BXBX NOVEL Chapter 3: Introductions
Chapter 3: Introductions
[Church Of the Holy God\'s]
"I\'ll be off now Auntie!"
I said goodbye to the woman who had taken care of me since I was a baby, even though she wasn\'t my biological mother, she showed me how it felt to grow up as a child with a parent figure.
"Be safe Jan, Make sure to always eat and make tons of friends." My Auntie Natalie waved as I ran off from the church.
This feeling of my warmed heart made me reminisce about the 16 years I\'ve spent with her and as the muscles of my face began to stretch I turned to give her a reassuring smile, I nodded at my aunt\'s advice as I waved off into a distance. She had always been my pillar of support, and leaving home to attend Pinnacle Academy was a significant step for me.
"I will, Auntie. Don\'t worry. I\'ll make you proud," I said, determined to excel at the academy.
Taking a deep breath, I shouldered my backpack and headed towards the IDS Station (Instant Destination Stone) which would transport me to the front entrance of the academy.
As I made my way towards the Instant Destination Stone with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
The guard at the entrance, a stern-looking figure, eyed me as I approached.
"ID card and destination please." He said with an authoritative voice.
"Destination Pinnacle academy" I replied swiftly as I handed over my ID card, and he inspected it with a practised gaze.
"Jan Ates confirmed. Proceed to teleportation, and welcome to the Pinnacle Academy," he announced, giving me a nod.
"Thank you," I replied, taking a deep breath as I stepped onto the designated teleportation pad.
WANG!
The magic enveloped me once again, and within moments, I arrived at the academy\'s main courtyard.
The academy grounds were awe-inspiring. Towering structures adorned with magical runes, lush gardens, and students bustling about created a vibrant atmosphere. I marvelled at the architecture and the sheer scale of the academy.
Navigating through the courtyard, I noticed other students arriving, each with their unique aura and talents. The place was significantly larger than Heroes Prep Academy, nearly two or three times the size. In the crowd, familiar faces from the Entry exams emerged.
In the middle of the crowd, I spotted the friends I made at Heroes Prep Academy—Camilia, Valencia, Bazz, and Lyra. Excitement welled up within me, and I shouted, "Yo, guys!" waving my hands through the bustling crowd.
THUMP
Suddenly, a force pushed me back, and I found myself eye-to-eye with someone who I didn\'t quite understand—Louise De Valerion. He and his lackeys stared at me with an intimidating intent.
"Well, look who it is. It\'s Mr. Rank 1 himself!"
Louise spoke in a calm yet angry tone, spreading his arms out to make him seem bigger than me.
"Ah, Hello Louise, it\'s nice to—" I began, but he cut me off.
"Don\'t call me by my name, Ates. Someone like you wouldn\'t have the right to address me and you in the same sentence EVER,"
he snarled, grabbing me by the collar in an attempt to intimidate me.
If he was going to take things this far then I wouldn\'t mind showing him.
TAK!
"I grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding me with my right hand and gave Louise a serious look. \'Let go, Louise,\' I said as I began applying pressure slowly.
Despite my efforts, Louise refused to back down as he smiled from ear to ear.
"Oh are you finally showing your true colors, Jan?" he said as he tried to lift me up.
"Enough."
Saved by the bell, Valencia stepped in, positioning herself between us. With a stern look at Louise, she spoke in a casual yet respectful tone.
"Louise, we\'re here for the entrance ceremony. Let\'s not spoil the occasion with unnecessary conflicts."
He backed off, staring at Valencia with a mix of frustration and understanding. "Whatever. Just know that I\'ll be number 1 soon," he muttered before turning away, his lackeys following suit.
Valencia turned towards me, her expression exhausted yet full of energy. "Sorry about that, Jan. Louise can be a handful. It seems he still can\'t get over the fact that he lost to you in both Theory and Practical."
I shrugged it off, "It\'s fine. You\'ve known him long enough for him to listen to you without complaining. Thanks for stepping in, though."
