Starfall Academy, Disciplinary Committee Office.
It was still the same cold, sterile room. Only this time, there were several more people inside, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a Shiv.
Jett, who had rushed back from the infirmary with his jaw freshly healed, pushed open the door. His eyebrows quickly arched slightly as he surveyed the room. Besides Instructor Vex, there were two other individuals familiar, yet he wished he didn't know them.
"Cadet Jett is back." Instructor Vex smiled thinly and stood up. Jett nodded, his expression twitching with suppressed rage as he glanced at the other two people present.
One was a greasy-looking student from the Merchant Guild named Ren. The other was a D-Class student with a bandaged face, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. It was this student who spoke up as Jett sat down, his tone trembling.
"Senior Jett, I am truly sorry. Regarding the intel last time, I, Timmy, representing the Underground Info Network, apologize to you. I've brought your refund. Furthermore, if you wouldn't mind, the Network is prepared to offer Senior Jett a second, complimentary dossier on Sunny's weaknesses."
Jett frowned slightly and looked towards Instructor Vex.
The Instructor his secret backer hurriedly waved her hand. "This wasn't my idea. Ren heard about your loss and called Timmy over. Knowing you'd be here to file a complaint, he rushed him over."
Ren also smiled, his gold tooth glinting. "Jett, my friend, this one's on me. Last time, Timmy didn't know Sunny had awakened a Unique Beast. It's understandable that he made an oversight! But rest assured, this time I'll personally guarantee the intel. There definitely won't be any problems, if..."
Cutting off the greasy merchant with an impatient glare, Jett turned to Vex. "The matter I asked you about regarding the Prince, is there any news?"
Ren looked embarrassed but said no more, fiddling with his abacus.
Instructor Vex coughed lightly. "Correct. Prince Valerian is personally observing the situation. He... was not pleased with your performance."
Jett's eyebrows knitted together, but he didn't answer Vex.
Not pleased? The Prince was influential not just in the Academy, but throughout the entire Kingdom. A personage of such status... if he decided Jett was useless, Jett's career was over before it began.
Though Jett often seemed arrogant, the fear of the Royals was ingrained in his bones. However, with Ren and Timmy present, it wasn't appropriate for him to show weakness.
Frowning, he looked at Timmy, who was still wearing that terrified expression, and said impatiently, "Keep your money. It was clearly stated in the deal we made, and I'm not short of that amount. As for continuing to use your trash intel? Let's forget it. I've decided to handle Sunny myself, so there's no need for you to trouble yourselves."
Ren quickly interjected with a laugh, "Jett, are you referring to the rumor about Sunny hunting a Frost-Bite Turtle? Your lackeys mentioned it to us. Indeed, that turtle is a Tier 3 beast and lives in the deep zone. However, over decades, only a few successful hunts have happened solo, and those were by S-Class graduates. Sunny has never even been to the deep zone. Jett, don't let some rumors deceive you! He's probably hiding in his dorm."
Jett first glared at Vex, then looked at the beaming Ren and frowned slightly. "Do I look like someone who is easily fooled?"
Ren's smile froze, his expression turning awkward again.
Vex then chimed in, "Jett, how can you speak to Ren like that? Isn't the Merchant Guild just looking out for you?"
Looking out for me? Ultimately, it's all because they want to suck up to the Prince through me.
Thinking of this, Jett felt a wave of revulsion. Dealing with these merchants and corrupt instructors, who treated Academy politics purely as a business transaction, was truly tedious.
If he could, Jett found himself actually missing the simple brutality of the arena. At least, Sunny seemed to genuinely enjoy the violence.
Besides, how could he not know if he was being deceived? Not to mention, seeing the massive hole Sunny punched in his Tiger was evidence enough; he estimated that the kid must have spent a fortune on enhancements. The fight was clear: Sunny was stronger. What could false intel change about that?
It was this Ren before him, actually. If he hadn't sold Jett that faulty 'Wind-Booster' potion before the match, Jett might have actually dodged that grab.
However, he didn't feel the need to explain anything to them. After all, the rematch hadn't happened yet, and he hadn't redeemed himself, so he naturally had no concrete proof to offer.
But his silence seemed to embolden the two men. Timmy quickly added, "Yes, Senior Jett, I've looked into it as well. Sunny was seen buying ice-fishing gear. A B-Rank kid with a bug and a fire doll... what could he possibly do against a Frost-Bite Turtle? He probably doesn't even understand the basics of elemental suppression. He'll be frozen solid before he gets close."
