I understood why Silas did what he did, but it didn't change the fact that he intended to eliminate all of humanity and committed evil acts.
I wasn't concerned with what would happen a million years from now; my focus was on the present, on what I could do while I was still alive.
First things first, I needed to gain some strength. I checked the date on my phone and saw that the academy would open in a month.
In that month, I needed to become accustomed to fighting and using Silas's abilities.
At the start of the game, Silas was extremely weak, which was why he had been disowned by his family.
The Raven household cared about strength above all else.
Silas would become the strongest character in the game once he realized the true extent of his abilities.
Silas's power, known as The Absolute, had two distinct paths. The first path granted him the ability to push or pull any object, and as this ability grew stronger, it evolved into something akin to a black hole. The second path allowed him to nullify other people's abilities as long as he stared at them for three seconds and they were visible.
At the beginning of the series, Silas believed his ability was simply telekinesis. However, once he reached the fifth ring, he understood that his power was far more complex.
Rings represented the level of one's ability and overall power. Everyone could discern their level because the rings formed within their mind. Upon reaching the fifth ring, Silas would unlock the second path of his power. Currently, I was only at the first ring.
I already knew where I wanted to go for my training: the Fighting Tower.
As the name suggests, it's a massive tower that becomes progressively more challenging as one ascends through the floors.
I expected to be stuck on the first floor for a while, but my primary goal wasn't climbing the floors; it was gaining combat experience and honing my abilities.
Armed with Silas's memories, I made my way to the Fighting Tower, conveniently located about a twenty-minute walk away. The tower, a skyscraper with a hundred floors, housed the strongest fighters in the kingdom at its pinnacle.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a long line of hundreds of people, all waiting to register and be assigned opponents. Betting on matches was also permitted.
After ten minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn. An elderly man at the registration desk looked at me with obvious disdain, clearly recognizing who I was.
"Name and age," he demanded in a stern voice.
"Silas Raven, 16," I replied, unfazed by his reaction. I was determined to change the negative image associated with Silas.
He typed my information into a computer before handing me a card with my photo, name, and age.
"You'll be assigned a random fighter in an hour. Now get out of my sight," the old man said curtly, and I obeyed without protest.
My primary objective was to gain combat experience and improve my fighting skills.
Secondly, I aimed to develop my Potentia.
Potentia was an energy that could enhance various aspects of the body—increasing power, speed, reflexes, and more. Acquiring Potentia required intense training, innate talent, and a strong mental state. Not every Awakener could harness it; only one in a thousand Awakeners possessed Potentia.
I anticipated awakening it during combat, much like Silas did in the game.
Glancing around, I observed the diverse pool of potential opponents. Some were muscular and tall, others scrawny and short, and a few were even overweight.
Appearance held little significance here. What mattered most were stamina, strength, speed, and most importantly ability.
An hour later, my name echoed through the intercom.
"Silas Raven and Joe Kold, please proceed to arena fifteen!"
As my name reverberated, murmurs rippled through the crowd. Ignoring the chatter, I headed towards arena fifteen, which was surrounded by a packed audience, undoubtedly drawn by my reputation.
"Haha, this is the easiest money of my life!"
"That Raven brat isn't going to last a minute!"
As their mocking words reached my ears, a surge of anger overtook me. It wasn't my own anger, but Silas's, lingering within me. It felt as if he were still a part of my consciousness. For a brief moment, I entertained thoughts of hurling insults back at the crowd, but my own mental strength prevailed, dispelling the anger as quickly as it had arisen.
"So you're the Raven brat everyone's been chatting about? I'm gonna make you beg me to stop!" My opponent Joe declared, licking his blade menacingly.
"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not into men," I replied calmly, maintaining my composure.
My words seemed to anger him even more. Although, I was attempting to get under his skin, I was also being honest.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Joe screamed, his face turning visibly red with anger.
"You're not allowed to kill your opponent, though," I replied calmly, trying to provoke him so he'd think irrationally, little did I know I fucked up.
I raised my guard like a boxer would, though mine was very amateurish or rather non existent.
The crowd was dumbfounded by my responses. To them, it seemed like I wasn't taking the situation seriously.
"This kid keeps adding fuel to the fire. He must have a death wish…"
3, 2, 1, Fight!
The countdown began, and Joe, who had been fifty feet away, seemingly vanished in an instant before reappearing beside me.
I barely had time to react before his kick landed hard in my ribs, sending me sprawling across the arena until I crashed into the barrier.
Pain surged through me, and I coughed up blood, my upper body feeling numb and my legs lost all strength.
As Joe closed in on me, I knew I had only one choice left.
"I-I surrender," I managed weakly.
I then knew that my plan to provoke him was a very dumb one.
The referee intervened, stopping the fight, much to Joe's evident anger at my surrender.
Soon after, I was escorted to an infirmary where a lone nurse awaited. Her beauty was striking, the kind that could easily grace the covers of magazines back on Earth.
She was a stunning woman with long, flowing black hair cascading down her back with her smooth skin. Her mesmerizing silver eyes, adding more to her charm. Her smile captured anyone's attention.
She turned to me, her tone casual yet curious. "That was a rather bizarre fight," she remarked, her hands glowing with healing energy as she worked on my injuries.
Even though I knew this world was filled with magic, witnessing it firsthand still felt surreal. My broken ribs, which would normally take months to heal, were already starting to feel better.
"That Joe guy is lucky I didn't unleash my full strength," I joked weakly, surprised when Kim chuckled in response.
"Your true strength would certainly have prevented you from being tossed around like a ragdoll, right?" Kim added, smiling knowingly.
"Correct," I replied, wincing as speaking exacerbated the pain.