Ch. 36..40: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 36-40

Chapter 36: She’s Weak

"Wow, karma’s really hit hard, huh, @Jorath? Enjoying getting smacked around?" Claude posted this with some flashy effects in the group chat of their class.

When everyone started asking what was up, he filled them in on the details.

"I saw him all bruised and being taken to the monitoring room. Got curious and asked around. Turns out, he got beaten up!" Claude even shared a clip of Jorath being dragged into a small grove.

The chat blew up with comments.

"Who did Jorath tick off? Is this that ’evil meets its match’ thing happening?"

"Dude, this is NMA. With Jorath’s attitude, it’s a wonder he hasn’t been beaten up sooner. Thought he was still acting tough on Elden Prime."

"If he were on Elden Prime, he’d be worse off! Only Erin and Kail from the Shedd family can act like that; he’s nothing."

"Erin’s my idol, but the Shedd family isn’t all that on Elden Prime anymore. They don’t have many standout heirs."

"Come on, Erin has dual superpowers; that’s pretty impressive. And Kail’s the top graduate from EPMA this year."

The conversation shifted from roasting Jorath to talking about the Shedd family, a well-known military family with a history spanning over two centuries. Old Shedd’s recent promotion to Vice Admiral only made them more influential among these military students.

Meanwhile, Lyra lightly tapped her light screen, reading as they discussed Ansel and Erin’s achievements. Her eyes were deep, reflecting on the future.

Though she had kept her distance from Elden Prime, she knew their paths might cross again. She imagined her grandfather’s and cousin’s faces when that happened, all while staring out at the stars.

The next day, Jorath, now treated, showed up at the assembly ground right on time. He noticed Claude, Zinnia, and a few others smirking at him. But skipping and imagining what they’d say behind his back would be even worse.

"Jorath, I talked with my boss. You can take it easy today," Webber said, noticing how pale Jorath looked.

’It’s just a minor injury,’ He thought, if someone like Lyra, who was often sick, could keep training, then so could he.

"If you insist, don’t quit halfway. If you can’t keep up, you’ll lose credits."

"Got it."

"Join the formation."

As Jorath stepped back into line, he caught Lyra smiling and raising her fist. A wave of anger hit him. Ignoring the setup, he pushed through to confront her, shouting, "It was you last night, wasn’t it?!"

It had to be her. Who else hated him enough? And judging by the small size of his attacker, he was even more convinced.

Lyra coughed and replied, "What are you talking about?"

"Where were you last night?" Jorath accused, pointing at her. "The person who attacked me was short, so it must’ve been you!"

Lyra raised her dark, thin eyebrows in surprise. "You’re saying you got beat up last night, and you think it was me?" She looked delicate, her pale face flushing from coughing.

She seemed so weak next to the tall young man, like a single punch from him could bring her to tears.

"It was definitely you!"

"Enough!" Zinnia finally stepped in, pushing Jorath back. "Look at Lyra. Does she seem like she could beat you up? It’d be a miracle if you didn’t kill her instead!"

Mandy nodded enthusiastically. Despite Lyra’s tough and intimidating demeanor, she didn’t seem physically strong—possibly even weaker than Mandy herself.

Claude, arms crossed, scoffed, "I always knew this guy was a coward, only good for picking on girls." He shot a quick glance at the aloof Lyra, blushing when she caught his eye. "Lyra looks so delicate; she doesn’t seem like she could put up a fight."

Thierry, Claude’s roommate, usually agreed with him on most things. But this time, he wasn’t so sure. He recalled his cousin once saying, "Don’t underestimate her." When he looked at Lyra now, he realized that she did seem easy to underestimate.

The others, including Webber, seemed to agree. Webber had seen Jorath’s injuries the night before, and they didn’t seem like something Lyra could’ve done.

Noticing Jorath getting angrier, Webber frowned and said, "Jorath, either head back to the medical room or return to the team right away! Falsely accusing someone could get you a warning."

"I..." Jorath glared at Lyra, his eyes dark and cold like a deep pool. He knew it had to be her, but he had no proof. Frustrated and angry, he snapped, "We’ll see about this!"

Everyone rolled their eyes, but Jorath ignored them. He was set on getting back at her.

