Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Preparation (2)

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Inside his luxurious penthouse atop Phoenix Spire, Alex Dragonheart lounged on his couch, a plate of steaming food untouched on the table in front of him. The city lights of Zenith twinkled outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but his expression remained blank—distant.

He slowly exhaled and muttered aloud to no one visible, ’Hey, System… have you ever seen a body that basically can’t be killed?’

[What do you mean by that, Host?]

The system’s voice chimed in, curious but cautious.

Alex leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, tone grim.

’I mean a body that could be sliced in half, torn to pieces, burned to ash… and still regenerate itself like nothing happened. I’m talking about limbs regrowing in seconds, organs stitching back together, wounds closing up as soon as they appear.’

He rubbed the side of his temple, sighing.

’All of that… comes from his Phoenix bloodline.’

[Wait… that kind of regeneration? That’s not a healing trait. That’s literal resurrection.]

Alex nodded, eyes narrowing.

’Exactly. His physique is a cheat code—the worst kind.’

[There must be some weakness, right? Otherwise, he’s just… immortal.]

Alex tapped his fingers slowly on the table and nodded again, though reluctantly.

’There are weaknesses,’ he admitted. ’The regeneration needs a power source—any type of energy will do. Mana, divine energy… even stamina.’

’So unless I drain every ounce of his reserves and turn him into a raisin, I’m screwed.’

’And to kill him completely,’ Alex continued, ’you have to annihilate every last atom. Not even a strand of his hair can be left behind. If anything survives, he’ll bounce back in due time.’

[That’s… horrifying.]

Alex leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling with a distant look.

’It’s called the Physique of Eternal Rebirth.’

He paused for a moment, then added flatly, ’And it triples his growth rate.’

[Triples?!]

’Yep. He already had monstrous potential… now he’s a monster with turbo mode on.’

[…Host.]

’Yes?’

[You’re screwed.]

Alex’s mouth twitched.

’Thanks for the motivational speech, you useless floating commentary box.’

[Hey now, I’m just giving you the truth. But if you do end up clashing with him… the only option is to prolong the fight and drain his energy. That’s the only way to win.]

Alex raised a brow.

’Are you talking to me right now?’

He stood up, beginning to pace again.

’His little weakness? It’s covered by the draconic side of his bloodline.’

[Wait—draconic side?]

Alex nodded solemnly.

’Yeah. His bloodline is a fusion of two god-tier origins. Dragon God and Phoenix Goddess. Together, it forms something called the Luminarch—”Lord of Light.”’

[That sounds illegal.]

’Oh, it is. Dragons are lords of mana—so his mana capacity? Skyrocketed. His body has become absurdly strong. And now, thanks to his bloodline’s perfect harmony, he can even fuse opposing elements.’

Alex raised a hand for emphasis.

’Light and darkness, fire and water. And more are awakening as we speak. It’s just a matter of time.’

[So what you’re saying is… you can fight him all day, and he wouldn’t even sweat?]

’Exactly. And that’s before we factor in how many of his growth-type skills probably just ranked up.’

[Host.]

Alex paused.

[I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again.]

’Don’t—’

[You’re royally screwed.]

Alex screamed at the ceiling, ’STOP SAYING THAT AND GIVE ME A DAMN SOLUTION!’

[There’s only one solution.]

Alex froze mid-yell. His ears perked up.

’…Tell me. What is it?’

[Go kneel in front of him and ask for forgiveness… for defiling his sister.]

Alex’s eye twitched. A vein popped on his forehead.

’For the umpteenth time,’ he growled, ’she was the one who defiled me! And I, Alex Dragonheart, do not kneel. It’s others who kneel before me!’

[Okay, okay! Sheesh! Then you’ll just have to wait two days until the Awakening Nectar arrives.]

Alex huffed and crossed his arms.

’Yeah… looks like that’s the only way. Avoid him for two days. Awaken my bloodline and physique… then deal with this nonsense.’

He walked toward the window again, but a sudden thought struck him.

’System,’ he asked cautiously, ’didn’t you say my bloodline and physique are sealed with curses?’

[Yes, Host. I’m sure.]

Alex narrowed his eyes.

’Then tell me… what are the chances that when I awaken, I become stronger than Ethan?’

A long pause.

[To tell you the truth? I don’t know.]

[It could give you the power to change your hair color at will… or it could bless you with some absurd, overpowered traits that rival or even surpass Ethan’s. There’s no way to predict it.]

