"Ok, you're fast... But not as fast as you think."
Alvina Golias
đ STATUS đ
Level: 41
Rank: S / 00 â Primordial
Strength: 112
Endurance: 64
Speed: 125
Skill: 99
Psyche: 0
Available Points: 0
đč Hidden Abilities:
Vultras (+50 to all attributes) (requirements not met)
Zentros (+150 to all attributes) (requirements not met)
???
đč Pet:
Goliath Spider
Tyrin didn't know it, but he was part of a select group of people who knew the Director's name. His first reaction was pure shockâAlvina's status was astonishing.
Her attributes were so high that they probably rivaled Orion's. The difference was that she seemed to gain fewer points per evolution.
"Damn... Being born in a world outside the Alphas and Betas really makes a difference."
Thinking about it, Alvina's explanation of her father rising to nobility through power made sense. If her father was really born with an absurdly high status, she could have inherited it. With a massive base status and an S-rank potential, it was easy to understand how he had ascended.
Another detail caught his attention. It seemed that simply knowing about a skill or power already allowed her to see them through her identification aptitude. That explained how she could visualize evolutions and hidden potentialsâand Alvina definitely had an extensive arsenal of those.
"She's fast, but she has at least 25 less speed than the Aracnafon. And even though she's stronger, her endurance is still lower than mine. If I can grab her, I have a chance to win this fight."
The plan was set.
Tyrin had 63 available points to allocateâand he invested all of them in speed. The next instant, he felt the world slow down around him.
Now, at last, Alvina's movements seemed normal. They were no different from any other fight he had been inâjust slightly faster.
đ STATUS đ
Level: 34
Rank: SSS / 00 â Primordial Apex
Strength: 72
Endurance: 77
Speed: 118
Skill: 69
Psyche: 0
Available Points: 0
đč Hidden Abilities:
???
???
???
???
???
Incendium (+200 to Psyche) (pet ability)
???
đ Pet:
IlĂștar, the Dragon
Then the attack came.
Alvina's heel shot down like lightning, aimed straight at his face. But this time, Tyrin was ready.
He caught the strike in midair.
The force behind the kick was absurdâheavy, as if a titan had delivered it. With nearly 40 more points in strength, the impact was strong enough to dislocate his shoulder. But he didn't let go.
This was the opening he needed.
Ignoring the pain, he yanked Alvina violently toward him and smashed their heads together.
In the command room, Alvina's simulation shattered into thousands of digital fragments.
Tyrin, on the other hand, collapsed unconscious onto the floor.
"Man... That was, by far, the craziest thing I've ever seen! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I love this kid!"
Alvina was still in shock.
She had been absolutely certain that Tyrin would summon his beastâafter all, to her, that was the only way he could possibly win. Even she had no defense against the fire breath that, according to Gertrudes, the boy had used in the battle at Klandato.
And yet, here he was. Unconscious... but victorious.
Against all odds.
She sighed, crossing her arms as she looked down at Tyrin's unconscious body. She needed to rethink her training approach. This kid was completely different from what she had imagined.
"Caronte, give him a vitality potion and take him to his room," she said thoughtfully.
"No problem." Caronte smirked before adding, "But relax, okay? Even I beat you once I got the hang of it. You've always been weak in endurance."
Alvina's expression darkened.
"Shut up, Caronte. It took you months to figure out something he discovered in a single fight. If I had more endurance, he might have killed himself with that impact. It was almost as if... he knew."
Caronte shrugged.
"Alvina, you're overthinking this. I'll admit, there's something strange about this kid for him to be so strong... but that's all there is to it. Anyway, I'll take him. And you? Go get some rest."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
Tyrin woke up with a pounding headache.
The room lights were off, and it took him a few seconds to get his bearings before he sat up with a groan of pain.
"Ugh... my head is killing me..." he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Oh, right... I headbutted her... But I guess it worked. Damn, this hurts."
Still groggy, he turned on the light and noticed a piece of paper on his desk. He almost never used it, preferring to study books in the library with Gertrudes, so the note's presence caught him off guard.
There was only one word written on it.
"Congratulations."
Tyrin scoffed.
