Chapitre 19: PHOENIX ACADEMY
A sleek, familiar-looking hover car swiftly glided to a halt, occupying a vast parking lot. Simultaneously, two figures emerged from both sides of the car's doors: Stare and Just A Guy.
Just A Guy wore a subtle smile as his gaze drifted toward the complex and meticulously organized structures not far from their position. "Welcome to Phoenix Academy, kid," he murmured, his expression seemingly entranced.
Stare, too, fixed his attention on the various buildings and structures, two words immediately springing to mind: 'Vast' and 'Huge.'
Considering New Earth's dire circumstances, where 70% of the planet's land had succumbed to the devastating Great Greenhouse Effect a century ago, it was a quite rare sight, seeing a land space this large being used by a single Organization, especially when the Organization using this amount of land was not completely government affiliated.
"As expected of the world's finest Hero Academy," Stare thought silently.
Just A Guy quickly snapped out of his reverie, producing a black wristwatch from his pocket and tossing it to Stare.
"I've already handled your enrollment in advance; all you need to do is find your dorm, rest up, and prepare for your classes starting tomorrow. That wristwatch contains all your data and identifies you as a student of the academy. Put it on quickly."
Stare examined the black wristwatch in his hand. At first glance, it appeared no different from an ordinary watch – a small black display screen with flexible metallic straps. The only distinctive feature was the logo of a mythical bird engulfed in flames, clutching a sword and shield with its talons, displayed on the watch's screen, most likely the Phoenix Academy emblem.
Finding nothing overtly unusual about the watch, Stare glanced back at Just A Guy, who wore an encouraging smile, and proceeded to don the watch on his left wrist.
Instantly, he felt something prick his skin beneath the watch, causing a momentary wince, followed by an electric-like surge of energy coursing through his body, originating from the watch and returning to it.
[Bonding Process Complete...]
[Hello User Stare Richardson Johnson, Student Code: Da1453]
[I'm Paraclete, and I'll serve as your artificial consultant and guide during your time at the Prestigious Phoenix Hero Academy]
Stare, initially stunned by the reaction from merely wearing the wristwatch, was now in complete shock upon hearing a sudden voice inside his head.
He stared at the wristwatch's screen, still displaying the academy's logo, and then at Just A Guy, who appeared quite pleased with himself.
"Paraclete, one of Phoenix Academy's most technologically advanced artificial accessories," he declared proudly.
"Ah, right? It should also be able to guide you to your dorm. As much as I'd love to accompany you myself, I suspect the Rector might find, incapacitate, and roast me on a stake at any moment."
Stare gazed at the wristwatch on his wrist for a moment and then back at the man before him. "How do I activate its assistance then?" he inquired.
Just A Guy pondered for a moment, stroking his chin thoughtfully, then nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps try calling its name to see if it responds. It's information like this that makes attending the convocation a must for new enrollees."
Upon hearing the latter part of Just A Guy's statement, Stare felt a vein of irritation begin to pulse on his forehead. 'Is this guy intentionally testing my patience? If not for the vast difference in our powers...'
Before Stare could finish his thoughts, he felt a pat on his head.
"I suppose this is where I impart some wise parting words…"
"Well, Always remember, you may be skilled, but so are the kids in there."
With those words, he nodded in approval, visibly satisfied with his counsel, and turned to walk away.
Stare stared at the retreating figure of the man with exasperation. "This guy," he muttered under his breath, then retrieved a media player from his pocket and plugged its wired earpieces into his ears.
Apparently, Just A Guy wasn't aware of what the media player was, so he assumed it could be accepted into the Academy grounds, as long as it couldn't be used for communication or surfing the web.
Scrolling through his list of songs, he settled on a particular track: 'Angel by Little Simz,' one of his past favorites.
Nodding to the beat of the song, he glanced at the black wristwatch on his arm. "Paraclete."
...
Stare presently stood before a massive metal door marked with the number '163.' Apparently, Just A Guy's suggestion had been effective; all he needed to do was call the AI's name and request assistance.
Initially, Stare had considered knocking on the door, but as soon as he raised his hand to do so, a peculiar green light emanated from the door, scanning the watch on his wrist. After a brief scan, the door opened automatically.
Somewhat taken aback by the directness of things here, Stare entered the room and was met with two intensely scrutinizing gazes.
The room already housed two students, each seated on opposite sides, both sizing up Stare.
Although Stare felt their penetrating stares, he ignored them, focusing instead on the dormitory itself.
He had to admit that Phoenix's penchant for opulence was commendable. The room appeared to be five times the size of his room back home, and even from a distance, he could discern the high-quality furnishings.
These two factors alone confirmed Stare's assessment of the room.
"So, you must be our third roommate," the young man on the left said, sporting a friendly smile.
Stare removed the earpieces from his ears upon hearing one of them speak. He turned his attention to the friendly-looking young man on the left and mentally noted his features.
"Caramel skin, short black hair, deep blue eyes, likely sixteen or so, moderately tall, and gives off a friendly vibe."
"Yeah, I'm Stare," he responded after completing his mental assessment.
"Stare, nice name... I'm Joel, and the guy seated on the other side is Bobby," Joel replied, maintaining his warm smile.
Bobby, who had been silently observing Stare from his seat, suddenly leaned forward, fixing an intense gaze on Stare's face.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone