Five days had passed. In the small, dusty room of the orphanage, Kael moved through a series of intense exercises, his body slick with sweat. His form was perfect, each muscle flexing with a power that hadn't been there before. His face, once plain and marked by tears, was now sharp and undeniably handsome.
"Sir, you have achieved your daily power-up. Now you can take a break," Mano's voice chimed cheerfully in his mind.
Kael stopped, chest heaving. He stood to his full height and realized he had to look down slightly to see the top of the doorframe. He had grown. He ran a hand through his hair—now a striking, bone-white—and felt the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen. He was, for lack of a better word, hot.
"Sir, you have received a reward for your consistency. The rewards are some clothes."
Kael held out his hand. A soft blue light shimmered over his palm, and material coalesced out of nothing. He was now holding a folded set of clothing. "Oh, yes," he said, a genuine smile touching his lips.
The new white hair made him look both ethereal and dangerous, a combination that would make anyone, especially girls, stop and stare, their hearts fluttering.
His smile faded as he remembered. At that day when Brad defeated me... on the next day, I begged in front of everyone for a chance, for a recheck of my powers. Now is the day.
A soft knock came at the door. It was the same healer from the infirmary. Her eyes went wide the moment he opened the door. Wow, he is so hot! But how did he become so muscular in just five days? By the gods...
Kael looked at her, a calm confidence in his new, intense eyes. "Yeah?"
The healer blushed, struggling to form words. "S-Sir... they are calling you for the recheck. They are in the orphanage corridor."
Kael simply nodded. He closed the door and changed into the outfit Mano had given him: a sleek, stylish black ensemble with a long, elegant cloak that flowed behind him. When he stepped out again, the healer couldn't tear her eyes away from him. He walked past her, his new cloak whispering against the floor.
As he walked through the corridor, he saw Alex Williams waiting with the Arcane Stone. Alex frowned as the striking figure approached. Do I know him? he wondered. Oh, shit! He is the boy who was defeated by Brad. But now... how? His face is changed. He's handsome, muscular... he looks powerful.
Kael stopped in front of him. Without a word, he reached out and grabbed the stone. He closed his eyes. Please. This must show my power now. Please.
The stone didn't just glow; it erupted with a brilliant, blinding light that filled the entire corridor.
Alex jerked back, his jaw slack with shock. This light... that means... this person is now a Zairo-rank Marion! Just like that boy, Brad!
Kael opened his eyes, seeing the radiant stone in his hand. A slow, triumphant smile spread across his face. So this is it.
This boy, Alex thought, utterly bewildered. He really changed his bad luck into good luck through hard work. Incredible.
"Congratulations," Alex said, collecting himself. "Your rank is confirmed. Zairo. Tomorrow, you are to report to Valarus, where all your friends are."
Friends? The word was like acid in Kael's mind. He doesn't know the true meaning of friends. And they are my friends? You're telling me a joke. He gave Alex a sharp, utterly fake smile and looked away, his expression cooling. I did all of this by myself. No one was with me. Now that I am better, now they want me and call me a friend?
Without another word, he turned and walked back to his room, his black cloak flowing behind him like a shadow.
Alex watched him go, utterly stunned. This boy... in just five days, this much change? I have never seen anything like it. He looked down and a small, intrigued smile touched his lips.
"From tomorrow," he whispered to himself, "your lucky days will start."
(Chapter 6 Fin)