Lian lay on a cot in the academy's central infirmary, his wounds from the previous battle bandaged tightly. Despite the care, the pain lingered, both from his injuries and the exhaustion brought on by the Void Armor.
Before classes began, Lian had spent days honing his abilities, pushing himself to handle the overwhelming weight of his powers. But he hadn't expected to use such a draining technique so soon.
"You're making it a habit to keep me busy, kid," Vida said, trying to look stern but failing miserably. "I heard what happened out there. It was noble, sure, but you need to think about your own life too."
"That wasn't nobility," Lian replied, glancing at her briefly. "I normally wouldn't have done something like that, but in that situation... either I fought or I died." He hesitated before continuing. "Elios had spent almost all his energy on his last attack. He was the only other one who might've had a chance against that beast, but not in his condition. If I'd run, the Blood Werewolf would've killed them and caught me before I even reached the portal."
Vida's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"To think he could assess the situation like that in the middle of a life-or-death moment... this kid is terrifying," she thought.
"You don't work in that other infirmary anymore?" Lian asked, breaking the tension.
Vida snapped out of her thoughts and grinned proudly. "Nope! I was only there because it wasn't term time. Normally, I'm stationed here in the central infirmary."
Lian gave a small smile, amused by her pride.
As Vida basked in her self-congratulatory mood, a knock came at the door, and four familiar faces entered the infirmary. Lian sat up with some difficulty, his gaze meeting his teammates.
"So, you're all fine, huh?" Lian said with a faint smile, his voice tinged with relief as he looked at the group.
Dane stepped forward and bowed his head deeply. "I, Dane Volker, owe you an apology. Even though I was assigned as the leader for the portal exploration, I faltered when my teammates needed me most. Because of that, you and Elios had to put yourselves in harm's way to protect us. I hope you can forgive me."
Lian frowned, surprised by Dane's formal apology. "Raise your head. This wasn't your fault. That monster had a fear-inducing ability that paralyzed anyone weaker than it. You don't need to apologize."
"Even so, we still feel responsible," Saya interjected.
"Yeah... sorry for not being able to help out," Toran added, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Elios smiled lightly and extended his fist toward Lian for a bump. "Sorry I couldn't keep up with you in that fight, brother. But it was pretty damn fun fighting by your side."
Lian gave a small smile, shaking his head with a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction, before raising his fist to meet Elios'.
"Director!" Vida's sudden exclamation turned all their attention to the door, where a tall woman with violet hair stood.
"Looks like I've been found out," Lena said with a soft chuckle, stepping into the room. "I'm glad to see no hard feelings among you all, but now I need to have a word with these two." Her gaze shifted to Lian and Elios, her ever-present smile adding an air of mischief.
With that, the rest of the group excused themselves, leaving the two alone with Lena.
Vida, clearly nervous in the director's presence, stammered, "I just remembered I need to... uh... walk my cat!" And before anyone could respond, she was gone.
Unbothered, Lena continued as if Vida's abrupt exit were routine. "You two are likely the most promising recruits this academy has seen in years. I can't afford to let talent like yours go to waste, so I have a proposal." She paused, her excitement barely concealed.
The looks on Lian and Elios' faces said it all. This couldn't be good.
"What kind of proposal?" Elios asked cautiously.
"You'll be my disciples," Lena declared. "I'll personally train you both in special sessions. You'll gain better control over your powers and reach levels of strength you've never imagined. And—"
"I'm in," Lian interrupted without hesitation.
Lena raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained.
"In an academy where strength is everything, the director is bound to be the strongest. Right now, all I need is power," Lian said firmly.
His thoughts flashed back to the tragedy that took his family. His father, a retired Rank A hunter, hadn't stood a chance against that cursed race. Lian had hoped the academy would make him stronger quickly, but the recent fight against a Rank D monster had nearly killed him.
Elios shrugged with a faint smile. "What choice do I have? I'm not about to let you surpass me so easily, Lian. I'm your friend, but from now on, I'm also your rival."
"Good," Lena said, grinning with satisfaction. "This is going to be fun." She turned to leave but threw a final warning over her shoulder. "Once you've recovered, I'll come get you. You'd better be ready."
Her tone was enough to make both of them shiver.
Elios swallowed hard. "I'm starting to think we made a mistake."
"Even if she's terrifying, she won't kill us... I think," Lian replied uncertainly.
"You say that, but on the battlefield, they call her the 'Smiling Crimson Demon' because she slaughters her enemies while grinning and always comes back drenched in their blood." Elios visibly regretted his decision as he spoke, muttering under his breath about getting swept up in the moment.
"Well, it's too late now," Lian said with a resigned sigh. "She won't let us back out, so let's just hope it's not as bad as it sounds."
Neither of them seemed convinced as the weight of their decision settled in. Both knew their lives were about to change dramatically, and whether for better or worse, only time would tell.