Chapter 63: Predictive Sequence

It was the last day of the weekend.

Adam followed his daily routine of visiting the gym for a short workout before starting his day. After getting something for breakfast, he hopped into his car and drove off.

Other students had been approaching him with the intention of making friends a few days after the duel. But the problem was that Adam spent most of his time studying in his room or some quiet place within the academy.

It wasn’t that he had no time to converse, but that he made no effort to keep in touch afterwards. That could not really be considered nurturing new friendships. But he was not in the academy to make new friends.

Even April, the closest person to him, barely saw him. Then again, she had her own classes to attend. Not everyone had the freedom those in blue shirts had. They had to attend all their required classes or risk losing points.

During his last visit to his master, the vice-principal had told him to visit before the start of the new academic week.

Approaching the administration block, Adam spotted his master leaning on another supercar, the purple vehicle sitting low on the ground. When he noticed him approaching, he stepped into the car and drove in another direction.

Adam pressed the accelerator to follow. He quickly caught up and glanced at his master through the window, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

Asher looked over and shook his head, smiling. Then he suddenly accelerated, pushing his car to go faster.

"Oh, it’s on."

Adam stepped on the accelerator as he too pushed his car to go faster. The duo—master and student—raced through the academy, breaking speed limits and manoeuvring past slower vehicles with drifting skills that would shame old-world professionals.

"Hey, what gives?!"

Pedestrians cursed at the duo, as their reckless driving startled them. Sadly for them, their displeasure could only drift in the wind, forgotten and unheard.

As soon as the duo left the heart of the academy, they accelerated further. Adam tried to catch up to his master, using every skill he had picked up. But the vice-principal was not his master for nothing.

Whenever Adam threatened to pass him, he would explode with even greater speed, his control just as refined as Adam’s, if not more. Having had enough, he used his newly created skill: Predictive Sequence to analyse his master’s driving and predict his next move.

The world seemed to slow. Engine roars faded into the background as streams of information flooded his perception. He observed how his master’s tyres gripped the asphalt, the subtle adjustments made before every drift, and the changing airflow around the vehicle. Angles, vectors, and probabilities assembled themselves into a coherent picture.

It was a truly wondrous perception skill he created.

Within moments, Adam had constructed several likely driving paths. The most probable one stood out immediately. Adjusting his own trajectory, he tapped into his car’s software and temporarily overrode its safety restrictions, drawing out additional horsepower.

Calculating the optimal overtaking line, Adam accelerated.

The distance between the two cars vanished. For a brief moment, time seemed to crawl as his car slipped alongside the vice-principal’s. Adam caught the surprise appearing on his master’s face, a grin spreading across his lips.

Then he surged ahead, taking the lead. He pushed the vehicle beyond its intended limits and shot down the road.

"Hahaha...!"

It was his victory.

The two continued down the road towards a section of the academy accessible only to instructors and officials. Adam eventually slowed down enough for his master, as he didn’t know where exactly they were headed.

Appearing in the distance was a massive facility with a fence built around it. After passing through a security checkpoint, Adam followed his master into the facility.

The various buildings were interconnected into an expansive structure. Their grey and glass walls added an imposing feel to the massive facility.

Pulling up before the facility, Asher and Adam stepped out of their cars.

"Where did you learn to drive like that, little rascal?" Asher asked as he closed his car door, looking over to Adam with genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"I picked it up from watching some videos online," Adam replied with a sheepish smile.

"Is that so?" The vice-principal shook his head with a slight smile on his face. "Well, wherever you picked it up from, it’s impressive."

"Thanks."

Following behind the vice-principal, Adam looked around curiously. There were other cars parked around the facility, a few people lingering around here and there. They cast inquisitive looks his way before turning away.

"This place is an advanced training facility built for the instructors and officials of the academy." Asher suddenly stated as he walked ahead of Adam. He pushed open the door, then looked back and added, "It’s far more advanced than where you go during your morning sessions."

"Will bringing me here get you in trouble?" Adam asked curiously.

"Please. Who do you think your master is?" Asher replied smugly. "Come on. We have a lot to do today."

They entered what appeared to be a spacious reception hall. Polished floors reflected the soft glow of the overhead lights, while large holographic displays along the walls showcased facility layout and training schedules.

Several officials and instructors lingered throughout the area, many engaged in quiet conversations. Noticing the person who had stepped into the facility, the officials within sight immediately bowed in greeting, while the instructors acknowledged Asher with respectful nods.

The brief pause in conversation made it clear that his presence carried considerable weight within the facility. Then their gazes drifted to Adam.

"Look. It’s the genius of the century," whispered someone.

Adam could not help but look back, raising his brow in mild surprise. That was the first he had heard of such a nickname. ’I guess what I did was pretty awesome. Hehe. First Principle is the best!’

"You’re becoming more famous than your master, Adam."

The vice-principal’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Quickly falling in line with him, Adam looked up at his master and grinned, "What can I say... Your disciple is blessed with both brains and brawn."

"I will admit you had me astounded," Asher said as he glanced at Adam. "But I don’t know about brawn. Your little duel with that kid barely qualified as a fight."

"But you saw my fights during the Survival Trial, didn’t you?"

"That, I did. But it failed to capture your true limits. That, my disciple, is why we’re here today." The vice-principal replied as they turned one last corner, stopping before an unassuming door. "I’m going to be testing the limits of your body."