SSS Awakening: Conquering Worlds with My Cupid System

When the signal for the start of the competition was given, the members of Valecrest didn’t move because they all realized, collectively, one tiny detail... wait two. Maybe more. All the other academies were either in uniform armor sets or clothes, but the members of Valecrest were only in their academy uniform, which was just fabric, no matter how much protection it had.

The next thing they realized was that they lacked a leader. Naturally, it would’ve been Neil since he was the current ranked one student in Valecrest, but with the presence of two S-Ranks in their midst, Silas and Chloe, that position of rank one was almost nonexistent.

So, they had to decide on who would be the leader and also find a place to change into their academy armor, which through Silas and Chloe, had been manufactured by AAG.

”Let Chloe or Neil be the leader,” Silas said in a flat tone and turned away from the group. There were other teams nearby having private meetings in hushed voices. Well, it was useless against Silas. He could hear them as though he was standing beside them. But that wasn’t his current focus.

His eyes glowed with a dull light as invisible threads spread out all over the place. The Blackridge Expanse was as huge as an average city in New Liberty, but Silas’s threads covered everywhere and projected a visual image to him.

With the information on the mission they’d been shown, he willed the threads to pinpoint and mark all the important landmarks and positions. At the same time, some of the threads glowed with a pink light, showing them the most optimal way to their destination: the center of the Blackridge Expanse, the Central Blackridge Observatory.

As he gathered everything, someone tapped on his shoulder. He’d been so focused on what he was doing that he almost forgot about them. He turned to see Chloe and the others looking at him.

”You were chosen as the leader,” Chloe said in a flat tone. Silas stared at her, then at the others, and back at her, for a full, long, five seconds.

”You know... You’ve could’ve just chosen Alpha,” he said with a blank expression.

”Oi! Don’t drag me into this!” Alpha exclaimed with a frustrated expression.

”Get a girlfriend then.”

”What does that have to do with this?!”

”I don’t know. I just felt like saying it.”

”...”

”Maybe we should reconsider...” Rihanna, a girl with long black hair and brown eyes said, but Neil cut her short.

”He’s intentionally doing it.”

”I will get you for this,” Silas threatened, then suddenly looked towards Damien. ”Wait! Did Damiboy vote for me too?”

”None of your business,” Damien said and turned away. ”Are we going or not?”

”My bad...” Silas said and grabbed Chloe’s hand. He stared at Damien’s back for another second, then he looked down at Chloe’s hand in his.

”Let’s go and win!”

Chloe nodded.

”Let’s.”

The others exchanged glances.

”At least someone is enthusiastic,” Neil sighed.

”That’s not enthusiasm,” Alpha muttered. ”That’s Silas.”

”Same thing.”

”No. Silas is a medical condition.”

”I heard that,” Silas called from ahead.

”Good!”

They started moving when Silas suddenly stopped.

”Wait.”

Everyone nearly walked into him.

”What now?” Damien asked impatiently.

Silas turned around.

”We need armor.”

Everyone looked down at themselves. There was no armor, no reinforced combat suits, and no specialized equipment. Nothing.

A gust of wind swept through the forest, and Rihanna’s long black hair fluttered. She slowly looked toward one of the other academies.

Ironwood Saints had arrived wearing full-body combat armor. Valecrest looked like they had arrived for a school field trip.

”...”

Alpha adjusted his glasses.

”We look stupid.”

”We look comfortable,” Emma argued.

”We look dead,” Godfrey corrected.

Silas sighed. ”Don’t worry.”

His eyes glowed faintly.

”I’ve got it.”

He closed his eyes.

Threads spread from his body.

Unlike ordinary threads, these were almost impossible to see. They slipped through the trees, over the ground, around rocks, beneath roots, and across the surrounding terrain.

Silas could see through all of them. The Blackridge Expanse unfolded inside his mind. Everything became connected. Then one particular thread stopped.

Silas opened his eyes.

”There.” He pointed toward a section of dense forest. ”There’s a temporary supply structure about six hundred meters that way.”

Neil frowned. ”How do you know?”

Silas shrugged.

”I looked.”

”With what?”

”My eyes.”

”...”

”Let’s move.”

They followed him and it took them less than ten minutes to reach the location.

Hidden between several enormous trees was a temporary military structure constructed from reinforced awakened-grade materials. It wasn’t large, but it was more than enough.

A small sign was attached to the front.

[AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT EQUIPMENT AREA]

Alpha stared.

”How did you even find this?”

Silas shrugged again.

”Threads.”

”Right.” Alpha sighed. ”I really need to stop asking.”

Inside the structure were several sealed containers, and each carried the Valecrest insignia.

Chloe’s eyes widened slightly. ”The armor.”

”Aureline Apparel Group doesn’t disappoint.”

The containers opened one after another. The armor sets inside were sleek.

Silver formed the primary color, while blue details ran along the edges, joints, chest plates, and shoulders. The armor wasn’t bulky like traditional military equipment. It was designed to preserve mobility while providing protection against awakened attacks.

Each suit had been custom fitted. The Valecrest crest was embedded into the chest. AAG had clearly gone all out.

Rihanna ran her fingers across her armor.

”This is...”

”Expensive?” Emma guessed.

”Beautiful.”

”That too.”

Silas looked at his own armor. It was relatively light. The silver plates covered his torso, forearms, thighs, and shins, while flexible dark material connected the joints. A pair of sheaths rested against his waist.

Silas opened one, and a dagger slid into his hand.

”Perfect.”

