My All Powerful System

Later in the day

The hallways were still buzzing. After the Teacher’s announcement, the entire hall felt like a pot about to boil over. Students were talking, arguing, theorizing about who would make the Top 10.

Lynx and Kira walked side by side toward the cafeteria, the noise following them like a shadow.

A few students still stared at Lynx. Whispers trailed behind him wherever he went. He was used to it by now. The stares didn’t bother him, it made him even more sure of his charm.

Kira broke the silence first, her voice softer than usual.

”Mom was so worried about you. She thought something bad had happened. She was ’this’ close to storming to the Academy Headmistress and causing trouble.” She held up two fingers, barely an inch apart.

Lynx sighed. The sound came out heavy.

He knew his lovely Aunt Isabel would be worried sick about him. And it was his fault too, for not seeing her before he left for the Forbidden Zone. Guilt tugged at the edge of his chest. Well she wouldn’t let him leave. No sane person would leave for the forbidden zone.

”I know,” he said quietly. ”I’ll visit her as soon as possible. I was just... busy. Training for the past month.”

He glanced at Kira, tilting his head. ”Hey... have you made up with your mother?”

He already knew the answer. But he wanted to hear her say it.

Kira rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched up. ”Yeah, I did. I was a fool back then, keeping grudges like that.” She exhaled and picked up her pace. ”Anyway, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Lynx smirked. ”Lead the way, then.”

---

The cafeteria smelled like warm bread, fried meat, and sugar. Blessed Students filled the long tables, but the moment Lynx stepped in, a ripple of quiet spread.

At the counter stood the attendant. A young woman, normal human. No blessing. Just a tired smile she gave to everyone.

”What are you both having?” she asked sweetly. When The Duo approached her.

”I’ll have whatever she’s having,” Lynx said quickly, not even looking at the menu.

Then he bent down, leaning close to Kira. His voice dropped to a whisper only she could hear. Warm breath brushed her ear.

”I’m pretty much broke. You’ll have to pay for me.”

Kira choked on air. She stifled a laugh behind her hand, shoulders shaking. ”Yeah, I got it covered,” she said, shaking her head. ”The overly handsome Lynx Azarion is broke. You know if your fangirls hear about this, they’ll think I’m saying something blasphemous.”

”Fangirls?” Lynx straightened up, locking eyes with her. His heterochromatic eyes one blue, one silver both with golden streaks, caught the cafeteria light. They were like magnets.

Kira’s breath hitched. For half a second she forgot how to speak. Those eyes pulled at her, dragging her in. She snapped out of it and cleared her throat, cheeks warming.

”Y-yeah,” she stammered. ”You have fans now. Mostly girls though. Juniors.” She started listing it off on her fingers, trying to sound normal. ”Most handsome guy in probably the entire Human Continent. First Blessed to have more than 3 Affinities. Started AETHER Academy and got instantly promoted to Year Two.”

Lynx listened with a faint smirk, arms crossed. When she finished, he leaned in again.

”You know... I’m starting to think you might be one of them.”

Kira’s eyes widened. Heat rushed to her face.

”S-shut up,” she hissed. ”You’re saying trash.”

Lynx laughed, low and amused, right before the attendant cleared her throat. Loud.

”Sorry to interrupt,” she said, still smiling but clearly done waiting. ”But you’re on a line. Your order please?”

She tried hard not to stare at the dreamy guy in front of her.... She Failed. She kept stealing glances at him.

---

A few minutes later.

Lynx and Kira carried their trays to an unoccupied table near the window. He’d picked the same things as Kira: vanilla flavored ice cream, sweet pastries, and a sandwich he wasn’t sure would fill him. He didn’t pay. Kira did.

They sat down and began eating. He took a bit from the sandwich and sipped some ice cream from the straw given to him. The taste hit him different.

”Ahhnn,” Lynx moaned, eyes closing in pure content.

It had been so long since he tasted something sweet. Demon meat kept him alive in the Forbidden Zone. It kept him full. But this? This was heavenly.

Kira watched him from across the table, her spoon pausing halfway to her mouth. The way his brows furrowed in satisfaction, the way he looked almost boyish for a second. He was effortlessly charming and didn’t even know it. Maybe he did.

