FLICCKKERR

His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was the white ceiling above.

Sitting up, his hands grabbed at his head, shaking them to clear away the blurriness.

That was when it occurred to him, and he turned to his wrist.

He expected a cut, but there was nothing.

He had healed already, though it wasn't smooth.

There was a blade scar running across the length of his wrist up to his elbow.

"Even for an anomalous corer, you healed unnaturally fast."

The words resounded from the side, and Everlearn turned away from the scar on his hands, finding the Weapon Instructor whose white eyes were currently staring at him

"I lost...again,"

Everlearn mused, his hands folding into a fist.

"No, you actually passed," the Weapon Instructor said as Everlearn turned to him.

"There are levels to the Weapon Training.

"The first is an assessment."

"To see if the newcomers can match the skills of a corer who possesses the average of their strength.

"That means I had to lower my physical output to that of a Mecha X corer," he explained, proving the system right.

"You didn't just match my strength, you surpassed it, and in the last moment, I had to break away from the X core power to W.

"That automatically signifies your passing," he explained, and a glint crossed through Everlearn's eyes.

But then his eyes refocused as he turned back to the Instructor, finding him having risen.

"You indeed practiced the Precise Strike Manual I gave you."

"I can tell that from how precise your attacks and blockings have gotten since the last time," he said, and Everlearn watched him walk to the shelves, fingers trailing the manuals within them.

"But the Precise Strike Manual alone does not explain it all," he suddenly said, and Everlearn froze.

"I can tell you have just fused with a Core, an Anomalous Core."

"But it's still now, and you should only be at around 5–10% sync with it," he explained, pausing on a book.

"But the power you used today was that of one with a 70% sync or higher."

"You grew stronger... too fast."

"You call upon a power beyond just cores, though I have no idea what it is,"

He explained, and his hands reached into the shelves, bringing out a manual, one much larger than the previous, before turning to Everlearn.

"I can't sense Arcane from you, so whatever power it is, you're not affiliated with the Nakros."

"For me, that is enough. I won't try to pry further." He explained, passing the book to Everlearn, who took it in both hands.

It was heavier than it looked.

"But remember, Everlearn Snowfall," the man called out to him, pointing to his heart.

"Every great power comes with an even greater sacrifice."

"If the power is beyond this world, just like yours, then the sacrifice in the end will be beyond anything you could comprehend." He said, and Everlearn's chest thumped harder, a dangerous premonition filling his heart.

"Know and fully accept that before you walk too far on the path..."

He said before he turned back, returning to his seat.

But his words struck Everlearn.

He remembered the system's words back then, what it had told him when he asked why it was helping him.

Its answer was:

______

║The true answer has been determined to hold no value for the current power level the Host is in, and therefore, deemed unnecessary to reveal║

______

It was a simple, understandable answer back then, but now, things don't seem so simple anymore.

Silently, Everlearn rose, giving a bow to the Weapon Instructor before he headed out of the dojo door.

As he disappeared, the Weapon Instructor paused his reading, turning to look at the path Everlearn had walked out from.

His brows faintly creased, but in the next moment, they settled as he turned back to the book, silently flipping the page.

___________

Class was done for the day.

They only had Weapon Class for today, and right now it was 3:30 PM.

His challenge would start at 5.

Everlearn had never been to the arena before, so he made up his mind to move there earlier, before the start of the fights, but he first made his way back to the dorm to return the book.

As much as the Weapon Instructor's words were worth thinking about, but doing so created a dangerous feeling his his heart, and in the end Everlearn forced them out of his mind.

He was growing, perhaps too fast, but what was he without power?

What was he when he was just an ordinary boy with a dream of becoming a great Mech Designer?

What was he when he had done everything just right and earned the nod of everyone?

Had that saved him from simply getting his skull sliced into two?

Now he was growing.

So what if he was doing so too fast?

He had once moved too slowly and normally, and death had been the result.

What other path was there to walk than this anomaly path he had embarked on?

If the sacrifice would be greater than anything anyone could imagine, then it was only fair, as right now, he was also growing at a pace beyond anything anyone could imagine.

In the end, it would be fine.

And if it wasn't, he would force it to be.

Even if he died at the end of this path, at least he would have died knowing he gave his absolute all.

With that new mentality of his, he easily continued forward, his conviction only firming.

He wouldn't stop now, only move faster.

Let the world know if it wants.

He wouldn't hide away his power or slow himself down just to settle for what it deemed as 'normal'.

He had Boss Ash, a powerful corer behind him, warding away the greater attention from people he cannot hope to defeat. for now

Now was the time to take advantage of that and rise higher than ever before.

And if he rose high and fast enough, then he might reach a point the world would have no choice but to shut up and accept his growth, no matter how anomalous they were.

_____________

Apart from classes, one of the places that was just as popular and frequented by the Newcomers was the X-New Arena.

Challenges were always taking place every single day as students gained points every single day.

What was more, it was a battle arena.

The fight challenges were posted online, same for the rankings, and after the classes, all of the students could come spend time in the arena to watch the fights happen.

An activity that didn't require them to pay with points.

When Everlearn stepped through the wide gates and entered, his jaw dropped.

"This.... There are more newcomers!?"

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