Facing the firefighters who had arrived at his door, Kael calmly explained that he possessed a lightning-type ability and had already brought the fire under control.
The firefighters quickly inspected the apartment from top to bottom.
After confirming that there were no remaining hazards, they prepared to leave.
Before going, however, they repaired the damaged front door.
The captain also handed Kael a business card.
“Your lightning ability could be useful for dealing with electrical fires and equipment failures,” the captain said.
“After you graduate from university, if you’re interested, come find me at the Redhaven City Fire Department.
I can help you get a position.”
The Fire Department was a government organization.
With Awakeners possessing water- or fire-related abilities working alongside ordinary firefighters, many dangerous situations could be handled much more safely.
To an ordinary person, it was considered an excellent career.
Unfortunately, Kael had no interest in it.
Not anymore.
He casually placed the business card inside the drawer of his nightstand.
Then he picked up the spear leaning against the wall.
It was time to train.
“Kael, was everything all right?
I heard there was a fire.”
“It’s fine, Mr.
Harris.
Everything’s under control.”
“That’s good.
I saw you carrying your spear.
Are you heading to the martial arts school?”
“Yeah.
I want to get some practice in.”
“You’re really hardworking.
The College Entrance Examination is tomorrow, and you’re still training.
Unlike my lazy son.”
Kael could only smile awkwardly.
The Mingwood Residential District had been his home for eighteen years.
He knew almost everyone who lived there.
Because of his quiet and polite personality, Kael was especially well-liked by the elderly residents.
As he walked downstairs, several older neighbors stopped him to ask about the strange lightning incident.
Kael answered each of them patiently before continuing on his way.
With the spear strapped across his back, he left the residential district, took a bus, and transferred to the subway.
After nearly an hour of travel, he finally arrived at his destination.
A massive modern building stood before him.
The structure was nearly forty meters tall, with sleek silver-white walls that reflected the afternoon sunlight.
Its enormous footprint made it look less like a building and more like a colossal beast resting in the middle of the city.
Four enormous letters were displayed prominently across the front.
THUNDER MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
The words seemed to glow beneath the sunlight.
Kael looked up at the building.
This place was one of the most famous martial arts schools in Blue Star.
For an Awakener to become an official Ability User, simply possessing an ability wasn’t enough.
Their physique and spirit had to reach a certain level.
Only then could the true potential of their ability be unleashed.
Unfortunately, not every family could afford a private training facility.
That was why martial arts schools had become so important.
They provided specialized training grounds, instructors, equipment, and controlled environments where Awakeners could safely improve themselves.
Across Blue Star, two martial arts organizations were particularly famous.
Thunder Martial Arts School.
And Iron Bear Martial Arts School.
Both had branches throughout the major cities.
Even Redhaven City, despite being located in a relatively remote part of Westhaven Province, had branches of both organizations.
Of course, there were also dozens of smaller private martial arts schools scattered throughout the city.
But Thunder Martial Arts School had one major advantage.
High school students could train here for free.
That was why Kael had been coming here for years.
And today, he had another reason.
He wanted to find out exactly how much stronger he had become.
After receiving Purple Sky Thunder and spending his Ability Points on his basic attributes, Kael’s physical and spiritual strength had undergone a significant transformation.
He wanted to test the difference with his own hands.
As Kael approached the entrance, he noticed that several other Awakeners were entering the building.
Some carried swords.
Others had spears, staffs, or specialized weapons.
There were even several official Ability Users among them.
Kael couldn’t help but feel a little curious.
“The founder of Thunder Martial Arts School was a Tier Nine Ability User named Marcus Hale.”
“And he also possessed an S-rank lightning ability.”
Kael looked at the enormous building.
“I wonder…”
“Could I one day reach that level and establish a martial arts school of my own?”
The thought flashed through his mind.
He smiled.
Then he walked inside.
Thunder Martial Arts School had six floors.
Each floor covered an enormous area, with multiple training halls, practice rooms, equipment areas, and specialized facilities.
The second and third floors were specifically reserved for high school students, and they could use them free of charge.
Kael headed directly toward the third floor.
That was where he usually trained.
Today was Wednesday.
Most first- and second-year students were still attending classes.
Third-year students, however, had already been dismissed early because the College Entrance Examination was only one day away.
Most of them had gone home to rest and prepare for the final exam.
As a result, the normally crowded third floor was unusually quiet.
Only around a dozen students were scattered throughout the enormous training hall.
Kael walked inside.
Then he suddenly stopped.
Someone familiar had caught his attention.
A tall young woman stood among a small group of students.
She was around one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, with delicate features and an expression that naturally carried a hint of coolness.
She wasn’t carrying a weapon.
Instead, she wore a simple but fashionable outfit, paired with blue denim shorts that revealed her long legs.
Several young men and women stood around her.
