Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Warm Socks

I wasn’t sure when I passed out. I only remember leaving the stadium before everything went dark.

When I said I was just about out of Psyka, I had meant it. Why else would I resort to boxing Ponteck Gulliard? I couldn’t even summon a pistol at that point.

But my mind didn’t need energy for my body to work. At that point, I just needed to stay lucid, which was easier since my mind was still powerful. The dregs of energy it gathered even while empty was enough to keep me awake and resist the lapses in consciousness whenever I got punched in the head.

Either way, when I woke up and opened my eyes, I immediately noticed the dark surroundings.

The room I was in was illuminated, but the walls and floor were made of some black stone like obsidian. It was odd.

I let out a few deep breaths, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and propping myself up a bit.

A sense of incredible clarity hit me like a truck… not that I would know what that felt like. It wasn’t like I had started on the next advancement formation so I couldn’t be advancing at all. But I still felt like I had gotten more powerful. Maybe it was like a solidification of my recent advancement of power.

Either way, my mind was crystal clear and my body felt equally good. The leg and forearm that received a hit from some shrapnel were a little sore, but obviously mostly healed.

“John?”

I heard Umara’s voice and looked over to see her sitting on a couch. It seemed Maxwell let her use one of his.

She smiled and walked over to my bedside, brushing back my hair.

“How are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m feeling great, honey.”

“Hehe, I bet you are. How does it feel to be the first Crowned Champion Summoner in Magisterium history?”

“… Good. Pretty good. It took everything I had to give, but it was worth it seeing the look on Carrion’s face. Where are we, by the way?”

I asked while taking another glance around. I saw an emblem on the wall and vaguely remembered it. 

Umara’s answer cleared my suspicion.

“We’re in the Polaris Headquarters. Maxwell brought you here to heal. You slept for a full day after the tournament, so it’s about morning right now.”

“Oh. I really gotta stop doing that.”

I sighed while sitting up. It seemed every time I exerted myself, I’d sleep for a whole day to get better. I don’t know about anyone else but that wasn’t normal where I came from.

Umara shrugged.

“That’s normal. It’s what happens when you overexert. Now, take a look at this.”

She excitedly scooted against my side as I threw an arm over her shoulder, what looked like a newspaper appearing in her hands.

The front page held the results of the Magisterium tournament, a large picture of me screaming into the air next to Ponteck’s collapsed figure smack dab in the middle of columns of text.

“John Cooper, Cold Summoner, wins the Magisterium tournament for the first time in history.”

“Carrion actually made me the official winner? Shocking.”

“Indeed. But it seems like he didn’t have a choice.”

“Yes. I got both wins.”

I smiled in thought.

The tournament win was only one victory. The fact that they had to declare the win was another. I was dead sure that Carrion would rather die than plaster my name with such fame but it seemed he was forced to comply.

In our little battle of wits, I had won. Not only had I gotten another Crown that he couldn’t take from me, but I had now won the tournament despite everything he tried to do to kill me. Even Ponteck had been trying to kill me for the rewards they offered him, let alone all the others.

But I had thoroughly dominated all the others while barely triumphing over Ponteck. I had won the tournament and lived.

I did everything they didn’t want me to. That wasn’t just winning the battle, but the whole damn war.

So I was satisfied. There was now absolutely nothing that I needed to concern myself with regarding the Magisterium or anything related to it. I could leave now and never look back.

Of course, I’d still like to graduate, just to have that for the resume. Not to mention all the time and effort I had invested into it. I wouldn’t want to leave with nothing. I just had to stick it out through the last excursion we had.

“Speaking of, when’s the excursion?”

“We leave in four days, and it will be 15 days long.”

“Mm, good. Get in, get out, graduate, and be done. I’m about ready to move on.”

I laid back and sighed. It felt like this was the climax of my year. I wasn’t in the mood to do more, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

I crawled out of the bed. Turns out I was in nothing but underwear, but I didn’t mind as I twisted my body and popped all my stiff joints.

Once thoroughly loosened up, there was a knock on the door, a doctor walking in.

“John Cooper? Seems you’re doing just fine.”

“I am. Thanks for the treatment. Do I owe you anything?”

“No, you have nothing to worry about. Lady Luna would like to extend her congratulations, in fact. She said that you should go see her when you’re able. If you want, I can take you there right now.”

“Oh, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I’ll dress real quick and meet you outside.”

“Of course.”

The doctor nodded and left, letting me dress.

I threw on my pile of clothes sitting on a nearby table before slipping back into my coat. I was certainly appreciating it more now. That fingernail wound from Ponteck had actually left a scar down my chest, alongside the new lumps of scar tissue through my leg and forearm from the shrapnel. Only a few among many, but still enough to remind me of my weakness.

