The next day, in class, everyone was seated in their usual positions, eagerly waiting for the test results. Professor Abigail, with a big smile on her face, began to distribute the papers.
"Now that we're all here, it's time to share the test I gave you yesterday and see what you all got," she said, her tone dripping with excitement.
As she handed out the papers, the students couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Kaliyah, confident in her abilities, thought to herself, "Finally. The test was so easy. I'm sure I'll get a perfect score, no doubt."
After distributing the papers, Professor Abigail said happily, "You can now turn your papers to see what you got." Her tone was infectious, and the students couldn't wait to see their results.
Everyone flipped their papers and started comparing their scores, telling each other what they got. Xarath, proud of himself, said, "It's no surprise if I know what I will already get."
He then turned his paper and saw that he had scored 100%, with a note below that read, "A perfect score, well done." Xarath wasn't surprised, and he proudly showed his paper to the class, saying, "I told you. I knew I would get a perfect score."
Kaliyah, already aware of Xarath's score, paid no attention to him and turned her paper, hoping for a perfect score. However, she was disappointed to see that she had scored 95%, with a note below that read, "You could have gotten a perfect score but your handwriting wasn't good. Try improving your handwriting."
Kaliyah's face turned red with frustration. "What does handwriting have to do with this?" she thought, feeling annoyed.
Professor Abigail, watching Kaliyah's reaction, giggled, waiting for her expression. Aster, sitting beside Kaliyah, saw her marks, but his expression remained calm and expressionless.
"Was she in a rush or is it something else?" Aster thought, analyzing the situation.
Kaliyah, thinking that Aster was making fun of her, felt a surge of jealousy. "He's probably making fun of me in his head. At least I did better than everyone else," she thought.
When she looked at Aster's paper, she saw that he had scored 70%, with a note below that read, "Nice work. Your handwriting is great." Kaliyah's face didn't change, but she felt a pang of jealousy.
"I did pass him overall. But his handwriting is better than mine. Either way, it bothers me because it feels like our marks are equal in a different way. But it doesn't matter to me," Kaliyah thought, trying to convince herself.
Asare, sitting nearby, stood up and went to Aster, saying, "Damn, you passed by a mark." Asare's tone was laced with disappointment.
Asare showed Aster his paper, which had a score of 69%, with a note below that read, "You did well in your work but your handwriting is pulling you down. Your handwriting is too bold."
Aster glanced at the paper and said calmly, "Great job. You could have passed me if it wasn't for my handwriting."
Asare's face lit up with determination. "Well, you're right. But you deserve the win because this is your first time winning me against a test."
"If that's what you want, then I'm cool with it," Aster replied, his tone neutral.
Professor Abigail, watching the students gossip and discuss their scores, said excitedly, "Everyone, listen up!"
The class fell silent, and all eyes were on Professor Abigail. "Since we have nothing to do in class, let's all go to the gym to have some fun and do some intense training," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Asare's face lit up. "Oh man, that sounds like an awesome plan! Let's do it! We're gonna crush it at the gym, get that sweat going, and have a blast! Who's with me?! Let's go get pumped up and have some serious fun! Gym time, baby! Let's go!"
The students cheered and shouted in agreement, and Professor Abigail smiled, happy to see her students so enthusiastic.
"Let's go quickly," she said, and the students hurried out of the class, forming a straight line. With that, they set off to the gym, eager to start their training.
As they walked, Kaliyah couldn't help but feel a sense of competition with herself. "I'll show little what I'm capable of," she thought, determination burning within her.
Aster, on the other hand, remained calm and collected, analyzing the situation and thinking about his next move. "I'll just focus and maintain a normal level," he thought, his mind already focused on the gym.
The Class C Hunter's training gym was unlike any ordinary gym. Though it looked similar to modern gyms, the equipment was designed to withstand extraordinary forces, far beyond what any human could lift. The gym was massive, with a capacity to accommodate over 500 individuals.
As the class arrived, they were greeted by the sight of other C-rank hunters, some wearing their uniforms, while others were dressed in casual attire, all there to train. The students' eyes widened as they took in the array of equipment, each designed to test their strength and abilities.
