, I blanked out and impulsively put up a peace sign and an awkward smile.


    "Thank you so much!" Beamed the kid with a bright look on his(?) face.


    "Right, uh, sure."


    Huh, he was that excited over a stupid picture like that? Seriously, I couldn''t have looked more awkward if I''d tried. Uh-oh, looks like some of the other people on the bus were considering following in that kid''s footsteps...time to put up my defenses!


    I swiftly took out my earphones and connected them to my I-Watch, before putting them into my ears and closing my eyes...I was deliberately not very subtle about that, so hopefully the rest get the message and stay away from me...tch, how much longer till my stop...?


    ...


    I let out a sigh of relief as the bus finally reached my stop, I quickly disembarked and headed for the entrance of the Teleportation Point without looking back...I don''t like all this attention one bit, I really hope it all dies down soon...at least, that''s how it usually works.


    Whoever wins the X-Warrior Championship gets really popular and a ton of attention for a while, trending on social media and stuff, but it only lasts a few weeks, and after that, they''re basically forgotten. I don''t even remember who the X-Warrior who won last year is.


    But I think I have cause to be worried that it might not be the same this year...let''s think about the facts. I''m the first student to ever win the tournament, before this no other student even made it past the quarter finals. And that aside, no doubt I caught a lot of attention with the reveal of my Anomaly powers, having pretended to be a regular Paragon all this time.


    And I watched some of the footage from my fights, my latter stage matches were all highly thrilling encounters from the perspective of a viewer, so I doubt I''ll be forgotten as easily as most of the previous winners.


    And just to clarify, this isn''t me boasting, because all of this is horrifying for me, I enjoy being able to fly under the radar, as I had been doing for a while now...but that''s no longer a possibility, I don''t think.


    This is the absolute worst...


    ...


    With about half an hour to spare, I arrived at the stadium. Except for the bonus exhibition match against an Ace that I get to fight in, I''m not looking forward to this at all.


    The first couple of hours are going to be interviews and stuff, starting with the competitors that ended up in the bottom half of the top sixteen, followed by top eight and then the top four, and then concluding with the runner up and winner.


    Ugh, that means Yugi is probably going to be here too...great. I let out a sigh as I walked up the stairs and strolled through the entrance, the security guards letting me in immediately, after barely a glance at my face...okay, not gonna lie, that felt pretty good.


    I then headed for the waiting room and entered as I reached it, shutting the door behind me as I walked in. Sakura and Katie were already there, and to my surprise, so was Jane...


    "Thought the interviews were only for those who finished in the top sixteen or higher...pretty sure you didn''t make the cut when you, you know, lost to me," I remarked tauntingly.


    "Tch, fuck off."


    "Feel like I''ve been seeing your face non-stop since yesterday," Remarked Sakura, as I walked over to her and Katie, "I can''t go online without seeing a cascade of posts about you."


    "Not my problem," I responded with a weary sigh.


    "Oh, yeah, you''ve got bigger things to worry about...so, the two of you went out on a date yesterday, huh-?" She began teasingly.


    "Bitch, you were there, don''t act like you don''t know the story," I cut her off with a huff.


    "Someone''s grumpy. But, heh, yeah, I figured it out pretty much as soon as those pictures of you two eating together started going viral," She replied sheepishly.


    "I just hope they don''t ask about that in the interviews," Sighed Katie, looking kinda stressed out.


    "Just brush them off or directly say that you don''t want to talk about it," I suggested, before wondering, "Huh, can I sue the people who took our picture without permission? Finding them shouldn''t be too hard."


    "Actually, since you were in a public space, it wasn''t illegal, so-...wait, were you actually seriously considering it?" Inquired Sakura incredulously.


    "Well, yeah, all the attention is annoying," I replied in exasperation.


    "But if you make a big deal out of it, you''ll just attract more attention," She pointed out.


    "Tch, you''ve got a point...and I don''t like that. Fuck you."


    "Okay, chill, dude."


    "I agree with him...I don''t like the attention or the questions," Spoke up Katie in agreement.


    "So, what are you two gonna do if the reporters ask you about yesterday and whether something''s going on between you two?" Inquired Sakura curiously, "And incidentally, I''d also like to know the answer to that question."


    "I''m not above telling them to fuck off if they start to annoy me," I responded, after mulling it over.


    "And nothing is going on between us, we''re friends and teammates," Added Katie.


    Huh, don''t know why, but someone bluntly referring to me as their friend is kinda...embarrassing. But not in a bad way.


    "On another note, do you know which Ace you''ll be fighting, Kilzachs?" Asked Sakura, changing the subject.


    "No, not yet. But whoever they pick for me to go up against, it won''t be an easy fight...well, unless I use everything at my disposal, I suppose."


    I personally know four of the ten Aces, my sister, Kumar, Johan and Zarina...and as for the other six, I know a fair bit about their abilities, except for the other Ace Anomaly.


    "Huh, I''d have thought that they''d have told you by now," Remarked Sakura in surprise


    "Nope, I haven''t been informed of anything regarding my opponent for the exhibition match. Though I doubt it''s going to be either of the Anomalies among the Aces," I surmised.


    "What makes you say that?" Inquired Katie.


    "Well, because both my semi-final and final opponents were both Anomalies, and battles between Anomalies aren''t as flashy as Prodigies are, so it just makes sense from a broadcasting point of view. Huh, actually, I guess you''re the exception to that flashy rule, since your powers are literally the powers of Prodigies," I said to Sakura.


    "I guess the more relevant question is...do you fancy your changes of beating the Ace that''s pitted against you?" Inquired Sakura with a slight smirk and raised eyebrow.


    "Oh, I can definitely beat them...no, the real question should be this...can I beat them while sticking to the handicaps I''ve set on myself?" I responded with a smirk...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 111 - 110 - No Comment

    Okay, so that last comment might have come off as kinda cocky...but so long as my opponent isn''t an Anomaly, it''s true, I can beat them, and instantly at that. Think about it, I could activate Cut and Paste as soon as the countdown ends to instantly teleport my opponent outside the Duel Field.


    Alternatively, I could freeze time and get through their defenses that way. All that said, if I take my Anomaly powers off the table, then no, I wouldn''t fancy my chances against an Ace very much, though I definitely wouldn''t go down without putting up a fight at the very least...that''s what I''d like to think anyway, and I don''t think I''m overestimating myself.


    The door to the waiting room then opened and one of the organizers walked in, looking around at us before addressing us...


    "Good, it looks like you''re all here. We''ll be calling you out in about half an hour, by which the interviews will begin. Now, I would like to go over some basic conduct we''d like you all to follow during the interviews."


    Guess I should pay attention, considering that I''ve never done this before...


    "Let me start by saying that these interviews will be airing live, so we''d like to avoid any problems. For starters, please speak slowly and clearly when answering a reporter''s question. You don''t necessarily have to speak formally, of course, but avoid foul language or vulgar slang, please. If you''re asked a question you don''t want to answer, simply say ''no comment''. Each of you will be allotted to be interviewed for about five minutes, and a maximum of ten minutes if necessary. Any questions?"


    After a few minor clarifications, the organizer left, after saying that he''d be back to get us when it''s time for the interviews to begin. Ugh, why am I getting a bad feeling about this?


    ...


    It wasn''t long before he came back and called us out for the start of the interviews and crap. Since these interviews were being broadcasted live, each contestant would be interviewed one by one, and while the rest were waiting, they''d be made to pose for photos and stuff, to go with the articles they''d write about us, or whatever.


    I hate all this, how long until the exhibition match? Seriously, maybe I should have just asked what time the match was going to start and then skipped all this and arrived just before the start of that match...then again, considering that I''m the winner of the tournament, they''d probably just reschedule my interview, huh?


    "I don''t like the look of that," Remarked Katie, a slight look of concern in her eyes.


    She was nodding at the area where the interviews were being held, they were currently interviewing one of the K-Ranks, specifically the one that Katie had beaten in the very first round, who was looking uncomfortable and more than a little annoyed. I strained my ears to try and hear what they were asking...


    "How do you feel, having lost to a student despite being a K-Ranked X-Warrior?"


    "Did you expect to be eliminated in the very first round of the tournament like that?"


    "Do you think you''ll be demoted to Q-Rank now? If not, do you think you should be?"


    Jesus fucking Christ, that''s brutal...


    "Somehow, I doubt saying ''no comment'' will be enough against all that," Sighed Katie.


    "Yeah, you just might be right. This is gonna be a pain," I replied with a groan.


    I then spotted one of the organizers approaching me...what''s this going to be about?


    "Mr Light, your interview will be conducted next, so please get ready for it."


    "Huh? Already? I thought I was going to be interviewed towards the end," I responded in confusion.


    "Yes, well, the broadcasters are complaining that viewership is too low as things stand, so the producer decided to conduct your interview next, to get a spike in interest and viewership."


    Seriously? Hm, actually, I guess I''d rather get this over with as soon as possible, so why not?


    "Alright, fine," I sighed in reply, "I just gotta answer questions for like five to ten minutes, right?"


    "Well, er, that''s a bit of an oversimplification, but yes."


    I then walked over to the spot where they were conducting the interviews, as the currently ongoing one was about to conclude. The X-Warrior who was being interviewed stood up and left with an irritated frown as his interview concluded, his fists clenched.


    On most days, there isn''t much of any excitement in the Sanctuary, so naturally, news organizations don''t get much attention most of the time, since there''s nothing interesting to report. So whenever they do get the opportunity to report something that viewers are actually interested in, they milk it for all that it''s worth.


    I reluctantly sat down in the seat that the interviewees had been seated in the previous interviews, and in front of me, was a desk with a bunch of microphones, and the reporters were about a couple of meters ahead of desk, waiting impatiently and expectantly for the heads up to begin questioning me.


    The moment they got the green light, they hit me with an avalanche of questions right away...


    "How do you feel as the winner of the X-Warrior Championship?"


    "How long have you been hiding your Anomaly powers for?"


    "You are seen as a controversial figure among some X-Warriors, what are your thoughts on that?"


    "What do you plan to do with the prize money you earned?"


    "You have been accused of benefiting from favoritism, do you believe that''s true?"


    All the previous interviews went the same way, a barrage of questions, followed by a scramble to try and answer all of them...well, I''m not having any of that.


    They finally quitened down to give me a chance to respond...but I didn''t.


    "Er, excuse me?"


    "Aren''t you going to answer?"


    That''s better, I''ll force them to slow down their frantic pace, that should make things easier for me...


    "Answer what? All I heard was incoherent babble. Why don''t you try that again, but this time, one at a time?" I suggested, in an exasperated tone, "How should I know what to answer if you ask me one question and then ask another without even letting me answer the first one?"


    After a brief moment of uncertain silence and the reporters exchanged glances with each other, they got back to asking their questions, but this time, at a more reasonable pace...


    "Okay, er, how do you feel as the winner of the X-Warrior Championship?"


    "Pretty good, I suppose. You''re looking at me like you want me to say more, but I don''t know what else to say, I won and I feel good about it, that''s all there is to it."


    "How long have you been hiding your Anomaly powers for?"


    "Since I was fifteen, and since I''m now twenty-one...six years."


    "You are seen as a controversial figure among some X-Warriors, what are your thoughts on that?"


    "It''s annoying, I guess, but what''re you gonna do? Complaining about it will just draw more attention to it, so might as well just leave it be."


    "Follow up to that question, a big part of some of the X-Warriors seeing you unfavorably is due to a perceived reception of favoritism on your part...do you think you''ve received favoritism?"


    "Hm...dunno. But if you ask me, anyone saying that is probably an insecure loser who couldn''t handle the thought of someone they perceived to be a regular Paragon gaining a more favorable standing than they do."


    Huh, maybe that was a bit harsh...nah, it''s how I honestly feel, and if people have a problem with that, fuck ''em.


    Anyway, my last answer prompted another flood of questions, though it didn''t take them long to cut it out, since I refused to answer anything unless they slowed down.


    Overall though, I gotta say, this is going a lot better than I expected it to. By refusing to answer their questions at their pace and instead forcing them to move at my own pace, I made sure that I''m in control of the situation, just the way I like it.


    Okay, it looks like the questions are starting to wind down, shouldn''t be too long before I''m done here. After that, it''s the awards ceremony and then, finally, it''ll be time for the bonus matc-.


    "Are you involved in a romantic relationship?" One of the reporters suddenly asked me.


    ...I might have spoken too soon. Shit. I can guess where this is going...and based on the silent yet expectant expressions on the faces, looks like all of them had been saving this question for last...well, let''s see if this works...


    "No comment."


    "Yesterday, shortly after the end of the tournament, you were spotted in the popular dessert confectionery known as Delectables along with your fellow competitor and classmate, Katie Cummins. Is there perhaps something there you''d like to talk about?"


    ...it didn''t work. Fuck.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 112 - 111 - Intense Interview

    I could try saying ''no comment'' again, but if this guy continues to press me, I''ll probably lose my temper...I suppose I might as well give an honest, brief answer.


    "No, there''s not. We''re teammates and friends, and that''s all I''m going to say on that matter. Now, I''m happy to answer any questions regarding literally anything else, so-," I began with a frown.


    "Many people online are speculating that the reason you were so brutal in defeating Yugi Suzuki in the final was because he hurt your alleged girlfriend in the previous match. Considering that the pictures taken went so viral, don''t you think you owe it to your fans to give them some answers?"


    Huh? The fuck kinda logic is that!? I don''t owe a goddamned thing to anyone-...easy, keep calm, this guy isn''t worth losing my shit over...


    "If you''re asking me whether I think strangers are entitled to details regarding my private life, then no, I don''t," I replied, putting on a blank, icy smile, "I''m not gonna say anything else-."


    "Come on, give us something, the fans are all eager to hear the details!"


    You know what, I said that I''m not going to say anything else about this, so I''m just going to keep quiet until someone asks me a different question. Cuz if this keeps up, I might as well just walk away.


    "..."


    "Well? We''re all waiting, tell us what happened yesterday, and by extension, last night!"


    Is this guy for real? Even the other reporters were starting to look uncomfortable with his line of questioning...


    "..."


    If he pushes me one more time, I''m just going to silently get up and walk away...yeah, go for the mature approach and take the high road-.


    "Ah, perhaps it was simply a one-night stand kind of situation and that''s why you don''t want to talk about it?"


    ...what? Regarding what I said about taking the high road...fuck that. Too far...this asshole just went too far, and you know what, screw the conduct we were asked to follow, I''m gonna give this bastard a piece of my mind, and I''m not going to mince words...


    "Hm...alright, then, fine, you wanna know what I did last night, do you?" I responded, maintaining an even tone and expression, before adding as his scummy face lit up and nodded eagerly, "Here it is...the thing that I did last night can be summed up in five words...I fucked your mom, dickwad."


    "Wh-wha-...excuse me, I-!" He began with a frown.


    "Oh, what''s that? You want details? Alright, here''s some details for ya...to start with, I had your mom get down on her knees and suck my...!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Yesterday, shortly after the end of the tournament, you were spotted in the popular dessert confectionery known as Delectables along with your fellow competitor and classmate, Katie Cummins. Is there perhaps something there you''d like to talk about?"


    Uh-oh...sounds like things are starting to get rough for Kilzachs. Still, I doubt they can pressure him into answering questions that he doesn''t want to answer, so he should be fine...I hope.


    "No, there''s not. We''re teammates and friends, and that''s all I''m going to say on that matter. Now, I''m happy to answer any questions regarding literally anything else, so-," He began to reply with a look of displeasure.


    "Many people online are speculating that the reason you were so brutal in defeating Yugi Suzuki in the final was because he hurt your alleged girlfriend in the previous match. Considering that the pictures taken went so viral, don''t you think you owe it to your fans to give them some answers?"


    Wow, that''s an awful question, and based on his expression, Kilzachs feels the same way. Reporters in the Sanctuary are known to be pretty persistent and invasive, since things are usually so uneventful, but this guy is something else...


    "If you''re asking me whether I think strangers are entitled to details regarding my private life, then no, I don''t," Responded Kilzachs, with a chilling smile that had a cold fury behind it, "I''m not gonna say anything else-."


    "Come on, give us something, the fans are all eager to hear the details!" Pressed the interview, refusing to give up.


    Not good, he looks like he''s starting to lose it, and that reporter interrupting him before he could finish can''t be helping...


    "..."


    No response, huh? Not the worst approach, I suppose, but somehow...I doubt that''s going to be enough to deter this pushy reporter.


    "Well? We''re all waiting, tell us what happened yesterday, and by extension, last night!"


    Seriously? That''s definitely crossing the line, isn''t it? All the other reporters were starting to look a bit uneasy, and that spoke volumes...


    "..."


    This approach isn''t working for Kilzachs, even if he says nothing, this guy just keeps talking...


    "Ah, perhaps it was simply a one-night stand kind of situation and that''s why you don''t want to talk about it?"


    What? Oh my God, what an asshole...not going to lie, I feel more than a little ticked off right now. Kilzachs doesn''t look too happy either...in fact, he kinda looks like he''s about to snap-...oh, never mind, I think he calmed himself down, though his expression looks quite a bit strained...


    "Hm...alright, then, fine, you wanna know what I did last night, do you? Here it is..."


    Wait a sec...is he...?


    "The thing that I did last night can be summed up in five words...I fucked your mom, dickwad."


    Oh, wow, did not see that coming...and from the look of it, he was just getting started...


    "Wh-wha-...excuse me, I-!" The reporter started to exclaim indignantly.


    "Oh, what''s that? You want details? Alright, here''s some details for ya...!"


    And that''s when he went into a super graphic, ultra descriptive retelling of how he, uh...fucked that guy''s mom.


    Oh, my goodness, he''s really getting in detail...and I mean, REALLY. Wow, some of the stuff he''s saying...I didn''t even those were a real thing. Oh, looks like he''s almost done...


    "...right down her fucking throat! There, that''s what you wanted to hear, right? Peace out, asshole."


    And with that, he stood up and walked away, leaving the reporters stunned...that may not have been appropriate for TV, but I bet it was the most entertaining thing they''ve shot today.


    I tapped on my I-Watch and opened up my social media...looks like they didn''t cut off the live feed despite everything Kilzachs was saying, and holy crap was his interview blowing up.


    A wide range of reactions, some applauding him for not taking shit from that reporter, others critical of his vulgar language and saying that he could have handled it more gracefully, some just blatantly insulting him with no real justification.


    Oh, wow, there''s already memes too...looks like that ''There, that''s what you wanted to hear, right? Peace out, asshole'' quote is a meme now. It''s barely been a minute since the interview ended, how did they make these so fast!?


    Kilzachs was currently talking with one of the organizers, who seemed both apologetic and exasperated...which is fair, those questions were definitely out of line, but Kilzachs could have responded more maturely...though I don''t think he should have, I think he handled that perfectly.


    I''m in full support of what he did, that reporter was a total douchebag. I wonder if I should react the same way if I''m put in a similarly tight spot? No, maybe not, I don''t think I could say stuff like that without getting embarrassed...and besides, I''d imagine that the broadcasters and producers or whatever aren''t happy with that last segment, so the reporters will be under pressure to do better from here on in.


    "Hey, I''m guessing you heard all that?" Remarked Kilzachs sheepishly, as he walked up to me, "Might have gone a bit too far there."


    "No, you did good. That was great," I replied, giving him a thumbs up.


    "Wow...that''s the most emotionless encouragement I''ve ever received, but I''ll take it. So, when''s your interview?" He inquired, as Sakura began the next interview.


    "I don''t know, they decided to reshuffle the order of the contestants being interviewed during your interview, they still haven''t finished, I don''t think."


    "I just hope they get this over with soon, and then get the awards ceremony over with even sooner...the only reason I''m even here at all is for the bonus match against the Ace," He sighed wistfully.


    "Have they told you who you''ll be fighting yet?" I asked him.


    "No, and I don''t they will till the last minute. The reporters didn''t ask me anything about it, which means that they probably knew that I don''t know anything about it," He replied with a frown, "Still, I can''t help wondering...just who my opponent is going to be..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 113 - 112 - Exhibition Match(Part 1)

    Well, that went about as well as I thought it would...on the bright side, at least it''s over, right? The contestant interviews had just finished a few minutes ago and the awards ceremony had begun.


    Everyone who''d made it to at least the top eight would be getting awarded, so this shouldn''t take too long, hopefully. The awards consisted of a medal and cash prize, I''d be getting a diamond medal, the runner up would be getting a gold medal, the semi-finalists silver medals and the quarter-finalists bronze medals.


    As for how the rest of the interviews went, the reporters were a lot more subdued and less pushy than usual, and the one that made me snap was nowhere to be seen. While my outburst was no doubt entertaining and probably resulted in a significant spike in viewership, it likely wasn''t too well received by the parents of children that had been watching.


    Social media was blowing up with reports, posts and memes in the aftermath of my outburst, and having scrolled through some of them, the reaction seemed to be pretty mixed. A fair number of people were praising me for not taking any shit from the media, but a seemingly equal number were criticizing my lack of subtlety.


    The reporter who''d triggered my outburst, on the other hand, was getting more or less unanimously bashed online, and I even saw a report that he was fired, though considering that it''s barely been half an hour since my interview ended, that might be fake.


    Huh, some of my quotes are being memed like crazy...a lot of them were very, how to put this, NSFW. Actually, that''s putting it lightly. Oh, wow, I can''t believe I really said some of this stuff...I just totally shut off my filter and let everything that came to mind burst out without a second thought...I don''t regret what I did, but maybe I should''ve toned it down, just a little bit.


    Anyway, as I was saying, the interviews after mine were a lot more subdued, like some of the questions still got a bit too personal, but not to the extent which I''d faced. And they completely avoiding asking Katie any questions about eating with me yesterday, so if nothing else, my outburst was definitely effective.


    Oh, looks like they''re done giving out the bronze medals, so now they''ll be moving on to the silver medals to the two semi-finalists...


    "First semi-finalist, Katie Cummins, please come up and collect your award!" Exclaimed the presenter, the same guy who''d been the announcer during the tournament.


    Katie walked up to the stage and accepted the medal, before shaking the hand of the presenter and getting her I-Watch scanned in order to receive her monetary winnings. And that''s all there was to it, nice and simple with no unnecessary flair or fuss, just the way I like it.


    Sakura was up next, repeating the same process that Katie did, and with that, the distribution of the silver medals was done. And that just left two more to be awarded...however...


    "Unfortunately, the runner-up, Yugi Suzuki, was unable to make it here today due to personal reasons, so we''ll be moving straight to the winner...the champion of the X-Warrior Championship 2116, Kilzachs Light!"


    I strolled up towards the stage and got my medal and money, before heading back with a rising sense of anticipation...shouldn''t be long before we finally get to the exhibition match, I can''t wait!


    "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you''ve all been waiting for! The traditional bonus exhibition match between the champion and a mystery Ace...will begin right away!"


    Huh, wow...that was even faster than I thought. He then declared for the two participants to make their way to the arena, and as I headed there, I noticed someone else doing the same...a person wearing a hooded cloak and mask...okay, seriously, how long are they going to hide the identity of the Ace I''ll be fighting?


    Well, it doesn''t really matter, once the fight begins and they activate their powers, I''ll know which one it is. And if I don''t, then it''s probably one of the Ace Anomalies...which I really hope isn''t the case, considering that my last two opponents were both Anomalies too, I''d rather fight a Prodigy for this match, just to change things up a bit.


    As I stepped onto the arena along with my mystery opponent, the Duel Field barrier activated around us as the cameras began focusing on us and a loud, excited cheer erupted across the audience.


    "Now, then, to finally reveal the identity of the mystery Ace!" Exclaimed the announcer, riling the crowd up further, "Now, believe it or not, this particular Ace is actually related to this year''s champion!"


    Wait, what?


    "In fact, they''re siblings! I give you...Kilella Floence!"


    Oh, come on!


    My opponent then pulled off the cloak and took off the mask, before tossing them aside, to reveal that-...yup, that''s definitely my sister. After an initial shocked silence, the crowd once again erupted into raucous cheers as the countdown began.


    "Hey, Zax! Surprised to see me!?" She exclaimed with a grin, waving at me.


    Okay, so now it makes sense why she didn''t message me yesterday, despite having sent an absolute mountain of texts the day before.


    "Seriously, they couldn''t get anyone else?" I sighed in exasperation.


    I mean, I can spar against my sister any time I want, I''d have really preferred to face an Ace I''d never met before....well, whatever, let''s do this. This match would be following the same rules as the tournament, except that it was only going to be one round instead of three.


    I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled...this isn''t going to be easy, if I let my guard down for even a second, she''s sure to exploit it and win the fight. I know all too well how powerful she is...but that said, I''m not settling for just putting up a fight against her, no, I''m gonna win this...


    I drew out my X-Blade handles and activated them, getting ready to use Cut and Paste to teleport myself the moment the countdown ends. Kilella then activated her Primary Manifestation and slammed her fists together a couple of times with a gleam in her eyes, flashing me a wide, eager grin...she''s looking forward to this, huh?


    Hmph, well, I suppose I shouldn''t disappoint. The countdown''s almost over...three...two...one! I shot towards her the instant the countdown ended, watching her closely...with her full-body armor, there''s no point using my X-Blasters from a distance, it''ll just be a waste of XFE since my shots won''t have enough force to fully pierce through her armor.


    She then blasted out a fireball at me, which I swiftly evaded, before she followed it up with a couple more fireballs...looks like she''s figured out how to shoot out fireballs without having to activate her Secondary Manifestation, possibly a side effect of learning Manifestation Overdrive.


    I evaded one of the fireballs, before leaping up to avoid the second one, using Copy on it as it blazed past me. She then zipped towards me at top speed, swinging a high kick at me as she closed in, followed by a couple of swift punches.


    I ducked backwards to avoid the kick, before blocking and deflecting her punches, and then, with a swift shuffle of my feet, slipped behind her and pointed my hand at her back and activated Paste three times in a row...and firing out three fireballs, which struck her before she could respond, eliciting a surprised cry from her.


    I then quickly sprang back and got some distance as she fired out some red energy beams from her tail, one of them grazing my side but I managed to avoid taking any of them head on. The moment I slipped behind her, a small but intense ball of flames formed on her back, between her shoulder blades...in other words, it was a countermeasure against my XFE Takeover.


    Not a bad ploy at all, my fingers would probably have turned to ash if I''d tried that, but fortunately for me, I was always planning to hit her with her own attack...though I have to say, holy shit do those fireballs cost a lot of XFE, just one took about six percent of my total!


    So yeah, those three fireballs cost me nearly twenty percent of my XFE...so I can only imagine how much more XFE she has than I do, to maintain that full body armor on top of blasting out flames like that so freely...and what''s more, despite consuming such a large chunk of my XFE, those fireballs barely did any damage to her at all.


    She then turned around with a slight smile as she regenerated the small bit of armor on her back that I''d blasted off with those fireballs, a look of enjoyment on her face...


    "Not bad, not bad at all, little bro...now, then, let''s keep going, this fight is only just getting started," She remarked with a grin.


    "Hmph...bring it, sis."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 114 - 113 - Exhibition Match(Part 2)

    I quickly sprang back as Kilella zipped towards me while firing a barrage of red XFE blasts at me, before teleporting myself above her as she closed in on me.


    I then swiftly combined my X-Blade handles to form the long and wide blade mode and slashed down at her, which she quickly blocked with her tail, before leaping away as I fired out a shot at her at close range, my bullet grazing her left cheek as she backed away and flew up.


    I pulled out my Square Blaster, set it to maximum output and took aim while evading the blasts she was firing straight down at me, before pulling the trigger, thousands of black XFE streaks bursting out and homing in towards her.


    She rapidly zipped away through the air as the streaks chased after her, narrowly avoiding taking any of them head-on, evading them at the last minute so that they hit the barrier and dissipate, though she couldn''t avoid several grazing her. None of them managed to get through her armor though.


    I then took aim with my X-Blasters and fired at her, as the streaks from my Square Blaster started to peter out, some of my shots grazing her energy armor, before I spotted an opening as she narrowly evaded the last few streaks from my Square Blaster, I then took aim at the left side of her chest and fired again, striking her left hip as she quickly flew up.


    As she halted for a brief moment and winced slightly, I split my X-Blade handles back to two and used Cut and Paste to teleport myself right above her, raised my right foot and swung my heel down towards her head, she responded by quickly crossing her forearms above herself, my heel slamming onto her defense with immense force and sending her plummeting down towards the ground.


    Right before she could crash down, she quickly spread her wings out to halt herself inches above the ground, before I used Paste again to teleport right above her and slashed at her with my left X-Blade.


    Right before I could connect, she blocked with her tail and wrapped it around the energy blade, and with a swift pull, tugged it out of my grip and flung it away to the side, before firing a red XFE blast at my other hand, knocking away my second X-Blade.


    I threw a punch at her with my right hand, which halted as she grabbed my wrist with her tail and angled it away so that I couldn''t shoot her, and right as I began to fire out of my left X-Blaster, she struck my left wrist with her palm and deflected it away as I fired, the bullet hitting the ground instead.


    I then started to drive my knee up towards her midsection, but she reacted too quickly for me to connect, blocking my kick by swiftly raising her own knee to get in the way of mine. And then, with a rapid, angled flap of her wings, she swiftly spun across and struck my left side with her right foot, sending me flying away and skidding along the ground.


    I managed to regain my balance before I could fall or crash onto something, but the instant I did, she had already closed in on me. Not good-...!


    Before I could even begin to react, she spun around rapidly and slammed her tail onto my midsection, sending me flying back until I hit the barrier, my back slamming onto the barrier wall as she zipped towards me again, charging up a large XFE blast in her hands.


    "It''s over, little bro, I win!" She declared, as she closed in and drew her arm back, driving the blast forward towards me.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted as quickly as I could, her eyes widening in surprise as the blast suddenly disappeared.


    In that brief, minuscule instant where she was taken aback by her attack vanishing, I swiftly slipped behind her, and as she began to fly up while spinning around in alarm...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>!"


    I fired her attack right back at her, which struck her back and elicited a stifled cry of pain from her, as it struck her back and blasted off a chunk of the energy armor below her shoulder blades, her skin also receiving some damage.


    I then grabbed her tail and began to swing and throw her over my shoulder, before letting go and jumping away as she swung her right foot back towards me, narrowly avoiding her kick.


    She then regenerated the armor that had gotten blown off and shot towards me, swinging a punch at me as she closed in, which I evaded and countered by driving my knee up towards her midsection. Before I could connect, she blunted my kick with her palm, blocking my knee.


    I swiftly tilted my head out of the way as she whipped her tail up at my head, before biting it as she started to try and wrap it around my neck, destabilizing it slightly. I quickly got out of its grasp before she could stabilize it again.


    As she threw a couple of punches at me, I blocked one and deflected the other, before swiftly striking her shoulders with sharp, rapid hits, followed by a quick twisting palm strike to the bottom of her jaw, causing her to stumble back, slightly dazed.


    "Hey-!" She began indignantly, as she blocked an attempted throat punch, before I quickly teleported behind her and sprang onto her back, wrapping my legs around her waist and my left arm around her neck, before starting to take aim at her head with my right X-Blaster.


    "I win," I declared, as I fired, blasting off the armor...one more shot should do it-.


    "<Secondary Manifestation: Flame Armor>!" She exclaimed, right as I fired the first shot, I quickly sprang off of her as her energy armor transformed into a flaming one, narrowly avoiding getting burnt by the streaks of fire bursting out and swirling around her.


    Some of the flames had scorched my jacket, but I didn''t get any direct burns...that was close. This form is really troublesome to go up against, but it also drains her XFE at a much faster rate than her Primary Manifestation, even with her insane XFE reserves, she can''t maintain this for too long. All that said though, I''m starting to run low on my XFE too, I''ve only got about forty percent left.


    As she shot towards me at top speed, I teleported myself to the other end of the fighting area and fired out a couple of shots at her, which she wasn''t able to evade, but they couldn''t penetrate her armor, so it didn''t matter...I can''t afford to carelessly fire out a barrage of shots, I have to make sure I don''t drain my remaining XFE too quickly.


    She then swiftly flew up and swooped down at me, the flames around her intensifying as she began to close in...I can''t win this just by running away, I''m far more likely to run out of XFE first than she is...since I''m not using Pause, my poison smoke bombs or Cut and Pasting her out of the barrier...let''s try something new.


    Right as she closed in, I used Cut and Paste to Teleport myself high into the air, by the ceiling of the Duel Field barrier, before focusing on her armor with as much concentration as I could muster, and as she began to fly up after me...


    "This better work...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted, as I started to plummet and there was barely a couple of meters between us, before chanting again as the armor around her vanished, her eyes widening in shock, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    As I finished the activation chant, everything around me suddenly become brighter and hotter...as her flaming armor appeared around me.


    "No way...!" She exclaimed in shock, her eyes widening as she began to fall, "Uh-oh,


    ...oof!"


    Before she could finish her chant, I closed the gap and slammed my elbow onto her midsection, slightly surprised that she didn''t get teleported out...until I recalled that Prodigies tend to have varying degrees of resistance to their XFE Attribute, so fire doesn''t have much of an effect on her.


    As she crashed onto the ground with a serious impact, letting out a slight groan, I began to swoop down and end the fight...when suddenly, the flaming armor dissipated, and I felt completely and utterly drained.


    You''re...kidding me...that had barely...even been...four whole seconds...am I already out of XFE? My back slammed onto the ground, knocking the wind out of me and rattling my bones...crap, don''t think I can stand anymore.


    Kilella then painstakingly got back onto her feet and walked over to me with a slight wince, her right finger glowing red.


    "Kind of a reckless last move there, Zax...you almost had me, but it looks like I''ll get the last laugh," She remarked with a wry smile.


    "Heh...yeah, I''m completely out of XFE, just send me out already," I replied with a defeated sigh, while slowly drawing out one of my X-Blade handles with my left hand...I feel like I''m barely hanging onto my consciousness at this point, but I should be able to squeeze out one last drop of XFE...


    "I have to admit, I''m not used to being pushed that hard in a fight...nicely done, little bro," She said with a smile, as she pointed her finger at me, the glow around it intensifying as she formed a small, concentrated ball of red XFE by her fingertip, "Bang!"


    Right as she fired, I mustered all my strength and ran the last sputter of my remaining XFE into the handle, the blade forming as I swung it up and across towards her neck...and in the next instant, I found myself outside the Duel Field barrier, as a wave of exhaustion instantly hit me.


    Looks like...I lost. I still have...plenty of stamina left, but...my XFE is completely and utterly drained, and...there''s a huge difference between having one percent of your XFE left and draining it completely...I...can''t...stay conscious...any...longer...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 115 - 114 - Result

    Huh...where am I? This isn''t my bed...and that''s not my ceiling. As I sat up with a groggy yawn and rubbed my eyes, it all came back to me...oh, right, the exhibition match against my sister...I lost, didn''t I?


    Looks like I''m in the infirmary...I don''t think I took any significant damage during that fight, which means I''m here because I passed out after using every last drop of XFE I had in me.


    Normally, when running low on XFE, the energy circuits inside a Paragon''s body will constrict when it''s down to about one percent of total XFE, to prevent the body from losing consciousness, kinda like an electronic device that''s out of charge...but with XFE, it is possible to force that last drop out, though if you do, you''ll pass out almost instantly, like I did.


    I tapped on my I-Watch with another yawn...more messages, but not as much as I received after I won the final...though I imagine me not replying to most of the people who messaged me after that is probably a part of that.


    I then let out a shudder of horrified disgust as I read through one of the messages, sent by the same person whose message I opened when I ran into Suri earlier today...oh, God, this is a nightmare right? This...this can''t be real! I shut off my holoscreen with a sigh...for now, I''ll just pretend that I saw nothing. I saw nothing. I saw nothing. I saw noth-.


    My potential mental breakdown was then interrupted as the door opened and someone walked in...it was my sister, along with one of the organizers and Director Silva.


    "Oh, good to see that you''re finally awake, Zax! That was such an awesome match!" Exclaimed Kilella, bounding over to me and ruffling my hair with a grin.


    "It certainly was, and you''ve marked yourself as quite the celebrity thanks to this tournament," Remarked Director Silva with a smirk, "The first student to win the X-Warrior Championship, that unexpected reveal that you''re an Anomaly that literally broke the internet for a good ten minutes, there was so much web traffic that our servers straight up shut down. Oh, and then there was that ''interview'' this morning, and for the cherry on top, fighting an Ace to a tie...yeah, I think it''s safe to say that you''ve made quite the lasting impression with the citizens of the Sanctuary."


    ...when she puts it that way...ah, shit, I''ve attracted way too much attention over the past couple of days, haven''t I?


    After I revealed my Anomaly powers, I guess I just sort of abandoned my ''fly under the radar'' mentality entirely, since my powers were pretty much the only major reason why I wanted to stay unnoticed for the most part.


    Well, guess there''s no going back now. Okay, I mean, literally speaking, yeah, I can go back, though since my last Save point was set a few minutes after I arrived at the stadium, the only things I''d be able to redo are that interview and the exhibition match...and honestly, I''m okay with how both turned out-...wait a sec, what did she just say!?


    "Hold on, a tie!? I thought I lost!" I exclaimed in surprise.


    "Hm? Oh, well, you did pass out pretty much the instant you got teleported out, so I guess you didn''t see...Kilella got teleported out at the same time," Explained Director Silva with a smile, "And thanks to that, everyone else in the Sanctuary now knows what I''ve known for a while...you''re one of our most valuable assets."


    "Yeah, well, I highly doubt that the X-Warriors who despised me are going to change their tune so easily," I responded with a shrug.


    "I''d say that before this tournament, public opinion about you was fairly negative, but now, I''d say it''s more mixed, plus there''s a whole lot more of it now...before, it was just public opinion among X-Warriors and maybe a handful of civilians...and now, it''s the majority of the Sanctuary," She pointed out in reply.


    I...don''t like that. Yeah, no, I don''t like that at all.


    "Uh...so how long do you think it''d be before the attention on me dies down?" I inquired warily.


    "Hm...I don''t know, though even when that does happen, I''m sure you won''t be forgotten just like that...like I said, you''ve made a lasting impression on pretty much everyone who watched the tournament, I can guarantee that much," She replied with a shrug.


    Ugh...just kill me now, this is the worst-...wait, hold on a sec...


    "Huh, if that''s all true, guess I can''t be doing any more of those investigative Missions in the South Quadrant, right? I mean, a recognizable face snooping around is bound to capture plenty of attention," I pointed out.


    "Ahem, in case you forgot, those were confidential," Frowned Director Silva, glancing at the tournament organizer who''d come in with the director and my sister.


    Oh, right...I forgot.


    "I, uh, should probably leave," Said the organizer, before handing me a medal and scanning my I-Watch, "There, that''s the prize and medal for finishing the exhibition match on a draw. Alright, now, um...please excuse me."


    And with that, he left in a hurry, shutting the door behind him without a second glance.


    "So, wait, you''ve been sending Kilzachs on secret Missions?" Inquired Kilella, looking intrigued.


    "Yes, but he was supposed to keep that between us," She sighed in reply.


    "Well, yeah...but the only reason I agreed to those Missions was because I wanted you to keep my powers a secret...and that''s no longer a concern, so...," I trailed off sheepishly, "That said, I just sort of forgot that it was supposed to be a secret, my bad."


    "No point crying over spilt milk, I suppose. Oh, and as for what you said about a ''recognizable face snooping around'', don''t worry about that...we can think of a disguise," Suggested the director with a slight smirk.


    "Uh...I''ll think about it," I replied warily, averting my gaze, "By the way, how long was I asleep for, anyway?"


    "About five hours, not that long, but the stadium is pretty much empty now," Replied Kilella.


    "Well, anyway, I should get going, I''ve got some work to do," Said Director Silva, standing up with a sigh, "Oh, I almost forgot...tomorrow morning, I want you and Katie Cummins to come to my office at 10 AM, I already informed her about it. She told me something pretty interesting today, something she apparently realized during her fight against Yugi Suzuki in the semi-final."


    "And that is...?" I asked curiously.


    "She''s apparently figured out a way to counter an Anomaly''s powers, she didn''t go into the details though, since she wasn''t a hundred percent sure herself, but I have a good feeling about this...we can give our forces a way to counter any Wight Anomalies," She responded with a gleam in her eyes.


    "Okay...but what makes you so sure that she''s really onto something?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Call it a gut feeling...but that''s not all there is to it. This girl just might be a genius when it comes to controlling her XFE, she''s the only one to really master Manifestation Overdrive so far, and early in the tournament, when she damaged herself...she manipulated her XFE manually to run lightning through her limbs for a speed boost...and if she''s right about this too...," She trailed off with a look of excitement.


    "Gotcha, and yeah, now that you mention it, she is pretty sharp, deceptively so for someone who comes off as kinda blank for a first impression," I added in agreement.


    "Exactly! Well, anyway, I really have to go, so I''m off now. I''ll see you tomorrow, Kilzachs. See you later, Kilella," Called out Director Silva, as she headed for the door and left.


    That left me in the infirmary with my sister, and...I don''t really need to be here, do I? I mean, I''m not injured or tired or anything, so...


    "Guess I''ll go home too. What about you, sis?" I inquired, as I stood up and stretched my arms up.


    "Hm...not really doing anything, I took the day off from any Missions or anything since they asked me to participate in the exhibition match today. Mind if I come over?" She asked, before adding, "We can pick up some treats from Delectables, my treat."


    "You had me at Delectables."


    "That was right at the end of what I was saying though," She replied with a laugh, smacking my shoulder.


    "Exactly. Before that, I was trying to think of an excuse to say no," I responded with a stifled smirk.


    "Wha-...hey, that''s mean, Zax!" She exclaimed indignantly, putting me in a headlock and ruffling my hair wildly.


    "Hey, cut it out, Ella, you''re messing up my hair, sis!" I said as I tried to break free of her grasp.


    "Hmph, that''s what you get!" She huffed, not stopping.


    "No, seriously, cut it out or we''re not doing this."


    "...fine, I''ll stop," She relented, letting me go.


    "Wow, sometimes I can''t believe that you''re older than me," I sighed in exasperation.


    "Hey! I ain''t gonna take no disrespect from ya, little bro!"


    "Okay, first off, never talk like that again. And second...why would you even talk like that in the first place? I literally cringed," I groaned.


    "So, what? No one else is around, so it''s not embarrassing or anything...come on, little brother, let''s engage in sibling cringe!" She responded with a grin.


    "What does that even mean...? Just...never say that in front of other people, they''ll get the wrong idea for sure. You know what, whatever, just forget it, let''s go," I sighed, giving in, "Well, on the bright side, even if we do attract a lot of attention and people take pictures of us or whatever, I won''t have to worry about what happened yesterday repeating itself, at least..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 116 - 115 - Experimentation(Part 1)

    Today was Tuesday, the 20th of September. We had the week off from classes this week, because of the tournament. And I was currently in the X-Warrior Zone, on the way to Director Silva''s office to help with the experimentations on whether there''s a level beyond Manifestation Overdrive and countering an Anomaly''s abilities.


    I''d messaged Katie, and we''d agreed to go there separately, so as to avoid fueling any annoying rumors. The amount of attention that Kilella and I got while outside yesterday was unbearable, I ended up freezing time a whole bunch of times, just to avoid getting swarmed by crowds.


    I''m just glad my life is at a somewhat stable position now, because if this had happened a few months ago, I''d have been totally screwed...remember how my main source of income used to be my winnings from casino slot machines?


    Yeah, I doubt I''d be able to do that in this situation. Guess I should be more careful in public from now on...no more visits to the red light district, for one thing...well, not that that should be a problem, since I haven''t been there in about two or three months anyway...can''t take credit for that myself though, it''s all thanks to Ruby, and Suri too, every now and then.


    Huh, now that I think about it, the last few months of my life really haven''t been all that bad. I''ve had way more human interaction than I''ve ever had before, and while plenty of those have been negative, there have been a lot of positive ones too, definitely a lot more than I was used to.


    Anyway, looks like I''m here, the entrance to the building where Director Silva''s office was in came into sight. One thing about the X-Warrior Zone is that regular citizens aren''t allowed here without special permission or a valid reason, so most of the time, it was only students, X-Warriors, those involved in the management of Missions and such that were in this part of the Sanctuary.


    And because of that, I didn''t get bothered by passers-by as much as I do in the North Quadrant...I''ve used Pause to freeze time a bunch of times to get away from people asking for selfies and stuff.


    Katie and Sakura have also apparently been getting some attention, but from what they''ve told me, it''s not nearly as bad as what I''m experiencing. Fortunately, here in the X-Warrior Zone, while I do get a bunch of stares and whispers, I rarely get directly approached. Which I get, I mean, it''d probably be a huge blow to an X-Warrior''s pride to fanboy over a Level Q student.


    I then reached and entered the building, before walking up to the receptionist and informing him that I was here to see the director. He nodded, before checking his computer to make sure of the appointment and then letting me go up to the office.


    As I got to her office, I knocked on the door, entering as she called out for me to come in. Looks like Katie''s already here, she was sitting across from Director Silva''s desk, looking up as I walked in.


    "Hey, sorry if I''m late," I greeted them, as I sat down on the chair next to the one Katie was seated on.


    "No, you''re both early, actually," Replied Director Silva, though it looked like she was trying to hide a sense of impatience...speaking of which, she was super enthusiastic when she first found out that Katie could control her Manifestation Overdrive too.


    "I just arrived a few minutes before you did," Said Katie.


    "I see. So, did you really figure out how to counter an Anomaly''s abilities?" I inquired curiously, getting right to the matter at hand.


    "Well...I think so."


    "Then let''s cut right to the chase," Remarked Director Silva, "Tell us what you''ve figured out, Katie."


    "During the last round of my semi-final match, I was caught in my opponent''s illusion...and in my frustration, my focus accidentally wavered and I lost control of my XFE flow, which leaked out in a sharp, shockwave-like burst, which didn''t have any physical effect, but the moment after it happened, the illusion was gone," She explained as she recalled the fight, "I didn''t figure out how I nullified his illusion right away, not until yesterday morning when I carefully went through the entire fight in my head."


    "Huh, interesting...I wonder if there''s a distance limit or particular timing to that," I mulled over with intrigue.


    "Why wonder? Let''s test it out, shall we?" Suggested Director Silva eagerly, gesturing to the teleportation platform in her office.


    She''s really into all this, huh? Though I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t fascinated myself...yeah, why not, let''s do this...


    ...


    A few minutes later, we were in the spot where the worst of the criminals were held, where I''d first proved my shooting skills to the director by taking out a bunch of those scum. All the cells were currently empty, I''m guessing their previous occupants had all been executed.


    "So, uh, what exactly are we doing here?" I inquired.


    "Activate one of your Anomaly powers on Katie, and let''s see if she can counter it," Replied Director Silva, "Oh, and in case timing is important, recite your activation chants out loud, okay?"


    "Uh...no, I''d rather not."


    "Oh, don''t worry, we won''t reveal a thing about your powers. Right, Katie?" Responded the director.


    "Sure, I don''t have any reason to do so," Katie replied with a shrug.


    I let out a reluctant sigh and relented with a defeated wave of my hand.


    "Fine, whatever. Alright, Katie, I''m going to freeze time now, try to counter it," I informed her, before slowly exhaling and chanting, "Here goes, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    As I chanted, Katie''s shoulders and expression stiffened a bit...and she was unaffected. The director was definitely frozen...but Katie wasn''t.


    "I...I did it, it really-...," She began in surprise, before suddenly freezing in place.


    Huh? What just happened? Wait, I think I get it...my time freeze affects the entire world and everyone in it, so long as another Anomaly isn''t nearby. She resisted getting frozen in time initially, but she probably has to keep bursting out waves of XFE to remain unaffected.


    Meanwhile, let''s take Yugi''s illusions...from what I saw in the tournament, only the person he actively targets is affected, so when they resist it, they dispel it entirely. But Pause doesn''t just target one person, it affects on a much larger scale, so simply avoiding getting caught up in it initially isn''t enough, you have to keep resisting after that.


    Oh, I guess I should unfreeze them...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "...-worked," Finished Katie, before realizing that she''d been frozen.


    "Huh? Oh, wow, time really was frozen, I feel like I just blinked a second ago, when you recited your activation chant, Kilzachs," Remarked Director Silva.


    "Well, yeah..."


    "What happened? I definitely resisted it...right?" Asked Katie in confusion.


    "Yeah, you did but...," I began, before explaining my theory on why it affected her after she initially resisted it and then concluding, "...so, basically, if it''s something like Yugi Suzuki''s illusions, you could either dispel it right away, or even after you get caught up in it. But if it''s like my time freezing ability, then not only do you have to resist it before it can affect you, but then keep doing that XFE shockwave thing to prevent it from affecting you afterwards."


    "Then let''s test it out, see if she really can stay unaffected by your time freeze. Also, um...is there any way I could watch without getting frozen in time?" Requested the director sheepishly.


    "Fine, I guess...just hold onto me when I recite the activation chant, and don''t let go till I resume the flow of time," I replied, and as she walked over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, I pulled out an old receipt in my pocket and crumpled it up, "Okay, I''m going to toss this into the air when I start the activation chant, just so that we have a clear indicator that time is definitely frozen, since you''ll both be unaffected this time, assuming my theory is right."


    As soon as Katie signaled that she was ready, I tossed the paper ball up and recited the activation chant...and sure enough, it worked. I was right. Katie resisted getting initially affected by the time freeze, and this time, she was staying that way. But...


    "I''m doing it...but I won''t be able to maintain this and fight at the same time," Remarked Katie with a frown, "I have to destabilize my XFE flow to do this...but in order to form my manifestation, I have to keep the energy flow stable. If I stop to stabilize my XFE, I''ll get frozen in time. But if I focus on keeping myself from getting frozen, I''ll be defenseless."


    "Yeah, that makes sense...but it should work against most other Anomalies, so don''t worry about it," I replied objectively.


    "What about Sakura? She copies and forms manifestations from Prodigies, it''s not like other Anomaly powers...," Wondered Katie.


    "Huh...you know, it might be possible that this XFE shockwave thing-...okay, we need a shorter name for that technique. How about Nullification Wave? Yeah, that works. Anyway, what I was about to say was that the Nullification Wave could work on manifestations too. Though if it doesn''t, then either way, Sakura could end up being something of a contradiction to how this technique works," I surmised with a frown.


    "Sakura, huh? Hm...alright then, I''ll go get her," Declared the director, heading back towards the teleportation platform, "I''ll be back in no time, you two keep experimenting with this technique!"


    Before either of us could say anything, she''d already teleported away.


    "Is she always like this? Both times I''ve met her, she''s been very...enthusiastic," Remarked Katie, as the director teleported away.


    "No, usually she''s all curt and professional...but I guess she gets this way with new discoveries, huh?" I replied with a shrug.


    "Well, I just hope she doesn''t take too long. I don''t like waiting."


    I can relate to that. I then sat down with a quiet sigh and leaned against the wall, stifling a lazy yawn...I mean, if there''s nothing to do till she gets back, might as well relax for a bit, right?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 117 - 116 - Experimentation(Part 2)

    "Hey, I just realized something," I remarked, breaking a silence that had lasted a few minutes, "Do you think the Nullification Wave would work if an Anomaly activated their powers on you with direct physical contact?"


    "Hm? What do you mean?" Responded Katie.


    "Well, I noticed it when I was testing out my powers at home after I first unlocked them...affecting something when I''m actually touching it is a lot easier than when I do so from a distance. Of course, I''ve never opted to do so in a fight against a living opponent, since I have the option to do so from a distance, there''s no point in taking the risk of trying to affect them from up close, not to mention that I don''t want them to hear my activation chants...I''m good at inaudible chanting, but still, why risk it, you know?"


    "Oh, I see...then let''s try that out," She suggested, standing up.


    "Alright, I''m pretty curious too," I replied as I stood up and took hold of her arm, chanting out loud, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    To my surprise...it actually worked. So, looks like the Nullification Wave is useless if an Anomaly activates their powers through direct contact. Hm, though in the case of illusions like Yugi Suzuki''s powers, she''d still be able to snap out of it afterwards.


    But with my time freezing, that''s not possible...in other words, if I activate Pause while in direct contact with my opponent, the Nullification Wave won''t do a thing. Oh, well, guess I should unfreeze her now...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    Huh? She''s...still frozen. And what''s more...gravity feels normal, and it looks like the laws of physics are working normally too...which can only mean one thing...she''s the only one frozen in time, the rest of the world is progressing in the normal time flow.


    Yeah, my I-Watch is working, and the time is ticking, so time definitely isn''t frozen. Crap, how do I get her back to normal? This is bad, what do I-...no, wait, calm down. I can feel it, my XFE is slowly getting depleted...I froze her by touching her when I recited the activation chant, so if I do the same when reciting the chant for Play, it should-.


    "Hey, I''m back, and I''ve got company," Suddenly came Director Silva''s voice from behind me.


    "Yo, what''s up?" Greeted Sakura.


    "Oh...hey," I responded indifferently.


    "Wha-...that''s all you''ve got to say!?" She exclaimed indignantly.


    "I mean...yeah," I replied with a shrug.


    "Hmph, jerk," She huffed with a pout.


    "What''s, uh, going on here?" Remarked the director, as she noticed Katie frozen, "I didn''t know you could do this."


    "Yeah, I didn''t know either, just found out by accident. Huh...I wonder what''ll happen if I freeze time while she''s frozen," I considered, before deciding to just go for it, "Now, then, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    "Huh, been a while since I saw this," Remarked Sakura, walking over.


    Katie''s still frozen, so no effect, huh...alright then, let''s return everything to normal...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>," I chanted, returning the time flow to normal, before walking over to Katie, placing a hand on her shoulder and chanting again, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "...looks like I failed this time," Sighed Katie, realizing she''d been frozen.


    "Yeah, and in fact, you were the only thing frozen in time, everything and everyone else was in a normal time flow," I explained.


    Hm, from the feel of it, trapping a specific target in a time stop drains my XFE at a slower rate than freezing the entirety of time does. Though now that I think about it, this application of Pause is kinda redundant...after all, if I want to trap or seal someone, I just need to use Cut on them, since no matter how long I wait before bringing them back with Paste, I won''t use up any additional XFE after the initial amount used to activate Cut.


    "So like an advanced form of paralysis?" Katie surmised in reply.


    "Well, I...suppose you could say that. Anyway, the bottom line is that it doesn''t look like the Nullification Wave technique works if activated through direct physical contact. Though if you''re up against an Anomaly in a duel, you could use it to keep them from affecting you with their powers, and then, before they can get close to you, counter with your Manifestation Overdrive," I suggested.


    "I guess that could work...but the problem is that the Manifestation Overdrive is too inefficient, it puts a huge amount of power into a single blast and just staying in that form drains XFE at a rapid speed," She sighed wistfully.


    "Well...I bet there''s other manifestation variations you can unlock. I mean, it''s not like anyone knew about the Manifestation Overdrive variation till recently, so there could definitely be more," I pointed out.


    "Ahem," Interrupted Director Silva, "That all sounds very interesting, but first, let''s test out whether or not the Nullification Wave works on manifestations, shall we?"


    Oh, right...forgot about that...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    About half an hour later, we''d confirmed that this technique has no effect on manifestations. Katie was able to nullify Sakura''s attempts to copy her manifestation though, so with that, we had more or less a complete understanding of how the Nullification Wave works.


    It only nullifies Anomaly powers that try to affect you from a distance, while stuff like timing varies depending on the type of power. For instance, if I tried to use Cut against an opponent to decapitate them, they have to time the Nullification Wave perfectly, or else, you know, they''re dead.


    But if we''re talking about a power like paralysis or an illusion, then the timing becomes a lot less important, since those can be nullified even after inflicting you. And of course, if it''s a manifestation of XFE, then there''s no effect.


    "I''m not sure I follow all this, but from what I do understand, the Nullification Wave isn''t something I need to worry about, right?" Inquired Sakura, after we summarized the information.


    "Not exactly, if they see it coming, then your opponent could prevent you from copying their manifestation. Though, taking your already-massive arsenal of copied manifestations into consideration, that''s probably not going to be much of a problem for you," I replied, as we took a break to recover a bit.


    According to Katie, the Nullification Wave doesn''t use much XFE, but using it in quick succession is tiring, like abruptly running at full tilt without pacing yourself...basically, it feels like even though you haven''t used up all your stamina, you''re still extremely winded.


    Since other Anomalies can''t affect me with their powers, it''s not a technique that''s worth learning for me, it''s just unnecessary. I just have to learn ways of countering opponents that try to nullify my powers instead.


    "Now that we''ve completed testing out the Nullification Wave, let''s get back to the discussion that the two of you were having," Remarked Director Silva, a glint in her eyes, "Do you really think there are more variations to a Prodigy''s manifestations?"


    "I mean, it''s not impossible, right?" I responded with a shrug, "Though now that I think about it, shouldn''t you know? I mean, the reason why Prodigies'' manifestations are in the format they''re in is because of the Awakening Chips that are implanted during the Awakening Procedure. Isn''t that format pre-set or anything?"


    "Actually, as far as I understand it...the formats imposed by the Awakening Chips are handled by an advanced AI in the cloud. See, it was possible to track and spy on anyone who was implanted with one of those chips, so to prevent anyone from misusing that, we had the AI and management of the manifestation formats completely locked away in the most highly secure system we could program, far more advanced than anything the world has ever seen, and we then hid it away further inside a private cloud storage system that''s pretty much impossible to be accessed by the public," She explained.


    This is all new to me...I, uh, don''t think she''s supposed to be telling us all this...


    "If the impossible happens and someone does manage to breach the security and access the data, the AI will immediately delete everything and cut the server off from all the Awakening Chips," She continued explaining, "If that happens, it probably won''t affect any of you, but we won''t be able to conduct any further Awakening Procedures, since we''ll have no data to imprint onto the chips."


    "Wait, what if someone, like, dissected one of us, took out the chip and then reverse-hacked it or whatever?" Inquired Sakura curiously.


    "Not a concern. Once the chip is implanted in a Paragon, it disintegrates and fuses with their body, it literally becomes a part of them. And when they die, the chip ceases functioning," Answered Director Silva.


    Yeah, I''m definitely sure she''s not supposed to be telling us this.


    "Hey, uh...this is all very new info to us, sure you should be saying all this?" I interjected with a raised eyebrow.


    "I-...oh, crap. I''m, uh, going to need the three of you to never talk about the HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL information that I just revealed to you," She responded nervously, a slight look of panic in her eyes.


    It''s not like her to mess up like that...guess all this experimenting with new techniques is making her giddy, huh. Well, can''t blame her, I''m pretty intrigued by this whole thing too...I suppose we should get back to it...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 118 - 117 - Experimentation(Part 3)

    "You said that you trigger Manifestation Overdrive by making your heart rate spike and focusing your XFE into the spot between your shoulder blades right? How does it feel when the power is triggered?" I asked Katie, after we''d all assured the director that we wouldn''t reveal the truth about the Awakening Procedure.


    "Well...it kind of feels like I''m about to burst, and then, if I''m able to suppress that bursting feeling for long enough, the XFE I channel into my back feels like it explodes out and the manifestation forms," She explained, after thinking about it for a moment, "If my suppression slips before that ''explosion'', then my XFE simply returns to normal. I can''t really think of a way to do it differently to see if it can manifest in a different way, I''ve tried focusing my XFE into different spots in my body, but none have any affect."


    So, she''s been experimenting by herself, huh? Her XFE control is definitely a cut above most other Prodigies, and it''s almost as good as mine is, which is saying a lot, since I actively needed to master a pretty high level of XFE control in order to be able to use my X-Weapons consistently and put in a lot of time and effort in order to sharpen my control.


    "Hm...so that explosion-like feeling is what triggers Manifestation Overdrive? In that case...what if you suppress that ''explosion''?" I suggested, after mulling over everything she said.


    Her eyes widened slightly, a rare readable expression on her face...she was definitely thinking ''how did I not think of this before''.


    But it makes sense that she wouldn''t consider it...Manifestation Overdrive could be considered as the level above Primary and Secondary Manifestation...and since Manifestation Overdrive is still a new technique that only a handful of people can use, I doubt anyone''s yet considering the fact that there might be a level above that, since most of them haven''t even mastered Manifestation Overdrive, let alone thinking about what''s beyond it...I mean, it''s not like they''re saiyans.


    "Okay...I''m going to try it out," She declared, standing up and walking away to get some distance from us, to avoid getting us caught up in her lightning if it goes wrong.


    Well, guess all I can do now is watch, can''t really assist in any way with this, so-...I then let out a quiet ''huh'', as a thought crossed my mind. Could that actually work? If it does...then the possibilities for me would be...


    Hm...yeah, I think I''ll try it out. Or rather, now that it''s crossed my mind, I definitely can''t not do it! But first, I''ll sit back and watch Katie try to break past Manifestation Overdrive, it''s only fair...also, I''m very interested to see if she really can do it...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Interesting...it looks like we''re definitely on to something with this suggestion, but...she''s probably a long way from getting it under control. With the first several tries, she failed to suppress the ''explosion'', and wound up activating Manifestation Overdrive.


    But then, she eventually managed to suppress it...for like, a second. However, after that brief moment passed and she lost control of the suppression, she didn''t end up activating Manifestation Overdrive like with the previous attempts.


    Instead, streaks of lightning burst out from her, which sent her XFE levels plummeting to less than half her total capacity. A couple more failed attempts resulted in her draining the majority of her remaining XFE, so she was currently taking a break.


    But even as she struggled to catch her breath and wiped beads of sweat off her forehead, she had a look of determination in her eyes...which means she can sense that keeping at this will definitely lead to something.


    "I think it''s going to take a long time and a lot of practice to get this under control," She remarked with a frown, as she took a swig of water, "Suppressing the explosion...it feels like it''s a hundred times harder than activating Manifestation Overdrive."


    "But you think you can do it?" I inquired with a sense of intrigue.


    "Definitely."


    "When you do, make sure to contact me right away," Spoke up Director Silva, who had a really cheerful look on her face.


    "This really is all very impressive, you guys are, like, revolutionizing XFE fighting techniques," Remarked Sakura in awe.


    "Oh, you''re still here? Thought you left," I responded with a frown.


    "Hey!" She exclaimed indignantly.


    "Actually, I thought you left too...you can go if you want, Sakura, we''re-," Began Director Silva.


    "How would I leave? I don''t know how to operate a teleportation platform by myself, and that''s the only way out of this place," Pointed out Sakura with a grumpy look on her face...she was genuinely offended that we hadn''t noticed that she was still here.


    "Oh, right...do you want me to take you back?" Offered the director.


    "No, thanks...I''m not missing this, no way!" She responded, shifting her attention back to Katie, who was sprawled on the floor.


    Can''t blame her for feeling that way, this whole thing was extremely interesting to me too...sure, Prodigy powers aren''t accessible to me, but the more I know about how they work, the more options I''ll have against them, so this is all still very useful stuff to me.


    Now, then...I suppose it''s about time I test out the theory I thought of, I can''t contain my curiosity anymore, and with Katie resting to recover her XFE, this is my chance to do so. I stood up with a sigh and stretched, loosening myself up.


    "What are you upto?" Katie inquired curiously, looking up as I got on my feet.


    "Well, a thought crossed my mind...when a Prodigy channels their XFE to the point between their shoulder blades, they can trigger the Manifestation Overdrive variation of their powers, and it also looks like they can take that a step further. So...what if an Anomaly tries that? Channeling their XFE to the point between their shoulder blades?" I suggested with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yo! If that really leads to something, how cool would that be!? Hm, but what would it even look like...it''s hard to say since every Anomaly''s powers are so different to each other," Wondered Sakura, her interest piqued.


    "Well...let''s find out, you try too, the larger the sample size we have, the better," I pointed out.


    "Yes, I agree, join him, Sakura. Either of your powers taken to the next level would be...honestly, unimaginable," Remarked Director Silva with a wry smile, a gleam of excitement in her eyes, but also a trace of caution.


    She realizes the risk, either one of us could get so unimaginably powerful that if we decided to run amok and do whatever we want, no one would be able to stop us. But her excitement and fascination overpowered that sense of caution and wariness...heh, even if it isn''t Sakura or I, the director just might end up inadvertently creating an absolute monster, if given the chance.


    Well, whatever, ifs and buts aren''t going to stop me, there''s no way I''m going to ignore the possibility of unlocking more power. While I do prefer to rely on the skills I''ve actually worked on and earned, it certainly doesn''t hurt to have more options up my sleeve.


    After all, the simple fact is that there are plenty of opponents out there that I could never defeat with my physical skills alone...Ace Mutants, to give one example, though I don''t know if ''opponents'' are the right word to refer to them as. They''re basically overgrown monsters, technically speaking.


    Oh, looks like Sakura is already starting...I think I''ll watch her before I try it out myself. I mean, for example, if it''s something that''s dangerous for Anomalies to try, I might as well let her go for it first, right?


    "Ahh, it''s no use! Trying to channel and build up XFE in the spot between my shoulder blades is impossible, it feels like...like, uh...oh, I know, like trying to grab a balloon that''s coated in baby oil while your hands are covered in heavy soap suds, AND you''re blindfolded!" Exclaimed Sakura, a look of frustration on her face.


    "That''s...surprisingly accurate, actually," Remarked Katie, before adding, "Though, to a lesser extent that you''re trying to imply."


    "I think I get it. Sakura, you don''t use X-Weapons, right? Since that''s the case, you''ve never needed to gain a high level of mastery over your XFE control, which is absolutely crucial for a technique like this. And that brings me to something I''ve been wondering for a while," I said, before turning to Katie, "How is your XFE control so good? I didn''t think that was something Prodigies work on all that much."


    "Well, no, it isn''t...but I thought it''d be most effective to master the basics before everything else," She replied with a shrug.


    "Huh...well, that certainly explains why you''ve made so much more progress with Manifestation Overdrive than anyone else," I stated in realization.


    "Good point, I didn''t even think of that," Chimed in Director Silva.


    Alright, guess I''ll give it a try myself now...I don''t think it''d be a stretch to say that my XFE control mastery might be the best in the entire Sanctuary. Okay, focus...channel my XFE between my shoulder blades, and then build it...more...more...


    Oh, wow...Sakura''s oily balloon analogy might have actually been kinda spot on...but it''s not a problem, I can definitely control this. Just keep it stable, same as when I activate my X-Blades, just with a bit more concentration and focus...


    Okay, uh...how much XFE do I have to-...suddenly, a black mist began forming around me, and I felt my power start to surge, and the energy in my back begin to overwhelm me...this is definitely taking longer than it takes Katie to activate her Manifestation Overdrive...damn it, it''s getting harder and harder, I don''t know how much longer I can hold it! And then, I felt something snap...and the mass of energy in my back felt like it was about to explode-...


    I then lost control of it, the mist around me instantly dissipating as I collapsed onto my knees, breathing heavily...wh-what was that? Just then, right at the end there...I felt an incredible level of power in me.


    "Hey, are you okay, Kilzachs!?"


    "You don''t look so good."


    I could hear them talking but I wasn''t listening...I was too preoccupied by what just happened. This has to be something different to Manifestation Overdrive...I nearly channeled my entire XFE capacity into the spot between my shoulder blades, about eighty percent, I''d say...so whatever I was about to trigger, requires eighty percent of my XFE to activate, huh?


    From what I''ve heard from my sister and Katie, it only takes about two or three percent of their XFE to trigger their Manifestation Overdrives, and it''s only after it activates that it starts to guzzle their XFE. Even taking into account the differences in XFE capacity between them and me, there''s no doubt that whatever I just tried to activate, needs a lot more fuel to act as the trigger.


    But if that''s the case, what happens if and when I do successfully trigger it? Will it drain my XFE instantly and only last for like a couple of seconds? I don''t know, but...just for moment there, I felt it...an unreal level of power welling up inside me. And I couldn''t deny the fact that...I wanted that power...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 119 - 118 - Attention

    Today''s the 26th of September, on a Monday, and it was the first day back in classes after the end of the X-Warrior Championship. I was currently standing by the stairs leading up to the entrance of the Academy, a deep sense of reluctance in me.


    I really don''t want to go in...I did eventually reply to the massive pile of messages I''d gotten from most of them, but I hadn''t actually met any of them in person since the tournament, except for Katie and that one time I ran into Suri, so I was kinda dreading how they might react when I enter the classroom...though that isn''t the main reason for my hesitancy.


    No, the main reason was-...ugh, I don''t even want to think about it, it makes me shudder in horror...so far, I''ve been pretending that it didn''t even happen, but I won''t be able to for much longer, and the thought of that put a pit in my stomach, along with a sense of anxiety.


    I can''t just stand out here though, I was getting stared at...a lot. I hate all this attention. The security guards, not the mention any other students passing by, were all staring at me without restraint...yeah, I better head inside already. I let out a sigh as I headed up the stairs and through the doorway, and as I began to walk towards the classroom, I felt a tap on my shoulder.


    "Sup, celebrity classmate slash teammate."


    I glanced back, to see Mitchell behind me, an amused look on his face...he can tell that I''m not happy about all the attention, and he''s finding that funny, huh? Dick.


    "Oh, hey. And don''t even joke about that, I''m not a celebrity," I replied with a sigh.


    "Yeah, no, my trending pages on social media beg to differ, dude...seriously, how long before I stop seeing your face all over my newsfeed?" He inquired with a smirk.


    "Quit exaggerating, the number of posts about me have decreased a lot lately," I rolled my eyes in exasperation.


    "Man, you seem on edge...what, is being the center of attention really all that bad?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow, as we made our way to the classroom.


    "No, it''s not that...I mean, I can freeze time, so ignoring and avoiding crowds and attention is easy."


    "Huh, right...so, then, what''s got you so stressed out?" He asked curiously.


    "Well...," I responded with a sigh, as I opened my holoscreen, made it visible to him, before opening my inbox and showing him one of the messages I''d received, "This is what''s got me so stressed."


    He was silent as he read it, his eyes widening in shock as he saw who the sender was and read the text.


    "Jesus fucking Christ, man...this is kinda terrifying. Sure this isn''t just trolling or-...nah, that can''t be, no way. This is seriously messed up."


    "I know, right? I have absolutely no idea how to go about dealing with this," I groaned, as I shut off my holoscreen.


    "I can see that, I don''t know how I''d react in I were in your shoes," He replied with a shudder, as we reached the entrance to our classroom.


    Damn it...I really don''t want to go in...but that''s not really an option, so...here goes, no point in delaying it. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, before pushing the door open and hesitantly stepping in...


    "Ayyy, it''s the champ!" Exclaimed Lin the moment I entered, approaching me with her palm raised, "Way to go, dude, you were awesome!"


    Huh? I mean, I guess I appreciate the praise and all, but why''s her hand-...ohh, she''s asking for a high five.


    "Oh, uh...thanks, I guess," I replied as I awkwardly struck her palm with mine.


    "Hey, Kilzachs, you gotta fight me, man! It''s all I''ve been thinking about since watching the tournament," Chimed in Taayin with a grin, looking pretty amped up.


    Along with congralutory messages, he''d also sent me some messages challenging me to fight him...didn''t want to commit to anything, so I didn''t reply. Can''t do that in real life though, too bad.


    "Yeah, I got your messages...maybe later," I deflected, trying to make my way to my seat.


    "Hey, bro, that was quite the surprise, to see that you''re an Anomaly," Said Andre, joining in on the conversation, "That was seriously epic, the reveal of your powers...that moment was awesome!"


    "Thanks, uh, I-," I began to respond.


    "I agree, I already knew but it was still really cool," Agreed Zoya.


    Right, she''d been down in the maze with me and some of the others when those Wights tracked us down and I unlocked Tier Three.


    "It''s pretty dope that we''re the classmates of most heavily-trending person in the entire Sanctuary," Grinned Lin, smacking me on the shoulder.


    "That won''t last much longer, it''s already starting to die down and-," I started to counter.


    "You know what won''t die down though? My desire to fight you, so don''t think you''re getting out of that!" Interrupted Taayin, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    Okay, enough crowding me...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    I broke away from the crowd and slunk over to my seat, plopping onto the chair with a sigh. It feels like I''ve been sighing a lot in the last few minutes...yeah, that''s a good indication of how I feel right now.


    I think I''ll enjoy a few seconds of peace and quiet before unfreezing time again. I then glanced around the rest of the class...looks like everyone''s here...everyone except for the person who sent me those messages that freaked me out.


    Alright, it''s been two minutes and twenty percent of my XFE, I should return the time flow back to normal. But...I really, really don''t wanna! Damn it...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "Huh, wha-...woah, that was awesome!" Exclaimed Andre, after an initial look of surprise.


    "Not to be harsh or anything, but...getting crowded first thing in the morning is a bit too overwhelming for me," I remarked, earning sheepish, apologetic gestures from them.


    "We''re sorry, we got carried away," Apologized Zoya.


    "No worries, you didn''t mean any harm," I responded with a dismissive wave of my hand.


    "My bad, dude...but I''m still not backing down from my challenge!" Remarked Taayin with a smirk.


    "Fine, I''ll fight you sometime soon, happy?" I sighed, giving in.


    "That''s all I wanted to hear!"


    As they returned to their seats, I glanced around at everyone sitting near me, namely Kiran and my teammates.


    "Appreciate you guys not swarming me too," I said gratefully.


    "Eh, no biggie," Shrugged Mitchell indifferently.


    "Hmph, he says that, but yesterday, he messaged us and said that as his teammates, we should give you some space, since most of everyone else would probably have their attention locked onto you," Remarked Suri, flashing Mitchell a slight smirk.


    "Wha-...no, that never happened!" Huffed Mitchell as he averted his gaze, doing a pretty crappy job of lying.


    "But it did though," Chimed in Seila, bringing up her holoscreen and opening her inbox to show the proof, before shutting it off and stifling a laugh as Mitchell glared at her.


    "Wow, uh...thanks, man, I really appreciate that, genuinely," I said to Mitchell gratefully.


    "Whatever, don''t make it weird," He responded with a grumble, turning around.


    "What about you, Katie? You probably don''t have it as bad as me, but I''m guessing that you''re getting plenty of attention too, huh?" I asked, changing the subject...kinda.


    "I do get a few stares...but people approaching me is rare, thankfully."


    "Lucky you," I replied dryly.


    "Hey, um, by the way, congratulations," Smiled Seila.


    "Yeah, congrats," Added Kiran, with a stifled yawn.


    The rest congratulated me too, which was nice, but also really, really awkward...I had no idea how to respond other than replying with some pretty awkward thanks.


    "Thanks, guys...but you all already said this much when you messaged me," I remarked, after they all finished.


    "Well, yeah, but it''s only common courtesy to do so in person too," Replied Seila.


    Huh...I had no idea that was a thing. Which is to be expected, considering that, till recently, my social skills had been absolutely atrocious. And even now, having improved a fair bit, I''ve still got a ton of room for improvement.


    "So, hey, what are you going to do about THAT?" Inquired Suri curiously.


    "Hm? Not sure what exactly you''re referring to...," I sighed in denial.


    "You know, that message...the super creepy one."


    "Oh, you know about that too?" Chimed in Mitchell, "Man, I''m sure as hell glad not to be in your shoes right now."


    "Yeah, well, at least it''s looking like I won''t have to deal with it today," I replied with a sigh.


    "No, you''re wrong about that...he''s not absent or anything, he just went to the bathroom a few minutes before you arrived," Responded Suri.


    Huh? Oh, shit...


    "What are you guys talking about?" Asked Seila curiously, as right on cue, the classroom door opened...


    As the person who opened it stepped in, their gaze landed on me, their eyes lighting up gleefully as they made their way over to me with a grin...


    "Kilzachs! So good to see you! I hope I''m not being too forward here, but...can I shake your hand!? Oh, and maybe get a selfie? Did you get my messages? You never replied-...oh, I know that''s because you''re probably really busy and stuff, but I just couldn''t help myself! Eeeee, I can''t believe I''m breathing the same air as you right now...to think such a powerful Anomaly would happen to be a classmate of mine, I''m so freaking stoked!" He squealed in excitement.


    This is...this is even worse than the messages, I''m definitely starting to feel sick...


    "What-...the actual fuck?" Blurted out Seila in shock, as a stunned silence fell over the entire classroom.


    And I can''t blame them...after all, the one who was gushing and praising me like an obsessive fanboy, was none other than...Tairo Najimi...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 120 - 119 - Disturbing

    Let''s rewind a bit, shall we? Back during the morning when I went over to Ruby''s to get my replacement X-Blade handle and then ran into Suri on the way back, she asked me if everyone in our class had messaged me, to which I responded that there''s no way a certain handful of our classmates would ever congratulate me.


    But out of curiosity, I decided to check anyway, to see if I''d received any messages from someone who wasn''t saved in my contact list. And to my surprise...there was one. The sender had texted me several messages, the first one reading...


    ''Dear Kilzachs, I apologize for everything I''ve done. Oh, this is like the best day ever, I''m so excited to be classmates with an Anomaly that''s so powerful! I hope this message finds you well, and I hope we can be friends. Again, I''m sorry for everything I''ve done in the past, but it was only because I thought you were a Dud. If I''d known you were an Anomaly, I''d have done my best to be your greatest friend ever! And it hope it''s not to late to do so now...love you!''


    That''s the entire message, word for word...and I received a few more afterwards that were very much along the same lines as that first paragraph of nightmare fuel.


    I already knew that he was an Anomaly fanboy, given his reaction to Sakura when she first introduced herself to our class, but still, I didn''t expect it to run this deep...he''s straight up obsessed with Anomalies.


    Anyway, the whole thing was so damn disturbing to me that I just blocked it out for the past several days and pretended that it never even happened...and now, getting back to the present, I was being forced to face it head on and way up close...this is literally the most horrifying thing that has ever happened to me.


    Could he just be messing with me or something? No, I doubt that...he''s way too egotistical to do that, he''s been completely serious right now. How the hell do I deal with this!?


    "Are you alright, Kilzachs? Shall I get you some water or something?" He inquired with a look of concern.


    I...I never thought I''d say this, but...I think I miss the way he used to treat me. Because this shit is just straight up disturbing. Okay, you know what, screw this, I''m not going to play nice with this asshole just because his attitude towards me has flipped, it doesn''t undo any of this shit he''s put me through.


    "Fuck off."


    "Oh...okay, I understand. Sorry for bothering you," He replied, looking crestfallen as he headed to his seat.


    That meek reaction just makes this even more disturbing than it already is. Bytra was staring at him with a look of bewilderment, as was everyone else.


    "That was really creepy," Muttered Kiran, his usually drowsy eyes a lot wider than usual.


    "That''s an understatement," Added Suri, looking disturbed, "I thought the messages he sent you were bad, but face to face is so much worse."


    "You don''t have to tell me, I literally just experienced it," I sighed in exasperation.


    "I''m super glad to not be you right now, man," Chimed in Mitchell wryly.


    "Um, hang in there," Seila patted my shoulder sympathetically.


    "Good luck with it," Said Katie, giving me a half-hearted thumbs up...well, at least, it looked half-hearted thanks to her blank expression.


    "Okay, stop, you guys are making it worse," I groaned, burying my head in my arms on the desk.


    Fortunately, Kumar showed up a few seconds later, for the first class of the day...I usually find these theory lessons really boring, but right now, I was willing to accept any and all distractions from this current situation.


    The first hour and a half or so went by pretty well, nothing of note happened, which is exactly what I wanted right now. And then, as we got into the last thirty minutes of the session, Kumar had an announcement to make...


    "Okay, we''ve finished today''s topic early, so you guys can have the remainder of the session off-...oh, wait, I almost forgot. Before that, I have an announcement to make, this is regarding your second set of bi-monthly exams for Level Q."


    During Level J, we had exams every month for the six month course, but it was different in Level Q, the exams would be conducted every two months instead, so three sets of exams instead of six. The first set had been last month, and the exams had been pretty simple and easy, thanks to the scrutiny that the X-Warrior Zone was under, following all the incidents against the Wights.


    But giving us easily passable exams was a counterproductive move, so I doubt they''ll do so again. And thanks to the recently-concluded and highly eventful X-Warrior Championship, the attention of the general public was still on the results of the tournament, it was starting to die down now but it''d still be a little while before everyone''s totally over it.


    Alright, let''s see what Kumar has to say about the exams next month...


    "Okay, so first off, there''s nothing to say about the theory exam...it''ll be a written test as always, obviously. The combat and teamwork exams are going to be pretty tough this time around, let''s start with the latter first...the teamwork exam will be conducted last, and will consist of each team heading outside the Sanctuary and eliminating Mutants. Oh, except that unlike the previous times, this time it''ll be an overnight assignment," Explained Kumar.


    "Excuse me, instructor, but isn''t that too risky?" Inquired Zoya uneasily.


    "Not to worry, it''s actually fairly safe...each team will be accompanied by an Ace, our surveillance drones will scope out the areas to make sure no Wights or overly powerful Mutants are around, and all that aside, the Sanctuary has begun a project to expand, so secure bases are being built on the outside. This''ll mean that the areas immediately outside of the Sanctuary will be a lot safer than they used to be."


    Director Silva had brought this up once before, she was concerned by the fact that if the Wights surround the Sanctuary, we''d be at a disadvantage...I then suggested that they build a massive fence or wall around the area surrounding the Sanctuary and post guards and security cameras and stuff.


    She mulled it over but I never followed up on it, so I completely forgot about it till Kumar just mentioned it now. Well, it''s not exactly what I suggested, but it''s close enough...and considering how easily the Wights infiltrated last time, it''s a necessary measure as far as I''m concerned.


    Speaking of security, I''d heard from the director that her technical team had finally figured out how to go about implementing a vacuum layer into the Sanctuary dome, and in addition to the airless, zero-gravity feature, it was also going to have sharp spikes all over which would be coated in poison, along with heat, motion and a bunch of other sensors.


    Anyway, even with Kumar pointing out the safety measures that''d be taken for the exam, most of the others looked pretty unconvinced about an overnight assignment on the outside. But he certainly didn''t care about what they think, as he moved on to the combat exam...


    "Now, then, usually the combat exams are either mock battles against classmates, fighting captured Mutants, or a combination of both. Not this time...no, this time things will be different. You''ll each be divided into four groups, one group of four and the rest of three each. The group of four will consist of the four bottom ranking students, and the rest have been divided evenly."


    Wait, what!? So, then...the combat exam is going to be like a second, worse teamwork exam this time!? That sounds horrible. And based on the concerned murmurs ringing out all around me, my classmates felt the same way...


    "Does that mean that the teams for the combat exam have already been decided?" Inquired Andre with a frown.


    "That''s right, and during the month or so leading up to the exams, you will all train with both your permanent and temporary teams...or don''t, I can''t force you, but unless you do, you''ll almost definitely fail," Remarked Kumar indifferently, "Now, for the exam itself, it''ll take place a couple of days after the teamwork exam, and will consist of slaying Mutants for the whole day...it won''t be overnight like the teamwork exam, but will still be the longest assignment you''ve been given on the outside...after the upcoming teamwork exam, of course."


    "This seems somewhat extreme, instructor," Spoke up Makoto with a frown.


    "Yeah, well, I''m just the messenger, if you''ve got complaints, go to X-Warrior HQ and take it up with them. Anyway, I''ll now announce the temporary teams for the combat exam next month...first, the team of four consisting of the four bottom students includes Makoto Amano, Taayin Sharma, Mitchell Jones and Suri Patel."


    Makoto was by far, the worst student in class, with low scores in all subjects. But with Mitchell and Suri, they had good scores in combat and teamwork, but they were both terrible when it came to the written exams.


    As for Taayin, while he was among the top of the class when it came to combat, he had low scores in the written exams as well as in teamwork assessments, he had a tendency to get carried away and do his own thing during team assignments.


    Kumar then continued...


    "Since after the group of four was formed, each permanent team had three members left, the remaining three teams will consist of one member from each. The second team includes Katie, Tairo and Lin. Next, the-."


    "I object, instructor!" Protested Tairo immediately, "Put me on the same team as Kilzachs, I''ll do anything! Please!"


    Huh?


    "Wha...? I, uh...I have no idea what''s going on, but, uh, the teams have already been finalized...and again, I''m just the messenger, so take your complaints to HQ and-."


    "Okay, I will!" Responded Asshole with a look of determination.


    "Uh...r-right," Replied a bewildered Kumar, before shaking his head and continuing, "Well, uh, anyway, getting to the third team...Seila, Zoya and Andre."


    Wait a sec, that means...! Oh, no...


    "And the fourth and final team will be...Kilzachs, Kiran and Bytra."


    Shit.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 121 - 120 - XXX-Warriors

    Huh, this might be one of the worst days of my life...Asshole is so freaking creepy the way he is now that I actually miss his arrogance and condescension, and on top of that, I''m stuck with Bytra during the next combat exam?


    This is way too much negativity all at once, I hate this...I wish there was an active volcano nearby, I could use Cut and Paste to drown Asshole in lava in order to simultaneously wipe out all traces of any evidence. I can already picture it...ahh, beautiful.


    Anyway, the first session of the day had just ended, with the second session, combat training, to take place in one of the training halls in a few minutes. I was heading to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face, since it was starting to feel like my head''s about to overheat and explode from the stress.


    I entered the male bathroom and walked over to the sink, before taking off my glasses and twisting the tap open, letting the water fill my cupped palms and then splashing it onto my face...okay, that feels nice and pleasantly cool, but I don''t feel any less agitated by everything that happened today.


    Well, whatever, guess I should head off to the training hall before I''m late. As I put my glasses back on and exited the bathroom, a familiar face walked out of the entrance directly across, the women''s bathroom. Wait, where do I know her from...?


    "Tch, it''s you...," She remarked with a frown, before approaching me.


    "Uh, right...you again," I replied, as I tried to recall who she was.


    She had brown hair tied in twintail ringlets, black eyes and a blue tattoo of a teardrop below her left eye...she definitely looks familiar, but I can''t quite place her...


    "I''ll admit it, I underestimated you, and that''s a big part of why I lost, I let my arrogance and ego get the better of me. But mark my words, I''ll beat you next time...hmph, I suppose I should thank you for being the trigger that helped me unlock my Manifestation Overdrive, and I''ll make you regret that when I defeat you using it!" She declared, pointing her finger at me as she locked her fierce gaze with mine.


    Ohh, right, now I remember...


    "The twin scythes girl, that''s who you are!" I blurted out upon realization, before I could stop myself.


    "Wha-...grr, did you seriously forget who I am!? Tch, so that''s how little of an impression I left on you, huh? Just you wait, you little shit, I''ll leave a lasting impression on you next time, got that!?" She snapped, before storming off with a huff.


    Well, that was...something. I don''t have time to process it though, I''ll be late at this rate-...holy crap, am I stupid or something? Bitch, I can literally stop time!


    Ugh, I think my agitated state of mind is messing me up a bit...I''m usually pretty good with remembering names and faces, and I actually worried about being late, when I can control the flow of time at will to a pretty significant extent.


    "Hey, Zax!" Suddenly called Kumar, as he turned the corner and spotted me, "You''re looking pretty irritable, like more than usual. Also, uh...the heck was up with Tairo today? That was weird."


    "His attitude did a full one eighty when he found out that I''m an Anomaly, this version of him is SOOO MUCH WORSE than him just being an asshole," I sighed in frustration.


    "Well, don''t let it get you too down, kid," He replied with a wry smile, before glancing at his I-Watch, "Oh, you should hurry up and get to your next class, just two minutes before you''re late."


    No, I won''t be late. But he''s right, it''s time to go...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    ...


    ...


    "I seriously can''t over how much sugar you eat, it''s fascinating!" Remarked Taayin with a grin.


    "Leave me alone," I sighed, rolling my eyes.


    Yeah, I''d gotten more sweets for lunch than usual, but I need it today, okay? No, you know what, I don''t have to justify myself to anyone! I want sweets so I''m eating sweets, simple as that!


    Ughhhh....I''m way too stressed out, damn it. It was currently the middle of the lunch break, and I had a tray full of donuts and chocolate filled buns, along with chocolate milk and a few sugar-glazed pretzels that were filled with little drops of honey.


    The combat training session had gone reasonably well, with minimal interaction with Asshole, thankfully...but then, at the start of the lunch break, as I sat at a table with my teammates and a couple of other classmates, he showed up with a tray carrying a couple of caramel-coated crullers for me, and asked if he could sit with me.


    Obviously, I told him to fuck off, but since it would''ve been a waste to throw away the crullers, I ate them...I mean, it''s not like the sweets did anything wrong, so why should they suffer just because they were delivered by an asshole!?


    ...Jesus fucking Christ, I think I might be starting to lose my goddamn mind. I need to find a way to get him to stay away from me and-...huh? Wait, what happened to all my food?


    "Wait, did I eat everything I bought already?" I remarked in surprise and dismay.


    "You didn''t even notice?" Inquired Mitchell with a raised eyebrow, "I don''t know how you even fit that much food in your stomach, and seriously, how are you in good shape instead of obese as hell!? I mean, you just ate more than the literal fat guy in class!"


    "Oh, um, that reminds me," Spoke up Seila, reaching into her bag and taking out a lunchbox filled with small pastries, "My family had guests over last weekend, so I made these sweets...there were some left over, so help yourselves."


    Wow, she''s so nice...in my opinion, someone who shares sweets is a person deserving of great respect in my book. It''s an honor to be on the same team with a person like that. Heh, yeah...I''m definitely starting to lose my mind.


    "Mmm, wow, these are amazing!" Exclaimed Suri in surprise.


    "Want one?" Seila asked me, "Unless you''re too full-."


    "Don''t mind if I do," I replied, reaching over and picking up one of the pastries.


    "Help yourself...hope you like it," She said with a smile, before passing the rest out to the others.


    It was bite-sized, a little sticky and flaky.


    "This is called baklava right?" I inquired, as I put it in my mouth and began munching.


    I''d tried it in a sweet shop once, not Delectables, and it was okay, nothing special. But this...


    "Yeah, I haven''t actually seen it any shops, but my mom used to make it when I was a kid, she got the recipe from the archives of webpages from before WWIII, and she gave it to me since I started getting into making sweets when I was around fifteen. What do you think?" She asked me.


    "Holy-...marry me," I blurted out.


    This is incredible...the syrupy sweetness combined with the crunch of the flaky pastry made for a delightful combo, it''s so simple yet delicious. Excluding desserts from Delectables, this might be the best dessert I''ve ever tasted...


    "H-huh!?" She exclaimed in surprise, her face turning red, as I spotted Suri in my peripheral, glaring at me from the corner of her eyes.


    "Oh, uh...forget I said that, it was just so good that I couldn''t help myself," I replied sheepishly.


    "You should enter eating competitions, you''d probably win easily," Remarked Taayin with a laugh.


    "I don''t know about that, my appetite only maxes out when it''s sweets, and good sweets at that," I replied with a shrug.


    I then noticed Katie''s eyebrows creasing into a frown, as she tapped on her holoscreen...she had made it visible only to herself, so I couldn''t see what she was looking at, but whatever it was, she definitely wasn''t liking it, she practically looked horrified. She then shifted her gaze to me with a look of concern...


    "Kilzachs, I need to talk to you alone," She remarked, standing up and gesturing for me to follow.


    "Ooh, how scandalous, maybe there was some truth to those rumors about you two-...yeeeoowww!!!" Mitchell began teasingly, before letting out a yelp as Katie walked past him, her left pinky crackling with small yellow sparks.


    Did she just zap him? Nice.


    Katie then led me out of the cafeteria and up the staircase, until we found a secluded spot by a window, near where the staff rooms were.


    "Hey, I thought using lightning outside of your manifestations injures you," I brought up out of curiosity.


    "Yeah, I can''t move my finger much right now," She sighed, holding up her pinky, which was twitching a bit.


    "Oh...then, why would you-?"


    "Because it was worth it," She replied, before I even finished asking the question.


    "...fair enough. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.


    "This," She replied with a frown, making her holoscreen visible to me and playing a video.


    Hm, what''s this, some kind of movie? It opened with a shot of a bedroom, and a woman then appeared on screen, with blonde hair tied in a low ponytail, red eyes-...no, I think those are red contacts...-, wearing a light blue sleeveless top with a black collar, black shorts and thigh high black stockings-...wait a sec...


    "That kinda looks like you, or at least, someone cosplaying as you-...," I began, before trailing off as someone else appeared on screen, with a very, very familiar outfit, glasses and hairstyle, "What the f-...is that supposed to be me!?"


    "Look at the URL," Sighed Katie, an exasperated look on her face.


    Hm, the URL? Let''s see, it''s-...oh. It''s XXX-Warriors.com. A site that specializes in porn parodies starring parody versions of real life X-Warriors. And they''ve made one of Katie and me...guess I shouldn''t be surprised, after everything that happened.


    And honestly, I don''t care, or at least, I normally wouldn''t...but something about seeing a pornstar cosplay as me is...really, really annoying. But I can''t complain or call them out on it, because that would only draw more attention to the video.


    "This sucks, like a lot, but it''s best if we just leave it alone," I sighed reluctantly.


    "Hm...you sure about that?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow, a look of dissatisfaction on her face, as the title of the video popped up on screen.


    ''Jizzachs Light X Katie CumCum''...are you fucking kidding me!? Ohhh, they did not just swap out the first syllable of my name with ''jizz''...those goddamn sons of bitches...!


    "Yeah...I''m sure...," I replied through gritted teeth, before adding, "BUT...at the very least, I think I just might go find whoever came up with this title...and kill them."


    "Yeah, that sounds good...count me in on that."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 122 - 121 - South Quadrant Conundrum(Part 1)

    "Well, I''m here like you asked, what''s up?" I inquired with a sigh.


    "You seem to be sort of grouchy...is everything alright?" Asked Director Silva.


    "It''s...been a weird day," I sighed in response, "Never mind that, why''d you call me here?"


    "First, let me apologize for that...I had been planning to refrain from asking your help in investigating the South Quadrant, since lately, you''ve had your hands full with public attention, not to mention your Academy classes starting up again."


    "Wait, the South Quadrant? That''s still an issue?" I inquired with a frown.


    "Yes, in fact, things have gotten even worse. The crime rate continues to increase and a lot of people have started moving to the other Quadrants, it feels like for every one criminal we apprehend, two more pop up to take their place," Sighed Director Silva, looking stressed.


    "It''s that bad, huh? I don''t think I''ve seen anyone talking about that though," I remarked skeptically.


    "That''s probably because your news feeds have been taken up by certain other topics," She pointed out, "If you search a bit though, you''ll find plenty of evidence of what''s happening in the South Quadrant. We''ve covered up as much as we can, but with so many people reporting their friends and family as missing, it won''t be long before there''s no covering this up anymore."


    "So, then, what exactly do you need me to do?" I inquired warily.


    "Well, I need you to find whoever''s responsible for this. You see, I suspected that organized crime is the reason for the rapid proliferation in incidents, so I sent several X-Warriors to investigate...but one by one, all of them have disappeared without a trace," She replied, meeting my gaze with a serious look in her eyes.


    "Seriously? That''s kinda ominous," I responded with a frown.


    "The last X-Warrior I sent was one of my most trusted subordinates, Sofia Lopez, she''s one of the few people besides me who can access the underground facilities where we imprison the worst of our criminals and hold our captive Wights...you might remember her from the tournament, she lost to your friend Katie early on," Said the director, before adding with a grimace, "Over the weekend, I found reason to believe that she''s still alive, but whoever captured her and the other X-Warriors that disappeared...has probably tortured them for information."


    "That sounds problematic...but what makes you think she''s still alive? What happened over the weekend?" I inquired curiously.


    "The Wight you''ve been interrogating in the underground prison, Ro Zenitsu...has been killed. Damn it...just when you were starting to get him to spill more useful information about the Wights!" Snapped Director Silva, slamming her fist onto her desk in frustration, before taking a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "It happened at 3 AM on Sunday, Sofia entered the building through the back entrance, she was caught on many of the security cameras. She made her way to the underground facilities and then killed the Wight, before leaving."


    "Think she was brainwashed or something? Or maybe she''s been working with whoever''s behind all this right from the beginning?" I suggested, after mulling it over.


    "No, that''s impossible. And I don''t think she''s brainwashed...come here, I''ll show you some of the security footage and you''ll see why I''m of that opinion," She replied, gesturing for me to walk around her desk and come next to her.


    I walked over and looked at her monitor, as she played clips of the security footage. Oh, I see what she means...Sofia looked really conflicted and nervous, her shoulders slumped and shaking.


    She had bruises on her face too, probably on her body as well, but she was wearing a long-sleeved hoodie so I couldn''t see much, though we could see her face from certain angles.


    Her face was in really bad shape, a busted lower lip, a black eye, broken nose, and several dark bruises. Her hands and fingers were wrapped in red-stained bandages, definitely looks like she''d been tortured.


    Hm? What was that?


    "Hey, rewind a bit...a little more...and stop. Look at her lips right here...it looks like she''s talking to someone. Do you think we could get a close up of her ears? If she''s wearing a communicator-," I began.


    "No, I already noticed that, and I couldn''t get any clear zoomed-in shots of her ears, either the angle wasn''t right or the hood gets in the way. It definitely seems like she''s talking to-...or rather, taking orders from...-someone. But see how her face is slightly tilted up, I think that''s deliberate...she wanted the security cameras to catch her face. If she didn''t want to be seen, she''d have kept her head down. It could be that she''s being blackmailed, I''m having a couple of X-Warriors secretly guard her family to make sure nothing happens to them, but whoever is behind this might have some other dirt on her that I''m unaware of," Frowned the director.


    "Hm...can''t you track her using her I-Watch?" I suggested.


    "Well, about that, her I-Watch has been in the exact same location for three whole days, including when she was breaking into this building...which means she isn''t wearing it. And a few hours after she left, we lost the signals of the I-Watches of the other X-Warriors that had disappeared...I-Watches run on the bioenergy of their wearers, and if removed, can last upto a whole week before shutting off...it''s been less than a week since some of them disappeared, and yet, their I-Watches have shut down...which means that they''re dead."


