CHAPTER 160: EVERLEARN VS THE BOSS (II)

WHIIISTTLE

The sound of whistling echoed behind Everlearn, but in that moment, he also swung out his walking cane, pointing backward even though he never turned.

His hair was blown chaotically around his head, and that was when he turned behind him.

Just behind him was The Boss, his outstretched fist now inches away from Everlearn’s nose.

It wasn’t that he had stopped; the tip of Everlearn’s cane also hovered mere inches from his face, dangerously close to his nose.

A tense silence hung, and then the cane began quivering unstably, a reflection of Everlearn’s shaking hand.

It fell to the ground just as his knee crashed down beside it.

DROOOOP!

DROOOOP!

Droplets of red blood floated down the corner of his lips, dropping onto the ground, and a glint crossed through The Boss’s eyes as he took back his fist.

Even though he had not gone all out, he had also been a little lost in the excitement of the fight, making him forget he was only fighting a boy who had far exceeded his limit.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his hands reaching out, and Everlearn grabbed them as he was pulled off his knees, quietly supporting himself with the cane.

"I’m good. Just exhausted..."

VROOOOOOOM!

The sound of air flapping rang out, and Everlearn turned, watching a group descend from the sky.

They were the Instructors, led by Principal Onelore.

"Quite unbelievable, isn’t it?"

Principal Onelore addressed the Boss, and Everlearn saw the Instructors stunned expressions, their gaze fixed on him as though he were a ghost.

"A little more than six months, and he went from a non-core fuser to a power level of V Core while only holding X Core within."

"If that is not genius, then that word doesn’t exist."

She praised, and The Boss chuckled.

"It’s indeed abnormal."

But then he paused.

"I’m surprised you haven’t dissected him yet, Onelore..."

The Boss said, his eyes furrowing suspiciously at the golden-haired woman, and Everlearn’s spine unconsciously froze.

’Dissect him...’

"I won’t say the plan didn’t cross my head," she said, looking at Everlearn with a predatory grin scary enough to make him unconsciously take a step back.

"But Ash seems to value him a lot, going as far as wanting to kill me if I dared touch him."

She said, and the Boss’s brows furrowed.

Ash displaying interest in someone was weird. He had thought the same when she first recommended Everlearn.

But seeing his anomaly and insane growth, he began to get an inkling of why Ash must value him so highly.

There must be something within the boy.

Something that could make him so strong, so fast. And the only one who seems to know the answer apart from him was Ash herself.’

"You’ve tested him, Boss. Do you think he’s ready?" Principal Onelore asked.

Once more, The Boss’s coat mysteriously appeared, resting on his shoulder as his dread re-arranged, before he properly rebuttoned his folded sleeves.

"Everlearn," he called out, and Everlearn watched him dip his hands into his coat, bringing out a golden card.

"Every X Guard undergoes training that takes three years, after which they graduate from the academy, taking the X Guardian Test."

"Passing would mean getting this, an X Guardian Card." He said,

"I have just given you your test, just now, and you passed it, hence your X Guard Card. But," he said, passing him the card, and Everlearn took it.

It was crispy to the touch, golden in color, and the only thing on it was the clear X symbol trailing horizontally on the card, along with the name Everlearn Snowfall just at the corner.

But more than the card, he noticed The Boss’s pause,

"But what?"

"But I’ll understand if you still wish to remain in the academy for your Mech Designing Goal, so I’m giving you a free rein to choose to remain in the academy, and not begin full duty as an X Guard."

"With enough time, you should be able to feel the resonance from the card, and it will take you to X Guard Tower, where you’ll find your place."

"You would know everything once you get there. After all, the room has been vacant ever since you got the mark."

He said, and in the next moment began hovering above the ground.

"Remember, follow the pull to the X Guardian Tower, and you will know everything once you reach it."

In the next moment, he floated to the side of Onelore, and both of them turned, disappearing into the distance, followed by the Instructors.

In the end, all that was left was Everlearn, behind him, the deep crater.

He looked around, noticing some students recording the destruction with their devices.

Quickly, he pulled his hoodie over himself and raced away to avoid drawing attention.

___________

Arriving back in his room, Everlearn sat back on the chair, taking off the cap, but then the panel flashed.

║You faked defeat. ║

Everlearn paused before he grinned.

"So you noticed, huh?"

║ Yes, I did. You didn’t use up half your strength, and you bit your own tongue to fake the blood. ║

║You were superior to him in pure brute force and should have easily subdued him. ║

"Yeah, that’s true. But what’s the point, though?" he asked.

║ Then, why did you fight at all if there’s no point? ║

║ Trying to show him you’re not a disappointment? ║

║I don’t think you’re that naive, are you? ║

It replied, and Everlearn hummed.

"Do I fight because I wanted to prove to him I was no disappointment? No. I don’t care, neither do I, especially want his pride."

"I fought because I needed to get out of here. I fought because I wanted to show him I could help out there, and being in the Academy limited me."

"And I was able to get that message across well enough by showing him V-grade level of power, which is enough to make him understand I’m beyond the 2nd year."

"And that convinced him enough to give me a True X Guardian Guard."