(A.N: Read the Author Notes below.)
They left the building after finishing the paperwork and took Benjamin's car, which flew above the city streets toward Erik's house.
They talked briefly during the drive home. When they arrived, Erik got out and walked to Benjamin's window. He forced a thankful expression, not wanting to show his distrust of the man.
"Thank you, Uncle Ben."
"Don't mention it, Erik. If you need anything, just let me know. Okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry."
Benjamin could tell Erik was keeping his distance. Though Erik stayed polite, there was a clear wall between them. Benjamin didn't push it—he just let Erik have his space, assuming that was because of what happened to the young man.
The car shot up into the sky as Benjamin hit the accelerator, climbing to cruising height. He turned west, heading for his place in the military housing district.
Erik went up to his apartment, locked the door behind him, and collapsed onto the couch to rest. He checked himself over for any remaining injury, but found nothing. The healer had done his job well.
The young man then picked up his phone. Erik had time to complete his quests but decided not to make neural links. He knew it was important to maintain his mental health and not force himself too much.
"Quests," the young man said.
—[Quests List]—
[Daily Quests]
Eating Habits ## (COMPLETE)Rewards: 10 experience, 10 DNA pointsPenalty: NoneTask: Eat a healthy meal.
##Physical Training##Rewards: 10 experience, 10 DNA pointsPenalty: NoneTask: Train for at least one hour (Choose any exercise.)
[Other quests]
Conquer the Training Gauntlet (1/7)
Completion Rewards: 1 Strength Stat Point.
Failure Penalty: None.
Task: Complete daily training quests for a week.
—End—
Erik jumped back into training. He spent hours working out, using it to burn off stress.
Something bothered him about Uncle Ben showing up at the hospital after Logan, Conal, and Orson attacked him. Looking back, Ben had a habit of appearing whenever trouble happened.
The hospital visit made sense since Ben was in his emergency contact. But the other times? It was strange how often Ben showed up right after incidents.
When Erik finished training, he got the expected system message.
[QUEST COMPLETED.]
"Good..."
Later, Erik went to his computer. For what he had in mind, he had to make a lot of preparations. For starters, he needed to better understand his two new powers. Then he had to find a way to kill for sure the three bastards.
What happened with the Densoph came to mind. He could use the same strategy if things took a turn.
If someone were to find the bodies, the scene might suggest that a tree had simply fallen on them. However, thinking about it, he realized this wouldn't be the case.
The way the tree was going to fall would give away the fact that it wasn't a natural event. A normal fallen tree leaves marks showing it tipped over and pulled up its roots. But if bodies were found crushed under a tree with signs of a hard, fast impact—like what happens when a tree is suddenly grown and thrown through the air—it would look suspicious.
Looking closer at the evidence, the tree would show damage patterns all around—not just on one side, like a normal fallen tree would.
Plus, there would be no root system or disturbed soil where the tree supposedly grew, making it obvious the tree was placed there somehow.
The police would quickly figure out this wasn't a natural accident, which meant his power to create and throw trees wouldn't work well in a fight, at least in this one.
He needed a better plan that wouldn't leave traces. If he could turn regular objects into weapons instead, he could destroy the evidence later and handle getting rid of the bodies to thaids.
For two years, thoughts of retribution against Conal, Logan, and Orson lingered in his mind. Regrettably, he lacked the power needed to get his revenge.
However, the circumstances had now changed. Erik found himself with a chance to set things right and resolved not to lose this opportunity.
Erik needed to figure out how to get Logan's attention. A letter in Logan's locker wouldn't work—it could be traced back to him. He thought about emailing, but that was too risky.
Then he remembered his biological supercomputer. Maybe he could use it to send an untraceable message or make it look like it came from someone else.
He weighed his options: planting a letter meant he could destroy it after Logan read it, which would remove any connection to him.
However, he would need to find the letter, then destroy it, and he could be seen. Besides, any discovery of it by the police risked exposing his DNA. The second option, though, seemed less traceable, but it carried the risk of police accessing Logan's email or phone and discovering the message.
After weighing these considerations, Erik decided on the second approach. The biological supercomputer provided an advantage. It should theoretically make him able to erase all traces.
[Yes. By accessing his device, I can make a simple message appear on his phone and automatically delete it after he reads it. Would you like to do this?]
[Understood. I will wait for you to decide what to write. Just let me know when you are ready.]
Erik spent the rest of his time crafting the right words for Logan. In the anonymous message, he unleashed his fury, calling Logan a coward and hurling insults at his family.
This outpouring of anger towards Logan was a cathartic release for Erik, a channel to express the resentment that had been festering within him.
Sending this message might not guarantee sure results, but Erik felt confident Logan would react to the taunts.
He concluded the message by daring Logan to meet him at the train station, questioning his and his friends' courage. Erik's patience had reached its limit; his bottled-up anger towards Logan demanded an outlet. He hoped that taking care of him and his cronies would provide the closure he needed to move forward.
Erik then moved to his wardrobe, selecting a mask he was going to wear the next day to make sure he would not be recognized.
Then he experimented with his powers, using the biological supercomputer to gauge the mana consumption rate of each ability and understand how to use them during a fight.
After his preparations were complete, Erik lay down in bed. His mind was focused and clear as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
—***—
Erik woke up early the next morning. He checked his quest log, completed his first task for ten DNA points, and got ready for the day ahead.
He had one goal: to confront Logan, Conal, and Orson. No doubts clouded his mind. He knew exactly what needed to be done.
After getting dressed and cleaned up, Erik left his apartment. His face showed no emotion as he walked through the city streets.
He ignored the surrounding people, some who glanced his way curiously. His only stop was to buy seeds before heading to school.
When he reached the school gates, he found Amber, Floyd, and Gwen waiting as usual, but it didn't matter. He had more important things to focus on.
"Hey, Erik!"
He paused, offering her a brief nod and a small smile. "Hey, Amber. Just a bit rushed today," he said. He then turned to Floyd and Gwen. "Morning, you two."
Erik continued towards the entrance, heading for the lockers. His interaction was brief but amiable, a conscious effort to keep things appearing normal despite the weight of his intentions.
Amber followed him with her eyes, noticing something was off. Floyd and Gwen exchanged quick looks but dismissed it as just Erik being Erik.
They split up and headed to their classes while Erik went his own way.
In class, other students tried to bother him as usual, but Erik stayed focused. He had only one thing on his mind: payback.
Power training came next to the gym with Professor McAllister. Students spread out to their spots to practice their abilities safely.
He went straight for the training dummies, just like Nathaniel did. Following his daily quest, he started practicing Kyokar combat moves.
He added something new to his routine this time. He pulled mana from his brain crystal and directed it into his arms.
A fine layer of mana coated his limbs. With a thought, he caused the mana to condense, its form becoming sharp.
Erik began his training routine, executing moves against the practice dummy as his classmates observed. His mind, clouded with thoughts of revenge, made his movements less precise than usual.
Though not as polished as his peers who had years of practice, Erik's rapid progress in such a short time was clear.
That Professor McAllister personally oversaw Erik's training didn't go unnoticed—everyone knew this meant he showed real potential for a military career.
He worked through his combat sequence, delivering kicks, strikes, and punches against the dummy. For his last move, he channeled mana into his arm, creating a razor-sharp edge that bisected the training dummy.
This display of power unfolded under the watchful eyes of his fellow students, who looked on in astonishment. Both Professor McAllister and Nathaniel observed Erik's performance, the former with an air of satisfaction, the latter deep in thought.
[QUEST COMPLETED.]
Once the training session ended, Erik joined his classmates in their regular classroom, taking part in the day's remaining lessons.