076 THE SCHOOL CHALLENGE
Dan's heart skipped. By the ti he looked up, she was gone.
A soft clink broke the silence as a waiter approached with a cup of iced coffee. "Enjoy your drink, sir."
Dan frowned. "I didn't order this."
The waiter blinked in confusion. "You're the only one in the café…"
He forgot who ordered the drink.
"What?" Dan's voice sharpened. "Didn't you see the woman who was sitting opposite —and the hooded man?"
The waiter took a cautious step back. "Sir, there's been no one here all morning except you. Are you… sure you didn't see a ghost?"
He set the cup down quickly and walked away, not even asking for paynt. Dan watched him go, realizing with a chill that the man's eyes looked empty—like a mory had been erased.
He stared at the lting coffee, the ice clinking faintly. "Who the hell are you people…" he muttered. "Alliance of Psyche."
The na hung in the air like a curse.
-----
Dan went to et Dorin in Heroes' Gym, hoping to learn a ranged ta skill.
"Dorin, can I pick up a ranged ta skill?" he asked. "I'm solid in close combat, but against ranged tas, I'm practically useless."
Dorin smiled faintly. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Dan. You're still Rank E. Ranged ta skills are far beyond your current level. Wait until you reach Rank D or higher. Those techniques demand enormous ta energy. Even if you learned one now, you'd be drained after a single shot."
Dan frowned, realizing why he always felt completely wiped out after using Electrocution. It wasn't just the lack of power—it was the cost.
"No wonder the Red Hanky who tried to kill earlier were still using laser rifles", Dan noted.
The Red Hanky were Rank E ta… their ability wasn't range laser… it was their ability to lock on a good aim with their laser weapon.
"So how do I increase my ta energy?" he asked.
"Your Command attribute determines how much ta energy you can channel," Dorin explained. "But there's no direct way to train it. It usually grows alongside your overall ta strength."
Dan paused, thinking. "Then why don't I feel exhausted when I use my combat fusion skills?" he asked.
Dorin considered the question for a mont. "That's a good point. Fusion skills are still new territory. You might be one of the first to use them properly. My guess is that combining ta with your Strength attributes reduces the energy load from your Command attributes."
That made sense to Dan.
Fused techniques were more efficient—powerful yet less draining. But it still didn't solve his range problem. He stared out the window, his mind already racing ahead.
"If I can't reach them from afar… I'll just have to grow stronger."
-----
"Hey Dan, are you going to the fields today? It's going to be fun!" Zairgid called out.
Dan looked up from his data pad. "What's happening? The nurses are running a blood donation campaign again?" he asked dryly.
Zairgid grinned. "Forget about the nurses, it's School Challenge day!"
"School Challenge?" Dan raised a brow. "Never heard of it."
"You know those monthly SynGen genomic injections we get—the ones that boost our Strength stats?" Zairgid said. "Each student only gets a limited dose every month."
"Yeah, I know. What's that got to do with the Challenge?"
"Well…" Zairgid smirked. "You can steal other students' injection quotas if you beat them in a challenge match."
Dan paused, considering it. "Steal their injection quotas… That ant faster growth?"
Then it hit him.
With his Empowernt toggle on, he could grow his stats evenly—Strength included. If he maxed out his Strength early, then every future Empowernt boost would overflow into his other attributes naturally… effectively speeding up his growth.
"This is a perfect shortcut to growth," he smiled at the thought of it.
"I'm going," Dan said, standing up with a determined glint in his eyes.
-----
The fields were crowded with students lining up at the registration booths, the air buzzing with excitent and nerves.
Everyone knew the rules—it was simple but brutal.
If you defeated another student in the arena, you claid their share of SynGen Genomics injections until the end of the sester—half a year's worth of Strength boosters.
Hundreds had gathered, each one hoping to win big, to grow stronger, to climb higher in the pecking order.
Principal Misk stood on a hastily assembled stage in the center of the field, his amplified voice cutting through the noise.
"Students of ta High School No.2, today marks the beginning of the School Challenge! Strength, courage, and resolve will decide your fate this sester. Rember, your victories—and your defeats—will define your future."
Then, scanning the crowd, he announced with a smile, "Our first Defender will be Dan Dark—the prodigy from Middle School, one of the few to achieve full marks in his exams!"
A ripple of murmurs spread across the field.
Dan froze. "What? ?"
He hadn't volunteered for the challenge. But before he could say anything, the crowd began to part, eyes turning toward him with a mix of envy and expectation.
"Well," Dan muttered, "guess I'm the warm-up act."
He stepped forward, walking toward the center field where the dueling platform shimred with energy fields and containnt wards.
Principal Misk continued, "Once the Defender loses, the challenger who defeats him will take his place—and his injection quota! The challenge will continue until sunset."
A few students in the crowd whispered:
"Bad draw for him."
"Yeah, the early Defenders always gets worn out first. It's impossible to continue fighting against dozens of challengers in a row."
"Exactly. By the end, he'll be drained, and soone else will walk away with the pot."
Dan clenched his fists. "So that's how it is."
He wasn't chosen for honor—he was set up. He was a convenient target for everyone hungry for an easy prize pot.
He looked up at the principal's smirking face. "Damnit Misk, so, that's your ga, huh?" he muttered under his breath.
The principal though, avoided his gaze in guilt. He was probably forced by the parents to do this to him. He had many enemies in the Parent's Association in school who wanted a piece of him.
Still, a spark of excitent flickered in him. "Fine. If they want to sha , I'll make them pay for it."
-----
[So ti ago, during the Parent-Teacher Association eting at lrose City ta High School No.2]
"I don't care, Principal Misk— you must punish this Dan Dark! His arrogance cannot be tolerated!"
Belgore Veyran's voice thundered through the office, shaking even the portraits on the walls.
The teachers sitting nearby stayed silent, eyes lowered. None dared challenge him. Belgore wasn't just a parent—he was one of the school's chief funders.
Principal Misk mopped the sweat off his forehead. "Mr. Belgore, please understand— it's not that we refuse to act, but there's no real cause. Your sons, Kalem and Freeland, challenged him openly and lost. We can't punish a student for winning a fair match."
Belgore's glare darkened. "Fair?" he spat. "That boy humiliated my sons in front of the entire class!"
Before Misk could respond, Freeland Veyran, his face still bruised from the duel, leaned forward in his chair, a thin smile curling on his lips.
"There is sothing you can do for us, Principal."
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