The morning sun rays streamed from the windows at my side as the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. I sat at my usual spot at the corner of my café as I glanced at my plate, which was nearly empty—just a few crumbs of toast and the last sip of my coffee left.
I leaned back in my chair, feeling unusually calm.
'Today was the day.'
The corner of my mouth twitched slightly as I thought about Mia's message. According to her, the news would start spreading around 12 noon.
I pushed my plate aside, grabbed my coat, and stood up. "Thanks for the breakfast," I called out to my mom, who was busy behind the counter.
She smiled warmly. "Don't skip lunch!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said with a smirk and walked out.
---
The train ride to Frostvile City was as quite as ever. I found my usual seat empty by the window, watching the cityscape blur into the countryside as the train speed along. The scenery of Frostvile Mountain range pulled me into my thoughts.
Glory's seminar was conducted in NOVA's auditorium, the largest auditorium in Frostvile Kingdom, capable of holding almost five hundred thousand people. NOVA provides all these extraordinary facilities, and that's not the reason why NOVA is considered the greatest.
NOVA Academy is different—unique, actually. The laws of Essence that govern the this world don't apply here. Normally, students from different kingdoms are affected by the lack of their dominant [Elemental] in kingdoms other than their homeland. But here at NOVA, it's an entirely different story.
NOVA has all the [Elemental Essences] fire, water, earth, wind, and ice balanced equally. No student suffers from a disadvantage due to their [Elemental].
But, some may ask: how is that even possible? Isn't the distribution of Essence tied to the environment?
Exactly. In theories, it shouldn't be possible. But according to my speculation, it's tied to quantum field dynamics, which is a sort of Essence equilibrium field that blankets the whole academy grounds. Others also think there might be an ancient artifact buried deep beneath the campus, something that stabilizes all the Elemental Essences. But no one truly knows. It's one of NOVA's greatest mysteries.
That's why students from all five kingdoms flock to NOVA instead of their local academies. Here, they get to compete with others on equal footing, unaffected by the limitations of Elemental laws. And that's what makes NOVA not just an academy, but also one of the greatest kingdoms on the planet.
After an hour, I finally arrived at Frostvile.
---
Standing in front of Nova's gates, I spotted Anna. She looked as focused as ever, her sharp crimson eyes scanning the area.
'That's Unusual.'
"Morning, Anna!" I called out.
She turned, her face lighting up slightly when she saw me. "Good morning, Zane."
"Why are you so early today?" I asked, walking up to her.
Anna brushed her crimson-hair behind her ear. "I wanted to grab a front-row seat at the seminar. You know how packed it's going to be."
I raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin appeared on my face. "What's this? Don't tell me you admire Glory?"
Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red as she shook her head vigorously. "It's not that. I just… want to know how someone can become that powerful. I mean, he's a single-ranker. How can I not get excited?"
"Pftt…" I chuckled softly. Her relentless drive to learn and improve was something I couldn't help but admire. She wasn't like the others who idolized someone blindly. She simply wanted to understand, to push herself further, to become someone similar to them.
"You know," I said, "that's one thing I respect about you the most. You work harder than anyone to get what you want."
Anna glanced at me, surprised, then smiled faintly. "Thanks, I guess."
As we walked towards the seminar hall, Anna suddenly stopped.
"Crap," she muttered, patting her bag. "I forgot my memo pad."
"We still have time. I'll go with you to grab one."
"Really? You don't mind?"
"Not at all," I said, motioning her to lead the way.
We headed to the campus convenience store. NOVA really had it all—lounges, training grounds, even a coliseum. It was a city within a city.
As we reached the store a middle-aged man, greeted us. "What can I get for you?"
Anna stepped forward. "A memo pad, please."
He handed her a small, neatly bound pad, which she inspected before nodding. "I'll take it."
The shopkeeper then turned to me. "And you, young man?"
Without hesitation, I replied, "A bucket of popcorn."
". . ."
". . ."
For a moment, there was only silence.
Anna looked at me, like I finally lost my mind. "Popcorn? The seminar's about to start. Why do you need popcorn!?"
I grinned. "Exactly. That's the point."
She sighed, clearly giving up. "You're impossible."
I paid for my bucket, and we finally made our way to the seminar hall.
As we entered, the hall was already filled with students from all years, and the seats were rapidly filling up.
Anna frowned. "The front row's already taken."
I pretended to share her disappointment. "Damn. I Guess I won't get to see Glory's reaction up close."
"Did you say something?" Anna asked.
"No."
We settled for a seat in the third row. As we sat down, I placed my bucket of popcorn on my lap, the buttery scent filling up my nose.
Anna shook her head but didn't say anything.
I glanced at my wristband. The time displayed was 11:20 a.m.
I tossed a piece of popcorn into my mouth, savoring the buttery flavor. And my mind already replayed the scene I was anticipating—the gasps, the outrage.
"This is gonna be fun," I muttered under my breath, a wide grin tugging at my lips.
Today, the first dog of Hero Association would fall. Glory would be my first stepping stone. And soon, the rest of the Hero Association would follow.
They didn't deserve the admiration, the praise, the power, or the trust they held.
I was going to tear it all down.
End of Chapter.
[Author note]- There will be two chapters today, so enjoy. And one more thing, I got a contract offer from Webnovel.