Chapter 38 - The Training Camp Starts
"Kenny Maxwell, Darkness and Lighting element user step forth. You earned a rare rank Erebus Dusk Bloodline, thanks to your hard efforts."
Robert handed the bottle to Kenny who received a polite wide smile. But his smile somewhat turned creepy in the eyes of Felix, who was observing his sharp jawline, short spiky dark hair, a high-bridged nose that was among his two dark eyes and his soft wide lips, which were very captivating.
His appearance was quite unique as some may think of him as handsome, while some would argue that he was subpar. Plus with his multiple personalities, it did not make this difference any easier. However, Felix only thought of his face as one that should be thrashed every day to vent on what he did in his previous life.
Kenny retreated to his position after paying respect towards the elders.
"Noah Maxwell, Ice Element user step forth. Your reward is rare rank Cryogenic Yeti Bloodline."
Robert waited until Noah reached his side, then patted his shoulder in encouragement while handing him the bottle. "As the only one in the family to have a high affinity rating, everyone has great hopes on you to reach further than the rest."
Noah nodded his head in appreciation to his words and went back to the same position, standing coldly like a piece of ice, and his visage was not making it any better, as his hair was messy sky blue, styled as an undercut, ink-black eyes with long thin eyebrows above, imposing straight nose and frosty unmoving lips, creating a deadly fine face.
Yet with his constant expressionless look, its potential had been lowered. While some might think his uncaring looks appeared cool and aloof, the majority would beg to differ, as expressions were the true decider to beauty.
"Little b.a.s.t.a.r.d, come here and get your rare rank Toxic Red Boas bloodline."
Felix approached his grandfather gleefully.
"Train properly and don"t embarra.s.s me in front of those fogies, or else my belt will be the only snake you see in your life." Robert hugged his grandson, content with how he turned out to be. If it was not for his threat, the scene would be more heartwarming.
Felix broke off from his hug and took his bottle smugly. "Old geezer, after I awaken you won"t be able to harm me with your belt even if you wanted. Your scaring techniques have already lost their effects on me."
"But you won"t awaken until two months later. I have no problem beating the s.h.i.+t out of you with my belt during this period. Who knows your pain tolerance might even increase, truly hitting two stones with one rock."
Robert instantly replied with a wide grin. Then he turned to the elders and asked for their opinion. "Do you guys agree? I believe only my techniques are enough to help him pa.s.s the pain and awaken."
" I Agree."
"He is all yours."
"Beat him well, we don"t want our top seedling to fail to awaken." The elders did not fail to disappoint as they all chimed in their own support.
"Can I watch?" Olivia asked with innocent round eyes.
Felix raised his eyebrows in irritation after seeing everyone looking at him mockingly, waiting to see his response. He stared at his grandfather"s wide grin and said sincerely, "I don"t think that is a good thing to do. Our family does not approve of favoritism. So I would rather take part in the same training program as others than to let my grandpa, a Board Elder gives me an advantage over my cousins."
He thumped his chest and said sternly, "I"m a righteous individual who condemn such actions. So I refuse to take part in it."
"tsk"
"Shameless as always."
"I guess nothing has changed during his stay on the island."
"Sigh, as long as his thuggish personality was gone, I am satisfied."
Everyone facepalmed after realizing that Felix, had not changed for the better, but improved his shameless craft even further, during his stay in the island. Too bad, they didn"t know that he spent years surviving in the UVR and SG to be as "adaptive" as he was now.
"Scram from my sight this instant." Robert lifted his leg, threatening to kick him if he didn"t leave his side.
Felix took the battle with him and returned to his position after dodging a bullet. He turned his head and gave a mysterious glint in direction of Olivia.
She flinched the moment she saw that glint. The same look he used every time he planned to prank her. She almost cried tearfully after seeing a grim future waiting for her, as no one was going to save or protect her from him after he thrashed them single-handedly.
.....
5 minutes later, all the bloodline bottles had been given to their correct owners.
Robert observed the juniors in the room with an unreadable look and said, "One last thing to mention before we officially start the training camp. The details of your bloodline are written at the back of the bottle, its history, abilities, either pa.s.sive or active, are all there. You can read them in your rooms after we finish today"s training."
"If you had any energy left to do so, that is."
He then returned to his seat, allowing Abraham to take it from where he left.
"The Training Camp has officially started!" He proclaimed loudly, the moment he grabbed the mic.
"Your first task is to use 3 minutes to deliver your bloodline bottles to your rooms and return here before the duration ends. Those who succeeded will obtain 100 merit points, while those who failed will have 100 merits deduced. If they don"t have them they will enter a merit debt."