Aster observed everyone and everything, his calm and analytical mind taking in every detail. Asare, on the other hand, was pumped up, eager to see which equipment matched his level.
Asare spotted a large barbell with weights that seemed impossible for a human to lift. Without hesitation, he strode over to it, catching Aster's attention. Asare grasped the barbell with his hand in the middle and lifted it up easily, carrying it up and down.
The room fell silent, with all eyes on Asare in surprise. Professor Abigail's eyes widened in astonishment. "I haven't even explained how things work here to Aster, and you're already lifting barbells," she said sternly, her tone laced with surprise.
Asare, feeling a bit guilty, gently placed the barbell down, but it didn't touch the ground. Instead, it hovered in the air, supported by an orange magic aura. Asare pushed down on it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Leave the barbell alone," Professor Abigail instructed Asare, her voice firm.
Asare released the barbell and turned to Professor Abigail, curiosity getting the better of him. "Why ain't it touching the ground no matter how hard I dey push it?" he asked.
Professor Abigail smiled, explaining, "That's how it's designed to be. This entire Hunter's Association is infused with magic, including the gym. The equipment is categorized at a C-rank level, implying it possesses extraordinary power. According to Hunter's Association standards, if this equipment is removed from the Association's premises and comes into contact with the ground, its immense weight and force would be equivalent to carrying half the planet's mass with ease. Should it touch the ground, the resulting impact would likely cause catastrophic destruction to a significant portion of the planet."
Asare's eyes widened in amazement. "Damn. And I carried that shit easily," he said, his confidence growing.
The room erupted in applause, with even the other hunters stopping their training to acknowledge Asare's impressive feat. Asare's confidence soared, and he complimented himself. "Thanks for the appreciation, but carrying it was a breeze, so I don't deserve this much," he said, his smile growing wider.
Xarath, feeling a bit threatened, interrupted Asare's moment of glory. "Oh, please. I can carry this easily with my finger," he said, his smile dripping with pride.
Xarath strode over to the barbell and lifted it with his pinky finger, his smile growing wider as he used his hand to tousle his hair. The room was in awe, with everyone believing that Xarath was indeed capable of lifting the barbell with ease.
Asare's face darkened, and he thought to himself, "He's taking away my glory. This shitty bastard." However, he remained calm, not wanting to show his frustration.
Althea, watching the scene unfold, was shocked. "This means Xarath can easily destroy a planet. This is so mind-blowing," she thought, her eyes wide with wonder.
Professor Abigail, observing the situation, grew frustrated. "I brought them here to work together to grow stronger, not to show off," she thought, her face stern.
Without warning, she folded Asare and Xarath's ears, pulling them down, making them kneel. "You guys shouldn't fool around," she said sternly, her face scary enough to make everyone else back off and focus on their training.
The gym fell silent once again, with only the sound of grunting and clanging equipment breaking the silence.
As Asare and Xarath knelt down on their knees, Professor Abigail took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Let's continue," she said to the rest of the class gently and with a smile, leaving Xarath and Asare to kneel down.
"I'm gonna handle this consequence like a boss, straight up. Ain't nobody gotta tell me it's not my fault, I'm ownin' it, gonna take care of it, gonna get through! I'm solid, gonna manage!" Asare thought confidently, keeping his thoughts positive and strong.
Xarath, on the other hand, wasn't bothered by Asare's frustration. His pride still remained intact. "No matter the punishment I receive, my pride outshines it all," Xarath proudly said.
Asare got even more annoyed and thought, "Here he goes again showing his coolness." Kaliyah was also thinking the same as Asare, "He's really annoying at times like this."
Professor Abigail turned to them sternly and said, "Silence. Allow me to complete the explanation regarding how things function here, specifically for Aster and for the majority of us who are unfamiliar with the inner workings."
The class fell silent, and Professor Abigail continued, "Every piece of equipment in this gym is classified as C-rank level, specifically calibrated for you to handle and utilize effectively. When an equipment is touched or made contact with - whether physically, magically, or by any means that enables lifting or pushing - it's perfectly manageable. However, once released or left by the user, the equipment doesn't immediately touch the ground. Instead, it temporarily hovers in the air, undergoing a process that adjusts its properties to become significantly lighter, thereby preventing potential widespread destruction upon landing. After this adjustment, it then safely descends to the ground. The mechanism is straightforward and designed for safety and control."
