BAB2 -Chapter 1

# Chapter 1: New Normal

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“Morning, Sunshine!” Rox shouted, startling Xay and Lexi awake.

The strong redhead grinned down at the two as they lay under the plush covers.

She was the definition of chiseled beauty, wearing a tight black crop top that revealed her well-defined abs under her signature red combat jacket.

“Ugh, five more minutes,” Lexi groaned, pulling the cover over her head.

The spunky platinum blonde was the antithesis of a morning person. As Xay’s deepest bond outside of Dragon, she routinely spent the night with him.

Xay didn’t mind waking up to either Rox or Lexi’s gorgeous faces in the morning.

“Nope,” Rox laughed, yanking the covers back down.

“Morning, Rox,” Xay drawled, standing to stretch and shake out his braids. “How was that rift yesterday?”

While Xay, Lexi, Kimi, and Tyra had been infiltrating a disturbing lab to save their friend Amy the day before, Rox had been called away to help close a rift just outside the city.

Rox’s face fell for a moment. “It was one of the city’s mining rifts.”

“By the time we got there, all of the regulars had been put to sleep by a powerful technique, and all the Awakened prisoners were missing,” she paused for a second, “including Piper Laurent.”

Xay blinked rapidly, fully registering the news.

On his very first dungeon dive at the Cosmos Academy Dungeon, Piper and Anton Morwen had orchestrated an Encroachment—with him as the target.

Somehow, they had coaxed the second-floor boss into invading the first floor while Xay and his diving team were still there. It happened just after Xay and Kimi had taken down the first-floor boss.

“What does that mean?” Xay asked Rox, slightly concerned. “She just escaped? She’s back in the city?”

Rox shrugged. “There was no movement at any of the mana barrier gates, so the current theory is they’re out in the Wilds somewhere. The more interesting, and still unanswered question is who helped them.”

The entire city of New Meridian was protected by a massive mana barrier, shielding it from the monster-ridden Wilds beyond.

“But never mind that.” Rox clapped Xay on the back. “Good job yesterday—you four did great work. Just look at you—Adamant Tier already,” she beamed.

“Naturally,” Lexi smirked, finally getting out of bed.

Xay’s own pride peeked through in his grin.

Not only had they saved Amy, several other people, and a lot of animals, but both the city and the Awakened Association had recognized their efforts, promoting them all to Adamant Tier.

That thought prompted Xay to check his GRID notifications for his Awakened stipend for the month.

**New Deposit**: *+10,000 Neon*

**Balance**: 11,334,548 Neon

Xay shook his head. He had no idea what to do with so much money, but it felt good to have.

He had only been Obsidian Tier for a month, yet he had already received 5,000 just for staying available in the city in case of emergencies.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lexi huffed, reaching for her training gear.

“Not today,” Rox stopped her. “You four are being summoned to the admin offices before classes. No time for training,” she added with a slight pout.

“Oh?” Lexi perked up, quickly stashing the gear. “Well, if we have to go, we have to go,” she grinned. “Don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Xay snorted as he pulled on one of his red Quantium fleece sets with some red, black, and white high-top sneakers.

Then he tugged a hoodie over Dragon’s head. Her big gray eyes blinked up at him asynchronously as he dressed her.

She was a two-foot butterfly dragon made of his essence, grafted to his balisong. Xay didn’t entirely understand how or why, but he loved her all the same.

Xay and Rox headed out to the main kitchen island with Dragon while Lexi finished getting ready.

“Good morning!” Tyra chirped happily, handing Xay a green smoothie.

The bright bundle of excitement wore a white sundress adorned with large, teal flower designs, matching her eyes and hair.

The way it clung to her hips and thighs as she swayed and moved about drew Xay’s eyes for longer than he’d care to admit.

“Thanks,” he croaked, clearing his throat and taking a sip of the smoothie.

Dragon flew over and landed next to Willow, Tyra’s mana beast companion owl. Dragon eyed her suspiciously as the owl swiveled her head around without moving her body.

The two had fought constantly when they first met, but now things had settled into a cold war/frienemies-type situation.

