"Your friend is really something else."
"Yeah, I know."
I’m currently talking to Cindy right now. She’s from the [D-Class], and we happen to have the same allotted time in the armory.
By the way, she’s talking about Zion.
The guy was currently looking around with a happy-go-lucky personality, like he was just shopping for weapons.
He was practically bouncing on his heels as he moved from rack to rack, picking up mass-produced iron broadswords and testing their weight with a massive grin on his face. He didn’t seem to care about the cold, condescending glares from the other students in the slightest.
"How did you even become friends with someone like him already?"
Cindy asked.
She leaned against the side of a heavy wooden weapon rack, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Zion almost drop a steel spear he was twirling around.
"It’s a long story."
I said with a light chuckle.
"Well, we have a few minutes before we actually need to pick our weapons, so start talking."
Cindy replied.
She looked at me with genuine curiosity, resting her chin on her hand as she waited for my explanation.
"I trust you, so I’ll tell you what happened."
I said, leaning in slightly closer so our voice wouldn’t carry over the noise of the crowded armory floor.
"Remember when we split up on the way here?"
I asked.
"Of course I remember. I was worried sick about you the entire ride."
Cindy said.
"Well, your trick worked, but when I reached the street right outside the main gates, there was a man waiting there."
I explained.
"A man?"
Cindy asked, her eyebrows furrowing instantly.
"Yeah. He had white hair with blue strands."
I stated.
"...!"
Cindy’s eyes widened in sheer shock, her body tensing up instantly as she realized what that meant.
"Someone from the Frostguard family was waiting right at the entrance of [The Star Academy]?"
She whispered in a shocked, low voice.
"Yes. He was looking through the crowd, and unfortunately, our eyes met."
I told her.
"What happened next? Did he attack you?"
Cindy asked urgently.
She gripped the edge of the weapon rack tightly, her voice laced with sudden anxiety and fear for my safety.
"He grabbed my arm right before I could step across the border. He called my name, so I knew he was definitely one of the pursuers sent by the elders."
I said.
"Oh my god, Vael..."
Cindy muttered under her breath, her face turning slightly pale.
"I was gathering my ice mana, ready to blow a hole through the pavement just to make a run for the gates."
I followed with that.
"Are you crazy? Doing that in public would have caused a massive commotion!"
Cindy said.
"I had no choice, my survival was on the line."
I stated with a straight face.
"So how did you escape? You’re standing here completely fine."
Cindy asked, trying to connect the dots in her head.
"That’s where Zion came in."
I said, pointing a thumb over my shoulder toward the dark-haired guy who was currently admiring a steel shield on the far side of the room.
"He walked up out of nowhere, put his hand on my shoulder, and acted like we were close friends who were late for the orientation."
I explained.
"He did that?"
Cindy asked, surprised by the intervention.
"Yeah. He even pointed out to the man that the academy guards were watching us closely."
I added.
"Because of that, the man had no choice but to let me go to avoid causing a scene that would tarnish the family name."
I ended with that.
"..."
Cindy remained completely silent for a second, her eyes darting between me and Zion.
"That guy... he really saved your life back there."
She said, her voice dropping into a soft, relieved breath.
"Yeah, he really did."
I agreed.
"And since we’re in the same class, Class 1-F, we just naturally hit it off and became friends."
I added with a small smile.
"I’m just... I’m really glad you made it inside safely."
Cindy said, looking at me straight in the eye with a faint, warm smile on her face.
"Don’t worry, it already passed. I survived."
I told her, giving her a reassuring nod.
"Still, don’t go scaring me like that ever again."
Cindy warned, nudging my arm lightly.
"And don’t tell Ahri about this either."
She added.
"I know. If she finds out I almost got caught right outside the gates, she won’t be able to sleep for a week."
"Exactly. Let’s keep this between the two of us."
Cindy declared, and I gave her my word with a quick nod.
*****
After our short conversation—Cindy and I parted ways to start looking for our own weapons.
She headed toward the daggers section, while I began browsing through the swords and lighter blades, searching for something that suited my preferred fighting style.
I walked along the rows of standard issue weapons, scanning every rack carefully.
I looked around, but I didn’t find any good rapier.
Every rapier on display was either too heavy or poorly balanced for me that wouldn’t hold up well when channeling intense ice mana through the blade.
I just shook my head in disappointment.
’Guess I shouldn’t expect too much from the standard section.’
I thought to myself.
I figured I will just choose the best one, but still continue on using the ice rapier I summon using my ice ability.
Summoning my own weapon through mana took a constant drain on my stamina, but until I found a real blade that felt right in my hands, it was my best option for serious combat.
After this, Zion and I met up—we decided it was time to try the special weapons.
Zion walked over to me after putting down a heavy iron mace, wiping a faint trace of dust from his hands.
"Found anything you like?"
Zion asked me.
"Not really. Everything here is not my taste."
I replied straight.
