YM778.TV Chapter 73: The Calm Before The Storm
[12:10 PM]
Louise\'s world, with its focus on power and glory, was so far removed from my own that it felt more like watching a child play with its food than witnessing something to be envied.
Turning to the right, Valencia\'s reaction was rather calm her expression betraying no hint of being impressed by Louise\'s match. I could tell she didn\'t want to be here at all.
Then Louise spotted her. That smirk when he waved was almost unbearable – like he owned the world and Valencia was just a prize in it.
Confusion washed over Valencia as she realized the crowd was watching her, not him.
"I think everyone\'s staring at you," Camila whispered into Valencia\'s ear as a flush crept up her neck, and the student section went wild. Valencia turned, her expression twisting in confusion as the whispers intensified.
Murmurs spread through the stands like wildfire.
"No way... could Louise and Valencia...?" a first-year girl gasped nearby.
"They\'d be the perfect couple!" another gushed.
"So Louise likes Valencia then? Wow..."
Valencia met my eyes for a seocnd, then abruptly left. I thought about the dating allegations, Her and Louise?
PFFT
Don\'t make me laugh. As If in a thousand years that\'s happening. For all that I know Louise would never achieve such a feat of earning the heart of Valencia.
BZZZT!
Unlike Louise, who seemed proud, Valencia seemed to avoid it. Even up until now, she was a mystery to me, always keeping a distance. Perhaps that was what made her so… interesting...
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[7 Hours Later...]
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[Pinnacle Academy, Aetherium Nexus: Building A - Gym]
[Tuesday, 7:30 PM]
haah...haah...haah...
The clang of weights echoed through the Aetherium Nexus as I finished my final set of bench presses.
A gloss of sweat covered my skin, and my muscles throbbed with a satisfying ache. Sixty kilos on either side – it wasn\'t a record-breaking feat, but it was progress. Every day, I pushed myself a little harder, sculpting my body into a weapon against the suffocating confines of this place.
"Rel Laurence," the gym\'s AI announced crisply. "Time in the gym: 2 hours and 30 minutes."
"Thanks," I muttered, wiping down the bench before heading for the exit.
The tournament chaos was finally dying down. With the round of 16 completed, the academy had wrapped up events early, granting students a rare leave – which should be used to "relax and study."
But as I stepped out into the fading afternoon light, the academy grounds didn\'t feel any less different from today.
Students milled around, some clearly enjoying their freedom with noisy chatter and laughter. Others, like myself, were hitting the weights like a true gym bro. I knew this wasn\'t true relaxation, just a carefully planned outing that kept my body in check and ensured that I wouldn\'t struggle with any lifting task.
My usual path led past the main academic building, a hulking structure where all the lessons were held. Instead of staying, I sidestepped the edge of the lawn, as I had arrived at the front of the Male Dorms.
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[Pinnacle Academy, First Year - Male Dorms]
Bleach stung my nose as I hit the fourth floor. Voices boomed from below I could hear it was Louise and his new friends that he made the day. Their laughter was nailed on a chalkboard. I crept along the stairs hearing their conversation.
"Valencia? Oh man, you\'ve got great taste!" Sergio Vex\'s voice boomed from the lounge one floor down. He was the loudest of the bunch, always eager to voice his opinions.
[Sergio Vex, Class 1-B - Academy Rank 11 / 1000]
"Dude, she\'s like, the prettiest girl in the entire academy," Carlos Muller added, his enthusiasm bordering on the ridiculous.
[Carlos Muller, Class 1-B - Academy Rank 15 / 1000]
Thiago Basten sounded amused. "Maybe she\'s drawn to his power? Or his family name?"
[Thiago Basten, Class 1-B - Academy Rank 13 / 1000]
My lips twitched in a smile. This was better than any fight I\'ve watched. Louise\'s response, as expected, was dripping with arrogance.
"Please. As if I need to impress anyone. Valencia was enchanted by my looks and top-tier skills!"
His lackeys immediately agreed enthusiastically, "Absolutely!" and "She\'s the perfect match for you, Louise!"
More laughter bubbled up from below, followed by supportive cheers. I shook my head, unable to suppress a full-fledged chuckle. The idea of Louise and Valencia together was so hilariously absurd, that I almost felt sorry for him.
