SPECTRAI turned. It was the camp director. Daphne jogged up to where we were. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and an equally black pair of sneakers. She had her hair wrapped into a bun and tied it with a scarf in an ancient dojo style.“You should do it since you're playing devil's advocate,” she shrugged. I looked around, everyone stared at me to see if I would take up the challenge or chicken out. 100 pushups? Could I manage that? “Come on, spectra,” Brucy egged me on. The students around started chanting for me to take it on. I shot Brucy a playful glare as I took my stance on the floor. Eva came alive in my ears immediately. “Do you think you could manage it?” It asked. I could pull fifty at a stretch, but I didn't know if I could go a hundred times without breaking. “Well, I'll help you,” Eva said, reading my thoughts. The dashboard appeared while I was about to take my prostrate stance. It read:“Agility points: 250”I tapped on it casually, so it wouldn't seem weird to
SPECTRAI turned. It was the camp director. Daphne jogged up to where we were. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and an equally black pair of sneakers. She had her hair wrapped into a bun and tied it with a scarf in an ancient dojo style.“You should do it since you're playing devil's advocate,” she shrugged. I looked around, everyone stared at me to see if I would take up the challenge or chicken out. 100 pushups? Could I manage that? “Come on, spectra,” Brucy egged me on. The students around started chanting for me to take it on. I shot Brucy a playful glare as I took my stance on the floor. Eva came alive in my ears immediately. “Do you think you could manage it?” It asked. I could pull fifty at a stretch, but I didn't know if I could go a hundred times without breaking. “Well, I'll help you,” Eva said, reading my thoughts. The dashboard appeared while I was about to take my prostrate stance. It read:“Agility points: 250”I tapped on it casually, so it wouldn't seem weird to
"Ouch..."Farouk cried out softly, trying to move his hand to his head, but his body wouldn’t cooperate; a mix of pain, itching, and numbness left it still. It felt like his arms and legs belonged to someone else, lying on the ground like stiff sticks."Am I dead?" His mind was still all over the place. He remembered being out during a thunderstorm subsequently getting struck by lightning, a big shock of blue electricity, and then everything went dark.His thoughts were all mixed up; it felt like his memories were all messed up.Trying hard to open his eyes wider, Farouk tried to understand what was happening around him."Thud!"Another loud noise and his head hit the bed's headboard, causing more pain before he blacked out again.He wasn't sure how much time had passed, maybe a day or a few days, when he finally woke up and started feeling his body again.He heard a soft sound of a door closing."Did Mom leave already?" A girl's voice asked."Yes, she had breakfast before us and went
The second classroom on the second floor had a brass tag reading Grade 9 Class 2 hanging above it.Spectra followed two boys into the class and headed to his seat near the window in the back. He stowed his backpack and began pondering the five attribute symbols at the bottom of his vision. Being introverted and new to the school, he had no friends in the class.The first class was mathematics, with a middle-aged woman as the professor. The material was elementary, so Spectra listened briefly before focusing on his thoughts. The language class followed, teaching the country's language, writing, and literature, but Spectra didn't pay much attention.The third class was etiquette, but instead of listening, Spectra tested the connection between the attributes and his body. Suddenly, the Potential attribute number in his vision shook, grabbing his attention.Startled, Spectra looked around, but no one seemed to notice. He glanced at the podium.The etiquette teacher, a man with an elegant
The martial arts dojos here were like the taekwondo dojos back on Earth. They aimed to promote physical exercise and fitness. There was a ranking system, but most dojos were just for exercise and not lethal, except for the top ones. Martial arts were part of the regular education, like music or dancing, to make children well-rounded.Spectra paired up with the same girl as last time. She was ordinary-looking with a slim waist and flat chest. Her silver hair shone crimson in the sunlight."Rank 15, Daris.""Rank 16, Spectra."They greeted each other by name and rank."Begin!" Veledict yelled.Spectra and Daris focused on each other’s movements. The training didn’t include special moves, just basic exercises, and the Explosive Force Technique. Combat was based on personal experience, but with the technique, their strength could be boosted for some attacks. This was to test their raw strength and potential.Spectra stopped overthinking and attacked Daris. He hadn’t used the attribute enh
"It’s a Panaja Snake, a highly toxic amphibious snake! We need to get the poison out right away!" Spectra immediately recognized the snake and its danger. He hadn't just been living blindly in this new world; he had already learned most of its common knowledge. Plus, growing up in the countryside, the young Spectra had encountered this type of snake before.After he finished speaking, he kicked a cobblestone. Bang! The stone landed near the snake, causing it to slither away into the stream out of fear."How do I detoxify the venom!?" sobbed Brucy's cousin Enna, the only girl who hadn't been bitten."Rinse it with water, find some poplar leaves, then chew them to bits and apply them to the bites!" Spectra instructed.Despite the chaos, Spectra remained calm, contrasting with the overwhelmed students. He directed the boys to find poplar leaves and asked the girls to help clean the bite wounds and squeeze out the snake’s venom. They worked quickly, and though the bitten girls were distre
