After parting ways with Julianna I went ahead and bought around 1000 cheese hamburgers and put them all inside my dimensional storage.
Now I won't have to worry about food running out of food for some time. After that, I went to get the bracelet and then contacted Lucy and asked her to deal with it so that I wouldn't be monitored by the academy or more accurately so that I could control what I wanted to be recorded and what I don't want to be recorded by the academy.
Once I was done with both of my jobs, I went ahead and entered the training facility.
Unlike yesterday, when it was all empty, today there were quite a few people here but still the amount of students was low. Not too empty but not too filled either.
Since it was just the first day, everyone's more focused on exploring the academy and campus, and the training facility would most likely remain like this for the week.
Two of the people among the others who were currently in the training facility are from the main cast. Who might these two serious lads be? Well, they were the male lead and the female lead of the novel. The protagonists if you want to call them.
One was Aqua who I had already met on the bus and the second was Alyssa, both were going on with their training.
Just like I had yesterday, I entered a transparent box-like chamber, summoned thousands of slimes, and started fighting them with nothing but my pure skills, no mana, no aura, no soul energy, no use of myst, just me and my weapon in hand.
Unlike yesterday when I had to attend the entrance ceremony, I don't have anything to do now.
Back then, I had managed to cut the time down to 5 minutes, this time I will make sure I cut it down to just a few seconds.
Alright then, let's begin.
It was time to apply all that I learned yesterday from my virtual training with Enyo into practice.
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Dropping my bag in the living room, I headed straight to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow.
Stupid Stupid Stupid! You stupid bitch!
After parting ways with Noah and finally reflecting on what happened back when I was with him made me feel so embarrassed that I wanted to disappear.
I had acted so stupidly that made me not want to see either Noah or the professor again but I knew I had to face them both tomorrow in the class and the worst part is I don't even understand why I acted like that.
Did I think of him as a friend? No, definitely not. But I thought we were better than just acquaintances...right?
But why would I even think that about the guy I argued with the moment I arrived at the academy? The bastard who even went and lied to the professor? The crazy bastard who knocked out a girl unconscious and lied to others saying she was just sleeping?
I knew the reason behind it.
I just didn't want to admit it.
My thoughts drifted back to the last night when I was returning to my room.
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"Can you guys like talk with each other? For all the silence that I like, I definitely do not find this situation comfortable at all" Noah said with his dead tone.
Shut up, bastard. It's not like I don't feel uncomfortable either.
I retorted in my mind. I didn't want to enter into an argument with him, because every time I do I feel like I am making a fool of myself, getting angry and frustrated while he remains the same as always.
Currently, Noah, Lucy, and I were together walking towards our dormitory, and the reason I was stuck with them was because Noah and I were .... neighbors.
Oh god, why am I a neighbor with this crazy guy?
Lucy lived in another block but wanted to hold a conversation with Noah or something along those lines which made me wonder if they were acquainted before coming to the academy, actually, I was sure they were acquainted with each other even though they denied it.
I mean, that crazy fucker knocked Lucy out, and she was still okay going to his room. They got to be friends and all, right?
Besides, just like Noah, there was something about Lucy that made me feel weird.
Lucy is beautiful, incredibly so but... forgettable.
Something about her beauty felt divine but for whatever reason it just didn't stick in my mind, I couldn't help but think she looked ordinary, like any normal girl.
I didn't even understand this weird feeling or contradiction that I felt myself.
Birds of a feather flock together. They both had this weird vibe that was hard to understand while I don't know anything about Lucy and it might be wrong of me to make an impression of her when we haven't talked much, I still couldn't help but think that way.
"Then how about you try to converse?" Lucy scoffed at him.
"...Silence is good. You should enjoy the nature, the wind particularly feels nice" Noah backed off right away.
I noticed it but Noah except for blurting out whatever he wants to doesn't really know how to hold a conversation.
Even during our argument he just spoke so much crap that wasn't even relevant to what we were arguing about.
"..."
"..."
"..."
We all walked in silence not knowing what to say. I had wondered if I should just speed up or take another route to the dormitory but if I did that it would be clear that I was trying to get away from them while I didn't care about how Noah thought, I still felt weird doing trying to pull myself away like that—mostly because of Lucy.
Heaving out a sigh, I looked around as my eyes fell onto the arcade building in the distance.
I had gone there in the evening but I couldn't check out a lot of things since they were multi-player.
I thought I would be able to make friends since it was just the first day and many students would probably be there alone too but for whatever reason it didn't work out.
Instead, I played on the solo machines and came back.
I had wanted to try out the other game but couldn't.
Slowly, I turned my head away from the building and looked on the other side so that I don't have to remember the shitty feeling. I will make friends tomorrow in the class probably, maybe, hopefully...
