Chapter 10: The Beauty and The Mob (1)

[A/N: Wrote it just now. Might edit it later as I publish another one.]

****

With the onset of dusk, shadows spread across the outskirts of the Capital as if they were alive.

Hooded and masked figures, moving silently like ghosts, slipped through the dark alleys, avoiding being seen by the people in the windows of the giant buildings.

Keeping to the shadows at all costs, they resembled the rats that squealed in the sewers.

"By the looks of that thing, it must be this way."

A man who walked with quick steps said; his voice low and controlled.

Consulting the location on a rectangular device, he walked calmly towards the meeting point, a poorly lit, narrow and absolutely sinister street.

''Is he...?''

From where the man was, he could see a person waiting for him in the center of a white chalked circle. The figure, tall and imposing, was leaning against a stained wall. His long, elegant fingers tapped the wall as he waited.

The man approached, his large folder of documents clutched to his chest. The sound of the man's footsteps grew louder as he approached, as if each step was his last.

Noticing his noisy footsteps, the other figure began to whisper an old song in a soft, melancholy voice. 

"When the death knell rings, the sun will disappear forever..."

The figure didn't finish the chant, studying the man with a sinister glint in its dark eyes.

The man swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he added:

''A-and then, there will be peace."

''Good, good. I thought it would take longer. Congratulations on arriving early.''

Those words seemed to echo in the shadows, as if they were being whispered by ancient, evil spirits.

The man felt a chill run down his spine, but he knew it was necessary to keep going, no matter how scary it was.

"So, situation report?"

With the pressure of that moment, sweat trickled down the face of the man holding the files. There were no clear answers there, just questions.

Even so, if he couldn't give an answer to that figure, his life would be in serious danger.

"Looks like we can stop them if things continue as they are. The leader, Maestro, seems very happy about this."

''By the way, is the Witch still on the King's expedition?''

''What witch? My mother in law?''

In response to the joke, the figure, with its mask covering half of its face, raised an eyebrow and frowned as it scrutinized the man.

"Let me see the files, please."

Trembling, the man handed over the folder, not daring to look directly at the figure.

The area was lit by bulbs hanging from rusty poles, which provided just enough light for the lanterns the two men avoided.

"Did you guys take the steps I ordered?"

"Yes, sir. Each of them. There is no way our plans can be interrupted by other organizations."

"And what about the boy? What did you find out about him?"

The figure's voice echoed through the dark corridor, making the man's heart beat even faster.

"The information indicates that Steelheart's disciple won't be a problem as long as we don't involve him. Furthermore, his skills are only ranked at Rank D. Hence, we don't consider him a threat at all."

But the figure held up a hand, silencing the man.

"Don't judge a book by its cover so quickly. That boy is surely dangerous."

"Nonetheless, his skills..."

"The rating of an innate ability is not a direct measure of someone's physical strength. Remember, Mael Dashner is known for his incredible physical strength, not his innate ability."

The man took a deep breath, marveling at the figure's wisdom.

"Got it, sir! So, you want me to gather more information about him?"

''Don't just gather information, but keep an eye on him as well. I don't want him to slip away from us, like that girl slipped away from our predecessors.

"Understood, sir", the man replied, bowing in deference.

Splattering a satisfied smile, the imposing figure pulled a piece of brittle chalk from his tunic and drew a curved line on the ground over the white circle.

''I am interested to see how this Steelheart disciple develops. This time, it won't be easy for any of those kids to escape.''

''I'll do my best and keep you well informed, sir!''

''Hope you stick to your words.''

With a flourish of his hand, the figure entered the chalk circle and disappeared, leaving only a ghostly green glow behind.

Glass-like particles began to rain down on the man who had brought the files to the meeting point.

''That's weird…''

The man looked back to where he had been just a moment ago, his thoughts still swirling around the words of the mysterious squadron commander.

Perplexed, he could feel that he had just become involved in something much bigger than he could even imagine.

******

At the Discipline Academy, students weren't ranked by their qualities, but by the level of the skill they possessed.

Those with innate abilities deemed unfit by the Academy evaluators were treated with contempt, regardless of their intelligence, creativity, or raw power.

