It had been days since the incident with Captain Kinga.
Four days in the ER.
Four days of recovery.
And now…
I was finally back at Shalu Academy.
Today wasn't just any day.
This was the reason I came here.
Flow Engineering.
The path of creators.
Inventors who shaped the world.
People like Zachary Adebayo—the man who pioneered the lava-diving suit and made it possible to explore the burning depths of the lost continent.
I wanted that.
To build something that mattered.
The classroom was… underwhelming.
Dust lingered in the air.
Ivy crept along the tall windows.
Sunlight spilled in uneven beams across worn desks.
Still—
I couldn't help but smile.
This was the beginning.
"10:15… lecturer should be here soon."
"Yo—Joseph?!"
I turned.
"Hadal?"
He grinned.
"Man, I didn't know you picked this course too!"
He slid into the seat next to me.
"At least I won't suffer alone."
I chuckled.
Honestly, having him here made things easier.
The room went quiet.
A man walked in.
Lab coat.
Wrinkled shirt.
Unkept beard.
"Good," he said. "You know how to be quiet."
His gaze was sharp.
"Since you aren't flow users, don't expect special treatment."
A pause.
"Learn that now."
"We also have a temporary assistant joining us."
He gestured to the door.
"You may come in."
She stepped inside.
Everything changed.
Dark hair.
Brown skin glowing under sunlight.
And eyes—
Deep violet.
Unsettling.
"S-She's beautiful…" Hadal whispered.
The room filled with murmurs.
"As you all know, this is Rose Mensah."
"Third child of the Mensah household."
"Show respect."
I leaned toward Hadal.
"What's the Mensah household?"
"Oh, it's one of the—"
"They are one of the greater households in Africa."
I froze.
She was in front of me.
I hadn't seen her move.
"They control the entirety of Ghana."
I leaned back instinctively.
"How did you—"
"I'm a flow user."
Her eyes locked onto mine.
Not casually.
Intentionally.
Then she spoke.
"The challenger of fate has been born."
A chill ran through me.
"…What?"
But she had already turned away.
"I'll take a seat now, sir."
"Alright," the professor clapped. "Enough of that."
A projection appeared.
Task: Basic Combat ArmourPassing Requirement: 100 HPFailing Grade: None
"We're doing practical work today," he said.
"Follow me."
The lab was small.
Clean.
Precise.
Each station had the same setup.
A hollow battle suit.
A low-grade green flow crystal.
"You get one suit," the professor said.
"One crystal."
"Make it work."
Silence.
Confusion spread across the room.
One student raised his hand.
"If there's no failing grade… can we just leave?"
"…Yes," the professor sighed.
And just like that—
Students began walking out.
One after another.
"Damn… happens every year," he muttered.
Soon, only a handful remained.
Me.
Hadal.
And a few others.
I glanced sideways.
Hadal wasn't working.
He was staring.
At Rose Mensah.
Of course he was.
I exhaled.
Focus.
I got to work.
Immediately.
The armour came apart easily.
Too easily.
Cheap structure.
Basic frame.
The green crystal…
Low quality.
Its output was limited.
It could boost HP—
But not enough on its own.
So that meant—
I had to compensate.
If I couldn't increase the crystal's output…
Then I'd improve the armour itself.
I reinforced the internal frame.
Reduced weak points.
Compressed the structure for better durability.
No wasted space.
No unnecessary gaps.
Efficiency.
That was the key.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then—
I finished.
"Professor," I said, standing up. "I'm done."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
He took the armour and placed it into the evaluation machine.
DING! DING!
—Overview—Name: Basic Combat ArmourAttributes: 130/130Trait: Sturdy – Reduces damage taken by 30%
"…Well done," he said.
Then louder—
"WELL DONE!"
His hand slammed onto my shoulder.
Hard.
"Not only did you exceed the requirement—you created a trait!"
I smiled.
I couldn't stop myself.
"Yes," Rose Mensah said, stepping closer.
"This would perform well in combat training."
I stiffened.
"Th-thank you…"
This was my chance.
"Miss… earlier you said—"
BOOM.
The lab door exploded open.
Everyone froze.
Heavy footsteps echoed.
And then—
He walked in.
Captain Kinga.
"There you are," he growled.
"You think you're tough?"
"Outside your territory… you're nothing."
My chest tightened.
So it was her.
She was the one from that day.
Rose didn't flinch.
She stretched calmly.
"Why don't we take this outside?"
Her eyes began to glow.
"I could use the exercise."
Silence.
Tension.
Pressure.
I stood frozen.
Part of me was afraid.
But another part…
Was done listening to stories.
I wanted to see it.
What a real flow user could do.