That evening, the cadets gathered at a small restaurant just outside the academy gates, a cozy place they had grown fond of over the months. Warm lights glowed from lanterns overhead, and the smell of grilled meat and fresh bread filled the air.

  Their spirit creatures sat beside them, each one attracting glances from curious civilians but protected by the academy’s discreet security detail. Even though spirit creatures didn’t need to eat, the cadets insisted on letting them enjoy human food, “a celebration,” as Natalia put it.

  Kael watched his companions with a small smile.

  Kylon by his side, delicately nibbling on a roll of bread like a majestic dragon pretending to be polite.

  Kawa sat proudly on a chair beside him, tearing into a thick steak with the confidence of someone certain he deserved only the finest cut.

  Zatz floated over a cup of ice cream, sparks popping every time she scooped a bite.

  Across from them, Anya laughed softly as Mischka, her timid creature, perched on her shoulder, chewing happily on a piece of bread. Natalia sat next to her, watching Ikol, her J?rmungandr serpent, coil loosely around his seat while he devoured lamb chops with surprising elegance.

  Serafina’s panthera atrox, Leanne, sprawled lazily under the table, paws crossed as she took a bite at her grilled salmon. Takeshi’s jorōgumo, Sumino, daintily picked berries from a plate, her many limbs moving gracefully. Meanwhile, Kyle’s dire wolf, Ajax, growled contentedly as he chewed on roasted chicken, each bite crunching loudly.

  The cadets ate quietly for a while, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

  Then Kyle casually asked, “So… do you guys have any idea which country we’re getting sent to?”

  Takeshi wiped his mouth, thinking.

  “Probably Canada or somewhere in Central America. I heard the infantry there is struggling with aberrant swarms.”

  Serafina leaned back in her chair.

  “Could be Mexico. Rumor is a new aberrant nest was discovered in the northern region.”

  Natalia nodded, eyes thoughtful.

  “That makes sense. They’ve been asking for reinforcements.”

  Anya turned to Kael, curious.

  “What about you, Kael? Where do you think we’ll be sent?”

  Kael looked down at his plate for a moment, the candlelight catching the seriousness in his eyes.

  “I’m not sure,” he admitted.

  “But based on the news reports… I just hope we’re deployed somewhere our abilities can be used to help the most. Somewhere we’re truly needed.”

  A few hours later, after laughter and warm goodbyes outside the restaurant, the cadets eventually returned to their dorms, exhausted, full, and content.

  All except Kael.

  He walked alone through the academy grounds, the night sky stretched wide above him, stars shimmering faintly behind drifting clouds. The training field lights were still on, casting long shadows across the empty rings. Kael stepped into one, exhaled, and reached for the spirit card at his belt.

  Zatz’s card sparked the moment his fingers touched it.

  Kael lifted his hand high.

  “Spirit Drive!”

  Golden light burst around him, wrapping his body in crackling arcs. When the glow settled, he stood fully clad in radiant gold armor with silver streaks running across each plate like lightning veins. In his grip, two kunai formed, each blade forged from condensed electricity, humming with Zatz’s energy.

  He moved.

  Dash. Strike. Twist. Throw.

  Every motion left a trail of golden sparks. The kunai bent and curved through the air, responding to his intent before snapping back into his palms. It wasn’t perfect, his footing slipped once, and an arc of electricity fizzled out too soon, but he kept going.

  He needed this.

  He needed control.

  He needed mastery.

  Footsteps echoed at the entrance of the ring.

  “So,” a deep voice called out, “still training?”

  Kael froze. He turned and immediately straightened.

  “General Ryker, sir!” He saluted.

  Ryker raised a brow. “Ease down, cadet.”

  Kael lowered his hand, feeling slightly embarrassed to be caught practicing alone.

  “I… haven’t had much chance to use Zatz’s power yet,” he explained.

  “And I thought maybe I should adjust some things, armor, weapon forms, maybe even my reaction timing, just in case.”

  Ryker crossed his arms, studying him with his one good eye.

  “You can request enhancements from the smithing course tomorrow,” he said.

  “No need to push yourself to the breaking point at one in the morning.”

  Kael nodded, though he still shifted awkwardly.

  Ryker watched him for a moment longer. Then, unexpectedly, he asked:

  “How does it feel… to be chosen by Prime Spirit Creatures?”

  Kael blinked. He hadn’t expected that.

  “It… honestly wasn’t what I expected,” he admitted.

  “I didn’t even have a spirit creature until a few months ago. Everything happened so fast. It was overwhelming.”

  Ryker said nothing at first. Instead, he pulled a cold soda can from his coat pocket and tossed it to Kael.

  Kael caught it with both hands.

  “You were like me,” Ryker said quietly.

  “When I was your age, I had nothing. Didn’t get my spirit creature until I was fourteen. Before that, people mocked me, looked down on me. I was heir to the Smith Family, yet they said I was worthless.”

  Kael’s brows furrowed. He knew that pain. Too well. He remembered the whispers, the mocking, the way people stared at him as if he were incomplete.

  “General…” he hesitated, unsure if it was disrespectful to ask.