"Alright, we are changing the direction, you two" I stopped and so did Lucy as we both turned towards him who was walking behind us.
"The fuck you on about?" I couldn't help but ask with a frown.
"As I said, we are changing the direction, to the arcade we go" Without waiting for the reply, he even started walking towards it and Lucy had a baffled expression on her face.
"Why would you go to an arcade?" Lucy asked.
"Give me a reason to not go to an arcade besides, you need to cool down. I knocked you out before but I am sure games would help you release some stress before we sit down and have our long-ass discussion and all"
"...I am perfectly fine" Lucy's voice trailed off a little.
Wow, I didn't know what it was but it definitely sounded serious about whatever they wanted to discuss.
Could it be that they're... you know, a thing? Like, a couple and all?
Is it relationship problems?
Considering Noah seems like a crazy fucker I can understand why she would be having problems with him.
No, Noah doesn't look like the violent type but considering he knocked her out ...maybe he is the violent type?
Is this one of those cases where the person purely falls for the beauty of the other and then the other person turns out to be toxic and trash who mistreats you but you are still stuck with them unable to break free?
Oh, poor Lucy!
"Lucy, if he tries to harm you or anything you can come to me, I will beat him up. Also, I think it's better if you break up with him, there's no reason to be in a toxic relationship!" I blurted out looking at Lucy who had her eyes widened at my words.
Something definitely clicked with her, so I am right.
"Dumbass, we aren't like that. I have no interest in entering into any sort of relationship and even if I do I have no interest in kids. Besides, we never met before with each other." Noah spoke up.
Really?
Then was I wrong? Did they really meet just today?
"But Lucy just reacted to my words just now..." My voice trailed off, I knew I was digging in too deep and it wasn't my business as I looked at Lucy.
"Don't worry. It's just ...I was surprised by how you are trying to stand up for me even though we don't know each other. You are a good person. Keep it a secret but you are right, Noah and I do know each other from before but it's nothing like you think, we are just from the same orphanage." Lucy had a gentle smile on her face as she spoke up and Noah looked at her and then me as he shrugged.
Oh...
So, it's not Noah but ...her experience at the orphanage that she recalled with my words?
I didn't know how to react to this so I just gave her a nod.
"And... excuse me, did you just call me a kid?" Lucy's tone was sharp, quite pissed actually, as she turned towards Noah.
"That's what you got a problem with? Also, you are a kid"
"Oh, what's your age uncle?"
"My body has been alive for 16 years for sure," Noah said.
Who the fuck says their age like that?
"So you are a teenager like us, right?" Lucy pressed on with her question.
"Officially, yes but that is not what we should be focusing on, okay?" Noah said as he kept walking in the direction of the arcade.
And Lucy who followed him not at all buying his crap.
"Um... are you really going to the arcade then?" I asked.
I wanted to tag along too but I felt the third wheel and it's not like I belonged here either.
"You are coming too, I don't really know how to play games here and all, so you gonna play with Lucy while I figure the shit out," Noah said with his non-changing voice.
"Huh?" I couldn't help but let out a confused noise while he simply shrugged and started walking.
"Come on, just come along, not like you have anything to do anyway," Noah said as he started walking with his back towards us.
"Haa~ let's just go. I don't think he listens to anyone anyway and I definitely do not want to play with him there alone" Lucy said after sighing and turning towards me with a smile.
"Um... okay" I replied and followed along unable to deny mostly because I wanted to go to the arcade.
...He is annoying.
I couldn't help but think as I looked at Noah's back in silence even though I didn't really feel like that towards him.
...
...
I take back what I said.
He is fucking annoying.
"You fucking losers. How long are you gonna keep trying? It's my 10th win. Just give up" Even though his voice remained the same, it felt annoying.
"Shut up, I will definitely win, you bastard" I spoke up and went for another match
...only to lose again.
We played for about an hour or so and after that went back to our rooms, as I entered my room I looked at the blue screen in front of me.
You had fun.
I did and I couldn't deny it but I posed a question that I already once had.
"What do you think about him?"
....I told you, didn't I? Julianna, this time you will have to decide on your own. Watch him, observe him, and make your decision and whatever your decision that would be I will respect it.
I looked at the words floating in front of my eyes as I got the same answer when I had asked it before.
It was the first time my screen wasn't giving me any answers, not even any opinion. It has always helped me with it but now it was asking me to decide on my own.
I heaved out a sigh as I posed another question.
"Can you at least tell me if he is dangerous to Lucy?" I didn't think Noah would harm Lucy but I was also concerned for her even after what she told me.
He would never harm her.
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"Haa~" I heaved out a sigh as I turned my head sideways.
Noah is a bit cracked in the head. No, not a bit. Maybe he is just absolutely cracked in the head. He is annoying, too, with his voice never changing and that expressionless face.