The old man ran his fingers through his sparse hair. "Look around. Left side, countryside finds. Right, family treasures." He resumed examining the object in his hand.Wearing white gloves, he held a gold pocket watch, studying its mechanics.Spectra scanned the shop, browsing from left to right. An oil painting depicted a siege, with armored warriors and catapults.Beneath it, a dark gold metal sheet featured a smiling human face. Spectra touched it, feeling its rough texture."That's the Totem of the Sun God," the old man explained. "Rare. Valuable. Yours for $35,000."Spectra doubted its authenticity. His special ability confirmed his suspicion.On a redwood table nearby, Spectra found a burgundy emblem, a wine bottle, and a silver cup. Touching the emblem, he felt a surge of potential."This…" Spectra's voice trailed off as he examined the emblem closely."Six grand," the old man declared, interrupting Spectra's thoughts.Spectra hesitated, aware of his limited funds. "I'll think
As soon as the change happened, Spectra felt a tingling sensation all over his body. Suddenly, his blood rushed faster, and the pleasant feeling turned cool and refreshing as his heart pounded rapidly.Watching the attribute column, Spectra saw his strength increase from 0.5 to 0.45 At that moment, his muscles screamed in pain, and a powerful force surged from various parts of his body.His arms, legs, and chest slightly expanded. Exhaling, Spectra felt the warmth of his breath.The elder spoke again, advising them to combine the Secret Method with basic techniques for maximum impact. He emphasized the explosive potential at each stage."There are no shortcuts! Only hard work!" the elder exclaimed, satisfied by the students' response.Everyone cheered, and the elder posted a paper before leaving.Spectra's body bulged with energy, but he didn't feel cold. He relaxed, unnoticed by others caught up in excitement.In the bustling hall, Erwin tapped Spectra's shoulder, asking how he felt.
SPECTRAI turned. It was the camp director. Daphne jogged up to where we were. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and an equally black pair of sneakers. She had her hair wrapped into a bun and tied it with a scarf in an ancient dojo style.“You should do it since you're playing devil's advocate,” she shrugged. I looked around, everyone stared at me to see if I would take up the challenge or chicken out. 100 pushups? Could I manage that? “Come on, spectra,” Brucy egged me on. The students around started chanting for me to take it on. I shot Brucy a playful glare as I took my stance on the floor. Eva came alive in my ears immediately. “Do you think you could manage it?” It asked. I could pull fifty at a stretch, but I didn't know if I could go a hundred times without breaking. “Well, I'll help you,” Eva said, reading my thoughts. The dashboard appeared while I was about to take my prostrate stance. It read:“Agility points: 250”I tapped on it casually, so it wouldn't seem weird to
SPECTRAI turned. It was the camp director. Daphne jogged up to where we were. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and an equally black pair of sneakers. She had her hair wrapped into a bun and tied it with a scarf in an ancient dojo style.“You should do it since you're playing devil's advocate,” she shrugged. I looked around, everyone stared at me to see if I would take up the challenge or chicken out. 100 pushups? Could I manage that? “Come on, spectra,” Brucy egged me on. The students around started chanting for me to take it on. I shot Brucy a playful glare as I took my stance on the floor. Eva came alive in my ears immediately. “Do you think you could manage it?” It asked. I could pull fifty at a stretch, but I didn't know if I could go a hundred times without breaking. “Well, I'll help you,” Eva said, reading my thoughts. The dashboard appeared while I was about to take my prostrate stance. It read:“Agility points: 250”I tapped on it casually, so it wouldn't seem weird to
SPECTRAI turned. It was the camp director. Daphne jogged up to where we were. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and an equally black pair of sneakers. She had her hair wrapped into a bun and tied it with a scarf in an ancient dojo style.“You should do it since you're playing devil's advocate,” she shrugged. I looked around, everyone stared at me to see if I would take up the challenge or chicken out. 100 pushups? Could I manage that? “Come on, spectra,” Brucy egged me on. The students around started chanting for me to take it on. I shot Brucy a playful glare as I took my stance on the floor. Eva came alive in my ears immediately. “Do you think you could manage it?” It asked. I could pull fifty at a stretch, but I didn't know if I could go a hundred times without breaking. “Well, I'll help you,” Eva said, reading my thoughts. The dashboard appeared while I was about to take my prostrate stance. It read:“Agility points: 250”I tapped on it casually, so it wouldn't seem weird to
