Revenge, Graduation, and What???

"So you survived. Huh?"

Just a few steps away from the camp, they came across the unpleasant man and his small group. At least his injury healed up from the rain before encountering him.

Shay said nothing, he just stared at his soul, showing abrupt killing intent through his eyes.

"Don't you think you had enough?! The whole four years Shay had gone through were torturous to him!" Kel shouted, showing some signs of anger in her body language.

"As if you are better than us. You just stood behind the curtains and watched him suffer. Hahaha. Every time he was hurt, you came when it was safe. What a 'hero,' I must say," he said, shoving hurtful truth right through her heart.

She avoided trouble, despite her friend's pain. However, it came from her parents to always avoid threats. While she was humbled, hiding behind Shay's back, he was unable to tolerate this nonsense any longer.

"Enough! Come and fight me then! I won't stand still when you think so highly of yourself!"

Shay was pissed to the point his killing intent had ruptured, wanting to crush his ego to the ground.

"You think you can fight me? Without a Bloodline Mastery? If it was her who challenged me, I would have turned around, but you? Don't make me laugh!"

The guy who was talking this whole time, while others watched him, was Hilton, a son of a high-positioned noble. His elder brother was known for being a talented hunter.

His Bloodline Mastery wasn't anything special, at least in the hands of this rascal. 'Super Strength,' an ability that would scale based on his base strength, yet his body comprised skin and bones, which was a waste of potential.

Shay positioned himself in a fighting stance, shifting the soil beneath his foot, and holding his sword upright in his left hand. His determination and focus showed in his bright red eyes, and his long black hair wavering from the wind.

Hilton then shivered, feeling a sense of threat. Although he had a Bloodline Mastery, he knew what Shay was capable of when he had watched him fight the master of the sword class.

"What? Are you scared to go one on one? You're just a son of a bitch who hides behind his 'comrades' shamelessly!" He provoked him, baiting him to a fight.

"Now you have done it! You may die by my hands now!"

Hilton activated his skill and the ground below him shook as he bolted right at Shay, leaving a small crater behind him.

'Dumbass.'

Shay gazed at his path, which was straightforward until he reached a few inches before him. What his opponent didn't expect was that he would drop his sword and slide by his heavy swing. After that, Shay used the momentum of his speed, caught his collar, and made a circular movement to plant him like a carrot, head first to the ground, knocking him with a singular move.

[Quest completed. Reward: Strength Boost, Category: Strength]

[Strength Boost - Increases power output by two-fold.]

This was one of the two main reasons to fight Hilton. Not only did he want to complete the quest, which he had gotten before getting into a fight, but a sweet revenge, which in the end, didn't satisfy him.

Everyone present was left dumbfounded. Even Kelly was left stunned on the spot, mesmerizing his bravery by clapping.

Although Shay didn't feel like fighting anymore, since his task was completed, he picked up his sword and said. "Anyone else wishes to be beaten to a pulp?"

As his strength improved, his pose felt even more threatening, unknowing why they felt a sudden pressure, but they all shook their head with fear.

"I didn't say it would be free tho, I could beat the shit out of you at once, but I am generous enough to let it slide at the price of your most precious beast corpse."

The four looked at each other, doubtfulness surrounded the group's atmosphere. Shay made a step, causing the ground to crackle below his foot, making them shake with fear.

'When did he become so strong?' The group thought as one.

Finally, one of them broke the silence of the group.

"I don't know how about you guys, but I am reluctant to be killed by a fucking commoner. Here, eat this stupid lizard," he threw a lizard-like creature in front of Shay.

"Oh? You found a Camo Lizard?" he asked rhetorically.

He grabbed it at its thickest part of the tail and walked backward, looking in the group's direction. When he was at a safe distance, he got back to Kelly, shoving the creature in her backpack. Its arm-length, slender form aided its camouflage.

"How did you know he would swing from above?"

"Kel, you will understand when you learn to observe others more thoroughly," he said.

This answer sounded egoistic, making Kelly frown and tap his arm. After that, she stopped and had to ask Shay something.

"When did you gain those powers you possess now? I would have to be blind to not notice your fully healed injuries and the increase in toughness of your muscles."

"Haha, you got me. I got it when I almost drowned in a puddle of water."

"But there…"

"Wasn't any puddle. There had been one, but I can heal injuries just by touching water. It even repairs my internals and replenishes my blood. The problem is that it still has to be a manageable injury. If my hand was cut off, I don't think it could regrow it back."

"That's insane. But how did your muscles become so firm?"

"To be honest, I don't want to go into any more details than this. You'll have to trust my power, that's all."

Shay planned to divulge his secrets, but the variety of Bloodline Masteries could expose his system through Kelly. Thus, he hid it from her for his own safety.

"Ok, I will. But promise me you won't endanger yourself because of your newfound powers."

"I swear," he replied, fingers crossed behind his back, as he had planned to dominate the leading prowess with his system.

They resumed their journey, walking up a path, signalizing they were close to the camp. The trees forest lost its trees, the closer they were.

A gigantic metal gate, ajar, could be seen from their position. Two guards, one a student ID checker, positioned themselves on either side of the gate. The procedure wasn't anything special. The soldier scanned their badges and let them go through. Then, with no hesitation, they walked to a stand close by.

"Hi, were you able to collect any monsters?"

Kelly turned around to let Shay take the two corpses from the backpack, showing them to the examinee. He was in shock. Students were told to hunt the dangerous species in sizeable groups, but they were just a duo. The other finding was even more stunning, staring at the contents in front of him. Following a period of silence, he used a nearby device to write something on it.

"Badges please."