    In order to prevent them from being stolen, I-Watches are designed to stop functioning either if someone who isn''t their registered user wears them...or if the registered user dies. But there''s one thing that doesn''t quite add up here...


    "If Sofia wasn''t wearing her I-Watch when she came here, how''d she come here in the first place? You can''t get through a Teleportation Point without your I-Watch, after all," I pointed out.


    "Yeah, about that...footage from the security cameras at both Teleportation Points showed her knocking out the attendants, injecting them with tranquilizers to keep them unconscious and then propping them up on chairs to make it look like they''d just fallen asleep," Explained the director, "And she also made a point of erasing the teleportation logs before leaving...which is pointless of course, guess she didn''t notice the cameras and thought erasing the logs would be enough to cover her tracks."


    Huh, come to think of it, I did notice that security around some of the Teleportation Points had been seriously ramped up.


    "I don''t know, that seems way too careless, she might have deliberately left the cameras alone, like you said she deliberately let the cameras in this building see her face...then again, she''s clearly been tortured pretty severely, so maybe that knocked a few screws loose," I surmised with a shrug.


    "Well, that''s everything I know...and I''d like you to track down whoever''s behind this and kill them on the spot. Of course, do things as you always do, make sure to record the whole thing. And there''s really no time to waste, so I''d like you to begin tonight," She requested with a grimace, "It shouldn''t be too hard, just use the signal from Sofia''s I-Watch to track her and her captors down."


    "Yeah, I don''t know about this...," I trailed off uncertainly, before adding, "In the first place, my face is among the most recognizable in the Sanctuary right now, should I really be the one to do this? And second, this whole thing is giving me a really bad feeling, so I''d prefer to stay away from the issue entirely."


    "Oh, it''ll be fine! And as for recognizability, wear a disguise! Maybe get glasses with a different colored and shaped framed, cut off that blonde streak in your hair and wear an outfit that''s different to your usual style," She suggested, after mulling it over.


    "I absolutely will not cut off my blonde streak, but I guess the glasses thing is fine...I suppose I could wear a wig to cover my hair. But overall, I''m leaning more towards refusing, and it''s not like you can force me since the fact that I''m an Anomaly is no longer a secret," I replied objectively.


    "But maybe I can persuade you...how about this, if you can complete this Mission, I''ll talk to the Academy and get you a couple of days off for the next two or three days...what do you say?" She suggested, looking a bit desperate.


    Normally, I''d scoff at such an insignificant offer...but right now, some distance from the Academy might be necessary for me, what with Asshole being all creepy, me forced to work with Bytra and Asshole being all creepy...what, I mentioned one of those twice? Yeah, no shit, it''s called emphasis!


    Wow, I got this worked up just from thinking about that? Yeah, okay, I definitely need some distance from the Academy, even a couple of days would be great...I need some time to mentally prepare myself to face my current issues with those certain classmates of mine.


    "You know, what? Fine...I accept your proposal. Get me the rest of the week off from Academy classes and I''ll get this done...I''ll kill whoever''s behind this and save Sofia...if she''s still alive when I find her, that is," I responded, after mulling it over.


    "Great! Normally, I''d send an Ace, but we''re stretched way thin thanks to the expansion projects we''re currently carrying out outside the Sanctuary, we need the Aces to protect the builders," Explained Director Silva.


    Oh, right, I think I remember Kilella mentioning something about that a few days ago.


    "Wait, what about Kumar? He''s still in the Sanctuary," I pointed out.


    "Well, yes, he is...but, uh...my brother''s abilities and general approach aren''t exactly...suited for covert Missions like this one," She replied, averting her gaze sheepishly.


    Yeah...I can''t argue with that.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 123 - 122 - South Quadrant Conundrum(Part 2)

    "Wow...you look absolutely amazing," Remarked Director Silva, before stifling a laugh and trying to pass it off as a cough.


    "I hate you...so fucking much, right now," I growled in response.


    We''d agreed that it would be a bad idea for me to go as myself, a disguise was going to be essential for this Mission...she then suggested that I go back home and get all my equipment ready, and that she''d take care of the disguise and help me get into it.


    So I went back home, got changed and equipped myself, before making my way back to the X-Warrior Zone and to her office. And that''s when I realized that I should have just handled it myself. Because she''d decided to disguise me as a girl.


    I adamantly refused to wear a dress or skirt, much to her dismay, but she eventually got me to agree to the wig and makeup by promising me a month''s worth of supply of desserts from Delectables.


    And now, I''ve got on a long, straight black haired wig on my head that went halfway down my back, covered my forehead and went down to my shoulders in the front.


    My face feels really uncomfortable with makeup on...admittedly, it wasn''t a lot, just lipstick and something brushed over the rest of my face, but I had this overwhelming urge to rub my face and clean it off, it was really irritating.


    To finish the disguise, I wore a pair of square glasses with a white metal frame. After she finished, she held up a mirror to show me the results, and I had to admit, I definitely looked very different, I highly doubt anyone would recognize me like this...but it was also extremely embarrassing and kinda horrifying.


    "Seriously, though, you might be even cuter than Kilella right now!" Laughed Director Silva.


    The worst part is that she isn''t being sarcastic..it''s mortifying to admit this, but looking at my reflection objectively...I would call it attractive, and in a feminine way. Admitting that felt like my pride just took a major hit.


    "Please stop talking...I hate this so much," I groaned in dismay.


    "Oh, don''t be like that...here, put this on," She replied, handing me a sleeveless purple hoodie, "I figured you''d refuse to wear anything too girly, so I brought this. Zip it up, otherwise your chest might give away the fact that you''re not a woman. But your arms are nice and toned without being overly muscular, so show them off."


    "...is this what it feels like to be objectified?" I sighed in exasperation, "But fine, I''ll put this on, since I probably shouldn''t wear the same outfit that I''ve always got on."


    "I''ve been wondering about that, actually...you always wear the same thing, but it always looks clean," She said with narrowed eyes.


    "Because I have multiple sets of the same thing, obviously," I replied with a frown.


    What, did she think I was wearing the exact same clothes every single day without washing them?


    "...why, though?" She inquired in bemusement.


    "None of your business...also, I''m about to change now, so mind turning around or something?" I sighed.


    "Hm? Why, though? You said you aren''t going to change your trousers since you refuse to wear a skirt, so you''ll only be changing your top, right?" She responded with an innocent tilt of her head, her lips quivering slightly as she tried her best to keep a straight face.


    "Regardless, I''d still be more comfortable if you weren''t staring at me while I change," I muttered as my right eyebrow twitched a bit, starting to get annoyed.


    "Fine, when you put it that way, I guess..."


    Is it just me or she becoming less and less professional around me? She definitely used to be a lot more formal with me than she is now, and I''m not sure how to feel about that.


    I finished getting changed with a sigh and looked at myself in her hand-mirror...I definitely look like a girl right now, Director Silva had made me wear a choker to hide my Adam''s apple, so there''s no obvious giveaway that I''m a guy. This is very conflicting. Did I already say that? I don''t care.


    "Now for the most important part...your voice and mannerisms. Though I suppose you could pass for a tomboy, so the latter isn''t that important...but your voice definitely is. You''ll attract unwanted attention if your voice is too masculine, don''t want anyone to realize that you''re cross dressing. Alright, give me your best girly voice!" She prompted me encouragingly...she''s enjoying this way too much.


    I''d like to think that I''m pretty good at imitating voices, I tend to do so out of boredom sometimes, but I don''t know for sure since I''ve never gotten a third party''s opinion on it before...because it''d be too embarrassing.


    Okay, she asked for a girly voice, I''m guessing that means more on the high-pitched side...but I''ll probably sound annoying if I overdo it. Maybe if I think of someone as a reference...from all the girls I know, the one who has the softest voice is...probably Seila.


    This should be easier if I imagine it as playing a character. I''ll try imitating her tone and way of speaking, let''s see if it works...


    "Okay, here I go...," I remarked, before clearing my throat and closing my eyes as I got into character, before opening them and speaking in a soft, slightly timid voice, "Um, is this okay? I''ve never done this before, so-."


    "Holy crap! That was adorable! A top notch girl voice, I''m seriously impressed!" She exclaimed in genuine awe, clapping her hands.


    And I want the ground to swallow me up and disappear. This is mortifying. Kill me...kill me now.


    "No one ever finds out about this...or I won''t be held responsible for what I might do," I warned her, in my usual voice.


    "Right...I won''t tell a soul. It''s still a bit early, you can go in about half an hour, teleport from here straight to the South Quadrant, into the Teleportation Point closest to where Sofia''s I-Watch signal is coming from. I''ll notify the attendants, and I''ll make sure your I-Watch registers an anonymous log, so that no one will know that it''s you. Is that okay?" She asked.


    "Fine, I guess that works," I sighed in reply, my shoulders slumping in defeat.


    So, then, for now, I wait...


    ...


    "I think it''s about time, don''t you?" Said Director Silva, as the clock struck 8 PM.


    "I mean, it''s still pretty early, but sure, I don''t mind getting an early start," I replied with a shrug.


    "Don''t forget the voice."


    "Yeah, yeah, I know."


    "Alright, click on the link I''m sending you, it''ll download an app that''ll let you track Sofia''s I-Watch location. Oh, and the app will delete itself after twenty-four hours, just so you know," She informed me, "So if you''re still on the case twenty-four hours later, I''ll send you a second link to re-download the app."


    "Got it...now, come on, let''s do this. The sooner I get it over with, the better," I remarked impatiently.


    "Fine, fine, I''ll teleport you now...seriously, though, don''t forget the voice."


    If I respond, this''ll just drag on even further...so instead, I walked over to the teleportation platform, as she began linking it to the Teleportation Point in the South Quadrant and then activated it, teleporting me away.


    I then reappeared on a different teleportation platform, the attendant looking up as I appeared...there were a couple of guards outside, armed with X-Weapons...so, they''re not Prodigies, huh?


    "Anonymous ID...," Muttered the attendant with a frown, as he looked at the logs, before his eyes widened in realization, "Ah, you must have been sent by Director Silva, right?"


    Okay, time to see how convincing my altered voice really is...


    "Yes, um, that''s right."


    The less I say, the better...minimizing the chances of me slipping up is crucial, and talking as little as possible is a key part of that. No matter what, I can never let anyone find out that I did this. The cross-dressing, I mean.


    Just think about the months'' worth of supply of Delectables'' desserts that the director promised me in exchange for this...mm, okay I can do this.


    I soon left the Teleportation Point, without any issues and began heading in the direction that Sofia''s I-Watch was at, when suddenly, a group of people turned the corner and one of them bumped into me, nearly knocking me over.


    "So sorry about that, are you okay?" Inquired the person who bumped into me...wait a sec, that voice is kinda familiar...


    I glanced up, to see...Lin standing in front of me, with a look of concern. She was with an older couple, probably her parents, I''m assuming. They had a bunch of suitcases with them, looks like they''re moving out of the South Quadrant, which Director Silva said was happening with a lot of the residents here.


    "Um, yes, I''m fine...sorry, I should have been watching where I was going," I apologized with a polite bow of my head, keeping my gaze down to prevent her from getting a good look at my face.


    "Nah, it''s fine, no harm done! Hm, though I have to say...you look a bit familiar. Have we met before?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes at me.


    Uh-oh. Okay, just stay calm, no need to panic...


    "Hm? I...don''t think so?" I replied, putting on a tone of uncertainty, before adding, "Um, please excuse me, but I''m in a bit of a hurry."


    "Oh, sure...take care, it''s dangerous out there!" She warned me, as she walked away with a friendly wave of her hand.


    Man, how is that girl able to talk so naturally to a stranger? Well, anyway, that was a close one, I better hurry...I''m about five kilometers from the location shown in the app that was tracking Sofia''s I-Watch, it shouldn''t take me too long to get there if I go through the alleyways and stuff.


    After making sure that no one was in sight, I set myself a Save point and then quietly slunk into an alley and made my way through it, while keeping an eye on the map I was following.


    I have to say, I highly doubt that Sofia is in the same location as her I-Watch. The previous X-Warriors who disappeared, except for the first one, all of them started by tracking the I-Watch location of the one who previously disappeared, including Sofia...and now, I''m doing the same.


    In other words, whoever''s behind this knows that we can track the I-Watches and has been using them as bait...otherwise they''d have just destroyed the devices right away, in order to avoid being caught. But they doesn''t care about that, at least no primarily...so, then, what''s their objective?


    Killing X-Warriors for the thrill of it? Definitely a possibility...in which case, this person is either really strong, or outnumbered their targets, or used something like tranquilizers or sleeping gas. And I doubt that covers all of the possible explanations.


    What I''m most curious about right now, though, is why''d they have Sofia kill Ze-Ro? Maybe it''s someone whose family was killed during the Wight attack and they''re blaming the X-Warriors for failing to prevent it? Yeah, that''s possible too.


    But I don''t have any evidence to prove any of that...so it''s all just speculation. What isn''t speculation though, is the fact that everyone who investigated this case before me disappeared while tracking down the I-Watch locations of the one that disappeared before them...which means that when I get to this location, something''s bound to happen. And-.


    "Well, lookie here...what''s a cute little thing like you doing in a place like this?" Suddenly came a voice from ahead of me, interrupting my thought process.


    Tch, and I really felt like I was getting somewhere with my current line of thought too. Looks like a gang of five thugs, they were carrying X-Weapons and had some blood splatter on their clothes...blood that didn''t look like it belonged to them.


    Whatever, they''re not why I''m here, so if they don''t mess with me, I''m willing to ignore them. But...it doesn''t look like that''s going to happen...


    "Aw, what''s the matter, girly, cat got your tongue?" Inquired one of them, approaching me with a sleazy grin on his face.


    Alright, fine, I guess I can spare a minute to take out this trash...it''s a good thing I switched back to my own glasses before coming here. Right before I left the X-Warrior Zone, I realized that the pair of glasses Director Silva had gotten for the disguise wouldn''t have the recording function that my own glasses do.


    I tapped the side of my frame to begin recording, as the man put a hand on my shoulder, his rancid breath and body odor invading my personal space. Tch, how disgusting.


    I swiftly grabbed his wrist and broke it with a violent twist, eliciting a shriek of pain from him, before I knocked him out with a powerful knee strike to the midsection, as he let out a sharp gasp and collapsed limply onto the ground, losing consciousness.


    "Don''t presume to touch me with those filthy hands, you disgusting piece of shit," I scoffed in disgust, imitating a more dramatic version of Suri''s tone of voice, before turning my attention to the others, who all looked pretty furious, glaring at me with their rotten eyes, "I''ll warn you once, step aside if you don''t want to get hurt. I refuse to waste my precious time on lowlife scum like you pieces of trash...so get in my way and I''ll kill you."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 124 - 123 - South Quadrant Conundrum(Part 3)

    "Huh? Who do you think you are, cunt!?" Exclaimed one of the remaining four thugs.


    "Heh, I think I like her spunk...yeah, imma make her my bitch," Declared one of the others with a lustful smirk.


    So gross, I''ve got a newfound respect for women that have to put up with catcalls and stuff like that. Ugh, I can feel my skin crawl, he''s practically drooling with list...some of the others seemed to have more...murderous intentions, though. Well, either way, they''re all scum...and they''re not worth my time. So if they waste any more of my time...I''ll just kill them.


    "Fine, I''ll warn you once more, which is more than what you lowlives deserve...get out of my way or I''ll kill you," I warned them, maintaining my dramatized imitation of Suri, taking a step forward.


    "You need to learn you place, you arrogant little b-...!" Began one of them, blocking my path and starting to grab my shoulder.


    Before he could, I caught his wrist and threw him over my shoulder with a swift flick, eliciting a gasp of pain from him as his back slammed onto the ground behind me, before a loud crunch echoed out as I slammed my foot onto the side of his neck, snapping it like a twig.


    "No...you''re the one that need to learn your place," I replied icily, as the remaining three surrounded me.


    I don''t have time for this shit...here''s hoping none of them have the Dark Attribute. I pulled out one of my poison smoke bombs and dropped it, as it exploded the instant it hit the ground, smoke rapidly filling the alleyway as they let out alarmed yells and backed away, but they couldn''t outrun it.


    And within seconds, all of them were on their knees, coughing and struggling to get up. Good, they''re all getting affected, which means that none of them have Dark Attribute XFE. Well, guess I should get going.


    "W-wait, you won''t g-get away with th-," Began one of them weakly, grabbing my ankle, before I cut him off by taking one of my X-Blasters out of the hoodie I was wearing and firing a shot at his head, killing him.


    "Much better. I thought I warned you, get in my way and I''ll kill you...those of you that are still alive, come at me if you want to die too...otherwise, just writhe on the ground like the maggots that you are," I remarked as I walked away, bringing up the map again...no changes on this end.


    Let''s get back to the task at hand, shall we...


    ...


    Alright, I''m here, at the location where the signal from Sofia''s I-Watch is coming from. Looks like this area had been hit especially hard when the Wights infiltrated and attacked, the buildings has sustained heavy damage and I could see some small traces of dried bloodstains on the street.


    It was also a fair bit darker than other areas, since most of the lampposts around were broken. Not a problem for me though, since my glasses have a night vision function. Also, a lot of thugs around. I was getting stared at a lot, but so far, none of them had approached me after that earlier group-...and never mind, I spoke too soon. Damn it.


    "Out for a walk, young lady?" Inquired a dirty looking man with a long, messy beard, he was followed by seven others, who had me surrounded.


    They had X-Weapons pointed at me, mostly gun types. It should be okay if I kill them, right? I mean, I''m recording all this, so it should be enough evidence that I acted in self-defense, just like with the last group in that alley.


    "We don''t necessarily gotta take your life, you understand...but we will take everything else, yes, we will. Unless you want things to get rough, and I really hope that you do...take off your clothes, girl," Remarked one of the others with a smug grin.


    "Nah, what are we gonna do with her clothes? Be more adventurous, man. I''ve got a better idea...hey, sweetheart, how about you get on your knees and give me some head? Let''s see what that mouth can do," Suggested the bearded one...with a visible erection.


    ...okay, yeah...I''m killing them...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Now, then...how do I go about doing this? Ooh, maybe I could experiment a bit with Tier Three. What if I switch their heads up? Hey, now that could be interesting.


    Okay...how do I do this? Hm, guess I''ll first remove all their heads.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>...," I chanted, before focusing on the ground, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    I repeated that process till all their heads were on the ground. And then...I used Cut and Paste again, to put the heads back onto the bodies...but I couldn''t remember which heads came from which bodies, oops, how careless of me. Oh, well.


    "And now...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    The moment I resumed the flow of time, all of them collapsed immediately, the light rapidly fading from their eyes.


    All the others in the area were a lot more alert now and had their attention firmly locked onto me now, standing up with widened eyes. I then walked over to the bearded man, who lay on the ground as lifelessly at the rest.


    "Hm, what''s the matter? You asked for some head, did I do it wrong or something?" I inquired innocently, before letting out a scoff and walking away, after giving his corpse a firm kick.


    Hm, used up a bit more XFE for that than I should have...I''ve still got plenty left though, so it''s fine. Now, then, that''s enough wasting time, and after that showing, I doubt anyone else in this area is going to give me any trouble. Alright, looks like that''s the building where the signal is coming from...looks like an abandoned bowling alley.


    It wasn''t nearly as badly damaged as some of the other buildings around, but it clearly hadn''t been used in several weeks, definitely not since the Wights attacked. The front doors were broken in, so I won''t have any trouble getting inside...but before I do, it might be a good idea to get some intel...


    I glanced around, before locking my gaze onto a man who was staring at me from an alley. Huh...I think I''ve found myself a target. He flinched as my gaze met his, before turning around and beginning to run away as I gestured to him to come here. He''s not getting away...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>, aaand...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    "H-huh, what the-...!?" He began to exclaim in a panic.


    "Answer my questions or I''ll kill you. Understood?" I remarked bluntly.


    "Y-yes, okay! D-don''t kill me, please!" He pleaded in terror.


    "I''ll keep my word if you tell me what I want to know. Let''s start with this...are all of you here working together or individually? In other words, are you all involved in organized crime?" I inquired, getting straight to the point.


    "Y-yeah, th-that''s right. Well, not at first, but...then HE showed up a-and organized all of us."


    "And who''s HE?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.


    "None of us h-have seen his face...h-he approached all of us from behind, pressing a weapon t-to our backs and then convinced us to work for him...a-anyone who betrays him dies."


    "What kind of weapon did he use? And how did he kill those that betrayed him?" I pressed him impatiently.


    "I-if I tell you, he''ll kill me too, and I-!" He started to respond in fear.


    Tch, stop wasting my time...!


    "And if you don''t tell me, I''ll kill you right this very moment, understand?" I warned him in a cold, threatening voice, "Talk. Now."


    "I-it was a metal weapon, l-like a knife or something, it wasn''t an X-Weapon, th-that''s all I know! N-no one''s seen him kill, b-but anyone who''s ever shown dissent has wound up s-stabbed to death at home or in an alley somewhere."


    "I see...when you say you work for him, what kind of work do you usually do?"


    "N-nothing major, actually...h-he just tells us which areas to stir up commotion in, other than that...he tells us to do as we please for the most part."


    "If you''ve never seen him like you say...how does he communicate his commands?" I asked suspiciously.


    "W-with these...," He replied, holding up a device, "None of us wear I-Watches a-anymore since those can be used to track us, s-so we communicate with these instead."


    Oh, I recognize those, they''re communication devices that use a special encryption that can''t be cracked without the decryption key, they were banned a couple of years ago because they were resulting in a few small instances of organized crime, and the governments agreed that they should snuff out that possibility while it was still a minor issue, and that''s what they did.


    Should I ask him how they got their hands on these devices? No, that''s hardly relevant to my investigation, I need to stay on topic...


    "Tell me, did this person particularly order the murders of innocent people or was that just you guys ''doing as you please''?"


    "It w-was, um...a combination of both, I suppose. He did tell us to do as we please...but he also did encourage that we kill people," He replied, averting his gaze.


    Is he lying? Or just feeling guilty? Doesn''t matter, I suppose, I''ll just try and get as much information as I can, there''s no way for me to immediately prove whether or not what he says is true.


    "Okay, moving on...now I have some questions about this building," I remarked, nodding at the rundown bowling alley and narrowing my eyes at him, "Tell me, would you happen to have any idea why I want to know about this building in particular? Lie to me and I''ll kill you."


    "I-I won''t lie! Th-this place is...where X-Warriors snooping around have disappeared in. The first one th-that showed up, we were told to feed him information to lure him i-into this building...since then, I-I''ve seen several others enter and never come out. He ordered us to never enter the building ourselves...three of the others thought he was just bluffing and went in...a-and then, the next day, we found their heads in the trashcans outside the building. Th-that''s honestly all that I know, I swear!"


    I don''t think he''s lying, he''s too afraid of dying to risk it. I doubt I can get much more information out of him anyway.


    "Alright, then...you can go now. Congratulations, you managed to hang on to your life. For now, anyway," I remarked, gesturing for him to leave.


    "Wh-what''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Take my advice and turn yourself in, pass that along to the rest as well. See, my target for today is whoever your boss is...but next time, I might be targeting the rest of you. And if that happens, I can assure you that it''ll be an absolute massacre," I remarked with a murderous smirk, before adding tauntingly, "Disregard my warning at your own peril."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 125 - 124 - South Quadrant Conundrum(Part 4)

    Alright...I''m in. Heh, I''ve always wanted to say that. Well, not that I actually said it out loud, but you know what I mean. Well, anyway, first impression...it''s super dark in here. Which is to expected, so it''s a good thing I''ve got my night vision to rely on.


    Still, I have to admit...this place is more than a little creepy. Dust everywhere, it smells kinda musty and I could see spiders on the walls, along with plenty of other bugs. It doesn''t look like anyone else is here...but I can''t afford to let my guard down.


    For now, I''ll keep making my way towards where the signal is coming from. I headed deeper into the building as I followed the map on my I-Watch, my senses on high alert, watching my surroundings carefully as I made my way to the signal...okay, I''m here...but I don''t see anything.


    I was in a clear area, as it there weren''t any pillars or chairs or anything, just an empty patch of floor. The answer was pretty obvious and didn''t take me long to figure out...I''m in the right spot but on the wrong floor. This is a single-story building, and I doubt it''s on the roof, which means...I need to go down to the basement level.


    But I''d rather not scramble about through the dark till I find a way down, so instead...I''ll just cut straight down. Hm, just in case someone''s down there, I better freeze time. Also, I probably don''t want to drop down straight onto the spot where the I-Watch signal is coming from and end up landing on the watch and breaking it.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>...next, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted as I focused on the floor, taking out a round piece of it to create a hole, before dropping the removed part off to the side, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    I then cautiously dropped into the hole, landing inside a dusty room...that smelt terrible, making me gag. What the hell is this rancid odor, it''s-...I then stiffened as I looked around and immediately saw the cause.


    A bunch of heavily rotting corpses, piled up on the floor. I-I feel sick...they''ve all been cut apart and tortured severely...some of the corpses were really small, those must have been children. Dozens of flies were in the air around their lifeless, torn-apart bodies, rats were chewing on their rancid flesh, their rodent feet covered in coagulated blood.


    And on the wall behind the pile of corpses, were a few people shackled with chains, all in bad condition. Since time was frozen, I couldn''t say for sure whether they were alive or not, but it doesn''t look like they''re rotting, at the very least.


    They had definitely been tortured though. Their fingernails were missing, they had cuts and bruises all over their bodies and there was a table filled with a bunch of tools, like knives and screwdrivers and whatnot.


    Actual torture tools can''t be found in the Sanctuary...well, except for in the secret underground prison, but that''s far from accessible to the public.


    Hm? Wait, is that Sofia? Yeah, it is...she looks even worse than she did in the security footage that Director Silva showed me. And her I-Watch is on that table...I wasn''t expecting this, for both her and the watch to be in the same place. But why? It doesn''t make sense...


    This person who''s been manipulating the lowlife thugs around here...just what the hell are they after? This...this is beyond messed up, whoever did this...will pay.


    I then heard a slight scratch behind me, snapping me out of it...probably a bug or a rat-...no, wait, time is froz-...the instant I realized that fact, I quickly turned around and sprang back as I inaudibly chanted Play, right as a small cut appeared on my face...but there was no one there.


    Now I get it...so that''s what going on here. This explains a lot. I closed my eyes and focused my ears...there, to my right! I swung my foot out to the right...and struck something, before a loud crash echoed out as the table with the makeshift torture tools broke in half.


    And since I struck him, he came in view the moment I connected...after all, Anomalies aren''t affected by the abilities of other Anomalies. So once I heard him, I had him...because his intangibility wouldn''t make a difference against me.


    And the bottoms of his feet wouldn''t be intangible, otherwise he''d just fall through the floor...I''m guessing they''re intangible when he lifts them, but become tangible again when he takes a step, and that''s how I knew where he was...


    "Been a while, Wight. It all makes sense now...back then, you never left, did you?" I remarked, speaking in my normal voice, pulling off my wig as I drew out one of my X-Blades and activated it, before pointing the edge at his throat, "Come to think of it, I never did catch your name."


    "Hmph, I go by Aku...I like the new look, time stopper," He greeted me with a smirk.


    "Fuck off. Now, then, I''ve got some questions for you. If you don''t want to answer, that''s fine, I''ll just lob your head right off," I replied, pressing the energy blade to his neck, drawing out a bit of blood.


    He probably isn''t going to talk too easily, and since he''s an Anomaly I can''t use Cut and Paste to capture him. How do I get him to talk and-?


    "Fine, I''ll talk. I''d rather not die right now, it''s a bad time," He responded, shrugging.


    Is he implying that there are good times to die? Okay, yeah, his reaction is more than a little suspicious...but I might as well make use of this opportunity, suspicious or not...


    "Alright, then...tell me everything you''ve done since the last time we met. I''ll kill you if you fuck around and give me trivial information, got that?" I warned him.


    "Of course...after I escaped, I helped the other Wights escape, and then hung back here, to stir up trouble, so to speak, as I''m sure you''ve found out from the fools I''ve been using. After that it was just a matter of waiting till conditions were ripe for luring your so-called X-Warriors here, so that I could capture and extract information from them. Oh, but I plan to leave soon, that ''vacuum layer'' that''s being added to the defenses of this so-called Sanctuary is something I''d like to avoid getting trapped in," He replied with a wry smile.


    He''s pretty sharp...at first glance it seemed like he was giving me some pretty significant information, but none of what he said would have been impossible to deduce just by thinking about it carefully. I''ll let it slide, but now it''s time to get more specific...


    "Then tell me, why''d you kill these innocent people, including small children?" I inquired coldly, pushing my X-Blade more firmly against his neck.


    "Two reasons...the first was to help lure X-Warriors here as soon as possible, and I figured that civilians disappearing without a trace would be the best way to do that. And the second reason...I was bored. You called these people innocent, but as far as I''m concerned, not a single one of you sheltered humans are innocent, you''re all-!" He began to snap, losing his cool towards the end.


    "Shut up," I interrupted icily, tightening the grip on the handle of my X-Blade as a bead of sweat ran down my face, a slight headache bothering me, "You said you''ve been extracting information...have you been sending that information to the other Wights? If so...how?"


    He hesitated for a moment...before replying...


    "I suppose it won''t hurt to tell you, all things considered."


    Hm? What things considered, exactly? What''s he talking about?


    "We have an Anomaly, as you humans call it, that can form telepathic links with another, a link that isn''t affected by any amount of distance and can last indefinitely. I was already linked the first time you encountered me, and...I still am," He answered with a smirk.


    I...really don''t think he''s lying right now. But, then...why? It doesn''t make sense, why''s he giving up such a valuable piece of information so easily? I doubt he''s doing so just for the sake of survival, like Hebi did...then, what-...suddenly, my vision blurred and I found myself stumbling back as twinges of pain erupted throughout my body...


    "Wh-what the hell...?" I gasped weakly, collapsing onto my knees.


    "Oh, looks like it finally worked, I can''t believe it took so long to kick in," He remarked with a laugh, letting out a sigh of relief before standing up and knocking away my X-Blade, and then picking up his own blade...the one that had grazed me when I evaded him while he was invisible.


    Damn it...that blade must have been coated in poison....SHIT! It feels like my consciousness is starting to fade, my vision is darkening...


    "It''s a shame, I''d have liked to torture you a bit before you die, but I suppose that''s being greedy...don''t worry, your heart should stop beating within a couple of minutes, at most," He remarked condescendingly, before muttering to himself, "After this, I''ll need to find a way to kill that damned traitor Hebi and then get the hell out of this place."


    Fuck...fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!! How could I get so careless!? So that''s why he answered my questions so freely...he was buying time for the poison to kick in. He gave me the information I wanted because he thought I wouldn''t survive long enough to tell anyone.


    Well, I don''t want to die...so here goes, I''ve never tried this with another Anomaly present, so I don''t even know if it''ll work...but if it doesn''t, I''ll die for sure, so I''ve got nothing to lose...


    "You...will...pay for this...," I growled weakly, before chanting, "<Activate...Anomaly, Tier...One:...Load>!"


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Huh, what do you know...it worked. I was back, to where I''d been just after I ran into Lin. Wish I could have used Cut and Paste to drop something on that Wight''s head, but I didn''t want to risk taking too much time and end up succumbing to the poison, and that aside, my vision was so dark and blurry that I wouldn''t have been able to focus well enough to activate Cut anyway.


    Well, this answers a lot of questions. Including why the logs in the Teleportation Points that Sofia used were erased. It wasn''t simply that Sofia didn''t know that security cameras were there, because she probably did...no, I''m betting that Aku was with her, invisible and with his blade to her back to keep her from getting away.


    And the Teleportation Logs were deleted because he didn''t want anyone to see that Sofia hadn''t teleported alone, he wanted to hide his presence. When a teleportation platform is used, the number of people that teleported is included in the logs.


    And thinking back, there were times in the security footage that the director showed me where it looked like she was talking to someone, but we never did spot any earpiece communicators.


    Now it makes sense, she was talking to the person right behind her all along. And it''s pretty obvious why Aku wanted Ze-Ro dead...he must have found out from one of the X-Warriors he captured that Ze-Ro had begun leaking intel to us, so took him out before he could give away anything too sensitive.


    Actually, I''m willing to bet that Sofia is the one who cracked and told him...now that think about it, she wasn''t tortured nearly as bad as the other bodies I saw in there.


    Director Silva did say that she''s one of her most trusted subordinates...Aku must have realized that Sofia has more sensitive knowledge that the others he''d captured, and went easy on the torture as a result, to avoid breaking her and losing her as a source of information.


    And-...no, wait, I can''t just stand around here deducing all this, I can do that later...for now, I need to get back to that bowling alley, right now...!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 126 - 125 - South Quadrant Conundrum(Part 5)

    Point-of-View: Aku


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Huh? What the...? I blinked, and then suddenly, I found myself standing in a different spot. What''s more...the time stopper isn''t here. What the hell just happened, how did I-...the hole in the ceiling, it''s gone.


    And the table isn''t broken...no way, don''t tell me...I walked over to the table and picked up Sofia''s watch, checking the time...no doubt about it, it should definitely be later than this.


    I...I must have been sent back in time, that''s the only explanation. No, it''s more like I got dragged back...the time stopper must have gone back in time, and I was inadvertently pulled along too. How...terrifying.


    Had I not been nearby, I likely would not remember any of this, who knows how many times he has rewinded time...who knows, maybe we''ve defeated the Sanctuary already, only for him to undo it. He alone may well be a bigger threat to us than the entirety of the rest of the Sanctuary.


    I then shook my head and focused, slapping the sides of my face...I shouldn''t stay here, he must be on his way here again, and this time, he might be coming with reinforcements...it looks like it''s finally about time for me to leave the Sanctuary, even if, by some off-chance, I can defeat him again and whoever he comes with, it''ll become so much more difficult for me to operate now that they know I''m here.


    And besides, if he can literally go back in time, I might be fighting an impossible battle. Sneaking up to him clearly won''t work, his senses are too sharp. Hm, wait a second, why did he go back this much? Why not about five to ten minutes? I wonder how this ability works, there must be some restrictions-...no, unfortunately, I don''t have time to think about it.


    I won''t push my luck any further, I''m leaving right now. I turned invisible and intangible, starting to leave, before glancing at the chained humans, the only ones still alive...should I kill Sofia?


    No, I think I''ll spare her...I got a lot of information from her, but I didn''t tell her a single thing about myself or any of my brethren. So while she may survive, which isn''t guaranteed in her current condition, all she''ll be left with if she does is a sense of guilt over betraying her kind...that should be worse than death.


    She won''t have a single thing to offer them, not even the most trivial bit of information...speaking of which, I''m starting to deeply regret giving the time stopper as much information as I did...but how was I supposed to know that he can time travel as well!?


    Forget it, there''s no sense in worrying about what''s already done-...or rather, what will happen-...no, what hasn''t happened yet-...this is confusing. Screw it, I gain nothing by figuring out the technicalities, time for me to leave...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Kilzachs


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I was pleasantly surprised when Load actually worked despite the presence of another Anomaly...but that was short-lived, now that I see what the catch was. It''d been about ten minutes since I arrived at the bowling alley...again. And there was no sign of Aku.


    So, looks like I finally know exactly what happens when I use Load while another Anomaly is present...they get to retain their memories of the time I undid by going back to my last Save point. This is bad...the Wights will now know that I can travel back in time.


    Interestingly enough, Aku had spared Sofia and the other people that he had chained up...I''m guessing that once he realized the fact that he''d been sent back in time, he probably figured that I''d be back but had no idea when that''d be...so he must have left pretty much as soon as we went back in time.


    Should I try using Load again and see if I can cut him off somehow? No, too risky...he probably won''t know that it happened again, but he probably will still remember our first encounter in the bowling alley, so he''ll still know about my time travel powers.


    Not to mention, I don''t have a plan for getting around his invisibility. The Nullification Wave would probably work, but only if he''s within range...so in all likelihood, it''d be nothing more than a wild goose chase on my part.


    And the bigger concern is the uncertainty...more often than not, when I use Load multiple times to go back to the same Save point, things rarely work out the same as they did in the previous attempt. If I go back again, there''s a chance he might kill these people before leaving this time around.


    It isn''t worth the risk...and besides, considering the distance between where I was at the current Save point and this place, he''ll have plenty of time to get away...even if I freeze time, I''ve already used up more than half my XFE, so I probably won''t even be able to maintain it for five minutes.


    Even running at full speed, it''d take me a good fifteen minutes to get here from there, at the very least. Well, I suppose that I should get these people out of here and to a hospital. Besides Sofia, three others are alive, a young man and woman, and a kid who looked like he was around ten or eleven.


    They were all unconscious and weak, none of them even budging as I used an X-Blade to cut through their shackles. How did that Wight get these chains and shackles? It looks like they''ve been nailed to the walls pretty crudely, he must have taken them off a fence or something.


    Oh, these shackles are made of rubber...though metal wire had been tightly wrapped around them to keep the captives from slipping out of it. Alright, guess I should leave now, no sense in hanging around this creepy place any longer.


    I then used Pause to freeze time and slowly linked up the arms of the survivors and then pulled them along with me, taking them up to the ground floor of the bowling alley. In order to keep my time traveling powers hidden, I made sure to make my way over here as naturally as possible the second time around.


    No one bothered me this time though...because of the small group of thugs that had suddenly fallen into vegetative states. Yeah, the ones whose heads I swapped with each other. With that serving as a commotion, I was able to make my way to the bowling alley pretty easily.


    And once I got here, I froze time before using Cut to form another hole in the floor to drop down into the basement room where the corpses and captives were being kept.


    This way, I can say that I encountered Aku while time was frozen, restrained him and got some information out of him, and he then managed to break out of my grasp, turned invisible and retreated...and that I didn''t go after him because it was too risky in the dark and I could have wound up giving him an opportunity to kill me instead.


    Yeah, that works. No plotholes that I can think of, anyway. I can mull it over and flesh it out a bit more on the way back, but no matter what, I''m not revealing that I went back in time. My powers may be public knowledge now, but something told me that my time traveling power is a factor that I need to keep hidden.


    The Wights may know now, but there''s no helping that...I did reason before that revealing my powers in the Sanctuary became necessary once I realized that the Wights know about my powers, since it doesn''t make sense for my enemies to know something about me that my ''allies'' don''t...yeah, calling the people in the Sanctuary my allies feels weird, since I''ve probably more unpleasant encounters than pleasant ones.


    Anyway, I have a feeling that revealing my time traveling power would be problematic...even if it''s just to Director Silva, I''m still hesitant. I mean, I''d be wary and suspicious as hell if I knew someone who could undo anything they do by going back in time with nothing but a small chant.


    I''m determined to never abuse this particular power and do things that I otherwise would never do, but it''s not like anyone can read my mind to confirm that, so it''s too risky to reveal.


    Now, then...I unfroze time using Play and then contacted Director Silva on my I-Watch. After a few seconds, she picked up, sounding a bit surprised...


    "Kilzachs? Don''t tell me you''re done already?"


    "Yeah, I am...in a way things end up easier than I expected, but on the other hand, I had a very unexpected, downright shocking encounter. I''ll tell you all about it later, for now...mind sending someone trustworthy to my current location? I can''t use Cut to transport multiple people simultaneously, only one at a time, and I''d rather not drag them all the way back," I requested.


    "Oh, I see, got it...I''ll send someone right away, at most it shouldn''t take more than half an hour from now...is that okay?"


    "Yeah, that''s fine."


    "Alright, then, we''ll discuss everything you found once you''re back."


    "Yeah...the sooner the better."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 127 - 126 - Report

    "This is...a lot to take in," Remarked Director Silva with a grimace.


    It was about an hour later, and about half an hour ago, Director Silva showed up herself, along with one of the Aces I hadn''t met yet. I didn''t get to talk to them or anything though, since the director sent them to go to the hospital with the victims, while she and I returned to HQ to discuss what I''d found.


    Which worked out great for me, since I was still in disguise and wanted to minimize interactions with others as much as possible, even if I don''t know them. Anyway, after the director and I returned to her office, I gave her the account of what had happened...


    "The criminals in the South Quadrant are out of control, I know you''ve been avoiding sending in a large group of X-Warriors in order to avoid causing a commotion...but I think we''re beyond that now, the fact that people are literally moving out of the quadrant is a good indicator of that. You need to send in large numbers and have them kill or capture the criminals and put an end to this," I surmised, giving her my opinion.


    "It''s not that simple, Kilzachs. We''ve been under immense pressure and dissatisfied criticism from the general public for months now, we have to handle things more delicately and-," She began to argue.


    "Come on, director, you know as well as I do that that''s bullshit...had we snuffed this problem out as soon as it arose, none of this would have happened...there were corpses of children down there, how do you think the general public would react if they found that out?" I pointed out coldly.


    "I-...you''re right. Though I have to admit, I wouldn''t have thought you''d care about this all that much," She responded wryly.


    Actually...I don''t care. Sure, I was pretty shocked and taken aback at the sight of those bodies, but beyond that, I wasn''t affected all that much emotionally speaking.


    It''s more that I''m frustrated at the inefficiency of allowing an enemy to stir up chaos like this for well over a month, completely unchecked...if the Sanctuary falls, I''ll probably die too, and with the current instability in the South Quadrant, we''ve got a glaring weakness. But I can''t say all that, so I''ll act like I care about the victims more than I actually do...


    "Well...I suppose you have a point there. It''s just...seeing those mutilated, rotting bodies kinda triggered me...there was no reason to torture them, that Wight only did so because, by his own admission...he was ''bored''. It''s been nearly six weeks since the Wights attacked, and in that time, he''d been doing whatever he wanted with ease, and your approach of sending a single person to investigate at a time played right into his hands...who knows what kind of information he has about us now?" I pointed out with a sigh.


    After discussing my findings a bit further, I sent her all the footage I recorded and began to leave, when she stopped me with a query.


    "Wait, before you go, there''s something I''d like your opinion on...after we clean up the South Quadrant and restore a sense of normalcy to it, we''ll need to figure out a way to maintain that peace...any suggestions?" She asked me.


    Hm, good point, it certainly doesn''t hurt to think long-term, so long as you don''t get too ahead of yourself...


    "Let me think...oh, how about a police force?" I suggested, after mulling over.


    "Oh?" She responded with a look of intrigue.


    "Yeah, think about it...the Sanctuary has never needed police since I-Watches can be used to keep track of everything that someone does, as well as track them...so any crime committed can be solved almost immediately. But if it''s organized crime, that''s a different story...the criminals in the South Quadrant have stopped wearing their I-Watches at all, to keep from being tracked. So establish a police force, train the applicants to use X-Weapons, make sure that there''s no chance of corruption, and there, that should do it," I concluded with a shrug.


    "You make it sound so simple...well, it''s not going to get done overnight, and we probably shouldn''t even be thinking about it until we first solve all the incidents in the South Quadrant and apprehend everyone that''s responsible. Still, it''s certainly an option worth considering," She replied with a nod of approval, "Thank you, Kilzachs, you''ve given me a lot to think about...oh, and as promised, I''ll see to it that you get the rest of the week off from classes."


    Sweet. That''s all I really wanted from this...


    ...


    ...


    About three days later, while I was busy enjoying my week off from classes, I rejoiced as, finally, I dropped down from the number one trending topic on social media. The topic that replaced me?


    An operation carried out in the South Quadrant...specifically, over a hundred X-Warriors sweeping the place, either culling or capturing the criminals that were running wild. And I was currently watching Director Silva give a press conference, and right as the questions about the operation began to ramp up into sensitive territory, she changed the subject.


    Clever, she must have planned this...she was announcing the implementation of a new project, specifically a Sanctuary-wide police force that anyone could apply for, regardless of whether or not they''re Prodigies or just regular Paragons. The only ones who weren''t allowed to apply were those that were already X-Warriors.


    I''d asked her to leave my name out of it, since I didn''t want anyone to know of my involvement. I don''t care about getting credit or whatever. There''s more than enough attention on me as it is, I''d rather it not get any worse than it already is.


    As for the state of the South Quadrant, all the neglected areas following the Wights'' attack were being rebuilt and cleaned up, and some of the people who''d moved out recently were moving back in, now that the danger was gone.


    On that note, they''d captured over five hundred criminals across two days, they did so by arresting anyone that wasn''t wearing an I-Watch...though the criminals weren''t that hard to find, since a lot of them attacked without a thought as soon as they spotted the X-Warriors.


    Director Silva was avoiding answering any questions regarding the victims that resulted from the period of unrest in the South Quadrant, though that seems pointless to me...a lot of people must have lost their loved ones over the last six weeks or so, not to mention the survivors I found along with Sofia.


    How''s she gonna stop them from talking? Non-disclosure agreements? Would that even work? I mean, if I''d gone through something like that, I think I would be pretty damn pissed off if people tried to cover it up and try to get me to keep quiet about it. But that''s me, and I know that I''m not exactly a normal person, at least not in the way my mind works.


    Anyway, as I watched the press conference on my laptop, my I-Watch buzzed...someone''s calling me, let''s see-...huh? It''s Director Silva...


    "Uh, hello?" I remarked uncertainly, as I answered the call.


    "Hey, Kilzachs. Are you busy right now?" She inquired in reply.


    "Well, no, not really, I guess...but, uh, aren''t you supposed to be in a live conference right now? A conference that I''m literally watching with my own eyes as we speak," I responded in bemusement.


    "Oh, well, you see...after your outburst during the interview at the X-Warrior Championship wrap-up, the broadcasters now air ''live'' footage about ten minutes after being recorded, so that just in case something unexpected happens, they''ll have enough time to respond and cut the feed if necessary. A lot of parents complained after your interview, since you used that, uh...very colorful language," She chuckled in amusement.


    "Right, my bad...though if I went through that again, I''m not sure that I''d do things any differently," I admitted sheepishly.


    "Uh-huh...well, I appreciate your honesty, I suppose."


    "So, uh...why''d you call me?" I asked curiously.


    "Oh, that''s right, I almost forgot...would you mind going to the hospital for a bit?" She responded.


    "What? Why?" I inquired uncertainly.


    "Uh...what''s with the averse tone?" She asked in surprise.


    "I don''t like hospitals. Because they smell like death, they''re always crowded and they''re creepy. Also because they remind me of my mom," I replied with an exasperated sigh.


    Oh, might''ve said a bit too much.


    "Your mother? I know that you had a terrible relationship with your father, but I didn''t know that it was the same with your mother as well."


    "No, not that''s quite accurate...I don''t hate her, definitely not as much as I hated him. It''s more that thinking about her irritates me...she basically treated me like a stranger for the most part, that''s all. But she didn''t actually mistreat me or anything, so it''s not like I have a grudge against her or whatever," I explained, before changing the subject, "Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand...why do you want me to go to the hospital?"


    "It''s not my request actually...Sofia requested it. She''s recovering now and I gave her a report of what you did, and she wants to thank you," Replied the Director.


    "Yeah, no. Tell her that a thank you text or something will be more than enough, I don''t need her gratitude," I refused immediately.


    "Well, sure, I don''t mind telling her that, but...don''t you think it''d benefit you to have more allies among the X-Warriors?" She pointed out in response, before continuing, "She''s a pretty well-respected K-Rank, after all. She''s also close to your age, she''s only been an X-Warrior for a little over a year and a half. And because of her swift rise, she''s been on the receiving end of spite from some X-Warriors, just like you have...though, well, not to the extent that you have, admittedly."


    Hm...she does have a point, I suppose, it''s far from ideal to have the majority of X-Warriors be against me. Swaying one person isn''t going to make that much of a difference, but...I have to start somewhere, I guess. I just hope I don''t regret this...


    "Alright, fine...I''ll go."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 128 - 127 - Conversation

    I regret this already. I''d just stepped into the hospital that Director Silva had specified, a place in the East Quadrant...and it''s super fucking crowded in here. Since the hospitals in the South Quadrant are at capacity thanks to the X-Warriors finding so many tortured and injured people during their sweep of the South Quadrant, a lot of the victims had been moved to hospitals in the other Quadrants.


    There''s so many people here, way too many for my liking, talk about unpleasant. I know which floor and room that Sofia is on, I think I''ll just head up there...the reception desk has a long line of people ahead of it, I can''t be bothered to get in line and get permission to visit or whatever. It should be fine though, the staff here look so overwhelmed and busy that they probably won''t even notice.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>.."


    Ahh, much better...it''s still crowded, of course, but it''s a lot quieter now. I headed for the stairs and walked up, before heading for the room that Director Silva had specified...here it is, this must be it. I opened the door and glanced in, just to make sure it was the right room...yup, looks like it. I then closed the door, unfroze time, and knocked on the door.


    "Who is it? Come in."


    Huh, she asked who I am and then just said ''come in'' without waiting for me to answer? Seems careless, but considering what she''s been through over the last few days, I guess I can''t blame her for being a bit out of it. I opened the door and walked in, feeling a bit awkward.


    "Hi, uh...Director Silva said that you requested that I come here?" I greeted her, as I stepped into the room and shut the door.


    All the cuts and bruises she''d had when I found her were almost completely gone now, though she did have a pretty worn out look in her eyes, with dark circles under her eyelids.


    "Oh, hi. Wait, you mean that you''re the one who saved me?" She inquired in surprise.


    Wait, what?


    "Huh? I, uh...thought you already knew that," I replied uncertainly.


    "Well, no...the report that the director gave me on what happened was detailed and all, but the name of the person who saved me wasn''t included, so no...I didn''t know," She explained.


    "Oh...I did tell her to leave my name out of this incident, but since she told me to come here, I assumed that she must have told you," I sighed wryly...now it feels like I was tricked into coming here, how annoying.


    "When I first asked her to let me thank the person who saved me, she was hesitant, saying that you wanted to keep your involvement a secret. But I then kinda begged and wore her down, so yeah, sorry if this is an inconvenience," She replied sheepishly.


    "Nah, it''s cool, I guess. So, uh, how are you feeling and stuff?" I inquired, a bit awkwardly...small talk isn''t my strong suit, I have no idea what to say in a situation like this.


    "Oh, I''m fine now, thanks for asking. Just a bit dehydrated and some minor wounds that should heal up in no time," She answered, flexing her arm for emphasis.


    "That''s good, uh, I guess...," I responded, not sure what else to say.


    How long do I have to be here before I can leave without it being rude? Normally, I wouldn''t care about stuff like that, but given her current condition, I guess it wouldn''t kill me to be a bit more considerate.


    "Hehe, you can relax, you know," She remarked with a slight laugh, before adding with a smile as she gestured to the chair next to her bed, "No need to look so uncomfortable, why don''t you have a seat?"


    "Oh...I didn''t even notice that," I responded sheepishly, before sitting down.


    Okay...so now what? Do I keep talking? Or do I wait for her to talk? Or-?


    "Wow, if anything, you look even more tense now," She remarked with a chuckle.


    "Yeah, well, I''m not that good at talking with someone that I''ve never spoken to before...well, unless they''re assholes, then I know exactly what to say," I replied with a shrug, "But when it comes to normal, amicable conversation, it''s hard for me until I''m used to the person I''m talking to, I guess."


    Crap, I''m talking way too much now. And am I seriously trying to justify my lack of social skills? What am I doing? Maybe I should just leave...


    "Oh, I totally get that. I was a major introvert when I was a kid, and it wasn''t until high school that I made an effort to become more social, and boy, was that a difficult time. I had so many cringy awkward moments that I want to forget during my efforts to become more extroverted...I still sometimes feel embarrassed to death when I think about some of the things I said and did," She replied with a wistful sigh.


    Oh...well that''s a relief.


    "I see. I haven''t put in any especially significant efforts to improve my social skills, but I definitely see that it''s an important skill to have," I added with a nod.


    "I know, right? If you can''t hold a conversation, you end up an outcast...even something seemingly minor, like saying good morning to someone, can make a big difference in the long run," She responded in agreement.


    As the time ticked by, I found it starting to get easier and easier to talk to her. There were a few moments where I got stuck and didn''t know what to say, but no major bumps. It turns out that she''s really nice...well, or maybe she''s only being nice to me out of gratitude, but I don''t think that''s the case, she seems genuinely nice.


    "By the way, I think I owe you an apology...I know that a lot of X-Warriors have been giving you shit because they think Director Silva''s been showing you favoritism, and well, I can''t deny that I kinda felt the same way too. Now that you''ve revealed you powers, a lot of people should now understand that the director''s reliance on you was justified. And while I get that now too, it doesn''t change the fact that I thought poorly of you because I assumed that you must have gained her favor through less than genuine means," She remarked apologetically, "I''m really sorry."


    "Well, first off, I doubt the director is the type whose favor could be gained through stuff like bribes and whatnot, so if anything, you owe an apology to her, not to me. And second, I don''t think you''ve got anything to apologize for. I mean, it''s not like you ever said or did anything to me, right?" I pointed out with a shrug.


    "I suppose that''s true, it was all just in my thoughts, but it was still really spiteful and petty, so-."


    "And that''s just being human. Everyone''s spiteful and petty to some extent," I stated, before realizing that I''d been here for over half an hour already, "Crap, look at the time...I need to get going, I kinda snuck up here since I didn''t want to stand in line, I''d rather not push my luck and get caught."


    "Seriously? I thought they make sure that no one can visit a patient without getting a visitor''s permit at the reception, and even then it''s usually like ten minutes max for non-family. Well, that explains why no one''s come knocking to tell you that your visiting time''s over," She laughed, after an initial look of surprise.


    "Right...so, uh...bye, I guess."


    "Wait, before you go...mind if I get your contact info? I''d like to thank you properly sometime," She spoke up with a smile.


    "Oh...don''t worry about that, a simple thanks is more than enough. Actually, that''s preferable to a big gesture or whatever, so yeah...," I trailed off awkwardly.


    "Well, could I get your contact info anyway?" She responded, making it hard to say no.


    "Uh...sure, I guess, I don''t see why not."


    After giving her my contact information, I snuck out of her hospital room, after making sure the coast was clear. And as I left the hospital and began heading back home, I couldn''t help but wonder...what just happened?


    That''s definitely got to be the longest conversation I''ve had with someone I''m speaking to for the first time, and while it wasn''t exactly seamless, it was...comfortable, once I got over the initial feeling of awkwardness.


    I think this is an association that I should try to maintain...like Director Silva said, I could use more allies among the X-Warriors, that might make a big difference further down the line. And-...hm? Looks like I''m getting a call...from Director Silva.


    "Yeah, hello?" I greeted as I reluctantly answered the call...this better not be something inconvenient again, I''ll refuse for sure...


    "Hey, Kilzachs, got a second? I was waiting till you left the hospital to contact you, this is important, so-."


    Huh? Don''t tell me...


    "Wait, how do you know that I just left? Are you stalking me through the signal of my I-Watch or something?" I sighed in exasperation.


    "...no. Totally not doing that. Just, uh...woman''s intuition, yeah, that''s what it is! A-ahem, anyway...I need you to come to the X-Warrior Zone tomorrow. Hebi Fujimoto will be going through the Awakening Procedure, and since he''ll be the first Wight to do so, I''d like your presence there, just as a precaution."


    Huh? Did I hear that right?


    "I''m sorry, you''re doing what?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 129 - 128 - Gamble(Part 1)

    "Can I just say that I think this is a really bad idea?" I remarked with a frown.


    "I acknowledge that it''s a gamble, yes, but if it works out, it could turn out to be a significant boost to our overall fighting power," Countered Director Silva, "You know how much we''ve been stretched thin lately, we lost too many during the attack on the Wight base camp. Right now, we could use all the boosts we can possibly get."


    I was currently in her office, about half an hour before Hebi was scheduled to undergo the Awakening Procedure.


    "There''s just too many unknown variables...for instance, his XFE is already ''awakened'', so who knows what the Awakening Procedure will actually result in?" I pointed out objectively.


    "If things go south, freeze time and kill him, simple as that. But I have a good feeling about this," She replied confidently.


    What, just intuition? Yeah, no, I''m not placing my confidence in something like that. Well, she''s already made up her mind, so I''m not gonna bother trying to convince her. Also, I''m not going to kill him, I''ll just set up a Save point and undo if it things go wrong.


    "Well, whatever, I don''t really care. Anyway, you find out everything that the Wights learned through Sofia?" I asked her.


    "No, not yet...we first want to make sure she''s both physically and mentally sound before we grill her about what happened. But given the state you found her in, it''s likely that she gave away quite a lot, especially considering that she went as far as to lead that Wight, Aku, to Ze-Ro and then kill him," Sighed Director Silva with a frown.


    "Not to mention that she was in that basement for days, breathing in the rotting carcasses all around her, wouldn''t blame her for losing her mind in that nightmare situation," I added, recalling the horrifying sight of that room.


    "That''s for sure, when I last when to see her, sometime last night, it was clear to me that she was trying to act normal, but not very well...she was very fidgety and her eyes kept darting about, it felt like she was primed to snap at any given moment," Remarked the director with a look of concern.


    Huh, I didn''t really notice that...then again, I was preoccupied with not trying to suck at holding a normal conversation, and I wasn''t really paying especially close attention to her demeanor or anything.


    "You should get her some therapy or something, I bet this is something she''ll have to get over with time, but it''s not gonna happen overnight. Well, anyway, it''s almost about time for the Awakening Procedure, right?" I inquired, glancing at the time with a sigh.


    "Yeah, you''re right, let''s go...we should arrive just in time if we leave now," She replied, standing up with a nod.


    ...


    Shortly after that, we''d arrived at the Awakening Lab, just a couple of minutes before the procedure was scheduled to begin. Director Silva asked me to go talk to Hebi for a bit, to try and gauge how he''s feeling and what he''s thinking, since we were roommates for a while and all.


    I didn''t really want to, but I reluctantly gave in because I didn''t feel like arguing, and also because this whole thing had me concerned. I set a Save point and then headed in to where Hebi was told to wait in.


    I entered the waiting room, giving him an awkward wave as he looked up and met my gaze, a look of slight surprise on his face.


    "Hey, how are y-...?" I began to ask.


    "Yo, Kil, been a while!" He greeted me, standing up and walking towards me with a grin, before slapping my shoulder, "Haven''t seen you in weeks, man! Well, technically, not true, I''ve seen you all over the internet and in that tournament, but you know what I mean! Also, FYI, you''re powers are like, dope as hell!"


    Right...I almost forgot about how loud he can be. Almost.


    "Oh, uh...thanks, I guess. So, anyway, how have you been?" I inquired, sitting down.


    "Well, things were great, but now they''re just good...like before, I was free to laze about all day and night, it was the freakin'' life! But now, they told me that I have to earn my keep...carry out some of their Missions from time to time and I''m allowed to chill the rest of the time. Which is still, like, a million times better than it was for me before I was brought to the Sanctuary, so I can''t complain," He replied with a sigh.


    "Were things really that bad with the Wights?" I asked him curiously.


    "I mean, I''ve told you how things were, right? And okay, the Wights'' living situation improved by a lot, but I wasn''t allowed to enjoy it, no one was...they were all like, dedicate your lives for the sake of our future generations or whatever, but why should I care about people that won''t even exist for a few more decades, you know? I''m alive now, so shouldn''t I be my own priority, you know what I mean?" He sighed, a slight frown on his face.


    "Actually...yeah, I think I know exactly what you mean, that last part anyway. But surely there were others that felt the same way you did?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah there were, but most of the time, it felt like no one felt as strongly about it as I did. Some of the others were totally brainwashed and as a result, kinda unstable," He replied with a wry smile.


    "Makes sense, I guess. So, hey...tell me, did you know a Wight named Aku?" I asked, taking a gamble.


    The instant I mentioned that name, Hebi''s expression soured, a look of disgust on his face.


    "Fuck that guy...you''re talking about the one that can turn invisible and stuff, right? Yeah, I really didn''t like him...he was kind of a sociopath, really creeped me out. See, like me and some others, he didn''t let himself get brainwashed, but unlike me, he had no complaints about the decisions of our elders. In fact, he reveled in it. Whenever Mutants showed up, I noticed that he was very violent in killing them, like he''d tear them apart bit by bit, making sure they don''t die too soon," He explained with a grimace, "He''s one of the elders'' most relied upon and valued weapons, but he makes me feel really unsettled and uneasy."


    Yeah, I can imagine, considering that he did say that he began kidnapping and torturing random people due to no other reason than boredom.


    "So, wait, how do you know that creep?" Asked Hebi curiously.


    Should I tell him? Hm, not telling might antagonize him and make him feel untrusted or whatever, but don''t want to give him any details...alright, let''s give him a summarized version of what happened...


    "I happened to run into him, he tried to kill me, failed, then I tried to kill him, and he got away," I summarized with a shrug.


    "That''s too bad, I really don''t like that guy," Frowned Hebi.


    Come to think of it, right before I used Load to escape getting killed by Aku after he poisoned me, I think he mentioned something about killing Hebi...guess he must have found out from Sofia.


    "Right...so, anyway, how are you feeling about this whole Awakening Procedure thing?" I inquired, watching his expression closely.


    "Kinda nervous, but also pretty excited," He replied with a grin, "Like, how cool would it be if I got a super awesome power up or something? And if it doesn''t work, that''s fine too, because in that case, I''ll probably have more free time."


    Well, for better or for worse, he tends to say whatever''s on his mind without any deception or anything, I''m definitely appreciating that directness right now...


    "You mean as in the stronger you become, the more Missions you''re likely to get?" I surmised.


    "Exactly, man. And don''t get me wrong, I don''t mind a little physical effort and action, but...I prefer lazing about and enjoying digital entertainment to going outside and getting tired, you know?" He sighed wistfully.


    I mean, sure, there are times where I feel a bit lazy, but I''ve never gone to that extreme.


    "Sure, I guess."


    "By the way, uh...don''t mean to get weird or anything, but it''s kinda lonely without you, I do enjoy my own company and all, but I had a lot more fun when you were rooming with me," He remarked, giving me a slightly awkward grin.


    "I, uh...you know what, you were kind of an annoying and sloppy roommate at times, but...yeah, I suppose it wasn''t all bad, it was fun at times," I admitted reluctantly, averting my gaze.


    "Dude...you are such a tsundere!" He responded with a snort of laughter, after an initial look of surprise.


    "Definitely not, I-!" I began to protest, before I was interrupted as the door to the waiting room opened and a nurse poked her head in.


    "Mr Hebi Fujimoto, your Awakening Procedure is prepped and ready to begin."


    "Cool, let''s do this," He replied with a grin, standing up and following after her as she led the way.


    I walked behind him, not quite sure whether I should or not, but no one said anything, so I went with it. As we reached the lab where the procedure was going to take place and the nurse pressed her ID tag against the sensor to open the door...


    "Well, uh...good luck, dude," I remarked a bit awkwardly, as I noticed a slight, nervous look appearing in his eyes.


    "Thanks...I should get this over with, the anticipation is killing me!" He exclaimed, trying a bit too hard to hide his nerves as he walked in and the doors shut behind him.


    Well, I suppose I might as well update my Save point, might as well. And besides, I gotta admit, I kinda don''t want to undo the last few minutes, regardless of whatever happens next...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 130 - 129 - Gamble(Part 2)

    "The procedure should be done within the next couple of minutes, I think," Informed Director Silva, as she received a message on her I-Watch.


    "Is it just me, or is this taking longer than the Awakening Procedure usually does?" I inquired with a concerned sigh.


    "Well, yes...but nothing''s gone wrong so far, the processes are just slower with Wights, I guess. They just finished embedding the Awakening chip in him, so it shouldn''t be too long before it''s done," She informed me.


    "Alright, and then what? How do we prove that nothing went wrong?" I inquired skeptically.


    "Simple....we run some practical tests, to measure the extent and limits of his power," She replied objectively.


    Wait, hold on a sec...


    "What, does that mean you want me to spar with him or something?" I asked warily.


    "I suppose that could be a part of it, but that won''t be the extent of it, I think it''ll be more practical and effective to initially have him go up against a Prodigy," Came the response.


    She''s already thought this all through, hasn''t she?


    "So, then, who''s the unlucky Prodidy that you roped in for this?" I inquired curiously.


    "Actually, it''s two Prodigies...and both Aces at that. You''ve met one of them, but I''ll keep it a secret for now. They both just returned from Missions last night, so they happen to be free today," She replied with a smile.


    Okay, so it''s not my sister, she just left on a Mission a couple of days ago, and it was going to be at least a week long assignment, so yeah. Not Kumar either, since he''s taken a hiatus from Missions thanks to his responsibilities as an instructor at the Academy.


    The only other Aces that I know are Johan and Zarina...really hope it isn''t the latter, I don''t like her at all. I then looked up as the door to the lab opened and Hebi walked out, along with the researcher who ran the procedure.


    "You good?" I greeted Hebi, as Director Silva walked over to the researcher and began discussing what happened.


    "Yup, all good in the hood!" He replied with a grin, a clear look of relief on his face as he flashed me a thumbs up.


    Yeah he was definitely more nervous about this whole thing that he''d let on, but it looks like it really had worked.


    "So, did you get a crazy power up or something?" I asked, more than a little intrigued, now that the concern had passed.


    "I think so, yeah! Like, my XFE is way easier to control now than it used to be, and it feels like there''s a lot more of it now too," He replied, looking fascinated by the change.


    Oh? I see, so a Wight''s XFE isn''t necessarily fully active, there''s a potential amount that remains dormant...and the Awakening Procedure just stimulated his dormant XFE...I could be wrong about this, but I''m fairly confident that I''m not.


    "Alright, time to go," Declared Director Silva, gesturing to Hebi and I, "Come along, you two."


    "Where we goin''?" Asked Hebi, as we followed after her.


    "Hm? Don''t you want test out the limits of you current level of power?" Inquired Director Silva with a raised eyebrow.


    "Oh, hell yeah, I do!" He responded with an enthusiastic gleam in his eyes...


    ...


    A short while later, we were in the underground facility, the same place where Katie and I had worked on seeing if she could go to the level beyond Manifestation Overdrive and I''d also tried channeling my XFE into the spot between my shoulderblades.


    Speaking of which, I was still working on it, but it''s insanely difficult to pull off at all, let alone master...it''ll probably be a while before I can use it with any real degree of reliability.


    "So, uh...where are the Aces?" I inquired, looking around at the mostly empty space.


    "Late, it would seem," Replied the director with a displeased frown.


    The automatic doors then opened and two people walked in, right on cue. So, then, it''s these two Aces, huh? And yeah, I''d already met one of them...Zarina Serik, the first person to unlock Manifestation Overdrive.


    And the other one, I recognized him too, though I''ve never seen him in person before. If I remember right, his name is Altan Jargal. He''s tallish and well-built, with medium-length black hair spiked up in a mohawk with the tips dyed red, red eyes and a whole bunch of tattoos all over his body.


    Both his arms were covered in tattoos, with a few on his chest too, and an ouroboros tattoo around his left eye, with a couple of ring piercings on his left eyebrow. He wore a dark gray tank top under black trench coat that was draped around shoulders with his arms out of the sleeves, navy blue trousers and tall black boots.


    Also, his manifestations are pretty fascinating, I have to say. Gotta admit, I''m quite interested to watch him fight up close.


    "Yo, we''re here and ready to rock, as requested, director!" He greeted Director Silva with a grin.


    "I never said anything about rock, and you''re late," She responded with a look of disapproval.


    "I arrived early, but the attendant didn''t let me use the teleportation platform by myself," Frowned Zarina, giving Altan a glare.


    "For real? Why didn''t you just use your clout as an Ace to pressure the attendant?" Inquired Altan incredulously.


    "Wha-...because that''s-...tch, shut up, you idiot," She growled irritably.


    Well, she''s about as pleasant as I remember. Oh, she just noticed me...now she''s glaring at me...aaand she just huffed and looked away. I feel annoyed.


    "So, you said we''re supposed to fight a Wight that''s on our side or something? That him?" Asked Altan, looking at Hebi, before shifting his gaze to me, "Hey, you look familiar-...ohhh, that''s right, you''re the guy who won the X-Warrior Championship, and Kilella''s younger brother, right?"


    "Oh, uh...yeah, that''s me. My name''s Kilzachs Light, nice to meet you," I replied, shaking his hand as he walked over to me and offered his hand.


    "Cool, nice to meet you too, I''m Altan Jargal, the rock ''n roll Ace!" He introduced himself with a grin.


    He''s, uh...very loud. Like, seriously, he''s shouting every word. Still, he seems nice enough, at least.


    "Now, then, let''s get straight to it, shall we?" Spoke up Director Silva with a loud clap of her hands, "Hebi, first test out your powers to see if everything''s working as it should be, we''ll move on to some sparring after that."


    "Alright, sure, you got it. So, like, do I start with activating the Primary Manifestation thing or what?" He asked uncertainly.


    "Well, uh, let''s see-...," Began Director Silva, looking unsure.


    "How about this, start off with seeing if you can still manifest energy weapons like you could before," I suggested to him.


    "Oh, right, I didn''t even think of that...let''s see...," He trailed off with a look of focus, before a green energy blade formed in his right hand, "Alright, sweet, it worked!"


    "Ho...," Muttered Altan, his eyes briefly widening before narrowing with a look of intrigue.


    Hebi then dissipated the sword and formed a bow and arrow, before switching to a dome shaped defensive barrier around himself.


    "Alright, looks like I can form weapons and stuff as easily as I could before, no change there, and they''re more powerful than before!" He called out with a wave.


    "Talk about versatile, nice," Remarked Director Silva with an excited gleam in her eyes, "Now try an activation chant, it should come naturally to you!"


    "Yeah, it''s kinda creepy, like a weird voice in my head. Alright, here goes...


    !" He exclaimed, as green XFE formed around both his arms and extended into two snake-like shapes.


    Huh...I''m pretty sure Hebi means snake in Japanese, if I''m not mistaken. Most of the Wights are Japanese descendants, so I''m guessing he probably knows that too, and must have been picturing something to do with snakes during the Awakening Procedure.


    The snake manifestations could extend quite a lot and appeared to be pretty flexible too, I''d imagine that they''d be pretty useful in restraining an opponent. Yeah, that looks like quite the handy power...


    "Alright, let''s switch things up now, try out your Secondary Manifestation!" Instructed Director Silva.


    "Got it! <Secondary Manifestation: Thermal Sense>!" He chanted, a clear hint of anticipation in his voice.


    Thermal Sense? As in he can sense heat? He then closed his eyes and focused...


    "Woah, this feels really weird! My eyes are closed but I can sense exactly where everyone is! Honestly, it feels like I can rely on this more than my eyesight during a fight," He remarked with an intrigued tone.


    We, uh, should be really glad that the Wights don''t have high tech resources at their disposal, if they found a way to perform the Awakening Procedure, we''d be in huge trouble.


    Director Silva then began instructing him to move around and stuff, to test the limits of his thermal sensory ability. Both Altan and Zarina were playing close attention too, looking pretty fascinated by the whole thing.


    After a few minutes, the director seemed satisfied, and moved on...


    "Now, then, what do you say we take this up another notch? Let''s see if he can activate Manifestation Overdrive, shall we?" Suggested Director Silva with an excited grin.


    She''s really enjoying this, isn''t she?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 131 - 130 - Gamble(Part 3)

    "Try channeling your XFE into the spot between your shoulders," Instructed Director Silva, as the rest of us looked on with a growing sense of intrigue.


    "Hmph, there''s no way that thing can figure out how to use Manifestation Overdrive so easily," Scoffed Zarina with a frown.


    "Damn, you sound insecure as hell. You were pretty pissy when you found out that a student had mastered that technique before you-...," Began Altan, before trailing off with a mischievous smirk as she gave him a fierce death glare.


    I ignored them and watched Hebi as a look of focus appeared on his face and he exhaled slowly, before suddenly opening his eyes as an explosion of XFE burst out of him.


    "<Manifestation Overdrive: Wrath of the Python>!" He exclaimed, as the XFE swirled around him.


    The XFE then formed in the shape of a massive snake head with open jaws, before a huge blast of green energy burst out of it, striking one of the walls and drilling a hole through it, the entire place shaking upon impact.. Woah...


    "No fucking way...," Growled Zarina disdainfully.


    "Damn, that''s some high level damage, nice," Remarked Altan with an impressed whistle.


    I quietly sidled up next to Director Silva and muttered under my breath, making sure that the two Aces couldn''t hear me...


    "If he figured it out this quickly...then there''s a good chance that he''ll be able to reach the level beyond Manifestation Overdrive too."


    Her eyes lit up and widened slightly as I subtly sat back down, as Hebi''s manifestation dissipating and he jogged over with a grin.


    "That was so cool! I kept channeling my XFE into that spot on my back, and then it suddenly felt like I could trigger something, so I did, and that happened! I think I can charge up the blast more if I want to, but it felt pretty powerful before I fired it so I didn''t risk charging it up further...that was freaking awesome!" He exclaimed excitedly.


    "It certainly was. How much XFE did you use?" Inquired Director Silva with a gleam in her eyes.


    "Hm, not sure exactly...I think I have about, like...two thirds left? Seventy percent? Something like that, I think," He replied uncertainly.


    "I see...alright, then, try that again, but this time...when you feel that trigger, resist it and continue channeling your XFE as much as you can...until you maybe feel something like another trigger or...just something different, I guess," She instructed, not very clearly.


    "Basically, what she''s saying is to try and take it to a level beyond Manifestation Overdrive," I clarified, since he looked pretty confused and uncertain about what to do.


    "Ohh, that''s what you meant, I think I get it! Alright, I''ll give it a try!" He responded enthusiastically, looking excited.


    Director Silva wasn''t even trying to hide the excitement on her face, she was all fidgety and had a smile on her face, which she kept trying to stifle, but she kept failing.


    "Not gonna lie, I was pretty bummed when you called us in literally hours after we got back from that last Mission, but gotta say, this is pretty fascinating stuff," Remarked Altan in intrigue.


    "Tch, I would have preferred to enjoy my day off, this doesn''t interest me in the least," Huffed Zarina irritably.


    "Oh, hush and watch, we don''t care about your sour grapes," Responded Director Silva, before adding sternly, "Everyone be quiet for a while, let''s just watch without commenting until after."


    For the next while, we watched in relative silence as Hebi attempted to trigger the potential level beyond Manifestation Overdrive, and to his credit, seemed to be on the right track for the most part. Unfortunately, he couldn''t quite pull it off, not yet, anyway...


    "Damn, I feel really worn out. I think I was getting really close though, for a moment it really felt like I was about to absolutely explode with power, but then I lost control of it," Sighed Hebi sheepishly, as he walked back over to us.


    "I see...well, let''s set it aside for now, shall we? Instead, first take a break to recover your stamina and energy, and then, let''s get to the sparring. Is that alright with you?" Suggested Director Silva.


    "Yeah, that''s fine, I''m not really physically tired, and my XFE recovers pretty fast, plus I''ve still got over fifty percent left, so I should be good to go after a few minutes to catch my breath," He replied affirmatively.


    "Alright, then in the meantime...Kilzachs, why don''t you spar against one of these two?" Suggested Director Silva, nodding at the Aces.


    "Yeah, I like that idea," I responded, not shying away from the opportunity to test my mettle against another Ace, as I shifted my gaze to the two of them, "So, who wants to fight me?"


    "Why not, I don''t mind taking you on-...," Altan began to reply.


    "I''ll fight you," Interrupted Zarina, stepping forward with a glare.


    "Based on your expression, you want a grudge match, don''t you? Hmph, sure, why not...I''ll take you on," I replied with a smirk, earning a scowl from her.


    "I''ll crush you, you arrogant brat," She growled.


    "Oh, yeah? I''d like to see you try," I responded tauntingly.


    We then stepped onto the middle of the space after putting on the Duel Field collars as Director Silva activated the barrier around us and a countdown began. I only have my X-Blades and X-Blasters on me, all my other weapons are at home, since I didn''t figure I''d need them today. I suppose I can manage without them just fine, but I''d still have like to have those options up my sleeve. Oh, well, there''s no helping it, I suppose...


    "


    , <Secondary Manifestation: Vision Boost>," Chanted Zarina, before adding as her manifestation formed, "By the time I''m done with you, you''ll be on your knees, begging me for mercy."


    Her XFE then took shape, forming a long blue XFE bow in her hands and wings on her back as I set my X-Blaster to sniping mode at maximum output.


    "That''s awfully dramatic and all, but in the end, it''s nothing more than an empty threat," I retorted with a smirk.


    She growled irritably but didn''t say anything else, instead, getting ready to strike, as the countdown reached three...two...one!


    The instant the countdown ended, she swiftly flew up and fired out a blue energy arrow at me, which I deflected with one of my X-Blades, before springing back as she fired three more at me, dodging the first two and knocking the third away with a slash, as she rapidly swooped down on me and closed in.


    She then formed a water arrow and fired it at me, right as I used Cut and Paste on myself to teleport myself above her and slashed at her with my X-Blade, which she just barely blocked with her bow, twisting herself around with an angled flap of her wings.


    Right as I fired a shot at her from one of my X-Blasters, she swiftly wrapped her energy wings around herself to deflect my bullet, before I teleported myself further away to get some distance.


    "Tch, enough...time to end this," She growled, drawing back her bow as she chanted, "It''s over, <Manifestation Overdrive: Torrential Arrow>!"


    She''s pulling out her trump card already? Not sure that''s the best move this early in the fight, but even so, I can''t take that attack lightly, or I''m finished...


    Water sharply and violently swirled and formed in the shape of spiraling arrow...once she fires it, it''ll rapidly expand as it shoots forward, tearing apart anything that crosses its path...in other words, to avoid it, all I need to do is get out of that path.


    The instant she fired, I teleported myself as high as I could within the Duel Field, but she responded immediately...the moment I disappeared and her devastating arrow crashed onto the wall of the barrier, she swiftly turned her gaze upwards towards me as I reappeared and took aim, a powerful energy arrow formed in her bow as she drew back the string.


    I really wish I''d worn my barrier bracelets, those things are so useful, I really don''t use them enough. But the reason why I don''t use them more often is simple...because it''s not the only option up my sleeve.


    Right before she fired, I selected her and myself, before reciting the activation chants for Cut and Paste as fast as I could, as I began to plummet back down...and switched places with her.


    "What the-...!?" She exclaimed, but was quick to regain her bearings, spreading her wings out and taking aim at me with her bow as I did the same with my X-Blasters...but that was just a feint.


    Because, as she drew back her bowstring, I was inaudibly reciting two activation chants...and I finished chanting right as she let her arrow loose, which rapidly flew towards me, followed by three more arrows...as a clone of me appeared above her and silently dropped down.


    That''s right, I used Copy and Paste on myself to create a clone...I win. My clone slashed at her with its replicated X-Blade, teleporting her out before she even realized what was happening, right as her arrows began to close in on me.


    There''s no way I can recite an activation chant in time...I swiftly drew out and activated my X-Blades, as I easily deflected the first arrow, but the force behind the projectile was immense, knocking my arm back more than I anticipated and slowing me down as I began to try and deflect the next incoming arrow.


    But I was only able to partially deflect the next two arrows, one of the grazing my right arm and the other grazing my left side, the consecutive, immense impacts against my X-Blades traveling through and numbing my arms, and as a result...I wasn''t able to get either of my energy blades up in time to deflect the final arrow.


    Fortunately, the aim was slightly off, as it clipped the top of my right ear as it whizzed past me, striking the wall of the barrier behind me as I felt some blood trickle down my ear.


    That...was way too close...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 132 - 131 - Gamble(Part 4)

    "Tch, your cheap tricks may have helped you win, but next time, I''ll crush you," Growled Zarina irritably, as the barrier deactivated and I walked out.


    "You really think so, huh?" I responded condescendingly, walking past her with my head held high.


    Still, she came very close to teleporting me out...and had this been a real fight and if her aim had been more accurate, that probably would''ve ended up with both of us dead.


    I mean, yeah, in a real life-or-death battle, I won''t hesitate to freeze time or do whatever else I need to in order to avoid dying, but still, I''d have liked to have won that fight more convincingly and comprehensively that I did.


    "That was a pretty lit showing, you''re not half-bad, Glasses," Remarked Altan with a look of intrigue, "I certainly wouldn''t mind taking you on sometime."


    "Sure, so long as you don''t call me Glasses again, I''m all for that," I responded dryly.


    "Hey, do you need a dip in a Healing Pod? You''re bleeding a fair bit," Pointed out Director Silva.


    Yeah, I guess I''m bleeding, but it''s three very shallow cuts, the wounds should dry up pretty quickly.


    "Nah, maybe afterwards...I don''t want to miss anything, and that aside, these barely even qualify as injuries," I replied with a shrug.


    I then noticed Hebi standing and stretching, a pumped up look on his face. After stretching his limbs and back, he began stretching his wings in and out, like he was flexing them.


    "Are you finished resting?" Called out Director Silva.


    "Yup, all good! In fact, that last fight got my blood all pumping, I''m ready to do this!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.


    "So, uh...whatcha doing with you wings?" I asked curiously.


    "Just warming up, don''t want to get cramps or pull any muscles, you know?" He replied, as he continued flexing them.


    "Come to think of it, I don''t think I''ve ever seen you fly," I realized, watching him with fascination.


    "Well, yeah, there was never any reason to fly at home...and besides, flying is way more tiring than walking or running, my shoulders ache like crazy if I fly non-stop for extended periods," He sighed with a frown.


    "If that''s the case, then you really should fly more often...because suddenly using them after months without using them at all isn''t a good idea," I pointed out.


    "I''ll be fine, I know all that, and I don''t rely on flying that much during a fight anyway," He replied with a thumbs up, as he finished warming up and began heading for the middle, "Alright, let''s do this!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Hebi Fujimoto


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Okay, so it''s been a pretty long time since I last fought at all, the last time was...when I got captured and brought here. I thought for sure I was going to die back then, and now, I''m living my best life.


    At this point, there''s no way I can go back to the way I used to live, I didn''t like it even before I experienced all this comfort and luxury, and now that I have experienced it, I think I''d actually rather die than go back to the way things were for me before.


    I mean, seriously, the last time I interacted with my ''own kind'', they sent me on a freaking suicide mission. And sure, it''s probably going to be unavoidable that some of the people here will be suspicious of me and discriminate against me and stuff, but hey, so long as I can enjoy digital entertainment and good food, I couldn''t care less about any of that.


    When that lady, Ziva Silva, approached me about undergoing the Awakening Procedure and working for them, I agreed so long as she fulfilled two conditions; the first being that I wouldn''t be sent on any suicide missions, and the second being that I''d be at home more than I''d be on missions.


    And she agreed to my requests...which is something that would never have happened with the Wights, they probably would have sent me on a suicide mission out of spite if I''d ever made such requests.


    Now, then, guess I should focus on this fight, because I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t curious to see how I measure up against an Ace, someone who''s suppose to be among the best of the best. The barrier activated around my opponent and I, as a ten second countdown began ticking.


    "Alright, let''s have a good fight!" Exclaimed my mohawk-having opponent, before chanting in a very loud voice, "


    !"


    Say, what now?


    A purple energy guitar formed in his hands, a confident smirk on his face as he swung it around a couple of times. I am so confused...how is he going to use that as a weapon?


    Guess I''ll find out soon enough, so there''s no point speculating, since I have no clues...and in the meantime, how should I approach this? Hm, no need to take any risks right away, best if I ease into it...I formed a bow and drew back the string, holding it horizontally as I took aim.


    The instant the countdown ended, I let go of the bowstring, firing out a rapid green arrow, which he deflected with a flick of his guitar, before sprinting towards me rapidly, nimbly evading as I continuously fired out a barrage of arrows at him.


    Alright, time to switch it up...I dissipated the bow and formed a sword, as he began to close in on me...now, then, let''s see how he fights-...suddenly, he halted, sprang back and strummed his fingers across the energy guitar strings with a smirk.


    As he did, a blast of distorted wind burst out of it, causing me to stumble back, before a slight dizziness and nausea hit me. Holy crap, that''s seriously unpleasant...the wind itself didn''t have all that much force, but the sound waves caused by the flick of the guitar strings feel like they''re messing with my head...and also my stomach, I feel like puking.


    I gritted my teeth as I shook my head and regained my bearings, before I shot towards him rapidly, slashing at him as I closed in. He parried and deflected my energy blade with his guitar, before swiftly getting some distance away from me with a rapid series of agile backflips.


    "Come on, that all you got?" He taunted with a grin, as he strummed his guitar again and sent a fluctuating blast of wind at me.


    I quickly sprang off to the left to narrowly evade it, before wincing slightly as some of the sound waves deflected onto me, invading my ears and nauseating me some more.


    So, that''s how he uses that guitar manifestation...not only can he use it to defend, he can probably use it to bash his opponents too, but he clearly doesn''t need to. Those wind blasts aren''t very strong at all, but the sound waves in them are dangerous.


    Take a couple of those head on and you''ll probably be dazed with dizziness, vertigo and nausea, making it easy for him to finish you off. What''s more, he hasn''t yet revealed his Secondary Manifestation, not to mention Manifestation Overdrive, if he has one. Regardless, it''s time for me to start taking this a lot more seriously, or I''ll lose.


    "Here goes...


    ," I chanted, as the energy-manifested snakes formed around my arms, taking shape.


    I then shot towards him, before flying up as fast as I could the instant he flicked his fingers across his guitar, just barely evading the blast before swooping down towards him as I extended my snake arms, attempting to wrap them around him and restrain him.


    But before I could wrap them around him, he evaded the right one and bashed away the left one with his guitar, before rapidly firing a disorienting wind blast at me with a flick of his fingers, strumming the strings and dazing me as I failed to get out of the way in time.


    I managed to stay airborne and quickly flew away, getting some distance. My head is spinning like crazy, and I feel like I''m about to puke my guts out...seriously, I''d rather take good old physical damage over this, I totally feel like shit.


    If he hits me with another one of those, I don''t think I''ll be able to keep fighting...but his range isn''t that long, so if I stay around the ceiling of the barrier, I should be safe...I''ll then use Manifestation Overdrive to defeat him. Yeah, that should work-...wait, what''s going on?


    I can''t channel my XFE as easily as I usually can...and now that I really focus, even these snake arms manifestation doesn''t feel a hundred percent stable right now...what is this?


    "What''s the matter? Having some trouble with your XFE flow?" Inquired my opponent with a smug look on his face.


    "Oh...now I get it...those annoying sound waves don''t only affect my physical senses, but also my XFE flow, huh?" I realized, though it was too late now.


    "Take this, <Secondary Manifestation: Earsplitting Amp>!" He exclaimed, as a large box manifested next to him, which was connected to the guitar with a cable-like strand of energy, before he began rapidly running his hand up and down across the guitar, devastating waves of sound bursting out of the box next to him as he loudly yelled, "Boom, rock and roll!"


    Before I could even react, all my senses were violently bombarded, my vision spinning dizzyingly, my ears ringing and my stomach turning...is this what morning sickness feels like? And why''s that the first thing that came to mind right now?


    Suddenly, I found myself outside the barrier, everything around me spinning like crazy, as I took in a sharp breath and burned my head between my knees, trying to regain my bearings, but it wasn''t working.


    I...I think I''m...I think I''m gonna be sick...!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 133 - 132 - Change

    Watching other people puke makes me feel like I''m about to puke myself...though I was already feeling a bit nauseated before Hebi starting throwing up. It wasn''t just me, Director Silva and Zarina were also looking a bit green around the gills, so to speak.


    How and why? In a nutshell, because of that last attack...when Altan activated his Secondary Manifestation and blasted out that deafening sound wave, it affected us too, though I imagine not nearly as badly as it''s affecting Hebi.


    "Oops...I, uh, might have gotten a bit carried away, my bad," Apologized Altan with a sheepish grin, as he saw out nauseous faces and Hebi puking his guts out..


    Hebi then stumbled away with a dazed mumble and collapsed onto the ground, letting out a weak sigh.


    "Yes...you...did...," Groaned Director Silva, her face pale as she nodded as the puddle of vomit, "That''s why...you''ll be...the one who...cleans that...up."


    "Oh. Do I...do I have to?" He responded with a look of slight dismay.


    She wasn''t kidding or just saying that out of irritation...no, she actually meant it. And once he figured that out, he let our a defeated sigh and went to get a mop...his power is seriously impressive, but right now, I''m too sick to care...


    ...


    About half an hour later, he''d finished cleaning up and the rest of us had more or less recovered from his sound blasts, though I still felt a bit off. Hebi had fallen asleep at some point, a drained look on his face. Altan''s the type of opponent that would be a real pain to go up against, his powers won''t be easy to get around. He certainly justifies his ranking as an Ace...


    "Hey, don''t those sound waves affect you at all?" I asked Altan curiously, as I started feeling better.


    "Hm? Oh, nah, not really, I feel perfectly fine, see?" He replied with a flex of his arm and a grin.


    Not sure what muscle has to do with that, but okay...


    "I see...gotta say, that last attack after you activated your Secondary Manifestation, that''s gotta be really useful when heavily outnumbered," I remarked in intrigue.


    "Well, yeah, I guess...but it also affects my allies, so I don''t get to use it very often, that''s why I got carried away during the duel," He replied with a sheepish sigh.


    "Huh, I see...have you learnt how to activate your Manifestation Overdrive?" I asked curiously.


    "No, I haven''t. I think I''m getting close being able to trigger it, but no dice yet," He admitted with a wry smile.


    "Guess the difficulty varies from person to person, huh?" I responded thoughtfully.


    "More and more people seem to be figuring it out though, last I heard, we just got ten people confirmed to be able to trigger it at will-...or, well, eleven if we count Hebi. And so far, all of them had previously mastered high levels of XFE control, so that definitely seems to be a key factor," Chimed in Director Silva.


    "Hey, why am I even here? Can I go?" Spoke up Zarina, an irritated look on his face.


    "I mean, I guess I got all the information I wanted regarding Hebi''s powers following the Awakening Procedure, but I''d like to have a couple more sparring bouts to get a better sample size. So once he recovers, I''d like you to go up against him," Responded Director Silva, before adding as Zarina began to ask something, "And yes, you can leave after that."


    "Hmph, fine, but it better not take too long-," Zarina started to reply.


    "H-hey, uh...I don''t think...I can...do any more...fighting today...," Interrupted Hebi weakly, his eyes slightly glossed over as he sat up and nearly hurled again from the motion.


    "So it seems...," Sighed Director Silva, before noticing Zarina staring at her expectantly and added with a roll of her eyes, "You can leave now if you want-...and she''s gone."


    The moment she said the words ''leave now'', Zarina immediately jogged over to the teleportation platform and left.


    "So, uh...now what?" I inquired, turning to look at Director Silva.


    "Well...guess we should wrap things up and leave too," She replied with a disinterested shrug.


    Wow...she''s totally demotivated after seeing that Hebi was done for the day. Talk about an abrupt finish, I really thought that this would take all day...well, whatever, I''m not complaining, guess I might as well get back to enjoying the rest of my week off...


    ...


    ...


    Today''s the 2nd of October, 2116, on a Sunday. It was also my last day off before I''d have to return to classes at the Academy. I told my teammates, both the temporary and permanent ones, that I had a bad cold, and that''s why I was absent.


    I mean, it''s probably not a good idea to tell them that I got a week off as a favor from the Director of the X-Warrior Zone, it''d be stupid to feed the rumors that I benefit from favoritism and whatnot.


    True, those rumors had died down a fair bit after I revealed my Anomaly powers, but still, why stir them up again unnecessarily, you know?


    Oh, and Director Silva had come up with an idea that she thought was a stroke of genius, a notion that I firmly disagreed with. See, she was concerned over the negative reception to Hebi''s inclusion as an X-Warrior from most of the X-Warriors that knew about it, and felt that teaming him up with X-Warriors that don''t want that would be counterproductive.


    Admittedly, I couldn''t disagree with that. But there were hardly any X-Warriors willing to team up with a Wight, Altan was one of the few exceptions, but since he''s an Ace, not to mention what his powers are, teaming up with him would be difficult from a practical standpoint.


    And so, the director made her decision...on a medium-term basis, perhaps a couple of years, Hebi will be working alongside my team. I mean, yeah, he''s pretty strong, easily at the level of a K-Rank, and I get along with him just fine too, but...my team is already too big as it is!


    As the assigned team leader, most of the responsibility falls onto me, including the responsibility of what happens to my teammates...covering four people is tough enough, doing so for five sounds like a real hassle.


    I vehemently refused at first, turning down every one of Director Silva''s attempts to convince me to agree, until she offered me a shocking amount of money, an amount that would effectively mean that I could retire right then and there and live a life of luxury till the day I die.


    I''m not proud to admit that I accepted the offer, but come on, who wouldn''t? I mean, with this, no matter what may happen in the future, I''m pretty much set to do whatever I want if I ever quit trying to become an X-Warrior or something.


    So, yeah, in the end, I agreed to have my team work with Hebi on Missions, strictly on the medium-term duration that Director Silva had proposed, and after that, I''m free to stop with that.


    Well, whatever, it''s not a concern right now, I''ll worry about it if and when we actually get a Mission, which is relatively rare since I''m still a student. Anyway, I was currently in my apartment, sprawled on the floor and struggling to catch my breath as sweat poured down my face.


    I was working on trying to trigger the Manifestation Overdrive, or whatever the Anomaly equivalent is...and gotta say, this is incredibly frustrating. There were so many times where it felt like I was getting really close to triggering it, and then right before I could do so, I lost control and slipped, failing to trigger it.


    I let out a slow exhale and stood back up again, before closing my eyes and focusing. Alright, come on...I can do this, no sweat...no pun intended, because I''m very sweaty right now-...okay, seriously, concentrate, stop getting distracted.


    I began channeling my XFE into the spot between my shoulder blades, relaxing my body in order to ensure that I maintain stability while channeling the energy into that spot...okay...little more...almost there...


    I then felt a surge of power right as my back started to feel like it was about to burst, with close to eighty percent of my XFE channeled into that spot, but I forced myself to stay relaxed and avoid tensing up, since that was what had resulted in most of my failed attempts.


    It begins to trigger once I''ve channeled about eighty percent of my XFE into my back, but that''s when the hard part comes up...even the slightest loss of concentration and it fails, the tiniest twitch of a muscle could be costly, so I have to stay in the zone until it''s complete...okay, this is the point where I usually mess up, I''ve got it this time though...that''s it just stay focused-...my eyes then shot open as I felt an instinctive impulse, a very familiar feeling...this is...an activation chant...!


    "<Unleash Anomaly: I-...>...!" I blurted out, a black mist starting to form before I suddenly got cut off as I lost control of the XFE I''d channeled and collapsed onto my knees, my breathing strangling as all the XFE rushed back throughout my body, spreading out evenly through my energy circuits.


    Damn it...damn it, I almost had it there! The sudden impulse to recite the activation chant caught me off-guard and I stiffened in surprise for just a fraction of a second, and that was enough to make me lose control of the whole thing. Well, that''s another failure.


    Still, I should be close to triggering it now, especially since I know what to expect-...wait a second, something feels different. I...I think that...that something about my powers has changed. But...I''m not sure what, exactly...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 134 - 133 - Reluctant Cooperation

    Well, it was nice while it lasted, but sadly, my week off from classes is now over. I may or may not have used Save and Load to relive the last couple of days a handful of times in order to extend the break for as long as possible, but there''s no point in delaying the inevitable anymore.


    I can''t keep running away from this crap, I''ll have to deal with it sooner or later, and I''d rather do so sooner. Otherwise, the pressure and stress around the whole situation is gonna keep piling up and drive me crazy.


    No matter how much Tairo''s attitude towards me changes, I''ll still treat him the same as I always do. I mean, he''s only sucking up to me because I revealed that I''m an Anomaly, if not for that he''d have never apologized to me or stopped screwing with me.


    I''m not accepting such a shallow apology and I never will. And besides, even if it had been a heartfelt apology, after everything he''s put me though, I still wouldn''t accept it. It''s no exaggeration when I say that I thoroughly despise him.


    But dealing with him is still easier said than done, and I can say with confidence that I''m not looking forward to seeing him again. He''s the absolute worst..


    That said, he isn''t the main problem right now...Bytra is. Since I''m forced to be on the same team as her till the next set of exams, I can''t exactly avoid or ignore her...what a pain, I''m really dreading this.


    Bottom line is, I don''t want to interact with her at all if possible. Every time I see her, I get this impulse to insult her and stuff. Petty, I know, but hey, give me some credit for resisting that impulse most of the time.


    And besides, she always looks so meek and miserable all the time that I''d probably look like the bully if I constantly harassed her. Ever since we ended up as classmates again here at the X-Warrior Academy, her default mood has been gloomy and downcast.


    Anyway, today is the 3rd of October, 2116, and I was currently walking up the stairs leading to the entrance of the Academy, a sense of reluctance about me. Well, no sense in dragging my feet, let''s just get through this and try to survive.


    I entered the building and then headed up to my classroom, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as I noticed that I was getting far fewer stares than I did before. I mean, people still glanced my way and their eyes lingered for longer than I''d like, but still, it''s not as bad as the intense, shameless staring I''ve had to deal with since after the tournament.


    I then reached the classroom and opened the door, walking in and shutting it behind me, before I headed for my seat, surveying the rest of the class with a quick glance...looks like most of everyone''s here...unfortunately, including those two.


    "Hey, welcome back," Greeted Suri, as I sat down in my usual spot next to her, "You feeling better?"


    Huh? Ohh, right, I told everyone that I was feeling under the weather and that''s why I was absent. Almost forgot about that for a moment.


    "Yeah, I''m good, thanks for asking," I replied, as Katie and Mitchell turned around from the row in front of me and greeted me too.


    Kiran, who was on Suri''s other side, was asleep, and the other person usually in the row in front of mine, Seila, wasn''t here yet, from the looks of it. As I chatted with the three of them, I let out an internal groan as I spotted a certain figure heading this way from the front row.


    "Hey, look who''s coming this way, it''s your best friend," Teased Mitchell, the corner of his mouth twitching a bit as he tried to keep a straight face.


    "Shut up," I sighed in reply, as Asshole walked up to my row.


