I stood in the middle of the training room, infusing my qi into my right hand as I prepared to throw a fast punch.
Right now, this is the only skill I know. When I fought Klaus, I had a strong feeling—if I had infused my qi into that punch, he would have either died or been seriously injured.
Luckily, I didn't. But I can't afford to make unnecessary mistakes and get arrested by the government for killing an idiot like him.
Before taking any further action, I need to test my limits. After all, if someone doesn't understand their own power, they're dumber than a frog, in my opinion.
The qi in my hand burned like a blue flame. Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fist and struck the ground with all my strength.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed through the training ground as the floor cracked, and several marble fragments floated in the air.
"...What the fu—"
This is way stronger than I expected!
I'm glad I tested it here. If I had tried this in my dorm room, I'd probably be suspended for destroying academy property.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
The floor had already started to repair itself. The gems embedded in the walls absorbed the impact and restored the damage within seconds.
But… why is an F-rank martial arts skill so powerful? Or does it have something to do with my qi?
There are too many questions, but I doubt I'll get my answers anytime soon. Overthinking it now won't do me any good.
For now, I need to focus.
The first important event is approaching.
I need to prepare.
*****
Girls' Dormitory Section – Room No. 12
Mira's POV
A beautiful young woman stepped out of her bath, wrapping herself in a towel. Her silver hair cascaded down, partially covering her face as she walked toward the bed.
In a swift motion, she took off the towel and wrapped it around her hair, gently sweeping away the water droplets before tossing it onto the table.
She sat down on the edge of her bed, wearing nothing but her underwear. A cartoon cat was drawn on it, but her excellent figure made it look far from childish.
Without saying anything, she lay on the bed, completely drained.
She had never felt this much mental pressure in her entire life.
Everyone looked at her like she was some rare animal in a zoo.
Her classmates acted as if they knew everything about her, as if they had known her for a long time.
She was shocked when someone mentioned an accident from her childhood—even pitying her for it.
But how do these people know about that? The only ones who should know are my family and me.
What is going on around me? Who are these people?
Wherever I go, they follow me, as if they're keeping an eye on my every movement.
It's been days since this started bothering me. Even if I pretend not to see it, it's still annoying when people act this way.
And now, there's another one. He just arrived today.
He looks even more suspicious.
His face, his body language, even his voice—everything about him is suspicious.
Humming softly, Mira lay there for some time before getting up to change into her sleeping outfit, just as she was about to climb into bed.
Riiing...
Her attempt was interrupted as her mobile phone rang.
When she picked it up and saw the caller ID, panic set in, and her fingers trembled as she answered the call.
"Dad, what happened? Is everything okay? Are Mom and Sis alright?" she asked, her voice shaking as she struggled to control her emotions.
"Calm down, sweetie. Everything is fine. Don't worry," the man answered in a calm voice.
He knew exactly why she was acting this way.
"I just called to check on you, that's all. Nothing else, just wanted to make sure you're alright."
Letting out a long sigh, Mira relaxed a bit and sank onto the bed, though her heart was still racing.
"Okay, sorry for scaring you. I just got worried when I didn't see my delivery had arrived, so I thought maybe something happened to you. I was just a little worried," her father added, his tone soft and apologetic.
Delivery?
"Check your ID," he instructed.
Okay She quickly retrieved a strange, talisman-wrapped object from her wardrobe and set it on the table."
She Infused her qi into it, as she opened her mail, and suddenly, the object started to glow. A small box appeared on its surface—the teleportation talisman had been used to transfer objects from long distances.
Her face paled as she looked inside.
"Dad... why did you... You should've saved the money to—"
"I know, but I have a sweet little girl to look after as well. How could I forget my little lion?" he said with a small laugh.
She was already on the verge of tears but controlled herself.
"How's class? Everything okay?" he asked, intent on changing the topic—he knew his daughter too well.
"Yes, classes are good and fun."
"How many friends have you made?" he asked.
"Hmm... a lot, too many to count," she lied smoothly, not wanting to worry her father.
"Hmm," he hummed before saying, "No boyfriends, okay?"
"Aren't you worrying a little too much about that?" she laughed.
"You'll understand when you become a parent. There's a fire in every father's heart... but you should never know because you can't become a father," he laughed.
"So funny," she said, joining in his laughter.
Their conversation continued for a while before, just as they were about to hang up, she asked,
"Dad... why are there two of them?"
She looked at the entrance tickets for a Secret Realm that her father had sent her.
"Just give it to your best friend," he said before hanging up.
"Friend, huh..." She looked at the two golden tickets and let out an uneasy laugh.
*******
The air was thick with tension. The moment Nathan stepped forward, the oppressive weight of his presence settled over the gathering like an unspoken decree.
The flickering glow surrounding him faded, revealing a tall young man with sharp, golden eyes and jet-black hair.
Karma Kiri, who had been teasing Eira moments ago, suddenly went quiet, his usual smug grin vanishing. Across the table, Klaus briefly glanced at Nathan, then quickly refocused his attention elsewhere as if avoiding eye contact.
Nathan slowly pulled out the only empty chair before sitting down. The scraping sound against the floor was the only thing breaking the silence.
Eira crossed her arms, her crimson eyes observing him carefully.
"You're late."
Without bothering to answer, Nathan's gaze swept across the room before he spoke.
"Where is he?"
Eira sighed. "I don't think he'll come. He tossed the invitation into the waste bin."
Alaric, who had been watching quietly, leaned forward. "Looks like he doesn't have a good impression of what we're doing."
Klaus scoffed. "Who cares? He's just a brat who doesn't even understand what he's up against. If he dared to come here, I'd show him exactly who we are."
Nathan ignored Klaus and turned to the man beside him—Ivan.
"What do you think?"
Ivan smirked, adjusting his glasses. "What's the fun if everything goes exactly as planned? Just let him be."
The room fell into a momentary silence.
Nathan exhaled, leaning back into his chair. "Then let's see how long he lasts without us."
"Let's stop this pointless conversation and begin our planning for the dungeon break event..."
As Nathan's voice echoed, the room fell silent once more.