The hallway buzzed with whispers and muttered exclamations as students poured out of the classroom.
"Did you see that?" someone muttered. "He's not human… a complete monster." Heads turned back, eyes filled with awe and disbelief, all directed at the lone figure still seated inside.
One by one, they drifted away, shaking their heads in amazement.
Inside, Ares was still sitting in his chair, drenched in sweat. His face was locked in fierce concentration.
The only other person in the room was the official with the goatee, watching Ares with a look that was part disbelief, part admiration.
Under his breath, the official muttered, "Unreal… this kid is something else."
Ares didn't notice any of this. He was clinging to the sensation of his Bloodline bead with every ounce of his focus.
Hours blurred together, and night fell over the camp, but he stayed lost in that moment, holding onto the bead like it was the only thing in the world.
His consciousness had narrowed to a singular focus—the Bloodline bead's sensation pulsing within him. Nothing else existed; the world beyond was an afterthought.
Suddenly, the connection weakened, the sensation starting to fade. Ares gritted his teeth, but it was like trying to hold onto a shadow—it kept slipping.
Just as he thought he'd lost it, an intense pain shot through his mind, like a bolt of lightning. He let out a choked scream from his throat as his body seized, and he collapsed onto the floor, and then darkness overtook him.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the floor, dazed and confused.
Blinking, he saw several figures standing around him—three officials, the vice-captain, and, to his shock, Commander Selene.
They were all staring at him with expressions of disbelief mixed with something close to admiration.
One of the officials finally broke the silence. "Ares, you just did something almost unheard of. You reached the first milestone in connecting with your Bloodline bead in one night."
A murmur of approval rippled through the group. The official with the goatee, who had been watching Ares all night, shook his head in amazement. "Most students take a week to reach that point. You did it in a single night. And in one go at that."
Ares sat up slowly, his head pounding as he tried to make sense of everything. "What… what exactly happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
The vice-captain stepped forward, respect clear in his gaze. "You've broken through the first milestone of your Bloodline bead connection. It's the first step to fully controlling your Bloodline power. The fact that you did it so quickly… it's a rare achievement."
Selene nodded, her eyes sharp with approval. "Remarkable work, Ares. This kind of dedication will serve you well."
An official stepped up, holding a small metal key. It was polished and intricate, gleaming under the lights as he handed it to Ares. "This key is yours now. It's for the elite dorms. Only the top talents in the camp get access to those dorms—they're equipped with advanced training facilities that will help you reach your full potential. It's a reward for what you accomplished tonight."
Ares stared at the key in his hand, feeling its cool weight. He'd heard whispers about the elite dorms.
It was reserved for only the top talents in the camp which was determined through the Zenith Tower top 100 rankings.
"Thank you," he said, bowing his head slightly in gratitude.
The official with the goatee gave a small chuckle. "Now, you'd better get some rest. The Bloodline Beast Awakening Ceremony is happening first thing in the morning, and you're going to need your energy."
Ares stood, feeling the exhaustion in his bones but also a surge of excitement. Just as he was about to leave, Commander Selene called out to him.
"Ares," she said, her voice warm but direct. "When you've had some rest, come to the executive block. I'd like to have a word with you."
Their gazes met, and for a moment, Ares felt a surge of anticipation. "Understood, Commander."
_____
Ares finally arrived at the elite dorms, and as he stood before the imposing structure, he could tell this was nothing like the regular dorms scattered across the camp.
These buildings had a sleek, modern design, towering a little higher than the standard dorms, with glass windows reflecting the early morning sun and metallic walls that gleamed with a soft silver finish.
The entrance was flanked by two massive pillars etched with intricate markings representing various Bloodlines, almost as if they were a silent promise of the potential and power cultivated within these walls.
Inside, the elite dorms were just as impressive.
The main hall boasted spacious lounges with comfortable leather seating, soft lighting, and big screens lining the walls, displaying updates on camp events and rankings.
Everything had a refined air, from the polished marble floors to the soft hum of advanced tech woven seamlessly into the dorm's structure.
Ares quickly made his way down the hall, spotting signs that led to the training facilities.
When he pushed open the doors to the gym area, his jaw nearly dropped. This wasn't just a gym—it was a futuristic training center, equipped with devices he'd only ever read about.
The room was expansive, almost as large as the main hall, with towering ceilings and sleek, high-tech machinery spread throughout.
There were gravity control pods lined at one side of the room. A display interface hovered outside each pod, allowing trainees to adjust the gravity settings for personalized resistance training.
There were multiple Advanced Training dummies placed towards the centre of the gym and many other equipments that Ares didn't even know what to call them, talk less of what they did.
Feeling a renewed sense of excitement, Ares took a deep breath, knowing that he was now in a place that could truly help him grow.
He'd reached a new stage in his journey, surrounded by tools that would challenge him to become stronger than he'd ever imagined.
After looking around a bit more, he moved out of the training room and proceeded to the rooms area. As he moved, he couldn't help but notice that the whole place was completely empty.
This was to be expected, as no one had attempted the Zenith Tower among the youths in Chain 54 Camp.
Ares actually liked the peace and quiet very well.
He found the rooms area and randomly chose the first one. The interior of this room was also a lot better than the common dorms.
There was a lot more space in it and there was also a bit more accessories and gadgets.
He wandered over to the bed, running his hand along the soft fabric, still in awe at the change in his surroundings.
He had barely begun to think about all the training he'd do here when a strange sensation snapped him out of his thoughts.
A warm pulse spread across the back of his hand. At first, it was subtle, almost like a faint heartbeat, but then it grew stronger.
Ares looked down to see the Bloodline Mark on his hand glowing with a faint red light, each beat making the heat intensify until it started to sting.
"What…?" Ares muttered, his brows knitting in confusion. He gritted his teeth as the mark pulsed harder, growing almost uncomfortably hot.
It felt like a furnace under his skin, throbbing with a rhythm that seemed to speed up, as if it had its own frantic heartbeat.
The heat began spreading up his arm, each pulse stronger than the last, filling his senses and making his head spin.
He stumbled back, gripping his wrist as if that might somehow calm the mark down, but it only seemed to make it worse. The glowing red seemed to grow brighter, casting strange shadows on the walls around him.
"What the hell is going on?" he thought, his pulse racing as he stared at the mark.
Power stone Goal!
100 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
200 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
300 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.