[Pinnacle Academy, Female Dorm Rooms]
[Friday, 4:44 PM]
"Uuuwah, the weekend is here..."
Pushing the door to her dorm room open, Valencia stretched her arms wide.
She hurried to her room, changed into her ho clothes, and sank onto the cushions of her newly installed couch.
After finishing her usual classes, she flicked on the TV, and the latest news headlines flashed across the screen.
_______________
International World News Channel...
_______________
— Good evening, everyone. I am your reporter for today's news, Mary Jane, and this is my partner, Clark Kumt. As you know, a student from Pinnacle Academy solo-raided a unique-graded dungeon yesterday!
— Indeed, Jane. We encountered many false reports and misleading information, but now our team has everything we need to tell the world about this massive feat!
— It has been confird that the student who single-handedly subjugated a dungeon has massive achievents under his belt. He earned the Gold dal of Aspiration from the France incident and is currently the number one ranked candidate amongst all high-ranked guilds.
— The person we're talking about is Jan Ates!
_______________
FLICK!
Valencia switched off the TV rolling her eyes.
ugh...
"Seriously... Jan? I knew it."
Palming her face, Valencia leaned her head against the soft cushion of her couch.
Jan had been acting strange today and now knew the reason behind it all.
『He wasn't joking at all... and the fact it was a uniquely graded dungeon ans it must have been incredibly difficult. But if it was Jan, then I guess he is one of the few people who could do it alone.』
"Haah... I wouldn't have thought of him getting ahead of , but I should be doing sothing now, huh?"
Her thoughts of Jan's achievents made her feel happy for him, but her competitive spirit pushed her to strive for the top.
She wanted to surpass him, convinced that he had held back in the final.
Of course, she wouldn't forget Jan pulling his punches. But as the future successor of the Miracles Guild, it was her duty to exceed expectations.
Hailed as one of the greatest prodigal swordswon of her generation, her title as the Sword Saint must be upheld.
Getting up from the sofa, she went back to her room to change.
Valencia was once again training even after having back-to-back practical classes.
As she browsed through her wardrobe, she considered her options scrolling over the neatly organized clothing.
Flashy, stylish, or casual?
She pondered for a mont, running through different outfits in her head.
"Eh... what am I doing? Why am I even thinking of dressing up nicely only to sweat? It's not like I'm trying to—"
Poof...
For a mont, Valencia's mind went blank. The image of soone flashed in her mind, and her ears flushed red.
"..."
Looking in the mirror, she saw her pale face reddening along with her ears.
"...I did it again."
She sighed silently and finally changed. It only took her a few minutes, and now she was wearing the academy sports jacket and shorts, her hair tied up in a bun with a butterfly clip.
DING!
Just as she was about to leave, a text ssage from her father arrived.
[You've received a ssage from: Father]
Father < 4:32 PM> Your guess was close Val! :)
Valencia looked at her watch and recalled her father ntioning a student who had cleared a dungeon solo. Their conversation revolved around the fact that she knew this person and that they attended Pinnacle Academy.
She knew very few people could clear dungeons alone. But it was the fact that he ntioned the person was a "he" that made her initially think of Rel. She even blurted his na out accidentally, surprising her father, who believed she hated all boys, including Rel.
"I never knew that boy would be capable of such a feat," he had said. "Perhaps if you see his potential as an asset, we should consider him for a future candidate for Miracle..."
"Father, no!" Those were her last words before she dismissed the idea.
The idea sounded absurd to her but she didn't mind it at all... but knowing Rel; she imagined he would probably join a guild that rivalled Miracle.
"Maybe... if I could get soone to convince him..." Valencia muttered before closing the door.
It didn't sound right in her mind, but it was clear she wasn't in the right state to even be making decisions for the future.
But now she was truly wondering what Rel would be doing after the third year.
They would be graduating, but of course, she had a firm belief that he would find his way to be jobless.
With a sigh, she shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside.
**
[Pinnacle Academy - Aetherium Nexus]
Arriving at the Aetherium Nexus, Valencia took her usual route towards the Emu-Plateau room.
[Welco first-year student Valencia Freya, student rank: number 2.]
"Thank you..." she nodded at the system, entering through the automatic doors.
Emu-Plateau
A massive training area where the majority of Pinnacle Academy's swordsn practised.
Situated below ground level, this massive training facility was accessible by a dedicated elevator and escalator.
The room was divided into two main sections. One half housed a wide-range emulation area with a holographic training system and motion capture analysis. This system provided feedback on the user's movent, technique, speed, and efficiency.
The other half of the room contained sensor-equipped dummies lining the walls, and in the centre, a practice ring made of interlocking mats offered a flexible space for sparring.
"Now, what should I work on today?" Valencia pondered, walking through the hallway to Emu-Plateau.
As she reached the window overlooking the training area, she frowned.
Where was everyone? It was Friday afternoon and it was the pri ti for sparring.
Hmm?
"...!"
Just as she peered through the window, her eyes widened in shock.
A lone figure, wooden sword in hand, practised tirelessly in front of a sensor dummy.
SLASH!!
Valencia's eyes remained fixed on him as he swung downwards.
bdump...
"I don't believe this..." she muttered, pressing a hand to her chest.
Why am I reacting like this? It's just... I've never seen him like this before.
Though he wore a black compressed shirt, his back muscles were visible rippling with every swing.
WOM...
Suddenly, the figure stopped. Mid-swing.
EEK!
His head snapped upward, turning towards the observation window.
Instinct took over, and she ducked down, pressing herself against the wall beside the window.
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