200 SPECIAL TRAINING
Valtor hesitated, then finished: "You must become strong. Strong enough to support our family. In this world, it's either powerful family ties…or ultimate strength."
Belgore nodded sharply. "An A-Rank hero in the family will stop the other houses from trampling us. Without it, the main Veyran line would not respect us."
"A-Rank? That's impossible for me. I've never been good at training," Eryn protested.
Valtor exchanged a look with Belgore. "There's a special training camp at the main Veyran estate… exclusive to those of our blood. It's the only path to real power…if you are destined for it."
Eryn considered the offer.
It was a course she preferred to marriage.
Finally, she breathed out, "Alright. I'll go to the special training."
-----
Damen returned home after a long day of fighting, longing for some rest. But before he could even take off his shoes, Eryn appeared at his door.
"Eryn! Why are you here?" he asked, surprised. He stepped aside to let her in, but she didn't move.
Her eyes shimmered. "I came to say goodbye."
"Goodbye? Is your father forcing you to marry someone again?"
She shook her head slowly. "Thank you for helping me deal with Carl."
Damen frowned. "Erm… I didn't kill him for you," he said. "Where are you going?"
Eryn hesitated before answering. "There's… a special training for members of my family. I need to become strong…strong enough to protect my family."
Damen nodded in understanding. "That's good. It's always right to strive for strength. In this world, only your own power can truly support you."
Eryn bit her lip, her eyes softening for a moment. Then she turned and walked away without saying another word.
Damen watched her go, wanting to say something, but she was already gone.
As he was about to enter his apartment again, another voice called his name.
"Damen…"
He turned. "Cyara? You too?"
She stood there, her usual cheer dimmed.
"Come inside," he offered.
But like Eryn, she shook her head. "I'll be brief. If I stay too long… I might lose the courage to leave."
"You're leaving as well?" Damen asked quietly.
She blinked. "Someone else is leaving too?"
"Never mind," he said. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to our family's special training grounds. All heirs must attend. If we perform well, our power can grow immensely."
"I didn't think you'd be this eager to train," Damen said, a faint smile appearing. "But it's a good thing. You have my support."
Cyara's voice trembled. "I'm doing it for you. Only if I become stronger can I decide who I want to be with."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Goodbye, my love. When you see me again… I'll marry you."
Before Damen could respond, she turned and ran.
He stood there for a moment, speechless.
"I never said anything about marrying…", he murmured.
In one night, both girls who had been constantly around him, bickering, teasing, and caring…. had left. Each of them left to chase strength in her own way…. With the purpose of being together with him.
"Damnit, I never asked for this", he complained.
He sighed softly and entered his room, the silence heavier than before.
------
The next day, the atmosphere at the academy was heavy.
Whispers followed Damen wherever he walked, but no one dared meet his eyes.
Even Professor Liric, usually talkative, avoided looking his way.
He took his seat silently, flipping open the course material. Advanced Meta Blood Theory. Damen's expression softened slightly.
Liric might be weak as a Meta, but his research was solid.
Halfway through the lecture, the distant roar of helicopter blades broke the silence. Students glanced at one another before rushing to the windows.
An armed unit descended onto the campus courtyard, their banners marked with the Nuralith family emblem. Soldiers hit the ground as the choppers hovered overhead.
"Where is Damen Dark?" one soldier bellowed through a loudspeaker. "You are under arrest for the murder of our young master, Carl Nuralith!"
The crowd gasped.
Damen could hear them clearly, but he didn't even lift his head.
"Come out now, Damen Dark! This is your final warning!" the soldier repeated.
Damen finally rose.
Calmly, he walked out of the classroom, his expression unreadable. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he snapped his fingers.
A surge of lightning burst from his hand, striking a helicopter midair. The machine spiraled downward, crashing into the ground in a fiery explosion.
Screams echoed across the campus.
"Put out the fire!" Dean Aelion shouted at the staff, panic in his voice. He wasn't worried about the soldiers… the Nuralith family's wrath was what terrified him.
"How dare you attack us!" a soldier roared, raising his weapon.
Damen's gaze turned cold. "How dare you invade a university with weapons and an armed force? Under Article Forty-Nine of the University Law, any intruder on campus grounds can be attacked without consequence."
Professor Liric froze where he stood. "I… I taught him that," he muttered, tears stinging his eyes.
He'd thought Damen was just another violent prodigy who cared nothing for theory. But here was proof…Damen remembered his lessons.
The soldier took a step forward. "You…"
Before he could finish, Damen was already beside him. A flash of movement…then a sharp crack. The soldier's body went limp as Damen released his neck.
"Article Fourty Nine…", Damen shouted out as he dropped the body. "No consequence."
Gasps erupted from the students.
Dean Aelion rubbed his forehead, pale with fear. "This is out of control…" he whispered.
Then, glancing at Liric, he added bitterly, "This is all your fault."
-----
[Nuralith Corporation]
Damen had unknowingly made an enemy of the Nuralith family by killing Carl. Now, the weight of that mistake was heavy on his shoulders.
He needed to prepare for what was coming next.
He sat in a café near Nuralith Tower early that morning, a hot cup of coffee in hand, his gaze scanning every person who entered. His eyes darted from face to face, noting the rank and status of everyone who passed by.
President Macan Nuralith - Rank AAAA
Vice President Embose Nuralith - Rank AAAA
General Manager Frembols Nuralith - Rank AAA
Department Head Astoria Nuralith - Rank AA
And many more.
He carefully watched the flow of VIPs entering the tower.
They were mostly family members, a tight-knit group of individuals who held power not just in Nuralith Tower but across the city.
What was more unsettling, though, wasn't just their family unity…it was their sheer strength. Most of them were ranked at least A, and even the guards surrounding the building were at a Rank B level or higher.
"Damnit, I've seriously overestimated myself this time," Damen muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting. "The Nuralith family is stronger than I thought."
Despite the looming threat of the Nuraliths, there was a silver lining. As he surveyed the powerful figures around him, Damen knew that his mining operations were reaping the benefits.
Each of them, high-ranking as they were, became a target for his mining. The more influential they were, the more coins he earned.
"This is the easiest way to grow rich in coins," he grinned to himself, watching a few more names appear in his mining targets list.
Suddenly, a notification pinged in his vision:
"New Software update available. Do you want to proceed? Y/N"
Without a second thought, he tapped "Y."