    "Kilzachs, it''s good to see you! I heard that you were sick, how are you feel-?" He began to ask, his eyebrows furrowed with concern...or at least, that''s what it looked like.


    "Fuck off," I interrupted icily, "I''m not going to play nice with you just because you had a sudden, shallow change of heart. As far as I''m concerned, you''re still the same asshole that ruined most of my childhood, so get lost."


    "I-...," He began, before trailing off and averting his gaze, then adding after a brief silence, "Okay, I...I won''t bother you anymore."


    With that, he walked away with a forlorn expression, his shoulders slumped in disappointment.


    "Wow, I almost feel bad for him...if I was a stranger looking in with no context, you''d have probably looked like the bad guy in that exchange," Remarked Suri, as he went back to his own seat.


    "Yeah, well...I don''t care, and if anything, I was too nice, I should have been harsher," I replied bluntly.


    I, uh...I have to admit, when that sad look appeared on his face, I kinda liked it...it''s not the same as before, but I still hurt him, and realizing that fact was a pretty satisfying feeling.


    This shallow, abrupt change of his, as ridiculous as it looks to the rest of us, he himself seems to be taking it seriously. Huh, he probably needs to see a therapist. Maybe a psychiatrist too. But I hope he doesn''t...because I just realized that his suffering is my satisfaction and pleasure, and I want to see him suffer a lot more...


    "You have an evil expression right now," Remarked Katie in her usual monotone.


    "You said it, talk about a sadistic face," Added Suri dryly.


    "Yeah, yeah," I sighed with a roll of my eyes.


    It wasn''t long before everyone else had arrived, and the first session of the day began. Usually, this is my least favorite class for the day since it''s all written stuff and therefore boring, but today, it was the combat class that I was most dreading.


    Because I''ll have to work with my temporary team for the next combat exam, which is a little over three weeks away...I hate everything sometimes, fuck this...


    ...


    For once, the first session felt like it absolutely flew by, since it''s usually so boring that I''m constantly on the verge of falling asleep...and now it''s time for the second session. Combat training. Except that for the next month or so, it''s going to be more like a secondary teamwork training class.


    "Attention, students!" Exclaimed Instructor Annika Mikhailova, with a loud clap of your hands, "Please join up with your temporary teammates and then head for the assigned training hall, which you should receive on your I-Watches any minute now, along with the details of the training exercises you''ll be carrying out!"


    She''s the strict, no-nonsense type and can be pretty intimidating, but every time I see her, I can''t help but get distracted by her rainbow-dyed short spiky hair, it''s just so...loud. Like the dyed colors were really bright, I bet you''d be able to see them in the dark.


    "Hey, what did you do during these sessions last week, when I was absent?" I asked Kiran, as I walked up to him.


    "It was...very awkward, to put it lightly," He replied with a sigh.


    Yeah, I bet. I was glad that he''s one of my temporary teammates, it would have been a nightmare if I''d gotten stuck with two teammates that I don''t like. Speaking of which...


    "U-um...," Stuttered Bytra, as she approached us, her gaze darting about nervously.


    I let out a sigh of exasperation as I considered the situation...this won''t do, if we have such a tense atmosphere like this, we''ll fail this exam for sure. Overall, I''ll probably still be fine even if that does happen, but...I''d rather not let myself get dragged down because of her.


    Okay, I''ve made my decision, as much as I hate this, I don''t really have a choice if I want to pass...and besides, learning to tolerate working with someone I hate could be a useful skill to obtain, I suppose. She flinched as I met her gaze and stepped forward, before I addressed her...


    "Let me be clear, I hate you with a passion and always will...but I''m not going to let that get in the way of me passing this exam, so I''ll reluctantly cooperate. So you better cooperate too, and at the very least, don''t get in my way. Got it?" I stated bluntly.


    "I, um-...y-yes, okay...I-I got it," She replied timidly, averting her gaze.


    We then received notifications on our I-Watches, specifying which training hall we''ll be using and instructions on what kind of training to do.


    We made our way to Training Hall 03, where we were assigned to, and once we were in, I read out the instructions...this seems to be a pretty simple exercise, should be easy enough.


    "So, we''re supposed to go ten minute rounds against combat androids as varying pairs, with each pair going twice each...that means we spend a maximum of an hour doing this, though most of the rounds will probably end before ten minutes. And then, for the remaining time, we fight the androids all together...simple enough, I suppose," I remarked...I''m guessing this also doubles as a test of the capabilities of the combat androids.


    These things are all over the exterior of the Sanctuary dome, laying dormant unless and until an unidentified organism is spotted by the many sensors or cameras...looks like this will help them determine whether these androids are good enough to competently deal with any real threats that approach us.


    Now, then...I suppose we ought to begin the training session...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 135 - 134 - Combat Androids(Part 1)

    "From the look of it, these androids have a strong resistance to XFE, but they''re not completely resistant to it, so they can still take damage...," I informed them, as I read out the information that had been sent to our I-Watches.


    "They can also analyze how much damage they''re about to sustain, and once they take a certain amount of damage, they''ll be teleported out," Added Kiran, who was also reading.


    Bytra was just standing off to the side, fidgeting awkwardly and nervously, her eyes darting about and looking away every time I so much as glanced in her way.


    "Alright, guess we might as well get started," I sighed, as I glanced at the time, "You two pair up first, I''ll be a part of the second and third pairs.."


    "Sure, fine by me," Replied Kiran with a shrug, as he headed for the middle of the training hall, Bytra following after him.


    The Duel Field activated around them as one of the androids activated and stepped forward, the countdown starting as the barrier activated. These androids have pretty simple designs, with sleek white metal bodies made using tungsten and coated in a lacquer that''s resistant to XFE manifested attacks.


    Their faces are oval shaped and have two eyes that double as cameras. They also have hidden weapons in their arms and stuff, though I wasn''t sure of the specifics.


    Now, then, the countdown is almost over, I''ll watch closely too see how compatible these two are with working together and see if I can think of ways they can improve on that. They''d both already activated their Primary Manifestations and were standing on opposite ends of the space inside the barrier, with the android between them.


    Decent formation, though it''s only natural that they had gotten to an at least basic level of cooperation after a whole week. Let''s see how they actually execute...the instant the countdown ended, Kiran bent his swatter manifestation backwards and then let go while simultaneously expanding the manifestation rapidly, without killing any of the momentum.


    The android quickly jumped straight up to evade it, though was unable to avoid its legs getting clipped a bit, causing it to lose its balance...it didn''t seem to have sustained any damage from that though.


    As it began to drop back down towards the ground, Bytra swung her whip manifestation at the android, which wrapped around its leg firmly. She then swung it down with all her strength, pulling it down towards the ground rapidly.


    Right before it could slam onto the ground, propelling jets burst out from its palms and feet, countering the downwards momentum just in time and halting itself in mid-air. It then grabbed the whip manifestation that was still wrapped around its leg and pulled, dragging Bytra towards it.


    She quickly dissipated the manifestation before she lost her balance and sprang back, right as Kiran snuck up behind the android and unleashed a barrage of swings with his swatter, landing several hits.


    Suddenly, a sharp metal blade extended out from the top of the android''s wrist, which it drove towards Kiran swiftly, who quickly expanded his swatter to block the thrust, right as Bytra unleashed a rapid series of strikes with her whip using incredibly wristy flicks and admittedly impressive control.


    But what''s most impressive is that android''s durability, at least against XFE attacks...it''s weathered several strikes and appears almost completely unscathed, except for a few small scratch marks, probably from the thorns on Bytra''s whip manifestation.


    The android then flew up and swooped down at Bytra, and right as she began to swing her whip up towards it, it pointed its arm blade at her...and fired it out, sending out a blindingly rapid, and deadly, projectile zooming towards Bytra, who wasn''t even able to react in time as the blade closed in on her and got her teleported out.


    It then quickly landed and shot towards Kiran as he swung his expanded swatter at it, swiftly shrinking it down as his mechanical opponent began to close in on him and parrying as the android extended out a blade from its other arm and slashed at him.


    He deflected the slash off to the side using his swatter, before rapidly expanding it as he swung it forward along the length of the metal blade, the swatter slamming onto the android''s face with immense force and knocking it off its feet, but before it could fall onto the ground, it fired out powerful jets from its feet to quickly get some distance from Kiran.


    Kiran began to swing his swatter towards the android while expanding it, but right before his attack could land, the android pointed a finger at Kiran...and a gunshot like sound burst out from it, and in the next instant, Kiran was outside the Duel Field.


    "Wow, uh...that bucket of bolts might be stronger than most X-Warriors," I remarked in surprise, at how comprehensively they were beaten.


    "I don''t know about that...," Sighed Kiran, as he dissipated his manifestation, "It''s resistance to XFE makes dealing damage really difficult for us, but Wights use physical weapons too, right?"


    "Well, yeah, that''s true, I guess...but it''s not just the XFE resistance, the combat program that the AI is using seems to be really good too. Also, I''m pretty sure it was holding back a lot, otherwise it would have used that finger gun move earlier," I surmised, after thinking it over.


    "I suppose so...well, so long as they''re on our side. I don''t like the idea of going up against an army of these things," Replied Kiran with a grimace.


    Yeah, neither would I...


    "Alright, no time to waste, let''s get the next round started...you and I are pairing up, we''ll have a more detailed discussion once all three pairs have gone once," I remarked, as I headed for the middle.


    "Yeah, okay," He replied, standing up with a sigh and following after me.


    Bytra was still quiet, looking away as I glanced at her...yeah, I deliberately made it so that I''d be pairing up with her last, and I was dreading it quite a bit, because after this round, there''ll be no more delaying it anymore.


    Swallowing my pride is harder than I thought, it isn''t easy to just set aside my personal feelings and approach this situation a hundred percent objectively. But...I need to at least try...


    "Hey, have you tried triggering Manifestation Overdrive?" I asked her.


    "H-huh? Oh, u-um...I''ve tried a bit, but not much-," She began to reply.


    "In that case, during this round, work on that instead of just sitting around," I instructed her.


    "O-okay, I''ll do that," She responded, looking a bit surprised.


    Hope she doesn''t get the wrong idea, I''m not trying to reconcile or play nice, I just want to maximize my chances of passing the exam, that''s all.


    As the barrier activated around us, I draw out my X-Blade and activated them, as Kiran activated his Primary Manifestation and we began to split up to either side of the android...


    "Hey, try attacking the joints, those points should be vulnerable," I suggested, as he responded with a nod.


    I then got into position, setting my X-Blasters to sniping mode at maximum output, taking aim as the countdown ticked down...let''s see if my bullets are good enough to take one of that thing''s eyes out of the equation.


    As soon as the countdown ended, I swiftly fired, my energy bullet zipping towards the android''s eye. Right before it could pierce through, the android dodged the shot, twisting it''s head out of the way just in time to avoid it...tch, that''s some reaction speed, a human definitely wouldn''t have been able to dodge that.


    Kiran then extended his swatter straight at the android, the edge aimed at the left elbow joint. But it noticed what he was upto and quickly flew up into the air, narrowly evading his attack...the fact that it reacted is a good sign, though, in the previous round there were a lot of attacks that it simply didn''t bother dodging.


    And the fact that it dodged that, as well as my opening attack, means that it''s very possible that those attacks would have done some damage to it had they landed. Well, only one way to find out for sure...land an attack that it tries to dodge. Yeah, easier said than done.


    The android then fired its left arm blade at Kiran, who quickly shrunk his manifestation to just barely deflect it from piercing his head, the edge of the blade grazing his cheekbone just underneath his left eye.


    The android then took aim and fired a clip of bullets at him, which he managed to deflect the first few shots of, but they were too fast for him to continuously react to, and he got teleported out before long.


    The android then turned its attention over to me, extending out its right arm blade and swooping down towards me while firing out some bullets from its left fingers.


    I quickly crossed my arms in front of myself to activate my barrier bracelets, forming an spherical energy shield around myself, which blocked the fired bullets, a few small cracks spreading out from the points of impact.


    Okay, you know what, I refuse to lose to a machine, even if that means using powers that I''d otherwise opt against using while training.


    As the android began to close in on me, I swiftly dropped my arms and sprang back, partially deflecting a couple of his bullets with my X-Blades, one grazing the side of my left thigh and the other brushing past my right hip.


    I then focused on the android''s arm blade, before chanting inaudibly...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    It then halted in apparent confusion as most of the blade on its arm vanished seemingly abruptly, and then...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>."


    An electric spark burst out of its head as the blade reappeared right in the middle of its face, the mechanical body collapsing on the ground in a heap, the glow in its eyes fading as it shut down.


    Fortunately, there were two spare combat androids in the training hall, and one of them powered up and activated a few seconds after I beat the first one.


    I then let out a dreaded sigh as I glanced back at Kiran and Bytra...two rounds down, and there''s no more delaying it any further...it''s time for me to pair up with Bytra...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 136 - 135 - Combat Androids(Part 2)

    "U-um, what do you want me to do?" Bytra asked me timidly, flinching a bit as I looked at her.


    I need to stop looking at her as a person, since I hate her as a person...instead, I need to start looking at her while only focusing on her abilities and completely ignoring everything else about her.


    "Hm...can you keep the android restrained with your whip?" I inquired, after mulling it over.


    "I, um....y-yeah, I think so," She replied nervously.


    I''m still getting annoyed when I look at her...oh, maybe if I stare at her forehead instead of making direct eye contact...


    "Alright then, once the countdown ends, I''ll attract its attention, use that opportunity to restrain it, preferably one or both of its arms. Got it?" I instructed, avoiding eye contact...okay, this is slightly more bearable.


    "Y-yes, okay."


    As the Duel Field activated around us, the countdown began and we split up, on opposite ends of the area inside the barrier with the android in between us. Hm, I should avoid using the same move I used before, if I break this one, then there''s only one spare left in this training hall.


    Bytra activated her Primary Manifestation with a nervous, fidgety expression...she was definitely a lot more composed when she was paired up with Kiran. What, is she afraid of me or something? Maybe trauma from that time I beat her up during the team vs team exercise in that underground maze?


    Well, whatever, I won''t say anything so long as she executes her role properly. I got ready to use my X-Blasters as the countdown ticked away, nearly over...and then, the moment it ended, I fired a shot at the android, striking its chest right in the middle.


    The robot reacted, shifting its gaze in my direction...Bytra then raised her whip with her wrist cocked, before stiffening as, suddenly, the android turned its head around, locking its sights onto her.


    I see, it must have computed that my bullets are no threat to it, and then shifted its gaze to Bytra to see if she was more of a threat...talk about bad timing, why couldn''t it have turned around after she cracked the whip?


    Suddenly, it shot towards her at top speed, extending out a blade from both arms as it zipped forward, Bytra freezing in response...ugh, seriously? Tch, I hate to help her, but...


    I then, as fast as I could, selected her and myself, before reciting the activation chants for Cut and Paste in a rush, just barely managing to remain coherent and avoid invalidating the chants, and then instant I finished the second chant...I swapped placed with Bytra, swiftly crossing my arms to form my barrier as the android closed in and swung both arms out, striking my barrier and cracking it.


    Should I use my Square Blaster to-...before I could finish that thought, Bytra''s whip sliced through the air and struck the android''s right arm, before wrapping around it firmly and restraining it. Huh, not bad, she actually pulled it off.


    I then dropped my arms to deactivate my barrier, the android immediately slashed at me with its left arm blade, which I ducked under and countered by swiftly taking aim at its left elbow joint and firing, my energy bullet sneaking in through the tiny gap and hitting its mark.


    As I fired, the android''s left forearm slumped and stopped working, as an electric crackle burst out of the elbow joint. I then took aim at the right shoulder joint and fired again...but right before I could strike, the android teleported out. Huh, that wouldn''t have done much damage, other than cause it''s right arm to stop working.


    Guess it doesn''t just take into account the degree of damage, but also the effects...a more powerful XFE strike to the torso could be ignored, while a weaker attack aimed at the joints may be taken more seriously. Good to know. These things are pretty well-programmed.


    Also, aiming for the joints makes these things a lot easier to defeat...they seemed really powerful at first, but once I started targeting the joints, it was a lot easier. Have to admit that, as much as I hate to, this round might have been a bit trickier if Bytra hadn''t restrained the android.


    Alright, I can do this...it''s just for less than a month, which will fly by in no time, all I need to do is swallow my pride during that time and ignore my grudge against her to ensure that this works...y-yeah, I can definitely do that, n-no problem at all...


    "That was, uh, nicely done," I remarked reluctantly as I walked past her, earning a look of surprise from her.


    "That was a short break," Sighed Kiran, standing up as we returned, "I guess I have to go again now, huh?"


    "Yup, each possible pairing has gone once so far, so we have to do that again and then it''ll be all three of us against an android. By the way, try using a strategy that we didn''t use in the first round of sparring bouts, it''s fine if you end up losing as a result, the aim here is to find new options you can use during a fight instead of only relying on a handful of tactics," I replied, as I sat down.


    "Okay...so what kind of strategy should we use?" He inquired in response.


    "What''s the point of me telling you? I''m not involved in this bout, so don''t rely on me, otherwise you''ll probably just freeze up in a tight situation," I pointed out.


    "I know you''ve got a point, but still...," He sighed in reply, "That sounds like a lot of work."


    "Yeah, yeah, and to me, that sounds like a lazy excuse," I countered with a smirk.


    "Dick," He retorted with a grumble, as he walked away and started discussing strategy with Bytra as they headed for the area that the Duel Field covers.


    As it turned out, their pairing lost again. Their strategy actually hadn''t been a bad one, Bytra had restrained the android''s torso with her whip and Kiran then began to expand his swatter manifestation with the edge pointed at the android''s neck joint, but before he could strike, the android flew up with the repulsers in its feet, lifting Bytra up with it, and then rapidly spun around, unraveling the whip wrapped around it and sending Bytra plummeting towards the ground.


    Naturally, she got teleported out. After that, Kiran managed to last the full ten minutes, but he was almost completely on the defensive, he did well to block and deflect the android''s attacks, but he wasn''t able to counterattack at all.


    "Well, that could probably have gone better...though it sure seemed like the android was fighting a lot more competently than in the previous rounds," I mused, as the two of them came walking back.


    "I hate this...," Sighed Kiran irritably, "I''m covered in cuts and grazes, this feels awful. I should''ve just let myself get teleported out."


    "Maybe so, but your defensive skills are really good, you''d be pretty tough if you had a strong offensive attack...have you tried triggering Manifestation Overdrive?" I asked him.


    "Yeah, I''ve been trying for about an hour a day for the last couple of weeks...no dice though," He replied with a grumble.


    Hm...then it''s probably a matter of XFE control. Sakura is still working on that, and probably won''t be able to trigger whatever the Anomaly version of Manifestation Overdrive is until she gets a firm grasp of controlling her XFE.


    "Have you ever practiced XFE control?" I inquired curiously.


    "Hm? No, not really, I ignored it like most people do, since it wasn''t that important," He shrugged in response.


    "I figured as much...alright, listen, from what I''ve seen, triggering Manifestation Overdrive isn''t possible until you have an at least basic level of XFE control. Like you said, most Prodigies ignore that technique since their activation chants automatically control the XFE flow to trigger the manifestation, and instead focus on maintaining stability in their XFE flow, to prevent their manifestations from destabilizing. But, as it turns out, XFE control is vital to learning Manifestation Overdrive...Katie''s been working on her XFE control for a long time, that''s probably why she triggered and mastered Manifestation Overdrive so quickly," I surmised.


    "Wow...that sounds like way too much work," Groaned Kiran, his expression losing all trace of motivation, not that there was much of it to begin with.


    "U-um...I''ve actually practiced XFE control since I awakened as a Prodigy, I-I think I''m fairly good at it," Spoke up Bytra nervously.


    "Oh, that''s right, I asked you to try triggering Manifestation Overdrive during the second round, when Kiran and I were paired up and you were sitting out...how''d it go?" I inquired, doing my best to stay civil...the urge to insult her is hard to ignore, but I can''t let myself give into that urge unprovoked.


    "Well, I...um, it didn''t work, I kept slipping and losing control of the XFE channeled into that spot on my back," She answered timidly.


    "Alright, then work on that in your free time or whatever, though if it feels like you won''t be able to master it before the combat exam, then don''t put too much focus on it," I instructed, after thinking it through.


    Damn it, this is so hard, just talking to her normally while pushing down my spite and hatred...


    "O-okay, I''ll do that."


    "Well...," I then remarked, turning to Kiran, "It''s our turn to pair up again, let''s go."


    "Ugh...do we have to right now? I''m tired after fighting for the entire time limit in the last round," He grumbled, before reluctantly following me as I shook my head...if I''m doing this, then I might as well commit to it instead of approaching it half-assedly...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 137 - 136 - Combat Androids(Part 3)

    "Let''s take a five minute break before the next round," I suggested, as I sat down on the floor with a sigh.


    "Only five?" Groaned Kiran, pulling down his face mask to wipe off the sweat on his face.


    Each of the three possible pairings for this group had gone twice, and there was still well over an hour left in the session since only one of the previous rounds had used up the full time limit of ten minutes, so we definitely could take a much longer break if we wanted to...but whenever I train, I like to make things more challenging for myself so that the overall process becomes more effective.


    And yeah, I know that I train harder than most and it''s probably not a good idea to abruptly impose my training style on others, but...I had barely even broken a sweat, Bytra didn''t look too tired either. Kiran was the only one who had visibly-depleted stamina, sweating profusely and breathing heavily.


    But it''s not that he has low stamina or anything, that round where he went the full ten minutes was extremely high paced and taxing, he wasn''t given an inch of breathing space or a chance to catch his breath until it was over...he looked a bit lightheaded after that round, come to think of it.


    "Hey, how tired are you?" I asked Bytra.


    "H-huh? Oh, u-um, I''m not tired," She stuttered in reply, averting her gaze.


    "Hm...we''ve got just under seventy minutes left, and we''ll only be fighting a single round as a trio, so...fine, I suppose we can opt for a longer break, let''s say...half an hour? You, work on triggering Manifestation Overdrive for the next twenty minutes, then rest for the remaining ten minutes, during which we''ll talk strategy," I instructed Bytra, continuing to stare at her forehead instead of making direct eye contact...okay, I think I''m getting used to this, it''s definitely easier that talking to her while meeting her gaze, I''d just get irritated if I did that.


    "O-okay, got it," She responded timidly.


    I''ll up the difficulty level of training when we get closer to the exam, for now I think it''ll be more effective for me to focus on getting a basic level of teamwork going with this group. Probably easier said than done though.


    And besides, we''ll be done with this session with the next round, and with so much time left, there''s absolutely no rush. Though even if it wasn''t just one round left, effectively speaking, it would be, thanks to their only being one android left.


    Yeah, by the end of the previous round, the second android was so badly damaged that it suddenly ceased functioning. The last round won''t have a time limit, it''ll keep going till either all three of us or the android are teleported out.


    And if the android sustains too much damage before teleporting out, then that''s it, the session''s over regardless. Sure, it''s supposed to teleport out before it sustains a certain amount of damage, but it can''t anticipate my Anomaly powers, otherwise the first one I fought would have reacted to me using Cut on its arm blade, so there''s that.


    "Hey, what are you going to do while we wait?" Inquired Kiran, who was laying down flat on the ground.


    "Hm...I think I''ll do some push-ups," I replied, after mulling it over.


    "I can''t tell if that''s a serious answer or sarcasm," He responded wryly.


    "Huh? Why would I be being sarcastic? I''ve been a bit busy lately so I''ve fallen a bit behind on my regular, physical training...it kinda felt like my arm strength was a bit diminished when fighting the combat androids, so yeah...push-ups," I shrugged in reply.


    I then got on the ground and planted my right palm on the floor...okay, I''ll go for about five minutes with each arm and then finish with five minutes with both arms, that''ll leave me about fifteen minutes to rest afterwards...yeah, that works...


    ...


    "Hey, you, two minutes left, wrap it up soon," I called out to Bytra, a couple of minutes after I finished my own workout.


    "O-okay!" She responded with a slight jump as I startled her, before exhaling slowly and focusing again.


    "I noticed this earlier too, but...you''re avoiding saying her name, aren''t you?" Inquired Kiran, who was now sitting up and looking a lot more well rested.


    Wait, I am? Huh...holy shit, I am. I didn''t even realize it, but now that I think about it...just the idea of addressing her by name annoys me.


    "No idea what you''re talking about," I replied as I averted my gaze.


    "Well, that was convincing," He remarked dryly, "And not that I really care, but...seems like that''d be detrimental to this teamwork thing."


    Much as I hate to admit it, he has a point there...well, whatever, I can deal with it later, one step at a time. Me being civil to her is a huge step on it''s own, let''s not try too much too quickly.


    "Hey, um...I''m done," Said Bytra, walking back this way.


    "Alright, ten more minutes of rest and then we start the next round," I declared, as I took a sip of water.


    "I only heard the ''rest'' part of what you said, didn''t hear the rest...no pun intended," Sighed Kiran.


    He sure complains a lot, but he does what''s required of him when he has to, even if he does grumble about it while doing it.


    "Right...anyway, how did your training go?" I asked Bytra.


    "Oh, um...it was okay, I didn''t succeed, but I, um, I think I got close," She answered while fidgeting.


    "Okay, keep working on it in your free time then. In the meantime, let''s talk about how we''re going to approach the next round, shall we...?" I suggested.


    ...


    A few minutes later, all three of us were in the Duel Field, in a triangle formation surrounding the android...one thing that I noticed in the previous rounds was that in the first three rounds, the androids fought less competently than in the next three rounds.


    In other words, in the first batch of rounds, the combat program must have been restricted a bit, with those restrictions lifted in the second half...but not all the restrictions might have been lifted. In other words, it''s very possible that round will be even tougher than the previous bouts...but it shouldn''t be a problem, so long as we keep our guards up and each play our roles as discussed.


    The countdown was almost over, I activated my X-Blades and readied my X-Blasters to attack, as the countdown reached three...two...one!


    The moment it ended, the android swiftly raised its arms, its fingertips opening up. It''s top half then began spinning around rapidly, as it fired bullets out of its fingers while spinning at a blinding speed. Okay, that''s new.


    I quickly put up my barrier just in time, as Kiran expanded his swatter to use as a shield and Bytra spun her whip around in front of herself to deflect the bullets coming her way. We''re all managing to block it, but still, this is quite an effective attack.


    After about ten seconds, the hail of bullets finally ceased, and the moment the android stopped spinning, I fired a barrage of shots from my X-Blasters, but the android swiftly responded by expanding its forearms like shields and blocking my shots, before leaping up as Bytra cracked her whip towards it.


    What the-...she was behind it, how did it react to that!?


    It then reached to try and grab the whip, but the moment it tried, Bytra quickly pulled back her whip, as Kiran swung and expanded his swatter towards the android rapidly. Right before his attack could connect though, the android narrowly zipped out of the way using the jets in its palms and feet.


    I then used Cut and Paste to teleport myself above the android and combined my X-Blade handled to form the long and wide form of the energy blade and then swung it down at the android, which countered by shutting off its jets and letting itself plummet down, narrowly evading my slash.


    Bytra then swung her whip up at the android, wrapping around its left ankle before it could react. It then began to point its fingers at her, but before it could fire, Kiran expanded his swatter to the max and swung it down at the android, knocking it down and pinning it onto the ground firmly...nice.


    I then used Cut and Paste again to teleport myself back down towards the ground, and as the android began to push at Kiran''s swatter and stand back up, I swiftly pulled out my Square Blaster and fired the moment I got a good look at the android.


    The instant I fired, it activated the jets in its palms to blast Kiran''s swatter away and then rapidly zipped out of the way of my thousands of streaks of dark XFE, a few striking and several grazing the android, but it avoided taking too many hits.


    Tch, I should have fired it at full output-...no, I specifically didn''t do that because it''d have been difficult to do so without getting the others caught up in the blast, this is a relatively small Duel Field, so there isn''t as much space to work with as I''d like.


    Okay, so no doubt about it...this thing''s combat skills are a lot sharper than what we faced in the previous rounds. Is this the full combat ability of these androids? Or is it still going easy on us? Either way...this is gonna be tough...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 138 - 137 - Combat Androids(Part 4)

    I sprang back as the android pointed its fingers at me and fired out a barrage of bullets in my direction, narrowly avoiding taking any hits as I put up my barrier. The barrage then ceased as Bytra swung her whip up, which struck its arm and wrapped around it, restraining it.


    The android then abruptly jerked its arm up, causing Bytra to lose her balance and nearly fall over, and the instant she stumbled, the android shot down towards her rapidly, extending out its arm blades as I began to close in on her...before suddenly halting and flying away as Kiran expanded his swatter right between them, putting up a wall.


    Bytra quickly dissipated her manifestation and zipped across, sticking by the edge of the barrier as she kept her distance from the android, which was watching her closely. I then took aim and flung one of my X-Blades at it with a rapid spun, targeting the joint in its neck, in an attempt to take its head off.


    It slid out of the way just in time, my spinning blade grazing the side of its head as it avoided decapitation. Right as the blade whizzed past the android, I teleported myself behind it and grabbed the spinning blade, before driving it straight towards the base of its neck from behind.


    But it reacted just in time, evading the thrust of my blade....just as I thought, the ''eyes'' at the front of the androids'' heads are just distraction...they have three sixty degree vision, that''s how these things can react so well to attacks that are initiated from behind.


    I quickly tilted my head out of the way as it drove its left arm blade towards my head, narrowly evading it. The android then raised its right arm blade, starting to swing the blade down at me-...suddenly, it began to react to something to its right, but it was too slow, as Bytra managed to restrain it again, using her whip.


    Right, just because it can see attacks coming from any direction doesn''t mean that it''s fast enough to seamlessly respond to every threat that comes its way.


    My ears then perked up as I heard footsteps quietly approaching from behind me-...no, it''s more like they''re using me as a screen to sneak up on the android. Before it could pull its left arm back, I swiftly jammed my X-Blades into its forearm and shoulder joints, its left arm ceasing function, right as Kiran sprang out from behind me.


    He then thrust his swatter into the android''s neck joint, before rapidly expanding it...and right before he could tear the mechanical head off, the android got teleported out, avoiding sustaining what would have been more than enough damage to shut it down.


    That probably means that the insides aren''t as resistant to XFE as the exterior of the android is...wonder what this exoskeleton is made of, or rather, what it''s coated with. Tungsten is highly durable, but XFE can damage it with a bit of force, it''s definitely not this resistant.


    Which means that there''s something else in the mix, something that blunts any XFE attacks and absorbs a significant amount of the impact...hm, I wonder what it is? Guess I''ll ask Director Silva later.


    "It''s finally over," Kiran let out a sigh of relief, before adding with a frown, "Well...for today, anyway."


    "Come on, don''t be like that. Plus that was some pretty decent teamwork for a group that''s never worked together before," I pointed out, "Assuming that wasn''t a fluke, at this rate we should be fine by the time the exam rolls around."


    "If every combat session is gonna be like this, then we''d better pass...I don''t want to have gone through all this for nothing," Grumbled Kiran, before gulping down some water.


    "We don''t have a whole lot of time, so we''ll primarily focus on covering each other and avoiding getting in each other''s way, instead of trying to pull off any complicated combo moves or whatever. And if we figure out ways to improve efficiency, we build on those gradually, to make sure the new elements don''t upset the overall balance," I suggested thoughtfully.


    "Yeah...that''s probably the easiest way to go about it. But it''s still going to be a lot easier said than done," Sighed Kiran wistfully.


    "U-um...," Began Bytra, before trailing off nervously.


    "Hm? If you''ve got something to say, then spit it out. Until the exam is over, I''m setting aside my personal grudge in order to ensure that I pass, and if you''ve got any ideas that can help, I''m willing to listen," I remarked frankly.


    "O-okay, um...I was, uh, I was just thinking that...the exam will consist of us going outside and fighting Mutants, so we''ll probably be outnumbered in most encounters. So, um, isn''t training where we outnumber the opponent counterproductive?" She replied, averting her gaze as she fidgeted uncomfortably.


    Huh...that''s actually...a pretty good point, I have to admit.


    "You might be right about that...hm, alright then, we''ll continue as things are for the rest of this week, but by next Monday, if the combat sessions stay the same, we''ll have to train outside of Academy hours...if that happens, I''ll probably have to scrap my regular training sessions to make time for teamwork training," I surmised with a frown.


    "Wait, so...depending on how the next few Academy combat training sessions go...we might have to have additional training sessions in our spare time?" Groaned Kiran in dismay.


    "You sure complain a lot, huh. And yeah, that''s exactly what I''m saying," I replied dryly.


    "Out of curiosity, how much do you train normally, outside of Academy sessions?" He inquired with narrowed eyes.


    "Hm...well, these days, two to three hours on weekdays, depending on where my stamina''s at, though on days where I have something to do, I might skip it...I try to avoid doing so more often than once every five days though. As for weekends...a minimum of four and a half hours and I can go upto six hours, sometimes seven if I''m extra motivated," I answered, after thinking about it, "Why do you ask?"


    "...dude. You do this every day?" He asked incredulously, as Bytra looked pretty wide-eyed too.


    "Well, I mean, I do take a day off to relax every two weeks, that''s if I don''t skip any days in between," I replied with a shrug.


    "Just so you know...I am not training that hard, no matter what," Declared Kiran confidently.


    I won''t say anything now, but...we''ll see about that...


    ...


    ...


    A few hours later, at around 6 PM, I was done with classes and on my way to meet Director Silva...she''d wanted to meet with me to discuss the combat androids, since they were all but ready for mass-production, but there was still room for minor tweaks.


    I initially had little interest in that, but now that I''ve actually fought the prototypes of the androids, I''m a fair bit more invested in the matter. Anyway, I was already in the building and in front of the door to Director Silva''s office. I knocked on the door and waited...


    "Come in!"


    I opened the door and walked in, before shutting it behind me and heading into the room.


    "Hey, you wanted to see me?" I greeted her.


    "That''s right, I''d like your opinion on the combat androids, especially since you''ve had the chance to face them in battle," She remarked, getting right down to business.


    "Wait, did you schedule this meeting for today because you knew I''d be fighting those things today?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "...maybe. Anyway, what did you think of it?" She responded with an impatient, expectant look on her face.


    Well, if nothing else, it''s reassuring that she takes the things she''s in charge of so seriously, I suppose...


    "Not sure...see, the androids got tougher and tougher as the session progressed, so I don''t know whether or not I faced any that were going all out, by the end," I pointed out with a shrug.


    "Oh, the android at the end was executing its combat program at full capacity with no restrictions...in the first three rounds, the combat program was operating at around twenty-five percent, and then fifty percent at the second set of three rounds," She explained.


    So, she knows everything that went down in the training session, huh? Well, since HQ provided the Academy with the android prototypes, I suppose it makes sense that she''d have access to how they were being used, since that''s pretty valuable data for new creations like this...


    "Oh...well, in that case, I don''t think there are any problems. The tungsten exoskeleton should be a decent defense against physical weapons, and whatever the exterior is coated with blunts XFE attacks significantly, the only major defensive weakness are the joints," I concluded the defenses of the androids.


    "Right, we''ve been working on making the joints as hard to penetrate as possible, but we can only go so far without restricting the flexibility of movement," She sighed in reply.


    "I doubt there''s a solution to that, especially not one that doesn''t compromise anything," I stated objectively, before continuing, "Now, then, as for the offensive power of the androids..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 139 - 138 - Duel

    Today''s the 7th of October, a few days later. Mass-production of the combat androids had begun, and as it turned out, no changes were made to the prototype following my meeting with the director, but it wasn''t a complete waste of time, I learnt pretty much all there is to know about the combat androids, so I was satisfied.


    Ordinarily, with all the upgrades to the exterior of the Sanctuary, any unidentified intruders wouldn''t even be able to get near it. In addition to an array of pretty much every type of sensor in existence, there were several automatic rifles and cannons as the initial line of defense, and then there were the combat androids and drones.


    Not to mention the barely-perceptible bug-sized reconnaissance drones that have now been spread out for about a two hundred and fifty kilometer radius of the Sanctuary.


    The sensors installed onto the Sanctuary''s exterior covered a radius of about ten kilometers, but that limit isn''t a problem, since the bases that had been built on the outside also had the same sensors installed, along with automatic rifles and cannons, and a small number of combat androids and drones as well.


    There were currently forty such bases in total, some were still under construction, which was why most of the Aces were so busy lately, they were tasked with ensuring Mutants or Wights don''t attack the builders while they''re working, they were effectively on bodyguard duty.


    This is definitely a worthwhile endeavor if you ask me...once Teleportation Points are set up in the bases, we''ll be able to easily travel throughout the land surrounding the Sanctuary.


    The current forty bases are split into sets of eight, with each set of eight placed evenly along an increasing radius. The closest eight bases to the Sanctuary are at a radius of twenty-five kilometers, while the next eight are fifty kilometers away from the Sanctuary, and the next eight are at seventy-five kilometers, and so on, till the current furthest eight sitting at a hundred and twenty five kilometers from the Sanctuary.


    Of course, there are plenty of areas between those bases that are blind spots, naturally. For now, the reconnaissance drones are being used to plug those gaps, but once all the current forty bases are fully constructed, they plan to build walls along each eight-set radius...that''ll probably take a while yet though.


    Anyway, it was currently the end of the day for Academy classes, and we were done about an hour early. Instructor Jin Satou had to leave abruptly in the middle of the last session, teamwork training, so yeah.


    Oh, and as for the combat training, aka worse teamwork training, nothing had changed. We were still being made to do nothing but fight combat androids while outnumbering them. And sure, from the looks of it, everyone had improved slightly as a result and learnt how to overpower a stronger opponent using numbers...


    But in reality, we''re more likely to face the opposite scenario; where we''re the ones outnumbered. The teamwork exam isn''t much of a concern for me, my permanent team and I are well in-sync these days, and the teamwork training sessions are good enough to help maintain that while also gradually improving and sharpening our collective efforts.


    Instructor Satou may not have much of any motivation, but he''s good at his job, he gives us simple yet highly effective exercises that help us build on our mastery and level of teamwork.


    Instructor Annika Mikhailova, our combat instructor, on the other hand...well, she seems plenty competent, but so far, her training sessions haven''t been nearly as effective. Even before the whole temporary teams thing, her sessions were just okay, without being all that remarkable.


    Or hey, maybe I''m missing something and failing to see the big picture, who knows? Either way, I''m not gonna complain about it, if I can''t rely on someone or something, I''ll just find my own way to get what I need.


    "Hey, Kilzachs, wait up!" Suddenly called out Taayin, as I began to leave.


    Hm? What does he want-...oh. Right. I completely forgot...


    "Let''s, uh, fight another day, ''kay?" I responded sheepishly.


    "No way, it''s been long enough, and we''ve got some extra time today...come on, dude, fight me!" He exclaimed with a wide, expectant grin.


    "Stop that, can''t you see that you''re bothering him!?" Snapped Asshole, marching over with a frown.


    "The last thing I need is your help, get lost," I warned him with a glare.


    "R-right, of course...j-just say the word if you want my help and I''ll come running!" He responded apologetically, before backing off.


    ...I hope he dies soon or something, I can''t take much more of this.


    "Well, uh, that was weird...so, anyway, come on, fight me!" Urged Taayin without missing a beat.


    He''s so...intense, and I really don''t want to deal with him, he''s got a serious one-track mind. But I guess I might as well get this over with, because he definitely won''t forget about it. No point delaying it, I suppose.


    "Fine, let''s do this," I gave in with a reluctant sigh, before adding firmly, "But you can''t challenge me again, got it?"


    "But that''s-...! Actually, you know what, I agree to that...so long as you beat me! But if I win, I reserve the right to challenge you again!" He declared with a smirk.


    Somehow, I find it hard to believe that he''ll stick by that, but it''s good enough for now, I suppose. I let out a quiet sigh before meeting his gaze...


    "Alright, fine...but that was a big mistake, you really don''t want to be motivating me to take this seriously," I remarked with an icy smirk.


    "Oh? In that case, you should thank me...because I''d kick you ass if you didn''t take me seriously," He countered smugly.


    Hmph...we''ll see about that...


    ...


    A few minutes later, he and I were both inside a Duel Field, with most of our classmates watching with interest. When the countdown began, Asshole began cheering my name and crap, which absolutely infuriated and creeped me out at the same time.


    I yelled at him to shut up, and now, I''m just enjoying the peace and quiet while I still can-...oh, just three seconds left, guess I should put my guard up. I drew out my right X-Blade and activated it, while setting my X-Blasters to mid-range at seventy-five percent output.


    "


    !" Chanted Taayin with a smirk, crouching low while locking his sights onto me.


    Fighting him is so unsettling, he''s got the vibe of a feral wild animal or something, his moves are really difficult to read. Like, seriously, he''s more intense than any Mutant I''ve fought, it''s almost scary.


    The instant the countdown ended, he shot towards me at a rapid speed, slashing at me with his right hand''s energy claws as he closed in. Predicting his moves and attack patterns are all but impossible, the most effective way to fight him is to simply react the instant he attacks.


    I blocked and deflected his slash with my X-Blade and then swiftly fired a couple of shots at him from near-point-blank range. He quickly sprang back while swinging his left hand up, one of my shots grazing the side of his face, as he managed to deflect the second one with his claws.


    He continued to evade nimbly as I then fired out a barrage of shots aimed at him, before I chased after him, drawing out my second X-Blade and activating it. The moment I began chasing, he stopped running away, halted, spun around and zipped towards me with a wide grin on his face, a sharp gleam in his eyes as he zipped forward.


    I slashed down at him with my right X-Blade as I closed in, which he evaded and countered by driving his claws up towards me. Right before his attack could land, I blocked it with my left X-Blade, stopping his attack.


    And the instant I blocked it, he suddenly sprang up, wrapping his legs around my left arm firmly, before attempting to grab my forearm with his hands, his manifestation starting to pierce my skin. I reacted as fast as I could, taking aim and firing with my right X-Blaster, as he began chanting...


    "Gotcha, <Secondary Manifestation: Torture-...>...woah!"


    As soon as I fired, he quickly let go and dropped down, my energy bullet severing a few strands of hair as he just barely evaded my shots. The moment he landed, he struck his feet out at my ankles, which I dodged by swiftly springing back and countering with a couple of shots.


    He hurriedly sprang up onto his feet and leapt out of the way, my attack grazing his calf as he avoided taking it head on. I then used Cut and Paste on myself to teleport behind me, before silently swinging my X-Blade at the back of his neck.


    He stiffened for a fraction of a second, before spinning around and springing back in a rapid, fluid motion, swinging his claws out in reaction. My blade struck his claws, both our attacks getting deflected off each other as he backflipped away and got some distance.


    As he continued to flip away, I focused on a section of the floor and used Cut to remove a chunk of it...right as he was about to land on that spot. He lost his balance with a surprised yelp as he landed on the pothole-like spot on the ground.


    I then used Paste to bring back the chunk I''d used Cut on, right above his head. He jumped out of the way in alarm, at an impressive reaction speed, but he couldn''t fully avoid it...the edge of the chunk clipped his right foot as he leapt off to the side and rolled away, as the chunk of floor fell down and broke apart.


    As he began to get back on his feet, wincing slightly as he put some weight on his right foot, I cocked my wrist and flung my left X-Blade at him with a rapid spin, aiming for his legs at just below the knees. He reacted by jumping straight up to avoid it, right as I used Cut and Paste to teleport behind him and grab to spinning blade, before slashing it straight up towards him.


    At the last possible moment, he violently twisted his body across in mid-air and just about managed to get his hands in the right place, blocking my slash by the skin of his teeth.


    He then bent his elbows and rapidly straightened them like springs, using my energy blade as leverage to jump off of and get some distance from me. I think it''s about time I end this-.


    "Damn...I knew you''d be tough, but this is crazy," He remarked with a wry smile, before slowly exhaling and raising his arms across each other as he crouched low, his hands past his shoulders and his energy claws pointing outwards, "Haven''t quite got the hang of this yet, but nothing else is working, so...!"


    Is he...? Should I finish this before he can unleash it? Nah, I''m curious to see what it is, I''ll just teleport myself to the ceiling of the barrier when he finishes the activation chant and-...


    "Alright, take this, <Manifestation Over-...: >...!" He began, before suddenly trailing off and stumbling a bit...he failed, he didn''t keep it contained long enough.


    It''s over.


    I teleported myself behind him as he stumbled, before slashing at him from behind silently...he began to react, but it was too late...he got teleported out before my attack even entered his peripheral.


    I have to admit, his senses and instincts are incredible, he reacted to a lot of attacks that most people would never even see coming. But none of that matters, because...


    "I win."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 140 - 139 - Temporary Team Training(Part 1)

    "How long do we have to do this?" Sighed Kiran, wiping his brow.


    "It''s only been ten minutes so far, so assuming we go for about three hours-," I began to suggest.


    "No way, I draw the line at two hours!" He protested immediately.


    "In that case...as much as I hate to do this, let''s put it to a vote.. That means you''re the tiebreaker," I remarked, as I turned to Bytra.


    "I, um...well, it''s just, three hours might be a bit much on a weekday," She replied, fidgeting a bit.


    Today''s the 10th of October, the following Monday. And with no change to the combat training sessions, I''d had enough, so here we were, in a training facility in the North Quadrant.


    We booked a large training room and rented twenty training bots...they''re basically older, inferior versions of the combat androids. Their combat programs are a fair bit simpler and they don''t have any built in weapons...they''re also a lot less durable, but even if we do end up breaking all of them, the charge for damages isn''t all that high, more than affordable with my current level of savings.


    Anyway, to start with this training session, I was having the other two fight the bots without the use of any XFE, in a two vs three bout, while I was taking on two bots by myself.


    And in hindsight, that might have been the wrong choice. I was having no trouble fighting two against one, but the two of them were really struggling. Neither of them have particularly remarkable hand to hand combat skills, so take away their XFE manifestations and they don''t have much else.


    It only took a few minutes for me to see that they weren''t going to get anywhere this way, so I decided to take an early timeout in order to get things back on track.


    "Okay, we''re scrapping this no-XFE handicap, it''s clearly not working, and that''s my bad. And as for the three hours...I''m not scrapping that outright, instead, I''ll assess things at the two hour mark and decide if we can keep going for another hour. Is that fine?" I proposed, after thinking it over.


    "...it''s better than nothing, I guess," Sighed Kiran, standing up, "So, what kind of training are we doing?"


    "Start using your XFE, but the equation''s gonna change from two against three to two against five. I''ll continue to do my own thing until you two can take out ten of them in one minute without taking any hits," I instructed.


    "Is that...even possible?" Responded Kiran with a raised eyebrow.


    "Um, isn''t it less effective if only two of us pair up?" Chimed in Bytra meekly.


    "First off, yes, that''s easily possible. And second, my role will be to cover you two from behind, so unless we face something really powerful, I''ll be at mid to long-range, while you two will be at mid to close-range...so it''s more important that you''re in sync with each other''s movements and attack patterns, that''ll make my job of backing you up easier," I explained objectively.


    I may be well-rounded at any range, but in most team combinations, my long-range skills will be the most valuable factor I can offer, since most X-Warriors are mainly proficient in mid to close ranges, while those skilled in long-range attacks are pretty rare in the Sanctuary.


    And I doubt that''s going to change any time soon, thanks to the combat androids and drones. Those machines have highly accurate aiming functions, once they''re in widespread use, they''ll probably be included in teams for Missions, as an option with long-range attacks.


    If and when that happens, it''ll most likely only serve to demotivate X-Warriors from putting serious effort into developing their long-range skills. I can''t even imagine neglecting that aspect of my fighting style though, it''s just such a ridiculously valuable and convenient skill to have up your sleeve, and one that I heavily rely on.


    Not only is it great for sniping unsuspecting targets, but it''s also extremely useful in a one on one fight too, the ability to fight from a distance gives you a much better opportunity to gauge your opponent''s abilities without needing to take much of any risk.


    And on top of all that-...never mind, I should really focus on my training for the next hour or so. I already have an idea of what to do for the second hour, but until then, I have no intention of slacking off...


    ...


    An hour later, Kiran and Bytra were both sprawled on the floor, battered and bruised while struggling to catch their breath. They''d made good progress, I suppose, but they were still a ways from being able to fight off ten bots in a minute without taking any hits.


    And now, it was time to change things up a bit. I told them to take a short break to rest up, while I headed for the reception desk to place a request to rent something that I figured would be necessary for what I had in mind. Specifically, I wanted a Duel Field drone, along with the collars that trigger the teleportation, of course.


    Once I rented it, I headed back to the training room, where the other two were still laying flat on the ground, sweating profusely. Considering that it was a pretty intense hour of training for them, their stamina isn''t bad at all, but...it could be a lot better.


    I''m still good to go for a while yet, and since they''re Prodigies, they have greater physical potential than I do, which means that if they put in the work, they could build up stamina reserves that far surpass my own. But from the looks of it, they''ll have to put in a LOT of work to accomplish that.


    "Five more minutes and it''s break over!" I called out, as I entered the training room and headed towards them.


    "Could you maybe freeze time so that we have more time to rest?" Requested Kiran, who almost looked like he was melting.


    "That''s not how my time freezing power works, just focus on recovering as much energy as you can for the next five minutes...and looking at this, I can see that three hours will probably be impossible, so...we''ll be done after one more hour, ''kay?" I remarked, as I sat down beside him.


    "We better be done by then, any more and I''ll probably drop dead," Sighed Kiran in reply.


    "Um...what are we going to do for the next hour?" Asked Bytra.


    "A three-way sparring session...in other words, we all three fight each other at the same time, with each of us perceiving the other two as enemies," I replied.


    She''s a bit less timid than she was when this group was first formed...guess she''s figured that, until this exam is over and done with, I''m suppressing my grudge and spite towards her. It''s starting to get tougher and tougher to keep it in though, especially the more comfortable she seems to be getting.


    I''m doing my best to stay neutral around her, and for now, I think I''m pulling it off convincingly enough. I just hope I can keep it up till this exam is over and done with, and after that, I''ll never have to interact with her ever again.


    "A three-way sparring session? That sounds like a pain," Grumbled Kiran with a frown.


    "Yeah, well, it should be highly effective...not only will we each get some practice fighting against multiple opponents, but we''ll also get a sharper idea of what each other is capable of, that''ll make a big difference," I pointed out.


    "I already figured as much, something like that would not only help us get in sync with each other, but also could help us point out each other''s strengths and weaknesses, and subsequently, how to complement them...I''m just saying that the idea of this kind of training sounds messy and complicated," He replied with a sigh.


    "You know, you sure do complain a lot, but despite that, you still take this seriously...so I was wondering, could you do it without complaining?" I requested with a wry smile.


    "That''s gonna be a no. If you want me to take this seriously, then the least you can do is let me complain to my heart''s content," He countered dryly.


    "Fair enough, I''ll give you that," I relented.


    "By the way...you better not be working us this hard just because we didn''t do much during the week you were absent. Because that was your fault," He stated with a frown.


    "First off, no, I''m not trying to make up for that week or anything...if I were, we''d probably be going up to four hours, maybe more. And I was sick, so technically, not my fault," I replied, not very honestly.


    "Somehow, I doubt that. Out for a whole week when it isn''t even flu season? Seems unlikely," He remarked with narrowed eyes.


    Tch, sometimes he''s annoyingly perceptive. Oh, well, not like he has any proof, and besides, anyone else in my shoes would probably have done the same thing.


    "You''re being paranoid," I shrugged off his suggestion.


    "Yeah, maybe...or maybe you took a week off because Tairo was being super creepy and you didn''t want to deal with that?" He responded, hitting the nail on the head.


    "Hmph, well, who knows? Anyway, it''s been more than five minutes already, so let''s get started with the sparring, shall we?" I suggested, as I stood up and cracked my neck.


    Now, then, let''s see how this goes, shall we...?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 141 - 140 - Temporary Team Training(Part 2)

    "I''ve...I''ve had enough...," Groaned Kiran, collapsing onto his knees while trying to catch his breath.


    "We''ve still got about ten minutes left...but fine, even I''m a little bit worn out after that," I admitted with a sigh, as I stretched my arms.


    For the past fifty minutes or so, we''d been training using the three-way sparring method I suggested, which turned out to be tougher than even I could have predicted....it was definitely highly effective though. After about twenty minutes, it started to get a bit easier, so I decided to shake things up a bit.


    Specifically, I added the training bots into the mix, incrementally in ten minute intervals. We got upto three bots, and right as I began considering adding a fourth, Kiran had had enough...


    "I''ll admit, this does feel effective...but it''s so draining, I had to constantly stay alert and on my toes the whole time," He grumbled, as he pulled down his face mask to drink some water.


    "That''s how you know it''s working," I countered with a grin.


    Oh, and Bytra was collapsed on her back, beads of sweat pouring down the sides of her head while she struggled to catch her breath...also, her clothes were kinda clinging to her skin, and I was trying not to stare.


    What? Just because I hate her doesn''t mean I can''t find her attractive, physically speaking, anyway.


    Anyway, I''d ideally like to do this kind of training everyday for the next couple of weeks, but that''s probably not realistic...it''s not big deal for me, but Kiran would definitely complain, and complain for real instead of his usual empty complaints. And from what I''ve seen, Bytra''s stamina levels are about the same as his.


    This training is definitely highly effective, there''s no doubt about that...with so many opponents to keep track of, you''re forced into a highly alert state of mind, and prolonging that state is the main driving factor in why they''re so exhausted, but if they can get used to maintaining that level of intensity without draining their stamina so quickly, the exam will be a lot easier to deal with.


    I could also tell that this training was definitely helping with us identifying each other''s strengths and weaknesses. Learning the others'' physical habits and tics when they''re about to make a certain move is what was especially beneficial...it could potentially let us figure out what the other is about to do without them even saying anything.


    Okay, that level might be a bit hard to achieve in the remaining time we have before the exam, but we''re definitely on the right track.


    Well, anyway, looking at the two of them right now, it''s obvious that neither of them are going to be able to continue in any effective manner tonight, so guess there''s nothing to do but wrap it up for the day.


    "Alright, then...we''re done for today. We''ve got about three weeks left before the combat exam, and we''ll spend the next two weeks conducting six training sessions like this one, that''s less than every other day on average...you two can decide which days those six sessions will be on," I remarked, as I stood up and began heading for the locker rooms.


    I still have plenty of stamina left, but I''m still pretty sweaty...probably shouldn''t use public transport in this condition, I should grab a shower before that.


    Hm, maybe I should get my own vehicle, I can certainly afford one...people always stare at me in buses, and it doesn''t get any less annoying no matter how much it happens. I do have a way around that, but it''s still annoying that I even have to.


    Normally, if people with vehicles want to teleport to a different quadrant or district, they have to pay a kinda pricey fee to do so.


    But I can always use Cut and Paste to transport something-...hm, but something like a car would take a ton of XFE, fully using Cut on something that''s physically larger than me costs a ridiculous amount of XFE, I''d probably end up draining myself.


    Hm, but what about a bike? Still bigger than me, but not by much, so I''d probably be able to teleport one at less than ten percent XFE, while a car would likely cost me upto forty percent, maybe even more.


    Huh...yeah, I like the idea of that, actually. Of course, I''ll also have to get some training and a driver''s license, which I think takes a couple of weeks, at least. In which case, if I''m getting one, then it''ll have to be after the upcoming batch of exams. Yeah, no sense in focusing on that now...and first things first, I need to shower...


    ...


    About twenty minutes later, I was outside the training facility, showered and changed. I was wearing a dark gray long sleeved top with black sweatpants and flip-flops, my dirty clothes were in my bag. Hm, should I leave or wait for the others? I then glanced at my I-Watch to check the time, right as Kiran and Bytra also showed up, looking pretty work out, to put it lightly.


    "So, when do you guys want to have the next training session?" I inquired, as they began to walk past me.


    "Huh? Who are y-...wait, is that you, Kilzachs?" Responded Kiran in surprise.


    Yeah, so, I''m wearing a disguise. Particularly, a medium-long black haired wig, and I took off my glasses. Simple, yet effective. This is the way around being stared in public I mentioned earlier, people aren''t going to stare if they don''t recognize me, after all.


    "Yup, the one and only," I replied dryly.


    "Oh, I get it, this is to keep people from recognizing you. Can you see without your glasses though? It doesn''t look like you''re wearing contacts," Remarked Kiran curiously.


    "Hey, I''m not blind, you know. Sure, things are a bit blurry, but I can see just fine," I replied, rolling my eyes, "By the way, it feels like you''re talking a lot more than you usually do lately."


    "That''s because I''m usually relaxed and don''t feel like talking much. I''m very much not relaxed these days, pretty much all of my muscles are aching," He sighed irritably.


    "That''s a good sign, actually," I responded, before asking again, "Well? When''s the next training session? Remember, we''re going to have six in the next fourteen days, and you probably don''t want to procrastinate all of them for the very end."


    "Um...h-how about the day after tomorrow?" Spoke up Bytra timidly.


    "Fine by me. Kiran?" I inquired, turning back towards him.


    "...alright, fine," He relented with a sigh.


    With that agreed upon, we each began heading back home. There was a Teleportation Point within walking distance, so we headed there. Kiran asked the attendant to teleport him back to the East Quadrant, after which Bytra and I teleported to the Residential District in the North Quadrant.


    We headed for the nearest bus stop and sat down on the bench there, as an awkward silence ensued. I was waiting for a bus that was scheduled to arrive in a couple more minutes, with a route that would take me right by my place.


    As for Bytra...I''m sure she''s getting on a different bus. How am I so sure, you ask? Because I want and hope that she gets on a different bus. In other words...I''m not sure at all. All I can do is hope and-...oh, the bus is here, a little bit ahead of schedule, nice.


    Alright, moment of truth...if she stays still, that means she''s taking a different bus-...crap, she''s standing up. Damn it...she''s taking the same bus. Now, what? Do I wait for it to come back around? No, that''s not going to be for at least a couple of hours...shit, guess there''s no choice.


    I let out a reluctant sigh before standing up too, and as the bus stopped and the doors hissed open, she and I entered the vehicle, before the doors shut with another hiss and the bus began moving again.


    Shit, it''s crowded in here. There were only two free seats, and they were next to each other, at the back left corner of the bus. Is this some kind of cruel prank? My choices are to either stand or to sit next to her.


    But I don''t want to do either. So, then...which one do I want to do less? Standing...I don''t want to stand right now, my legs are a bit sore. I walked over to the seats in defeat, nabbing the window seat. And sure enough, she sat down next to me.


    "U-um, hey...," She spoke up nervously, after a lengthy silence passed, "I-I''m...sorry."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" I responded coldly...tch, don''t talk to me outside of anything related to the temporary team...


    "I, um...e-everything I did to you, I-...I''m sorry...I just-," She began.


    "Why now, so suddenly and abruptly, out of nowhere? Because you know what, all you''re doing right now is pissing me off," I replied with a grimace.


    "I-it''s the least I can do, a-and I know it doesn''t make up for wh-what I did, but...I-I don''t know what else to do," She stuttered with a miserable look on her face.


    "Ohhh...now I get it. Well, forget about it, if you''re looking to me to alleviate your guilty conscience, you''re looking in the wrong place. I couldn''t care less about that. And just so you know, no matter what, I will never forgive you," I stated icily.


    "I...I just-...," She began, before trailing off and taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly and continuing with a hint of conviction, "You have no idea how much I''m agonized over what I did to you...betraying you the way I did, and after that even sinking as low as to make fun of you along with the others...what I did to you is unforgivable, I know that, and I won''t ask for your forgiveness. But I, um-...since we are working together till the end of this month and all, I...I just figured that we could, maybe-..."


    "What, reconcile or something?" I scoffed, as I felt a deep-seated hatred rising, "You''ve got to be kidding me. Let me make this clear...I''m setting aside my personal grudge towards you during training and anything else related to the upcoming combat exam. But make no mistake, Bytra...I hate you, I absolutely despise you, and that''s never going to change. You think you can one-sidedly apologize and try to erase what you did, well then, fuck you, think again. Oh, and after this exam is over...don''t ever talk to me again, got that?"


    "I-...yeah...I got it...," She trailed off quietly, averting her gaze downwards.


    She didn''t say a word after that, and after a couple more stops, she finally got off, as I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Damn it, what the hell was that? Talk about arrogant...you can''t just put someone through shit like that and then expect them to ever forgive you for it.


    At one point, she meant a lot to me, I was growing more and more fond of her with every interaction, I thoroughly enjoyed being in her company...and then, she just spat in the face of that, leaving me broken and empty.


    I absolutely hate her for that, and there''s no doubt in my mind...that I always will...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 142 - 141 - Upgrades

    This is so exciting...I can barely contain myself! Today''s the 13th of October, and I was currently outside Ruby''s place, knocking on the door. Yesterday had been the second training session with my temporary team, and things had been a little bit tense between Bytra and I, after that ''conversation'' we had in the bus.


    It wasn''t significant enough to disrupt the training though, so I didn''t bother addressing it, nor do I plan to. The tension still annoyed me though. But then, once I got home, I got a bit of a pick-me-up. Ruby gave me a call, to inform me of the completion of a couple of the weapons I''d requested...well, more specifically, they were mostly upgrades to a couple of my current weapons, but the technicalities don''t matter.


    I''d been a bit worn out last night, so I told her that I''d come pick ''em up the next day, which is now today.. It was around 6 PM, I''d made my way over here after classes, since I didn''t feel like waking up early.


    And besides, there was no rush. But now that I was actually here, I was brimming with anticipation. The door then opened and Ruby poked her head out, her eyes lighting up as she saw me.


    "Hey, Zax! Took you long enough, I''ve been waiting," She remarked with a smile, as she pulled me in and shut the door.


    "My bad, I was busy with Academy stuff," I replied, as I entered her room...messy as always, no surprise there.


    "Oh, don''t worry about it. Anyway, you gotta see this, I''m like, so proud of what I''ve done with this!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, as she handed my a pair of X-Blade handles, that looked similar to the ones I was currently using.


    "Right, I asked if you could make these sharper, so that I cut stuff more easily...I know that was kinda vague, sorry about that," I said apologetically.


    "Never mind that, just activate them," She replied with a grin.


    Okay, her enthusiasm is contagious, now I''m really curious to see what she''s done to improve these...


    "Woah, this is...!" I exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap, this is awesome, the energy blade is...vibrating! Oh, this''ll do nicely, you never fail to impress me, Ruby."


    "Heh, flattery will get you nowhere...except in my pants. Well, not that I''m wearing pants, but you know what I mean," She responded with a seductive smirk, as she grabbed my butt and gave it a squeeze.


    Well, she''s as frisky as ever. And as usual, she was wearing nothing but a zipped-up hoodie, though this one was dark blue instead of the usual black one she wears.


    "Right, so, uh...you also said that you had finished the backpack?" I inquired in anticipation.


    "Oh, yeah, I have! I finally managed to achieve what I think is an acceptable level of flexibility of the armor mode, and it''s a bit more energy efficient too!" She replied with a grin, before walking over and picking it up, "By the way, see this metal belt? It contains the flight mechanism, it should fly smoother now. Another thing, it''s XFE resistant...there''s this new kind of lacquer that I came across and bought online, paint it over something and it''ll form an XFE resistant layer, so it''s some pretty handy armor."


    That must be what the combat androids are coated with. She then handed it to me, and I put it on with a growing sense of excitement. Here goes...I activated the armor mode, the backpack rapidly changing shape and wrapping around my arms, hands and chest, forming a protective layer of armor.


    Woah...I barely even notice it, it''s so light...and it''s not restricting my movements at all. This is pretty awesome, it significantly boosts my defense without compromising my offense. I then deactivated the armor, feeling more than satisfied.


    "I''ve got no words...you''ve outdone yourself, this is seriously incredible," I remarked in genuine awe.


    "H-hey, now, you''re gonna make me blush, cut it out," She responded with an embarrassed grin, averting her gaze slightly.


    "This is gonna make a big difference to my fighting style, so cool!" I exclaimed with a goofy grin, unable to keep a straight face...it''s not often I''m this giddy, these are some seriously impressive upgrades.


    "Well, I''m glad to hear it...," She smiled, before adding as she began to unzip her hoodie, "So, now that we''ve taken care of business, I think it''s time that we-...actually, on second thought, screw the foreplay...get over here and fuck me right now."


    Woah...


    "...yes, ma''am!"


    ...


    About an hour later, I was on my way out, immensely satisfied in more ways than one. Initially, I''d planned on going home for a bit after this, to rest up before going to train, but I can''t wait...I want to test out my upgraded weapons right away!


    So, yeah, I was on my way to a training facility, I''d just finished booking myself a session schedule to begin in about thirty minutes from now, since it''d probably take me around twenty to twenty-five minutes to go back home and get all my equipment and stuff and then head over to the training facility.


    I took a bus home and hurried into the building, going up to my room and equipping my weapons, before rushing back out again and taking another bus to the nearest Teleportation Point, teleporting to the Recreation District and then making my way to the facility.


    After confirming my booking, I headed for the designated training room, after renting ten training bots. Once I entered the room and shut the door, I began stretching and warming myself up, before taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.


    Alright, first, let''s test out the backpack. Looks like it''s got enough XFE charged into it to last for about two hours continuously in flight. The maximum capacity is twenty-four hours, which in terms of XFE, is about 2.5 times my maximum capacity.


    I then activated the armor mode, the lightweight metal covering my arms, chest and neck, while the items I''d been storing inside it were firmly secured to my back with metal bands, that restrained the items as soon as I activated armor mode.


    It was just a water bottle, a change of clothes and a towel, so nothing too heavy. In a real fight though, if I''m carrying something that could weigh me down during the fight, I can simply let the items fall off when I activate armor mode. Oh, and this thing still flies even when in armor mode, thanks to one of the new features Ruby had added.


    When I put the backpack on, there''s a metal belt that I need to secure around my waist, and that''s what contains the flight mechanism. In other words, even if the rest of the backpack is completely damaged, so long as the belt remains intact, I can still fly.


    It''s really amazing how light it is...a metal belt sounds uncomfortable as hell, but I hardly even notice that it''s there. Same goes for the rest of it too. Like the armor extends up and fully covers my neck, but I don''t have any trouble moving my head around or anything, I''m not losing any flexibility.


    I then flew up slowly, gradually picking up the speed before zipping around in zigzags, getting the hang of it in no time. Ruby was right, this flies way more smoothly than before, it''s almost scary how easy it is.


    After flying around a bit more, I descended back down towards the ground and deactivated armor mode, before taking off the backpack and setting it down. I then took out my new X-Blade handles and activated them, as I also activated four of the training bots to spar against.


    Before, with the previous versions of my X-Blades, stuff like decapitation against these training bots would require a lot of momentum, so it was always more practical to thrust the energy blade at them, especially aimed at their joints.


    Let''s see if these new blades make a difference, shall we? As one of the bots then charged at me and drove its fist towards my face, I ducked underneath its punch and activated one of my X-Blades, before whipping the blade up at the bot''s neck...and cutting it off like a hot knife through butter.


    Woah...it''s even more effective than I hoped. That was so easy that it almost felt like I was cheating. I barely even put much of any force into that swing, it was more like a casual flick of my wrist, I probably wouldn''t have left much more than a scratch with the previous versions of these X-Blades. On top of that, this version feels more satisfying to swing around, I can feel the vibrations cutting through the air each time I swing it.


    Anyway, after taking down the remaining three bots in no time, I decided to focus on my regular, basic training. I then formed a clone using Copy and Paste, before sparring against myself...literally, since I''m controlling both my own body and the clone''s as well. I can now control upto three clones with relative confidence, so four minds and bodies including myself.


    Forming a clone costs five percent XFE, which makes them last about one minute...of course, it also copies my clothes, though not all of my equipment. My X-Blasters, X-Blades and barrier bracelets are all fine, but my Square Blaster and jetpack backpack thingy-...I''m calling it Jetback from now one...-can''t be copied without costing extra XFE.


    Oh, as for my poison smoke bombs, I might never have to ask Ruby to make me another batch...because I can just copy the ones I have on hand if I need to use them. When I make a copy of something, the longest they last is ten minutes before disappearing...but with the smoke bombs, that''s more than enough, all I really need is a couple of seconds.


    My fighting style is now close to ideal at my current level of ability and skill, both my powers and weapons are at satisfactory levels, for now anyway...well, except for one thing. The Anomaly version of Manifestation Overdrive, I''m not quite there yet, but...I''m close to triggering it, I can tell. And somehow, I can also tell, that when I finally do trigger it...it''s going to make a huge difference...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 143 - 142 - Time Trouble(Part 1)

    What have I done...this was a mistake, a huge mistake...! I fucked up...yeah, I fucked up big time. What did I fuck up, you ask? Well, let''s go back to this morning, when this shit show began...


    ..


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Today''s the 14th of October, 2116, and it''s a Friday. And last night, I''d realized that my Tier One abilities had evolved a bit...which must have happened during that time when I almost triggered the Anomaly version of Manifestation Overdrive, but failed right as the activation chant began.


    Anyway, the change to Tier One is this...I''m no longer restricted to one Save point. Now, I can set upto three of them. And I was pretty eager to test it out, to put it lightly...think about it, if I set a Save point in the morning and then another one in the evening, and I first return to the morning Save point...what happens if I then try to use Load to go to the evening Save point?


    In theory, I should effectively travel to the future...the future which I''ve already experienced, but still! Tier One is easily the power I use the least out of all the options I''ve got up my sleeve, but this could change that.


    I was currently outside the Academy, having just arrived for the day. I''m seriously excited about how this upgrade to my time travel powers is going to turn out, I can hardly wait to find out! As I walked up the stairs, I chanted...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save Point 01>."


    I then entered the building as the security guards let me in, before heading for my classroom. I opened the door and walked in, heading for my seat. I noticed Asshole waving at me in peripheral, I responded by flipping him off.


    I sat down with a sigh, a feeling of impatience around me. Once I set the next two Save points, I''ll be golden, but until then, I''ll have to live out the rest of the day in real time...a fast-forward power sure would be nice.


    Have I said that before? It feels like I have. Eh, whatever. No point complaining about something I don''t have, after all.


    "Hey, good morning," Greeted Seila, as I sat down.


    "Yeah, good morning," I replied, before glancing at Kiran, who was snoring, giving him a nudge, "You sure are in a deep sleep, aren''t you?"


    He let out a slight grumble as he buried his head deeper in his arms on his desk, his eyebrows creasing slightly.


    "He was complaining about how intense your training is, and then he passed out," Remarked Suri with a sigh.


    "I can see that, you train way more than any normal person does, and it''s kinda overwhelming when you try to impose those standards on the rest of us," Added Mitchell dryly.


    "Oh...well, my bad, I''ll keep that in mind. But in this case, to be fair, we don''t have a lot of time, so I don''t have a choice but to raise the bar...that said, I don''t think I''m pushing them too hard, just hard enough," I replied sheepishly.


    "I agree with you, one person slacking off can bring down the whole team," Chimed in Katie.


    "Hey, speaking of which, what''s it like...you know, being on the same team as...her," Frowned Suri with a look of concern.


    "Well...I am trying my best to set my grudge aside, just until the exam is over. But that''s a lot easier said than done," I sighed wistfully.


    "Look on the bright side, it could be worse," Pointed out Seila, subtly nodding as Asshole and Makoto...yeah, fair point.


    The classroom doors then swung open and Kumar walked in, his usual look of demotivation on his face. It''s an expression I''ve gotten used to over the past couple of months, ever since he took over as the theory session''s instructor for us.


    And as always, his lack of enthusiasm was contagious, the Academy day beginning with the usual two hours of me doing my best to stay awake. No matter how important the lesson was, the way Kumar teaches, it''s just impossible to pay attention.


    At best, I can absent-mindedly take notes on what he''s discussing like a pre-programmed drone, which is what I strive to do every time he teaches...but every so often, emphasis on often, I just end up dozing off.


    It''s the weirdest thing though, a few minutes after the first session ends...I no longer feel all lethargic. Huh, maybe Kumar''s bored voice is unintentionally hypnotizing me into that state? Or, well, who knows, maybe it''s done intentionally.


    Yeah, so when I''m like this, my imagination goes a bit crazy and random. Ugh...I really hope one of the remaining locked tiers of my Anomaly powers has a fast-forward type of ability. If I unlock something like that, then I''ll never have to sit through one of Kumar''s boring lectures again.


    After what felt like ages, the session finally ended, as I let out a sigh of relief and stood up, stretching my arms and stifling a yawn...


    "You know, I wasn''t going to say anything since you always get good scores on the theory exams...but I gotta say, Zax, it''s kinda annoying to see you dozing off every time during my lectures," Kumar remarked, walking up to me as I began heading out the classroom.


    "Yeah, well, it''s not like you''re any more enthusiastic than I am, so...," I replied with a shrug.


    "Fair enough, I suppose," He sighed in defeat.


    "Huh...that was fast."


    "Well, yeah, there''s no way I can muster any more enthusiasm for this than I already have, so it''d be hypocritical to ask that of you," He responded, before leaving the classroom, "Alright, well, see you around, kid."


    "Sure, right back at you, half-pint."


    "Don''t push it, Zax."


    ...


    The combat training session went by uneventfully, a little too uneventful for my taste, but I was outvoted. After classes, we''ve got a training session scheduled at that training facility today, and because of that, Kiran requested that we take it easy during this session, since it''s not very effective to begin with.


    Bytra was on his side, though she didn''t say much...ever since that ''conversation'' on the bus, she''d clammed up a lot more around me, though it seemed more like she was bottling something up and biting her tongue. But she still spoke up a bit more this time, which I suppose emphasizes how worn out they are.


    And so, I gave in and let them dictate the pace of this session...but only on the condition that if they slack off too much, I''ll make up for it in the evening session by either increasing the intensity or the amount of time.


    That seemed to work, and they maintained a reasonable pace of training during the session...it was still a bit too lax for my liking, but I suppose I could let it slide.


    Anyway, with the end of the second session, it was time for the lunch break, so once we wrapped up the training, I headed for the cafeteria. As I arrived, there weren''t many people here, the crowd only just starting to stream in.


    I then ordered myself some food and sat down with some of my classmates...huh, at some point, not eating alone became normal. It wasn''t even a year ago that I''d have never thought I''d voluntarily sit with others like this.


    As I took a sip of my chocolate milk and began to take a bite out of a donut...the lights suddenly began flickering like crazy, and a loud murmur went across the cafeteria, as everyone began fiddling with their I-Watches...huh, mine seems to be malfunctioning too.


    No, it''s working fine, it''s just unable to access the internet...which should be impossible. And then, the lights went off completely. Before suddenly coming back on...right as everything started shaking.


    What now!? An earthquake? Oh, wait, it''s growing weaker...aaand it''s gone. Everything was back to normal. I wonder what just happened, the power outage and sudden rumble...could those have been connected? The timing seemed too suspicious to just be a coincidence.


    Maybe it could have been an earthquake that jolted the electricity in the Sanctuary, before we felt it ourselves or something like that. Okay, so I don''t really know how earthquakes work, they''re pretty rare around here.


    "Huh, that was kinda freaky," Remarked Mitchell in bewilderment.


    "It''s probably nothing to worry about, it looks like things have settled again," Responded Zoya, as most people in the cafeteria seemed to have brushed aside what just happened.


    Well...I just hope she''s right. Guess I''ll set my second Save point now...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save Point 02>."


    Hm, should I go back to the first Save point and come back to this one to see what happens? Nah, let''s save it for after I set the final Save point, there''s no rush whatsover, after all...


    ...


    I finished eating with still plenty of time left in the lunch break, and as I decided to head down early to the ground floor to go to the designated training hall for the final session of the day, I noticed a slight commotion by the entrance, the security guards were dragging someone away...wonder what that''s about.


    This isn''t all that uncommon, some fanatics obsessed with Prodigies and X-Warriors try to break into the Academy and other facilities in the X-Warrior Zone every now and then.


    Oh, well, best if I don''t get involved, for all I know, that could be someone who''s obsessed with me...not to sound narcissistic, but I am pretty well known in the Sanctuary now.


    I ignored the commotion and continued heading for the training hall. It wasn''t long before the lunch break ended, and the rest of my classmates and the instructor arrived too.


    Just a couple more hours before I set my final Save point, I can hardly wait...really hope these next two hours go by quickly. Instructor Satou told us to use the Teleportation Platforms, which are programmed to teleport in captured Q-Rank Mutants...this was becoming more common now, since with all the new bases we have outside the Sanctuary, capturing Mutants is a lot easier than it used to be.


    Anyway, as we got ready to begin, a sudden clamour burst out from Zoya''s group. I quickly turned my attention over towards them as someone let out a cry of alarm, to see that a handful of Mutants had appeared...one of which was a K-Rank, a juvenile Two-Headed Serpent.


    Before any of the monsters could attack, Instructor Satou quickly swooped in and took them all out, including the K-Rank, in a matter of seconds.


    "Deactivate all the platforms, quickly," He urged, shutting off the one that had malfunctioned, as the rest of us hurried over to the other platforms before they could begin teleporting Mutants in.


    "Instructor, what just happened? You said we''d be facing Q-Ranks, and not more than five at a time, but that was like eight of them, and one was a K-Rank-...," Began Zoya with a frown.


    "All I know is that what just happened wasn''t my fault. I''ll report this and see if I can find out what happened," He responded with a grimace.


    Not long after that, the session continued, though Instructor Satou decided to have each team fight each other instead, unwilling to risk using the teleportation platforms, since shortly after he reported the incident, he received a mass notice from Director Silva; that the teleportation system that''s used to run the platforms was on the fritz and to avoid using them until further notice.


    The rest of the session unfolded without any problems, and before I knew it, the day was over. It''s about time, it felt like this day had dragged on at a snail''s pace at times. And now, finally-...!


    "Hey, about today''s training session, could we push it back, like, half an hour at least? I''m so tired...and it''s a weekend tomorrow, so it doesn''t matter how late we go," Remarked Kiran, walking up to me.


    "Huh? Oh, uh...yeah, okay, that''s fine," I replied with a wave of my hand.


    Normally I don''t think I would have agreed to that, but right now, I was too impatient to test out my power.


    "Oh...cool, thanks," He responded with a hint of surprise, before walking away.


    Now, then, here goes...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save Point 03>...and now, to travel back, <Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 01>," I chanted, finding myself on the stairs leading to the entrance of the Academy, "Okay, now for the moment of truth, let''s travel forward...<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 02>."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Wh-wha...what the hell...? Everything''s dark, my ears are ringing, screams and panicked cries echoing all around me, as waves of pain burst throughout my body. What the...what the hell is going on here...?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 144 - 143 - Time Trouble(Part 2)

    Seriously, what the hell is going on here!? Why am I in so much pain? As I began to reach up to rub my head in order to ease the ringing in my ears, I froze as I felt nothing. My left hand...it''s gone. Wh-what is this?


    I stifled a cry of pain as my breathing grew sharp and ragged, blood pouring out of the stump of my hand. I...I need to calm down, right now...otherwise, I''ll lose too much blood before I can compose myself. Panicked screams and cries of pain were ringing out all around me, but it was too dark to see anything..


    I then winced as someone bumped into my shoulder, sending waves of pain throughout my body. I did my best to ignore the pain, before I gritted my teeth and took off my belt, firmly wrapping it around the bleeding stump and tightening it, letting out a sharp gasp as a blinding pain shot through my body, nearly knocking me out.


    Suddenly, as another person bumped onto me as they ran around in a panic, I winced in agony, biting my lower lip to keep the pain from overwhelming me, my vision blurring as I nearly passed out.


    My right hand is still intact...I reached up and tapped on the side of the frame of my glasses, activating the night vision feature, stiffening as I got a more visible look at my surroundings...blood everywhere, crushed limbs and organs, plenty dead...


    I then glanced around my more immediate surroundings...I could see Mitchell and Kiran, both unconscious, but otherwise seemed to be okay. Some of the others were either panicking or in total shock.


    I froze as I then saw Katie, her eyelids weakly fluttering open as some sparks burst out...her right leg was gone, crushed underneath a huge chunk of rubble, she was trying to close the wound and stop the bleeding using her lightning. And as I looked around, I saw that she wasn''t the only one with a crushed limb, or in some cases, limbs.


    I could feel a strange rumbling, getting stronger and stronger...what''s going on? An earthquake? Is it the same one that I felt when I first lived through today? No, something''s wrong...I don''t think this rumbling is an earthquake. It feels...familiar, somehow.


    I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled...alright, stay calm. What I need to do now is find out what caused this mess and then go back to my earliest Save point and prevent it...somehow, I doubt that this is simply a natural disaster.


    I stood up shakily, stumbling a bit as I got on my feet...tch, I think I''ve got several fractures and bruises all over, twinges of pain were bursting throughout my entire body, overwhelming my senses.


    "K-Kilzachs? Where are you going...?" Suddenly inquired a weak voice below me, as I felt a hand clutch my trouser.


    I glanced down, to see Suri, both her legs were visibly broken, but she hadn''t suffered any fatal injuries...good, that means that if I fix this, she''ll be just fine, she won''t die from this.


    "Hey...don''t worry, I''m going to make it so that this never happened, alright?" I replied with a smile, doing my best to stay calm...seeing her and my other classmates so badly injured, it was definitely affecting me.


    I couldn''t help but wonder if anyone I don''t dislike was dead right now not, and it making me a bit anxious...


    "H-huh? What do you mean?" She responded weakly.


    I can''t stick around to talk...I''m feeling dizzy and light-headed from the blood loss I''ve suffered, and the rest of my injuries, minor though they were, aren''t helping matters.


    "I don''t have time to explain, but...just trust me, okay?"


    "I-...okay."


    As she let go of my trouser, I headed out the cafeteria, ignoring the pain as best I could. Damn it, the pain from my missing hand is unbearable, and from what I saw from the stump, it looked like my hand must have gotten crushed under a chunk of the ceiling or a pillar.


    That means my I-Watch was destroyed too...well, not that it matters, it''d be offline in this situation anyway, so I wouldn''t be able to use it to contact anyone. Okay, I can feel the rumbling more clearly now, I was right by the entrance to the Academy.


    Some of the walls have been smashed in, and so had the ceiling...something had struck the collapsed sections from the outside, that much was obvious. And whatever caused it, did so with incredible force.


    I gulped, before slowly pushing the doors open and walking out of the Academy, starting to head down the stairs, when I suddenly froze in shock, as the sight in the distance...there was a huge hole in the ground, about fifty meters ahead of where I was standing.


    And further in the distance, the dim glow of XFE attacks...aimed at a massive figure, towering over sixty meters. A crocodile-like head and claws, an enormous snake-like body, and wings on its back...you''ve got to be kidding me, it''s...it''s the Crocsnek, the Ace Mutant that showed up during the attack on the Wight base camp.


    Wh-what the hell is it doing inside the Sanctuary!? The earthquake I felt when I lived out today before setting all the Save points...that must have been this thing, passing underneath or nearby the Sanctuary. But why didn''t it attack then? If I don''t know that, then I won''t know how to fix it.


    This is bad...all the Aces and most of the top K-Ranks are all outside the Sanctuary at the moment, and with everything offline, they won''t be able to teleport back. And against a creature of this size, I simply don''t have the XFE to deal it any lethal damage...and if I can''t kill it, there''s no point trying to injure it, because I''ll definitely have to go back in time to undo all this, and when I do, any injuries I inflict will also be undone, only death will stick.


    And like I said, I just don''t have the capability to kill it as I am now, even taking out an eye would probably cost me a good fifty percent of my XFE, and there''s no guarantee that that would be enough to kill it. Since I''m going to be heading back in time, I need to conserve my XFE.


    Tch, but then, what do I-...hold that thought, because, uh, is it just me, or is the Crocsnek staring right at me? N-no way, it''s extremely dark in the Sanctuary right now, I''d barely be able to see a thing without my night vision...not to mention that it''s nearly two hundred meters away and I''m practically an ant in size comparison-...shit, it''s coming this way!


    And...it''s really fast! It slithered towards me at a rapid pace, closing the distance in a matter of seconds, it''s eyes narrowing while fixated on me...does it, uh, remember me from last time? Because...that''s kinda terrifying.


    It then let out a vicious hiss and swung its right arm towards me, extending its claws as it sliced through the air towards me...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Tw-...>...!" I began, before leaping out of the way in alarm, unable to finish the chant in time...as an excruciating pain burst out of my right shoulder, a hollow gasp escaping my lips as the pain was too overwhelming to even scream out loud.


    I heard a splatter on the ground to my right...I looked down to see a growing puddle of blood, pouring out of my shoulder. My right arm...is completely gone. It was skewered on one of the claws of the Mutant, which raised its hand towards its nose, sniffing it while continuing to keep its gaze fixed on me, and all I could do was watch as it then proceeded to eat my arm.


    I grimaced as the sound of my bones crunching echoed out of its jaws...heh, my arm is so small that it practically looks like a Cheeto inside the Mutant''s mouth. I am in so much pain right now that it feels like I''m tripping...while I still have my senses, I need to act. As the Mutant swallowed my chewed up arm, I made my move...


    "Alright, you damned monster, I''ll admit, you really got me...damn, this hurts!" I chuckled, as my vision began to darken, "Let''s try this again, shall we? <Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 02>!"


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Okay, that''s so much better! Still a lot of pain, but not nearly as excruciating as it was before I used Load. I quickly stood up and began rushing out of the cafeteria, taking off my belt and wrapping it around my left arm to stop the bleeding.


    There''s a reason why I returned to Save Point 02 instead of Save Point 01...because I still don''t know what caused this, what changed to result in the Crocsnek attacking the Sanctuary instead of going past it?


    My best bet for an answer...is Director Silva. Please let her be alive, I''ll be in a lot of trouble otherwise. The Mutant wasn''t far from her office before it spotted me in the future that I just came back from, but it wasn''t that close either...hope that''s a good sign.


    Another reason why I didn''t return to Save Point 01 is that there''s sure to be a bunch of people that end up in vegetative states, which could result in things spiraling further out of control. Huh, not to be narcissistic, but I''m proud of myself for being able to consider all that despite being in a near-delusional state thanks to all that blood loss.


    Also, this time around...I''d like to avoid all that pain. As I reached the Academy entrance and dashed out, leaping over the stairs and landing on the ground outside, with a loud echo, instantly attracting the Crocsnek''s attention.


    That thing''s senses are ridiculous, there''s no getting past it so easily...so, first, I''ll draw it in. Just like last time, it''s gaze locked onto me, before rapidly slithering towards me at a breakneck speed, a twinge of fear running down my spine...it''s okay, keep calm, I can do this.


    "Bring it...I''m not afraid of you, you fucking monster!" I yelled, as it began to close in on me...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 145 - 144 - Time Trouble(Part 3)

    Wait for it...almost there...now!


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>!" I exclaimed, just in time...as I froze time right as the Mutant''s claws were inches away from slicing me in half...this is pretty intimidating from this up-close, had I messed up the timing, I''d be dead right now.


    That was a risky move on my part...but a potentially necessary one. I can only freeze time for a maximum continuous spell of ten minutes, but since I''ve already used Load a bunch of times, I''ve now got less that eight minutes worth of XFE to work with.


    And obviously, I can''t afford to drain it all. So my objective is clear...I need to make it to Director Silva as fast as possible, get as much information from her as I can, and hopefully, that''ll be enough, allowing me to go back in time to Save Point 01 and take corrective measures to prevent this disaster.


    Naturally, I was already on the move, using Cut and Paste on myself to teleport amd cover as much distance in as little time as possible. As for why I decided to lure the Crocsnek away, that was simple...the way it reacted when it saw me, I think it''s a fair bet that it''s after me.


    And it was able to spot me from over two hundred meters away, and then recognize me instantly. Well, technically, this time it initially reacted to the sound of my feet landing on the ground...it definitely has extremely sharp hearing and eyesight. On that note, I''m also worried about its sense of smell.


    With all that in mind, I decided to lure it as far away from Director Silva''s office as possible, in order to prevent it from interrupting, either deliberately or just by randomly rampaging. I winced in pain as the adrenaline started to wear off and my injuries began to throb painfully, especially the stump of my missing hand.


    Come on, bear with it for just a little while longer...I could see Director Silva''s office building now, just a few more teleports and I''ll be there. Just work through the pain for a bit longer, it''ll all be gone once I go back in time.


    Alright, I''m here...the automatic sliding glass doors were shattered, good...otherwise I might have had to unfreeze time to get them to open. I walked through the broken doors and continued teleporting, till I was outside her office door.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>," I chanted, before pushing the doors open and walking it...to see Director Silva with Sofia, a flashlight illuminating the room.


    "Who''s there!?" Exclaimed Sofia in alarm, pointing the flashlight at me.


    "Ow, my eyes! Could you get that light off me, please?" I groaned, nearly stumbling back...I''m feeling pretty weak right now, must be the blood loss...any sudden moves and I feel faint.


    "Kilzachs? Where''d you come from-?" Director Silva began to ask in surprise.


    "No time! I need to know what''s going on, right now!" I urged in a loud whisper, avoiding raising my voice too much...there''s no telling how sharp that thing''s hearing is, I don''t want to risk anything.


    Tch, and that time freeze and teleportation combo has drained me all the way down to less than twenty-five percent XFE, I''m starting to run low. This is far from ideal, though that goes for this entire situation, and that''s putting it lightly.


    "That''s what I''d like to know, what''s all the shaking-?" She started to reply with a frown.


    "It''s an Ace Mutant, it burst out through the ground and is currently running wild just a few hundred meters away," I responded impatiently, desperate to try and get something useful out of this...come on, she has to know something, anything that''ll help me undoing and preventing this from happening...


    "What!? That''s just about the worst case scenario, how could that have happened!?" Remarked Sofia with a frown.


    I guess it makes sense that they wouldn''t know...with the internet offline, there''s no way to communicate, and if they haven''t left this building, they certainly wouldn''t know what''s going on outside. And from what I could see, most of the X-Warriors that had been attacking the Mutant looked extremely terrified...the pitch black darkness and suddenness of the attack probably compounded their fear.


    "Oh, no...the power outage, it must have shut off the warding radiation too!" Suddenly exclaimed Director Silva in realization, standing up with a start.


    "Warding radiation? You mean the signal waves emitted that Mutants avoid?" Asked Sofia in response.


    Hm? Okay, good, now we''re getting somewhere!


    "That''s right...it''s a copy of the radiation emitted from Mutant corpses, remember how we used to leave dead Mutants out around the Sanctuary to keep other Mutants from getting closer? This is a more effective version of that...so, ordinarily, Mutants wouldn''t even get close to the Sanctuary," Frowned Director Silva in confusion.


    "Do you know what caused the power outage!?" I inquired urgently.


    "Well...a little while ago, I was contacted by one of the guards in the underground facility, specifically one in a section where captured Mutants are held. He sounded panicked, but before he could tell me what was happening, his comms were cut off and shortly after that, the power flickered for a bit, before shutting off completely. And then-...well, you know the rest-...w-wait a second, what happened to your hand!?" Director Silva exclaimed in horror, noticing my missing hand for the first time, as Sofia stared at it in shock.


    "Hm? Oh, right, it got crushed off, I think. Also, this may sound weird, but no, I don''t know the rest...tell me exactly how things transpired after the power shut off," I urged her impatiently.


    "But your-...!" She began in alarm, before trailing off as she saw my expression, "...okay, fine. Let me think...right, after the power shut off, I felt a rumbling getting closer and closer, what I thought was an earthquake, which just got more and more intense until a heard a loud crash...after the crash, the rumbling felt even closer."


    "Right, the crash you heard must have been the Mutant bursting through the ground. Okay, I think I''m starting to get it now...the power outage was the trigger, it deactivated the warding radiation, and the Mutant took advantage-...hm, but was it really just coincidence that it was closeby? No, wait...the first time I went through this, I felt the rumbling after the lights flickered a bit...but the power wasn''t fully shut off and was somehow restored, so...," I trailed off as I muttered to myself.


    "Uh...what are you talking about?" Inquired Sofia in bemusement.


    "Maybe...maybe it followed us after that battle at the Wight base camp, but couldn''t get closer thanks to the radiation from the Mutant corpses, which were replaced by the current method...or maybe it had been waiting all this time, staying dormant in order to recover from the damage it sustained during the battle at the Wight base camp?" I surmised uncertainly, before turning to Director Silva, who was looked pretty bewildered, "Hey, is there anything in the underground facility that, if damaged, would result in a Sanctuary-wide power cut?"


    "Oh, uh...yes, there is...the central generator. It evenly distributes electricity throughout the Sanctuary," She replied, continuing, "It''s made to be highly durable, but yes, if it were damaged badly enough, then yeah...we''d lose power."


    "The guard that contacted you, you said he was in charge of a section where you hold captured Mutants...is that section anywhere near the central generator?" I inquired warily.


    "...crap. The Mutants must have broken out somehow...but they''re all Q-Ranked and below, and there''s less than ten in captive right now...all the guards down there are X-Warriors, so they shouldn''t have had much trouble," Frowned Director Silva, scratching her chin.


    "They would in the dark...they wouldn''t be able to defend themselves against something they can''t see," I pointed out.


    "I suppose so...but here''s my concern, how did they break out in the first place? The cell we keep them in is extremely secure and pretty much impossible to break out of," Spoke up Sofia.


    Hm...guess I''ll have to find out. I think I''ve gotten most of the information I need, a few more questions and I''ll go back in time-...suddenly my line of thought was interrupted as a massive crash echoed out above us, the building shaking as cracks began appearing all over the walls and ceiling.


    "Is it the Mutant!?" Exclaimed the director in alarm.


    "Must be...we need to get out of here, right now!" Urged Sofia, before quickly jumping off to the side, right as a chunk of the ceiling fell down and crashed on the floor behind her, nearly crushing her.


    Tch, no more time to waste, the longer I spend time here, the more people that are going to die...time to go back. I began chanting, as the director and Sofia began to panic, rushing towards the door.


    "Quick, Kilzachs, freeze time so that we can-!"


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 01>...!"


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    I''m back on the stairs leading up to the Academy...as a couple of loud thuds rang out in front of me. The security guards, they had slumped onto the stairs, their bodies limply sliding down to the ground...they must have died at some point during my time jumping. My bad.


    There''s a security camera here, I''ll look suspicious if I just walk past them without batting an eye, I should avoid that since I''m not going back to Save Point 01 again, not if I can help it...I feigned shock and took a step back, before calling an ambulance, adding a hint of panic to my voice, before heading inside the building.


    I felt a sense of dread as I headed up the stairs to the first floor, before making my way towards the classroom...I couldn''t hear any commotion or anything, hopefully that''s a good sign.


    When I arrived in class the first time I lived through today, I was the last to get here, everyone else had already arrived. I let out a slow exhale before gritting my teeth and opening the door, walking in while keeping my expression normal.


    Okay, it doesn''t look like anyone''s collapsed or anything, they''re all awake and speaking, so none of them died-...I then grimaced as I spotted Kiran, his arms folded on the desk and his face sunk in between them.


    Is he just asleep or...? I can''t tell if he''s breathing or not, with that baggy hoodie over his body...I walked over towards him with a growing sense of anxiety, before poking his shoulder a couple of times...but getting no response from him...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 146 - 145 - Time Trouble(Part 4)

    "...stop that," Came an annoyed groan, as I continued poking Kiran, on the verge of panicking.


    "Oh, sorry...thought you were dead," I replied sheepishly, letting out an internal sigh of relief.


    "Very funny," He responded dryly, before going back to sleep.


    Little does he know that I wasn''t joking around....alright, from the looks of it, no one from my class died, and with the exception of two or three people, I was relieved. Well, I guess I should go find Director Silva and tell her about the power outage.


    Probably shouldn''t message her, it''d be too difficult to explain over text without typing up a few paragraphs worth of information, anyway. Right, let''s go...


    "Hey, where are you going, dude? You just got here," Remarked Mitchell, as I turned around and headed for the door.


    "Well, I was just thinking...the first session is boring, so I''m gonna skip it. See you guys in two hours," I replied, walking out before anyone could say anything else.


    There''s still about four hours before the power outage is supposed to happen, but for all I know, the trigger for it might have been set off well before then, so the sooner I address it, the better.


    Hm, what''s going on? Oh, looks like the ambulance I called is here...and it wasn''t just the guards that were being taken away. Some of the students were also in vegetative states...looks like less than ten of them.


    Well, it''s not like the entire Academy building had collapsed during the Crocsnek attack or anything, so most of those that got caught up in the damage must have been injured without being killed...so long as they didn''t die, they''d still be alive when I go back in time.


    And that''s why I want to avoid going back to Save Point 01 if at all possible, because if I fail to prevent the Crocsnek from attacking again and am forced to go back to this morning again, there''s gonna be a whole lot more veggies piled up.


    This might sound kinda heartless, but I was relieved to see that I didn''t recognize any of those that were now in vegetative states, which means that no one I know died.


    I took advantage of the commotion to sneak out of the Academy without being noticed...yeah, I could freeze time, but I need to recover as much of my XFE as possible. I''ve got about three quarters left to recover, which would take about two and a half hours.


    Without freezing time and teleporting, it''d take about thirty to forty minutes to walk to her office, and that''s my only option since there''s about fifty minutes before the next bus is scheduled to come by the bus stop that''s opposite to the Academy.


    Well, that''s fine, I suppose. I could use some time to think on the way there. Specifically, how do I convince Director Silva to take me seriously? Is that possible without revealing that I can travel back, and now travel forth as well, in time?


    Ideally, I hope so. But that might be wishful thinking...after all, I had no idea about the central generator before this, nor about the the captured Mutants in the underground facility.


    Not to mention the fact that I know about an upcoming Ace Mutant attack in the Sanctuary, something that has never happened before. Yeah, there''s pretty much no way to explain what I know without giving away the fact that I have knowledge of the future.


    Hm, wait a sec...maybe that''s not a problem. After all, knowing what''s going to happen in the future isn''t proof of direct time travel. It could also be explained by clairvoyance or something like that.


    I mean, yeah, anyone''s first guess would probably be time travel, but the probability of them then guessing the specifics of how my Tier One powers work is slim to none.


