A sleek black car suddenly pulled up in front of our house. A tall, blond man in his mid-30s stepped out and waved at me.

The night before my departure to the US, I had received an email from my grandfather’s friend, Andrei Eisenhawk:

"Good day, Asriel. I hope you're doing well. I've asked my son, Seth, to escort you safely to the US. He will pick you up at 2:00 PM from your house. I hope you have a safe trip. Godspeed.

– Andrei Eisenhawk."

With my parents having already packed my things, I was simply waiting for Seth to arrive when the car appeared. Mom and Dad had shared everything they wanted to say the night before, after I had already bid farewell to my twin siblings.

"You must be Asriel," the man said.

"Yes," I replied.

"I'm Seth Eisenhawk, Andrei’s son.

Nice to meet you, Asriel. You can call me Uncle Seth," he greeted.

"My dad probably mentioned that I’d be the one escorting you to the US," he added.

"He did," I confirmed.

"Are you all set?"

"Just a moment, I’d like to say goodbye to my parents one last time," I replied.

After placing my luggage in the car, I turned back to my parents, who stood a few meters away.

"I'll be going now, Mom, Dad," I said.

"Take care of yourself, son," Dad said.

"Don’t forget to check in with us at least once a week," Mom added.

"I will," I assured them.

"Make sure to come back, Riel," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I will be back home," I promised with a smile as both my parents embraced me one last time.

Uncle Seth opened the passenger door for me, and as I closed it behind me, I saw my parents waving goodbye.

"You okay?" Uncle Seth asked.

"I'm okay," I replied.

The drive to the airport took about an hour.

When we arrived, the car pulled up near a small private plane where several military personnel stood waiting.

As I stepped out, they saluted us before we boarded.

"You seem pretty calm for a kid, especially for someone traveling so far from home," Uncle Seth remarked as I settled into my seat.

"I won’t lie… I’m a little bit excited. My grandpa told me so many great stories about the US," I admitted.

"I see… you really are the Sword Saint’s grandson," he said with a smirk.

A military flight attendant soon approached and asked for my meal preferences.

"An iced coffee milk and some cookies would be great," I replied.

She smiled and turned to Uncle Seth for his order.

A few minutes later, she returned and set my snack on the table.

"Thanks!" I said politely.

"If you need anything else, just press that green button," she informed me before moving on.

"Did you enjoy your snack, Asriel?" Uncle Seth asked.

"I did. It was great. And you can just call me Riel, Uncle Seth," I replied.

He nodded before continuing. "About your education, Dad decided you’ll be continuing your studies at a military school."

I blinked. "A military school?"

"Don’t worry. You’ll still learn everything you would in a normal school, just with a bit of extra military training," he assured me.

"Great," I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I believed him.

The flight lasted about twelve hours.

Though I managed to sleep a bit, I also enjoyed the food and Uncle Seth’s company.

When we landed, I checked my watch, it’s 3:32 AM. But when I looked outside, the bright sunlight and the sharp angle of the tree shadows suggested it was actually a few hours past noon.

The drastic time difference made me realize just how far from home I really was.

"We're here, Riel," Uncle Seth said, extending a hand to help me up.

"Thanks," I replied, grasping his hand.

"I know you’re still tired, but my dad wants to see you as soon as you arrive," he said.

"It’s fine. Let’s go meet Old Man Drei," I said as we disembarked.

"Welcome to UNION’s main headquarters, Riel," Andrei Eisenhawk greeted us.

A few military officers saluted Uncle Seth as we approached.

"Welcome home, Dad," a young girl with blue eyes and blond hair said with a smile, resembling both Uncle Seth and Old Man Drei.

"Is he really that strong for Dad to personally bring him here?" the girl asked.

"Sorry, Riel, she’s just a little upset," Uncle Seth said before introducing her. "This is my daughter, Diana Eisenhawk."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Diana. I’m Asriel Sanchez," I greeted politely.

She studied me intently before suddenly turning to her grandfather. "Grandpa, can I test his abilities first?"

"But he just arrived, and Asriel is still tired from the long trip," Uncle Seth pointed out.

"Aren’t you curious about his capabilities, Dad?" Diana pressed.

