" Well, the reason is to filter out those who are unworthy of Class A. I heard that this year, Class A has many students, making it hard for new talent to enter. So, they're trying to reduce the load," Nick explained.
Ms. Martinez couldn't help but laugh when she heard his reason. She jumped down from above and landed in the middle of everyone.
"The game is over. Travis wins. Nick, I'd like you to come see me at my office after this," she said. She then turned to Travis with a smile. "Good job, Travis. I'd like to speak to you as well, but you can come to my class after school."
"Okay. So, how should I convert the money?" Travis asked.
"I'll take care of that for you when you come. Now, the period isn't over, so go get changed. Let's go, Nicolas," she said, heading back into the forest.
Travis smiled and picked up the bands from the ground. Gin and Jason cursed under their breath and turned to leave.
"We'll get him next time," Jason said, casting one last glare at Travis before walking away.
Travis returned to the locker rooms, noting the girls coming back as well, which made him wonder if they were in the challenge.
'I didn't even sense a single girl. They must have been too far for me to hear. Oh well, doesn't matter,' he thought as he entered the locker room. The fiery gazes from everyone greeted him as he changed. He decided to wear his achievements on his arm, which only seemed to further irk those around him.
"I'm not even stronger than you guys. Yet you're so angry at me. Maybe that's why they're mad now that I think about it," Travis mused to himself as he entered the shower, scrubbing away the sweat and grime from the intense game.
After finishing his shower, he dressed quickly. The atmosphere in the locker room was thick with hostility, making Travis acutely aware of the stares from those around him. Despite his discomfort, he continued changing and finally walked out, finding solace in sitting on a bench and gazing up at the sky.
'To think I could fly to space before. Last I checked, our world is big as hell, so that's something to boast about. Wonder when I'll get to that level,' he pondered, lost in thought.
Hector, the guy who had previously made a point of challenging Travis, approached and sat down beside him.
"What are you thinking about?" Hector asked, breaking Travis from his reverie.
Travis looked down and turned towards him. "My future," he replied, his gaze shifting back to the sun. Hector chuckled at the response.
"You're really confident in yourself, huh? It's nice to have an aim. So, when did you awaken?" Hector inquired.
"Just this morning, funny enough. How do you get your ability checked?" Travis asked, curious.
"Oh, you can get it checked here at school for free. I'll walk you there when school ends," Hector offered.
" Nah I'm good. Thanks. Never thought I'd make a friend in such a tense class," Travis said, surprised by the gesture.
"Who said we're friends? I'm simply being nice. I still want to get back at you for before. That was really lame," Hector replied with a smirk.
"Yeah, we'll see about that," Travis said with a grin, feeling a bit more at ease despite the ongoing tension.
As the guys came out the lockers they settled onto the other benches surrounding Travis, it dawned on him just how many benches there were in the locker room area.
'Weird,' Travis thought, noticing the seemingly excessive number of seats. The abundance of benches, combined with the tense atmosphere, struck him as peculiar. It was as if the design was meant to accommodate not just the usual crowds but also the undercurrent of tension and rivalry among the students.
[ In the Forest ]
Ms. Martinez remained leaning against the tree, her gaze fixed on Nicholas with a mix of admiration and contemplation.
" I'm very impressed," she said, her voice carrying a hint of genuine respect. " Honestly, if you had any more time, you might have won. But I'm disappointed that you used your ability before the game started. Can you explain to me why you did that?"
Nicholas, with an air of calm confidence, replied, "Well, you never mentioned anything about not using our abilities, Ms. Martinez. Also, if I was in the field, my actions would have been rewarded, am I right?"
Ms. Martinez's lips curled into a smile. 'Smart kid. Gotta give it to him,' she thought, appreciating his strategic thinking.
" Good. I like that you noticed that. You're one of the three who did. The others were in the girls' group. Well, that's all. Go get changed; I'll meet you all in a few minutes," she instructed.
Nicholas nodded, turning on his heel and sprinting off with impressive speed. As he disappeared from view, Ms. Martinez's thoughts lingered on him. 'He's faster and stronger than Travis. Yet he chose to use his mind. I'm very proud of him for doing that.'
Awakening doesn't just grant you special abilities; it also enhances your natural physical and mental strength. This means that individuals who have undergone awakening become significantly stronger than ordinary humans. However, this enhanced power doesn't reach its full potential immediately.
To maximize their strength, they need to train and refine their abilities. With dedicated effort, someone who has undergone awakening can develop power that rivals or even surpasses those who have abilities focused solely on strength.
'My class is quite interesting,' she mused. 'Especially now that Travis is here. Maybe he's what they needed to push them further.'
Back with the class, the girls came out of their locker rooms and walked past the boys. Travis stared at them as they did. Out of all of them, only two of the girls interested him in beauty.
"Who are they?" Travis asked Hector, who immediately knew who he was talking about.
"You have good eyes. That's Amelia and Stella. Quite the beauties, right?" Hector replied.
"Yeah. Let me go introduce myself," Travis said.
"Don't. They really hate guys for some reason. Must be due to every guy ogling them wherever they go," Hector warned, but he didn't even finish his sentence before Travis had already walked over to speak to them.
Hector shook his head in disbelief, thinking, 'What is wrong with this guy?!'
TO BE CONTINUED