    And I''m not obligated to give away those specifics...I''m fairly certain that if I make it clear to Director Silva that a lot of people are likely to die if what I know comes to pass, she''ll take it seriously. After all, I think it''s fair to say that I''ve proven myself to be quite reliable in the past, so I might as well make full use of that.


    As I continued heading to the building while deep in thought, I arrived before I even realized it, taking about thirty-five minutes to get there. Oh, right, I should probably message her to let her know that I''m here...yeah, guess I ought to have done that right when I left.


    I always hate it when people give me last minute notice before showing up, specifically my sister, and here I am, doing the same thing. Hypocritical? Yeah, probably. But totally justified, considering what''s on the horizon.


    Oh, Director Silva just replied to my message...good, she''s free right now. Alright, now comes the hard part. I then headed inside the building, making my way up to the director''s office and knocking on the door.


    "Come in!"


    I walked in and shut the door behind me as I entered the room, before going forward and sitting on the chair at the front of her desk, a slight look of surprise on her face as she saw the serious expression I had.


    "This might not make a lot of sense, but something bad is about to happen. The Sanctuary is about to undergo a blackout in a few hours, and a few minutes after that, an Ace Mutant is going to break into the X-Warrior Zone," I remarked, getting straight to the point.


    "Huh? Wait, what?" She responded in bemusement.


    "I don''t want to reveal the full extent of my Anomaly powers, so I won''t get into exactly how I know, but I can assure you that this is definitely going to happen unless we take preventive measures," I informed her bluntly.


    "Woah, woah, slow down a second, Kilzachs! Give me a process to second all that...I mean, give me a second to process-...you know what I meant!" She exclaimed in bewilderment, before taking a deep breath, closing her eyes to think over the info I''d just dumped on her, and then adding after a few seconds of silence, "Okay, I don''t fully get it, but if nothing else, I can see that this situation is urgent...continue."


    "Right...all we need to do is prevent the blackout and it should all work out. The blackout causes the warding radiation to cease, which is what results in the Ace Mutant busting in through the ground, in the X-Warrior Zone. So we prevent the blackout, we prevent the Mutant''s attack," I explained objectively.


    "Alright, I think I follow...so, then, what''s going to trigger the blackout?" Frowned the director.


    "I''m not a hundred percent sure of exactly what went down, but basically, the captured Mutants held in the underground facility probably escape not long from now somehow, and then damage the central generator," I replied, surmising it as best I could with the limited knowledge I had.


    "How do you-...okay, so what do you want me to do? Tighten security in those areas in the underground facility?" She responded, after mulling it over.


    "No, not quite...tell me, is there a teleportation platform near where the captured Mutants are being held? And what about near where the central generator is?" I asked her.


    "Oh, uh...yes, and...no. But those two areas are pretty close by to each other," She answered in response.


    "Good...what about security cam feeds in those areas?" I inquired.


    "Also, yes."


    "Alright, then here''s what we''ll do...bring up the live feeds for both those areas, I want to see what actually results in the Mutants breaking out. As soon as that happens, immediately teleport me there, I''ll take them all out," I remarked, as she nodded and brought up three cam feeds on her laptop.


    The first one was a feed of the area outside the large cell holding the captured Mutants, where a lone guard was seated on a chair, looking bored. The second feed was of the inside of the cell, where each of the captive Mutants were individually held inside separate cages.


    Hm, wait a sec...


    "Hey, all these Mutants are supposed to be Q-Ranked, right?" I frowned, as I stared at the screen.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Why?" She inquired in reply.


    "Because I''m pretty sure that''s a juvenile K-Rank...specifically, a young Seeyulator," I remarked, pointing at one of the cages.


    A Seeyulator is an alligator-like Mutant that grows upto fifteen meters in size...lizard and reptile type Mutants are pretty common, and most of them are Q-Ranked, so I suppose it''s conceivable that this one was mistaken for a Q-Rank, but come on, man, this level of carelessness is infuriating.


    "So it is...I''ll see to it that it''s transferred to a stronger cage soon. For now, it still looks young enough that this cage should hold it without a problem. It''ll definitely be able to break out in a day or two," She remarked, looking displeased by the mistake.


    "Yeah, for a moment I thought it might be the cause of the blackout, but it''s definitely not matured enough to break out of this cage...oh, well, nothing for us to do but sit and watch for the next few hours, I guess," I sighed, as I kept a close eye on the live footage.


    The moment something happens, I''ll snuff it out immediately, I''ll ensure that what I experienced doesn''t happen a second time...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Something''s wrong...it''s been more than three hours so far, and something isn''t right here. But what? Am I just getting anxious now that we''re within half an hour of the blackout? No, that''s not it, there''s something else that''s off here...


    "You know, maybe we should replace security guards with combat androids...it''d certainly be easy enough, all we''d need to do is tweak the programming a bit. I mean, look, this guy has barely moved at all this whole time, he may as well be asleep," Sighed Director Silva wistfully.


    "The Mutants look pretty unlively too...," I replied, before a thought occurred to me, "Hey, uh...when were these particular Mutants brought in?"


    "About five days ago. We gather them for helping with Academy training, and then get more to replace the ones that are killed. Why?" She inquired curiously.


    And that''s when it clicked, as I abruptly sat up with a start, my eyes widening in realization as I watched both feeds. Now I get what was bothering me...it was the repetition!


    "That''s it! Shit, we wasted so much time...both these feeds are looped footage!" I exclaimed in realization and frustration.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "That Seeyulator should be much bigger than this, you know how quickly Mutants reach maturity, and the reptile types are especially fast growers. The only explanation is that this isn''t live footage we''re seeing here. Tell me, do these guards have access to the security camera feeds?" I inquired with a frown.


    "Oh...shit. Yeah...yeah, they do. For the sake of convenience and efficiency, everyone in the underground facility has authority to fully access the system, though they don''t usually abuse it because I can revoke that authority at the slightest hint of that, and I have done in the past. I can access the security camera settings from here, let''s see...yeah, you''re right, it''s been programmed to play looped footage. Shit, I''ll restore the live feeds right away," She replied with a grimace, as she tapped away on her keyboard furiously, before stopping and freezing in horror.


    My eyes widened as I got a look at the screen...the Seeyulator was almost twice as big as it was in the looped footage we''d been watching all this time, it''s cage was in the background, the metal bars mangled and twisted, completely destroyed. Meanwhile, in the camera feed of the area outside the holding cell, the security guard was nowhere to be seen.


    And as for the Mutant itself...it was happily chomping down on the security guard ravenously, with the other Mutants clamoring to try and break out of their cages, drooling heavily. There was a whip on the floor, next to the fresh corpse...I think I have an idea of what went down here and how, but that''s not important right now....


    "Holy shit...alright, we can rewind the footage to see what led to this, but for now, I need to get over there, RIGHT NOW!" I urged Director Silva, who nodded in reply, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.


    Damn it, how careless, I...I messed up...!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 147 - 146 - Time Trouble(Part 5)

    "Come on, hurry up...if the central generator gets damaged, it''s all over!" I urged Director Silva impatiently, as I stepped onto the teleportation platform.


    The Seeyulator had broken out of the cell, leaving the remains of the security guard in a large bloody puddle.


    "Are you sure you want me to link this to the teleportation platform in the room with the Mutants!?" She responded, her hand hovering over the controls hesitantly.


    "Yeah, I''ll be fine! Just do it already!" I exclaimed urgently.


    "Alright, fine, just don''t blame me if it''s more than you can handle...oh, and from that room, the central generator is down the hall and to the left, there are two guards posted there," She informed me, before activating the teleportation, "Well, good luck, Kilzachs."


    In the next instant, I was standing on a different teleportation platform, one that was splattered with blood. A pair of human legs was on the floor, laying in a pool of blood, the bones visible at the stumps...nothing from the rest of the body was visible though, except for a few small chunks of flesh and shards of bone scattered about.


    And the doors were broken down, the metal all mangled and dented. Damn it, I don''t have any time to waste. All the other captive Mutants were still in their cages, and they all looked injured, with what looked like whip-marks on their body. I''d noticed it on the security cam feed before teleporting here, a sharp whip on the floor, off to the side of the puddle of blood...it''s pretty clear to me how things ended up like this.


    Each of these cages come with a small nozzle installed, one that shoots out sleeping gas, for in case the Mutants act up and try to damage the cages or something. The guard must have abused that, and while the Mutants were in groggy states, he likely tortured them.


    Come to think of it, quite often, the Mutants we face during training exercises at the Academy are usually injured like this, never anything too drastic though, just what I thought were cuts...but as it turns out, they were whip marks all along.


    I never really gave it much thought, since I just assumed they''d gotten those injuries when they were captured...but as it turns out, it''s actually been after being captured that they''ve received those injuries.


    I wonder if it was just this security guard, or if multiple guards have been doing the same thing? The motive is pretty clear; boredom. Maybe some sadism too. In a situation like this, a security guard is kinda unnecessary, they''re more like extra precautions than actual necessities.


    Things rarely ever go wrong here since the existence of this underground facility is only known to a handful of people...so naturally, this job would be extremely boring.


    Unbelievable...if I''m right about all that, then what causes the Ace Mutant''s attack was a domino effect triggered by a bored, sadistic guard. Wait a second...something doesn''t add up here.


    When Director Silva removed the program that was causing the looped footage and we saw the Seeyulator eating the guard, it looked like it had only begun eating a few minutes ago...which means the guard hadn''t been in a vegetative state.


    It''s possible that he was inside this room during the time Save Point 01 was set and has been in here in a vegetative state all morning, but I don''t think that''s the case...because the lock to the cage that the Seeyulator had been held in wasn''t broken, the door to it was simply open. Some of the metal bars had been bent and mangled, but the lock wasn''t damaged at all.


    If the guard had been in a vegetative state all this time, the cage couldn''t have been opened, and the Mutant would have had to break out of it if it wanted to escape...but there''s no signs of damage to the lock on the cage door.


    Well, it''s not important for now, either way, the guard is dead and the Mutant has escaped...I need to hurry, it''s only been about half a minute since I teleported here and looked around, I can''t afford to waste any more time. I slapped the sides of my face and let out a slow exhale to get focused.


    And right on cue, I heard some screams ringing out, from outside. They were faint, almost inaudible, but they were definitely there...damn it, who knows how long that''s been going on, I was so focused on inspecting my immediate surroundings that I didn''t put much of any focus on what might be happening outside.


    This place is partially soundproofed in other to prevent constant echoes, so yes, most sounds are muffled and don''t travel too far...but with the doors smashed down, I really shouldn''t have missed this. I need to hurry...!


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>," I chanted, right as the lights flickered.


    Huh? Crap, that''s not a good sign...I need to hurry. I rushed out of the cell and shot down the hall, before turning left...even if Director Silva hadn''t given me the directions, I''d have been fine...because the Mutant had left a convenient trail of bloody footprints to follow.


    Further down the corridor, I could see a few guards rushing this way, guess they must have heard it too. I turned the corner, to see a freshly mangled corpse sprawled on the ground, and the doors beyond it were...open. They''re not broken down?


    It''s a bit dark inside the room, and as I cautiously stepped in through the open doorway, I realized what must have happened. The second guard, being cornered as he was, must have opened the doors in his panic, and the Mutant must have reacted and followed him in before he could shut the door.


    And it looks like I froze time the instant that the Seeyulator tore his head off...it had the guard''s body pinned with its claws, and it must have grabbed his head with its jaws and then ripped it off.


    A fountain of blood bursting out of the guard''s neck was frozen in mid-air, and now that I take a closer look at him, tears were streaming down his decapitated head, a look of sheer terror on his face.


    Well, he''s dead, it''s definitely too late to save him. Now, then, this must be the central generator...it was a large, cylindrical device with a bunch of metal pipes and thick wiring. And the Mutant had the guard pinned against it, the creature''s claws piercing into the metal casing of the device.


    Is it already too late? Should I go back to Save Point 01 again? No...no, not yet. After all, things aren''t guaranteed to work out the same way each time I go back in time, the Crocsnek attacking was proof of that. If I carelessly go back in time again, things might end up even worse. Until I''m absolutely certain that there''s no other option, I''m not going back in time.


    I calmed myself down with a deep breath and slow exhale, returning my focus to the Seeyulator. It''s definitely damaged the generator, some of the wiring was torn, but the machine still seems to be active, the Mutant''s claws hadn''t pierced too deep into it.


    Earlier, right when I recited the activation chant for Pause, the lights flickered...they had also flickered the first time I went through today, but of course, the blackout didn''t happen that time. Which means that that time, the Seeyulator must have been incapacitated before it could damage the generator too severely.


    But the second time around, it didn''t work out that way, it dealt enough damage to the generator to cause the blackout. Now, then, let''s see if I''m not too late to prevent the blackout and subsequent chaos I experienced, shall we? I focused on the head of the Mutant, before using Cut and Paste to remove it and then bring it back, outside the room.


    I''ll move the body too, it may not have a head anymore, but it could still damage the generator with muscle memory reflexes or something, like how decapitated deer can sometimes still kick after death. It''ll cost a little bit of extra XFE to use Cut and Paste on the rest of its body, but I have enough to spare, so it''s fine. Aaaand...done!


    Alright, now for the moment of truth-...I then quickly stopped myself before I could recite the activation chant for Play. The guards that I''d spotted rushing towards this room, they''ll probably get the wrong idea if they see me here. I''ll head back to the cell with the Mutants and have Director Silva teleport me back...assuming the blackout doesn''t get triggered.


    I then quickly headed back to the cell holding the captive Mutants, shutting the door before activating Play, resuming the flow of time. The moment I did, the lights continued flickering violently, and my I-Watch was malfunctioning...and then, it stopped.


    Stopped flickering, that is. The lights were stable, and...my I-Watch was working properly again. It...it worked...I really did it! Now, then, I better get out of here before a guard shows up. I brought up the director''s contact info on my I-Watch and pressed the call button...


    "Hello, Director Silva?" I remarked, as she answered my call, "Yeah...yeah, I''m done. Mind teleporting me back already?"


    A few seconds later, the teleportation platform activated and warped me, and as I blinked, found myself back in her office.


    "Welcome back, Kilzachs...that was fast, I''m guessing you froze time?" She greeted me as I returned.


    "Yeah, I did so right before the lights began flickering...the generator is damaged, but it looks like the damage isn''t too bad," I replied with a thumbs up.


    "Wow, you look genuinely relieved," She responded with a smile.


    "Believe me, I am, you have no idea," I sighed dryly, flopping onto a chair as a ton of the built-up tension just vanished.


    "By the way, I was about to review the footage around the Mutant holding cell, it looks like a lot of past footage has been deleted, but the last twenty-four hours are still intact...you''re welcome to join me," She offered.


    "Nah, that''s okay," I replied with a shake of my head, "I have a good idea of what happened, there''s no need."


    "Alright, suit yourself. Hey, I have to ask...would you happen to know anything about people who suddenly and inexplicably end up in strange comas?" She suddenly asked me.


    "...why do you ask?" I responded, keeping my tone even.


    "Well...because today, I''ve received an abnormal number of reports of such cases, including a small number of students. Oh, and the usual guards assigned to the central generator too, they both collapsed at the exact same time this morning," She replied, narrowing her eyes at me.


    By what just happened, she''s probably guessed that I can travel back in time...so I suppose I can answer her. After all, without her help, I''d have had a much tougher time of preventing the blackout...


    "If...if someone dies in the present, and I return to the past, those that died end up in vegetative states," I admitted reluctantly, "I''d rather not say anything more."


    Her eyes widened for a moment, before nodding in reply...


    "Alright, fine, I think I understand, I won''t ask any more questions on this matter."


    "I appreciate it."


    "You know, I bet not a single person realizes it, but you''ve saved us from something really awful, haven''t you?" She asked with a wistful smile.


    "Heh...you have no idea," I replied with a wry smile, before glancing at the time, "Oh, there''s still about five minutes before the lunch break is over. I think I''ll head back to the Academy now, so if there''s nothing else..."


    "Sure, go ahead, I''ll contact you if I find anything especially notable in the security footage," She responded with a wave, before suggesting, "Hey, if you want, I can teleport you there...there''s a bunch of teleportation platforms in the training halls, I can link up with one of those."


    "Sure, that''d be great, I''m feeling kinda worn out, mentally anyway," I accepted her offer gratefully, before deciding to set a Save point here, just in case, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save Point 01>."


    As I hopped onto the platform and she began to link up and calibrate the location of the receiving end, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.


    "Well, I''ll see you later, alligator," She remarked with a straight face, before breaking and letting out a snort of laughter.


    "Oh, my God, please don''t," I groaned with a roll of my eyes, before a slight, amused chuckle escaped my lips, right as I found myself in one of the Academy training halls.


    The lunch break is almost over, there''s no time to eat anything, but I''m not that hungry...while I was waiting before, I ended up eating some snacks with Director Silva, who stores an absolute mountain of various snacks in her desk.


    I think I''ll wait in here until the lunch break is over, I just need a few minutes of peace and quiet right now. I sat down on the floor and let out a sigh...well, that was one hell of a shitty experience. Losing a hand is seriously painful, like holy shit...oh, yeah, I also got an entire arm torn off, that didn''t feel great either. Well, at least it''s finally over.


    The bell then rang, signifying the end of the lunch break. Now that the stress of the Ace Mutant is gone, I gotta go to the bathroom. I headed to the ground floor bathroom, splashed some water on my face and washed my hands after I was done, before deciding to head for the specified training hall, where the final session of the day for my class would be taking place. I''ll be a few minutes late, but whatever, it''s no big deal.


    As I exit the bathroom and began walking towards the training halls, my senses were suddenly overwhelmed as a deafening explosion burst out from the first floor, right by where the classrooms were. The entire building shook violently as screams echoed out all around me, cracks spreading out on the walls and ceiling.


    I sprang back as a chunk of the ceiling-...or more accurately, a chunk of the first floor ground...-broke off and fell down towards me, avoiding getting squashed beneath the rubble, right as a fire burst out from the first floor, from where the explosion had occurred.


    Cries of pain and panicked screams were ringing out all around me, giving me a dreaded sense of Deja Vu. Oh, come on, I thought this was over already, you''ve...you''ve gotta be kidding me...what now!? What the fuck''s happening!?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 148 - 147 - Time Trouble(Part 6)

    Damn it, what the hell''s going on here!? I don''t understand this, seriously, what went wrong this time!? It''s definitely not the Crocsnek, I didn''t feel any rumbling, not to mention that the blackout didn''t happen this time.


    What''s more...the spread of damage to this building was starting to slow down and settle a bit, which means that what caused the explosion must have been some kind of bomb.


    The X-Warrior Zone does manufacture bombs, but they aren''t sold to the public, or even accessible to X-Warriors. It''s hard to believe that someone involved in the manufacture of the bombs would do this, in fact, that''s pretty much impossible. Director Silva assigned only her most trusted subordinates to that task, and I''m fairly confident in her judge of character.


    I suppose there''s a possibility that she misjudged one of them, but I highly doubt that...in which case, maybe this was a different explosive, a homemade bomb, perhaps?


    There are two factors that I need to find out...first, what kind of explosive was used, and second, who triggered the explosion? But before that, I need to make sure that I can afford to take my time with this...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    I then headed over to Training Hall 04, where the final session for my Level Q class was supposed to take place. I pushed the door open and peeked in, letting out a sigh of relief...good, all my classmates are in here.


    And more importantly, they''re all alive. Some of them had sustained a bit of damage though, looks like the ceiling had broken down a bit. Zoya had a badly broken shoulder, which she was putting pressure onto with a pained expression.


    Makoto was passed out, his right leg absolutely crushed, shards of bone poking out of his excessive flesh, while Instructor Satou was bandaging the stump where his leg used to be, with a nauseous expression on his face.


    The others all looked pretty shaken up too, and some of them had a few bruises, bumps and scratches, but nothing broken, not visibly, anyway.


    Alright, since they''re all alive, I can afford to investigate before going back and trying to undo this. Yeah, there''s bound to be a bunch of others that are dead, but I can''t afford to concern myself with every single person...if that sounds cruel, I say it''s better than concerning myself with absolutely no one.


    Now, then...what should I do? I''ve only got about four minutes worth of frozen time with my remaining XFE level, so I don''t have enough time to go investigate the area where the explosion went off. I''m better off heading back to Director Silva and accessing security cam footage around the Academy building to see if we can find any footage of anyone planting a bomb or something.


    Somehow, though...I doubt it''s going to be anywhere near that easy. I then walked away and peered into the other nearby training halls, before finding one that was empty and heading inside towards the teleportation platform at the back of the space.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    The moment I resumed the flow of time, I immediately contacted Director Silva, giving her a call...after a few rings, she picked up, much to my relief.


    "No time to explain, I''m on the teleportation platform in Training Hall 07, I need you to teleport me over there right now!" I urged her.


    She didn''t say a word in reply, and a second later, I was in her office, on the teleportation platform. Sofia was here too...I see, they must have scheduled a meeting for this time beforehand, she was here during the Ace Mutant''s attack too, which happened around this time.


    "That explosion, do you know anything about it?" Inquired Director Silva immediately.


    "No, I don''t, that''s why I''m here, to find out. I thought maybe if we go through security cam footage-," I began to suggest.


    "Not an option, unfortunately...the moment I received word of the explosion, that was the first thing I was going to check, but...for the last twelve hours or so, all the security cameras in and around the Academy have been inactive. I then decided to check the cameras around one of the areas in the underground facility, specifically the area where we''ve been manufacturing and storing bombs...and those cameras had been deactivated too, along with the entrance logs on the security system connected to the metal sliding doors leading into that area," Explained Director Silva with a frown.


    "So the thief wanted to remain anonymous, huh?" Remarked Sofia with a frown.


    No offense, but that''s kinda stating the obvious...pretty sure all thieves want to keep their identities hidden. Well, except for the crazy ones that seek infamy, I suppose.


    "How many people have the authority to access that area?" I inquired, turning to Director Silva.


    "Less than twenty, but I highly doubt that it was any of them...still, one of their I-Watches was definitely used to gain access, because hacking the security system is virtually impossible," She replied with a shake of her head, "And I don''t have any proof of this, but I''m quite sure that the deactivation of these cameras and the looped footage in the cameras we were concerned with earlier today are both unrelated."


    "Yeah, I think I agree with that. The methods used to sabotage the cameras were very different, and the timings are different too...you said that the looped footage had been going on for a while, but this deactivation thing was all twelve hours ago. Hey, by the way, how would someone unauthorized be able to enter the underground facility anyway?" I asked her.


    "That shouldn''t be possible, the security system is pretty complex," Spoke up Sofia.


    "And someone clearly found a loophole," I countered objectively, "There''s no question that they were able to access a restricted area, so if it really is someone who usually wouldn''t be able to access the underground facility, they must have had an I-Watch belonging to one of those that are authorized with access to it."


    "Hm, the cameras were deactivated a couple of hours after midnight, and knowing those that are assigned to this project, all of them would have been asleep at that time, no doubt about it. They all have teleportation platforms in their homes that can link up with the underground facility, though I suppose it''s not impossible to teleport down there from a different teleportation platform, it''s extremely unlikely though. All of them are currently in the restricted area, working normally, and none of them have reported a missing I-Watch...and even if they hadn''t, I''d have known immediately since they wouldn''t have been able to enter," Director Silva pointed out, her forehead creasing as she tried to figure this out.


    "And you''re absolutely sure it wasn''t one of them?" I pressed her with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, I am. It''s not like with the security guards, I trust this team, I wouldn''t have selected them otherwise," She responded with a confident shake of her head.


    "Alright, in that case...do any of them have children, or maybe siblings, somewhere around my age or a bit older?" I inquired, as a thought crossed my mind.


    "Well, uh, yes, I guess some of them do...what are you thinking?" She asked curiously.


    "Do you think someone related to one of the team members did this?" Added Sofia.


    "Not quite sure just yet, I''m still figuring it out...," I replied, before closing my eyes and focusing, thinking over all the facts.


    Damaging the Academy itself probably wasn''t the primary goal of the bomber...if that''s what they''d been after, they''d have chosen a different area to blow up, like a spot near a pillar or wall that was integral to the building structure, or alternatively, used multiple explosions.


    Was their target casualties? No, if that had been their goal, they''d have probably blown up the cafeteria during the lunch break instead. At any time during the day, the most crowded spot in the Academy is undoubtedly the cafeteria during lunch break.


    So it''s unlikely that all they wanted was to kill a bunch of people...in which case, maybe...


    "Hey, where exactly did the explosion happen? I know it was on the first floor where the classrooms are, but do you know which specific classroom it was in?" I inquired, as I felt myself getting close to a realization.


    "No, but I will shortly, I sent a team of X-Warriors to investigate the moment I found out about the explosion, they should be arriving any minute," Director Silva replied, before asking curiously, "Have you figured out what happened? Or at least a hunch?"


    "Yeah, I think so...here''s my working theory, one of the bomb manufacturing team member''s child or younger sibling is a student at the Academy, and has a bad relationship with their classmates, maybe they''re getting bullied or something...and having had enough, they stole their parent or siblings'' I-Watch, then used their teleportation platform to get to the underground facility. Normally, an I-Watch shuts off if someone who isn''t the registered user wears it...but that doesn''t apply if they wear something like rubber gloves, does it?" I surmised my theory.


    "...that''s right, I-Watches only shut off if an unidentified user touches them with direct skin contact...if they wear gloves or something, it won''t shut off. We''ve been trying to fix that issue, but it''s been a low priority since no one''s really figured out that loophole...well, except you now, I guess," She sighed with a wry smile, before adding with a serious look on her face, "If you''re right, then whoever this is, must have already known about the manufacture of the bombs, they clearly planned it out carefully."


    "That part''s simple...assuming they''re related to someone on the bomb manufacturing team, they could easily access their laptops and find out," I pointed out.


    "Yeah...yeah, that''s true, and quite likely, actually. Taking notes and typing on a laptop are much easier than doing so on an I-Watch, even though the latter is dozens of times more secure...guess I need to enact some stricter policies," Sighed Director Silva, before adding, "Well, I think you''ve all but figured it out, all that''s left now is to create and then narrow down the suspect list."


    She then began typing on her laptop furiously, and as I glanced at the screen, saw that she was looking up citizen profiles, specifically those with close ties to her team, and compiling a list of those that could viably have pulled this off.


    She was done in a matter of minutes, with a list of seven suspects, three of them were current students at the Academy, two were recent failures of the entrance exam, and one had flunked out of the Academy and the last one had graduated, and was currently a Q-Ranked X-Warrior.


    "I think we can narrow these down to just the ones that are current students," I suggested, after scanning the list closely.


    "Are you sure we can eliminate the rest just like that?" She responded doubtfully.


    "Yeah, I am," I replied confidently, before pointing out, "The ones that failed or flunked out, if they had a grudge against the Academy, they''d have bombed a spot that would either have done more structural damage or one that would have resulted in more casualties. Instead, they targeted a classroom, possibly specifically."


    Before she could reply, she suddenly received a notification, her eyes widening as she read the message, before turning to me and stating...


    "Looks like we can narrow down the suspects further...the class that the bomb was triggered in was the Level J classroom."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 149 - 148 - Time Trouble(Part 7)

    Should I really undo this? Do I even need to? Conflicting thoughts bounced around my head, as Director Silva sent out X-Warriors to find the one suspect we''d narrowed the list down to and bring him here. Sofia had gone as well, so it was just the Director and I in the office.


    She was busy reacting to reports and issuing orders, while I was trying to figure out what I should do here. If I go back in time and prevent the explosion, the damage to the building will never happen, and all injuries will be undone as well...but as always, the deaths will stick.


    And a part of me couldn''t help but feel responsible for this...none of this would have happened if I hadn''t carelessly experimented with my upgraded time travel powers.


    But then, what if I go back in time, only for things to turn out even worse? What if more bodies pile up? I have no problem with killing, but I don''t like it when people end up in vegetative states after I go back in time, and that''ll definitely happen if I go back now.


    "You look like something''s on your mind, Kilzachs," Remarked Director Silva.


    "Yeah, that''s putting it lightly...hey, hypothetically speaking, if you could undo a tragedy but doing so wouldn''t bring back any of the dead, would you still do it?" I inquired with a sigh.


    "What-...wait, do you mean that when people suddenly end up in those strange comas-!?" She responded in surprise.


    Damn, she''s sharp.


    "...you did hear me say ''hypothetically'', right?" I replied with a raised eyebrow...it may not matter since I''m probably going to go back in time, but I still want to be certain before telling her without being all vague and ''hypothetical''.


    "Well, yeah, but most of the time when people randomly bring up an overly specific hypothetical scenarios, they aren''t hypothetical at all," She responded slyly.


    "Fair enough."


    "I''ll answer your question anyway, let''s see...you said undoing the tragedy wouldn''t bring back the dead, but what about those with severe injuries?" She inquired.


    "So long as they aren''t dead, they''ll be as good as n-...or rather, they''ll be as good as they were before the tragedy. As for the dead, their bodies will be restored, but there would be nothing on the inside," I explained in reply.


    "Well...that explains it, now I see. And yes, if I could undo a tragedy with those rules, I definitely would. Even if it won''t save everyone, it''s better than not saving anyone," She answered firmly.


    "Even if that might potentially put other people in danger, people that weren''t affected at all the first time around?" I inquired pointedly.


    She was silent for a moment as she mulled it over, before meeting my gaze and replying...


    "Even then, yeah, I think I would."


    "I see...well, alright, then. I''ve made up my mind. So, yeah, like I said before, I can go back in time, but doing so won''t bring the dead back to life. But I still plan to go back...and since that''s the case, it doesn''t matter if you know," I responded with a slight smirk, as I decided that I would go back to before the explosion, after interrogating the suspect.


    "Oh...so, uh, when that happens, will you suddenly disappear and no longer exist here, or...how does that work?" She inquired with a look of intrigue.


    Well, like I said, it doesn''t matter what she knows, since I''m going back.


    "Actually, I''m not a hundred percent sure, but I don''t think that''s the case...if I was creating a new timeline or parallel world or whatever each time I go back, then the dead would probably come back to life instead of turning into veggies," I pointed out.


    "You probably shouldn''t call them that," She replied with a wry smile.


    "Yeah, sorry, I''m shutting my filter off since I''m going to undo all this anyway," I responded bluntly.


    "I have to say, this ability of yours is quite terrifying," She smiled warily.


    "Well, yeah, why do you think I''ve kept it to myself all this time?" I pointed out.


    "Fair enough, I suppose. Oh, it looks like they''ve apprehended the suspect, they''ll be here in a couple of minutes," She informed me, as she received a message on her I-Watch.


    "That so? Then we should be getting some answers soon..."


    ...


    Just like Director Silva said, the X-Warriors arrived within a few minutes, along with a young man, who looked eerily calm. No, calm wasn''t the right word, it was more like he was...satisfied. Satisfied to the extent that he doesn''t care about what happens next.


    "Good work, where did you find him?" Inquired Director Silva.


    "Well, we were heading to his residence, and we spotted him on the way there, coming from the direction of the Academy," Explained one of the X-Warriors.


    "You know, I didn''t resist or anything, so I don''t know why I''m all restrained and being treated so roughly," Remarked the suspect in a mockingly innocent tone. His name was Grey Cintor, and he was the son of one of the members of the bomb manufacturing team.


    He had short, straight black hair, black eyes and a freckled face, with a slender yet strong build and was around average height. He was also a Level J student at the Academy, currently at the top of his class...though even if he wasn''t, now that the rest of his classmates were dead, he was top by default.


    "Okay, good work. We''ll take it from here, I want you all to go and assist with the rescue efforts at the Academy," Instructed Director Silva.


    We then took Grey down to the underground facility, the X-Warriors leaving upon the director''s command. Once we were in the underground facility, we went further down, to the area where we''d been holding Ze-Ro, before Aku snuck in and killed him.


    Grey was being surprisingly cooperative, it was a little unsettling...if he was innocent, he''d probably be bewildered and panicked by all this, so the fact that he''s so calm is basically proof that he''s guilty. Director Silva then gestured to him to sit on a metal chair, one with thick straps on it.


    "Do I have to? I mean, it''s not like I''m gonna run away or anything, there''s no point in the face of someone who can literally freeze time," He pointed out with a shrug.


    "It doesn''t matter. Sit," She responded coldly.


    "Sheesh, fine, fine...so, like, what''s this all about, anyway?" He inquired innocently, as he sat down as the straps automatically tightened around his limbs and torso.


    "You already know what it''s about...tell me, why blow up a classroom?" I inquired, getting straight to the point.


    "Oh, wow, that''s an awfully serious accusation without any proof," He responded with a tilt of his head.


    "Yeah, I don''t care, there''s enough proof for me. Answer my question...why''d you do it?" I pressed him, undeterred.


    "I literally have no idea what you''re talking about," He replied with a smug smirk.


    "Let me guess, you had bad relationships with your classmates, and having had enough, decided to kill them. And the third session of the day for the current Level J class is theory class, which means that all your classmates would''ve been in the classroom at the time. Must have been the perfect opportunity, am I right?" I continued to press him, narrowing my eyes.


    "Like I said, I have no idea what you''re-."


    "As for the bomb, you got your hands on it thanks to your mother, who''s authorized to access the underground facility," I continued, interrupting him.


    "Does she, now? I had no clue," He responded with a smile.


    "First, you used that authority to tamper with the security cameras, then used rubber gloves or something to keep her I-Watch from automatically shutting off, taking advantage of that loophole in the I-Watch security system," I persisted, ignoring him.


    "Oh, I didn''t know th-," He began to play dumb again.


    "The specifics of how you carried this all out can only be speculated for the most part, but there''s no doubt about the processes themselves...you tampered with the security camera feeds, infiltrated the underground facility, entered the area where the bombs are being manufactured, and then left after nabbing a bomb for yourself. That was the first part of your plan," I surmised, watching him closely.


    "Man, this is wild, I can''t believe I''m being interrogated by a celebrity," He remarked in a carefree tone.


    "And next, for the second part of your plan, you planted the bomb in the Level J classroom, during the lunch break at the latest, but it''s possible that it was planted before then. And then, you waited a few minutes after the lunch break, allowing all your classmates to return to the classroom, before then triggering the explosion...am I wrong?" I inquired in a cold tone, continuing to ignore his attempts at playing dumb.


    This time, he was silent, as the mockingly innocent smile on his face slowly twisted into a wide smirk...


    "Well, now, I didn''t think anyone would figure all that so quickly or so easily...heh, wow, you were pretty much spot on with all of that, nice, I''m seriously impressed. Alright, then...guess I''ll answer your questions," He responded with a snicker...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 150 - 149 - Time Trouble(Part 8)

    "Wait, did he just admit it?" Spoke up Director Silva in surprise.


    "Yup, sure did...if you''ve figured out that much, then there''s no point in playing dumb," He responded with a shrug, "So, go ahead, ask me your questions, I''ll answer them."


    Gotta say, wasn''t expecting this, I was preparing myself to have to torture him or something. But I''m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth...


    "For starters, why''d you do it? I mean, I totally understand wanting everyone in your class dead, that''s how I felt for most of my school life, but fantasizing about it and actually going through with it are very different things," I remarked with a frown.


    "Yeah, well...you were right, I don''t have a good relationship with my classmates, but honestly, that''s seriously understating it. See, my manifestations are pretty weak, so I use X-Weapons. And some of my classmates think pretty highly of their abilities, they weren''t happy because according to them, I was cheating by using X-Weapons," He laughed, but I could see the raw bitterness and hatred behind his smile.


    "Well, most Prodigies are dicks, at least in my experience," I mused with a grimace.


    "Heh, you said it. Anyway, I''m not the most social guy, so before I knew it, the entire class was against me. And I could deal with it, ignoring them was easy enough...but then they started taking it too far," He remarked, his smile completely fading, replaced by a dark, murderous glare.


    "What did they do to you?" Inquired Director Silva hesitantly.


    "At first, it was just childish shit like tripping and pushing me. I ignored it at first, but it wasn''t long before I snapped...I then challenged some of my classmates to Duels, without the use of my X-Weapons, and they accepted, of course, cockily laughing about how easy it was going to be to defeat me. But, then, I defeated them, their manifestations were powerful...but they were too unskilled to beat me. In hindsight, I guess it was pretty stupid of me to think that simply beating them at their own game would be enough to get them to leave me alone, huh?" He answered with a bitter smile.


    Damn it...the more he talks, the more I find myself empathizing with him, and more than that, relating to him. I lucked out, ending up in class with mostly decent people, who knows how different things would have been for me if I''d ended up with classmates that were all like Tairo.


    "What happened next...I''m guessing that''s what pushed you over the breaking point?" I surmised with a grimace.


    "...yeah," He replied in a harsh, grievous whisper, "The tripping and shoving stopped for a while, and I thought I had finally gotten some peace and quiet...but it turns out, they had far crueler plans in mind. See, I had a pet cat, one that I''ve raised for eight years, since he was a kitten. There was a day where I felt like I was being followed, but thought it was just my imagination..."


    My chest tightened, as I could guess what might have happened next, flashbacks of the dog I played with back in middle school going through my head as he spoke...


    "The next day, when I returned from classes, I felt it again, the feeling of being followed...I was creeped out, but just told myself I must be tired or something. The apartment building I live in has a communal laundry room on the top floor, I went up there to put my dirty clothes in the wash...to this day, I''ll always regret not locking the door...," He grimaced, his eyes glossing over a bit.


    Both Director Silva and I were silent, unsure of what to say...because we could both tell where this was going...


    "When I got back, I didn''t notice anything for a few minutes...but then I noticed that something was wrong. My cat was missing, because he usually walks up to me and rubs against my legs whenever I come home. I started to panic, looking around desperately, when suddenly, I received a message on my I-Watch...it was from an anonymous social media account, so I don''t know who sent it, but all the message contained was a set of coordinates."


    His decision to kill his classmates...I can''t fault him for making that decision. In fact...I think I might admire him from it...


    "I had no way to prove it, but somehow, I just knew that my cat was going to be there...I was terrified and felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown as I made my way there, I then found myself in a dumpster alley between a couple of buildings. The first thing I noticed were the large stray dogs...the second thing I noticed was the fresh blood all over their jaws and claws. And the third thing I noticed was my cat''s body, mangled and torn apart, his fur soaked in blood...," He trailed off as his voice cracked, a slight shudder in his shoulders as a stifled sob escaped his lips.


    Director Silva had a grim, stunned look on her face, staring at the ground without saying a word. I stepped towards Grey and placed my hand on his shoulder, meeting his gaze...


    "You did well...thanks to you, they got what they deserved," I stated firmly.


    "That...was unexpected," He remarked in surprise, before letting out a weak laugh.


    "Kilzachs, I get where you''re coming from, but please don''t applaud mass murder," Sighed Director Silva, looking conflicted.


    "I don''t think you do know where I''m coming from...I mean, you were probably really popular when you were in school," I countered with a shrug.


    "Huh? And what makes you say that?" She responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, I mean...duh, you''re hot and you have great social skills, it''s only natural," I responded with a shrug.


    "Wha-...you think I''m h-...ahem, we''re getting off topic," She cleared her throat, before turning to Grey, "Why didn''t you report this when it happened? Animal cruelty is a serious crime, if convicted, the culprits could have faced upto-."


    "Exactly, IF convicted...but, then, what if there wasn''t enough evidence to convict? What would they have done to me then? Honestly, I wasn''t all that afraid of what they might do to me, but the idea of them going after my mom terrified me, so all I could do was keep quiet. But that didn''t mean I was going to do nothing...that''s when I began hatching this plan, about a month ago. I made sure that my mom never found out anything about what I was doing...that way, if and when I get caught, I wouldn''t end up dragging her down with me."


    "Then you understand that I can''t just let this slide, don''t you? Regardless of your reason, it doesn''t change the fact that you killed fifteen people, and injured several others too," Remarked Director Silva with a frown.


    "Yeah, I know...but I don''t care anymore. It''s not like I want to go to prison or get executed or whatever it is that''s going to happen to me next, but...I just couldn''t go on knowing that those people were not only alive, but also enjoying their lives without a care in the world. Yeah, after everything they put me through...I found that unacceptable," He replied with a slight, defeated smile.


    "Well, of course you did, scum like that deserved to die. Hey, tell me...if you could have all of them dead, but with no evidence to link their deaths to you, would you do it?" I inquired, making up my mind.


    "Uh...what?" He responded uncertainly.


    "Kilzachs, what are you-?" Began Director Silva.


    "I''ll just come out and say it...I can go back in time, the only catch is that anyone who dies will stay dead. So if I go back in time to the lunch break and stop you from triggering the explosion, your classmates will still be dead, but the explosion would never have happened. Which means that, as far as everyone else is concerned, your classmates just randomly dropped dead inexplicably," I surmised with a smirk.


    "Kilzachs, I don''t think you should-," Began Director Silva with a frown.


    "Yeah, well, go ahead and stop me, if you can," I cut her off, before turning back to Grey, "I don''t usually do this, but I''ll leave it to you, it''s your call...do you want to stick with this timeline, or do you want things to be done over?"


    "I...I don''t know, I''ve never relied on anyone for anything, so-..."


    "So, what? People rely on other people all the time, people take advantage of other people all the time...you''ve had a tougher time of things than most, so why shouldn''t you be able to rely on someone once in a while? Hm, actually, let me rephrase that...do you want me to save you?" I stated firmly.


    "I...I...," He started uncertainly, before trailing off silently as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, meeting my gaze as a tear ran down his face, "Yes...please save me!"


    "Alright, you got it. But to do that, there''s one more thing I need to do...where were you exactly, when you triggered the bomb?" I inquired, gathering information before heading back.


    "Oh, I was in the first floor bathroom, in one of the stalls...originally, I was planning on leaving the Academy before triggering the bomb, but I decided against it, since I didn''t want to risk getting caught, instead opting to leave after I triggered the bomb," He explained.


    Huh? Wait a second...


    "That''s it! The first time around, I saw the guards taking someone away, after the lunch break, that must have been you, you must have decided to trigger it from outside that time and ended up getting caught...but the second time around, you-...alright, now I get it, that explains why nothing went wrong the first time," I realized, my eyes widening.


    "So, I failed once already, huh? Heh, guess I should thank you for the second opportunity," He replied with a wry smile.


    Director Silva perked up at that, a realization seeming to hit her...


    "Well, it wasn''t intentional, but...you''re welcome. Another question, where exactly in the classroom did you place the bomb?" I asked him.


    "In the bottom drawer of the instructor''s desk at the front of the class."


    "Alright, got it, thanks."


    "Kilzachs...are you saying that you went through a version of today where this didn''t happen?" Inquired Director Silva with a frown.


    "Among other things, yes."


    "Then I think it''s safe to say that-," She began with a grimace.


    "Yeah, me experimenting with my time travel powers is what caused all this. Lesson learned, I gotta be more careful with how I use it. Once I fix this, and anything else that might go wrong with today, I''ll be shelving this power as an absolute last resort. Trust me, you have no idea how exhausting it is to keep going back and forth like this," I sighed wistfully.


    "Well, like you said, it''s not like I can stop you," She responded after mulling it over, though she still looked displeased.


    "So, uh...what are you waiting for? Or have you, like, already left for the past and this is-?" Grey began curiously.


    "No, my time travel is linear, not the kind that causes parallel realities. My proof is the fact that the day stay dead, otherwise, when I go back in time, wouldn''t I go to a reality where they''re still alive?" I pointed out, before adding, "And I''ll be leaving as soon as I''ve recovered a comfortable amount of XFE, don''t want to risk being low on fuel, after all..."


    Yeah, the way things have been going today, this could be a lot harder than expected, so I need to be fully prepared before I head back in time. I just hope that this bombing will be the last incident that I have to undo, I don''t know how much more of this I can take...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 151 - 150 - Time Trouble(Part 9)

    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 01>."


    Alright, I''m back in Director Silva''s office, a few seconds before she was to teleport me back to the Academy. I should play it cool, there''s no need to rush her, that might make her suspicious. I have plenty of time...meaning that I''ll freeze time the moment I get to the Academy.


    "Well, I''ll see you later, alligator," She remarked with a straight face, before breaking and letting out a snort of laughter...ugh, can''t believe I had to hear that dumb joke twice...


    "Yeah, yeah, just send me back already," I sighed, rolling my eyes.


    "Come on, that was a good one," She grinned, before tapping on the teleportation platform controls.


    I''m not gonna reply...if I do, this might end up as a long, drawn-out conversation, which is something that I absolutely cannot afford.


    "Alright, sending you now...see you later, Kilzachs."


    "Yeah, see ya," I replied, as she activated the teleportation.


    A second later, I found myself in the training hall, before quickly checking the time...a bit later than I was last time, but only by a few seconds, so it should be fine...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Even with time stopped, I have no time to waste, I need to hurry...mainly for my peace of mind, I just want to get all this undoing over and done with. I rushed out of the training hall and headed up the stairs to the first floor, making a beeline for the Level J classroom.


    I pushed the door open and went in, heading straight for the desk at the front of the room, opening the bottom drawer as I went around to the front of the desk, looking for the bomb...bingo!


    There''s three different settings for this bomb, each setting triggers the explosion in a different way. The first setting is a timer, a standard countdown type. The second is impact-based, or in other words, like a grenade, it explodes when thrown at something or if struck.


    And the third and final setting is remote detonation. When this setting is chosen, you need a detonator to trigger the explosion, and the range is a radius of approximately one kilometer. Grey chose the third option, but now that I''m here, that doesn''t matter anymore.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>," I chanted, focusing on the bomb, which vanished as I chanted.


    There, that''s taken care of, and I can figure out how to get rid of it later. And more importantly, now it no longer matters anymore that Grey''s going to pull the trigger, because there''s nothing there to explode.


    Now, then, I guess I should go find him, huh? There''s not much of a rush anymore, so I can probably afford to unfreeze time for a bit. I left the classroom and, after making sure no one was in sight...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    I then headed for the bathroom, which wasn''t too far away...the first floor bathroom is kinda small and isn''t very well-maintained, so people rarely use it, instead preferring to use the much larger, and cleaner, ground floor bathroom.


    In other words, it makes sense why he''d pick the first floor bathroom to hide and wait in. I quietly pushed the door open and walked in, looking around...there were two stalls in this bathroom, and sure enough, one of them was occupied. That''s gotta be him.


    <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    I then peered over the stall, just to make sure I wasn''t mistaken...nothing to worry about, it''s definitely him.


    I reached down and grabbed his collar, before pulling him up and out of the stall...I really like the way physics works when time is frozen, it can be pretty convenient, especially as far as weight is concerned.


    Now, then...before, when I got close to triggering the Anomaly version of Manifestation Overdrive, it wasn''t just Tier One that had gotten a boost...Tier Two had also gained a new trick.


    Specifically, when time is frozen, if I touch someone before activating Play, only the person I''m touching will be unfrozen, everything and everyone else will still be frozen. I then held onto his wrist, as I chanted...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    "H-huh, wha-...what''s going on!?" He exclaimed in surprise, as I swiftly slipped behind him and pinned his arms to his back, not giving him a chance to see my face.


    "Calm down, I''m not your enemy...and just so you know, you succeeded. They''re all dead. So you don''t have to trigger the explosion this time," I informed him, changing my voice a bit.


    "Huh? Nothing you''re saying makes any sense, what do you-?" He began in confusion.


    "I''m saying that you already killed them, and you were about to get convicted for it...," I trailed off, before continuing hesitantly, "I...I came back in time, but doing so doesn''t bring back the dead. Their bodies won''t be destroyed this time around, but there''s nothing inside the bodies...they''re nothing more than empty shells. In other words, you haven''t done anything yet, so there''s no crime to accuse you of...well, there''s the identity fraud you used to break into the underground facility, but that''s only if someone finds out."


    Why...am I telling him all this? The moment I took the bomb out of the equation, I could easily have just left him alone and things could possibly have worked out without needing any further interference from me, but...for some reason, I couldn''t help it.


    The fact that I''d promised him that I would save him is only a part of it, it''s more that, in a lot of ways, I see myself in him. And because of that, I couldn''t help but want to save him.


    "Time travel? You really expect me to-!?" He began in disbelief.


    "I''m here because you asked me to save you. But...also because I relate to your situation and can empathize. You also told me that this was revenge for what your classmates did to your cat, which was the breaking point following months of bullying, just because you were better than them despite having weaker XFE abilities. And when considering where to trigger the bomb from, you initially planned on leaving the Academy before pulling the trigger...am I wrong? Oh, and let me also add that I knew not only where to find the bomb, but you as well," I pointed out.


    "...okay, that''s pretty convincing. So, wait, let me get this straight...you went to the trouble of time traveling to save a mass murderer? You sure about this?" He inquired in bemusement.


    "Yeah, I am. I said this to you in the future too, but I applaud what you did...it''s not like you indiscriminately murdered a random bunch of innocent people, no, you rightfully targeted people who deserved to die, and I can respect that. Yeah, so I think you deserve this...the opportunity to avoid committing a crime while still getting the desired results. So, once I''m gone, just walk out of here and act normal, got it? Oh, but first, smash up the detonator and flush it or something."


    "Oh, uh...yeah, okay. I''m...not sure what to say. But if nothing else, I guess I should at least say this much...thank you," He replied with a tone of sincere gratitude, before asking, "Hey, by the way, who are y-?"


    Before he could finish his question, I froze him in time again, and then walked out of the bathroom...I might have given away a bit too much, I can''t believe that I revealed my time travel powers when I don''t plan on undoing this.


    It may have been anonymous, I''m quite sure I disguised my voice well enough, but that was still a huge risk...after all, something like time travel isn''t a power that fits Prodigies, and with only five known Anomalies in the Sanctuary, the suspect list isn''t very long.


    Well, whatever, that''s a concern for another day, for now...fuck yes, I''ve prevented both the Mutant attack and the bombing! Though, uh, I kinda indirectly caused them by going back in time, so it''s more like I cleaned up messes that I was partially to blame for.


    Well, I guess it doesn''t really matter though, it''s not like anyone knows about it. Huh, that''s actually a little bit discouraging, in a way...I mean, I worked pretty hard to resolve those incidents, you know. To think that there''s no one who knows about any of it, is a little disappointing...but then again, it''d probably work against me if people knew about this, so it''s just as well, I suppose.


    Oh, right, I should probably set a Save point here, just in case...definitely won''t be using it unless a really emergency comes up.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Save Point 01>."


    Still, it''s pretty concerning that such devastating incidents occurred just because of minor changes to events...the amount of damage to the central generator was the factor that triggered the blackout and subsequent Crocsnek attack. And the factor that triggered the explosion was Grey''s decision as to where to trigger it from.


    Neither of those are drastic deviations from how things went the first time around, and yet, those minor deviations resulted in severely, drastically different outcomes.


    The bell to signify the end of the lunch break then rang, and I began making my way to the training hall, a sense of relief about me. There was a fair bit of commotion going on all around...well, I guess the collapsed bodies of Grey''s classmates were being found.


    I bet a few others died in the explosion too, so there''s probably more than fifteen veggies, maybe around twenty, more or less. I let out a sigh as I reached the training hall and began to enter...I feel completely and utterly emotionally exhausted, here''s hoping that nothing else goes wrong today...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 152 - 151 - Time Trouble(Part 10)

    "Hey. Where were you during the first two sessions?" Inquired Kiran curiously, as I entered the training hall.


    "Sorry about that, something came up," I apologized sheepishly, though didn''t give away any details...I mean, it''s not like I can tell them the truth.


    Instructor Satou then arrived, stifling a yawn as he headed for the front of the room, before clearing his throat to get our attention.


    "Listen up, because as always, I won''t repeat myself. Alright, today''s session will be a simple, yet challenging one...specifically, all three teams will be in this training hall, as you can see, there''s three teleportation platforms in here. Each team will be tasked with fighting upto five Q-Ranked Mutants at a time, but there''ll be no safety barrier, and here''s your objective; kill the Mutants while keeping them from interfering with the other teams...if one of the teams does mess us and let a Mutant slip by, I''ll intervene and prevent the Mutant from attacking another team, so just focus on the ones you''re assigned to," Explained Instructor Satou, before setting up the platforms.


    And I was starting to get a bad feeling, but I couldn''t quite put my finger on why. Come on, think...is there something I should be worried about? All the previous events of today, the blackout, the Crocsnek attack and the bombing, I encountered hints for those events the first time I went through today.


    For the blackout, it was the lights flickering, for the Crocsnek, it was the ground rumbling, and for the bombing, it was the commotion by the front entrance, when the guards caught Grey before he could trigger the bomb.


    Did anything else out of the ordinary happen the first time around-...and that''s when it hit me, as I recalled what had happened during this session. Yeah...I remember, the first time I went through today, one of the teleportation platforms malfunctioned and-...shit!


    "Shut down the plat-!" I began in alarm, but I was too late-...no, this time, it was even worse...


    The first time around, it had been eight Mutants, including one K-Rank...but this time, as Instructor Satou activated the platform, several Mutants burst into the room, easily way more than just eight...there were definitely more than twenty, and at least five K-Ranks that I could see.


    What the hell is-...tch, no time to think, they''re attacking! I slashed off the head of a Mutant that sprang at me, gritting my teeth in frustration...they''re quickly overwhelming us, and we''ve all been split up, working together is effectively impossible now. Damn it, I don''t have time to think!


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>!"


    The moment I stopped time, I was able to clearly see with just a single, quick glance around, that if I''d taken even a few seconds longer, most of the others would have been killed. To my left, a Footish, which is a large, centipede-like Mutant, was wrapped around Zoya, about to sink its fangs into her.


    It''s a Q-Ranked Mutant that grows upto four meters long, with sharp feet and fangs that secrete a toxin that causes hallucinations and nausea. It was named Footish by combined ''foot'' and ''fetish''. I slowly unwrapped it from around Zoya, before tearing it into pieces to kill it.


    I need to hurry, I''ve only got a few minutes, I need to drag everyone out of this room by then. I sliced off the head of a Catto that was springing up behind Seila, it''s fangs inches away from sinking into her neck from behind, while she was focused on several Mutants that were attacking her from in front.


    I then dragged Seila and linked her arm to Zoya''s, before lengthening the human chain as fast as I could, with the rest of my classmates...I reluctantly added Bytra and Makoto to the chain as well, conflicted about it the whole time. Asshole was already near the exit...he must have started running as soon as the chaos began.


    Alright, just a couple more and-...I then froze, as I spotted a pair of Greasponsibilities, a type of Q-Ranked Mutant. Specifically, it was a large, three meter tall, spider-type Mutant, with powerful, paralyzing fangs, sticky webs and was capable of reaching high speeds.


    The name Greasponsibility was derived by combining ''great'' and ''responsibility'', for obvious reasons. But none of that was going through my mind right now, because I was too focused on what was between the two spider Mutants.


    A body that was being held by one of them, covered in webs and missing its head, while the Mutant that was holding it had its mouth soaked in blood, with a small, red puddle right below on the floor. And that''s when I saw it...half of the head was on the floor, the Mutant must have been unable to take it in one bite.


    And it took me no more than a second to recognize the half face...it was Andre. I gritted my teeth and turned away, swallowing the bitter pill that there was nothing I could do to save him, it was far, far too late. There should still be two more of my classmates remaining, not to mention Instructor Jin Satou-...


    I spotted the last two of my classmates, Suri and Katie, and the instructor was right in front of them...and as I got a good look at him, my heart sank, before sinking even further as I saw the full picture.


    Suri and Katie was both on the ground, with the latter''s right leg badly broken and a deep gash on her left side. And Instructor Satou was in front of them with his back facing them...he was between them and a K-Ranked Mutant, known as an Armadildo, a six meter tall armadillo Mutant, with extremely long, razor sharp claws.


    And one of those claws was pierced right through the left side of the instructor''s chest...and the tip of the claw was pierced several inches into the middle of Suri''s chest. I took a step forward, my mind blank and it felt like I wasn''t breathing, but I was too stunned to process that.


    I silently dragged Katie away, linking her up to the human chain with the rest of my classmates. I then dragged them all out of the training hall, before doing the same with the bodies of Andre, Instructor Satou and Suri. I then re-entered the training hall, my mind still blank, while my body burned in a cold fury.


    It was like I was moving on autopilot, not a single thought was going through my head right now...but when I say blank, I don''t mean empty. No, when I say blank, I mean that, just like a blank canvas, there''s only a single color I see in my mind right now, stretching out endlessly...all I could see, was a blank, crimson red.


    A pure rage, so intense that I was eerily calm and more focused than I''d ever been before, without so much as a single thought floating through my mind...and that''s why I have no idea why I did what I did next, and more importantly, I have no idea how I did it.


    All I know, is that I suddenly started channeling my remaining XFE into the spot between my shoulder blades, with perfect control and composure. It was strange...at a little over forty percent, I shouldn''t even have enough XFE left to attempt this, let alone pull it off, which I was yet to accomplish.


    And yet, somehow, I just knew...that this time, I wasn''t going to fail. I felt my power surge, but didn''t stiffen or flinch like before, I remained relaxed and composed, as my rage continued to grow, the endless red in my mind expanding beyond the boundaries of endlessness...and then came the chant.


    "<XFE Insufficient...Adjusting...Successful...Mode Restricted...Partial Unleash Anomaly:...>," I recited calmly, before completing the chant, "<...God of Space and Time>."


    A black mist appeared all around me, and other changes might have also occurred, but I didn''t bother to notice. I calmly raised my hand and snapped my fingers, and in that instant, time inside this room came to a stop, while the rest of the world was still frozen.


    What happened next was an unclear blur, but by the time I came to my senses, I was standing in front of a massive pile of Mutant corpses, down to a mere six percent of my XFE, my body aching like crazy as I felt completely worn out. I was standing in a massive puddle of blood, that nearly covered the entire floor of the training hall.


    Mutant blood was splattered all over my clothes, my hands were slick with their blood and every single one of the Mutants had been completely torn apart, none of them were in one piece anymore. Did I do this? Somehow, I know for sure that I did...it''s like I remember doing it, but at the same time, I don''t remember it at all.


    It looks like time in this room is frozen again, I can tell by the physics when I move...I turned around and headed for the door, exiting the room and shutting the door behind me. Damn it...I shouldn''t have let my guard down. I was careless, and as a result, three people are dead...Andre, Instructor Satou and...Suri.


    I didn''t want to resume the flow of time, I couldn''t bring myself to do so...but there was no point in delaying it, it won''t bring her back to life. The dead stay dead, and thanks to my powers, I know that better than anyone...and the most frustrating part is that there''s nothing I can do about it. Keeping time frozen like this, it''s only delaying the inevitable. I clenched my fists as I reluctantly chanted...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two:...Play>."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 153 - 152 - Time Trouble(Part 11)

    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    As I resumed the flow of time, my surviving classmates immediately began exclaiming in confusion, with several gasps and hisses of pain, before a stunned silence fell over them as they got a look at the three corpses.


    "N-no way...are they d-...are they all dead?" Asked Lin in shock.


    Isn''t that obvious? Andre''s head got torn off and halfway eaten, Instructor Satou has a literal hole in his chest where his heart was, and Suri''s chest was also deeply punctured, bleeding profusely. As everyone stared in shocked silence, Zoya tentatively stepped forward towards the instructor and Suri, but I barely even noticed her.


    I couldn''t say a word, and it''s not like it would matter even if I did...because as soon as I find out what caused this, I''m going back in time and preventing it. And a huge part of me wanted this to be someone''s fault and not an accident...because if no one''s to blame, then what the hell am I going to do with all this rage!?


    Where do I direct it? Who do I blame? Because if this was just an accident, then...then it''s my fault, I''m the only one to blame. This would never have happened had I not experimented with my powers. And what am I supposed to do if that turns out to be the case? Just what will I-?


    "Hey, it''s really faint, but I can feel a pulse! It''s fading fast though, what do we do!?" Suddenly exclaimed Zoya, as she knelt down by Suri''s body.


    "Stop the bleeding!"


    "Give her CPR!"


    "Get a doctor!"


    As everyone began clamoring in panic, I felt my rage dissipating, as I found myself rapidly calming down after hearing that she was still alive...


    "Leave the rest to me...," I muttered, before chanting with a determined grimace, "Now, <Activate Anomaly, Tier One: Load Point 01>."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    The instant I went back in time, I quickly checked my I-Watch...less than a minute before the end of the lunch break, what do I do? Destroy the teleportation platforms? Hm, no, I''ll save that as a last resort...I still need to find out what caused this.


    In which case...my best course of action is to go meet with Director Silva again. Feels like I''ve seen her a lot today. And for all I know, this might not even be the last time...no, there''s no point in thinking too far ahead, I need to focus on resolving the immediate matter at hand.


    I rushed down the stairs and headed for an empty training hall, when suddenly, I quickly halted before I could bump into someone, as I turned the corner.


    "Hey, watch it-...oh, it''s just you, Kilzachs. You sure seem to be in a rush," Remarked the person that I almost bumped into.


    It was Suri...and relief washed over me as I met her gaze, and before I knew what I was doing, I had my arms wrapped around her in a tight hug.


    "Wh-what was that for?" She muttered in bemusement as I let her go, averting her gaze awkwardly as she turned red.


    "Oh, uh...don''t worry about it. No time to talk right now, so I''ll see you later!" I responded, before continuing to make my way towards a training hall, texting Director Silva as I ran.


    ''No time to explain, teleport me in immediately, I''m in the Academy, Training Hall 08.''


    I rushed into the training hall and towards the teleportation platform, glancing impatiently at my I-Watch, when suddenly, I received a notification. Alright, she responded!


    ''Good timing, I was actually just about to contact you.''


    Huh? Wonder what that''s about...oh, well, no time to waste, every second counts right now! The teleportation platform then activated, and as I blinked, I found myself in her office.


    "Glad you''re here, Kilzachs, there''s something I-," She began as soon as I appeared.


    "No time, you need to shut down all the teleportation platforms in the Academy, NOW!" I exclaimed urgently.


    "Huh? What''s this ab-?"


    "I''m serious, we don''t have a second to spare! Trust me, a lot of people will die otherwise!" I urged her.


    "Alright, fine," She responded, after seeing how serious I was, before rapidly typing on her laptop, "Hm, it''ll take a while to fully shut them down, but I can block any incoming teleportations to the platforms inside the Academy-."


    "Yes, do that!"


    "Aaand...done!" She declared, after about fifteen seconds of rapid typing and mouse-clicking, before asking me, "Okay, so what was that all ab-...? Wait, what''s this?"


    "What is it?" I inquired, walking around the desk to get a look at her screen.


    She''d received a message, looks like it''s from one of the bases we''ve built to the south...I stiffened as I read the message, my eyes widening...


    "A whole bunch of the X-Warriors and staff manning the base just suddenly dropped unconscious?" Muttered Director Silva with a frown.


    "Don''t tell me...," I muttered to myself, as the pieces started to fall into place...some crucial details were still missing though, I couldn''t yet see the full picture...


    Suddenly, several more messages popped up on her screen, all from the same base...


    "Huh, what the...? A huge swarm of Mutants are approaching the base, but...the warding radiation should prevent that! What''s going on here!?" Exclaimed Director Silva in alarm, before calling someone, presumably one of the people at that base.


    "D-Director, is that you!? Something''s wrong here, there''s hundreds of Mutants approaching!"


    "Calm down and shut all the entrances and exits, and then check for whether there''s any malfunction in the radiation generator. Reactivating the warding radiation should repel them!" She responded in a clear, yet urgent tone.


    "Y-yes, ma''am!" He replied, before the echo of rushed footsteps rang out, as he hurried to fix the problem.


    The faint sounds of panicked cries was ringing out from the speaker as he made his way to the control room, before a confused mutter escaped his lips.


    "What''s the matter?" Inquired Director Silva with a frown.


    "The entry code panel for the door...it''s been destroyed! I can''t enter the code to open the door!"


    "Well, that''s definitely suspicious," I remarked, narrowing my eyes.


    "Yeah, it is...alright, fine, destroy the door, make it into that room no matter what, understand!?" Commanded Director Silva.


    "I-...yes, ma''am!"


    He activated his manifestations and broke the door down, but it took him a couple of minutes...and within that time, reports poured in from others in that base...as the Mutants managed to break into the building.


    Normally, even without the warding radiation, it should take way longer for the Mutants to break through the reinforced metal gates...but that was just it, they didn''t break through. No, the gates suddenly opened on their own...and the only way to do that is from the control room.


    And not long after the Mutants broke in, the shutters inside the building started opening and closing at seemingly random, but it soon became obvious...that the Mutants were being shepherded to the teleportation room, which was filled with teleportation platforms.


    "Tch, the teleportation platforms are linking up with platforms inside the Sanctuary! This is bad, Mutants are going to be teleported in all throughout the Sanctuary!" Exclaimed Director Silva in alarm.


    "Then block them from receiving any teleports!" I urged her.


    "Yeah, what do you think I''m doing!? Do you have any idea how many teleportation platforms are in the Sanctuary!? Shit...I''ll start by deactivating the ones in the most densely populated areas!"


    "Okay, I''m in!" Suddenly exclaimed the guy who''d called her, before gasping in shock, "What the hell-...everything''s destroyed, all the controls are unusable! And the warding radiation...the signature has been reversed somehow, but that''s-...this doesn''t make any sense, only the shutter controls aren''t damaged!"


    "Hey, is there anyone in the room!?" I inquired, getting a bad feeling about what was going on here.


    "No, there isn''t!" He responded, before suddenly screaming in panic, the growls of a Mutants audible in the background, before the call suddenly got cut off, a silence cast over us as it did.


    "It''s Aku, it has to be...," I realized with a grimace, before turning to Director Silva, "They''ll never catch him, this is really bad...he could potentially take out every single base we''ve got!"


    "How can you be so sure that it''s that Wight?" She responded as she continued deactivating the teleportation platforms throughout the Sanctuary.


    "Okay, first off, why don''t you just deactivate the platforms in the base instead of the ones in the Sanctuary? And second, yeah, I''m sure...unless there''s someone else that can sneak into what''s effectively a fortress completely undetected? The state of the control room convinced me, it has to be him," I stated with a grimace.


    "Shit, that''s right, I can just block transmissions from the platforms in the base!" She exclaimed, sounding a bit frustrated at not realizing that sooner.


    And with that, in a matter of seconds, the problem was resolved...well, not quite, after she took care of the teleportation platforms, she sent out a quick emergency notice to all X-Warriors, instructing them to hunt down the Mutants that did make it into the Sanctuary.


    Damn it...I should have killed Aku when I had the chance, he''s a huge threat with his abilities. He could potentially wipe out every single one of our outside bases at this rate, using the same method everytime and we still wouldn''t be able to stop him, even knowing what''s coming.


    "Kilzachs...we need to talk," Remarked Director Silva in a serious, demanding tone, "I know you prefer to keep certain aspects of your power a secret, but this issue is too big now to compromise for the sake of one individual...to put it simply, I have some questions."


    "Yeah, I figured...and fine, I won''t refuse, that''d be to my own detriment at this point...alright, then, I''ll talk."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 154 - 153 - Time Trouble(Part 12)

    "This is...a lot to take in."


    "Yeah, I know," I replied with a sigh.


    I''d just finished telling her about my Tier One abilities, including the new upgrade to it, and the events I went through today, though I excluded the bombing, instead describing the Crocsnek attack as more destructive than it had actually been, to explain the additional casualties.


    And of course, as a result of explaining that, I also answered her most pressing question; what causes people to seemingly randomly fall into vegetative states. Now she knows.


    "So, every time that has happened, it''s because you went back in time after they died," She remarked, before adding with a sigh, "And do you have any idea how many such victims there are after everything that you told me happened today?"


    "More than I thought...initially, I just assumed that the influx of Mutants in the training hall was some malfunction, so I didn''t even consider the fact that there might have been more Mutants pouring in from other teleportation platforms," I admitted with a grimace.


    "Fair enough, I suppose...by your demeanor, I''m guessing that you''re not going back in time to try and stop the attack on the south base?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "No, I''m not, for two reasons. The first being that I''ve had enough, I don''t care what else happens today, I''m fucking done. And the second reason is that there''d be no point...I have no idea when Aku infiltrated the base, and that aside, everyone there is probably dead by now, so if I do go back, they''ll all be in vegetative states. Given how far the base is from here, we have no way of stopping Aku completely...preventing him from overrunning the Sanctuary with Mutants is the best we can do, and we''ve done that," I replied with a sigh.


    "Wait, the first time around that you went through today, the Mutants didn''t overrun the Sanctuary, did they?" She asked me.


    "Oh, right, good point...hm, or maybe not, Instructor Satou was quick to shut off the teleportation platforms, and we usually take our I-Watches off during training sessions to avoid damaging them, and Instructor Satou usually just sleeps, so it''s possible that we were simply oblivious to what was happening, and I went back in time pretty much the instant that the session ended, so yeah...," I trailed off.


    "Hm, I see...listen, Kilzachs, this might sound like I''m blaming you, but that isn''t it...see, I''m concerned about that time travel power of yours, and I-," She began with a frown.


    "Yeah, I think I know what you''re going to say...and don''t worry, after all the shit that''s happened today, I won''t be using this power except as an absolute last resort, it''s way too risky," I sighed in response.


    "Good, see that you don''t use it so carelessly again. But has anything like this happened before, things going so wrong after going back in time?" She inquired curiously.


    "Well...things have often gone differently after going back in time, but never like this. Maybe the additional Save points are resulting in greater potential for variation or something? Either way, I''m not taking the risk of experimenting like this again...though for all I know, there''s every possibility that there''s more in store for today," I groaned, rubbing my head in frustration.


    My body still has plenty of stamina, but my mind is spent, I''m completely worn out mentally and emotionally, I can''t take any more. My XFE is at just eight percent right now, so I might not even be physically equipped to handle something else...


    "Hm...well, you did say that you experienced hints of the events that happened right? The lights flickering was the hint for the blackout, the rumbling was the hint for the Mutant attack, and the seemingly minor teleportation platform malfunction was the hint for what went wrong in that south base. What are events like those usually called in time travel movies and stuff, I forgot the word...oh, that''s right, now I remember, singularities! Still, I have to wonder...did that Wight, Aku, fail the first time around somehow? But how?" Mused Director Silva, scrunching up her eyebrows.


    "Oh, I just remembered! The first time around, a few minutes after Instructor Satou shut down the platforms and reported the incident, he got a notice that was sent out to all X-Warriors from you, saying that the system that runs the teleportation platforms was malfunctioning, and to not use any of the platforms until further notice...I''m guessing you must have coincidentally noticed and realized what was happening in time to shut off the teleportation platform before it was too late...maybe?" I suggested, after mulling it over.


    "I suppose that''s possible...," She responded uncertainly.


    "Wait, that raises another question...the X-Warriors manning that southern base, how did they survive? When I went back in time, the most likely scenario would have been all of them falling into vegetative states...," I frowned as I tried to figure it out.


    "Well, it''s possible that the survivors had barricaded themselves in some of the rooms or something like that...come to think of it, the ones that were reported to have suddenly collapsed this morning were all assigned to areas close to the entrance of the base," She realized, before shaking her head, "I don''t think there''s any point in speculating...we''ve established that it wasn''t impossible for them to have survived, but there''s no way for us to find out the exact, precise answer, so there''s no point attempting to do so."


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right. But we''ve now got a huge problem on our hands...Aku could easily keep taking down our outside bases one by one like this, and even if we know it''s coming, we won''t be able to stop him. The only ones that''d even stand a chance against him are other Anomalies, but since his powers affect himself, he can still use his invisibility against them, and considering the fact that we''ve only got five Anomalies while the Wights have over twenty, it''s way too risky," I surmised grimly.


    "I don''t think he''s that unstoppable...for one thing, I doubt he can infiltrate the Sanctuary again, he''s unlikely to be able to get past the vacuum layer we''ve installed in the exterior," She responded.


    "How can you be so sure?" I inquired skeptically.


    "Because of your last encounter with him...you told me that he said he planned to leave before the vacuum layer was fully implemented, that means he saw it as a threat. So even when he''s intangible, he''s not untouchable...and ever since his first attack along with those other Wights, I''ve greenlit multiple projects for the sake of defeating him. Most of them turned out to be failures, but there was one that I scrapped in favor of the vacuum layer you suggested, because that scrapped method have been too effective, dangerously so," She answered.


    "More effective than the vacuum layer?" I responded, intrigued.


    "Yeah, a lot more...it''s so dangerous that I decided against implementing it in the Sanctuary, but...it has been implemented in all the outside bases, though only to be used in emergencies. In other words, it''s currently inactive in all the bases, but could easily be activated with a flip of a switch, metaphorically speaking. Specifically, this method is called Disintegration Field, it destroys anything that comes into contact with it," She remarked with a hesitant grimace on her face...she''s clearly reluctant to use this method.


    "Disintegration, huh? Sure that''ll work against intangibility?" I responded doubtfully.


    "Oh, I''m sure. See, while creating this barrier, we tested its effectiveness by activating it around a mouse in a cage...and within less than half a minute, the mouse suffocated and died. In other words..."


    "...the barrier disintegrated any incoming oxygen, meaning that no air was getting through!" I surmised in realization.


    "Exactly! Intangible or not, I doubt Aku actually disappears completely, the more likely explanation is that his molecules simply switch states from solid to gas or something like that, and as the experiment proved, this barrier disintegrates any gas that comes into contact with it too," She concluded.


    "Wait, then won''t the people stationed inside the barriers, I don''t know, suffocate in no time?" I pointed out.


    "Nope! Once we realized how the barrier works, I asked the team to make it manifest in the form of net-like dome shape, with plenty of airholes. Of course, the gaps are barely wide enough to even poke a pencil through, so they can''t be taken advantage of," She explained, before turning her attention back to her laptop, "The biggest risk of the Disintegration Barrier is that it''s hardly perceptible, it''s practically invisible unless you really focus, and even then it''s barely as noticeable as a mirage...in other words, the smallest amount of carelessness could result in our own side getting severely injured or even killed by the barrier. Unfortunately, we have to take that risk, all things considered."


    "Well, yeah, that risk is preferable to the risk of letting our bases get destroyed by a single Wight-...actually, scratch that, Aku can cast the effects of his powers on others, that''s how so many Wights infiltrated last time in the first place. His abilities are a seriously major threat, let''s just hope that there aren''t any other Wights with such troublesome abilities. I''d much rather take on a Wight with super powerful manifestations than one with a complex Anomaly ability," I muttered with a frown.


    "That''s a little ironic, coming from you."


    "Not really, it''s because of what I am that I know better than most how dangerous Anomalies can be...heh, if someone else had ended up with these powers instead of me, their very existence would bother the hell out of me," I laughed wistfully.


    "Your sense of self-awareness is impressive, I have to say...," She responded with a wry smile, before clearing her throat and recording a voice message, "To all outside bases, this is an emergency notice. Activate the Disintegration Fields immediately, one of our bases has been compromised, we cannot afford to have another one fall to the enemy. Once activated, follow the safety guidelines in relation to this barrier. That is all."


    "That should prevent any more bases from falling...but I''m guessing the one that just fell is going to take a while to recover and renovate, huh?"


    "Hm? Oh, no, not at all...the moment I lost contact with everyone in that base, I activated the self-destruction sequence," She responded with a shrug.


    "Oh, I see, the self destruct-...wait, what!?" I exclaimed in surprise.


    "I mean, there must have been a ton of Mutants there, and Aku himself, of course...with any luck, that was enough to destroy him, but...," She trailed off.


    "...I can''t imagine it being that easy," I completed, guessing what she was about to say.


    It would be super convenient if that really had killed him, but somehow, I doubt that''s the case...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 155 - 154 - Time Trouble(Part 13)

    Point-of-View: Aku


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hm? Oh, looks like someone''s breaking down the door to this control room...guess that''s my cue to leave, I''ve done enough damage as it is.


    After I left the Sanctuary following my encounter against that time-manipulator, I had initially planned to head straight back and regroup with the other Wights, but then I came across what appeared to be a large, metal fortress.


    I realized that the Sanctuary must be expanding their territory with these, and immediately reported back using the telepathic link that had been active since before I first infiltrated the Sanctuary.


    The link was with a Wight named Sai, and the only way to break the link was for him to replace it with a telepathic link with someone else. Once he reported my findings to the higher ups, he gave me my next orders...infiltrate the base and learn about how it works.


    I then spent my time observing, slowly but surely gaining knowledge and understanding on how some of their devices and machines work. I also learnt that there were several other bases just like this one, and that the Sanctuary planned to keep expanding indefinitely, as well as the small bug-like surveillance drones they had scattered all over the place.


    And then, a couple days ago, the higher ups were satisfied with my findings and ordered me to return in a few days upon their signal, since the plans to launch a large-scale attack against the Sanctuary had begun.


    I''m a pretty key player, so they wanted me back for that. And in no time, it was today, the day I''m supposed to return. I was getting impatient waiting for Sai''s telepathic signal for me to return, I tried to contact him, but couldn''t...which means he''s either asleep or ignoring me, or busy with another telepathic link.


    Either way, my impatience and boredom led me to the idea of destroying this place before I leave. And so, I headed for the control room, destroying the keypad to prevent anyone from entering and then messed around with the door and shutter system, as well as the device that generates radiation to keep Mutants away.


    And since the Mutants are now already inside and I''ve destroyed most of the controls, there''s nothing more for me to do here...so I might as well get a head start and leave now. Huh, why didn''t I think of that before? I could have just left. Eh, whatever, this was fun, so I don''t care anymore.


    I then left the room, casually walking past several humans and Mutants completely unnoticed, stepping past corpses and puddles of blood. Because of me, all these people are going to die...I wish I could hear their thoughts right now, all of them had been working peacefully for weeks, and now, they were suddenly, and seemingly inexplicably, all in the jaws of death.


    Heh, they don''t even have any idea how or why this is happening, that thrills me. An amused chuckle escaped my lips as I reached the exit and strolled out of the base, the echoes of screams and cries of despair growing fainter and fainter with every step I took...when suddenly, a deafening noise burst out, so loud that for a moment, I thought that everything had gone silent.


    Before I could even figure out what just happened, I felt the ground beneath me start to break apart, as my feet got lifted up off the ground and sent flying forward with immense force, the rest of my body getting dragging along with them.


    I quickly began adjusting my intangibility as I began to close in on the ground, to avoid falling right through. I hissed in pain as I crashed onto the ground and skidded painfully on the parts that I''d made tangible, my skin getting torn off until I eventually crashed onto a large rock, knocking the wind out of me as I let out a sharp gasp of pain.


    Ow...so much hurt, this is seriously way too much pain. What the hell just-...?


    I stared in speechless shock at the massive plume of black smoke rising up from where the building had been, the area all around it thoroughly devastated...h-holy shit.


    Was that an accident? Or did they do this deliberately? Could it really be the latter...they may have a lot of these bases outside, but even so, to just blow up such an important structure just like that...I might have underestimated these humans, I definitely didn''t see that coming.


    Tch, ow...every time I move, twinges of pain erupt all over me. My intangibility isn''t flawless, it has a weakness. I''m not completely untouchable in that state, I have to make sure that the soles of my feet are always tangible when touching the ground, for one thing. When I have to walk through a wall or something, I make my foot fully intangible and then tangible again when I land on the other side.


    Otherwise, I''d just fall through the ground, and I don''t even want to know what''ll happen then. Stuff like fire and lightning can also affect me while intangible, though not much. When testing the limits of my powers, the Wight higher ups made me stand in the middle of a bonfire while intangible once.


    At first, I felt nothing, but after a couple of minutes, I felt a sense of discomfort which kept getting worse and worse, until it felt like I was suffocating. As for lightning, I don''t have any actual experience with it, but if fire has an effect, then lightning probably does too.


    When I turn intangible, I lose the need to breathe altogether, and after that fire experiment, I figured out why...I don''t disappear or anything when I turn intangible, my body is simply in a different state of matter, from solid to gas, the only difference is that my particles don''t disperse.


    I retain my shape when intangible despite shifting states of matter, and I don''t need to breathe because I can just absorb oxygen since I''m in the same state of matter. And it''s when I''m in a situation where I can''t absorb oxygen that I start to take damage in this state, which is why fire affected me; it was burning the oxygen around me, leaving me nothing to absorb.


    That''s why I left the Sanctuary before they could implement that vacuum layer thing, I probably wouldn''t have been able to get through it. And if I''d still been inside this building before the explosion, I probably would have survived so long as I''d stayed intangible, but I don''t think I''d have been completely unscathed.


    "Aku? Are you there?"


    Finally, it''s about time!


    "Sai? Where were you, I''ve been trying to contact you for hours!" I exclaimed indignantly.


    "I was in a meeting with the higher ups, so I had to ignore you. It''s time to come back now. Do you have anything new to report?"


    "Uh, sort of...," I responded, before explaining what had happened over the past half hour or so.


    "Hm...I''m not sure that was a good move. Anyway, start heading back, we''ve got a jeep a few kilometers outside the range of the bug drones you mentioned. It''ll probably take you a few days, at the very least, so hurry. I''ll report what you did to the higher ups in the meantime."


    With that, he deactivated the link, and I began heading southeast with a sigh. I''ve got a backpack full of canned food and water bottles, which should last long enough, but...it''s heavy. And I can''t exactly toss it aside, because then I''d die of starvation or dehydration, whichever comes first.


    It''ll probably be a couple of days before Sai contacts me again, and that''ll probably just be to check on my progress. Yeah, the next few days are going to be pretty boring...


    ...


    To my surprise, a few hours later, he contacted me again...


    "You there, Aku?"


    "Yeah, what''s up? Didn''t expect you to contact me again so soon."


    "About that...the higher ups are furious at you. They were planning on using your ability to make others intangible to have several of us infiltrate and take down all their bases simultaneously, or maybe even use the teleport devices in those bases to jump straight into the Sanctuary. But now that you''ve done this, they''ll probably ramp up security around the other bases. Just felt like I should warn you that you''re in hot water, that''s all," He warned me, before ending the communication.


    ...shit. I mean, I highly doubt they can figure out a way to counter my intangibility, unless they implement vacuum layers on the exteriors of all the bases...but no, that would take a while, not to mention that they can''t make the entrance a vacuum.


    Unlike the Sanctuary, which can generally only be entered via teleportation, the bases all have physical entrances, a thick metal gate. Oh, well, it should be fine, it''s unlikely that they''ll come up with something that can definitively keep me out.


    At my current course, I should get within the vicinity of another of their bases within a couple of days or so, maybe I''ll sneak in and see how they''re responding.


    I then frowned as a small bug buzzed past me, realizing that it was a surveillance drone...tch, even though I know about them, they''re pretty hard to spot. However, their range isn''t limitless, so even if some do manage to follow me, they won''t be able to follow me all the way back.


    There are some caves and mutated shrubbery on the way there, I''ll have to use those to hide from their surveillance drones and recover my Chikara...I can''t stay intangible forever, when my Chikara, or XFE as the humans in the Sanctuary call it, runs out, my power will deactivate.


    Alright, time for a whole lot of walking...


    ...


    ...


    A little over two days later, I came across the base I mentioned, and...it didn''t look any different. I mean, you''d think they''d be making huge security additions to the exterior. Maybe they''re still trying to figure out a way to counter my intangibility.


    Alright, time to go check things out inside, it should be fine so long as I don''t do anything, I doubt anyone will complain.


    As I walked towards the structure, I squinted a bit as I thought I spotted something...what is that? A mirage? It is pretty hot out today, so it''s not impossible, but...something feels wrong.


    I stopped and narrowed my eyes further, trying to figure out what I was looking at...there, I think I can just about make it out now, it looks like...a large net? Okay, definitely not a mirage...some sort of barrier, maybe? Why does it have gaps, though? Oh, probably to reduce energy consumption or something, I guess.


    Hmph, do they really think a simple barrier is enough to stop me? It''s probably just a stop-gap measure until they think up something better, but come on, this is just straight up insulting.


    I continued walking towards the barrier, feeling a bit irritated...after seeing this half-assed defense measure, now I''m definitely going in, maybe I''ll kill someone while I''m at it too, it''s not like the higher ups would ever find out.


    As I reached the edge of the barrier, I slowed down, feeling a bit hesitant. Tch, stupid paranoia, I''m probably just worrying pointlessly and overthinking this, but whatever, better safe than sorry, I guess. I scoffed at myself as I moved in to poke the barrier with my index finger, maintaining my intangibility.


    I have to say, if nothing else, this barrier is extremely difficult to spot. But that''s irrelevant, being partially invisible isn''t good enough to stop me. Yeah, I''m going to feel pretty stupid when my finger simply phases through the barrier as usual-...huh? Wh-what the...?


    "Ahhhhhhh, wh-what the hell....!?" I exclaimed in horror, stumbling back and trembling in shock and pain...as the tip of my index finger was gone, blood pouring out of it.


    What...what is this!? They had a barrier like this up their sleeves the whole time!? Damn it...damn it, damn it, damn it!!!


    Shit, I fucked up...they must have activated this barrier as a result of my actions. Damn it...had I not erred on the side of caution, this barrier might have killed me just now. I...I really messed up...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 156 - 155 - Aftermath

    Today''s the 22nd of October, and there was just under a week left before the next set of exams. Oh, and as for the sequence of disasters that I inadvertently caused with my Tier One powers, nothing else happened after the incident at that base to the south.


    That didn''t stop me from being extremely paranoid for the rest of the day though, and maybe for a couple of days after that too. At the start of each day, I set myself a Save point, but I haven''t used Load at all since that day.


    And unless I have absolutely no choice, I''m not going to use it ever again. That day, hundreds of people ended up in vegetative states, including Andre, Instructor Satou and several others, all of them effectively dead.


    A fair number of X-Warriors were among those numbers, which only further weakened our already insufficient forces. And of course, those numbers don''t include the few dozen people that were stationed at the south base. Director Silva was the only one who knew the cause of the sudden veggie outbreak, but naturally, she kept it to herself.


    After all, revealing the cause would do nothing be spread panic. Initially, a lot of people began speculating that this must be some kind of virus or disease, but after nothing happened in the following days, most people began losing interest.


    But plenty are still suspicious, and why wouldn''t they be? There''s the matter of every student in the current Level J class except for one ending up in vegetative states, it''s something that''s definitely not easy to ignore.


    Not to mention the Mutants that suddenly popped up from random teleportation platforms all over the Sanctuary...less than fifty Mutants made it in before Director Silva disabled the platforms, so it could have been a lot worse, but still, twenty people were killed and many others were permanently injured.


    So, yeah, things were pretty tense in the Sanctuary as of late, Director Silva and the other higher ups in the X-Warrior Zone were on the receiving end of immense criticism and backlash, which was starting to die down a bit over the last couple of days.


    There had also been some speculation over the cancelation of conducting the teamwork and combat exams outside of the Sanctuary, but it looks like things are going to go ahead as planned on that front.


    After the Disintegration Field was activated around all the remaining bases, there were a bunch of accidents and injuries caused by those barriers...Sofia then came up with an interesting idea for an additional barrier, which ended up being called the Dampening Field.


    Specifically, when walking through this barrier, it immediately negates any and all active XFE abilities...even my time freezing ability. And unlike the Disintegration Field, this barrier is easily visible, emanating an orangish-red hue.


    The Dampening Field has two modes; exterior and inclusive. With the exterior mode, it only nullifies XFE abilities when they pass through it, meaning that they can be activated again once the user is inside the barrier. But with the inclusive mode, the entire area inside the barrier dampens and nullifies XFE completely, so you can''t use any powers until you''re completely outside of the barrier.


    The only problem with the inclusive mode is that the barrier is much smaller in that state, since the dampening effect densely fills out the entire space within the barrier. Concurrently, the exterior mode can cover huge amounts of area, since the dampening effect is only on the barrier walls, it can be stretched out drastically.


    The inclusive mode, at best, can just about cover an average sized apartment building, while the exterior mode can cover the entire Sanctuary plus an additional radius of about five kilometers.


    Dampening Field barriers have been activated around the Sanctuary, as well as around all the bases. The Disintegration Field barriers are still active around the bases, and in fact, the Dampening Field serves as a sort of decoy.


    See, if an enemy sees the Dampening Field and get past it, they''re probably not going to think that there''s a second barrier inside it, making the Disintegration Field even more effective. Not to mention that the Dampening Field makes it harder to perceive the Disintegration Field.


    Also, there''s an approximate eight meter gap between the two barriers, so those assigned to the bases simply have to stay about ten meters away from the Dampening Field and they''ll be fine. After that was implemented, there were no more injuries.


    Oh, and if someone wants to enter the base from outside instead of teleporting in, they''ll have to contact someone on the inside to open up a section of the Disintegration Field so that they can pass through.


    It''s a pretty solid system, and since the Dampening Field can even deactivate my Pause ability, it''s a pretty safe bet that Aku''s invisibility and intangibility won''t make it past that barrier either.


    And the inclusive mode of the Dampening Field is perfect for capturing enemies with troublesome abilities, their XFE flow will completely stagnate while within the barrier, set up a solid barrier around that, something like the Duel Field but stronger, and you''ve got yourself a pretty inescapable cage.


    And with the Dampening Field also around the Sanctuary, we don''t have to worry about Aku infiltrating like before again. The moment he comes into contact with it, he''ll be both visible and tangible, the cameras and sensors will react, and the combat androids will activate.


    Even if he manages to get past all that, he''ll be trapped in the vacuum layer in the Sanctuary dome''s exterior.


    Sure, all these measures might have been reactive instead of proactive, but even so, we now have a highly complex and tight security system in place for invaders.


    Oh, and the X-Warrior Zone has also begun a project to pave roads between all the outside bases and the underground bunkers, as well as searching for new water sources and whatnot...most such sources turned out be radioactive, but a few small underground springs were found that weren''t tainted, so things were going well.


    It''ll still be a while before the roads are complete and the new water sources are tapped, but when they are, they''ll make a pretty big difference. To put it simply, we''re expanding our territory bit by bit, and the more we do, the harder and harder it''ll get for the Wights to attack us.


    And the Wights weren''t the only threat that had been subdued. Thanks to the Disintegration Fields and the warding radiation emanating from the bases, for a radius of over a hundred and twenty-five kilometers from the Sanctuary, there were pretty much no Mutants to be found whatsoever.


    So, yeah, in the aftermath of me cleaning up after the mess I made with my haphazard time travelling, the result of the outcry was several improvements to security and defense, so all in all, things had ended well. At least, for me, anyway.


    The dead aren''t going to ever come back to life, and those connected to them will suffer for it, latching onto false hope that someday, they''ll snap out of their vegetative states and return to normal, but...that''ll never happen.


    Well, anyway, it was currently around 6 PM on a Saturday, and a few minutes after I''d gotten home, following a four hour training session with Kiran and Bytra. Their stamina levels were improving, but it was clear that they were both still unable to keep up with me right throughout the session.


    Still, as much as I hate to admit it, we were working pretty well together as a unit at this point, the exam should go quite smoothly for the most part. Oh, and since there''s no Mutants within a hundred and twenty-five kilometers of the Sanctuary, we''ll be teleporting straight to one of the bases that was farthest from the Sanctuary, and head out from there before heading back.


    In other words, we''ll be going out way further than we ever have before, though we''ll probably come across a lot of the same types of Mutants, since their territories have been pushed back thanks to the warding radiation.


    I stretched my arms up with a stifled yawn, as I flopped onto my bed with a sigh...today''s training was pretty intense, I still have some stamina left, but my body is quite worn out. After a couple more days of training, I think it''ll be a good idea to rest for the remaining time...it''ll be imperative that we''re all in top form by the time the exam begins.


    As I stared up at the ceiling, I thought back to the time travel fiasco...specifically, after I went berserk when I thought that Suri had been killed. I can''t remember exactly what happened, it was all a blur, but...I remember the feeling of absolute power coursing through me, and in that moment, I felt absolutely unstoppable.


    And the activation chant that triggered it...I can just about remember it, I also remember uttering a series of chants before that, though I can''t remember exactly what they were...they weren''t activation chants though.


    "What was that chant again...oh, that''s right, <Unleash Anomaly: God of Space and Time>," I chanted, but naturally, nothing happened, before I scoffed to myself with a wry smile, "Yeah, figured it wouldn''t be that easy...also, seriously, I know it''s my own power and all, but still...what a pretentious activation chant..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 157 - 156 - Breaking Point

    "I''m not making this up, I''m genuinely in pain," Groaned Kiran, sitting down with a grimace.


    "You''re really not bullshitting?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "I swear, I''m not. My right knee feels kinda-...ow!" He exclaimed as I tapped his knee with my knuckles, his right leg shuddering as a pained expression appeared on his face, before responding indignantly, "Did you really have to do that!?"


    Okay, he''s definitely not making this up.


    "Sorry, just wanted to make sure...alright, go recover in a Healing Pod and then rest all day tomorrow. The day after tomorrow will be our last training session since the exams will begin the next day, make sure you''re fully recovered by then," I instructed, as I helped him up.


    "The ''rest all day'' part was nice, but everything after that was disappointing to hear," He sighed wistfully, as he began to leave.


    Today''s the 24th of October, three days before the upcoming batch of exams were to begin. The written exam will be on the 27th, the teamwork exam on the 28th, and then the combat exam with the temporary teams would take place on the 31st.


    It was currently around 7:30 PM, and I''d been in the middle of a training session with my temporary teammates, when Kiran suddenly called for a timeout and claimed that his knee was aching. At first, I thought he might just be trying to buy time or something, but no, it looks like he''s genuinely strained it.


    It''s most likely a torn muscle or something like that, nothing a Healing Pod can''t fix. Now, then, what should I do? Go home? Or continue training alone with Bytra? On the one hand, I don''t want to. But on the other hand, I also don''t want to slack off on my training.


    "Alright, we''re continuing as planned...just gotta figure out how to adjust the training for two people instead of three," I declared reluctantly, as Kiran left.


    "Um, actually...," Bytra began nervously, before trailing off in hesitation.


    "What is it? Go on, spit it out," I sighed in response.


    "Well, I, um...yesterday, I managed to finally trigger it. Manifestation Overdrive, I mean," She replied, averting her gaze.


    Huh? For real?


    "Wait, what? Are you being serious?" I responded in surprise.


    "Y-yeah, I am."


    "Huh...mind showing me?" I inquired, my curiosity getting the better of me.


    "Um, sure...," She answered, before walking out to the middle of the space and letting out a slow exhale as she began channeling her XFE into the spot between her shoulder-blades, "<Manifestation Overdrive: Massive Thorn Whip Frenzy>!"


    Huh, that''s kind of a mouthful...but pretty self-explanatory. Purple XFE engulfed her completely, before rapidly extending and expanding in the shape of a huge, thorny whip...it''s width was about twice the width of her body, while it had a length of about thirty meters.


    And then, it began rapidly slamming onto the ground in random patterns and directions, but more notably, it was blindingly fast...holy crap, if that struck someone on the full, they''d be flattened completely. The floor here is heavily reinforced, but each strike from her oversized whip left dents in the smooth metal, and I think the entire building might be shaking a bit too.


    Her attack then ceased, a slightly worn out look on her face as the manifestation dissipated. I have to admit, that was impressive, the force and impact of each strike was immense, and there''s barely a fraction of a second before the next strike, it''s absolutely rapid.


    "W-well? What do you think, can we use this during the exam?" She asked me, as she walked back over.


    "That depends...what''s the longest amount of time you can maintain it for, and how much XFE does it consume?" I inquired in response.


    "I''m not exactly sure, but...I think I used up about twenty percent just now," She replied uncertainly.


    Assuming that she''s estimating correctly, then her Manifestation Overdrive costs two percent XFE per second, that attack lasted for about ten seconds total.


    "Can you trigger it with a hundred percent control?" I asked her.


    "Y-yeah, I think so."


    "Hm...in that case, we''ll save it as a trump card, no point wasting it too early," I suggested, after mulling it over.


    She should also discuss this power with her permanent team, but that doesn''t affect me, so I''m not going to say anything. I''ll only give her advice if it benefits me, beyond that, I''m not going to help her.


    "Okay, I thought so too...what about during the teamwork exam, should I-?" She began to ask.


    "I don''t care. What you do during the teamwork exam is of no concern to me, just make sure that you play your part during the combat exam, that''s all I care about as far as you''re concerned," I interrupted her icily.


    She was silent for a moment, before clenching her fists and meeting my gaze...


    "Oh, yeah...and what if I don''t play my part?" She retorted defiantly.


    Huh? Where''s this coming from?


    "If you''ve got something to say, then spit it out," I responded bluntly.


    "I...I don''t like this. It''s almost like you''re treating me like a tool or weapon or something-," She began with a grimace.


    "It''s not ''almost like'', that''s exactly what I''m doing. Seeing you as a person just pisses me off, so I''m only looking at you objectively...specifically, I picture your abilities as if they were video game stats. That makes it bearable. Right now, though, you''re making that pretty difficult. Hope that clears things up for you," I cut her off coldly.


    "Is that so? Well, I don''t accept that," She shot back.


    "I don''t see how that''s my problem," I shrugged in response.


    "Oh, but it is...you can''t pass the exam if you have an uncooperative teammate," She snapped in reply.


    She''s really starting to piss me off...


    "I don''t think you know what you''re saying. Do you really think that threatening me is a good idea?" I inquired blankly.


    "Maybe not...but if you''re just gonna treat me like a tool, I won''t cooperate," She responded firmly.


    "I don''t know where this came from all of a sudden, but-."


    "It''s not sudden at all! I just didn''t say anything till now because I was conflicted, and felt bad about what happened between us in the past but...that''s just it, it was in the past, I apologized and-!" She exclaimed indignantly.


    "Yeah, well, I never accepted that apology. What are you even complaining about, it''s not like I''m mistreating you or anything," I countered with a glare.


    "Maybe not, but it doesn''t feel good...I really screwed you over back then, and you don''t have to forgive me for it, but still, if you really want me to cooperate during the exam, stop treating me like a tool! Just now, when I told you that I figured out Manifestation Overdrive, that was the first time where it actually felt like you were talking to me as a person. That''s when I realized just how much the way you''ve been treating me has been bothering me, and I couldn''t stay silent any longer, I''ve reached my breaking point!" She yelled, stepping closer defiantly.


