029 THE SILVER HAIRED GIRL
Few noticed what happened next as Lukas' cyclone engulfed the entire arena. Even Principal Misk removed his glasses to get a clearer view.
A scream cut through the chaos. Someone had been hurled toward the stage, his body bloodied, his bones clearly broken. The principal's eyes widened in recognition.
It wasn't Damen Dark. It was Lukas.
"Lukas! Are you alright? Call the paramedics!" the principal shouted worriedly.
But the cyclone continued its course, raging violently across the arena. When it finally dissipated, only one figure remained in its center.
Silence fell on everyone.
Damen stood unscathed, calm and steady, while Lukas lay wounded on the ground.
"How… how did he withstand that cyclone?" a student murmured, awe-struck. "Even from here, I can feel its force pulling at me."
"He even injured Lukas… a G-Rank!" another whispered.
"Looks like just one move—one punch—and Lukas was done," a third added.
Damen ignored their murmurs, whether praise or criticism. He walked to the stage, stepping past the battered Lukas, and approached Zairgid, raising his palms expectantly.
"Come on… come on," he urged.
"Here's your money," Zairgid said, handing over all the Aur cards he had collected earlier as wagers. Damen had won them fair and square.
As they descended the stage together, Zairgid couldn't help but ask, "I've been wondering… how did you escape the cyclone and smack that bastard?"
Damen smiled. "A cyclone's strength spreads across its area. The larger it is, the more power it demands. At Lukas' level, his skill isn't overwhelming. I just needed to Bull Smash through the cyclone and knock him out of the ring."
"Seriously? That easy?" Zairgid admitted. "Even I wouldn't beat Lukas so fast."
"Don't worry… you won't be fighting me," Damen replied.
"Your slam charge may be strong but to be able to…", Zairgid asked shocked but Damen didn't reply to him.
Zairgid was right—no ordinary Shield Charge could have wounded Lukas so severely. What Damen used was only a Slam Charge, and usually Lukas' body was strong enough to endure it. He wouldn't be as badly wounded as he was.
But as Lukas was hurled through the air, Damen acted quickly. He pulled out his phone and began Acquiring.
One by one, he siphoned Lukas' Strength, Meta, Command, and even Charm.
The cumulative shock of having all his powers stolen at once was what truly shattered him. The Slam Charge alone might have staggered Lukas—but it was Damen's Acquisition that broke him completely.
"Right… I better not get into a fight with you," Zairgid muttered to himself before his face changed completely.
"So… where should we go now?" Zairgid asked.
Damen paused, then smirked. "You mentioned a place with pretty chicks, didn't you?"
"Ha! You came to the right person," Zairgid replied, slinging an arm over Damen's shoulder.
Together, they disappeared toward the horizon.
Principal Misk watched them go. Orientation was ruined, the students were restless, but Damen had left a lasting impression on him.
"Who is this boy? His potential cannot be underestimated", the principal thought, before turning back to attend to Lukas. "There will be a lot to explain to the Veyran family during Parent-Teacher discussions…"
------
Damen's eyes widened as he realized where Zairgid had brought him.
The Black Owl. The premier entertainment outlet in Melrose City.
This was the same place where he stole Charm points from the Sneaker band.
Zairgid led him into a VIP room. A massive glass panel looked down onto the dance floor below. Plush sofas lined the walls, and a giant entertainment screen dominated one side of the room.
"Have you been here before, buddy?" Zairgid asked.
"Yes… once," Damen replied casually.
"I knew it," Zairgid smirked. "People like you value Meta scores first, everything else second. I'll be surprised if you come here often. Me? I'm practically a regular."
Damen tilted his head. "And what exactly do you value, my friend?"
Zairgid hesitated, his gaze drifting. "It's complicated. I've never wanted for anything… except for the things I can't have."
Damen didn't press. Zairgid was complicated enough already.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Ah… here come the girls," Zairgid said but his words were cut off as a woman barreled into him, smashing his face.
He toppled backward onto the sofa, screaming. "Who the hell?!"
"It's me—Solana!" the girl shouted.
Damen raised an eyebrow. "Ex-girlfriend, probably?"
"Solana, we parted on good terms… why are you hitting me?" Zairgid asked, rubbing his face.
"It's my cousin… Lukas! You had a hand in what happened to him! He's in a coma!" Solana screamed.
Zairgid raised his hands in surrender. "I had nothing to do with that!"
"Lukas' friend said you took money from him!" she shot back.
"It was the wager! I was asked by Lukas to keep the wager. Nothing more," Zairgid protested.
Solana raised her hand to strike again when Damen intervened.
"It was I who defeated Lukas," he said calmly. "Lukas challenged me. He got exactly what he asked for."
Solana spun toward him, her eyes wide. "You? It was you?" She stared at Damen, shocked. "I've never seen you before. Since when does a stranger appear in Melrose City who can defeat Lukas?"
"What, you want a piece of me too?" Damen asked.
"Outside! Now!" Solana screamed, stepping forward.
"If you want to fight, fight me here—on the sofa," Damen replied with a grin, giving Zairgid a high-five.
"How dare you disrespect me!" Solana shouted. She was about to unleash her meta skill when another voice interrupted from the doorway.
"Stop it, Solana," said a second girl.
She stepped inside.
She was tall, slim, perfectly proportioned, silver hair flowing to her waist, with large, rounded eyes, and flawless features.
"Ooooo…."
Damen was awed by her charm and instinctively pulled out his phone and scanned her.
Name: Eryn Veyran
Rank: F
Strength: 19 | Charm: 21 | Meta: 36 | Command: 33
Damen read the stats and raised an eyebrow in surprise. This girl is a Rank F, a whole rank higher than him, and she didn't seem much older than him.
"Hey, this is not the time to be photographing cute girls," Zairgid scolded.
Damen didn't reply. He slipped his phone away and picked up a fruit from the table, taking a casual bite.
"Hey, you… don't ignore us!" Solana shouted.
"Don't scream," Damen said, sipping from his glass. "We booked this room. You're the intruders here."
"Sorry for the interruption," the silver-haired girl Eryn stepped forward. "But I need to ask… was it really you who wounded my cousin Lukas?"
"Yes," Damen replied plainly.
"That's impossible!" Eryn exclaimed. "Lukas was wounded by a powerful psychic attack. You don't have the rank to use such a skill—and you're not even a psychic."
"Psychic attack? What do you mean?" Damen asked, a flicker of concern crossing his mind.