Chapter 18 - Leo's Back

it was early in the morning, in the military school as class had already started. students were sitting down on their seats, in their various classes, as today they would be taught a special topic.
"err... pt Jack what do you mean by special topic." a stout boy asked, his didn't have any hair as he was bald, which didn't seat well with his appearance.
"huh!... what i mean is, today the lesson that's going to be taught is ahead of class schedule..."
"ahead of class schedule?"
"isn't it what you said last time?" a girl with pink hair asked puffing her chest.
"yeah can't we just fight some more ." a boy said clenching his fists.
"is it that hard to get!..." pt Jack lamented as the questions were just too much for him.
"sir!" drip raised his hands indicating he wanted to say something.
"not you again, well what is it..."
"well i just wanted to ask, we'll soon head out on the hunt in about a week from now, but i don't quite get what we pt trainer's role is as we don't have an ability, how will we be any help full?" drip asked as he dropped his hand.
"well now that's a very good question, newbie... the hunt was set up by the military, to train your instincts on how to react when you're alone out there, for survival purposes."
so even if you think we're less important, we're actually useful than you think..."
"but how?"
"ha.. you really sure do, ask a lot of questions..."
"ok! what do, ability users train?"
"they train themselves, on their various abilities."
"then what do you think, we pt trainers train on?"
"ehhm, well from the word physical trainer the answer would be, training our physical body. i guess.." drip hadn't always been the smartest in class, but he still listened sometimes.
"correct! you see, before the ability users get an ability they first have to train their bodies in certain ways, to be able to adapt and to feel mana around them, before the ability training aspect or else the body might be too weak, to handle the new energy being absorbed resulting into death or critical damage." he paused to see the reaction on their faces as he felt like he was giving them more than a lecture.
"death..."
"critical damage..."
"am too young to die!" a girl screamed as she placed her hands and buried her head on desk.
there were looks of horror and frights on their faces as pt jack observed them with a calm face.
"but..."
"if we can't handle the new energy how then will we get an ability?" the blonde haired was puzzled.
"well i didn't say you can't, now did i?"
"huh!..."
"what i meant is some bodies are to weak to handle mana so that's why the military set up the pt's class to prepare you for your future ability you'll choose."
"but aren't ability books really expensive to get?..."
"yes, but the military will hand you the earth ability book for those of you who chose to learn it, but you'll need to buy more of the advanced stages."
"so it's safe to say, the physical training, is the first and vital role to play before getting an ability..." before, everyone in the pt trainers class just desired to have an ability, but now they had a different motto in their heads, as they now understood the importance of being a pt trainer.
"so now, that that's out of the way... let's proceed, on with topic which is mana..."
there were excited faces on everyone as they would be learning on this foreign energy called mana.
"now! not only will we learn about the mana which is all around us, but we'll also try to reach out to, feel it deep within our souls..."
the atmosphere in the class was livelier than usual as even pt jack was brimming with happiness, as they thought he was happy to teach them little did they know what awaits them after the hunt which they will embark on.
"ok now, i want you all to close your eyes and reach down to your soul, try to feel the energy around you, and the little energy your body has absorbed."
"wait, do you mea-n our body has absorbed mana?"
"of course, every living thing absorbs mana even plants do evolve, that's why we have powerful pills and medicines."
"no wonder the system showed mana in my stats, but since i don't have an ability, my skills uses my health points." drip had been wondering why his skills uses his health points not mana.
"it must be something, related to me being a parasite."
"ok enough talking..."
everyone's eyes were closed as they were seriously concentrating hard trying to feel something within their souls as secs turned to mins turned to hours until...
"i feel something..."
everyone's stopped focusing as their attention quickly landed on the source of that voice.
"i-it's that blonde haired girl...."
"yes Kira, what does it feel like?" asked pt jack coming closer.
"we-ll i don't know for sure, b-ut it feels like a small crystal clear transparent ball of energy."
"ha girl you just just felt the clear form of mana now, that's impressive it usually takes some days or weeks, but you did it under 3 hours... you're a bright one."
Kira just nodded in response to pt jack's praises, as she didn't show any form of pride or boast in any way keeping a neutral look.
"you can stop practicing Kira, your free to do what you want but the rest of you, will keep practicing even if it takes the whole day, or week until you feel it. there wasn't any remourse or concern as he voiced those words only sternness in each word.
