Waking up from his sleep, Bryan gets dressed and heads downstairs to see his dad blankly staring at the old box T.V. they have in the living room.
"Mornin' Dad. What are you watching thats got you so enthralled. you never watch T.V." Bryan comments as he plops down on the couch to join his father in some morning television before he has to go to school. when Bryan eyes land on the screen he sees the local news channel talking about the death of a popular sheriff and his son, Sheriff Kruger, and Harris Kruger.
"So that bastard finally got the retribution from heaven that he deserved, yet I can't help to feel some pity and respect, both him and his son committed suicide to avoid being burned alive." Bryan's father mumbles absentmindedly to Bryan.
"Their dead?" Bryan starts to tremble as he realizes what that means. The message confirming the death of two people with hostile intentions towards Bryan, was talking about Harris and his father. Just like his father he feels a bit of pity but that clears in a moment. 'I can't be soft, these people have had it out for me and my family since as long as I can remember, causing me no end of grief. I also won't have to worry about retaliation from Harris now that he's dead. this is a good thing.'
Bryan steels his resolve as he thinks towards the future and how he will grow and progress. 'Yet I can't help but wonder where this mark's origins. To be able to control nature is no small thing, it puts the mark on the level with mythical beings and gods.
Sill trapped in his own thoughts about the mark, Bryan heads to school. once arriving at school he can see many students discussing the death of Harris and his father, after all, they were quite known figures in this school with Harris being on the football team and his dad making considerable donations to the school with money gained from less-reputable sources.
"Lightning in a clear sky?"
"I know right. also Lightning strikes are very uncommon in Texas due to being at a low altitude."
"It is quite strange."
Bryan ignores most of the ongoing conversations and heads to his class. once he enters he finds a new face talking to the teacher. It's an Chinese male, about 6'4 and has probably the most handsome face he's every seen in his entire life, shamming even the top tier stars in movies. As Bryan looks his way he notices and flashes him a smile.
"Bryan this is Li Qiang and he will be joining this class as a foreign exchange student. I hope you can show him around and he will sit next to you from now on." Bryan nods and reaches out to give Li Qiang a handshake. Li Qiang complies and shakes Bryan's hand. As he grips Bryan's hand, Bryan feels immense strength in the grip, completely contrasting his slim, pretty boy look.
"Ouch." Bryan lets out a whimper of pain. Just as he does Li Qiang shows an apologetic face and says, "Sorry, I have a hard time controlling my strength sometimes I hope you won't mind."
"Its n-no p-problem." Bryan stutters out as he has a hard time looking Li Qiang in the eyes and not feeling a tad of jealousy from that overwhelming face.
"I'll show you where we sit before the rest of the class gets here." Because, other than yesterday, Bryan gets to class a lot earlier than the rest, due to his father waking him up when he gets up to work in the farm.
"That would be nice." Li Qiang says with a world destroying smile.
Bryan leads him to the only other none assigned set in the room, the one right next to him. As they sit down more and more people start entering the room, also noticing Li Qiang. The girls and even a couple guys find themselves blushing madly as they view Li Qiang. Most of them immediately rush over in an attempt to talk to Li Qiang, Nearly trampling and shoving Bryan out of the way.
'*Sigh* I guess my last year of high school is going to be troublesome.' Bryan thinks as he forces himself not to hit the people shoving him out of the way.
During lunch Bryan is tasked with showing Li Qiang around the school, because he was the first student to meet him he guesses.
"Bryan, I'm sorry about this morning, the other students wouldn't listen to me when I told them to settle down."
"Its okay, I'm used to things like that, don't let it bother you." Bryan says with a grimace remembering how abysmal is popularity is in the school.
"What do you mean by, "Used to things like that", Bryan your a nice guy I wouldn't imagine you would be treated badly"
Bryan flashes him a mysterious smile while their touring the school. "Don't worry to much about it, soon I'll graduate, and I have a feeling the rest of my life is going to be pretty great."
"okay, whatever you say, just so you know you can talk to me, were friends." Bryan can barely contain his happiness has this is the first time since he can remember someone called him their friend.