With that, everyone understood her words. Aster listened too, his mind coming up with possibilities. "We understand, kindly move on," Bianca said, in curiosity.
"Now that you've all grasped the situation, please take a moment to warm up and then proceed with your training. I appreciate your attention and look forward to seeing your efforts," Professor Abigail excitedly and politely said.
With that, everyone scattered themselves to go and train. Aster also went, as Kaliyah watched him go. Her mind wandered what he was going to do. Aster kept walking, observing his surroundings steadily and calmly.
The gym loomed like a modern gym, with people using the equipment and machines. As time passed on, Aster kept walking till he met a room. And on it, it was written on top as a sign, "Hunters who are part of the guild only, or hunters that can carry extreme loads."
"Since I have observed everywhere, observing here will not be a problem, I suppose," Aster thought. Then he opened the door.
Aster saw lots of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, pull-up bars, stationary bikes, and many more. It was a special room. There was no one inside, and Aster started observing his surroundings.
"Let's see what this room has to offer," Aster thought, his eyes scanning the room.
Aster kept walking closer to the equipment, his eyes scanning the room. He saw a paper in a transparent glass on top of the wall and read it. The paper listed the weights of the equipment in the room:
"*Weight of the following gym equipments in this room*
1. *Barbell*: Weighs as much as *3 or more planets*, placing it in the *C-rank to B-rank level*.
2. *Dumbbells*: Each dumbbell has the massive weight of *1 planet*.
3. *Pull-up Bars*: These sturdy bars weigh as much as *2 planets*.
4. *Weight Benches*: Weight benches are planet-level heavy, implying *1 planet or more*.
5. *Kettlebells*: Kettlebells vary, weighing *1 or 2 planets*.
6. *Resistance Bands*: Surprisingly resilient, resistance bands weigh *1 planet*.
*Notes*
- The rest of the Equipments weights are described in planetary terms, indicating extraordinary strength requirements.
- *Caution*: These are *not suitable for hunters below C-rank*, emphasizing their immense power and potential danger."
Aster's expression didn't change but rather calm as he read the weight of the barbell. "Let's see how good this barbell can be, even though I'm using less than a Graham's number of my strength alone," he thought, his mind already calculating the possibilities.
Aster turned and walked towards the barbell, his expression calm and collected. He picked it up with one hand, lifting it easily. "Just by looking at it, it appears to have the weight of many planets combined, but carrying it feels like moving a hand up and down holding nothing," he thought.
As he placed the barbell on his shoulder, nothing happened. It was as if his shoulder wasn't carrying anything. "My body's strength and power is at less than a Graham's number of its power, and it is not doing anything harmful. Carrying it feels like a breeze," Aster thought.
With that, Aster placed the barbell down, and it started floating on the floor, making itself lighter before landing. Aster watched as the orange magic appeared on the barbell, making it lighter.
Just then, Aster heard someone coming to the room. He didn't move, but instead, waited for the person to arrive. The door opened, and Eryndor walked in, looking relieved.
"Finally, I found ya," Eryndor said, his breath heavy and his face tired. Aster's expression didn't change, but he said, "What brings you here?"
"Professor Abigail told me her class was in the gym, so I high-tailed it on over here and ran into everybody else, but when I realized you were nowhere to be found, I was like searchin' like crazy for you, bro!" Eryndor yelled, his tone filled with energy.
Aster listened to Eryndor's lengthy explanation and replied, "Why did you come looking for me?"
"Aww shucks, ain't no particular reason, y'know! I just coolin', got nothin' on my plate, so I was just chillin', lookin' for you, that's all!" Eryndor said, knowing how silly he sounded, as he gave a smile while rubbing his hair.
"Whatcha you doin' here anyway." Eryndor asked trying to change the conversation from earlier.
Aster replied, "Just testing my strength, but it didn't do much."
