Chapter - 4 [ MAD ]
The new mayor of Innertik City, Pablo Fush, was a domineering man. As soon as he assumed office, he began his work without a moment of hesitation.
In his very first week, he captured the criminals responsible for kidnapping young children, earning him the heartfelt gratitude and warm cheers of parents across the city.
Within a month, Pablo Fush had established himself as an upright and decisive leader, gaining the unwavering trust of the citizens of Innertik.
His name became a topic of admiration in both public squares and private homes, and the people believed their city was finally in capable hands.
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Meanwhile, Victor, on the other hand, was living his days without any significant changes.
Over the past month, he had been steadily progressing in honing his aura, though he preferred to keep his advancements to himself.
The end of the year was fast approaching, bringing with it the final exams for his 8th grade.
For Victor, a soul who had lived thirty years in another world, these school studies were laughably easy. The formulas, historical events, and equations were little more than child's play to him.
What truly occupied his mind was the entrance exam required to enroll in the prestigious Aura Manifestation Institutions.
These institutions were renowned for their in-depth teachings about auras, aura users, dimensional rifts, crawlers, and even the mutated animals that roamed the wild.
They didn't just teach theory, though. Students were encouraged—and sometimes even required—to venture into the wild under supervision, hunting crawlers near government-controlled rifts.
For many young aura users, this was a rite of passage, a chance to prove their mettle.
Victor, however, had little interest in hunting or venturing into the wild. What he sought was knowledge—information about aura users and their abilities, secrets that couldn't simply be found on the internet or in school textbooks. He knew the institutions held answers he desperately needed.
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The classroom was filled with the usual buzz of students chatting and shuffling in their seats.
Victor sat near the window, where the sunlight streamed in, illuminating his desk.
The science teacher, a tall man with graying hair and a stern expression, stood at the front of the room. He adjusted his glasses and began the day's lesson.
"Due to the radiating energy from the dimensional rifts," the teacher explained, his voice firm yet engaging, "wild animals that weren't killed by the crawlers began to mutate. This process transformed the ecosystem entirely."
The students fell silent, their attention glued to the teacher. Even the rowdy ones in the back seemed captivated.
"Many of these animals grew larger and stronger, while some evolved into entirely new species. Some mutations granted them intelligence, making them cunning predators.
Others became savage and uncontrollable, posing a severe threat to humans. This is why the wild has become far more dangerous than it was in the old times before the Dark Age."
The teacher paused, flipping through the pages of his thick science book. The soft rustle of paper seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet classroom, heightening the students' anticipation.
"To combat these threats, a specialized force was created to deal with the mutated animals.
This organization is known as the MAD—Mutated Animal Dealers."
The teacher glanced around the room, his sharp eyes scanning the rows of eager faces.
"MAD is also responsible for recruiting aura users to safeguard nations against these threats.
Beyond dealing with the mutated animals, they are tasked with confronting crawlers and protecting society from the dangers near rifts.
Unlike the military or police forces, MAD is a single, unified organization. It was established by the five global powerhouses: Surruk, Waria, Gallax, Wuton, and Rio. Smaller countries act as supporting members of this coalition."
Victor was utterly engrossed in the lecture. To him, the teacher's words were more than just an academic explanation—they were pieces of a puzzle he was determined to solve.
The noise of the classroom faded into silence, and all he could hear was the teacher's voice, clear and compelling. His focus was so intense that it was as if time itself had slowed down.
Ting, ting…
The chime of the school bell broke the moment. The teacher closed his book and addressed the class one final time before leaving.
"That's all for today. Tomorrow, we'll continue this chapter. If you're curious, I suggest you search for more information about MAD online."
As the teacher exited the classroom, the students erupted into a lively chatter. Some discussed the lesson with enthusiasm, while others seemed eager to leave and head to the playground or cafeteria.
Victor remained seated, his gaze lingering on the board where "MAD" was scrawled in bold letters.
He was deep in thought when the boy sitting to his left leaned over, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Victor, did you know about MAD?" the boy asked, his tone loud and brimming with energy. His enthusiasm was infectious, and his eyes sparkled as though he were already imagining himself as a part of the organization.
