Child of Destiny

…

Shin was walking leisurely toward the Research Department while thinking about the current problem that he was facing. He was quite eager to apply his new mentalism swordsmanship in the real world, but he knew that his current realm was still far from being enough for it.

He had to consult his senior as soon as possible. It would be better if Professor Henry was also around to guide him.

While he was walking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of someone. He wanted to ignore that person at first, but he could not help but get a familiar feeling from the latter.

Curious, Shin decided to walk over and see if it was someone he knew.

But as he got nearer to that person, he could not help but have some doubts since the unfamiliar silhouette was getting clearer. He was sure that he had not seen this person before.

It was at that moment when he got a closer look at the appearance of the person, he could not help but frown deeply as he became sure that he knew them. He dug deeper into his memories, trying to figure out who this person was.

At the same time, the other party seemed to be doing the same.

Then, it suddenly drew into them.

“Ah! You-…! What are you doing here!?”

“Eh!? You are that person! Are you a student here?”

Shin was able to figure out who this person was. He was ‘Diablo’ – that powerful assassin that he had fought recently during their Empire Quest at the Frozen Kingdom, who was also a former member of the Pandemonium Descendants and had a high position at that.

‘Diablo? What is he doing here?’ thought Shin as he curiously looked at the latter.

At the same time, the other party, Wade Paige was also thinking the same. ‘Isn’t this guy one of those from the Empyrean Talons? He is a student here?’

The two went silent for a moment as they observed each other. It took them quite some time to regain their composure.

“Ahem!” Shin cleared his throat before answering. “Yeah, I am a student here. And I belong to the special program.”

Shin did not feel like hiding this fact. After all, it would be easy to know which class he belonged to after a little investigation. Aside from that, the students from the special program were also quite famous within the academy, especially with the recent events that had happened recently. There was no point in hiding it.

In the meantime, Wade tried to find from his memory which class was the special program. He had been staying in this place for just a couple of days, so he was not that familiar with everything yet. But that did not mean that he was oblivious to the special classes, clubs, and other groups within the academy.

He had taken note of the most famous students, especially the ones from the Elite Clubs and other groups.

But despite all of that, he still could not find the information about the ‘special program’.

When he realized that he did not know anything about it, he gave up on thinking and just nodded his head. “I see. It is fancy meeting an in-game acquittance here.”

Shin was quite sharp as he was able to pick up a few clues from those words. He knitted and asked. “From your tone, it seems like you are not a student of the academy.”

He then looked in the direction where the other party came from and saw the World Research Center in the distance. This gave him a rough idea. “I guess you are a guest of the center?”

Wade was slightly surprised before nodding his head. “Yeah. I am helping with some research as they also assist me.”

Shin did not dig deeper into that topic as knew that it concerned the secret of the latter. He just brushed it off before extending his hand and introducing himself. “Since we have met here, we can say that it must be fate. Let’s get acquainted then – I am Shin. Shin Kinghad.”

Wade hesitated for a moment as he was not quite fond of meeting other people. But since he could not feel any hostility, nor a hidden agenda from the latter, he could not accept the handshake and introduced himself. “Wade. Wade Paige.”

Shin smiled and nodded his head. He then shifted to another topic to break off the awkward atmosphere. “It seems like you are taking a stroll. Do you have any destination in mind?”

Shin was not an extrovert himself, but he felt that he needed to get a little closer to this person, especially when he wanted to recruit him to their team. But he could not get straight to the point either since it could result in a negative effect.

He could only build a friendly relationship for the time being.

Wade thought for a moment before nodding his head. “It is quite suffocating inside, so I want to get some fresh air at the moment.”

Then an awkward silence quickly fell in between them as they could no longer think of any topic.

Shin could only sigh bitterly and was about to excuse himself and continue with his business. It was better to leave things like this rather than forcing it.

It was at that moment when the two heard a familiar voice from the side.

“Eh! Shin? Wade? What are you two doing here? And you know each other?”

The two quickly turned their heads and looked at the source of that voice.

“Hmm?”

“Eh!?”

When they recognized who it was, they simultaneously greeted back.

“Senior Benedict!”

“Sir Benedict!”

Then they paused and turned their heads at each other while wearing a questioning look. They seemed to be trying to ask if they knew Benedict.

Seeing their reaction, Benedict could not help but laugh at them as he had gotten the answer. “It seems like you really knew each other.”

Shin recovered first and nodded his head. “I become acquainted within inside the game. He is quite a strong foe.”

“But I still lost in the end,” added Wade with a bitter smile.

Benedict nodded his head. “That’s good! That’s good! Then it will not be hard for me to introduce you to each other.”