SPECTRAI shook my head. Would these guys ever be a thing of the past for me? I wondered. They turned as soon as they noticed our presence. He looked surprised to see me, which meant he wasn't expressly here for me. He looked at me and then, at my friends with me. He exchanged glances with his boys and they filed out of the room, careful to not come in contact with me. I wanted to shut the door and beat the living hell out of them, but I refrained. I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle the questions afterward. When they'd all gone, we turned to Daniel who stood, dusting his pants and shirts. “What happened here?” Brucy asked. He shrugged. I detested his attitude so much that I found myself questioning why they had to bunk him with us, and I wished they'd touched him a little before our arrival. “They followed me from the common room,” he spoke up as he sat on his bed. “Why?” Kalidor asked, resting his arm against the door. “They wanted me to give them a silver piece I'd thrown while
SPECTRAIt beeped again rapidly. I looked around to see if anyone was watching, but everybody was occupied with finding the common room. The dashboard popped up and it read:“New system task, due tomorrow. Location: Emerald Lake.”Some mischief was bound to happen in camp, but I didn't expect it to happen this soon. Everyone started clearing out of the dining hall. I was made to join them in leaving, but someone called me back.“Spectra!” It was Daphne, she was holding the edge of a sink and beckoned on me to come help her level it on a table. “You know my name?” I asked in surprise. She chuckled. “I handed everyone their camp charter and their name tag remember?” She explained. “Besides, your name is not very common and is memorizable,” she added with a wink. I laughed then, letting myself calm down. I thought in panic for a moment, that she was somebody from the old spectra's memory that I couldn't recognize. I didn't want any suspicion that would lead to my cover being blown. I h
Rick looked at the others. With trepidation, he picked up the phone. “Have you found him?” The hoarse voice called from the other end. “Yes,” Rick responded swiftly, eager to please. “Very good,” The Man responded. “But you know the plan right?”“Yes Sir!” Rick replied instantly. “Good. Find out if it's here. I don't want no stories,” he warned. Rick and the boys nodded amongst themselves. They had to find it and find him. They couldn't afford to fail.—— ——SPECTRA“Where exactly is Treasure Ridge?” Kalidor muttered beside me. I scanned the houses for any sign of the name labeled at the door. “There!” Brucy pointed to a house at the far right. Kalidor, Benjamin, Brucy, and I trudged with our luggage to the cabin. The night had fallen, but the whole place still looked lit due to the lights provided by the camp. We got into the cabin. The lights were on and two boys were there already. Why did I not find it surprising that Daniel, the randy boy from the bus was part of our cabin? H
SPECTRAYou've got to be kidding me.All four boys from the safe that night sat there whispering something to themselves. Slowly, Rick’s eyes looked up and found mine. He tapped his friends and pointed in my direction. They looked at me with a devilish glee in their eyes and mischief written on their faces. I sighed and rubbed my temples wearily. Not again, I sighed again.“Spectra?” Smoke’s voice called from across the circle where we sat. “Are you okay?” She had a concerned, desperate-to-please look in her eyes. She probably thought I was still upset with her. Kalidor, Silyn, Ai Fei, Benjamin, and Brucy also turned to me at the moment.“Yeah,” I said with a casual wave. “My head just hurts a little from the spinning on the bus,” I muttered. They gave understanding nods, and Kalidor gave me some water to take my own medicine with. I took it and smiled graciously, allowing them to slowly turn away from their scrutiny of me and back to the discussion. I turned back to them and they sti
SPECTRAI stood there dumbfounded, staring at her. She looked at me with her eyes widened like she'd just seen a ghost. “Spectra?” Smoke pestered, wearing a curious look on her face. “Oh, it's um, it's just a talk show I'm listening to,” I managed to say. She didn't look like she believed a word I said.“Hello? Eva Marcel on tonight's show?” I spluttered, turning my ears to reveal an earpiece situated in my ear. Nothing was playing in it, but I hoped she would buy it.She looked disbelievingly at me for a second, and then she took the earpod from me and put it in her ears. I closed my eyes tight because I knew any moment from now she'd uncover the lie to its very root. But when I opened it, she was listening to something. I tapped the other piece on my left ear and crazily enough, an actual talk show was going on. It took me only a second to recognize the voice speaking. It was Eva, my machine assistant. It had split its voice to sound like three distinct speakers and it seemed lik
SPECTRASmoke looked at me incredulously, in a disturbing manner. I went over to her seat, and even as I made my move, she didn't seem to see or notice me coming towards her. “Smoke? Are you alright?” I asked, searching for any sign of bodily harm. She jerked then as if she was in a coma all this while. “Smoke?” I pestered. She shook her head frantically. “Yes? What were you saying?”“I was asking if you're okay,” I responded. “Okay? Of course not! Nobody on this bus is okay,” she forced a laugh. I laughed too, but I didn't believe that was all. Something was wrong about her disposition, but I couldn't quite wrap my hands around it.“you’re sure?” I pestered. “Jesus, Spectra!” Smoke rolled her eyes at me. “I said I'm fine. You don't need to be my knight in shining armor. Not this time, at least.”I chuckled at her witty remarks, but still raised my eyebrows in askance. She scowled and opened her mouth to speak, but I stopped her from saying anything more. I raised my hands in moc