I made my way back to the Fighting Tower, but before I could enter, a woman stopped me.
She had brown hair and hazel eyes and was undeniably beautiful, though I didn't know why she was approaching me.
"Hello, how can I help you?" I asked.
"I overheard that you were looking for a mentor and wanted to see if you were still searching," she replied.
I nodded. "I am. Are you interested?"
She nodded, and I smiled. However, I needed to ensure she was experienced and not just some random person without any credentials.
"Are you Silas Raven?" she asked, clearly taken aback by my manner of speaking.
I sighed inwardly, feeling tired of this recurring question. Though understandable, it was becoming frustrating.
"The rumors no longer define who I am," I replied, hoping to put an end to the speculation. The woman nodded in understanding.
"I see," she said, then continued, "Regarding my qualifications." She paused, taking out her phone.
On the screen was her name, Luna Snow, and a perfect record of three hundred thirty-two wins and zero losses.
My eyes widened in astonishment at Luna's record. Achieving such a feat indicated tremendous power, yet I had never encountered or heard of her in the game.
'Is she just a background character, or did I miss her in the game?' I wondered silently.
"Are you sure you want to train me? I'm sure you could find a much stronger student than me," I said, skeptical of her intentions.
She shook her head. "You have a lot of potential, and I want to help you achieve it," she explained, smiling warmly.
I narrowed my gaze at her, unsure if she was genuine.
Ever since seeing her record, I had harbored suspicions about this woman. At the moment, I didn't trust her completely, but I desperately needed a strong mentor.
I planned to accept her offer but vowed to remain cautious. She clearly had her own motives, whether they involved gaining connections to the Raven family or using me for something else.
"My entire family said I was talentless and weak. Are you sure I have any hidden potential?" I questioned her sincerity.
She leaned in close, her face near mine, and whispered, "Those who said that were blind. Your potential surpasses theirs by far."
Her proximity made me feel uneasy, and I quickly backed away, taking a deep breath. I had a brief relationship before, but it ended due to my intense focus on work back on Earth. Despite Kim being the beautiful girl I've seen, I saw her purely as a friend, yet Luna exuded an aura that was difficult to resist.
"I appreciate your words. I agree to be your student," I said, regaining my composure.
"Great! Your training starts now," Luna declared, taking my hand and leading me through the kingdom.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at a warehouse. Initially unsettled by its darkness and eerie atmosphere, my unease dissipated as the lights flickered on, revealing an array of training equipment and dummies.
"Now, first things first, tell me about your ability," Luna said, arranging training equipment around me.
"It's telekinesis," I replied, opting to keep my true ability, The Absolute, a secret. I still didn't fully trust Luna enough to disclose its power.
"What about yours?" I asked.
She paused for a moment, then struck a training dummy, causing vines to sprout where she had hit.
"It's wood," she admitted, her disappointment evident.
Wood didn't seem particularly impressive or powerful, which only deepened my suspicions about Luna and how she had achieved such a remarkable record in the Fighting Tower.
I would have considered the possibility that she faked her record, but the kingdom took extensive measures to ensure the security of the Fighting Tower couldn't be compromised.
She looked at me, almost as if she could read my thoughts, and spoke, "You must be suspicious of my Fighting Tower record."
I remained silent, and understanding my doubts, she nodded and extended her palms towards me.
In the next moment, her entire arm became enveloped in a mysterious silver energy. My eyes widened in astonishment. "Potentia!" I exclaimed.
She nodded affirmatively. "This is what allows me to defeat most of my opponents," she explained, demonstrating by punching the same training dummy from earlier, creating a massive hole in its surface.
There was no longer any doubt in my mind—this woman was undoubtedly a character from the game.
I was never close to completing all the different endings, so she must be from an ending I hadn't reached.
"By the time we finish our training here, you'll awaken your Potentia too," she assured me as the silver energy around her arm dissipated.
Her confidence in my potential to awaken Potentia only deepened my skepticism towards her.
"What makes you think I'll be able to awaken Potentia?" I questioned.
"As I mentioned earlier, everyone around you was blind to your true potential, but I see everything," she replied cryptically.
Internally, I groaned at her mysterious response.
"Now, your first lesson will be..." she began, preparing to start our training session.
***
It had been a few days since I started training with Luna, and despite my suspicions, she proved to be an excellent teacher. I could already see significant improvements in my fighting style and the use of my ability.
During this time, I hadn't participated in any fights at the Fighting Tower. Luna insisted I wait until I was sufficiently strong, which seemed reasonable.
Normally, I would be preparing for another training session with Luna, but today I was meeting Kim at the Starlight Mall to address my damaged reputation. Kim had kept the details of her plan a secret despite my repeated asks.
Arriving at the mall, I was greeted by its immense size—larger than any I had seen on Earth, capable of accommodating two hundred football fields. Walking through such a large place seemed tiring.
Spotting Kim near a bench, I approached her. She was dressed in a white shoulderless shirt, light blue jeans, and pristine white shoes. In contrast, my own clothes were slightly torn from training with Luna, a reminder that I needed new clothes.
"So, what's the plan to fix my reputation?" I asked as I joined her.
"The reason I chose to meet here is because our destination is nearby," Kim explained, setting off down the sidewalk.
I sighed, following her with curiosity and still in the dark about what the plan was.