CHAPTER 41: THE LUCKY NUMBER 444
The ten selected students stood in front of the training ground.
Some looked excited.
Others looked nervous.
A few were already studying their potential opponents, probably calculating how many ways they could defeat them.
Vee, on the other hand, was wondering whether the Academy cafeteria was still open.
I have been standing since morning. I have watched people fight since morning. I have listened to teachers talk since morning.
At this point, I deserve compensation.
He glanced at Kai.
"Hey."
Kai didn't look at him. "What?"
"If I faint during this assessment, do you think they'll give me a day off?"
Kai finally turned.
"Why would you faint?"
Vee looked at him as though he had asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
"To get a day off, obviously."
Kai stared at him for three seconds.
"You're an idiot."
Vee smiled.
"An idiot who values his free time."
Before Kai could respond, the instructor stepped forward.
"Now that we have identified the ten outstanding students, we will determine your opponents."
A magical box appeared on a table beside him.
It was made of dark wood, with glowing runes carved into its surface.
The instructor pointed at it.
"Inside this box are numbered tokens. Each of you will pick one."
He paused to make sure everyone was listening.
"Students who draw matching numbers will fight each other."
The ten students immediately began murmuring.
"Matching numbers?"
"Then it's completely random?"
"That means I could end up fighting Kai!"
One student looked particularly pale at that possibility.
Vee glanced at him sympathetically.
Poor guy. He's already attending his own funeral.
The instructor continued.
"You will have until tomorrow morning to prepare. Your fights will take place in the main arena."
He raised one finger.
"And remember, this isn't a friendly sparring session."
The students quieted down.
"You will continue fighting until one of you loses consciousness, surrenders, or is unable to continue. The instructors will intervene when necessary."
Several students swallowed nervously.
Vee raised his hand.
The instructor sighed.
"Yes, Vee?"
"Can we surrender before the fight starts?"
"No."
"What if we surrender emotionally?"
"No."
"What if my opponent looks at me in a threatening manner and I decide that life is beautiful?"
Leon burst out laughing.
The instructor closed his eyes briefly.
"Vee."
"Yes, sir?"
"Pick your number."
"Understood."
Vee nodded solemnly.
This Academy has absolutely no respect for human rights.
The students began picking their tokens.
One by one, they approached the box, reached inside, and withdrew a small metal disc.
Leon picked first.
He examined his token.
"Twenty-seven."
Vee leaned over his shoulder.
"Congratulations."
Leon looked at him suspiciously.
"For what?"
"You're now twenty-seven times more important than you were five seconds ago."
Leon stared at him.
Then he knocked Vee on the head.
TOK!
"OW!"
Vee grabbed his head.
"VIOLENCE! IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION!"
"Stop talking nonsense."
"I'm reporting you!"
"To whom?"
Vee paused.
"...My mother."
Leon rolled his eyes.
"Go ahead."
Vee nodded.
"She'll come here, defeat you, and then feed me."
Leon stared at him.
"Why would she feed you after defeating me?"
"Because I'm her precious son."
Vee raised his chin proudly.
"Unlike some people, I have connections."
Aurelia laughed from behind them.
"You two are impossible."
"We're perfectly normal," Vee replied.
Leon nodded.
"He's the problem."
Vee looked offended.
"Et tu, Leon?"
Leon frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Vee opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...Nothing. Forget I said anything."
He turned toward the magical box.
"Time to discover my destiny."
Vee approached the table with the seriousness of a man about to make the most important decision of his life.
He looked into the box.
Dozens of metal tokens lay inside.
Some had single-digit numbers.
Others had two digits.
Vee rubbed his hands together.
"All right, Lady Luck. Your favorite customer has arrived."
Kai, standing nearby, muttered, "She's going to block you."
Vee ignored him.
He reached into the box and picked a token.
Then he turned it over.
444.
Vee froze.
He stared at the number.
Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"Oh."
He raised the token.
"FOUR FOUR FOUR!"
Several students turned toward him.
Vee held it against his chest.
"My lucky number!"
Leon immediately looked suspicious.
"Since when?"
"Since right now."
Vee nodded confidently.
"Four is a very stable number. Four legs on a table. Four wheels on a car. Four walls in a room."
He paused.
"And four opportunities for my opponent to run away before I destroy them."
Leon walked over and knocked him on the head again.
TOK!
"OW! WHY?!"
"Because you were doing well for approximately three seconds."
Vee rubbed his head.
"You people are jealous of my relationship with mathematics."
Aurelia covered her mouth, laughing.
