Chapter 9: EX 9. The Rival
Adrian Peer came from a humble background. His parents were "Grounders"—those who never received the trial resonance and thus were denied the chance to enter the Trial World, to grow stronger and fight for humanity's future.
So, when Adrian awakened the resonance, it came as a shock to everyone. From obscurity, he was now a candidate to become a trial taker—something he had dreamed about for as long as he could remember.
What child didn't dream of becoming a trial taker? The Federation praised them as heroes, the future and the hope of humanity. For Adrian, that hope had once been unreachable.
But now that it was in front of him, he chased it with all he had. While others played, Adrian trained. He stayed up late studying and woke before dawn to condition his body.
His parents often urged him to rest, but he refused. He wasn't just trying to catch up—he was aiming to stand at the top.
And that effort bore fruit. Adrian earned a spot in the most prestigious class of the one-year training—a class dominated by nobles, many of whom had trained since birth in preparation for the resonance they were all but guaranteed to receive.
Adrian wasn't intimidated. He didn't complain. Instead, he took it as a challenge. To prove himself, he pushed harder, broke his limits, shattered his body and rebuilt it time and again.
His results showed. Second in physical training. Third in academics. Top three overall.
But for Adrian, it wasn't enough.
He wanted to be number one. And to do that, he needed to surpass one person: Leon Kael.
Day after day, Adrian worked relentlessly, driven by the image of the boy who stood above them all.