The damage to his joints wasn’t healing quickly, and the next two days of weighted long runs were torture. Being part of the Shedd family meant that losing credits in pre-training would lead to punishment at home, so he gritted his teeth and pushed through. The joint pain kept him awake at night.

The housekeeper on Planet Nagano, informed by Freida, arranged for a healing pod to be sent so Jorath could sleep better. His roommates were jealous, which gave him some comfort.

In the second week of pre-training, Webber switched up the schedule.

Mornings were now dedicated to combat techniques, while afternoons focused on standard military equipment, including mecha piloting.

"Even though I’ll teach you set moves, in real combat, your habits, strength, and flexibility will help shape your unique style," Webber explained in the training room. "You need to practice until your muscles remember better than your brain; that’s the first step."

Everyone lined up against the wall as Webber stood in the center, explaining the techniques. He then turned to Thierry, saying, "Next, we’ll start learning. Head Student Thierry, help me demonstrate."

Webber, a former commander, was a great teacher. He clearly explained force techniques and grappling moves, demonstrating each one before having everyone practice.

The last hour was spent finding similarly sized opponents to practice agility with.

"Today’s goal is simple: successfully execute these moves," Webber instructed.

Mandy, who had never done anything like this before, often needed extra practice. This made her already shaky confidence even lower. She looked at her practice partner, concerned. "Did you get it, Lyra?"

Immediately regretting asking, Mandy thought her roommate didn’t seem too capable either. Lyra grabbed her arm, "You’ll get it with practice. Let’s start."

BANG!

Chapter 37: Practice Makes Perfect

Mandy landed on a soft mat, so the fall didn’t hurt too much. Still, she felt a bit dazed; Lyra moved so quickly that Mandy couldn’t react as their instructor had shown them.

"Are you okay?" Lyra reached out a hand, thinking she hadn’t hit too hard, and why Mandy wasn’t getting up.

Lyra had always been strong, even as a kid. Her mom would tell stories of how, at just two years old, she could punch her dad’s nose hard enough to make it bleed. Even wooden toys didn’t stand a chance and would break quickly; she had to stick with metal ones.

Although the Soul Spikes had weakened Lyra’s body to almost normal human levels, her superpower still gave her bursts of intense energy. She hadn’t sparred with a beginner like Mandy before and worried she might have overdone it.

"I’m... fine." Mandy grabbed her hand and stood up, hesitating as she glanced at Lyra. "Have you trained before?"

"Yes."

Mandy fumbled for words after that short response, then stammered, "I see. I heard Voidstar is pretty chaotic. You’d probably get bullied if you hadn’t trained."

"It’s okay," Lyra said, taking a step back. "Let’s continue."

Mandy nodded and tried to throw Lyra by grabbing her arm, but it was like trying to move a mountain. She thought Lyra couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds.

Mandy herself could easily lift a hover bike.

Lyra sighed, swept Mandy’s heel, and gently put her on her back again.

Webber, watching the students practice, walked over and asked, "Do you want to switch partners?"

The skill level between the two was too different; Lyra wasn’t getting any practice.

Mandy, always attuned to others’ feelings, immediately felt nervous. She was sure she was doing something wrong and that Webber was unhappy with her.

"No need. She’s doing fine."

Lyra preferred keeping things simple; fewer words meant fewer complications. Webber didn’t push the issue and looked at the blonde girl, who seemed touched. "Then teach her more."

"Okay."

Helping a classmate is basic kindness; it helps everyone get along better. To Mandy, this meant her roommate was nice despite her cold exterior. "You’re so nice, Lyra. I thought everyone from Voidstar would be hard to get along with."

Lyra gave her a puzzled look. ’Girl, you’re generalizing a lot, but fair enough.’

"You have to believe, there are no good people on Voidstar," said Lyra.

Not far away, Jorath had been eavesdropping.

Suddenly, he felt inspired. ’That’s right, this woman from Voidstar No.2 might have some secrets.’ He decided to dig into her background.

Mecha piloting is a big part of military school grades, with strict requirements even in pre-training.

For a bunch of beginners, the school wasn’t about to let them use real mechas, but they had plenty of mecha simulation rooms set up for practice.

When the group entered the simulation room, it was like stepping into a real mecha cockpit. Everything—from the control panels to the seats—was an exact replica.

