Tang Qi, at fifteen years old, already stood around 1.7 meters tall. And the girl wrapped in his arms was surprisingly not shorter than Tang Qi. She looked to be about the same age with a beautiful face, yet her appearance was ruined by her attire.
Baggy pants, an oversized sweater, messy hair compounded by even more exaggerated black-framed glasses than those worn by Tang Qi, and her timid gaze—she was practically a prime target for the school bullies.
Tang Qi's thoughts were like the curse of a prophet.
For just at the next moment, several figures appeared in front of them, along with sharp, disdainful laughter that one would find annoying.
"Sally, Sally, isn't this the unluckiest Sally? Finally realized you're too lonely and started to flirt with some silly boys just after school started. How does it feel to be held by a boy for the first time? Is it comfortable or not?"
"Unlucky Sally is finally lovesick, taking initiative now, huh?"
"We should pity this little boy, targeted by Sally right at the start of school."
The speaking girls, flamboyantly dressed, wore sexy outfits like jeans, some revealing their bellies, or half their chests with cropped T-shirts.
The leader, a blonde girl, with pale skin and a curvy figure, plus a pretty face enhanced by makeup skills, was clearly the type of popular girl you'd find in any school.
However, this girl, with a proud expression spoke harshly, watching the girl who quickly withdrew from Tang Qi's embrace as the group of girls showed up, then teasingly smiled, speaking in a mockingly tender voice, "Sally, do you still want to join our Sisterhood?"
"I want~ I want."
Just as the girl picked up the books she dropped, upon hearing the blonde's words, a flash of excitement crossed her face. But shortly after, she remembered some unpleasant memories, hesitated, and then timidly replied.
"Good, since you still want to join, then we'll give you one last test. I remember you still have your first kiss, right?"
"How about this, you give your first kiss to this junior boy right now, and I will allow you into our Sisterhood. How does that sound?"
"Ah~"
As soon as the blonde finished speaking, the girl called Sally instantly froze.
Then hesitantly and fearfully said, "Angela, I~ I~ I can't…"
Blonde girl, Angela, seeing Sally hesitate, a distorted pleasure appeared on her delicate face, laughing unreservedly.
She leaned close to Sally's ear, whispering, "Dear Sally, this is your last chance. If you don't do this, not only will you not be able to join the Sisterhood, but also no one at Thorny High School will want to be your friend, you understand?"
Hearing this threat, Sally was on the verge of crying.
Unfortunately, seeing her pitiful appearance, the several sizzling girls in front, far from showing any sympathy, instead burst into laughter, their faces showing the joy of a successful mischief.
Witnessing a session of campus bullying firsthand and unexpectedly being used as a prop in it, Tang Qi was anything but happy.
Closing the history book he was halfway through reading, he shook his head and attempted to leave past the group of girls.
For such matters, Tang Qi had no interest—merely teenage hormonal outbursts and mean girls' pranks.
He'd rather spend time reading and learning more about this interesting new world.
However, he wanted to leave, someone didn't want him to.
"Stop there"
A sharp voice hailed from blonde girl Angela as she blocked Tang Qi, her impressive chest heaving, a rather appealing sight.
Her pretty face drew close, smiling seductively, seemingly purposefully letting her chest's enticing view leak into Tang Qi's sight, spoke in a honeyed voice, "Junior, you just enrolled, right? As your senior, I'd like to ask you a little favor, to be a good prop, which is quite a benefit."
"Maybe after today, you can earn the title of [The boy who has been kissed by unlucky Sally], sounds pretty good."
As soon as Angela finished speaking, the other girls laughed even louder. Passersby students also realized there was a spectacle to witness, gathering around, yet none dared to intervene.
Tang Qi casually observed and noticed that the surrounding students, both male and female, particularly feared the group of girls, especially the leader Angela. The girls mostly felt this, while the boys, despite fear, also felt strong admiration.
This situation was very common.
In any school, there are usually three kinds of people.
One kind, making up the majority, are the students who study diligently and are mediocre and honest.
The second kind, a minority comprised of those with good family backgrounds and attractive looks. Most boys in this category are sports stars, and the girls are stylish and hot, but mostly they have poor characters, enjoying bullying the third type.
Which is just like Sally, beside Tang Qi—timid, earnest, and simple.
Regardless of gender, they get bullied.
Tang Qi didn't enroll in Saint Thorn High School to become the third type; he aimed to be an ordinary student with a low profile, the Transcendent World being a different matter.
So, suddenly being entangled in this situation, Tang Qi felt quite helpless.
However, as onlookers kept increasing, Tang Qi got tired of the hassle, completely ignoring the allure Angela exposed, continued past the group planning to leave.
But just as he was about to take the next step, a tall figure suddenly squeezed through the crowd.
This was a tall Caucasian male, with flowing golden hair and a handsome face, wearing clothes resembling a fencing outfit.