Eryndor's eyes lit up, and he said, "Whatcha wanna do, you got somethin' for me to handle here, or should I bounce so you can keep goin'? What's the play, gotta get movin'!"
"It's fine. I was just about to leave anyway," Aster calmly said. Then he walked to Eryndor and went out of the room with him.
As they walked, Eryndor continued to talk, his energy infectious. Aster listened, his expression calm and collected.
Time continued to pass, as Eryndor was carrying a heavy barbell with his might. Meanwhile, Asare carried a barbell with one hand and two dumbbells with the other. Xarath, meanwhile, was sitting on a chair, carrying two barbells on one hand, lifting them up and down with pride, as shown in his smile. Aster just sat down on a chair, observing what was happening.
Kaliyah too was on an elliptical trainer, running on maximum easily. Then she stopped, thinking, "This equipment doesn't align with any of my capabilities. They're not particularly useful, and I have other priorities to attend to anyway." Kaliyah then got off when she spotted Aster sitting down and went to him.
Aster saw Kaliyah approaching him but remained nonchalant. Kaliyah's expression was also calm as she said, "Can I ask you to do something for me?"
"If it's reasonable, then I don't mind," Aster replied calmly.
"Then can you follow me elsewhere? We will come back soon," Kaliyah said, her voice steady.
Aster thought, "Her request is unexpected. It possibly represents a situation of urgency for her. The reason she cannot handle it independently is unclear. It is possible she lacks the capability to do it alone. The motivation could be personal, or she may be acting on behalf of someone else."
"You can tell me where you want me to go. I won't ask much," Aster said to her in a calm tone. But Kaliyah didn't want to reveal her intentions.
"We will arrive soon, and you will be aware of it. Informing you is likely to be somewhat a pain in the neck," Kaliyah said, acting nonchalant.
"I see," Aster replied, his expression unreadable. "If so, then you can ask someone else to follow you. I got other things to do."
Kaliyah was taken aback by this but got back her composure. "You know I communicate with no one else aside from you, and interactions occur only occasionally when we are discussing points of difference. Therefore, approaching you is my sole alternative."
"Alright, I will go...But whatever you're going to do next and with me following you...Is it for your personal gain or someone else told you to do it?" Aster asked, trying to let Kaliyah reveal her intentions further.
Kaliyah thought, "He should stop asking the questions and follow me already," getting frustrated, but she kept her cool. "This is for my own personal gain, and I want you to come along. It won't lead to any trouble," Kaliyah said.
"Why do you need me for your personal gain? Unless, I'm somehow involved in your game. Maybe, you were told by someone else that you were supposed to bring me along," Aster calmly said.
"It's like he's reading my intentions like a book." Kaliyah thought.
Kaliyah was in shock as Aster had revealed her intentions, but she didn't let it get to her. "I don't really get what you mean. But if you won't go, then say so, because I'm in a hurry," Kaliyah said with frustration.
With that, Kaliyah turned and walked away, going out of the gym to elsewhere. As she was going, she thought, "I should've known that convincing him isn't going to be easy. He's on a whole different level."
Aster continued to sit, his expression calm and collected, like nothing had happened. He was nonchalant, and his actions were according to his plan.
Time continued to pass, as the afternoon sun beat down, becoming even hotter. And At last, it was lunchtime. People who came in the gym started going out, and Professor Abigail gathered everyone in her class, including Eryndor.
"Y'all have worked hard. Though some of you are thinking that the gym equipment is too easy to handle, I apologize it didn't meet your expectations," Professor Abigail said excitedly. "But for now, let's go for lunch."
Everyone cheered loudly and went out of the gym, heading towards the eatery. As they walked, Aster noticed that Kaliyah was nowhere to be found, though no one else seemed to realize it.
As they reached the main area outside the Class C compound, Aster's eyes scanned the crowd. That's when he spotted Kaliyah with someone familiar. The person beside Kaliyah was none other than Kennox, a strong A-rank hunter, mostly known as Valtira's bodyguard.
Aster's expression remained calm, but his mind was racing. "I remember the guy beside Kaliyah. But why are they together...If I had to guess, then I will say maybe he's the reason why Kaliyah needed me for a reason. It also seems like he's also hiding something," Aster thought, his eyes fixed on the pair.
