311 Grow
"Kevin,..... Kevin!!" Elena raised her voice a bit as she called out to Kevin.
Kevin, who was engrossed in his training, stopped when he noticed Elena standing near the door.
It had been 10 hours since Elena had left Kevin. When she returned, she messaged him, but she didn't get any response.
She kept messaging him, but after receiving no responses, she decided to check the Training Hall where they sometimes practiced.
Kevin had added both Elena and Eva's names to the ID Bracelet System, allowing them to enter with him.
Because of this, Elena entered easily and saw Kevin swinging his spear. His focused eyes didn't seem to notice her.
Initially, Elena thought Kevin was deeply engrossed in his training and was almost about to leave. However, she noticed that Kevin was making small mistakes in his movements and didn't seem to correct them.
From a young age, Elena had been taught about weapon users. Being a mage, she needed to understand the fundamentals of each weapon before she could form a counter against them.
Elena paused, realizing that Kevin's training appeared more like him venting his frustration.
'Is it my fault?' Elena wondered.
For the first time, Elena deeply regretted opposing Asher during the party.
Seeing Kevin in this state made her believe she was the reason for Kevin's strong feelings against Asher.
She tried to speak, but felt as if she were becoming more of a burden to Kevin than a pillar of support.
This situation brought back memories of when she first met Kevin. She was young then, and her father, James, had wanted to introduce her to a particular boy.
The first time she met Kevin, he soon became her best friend.
"Hello, I am Kevin Whiteheart," said a younger Kevin, extending his hand.
Back then, Elena hadn't interacted much with children her age, being the sole daughter of the head of the Rothschild Family.
Her status made it difficult for anyone to approach her carelessly, and her family made sure she was always in a protective environment.
She initially felt shy meeting a boy her age, but quickly warmed up to Kevin, who put her at ease.
Over the years, Elena found herself spending more and more time with Kevin.
Initially, James Rothschild introduced Kevin merely as a family friend. However, upon recognizing Kevin's impressive progress and innate talent, he never deterred Elena from spending time with him.
James believed it was beneficial for his daughter to maintain a close relationship with someone as promising as Kevin.
Furthermore, James surmised that Kevin's abilities were unparalleled in their generation. After all, no one else had achieved what Kevin had during his First Awakening.
As memories of their carefree childhood days together resurfaced, Elena was consumed by guilt, thinking the current predicament was her fault.
Mustering her courage, she tried to get Kevin's attention, but he didn't hear her initially.
She persisted, and Kevin, upon hearing her raised voice, looked up in surprise to find Elena in the room, noticing her downcast expression.
Setting his spear aside, Kevin walked over to Elena with a concerned frown.
"What happened?" Kevin inquired, his voice tinged with worry.
Seeing Kevin's genuine concern for her, Elena felt a mix of happiness and sadness.
"Nothing. Just... what were you doing?" she asked, setting her concerns aside for the moment.
She realized she had to be Kevin's anchor, not his anchor's weight.
"Ahh, that," Kevin replied, a bit sheepishly, aware he'd been taking out his frustration.
Typically, Kevin wouldn't waste any training time, but today, he needed to vent.
"I am sorry," Elena whispered, lowering her gaze.
"What?" Kevin responded, taken aback by her words.
"It's because of me that you're pushing yourself so hard," Elena admitted, not meeting Kevin's eyes.
"Hey!" Kevin exclaimed, taking hold of Elena's shoulders, causing her to look up.
Their faces were mere inches apart, making Elena's cheeks flush.
"It's not your fault," Kevin reassured her.
"And don't fret. Minor setbacks like this won't phase me," he added confidently.
Seeing Elena so concerned for him rekindled Kevin's dwindling resolve. Without even realizing it, she had helped him find his way again.
"Did you find Kevin?" a female voice inquired as the door opened.
Eva entered, her face reddening upon seeing Elena and Kevin so close together. Unsure of how to react, she hastily exited the room.
"Wait!" Elena called out, realizing that Eva might have misinterpreted the situation. Kevin seemed to share her concern.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Kevin began, but his voice trailed off in embarrassment.