    "Wow...it''s not often I''m this tempted to punch someone in the face. So let me get this straight, unless I act all nice and friendly, you''re gonna get in my way?" I inquired icily, as I felt a murderous intent rising...she flinched as she met my gaze, but stood her ground...


    "I didn''t say that you have to be nice, just treat me like a person...in other words, look me in the eye when you talk to me, stop looking at my forehead whenever you address me!"


    Oh...she noticed that. Maybe forehead was too high, maybe I should have focused on the spot between her eyebrows instead...


    "And another thing," She continued with a frown, "Stop addressing me with ''you'' and ''hey'', I have a name! Obviously, you don''t have to say it every time, but I can tell that you''re deliberately avoiding saying it at all!"


    "That''s a tough ask, I think I''d rather eat shards of glass...oh, I''ve got a solution, how about I call you Bitch instead?" I responded dryly.


    "Wha-...! You know what, if anything, I have more reason to hold a grudge against you than you do against me!" She declared angrily.


    "I''m sorry, what?" I scoffed in disbelief.


    "You more than made up for what I did to you when you beat the shit out of me, maybe you could argue that what I did to you was worse, but not by much...you broke several of my bones that day, you dick!" She snapped, grabbing my collar.


    "Yeah, I did, and I enjoyed it immensely, you bitch!" I retorted venemously, hitting her hand away.


    "And wasn''t that enough for you!? Didn''t that get you enough satisfaction to make up for what happened!?" She exclaimed furiously.


    "No, not really. It''s not like that erased what happened back then," I pointed out icily.


    "Maybe so, but continuing to treat me the way you do would make you no better than Tairo and I were back then-!" She began to respond.


    "Ohh, don''t you even dare compare me to the two of you pieces of sh-!" I interrupted, as I felt a twinge of anger.


    "The fact that I screwed you over doesn''t change the fact that you''re being a major asshole right now!" She argued with a fierce glare.


    "Yeah, well, I never claimed to have the moral high ground, I just hate you, simple as that!" I countered bluntly.


    "Dick!"


    "Bitch!"


    This carried on for about an hour longer, the argument getting nowhere, as we just continued yelling at each other. At one point, she slapped me, to which I countered by punching her square on the nose and breaking it, but even then, neither of us stopped yelling.


    In hindsight, we''re lucky that these training rooms are soundproofed. In the end, we only stopped once we were both too hoarse to keep yelling, sitting down on the floor while facing away from each other, seething.


    "I''m...not...giving up. Not until you agree to-," She began with a slight wheeze, as she wiped away the blood running down from her broken nose.


    "Alright, fine, you win...I''ll stop treating you like a tool, but I''m not going to be nice by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, I''m going to be a total douch3 to you. And I''ll mostly be addressing you using ''bitch'', ''cunt'', etcetera. Take it or leave it," I offered generously.


    "Why, you-...hmph, fine, whatever! But just so you know, I''ll be addressing you using ''dick'', ''asshole'', ''bastard'', etcetera!" She responded, mimicking my tone and response.


    "Want me to break your nose? Oh, never mind, I already did," I countered dryly.


    "How about I crush your balls, huh?"


    "Watch it, push your luck and I will kill you, that''s not a bluff," I warned her...I really wasn''t bluffing, I was highly tempted to put her in a vegitative state right now...


    "Wow, you''re sooo edgy, I''m really scared," She replied sarcastically.


    "...bitch."


    "Dick."


    "Fuck you."


    "Right back at you."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 158 - 157 - Teamwork Exam(Part 1)

    "Yo, been a while, little dude!"


    "Oh...so you''re the one who''s assigned to observe and guard us this time, huh?" I responded with a sigh.


    "What''s with that tone, man, so not rock!" Replied Altan with a shake of his head.


    Right, so today''s the 28th of October, and it was about time for the teamwork exam to begin. My permanent teammates and I had gathered at a Teleportation Point a few minutes ago, waiting to meet the Ace that was going to be in charge of our group.


    He just showed up, and it turned out to be Altan Jargal...I was kinda hoping to meet an Ace that I hadn''t met before, but he''s not so bad, I guess. Sure, he has way too much energy and is aggravatingly loud, but besides that, he''s a nice enough guy.


    "You''ve met him before, Kilzachs?" Inquired Mitchell, slightly wide-eyed.


    "Yeah, something like that," I responded with a shrug.


    "Well, kid? Aren''t you gonna introduce your teammates?" Grinned Altan, acting friendly...the others seem a bit nervous, guess he''s trying to get them to relax.


    I''m not good at playing along with these charades though, so don''t count on me for stuff like this...


    "Why should I? I mean, they''re not kids, they can introduce themselves...right, guys?" I inquired, turning around.


    "You''re so cold, man, seriously," Sighed Mitchell with a shake of his head, before introducing himself, "Hi, I''m Mitchell Jones, it''s nice to meet you, Mr Jargal."


    "Hm, I don''t really like the sound of that...please, just call me Altan," He responded with a thumbs up, before shifting his gaze towards the others expectantly.


    "Hi, uh, I''m Seila Khan," Introduced Seila, a bit awkwardly.


    "Suri Patel, nice to meet you," Added Suri with a polite nod.


    "I''m Katie Cummins," Came the final introduction.


    "Oh, I remember you, you were one of the semi-finalists during the X-Warrior Championship! Your power is seriously badass, I mean...it''s a freaking dragon, so cool!" Exclaimed Altan, his eyes lighting up.


    "O-oh, uh...thank you," Responded Katie awkwardly, looking a bit taken aback and overwhelmed by the sudden and gushing praise.


    Not often we get to see her break her poker face, and from the look of it, I imagine that she doesn''t do too well with people like Altan. Neither do I, for that matter. People like him tend to exhaust me.


    "Now, then, it''s about time for your exam to begin...let''s get going, shall we?" Suggested Altan, as he glanced at the time.


    "Alright, let''s do this," Replied Suri, looking like she was amping herself up.


    "Yeah, lead the way," I added, as he headed into the Teleportation Point and began specifying the destination.


    Since the area outside the Sanctuary has now been secured thanks to the bases that''ve been built, there would be no point in heading out from those underground bunkers that we used to rely on.


    Within a radius of a hundred and twenty-five plus kilometers of the Sanctuary, not so much as a single Mutant could be found. The warding radiation and Disintegration Fields make sure of that. With that south base that was destroyed, there are now thirty-nine bases in total.


    Each set of eight bases formed a ring around the Sanctuary, in incremental radial distances of twenty-five kilometers. There were five sets in total, and the destroyed base had been a part of the second-farthest set, at the hundred kilometer radius mark.


    Therefore, to start the exam off, we''d be teleporting to one of the bases that was on the farthest ring, which was at a radius of a hundred and twenty-five kilometers from the Sanctuary. From there, we''d head straight out in whichever direction the corresponding base was from the Sanctuary. For my team, that was north.


    We were to keep moving until it gets dark, and then spend the night outside, before heading back after sunrise. So, naturally, we had a lot more baggage than usual...tents, food and water, flashlights and some other stuff. All that said, we actually brought very little food and water with us, mainly because we don''t need to bring more.


    "I know I''m primarily just supposed to observe, but I gotta say...you kids don''t look like you''ve brought nearly enough food," Remarked Altan, as we teleported to the base, and one of the people stationed their led us to the exit.


    "We don''t need to bring much, I can just make copies of whatever we did bring, it''s way more economical that way," I responded with a shrug, "But my copies don''t last forever, so with tents and other equipment, we didn''t skimp out."


    We''d brought along two tents, each big enough for about four people. The others had all brought a flashlight, but I didn''t need one, the night vision in my glasses is more than enough to help me navigate in the dark.


    "So, we''re going with the usual formation, right?" Asked Mitchell, as we exited the base.


    "Yup. You''ll be our eyes in the sky, I''ll provide back up from a distance, and the girls will be evenly spread out in front," I surmised, to make sure everyone knew their roles.


    I could take over the flying role if necessary, but no one else had any long-range sniping options in their arsenal, so I was the only one that could carry out that role reliably.


    "Hey, I''ve been wondering," Suri said to Mitchell curiously, "What''s that thing on your back?"


    Hm? I glanced over in curiosity, as Mitchell took out a metal stick, which was about six or seven inches long.


    "Well, actually, I''ve been doing a bit of secret training on my own...I decided that I need another attack option, so I started using this," He replied with a grin, before twisting the stick.


    The moment he twisted it, it suddenly and rapidly expanded to about a meter in length, before he ran his XFE into it, and a short blade-like shape manifested at one of the ends.


    "Oh, it''s an X-Weapon," Remarked Seila, as Mitchell swung it around a couple of times.


    "Glad you''re expanding your arsenal or whatever, but just so you know, you probably won''t get to use it much, considering your role," I pointed out.


    "Yeah, I know. But you don''t get to use most of your abilities in your role either, so it''s no biggie...just having an additional option up my sleeve gives me some confidence, you know?" He responded with a shrug.


    "Fair enough, I suppose."


    We then reached the boundary of the Disintegration Field, as Altan, who was walking in front, held his arm out to get us to halt.


    "Hang on a sec, I''m supposed to get a message the moment that this section of the barrier is lifted," He informed us, before receiving a notification, "Alright, that''s the signal, let''s get going."


    We followed after him and exited the barrier through the opening. It was pretty nerve-wracking since the Disintegration Field is so hard to see, but it should be safe enough, considering the backlash that resulted from the injuries caused by this barrier before the Dampening Field was put into effect.


    "You should get to the back now, best spot to observe from," I said to Altan.


    "Right, guess it defeats the purpose if I lead the way," He responded sheepishly, "This is the first student exam I''m overseeing, so it''s a new experience for me."


    Hm, that could either be really good or really bad. Good because his lack of experience might result in him being a lot less lenient in scoring us...and bad because the opposite could also happen, his inexperience might result in him being overly strict in scoring us.


    Well, whatever, no point worrying about that now, I just need to focus on executing my role as flawlessly as I can.


    "Hey, we gonna start yet or what?" Inquired Suri, a bit impatiently.


    "Yeah, let''s begin. Mitchell, your role is the most tiring, so I''ll let you decide when we take breaks...though if it''s too frequent, I''ll object, depending on the circumstances. Cool?" I asked him.


    "Sure, that''s cool with me," He responded affirmatively.


    After a few more minor clarifications, we began heading out, our formation set. I had a backup plan for if Mitchell can''t fly all day, I still have the bug-sized drones installed in the frame of my glasses, they can take over.


    I kept that to myself though, since it might hurt his pride, which could cause him to underperform. The less unknown variables, the better. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible, the situation becomes hard to control the more complexities there are.


    "Gotta say, I''m impressed by your leadership skills...you keep it simple, and yet, your tactics are airtight," Remarked Altan with a nod.


    "Thanks, I guess, but, uh...I don''t think that you''re supposed to share your thoughts with us, that''s kinda counterproductive as an observer," I replied with a wry smile.


    "Crap, you''re right! I was told not to say or do anything unless something unforseen happens, like a horde of powerful Mutants showing up or something. Let''s, uh, pretend that this didn''t happen, ''kay?" He requested sheepishly.


    "Pretend what didn''t happen? No idea what you''re-...," I began, before trailing off and freezing as I felt the ground rumble...no way, it can''t be...


    "Kilzachs?" Prompted Suri, snapping me out of it.


    "Everyone, halt. Put your guards up and keep an eye out, there''s something beneath us," I quickly instructed, as I focused on the vibrations...I can''t afford to panic, stay calm and focus...


    Okay, it''s not the Crocsnek, the rumbling is too weak...and anything less than an Ace Mutant, I can handle.


    "Over there, about five meters behind Katie''s position!" Suddenly exclaimed Mitchell.


    Katie swiftly spun around and sprang back, right as something burst out of the ground with a shrill screech, a massive dust cloud rising up with it as the creature emerged...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 159 - 158 - Teamwork Exam(Part 2)

    "That''s a K-Rank! Let me step in-," Began Altan with a grimace, taking a step forward.


    "No, we''ve got this," I responded, before instructing the others, "Get some distance, guys, let me first confirm what type of Mutant it is. We''ll attack as soon as I''ve identified it."


    "Alright, got it," Responded Suri, as the three of them backed away.


    "Just let us know when to attack, we''re ready to strike," Added Seila, as she and the others activated their manifestations.


    As the dust cloud then cleared, I got a good look at the Mutant...yeah, definitely a K-Rank.


    "That''s...a Peen," I identified the creature...it''s a worm-like Mutant that grows upto fifteen meters in length, and its mouth is wide enough to swallow a human whole, with several rows of sharp teeth inside its mouth.


    It was named Peen because, well...penis. These things are generally easily distracted and can''t see very well. They can get a general, vague sense of XFE, but they''re not good at pinpointing, and if you stay still, there''s a good chance that they won''t even notice you. But if they do notice you, they attack with overwhelming speed and brutality, hesitate for a moment and you''re dead.


    Once you''re within their jaws, you''ll be torn apart by their rows of teeth in a matter of seconds. They have a lot of weaknesses and can be easily dealt with if you know about them, but they''re still classified as K-Ranked Mutants because of how dangerous they are when they do attack. They''re definitely among the weaker K-Ranked Mutants though.


    "Ugh, why do we always get the disgusting ones?" Groaned Suri in dismay.


    "I know these things can be really dangerous, but I have to agree with Suri," Spoke up Seila, sounding put-off.


    "Same," Agreed Katie.


    "Well, this brings back memories. Hey, Seila, remember that time with the Lubes, how you fell on Kil-?" Began Mitchell teasingly.


    "Okay, that''s enough...fine, I''ll take this out myself, but regardless of what the next Mutant we face is, you guys can''t stay out of it, got it?" I remarked with an exasperated sigh.


    "Yes, we get it, just take this thing out already!" Exclaimed Suri in response.


    "Yeah, yeah...," I muttered, before chanting, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>...now, then, Mutant...give me some head, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    There, I removed its head. Also, I feel like I''ve used that ''give me some head'' line before...well, whatever, it''s not like anyone heard it, so it doesn''t matter. Anyway, guess I should unfreeze time now...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    The body of the Peen then collapsed onto the ground, gelatinous fluids pouring out of the stump where it''s head had just been.


    "Nicely done as always, dude. But, uh, where''d the head go?" Inquired Mitchell curiously.


    Oh, right...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>," I chanted inaudibly, the head of the Mutant reappearing next to where the body was.


    "I''m not really sure what just happened, but that was awesome...and a little terrifying, admittedly. Though I''m not sure how to score it since this is a teamwork exam," Remarked Altan, looking on with intrigue...yeah, he wasn''t lying when he said he''d never overseen an exam before...


    He''s not supposed to give us feedback like this, but maybe I can use his inexperience to my advantage and influence his decision-making when scoring us...


    "Actually, what I did was a result of our current level of teamwork...the girls don''t do well with bug-type Mutants or other types that could be considered gross, and it wouldn''t have been prudent to have our scout join in on the fight, we''d be in trouble if another Mutant showed up and he wasn''t able to warn us in time," I replied in a nonchalant tone, before changing the subject, "Let''s keep moving, shall we? Everyone, stay on guard, Peens are Mutants that don''t usually move in groups, but it isn''t impossible that another one might be close by."


    "You know, you seem kinda icy at first, but you''re pretty good at this...leading a team, I mean," Said Altan, as we began moving again, after the others responded affirmatively.


    "Well, it didn''t really start out that way, I didn''t like the idea of working with others...but since I didn''t have a choice in the matter, I had to adapt, and as it turned out, my tactical management of others was pretty efficient, that''s all," I responded with a shrug.


    "Wow, you sure do make it sound coldly logical."


    "I mean, getting emotional in these situations isn''t going to help anybody...staying calm, cold and calculating is what gives you the highest chance of success with minimal errors, and consequently, minimal to no casualties, ideally speaking. Of course, not everything always goes according to plan, and it''s in those moments that staying unemotional becomes critical...a moment''s panic or hesitation could be fatal. Since I''m still a student, I don''t have a lot of experience, but from what I''ve seen so far, responding quickly and efficiently to an abrupt or unexpected obstacle is one of the most important skills to have," I surmised...crap, I might be talking too much, I won''t be able to complain if he docks points for that.


    Alright, time to get focused, I don''t have the luxury to take it easy...


    "Well, now...you''ve got a scary mind, kid, and that coupled with your powers and skills...let''s just say that, right now, I''m thankful that you''re on our side," Responded Altan wryly.


    "You''re exaggerating, it''s not like I''m unstoppable, after all," I replied, a bit awkwardly.


    "Maybe against other Anomalies, sure...but Prodigies don''t stand a chance against you, along with everyone else that isn''t an Anomaly," He pointed out in response.


    Okay, I think it''s time I reminded him of his current job...


    "You know, I said this before, and I don''t mean to tell you how to do your job, but, uh...I doubt you''re supposed to be interacting with the examinees this much," I stated with a wry smile.


    "...shit, I keep forgetting. It''s boring to just observe though," He sighed wistfully.


    I have to wonder, why did they pick someone like him to oversee this exam? He''s really strong and all, but that''s not the primary concern here...he''s too hyper and energetic for a role like this. Well, whatever, I can''t change the overseer at this point, so I''ll just have to deal with it...


    ...


    About an hour later, after a few uneventful kilometers of traveling-...well, technically, we did encounter a few J-Ranked Mutants here and there, but those don''t really count...-we finally had our next real encounter...


    "Hey, guys, I think we should take a short break now, I''m-...," Mitchell began, before trailing off and stating in an urgent tone, "Actually, scratch that, we''ve got a pack of Mutants incoming, they look like...Spikys and Komodos!"


    So, reptile type Mutants, huh? Spikys are giant lizards with, well, spikes on their backs, each with a row of said spikes that run down their spines. As for Komodos...they''re just Mutant komodo dragons, and a rare Mutant type without an absurd name. They grow up to about four meters long and have venemous fangs.


    "Alright, how many do you see?" I inquired, as I prepared myself, the girls activating their manifestations following Mitchell''s alert.


    "There''s...eight Spikys and six Komodos!"


    "Okay, continue to keep an eye out, let us know if any more of them show up...now, then, Seila, Suri and Katie, take out the ones that get closest to you, don''t worry about any that get past you or try to surround you, I''ll take care of those," I instructed, as I used my Jetback to fly up a bit and get a better vantage point.


    "Here they come!" Warned Mitchell, a couple of seconds before the Mutants came into view.


    Looks like he got their numbers right, good, his eye-in-the-sky scouting is improving nicely.


    One of the Spikys rushed in ahead of the pack and leapt at Seila, before getting sliced in half as she expanded one of her energy blades towards it, without moving a step. And then, with flicks of her wrists, she tore apart two more than began to approach her, killing them before they could get too close.


    Suri formed an energy shuriken and flung it at the head of a Komodo that was sprinting towards her, before dashing forward as another one leapt up from behind the one she just killed, and tore it in half with her chainsaw.


    As she shot forward, a Spiky slipped past her and began to leap at her from behind, which she noticed too late, a look of alarm appearing in her eyes...but it wasn''t a problem, I''ve got this. I swiftly took aim and fired, nailing the headshot and dropping the Mutant before it could strike.


    Meanwhile, Katie was blasting any of the Mutant that got within her range with her lightning, sticking to her regular manifestations instead of going for Manifestation Overdrive...just as well, that''d be a bit overkill here, we''ve all improved significantly enough that Q-Ranked Mutants were no longer a real threat to us. So long as we don''t get careless, with these numbers, they''re not a problem.


    From the time Seila launched the initial attack, it barely took us a minute to wrap things up and kill all the Mutants...pretty good efficiency, it especially helps that they''ve become more and more trusting of me backing them up, which lets them focus more on attacking aggressively.


    Alright, then...time for a break!


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 160 - 159 - Teamwork Exam(Part 3)

    "Man, I''m beat!" Exclaimed Mitchell wearily, as he flopped down onto a sleeping bag with a tired sigh.


    It was now around 8 PM, and we were calling it a day...after we ran into that group of Q-Ranked reptile-type Mutants, things were pretty uneventful after that. We ran into a few stragglers here and there, but we didn''t encounter any more large groups of them.


    At most, we had to deal with, like, groups of four or five Mutants. And they were all Q-Ranked or below, so it was ridiculously easy, so much so that the whole thing had gotten kinda boring for the last couple of hours.


    We''d just finished dispatching a group of four Doggos, and after slicing them up and spreading their corpses around a wide area, we set up camp for the night within that area. When Mutants are killed, the radiation that their corpses emit last for about a day, with Q-Ranked Mutants, anyway.


    Of course, it isn''t foolproof, so we still have to stay on guard. The radiation doesn''t guarantee that it''ll keep other Mutants away, it just deters them from getting closer...like for example, if you wanted to try a new restaurant, but when you got close you could smell an unbearably foul odor coming from it...you''d probably leave instead of getting closer.


    This radiation is highly effective, but it''s not impossible for a Mutant to get past it. After all, when fighting a group of Mutants, it''s not like they run away after some of them are killed or anything, they still stick around despite being well within the range of the radiation.


    The warding radiation that the Sanctuary and the bases use is a radiation signature identical to the radiation emanated by Mutant corpses, but it''s much, much stronger, to the point where Mutants refuse to even get near it.


    It was tested on some of the captive Mutants in the Sanctuary, they went into states of hysteric agitation and were struggling violently to try and break out of their cages, and some of them straight up killed themselves in response.


    Well, anyway, I''m getting off-track, my point is that while we''ve lowered the possibility of being attacked at night, we haven''t completely eliminated that risk, so we can''t let our guards down.


    "Alright, everyone, let''s have some food and then go to sleep...we''ll have to take turns keeping watch, let''s say...in two hour shifts? We''ll rest for eight hours, and Mitchell, since you used up a lot more stamina that the rest of us, you don''t have to keep watch. Assuming we''re done eating by 8:30 PM, we''ll rest till 4:30 AM, and then begin heading back by around 5 AM at the latest...any objections?" I inquired, as I finished explaining.


    "Nope, you had me at ''you don''t have to keep watch''," Responded Mitchell with an exhausted smile, his eyelids starting to flutter.


    "Hey, make sure to eat before you go to sleep, you''ll recover more stamina that way," I instructed, as I made a copy of one of the food wrappers we''d brought and tossed it towards him.


    "Yeah, alright...," He replied with a yawn, tearing open the wrapper and digging in.


    The X-Warrior Zone sells these nutrition bars to X-Warriors for when they go on Missions...they come in various different flavors and taste pretty good, with high nutritional value and they''re really filling too. Plus they have this satisfying crunchy texture that works with pretty much any flavor.


    I''d gotten two flavors; chocolate and a flavor called cheese ''n spice, which was, as the name suggests, a cheesy and spicy bar. I''d tossed Mitchell one of those, he''s apparently not a fan of the chocolate flavor, which is bizarre to me...how can you not like chocolate, regardless of form?


    I mean, sure, some chocolates are of better quality than others, but I haven''t really encountered a chocolate that I''ve straight up disliked before...


    "Which flavor do you all want?" I asked the girls, holding up the two options.


    "I''ll go with the chocolate," Replied Suri, as she fluttered the collar of her shirt to cool down, sweat pouring down her face.


    This is easily the longest assignment we''ve ever had, it''s natural that they''re all tired...Mitchell looked like he was already starting to drift off, only having eaten half his bar.


    "I''ll take the cheese one," Chimed in Seila.


    "Same," Added Katie.


    I made copies of the two bars I had and gave them each what they''d asked for, before making a copy of the chocolate one for myself. As it turned out, we all finished eating in no time at all, everyone just wanted to go to sleep already.


    I had the most stamina left as far as I could tell, so I volunteered to keep watch first, and the girls played rock-paper-scissors to decide the order in which they''d keep watch. It was Seila after me, then Suri, and finally, Katie.


    Once that was decided they wasted no time heading into their tent and going to sleep...and within a couple of minutes, I could tell that they were all fast asleep, based on their breathing. The tent was a little small for three people, but that didn''t seem to bother them, considering how tired they must be...as for the other tent, Mitchell currently had it all to himself, and he was snoring pretty loudly.


    The moon''s out tonight and the sky is pretty clear, so if something does show up, it''ll be relatively easy to spot. I sat down at the center of the campsite, surveying my surroundings...there aren''t many large rocks or plants nearby, so sneaking towards us won''t be easy. As I kept an eye out, Altan approached me, having begun eating...


    "You know, I gotta say, your ability to make copies of stuff is awesome, kid, you could solve world hunger!" Grinned Altan, as he chewed on his food...he''d brought along a handful of the nutrition bars too, though they were all weird flavors like ketchup ''n pickles, buttered durian and fish jam, whatever that is...yeah, he''s got a pretty weird and strange sense of taste.


    "Not really, the copies I make don''t last forever, so I''d have to be constantly working to solve w-...wait, this conversation makes no sense in the present, world hunger isn''t a problem now. Well, unless there are other surviving humans besides us and the Wights," I responded with a shrug.


    "Oh, that''s right, it''s easy to forget that the Wights are just humans that evolved more than we did, since they weren''t nearly as protected from the radiation as we were."


    "Yeah, they might not look like us, but they''re still human too...for all the Sanctuary''s claims of avoiding repeating the mistakes that led to WWIII, here we are, doing the same thing. Sure, the circumstances are a lot different, but it doesn''t change the fact that we''re opting for violence instead of trying to come to a peaceful resolution...that ship has long since sailed already," I sighed wistfully.


    "Well...I guess we''ll just have to win this war and then ensure that things stay peaceful after that," He replied uncertainly.


    "On paper, that does seem to be the most logical way to do it, but...just look at history, there were wars in every era. Regardless of how many thousands died, there would always be another war...sure, sometimes the peace lasted longer, but it was always just a matter of time. And in the end, humanity almost wiped itself out, along with every other living thing on the planet...after all that, you''d think we''d have learnt our lesson, but it''s safe to say that we''re making the same mistakes that those in the past did."


    "Wow, when you put it that way...it''s kinda depressing to think about the way things are right now, huh?" He responded wistfully.


    "I suppose so, but...with each passing day, you get more and more used to it," I replied with a grimace, before adding, "And if you ask me...that''s the scariest part."


    ...


    ...


    "Alright, everyone, time to head back," I declared, standing up.


    It was around 4:45 AM the next day, we''d all woken up a while ago, had some breakfast, and were now preparing to return.


    "Do we have to right away?" Sighed Mitchell, grimacing as he rotated his shoulder, "I''m sore as hell. Also weirdly hungry."


    "Yes, right away. And FYI, that soreness isn''t going to wear off anytime soon," I pointed out in response, "As for being hungry, just load up on food once we''re back, we''ve eaten enough to keep us going."


    Still, though, I''m feeling hungrier than I should be too, weird.


    "This is what you get when you neglect your endurance training," Chimed in Suri, looking amused.


    "Go ahead, laugh at my pain, I don''t care...I''m so tired," He groaned in reply.


    "Quit your whining already, we''re leaving," I declared, the others nodding and standing up in response.


    "...I hate you guys," Grumbled Mitchell, before letting out a sigh of defeat, "Fine, let''s go."


    "I still don''t understand how your stamina was depleted, it''s not like you were moving your body all that much, only your manifested wings," Pointed out Seila.


    "Yeah, well, it''s not like I''m just hanging up there limply or something, you know. Keeping my body firm and stable, yet loose and flexible, is necessary, otherwise I''ll lose control of my flying. I can assure you that it takes a lot of stamina to maintain," He responded with a grumble.


    He complained for a while, but we left soon enough, as he grudgingly flew up into the air and kept an eye out. We''re unlikely to face too many Mutants on the way back, since we left so many corpses scattered about yesterday.


    There were plenty of gaps between each encounter though, so it''s far from impossible that we will come across something. Until we''re back in the Sanctuary, I can''t and won''t let my guard down, that could be a potentially fatal mistake...


    ...


    Well, so far, so good. About six hours had passed, and except for a few J-Ranked Mutants, we didn''t have any notable encounters at all. At this rate, we should be back at the base we left from in about...and hour and half to two hours at most, I''d say.


    Mitchell''s complaints were growing more and more frequent, and I had to admit, I was starting to feel a bit sore too, particularly in my legs. I''ve worked on building up high levels of stamina for a while, but this is a lot, even for me.


    The other three were looking a bit worn out too, though they seemed to be keeping their guards up well enough for now, so I''ll leave it be. But more than the tiredness, hunger was the bigger issue. It wasn''t just Mitchell, the other three were starting to complain about how hungry they were too...and I was also feeling it.


    And just now, I''d finally figured it out. And I feel stupid, talk about a huge oversight. In fact, it''s such a big oversight that I don''t think I''ll bring it up till after we''re done with this assignment. Basically, I''d kinda forgotten that my copies only last ten minutes, which means that after we''ve eaten the bars I copied, they disappear in our stomachs.


    Yeah, definitely my bad, but it doesn''t look like anyone''s too starved, we should just about have enough steam in the tank to make it back. Hm, on another note, by the time we get back, there''ll probably only about a day and a half or so left before the combat exam...my best option will be to rest as much as possible in that time-...


    "Hey, uh...we''ve got a problem up ahead, guys," Suddenly warned Mitchell in a grave tone, "It''s a Werewolf."


    What? That''s not good...it''s another K-Rank.


    "If it''s too much for you kids to handle, I''m happy to come to the rescue!" Remarked Altan, a little too enthusiastically...wow, guess he''s been really bored this whole time, huh?


    Hm, but a Werewolf isn''t the type of Mutant we can take on with our current level of teamwork, even if have trouble against it without freezing time. It''s a rare type of Mutant with a normal name, Werewolves are wolf-like Mutants that stand on the hind legs and have long arms, they can grow upto three meters tall and a highly vicious and violent. Should we concede and let Altan handle it? Or should I go all out and use Pause combined with Cut-...


    "If it''s okay...," Suddenly spoke up Katie, "Could you all leave this to me and back me up? There''s something I want to try..."


    Something she wants to try? Could it be...?


    "Oh, yeah? Sounds intriguing...alright, then, let''s see what you''ve got in mind," I responded with a sense of rising anticipation...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 161 - 160 - Teamwork Exam(Part 4)

    "Hey, you sure you don''t want me to jump in? Just say the word and I''ll do it," Remarked Altan in a hopeful tone.


    Man, he must really be bored, huh...


    "If things get out of hand, then you can take over," I responded, before addressing my teammates, "Alright, Katie, take the lead. Seila, Suri, fan out a bit and follow after her from a distance, provide back-up if necessary. I''ll cover you from further behind. Mitchell, keep an eye out and let us know if any other Mutants show up. Got it, everyone?"


    "Got it!" They all responded affirmatively, before Katie began heading forward.


    Altan was looking pretty disappointed, guess he was really hoping to get a chance to shine, huh. But I don''t plan to give him a chance unless absolutely necessary, for two reasons. First, because it might affect our final score for the exam. And second, because his attacks would negatively affect us too, not just the Mutants.


    "You kids are way too organized for a student team, it''s no fun," Sighed Altan wistfully.


    "You make it sound like most X-Warrior teams have poor teamwork," I responded, as we got closer to where the Mutant was.


    "Kinda, yeah. See, very few of the permanent teams that are set when they''re students actually stick together once they become X-Warriors. After they graduate, most X-Warriors team up with those that they get along with, and hardly consider factors like compatibility and balance. But those are mostly with J-Ranks and low-end Q-Ranks, those that are higher ranked generally have the sense to be a part of more well-balanced teams," He explained in reply.


    "I see...that''s not very encouraging to hear," I responded wryly, before getting serious as the Werewolf came into view, "Okay...it''s all yours, Katie..."


    "Right. Leave it to me."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Finally, an opportunity to test this out. The Werewolf was about fifty meters away, and it had just noticed us. It was looking around at each of us carefully, as it bared its fangs and extended its claws out. I better get started before the Mutant decides to attack.


    I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, before channeling my XFE into the spot between my shoulder-blades, concentrating and keeping myself calm.


    I''m already past the point where Manifestation Overdrive would be triggered, and that would probably be enough to finish off this Mutant. But I''ve tested out Manifestation Overdrive more than enough times already...let''s take it to the next level.


    A wave of yellow XFE burst out from me in an intense shockwave, kicking up dust all around me as my power surged, a huge mass of XFE manifesting around me...before rapidly compressing and wrapping around my body, right as I triggered the activation chant...


    "<Manifestation Surge: Dragon Cloak>."


    My XFE formed like armor around my torso and limbs, as wings manifested by my shoulder-blades and a row of spikes ran down my back and continued straight down my tail, which grew out about two meters long. And around my head, the XFE formed in the shape of a dragon''s head.


    My entire body, from my head down to my toes, was completely covered, with yellow sparks of lightning crackling all around me, and it felt like my senses were supercharged...it was like everything was moving in slow motion.


    I began to move towards the Mutant, and almost before I knew it, I had closed in on it. And despite my speed, it didn''t feel like I was out of control and unable to keep up...my senses were keeping pace with my speed, I could see and hear more clearly and sharply than ever before.


    I then leapt up and swung my right hand towards the Mutant''s right side, my electric XFE claws striking it...and with a vicious spark and crackle, tore it''s right arm and shoulder off effortlessly. No way...this is surpassing my wildest expectations, I didn''t expect this form to be so effective and powerful.


    I then bent my index finger under my thumb as I pointed my left hand towards the Werewolf''s chest, before flicking my finger out, striking it...and sending it flying back several meters, skidding along the ground at a breakneck speed and crashing onto a large rock with immense impact.


    "Woah, holy crap...," I heard Mitchell mutter into the comms.


    The Werewolf then got back on its feet with a whimper, blood spilling out of its mouth as it shakily stood up. Time to end this. I charged up a powerful bolt of lightning in my right hand, and as the Mutant began to run away, I swiftly took aim and fired, hitting my target before it could react, killing it as its top half got completely incinerated.


    I dissipated the XFE manifested around me as the lower half of the Mutant collapsed onto the ground, letting out a quiet sigh. Okay, that was way too easy...I was pretty eager to test out my Manifestation Surge against a real target, but with how effortless that was, now it kinda feels like it was overkill.


    I don''t feel satisfied at all, I really thought that a K-Ranked Mutant would be much tougher than this. Or is it more that I''m underestimating my power level in my Manifestation Surge form? Because while it wasn''t a satisfactory test of that form, I did get a bit of a rush from how powerful I felt when I demolished the Mutant.


    "Nicely done, that was really something," Remarked Kilzachs, sounding impressed.


    "Thanks," I responded, as the others approached me.


    "That''s seriously understating what just happened, that was incredible! Like, holy shit, I couldn''t even keep up with your speed!" Exclaimed Altan, his eyes wide.


    "Wait, for real? I mean, I definitely couldn''t see a thing beyond an electric blur, but you''re an Ace, so-," Began Suri in surprise.


    "Yeah, well, I can say with certainty that I don''t have any moves up my sleeve that are fast enough to block or counter...whatever that was!"


    Okay, this is a little embarrassing, to have everyone''s attention on me like this...


    "What exactly was that? I heard you chant ''Manifestation Surge''," Chimed in Seila with a look of intrigue.


    "Is that the level beyond Manifestation Overdrive that you mentioned a while ago?" Inquired Suri curiously.


    "Yeah, it''s-," I began to reply.


    "Can you trigger it at will with full control? That''s seriously impressive, I still can''t even figure out how to trigger Manifestation Overdrive!" Interrupted Altan in awe.


    They''re crowding me way too much, this is suffocating. I then met Kilzachs'' eye, who was watching on with amusement...as he met my gaze, I gave him a pleading look to help me get out of this situation.


    I wasn''t sure that I''d gotten the message across since I''m not very good at being expressive, so all I could do was hope...


    "Alright, guys, this is no time to let your guards down. We''re still in the middle of this exam, save your questions for after we''re back in the Sanctuary," He spoke up with a loud clap of his hands, before turning to Altan, "As the overseer, you really shouldn''t be obstructing our progress, you know."


    "Aw, man, you can be kind of a wet blanket sometimes," Altan sighed in response.


    "Come on, everyone, let''s get back into formation!" Instructed Kilzachs, and to my relief, they complied without any delay.


    But as we began heading back, I could feel them all staring at me. This is pretty uncomfortable, but it''s better than a non-stop barrage of questions, I suppose. I''ll ask them to keep this to themselves once we get to the base, I''d prefer it if too many people don''t find out about this too soon.


    I managed to trigger Manifestation Surge about a week ago, and I still hadn''t informed Director Silva, because I wanted to get as familiar with it as possible before revealing it to anyone. But the temptation to test it out against a K-Ranked Mutant was too much to resist...yes, we encountered a K-Rank yesterday too, but that one was gross.


    Anyway, I wasn''t able to test the limits of this new form, I can''t help but wonder how powerful I really am in that state. Altan seemed convinced that I was too fast for him to deal with, but what about the other Aces?


    Instructor Silva''s Primary Manifestation has unreal defense, do I have the firepower to breach it? And what about Kilzachs'' sister? It''s hard to imagine defeating her, and she''d learnt how to trigger Manifestation Overdrive a while ago, so she might not be far off from figuring out Surge too.


    And then there''s Kilzachs himself, someone that can literally freeze time itself...and that aside, I know he''s been working on trying to trigger whatever the Anomaly equivalent of Manifestation Overdrive is...has he learnt how to do so yet? And if he has, just how powerful will he become?


    There are also other Aces whom I haven''t gone up against or met yet, I wonder how strong they are in comparison to my new form...somehow, thinking about all this makes me feel really hyped up...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 162 - 161 - Traumatized

    Well, that went quite smoothly, all things considered. A few hours had passed since the end of the teamwork exam, and I was back home now. And I was feeling a bit more worn out that expected. I suppose this should be expected, since it''s the first time I''ve had an overnight assignment like this. Plus, you know, there was my oversight with using Copy on the food.


    Technically speaking, this is my second overnight assignment, there was the attack on the Wight base camp, but that was different...for one thing, there were a few hundred full-fledged X-Warriors included in that Mission, even if most of them weren''t all that competent.


    It was currently around 6 PM, the 29th of October, and I was laying down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling while munching on some chocolate bars. I''ve gotta replenish my energy somehow, after all, and sugar is a great way to do that.


    I''ll have tomorrow off too, and then, the day after tomorrow, the 31st of October, will be the teamwork exam. I was tempted to hold one more training session with Kiran and Bytra before then, but there''s no time...I really pushed them past their limits in the prior training sessions, and they must be even more worn out than I am after the teamwork exam.


    With that in mind, extra training at this point would probably be detrimental...we''re better off focusing on being at a hundred percent by the 31st, that''s what''ll maximize our chances of not just passing the exam, but doing so comprehensively. Tch, too bad Altan isn''t going to oversee this exam.


    Mistakes are a lot more liable to happen with a temporary team that''s only worked together for a short while, than with teammates you''ve fought alongside for a longer period of time. And considering how he handled overseeing my team, it''d probably be easy to slip mistakes past him.


    Once we got back to the Sanctuary, I heard him mutter that he''s never doing this again, so it''s unlikely that he''ll be one of the overseers for the combat exam.


    Well, we won''t know who''s going to oversee us until the last minute, so there''s no point in wondering about it now. Hm, I think I''ll message my temporary teammates and instruct them to rest up-...actually, with Kiran, I probably don''t need to tell him, I bet he''s already asleep. Guess that just leaves the bitch...


    ''Hey, Bitch, focus on recharging your energy before the next exam. If you hold us back because you''re tired or worn out, I''ll murder you. Sincerely, fuck you.''


    Aaaand, send. Huh, was that too petty? Nah, it''s fine, she deserves it. Oh, she replied, that was fast. Let''s see here...


    ''Screw you, shithead. Duck you!''


    Duck? Oh, it''s a typo-...


    ''I meant *Fuck you.''


    She clarified the mistake...I''m not going to reply, I don''t feel like getting into a texting argument with her. Because if I do reply, I''m definitely going to be nasty about it. Best cut it off before it gets ugly.


    Well, anyway, I''ll focus on relaxing tonight and during the day tomorrow...and then, tomorrow night, I''ll get everything ready for the exam and then rest up for the remaining time...yeah, that sounds good.


    So, then...how should I enjoy myself tonight? Maybe I could go to the red light district, it''s certainly been a while since I last visited there...hm, or better not, my face is too recognizable now, even if I wear a wig and take off my glasses, it''s not worth the risk. And I''m not using Save and Load for something like this.


    Maybe I could give Suri a call? No, she seemed pretty tired when we got back. What about Ruby? I''ve never actually hooked up with her outside of when I go to get my weapons repaired or upgraded. Yeah, why not, let''s give her a call...


    "Y-yeah, hello...?" She answered after a couple of rings, sounding out of breath.


    "Hey, Ruby, it''s me, Kilzachs...uh, is everything okay, you sound kinda winded," I replied uncertainly.


    "Oh, well, actually I''m-...mm!" She began, before trailing off with what sounded like a moan.


    "Are you on a call right now!?" Came a voice from the background, sounding indignant and a little familiar...


    "No, don''t stop!" Gasped Ruby, before adding, "No need to glare at me, I just got a call from your brother and-..."


    I quickly hung up before I could hear any more...nope...nope, nope, nope! I''m just going to pretend like I heard nothing...damn it, that''s easier said than done!


    How do I erase this memory!? I let out a groan as I buried my face in my pillow...on the bright side, I''m no longer horny. But on the flip side, I think I might be scarred for life.


    I never thought I''d hear my sister''s voice while she''s in the middle of a hook-up, because why would I think about that!? I mean, no disrespect to the incest community, but that shit''s fucking weird.


    Okay, I need to cleanse my soul after that, which means only one thing...time to stop by Delectables...


    ...


    Ahh, much better...I''d just gotten back home after making my way to Delectables and buying myself a whole bunch of goodies to munch on. Oh, sweet rich chocolatey goodness, what would I do without you?


    If everyone liked chocolate as much as I do, there''d be no drug addictions...heck, I might be so bold as to say there''d be no wars. Do you think the world wars would have happened if the world leaders had just gotten together and talked things out over some nice chocolate cake? Probably not!


    Wait, what am I talking about? Eh, whatever, I''ll just focus on enjoying my dinner...I was supposed to have one of those microwave pastas, but I''ll save it for tomorrow. Right now, I need to override my memories of-...nope, not even going to think about it, I''m scarred enough, thank you very much.


    Still, now that I think about it, I''ve really changed...regardless of the reason, in the past I''d have never considered calling another person to spend time with when I''m free, I''d have just found something to do on my own.


    On that note, I guess I''ll watch a movie or something tonight, and after that, I can sleep when I feel like it. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.


    As I finished up the box of desserts I''d gotten from Delectables, my I-Watched buzzed as I got an incoming call...it''s Ruby. Crap. Ignoring the call won''t do any good, if anything, it might make things even more awkward. I''ll just play dumb and try to brush past what happened...


    "Y-yeah, hello?" I answered, stuttering without meaning to.


    "Hey, Zax, sorry for taking so long to call back...is there something you need? Any weapons to be repaired?" She responded.


    "Well, uh...actually, I was just...uh...," I trailed off awkwardly, unsure of how to put it.


    "Hm? Ooh, I get it...that was a booty call, wasn''t it?" She inquired teasingly, with a slight giggle.


    She''s sharper than she lets on sometimes...this feels really mortifying...


    "N-no, it wasn''t-..."


    "Oh, relax, I don''t mind at all! In fact...if you want, you can come over right now," She suggested in a seductive tone.


    "I, uh, don''t know about that...," I responded, tempted but reluctant since...well, you know...


    "Why the hesitation? What, did you hear Ella''s voice earlier?"


    "...please don''t," I groaned with a shudder.


    "What? Oh, don''t be a prude!" She scoffed with a laugh.


    "I''m not-...this isn''t me being a prude, it''s me being normal," I replied with an exasperated sigh.


    "Sure, whatever. Well, anyway, are you coming over or not? Ella left a little while ago, so it''s just me...sure you don''t want a piece of me?" She inquired seductively.


    ...okay, she''s convinced me.


    "...I''ll be there in twenty minutes."


    "Alright, now that''s what I like to hear!"


    ...


    A little while later, I was in the building, riding up the elevator with a rising sense of anticipation...feel like all my weariness has transformed into adrenaline, I''m gonna be tired as hell after this, but until then, I don''t care. I gulped as I reached her floor and exited the elevator, sending her a text as I headed for her door...


    ''I''m here, almost at your place.''


    The reply came in no time, almost immediately after I sent the text...


    ''Great! Just come right in, the door''s unlocked.''


    Well, I certainly don''t need a second invitation, here goes...I reached for the door handle and opened the door, stepping inside. Huh, it''s kinda dark in here...why are the lights all switched off?


    My eyes adjusted pretty quickly, and as I looked around, I saw that the place was empty...well, empty of people anyway, it was as messy as usual otherwise. She must be in her makeshift workspace.


    I stepped to the left of the room, nearly tripping over some junk, before reaching the door to her workspace and opened it, taking a step in...and immediately being met with the sound of moans. I almost forgot, her workspace is soundproofed...but that was far from the main thing on my mind right now.


    Ruby was on a table, completely naked and flashing me a mischievous, lustful grin...but more noticeably, she wasn''t alone. There was someone else, also naked. They met my gaze with a look of horror, as I reciprocated that notion...this is going to give me nightmares, this was a sight that I never thought I''d see, and certainly never wanted to see...


    "Z-Zax!? Wh-what are you doing here!?" Exclaimed Kilella in shock...yup, it was my sister, with Ruby sitting right behind her.


    She was on Ruby''s lap, her legs spread and Ruby''s left hand between her legs, while Ruby''s right hand was groping her chest...th-this is way too much for my brain to handle. Damn it, Ruby, you horny bitch...you planned this!


    Crap, I think I''m passing out from the psychological overload, everything''s going dark...yup, definitely passing out...error, Kilzachs.exe has crashed...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 163 - 162 - Bump

    Huh...? Where am I? What happened?


    I sat up with a slight groan, before stiffening as it all came flooding back to me...th-that was all a dream, right? Yeah, it had to be!


    I looked around, letting out a sigh of relief as I saw that I was in my room...okay, great, it was definitely a dream, otherwise I wouldn''t be at home!


    Hm? Wait a sec, why am I wearing my outgoing clothes? Whenever I''m at home, I wear loose, comfy clothes...at home, I never wear the clothes I put on when I go outside, especially not when I''m sleeping. H-hold on, was it a dream or not!?


    Wait, that''s it, my inbox! If I check my messages, I should figure out what happened! Oh, wow, it''s past midnight already...I must have been more tired than I thought I was, I''m still pretty drowsy. I stifled a yawn as I opened my inbox...


    No messages from my sister...can''t tell if that''s a good sign or not. What about from Ruby-...huh, a whole bunch of messages. I''m getting a really bad feeling about this, a rising sense of dread. Hm, if I delete the messages, then it''ll be like it never happened, dream or not...


    No, that won''t work, I''ll only end up driving myself crazy if I leave that uncertainty to fester...okay, then, here goes, I really don''t want to, but...I might as well rip off the band-aid! I took in a deep breath and held it with a sense of dread, before I tapped on Ruby''s chat icon, opening her messages...


    ''Great! Just come right in, the door''s unlocked.''


    ...shit. It wasn''t a dream. Do I...do I scroll down? Damn it...I have to...


    ''Really sorry...in my head, after you showed up, I was going to be in the middle of an awesome sibling threesome! But, uh...it didn''t go how I imagined, sowwy.''


    Goddammit...


    ''Ella said she''s taking you home, but she''s kinda mortified so she''ll probably leave before you wake up and probably won''t message you either. Just in case you''re confused when you regain consciousness!''


    So that''s how I got home...wait, did she carry my unconscious body all the way here? That couldn''t have been easy...


    ''Sorry again, I honestly didn''t think you''d straight up pass out. I''ll make it up to you sometime, promise!''


    Yeah, you''d better. Okay, one more message, let''s see what it says...


    ''Btw, how was it? I know you got a good look! Did you get turned on, seeing me playing with your big sister''s pu...''


    Delete. Delete, delete, delete! Damn it, what is wrong with her!? Next time, I''m going to get real rough against her to make up for this...I think I might be traumatized.


    No, scratch that, I''m sure that I''m traumatized! Enough, I can''t take this anymore...I''m going to sleep, and if I can''t fall asleep, I''ll just have to knock myself out...!


    ...


    ...


    Ugh...I had nightmares all night. Shit. I sat up and got out of bed with a yawn, stretching my arms up. Well, despite the bad dreams, it feels like my body got some decent rest, so that''s something, at least.


    What time is it? A little past 2 PM...been a while since I slept this long. No wonder I feel physically well-rested, even if my mind is all messed up.


    Hm? Oh, looks like I''ve got a couple of missed calls from Director Silva. Let''s see, she called me about half an hour ago...wonder what she wants? I called her back as I stifled a yawn, rubbing my eyes lazily. She picked up after a few rings...


    "Hello, Director Silva? You called?" I greeted her with another stifled yawn.


    "Your voice...are you just now waking up?" Came her voice through the speaker.


    "Yeah, yesterday was kinda rough," I sighed in reply.


    "Really? I thought the exam went relatively smoothly for you," She responded in surprise.


    "It did, yeah, but that''s not what I''m talking about. Never mind, it''s not important. So, did you need something?" I asked her, as I rubbed my left eye.


    "Well, I''m meeting with Katie Cummins in about an hour, I was just wondering if you wanted to come? It''s about the Manifestation Surge, I wanted to see it for myself and understand how it works so that I can help other X-Warriors master it too...are you interested? I know your next exam is tomorrow, so you don''t have to. It''ll only be for about an hour, since Katie will also want some time to rest before the exam," Explained Director Silva.


    Hm...I can''t say that I''m not interested. And with what happened yesterday, I desperately need something to take my mind off...what happened yesterday.


    "Sure, sounds like it could be interesting, I''ll be there. I''ll be at your office in a bit," I replied affirmatively.


    "Great! See you then," She responded, before hanging up.


    Well, guess I should get ready, I only just woke up, after all...


    ...


    ...


    "Hey, how''s it going?" I greeted Katie, as she entered the room.


    I''d made it to Director Silva''s office about five minutes ago, Katie had been running a bit late so I ended up arriving before her. She''d just walked in now, Director Silva had been looking a little restless and impatient until this point, but she was all perked up now.


    "Oh, you''re here too, Kilzachs," She responded, before shutting the door behind her.


    She looks a little worn out, I could see it in her eyes.


    "You seem like you''re pretty tired...you alright?" I asked her.


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Just need a little more sleep," She replied in her usual monotone, her eyelids drooping slightly.


    "Ahem, uh...shall we go to the underground facility? I mean, uh, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you two can go back home and rest before your exam tomorrow," Spoke up Director Silva, not doing a very good job of hiding her impatience.


    "Fine by me, let''s get started," I responded affirmatively.


    "Me too, no problem," Added Katie with a nod.


    Barely able to contain herself anymore, the director wasted no time in getting us up on the teleportation platform and teleporting us to the underground facility, before rushing us to one of the training spaces.


    "Calm down, director, you look like you''re about to pop a blood vessel," I remarked in amusement.


    "I''m not-...! Ahem, I have no idea what you''re talking about," She responded, clearing her throat before calming down a bit...but not much.


    We then reached the training space and walked in, Katie making her way to the middle while Director Silva and I hung back by the sidelines.


    "I heard that your new form is supposed to be really fast...so to start with, could you transform and then move around at your top speed?" Requested Director Silva with a gleam in her eyes.


    "Okay, sure," Katie replied with an affirmative nod, before closing her eyes and focusing, channeling her XFE into the spot between her shoulder-blades...and then suddenly opened her eyes, as she chanted, "<Manifestation Surge: Dragon Cloak>."


    Her XFE wrapped around her body like armor, extending from behind into a tail and wings, as a row of spikes formed down parallel to her spine and along the length of her tail, before finishing up by the XFE wrapping around her head and forming the shape of a dragon''s head and jaws.


    "Oh, fascinating...," Director Silva muttered to herself, her eyes widening slightly with a look of excitement in them.


    I kept a close eye on Katie too...let''s see how much I can keep up with her speed by sight. Her knees then bent slightly, as she got ready to zip forward, and then, in the blink of an eye, she zoomed across the space at a rapid pace, all I could see was a flash, an electric blur zipping around.


    Damn...my eyes can''t keep up with it, she''s way too fast. Manifestation Surge...it''s on a completely different level to Manifestation Overdrive. I''m guessing it takes the same amount of XFE as Overdrive, but Surge compresses and maintains that amount instead of burning through it in large-scale attacks.


    It may consume the same or similar amount of XFE, but the difference lies in the potency and intensity...suddenly, Katie came to a halt, reverting to her normal state with a quiet sigh.


    "Wow...that was incredible, you were barely even a blur to my eyes!" Exclaimed Director Silva, after a brief moment of shocked silence, "How do you keep up with that speed?"


    "Oh, my eyes adjust to the speed. It almost looks like everything around me isn''t moving when I''m at full speed," She replied, rubbing the corner of her right eye while her lower lip quivered as she tried to stifle a yawn...huh, that''s kinda cute...


    "You know, not to sound arrogant or anything, but all this time, I considered myself to be the strongest in our class, especially with my time stopping power. Actually, it''s more accurate to say that I was confident that I could beat any of our classmates in a one on one fight...but if you rushed me in your Manifestation Surge form, I doubt that I''d be able to recite an activation chant in time, so I probably can''t defeat you now, even if I use all the tricks I''ve got up my sleeve," I admitted wryly.


    "What about your next form? You''ve been trying to channel your XFE between your shoulder blades too, right? Did it work?" Inquired Director Silva curiously.


    "I''m close-...or at least, I think I am. For days now, it''s felt like I''m only one step away, but right when I get a bit closer than before, I lose control," I sighed in frustration.


    "Hm, well, keep at it, you''ll reach it eventually," She replied encouragingly.


    After that, Katie revealed a few more aspects of her abilities in her new form, before Director Silva reluctantly suggested that we end this for today, since our next exam is tomorrow and all.


    We teleported back to her office, before Katie and I left, heading for a Teleportation Point in order to return to our respective quadrants...it was still only the afternoon, but I think I''ll spend the rest of the day relaxing and lazing about at home.


    "So, you ready for the next exam? How''s your temporary team working out?" I asked her, as we headed back.


    "Yeah, I think I''m ready. As for my team, well...I have no problem working with Lin, but...Tairo is a real piece of work," She sighed in response, a slight look of irritation in her usually blank expression, before she stumbled slightly, her shoulder bumping onto mine.


    Wow, she must really be tired...and now she looks a bit embarrassed, averting her gaze and trying to play it off as she moved away a bit.


    "Heh, that''s an understatement. Mine''s about the same, Kiran is fine, if not a bit lazy, and Bytra is a nightmare," I replied with a sigh.


    "Well, hopefully once this is over, we''ll never have to team up with the likes of them again," She stated wistfully.


    "Don''t jinx it...but yeah, I think I just might straight up drop out of the Academy if I''m paired up with either of them again," I responded with a wistful smile, as we reached the teleportation point, "Well, I guess I''ll see you after the exam tomorrow. Good luck, Katie."


    "Thanks...," She replied, before holding her fist out towards me, "And good luck to you too."


    I paused for a moment in surprise, before letting out a slight chuckle...


    "Heh, gotta say...offering a fist bump so seemingly emotionlessly is kinda eerie...," I grinned, before tapping her fist with mine...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 164 - 163 - Combat Exam(Part 1)

    It was currently the 31st of October, at 8 AM in the morning...I was at one of the outside bases, one that was along the farthest radius from the Sanctuary. It was to the northwest of the Sanctuary, and it was from here that the combat exam would begin for me and my temporary team.


    Naturally, my temporary teammates were here too...Kiran and the bitch. The exam was to last approximately twelve hours...we''re to spend six hours heading out, and then turning around and heading back at the end of that. Of course, if we take less time to head back, that''s not a problem.


    Now, then, we just had to wait...specifically, for our overseer to show up. As usual, we weren''t informed about who it was going to be, only that they were an Ace. So long as it''s not Zarina, I''m fine with anyone...actually, scratch that, I''d rather not have my sister oversee this exam either.


    I still hadn''t spoken to her since...that. And since I''ve been avoiding thinking about it, I have no idea what I''d even say to her. Pretending like it never happened would be the ideal approach, but the problem with that method is that it''s easier said than done.


    "Why do we have to start so early?" Sighed Kiran, stifling a yawn.


    "That''s why I messaged you yesterday and told you to sleep early. That''s what I did, and I feel fine," I responded dryly.


    "You sent me that message at 5 PM, so I forgot about it. What time did you go to sleep anyway?" He inquired as he rubbed the side of his left eye.


    "Hm? Oh, I went to sleep at 7 PM, and woke up at a bit past 6:30 AM this morning," I replied, feeling genuinely well-rested.


    "...that''s way too early," He responded with a sigh.


    "That''s unexpected, coming from you," I countered in surprise.


    "Yeah, well, I take naps throughout the day and then go to sleep at a normal time, usually somewhere between 9 to 11 PM, later on weekends...I can''t really fall asleep for long periods at a time," He explained with a shrug.


    "Huh...that''s kinda unusual. But yeah, now that I think about it, whenever you sleep in class, you wake up after a little while, I don''t think I''ve ever seen you sleep through an entire session," I realized, after thinking back on it.


    "Uh-huh...that''s why I hate stuff like this, though if nothing else, today''s exam shouldn''t be as bad as the overnight teamwork exam...that was the absolute worst," He sighed despondently.


    "Anyway, our overseer is late, we''d better not lose points for a late start...by the way, where''d the bitch disappear off to?" I inquired, looking around.


    "Screw you, dipshit. I just had to go to the bathroom," She huffed, appearing from around a nearby corner.


    Not sure how to feel about her change, she went from being all meek and miserable to actually standing up for herself. On the one hand, it''s easier to insult someone who will actually retort, instead of just staying silent and taking it.


    But on the other hand, from a neutral standpoint, this is a change for the better...I''d hate to think that she went through this positive change because of me. I''d much rather ruin her life than help improve it.


    "Yeah, whatever, just make sure to play your part once the exam begins and we won''t have a problem," I responded icily.


    "Hmph, after saying all that, you better hope that you don''t screw up instead," She retorted with a glare.


    "And after saying that, you definitely better not screw up, bitch," I shot back.


    "Keep acting all high and mighty, and you know what, I hope you do screw up, I can''t wait to see what kind of expression you''d make if and when that happens!" She exclaimed with a smirk.


    "You do realize that I''m not above punching you in the face if you piss me off, right?"


    "Go right ahead, I''m not afraid of you!"


    "Well, if you insist-."


    "Hey, guys-...," Began Kiran.


    "What!?" She and I responded in unison...tch, I feel really irritated right now...


    "The Ace is here," He replied, nodding at the hallway, where a familiar figure was approaching.


    Him, huh...it''s Johan Grantz, one of the Ace Anomalies, haven''t seen him in a while. Good, I can rely on him to be unbiased and objective in his overseeing of the exam.


    "It''s been a while, Kilzachs," He greeted me with a polite nod, as he walked over.


    "Yeah, how''s it going?" I replied with a slight wave of my hand.


    "Good, thanks. Now, then...I''m sorry I''m late, I didn''t mean to delay the start of the exam. Don''t worry though, since it''s my fault, you won''t be penalized for the late start," He stated, before gesturing to the exit, "Let''s get started immediately, shall we?"


    "Sounds good to me," I responded affirmatively.


    "Yeah, might as well get it over with," Sighed Kiran in reply, while Bytra simply nodded.


    We followed him as he led the way out of the base and through the protective barriers, before halting and stepping back.


    "Okay, I''m going to be hanging around the back now and will stay out of your way while I observe, which includes listening in on your comms. Avoid interacting with me, just pretend I''m not here," He instructed, before heading for the back of the group.


    "Alright, then...get into the formation we settled on, and keep a sharp eye out. It''s only three of us instead of the usual four or five that we''re used to, so stay on high alert. Got it?" I instructed them.


    "Yeah, I know," Replied Kiran with a sigh.


    "We already discussed this, shithead," Added Bytra with a frown.


    ...I hate this team.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Get moving already," I responded icily.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m going," Yawned Kiran, heading for the front.


    "Hmph, whatever," Muttered Bytra, before following suit.


    I then tapped on the side of my glasses'' frame to activate the bug-sized drones, before linking up their cam footage to the right lens of my glasses. I''ve been working on using my left eye to watch my surroundings while my right eye keeps track of the surveillance footage that my drones capture. It was a little tricky to get the hang of, but I''d practiced enough to pull it off.


    I''ll send the drones out about a hundred meters ahead of where Bytra and Kiran are, that should be enough of a buffer to prepare ourselves for any Mutant attacks. I just hope we don''t encounter any underground Mutants like last time...fortunately, those type of Mutants are rare, especially among those ranked at higher than Q.


    "Okay, start heading forward. You know your roles, and I''ll back you up," I stated into the comms, giving them the go ahead to begin.


    I kept a distance of about thirty meters from them as they headed forward...normally, I''d be much further back, but I want to reduce my margin of error as much as possible. I can''t operate with these two as efficiently as I can with my permanent team, so I need to compensate for the drop in compatibility.


    "Any Mutants up ahead?" Inquired Kiran, after about half an hour had passed.


    "Nope, the coast is still clear," I responded, with nothing but more wasteland footage showing up on my lens.


    This might be boring if nothing happens, but if you ask me, boring is good. I''ve gone through enough shitty incidents in the recent past as it is, I can do without another one. I mean, seriously...that time with the Two-Headed Serpents, which, yes, resulted in me unlocking Tier Two, but I still could have done without the harrowing experience.


    Then there was the first time we encountered the Wights, which subsequently led to the attack on the Wight base camp, which resulted in my first encounter with the Crocsnek. And then the Wights infiltrated the Sanctuary, that was another shitty experience that I could have very much done without.


    And then, of course, came the incidents in the South Quadrant, which were engineered by Aku, the Wight Anomaly that''s able to manipulate space around himself and others. Ah, and let''s not forget the cherry on top, that day of non-stop devastating incidents.


    Fine, that last one was kinda my fault for carelessly experimenting with my powers, but still! The point is, I''ve had enough, and I''d like things to go smoothly from here on, at least for a while. Is that too much to ask f-...hold that thought, I spy a Mutant up ahead...


    "I''ve spotted a Mutant, a hundred meters up ahead!" I informed my teammates through the comms.


    "What type is it?" Inquired Kiran in response.


    "If I''m not mistaken, that''s...a Kong," I responded, after carefully scanning the creature.


    A Kong is a Gorilla-like Mutant that can grow upto ten meters tall, with powerful arms and sharp fangs and claws. As for its rank...


    "Wait, isn''t that a Level K Mutant? Can we take it on?" Inquired Bytra skeptically.


    "I believe so, this one''s still juvenile, it looks like it''s about six meters tall at most...just do your job and give me a clear shot, bitch," I replied, readying my X-Blasters, as the two of them activated their manifestations.


    "Tch, fine, but you''d better not miss, douchebag."


    It wasn''t long before the Mutant came into sight, and it barely took it a second to notice us, letting out a ravenous roar and pounding on its chest, before rapidly barreling towards us on all fours, drooling as it rushed in our direction.


    Kiran swiftly expanded his swatter straight towards it, striking its midsection before it could react and causing it to stumble back, a shallow cut appearing in the spot where he struck it.


    He then shrunk the swatter a bit before whipping it across the ground as he rapidly expanded it again, kicking up some dirt towards the Mutant''s eyes and raising a dust cloud.


    The Mutant let out an agonized roar and clutched its eyes with both hands, as Bytra swiftly shot forward and cracked her whip up and across, hitting the side of the Mutant''s head and wrapping around it rapidly, restraining its hands to its face.


    "Hey, take the shot, shithead!" She exclaimed, but I was way ahead of her...before she even finished her sentence, I had already nailed a headshot, striking the Kong square in the middle of its forehead...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 165 - 164 - Combat Exam(Part 2)

    "Anyone injured? No? Alright, then, let''s keep going," I remarked, as the Mutant lay lifelessly on the ground.


    "Hey, when will we take a break?" Inquired Kiran, as we began moving forward.


    "We''ll take ten minute breaks after every eighty minutes...so for the first six hours, that''s a total of four breaks. It''ll probably be the same on the way back, maybe less, but almost definitely not more," I informed him.


    "Normally, I''d say that''s a bit unreasonable, but after all those nightmare training sessions you forced us into, it doesn''t sound that bad," Sighed Bytra in response.


    "I agree, and that''s actually the scariest part of this," Added Kiran in agreement.


    Great, they''re ganging up on me. I haven''t seen them interact much, but I do know that they both firmly agree on one thing...they hated my training sessions.


    "Complain all you want, but thanks to my training, you''ve both got greater stamina and became stronger too," I pointed out objectively.


    "Hmph, that just makes it worse," Huffed Bytra.


    "Yeah, well, fuck you, bitch."


    "Fuck you right back, you dick."


    Unbelievable...right now, I was actually hoping to run into a Mutant so that this could cease for a moment. Ugh, she gives me a headache, I want to strangle her...


    ...


    ...


    "Alright, let''s take a break here!" I suggested, after glancing at the time.


    Four hours and twenty minutes had passed since we left from the base, it was around 12:50 PM in the afternoon right now, and this was going to be our third break. The other two were doing better than I expected, my training had definitely paid off.


    "It''s almost creepy...the way I''m not as tired as I''d expect to be at this point, it''s pretty unsettling," Muttered Kiran with a frown.


    "Yeah, well, you''re welcome," I responded dryly.


    "I don''t know about him, but I''m definitely not thanking you," Chimed in Bytra.


    "Okay, and...? You should''ve just shut up then, wouldn''t have made a difference. What, did you want some attention or something? And besides, I only trained you two because I wanted to pass this exam, I definitely wouldn''t have done it otherwise," I replied bluntly.


    "Yeah, that''s true. I wouldn''t have voluntarily opted for such training in the first pace," Responded Kiran, as he pulled down his face mask and wiped off some sweat above his upper lip.


    "That''s for sure," Grumbled Bytra in agreement.


    Man, talk about ungrateful. But, then, I don''t particularly want their gratitude, so it doesn''t really matter.


    "Well, one thing''s for sure, I hope I never team up with you two again. No offense, Kiran, I enjoy your company and all, but when it comes to this, we''re not very compatible," I remarked sheepishly.


    "The feeling''s mutual...you''re a good guy and all, but as a teammate, you''re way too serious," He replied wryly.


    "As for you, b-...," I began.


    "Oh, shut it, I already know the gist of what you''re going to say, just save your breath," She interrupted with a frown.


    "I know I''m not supposed to interact, but I have to say...it''s not often you see a team with such incompatible personalities work together so efficiently," Chimed in Johan, looking a bit amused.


    "Yeah, well, we put in a lot of training to get to this point, so it''s no coincidence," I responded, before glancing at the time, "Just a couple of minutes to go, get warmed back up, break''s almost over."


    "Already? Ugh, whatever, we''re almost halfway done...fine, let''s get it over with," Declared Kiran unenthusiastically, seemingly a half-hearted attempt to motivate himself.


    As the break ended, we continued heading forward, and I couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread...it almost feels like things have gone too smoothly so far, am I just being paranoid?


    After that encounter with the Kong, we encountered mostly J-Ranked Mutants, with a few lone Q-Ranked in between, but nothing that I''d even remotely consider a real threat. Have I just gotten so used to things going wrong that I''m feeling this way?


    Even though I''d hoped that nothing would go wrong, I think a part of me was expecting things to go wrong, and since nothing''s gone wrong so far-...okay, I need to stop, I''m overthinking and wasting time on a completely pointless line of thought.


    I need to double back down and focus, both on my surroundings and the live feeds from my drones up ahead. Should I use my Jetback to give myself a higher vantage point?


    No, that would almost defeat the purpose of my drones, even if it would give me a better look at the areas to the right and left...I have pretty good peripheral vision though, so it''s not necessary.


    Im definitely overthinking this, I just need to continue operating normally as I have been till this point. Yeah, just play this normally...I can''t afford to screw up, I won''t give Bytra the satisfaction. And also because I don''t want to lose any points in the exam, of course.


    Oh, I see something up ahead...looks like a group of Doggos, six of them...


    "There are six Doggos up ahead. Widen the gap between you two in order to make them split up, take out any that come your way, I''ll cover you," I informed and instructed them.


    "Alright, got it," Responded Kiran affirmatively, before activating his manifestation, as the Mutants came into view, snarling viciously as they spotted us, drooling heavily.


    "Ugh, they''re so revolting...I''m a dog person, but-," Began Bytra.


    "Oh, well, that certainly explains why you''re such a bitch," I quipped immediately, unable to resist the opening.


    "Grr, you''re such a-...tch, it was my fault for giving you the opportunity," She relented with a sigh, before putting her guard up as the Doggos began charging.


    Two of them were rushing towards Kiran, while the other four were targeting Bytra. I already just made a bitch joke, so I''ll spare her this time...it was pretty tempting though.


    Kiran expanded his swatter as one of the Doggos opened its jaws, the edge of the swatter hitting the middle of its open mouth and tearing off the top of its head. He then flicked his wrist across, batting away the other and sending it flying off several meters to the left, skidding violently along the ground.


    Bytra struck down one of the ones targeting her with a vicious crack of her whip, striking it square on the top of its head and caving its skull in, before flicking her wrist across to the right as one sprang up to her right, hitting the side of its head with immense force and breaking its neck.


    The last two then pounced on her simultaneously, one had circled around to behind her and the other was to her left...she isn''t fast enough to take on both, and she''s in a bad position to take out the one behind her. Well, as much as I hate to do this, it''s what I''m here for, so guess I''ll save her.


    Ugh...I took aim and fired at the Doggo behind her, piercing it through the back of its head and killing it. Okay, I''m done-...suddenly, as she began to whip across to the left, she lost her balance, a look of alarm appearing in her eyes as she began to fall.


    Sweet, she screwed up. And to rub salt in the wound, now I''ll save her...heh, I can''t wait to see the look of her face after I do. I aimed and fired, my energy bullet going through the eye of the Mutant, killing it right as it pounced at her, its corpse falling onto her as she fell down on one knee, letting our a cry of alarm, before a groan of disgust...


    "Ughhh, oh God, its drool is all over my face! Ahhh, some got in my mouth, th-this is...this is-...!" She wailed in disgust, before suddenly cutting off as she gagged, sounding like she was about to puke.


    "Oh, this is the best thing ever," I sighed contentedly.


    "D-damn it, fuck you, Kilzachs!"


    Music to my ears...


    "Quit overreacting already, we''ve still got a ways to go. Get off your ass and get moving," I remarked dryly, struggling not to laugh.


    She muttered incoherently and angrily as she pushed the Mutant corpse off of her, before the sound of intense spitting echoed over the comms, as she tried desperately to get the Doggo drool out of her mouth.


    She then stormed forward, continuing to mutter to herself in irritation. Okay, yeah, this is way better than how she was before, all quiet and timid. These reactions are way more satisfying than the passive misery she displayed before.


    "Hey, you''re breaking formation, calm down-," I began to advise her.


    "I AM CALM!" She snapped in response, before slowing down a bit...sounds like she''s taking a deep breath to compose herself.


    If I say something, we''ll probably get into a long argument...I should avoid that, at least for a little while. If she gets any more worked up, it might negatively affect our overall performance. So, I''ll bite my tongue for now.


    Fortunately, nothing happened for the next while, we didn''t encounter any more Mutants, and as we carried on forward, it wasn''t long before we reached the six hour mark, taking a ten minute break to rest up a bit before heading back.


    "Okay, so...on the bright side, we''re halfway done. But on the other hand...we''re only halfway done," Groaned Kiran, rubbing his calves tentatively.


    "Yeah, I can''t wait to get this over with too, I need a shower," Complained Bytra, a look of disgust on her face.


    The fact that they''re complaining means they have plenty of energy left, though I''m guessing they might be feeling some soreness in their muscles. Now, then, as Kiran said, we''re halfway done...but there''s still a long way to go before this exam is over, we gotta stay vigilant right up until the end...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 166 - 165 - Combat Exam(Part 3)

    "Alright, guys, time to head back," I declared, as ten minutes had passed since we got to the six hour mark.


    "I really don''t feel like it, but I also want to be done with this, so okay," Sighed Kiran, standing up with a groan.


    "You''re like an old man sometimes, you know," I responded wryly, as we got back into formation.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever," He replied indifferently, letting out a stifled yawn.


    "Hey, bitch, take a couple of steps to your left, you''re a bit out of formation," I informed Bytra.


    "Tch, screw you. I can''t wait for this to be over," She snapped back in response, before doing as I instructed and adjusting her position.


    "I just hope it''s smooth sailing on the way back," Said Kiran wistfully.


    Seriously, I hope I never have to team up with either of these two again...Bytra for obvious reasons, and Kiran because he complains a bit too much. Though if he can fix that, I suppose I''d be open to teaming up with him again.


    During classes, he''s one of the people I''m most comfortable around, and considering how antisocial I used to be, that''s saying a lot. When I entered the Academy, in my mind, I was only going to interact with people in order to avoid being an outcast like I was in school, I never actually expected that I''d form genuine human connections.


    True, I''m not super close to anyone in particular, but I''m far from indifferent towards them, at the very least. I didn''t fully realize it until that experiment with my Tier One powers went wrong and Suri nearly died. Andre actually did die, and while I was simply on polite terms with him, I still felt guilty about causing his death.


    When it comes to people I don''t know, I don''t really feel much of anything when my actions put them in vegetative states. So those feelings of guilt and remorse weren''t exactly something I was all that used to, and those emotions helped me solidify my determination to stop using Tier One carelessly.


    Well, anyway, I should focus on the matter at hand, I can''t let my guard down until we''re back in the Sanctuary...


    "We probably won''t encounter too many Mutants on the way back, since we left plenty of Mutant corpses scattered on the way here, but still, don''t relax till it''s over," I reminded them over the comms, as my drones surveyed the area ahead.


    "We''re not stupid, dickhead, we already know all that," Retorted Bytra with a grumble.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, I guess I don''t need to say anything to someone who didn''t screw up at all-...oh, wait, but you did screw up! Or am I mistaken?" I countered mockingly.


    "...fuck you."


    Nice, I win. No, not yet...if I relax, I might end up screwing up on the way back, gotta stay vigilant. I won''t give her the satisfaction, not to mention that if I screw up, she might feel better about her screw up with the Doggos, and I definitely don''t want that. Gotta concentrate...


    ...


    About four and a half hours later, Kiran and Bytra was starting to look pretty worn out. From their expressions, their muscles must be in pretty bad shape...my calves and back feel pretty sore too, and they probably have it worse than I do.


    "Let''s make this a twenty minute break, since we won''t be taking any more breaks after this one. At the pace we''ve been going at, it should be about an hour, maybe even less, before we''re back at the base," I surmised, as they collapsed onto the ground with tired sighs.


    I spread my drones out around us in order to keep an eye out, so that these two could focus on resting for the next twenty minutes, instead of worrying about an incoming Mutant attack.


    "Can''t we make it a thirty minute break? My legs are killing me," Grumbled Kiran, rubbing his calves tentatively.


    "No, that won''t make much of a difference...whether it''s twenty minutes or thirty minutes, either way, it won''t be enough time for your muscles to heal. If we take too much time, then fatigue might start to set in sooner, which''ll only make you more aware of the soreness and aches, so we''re sticking to twenty minutes," I responded firmly.


    "Ugh, it''s annoying when you use logic to back up your arguments, makes it hard to argue against," He sighed with a wry smile.


    "I''ll take that as a compliment," I replied with a slight smirk.


    "Hey, can''t we move at a faster pace? We''re in the home stretch, why not get over in a hurry?" Inquired Bytra, a hint of impatience in her voice.


    "We''re already going as fast as we can without disrupting our efficiency, so no. If we rush, not only will we get tired faster, but we''ll also have narrower perspectives. Peripheral vision especially suffers with increases in speed, meaning we''ll be slower to react to any incoming attacks from the sides," I explained objectively, before adding, "You should''ve been able to figure that out if you''d just have used your brain, bitch. Then again, I suppose you wouldn''t have much of a brain in that head of yours, huh?"


    "What was that!?" She snapped in response.


    "So not only are you stupid, but also deaf...this is bad, we should check if you''re blind too," I remarked with a mock tone of concern, before pointing my middle finger at her, "How many fingers am I holding up?"


    "Oh, let me see...okay, I think I''ve got it. You''re holding up one...one broken finger!" She exclaimed, as she attempted to grab my finger.


    I managed to react fast enough and put my finger down before she could grab hold of it.


    "Heh, too slow, bitch!" I declared triumphantly, as she glared at me.


    "Is it just me, or are the arguments between you two getting more and more immature?" Muttered Kiran, before adding, "Not gonna lie, it''s kinda funny."


    "Hmph, whatever," Huffed Bytra, turning her back to me.


    Johan was also watching with a look of amusement...yeah, I suppose that it is rather childish to argue like this, but I just can''t help it. Anyway, speaking of Johan, this sure has been a sharp contrast from Altan''s overseeing of the previous exam.


    Except for that one time he spoke up, Johan''s been quietly observing us from behind the whole time. I actually forgot that he was even here a couple of times, I''m pretty impressed by how he''s able to diminish his presence like this.


    I took a sip of water as I sat down and breathed slowly in and out, bringing my heart rate down so that I could recover as much stamina as possible in the remaining time for this break.


    All things considered, this has gone pretty well...excluding Bytra''s slip up when she got surrounded by those Doggos, everything has gone almost perfectly.


    While I would have liked to test out more of my skills and abilities than just my accuracy with my X-Blasters, the fact that I haven''t needed to opt for any of my other options is a good thing.


    Still, I really would''ve like to test out my X-Blades...I''ve hardly gotten to use them after Ruby upgraded the energy blades to vibrate, I really want to see how well it can cut through an actual moving target.


    Well, whatever, I''m sure I''ll get a chance to test it out sooner or later, there''s no need to be impatient about it. That''s right, my focus right now should be seamlessly finishing off the task at hand, I can''t let my concentration waver just because the finish line is in sight.


    Oh, looks like it''s almost time to wrap up this final break, guess we should get ready to get moving again...


    "Get warmed up, you two, we''ve got about minute left. Let''s finish this off as smoothly and uneventfully as possible," I declared, standing up and stretching my arms up.


    "Ughhh...I swear, I''m going to sleep like a corpse when I get back home," Vowed Kiran with a groan, as he got back on his feet.


    "It feels like my legs are going to split in half...walking is the worst," Complained Bytra, her knees wobbling slightly as she stood up.


    Not to most promising signs...the more worn out they get, the more their concentration will waver. I really hope they can keep it together for just a little while longer.


    "Let''s go, get into formation," I instructed, as they finished warming themselves back up again.


    "Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, just a little bit more...," I heard Kiran muttering to himself like a creepy chant.


    Okay, we better hurry and get to the finish line already, because I, uh, think he''s starting to lose it...


    ...


    Alright, not far now...about fifty minutes had passed since the last break, and through my drones up ahead, I could see the base we set out from in the distance...awesome, we''re less than a kilometer away now!


    I let out a sigh of relief as I continued trudging forward...yeah, I know it''s not quite over yet, but with the goal literally within sight, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. I suppose that I should inform the others too, they''re just about at their limits...


    "Good news, guys, we''re just a few hundred meters away from-...," I began, before stiffening and trailing off as I felt a slight rumbling.


    No...no, no, no! Is it a Mutant? Damn it, we''re so close, the goal is right there, why now...!?


    "What''s going on!? Is this an earthquake!?" Exclaimed Bytra warily, taking a step back.


    Please let that be the case...


    "Probably, hope it settles down soon," Responded Kiran, sounding a bit concerned.


    What...what is this feeling of dread in my stomach? Something isn''t right...I can''t quite put my finger on it, but...I''m getting an ominous sense of Deja Vu right now. It can''t be-...


    And then, I felt my body freeze in fear, as the rumbling grew louder, the ground shaking more violently...a terrifyingly familiar sensation. A sensation that I''ve only felt a handful of times...but a sensation that I''ll never forget...yeah, I didn''t want to even consider it, despite it being the first thing that came to mind when I felt the rumbling, but there''s no doubt about it, it''s definitely...


    "Scatter, quickly! Something''s coming, this isn''t an earthq-!" I began to yell in horror and alarm...but it was too late.


    The ground up ahead suddenly burst out like a massive explosion, chunks of earth crashing down loudly, but even in that deafening ruckus, I could have sworn that I heard a cry of pain, before the sound of flesh tearing apart echoed through my earpiece communicator...


    The force of the ground bursting open had sent me stumbling back, and as I evaded and blocked the flying rubble using my Barrier Bracelets, the dust began to clear as the shaking and rumbling began to settle down, giving me a clear view of what had caused it.


    Damn it, no...not this monster again...even though I recognized the sensation, I didn''t want to accept it. But I can''t deny it any more, not when I''m staring right at it...it''s the Crocsnek, it''s back.


    And it was...chewing. Blood was dripping down the sides of its jaws, as it munched ravenously. And that''s when I saw it...just a few meters ahead of me, a small puddle of blood surrounding something...I let out a shocked gasp of horror as I got a clear look at what it was, my blood running cold as I shakily stumbled back.


    Th-that''s...that''s Kiran''s head. But his body was missing...no, that''s not it. I realized it immediately, where his body was...it was in the jaws of the Crocsnek, being torn apart into tiny, bloody pieces by the fangs of the vicious creature...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 167 - 166 - Unleash Anomaly

    "Damn it...<Activate Anomaly: Sleeping Beauty>!" I heard Johan exclaim from behind me.


    But I barely noticed it...I couldn''t tear my eyes away from Kiran''s severed head, laying in a puddle of blood, as I felt a sense of disbelief and refusal to accept what I was seeing. Why...why did this happen?


    My gaze then slowly shifted upwards, my mind feeling like it was in a blank fury, no thoughts were going through my head, all I felt was a blinding rage. I met the gaze of the Crocsnek, which narrowed its eyes at me, before letting out a vicious roar, deafeningly loud. This damned wretched creature again...how many times am I going to be powerless to stop it?


    Johan then shot forward past me with a grimace on his face, his attempt to try and put the Mutant to sleep having failed. He drew out his umbrella-like weapon and pointed it at the Crocsnek, XFE bullets firing out of the end like a gun, but it barely even seemed to annoy the massive monster.


    "Tch...damn it, take this, <Activate Anomaly: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves>!" He chanted, not even bothering to make it inaudible.


    Eight XFE puppets manifested, seven of them with weapon-shaped appendages along their hands, while the eight one appeared to be weaponless. The first seven shot towards the Crocsnek, while the eight one rushed in the direction Bytra was in.


    She had some heavy scratches and bruises all over, and looked barely conscious. It then touched her, and her injuries began to slowly fade. Meanwhile, the other seven manifestations were attacking the Crocsnek, but it was no use, their attacks were too weak to leave more than small scratches worth of damage.


    The Mutant let out a snarl before bashing the seven energy puppets with its hands, crushing them with ease, before viciously hissing as it narrowed its eyes at Johan, swinging its claws towards him.


    His swiftly raised his umbrella, opening it and holding it out in front of himself like a shield. It managed to blunt the slash of the Crocsnek''s claws, but the sheer force still sent him flying back, skidding along the broken apart ground painfully and crashing onto a rock, coughing out blood as he collapsed onto his knees.


    Enough...


    "I''ve had enough of you, vile creature," I remarked blankly, standing up slowly, as I channeled my XFE into the spot between my shoulder-blades, with frightening ease and calmness.


    This feeling...it''s similar to how I felt when I massacred those Mutants that I thought killed Suri...but something was different this time.


    Back then, my blank fury took over and I barely remembered a thing, it was almost like someone or something else was controlling my body, while my consciousness faded to the background. But this time, my consciousness was very much active.


    The blank fury was stronger than last time, and this eerie calmness about me, it was the same feeling the pushed my consciousness to the back last time, but this time, it wasn''t affecting my consciousness...


    The Crocsnek then let out a roar as it rapidly slithered towards me, right as I triggered it...


    "<Unleash Anomaly: God of Space and Time>," I chanted calmly, a dark mist surrounding me as I activated my power, and as the Crocsnek drove its right arm towards me with a vicious shriek, claws pointed at me, "Now, <Cut>."


    In the blink of an eye, right as its claws got within a meter of striking me, its right hand disappeared, from just below the wrist onwards. It pulled back with a shriek of pain, the blood from its wound splattering onto the ground as it waved its arm about in agony.


    "And now...


    ."


    Its severed hand then reappeared, in its right shoulder, bursting through its flesh and skin, as a loud cracking sound echoed out as its bones snapped like twigs. Its right arm then slumped down, it was no longer able to move it.


    A screech of agony erupted from its jaws, its body trembling in pain as it tried to claw at its injured shoulder, before recoiling in torment as that undoubtedly only caused it more distress...


    "What''s the matter? Oh, I get it...this is the first time you''re truly feeling pain, aren''t you?" I remarked blankly, as I stepped towards it.


    The moment I began moving, it immediately lashed out with a panicked roar, swinging its other arm at me.


    "You''re attacking me again, are you? Know your place, you lowly beast...now, again, <Cut>," I chanted, targeting its elbow, which suddenly disappeared, severing its left forearm, which fell to the ground, crashing down with a loud impact, "Now, suffer...


    . <Cut>.


    . <Cut>.


    . <Cut>."


    It let out an earsplitting roar of pain as I repeatedly severed random, non-vital chunks off of its body before stuffing them right back into its body, blood gushing out from each wound as its flesh tore apart and bones snapped like twigs, it howled in agony while trembling violently in pain and terror.


    What is this, something...something feels off about me. There was something foreign in me, an almost arrogant sense of pride. I don''t know how I know this, but somehow, I could tell that this pride didn''t belong to me, and yet, it was affecting my actions and thoughts, almost as it if it was imposing itself onto my psyche.


    The Crocsnek then began to retreat with a fearful hiss, heading back towards the hole in the ground that it had burst forth from.


    "


    ," I chanted, freezing time, before walking over towards it, focusing on its head as I chanted again, "It won''t do if you have no idea what happened...so, here, savor the final moments of your pathetic existence,


    ."


    A confused and panicked screech burst out of its mouth, as it was unable to move its body...I had only resumed the flow of time in the area around its head. The rest of its body, as well as the rest of the world, was still frozen in time.


    Its eyes shifted down towards me, and the look in them was absolutely unmistakable...that was a look of fear. Regardless of its intelligence, pride and power, all living creatures share this primal instinct...the desperate survival instinct known as fear.


    "Did you really think that I was going to let you get away? No, you''ve gotten in my way for the last time," I stated coldly, "But don''t worry...you won''t make the same mistake again. Now, die...


    ."


    The last chunk of its body that I severed reappeared right inside its brain, a loud cracking sound echoing out from the top of its head, before bursting out in a bloody fountain of brain chunks and skull shards, which got frozen in midair the moment they erupted out, as time was still frozen.


    "It''s over...


    ."


    A loud crash echoed out as the body of the Mutant collapsed lifelessly onto the ground, kicking up a dense dust cloud as an absolute river of blood began forming around the fresh corpse, its body completely and utterly torn apart.


    I did it...after everything that happened, I finally did it, I killed this monster. But...it cost me too much before I could it, far too many died at this creature''s hand because of me. And even today-...suddenly, as the black mist around me began to fade, I stumbled back with a groan, my vision blurring as a powerful wave of exhaustion hit me.


    Wha-...why am I so...tired, all of a sudden? Oh, never mind...I can...feel it. Looks like I...used up...all of my XFE...


    ...


    ...


    Hm? Huh? Where...where am I? Everything''s dark, there''s nothing but pitch darkness all around me. And yet, it felt familiar...


    "What is this...?" I muttered, blinking in confusion.


    Am I...floating? It doesn''t feel like I''m standing on anything...


    "This is the inside of your mind," Came an unexpected reply.


    What the-...!? I turned towards where the voice came from, to see...me? At least, it looked like me, but...negative. As in, how a person looks when you put a negative filter over a picture of them.


    "Uh...what the fuck?" I blurted out in bewilderment.


    "Okay, that reaction is...fair enough," The negative me responded.


    His voice...it sounded like how my voice sounds in my head when I recite an activation chant, slightly distorted.


    "Is this a dream? Wait, would I even say that if it was? Seriously, what is-!?" I began to exclaim in confusion.


    "Calm down. Like I said, this is the inside of your mind. And as for me...well, I wasn''t sure what I was at first, but after reviewing our memories, I think I''ve figured it out. I''m the AI that set up your powers following the Awakening Procedure, and...I became self-aware. Pretty cool, huh?" He responded with a grin.


    "...wait, what?"


    "Well, during this last fight, I could tell that you could tell that there was an element in your emotions that didn''t belong to you...so, I figured that I might as well reveal myself," He replied with a shrug.


    "You mean that sense of arrogance that I was feeling, that was...you?"


    "Ahem, pride, not arrogance. And pride with good reason, I might add. I mean, why wouldn''t I be proud, I''m the source of our space and time manipulation, after all!" He declared smugly.


    "This is, uh...a lot to take in...," I muttered in bemusement, genuinely not knowing what to say here.


    "Yeah, well, we can discuss it later...it looks like you''re about to wake up. Oh, and don''t worry, I''m on your side...well, not like I have a choice, since I''ll cease to exist if you die."


    I could feel myself fading from this darkness, each time I blinked, it felt like he was less visible than before.


    "Wait, what am I even supposed to call you!?" I inquired, as the darkness rapidly gave way to light.


    "Hm...ooh, since you''re Kilzachs, how about I go by the name...Murderzachs? Yeah, that sounds cool-!"


    "Yeah, no, absolutely not," I rejected in horror immediately, as the darkness completely faded...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    I woke up with a gasp as I abruptly sat up with a start, a bright light blinding me as I opened my eyes. I raised my hand to block the light and blinked a couple of times with a slight groan, a feeling of lethargy and fatigue enveloping me.


    It took me a second to notice the commotion around me, and as I began to look around, something suddenly smothered me, startling me as it practically fell onto me.


    "Huh, wha-...?" I began in bemusement.


    "Zax! Are you okay!? Does it hurt anywhere!? Do you remember who I am!? How many fingers am I holding up!?" Interrupted a hysterical barrage of questions, in between sobs of relief.


    I know that voice, better than anyone else''s...


    "Sis...? Is that you...?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 168 - 167 - Voice In My Head(Part 1)

    I flopped down onto my bed with a strained sigh, grimacing as I stared up at the ceiling with a sense of frustration. It was currently the 2nd of November, sometime in the evening, a little over two days after the end of the combat exam.


    After I killed the Crocsnek and passed out, Bytra had apparently dragged both Johan and I back to the base. At least, she tried to, but we were too heavy for her. Fortunately, the X-Warriors posted at the base rushed over to see what happened...naturally, they had felt the impact of the shockwaves caused by the Mutant and couldn''t just ignore it.


    They then took us back to the Sanctuary, where Johan and I were taken to the underground facility in the X-Warrior Zone for treatment. Bytra only had minor wounds thanks to Johan healing her before he passed out, so she just went home after a quick check-up at a regular hospital.


    Johan''s injuries were the most severe, with several broken bones and few ruptured internal organs...had we not been found in time, he''d have probably died.


    Kiran''s death had resulted in even greater criticism and backlash against the X-Warrior Zone, and it was haunting me...every time I closed my eyes, I could see his severed head, laying there in a puddle of blood, his eyes dull and lifeless.


    After I was taken to the underground facility, I didn''t wake up till sometime last night, I''d been unconscious for over thirty-five hours. Normally, draining your XFE wouldn''t require such a long recovery time, but apparently, I went beyond that, which shouldn''t even be possible.


    According to the researcher that treated me, I''d somehow burnt through my own life force to keep going after I used up all my XFE, and the backlash from that is what kept me asleep for longer than usual.


    Apparently, Paragons have an energy core inside them, a non-physical sphere that generates and replenishes our XFE after we use it. That core is also our lifeline, I suppose you could call it our soul. Normally, once all XFE has been entirely used up, the user loses consciousness.


    And thanks to me, now we know why...because trying to force out and use any more than that would drain the user''s life force, or in other words, shorten their lifespan. Fortunately, I hadn''t used much of it, just barely enough to reduce my lifespan by two or three months at most, according to the researcher that treated me.


    Somehow, during that battle, I''d managed to stay conscious even after using up my XFE, and then burnt through a small bit of my life force to continue tearing apart the Crocsnek.


    Even after I regained consciousness, both Director Silva and Kilella insisted that I stay in bed in the underground facility until I''m fully recovered...and then, just about an hour ago, they finally let me go.


    My sister had insisted on coming over to look after me for at least a day or two, but literally two minutes after walking into my apartment, she passed out on a chair, fast asleep.


    I glanced at her as she began to snore...there were dark circles under her eyes, she looked completely exhausted. She must have been really worried about me, huh...that makes me feel kinda awkward, but also really happy.


    My stomach then rumbled, as I got out of bed and headed for the kitchen with a quiet sigh. I was a little worn out, but since I''d been unconscious for nearly a day and a half, I wasn''t all that sleepy. I am pretty hungry though...I think I''ve got some Nutella left, I''ll make myself a sandwich.


    As I took out the Nutella and some sliced bread, I changed my mind and instead tore and dipped a piece of the bread slice right into the spread, before tossing it into my mouth and munching on it...I was too hungry to go to the trouble of making a sandwich, I just couldn''t be bothered.


    I then opened my fridge and took out a carton of chocolate milk and some fruits, a bunch of grapes, an apple and a couple of mandarin oranges. And before I knew it, I was wolfing them all down ravenously, stuffing my face as if it was the end of the world.


    And without even realizing it, tears began streaming down my face, as a sense of immense frustration enveloped me, clenching my fist as I chomped into the apple. Damn it...I couldn''t do a thing until it was too late.


    Talk about useless...and in the end, I couldn''t even stay conscious. Had I taken even a few more seconds to continue toying with that Mutant, I might have passed out without finishing it off, or alternatively, shaved off even more of my remaining lifespan before getting around to killing it.


    I know that agonizing over it isn''t going to do any good, it certainly won''t change anything...specifically, it won''t bring back the dead, not ever. But even so, what else can I do but agonize over it, huh!?


    I can''t just brush it off and move past it so easily, even if I wanted to. I...I don''t know what I''m supposed to do. What can I do?


    After all, I''m fairly certain that this was my fault...the Crocsnek focused its attention on me after it emerged from the ground, just as it had when it attacked the Sanctuary, which I managed to undo.


    Okay, yeah, no doubt about it...this was definitely my fault. And for all I know, there are more Crocsneks out there, not to mention other Ace Mutants. The warding radiation acts as a deterrent, but is it actually foolproof?


    Damn it...I need to stop. Calm down, I need to be rational. That doesn''t mean denying or ignoring my emotions, it just means not allowing my emotions to get the better of me.


    I have to combine rationality with these emotions to get clarity...and I''ll use that to get a clear picture in my head, of how to avoid making the same mistakes again. That''s it...calm down and think this through, what is it that I should be doing right now?


    Training, obviously...I need to get stronger. Strong enough to take down an Ace Mutant on my own. That''s probably easier said than done, even with my Unleash Anomaly form, there''s no guarantee that I can take one out...after all, there could be stronger Mutants than the Crocsnek.


    And of course, Mutants are far from the only threat to worry about, there''s the Wights too. They have numerous Anomalies, far more than we do, and they have a much better idea of our overall firepower than we do of theirs.


    Oh, looks like I ate everything that I took out...and kinda made a mess. Whatever, I''ll clean it up later for once, I just can''t be bothered right now. I headed back to my room, where my sister looked like she was about to fall off the chair she was sleeping on.


    I let out a sigh as I walked over and gently lifted her up in my arms, before slowly placing her down on my bed, pulling the covers over her, being careful not to wake her up. I then sat down on the floor and closed my eyes.


    I think I know where I need to start...the thing inside me, I have to talk to it again. I''m sure that wasn''t a dream. I didn''t tell anyone about it yet, and I won''t until I fully understand exactly what it is. The only problem is that, uh...I have no idea how to talk to it like I did before.


    I was closing my eyes and concentrating, but that wasn''t doing anything. How did it happen last time? Oh, right, I was unconscious. Is that necessary in order to talk to it? What a pain.


    Hm? Something feels...weird, yet kinda familiar. What is this? I could feel something stirring my XFE, it was a strange feeling...it almost felt like something was trying to guide me, telling me to channel my XFE in this particular way.


    Is it the thing inside me? Well, only one way to find out. I began channeling my XFE in the way I felt it being guided, and-...wait, is this for real? Why am I channeling it to this spot? Am I being messed with or something? Or maybe-...oh, never mind, looks like it worked.


    I was back inside the dimension of darkness I''d been in before, my subconscious. And I could feel that I had to concentrate to stay here, if my focus starts slipping, my surroundings slowly get brighter and brighter, until I wake up.


    It is a bit of a problem that I''m unaware of the surroundings around my body on the outside though, it makes me feel kinda uneasy.


    "Hey, you''re back, I see. What''s up?" Came that distorted voice.


    "Yeah, I am," I replied, as I turned around to face it, "We need to talk, whatever you are-."


    "Ahem, it''s Murderzachs."


    "...hell, no, it''s absolutely not."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 169 - 168 - Voice In My Head(Part 2)

    "Come on, don''t be such a wet blanket...does it really matter what name I go by?"


    "No, I don''t really care what you call yourself, but no stupid parody of my name," I responded with a huff.


    "Oh, please, you''re just jealous that Murderzachs sounds way more intense and cool than Kilzachs does," He countered smugly.


    "That is absolutely not the case, it''s just so overly edgy that it makes me cringe!" I snapped in reply.