"The cockpit in front of you is a one-to-one replica of the D-class humanoid mecha, the most commonly used type in the military. Once you get the hang of it, you can try other types of mechas..."

In the Alliance, there are tons of mecha simulation games, almost all of these young recruits had tried them.

The cubicles soon filled with excited chatter.

Webber chuckled a bit. The students were so pumped just by being in the simulation cockpits; they’d probably faint if they got to pilot a real mecha. However, when it came time for the actual mecha exams, they might not be so eager to see these machines again.

"Alright, get familiar with the buttons... Hey, who said you could mess with the buttons in cockpit number five?!" Webber’s voice blasted through the speaker, startling everyone.

Lyra quietly turned down the volume, carefully running her fingers over the levers and controls in front of her.

It had been a while since she last used a military mecha.

Once Webber finished his instructions, the students began practicing the various commands on the control panels.

They started with the basics like moving, raising arms, shooting, and jumping. Later, they’d learn more complex moves and how to use the levers and power sticks together.

With over fifty different commands to learn, the students’ initial excitement quickly faded.

The gap between those who had some practice and those who’d only played games became obvious. During daily assessments, some struggled to complete tasks, while others aced them, earning perfect scores from the system.

...

At dinner, Mandy poked at her food, feeling down as she looked around at her three roommates. They had all scored perfectly, while she barely scraped by and needed extra practice.

"I have a date, so I need to head back to the dorm to shower," Vivian said, leaving quickly. She’d recently hit it off with a senior and didn’t have time to help Mandy out.

With her best friend gone, Mandy felt overwhelmed and couldn’t bring herself to ask for help.

"Mandy, why aren’t you eating?" Zinnia asked. From her own experiences, she couldn’t quite grasp Mandy’s anxiety over mecha grades.

"Zinnia, could you come practice mecha piloting with me?" Mandy asked hesitantly.

"I thought it was something serious. Just practicing? Finish your food, and we’ll go!" Zinnia was always willing to help. She then turned to the quiet girl next to her, "Lyra, are you coming?"

"Yes, I need the practice too," Lyra responded. It had been a long time since she’d used a mecha, and she needed to refresh her memory, even though the school couldn’t provide actual mechas for practice.

Mandy looked at her in surprise. "But you got a perfect score."

"You still need to practice?"

"A perfect score doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement," Lyra said calmly. A hand speed of 100 might earn a perfect score, but you could always aim for 150.

Mandy heard the determination in her voice and realized just how wide the gap was between them. This made her even more hesitant to speak up around her roommates.

The rest of their days were filled with afternoon mecha training, morning combat drills, and occasionally, lectures on wilderness survival with several classes combined.

Many students thought the lectures were just a way for the school to lighten their workload, and they often found themselves nodding off.

Lyra noticed the instructors’ sly smiles during the lectures, suspecting they had a surprise in store.

Finally, on the twentieth day of pre-training, the head instructor made an announcement during a lecture: "Next, our Combat School will have a three-day field training exercise!"

Webber watched as the students’ expressions shifted from shock to disbelief, enjoying the moment of catching them off guard.

"We’ve prepared basic supplies for you," he announced, "and you’ll be spending three days on a deserted island. Your mission is to avoid ’enemy’ forces, protect the ’secret documents’ the school will give you, and reach the endpoint. Reaching the endpoint successfully will earn you full marks; the longer you survive, the higher your score. This score will count toward your final grade."

He continued, "Of course, you can also go on the offensive by disrupting the ’enemy’ bases. Succeeding in these tasks will earn you extra credits. But, if you fail and get captured, points will be deducted."

The "enemies" in this exercise would be the school’s instructors, dressed in disguise. The head instructor made it clear that while the instructors wouldn’t intentionally harm the students, they wouldn’t hold back either, to make the experience as real as possible.

Behind him, the instructors stood with serious expressions, looking eager and ready, like predators about to hunt.

The students, standing below the platform, gulped in unison, finally grasping why NMA had a reputation for its tough and intense training methods.

Chapter 38: Surviving The Wild

The night before they were supposed to leave, Lyra got a message from Liliana.

Over on Voidstar No.2, it was broad daylight.