Meanwhile, Kennox smiled at Kaliyah. "They're gone finally. Now we'll head over to see your sister. She's still at the Class A's compound waiting for you. You know she'll be a bit let down that you didn't follow through on what you were supposed to do," Kennox said, his gentle smile covering his mystery.
Kaliyah didn't reply, her expression uninterested. "Enough talking. Let's get moving already," she said, her voice firm.
"Whatever," Kennox replied, not bothered by Kaliyah's response. And with that they started moving in the opposite direction of the eatery.
As Aster continued to walk with his class, he kept an eye on Kaliyah and Kennox. He wondered what their relationship was and what they were planning.
"Let's hurry up, everyone!" Eryndor exclaimed, his energetic voice breaking the silence. "I'm starving!"
The class chuckled, and Aster's eyes returned to the front, his expression calm and collected.
As Kaliyah and Kennox walked, Kennox turned to Kaliyah and said, "You know, I'm getting a bit curious about what you're planning. Care to share?"
Kaliyah's expression remained cold. "You'll find out soon enough," she replied, her voice icy.
Kennox smiled, unfazed. "I'm looking forward to it," he said, his eyes gleaming with interest.
...
The Class A's compound was far stronger and better than the rest of the lower ranks' compounds. Kaliyah and Kennox had reached the compound, and they were outside the training area as they entered. The training area in Class A was match wider and developed differently compared to Class C's. The area was so wide that from above, people looked like insects. There was an invisible barrier around the entire area, and it was very strong.
As both Kaliyah and Kennox entered, walking straight, they met Valtira, who was also in the training area, walking towards them. Valtira's smile was filled with energy and pride. But when she didn't see Aster, she got disappointed immediately.
"So he's not here, huh," Valtira said in disappointment.
Kaliyah stood her ground and said, "You should know he's not easy to convince. He saw through me while I was having a conversation with him."
"Really, huh. Maybe, you're just too easy to read...Our deal is off," Valtira said, as her disappointment turn to frustration.
"The goal was to get me stronger. How is he involved in all this?" Kaliyah asked, standing her ground.
But before Valtira could reply, Kennox had already reappeared beside her and whispered something in her ear.
Valtira seemed impressed by what Kennox had whispered in her ear and said, "I don't mind if you want it that way. But make sure to teach her a lesson."
Kaliyah immediately knew what was going to happen. "They should bring it on already. I'm prepared to even take both..." But before she could finish, Kennox had punched her stomach.
Kaliyah was in pain but kept it to herself. Kennox's smile grew wider as Kaliyah screamed in pain. Then with his other hand, he was about to cut off Kaliyah's neck, but Kaliyah jumped backwards, going far.
Kennox continued to smile as Kaliyah jumped backwards very far. But with Kennox's instant speed, he was in front of her before Kaliyah could land. They were both in mid-air, falling to the ground. He then brought his fingers, looking hard and sharp, as they were going to pierce her stomach.
Kaliyah quickly said, "Emerge!" Then two of Kaliyah's shadow soldiers appeared, one in front and one behind him. Kennox hit the soldier in front of Kaliyah at the stomach instead, but nothing happened to the soldier. Then the other soldier at the back used both hands, attached and closed, and hit Kennox back.
This was unexpected to Kennox, as he then fell to the ground brutally. Valtira watched the whole scene with an amused smile.
"Interesting," Valtira thought, her eyes fixed on Kaliyah. "You have some tricks up your sleeve, don't you?"
Kennox quickly got up, not injured, and seemed amused. Kaliyah finally landed on the ground, prepared.
"That was lit. Try killing me this time, you hear. If not, I'm going to kill you," Kennox said with amusement.
Kaliyah charged forward, her two shadow soldiers running alongside her. Kennox sprinted towards her, his fists clenched. As they neared each other, Kennox jumped above Kaliyah, unleashing a powerful kick. However, one of Kaliyah's soldiers jumped up and blocked the kick, countering with a punch to Kennox's chin.
