A Goal

Monk and Gary decided to stay with Ray in the hospital for a couple of days. Although the doctors confirmed that he was fine, they insisted on additional check-ups just to be sure. Ray appreciated the concern, though he found the extended stay somewhat tedious.

After a few days, Jasmine finally woke up. The moment they heard the news, they decided to check up on her. Gary was especially insistent, burdened with guilt over the entire ordeal. He had apologized to Monk and Ray countless times, but still, he wanted to see Jasmine himself to make sure she was alright.

When they entered her room, Jasmine was fully awake, though she still couldn't move well. Unlike Ray, she wasn't covered in bandages, but the doctor informed them that she had suffered several broken ribs, which would take time to heal before she could be discharged.

"How are you holding up?" Monk asked, eyeing her bandages with concern.

Jasmine gave them a small smile, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "I'm okay… but I don't really remember much of what happened. For a moment, I thought I was dead."

Ray, Gary, and Monk exchanged glances before recounting everything—except for Noir. They told her that Sir K had arrived just in time to save them and that, thankfully, they wouldn't be expelled from the academy. Ray had also asked Monk and Gary to keep Noir a secret, telling them that he had learned to use magic and could summon a pet. Since summoning and taming beasts were linked to mages, it was a plausible enough explanation. He also explained that if Avrion ever found out about his abilities, they might force him to transfer to Roland Academy. That was enough to satisfy their curiosity, and they stopped asking about it.

After hearing the story, Jasmine furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "How did Sir K know we were there?" she asked after a moment.

Gary paused before replying, "He said something about 'The Lurker' informing him. Do you know who that is?"

Jasmine's expression darkened slightly. She hesitated before answering. "The Lurker is a myth among the students at the academy. Supposedly, he's someone who hides in the shadows, protecting students from danger or reporting those who break the rules."

Ray wasn't convinced. He had never seen any sign of this so-called Lurker whenever he used his Dragon Eyes. The only person capable of hiding from his detection was Sir K himself. Perhaps Sir K had simply used the myth as a convenient cover to conceal the real informant.

Once they confirmed Jasmine was recovering well, they decided to leave her to rest and headed back to their dorms. They had been gone for several days, and their roommates were surely wondering what had happened.

As expected, the moment they returned, everyone bombarded them with questions. They explained that they had been involved in an accident during their special Black Sash training, which accounted for their absence and Gary's cast. Kyle, however, wasn't convinced. As a fellow Black Sash trainee, he knew they weren't telling the whole truth and kept pestering them about it. In the end, it took Sir K reaffirming their story before Kyle finally dropped the matter.

Nights became more peaceful as Gary's nightmares subsided. Ray, too, stopped dreaming about the red door. Even so, he resolved to return there one day—once he was strong enough.

Lying in bed for three days had given Ray ample time to reflect on their last battle. Noir had proven to be a formidable ally, her speed making her an invaluable asset. If he could enhance her further with beast crystals, her power would grow exponentially. His next goal was clear: he needed to obtain more intermediate-tier crystals as quickly as possible.

The other thing weighing on his mind was beast crystal weapons. After witnessing how effective Sir K's weapon was against the Minotaur and how ineffective their standard weapons had been, Ray realized he needed a beast crystal weapon of his own. The issue, however, was twofold—he needed both money and a specific type of beast crystal that could be forged into a weapon.

Ray was back in the martial arts hall, training under the old man. Though his mentor hadn't questioned his absence, it was clear he was relieved to see Ray unharmed. They resumed their regular sessions, focusing on refining his combat techniques.

They practiced Ray's three fighting forms. The first form involved standard swordplay, concentrating on enhancing attack power through Ki infusion to make his strikes as fast and powerful as possible. The second was his beast form—an unpredictable, feral style that allowed him to move swiftly on all fours, making his attacks harder to anticipate. The third and final form was his martial form.

This form was a hybrid between the first two. Ray carried his blade in his mouth while utilizing his fists for martial arts techniques. It was an ideal balance, allowing him to block attacks and counterstrike efficiently. However, it had a major flaw—if his opponent's Ki surpassed his own, his bare hands wouldn't be able to withstand their attacks, making him vulnerable to bladed strikes.

At the moment, Ray wasn't too concerned about that. With the Minotaur's mana added to his own, he now had ten mana points, an unusually high amount for a student his age.

He sparred with the old man using his martial form, learning new close-combat techniques. Each session pushed his limits further, but he welcomed the challenge.

"Good, good," the old man said, nodding in approval. "You're progressing well. I think you'll soon be ready for the upcoming tournament."

Ray blinked. "Tournament?"

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Do you not remember? It's the tournament between all students to determine who will represent Avrion Academy in the All-Kingdom Tournament."

With everything that had happened recently, Ray had completely forgotten about it. The tournament was set to begin in a couple of months and would include both second-year and third-year students. The top five combatants would then move on to the All-Kingdom Tournament, where they would compete against fighters from across the continent.

The old man smirked. "As my student, I expect you to make it to the top ten at the very least."

Ray exhaled, already feeling the pressure. "I think I need some new equipment first."

The old man studied Ray's attire. He had no beast gear whatsoever, which put him at a clear disadvantage. Third-year students had spent an entire extra year hunting beasts, giving them ample opportunities to acquire powerful gear.

After a moment of contemplation, the old man grinned. "I think I have something you might like."