"A guy with a military background showed up today. He started asking questions about you after getting off the ship, so we detained him," Liliana’s voice sounded a bit rough. "He mentioned someone named Jorath sent him. What should we do with him?"

Lyra smirked. "If he’s military, just check in with his superior. Not my problem."

She watched the screen, noticing the bruises on Liliana’s face and the bald patches in her hair, signs she hadn’t had an easy time.

"Got beat up again?"

Liliana’s face tightened for a second, but she quickly put on a charming smile. "Oh, Lyra, if you keep showing concern like this, I might just cry," she joked, trying to cover the bald spots with her red hair.

Lyra, with her black hair framing her face, spoke almost like casting a spell, "Liliana, crying isn’t cute."

"You’re still so cold," Liliana teased, pretending to clutch her chest in pain. Then she changed the subject, "I’ll talk to Snakehead and handle it like you said."

Lyra nodded and ended the call. The night wind made her throat feel dry, so she headed to the living room for some water.

The room felt off.

Mandy was sitting on the couch, looking like a statue. She bit her lip and furrowing her brows, clearly on the verge of tears.

"I can’t even wash dishes, and I can’t tell vegetables apart. What am I gonna to do?"

Zinnia tried to comfort her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "This isn’t a camping trip where you have to cook. We won’t be washing dishes or sorting vegetables."

With her sharp instincts, she knew the real challenge would be avoiding the instructors—or rather, the enemy.

Vivian, wearing a face mask, looked up from her conversation and casually said, "Just hope you draw a strong guy for your team."

But when the draw happened the next day, Mandy, holding a slip with the number five, looked at Lyra with almost teary eyes. They ended up paired together.

"Lyra, you okay with this?"

Lyra glanced at Mandy’s terrified expression. "Maybe I should be asking if you’re okay."

Though Mandy seemed fragile, her reaction felt a bit much.

Jorath, who always had his eye on Lyra, couldn’t resist a snarky comment, "Two weaklings paired up. Why don’t you just skip the trip and take a penalty?"

The girl partnered with him rolled her eyes and moved away, thinking if it wasn’t for the no-switching rule, she’d want nothing to do with him. He was like a bothersome louse.

"Jorath, you really love picking on girls," someone shot back. "Always calling others weak, but who got dragged into the woods and beaten up?"

Mandy and Lyra’s pairing did seem like an easy target, but no one was dumb enough to openly mock them since it wouldn’t win them any favors. Still bitter from his past beating, Jorath sneered, "I’ll say what I want. What’s it to you?"

He acted like he was above it all, knowing his family connections would get him into the corps after the four years were up; he didn’t feel the need to compete with anyone else.

As they boarded the helicopter, Lyra walked up to Jorath and whispered, "I heard you sent someone to Voidstar No.2 to snoop around about me?"

Jorath assumed she was anxious and sneered, "Just wait, I’ll expose your true nature soon enough!"

To his surprise, Lyra gave him a look like he was clueless. "You do know the military can’t go there without permission, right?"

For years, there was a delicate balance between the military and Voidstar. Both sides had to notify each other before entering the other’s territory. By sending someone in without clearance and asking about her, Jorath had probably stirred up suspicions with Blackheart and Snakehead. This could spell trouble.

Jorath felt a flicker of unease but quickly brushed it off. "That’s supposed to scare me?" he scoffed. It was just a simple visit, right?

Lyra responded with a cold laugh.

Everyone was decked out in camouflage gear, backpacks slung over their shoulders. All electronic gadgets were confiscated, and they were dropped off in groups onto a deserted island.

As they geared up to land, Mandy, parachute on, clung to the helicopter door, her face pale and eyes wide.

"Lyra, what if we get separated when we land?" Mandy asked, her voice shaking.

All of them had tracking devices; Mandy was just worried she’d run into an enemy before she even met Lyra.

Seeing her panic, Lyra thought for a second. "If that happens, stay put. I’ll come find you."

"Okay," Mandy agreed, feeling a bit more at ease. She wasn’t strong, but she was willing to follow instructions, which could be useful.

"But... I’m scared to jump..." Mandy hesitated.

Lyra sighed, "Just hold onto me. I’ll let go halfway, and then you open your chute."

