Chapter 122: 122
"’So, life of the party — don’t lose your fucking light. Or I’ll beat that light back into you.’ Remember when I said that to you?" Zeke stared at Kai.
"I remember. I have impeccable memory." Zeke answered himself.
Kai stood beside him, quiet.
This was the sixth month — the second reunion since the first, the third.
For the past six months, Kai had split his focus from training that would change nothing to enjoying his life. He decided to enjoy his days as a student, actually enjoy them. Not just train mindlessly. Make new friends. Aaron and Jude had made new friends with the kings and Eve. What was stopping him?
He was freer than before. He attended class, took strolls around the capital, went on outings with the new friend group he had inserted himself into. He was having the time of his life. He was living as the golden-spooned child that he was.
Up until the third reunion.
In truth, he was not jealous, but he was filled with a hollow feeling — a feeling of being left behind.
Aaron had told them of Eve giving him [Nirvana], a pill that had raised his talent. Kai and the rest of the group had celebrated for him. But amidst the celebration, Kai walked out to take air.
He still held hope, but hope was fleeting. If after the assessment he had not broken past his talent limitation, he would return to his world. Return to being the next heir of the white fang guild.
While he stood outside, Zeke quietly stood beside him. After a while, he spoke.
Kai stared at him. It was easy for Zeke to be cheerful. What did he know of the sorrows of the normies? Of the people who were not Zeke Vaughn?
Kai smiled at him.
"You must be thinking of me as a disturbance. I don’t understand what you’re feeling. I’m saying shit just to keep you sane, to act as the ’perfect’ Zeke."
Kai turned. He tried to deny it, to say that was not what he thought, but there was no need. He turned his head back, resigned.
Zeke let out a small laugh. "It’s normal to feel that way. I, too, in your shoes, would feel the same. I would even curse you out." His voice softened. "But you know where you’re wrong? Thinking I don’t know what it feels like to be untalented."
"In my many experiences in the first trial, I was as untalented as one could be. It’s not the same as your case by case, but I know that nagging feeling of unfulfillment. Seeing your peers move forward while you hang onto hope. Hope that someone — someone other than you — is lucky enough to find what would help you. Hope that that same person is merciful enough to hand it to you."
He paused, letting the words settle the way only true things settle — not with the weight of comfort but with the weight of recognition.
Zeke placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder.
"Especially after knowing what you know about [Nirvana], the best chance we have of finding it is on higher floors. Do you even have the patience to wait? You’re of no use here — how can you be of use on higher floors?"
His grip tightened. "Is it your fate to coast on someone else’s favor?"
"I know how you feel, Kai. The Japanese child I picked up."
"I’m Korean," Kai said weakly.
"The brat who dared to come to my house off a text." Zeke ignored him. "Listen to me, child. Even if the world gives up on you, as a man, as a human, as one with existence, you should never give up on yourself."
He turned Kai by the shoulder, forcing him to face Zeke.
"And most importantly, I will never give up on you. I will never give up on any of you. If I, ZEKE VAUGHN, do not give up on you, how dare you, brat, give up?"
Zeke tapped him with his fist on his stomach. Kai’s lips parted as his stomach caved in.
Too much force. Zeke grimaced, but his hands did not rest.
"I told you I’d beat you." He placed a pill in Kai’s mouth. "Swallow and hit the lotus position, child."
He tapped Kai’s shoulder, slamming him down onto his butt.
Kai hit the lotus stance as he sat, his mind still reeling from the barrage he had endured. But he had a little hope as to what the pill was, so he swallowed.
As he swallowed, an aura threatened to burst out, but Zeke snorted. At once, the area calmed down. It seemed as though nothing had happened.
Inside, however, it was a different matter. The aura worked through Kai without permission — pulling apart what he was and rebuilding it faster than pain could register. He was not aware of it in any coherent way. He was simply gone, and then, an hour later, returning.
Over the next hour, the group came outside to check on Kai, as Zeke — who had volunteered to get him — had not returned. They saw Zeke resting lazily against the wall, staring forward, while Kai sat in a lotus position.
Aaron was the first to turn to Zeke in surprise.
"It’s good you got yours," Zeke said without turning. "I was waiting until I found another before I gave it to both of you."
The group quickly caught on.
"Don’t ask how I got it. I won’t tell you, so shut up and watch. In preserving my energy, I hope one bastard would dare."
Zeke stared at the sky with killing intent. The group shuddered.
"Fret not. I hid the aura. They only know something of value has landed in this world — they don’t know where, what, or what rank it is. The old man is handling the rest." A pause. "But I hope one bastard would try to search for it near here."
"It seems there’s no need to worry," Michael said with a smile as he headed back into the house.
"Yeah, I’m sleepy as well." Anton moved to walk inside.
"Stay outside. I’m not comfortable with sharing the same space with you." Michael locked the door.
Zeke smirked as he watched them.
---
An hour later, Kai opened his eyes.
"This is amazing." He stared at his hands in awe, then sighted Zeke. "You bastard, what was the punch for?"
As he shot up to argue, he felt a smack to his head.
"Idiot, look at your status window and tell us about the changes. Is this how you were raised?" Yeon raised her hand, threatening to smack him again.
"He called me Japanese again." Kai pouted as he opened his status window.
Yeon shot Zeke a glare.
"Wow," Kai let out.
"What?" Michael asked.
"You’re back?" Aaron asked.
"Of course. The sound of Yeon’s smack woke me up."
Jude stared at him, then focused on Kai. "What are the changes?"
---
Kai had a new ability, [Divine] — SSS Rank, and a trait, [Enlightened One] — SSS Rank.
[Divine]
[An ability that allows you to use divine arts — magic, martial arts, cultivation techniques, abilities, and other arts. It also comes with the previous abilities you had, allowing you to rain down weapons of different kinds, with the ability to seal magic power once a target is impaled, and the ability to give blessings that scale with your rank. You are as close to divine as Angels are. Be careful — you might earn the ire of demons and Angels alike.]
[Enlightened One]
[You are a genius. Well, one of the geniuses of the Tower-verse. How have you come across this trait? You have to at least reach Demi-Godhood to not fail this trait. Geniuses of different variants of the same genius type will pale in comparison to you. If a genius of the same rank does more than you, tsk tsk — you are either failing me or that person is not normal. Sons of destiny and the like — do well to beat them once you can, because they will eventually surpass you too. Oh, I’ve said too much. I’ll leave this as a footnote, though — you can’t do anything to me. Blegh.]
"What the fuck is wrong with this guy?" Zeke sneered as he read Kai’s status window.
"You know him?" Anton asked.
"Not really. I just suspect they might be the same person."
"You know someone who can tamper with descriptions?" Jude stared at Zeke.
"I said not personally."
"Why do you sound like you know him? You sound like you have beef."
"Do I? Well, I just don’t like him."
"..."
The group stared at him strangely before Yeon changed the topic. "Congratulations." She patted Kai’s shoulder endearingly.
The group continued the congratulations — this time to Kai.
---
After that day, Kai began training. He even ditched the friends he had made. He basked in the thrill of training.
Now, he stood in a destroyed training room, looking around at the destruction his training had caused.
Perfect. Time to go meet those guys.
He smiled as he walked out.
--
