Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 95: Mana Rail 17 [1]

At the very back of Classroom A1.

Kyle sat hunched over, chewing his nails nervously. His foot tapped restlessly under the desk.

To his left, Reo looked no better. His forehead was shiny with sweat and he kept muttering things under his breath.

To Kyle’s right. Luna sat with her arms crossed and a wide grin on her face. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched both boys suffer.

"Oh, come on," she whispered. "You two look like you are about to face some scary monster."

Kyle didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the front of the classroom.

Where Instructor Veldrin was slowly handing out the graded answer sheets from the Mana Calculus quiz. That quiz had been a nightmare.

All he was praying for now was to somehow scrape a passing grade.

More than the quiz. It was the consequences he feared.

If he failed, not only would he have to sit through Veldrin’s dull extra classes. But he would also have to listen to Aurelia’s nagging.

He could already hear her voice in his head, loud and disappointed.

"The little brother of Aurelia Valemont. Failing Mana Calculus? I, who always ranked first in my academy days? Unbelievable."

"Kyle Valemont," Instructor Veldrin called out.

Kyle froze. His stomach dropped.

He slowly got to his feet, legs stiff. He walked down the aisle like he was walking to his doom.

His heartbeat thumped in his ears. He swore, this was more terrifying than facing that giant bird-abomination in the Artificial Rift.

He took the paper from Veldrin’s hand, not daring to look at it.

"You did better than expected," Veldrin said calmly, before adding with a raised brow, "Aside from the... doodles. Like the one of you jumping out a window."

Kyle blinked and flushed red. He had completely forgotten he’d drawn that on the last page when he gave up halfway through the test.

Still embarrassed. He turned the paper around and finally looked at the grade.

55 marks.

He blinked again. Then counted the marks one by one just to make sure.

It was real. He passed.

He let out a long breath. Smiling like he had just dodged death itself. As he walked back to his seat, he looked far too proud for someone who barely passed.

Some girls in the middle row glanced his way—and froze. Their cheeks turning red as they caught sight of his smile.

He looked so effortlessly handsome in that moment. They couldn’t help but stare.

Back at his desk. He turned to Luna and Reo and held out his paper proudly.

"Check it. Fifty-five, baby."

Luna snorted and raised an eyebrow. "You’re acting like you scored a hundred."

Then she casually held up her own paper. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

86 marks.

Kyle’s smile twitched. His eye twitched too.

He took a deep breath, telling himself not to get mad.

’It’s okay. It’s okay. You don’t have to punch this gremlin. She’s not even being mean. Just... herself.’

Reo looked even more nervous now, tapping his fingers on the desk.

Then Veldrin called out, "Reo Dustbane."

Reo jumped up and hurried to the front. Almost tripping over someone’s bag on the way.

A minute later. He came back grinning like he’d won a prize.

"Forty-one!" he announced proudly, waving his paper.

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You actually passed?"

Reo nodded, still smiling. "Hey, passing’s thirty-eight. I’ll take it."

As the last papers were handed out, Instructor Veldrin cleared his throat.

"The average score is 45. Those who scored below 38 must attend extra classes and will receive extra homework."

A few groans filled the classroom.

"The highest score was 91. Good work, Serena Blackthorn."

Serena, sitting in the second row, simply nodded. She didn’t even look up from her notes.

"I will send sample answers to your mana bands. Review them and learn from your mistakes."

Veldrin looked around one last time. "You’re all dismissed."

The class slowly stood up and began filing out the door, some students sighing, others chatting.

As Kyle packed his things, Reo turned to him. "Hey, I was thinking... Tomorrow’s a holiday. How about we do a dungeon dive together?"

Kyle paused and looked at him.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," Reo said. "I realized I can’t slack off anymore. I need to push myself. Everyone’s getting stronger, and I don’t want to fall behind."

Kyle thought about it. He’d been planning to do one soon anyway. Before he could agree, he suddenly remembered something—last time, he’d told Aurelia he was going on a dungeon run, but secretly went to spy on a gang.