Even Luna, who had been quietly observing the others, smiled.
Kai glanced at Vee's token.
"444 isn't particularly lucky."
Vee slowly turned toward him.
"Excuse me?"
"Your opponent might be stronger than you."
Vee nodded thoughtfully.
"True."
He raised one finger.
"But consider this."
Kai waited.
Vee smiled.
"If I win, it's because I'm strong. If I lose, it's because the number was unlucky."
Silence.
Leon stared at him.
Aurelia burst out laughing.
Kai looked away.
"You're hopeless."
Vee slipped the token into his pocket.
"Thank you. I've worked hard to achieve this level of greatness."
After everyone had picked their tokens, the instructor collected the results.
He stood before the ten students with a list in his hand.
"Tomorrow's matches will be determined by the numbers drawn."
A large magical screen appeared above the training ground.
The students watched as the numbers began appearing.
MATCH ONE: 12 vs. 12
Two students exchanged nervous glances.
MATCH TWO: 27 vs. 27
Leon looked at the screen.
His eyes widened.
"Wait. That's my number!"
Vee immediately grabbed his shoulders.
"LEON!"
Leon looked at him.
"What?"
Vee's expression became solemn.
"I want you to know something."
Leon frowned.
"What?"
"If you die tomorrow, can I have your lunch allowance?"
Leon knocked his head for the third time.
TOK!
"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME DYING!"
Vee staggered backward, clutching his head.
"THIS IS HOW GREAT WARRIORS ARE TREATED IN THEIR OWN GENERATION!"
Aurelia was laughing so hard that she had to hold Luna's shoulder for support.
The instructor cleared his throat loudly.
The laughter gradually died down.
More matchups appeared on the screen.
Finally, the instructor announced the last pairing.
"Final match: 444 versus 444."
Vee's smile widened.
He raised his token triumphantly.
"THE UNIVERSE HAS SPOKEN!"
The instructor looked at him.
"Vee, that's your number."
"Exactly, sir."
"Your opponent also drew 444."
Vee's smile froze.
Slowly, he turned toward the other selected students.
"...There's another 444?"
A boy standing at the back raised his hand.
He was tall, with dark hair and a calm expression.
He held up his own token.
444.
Vee stared at him.
The boy stared back.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Vee walked toward him and extended his hand.
"Hello, fellow victim of probability."
The boy hesitated before shaking it.
"My name is Darius."
Vee smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Darius."
He paused.
"Please be gentle with me tomorrow. I have a very promising future ahead of me."
Darius raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were the one who said you would destroy your opponent."
Vee's smile remained perfectly intact.
"That was before I discovered that my opponent was you."
Darius laughed.
"You're funny."
"Thank you. It's a survival mechanism."
The instructor dismissed the students shortly afterward.
"Return to your dormitories and prepare. Tomorrow's matches begin at eight in the morning."
He looked directly at Vee.
"And I expect everyone to arrive on time."
Vee placed a hand over his heart.
"Sir, I am deeply offended."
The instructor raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because you looked directly at me when you said that."
"Because you're usually late."
Vee lowered his hand.
"...Fair enough."
The students began leaving the training ground.
Aurelia caught up with Vee.
"So, how do you feel about your opponent?"
Vee thought for a moment.
"Darius seems like a nice guy."
"And?"
"And I hope he remains a nice guy after I defeat him."
Aurelia smiled.
"What if he defeats you?"
Vee stopped walking.
He slowly turned toward her.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"Why would you say something so horrible to me?"
She laughed.
"I'm just asking."
Vee sighed dramatically.
"First, Leon assaults me. Then Kai insults me. Now you're questioning my abilities."
He shook his head.
"This is why I have trust issues."
Aurelia smiled.
"You'll be fine, Vee."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he smiled back.
"I know."
He looked toward the training ground one last time.
Tomorrow, the ten strongest students would fight.
There would be no easy victories.
No escaping through the forest.
No mysterious creatures to distract everyone.
Just weapons, abilities, and the determination to win.
Vee slipped his hands into his pockets.
Well, Darius...
I hope you're ready.
He grinned.
Because I've already decided that losing isn't part of my schedule.
Then he remembered something.
He stopped walking.
"...Wait."
Aurelia looked back.
"What now?"
Vee stared at the sky in horror.
"I haven't eaten dinner."
Aurelia closed her eyes.
"Vee!"
"WHAT?! IT'S IMPORTANT!"
And just like that, the Apex of the Academy abandoned his thoughts of battle...
To go and secure his dinner.
Tomorrow, the real fighting would begin.