They stepped closer to present them. Then the examinee told them to head to a small building on the other side of the camp. Multiple armed soldiers patrolled, ready to defend the camp at any moment. As they passed close by structures, serving different purposes for the army, they reached their destination.

They could enter only when called, waiting outside on a nearby bench.

"I hope we are assigned to the same academy," Kelly spoke first, however, worry filled her mind, looking down on the ground with a sad expression.

"Don't expect too much. After all, I was studying for four years, only for it to be useless for me. The only thing I have is the way of the sword," he said, smiling at Kelly to raise her mood a bit.

"Our family could have adopted you," she said after thinking.

"Yeah, yeah. We already went through all this, right? I don't deserve such luxury when we are just friends."

"Do you desire something more?" She blushed, saying such a bold question.

"You should stop messing with me. This phrase is getting old, haha."

After his last comment, Kelly turned around and crossed her arms, pretending to be mad at him. This would also fade as soon as something would break their silence. She always behaved like a child, at least in Shay's eyes.

"Shay, Kelly Heartfield!" The speaker's quality was poor, but was understandable enough for them.

They entered together through a series of metal doors, arriving at a meeting room at the end of the corridor.

Inside, three registration representatives presented three form piles for the academy. One of them looked nerdy, wearing a pair of thick glasses that fit his suit visage. His black hair was sleek to one side. This general, young, frequently checked his laptop in his right hand.

The other general was a giant. His appearance was unique, as muscles surrounded his body. Even his neck was thick, making it impossible to choke him. His face was rough, full of scars, and his head was shaved bold. What was memorable was his brown thick mustache, going along his upper lip. He wore a military-themed undershirt and tactical pants.

This comes to describing the last person. A woman in high heels, wearing black stockings, a short skirt, and a Button-Up Shirt with short sleeves, looked like a typical secretary with blond hair tied in a ponytail.

"Before we start the discussion, let me congratulate both of you for passing the graduation exam!" The muscular general spoke, cheerful and full of energy.

"Now, as you might know, you were called here to make a lifetime decision, which is unreversible."

They knew what was about to come. The time to choose an academy is a crucial moment for anyone who chooses to study at a high school like this. But the worry didn't end there, as they had to be accepted by each of the representatives. Shay guessed that everyone would accept Kelly, but will anyone accept him?

"The process is simple. If we raise our hands on a call, you can choose which academy to sign up to. If the representative of your desired academy doesn't raise a hand, you can show your skills by fighting us. Then we might reconsider our decisions."

When he heard the last part, an opportunity showed itself. They wouldn't say all this if they both could choose from every academy, which meant he had to fight. He wanted Kelly to go to the most prestigious one, as it had the highest potential to raise a star. Which meant he would have to fight with the woman on the right side.

'Fuck, that's going to be tough.' he thought.

"Let's start with the girl. Everyone who wishes her to sign their paper, raise a hand."

As expected, they all wanted her to join their academy.

"Now for the boy."

Silence filled the room, as none of them showed a sign of movement.

'Even that nerd from the lesser academy rejects me, huh?'

"I wish to fight with the representative of the Trinity Academy!" He said while confidence dwelled from his posture.

If he had to tell the truth, he wanted to say it as soon as possible, as he knew Kelly would choose the worst academy of the three for his sake. Therefore, the three stared, shocked. Why would he choose a school that has the highest demands for acceptance?

"Ehm. Are you sure about your decision?" said the muscular guy, showing pity for Shay. Even he feared that lady, yet a student would challenge her with pride?

"Yes sir. Nothing can change my mind, even the most precious person right by my side."

Blushing, Kelly avoided his gaze, too embarrassed to reveal her face.

"Let's see if you are all talk, or have the capability to survive in our academy." The woman spoke for a brief moment.

Everyone present stepped outside to an opened field right beside the building, serving a single purpose. The rain became calmer by the time, but not entirely. While the nerd guy didn't care about the fight, he stayed under a roof to cover his laptop. The brute wanted to see the whole fight. His gaze was locked onto Shay, showing some interest in his bravery and confidence.

While the others stood by the side, Shay and the woman each took an opposing position of the field.

"Do you want to fight with a sword, or with hand-to-hand combat?"

"Whichever is fine with me."

"Let's fight with hands, then. Don't forget, I gave you the chance to choose a weapon."

"Of course I won't, madam."

At that moment, both of them took a fighting stance, examining each other. Suddenly, the wind whirled over her body to show off her skill. She didn't need to do that. The Bloodline Masteries could be activated without revealing it, even enhancing their body with their internal energy.

Both stood still. Shay waited for her show to end, so he might concentrate more on her movement with no disruption. As the surrounding wind calmed down, she disappeared in the blink of an eye without making a sound. Even the ground was untouched, which meant the air mastery allowed her to be fast and light. There sure was more, but at the moment, it was out of Shay's concern.

Fortunately, His reactions were spot on. When the woman appeared in front of him, he dodged to the left side, trying to punch her at the same time, leaving his head uncovered.

Slap!

Shay flew at least 10 meters to the side, crashing into the building's wall and leaving a small trace of his feet on the soil.

"You were just a waste of time, after all."

Before she could turn and continue with her day, the wall crumbled as Shay stepped out of it, emitting a green light on his back, water droplets disappearing upon landing on his skin.

'Wow, that fucking hurt like hell!' He screamed in his thoughts. He knew she would be fast, but not being able to counterattack was depressing. His expression didn't change at all, still wanting to continue the fight.

The two by the side looked with their mouths open, as they couldn't believe he withstood the attack, willing to go on. The nerd felt the building shook and wanted to see if the fight ended yet, with surprise, he almost dropped his laptop when he saw the student walking off.

"Madam," he said, brushing blood from his mouth, "the fight has just begun."