Uncle Seth let out a sigh before admitting, "I am, but Asriel needs time to rest."

"It’s fine, Uncle Seth," I interjected. "What do I need to do?"

"Hmm… I’ll acknowledge you if you can defeat at least five of our strongest soldiers," Diana challenged.

The soldiers escorting Old Man Drei shot me evaluating looks, clearly assessing my potential.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Alright," I agreed. "But if I pass, you have to spend a day giving me a tour around the base."

"Deal," she smirked. "But I’ll be your final opponent."

"Seems like you two have already come to an agreement," Old Man Andrei chuckled.

"Let’s head to the training area."

As we arrived at the venue, I took a moment to size up my opponents.

They were quite tall, muscular, and radiated the kind of presence that warned people not to mess with them.

Compared to them, It wasn’t exactly like David against Goliath, but it felt more like Goliath versus one of the Seven Dwarfs.

After a short ride in a military vehicle, we reached the training grounds.

"We’re here!" Old Man Drei announced.

As we stepped onto the field, I noticed even more soldiers gathered around, likely intrigued by the challenge.

I removed my glasses as I approached my first opponent, a towering six-foot-tall man packed with muscle.

"What kind of fight are we doing?" I asked.

"Hand-to-hand combat," the burly man replied.

"Alright," I said simply.

"Get him, Bruno!" Diana cheered.

"Bruno, don’t underestimate him, or you’ll regret it," Old Man Drei warned.

The moment the fight began, Bruno lunged at me, throwing a powerful right hook as he closed in.

To his shock, I caught his punch with my left palm and countered with a swift right palm strike to his abdomen.

A second later, he was sent flying a few meters away, unconscious.

A stunned silence fell over the spectators.

"So, who’s next?" I asked.

"What… just happened?" Diana blurted out.

"I forgot to mention," Old Man Drei said with a chuckle. "Asriel is also a blessed child."

"Ehhh?!" Diana exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.

The remaining four officers hesitated, and soon after, they backed away while medics rushed in to carry Bruno to the infirmary.

"Why are you all backing out?" I asked.

"Because they know what a blessed child is capable of," Uncle Seth said, glancing at Diana.

"They spar with my daughter daily, but none of them have ever seen Bruno taken out with a single strike," he added.

"So, are you still planning to challenge him, Dia?" Old Man Drei asked.

"Asriel, you win if you manage to survive this," Diana said before suddenly firing seven bullets from her sidearm.

Just like before, I saw the bullets moving in slow motion. After analyzing their trajectory, I remained completely still.

All seven bullets hit the ground, missing me entirely.

"How the hell did you know I wasn’t going to hit you?" Diana demanded.

"The bullets told me," I replied, my bright purple eyes meeting hers.

"The Cursed Eyes of Perception," Old Man Drei murmured.

I slipped my glasses back on.

"You passed, Asriel," he announced.

"Passed what, exactly?" I asked politely.

"I’ll explain later," he said.

"But first, let’s get something to eat. Asriel hasn’t had a meal in over six hours," Uncle Seth pointed out.

Just then, a beautiful woman approached and handed me two sandwiches wrapped in wax paper along with a cold soda.

"Mom!" Diana exclaimed, walking over to her.

"Dia, I know your grandpa asked for your help, but shooting Asriel was a bit excessive," Diana’s mother said before turning to me and offering another sandwich along with an orange juice.

"It’s not like I aimed to hit him, I just did what Grandpa said," Diana huffed, shifting the blame.

"Ah… My bad," Old Man Drei admitted.

"But this confirms it, you are both a blessed child and a bearer of cursed eyes," he added.

"Diana also has cursed eyes, though they work differently from yours," her mother explained.

"She can see the movements of people and objects a few seconds into the future," she continued.

"I named it the Cursed Eyes of Premonition," Old Man Drei stated.

"Then why was she surprised that the bullets didn’t hit me?" I asked.

"Your cursed eyes probably overpowered hers. That’s my theory," Diana’s mother replied.

"You’re saying his cursed eyes are stronger than mine?" Diana asked, frowning.

"Most likely. That’s the only explanation I can think of for now," her mother answered.