Apparently just finished some kind of sports activity, he walked directly towards Angela, noticing Tang Qi's rude refusal to Angela.
The boy immediately stretched out a robust palm to grab Tang Qi's shoulder, sounding gentle but in fact extremely domineering said, "Junior, I suggest you better follow Angela's arrangement, a boring day with a good show, and your senior wants to see how unlucky Sally gives her first kiss."
Just after enrolling, Tang Qi found himself embroiled in trouble, even becoming the focus of bullying as a spectacle to behold. On the surface, he remained calm, but anger was stirring within him.
As soon as his way was blocked, Tang Qi immediately raised his head, locking eyes seriously with the Caucasian male student, who was a so-called senior, and then said word by word: "Please make way."
While Tang Qi spoke earnestly, suddenly, a buzzing sound echoed in his mind, and a burning sensation flowed into his eyes.
Thus, the next moment, what the Caucasian male student saw when he lowered his head were pupils faintly shimmering with golden light. The threat that was on the tip of his tongue was immediately swallowed back.
He felt as though he was being assaulted by a solar brilliance, dazzling his mind and leaving him dizzy.
"You~"
He wanted to do something, but at this moment, his body wouldn't obey him, and he could only watch helplessly as Tang Qi casually pushed him aside and walked toward the academic area.
This scene caused a small stir among the onlookers.
Clearly, the outcome of this "confrontation" was beyond their expectations.
The Caucasian student was the captain of the Ancient Sword Team at Saint Thorn High School, from a distinguished family, good-looking and a figure of prominence. Not only the naive underclassmen, even some of the teachers had to give him face.
That scene shouldn't have happened.
It can be imagined that in the eyes of the onlooking students, this captain of the Ancient Sword Team suddenly didn't seem cool or tough anymore.
Especially when Sally, regaining her senses, took advantage of the few girls being somewhat dazed, and, clutching her books while keeping her head down, dashed out of the crowd and rushed after Tang Qi, even Angela and her fiery girlfriends lost face.
"Hmph."
First, giving the Caucasian student a cold look, Angela, with a discontented expression, coldly snorted and then turned away with her close friends.
The crowd of onlookers also quickly dispersed.
"No, Angela I…"
The Caucasian student wanted to cry but had no tears, trying to justify himself, but in the end, he said nothing.
He almost foresaw that within half an hour, the news that the most prominent eleventh-grade captain of the Ancient Sword Team had been frightened by a new student would spread throughout the entire Saint Thorn High School.
There was nothing he could do about it; he didn't even chase after Tang Qi to confront him. He doubted what he had just seen was an illusion, but clearly, he had no courage to verify it again.
He could only watch Tang Qi's departing figure with a baffled and resentful gaze.
Meanwhile, Tang Qi, who appeared miraculous in the eyes of the onlooking students, had already followed the crowd into an academic building.
Unlike most students heading to the classrooms of their selected courses, he checked his bearings and turned to enter the men's restroom at the corner of the staircase.
Tang Qi appeared calm, but if one only looked at his eyes, they could see the hidden turmoil beneath the tranquility.
He hurried here to find a mirror to confirm something.
Due to the upcoming class, there were few people in the restroom.
Tang Qi walked directly to the vanity mirror in the corner, pretending to arrange his hair, and leaned close to the mirror, letting his eyelids droop slightly.
Then recalling the emotions from just moments before, the familiar sensation quickly emerged, a warm current flowing from his mind into his eye sockets.
He saw it—Tang Qi saw his own eyes at this moment.
Beneath the black pupils, points of golden light were faintly emerging, a sharp and scorching aura rushing forward.
Tang Qi could imagine how an ordinary person would be frightened if they locked eyes with such eyes.
"Is this, a mutation?"
"Because of what? Could it be…?"
Tang Qi seemed to realize something, his eyes closing slightly, then suddenly reopening. This time, however, he concentrated on observing himself, slightly shocked as the familiar interface indeed appeared again.
Name: Tang Qi.
State: Normal.
Species: Human.
Skill: Golden Furnace Meditation, Unnamed Derived Skill.
"Indeed."
Tang Qi's gaze immediately focused on the additional line of text.
His mind moved there, and immediately below, an Information Fragment appeared.
[Information Fragment: You have obtained a derived skill, unnamed. Activation part: eyes, effect: shock, calming spirit, can be enhanced.]
Looking at this Information Fragment, Tang Qi fell silent for a moment.
Recalling how that Caucasian student had been startled by just one look from him, it seemed like a blessing of the wits, he subconsciously thought: "Since it's a skill derived from the Golden Furnace Meditation, why not call it Molten Furnace Eye."
Following Tang Qi's thought, the [Unnamed Derived Skill]in the interface immediately twitched, and after a faint light flashed, it transformed into the words [Molten Furnace Eye].