Arthur hale

As the students filed out of the classroom, Eno and his friends grouped together, making their way down the hall. The information they had just received weighed heavily on their minds, especially the tournament and the looming expectations that came with it.

"I didn't expect all of this to get thrown at us so suddenly," Eno admitted, glancing at the others.

Lily, walking beside him, gave a small shrug. "True, but at least we know what's up with your power now. The fact that it's not dangerous is a relief."

Eno nodded but still felt a twinge of unease. "Yeah, but the whole 'specialty' thing… no matter how much I think about it, it's still strange. The idea that an ability can upgrade like that feels unreal."

The rest of the group remained quiet for a moment, contemplating the idea of specialties. Abilities that could evolve into something entirely different were a rare and mysterious phenomenon. Few people ever encountered them, and even fewer understood how they worked.

Lance, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. "I had no idea about specialties either until recently. Not even from my dad."

Lance's father, Alan Mercer, was the number one Hunter on the continent of Erevos, making The fact that eno Has a specialty is even more enviable among students. His father's specialty—fire that could freeze—was something most students only dreamed of having.

Eno glanced at Lance curiously. "Did your dad ever mention his ability upgrading like that?"

Lance shook his head. "No. I always assumed his fire was just normal until I saw it in action. When he used his blue flames to freeze instead of burn, I thought that was just part of his power. If his ability has a specialty, then it makes me wonder… what are the chances of me having one?"

Jonas groaned in frustration, rolling his eyes. "Come on, man, you're being greedy! You already have shapeshifting—an S-tier ability, the strongest transformation type there is—and you're still hoping for more?"

Lance smirked. "Hey, can't help but hope. Shapeshifting's great and all, but specialties? That's a whole new level."

Jonas crossed his arms and huffed, shaking his head in playful disbelief. "Meanwhile, me and Sophia are stuck with strength enhancement—an E-tier ability—and you don't see us complaining."

Strength enhancement, while useful, is considered one of the weaker abilities due to its commonality and limited power compared to the other strength boosting abilities. It allows the user to temporarily gain the strength of someone one rank higher than them. So, for example, if someone at F- rank used it, they would gain the physical strength of an F rank.

At lower ranks, this doesn't seem like much, but as one progresses, the difference in strength between an A rank and an A+ rank, Is Big. However, when compared to other strength-based abilities, strength enhancement lacks the versatility and raw power that makes higher-tier abilities so coveted.

Sophia chuckled and elbowed Jonas gently. "We make it work, though. We might not have anything flashy, but we've got teamwork."

Lance shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, it makes you wonder what else is out there."

Eno chuckled. "You'll drive yourself crazy thinking about it. Besides, we've got more important things to focus on—like the upcoming tournament."

Sophia's eyes brightened at the mention of the tournament. "Right, the tournament! We've got the other two top-ranking academies coming from across Erevos, and we're hosting them. The whole continent will be watching."

The continent of Erevos is one of seven that make up the world of Zarynth. Each continent has its own prestigious academy, named after the land it occupies. The Hunter Academy of Erevos, the academy the characters attend, was the first academy to be established on the continent. Over the years, it developed strong ties with its neighboring continents.

However, there are three other continents that remain largely isolated from the rest of the world for reasons you can learn later

In the middle of Zarynth lies the fourth continent, which serves as a central hub for trade between the northern and southern continents. This continent is a vital connection point, allowing for exchange between the The two sides

Jonas groaned again, dragging his feet slightly. "We shouldn't even be worrying about that. The real stress is that we're hosting the tournament, which means the pressure's on us to represent."

Eno nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the eyes of Erevos will be on us. It's our first big step into the world of hunters, and messing up isn't an option."

Lily gave Eno a confident smile. "Then we just don't mess up. We've trained for this, and we've got each other. We'll be ready."

With that, the group continued walking, the weight of the tournament and the expectations settling in,

"I think me and John should go," Sophia said, breaking the casual conversation.

Lily raised an eyebrow, curious. "Why all of a sudden?"

Sophia smiled, glancing over at Jonas, who was already nodding. "Well, since the games are going to be hosted here at our Academy, I think it's about time me and John start preparing for the events. After all, this is our chance to show off. Maybe we'll even catch the attention of a guild or two."

Eno nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. The games are a big deal for everyone, not just the top four. You two should definitely take advantage of it."

"Exactly," Sophia said, her eyes gleaming with determination. "We've got to use every opportunity we can get. Who knows, maybe the right person will be watching."

Jonas gave Eno and Lily a mock salute, grinning. "So, wish us luck. We'll catch you later."

With that, Sophia and Jonas turned and walked off, their footsteps quickly fading down the corridor. Eno watched them leave, their usual playful demeanor replaced with a more focused energy. The upcoming games and tournament were making everyone step up their efforts.

As they disappeared around the corner, Lily stretched her arms above her head. "You know, I think I'll go train as well."

Eno gave her a sideways glance, surprised. "Didn't you just finish training a little before class?"

Lily shrugged, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, but with the tournament only a short time away, I figure I should increase my training as much as possible. No time to waste, right?"

Eno chuckled, knowing she was right. "Fair point. We've all got to step it up."

Lily's eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked directly at Eno. "Besides, I fully expect us to meet in the finals. You better prepare yourself… because you're going to lose."

Eno's heart fluttered a bit at the confidence in her voice, and before he could respond, Lily flashed him one of her radiant, teasing smiles. It was the kind of smile that always caught him off guard, and this time was no different. His face flushed, but he quickly shook it off.

"Of course we'll meet in the finals," Eno replied with a smirk, regaining his composure. "But don't count on things going the way you want. I plan on winning."

