"SHERACH! YOU LECHEROUS OLD MAN!"
The scream shattered the sterile silence of the chamber. A girl with vibrant pink twin-tails that lashed at her waist like whips stormed toward us. She looked like a whirlwind of chaotic energy. She wore an oversized jacket that slipped off her shoulders along with a white crop-top shirt which revealed her moderate sized breast and she was also putting on a short black skirt.
'Wenta Leesburg?' I recognized her immediately.
Sherach's face didn't just drop, it practically liquefied into an expression of pure, unadulterated terror.
"Oh no. Not her," he muttered, his voice trembling. He turned to me with a frantic look in his eyes.
"Umm… Oliver, if you'll excuse me, I have… somewhere… urgent to be. Right now!"
He spun on his heel to flee, but Wenta was faster.
WHIRR.
A pink telekinetic aura erupted from her palm, gripping Sherach mid-stride and freezing him in place like an insect in amber. She stomped up to him, and grabbed him by the ear, hauling him down to her eye level.
"Where do you think you're going?" she hissed in a predatory tone.
Beads of sweat popped out on Sherach's forehead. This man could face a Calamity-class horde without blinking, yet he was shrinking under the gaze of this girl.
"How many times have I told you to report to me after a mission?!" she screamed, her face a frantic mix of childish rage and genuine worry.
"Do you have any idea how hard I looked for you?!"
"I was just... talking to my friend here--ah, ah! Ouch!"
Sherach groaned as Wenta twisted his ear with a vicious tug. He shot me a desperate, pleading 'help me' gaze.
I couldn't help it. I giggled. Seeing the most powerful man I knew being treated like a misbehaving toddler was the highlight of my week.
Finally fed up with the scolding, Sherach let out a sigh and suddenly scooped Wenta off her feet.
FLUMP.
Her face turned a shade of red that rivaled her crimson accents.
"Wha… w… wha… what are you doing?!"
"Fulfilling your wishes, obviously," Sherach said, his casual, breezy tone returning as he tucked her under his arm like a sack of grain.
"What do you mean?!"
"I'm giving you a free ride."
Wenta's cheeks flared a deeper crimson as she began to thrash.
Sherach looked back at me, regaining a glimmer of his captain's authority.
"Oliver, I'll see you later. Make sure to tell the others about the training and the weapon forging."
"Drop me down you pervert!" she screamed, pounding on his back.
"Hah. That's a rude thing to say to your chauffeur," Sherach replied, his voice fading as he walked toward the exit.
"I said drop me, old man!"
"Struggle all you want. And seriously, why does everyone keep calling me that?"
Their bickering echoed down the hall until the heavy doors slid shut.
I smiled while shaking my head, and headed back to the dorm. This time, I didn't use a magic circle transportation. Instead, I walked back to the dorms on foot.
….
Back at the dorm, the room was eerily quiet.
"I'm back, guys."
Silence.
I looked around the expansive, high-tech living space. No sign of them.
'Where are they always heading out to?' I wondered. I dropped onto a nearby sofa, staring at the ceiling. For half an hour, I drifted in the quiet, but eventually, my mind snapped back to my internal origin.
"System Sage?" I whispered.
"Why can't I access my Nebula's Heart domain anymore?."
[Affirmative. Host could previously penetrate the Nebula's domain due to it's limited scale. However, due to the growth both in the host and the Nebula, the barrier has thickened.]
"Any suggestions on how to break through?"
[Train your mental spirit. Does the host currently possess the will to control a spiritual stronghold? The answer is negative. Train the mind; The body will follow.]
"Blunt as always," I muttered.
"But you indeed have a point."
Before I could argue further, the door hissed open.
"Oh, you're back. Welcome," I said, sitting upright.
"Yeah," Kageno replied shortly, walking past me. Kael followed behind him, focused entirely on a tub of ice cream in his hands.
"Hey, Kael. Try not to blow your whole allowance on sugar this time," I joked.
Then, the gravity of Sherach's news hit me.
"Wait! Report. Sit down."
"What report?" Kageno asked, stopping in his tracks.
"Well…mmph…hmm!
I cleared my throat.
"Let's get the girls on the line first."
~ Minutes Later ~
"What?! Training? From that man?" Ria's voice erupted from the hologram screen, her eyes wide with astonishment.
"That's what he said," I replied.
"What are the Tiers again, Oliver?" Kageno asked, his eyes sharpening.
"He mentioned Tier-7 and Tier-8 elite warriors would be on the benchmarks."
"Not surprised," Sinata noted calmly from the screen.
"Easy for you to say, Sinata!" Ria squeaked. "Won't they just bully us? Tier-8s are monsters!"
"Let them try," Sinata replied, a cold edge to her voice.
I gave them a 'got you' thumbs up. "It's okay, guys. Let's not overthink it until tomorrow. Just do your best."
"What are you talking about Oliver?! These are Tier-8s! They are structurally superior to us in every way!"
"Who cares," Kageno spat, leaning against the wall.
"Tier-8 or not, I'm going to crush them along with their pride."
I looked from Kageno's arrogance to Kael's silent, ice-cream-fueled indifference and sighed.
"Ria, relax. Sinata is already a Tier-7. And your other roommate is a Tier-8, right? You're already living with the enemy. So you're not supposed to be tensed right now."
"That's the problem!" Ria cried, hugging Sinata for comfort.
"And Sinata is kinda nice!
"C'mon get off me or I'll bully you." Sinata said while trying to get Ria's hands off her body.
"Nahh not possible. But Oliver, our other roommate is terrifying. She could snap someone's head off if they even breathe wrong!"
A prickle of sweat dripped down my neck.
'Great. Another monster.'
"Anyway, there's one more thing," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "After the training, we are all forging our personal weapons."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The silence that followed was absolute.
"Really?!" Ria finally broke the tension, her face sparkling with pure excitement.
"I can finally have one?!"
"Nonsense," Kageno scoffed. "My twin blades are enough for me."
"No one is forcing you to change one, Kageno," I said with a smirk.
"Tsk. Watch your tongue, Veyron," Kageno replied, though I saw his fingers twitch–he was interested.
"Tomorrow is the big day. Get some rest."
"See you tomorrow!" Ria and Sinata said in sync before the connection flickered out.
I turned to the guys. "So, what are we doing for dinner?"
"Sort yourself out," Kageno grunted, heading for his bed pod.
"I envy the ladies," I sighed, looking around our functional room.
"Did you see their place? They're living in luxury while we're in a barracks."
"Be content with what you have, Oliver," Kageno called out.
I laughed. "Haha. I know, I know. Kael?
Anything?"
Kael didn't speak; he just pointed at the rear table. A burger and a few tea sachets sat waiting.
"Ah. Thanks Kael. You're a lifesaver," I breath a sigh of relief.
I ate quickly, the hot tea calming my nerves. Once finished, I climbed into my own bed pod.
The lights dimmed to a soft amber glow. I stared at the ceiling, raising my hand and clenching it into a fist. The molecular hum in my veins felt stronger tonight.
"Tomorrow awaits."