player POV-Chapter 45: After 4

I clicked.

I was checking my condition to be more prepared for the test...

But every time I remembered what I did last time in class,

a sharp feeling of embarrassment swept over me.

Why did I do that...?

It was all because of them.

They tried to act impressively in front of me,

so I showed them what it really means to be someone impressive.

Damn it.

I need to stop thinking about it,

or I might have a heart attack from pure embarrassment.

I was lost in my thoughts,

before my condition appeared in front of me for a moment...

≡================≡

Name: Rion Taylor

Rank: F

Strength: F–

Talent: ?

Speed: F–

Agility: F–

Endurance: F–

Intelligence: G

Magic: F–

Anya: F

Skills:

Calm Analysis: Makes the user calmer in stressful situations.

Abilities:

Altaria Threads [D]: Allows the user to control invisible threads resembling spiritual strings.

Techniques:

Ghost Step Style – Rank B:

A sword style that relies on absolute speed and lethal attacks.

Defense is nearly nonexistent; any direct hit can be catastrophic.

Items:

Wailing Bracelet [E]:

Allows the user to push their Anya to the absolute limit.

For one minute, the user can unleash Anya equal to twice their current reserve.

After the effect ends, the user suffers severe mental exhaustion,

making it difficult to think about even the simplest things.

≡================≡

I looked at my condition...

It hadn’t changed much from the last time.

The only thing that had slightly improved

was my endurance.

A small improvement, barely noticeable,

but enough to prove that I hadn’t been completely stagnant in recent times,

which had been nothing but sleep, training, and eating—nothing else.

I breathed slowly,

and before I could look away,

my eyes slipped unintentionally toward the bracelet.

In that moment, I felt a strange sensation.

My heart raced frighteningly, my breathing became difficult,

as if my chest had suddenly tightened.

I quickly looked away,

and after a few seconds, my condition returned to normal.

"Hooof..."

A heavy sigh escaped me as I remained sitting on the bed.

This always happened every time I looked at the bracelet...

That strange feeling, pressing down on me without warning,

made my heart pound and my chest tighten as if the air had grown heavier than usual.

I couldn’t remember exactly what happened the last time I faced the bracelet’s will,

so I began searching my memory, looking for any sign, any event resembling what Zyon had experienced.

But no matter how hard I searched, I found nothing like it.

When Zyon used the bracelet, there was no will in it at all...

Or was I the one who couldn’t remember?

The thought that my mind had forgotten something annoyed me even more.

How could I possibly remember after more than four years? It had happened in a game...

I pulled my hair hard,

trying to shake off the frustration and anger that had overwhelmed me.

At that moment, I felt something in my hand.

I slowly opened it...

Only to find a few strands of my hair caught between my fingers.

Damn it...

I need to stop pulling my hair whenever I feel angry,

or I’ll go bald before my time.

The mere thought sent a shiver down my spine.

I really need to stop...

...

I was close to the meeting place with my team.

We were supposed to meet in the Whale Building,

a building designed specifically for students to hold discussions together.

The building was divided into more than 100 rooms, each independent,

so that each team could discuss their strategies without other teams spying on them...

Since the academy’s test system allows each team to face other teams before the actual test,

each team had to test its skills and abilities against others.

Students could fight freely, but without killing,

as the academy forbids breaking this fundamental rule.

However, that didn’t prevent serious injuries,

which could ruin a student’s future...

All of this was allowed without punishment,

because the main goal of the system was to get students used to living and surviving in dangerous situations...

I was looking for Room 5, where my team members were supposed to be.

The building was so massive it was indescribable,

every corner seemed like a maze of corridors and rooms.

I wandered through the hallways, inspecting each room carefully.

I listened to the sounds around me—students whispering, footsteps echoing across the corridors...

Sometimes I felt disoriented, trying to recall the building’s layout in my mind,

looking for any mark or sign that would lead me to the correct room.

After minutes of searching, longer than I expected,

I finally found the door...

Room 5.

My heart raced as I approached it,

a mix of relief and tension washing over me.

Relief because I had finally found it,

and tension because I didn’t want my team to be a group of idiots...

I opened the door slowly, and my eyes fell on the relatively small room,

about the size of my own, with a table in the center and several chairs around it.

Six people were seated, talking quietly among themselves...

As I entered, my eyes landed on a young man with silver hair,

sitting at the head of the table.

He exuded confidence and calm, watching everyone with sharp, metallic-like eyes.

Our eyes met for a brief moment, and he gave a faint smile—

a smile that carried a mix of curiosity and self-assuredness.

"Hello, Rion Taylor,"

His voice was calm, yet full of confidence, dominating the room.

He stood slightly, walked toward me with elegant, measured steps,

and extended his hand politely, each movement precise as if calculated.

"It’s an honor to meet Rion Taylor, heir of the Taylor family...

You know my name, don’t you?"

I raised my head slowly, glanced at his hand before shaking it,

then met his eyes, shining silver and cold.

I tried to appear confident despite my racing heart and rising tension

"Pleasure to meet you, Silvar Lucris."

Damn it...

My luck keeps getting worse day by day,

having to be on the same team with someone like him...