He began explaining the merit system after seeing their confused looks. "You should all understand that during the period of training everything is going to be controlled by your merits. Your food, your water, your shower, your resources, everything needs merit to trade with it."
"We used this method, so only those who work hard to finish their tasks will earn the right to be nurtured. As for those lazy b.u.ms, you can die of hunger, and no one will care. Not even your parents."
"Worthless trash is not needed in the family." He said with a frigid uncaring tone.
Yet, the juniors showed no expression on their faces, as this was how they were taught since birth. Only by being useful to the family would they have worth in it. If not they could simply leave, no one would stop them.
After seeing that they had no questions about those arrangements, he told them to prepare for the countdown. The juniors all took a running position towards the elevators.
"Three, Two, One, Go!"
Everyone bolted towards the three elevators while holding tightly the bloodline bottles next to their chest.
They knew that those elevators won"t be able to hold all of them at once, which meant, that the slowest of the bunch would need to use the staircase to reach their rooms. But that"s quite impossible as the floor difference between the two was 15 floors.
However, it was not all fine and dandy even for those who reached the elevator first. It"s not like the rest would let them peacefully close the door in their faces.
h.e.l.l no, they might be a family but they had no qualm beating their cousin"s brutality for victory.
This resulted in a ma.s.sive battle breaking out next to the elevators.
Blood splashed everywhere, as juniors kept being kicked or punched in the face, the moment they stepped inside the elevator or tried to close the door. No one was spared, not even the females.
Before long, the madness calmed down a bit, as the weaker juniors stopped trying to fight for the elevators and went to the staircase. Even though they understood that it was a hopeless attempt, they still had to show the elders that they tried their best.
Yet the elders were not paying attention at their sympathy attempts, as they were too busy staring at Felix who never left his position, reading in concentration his bloodline details.
"Indeed, if I had this bloodline in my previous life, I would have reached the first stage of replacement at least 1 year earlier."
But now it didn"t matter much, with his capital he could buy at least Tier 4 Rare rank beast to awaken with first.
He sighed at how fate works. Before, he dreamed of resetting his life to obtain a rare rank beast to awaken with, but now the beast he dreamed about and fought for appeared like a piece of junk in his hands. He wouldn"t use it even if he was beaten to death.
"Whatever plans never go as scripted in the paper I guess. I worked my a.s.s off on the island to earn this bloodline. But in the end, I got AP Bracelet, which was even better."
"You rascal, you will be the death of me, my heart can"t take your bulls.h.i.+t anymore. You better explain why you are still here, or else I will give permission to all the parents here to beat you as revenge for their children. NOW start talking."
Robert was truly about to faint from anger. He just told him to try his best during the training camp, but here he was doing absolutely nothing, embarra.s.sing him in front of the elders and seniors.
"Grandpa you really need to relax. We can"t afford to have you die now after ways were found to treat your disease."
Worried, Felix tried to calm Robert a bit, but his words just made it even worse.
"f.u.c.k, don"t worry about me, worry about yourself, as you won"t leave this hall in one piece if you don"t say your reason."
Felix sighed and walked towards Abraham and gave him the bloodline bottle, Abraham caught it reflexively.
After seeing that it was in the elder hands, Felix shrugged his shoulders and explained his reason.
"You said before, that we can either take the bloodline with us and or hand it over to you for keepsake. Well, I honestly feel like my cousins hate my guts for some unknown reason, and I can"t leave the bloodline in my possession in this kind of environment. I worry some of them might destroy it or steal it as revenge."
He smiled innocently and added, "In this sense, I feel like the task you gave me was meaningless. As I can"t run towards my room without a bottle then returning here like a r.e.t.a.r.d."
The elders and seniors who heard his explanation had weird expressions in their faces but were somewhat convinced since everything he said was correct.
The task was for the juniors to put the bottle in their room and return. But if he had no bottle, didn"t that mean that he was simply joining in the fun for no reason?
"Sigh, it is our fault for leaving such loophole. If we knew, we would have given another task for those who want to leave their bloodline with us." Abraham sighed dejectedly after their first task in the camp went haywire.
"Well, we thought they would read the details after the training ends today. Then give us their bottles to be safeguarded. Who would have known there was a shameless person who will read the details right here, then return it to us instantly." The long-nosed Elder from the board, chuckled while eyeing Felix.
"Carter is right. We failed to add Felix"s shamelessness to the mix, but not anymore. All the next tasks will be loophole-free. I will make sure of it. Let"s see what you can do then rascal."
Robert stared stubbornly at Felix who was yawning in boredom, waiting for them to finish their verdict.