Judging from their clothes and demeanor, they clearly came from wealthy families.
Kael recognized her immediately.
His cousin.
Claire Bennett.
“Claire?”
Kael smiled and walked over.
“You came here too?”
The young woman turned around.
For a moment, surprise appeared in her eyes.
She clearly hadn’t expected to see Kael here.
“Kael.”
She nodded slightly.
“I’m just here with some friends.”
“I see.”
Kael immediately understood.
Claire’s family was considerably wealthier than his.
She normally trained at Iron Bear Martial Arts School, where annual membership fees could reach one hundred thousand credits.
Thunder Martial Arts School was free for high school students, but Claire rarely had any reason to come here.
“All right, then.”
Kael smiled.
“You guys have fun.
I’m going to the training room.”
He didn’t stay to chat.
He turned around and walked away.
Claire watched his back disappear into the distance.
Her brows slowly knitted together.
Something felt different.
She couldn’t quite explain it.
Kael had always been quiet.
Even when they happened to meet before, he rarely approached her first.
But today…
He had actually greeted her.
And there was something different about his expression.
It was difficult to put into words.
“Claire, who was that?”
A young woman standing beside her suddenly spoke.
She was tall and attractive, wearing a fashionable dress.
Her large eyes followed Kael’s disappearing figure with obvious curiosity.
“He looks pretty handsome.”
Claire glanced at her.
“That’s my cousin, Kael Veyron.”
“Your cousin?”
“Yes.
He’s also a third-year student.
He’s taking the Combat Examination tomorrow.”
The girl named Sophie Miller raised her eyebrows.
“Really?”
Claire nodded.
But she still couldn’t help looking in the direction Kael had gone.
There was something about him that bothered her.
Not in a bad way.
It simply felt unfamiliar.
The Kael she remembered and the Kael she had just seen didn’t seem exactly the same.
A young man wearing a white casual shirt suddenly laughed.
“What’s with all the questions, Sophie?
Are you finally looking for yourself a boyfriend?”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“So what if I am?”
She smiled without the slightest embarrassment.
“If he looks like that, and his strength isn’t too terrible, I’d have no problem taking him around as my boyfriend.”
The young man laughed.
Claire shook her head.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.”
“Why?”
“Kael only awakened an E-rank ability.”
The curiosity in Sophie’s eyes immediately faded.
“Only E-rank?”
“Yes.”
“What a shame.”
The group fell silent for a moment.
It wasn’t difficult to understand Sophie’s reaction.
People naturally formed circles based on their backgrounds, interests, and strength.
The group surrounding Claire all came from wealthy families.
Their awakened abilities were mostly B-rank or C-rank.
They had access to better resources, better instructors, better equipment, and more opportunities to train.
Kael was different.
His clothes were simple.
His family background was ordinary.
And his ability was only E-rank.
Even if Sophie cared about appearance, there wasn’t much reason for her to pursue someone who seemed to have little future in the world of Awakeners.
One of the young men wearing a silver earring shrugged.
“Still, he’s got some guts.”
“Taking the Combat Examination with an E-rank ability isn’t something everyone would dare to do.”
Claire sighed.
“That’s exactly what worries me.”
“Why?”
“The Combat Examination is dangerous.”
Her expression became serious.
“The people who suffer the most casualties aren’t always the strongest candidates.
Awakeners with abilities below D-rank are often the most vulnerable.”
“If Kael had awakened a D-rank ability, I wouldn’t be so worried.”
“But E-rank…”
She shook her head.
“That’s simply too weak.”
The Combat Examination wasn’t an ordinary school test.
Students would enter controlled hunting zones wearing combat equipment and fight real Ferocious Beasts.
One mistake could cost them their lives.
Claire couldn’t understand why Kael insisted on participating.
“Why doesn’t he just take the Academic Examination?”
With an E-rank ability, he could still attend an ordinary university.
After graduation, he could find a stable office job.
No fighting.
No hunting Ferocious Beasts.
No risking his life.
Wouldn’t that be better?
At least then, his aunt wouldn’t have to worry about him every single day.
“All right, let’s stop talking about him.”
Claire’s friend quickly changed the subject.
“We came here to look around Thunder Martial Arts School, didn’t we?”
“That’s right.”
Another girl laughed.
“I’ve spent almost all three years of high school training at Iron Bear.
This is actually my first time visiting Thunder Martial Arts School.”
“Then let’s take a look around.”
The young man in white smiled.
“We’ve trained hard enough.
Relaxing a little before the exam is good for both the body and the mind.”
The others agreed.
Their conversation quickly shifted to the upcoming Combat Examination.
None of them noticed the figure who had already disappeared into one of the training rooms.
Kael Veyron had no idea that his brief encounter with his cousin had attracted so much attention.
At that moment, his only thought was simple.
He wanted to know exactly how powerful his new strength had become.