The two were caught a little off guard by those words before giving Benedict an inquiring look. They seemed to be telling him to continue and explain his words.

Benedict chuckled when he saw their reaction and explained. “Since you know each other, and even fight inside the game, then I am sure that you are aware of the strength of each other.”

“It will be better if you are aware of the secret methods that each of you have,” he added, implying something.

Shin immediately picked up and realized what Benedict was trying to say. “Are you talking about my ‘Reality Manifestation’ and his own version of it?”

Benedict smiled and replied. “You can’t exactly say that it is his own version since the ‘Hyperactive Immersion’ was first discovered way before.”

He then paused for a moment before nodding his head. “But it is also not wrong to say it that way since his ‘Hyperactive Immersion’ is indeed a little different from the regular ones. However, it is just a byproduct of that secret method and the personal skill that he has created.”

Wade became a little uncomfortable when he heard Benedict disclosing his secret to other people.

But Benedict was not that oblivious either. He knew that this secret was something that Wade wanted to hide from the others, but he also knew that they could not hide it from Shin due to the plans that Professor Henry prepared for him.

Benedict turned to Wade and explained. “You don’t have to feel too uncomfortable about it. This secret will be disclosed to this junior sooner or later. After all, Professor Henry is planning to have you spar with each other as a form of your training.”

He then paused for a moment as he thought of something before continuing. “This junior is one of the most skilled players that you can find out there, especially since he is the first person to unlock the secret method of ‘Reality Manifestation’.”

“He is also becoming a master of it, so you can’t find any better sparring partner than him.”

“Oh! Of course, aside from those monster friends that he has,” he added after remembering about Arthur, Leonard, and the rest of the gang.

He then turned back to Shin as he continued. “Professor Henry wants to gather more data about these secret methods and do some research.”

“Not only it will help us resolve his problems, especially his health and physical problems,” he said while pointing at Wade. “…-but it can also help us improve your state in battle, maximizing your combat capabilities while using it while also minimizing the drawbacks that come with it.”

The two fell silent for a couple of moments before nodding their heads.

Seeing that they finally calmed down, Benedict suddenly asked. “So, where are the two of you going?”

“I am just here for a stroll and fresh air,” Wade replied instantly.

It was at that moment when Shin remembered his initial plan. “Oh! That is right! I am planning to head to our ‘hideout’ and consult senior about something.”

Benedict nodded to Wade before tuning to Shin. He then squinted his eyes as he activated his ocular technique to observe his junior before shaking his head. “It seems like you have broken through once again.”

“You have already mastered the two breathing techniques and the innate attributes under them? Tsk! Tsk! You sure are a monster.”

“Let’s go to the lab and test your limits again. I feel that you will give the professor a heart attack if you continue growing this fast,” he said before turning to Wade and extending an invitation. “Do you want to come with us?”

“You don’t have to feel any burden or anything else since the Professor will bring you to our department sooner or later anyway.”

“You can’t continue staying in the research center since your case is a personal project of the professor and not an official one. He will bring you to our department to avoid any conflicts that may arise in the future,” he added, explaining the current situation.

Wade knew about this. He was aware that Professor Henry was only doing this because of the requests of the professor’s old friends in the field.

Since it was an individual project of the professor, it would be better to conduct the research and experiments in his personal laboratory rather than using the facilities of the World Research Center.

Thinking about this, Wade could only nod his head and follow the two.

It was at that moment when Benedict suddenly remembered something. “Oh! Yeah, Wade. I just remember. Have you finally found a martial manual that is suited for you?”

Hearing those words, Shin’s ears could not help but perk up as he listened attentively. ‘Martial manuals?’

Wade hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “I have yet to find one that perfectly suited my style. Moreover, it is quite hard to find the grade that Professor Henry requires.”

He thought for a moment before continuing. “There are quite a few martial manuals available to auction houses and trading channels, but their quality is quite poor. The professor says that it will be a waste to learn those unless they are a full series that can evolve through time.”

“There are quite a few high-quality ones that I have found through my special channels, but none of them are for assassination or any style that fits my skill set. Learning them too will be a waste as they can only damage my foundation.”

Hearing that, Benedict could only pursed his lips and shook his head. “Forget it. There is no need to rush. I hear that the current stage of the game is already quite high, so those top-quality manuals will appear sooner or later.”

“But you must pick the best quality since it can help you develop not only inside the game but also here in the world. It is better to be prudent rather than foolishly picking one.”

In the meantime, Shin, who was quietly listening to them, could not help but grin in secret.

This was a perfect opportunity for them to lure Diablo to their side. He had to play his cards right so that everything would be perfect.

…