"Status."
[Name: Deebt Jacks.]
[Age: 17.]
[Health: 89%.]
"Information."
[Strength: 19.]
[Stamina: 17.]
[Agility: 19.]
[Speed: 14.]
[Intelligence: 25.]
[Number of Lines: 0.]
[Talent: Night.]
[Ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Weapon: Wrong step.]
Deebt looked at the information displayed before him.
'I've changed a little in just three months.' Deebt looked at the mirror on the wall.
His features were calm, his light brown eyes and shoulder length black hair slightly longer.
His face looked more mature than before, Deebt had changed a little.
His body was stronger and healthier, despite the grueling training they underwent, it had become slightly more bearable.
That is, unless Jazz ramped up the intensity of the workouts again..
"Haaah, the exam is coming up." Deebt sighed and sat down in his chair.
He had graduated from high school, but the principal allowed them to train there even though they had finished their studies.
The sunrise academy exam was coming up soon, and Deebt had to prepare, the journey would be long.
The sunrise academy had a rigorous exam, and the place where it was held was just as strict, if not more so.
It was located in the city of new Mongolia, the heart of the Asian continent.
There were no longer any so-called countries on the Asian continent, it was now governed by the Central government.
The Central government had divided the continent into massive cities and established sub governments within each city.
One of these cities was new Mongolia, which encompassed the western half of former Mongolia, part of the northwestern region of old China, the southern part of old Russia, and the eastern half of old Kazakhstan.
It was a massive city, and the academy of the sunrise was located here, in one of the most geographically diverse and harshest regions, the Gobi Altai.
Traveling there took three days or more, because once you reached new China city, you would have to take other modes of transportation, and during exam season it was extremely crowded.
That's why Deebt had to leave in about a week, and now only fourteen days remained.
Deebt looked at the sword resting by the door, it was a Miaodao style sword, which Deebt had named "Wrong Step."
It was a sword with a simple design and an attractive, mysterious black color.
Its scabbard was a deebt black that blended into the shadows.
Measuring one hundred and forty centimeters in length, it was a beast among swords.
Its blade was coated in a layer of black oxide, with a distinctive, slight curve.
It was impossible to tell which side was sharp because the sword was so dark, when swung, it looked like a black line.
The guard was round and simple, with a diameter of nine centimeters.
Deebt rose from his seat and touched the wooden hilt, it was made of rare, hard wood with small ridges that made the grip on the sword secure.
There was a black band at the beginning and end of the hilt.
The hilt itself was about forty centimeters long.
What distinguished this sword was its color, it did not reflect light at all.
This sword was nothing but the embodiment of true darkness, his mother had given it to him.
She said it was a heirloom from her grandfather, she was going to give it to Jazz, but Jazz refused.
Deebt was surprised at first, but he quickly realized that his parents had known about it at the time.
Jazz had told them.
That was a month ago when she gave him the sword.
Deebt smiled, his parents were truly happy with his choice.
Deebt looked at the sword for a moment, then put it away again, after which he left his room.
He was going to visit Milly.
…
Jazz was standing by the river, the wind was playing with his hair.
His features were calm and steady.
"Status." Jazz said in a low voice.
[Name: Jazz Jacks.]
[Age: 17.]
[Health: Full.]
[Level: Dawn.]
[Next Level: 9%.]
"Information."
[Strength: 27.]
[Stamina: 23.]
[Agility: 22.]
[Speed: 26.]
[Intelligence: 39.]
[Number of lines: 1,020,000.]
[Talent: Night.]
[Primary ability: Time reversal.]
[Ability activation: 1.7%.]
[Ability development: 1.02%.]
[First secondary ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Second secondary ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Third secondary ability: Soul transfer.]
[Number of souls transferred: 2.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Weapon: None.]
"I'm still really far off." Jazz said in a calm voice.
His power was high, but he didn't really consider himself anything special.
He felt his progress was slow, despite his efforts and his high talent, he felt it wasn't enough.
'It's not nearly enough; what's coming is even worse and will require even more strength.' Jazz thought about the future for a moment, but despite that, he smiled slightly.
There was a major variable now, one that would affect everything.
Deebt Jacks, his only brother.
Over the past three months they'd trained together, Sam was with them, and they never missed a day.
Even during J Martin's training sessions, they trained until they passed out.
The road had been arduous, but the results were satisfying.
'If we'd had more time to train, there would have been a bigger leap in information, but unfortunately, we have to take all those lessons.'
"Hehehe, everything will change when I go to sunset academy." Jazz smiled, then walked along the riverbank.
Sunset academy was located in new Singapore, the giant archipelago that had previously comprised the nations of Brunei, East Timor, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Now it was simply a giant city consisting of thousands of islands.
The government had extended its control over all of Asia and divided it into thirteen massive cities.
Jazz lived in new Seoul, located in eastern Asia, specifically on the eastern side of ancient China, which used to overlook Taiwan, but now even Taiwan was part of new Seoul.
Unlike the sunrise academy, it was closer, and its entrance exam was easier.
Therefore, it had the largest number of students.
