"There's something else," Shun added quickly. "The shrink effect only lasts five minutes. If the device takes any damage, you'll need to supply the replacement parts or pay for the repairs."
Edric nodded.
"So, do you want to borrow it?" Shun asked for confirmation.
"Give me a few days to think about it."
"Alright."
Shun picked up the freshly welded component and slotted it into the main frame with frightening efficiency. The piece seemed to have always belonged there. Slowly, methodically, they added the remaining parts. What had begun as a bare skeleton gradually transformed into a complete machine.
Covered in oil and sweat, Shun let out a long breath of relief. "We managed to finish it before class starts."
On the table sat an oven wrapped in complex magiteck apparatus. The device capable of producing five hundred perfect pancakes per hour was finally complete.
"Honestly," Edric said, dropping into a chair beside Shun with a tired smile, "I thought we wouldn't make it in time."
"If we couldn't, it would just mean we're getting dull in this field and should retire." White particles gathered in Shun's palm, forming two melon-filled bread buns. He tossed one to Edric.
Edric tore open the plastic and took a bite. "What are you planning after graduation? After the mandatory military service, I mean."
Hunters were required to serve five years in the war against the demons before earning their freedom.
"Join Kinrara," Shun said, ripping open his own wrapper and stuffing the entire bun into his mouth. He chewed twice and swallowed. "Use their name to get close, then tear Machno apart from the inside. If that fails, I have other ways to bring them down."
"Neo, huh?" Edric took another bite, then asked carefully, "How long are you going to keep this up, Shun?"
Shun stayed silent as Edric continued.
"The endless killing. Converting memories into strength. Pillaging corporations for your greater goal. Everything you've done these last seven years… is it worth it?"
"Yeah." Shun's voice trembled with barely restrained rage.
"You're not going to stop?" Edric finished the bread in one final gulp. "You already earn plenty from the magiteck you sell as Neo. You could live peacefully in the countryside, far from corpo influence."
Shun turned to face him. His eyes burned with intense hatred and killing intent, thickening the air between them.
"They took the one I cared about most. I will destroy them thoroughly."
Edric opened his mouth, then closed it, swallowing whatever he had intended to say.
"Don't push yourself too hard, alright? I'm just worried. You've got me and Rylan. We can accomplish a lot together—you know that."
The void in Shun's eyes receded. A soft, genuine smile touched his lips. "I'll take that offer, then."
After a brief silence, Shun stood. "Let's go. We still need to find Rylan before class starts."
"What about the machine?"
"Leave it. My inventory is full, or…"
"No, mine's full too."
They cleaned the room quickly, then left a note on the oven warning others not to mistake it for junk. With a click, the lights went out. They stepped into the hallway and began searching for their friend.
As they walked, Shun noticed something odd. At the far end of the corridor, the three young masters came into view, chatting and laughing. Then Jul abruptly stopped mid-step the moment their eyes met.
His lackeys noticed and followed his gaze. Their footsteps halted. Their eyes darted awkwardly.
The sharp scent of fear reached Shun's nose.
"Did you do something to them?" Edric asked quietly.
"I've been by your side the entire time. How could I?"
"Knowing you," Edric let the words hang, "you could have hacked their database and dug up material to blackmail them."
"Trust me a little, would you?" Shun gave him a disappointed look.
"Alright, alright. I'm convinced."
"That didn't sound genuine at all."
As if gathering courage, the young masters walked past with polite but stiff smiles. Their bodies moved like puppets with rusted joints. Once clear, they quickened their pace almost to a run.
Shun watched them for several heartbeats before turning away. If they left him alone from now on, that was good enough.
On the school field—no larger than a stadium—Shun and Edric stopped before a patch of ground riddled with holes of various sizes.
At the edge of their vision, a large werewolf with crimson eyes and razor-sharp claws was busy digging yet another hole.
"Rylan, what are you doing?" Shun asked as they approached.
"Digging a hole," Rylan replied, half his body already buried.
"Why?" Edric asked, utterly bewildered.
"I don't know." Rylan pulled himself out and turned around. A white flash rippled over him, and he returned to human form. "You guys finished building that machine?"
"Yeah." Shun smiled faintly. "We can eat five hundred pancakes once special class ends!"
