As Erik opened his eyes, he saw a white ceiling again.
"Why are all our meetings like these?" a voice from the side said.
Erik turned to look who it was, and once he did, he saw Benjamin.
"Uncle Ben..." Erik was slightly confused. Waking up and being somewhere entirely different from where you last were was not easy to process.
"It looks like you got beaten up, eh?" Benjamin said.
The young man turned to look at his surroundings and immediately understood he was inside the infirmary.
"So it seems..." Erik said. "Did you see the match?" he asked.
"I did, but you didn't see me," Benjamin replied.
Erik didn't reply, but clearly, Benjamin understood the young man's mood.
"There is no shame in losing Erik. Sometimes it is just what we need to progress further," Benjamin said.
"So... I lost..."
"You did. You did well, though..."
"It was pathetic. I couldn't do anything. He was simply too strong," Erik said.
"That's precisely why I'm telling you did well. I doubt anyone else in your situation would have been able to get the same result you did."
"What result? I did lose..." Erik said.
"Indeed, but you were able to at least hit him once... Besides, that move was dangerous but well thought out. Just don't do it again once you are in the military."
Erik then looked at his surroundings; Amber, Gwen, and Floyd were not in the room. He felt slightly angry but didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"Where are my friends?" He asked.
"They were here until fifteen minutes ago. They went to the ring as soon as the other match ended, and the pretty girl, Amber said her name was, began her fight 6 or 7 minutes ago. You should go see the match." Benjamin said.
"What about you?"
"I came to see yours, but since it had already ended, there is no more reason for me to stay."
"All right. We should hang out sometimes..." Erik said.
"We will. As soon as I can, I will contact you."
"Ok..."
"Stay strong, Erik," Benjamin said.
"Yes, uncle Ben. You too."
Benjamin then left the room while Erik remained for five more minutes on the bed.
However, the fight between Amber and Aaron could be heard from his room, and the young man decided it was better to see how his friend was doing.
He had no doubts that she was going to win. However, Aaron was not an easy fight. He could create a slimy corrosive substance, which he had many problems using correctly as a weapon.
However, he recently learned how to eject with great force the slime, basically using it as a projectile. Aaron's power was dangerous, the slime's corrosive properties were much more potent than Amber's gas, but the power was not as easy to use as hers.
Erik quickly left the room and headed out of the building, passing in front of the principal's office, who watched him run through the corridors. The young man didn't notice, but the principal had a massive smile on his face. After all, Erik could qualify to join the Red Palace, which was precisely the principal's goal.
The awakener soon arrived at the ring, where he found Amber releasing her poisonous mist. Aaron was doing his best to avoid the gas while simultaneously shooting slime projectiles from his pores, clearly aiming at Amber.
The young woman evaded each and every attack, but Aaron was relentless. However, the young man was slowly losing the space to fight as the fog was dangerously getting close to him.
"SHIT..." Aaron said. He had to find a solution to his predicament. The problem was that, contrary to Brittney, the young man couldn't dissipate the fog, which quickly spread inside the ring.
Aaron kept shooting slime at Amber, who effortlessly avoided it by jumping left and right. She looked like a butterfly dancing in the air.
This was bad news for Aaron. If the fog kept getting closer to him, he would lose the match. Judging by the speed at which the poisonous gas traveled, only a couple of minutes remained until the whole ring was covered by the miasma.
"Surrender, Aaron. I don't want to inflict you unnecessary pain!" Amber shouted.
However, Aaron kept shooting, and Amber evaded. After two minutes really passed, the fog enveloped the whole ring and the young man with it.
"That's it..." Aaron said. His skin was burning hot.
"I SURRENDER!" the young man said, his skin sizzling under the toxic fumes.
"YOU HEARD HIM, RIGHT? CONGRATULATIONS, AMBER, YOU WON!" the announcer said.
Amber smiled happily. "Thank you very much, sir," and she quickly called the fog back.
She turned around to look at the audience and saw Gwen and Floyd near the ring while Erik was slightly behind.
Both contestants quickly went down the ring and joined her friends.
Aaron reached Mikey and Anderson.
"You fought well, Aaron," Mikey said.
"Thank you, bro, appreciate it..."
Amber, instead, went quickly to Gwen, and the two embraced. "Congratulations!" The tall woman said.
"Thank you, Gwen!"
"You kicked his ass, Amber!" Floyd chimed in. Then Erik arrived where the others were. "Congratulations, Amber..."
As Erik approached the three, he was quickly noticed by Amber.
"Erik, you are awake!" the young woman replied.
"Yes..."
Erik didn't want to ruin the atmosphere. It was true that he lost against Nathaniel, but Amber did win, and it would be selfish for him to talk about his loss.
However, the three noticed Erik's sour mood and tried to lighten the atmosphere.
"We should celebrate; we all managed to win the spot to join the Red Palace!" Amber said.
"I'm sorry guys, I can't. I need to go to work..."
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom "Oh... c'mon!" Gwen replied.
"No, really, I have to go…"
Amber tried to convince him to stay. It was indeed true that he lost against Nathaniel, but he still qualified to join the Red Palace, and he should have been at least happy about it. Yet, he didn't listen.
"All right, then," Amber said. Shushing Gwen, who was going to complain again.
"We will see each other at home, all right? I will wait for you..." she added.
"Yes... I won't be late."
Erik then left the school while the three friends decided to take something fresh to drink.
"Why is he so moody? Didn't we tell him he was going to lose? You shouldn't feel bad for things you can't control…" Gwen said.
"Maybe he really did believe he could do it..." Floyd said, leaving Amber and Gwen surprised by his comment.
The truth was that Floyd could understand Erik. He did lose against Nathaniel, and since he was also eliminated by Anderson, what went through Erik's mind was easy to guess.
Erik, instead, was enraged. He knew he would have been able to beat Nathaniel if he could have used his other powers or if he had higher stats. He was ashamed that he hadn't gotten a better result despite having the opportunity to prove he was strong in front of so many people.
Erik was unhealthily obsessed with other people's opinions as if that would define him.
The young man later arrived at the train station, where he took the train to bring him to the breach and where he could farm Thaids to increase his strength.
Erik swore that would be the last time he lost against someone, but to really do that. He needed to get more brain crystal powers, increase his stats, and gain battle knowledge.
After a short while, the train arrived at his destination, the northern district. Erik started walking through the unpaved road, and after fifteen minutes, he arrived in front of the wheat field that was hiding the breach. Today he would take his time hunting Thaids.
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