The sun was up and Steven woke up early to pack his load. Another week passed and it was time to go for the academy. "Elijah, I wish you were here, you would have been giving me tips about the academy. Now living alone in this place sucks" Steven said as he continued what he was going.
A while later, a knock was heard on the door. "who could that be, wait, could it be Liam or Jake" Steven said as he rushed to get the door.
Steven opened the door and saw a man holding a box. The man had a bored expression on his face and a badge that said "Glympton's Delivery".
"Steven Grayson?" the man asked in a monotone voice.
"Yes, that's me," Steven replied, wondering who would send him something.
"Well, this is for you. It was sent by an unknown sender," the man said as he handed the box to Steven.
"Thank you," Steven said, taking the box. He felt a slight weight in his hands and heard a faint humming sound from inside.
The man nodded and walked away, leaving Steven alone. Steven closed the door, went straight to his room, and sat on his bed, curious about the contents of the box. He opened it and his eyes widened in disbelief. There were six crystals in the box, each one glowing with a wonderful color. They looked like the ones he had seen we he killed his first beast, but much more powerful.
[Intermediate crystals detected]
[Would you like to absorb? ]
A message appeared right before his eyes. Steven gasped in shock as he read the message. He had never seen intermediate crystals before, let alone touched them. They were rare and expensive, They were something that some recruits could not get their hand on. Who would send him such a valuable gift? And why?
He searched the box for any clues and found a note at the bottom. He picked it up and read it.
[ I'm alive and doing well, Steven. Just don't tell anyone I'm alive, except for Sir Oscar. Enjoy the gifts I sent you and don't worry about me. I'm fine, even better. Now go to the academy and show them that you are a Grayson]
Steven recognized the handwriting immediately. It was Elijah's. His mentor was the one who was supposed to be dead.
Steven felt a surge of emotions as he read the note. He was happy, relieved, angry, confused, and sad all at once. He wanted to hug Elijah, to thank him, to scold him, to ask him a million questions. Where was he? How did he survive? What was he doing? Why didn't he come back?
But he knew he couldn't. Elijah had made it clear that he wanted to stay hidden, for some reason. Steven had to respect his wishes, even if he didn't understand them.
He sighed and put the note back in the box. He decided to focus on the positive side of things. Elijah was alive and well, and that was all that mattered. He had also given him a generous gift that could help him improve his stats and skills. Steven was grateful for that.
He took one of the crystals and started to absorb it. He felt a warm sensation as the crystal dissolved into his body, enhancing his Ki energy.
[Name: Steven Grayson]
[Level 5]
[Hunter's rank: recruit]
[Exp: 50/1000]
[Strength: 13]
[Agility: 16]
[Stamina: 11]
[Ki energy: 100/100]
[Stat points: 5]
Wow, just one of these crystals gave me 50 ki energy, Steven thought, amazed. He had never felt so powerful before. He wondered what the other crystals would do. He decided to absorb them all, one by one. He wanted to be stronger, faster, and more resilient. He wanted to be the best beast hunter in the world.
He absorbed the second crystal and felt his strength increase.
[Strength: 15]
He absorbed the third crystal and felt his agility increase.
[Agility: 18]
He absorbed the fourth crystal and felt his stamina increase.
[Stamina: 14]
He absorbed the fifth crystal and felt his Ki energy increase again.
[Ki energy: 150/150]
He absorbed the sixth and final crystal and once again his Ki energy increased. Then another message appeared.
[You have unlocked a new skill: Beast Sense lv 1]
[Beast Sense: Allows you to sense the presence and location of beasts within a certain range. The range and accuracy depend on your level and Ki energy.]
Steven blinked in surprise. He had gained a new skill. He had never heard of such a skill before even if other hunters might be able to do that, but it sounded useful. He wondered how it worked. He tried to activate it and felt a strange sensation in his mind. But since there was no beast the skill deactivated.
[Name: Steven Grayson]
[Level 5]
[Hunter's rank: recruit]
[Exp: 50/1000]
[Strength: 15]
[Agility: 17]
[Stamina: 14]
[Ki energy: 200/200]
[Stat points: 5]
"Why did the crystal increase some of my Stats and increase my Ki energy? I am very sure they were all from the same type of beasts"
"Well, anyways," Steven said as he smiled and got up from his bed. He felt a new confidence and excitement in his heart. He was ready for the academy. He was ready to face any challenge. He was ready to become as strong as Elijah.
He packed his things and left his room. He was going to meet the other recruits and Sir Oscar at the gate. They were leaving for the academy. He couldn't wait to start his new adventure. He hoped Elijah was watching him, and proud of him. He whispered to himself:
"Thank you, Elijah. I'll see you soon."
Steven had gotten outside and he could see the rest of the recruits getting into different carriages. Steven got into one where Liam and Jake were, and they were getting ready for the academy.
Oscar had walked up to the carriage Steven had entered and said: Steven don't worry about Elijah too much, and just focus on the academy. you have a lot of potential.
"Don't worry sir Oscar, Elijah sent me a message this morning saying he was alive" Steven said as their carriage started to move.
Oscar could not believe what Steven had just said. Elijah is alive and he sent you a message? Wait, why did he not send me a message, I was also worried. but how did he survive" Oscar said as he walked back to his office.
*******
"So the academy is starting very soon. let me see those with talent and eliminate them before they grow stronger and become troublesome for us. Beasts must rule this world"