Seeing the dejected look on Winston's face, Haruto rubbed his chin and cleared his throat. "Ahem… don't look so gloomy," he said with a reassuring smile. "You can still play football. In fact, there's no reason you can't pursue your dream."
His expression then turned serious. "But I do have one piece of advice."
Haruto leaned forward slightly. "Never use those supernatural abilities in front of other people—especially your teammates, friends, or anyone you don't completely trust."
He let the warning hang in the air for a moment before looking away.
There was far more he wanted to say.
The truth was, people with awakened abilities were priceless. Entire organizations would pay fortunes—billions, even—to get their hands on someone like Winston. Some would seek to recruit him. Others wouldn't hesitate to lock him away in a laboratory and dissect every secret his body held.
Haruto swallowed those words. There was no point burdening the boy with that reality just yet. Instead, he simply said, "For now, keep your Awakening a secret. The fewer people who know, the safer you'll be."
Winston lowered his gaze, his brows knitting together. "Can I tell Dumi?" he asked quietly. "What about my family… or my closest friends?" He looked back at Haruto, his face clouded with uncertainty.
Adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, Haruto fell silent for a moment. He didn't want to push Winston away. Besides, he was genuinely interested in studying his condition and observing his Awakening firsthand.
With a quiet sigh, Haruto replied, "I'll inform Dumi myself. As for everyone else, you'll have to be very careful about who you choose to tell."
His expression grew serious. "Not everyone will accept something like this so easily. If you ever decide to tell someone, make sure you're in a safe place and that you trust them completely."
Haruto paused before adding, "If I were you, I'd first learn to control your Awakening. Once you've mastered it, it'll be much easier to explain... or even show them."
His serious demeanor softened into a faint smile. "Oh, and one more thing."
He reached for a notepad on his desk. "Give me your phone number. I'd like us to stay in touch."
Haruto tapped his pen lightly against the paper. "If your Awakening changes, or if you experience anything unusual, let me know immediately. I may be able to help you understand—or even control—it."
"By the way, did you only awaken mana consumption or is there any other awakening?,"
Most of what Haruto said barely registered in Winston's mind. His thoughts were still buzzing with confusion. He had never imagined that the Core System would change his life into something supernatural. To him, it had always seemed like nothing more than a tool—a system designed to improve his physique, sharpen his football skills, and help him achieve his dream.
Never had he imagined it was leading him down a path that would transform him into something beyond an ordinary human—The realization was overwhelming. "Thank you for your help, Dr. Haruto," Winston said quietly.
His shoulders slumped as he turned and walked out of Haruto's office. The corridor outside felt strangely distant. His mind continued to race, thoughts colliding with one another until everything around him felt like a blur.
When Winston finally lifted his head, he realized he was standing in front of Building A. Without remembering how he had gotten there, he climbed the steps and walked through the entrance. Beyond the entrance, several youths were training on the field in front of the building. Among them was Oswin, practicing with a small group.
Winston recognized a few of the faces—players he had already competed against. The moment Oswin spotted him, he called out, "Wis!"
Winston didn't respond. He simply stood there, his eyes vacant and unfocused. Noticing his friend's slumped shoulders and distant expression, Oswin frowned.
"I'll be right back," he told the others before jogging over.
Stopping in front of Winston, he gave him a puzzled look. "Yo, Wis. I was looking for you back at the dome. Where'd you disappear to?"
There was no answer—concern crept across Oswin's face as he studied Winston's dejected expression. He reached out and rested a hand on Winston's shoulder. "Wis…" he said gently. "Are you okay?"
Oswin's voice snapped Winston out of his daze—Blinking, Winston raised his head and looked around in confusion. His eyes swept across Building A before he finally gathered his bearings.
"Yeah… I'm fine, bro," he said, forcing a faint smile. "I was just wandering around and somehow ended up here."
Without waiting for a reply, Winston turned and headed back toward the exit. Oswin watched him for a moment, his concern only deepening.
Then he hurried after him.
"Wis, wait!" he called. "I'll walk with you back to Building D. Where'd you disappear to after training?"
Winston kept walking, his shoulders still slumped. After a few silent steps, he turned his head toward Oswin. "Oh... I just had something I needed to do."
His voice grew quieter. "By the way, Oswin…"
He hesitated before asking, "What would you do if you suddenly discovered you had supernatural powers?"
Winston's gaze drifted ahead once more, "What would you do?
Oswin stopped and pondered for a while, then said, "What sort of powers?"
"Any powers,"
"That's easy—super speed," Oswin said without hesitation. "I'd never be late again. And if some dudes came looking to beat me up after I stole their girl…"
He laughed and shrugged. "They'd never catch me."
A mischievous grin spread across his face. "I'd also use it to get back at the people who wronged me back in Westminster City."
He narrowed his eyes at Winston. "Why are you asking?"
A beat passed before his eyes widened. "Wait... don't tell me you have superpowers?"
Winston came to an abrupt stop before shaking his head. "No," he replied. "I was just asking. Someone brought it up back in Building D."
Oswin stared at him for another second before letting out a small sigh. He folded his arms behind his head and smiled. "Anyway, what ranking did your points put you in?"
There was a long silence—Then Winston spoke. "I'm thinking of dropping out of the academy."
Oswin froze—His smile vanished as confusion overtook his face.
"...What?"
He stepped in front of Winston, blocking his path. "Where did that come from?"
