Ethan walked unsteadily on his feet as he stepped out of Dust House. "You're late." A woman was glaring at him. All other classes had already left. "You've made everybody wait. What do you have to say for yourself?" She glared at Ethan as if she couldn't see his wounds. He licked his bloodied lip.
"Well, I was busy," he said simply. Trying to prove his innocence wasn't something that'd work. After all, the woman probably thought that messing with somebody who'd already been targeted would help her. She didn't want to stay as a teacher of class 10 for her entire life.
"Fifty points will be subtracted from you. As will they from anybody who is late." Ethan smiled wryly. This was a ridiculous attempt to make a show out of being equal while being unjust. He nodded his head. Alright, let's go. She turned around and started walking towards the school.
"Idiot. He said he was going to get into class seven. Now he's behind all of us." The kids snickered. Ethan clenched his fist. Damned snakes. "My name is Ada Green. I'm your class teacher. I'll be overseeing your training as well your missions. I teach Magic Theory, so I might take a bit of your free time for my own classes."
A couple of kids groaned. "Now, now, don't be like that. It's not like you came here expecting to laze off, did you?" She smirked. "Anyways, classes will begin at 8 o' clock, so none of you guys should be late." She looked pointedly at Ethan. He smiled at her.
Tap...tap...tap. The main office came into view. "This is the Hub. You guys must have come across it as soon as you entered Keystone premises." She walked into the building. "Missions and ranks are posted here. Your points will be public to others. If you feel bad about that, then you should work harder. Nobody's going to hide anything for you when you become official gatekeepers." A couple of kids gulped. This place was scarier than they'd imagined.
Ethan stared at the list in front of him. Everybody started off with equal points. Everybody, except for him. 500- Ethan Miller - 0 points. He clenched his fist. Huff...huff...huff. Calm down. This was just a minor setback. He imagined himself breaking Douglas' skull open.
"Don't stare at the points for too long. You might die of disappointment." A boy snickered at him. "Say that to me again when we're alone." Ethan glared at him. His face paled. "N...no, I mean..." "Stop talking! Let's go!"
Ada led them outside the Hub. "This...." she walked through a set doors that led outside. "....is where Keystone Gatekeeping School lies." The group walked outside as they stared in wonder. Small clusters of buildings stood in front of them, stretching as far as they could see. "This...this is much bigger than I'd imagined."
'The Ghost System' had described KGS, but it definitely hadn't done justice. Paths paved with stones twisted and turned as they connected numerous buildings. Any and every empty space had some kind of greenery, making it look as though it was built upon a forest. The buildings were made out out glass and metal, making them look futuristic.
Ethan felt a tug in his gut. He was excited. He couldn't wait to explore all of these various places. Ba-dump...ba-dump...ba-dump. His heart thumped lightly. This was the place where he'd grow stronger. Where he'd gain enough power to change the world. And when he left this place, he wouldn't be as weak as he was right now.
"Try not to go too far. You can get lost very easily." Ada chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll be showing you guys this entire place. So enjoy it for today. You won't get a chance like this in the future." This damned woman. She had to spoil everybody's mood by bringing up how they'd have to struggle.
TapTapTapTap. "Huff...huff..huff. Am I late?" A blue hair girl came running from behind as she panted heavily. Her violet eyes sweeped through the group as she slowed down to the stop. "And who are you?" Ada's eyes narrowed. 'Not the pretty girl!' Many students looked at Ada in frustration as they saw her prepare to punish the girl.
"I'm Luna Stein. I'm a student of Class 10. I'm sorry. I got held up a bit." Ethan glanced at her thin arms as he could see some scratches hidden by her shirt. She was 'held up', just like him. "Do you know the punishment for being late? Tell me why I shouldn't deduct take away 25 points from you."
Ada glared at her. "I..." "Ma'am, it's alright. She must have been held up by something important. Why else would she be late on her first day. I think one of the trains arrived late today. Maybe that's why she's late?" One of the boys spoke up. He smiled brightly at Luna.
Simp! Ethan rolled his eyes. This idiot didn't bother to protect him when he was in trouble. He rolled his eyes. Whatever. He wasn't going to take part in this. He looked away, not wanting to look at the girl who'd been treated better than him. "Yes ma'am" "It's alright" "It happens" "It's not her fault".
Ethan couldn't believe his ears. These damned simps! All of this just to get a girl. The girls in Class 10 shared Ethan's displeasure. "Alright, alright, since everybody is so adamant, I'll let it pass. But I can't let you go completely free. I'll knock off 5 points, alright?" She smiled at the girl.
The boys started clamouring once more. "Ok, settle down. My decision is final. I won't be changing it." Ethan covered his mouth. "Shut up, simps!" Everybody snapped to attention, trying to find the culprit. "Who the hell was that bastard, huh?" They started searching around madly. In the end, they couldn't find out who did it. Ethan snickered to himself. Damned idiots!
Suddenly, Luna slid to his left. "Hi! What's your name?" Ethan didn't answer. "Hey, you! Yes you, blue eyes! What's your name?" Ethan shivered slightly. She sounded oddly familiar. He stared back at her. She flashed him a radiant smile. "U...Um." Ethan didn't know how to answer. Aside from the fact that he had never talked girls in both of his lives, he was wary of this simp-gathering, violet eyed girl.
"My name's Luna." She stuck out her hand. "Uh...I...I'm Ethan." He didn't take her hand. "Keep calm. Don't fall to the charms of this simp-magnet." He pictured a certain dog with a bat from his past life in his head. "Seems like your having a hard time here, Ethan. You look pretty bruised." She smiled at him. Ethan frowned. Was this girl mocking him?
"So do you," he said, his voice suddenly clear. He looked pointedly as her arms. She stiffened. Etha turned away. That'd keep her away. "Hey, don't talk to that guy." Ethan turned around. It was the simp! "He's a piece of trash with F rank potential. He'll probably be kicked out in a year. Don't pay attention to him. He's a loser."
Ethan started walking forward. The girl would probably leave now that she knew he was a bottom feeder. "No, I think I'll stick with him." For the first time, she frowned at somebody. The simp was taken aback. "S...sure, whatever you say. You can hang out with me later when you're bored of him." She turned around and jogged towards Ethan.
"So, Ethan, as I was saying, you seem to be lonely. Maybe I could hang out with you for awhile?" Ethan stared at her dumbly. What was wrong with this girl? Didn't she realise that he was somebody she should stay away from? She flashed a smile at him. "Sure, if that's what you want." He looked at her curiously. He wanted to see how far she'd carry this. "Alright, simp-collector," he thought. "I'll be your plaything for some time."