Rylan's mouth puffed out for a brief moment. "You guys enjoy it. I'll pass."
"You sure? If you're worried about the taste, it's definitely good!" Shun insisted.
"No, it's not the taste I'm worried about."
"Then what—"
"Come on," Rylan said quickly, already hurrying ahead. "Class is about to start."
Shun and Edric exchanged a glance, both smiling. Rylan shivered, chills running down his spine.
***
The vast white room seemed to stretch into infinity, its ceiling vanishing into a sky that defied human sight. Students gathered with casual ease. This was their fourth time here since the semester began.
Shun and Edric kept staring at Rylan with mischievous eyes.
"What are you two planning?" Rylan asked warily. They had been looking at him like that the entire walk over.
"Nothing," Shun replied, patting Rylan's right shoulder. "But you should be careful on the way home."
Rylan narrowed his eyes. "Are you guys planning to use that pancake machine on me? Don't blame me if I get aggressive when I resist."
"Don't worry about it." Shun smiled, but the expression carried no warmth.
Shun felt a familiar, crushing presence descend without warning. His heart jumped.
*She really needs to stop doing this.*
The corners of his mouth twitched as he endured the weight.
Their homeroom teacher, Calyn, strode into the room with calm, authoritative steps. She moved like someone who steered her own destiny, never shying from a single mistake.
She stopped before the class with a neutral expression. "Today's special class focuses on magiteck. You already learned mana circuits, core matrices, material resonance, mana frequency, and cache sigils back in middle school. It's time to put that knowledge to use."
Students grumbled among themselves. Magiteck was widely considered boring; most had only studied the absolute basics.
"Before you start cursing my name in your hearts," she continued dryly, "remember that magiteck is vital in our war against the demons. Your personal abilities and martial skills matter most, yes—but a well-crafted magiteck device can save your life in desperate moments." Her tone carried the weight of experience.
"Build any magiteck you want. You may reference online blueprints. Tech Level 2 is the limit."
As she spoke, her gaze lingered inexplicably on Shun.
*Don't worry, Ms. Calyn. I'm not going to build a doomsday device.*
"Groups of three to five. Once formed, inform me."
Shun frowned. Something felt missing. He glanced around, but the other students were already absorbed in forming groups. No one approached theirs. In fact, many looked at them with open wariness.
"Do I smell bad?" Shun muttered, sniffing under his arm. "Is that why no one's joining us?"
"They don't want to deal with us," Edric replied.
"Why? We never stole their lunch money."
Edric turned to him. "On the first day, you entered the classroom by getting flung through the window by a monster that somehow escaped the Rift."
Shun chuckled. "Yeah."
He looked at Rylan. "And you turned into a dog, ate someone's hamster, then peed on Reed's hair while he was showering in the locker room. Do you know how long we had to endure that smell during his lectures? An entire week!"
"Who's bright idea was it to clear a Rift the day before school started?" Rylan scratched his head in confusion, then pointed at Edric. "Oh yeah, it was you! We didn't finish until morning, and I was stuck as a dog trying to find the way out! I was exhausted, fell asleep, and didn't have time to change back. Wait—how did you even know I did that to Reed?"
"We failed to clear it," Edric said in a low, regretful tone. "We've been together since middle school. Knowing the two of you, did you really think I wouldn't keep watch? Especially when you turned into a regular dog."
"Stalker."
"Hysteric fan."
"Shut up."
Shun cut in quickly. "Alright, alright. We should focus on the task. Any ideas what we should build?"
"How rare that you're actually asking," Rylan commented.
"Really? I never put my mind to it before."
"What are we even supposed to do with the magiteck anyway?"
"Beats me. Maybe we get to keep what we build. Perhaps she's trying to teach the value of creating something from scratch."
"Most students here would just buy a new one the moment theirs breaks from reckless use," Rylan said.
"Knowing Ms. Calyn, I doubt it's something that sentimental," Shun added.
"She just said we can create anything, so let's focus on that first. We can worry about the rest later."
"Fair."
"How about an orb that spits out paralyzing rope?" Rylan suggested.
"Or glasses that predict enemy movements," Edric offered. "Like seeing their actions a second into the future."