Deenal walked toward Alex with an unreadable expression, a calm mask stretched tightly across his face, but Alex could see through it as clearly as if it were made of glass. That smug glint in his eyes, the barely-there twitch of his lips—Alex had seen that expression before, worn by arrogant worms who thought hiding behind fake politeness would save them from consequences.
"Don't worry, Alex," Deenal said, his voice smooth like butter over poison. "You'll get a better opportunity. Sometimes these things happen. Just an honest mistake, I'm sure."
Alex's jaw tightened, his fingers curling slightly into fists on his lap. His silence was deafening.
Deenal didn't stop. He leaned in slightly, fake concern dripping from his every word. "It really wasn't my fault. NASA probably trimmed down the list or made an error. Nothing I could've done, bro. You know how bureaucracy is. These things slip through."
He said it with a tone that screamed: I made sure of it.
And Alex heard it loud and clear.
Deenal's eyes danced with mock innocence. "I even triple-checked the names. Yours must have gotten lost in the shuffle. You know, so many names and so little time. Mistakes happen, right?"
Alex didn't speak. His stare could've frozen hell. His breathing was steady, but barely. The fire behind his eyes was evident.
Deenal smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Maybe next time, huh? Anyway, good luck with… whatever you end up doing."
For days, Alex had kept his calm. He'd swallowed the mockery, the veiled jabs, the staged isolation, and this pathetic performance. But right now, he was one sentence away from knocking Deenal's teeth halfway across the university lawn. With his current strength—enhanced reflexes, optimized muscle density, and a body tempered through combat modules in isolation—one punch could reduce this fucker's ribcage into powdered calcium.
Deenal must've sensed it too. That smirk twitched, faltered for a second. He took a step back, shoved his hands in his pockets, and muttered a quick, "Anyway, see ya," before walking away like he hadn't just pulled the strings behind the entire farce.
Alex sat still, his heart pounding, rage simmering like molten steel behind his ribs. The bastard really thought he could get away with this.
Then, like perfect timing—
DING.
A crisp chime echoed in his head.
[SYSTEM QUEST UNLOCKED]
Title:Sovereign Doesn't Bow.
Description: You are the Sovereign. You never crawl. You never kneel. You rise. You dominate. Someone has dared to cast you aside. Show them what it means to ignore a King.
(Note: It is not recommended that you directly reveal your family background—unless strategically necessary.)
Objective: Demonstrate your superiority in your own way. Make it so no one forgets your name.
Reward: Performance-Based.
Alex stared at the glowing interface. And then, slowly, a twisted smile crept onto his face.
"This... is going to be fun."
He stood, adjusted his sleeves, and took a long breath. The world would see now. Not his name, not his bloodline—but him. The raw, unmatched, unfathomable him. He wouldn't even need to lift the veil on who he really was. His actions alone would scream it.
He pulled out his phone.
"Noah. Bring the car. We're going home."
"Yes, sir," Noah answered instantly.
The sleek black vehicle arrived at the university gates in less than five minutes. Alex got in, eyes burning with quiet fury.
As the car moved through the city, Alex sat in the back, arms folded, gaze fixed out the tinted window. Emma was already seated inside, having returned from base, and Noah was in the driver's seat. The moment they were on the highway, away from listening ears, Alex began to speak.
"They omitted me from the trip. On purpose," he said flatly.
Emma turned to him sharply. "What? Are you fucking serious?"
"The entire class was listed. Everyone. Except me," Alex continued, tone cold and precise. "Deenal came up to me with that same smug face and tried to brush it off like it was a clerical error."
Emma's face darkened. Her hands clenched. "That son of a bitch."
Noah's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel. "Director or not, that warrants punishment. Want me to set the cleaners on him?"
Alex shook his head, a dangerous glint in his eye. "No. Not yet. I'll handle this one personally."
Emma exhaled slowly, clearly holding back her urge to retaliate. "This isn't just an insult. It's a declaration. He thinks you're just another name on a list."
"He has no idea who he's fucking with," Noah muttered.
"He doesn't," Alex said. "But he'll learn."
By the time they reached home, a plan had already formed in his mind. He didn't rush in. He moved with calm, controlled steps. His parents were in the living room, watching some news about the upcoming internship phase for university students.
"I got selected for an educational trip to Europe," he said, voice even.
His parents exchanged glances. Suspicion flickered across their faces.
"Europe? That's quite a jump," his mother said, crossing her arms. "When did that happen?"
Alex smiled faintly and handed them a crisp card—an official university document, stamped and signed by the Chancellor himself. A fabricated card, printed in less than ten seconds by Noah and Emma on the way home. It bore all the necessary holograms, even a tracking code that would validate on their university portal. It wouldn't matter anyway, as he could just get a real card, but it would take some time.
His father inspected it, nodded, then smiled. "That's our boy. Europe, huh? Try not to get into trouble."
"No promises," Alex said under his breath.
In truth, there was no European trip. The document was just a smokescreen—a cover so he could be away from home for the next month without raising suspicions. The university was officially closed for the time being, no classes were scheduled for the next thirty days. Students were expected to find their own internships starting after tomorrow's trip.
But for Alex, this wasn't about internships.
It was about freedom.
He had a month to do whatever he wanted.
And he'd make sure to use every second of it.