Kennox's expression turned serious as he grew frustrated. "I've had enough of this shit. I'm ending this," he said, his fist flying towards the soldier. But the shadow soldier quickly grabbed Kennox's leg and spun him around, throwing him to the ground.
Kaliyah seized the opportunity, dashing towards Kennox with incredible speed. She delivered a devastating punch to his face, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood spurted from Kennox's mouth, but he laughed maniacally.
"That's it! Kill me!" Kennox yelled, his face covered in blood.
Kaliyah's expression remained calm, but her words were laced with disappointment. "Are you really an A-rank? I was holding back, but that was enough to get blood on your face. How pathetic."
Valtira, watching from a distance, couldn't help but comment. "Don't be foolish, Kaliyah. He's an A-rank for a reason. Just wait and see the mess you'll get yourself into."
Kaliyah shot back, "I don't need your warning. I know that already."
Kennox stood up, spitting blood, and said, "Let's end this at once." Kaliyah stayed on guard, her eyes fixed on Kennox.
As Kennox got up, his smile widened. Kaliyah found this frustrating and said, "Just give up already. I didn't come all the way here to have a battle with you. I came to have a proper fight with Valtira."
Kennox's expression turned angry. "You have no clue what you're saying, huh? You haven't even made a crack on the ground, and you think you can defeat her? Even defeating me is going to be a problem for you."
Kaliyah realized Kennox was right and thought, "He's right. The grounds here are somehow built different."
Kennox saw Kaliyah's curious face and said, "Let me tell you this. The training area in Class A is built different, entirely on a whole different level. It has the strength of exactly 3 filled universes combined."
Kaliyah's eyes widened in shock. "What the..."
Valtira laughed, teasing Kaliyah. "Hahahahaha. Why did you have to tell her that? You will make her feel like a child now...Hahahaha."
Kaliyah stepped back, her shadow soldiers shielding her. "It's time for me to end this shit," Kennox finally said.
The battle was about to escalate, and only one person could emerge victorious.
Then, with that, Kennox closed his fist, raised his thumbs from both of his hands, forming a circle with his thumbs and index fingers. Kaliyah watched what Kennox was doing; she immediately knew it was about to get serious.
"He's getting serious now. I need to be more alert and stay focused. I can't let any doubts or worries distract me and cause me to slip up," Kaliyah thought, preparing herself as her two shadow soldiers also increased their guard. Their main priority was to protect Kaliyah.
Then, all of a sudden, Kaliyah started turning dizzy. She didn't even see her surroundings and what was going on. She fell to the ground as Kennox stayed focused, linking himself to his power.
The shadow soldiers saw Kaliyah falling down as she fainted on the ground. This made them furious as they rushed to Kennox to kill him, their sharp, long, and big weapons immediately appearing on their hands.
They rushed to Kennox, preparing to cut him off. As they were in front of Kennox, Kennox's eyes were closed, but he knew that they were there. He gave a smile, showing his confidence.
Then, at the same time, both shadow soldiers used all their weapons, and it turned black. They swung it about to cut off Kennox. But it didn't hit him, rather it seemed to hit an invisible barrier around him. And the attack went back to them suddenly, as they went far aback, even behind Kaliyah.
They couldn't even move or get up anymore. Kennox then opened his eyes and said, "I'm stretching this out on purpose, and now I'm wrapping it up." Kennox mocked in disappointment.
Valtira, who was watching, smiled even wider because she knew what was going to happen. Then Kennox said this word to activate his power, "Universion."
Then, all of a sudden, a dark shadow emanated or came from Kennox's body and expanded, covering the area very fast. The dark shadow from Kennox covered the entire ground, reaching where Kaliyah and her shadow soldiers were, and they were all pulled inside the dark shadow from Kennox.
Now, the only people left were Kennox and Valtira. "Let me handle this," Kennox said to Valtira.
Valtira smiled even wider with pride and said, "Okay, it's time to deal with her failure - she didn't do what was expected, so give her a suitable consequence." Kennox agreed and entered inside the dark shadow.
Now, the only person left was Valtira. Then, she turned, going out of the training area. But immediately she turned, she saw Aster in front of her. Aster's expression was calm and emotionless as usual.
