CHAPTER NINETEENTHE exam questionnaire given to Gale was a mountain of a challenge with its one hundred pages, where each page was packed with an average of five questions. It was a massive collection of problems pulled from the Licensure Examination for Agriculturist, totaling six hundred questions.Normally, a student would need three full days to tackle this kind of test. But Gale? He was only given two hours to answer it—a nearly impossible task for anyone at his level. The questions were as tough as those on the board exam, and the short time frame made it even worse. It was obvious that the Vice President wanted Gale to fail.As Gale raced through the questions, the VP sat back on the couch with a smirk playing on his lips. He was certain that no matter how quickly Gale worked, he would never make it. The VP knew that even the brightest students would struggle with this test in such a short time. And Gale? He was just an ordinary student, wasn't he?However, what the VP didn't
CHAPTER TWENTYTHE questions during the Licensure Examination for Agriculturist are no jokes and everyone, especially those who took it, knew that. Yes! There were those geniuses that could top that exam with as high as 98% passing grade, but it was only a literal One in a million chances. And these takers barely showed, as most of the time the scores of the top notchers has stayed below 95%, considering that almost all of these takers have undergone a few months of rigid review and preparation.That is why when they heard what the former Dean has said, the current Dean and the VP was both stunned unable to believe it. Well, they could have believe it if Gale happened to have committed a genuine mistake. But deliberately leaving some items unanswered was in a whole different level. It has added a huge explosion on the already impossible feat that Gale had just completed.Gale was only a second year Agriculture Student and was not among the top students at that. Though he's performing
CHAPTER TWENTY ONETHE Hart Family was one of the few power houses in Santa Mesa City, their status was several level above the famous Lopez family. In fact, they were the ones backing the Lopezes and their business. That's why, even the president of the Lexington Academy felt pressure upon hearing the mention of Stephen Hart - the current head of the Hart Family.The Hart Family's influence was not only limited to businesses as they also established a named in several academic institutions. They owned shares across several well-known Colleges and Universities in the country, and the Lexington Academy was not an exception to this. Though the Harts only owned a little portion of the Academy's ownership, the fact that they were one of its owners was already a title that can't be ignored by the Academy staff and management - not even the Academy President.And the VP for Administration knew this, that is why he didn't even hisetated to use the name of his cousin in order to justify his s
PROLOGUEIN THE heart of a man-made pine forest east of La Verde City, a car cam be seen speeding along a narrow asphalted road. Tall pines lined the path with their dense branches forming a green tunnel overhead. The scent of pine needles and fresh earth lingered in the air as the road twisted and turned, guiding the car toward the horizon where the colossal Bronze Mountain stood, its majestic peak dominating the skyline.As the car approached the well known tunnel road under the huge rocky hill leading beyond the city's boundary, the couple inside wore anxious expressions. Their faces reflected a mix of worry and regret as they silently stared at the tunnel looming ever closer in their view."Are you sure he'll be okay on his own?" The man, who appeared to be in his late thirties, asked the woman in the passenger seat beside him. His cyan eyes were fixed on the road, especially on the tunnel looming ahead, as if bracing for what lay beyond."You know you don't have to do this, right
CHAPTER ONE"GALE, get my package delivery from outside the gate," Danny shouted, pulling a crumpled bill from his pocket and tossing it at Gale. "Keep the change, if there's any," he added as he shrugged off his hooded jacket, the fabric clinging to his sweat-drenched skin as he returned to the basketball game in the dormitory courtyard."Check it first, make sure nothing's broken or missing, or I'll make you pay for it," Danny added without looking at Gale, as he was focused on shooting the ball that he'd just caught."Grab the water I had refilled outside too. It's already paid for."Before he could pick the money that Danny threw, Jeric, one of Danny's teammates called out, flinging a twenty-peso note towards Gale."Guys, isn't this too much? Why is it always Gale who has to do everything for you?" a girl sitting on the bench, spectating the game, asked. She's obviously new here since she seemed affected by what the other is doing to Gale."Nah, he's used to it. If we didn't give
CHAPTER TWOAFTER relaying the message over the intercom, the security guard gestured for Gale to sit in the dormitory's waiting lounge.He waited, feeling the eyes of the passersby on him, until he saw the doors of the dormitory flung open. Out walked a group of women, and among them, a vision of unparalleled beauty made her way towards him. Her fitted purple t-shirt accentuated her curves, highlighting her ample bosom, while her short denim skirt showcased her slender, flawless legs. Each step she took was graceful, her hips swaying with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly.A mere glimpse of her was like looking at an angel from heaven.For a moment, Gale was spellbound by the sight of Sherly White, one of the Academy's most beautiful students, listed among the top ten beauties of the school."You piece of trash!"However, Sherly's harsh words snapped him back to reality. Her voice was sharp, a stark contrast to her angelic appearance.Gale quickly composed himself, straight
