Chapter 4 - The Bully
The graduation ceremony proceeded exactly as every graduation ceremony since the dawn of civilization apparently had.
The vice principal gave a speech.
The principal gave an even longer speech.
And somewhere along the way, I became the proud owner of a very expensive piece of paper declaring that society had officially finished educating me.
Of course, not without taking a lot of money.
"Good job."
I shook the principal’s hand, accepted my graduation certificate, and was just about to leave when another object was placed into my palm.
A crystal.
About the size of a chicken egg, translucent with faint streaks of silver swirling inside like mist trapped beneath glass.
A Monster Crystal.
Most Rift-born creatures condensed one upon death.
Most ended up powering technology, enchanting equipment, or being sold for enough money to make ordinary people reconsider their career choices.
For students, however.
They served a different purpose.
Today’s Awakening Trial.
Around me, graduates stared at the crystals with varying expressions.
Excitement.
Nervousness.
Hope.
Fear.
For many of them, this would simply confirm the Aspect they’d already Awakened and strengthen it.
For people like me.
It was another chance.
The teachers directed us toward a separate wing of the school where dozens of individual training rooms had already been prepared.
I caught Fatty’s eye across the corridor and pointed toward the rooms.
He gave me a thumbs-up.
Then immediately ruined the cool moment by pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.
Just as I turned around.
"Yo, Evren."
I sighed.
Speak of the devil.
Reyes stood in the hallway with his usual group of followers.
He folded his arms and smirked.
"You’ve got a weird name and I swear it sounds stranger every time I say it."
I looked at him for a moment.
Then smiled politely.
"Do you want to lose your front teeth again?"
"..."
His smile disappeared.
The hallway suddenly became very interesting to everyone nearby.
Technically speaking, Reyes and I were rivals.
Not because we were some god’s chosen people.
Because he couldn’t stand losing to someone who hadn’t even Awakened just like himself.
I was at the lowest level of Bronze Rank simply based on the sheer amount of time I spend at the gym.
The difference was.
He wasn’t, so he complained.
"You know, It would be nice if we parted on good terms."
He stared at me.
Then snorted.
"Keep dreaming."
With that, he brushed past me and disappeared toward one of the training rooms.
"Well I tried to be a good man."
I hadn’t, really.
But saying I had made me feel like the mature one.
Small victories mattered a lot.
A few minutes later, I entered my assigned room.
It wasn’t large.
Just four white walls, reinforced flooring, a meditation cushion in the center, and enough protective enchantments to reassure everyone that accidentally exploding yourself was officially discouraged.
I sat down cross-legged.
The Monster Crystal rested quietly in my hand.
"Come to think of it, the weak protagonist always had a Fatty."
A disturbing realization struck me as I frowned.
Name Fu Jun, nickname Fatty Fu, coming from a rich family, comic relief personality and unreasonably loyal.
"No. No, no."
I narrowed my eyes at the crystal.
"Don’t tell me, am I one of those protagonists?"
The alternate memories offered absolutely no reassurance.
If anything, they enthusiastically agreed.
Weak beginning, late Awakening, reliable fatty best friend.
And though I don’t want to brag, I am somewhat suspiciously handsome. Not the celebrity type but.
"..."
I paused for a moment feeling uncomfortable.
Thankfully, one important difference remained.
This wasn’t some cultivation world where I’d spend six hundred Chapters breaking through realms with increasingly difficult names.
And more importantly.
My name was Evren Sorin.
Not Sorin Evren.
The name came first, not surname.
I wasn’t legally obligated to become a young master.
That counted for something.
Satisfied with this flawless reasoning, I exhaled slowly and closed my eyes.
The Monster Crystal felt cool against my palm.
This wasn’t my first attempt.
Many times, Mira had quietly bought me a high-grade crystal.
She never said why.
Probably because she knew I’d refuse if she called it expensive.
I’d failed to absorb even a trace of energy back then.
Nothing.
Not even the slightest reaction.
