“And one more thing,” Tristan said, narrowing his eyes. “I want you back here in March. You’ll be representing us at the Four Academies’ Martial Arts Tournament.”

So that was it. That was the real reason Tristan was investing in him.

Axel almost laughed. The old man was slicker than he looked.

Outside, as he stepped back into the crisp mountain air, Axel shook his head in quiet awe.

The upcoming martial arts competition would be a inter-class rivalry—No grade restrictions.

That meant he’d be going toe-to-toe with senior students. But he wasn’t alone. There were other main players.

.....

Later that night, Axel wired the money to Phoenix.

He owed the man big time. Phoenix had dropped five million on life-saving pills to drag him back from death’s door. Now he was down to just two million in debt.

The Blood Refining Stones, though—those he kept. They’d be vital for his own training.

Over the next few days, Axel sparred relentlessly with the students. He trained with Marcus, Brandon, and others, sharing techniques and testing limits. Every day, his mastery over his combat style sharpened.

......

That evening, Axel returned to the dormitory.

Annabelle was facing the computer, mimicking the screen—her small fists and feet moving with intent and surprising sharpness.

Axel paused in the doorway, narrowing his eyes slightly. She was practicing Inch Fist. The way her Force snapped through her limbs carried the distinct signature of the Inch Fist’s core essence.

“Annabelle, are you practicing combat techniques?”

She turned her head, slightly embarrassed, and nodded. “Yeah... I saw you didn’t turn off the video, so I just... wanted to try it.”

Axel walked over, settled by the window, and gestured toward her. “Alright. Show me again.”

Annabelle lit up. Like a student eager to prove herself, her expression shifted to pure focus. She planted her feet, raised her hands, and snapped forward.

Snap!

The sound rang sharp in the room.

“How long have you been practicing?”

She scratched her cheek shyly. “Three or four days?”

Axel’s face twitched. Three or four days—and she was already at this level? Give this girl another two weeks and she might be able to use Inch Fist in a real fight.

“…Ah.”

Axel let out a long sigh. So I was not the genius after all.

Annabelle looked over, concerned. “Bro, am I… doing it wrong?”

“No,” he muttered, half-laughing, half-defeated. “You’re just picking it up too fast. I’m the dumb one here.”

She beamed. “That’s not true. My brother is the smartest!”

He chuckled. “Let’s cut the mutual flattery. You’re using too much force. The Inch Fist isn’t about brute strength—it’s about clean, precise bursts. Like this…”

He stood up, gently corrected her stance, and demonstrated. Annabelle nodded thoughtfully, closed her eyes, and repeated the movement.

Pah!

Another crisp impact. This time, the execution was cleaner.

Axel shook his head in disbelief.

“Bro, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just... a little shocked watching you improve like this.”

Annabelle flushed, smiling sweetly. “Really?”

“Yeah. Hit me with the same move you just used.”

She stepped forward and launched her palm. Axel caught it, absorbing the strike with his forearm—but his expression shifted as a jolt of numbness spread through his arm.

Damn. That actually stung.

From the impact alone, he estimated her power had already reached the level of a typical Level 2 Awakened—around 400 Force units. And witha basic grasp of fighting techniques and a few awakening skills, her real combat ability might be higher.

What was more surprising was her rate of growth. It had clearly accelerated since they’d started spending time together.

Axel thought back to her diet. She’d been consuming life crystals. He’d been giving them to her casually, calculating the dosage based on her appetite.

Shit… I had been holding her back.

He rubbed his chin, mind racing. I need to figure out a way to get more life crystals—fast.

......

Three days later…

In Xander’s office, the final recruitment data from the four universities had just come in.

He didn’t bother with the number of applicants at first. What mattered more were the combat reports—each battle logged, broken down, and analyzed.

He scrolled through the dossiers one by one.

“The four war universities are still damn strong,” he murmured.

The recruits Whisper Syndicate had sent out were the youngest of their elite—prodigies in their own right. But the schools had not given ground easily.

At Everton, the duel ended in a brutal draw, both sides drained of energy, bordering on collapse. The referee had been forced to intervene or someone would’ve died.

At Rutherford, a hard-fought victory. At Virelia, a cleaner win.

Then Xander opened the file on Shiverstone.

His eyes locked on a line mid-report. “Quade… lost?”

He stared at the page, dumbfounded. But at the bottom, the final outcome was listed as a win.

He leaned in. “Wait… Axel won?”

A smile slowly crept across Xander’s face. “This kid… he’s evolving faster than expected.”

Feeling lighter, he pulled out a bag of high-grade tea from his drawer. As he brewed a cup, he glanced at the updated applicant numbers.

As expected, Bloodstone Warfare School had attracted more applicants than the other three schools combined.

It was time to start assigning rewards based on performance. He scribbled a note beside Axel’s name. “Exceptional contribution. Increase his bonus.”

But just as he set the pen down, the secure line on his desk rang.

Xander’s eyes narrowed. That phone almost never rang—and if it did, it meant big trouble.

......

"Huh..." Axel exhaled, staring at the half-spent life crystal in his palm.

He had been attacking his original vein limit for days now, but no matter how hard he pushed, he kept falling just short.

Every time he approached the edge, a pressure inside his body would force him to stop—like an invisible wall that refused to give way.

"Is river-level original vein really my limit?"

His recent fight with Marcus had shown him just how much of a difference strong original veins made. They weren't just about raw power—they were game-changers in drawn-out battles, sustaining energy, strengthening control.

If there was even a slim chance he could push to flood-level, he wanted to take it.

Still... he sighed and shook his head.

"Forget it. More haste, less speed." He tucked the crystal away and got ready for bed.

He’d tried calling Vince again yesterday, but strangely, not a single member of the squad was reachable.

Axel hadn’t thought much of it at the time—missions often required radio silence or dead zones where phones were off-limits.

But just as he was about to lie down, a powerful pulse of energy shook the air.

Startled, Axel turned toward the window and caught a glimpse—two shadowy figures leaping across rooftops, their movements fast and fluid. Within seconds, they were gone.

“Teachers from Bloodstone?” Axel frowned. “This late at night? What the hell are they doing out?”

The school was dead quiet—it was well past midnight. And yet, more shadows began converging from different parts of the campus, all heading in the same direction.

Toward the principal’s office.

A sense of unease settled in his gut. No way so many teachers would be dispatched at this hour unless something serious had happened.

“What the hell is going on?” Axel didn’t sleep that night.

The next morning, Axel dragged himself into the cafeteria for breakfast. He spotted Brandon at a table and sat down beside him.

“Morning, Axel!”

“Morning.” Axel’s reply was distracted.

Brandon raised an eyebrow, noticing Axel’s absent look. “You good? Didn’t sleep enough?”

“Did the school make any announcements? Anything strange happen?”

Brandon paused mid-bite, holding a half-eaten meat bun. A few students nearby also looked over, puzzled.

“No? Haven’t heard anything. Why?”

“Yeah, man—did you have some weird dream or something?” another joked.

Then Brandon added, “Although… my instructor took the day off. That never happens.”

“Now that you mention it,” one of the other students said, “mine too.”