A second dagger followed. He spun both around his fingers before sheathing them. Chloe retrieved her weapon, a long spear. Its silver shaft was reinforced with blue energy channels, while the spearhead itself was narrow and elegant.

She gave it a small spin.

”I like it.”

Alpha approached his container. His expression changed when he saw his weapon. It was a massive greatsword. The blade was nearly as tall as he was.

”You’re kidding.”

Silas looked over. ”You wanted a rapier.”

Alpha stared at the enormous sword.

”I reconsidered.”

”Why?”

”Because after careful analysis, a rapier would probably kill me before I killed the enemy.”

Silas nodded solemnly.

”Good reasoning. Very true.”

”This fucker...”

Alpha picked up the greatsword. The weapon was heavy, very heavy, but after gripping it and channeling a small amount of mana through his body, he could move it without too much difficulty.

Beside it were two smaller daggers.

”Those are for stealth,” Silas explained.

Alpha looked at him.

”I know...”

”...”

”...”

”You’re welcome.”

Neil retrieved his weapons next, two armored gauntlets. They covered his forearms and fists completely, with reinforced knuckles capable of delivering devastating blows.

Neil flexed his fingers.

”They fit perfectly.”

Alicia’s weapon was considerably larger. A massive buster sword rested inside her container. She lifted it effortlessly, and her golden eyes brightened.

”Oh.” She swung it once, and the air itself seemed to split. A nearby tree trembled. ”I like this.”

Emma opened her container. Two revolvers rested inside. She picked them up.

”They gave me guns.”

”Awakened-grade revolvers,” Silas corrected.

Emma examined them.

”Still guns.”

”Yes.”

”Good.”

Rihanna’s equipment consisted of a specialized bow and a quiver containing several types of arrows. She immediately began inspecting them.

Godfrey received a longsword and a heavy shield. He strapped the shield onto his arm and tested its weight.

”Excellent.”

Damien’s container opened last. Everyone expected something flashy. Perhaps a pair of specialized gauntlets, maybe a sword, or something designed around his Gravity ability.

Instead, it was a massive war hammer.

”...”

Damien slowly lifted the hammer. It was enormous.

”Why did they give me this?”

Silas grinned.

”I don’t know.”

Damien looked at him.

”Don’t.”

”I didn’t say anything.”

”Your face did.”

Silas laughed.

”You’re a hammer guy now.”

”I’m going to hit you with this.”

”See?” Silas pointed at the hammer. ”Perfect weapon choice.”

Damien rolled his eyes and turned away. ’Just you wait...’

Everyone finished equipping their armor, and the transformation was immediate. The previously underprepared Valecrest group suddenly looked like an actual combat team with silver armor with blue accents, and specialized weapons, and their academy insignia displayed proudly on their chests.

They looked ready.

Silas looked across the group. The system appeared in front of him.

[Team composition analysis complete.]

[Recommendation: Assign temporary combat roles.]

Silas’s eyes moved across the team. That was actually useful. Not everyone had revealed their abilities. Some were keeping their abilities hidden for strategic reasons, which were honestly... stupid.

Instead of assigning roles based entirely on abilities, he based them on their weapons, combat tendencies, and what he already knew. He raised his hand.

”Okay.”

Everyone looked at him.

”Roles.”

Damien frowned.

”Roles?”

”Yeah.”

”We’re not playing a game.”

Silas looked at the war hammer in his hand.

”You literally have a health bar in your head.”

Damien’s expression darkened.

”And you have poop for a brain.”

Silas ignored him.

”Neil.”

Neil looked at him.

”Vanguard.”

Neil nodded.

”You’re going to be one of our frontline fighters.”

Silas pointed toward Chloe.

”Chloe, Vanguard.”

She nodded.

”You can handle large-scale threats, control the battlefield, and protect the team.”

Then he pointed toward Alpha.

”Scout.”

Alpha raised an eyebrow.

”Me?”

”You’re fast, observant, and you’re carrying daggers.” He pointed toward the massive greatsword. ”And apparently a portable building. Besides, your ability fits for a scout.”

”...”

Silas continued.

”Damien.”

Damien crossed his arms with a face that said, ”DON’T FUCK WITH ME,” and Silas respected that for... now.

”Vanguard.”

”Obviously.”

”You’re durable, powerful, and that hammer gives you excellent close-range pressure.”

Damien grunted.

”Fine.”

Silas pointed toward Alicia.

”Bruiser.”

Alicia smiled.

”Sounds appropriate.”

”Emma.”

”Ranged DPS?”

Silas blinked. ”Sure. What is DPS though? Double Penetration Se...”

”Silas...” Chloe said in a dark tone, causing him to shut it.

Emma just smiled.

”Good enough.”

”Rihanna.”

”Archer.”

She nodded.

”Godfrey.”

”Tank.”

Godfrey lifted his shield.

”I expected that.”

”Good.”

Silas looked around.

”Everyone else, we’ll adjust as necessary.” He paused. ”Nobody is locked into a role.”

Neil nodded.

”Understood.”

Silas looked toward the enormous forest. His threads were still spread throughout Blackridge. The Central Observatory was waiting, so were the other academies, and so were thousands of monsters. And somewhere among them were objectives that would inevitably bring everyone together.

Silas smiled.

”Now...” He pulled one of his daggers slightly from its sheath. ”Let’s go win this thing.”

Chloe stepped beside him, Alpha adjusted his armor, Neil tightened his gauntlets, Alicia rested her massive sword over her shoulder, Emma spun one revolver before holstering it, Rihanna secured her bow, Godfrey raised his shield, and Damien gripped his war hammer.

The Valecrest team moved into the forest. This time, they looked like they belonged there.