"Haah...haah...this really works." I muttered to myself while panting. Then I looked around and walked out of the training room. The walls were full of arrows, showing signs of battle. The place I was at was the archery club's facilities, which were different from the normal training grounds provided by the academy. There are better simulated environments and more advanced monsters for training. While the training rooms don't actually create monsters, they can simulate and holographically project monsters. In essence, they are artificial life forms created by advanced technology. Therefore, the more advanced the technology, the higher the efficiency. Of course, as one of the top academies in the world, Arcadia Hunter Academy has access to the best equipment. The problem is that these facilities are only accessible to senior students. That's capitalism at work. Anyway, thanks to the advanced facilities provided by the club's training room, I was able to focus on training, and now I can confidently say that I have made some progress. I barely stopped training tonight. "It's one o'clock in the morning. It's time to go back." With this thought in mind, I left the training room and entered the club's hall. Whoosh——
A breeze blew across my face, accompanied by a fascinating picture. In the quiet atmosphere of the training hall, Alice stood there gracefully. With her trademark green hair and fiery red eyes, she looks almost otherworldly. She wields the bow with an innate grace, her movements a perfect combination of fluidity and precision. Seeing her like that, it's easy to understand why she's called the "campus goddess." Her looks are flawless, and from an aesthetic point of view, it's a treat to watch her train. But that's about it. “I really wish her personality and ego were as charming though,” I thought as I observed. However, what really caught my attention was her extraordinary control over mana. Her ability to seamlessly infuse it into her arrows and manipulate their properties with such grace was truly impressive. "As a freshman, her ability to control magic power is indeed among the best among the freshmen. She deserves to be the fifth-ranked student." I thought to myself. Alice, who was concentrating on her training, seemed to be unaware of her surroundings. But when she finished the set, her eyes turned to mine and ours met briefly. In her fiery red pupils, I saw a moment of recognition, but it quickly turned into cold indifference. I knew what that recognition meant, it was her way of remembering someone who had offended her. Without any words or acknowledgement, she continued her training, leaving me there as if I were an insignificant presence. This was a stark reminder of the distance between us, not only physical, but also in bloodline and social status. Well, this was expected, and I didn’t read any more. I turned around and left, returning to my dormitory. In the end, it's not important at all. ...... Rustle, rustle—— The next morning, the cool breeze blew towards me, and I continued running to exercise my physical fitness. Today is Saturday, so there aren't many people on campus except for those students who really want to improve themselves. I only saw a few hardworking students. I have made it a habit to run in the morning for at least an hour before I start my day. It is good for my physical fitness and mental health, as it allows me to be alone with my thoughts during this time. Whoosh—— Just then, I felt something passing by me quickly.
"Hey, Julia, slow down!" A familiar voice sounded behind me. "Ethan." Our protagonist was running breathlessly, his blue hair was a little messy, and his brown eyes were full of determination. "Heh... don't tell me you're going to stop now!" the girl who rushed past me like a bullet shouted with a smile on her face. "If you want to give up, just say so." Although her words were directed at Ethan, and even though they were already at a distance from each other, her attention was still on him. Her snow-white hair was still clean and tidy, without a trace of sweat. Her slightly boyish and arrogant smile was a bit playful. "Oh... okay, okay. I give up. Can you go slower?" Ethan, who had already caught up, waved his hand and said with a resigned expression on his face. "Dinner tonight is on me." He said with a resigned expression. "It seems they made a bet," I thought to myself. "That's really in keeping with Julia's character." "Oh, Morse, good morning." However, it looked like Ethan recognized me even though I was wearing my hood. "Don't talk to me." But I had no interest in talking to them. My attention was briefly distracted by the bullet-like phenomenon, but after confirming that it was Julia, I resumed my rhythm. "Still so cold." Ethan's voice echoed behind me, and I continued to run forward, becoming a lonely figure in the background of the early morning. As I ran past Julia she looked at me with a small smile but I ignored her and continued to let the rhythm of my running guide me. ...... After Morse left, Julia walked towards Ethan, who looked at her leaving back with a smile on his face. Bang! "Why are you grinning like an idiot?" she asked, slapping Ethan on the back. "Ahem—" The sudden impact made Ethan scream, and he even choked on the water he had just drunk. "What's going on? What are you doing?" Ethan asked with a puzzled look on his face. "It's okay, it's okay," Julia said with a mischievous smile on her face. Ethan cleared his throat and regained his composure. "Could you tell me in advance next time?" Julia shrugged casually. "Where's the fun in that?" Ethan smiled and rubbed the place where she had hit him. "Okay, you're right." The two exchanged a knowing look, then turned their gazes in the direction Morse left. "He's still so mysterious." Isenno said thoughtfully, his smile becoming soft and thoughtful. Julia raised her eyebrows. "You're very interested in him, aren't you?" "Well, he is indeed funny. Every time I talk to him, he interrupts me." Ethan said while shaking his head. "This is the first time I've seen someone become interested in someone because he was interrupted by someone else." Julia narrowed her eyes at Ethan, "Don't tell me you just like this type." "Poof..." Poor Ethan just wanted to drink some water, but he choked and sprayed it all out again. He looked at Julia blankly and asked, "How could you think of such a thing?"