Jett's brow furrowed again. "I also underestimated him once, Timmy. You seem to be forgetting who put me in the infirmary."
Timmy's face was a mask of panic. "How could Senior Jett be compared to ordinary people? You're an A-Rank talent and the Prince's chosen..."
"Exactly, Jett," Ren interjected. "If anyone can solo a Frost-Bite Turtle at Level 12, then, setting other considerations aside, if they have more than a thirty percent chance of success, I will personally eat my abacus. If it's over fifty percent, I'll refund every student in this Academy. And if he actually fuses it... then believe me, he'll definitely be a prime candidate to win the whole tournament..."
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first. As for the matter regarding the Prince, tell me when he summons me."
Signaling Vex, Jett decisively cut off the others and stood up impatiently. However, at that very moment, a clear chime sounded. It wasn't a call, but a global notification on his datapad. Few people had access to the Academy's achievement broadcast system, so any message popping up there was undoubtedly significant. Yet, as Jett pulled out his datapad, he froze, a flicker of absolute horror on his face.
"What's wrong, Jett?"
Seeing her student suddenly stop, Instructor Vex felt a twinge of anxiety. Jett excelled in combat, but his mental fortitude was shaky.
But in response to Vex's question, Jett's expression became incredibly complex and peculiar. He glanced at Ren the Merchant and Timmy the Informant who was supposedly an expert on student activities then said, somewhat incredulously, "The Global Achievement System... it just updated. It says Sunny has cleared the 'Glacial Lake' Dungeon solo. Time taken: 15 minutes."
As soon as he spoke, silence fell upon the entire office.
"That's impossible!" Ren shrieked, dropping his abacus.
Meanwhile, at the Glacial Lake.
The air was so cold it hurt to breathe. Mist hung over the black water, obscuring the chunks of ice floating lazily on the surface.
Sunny stood on a floating iceberg, shivering in his new, thicker coat. His breath came out in white puffs.
"Fifteen minutes," Sunny muttered, looking at the notification. "A new record. Nice."
He looked down at his feet. Or rather, at what lay at his feet.
The massive shell of a Frost-Bite Turtle lay cracked open. It was the size of a small house, its blue scales shimmering with lingering ice mana.
"Gah!" Nova chirped weakly from inside Sunny's jacket. The poor Molten Sprite was almost extinguished by the cold environment, his light dim.
"It's okay, buddy," Sunny patted the lump in his jacket. "We got the goods."
Next to the turtle corpse hovered the Hellfire Siege-Stag. But it looked different. The intense heat it usually radiated was gone. Its magma veins were dull, almost grey. It was in 'Cool-Down Mode', barely functional after unleashing a full barrage to crack the turtle's shell.
"One shot," Sunny grinned, recalling the battle. "It took one fully charged [Magma Railgun] to the face. Physics wins again. Superheated magma meets supercooled ice equals boom."
He knelt down and placed his hand on the turtle's exposed core. It was a jagged, icy blue crystal, pulsating with cold energy.
[Item Detected: Frost-Bite Turtle Core (Rare)]
[Attribute: Ice / Defense]
[Compatibility with Chimera Core: Stabilizer.]
"This is it," Sunny whispered. "The coolant.."
If he fused this into the Siege-Stag, he could create a balanced system. Fire for offense, Ice for regulation. No more overheating. No more shutdowns.
"System," Sunny commanded, his voice echoing over the silent lake. "Initiate Fusion Level 4. Target: Hellfire Siege-Stag + Frost-Bite Core."
[Analyzing...]
[Success Rate: 60%.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
"Sixty percent?" Sunny laughed, a manic sound in the quiet frozen wasteland. "I like those odds. Do it."
He shoved the Ice Core directly into the Siege-Stag's chest cavity, right where the magma heart beat. Steam exploded outward. The beast shrieked, a sound of metal twisting and elements warring.
"Hold it together!" Sunny yelled, pouring his own mana into the link. "Don't you dare explode on me now! We have a Prince to beat!"
The red light of the magma and the blue light of the ice fought for dominance. They swirled, mixed, and then...
A purple light emerged.
[Ding!]
[Fusion Successful!]
[New Variant Created: Thermal-Shock Siege-Stag.]
Sunny slumped onto the ice, exhausted but grinning like a madman.
He looked at his datapad, where Jett's name was flashing on the tournament bracket.
"Jett thinks I'm B-Rank trash," Sunny chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment. "Just wait until he sees what I bring to the semi-finals."
He stood up, recalling his monster.
"Time to go back. I have a feeling Ren owes me some money."