Max quickly closed the book, deciding to keep the newfound information to himself for the moment. He opened the door to his room, where Bella greeted him with a friendly smile.
"Hey, Max, how are you holding up?" Bella asked.
Max sighed and admitted, "Honestly, I'm a bit frustrated with how things went today."
Bella reassured him, "Don't be too hard on yourself. You did great out there, and I'm sure you'll become an ability user soon."
When Max heard the term "ability user," curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to take a quick look at the book to discover the new ability he had acquired.
"No one can see the book but me, right? Why don't I just take a quick look at it? It's not like Bella here can see it," Max thought, and he reopened the book to discover the new ability he had acquired.
"Thousand Pages of Death," Max muttered, this time with a slower and quieter voice.
"Eh?" Bella questioned after hearing Max grumbling.
"Oh... Nothing," he claimed, and the book also appeared at the same time.
Max scanned through the newly unlocked page, and soon, his eyes fell on the new ability he had acquired.
"What's that? A system book? How is it floating in the air?" Bella exclaimed in surprise.
Max quickly raised his head and discovered that Bella was referring to his invisible system book. He could hardly believe it, but seeing Bella stare in the direction of the book and knowing that it was floating was undeniable evidence that she could indeed see it as well.
Bella watched with anticipation as her eyes scanned the book. Indeed, she could see it like a physical object in front of her.
"Wait! Can you really see something in front of me?" Max asked.
She chuckled, unaware that it was a big deal to have seen what others can't, except Max and Ryan.
"Yes, Max, I can see it," Bella replied with amazement, her eyes fixed on the system book that hovered in the air.
Max, still trying to grasp the situation, muttered to himself, "Is she also a wielder like me? Did the book choose her as well? Or maybe another supernatural book did?"
Max kept asking Bella how she could see the book, considering that it was supposed to be invisible to everyone else. But Bella, with genuine curiosity, asked, "Isn't the book supposed to be visible?"
"Huh...? What?" Max stuttered, saying, "I never thought anyone else could see it."
"Eh? You mean I'm looking at a system book that isn't of this realm?" Confused Bella asked Max, getting more intrigued by the whole situation.
"Who are you, Bella? I mean, how is this possible?" While Max was asking this question again, his mind raced back to when he inspected Bella back at the library. Max remembered that his inspection detected a hidden Ability from Bella that wasn't known to him.
"Perhaps her hidden Ability has something to do with how she can see the book?" Max assumed. "And how did she know that the book isn't from this realm?" He spoke inwardly.
Bella's attention shifted to the fact that the book was floating. She couldn't help but read the words on the page.
"Congratulations wielder, you've unlocked a new ability.
< Ability: Super Reflex >
< No upgrade needed for this ability. To enjoy ability, upgrade Agility level >
After Bella read out the words, Max also checked the page and discovered that what was written inside the page was the same as what she had said.
Bella had just as many questions as Max.
****
James and Caleb, on the other hand, finished their meals and decided to return to their room with a pack of noodles for Max. However, as they were on their way, James spotted a familiar face heading towards the exit – one of the second-year students, Sayer the weapon summoner.
James didn't bother to tell Caleb because he didn't want him to chicken out, considering the way he acted back in the bowling alley. But as promised to Caleb, he was going to give them a taste of their medicine.
"Hold on a sec, I just realized I forgot something back in the canteen. Why don't you go ahead without me?" said James, trying to cut Caleb off.
"I can come with you," Caleb suggested.
But James refused, reassuring him, "No, it's fine. I'll be quick. You go ahead."
With that, Caleb headed on his way while James made a pretense of walking towards the canteen. He kept an eye on Caleb until he was out of sight. As soon as Caleb disappeared, James swiftly changed his route and began tailing Sayer, who was making his way outside the school premises through the year one students gate.
James continued to follow Sayer, keeping a safe distance. He whispered to himself, "Keep on tailing him, James, just wait for the right moment to act."
The route Sayer was taking was familiar to James, as it was the same path that led right back to the bowling alley.
Soon, Sayer arrived at the bowling alley and went inside. James remained in stealthy pursuit, carefully maintaining a safe distance to prevent Sayer from detecting his presence.
Observing the crowd within, James reasoned with himself, "There are too many people here, and it wouldn't be wise to confront him in such a public place, especially with all the year two students around."
Sayer went through a door that led him outside the bowling alley hall. He arrived at an abandoned building and cautiously scanned the area before entering a hidden passage within. James seized the opportunity and quietly followed him inside, unaware of what awaited him.
"How am I supposed to clean the entire stairs all by myself?" Sayer grumbled in anger.
Among the year two students, there were two particular gangs, and Blake's group was one of them. Blake's group was trying to come up with a new hideout, and this abandoned building behind the bowling alley seemed to be the perfect site.
The abandoned building was a three-story building with a big open space that extended from the bottom to the very top. It had lots of windows, but most of them were sealed, so there wasn't much sunlight in the ground floor.
James hid himself in the shadows as he waited for the right moment to strike. But unfortunately, he bumped into a large stack of old crates, causing a bit of noise. The sudden sound echoed through the open space, catching Sayer's attention, who turned sharply in James's direction.
"What was that?" Sayer muttered to himself, scanning the dimly lit area.
"Who's there! Show yourself!" Sayer added after spotting the green glowing light from James' suit.
James had no other choice but to reveal himself, knowing that this was the perfect opportunity to strike. He slowly walked into the light, but a shadow veiled his face, adding an air of mystery as he locked eyes with Sayer. The tension hung in the air as the two figures faced off in the dimly lit space.