Though considered a flawed, unfair system by many famous thinkers, the Academy had nurtured great talents over time and had an undisputed reputation.

Therefore, the choice and course of someone's future professional career was determined by this rigorous assessment.

Badly seen in the eyes of everyone — including the big guilds — the regular class used to be called the "garbage dump", as it sheltered those who lacked powerful innate abilities or who didn't come from influential families.

Qiyana Belize, however, was the exception to the rule.

Despite being trapped in the Regular Class, she stood out as the only Academy student to have an almost perfect score on all written exams.

No wonder, if Truman Belmont was the pinnacle of strength and talent in the institution, then Qiyana was, without doubt, known as the pinnacle of intelligence.

"The origin of the creation of the portals is still a mystery. However, through a series of calculations, we're capable to predict the moment of their appearance. But it is important to remember that this prediction is not always 100% accurate."

At the front of the classroom, Qiyana's teacher was expounding on the mysteries of creating portals and dungeons.

Although it was still an unknown matter, it was possible to predict its emergence through mathematical calculations.

Even so, he emphasized that this process was not always accurate.

''Based on what some mathematicians have been able to say, it is suggested that the towers and dungeons began to appear shortly before the Grand Unification. Around the time when the first Epics, those with innate talents, began to be born.'' 

Qiyana listened intently, knowing that her innate ability to understand and apply complex concepts would be tested every day at the Discipline Academy.

She looked down, small crimson eyes narrowed as she read her notes.

• Research indicates that the first appearances of monsters and their habitats date back to 150 years before the Great Unification. After the fall of the Old Empire, towers, dungeons, and monsters all became targets to be destroyed.

• Towers and portals are difficult to conquer, as they require many people and time. On the other hand, dungeons, depending on their difficulty level, can be conquered by a single person if they know its location and patterns.

☆ The rewards from towers and portals are very valuable, containing unimaginable treasures. Anyway, the skins, claws, and mana stones left behind by the monster corpses in dungeons are of utmost importance.

[Final Note:] Callum Alderan was the founder of the Alliance and the first emperor of the legendary Alderan Empire. He is also considered the greatest hero of all time, being responsible for the Great Unification.

The dedicated Qiyana looked over the notes she had taken during class, before looking up at the blackboard where the teacher was writing the new question.

In large, elegant letters, he had written:

"What was the portal closed by the joint efforts of the Black Dragon Guild and the Order of the Withered Rose titled, and what was its reward?"

'In reference to the monster they faced, they named the place Bloody Fang Portal. They obtained large amounts of mana stone which ranked as a record.'

Thanks to the gift ''Eidetic Eyes'', storing information with just a glance, analyzing it in thousandths and compiling answers only with her mind was not a big problem for the girl.

While other students were distracted, she concentrated on her studies and, crossing her arms, was proud of her own dedication.

''You can't do that, you idiot. He's clearly a traitor.''

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But her tranquility was broken when she came across Rodiel Dashner, a boy with black hair and yellow eyes who seemed uninterested in their classes.

Slightly leaning back in his chair, he was making comments aloud, completely disconnected from reality.

That young man was a perfect example of carelessness unfolding right before her eyes.

''How could anyone possibly be so dumb? Weren't you described as smart?'', he stated.

First things first, Qiyana was someone who loved studying above all else.

At first, she didn't have good fighting skills — the most she had achieved was only able to make her capable to subjugate the common people of the realm.

Even so, learning to abuse her power bit by bit, she knew she would rise in society sooner or later.

However, the boy in front of her appeared to be a brute who hated studying.

Holding a book of fiction in hand, he was the disciple of Steelheart.

Yet, Rodiel was described as a failure by others, having been assigned to the Regular Class due to his poorly ranked skills, instead of being one of the Academy's top cadets, as expected of a disciple of Mael Dashner, one of the seven legendary heroes of the Continent.

That was why, even though no one had the courage to say it in front of him, several rumors said that Rodiel Dashner was actually just a weak individual without any intellectual or physical ability.

So, Qiyana, as someone who held a certain prejudice against high-ranking nobles, found the whole thing quite amusing.