Alex sat back down and rubbed his temples again.

’You said they were sealed by higher beings, right? So it has to be something powerful.’

[Absolutely. If even higher beings had to curse you in advance… then yes, whatever your potential is—it’s not ordinary.]

Alex let out a long, deep sigh, letting his head roll back.

’Well… we’ll worry about it tomorrow.’

He stretched his arms.

“It’s time to eat… and sleep. And besides…”

He let a small smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

“…he is my friend. How bad could it be? And I should also start training more diligently tomorrow. Things are escalating, so I have to be prepared.”

Ten minutes later, he finished the delicious meal Zara had prepared, soaked in a warm, relaxing bath, and collapsed onto his oversized bed with a satisfied sigh.

The moonlight poured through the glass ceiling above, casting gentle shadows across his sleeping form.

And for now—Alex Dragonheart slept peacefully.

—

Just like that, two days passed.

In Classroom 1-A, the morning sun spilled gently across polished marble floors. Students sat at attention—or at least pretended to—as the sound of high heels echoed across the room. Selena Vega, the poised and sharp-eyed homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, stepped into the classroom.

Her eyes calmly scanned the room before she began, “Roll call.”

One by one, names were called and responded to—until she paused slightly, her voice faltering ever so subtly as she read, “Alex Dragonheart.”

Every head turned instinctively to the back of the class—the far corner by the window.

Empty.

The seat had sat vacant for two days. The breeze coming in through the window made the curtains flutter.

Selena sighed and tapped the slate. “He’s absent again.”

On the front row, several students exchanged glances. Among them were Alden, Charlotte, Ava, Seraphina, Draven, and Rein.

Charlotte crossed her arms and muttered, “He’s absent again…”

Seraphina nodded beside her, a bit of concern in her eyes. “Yeah. After Ethan’s awakening… we haven’t seen him since.”

“We even went to his apartment,” Charlotte added. “But Zara—his AI assistant—kept saying he was busy training.”

Selena continued through the list until she reached another name. “Ethan Williams?”

No reply.

She blinked, glancing up. “Ethan?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Looks like they both need punishment—”

“Present, ma’am.”

The sudden voice echoed from the door.

All heads whipped toward the classroom entrance. A silence followed, broken only by the soft sound of the doorway.

There, standing tall in the entrance, was Ethan Williams.

Golden hair like sun-kissed fire framed his face, his eyes glowing with inner resolve and divine weight. His form was wrapped in the dark and gold-trimmed uniform of Zenith Academy, fitting him like armor. His presence alone felt like a force of nature.

Even students who had met him countless times before found themselves caught in his aura. The pressure he exuded—calm, controlled, and intense—was enough to silence the classroom.

Selena Vega’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That pressure… He’s already broken through to Expert-rank? Just days ago, he was barely at Advanced (mid)… and was on the verge of breaking through to Advanced (peak).”

She felt a ripple of disbelief but kept her composure. “You’re late.”

Ethan bowed slightly. “Apologies, ma’am. I was finalizing some personal matters.”

Selena let out a breath, relaxing just a bit. “It’s your first time being late, and you’ve had… unusual circumstances. I’ll let it slide. Just don’t make it a habit.”

“Understood.”

He strode through the rows of desks like royalty entering court. Eyes followed his every step until he took his seat beside Seraphina. She gave him a look filled with a hundred unspoken questions.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

Ethan gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

For the next hour, class continued as usual. Lectures, spell theory, a bit of banter—though the tension still lingered faintly in the air. Ethan sat mostly silent, his eyes closed as if in thought, or perhaps restraint.

When Selena Vega finally exited the room, the moment the door shut behind her, Ethan stood up.

His chair scraped slightly, drawing attention. He grabbed a single sealed envelope from his desk and made his way toward the door.

Seraphina glanced up. “Where are you going? We have class next period.”

Ethan paused at the doorway, then turned his head with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Nowhere important. Just heading to the Student Council Office.”

Charlotte tilted her head. “What for?”

He turned fully, the playful glint in his eyes sharp as a blade. “Oh, nothing major. Just submitting this little application…”

He held up the envelope casually.

“…to challenge our beloved Apex for his title. And if things go well, maybe bury him during the duel.”

The room froze. Several students gasped. Some swallowed hard. The air itself seemed to shudder under the weight of his words.

Only one person was laughing madly.

Ethan.

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A/N:

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