The academy despite its over tuned funding for defence managed some luxury for its inner quarters, Kade looked at the multitude of high-tech devices and facilities plastered around with curiosity, Dawn instead looking to the passing students.
They were potentially future colleagues, so having some insight as to who they were going to be was a priority. One that went straight over Kades head. They eventually found their way to their separate interview rooms.
The stern woman with glasses observed Kade as soon as he entered, with slight bags under her eyes, she was fighting back a slouch to maintain professionalism, she was definitely sleep deprived. She probably expected this time to be her own to sleep rather than to interview a sudden transfer student.
"Hello, welcome to today's interview, its just a quick session ensure that you can begin your enrolment her at the academy"
After receiving Kade's nod, she began.
"Ok then, first of we will just review the information that was handed over to us just recently…Name-Kade, Relatives-none…" She glared a short sombre look at Kade before continuing. "Age-18, place of birth-outskirts, Jorman district…"
She went through the list of random details that had been assigned to him, see scrolled down further and further. Eventually Her eyes widened, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Kade leaned back slightly.
'She must've reached the criminal activities.'
The interviewer sat there stunned for a second, glancing rapidly at the screen and him. Eventually she gulped before asking
"Its stated here you have a true name? Heart of Chaos, is that correct!"
'They must of not put my record on that version, understandable, It might of cased some trouble'. This was a school after all, being labelled as a criminal might of not helped his education, no matter how short of a time.
"Yes, it is" He answered simply, spinning the [Ring of the Ravaged] on the tip of his pointer.
The interviewer furiously typed the information down with the clacker of her old-style mechanical keyboard, her once exhausted body language shifted merely in seconds, as if she jabbed a stimulant while he wasn't looking.
Maybe she did, work hours can be tough sometimes.
"Ok then. Could you tell me about yourself, like example your attributes, aspect and ability?"
Kade stopped fiddling at the question, and leant forward intently, he expected some more banter and veil under their brazen attempt to nab at his capabilities. It was a perfect way to get snobby sleepers to brag about how strong and special they were.
While in reality it helped them categorize and keep you in check if they ever needed too.
'I don't need to humour it, but I could just say some half-truths. Hopefully that stamps there curiosity later'
Plus, a tiny part of Kade wanted to share his uniqueness, with someone so eager to listen.
"Ok, my I got three attributes, one makes me stronger at times, one makes my skin tougher, and the other weighs me down"
Kade briskly summarised. Half-truths of what [Vigilance], [Scarred] and [Anchored] offered, especially Anchored.
A shining smile emerged from the interviewer as she wrote down the information.
'Why is she so happy?'
"As for my aspect, I don't get tired" Kade answered, a subtle grin on his face as he placed into the façade of a snarky sleeper. Well, an exaggeration of what he felt at the moment.
"Uh, could you potentially expand on that"
"Well, I have like a internal battery, so when I get tired, I use energy from that, and then I'm not tired anymore. It's like when you did an all nighter. Unlike you I could ignore it, for maybe a month or two"
She tinged slightly red in embarrassment, before shaking it off.
"Ahem, another thing I wanted to ask is do you need help with your flaw? I know its normally more private information but we on our part can do our best to mitigate consequences and ensure that it cannot affect your life too harshly"
The room went quiet when her words rung out, Kade given the quick silent time to process the shameless ask for his weakness. 'It makes sense now, getting an abundance of information on a true named sleeper would be great for her and her boss. She's looking for a raise.'
"Well, I'll tell you my flaw then…"
He waited until she leaned in closer.
Kade spoke, with depth to his tone, and a dead serious face.
"…I get the sudden urge to punch someone in the face. Really hard. Like, 'you'll be drinking soup through a straw for the next month' kind of hard."" It was partially true, [Battle Lust] would make him hungry for violence if he had been avoiding his usual brawls, but a bastardised version that made Kade chuckle.
The interviewers intrigue halted, confusion filling there expression.
Kade watched them quickly glance the laptop, after a few seconds, the interview accepted it and asked.
"Heart of Chaos, thanks for sharing, but how can we aid in your wellbeing with this flaw in mind...
Kade blinked in surprise.
'No shit she actually believes me..."