But before she could finish, someone behind them pushed her out. "Stop wasting time!" they yelled.

"Lyra!" Mandy, forgetting her fear, jumped right after her.

Lyra quickly adjusted as she fell, the wind roaring around her. She caught sight of Jorath’s smug face at the helicopter door.

"Jorath, if anything happens to Lyra, you’ll regret it!" Zinnia shouted, her voice barely audible over the chopper’s noise.

"That’s too much! What if she doesn’t react in time?" Thierry frowned, "I’m reporting this to the instructor."

Jorath just shrugged, muttering, "Isn’t that what the parachute’s for?" secretly thinking it wouldn’t be the worst thing if she got hurt.

Down below, Lyra and Mandy managed to open their parachutes, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The helicopter moved away as Lyra landed in a tree. She then worked to untangle her parachute cords. She started calculating where Jorath might land.

Maybe she hadn’t hit him hard enough last time.

But first, she needed to find Mandy since their team’s score would hinge on the lowest-performing member. If Mandy failed, they’d both score zero, and Lyra wasn’t about to let that happen.

She put on her electronic glasses to locate Mandy.

Following Lyra’s advice, Mandy stood still on a mountainside. Not the best spot, as it was easy for enemies to spot her.

To save energy, Lyra used her superpower to create glowing bands, swinging through the trees like an ape.

Halfway there, she noticed the red dot on the tracking device moving erratically, as if Mandy was trying to avoid something.

Lyra frowned—Mandy had been spotted.

Luckily, Mandy had her wits about her and headed straight toward Lyra. Lyra took a quick look around the forest, pieced together a plan, and then touched down to set it in motion.

Sunlight streamed through the trees, creating long shadows across the decaying forest floor.

Mandy looked over her shoulder and cranked up her superpower, speeding up.

Two instructors in green masks were hot on her trail, closing in from both sides to trap her.

 

Chapter 39: Feeling Secure

The forest earth was soft and slippery with fallen leaves, making it tough to run, especially with all the vines and roots tangled together.

If it wasn’t for Mandy’s power of Aerokinesis to manipulating airflow, she would’ve been caught right away. But she knew she couldn’t keep this up for more than ten minutes; her lack of experience and stamina, plus being unfamiliar with the terrain, was slowing her down.

Suddenly, one of the "enemies" used their power to raise a wall of earth in front of her.

Mandy panicked and tried to change direction, but another person blocked her path.

"Hand over the documents," one of them demanded.

The two "enemies" weren’t holding back just because she was a girl. Their eyes shone with a fierce determination, fully committed to their roles.

Mandy took a deep breath, slowly backing away, "I don’t have the documents on me."

"Then we’ll take you hostage to threaten your teammates!" one of them threatened.

"And maybe give you a beating too!" the other one added.

Even though she knew it was all a simulation, Mandy felt a wave of fear wash over her.

Just as she was about to scream, the "enemy" with the earth powers suddenly tensed up.

Tree trunks shot out from behind the earth wall, flying towards them.

The branches, thick as an arm and sharpened at the tips, made them jump back.

"Whoa, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?" one of them exclaimed.

The two quickly retreated, but a green light band reached out, grabbing Mandy and pulling her away.

"Don’t let her get away!" the "enemy" with the earth powers shouted, stomping the ground and sending earth spikes after them like giant hands.

The other "enemy" teleported towards the green light, trying to catch up.

They were seasoned pros, after all.

Lyra stood on a thick tree trunk, using her powers to kick the teleporting "enemy" as he appeared.

The force sent him flying, but he quickly recovered and teleported behind her, only to be met with another punch.

This time he blocked it, immediately counterattacking.

The two quickly got into a fierce battle.

Meanwhile, Mandy felt her stomach churn as she was whisked through the air, barely holding it together.

She remembered she was still in training, so she gritted her teeth and extended her arms to release wind blades, just managing to cut down the earth spikes chasing her.

Then, however, the "enemy" on the ground used the spikes to rise up, reaching out to grab her.

Mandy screamed for help, startling even the instructor playing the "enemy;" he almost lost his balance.

Lyra frowned, pulling Mandy closer, despite of the branches that might scratch her.

The two "enemies" landed on a branch, surrounding her, and started their scripted lines, "Hand over the items..."

