"Sometimes you act like a completely different person," Onilia muttered, folding her arms as she looked at him. She was clearly ignoring his genius-level, three-step escape plan.
"Anyway, get ready. Let's go," she added, turning away.
'Wait… a date?'
Zane's eyes lit up. His heart skipped a beat, and all kinds of imaginary romantic music started playing in his head.
"Go where?" he asked quickly, trying to hide the sudden excitement in his voice.
'This is it. This is the part where the girl asks the guy out, but pretends it's for something casual because she can't say how she really feels… right?'
"We're going to have breakfast with the other trainees. For familiarity and team bonding," she said, not even looking at him.
Zane's excitement collapsed like a poorly built tower.
"Tsk. You can go have supper or dinner or whatever—you can even throw a feast for all I care. I'm not going," he grumbled, sounding like someone who just got dumped before the relationship even started.
Onilia frowned. "Why? And why do you sound so disappointed?"
Zane looked away, scratching the back of his head. His voice dropped a little.
"You know I'm not like the rest of you. I don't have the luxury of just… socializing. I'll stay behind and train some more. You go on without me."
Damn it… and here I thought it was finally time to break the ancient curse of eternal singleness, he thought bitterly.
Onilia stood there for a second. Then—without another word—turned and walked off. She didn't even glance back. Her footsteps were quick and sharp—she was clearly annoyed. She had probably been looking forward to going with him, even if she didn't say it out loud.
Zane watched her go, then sighed.
"Wait—Onilia!" he called out, raising his hand. But she didn't stop.
He sat down on the ground, groaning. He slouched his back and he rested his elbows on his knees.
"I just wanted to feel that softness again… they were so squishy…" he whispered to himself.
Then he shook his head hard.
"No! It's not worth the pain," he growled. Definitely not worth it.
****
Onilia walked up the long, winding path toward the Grand Dining Hall, which sat in the middle of the summit . The structure was carved into the rock itself, carved from deep silver stone that shimmered slightly under the morning sun. The roof was pointed and covered in crystal tiles that caught the light and scattered it into rainbows.
The giant golden gates of the hall stood open, and several trainees were already gathered around outside, chatting in small groups.
One of them, standing with her arms behind her back, was Nenis.
The crimson-haired girl had her extra two eyes covered by a matching crimson cloth wrapped neatly around her face. It gave her a slightly mysterious, almost intimidating look.
As soon as she spotted Onilia approaching, she smirked.
"I don't see your pet around, Onilia. Did you finally put him in a cage?" she said, her tone sweet but biting.
Onilia didn't even look at her. She walked right past without saying a word.
That only made Nenis grin wider.
"I heard the Destroyer is your next opponent," she continued. "Shouldn't you be making friends who could actually help you? Instead of dragging around a stray mutt?"
Onilia stopped.
The air around her changed—just a little. The warmth of morning felt like it was suddenly replaced by a cold wind.
She turned slowly, her sapphire eyes were sharp and steady.
"You clearly don't know anything about Zane," she said quietly. "Are you scared he might surpass you one day? You should be. Because that day is coming sooner than you think."
A few nearby trainees burst out laughing.
"Did she say 'surpass'?" one of them repeated.
"Hey, did you hear that?" another said with a snort.
One of them dropped to their knees and started crawling on all fours.
"I'm Zane!" the trainee cried in a mocking tone. "I can't walk because gravity is too hard, so I'll just crawl up the mountain!"
The group burst into louder laughter.
But Nenis didn't laugh. She kept her eyes on Onilia, who had already turned away and walked into the hall.
Nenis clenched her jaw slightly. Onilia wasn't the type to talk big for no reason. If she said Zane would surpass her… then she believed it.
'Still… him?' Nenis thought. That pathetic idiot? That has to be a joke, right?
She refused to accept it. Nenis was known across several planets as a Genius, a once-in-a-generation prodigy. She had climbed the ranks faster than anyone in her clan. The idea that someone like Zane—a nobody with no fame, no background, and no talent—could one day stand above her was beyond insulting.
But what even Zane didn't know… was that he had a hidden talent. A terrifying one.
The dining hall buzzed with low chatter and clinking utensils. The ceiling lights cast a soft amber glow over the long, polished tables, where trainees from different ranks gathered to eat, laugh, and whisper behind each other's backs.
At one of the tables, Onilia sat alone, quietly picking at her food. Her sapphire eyes scanned the room from time to time, but it was clear her thoughts were elsewhere.
She sighed, resting her cheek on her palm. She was clearly disappointed that Zane hadn't shown up with her. He trained all night—she'd seen that herself—but still, a small part of her had expected him to walk in with his usual clueless grin and sit beside her like nothing happened.
'Earlier, he mentioned Ariel, is she maybe his girlfriend? Not that I care.'
