Kill The Extra-Chapter 48: Midterm Examination [1]

Six Months Later....

September painted the world in hues of gold and rust. The sun cast a soft amber glow over Nexus Academy, filtered through the gently swaying branches of aged trees. A crisp breeze blew past the training grounds, carrying with it the scent of drying leaves and promise of coming change. The atmosphere buzzed with an odd mix of calm and anticipation. Since midterm examinations were approaching.

The academy atmosphere had changed and so did Ryker.

Six months had passed since the combat simulation incident and Ryker had spent every moment wisely.

For him the past six months had been anything but quiet.

Ryker had kept his head down for most of the time, he was working behind the scenes and he tried not to attract too much attention but he was always watching. Always planning.

He has spent hours pouring over the academy's archives, finding and mapping out the forgotten characters. Those characters who had potential in the original story but never made it far.

He had made subtle approaches to initiate friendships and learning their quirks, their strengths and most importantly their weaknesses. He hadn't taken a single week off. From training his body to sharpening his instincts to practicing his healing skills until they bled into his dreams.

Ryker's life had become a strict routine.

Meditation, exercise, research, sparring, repetition. And of course, he never forgot to visit Sasha, his pawn since she has agreed to work with him. Through subtle manipulation, he had built her into a loyal piece on his board. One that would prove to be very critical soon.

**********

"You ready?" Arthur asked Ryker as he rolled his shoulders with a crack.

They stood inside Arthur's private training room. This private training room is located within the dormitory wing reserved for the academy's highest ranking students. Polished stone walls, reinforced barriers and mana dampening runes surrounded them. The air here always felt heavy, thick with the tension of power reigned in.

Ryker nodded, dropping into a stance. "No mana. No skills. Just fists."

Arthur grinned. "My kind of warm up."

Without another word, they lunged.

Clack!!!

Their fists collided mid air. Ryker ducked under a follow up elbow, pivoting to drive his palm toward Arthur's ribs.

Thwack!!!

Arthur twisted and let Ryker's strike glance off before sweeping his leg low.

"Too slow."

Tch...!!

Ryker leapt back, regaining balance. Their bodies moved with practiced grace, yet Arthur's superiority was evident. Every motion he made had purpose, power and polish. Ryker's technique, while it had improved in the last six months. It still lacked refinement.

Smack!!!

A jab cracked across Ryker's cheek. He staggered slightly, shaking it off.

"You are dropping your right shoulder before every feint," Arthur said, breath steady. "Telegraphs the whole move."

"Noted."

They clashed again. This time Ryker tried feinting left and angling for Arthur's flank.

Thud!!!

Arthur caught his wrist mid swing and countered with a shoulder bash, he sent Ryker stumbling.

"And your footwork is still too rigid. You need to go with the flow. Fighting isn't about fixed steps. It's about rhythm. So, Adapt."

Ryker growled under his breath and lunged again. He absorbed Arthur's movements, letting instinct take the reins.

Crack!!!

Their knuckles clashed. Ryker dipped low spun and aimed for a roundhouse kick

Arthur blocked it with his forearm, he was grinning, "Better."

They danced in that tight space for minutes, fists and legs were a blur. Sweat trickled down their brows. Every strike carried weight. Every dodge was a narrow escape.

Then,

Arthur stopped in his tracks "Let's raise the difficulty."

Something shifted.

Whoom!!!

A wave of killing intent washed over Ryker like a crashing tide.

His vision narrowed.

His skin prickled.

His lungs froze mid breath

[Warning!!!!]

[Hostile Intent Detected. Activating Mental Resilience.]

[Ding!!!]

[Skill [Mental Resilience] resists intrusive aura.]

Guh..!!

But the skill didn't last long. The next wave of bloodluat broke through. His knees buckled.

[Warning: Mental Strain Detected]

[Resisting...]

[Resistance failed]

Arthur was calm, observing. Not attacking.

"Focus," he said. "You want to manipulate the battlefield? Survive enemies like those in the Purgatory? You will have to face worse than this."

Ryker forced himself to breathe. Slow. Measured.

The fear ebbed. He moved again.

Crack!!!

Their fists met once more. Sloppier this time, but Ryker pushed through. The bloodlust weighed on him but his skill flickered like a beacon in the storm.

[Ding!!!]

[Skill [Mental Resilience] successfully resisted Bloodlust.]

Clench!!

Punch.

Duck.

Strike.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations]

[Skill [Mental Resilience] has leveled up to Rank A.]

[Remember, under pressure your mind adapts faster.]

Ryker blinked. His muscles screamed. His breath burned.

But a grin tugged at his lips.

Arthur caught it. "Oh? Looks like you finally can adapt to this amount of Bloodlust."

Ryker nodded, chuckling. "Yeah... I think I can."

Arthur smirked. "Then don't hold back. Come at me with everything you have got."

Their next exchange was brutal. Technique met instinct. Ryker knew he couldn't win but he wanted to see his progress. He wanted to see how far he had come.

Bam!!!

A hook slammed into Ryker's gut. He gasped and fell to one knee.

Arthur didn't press the advantage. He waited.

Ryker forced himself up.... barely,

Wham!!

Another hit sent him sprawling.

Thud!!!

He landed flat on his back, his chest heaving and limbs trembling.

Argh...!!!

"Damn it."

Arthur approached and he crouched beside him. "Not bad. You lasted way longer than before."

"I Could have won... if you tripped."

Arthur snorted. "Still full of jokes."

Ryker wiped sweat from his forehead, grimacing.

Arthur looked him over. "You have grown. Physically, I mean. Broader shoulders. More muscle. Better reflexes. You are not the same guy from before."

Ryker stared at him, deadpan. "Look, I like women. Don't stare at me like that."

Arthur's brain stalled. "...What? That's not what I meant!"

Haha!!!

Ryker laughed. A rare sound that hardly came from him.

Arthur groaned. "Damn it, you have been spending too much time with Lia."

"Probably."

They sat together in silence, the adrenaline fading.

Ping!!

Both of their smartwatches lit up at once.

[Important Notification!!!!]

[Midterm Practical Exam begins tomorrow at 8:00 AM. All participants must report to the Main Field.]

Arthur read the message aloud. "So it begins. Six months gone in a flash."

Ryker exhaled. "Yeah... it really has."

He leaned back, his eyes tracing the reinforced ceiling of the room.

'Tomorrow, the Abyss Gate mission will begin'

It's a deadly test and a perfect stage.

Ryker has been preparing for this.

Arthur stood up looking at Ryker, "We should stop here. Rest up. Big day tomorrow."

Ryker grunted and stood up with a lot of effort. "Yeah... good idea."

They exchanged nods.

"Later," Arthur said.

"Later."

As Ryker stepped out into the cool corridor, he looked up at the twilight sky through the tall windows and muttered,

"It's finally time"