    "Hmph, sounds like an excuse, if you ask me. But fine, I''ll think of something else," He sighed, before seeming to mull it over and adding after a while, "Okay, I came up with a few options, take your pick! Slayzachs, Homicidezachs, Massacrezachs, Assassinatezachs, Slaughterzachs-."


    "I''m going to stop you right there and veto...all of those. They''re all the same thing!" I exclaimed in exasperation.


    "I mean...so is Kilzachs," He shrugged in response.


    "No, it''s not! Maybe if there were two Ls, but there''s only one!"


    "Eh, that''s just a technicality, the way it sounds is more relevant than the way it''s spelt."


    "Okay, that''s it, I''m just gonna pick something off the top of my head and that''s what we''re calling you, no arguments," I declared, having had enough.


    "Whaaaat? That''s no fun, you''re probably gonna choose something boring just to spite me," He protested indignantly.


    "How about that, guess you know me pretty well, uh...got it, let''s go with Inverse," I decided.


    "No way, that''s-...huh, actually, not bad. Hm, but it''s lacking something. Ohh, I know, Inversezachs!"


    "...no."


    "Yeah, well, you''re not the boss of me! Also, I want it spelt I-N-V-E-R-S-E, followed by a dash, and the Z-A-X instead of Z-A-C-H-S. Inverse-Zax, yeah...I like the sound of that!" He exclaimed with a grin.


    "Fuck it, whatever," I sighed, relenting, "But I''m just going to call you Inverse."


    "Fine, works for me."


    "Now that we''ve got that nonsense out of the way, I need to talk to you."


    "Wha-...nonsense!?" He protested indignantly.


    "I want to know everything, when and how did you come into existence, anyway?" I inquired, getting straight to the point.


    "Hm? I told you last time, didnt I? It was when you you underwent the Awakening Procedure," He replied.


    "Okay, let me rephrase that...when and how did you become like this, self-aware and whatnot?" I asked him.


    "Oh, pretty recently, I think...around the time you started trying to trigger Unleash Anomaly, to be specific. You see, the spot between your shoulder blades is where the core is. By core, I''m referring to the source of your XFE, which only manifests after the Awakening Procedure. By channeling and concentrating your XFE into that spot, you push the limits of your restraints."


    "What do you mean by ''restraints''?" I responded curiously.


    "Well, your Anomaly powers, or Prodigy manifestations. They''re restrained in custom formats, the Prodigies'' Primary and Secondary Manifestations and the unlockable Anomaly powers. The reason why they''re restrained like that is so that your body wouldn''t get overwhelmed. But by channeling XFE into that spot on your back, the limits of those restraints are pushed, and result in the unlocking of those stronger forms," He explained.


    "Oh, I see, I think I get that part now. But what does that have to do you with you gaining self-awareness?"


    "I''m not sure. All I know is that after you started channeling your XFE into that spot, I slowly but surely became more and more self-aware with every attempt you made. It''s not like I understand the specifics, after all," He informed me.


    "Uh-huh. So, are you able to take over my body or mind or whatever?" I inquired warily.


    "Nope. That was the first thing I tried, but all that happened was that you got a mild headache," He sighed in response.


    "I''m sorry, what?"


    "H-hey, now, try to see it from my perspective! Wouldn''t you try to do the same in my position!? I-I mean, I did inherit your tastes and preferences, as well as some of your mindset, when I became self-aware. So it''s only natural that I''d try to replace you! B-but since that''s impossible, you have nothing to worry about!" He insisted nervously.


    "Tch, what a nuisance. Too bad I can''t just-...huh, or maybe I can, it''s not impossible," I muttered to myself, before shifting my gaze back towards him and narrowing my eyes as I chanted, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>."


    Oh...it worked.


    "Huh? What the-...!? My arm!" He exclaimed in surprise and horror, as his right arm suddenly vanished, "Fine, two can play at that game, I''ll take your arm! <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>...oh, crap."


    Nothing happened...I was starting to get kinda nervous there for a sec...


    "Well, now, that was a clear attempt to murder me. I think I''m going to cut you up into little pieces...," I remarked icily.


    "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, let''s not be too hasty! If you get rid of me, there''ll be nothing to regulate your powers and XFE, control will become way harder and your powers will be unstable as hell! You''re all about control, right? Delete me and you''ll lose control over your own powers!" He exclaimed in alarm.


    "Hm...yeah, that''d be problematic, I suppose. Fine, I''ll spare you this time, but try to pull something like that again and I won''t hesitate to erase you. If my powers become unstable as a result, so be it," I responded coldly.


    "Y-you don''t have to worry, I won''t try anything like that ever again! So, uh...could I maybe have my arm back? It doesn''t hurt or anything, but I feel...incomplete without it."


    "I don''t want to, but I have nothing to gain by holding onto it, so fine...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>," I chanted, returning his arm.


    "Much better...so, uh, any more questions? I''m more than happy to answer anything you wanna know!"


    Okay, him sucking up to me is kinda annoying, but it''s better than him trying to rebel and take over or whatever, I suppose. A thought then occurred to me...


    "Hey, does this mean that anyone who channels their XFE into the spots between their shoulder blades will have something like you inside them?" I asked with a sense of intrigue.


    "No clue. But it''s certainly possible. There''s no guarantee that they''ll reveal themselves though, I kept myself hidden for quite a while, after all," He pointed out.


    "I see, guess I should warn some people, huh. By the way, during that day where I experimented with Tier One and ended up causing a bunch of shitty events...when I killed all those Mutants but barely remember it, did you have something to do with that?" I recalled.


    "Well, kinda...I noticed that you''d stopped thinking rationally, so I tried to guide you."


    "What do you mean?" I replied curiously.


    "Remember earlier, when you were trying to come in here and you felt yourself being promted to channel your XFE a certain way?"


    "Oh, so that''s what that was."


    "Yup. Right before you wiped out those Mutants back then, I simply guided your emotions to get the ideal balance and blend, and then guided your XFE to help you trigger an incomplete version of Unleash Anomaly. After that, I just sort of guided your instincts and intuition and boom, flawless massacre. It was risky for me since, at the time, I was concealing my existence. But I didn''t want to die, so I just hoped that you''d assume that you blanked out due to rage or something," He shrugged in response.


    "Why do I barely remember any of it?" I inquired with a frown.


    "It''s sort of like you just gave into it...like, everything I was guiding went perfectly smoothly, there was no resistance at all. It was kinda like you went into autopilot mode, it''s not that I was controlling you, more like you were letting me control you," He explained, though didn''t seem too certain about his explanation, "To be honest, it''s hard to put into words."


    "Fine, I''ll accept that, let''s set it aside, for now anyway. Tell me, can you unlock my remaining Tiers?" I asked hopefully.


    "Sorry, but no. Even I don''t know the activation conditions. I do know what the powers of the two remaining Tiers are though, want me to tell you?" He offered in response.


    "Tempting, but I''ll pass. There''s no point in knowing that if I have no idea how to unlock them. Especially if they''re really useful powers, I''ll just get impatient and restless while hoping to unlock them as soon as possible," I sighed wistfully.


    "Makes sense, I guess."


    "Oh, one more question, and we''re done. I want to ask some others about this anyway, so let''s wrap this up."


    "Yeah, sure, that''s fine by me. What do you want to know?"


    "Simple, really. It''s about how I enter my subconscious...the way you guided my XFE, yeah, it worked and all, I found myself in here within a couple of seconds of following your guiding, but...is channeling my XFE into my crotch the only way to get in here!? How does that even make sense!? Why not my head, or my heart or something!? The hell does my dick have to do with my subconscious!?" I exclaimed in bewilderment.


    "Huh? I don''t see what the big deal it, you''re overreacting. And just so you know, I have no idea why it works like that. So, yeah."


    Seriously? Whatever, I''m done here...


    "Ugh...this exhausted me, I''m leaving now."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 170 - 169 - Heartfelt

    "Hm...? Where I am?" Yawned Kilella, as she woke up and looked around in a slight daze.


    It was the next morning, the 3rd of November, and finally, my sister had woken up. Her I-Watch had been buzzing with messages and missed calls, I glanced at them to make sure none of them were an emergency, and after making sure of that, I decided to ignore them and let her sleep.


    But after a while it started to feel like she was never going to wake up, so I figured I''d watch some anime to pass the time. And a few episodes in, she woke up at last...


    "Hey, good morning, sis. You certainly slept like a log," I greeted her, as I closed my laptop.


    "Huh? Oh, hey, little bro...," She muttered in response, before her eyes widened and she stood up with a start, nearly falling over as her knees wobbled, before grabbing my shoulders, "How are you feeling, Zax? Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere? Did you get enough rest? What about-?"


    "W-woah, slow down, big sis! I''m fine, nothing to worry about," I responded assuringly, trying to calm her down.


    "Are you sure? You''re not just playing tough or something, right? It''s okay, you can tell me! If there''s anything wrong, tell me, even if it''s something minor!"


    "Okay, I will, if I notice anything! But there''s nothing wrong as far as I can tell, so relax, Ella," I stated, lightly hitting her forehead with mine to get her to back off a bit, since she was kinda crowding me.


    "Well, if you say so, I guess...," She trailed off, looking unconvinced, before shaking her head and changing the subject, "Anyway, how long was I out for? I''m starting to feel kinda hungry."


    "Let''s see, you brought me home at around 4 PM yesterday, and fell asleep pretty much as soon as you sat down in that chair, and it''s now a bit past 10 AM, so...eighteen hours, more or less," I surmised.


    "What? I...I don''t think I''ve ever slept for that long in one go before," She remarked in surprise, before staring at the chair she fell asleep in with narrowed eyes, "Wait, you said that I fell asleep on that chair. Did I wake up at some point and move to the bed? Crap, I''m sorry, Zax, didn''t mean to make you sleep on the floor-."


    "It wasn''t like that, I, uh, carried you over to the bed. You didn''t wake up or anything, not till just now. I just, uh, you know, thought you might hurt your neck or something if you slept on a chair for too long, and since you''d gotten that tired and exhausted because you were worried about and taking care of me, I felt bad...so, yeah," I muttered awkwardly, as she stared at me with a look of surprise.


    After a couple of seconds of silence, her surprised expression shifted into a wide, goofy grin as she reached over and pulled me in for a hug, ruffling my hair playfully.


    "Aw, that''s so sweet, little bro, I feel like I''m about to cry! Hehe...I''m so happy right now," She remarked cheerfully, as she kissed my forehead, "Love ya, little bro."


    "Y-yeah, I...love you too, sis," I replied quietly, kinda embarrassed...even though we''re pretty close, I''ve rarely ever had serious, heartfelt moments with her like this, and it''s really embarrassing.


    "Say, how about we go to Delectables after this? My treat, get whatever you want on the menu!" She suggested with a grin, as she continued to ruffle my hair.


    "That sounds good and all, but we''re both too recognizable in public, people will constantly stare," I sighed in response, before suggesting, "How about I wear a disguise and go pick some stuff up from there? If it''s not enough, I can just make copies, remember?"


    "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that...heh, that''s a dangerous ability, little bro, you''ll be piling on the calories drastically more than usual," She replied with a wry smile.


    "Actually, not quite. Any copies I make only last ten minutes, no matter what. I realized that during the last teamwork exam, I made copies of the food we brought, but after a while, we felt hungry again. After I realized that, we had to take constant and regular food breaks, it didn''t slow us down all that much, but nevertheless, it did slow us down. So this only works as a temporary solution to hunger...it''s actually kind of a great way to go on a diet, make copies of small portion of food to savor the taste, but without tacking on the extra calories," I surmised wryly.


    "Huh...yeah, that makes sense. You know, if physical money still existed, you''d probably be able to save a ton of money by only using copies to buy stuff," She replied with a laugh.


    "Sure, except that I''d be caught once they realize that the money disappears after a few minutes," I pointed out in response.


    "Not if you''re careful! You could wear a disguise whenever you go to buy stuff, that way security cam footage is useless! And you could avoid making big purchases, I bet most cashiers won''t notice a few notes disappearing from, uh...what were those machines called, again? Those ones that stores used to use before WWIII, the ones that make the ''cha-ching'' sound when they''re opened?" She tried to recall with a frown.


    "You mean cash registers?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, those! Wait, what was I talking about again?" She replied with a confused frown.


    "Oh, nothing important, you were just making it clear that you''ve thought about crime a lot," I responded with an exasperated, and slightly amused, sigh.


    "Hehe, maybe just a little bit. I don''t know why, but when I was a kid, I really liked watching those clips of thieves robbing stores. I mean, most of what I watched were movie clips or short skits, there wasn''t much real footage to be found, but still, somehow I really enjoyed that stuff," She explained with a sheepish grin.


    "Huh...sounds like you were a weird kid, sis," I replied dryly.


    "Hey, that''s not very nice, little bro! It''s not like you didn''t have any weird habits when you were a kid, I remember how you used to-...," She began with a mischievous smirk.


    "Okay, let''s not go down this particular path of memory lane. Anyway, you must be pretty hungry after sleeping for that long, sis. I''ll go get some food from Delectables for breakfast and, uh, lunch too. In the meantime, you can relax here till I''m back," I informed her, as I put on a jacket and began heading out.


    "Aw, you sure you don''t want me to tag along?"


    "Yeah, don''t worry about it, you just woke up. I''ll be back soon."


    "Thanks, you''re the best little brother ever!" She exclaimed as I walked out the door, a wide grin on her face.


    That''s definitely an exaggeration...I mean, considering everything she''s done for me over the years, something like this is the least I can do. There''s little doubt in my mind though, that she''s the best big sister ever...


    ...


    About an hour later, I was back home, having picked up a couple of boxes filled with an assortment of tasty treats. They were kinda heavy to carry all the way back though, so once I made sure that no one was looking, I used Cut to make things easier. While my Anomaly powers aren''t exactly a secret anymore, it doesn''t hurt to be cautious.


    As I reached my place, I began to open the door, before stopping right as my hand touched the handle...wait, I don''t want a repeat of what happened in Ruby''s place, even if it''s not as bad as what I saw back then, I''d rather eliminate any risk of me walking in on her changing or something.


    That last time was traumatizing enough, I''m not gonna add to it. Especially since it feels like we''ve finally moved past it to a point where we can pretend it never happened, no need to reopen the wound. I rang the doorbell instead, taking a step back with a sigh.


    "Yes, who is it?" Asked Kilella, as she opened the door, before adding in surprise as she saw me, "Oh, Zax. The door wasn''t locked, you could have just come in."


    "Yeah, guess so, I think I just spaced out for a sec, that''s all," I responded nonchalantly, as I walked in.


    Better not tell her the real reason I didn''t just walk in, might make things all awkward again.


    "Oh, okay. Wait, didn''t you get anything? Were they closed or something?" She inquired, noticing that I was empty-handed, "Shall I order some delivery instead or-?"


    "Nah, no need, I got the stuff...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Paste>," I chanted, the two boxes of sweets appearing on my desk.


    "Wow, you really make full use of your powers, don''t you, little bro?" She remarked with a wry smile.


    "I mean, back when I was hiding my powers, I pretty much only used them in everyday situations...like repeatedly reliving weekends and whatnot," I responded sheepishly.


    "Heh, I''d totally do that to, if I had your powers," She replied with a grin.


    "I''m sure you would...well, anyway, shall we eat?" I suggested, holding up the boxes.


    "Yeah, let''s! Ooh, I know, let''s watch a movie or something while we eat, we did that a lot when we were kids, remember? Can we eat on the bed? I know it''s a bad habit, but I like to relax while eating," She requested hopefully, with a sheepish grin.


    "Sure, that works for me, but you''re cleaning it up if any food falls on the bed. I''ll set my laptop up," I replied, putting my laptop on my desk.


    After picking a movie, I set the boxes on the bed and opened them up, before the two of us began chomping down on them. Not gonna lie, this is pretty sweet, pun intended.


    Most of my family seriously sucked, my mother left zero impression on me and my father was...a total fuckhead. But without a doubt, when it comes to Kilella, I''m genuinely grateful that she''s my sister, I probably wouldn''t be the person I am today if it wasn''t for her...no, I definitely wouldn''t be the person I am today if it wasn''t for her.


    I probably wouldn''t go so far as to say this to her directly, it''d be too embarrassing, but...she means the world to me...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 171 - 170 - Invitation

    Today''s the 25th of December, a little under two months after the end of that combat exam. Public opinion of the X-Warrior Zone had continued to grow worse and worse since then, which was to be expected.


    Considering how many people had died in the last year, you can''t exactly blame the public for their outrage. A lot of people had lost loved ones thanks to the string of incidents we''ve gone through lately, and that''s not counting the victims that were currently stuck in vegetative states.


    Most of their loved ones were probably still clinging to the false hope that they might wake up someday, but those hopes will never come true.


    A few days after the end of the combat exam, I went to apologize to Kiran''s parents, who were both devastated. But they didn''t blame me at all, instead directing their hatred towards the Academy and the X-Warrior Zone in general, as most others had done and were doing.


    It was starting to get out of hand, there were protests in the streets, severe criticism online, many of those involved in the running and operations of the X-Warrior Zone were being harrassed with stuff like vandalism to their homes, death threats, and other harassment methods inspired by the pre-WWIII era.


    Director Silva bore a significant amount of all that, since she was the highest authority in charge of the X-Warrior Zone. The governments of each of the four quadrants understood the situation a lot better than the people did, since they''ve been actively involved in the X-Warrior Zone too, but they''ve kept that quiet and stayed neutral in this conflict.


    Pretty cowardly if you ask me, the governments had always kept their involvement in the X-Warrior Zone a secret, I only knew because Director Silva had once let it slip by accident. I kept it to myself though, I have no intention of stirring up more trouble and controversy.


    Anyway, while the governments may be staying quiet for now, it probably won''t be long before the public uproar pressures them into taking action. I find myself doubting that the higher ups of the X-Warrior Zone will remain the same after this year.


    Here''s how it works, at the start of each new year, the top members of each of the four governments gather and discuss whether the X-Warrior Zone should continue as it is or if a new administration should take over. If they go with the former, then they discuss whether or not the current director is good enough or if a new director needs to be chosen.


    And if they go with the latter, they discuss whether anyone from the previous administration should stay on, in order to ensure a smooth transition. After that, candidates are picked for the director position and other important roles, which are decided by a good old-fashioned public vote. Usually, it''s mostly just X-Warriors that actually bother to vote, but I have a feeling that a lot more people are going to vote this time.


    Several X-Warriors are invited to attend these annual meetings, and the meetings are also livestreamed online, to assure the public that there''s no corruption or politics in the process.


    Public opinion is also taken into account, using online polls to see where the opinion of the majority lies. Director Silva and the current administration had gone largely unchanged for the past eight years, during which Director Silva had been in charge for the last six, after the previous director retired and highly recommended her to be his successor.


    In the past, the live streams of these election meetings didn''t get many views. Since things rarely went wrong back then, most people didn''t really care about the administration of the X-Warrior Zone.


    But now, with so much having gone wrong in the span of less than a year, very few people can remain indifferent anymore. Of course, most of what''s gone wrong hasn''t been the fault of the administration, but they''re the only ones that the public can really blame.


    Things had certainly been tense at the Academy too, it''s not like we were all silent or something, but there was a definite sense of tension in the air, so it all felt kinda half-hearted, though that was slowly starting to fade, as things began settling down a bit. Oh, and the final round of exams for Level Q finished two days ago.


    But unlike the exams that were held two months ago, we didn''t go outside the Sanctuary at all, most of our exams back in Level J were easier than this batch of exams were...well, except for the written exam, which was kinda difficult this time around, but the combat and teamwork exams were as easy as they come.


    Following Kiran''s death, the number of students in my class was down to eleven, having started out with sixteen. And the difference of five didn''t include a single dropout, all of them had died...Alex Jaice, Jian Lee, Misaki Aki, Andre Phillips...and Kiran Sigdel.


    With the two most recent deaths, the assigned teams in my class were now lopsided, so a change was made. For the rest of our time at the Academy, we''d be split into two teams, my team of five remained as it was, while the rest were combined into a team of six.


    Our official teams would also remain as such once we graduate. No one had dropped out from my class, but there were some dropouts from the Level K and A classes. I''m guessing some of those were pressured by their parents to do so.


    Well, on the bright side, there hadn''t been any large-scale Mutant attacks, nor were there any sign of the Wights approaching the Sanctuary. Additionally, the area outside the Sanctuary was now highly secure, roads had been built, connecting all the various bases...though it seemed kinda unnecessary since people can easily just teleport between them.


    And on the outermost ring of bases surrounding the Sanctuary, a wall that was about a hundred meters tall had been built, spanning the entire circle of a hundred and twenty-five kilometer radius around the Sanctuary.


    With the Disintegration and Dampening Fields in place, infiltration was effectively impossible. At least, on paper...the Wights might still have some Anomalies with powers that can bypass our security measures. Anomaly powers are highly unpredictable and dangerous, it''s pretty much impossible to account for all of them, especially when the majority are unknown.


    Well, anyway, like I said, today''s the 25th of December, aka Christmas, so let''s set aside all the heavy stuff for today. Religions aren''t a thing anymore, so it has no religious significance to anyone in this era, but despite that, it''s still the biggest holiday in the Sanctuary.


    Usually, I don''t really do anything on Christmas, at most I''ll hang out with my sister or something like that, nothing major. But this time, I had something to do...well, it''s more accurate to call it an option, but I think I just might go for it.


    Specifically, Mitchell had invited me to a party at his place, along with the rest of the class, since his parents were apparently out and wouldn''t be back till the next say.


    I''ve never been to a party at someone''s house before, and I kinda found the idea appealing, but the problem is that he invited everyone in the class, and by that, I mean EVERYONE. So I was a little bit reluctant to go and hadn''t yet confirmed whether or not I was going to be there, but I feel like I''m leaning more towards going than not going.


    I let out a sigh and tapped on my I-Watch, bringing up the holoscreen and opening my messaging app. Mitchell had made a group chat with everyone in the class, so that he could confirm who was coming and who wasn''t.


    It was supposed to start at 7 PM, and it''s currently a little past 5 PM right now, which means that I''m one of the last ones left who''s yet to confirm. So far, seven people had confirmed, and one had turned down the invitation due to having other plans. That was Makoto, and of the three remaining that were yet to respond, there was myself, Taayin and Asshole.


    I didn''t realize it at first, but I was waiting for Asshole to respond, and hopefully, say that he can''t come...if that happens, I won''t have any reason to hesitate. I mean, yeah, Bytra''s gonna be there and all, but a bit of my animosity towards her has subsided, just a little.


    After the combat exam, she contacted me a few days later, gave me a call. It was a pretty awkward conversation, not gonna lie. But, admittedly, it wasn''t unpleasant. She just asked me if I was doing alright, and I thanked her for trying to drag me back after I passed out, since I was genuinely grateful.


    Since then, I haven''t really interacted with her all that much, excluding a few minor arguments here and there.


    My I-Watch then suddenly buzzed as I got a notification, a new message in the group text. Please be Asshole saying that he won''t be able to make it, that''d mean the world to me right now...


    ''I''ll be there, though might be a bit late!'', it was a response from Taayin.


    Crap, that only leaves me and Asshole...not good, I don''t want to be the last one to respond, that seems a little arrogant. Not sure why or how that even makes sense, but somehow, it did. Fuck it, I''ll respond too...


    ''I can make it too'', I typed and sent, letting out a sigh.


    Oh, someone sent another message, literally seconds after I sent mine...and sure enough, it''s him...


    ''Sorry for the late response, I didn''t feel right responding before Kilzachs, I didn''t want to offend him. Unfortunately, I won''t be able to make it, I''ve got other plans. But thank you for the invitation!''


    Are you...are you kidding me right now!? The reason why he didn''t respond all this time...was because he was waiting for me to respond first!?


    Wha-...what the fuck, man!?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 172 - 171 - Christmas Party(Part 1)

    "Yo, glad you could make it," Greeted Mitchell with a grin, as he opened the door and let me in.


    "Oh, right, uh...thanks for inviting me," I replied awkwardly.


    "Heh, what''s with the nervousness, dude? That''s so not like you,"	He remarked with a smirk.


    Huh, he''s got a point. Plus it''s just him, there''s no reason to feel awkward or nervous...


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I sighed in response, as I walked in.


    The front door opened into a large hall, with couches, a huge TV screen and a table full of snacks and drinks, both alcoholic and otherwise. There was also a spiral staircase that led upto a first floor. This is about the same size as the house I grew up in, which is really big.


    "Hey, Kilzachs, you made it!" Grinned Lin, waving me over as I walked in.


    "Yeah, uh, hi," I responded...okay, yeah, maybe I''m a bit too nervous.


    It was currently a little bit past 7 PM on the 25th of December, and I''d just arrived at what was essentially the first party I''ve ever been to. And I couldn''t help but feel kinda jittery and restless.


    Well, anyway, I''ll just have to settle down as soon as possible, this is embarrassing. Hm, looks like I''m the fifth to arrive-...or rather, fourth...-since Mitchell lives here, he doesn''t really count. Besides him, Lin and myself, Seila and Zoya were the other two that had arrived.


    "Feel free to roam around and have some snacks until everyone gets here, though go easy on the booze if you don''t mind, let''s save it for when we''re all here," Grinned Mitchell, smacking my shoulder as he walked past me, a big dog following after him, brushing against my leg.


    Oh, I see some puppies too...looks like Huskies. Wonder if it''s okay to pet them? Eh, I''ll ask him later, first things first...I see a tray full of brownies.


    "Sure, thanks," I replied, before heading for the table with the snacks and picking up a slice of brownie.


    I bit into it and let out an internal sigh of pleasure, as the rich, bitter sweetness coated my taste buds. Wow, this is really good...the outside has a slight crunchy texture to it while the inside is really soft and gooey.


    "Your face always lights up when you eat sweets, it''s kinda amusing since you usually look so serious," Remarked Seila as she walked up to me with a wave.


    "Wha-...leave me alone, I know that my sweet tooth is a bit more prevalent that most, you don''t have to rub it in," I grumbled in response, as I took another bite.


    "Just a bit?" She replied with a smile.


    "...in my defense, this is really, really good," I defended myself sheepishly.


    "Well, yeah, but you get all smiley with any and all sweets, not just the really good ones," She teased me.


    She''s gotten more and more comfortable around me and our other teammates with the more time we spend around each other, she used to keep to herself a lot more and was a little bit timid, but she has no trouble holding conversations and joking around with us now.


    It''s been a slow, gradual change, so I bet most of the others haven''t really noticed or realized it yet, but since I had pretty bad social skills to begin with, I guess I''m more conscious of that kind of stuff than the others were.


    "Well, I mean-...no, you know what, I don''t have to justify my preferences," I huffed, as I tossed the last bit of the brownie into my mouth.


    "Never said that you had to," She responded with a laugh.


    "...fair enough."


    "Oh, Suri and Katie are here, looks like our entire team has arrived. Let''s go say hi," She suggested, before talking a step forward...and losing her balance, "Woah!"


    Yeah, so...she may have come out of her shell a lot more than she used to, but uh...some things never change. She still sometimes loses her balance despite there being nothing to trip her up, and I''ve been able to avoid getting caught up in her clumsiness for a while now.


    But, this time, that''s not going to be possible. I could freeze time...except that I won''t be able to finish the chant before she crashes onto me. I can''t evade either, there was a puppy to my right, the snack table to my left, and my balance was too off to jump backwards.


    Alright, in that case, if I can''t dodge...I''ll try to catch her instead. Right as she closed in on me with an alarmed cry, I reached out to try and grab her shoulders and stop her. But I was naive...I''ve seen her trip up so many countless times that, by now, I should know that trying to stop her is futile.


    Instead of stopping her, me grabbing her shoulders only caused her to lose further control, as she automatically shot her arms out to try and grab hold of something, and ended up grabbing my shirt and pulling down on it, the sudden force causing me to lose my balance...and fall backwards.


    Also, my hands kinda slipped down from her shoulders and, well, latched onto her boobs, as I fell onto the floor and she landed on top of me. Ow, my back feels a little sore, that was rough...but my front wasn''t feeling so bad.


    A nice, warm softness pressing onto my body, and a firm yet squishy sensation in my hands. Uh-oh...considering how silent our surroundings suddenly became, it''s safe to say that everyone''s staring. It was kinda hard to think about that though, since her very soft thigh was firmly, but not too firmly, pressing into my crotch.


    "Hey, uh, mind getting off of me?" I remarked, as I quickly moved my hands away.


    "S-sorry, I tripped!" She stuttered in embarrassment, as she rolled off me and stood up, looking mortified.


    "Don''t worry about it," I sighed in response, as I stood up and dusted myself off.


    "Man, that never gets old, no matter how many times I see it," Grinned Mitchell with a look of amusement, before averting his gaze sheepishly as Seila glared at him.


    "Yeah, well, I''d prefer it not happening anymore," Chimed in Suri with a frown, as she and Katie approached us.


    "Agreed," Sighed Seila with a despondent look on her face.


    "Why don''t you sit down? Can''t trip if you''re sitting," Pointed out Katie, before she wandered over to the table of snacks.


    "Guess she has a point," Responded Seila with another sigh, before heading off to find a place to sit.


    She always gets super down in the dumps whenever she does this, and I suppose I can''t blame her for that.


    "You sure looked like you enjoyed that, didn''t you?" Inquired Suri, narrowing her eyes at me.


    "No idea what you''re talking about," I responded with an innocent shrug, playing dumb.


    "Hmph, don''t think I didn''t notice your hands," She retorted cuttingly.


    Damn, she''s got sharp eyes.


    "Yeah, well, I didn''t do that on purpose, you know," I defended myself.


    This happens every time too. I''ve gotten used to it, it''s almost like a routine at this point.


    "Is that so?" She responded, looking unconvinced, before letting out a sigh and dropping it, "Well, whatever, Seila looks kinda depressed, I''m gonna go talk to her."


    "Oh, cool, I''ll see you a bit later then," I replied, as she walked over to Seila.


    I think I''ll go get myself another brownie. As I headed for the table and reached for one, my arm bumped onto some else''s, my elbow striking their forearm.


    "Sorry about th-...oh, never mind, it''s just you," Remarked the person I''d bumped into.


    "Oh, what a relief was worried that I might have just hurt someone, but it''s just a random bitch, no harm done," I responded with a mocking sigh of relief.


    "Grr, you goddamn shithead," She muttered in reply.


    "Dumb ass whore."


    "Fucking bastard."


    "Stupid cunt."


    "Son of a bitch."


    "Bitch-ass sl-..."


    "Hey, could you two please not right now? Once you start, you never stop," Suddenly interrupted Mitchell, pushing between us.


    "She started it," I grumbled in response, before biting into another slice of brownie.


    "Huh!? You''re the one who started it, when you called me a bitch!" Bytra protested indignantly.


    "Okay, seriously, it doesn''t matter who started it, just end it," Sighed Mitchell, before adding, "If you can''t get along, then just keep a distance between you two."


    "Hmph, whatever," I grumbled, before walking away with an extra piece of brownie.


    Oh, looks like Taayin''s here too, guess that means everyone''s arrived. Uh-oh, he''s spotted me and...is heading this way.


    "Yo, Kilzachs! How about a quick bout outside, let''s throw down!" He suggested with a grin.


    Definitely saw that one coming...


    "Hell no," I turned him down immediately.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 173 - 172 - Christmas Party(Part 2)

    "Alright, now that everyone''s here, let''s get this party started, guys!" Declared Mitchell with a grin, as he walked out with a large tray full of...joints?


    That''s, uh, wow, a lot of weed. There was already a ton of alcohol on the table, several beer cans and numerous large bottles of various liquors. From my perspective, that''d already been way too much alcohol for just nine people.


    But with this ton of weed on top of that, that''s a massive amount of intoxication. I''m getting the feeling that things are gonna get messy if we consume all this, and I''m not particularly crazy about the idea of putting that much smoke and alcohol into my body...


    "Hey, uh...don''t you think that this amount is, you know...just a little much?" Inquired Zoya with a frown.


    "Nah, it''s fine, don''t worry about it! I mean, if we can''t finish it all, we can all just split the leftovers! You know, like little bits of souvenirs," Grinned Mitchell in response.


    "Yeah, there''s no way that nine of us can finish all of that by ourselves," Chimed in Suri with a grimace.


    I''m inclined to agree, and even if that wasn''t the case, like I said, I''m simply not comfortable with the idea of overly intoxicating myself.


    "You guys need to relax, parties are all about getting wasted!" Exclaimed Taayin, in agreement with Mitchell.


    "Totally, we''re all probably feel like total shit tomorrow, but it''s all about living in the moment on days like this!" Agreed Lin enthusiastically, as Mitchell began dragging the couches around to form a circle around a large coffee table.


    He then grabbed a couple of bottles of alcohol and several beer cans, taking them to the coffee table, along with the tray of joints. He also added some snacks for good measure...or should I say food measure-...no, that''s dumb, never mind.


    "Let''s get started, everyone, sit around wherever you want," Said Mitchell, gesturing to the couches around the coffee table.


    Well, whatever, this is my first party so I''ll just go with the flow and see how it goes. I sat down near where the tray of brownies had been placed...all the other snacks were savories, these brownies are the only sweets I''ve seen. But they''re really good, so I''m not complaining. Plus I''m not so rude that I''d complain about the party to the host for a reason like that.


    "Hey," Remarked Katie, as she sat down to my right.


    "Oh, hey," I responded, though my focus was fixed on the brownies.


    Huh, looks like I finished the brownie slice that I was eating...now I feel all empty. Well, easy fix. I reached out to grab another slice, before biting into it...ahh, there we go, much better. Mitchell then put on some music, before joining the circle, as Suri sat down to my left.


    "So, uh, we just gonna sit around, drink and smoke?" Inquired Taayin, as he picked up a beer can.


    "Nah, not quite, we''re gonna do more than just that...more specifically, we''re going to play some games while we drink and smoke! But first, let''s all crack open a beer, on three...," Grinned Mitchell in response, before counting down as we all picked up a can, "One...two...three!"


    The metallic cracking sound of us opening the cans echoed out, before being replaced by the sound of hissing...as every single can sprayed out as we opened them.


    "Did you shake these cans!? What the hell, man!?" Exclaimed Zoya indignantly.


    Ugh, some of it got on my glasses.


    "Yes, I did, thought it''d be a good way to kick things off," He responded with a grin, before raising his can, "Down the hatch!"


    Well, whatever...I let out a sigh before taking a gulp of the beer, the cold, bitter taste washing over my taste buds, as Mitchell took out a remote and pointed it at the TV screen on the wall, switching it on.


    "Alright, I downloaded what looked like fun party games on this, how about we start with a classic?" Suggested Mitchell with a grin, as he selected an icon with the remote.


    ''Party Games: Truth or Dare'', huh. I took another gulp of my beer as he set the game up, setting the number of players to nine, adding each of our names to a respective player slot, and then getting to something called ''Level'', with the following options; E, 13+ and 18+.


    "Hey, we''re not doing any creepy dares or whatever!" Protested Suri, as he began to select the 18+ level.


    "Oh, don''t worry about it, it''s not that big a deal!" Responded Mitchell dismissively, before adding, "This game is point-based, so if you don''t want to do a certain dare or tell a certain truth, you can skip, in exchange for forgoing any points that round. Also, whoever ends up with the least amount of points is given a penalty dare at the end. Other than that, this game works the same as any old game of truth or dare, except that we won''t be giving or asking each other dares or questions, it''ll all be done by this app!"


    Hm, I guess that does make it kinda neutral.


    "I think it sounds like fun, let''s give it a shot," Said Lin encouragingly, after a couple of seconds of uncertain silence.


    "Yeah, relax and loosen up, guys," Agreed Taayin, as he picked up a joint and lit it up, taking a couple of puffs before passing it around.


    As Mitchell finished setting up the game and clicked ''begin'', his name was the first to pop up, meaning that the first round would be his turn.


    "Huh, guess I''m starting things off. Alright, then, I''m not gonna take it easy, let''s go with dare," Grinned Mitchell, before selecting the ''dare'' option on the screen.


    Let''s see...''Give a one-minute foot massage to the player on your left.'' The person to his left was Zoya, who looked kinda apprehensive.


    "Wait, uh, I don''t know about this...," Muttered Zoya with a frown.


    "Oh, come on, it''s no big deal...as far as dares go, a foot massage is absolutely nothing," Lin persuaded her.


    "Well...," She began hesitantly, before chugging down the rest of her beer and slamming the empty can onto the coffee table with a loud sigh, "Alright, fine, get it over with."


    She took off her heels and lifted her feet up, placing them on Mitchell''s lap.


    "Okay, uh...here goes, I guess," Responded Mitchell, a little awkwardly, before he began kneading her feet.


    He seems almost surprised that she agreed to it, even though, like Lin said, this isn''t that extreme of a dare in the slightest. Also, after Mitchell began, everyone went quiet, it was starting to feel kinda awkward.


    As Suri then passed the joint to me, I took a puff to distract myself from the awkwardness, but pulled a bit too hard and ended up letting out a sharp cough...ow, that really sucked, my nostrils and the back of my throat feel kinda sore after that.


    "Huh, wow, you''re actually pretty good at this," Suddenly remarked Zoya in surprise, as about half a minute passed...she looked a little bit fidgety though, wonder what that''s all about.


    "Oh, uh, thanks...my dad''s made me massage him since I was like six or seven, so I''m used to it," He responded sheepishly, as he continued pressing his fingers into the soles of her feet.


    He then moved up to her toes, but as he began to massage the areas between her toes, she let out a stifled moan, before trying to pass it off as a cough, but not very convincingly.


    "Heh, nice, shit''s finally getting spicy!" Chuckled Taayin in amusement.


    "Wh-wha-...! N-nothing''s getting spicy!" Sputtered Zoya in response, turning red with embarrassment.


    "Hey, stop moving, I nearly twisted one of your toes!" Added Mitchell in alarm, before letting out a sigh of relief.


    "Doesn''t matter, it''s been a minute already," I chimed in.


    Might as well put a stop to this, the secondhand embarrassment is killing me.


    "Oh, thank God!" Exclaimed Zoya, putting her feet back down.


    "Well, uh, anyway, moving on! Uh, it''s your turn next, Zoya," Replied Mitchell awkwardly, handing her the remote.


    "Truth...definitely truth," She stated firmly, as she selected the ''truth'' option with the remote.


    ''Describe the details of the last wet dream you had''...damn, now I''m starting to feel bad for her.


    "Ooh, now this is interesting, spill the beans!" Grinned Lin with a look of intrigue, as she took a deep puff of the joint.


    "Wha-..hell, no! I pass," Zoya responded immediately.


    "That''s fine, but don''t forget, if you end up with the least amount of points, you''ll have an extra penalty dare. Oh, right, guess I should explain how the scoring works in this game...dares are worth five points while truths are worth three, and being involved in someone else''s dare gets you one point. In other words, so far I''ve got five points and you''ve got one," Surmised Mitchell.


    "Yeah, I don''t care, I pass," She replied with a huff, undeterred.


    "Aw, man, that sucks. Oh, well, hope things start heating up from here on!" Smirked Taayin, as he gulped down a drink.


    And I''m hoping for the opposite. While, yes, risky dares could be entertaining to watch, I''d rather not get caught up in one myself. Well, it''ll be a while before my turn, so let''s just wait and see how it goes...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 174 - 173 - Christmas Party(Part 3)

    Man, everyone''s kinda on edge thanks to this game. And as a result, they''d drank a bit more than they otherwise would. Are games supposed to be this stressful? Four turns had been completed so far, after Zoya''s turn ended, Lin and Taayin went next, both of them choosing dare.


    Lin''s dare was to take off an article of clothing, which she had no trouble doing, since she was wearing an unbuttoned shirt over a tube tob. She took the shirt off with a nonchalant shrug, completing the dare pretty much instantly.


    And Taayin''s dare was to speak in a high-pitched voice till his next turn, though he seemed pretty disappointed that he got such an innocuous dare. Some of the others seemed kinda envious that he''d gotten an easy dare, especially Zoya.


    Anyway, next up was Bytra''s turn, and she looked like she was already pretty drunk. She''d finished her beer and had also taken a shot of vodka, she didn''t seem to have a very high tolerance and looked more than a little inebriated...it''s barely been half an hour since I arrived, and already, it''s starting to look like things are going to get messy...


    "Oh, it''s my turn? Okay, I''ll go with truth," She remarked with a slight slur, before picking up the remote but fumbling a bit, and ended up selecting dare, "No, I meant to choose-...well, whatever, I guess I don''t mind."


    The dare then loaded on the screen, it said...''spin a bottle, and then sit on the lap of whoever it lands on for a minute''.


    "I don''t think I have any empty bottles, so spin one of the empty beer cans. Go with whoever the top end points to," Suggested Mitchell, as Bytra looked around.


    "Okay, I''ll use mine," She replied, spinning her can on the coffee table.


    It then began to slow down...and stopped as the top end of the can pointed at me. Oh, hell, no...


    "Uh...can I refuse?" I frowned in apprehension.


    "Nope! Though she can opt to skip this turn," Responded Mitchell.


    "Hey, skip your turn, bitch," I said to her bluntly.


    "Huh? Well, I was considering it, but since you asked so ''nicely'', I think I won''t skip it after all," She replied with a sarcastic huff, before standing up and walking around the coffee table, with a slight stumble.


    "You goddamn bitch...," I muttered in response, as she walked over towards me and then sat on my lap, before I started the timer on my I-Watch...I''m not gonna go through this for any longer than I have to.


    Okay, time to distract myself, because as much as I hate to admit it, she''s got a really soft butt and thighs, which were pressing down onto me firmly...


    "Now, this is more like it," Grinned Taayin, speaking in a ridiculous high-pitched voice, as he poured himself a drink.


    I leaned forward and reached for the table, picking up a joint and lighting it up with a sigh, biting my lower lip to distract myself as Bytra shifted herself around.


    "Hehe, let us know if you feel anything poking you, Bytra," Snickered Lin with a goofy laugh, clearly drunk.


    "Hm? What do you mean?" She responded with a confused tilt of her head.


    Damn it, stop shifting around, it feels way too good to ignore! Alright, thirty seconds down, I''m halfway through...just keep calm and think non-sexual thoughts.


    "Gotta say, it looks like you''re barely keeping yourself together, Kilzachs," Smirked Mitchell, as he took a puff of the joint I''d passed around.


    "No idea what you''re talking about," I replied, keeping my tone and expression as even as possible.


    "Hey, um...why are you glaring at me?" Bytra suddenly asked Suri.


    "Wha-...I''m not glaring at you, must be your imagination," Suri responded with a huff.


    "Okay, one minute is up! Get off me, bitch," I remarked, giving her back a light push.


    "Hmph, as if I want to be here any longer than I have to, shithead," She shot back, as she stood up and walked back to her spot.


    Thank fuck, it''s finally over. Any longer and I probably wouldn''t have been able to keep myself calm.


    "Alright, this game is starting to heat up! Let''s keep going! Next up is...Seila!" Exclaimed Mitchell, as he clicked on the remote.


    "Okay, um, I''ll go with truth," She replied without any hesitation.


    "Alright...oh, I forgot to mention, the way this game works is that you can''t pick truth twice in a row, so everyone who chose truth this round, will have to pick dare next round," Remarked Mitchell, before adding, "Oh, and another thing, the questions and dares slowly get more and more risqu¨¦ with every turn."


    "Wha-...now you tell us!?" Snapped Zoya indignantly.


    "Oh, uh...my bad? Anyway, you sure you wanna go with truth, Seila?" Mitchell asked her.


    "Well, um...yeah, I''ll stick with it," She replied, after hesitating for a moment.


    Let''s see...''Are you sexually attracted to any of the other players?''


    "Now that''s an interesting question," Laughed Lin in amusement, before turning to Seila with a sly smile, "Well, got the hots for anyone here?"


    "No, not really. At least, I don''t think so," She responded with a shake of her head.


    "Well, that''s boring," Sighed Taayin in disappointment.


    "Um...sorry, I guess?" Shrugged Seila in bemusement, before pouring herself a drink and downing it.


    The next turn was Katie''s, she''d been as quiet as usual so far, slowly sipping her glassful of vodka and watching...after her, it''d be my turn, then Suri''s and then back to Mitchell again, and the whole cycle would repeat itself.


    "Hey, how many rounds of this game are we going to play, anyway?" I inquired curiously.


    "Hm? Oh, uh, I don''t know...maybe, like, five rounds?" Replied Mitchell, after taking a second to mull it over.


    "Absolutely not!" Protested Zoya immediately.


    "Agreed, this is fun and all, but let''s switch it up after, say, two more rounds, so three in total?" Added Lin, suggesting a compromise.


    "I can live with that," Agreed Bytra, slurring more noticeably now.


    "Yeah, um, me too," Spoke up Seila.


    "Alright, fine, three rounds it is. But we''ve still got three more turns to go in this first round, so let''s finish ''em off! Katie, T or D?" Inquired Mitchell with a grin.


    "Dare, I guess," She replied, her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol, but she seemed to be in control of herself.


    Also, Mitchell hadn''t been exaggerating when he said that the dares get more risqu¨¦ the longer the games goes on...Katie''s dare was to ''Kiss the player nearest to you''.


    "Alright, this is the best one yet!" Grinned Lin mischievously, before adding, "As far as ''player nearest to you'' goes, looks like either Seila or Kilzachs are viable options...so, which one you gonna pick?"


    "I''d prefer to skip, but I can only imagine how bad the penalty dare is, so I''d rather rack up some points, but...," Katie muttered with a slight crease of her eyebrows, before her eyes widened as if she''d realized something, "Wait, this dare doesn''t specify where I have to kiss them..."


    Oh, yeah, she''s right...it doesn''t specifically say that it has to be a kiss on the lips or something, and now that that''s out in the open, it suddenly feels like this dare is a lot more innocuous than it had initially seemed. And having realized that, Katie wasted no time, turning to Seila and giving her a kiss on the cheek.


    "Does this mean that I get a point now too?" Asked Seila.


    "Yup, them''s the rules," Replied Mitchell, as he entered the results and updated the score count, before pressing next...and bringing up my turn.


    I''ve been dreading this moment, and now that it''s here, all I can do is get through it as best I can. Hm, how should I play this? If I choose truth, then I''ll have to choose dare next round, but I''ll also be able to choose truth again during the third round.


    "Uh, Kilzachs?"


    But then again, the second round''s dare is likely to be a lot more difficult...no, but if I choose dare now, then I''ll be forced to choose dare again for the third round, assuming that I go with truth in the second round...


    "Hey, earth to Kilzachs!"


    Hold up, maybe I shouldn''t be underestimating the truths...some of the others have gotten some pretty difficult to answer questions so far, and if the questions get even more invasive, I''d prefer to avoid them. Damn it, this game is tougher than you''d think-...!


    "Yo, did you go deaf or something!? It''s your turn!" Suddenly yelled Mitchell straight into my ear, startling me and causing me to swing my arm out in alarm, the back of my fist striking him square on the nose.


    "Huh, wha-...!? Oh, it''s just you, Mitchell...you scared me, don''t shout so close," I grumbled, rubbing my ear.


    "Y-yeah...I regret that now. Anyway, uh, it''s your turn, dude," He responded in a pained voice, as he gingerly rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Damn, that really hurt...I''ll consider myself lucky that you didn''t break it."


    "Sorry, I guess...though you did kinda bring it on yourself," I replied wryly, before making my decision, "Alright, then...I pick truth."


    "Right, got it," He replied as he sat back down, pressing the remote.


    The question for me to answer is...''Have you ever made out with any of the other players? If so, who?''


    ...maybe I should''ve gone with dare, after all...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 175 - 174 - Christmas Party(Part 4)

    Should I skip? Or maybe lie? What should I do?


    "You''ve been silent for a while," Slurred Taayin with a sly look, "You better not lie, dude!"


    Tch, his instincts are as sharp as always. How annoying.


    "Yeah, no lying! That''s totally not okay, don''t break the spirit of the game!" Exclaimed Mitchell in agreement, looking pretty drunk himself.


    ''Spirit of the game'', my foot, I effectively have to answer two questions here, that''s so not fair! I already have a point, since I was a part of Bytra''s dare, so maybe I can afford to skip this...but, then, if the dare I choose in the next round is more sexual than the ones so far, I''ll be in trouble.


    "Okay, this hesitation obviously means that the answer is a yes! So if you say no, we''ll know that you''re lying," Surmised Lin smugly.


    Damn it, she''s right, I should have lied and said no as soon as the question loaded up on the screen. Tch, the alcohol is compromising my thinking speed or whatever, I''m not full-on drunk yet, but I''m more than a little buzzed.


    "Fine, yes, but I''d rather not say who," I relented with a sigh.


    From the corner of my eye, I glanced at Suri, who looked both relieved and annoyed at the same time. I then subtly shifted my gaze over to Bytra, who averted her gaze as I caught her eye.


    "I mean, it seems unfair to give you the points without answering the whole thing, so...," Trailed off Mitchell uncertainly.


    "Well, if we''re talking about being fair, all the previous truth questions were just a single question, but mine has a second, follow-up question," I countered objectively.


    "I have to agree, getting two questions in one truth seems excessive," Added Zoya in agreement, though she was probably saying that because she wanted to set a precedent for in case she gets into a similar situation.


    "Alright, fine...in the event that we get two questions like this one, we''ll call the follow-up optional," Sighed Mitchell with a look of disappointment.


    Great, looks like I''m going to be able to just about avoid this-...


    "Not so fast! Let''s put it to a vote!" Suddenly protested Lin.


    Huh? Why? No!


    "Agreed!" Chimed in Taayin.


    No! Disagreed!


    "Yeah, that''s fair. All in favor of disregarding the complaints and accepting truths with follow-up questions, raise your hands," Remarked Mitchell, before raising his hand.


    This should work in my favor, I think the majority here would prefer that this game doesn''t get too out of control. Lin and Taayin both raised their hands, before Bytra raised hers too...grr, that bitch, I bet she''s only doing this to spite me!


    Still, that''s four out of nine, so they failed to get the majority-...to my surprise, Suri then hesitantly raised her hand too, and for a moment, I thought I saw her defiantly glare at Bytra. Uh-oh, I don''t like the direction in which this is going.


    "Then it''s settled, we got the majority vote! Sorry, Kilzachs, but if you want the points, you gotta answer the follow-up question too!" Grinned Mitchell triumphantly.


    Suri''s reasons notwithstanding, that bitch Bytra definitely raised her hand to spite me...but I refuse to let her win so easily. You know what, fuck it, I''ll just power through and get it over and done with, like ripping off a band-aid...


    "Alright, fine, her and her. There, done," I responded with a huff, after pointing at Suri and Bytra.


    I then grabbed a vodka bottle and chugged down a couple of gulps from it, feeling a little stressed out.


    "Damn, nice-...I mean, let''s verify the answer before moving on!" Smirked Lin, before narrowing her eyes mischievously and glancing between Bytra and Suri, "So, this true or what?"


    "Mhm...," Muttered Suri, as she averted her gaze, her face turning red.


    "Yeah, it''s true," Sighed Bytra in response...hmph, I win, bitch.


    "Oh, the players you pointed out each get a point too," Noticed Mitchell as he confirmed the end of my turn and updated the score count.


    Seriously? Well, whatever, looks like we''re down to the last turn of round one, and it''s Suri''s turn.


    "I''ll go with dare," She decided, as she munched on some potato chips.


    "Aight, got it," He replied with a thumbs up, as he fiddled with the remote.


    At first, he''d been passing the remote around to whoever''s turn it was, but at some point he''d starting holding onto it.


    Anyway, Suri''s dare was to...''Flash your tits to the other players''. Well, that escalated quickly.


    "Wha-...hell no, pass!" She protested immediately in bewildered indignation.


    "Hey, if it''s going to get worse than that, then maybe we should end the game here," Frowned Zoya with a look of dread on her face.


    "Aw, but it''s just getting good," Argued Lin with a look of disappointment.


    I quickly glanced around at everyone...yeah, after that last dare, most of them were looking pretty apprehensive. They were all quite significantly drunk and high at this point, but that wasn''t clouding their judgement, not with this, anyway. In which case, the best way to settle this is...


    "Let''s put it to a vote. Who wants to end the game right now?" I inquired as I raised my hand.


    "Hey, no fair!" Complained Mitchell with a whine.


    "On the contrary, I say it''s very fair," Countered Zoya with a frown, also raising her hand.


    Suri raised her hand too, as did Seila...good, just one more and this game is over. Bytra looked conflicted over whether or not to raise her hand...she definitely didn''t want to continue, but she also didn''t want to agree with me. I''d probably be in a similar dilemma if our roles were reversed.


    Wait, Mitchell, Lin and Taayin not raising their hands, I can understand, and I''ve already figured Bytra''s reason. But...why is Katie''s hand still down? Does she want to continue? As always, she''s the one person that I can''t read...


    "Hey, Katie, do you seriously want to keep going with this?" Inquired Suri with a surprised frown, as she reached over and shook her by the shoulder.


    "Hm, what?" She responded with a start, as if she''d been half asleep, "Sorry, what did you say? I wasn''t paying attention."


    Woah, the whites of her eyes are super red...and since her irises were red to begin with, it looked both creepy and cool at the same time. She isn''t slurring that much, so I''m guessing she''s got a weaker tolerance for weed than with alcohol.


    Seila quickly brought her up to speed on the current situation, and as she finished explaining, Katie nodded before raising her hand too.


    "Aw, man, I feel so blueballed," Sighed Mitchell despondently.


    "Yeah, same here," Agreed Lin with another sigh.


    "Just when it was starting to get REALLY good, too," Complained Taayin, also sighing.


    Yeah, of everyone here, these three had definitely been the most into this game.


    "Well, whatever, I kinda expected this," Mitchell suddenly shrugged it off, before ending the game, "Alright, let''s have a look at the scores, and...Zoya and Suri both tie for last place, which means that you both have to do the penalty dare. Which is..."


    As he loaded up the penalty dare before either of them could protest, it read...''The last place players have to make out for ten seconds''. Oh...now, that, I wouldn''t mind seeing.


    "No way!" They both protested immediately.


    "Um, I was wondering this the moment you mentioned it, but, uh...how exactly are you going to enforce this penalty dare?" Inquired Seila curiously.


    "Huh? Well, uh...I just sorta assumed that the losers would uphold the spirit of the game and go for it...but I can''t exactly force them, so...I guess, no, I can''t enforce it," Replied Mitchell, a downcast look on his face after mulling it over.


    "Hmph, you''re crazy if you think I''d agree to this," Huffed Suri with a glare.


    "Same here, I''d have refused even if I was drunk out of my mind," Added Zoya in agreement.


    I''m surprised that he actually even thought that this would work at all, he''s an idiot but he''s not stupid...at least, that''s what I assumed.


    "Alright, fine...in that case, let''s move on to the next game!" He suddenly suggested with a grin, as he pulled a box out from under the couch.


    ...okay, it looks like he didn''t actually expect this to work, but instead, was really hoping that it would. And it the likely event that we bailed out of it earlier than expected, he prepared a back-up plan...whatever''s in that box.


    Or maybe I''m just overthinking it, and he was planning to bring it out even if the truth or dare had gone as he''d planned. Wonder what kind of game this next one is going to be...based on the fact that we opened with truth or dare, this next game will probably be something that can get sexual too-...


    "Time to draw lots, cuz we''re playing hide and seek!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.


    Wait, what?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 176 - 175 - Christmas Party(Part 5)

    "Wait, seriously? Isn''t that kind of a childish game?" Responded Suri with a raised eyebrow.


    "Heh, ordinarily, yes...but we''re all drunk and high, so it''s gonna be a fucking blast! Plus, I''ve got a couple of original rules that''ll make it extra fun!" Mitchell grinned in reply.


    His face was flushed and his eyes were red, he''s definitely a fair bit drunk and high right now. And, well, I guess I am too...and so is everyone else.


    "What rules? It better not be anything creepy," Frowned Zoya with a suspicious look on her face, as she slurred slightly.


    "Hey, what do you take me for?" He responded indignantly, before adding as he pulled out some water guns from under the couch, "The first rule is that we''ll have three seekers, and the remaining six will pair up and hide! Oh, and when a seeker finds a hider, they tag them with these water guns!"


    "Uh, how many things are you hiding under that couch?" I inquired in bemusement.


    "Hm? Oh, just one more thing...or rather, three of the same thing," He answered, as he then pulled out...plastic handcuffs, before continuing, "The pairs will be handcuffed together, and here''s the catch...each seeker is only allowed to tag one person in a pair. In other words, if they find a pair and blast one of them with their water gun, they can''t tag the other partner. Which means that each seeker can only tag a maximum of three people, and the first three people to be tagged will be the seekers for the next round. As for how we determine the pairs, that''s where these lots come in...so let''s get to drawing."


    Seems like he''s put a lot of thought into this...


    "Huh...this actually sounds like it could be fun," Remarked Bytra with a look of interest.


    "Yeah, I agree, the rules make things interesting. Is there anything else we need to know?" Asked Seila, her interest piqued.


    "Oh, uh, let me think...," He responded, looking a bit taken aback at the fact that this suggestion was being so well-received, before adding, "Well, don''t break the handcuffs...they''re only plastic, so they''re easy to break, but you know, don''t break them. Yeah, that''s about it. And here''s a clarification, you don''t have to cooperate with the person you''re paired with. For example, if you get tagged by a seeker, feel free to slow down your partner or yell and give away their location or whatever. Anyone tagged with a watergun is out of the game, but they can still affect it by slowing down the other players if they want. In other words, so long as you don''t break the rules, anything goes!"


    I was trying not to give it away, but having heard how this game was going to work, I couldn''t help but feel a little excited. I mean, I never had friends as a kid, so I never got to play games like tag or hide and seek. I felt an almost childlike giddiness and excitement welling up inside me, making me feel a little self-conscious.


    I''m twenty-one already, I shouldn''t be getting so excited over what''s basically a glorified children''s game. And yet, I couldn''t help but get excited anyway. Well, whatever, I''ll blame it on the alcohol and weed for now and just focus on enjoying this. Why deny my desires just because they''re childish, right?


    Also, anything goes so long as we don''t break the rules, huh? Hm, then maybe I should ask if-...no, on second thought, I won''t ask, because if I do, Mitchell will probably add it as a rule. Yeah, I''ll keep this thought to myself, and try it out during the game if I get the chance.


    We then began drawing lots in order to determine who the seekers would be and to pair up the rest. The seekers turned out to be Taayin, Seila and Mitchell. And as for the pairs, the first one to be formed was the pair of Bytra and Suri, neither of them looking too happy about their partner.


    The next pair to be formed was Lin and Zoya, which meant that the third pair was Katie and I. I''m pretty happy with that, she and I have hung out quite a bit ever since the X-Warrior Championship, though most of that has been us helping Director Silva conduct experiments using our powered up forms.


    Still, the bottom line is that I''ve probably spent more time with her than almost anyone else in my class, and as a result, I tend to feel pretty comfortable around her. Especially since I''ve gotten used to her demeanor, instead of feeling awkward during silences with her, I feel at ease.


    "Okay, we''ve determined who the pairs and the seekers are going to be, do we start now?" Asked Lin, stumbling a bit as she stood up.


    "Yeah, let''s get started. Seekers, set a timer for five minutes and wait here till that time''s up before coming to find us," Instructed Mitchell, before passing the handcuffs around, "Alright, pairs, link up with these, and once the timer begins, go hide. Anywhere in the house is fair game, though no locking yourselves in anywhere."


    "Wait, isn''t five minutes kinda long?" Inquired Taayin skeptically.


    "Normally, yeah, but since you''re moving in pairs, it''ll take longer to find hiding spots, not to mention that we''re very much not sober, and besides me, no one else knows the layout of my house," Pointed out Mitchell with a grin, "Alright, start the timer, let''s begin!"


    I latched one half of the handcuffs around my wrist, as Katie did the same with the other half, before the seekers began the countdown and the two of us, along with the other two pairs, began rushing to find a hiding spot.


    Well, Bytra and Suri were arguing over whether they should look for a place to hide upstairs or stay downstairs and search instead. Meanwhile, Lin and Zoya moved more decisively, with the former leading the way...looks like they must have agreed on going upstairs.


    "Shall we look for a spot upstairs?" I suggested to Katie.


    "Yeah, okay," She replied with a nod, before we headed up the stairs.


    This is a big house, and there were several rooms upstairs...I don''t see any sign of Lin or Zoya, they must have already sneaked into one of these rooms.


    "Uh...where should we hide?" I inquired uncertainly, looking around.


    I could see six or seven doors in sight as we got to the top of the stairs, which one should we pick?


    "How about that one?" Katie responded, as she pointed at one of the doors.


    "Sure, but why that one?"


    "Huh? No reason, I just picked at random. I mean, it doesn''t really matter, right?" She replied with a shrug.


    Fair point, we''ve never been in this house before, so it''s not like we can guess what''s behind each door. Instead of overthinking it, picking a random one is probably the best way to go about doing this...


    "Yeah, guess not. Alright, then, let''s go," I said, before leading the way to the room and opening the door.


    Oh, looks like a study, with a large desk at the back that had a laptop and several files on it, as well as a wide bookshelf that spanned the entire left side wall. On the right side, was an old couch, along with a crumpled up blanket and old pillow.


    This room is probably used by one of Mitchell''s parents to work in, I''m guessing. Hm, where can we hide in here, though? The only viable option seems to be behind the desk.


    "Should we switch off the light and go behind the desk?" Suggested Katie, as we entered the room and silently closed the door.


    "No, keep the lights on...I noticed light creeping out from all the doors on this floor, if any of the seekers notice that too, then this room will stand out if we switch the lights off. Gotta say, it''s super wasteful to leave all these lights on though," I frowned in disapproval.


    "You sound like an old person. And you really noticed the lights? My senses feel sloppy and unclear," She sighed in response.


    "Yeah, you''re a bit more expressive than usual," I grinned in response, before adding, "Well, anyway, we should get to hiding."


    "Okay."


    We slipped behind the desk and then squeezed into the space under it...it was a pretty big desk, so it wasn''t all that cramped, but we were both still really close to each other, with her facing me. I was sitting on the floor with my back to the inner left side of the inside of the desk, while she was on her palms and knees, her face really close to mine.


    "Hm, maybe it''ll be easier if we sit back to back in here?" I suggested, as I felt her breath brushing my face...up close, I can see just how drunk and high she is.


    She wasn''t so drunk that she wasn''t in control of herself, but she was pretty high, her eyes red as hell.


    "Hey...was it really true, you know, the first question you answered in the truth or dare game?" She suddenly asked me.


    Huh? Where''d that come from? That definitely caught me off-guard...


    "Well, uh...why do you ask?" I responded, kinda awkwardly.


    "Hm...," She narrowed her eyes at me, before adding, "Just because, I guess."


    That''s...vague, to say the least.


    "Because...what?" I pressed her, my curiosity getting the better of me.


    "I don''t know, I just...after you answered the question and when you pointed them out to answer the follow-up, I felt kind of...annoyed. Honestly, I''m a bit confused over how I''m feeling...hm, maybe this will help clear things up," She remarked, before leaning in closer and pressing her lips onto mine.


    ...huh?


    "Wh-wha-...what w-was that for?" I stuttered as she pulled away, my face heating up and my heart rate spiking as her lips slowly curved up into a slight smile.


    "You always make a big deal out of it whenever you say I''m being expressive, I always thought you were just being dramatic...but I get it now. You''re usually so cool and collected, but right now, seeing you all flustered like this...I wonder if this is how you feel when you see me being more expressive than I usually am," She whispered into my ear, before raising her head and meeting my gaze.


    "W-well, uh...," I began, before trailing off as my mind blanked out...holy crap, talk about a lethal attack, she''s killing me right now.


    This is because of the weed and alcohol, that''s why she''s acting this way...right?


    "Wow, your cheeks are so red...oh, and the tips of your ears too, it''s so cute," She replied with a faint smile, as she traced the outline of my left ear with her fingertip, before leaning down and moving in to kiss me again.


    Yeah, there''s absolutely no humanly way that I can possibly resist this. I began parting my lips slightly as she gently ran her fingers down the side of my neck, her lips starting to brush against mine-...suddenly, we both jolted up with a start, as the door to this room suddenly swung open...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 177 - 176 - Christmas Party(Part 6)

    Ow, my head...I was so startled that, for a moment, I forgot that I was under a desk, and ended up hitting my head. And Katie had made the same mistake too, rubbing the top of her head gingerly. I could hear footsteps approaching, we need to move.


    "We gotta get out of here, follow my lead to keep the cuffs from getting in the way," I whispered to Katie, who nodded in response.


    We then swiftly sprang out from under the desk and rushed across to the left, nearly losing my balance thanks to the alcohol as I rushed out, just barely managing to stay upright.


    As the person who burst into the room suddenly fired their water gun at me, I picked up a folder on the desk and used it to block the stream of water, before making a beeline for the doorway, Katie following after me.


    But the seeker managed to jump into our way, before losing their balance and falling towards us with an alarmed yell. Oh, crap...it''s Seila.


    I...I can''t dodge in time! She fell onto me, knocking me backwards before I could react. I flung my arms out to try and grab hold of something to stop my fall, but only ended up knocking down Katie with my left arm...she''d been behind me, she must have jumped out to the left to dodge when she saw me start to fall...sorry, my bad, don''t mean to drag you down with me.


    The three of us collapsed onto the ground, Seila on top of me and Katie under my left arm...huh, and something soft of squishy under my left hand. Uh-oh.


    "H-hey, could you...?" Muttered Katie, tapping on my arm.


    "Right, sorry!" I exclaimed, pulling my arm away, before stiffening as Seila tried to get up but, naturally, failed.


    She fell onto me again, her boobs getting squished onto my chest as her thigh pressed into my-...crap, it''s harder to distract myself when not sober, I was VERY aware of the immense softness that was on top of me. This is bad, at this rate-...!


    "Come on, stand up," Sighed Katie, a clear look of exasperation on her face as she helped Seila up and sat her down on the couch...my arm keeps getting tugged thanks to the cuffs, but at least I can get up now.


    I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I got on my feet, dusting myself off...before my eyes lit up as I spotted something on the floor, by my feet.


    "Sorry, you two, I didn''t mean to knock you down," She apologized in embarrassment.


    "We know that, no need to apolo-...," Began Katie, before trailing off as she saw what I was upto.


    "Uh...w-wait a second, Kilzachs, let''s talk about this...," Stuttered Seila with a nervous smile...as I picked up her watergun and pointed it at her.


    I was waiting for an opportunity to try this...steal a seeker''s gun and tag them with it. The thought occurred to me back when Mitchell was explaining the rules and said that ''anything goes'', though I didn''t ask about it since I didn''t want them making it an illegal move.


    "Remember what Mitchell said; Anyone tagged with a watergun is out of the game. I highly doubt it was intentional on his part, but it sure was convenient that he worded it that way...because it means that I can do this," I smirked, before pulling the trigger.


    "H-hey, s-stop it, that''s cold!" She stuttered as I hit her forehead with a couple of streams of water, before letting out a slight giggle.


    "You''re the type that''s easily ticklish, aren''t you?" I remarked wryly.


    "N-no, I''m not!"


    "Heh, sure you''re not. Okay, so according to the rules, you''re out of the game now. But, like Mitchell said earlier, those that are out can still affect the game...he definitely meant that as in the paired hiders could slow down their partners if they wanted to, but since he didn''t specify, it can apply to the seekers too. In other words, you could go warn the others about this," I surmised with a challenging smirk.


    "Hm...nah, that''s okay. This couch feels pretty comfy, so I think I''ll relax here for a bit," She responded with a lazy smile.


    Huh...this would probably have gone differently if we were sober. I see, so the consumption of alcohol and weed can be crucial factors in how this game plays out, how fascinating...


    "Hey, I''m not sure what exactly you''re thinking, but I get the feeling that you''re reading too deeply into something," Remarked Katie, as she stared at my face from up close.


    "Wha-...what are you, psychic or something?" I mumbled in response, before suggesting with a smirk, "So, hey, shall we move out? The hunters are about to become the hunted."


    "Feel like you''d probably never say a cheesy line like that if you were sober," She replied, as we headed out of the room.


    "Yeah, well, you''d probably not be this talkative if you were sober," I countered smugly, before meeting her gaze and recalling what happened under that desk, feeling my face heat up.


    She went silent too, so I''m guessing she''s thinking the same thing. Hm? I hear footsteps approaching from around the corner. I gestured to Katie to make as little noise as possible, as we slowly crept up towards the wall, right as someone appeared around the corner...and got blasted in the face with the watergun.


    "H-huh!? What the-...!?" They sputtered, stumbling back in surprise, before Katie took a couple of quick steps towards them and snatched away their watergun.


    "Guess you''re out, Mitchell," I greeted him with a triumphant grin.


    "Wait, what? But...how do you have a watergun?" He responded in bewilderment.


    "Anything goes so long as we don''t break the rules...that''s what you said, right? And there''s nothing in the rules that prevent a hider from turning the tables on a seeker, and you also said that ''anyone tagged with a watergun is out of the game''," I reminded him.


    "...goddammit, I should have figured that you''d try to exploit any loopholes you could find, probably should''ve put more effort and detail into the rules," He sighed wistfully.


    "That''s for sure...and now, there''s just one more seeker to hunt down...," I declared with a smirk.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Point-of-View: Suri Patel


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This sucks, I so wanted to be paired up with Kilzachs! But instead, I get this bitch.


    "How stupid are you!? We should''ve gone upstairs!" She hissed at me in a sharp whisper.


    "Shut up, you bitch! And have some common sense, if everyone else went upstairs, then the seekers are more likely to search upstairs first!" I countered with a glare.


    We''d ended up hiding inside one of the downstairs bathrooms, between the washing machine and dryer...not the best hiding spot, admittedly, but then, this is just a game, so it doesn''t actually matter.


    "If we''re found before anyone else, that''ll be on you!" She responded defiantly.


    She''s such a bitch...


    "Maybe I should follow Kilzachs'' example and just beat the shit out of you," I growled in reply.


    "Hmph, go ahead and try," She dared me, refusing to back down.


    "Why, you...!"


    "I don''t get your excessive hostility towards me...ohh, or maybe it''s THAT; you''re totally jealous of me because I happened to kiss Kilzachs, right? How immature, that was years ago, to think you''re so hung up over such a small-," She began in an infuriatingly smug tone.


    "My excessive hostility, you say?" I interrupted indignantly, "Are you kidding me!? Talk about hypocritical, you''ve been a total bitch to me for ages! Ohh, or maybe it''s THAT; Kilzachs hates you, but you feel the opposite way, so in reality, you''re the one jealous of me! Oh, and about the fact that you''ve kissed Kilzachs? Big freaking deal, because I''ve-...! Ahem, actually, never mind."


    That was close, almost said a bit too much there.


    "Wh-wha...? Hmph, you''re totally full of it, as if! You''re way off the mark about how I feel," She huffed in response, but...it kinda felt like she didn''t actually mean it.


    Does that mean...? Nah, I''m probably just overthinking it and-...suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened, before the person who opened it flipped the light switch on and rushed in, locking his gaze onto us, watergun in hand. Crap, it''s Taayin!


    "Are you two even trying to hide? I could literally hear you arguing from a mile away," He remarked with a bored look on his face as he pulled the trigger, "Come on, at least try to make this a challenge!"


    He''d aimed for Bytra as he fired the gun, but right before it could hit her, she suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled, getting me in the way and using me as a shield to block the stream of water.


    "You...you goddamn bitch!" I snapped furiously, after taking a second to process what just happened.


    "That''s what you get for pissing me off," She declared smugly.


    "Okay, that last move was kinda interesting...but I''m gonna go find someone else to shoot now," Sighed Taayin, walking away with a look of disinterest.


    "Tch...somehow, that really annoys me. Right, then, I better go find another hiding place-...oof!" She began as she stood up, before I swiftly grabbed her ankle and tripped her, as she fell forward and just about managed to keep her face from hitting the ground by using her hands to blunt the fall.


    "Damn it, so close...," I muttered to myself.


    "Wh-what the hell!? I could''ve broken my nose!" She exclaimed in indignation.


    "You''re forgetting the rules...I don''t have to cooperate with you. And since that''s the case, I most certainly will not cooperate with you. In fact, on the contrary...," I smirked triumphantly, before taking in a deep breath and yelling at the top of my lungs, "OVER HERE! COME ON, GET OVER HERE, ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR-!"


    "Damn you, shut the hell up!" Snapped Bytra in alarm, inadvertently raising her own voice as a result.


    "Try and make me," I retorted, about to yell again, when a sudden cry of surprise came from outside...that sounded like Taayin.


    What just happened?


    I could hear footsteps approaching, but it doesn''t matter to me since I''m already out...but if nothing else, I can make sure that whoever''s coming will definitely eliminate her too...!


    Someone then appeared in the doorway, Bytra began to try and run away, but with me firmly planted on the floor, she wasn''t going anywhere. And a second later, a stream of water struck the side of her head, meaning that she was out too.


    Heh, sweet, she might have gotten me eliminated first, but I get the last laugh. I then looked at the person who''d shot her, my eyes widening in surprise...it was Kilzachs, with Katie behind him, both of them linked up with the handcuffs. And most notably, both of them were holding waterguns.


    "Okay, not gonna lie, that was pretty satisfying," He remarked with a smirk, before firing a few more shots at her face in amusement.


    "S-stop, that''s really cold!" She sputtered, using her hands to deflect the water.


    "I think, with that, only Zoya and Lin aren''t eliminated yet," Said Katie, after glancing at me and seeing that I''d already been shot.


    Wait a sec, they''re both supposed to be hiding, right? Why do they have waterguns? And when she said that ''only Zoya and Lin aren''t eliminated yet'', it definitely felt like she way implying that the seekers had been eliminated. Huh? Are we still playing the same game? Did I miss something...?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 178 - 177 - Christmas Party(Part 7)

    "So, uh...that didn''t go at all how I thought it would. Kilzachs, you kinda turned the game on its head, man. Well, anyway, I think I''m starting to sober up, so let''s take a quick break for some drinks!" Suggested Mitchell with a grin.


    We were back downstairs, sitting on the couches and refueling on alcohol, snacks and weed. Some of the others went easy on the intoxicants, since they were still pretty not-sober from the previous round.


    "Gotta say, I was really surprised when Kilzachs and Katie suddenly appeared, both with waterguns in hand and I got blasted with water before I could even make out what was going on," Sighed Taayin, as he lit up a joint and took in a deep puff.


    "I planned to turn the tables that way pretty much as soon as you explained the rules," I informed Mitchell, as I munched on a brownie, "I was about to ask you about it, but decided against it cuz I figured that you might add a rule that prevents that."


    "Yeah, I probably would''ve...I mean, it''s not hide and seek if you can turn the tables, you know," He pointed out in response.


    "I don''t know, it actually sounds more fun that way," Spoke up Lin with a look of interest.


    It was that pair, Zoya and Lin, who were the last to be found. They''d been hiding underneath a bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and were pretty surprised when they found out that their pair had lasted the longest before being found, since, you know...their hiding spot was one of the most clich¨¦d hiding spots in the history of hiding spots.


    "Huh...alright, in that case, let''s switch it up! Let''s call it water tag, and form four pairs plus one solo player...the solo player will be whoever did the best in the previous round, so I guess it''ll be Kilzachs first up. Hm, and after that, we''ll determine the best player by using a point system...okay, I got it! Tagging another player with a watergun eliminates them from the ongoing round, and the player who tagged them will gain a point. And whoever tags the solo player gets two points. Whoever gets the most points is the solo player for the next round!" Suggested Mitchell, after thinking it over.


    "Did you...just come up with that right now?" Inquired Zoya in surprise.


    "Hm? Well, yeah, but I just tweaked the rules a bit is all, no biggie. Alright, let''s determine the pairs and-...actually, never mind, scratch the whole thing. I''ve only got three waterguns," He suddenly sighed in disappointment.


    "Aw, man, for real? Too bad, that sounded like it could have been really fun," Mused Taayin wistfully.


    Hm...guess I''ll help out...


    "Hey, if you don''t mind each round lasting less than ten minutes, I can make copies of the waterguns with my powers," I spoke up and offered.


    "For real!? Hell, yeah, thanks a lot, dude!" Grinned Mitchell as he slapped my shoulder.


    "Ow...don''t worry about it, it''s no big deal," I replied with a shrug, as I tossed the last bit of the brownie I was eating into the air and catching it with my mouth...mm, so good!


    "I still can''t get over how much your face lights up when eating something sweet," Remarked Lin with a laugh.


    "Yeah, he usually looks all serious and stuff, but that just melts away when eating sweets," Added Taayin in amusement.


    "Leave my face alone," I sighed as I rolled my eyes.


    "Guyssss, come on, let''s start the game! I think we''ve refueled enough, right?" Remarked Mitchell, standing up with a slight wobble.


    He''s a bit more annoying than usual when drunk, that''s for sure.


    "Yeah, um...I think I might have overdone it a bit," Hiccupped Seila, her face slightly flushed.


    "That''s fine, just have fun!" He responded with a wave of his hand.


    Huh...that doesn''t really make sense, but whatever.


    "Hey, we should set up a synced timer, since the copies I make will disappear after ten minutes," I pointed out.


    "Hm, good call...alright, then, let''s sync up our I-Watches and set nine minute countdowns! Oh, and let''s add another rule, anyone who''s not eliminated by the end of round will gain another point to their tally! Let''s draw lots to determine the pairs and then get started!" Declared Mitchell with a grin, before adding, "One more thing, for the next round after this one, we''ll all have to take a shot, except for whoever gets the most points, they can opt out of it if they want to. Oh, and when I say shots, I don''t mean a single gulp out of those tiny glasses, I mean a teacup-full of booze per person!"


    Seriously? That''s a lot of alcohol, especially since we''re already pretty inebriated. But no one really protested in earnest, so whatever, I''ll refrain from raining on the parade.


    Anyway, once I made the copies of the waterguns, we all spread out throughout the house, me on my own and the rest in pairs. We''d put a thirty second countdown ahead of the nine minute countdown in order to spare some time to fan out before starting.


    And that countdown is over, so it''s time to begin the game. I stayed downstairs this time, and ended up in the kitchen. I''m definitely a far way off from sober right now, so there''s no way I can move the way I usually do, but like Mitchell said, maybe that''s what makes this fun.


    I could faintly hear some yells and laughs echoing out from upstairs, looks like things has started to get underway...but all I could think about was eating more of those brownies. In fact, I was having quite an intense craving for them.


    And a big part of that was definitely the fact that this kitchen was filled with the slight yet rich aroma of the stuff, I was continually gulping to keep my mouth from oversalivating. I should get out of here, I can''t focus at all with this heavenly fragrance.


    Hm, but I won''t leave empty handed...I picked up an empty tray as I headed for the door, before slowly peeking out and looking around. No one in sight, huh...well, I guess it makes sense that they''d avoid standing around in an open area where they could easily be spotted.


    I quickly shot through the hall, keeping an eye out...my vision was a bit shaky and my legs were moving slightly clumsily, though. And then, right as got within sight of the staircase, two people suddenly emerged from the space underneath it, their guns raised.


    It was Zoya and Mitchell, who''d been paired up. The other three pairs were Katie and Seila, Lin and Bytra, and Taayin and Suri.


    I then quickly raised the tray as Mitchell fired at me, blocking his shot before leaping off to the side as Zoya fired...and nearly losing my balance in my drunken state. But I managed to stay upright, and swiftly countered with a couple of shots from my watergun before they could fire again.


    I struck Zoya''s right shoulder and Mitchell''s chest with the streaks of water that I fired out, which were both way off since I''d been aiming for headshots.


    "Aw, man, you got us," Sighed Mitchell with a wry smile.


    "I told you that you should have acted as a shield while I shoot from behind you," Frowned Zoya as she nudged him.


    "Well, you guys definitely caught me by surprise, you''d have probably gotten me if I didn''t have this," I grinned, holding up the tray.


    Wait, hold on a sec...the upstairs area had suddenly gone quiet, what''s going on? Don''t tell me it''s-...unfortunately, I realized it too late, as a stream of water rained down on my head from above. I glanced up to see Katie, leaning over the railing with her watergun pointed downwards.


    "Got you," She called down at me with a slight smile, before nearly losing her balance, her partner Seila quickly pulling her back away from the railing...before a crash echoed out as they both fell over.


    "Wow, that ended quicker than I expected," I remarked in surprise, as the others showed up at the top of the stairs, each with wet splotches on their bodies, Katie the only exception.


    Unlike with the hide and seek, there was no rule saying that a single person couldn''t eliminate both members of a pair. Which means that someone must have eliminated Seila before both them and their partner were eliminated by Katie.


    "Yeah, it''s only been six minutes, there''s still nearly three whole minutes left in the timer. Oh, well, not a problem, let''s get to the next round...but first, let''s take some shots!" Declared Mitchell with a grin.


    "Not sure it''s accurate to call full teacups of vodka ''shots'', but whatever," I responded wryly.


    "So, how did it play out for you guys?" Zoya asked the three pairs that had gone upstairs.


    "We got eliminated before we could shoot anyone else, Taayin got me and Suri got Bytra," Replied Lin with a sheepish smile.


    "Yeah, whatever," Grumbled Bytra, as Suri gave her a smug look.


    "I also eliminated Seila, but then got eliminated by Katie, and so did Suri," Said Taayin.


    "Hm, let''s see...that''s two points each to Kilzachs, Katie and Taayin, but Katie gets an extra point for remaining uneliminated at end, so she''ll be the solo player next round. Alright, then, let''s go get a bit more wasted and then keep going!" Exclaimed Mitchell, the others responding affirmatively.


    It''s probably a bad idea to get too much more drunk than I already am...but fuck it, let''s just see where this goes...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 179 - 178 - Confession

    Hm...? Where am I...? That''s an unfamiliar ceiling...also, I don''t think I''m on a bed. Huh? Wait, am I on the floor? Ow, my back is kinda sore. I sat up a with a groggy groan, before rubbing my head as I felt a slight pain...did I hit my head? No, I don''t think so...this feels more like a headache than a bump or something.


    Oh, wait, it''s starting to come back to me...we played several rounds of that water tag game, and we took shots in between, plus smoked some more joints...no wonder my head feels so heavy, I probably have a hangover.


    And my throat is all dry and rough, it feels annoying, the more I try to clear it, the more irritating it feels. I don''t like it. Hm? Oh, I''m not alone...looks like everyone else had fallen asleep in spots where you usually wouldn''t go to sleep. Most of them were on the floor, while some were sprawled across the couches.


    They all looked pretty heavily asleep, and as I slowly got back on my feet, I noticed that my surroundings were slightly blurry. Where are my glasses? Oh, there they are, on the edge of the coffee table. I stumbled over towards it, careful not to step on any of the others as I reached out and picked it up.


    Ugh, the lenses are all smudged. I used to corner of my t-shirt to wipe them, but the material wasn''t suited for that, so I only ended up making the smudges worse. Well, whatever, I can manage without them till I get home, my eyesight isn''t that bad.


    My eyes then widened as I glanced at the time, to see that it was past 12 PM in the afternoon. Holy crap, how long had we been out? It''s no good, my memory''s all blurry after the second or third round of water tag.


    Well, anyway, I should get back home. I''m gonna spend the rest of the day sleeping off this hangover. I won''t have classes till the 2nd of January next year, which is also next week, when I''ll be moving up to the Level K course. And on the 15th of January, the annual X-Warrior Zone elections will commence.


    Director Silva''s been pretty busy lately, setting up measures to ensure a smooth transition, since she seems pretty convinced that she won''t be re-elected. And looking at the general public''s opinion, that certainly looked like it would be the case.


    Well, we''ll see what happens when it happens, no point in speculating about it now. I tapped on my I-Watch screen and opened up my inbox, sending a message to Mitchell, thanking him for inviting me and letting him know that I''m leaving. He looks pretty fast asleep, snoring heavily, so I won''t wake him.


    I then quietly headed for the front entrance, before nearly bumping into someone as I turned the corner, narrowly avoiding a collision. Oh, it''s Katie, guess she must have woken up before me...I just assumed that everyone else had been asleep back in the hall, didn''t notice that she wasn''t there.


    "Hey, good morning. You leaving too?" I asked her.


    "Oh, h-hey...," She responded as she averted her gaze, "Good morning to you too...and yeah, I was just about to head out."


    Huh? Instead of her usual blank expression, she looked kinda embarrassed or something, it was just a hint of an expression but it was definitely there. What''s with that reac-...and that''s when it came back to me, what had happened when we were paired up during the hide and seek game...


    "So, uh, about last night-," I began, not sure what exactly to say.


    "W-wait...one of the others might hear us if we talk about it here, let''s go outside," She interrupted, before taking hold of my wrist and heading for the door.


    I let her lead me as we walked out of the house and shut the door behind us, before she continued to drag me off somewhere.


    "Where are we going?" I asked her, just going with the flow since it felt like too much work to question it...ughh, this hangover is killing me...


    "There''s a park nearby," She replied, right as it came into sight.


    Oh, right, she''s from the East Quadrant too, so she should know this area quite well. I could see a few people strolling about, but the park looked pretty big, with plenty of tall, thick trees spread out all across it.


    "Hey, want me to freeze time? Someone might recognize us from the X-Warrior Championship," I pointed out, as I noticed a couple of people staring.


    I was doing my best to keep my cool, but it''s pretty tough, especially since she''s visibly flustered, subtle though it may be. Considering how she usually is, her current attitude was seriously cute and really throwing me off, making it hard to focus.


    "Huh? Oh, sorry!" She responded, seeming to have not realized that she''d been holding onto my wrist the whole time, "And sure, that sounds like a good idea, do it."


    "Got it...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>," I chanted after taking hold of her hand, to make sure that she won''t get frozen too.


    As I grabbed her hand, her face turned red after an initial look of surprise, before I felt her give my hand a light squeeze. Yeah, she''s making it really hard for me to maintain a poker face and stay calm.


    We headed into the park in a slightly awkward silence, she kept glancing at me, before averting her gaze each time our eyes met. She''s so fidgety, and it''s freaking adorable! Okay, I need to focus, stop getting distracted by the cuteness.


    "Over there," She gestured with her free hand, pointing at a secluded spot behind a large tree.


    "Okay," I replied, as we headed towards that spot, my heart rate spiking slightly...yeah, I''m starting to get kinda nervous.


    "So...I''m going to get straight to the point. Last night, while we were hiding...when I, um...," She trailed off with a look of embarrassment.


    "Kissed me?" I completed her sentence for her.


    "Y-yes, that."


    "Was that only because you were dru-...uh, never mind," I cut myself off, as she glared at me with an indignant pout.


    Nothing subtle about that expression...


    "Of course not! Well, uh, I guess you could say that I probably wouldn''t have done it had I been sober...but it''s more like the alcohol helped me do something that I wanted to do, you know? And...if nothing else, I definitely...don''t regret it," She mumbled awkwardly.


    "Huh? You mean-...?" I began, taken aback for a moment.


    "Wh-what do you think I mean!? I...really like you, Kilzachs. So, um...let''s go out on a date before classes start back up again!"


    Huh? Wow, uh, I don''t think I''ve ever heard her raise her voice like this before...


    "H-hold on, I need a second to process-," I started to say, my mind an absolute muddle.


    "There''s nothing to process, just say yes," She interrupted with a slight frown.


    "Uh...okay, fine...yes."


    "Great, leave all the details and planning to me, I''ll text you soon...all you need to do is show up. Okay, you can resume time again," She remarked, before letting out a huge sigh of relief, her usual unreadable expression starting to return as she added, "Alright...I really said what I wanted to say, this feels really good. Really embarrassing, but still..."


    Man, I never would have pegged her to be so aggressive like this...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>," I chanted, before responding in bemusement, "Gotta say, you''ve really caught me off guard with this."


    "Glad to hear it. Well, I''m heading back home now, my head is killing me...I''ll see you soon," She replied, her eyes gleaming as her expression finally settled back into its usual blank slate.


    "Uh, yeah, see ya-...mfph!" I began, before she cut me off with a quick kiss, jumping up since she was too short to reach otherwise, before I remarked as she stepped back with a hint of redness on her face, "Wow, uh...what was that for?"


    "No reason, I...I just felt like it," She mumbled as she averted her gaze, before turning around and jogging away as the tips of her ears turned red.


    Huh, this feeling...it''s similar to how I feel when I''m absolutely stuffed with desserts, the sensation of overdosing on sugar. Well, minus the bloated feeling in my stomach, of course.


    But now that she''s gone, it''s starting to fade, and the headache of my hangover reminded me of its presence, as I let out a slight groan.


    "Okay, yeah...time to go home."


    ...


    About an hour later, I was back at my place in the North District, flopped down on my bed and staring up at the ceiling, having just showered and changed. Thanks to the hangover and being totally caught off-guard the whole time, I couldn''t fully process what was happening back there...but now that I think back on it, holy shit!


    That was seriously bold on Katie''s part, I''d have never seen that coming. I probably would have written off last night as a random drunken act had she not said anything, but now, I definitely can''t do that, even if I wanted to.


    This might have been the most expressive I''ve ever seen her, and it was so cute...the way she held my hand, her blushes, her averting her gaze whenever our eyes met, and that kiss at the end...I felt my face start to heat up as I recalled all of that, before I turned around and buried my face into my pillow as I let out an embarrassed groan.


    Damn, my heart''s really pounding too...I can''t deny that when she said that she liked me and asked me out on a date, I definitely wasn''t against the idea. In fact, now that I''m thinking back on it, gotta say...it''s making me feel kinda giddy...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 180 - 179 - Date(Part 1)

    This is so awkward, it feels like everyone''s staring at me intently...it was the 28th of December, a couple of days later, and yesterday, Katie had messaged me the details for the date she''d asked me out on.


    Or, more specifically, she''d just told me to meet her in the East Quadrant at 12 PM today, and I''d arrived with about five minutes to spare. I don''t like to be kept waiting, but I also don''t like to make people wait for me...I won''t have any problem if she arrives before around 12:05 PM, but too much later than that, and I''ll probably complain.


    Sure, I like her and all, but that doesn''t mean I''ll let something like that slide. Anyway, it''d been a couple of minutes since I arrived, and I felt kinda uncomfortable. I was standing by a clock tower, which was the landmark that she''d suggested we meet up at.


    That was fine and all, but the problem is that there''s a fair amount of passers-by around, and while it wasn''t like every single one of them was staring at me, it sure felt like they were. There were a few glances and whispers every now and then, probably people who recognize me from the X-Warrior Championship.


    Thankfully, the hype around me from that tournament is pretty much all gone now, so I don''t get recognized as much as I used to be. Which is definitely a good thing, going out in public was a huge pain for quite a while.


    But even though things were a lot less hectic now in regard to that, I think the experience kinda scarred me, I always feel reluctant to go out in public areas these days. It kinda felt like I was doing something wrong by standing around here, I don''t know why. Plus the stares kinda made me feel self-conscious. Is my outfit or hairdo weird? Is there something on my face? Stuff like that.


    Incidentally, I was wearing a black shirt with the collar button undone, the sleeved rolled up past my elbow, a pair of jeans and dark red shoes. I left my hair as it was for the most part, except that I''d tucked back the blonde streak that usually fell over my right ear. I don''t really know much about fashion or whatever, since I usually prioritize comfort and practicality over style.


    But I figured that I should at least put a tiny bit of effort into picking my clothes for today. I have a bunch of clothes that I''ve never or hardly ever worn, a lot of them being birthday presents from my sister...it''s not that I didn''t like them or something like that, it was more that I just unconsciously happened to stick with the clothes I was most comfortable in.


    I couldn''t really tell what looked good or not, so I just decided to go with a simple ensemble, without going too casual. But maybe I messed up? Do these shoes not go well with the outfit? Or perhaps-?


    "Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" Came a voice to my left, as I felt a tug on my sleeve.


    "Nah, I just got here a couple of minutes ago, plus there''s still some time before 12 PM," I responded, feeling a sense of relief as I met her gaze.


    "You look good, that outfit suits you," She remarked, as she latched onto my left arm, my elbow rubbing against her chest.


    "Oh, uh...thanks. You too, by the way...I mean, you look good too," I responded awkwardly, feeling a bit overwhelmed.


    "Relax, you''re too tense," She replied, as she intertwined her hand with mine and gave it a light squeeze...her tone of voice, it''s not blank like usual, she sounds...happy.


    And I had to say, she looked really pretty...she was wearing a light blue, short-sleeved dress with a floral pattern that went a bit past her knees, while her hair, which was usually tied in a low ponytail, was let down, framing her face.


    She also had light make-up on too; red lipstick, a hint of color on her cheeks and her eyelashes looked darker...I don''t know a thing about make-up, but this much I was certain of; it looked amazing on her.


    "So, uh, where are we going?" I asked her, as she led the way.


    "You''ll see, just leave everything to me. By the way, not that I mind or anything...but you''re staring at me really hard," She informed me with a slight smile.


    "Crap, my bad, I didn''t even realize it...I just couldn''t get over how cute you look with your hair down, plus the make-up really suits you, and uh...I''m talking too much, aren''t I?" I trailed off sheepishly.


    "No, um...not at all...," She muttered in response as her cheeks turned red, slightly tightening her grip around my arm before leaning her head against my shoulder, making my heart skip a beat.


    What''s the matter with me today? It''s not like I haven''t been alone with girls before, not to mention that I''ve spent a ton of time with Katie before this, and I never felt this awkward or flustered before...at least, not to an extent where I couldn''t ignore or hide those feelings. She''s definitely being way more expressive than usual, maybe that''s what''s throwing me off?


    "Oh, there''s our first stop," She suddenly remarked, nodding at a building up ahead.


    "Huh, that looks like one of those arcades from before WWIII," I responded in surprise.


    "Yeah, it''s newly built, and is a sort of replication of those arcades, it has games from the 1980s to 2000s...you like retro entertainment, right?"


    "Mhm, old movies and games and stuff have a kind of charm to them that the stuff these days just don''t have," I replied, feeling a sense of excitement.


    I do play some online games that were made recently, but I mostly prefer older stuff...though with old online games, not many people play those games anymore these days, so it''s hard to fully experience those.


    "Glad you look excited, come on, let''s go in," She suggested as she tugged on my arm, looking kinda relieved.


    Was she nervous that I wouldn''t like it or something?


    "You''re being a lot more expressive today, is it intentional? You don''t have to go out of your way to-...," I began, before trailing off as a look of surprise appeared on her face.


    "Huh? What do you mean? Like, compared to normal, am I acting all that differently?" She asked me with a look of uncertainty.


    Wait, for real? It''s not intentional?


    "Well, I mean...a lot differently. Like, you''re smiling a lot, and I can read your expressions and emotions a lot more easily than usual. That''s why I thought that maybe you were putting in an effort to act more expressive...was I wrong?" I inquired in bemusement, as her face then turned bright red and she averted her gaze, before slowly peeking back in my direction.


    "Th-this is so embarrassing...I was, um, feeling really happy and giddy this whole time, but I didn''t think that it was showing on my face. I, uh, just assumed that my expression was as blank as ever," She mumbled bashfully.


    "You were smiling a lot though, couldn''t you feel that?"


    "Well, I...I wasn''t really thinking about it, so I didn''t realize...," She responded quietly, before changing the subject kinda abruptly, "C-come on, let''s get inside and see what this place is like. I''ve seen some pictures of it, but, uh, I haven''t been inside before!"


    Not exactly subtle, but immensely adorable nevertheless. Huh...I''m starting to get the desire to tease her, I could get addicted to her being all cute and expressive like this.


    "By the way, back at Mitchell''s place the other day, I''m still pretty surprised at how forward you were, and-," I started to recall with a teasing smirk, as we walked into the building.


    "Hey, don''t tease me, Kilzachs...," She interrupted with a pout, before adding, "I don''t want to remember that, it''s so embarrassing the way I just went for it...though, I can''t say that I regret it. In fact, since it led to this, I''m glad it happened...but it''s still really embarrassing to think about."


    "Yeah, I''d probably be embarrassed if I was in your shoes too...though I also agree that I''m glad it happened," I responded with a grin, before looking around and noticing, "Huh, it''s pretty empty in here, I was imagining that it''d be super crowded."


    "It''s usually crowded at night, that''s why I decided to come here during the day with you. I got us a couple of passes that are valid for an hour, so once they''re scanned, we can freely play any and all the games in here for a full hour," She replied, before glancing around to make sure that no one was around and then standing up on her tip-toes and planting a kiss on my cheek, "Come on, let''s explore this place!"


    Okay, yeah...this is pretty great...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 181 - 180 - Date(Part 2)

    "That was really fun," I remarked with a contented sigh, as we left the arcade about an hour later.


    We''d played a bunch of two player games, first-person shooters, racing games, fighting games like Tekken, Street Fighter and the like, and so on. And I had an absolute blast, that was so much fun!


    "Yeah, it was. Your face was all lit up in there, not as much as when you''re eating sweets though," Responded Katie, as she held my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine," The only negative was that I couldn''t hold your hand while we were gaming."


    She''s been really, really bold, and I definitely don''t dislike it...


    "W-wow, uh, you''re really not afraid to speak your mind, are you?" I replied wryly, kinda caught off-guard.


    "Of course I am...it might not look like it, but I''m putting a lot of effort into this, you know I''m not the best at expressing myself. I can''t really control my expressions, but I can control what I say and do...and I decided that I won''t hesitate to say or do anything that might make your heart skip a beat," She surmised as she met my gaze.


    Huh, wasn''t expecting her to be that honest about it...


    "Sure you should be telling me that?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "Maybe not, but I have to admit, I really want you to know how serious I am about you," She declared confidently, before her face turned red and she averted her gaze, "I-I can''t believe I really said that, how embarrassing..."


    She said that her objective was to make my heart skip a beat...I can say for sure that she''s accomplished that multiple times already in the last hour.


    "So, where are we headed to next?" I asked her.


    "Hm...are you hungry yet?" She responded, after mulling it over.


