Verso walked through the white hallways of the academy, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space between the dorms and the practice grounds.
While walking his mind was focused on something else, more specially it was locked on reading through the blue screen that only he could see.
---
[✦Summon Window✦]
Name: Nameless Skeleton
Title: Little Bone
Rank: Primitive (100%)
Stats:
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Endurance: 10]
[Mana: 10]
Manifestation: [Cleaver]
Abilities: [Mending] [Energized Rush]
---
'One hundred percent...'
Verso's gaze lingered on that final number.
After the synthesis with the two golem souls, Lil' Bone had hit the absolute ceiling of the Primitive rank. All of his stats were a perfect ten which meant that it was the pinnacle of its current existence.
'But if it's at a hundred percent, shouldn't it have evolved by itself?' He wondered.
He had expected a flash of light or a notification saying the rank had shifted to Primitive to Mutant, but nothing had happened at all.
Verso's train of thought was broken by a sudden shift in the atmosphere. As he moved past groups of students, he noticed the eyes. They weren't the usual looks of pity or indifference.
Instead, this time the looks were mocking and were accompanied by hushed whispers that stopped the moment he looked in their direction.
'What did I do now?'
Verso was no stranger to the academy rumors, but he had been busy massacring an entire civilization of Stone Golems to know what it was that others were talking about.
Just then, two students passed him, their voices barely audible.
"Dude, look, it's him. My brother was at the dungeon entrance yesterday. He told me that the Verso ran away with his tail between his legs the second he looked at the crater."
Verso's lips twitched. A deep, weary sigh escaped him.
'So that's what this is.'
'I wanted people to underestimate me, but hearing this kind of hurts my soul.' He thought, shaking his head.
He ignored the sneers and kept walking, his pace steady.
When he reached the practice grounds he saw that the entire class was already lined up. At the front stood Kolden. Today was their combat class.
As Verso approached, Kolden's eyes locked onto him.
"You know how late you are, Verso?"
Although Kolden looked out for Verso at the time, he was also a firm believer in discipline and treated every student with the same.
"Sorry, Sir... I couldn't find my clothes." Verso replied.
It was the absolute truth. Lil' Bone, in its new, sassy marble form had decided to celebrate its transformation by pulling a prank.
It had hidden Verso's clean uniform deep under the bed frame. This was presumably its revenge for the Not So Lil' Bone comment.
A wave of laughter erupted from the class.
"Couldn't find his clothes? What is he, five?" Someone said from the back.
Kolden's eye twitched.
"Trying to be funny, are we?"
He raised a massive hand, motioning for Verso to step forward.
"Since you have so much energy to joke around, you'll be my sparring partner for this session."
---
Thirty Minutes Later
Verso lay flat on his back, staring up at the sky. His lungs felt like they were on fire and every muscle in his body was screaming.
Even with his increased stats he could not spar with Kolden who was a literal monster.
Verso slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, wiping the sweat off of his face.
Kolden was already on the other side of the grounds, barking orders at a pair of students who were sparring each other.
"Never thought I'd get beaten up for telling the truth." Verso muttered.
Slowly standing up, he reached back stretching his spine until it popped.
"So, you lied to me, huh?"
The voice was cold, and dangerously familiar. Verso turned to see Xavier walking toward him. The blond student didn't have his usual evil smirk as his face was a mask of cold fury.
"You really think I'll let you leave after you lied to me?" Xavier repeated, stopping just a few feet away.
'About time.' Verso thought.
He knew the news of his awakening would eventually leak out, but he had not expected Xavier to corner him in the middle of a class.
"You never actually asked me if-"
Before Verso could finish replying, a blur of grey fur and snapping teeth erupted from the shadows behind Xavier.
A massive Ash Wolf, Xavier's summon directly lunged for Verso's throat.
Verso's instincts kicked in instantly as he didn't panic as he took a sharp step back and pivoted on his heel, the wolf's jaws snapping shut on thin air inches from his chest.
The beast skidded past him, landing gracefully and beginning to circle Verso with a low growl.
"Not bad." Xavier said, a small, dark laugh escaping his lips.
"For a weakling, you've got some quick feet."
"What do you guys think you are doing?!"
Kolden's voice boomed across the grounds. In the blink of an eye, the instructor appeared between them, his presence acting like a physical wall.
Xavier didn't flinch seeing Kolden appear out of thin air as he commanded the wolf to sit and then looked up at teacher with a practiced, innocent expression.
"I was just showing Verso my summon, Sir."
Kolden turned his stern gaze toward Verso.
"Is that true?"
Verso looked at Xavier. The blond boy gave him a sideways glance which felt like a silent warning that this was only the beginning.
If Verso snitched now, the 'accident' that would happen later would be much worse.
Before Verso could open his mouth, a window of light appeared in his vision, freezing time for a heartbeat.
[Mission Acquired: Defeat Xavier.]
Verso scanned the hidden details of the mission, an almost sinister smile spreading across his face as he turned to look at Xavier.
Looking at his sinister smile threw Xavier off as he felt like he had just made a mistake that would haunt him for years to come.
"Yes, Sir, it is true."