"These twins are really good at playing pranks," Ethan thought. He noticed that Julia's smile became even more cheerful. Her long snow-white hair shone in the morning light, and despite her angelic appearance, her mischievous personality often made people overlook her feminine side. "Ah... you just like to play tricks on others, right?" Ethan sighed and said helplessly. Although she always loves to play tricks on others, Ethan still feels that getting along with her is much easier than with Alice or other girls. "Wow, Sherlock, you just realized that?" Julia responded with a smile, the naughty smile on her face still there. "......" "I knew it." "well......" "By the way, tell me why you are so interested in him." Julia's expression suddenly became serious. "He doesn't look like anything worthy of your attention. He has neither strength nor background." Although Julia appears a bit masculine and sometimes careless, she lives in a world where strength is everything and she knows the importance of power and status. Morse had neither. He had neither the background nor the strength to support himself. Ethan pondered for a while, his eyes drifting away. "Maybe it's intuition. I just feel that there is something about him that interests me. You know, my intuition is always accurate." If Morse were present, he would certainly say that this was the protagonist's intuition. Julia raised her eyebrows with a knowing smile on her face: "Of course I know, your 'intuition' is usually frighteningly accurate." Ethan scratched the back of his head sheepishly: "Well...you've seen it too. It's like an instinct, it's never let me down." Julia's smile widened. "Remember that time you 'intuitively' found that rare artifact in the game? Everyone thought you were crazy, but then you actually dug it up." Ethan laughed, obviously remembering the experience vividly: "Yeah, that was really amazing." Julia bumped his shoulder playfully. "I've always said you had some kind of sixth sense." Ethan smiled again and gave her a shoulder slap. "Maybe that's true. But this time, I'm not sure what it thinks of Morse." Julia's cynicism faded slightly, and her eyes became more serious. "Be careful. No matter how accurate your intuition is, not everyone is as simple as they seem. Just like you, I also felt something strange from him." Although not as strong as Ethan, as a warrior and swordsman, Julia also felt that there was something unusual about Morse. Iseno nodded thoughtfully: "To be honest, I feel the same way. However, I don't think he is a bad person. He is just... a little special. Maybe a little lonely, but not necessarily malicious." Julia crossed her arms and looked at Ethan with suspicion: "Withdrawn? Is this your 'professional analysis'?" Ethan smiled. “That’s the only word I can think of at the moment. What is certain is that he is definitely more than what he seems to be.” Julia sighed and looked at Ethan softly: "Promise me that if things start to get weird, you won't get too deep." Ethan put his hand on his chest and said in a serious tone, "I swear I will never rush into trouble." Julia rolled her eyes, but a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth: "I will remember what you said." Bang! Suddenly, another slap landed on Ethan's back, causing him to stagger. "What's wrong again?" This time Ethan looked at Julia with impatience, obviously thinking that her joke was a bit too much.
Julia smiled warmly and ruffled his hair with her hand: "Okay, let's go and have breakfast. You lost the game, this meal is on you." Ethan rolled his eyes, but a smile appeared on his lips: "Okay, okay. But remember my words, I will win one day." The two walked and laughed, their laughter echoing around the campus, showing the deep bond between these childhood friends, who understood each other better than anyone else. However, Julia made a mental note of the boy who had caught her friend's interest. Although, the thought was quickly forgotten...