He didn't get to finish.
June's fist slammed into his stomach like a hammer.
Steve's body bent from the force, then flew backward like a ragdoll. He crashed right in front of me, landing on his back with a heavy thud.
I looked down.
He was holding his stomach, groaning in pain, eyes wide and confused as he stared at me.
Like he was asking, "What the hell just happened?"
I slowly looked up.
June was walking toward us now, her eyes calm but that calm was way scarier than any anger.
I didn't move. I didn't even breathe.
Whatever this was, whether she was acting or actually serious, I didn't say a word. I just kept quiet.
Then June spoke.
"There are rules," she said. "And rules are meant to be obeyed."
Before I could even blink, she vanished from my sight.
My instincts screamed. My whole body tensed up as I activated [Psynapse Boost], flooding every part of me with Essence straight from my core.
It all happened in a split second….but I was still too slow.
She was already behind me. I felt it, the air shifted, the pressure spiked and then her fist came flying straight toward my spine.
'She's insane.' I shouted in my head.
I gritted my teeth and braced for impact.
And then it hit like a meteor slamming into the earth.
There was a massive boom. Something cracked. The next thing I knew, my face smashed into the ground, and when I finally opened my eyes, I was staring up at the sky.
Then I heard June's voice, cold and clear.
"Anyone who breaks the rules will spend the entire day in the infirmary. Keep breaking them, and it'll turn into a month."
*****
Steve and I lay on the infirmary beds, groaning in pain.
Luke stood nearby, arms crossed as he looked at us.
He finally spoke.
"June?"
I gave a slow nod.
"Crazy," he muttered.
I didn't say a word. I didn't even nod again.
Who knew if she was listening from the shadows or something?
Luke sighed and added, "Commander asked me to treat you both, even though the rules say you're supposed to suffer through the pain for a full day."
With that, he moved fast and within a minute, Steve and I were back on our feet.
Fully healed.
We stared at each other.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. Steve's lips were twitching like he was fighting the same battle.
I cleared my throat and said.
"That actually felt kind of good."
Steve nodded.
"Yeah. We should play the villain more often."
I nodded back, ready to share my masterplan for our future villain arcs, when I suddenly heard the commander's voice behind me.
"June—"
"Shit!" I jumped from sheer shock.
'Why are these old people always sneaking up on me like ghosts?'
Arkas continued.
"June didn't go too hard, did she?"
I shook my head so fast it almost came off, and Steve quickly did the same.
I added.
"Rules are meant to be followed."
Arkas gave a slow nod.
"Good. It's nice to see you've learned your lesson."
Both of us stood silently, staring at Arkas.
Almost a full minute passed. He didn't say a word, just looked at us like he was deciding something.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Let's go."
And then it happened.
The world flipped, up became down, space blurred, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself standing in what looked like another training room.
I barely had time to process the sudden shift before Arkas spoke.
"Billion, this is where you'll train. I've gathered everything you'll need."
Then, without wasting a second, he turned to Steve.
"Let's go."
My head snapped up.
'Wait, what?'
"Commander!" I called out hurriedly.
Arkas paused. "What?"
"What about the regular training session?" I asked.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Useless for you."
Before I could even argue, lightning crackled around him and Steve.
A blink later, they were gone.
I exhaled.
"Whatever. I just wanted to flex in front of North."
I knew the regular training wouldn't do much for me, but still, spending some time with North wouldn't have hurt.
With a sigh, I turned around and scanned the room.
At the center of the vast, empty hall lay a black cloth.
The contrast stood out immediately. The entire room was massive, much larger than my previous training space, with white walls, a white ceiling, and white floors. And in the middle of all that, just a single black cloth.
Curious, I stepped forward and crouched down to examine the items placed on top of it.
There were three Infusion Crystals and a foot-long staff placed neatly on the black cloth.
I smiled.
Finally. I had been waiting for Arkas to hand me some skills and a proper staff.
Each crystal had a small tag attached: Defense, Movement and Staff.
The Infusion Crystals were sharp, triangular-shaped, and about the length of my finger. Their smooth, glass-like surfaces shimmered under the light, all sharing a deep, glowing blue color. Swirling patterns of lighter blue moved inside them, almost like trapped mist.
Infusion Crystals were memory or vision-based crystals that contained recorded skill sequences. Once activated, they imprinted a detailed vision of the skill directly into the user's memory.
However, the system would only acknowledge the skill if I performed it at a satisfactory proficiency, at least Level 1 execution.
But there was a darker side to these crystals.
They were created from dead Phantoms.
Whenever a Phantom was killed, there was a 10% chance that the System would extract a fragment of its knowledge and form an Infusion Crystal.
Since Phantoms contained the souls of dead humans and other races from the Prime Universe, the system could harvest their remaining skills upon death.
I sighed at the thought.
I dreaded the day I would finally learn something about my parents.
Shaking my head, I grabbed the staff and the staff skill crystal.
I frowned at the staff, wondering what I was supposed to do with something so short.
Turning it over in my hands, I inspected it closely, searching for any switches or hidden mechanisms but found nothing.
Deciding to try something else, I drew out some Essence from my core and channeled it into the staff.
The moment my Essence entered, a soft hum ran through my palm. The short rod trembled, and streaks of deep purple light spread across its surface, forming swirling patterns. Then, in an instant, the staff began to grow.
It extended smoothly, both ends stretching outward until it reached its full size.
I held it firmly as it settled into a solid, seven-foot form.
But as I continued supplying Essence, I noticed something else, the weight.
With every pulse of Essence, the staff grew heavier in my grip.
It wasn't just the size increasing. The more Essence I poured in, the denser it became, making it harder to control.
Curious, I pulled my Essence back. Immediately, the staff began to shrink, the length retracting until it returned to its original size.
I exhaled, gripping the small rod once more.
It had a simple mechanism.
Supply Essence to expand, withdraw to shrink. And the weight changed with it.
"The shifting weight must be its ability."
I supplied my Essence again.
It stretched outward from both ends, smooth and fluid, until it reached a full seven feet. The surface gleamed like polished crystal, shifting between solid and energy before settling into its final form.
Now fully extended, I took a closer look.
The staff was a deep purple with a smooth, matte surface. A row of evenly spaced rings ran along its length, carved neatly into the surface. T
he middle part was slightly thicker with a rough grip for better handling. Both ends were a bit narrower, and the rings became closer together near the tips, giving it a balanced and sturdy look.
The width was just right, thick enough for a solid grip but not too bulky. The material felt smooth yet had just enough texture to ensure a firm hold, and despite its size, it was incredibly light.
I spun it experimentally, and it cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
The reason I had asked for a staff was simple, I liked smashing things.
There was just something satisfying about swinging a solid weapon and feeling the impact.
Most of the time, I knew I'd be fighting with my bare hands, but against Phantoms, unarmed combat became tricky.
Besides, the System offered the option to link a weapon to my class at level 50. If I was going to pick one, it made sense to start training with it early.
No harm in getting a head start.