So Ace began to teach him the evasion technique, and the most important thing of all: changing Julius’s mentality.

"You are not weak. You are just weak in the head. You are an A-ranked in Talent Ability and yet you don’t know how to throw a punch. Do you know why? You rely on your Talent Ability and tie your worth to it."

"But my worth is tied to it." They were in the training center this time.

Ace had stopped paying for personal training rooms, and now everyone trained together in a large one.

In the corner, the others were going on with their own training while Ace and Julius sat in the corner.

"Yes, it is. You are worthless without your Talent Ability or the wrong Talent Ability," Ace said calmly.

Julius scowled. "Then why do you say my worth isn’t tied to it?"

"Because you are an A-ranked. In terms of Talent Ability, you are far above the average Etherion users of the Awakened Stage. But in terms of strength? You are just an average user.

"The same goes for Ethan, but do you know the difference between the two of you? Ethan can enhance his body with his powers. He could make his blows heavy or light as he wanted."

Julius sighed heavily. "Then what am I to do?"

"You train your body. Make your average body the best average body," Ace said it as if it was simple. It wasn’t. It’s hard work and painful training. Ace was doing the same, after all.

Ace continued, "And with your new mental powers, you should be able to improve and bring your power firmly into the A-ranks."

"So I combine my body’s power and mental powers to be able to meet the standards of a real A-ranked."

Ace nodded.

Unlike the others, Julius was different. He wasn’t really motivated by power or the drive to improve. He was the kind of person that didn’t really reach for anything since he was born. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He’s been told of his place in the family.

You are worthless. That’s what they told him.

And he had no reason to doubt it. He could see the evidence in each time he tried to use his powers.

And so he’d made it his truth.

Even though he secretly read all the strategic books he could, he always had it at the back of his mind that he wouldn’t ever amount to anything.

That was until Ace came around and challenged him to do what he’d never thought of doing. Entering a dungeon and trying to catch a murderer?

Ace had given him something he’d lost even before he knew it.

The drive to want.

He wanted to be more than he was.

"It’s going to be hard," Julius muttered. "I’m a spoiled brat."

Ace turned to look at all those that were training, and Julius followed his gaze.

They saw Celia move like an explosion of storm. Her new technique was where she would make explosions from her feet to propel herself forward in an instant burst of speed.

And then attack with an exploding fist.

She could do it with her hands as well, using her kick for explosion. It required precise movements and timing. She had to constantly create smaller explosions midair to adjust herself.

Throughout that week, she’d rammed herself into a wall so hard she fainted and needed a healer. She’d almost exploded her own feet away, and she’d completely flown past her target or collided with them.

But she was improving. They all saw it.

As Ace watched, a small explosion pushed her forward and she was in front of the dummy in a blink. Her hand snapped out and her palm pressed against the dummy’s stomach, an explosion taking its stomach right out.

Celia grinned.

Ace turned to Julius and shrugged. "It’s going to be hard. It’s your decision to make, ultimately."

There was nothing much to be said after that. They watched the others fight while Ace told him about the evasion technique. It’s not a very powerful technique, but it’s a dangerous one because its aim is to strike the enemy before they realize.

And with his new mental powers, Julius should be able to learn and utilize it well.

☆☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆☆

More days passed like that. The Academy had returned to its normal state before the news hit. Actually, it wasn’t that much of a big news to the students because they didn’t know that the Scar attacked them.

But what made it a big news to them was that the Kareth family had apparently gone out to destroy a terrorist organization and recovered their high-grade Artifact.

The Academy buzzed with the news.

"The Kareth family? They did that?"

"And the Emperor personally invited them to congratulate them on the recovery of their Artifacts?"

"Isn’t one of their direct family members here in the Academy?"

But for Ace and the others, they received the news in a much different manner.

They were still in training when they heard the news, and immediately they all turned their attention to Ace. Especially Derrick and Julius.

Ace had told them he was going to hit the Scar back.

He sent some letters to the Kareth family.

He did all of this?

Their eyes gleamed, and their confusion about who their House leader was only grew stronger.

How did he know where the Scar would be, and most importantly, how did he make the Kareth make a move against them?

Julius adjusted his glasses more times than necessary as he tried to figure out how Ace was able to do it, but he soon gave up. The only conclusion he could draw was that it must have something to do with the recovered Artifact.

For Ace himself, he felt satisfaction.

He didn’t yet know how much destruction was inflicted on the Scar and how many of their members were killed, but he was still fully satisfied by the outcome.

They messed with him, his pawn, and tried to frame him for a crime.

"...for now... I shouldn’t hear anything about them..."