"That's it? After everything I went through? I deserved more than this..."
But he quickly shook his head and sighed.
"What time is it?"
Checking the clock, he saw that it wasn't morning yet. A perfect time to do what he had planned.
Karma, come.
The next instant, his eyes widened in surprise.
The little dragon he knew had grown more than 30 centimeters in just a single day.
That was... impossible. Even for a magical dragon like her.
Tyrin's heart pounded. He had no idea how an IlĂșthar's life cycle workedâfew creatures had a history as mysterious as theirs. But now, a pressing concern arose: how was he going to feed her? And worse... would he have to confine her to the planet Gaia? Some beasts, once they reached a certain size, could no longer live among humans.
Karma watched him with her bright, restless eyes, letting out small growls that sounded... like irritated grumbles. She fluttered her newly grown wings, beating them lightly in a clear display of impatience.
"Hey, calm down, Karma!" Tyrin tried to mask his surprise with a smile.
Before he could say anything else, the dragoness leapt onto his chest, knocking him back onto the bed.
For a moment, he felt her warm breath against his face and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Alright, I get it! You hate waiting, don't you?"
Karma grumbled again but accepted his touch, closing her eyes. Tiny clouds of smoke escaped her nostrils as she nestled against his chest.
Tyrin felt warmth spread through him.
There was a connection between them.
And in that moment, a thought took hold of him.
"I know you must be sleepy, but I have a present for you."
Suddenly, Karma's eyes shot open, and she jolted upright, knocking the air from Tyrin's lungs with a flap of her wings.
She hovered beside him, restless, her eyes shining with anticipation as she sniffed around, as if she already knew something special was nearby.
Then, she fixed him with a goofy, eager stare, her tongue slightly sticking out.
He chuckled.
"Alright, let me see... It's here somewhere..."
He went to the wardrobe and retrieved the item.
The moment he held it up, Karma was locked in.
"Hey, relax! I'm giving it to you," Tyrin said, raising his hand, holding a small magic stone. "This is a gift from my teacher, so you have to thank her later, okay?"
Karma nodded frantically.
But the instant Tyrin released the stoneâa fragment of the Aracnafon from Varkaan, given to him by Gertrudesâshe shot forward like lightning and swallowed it whole.
Tyrin watched as Karma devoured the magic stone with almost exaggerated satisfaction. The little dragoness chewed enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with delight, as if she had just tasted the most delicious thing in the world.
He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I guess you were hungry... Makes sense. What's it been? Two days without eating anything?"
Karma let out a low purr in response, curling up on the floor as she finished swallowing the last piece.
Tyrin laughed, but then his own stomach twisted in protest.
"Damn... now I'm hungry."
He glanced around, but quickly remembered that Gertrudes' dorm had no kitchen. It was obvious that his teacher didn't care about anything besides booksâthe state of the place made that clear. Apart from the impeccable library, the rest of the rooms were practically abandoned, with no furniture or any real effort to keep things organized.
His own room was modest: a bed, a wardrobe, and a study desk. At least he was lucky enough to get one with a bathroomâotherwise, he'd have to use the shared facilities.
He sighed, feeling an unexpected exhaustion settle over his shoulders.
"Well... as my mother used to say, 'Sleep, and the hunger will pass.'"
The words slipped out almost automatically, but the moment they echoed in the quiet room, he regretted it.
The phrase carried a weight from his past.
Longing.
For a brief moment, memories of his old life rushed in like a storm. His home, his family, the simple moments that once seemed so mundane but now felt impossibly distant.
He missed it all. He missed them.
But he had to be here.
What was happening was far bigger than him. His enemies didn't care about weak or strong. To them, everyone was just an insect to be crushed.
And his planet needed a protector.
He had to be strong.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the thoughts aside.
"Shall we sleep, Karma?"
The dragon flew toward his chest, curling up without hesitation. Within seconds, she was fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady as small wisps of smoke drifted from her nostrils.
Tyrin smiled, running a hand gently over her warm scales.
"Enjoy it while you're still small..."
He closed his eyes, exhausted.
At least someone seems satisfied.
And then, slowly, sleep took him.