Travis walked out of the classroom, leaving Abigail with a satisfied smile on her face. She settled back into her chair, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.
'I think I'm going to enjoy teaching him. He has a lot of potential,' she mused.
'He seems to have boundless energy. When I tested their auras today, his seemed almost limitless. Even during the game, when he looked ready to quit, he just kept going. It was as if his energy was endlessly replenished—dare I say, infinitely?'
....
Travis sat outside by the entrance, waiting for his sister. As he passed the time, he mulled over his plans for the day, focusing on how he could strengthen himself.
'Since I have so much internal energy, I guess I could work out until I drop. I wish I had my time stop ability right now. I'd definitely use it. But I never liked using it; it always felt like cheating,' he thought.
He then received a text from his sister, informing him that she'd be out late due to a club meeting. Travis sighed.
'I hate it when that happens. Oh well, I might as well take a walk,' he thought, deciding to explore the area while he waited.
He got up and began touring around the school. After a few minutes, he found himself standing before a tall, imposing gate. Behind it was a high wall. As Travis reached out to touch the gate, a sudden instinct warned him against it, so he hesitated and withdrew his hand.
'This must be the S-Class section. Quite intimidating,' he thought. He turned and walked towards the other side of the campus, which was designated for the Unawakened. As he passed through the entrance, he felt a noticeable shift, as if his limits were being raised and elevated.
'Have they never thought that maybe awakened students would come to this side and make trouble?' he thought.
Travis made his way upstairs to the area where his class was held earlier. As he walked down the corridor, he noticed an open door at the end. Stepping closer, he saw Jack, the guy from before, emerging from the room. Jack's hands were damp, and he was wiping them off with his clothes.
The corridor was eerily quiet, bathed in the warm, golden light of the setting sun that filtered through the windows, casting a heavenly glow along the hallway. The ethereal ambiance made the moment feel charged with anticipation and possibility. Travis couldn't shake the feeling that something significant was about to unfold.
Jack turned to Travis and, upon seeing him standing there, flashed a grin.
"Man, what a relief," Jack said, stretching his arms. "You know how bad it feels to be constipated? It's like carrying around a ton of bricks. Feels great to finally get it out." He stood in the middle of the hallway, smirking as he looked at Travis.
Travis stared back with a blank expression, his face showing no sign of fear. *What a weirdo,* he thought.
"I heard you awakened. Maybe that's why you grew some balls this morning," Jack taunted. "Well, now there's no one to protect you. Let's see what you've got." As he spoke, a brilliant yellow aura began to surge from his hands, swirling with intense energy. The aura crackled with golden sparks, giving off an almost tangible heat. Stone began to materialize around his hands, coalescing into a formidable gauntlet that gleamed with a rough, textured surface. The stone seemed to pulse with power, fitting snugly around his hands as if it were an extension of his own being.
Travis dropped his school bag with a deliberate thud and got into a defensive stance. The atmosphere around them grew charged, and Jack's excitement was palpable.
'This is interesting,' Jack thought, his eyes narrowing with anticipation.
Jack watched as a vibrant red aura began to envelop Travis's hands, radiating with fierce energy. The intensity of the aura suggested that Travis had significantly enhanced his strength, causing the red energy to pulse and crackle as it radiated from him.
'I'm not in the mood to drag this fight out,' Travis thought, his mind already focused on ending it swiftly. 'Let's finish this in a few moves.'
The two opponents stared each other down, the silence between them palpable. A single leaf fluttered gently in the breeze, slowly drifting down the hallway. As it touched the floor, time seemed to stand still for a brief moment before both fighters lunged forward with explosive speed.
The air around them seemed to ripple with their acceleration, the sound of their rapid movements slicing through the stillness. Jack, with his stone-encased gauntlets glowing fiercely, drew back his right arm and threw a powerful punch aimed directly at Travis's left cheek. The punch cut through the air with a sharp whoosh.
Travis, his red aura flaring around his hands, moved with agile precision. He tilted his head just enough to avoid the blow, feeling the rush of air as Jack's fist narrowly missed his face. A slight, confident smile curved Travis's lips, acknowledging the close call with a mix of satisfaction and amusement.
'He's not holding back. Good,' he thought.
Seizing the moment, Travis retaliated with a swift and powerful punch aimed at Jack's gut. The blow connected with a solid thud, causing Jack to stagger backward a few meters. Travis's smile widened, pleased with the successful hit.
However, Jack quickly recovered. He straightened up, a smirk stretching across his face as he brushed off the impact with a casual shrug.
Travis's eyes widened in surprise as he felt a sharp pain in his right hand. Glancing down, he saw blood trickling from a cut. His confusion deepened as he realized the severity of the injury.
Jack chuckled, clearly amused by Travis's reaction.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Jack said with a smirk, "my body is pretty hard. You should really be careful when throwing punches." His voice carried a hint of smugness.
Travis's frown deepened, but he was undeterred. He clenched his fists tightly and braced himself for the next round. Jack's smile widened as he saw the resolve in Travis's eyes. With a burst of speed, Jack charged at Travis, his stone-encased gauntlets gleaming with raw power.
Jack's left fist shot out in a powerful, straight punch aimed at Travis's midsection. Travis reacted swiftly, stepping back and narrowly avoiding the blow. Jack, not missing a beat, pivoted on his heel and threw an upward punch with his right hand—a sharp uppercut aimed at Travis's chin. Travis sidestepped again, narrowly evading the strike.
Without pausing, Jack surged forward with even greater speed, his movements a blur. He unleashed a rapid barrage of punches, each one a blur of motion that seemed to defy the eye. The strikes came so fast that Travis could barely keep up. His reflexes were overwhelmed, forcing him to rely on his defensive skills.
Travis raised his arms to block, but each impact felt like being hit by a freight train. The force behind Jack's punches was staggering, and despite his best efforts, the blows began to wear him down. Each collision sent shockwaves through his body, leaving him bruised and battered.
TO BE CONTINUED
[A/N : Do not worry. He shall redeem himself]