I remembered forcing a smile and telling her it was fine.
It wasn’t.
I wasn’t disappointed because I hadn’t Awakened.
I was disappointed because I’d seen the look in her eyes.
She’d been hoping.
For me.
I tightened my grip around the crystal.
"Let’s see."
Feel the crystal.
Feel the energy.
Reach for it.
For several long seconds, nothing happened.
Then, a faint warmth spread across my fingertips.
I froze.
No.
It was not my imagination.
The warmth grew stronger.
Something inside the crystal answered me.
Thin streams of energy seeped through its surface like mist escaping cracked glass before flowing directly into my palm.
I felt them.
Actually felt them.
Every instinct screamed at me to laugh.
To jump.
To shout loud enough for the entire school to hear.
Instead.
I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood.
Not yet.
Don’t get excited.
Don’t lose concentration.
Focus.
If this stopped now.
I would regret it for the rest of my life.
"Huu..."
I released a slow, controlled breath as more Rift Energy poured into my body.
Some time later...
I slowly opened my eyes.
The Monster Crystal resting in my palm had lost all of its luster, its once translucent surface now dull and cracked before it crumbled into fine gray dust between my fingers.
"Well."
I stared at the remains for a long moment.
"So I really absorbed it."
A strange feeling coursed through my body.
It wasn’t strength.
It was clarity.
Every breath felt sharper.
My eyesight had improved.
Reality itself simply looked cleaner.
If yesterday the world had been running at 720 pixels. Today someone had quietly upgraded it to 4K.
"That’s actually terrifying."
I flexed my fingers and the movement felt lighter.
Unfortunately, that was all.
I exhaled and tried to organize my thoughts.
The Awakening wasn’t complete.
I could feel that much instinctively.
It was as if a locked door inside me had finally cracked open, revealing only the faintest sliver of light beyond.
The path existed now.
I simply hadn’t walked through it yet.
"Interesting."
Most Aspects awakened in stages.
People with lower-grade Aspects often completed the process after absorbing a single Monster Crystal.
Those with stronger talents.
Needed more.
Not because they lacked potential.
Quite the opposite.
It was like trying to fill a lake with a bucket.
The larger the lake, the more water it demanded.
If my Aspect really was high-grade.
Mira’s wallet was going to develop a deep personal hatred toward me.
Then again, I couldn’t exactly complain.
I’d spent eighteen years wondering whether I’d ever Awaken at all.
Having too much potential was a problem for Future Evren.
Present Evren was still celebrating.
I stood and stretched, feeling my joints crack softly.
"I wonder how Fatty’s doing."
Unlike me, Fu Jun followed the Martial Path.
Heroes Awakened Aspects.
Martial Artists refined Qi.
Two different roads but the same destination.
I brushed the crystal dust from my hands before walking toward the exit.
The door slid open with a quiet hiss.
And someone was already waiting outside.
Reyes was alone with no followers.
He’d been leaning against the opposite wall with his arms folded, but straightened the moment he saw me.
"You finally came out, I was tired of waiting."
His smile wasn’t particularly friendly.
I glanced down the hallway.
Empty.
"You waited for me? You don’t want to be friends now right?"
"Tch! As if."
"Then why are you standing like guard dog?"
His eye twitched.
He was still easy to annoy.
"I figured we should settle things before graduation makes us strangers." he said, pushing himself away from the wall.
I sighed.
Some people simply preferred consistency.
Unfortunately for both of us...
His version of consistency usually involved attempting to punch me.
He stepped forward.
"So, one last fight?"
"One last fight."
For a brief moment, neither of us moved.
Then, unexpectedly, Reyes smiled.
It wasn’t confident.
It was almost excited.
That feeling lasted exactly half a second as he exploded forward.
His fist tore through the air with enough force to whistle and blue-white lightning erupted around his arm.
Crack.
The corridor lit up in a blinding flash.
My pupils shrank.
"Oh shit!"
That was definitely new.