A sudden bright green light flashed, forcing them to shield their eyes. When they looked again, Lyra was already swinging away on a light band, disappearing into the forest.

"Phew... Webber, remember when you said we shouldn’t go too hard because she’s just a healer? Look at this!" The "enemy" who could teleport lifted his shirt, showing a large, red mark on his waist that was clearly going to bruise. "How did such skinny legs hit so hard?"

Webber took off his mask and sighed, "I didn’t see that coming either."

He thought to himself, "What happened to ’I’m just a healer? And what happened to ’I’m weak’"?

And then they remembered who had actually taken down Jorath, and it all made sense.

Lyra and Mandy sped through the forest for about five minutes before finally landing, rolling a few times on the ground.

As they got up, Mandy burst into tears, "This training is just too scary!" Her face was twisted in pain, with tears mixing with the scratches from the tree branches.

Just then, a fit of harsh coughing interrupted her. "Cough, cough..."

Lyra was covering her mouth, trying to catch her breath.

"Lyra, are you okay?" Mandy quickly forgot her own distress and rushed over to pat Lyra’s back.

Lyra waved her hand, took a few deep breaths, and soon recovered. In a hoarse voice, she said, "I’m fine."

High-intensity physical exertion demanded rapid oxygen intake, putting extra strain on her body, but she wasn’t beyond her limits.

She took a water bottle from her backpack, drank a couple of sips, and then said, "Let’s sort out our supplies."

She quickly opened both their backpacks and frowned again.

The supplies were too limited. They had only enough compressed biscuits for one day, so they not only had to avoid being caught but also needed to find more food themselves.

Their only weapon was a single knife, and they had just some alcohol and a small amount of hemostatic medicine, meaning they couldn’t afford to get injured. And there were level-six beasts on this island.

As Lyra spread out the map and began calmly calculating their next steps, Mandy sat quietly beside her. Suddenly, she felt a surprising sense of security from her roommate, who was even smaller than she was.

In the peaceful forest, Lyra focused on the map displayed on the screen, plotting out their path for a solid half hour.

"This is the route we’ll take," she declared, tracing a red line across the screen with her finger.

Mandy, feeling a mix of confusion and worry, tried to make sense of the plan. "It looks like a pretty long detour," she said.

Lyra explained, "With breaks and meals included, it’ll take us about fifty hours."

Mandy, her blonde hair catching the light, looked surprised.

Even with heavy loads, their longest runs had only lasted half a day. But seeing the seriousness in Lyra’s eyes, she didn’t argue and hesitantly added, "We’ve already been traveling for three hours. If something goes wrong, we might not make it to the destination on time."

She was also worried that any unexpected trouble, like enemies or wild beasts, might leave them even without chance to escape, potentially ending their trip prematurely.

Lyra reassured her, "This route is actually the safest. It avoids areas with beast dens and enemy bases as much as possible."

 

Chapter 40: Unlucky Jorath

Under Lyra’s steady gaze, Mandy felt all her worries laid bare. Lyra was right; they were the weakest team.

Unlike teams led by Zinnia or Thierry, who could hold their own in a fight, Mandy and Lyra couldn’t afford any slip-ups.

Mandy wanted to praise Lyra’s for being touch in such circumstances, but she remembered Lyra’s earlier coughing and held back.

Mandy felt that the true weak link was herself. So, she decided to trust Lyra’s judgment, saying, "I’ll stick with you and try not to slow us down."

Lyra nodded. "Let’s get moving."

They packed up, grabbed sturdy sticks to use as walking poles, and then they started their trek through the jungle’s fallen leaves.

Planet Nagano, a newly developed world in the Alliance, had vast forests that were still mostly untouched. The towering trees reached nearly a hundred meters, with roots that twisted and intertwined like thick snakes.

They often had to crawl under the roots, occasionally touching slimy bugs that made Mandy shiver and squeal.

Every time, Lyra would turn around with a calm, questioning look, never getting annoyed, which helped Mandy feel a little more at ease.

Lyra didn’t expect Mandy to be perfect; she just needed her to follow along.

To keep up their pace during the day, they snacked on energy bars as they walked.

By 8 PM, the sun’s last light disappeared from the forest, leaving them in darkness.

