Ray watched Archion intently, tracking the way his gaze lingered on Sylvia.
A painful memory flashed through Archion’s mind: he was standing in the
middle of a battlefield littered with corpses, cradling Sylvia in his arms.
She was bleeding out, her life fading.
With a shattered heart, he had heard her final, weak words: "Kill him... kill that monster, Archion. Protect the world."
In that moment, he had made a vow: he would find the scoundrel responsible for the destruction of his world and kill him.
He would protect Sylvia and everyone else this time—no matter the cost.
Ray’s voice cut through Archion’s dark thoughts: "Don't tell me you've fallen for her, Archion.
" Ray offered a wicked smirk and added: "I was actually thinking of confessing my feelings to her.
What do you think?"
Archion was stunned, but he regained his composure in a heartbeat: "What? You intend to confess to her?"
Ray smiled mockingly, his voice sharp and cold as a blade amidst the tension: "Don't worry, Archion.
I have no interest in her—no feelings, no attachment.
I was just teasing you. Honestly, I didn't expect you to be this hopelessly stupid."
Archion’s face turned a burning crimson. He froze, his mind unable to conjure a word to defend himself.
Deep down, he had loved Sylvia in his past life, but he never had the chance to confess.
Nearby, Sylvia noticed their strange behavior, but she couldn't care less.
Exhausted from the brutal training session, she had zero patience for their childish
games, so she walked away into the shadows of the academy without looking back.
Ray whispered, amusement heavy in his voice: "Look at that, your beloved is leaving, and you didn't even say goodbye."
Archion stammered, his hands trembling with a mix of frustration and embarrassment: "S-stop it already! It’s not like that!"
In a desperate attempt to turn the tables, Archion gathered his resolve and retorted:
"If you don't care about Sylvia, Ray... tell me then, who do you actually care about?"
The air around Ray shifted in an instant. His posture stiffened, and that calm glint in his eyes faded, replaced by a hollow,
profound sadness that seemed to suck the warmth out of the room.
Ray was silent for a few seconds; the atmosphere grew heavy until he finally spoke.
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His voice sounded like a ghost of a whisper: "The one I love... is somewhere far beyond my reach.
I don't know where she is, or even if she's safe.
But I know one thing: I will find her. I must."
He turned and walked away without another word, leaving Archion standing alone in the training ground, shivering from
the realization that he had unearthed a wound that time could not heal.
Ray retreated to the highest roof of the academy.
Beneath the vast, indifferent night sky, his thoughts wandered to a memory etched into his soul.
He saw himself sitting beside a girl with hair like spun silver and eyes as deep as sapphires. It was Elena.
They were sitting together, watching the stars in a rare moment of peace.
Elena laughed, a charming sound: "The stars are truly beautiful tonight."
Ray didn't look at the sky; he only looked at her. He said: "They are, but you, Elena... you outshine them all."
She blushed, hiding behind strands of her hair.
Ray leaned in: "Do you remember our promise, Elena? When I become strong enough, when I reach the pinnacle of
martial arts, I will leave the fighting behind and stay by your side forever."
She replied with a soft smile: "Of course. I’ll wait for you. I trust you."
The memory faded. Ray stood up, reaching toward the distant, cold heavens.
His face hardened with grim, resolute determination:
"Wherever you are, Elena, I will find you.
And those responsible... they will pay for everything they stole from us.
I will reach the pinnacle of martial arts—no, I will surpass it.
I will keep my promise and ensure that no one ever hurts you again."
He made a vow that would stain his hands with blood:
he would become a monster if he had to.
He would kill, destroy, and sacrifice everything.
He would climb over the corpses of everyone who stood in his path to regain his strength and uncover the truth.
Power was his only path to vengeance and his only way to get answers.
Three months passed.
Life at the academy became a cycle of growth.
Ariadne’s lectures were intense, filled with complex mana theories and ancient spells,
while Laibos’s sparring sessions forced them to bleed for every ounce of progress.
The Class S students evolved in their own ways:
Archion honed his sword techniques, becoming faster and deadlier with every strike.
He began weaving golden lightning spells
into his dueling style, coordinating his sword arts and magic with precision.
Decanis mastered her flames, turning them from a reckless fire into a precise weapon that moved according to her will.
Sylvia strengthened her bond with her spirits, but she also pushed her body to its absolute limits with physical training.
Finally, Valerian shed his recklessness, adopting a tactical mind that made him a far more dangerous opponent.
Selena’s precision reached a new peak, developing a "combat intuition" that enabled her to anticipate movements.
As for Lances, he focused on the destructive power of ice and wind arts,
creating complex tactical styles that blended both elements into bone-crushing strikes.
As for Ray, he remained a shadow among them.
His sole focus was his "Mana Core" and physical refinement.
He succeeded in breaking through to the "Seventh Level of the Bronze Core."
His body reached a state of synchronization that now enabled him to maintain the "Crimson Overdrive" for three full minutes.
He kept this a secret—his trump card, waiting for the right moment to strike.
One afternoon, Laibos entered the hall, silencing everyone instantly:
"In three days, there will be a tournament for all first-year students, including both Class S and Class A.
There are prizes for the top three, but the stakes are personal:
if a Class S student loses to someone from Class A, they will be stripped of their
rank and expelled to Class A, while the winner takes their place."
Ray leaned back, narrowing his eyes: "Fighting for a title? A name? How pathetic.
These things are useless, but the resources allocated to Class S... they are necessary for my ascent. I cannot afford to lose.
Regaining my strength will take a long time, and I cannot waste a single moment—I still don't know what happened to Elena."
While Archion and Decanis burned with the fires of competition, Sylvia remained calm and determined, Valerian boasted—proving
his personality hadn't changed at all outside of combat—while Selena
dismissed the event as a waste of time. Ray remained cold.
He didn't care about glory or status.
He only cared about climbing, and he would not let a single soul stand in his way.
The stage was set, and for Ray, this was just another necessary step toward his ultimate goal.