"Thank you..." Bryan says in a soft voice with his head down, trying to not show his smile. Li Qiang notices this and gives Bryan a warm smile as they continue on with the tour. Afterwords Bryan continues threw the rest of his classes like normal, while grinding for more Lie Fragments, lying about homework or what he did last night, just little things. In his last period, his study hall, he tends to go up onto the roof to do homework and relax as Bryan loves to be outside, due to growing up on a farm. Once he reaches the door to the roof he hears two voices on the other side of it, one of them sounds like a middle age man and the other is familiar, Li Qiang.
"Master, I'm in the town of the heavenly disturbance that you sensed."
"Good, I want you to find the cause of it and investigate, but be cautious, I'm sure those damn Magi in Britain have also gotten wind of it, also for the S.C.P Foundation, they are more powerful than I probably imagination and there headquarters is in America. If you find the cause do not engage and just observe and contact me."
"Yes master! I will follow your word."
"Thank you. When you get back I'll give you a qi circulation pill to help you breakthrough into the Nascent Realm!"
Li Qiang trembles when he hears his master utter the words and almost begins to shed tears.
"Thank you master!"
Bryan listening and peaking through the crack in the door sees the exchange between Li Qiang and a glowing yellow talisman when Chinese writing written onto it. 'Holy mother of god... Li Qiang is a cultivator! No wonder his face is so ridiculously perfect. I can't help to wonder the world is bigger than I thought, first this mark, now cultivators, wizards from Britain and some sort of mysterious foundation here in America. Jeez... conquering the world is going to be a hell of a lot more difficult now.' Bryan sweats as he thinks about it.
Li Qiang just finishing the conversation with his master suddenly bolts up from a knelling position and yells, "Who's there!" and looks towards Bryan's location behind the door.
Bryan noticing hes been found out, steps out from behind the door.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop I was just coming up here to chill out I'll be on my way" Bryan turns to around to leave when he feels a sense of danger, he rolls to the left dodging the blow. Once he turns around to face his attack he sees Li Qiang fist dent the metal door he was just about to leave threw.
'Shit, if that hit me, even with my new stats from the day, I don't know if i can take it and be unscathed.' Bryan sweats at the thought.
"How did you dodge that, a normal human a no chance to even react to that. Who are you Bryan?" Li Qiang says as he releases a thick killing intent towards Bryan. Bryan seeing the massive glare and blood-lust coming off of his new friend is shocked.
"Why did you attack me? If I didn't dodge that could've been injured! I've had my fair share of weird bullshit happen to me lately, so you being a cultivator doesn't surprise me that much. Why don't we calm down and discus this like civil humans." Bryan pleads as he backs up a tad, rising his hands with no intent to fight with Li Qian.
"So you were listening, *sigh* my mission to investigate the nearby heavenly disturbance is too important to compromise, I will have to kill you here, I'm sorry Bryan I truly did like you." Li Qiang shows a pained face as he rushes in to attack Bryan.
"Fine have it your way, maybe I'll beat some sense into you and we can talk this out later." Bryan says as he gets into a clumsy fighting stance.
Li Qiang scoffs as he jumps up to throw a axe-kick to Bryan's skull, attempting to kill him in one blow, as painless as possible.
'Fuck, too fast!" Bryan reacts and also throws a punch, just when the kick is about to land on Bryan's head, Bryan feels a pain on his wrist and a piece of dirt flies into Li Qiang's left eye, making him lose his sense of distance and gets to close to Bryan. This causes Bryan's fist to hit Li Qiang. Directly in the groin.
....
....
....
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a shrill scream is heard all throughout the school causing many to turn there heads.
Li Qiang, clutching his privates rolls around on the floor almost in tears, similar to when he talked to his master, yet not as joyful.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you there I swear" Bryan attempts to help Li Qiang up to be shoved away."
"You bastard! Shameless! I swear I'll get you for this!" Li Qiang attempts to be fierce, but it doesn't help that his legs are still shaking and tears are still in his eyes, so to Bryan this scene is quite funny. causing him to giggle a bit.
"Hahahahah well you brought this on yourself with attacking me like that. So, when your ready to talk face to face let me know, I'll be waiting." Bryan says while leaving through the door to the roof and out of school. As he gets to his car he finally looks down at his wrist. 'Bringer of Misfortune was 57% effective, Causing the hostile to lose there since of space. You gain 52 experience.'
'Damn this thing really was the right choice. First Harris and his dad, now its saved my life. I can't wait to get more talents they look to be the true source of power from this mark.' Bryan's excitement can barely be contained as he drives home under the eyes of a hidden party not yet detected.