Lily laughed softly, her eyes still gleaming as she turned and waved. "We'll see. Just be ready."

With that, she walked off, her confident steps echoing down the hallway as she headed toward the training grounds. Eno watched her go, a smile creeping back onto his face. There was something about her determination that always fueled his own competitive spirit.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat beside him. Eno turned, only to find Lance standing there, his lips curled into an annoying, knowing grin.

"Sigh…" Eno exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "What?"

Lance's grin widened as he leaned casually against the wall. "Nothing… just watching you get all flustered. It's pretty entertaining."

Eno groaned, rolling his eyes. "You're imagining things. Come on."

Lance chuckled and pushed off the wall, following Eno as they began walking down the hall. "So, where are we headed?"

"We haven't seen Arthur in a while," Eno said. "I'm going to check on him before I start my own training."

Lance's smile faded slightly, replaced with a thoughtful nod. "Yeah, I haven't seen him around either. It's been almost a week. He's probably drowning himself in practice again."

"Most likely," Eno agreed. "He's been struggling with his ability, and with the tournament coming up, I'm sure the pressure is Gonna go to him."

"Well, it'll be good to see how he's doing," Lance said, falling into step beside Eno. "Let's head over to the second-year training grounds."

The two of them made their way through the Academy, the familiar sounds of students training is filling the air

Finally entering the training area, the first thing we saw was a boy with jet-black hair and dark eyes, swinging a sword with remarkable skill. It was Arthur. His movements were sharp and nimble, each step taken with purpose and precision. His sword strikes were swift and incredibly accurate, with barely a wasted movement. There was no denying it—Arthur was one of the greatest talents among the second-year students. His abilities were far beyond what most people expected,

But instead of admiration, his skill seemed to draw out something else entirely from the other students nearby.

"Yuck. What's he even doing here?"

"He's just wasting his time."

"He's only in the top 20 because of his parents. There's no other explanation."

The whispers weren't subtle, and the dismissive looks weren't hidden. Students spoke badly about Arthur as if he couldn't hear them, but every word landed. The atmosphere around him seemed weighed down by their judgment, and it only fueled the rumors that spread through the Academy.

Seeing this, Lance stepped forward, raising his voice in an authoritative tone. "HEY, ARTHUR!"

Lance's sudden shout silenced the entire training area. Every student turned to look at us, their expressions ranging from curious to shocked. But Arthur, ever composed, simply paused his training and walked over to us, calm and unbothered on the outside.

"Hey, guys," Arthur said, giving us a small smile. "It's been a while."

As Arthur greeted us, a few students in the background exchanged surprised looks and murmured under their breath.

" Why the hell is he friends with the strongest third years?"

"There's gotta be a reason they're even acknowledging him."

I could feel the irritation bubbling up inside me, and a quick glance at Lance told me he was just as upset by their comments. But Arthur remained stoic, pretending not to notice the mocking stares and snide remarks, though the sadness in his eyes was hard to miss. He always tried to ignore it, but we all knew how much it bothered him.

The reason why everyone spoke badly about him was simple—Arthur had a conditional ability. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he had never figured out what the conditions were to use his power. Even so, he'd managed to rank in the top 20 of the second-year students, a feat that should have been impressive. But to the others, his achievements meant nothing without an unlocked ability. They saw him as easy prey, someone they could mock because he hadn't reached his full potential.

"They really think they know something, huh?" I muttered under my breath, anger simmering.

Arthur shook his head gently. "It's fine, Eno. Let them talk. It's all they can do. They're just words, and I've dealt with worse."

I frowned, but Arthur's calm demeanor made it hard to stay angry. He had always been like this—strong in the face of adversity, even when it hurt.

"Anyway," Arthur continued, shifting the topic, "why didn't you guys just call me? You didn't have to come all the way here."

Lance stepped forward with a grin. "We wanted to see you before you disappeared into your training cave again. Besides, we figured we'd check in."

Arthur's eyes brightened at that, but then his expression grew serious. "Sophia texted me about the fact that The tournament's being hosted here, right? That means… the games will be here too."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's right. It's a chance to show the whole world how strong you are. You can make a name for yourself."

Arthur's face faltered, a hint of doubt creeping in. "Even if I win the games and show off my strength… guilds are still going to look for people with abilities. No one cares about raw strength if you don't have an ability to back it up."

There was a heavy silence, and I could see the weight of Arthur's words hanging in the air. The games were supposed to be an opportunity for everyone, but for someone like Arthur, who hadn't unlocked his ability, the future seemed uncertain.

Lance crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "So… I'm guessing that means all those weeks of training, trying to figure out your trick for your ability, haven't paid off?"

Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. It's been rough, but… it's not exactly unexpected. I knew this would take time."

The mood was heavy, and I could feel the frustration rolling off Arthur in waves. He was trying to stay positive, but it was obvious the uncertainty was eating at him.

Sensing the tension, Lance's grin returned, and he clapped a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Well, hey, maybe your secret condition is something simple like… 'drink three cups of water before every fight.'"

Arthur blinked in confusion, and Lance continued, not missing a beat. "Or who knows, maybe you have to sing before using your ability. You could be the first battle bard of the Academy."

Arthur snorted despite himself, a small laugh escaping. "Yeah, sure, Lance. I'll get right on that."

Lance smirked. "Hey, stranger things have happened. You could be on to something revolutionary. Just don't forget us when you become famous for your magical singing sword abilities."

Arthur laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders. The sadness in his eyes faded as he shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thanks, guys. I needed that."

With the mood lightened, we stood there for a moment, the weight of the upcoming games still on our minds, but at least the heaviness that had surrounded Arthur was lifting.