The test wasn't about demonstrating 'information' or anything like that, students taking the test were simply required to demonstrate their talent, and the test would be tailored to each student's abilities.
It was a battle against monsters, and the number of monsters depended on the talent.
Anyone rescued by the professors was deemed unworthy, and anyone who won passed the test and became an official student of the academy.
The sunrise and sunset academies were not the only academies on the continent, but they were the most famous and the most competent.
Jazz was excited.
…
Sam was running along the seashore, grains of sand stuck to his feet, but they quickly fell off.
His speed was high.
"Status."
[Name: Sam Lucas.]
[Age: 17 years old.]
[Health: 78%.]
"Information."
[Strength: 13.]
[Stamina: 12.]
[Agility: 11.]
[Speed: 14.]
[Intelligence: 18.]
[Number of lines: 0.]
[Talent: Solar eclipse.]
[Ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Weapon: Chain.]
Sam smiled as he looked at the black screen and the white words displayed before him.
'I put in the effort, but it's not enough.' Sam reflected on his situation.
He had indeed put in the effort, and his training with Deebt and Jazz had been beneficial, it hadn't made him slack off at all, he'd been enjoying himself.
But…
Still, he felt his limits, it was hard to break through them, all because of talent.
Sam didn't despair, but he smiled even more.
'Isn't the challenge the fun? What fun would I get if I didn't break through these limits myself?'
Sam was smiling like a madman now, he was enjoying this idea.
Sam ran faster, looked at the vast ocean, and felt insignificant.
"I want to become the ocean too." It was a crazy idea, but it made sense to him.
To be that strong, who wouldn't want that?
Sam wanted it desperately.
…
In an elegant, tidy room, Milly sat combing her hair.
She was lost in thought, only one person occupied her mind.
Deebt Jacks.
…
Three months ago.
Milly's cheeks flushed pink as she looked at Deebt shyly.
"I'm fine too." Deebt said calmly.
Despite Milly's unexpected behavior, he quickly returned to his usual self.
He looked at her, trying to understand why, but what he met was a shy and beautiful reaction.
'Damn.' Deebt was a little annoyed, Milly was distracting him.
"Deebt, tell me where you're going? Sunrise or sunset?" Milly asked after a long hesitation.
"Sunrise. Why?"
"I'll go with you." Milly said awkwardly.
"What? Why? Didn't you want to go to the sunset?" Deebt was surprised by what Milly said.
"I changed my mind... I need to grow up fast, because…" Milly fell silent suddenly.
"Because what?" Deebt asked quickly.
"Well, it's just that, Deebt, I…" Milly fell silent again.
"You what? Don't stop in the middle of your sentence." Deebt was annoyed.
"You're an idiot, Deebt." Milly furrowed her brows and said in a childish tone.
"Huh? What?" Deebt lost all the calmness that usually covered his face, he was surprised.
Open, open.
Milly's mother opened the door, looked at Milly and Deebt, didn't ask anything, but placed the tray of food on Milly's desk and then quietly left.
'She must have noticed the change in the atmosphere.' Deebt thought, looking at the closed door.
"Deebt, how do you feel about me?" Milly interrupted Deebt's thoughts.
Deebt looked deeply at Milly, then replied in a low, cold voice.
"I don't know... My feelings are unclear. Besides, love is also annoying, so I don't want it. I have something important to do."
"What is it?"
"I'm searching for a purpose in my life." Deebt said with a lost tone.
"But don't you have a purpose?"
"Not right now. When I wanted to be an employee, that was my goal, to live a quiet life, but I changed my mind. So now I want to go to sunrise academy with the goal of fighting one battle after another to grow. The first step in the war against life is for me to change my major."
Deebt spoke with confidence and a sense of mystery.
"I understand. If that's what you need to focus on, then so be it. Deebt, I love you. I just want you to know that. Maybe you didn't notice before, but I've felt this way for a long time... I just couldn't admit it. I… I'm sorry." Milly spoke in a tone full of emotion.
"There's no reason for you to be sorry, but I can't accept your feelings right now, Milly... I just can't."
Deebt stood up and left the room, leaving Milly alone.
Milly looked at the door and said in a barely audible voice.
"But it will be possible someday, for sure."
Deebt went down the stairs and ran into Milly's mother.
"Auntie, thank you for your hospitality. I'm leaving."
Deebt headed for the door and went out.
Milly's mother didn't speak, she already understood what had happened.
…
Present day.
Milly thought about it some more, then smiled brightly.
She was happy.
"Status."
[Name: Milly Hamilton.]
[Age: 17.]
[Health: Full.]
[Level: Dawn.]
[Next Level: 1.5%.]
"Information."
[Strength: 17.]
[Stamina: 16.]
[Agility: 29.]
[Speed: 30.]
[Intelligence: 27.]
[Number of lines: 3.]
[Talent: Daytime.]
[Primary ability: Multiplier system.]
[Ability activation: 0.0003%.]
[Ability development: 0.00003%.]
[First secondary ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Second secondary ability: None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Third secondary ability : None.]
[Ability development: 0%.]
[Weapon: None.]
"I'll keep pushing forward." Milly encouraged herself as she brushed her hair and looked at her 'Information'.