Camilia chimed in, "Ignore him, Jan. We\'ve got better things to focus on, like the entrance ceremony and making the most out of our time here."
She was right. This was a new chapter in our lives, a chance to grow stronger and forge new friendships. Bazz added with a grin, "Speaking of which, we better head to the ceremony. Don\'t want to be late on the first day."
"By the way, we should go head to the presentation hall now~," Lyra spoke in a cheerful tone.
Stareeeeeee
As we nodded in agreement and made our way through the crowd toward the central area where the ceremony was taking place, I couldn\'t shake the feeling that someone was watching me from afar.
Turning around, I scanned the courtyard, but there was no sign of anyone overtly watching me. The sea of students, each preoccupied with their thoughts and conversations, Maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.
***
After a month of non-stop training and 0 spotting of our main character Jan, it was like I had been forbidden not to meet this guy. I checked in the usual locations of where he should be but to my avail, I had not seen him once.
But I had a slight improvement in my stats though.
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{Axel Saint Rel Laurence STATS:}
Age: 17
Talent: Marksman Of Weaponry [Grade 8] [...]
Affinity: Flame, Water
Health: 62/62
Strength: 12 -> 17.5 (5.50+)
Stamina: 15.5 -> 25 (9.50+)
Speed: 55 -> 58 (3.00+)
Intelligence: ? [Unlocked after theory exam]
Mana: ? [100 BP required.]
Special Stats [...] Special Abilities: Dead-eye [Grade 10], Instinctive Targeting [Grade 10], Abilities: Piercing Shot [Grade 10], Vulnerability Reader [Grade 8], Quick Shot [Grade 9],
QP: 10, PPP: 25, BP: 0
___________________________________________
I still lacked the preparation to survive the looming first main event of the first-year arc, but at least I knew I\'d manage the initial weeks.
Arriving at the front of Pinnacle Academy, the sight mirrored my expectations. Stepping off the IDS Platform (Instant Destination Stone), I admired the academy\'s towering structures, an expansive outdoor area with exclusive training equipment, and unparalleled facilities that towered over my head.
Also accompanied by the best types of teachings in this world. Although I knew the answer to almost everything there\'s no reason for me to be here. but I had to since there were changes I wasn\'t aware of.
But the first thing I had to do was to see what Jan looked like. Amid the burgeoning crowd of freshman students pouring out of the numerous Destination Platforms, I positioned myself in the courtyard, eyes fixed on what could only be described as the perfect human. Black hair, sky-blue eyes, ideal height, a robust yet lean physique—undeniably, it was Jan.
I weaved through the crowd, my eyes fixed on the perfect human silhouette. As I slowly moved my way in closer to see the imagination of my thoughts becoming a reality.
But as more freshmen flocked out of the Destination Platforms, I was getting pushed away from seeing one of my creations, and after a while, I spotted him with his rival Louise, someone who was just as strong as Jan. The golden blonde hair and his emerald green eyes were certainly standout features; he also looked just as good as Jan, certainly befitting for a rival like him.
Carefully, I focused on what they were saying to each other, and just like the same lines of the first story, they were supposed to have a little physical contact with each other until I stood still, seeing something out of place in my eyes.
Her cascading aureate gold and sterling silver hair flowed down her shoulders, and the enchanting amethyst blue reflected the richness and warmth in her eyes. She looked almost as tall as me, but she was wearing shoes that supported her height.
Valencia? I was confused by what she was doing here in the first-year area, but there was no way she could be a first-year since she was supposed to graduate after the 2nd semester.
Valencia—was it her? It can\'t be. If she were here to assist the first years, it would make sense, but she was wearing the first-year badge on her uniform, which only heightened my concern about the situation.
Originally, she was the strongest third-year in the history of Pinnacle Academy in the novel. She was the golden prodigy of Pinnacle, the only sword saint who could wield any type of weaponry with absolute control and perfection. But did I make a mistake? Did the assistant tool change her character to be a first-year?
