"What an exhausting day!"
Lying on the bed after taking a shower, Eric looked at his hands that are covered in blood a few minutes ago. Thinking back about the events that had unfolded earlier, made him a little stressed.
His actions may have been aggressive, but he justified them as a matter of survival. Instead of living in constant fear of when he loses his life, he believed it was better to face his challenges head-on. After all, in a world teeming with predators, why not become one yourself?
An unexpected transmigration into a dark novel, becoming a mere side character who hardly lasted half of the first chapter. On the top of that, having no idea about the past nor the future, make him more depressed.
And what more stressing him is, the mystery behind Eric. That even the author doesn't interested to reveal to his readers. Why a seventeen-year-old boy ends his life in a piece of rope? What the story Eric had to speak or to whom he wanted to escape by ending his life?
"Is he really that weak or should I call him stupid?" Thinking about real Eric, Keith confusingly asked to himself. "If he couldn't be a protagonist of his own story, he could at least try to be a villain in someone else's.
Not even doing anything, why he choose such drastic ending? Ugh, why am I wasting my time on an extra's backstory when the author doesn't care?"
Amidst his confusion, Keith realized he needed to focus on his own future, which appeared dark and uncertain for some reason.
...
Meanwhile, in an isolated house:
"Brother J, what's that noise coming from the other room?"
"Hear properly, doesn't it sounds like something being cut?"
"Yeah, it does."
"That means our boss has turned into a butcher."
"Butcher?"
"Shut up J, don't talk nonsense about our boss."
"Kim..." Interrupting their private talk, a cold voice reached out from the room.
From the three men, a well built, middle aged man with one arm and terrifying scar on his face went inside the room.
In the dimly lit room, Kim saw his boss silently sitting on a chair, holding a glass of red wine, while Emile's severed head lay on the table in front of him. The floor was soaked in blood, and the remains of Emile's body were in a gruesome state. Her skin was ripened off from the body, the flesh and bones were chopped down into hundred… no, thousand or maybe more pieces.
Observing the scene, Kim couldn't help but speak up anxiously, "Boss Itt…"
"Find out everything about our little lamb, ERIC JONAS..." Itt commanded.
"Sure... Eric? Should we look about Aiden? Isn't he the one who killed Emile?" Kim asked, confused about his boss's intentions.
Itt chuckled madly at the suggestion, "Hahaha… Do you really believe such a made-up story? Never trust others' words; it's the first rule to survive in our world.
The one I wanted to see suffer the most, died just by a single perfect cut on her throat… What a shame, I don't get a chance…
Anyway, leave it… Let's think about what they said was true. But do you think Aiden, a seventeen-year-old boy can overpower Emile, a martial artist, without leaving a single scratch on her body?"
"That…" Kim doesn't have an answer for that question.
"My intuition says, it's Eric Jonas.
A sudden attack from an unexpected person in an unpredictable moment, that's how I can saw this situation.
If my assumptions are true, we had to play along with him." Tightening his grip on the glass, Itt concludes his words.
"I got it, leave this matter to me… So, are we going to drop our initial plan?" For confirmation, Kim spoke his mind.
"No… We are holding it for a backup plan."
...
The next morning, at 8 o'clock:
"We need to be extra careful; I don't think Abram will let this matter aside after getting beaten up by you in front of everyone. My seventeen years of experience tell me he will surely take his revenge on us.
Young master, we must be on alert after entering our class. So don't put your guards down for a second…" Spreading Jam on every corner of the bread, Aiden continues to spout his worries to Eric who is getting ready for school.
"You worry too much," Eric replied, taking a piece of bread from Aiden's hands. "What do you think of this style? Does it suit me?"
"Young master, you look cool, but isn't it a bit of a bad boy style?" Observing Eric's dressing style (A total messy look with an untucked shirt, its collar and two buttons on the top are open and the tie is loosened too.), Aiden continues. "Sometimes, it feels like you're a different person than the young master I've known all these years."
"Come on, you're overthinking," Before letting Aiden's mind run wild over the topic, Eric puts a stop to it with a lame excuse.
Despite yesterday's incident, Aiden's unchanged behavior towards him left a mysterious impression on Eric. But believing it is all happening inside a novel world gives a slight logic to leave this matter aside, when other sly foxes are waiting outside to suck his blood.
Like other normal students, using public transport they went to school. Letting Aiden leads the way, Eric tactically learns the way to reach their 12-grade class 6 without making any complications.
Before entering the class, a boy rushed out of the room and collided with Eric, causing them both to fall.
"My back… Are you blind? Can't you see…" " Eric started angrily but stopped when he saw the boy's condition.
The boy's hair and shirt were wet, his right cheek swollen, his eyes full of fear, and his body trembling.
"Are you alright?" Eric concernedly asked, but the boy quickly retreated.
"Sorry...really sorry..." He mumbled continuously as he ran away.
"Young master, are you okay?
Seeing Aba's condition, it seems like our main enemies have arrived," Helping Eric, Aiden worriedly said.
Entering the class felt like walking into a battlefield. Unfamiliar faces and sharp gazes made Eric uncomfortable, but he tried to remain calm.
"Wow, is that really Eric?"
"He looks different today."
"Did he really beat up Abram?"
"It's hard to believe!"
"I don't believe such rumors, how can a noob be so brave in no time?"
Whispers filled the class as Eric stepped in. Amidst the commotion, a brave girl stood up and approached him, capturing his attention with her black hair, bluish eyes, and alluring features.
"Tell me, Eric. Is it really you who put Abram in that pathetic state?" she asked in disbelief.
"The question sounds familiar... Anyway, yes, it's true," Eric replied with a calm smile, not taking his eyes off her.
"Damn, I missed the chance! Can you show me how you did it? Not just me, everyone is curious to know... Please?" She tried to charm him with her cuteness.
"Come on, Eric… Show us, man… Eric come on, man…" As waiting to hear it, the whole class begins to cheer for no reason. However, Abram sat in his seat and put his head down while grinding his teeth under embarrassment.
"Young master…" In a worried tone, Aiden's voice appears from the opposite side.
"Sorry, I don't want to..." Eric politely declined.
"Are you looking down on me? Just show us, or else..." Throwing the book that Eric put open to a corner, she spoke in a bossy tone.
"Aisha… Aisha… Aisha..." Encouraging her attitude, the cheering voices raised more powerfully.
"You insist."
Eric struck her with a swift blow, causing the class to fall into silence. Blood trickled from Aisha's nose, her head feels heavy and dizzy as she fell unconscious.
"Anyone else wants a second demonstration here?"