Infernal Entity: Evolving With My Demonic System-Chapter 37: The Forger’s Bay

It was almost 12 p.m. when the sparring session ended. Now, it was time for lunch at the school cafeteria. Ares and Rick, alongside the other students, made their way over to get lunch. Breakfast was a foreign concept in this day and age, as most people spent their early mornings on other things. Ares and Rick both blended in with the crowd, keeping their pace light as they engaged in conversation.

"I really tried, you know. I guess I’m not well-trained like you or even Axel. He’s a pretty good fighter."

That was Rick speaking. His expression remained stiff as he talked. His loss earlier still bothered him. His inability to unlock his ability was a problem he had faced for most of his life.

Ares gave him a nudge on the shoulder. "Don’t be such a downer," he said, laughing lightly. "With time and practice, you’ll unlock your abilities, become one of the best fighters there is, and who knows? You might even end up with a Twin-Mutation Ability."

Rick’s face brightened almost instantly. "You think so? A Twin-Mutation? Is that even possible?" he asked.

"Of course it is," Ares answered. "Most people who awaken their abilities late usually end up with two different abilities. I don’t know the science behind it. I was always more of an art person." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Ares was right. Almost ninety percent of late bloomers emerged stronger. This was as a result of something called Resonant Mutation Syndrome.

It was a condition where two different mutations existed within a single host. These genes struggled and battled with one another, each trying to become the dominant mutation. In some cases, after years of internal conflict, both mutations eventually came to an agreement. Both became dominant, granting the host something known as a Twin-Mutation ability or a dual ability.

This phenomenon raised questions about whether abilities and mutations had minds of their own. It fueled arguments concerning the intelligence of the so called pathogen released by the Algos.

Scientists classified it as a genetic disorder, but no one really gave a shit, as long as it made them powerful enough to defeat their enemies.

"After lunch, why don’t you and I go train?" Ares suggested.

"Uhm... I don’t know. I can be a bit—"

"Don’t worry, dear Ricky," Ares said, playing off Rick’s nervousness. "I got you."

Eventually, all the students arrived at the cafeteria on the south side of the school. The place was packed, buzzing with chatter.

Ares immediately found a spot and quickly reserved it. "You sit here while I go order something for us. Don’t worry, bill’s on me," he bragged as he displayed his CNT balance.

[500 CNT]

How he had gotten such an amount of money was a mystery, but Rick seemed bothered by something else.

"You’re leaving me here all by myself?" Rick asked nervously.

Ares chuckled. "Relax. No one’s gonna bother you. If they do, tell them your friend is a Spectra 3. They’ll back off."

"Wait what about Axel?" Rick asked suddenly.

Ares shrugged. "He’ll join us later. I wonder what that teacher is discussing with him..."

***

Back in the weapons chamber, Axel sat across from Marc. The curious teacher studied him closely, choosing his questions wisely.

Marc cleared his throat before speaking.

"So. What type of ability do you possess? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and believe me when I say, I’ve seen even the rarest of powers. Yours is unheard of. What is it?"

Axel had been preparing for questions like this for a while now. His response was already programmed into his mind like a robot. All he had to do was give him the same response he had given to Ares a while ago.

"It’s related to fire, but it’s more condensed. It’s like lava, but not exactly," Axel explained. "It’s complicated."

But not as complicated as having an Infernal System encoded in his brain that only he could see.

Marc nodded slowly, then asked, "You recently awakened, right?"

Axel nodded in affirmation, and Marc continued. "For someone who just awakened, you’re really strong. It usually takes people months to hone their abilities and grow stronger after awakening. Somehow, you’ve managed to do in days what people usually do in months," Marc explained, his eyes fixed on Axel.

"What are you, exactly?" he asked all of a sudden.

Axel swallowed. He knew he wasn’t exactly human or mutant, anymore. He was somewhere in between, something known as a halfling.

Axel chuckled nervously. "I’m human, like you, obviously. What are you talking about?"

Marc stared at him for a moment, causing Axel to shift uncomfortably. Eventually, Marc’s gaze drifted away and landed on the Godrend sword.

"You did quite well with that sword," he pointed out. "Have you had any swordsmanship training?"

Axel shook his head. That was probably the first time in his life he had ever wielded a sword. He was anything but a swordsman, yet he seemed oddly good at it.

"Well, I can tell you this for a fact. You’d do great if you were to take sword-fighting lessons."

"Really?" Axel asked.

"Yes, of course."

Marc walked over to Axel, picked up the sword, and inspected it. He took a clean swing and chuckled.

"Still got it in me."

He turned back to Axel. "I don’t usually do this, but you should keep the sword. It suits your powers... whatever it is," he said, handing the sword to Axel.

Axel didn’t hesitate. He accepted it gracefully and muttered a small thank you.

"You can upgrade the Godrend. Increase its power and potency. You could even fuse a Mythic Beast’s power into it if you want. It’s yours now. Do whatever you please," Marc said with a smile.

"Where can I do all that?" Axel asked.

"At the Forger’s Bay, of course."

The Forger’s Bay was one of the spaces within the school where daily activities took place. It housed materials such as Mythic weapons, armor, and even Mythic shards. It was the go-to place for students seeking to acquire new weapons, sell old ones, or upgrade their gear.

After his conversation with Marc, Axel exited the weapons chamber and headed outside. As soon as he stepped out, the scorching heat of the sun slapped his face, stinging his skin.

"Damn. Staying indoors for too long really isn’t advisable."

Regardless, he carried on. He wasn’t heading to the cafeteria to meet Ares and Rick.

He was heading straight to the Forger’s Bay.

***

Somewhere in Forger’s bay, a girl could be seen arranging stacks of weapons. Mythic weapons to be precise. That was a workers shop and inside it

was all sorts of forging materials. Titansteel Alloy Obsidium Plates and Carbonite Fibers.

Beads of sweat formed around her temples and she wiped them off with one clean swipe. Her thick red hair danced around as she moved things in place.

That’s when she heard footsteps at the front door.

"Another customer, thank heavens. Dinner is secured." She expressed as she walked over to attend to the customer.

"Hi, what’d you need? We have armors, shards, forging tools... anything at all. We can also fix your weapons or upgrade them. Which one are you doing today?" She asked in a practiced and rehearsed way, as if she had done it a hundred times over.

The customer, who turned out to be Axel, stared at her, confused, not because of what she said but because he knew he had seen her somewhere. Then it clicked. His face turned red as he remembered who she was.

It was Lynn. The student-officer who had done Axel’s clearance. The same one that read his thoughts. Axel remembered that day clearly and it was still mildly embarrassing.

Lynn smiled as she also recognised him. She recognized him as the guy whose last name sounds like a vampire lord from the 15th century.

"Last time I saw you, you weren’t under scrutiny for being a terrorist..."

***