By the time Tang Qi was 15 years old, his height had already reached 170 centimeters. The girl being held by Tang Qi right now was surprisingly not any shorter than him. She looked to be about the same age and was very pretty, just that all of these were spoiled by her way of dressing.
Baggy trousers, a loose sweater, and a head of messy hair; adding to it, a pair of black-framed spectacles that was even more exaggerated than the pair Tang Qi was wearing; and that timid look in her eyes — she was practically the very example of the kind of person who mean students loved bullying the most.
This thought of Tang Qi's could be said to be a curse that jinxed her.
Because, at the very next moment, a few figures appeared in front of the two of them. Sharp and detestable mocking laughter drifted over.
"Sally, Sally, isn't this the unluckiest Sally? Have you finally realized that you're too lonely? School has only just started, and you're already starting to seduce some silly boys. How does it feel? Does your first time being embraced by a boy feel good?"
"The unlucky Sally has finally reached puberty and started to take the initiative."
"We should pity this little boy instead for being targeted by Sally the moment school started."
The ones talking were a few glamorously dressed girls. Their way of dressing was sexy, wearing jeans that revealed their midriffs or cropped T-shirts that showed off a good half of their chests.
The one in the lead was a blonde girl with fair skin and a curvaceous figure. Added to this, an attractive face through the use of skillful make-up techniques, anyone would be able to tell that she was likely that type of girl who enjoyed the most popularity in school.
Just that as this girl had a conceited expression on her face, the words that came out of her mouth were also extremely mean. Staring at the girl who hurriedly got out of Tang Qi's arms after the few other girls appeared, she gave a mocking smile. Deliberately adopting a gentle tone, she asked, "Sally, do you still want to join our sorority?"
"I-I do."
The girl had only just picked up the books on the floor when she heard the blonde girl's words. A hint of excitement flashed past her face, but some unpleasant memories came back to her shortly after. However, she still answered timidly after a moment's hesitation.
"Great. Since you still want to join, then we'll give you one last test. I remember that you still haven't had your first kiss, right?"
"How about this? Give your first kiss to this male junior here, and I'll let you join our sorority. How does that sound?"
"Huh?"
The moment the blonde teen finished speaking, the girl named Sally was shocked.
She said hesitantly and fearfully, "Angela, I-I-I can't..."
Upon seeing Sally's hesitation, a twisted look of delight appeared on the face of Angela, the blonde teen. She smiled unscrupulously.
Leaning into Sally's ear, she whispered, "Dear Sally, this is your last chance. If you don't do it, not only will you not be able to join the sorority, nobody in Thorns High will want to be your friend. Do you understand?"
Sally was close to tears when she heard her threat.
Unfortunately, not only did the hot and sexy girls in front of her not show any sympathy upon seeing her pitiful form, they burst into laughter instead, a look of joy derived from their malicious prank all over their faces.
After watching up front a fine example of school bullying and even unexpectedly being dragged into it as a tool, Tang Qi was not pleased at all.
Closing the history book that he had read halfway, he shook his head. He stepped past the few girls, intending to leave.
Tang Qi was not in the least bit interested in this sort of matter. This was nothing more than just hormones at play during puberty and the malicious prank of a few mean girls.
If he had the leisure to be involved, he might as well use the time to read more and get to know this interesting new world a little more instead.
However, even though he wished to leave, there were people who didn't want to let him.
"Stop right there."
A rather sharp and piercing shout came from Angela. She stood in Tang Qi's way, her well-endowed chest heaving and forming an extremely fine view.
Her attractive face leaned towards his, and she gave him a mesmerizing smile. As if deliberately showing a marvelous view of her chest to Tang Qi, she said intimately, "Junior, you're a new student, right? As your senior, I would like to ask you for a small favor now. Do be a good and dutiful tool. This is a privilege."
"You might just receive the title of 'Boy who was kissed by Unlucky Sally' after today. That sounds pretty good."
The other girls laughed even more delightedly after Angela spoke. The students passing by also realized that there was a good show going on and crowded over. However, no one dared to step forward to stop them.
A casual glance from Tang Qi revealed to him that all the students around them, no matter male or female, held fear towards these few girls, especially towards Angela the leader. This was the case for most of the girls. In the case of the boys, there was a strong sense of infatuation other than fear.
This was a very common situation.
There were typically three kinds of people in a school.
The first kind was the vast majority. They studied properly and were mediocre and well-behaved students.
The second kind was the small body of students with a good family background and a good-looking face and whom everyone in school knew. Most of the males belonging to this category were athletes, while the females were fashionable and sexy. However, most of them had a terrible personality and liked to bully the third kind of student.
In other words, people such as the timid, well-behaved, and unfashionable Sally next to Tang Qi.
Whether male or female, they would be targets of bullying.
Tang Qi didn't enter Holy Thorns High School to become the third kind of student. What he wanted was to be a normal wallflower student. This supernatural world, however, was a different matter altogether.
Thus, Tang Qi felt very resigned at being dragged into this all of a sudden.
However, seeing how the crowd of spectators was getting bigger and bigger, Tang Qi couldn't be bothered to continue being entangled in this. He ignored the splendid view Angela was showing him and continued walking past them.
