The Orb

Alex hesitated, his gaze flitting between the pulsating orb and Ms. Yoo-Euni's expectant face. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He had a nagging feeling about this, a sense that things were about to get far more complicated. He glanced at the control panel, where a digital display indicated his power level, now changed to 20. This wasn't his true strength, but it was enough to participate in the core measurement.

"Should I do this...?" he mumbled, his voice barely a whisper.

Ms. Yoo-Euni, despite her earlier frustration, offered a curt nod. "Yes, Alex. This is an important test."

Sebastian, leaning against the wall, remained silent. However, a flicker of something other than amusement crossed his lines of predatory curiosity. His gaze darted between Alex and the orb. Let's see how strong he truly is. he thought, a smirk playing on his lips. After all, surviving that dungeon and nearly holding his own against me... this kid has potential. And potential. His gaze hardened slightly, is something I can use… in a good deed, of course.

Alex approached the orb with a hesitant gait. As he drew closer, a faint white light emanated from it, bathing him in a glow. 

The students watched with bated breath, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation etched on their faces. Would Alex, the new kid, be the chosen one, blessed with extraordinary power? 

Sebastian, with a glint in his eyes, leaned forward, a silent observer waiting to see how this would unfold. 

Even Ms. Yoo-Euni, despite her earlier frustration, couldn't hide a flicker of hope in her gaze. "What are you waiting for, Alex?" she prompted gently. "Put your hand on the orb."

Alex nodded, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He reached out and placed his hand on the orb's, pulsating surface. The white light intensified, momentarily blinding everyone in the room.

Then, silence. The blinding light is gone, revealing Alex standing stoically before the orb. But something was wrong. An unsettling silence hung heavy in the air. The students exchanged confused glances. Sebastian's smile faded, giving way to a frown. Even Ms. Yoo-Euni's hopeful expression morphed into one of bewilderment.

A disembodied voice, cold and metallic, echoed from the orb's depths. "Access Denied..." it boomed, its pronouncement leaving everyone speechless.

"Huh?!?" A collective gasp rippled through the room. Disbelief and shock painted the students' faces. This was impossible! The core of measurement had never rejected anyone before.

Alex stared at his hand, a wave of confusion washing over him. He had felt a surge of energy when he touched the orb, but then… nothing. Rejection. 

Ms. Yoo-Euni, her voice tight with disbelief, approached the orb. "There must be some mistake," she murmured, her fingers hovering over the orb's surface. But before she could touch it, a red warning light flashed on the control panel beside her. An alarm blared, its shrill sound echoing through the training room.

"System Failure!" a robotic voice announced over the audio around the room. "Attention, all personnel. Evacuate the training room immediately!"

Then, silence. The students held their breath, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Even Sebastian, the seven strongest mankind, his earlier amusement replaced by a furrowed brow, seemed unsettled.

The expected alarm, the one that would have heralded system failure, never came. Instead, an unsettling calm descended upon the training room. The red light vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind a lingering sense of unease.

"What just happened?" Marco whispered, his voice barely audible.

The question hung heavy in the air, unanswered. The core of measurement had delivered its verdict, "Access Denied" but the implications remained shrouded in mystery. The brief flicker of red, a potential system failure, only added to the confusion.

Ms. Yoo-Euni, her face pale, stared at the orb. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. This had never happened before. The core of measurement was supposed to be a reliable tool, a way to assess a Blessed's potential. But Alex, the new kid, had somehow… disrupted it.

Alex himself felt a strange mix of emotions confusion, disappointment, and a flicker of something else… defiance? He wasn't sure what his abilities were, or why the core had rejected him.

The silence stretched on, broken only by the ragged breaths of the students. The training room, once a sterile environment for testing, now felt charged with a strange energy, a sense that something extraordinary had just occurred.

June's voice, barely a whisper, shattered the unsettling silence. "D-Does anyone else think the light turned red for a second…?"

A wave of nervous nods rippled through the students. Marco, his voice tight, echoed her question. "Yeah, I saw it too."

Eve, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Me too."

Duny, simply grunted a low. "Hmm..."

Sebastian stroked his chin thoughtfully, his earlier amusement replaced by a calculating glint in his eyes. "Something's definitely off here. If there was a system failure, the alarm wouldn't have just… stopped." His voice trailed off, his gaze fixed on the orb.

