Erik furrowed his brow at the status screen. "Another E-ranked power," he said with a hint of disappointment threading his voice.
"Looks like I can conjure venomous mana quills—just like the Bush Hedgehog."
He leaned back. "Of all the things I've seen for myself, transforming into Sonac the Bush Hedgehog was never one."
Just like the last time, he felt an urge, a nascent feeling. An idea, or an inkling, but that was it.
Erik chased the feeling, funneling mana from his brain crystal like a stream flowing through a network of underground caves, directing it towards his back.
With each pulse, the tingling swelled, resembling the way a beacon grows brighter, guiding him to its source.
"Yeah, it makes sense that Thaid was a sort of hedgehog, after all."
Within moments, Erik's back sprouted quills, ethereal as morning glories made of mist. He couldn't see them, yet he could feel them.
He moved to a mirror, and there, his reflection revealed a sight akin to a hedge sculpted not in blue but in green, with quills edged in emerald hues.
"I'm the spitting image of a punk kid," Erik said. His new power lacked elegance, was challenging to wield, and was purely defensive, like the quills of a hedgehog. Each second siphoned more mana than the Sharpening brain crystal power. It was a voracious drain. He felt it deep in his bones.
"Great, I'm a walking mana vacuum," he scoffed. "This is surely for emergency use only, unless I fancy becoming a magical prune."
Erik cut straight to his training, intent on making more neural links. The latest power granted him another one. Though there was a problem.
"No boost in stats," he said. A slow nod followed. "So, the first neural link from a new power doesn't up the numbers."
His fingers drummed on the armrest. He started focusing on the mana inside his brain crystal and started training.
—***—
Dawn's bright fingers roused Erik.
"Ugh… Shit…"
Erik stood from the bed and, with half-closed eyes, went to wash his face. As he was done, though, a surprise waited for him. When he opened the system interface to accept the usual daily quests, he found something that wasn't there the last time.
—NEW QUEST—
Title: Conquer the Training Gauntlet
Objective: Complete daily training quests for a week.
Rewards:
100 DNA Points 500 Experience Points
Description: Commit to daily quests for a full week. Prove your dedication and resilience.
Special Reward: If all objectives are completed, gain +1 point in all stats.
—[End]—
Erik's eyes widened. After regaining his composure, he accepted his daily quests. Breakfast followed, marking the completion of his first task with satisfaction.
Backpack slung over one shoulder, he stepped outside. Erik's journey to school unfolded with the usual monotony.
The streets teemed with passersby lost in their own worlds, indifferent to his presence. Every corner seemed to host its own petty crime, drug deals, and some beating.
While Erik held no regard for the citizens of Frant, the threat of abduction gnawed at him.
The young man arrived at school as usual, and Amber, Floyd, and Gwen were waiting for him at the main gate.
While Erik appreciated having people take an interest in him, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. As he walked toward the group, he noticed the three were deep in conversation.
"Amber, this doesn't add up. You've never gone out of your way for anyone, not even me."
Amber's gaze softened, her shoulders slumped as she looked down the hall where Erik stood alone. "He seems so... lost. It's hard to watch him drift through days without a friend."
Floyd leaned against the locker. "People might get the wrong idea, you know."
"Let them. It's not like I care about their opinion."
Gwen let out a weary exhale.
Amber's hands cut through the air, beckoning Erik. Heads turned, eyes latched onto him.
"Damn..." Erik winced, the corners of his mouth betraying a strained smile. "Hey, everyone."
Floyd leaned back. "Took a scenic route today?"
"Yeah, the train's a drag."
To put Amber at ease, Gwen and Floyd kept the conversation light, bouncing from the weekend's football game to the latest school gossip.
"So, what was everyone up to yesterday?"
"Just hung out with my brother."
Gwen chimed in. "I got lost in a book."
Erik looked up. "I did some training."
"Training, huh?" Floyd was surprised.
"Yeah, I got nothing to do, so I trained…"
"I didn't think you were such a diligent student," Gwen said.
"Well... you know... I'm a little behind compared to you all."
Gwen paused. "If I can be honest with you, Erik," she said. "You don't have to try to reach our level right now."
She paused. "It took many years for us to get here, and three months just isn't enough."
Leaning back, she offered a supportive smile, trying to soften the blow. "If I were you, I'd aim for the average school level first."
Erik squared his shoulders. "Gwen, you've got a point, but I have to aim high. Military school won't be kind if I'm not at my best."
Floyd leaned in. "Don't tell me you believed Professor McAllister's bullshit?"
"I'm not sure myself. What I know has been told to me by Professor McAllister," he said. "I think his words hold some truth in them."
Erik's expression hardened. "As an awakener, the military's expectations are sky high. If I cannot meet them, they'll push me harder."
Erik's eyes narrowed, a flicker of defiance showing through. "And then there's everyone else, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness. What do you think they will do if an awakener shows himself weak?"
Amber, Floyd, and Gwen lived amidst abundance—embraced by loving families, graced with talent, cushioned by wealth, and gifted with looks.
Their lives, woven with privilege, left them blind or unconcerned by the harsher realities that Erik had faced.
Unknowingly, they lived comfortably within the same system that had dismissed Erik's hardships and pushed him aside.
Their well-intentioned empathy could only graze the surface of Erik's lived experience, which was etched with challenges they had never known.
"Do you think they will start bullying you again?" Amber asked.
Erik's voice carried a bitter edge. "That's one of the reasons," he said, his hands unconsciously rubbing at an old bruise, a ghost of past pains.
He locked eyes with them. "But take it from me—daily beatings are far from pleasant."
Erik paused. "At first, it was because of my F-ranked brain crystal. Now, with my E-ranked brain crystal as an awakener, I bet things would be at least the same."
"Bullshit," Floyd said. "Why should they harass you, Erik? There are many people with E-ranked brain crystals, and I don't see them bullied."
"I'm sorry, Floyd, but you must be blind to it. Besides, they aren't awakeners," Erik said. It was a harsh truth, but truth nonetheless.
Erik headed to class with his new group. In the hallway, Conal, Orson, and Logan observed from afar. Conal stared at Erik walking next to Amber, who everyone knew was the school's most popular student. He blinked, but the unexpected sight remained clear as day.
Conal squinted in disbelief. "Am I seeing things?"
Orson turned. "What?"
"Erik Romano and Amber Joyce..."
"That? It's the school's hot topic!"
Logan, who had been silent until now, leaned forward. "What?!" The name 'Amber' seemed to strike a chord.
"That mother..." Disdain laced Logan's tone, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
When Logan confessed his feelings, Amber turned him down. Despite her kindness in the rejection, it hit Logan hard.
Seeing Erik walking with Amber now made his blood boil. He felt betrayed, even though he had no right to feel that way. As he watched them, dark thoughts filled his mind.
"Logan!"
"WHAT?!"
"You alright?"
"No, I'm not..." Logan's eyes burned into Erik's back.
"That little... I've lost all my patience."
"It means nothing, Logan!"
"Yeah, she's probably just got him running errands."
"I don't care..." Logan's voice was low, his eyes glinting with resentment. "He made fools of us, and now he's cozying up to Amber?"
"Don't you think you're exaggerating? She's just a girl."
The slap came fast. Logan's face was a mask of unbridled anger. "Never say that again."
"Sorry, Logan..."
Logan's gaze cut through the crowd to where Amber, Erik, Gwen, and Floyd disappeared into the building.
"I think it's time to have a word with Erik..."