While Jan possessed an adaptive ability greater than any other person on Earth, allowing him to learn things with a single glance, he was perfect in every way. His mana reserves seemed bottomless, and his swordsmanship matched that of the sword saints.
In contrast, Louise was the heir to the weapon known as the Flaming Terror. Blessed with the purest fire attribute and exceptional physical strength, he never missed a day of training or study in his life.
With Valencia\'s unexpected presence, the entire first-year arc seemed poised for a significant shift. Undoubtedly beautiful, Valencia stood out among the other characters: Camilia, the silver-haired maiden; Bazz, with his fuzzy red hair; and Lyra, with her dark brown hair.
As I stood there, trying to make sense of Valencia\'s out-of-place appearance, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the announcement of the introductory ceremony. Considering Valencia\'s status as the strongest third-year in Pinnacle Academy\'s history in the novel, I couldn\'t help but wonder if the assistant tool had altered her character or if there was a deliberate reason behind this change.
Heading towards the presentation hall, I observed the interactions between Jan, Louise, and others, sensing the impending storm. The colossal hall with magical patterns adorning its walls hosted students in hushed anticipation.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, and the murmur of conversations filled the hall. As the lights dimmed, the academy\'s emblem illuminated on a massive screen, capturing everyone\'s attention.
The headmaster, a wise-looking figure with a long, flowing beard, stepped onto the stage. His presence commanded respect, and the hall fell silent. He began his speech, by welcoming the new students to Pinnacle Academy, emphasizing the importance of unity, growth, and the pursuit of excellence.
During the speech, my gaze wandered over the familiar faces among the crowd of 1100 students, There was Alice who was England\'s representative not just as royalty but as a student you could also mistake her for Valencia\'s Sister just by their appearance familiarities.
A few other standouts were future powerhouses that become important later on in the story Miya Takeo, Noah Davies, and Jae Yoona. many students from all over the world wanted to attend this academy but a few select would make it.
Obviously, for me, I was an exception but by no means people in this academy weren\'t weak.
However, my attention kept returning to Valencia. Her eyes, a captivating amethyst blue, held a certain depth and intensity. She listened attentively, her posture radiating confidence. The golden and silver hues of her hair caught the ambient light, creating a mesmerizing effect.
The headmaster concluded his speech, and the hall erupted in applause. It was time for the freshmen to be sorted into their respective classes. As the names were called, I couldn\'t help but wonder how this unexpected twist, with Valencia being among the first-year students, would alter the dynamics of the story.
Jan, Louise, Camilia, Bazz, and Lyra were in the same class, just as the story went. Yet, what seemed like luck was on my side as well. It appeared that Valencia, Alice, Miya, Jae, Noah, and I would be joining their class, this meant that this first-year class would probably be the most competitive yet.
I observed the interactions between the characters, Jan and Louise, with their rivalry, now shared a class with the Saintess Valencia. The addition of Alice, Miya, Jae, Noah, and myself to their class made the atmosphere even more intriguing.
As the ceremony concluded, the students split off into their respective dormitories. Males and females branched out from the huge intersection labelled "male dorm."
The only items I needed for my new dorm were my newly acquainted bow, some clothes, and the holographic MK 1 smartwatch that had become an integral part of my daily life. As I made my way toward the dormitory preparing for our first day of class.
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Authors Notes:
- Jan and Bazz first met when Jan was eight years old. They were at a bakery owned by Bazz\'s family and got into a fight over a piece of bread to feed a dog. Jan easily won the fight and from that point on, Bazz and Jan became best friends.?( •? ? •? )?
- Before becoming an author Axel was a tri-athlete in three sports! (•??•? )
- Jan and Louise\'s rivalry began when Jan first joined the Prep Academy for Heroes. He accidentally bumped into Valencia, and Louise defended her fiercely. Thanks to Valencia\'s intervention, a fight was narrowly avoided, but ever since then, Louise has harboured a strong hate for Jan as he was way too good at everything as if he was reincarnated from another world. (っ o - o ?)