章 12: Aura Control. Beast Plane.

"Ethan, what did you do now?" Miss Carmen's voice cut through the chaotic din of the gym as she sat in front of Ethan and Clara, her gaze piercing.

The gym was a mess, remnants of their earlier clash scattered about. Clara had initiated the chaos with her affinity, and Ethan, in a panic, had responded with his newly acquired skill. Now, he sat nursing bruises while everyone else gawked at him, their whispers echoing around the room.

"Miss Carmen, I was just—"

"He stole my first kiss!" Clara interrupted, her tone sharp and accusatory. Ethan was taken aback; this wasn't the calm, sweet girl he had thought he knew. This Clara was fierce and unyielding.

"I didn't mean to," he stammered, trying to defend himself.

"You did! You took advantage of my care for you!" Clara shot back, her cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"Miss Carmen, I apologized to her, but—"

"But what? We destroyed the gym, and now we'll have to pay for it!" she replied, exasperated.

"It wasn't my fault!" Ethan protested, his frustration mounting.

"Blah blah blah, my little Ethan. You started it; you end it. And by the way, you took my first kiss, so you must take responsibility," Miss Carmen decreed, her tone final.

"But… but… Miss—"

"Enough, you two! I'll handle the gym damage. Ethan, you'll write an apology letter to Clara for kissing her without permission. If you need help, I can assist you with that. And both of you will work as cleaners in the gym until you're promoted to the next class," she announced, her gaze stern.

"B... but Miss Carmen. It was all his fault!" Clara exclaimed, pouting adorably.

"No buts. That's final. Ethan, you can leave now. Clara, you stay."

Ethan got up, feeling hopeless, and met Clara's eyes. Though Miss Carmen was busy writing, he could have sworn he saw mockery dancing in Clara's gaze. His expression turned suspicious as she playfully stuck out her tongue at him. The urge to pinch her cute nose rose within him, but he hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to feel angry. Defeated, he limped out of the office.

...

"Hahaha! You really got him there! You even stole his first kiss. Good job," Miss Carmen laughed as the door closed behind Ethan.

"It… it was the only way," Clara said, her cheeks still tinged with red as she recalled the unexpected kiss and the rush of emotions it stirred within her.

"Now, let's get down to business. I have a plan to make Ethan propose to you in public—through that apology letter he'll deliver during a very important occasion," Miss Carmen said, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"When will that be?" Clara asked, intrigued.

"The day he duels Leon."

"Won't that just put a target on his back and make Leon go all out?" Clara frowned, concerned.

"Don't worry. I have my ways. Besides, Ethan isn't as simple as he looks," Miss Carmen replied mysteriously, a knowing smile creeping onto her face.

...

Ethan stepped out of the school, a crestfallen expression plastered on his face. He felt on the verge of tears. This day had been nothing short of a rollercoaster. He had faced a Zodiac, earned a duel against a Tyrant, accidentally kissed Clara, received a punishment of cleaning the gym until he moved to the next class, and now he had to write an apology letter to read in front of the entire academy on the day of his duel with Leon.

Where was Trevor? Either he had run away or was caught up with his father.

Slipping on his AirPods, Ethan turned up the music, letting the beat drown out his thoughts as he walked home, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He was oblivious to the stares that followed him—some filled with envy, others tinged with hostility.

"It's him! The guy who awakened two weeks ago," he overheard one student say.

"He's so handsome…" another chimed in.

"So what? He's not as handsome as my Prince Charming, Leon," someone scoffed.

"Meh. You can't even approach your Prince Charming. He ignores you," another girl shot back.

"Blah blah blah. So what! He's bound to lose. He just awakened."

"Yeah! It's obvious. He's gonna fight a Tyrant."

...

"Mom! I'm home!" Ethan called out as he entered the house.

"Honey boo, mom is meditating in her room, so she won't be out for a while. Go freshen up, and I'll get you something to eat," Harley said, rushing towards him with a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks, Harley," Ethan replied, forcing a smile.

"Wait! Is something wrong?" she asked, sensing his mood.

"Nah, just tired," he lied, heading upstairs to his room.

Once upstairs, he freshened up and returned to the dining hall for a quick meal. Harley was a student at Holy Saints Academy, a school focused on Healers and Light affinity magic, ranked fourth in the academy standings, while Anbord Mage Academy, where he studied, was the top-ranked institution.

After finishing his meal, Ethan kissed Harley goodnight, even though it wasn't nighttime yet, and locked himself in his room. He settled into a meditative state, which for him meant conversing with the system.

"Zark, can I use my Gift Card now?" he asked, excitement bubbling up.

[Yeah. Here you go.]

A crystal card appeared before Ethan, and a notification popped up, asking if he wanted to use it. He selected "Yes" eagerly.

The card began to spin rapidly, becoming invisible before exploding into shimmering bits.

[Gift Card Used! New Skill Gained!]

---

Skills:

^ Basic

^ Unique

^ Weapon

^ Affinity

*Unique:*

- *Aura Control (Low):* Utilize aura in various forms for attack, defense, or utility. With high affinity energy, you can wield aura in battles. The higher your rank, the greater your skill usage and versatility. At your current rank, you can use it three times a day.

---

"Damn, but that's not enough. I need to get stronger," Ethan thought, determination rising within him as he felt the exhaustion of the day catch up. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.

...

11:50 PM

[Alert! Alert! Alert!]

[Host Has 10 Minutes to Finish Quest or Be Transported to a Beast Plane for 3 Days!]

Ethan jolted awake, terror flooding his veins as he glanced at the blinking red screen. Hadn't he completed all the quests?

"Zark! What is this?!" he yelled.

[Oh, that? You still haven't completed the last quest. You have 10 minutes left, and that won't change anything.]

"But I did it! I slept a whole three hours! That doesn't count as perversion!" he protested.

[You were dreaming of girls in bikinis.]

That also counts?!

[Yep.]

"What about when I was working out?"

[You were looking at boobs and butts.]

"And what about when I was walking home?"

[That counts for 45 minutes. You still had 2 hours and 15 minutes left.]

What the heck! Wh—

[Alert! Alert! Alert!]

[One Minute Remaining!]

"What about when I got home?" he asked desperately.

[Sorry, kid. Hehehe.]

What the heck!

[3 Seconds Remaining!]

A massive black portal opened in his room, swallowing him whole just as the countdown hit zero. Ethan wanted to scream, but a numbing sensation washed over him. No matter how hard he struggled, he was drawn into the unknown realm of beasts and monsters as the portal vanished behind him.

[Countdown Initiated!]

{3 Days!}