Chapter 39: +0.75%
Kael burst out of the Heartforge District, glancing down at the watch on his wrist.
9:51.
He hurried back to the train station, quickly boarding the next one bound for The Crucible.
In no time, a towering black-steel, rune-lit monolith pierced the distant sky, its sharp lines catching the sunlight.
Kael quickly disembarked in front of the building and dashed inside without hesitation.
The interior of the building was a bustling, like a high-tech hub.
The vast main hall was a blur of motion, filled with hundreds of students milling about, their conversations a low hum.
Sleek, glowing walk-through terminals—like advanced airport scanners—lined the entrance, automatically checking student IDs as they passed.
High above, a massive, shimmering holographic display board floated in the air, a constant cascade of glowing text displaying various missions and their rewards, from "Tier 1: Goblin Extermination" to "Tier 5: Hallow Tunnel Exploration."
His eyes swept over the crowd, searching for a particular face as he stepped past terminals.
He spotted them standing quietly in a corner, a stark silhouette against the vibrant activity, clearly looking out of place.
He took a deep breath and walked up to them.
Seraphina looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Her single violet eye narrowed at his figure. "You're late," she stated flatly, glaring.
Kael gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. "I had to stop by somewhere to get a new toy."
He said, tapping the sword already attached to his waist.
Her eyes dropped to the blade, and she stared at it for a few seconds before simply saying, "Let's go."
With that, she turned and headed straight for one of many service panels at the corner.
Kael sighed and followed her silently.
When they reached the counter, the attendant asked, "What can we do for you today?"
"We'd like to access a realm. Free movement," Seraphina replied.
"Tier?"
"Two."
"Only the two of you?"
"Yes."
"Okay... That would be five points."
Seraphina calmly pulled out a badge, identical to Kael's, and placed it on the table. The attendant glanced at it, then quickly typed something, printed a ticket, and passed it to her.
She quietly took it and began heading to a different area in the hall, Kael following silently behind her.
They passed through a set of double doors and arrived in a new room. It was filled with rows of small, circular teleportation platforms, each about ten feet wide, constantly flaring to life with bursts of brilliant light as they sent people away and brought others back from unknown locations.
The air crackled with residual energy.
They made their way to an empty platform and presented the ticket to the attendant controlling the device. He glanced at it before nodding towards the glowing circular pad.
Kael followed Seraphina and stepped into the center of the device as it began pulsing with intense light, blinding them for a second.
When their vision returned, they were in a totally different area.
The air immediately hit Kael with a biting chill, a stark contrast to the academy's warmth. They stood on a ridge overlooking a vast, snow-covered expanse. Jagged, ice-capped mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks shrouded in swirling white clouds.
A relentless, powdery snow blizzard raged, whipping gusts of fine ice crystals across the landscape, blurring the visibility to mere dozens of feet.
Giant, ancient pines, heavily laden with snow, stood like silent guardians, their branches groaning under the weight.
...
[You have entered a Realm]
[Classification: Tier 2 - Icy domain]
[Beast Density: Moderate]
[Time until automatic recall: 4 hours]
...
The familiar notification flashed before their eyes before disappearing.
"Okay, let's make this quick. I have other things to do," Seraphina said.
Kael nodded and immediately took the lead, heading deeper into the snowing blizzard.
Some people might wonder why he was walking deep into a snow blizzard next to a cold, single-eyed lady who would probably cut him down if he made her too angry.
Well, the answer was simple: they were partners.
Not that kind.
More like battle partners paired by their instructors.
After he began classes over a month ago, he found out she was the only one in the same sub-class as him from Team 417.
For whatever reason he still didn't know, he got paired with her, meaning their individual evaluation would be determined by both their results.
So Kael, being the ambitious person he is... cough, cough... decided to use the opportunity to gain some expertise.
So far in their sub-class, he hadn't seen a single person better at wielding a sword than she was.
She had multiple techniques, each more refined and beautiful than the other, which then prompted him to go down on his knees and beg her to teach him.
At first, she refused... flatly.
But he was persistent; after all, he wasn't interested in dying.
She kept refusing until one day, for an unknown reason, she actually accepted.
But only on condition he would help her with something in return.
He didn't know what she had in mind that she thought he could help her with, but he just agreed, thinking he just had to do what she said.
Whether he was helpful or not would depend totally on her.
But the smile she threw at him after he agreed was something that still made him shiver to this very day.
So she immediately began teaching him the basics, as he requested.
Unlike what he was expecting, thinking the Archive would magically assist him in grasping everything he was supposed to, he was greatly shocked.
The first few days, he didn't understand a single word she was saying, even though she claimed it was the most basic of basics.
Even when she demonstrated movements for him to follow, he still became lost, unable to recreate even one of them.
"A true swordsman doesn't just wield the blade," she would explain every time, her voice firm. "They become the blade. It flows as an extension of their will, not merely a tool in their hand."
But he still wasn't able to grasp the basic concept.
That was until one day when they were out to carry out their weekly assignments and had stopped to take a break.
She started practicing her sword technique. It wasn't anything grand or flashy looking, but the way she moved, flowing effortlessly with the wind, was truly a sight to praise.
Before he knew it, he found himself lost in the process of watching her.
Time slowly flowed by, and even he didn't know the moment his mind entered a state of trance, completely absorbed.
His eyes followed her every move, capturing every single detail, from the shifting feet to the graceful arms, to the subtle changes in her posture—everything.
And before he knew it, his eyes closed, and he entered a meditative like state.
He didn't know how long it lasted, but when he opened his eyes, she was was siting right in front of his face, staring straight into his eyes.
But that wasn't the part that caused his heart to spike—it was a notification from the Archive.
...
[You have learned a new Trait - Unknown]
[Sword Mastery +0.75%]
...