His voice turned serious. "What really happened after you disappeared?"
He grabbed Winston by the shoulder. "Don't do this, bro."
"We're so close to reaching our dream."
The moment Oswin placed a hand on Winston's shoulder, he felt how heavy it was—as though Winston were carrying the weight of the world. Frowning, Oswin instinctively reached out with his other hand as well, trying to steady his friend.
"Bro, don't give up. We're so close," Oswin said firmly. "All we have to do is reach the top of Building A."
He held up four fingers. "We've only got four months. Four months, Wis. You can do this."
Gripping Winston by the shoulders, Oswin gave him a gentle shake. "Now say it with me."
"I can do it."
Winston forced the words out. "Come on, bro!" Oswin laughed. "Say it with some energy. Say it from your chest!"
He puffed out his own chest dramatically. "We're going to make it to the top!"
A smile slowly crept onto Winston's face. "I can do it," he repeated, this time with a smirk.
"That's more like it!" Winston chuckled.
"Thanks, bro. I needed that." He let out a slow breath.
"My head was all over the place for a moment." Oswin proudly stroked his chin.
"You know, I've finally figured out what I'm doing after I retire from football." He struck a heroic pose.
"Oswin, the therapist." Winston burst into laughter.
"Wow... you've already planned your retirement?" Oswin grinned.
"You've got to think ahead." After the laughter died down, Winston glanced at his wristwatch.
"How do you check the group rankings again?"
"That's easy."
Oswin stepped beside him and raised his wrist. "See this little icon in the bottom-left corner? Tap it." He demonstrated as he spoke. "It opens the group rankings. I wish it displayed everything in a grid instead of making us swipe through the groups, but it is what it is."
He swiped through the menu until Building D's rankings appeared. His eyes widened. "Whoa, Wis!"
He turned the screen toward Winston. "You're second in Building D now!"
A wide grin spread across his face. "Congratulations, bro!"
Oswin and Winston's fists bumped.
"But I still have a lot of work to do," Winston said. "Do you know what kind of test we're doing tomorrow?" Oswin shrugged.
"No idea. They don't tell us the tests in advance. I guess they want to keep everything a surprise," he suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh! I completely forgot to tell you—Hickman is in Group A." Winston raised an eyebrow.
"Really? I didn't see him when we first arrived."
"Neither did I," Oswin replied. "I only found out after I got to Building A. He's ranked number one in the Defenders' Dome."
A grin spread across Oswin's face. "He was asking about you, actually. He thought you'd be assigned to Building A."
Winston smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'll make it to Group A eventually."
His expression turned determined. "When the challenge matches start next week, I'll ask him to team up with me."
Oswin chuckled. "Great minds think alike."
He pointed at Winston. "I was planning the exact same thing. If someone lower-ranked challenges me, having Hickman on my side would make things a lot easier with his defensive skills."
By the time they reached Building D, the sun had begun to dip lower in the sky. The two friends stopped outside the entrance, continuing their conversation. They discussed possible opponents for the upcoming challenge matches, carefully weighing who Winston should challenge to climb the rankings. Oswin ruled out several of the strongest players and instead pointed out a handful of higher-ranked youths Winston had a realistic chance of defeating.
After a few more minutes of planning, they bumped fists and headed to their respective buildings. Winston entered Building D and made his way straight to the second floor. Stepping into the dormitory lined with rows of beds, he immediately noticed Jamison and several other youths gathered around one of them.
The moment they saw him, the conversation stopped. Jamison whiffed him over.
"So?" he asked. "Did the medical building have any cameras?"
Winston walked over and nodded. "The building itself doesn't have any cameras," he replied. "But the windows are high and wide, so you'll still need to be careful."
Jamison unfolded the map and spread it across the bed."It doesn't matter," he said. "The doctor working there seems like a decent guy. If anything, we can always bribe him."
He tapped a spot near the harbor with his finger. "Anyway, the match is supposed to take place around the harbor between nine and ten at night. It was originally scheduled for the third week, but it's been moved to the second half of next month. The exact date hasn't been announced yet, but I'll keep you guys posted."
Jamison nodded and finished marking the location on the Federation map. Afterward, when the dinner bell rang, Winston decided to skip the meal. Left alone on the second floor, dressed only in his boxers, he walked to the end of the row of beds.
Lowering himself into a sprinter's stance, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt the Nethen Essence stirring within him. The current rushed from his abdomen and poured into his legs—Now.
Winston exploded forward. In the blink of an eye, he reached the opposite end of the dormitory.
He froze. "What...?"
Twisting around, he stared at where he had started. The violent gust from his sprint had sent white sheets and blankets billowing into the air behind him.
A grin spread across his face—It worked. Without hesitation, he crouched again and launched himself forward. This time, however, the flow of Nethen Essence suddenly dried up midway through the sprint.
Crap!
Winston stumbled—His toe slammed into the metal leg of a bed.
Bang!
The impact sent him tumbling through the bed rows hallway. He bounced off one bed before crashing shoulder-first into another. "Urgh…"
Groaning, he clutched his aching back and slowly pushed himself upright. "So that's my limit…" he muttered through gritted teeth.
Limping back to his bed, Winston collapsed face-first onto the mattress. He lay there, rubbing his bruised back as exhaustion washed over him. A short while later, he heard the other youths returning from dinner, their voices filling the dormitory.
Winston barely registered them. Before he knew it, sleep claimed him.