Bab 12: Max verse Scarlett

Max wasn't aware of Scarlett's ability even though they both checked their identities at the Turnstile checkpoints at the same time. The identity results appeared on the dashboards, which were only seen by the soldiers and the student in front of it.

Max and Scarlett both made their way into the ring, and the hologram appeared. Before Max entered the ring, Sergeant Creed had given him a little speech, advising him to use his ability when the guard of his opponent is down.

Max didn't tell Sergeant Creed that he didn't have an ability because he didn't want Sergeant Creed to drop him from the challenge. This was a chance for him to gain 50 Exp because the notification never clarified that he needed to win or lose.

As the spar began, Max was waiting for Scarlett to use whatever ability she had, but instead, she just stood there waiting for him to strike. She already knew that Max wasn't given a system book yesterday, which made him a plain user according to the announcement of the hologram lady.

"What are they doing?" A student from Max's group voiced out.

"Wait! I know that guy. Isn't he the one with the orange glow yesterday?"

"Yes, and he wasn't given a system book. He's a plain user, sir," the students informed Sergeant Creed, but the challenge had already begun.

Max knew that if he charged at Scarlett, she would definitely break a bone, but if she use her ability on him, he might get hurt, but at least in that case, he won't substance a long time injury.

"I won't use my abilities, so let's make it a fair fight," Scarlett declared. That was the exact opposite of what Max wanted.

'What if she doesn't really know how to fight? What if I'm just scared for nothing?' Max encouraged himself and clenched his fist, then raised it up.

Taking one step at a time, Max walked gradually towards Scarlett Jayden. When he got close enough to strike, he threw the first punch, but Scarlett Jayden dodged it without leaving her position. Only her head moved.

"Come on! Get the girl!" Max's team cheered him on. Right in that instant, Max threw two punches at once, and unfortunately, Scarlett dodged one and held the other.

Max's heart skipped a beat upon realizing that his most feared moment had caught up with him. He tried to distract Scarlett with his other hand, but she ended up holding both of his hands. Just as Scarlett thought Max was helpless, he used his head to hit her nose. Immediately, her suit glowed orange.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry," Max apologized, knowing that Scarlett wouldn't hesitate to act anymore. But just then, a notification appeared again.

< 5 exp gained >

< 5/100 >

The message indicates that a valid strike gives 5 exp, so Max decided to keep on fighting. Scarlett let go of Max and kicked him on his knee very hard, causing his suit to glow orange as well.

< -10 Hp >

< 90/100 Hp >

'Uh...! Her single strike reduced my health points by 10?' Max muttered to himself. "I wonder how much damage my strike caused her?"

Just as Max thought about it, another notification popped up.

[Inspection in use]

< Name: Scarlett Jayden >

< 95/100 Hp >

Max forgot that he had just gained 5 exp when he hit Scarlett, which means that he can now inspection her to know about her ability and rank. Just as he decided to inspect Scarlett even more, she punched him out of the ring. Max got distracted using his Inspection ability that he let his guard down.

< -10 Hp >

< 80/100 >

As soon as Max was knocked out of the ring, Sergeant Cressida's team rejoiced, having won the indoor training hall for themselves.

Sergeant Creed quickly approached Max and helped him to his feet. "Hey, boy, are you okay? You seemed distracted in the last seconds."

Max couldn't reveal to Sergeant Creed what had really happened, so he just apologized. "I'm sorry I let our team down."

"It's fine, son. Just try not to let your guard down next time. Even though Sergeant Cressida didn't train her daughter, the same blood runs through their veins."

"Uh...! so Scarlett Jayden is Sergeant Cressida's daughter? No wonder they both have a similar demeanor," Max mused.

As Max and the others were leaving, his eyes happened to get in contact with Scarlett Jayden and she gave him a mischievous look.

Max was waiting to receive a notification. The spar had ended about ten minutes ago, and he still hadn't received his promised 50 Exp from the system.

"Hey, man! You did great in there." A voice echoed beside Max. He turned to his side and saw Finley Scott.

"Well... I don't know about that. I lost anyway, even though it was a fair fight without abilities," Max responded.

"Relax, man. I know you were holding back because of the rules, and besides, she's a lady. No one expects you to hit her anyway."

Max knew that wasn't the case, but he just had to go along with it. "I guess I was really holding back."

"My name is Finley Scott," he said, reaching out for a handshake.

Max smiled and took his hand. "Max Hernandez."

As their group headed towards the library, they encountered General Skylar Vox's group. Max spotted Finn and James among them, and for some unknown reason, all of their suits were glowing orange.

It was just as Sergeant Creed said, "if you have friends in those groups, pray that they return in one piece."

While Max was there, the message he had been waiting for arrived. And just like the system had promised, he received his experience points (exp) even though he had lost the fight.

< A daily task completed >

< +50 Exp >

< 51/100 Exp >

Max began to do the math. He received 5 exp during the spar and then 50 exp after the spar. That's a total of 55 exp, but his balance is 51 exp. Max came to a conclusion that 2 exp are being deducted for every piece of information he gets when inspection is in use.

They arrived at the library, and Sergeant Creed decided to show them around as usual. The library was filled with countless books: big and small, covering art and science. The atmosphere in the library was quiet, but it speaks volumes.

The vast library of the military school looked like a union between the past and the future, with tall wooden shelves nearly touching the ornate ceiling. Scanning systems were in place at the end of each shelf, making it easier for students to locate a particular volume by simply voicing or thinking of the title.

In the center of the library was a vast seating area. Circular tables with smooth surfaces were spread out, each table installed with a touch-responsive panel, enabling students to access digital versions or summaries of the books. Floating holographic screens could be summoned for group studies or visual presentations.

To the side, in a particularly grand section, books were encased in transparent glass boxes. These were rare, ancient, and extremely valuable volumes. Their pages might contain lost spells, history untouched by time, or knowledge too dangerous for unrestricted access. Above each glass box was a dashboard. The dashboards, glowing faintly, displayed information about the book within its origin, its importance, and also the clearance level required to access it. Some books had red indicators, signaling they were off-limits to all but a few in the school.

While Max was looking around, he spotted a particular book with a similar cover that caught his interest. He walked closer and realized that the book had the same cover as his system book. What marveled him most were the words on the cover.

"The Thousand Pages of Death?" Max read inwardly so his system book wouldn't appear.