Ash Hopkins was lying unconscious on the other end of the stadium.
This stadium was specifically designed for mana battles, so breaking it wasn't easy.
Atleast that's what I thought…
'You hit him too hard Ray. You should have held back more.'
'If I held back anymore than that, then it would have been meaningless to try my new skill.'
I had wanted to see how strong mana manipulation was. Since as a Saint, I had to maintain my public image and couldn't just brutally rough him up, I figured one solid hit should do the trick.
"Call the medic!"
"Is he dead?!"
I looked around. Everyone was confused about what had just happened. Except for one person.
'That bald man…he's angry that I beat his douche.'
'Ray, I'm detecting that he feels extreme jealousy and hostility towards you.'
'That's pretty apparent from where I'm standing.'
"Saint? Did you kill him?" One of the professors asked me.
I smiled at him.
Slowly rubbing the earring inside my pocket, that I stole from him when I slapped him, I replied.
"Ofcourse not, professor. I just slapped him."
"Ah…o..okay", he didn't know what else to say to me.
Time to reinforce my image as a Saint.
I started walking towards the place where Ash Hopkins' body was lying. The crowd had gathered there to see what had happened to him. The medic team had already arrived and put him on the stretcher.
I came closer to him.
His face was destroyed and his body looked like a broken toy. He was dyed in blood and the place he had collided into had aggravated his injuries.
'He's about to die, Ray.' Lianne told me.
'Can you use my mana to heal him? Just enough so that he doesn't die?'
'Ofcourse, who do you think I am?'
Nice, let's start then.
"My Lord, provide me the strength to heal this poor lamb." I clasped my hands again.
"My Saint? What are you?" The emergency medics asked me.
I put my hands on his head and recited,
"My Lord, please forgive him. Provide me with the means to heal him."
My hands started glowing again. It wasn't my active skill this time, just Lianne doing her fancy work.
"Oh….!"
"Woah!"
The crowd gathered around us to look at the miracle that I was about to perform.
"Divine Healing!" I spoke like an experienced actor.
The light from my head enveloped the semi-dead douche and brought back colour to his skin.
'This should be enough.'
I pulled away my hand and bowed to the crowd.
"Please be kind to me in the future."
"Oh my saint!"
"Yes, my saint. If you need any help..!"
"Please look at me!"
'Ray, stop attracting so much attention. You know all this is being recorded.'
'And that is exactly why I am going to this extent.'
"Then please do excuse me, I have to go and talk to the Principal"
The crowd opened up and created a path for me.
Multiple phones were recording me, flashing lights and clicking pictures.
'Wasn't your plan not to stand out?' Lianne asked me.
'Not having a public image will give my enemies more power over me. I am putting myself in danger by doing this but if this plan works out, I'll have the public backing me.'
"Look here Saint" someone called me.
I turned to see who it was.
"Say hi to the chat." The brown haired jewelry laden girl from before was shoving a small camera in my face.
I smiled at it and then kept walking forward.
'We have to hurry, there are too many things we need to do.'
'I should be the one saying that to you, Ray.'
I went ahead and talked with the old and kind Principal in her office. She told me that she enjoyed watching the spar and that I could begin my classes anytime I wanted.
My plan was to start from tomorrow, so she immediately called up her contacts and provided me with a ready-made uniform.
The people from before had crowded in front of the office and were waiting to get a chance to click pictures with me again.
I set up my routine and after taking care of a few other things, the Principal provided me with a different exit path so that people didn't cluster around me as I left.
We exited the campus and started walking towards our next target.
'100 percent scholarship. You're living the grand life, Ray' Lianne teased me.
'It would be odd to ask for money from someone like me. Not that I have any money on me.'
[-Trial of Purity-
Congratulations on completing the First Task.
Ash Hopkins' uncontrolled tyranny has been trampled upon.
Rewards:
Temporary soulframe swap×1
10,000 RP
If you wish to quit the Trial, please feel free to do so now. However, if you wish to proceed further a System Patch will be provided to you within 24 hours.
Further details will be updated after Patch is installed.]
'A system patch?', I asked Lianne.
'It's like an upgrade but it only takes a few hours to complete. It will allow us to have two way communication with The God of Purity.'
'That's really helpful. So he is genuine in his intentions.'
Or atleast he is pretending to be.
'So what will you do, Ray? Are you quitting?'
'Well, I am not going to quit right now. There is no reason for me to.'
If The God actually wants to help me, it would be foolish of me turn down his help.
'You're just greedy and after the rewards.' Lianne chuckled.
I rolled my eyes.
As Lianne and I were talking, we came across a mana booth.
The outside glass was transparent so the inside could be viewed.
Inside it was a device shaped like an ATM machine with a silver plated handle standing out on its right side.
"What does this do?"
'It's the fastest means of sending and receiving money, small items less than 300 centimeter cube in size and it acts like a computer for online browsing. You can also use it to make calls, ' Lianne told me.
Wow, this was very handy.
Brrrriiiiiinng Brrrriiiiiiinng
Suddenly, the silver handle inside started ringing.
"Did it break down?"
'No someone is calling.'
'What?' I looked inside again.
Brrriiiiiinng Brrrriiiiiinng
The handle kept vibrating.
I looked around me. The street was empty and nobody seemed to be around.
'Is it calling me?'
'Be careful, Ray.'
Brrriiiiing Brriiiiiiiing
'Activate Stopwatch' I told Lianne.
I entered the booth cautiously checking for any traps or bombs.
As soon as I entered, the booth's glass walls became opaque.
Brrrriiiiing Brrrriiing
Slowly, I grabbed the handle.
I picked it up and brought it close to my ears.
"You have 2 hours." An unknown male voice told me.
"Who…is this?"
"Ichika Mukai and Baek Taeyang."
I fell from the sky.
"Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that in 2 hours, both of them will die."
What?
"A group has been sent after Ichika. She'll be attacked once she heads out for her evening shopping."
"What? How do you know this?"
"As for Baek Taeyang. His mother's work bag has been laced with a time bomb"
My eyes widened.
"You have two hours. Your time starts now. Tick Tock Mr. Contender."