''Pfft! How could someone have fallen so low?'' 

She commented, laughing softly — not even a mosquito would be able to hear her.

Nonetheless, in that moment, making her break out in a cold sweat, Rodiel Dashner ignored his book and turned his head halfway to her.

His narrow, cat-like eyes glared coldly at the person sitting two rows away from him — She herself: Qiyana.

‘Did he hear what I said…? How?'

How keen did Rodiel's senses have to be for him to have heard her?

Wearing a fake expression of patience, Qiyana slowly lowered her head and pretended to be immersed in writing in her notebook. At the same moment, Rodiel looked away and went back to reading his book, as if he didn't care.

'What was that?'

With doubt and worry about Rodiel Dashner's true nature, the girl was no longer able to pay attention properly as the class continued.

Trinnn ~ Trinnn ~

Fortunately, after a few hours, the bell rang demarcating the change of schedules.

Qiyana thought she could sigh in relief, but she had her satisfaction completely washed from her mind when, across the room, the professor clapped his hands loudly.

''Now, ladies and gentlemen, what about a little practice test?''

Stamping a smile on his face, the class teacher declared, amidst an immensity of unhappy faces.

****

[Academy Training Camp]

After hours of hellish theory, the class gathered at the Academy's outdoor training ground.

This place was specifically intended for anti-monster combat training and defense against the dark arts.

Although the pass rate of the students was low, the Regular Class surprisingly housed many cadets, so the space was packed like a big party, with over 250 people crammed into one place.

It was almost as we were sardines squeezed into a can.

''H-hmm... Is that guy going to stay there, not talking to anyone?''

''Don't look at him for too long, it could be dangerous...''

''Eek! He's scary!''

''I've heard that he's actually an evil spirit! They say if you say its name three times, it will come out of nowhere!''

'Hey, hey! Just because I haven't interacted with any of you guys in the past two days doesn't make me the blonde in the bathroom!'

I was standing in the corner of the room, just casting indiscriminate glances in the direction of those who dared to look at me strangely.

Luckily, most of them seemed to ignore me.

To begin with, the cadets seemed more interested in sharing their expectations, half nervous and half excited, as they chatted with their friends.

What about me?

I found myself alone, friendless, and feeling like an idiot.

To be more specific, in this vast space, I was the only one alone.

''This is sad as fuck...''

What would my ''Earth me'' say if he saw me living life this way?

He would certainly fire a gun at my head, ashamed of what I had become.

''......''

As I thought about my sad life, being overcome by loneliness, the instructor, Lawliet Alyt, emerged carrying an electronic device in his wide arms.

With no need for any commands, the cadets immediately split into several perfectly aligned columns in front of him.

''Huh? Congrats on getting organized without me having to talk, guys.”

The man congratulated us.

Pressing something on the device's screen, he then added:

“I'm sure everyone knows what that lesson is, so I'll announce the teams without further explanation. Unless something special happens, this team will be the same until after the exams.”

Wasting no more time, he announced the teams, creating anticipation and nervousness among the cadets.

The other teams were listed before mine.

[Team 1]

[Ka'el Sung / Astaph Eliot]

[Jun Lauel / Arthur Baxter]

--

[Team 2]

[Rowlyn Cuckar / Ion]

[Alitia Oster / Orpheu Armstrong]

People were running to and fro, gathering with their teammates.

''This is going to be fun!''

''I hope we can go for it together, man!''

''Friend! Do your best, even if it's not with me!''

I paid attention to my surroundings, but everything seemed to go silent in my mind when Lawliet declared aloud:

''The following members should compose team 6: Analyst - Qiyana Belize; Sniper - Alexander Cross; Combatant - Rodiel Dashner; Support: Owen Porinoff''

With my ears I heard the pitiful results.

Qiyana Belize... Wasn't that the name of one of the three main villainness throughout the story?

This could only be a joke, right?

''Rodiel, are you listening? One step forward, please.''

Waking me out of my thoughts, the instructor called my name harshly.

Following the man's command against my will, I swore internally: whatever god lived in this world, I would definitely find him!

Then we'd have a (not) nice, (surely not) relaxing little chat.

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