Axel’s voice grew steadier, firmer with every word.

“You won’t crumble just because you lost to a peer. Because you—every single one of you—aren’t driven by ego. You’re driven by hunger. Discipline. The will to stand tall even when the cold tries to crush you.”

Several students nodded silently. Some eyes lit up again, a spark reignited.

From his seat, Luke exhaled and smiled.

Snowflakes floated silently down, gathering on heads and shoulders. Thousands of students sat perfectly still, as if rooted to the mountain itself.

“Bloodstone Warfare School…” Axel said, turning to face the school’s banner. “…has a soul.”

His eyes rested on the motto etched into the stone above the arena entrance: "So long as the school stands, the North shall never fall."

“I respect all of you. Deeply. And on behalf of the Whisper Syndicate, I take back every smug, stupid thing we ever said.”

Axel clenched his right fist and placed it over his heart in salute.

The hostility in the crowd had completely vanished. What replaced it was respect.

All across the arena, the students of Bloodstone Warfare School watched Axel with new eyes. Recognition. Approval.

But not everyone was happy.

As the tension continued to melt, Quade’s face darkened. The more relaxed the atmosphere became, the more twisted his expression grew.

Axel's voice rang out again. Calm. Steady. “Before any of you decide to sign up, I want you to really understand what the Whisper Syndicate is.”

Then, without any grand theatrics, Axel peeled off his shirt.

A hush fell over the arena.

He stood there with his arms wide open, his body bared under the cold mountain sky.

A wave of gasps rippled through the audience.

Axel's torso was a map of pain—scar tissue crisscrossed every inch of his body. Jagged, twisted, angry lines told silent stories of close calls, brutal fights, and survival against all odds. They weren’t fresh, but they were unmistakable.

“Bloodstone is a school worthy of honor,” Axel said firmly, his voice clear despite the wind. “And the Whisper Syndicate is an organization built to serve and protect humanity.”

He slipped his shirt back on and gave a sharp salute toward the crowd before stepping down from the ring.

For a long moment, the audience remained frozen.

Then— Thunderous applause.

The mountains echoed with it. The sky itself seemed to pulse.

Luke exhaled slowly, a rare grin spreading across his face. “Vince really found a gem,” he muttered. “This kid’s got a maturity far beyond his years.”

Axel returned to the sidelines, the applause following him like a wave.

But not everyone joined in. Quade sat stone-faced, his fists clenched tight. Every cheer felt like a slap across the face.

He muttered under his breath. “Shit! This isn’t over yet.”

Juno and Colt overheard it. Juno’s smile faded. Colt looked away.

Axel heard it too. But he didn’t respond.

And then—a voice boomed across the arena, powerful and commanding. “Axel is right. The Whisper Syndicate is a damn good choice.”

The tone was old but strong—like steel that had been tempered a thousand times.

Axel’s heart skipped a beat. A moment later, a wiry figure with gray hair appeared in the center of the ring.

“Principal?!”

A shock ran through the crowd. Luke and Varric stood up instinctively.

No one had expected this. For someone like the principal of Bloodstone Warfare School to step into a student recruitment pitch—it was unheard of.

Because principals of the Four Great War Academies weren’t ordinary people. Every single one was at least a Seventh-Level Awakened—also known as those in the Divine Power Realm.

Tristan, the principal of Bloodstone, was more than just a seventh-level powerhouse. He was a living legend.

During the last Beast Tide, he and Krythos’s strongest elites had gone head-to-head with a Beast King-level mutant. Though he was gravely wounded in the battle—falling from the terrifying Abyssal Eighth Level to the Seventh—he still earned the title:

"The Invincible Divine Power Realm."

The entire student body instinctively rose to their feet.

“Sit down,” Tristan said, barely lifting a hand.

Everyone obeyed. The moment he appeared, the arena belonged to him.

The authority in his voice carried like thunder. “What Axel said was good. But he still gave you little bastards more credit than you deserve.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd, low and genuine.

“Let’s talk real for a minute,” Tristan said, tone shifting. “Why do I think the Whisper Syndicate’s worth joining? Because the pay is damn good.”

A few students blinked. Some leaned forward.

“Full members pull in over a million dollars a year. Perks. Access. Resources.”

He raised a finger. “Finish a single mid-level mission? That’s five hundred thousand—minimum.”

Murmurs spread like wildfire. Excitement bubbled beneath the surface.

“And right now, they’re expanding. They’re even taking logistics people. Hell, even the guys packing supply crates get better treatment than you’d get from most corps or security firms.”

“Think about it.”

Axel stood to the side, watching Tristan in awe. Just talking about dedication without talking about treatment is a hooligan. He is still a little naive!

“And don’t think Marcus losing to Axel is some kind of disgrace,” Tristan added, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Geniuses like Axel are rare—even in the Whisper Syndicate. And more importantly… Axel is one of ours.”

The crowd stirred.

“Wait, what? Axel’s a student here?!”

“Holy shit, I remember now! There was someone named Axel on the class list when we enrolled—but he never showed up. I completely forgot!”

That one sentence lit a fuse. Suddenly, the distance everyone had felt toward Axel vanished. A wave of excitement surged through the students.

Even Marcus and Brandon looked stunned.

“He’s… also one of us?” Marcus muttered under his breath.

Tristan nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll have Axel stay here for a few days. Learn from him.”

His intention was clear. No matter how tough these kids were, they were still young. Losing to someone their age stung—but losing to a classmate? That was different. That was something they could be proud of.

As the crowd began to break apart, Luke stepped forward and greeted Tristan with a respectful nod. “Principal Tristan.”

Everyone around followed suit. Even Quade held his tongue and bowed slightly. No one dared act arrogant in front of a man like Tristan.

“You all adjusting alright?” Tristan asked, his sharp gaze landing on each of them—lingering on Axel a beat longer than the rest.

“Yes, sir. And thank you for earlier,” Luke said sincerely.

Tristan waved him off. “It’s nothing. The Whisper Syndicate is a hell of a lot better than some profit-hungry megacorp.”

He turned to Axel. “You. Come with me.”

Axel blinked, caught off guard. “Sir?”

But Tristan was already walking away. Axel hurried to follow.

......

Principal's Office

The room was small and worn, lined with shelves stacked high with old, leather-bound books. Tristan rummaged through a drawer, pulled out a metal case, and handed it to Axel.

“What’s this?” Axel asked.

“Your scholarship.”

Axel opened the case.

Inside was a bank card and twenty gleaming Blood Refining Stones, laid out with meticulous care.

“The PIN is the first six digits of your student ID. There’s three million U.S. dollars on the card. Plus the stones. They’re yours.”

Axel stared at it, dumbfounded. “Principal… this is too much—”

“Don’t start with the polite bullshit,” Tristan cut him off. “It’s school policy.”

“Freshmen who hit peak Level One? They get half a million. Make it to Level Two? That’s two million. If you hit Level Three in real combat? You get three million, plus twenty Blood Refining Stones.”

“But you didn’t show up on time,” he added with a smirk. “So you’re not getting the first two rewards. Don’t push your luck.”

Tristan continued. “You’ve earned this. Use it well.”

Then he leaned forward, eyes sharpening just a bit.

“But don’t get too comfortable. You’re a student of mine now, and that means you’ve got responsibilities. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be training with the others. Pass on your field experience. Show them how you fight.”

Axel nodded slowly.