CHAPTER THREEIn moments of peril, the human body awakens a primal response, surging adrenaline through the veins, sharpening senses, and amplifying strength and reflexes. It’s the fight-or-flight instinct, an ancient mechanism meant to safeguard human survival.For Gale, this instinct kicked in as he teetered on the brink of death. His lungs burned, and his muscles screamed in exhaustion, but an unexpected warmth spread through him, igniting a desperate resolve. With a final, explosive effort, he propelled himself upwards, cutting through the water with astonishing speed. He broke the surface and found himself hurled several meters into the air, landing in the shallows. He collapsed by the lakeside, gasping for breath, disbelief washing over him. He had escaped death.But what saved him was not merely the fight-or-flight instinct. Something else awakened an unknown energy within him when he chose, using his mind, the [Yes?] option that appeared before his eyes.He had no idea what w
CHAPTER FOUR"YOUR complaint is being processed, Rushton. We'll just call you if we have any updates regarding this matter," the officer said upon returning snapping Gale from his daze."Thank you, Sir," Gale replied, bowing slightly to show his respect as he stood before leaving the station.While walking, Gale decided to check on the notification from the weird system that seemed to be inside his head. He was staring at it earlier, clueless, when the officer interrupted him.Now that he's alone, he can check on it while walking back to Lexington Academy campus.[System Sync Complete][You are now ranking up][Ranking Up Status: 2%]Gale frowned upon reading the notifications again. He's really confused about this system thingy as it seemed to be loading all the time.'What's the use of it when it's always like this?' He complained in his mind and decided to close the system as it only hinders his line of vision.After more than thirty minutes of walk, Gale finally arrived at the Aca
CHAPTER TWENTY ONETHE Hart Family was one of the few power houses in Santa Mesa City, their status was several level above the famous Lopez family. In fact, they were the ones backing the Lopezes and their business. That's why, even the president of the Lexington Academy felt pressure upon hearing the mention of Stephen Hart - the current head of the Hart Family.The Hart Family's influence was not only limited to businesses as they also established a named in several academic institutions. They owned shares across several well-known Colleges and Universities in the country, and the Lexington Academy was not an exception to this. Though the Harts only owned a little portion of the Academy's ownership, the fact that they were one of its owners was already a title that can't be ignored by the Academy staff and management - not even the Academy President.And the VP for Administration knew this, that is why he didn't even hisetated to use the name of his cousin in order to justify his s
CHAPTER TWENTYTHE questions during the Licensure Examination for Agriculturist are no jokes and everyone, especially those who took it, knew that. Yes! There were those geniuses that could top that exam with as high as 98% passing grade, but it was only a literal One in a million chances. And these takers barely showed, as most of the time the scores of the top notchers has stayed below 95%, considering that almost all of these takers have undergone a few months of rigid review and preparation.That is why when they heard what the former Dean has said, the current Dean and the VP was both stunned unable to believe it. Well, they could have believe it if Gale happened to have committed a genuine mistake. But deliberately leaving some items unanswered was in a whole different level. It has added a huge explosion on the already impossible feat that Gale had just completed.Gale was only a second year Agriculture Student and was not among the top students at that. Though he's performing
CHAPTER NINETEENTHE exam questionnaire given to Gale was a mountain of a challenge with its one hundred pages, where each page was packed with an average of five questions. It was a massive collection of problems pulled from the Licensure Examination for Agriculturist, totaling six hundred questions.Normally, a student would need three full days to tackle this kind of test. But Gale? He was only given two hours to answer it—a nearly impossible task for anyone at his level. The questions were as tough as those on the board exam, and the short time frame made it even worse. It was obvious that the Vice President wanted Gale to fail.As Gale raced through the questions, the VP sat back on the couch with a smirk playing on his lips. He was certain that no matter how quickly Gale worked, he would never make it. The VP knew that even the brightest students would struggle with this test in such a short time. And Gale? He was just an ordinary student, wasn't he?However, what the VP didn't
