Vic''s heart pounded as he gazed at the massive ball of metal suspended in the air, feeling the overwhelming force it radiated. The air around him seemed to thrum with raw power.


    "This is the end for you, Vic!" Billy yelled, his voice filled with rage and triumph as he prepared to unleash his final, catastrophic attack.


    But just as Billy was about to strike, his eyes widened in shock. Ss appeared directly in front of him as though he had materialized from thin air. In a blur of motion, Ss seized Billy by the face, his grip like iron, and drove his head into the ground with such ferocity that the floor splintered beneath them, cracks snaking out in all directions.


    The entire cafeteria fell silent, the echo of Billy''s head hitting the ground still ringing in their ears. Every eye in the room was glued to Ss, stunned by the speed and power he had just disyed.


    One moment, Ss had been several meters away, engaged inbat with two of Billy''s henchmen. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed the distance and taken Billy down with a single, devastating move. Now, Billyy motionless on the ground, barely conscious, groaning in pain.


    "Hey, Ss, what the hell?" Vic finally broke the silence, his voice thick with disbelief. His gaze was locked on Ss, who stood over Billy like a predator towering over its prey.


    Billy''s remainingrades snapped out of their shock, quickly assuming fighting stances, weapons and abilities at the ready, their eyes filled with fury and fear.


    "That''s enough, all of you!" A deep male voice thundered through the cafeteria. The tension in the air dissolved as three staff members strode into the room, their presence immediatelymanding order. Behind them, Ivy watched silently.


    "Everyone, return to your dorms immediately!" one of the staff members ordered, his tone brooking no argument. "If you''re injured, go see the healer before heading to your rooms! If I catch any of you fighting again, you will face severe punishment!" He cast a cold, warning nce at the students.


    Billy''s conscious friends hurriedly gathered their fallenrades, including Billy himself, and carried them out of the cafeteria, heading straight for the clinic. The room slowly emptied, but Ss remained rooted in ce, his expression expectant. He had been waiting for a system reward notification, yet none hade.


    A brief flicker of disappointment crossed his face before he shook it off and turned his attention to Vic and Angelica, who were now ring at him, demanding answers.


    "What?" Ss asked, his tone both defensive and confused.


    "What do you mean, ''what''?" Vic retorted, still processing what he had just witnessed. "How did you do that?"


    "How did I do what?" Ss replied coolly, feigning ignorance.


    "Don''t y dumb, Ss," Vic shot back, his voice rising slightly. "Angelica told me about what happened yesterday with the crafter. I didn''t believe her, but now that I''ve seen it with my own eyes, there''s no denying it. You''re hiding something."


    "Yes, Ss," Angelica chimed in, her voice soft yet earnest. "We''re your friends, remember? You can trust us. Whatever it is, we''ll keep it to ourselves. We won''t expose you if that''s what you''re worried about."


    Ss fell silent for several long moments, his gaze shifting between Vic and Angelica. In the short time they had known each other, both had proven themselves to be trustworthy. Vic, especially, had demonstrated unwavering loyalty. Earlier, when Billy and his gang had shown up, Vic had stood his ground despite being outnumbered, willing to face them alone until help arrived.


    That kind of bravery wasn''t something you faked. Ss knew he had to stop lying. It was bing too dangerous to keep everything to himself. Besides, having someone to confide in might ease the burden he carried.


    With a deep sigh, Ss finally spoke. "It happened during the Grade 5 raid. I came across an artifact, and... it chose me to be its host."


    Vic''s eyes widened, understanding dawning on his face, while Angelica, unfamiliar with the context, looked puzzled.


    "You mean ''you'' were the one who found the artifact—" Vic started to shout, but Ss quickly mped a hand over his mouth.


    "Shh! Keep your voice down!" Ss hissed, casting a quick nce around to ensure no staff members had overheard.


    Vic nodded apologetically as Ss removed his hand. "Sorry. But... are you telling me that *you* found the artifact? The same one that everyone in the country, including the higher-ups and the Seven Eternal Families, has been searching for?"


    "It wasn''t like I went looking for it," Ss replied, his voice low and serious. "I just stumbled across it. It was buried deep underground, and when I dug it out... it chose me."


    "What about the staff members who were with you during the raid? Were they around when this happened?" Vic pressed, his curiosity piqued.


    "They were alive, but they weren''t in the same area when I found it." Ss conveniently left out the part where they had locked him inside the Realm''s god chamber as a sacrifice before he discovered the artifact.


    "I see." Vic nodded, deep in thought, his hand rubbing his chin as he processed the information.


    Angelica, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, frustrationcing her words. "Okay, can someone exin what''s going on? What artifact? What powers?"


    Vic raised an eyebrow at her ignorance but nodded. "I''ll exin everything during breakfast tomorrow before we head out for the test."


    He turned back to Ss, his tone bing more serious. "Now I understand why you''ve kept this secret. If the academy or, worse, any member of the Eternal Families finds out, they''ll use you for their own gain. They might even lock you up and experiment on you to extract the power."


    "We''ll need to keep this under wraps until we can figure out a n," Vic continued. "But don''t worry, we''ll talk more tomorrow. For now, let''s head back to our dorms like the staff said."


    "What about Billy?" Angelica asked, her voice tinged with fear. "He''s not going to let this go. What if he tries to get back at us during the test?"


    "Billy can try all he wants," Vic replied confidently, a smirk on his face. "He''s too weak to be a real threat."


    "See you all tomorrow," he added, giving a casual wave before heading out of the cafeteria.


    "Goodnight," Ss muttered, offering Angelica a brief nce before walking away as well.


    Angelica stood there for a few moments, lost in thought as she watched Ss disappear down the hall. ''Something doesn''t add up,'' she thought. Ss had told her the crafter left him alone after he threatened to report him, but the look she had seen in the crafter''s eyes earlier suggested there was more to the story. ''Maybe the crafter didn''t just leave. Maybe something else happened...''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ---


    Inside the portal room, several machines hummed with power, the air heavy with the anticipation of the student test scheduled for the next morning. The room was vast, filled with dozens of portals prepared and ready.


    The door creaked open, and Sensei Josh entered, his footsteps echoing ominously across the floor. He walked with purpose toward one particr portal machine, his expression dark and sinister, like the devil himself.