Chapter 115: The Spark of Rebellion
Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Spark of Rebellion
Chapter 115: The Spark of Rebellion
CLICK.
The heavy oak doors of the Apex Villa swung open.
Strike Team Zero stepped into their private training courtyard. The adrenaline from the massive crowds and the glaring broadcast cameras was finally beginning to fade.
The silence of the villa was deafening. They stood in a loose circle, looking at each other as the sheer scale of their achievement truly settled into their bones.
They had just conquered the entire world. They were the undisputed top ten first-year students on the planet.
Draven Mordis walked to the center of the courtyard. He turned to face his squad. His pitch-black eyes swept over Aegon, Bram, Estella, Lucien, Reina, Nyx, Natalie, Cole, and Lyra.
"You all performed exceptionally well today," Draven commended them, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard.
"You showed the Capital what real combat looks like. You have survived the Wildlands, and today, you have reaped the rewards of your suffering. And as I promised, you shall be rewarded as well."
Draven opened his System interface with a mere thought. He disguised the action by swiping his hand over his black spatial ring.
FLASH.
A glowing, leather-bound book materialized in Draven’s palm. It radiated an intense, suffocating aura of pure martial energy.
"Aegon," Draven called out.
The Red Lion stepped forward, his golden eyes locked onto the glowing book.
"You secured Rank 2," Draven said, holding the heavy tome in his hand.
"The rank closest to me. This is for the winner. Can you guess what it might be?"
Aegon crossed his arms, a confident smirk spreading across his face.
"A weapon? A core from a high-tier fire beast? Or maybe a specialized potion to evolve my Blood Fire?"
Draven chuckled softly.
"You think too small."
He tossed the book through the air. Aegon caught it clumsily.
THUD.
"It is an A-Rank Skill Book," Draven explained, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"It contains a lost spear technique from the old era. Your flames are powerful, Aegon. But your physical technique relies too much on brute force. I want you to understand and master this entirely before we reach our next destination. I expect a lot from you! Do not disappoint me!"
Aegon stared at the ancient cover in pure awe. He gripped the book tightly against his chest and bowed his head.
"Thank you, Captain. I will not disappoint you."
Draven nodded. The faint smile on his face vanished, replaced by a cold, deadly seriousness. The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly grew heavy.
"Now," Draven commanded softly.
"Listen to me very carefully. The games are over."
The squad straightened their postures, sensing the sudden shift in their Captain’s demeanor.
"We are about to leave the walls," Draven continued.
"But before we board that train, I need you all to understand the reality of the world we are stepping into. Tell me, why do you think Lord Commander Helion Goldmane, the strongest human in all the Bastions, is stationed out here in the muddy defensive rings instead of residing in the Capital?"
The squad exchanged confused glances.
"Because he is protecting the border?" Bram guessed quietly.
"That is the lie they sell to the public," Draven corrected coldly.
"The truth is much darker. In the Commander’s younger days, he had a fierce conflict with the current Vanguard Elders when they were all just students. It started as a political rivalry. But as time went on, that conflict grew into pure hatred."
Estella narrowed her eyes. "The Elders banished him to the outer ring."
"Exactly," Draven nodded.
"They isolated him to keep him away from the seat of power. But it goes much deeper than petty jealousy. The Cult of the Eternal Eclipse is also involved. They thrive on human division, and they have been whispering in the ears of the Capital’s nobility for years, widening the gap between Bastion One and Bastion Seven."
Draven paced slowly in front of them.
"What you did today was not just win a tournament. You shattered the Capital’s illusion of superiority. The Elders will not accept this humiliation. They are going to cut our funding. They are going to retaliate. The Human Civil War is coming."
Lucien’s elegant face grew pale.
"A civil war? Against the High Council?"
Draven stopped pacing. He swiped his hand over his spatial ring again.
FLASH. FLASH. FLASH.
A pile of glowing, high-tier artifacts materialized on the stone table behind him. There was a glowing Glacial Core for Reina, a shimmering Gale-String for Natalie’s bow, and a heavy, metallic Titan Bone-Marrow pill for Bram.
"Which is why I need all of you to be stronger," Draven declared, gesturing to the items.
"Take them. Evolve your weapons. Fortify your bodies."
Reina hesitated, looking at the incredibly rare ice core.
"But Captain... we did not win the bet. You set the record."
"I knew I was going to win," Draven said bluntly.
"That was never the point. The point of today was to make a statement against the Council Elders. A fire only needs a small spark to light up."
Nyx stepped out of the shadows, her eyes wide with sudden realization.
"A spark? Did you intentionally make the spark, Captain?"
Draven’s lips curled into a terrifying, knowing smile.
"Yes," Draven admitted.
"As I told you, we need to be ready for the upcoming Apocalypse. We cannot have enemies among us when the real war begins. The rot in the Capital needs to be exposed and purged. I simply forced their hand."
The squad stared at Draven in absolute silence.
Their Captain had single-handedly manipulated the global political landscape to force the corrupt leaders of humanity out of hiding.
He was playing a game of chess while the rest of the world was playing checkers.
Slowly, the heavy, suffocating tension in the air began to break.
Cole Rust let out a loud, echoing laugh. The burly blacksmith walked over to the table and picked up a glowing bundle of rare forging metals Draven had left for him.
"Well," Cole grinned, turning to the team.
"If we are going to start a global rebellion and fight the gods, we might as well do it with full stomachs!"
Lyra clapped her hands together brightly. "I will get the food! Aegon, start the fire pit!"
"Once again! I am not a lighter!" Aegon said as he did what he was told to do.
The dark, serious vibe vanished instantly, replaced by a warm, overflowing wave of pure happiness.
POP!
Lucien uncorked a bottle of sparkling cider, the foam bubbling over his silver cuffs. Bram laughed, easily carrying three massive wooden benches over to the fire pit with a single arm.
Estella and Natalie began stringing up glowing fairy lights using Stardust magic, illuminating the courtyard in a beautiful, warm glow.
Draven stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching his team.
CLINK.
Aegon walked up and tapped his glass against Draven’s cup. The Red Lion was grinning from ear to ear, the A-Rank Skill Book tucked safely under his arm.
"To the World Tour, Captain," Aegon toasted warmly.
"To the World Tour," Draven replied, taking a sip.
Music echoed from Lyra’s tablet. The squad danced, laughed, and ate under the starry night sky. It was a rare, beautiful moment of untainted joy. They were young, they were powerful, and they were together.
And that is why Draven had spent about a hundred thousand of his System Points to buy them these items.
For tonight, they were just students celebrating a hard-earned victory. Tomorrow, they would be getting ready to board the Armored Train and face the wrath of the world.