Just as he was about to take his next step, a big and tall figure suddenly squeezed his way out of the crowd and over to them.
This was a big and tall white student. Handsome and with a head of silky blonde hair, he was dressed in something that looked akin to a fencing outfit.
It seemed like he had just ended some kind of sport and was heading directly towards Angela when he witnessed Tang Qi rudely rejecting her.
The male student immediately reached out and grabbed Tang Qi's shoulder with his muscular palm. In a mild-sounding but in truth extremely domineering tone, he said, "Junior, I'd suggest following Angela's arrangements instead. It's not often that something interesting to liven up a boring day comes up. Senior here would also like to see how Unlucky Sally is going to offer up her first kiss."
Being dragged into trouble the moment he entered the school and even being treated as a tool to bully and humiliate others, even though Tang Qi still looked very calm on the surface, he was already angry deep down.
Tang Qi raised his head the moment his path was blocked. Meeting the eyes of the white male student — in other words, his so-called Senior — with his own very serious eyes, he said, "Please step aside."
Just as Tang Qi spoke seriously, a hum suddenly resounded in his mind. A scalding wave of aura flowed into his eyes.
As such, what the male student saw the next moment was a pair of eyes that vaguely shone gold. He immediately swallowed down the threat that was at the tip of his tongue.
He felt as if a light similar to that of the sun was assaulting his mind. For a moment there, he was overwhelmed by giddiness.
"You~"
He wanted to do something, but his body wasn't really listening to him at this moment. He could only watch as Tang Qi pushed him away casually and walked toward the classrooms.
A small buzz immediately went through the crowd when they saw this.
It was apparent that the outcome of this "showdown" was outside of their expectations.
The white male was the captain of Holy Thorns High School's Traditional Fencing team. Not only was his family background outstanding, he was also good-looking. As such, he was totally an influential figure. Even some of the teachers had to be courteous when interacting with him, much less a young junior.
That scene earlier shouldn't have happened.
One could easily imagine that this Traditional Fencing team captain had immediately become no longer cool or valiant enough in the eyes of the students watching what was going on — especially when Sally, who had regained her senses, took the opportunity to dart out of the crowd and chased after Tang Qi with her head lowered and her arms around her books while those few girls were still in a daze, bringing embarrassment to Angela and the other hot and sexy girls too.
"Hmph!"
Angela glanced at this team captain coldly. After snorting in displeasure, she turned and left with her girls, displeasure all over her face.
The crowd watching the show also dispersed.
"No, Angela, I..."
The male student wanted to cry. He wanted to explain and defend himself, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.
He could see it. — In less than half an hour, the news about him, the most-popular eleventh-grade Traditional Fencing team captain, being intimidated by a young fellow who had just enrolled in the school would spread throughout the entire Holy Thorns High School.
There was nothing he could do about this. He didn't even chase after Tang Qi to confront him. He suspected very much that what he saw earlier was an illusion, but he clearly didn't have the courage to verify this.
He could only stare after Tang Qi with a face full of perplexion and a hateful look in his eyes.
On the other hand, "Tang Qi the new student", who appeared very amazing in the eyes of the students watching, had already entered a classroom building together with the crowd of students by now.
Unlike most of the students, he didn't head towards the classroom of the lesson he had selected. Instead, after confirming the location, he turned and entered the male lavatory at the corner of the stairs.
Tang Qi's expression was calm. But if one were to look only at his eyes, they would see a hint of agitation hidden under the serenity.
The reason for him coming here in a hurry was to verify something.
As it was nearing lesson time, there weren't many people in the lavatory.
Tang Qi walked over to the mirror in the corner. Acting as if he wanted to tidy his hair, he leaned towards the mirror and tugged his lower eyelid down a little.
He thought back to his emotions earlier. A familiar feeling welled up immediately, and a warm current surged out of his mind and entered his eyes.
He saw it. Tang Qi saw his eyes at this moment.
Underneath the black pupils, two golden dots were shining vaguely. A sharp and scorching wave of aura came gushing from him.
Tang Qi could imagine that the moment a regular person met eyes like these, they would probably be petrified right away.
"This is a mutation?"
"Why? Could it be because...?"
As if something had occurred to him, Tang Qi closed his eyes slightly and then opened them again suddenly. Just that this time, he was looking at himself with close attention. He was taken aback. That familiar interface had surfaced again indeed.
Name: Tang Qi
Status: Normal
Race: Human
Skill: Golden Furnace Meditation Method, Unnamed Derived Skill
"I knew it."
Tang Qi's eyes focused on that newly added line of tiny text.
He shifted his will over there. An information fragment immediately appeared at the bottom.
[Information Fragment: You have obtained an unnamed Derived Skill.
Activated Part: Eyes.
Effect: Intimidation, calming the mind. Upgrade possible.]
Staring at this information fragment, Tang Qi fell into silence for a moment.
He thought back to how that white male student had been petrified right after meeting his eyes earlier. As though his good fortune had brought him wisdom, he said subconsciously, "Since it's a skill derived from the Golden Furnace Meditation Method, then I'll just name it the Furnace's Eyes."
As this thought of Tang Qi's took form, that "Unnamed Derived Skill" line in the interface immediately skipped. After a small flash of light, they changed into the words "Furnace's Eyes".