Chapter 136: Sparring Partners

Hearing Shani, Aster shook his head. "It would be better if all the shares were yours. I’ll just be your employee, Shan."

"An employee’s dedication will never match an owner’s, Aster."

"I will be an employee who never disappoints you, Shan. I’ll give it everything I have."

Shani exhaled a heavy sigh. "An employee’s salary won’t be enough to provide the best for your baby beast. You do realize you have a baby beast now, right?"

Aster felt a sharp pang of reality. He had done his research, and the prices for baby beast food and supplies were indeed steep.

Still, he wanted to save up his own money first and launch a business on his own terms. He didn’t want to keep relying on Shani’s charity.

As if reading his mind, Shani said, "This isn’t charity, Aster. I want us to succeed together."

Shani didn’t particularly enjoy persuading others, but she saw nothing wrong with pushing her close friend.

For half an hour, Shani talked until she was practically blue in the face, her pale lips growing even paler.

"Alright. I’ll start looking for a storefront," Aster relented. Though he still wasn’t entirely sold on the idea.

"Try looking for a space in Paw Plaza," Shani suggested, remembering the commercial building right next to their apartment complex.

Aster nodded.

...

Shani headed back to the academy after lunch. Her body still felt a bit weak, but after taking another dose of medicine, she was confident she would bounce back soon.

She made a beeline for the Training Hall, scanning the crowd for members of the Shooting Club. Luca was the first to spot her, waving enthusiastically.

As it turned out, everyone had already arrived, both first-years and upperclassmen alike, making Shani the very last to show up.

That was because on weekends, members were required to attend a morning practice session on either Saturday or Sunday.

Since there was a meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon, everyone simply opted to complete their mandatory morning practice on Sunday as well.

No one enjoyed the special privilege Shani had to skip weekend morning practices, let alone her exemption from weekday evening sessions.

Following last week’s trial, this was Shani’s first time returning to club activities, unlike the other members who practiced daily. Because of that, she was greeted by sharp, scrutinizing glares from her peers.

Shani did her best to brush off the heavy stares. She knew she was enjoying special privileges, but in truth, any student facing similar circumstances would have been granted the exact same exemptions.

Up front, Revan opened the meeting.

"Our Shooting Club isn’t just about hitting bullseyes on a stationary target, it’s about competing against real opponents. That’s why these weekly sessions are designed for you to spar, learn to defend, and not just blindly attack."

The upperclassmen, accustomed to the weekly routine, immediately paired off, while the new members glanced nervously at one another, searching for sparring partners, or rather, their targets.

Instinctively, every student avoided making eye contact with Shani.

Luca wanted to partner up with Shani, but a student from Class 2 immediately grabbed his arm.

"Luca, you promised you’d be my sparring partner!" the male student pleaded, gripping Luca’s hand like a lifeline.

"I never promised anything! I just said you weren’t a bad sparring partner," Luca retorted quickly.

"I don’t care. Save me, Luca! I don’t want to end up facing... Hazel or Shani," the student begged, uttering the last two names in a terrified whisper.

Luca was undeniably the top first-year shooter in the club, but his easygoing nature and deep empathy reassured the others that he wouldn’t crush his opponents brutally, or at least, he wouldn’t trample their dignity.

From the side, Hazel overheard the conversation between Luca and the student.

She turned her gaze toward Shani, who stood entirely alone without a soul near her. Stepping forward, Hazel announced, "I’ll be Shani Rowan’s opponent."

The words weren’t directed at Shani, but rather projected toward the gathered new members.

The first-years exchanged dumbfounded glances, listening to Hazel’s solemn tone as if she were a martyr preparing to sacrifice herself.

After offering Shani a curt nod, Hazel turned toward a fellow first-year girl standing nearby.

"I know none of you want to face me because I don’t pull my punches and tend to go all out without mercy. That’s why I’m choosing Shani as my opponent."

Hazel’s classmate flashed an appreciative smile, ready to offer praise and thanks, until Hazel’s next words left her completely speechless.

"I also know you’re all terrified of sparring with Shani because of the powerful backers standing behind her, even though she can’t actually shoot to save her life."

"You don’t have to worry. I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens." Hazel patted her friend’s shoulder.

Having left early during last week’s trial before Shani finished her test, Hazel assumed Shani had been admitted despite failing to reach the required score.

Her self-righteous declaration was overheard only by her classmate and an upperclassman who happened to pass by.

The upperclassman paused for a fraction of a second before walking away with a complicated expression, immediately leaning over to whisper to a friend the moment he reached them.

Meanwhile, Hazel’s classmate simply shook her head in silence. That wasn’t why the others were avoiding Shani at all.

In fact, they had completely forgotten about Shani’s powerful backing because her terrifying performance during the entrance test was still burned into their minds.

To them, Shani was a dangerous wild card. They couldn’t tell whether her astounding display during the trial was pure talent or a stroke of miraculous luck.

On top of that, they had no idea what her actual temperament was like.

Before Hazel’s friend could clear up the misunderstanding, the Shooting Club members began moving toward a black door set into the side wall.

Above the door, which was located inside Traing Hall, hung a sign reading ’FITC’, short for Full-Immersion Training Center.

Stepping inside, they found themselves in a room with pitch-black walls, floors, and ceilings.

To the left of the entrance stood a control panel equipped with rows of hanging VR goggles, flanked by several sleek black sofas.

...