Sister Selene, Joining the Graduation Trial
“Wow, what smells so good?”
In the slums, on Maple Street, inside a shabby rented room, Xalen had just stepped in when he heard a delighted female voice. He looked over—the voice belonged to a fifteen-year-old blonde girl with big eyes, an oval face, and a clever, quirky air. It was his little sister, Selene.
Right now, Selene was eyeing the square box in Xalen's hand, from which an unbelievably enticing aroma drifted.
Xalen placed the box on the dining table and smiled. “It's pizza. Want some? Then say 'Brother.'”
Selene's eyes lit up. Pizza? She'd only heard of it from classmates. After the Cataclysm, crop yields had plummeted; ordinary flour was a luxury. Hamburgers, pizza, wraps—only the rich could afford them. Their family practically lived on the nutrient paste the FWG handed out. She never expected her stingy brother to be so generous today, buying a pizza!
But hearing the condition, Selene wrinkled her brows. Normally she bickered with Xalen and barely called him 'Brother.' Did he think a pizza would make her yield? No way!
“Hmph, I don't care for it.” Selene crossed her arms and turned away.
Xalen just smiled and lifted the lid. An even richer aroma blossomed. Selene trembled and couldn't help but glance back. Inside was a round pie, golden-brown, covered in cheese and chicken.
“Brother...” Selene swallowed hard, unable to resist the temptation.
“Dig in,” Xalen chuckled.
Selene wasted no more time. She rushed to the table and grabbed a slice. But before biting, she asked doubtfully, “This pizza... it's expensive, right?”
Xalen nodded. It really was—fifty credits. It was his first time buying pizza too, to celebrate his rebirth. With the One and Only Gene Lock Tyrant Dragon, he was confident he could support their mom and sister, even give them a better life. So he splurged, and this was only the start. Thinking of that, he gave Selene a big smile. “Eat up. Not expensive at all. If you like it, I'll buy it for you every day!”
Hearing that, Selene finally didn't hold back. She snatched a piece, and as she lifted it, the still-warm cheese stretched into strings. She then handed it to Xalen. “Y-you eat first.”
Xalen blinked, then smiled and took it. “Okay.” He bit in; a dense, chewy texture hit him. Then the cheese and chicken burst with flavor, rich and complex. Delicious.
“So good!” Selene finally took a bite and let out a cry of joy. She wolfed it down, slice after slice. After the third, she stopped.
“Why'd you stop?” Xalen asked.
Selene said, “It's so good. Let's save half for Mom.”
Xalen's heart warmed. “Don't worry. Mom can't eat this kind of stuff now. When she's better, I'll take you both out to eat as much as you want!”
Selene took another bite and mumbled through a full mouth, “Honestly, just this once is enough. If there's money, we should save it for Mom's treatment.” A trace of sadness flickered in her eyes.
Xalen smiled wryly. He knew his sister was worried. And with reason—she knew about his lizard gene awakening. As a Gene Academy student herself, she understood exactly what that meant. He decided it was time to reveal his change. “Relax. I've got money.” He pulled out a one-hundred-credit bill and handed it to her. “Here, pocket money.”
What? Selene stared at the hundred credits, stunned. “Xalen! Where did you get this? You didn't actually go to loan sharks, did you?!” She snapped out of it, worried, calling him by name.
Xalen was taken aback—she'd found out about that plan. He smiled. “I don't need loan sharks. From now on, our family won't be short on cash. Trust me.”
Selene rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right! Stop bragging.” Disdain colored her delicate face.
Xalen could only smile wryly. He knew why she didn't respect him: his habit of making big promises that never came true. Since childhood, he'd comforted their mother with words, vowing to take care of her and give her a big house someday. At first, Selene admired him for it, but when those words never materialized, her attitude soured. Xalen could only blame himself. He'd meant every word, but his strength never allowed it. His recent lizard gene awakening must have been the last straw—especially since he'd once boasted of becoming a powerful Gene Soldier. A lizard gene wouldn't take him anywhere.
But now, everything had changed. Xalen took a deep breath and revealed a mysterious smile. “Let me tell you a secret, Selene. My gene test was wrong. What I awakened isn't a lizard gene—it's a dragon.”
As he spoke, he reached for his stainless-steel drinking cup. Selene's brow furrowed. Was he really going to try to crush it? Stainless steel required at least a Rare Gene Soldier to deform. But then, the unbelievable happened. Xalen squeezed—the cup warped and burst! With a hiss, he let go, and a twisted lump of metal clattered out. Selene froze, mouth falling open, pizza dropping. “Th-this...” No lizard gene soldier could do that. Could Xalen be telling the truth?! He really had a dragon gene?! She scrambled up, grabbed his hand, squeezed his arm, eyes sparkling. Before, with the lizard gene, his body had barely changed. But now he was noticeably more muscular, his muscles hard and brimming with power!
“Bro, can you go to my academy tomorrow and beat up a few people for me?” Selene suddenly said sweetly.
Xalen laughed. “What are you on about? Tomorrow I've got to take the graduation trial.”
It was worth noting that every student who awakened a gene could participate in the graduation trial—sort of like a college entrance exam. The results largely determined their future. Xalen had originally planned to skip it. Because the trial involved entering spatial rift instances to clear out Aberrant Creatures. These instances had predictable, well-documented creatures, so the risk wasn't extreme. But there was still a chance of dying, especially for common gene soldiers. Xalen had meant to give up. For someone with a lizard gene, the risk clearly outweighed the reward. But now, things were different. He was confident he would shock everyone in this graduation trial!