Honestly, it gives off the expression as if he doesn't care about whatever you say, even back then when we had our argument his voice remained the same throughout, his tone, the volume, all of it and that annoyed me since it felt like he was just straight up ignoring everything I was saying.
And his eyes ...they're creepy.
People say you can learn a lot by looking someone in the eye, getting a sense of who they are and all.
But even then, looking into someone's eyes doesn't always reveal their nature right away. With some people, it's easy to understand; with others, it's hard.
But his.... had no reflection in them.
It wasn't a matter of easy or hard to understand, it was more like there was nothing to.
It's like looking at a void, something hollow, unreadable, and inhumane.
It's a little scary.
...But at the same time, he was also considerate. While it's true that nothing was shown on his face he had shown a lot of consideration towards me.
Like when I was arguing with that red-haired guy...what was his name again? Right, Aleister.
Back then, Noah offered to ride with him to class on that mini cargo truck Emmie was driving. Boarding on vehicles was against the rules, and it came with demerit points. Yet, Noah still went ahead and got on, it was crazy shit to do but...
While he didn't offer me the ride directly, it was obvious that it was most beneficial to me at that time. None others needed it and I wanted to leave that place as well.
Noah had said he already asked Emmie prior to the entrance ceremony to come and give him the ride back but back then we didn't know about the sudden exam that the headmaster would give us either, Noah had no reason to actually go board on that vehicle either since it would cause demerit points but even so, he did.
Was it because he wanted to help me out of that situation or was it simply him being crazy? I don't know that but from what Professor Oliver said I knew that if Naoh wanted to he could have easily reached the classroom and passed the test on his own.
I felt a bit guilty so I decided to play along when he had tried fooling Professor Oliver and ...the result of it was that instead of getting the demerit points he had gotten himself the credit points instead.
...That pisses me off a little even now.
But I also felt relieved that he didn't end up getting penalized because of me. Whether he helped me out on purpose or not, knowing I didn't owe him anything was a weight off my shoulders.
Sure, he technically would've been the one in debt to me for getting us kicked off the bus. But since the bus ended up late to the ceremony, getting kicked off was probably the best thing that could've happened.
I heard later that a student pulled a prank that delayed the bus...I wonder if Noah had something to do with it and caused the whole commotion just to get out because he knew the bus would end up running into trouble later down the line.
Then there was also the time when last night we had gone to the arcade.
I have been wanting to go to the arcade but when I did go there I saw quite a lot of ones that needed to be a multi-player.
And obviously, I had no one else to play with.
Maybe he noticed my gaze but he suddenly started talking about going to the arcade.
We played, had fun, and then got kicked out because it was closing time. Honestly, I felt a bit sad since I didn't know if I was going to get another chance to play there with someone but Noah just spoke up about going there again.
That's why, I just went ahead and...
thought maybe not friends but at least more than acquaintances and it pissed me off when he said we are just acquaintances in the class even though it was just on my part.
"Agh, fuck! It's all his fault!"
Ding
I shouted as I saw a notification pop on my phone.
There was a video that was posted on the school forum. I looked at the video and started scrambling to get myself up and started running off toward the training facility.
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The training hall which was mostly empty a few hours earlier was now buzzing with quite a lot of students, all of whom came because of a single video circulating throughout the first-year students on the school forums.
It was a video of a student inside the combat simulation cube, where he was fighting against slimes, but that wasn't what caught students' attention—it was the sheer amount of slimes the boy was fighting up against that left everyone shell-shocked. There were hundreds of hundreds of slimes, the entire simulation cube was filled with slimes.
Slimes are the weakest monsters, G-ranked. Dealing with them wasn't problematic. But when an army of these monsters was trying to attack you, it made the situation quite different, still, anyone who is F+ or at least E- ranked would be able to deal with such a horde.
But the reason everyone was left bewildered was because the boy in the video wasn't using mana or aura. He was simply fighting with a sword in his hand against an army of slimes, he had been fighting on for hours end without any break, without slowing down, without even having incurred a single injury, he was managing to fight an army of monsters within a confined space of simulation cube without getting overwhelmed.
The boy in the video didn't seem to be pushing himself to his limits, his face didn't show any expression and his eyes remained calm throughout, and that was what made everyone absolutely shocked.
For someone to be able to do such a thing, they had at least need to be a D or D+ ranker and for a first-year academy student to have such a rank is absurd.
Typically, the first-year students entering the academy range from F- to E+ rank, some do manage to reach D rank before entering their second year but to be such high ranked from the start, how many such students has the academy seen?
Probably a number they could count on their fingers.
This was why everyone had ended up coming to the training facility, to look at the person with their own eyes, and one such person was Julianna who muttered under her breath
"Holy Shit..."