Nothing of true interest could be said during the rest of the year. Adam and Zane were quietly practicing in the wasteland after school and building up their physiques. Since Adam was quietly moving around, Sir Steward and Nero had no problems.
Isabelle was disowned by her own father, Adam and the doctor had nothing to do with it. The reason seemed to stem from the amount of bad luck around her. Though there were rumors that her brother was coming back home, nothing was conclusive.
Richard and Isabelle met up earlier in the year and got close. There was a rumor going around that Richard and Isabelle were an item though nothing was certain.
There was another rumor of missing children, most were chalked up to be hot-blooded youths taking on what they could handle but nothing was too certain.
Zane slowly rose up to the top 500 while Richard stomped the tournaments with ranking at least the top 50 each time with being in the top 20 with his best. While Adam, to show some progress managed to beat an opponent but lost right after.
Zane's physique started to look more defined and his face started to develop a devilish look. It was the cause of the devil's blood and constant training.
Adam managed to reach a compromise with Richard, he was not going to interfere with Richard in any way given that there was a truce.
Nero could be seen moving personnel around and some sections of the school were closed for some time with the excuse of unsafe conditions.
Just to follow up, Anna was traumatized and started to like other girls instead. Also, there were no turf wars this year.
At the end of the year, during a festive night with laughter and cheers all around a light-armored man met an ominous figure.
"Here's the full list of notable seeds."
"Let's see, Rance Gulden, trait, Revival, Kandis O'well, trait, Reactor, Richard, trait, Beast King, Zane, trait, unknown, Isabelle Marie Nora Mason, trait, Karma."
"Interesting list here, first and foremost, why this, Zane kid? What's special about him? To be above Isabelle, you view him extremely highly."
"I have been looking through all the monthly tournaments, Zane's true ability is so much higher than what he is showing. He seems to have 'Basic Martial Arts' down yet he chooses to not showcase it. If it weren't for a few times he looked and hesitated, I wouldn't have noticed. His martial prowess would be just slightly above Richard."
"Hiding Basic Martial Arts? Who's been training him? Such a grandmaster would surely be appreciated."
"That, I don't know. He keeps going to the wasteland to train with his friend but when I try to spy on them, I get a chill, and I back out every single time. I am quite curious as well who has been training him. His friend doesn't seem to be of note, the only common thing between them is that they share a room."
"To be able to make your trait react, don't push it. If you can, try to kidnap Zane's friend and bring him to the 'Dream Eater'. We'll know then. I'll bring the information back to headquarters."
The ominous-looking man threw two pills towards the lightly-armored man.
"Just in case, you fail and just in case there's no other way."
The lightly-armored man nodded and started to join the festivities as if nothing ever happened.
The following day, Adam and Zane once gained followed the routine and went tot he wasteland to train.
"Hey, Zane. There's someone tailing us, he's trying even harder than before. He even brought a Phantom Bat, sneaky bastard thought he could drown out the noise. Those things cost a fortune!"
"What do we do? Same as before or you got something new?"
"I've been irritated by this bastard for quite a while now. Tell me, when did you notice when we were being tailed?"
"I-I haven't at all, I only knew we were being tailed when you brought it up."
Adam smacked Zane at the back of the head, considering Adam wasn't intent on combat and still had a child's body, and Zane's body was completely remodeled and tweaked by devil's blood. Adam was the one who ended up in pain.
"Learn to look around your surroundings! You're my bodyguard, not the other way around! I will teach you what to do during times like this. Being trailed but not alerting the enemy and leading him into a trap, first step, lower his guard."
"How are we going to do that?"
"Simple, I'll weaken my mana."
The lightly-armored man's trait slowly eased and he now felt safe. He continued to trail Zane and his friend so that they could meet that grandmaster.
Zane and Adam started their routines and worked out. When the lightly-armored man took a peek he felt something amiss, where's the grandmaster? Did he just leave them to train for today? Crap! Just when I got lucky and managed to get close to them.
"Hey, Adam, why isn't he getting closer?"
"He should be waiting for something, or he is just monitoring us."
"Hey, Adam, why don't you just kill him?
"I don't directly kill people, it's your job to do that."
"Hey, Adam, I wanna try that one technique you taught me."
Adam smacked Zane again but was the one who ended up in pain.