Meanwhile, Kimi sat in the window seal sipping tea. “Morning,” she said, raising her mug with a soft smile.

The crimson-eyed, raven-haired princess looked as beautiful as ever beneath a ray of sunlight streaming through the window.

She wore a red sleeveless shirt and tight white jeans that accentuated her long, toned legs and shapely curves.

As the F4—the top first-year placements at Cosmos Academy—the four of them had been granted adjacent apartments.

They had also chosen to remove the walls, creating one massive shared living space.

“You know what this summons is all about, Rox?” Xay asked.

“I do,” she grinned a menacing grin. You’ve all been making waves.”

Tyra gasped. “Are we in trouble?”

Kimi moved to gently rub her back. “I highly doubt that, Tyra.”

“It’s nothing bad,” Rox explained with a laugh. “In fact, it’ll be good for you all.”

Xay narrowed his eyes, but Rox ignored him. He knew that whatever Rox considered “good for them” would somehow involve more training.

“Also, a new Skills Division head has been selected, and a few instructors on remote missions have been called back,” she continued. “So no more skipping class.”

Piper Laurent had been their Intro to Combat instructor before she was forcibly removed by Rox.

“I’m ready,” Lexi called, walking into the kitchen. “A morning without exercise is a good morning,” she joked.

Lexi had dressed in a short black sweater with a plunging neckline that revealed her ample cleavage.

“I enjoy our training sessions,” Kimi said thoughtfully. “Sparring with Xay feels romantic in a way.”

Lexi just stared at her, pity in her gaze.

Xay hadn’t missed the comment either. He had technically bonded with Kimi first, but they still hadn’t gone on a proper date or taken things further.

He needed to fix that soon.

The first ability of Xay’s unknown Bloodline was *Essence Bond*.

***Essence Bond** - Form symbiotic bonds with willing entities. Bonded entities gain stat boosts based on bond strength.*

He had three slots, filled by Dragon, Kimi, and Lexi. Both Dragon and Lexi were at Unbreakable bond level, granting them (25%) of Xay’s total stats.

Meanwhile, Kimi was only at Emergent, granting her (10%).

“Let’s go,” Rox demanded, heading toward the door.

They followed her to the glass elevator bay. They lived on the 40th floor of the Cosmos Academy tower, and the administrative offices were on a lower level.

“Do you know anything about the new division head?” Xay asked, turning to Rox on the elevator.

“Nope,” she answered quickly. “After last time, I wanted no part of the selection process.”

Piper had been Rox’s friend when they were kids, and she had recommended Piper for her position at Cosmos, even though Piper hated her.

Rox had blamed herself for Piper’s attack on Xay.

On the admin floor, the group met Misty, the excitable front-desk manager who had become a fan of Xay and his team.

“Mr. X, everyone, hi! Hey, good morning!” Misty blurted, jumping out of her chair. “You were on the news again! You saved all those people—“

“We’re just going to head in, Misty,” Rox said, moving behind the counter. “She’s waiting for us.”

“Oh,” Misty squeaked. “Right, yes, of course, Ms. Blake.”

Rox led them into Vice Headmistress Belladonna Blake’s office—Rox’s mother.

Inside, the vice headmistress was speaking with four people, three of whom Xay already knew.

The first was Caspian Grant, the head of the Development Division and their Attributes class instructor. He was a flamboyantly stylish man with purple hair.

The second was Chadwick Burke, head of the Cryptid Division and the instructor for their Monsters 101 class. He was a mountain of a man with dirty blonde hair but had a very chill, laid-back attitude.

Third was Evelyn Saeed, head of the Research Division and the instructor for their Awakened Studies class. She was a petite woman with green hair and thick-rimmed glasses.

She had recently apologized to Xay and Tyra for overstepping her authority as Tyra’s advisor to extract information about Dragon.

Dr. Saeed had let her curiosity get the better of her, and she had submitted a formal write-up to the administration about her actions.

Lexi and Kimi had forced Xay and Tyra to read the write-up, but neither of them had anything to add.

The fourth person in the meeting was someone Xay had never seen before. She was about five and a half feet tall with incredibly muscular glutes, quads, and calves.