Her with her icy composure, him with his inflated ego… they wouldn\'t last an hour in each other\'s company, let alone a lifetime.
The stupidity of it all fueled my restlessness. I shoved away from the railing, taking the stairs in twos, heading straight for my room.
My room, 4-A, was marked on a metal door beside the stairs.
With a soft sigh, I keyed in the access code. The door slid open, revealing a space that, while lacking in personal touch, was far from the room I\'d initially described. my comfortable bed which was still a mess, my spacious desk filled with my list of to-do things, and my empty closet which was enough to make my belongings look even more empty.
As I crossed directly to my desk. I already had a neatly folded checklist, detailing the essentials for the upcoming club trip to France.
[Rel\'s France Checklist:]
[1x - Black Puffer Jacket]
[1x - Red Scarf]
[3x - Black Long Tee\'s]
[1x Pair - Pyjamas]
[x1 - Dark Blue Baggy Pants]
[1x Pair - Ear Muffs]
[1x - Tooth Brush]
[3x Pairs - White Socks]
[1x Pairs - Nike Off-White Dunks]
Scanning the list, I ticked off each item as I confirmed its presence within my carefully packed luggage sitting beside the desk. Everything seemed in order.
***
The trip, to France, was a mark for the beginning of the official story, where a demi-human will be summoned to the Heroes Museum to steal a special material called the \'Negative Mana Stone\' this material alone could develop one of the strongest forms of a demon.
Allowing them to transform into a demon variation called a \'sub devil\' This can only be done if they consume 1 or 2 Negative mana stones.
Sub-devils are incomplete forms of a devil but by variation, they are still nothing but demons with amped-up abilities, So if a demon were to get their hands on 1000 negative mana stones and then consume it all. Then there would be a make-or-break process the demon goes through as the price for undergoing the devil transformation.
It was a process where the Body and Soul were tested and if the soul broke under the pressure of the accumulation of the 1000 stones the soul in this case would die, creating a devil\'s empty vessel.
The devil\'s empty vessel can be used in many ways they could have the body decompressed into a form of negative mana which retains all 1000 stones, rinsing and repeating the process until they have someone who can fully transform.
Or have the soul of a person directly transferred to the vessel... This means that regardless of the previous owner\'s body, whatever techniques, abilities and knowledge possessed within the transferred soul are retained within the person\'s memories, allowing them to also gain the powers of the vessel along with their previous body\'s powers.
However in the case that both the body and soul survive after the devil\'s transformation they retain all the powers they\'ve achieved and essentially become a human and a devil allowing them to blend within the norms of society being able to manipulate emotions in which they don\'t feel and do as they please with the extreme power they\'ve gained.
At the hands of the demon cult, there was an ability that was rumoured to have existed, The ability was called \'Soul Transfer\' and the problem with it all is that the 1 person who has the ability itself is only 3 years old.
I worry a lot because I know she exists but I was unsure if she was necessary when I was writing her character at the time, I ended up scrapping a war arc specifically designed for this character as the demon cult would become way too overpowered if they got their hands on her ability.
***
sniff.... sniff...
After a lot of thought, I could smell my odour rising to my nose and I have to say that it smells. Bad.
It was definitely time for a shower. Stripping down, I stepped into the small, functional bathroom attached to my room.
whoooshhhh
The hot water beat down, washing away all the exhaustion along with the day\'s sweat and grime I even had a rubber ducky floating in the tub.
As I dried off, a glance in the mirror told me my medium-length hair, was longer than usual. Strands of hair kept falling into my eyes and I struggled a lot trying to style it.
Rummaging through a drawer, I found a black headband and secured my hair back, giving myself a more practical appearance.
murrrrmmm
I could feel my stomach turning inside out, So I headed to the small kitchen area in my dorm. It was basic but sufficient. I made a quick dinner with scrambled eggs on my plate, quick and sustaining.
The thought of tomorrow\'s quarter-final twisted in my gut. Sixt of us left, meaning a near-certain match with Jan, Louise, or one of the other main cast who\'d leave me in the dust. Forget winning I think just forfeiting seemed like the only sane option.
I dumped the dishes in the sink with a clatter, desperate for the oblivion of sleep. At least something might go easy for me tomorrow...
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Authors Notes