The students exchanged worried glances. The core's rejection of Alex, coupled with the strange red light and aborted system failure. It was clear something unusual had transpired, and the implications were far from clear.

Ms. Yoo-Euni remained frozen, her face pale and drawn. This was a situation she had never encountered before. The core of measurement, a pillar of their training program, had malfunctioned in Alex's presence. Was it a glitch, a sign of Alex's unique abilities, or something more sinister?

Alex, the center of the confusion, felt a knot of apprehension tightening in his stomach. The rejection stung, but the brief red light and aborted alarm added a new layer of mystery. This wasn't just about his abilities anymore; it felt like something far larger was at play.

Alex stared blankly at the orb, the pulsating light now a dull blur in his vision. His mind raced, a whirlwind of questions churning in the wake of the core's rejection. Access Denied. The words echoed in his head, a harsh indictment that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Disappointment gnawed at him. He'd hoped, perhaps naively, that the test would unlock some hidden truth, reveal the extent of his abilities. Instead, he experienced a sense of being an outlier, a system anomaly that was not welcome.

But beneath the disappointment, a flicker of defiance sparked. He didn't understand why the core had rejected him, but one thing was clear it didn't define him. He had saved his classmates from the tiger, felt a connection he couldn't explain. Those weren't flukes.

He glanced around the room. His classmates seemed just as bewildered as he felt. Ms. Yoo-Euni stood rigid, her face etched with a mixture of shock and confusion. Even Sebastian, with his usual smirk, appeared unsettled by the red light and aborted alarm.

The hell is happening? The question screamed in his mind, a silent echo of the unspoken tension hanging heavy in the air. This wasn't the training exercise he'd expected. This was something… more.

A new resolve hardened in Alex's gaze. He didn't have the answers, but he wouldn't let this break him. He would find out who he was, what these abilities meant. The core of measurement might have rejected him, but he wouldn't be denied. He would find his own path, his own way to be Blessed.

Yunus, broke the suffocating silence. "Yeah, I mean…" he scratched his head, "It's not that surprising, right? He almost beat Sir Sebastian, after all."

Everyone remembers that, and nods through the students. They all looked towards Sebastian, seeking some explanation.

Sebastian, however, didn't meet their gaze. A frown creased his brow as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "True, true," he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of unease. "But even then… the cores never malfunctioned like that before. Let me see something…" He took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the orb.

Alex, still reeling from the rejection, instinctively took a step back. He watched cautiously as Sebastian approached the orb, a flicker of curiosity warring with apprehension in his eyes. Would the orb accept Sebastian, or would it malfunction again?

The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch. Ms. Yoo-Euni, her voice tight with suppressed worry, spoke up. "Sebastian, wait. We need to understand what happened with Alex first."

Sebastian paused, his back still to her. "Later, Yoo-Euni," he said dismissively. "There's something… off about this orb. Let me test it." With a determined glint in his eyes, he reached out and placed his hand on the orb's surface.

When Sebastian approached the orb, a startling change occurred. The orb's once pristine white light pulsed with an array of vibrant colors red, blue, brown, white, and a swirling aura of shimmering astra. The students gasped, their eyes wide with awe and a hint of fear. This display of power had been far more elaborate than the simple white light that bathed Alex earlier.

Then, with a soft hum, the orb projected a holographic display in the air. Lines of text materialized, revealing Sebastian's information:

[Name: Sebastian Thorne]

[Class: Archmage]

[Level: 85]

[Health (HP): 5280/5280]

[Mana (MP): 8720/8720]

[Attack: 480]

[Defense: 395]

[Magic Power: 790 (Extremely High)]

[Speed: 280]

A stunned silence descended upon the training room. Ms. Yoo-Euni's jaw dropped, disbelief etched on her face. "It worked..." she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Yunus, voiced the question that hung heavy in the air. "Wait, how is this possible? Sir Sebastian is one of the Seven Strongest, sure, but the new kid couldn't activate it…" He trailed off, confusion clouding his features.

Sebastian, his back still to the students, remained silent for a moment. Then, a slow, chilling smile spread across his face. He didn't turn around, but his voice, laced with a hint of amusement, echoed through the room. "Or perhaps..." he said, his words heavy with implication, "he's more… powerful than even I am."

A collective gasp rippled through the students. Disbelief and shock painted their faces. 

"What?!" one exclaimed.

"That's not true..." another stammered. 

Whispers of confusion and fear filled the room.

Sebastian, savoring the stunned silence, chuckled softly. "Well, I could be mistaken..." he trailed off, his voice dripping with a false sense of nonchalance. But the glint in his eyes, a predator sizing up his prey, betrayed his true thoughts.

The weight of his words settled heavily on Alex's shoulders. Rejection. And now, the implication is that he might be even stronger than one of the Seven Strongest. Confusion battled with a rising tide of anger within him. What was his place in all of this? And why was Sebastian so interested in him? The day had started with a strange dream, but it had taken a turn far more bizarre, a turn that hinted at a power within him that he couldn't begin to understand. 

Duny, stepped forward. "Let me test it too," he rumbled, his voice devoid of its usual stoicism.

Sebastian, with a hint of surprise on his face, nodded. "Sure, come here, lad." He moved back, allowing Duny to approach the orb.

The orb's glow shifted once again, pulsing with a deep blue light as Duny neared. He reached out and placed his hand on its surface. The familiar hum resonated, and a new holographic display materialized in the air. This time, the text revealed:

[Name: Duny Mummie]

[Class: Unsettled]

[Level: 16]

[Health (HP): 400/400]

[Mana (MP): 630/630]

[Attack: 43]

[Defense: 44]

Marco, piped up. "Wait, I thought you were level 15, Duny?"

Duny, his brow furrowed in confusion, scratched his head. "I don't know," he rumbled. "Maybe when I helped slay those werewolves, I gained a level."

Marco, intrigued by the revelation, offered a hesitant nod. "Huh, that's possible."

A heavy silence descended upon the room. The holographic displays of Sebastian and Duny pulsed in the air, stark reminders of the core's malfunction with Alex. Sebastian, a hint of unease replacing his earlier amusement, turned towards Alex.

Their eyes met. Alex felt a flicker of defiance ignite within him. Rejection stung, but the revelation about Duny's class and his own unexpected power surge fueled a desire for answers.

"Hmmm," Sebastian murmured, his voice laced with a hint of something… predatory. "Everything seems to be working perfectly well, except for you, Alex."

Alex held his gaze steady. "What are you trying to say?"

Sebastian's lips twisted into a smirk. "Just wondering," he drawled, "are you up for continuing our little duel? Perhaps this time, the core will recognize your… potential."

Before Alex could respond, Ms. Yoo-Euni materialized between them, her face thunderous. She raised a hand, silencing Sebastian mid-sentence. 

Slap!

"Don't even think about it, Sebastian. I already warned you about pushing Alex too hard today, and that goes double for another duel."

Sebastian winced, rubbing the back of his head where Ms. Yoo-Euni's earlier slap had landed. "Ouch! Did Lily get you fired up too, Yoo-Euni? Haha!"

Ms. Yoo-Euni's eyes narrowed. "Don't make light of it, Sebastian. This situation is serious. We need to understand what happened with Alex."

Sebastian's smile faltered. He glanced at the pulsating orb. "Right," he muttered, his voice devoid of its usual amusement.

Ms. Yoo-Euni surveyed the room, her gaze lingering on the pulsing orb and the stunned faces of the students. Taking a deep breath, she forced a semblance of control into her voice. "Alright team," she announced, "that's all for today."

A murmur of disappointment rippled through the students. "Done already?" Yunus piped up, his voice laced with disbelief. "It's still early to end training, isn't it?"

Ms. Yoo-Euni's lips pressed into a thin line. "I understand this is unexpected," she conceded, her voice betraying a hint of fatigue. "But considering the… unusual circumstances today," she give a pointed look at the orb, "it's best for everyone to get some rest. Head back to your dorms or houses and get a good night's sleep."

A weary acceptance settled upon the students. The initial shock had given way to a lingering sense of unease. They filed out of the training room, their conversations hushed and worried. Alex, the center of the day's chaos, stood rooted to the spot, a million questions swirling in his mind.

Ms. Yoo-Euni approached him, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Alex," she began, her voice softer now, "I know this is a lot to process. We'll figure this out, together. But for now, get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

Alex nodded numbly, his mind reeling. He left the training room, the weight of the day's events pressing down on him. 

The Blessed students shuffled out of the training room, the weight of the day's events heavy on their shoulders. Unlike the usual bustling hallway filled with classmates enjoying their lunch break, the corridor was eerily quiet. Their crimson cloaks, compared to the standard white or blue uniforms of the other students, drew a mixture of curious and envious glances.

"That's the Blessed class..." a hushed whisper escaped from a group of girls, their eyes wide with fascination.

"Right...?" a boy chimed in, his voice tinged with awe. "They look so cool."

A giggle rippled through a nearby group. "That one with the brown hair is kind of handsome."

Yunus and Marco, normally oblivious to such whispers, couldn't help but feel a blush creep up their necks. Self-consciously, they straightened their postures and attempted to adopt their most dignified expressions. Unfortunately, the effort resulted in a series of awkward grimaces that only drew more laughter from the watching students.

"You guys look stupid," Duny says.

Marco, catching sight of their reflections in a nearby glass display case, groaned. "Ugh, what are we even doing?" he muttered, burying his face in his hand.

With a shared look of mutual embarrassment, Yunus and Marco adjusted their cloaks and hurried down the hallway, eager to escape the unwanted attention and the aftermath of their failed attempts at cool-guy poses.

Tug! His cloak snagged Alex's attention. He glanced back to see Eve and June approaching, their expressions a mix of nervousness and mischief.

"Alex!" Eve announced loudly, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

The bustling hallway fell silent. All eyes turned towards them, the whispers morphing into a stunned silence. Alex felt a wave of heat crawl up his neck under the scrutiny.

"June says she wants to go out with you!" Eve declared, her voice ringing through the hallway.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. "Are they going on a date?" someone murmured, their question sparking a flurry of hushed discussions.

June's face erupted into a fiery blush. She lunged for Eve, her hands flailing in a desperate attempt to silence her friend. "N-No! It's not what you think!"

Alex, caught between amusement and awkwardness, forced a weak smile.

"I, uh…" June stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "I just… Eve asked me to ask if you wanted to have some tea… with us. The three of us, not… not you and me alone!"

Eve, extricating herself from June's grasp, rolled her eyes playfully. "Relax, June. I was just teasing. But seriously, Alex, wouldn't you like to have some tea with us both? After all that weird stuff in training today, we could all use a break… also for your welcome here"

June's blush deepened to a shade of crimson that rivaled Alex's cloak. She mumbled something indecipherable under her breath, her gaze darting around the room as if she wished the floor would swallow her whole.

Alex, despite the awkward situation, found himself drawn to the idea of some normalcy after the day's bizarre events. He considered Eve's proposition, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. This was certainly not what he expected after the ordeal with the core, but perhaps a distraction was just what he needed.

"Did we also get invited?!" Marco's voice boomed, his face popping up over Alex's shoulder like a curious jack-in-the-box.

"I want to go there with you guys!" Yunus chimed in on the other side, his voice echoing Marco's enthusiasm.

Even Duny, couldn't resist peeking over Alex's head. His deep voice rumbled, "How about me?"

June, already a blushing mess, buried her face in her hands. "Ugh, this is a disaster!" she mumbled.

Eve, however, rolled her eyes playfully. "Relax, June. I was just teasing. But seriously, tea sounds good. We could all use a break after that… weird training session." She glanced pointedly at Alex, her voice softening. "But this was supposed to be a small gathering, you know, just the three of us."

Duny, Marco, and Yunus, their initial excitement dampened, exchanged disappointed glances. Marco, ever the optimist, piped up, "Maybe next time then, right? Rain or shine, Blessed squad hangs together!"

With a wave and a shared look of understanding, the three boys started to walk away, their dejection quickly replaced by their usual boisterous camaraderie.

"Later, Alex!" Yunus called back, throwing a playful wink over his shoulder.

"Yeah, see you around!" Marco echoed, offering a thumbs-up.

Duny, with a low rumble that could be interpreted as a goodbye, followed them down the hall.

Seems they accept me already… that's cute

As the hallway noise subsided, a strange sense of calm settled over Alex. The unexpected invitation, the chaos of his classmates, it was all a welcome distraction from the confusion swirling in his head. He looked back at Eve and June, a genuine smile gracing his lips for the first time that day.

 "So, tea?"

< Chapter 28 > Fin.