CHAPTER EIGHTEENGale was led by the Dean's secretary back to the Dean's Office. When they arrived, he noticed a middle-aged man sitting across from the Dean, his posture stiff and his presence commanding.The man wore an expensive black suit with a crisp white shirt and a neat black tie. He looked about the same age as the Dean, but while she seemed worried at the current situation, the VP's face was stern and unyielding. His sharp eyes scanned Gale from head to toe, as if judging whether he was worthy of standing there."So, you’re Gale Rushton," the man sneered, his voice cold and dismissive. His gaze made it clear that he thought Gale was beneath him, unworthy of being in the same room sharing the same air with him."Y-yes, Sir," Gale replied, bowing his head, trying to hide the nervousness creeping up inside him.Gale wasn’t afraid of the man. He knew this was the Vice President of the Academy, a man whose power came from his position, not from any physical strength. Gale could e
CHAPTER SEVENTEENGALE was walking towards the Office of their Department Dean wearing a serious look in his face. His heavy footsteps echoed through the long, empty corridor of the ground floor of the Agriculture Department Building as he focused his eyes towards the huge double glass door of the huge office he's headed to.Earlier, as he came back at their dorm after completing his daily quest at the gym, he was notified by his roommate, Eric, that he was being summoned by their Dean - for what reason, Eric has no idea.The Dean's status in the Academy is nothing to joke about, that's why despite having no idea why he's been called, Gale immediately rush his way here.Unlike the crowded upper floors where the numerous classrooms that housed hundreds of students every day was located, the ground floor of this six story building was quite and almost empty. And it was simply because, this floor was where the faculty offices, the Department Secretary's office, the Registrar's office, an
CHAPTER SIXTEENRUSS'S voice trembled as he protested, "H-hey, why am I the one being arrested?" He struggled against the firm grip of the officers, his eyes wide with disbelief as to how things turned out."Sir, I repeat, you have just provided us with false information, causing a false alarm," with a tone edged with irritation, Corporal Vic responded. His patience was wearing thin as he hated repeating things. "We could have arrested an innocent person because of you. If Mr. Rushton here decides to press charges, you could be facing a felony." The corporal's gaze shifted to Gale as he spoke.At the mention of his surname, Gale's heart skipped a beat. He glanced nervously at Corporal Vic, the same officer who had arrested him just yesterday outside the Academy's main gate.But this time, as their eyes met, Gale noticed a hint of respect in the officer's eyes. Definitely different from the rude and disdainful look he had seen the day before. Now, it was as if the corporal viewed him a
CHAPTER FIFTEENGALE ignored the student in front of him and pulled out the card from his pockets. Its intricate design and unusual color immediately drew the student's attention."What? What kind of card is that? I've never seen one like it!" The student laughed, as if the card were the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen.But instead of answering him, Gale just looked at the receptionist. "I apologize for the interruption, Ma'am. Some people just don’t know how to mind their own business," he said, shooting a cold glance at the student. "But I am serious. I would like to sign up to be a member of this gym." He added handing his card to the receptionist.Nodding, the girl took the black card, examining it closely. Unable to identify it, a frown formed in her forehead as she looked back at Gale. "I'm sorry, Sir, but Mr. Russ here is right. I can't identify this card, so I can't accept it," she said, her tone apologetic but firm. "Company rules."The student referred to by the recep
CHAPTER FOURTEENWith Gale's display of power, the defeated Academy Baseball Team had no choice but to accept their loss and fulfill their end of the bargain. Without his intimidation, who knew if they would have honored their commitment?"I don't know what the hell is going on right now, but what you did, both on the racetrack and that stunt with the baseball, is unbelievably amazing!" James couldn't help but express his amazement at Gale's feats. Standing in front of Gale, his face still showed disbelief and shock. "H-how did you do that? I mean, how is that possible? You weren't like this before," he asked, searching for a convincing answer."The thing I did on the racetrack is something I am actually capable of. You know, I grew up on my own since my parents died when I was still in elementary school. I had to work just to survive. And if you didn't know, during my high school years, I worked as a mountain climber porter on weekends, which is why I have such high stamina and endur
CHAPTER THIRTEENAs Gale picked up speed, the hearts of Steven and his entire team sank. Gale wasn’t just fast; he was incredibly fast, covering half the lap in forty seconds."Shit!" Steven cursed, sweat pouring down his face. He could almost feel their defeat looming over them.He tried to get back on the track, but his knees betrayed him, shaking uncontrollably. He was exhausted, and continuing seemed impossible unless he planned to walk the rest of the way.But what good would walking do? Their opponent’s speed rivaled that of Olympic runners. How could they possibly beat someone like that?"Hey! Are you seeing this? How is that guy running so fast?""Look, it only took him a minute to finish a lap!""With the way things are going, he’ll hand Steven’s group a humiliating defeat in just five minutes!""This is unbelievable! How come we’ve never heard of someone with such talent and skill?""And did you see that he doesn’t even look tired?""Yeah! His breathing is normal, and he’s b