Once dressed, Umara and I walked out and followed the doctor further into the headquarters. Along the way, we passed by some blue glowing plants with vines that sprouted glowing bulbs and crystalline leaves. They were incredibly pretty, though they were dimming as the morning sun rose over the horizon.

“Moonshade. We used a bit to get you back in working order. Good stuff, any battlefield medic will appreciate it if you have a bit on hand.”

The doctor waved us onward, guiding us into yet another glossy jet-black door.

…

After traveling down a long pathway lined in the same obsidian brick as the medical room, we walked to what seemed like a throne room, a grand hall decorated with pillars and insignia, yet without the statues or images that might’ve hinted at the history of the institution.

There were many people walking throughout the hall. Most seemed like workers for the headquarters, likely managing all of the Polaris businesses like the bank and production lines.

We were brought straight across the hall, passing everyone and walking through a set of double doors.

We were greeted by an office. On one side was a massive Orb flashing with countless tiny runic formations. It seemed impossibly complex, becoming recursively dense as I tried zooming in on the tiny glyphs with my eyes.

On the other side was a chair upon which Lady Luna sat in silent meditation.

The head of the Polaris Family was stunningly gorgeous, so much so that she seemed ethereal. If I was being honest, I could barely concentrate on her features. It was like her face was being obscured by an Auric fog alongside her platinum hair, and my mind filled in the gaps of what I couldn’t see, hallucinating her beauty.

It was quite amazing to see up close, but sure enough, her eyes opened with our entrance and ended my curious analysis.

“John, it’s good to see you well.”

“You as well, Lady Luna.”

“Greetings, Lady Luna.”

Umara curtsied beside me, making the Lady smile.

“Hello, Lady Umara. Seems you’ve been making rapid progress since I last saw you here.”

“Yes, and I thank you for the hospitality you showed my mother and I back then, as well as for the care you’ve shown in these past days.”

“You’re quite welcome. We don’t get many guests, but it’s always interesting when we do. Like now. I’m proud to say that I now stand in the presence of the Magisterium’s most historic summoner. Please, come sit.”

She waved, a couch appearing before the chair.

We took a seat as I smiled at her.

“Thank you, Lady Luna. It took everything I had, but it was worth it.”

“Indeed, yet even then, your everything is inconsequential to what you represent. Your power is already so far beyond the rest of the summoner class that you now represent a new path. Maxwell plotted the path on a map, which was revolutionary in its own right. But you’re the one who needs to tread it, and you’re already proving how superior it is. It’s becoming quite obvious that you have something the rest of the class doesn’t, which will attract more eyes than your infamy does, in or out of the Markets. And now that the entire Kingdom knows your name, there’s no hiding.”

“...You know, I hadn’t thought of that.”

I suddenly felt my heart sink a bit.

By now, I could already expect that everyone connected to the black markets who knew the American also now knew that the American was John Cooper. It was a bit too obvious to hide. So now, both my identities were connected and revealed.

But the worst of it was the fact that everyone now knew who I was. I was the talk of the town, and I was carrying some valuable knowledge that many would want to get their hands on. Knowledge that could revolutionize an entire class of Magi.

I had to admit, this would not be very good for my health.

It turns out that announcing my win was actually bad for me, far worse than if I had just faded into the background. I was beginning to believe that Carrion did this on purpose.

So the choices were to win and attract dangerous attention, or lose and let Carrion win.

Seems I went with the more emotional option. I had won, but at what cost?

A long sigh escaped my lips.

“Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. I really can’t catch a break, huh?”

“Well, you certainly don't make it easy for yourself. But, I will admit, John, it’s a welcome change to the scene. It may be more dangerous, but it’s more valiant. It’s the correct thing, more importantly. But I do recommend laying low now. You’ve attracted just about all the attention you possibly could, so your best option is to stay hidden and let the spotlight fade, at least until you get into the military.”

“Right. I’ll definitely be doing that.”

“Good. And to that end, I have something for you.”

Lady Luna’s hand flipped, a soft bundle of items appearing in her palm.

Then she unfolded them, revealing a pair of hot pink socks.

Umara’s head tilted.

“Socks?”

“Indeed. These are called the Warm Socks. They self clean, don’t get wet, and keep your feet warm. We don’t have very many as they were a discontinued product due to their difficulty to make, but I’d like you to have a pair.”

“...”

I stared at the socks while Luna softly placed them in my hands. I had to admit, this was the last thing I’d guess she’d give me.

I looked up, finding her bright eyes watching me with a smile.

Then, I bobbed my head.

“You know what? I love this gift, Luna.”

“Really?”

“Really. You can never go wrong with a pair of socks.”

“Indeed! And these are the best socks in the Kingdom. I couldn’t find any in another color though, so I apologize for the pink.”

“Hey now, I can rock pink. Watch.”

I suddenly kicked off my boots, swapping my other socks for the pink ones.