"Anyway, Asriel won. And if I recall, you promised to give him a tour of the base tomorrow," Uncle Seth reminded Diana.

"Fine, I will," she agreed.

After our afternoon snack, Old Man Drei took me to his office to handle some paperwork.

"Should I call you Commander Andrei?" I asked as he sorted through the documents.

"You can call me whatever you like, Riel. But when we’re in front of military officials, 'Commander Andrei' would be best," he said.

"I’m assigning you as a member of Genesis," he added.

"Genesis?" I repeated.

"It’s a secret unit tasked with protecting and retrieving relics," he explained.

"I see. So, when do I start retrieving relics?" I asked jokingly.

"Not just yet, Riel. First, you need proper training," he replied with a knowing smile.

"I see. So, I guess that’s everything. I was just wondering, where will I be staying?" I asked, still holding onto my baggage.

Before Old Man Drei could respond, Uncle Seth walked in. "Dad, let me show Riel to the place he’ll be staying," he offered.

"Thanks, son. I’ll leave him in your hands," Old Man Drei replied.

As we walked, Uncle Seth suddenly spoke up.

"Sorry about what happened this afternoon. My dad and my daughter got a little too excited to see what you could do," he said with a slight chuckle.

"It’s okay. I know they didn’t mean any harm," I replied.

"Besides, I feel like I didn’t even get to show much."

"There’s no need to feel bad about that," he reassured me.

"I’m sure everyone will see your full potential soon enough”, he added.

We continued walking down the hall.

"I hope you and my daughter get along. She can be a bit boyish and childish at times, but once you get to know her, I’m sure you two will be good friends," he added.

"I think so too," I said with a small nod.

After a few minutes, we arrived in front of a three-story, apartment-style building.

"This is where you’ll be staying," Uncle Seth said as we stepped inside.

"Your room is on the second floor", he added.

As we climbed the stairs, a young man around my age approached us.

"And this guy will be your roommate," Uncle Seth continued, gesturing toward him.

"I’m Nikola Fischer," the young man introduced himself, shaking my hand.

"Asriel Sanchez. Nice to meet you, Nikola," I replied.

"I’ll show him to his room, Commander Seth," Nikola suddenly offered.

"Thanks. I’ll be heading out then," Uncle Seth said before leaving.

Once he was gone, Nikola turned to me with a curious expression. "You must be pretty important for a commander to personally show you your room."

"Not really," I said, shaking my head.

"You can call me Niko," he offered.

"Then you can call me Riel," I replied with a small smile.

Niko took a few minutes to show me around the first floor, which served as both a lobby and a mess hall.

"This is our room," he said as he pushed open the door.

The room was about six meters long, with two beds on either side, leaving a couple of meters of aisle space in between.

Two study tables and chairs were neatly placed near the walls.

"Is the left bed okay for you?" Niko asked.

"It’s actually bigger than my old one," I replied, setting my bags down.

"So, where are you from, Riel?" he asked out of the blue.

I was about to answer when I suddenly remembered Uncle Seth’s advice to keep most of my personal information private.

Sensing my hesitation, Niko rephrased his question. "Sorry, I wasn’t specific enough. What continent are you from?"

"I’m from Asia," I answered.

His eyes lit up. "Do you play Arcadia Online?" he asked excitedly.

"I’ve played a bit," I admitted.

"Then do you know Swordmaster Leirsa?" he asked eagerly.

I paused before answering. "Yeah, I know him."

"Why do you ask?" I said, slightly curious.

"You see, I participated in the recent Cross-Server Battle Royale a few days ago just to fight him," he said.

"But Avalon took me out before I even got the chance," he added with a sigh.

I didn’t realize I was well-known even here in the U.S.

"Is Swordmaster Leirsa really that famous?" I asked, intrigued.

"Of course! He’s the strongest Swordmaster in Arcadia Online," Niko declared.

"Do you plan on playing Arcadia while you’re here?" he asked.

"I might, once I’ve settled in," I replied.

"Makes sense. Let’s play together once you’ve adjusted," he said.

"We will," I agreed as I started setting up my bed.

A few minutes later, exhaustion finally caught up to me, pulling me into a deep sleep.