"... Girlfriend?" Core asked Eshwar while tilting her head.
"Not yet." Eshwar answered, making Isha turn red.
"Wh-wha-what?" Isha stuttered.
"Ahem, anyway, can I join you?" Eshwar asked with a innocent expression which made his friends giggle.
"Hahaha. Okay, bye, see you again Miss Isha." Henry bowed to her like a gentleman and turned back.
"Oii." He halted his steps and threw the bike keys at Eshwar.
CLICK- CLANK
"Um, shall we go?" Eshwar asked, smiling brightly.
"... what about the bike?" Isha asked, ignoring Eshwar's previous response, while her cheeks and ear were still red.
"1 minute." He jogged towards the bike, parked it nearby, and returned to Isha.
"..." Isha nodded and began walking away from the academy.
"Here is the key to your room." She took out a key and handed it to Eshwar.
"Um, where are we going?" Eshwar asked, leaned forward and looked at Isha.
"Back to our rooms." Isha averted his gaze and responded, recalling his earlier words.
'Not yet.'
'What did he mean by that? He doesn't even know anything about me.' She got a bit angry at that thought.
"You smoke?" Isha asked abruptly and regretted it the next second, thinking how hypocritical her thoughts were right now.
"Yes." Eshwar answered promptly.
"..." Isha wanted to ask why, but she restrained herself because she felt it was none of her business....
"May ask why?" However, her curiosity got the best of her. She couldn't help but bite her tongue for not stopping.
"Haha." Eshwar chuckled noticing Isha bite her tongue.
"I have a condition and it helps me to keep it control." He answered.
"..." Isha noticed him not mentioning what type of condition he had and decided to not pry any further.
"Anyway, didn't you say, you were going somewhere?" Eshwar asked.
"Yes, but it's tomorrow after class; you're welcome to join me." Isha responded while looking at Eshwar, who smiled and nodded.
*
The next morning.
Isha walked towards the class room and noticed Eshwar had already arrived.
".... By doing so, one can increase their poison resistance. Any questions?" Eshwar asked after explaining.
A large number of students raised their hands. Isha also raised her hand despite having heard nothing about the topic because this was the first time she had heard of a method to increase poison resistance.
"Yes, Violet." Eshwar pointed at Violet.
"How do you know and why has nobody found out that method?" Violet asked.
"I know because I did it myself, and you haven't discovered that method because you're not curious enough." Eshwar answered.
"What have I been calling you guys from the start?" he asked.
"Book worms." Everybody answered as one with a dejected tone.
"Exactly. And they haven't found a new method because they are not curious enough! They believe that if they awaken their system, they will become stronger."
..... What Eshwar just said left everybody dumbfounded because that's what everyone believed including Isha, ever since the system came into existence.
"The system, in my opinion, is just a tool like any other weapon in existence." Eshwar said.
"...." nobody uttered a single word.
"..... Think about it, everyone alive has the ability to use magic, even if it is only mana shield and mana bullet. Every awakened can use every element there is, but they are only proficient in those elements the system helps, is it not?" Eshwar had everyone present thinking.
"Yes..." some students answered after a minute of pause
"If so, what is the system now?" Eshwar asked.
"A sword aids in killing the opponent and is a tool, just as the system aids in your growth and is a tool too."
"Why don't the people use different elements? Because after not even trying to do anything out of the system. And it has been continued like that ever since, after the system came into existence humanities curiosity has halted to a certain extent."
"It's as if it snatched away something that made us human! Because humans are inherently curious beings. A child eats mud before realizing it shouldn't and does everything an adult doesn't do until it is forcibly stopped! And that is exactly what the system is doing right now: stealing our curiosity."
"And I'm not finding the system trustworthy anymore because of the new changes."
"After the system came into existence, monsters started to spawn and have been becoming stronger along with us humans!"
"Now, the sudden changes are occurring, why do think so?"
DING (2x)
"Think about it and answer me in the next class, class dismissed." Eshwar said as he walked towards Isha, who stared blankly at Eshwar approaching her.
"Hello, shall we go?" Asked Eshwar waking up Isha from her trance...
"..." Isha nodded and turned to leave the class; she hadn't even sat down on seat from the moment she entered the class and carefully listened to every single word Eshwar said.
"... Do you seriously not trust the system?" Isha asked while thinking about everything Eshwar said.
"Of course, I trust it" said Eshwar leaving Isha flabbergasted.
"Huh?"
"I trust it as a tool, and it's my tool for growth, so of course I'd trust it," he explained to Isha, who understood what he was saying.
"Like trusting your sword, that it wouldn't break until the fight is over...." Isha mumbled.
"Exactly." Eshwar said.
"So, where are we going?" Eshwar asked only to have shrugged off.
'That makes sense if you think it like that.' Isha thought while walking in the corridor.
*
"Mind if I smoke?" asked Eshwar.
"After we leave the academy." Isha answered.
"Where did you think we are?" Isha was perplexed by Eshwar's question until she noticed that they had already left the academy.
"Ah." Isha flushed red in embarrassment.
"Hahaha." Eshwar chuckled and took out a box of cigars out of nowhere.
"You kept 'that' in your inventory, instead of a weapon?" Isha asked dumbfounded.
"Hm? Inventory?" Eshwar tilted his head in confusion.
"Ah! The new system function, right." He mumbled.
"This not a inventory though, it's my subspace magic." He answered with a smile, leaving Isha more puzzled than she ever been in her life.
"Huh?"