”You seem to be enjoying your food a bit too much,” she teased, taking a sip of her drink. ”Looks like you haven’t eaten human food in a long time.”

Lynx just smiled. If only she knew how true that was.

They fell into comfortable silence after that. Occasional jokes. Occasional bickering. Lynx even stole bites off Kira’s plate.

”Can’t let all that sugar go to a beautiful lady,” he said with the lamest excuse he could think of. Kira threw a napkin at him and called him shameless.

Halfway through the meal, Lynx looked at her properly. Really looked.

”You look stronger than last time I saw you.”

Kira paused mid-sip. She scoffed, but pride flickered in her eyes.

”Yeah. Seems you’re not the only one who got an upgrade, pretty boy.”

She set her drink down. ”I’m training directly under Teacher Rose now.”

Lynx blinked. ”Teacher Rose? No way.”

”Yes way,” Kira said, puffing her chest out a little. ”She didn’t agree at first. But I was constantly on her neck. She said she saw potential in me. So she agreed. I just had to survive her hellish training.”

Lynx nodded slowly. Internally, he pulled up her stats.

[Name: Kira Lewis

Class: Blessed

Age: 18

Affinities: Fire B Rank, Wind E Rank

Blessings:

Axus Flame: Rain fire down upon enemy. Enable User to Fly with Flame.

HP: 3000/3000

MP: 5000/5000

STR: 850

AGI: 1000

STA: 700

INT: 800

DEF: 800]

’Yep. She got really stronger,’ he thought, satisfied. ’Makes sense. If Rose is training you, you’re gonna come out a monster. She’s one of the big fish in this empire.’

---

Meanwhile, a few seats away, two pairs of eyes were locked on them.

”Are you sure, Lucas?” one of them said. ”She’s the one who put you in that devastating condition. That stunning lady?.”

Lucas Helsing nodded, jaw clenched. ”Yes, Senior Caius. She is. She rejected me. Humiliated me. I just want payback.”

Caius laughed. It was a deep, mocking sound.

”You’re a shame to the Helsing name, really. You have no idea how many people would kill to be part of your family. And here you are, asking for help to humiliate a lady.”

Lucas flinched. Caius was an A-Rank Earth Affinity user, almost S-Rank. Tall. Muscles stacked on muscles. The kind of guy who probably lived in the gym. His dark eyes were intimidating enough to make first years cry.

”Are you going to help me or not?” Lucas snapped. ”I’m paying you well. And if you still want those resources, you better stop laughing at my predicament.”

Then Lucas turned his glare toward Lynx. He watched how Kira looked at him. How she blushed when Lynx leaned in. How she laughed at everything he said.

”And they’re supposed to be cousins?” His gut twisted. Jealousy burned hot in his stomach. He was supposed to be the one with Kira. Not that cousin of hers.

His eyes gleamed with obsession.

Caius noticed. He leaned over and slammed a heavy hand on Lucas’s shoulder.

”Say... I can help you take care of him too, if you want.” He jerked his chin toward Lynx. ”Just double what you’re giving me. I don’t need your money. My parents aren’t as rich as yours, but we’re not poor either.”

Everyone knew the Helsings were loaded. Lucas’s dad was a Blessed too.

Lucas’s eyes lit up. ”Deal. I’ll triple the resources and the money. Just... disfigure his handsome face.”

Caius threw his head back and laughed. Louder this time.

A few students paused eating and glanced over. Some girls hissed in irritation.

Lucas felt his face burn with embarrassment, but he couldn’t say anything to the muscle head in front of him. So he just shoved food in his mouth and pretended not to hear the curses some girls threw at his table.

---

Lynx heard everything.

His enhanced hearing caught every single word. And he ’purposely’ did more. Leaned closer to Kira. Brushed her hand when reaching for the drink, or her ice cream. Whispered dumb jokes just to watch her cheeks turn red.

He was poking Lucas. On purpose. And he was also enjoying every second of Kira’s reaction.

He wanted to know more about Caius. But he had no phone. Again. And Kira wouldn’t know much about a guy like that.

So he turned inward, to the only greedy voice he trusted.

”Ughhn,” he groaned mentally.

’System. How much will it cost to know more about Caius?’