Fortitude Unleashed

Chapter 6: Eclipse Veil

Zakir’s eyes fluttered open, met by the sterile white ceiling of the academy hospital room. The soft hum of monitoring spells resonated faintly in the air, accompanied by the occasional distant beep of medical devices. Sunlight filtered through the slanted blinds, casting warm stripes across the linoleum floor. For a moment, Zakir simply lay still, his mind foggy and his body reluctant to move. Then, like the crash of a tidal wave, the memories surged back—the Orc, its bloodcurdling roars, the suffocating weight of exhaustion as he struck the final blow.

He raised himself on his elbows, wincing slightly from the soreness in his muscles. A quick glance around the room revealed the usual modern furnishings of the academy hospital: sleek medical panels glowing with patient data, a stack of neatly folded clothes on a nearby chair, and a tray of untouched food. His gaze landed on the holographic screen suspended above his bed, blinking with a notification from the system.

[Reward for defeating the Red Orc]

 The message read, the words pulsating softly as if urging him to tap and reveal more. Zakir’s heartbeat quickened. The system has never rewarded him before. He thought may be that was because he has never killed a monster before this, but then he dismissed that thought because he remember a lot about System from hunters from his World, but no one had ever received a reward directly from system, be that small achievements or significant achievements, but now that his system was rewarding him, he felt very happy and for the second time in his life he thought that the System is something miraculous, the first time being when he first received the System. With a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, he activated the notification with a swipe.

The screen shimmered before displaying the details.

[Reward: Dimensional Ring—"Eclipse Veil]

Below it, a brief note scrolled into view: [Bestowed by the Ruler of the Region for exceptional valor and extraordinary accomplishment]

Zakir blinked at the words, his mind racing. The Ruler of the Region? The system had never mentioned figures of authority in such specific terms. He had heard rumors—whispers among the students about shadowy figures who governed the continent but none was known by most people. But who—or what—was this Ruler? And why had they taken notice of him?, is this ruler the same figure that rules this continent from the shadow that only a select few from the big families are aware about, that was the question swirled in his mind, but before he could delve deeper, the sleek door to his room slid open with a quiet hiss.

“Zakir!” Jack’s familiar voice filled the room, brimming with relief and excitement. His best friend strode in, his expression a mixture of joy and concern. Jack was dressed in the casual modern academy uniform, his neatly pressed jacket bearing the insignia of their year. “You’re awake, finally! Man, you had me worried.”

Zakir offered a faint smile, the corners of his mouth lifting despite the weight of his thoughts. “Hey, Jack. What’s the damage?”

“Just exhaustion,” Jack said, plopping down in the chair next to Zakir’s bed. “Thirteen hours of deep sleep, and here you are, good as new. Unlike Jasim and Mark—they’re still in the medical ward. Their injuries were a bit more serious. You, though, managed to walk away without a scratch. How do you even do that?”

Zakir shrugged, though his mind drifted back to the battle. He remembered the heat of the Orc’s breath, the crushing force of its blows. “Guess I got lucky,” he said simply, not yet ready to share the details of his reward or the Ruler’s involvement.

Jack leaned back, studying his friend for a moment. “Lucky, huh? Well, the entire academy is buzzing about you. Even the professors can’t stop talking about what you did. Speaking of which,” he added with a grin, “you’re missing all the fun. Let’s head to the canteen—people are going to lose their minds when they see you up and about.”

Zakir hesitated, but the rumbling of his stomach made the decision for him. “Fine,” he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His movements were stiff, but his determination pushed him forward. Jack offered him an arm for support, which Zakir waved off with a smirk. “I’m not that fragile.”

The canteen was a stark contrast to the tranquil hospital room. Its sleek, modern design exuded a sense of energy and life. Long tables made of brushed steel filled the space, each equipped with built-in holographic displays for ordering food. The walls were adorned with digital panels showcasing scenic views of mountains and rivers, their serene visuals a sharp contrast to the animated chatter of the students. Overhead, a series of glowing orbs floated, providing soft, ambient lighting that shifted hues throughout the day.

As Zakir and Jack stepped inside, heads turned. Conversations halted mid-sentence, replaced by hushed whispers and curious glances. Zakir could feel the weight of their stares, but he kept his expression neutral, his stride steady.

“Hey, isn’t that him?”

“Yeah, that’s Zakir! The guy who killed the Red Orc!”

“I heard he didn’t even get injured. Just walked away like it was nothing.”

The snippets of conversation reached Zakir’s ears, and he bit back a sigh. He wasn’t used to the spotlight, and the sudden attention felt overwhelming. Jack, however, seemed to revel in it, puffing out his chest as if basking in the reflected glory.

“There’s Sarah, Joanna, Jimmy, and Natasha,” Jack whispered, nodding toward a group seated near the large bay windows. They were part of the team that had faced the Orc alongside Zakir. Sarah, with her fiery red hair, was deep in conversation with Jimmy, her hands gesturing animatedly. Joanna and Natasha sat nearby, their plates piled high with food, but their focus was clearly on recounting the events of the battle.

Zakir raised a hand in greeting, a simple gesture that was met with smiles and nods from the group. Natasha even gave him a thumbs-up, her grin as wide as the canteen itself. Jack nudged him playfully. “See? You’re a hero.”

“Let’s just eat,” Zakir muttered, steering Jack toward an empty table. The holographic menu flared to life as they sat down, and Zakir quickly selected a simple breakfast: eggs, toast, and a cup of strong coffee. The tray materialized moments later, the aroma of freshly cooked food filling the air.

As he ate, Zakir couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to the system notification. The Eclipse Veil, a dimensional ring granted by the Ruler of the Region—what did it mean? The name alone sounded enigmatic, almost otherworldly. And the Ruler... why would they take notice of him? He had so many questions but no answers, only a gnawing sense that this was just the beginning of something far greater.

‘whatever it names means doesn’t matter and who gave it to me through the system also doesn’t matter now, but what matters is that it is a dimensional ring, and it is a very good thing, it is exactly what I needed the most’ Zakir thought to himself. He recalled many S Rank hunters had dimensional rings and only 10 to 20 A rank hunters had a dimensional ring that were known to the world, and it used to cost Millions of Dollars which was a big amount of Money even for most A rank hunters. Due to all these reason Zakir did not even try to find out how he can obtain a dimensional item here in this world because he had naturally assumed that it will be costly here as well, and here he was possessing one by simply killing a monster that was not a big deal for awakeners here.

Jack, oblivious to Zakir’s internal musings, rambled on about the academy’s reaction to the battle. “You should’ve seen Professor Jessica’s face during the debriefing. She looked like she couldn’t decide whether to praise you or scold you for taking such a huge risk. And Dean Alaric? He actually smiled for once—though it was more like a grimace, to be honest.” Dean Alaric was someone who was consider very strong, but that was not the reason he was famous, because he was famous to smile only when he see or hear about something he consider a Spectacular.

Zakir chuckled softly, shaking his head at the image of the usually stern Dean attempting a smile.

As the canteen buzzed with life, Zakir’s thoughts remained divided—part of him present, sharing a meal with his best friend, and part of him lost in the mysteries of the Eclipse Veil and the shadowy figure who had bestowed it. One thing was certain: his life at the academy would never be the same.

After eating breakfast in the canteen, Zakir and Jack left the Canteen and entered another building and after passing by a few rooms the stood at the entrance of a Large room. Above the door of the Room was written “Power level Assessment Room”.

“finally! It’s time I enter the A Class, let’s go Jack” Zakir exclaimed as he and Jack entered the Room of the Power level assessment.