Valtira was taken aback by Aster's sudden appearance, but she tried not to show it. Aster stood in front of her, with one of his hands in his pocket. Valtira smiled wider instead when she saw Aster's face.
"You just arrived, right? I'm guessing you've caught the tail end of what just went down," Valtira said calmly, but with a sense of authority. But Aster didn't answer her question; instead, he said, "You have no care for your sister."
"It's not that. I do show care for her...Let's just say she's not reaching my expectations. This is part of the training she requested," Valtira replied.
"Really. Then why am I involved?" Aster asked calmly.
"Let's just say...I know you've been hiding your power," Valtira said, smiling wider at Aster. But Aster's expression didn't change, as he analyzed the whole situation. "How so?" he asked calmly.
"You're the main reason I linked up with my sister in the first place. I've been told a little bit about who you are," Valtira said. Aster didn't say a word, but instead, he walked forward, going straight to where the dark shadow was.
Valtira felt frustrated as Aster passed by her when things started to spice up. "You don't seem to care," Valtira said. Aster stopped but didn't turn; instead, he said, "If you don't want to tell me, I won't push it. Either you're being honest or you're not – I'll leave it at that."
Valtira sighed, knowing Aster had seen through her. "I thought I'd keep him guessing with my words, but he saw right through me," Valtira thought, impressed by it.
"I'll tell you if you don't believe me...One of the most powerful gods said you're strong enough to push me to my limits. That's pretty impressive," Valtira said with pride. "That's all? Well, I don't really care then," Aster said boldly while being calm.
Valtira said, knowing Aster would say something like that. "So, do you want to have a fierce battle with me right now? Or would you rather pick a different time?" Valtira said politely, as she was pleading for a fight.
"To me, that's not reasonable. Unless you would like to force me into having a fight with you," Aster replied. Valtira then giggled, "You're a total enigma, you know? Even the gods aren't sure who you are...They say you're not from around here. You're so mysterious the gods themselves can't figure you out. You're one lucky guy," Valtira said.
But Aster didn't reply and started walking. Then something struck Valtira's mind. "If you're so mysterious, why did you let the gods notice you? There's gotta be a reason behind that," she added, in curiosity.
"If someone's not from around here and shows up for a reason but tries to keep a low profile – the gods watching over this place will instantly spot they're an outsider," Aster said as he continued to walk towards the dark shadow, which started shrinking into one place.
Valtira's eyes widened slightly, impressed by Aster's insight. "I think you're doing all this on purpose, following some strategy. Whatever your goal is, you've definitely caught my attention. I feel like I'm just a piece in your game," Valtira said with excitement.
Aster didn't reply to any of her questions. He reached the dark shadow from Kennox, which was now a small circle. Aster stood in front of it, his expression calm and collected.
"What's in there?" Aster asked, his gaze fixed on the dark shadow.
"Hard to wrap your head around it, but there are endless universes inside," Valtira replied, a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"Why are you asking anyway? Planning on getting my sister back?" Valtira's tone was laced with amusement.
"Don't get me wrong, but she's in this situation because of your own selfish wants," Aster replied, his expression unchanging.
"Whatever you say. But once you're in, getting out of those infinite universes won't be a walk in the park," Valtira warned.
"We'll see about that," Aster said, his voice calm and confident.
Valtira was impressed by Aster's self-assurance. "I admire how mysterious and self-assured he is," she thought.
"You really put her through hell just to get to me. You tricked her, let her get beaten to a pulp, almost killed her...And now you're gonna leave her to suffer in those infinite universes?" Aster said, his tone neutral.
"It's all part of her training. What's it to you, anyway? You got feelings for my sister or something?" Valtira said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"I already told you not to jump to conclusions," Aster calmly reassured.
"Okay, do what you want. This is going to wrap up pretty soon anyway," Valtira said, getting annoyed by Aster's talking.
Aster listened and walked inside the dark shadow. As he entered, the dark shadow vanished.
Valtira turned, walking out of the training area. "It really bugs me that he's going to go after my sister instead of facing me," she thought, a hint of frustration in her mind.