"We should explain things to her," Elena asserted. Kevin nodded in agreement, and they left the room together, seeking out Eva to clarify the misunderstanding.
In the Rankers Dorm,
On the Third Highest Floor,
Alyssa was practicing her mana and meditating to strengthen her connection with mana as she got closer to reaching D+ Rank.
Her speed was a bit faster than Asher's during his previous life.
But unlike ordinary people, Alyssa's fingers kept trembling as whenever she would close her eyes, specific memories would appear in front of her.
The memories that she didn't want to see, but they were the reason that Alyssa kept pushing herself her whole life despite having a body that was incapable of living long.
Alyssa opened her eyes as she looked at her hand, which was still trembling, and anger and hatred rose inside her.
She hated that she was still scared and weak to the illusions of her mind.
She had lived throughout her life experiencing worse memories and constant headaches that would make any sane person insane.
Nobody would have thought such a young girl could hold on that long and keep going on for a purpose, which she knew she wouldn't be able to do.
"I have a chance now," Alyssa clenched her fist.
"I will get my chance," Alyssa kept reassuring herself.
Everyday Alyssa didn't forget to remind herself, why she was going through all this. She didn't wanted to forget her only purpose in her life.
She was waiting for her chance, and the time was coming when her powers would be revealed.
It would be during the Year-End Examination, and she had no choice but to fight to maintain a position in the Top 5.
She aspired to enter the Trials Ground, which was reserved only for the Top 5 rankers after the final rankings of the Year-End Examination.
The Year-End Examination was an event where many, including members of the High Council, attended to observe their own children or potential students they might recruit later.
She was aware that she would attract much attention because of her background, and even her father and his family would be present.
But they wouldn't be there for her; they'd be there for her half-brother, Alan Astaria.
Alyssa wasn't sad that Alexander had abandoned her; it had been a long time since she considered anyone in the Astaria household as family.
She understood the challenge before her: to secure a spot in the Top 5 without revealing her full strength, though that wouldn't be easy.
She was also aware that the other rankers were formidable opponents.
Unlike Asher, who had years of experience, Alyssa was just a young girl. Most of her experience came from observing others or from the occasional practice sessions she attended in Duel class.
But what Alyssa didn't know was that the faculty members, who had strongly opposed her becoming the Year Representative, were now too preoccupied with implementing the orders left behind by Farnus to give her any thought.
"Isn't it too sudden?" one of the professors asked his colleague.
"What can we do? It depends on the Principal's decision after all," he replied.
"But still, I didn't think it would come this soon," the first professor said.
"Come on, everyone knew this was bound to happen someday," the other responded.
"Given the state of the world outside, I can understand why the Principal made such a decision," he added.
Only a handful of professors were privy to this information because Farnus had bound each of them with a Mana Oath not to reveal anything about it until his return.
The changes Farnus made were known only to a select few, all of whom were bound by their Mana Oaths not to disclose the details until Farnus returned.
Even Asher was in the dark, unless someone dared to break their Mana Oath and risk being expelled from the World Academy.
Currently unaware of this information, Asher was sparring with Damian and Amelia.
Initially, he had wanted to decline, but he agreed to Damian's request after some persuasion.
However, the outcome was predictable. Damian and Amelia had just reached Rank D- and were no match for Asher at his current level.
The purpose of this spar wasn't victory, but rather self-
improvement. In just a few months, the End Year Examination would take place, an event the entire world watched closely.
It was an occasion where the prides of elite families clashed with one another.
"It's enough for today," Asher said, stopping to look at Damian and Amelia who lay on the floor after the spar.
"He really doesn't hold back at all," Damian muttered, feeling pain throughout his body.
Even Amelia felt sympathy for Damian since he spent half the time getting injured while trying to protect her from Asher's blows.
Using his shield for support, Damian slowly got to his feet and gave Asher a weary look.
"I heard they're allowing you guys to visit the Sanctuary of Mages next month?" Damian asked both Amelia and Asher.
"That's what I was told," Amelia replied.
Asher's thoughts drifted; the Sanctuary of Mages was a place he'd never visited in his previous life.
He didn't need any weapon other than his current sword, so this visit was the only reward that would benefit him.
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