  “Why did you accept me? Why take me in when I had nothing? You’re the patriarch of the Smith Family. You could’ve used me, to climb ranks, gain influence. But you didn’t.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Ryker smirked faintly and touched the scar over his blind left eye.

  “Boy,” he said.

  “Power and ranks have never been the priority of the Smith Family. Protection is. Our oath has always been the same, serve to protect, and fight the abberants. Just like our ancestors did centuries ago.”

  Kael opened his mouth to ask another question, but Ryker lifted a hand, stopping him gently.

  “Focus on protecting what you love, Kael,” the general said.

  “And keep doing the things that make you happy. Sometimes… the things we overlook are the ones that end up mattering the most.”

  With that, Ryker turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing softly as he left the training field.

  Kael stood alone in the ring, the night breeze brushing against his armor. He looked down at the soda can in his hand, clicked it open, and took a quiet sip.

  The carbonation hissed softly, almost like a whisper.

  Kael lowered the drink and repeated Ryker’s words under his breath:

  “Sometimes… the things we overlook are the ones that end up mattering the most.”

  The thought lingered with him long after the lights of the training field dimmed.

  Kael’s armor shimmered, then burst into particles of golden sparks, dissolving around him. The kunai evaporated. Zatz’s spirit energy dimmed to a flicker before returning to its card, which slipped neatly back into Kael’s belt pocket with a soft chime.

  The field felt suddenly colder without the light.

  Kael exhaled, grabbed a towel, and headed back toward the dorm buildings. His steps were steady, but his thoughts were anything but.

  If he truly wanted to protect his friends…

  If he wanted to protect the people he cared about…

  He needed to become stronger, strong enough to stand between them and the abyss.

  Inside his dim dorm room, he sat on his bed and raised his wrist. With a swipe of his fingers, his wristband synchro projected a faint blue glow. He tapped a compartment slot and produced something pulsing faintly with eerie light—

  An abberant core.

  The core he’d taken from the Evolving Beast Aberrant.

  Its surface shifted like liquid stone, flickering between bestial shapes.

  Suddenly—

  [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

  ? Beast-Type Aberrant Core: Level Up

  Would you like to use one of your unused rewards from a previous quest to enhance this core?

  Yes | No

  Kael didn’t hesitate.

  “Yes.”

  The moment he chose it, the core vibrated violently in his palm. Light surged from within, dark at first, then white, then something darker.

  A new alert rang out:

  [SYSTEM UPDATE]

  ?? CORE EVOLUTION COMPLETE

  The Beast-Type Aberrant Core has undergone a significant transformation.

  ?? NEW CORE ACQUIRED:

  Semi-Human Aberrant Core (Level 1)

  ? Former: Beast-Type Aberrant Core

  ? Result: Reward enhancement + previous combat resonance

  CORE CHANGES:

  ? Spirit density—increased

  ? Structural complexity—expanded

  ? Semi-human traits—detected

  ? Compatibility with user Kael Santos—High

  Kael stared at it, astonished, but also relieved.

  “With this… I might really get stronger,” he murmured.

  He slid the core back into the wristband synchro, its glow pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

  The next morning, Kael went to the smithing course to improve his new lightning armor. The smithing course classroom was as chaotic as ever.

  Hammers clanged. Sparks flew. Students argued over schematics. Someone in the back yelled, “THAT’S NOT HOW SPIRIT CONDUCTORS WORK!” followed by an explosion and frantic coughing.

  Kael stepped through the noise with practiced ease and headed straight for a quiet corner room—Mia’s office.

  He knocked politely.

  “Mia? Are you busy?”

  Inside, the lady smith glanced up from a half-disassembled gauntlet, her goggles pushed up into her messy hair. She brightened immediately.

  “Kael! Not at all, come in, come in!”

  Kael entered, sat down, and unclipped his wristband synchro.

  “I want to improve the lightning armor you made for me,” he said. “I need it to be… stronger. More stable. More reactive.”

  Mia nodded. “I can upgrade it. But for a full enhancement? I’ll need 1,000 credits and three Beast-Type Aberrant Cores.”

  Kael hesitated, then reached into his pocket.

  “What about… this instead?”

  He placed the newly evolved core on her desk.

  The moment Mia saw it, her eyes widened. She froze, then snatched it up like it was a rare gem.

  “A-A Semi-Human Aberrant Core?!” she gasped.

  “Kael, do you understand how valuable, no, how absurdly powerful, this is?! This isn’t just good enough… this is perfect.”

  Kael chuckled softly. “So… can it cover the requirements?”

  Mia didn’t even let him finish.

  “Yes. Absolutely yes. This is more than enough.”

  She collected the credits, took the core and the wristband synchro, and stood.

  “I’ll need a bit of time,” she said. “Wait outside. And don’t peek! This kind of upgrade is… sensitive.”

  Kael nodded and stepped out of her office, leaning against the wall as the door closed behind him.

  Inside, he could already hear Mia squealing with excitement.

  The faint rumble of machinery and crackle of energy soon followed.

  Whatever she was building…

  It would change everything.

  A couple of hours passed before the door to Mia’s office finally swung open.