"Well," he said, straightening slightly. "I'd hate to succumb to the urge and sucker-punch a fellow student. Maybe… you could assign someone I can 'vent' this flaw on. Once a day. Just to keep the rest of the class safe."
He gave a small, sincere nod.
'For safety.'
She stared at him for a distant moment, before typing furiously.
Kade sat back, amused.
Academy life was going to be interesting.
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Shortly after the interview was finished. Kade only needed to assign what classes he wanted to take in his about three week stay, and only one of them caught his instruct.
Combat class.
Bag slung over his shoulder, Kade strolled through the campus with the biggest smile he could muster. The day was shaping up to be a good one—first, messing with the interviewer; now, walking into a class where fighting was mandatory.
'Bet I'll get full marks', Kade thought, grinning to himself.
The smile, however, had an unintended effect.
Legacy students shuffled away from him. The less distinguished ones dropped their gazes and stepped aside. Despite his best efforts to be friendly, his expression only seemed to put people on edge.
Whether it was Kade's fault for messing up his body language or the battle scars he'd picked up unfairly, it didn't really matter.
He looked like a trouble.
Kade was getting closer and closer to entering the combat class, he had been lucky to end his interview short enough to join the lesson, still he couldn't wonder what was taking Dawns interview so long.
'Hopefully we have a class together, she just has to pick combat'
It was the only one Kade had.
Eventually Kade arrived at the class, a pristine dojo, he slowly strided to the forming group of students who awaited there instructor, Kade followed there eyes to the bear of a man. An awakened who had an athletic beard and long bushy beard.
On his burly chest, Kade could see a little nametag 'Awakened Rock'
'Who in the right mind names there kid Rock' Kade pondered. His own name he had taken from a movie he had snuck to watch when he was young, off of the main character of the film. Not the best one when he thought back to it, but a one that was uniquely his.
but rock? was the plan b boulder? if that was the case plan c must of been stone, then pebble, then silex. The last one wasn't horrible, maybe they should of gone with plan E.
He spoke loudly about how it was the classes third session and that they had learned the basics of how to confront being outnumbered. Kade mostly glossed over his speech mentally until awakened 'boulder' called out to him.
"We have also received another student in this class, Kade here has recently came from his nightmare and to the academy a bit later then you all. It's a pleasure to have him, especially for myself to teach two of the three sleepers in history to receive their true name in the first nightmare!
The classes muddled attention shifted sharpy, Kade felt stares pierce into him like daggers. The pressure crashed into him, and Kade stood unphased.
It wasn't unusual to have a mass of people stare at him, but it was normally either hatred or fear.
Suprise was something new.
"Dam really!?"
"The gangster looking guy has a true name?"
"Impossible!"
"Same as Changing Star!"
Kade heard the crowds muttering, the last words from an peeking his interest. 'Oh right the immortal flame girl is here...' He had been assigned a sort of bodyguard role, so he ought to say hi or something similar.
Glancing through the crowd of people to the most 'Legacy' looking one. Kade spotted the sleek silver hair and radiant figure elegant confidence emanating from her like rays of sunshine, she stared at him silently, measuring up her peer.
As soon a there eyes met Kade felt a boiling surge of energy fill his body, his will sharpened along with his teeth and nails.
The primordial strength now coursing through him was new to him. But thinking back to his runes, [Unyelding Asura] was the most likely cause.
That means—'She has divinity!'
Kades boryguarding job just became alot more interesting. Not to mention it making a hell of a lot more sense why song wanted to kill her.
His eyes burned with brilliance as he eyed up the immortal flame.
The crowd continued to whisper amongst each other but awakended rock silenced them with a gesture.
"To start the class I was thinking that Heart of chaos could have his first spar with a classmate as introduction, anyone you have in mind to start Kade?"
Kade still stuck in his fiery staring match with Nephis grinned in response, like wolfish glee.
"Yes I do, up for a tussle Nephis?"
The legacy girl confirmed with a reserved nod, the crowds mumbling sparkling up again. Separating or make peace for the combatants
Awakened rock have a hearty smile before delclaring.
"Ok, a fight between Changing Star and Heart of Chaos, first to make there opponent leave the arena or have the back touch the floor wins!—Lets begin in.
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"Go!"s