Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Council’s Gambit
Chapter 63: The Council’s Gambit
The training hall was completely empty. Draven stood in the center of the concrete mat.
Aegon charged. He gripped his silver spear. Fire exploded from his skin. The heat warped the air.
SWISH!
Aegon thrust the weapon. Draven did not move backward. He stepped inside the guard. He grabbed the wooden shaft. He applied a downward kinetic vector.
BAM!
Aegon hit the floor. The flames scattered across the concrete.
"You are wasting your energy," Draven said. "You fight like a wild animal. It looks intimidating. It is tactically useless."
Aegon groaned. He pushed himself off the ground. He wiped sweat from his chin.
"I am giving it everything I have," Aegon argued. "The Crucible burns outward."
"Force it inward," Draven instructed. "Stop letting the fire leak. Compress it into the steel. A bonfire warms a room. A blowtorch cuts through armor."
Aegon nodded. He stood up and took his stance. He closed his eyes.
He focused on his mana veins. The fire around his shoulders began to shrink. He forced the energy down his arms. He pushed it directly into the silver spear.
The metal began to glow. It turned white. All the thermal energy was trapped inside the blade.
Aegon thrust the spear forward.
SWOOSH!
The air cracked. A concentrated line of heat pierced the space between them. It left a black scorch mark on the wall twenty feet away.
’His adaptation rate is terrifying,’ Draven analyzed silently.
’The Asura constitution thrives on pressure and pain. As they say NO PAIN NO GAIN!’
"That’s better," Draven said aloud.
"Rest."
Aegon dropped his spear. He collapsed onto a bench and drank from a water bottle.
Draven stepped back. He needed to check his own progress. He willed the system interface into his vision.
[SYSTEM STATUS: DRAVEN MORDIS]
[Level: 26]
[Experience: 8200 / 20000]
[Mana Capacity: 3850 / 3850]
[Attributes]
[Strength (STR): 30]
[Agility (AGI): 48]
[Vitality (VIT): 35]
[Intelligence (INT): 45]
[Perception (PER): 32]
Draven read the blue screen.
’The passive circulation is working constantly,’ Draven thought. ’My base attributes are surpassing the limits of the Academy students. My regeneration is quite constant and flawless thanks to the Protagonist’s Halo. It’s time to make a connection with Student Council President and prove my worth to her.’
He dismissed the screen. He walked over to the wall monitors. The screens displayed the live feeds from the Friday arena.
Aegon leaned forward. He watched the screens with interest.
"They are up," Aegon said.
On the first monitor, Reina stood in the ring. She did not carry her battle axe. A challenger rushed toward her with a sword.
Reina did not throw a wild punch. She remembered Stonehelm’s lesson. She stepped into the attacker’s blind spot. She grabbed his wrist, pivoted her hips, and threw him cleanly over her shoulder.
THUD!
The challenger hit the dirt outside the ring.
"Ring out!" the speakers announced.
The second monitor showed Estella. A brawler charged at her. Estella did not panic. She did not cast a massive laser.
She analyzed his footwork. She fired a tiny beam of starlight directly at the floor in front of his boots. The stone shattered. The brawler tripped.
Estella stepped aside. She let his own momentum carry him out of bounds.
"They have improved," Aegon noted. He wiped his face with a towel. "Stonehelm really beat the shit out of us."
"They definitely have improved, but there is a long way to go." Draven agreed.
---
An hour later, Draven and Aegon walked up the hill. They entered the Rank One Apex Villa.
Estella and Reina were sitting in the living room. They were drinking juice and celebrating their victories.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
The front doors chimed loudly.
Aegon walked over and opened the door. Sharika stood on the porch. The Student Council President wore her white uniform. She stood tall.
"President Sharika," Aegon greeted her. He looked surprised.
"May I come in?" Sharika asked politely.
"Of course," Aegon stepped aside.
Sharika walked into the living room. She looked at the squad. She did not sneer. She did not act superior. She was an honorable leader. She walked directly toward Draven.
"Draven Mordis," Sharika said.
Draven kept his hands in his pockets. He waited for her to speak.
"I reviewed your match against Julian Vaneer," Sharika stated.
"People say you used cheap tricks to win and gain this top spot besides the Top elites of the Academy."
"People talk," Draven replied flatly.
"I am not someone who judge based on rumors," Sharika continued.
"I have analyzed your movements and the postures when you fight. There is no hesitation in your movements and you do not flinch. You possess a combat awareness that cannot be faked. You just ended the match with minimal effort."
She turned and looked at Aegon. She treated both boys with equal respect.
"You two make a formidable pair," Sharika said.
"You held the line during the city riots. You protected the citizens. I trust your squad over the other students who are just filled with arrogance."
"Thank you, President," Aegon nodded.
"But you are not here just to praise us. Why are you here?"
Sharika pulled a tablet from her coat. She placed it on the coffee table. A map projected into the air. It displayed the wildlands outside the city walls.
"I came to offer you a mission," Sharika announced.
She pointed to a specific red zone on the map.
"We have received reports from the border patrols," Sharika explained.
"The number of monsters is increasing rapidly due to unknown reasons. I need a capable team to investigate it."
Draven narrowed his eyes. He looked closely at the highlighted coordinates.
"I want your squad to scout the wildlands in the near zones," Sharika ordered.
The room went completely silent. Estella gripped her juice glass tightly. She remembered the basement. She remembered the explosion.
"Why us?" Reina asked. She stood up from the couch.
"Why send first-year students outside the walls?"
"Because the Vanguard Knights are stretched thin," Sharika answered honestly.
"They are guarding the inner city. I need a team that can operate quietly. I need people who know how to survive."
Sharika looked at Draven and Aegon.
"So, you want someone to move ’quietly’, huh?" Draven asked as he smirked while looking at Sharika.
"Yes. Very ’quietly’. Will you accept the mission?" Sharika asked.
Aegon looked at Draven. He trusted Draven’s judgment completely. Draven nodded once.
"We accept," Aegon declared.
"But there should be a really good reward for our efforts."
"Good," Sharika nodded firmly. She picked up her tablet.
"You will not be disappointed by the rewards. Gather your supplies. You leave tomorrow at dawn."
Sharika turned around and walked out of the villa. The doors closed behind her.
Draven looked at the squad. The training phase was officially over.
"Get ready," Draven ordered.
"We are going back to the ruins. I will tell you all about the "
Draven tapped his spatial ring. Three items materialized on the coffee table.
"Cole finished these yesterday," Draven said.
He handed a new spear to Aegon. The metal was dark and smooth.
"Blood Fire Spear," Draven explained.
"It is built for thermal conductivity. It will handle your compressed flames without melting."
He handed a double-headed axe to Reina. The handle was wrapped in leather. The blades radiated frost.
"High-density ice core," Draven told her.
"It is heavy. Do not swing wide."
Finally, he handed a silver bracelet to Estella.
"What is this?" Estella asked.
"It is a staff," Draven said.
"It uses stardust as a conduit. Press the gem."
Estella pressed the center stone. The bracelet uncoiled and expanded into a full-length staff. The wood hummed with magic.
"Concealed carry," Draven stated.
The squad stared at their new weapons in awe. The gear was flawless.
"Get some sleep," Draven said. He turned toward the stairs.
"We have a long walk tomorrow."