"Then let me go check out those named weapons in the middle with you!"
Zion said with an energetic grin, pointing toward the elevated stone platform in the center of the subterranean armory.
"Sure, let me come along."
I said, following right beside him.
The two of us headed where they were all lined up.
As we stepped onto the wide stone ramp leading up to the raised platform, the atmosphere around us shifted instantly. The air here was dense, humming with traces of ancient, raw mana radiating from the pedestals.
A lot of eyes went on us as we walked, a lot of them looking at us with ridicule.
The surrounding students from the other sections were whispering among themselves, watching the two of us march straight toward the highest-grade gear in the academy with smirked expressions and mocking eyes.
Muted jeers and quietly spoken insults echoed from the lower floor, but Zion and I just ignored them.
We didn’t pay any mind to the noise, keeping our eyes focused entirely on the display cases ahead.
As we got to where the special weapons are; we came face to face with the students of the [Z-Class].
The elite ten were scattered around the platform, standing near different display stands with calm, composed postures.
The then talented freshmen looked at the two of us, but instead of ridicule—it was indifference.
They didn’t glare, and they didn’t laugh. To the geniuses of the [Z-Class], two random students walking onto the platform weren’t even worth wasting words on.
Zion and I just walked passed them, it’s not like we all know each other for any interaction.
We crossed the smooth polished marble floor of the upper platform, moving straight past the elite prodigies as if they were just part of the scenery.
There were only a few of the named weapons on display—around twenty in total.
Each one was resting on a black velvet cushion or floating inside a faint, protective magic barrier, glowing with different colors of mana. There were heavy battleaxes, curved scimitars, elegant spears, and ancient staves.
Zion looked around the special weapons, his eyes scanning each pedestal one by one.
He walked slowly down the central aisle, his usual cheerful expression turning somewhat serious as he observed the unique weapons resting on their stands.
He looked around, but he didn’t try any of them.
He didn’t reach out his hand to touch the crystal spheres or attempt to lift any of the heavy axes, simply passing them by as if waiting for something specific.
I just followed after him, already knowing what’s going to happen next.
I kept a steady three paces behind him, watching his back with a quiet, knowing smile. Having played the game through every single route, I knew this exact cutscene like the back of my hand.
Then suddenly—Zion stopped walking.
TAP.
His feet froze on the marble floor right in the center of the platform.
To be exact, he stopped in front of a sword.
It rested on a tall, circular stone pedestal wrapped in faint golden runes.
A white sword with gold decorations—its blade was shiny as if it was a moon lighting the surrounding.
The sheath was made of polished white stone, inlaid with delicate gold filigree along the hilt and guard. The pure, radiant aura emanating from the blade made the surrounding air feel warm and clear.
Zion was like captivated by it, his eyes widening in complete awe as he stared at the weapon.
He didn’t hear the chatter of the crowd below, and he didn’t notice the elite students turning their heads to watch him.
"..."
And instinctively—he reached out for it.
Fwip~
His right hand moved forward on its own, his fingers extending toward the golden hilt resting on the velvet cushion.
And at that moment—SWOOOSH!
A bright light and a strong shockwave was produced!
An overwhelming surge of brilliant, golden mana erupted from the pedestal in an instant, expanding outward like a tidal wave!
It blew and blinded everything around!
"Ugh!"
"What is that?!"
The powerful gust of wind forced the surrounding students to cover their eyes, blowing back the clothes and hair of everyone on the platform! The sheer pressure knocked several lightweight weapon stands right off their bases!
And by the next moment, the blinding light slowly dissipated, revealing the center of the platform once again.
"W-What...?"
Zion was holding the sword he was looking at earlier!
The white and gold sheath rested firmly in his left hand, while the blade shone with a soft, pulsing light that synchronized with his breath!
He was chosen.
I smiled as I saw this, the people around were surprised even those from the [Z-Class].
"No way..."
"A named weapon actually bound to him?!"
"Is that real?!"
Gasps of utter disbelief echoed across the entire subterranean armory. The elite students from the [Z-Class] stood frozen in place, their calm indifference completely shattered as they stared at Zion with wide, shocked eyes.
I stood nearby, brushing a few stray strands of my white hair out of my face with a quiet chuckle.
I already saw this in the game, but seeing it upclose was just that different.
The raw mana pressure, the blinding flash, and the absolute silence that fell over the room afterward felt ten times more intense in real life than it ever did on a phone screen.
"Hmm?"
Just then, I noticed a weird stick on my foot.
Something small had tapped against the side of my shoe with a dull click.
It was a... stick?
It seems like it was blew away from the shockwave earlier.
I picked it up to return it back to where it was from.
I bent down, grabbing the rough surface with my right hand so I could place it back on one of the lower storage racks nearby.
But as soon as my hand touched the random stick I found on the floor—
SWOOOOOSH!!!
A BRIGHT LIGHT SUDDENLY ERUPTED FROM IT!