Once they were on I stood and struck a pose, looking at Umara.

“How do I look?”

“Pfft. You look beautiful.”

“Damn straight honey.”

“Hahaha…”

I heard Luna laugh, smiling before sitting back down and throwing my boots on.

That’s when I noticed how comfortable wearing the boots became. They were already comfortable, but now the socks made my feet felt like they were resting on clouds. The temperature also adjusted perfectly. It was blissful.

Honestly, this was turning out to be a pretty good gift.

“Thank you Luna, these socks are amazing.”

“Hehe, I’m glad. Now, I’ll let you go so you can relax. I’m aware your next excursion is less than a week from now. Please prepare yourself. It’ll be your most dangerous one.”

“I will.”

“Mm. But don’t be a stranger. Here, take a badge. You are now an honored guest of the Polaris Family. Come see me again after your trip.”

“Oh, well, thank you. I will.”

I checked out the badge. It bore the regalia of the Polaris Family, a moon surrounded by seven shining stars, the topmost star gleaming the brightest.

The badge itself was a bright silver, and each star actually shone with what looked like a tiny white crystal. It was pretty, no doubt a disproportionate investment of resources, but perhaps holders of the card warranted such an honor.

Well, I was now one of those people. What that meant, I didn’t know, but it seemed like I’d at least be able to visit Luna when I wanted.

I looked back up at her with a smile, taking her extended hand and shaking it.

“Have a pleasant day, John.”

“You as well.”

“And you, Umara. I look forward to your progress. Perhaps one day we might converse about the nature of magic.”

“I sure hope so.”

Umara smiled and received a small hug from Luna.

After that we left the room, heading back out of the headquarters and onto the Black Spider main street.

Umara glanced back briefly.

“She’s… interesting.”

“Right? Seems like a fun person. Definitely not what I expected, but I’ll take it.”

“Mm. So, what are your plans? Four days until the excursion. Anything you want to do?”

“No. I want to do fuck all. I don’t even want to leave the hotel.”

“Really? I mean, you missed the trophy ceremony yesterday. But there’s still your final tests.”

“...Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue, making her laugh a bit.

To think I still had to do some tests. They would be easy since I had basically memorized the books by now, but still.

“I’ll just stop by to talk to the teachers today. After that though, I’m relaxing. Maybe I’ll start on the next advancement formation. If I wait for too long I’ll get lazy.”

“Sounds good. And since you have free time, mind if I pick your brain for science? We haven’t been able to discuss anything recently.”

“Of course. Curious about those weapons?”

“Very.”

“Well it’s an interesting topic. We can talk on our way to the Magisterium. First, the flamethrower. Its chemical composition is pretty simple until we get to the different hydrocarbons and the nature of combustion when combined with other inert gasses and accelerants…”

……

…

My day was spent preparing for the end of the year. It was no secret that the fourth year students had another excursion, but usually they were all in classes that automatically accommodated for that. I wasn’t, so I needed to plan accordingly, which basically meant taking my final exams early.

But that was fine since I was a summoner. My mind was magnitudes better compared to when I first came to this world, so memorizing the entire book was no issue, let alone taking a curated test. Besides, I had my experience from college to help me out. This school was much easier in comparison.

In fact, it was so easy that I decided just to take the final exams on the spot. They had already prepared them so I took the opportunity. They even graded them during class.

I aced all of them.

And so, I never had to show up to class again. All I needed to do was go on this trip and my time at the Magisterium would be over.

After that day passed, I had three more days. During that time, I actually went and tried to check on Vetsmon. The Puppet Master let me see what he was doing, but not actually meet him.

And he really was being worn to the bone.

There were hundreds of wounds, both partially healed and fresh, across his entire body. He was locked in a never ending battle against constant enemies that he had to fight off with his bare body, a pitiful shield, and a basic sword. All while having his Vigor locked away.

Of course, not all of the Vigor was wiped from his body. There was just enough left to keep him alive and functioning. Under normal circumstances he would just go back to feeling like an ordinary person. But he wasn’t allowed any respite.

Part of me enjoyed seeing it, as mean as that was. I just liked the thought of him knowing how I felt. A knight’s resilience no doubt made many of them complacent, since they could weather even the worst damage known to man. An ordinary person would be killed thousands of times over if they had to take the same damage.

Case in point, as soon as Ponteck’s Vigor dwindled to nothing and could no longer stifle his wounds, he collapsed. For a while, we were actually fighting on equal grounds. His Vigor was too busy keeping him alive while I had no Psyka left to spend. Thus, two ordinary, though wounded, men resorted to bare knuckle fighting. It was almost refreshing.

And I had won, because I could take more hits and dish out harder ones by virtue of my size and weight. Ponteck wasn’t as big as me, so despite his superior skill, I won in the end.