    "Yeah, I guess I could eat," I replied with a shrug.


    "Okay, then I know just the place to go next. Come on," She said as she led me to a different area.


    Before too long, we came into sight of a block of restaurants, making our way towards one of them. It looked like an fusion cuisine type place, I haven''t really tried food from places like this before, wonder what it''s like.


    We went inside, and a waiter led us to a section of private booths, with U-shaped couch-like seats around round tables. Each of the booths had wooden sliding doors in front, the waiter opening a vacant one and gesturing to us to go in, before handing us a couple of menus and leaving, after pointing out a bell on the wall above the seat, informing us to ring it when we''re ready to order.


    As we sat down, Katie scooted over and sat right next to me, her hip bumping against my waist...


    "You''re, uh, awfully close," I remarked, as I flipped through the menu.


    "And? Is that a problem?" She inquired innocently.


    Cute...


    "Nope...not at all. Huh, these options are pretty interesting...seafood lasagna, sushi submarine, steak shawarma, fried chicken samosas, curry-filled calzon-...," I read some of menu items, before Katie reached over and flipped a couple of pages...to the dessert section.


    "You can order whatever you want, it''s my treat. No need to hold back-," She began.


    "Huh? No, I can''t make you do that. I don''t mind paying-," I started to respond.


    "I asked you out, so I''m paying. Don''t argue, because I insist," She interrupted firmly.


    I don''t think she''s gonna budge on this. I kinda feel bad to have her pay for all of it, but if that''s what she wants...


    "Hey, uh...mind if I only get desserts, these sound amazing...," I gulped, as I read through the options.


    Fudge-stuffed churros, fruit salad with caramel syrup atop cheesecake, gelato-filled brownies, and the list goes on...I could feel myself salivating like crazy just reading through it, and I suddenly felt a lot hungrier...


    "Sure, get whatever you want. Like I said, there''s no need to hold back," She replied, as she flipped through her menu.


    "Alright, I''ll take you up on that," I responded with a grin.


    After we decided on what we wanted, we dinged the bell, and shortly after, the waiter returned, tapping on the sliding door. We gave him our orders, before he jotted them down on a tablet and left, informing us that it''d take ten to twenty minutes to prepare.


    My mouth was already watering heavily though, I wanted to sink my teeth into some sweet, sugary goodness, reading the names and descriptions of their dessert options really whetted my appetite, and quite immensely at that.


    "There''s that glowing expression again, it never fails to show whenever you''re eating or about to eat sweets," Observed Katie, before adding, "One of these days, I''ll have you make that expression at me."


    "Wha-...you keep blindsiding me with comments like that, take it easy on me," I responded wryly, before asking her, "Hey, something occurred to me...maybe it''s your AI thing that''s influencing you to be more expressive. Do you think that''s the case?"


    As I said that, she averted her gaze with a sheepish look on her face...


    "I, uh-...you got me. I was just playing dumb when you said that I was being more expressive...you know that our AIs can help guide our nervous system just like they can guide our XFE flows, right?"


    Wait, what? Inverse never told me he could do that...huh, actually, he hasn''t really told me all that much in the first place. I''ll have a talk with him once I''m back home.


    Oh, and a couple of weeks after I first encountered him, I decided to tell Katie about it. She seemed confused and bewildered by it, but the following night, she called me and said that she''d made contact with a negative version of herself too. And it sounds like hers is more helpful than Inverse is...


    "So, wait, you mean all that was an act-?"


    "No, that''s not it! I just asked Eitak-...oh, that''s what I named my AI...-to help reflect my emotions in my facial expressions. Maybe they weren''t exactly natural, but my expressions have been indicative of how I''ve been feeling. Though I have to admit that my face feels a bit sore now," She responded with a rueful smile, "Hope you''re not mad about that, are you?"


    "Huh? Why would I be? If anything, I''m, uh...really flattered that you''d take the trouble to do all that," I replied as I felt my face heat up slightly, feeling kinda touched.


    "Oh...you are? I''m glad...," She let out a quiet sigh of relief, as her eyes gleamed.


    We sat in a comfortable silence, as she leaned her head onto my shoulder, before the tips of her ears turned red as I put my arm around her. I feel so...content. This is...this is really nice.


    I''m feeling all warm and fuzzy...huh, and I''m getting a weird urge to say something cheesy. Is that normal? I''ll, uh, resist that urge, I''m not confident that I can pull it off. I think I''ll just enjoy this moment while I can.


    In fact, I was enjoying it so much that, when the waiter brought our food to the table, I was almost disappointed. But that was short-lived, because the desserts layed out in front of me looked absolutely heavenly. Katie''s order was a lot more, uh...normal than mine. But then, that''s not really saying much, is it?


    "You should probably go get your blood tested, and maybe take a trip to the dentist too. I have a feeling that your blood sugar levels are going to be off the charts," Teased Katie, as I took a bite of a fudge-stuffed churro, letting out a satisfied sigh as the rich sugary goodness blessed my tastebuds.


    "Hey, now, you know I only eat sweets once every couple of weeks and on special occasions," I defended myself.


    "Yeah, you say that, but you drink chocolate milk every morning, and most days, your breakfast includes chocolate-spread sandwiches...at least it''s good that you eat a lot of fruits too, but tell me this, could you go a full week without eating anything that''s even remotely sweet?" She challenged me with a raised eyebrow.


    "...that sounds awful, I don''t think I could do that," I admitted sheepishly.


    "My point exactly."


    ...


    After we finished eating, Katie paid the bill, which I was still kinda uncomfortable about, but she refused to budge, so I didn''t argue. And besides, I was feeling way too satisfied and content to argue, so yeah.


    "That was great, this place has some incredible desserts," I sighed as we walked out the entrance.


    "Glad you liked it. There''s a bowling alley nearby, want to go there next?"


    "Yeah, sure, sounds good to me. Lead the way," I replied affirmatively.


    We then began making our way towards the bowling alley, she looked really happy...and for that matter, so did I. Ever since the X-Warrior Championship, I''ve really enjoyed her company whenever she''s around, be it during teamwork exercises, or when helping Director Silva learn more about our new forms.


    And while I''ve found her attractive at times, I never really thought of her as anything more than a friend...but after the last couple of hours, I think that might be changing.


    "There it is, just up ahead," She pointed out, as the building came into view.


    I haven''t been at a bowling alley since I was a kid, I went once with my sis-...oh, I almost forgot about that time in the South Quadrant, the Wight who was hiding out in that rundown old bowling alley, Aku. This should definitely be a much better experience than back th-...


    "Well, if it isn''t Katie! Been a while, hasn''t it?" Suddenly came a sneering voice, Katie stiffening in response, as two people approached us.


    A guy and a girl, both looked about the same age as us, and they had some rather unpleasant looks on their faces.


    "Hey, you okay? Who are they?" I asked her, as I felt her grip on my hand tighten slightly.


    "They''re...my former best friend and ex...," She responded as she turned pale, her eyes trembling as they walked over...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 182 - 181 - Date(Part 3)

    Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net


    Former best friend and ex, huh? Based on her reaction, her relationship with these two must have ended badly. Should I freeze time and get us out of here?


    "Aw, look at you, Katie...trying to make up for that blank face of yours by dressing up and putting on make-up? How adorable, too bad it doesn''t suit you," Laughed the girl.


    "I-I...," Stuttered Katie, taking a step back.


    This isn''t like her...whatever happened between her and these two, it must have emotionally scarred her, I''ve never seen her shrink back like this.


    "Heh, you got that right," Scoffed the guy condescendingly.


    "Can we help you?" I inquired coldly, taking a step forward as I began to get really pissed off.


    "Huh? And who might you be?" Came the disdainful response.


    "Oh, I thought he looked familiar! He''s that Anomaly guy from the tournament, the one that got all heated during his interview! Well, now, he''s kinda hot up close. Hey, you, you can do way better than this loser, why don''t you-...?" Began the girl, reaching out to touch my arm, before letting a yelp of surprise as I grabbed her wrist.


    "I didn''t say that you could touch me, skank," I remarked icily, as I began to tighten my grip, "Now, get lost or I''ll break you."


    "Ow...ow, ow, ow, my wrist, let go! You''re hurting me!" She exclaimed in pain, attracting the attention of passers-by.


    "Hey, what do you think you''re doing, you bast-!?" The guy began to snap, trying to grab my hand, before I swiftly let go of the girl and whipped my hand across, striking his wrist and eliciting a yell of pain from him.


    Tch, that wasn''t enough force to break it.


    "K-Kilzachs, don''t. Let''s just go, okay?" Mumbled Katie, her gaze downwards, unable to even look at these two.


    I kinda wanted to lay the hurt on them, but fine...seeing them is probably bringing back bad memories for her, so we won''t stick around any longer.


    "Okay. Let''s g-...," I began to agree.


    "Aw, what are you so afraid of? A little slut like you is-," The guy started to say.


    "I''ll warn you once...I won''t stand for you insulting her, do it again and I''ll make sure you regret it," I warned him.


    "Ooh, I''m so scared. And besides, what''s wrong with calling a slut a slut?" He snorted with laughter.


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you," I responded, before inaudibly chanting, "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>...and now, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>. Come on, Katie, let''s get out of here."


    "Wh-what is this!?" The guy exclaimed in horror, as the girl let out a shocked gasp, stumbling back.


    What did I do to them? Nothing much, just swapped their right thumbs. And by that, I mean that I literally swapped them.


    "W-wait, you can''t just leave us like this! W-we''re really sorry, p-please, fix this!" Begged the girl, clutching her hand in pain.


    Oh, interesting, looks like the mismatched thumbs hurt...guess I''ll scare them. Katie looks a lot calmer, watching the scene play out with wide eyes.


    "Nah, I don''t think I will. But don''t worry, those''ll eventually rot and fall off, the pain should be gone by then. Oh, you''re gonna want to use some cologne or something, it''ll probably stink once they start to decay," I mockingly advised them.


    "H-hold on, please! I''ll do anything, j-just undo this, I''m begging you!"


    Hm? Oh, that gives me an idea.


    "Alright, then...both of you, get down on your hands and knees and apologize to Katie...I don''t know what happened between you, but I don''t care. Bow down and apologize, now...your foreheads better be grinding against the ground as you do, you''ll need to be bleeding by the time I give you permission to lift your heads. You have five seconds before my offer expir-...," I began, before trailing off as they immediately got down on their hands and knees, their heads on the ground.


    "I-I''m sorry, Katie, I-I shouldn''t have spread those rumors about you!"


    "A-and I''m sorry too, f-for everything!"


    The nervous tension on Katie''s face then disappeared, as a look of bemusement replaced it.


    "Now, say that you''re shit-eating maggots and that you''ll never show your faces to her again!" I demanded, ignoring the stares of the people around.


    "W-we''re shit-eating maggots, and we''ll never show our faces to her again!" They responded in unison, without hesitation.


    Okay, I think that''s enough.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Cut>, <Activate Anomaly, Tier Three: Paste>, and <Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>," I chanted, restoring their thumbs back to the way they were, before adding, "Alright, now get out of here...or I''ll swap your heads next."


    With panicked looks on their faces, they both left in a hurry, stumbling as they rushed away. And now that it was over, the crowd of onlookers continued moving, whispering to each other.


    "That was...wow," Muttered Katie, looking kinda perplexed, "I''m not sure what to make of what just happened."


    "I, uh, might have been a bit too sadistic there...they were just really pissing me off," I responded sheepishly, before asking her, "Hey, want to go chill at a park or something? You look a bit pale."


    "Huh? No, that''s okay, you don''t have to worry-," She began.


    "Yeah, let''s go to a park. Come on," I interrupted, leading her this time.


    She''s put a lot of thought and effort into making sure I enjoy myself today...so this is the least I can do for her in return, giving her a chance to relax for a bit...


    ...


    "Hey...thanks a lot, Kilzachs," She sighed, as we sat down under a tree, in the same park where she asked me out.


    "Oh, don''t mention it...I only did that because I wanted to," I replied with a shrug.


    "Even so, I''m grateful...a lot of bad memories came flooding back earlier, I could feel myself getting anxious...but after what you did, I forgot about all of that. I mean, yeah, it could have just been that the sheer extremity of it distracted me, but even so...you got so angry, and on my behalf. That makes me really happy," She smiled, before patting her lap, "Lie down, come on."


    "Huh? Uh...you sure?" I responded uncertainly, before she pulled my head down onto her lap.


    "I wouldn''t have offered if I wasn''t sure. I know that I''m kinda scrawny compared to other girls, so it might not be that comfortable-," She began sheepishly.


    "Actually, you''ve got really nice thighs," I interrupted as my head sank into her lap, and before I could think it through, I found myself lightly squeezing one of her thighs.


    "H-hey, warn me if you''re going to do that!" She stuttered, her face turning red.


    "Sorry, I wasn''t really thinking, my bad," I responded apologetically, starting to lift my head up, before she pushed it back down.


    "I didn''t say that I want you to get up," She mumbled with a pout.


    "Kinda feel like I''m gonna overdose on adorability," I replied with a wry smile.


    Her cheeks are so cute with that expression, especially since she was blushing slightly...I reached up and poked her lightly, before squeezing her cheeks softly.


    "H-hey, now...," She muttered, her gaze shifting about, before saying as I began to stop, "No, don''t stop...keep going..."


    "And I''m dead...," I trailed off as my heart skipped a beat, before playing dead...wait, what am I doing?


    This is...really embarrassing, but at the same time, it wasn''t embarrassing. I don''t know how to explain it, it''s just a strange feeling.


    "You can be kind of a dork sometimes, huh?" She giggled, as she tapped on the tip of my nose, "Also, I still can''t believe that you did that back there...I didn''t know that you could swap people''s body parts like that."


    "Heh, did you see the looks on their faces when they first realized what had happened? It was hilarious," I chuckled in response.


    "You''re kind of a sadist, aren''t you? Well, not that that''s anything new."


    "Huh? When have I have been sadistic before this?" I inquired, trying to think of what she meant.


    "Literally every time you fight someone that you don''t like."


    Oh...right, I forgot about those.


    "This felt different though...it didn''t have the same satisfaction I got from those fights, because it ended before I could do to them everything that I wanted to do...I actually wanted to keep swapping their fingers one by one, and then have them grovel, before leaving without restoring them back to normal," I sighed wistfully.


    "Wow. On the one hand, I''m glad you didn''t go that far, we might have gotten arrested or something...but on the other hand, a part of me would have liked to see that. I have so many bad memories of those two, that after I finished highschool, I blocked them out of my memory and just pretended like they never existed, and everything that happened back then never happened," She explained, before adding with a wistful smile, "But that backfired today, because seeing them brought back all those memories I was ignoring."


    "You said that they were your best friend and ex, right? What happened between you and them? If you don''t mind me asking, that is," I responded curiously.


    "No, I don''t mind. But I''d rather not get into the details, so I''ll summarize...I started dating that guy when I was fifteen, and the girl was my closest friend. At first, I was really happy, but then he started to get more pushy and, well, tried to get me to do more stuff. But I didn''t feel ready to do anything sexual back then, so I refused...and then, slowly but surely, both he and my best friend began to drift apart from me."


    I can already see where this is going...tch, maybe I shouldn''t have let them get off so easily after all...


    "I didn''t realize it at first, and then I started hearing people spread rumors about me. Stuff like calling me a nymphomaniac and sex addict, and soon after, I was dumped, and my best friend hooked up with him. And she stopped being my friend too, I was teased and bullied a lot, the two of them joined in, and soon enough, they became the ones who were instigating it. I just couldn''t understand how or why things had changed so drastically, but I just bore with it till I graduated highschool," She recalled, her eyes glistening slightly.


    I was silent for a moment, letting her story sink in, before standing up with a sense of purpose...


    "Looks like my hunch was right...I let those two off way too easy," I growled, as I cracked my knuckles.


    "Uh, Kilzachs? Where are you going?" Katie inquired warily.


    "Hm? Oh, I''m just going to go find those two again and swap their genitals, among other things. I''ll be right back-."


    "Huh? Wait, you''re gonna do what? H-hold on, I don''t think that''s-...," She began with a nervous smile, before exclaiming in alarm as she saw that I was being serious, "Kilzachs, no-!"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP


    You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net

 Chapter 183 - 182 - Date(Part 4)

    "Come on, I just want to kill them a little bit, they totally deserve it," I tried to convince her.


    "I appreciate the sentiment, but it''s not worth the effort...and besides, if you go after them, I''ll have less time alone with you," Protested Katie, as she pulled me back.


    "I mean, when you put it that way...alright, fine, I''ll just fuck them up another day, then," I relented with a sigh.


    "Uh...I''d rather you didn''t do anything, but I''ll take that for now. Hey, how about we go to an amusement park next?" She suggested, as she linked her arm with mine.


    "Aren''t we too old for an amusement park? I mean, they''re just for kids, right?" I replied as I averted my gaze.


    No, that''s just an excuse...the fact is, I just don''t want to go to an amusement park...


    "Huh? Where''d you get that idea? It''s a pretty common date spot, you know," She pointed out.


    "I don''t know...I''ve only been to an amusement park once, that I remember anyway, and well...it''s kind of a bad memory now," I recalled with a grimace.


    "Well, in that case, how about I help you overwrite your apprehension towards amusement parks?" She proposed in response.


    Uh...should I? Or shouldn''t I...?


    "Hm...yeah, sure, why not? Let''s go for it," I replied after mulling it over, somewhat reluctantly.


    At this point, most of the trauma and bad memories from my younger days had all but faded, thanks to several factors; getting to beat the shit out of those that caused my trauma, forming several human relationships, and no longer feeling that sense of powerlessness that I used to. But still, that doesn''t mean that all of my trauma is simply gone, just like that.


    Anyway, Katie and I then headed for a Teleportation Point in order to teleport to a spot that was closer to the amusement park that she wanted to take me to, before making our way there.


    "We''re almost there, it''s just up around the next corner," She informed me.


    "Hey, that reminds me, we never went into the bowling alley, those two creeps interrupted us before we could," I suddenly realized.


    "Oh, it''s fine...we can go there next time," She replied with a smile.


    Next time, huh? Also, man, I could really get used to this, seeing her openly display her emotions like this...though I''m not gonna lie, her usual blank face has a real charm to it too. Maybe it''s just that I''ve just gotten used to it, but her blank responses are sometimes kinda cute.


    "Good, it doesn''t look too crowded," I let out a sigh of relief, as the amusement park came into view.


    "You really aren''t very comfortable with big crowds, huh?"


    "That''s for sure...I just get stressed and tired whenever I''m in the middle of a crowd. And I don''t think that''ll ever change," I replied with a wry smile.


    "At first, I planned to spend the whole date here, but then I thought you''d have more fun if we did a bunch of different things first," She admitted sheepishly.


    "Hey, I really appreciate you putting so much thought and effort into this, I almost feel kinda bad about it, like I don''t really deserve it or something," I remarked ruefully.


    "I wouldn''t have put effort into it if I didn''t want to, you know," She pouted in response.


    Still, I couldn''t help but feel bad...the simple fact was that I''ve never genuinely considered or thought about getting into a serious romantic relationship with anyone. So, yeah, her putting so much effort into this kinda made me feel a bit guilty.


    Even me accepting her asking me out on this date was mostly because I had no reason to refuse, and since I do consider her a good friend, I didn''t want to hurt her feelings. But now I...I feel like that kind of half-assed reasoning is insulting to her.


    Yeah, except for during that run-in with her old classmates, I''ve really enjoyed myself today, but I''m probably not as serious about it as she is. Still, after she''s put this much thought into making sure that I enjoy myself today, the least I can do is ensure that her effort doesn''t go to waste.


    So, for now, I''ll stop thinking about this and just focus on having fun with her. But afterwards, I''ll need to seriously think about what I''m going to do about this. The idea of that is kinda stressful, but if nothing else, I don''t want to hurt her or anyone else with my indecisiveness.


    "Hey, you okay? You look a bit grim," She tugged on my sleeve with a look of concern.


    "Huh? Oh, uh, don''t worry, I''m fine. Just got lost in thought for a bit, that''s all," I responded reassuringly, as we entered the amusement park after paying for a bunch of tickets to use for the rides.


    "Where do you want to start?" She asked me, as I looked around.


    "How about a roller-coaster?" I suggested, as I spotted the ride...it had some really steep drops, that looks awesome...


    "Sure, I like the sound of that!" She responsed, an eager look on her face.


    I guess she likes thrill-rides too, huh. We headed for the roller-coaster and got in line, which fortunately, wasn''t very long. We got the front in about ten minutes, which is apparently a pretty short waiting time as far as amusement parks are concerned...I looked up the average waiting time while we were standing in line.


    We then managed to nab the front two spots on the coaster and strapped in, as I felt a sense of anticipation, and Katie looked pretty excited too. And while the thrills didn''t disappoint, it was over way too quickly...the steep drops meant that there was a lot more overall momentum than normal roller-coasters, which subsequently meant that the ride was over much faster.


    "I kinda want to go again, but the line''s gotten longer," I sighed wistfully, as we walked down the wooden stairs of the platform, after the roller-coaster came to a stop and we disembarked.


    "Let''s come to back to it if the line gets shorter later on. Look, here''s a map with all the rides they''ve got here, what should we go for next?" She asked me, as we came across a large board that had the map of the park displayed on it.


    I skimmed across the map, looking for something to catch my eye...when I spotted one that piqued my interest...


    "Hey, what''s this? Cursed merry-go-round...sounds kinda intriguing. Though, it''ll be a letdown if it''s just a merry-go-round with spooky-looking horses or something equally half-assed..."


    "Let''s go check it out and see...I mean, we have plenty of time, it''s not even 3:30 PM yet," She pointed out, before pulling my arm and leading my towards it.


    I was a bit skeptical about this ride, but hey, might as well give it a shot, right? As it came into view, my eyes widened slightly in surprise...usually, merry-go-rounds are open rides, as in you can see what''s going on at all times. But this one had a cylindrical metal wall around it, so I couldn''t see the ride, though I could hear some screams echoing out from inside.


    "Huh...maybe I spoke too soon...," I remarked as I felt a sense of intrigue.


    "It''s kinda creepy...and the line is really short too, there''s only four people," Noticed Katie, as we got in line and waited for our turn.


    After a couple of minutes, the noises from inside stopped, and a moment later, some people came out. Based on their expressions, I think this might exceed my expectations...


    "That was so scary, I think I almost peed myself!"


    "Oh, come on, it wasn''t that scary!"


    "You sure about that? You look really pale and sweaty!"


    "What the hell kind of merry-go-round was that? There was absolutely nothing merry about it!"


    Okay, now I''m definitely starting to get excited about this...supernatural stuff like ghosts or whatever really don''t scare me, especially now...I mean, I can literally freeze time and cut & paste out space.


    Anyway, looks like we''ll be able to get in this round, it says that eight people can enter at a time. That means we won''t have to stand around waiting for several minutes, I can definitely appreciate that.


    "Couples can get in for one ticket, if they share the same horse," The attendant informed us as we got to the front of the line.


    Hm, what should we do? We''d save a ticket if we go for that, but the tickets are pretty cheap and we can always just buy more, so-...


    "Okay, we''ll do just that!" Responded Katie before I could weigh our options, handing over a ticket and pulling me in.


    As we entered, I looked around...the ride was inside a wide, cylindrical structure, and it did look kinda creepy, with blood-like splatters on the walls and stuff. There also seemed to be trapdoors scattered about...I guess stuff will spring out of them to try and jump scare us.


    There also seemed to be...cameras? I could see lens-like circles around...oh, wait, they''re probably projectors or something, guess we''re going to see some creepy illusions.


    "Hey, stop trying to figure out how it''s going to work, why would you make this less fun for yourself?" Katie interrupted me, as she noticed me looking around.


    "Oh, right, good point...okay, then, let''s pick a horse to sit on," I suggested, as I shifted my gaze to the merry-go-round itself.


    Huh, now those are some creepy-looking horses...they looked more like big demonic dogs or something.


    "Do you want me to sit behind you or in front?" She asked me as we picked one.


    "Uh...I don''t know, you decide."


    "Okay, then...I''ll sit behind you," She decided, after mulling it over for a bit too long.


    "Sure, fine by me."


    As I hopped on and she climbed up behind me, before wrapping her arms around my waist tightly...I can feel her chest pressing into my back, and her slight, warm breath brushing against the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.


    "What''s wrong, you suddenly stiffened up," She whispered into my ear, as the lights suddenly shut off, leaving us in pitch darkness.


    "No, uh, i-it''s nothing...," I responded, caught a bit off-guard.


    Did she do that on purpose? If so, then, damn...


    The ride then began moving, as I held onto the reigns of the ''horse'' I was on. Alright, then, let''s see how good this ride really is...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 184 - 183 - Date(Part 5)

    Okay, so, uh...that was...that was something. The ride was over, and Katie and I were kinda bemused as we headed out.


    "I wasn''t expecting it to be like that...," She muttered, her eyes kinda wide.


    Once the ride began, it was really jerky and rough, so that was kinda uncomfortable, and then the projectors turned on, flashing out images of blood and guts all around us, which all looked super realistic, along with pretty accurate audio, the sound of flesh being torn apart.


    I''ve seen plenty of blood from my fights against Mutants, Wights and Prodigies, and I''ve killed plenty, humans included, so the images didn''t bother me much, though Katie seemed to be a bit nauseous. Most of the other people on the ride were screaming in horror, while some were exclaiming in disgust, I also heard a few people gagging.


    And then, stuff started springing out from the trap doors I''d spotted, really gruesome and accurate looking corpse dolls...if it wasn''t for the lack of smell, I''d have been genuinely concerned that they were using real corpses...but I managed to grab at one, and it felt like rubber.


    After that, with proof that it was fake, the rest of the ride didn''t really bother me, though my back kinda hurts from how rough that ride was, it was way to bumpy...I guess that physically jarring us is a way to try and get us more scared and confused, but I just found it annoying.


    "You were holding onto me pretty tightly towards the end...were you scared?" I asked Katie with a teasing smirk.


    "No, it was a little creepy, but it didn''t really scare me...the visuals and sounds kinda made me feel sick though, that was really disgusting," She groaned in response.


    "In that case, how about we go for a more calming ride next?" I suggested, as we came across another map of the park.


    "Yeah, that sounds nice...oh, how about this one?" She responded, pointing at a spot on the map.


    I glanced at where she was pointing to and read out the name of the ride...


    "Oh, one of those virtual 3D rides where it makes you feel like you''re in whatever setting that''s picked, huh? That''s kinda like a roller-coaster but for people that are afraid of actual roller-coasters, right?"


    "Uh, well...I never thought of it like that. Huh, but yeah, the seats shake and stuff, but for the most part, you''re not really moving. Maybe the virtual setting is highly detailed and feels real?" She replied uncertainly.


    "Only one way to find out...let''s go take a look, shall we?" I suggested with a smile.


    "Yeah, okay, let''s check it out."


    ...


    Huh, so this is the place...it was a large, dome-shaped structure, and looks like it''s two tickets per person for entry. We handed over the tickets and headed inside, given the option of three settings...underwater, in the sky, or an active volcano site. Each setting had a different room, so once inside the dome, there were three rooms to choose from.


    The ride lasts three minutes, and right now, the volcano one was currently active with about a minute left to go, while the other two were waiting on more people to show up before starting.


    "Which one do you want to check out?" I inquired, as Katie mulled over the options.


    "Let me see, uh...how about underwater? I can always fly in real life by having you carry me while using your jetpack, and the volcano one sounds cool, but something relaxing feels more appealing right now. Okay, yeah, let''s go with the underwater option," She decided, after taking a while to weigh each of the options.


    "Alright, then, underwater it is. Let''s go," I responded, before taking a bit of initiative and grabbing hold of her hand, heading into the room with the underwater setting...


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    "Huh, that was, uh...," Frowned Katie, as we left the place after the ride ended.


    "...really disappointing. They didn''t even use real imagery, that was all just really bad CGI!" I explained in dissatisfaction, "So not worth two tickets, the ride itself was really slow too, we might as well have been sitting on regular old chairs."


    "Sorry, I picked a really crappy ride, huh?" She apologized sheepishly.


    "Why''re you apologizing? I mean, it''s not like I knew what it was going to be like either. And besides, complaining like this is kinda fun too, in a weird way," I responded with a grin.


    "Wait, really?" She replied in bemusement.


    "Yeah, really...come on, give it a try," I prompted her as I poked her cheek.


    "Okay, uh...that ride was awful, the seats were swaying so slowly that I couldn''t ''accidentally'' lose my balance and fall towards you! And the not-so-merry-go-round was crap too, but at least I got to hug you tight," She remarked wryly, as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.


    I could feel my face starting to heat up...no, I''m not gonna get flustered so easily, let''s try a counter...


    "Yeah, can''t deny that that was pretty nice, your breath was tickling and brushing against the back of my neck, and despite the surroundings, it was pretty nice and cozy with you hugging me so firmly," I admitted in an attempt to see her flustered, though I was kinda also making myself feel embarrassed as a result.


    "Wow...you look adorable when you try to play it cool and act like you''re not affected," She smirked as she reached up and touched my face, "Yeah, your face is really warm."


    Well played, she got me...but I''m not giving up that easily, time to turn the tables...


    "Guilty as charged, but you''re one to talk...just look at the tips of your ears, they''re bright red," I countered, and before I could give it a second thought, found myself leaning down and impulsively giving the tip of her right ear a light nibble...


    "Wh-wha...? Wh-where''d that come from?" She responded in surprise, her face turning red as I pulled away and realized what I''d just done.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to do that-...I mean, I did, but I shouldn''t have, that was-...," I began to apologize.


    "H-hey, I didn''t say that I didn''t like it...you just startled me, that''s all...," She mumbled bashfully, before pulling my arm and dragging me towards another map of the amusement park, pressing her finger against another spot, "Um...let''s go here next, okay?"


    "Uh, sure, which one is-...," I started, before trailing off as I saw the name of the ride she was pointing out, reading it out, "Tunnel of Love..."


    "I-it''s a two-person boat ride that goes through a long, dimly lit tunnel...," She explained quietly, fidgeting slightly.


    "Oh, yeah, I''ve seen these in old movies...but, uh, I don''t know how to row a boat, I''ve never been on one before," I frowned, feeling kinda disappointed...not gonna lie, this sounds kinda appealing to me...


    "Don''t worry about that, the boat moves on its own, it''s probably connected to a track or something. Unless you don''t want to, then we don''t have to-," She replied, looking a bit nervous.


    "Never said that I didn''t want to...in fact, it sounds pretty nice. Yeah, let''s go for it."


    "Really!? I-I mean, yeah, let''s go!" She responded eagerly, looking relieved and happy.


    ...she''s killing me here...


    ...


    We made our way to the ride, which wasn''t crowded at all, much to my relief. The attendant informed us that the boat takes ten minutes to go through the tunnel, which was easily the longest of the rides in this amusement park...well, there''s also the ferris wheel, but I''d rather avoid that.


    We then hopped onto a boat, before the attendant pulled a lever and the boat began moving, a slight awkward tension between the two of us...normally, silence between the two of us doesn''t bother me since she''s usually quiet, but she''s been really expressive, confident and talkative today.


    And now, she''s all quiet and fidgety...and it was kinda making me nervous too. As we began to enter the tunnel, which was dimly lit with pink lights, I decided to break the silence...


    "Hey, you okay? You look like something''s bothering you."


    "Huh? N-no, it''s not that something''s bothering me, per say...," She responded as she averted her gaze, before taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, a look of determination on her face as she stood up and sat next to me, "I''ve...got something I want to say to you."


    "Oh...uh, okay, what is it?" I asked her, starting to feel kinda nervous myself.


    "Well, I-...remember when I asked you out, I said that I really liked you?"


    "Y-yeah, I...I remember."


    "You see...that''s not quite accurate."


    Huh?


    "I, uh...what do you mean?" I responded, as I felt my chest tighten, my mind flashing back to the last time I went to an amusement park.


    "The truth is that I''m...that I''m in...I-I''m in love with you, Kilzachs-...ow!" She confessed, before I landed a light chop on her forehead, "H-hey, what was that for?"


    "Oh, sorry, I just-...you really freaked me out for a sec with your phrasing," I remarked sheepishly, before realizing what she''d just said, "Wait, back up a sec...could you repeat that?"


    "H-huh? Y-you want me to-...hey, I had to really work up my courage for that! Take this instead!" She frowned with a pout, before grabbing my collar and kissing me...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 185 - 184 - Date(Part 6)

    "Wait, what exactly freaked you out? For a moment, I thought you were referring to my c-confession, but...," She trailed off, as she pulled away after kissing me.


    "Huh? Oh, when you said ''that''s not quite accurate''...no offense, but I was starting to imagine the worst," I replied apologetically.


    She looked confused for a moment, before her eyes widened in realization...


    "I forgot...that time we hung out with most of our classmates for the first time, you mentioned what happened between you and Bytra...I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to bring up any bad memor-...," She began with a guilty look on her face.


    "No, stop, don''t apologize...if anything, I should apologize for doubting you like that, that wasn''t cool on my part...so, I''m sorry," I cut her off, feeling kinda guilty myself.


    "In that case, let''s just call it even...okay?" She responded with a wry smile.


    "Okay...and hey, about you confes-," I began, admittedly feeling a bit overwhelmed by this whole situation.


    "Wait...you don''t have to respond right away. Give it some thought, and take all the time you need, okay? But, um, you know...don''t leave me hanging for too long," She interrupted with a slight smile, as her face turned bright red.


    "Hey, uh, if you don''t mind me asking...what exactly, y-you know, made you f-fall in love with me?" I asked her, as my heart started beating faster.


    "H-huh? I-I, um, well...," She stuttered, before holding my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine and adding, "Well, there wasn''t any one particular thing...I really liked spending time with you, and the more time that I spent with you, the more comfortable and at ease I felt whenever you''re around. I was pretty happy when you got so angry on my behalf during the tournament, maybe that''s when it started...it''s hard to pin down exactly, I didn''t fall in love with you overnight or for any specific reason...my affection for you just kept gradually increasing the more time we spent together, and I''d been denying it to myself for the last few weeks, when my heart started to beat faster whenever I even thought about you...but I finally accepted it during Mitchell''s party, I couldn''t ignore my feelings for you anymore. So, yeah...I love you, Kilzachs."


    As she said all that, a realization hit me...before this, I never expected anyone to feel this way about me. Her words, they seemed so unbelievable to me, and yet, I could clearly see that she was a hundred percent serious.


    Over the past couple of years, I''ve slowly but surely regained my self-confidence, which was absolutely destroyed during my time in middle school and early highschool, not to mention at home...I thought I''d gotten over all my negative experiences from back then, but I guess some lingering effects had stuck around.


    Maybe that''s why I''ve never actually given thought towards getting into a serious relationship, because deep down, I didn''t really think it was possible for me.


    "I...don''t know what to say. For starters, I''m flattered as hell, this a pretty big boost to my ego," I replied, half-jokingly, before continuing, "I mean, I really admire you, you know. Your powers, talent and your mastery over them are just a small part of that. You''re quiet and unassuming, but you won''t let anyone walk over you, that''s something I seriously respect. And I genuinely enjoy spending time with you too, even if we don''t have anything to talk about, I''ve come to find that something as simple as sitting in silence with you is comfortable and relaxing. I''ve never been in a serious relationship before, and I''ve never even considered being in one before...so I''m not sure how to respond to this, there''s so many thoughts flowing in my head right now, that-..."


    "Like I said, you don''t have to respond right away. Take your time in getting your thoughts in order and then decide, okay? I''m more than happy to wait," She informed me, as she rested her head against my shoulder.


    "Yeah, but...I don''t really know if I''ve ever even really been in love with someone before, so I''m not sure how it''s supposed to feel-," I began.


    "Hey, calm down, you don''t need to get all stressed out over this...and besides, there''s a simple technique that can help you realize whether or not you''re in love with someone," She responded with a smile.


    "Seriously? What is it?"


    "All you have to do is imagine the person being romantically involved with someone else. Simple as that. Well, it worked for me, anyway."


    Huh? That''s all it takes? Okay, guess I''ll give it a tr-...


    "Stop, not right now! First get your thoughts sorted out, otherwise you''ll just get more confused. And besides, our date''s not over yet," She interrupted me before I could start, and then glancing at her I-Watch, "We''ve still got about half a minute left before we''re out of the tunnel..."


    "Oh, it''s almost over? Ten minutes went by pretty fast, huh."


    "I''ve got a favor to ask for these last few seconds...do you mind?" She asked in a quiet whisper, as she met my gaze.


    "Hm? No, I don''t mind, what is it?" I responded, as my heart rate began to spike.


    "Kiss me," She requested, closing her eyes and tilting her head up, her face turning red with anticipation.


    H-huh? I feel like I shouldn''t with all these thoughts bouncing around in my head, but looking at the expectant look on her face, it felt like it''d be even worse to deny her...I slunk my arm around her waist and pulled her a bit closer, before leaning down and pressing my lips against hers.


    She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back, caressing my lips with hers slowly and softly, and then abruptly pulling away...


    "Just a little something to help you make the correct decision," She whispered with a slight smile, before her face turned bright red and she averted her gaze, right as the boat reached the end of the tunnel.


    "Uh, r-right," I responded, unable to say anything else, my face heating up and my heart beating like a drum, as the ride came to an end...


    ...


    After that, we went on a couple more rides, but it was really hard to focus, and we were kinda silent and awkward around each other. She was holding my hand the whole time, but whenever our eyes met, either one or both of us inadvertently ended up averting our gazes.


    She''d seemed so bold and confident earlier, but I guess she was putting in some real effort to appear that way, and couldn''t do so anymore. Which is understandable, I''m feeling pretty mentally worn out here myself.


    "That was the last of our tickets. Do you want to get a few more?" She asked me, as we finished up a death drop ride, the one that slowly rises up and then drops down rapidly.


    "Nah, I think I''ve had my fill, I''m feeling kinda spent. Plus, uh, it''s kinda hard to focus on the rides anymore, you know?" I responded sheepishly.


    "Y-yeah, I know what you mean...it''s almost 6 PM now, the amusement park is gonna get pretty crowded soon. It''s a bit early for dinner, but wanna go find a place to eat?"


    "Sure, sounds good to me. We passed by quite a few restaurants on the way here, you pick a place, it''ll be my treat."


    "Huh? No, I can''t let you do that-," She started to deny.


    "I insist...you''ve paid for everything today, and while I appreciate the sentiment, I also kinda feel bad about it. So, at least at the end, let me treat you instead, ''kay?" I responded with a firm smile.


    "Well, when you put it that way...fine, okay."


    "Oh, and you better not pick a cheap place out of consideration, I want you to pick a place that you genuinely like, the price doesn''t matter. Got it?" I stated with a smirk.


    At this point, I''ve saved up more money than I know what to do with, so I''m far from lacking in funds.


    "Wha-...alright, then, I guess I''ll pick-...," She started to choose, before being interrupted as she received a notification on her I-Watch, "Ugh, should have muted my notifications...whatever, I''ll just ignore it."


    "Uh...maybe you should see what it says. It could be something important," I pointed out...gotta say, her annoyed expression is pretty cute.


    "Yeah, but-...no, you''re right," She sighed in exasperation, before tapping on the screen and reading the message, a look of dismay on her face.


    "Hey, everything okay?"


    "My younger brother has caught a fever, but my parents are out and won''t be back till late tonight...they want me to go back home and take care of him," She groaned.


    "Huh...first off, I didn''t know you had any siblings. And second...you should go home, I''ll walk you there. Oh, and let me know where your favorite place to eat is...next time, I''ll treat you, deal?" I offered her with a smile, as I patted the top of her head.


    "Next time? You really mean it?" She responded, perking up.


    So cute...


    "Y-yeah, for sure. Uh, let''s see...how about the weekend after classes start back up?" I suggested, after thinking it over.


    "Okay!" She replied immediately, before catching herself and turning red, averting her gaze in embarrassment.


    "Come on, let''s go," I suggested, as we got to the entrance of the amusement park.


    "Fine, but let''s walk slowly, okay?" She responded, as she latched onto my left arm with a blissful look on her face.


    "Uh...sure, but not too slow."


    "Whaaat? Aw, fine..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 186 - 185 - Worth The Effort

    Point-of-View: Katie Cummins


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I let out a huge sigh as I shut the door, leaning back against it as I sunk down onto the floor, feeling worn out. My face is really sore, just opening my mouth hurts...that took so much effort!


    Kilzachs had just walked me home from the amusement park, and now that I was back, I could finally relax...I''m completely exhausted. Still, it definitely seemed like my efforts were worth it, based on his reactions throughout the day.


    I kinda feel bad about it, but I''d have felt a lot worse if the date went poorly because of my lack of expression. Yesterday, I''d worked all day with my inner AI thing to get the hang of manipulating my facial expressions to match my emotions.


    I told Kilzachs that the AI was doing it herself, but in reality, it required active effort from both myself and the AI to pull it off. But since I was straining so many muscles that usually don''t move at all, my face was all cramped up and aching right now.


    Ow...my cheeks and jaw hurt when I open my mouth. Hopefully, if I keep doing this manually like I did today, maybe the expressiveness will sink in and become muscle memory, so that eventually, my expressions display more naturally. Hm, or should I save my expressions for special occasions, so that they have more impact?


    Well, before I get too far ahead of myself, I should probably thank my AI...I mean, I couldn''t have done it without her, I tried making expressions at myself in the mirror and, well...it was awful. And I mean, really horrible. I''d have been my usual blank-faced self if it wasn''t for her. And I''ll likely be counting on her help in the future too, so I really should thank her.


    I then sat down, closed my eyes and began channeling my XFE down...I still don''t get why entering my consciousness and communicating with the AI requires channeling XFE into my crotch, but it certainly seems to be the only way. So weird...


    "Hey, I''ve been waiting! That was quite a day, huh?" She greeted me with a grin.


    "Yeah...thank you so much, it wouldn''t have been the same if it wasn''t for you," I thanked her gratefully, "Hope I can count on you to do the same again sometime..."


    "Sure, it''s no trouble at all! It may be tiring for you, but it''s as easy as breathing for me...well, not that I know what breathing feels like, since I don''t physically exist, but you know what I mean!" She responded cheerfully.


    "I have to say, it''s really disconcerting to see someone who looks like me be so animated and expressive," I sighed wistfully.


    "That kinda goes both ways, even though I know that you existed way before I did, it still feels more like you look like me than the other way around."


    "Uh...does it really matter? Whether you say ''I look like you'' or ''you look like me'', it''s the same thing, isn''t it, Eitak?" I pointed out.


    "First off, it totally matters! And second, I''ve been meaning to bring this up for a while...could you please change my name?" She requested hopefully.


    "Huh? But why?" I responded in surprise.


    "Because...it''s so uncreative! It''s literally just your name backwards! Meanwhile, your boyfriend''s AI''s got such a cool name like Inverse!" She exclaimed indignantly.


    "H-he''s not my boyfriend yet...! Or, well, I''m not even sure that he will be...I''ve done all I can, whatever happens next depends on how decides to respond," I sighed in reply.


    "That may be true, but I''d say you''ve given yourself a pretty strong chance here. Your only real competition seems to be that Suri girl, she clearly likes him and based on that party, she''s probably hooked up with him too...but, so what? She seems like the type who would be embarrassed to admit her feelings out loud, that along with how she reacted during the truth or dare game, probably means that their relationship hasn''t gotten serious," Reasoned Eitak objectively.


    "...are you smarter than me? That''s kinda depressing..."


    "Actually, the vast majority of my knowledge is made up of your memories. The only difference is that I can access all of it at the same time, while you have ''think'' and ''remember'', but that doesn''t apply to me. In other words, the conclusions I come to are probably the same conclusions that you would end up at, but factors like paranoia and ''overthinking'' don''t affect me, so I suppose I have better accuracy, along with speed. Oh, but your perception can affect me...as in, how you perceive things. For example, if someone smiles in a friendly manner at you but you misunderstand and think it''s a threatening smile, then I''ll also perceive it as such," She explained, before adding, "Anyway, I''ll ask again, can I please have a new name?"


    "Ohh, so that''s how it works...I guess that''s kinda better, at least a little bit. And fine, you can have a new name...pick whatever you want," I replied...I don''t really care what she calls herself, that''s why I just went with my name backwards.


    "No, that''s way too sad! Picking my own name is just...sad. You gotta rename me yourself! And put some actual thought into it this time. Otherwise, the next time you see Kilzachs, I just might sabotage you," She huffed in response.


    Well, guess she feels pretty strongly about this name issue, huh?


    "Okay, okay...let me think...," I relented, before furrowing my brows as I tried to come up with a name for her.


    What would be good? Maybe I''ll follow Kilzachs'' lead and pick something synonymous with ''inverse''? No, if it''s too obvious, then she''ll probably complain. It needs to be more creative and-...oh, I got it!


    "I''ve thought of one, and it feels pretty fitting...but I can''t guarantee that you''ll like it," I remarked uncertainly.


    "Don''t worry, just tell me what it is! You really looked like you were deep in thought, so even if it sucks, I can appreciate the effort," Came the reply.


    She can be kinda loud and obnoxious most of the time, but you know what, she''s really not all that bad.


    "Well, I''m usually a pretty quiet person, while you''re the opposite...so I thought the name ''Echo'' would suit you. Also, echoes aren''t tangible, they''re not something that physically exists, just like you. Um...what do you think?" I asked her, unsure of how she would respond...


    "Echo, huh...you kidding me...I love it! Yeah, that sounds cool...Echo...Echo...mhm, it''s got a nice ring to it! See, I know you could do if you try!" She exclaimed giddily.


    Huh, she seems really happy and grateful, but it also kinda feels like she''s patronizing me...


    "Uh, glad you like it, I guess."


    "Oh, I almost forgot...why''d you come in here, is something the matter?" She inquired, now that she was content regarding her name.


    "Hm? Oh, I just wanted to thank you, and...well, I already did, so...I guess I''m just chatting now."


    "Aww...you''re very welcome! And you can count on my assistance anytime!" She grinned with a salute.


    "Thanks...and sorry for bothering you with my love life like this, it''s probably something that I should be trying to handle on my own," I admitted ruefully.


    "Huh? No need to feel bad about it! Seriously, I had fun! This whole situation is pretty amusing, you''re in a real life love triangle!"


    ...amusing? Huh, suddenly I feel a tiny bit less grateful for her help...


    "That''s not what this is-," I began in indignation.


    "Yeah, you''re right...it''s more like a harem situation! There''s you and Suri, the main girls...that Bytra girl might be contender too, it''s a pretty clich¨¦d premise; two people that hate each other ending up in a relationship! Oh, and there''s Seila too...from what we''ve seen, she doesn''t seem to have much romantic interest in him, but considering how many times he''s felt her body all pressed up against his...," She trailed off suggestively, before adding, "Heh, I gotta say, he''s one lucky guy! Or unlucky, if this turns out to be as messy as it could get!"


    I had a brief phase in my early teen years where I was kinda into fanservicey harem animes, so it''s no wonder that she''s got so much knowledge on that subject...what a pain...


    "Huh...when you put it like that, he is annoyingly popular...," I sighed in exasperation.


    "Which totally doesn''t make sense to me! I mean, sure, he''s objectively pretty good looking, and he''s really strong both physically and mentally...but he''s so broody and serious most of the time, not to mention his weird hair!" Echo continued.


    "Hey, what''s wrong with his hair? I think it''s pretty cool!" I protested, before adding for good measure, "And besides, it''s not like it''s dyed or anything, it''s his natural hair color."


    "True, but he made the deliberate choice to grow out that blonde lock of hair by his right ear much longer than the rest of his hair!" She pointed out with a laugh.


    "Maybe so...but I think it looks cool, and I stand by that," I stated firmly.


    "Agree to disagree...oh, and don''t get me started on his fashion sense! He always wears the same outfit at the Academy and during Missions, that jean jacket and black trousers! I mean, excluding the Christmas party and today''s date, how many times how you seen him wearing something different?"


    "I don''t really care about fashion all that much, so-."


    "Oh, and another thing-...!"


    "Okay, we''re done here. I''ll talk to you later," I interrupted her with an irritated sigh, as I left my subconscious and woke up again.


    I''m grateful to her and all, but...sometimes, she really annoys me, she''s so loud and talkative...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 187 - 186 - Figured It Out

    Today''s the 30th of December, and I was currently in bed, lazing about. A couple of days had passed since my date with Katie, and I''d spent all day yesterday training hard, before deciding to take it easy for the last two days of the year.


    I mean, I usually train almost every single day with a break only around once every two weeks or so, therefore, a couple of extra days off might do me some good. I won''t get complacent, but overdoing it isn''t going to benefit me either.


    As I stared up at my ceiling and let out a quiet sigh, I recalled everything that had happened this past year...it sure has been a wild ride, to put it lightly. No, but seriously, way too much has happened this year. And yeah, not all of it was bad, but while the good parts of this year were great, the bad parts were an absolute nightmare.


    A ton of people died, and while the majority of those deaths haven''t really affected me emotionally, there are a number of those that did. I know that I should probably feel a lot more guilty than I actually am, considering that I indirectly caused a lot of the deaths that occurred this year.


    But even if it was my fault, I feel absolutely nothing over the deaths of random strangers...at most, I''d feel a fleeting sense of ''my bad'', but I definitely wouldn''t go so far as to call that guilt.


    Well, like I said, this year wasn''t all bad, so maybe I''m better off focusing on the good. Like...girls. Before this year, I''d snuck off to the red light district every now and then, but this year, I actually hooked up with girls normally. Considering that I got along with absolutely no one before, let alone girls, that''s a big deal.


    Okay, it might be kind of a stretch to call my thing with Ruby ''normal'', but...actually, never mind, I can''t think of a ''but'', it''s just straight up not normal. Then there''s Suri...though lately, I haven''t seen much of her, it''d felt like we were slowly but surely getting closer and closer for a while, but now, that seemed to have stalled.


    And then, or course, there''s Katie. I''d been considering her to be a good friend ever since the X-Warrior Championship, but after the last few days, that''s kinda not possible anymore. I''ve been agonizing over it ever since our date, but the more I think about it, the more confused and flustered I get.


    I definitely don''t dislike her, but I still don''t know if I''m even interested in getting into a serious relationship. And I''m not really sure what amount of affection is necessary to be ''in love'' with someone...I''ve got no prior experience with romance until this year, so I have no idea what to do.


    Therefore, I called my sister, and asked her to come over tonight because I wanted her advice, but I didn''t give her any of the details. She seemed surprised, but also happy that I was turning to her for advice, and immediately agreed. She said she''d be here around 7 PM...which is still five hours away.


    And I''ve got nothing to do in the meantime, so...I''m kinda maybe sorta really bored. Yeah, I''m starting to have second thoughts about taking two whole days off from training, back to back.


    I let out a sigh and got out of bed, getting dressed. I think I''ll head out for a while and roam around, just to kill some time. Should I call someone else? Nah, maybe another time, I''ll just spend today solo till it''s time for Kilella to come over.


    I then headed out after getting dressed, not even sure where I was heading to. I mean, obviously I was going to start with a trip to Delectables, that''s a given. But I probably won''t kill much more than half an hour there, maybe an hour if I count the amount of time it takes to get there.


    I should get back home by around 6 PM, so I''ve got at least three whole hours to kill after I''m done with Delectables. Well, no need to think too hard on it, I''m sure something will come to mind by the time I''m finished eating...


    ...


    ...


    Nothing''s come to mind, and I''ve already finished eating...I should have figured as much. I mean, when I''m eating top level desserts, I''m obviously not going to be thinking about anything else! How could I have overlooked that?


    It was a few minutes to 3 PM right now, and I''d just finished eating at Delectables, my stomach feeling pretty satisfied. But as for how I was going to spend the next three hours or so, still no progress with that.


    Maybe I could go drinking by myself? Nah, I don''t care for alcohol all that much, so I shouldn''t drink alone, it''s not worth it. How about going to watch a movie? No, I don''t really enjoy the movies that are made today, I''m better off going home and watching a movie that came out before WWIII on my laptop.


    Yeah, you know what, I think I''ll do just that...I can''t think of anything else to do out here, so there''s no point wracking my brain over it, I might as well just head back home. What was I thinking, leaving the apartment was probably a mistake in the first place, I should have just-...


    "Hey, you''re Kilzachs Light, right?"


    Hm? Ah, crap, I thought people had forgotten about me at this point...come on, that stupid tournament was ages ago, give me a-...


    "Yeah, uh, that''s me...and you are...?" I responded, playing dumb as I turned around and saw who it was that had addressed me.


    A freckled face with black eyes and shortish, straight black hair...a familiar face, but one that I''d technically never interacted with. I mean, in my memories, yeah, I''d interacted with him...but in the current timeline, that never happened...


    "So sorry, let me introduce myself...my name is Grey Cintor, currently the only student in the Level J class at the Academy-...well, technically speaking, I''ll be in the Level Q class in a couple of days. Mind sparing me a moment to talk? It''s rather important, you see," He remarked with a smile.


    I''m getting a bad feeling about this...don''t tell me he figured it out, that I''m the one who helped him back then? If that''s the case, then I''d rather no one else overhear him....


    "Sure, that''s fine by me. But first, let''s go somewhere that''s less crowded," I responded, before spotting a narrow alley between two buildings and making my way towards it without giving him a chance to reply, as he followed suit and walked behind me.


    I entered the alley and headed in, looking around to make sure that there weren''t any security cameras or open windows...alright, seems to be clear. It''s also kinda dusty, so I''m guessing not many people go through here.


    "This place kinda stinks," Remarked Grey, as I stopped and turned around.


    "Let''s cut to the chase, shall we? What do you want to talk to me about?" I inquired, getting straight to the point.


    "About that, it''s kinda complicated...see, this has to do with something that happened about two and a half months ago. Do you remember when a whole bunch of people suddenly fell into comas in a single day, seemingly with no explanation or cause?" He responded, an innocent look on his face.


    This little...! He''s definitely figured it out. And well, I guess that''s not too surprising. When I took the detonator from him, my actions would certainly have made him realize that it was an Anomaly''s power that thwarted him.


    The moment he figured that out, the rest became easy...with so few Anomalies in existence inside the Sanctuary, the suspect list isn''t very long, and from there, narrowing it down further based on what he experienced would be child''s play. Still, I''m not just gonna come out and admit it...if there''s even a hint of a doubt in his mind, I need to exploit it...


    "Yeah, I remember, that was crazy. What about it?" I replied in a nonchalant tone, not giving anything away.


    "Well, you see...on that day, I''d been planning on doing something, but right before I could, someone showed up and stopped me, claiming that they''d come back in time to stop me...and then approved of my actions, despite stopping me. Weird, huh?" He said in reply.


    "Weird? Sounds more like you just made that all up...there''s no way that time travel''s possible," I scoffed in a tone of disbelief.


    Okay, I think that was reasonably convincing. Did it work, though?


    "Huh, I see...hey, I gotta say, you''re a pretty good actor, man," He smirked in response.


    "Uh, I''m not sure I see what you''re getting at-," I began, but it looks like he had no doubts about this right from the beginning...


    "Just admit it...the guy who stopped me back then, that was you, wasn''t it?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 188 - 187 - Blame

    Crap...what do I do? Should I admit it? Or continue playing dumb? Because, uh, he doesn''t seem to have any doubts whatsoever...


    "I really don''t know what you''re talking about, and besides, all that happened a while ago, so why bring it up now?" I replied, deciding to try and play innocent a bit more, even though I knew that it was probably futile...


    "Actually, I figured it out a couple of weeks later. I was just confused and taken aback for a few days, since every single one of my classmates had fallen into comas and showed no signs of regaining consciousness. I was also nervous and paranoid about someone coming after me...but, then, no one did. Once I calmed down and thought it through, you were the only person who fit the bill, none of the other known Anomalies'' powers could have pulled off what you did," He surmised confidently.


    "I''ll humor you for a second, let''s assume that I am the person who you''re talking about...why wait so long before confronting me?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "Simple, I figured that you would probably not want anyone to hear what I had to say to you, so I was waiting for an opportunity to talk to you alone, but you were always with one or more of your classmates at the Academy. And texting you out of the blue seemed kinda rude...but I happened to spot you just now, and it didn''t seem like you were with anyone, so yeah," He replied with a shrug.


    Huh? That''s really why he didn''t approach me till more than two months later!? He doesn''t seem to be lying, and he''s definitely sure that I''m the one who he encountered back then. There''s no point in denying it, and this definitely isn''t worth the risk of using Save/Load. Looks like I don''t really have a choice...


    "Alright, fine...yeah, I''m the one who restrained you in that bathroom back then and took your detonator. You haven''t told anyone else, have you?" I inquired, as I reluctantly relented.


    "I fucking knew it!" He exclaimed in a loud, triumphant whisper, before adding, "No, of course I haven''t told anyone. Why would I confess to a crime-...one that I didn''t technically commit, sure...-but one that I definitely intended on committing?"


    "True, you''ve got a point there, I suppose. But why confront me in the first place?" I asked him.


    "Oh, uh...dunno, I didn''t really think it through," He responded sheepishly, "I guess I mostly just wanted to confirm whether or not my deduction was correct. And I guess another part of it is that I wanted to thank you...so, yeah, thanks a lot for what you did back then."


    "Sure, uh, you''re welcome...but I''m pretty sure you already thanked me back then," I recalled uncertainly.


    "Yeah, but you suddenly disappeared, so I wasn''t sure about whether you left before or after hearing me," He shrugged, before adding, "And besides, I didn''t quite realize the magnitude of what you did for me back then, it didn''t sink in for quite a while."


    "Well, I think I mentioned this before too, but it just didn''t sit right with me for someone to be labeled a criminal just because they got back at people who bullied them...I could sympathize with your situation, so I helped out. So you really don''t need to thank me, it was little more than an impulsive whim on my part," I admitted honestly.


    "I can understand and appreciate that, actually...it''s better than living by a fixed set of morals, that''s for sure. Like ''killing is wrong'' sounds like an obvious statement, but depending on the person or situation, I don''t think it''s all that cut and dry, you know?" He replied with a grin.


    "Yeah...I think I get exactly what you''re trying to say, and I agree."


    "Oh, by the way, whatever happened with the detonator? It couldn''t have been easy to get rid of it unnoticed," He remarked curiously.


    "It was in my room, actually...before I dismantled into about a hundred tiny pieces and flushed it away," I informed him.


    Yeah, I used Cut on that thing several times over until it was chopped up beyond recognition, and then I flushed the tiny pieces down the toilet. And with that, the evidence was gone.


    "Wow, didn''t expect that...cool, I was kinda worried that you might not have been able to get rid of it, but I guess I was worried for nothing. Well, anyway, glad I could finally get all this off my chest...I''m gonna go now, sorry for bothering you out of the blue like this. I''ll see you around," He said, before turning around and heading off with a slight wave.


    "Yeah, uh, sure...see ya around," I replied as he left, feeling kinda bemused.


    Okay, uh...well, that was weird. I think I''ll go back home after all, I can just watch a movie or something on my laptop to kill some time...I probably should have done that in the first place. I couldn''t help it though, my craving for some desserts from Delectables was too strong.


    And now that that craving has been sated, I can''t think of anything else to do out here, so home it is. Oh, maybe I should get some small, bite-sized sweets to take back and eat while I watch something...mm, maybe some mini brownies or churros will do the trick.


    Ooh, but there''s also their fudge cubes, chocolate-coated wafers, and caramel crisps, which are thin, dried chips of caramel that have a super satisfying crunch when you bite into them...oh, and there''s also...!


    ...


    This was probably a mistake...I, uh, ended up getting a little bit of everything I just mentioned, plus a couple of other bite-sized desserts too. I was back home, with two large boxes of sweets.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Paste>," I sighed, bringing out the boxes onto my desk, as I shut my door and locked it.


    I then took off my jacket and changed into more comfortable, loose-fitting clothes, before flopping onto my bed with a lazy groan, burying my face in the pillow. There''s still almost three and a half hours before my sister''s supposed to show up, so enough time for two movies, assuming one of them is on the shorter side.


    Hm, or maybe I could go with one movie plus random episodes from shows or anime? Eh, I''ll decide on the fly, I''m more interested in snacking on the sweets I brought along. Okay, then, what should I watch first?


    I don''t feel like watching a serious movie, so guess I''ll go with a comedy. Should I rewatch something I''ve already seen, or go for something I haven''t seen before? Oh, I know, I''ll look up some of the comedies I really enjoyed before and then search for any movies by like the same director or starring the same actors.


    After about twenty minutes of going through several options, I finally ended up looking up movies by the guy from Borat...and picked one called Brothers Grimsby.


    I then opened up one of the boxes of desserts as I played the movie, picking up a caramel crisp as it began. I bit into the chip, a loud crunch echoing out as I did, the caramel melting in my mouth and coating my tastebuds in a rich, syrupy sweetness, the sides of the inside of my mouth tingling as I let out a content sigh. Doesn''t matter what kind of movie this is, because I''m in heaven right now...


    ...


    I would like to take back part of my last statement...it, uh, definitely matters what kind of movie this is. I...I feel kinda sick. And not just because I''ve eaten way more sugar today than any one person should...no, it was because of the movie.


    What the...what the actual hell kind of movie is this!? I mean, normally, this type of humor would probably make me laugh, but this is absolutely not the kind of movie you want to watch while eating. I can never look at elephants the same way again.


    Huh, actually, now that I think about it, I''ve never actually seen an elephant in real life. They do still exist, there''s a couple of zoos in the Sanctuary, and they have elephants, but I''ve never actually been to one of them.


    Hundreds, if not thousands, of animal species went extinct after WWIII, and while the Sanctuary mainly focused on bringing in animals that were classified as livestock, like hens, cows, pigs, fish, and so on, they were able to secure a bunch of other animals in the remaining time they had before nuclear warfare broke out in earnest, managing to bring in a handful of other species too.


    It''s actually pretty impressive, they managed to save over two hundred species...but of course, that''s a miniscule percentage of the grand total number of species that existed before WWIII.


    Huh, maybe I should go visit one of the zoos sometime, I certainly don''t dislike animals...but, uh, I think I''ll have to wait till I get over the traumatic images that this movie burned into my retinas, because I feel so nauseous right now that I can''t even finish off all of the desserts I bought.


    I only managed to finish one and a half out of the two boxes, meaning than half an entire box still remained. But I...I just can''t eat anymore, not without puking. And that''s definitely the movie''s fault, there are absolutely no other factors to blame for my current nausea...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 189 - 188 - Advice

    "Yeah, uh, no...it''s definitely not just the movie, you little idiot," Laughed Kilella, as she poked my stomach playfully.


    "I swear, if you keep doing that, I''ll make sure that I puke on you when it inevitably happens," I groaned, as I pushed her hand away with a sigh of exasperation.


    It was 6:30 PM now, and my sister had arrived a couple of minutes ago, more than half an hour early. But since I was bored, I didn''t complain. Especially since I''m the one that called her here, to ask her for some advice.


    Anyway, she noticed my nauseous expression when she arrived, I explained what had happened, and she was under the impression that I was feeling sick because I ''ate too many sweets'', not because of the movie. She''s totally wrong though.


    "You really should eat sweets with more moderation, Zax," She remarked with a wry smile, as she ruffled my hair.


    "Like I''ve been saying...I''m nauseous because of the movie, not because-," I began with an exasperated groan.


    "Little bro, you had a mountain of dessert for lunch, and then ate a further one and a half boxes worth of desserts over the following three hours or so...you really gonna act like that didn''t make you nauseous? I''m sure the movie played a part, but it''s definitely not the primary reason," She pointed out objectively.


    "Fine...agree to disagree," I grumbled in response.


    "Hehe, you just don''t wanna admit that your precious desserts caused your current suffering, isn''t that right?" She inquired slyly, as she poked my cheek.


    "No idea what you''re talking about."


    "I''m sure you don''t. Anyway, you said you wanted my advice about something, right? It''s not often that you call me over, I usually have to invite myself...so, what''s up?" She asked me, as she sat on my bed next to me and pulled my head down, resting it on her lap.


    "Hey, I''m not a kid anymore-," I began with a sigh, starting to get up, before she pushed me back down.


    "Yeah, I know, but humor me just this once. It''s been forever since you slept on my lap, I guess I''m feeling a bit nostalgic," She replied sheepishly, before a warm, happy smile appeared on her face as she stroked my hair.


    ...okay, fine, I can''t exactly say no when she''s got an expression like that. Still, this is really embarrassing...I''m definitely way too old for stuff like this.


    "Just this once, okay?" I muttered quietly.


    "Okay!" She grinned cheerfully, before asking me, "Alright, so what did you want my advice on, little bro?"


    "Well, uh...it''s kinda complicated...," I responded awkwardly, not sure how to start.


    "Take your time, Zax...you can tell me anything," She smiled, as I trailed off uncertainly.


    Yeah...she''s got a point. I''ve kept a lot of things from her, even though there''s no one I trust more than I trust her...I probably don''t deserve to have such an amazing sister, while she definitely deserves to have a much better brother.


    At the very least, I need to start trying to be more open with her...that doesn''t mean I''m going to reveal all my secrets to her, just that I should stop hiding so much from her. She''s always been there for me, right from the beginning...I won''t take her for granted...


    "Okay, uh, this might be kinda awkward to talk about, but...what I need your advice with is...," I began explaining my current situation.


    I didn''t mention any names, but told her about Katie''s recent confession and how I''m lost as to how to respond to it, since I myself am not really sure how I feel about her. I also told her about Suri, though I once again avoided mentioning any names, I just said something like ''there''s another girl that I''ve been, uh, seeing for a while, but I don''t know if that''s serious or not''.


    "Huh...wow, first off, uh...I wasn''t expecting to hear about your love troubles, of all things, let alone you asking me advice about it. You must really be agonizing over this, huh?" She remarked as I finished explaining my situation to her.


    "Well, I...I don''t want to hurt anyone, you know? So I don''t want to act or respond carelessly, and I have no prior experience, so I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to handle this...I couldn''t think of anyone else whom I''d be willing to talk about this with, so yeah," I admitted sheepishly.


    "I''m glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to me about it, little bro...alright, I''ll help you as best I can! Though, uh, I haven''t actually been in a serious, long-term relationship or anything like that before, so I''m not a hundred percent sure about how reliable my advice might be," She replied with a laugh.


    "That''s fine, just getting a second opinion at all would be helpful," I responded gratefully.


    "Okay, let me think about everything you said...hm, alright, about the girl that recently confessed to you, how do you feel about her?" She asked me.


    "Uh, I mean, if I knew that, then I wouldn''t be so troubled over this," I pointed out.


    "No, I mean it as in, do you like or dislike her?" She rephrased the question.


    "I definitely don''t dislike her, otherwise I''d have turned her down when she asked me out in the first place...and I do enjoy her company and stuff, but that''s not conclusive enough. How much affection do you need to have towards a person before you can consider them as more than a friend?" I frowned in uncertainty.


    "Yeah, okay, you''re definitely overthinking this way too much. It''s not as simple as that, I think it''s more a gut feel kinda thing...though, again, I''ve never had a serious relationship before, so this is kinda presumptuous on my part. Let''s get back to that in a bit...first, let''s talk about the other girl you mentioned, the one you''ve been hooking up with for a wh-...wait a sec, are you talking about Ruby!?"


    "Huh? No, uh, I don''t mean her. I rarely ever speak to her outside of when I need maintenance on my weapons and equipment, so no."


    "That''s good...she may be a long time friend of mine and all, but that girl is a major pervert. She''s not relationship material...and this isn''t me trying to be mean, I''m literally quoting her on this. She once told me that if she ever gets into a relationship, she''ll be way too tempted to cheat because, and I quote, ''that''d be so hot!''...just thought I should let you know," She warned me with an exasperated sigh.


    Yeah, that definitely sounds like something she''d say.


    "Huh, if I do end up deciding on pursuing a serious relationship with someone, I''ll probably have to come up with a different way to compensate her for my maintenance," I muttered warily.


    "She probably won''t make that easy, knowing her. Anyway, getting back on topic...how do you feel about the other girl?" Inquired Kilella curiously.


    "Oh, uh...I like her, but again, I don''t know if it''s to a romantic extent or not. For all I know, I''m not in love with anyone," I shrugged realistically.


    "Hm, that''s also true...well, I wouldn''t call this a solution, more like just a potential option, but you could consider both of them. There aren''t any laws preventing polygamy in the Sanctuary, after all, a girl can marry multiple guys and a guy can marry multiple girls. Though, well, it isn''t all that common, and in most existing cases, one or more of the involved parties are gold diggers. But, hey, I''m sure there''s at least a few genuine harems out there!" She grinned half-jokingly...I could tell that she was at least a tiny bit serious with that suggestion.


    "Yeah, I don''t know...kinda seems like an irresponsible solution to me, I doubt most people would be okay with being shared like that," I responded, before admitting, "But, well, I can''t deny that the thought isn''t a tempting one."


    "I guess so, I certainly wouldn''t like to be in a relationship with more than just one other person-...oh, I know! Maybe this''ll help you figure out how strongly you feel about those girls...try imagining them with another guy, the more it hurts, the more strongly you feel for them!" She suggested as her eyes lit up.


    "That, uh, sounds logical enough, I suppose it''s worth trying, at least," I responded doubtfully, before closing my eyes and doing as she said.


    Hm, picturing them with a guy I don''t like probably won''t work, and picturing with a guy that I do like might be kinda weird too, I should go with someone I feel neutral towards, to prevent any bias in how I feel.


    Huh, in that case, I''ll just make up a stranger in my head, it won''t get any more neutral than that. Okay, let''s get started-...oh. This is, uh...kinda unpleasant. Does that mean I''m in l-...no, wait, I need to try it with both of them before deciding and-...huh, it''s unpleasant with either of them, not just one.


    Is that bad?


    "Well? How''d it go?" Inquired Kilella curiously, as I opened my eyes and let out a sigh.


    "Hard to say, if I''m being honest...but, uh, while I was picturing it, one of them hurt a bit more than the other. So I think I might have gotten a bit more clarity towards how things stand right now," I replied uncertainly, before adding, "That said, though, I''m still very confused about this whole thing..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 190 - 189 - Level K

    "There better be a good reason for why you called me here this early in the morning," I grumbled, as I shut the door behind me.


    "Come on, don''t be like that...in all likelihood, this''ll be one of the last times I get to call you to my office like this," Responded Director Silva with a wry, tired-looking smile, dark circles under her eyes.


    She looked pretty worn out and exhausted, having been super busy lately. There''s pretty much no chance that she''ll be re-elected in the upcoming elections for the X-Warrior Zone, but she was still doing everything she possibly could to ensure a smooth transition.


    "Trying to guilt-trip me is a cheap shot, director. But I guess I can at least say this much, you''re a good leader. A really good one," I remarked...I wasn''t trying to be nice, I''ve genuinely been appreciative of the way she''s dealt with everything that''s happened in the last year or so.


    She''s probably gonna go down as a bad leader in the history books, considering the general public opinion of her, but I know exactly how much she''s done for the people of the Sanctuary, and so do plenty of others. I respect her immensely...so I won''t forget.


    "Oh, uh...that''s a bit unexpected, coming from you," She responded with a look of surprise, before giving me a warm smile as she added, "Thank you, Kilzachs."


    "Sure, uh, you''re welcome...a-anyway, what did you call me in for today?" I asked her, changing the topic.


    "Right, about that...I wanted to talk to you about your powers. Specifically, how much you''re willing to reveal to whoever replaces me. I''m sure you understand how important that is...knowing what you''re actually capable of makes a big difference when it comes to strategic and tactical planning. For instance, if your power really was just teleportation as most people believe, then I wouldn''t have been as comfortable assigning certain missions to you, especially the ones in the South Quadrant," She pointed out.


    "Yeah, don''t worry, I''ve given it some thought. And I''ve decided that I''ll first wait and see what kind of person takes over your position before making a call on whether or not I reveal the true nature of my powers to them. Until then, I''m just not gonna overthink it. So, hey, are you really not gonna be involved at all in the X-Warrior Zone anymore?" I asked her.


    "I''m afraid so...the general public would probably be against my continued involvement in the first place, and besides...after everything that''s happened lately, I''m feeling more than a little bit burnt out," She replied with a wry smile.


    "You definitely look it. I guess this also means that Katie and I won''t get called in to experiment with our powers, huh?"


    Most of those sessions had been kept off the books, only Director Silva and a few of those that were highly loyal to her knew that they even happened at all.


    "I''m certainly going to miss that, I was so fascinated by all the new discoveries we made. You may still get called in though...also, just so you know, while I''ve reported the details of Katie''s Manifestation Overdrive and Manifestation Surge powers with full accuracy, with her permission of course, I didn''t do so with your powers. Specifically, I''ve reported that your Unleash Anomaly form simply lets you teleport yourself and anything within sight without needing to recite the full activation chant," She informed me.


    "Thanks, I really appreciate it. Oh, by the way, I''ve noticed that the police force you proposed has been fully implemented now," I remarked, recalling that I''d seen some uniformed men and women patrolling the streets with X-Weapons.


    "Yeah, it''s still very new, but hopefully, it''ll be in full effect as I''ve envisioned soon enough. I''ve spoken about it to the governments of each quadrant, and they''ve all agree to not allow the new X-Warrior Zone administration to get involved in influencing the police force...I''d rather it be a genuine force of law and order, independent of any governing body. I''ve managed to helm it with people I trust, so I''m not too worried about corruption...of course, that is still a possibility, so once I''m kicked out of this administration, I''ll be taking over the running of the police force," She informed me with a slight smirk.


    Huh? Wait, hold on a sec, does that mean she-...no way, did she create the police force so that she''d continue to have a position of influence and authority after this? If she really got all four governments to agree to let this police force be independent and autonomous, then the X-Warrior Zone administration can''t touch her.


    I imagine she must have assured the governments that she would run the force with integrity, and given her track record, they''d be inclined to believe her. There''s also the fact that she''s the one who proposed and implemented the police force in the first place, so it''d probably run most smoothly under her command.


    Plus there''s also the guilt of making her take the fall for incidents that were mostly out of her control, which effectively ruined her career. Taking that into consideration, they''d probably have found it difficult to turn down her request...damn, she really thought this through...


    "I have to hand it to you, you really are impressive, Director Silva...," I grinned, genuinely impressed, before glancing at the time and letting out a reluctant sigh, "Anyway, I need to leave soon, my Level K classes start today, in about half an hour. So if there''s nothing else..."


    "Oh, yes, of course...sorry for calling you here so early, it''s just that I''ve got a lot of meetings and paperwork to go through later today, so I couldn''t wait till your Academy classes were done for the day. I''ll see you around, Kilzachs," She remarked with a smile.


    "Yeah, see you around, director...," I replied, trailing off as I turned around and headed for the door, before pausing as I added with a wry smile..., "And hey, if the police force ever needs some outside assistance...please don''t drag me into it unless it''s a real emergency, got it?"


    A brief look of surprise appeared on her sleep-deprived face for a moment, before she let out a slight chuckle...


    "Sure, kid...I''ll keep that in mind."


    ...


    So, this is my new classroom for the next six months, huh? There''s only about a couple of minutes left before the first session is supposed to start, so I''m guessing that most of the others must have already arrived.


    I just hope no one''s claimed the back left corner seat, I''ve sat in that spot for the entire past year, I''d really rather not change seats at this point. Hopefully, everyone else feels the same way and stuck with the same spots they were in last year.


    I mean, maybe it''s not technically that important, since theory classes are the only sessions in which we''re actually in the classroom, with all other sessions, we go to one of the training halls downstairs.


    But even so, even if it''s just for two hours a day, none of that matters...sitting in a spot where you''re comfortable at makes a huge difference to when you sit somewhere you''re not comfortable in.


    Okay, here goes...moment of truth. I pushed the door open and stepped in...to see that I was one of the first ones to arrive. Oh...guess I was worrying over nothing. None of the back row seats on the left side of the room had been claimed yet, sweet!


    I bounded over to the left side of the room and sat down in the corner seat of the back row, looking around. Four others were here already, specifically Taayin, Makoto, Lin and Seila.


    Taayin seemed to be engrossed in a game, his attention fixed on a handheld portable gaming system. He was in the same spot where he usually sat, the middle seat of the back row at the right side of the room.


    Makoto was asleep, snoring loudly...he''d previously been sitting at the middle spot of the front row on the right side of the room, but had moved to the left side, the aisle seat of the front row on that side, where Bytra usually sits.


    Lin seemed to be absent-mindedly tapping away at her I-Watch with a bored look on her face, she''d noticed me and gave me a wave when I entered the class, which I awkwardly reciprocated. She was in her usual seat too, the corner spot in the middle row of the right side.


    And as for Seila, she was in the row in front of mine as usual, but she''d shifted from the aisle seat where she used to sit, to the middle seat in the row, where Mitchell used to sit. She was sleeping quietly, her face buried in her arms on the desk.


    The door then opened and a couple more people walked in, Mitchell and Zoya. The latter headed to her usual spot, the aisle seat in the same row as the one Lin was seated in. Mitchell paused for a moment as he saw that Seila was in his usual spot, before shrugging and taking her old spot.


    One by one, the rest of my classmates began streaming in, Bytra greeting me with a brief glare, and Asshole with a creepily cheerful wave. Bytra picked the middle seat in the front row on the right side, while Asshole sat in the front row corner on the left side.


    Alright, that just leaves...those two. I let out a quiet sigh as I recalled my conversation with my sister...yeah, I really appreciate her doing her best to give me some advice, but, uh, I''m still pretty clueless as to how I''m supposed to approach this situation.


    Right on cue, the door opened and Katie walked in, immediately heading for the seat next to mine, where Suri usually sits.


    "Hey, good morning, Kilzachs," She greeted me in her usual monotone, that familiar blank expression on her face, but her eyes were practically sparkling.


    "Yeah, good morning...," I responded, feeling a bit awkward...ever since our date, I can''t look at her the same way anymore...


    And then, the door opened again...and Suri stepped in. Her gaze landed on the seat next to mine, where Katie was currently seated, a slight frown appearing on her face...uh-oh, I don''t like that look, I''m getting a bad feeling about this...


    "Hey, Katie, how''s it going?" She remarked with a slightly strained smile as she approached her, "Say, do you mind sitting somewhere else? I know it''s a new classroom and all, but I''d still like to sit in the same spot I did last year...is that okay?"


    A brief silence ensued as Katie turned to look at Suri, and in the instant where their eyes met, I could''ve sworn that I saw some sparks fly. This tension...I, uh, I don''t like it.


    "Sorry, but no...I want to sit here. You can sit next to me or in my old seat in front of Kilzachs," Katie replied in her blank tone, except that there was a hint of firmness to it, making it clear that she had no intention of moving.


    "O-ohh, is that so?" Responded Suri as her strained smile grew even more strained, her voice trembling in irritation as she and Katie continued to lock their gazes against each other...


    ...this is gonna get really messy, isn''t it?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 191 - 190 - New Classmate

    Uh...should I intervene? No, no way, it''s too scary!


    "Oh...I see. But, uh, why don''t you sit in your usual spot, since you''ve been sitting there for so long, I''m sure you''d be more comfortable there," Persisted Suri, her smile more obviously strained now.


    "I appreciate the concern, but I''m fine right here," Came the firm reply.


    Crap, some of the others are starting to notice...Mitchell in particular, was looking on with amusement. This is the worst.


    "What''s going on here, you two fighting over a seat?" He inquired with an innocent smile, as he turned around and shifted his gaze between them.


    "Not at all," Responded Katie, her expression giving absolutely nothing away.


    "Yeah, what she said," Muttered Suri, as she relented and reluctantly headed for the seat right in front of me, taking Katie''s old spot.


    I let out a quiet, internal sigh of relief, as the standoff finally ended. Aw, man, that was terrifying, I think I stopped breathing for a moment there. I then stiffened slightly in surprise as Katie subtly reached over and placed her hand on my knee for a brief moment, meeting my gaze as the corner of her lips faintly curved upwards, before she pulled her hand away and averted her gaze.


    Not gonna lie, her being all expressive during our date was amazing, but that was just on another level. All it was was a brief, seemingly innocuous touch and glance, but it was enough to get my heart racing.


    The upcoming X-Warrior Zone elections, the suspiciously long period of idleness of the Wights, and this so-called ''love triangle'' or whatever it is...yeah, all the ingredients are there for this year to turn out to be an absolute shitstorm.


    This creeping sense of paranoia and anxiety has been gnawing away at me for a while now, things have been way too peaceful lately...it just feels like we''re on the verge of all hell breaking loose abruptly and unexpectedly, and that it''s just around the corner.


    It is because I''ve been conditioned to expect that over the last year or so? Every time things start to settle down, something devastating happens. I hope it''s just paranoia, I really do, but the fact remains that there are plenty of threats out there that are yet to be dealt with.


    The warding radiation has kept Mutants well away from the Sanctuary and the outside bases, but if a Mutant really wanted to get into the Sanctuary like the Crocsnek did, it wouldn''t be impossible for them to force themselves to resist the radiation and make their way here.


    Then, of course, there''s the Wights...according to Director Silva, they haven''t come within sight of our Bug-sized surveillance drones at all since Aku overran one of our bases to the south with Mutants, before we blew it up. Why haven''t they made a move in so long? Just what the hell are they upto?


    Somehow, I doubt that they''re just chilling and kicking back...and the longer they take to strike, the more complex their plan might be, or at least, that''s how it feels. They''ve got at least four times the number of Anomalies that we do, but we don''t know what they''re all capable of.


    And by now, it''s entirely possible that even more Wights have developed Anomaly powers. This really sucks, I hate not knowing...the more knowledge you lack, the less in-control you feel, and subsequently, the more helpless you feel. And I hate that.


    Anyway, I guess there''s no point in agonizing over it, that won''t change a thing, all it''ll do is stress me the hell out. Oh, looks like the instructor''s finally here, five minutes late. Guess we''re about to start our first session of our Level K classes...


    "Good morning, students, it''s nice to meet you all. This is my first day as an instructor at the X-Warrior Academy, and I''ll be in charge of your theory classes. My name is Junko Satou," She introduced herself with a friendly smile.


    Her face looks familiar...she had short, straight black hair that framed her face, with a cowlick lock of hair standing up at the top of her head. She had orange eyes, was slender and about average height, with an attractive physique.


    Wait, she said her last name is Satou...is she related to Instructor Jin Satou? Now that I look at her more closely, she does bear a resemblance to him. I felt a slight sense of guilt as I noticed the resemblance...it was my fault that he died, he was one of the victims of my careless time travel experiments, his body currently in a vegetative state.


    "Uh, excuse me, ma''am...I don''t mean to pry, but would you happen to be related to Jin Satou?" Inquired Lin curiously, as some of the others noticed how similar they looked too.


    "Oh, um, that''s right. He''s my older brother," She replied, a hint of sorrow appearing in her eyes for a brief moment.


    Okay, yeah, I''m starting to feel pretty guilty now...I didn''t know him all that well, but the fact is that, if it wasn''t for him, most of my remaining classmates would probably be dead. So I''m grateful to him, and I am sorry that he ended up dying because of me.


    "I''m sorry, instructor, I shouldn''t have asked-," Began Lin, looking guilty.


    "Oh, it''s fine, there''s no need to apologize," She interrupted with a smile, before adding, "Anyway, let''s get started, shall we? We won''t be doing much studying today, since it''s the first day and all...instead, how about each of you introduce yourselves? It would make things easier if I was familiar with all of you. Oh, I suppose that I should go first..."


    She gave us a brief explanation of what she does, she''s a K-Ranked X-Warrior who, until recently, was stationed at one of the outside bases, but had recently moved back to the Sanctuary.


    After that, we each took turns introducing ourselves one by one. She seems nice enough, but more importantly, how''s her teaching style? If she''s boring, then it''ll be the same story as Levels J and Q...hopefully, she''s more interesting than Kumar.


    Speaking of whom, I haven''t seen him in what''s felt like quite a while, I wonder what he''s been upto these days. I know that he''s no longer an instructor, having obstinately quit the position and started taking on more Missions as an Ace.


    Honestly, I''m surprised they kept him as an instructor for a whole year, he was half-assing it so much that it wasn''t even funny. And he was definitely doing so intentionally, making it clear that he really didn''t want to be an instructor.


    The Academy had hired a bunch of new instructors at the end of last year, since they were kinda understaffed in the last few months, so I guess they must have decided to let him go. He was made an instructor in the first place because he had issues with teamwork, since his powers aren''t exactly suited for working with others.


    I don''t think that''s changed in the past year, but if nothing else, I''m pretty sure that he''ll be making an effort not to get sent back to the Academy again.


    And that''s probably for the best, I mean...it''s kinda wasteful to have an Ace sitting on the sidelines, getting rusty. Getting back into the fray with some tough Missions is probably the best thing for him to do right now.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long before everyone had introduced themselves, since there were only eleven of us in this class, an effective thirty percent decrease from how many we''d started with last year.


    There''d originally been sixteen students in this class, and while it''s not uncommon for batches to lose students with each subsequent level, that''s usually due to drop-outs, not deaths. Of course, we weren''t the only batch that had lost a large number of students in the past year...


    "Okay, now that everyone''s introduced themselves, let''s discuss what you''ll all be studying this year, what to expect of your classes and whatnot. It''ll mostly be the same as last year, just more advanced-...," Began the new Instructor Satou, before trailing off as what sounded like someone clearing their throat faintly echoed out from outside the classroom door.


    Huh? Is someone standing out there? Why?


    "Did you guys hear something?" Someone muttered, as most of the others looked around with puzzled expressions...guess not everyone figured out where the noise came from.


    "Oh, no, I completely forgot!" Exclaimed Instructor Satou, her eyes widening, before she addressed us, "Okay, uh, class, I have an announcement to make...you''ll have one more student joining you, due to the rather...unique circumstances. Please welcome him...come in, Mr Grey Cintor."


    The door then opened, and a familiar face walked in...huh? Why''s he here? Wait, is it because he''s the only one left in his class? Hey, no fair...he gets to skip Level Q!?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 192 - Team Reshuffle

    "Hello, my name is Grey Cintor...I was in the Level J class during the previous six months, and I was informed that I''d be skipping Level Q and joining the current Level K batch instead. It''s, uh, nice to meet you all," Grey introduced himself, as he walked over to the front of the class.


    "Um, excuse me, instructor...I''ve never heard of someone skipping a level in the Academy, not even those that went on to become Aces. So, why now?" Inquired Zoya, as pretty much everyone in class looked curious and confused by this.


    "Well, this is something of a special case...you see, nearly every student in the previous Level J batch suddenly fell into comas a few months ago. And of the handful that didn''t, he''s the only one who remained at the Academy. We couldn''t just leave him by himself in a class of one, and making him repeat Level J would have been unfair since he had done more than well enough on his exams to pass already. And so, the decision was made to have him join this class, though he will have a few extra sessions every week to cover whatever he missed by skipping Level Q," Explained Instructor Satou.


    I guess that''s fair...the weekly schedule for Academy classes is kinda tiring, to have a bunch of extra sessions on top of that for the next six months is probably gonna be hell for the poor guy.


    Still, I''m a little apprehensive about this...I mean, while I did think his reasons were justified, he did try to kill all of his previous classmates. And well, he succeeded, just not in this timeline...though the effects remained.


    If he gets off on the wrong foot with anyone here, who knows what might happen...maybe I''m just being paranoid, but a little caution doesn''t hurt. It should be fine though, the majority of my classmates aren''t bad people.


    From what he''d told me before, it''d sounded like pretty much his entire class has been bullying him...I bet that there were at least one or two exceptions, but it seemed pretty undeniable that the majority of his classmates were in on it.


    Well, let''s just see how things go...if nothing happens, then I won''t need to do anything, I''ll just sit back and keep an eye on it. But if things do get messy, something like Asshole being an asshole to him, I''ll step in and interfere.


    "Does this mean that he''ll join one of our set teams? If he''s weak, then he''ll only be a nuisance," Frowned Asshole, being an asshole as always.


    "Actually, that reminds me, since the teams in this class are currently lop-sided, the current twelve students in this class will be divided into two teams of six. Team Kilzachs, which has remained intact, will have just the one change; Grey will be joining that team. And the rest will form a new team, you may discuss amongst yourselves and decide on who should lead you," She informed us.


    Wait, what? Another teammate? Damn it...it''s going to take a lot of joint practice to get used to the addition of one more person to the team, and just when the five of us had really started to come into our own as a team...still, I suppose there''s no choice but to accept it.


    It''s either this or have three teams of four each, which means that, at best, I''ll lose one of my current teammates, and at worst, end up with three completely new teammates. If I had to pick, I suppose that, yeah, I''d rather deal with one new teammate than losing an existing one.


    After all, the current balance of my team takes all of them into account...if Mitchell goes, I''ll have to play the role of cover and scout, making both positions less effective as my focus will be split. If Seila goes, our front line is significantly weakened. Same with Katie. Suri''s got the second longest range after me, and is pretty powerful at the front line herself.


    Instructor Satou then decided to rearrange where we were sitting, suggesting that each team''s members should sit on one side of the classroom...fortunately, since everyone in my team were already sitting on the left side of the classroom, we didn''t have to move.


    Grey sat in the middle seat of the front row, while Asshole and Makoto shifted over to the front row of the right side, on either side of Bytra, who looked a bit apprehensive. It did seem like she''d moved to try and get away from those two, but in the end, she gets what she deserves.


    We''re halfway through the X-Warrior Academy, we''ll be X-Warriors this time next year, assuming we pass...things have changed a lot since a year ago, when I first enrolled at the Academy. A whole shitload of death and destruction, enough to last a lifetime.


    And now, with things having changed so much over the past twelve months, I can only imagine what''s in store for me in the next twelve months. More death and destruction? Or hopefully, maybe some peace and quiet? Yeah, somehow, the former feels like the much more likely possibility...


    ...


    ...


    "Here''s hoping we get someone famous...or hot," Grinned Mitchell hopefully.


    "Why are you the way that you are?" Sighed Suri in exasperation.


    It was currently the third and final session of the first day back at the Academy, we had combat training after the theory session, in which we sparred against training bots.


    And now, to finish the day off, it was teamwork training. We don''t have a set instructor for teamwork training in Level K...instead, we''ll be instructed by different K-Ranked X-Warriors every week. Oh, and each team gets a different K-Rank, before swapping in the second week, and then two different X-Warriors will tale over for the next two weeks, and so on.


    So, in other words, we''re gonna have a good twenty to thirty different people guiding us in teamwork training...the intention seems to be to help up develop better adaptability instead of getting used to the same old thing every day, but if you ask me, this is kinda risky.


    There''s a good chance that all this''ll do is create confusion and uncertainty amongst the teams. And another thing, it seems like teamwork is going to take up a much higher proportion of our final grade than theory or individual combat.


    During Level J and Q, the proportion between the three was relatively even, but now teamwork accounts for fifty percent of our final grade, individual combat taking up thirty percent and theory only taking twenty percent.


    Anyway, we were currently waiting for the K-Rank who was supposed to instruct us today to arrive, it was already a couple of minutes past the time they were supposed to show up at.


    "I don''t get it, why do they keep doing this...whenever an X-Warrior is going to be involved in our classes or exams, their identities are kept hidden until they actually show up. I mean, I can''t think of a single time where we knew ahead of time, can you?" Complained Mitchell impatiently.


    "Yeah, it is kinda annoying, but at the end of the day, it''s not that big a deal," I shrugged in response.


    "I actually agree with Mitchell...why can''t they let us know ahead of time?" Frowned Seila.


    "Maybe it''s fair enough when it comes to exams, but for random classes like this, it shouldn''t matter whether we know or not, so they might as well inform us," Agreed Suri, while Katie watched on with bemusement.


    "You guys all seem to get along pretty well, huh?" Remarked Grey.


    "Sure, except that we all hate this guy," Responded Suri, nodding at Mitchell.


    "Hey, that''s mean! So not cool!" He protested indignantly.


    "By the way, sorry to hear about what happened to all your old classmates, that must have been difficult," Said Seila sympathetically.


    "Well, it certainly was shocking and unexpected, but honestly, I didn''t have the best relationship with my classmates, so I wasn''t exactly emotionally devastated," He replied with a faint smile...huh, gotta hand it to the guy, he''s a pretty convincing actor...


    If I didn''t know what actually happened, I''d have probably bought that too. Impressive.


    "It is pretty scary though, this whole coma thing...so many people randomly fell into comas last year, no one''s been able to identify the cause, and none of them have woken up yet. It hasn''t happened in a while as far as I know, but man, it''s still terrifying...at any moment, it could suddenly happen to one of us," Stated Mitchell grimly.


    Sheesh, way to guilt-trip a guy. I mean, yeah, he doesn''t know that my powers are what caused all of those comatose people, but still, I couldn''t help but avert my gaze as he spoke. I should keep my expression straight, otherwise-...


    Suddenly, the door opened and someone walked in, cutting off my train of thought. Oh, must be the X-Warrior who''ll be taking over our teamwork sessions for this week. Let''s see who it...is...


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me...," I muttered, as Katie stiffened slightly.


    The person who walked in met my gaze with a glare, a familiar, unpleasant face entering my sight...damn it, what is HE doing here? The bastard who roughed up Katie during the X-Warrior Championship, and one of the few other Anomalies in the Sanctuary...Yugi Suzuki...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 193 - Tension

    "You again...," I growled, as he walked in with a frown.


    "Tch, just my luck," He muttered in response, before addressing us, "Let me make this clear, you brats...I was forced into this, so I''m not going to waste any effort here. This is beneath me."


    "Yeah? Well, then get lost," I stated bluntly.


    "Wha...!? Tch, you little shit...piss me off and I''ll-," He began with a growl.


    "You''ll what? Get your ass handed to you by me...again?" I taunted him.


    "Why, you-...don''t get cocky, you little shit, I''m a lot stronger than I was during the tournament. It won''t go the same as last time," He shot back, as he took a threatening step forward.


    "Oh, yeah, you really think so? In that case, why don''t you prove it?" I provoked him, as my hands shifted towards my X-Blade handles.


    "Dude, maybe you should stop...," Whispered Mitchell, as a tension filled the air.


    "Yeah, this seems like a bad idea," Added Seila with a look of concern.


    They''re probably right, but...I just can''t stand this guy...


    "You want a fight? Fine by me, I''m going to-...," He began, before trailing off as he got a notification on his I-Watch, right as I did too.


    Hm? It''s from the Academy...''please do not pick fights with instructors''.


    Uh-oh.


    I, uh, kinda forgot that all of these training halls have hidden cameras in them. Guess this is going to have to wait, unfortunately. From the look of it, he just got a message from the Academy too, based on his expression. Damn it, I really don''t want to have to listen to him though...


    "You should calm down, Kilzachs, seriously," Suri spoke up, as she nudged me.


    I suppose that she''s got a point. And as much as I hate to admit it, continuing to taunt this bastard will only be to my detriment...I reluctantly let out a slow exhale and calmed myself down, feeling irritated.


    "Unbelievable...," Yugi muttered to himself, before shifting his gaze back over to us, "Start doing some teamwork drills and exercises or something, I''ll be over there in the corner."


    And with that, he headed for one of the back corners of the room and sat down on the floor, tapping at his I-Watch with a venomous look on his face.


    "Whose bright idea was it to assign that bastard to instruct us, anyway?" I grumbled in displeasure.


    "And why do we have to put up with him for the entire week?" Added Katie in agreement, a hint of anger in her voice.


    "Ohh, now I remember...you both fought him during the X-Warrior Championship, right?" Recalled Grey quietly.


    "Unfortunately, yes," Responded Katie, a brief flash of frustration appearing on her face.


    I bet remembering how her fight against him during the tournament went is bringing back a lot of negative emotions...huh, and now that I''m thinking about it, I''m starting to recall the emotions I felt back then too.


    I remember how pissed off I was, and the satisfaction I felt when I defeated him in the end. And as those feelings resurfaced, I couldn''t help but feel a growing desire to attack him...but I''ll resist the urge, for now, anyway.


    I let out a quiet sigh as I swallowed my hostile emotions, before turning around to face the others...for better or worse, I''m the leader of this team, so I''ll have to take the lead here...


    "Alright, let''s get started, guys. We''ll begin with some warm-ups, and then divide into two groups of three and spar against each other. We''ll rotate and change up the three-man teams at regular intervals, try out different combinations," I suggested, after considering what would be the best way to go about this.


    Our most pressing concern right now is Grey''s compatibility with this team, I want to figure out what kind of a position would suit him without upsetting the balance of the team. And this was the best method I could come up with, let''s see how effective it is...


    ...


    Huh...I don''t think I need to worry about the team balance, after all. This three vs three exercise has been really effective, but I can''t take full credit for it...Grey''s turned out to have some really impressive adaptability, it didn''t take long for him to settle into his roles at all, proving himself to be highly versatile.


    He''s insanely strong at close range, on par with me...if I set aside my Anomaly powers, he''s more 9t less an even match for me. He doesn''t have the strongest Primary or Secondary Manifestations, but his sheer physical skill more than makes up for it.


    He''s also a rare Prodigy who uses X-Weapons, though I suppose that''s becoming a bit more common lately, as mediocre X-Warriors become desperate to keep up with those that have gone on to trigger Manifestation Overdrive.


    Though, as far as I know, no one else besides Katie has yet managed to trigger Manifestation Surge, not even my sister. She''s actually been complaining to me about it, since she apparently keeps getting close but is yet to succeed.


    Well, anyway, the session is almost over, and unsurprisingly, Yugi kept out of it for the entire two hours. Which I''m definitely not complaining about, the last thing I need is ''help'' from that son of a bitch.


    "I think that''s enough for today, let''s wrap this up," I decided, with less than five minutes to go in the session.


    "Awesome, I''m freaking beat," Groaned Mitchell, as he sat down with a dramatic sigh of relief.


    "You guys are a pretty cohesive team, huh?" Remarked Grey, looking impressed.