Lyra pointed to a spot where the tree trunk split, "We’ll rest up there."

Sleeping on the rainforest floor at night wasn’t an ideal option. Mandy, with a dry throat, simply nodded and used the last of her superpower to climb up.

They cleared the area, laid down some palm leaves, and ate and drank while barely keeping their eyes open.

"Lyra, I’m going to sleep," Mandy murmured, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Good night," Lyra replied, stretching her neck.

The long hike was wearing on her, and the dull ache in her joints made her look pale.

Lyra stretched her neck, feeling a dull pain in her joints—likely from the long trek and the absence of her Soul Spike.

After resting for a couple of hours, she climbed up to the thick canopy of the tree. Sure enough, small, red lights flickered in the sky—surveillance robots. The military was keeping an eye on them, ensuring they didn’t become a snack for the local beasts.

But this surveillance wouldn’t interfere with her plans.

Using the cover of darkness and Schedar’s help, Lyra moved like a shadow through the forest, heading in a specific direction. She passed by several camps until she reached her target—Jorath’s camp.

As she got closer, she overheard Jorath griping to his teammate, "We could’ve made more progress today if you weren’t injured. Hurry up and fix that wound."

The girl, leaning against a tree with a gloomy expression, was struggling to bandage her leg.

Without a healing device, she’d be in serious trouble if they ran into enemies.

Jorath continued, "Just so you know, if we face enemies tomorrow, you’re on your own. Don’t blame me."

Even though their scores were tied to the weakest member’s performance, they could earn extra points by teaming up to destroy enemy bases.

The girl couldn’t stand him anymore and snapped, "If you hadn’t insisted on going through the Marshjaw’s nest, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt!"

"Well, you were so slow and alerted the Marshjaw! That crocodile monster would’ve shredded us both!"

Their argument was cut short by a beast’s roar that silenced them.

Suddenly, a clump of mud fell from above, snuffing out their fire.

The girl quickly grabbed her backpack and pressed herself against the tree, shouting, "Who’s there?!"

A moment later, the sound of punches and kicks rang out nearby.

As she wondered if it was an enemy, Jorath yelled in anger, "You again, you jerk!"

The girl was stunned; the skilled fighter who had beaten Jorath before was back.

This... was... just... EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED!

Finally, Jorath let out a scream and went silent. "You didn’t kill him, did you? Oh my God!"

The girl backed away, terrified she would be next. ’Surely the instructors wouldn’t just stand by... or will they?’

A soft green light appeared, and she quickly shut her eyes, bracing for pain. But instead, she felt a tingling sensation on her wound—it was healing. ’Wait, a healer? There’s only one healer on the island... That one... Ooops, look what I just found out!’

"Can you walk now?" came the slightly breathless voice of a young woman.

In the dim blue moonlight, the girl glimpsed her face and quickly looked away. "Yes... yes, I’m fine now." After a pause, she asked, "Why did you help me?"

Lyra replied casually, "Oh, I snapped his leg. He definitely can’t walk now."

Lyra knew that once the girl was healed, she’d definitely continue her trip, leaving Jorath behind in the dark forest; on the contrary, if she didn’t heal the girl, then both of them couldn’t move, they might still stick together.

The girl thought Lyra was just being kind, not wanting to leave her in trouble.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I thought I was going to be eliminated because of my leg injury," she said, relieved. She couldn’t care less about Jorath, that jerk, because he was planning to ditch her anyway.

Now the tables had turned; Jorath ended up crying for her help.

"I’m Gillia," the girl introduced herself, shaking Lyra’s hand with excitement. "Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me." She quickly slung her backpack over her shoulder, adding, "I’d better get moving before he wakes up and tries to pin something on me."

Her decisiveness showed she was every bit a military academy student.

Lyra watched Gillia leave, then glanced up to see a surveillance robot hovering above. On this island, there were no real secrets. But Lyra didn’t mind; she simply turned and made her way back to her own camp.

In the command room, the head instructor slurped some nutritious drink and chuckled. "It’s not often you see a rookie with that kind of nerve."

On the monitor, Lyra’s face was clearly visible. Her cold eyes, deep as the night sky, seemed to draw people in.

"She’ll be a perfect fit for NMA," he remarked with a satisfied nod.