Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Yara and Umar laughed. Just then, a commotion erupted nearby.

“Are you guys crazy? Why are you picking on him? He just cheated and won! If I’d known his cards beforehand, I wouldn’t have lost to him. Leave me out of this!”

Sergio, Terrence, and Raymond looked on helplessly as Vaughn shouted.

Terrence, fully recovered, grinned. “Vaughn, don’t be so stingy. Worst case, you can win it back later.”

Raymond added, “Yeah, don’t sweat it—it’s not that bad.”

Nearby members of the War Academy tried to console Vaughn, but he was visibly angry, glaring at Axel with hatred.

“You say it’s not that bad, but that’s because you never even had a chance to win first place in the first place.”

Raymond opened his mouth, then fell silent. His family wasn’t as influential as Vaughn’s, and after so much taunting, he didn’t want to argue further.

Sergio frowned at Vaughn. “Battle is a contest of both strength and mind. If you can’t afford to lose, then don’t compete.”

Vaughn seethed but didn’t dare confront Sergio directly. He snorted. “I don’t get it. If he has all these strategies, why not use them to deal with the mutants properly? Instead of targeting other War Academy students?”

Sergio shook his head in disappointment and strode toward Axel. Terrence whistled and swaggered along beside him, unconcerned.

“You guys…” Vaughn fumed, expecting at least a nod of acknowledgment. But they ignored him entirely, heading straight for Axel.

He clenched his fists, eyelids twitching. “You bastard! You stole my rock spinal cord… a civilian—what right do you have?”

Sergio and the others had reached Axel, and Terrence was the first to slap him on the shoulder.

“Dude, that’s incredible! I didn’t even know you existed! You’re a real talent. We’ll have to fight again later.”

Axel, knowing these men were all scions of prominent families at the War Academy, smiled warmly. “Sure. But could you maybe take your hand off first?”

Terrence was strong, and Axel hadn’t fully recovered—the slap hurt.

“Haha, sorry! Not trying to get revenge.”

Sergio glanced at Terrence with a hint of disdain, as if blaming him for lowering their collective IQ. Then he extended his fair, jade-white hand toward Axel.

“Axel, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to spar. We don’t usually meet like this. Once we’re out, let’s find some time to sit down tomorrow.”

Axel sighed inwardly. Finally, he had encountered a man whose looks could rival Millers’.

He didn’t know why these prominent students were suddenly so interested in him, but their goodwill was clear. He nodded without pretense. “No problem. I also have a few questions.”

When it came to training, Axel either consulted Obsidian’s teammates or purchased combat techniques and items from the Whisper Syndicate. Beyond that, he was self-taught.

These aristocratic children, however, had been trained from birth, and Axel did have questions: What were the main areas of focus for Level 5 Awakeners? What exactly did the woman mean by “triathlon”?

“All right, we’re almost done here. We won’t bother you anymore. By the way, Miss Yara, come with us tomorrow.”

Yara, not expecting the invitation, nodded.

Sergio said it politely, and Raymond and Terrence gestured toward Axel before returning to their respective teams at the War Academy.

“We’re leaving soon. I wonder if the rewards will be handed out today?” Yakov and Richard muttered quietly, having completely shed their champion pride.

At that moment, Yakov noticed Axel’s gaze drifting repeatedly toward the woman who had tended to him. He smiled.

“Axel… do you like this type? Forget it. Despite her youthful appearance, she’s actually much older than you. That’s Clarissa—Vice President of Krythos Biomedical Research Institute. You don’t stand a chance.”

Axel’s pupils constricted sharply. Instead of looking away, he stared even harder.

She was Clarissa?! Slowly, pieces of information began coalescing in his mind. Yakov, noticing Axel’s unusual reaction, nudged his shoulder.

“Dude… love at first sight? You’re actually in love!”

Axel quickly averted his gaze. “I’m just… impressed she’s managed to stay so well.” His expression remained calm, though a faint blush betrayed his embarrassment. No one could guess the storm of emotion inside him.

“Is that the same woman Millers and I saw at the airport? What was she doing in the Abyss?”

Victor had previously told Axel that, before entering the Abyss, his father had spent a long time working with a woman named Clarissa on research involving drugs and pills.

If his father eventually developed a cure for the infected, she would likely know about it—and she might even have been the one to betray him.

But these were all Axel’s speculations. He had planned to reach Level 6 first, then seek her out to learn more about his father. Until now, he had no intention of contacting her directly or using the Whisper Syndicate to investigate her, so as not to alert the enemy.

His father’s identity was a red line; anyone connected to it could be discovered by the groups behind the infected. Axel had to proceed with extreme caution.

Yet today, by some strange twist of fate, he had met her. Fortunately, she seemed completely unaware of his presence…

“For now, it’s impossible to tell if she’s friend or foe. Let’s follow Mr. Victor’s advice and focus on reaching Level 6 first.”

At this point, all the members had recovered from their injuries. Bradley reappeared in the center of the arena.

“Everyone, this academy competition has concluded successfully. I’m very pleased with your performance. I hope that after graduation—whether you join the military, business, or politics—you’ll remember the principles of the Awakened in any battle. Fight to the death as long as you can. Now, prepare to leave!”

Seeing the expressions of the students, Bradley felt a surge of satisfaction. Though the competition lasted only a few days, these student soldiers—most with little combat experience—had finally shown energy, spirit, and skill.

A flash of white light passed, and the crowd gradually faded. In the corner of the platform, Clarissa stood quietly, her gaze fixed on Axel. Slowly, her figure disappeared into the distance.

She murmured to herself, “Did you… do something behind my back?”

......

As soon as Axel’s vision cleared, a wall of thunderous cheers crashed over him.

“Bloodstone Warfare is fucking awesome!”

“We’re number one!”

Voices rose like a tidal wave, shaking the air with raw excitement.

It was Axel’s first time standing in the middle of such a storm. The roaring crowd and the countless stares from students of other academies left him feeling awkward.

Thankfully, the principals of the major war academies soon appeared, striding out with measured calm.

At the front were Tristan and William, both holding small, ornate boxes. Tristan clapped Axel on the shoulder with a grin. “Axel, you’re a big surprise!”

He gestured toward the other man. “This is William, principal of Stormwatch Academy.”

“Hello, Mr. William,” Axel said with an even nod, his voice steady but not servile.

That little display of composure made William raise his brows. Even Stormwatch students usually trembled in front of the War College’s headmaster, who ranked among the highest in the Krythos hierarchy. But this boy? He stood like he belonged there.

“The young are formidable,” William murmured, then offered him the box. “This contains the rock spinal cord. Keep it safe.”

Tristan handed a second box to Yara, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he added, “Your body might give you hell when you absorb it. Yara, once you’re back at school, find a professor to watch over you.”

He glanced back at Axel with a knowing smirk. “But you—Axel—you won’t need.”

Axel stiffened slightly. That old fox must have sensed it—his fire spirit. A seventh-level Divine Might Realm Awakener would see more than most.

“Axel, will you come back to school after?” Tristan asked.

Axel thought for a beat, then shook his head. “Probably not. The team maybe get a mission lined up.”

William’s expression tightened with something complicated. His gaze lingered on Axel before drifting to where Terrence and the others laughed together. “Then come visit Stormwatch when you can.”