Her robust lower half was especially noticeable in the short white qipao and black leggings she wore. Single sets of red and black beads adorned her wrists and neck.

Her long black hair was parted down the middle and styled into two large buns.

Xay had heard the style was called “ox horns” when he worked as a janitor at one of the city’s dojos.

He wondered if she had come from a martial arts dojo.

“Li-Li!” Rox shouted, charging over to grab her in a bear hug. “I didn’t know you were taking the job!”

“Ugh, Rox,” she sighed, stepping out of the hug. “I told you not to call me Li-Li in public.” Her voice was soft but firm.

“Ahem,” Vice Headmistress Blake cleared her throat, silencing everyone. “We can end our discussion here,” she said, her voice sharp as she gestured for the instructors to move to the side of the room. “Please.”

The stern woman had the same green eyes and red hair as Rox, though her hair was slightly more faded.

The four instructors stood in a line by the window, while Rox positioned herself behind Xay and the ladies, who stepped directly in front of the vice headmistress’s floating desk.

Xay glanced over at the instructors for a moment.

Instructor Grant winked, Chad nodded his head, and Dr. Saeed gave him a soft smile. The “Li-Li” person, however, studied him critically, as if she were dissecting him where he stood.

“First, I would like to introduce the new head of the Skills Division, Lian Wu. She will also be the instructor for your Intro to Combat course going forward.”

Instructor Wu brought her right fist to her chest and laid her left palm over it before slightly bowing to them. “Greetings.”

Tyra waved excitedly, and Lexi nodded in acknowledgment, while both Xay and Kimi covered their right fists and returned the gesture, bowing even deeper in response.

Instructor Wu eyed each of them, her lips curling into a small, amused smirk.

“Now,” Vice Headmistress Blake regained everyone’s attention, “congratulations on your promotions to Adamant Tier. It is a status required for graduation from the academy, and you have achieved it in your first year.”

Xay and the ladies all beamed with pride.

Xay had set out to be the greatest. Even before he awakened he wanted to be the strongest ever and live an exciting life of action and adventure.

“Also, Cosmos Academy is officially recognizing the designations F4 and First-Year Four. As such, the four of you will now have all of your classes together,” she said.

Xay glanced around at Lexi, Tyra, and Kimi. He already had classes with each of them, so bringing them all in at the same time wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“With that done,” Vice Headmistress Blake continued. “Cosmos Academy is adjusting your course schedule to better fit your new status and abilities.”

Xay perked up. Who didn’t love special treatment?

“Starting today,” she said, “you will have one class in the morning and individualized coaching in the afternoon.”

“On Mondays, you’ll have Attributes, Tuesdays—Intro to Combat, Wednesdays—Awakened Studies, and Thursdays—Monsters 101.”

“Your coursework will remain the same; it will be up to you to keep up with the curriculum.”

“Your individual coaching will take place Monday through Friday, with one, multiple, or all of the instructors in this room.”

Xay chewed on his cheek. He was excited about the special coaching, but it also meant they were essentially doubling their work.

Lexi sighed from beside him.

“Cosmos Academy expects great things from you in the future,” the vice headmistress said. “I will see you in Simulation Room 1 after lunch. Is everything clear?”

“Yes, Vice Headmistress,” Xay and the ladies replied in unison.

“Excellent. Everyone, except for Xayver and Tyra, you are dismissed.”

The room began to clear, and Tyra glanced over at Xay nervously. He shot her a reassuring smile, though he wasn’t sure what the vice headmistress wanted with just them either.

Xay could feel Lexi and Kimi through their bond; they were hanging around in the hall, waiting for them to finish.

Vice Headmistress Blake eyed them for a moment, her expression unreadable.

“Regarding Dr. Saeed’s misconduct involving both of you,” she began, “she will be required to attend ethics and sensitivity training sessions and will also receive a formal written reprimand.”

“We also offer complimentary counseling services to both of you, should you find them necessary.”

“Additionally, Tyra, you have the option to request a change of adviser. Since you are no longer on probation, you may also choose to forgo having an adviser altogether.”