"Are you stupid? I told you that you can only do that after finishing my training! If you do that right now, you will without a shred of doubt die."
"But I-"
"Shush! He got closer, I just need him to take a single step closer then the trap will be successful. Follow me."
Adam and Zane started to walk off and leave the lightly-armored man behind. He took a single step forward and a loud alarm sounded out.
Adam made a pose a threw his arms into the air, "This is the fourth step, Zane, where everything will come along together."
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The lightly-armored man immediately ran away with his full strength.
The doctor yelled at the top of his lungs, "That's not even close to getting out of here alive! Be obedient and quietly let yourself get captured! Adam's gonna owe me if I get you!"
The doctor reinforced his own body with mana and caught up with the lightly-armored man.
"Why, hello there! Would you be so kind as to turn yourself in?"
The lightly-armored man was shocked and left nothing to chance he took out a pill and ate it. His speed suddenly increased five-fold leaving the doctor behind.
"Using pills are we? I also got one of those!"
The doctor took out a pill swallowed it, his speed increased only four-fold though.
"Dammit! Who made that?!"
The lightly-armored man managed to barely escape and hide in the city. It seemed as if he had some connections inside and his presence disappeared.
Zane and Adam were going back to the kingdom when the doctor met them halfway.
"So, you failed. I thought you would be better than that, doctor."
"Shut up! He took out a pill and increased his speed five-fold."
"Oh? Someone more talented in the pill production than you? Seems like I should change my sponsor."
Adam slyly grinned, making fun of the doctor.
"Hey, don't mock me! Forget five-fold, I can even make twenty-fold! Even a hundred-fold! It's just that I lack the materials as well as I am afraid of the backlash that would occur later on."
"Right now, I only researched up to four-fold, its the limit that is still considered safe. You know, if you helped me produce pills, we could've already made a thousand-fold safe pill."
"Anyways, that pill was still considered on the borders of being safe but taxing. It's just that that pill had a black sheen meaning they used a taboo ingredient. Right, Adam?"
"How could I have known what color it was? I have a super-brain, not super-eyes. Though, that black sheen is troubling because there are tons of things that could cause it, the blood of infants mixed with their mother's blood, priestess blood, devil's blood. To be honest, its mostly blood."
"Wait, there were that many? I just thought they used curses and used that as a base so that the backlash would lessen. Just where did you get that much information?"
Adam ignored the question and seriously said, "Even though its taboo, I know you wouldn't even hesitate if given the chance. The only thing holding you back is me."
"Yeah, if it weren't for you, I would've made things more interesting than that little pill. Say, human weaponization, bio-chemical bombs and, that single thing I have always to do, artificial trait implementation."
"I may have a twisted personality but there is still a line I won't cross."
The doctor mockingly said, "A devil with a bottom line? That's rich."
Adam mockingly said, "A serial killer playing doctor? That's rich."
The atmosphere suddenly turned sour and Zane had to step in before anything got too intense.
"Say, who was he?"
Adam got his composure back and replied, "Hans."
The doctor added on, "The spy inside the kingdom working for an organization hell-bent on grooming quite the dangerous individuals."
Adam, added on, "Which means he's coming for you. I told you to hide your skills better while fighting, you never listen." Adam then sighed like an aged old man filled to the brim with knowledge and experience.
"W-Why are you so sure that he's coming for me and not you?! If anything, you should be the target!"
Adam, still sour, mockingly said, "If he knew, he'd already be dead. I cover my tracks pretty well. As far they know, I am just your friend. Anything more than that, then that whole organization would cease to exist, I'll make sure of it."
"But Richard knows, right? Even Nero the Principal should know. Then again there's also Sir Steward, that person is quite close to Nero the Principal. Would they cease to exist as well?"
"They have a use, though Nero and Steward had already served their purpose, call it mercy on my part. Richard needs to become a banner that will lead the world when I leave, a hero, so to say."
"Why can't I be that hero?"
"You are my bodyguard, someone I had spent quite a bit of resource on. You are more valuable than any of them combined. Besides, you exist to protect me."
Zane looked at the faraway direction where the kingdom lies and sighed.
The trio went back to the kingdom together, Hans saw them walk together and made up his mind.
"I have to report this! They have the backing of the entire underground!"
