194 LIFE AND DEATH CONTRACT
Dan blinked. "What the hell is that?"
Zairgid sighed. "It's the student ranking system. Duels decide who gets the best resources—sponsorships, research access, credits, all that… things we don't need…. But others do."
"But I didn't even join any ranking," Dan said, clearly annoyed.
Zairgid checked his datapad. His face went pale. "Uh… apparently, you're ranked number ten. Among the strongest in the university."
Dan frowned. "What? When did that happen?"
Zairgid shrugged. "Beats . But you must've pissed soone off. And the suspects… are many."
"This is going to be endless," Dan muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I won't have a mont's peace."
Zairgid smirked. "Then just do what you always do… beat them all into the hospital. Don't tell
you've gone soft?"
Dan shot him a glare. "? Soft? Never."
He flexed his arm dramatically, and Zairgid rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, though," Zairgid said, checking his holo-screen. "You've already got a dozen written challenges in your school chat. Word's spreading fast. Everyone wants a piece of you."
Dan groaned. "Great. The price of fa."
He looked around at the wrecked apartnt, the overturned furniture and smoke stains.
"Here's what we'll do. We'll head to New Owl. Your nurses can clean up this dump while I pretend not to exist."
Zairgid grinned. "Running away, huh?"
"I'm just too tired to deal with these scums now," Dan corrected. "Let the challengers stew for a while. The longer they wait, the more fun it'll be when I finally show up."
Zairgid laughed. "Fine by . I never say no to a party."
The two friends left the ruined apartnt behind, their laughter echoing down the corridor… while the digital notifications of new duel requests kept piling up one after another on Dan's student chat.
-----
[New Owl]
"I heard you made a ss again at the university. What have you done this ti?" Dorin asked, leaning back on the lounge chair with a glass of frostwine in hand.
Dan didn't even look at her. "Pulled a professor into the air," he said casually. "Almost killed him."
Dorin nearly spat her drink. "What?!"
But Dan's attention was elsewhere.
Through the tall glass windows overlooking the club's dance floor, his eyes scanned the crowd. He wasn't here to dance…he was updating his "mining list."
Silver City was crawling with powerful ta-humans. Even Rank Bs were common here, and a few auras he sensed were far above that—Rank BBBs, even As.
"lrose City really was a farm compared to this place," he murmured to himself.
"What?" Dorin asked, her brow raised.
He shrugged. "Nothing."
She gave him a knowing look. "You're a troublemaker, you know that?"
"What the hell is this university ranking thing anyway?" Dan said, turning toward the group. "I've been getting a flood of duel challenges all day."
"You already got that?" Lander blinked in disbelief. "You've only been there one day!"
"Can I kill them?" Dan asked flatly.
Everyone groaned.
"No," Lander said firmly. "You cannot kill them. And don't underestimate them either. Most of those students are heirs of major families…trained since childhood to rule this city."
Liorea, scrolling through her holo-pad, chid in. "Yeah, I checked the ssage boards. The top ten ranked students include Rank BBBs… and even a few Rank As."
Dan turned sharply. "There are Rank As among the students?"
"See?" Dorin said, smirking. "Now you're worried."
"Worried?" Dan grinned. "No…. Curious, maybe."
"Not gonna reply to the challengers, Big Brother?" Kail asked, half-grinning.
Dan leaned back in his chair. "What do you suggest?" he said, turning to Liorea … the sinister brain of the group.
She smirked. "Raise the wager. They'll choke."
Zairgid chuckled. "Classic move. He pulled the sa stunt back in high school. Won millions."
Dan snorted. "Yeah, but this ti, money's not enough to make 'em piss their pants."
He cracked his knuckles and started typing on his student ID chat.
"Challenge ? Sure. But get an Amnesty from the Court for a Life-and-Death duel first. I'm not wasting ti with the courts when I bloody kill you wimps."
The group watched as the feed exploded. Students spamd the chat — insults, curses, s. Everyone had sothing to say, but no one had the guts to click "accept".
After a few minutes, the noise died down.
Just like that there remained only silence.
Zairgid whistled. "Damn. You nailed 'em. Those wimps folded fast."
Dan smirked. "Talk's cheap. Dying's not so."
Then he turned to Kail. "I need a favor. Get
an amnesty from the court for a life duel."
Kail blinked. "Wait, there is an actual thing like that?"
Liorea's lips curved. "There is. Rare …. but legal."
"Perfect." Dan's grin widened as he typed again.
"I, Dan Dark, officially challenge the Top Nine of this university to a duel to the death. Amnesty filed and certified and enclosed with seals. Co on over to seal it."
He attached the court-approved docunt …. bold, official, and impossible to ignore.
Then he leaned back, folding his arms with a lazy smile.
"Let's see who's got balls big enough to die trying."
------
The next morning Dan walked onto campus like he owned the pavent.
People parted around him as if he carried the plague, their whispers, sideways glances, faces gone pale.
Word was out: Dan Dark was a lunatic who'd filed for a life-and-death amnesty over ranking fights. Even the Top Ten kept their distance; their positions were safe, their incentives to fight him to death were nil.
Why bleed for his drama, even if they could defeat Dan Dark? It would only boost his ratings in the student chat.
"That boy!!!
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