In a society that ran off strength, mankind needed an accurate way to measure the strength of every person. Over the course of a decade of trial and error, it was eventually found that an artificially created crystal was not only highly conductive of the energies flow within everyone, but that this crystal could project a numerical value that would change equal to the power flowing into it. Amorite, as it would be named soon after, was quickly adapted to fit society's needs.
Many families would soon begin to keep a small number of Amorite crystals in their households. Not only could they show the initial potential of their awakened children, but the crystals could also track their training progress over time. Although scientists insisted that the degrading accuracy of the Amorite was a byproduct of the creation process, many thought it was planned obsolescence. After all, if every household needed only a single crystal, there would be no real profits to be made.
After nearly half a minute of directing the power within himself into the cubic crystal, Joe opened his eyes. His eyes hesitantly shifted to the flawlessly smooth surface closest to him before shooting wide with surprise. The number sitting in the palm of his hand elated him.
In the country of Verdantia, one institution stood above the rest, Ziaga Military Academy. The countries foremost training institution for its armed forces. Every graduate would go on to serve pinnacle roles in the country's defense against other nations, the growing number of magical beasts in the forests surrounding its borders, and the Jinai. Along with a grueling entrance examination, the Academy also had a bare minimum strength requirement of one hundred.
With his base awakened strength, Joe already met the strength requirement to attend Ziaga Academy. Seeing the expectant gazes sitting around the table, Joe offered a radiant smile. "I've made up my mind. When I finish my studies, I'm going to take the entrance exam for Ziaga Academy."
Although the others hadn't seen his power reading, that one sentence told them all they needed to know. They all knew Joe did not act rashly. He meticulously thought everything through. If he had decided he was going to the Academy, his initial reading would have at the very least, met their minimal requirement of one hundred points.
"Although you're still a bit too young to enroll, we will support you the whole way. You have two years to prepare but that doesn't mean you can slack off with your current studies. Plan for the future, but don't ignore the present." Allison's insightful words only reinforced his resolve.
"I'll get in. I must. Once I graduate, I'll be able to look after all of you and repay the kindness you have shown Sarah and me all these years." The present smile that hadn't left his face grew more radiant with this declaration. If it hadn't been for Allison, there would be no telling what would have become of Sarah and him. He had already prepared himself to return her kindness tenfold before he had even awakened.
With this newfound resolve, Joe returned to his room. He quickly made his way through the day's assignments before moving on to the rest of the week. Glancing at the small bedside clock and seeing it was barely midnight; Joe turned to the next page of his textbook. By the time he finally lay down in bed, two hours later, he had finished half of the semester's remaining work. He knew that the journey before him would have its difficulties. Still, his determination did not waiver. He made a promise to himself that night.
I will never again let somebody tell me my own worth. I will prove to everyone that I'm better than they could have ever dreamed of being.
The months to follow his birthday went by at a snail's pace. Every free moment, Joe had his face buried in a textbook. After one month, he finished the remainder of the current semester. By the time their mid-semester break came around, he had finished the remainder of that year's work. He had already taken the role of first seat from Laine and was leaving his peers behind. By the time the break ended, Joe had already caught up to the next year's students.
During one of his now typical late night cram sessions just before the break was to end, Joe was abruptly ripped from his textbook by a high-pitched scream coming from Laine's room. Leaving behind all sense of self preservation, Joe barreled out of his room and burst her door open. From scream to entry, less than twenty seconds had passed. In the span of those twenty seconds, every worst-case scenario had run through his head. None of which prepared him for the sight before his eyes.
Next to the bed stood a slim waisted beauty. Her long brown hair settled at her lower back. Having nearly jumped onto the bed from the resounding slam of the door. Her dazzling emerald eyes locked onto Joe's the moment he entered. His jaw went slack as realization crept its way to the front of his mind.
Before his eyes, her alabaster skin began to shift to a rosy pink stretching from her prominent chest to the tips of her ears. The sleepwear that she had worn to bed became useless to the changes her body had undergone. Both arms quickly wrapped around her chest attempting to cover her obvious shame. Nearly two whole minutes passed of the two staring at each other before Joe broke the silence.
"Um, happy birthday Laine."
The blossoming red finally ignited into a raging crimson. Laine's first reaction? To grab the nearest object and hurl it full force at Joe's head. With his enhanced physical attributes, Joe managed to slam the bedroom door closed just as the lamp shattered against it. Inside, he could still hear the embarrassment boiling over into rage. Unknown objects crashed to the floor as he rested his back against the cold, wooden door. The only barrier preventing his closest friend from ripping his head off on site.
As a shallow sigh escaped his lips, Joe felt a subtle presence to his right. Turning his head, he was greeted by the worried expression of Allison. Like Joe, she too had heard the scream and rushed out of her room. It had completely slipped her mind that it was past midnight on her daughter's birthday. That was, until she saw Joe's defeated face. Not wanting to worsen the situation, Joe walked past the woman who had acted as a surrogate mother these couple years.
"I'm going to bed. I don't think she's going to want to see me for a while."