Now, Vetsmon was feeling the same thing that I always did. The vulnerability of the ordinary, the capabilities of the mediocre, capable of dying at any moment.

Perhaps that threat he gave me had left a sour taste in my mouth after all. Part of me wanted to go up to him and ask how it felt.

Eventually I left for my hotel room, lest I enjoy his suffering too much.

Beyond that, my time was spent resting.

My Crown still had lingering effects even going into the tournament. My body was still sensitive and I hadn’t completely adapted to my senses. Of course, the capabilities they afforded me, even if uncoordinated, were still much sharper than what I had before. It was the only reason I was able to survive against Ponteck for as long as I did while in close range without my coat.

The tournament did a good job of distracting me from all those issues though. However, now that I was healed and relaxed, I noticed myself on edge. I could only spend time settling myself, giving my body time to process things itself.

Because of that, I had a lot of free time, a lot of which was spent educating Umara.

Two days before we left, I was doing just that.

The sun set and I found myself looking at the night time streets of the Capitol. A quick glance at the clock told me Umara and I had been discussing things for around eight hours.

I looked down. One of the main streets was aligned with the hotel, so I could see down its length for close to a mile before it got blocked by another building.

From here, I was able to exercise my eyes to their fullest extent. The results were extraordinary.

That building a mile away could be seen as if it were merely across the street. Even the people in some of the windows, from their grimaces and smiles to the shifting wrinkles on their clothes,

And that wasn’t even the best of it — I could keep zooming in. It was only at two miles that my vision finally started to drop off. Yet I could still see over three miles away clearly.

At two miles, individual leaves on a branch started getting blurry, but I could still tell you how many there were. At three miles, I could still tell you how many bricks composed a section of the city wall.  Beyond that, my vision wasn’t precise, but it was still far better than any other human. And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that it was dark out. It looked no different than daytime for me.

It was an insane level of vision that I could hardly fathom having. I actually disoriented myself a bit and had to zone out when trying to concentrate at such a distance.

Eagle eyes, that’s what they were. How I would use my guns in conjunction with my eyes, I wasn’t completely sure. But it would be worth it to figure that out as I started to receive specialized sniper rifles.

For now, I could just adjust what sights I had and correlate my vision with my aiming.

However, while looking around the city with my fancy new eyeballs, I noticed more than just tree leaves and couples kissing in the windows of restaurants. I also noticed some posters on some walls and hanging on lines over the streets.

On a select few posters were images. And I naturally recognized myself.

Screaming into the air, shirtless, sexy abs, and standing over the body of my defeated opponent.

There were only a few, but I could actually see people passing out more of those posters. I asked while looking for more.

“Hey babe, what’s with the posters of me?”

“Hm? What posters?”

“Those.”

I found one nearby and pointed, Umara walking over and squinting.

“Hm, interesting.”

“Do they usually make posters after the tournament?”

“No. I’ve never seen something like that before. But it doesn’t surprise me.”

“No?”

“Of course not. You’re the first summoner to ever pull something like this off. Not to mention the controversy surrounding the tournament. You think nobody else knew what was going on? I’m sure the news is out and about by now regarding what Carrion tried to do. Maybe not about how he was trying to kill you, but the unfairness was clear as day.”

“...”

I was silent, watching as posters got passed out like candy. They weren’t even charging for them.

“You stood against President Carrion and beat down a bunch of cocky nobles while making history. Doing any one of those things would make you famous for a period. Doing all of them makes you something of a legend. I’ve been hearing nothing but talk about you. Even my mother has been asking me to come home, probably to talk about the spells and you, but I’ve kind of been ignoring her.”

“How naughty. Still, this doesn’t help me. If it keeps going like this, then I’m going to start seeing my nickname pretty soon.”

“Which nickname?”

“American.”

I turned away from the window.

“It was what I was called in the black market. I already know people are making the connection. And that makes the situation worse.”

“Oh I know. Being famous must be so difficult. To think you have to go through the hell of watching people idolize you for another two days, all from the comfort of the Kingdom’s safest and most luxurious hotel. Ugh, the tragedy!”

“Oh heavens I know! Please, hold me my dear. I don’t think I’ll make it much longer.”

“Ack!”

I dramatically spun around before directly falling into Umara’s arms, forcing her to catch me as I let out a sorrowful sigh.

“You’re heavy!”

“I just don’t think I can take it anymore… The pressure is too much…”

“Shut up and stand!”

“I mean, it’s like the whole world is against me. Thankfully I can find comfort in the one woman who lo-”

“I’m dropping you!”

“Ah!”

I let out a quick scream, landing flat on my back as Umara’s arms loosened,

She looked down at me with a smile before suddenly squeaking as I pulled her leg and brought her down to my level.

After that we fooled around for a while. Two days before a short trip, yet it felt like I was already done with everything.

I looked forward to the future.