"I did," Victor replied calmly, turning to meet his classmate's gaze. His expression was composed, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Even so, it's nice to learn more about MAD from the teacher. It's different hearing it explained in such detail."
The boy grinned, clearly fired up. "Let me tell you! I'm definitely going to awaken my aura and join MAD. I'll make a name for myself on the front lines! Just imagine—slaying crawlers with a single swing of my sword!"
He mimicked the motion of swinging a sword, his arms cutting through the air with dramatic flair.
The sight made Victor chuckle softly. It was moments like these that reminded him he was in the company of children, despite his thirty years of experience in his previous life.
"It's good to have ambition," Victor said, his voice steady and encouraging. "Keep it up."
The boy beamed, encouraged by Victor's approval. Around them, the classroom buzzed with excitement, the air filled with dreams and aspirations.
Victor, however, remained grounded, his thoughts quietly turning back to the mysteries of aura and the secrets he still needed to uncover.
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At night, in the dimly lit meditation room, Victor clenched his fists tightly, his muscles rippling with tension.
With a sharp exhale, he punched forward with immense force, his movements precise and controlled.
A crimson glow enveloped his fists, illuminating the room with an eerie light. Each punch tore through the air, producing sharp, cutting sounds that echoed against the walls.
"Hah… Hah…"
Victor panted heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead and sliding down his face.
The heat emanating from his aura was so intense that the sweat evaporated before it could fall to the ground. Steam rose around him, mixing with the faint black smoke that lingered in the air.
He paused for a moment, raising his left fist high and bringing it close to his face.
His sharp gaze focused on the energy encasing it. The red aura swirled like flames, flickering with life.
Tiny tendrils of black smoke drifted away from it, likely the impurities being burned away from his body.
Aura, he had learned, was not just a source of strength. It also cleansed and refined the physical body.
At the age of 14, Victor stood at an impressive 1.75 meters, towering over all the other students in his grade. His rapid growth was undeniably due to the enhancement effects of awakening aura at an early age.
Back on Earth, Olson—the body he once inhabited—had been about the same height as he now was in Gazzile. For Victor, this height was a symbol of power.
The taller, the better. He thought, a smirk forming on his lips.
He flexed his fingers, testing the energy coursing through his hands.
"Right now, I can kill any small animal within a meter of me. Unfortunately, I can't test my aura on another person... yet," he muttered under his breath, the faint hint of a chuckle escaping his lips.
Victor loosened his fists and sat cross-legged on the floor, settling into a meditative position.
He straightened his back, his hands resting lightly on his knees. This was the part he found both challenging and rewarding—the slow, deliberate process of absorbing energy.
He had discovered that exhausting both his body and aura beforehand slightly increased his rate of absorption.
The improvement was subtle, almost negligible, but Victor believed in the compounding effects of consistency.
With daily meditation, he was confident the small gains would accumulate over the years, leading to immense progress.
Between his thumb, index, and middle fingers, he formed tiny balls of energy, using what remained of his aura.
These shimmering spheres of crimson light floated above his palm, flickering faintly. As he meditated, the aura balls began to draw in the ambient energy from the room, slowly growing larger and more stable.
Time passed in silence. The once cool sensation of energy flowing into him began to shift.
The heat returned, building steadily until it burned with a fierce intensity. His body trembled slightly, sweat beading on his brow once more.
'It's starting to hurt, but I must hold on if I want to get stronger.'
The pain was searing, but Victor gritted his teeth and endured. This was nothing compared to the suffering he had experienced in his previous life. Pain was a stepping stone to power, and he was determined to push through it.
Hours slipped by. His breathing remained steady despite the fiery torment within him. Finally, the pain began to fade, replaced by a soothing warmth that spread throughout his body.
Victor opened his eyes, the crimson light in them momentarily flashing before dimming.
He pulled the aura balls back into his body, compressing them deep within his core.
Unbeknownst to him, this act had subtly purified his aura, refining its quality and making it slightly more potent.
He exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing. The room was quiet once again, save for the faint hum of energy that lingered in the air. Victor wiped his forehead, his mind clear and focused.
The path to strength was long and grueling, but he was prepared to endure.
"One step at a time," he murmured to himself before closing his eyes once more, ready for another round of meditation.