Tyra shook her head rapidly. “I like Dr. Saeed. She messed up but she’s fixing it.”

The vice headmistress dipped her head in acknowledgment. “I see. Very well. In addition to the optional counseling, you shall both immediately receive monetary compensation in the amount of 100,000 Neon.”

**New Deposit**: *+100,000 Neon*

**Balance**: 11,434,548 Neon

Xay snorted in amusement. The Xay from two months ago would’ve cried tears of joy at the sight of such a large sum of money. Now, things were very much different.

Tyra, on the other hand, was absolutely over the moon, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Are you satisfied with the steps taken?” Vice Headmistress Blake asked.

“Yes, Vice Headmistress,” they replied in unison.

“Excellent. You’re both dismissed.”

Xay and Tyra exited her office, meeting up with Lexi, Kimi, and Rox in the hallway.

“Don’t think that just because your schedule is changing, you’re getting out of my training in the morning,” Rox said, her tone menacing.

Xay laughed. “Never even crossed my mind.”

“Crossed mine,” Lexi murmured under her breath.

“So who is Instructor Wu?” Xay asked Rox, raising an eyebrow. “You two seem pretty well acquainted.”

Rox laughed. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t hate me.. well, I don’t think she does. Anyway, we’ve done several rifts together. She’s strong and knows her stuff. My money’s on the school offering her the position specifically for you, Xay.”

His brows knitted together. “Me? Why?”

“She’s a martial arts master,” Rox explained. “Lots of fancy kicks and whirling about. I’m guessing she’s going to be your individual coach.”

Xay had already pieced together that she was a master from her dress and mannerisms, but he hadn’t considered that she was specifically there for him.

Xay grinned wide.

He had basically taught himself everything he knew, so having a real master to teach him directly was an incredible opportunity.

None of the instructors at the dojo where he had once worked were high-level Awakened. Even with the money to pay them now, they wouldn’t have been able to instruct him properly due to his stats.

“Anyway, I’m heading off,” Rox said, breaking away from the group. “See you later.”

The group waved goodbye and headed to their first class.

After explaining to Lexi and Kimi what he and Tyra had discussed with the vice headmistress, Lexi immediately flicked Xay’s forehead for accepting hush money once again.

“Ow,” he whined, rubbing his forehead as they stepped onto the elevator. “It’s not that big a deal. I don’t want to bankrupt the academy, Lexi. Besides, I didn’t really expect to get anything.

“Whatever,” Lexi sighed, rolling her eyes.

“If it happens with anyone else, I’ll take them for everything they’ve got,” Xay promised with a wink, making her chuckle.

“So, how do you all feel about the individualized coaching?” Kimi asked.

“Happy!” Tyra chirped, stroking Willow’s white feathers. “I think I’ll have more chances to go all out.”

“Feels like we’re being punished,” Lexi groaned, picking Dragon up and hugging her to her chest.

She barely felt Dragon’s weight bands because of their increased stats from reaching Level 24, combined with her bond with Xay.

“I think it’s great,” Xay said, tapping his chin. “It feels like we’re just starting to grasp our full potential. But with everything lined up, our weeks are about to get a lot busier.”

“We’ve already taken down a human trafficking ring and a disgusting testing lab,” Lexi said. “If we work together, we can probably handle anything.”

“Right!” Tyra perked up. “We’ve already proven we can take on real threats.”

Kimi chuckled, shaking her head. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves. I’ve seen some incredibly strong Awakened within and around the Vermilion Group. The people we fought in that lab were nothing in comparison.”

Xay glanced at Kimi thoughtfully. Her family led the Vermilion Group, one of the city’s Big 5—powerful organizations formed by multiple sects and families united under one name.

If anyone knew the true scale of power in New Meridian, it was her. Still though, being promoted to Adamant Tier had to mean something.

As they walked down the halls, Xay finally noticed the heads turning in their direction and the soft murmurs that followed them.

Other students stepped aside, a mix of fear and admiration in their eyes.

Xay could do without the theatrics, but it reinforced the idea that he and his team had accomplished something significant—that they mattered both inside and outside the academy.