Hans disappeared into the shadows and was gone.
At the peak of moonlight, Hans met up with another man but this time it looked like someone who had been through battlefield after battlefield with the amount of scars he has.
"Zane is backed by the entire underground! It's better to let him be, we can't risk it! We had deals with them before regarding information and it was accurate to the point of being scary."
"The underground, you say? Then it's even more reason to recruit him, we'll increase his priority to just above that Richard kid. For now, monitor him, and if ever the case where his friend can be captured, take the opportunity."
"You can't be serious! You are being too rash in this! We still have time, they aren't due for another three years. Taking action now would lead to dire consequences, besides we still don't have any idea on what his trait is!"
"I am not being rash, just follow our orders and that's it. No need for more complications, the tactician has already planned this all out."
"You don't understand! David the Doctor was there! He almost caught up with me, do you not realize what would've happened if he caught me? If not for that five-fold pill, I would've spilled everything at his methods. You know how hard it is to pry my mouth, you should think about this at least."
"Fine, I'll think about this. So, any news on the 'Black Plague' or the 'True Underworld King'? They are both kids but have enough skill to compete with our entire organization."
"Nothing, as always, the Black Plague didn't kill anyone but did render them all vegetables and I didn't even dare pry into who the True Underworld King is, all and everyone without any exception disappeared. So I plead you, I'll fully dedicate my time on Zane and the Black Plague, don't make me look into who the True Underworld King is."
The scarred man glanced at Hans and said, "You're bugged, aren't you?"
"Yes, I won't deny it. I had to show some kind of proof that I won't even think nor let it pass my mind that the True Underworld King would be a target."
"So I'll please, let me only target Zane and the Black Plague."
The scarred man now had interest in his eyes, "When was it?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the male dorms when everyone else was asleep.
Zane was laying on his bed when a question came up, "Hey, Adam, why did your trap just make an alarm? You already showed me how to hunt the monsters on the wasteland, I was sure that you would've done something else."
Adam on the other side of the room laying as well, as if he was listening to something said, "Oh, I did. It's just something you shouldn't bother yourself with. It's just something insignificant."
"What is it then, if it's so insignificant?
Adam jumped off his bed and went outside, "Nothing really, now come here, I'll tell you something interesting. There is a ghost hiding within these dorms, they say he got bullied and if you listen closely you can hear his pained screams."
Adam and Zane were leisurely walking around the dorm halls.
Zane's eyes lightened up, "Is that so? Hmph! Lies, you better tell me something better than that if-"
Zane suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream and started to cry and run away. He thought to himself, Adam never lies! I am going to tell the principal tomorrow and beg! I am not going to sleep knowing there is a ghost in the dorms!
Zane then promptly went to the doctor's house and slept there.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hans was on his knees as his body started to blacken, his eyes started to blur and his heart slowly began to stop.
"I said something wrong! NO! I won't touch Zane, please! He has your backing I wouldn't dare-"
Hans was losing consciousness but still felt everything. It was torture.
The scarred man also had the same symptoms but due to his sheer will he didn't falter, "Kiss of Death, quite the technique. The True Underground King's personal spell, corrupts one's mana and resembles the feeling of death. Coming from him, it's still considered a lax warning."
The scarred man pierced Hans' stomach and inserted his own into him. Hans' breathing and condition started to get better and he slowly gained his ability to move his body again.
"In the end, he is still a kid, his strength could be considered sub-par but his trait is pretty terrifying. The ability to manipulate mana at will, skillful yet weak. True Underworld King, there's still hope for him to join us. Both Spirit traits, both kids, both extremely terrifying."
Hans spat out a black clump of mana, color then returned to his face. The mana that Adam inserted into Hans disappeared. The scarred man then used magic to heal Hans' stomach.
The scarred man thought to himself, if we get Zane, we might be able to haggle with the True Underworld King. We just need him to do something
"Listen very carefully, next year from today, we are to kidnap Zane. I'll talk to the tactician on how we are going we're going to do it. Prepare for when the time comes, for now, don't get close too him. Prioritize other targets."
Hans was still clutching his stomach, even though he was in pain he still had to answer to his superior, "Understood."
"Hey! You don't mind me interrupting, right?"
A man in a white lab coat appeared, he tilted his head and innocently smiled.