  Her hair was even messier, soot streaked her cheek, and she looked like she had just wrestled a lightning storm—

  but her grin was enormous.

  “Kael!” she called. “It’s done!”

  She handed him his wristband synchro, now subtly heavier, its surface lined with new silver conduits and glowing spirit channels.

  “Go on,” she said, dusting her hands dramatically. “Try it. I want to see it in action.”

  Kael nodded, pulse quickening.

  He took Zatz’s spirit card from his belt pocket and held it tightly.

  “Spirit Drive!”

  A burst of golden electricity exploded around him, the air crackling, the ground trembling. Sparks spiraled upward in a cyclone, wrapping around his body like living lightning.

  As the energy settled—

  Kael stood clad in his upgraded armor.

  Golden plating with sleek silver highlights.

  Layered motifs resembling Zatz’s lightning sprites etched across his shoulders and gauntlets.

  Lines of spirit energy pulsing beneath semi-translucent segments.

  In his hand materialized his new weapon—

  a shuriken the size of his fist, metallic edges sharp and flawless, its center ring perfectly balanced for spinning.

  Mia folded her arms proudly.

  “Well? Give it a whirl.”

  Kael gripped the shuriken by its center ring.

  He spun it.

  Whooom—

  Electric spirit energy surged outward instantly, coating the shuriken in a growing sphere of lightning. Faster and faster Kael spun it, until the spirit energy expanded into a massive chakram of crackling light—

  The weapon had grown to Kael’s full height, a spinning disk of electrified power that hummed with lethal precision.

  Kael stared in awe.

  “This is… incredible.”

  Mia smirked, tapping a wrench against her shoulder like a signature flourish.

  “Welcome,” she said with a proud gleam in her eyes. “Custom-made for the future leader of Squad Prime.”

  Kael let the shuriken slow, the massive electric ring shrinking back down into the compact weapon in his palm.

  He felt it—

  a new surge of strength, a new level of confidence,

  a step closer to protecting the people he loved.

  The next day, early morning the cadets, along with cain, and general Ryker, were sent to the Battle infantry headquarters where they’ll be assigned to which country they are going to fight the on going war against the abberations.

  The next day, early in the morning, the cadets stood outside the academy gates—lined up, bags packed, spirit creatures by their side—waiting for transport to the Battle Infantry Headquarters. A light fog rolled over the courtyard, softening the rising sun into a pale glow.

  General Ryker arrived first, his footsteps sharp against the pavement. Cain followed beside him, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

  “Cadets,” Ryker said, voice firm but steady, “today you will receive your deployment assignments. From this point on, your training ends… and your real service begins.”

  A subtle tension rippled through the group.

  Kyle swallowed. Takeshi straightened his posture. Natalia’s fingers drummed lightly against Jormungandr’s card. Serafina exhaled slowly. Anya stood still, Mischka clinging to her shoulder.

  Kael felt Kylon, Kawa, and Zatz huddled close around him—quiet for once.

  No jokes. No sparks. Just silent support.

  Ryker stepped forward, eyes scanning each one of them.

  “You have trained hard. You have bled, endured, and surpassed expectations. Wherever you are assigned, know that you carry not only your spirit creatures… but the reputation of this academy.”

  Cain smirked faintly. “Translation: don’t embarrass us.”

  A few cadets cracked small smiles. The tension eased—just a little.

  A rumble echoed from down the road. A military carrier rolled to a stop before them, engines hissing as the doors unlocked.

  Ryker gestured toward it.

  “Move out.”

  One by one, the cadets climbed aboard. Their spirit creatures padded, floated, or slithered in behind them—Kawa hopping onto Kael’s shoulder, Zatz drifting lazily, Kylon’s tail flicking with anticipation.

  Inside, the cabin felt cold. Sterile. Too quiet.

  Kyle leaned back, arms behind his head. “So… this is it.”

  Takeshi exhaled through his nose. “No turning back now.”

  Serafina hugged her knees slightly, Leanne curled protectively beside her.

  Anya whispered to Mischka, smoothing her fur.

  Natalia adjusted her jacket, gaze distant but sharp.

  Kael sat last. His heart thudded—not with fear, but with the weight of what was coming.

  Zatz nudged him on the cheek. “Don’t stress, Holder. Worst case? We zap anything that tries to eat us.”

  Kawa nodded sagely. “Yes. And if danger arises, I shall valiantly—”

  Kylon smacked him on the head with his tail.

  “Do not start.”

  Cain stepped inside briefly, stopping by Kael.

  “You’ll be fine,” he said, voice low. “All of you will. Stick together. Trust your training. Trust each other.”

  For a moment, the noise of the engine faded. The cadets looked to Cain—steady, strong, certain.

  Then Ryker’s voice broke the pause.

  “Driver! Headquarters!”

  The doors slammed shut.

  Cain watched the vehicle pull away, dust rising behind its wheels. His hands slipped into his pockets as he exhaled—deep, slow.

  “They’re ready,” he murmured.

  Whether he meant it as reassurance… or a prayer… even he wasn’t sure.

  But as the carrier disappeared down the road, he felt something rare settling in his chest.

  Pride.

  And beneath it—

  Hope.