Cain sighed in relief and straightened his posture. He looked to the side, watching his master's lips spread wide. The boy grinned as he opened his mouth.
"What do you think, Master?"
The man stopped for a couple of seconds before nodding. He contemplated what to say as he didn't want to overpraise the boy in fear of his getting arrogant and forgetting his own roots.
A moment of silence descended over the place, yet it was not heavy but rather comfy for Kenji. The man's thoughts were in the clouds after seeing his new student possessed such raw talent within him.
The man stepped forward, his rugged hand reaching for Cain's shoulder and gripping it firmly.
"That was good."
Those words immediately came out of his mouth. Cain bowed, barely containing his grin at the opportunity to develop further.
"Thank you, Master."
Kenji patted the boy's shoulder a few times, then nodded with a smile. He released his hand and stepped back once.
"If you are free, you can continue practicing the movements here and I will accompany you, but if you have other training, I won't force you."
Cain looked at the wooden sword in his hand. The rough texture and the weight that settled in the hand felt so real, especially after executing the earlier movement.
He could feel the twitching at the tips of his fingers, crawling like an ant that thirsts for more spread around through his veins, causing him to frown.
'No, did I really just learn that?'
Doubt began to emerge in his heart, buried like a seed yet ready to break through to the surface and reveal all the secrets about his insane development.
The boy shook his head, no matter how deeply he thought, he couldn't care less. All the reasons would point back to when he discarded part of his memories to receive the 'Null Sequence'.
It was indeed heavy to let go of some of his memories and identity as an individual. But undeniably, everything he sacrificed felt worth it considering his current progress.
Cain scoffed at his somewhat positive thoughts. Just because of a slight development, the boy's facial muscles loosened. He gnashed his teeth, and veins popped out on his hand as he gripped the sword tightly.
'Don't get arrogant yet!'
Abel, Rika, Luna, Peter, Kenji, and the General, those people can be considered as strong with bountiful talent.
He must not be complacent with power. Cain had to remember the reason why he was seeking strength and the meaning behind why he was sent to this world.
"Cain, are you alright?"
Kenji's gentle voice pulled him out of his sinking consciousness. The boy turned to the side and saw the man showing a wrinkled expression full of worry.
Cain shook his head. He shifted his attention to the building in the distance and whispered to himself.
'It's a bit awkward to meet Senior Luna now. So, I should continue my Kenjutsu training.'
He turned back to Kenji and bent his body ninety degrees.
"Please guide me, Master."
"Alright."
Instructor Kenji crossed his arms over his chest and put on a stiff face to enter his teaching mode, because he wanted to separate his personal issues from his duty as a trainer.
"You can start."
Both shadows stretched into the distance, thanks to the ethereal crimson glow that slowly started to sink in the horizon.
Not long before that, the skies finally drew their black curtain, causing both remaining people to separate and go on their own path.
…
After parting with his master, Cain, who was walking on the paved road toward the boy's dormitory, halted his steps. Before him, he saw a red-haired girl standing on the edge of the road.
"Rika?"
"You took too long!"
Rika exhaled a long sigh to dispel all the annoyance that was building up in her chest. She shortened the distance between them and stood one step in front of the boy.
"Sorry, I was too focused on my training."
Without answering, the girl reached for something from her pocket and showed the chip she received from the shooting instructor.
"Here, just as you asked. Anyway, why do you only want to look at it for a moment?"
Cain's eyebrows raised. It never occurred to him that the girl, who was very wary of him at the start, was now the first person who listened to his request.
"Nothing, I just want to have a look."
He couldn't help but let out a small laugh, and that made Rika furrow her brows.
"Whatever, hurry up and take it, I want to shower and take my time reading some books."
"Oh right, sorry. May I hold the chip?"
Seeing the girl nod, Cain took it with two fingers, pinching it gently for fear of breaking it. He swallowed, his black eyes blinked as they immediately turned blue.
'Scan protocol!'
The moment he whispered in his heart, a blue panel appeared, giving him detailed information about what knowledge was stored inside the chip.
[Scan Protocol activated.]
[Microchip = An object that stores a fragment of artificial ability to be implanted into the user's body.]
> Installable Ability: Eagle Eye.
…
[Scanning the Information… Eagle Eye. …Scan Complete.]
[Decompressing it into Data!]
[Data successfully saved.]
[Would you like Data Reconstruction to absorb it into your brain? Y/N]
'Eagle Eye!?'
Cain fell silent. This was the first time he had seen an ability implanted into someone, not knowledge.
He blinked several times, clearing all the blue panels that were obstructing his vision.
"Are you done?"
His body flinched, hearing Rika's soft voice that struck him like lightning. Cain nodded furiously and returned the chip to the girl's hand.
"Here it is. Thank you very much for listening to my request."
But instead of leaving and ending their meeting, Rika put her hands on her hips. The glint in her red eyes was sharp like a knife that stabbed the grey-haired boy.
Cain smiled wryly at the sight and bowed his head, saying in a solemn tone.
"Thank you, Rika. I will never forget your kindness."
A second passed, but the silence that struck felt heavy, as if gravity had multiplied several times and was ready to crush his body flat.
Rika turned around, flicking her red ponytail as she peeked over her shoulder.
"Listen! You might be able to fool Abel, but you better tell us everything later when you're ready."
Cain's eyes widened as his body stiffened. He lifted his face to see the girl's expression in front of him.
"As usual, you are sharp about these things."
He straightened his posture, scratched his pale hair with a strained smile.
"I promise! Someday I will tell you guys everything."
The two stared at each other as if time had stopped until finally, Rika shrugged her shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in her body.
"Good, sorry if I offended you, but just so you know Cain. Abel and I consider you as a friend. So..."
"I know. I too consider you guys as my best friend."
"Is that so?"
Seeing the boy nod, Rika turns her gaze straight to hide the fire burning on her cheeks.
"Well, I'm leaving now. See you later, and if you can, come to shooting practice tomorrow. Senior Luna was looking for you earlier."
Cain's body jolted as he stood there like a pillar, watching Rika's ponytail disappear into the girls' dorm, leaving him in the cold park.
After a few seconds had passed, the boy stared at the sky with its outstretched black skies, filled with shimmering gold dust that seemed to sympathize with him.
'Senior Luna was looking for me? Is she still mad about earlier?'
Sinking into a sense of regret wrapped in fear, Cain exhaled the air from his lungs and left the park, then entered the men's dormitory.
Fortunately, all the systems in the building used face recognition sensors from the camera lenses installed in front of the entrance and one inside to check conditions and record the cadet's activities from entering and exiting the building.
It didn't take long for him to reach his room, but he was forced to stop when a blonde boy was leaning against his room door.
The moment he noticed Cain's presence, Abel's face lit up like a dog waiting for its owner.
"Welcome, Cain. Here, as you requested."
Before Abel could finish speaking, Cain lunged at him as he pressed Abel's lips tight, glancing right and left.
He sighs in relief after finding no soul was around. Cain glared at Abel, and without saying anything, he placed his index finger to his lips, which made Abel nod.
"We'll continue the conversation in my room."
Cain removed his hand from Abel's mouth and pressed his palm against the device next to the door. When the light turned green, the door to his room hissed as it released the cold air trapped inside to draw in fresh air.
He slid the door open, and the two entered, but an alarm sounded in the narrow room, and a cheerful, cute girl appeared on the monitor screen, welcoming Cain enthusiastically.
{Welcome, cadet! I see you have passed another gruesome training today. Congratulations!}