And if he left without telling her again...

"Let me ask my sister first," he said cautiously.

Reo nodded right away. "Good call. I don’t want her mad at me either. She’s kinda scary."

They both turned to Luna.

"Wanna come too?" Kyle asked.

Luna blinked. "Ahh, I would’ve, but I can’t. I’ve got to go home this weekend—it’s my mom’s birthday."

Her smile softened. "She’s been planning this little celebration for weeks, and I promised to be there. I even got her a gift!"

Kyle and Reo nodded. "That’s nice of you," Reo said.

"I know, right?" she said brightly, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Anyway, you boys have fun fighting monsters or whatever. Try not to get eaten."

She winked, gave them a playful salute, and skipped off down the hall.

Kyle smiled. He just need to ask the permission of Aurelia now.

———

The sky above Valtheras Station was bright and clear, with the early morning sun casting long shadows across the stone platform.

The mana rails hummed quietly, charged with faint glowing lines of runes.

A gentle breeze carried the mixed scent of oil, metal and freshly baked bread from a nearby food stall.

Kyle and Reo stood near the waiting area. Dressed in simple, practical clothes suited for combat.

Light, flexible, and easy to move in.

Kyle wore a plain black jacket over a dark gray shirt. Reo had chosen his usual forest green gear with reinforced gloves.

They were both packed lightly. No armor, nothing flashy. Just enough to blend in and move fast.

"Man, I’m glad we convinced your sister," Reo said, adjusting his shoulder strap.

"Barely," Kyle sighed. "She made me swear up and down I wasn’t lying this time. Even made you talk to her."

Reo scratched his cheek awkwardly. "She stared right into my soul."

Kyle chuckled. "Yeah. That’s her way of showing love."

She still hadn’t asked about the last time he lied. Maybe she didn’t want to push him about it. Thinking it would bring up bad memories.

It made Kyle feel a little guilty. But also grateful.

He looked around the station. It was unusually busy for this hour. People bustled back and forth, some in traveler’s cloaks, others in merchant garb.

Carts full of goods were being loaded by small floating golems. Children ran around chasing each other while their parents scolded them.

"It’s way more crowded than usual," Kyle murmured.

"Yeah," Reo nodded. "A lot of merchant caravans probably moving between cities."

It was almost 9 a.m. now.

They had eaten a quick breakfast on the way. Some meat rolls from a roadside stall.

Kyle had planned to cook for Aurelia like he usually did. But this time she’d told him not to worry and said she’d just order something in.

Suddenly, a flying bot floated toward them. It was small, about the size of a cat. With a smooth metal body and a single glowing blue lens.

It hovered silently in front of them before speaking in a neutral, robotic voice.

"Destination?"

"Two tickets for Eldermere," Kyle replied.

"Train will arrive in ten minutes."

The bot beeped softly and gave them their tickets, then flew off toward another group of travelers.

Eldermere.

The city had a proper dungeon guild that managed multiple dungeons in its region, approved by both the Argent and Noctis Empires.

That made it one of the few places where solo or small-group dungeon dives were allowed.

They found a bench and sat down. Watching the crowd go by as they chatted about nothing in particular.

Schoolwork, a new training method Reo wanted to try. Some rumors going around about strange monster sightings near the border.

Eventually. The sharp sound of chimes echoed through the station.

"Mana Rail 17 to Eldermere is now arriving."

A sleek silver train pulled in. Runes glowing softly along its sides. Steam hissed from its undercarriage as the doors opened with a smooth click.

Kyle and Reo boarded with the crowd. The inside of the train was clean, with soft seats and polished glass windows. The carriage they entered was nearly full.

"Looks like a lot of people are heading to Eldermere," Kyle said, scanning the rows.

They found two seats together and sat down.

Just as Kyle leaned back and sighed—

"Oh my, what a coincidence."

A familiar voice spoke from behind them.

Kyle and Reo turned in unison.

———