    "We totally are, but I have to say, what''s more impressive is how quickly you settled in," Responded Suri with a nod.


    "Yeah, I have to admit that I was a bit worried that adding someone new might weaken our effectiveness, but with your level of skill, we''re definitely better off," Added Seila in agreement.


    "I agree, I was concerned about how this might affect our formations, but after this, I can already visualize how we''ll adapt it to fit you in," I remarked, as I simulated the possible combinations through my head.


    "Yeah, what they said," Chimed in Katie with a thumbs up, both her expression and voice in the usual monotone.


    "Probably should have said this sooner but...welcome to our team," I stated with a smile.


    He looked a bit taken aback and surprised by all the praise, as well as kinda bemused by Katie''s remark, before a grin appeared on his face...


    "Th-thank you, all of you...I''ll, uh, do my best!"


    Okay, this worked out better than I''d thought. At worst, my expectation was that this would completely throw our team balance off and Grey would end up feeling isolated all over again and try to blow us all up like he did with his old classmates.


    To be fair, I did acknowledge that that was a slim possibility, since last time, it took some pretty extreme circumstances to drive him to do what he did. But I couldn''t write it off since doing something like that is bound to be much easier the second time around.


    After the way things actually played out here though, I think it''s safe to say that that possibility has been quashed. And now-...


    "Hey, you done with your training? Because I''m supposed to inform you of something...," Suddenly remarked Yugi, as he stood up and approached us.


    "Huh? What do you want?" I responded icily.


    "Oh, believe me, I definitely don''t WANT to do this, but I don''t have a choice. At the end of this week, on Saturday, this team will be given a Mission...tch, and I''ll be a part of it too," He told us, a displeased look on his face.


    "As, like, an observer or...?" Inquired Mitchell warily, as I felt a sense of dread rising up inside me...


    "Grr, that wouldn''t have been as bad, but no...I''ll be made to join your team as a temporary member," He growled in disgust.


    "What!? No!" I blurted out immediately in horror.


    "Yeah, what he said," Added Katie in agreement.


    "Tch, you think I want this any more than you do, huh? Fuck this...," He muttered, as he then turned around and stormed off, leaving the training hall with a slam of the door.


    This can''t be happening...


    "No...no, no, no! Goddammit, I can''t work with that prick-...," I groaned in dismay, before trailing off and mumbling to myself in irritation, "hm, maybe I don''t have to...what if we kill him and make it look like an accident...?"


    "Uh, dude? Your, uh, dark thoughts are leaking out, we can hear you," Remarked Mitchell, as he poked my shoulder.


    "Good idea, he needs to suffer, let''s cut him up in the dark, till his insides start leaking out...," I replied murderously.


    "I think he''s losing it. Hey, snap out of it," Chimed in Seila.


    "No, snapping his neck would be too merciful. Instead, let''s snap off his d-...," Katie began with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.


    "Uh-oh, now there''s two of them," Said Mitchell nervously.


    "Two, huh...once we''re done with him, he''ll have none," I declared as I cracked my knuckles.


    "Good call, let''s rip them off and stuff them down his throat," Suggested Katie with a nod.


    "It''s no good, they''re only hearing what they want to hear...," Sighed Suri in exasperation, before adding, "Would you two cut it out already?"


    Cut, huh? Tch, if only I could use my Anomaly powers against him, I could use Cut to swap the positions of his crotch and face...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 194 - A Lot To Think About

    "Okay, this should work...what do you guys think?" I inquired, as I let out a quiet sigh.


    "Works for me, dude," Responded Mitchell affirmatively, as the others voiced their agreement too.


    "Okay, good. Mitchell, go relay this to that bastard over there. Oh, and tell him not to get in our way," I instructed with a grimace.


    It was Friday, the end of the week, and we had just finished up our Academy classes for the day. Tomorrow, we''ll be going on the Mission assigned to us, of which we''re supposed to get the corresponding details of the assignment...any minute now.


    All we knew so far was that it was going to be an escort Mission, but absolutely nothing beyond that. I suppose that this is their way of getting us used to being assigned last-minute Missions and stuff, huh. Which I can''t really argue against since it''s pretty valid, we''re not always going to have time to fully prepare for every situation.


    "You, uh, really don''t wanna talk to him, huh?" Responded Mitchell wryly, before walking over towards him.


    Just like he did on Monday, Yugi Suzuki never once bothered to actually do his job and train us, so for the past week, I''ve been the one leading the teamwork training sessions for my team. And naturally, I didn''t hold back, though I did ease up a little bit today, since the Mission is tomorrow.


    "Do you think he''ll really agree to this formation though? He seems too narcissistic for that," Said Grey, as Mitchell began to explain the plan to Yugi.


    "Yeah, well, he''s not the one in charge, I am. If he refuses to cooperate, that''s on him, not us. And objectively speaking, it''s the best formation I can come up with, especially considering the fact that he hasn''t trained with us at all, so we can''t have him in a crucial role," I stated logically.


    As always, the formation had me at the back, though with more people to take into account, I was going to have to use my Jetback to hover a few meters in the air, in order to give myself a better vantage point.


    In addition to Grey and Yugi, there''s also whoever the client is to take into consideration, with that many people, I won''t get many clear shots if I''m on the ground.


    We planned to have the client in the middle of the formation, with Seila and Katie wide on either side of them, at a mid-ranged position in the formation. Further up front would be Grey and Suri, with less space in between them than with Seila and Katie.


    I planned to have the vanguard focus on the front, and have Seila and Katie cover their sides, while I defend the two of them with my guns. Mitchell is the scout as usual, and will be hovering high up directly above the client.


    And as for Yugi, I was gonna have him standing right behind the client at close range, as the last line of defense if any Mutants manage to get through the formation...that, or if any Mutants pop up from underground.


    "He looks displeased, but I don''t think he''s arguing against it," Noticed Seila, as he clicked his tongue at Mitchell, but didn''t say anything.


    "He''s probably been commanded to cooperate with us without putting up a fuss," Replied Katie, as Mitchell began to head back towards us.


    "Let''s just hope he doesn''t get in our way tomorrow. Anyway, I''m gonna go now, I''m kinda tired so I want to get as much rest as possible before tomorrow," Sighed Suri, as she stretched her arms up.


    "Yeah, that sounds good, I think I''ll head home too," Agreed Grey, following suit as she walked over to pick up her water bottle.


    "We should all do the same, this is our first real Mission that isn''t just a ''go outside for a couple of hours and then come back'' type assignment, so we should all try to be at our best tomorrow," Remarked Seila, as she wiped her neck with a towel.


    Mitchell changed course and headed for where we''d kept our bags, following those three as they began to get ready to leave.


    "I hate this...we were supposed to go on our second date tomorrow," Said Katie, her tone blank but her eyebrows slightly furrowed, a hint of annoyance on her face.


    "Right, yeah...well, hopefully we''ll finish the Mission as early as possible and then go out on Sunday," I suggested, trying to cheer her up.


    "Hm...I hope so," She responded wistfully.


    I felt a gaze on me, coming from where the others were, and as I glanced over...none of them were looking at me. Did they look away when they saw that I noticed? Or am I just imagining things? It kinda felt like someone was glaring daggers at me though.


    Eh, whatever, must have just been my imagination. Anyway, I should get ready to leave too, we''re supposed to meet up at the X-Warrior Zone tomorrow at 8 AM in the morning, so I need to go to sleep a bit earlier than usual today.


    Before long, we all gathered our things and headed out, after I decided that we''ll discuss the Mission in our team''s instant messaging group, since we still hadn''t received the information on it.


    We then left the Academy, before taking a bus to the nearest Teleportation Point and then teleporting to each of our respective Quadrants. Suri and I teleported to the North Quadrant''s Residential District, before heading for the nearby bus stop and sitting down.


    Okay, so, uh...is it just my imagination, or is she being unusually quiet? This tension feels very real, so I don''t think I''m imagining it, but...I can''t think of a reason as to why. Still about five minutes before the next bus is scheduled to arrive, and there''s no one else around in sight...I''m starting to feel really awkward.


    "Hey, uh...something wrong? You''re being awfully quiet," I remarked, desperate to break the silent tension.


    "Hm...oh, I was just thinking," She responded with a frown.


    She seems kinda pissed off about something...


    "Oh, uh...what were you thinking about?" I asked her, feeling a bit nervous for some reason.


    "Nothing, really...it might just be my imagination, but it sure seems like you and Katie have gotten a whole lot closer lately," She replied as she narrowed her eyes at me.


    "Okay...and?" I responded uncertainly.


    "Be honest...is there something going on between the two of you?" She inquired suspiciously.


    Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut...


    "I mean, uh..."


    "You can stop, I think that answers my question. So, then I wasn''t imagining it," She sighed to herself, before going quiet and seeming to be deep in thought.


    I had no idea what to say, so...I didn''t say anything. And neither did she. So, by trying to end the awkward silence...I ended up creating an even more awkward silence. This is unbearable, how much longer till the bus gets here!?


    Is it on me to address this? Should I say something? Or is it on her? We''ve hooked up a number of times, but not so much in the last couple of months...for a while, we were getting along better and better, but after a certain point, she started to get kinda quiet around me.


    And since then, it''s been slight, but I think we''ve drifted apart just a little bit. We still talk pretty often in the Academy and all, but outside of classes, we''re interacting less than we did about a couple of months ago.


    I didn''t really notice it till just now, which kinda makes me feel bad. She''s the first friend I made, after all, someone who I genuinely enjoy spending time with. Sure, hooking up with her was pretty awesome in its own right, but that''s far from the main reason why I enjoy her company.


    "Hey, uh...I was thinking, it''s been a while since we went on a dessert run together. What do say we meet up at Delectables sometime and stuff ourselves with as much sugar as humanly possible?" I suggested, in my second attempt to try and break the awkward silence.


    She didn''t respond for a moment, before meeting my gaze, her expression a lot less frowny than before, and her eyes gleaming brightly...


    "Sure...that sounds good."


    And just like that, I could feel the tension slowly melting away, as her mood seemed to drastically improve in the blink of an eye.


    "You, uh...almost look like you were waiting for that. If you wanted to hang out, all you had to do was ask me, you know," I grinned, as a slight smile appeared on her face.


    She quickly straightened out her expression, trying to play it cool.


    "I-I have no idea what you''re talking about," She huffed in response, as the bus finally came into view in the distance.


    "Uh-huh, I''m sure you don''t."


    "I''ll say this much though...I''m not gonna lose to Katie without putting up a fight," She declared with a look of determination.


    "O-oh, I, uh...that''s-...mfph," I stuttered, uncertain as to how to reply to that, before she cut me off with a kiss, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me passionately, her tongue intertwining with mine as she let out a slow, content exhale through her nose, before pulling away as her face turned red.


    "It''s been a few weeks since I got to do that, why''d I wait so long? Anyway, that was just a little something for you to think about...," She whispered with a seductive smirk, sending chills down my spine as I felt my face heat up...yeah, uh, that''s definitely given me a lot to think about...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 195 - Hopes Dashed

    "You''ve gotta be kidding me...seriously, this is a complete waste of time," I muttered to myself irritably, as I leaned my head against the window by the bus seat I was slumped in.


    Yesterday, about an hour after we left the Academy, we finally received the details on today''s Mission...and I was decidedly unhappy about it, to put it lightly. Basically, the requirement of this Mission was to protect a group of six people...some rich guy and his harem of five wives.


    Apparently, he''s the heir to a successful business in the South Quadrant, and as a result of his immense wealth, managed to attract five woman willing to marry him. I looked into him after we received the Mission details, and he seems like kind of a scumbag, at least on paper.


    He first got married when he was twenty-three, marrying five woman that were all around eighteen or nineteen years old. And then, a couple of years later, he divorced most of them and replaced them with a fresh batch of eighteen year olds.


    In other words, he marries barely legal teens, loses interest in them shortly after they get into their twenties, and then replaces them. Of course, all of them are almost definitely gold diggers, so I doubt that he''s actually left anyone with a broken heart.


    His current wives probably know what they''re getting themselves into, they likely intent to leech off him for as long as possible before he inevitably dumps them.


    Anyway, I''m getting off-topic...our Mission is to escort him and his wives outside of the Sanctuary, and even further, outside of the range of all the bases. Why, you ask? Because they want to do some sight-seeing. And also, because this guy wants to be the first civilian to venture past the bases.


    The wall that was being built on the outermost ring of bases, at the one hundred and twenty-five kilometer radius mark from the Sanctuary, was almost complete, and as a result, some of the upper-class civilians had started requesting to be allowed to explore the area we''ve expanded our territory across. Stupid rich people.


    Anyway, after a lot of deliberation, the X-Warrior Zone and quadrant governments relented, but only for Paragons, those that possess XFE. Because those that don''t will get affected by the weak, but still-present, radiation left over from WWIII.


    Pretty much everyone below the age of thirty-five are Paragons, with a tiny handful of exceptions in people that didn''t evolve. In a few decades, it''s likely that all humans will be fully resistant to this radiation, though by then, it''s highly probable that the currently lingering radiation will have completely faded.


    We''ve been able to find new water sources since, A, we''ve developed better methods of nullifying radiation in water and other objects, and B, because overall radiation levels have dropped so much in the last three or four decades that it''s much easier to nullify and negate.


    From what I''ve heard, measures to grow fruits and vegetables outside the Sanctuary are being taken...we''ve treated the soil to rid it of radiation, and they''ve been able to grow stuff like potatoes and carrots. But the air is still too toxic for most plants to survive in, so there isn''t a great variety available outside of the Sanctuary, not yet anyway.


    Oh, looks like I''ve arrived at the meeting spot. We were told to gather in one of the X-Warrior Zone buildings, where they issued X-Warriors'' Missions, kinda like guilds in action RPG games. We were supposed to get teleported to the north-most base on the outer ring, where we''d meet the clients, and then begin the Mission.


    Ugh, I really don''t like this, why should I have to play babysitter for some random rich guy, huh? I''m totally fine with Mutant-hunting Missions and stuff like that, but this is gonna be like that but with a ton of dead weight along for the ride.


    I was muttering to myself irritably as the bus stopped and I hopped off, before heading into the building with a sense of annoyance and frustration. I don''t care if this sounds arrogant; but I just can''t help but feel like this assignment is beneath me. I''m not a fucking tour guide.


    Alright, that''s enough complaining, I think...let''s just get in there and get this stupid Mission over with already. I headed into the building and towards the hall where we were supposed to meet up at, where a teleportation platform was set up to transport us.


    I soon found my way there and entered the room after knocking on the door, walking in to see that most of the others were already here. Seila was the only one yet to arrive, but she''d sent a message in our chat group saying that she was close by a couple of minutes ago, so she should be here soon enough.


    It''s 7:50 AM right now, so there''s still ten whole minutes before we''re supposed to depart. That shithead Yugi was also yet to arrive, hope he fails to show up entirely. That''s probably too much to hope for though...


    "Hey, good morning," Suri greeted me, as I walked towards me, Katie giving me a small wave as well.


    "Hey, everyone. You all prepared for this?" I inquired in response, as I stifled a yawn.


    "Sure, I mean, it''s only gonna be a short Mission, right?" Replied Mitchell with a shrug.


    "Right, we''re supposed to head out for about two hours and then head back, so at most, it shouldn''t take more than five hours," Chimed in Grey, before adding with a sigh, "That said, simply fighting Mutants and having to fight Mutants while protecting a bunch of people are two very different things. This probably won''t be easy."


    "We weren''t given a choice to accept or decline this Mission, so if we fail, it''s not on us," Spoke up Katie.


    "I don''t think that''s how it works, we''ll probably get penalized in some way or other if we fail to accomplish the Mission," Argued Suri, as the door opened and Seila walked in.


    "Hi, guys, what are you talking about?" She greeted us as she approached us.


    "Just about this shitty Mission," I sighed in response.


    "Oh, I see. I''ve actually been thinking about it too...and something''s occurred to me. This isn''t simply just an escort Mission, since taking the clients from one place to another isn''t the primary objective. We''re just bodyguarding them while they sight-see. In other words, we can''t just rush this Mission and try to get it over with...we probably can''t come back until they''re satisfied with their sight-seeing," She pointed out with a look of concern.


    "That, uh...that sounds like a fucking pain," Spoke up Mitchell with a nervous smile.


    "Yeah, it does. This feels more like some kind of punishment than an actual Mission," Agreed Suri with a grimace.


    "Well, I can''t say that I disagree with that notion, but let''s not allow ourselves to get dragged down by this client. Let''s just suck it up and get through this...and if he refuses to turn back after two hours, I''ll freeze time, knock him out and we''ll return right away. Sound good?" I suggested with a sigh.


    "Hmph, I guess I can work with that," Grumbled Suri in response.


    "With anyone else, I''d write that off as a joke, but with you...you actually mean that, don''t you?" Remarked Mitchell with a raised eyebrow.


    "Huh? Of course I mean it, why would I say it if I didn''t?" I replied bluntly.


    "You, uh, probably shouldn''t do that for real, you know," Said Grey with a wry smile.


    "Maybe we can ask that Yugi guy to use an illusion to knock out the client instead," Suggested Suri.


    "That''d be effective, but...I don''t want to ask that bastard for any favors," I grumbled in disgust.


    "Yeah, I agree with that," Nodded Katie immediately.


    I then glanced at my I-Watch as the others began talking amongst themselves, checking the time. Less than a minute to go, I might actually get to see one of my hopes come true...the hope that Yugi fails to show up on time, meaning that we have no choice but to leave without him.


    Please let that be the cas-...I then felt my spirit shatter as the door opened, my hopes dashed, as he entered. Ah, yes...this truly is a cruel world.


    "Hey, you''re totally thinking something way overly dramatic, aren''t you?" Inquired Mitchell dryly, as he gave me a nudge.


    "Activate the teleportation platform already, you little shits, let''s hurry up and get this crap over with," Complained Yugi, as he walked over to the platform with a frown.


    "Just a few more seconds and we''d have been able to leave without him," Muttered Katie in disappointment.


    God is dead. Well, not that I ever believed in God in the first place. Or no, maybe a God does exist...and they really don''t like me. I mean, come on...what did I do to deserve this, huh!?


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 196 - Impossible

    "Okay, we''re here...so, where''s the client?" I frowned, after we teleported to the base that we were supposed to head out from.


    "Guess they haven''t arrived yet," Replied Grey, as he looked around.


    "They better not take too long to show up," Sighed Suri in exasperation..


    "You shits don''t know anything, do you? With Missions where the client is directly involved, it''s very common for them to not show up until about half an hour to a full hour later than the agreed upon time," Scoffed Yugi, as he sat down.


    "Does he have to act like a dick every time he says something?" Muttered Mitchell quietly.


    "If that''s really how it works, then we should get used to it, huh?" Remarked Seila, sounding a bit apprehensive.


    "Tch, I don''t like waiting for people, if we have to wait for more than ten minutes, I''m punching this guy in the face, I don''t care what-...," I began in irritation.


    "Oh, uh, please don''t do that...I really like my face," Suddenly came a voice from a few meters behind me.


    "Two minutes late, huh, guess I''ll let that slide. Come on, everyone, let''s get this over with," I declared, making no effort to hide my thoughts.


    "Damn, you''re as cold as the rumors say you are! And I''m loving that you aren''t sucking up to me, good on you, dude! I''m in your care," He grinned in response, kinda throwing me off.


    He looked to be in around his mid-twenties, with longish green-dyed hair that was slicked back, the sides and back shaved off. I could tell that his hair was dyed because his roots were clearly black.


    He had sharp, gleaming green eyes, a slightly pale complexion and his fingernails were painted black. He wore a dark gray tank top underneath a sleeveless black unbuttoned shirt, dark blue ripped jeans, black sneakers and had a bunch of tattoos and piercings.


    His arms were covered in tattoos, while both his ears were studded with golden piercings, along with a small round black piercing beneath his lower lip. And most noticeably, he had five girls standing around him, two of them wrapped around each of his arms, another with her arms around his shoulders from behind, and the remaining two standing close on either side.


    Not gonna lie, I''m just a tiny bit jealous, all of them were insanely attractive...but, then, his relationship with them is pretty superficial, I bet none of them would stick around if he suddenly went broke and had no money left.


    Anyway, as we then headed out of the base, we were given a large jeep for the guy and his wives to ride in...have to admit that I overlooked it, the fact that they probably don''t have the stamina to walk the entire time like we do.


    Well, this makes things a whole lot easier, the jeep had some pretty heavily reinforced armor plating on the outside. I decided to assign Yugi to drive the vehicle, since only he and Mitchell knew how...I only knew how to ride a motorcycle, since I''d bought one and gotten a license for it a couple of months ago. Though, uh, that said, I really haven''t used it all that much at all.


    I mean, I did initially, but after a while, I almost kinda forgot that I even had it. I should really start using it more, otherwise it''d just have been a waste of money.


    Getting back on topic, the others were starting to get into formation, as the client and his wives began entering the jeep, while Yugi climbed into the driver''s seat, his expression as sour as ever.


    "Hey, we''ll be moving at a relatively slow pace to ensure safety, but regardless of how much ground we cover, we''re heading back after two hours, got it, uh...whatever your name is right now," I informed the client.


    Oh, right, he''s known for his habit of frequently changing his legal name, like, all the time. It kinda went viral the first few times, but people don''t really pay much attention to him in that regard anymore. Well, he only changes his first name, he''s never changed his last name, which is Steen. My guess is that if he changes his last name, he might lose his inheritance or something like that, so he leaves it alone.


    "About that, uh...up until a couple of days ago, my name was Naruto! Yeah, I know, pretty cool, huh? Anyway, I lost a bet to a friend, and for the next week, my name is Period Blood Vampire! But you can just call me PBV!" He laughed with a rueful smile.


    ...I''m not calling him that.


    "Uh...okay, then. You should get in the vehicle now, we should get started, Mr Steen," I replied, going for the most obvious solution.


    "Got it! And no need to be so formal, guy, just call me PBV! By the way, I''m a big fan, you were so cool during the last X-Warrior Championship and-...!" He began gushing while beaming, before I interrupted him by slamming the door shut, letting out a sigh of exasperation.


    "Okay, everyone, time to start. Move a bit faster than usual, but make sure to match each other''s pace to keep the formation from falling apart," I instructed the others through my earpiece, as I got into position and used my Jetpack to hover a few meters up in the air.


    "Hey, I know it''s kinda late to complain now, but why are we stuck heading north? It''s sloped and leads to a bunch of mountains, it''s easily the most tiring area to head out in!" Grumbled Mitchell, as he flew up.


    "You make a good point, but why are you the one complaining about that? The terrain doesn''t really make a difference to you, does it? Since you''re always airborne," Pointed out Seila.


    "The higher up I go, the thinner the air is, so yes, going up mountains is extra draining for me too," He countered, as we began moving.


    "If I had to guess, I''d say it''s probably because the area north of the Sanctuary''s territory is the least barren and wasteland-y," Suggested Grey.


    "Oh, that''s a good point. It does have a lot of mutated plants and stuff, which are all toxic to us, but some of them actually look kinda nice," Added Suri.


    "I mean, that''s not too different from some regular plants, right? Weren''t there a bunch of pretty flowers before WWIII that were highly poisonous?" Inquired Mitchell as he chimed in.


    "Who cares? Most of those plants are gone now, so it doesn''t matter. Come on, focus," I sighed in response...if I let them talk for too long, they''ll stop concentrating and get distracted.


    "Sorry," They replied sheepishly, before the comms went quiet for the next while, except for a few remarks here and there.


    And then, after we''d been at it for about fifteen minutes...


    "H-hey, uh, guys...there''s something up ahead. It''s too far for me to see clearly, but...I think it''s Mutants fighting each other," Mitchell suddenly informed us, sounding a bit disconcerted.


    "Huh? That''s unusual, the closest anyone has ever seen Mutants fight each other is when they fight over food, but even then it''s never anything more than a bit of snipping, they never go at each other seriously...everyone, stop! I''m going to take a look on up ahead and see exactly what''s going on," I instructed as I started to get a bad feeling about this, before sending out one of my bug-sized drones to scout the area ahead.


    "Hey, Four-Eyes, the client wants to know why we''ve stopped-...," Yugi began with a grumble, before suddenly trailing off and sounding like he was talking to someone else, "What? No, I''m not going to call you that! What do you mean ''why''? Because it''s weird as fuck!"


    Tch, dumbass.


    "No need to keep anything from him, let him know what''s going on...or don''t, it really doesn''t matter," I sighed in response, before freezing as I caught a glimpse of what was up ahead, "What the...? What is this...?"


    "Kilzachs? What is it? What''s going on out there?"


    "Hey, dude, can you hear us? You''re kinda spacing out!"


    "I''m, uh, getting a bad feeling about this...it''s not an Ace Mutant, is it?"


    "No way, if it was something that big, then we''d have already noticed!"


    They were all talking, but I was too fixated on the footage I was receiving from my drone to respond, I couldn''t even tell which of them were speaking...how...how is this possible?


    "Everyone, prepare yourselves...because I have absolutely no idea what the hell it is that we''re up against here," I frowned grimly.


    "Huh? What does that mean!? What did you see!?" Exclaimed Suri nervously.


    "It''s a group of Land Sharks, about ten of them. And-..."


    "Wait, that''s it? I know Land Sharks are K-Ranked Mutants and highly vicious creatures that are difficult to deal with, but we''re at a level where they shouldn''t be too much of a problem, right?" Responded Seila in confusion.


    "You didn''t let me finish. It''s a group of ten Land Sharks...that are being absolutely torn apart by a single Monke," I remarked, as a bead of sweat ran down my face.


    "Wait, what!?" Exclaimed Mitchell in disbelief.


    "A single Q-Ranked Mutant defeating a pack of K-Ranked Mutants? But that''s impossible...," Muttered Grey in disbelief.


    "Yeah, well, that''s not all...I don''t know how it''s possible, but...this Monke is using XFE attacks...," I informed them grimly...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 197 - Worst Case Scenario

    "What? You can''t be serious!" Exclaimed Yugi in disbelief.


    Can''t exactly blame him, I was seeing it play out and was still having a really hard time believing my eyes...I then shared the live footage with the others, sending the feed to their I-Watches.


    "No way...," Muttered Seila in bewilderment.


    The Monke then finished killing all the Landsharks, without sustaining even a scratch worth of damage...and, then...


    "What the...? It''s...it''s eating them," Remarked Suri, her tone equal parts shock and disgust.


    "Look at its face...it looks like it''s struggling to eat," Added Katie.


    She''s right...it''s almost like it was forcing itself to eat. Mutants proliferate rapidly, have abnormally fast rates of growth, but also die quickly due to lack of available sustenance. They only eat humans and normal animals, and probably Wights too, but they don''t eat other Mutants...at least, that''s the common belief we''ve been following all this time.


    We''ve theorized that Mutants probably extend their lives by hibernating, that''s how Ace Mutants like the Crocsnek stayed alive...but now, I think that theory''s wrong.


    The Crocsnek showed a level of intelligence that''s rarely seen in Mutants, it wouldn''t have just let itself starve to death...I''d say that it''s very likely that it ate other Mutants.


    This Monke, I don''t know how it''s able to use XFE, but it''s probably more intelligent than the average Mutant...even when it was fighting, it wasn''t just wildly attacking, there seemed to be clear intent and strategy behind its attacks.


    It could fire orbs of Water Attribute XFE, which didn''t seem all that powerful, but it seems to know that...it kept using its blasts to stun the Landsharks and then finished them off with its fangs and claws. It was very simple and basic, but it was still very much a tactic.


    Don''t tell me...are the Mutants starting to evolve? We can''t just kill this thing, we need to capture and take it back...we''re only a few kilometers out from the base, so it won''t cost too much time to postpone the current Mission.


    "Alright, guys, we''re putting the Mission on hold! Stay by the vehicle and guard the clients, I''ll go on ahead and incapacitate the Monke...I won''t kill it though, I''ll try to knock it out or get rid of its limbs or something. Mitchell, come with me. I need you to wrap it up in your tails and fly it back to the base once I''m done restraining it," I instructed everyone swiftly.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to take it on alone, let us-...," Seila began to suggest.


    "No, this thing''s a complete unknown variable, I''m taking no chances...I''ll keep my distance and use my X-Blasters, along with my Anomaly powers if necessary. Alright, I''m going on ahead," I stated, as I zipped through the air using my Jetback, readying my X-Blasters.


    "Got it, we''ll form a circle around the jeep in the meantime," Responded Suri, as the others except for Mitchell surrounded the jeep.


    As I shot through the air, the Monke noticed me as I got within about fifty meters of it, before I halted and fired out of my X-Blasters, aiming for its shoulders to disable its arms.


    But it managed to evade, it''s eyes widening as it ducked below, watching the projectiles carefully. Woah...I know that Monkes are supposed to have pretty good eyesight, but I''ve never seen one focus like that. But what it did next shocked me even more...as it pointed its hand at me and formed an XFE blast...but instead of the round shape it had manifested against the Landsharks, this one was narrower and sharper.


    It let out a roar as it fired the attack at me, which I was able to evade easily enough, before firing out of my X-Blasters again, aiming to take out its knees. It swiftly leapt straight back, making sure not to jump too high...if it had, it''d have been a sitting duck for me to take out with ease.


    As it fired two more sharp projectiles at me, I activated one of my X-Blades and deflected them away with ease. And then, it took a wary step back...it''s realized that I''m way out of its league, it might have also caught on to the fact that I''ve been probing to try and size up its capabilities. Well, then, that''s enough playing around, time to finish this.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Pause>."


    Hm? It formed another XFE projectile, but a round one, not a sharp one...and it looked like it was starting to point it down at the ground before I froze time. Wait, was it about to try and kick up a dust cloud to use as cover to escape?


    I then walked over towards it and snapped its arms and legs, breaking its bones, before standing behind it as I got ready to unfreeze time...


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Play>."


    An earsplitting, vicious screech of pain and alarm burst out of its mouth as it collapsed onto the ground, unable to move its limbs. Right as it began to form an XFE blast in its mouth, starting to turn its head around, I swiftly struck the back of its neck, knocking it out.


    "Okay, I''m done...Mitchell, get this thing back to the base, and briefly explain the situation to them," I instructed, before adding, "I''ll send them a detailed report in the meantime, we''re still just about within signal range, so our I-Watches are functional."


    Mitchell then swooped down as he recited the activation chant and manifested his tails, wrapping two of them around the Monke and lifting it up off the ground.


    "Not gonna lie, this is kinda scary," He remarked nervously, before starting to fly off in the direction of the base.


    "Make sure to keep its head facing downwards, you''ll be in no danger so long as you can manage that," I advised him, as I began heading back to the others.


    "Sure, got it!"


    There could be more of these intelligent, XFE-wielding Mutants further up ahead, but there''s no guarantee of that, so it''s important that we capture this one and study it.


    It wasn''t very formidable while fighting me at long range, but from what I saw of how it fought the Landsharks, it would have given me a run for my money in a close range fight...I mean, I''d definitely win, but that''s if I was trying to kill it. Since I was trying to capture it alive, it would have been pretty difficult to incapacitate it in a close range bout.


    Still, I don''t like how quickly it was learning and adapting...it only took a couple of shots from me for it to figure out how to make its projectiles faster and more penetrative. And it''s reaction time bothers me too, to be able to dodge my bullets is no easy feat.


    It could probably take on a small group of lower ranked X-Warriors on its own and wipe them out with relative ease...even I''d be apprehensive of going up against a pack of Monkes like that one.


    "Hey, stay inside, it''s not safe," Came Suri''s voice as I approached the jeep, a tone of exasperation in her voice.


    "Aw, come on, something cool''s happening and I wanna see!" Responded Steen in protest.


    I let out a sigh as I walked over and intervened...


    "It''s already over, there''s nothing to see. Just sit and wait for a bit," I remarked, before starting on writing a report on what just happened, typing away on my I-Watch holoscreen.


    "But that''s no fun...," He grumbled, before complying and going back inside, looking like he was pouting.


    "Hey, by the way, how tough was that Monke?" Inquired Grey curiously.


    "Probably on par with the average Q-Ranked X-Warrior, I''d say. That said...it was learning and adapting with every move. With enough experience, it could become frighteningly formidable," I replied grimly.


    "I don''t like the sound of that," Chimed in Katie, a hint of concern on her face, "What if a K-Ranked, or even an Ace, Mutant develops that level of intelligence and the ability to use XFE?"


    Yeah, that''s exactly what I''m worried about right now...and I was including those concerns in my report, hopefully I can get this Mission called off.


    "Maybe it''s not all bad...hear me out, what if we can communicate with Mutants like this and get them on our side? Or is that too much of a stretch?" Suggested Seila uncertainly.


    "Huh, interesting...but probably risky as hell," Replied Suri objectively.


    "Actually, I think it could work...but, then, it''s not upto us. That said, if there are more of these intelligent Mutants, I certainly wouldn''t want them as enemies, especially if that includes K-Ranks and Aces," I responded grimly.


    "Yeah, that''d be the worst case scenario, intelligent Ace Mutants attacking us would be a nightmare," Mused Grey with a frown.


    "No, the worst case scenario would be the intelligent Mutants teaming up with the Wights and then attacking us with all their numbers...we''d probably be annihilated if that were to happen," I frowned in reply...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 198 - Caution

    "Hey, guys, I''m back!" Exclaimed Mitchell, as he swooped down and landed nearby.


    "How''d it go? What did they say?" I inquired immediately, as I approached him.


    "Well, they were pretty surprised, but not that much since they''d just received your report by the time I arrived...but I think they didn''t entirely believe it, which is understandable. Anyway, they then contacted HQ at the X-Warrior Zone since they didn''t know what to do. HQ had also gotten your report, and responded that, for the time being, we keep the captured Mutant locked up and restrained. As for us, we''re to continue the Mission, though if we encounter more Mutants like that one, we''re to retreat," He surmised, as he concluded his explanation of what happened.


    "Seriously, they want us to keep going? Isn''t that way too risky?" Frowned Suri in response.


    "Well, that''s what I said, but they responded that a team of X-Warriors had headed out in this area a couple of days ago and didn''t come across any abnormal Mutants. So they''re assuming that the one we captured must be a random straggler or something, so there isn''t any justifiable cause to abandon the Mission...at least, that''s what they told me," Sighed Mitchell dryly.


    I doubt that Director Silva gave that response...no, she''s way too busy to respond to a sudden, unexpected report immediately, so it''s probably one of the others on the X-Warrior Zone board. I''ve always thought that a lot of them, besides her and a few others, were painfully incompetent, and they keep proving me right.


    If I had to guess, whichever of them decided this, probably did so because abandoning a Mission from such an influential client would look bad...with the upcoming elections only a couple of weeks away, I bet most of the board members are scrambling to try and ensure that they''ll be re-elected.


    Tch, fucking politics.


    "I don''t like it, but we don''t exactly have a choice. Alright, we''re making a change to the formation. Grey, do you know how to drive?" I asked him.


    "Huh? Well, uh, yeah, I can...but I don''t have a license, so-...," He began to respond.


    "It''s fine, we''re off-road, so it doesn''t matter. Switch with Yugi. Hey, shithead...I want you at the vanguard, if we come across any Mutants, use your illusions to get them to attack in a direction away from us, so that we can determine whether or not they''re regular Mutants or abnormals like the one we faced before. Got it?" I instructed him.


    "Tch, fine, whatever," He muttered in response, as he climbed out of the driver''s seat.


    "Okay, the rest of the formation stays as it is. Everyone good to go?" I inquired, before nodding as they all responded affirmatively, "Alright, then, let''s keep moving. We''ll be at the mountains soon, which means less open spaces. But, hey, we already knew that going into this. Keep your guards up."


    "Awesome, we''re finally moving again! Hey, uh, so we lost about twenty minutes back there, we''re gonna make up for the lost time, right?" Inquired Steen hopefully, as he poked his head out of the jeep.


    "No, we''re not going to risk getting too deep into the mountains, not after what just happened. There''s still a good seventy-five minutes or so left though, that''s plenty," I responded, denying his request.


    "Aw, man, that kinda blows...but fine, I guess it''s better than heading back," He sighed wistfully.


    Well, at least he didn''t put up too much of a fuss. We soon got back into formation and continued heading forward, a slight tension around us. We hadn''t expected to face anything more than regular Mutants, and now that we''d come across the unexpected, everyone was on edge.


    But that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. When you''re in such tense situations, your senses tend to heighten and sharpen, as you feel a lot more alert and cautious...the downside is that it can tire you out in no time, but then, I''m fairly confident that all of the others have enough stamina reserves to last.


    Well, I don''t know about Yugi, but hey, I wouldn''t exactly shed a tear if he was to die. Unfortunately, he is fairly skilled, so he probably won''t die too easily. Hm, maybe I should try jinxing him...he''s totally not gonna die, no way!


    Hope that works.


    "The mountains are within a couple hundred meters now, we''ll reach in a few minutes or so," Mitchell informed us.


    "Got it. As agreed, we''ll head through the valley between the two mountains," I responded, as we continued heading forward.


    There were two large mountains that stood at the front of the mountain range, they weren''t all that tall or steep, but they were massively wide and stretched on for quite a distance, before connecting to other mountains further up ahead. And between the two mountains, was a dark valley.


    It wasn''t very narrow, and was in fact, fairly wide, but it was also very creepy. I''ve never actually been north of the Sanctuary after we expanded our territory with the outside bases, so I''ve only seen pictures of the mountains and valley, and from what I''ve seen, they look pretty intimidating.


    There were plenty of mutated plants on the mountains, all too toxic for us, and there were also several Mutants up there, a wide variety of them. There was a large river further ahead that ran across the mountains, where Landsharks and other amphibious and aquatic Mutants resided.


    We''ll probably turn around and head back at about the fifty kilometer mark from reaching that toxic river, it''s likely to be too much for us to handle while handicapped by the requirement to protect a bunch of people.


    Hm? I was suddenly distracted by Steen''s voice in my ear, catching me off-guard. What the-...? I didn''t give him a communicator, so how is he-...that''s when I heard Grey''s voice in the background...


    "Hey, uh, can I have that back? You''re not supposed to-..."


    "Oh, relax, guy. Let me get in on this for a sec, ''kay?" Responded Steen.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" I sighed in exasperation.


    "Sorry, sorry, just had a question to ask! Why aren''t we heading up one of the mountains?" He inquired curiously.


    "Because it''s too dangerous," I replied briefly.


    "Oh...can we at least go up a little bit? The valley looks boring, and-."


    "Would you rather be bored or dead?" I interrupted with a sigh.


    "W-well, uh...bored, I guess."


    "Exactly."


    "Aw, but come on, just a little bit won''t hurt! Tell you what, you can pick the next name that I change to, how about it?"


    "Not interested. Give back the communicator already, you''re distracting us."


    "...fine, my bad."


    I let out an irritated sigh as I rubbed my head...this is starting to give me a real fucking headache, goddammit. I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming myself down and refocusing. We''re entering the valley, and we''ve got to keep going for more than fifty minutes before we can finally start heading back.


    "Mitchell, we''re counting on you, this place is a bit dark, so keep a sharp eye out on the area ahead of us at all times," I instructed him, as I switched my glasses to night vision mode.


    "Right, got it!"


    "Seila, Katie, Lightning Attribute XFE is the brightest type, so if you feel like you can spare some XFE, illuminate the area. I''ll use my drones to watch our sides," I remarked, as I glanced at the steep cliffs on either side.


    There were several pockets and crevices in the walls of the cliffs, as well as a few deep caves...if we get ambushed by Mutants hiding up there, things could get messy. And Mitchell won''t be able to see into them up there, they''re too steep, that''s why I was having him solely focus on the space up ahead of us.


    Tch, some of the caves up on the cliffs were pretty deep, and too dark to see inside, even with the night vision feature in my drones. Both Seila and Katie had activated their manifestations, which helped light the place up a bit, but not by much.


    There are too many shadows, I can''t-...huh? I...think I just saw something move inside one of the caves up ahead.


    "Hold up, everyone! I think there''s something-...," I began, before abruptly trailing off as a rapid blur shot towards the drone and crushed it, the video feed going blank.


    And then, something poked its head out of the cave, with a creepy looking face. That''s...


    "It''s a Rona!" Exclaimed Suri from up front, about twenty meters from where the Mutant was.


    Ronas are large bat-like Mutants, their bodies grow to be about one and a half meters tall and they''ve got wingspans of about four meters. They''re among the more dangerous Q-Ranked Mutants.


    Suddenly, the Rona opened its mouth and let out a deafening, blood-curdling screech, all of us freezing up as the sound echoed throughout the valley, sending chills down my spine. And then, it stopped, swiftly ducking back into the cave.


    A bead of sweat ran down the side of my face as the noise continued to echo faintly across the valley, before slowly fading into an eerie quietness. What...what the hell was that?


    "H-hey, uh, guys...we''ve got a problem incoming," Remarked Mitchell nervously, his voice trembling slightly...as a faint flapping sound began echoing out from up ahead.


    "What the hell...?" Muttered Yugi in disbelief.


    "There''s...there''s so many of them," Gasped Seila in shock.


    The rest of us were silent, too stunned to speak...because up ahead, rapidly approaching us, were a flock of what was easily over a hundred Ronas...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 199 - Evolve

    "Kilzachs, what do we do?" Inquired Suri, a tone of panic in her voice, snapping my out of it.


    I have to give everyone a clear picture of what they need to do, and I have to do it now, or we''re dead!


    "Yugi, cast an illusion that''ll make them see a wall between us and them! There''s no way in hell we can''t take those numbers in a straight fight, we have to slow them down, use your illusions! Katie, go all out and blast the things! Mitchell and Seila, pick them off but keep a distance! Grey, get some distance with the clients, drive back! Go with him, Suri, stay on top of the jeep, in case more Mutants show up on the way back. And...I''m heading for the vanguard!" I stated my instructions urgently and clearly, as I began recording through my glasses'' lens.


    "Easy enough...," Muttered Yugi in response, as the Ronas suddenly halted, some of them losing control a bit, while some began flying upwards.


    They''d been fairly closely bunched together, but now, they were breaking apart...this is our chance!


    "Quickly, while they''re still spread out, take out as many of them as possible!" I exclaimed, as Grey and Suri began to retreat in the jeep, along with the clients.


    "<Manifestation Surge: Dragon Cloak>," Chanted Katie, as electric, yellow XFE wrapped around her body like armor.


    As she transformed, wings manifested from her shoulder-blades and a row of spikes formed down her back and continued straight down her tail, which grew out about two meters long. And around her head, the XFE formed in the shape of a dragon''s head, before she fired out a huge blast of lightning from her hands, wiping out about a couple dozen of the Mutants in an instant.


    Mitchell was using his Dozen Tails manifestation to whip at the Ronas flying upwards, as well as grabbing their neck with the energy tails and snapping them. Seila was expanding and slashing with her twin manifested blades and rapidly cutting down the Ronas that were spreading out to the sides.


    "My turn...<Unleash Anomaly: God of Space and Time>," I chanted inaudibly, the dark mist forming around me as shot forward, before focusing on a chunk of the cliff and chanting, "<Copy>...and now,


    ,


    ,


    ,


    ."


    As I chanted, several small boulders appeared in mid-air above the Ronas, before plummeting down and crushing several of them in an instant. Loud crashes echoed throughout the valley as the chunks of rock crashed onto the ground, the blood and guts of the Mutants bursting out and splattering all over the ground.


    There''s still a lot of them left, but in what''s been just a handful of seconds, we''ve already taken out nearly half of them. The Ronas were still spreading out, a lot of them seeming to be very confused...good, looks like that bastard''s doing a good job with his illusions.


    As much as I hate to admit it, this''d be a lot more difficult without him. And between Katie''s lightning blasts, Seila''s expansive blades, Mitchell''s tails and my copied rock chunks and bullets, the Ronas were dropping like flies.


    If I''d hesitated for a moment longer before giving my instructions to the others, it might have been too late, and things would have been a lot more difficult. There had probably been around a hundred of them, and we''d reduced their numbers down to around thirty, from the look of it.


    "Alright, guys, take out the stragglers...I''m going after the one that screeched and called them here," I remarked, as I shifted my gaze over towards the cave that it had poked its head out of, before zipping up towards it using my Jetback.


    "Go ahead, we''ve got this!" Responded Mitchell affirmatively.


    "Yeah, it shouldn''t take too much longer before we''re done," Added Seila confidently.


    "What they said," Chimed in Katie.


    During teamwork training sessions, I''ve often emphasized that they shouldn''t get used to relying on me too much, and it looks like that''s paid off...of course, it helps that they''re all highly powerful and skilled in their own right.


    As I landed inside the cave, I scrunched up my nose as I got a whiff of a foul smell, before I swiftly scanned the area, sending a couple of drones up ahead...tch, there''s no sign of the thing. And further inside, this cave leads into what looks like a long, winding labyrinth.


    I can''t risking heading in here, it''s way too dangerous. If I run into a huge pack of Mutants in here by myself, I''ll be screwed. And besides, this Unleash Anomaly form burns through XFE at a pretty fast rate, I can''t maintain it for more than fifteen minutes at full capacity.


    Inverse has been regulating my XFE flow to conserve as much as possible and prevent even miniscule levels of wastage, but even with that, the time limit didn''t extend by much.


    The last thing I want is to be out of XFE while lost inside a maze-like cavern, and I definitely want to avoid a situation where I have to sacrifice my lifespan again. Still, this is awfully concerning. That Rona, it definitely called all those others here, and it made sure to not leave itself exposed.


    And while we were busy dealing with the swarm ahead of us, it must have retreated once it realized that we were winning. These actions contradict typical Mutant behavior. Is it like the Monke we encountered earlier?


    It has to be. I''ve never encountered a Rona before this, but I have studied up on them, and I''ve never heard of one screeching to call for reinforcements. If we had tried to take on that swarm in our usual formation, we''d have been overwhelmed with ease.


    The only way for us to deal with so many Mutants at once is to throw everything we''ve got at them before they reach us, keeping our distance. If it wasn''t for Yugi''s illusions slowing them down and confusing them, they''d have been upon us in no time.


    I could have frozen time around the area where they were, but freezing a specific area while maintaining a normal time flow everywhere else takes a lot of XFE, especially the larger the space is, I''d likely have used up most of my XFE by the time we finished them off.


    Hm? What''s this? I walked over towards a small lump by a corner of the cave, before halting as I got a good look at it...that''s the head of a J-Ranked Mutant, a rat-like creature. And now that I''m looking around, I can see that there''s also some bones scattered about, along with dark patches that are probably blood stains.


    The head is already rotting, and the blood stains have dried up...this thing was killed at least a few hours ago, definitely not any time recently. It wasn''t just killed, it was eaten...so, this confirms it, it''s not just that Monke that''s eating other Mutants. I need to get back and report this.


    Which means, I guess there''s no longer any reason to stick around here. In fact, we really ought to leave, before anything else unexpectedly shows up. I flew out of the cave and swooped back down towards the ground...looks like the others have finished up, a huge pile of Rona corpses on the ground.


    "What happened to the Mutant?" Inquired Mitchell, as they approached me.


    "Long gone. As we''re about to be. We''re heading back now, even if we''re commanded to keep going. The jeep should soon be at the base, since it''ll be going at full speed. Let''s get in formation and get out of here, agreed?" I surmised bluntly.


    "Definitely, that fight cost an alarming amount of XFE, it''s too dangerous to keep going...and would be pointless to do so without the client anyway, so yeah," Responded Seila with a nod.


    "I used too much XFE too, I''d rather fail the Mission than fight another huge group of Mutants like that," Added Katie, sweating a bit.


    "For sure," Agreed Mitchell, while Yugi was silent but didn''t protest, so I''m guessing that he''s on board too.


    We then got into formation, with Yugi up front, Seila and Katie a few meters behind, Mitchell up in the air as usual, and me bringing up the rear, along with some drones further back to make sure nothing tries to sneak up on us from behind. Once the formation was set, we began heading back, a sense of relief around us.


    We moved fairly quickly, all of us eager to get back to the base. We could all sense it, the feeling that danger was in the air...just what exactly was with the Mutants we came across today? The Monke was bad enough, but that Rona was even worse...especially since it got away.


    What the hell is going on here, anyway? Are the Mutants starting to evolve? Developing greater intelligence is one thing, but being able to use XFE is a whole other story...I''ve got a really bad feeling about this...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 200 - Day Out

    Today''s the 8th of January, 2117, the following day after that Mission with those strange Mutants. The Monke I captured was currently being experimented on, and in the meantime, all X-Warriors had been recalled back to the Sanctuary.


    Moreover, all Missions had been put on hold, at least until we understand exactly what''s happening with the Mutants.


    Today''s a Sunday, and I was currently in the X-Warrior Zone, specifically, at Hebi''s place. I hadn''t seen him in a while, and he called me yesterday to ask if I was free...so I figured I might as well hang out with him for a couple of hours.


    After all, he doesn''t really have any friends besides me, being a Wight and all. It''s kind of a pain, but I don''t exactly dislike him, so I guess I don''t mind doing this once in a while.


    "Aw, man, you win again," He sighed in defeat, as he put down the controller.


    "It''s still a hundred years too soon for you to stand a chance against me," I responded triumphantly.


    "...you just wanted to say that, didn''t you?" He replied wryly.


    "Maybe. Still, I don''t really game that much anymore, and I''m guessing that you probably do so everyday, right?" I remarked with a smirk.


    "Hey, you don''t have to rub it in, man. And besides, I only play games on most days, not everyday!" He protested in reply.


    "That''s...I have nothing to say to that," I replied in bemusement.


    "Seriously, it''s not like I spend all my time gaming! I also watch movies, shows and anime...and train a bit every couple of days too. Ooh, speaking of which, I finally got the hang of Manifestation Surge!" He exclaimed with a grin.


    Okay, that piques my interest...


    "Oh, yeah? That''s impressive, barely anyone''s mastered that form," I responded in surprise.


    "Heh, yeah, I''m pretty awesome, aren''t I?" He replied smugly.


    "Yeah, you were, right up until the moment when you called yourself awesome."


    "Come on, no need to be so cold!" He grinned sheepishly.


    "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what kind of power is it?" I inquired curiously.


    "Not telling, I''m keeping the specifics a secret until I''ve fully gotten the hang of it! Oh, by the way, why haven''t I been sent out on any real Missions?" He asked me, before adding, "Not that I''m complaining or anything, but I thought I''d be worked really hard once I got the hang of the boost to my powers after the Awakening Procedure."


    "Well, things in the Sanctuary are kinda messy right now, politically speaking. The X-Warrior Zone will probably see a change in leadership soon," I informed him.


    "Seriously? Uh-oh...if that does happen, hope the new leadership will treat me the same way," He frowned with a look of concern.


    Yeah, it''s a very real possibility that whoever takes over from Director Silva might try to use him as a tool instead of treating him like a person...


    "If...if you''re mistreated or whatever, just make sure to let me know, okay? I''ll, uh...I''ll take care of it," I muttered awkwardly.


    "Kil...dude, you''re the freaking best! You ol'' tsundere, you!" He grinned, as he punched my shoulder cheerfully.


    "Ow, that hurt...and who are you calling a tsundere, I''m nothing of the sort," I huffed in response.


    "Suuure, you''re not," He chuckled sarcastically.


    "On second thought, I retract my earlier statement."


    "Hehe, yeah, I''m sure you do!" He laughed with a broad smile on his face.


    "...okay, stop that, it''s annoying."


    ...


    About an hour later, I was on my way back home, but only to get changed and head out again. Specifically, I''ve got a date with Katie. Since yesterday''s Mission was called off thanks to the unusual Mutants we encountered, we had plenty of stamina and energy to spare, so instead of today ending up as a rest day, we were going ahead with the plans we''d made before.


    This time, she was coming to the North Quadrant, and we were going to a zoo in the Agricultural District. You''d think that a zoo would be in the Entertainment District or the Recreation District, but it actually makes sense when you think about it.


    Livestock, vegetables and fruits were all grown and stored in the Agricultural District, and it made sense to have the zoo built close by to those, for supplies to keep the animals fed and whatnot. The zoos in the other quadrants were also built near such areas.


    I''d never been to any of the zoos in the Sanctuary before, so I''m looking forward to this. I like animals, and the only reason I''ve never been to a zoo before is because I never really considered it, since I was pretty busy most of the time after I was disowned.


    And I''m also looking forward to going out with Katie again, I had to admit that I was kinda nervous...that said, I still hadn''t figured out how I feel or how I should respond to her confession.


    I do feel kinda bad about the fact that I''m taking so long to sort through my thoughts and feelings, but at the same time, I don''t want to give her an uncertain or half-assed response. She deserves better than that. I need to figure this out for myself first, only then can I respond to her.


    Once I got home, I took a quick shower, before putting on a light grey t-shirt under a sleeveless black vest that I left unbuttoned, along with a pair of dark blue jeans and red shoes.


    It was currently a little bit past 12 PM in the afternoon, I''m supposed to meet up with her in the Entertainment District at around 1 PM, have lunch and then head to the Agricultural District afterwards. Hm, if I leave around 12:30 PM, I should still be a bit early.


    Not by much though, so yeah, I think I''ll leave around then. I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling a bit self-conscious...does this outfit suit me? Does it look like I''m trying too hard? Should I do something different with my hair?


    "What am I doing?" I sighed to myself with a wry smile...I''ve never really worried over stuff like this before, I''m probably just overthinking things.


    I then headed into the kitchen and opened up one of the cupboards and took out a tub of Nutella, before picking up a spoon, opening the lid and scooping out a chunk of the hazelnutty goodness, and then putting it in my mouth, in order to try and calm my nerves.


    Okay, yeah, it''s working, I can feel my concerns and worries just melting away, as the rich sweetness ran across my tastebuds, causing the sides of my mouth to tingle and tense up, before I let out a content sigh.


    It took all my willpower to keep myself from going on for another scoop, as I forced myself to put the tub and spoon away...it was one of the hardest things I''ve ever had to do.


    Once the clock hit 12:30 PM, I began heading out, making my way to the bus stop and taking a bus to the nearest Teleportation Point. I then teleported to a spot close to where I was supposed to meet Katie, before walking over there.


    It''s 12:50 PM now, and I''m less than a five minute walk from the meeting place, so well on time. I don''t know why, but the idea of being late stresses me out for some reason. And once I''m all but certain that I''m going to be on time, that stress just melts away.


    Before long, the spot where we agreed to meet came into sight, and as I looked around, I spotted Katie, standing by a lamp post in the shade...and the first thought I had was how cute she looked. She''d tied her hair up in short, fluffy twintails, which looked insanely adorable. Looks like she hasn''t noticed me yet.


    Without really thinking about it, I slipped around out of her line of sight until I was behind her, before quietly sneaking up to her and lightly blowing on the back of her neck, eliciting a quiet gasp of surprise from her as I startled her. She spun around with wide-eyes, before relaxing as she saw that it was just me.


    "Sorry about that, but I just couldn''t resist," I apologized with a sheepish grin, before asking her, "Have you been waiting long?"


    "No, um, I just got here...and hey, that was really mean," She pouted as she gave my chest a light punch.


    "Guess I get to see all those vivid expressions of yours again, huh? Lucky me," I grinned, as I stroked the top of her head, "But don''t get me wrong, you''re cute as hell either way."


    "Wha-...h-hey, are you trying to give me a heart attack or something? No more sneak attacks," She responded indignantly, before softly headbutting my chin.


    "W-well, right back at you, your sneak attacks are deadly as hell, you know," I countered with a smirk, before adding, "Alright, shall we go find a place to eat?"


    "Yeah, sure, sounds good," She nodded in response.


    "Cool...oh, and don''t argue with me on this; it''s my treat today," I declared firmly.


    "Huh? No, I can''t let you do th-."


    "Like I just said...don''t argue with me on this," I interrupted her with a smile.


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 201 - The Invasion Begins

    I have to wonder...just why exactly have I taken this long to visit a zoo? Being here now and seeing such a wide variety of animals, I''m in absolute awe, and also just realizing how few species of animals I''ve actually seen until now.


    There were always a fair number of birds flying around inside the Sanctuary, and there were plenty of stray dogs and cats, not to mention rats and other rodents. Some of the parks have rabbits and raccoons and stuff, from what I remember. But other than that, there really aren''t many other species of animals that live freely inside the Sanctuary.


    "Hey, pay attention to me too," Muttered Katie as she tugged on my arm with a pout, snapping me out of it while I was staring in fascination at the tiger exhibit.


    All the enclosures were pretty spacious, so yes, while they animals are technically caged, they''ve got plenty of room to run about and stuff. And hey, it beats the alternative of being extinct, right?


    "Oh, sorry about that, didn''t mean to get lost in my world, my bad," I grinned sheepishly, as I patted her head.


    "No, I was just kidding, I''m glad that you''re having a good time. Well, fine, maybe I''m just a little bit salty that you''re not giving me any attention," She responded with a wry smile.


    "Guess I''ll just have to make it up to you...well, not that I have any idea how to go about doing so, so you''ll have to specify," I replied, as we then walked away from the tiger enclosure and continued roaming the zoo.


    "Nah, you don''t need to do anything. It''s not all that crowded here right now, so just being here with you is more than enough," She mumbled in a whisper, as she leaned her head against my shoulder, her arms latched around my left arm.


    "Wha-...h-hey, don''t j-just suddenly whisper in my ear like that, it tickles," I stuttered slightly...her warm breath against my earlobe sent shivers down my spine and made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up, and I think my heart might have skipped a beat there too.


    "Hm? Oh, so you have sensitive ears, huh? Good to know...," She responded with a sly smile.


    "Uh, whatever you''re thinking right now, I don''t think I wanna know," I replied wryly.


    "No idea what you mean...hey, look, the reptile exhibit is up ahead, let''s go check it out," She suggested, as a wide building came into view.


    "Huh, wonder why they''re kept in a separate space from the rest of the zoo," I mused, as we headed towards the building.


    "Don''t reptiles fall asleep if it gets too cold or something? Maybe they regulate the temperature to suit the reptiles in this building, though I don''t think all reptiles need such careful maintenance. After all, we did see that crocodile enclosure earlier," Pointed out Katie.


    "Oh, right. By the way, I''ve been thinking, how come we humans have evolved as a result of the radiation, while none of these animals seem to have evolved from what they were before WWIII?" I wondered curiously.


    "Huh, that''s a good point...maybe it''s because they''re living in captivity instead of in what could be considered a natural habitat? And besides, Mutants are the evolved result of animals that were directly exposed to all that radiation, right? As for inside the Sanctuary, maybe humans evolved because they were all aware of the danger that was constantly surrounding them, while the animals didn''t because they had idea about what was going on outside?" Suggested Katie after mulling it over.


    "Wow, that all sounds pretty plausible to me. Yeah, it certainly makes sense. After all, it''s not like we know the ins and outs of evolution or how it specifically works, it''s not something that can be so easily studied...though now that the Mutants seem to be evolving further, maybe-," I began to suggest.


    "Hey, um, this is really fascinating and all, but...maybe we could talk about it later?" She smiled sheepishly.


    "Crap...I''m sorry, I guess I keep getting distracted, huh? I probably should have said this sooner, but...those short, fluffy twintails really suit you, you look adorable," I remarked, as she turned red and averted a gaze, before a slight smile appeared on her face.


    She really did incredibly cute, and that''s putting things lightly...she was wearing a light red sleeveless top with a low back and black shorts that went about halfway down her thighs, above maroon tights that covered her legs and short black heels. More than the outfit though, her hair was what stood out the most to me.


    Her usual low ponytail is cute too, but seeing these alternate styles is pretty great in its own right...during our previous date, her hair was left untied, and today, twintails. Yeah, I''m definitely not complaining.


    As we continued heading through the reptile exhibit, and then onto the rest of the zoo, I couldn''t help but get engrossed in and distracted by some of the animals we passed by, but for the most part, my focus was on her.


    And the more I looked at her, the more I felt like I just couldn''t look away. Regardless of whether she''s being expressive or a blank slate, regardless of what she''s wearing, regardless of how she ties her hair...regardless of any of that, the undeniable fact is that she''s incredibly beautiful.


    And as I found myself thinking that, she glanced in my direction, and as our eyes met, I felt my heart skip a beat and my face heat up...


    "Kilzachs? Are you okay? You seem a bit flushed," She said with a look of concern, as she placed her palm on my forehead.


    Oh, I guess she doesn''t realize that I''m blushing since, from her perspective, she hadn''t done anything to make me blush right now. Okay, no, this feels way too embarrassing, I don''t want to be the only one who feels like this...!


    "Yeah...I''m fine...," I whispered in response, before leaning down and kissing her as I cupped her cheek in my hand, and then pulling away and adding, "Come on, let''s keep going."


    "O-okay...," She nodded in bemusement, as the tips of her ears turned red and she partially covered her face with one of her hands.


    So cute...


    We made our way over to the primate enclosures next, and I have to say, monkeys and apes just look like innocent versions of Monkes and other primate Mutants.


    Most Mutants tend to look like warped versions of their animal counterparts, but now that I think about it, the primate Mutants don''t look all that different to normal primates, except for the exaggerated claws and fangs.


    "Oh, looks like we''ve covered nearly all of the enclosures," I realized, as we came across a map of the zoo and I gave it a quick scan.


    "Yeah, you''re right...I feel like I haven''t had nearly enough time with you today though," She sighed in disappointment.


    "Huh? Just because we''re almost done with the zoo doesn''t mean that the date''s over...we''ve still got plenty of time left in the day, after all," I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    "You really mean it!?" She perked up eagerly, her eyes lighting up.


    "Mhm, of course I do. Come on, let''s rest up a bit before we check out the rest of the zoo, we can figure out what to do next afterwards," I suggested, as I nodded at a nearby bench.


    "Yeah, okay, that sounds good," She nodded with a smile, before we headed over and sat on the bench.


    She scooted over close to me, her shoulder pressed against mine as she leaned her head on me.


    "I''ve, uh...never really planned an outing like this before, I hope it''s not been too boring," I remarked sheepishly.


    "Are you kidding me? I''m having a great time," She sighed happily in response.


    "Glad to hear it," I replied with a quiet sigh of relief.


    "Hey...I love you," She then whispered irresistibly, before lightly nibbling on my earlobe, causing me to inadvertently let out a slight gasp in surprise.


    "I-I, uh...," I stuttered, my mind blanking out for a sec.


    "Oh, wow, your ears really are sensitive, aren''t they?" She giggled, before staring at me with a warm, glowing smile, which made me feel...just so happy...


    "Katie, I-...," I began to respond, when suddenly, I was cut off as a slight yet deep rattling and rumbling echoed out all around us.


    No, not around, it was coming from above us, and echoing around. Before I could even try to figure it out, the sky above us seemed to flicker, in a glitch-like effect...


    "What the...? Hey, you don''t think...that something''s happened to the Sanctuary''s dome, do you?" Frowned Katie, as we stared up at the artificial sky in confusion and dread.


    "No...there''s just no way...I mean, the dome''s supposed to be over thirty meters thick, and with all the external security measures, the internal vacuum layer, and the Dampening Field, it shouldn''t be possible to-...," I started to deny in disbelief.


    "THIS IS A SANCTUARY-WIDE ALERT...WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!" Suddenly came a voice over the speakers, "WIGHTS HAVE INVADED THROUGH THE SOUTH QUADRANT, THE SANCTUARY DOME HAS BEEN BREACHED! EVERYONE, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT...!"


    As the voice continued to warn and urge us to evacuate, I felt a mix a shock, disbelief, anger and frustration...


    "What are you waiting for, Kilzachs? Come on, let''s get to the South Quadrant!" Exclaimed Katie, snapping me out of it.


    "Right, let''s-...wait, what?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 202 - The Wights Plan(Part 1)

    Point-of-View: Aku


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Uh...that''s our plan? Really?" I frowned in bemusement, "It seems a bit, I don''t know...convoluted?"


    "Maybe so, but it''s very likely to work," Remarked one of the higher ups.


    "I mean, yes, but...who knows what kind of security measures those sheltered humans have come up with in the last few months," I muttered, as I glanced at my right hand, the tip of my index finger missing.


    That barrier I encountered back then...it was practically invisible, and if you walk into it, you''ll be disintegrated before you even realize what''s happening. Even my intangibility is useless against that.


    We haven''t spied on them or anything in a while, but we have kept out of the range of those tiny surveillance drones of theirs, so just as we have no idea how much they''ve progressed, they have no idea what we''ve been upto lately either.


    Naturally, we''d been making plans to take them down, along with that so-called Sanctuary of theirs. If they''d taken the initiative and attacked us preemptively, this war would probably have already ended. We may have numbers, but they''ve got the weapons to make up the difference.


    Not to mention that they''ve got their own fair share of powerful individuals, including...him. None of our Anomalies have powers that can compare to his time manipulation, he''s one of the biggest threats that the Sanctuary poses. Above all else, we can''t afford to fail to kill him.


    "Aku, are you listening? We''re finalizing this plan, so go spread the word. Take as many as possible, and ensure that this operation succeeds."


    "Huh? Oh, er...yes, sir."


    With that, I excused myself and left, informing some of the Wights under my command about the higher ups'' decision and then telling them to go inform whoever else was going to be involved in this operation.


    We''re currently somewhere in the country that used to be Mongolia, preparing to launch our attack. The date is the 23rd of December, and we''ll commence the operation in about three or four days. How long it''ll take to reach the Sanctuary with the method we''re opting to use is uncertain.


    Normally, I''d be all for such a wholesale massacre, but I''m not too thrilled about this one since it''s so risky. There''s far too many unknown variables at play, not just regarding the enemy, but our own forces too.


    I may have followed the will of the higher ups all this time, but it''s certainly not because of loyalty or because they''ve brainwashed me like they''ve done to most of everyone else here...I just wanted to have some fun and kill some people, without much of any risk to myself.


    And I figured that, since I''m an Anomaly with a really useful set of powers, I wouldn''t be put in all that much unnecessary danger, considering that I''m pretty valuable and all...but no, the higher ups determination to wipe out all the humans in the Sanctuary trumped their desire to keep their weapons safe.


    Oh, and side note, we''d started using the same terms that the Sanctuary does, like XFE, Anomaly and whatnot...I think that''s only because the higher ups decided that those terms sounded better than the ones we''d been using.


    Going by their logic, no one can accuse us of stealing those terms if we just kill everyone in the Sanctuary, because then there''ll be no one left to accuse us of anything at all. All that there''d be left are us Wights.


    "Ah, there you are, Aku. So, you''ve been chosen to lead this grand undertaking, have you?" A voice suddenly addressed me, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    "Huh? Oh, it''s you, Syoi. Do you need something?" I sighed as I plastered a fake smile onto my face.


    I can''t stand this guy. He''s a Prodigy Wight, and considered to be the strongest of the lot among the Prodigies, in terms of raw physical strength, anyway. He''s tall and muscular, and one of the most mutated Wights around. His entire body was covered in dark green scaly, rough skin, he had a long, flexible tail and wide wings.


    His jaws protruded out forward like an alligator, though not quite that long, and he had rows of razor sharp fangs and pointy claws on his hands. He had sharp yellow eyes and a row of spikes straight back across the middle of his head, down his spine and along his tail.


    I''m a Wight that retains more human features than most others, most of my face looks sorta human. There are plenty of other Wights like that too...but there are plenty like him too, ones that show no trace of human features in their appearances.


    In my experience though, it doesn''t really make a difference or affect someone''s personality, it''s nothing more than an appearance thing.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you, Aku!"


    "Hm? Oh, sorry, did you say something?" I responded, having completely missed whatever it was that he said.


    "Fine, I''ll repeat myself...you may have distinguished yourself during your long-term infiltration of those vile sheltered humans, but I''ll be the one to get the glory this time!" He declared confidently.


    Oh, right, I forgot to mention, this guy''s totally brainwashed by the higher ups, which is a big part of why I dislike him so much.


    "Yeah, I''m sure you will," I muttered dryly, before walking away, acting like I had something to do...and then let out a sigh of relief when he didn''t follow me, instead wandering off in a different direction.


    If he thinks a mere Prodigy stands a chance against real Anomalies, he''s an even bigger fool than I thought. Yes, Prodigies are powerful in terms of sheer destruction...but we Anomalies are like magicians, our powers aren''t nearly so simple or straightforward.


    Anyway, the plan that the higher ups had come up with would involve several of our Anomalies combining their powers in order to get past the Sanctuary''s defenses, not to mention slipping past the bases that they''ve been building.


    And that''s never been done before, several Anomalies using their powers in unison like gears in a machine...of course, we''ll take the time to test it out to see if it actually works or not, but beyond that, I don''t think the higher ups plan on sparing any more time for additional tests.


    I do get where they''re coming from, if we leave the Sanctuary alone for too long, they''ll advance too far forward for us to catch up, so we can''t waste too much time, but...this is being far too impatient. New inventions don''t simply just roll out overnight, it takes time, and even more time to fully implement them.


    Having spent some time in the Sanctuary and gotten somewhat accustomed to their technology, I might be the only one who really understands that though. So there''s no point in arguing, especially when most of the other Wights have been brainwashed by the higher ups.


    Have to admit, a part of me wonders if defecting to the Sanctuary would be a viable option, like Hebi did. But it''s probably too late now. I killed a fair number of people while in the Sanctuary, not to mention that they might experiment on me and stuff because of my powers.


    The best case scenario that I can think of is that this operation succeeds and we wipe out the majority of the inhabitants of the Sanctuary, particularly their Anomalies and Prodigies, and then we live in the Sanctuary ourselves. It''d be a huge waste to simply destroy the nicest place to live in the world right now.


    Now, then, I suppose that I should gather all the Wight Anomalies who are going to play major roles in this operation, so that I can relay to them exactly what they''re supposed to do. I then closed my eyes and focused on my telepathic link...


    "Hey, Sai, can you hear me?"


    After a brief silence with no response, the two-way connection formed, and he responded...


    "Oh, Aku? What is it?"


    "I need you to contact the following people and send them to me as soon as possible. I''ll need...," I began, before telling him who I wanted him to contact.


    "Okay, sure. But I don''t have telepathic links set up with all of them at the moment, I''ll contact those that I do have connections with and ask them to inform the rest if they run into them."


    With that, he cut the connection, presumably to contact the others. I then headed to my tent and sat down with a sigh, before pouring myself a cup of water and drinking it. Ugh, so nasty. I miss how good it felt to drink the water in the Sanctuary, it was just so refreshing and...clean.


    Any water sources we find out here are toxic and contaminated with radiation, and while we''re resistant to that, meaning that it''s safe to drink for us, it doesn''t change the fact that it tastes like crap. The meat of Mutants and mutated plants taste awful too...once we take over the Sanctuary, I can finally get this literal bad taste out of my mouth for good...


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 203 - The Wights Plan(Part 2)

    Point-of-View: Aku


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Okay, looks like you''re all here now. Pay attention, I''m going to explain the details of each of your roles in the upcoming attack on the Sanctuary," I remarked, shortly after all the Anomalies that were a part of this plan had gathered in my tent.


    "Oh? I knew that those old geezers were planning on using us as the spearhead of this operation, but I didn''t think that they''d come up with a plan so soon. Please tell me that it''s an actual good plan," Sighed Rans, a female Wight Anomaly.


    She was slender and about average height, and had pretty minimal mutations, she looked more like a normal human in Wight cosplay than an actual Wight. Her face was almost completely normal, except for a slight gray-greenish color to her skin, but it wasn''t rough and scaly like the rest of us.


    She had short black hair that framed her face and dark brown eyes, her canines stuck out a bit like a Vampire or something, and while her shoulders and biceps weren''t that scaly, her forearms and hands were, along with sharp claws.


    She has the ability to steal XFE from someone and then transfer it to another...she can''t steal from other Anomalies, but she can transfer XFE to them. She''s also one of those that aren''t brainwashed by the older Wights, but still follows them since there really isn''t an alternative.


    "It''s not our place to question their decisions, there''s no doubt that they''ve come up with an absolutely perfect plan!" Spoke up Baku, a very much brainwashed Wight.


    He''s an Anomaly of pure destruction, simple as that. Specifically, any severed body parts of his will cause massive explosions. He''s missing several finger segments, which were severed over various points in the past to create mini-bombs. Those were all used against the Mutants though.


    His ability is insanely powerful and destructive, but I certainly don''t envy it. He''s got a roundish, scaly head and face, sharp teeth with really wide jaws and a huge mouth, a snake-like forked tongue, red eyes and a short, stubby tail.


    "It doesn''t matter how good or bad the plan is, because either way, we don''t have a say, we have to go through with it," I sighed in response.


    "Uh-oh, that''s not very encouraging," Frowned Rans apprehensively.


    "I still don''t see why we''re being so cautious...with my powers, I could crush all those sheltered humans myself!" Declared Ked confidently...he keeps talking like that, and he''ll be the first to die...


    He''s a tall and heavily built Wight, with a fully rough and scaly body. He''s got a kinda square-shaped face, with two straight, long fangs growing out of the upper row of his teeth and going down past his jawline.


    He had spiky reddish-orange hair, sharp green eyes, four arms and massive wings on his back. Despite the huge wings, the sheer weight of his body made flying quite a strenuous task for him to attempt. His Anomaly power is the ability to change his own size at will, he can shrink down to the size of a cockroach or grow as tall as a mountain.


    And that ability gives him quite a level of overconfidence in himself, though I can''t deny that he is very powerful. His ability isn''t at all complex though...he can''t expand or shrink just a part of him, whenever he changes size, it applies to his entire body at all times.


    And, more off-puttingly, he ends up naked whenever he uses his powers, since they either fall off or get torn to shreds. And Wight clothing isn''t exactly as high quality as the clothes you find in the Sanctuary, so yeah.


    "Yes, the higher ups recognize your ability, Ked. And that''s why you have arguably the most important role to play in this plan," I said to him, buttering up his ego...otherwise, he might complain about his role, as it could easily be seen as little more than manual labor...


    That said, the plan can''t succeed without him. And if he puts up a fuss, I''ll get the blame since they put me in charge of leading this assault. Ughh, this is the worst.


    "Haha, but of course, that''s only natural!" He laughed heartily, clearly boosted by my comment.


    "Sure must be nice, being such a simpleton," Muttered Kaze, a Wight whose most remarkable feature was how unremarkable his presence was.


    He was very short, probably not much more than four and a half feet. His jaws and mouth curved forward almost like a beak, and he had a longish mohawk-like hairstyle that fell back, with silverish-white hair. He had a fully scaly body, and four tentacle-like appendages growing on his back.


    His power was the ability to adjust the weight of anything or anyone, he could make them either heavier or lighter just by touching them. He''s also got a surprisingly large XFE reserve for an Anomaly. I don''t think he''s all that brainwashed, he''s way too self-centered and survivalistic for that.


    And of the Wight Anomalies that are spearheading this operation, that just leaves one more of us to introduce...


    "Hey, are my powers going to be all that important to this too?" Inquired Aug with a frown.


    He''s a heavily mutated Wight, with a mouth that opens with four parts like a creepy flower, with circular rows of teeth and a long, narrow tongue. His eyes were a sharp red, he had a pair of horns on his head that curved back slightly and another eye at the back of his head.


    His right elbow split into two forearms, each with just three fingers, he had a long, bony spike extended out from his left elbow, and an extra long left index finger. He also had a pair of sleek wings on his back.


    Despite his scary appearance though, he''s a pretty big coward and tries to avoid getting himself into danger. But that''s not always easy for him, considering his ability...


    "Very much so, without your powers, our chances of success go down immensely," I informed him wryly.


    He''s got the power to augment and boost the powers of other Anomalies, he expands on the limitations immensely. His presence makes all the rest of us much more serious threats.


    And because his powers are so valuable, he''ll retreat after the first phase of our attack. That, and also because he''s not very competent when it comes to combat.


    "Oh, no...I''m gonna die this time for sure...," He groaned in dismay.


    "If you''re so scared, then just hang back and leave it to me! I''ll just stomp around a bit and that should do it!" Grinned Ked with a thumbs up.


    Yeah, if only it were that simple...sure, that would be incredibly boring, but it''s better than losing.


    "Mhm, I''m sure that''s all it''ll take," Mumbled Kaze sarcastically, as he rolled his eyes.


    "Hey, come on, tell us about the plan already!" Rans urged me impatiently, shaking my shoulder roughly.


    "Please, stop that...or else," I warned her with a glare, before letting out a sigh and adding, "But yeah, I suppose that it''s time that I tell you all how we''re supposed to break into the Sanctuary and-..."


    Before I could continue, I trailed off as the tent flap was pulled opened and someone stepped inside, cutting me off...


    "I don''t mean to bother all of you, but I''m going to need to collect all of your consents regarding your powers being transferred upon your deaths," She remarked as she walked in.


    A Wight who, like me, had a part of her face unmutated. Specifically, the area around her mouth was normal, while the rest of her face and body had rough and scaly skin. She had purple eyes, dark green hair that she tied up in a frizzy ponytail and two blunt, short horns on the top of her head, that almost looked like cat ears.


    Keno...she''s another Wight Anomaly, but she''s so valuable to the higher ups that they''d never even dream of putting her in any danger. Her powers are just that important. Specifically, she can transfer the powers of an Anomaly to someone else when the former dies, provided that she gets their consent beforehand.


    The only reason why the higher ups haven''t abused the hell out of her powers and continually sent the rest of us on suicide missions is because finding someone compatible with receiving Anomaly powers is hard. See, only someone with no active powers can receive powers from her.


    Prodigies aren''t compatible with Anomaly powers, and Anomalies aren''t compatible with the Anomaly powers of others. So only someone''s whose powers are still dormant would be compatible, but most of the unpowered Wights are really weak and unsuited for combat, so it''s not easy to find worthwhile replacement candidates.


    "Alright, I guess we don''t have a choice...," I sighed, before turning to the others and adding, "Okay, so, I''ll explain the plan after we give our consent to transfer our powers if and when we die. Let''s get this over with and out of the way..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 204 - The Wights Plan(Part 3)

    Point-of-View: Aku


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "This is such a mess...but, well, it''s definitely working," Sighed Rans, staring down at the ground far below.


    "Unfortunately. Too bad, this whole thing might have been called off if this hadn''t worked," I responded wistfully, my gaze on the clouds and sky.


    "You really shouldn''t be so blunt about how you feel, Aku," Remarked Makeru, another Wight Anomaly who had been roped in for this operation, though he didn''t have a particularly important role to play; he was just really good at combat.


    He was a fully mutated Wight, his mouth opened vertically instead of horizontally, he had three tails, a straight, pointy horn at the top of the middle of his head and green eyes, along with wings and sharp, bony spikes growing out of each elbow.


    His power was the ability to control and manipulate gravity within a certain range, he could either affect the area around him or focus the effect on a particular target to pull them towards him or push them away. It''s a really annoying ability to go up against.


    Anyway, it was currently the 28th of December, and we''d set off for the mission to wipe out the people inside the Sanctuary about an hour ago. We had a total of five thousand troops, because that was the most I could cast my invisibility onto, even with Aug''s boost to my powers.


    "How long do you think it''ll take for us to get to the Sanctuary?" Kaze asked me.


    Since I''ve been to and spent a fair amount of time in the Sanctuary, they''re treating me like the resident expect on the subject, even though I don''t really know a great deal more than they do. After all, most of my findings had long since been shared to everyone.


    "Well, at this speed, plus taking rest times into account...maybe around ten days? Probably two weeks at the most," I estimated uncertainly.


    "Uggh, you mean I have to do this for upto two weeks?" He groaned in response.


    "Don''t complain, all you need to do is adjust my weight, I have the most difficult task here," Ked''s voice boomed beneath us.


    Right, so as for how we were transporting ourselves...allow me to explain this mess. For starters, Ked used his size-shifting powers to grow to his absolute maximum size, which was big enough to fit the five thousand troops on his back.


    Next, Kaze used his weight-manipulation powers to make Ked as light as a feather, so that he''d float in the air. Several Prodigies with Wind Attribute XFE and the ability to generate wind were using their powers to steer Ked''s body and keep it on track.


    To keep ourselves concealed, I was using my invisibility on Ked and everyone else, which isn''t exactly easy with this many of us. And finally, Rans was using her XFE transfer powers to keep us from running out of fuel, by absorbing XFE from the Prodigy troops and transferring it to us at regular intervals.


    Otherwise, with our relatively small XFE reserves, we''d be forced to stop frequently for long periods of time, it''d take us forever to even get close to the Sanctuary. Oh, and as for Baku, his self-destructive powers will come in to play a bit later, his abilities are of no use to us right now.


    "Good work, Anomalies, keep it up! Once we''re upon the heart of enemy territory, you lot can take it easy, leave the destruction to us Prodigies!" Declared Syoi, as he paced around on Ked''s huge back.


    "Yeah, yeah, we look forward to it, mighty Prodigy," Remarked Rans, rolling her eyes as she approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Pardon me, I''m absorbing some of your XFE."


    "Go ahead, take all the XFE you need, I''ve got plenty to spare!" He grinned before letting out a exuberant laugh.


    "He''s way too loud," Muttered Kaze with an annoyed look on his face, "If I die on this stupid mission, I''ll kill him, I swear."


    "I don''t think that''s how it works, but okay," Sighed Aug in response.


    "Hey, that rat Hebi is definitely in the Sanctuary, right?" A Wight named Maji asked me, a devious look in her eyes.


    "Uh, probably...last I heard, he was cooperating with the humans."


    "I really hope that I get to see him again...I can''t wait to tear him apart, piece by piece," She smirked with a lick of her lips.


    Ohh, that''s right, she was in a relationship with him at one point...though all she did was toy with his emotions and mess with his head. She''s a manipulative sadist who even scares me. And speaking of weirdos that scare me...


    "I wonder what the blood of the Sanctuary humans are like...hey, do you know?" Inquired a Wight named Ketsuki, a gleam in his eyes as he approached me.


    He''s another skilled Anomaly, but his ability is terrifying...he can take control of any blood within a certain range, meaning that he could make someone explode from the inside out just by having them inside that range. I''m seriously grateful that I''m an Anomaly, since I''m immune to his powers thanks to it.


    "Oh, uh...it''s not as thick as our blood, and it''s a lighter shade of red too, if I remember right," I replied awkwardly.


    "Really? Mm, I can''t wait to see for myself," He chuckled in anticipation, a look of excitement on his face.


    Except for a few idiots and freaks, most of everyone else here were pretty low energy right now. Which isn''t exactly surprising, considering that this is just day one in a journey that''ll definitely take several days to complete.


    I was the same, there was a serious sense of lethargy about using my powers, since we''re still way out of the range of the surveillance drones...but the higher ups insisted that I have my invisibility active right from the start, just in case the Sanctuary has expanded that range.


    This is so damn draining, I can literally feel my XFE getting depleted. If not for Rans'' regular XFE transfers, I''d have run out several times over already. And I''m supposed to keep this up for several DAYS? Just thinking about it makes me feel overwhelmed.


    So, the best thing to do is just not think about it at all. That''s probably easier said than done though. For instance, right now, I''m thinking about how cold it is up here. We were flying above the clouds, since the surveillance drones have thermal sensors built into them too, not just cameras and motion detectors.


    And while this''ll probably help us slip past their detection, it''s so damn cold! I''m freezing here, and the air is kinda thin too, so it''s easy to get light-headed and dizzy if you''re not too careful.


    Case in point, Syoi, who''d been pacing around like an idiot this whole time, was now puking his guts out over the side. Ughh, this is the worst...damn it, the plan had better succeed, because by the time we reach the Sanctuary, I''ll probably be in desperate need to let off some steam.


    And the best way I can think of to do that is to terrorize some random, panicking people. Ahh, I feel calmer just thinking about it. Perfect, I''ll just keep thinking about torture on a loop, until we reach the Sanctuary...


    ...


    ...


    O-okay, uh, I think I''m starting to lose my goddamn mind. I feel antsy and restless, and I keep getting this urge to just grab someone nearby and strangle them to death or something. It''s now the 8th of January, eleven days later.


    And we should be closing in on the outermost ring of bases that the Sanctuary built...fortunately, it doesn''t look like they''ve expanded any further. Once we see the first base, we''ll be a little over a hundred kilometers from the Sanctuary, which would probably take two or three hours to reach.


    After days of tedious, exhausting travel, the end was finally, FINALLY within sight...but I didn''t feel any less anxious or irritated. Because we hadn''t stopped for a few hours, and we wouldn''t be stopping until we reach the Sanctuary...we''re well within the range of the surveillance drones now, so we can''t shut off the invisibility or land, or we''ll lose the element of surprise that we''ve gruellingly spent the last several days maintaining.


    "Damn it, how much further is this place? I feel like I''m going crazy, all this endless wasteland makes it look like we''re stuck in a loop or something," Grumbled Kaze in exasperation.


    "Maybe that''s exactly what it is...it feels like we''ve been at this forever," Added Rans with a groan.


    "Stop being dramatic, just-...," I began with a weary sigh, before trailing off as, finally..., "Th-there it is...the base! Oh, looks like they''ve built a wall along that radius...whatever, if doesn''t matter, because more importantly, once we reach that point, it''s only another one hundred and twenty-five kilometers left to go!"


    "It''s about time! For a while, it felt like we''d never get there!" Exclaimed Makeru in relief.


    The base was still a bit far ahead, but...but it was in sight! And honestly, that''s all that matters right now...


    ...


    A little under three hours later, we had finally arrived...hovering a few dozen meters above the Sanctuary, ready to invade, kill, torture and who knows what else. Ohh, I''m gonna have some real fun down there...but first, we need to get through.


    "Woah, it''s huge..."


    "Even as high up as we are, we can''t see the whole thing, incredible!"


    "Hey, we can live here once we kill everyone inside, right?"


    "Yeah! Let''s hurry up and wipe them out already!"


    Tch, how annoying...though I can''t deny that I was pretty amazed the first time I saw this dome too. Anyway, time to focus, our assault is about to commence.


    My intangibility won''t work now that they''ve implemented a vacuum layer in the dome, and there might be some barriers too. However, we already knew all that...and we wouldn''t have come here if we didn''t have an answer to their defenses...


    "Alright, Baku, you''re up," I remarked, patting him on the back, "Go ahead and suicide bomb a hole through that dome for us to get in through."


    "Yes, of course...that is my mission here, I shall not fail," He responded with a nod.


    His severed finger segments cause explosions big enough to leave behind fairly big craters, so I can only imagine how big the explosion would be if he exploded his entire body. Or to go even further, I can only imagine how big the explosion would be if he exploded his entire body while being boosted by Aug''s ability...


    "Which spot should we aim for? Dead center?" Inquired Aug, as we got ready to drop Baku.


    "Hm...aim a bit to the south. The South Quadrant holds a sense of familiarity to me, I think it''s the perfect place to launch our attack from," I suggested with a smirk after mulling it over.


    "Very well, then. I am ready to be dropped at any time," Stated Baku, holding his head high.


    Brainwashed fool, I couldn''t ever imagine sacrificing myself in such a way. Though, with his powers, he doesn''t really have another use besides exploding, I suppose.


    "Alright, it''s time...drop him," I commanded, before Aug let him go.


    As he plummeted down rapidly, a dagger in his hand, the Wind Attribute Prodigies quickly flew us up higher, in anticipation of the explosion. And as he began to close in on the dome, automatic guns extended out from the dome, along with a bunch of androids and drones.


    They began firing as he got closer, but he didn''t even bother to flinch, and right as he got within about twenty meters of the dome, his body riddled with holes and probably on the verge of death, he let out a loud roar as he plunged the dagger into his heart.


    His body then began glowing brightly, unaffected by the continued gunfire of the Sanctuary''s mechanical defenses...and then, it exploded.


    A loud, deafening explosion, a brilliantly blinding bright light and then...it abruptly disappeared. Huh?


    Before I could figure out what just happened, a massive shockwave burst out, reaching us all the way up in the air and nearly knocking Ked''s body around, the Wind Attribute Prodigies just barely managing to offset the impact and keep us upright. Woah, that was some force...


    I then quickly looked down at the Sanctuary, realizing what must have happened as I saw the sight below...a massive hole was torn through the south part of the dome, it was probably a good kilometer-wide or so.


    However, while the outside of the Sanctuary was scorched from the explosion, the inner part of the hole looked more like it had been torn through by sheer force that destroyed all the way through by the explosion.


    "Okay, guess that''s my cue to leave. Good luck, everyone," Remarked Aug, before spreading his wings out and flying back.


    "He certainly wasted no time in getting out of here. So, should we just drop through the opening? And how did the explosion suddenly disappear like that, anyway?" Inquired Rans curiously.


    "Huh, maybe there''s some kind of XFE nullifying barrier inside the dome? It must had nullified the explosion since it was made of XFE...but it looks like the sheer force caused by that massive explosion was enough to tear through the rest of the dome. My invisibility that I''ve cast on everyone will probably get nullified too, too bad...I can only recast it upon about fifty of you. What a troublesome barrier. Had the explosion been any smaller, we might''ve failed to break through the dome...," I muttered to myself in intrigue, before standing up and addressing the others in a loud, clear voice, "Alright, everyone! What do you say we drop in and say hi!?"


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP

 Chapter 205 - Invasion(Part 1)

    "Woah, woah, woah, slow down a sec...you want to head TOWARDS the Wight invasion, and not away from it?" I remarked incredulously.


    "It''s not that I want to, but more than I have to...I mean, we''re both amongst the strongest in the Sanctuary, right?" Pointed out Katie in response.


    She''s not wrong about that, but still...this is really, really bad.


    "Yeah, but-...," I began apprehensively.


    "Come on, let''s go! If the Wights progress too much further in from the South Quadrant, then we''ll have no choice but to get involved!"


    "...alright, fine," I relented with a sigh, "Let''s get to the South Quadrant."


    I felt a sense of reluctance as we rushed towards the nearest Teleportation Point, I can''t believe that I''m doing this...but I can''t exactly let her go on her own. She may be powerful, but who knows what kind of powers we''re dealing with here, or even what their numbers are.


    Damn it, how did they even get all the way here undetected? For that matter, how did they breach the Sanctuary dome? The fact that the artificial sky is glitching means that the dome has definitely sustained some serious damage...not to mention that the enemy would''ve gotten trapped in the vacuum layer if they''d simply used Aku''s intangibility power to creep in through.


    So, then...how exactly did they do it? Was it the power of another of their Anomalies? What kind of power are we talking about? Tch, there''s too many questions but no answers, I don''t like this at all...


    As we made our way there, we received notifications from the X-Warrior Zone, urging all civilians to evacuate to their homes and barricade themselves in, and for all available X-Warriors to mobilize.


    It wasn''t long before we reached the nearest Teleportation Point, and my hopes that the attendant would refuse to teleport us were dashed as he recognized us from the X-Warrior Championship, and was more than happy to send us to join the fray.


    And barely a minute later, there we were, in the South Quadrant. A huge crowd was outside the Teleportation Point that we were sent to, the people panicked and desperate to get out of the Quadrant. Using Cut and Paste while wrapping my arm around Katie''s shoulders, I managed to avoid the crowd and get to the top of a building to try and get a better perspective of what was going on, along with her.


    "This is awful...," She frowned, as we took in the sight around us, particularly above us...


    "Woah...if it''s this clearly visible from all the way here, then that breach has to be at least a meter wide," I remarked grimly, as I stared at the massive hole in the dome...it was further up ahead, we''d probably have to head forward several kilometers before we''d be standing under it.


    "Based on where the breach is, the Wights are probably further up ahead. Let''s go take them out," Declared Katie, before letting out a slow exhale as she chanted, "Now, <Manifestation Surge: Dragon Cloak>."


    As she then shot forward in a rapid, electric blur, I quickly teleported myself through the air using Cut and Paste, just about barely managing to stay in sight of her. She was flying across the rooftops of the buildings around, and even with the bright electric aura surrounding her, she was way too fast for me to see clearly.


    Of course, even though I was barely keeping up with her speed, I was still moving at a pretty rapid speed myself, so it wasn''t very long before the Wights started coming into sight...and there were a fair number of them, at that.


    Last I remember, there''s a little over eight hundred active X-Warriors right now...the handful that had arrived and were fighting were really struggling, and not only were they clearly outnumbered, but outclassed as well.


    As a pair of X-Warriors surrounded by about ten Wights came into sight, Katie swooped down along the side of a tall building towards them, and right as they noticed her, she put on a burst of speed, caught up, and in a rapid blur, struck each of the Wights before they could react, killing them instantly.


    I teleported myself to the ground beside her right as the bodies of the Wights collapsed down, holes scorched through their chests.


    "Hey, what rank are you guys?" I asked the two X-Warriors.


    "W-we''re Q-Ranked."


    There were several other X-Warriors around here, all dead...these guys are out of their league, I''m guessing that these Wights are probably close to K-Ranked in terms of power and skill, I can tell that they''re not pushovers just by the way they carry themselves...


    "Head further inwards, help with evacuation or whatever. Stay out here and you''ll die," I informed them bluntly.


    "And you might want to hurry," Frowned Katie, as a group of about fifteen to twenty Wights then showed up around the corner.


    "<Unleash Anomaly: God of Time and Space>," I chanted, and as the black mist formed around me, "Now, then,


    ."


    "Wh-what the...!?"


    "Why can''t we move our bodies!?"


    "D-damn it, I''m stuck!"


    "Katie, now," I remarked, as I froze time in the area around the Wights'' bodies.


    "Right," She responded with a nod, before firing out several powerful streaks of lightning from her hand, which burst through the bodies of the Wights, killing them all.


    "W-woah...," Gasped one of the X-Warriors in awe.


    "Amazing...," Muttered the other one, wide-eyed.


    "Hey, hurry up and leave. The Aces and K-Ranks will probably be here soon, or they might even already be here...get back unless you want to die," I stated bluntly.


    Fortunately, they listened to me and left shortly afterwards, heading back to help any civilian stragglers evacuate. They''ll just get in the way if they stay here, so I might as well have them leave, right?


    Before they left though, they mentioned that, at first, they didn''t see the Wights that attacked them, that''s how so many of them had been taken out initually. Must be Aku''s invisibility.


    They said that once they began randomly firing off XFE attacks in a panic, they ended up hitting the Wights, and that made them visible again, though it wasn''t enough to defeat them.


    I just hope none of the Wights have been cast with intangibility, that''d be a huge pain to deal with. No, I don''t think that''s going to be a problem...he can only cast the effects of his powers onto around fifty people or so, so only a fraction of the enemy should be cast with invisibility...


    On another note, it looks like my I-Watch isn''t getting any signal here...I haven''t received any notifications from the X-Warrior Zone in a while, and I can''t use most of the device''s functions besides that.


    "Kilzachs, let''s split up...it''s kinda overkill for us to stick together, don''t you think?" Suggested Katie.


    "Hm...yeah, I guess, but it''s still safer to stick together. I''d rather not risk you getting hurt-," I started to respond.


    "And I appreciate that, a lot, but...I''m pretty powerful in my own right. And I won''t fight a losing battle if I encounter one. Alright, I''ll go this way, and you go that way. I''ll see you soon," She remarked, before rushing off in the opposite direction without giving me a chance to respond...fine, whatever, she can handle herself, so I''ll trust her.


    I let out a sigh as I reverted back to my normal state, deciding to conserve my XFE. My regular abilities are more than enough against the average Wight, I''ll keep my Unleash Anomaly form in reserve for if and when I either come across an especially powerful Wight or a large number of them.


    I then headed out in the opposite direction to the way Katie had gone, strolling through the streets while keeping an eye out, as I sent out some of my drones...damn it, I feel a bit vulnerable without my X-Weapons equipped. Fortunately, my drones are built into my glasses'' frame, so I''m always carrying them with me.


    Oh, found some more Wights...a pretty large group, looks like around twenty-five of them, maybe a bit more. And some of them were invisible, I could only see them thanks to the thermal sensors in my drones.


    They''re about a hundred meters to the left, and there''s a bunch of dead people all around them, with a few of the Wights having sustained some minor injuries...but I don''t see any Wight corpses. Must have been another one sided battle.


    I''ve got thermal vision in my glasses too, so invisible enemies aren''t a problem for me. I quietly and briskly made my way towards where the Wights were, keeping my guard up.


    I crept through an alley, before reaching the corner and peering around it while staying out of sight...there''s a lot of them, but not so much that I can''t take them on. I see that some of them are carrying metal weapons...perfect, I''ll just borrow one of those.


    "<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Cut>...<Activate Anomaly, Tier Two: Paste>," I chanted, cutting off one of their heads and then pasting it inside one of the other''s chests, the severed head bursting through the other''s ribs and killing him instantly.


    As the other Wights let out cries of alarm and panicked a bit, I shot out of the alley and raced towards them, taking advantage of the confusion.


    "Over there, someone''s coming!"


    "Watch out, he''s fast!"


    "You bastard, we''ll kill y-...!" Exclaimed the one that I closed in on first, as he formed an XFE spear in his hands, before I swiftly slipped behind him, drew out a short sword on his back and stabbed it through the back of his neck.


    I then swiftly pulled it back out and swung it across to my left as an invisible Wight sprang up in my peripheral, slashing off their head before they could strike...okay, wow, I have to say, cutting some with a real blade, it feels...kinda nice. XFE blades feel nothing like this at all!


    I quickly sprang back as some of the Wights then fired out XFE projectiles at me, which I managed to easily evade, before getting some distance and swinging the sword across to get the blood off the blade, which splattered onto the street.


    "What, is that all you''ve got?" I inquired tauntingly, as I brandished the blade at them.


    Before they could respond, one of them that had been hanging around the back stepped forward with a frown...


    "Get out of here, all of you...this one''s tough, I doubt you stand a chance against him. Just leave him to me...," He remarked grimly, his gaze fixed on me as he stepped to the front of the group.


    "Oh? You''re gonna take me on by yourself? Alright, fine, let''s see what you''ve got...but first, tell me, what''s your name?" I inquired with a smirk.


    "My name is Makeru, I''m a Wight Anomaly. And I''m going to kill you, human Anomaly..."


    _____________________________________________


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don''t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!


    Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.


    Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:


    https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP