I will help you

Silas nodded quickly. "Yeah. It's more than enough."

"Good," Kara replied. Then, without warning, she stepped closer, closing the distance between them until she was just inches from his face. Her presence was cold, her eyes sharp and focused.

"And just so you know," she added in a tone that sent a chill down Silas's spine, "I didn't bring you here just to give you those items."

Hearing Kara's words, Silas swallowed hard, and his heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean?" he muttered, his gaze fixed on Kara's straight face.

"I know what happened back in the Grade 5 realm, Silas. I know exactly what happened," Kara said audibly, causing Silas's eyes to widen slightly, though he tried to maintain a calm expression to avoid suspicion.

'Is she talking about how I killed the entire group? I did my best to cover my tracks, so how did she find out?' Silas wondered, his heart pounding in his chest.

Kara stood in silence for a few moments before continuing, "I know you were the one who obtained the artifact of the Apex Mutant... and I know the power now dwells within you."

"You might have succeeded in fooling everyone because you look skinny and weak, and everyone still sees you as trash, but you can't fool me. I can see right through you," Kara declared.

Silas now understood the situation.

Most people in the academy, including the staff, had no idea what Kara's mutant ability was. They knew her as a Grade 5, but the nature of her ability was unknown to many.

However, after hearing Kara's words, Silas had already figured out what her ability was.

'It must be a Grade 5 inspection ability.'

Those with inspection abilities can scan individuals and determine the type of ability they have, as well as their grade, without needing to look at the skill slot.

While looking at people, they see a strange type of glowing aura around them, and the color of the aura reveals what type of mutant ability they possess. The brightness of the aura correlates with the individual's grade.

However, the ability is considered weak because it becomes useless in battle. You can only identify your opponent's ability, but there's nothing to counter it.

'Now I see why she's always equipped in Grade 5 mutant armor and always carries her blade around. She's like those who must rely on mutant armor and weapons because their abilities are ineffective in a fight,' Silas thought while glancing at Kara.

Silas saw no reason to deny it, as Kara had already scanned him and must have seen the aura around him.

'The aura I saw around him last night was dim, but now it's brighter and more powerful. Could it mean he grew stronger overnight?' Kara wondered, observing Silas.

She could see a bright aura surrounding him, a mixture of purple and red. The aura resembled a flame, making it appear as though Silas's entire body was ablaze.

The aura around Silas was unlike anything she had ever encountered. The aura colors she had seen in others were typically blue, green, orange, gold, or silver. She had never seen anyone with a red or purple aura, nor had she seen such mixed colors.

This was one reason she had deduced it was Silas who obtained the artifact in the realm and had been chosen as the host.

Silas couldn't tolerate the awkward silence any longer, so he posed a question. "If you knew about it, why didn't you say anything last night? You knew everything, yet you still allowed Sir Dominic to mock you. Why?"

Kara remained silent for a few moments, then finally responded, "That's because I need you alive, Griswold."

"Err? Need me alive? You don't even know me!" Silas blurted out, his face puzzled.

"I need you alive so I can help you grow stronger, watch you rise until you reach the peak and surpass everyone. I, personally, will ensure you become the strongest, Griswold!" Kara spoke solemnly, her voice a mix of determination and anger.

Silas stood there, dumbfounded, struggling to grasp what was unfolding.

He had only met Kara in person last night, and from the way she reacted and spoke to him when they first met, it was clear she harbored disdain for him. Why then was she so determined to protect and train him to reach his full potential?

"I don't understand, ma'am. You don't even know me, yet you're willing to risk everything for me. I'd like to know why," Silas muttered, bewildered.

"I made a promise to someone a long time ago," Kara began. "I used to be a sensei in a small dojo. I trained a few students for annual competitions. After a full year of training, all my students lost their first matches in the competition."

"The higher-ups of the dojo called a meeting, my father was among them, and they scolded me for being a bad teacher. They called me useless. They said it was my fault the students lost. They said everything I touched always ended badly. They said I was only teaching the students to be as weak as I am."

"After the meeting, I promised to prove them wrong someday. Just because I awakened a trash ability doesn't mean I'll die without leaving a positive mark on someone's life. So I joined the mutant academy and began my training. I worked hard to improve myself first before seeking a worthy student."

"And last night, when I realized you became the host, I knew you were the one. That's why I want to protect you and guide you on your journey, Griswold. I will make you unstoppable, and anyone who tries to stand in our way will be eliminated."

"So, what do you say?" Kara asked.

Before Silas could fully process her words and respond, he heard a soft chiming sound in his head, and a notification popped up in front of him.

[A compulsory quest has arrived]