At the table behind her, a group of male trainees were whispering amongst themselves, their voices hushed but filled with mocking tones.
"She's so gorgeous… What the hell does she see in that pathetic loser?" one of them said, shaking his head with disbelief.
"Right? I swear, she's exactly my type. But if she's into weaklings, maybe I should start acting like one too," another joked, with a sarcastic snort.
"I bet she only pities the guy. That has to be it. No way a woman like her would actually fall for that scrawny excuse of a man."
They chuckled among themselves, tossing snide comments back and forth. Then the room suddenly grew quiet.
All heads turned as Zane stepped into the dining hall.
He looked a little dazed, like he hadn't fully recovered from the nightmare—or the brutal night of gravity training. His shirt clung to his skin from a quick rinse, and his hair, though dry, was messier than usual. Still, his expression was calm as his eyes scanned the hall.
He spotted Nenis seated at one of the tables with Drex, both of them laughing over some private joke.
Then his gaze found Onilia, sitting alone near the end of the room, her silver hair catching the light like spun glass. A soft warmth flickered in his chest. He took a deep breath and began making his way toward her.
But just as he passed a row of seated trainees, someone stretched out a foot.
Zane's boot caught on it, and he nearly crashed face-first into the floor. He stumbled but caught himself just in time, straightening up slowly.
Laughter erupted from the nearby table.
"Oh man, I'm so sorry," said one of the trainees—a bald guy with four muscular arms and a grin stretched ear to ear. "Didn't see you there. My bad." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
The others howled with laughter, slapping their knees and knocking fists together.
Zane stood there, expressionless for a moment. He looked down at the guy's foot, still slightly extended, then slowly looked up to meet his eyes.
He knew it wasn't an accident. It never was.
This kind of thing had been happening ever since he got here—little games, tiny humiliations. A way to remind him he didn't belong. That he was weaker. That he was an outsider.
But this wasn't Earth anymore.
This was a world filled with monsters, magic, and warriors who could destroy mountains with a flick of their hand. He'd already been torn apart once. The Whisperkin nearly ended him—and they were just the bottom of the food chain.
It wasn't the first time he'd been bullied. But when he came to this planet, he made himself a promise: to be different. No more running. No more giving up. He swore he would endure anything the Master threw at him, no matter how brutal.
If he repeated the same weaknesses he had back on Earth, he'd never get stronger. He'd never stand a chance of saving Ariel.
And besides… in this world, dying didn't mean the end. It just meant another chance to suffer.
He clenched his fist at his side and gave a small, awkward laugh.
"Oh, it's fine," he said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Mistakes happen, right? No big deal."
The four-armed guy smirked, clearly satisfied.
But then, Zane's smile faded.
He leaned in slowly, locking eyes with him. The playful tone in his voice vanished, replaced by something colder—something that made the air seem heavier.
"…That's what you thought I'd say, huh?"
The trainee's grin faltered.
Zane's eyes narrowed, his voice low but sharp.
"I'll overlook it this once. But if you try something like that again…"
He paused, letting the tension hang.
"…not even the Master will be able to put you back together."
A chill ran through the air like a blade.
Zane straightened and turned away without another word, heading toward Onilia's table like nothing had happened.
The other trainees stared in stunned silence, the laughter frozen on their lips.
Onilia sat quietly at the far end of the dining hall, arms folded, her expression unreadable. Her sapphire eyes watched everything from a distance, sharp and observant. She rarely spoke unless needed, but when she did, people listened. Right now, she said nothing.
She simply watched.
Unlike the others, she had noticed Zane's potential from the very beginning—not in raw strength or flashy techniques, but in something far more dangerous. His ability to adapt. No matter how tough the situation was, he found a way to push through it, to survive, to grow stronger at a pace that almost felt unnatural.
It was ridiculous how fast he learned, how fast he adjusted to pain, pressure, and even failure. That kind of trait couldn't be taught—it was either in you or it wasn't. And Zane had it.
So, Onilia didn't bother stepping in. There was no need. Zane wasn't the same clueless weakling who first arrived on this planet. Not anymore.
Meanwhile, across the room, Zane stood tall—well, as tall as his aching body would let him. He had just shut down a bully in front of everyone, and for once, he didn't feel small or powerless. His back was straight, his chin slightly raised. Even though his body still hurt from training, he felt good.
'Heh. That line was solid… Learned it from Onilia. Pretty badass, right?' he thought proudly, smirking to himself.
The room was still tense when the four-armed trainee finally recovered from Zane's earlier threat. His bald head shone under the ceiling lights as he stood up, trying to save face. His wide shoulders flexed, and his extra arms crossed over his chest like a puffed-up gorilla trying to look dominant.
"Hey scrawny?" the four-armed guy scoffed, his voice echoing through the hall.