'Having a system comes with a lot of perks. The old me would have succumbed at once like the rest of these people, but now? Nothing happened. This is insane.'
Axel could see that his system wasn't just a fancy looking screen that popped up every now and then, it was something real, something that affected his biology.
He could see that now, and that also meant there was a lot more the system had to offer him. He just needed to keep leveling up to find out.
Not long ago, he had doubted that he would actually gain an ability once he reached level two. But when he was tested by Cross earlier at his apartment complex, his doubts began to fade. What had just happened now proved it even more, he didn't fall asleep like the others.
'I wonder what else I could resist. There are people who can control people, bend others into submission… I'm pretty sure I can resist the. as well.'
Axel was right. The pathogen delivered by the Algos had awakened a vast range of superhuman abilities. Some of these powers were considered the most elite, and the wielders of such abilities went on to form Empires, factions powerful enough to shape the world's future.
One of these Empires was ruled by a household of mind controllers, and with his resistance to certain things, Axel was starting to feel a little cocky.
He lifted his head to take a look at their current location. Peeking through the window, he saw that they were in the middle of nowhere.
There was nothing outside, just endless stretches of barren land for hundreds of miles. He hadn't paid much attention to the road earlier, otherwise, he would've noticed just how far they had traveled outside the city.
Sergeant Cross muttered something to the operator again and Axel watched as the man pressed a few buttons. The vehicle began to vibrate violently, and then, like clockwork, it stopped.
Axel took another glance outside. To his surprise, they were no longer surrounded by desert emptiness, they were somewhere else entirely. It was as of they had teleported. This transport vehicle could apparently teleport.
'Transport vehicle, huh? Yeah… I can see that now. That makes sense'
Almost immediately, groans filled the bus as everyone began waking from their slumber. Some clutched their heads, while others mumbled in confusion, asking where they were.
A few panicked, thinking they had been kidnapped, but Sergeant Cross was quick to calm them down.
"We've arrived at the school," he announced. "We had to take some security measures to keep the school's location unknown. We can't have you lot running off when things get too hard now, can we?" He grinned.
Rick had woken up too, rubbing his eyes like someone waking from a deep, peaceful nap.
"Now, get off the bus and head inside," Cross ordered. "Welcome to the Oval Academy."
****
The Oval Academy was one of the most prestigious schools in the entire colony. There were other, smaller academies where students were sent once they reached a certain age, but most people chose the Oval Academy because of its reputation, or rather, because it was free, fully funded by the government and the world leaders.
There were a total of eight colonies across what remained of the world. After the first war devastated the planet, nations crumbled, and the old world divided itself into these colonies.
Every student, once they reached the age of sixteen, was required to begin four years of training at either a private or public academy, depending on their background. Everyone was expected to fight for their planet.
Those without abilities, of course, were sent to the Collectors Academy, which would have been Axel's fate… until he acquired his system.
***
"Your training will begin soon, but first, you will be given a brief tour of the school. After that, you'll all make your way to the administration office to get cleared. Is that understood?" Sergeant Cross's voice boomed, loud and commanding enough for everyone to hear.
Beside him stood a woman clad in the standard Oval Corp uniform. She adjusted her glasses and stepped forward with a professional smile.
"Hi, I'm June. I'll be your tour guide for the day. If you would, please follow me," she said, and the tour began.
The academy grounds were alive with activity. Old students moved to and fro, dressed in different uniforms and camouflage gear. The center of attention, however, was clearly the group of new arrivals taking their first tour.
"First, we have the arena," June announced as they stopped at the edge of a massive underground structure. "This arena spans over twenty thousand square meters and can seat up to nine thousand people."
A few gasps escaped some of the students.
Regardless, they continued walking for a few more minutes before arriving at a large building.
"Here we have the library," June continued. "Note that the library is divided into sections for each of the four student years. You'll receive more information once you get your library card."
The tour went on for a while longer. They had walked more than five hundred meters when Axel suddenly received a system message.
[Daily Milestone Complete: Walk 500 meters.]
[Reward Received: +5 EXP]
[EXP: 60/100]
Axel smiled in quiet satisfaction. Each mission he completed brought him closer to reaching level two. Rick, who was silently walking beside him, noticed Axel smiling at seemingly nothing, staring into thin air with that strange, distant look.
He thought Axel was weird… but then again, who was he to judge?
Eventually, the tour came to an end, and the new arrivals were being escorted to the testing field.
Axel wanted to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible. He still needed to find his sister and tell her everything.
"Alright everyone, it's time for the test that will determine how strong you are," Sergeant Cross announced. "Do your best and make sure you get a good score, your life in this school depends on it."
The way Cross said those words made Axel frown. It was clear that there was some sort of hierarchy here, a system where the strong preyed on the weak. It made sense though. That was the kind of world he lived in.
"First batch, move to the testing tube!" Cross barked, calling out a few names, five to be exact. The five chosen students stepped forward and entered a glass dome.
Cross gave them quick instructions on how to take the test, and after confirming that they were ready, he sealed the dome shut.
A moment later, a red glow enveloped the entire structure making it impossible to see what was going on inside.
The test had started.