"now i know, it may be hard for most of you." pt jack said moving from one seat to another. "but you have to feel it, so we can move onto the next step."
the process started again as everyone was focusing hard, even drip but he couldn't feel a small transparent ball of energy, only a small dark gooey ball substance which kept still in his soul.
he didn't notice the small black ball ever since, as he didn't even know it was still there in his soul, only now did he realise. launch came and passed, as they were determined to feel that little orb of energy.
after some more hours some students began to feel the orb of energy, it took about 9 hours since class started 7, for about half of the class to feel the energy orb, while the other half couldn't just yet drip included.
"that's enough class, we'll continue tomorrow. your dismissed."
"but i still want to continue." drip said in protest.
"even if you did newbie there's a possibility you still won't feel it, and you shouldn't force your soul too much."
"but..."
"you know, you can always meditate in your room newbie and besides, you can't meditate on an empty stomach." drip then got up and bowed before pt jack, before heading out from class as he noticed that, he and pt jack were the only ones in room.
heading to the canteen he saw some of the students ordering food with their credits but he didn't see the blonde haired girl present when he sensed someone familiar.
"where the hell have you been..."
turning round he saw billy approaching.
"you just went off ever since the incident and we haven't talked since."
"what incident?..." he didn't know what billy was talking about as the only incident he recalled was when he killed kiltz.
"what! are you serious right now you really mean you don't remember Nim's incident. what kind of pervert are you?" Billy didn't realize he was speaking out loud as all gazes fell on them even drip was a little embarrassed.
some of the students of class F1 who were present the day the "little incident occurred" looked at him weirdly a few girls looked at him mischievously while most of the guys gave him death stares.
"he really is a pervert.."
"but why would he go for nim, and it kinda seemed like she blushed."
"you idiot her face was as red as a tomatoe, i mean i would if i were in her shoes."
"nim wouldn't go for a nobody like him, i would rather fight him to the death for her." the bald haired boy from before said a vein bulging on his forehead.
drip just had a calm look, despite him clearly hearing all the words directed at him, just one of love and most of anger and hate.
am not a pervert! he yelled so loud so everyone could hear him.
"liar!"
"it was just a fair fight, i mean accidents do happen in fights right?" drip was hoping to clear himself from the rumours of him being a pervert.
"it's gonna take a while before they believe you but you shouldn't stress yourself that much as it'll probably die off soon." billy tried to convince him.
"it's not a problem, anyways do you have any information?"
"yes i found some important info that be helpful to you, but i'll tell you in my room." they bought some food and walked to billy's room as they discussed something's on the way.
"so what about kiltz body?." billy suddenly whispered even tho they were the only ones on the path.
"w-what about it?" drip said with a frown.
"well did it give you any benefits?"
"why do you ask?"
"well it's something related to my research on what i found out about parasites." "so is there?"
drip couldn't possibly tell him about the system and that eating human flesh gave him more exp's and stat points than regular meat.
"well i don't know for sure... but i think eating human flesh, boosts my physical stats to some extent." he concluded.
"then my guess was right, it seems when a parasite feeds on fresh human flesh and blood the nutrient taken in is far more better than regular plain meat." billy happily said like a small child who discovered a treasure.
"but." he continued. "it's a pity you'll die if you don't feed on flesh..."
"yeah it is..."
"but i don't still get do you mean you're infected with a parasite or?"
"you can put it like that."
"but what about kiltz... bones?"
"oh that, no need to worry i just put them under my bed, as no one looks under their beds right." he said casually.
"how can he just say that, he's even weirder than me..."
"billy why are you doing all this for me, i mean you helping me out and all."
the latter stopped as he looked at drip in his eyes thinking about something.
"why am i helping you? i don't know, but i just feel i need to. after all, i owe you for saving my life."
"but you've already helped me out by keeping my secret don't you think?"
"look drip, i don't have any friends and haven't been doing the right things, but i feel like helping you out is the right thing, so at least let me do this." drip felt like he owed billy a lot, as the guy he met a few days ago was constantly helping him out, in ways so he felt like he could do something for him.
"if had the chance to turn him into a parasite maybe i'll just do it but can he handle it?." drip was contemplating if he should turn him, as the former had already asked him before.
"maybe..." he thought as they reached camp -G, upon getting to billy's room drip saw that his room was open.
"you should learn to lock your room, you know..."
"b-ut i d-id."
"then why is it open?"
'that's what am going to find out..." as he got closer to the room that's when he sensed it.
"Leo's back..."