parentshiftbook Chapter 507: Two Months
Chapter 507: Two Months
Chapter 507: Two Months
After that, and a few games of blackjack, Emir's life had settled into a steady rhythm.
If he were honest, it was all a bit predictable, too predictable-week after week of classes, training sessions, missions, Setrenc gatherings, and the occasional family meeting.
On the surface, it looked almost tranquil, but underneath, things were shifting.
One of those shifts was with Ragnar.
Emir had handed him the Dimensional Ring from that last gathering, giving him the chance to study it closely.
As a Warp Weaver, Ragnar, and many like him, would risk everything for a chance, just a chance, at getting this ring.
It was simply that much of an opportunity.
And though he seemed not to take things seriously, behind closed doors, he would always dig into every complex technique he found.
Now, with something better than all that he touched before combined, his focus bordered on obsession.
Ragnar kept the ring on him like it was a family heirloom, treating it with more respect than his own life.
He did all he could to reverse-engineer some of its secrets, maybe even figure out how to make his own.
Besides that last part, Emir had other reasons for giving it to him-Ragnar would grow stronger.
A stronger Ragnar meant a stronger Azazel, and in turn, that would only push Emir to do the
same.
After all, even though it might've not seemed like it, they were rivals, each other's closest competition and, oddly enough to those not in the know, closest friend.
Now Emir and Ragnar weren't the only ones going through changes.
The Academy's halls buzzed with tension, rumors of all kinds flying around, as some of the 'named' students-Aria, Ava, Max, and Sofia-started gearing up for their family tests.
Each was on a path, and each path was as unique as the students themselves.
Ava had always been somewhat a weapons nerd, but now it was reaching new heights.
She couldn't hide it anymore.
If it had a blade, a chamber, or a handle, she wanted to know every piece of its design, even how it might be improved.
That was the motto of the Hyperions, and they taught their kids young.
Aria, if not for a certain someone, would've surprised people the most.
It appeared that she had been hiding a silver tongue all along.
Though her fellow students noticed her eye for business here and there, it was a first to see her actually exercise that ability.
She was stepping up her game, using her status to have deals with half the Academy; her merchant-like instincts guiding her in her father's footsteps.
While her operations were limited to students and AUC, they were still impressive, making her quite the... pocket change.
The strongest of them, Sofia, was less visible, more analytical, her mindset edging closer to that of a scientist.
Nothing escaped her gaze, and that meant that everyone around her could rely on her for anything related to the Academy.
It was as if she was a genie; all they had to do was ask, and she would provide, though that usually came with a catch: they could never ask her again.
"Stupid Quinn."
This phrase had become a familiar refrain among those who overheard her.
Now... all of that was within expectation... what wasn't, was the 'protagonist.'
Arthur.
Ever since his transformation, Arthur had drifted away from the others, becoming a mystery no one could unravel. Not even Emir, not that he bothered too much.
The boy who had once been an easy target was now something else entirely.
He didn't talk to anyone anymore, didn't share what was on his mind.
His fellow students noticed another more obvious change, though.
Arthur was becoming stronger, sharper-he had answers ready before questions were even finished, and he was ranking higher in their class evaluations with every test. Sometimes, people would catch him staring off into empty space, a vacant look in his eyes, but he'd snap out of it and go back to what he was doing like nothing had happened.
No one but a certain few knew what that indicated and that wasn't going to change, at least not any time soon, so he remained a mystery for those beside him.
And that mystery nearly imploded when came the day that caught everyone off guard. Arthur challenged his old bullies-the same three who had made his life miserable before the disaster-to a duel.
Though they never bothered him since that day, it seemed that the boy could certainly hold a
grudge.
What surprised people the most was that he wasn't asking for a one-on-one fight; he wanted all three of them at once.
The announcement spread through the Academy like wildfire.
Duels were common, but a challenge like this, with such a story? It was practically legendary.
Three Elite, who didn't act like one, versus an impure, who was secretly more of an Elite than
all three combined.
Even the 'named' were intrigued.
Aria, Ava, Max, Sofia, Elijah, Xavier, and Quinn all showed up for it, each one claiming a prime
spot to watch the action unfold.
When the hour of the duel arrived, the first-year dueling arena was packed.
Students crowded around the edges of the stadium, every pair of eyes trained on Arthur and
the three who stood across from him.
They looked nervous, unsure of the boy they'd once bullied so easily.
Arthur had changed, and even they could see it.
'Let's see how much this'll change...'
An invisible Emir watched from the sidelines, keeping a close eye on the boy who had, over
the past two months, morphed into something machine-like, matching his new status as a
half-man half-cyborg.
'Don't disappoint me.'