"Don't forget to call or text me. Be good, and don't get into unnecessary figt."
Standing at the door, with a suitcase, Ryu nodded obediently.
His mother's worried expression made him chuckle softly — she had probably repeated the same thing five times already.
"I know, Mom. I'll be fine," he said, smiling.
His father crossed his arms, standing behind her with a faint grin. "Listen, son. The World Academy isn't like your village training ground. It's filled with geniuses from every region. Don't go picking fights, but don't let anyone look down on you either. Understand?"
Ryu straightened, his tone respectful. "Yes, Father."
His father nodded approvingly, though Ryu could see the subtle pride behind his calm demeanor.
Meanwhile, Lia, who had been standing quietly at the side, suddenly grabbed his sleeve. Her eyes were already misty. "B-big brother… do you really have to go?"
Ryu knelt down, placing his hand on her head. "I have to, Lia. You know I want to get stronger, right? So that next time, I can protect you, Mom, and Dad."
Her lips trembled. "But… how long will you be gone?"
He smiled faintly. "Not forever. I'll come back before you know it. And when I do, I'll bring you something from the city — how about that?"
Lia sniffled and nodded, rubbing her eyes. "You promise?"
"I promise."
Just then, the faint honk of a horn echoed outside the house. The taxi had arrived.
Ryu stood, adjusting his jacket and picking up his suitcase. He turned one last time, taking in the warm image of his family
"Take care of yourselves," he said softly.
"Call us when you reach!" his mother called out.
"I will."
As he stepped into the taxi, Lia ran forward, waving frantically. "Bye, big brother! Don't forget me!"
Ryu rolled down the window, waving back with a grin. "Never!"
The car began to move, leaving behind the small house
Leaning back in his seat, he exhaled deeply. The road stretched endlessly ahead, the sky painted with the soft glow of dawn.
After twenty minutes.
Ryu arrived at the Metro station. He stepped out, stretched his body, and paid the money to the driver. He took the train to the capital which was in an hour.
'The World Academy huh..' he thought while having the view of the outside the train throught the window.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he thought of it.
After the catastrophe thousand years ago, the firsts awakened human established the institutions in the human domain to nurture future generation from the threat of foreign race, monster, and devil. As compared to earlier days where human was top at the food chain, now they were dropped to low position. But due to the strong number and some great figures they were able to live to its day.
'According to the plot, protagonist would be in limelight because of his expose talent and the prophesied hero by the Church Of The Eternal Light.'
Ryu contemplated while placing his hand on his chin.
There are many faction in the human domain but the strongest are the three organisation. Awakened Association, The church and last but not least, The Merchant Union,
Awakened Association is controlled by the government. Namely, the Human Council.
The church of the Eternal Light, they are devout believers of the Goddesses of Light Celeste.
And Merchant union, the association which take care of the trade in human domain.
And the World Academy was situtated at the capital city of the human domain. Actually there are two capital city. One, Alestria, which was situated at the heart of the Human domain and another, Arcaneum.
Arcaneum was the hub of knowledge, wisdom, and strength of the humanity.
"Sigh.."
"I just hope nothing wrong goes." he mutterd before thinking to take a nap. But suddenly the train shook.
"W-what..." Ryu exclaaimed as the train stopped suddenly.
Suddenly the train gaates open and a group of heavily armed people, probably enterd the train. They wore high tech suit with mask on their face and a alien looking weapon gun, according to Ryu.
The bulky looking bandit with a patch on one eye aand a scorpion tatoo on left hand barked at others and demanded. "hello, everyone. As you all know, this is aa robbery. So hand over all the valuable things. I dislike spilling blood if it can be done peacefully. But my my patience is limited."
Ryu was shocked to hear the bandit. As the usual bandit, he words wasn't a like one. His voice was polite but the word it contains was dangerous.
The passengers started panicking.
Ryu, internally deabatting whether to intervene or not. He was not aa hero, so he was not obliged to do that could threaten him. As he was keeping his silence and deciding not to intervene, one of the bandit went to the ten year old girl, who was clutching her mother hand.
"Boss, this woman os fine looking. Can we take her and haave some fu later." The rough looking bandit said while licking his lips and eyeing the woman with a lust filled eyes.
The woman body trembled, and she clutches her daugher hand tightly.
"Do whatever you want, but the mission come first."
The baandit leader said, not a little bit surprise. He knows this subordinate, who is lecherous but have some skills.
"Hehe..thank you boss."
Ryu, who was deciding to keep his hand down, got his expression darkened.
"Alright, I didn't want this developmentbut you left me with no choice."
While mutterring, without any hesitation, Ryu channeled his mana around his body and moved like a blur. He appeared like a ghost in front of the rough looking bandit and attacked him with his fist The bandit barely had a time to react before he saw the ounch descending on his face
CRACK!
BOOM!
A single, well placed on the center of the face, sent the bandit towards the train wall.
"What the-?!"
Before anyone of the bandit could react, Ryu moved like a ghost while intercepting the weapon of the bandit and attacking them, and disarming them.
All this happened in a very short time, and all the bandit laid on the floor. Passenger couldn't process what had happened before their eyes fell on the fogure whose fist was covered with blood.
A silence hung the air.
Then suddenly-
"Ahh!!"