Chapter 19
.
.
.
Ding! -Dong!
Fifty minutes passed since then and finally, the loud ringing of the bell signaled the end of class. I stood up, gathered my things and got ready to leave.
It really was a shit class.
It could have been because there was something going on with John that I couldn't quite grasp.
My ears tingled the whole class.
This was probably a talent Lust had given him. Unfortunately, it was only effective with the opposite sex.
On me it was like a ringing that gave me a headache.
I looked around at the girls and at John, who had just disappeared from my sight.
I was on my way to the door when I saw John approaching Estelle. My feet soon stopped.
"Estelle."
"..."
"Here's a little present for taking my elective class."
John took a small black object out of his pocket and handed it to Estelle.
I had no idea what the black box was.
He had probably given her something valuable to make a good impression on her.
"Oh, yes, thank you."
Estelle gave him a small thank you and took the box with her.
I nodded and walked out of the classroom.
I wasn't sure if there was such a sequence in my novel.
Since I usually write from one person's point of view, the more Arthur was involved, the more I would know. And guess who wasn't here right now... Arthur, the main character.
"Well, I don't care anyway."
As long as I didn't significantly disrupt the flow of the novel, everything would go according to time.
Maybe I'd talk to Estelle next class.
As I left the classroom, I thought for a while before deciding to go back to the dormitory.
I think I deserve some rest. It won't do me any good if I overtax myself.
.
.
.
After spending the rest of Friday training, Saturday came without me noticing.
The other people were no longer very interested in my training, especially Ms. Ester.
She just looked at me, sighed and walked away.
"She recognized me as a problem."
I sighed. This could have changed my life in the Dome for the worse, but not now.
I wasn't just training to improve my shooting skills, I needed to do it for my generally low physical stats.
In the meantime, I finally found a way to connect my computer to my wristwatch.
I opened my wristwatch and looked at the numbers on the screen, so I could keep an eye on all my stats at all times.
[Vayne Salas
→statistics
[Power 4.2]
[Endurance 4.5]
[Speed 4.3]
[Perception 5.2]
[Vitality 4.3]
[Magic power 3.5]
I was getting stronger, albeit slowly, and I learned that the more I pushed my limits, the stronger I got.
If I worked reluctantly, it didn't have a good effect on my progress.
It was only magic power that I could not increase individually.
I had to increase my magic power with items or quests, or I had to increase my mana capacity by constantly absorbing large amounts of mana crystals.
I was filling my bullets with mana, and low magic power meant empty bullets after a while.
This would render me ineffective against enemies. And then it would be the death of me.
I had a few ways in mind to increase my magic power and I was just waiting for the right time.
*Dinnn
[Travel Club Announcement] - A short trip will be organized on Saturday for freshmen orientation.
After reading the message on my wristwatch, a big smile appeared on my face.
This is one of the right times!
.
.
.
The orientation of the travel club was today and we planned to meet at the Dome portal station that connects to Silver City.
I put my gun and bullets in my backpack and walked to the meeting place. I was going to need this gun today.
Dome students had the freedom to carry weapons in public. It wasn't limited to the Dome, of course, other students of the wizard school had the same rights.
They were considered the heroes of the future, so they had to be prepared for any threat.
Most of the students didn't even carry weapons with them. Especially in the first year.
When I arrived, Arthur, Sofia and Eleine were already waiting there. Arthur was wearing a white oversized t-shirt and gray jeans underneath. Sofia was wearing a white crop over baggy brown cargo pants and Eleine was in black. Her clothes almost disappeared under her black hair.
They seemed completely oblivious to my presence when I arrived, but being with all of them still made me uneasy.
What was different from my original story was that Pheniyet was here too. The black-haired girl was dressed in a white blouse and green pants, and looked dazzling.
In the real story she was not a member of the travel club. Her being here made me uneasy. I didn't expect a small change in the story to change the whole plot.
Today in Silver City, something unexpected was going to happen.
It would be the first big event of the story and would lay the groundwork for the characters to mature.
As I was organizing today's upcoming event in my head, the club president came in.
"Hi, this is club president Jack News. I couldn't believe it when I saw so many applications, but... whatever. Who knew there would be so many amazing students?"
Jack was of average height and had a kind impression. He was a senior at the Dome, so he should have at least passed the C level. He scratched his neck and looked around.
"First, a brief introduction about the travel club."
He smiled shyly and took out a paper from his pocket. He had prepared a speech. I had written Jack as a timid person, so I wasn't surprised.
"Cough. Once or twice a month we will go outside the Dome to relax. Training or practicing during the trips is strictly forbidden. This club exists to give you time for yourself."
Cough.
He cleared his throat once more and put the paper back. What? Was that it?
"Today we will take a short trip to Silver City for orientation."
After that, things proceeded as I had written. Club members would pair up and visit Silver City together.
"We usually have a theme for each trip, but today will be an exception because it's orientation. We will be divided into pairs. This way you can have more fun. It's also an opportunity for the newbies to mingle, so make the most of it, friends. "
As the events of my novel unfolded
Arthur would be paired with Sofia.
They'd go to the museum together and get into trouble. As for what was going to happen, I was going to experience it soon enough.
"Then we'll start by drawing lots."
The drawing of lots was purely based on luck. But I didn't expect it to affect the story. While many people were wondering who would draw first, someone stepped forward.
"I'll go first."
Eleine stepped forward. I watched her pull out a name and realized I had missed my own presence. Eleine held my name between her hands.
"Vayne Salas."
My heart clenched, but Eleine's face didn't change. She looked at me calmly with her usual mask.
The smile on her face was like a battle against fate. She thought I was responsible for all this, didn't she?
Fortunately, everything else remained unchanged. The upperclassmen and underclassmen were mixed, while Arthur was paired with Sofia.After the draw, the members gathered in front of the portal.
I looked for Pheniyet and there was a second year with her. Due to the insufficient number of people, she had been assigned a 2nd year student in the lottery.
When our gazes met, I saw him looking at me suggestively.
"So he tried what I gave him."
I muttered inwardly.
Pheniyet should be able to manipulate basic nature spells by now. Maybe he had made moderate progress with healing spells.
"I wonder how far you've come."
Taking my gaze away from her, I focused on the large portals in front of me.
The portals were state-of-the-art technology utilizing magical science and engineering. More than 100 of these giant doors, 15 and 30 meters high and wide respectively, could be found all over the human domain. Because of their high cost, students inside the Dome had a certain monthly usage quota. If they exceeded it, the student had to pay for it out of their own pocket.
"Student Vayne Salas. Confirmed."
The portal operator gave us a seal that would be compatible with the portal and teleport us to the silver city.
"Let's go."
The club president entered first. Then Arthur went through the swinging blue portal, followed by Eleine, Sofia , Pheniyet and finally me.
For a brief moment a strange sensation enveloped my body.
In the blink of an eye the surroundings turned into a foreign place. The silver city portal station looked quite futuristic. In just two steps I had arrived in a completely different city.
"It's 12:00 now. I'll meet you here at 6:00."